For Holly Ratchford, the 9/11 attacks turned an ordinary life into a personal nightmare. She explained to The BBC that she first encountered Omar al‑Bayoumi – a Saudi man in his early 40s – when he moved into Parkwood Apartments in San Diego in September 1999.
Bayoumi was described by Ratchford as “bubbly and friendly” and quickly became regular at her pool parties. In February 2000 he introduced her to two men from his mosque – Nawaf al‑Hazmi and Khalid al‑Mihdhar – who were later known to have flown into the North Carolina and Washington airports on the day of the attacks.
Ratchford recalls that Bayoumi was an active participant in the process. He helped the two men satisfy the apartment’s income and banking requirements, guaranteed the lease and even paid their rent once they fell behind. When the FBI canvassed her office after the attacks, her statements provided the first link to Bayoumi’s role as a facilitator.
Evidence gathered by the FBI and later released to the New York court shows Bayoumi was paid about $90,000 a year by a Saudi‑linked company. Documents further indicate he arranged flight school credentials, wire transfers for the hijackers and even provided dental treatment. His video footage of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. was cited as evidence of planning a target.
Bayoumi denied any knowledge of the plot and was never charged by the U.S. Department of Justice. However, the 9/11 families’ lawsuit – amounting to $1 trillion – lists him as a defendant, arguing that his actions were directed by Saudi intelligence. A New York judge ruled a “reasonable inference” that Bayoumi operated under instructions from the Saudi government and not merely as a good Samaritan.
The case remains pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals and continues to raise questions about the extent of foreign involvement in the terror attacks. Ratchford, who now lives in an isolated part of the western United States, says she has remained haunted by her unknowingly supportive role and the subsequent fallout that followed the day that forever altered the world.
For more on the matter see the BBC Panorama series 9/11: The Saudi Connection and the radio series Intrigue: A 9/11 Story.
