After the attacks , the Associated Press would re-publish a " bizarre " story by the '' Cody Enterprise '' that quoted witnesses stating that Nawaf entered the United States during the autumn of 1999 , crossing along the Canada – US border as one of two men delivering skylights to the local high school in Cody , Wyoming . Leaving the city 45 minutes later with the remaining cardboard boxes , the men allegedly asked " how to get to Florida . " Based on information uncovered by the FBI in the 1998 United States embassy bombings case , the National Security Agency ( NSA ) began tracking the communications of Mihdhar 's father-in-law , Ahmad Muhammad Ali al-Hada , who was facilitating al-Qaeda communications , in 1999 . Authorities also became aware of Hazmi , as a friend and associate of Mihdhar . Saudi Intelligence was also aware that Hazmi was associated with al-Qaeda , and associated with the 1998 African embassy bombings and attempts to smuggle arms into the kingdom in 1997 . He also said that he revealed this to the CIA , saying " What we told them was these people were on our watch list from previous activities of al-Qaeda " The CIA strongly denies having received any such warning
1998 United States embassy bombings
1998 United States embassy bombings
Nawaf al-Hazmi