| Importance | High |
 | Date of Capture | December 19957 |
 | Location of Capture | Malaysia7 |
| Affiliation | Project Bojinka Cell |
| Role | Member |
| Supervisor | Ramzi Yousef |
| Affiliation | Al-Qaeda |
 | Affiliation | Al-Qaeda majlis al shura |
| Affiliation | Afghan resistance |
| Nationality | Turkmen6 |
| Nationality | Saudi3 |
| Nationality | Russian8 |
| Alias(es) | Grabi Ibrahim Hahsen1, Usama Azmarai, Osama Azmarai, Osama Asmurai |
| Alias(es) | Al Assad, The Lion |
| Alias(es) | Abu Hashim |
| Possibly the same as | Azmarai al-Sudi |
| Date of Birth | April 1, 1966 |
| Height | 5'6' |
| Weight | 135 lbs |
| Gender | Male |
| Injuries/Illness | Lost several fingers after stepping on a land mine in Afghanistan. Also perhaps lost part of a leg.2 |
| History | Veteran of Afghanistan-Soviet civil war (1980-1989) |
| Charged with | Conspiracy to bomb passenger planes |
| Charging authority | United States |
| In connection with | Project Bojinka |
| Case status | Convicted |
| Convictions | All counts |
| Case resolved | Sept. 5, 1996 |
|
| Narrative and Notes |
|---|
| |
| Reliable | Shah was a key player in the aborted "Project Bojinka," an effort to bomb a dozen transpacific airliners in 1995.
Wadih El Hage attended his wedding in Peshawar around 1990. El Hage described him as close to Osama bin Laden.
Extradited to the United States from Malaysia in December 1995.3 |
| |
| Possible | Jamal al-Fadl described Usama Azmarai as a commander during Afghan resistance in Jalalabad area. He was nicknamed "the Lion" for his bravery in combat. El Hage also described Azmarai was known for his bravery, strongly suggesting they were speaking of the same person.3 |
| |
| Questionable | Al-Fadl also mentioned an Azmarai al-Sudi who was a member of al-Qaeda's majlis al shura, or consultative council. It is unclear if they are the same person. If that is the case, Shah's position in al-Qaeda is significantly higher than has been publicly described.4 |
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| Sources |
|---|
| 1 United States v. Yousef et. al. indictment. |
| 2 Jamal Ahmed al-Fadl testimony, United States vs. Osama bin Laden et al, trial transcript, Day 2, Feb. 6, 2001. |
| 3 Wadih El Hage to U.S. grand jury, Sept. 24, 1997. |
| 4 Jamal Ahmed al-Fadl testimony, United States vs. Osama bin Laden et al, trial transcript, Day 4, Feb. 13, 2001. |
| 5 'Plane terror suspects convicted on all counts.' CNN: Sept. 5, 1996. |
| 6 Sept. 11 Commission Report, July 22, 2004. |
| 7 McKinley Jr., James C. 'FBI Arrests Man in Far East, Charged in Plot to Bomb Planes.' The New York Times, Dec. 13, 1995. |
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| Key to bullets |
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| High confidence |
| Some confidence |
| Low confidence |
 No confidence |
| Page maintained by John Lumpkin
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| Click here for a disclaimer and detailed explanation of the confidence ratings. |
