Alleged Hijackers May Have Trained At U.S. Bases

NEWSWEEK visited the base early Saturday morning, where military police confirmed that the address housed foreign military flight trainees but denied access past front barricades. Officials at the base confirmed that the FBI is investigating the three students.

It is not unusual for foreign nationals to train at U.S. military facilities. A former Navy pilot told NEWSWEEK that during his years on the base, "we always, always, always trained other countries' pilots. When I was there two decades ago, it was Iranians. The shah was in power. Whoever the country du jour is, that's whose pilots we train."

Candidates begin with "an officer's equivalent of boot camp," he said. "Then they would put them through flight training." The U.S. has a long-standing agreement with Saudi Arabia-a key ally in the 1990-91 gulf war-to train pilots for its National Guard. Candidates are trained in air combat on several Army and Navy bases. Training is paid for by Saudi Arabia.

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