Ahmad Mohammad Ali al-Hada

Ahmad Mohammad Ali al-Hada is an al-Qaeda operative from Yemen whose family was described by US government officials as a "supercell" within the al-Qaeda network.^[1] By February 2002, the "communications hub" which al-Hada running was no longer active following the death of his son, Samir.^[2]

Ahmad Mohammad Ali al-Hada
Born	Unknown Dhamar Governorate, Yemen
Nationality	Yemeni
Occupation	al-Qaeda "switchboard" host
Children	1
Military career
Allegiance	Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda Central (1980s–1996) Islamic Jihad of Yemen (1996–2009) AQAP (2009–present)
Years of service	1980s–?
Rank	Officer of Al-Qaeda and communications supervisor
Battles / wars	Soviet–Afghan War Yemen Insurgency Yemeni Civil War ?

Early life and Al-Qaeda

Al-Hada is native of Dhamar Governorate, and is a veteran of Soviet–Afghan War, where he met Osama bin Laden. It's reported that al-Hada was a close friend of Bin Laden. From 1996 until 2006, he operated, along with his son, Samir Al-Hada, an al-Qaeda safe house and a communication center in Sana'a, which was the direct link from al-Qaeda central to Yemen. He was captured by the Yemeni government in 2006,^{[citation needed]} but was set free, possibly after a tribal deal.^{[citation needed]} As of 2007, his whereabouts are unknown.^[3]

Family

Al-Hada's son-in-law, Khalid al-Mihdhar, was one of the hijackers that flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon as part of the September 11 attacks.^[2] Another son-in-law, Mustafa Abdulkader, has been listed on FBI terror alerts. In February 2002, Al-Hada's son, Samir al-Hada, committed suicide using a hand grenade,^[4] to avoid questioning by security forces about the Cole bombing.^[5] Two of Ahmed Al-Hada’s brothers were killed in Afghanistan during operation “Absolute Justice” in the War in Afghanistan and a third brother, Abdullah Al-Hada, is wanted by the Yemen authorities for terror charges.

USS Cole bombing

Al-Hada allegedly provided the telephone number in Yemen^[6] that served as the switchboard for al-Qaeda operations leading up to the USS Cole bombing and September 11 attacks.^[7] In The Looming Tower he was cited as being in Yemeni custody.^[8]