Were the 911 hijackers using stolen identities?

[Prefer]

They couldn't have, correct? Because if so, one would have to wonder why they would use stolen identities of people who were already on the terrorist watch lists.

What about the reports of some of the guys being alive still. Is that a red herring that has been debunked? Because then they would have to have been using stolen identities, which simply doesn't make sense.

Can anyone refresh me on the official story that makes sense?

[SpiralHawk]

1. OFFICIAL STORY: "We did a heckuva job. Smirk." - Commander AWOL & republicon cronies

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. The 'reports of some of the guys being still alive'

This is concocted by conspiracy theorists in two ways:

1) Families of the hijackers say stuff like 'He never would have done that. Must be someone else. Matter of fact, I just heard from him a few days ago, seems to me.' Such quotes stop within two weeks of the attack, but the timeliners point to the confused immediate aftermath stories as "proof" that so-and-so is still alive.
2) More than one person of the world's 1 billion Muslims shares a name with a hijacker. What a revelation. Only an ignorant fuck would think that ONE person in the whole wide world could ever have a name as weird as Waleed al-Sheri. I mean, it sounds so weird, right? Like, totally!

[JCMach1]

5. Muslim names tend to be very comon ones....

some combination of religious first name, followed by a family, clan, or tribal name.

For example, I have taught at least 1/2 dozen students named Mohammed Mohammed.


Naming in the Arab world is quite a different ball of wax. People change and use different names at whim as well. I have to insist my students always include their student ID number when work is turned in.

[treestar]

3. They didn't and didn't have to

In fact all this ID obsession since then wouldn't have had much effect. They hadn't done anything before the hijackings, so they could still use their own valid IDs.

Those who were on the terrorist watch list still got on the planes as themselves.

[justiceischeap]

4. The majority of them were obtained in Virginia which at the time had very lax

rules for obtaining a DL. I almost wasn't able to get enough documentation to get mine and I'm so not a terrorist (too lazy) and was born in the USA. If I remember correctly not only did I have to present photo ID (my PA DL) but my birth certificate and my SS card. It was ridiculous.

[lurky]

6. They were in the country legally.

The State Department gave them all visas. All their paperwork was legit. I don't see why any DMV wouldn't give them a DL, then or now.