A special report by Hal Bernton, Mike Carter, David Heath and James Neff · June 23 - July 7, 2002

his is the tale of how a footloose, unfocused Algerian boy, son of a war hero, evolved into a terrorist. How he planned an attack against Americans on the eve of the new millennium. How he nearly got away with it. And how, since Sept. 11, he has been one of the U.S. government’s best resources in the war on terror. BEGIN >> 

	Algerian Ahmed Ressam was captured on Dec. 14, 1999, in Port Angeles, Wash., on his way to detonate a bomb at the Los Angeles International Airport.

THE MAIN CHARACTERS

Several people in this story are key to understanding the roots of terror and the challenges in fighting it.

JEAN-LOUIS BRUGUIERE Ressam's chief stalker

ABU ZUBAYDAH One of Ressam's mentors

FRED HUMPHRIES FBI agent based in Seattle

THE SETTING



This story takes place around the globe, beginning in Algeria and moving through Europe, Canada, Afghanistan and, finally, the United States.

Chapter 1:	Past as Prologue
Chapter 2:	The Fountainhead
Chapter 3:	Leaving Home
Chapter 4:	Sneaking In
Chapter 5:	The Terrorist Tracker
Chapter 6:	It Takes a Thief
Chapter 7:	Joining Jihad
Chapter 8:	Going to Camp
Chapter 9:	'A Bunch of Guys'
Chapter 10:	The Mission
Chapter 11:	The Ticking Bomb
Chapter 12:	The Crossing
Chapter 13:	On the Case
Chapter 14:	The Warning
Chapter 15:	Puzzle Pieces
Chapter 16:	The Reckoning
Chapter 17:	Nine-Eleven
Epilogue

See About this series for source list, credits and reprints.

•	Understanding the Conflict
•	Two Peoples, One Land