Karim el-Mejjati

Entry into militant plots

After moving to Riyadh, el-Mejjati agreed to allow Khalid al-Juhani, a veteran of the First Chechen War and Afghan Civil War who was being sought by Americans, stay with his family. He asked his wife to help him find a wife for al-Juhani, who was not supposed to be involved in any more fighting.

While in Spain, el-Mejjati became associated with Jamal Zougam, who had helped construct the bombs, leading to the suggestion that he had been involved in the March 11 Madrid bombings.

In December 2003, he was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment in absentia by a Moroccan court, for his role in the Casablanca bombings.

Death

El-Mejjati, as well as his 11-year-old son, Adam, and the leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia Saud Hamoud 'Abid al-Qatini al-'Otaibi, Saudi security forces had not known el-Mejjati would be present when they surrounded their first target, a house with approximately eight occupants. When shooting began, the occupants fled to a nearby construction site where the battle lasted until the following morning. A columnist later suggested that el-Mejjati had shot his son after he was captured by Saudi forces. Saudi authorities also alleged that el-Mejjati had killed a foreigner living in the Kingdom, and attacked a police patrol in Al-Ghat "with the support of his son", despite being only 11 years old. At the time of his death, he was #4 on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's "26 Most Wanted" list.

El-Mejjati was survived by his wife and 12-year-old son Ilyass. and to Moroccan newspapers stating that her husband had been a mujahid, and not a terrorist. Following the July 7 bombings in London three months after his death, Saudi Arabia stated that they had warned Britain of the impending attack, sending them an intelligence file that contained details of el-Mejjati and his alleged connection to lead bomber Mohammad Sidique Khan.