U.S. seeks extradition of Yemeni man in Canada

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. law enforcement authorities want to extradite a Yemeni man being held in Toronto, who U.S. officials say was carrying three false Yemeni passports aboard a Germany to Chicago flight that was diverted to Canada on the day of the suicide hijackings.

The man, identified as Nageeb Abdul Jabar Mohamed Al-Hadi, was detained in Canada September 11 within hours of the hijackings, officials say. He was carrying three passports, each bearing what appeared to be his photo -- but with three different variations of his name, different passport numbers, different dates of issue and two had different dates of birth.

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The affidavit says Canadian authorities also found a marriage license issued in Detroit, saying Al-Hadi is married to a woman named Renee Applewhite. And a search in the National Crime Information Center database showed a Michigan driver's license was issued to Al-Hadi.

Other suspicious documents were found by federal agents in Chicago, when Al-Hadi's luggage arrived on an earlier Lufthansa flight and was not claimed. Those documents included one identification card and a piece of paper sewn into a pants pocket with Arabic writing on it.

Uniforms found

Authorities also found two Lufthansa crew uniforms in his suitcases.

A court document says Al-Hadi is believed to be a Lufthansa employee, but it was unclear whether as a contract employee he had proper access to two Lufthansa crew uniforms in his luggage.

Al-Hadi was charged in federal court in Chicago with carrying false documents, but authorities did not immediately say what, if any, connection the man had with the hijackers. He was not in the Chicago courtroom as the charges were filed, as he is detained in Toronto.

Justice officials say they know of no established link between Al-Hadi and the hijackers, but U.S. authorities wanted him in custody after finding the three false Yemeni passports.

At a Toronto court hearing Friday morning, the United States provided information sufficient for Canadian authorities to hold Al-Hadi until he can be extradited. The United States has six days to file court papers requesting he be handed over to them.