His arrest has been controversial in South Africa. Why did the South African authorities allow him to be extradited when it is illegal to transfer someone to a country where they may face the death penalty? During his childhood in Zanzibar, Khalfan became increasingly radical as he submerged himself in Islam. 4 years after returning from Bin Laden’s training camps, he finally received “his orders” – to blow up the US embassy. His job was to facilitate operations and to help build the bomb. Within hours of the explosion, Khalfan left for Cape Town. On leaving, he cleaned out the flat where they had stayed, and gave his sister the grinder he had used to prepare for the TNT bomb. These were to be his 2 mistakes. Meticulous forensics led the FBI to the house in Dar Es Salaam. “They painted the house with a black substance which revealed shadows of the people who had stayed here” reveals their landlord. After a visit to his sister’s house, they found the grinder .A year later, whilst working as a chef in Cape Town, Khalfan went to renew his permit for political asylum. The FBI had laid a trap for him - he was arrested, loaded on to a plane, and flown to New York to stand trial.

Produced by SABC Special Assignment