Abdul Hakim Murad was a close friend of Ramzi Yousef. In the early 1990s, Murad attended flight training at Coastal Aviation of New Bern, N.C., and Richmor Aviation of Schenectady, N.Y.[1]
Murad was involved with Yousef in Operation Bojinka, to blow up flights in the Philippines. In 1994 and early 1995, he was living in the Philippines with his friend, Ramzi Yousef. Also in Manila was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. On January 6, 1995, Yousef and Murad were making bombs in their Manila apartment. While mixing chemicals, a fire started in the kitchen. Yousef and Murad took off, but Yousef sent Murad back to retrieve a laptop, which contained plans for Operation Bojinka and other terrorist operations. Murad was arrested and interrogated by authorities in the Philippines. He was later convicted in New York.