Ressam, Ahmed (1967–)

Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian terrorist, was captured at the U.S.-Canadian border, on his way to carry out a plot to blow up Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on New Year's Eve 1999. Since his capture, Ressam, hoping to reduce his prison sentence, has provided key testimony against others in the Y2K plot, as well as Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, Al Qaeda, and his training camps.

Ressam grew up in Algeria, developing militant Islamic sentiments after a trip to France in the early 1990s. Immigrating to Canada in 1994 with a false passport, Ressam, when found out, asked for political asylum, claiming that he had been tortured in Algeria for his politics. He was allowed to settle in Canada. He stayed in Montreal until 1998, living off welfare payments and petty theft, while residing in an apartment later identified as the headquarters of ...