An al-Qaida Internet statement says a Saudi militant killed in 2004 was supposed to have been the 20th suicide plane hijacker in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
The statement says Osama bin Laden chose Turki bin Fuheid al-Muteiry to be the 20th attacker. It says the militant, who also went by the name Fawaz al-Nashmi, did not take part because of the timing of the September 11 attacks.
Most of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. U.S. officials have called Zacarias Moussaoui the 20th hijacker. He confessed to a role in the attacks and is serving life in prison. But bin Laden said in a tape earlier this year that Moussaoui had nothing to do with September 11.
Muteiry died in a shootout with Saudi security forces in 2004 after the militant allegedly took part in an attack on foreigners in the oil city of Khobar.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
