Suspected Hijacker Lived For Short Time in Vienna

by Matthew Barakat
The Associated Press
September 14, 2001

One of the 19 suspected hijackers in Tuesday's terrorist attacks apparently lived for a short time in northern Virginia.

The FBI on Friday named Waleed Alshehri as one of the men who hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston and crashed it into the World Trade Center on Tuesday.

His most recent addresses were listed as Orlando and Daytona Beach, Fla., but he lived briefly in Vienna before then. Hamid Keshavarznia of Reston said he rented a room to Alshehri for a few months about two years ago at a Vienna home he owns. But Alshehri broke the lease, telling Keshavarznia that his father wanted him back in London.

"He looked too innocent to be suspicious," Keshavarznia said.

He said that Alshehri was a Saudi citizen and appeared to be in his early 20s. Information released by the FBI listed numerous possible dates of birth for Alshehri that would put his age at anywhere from 21 to 27.

Keshavarznia rents out about five rooms in the Vienna home. Neighbors said they always noticed a lot of activity at the house, often at odd hours. None knew Alshehri specifically.

About two years ago, neighbor Diane Albritton said she called the CIA with her suspicions about illegal activity at the house, but nothing was done.

"There were all kinds of comings and goings," she said. "People were always carrying cases in and out."

Albritton said the FBI called her home following the attacks to inquire about Alshehri. Vienna police Capt. Johnny Price said his department was not at all involved in any investigation, but that other neighbors had called the police and said they were questioned by the FBI.

Other neighbors, though, said they had not been questioned at all, and Keshavarznia, an Iranian native and U.S. citizen, said he had not been contacted by authorities.

Before Keshavarznia arrived at the home Thursday afternoon to speak to reporters, confused boarders at his home were peppered with questions about their roommates or if they knew Alshehri.

"I don't know of any shady goings-on," said Adrian Cooper, who had lived at the home for about three months.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press

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