For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 1, 2003

Statement by the Press Secretary
Detention of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed

The United States commends Pakistani and U.S. authorities on the completion of a successful joint operation which resulted in the detention of several Al Qaida operatives, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is one of Usama Bin Laden's most senior and significant lieutenants, a key Al Qaida planner and the mastermind of the September 11th attacks. He is known to have been centrally involved in plotting by Al Qaida terrorists since September 11th, 2001--including plots to launch attacks within the United States.

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists, and has been under U.S. indictment since 1996 for the Manila air conspiracy, a plot to bomb a series of U.S. civilian airliners.

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