FBI Investigates at the Charles

Officials at Harvard Square’s Charles Hotel confirmed yesterday that FBI agents had conducted a multiple-day investigation there in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center.

FBI officials at the Boston branch office declined to comment, saying it was part of an “ongoing investigation.”

But the Boston Globe reported yesterday that two of the hijackers responsible for the attacks spent the night of Sept. 9 at the hotel.

Quoting anonymous law enforcement sources, the Globe reported that the two men left the Charles the following day and met up with two other hijackers at the Milner Hotel in Boston’s Park Square.

Norman Roca, general manager of the Milner, told the Globe that the four hijackers were Marwan Al-Shehhi, Fayez Ahmed, Mohald Alsheri and Satam al-Suqami. Al Suqami was one of the hijackers aboard Flight 11, while the others were on Flight 175.

Paul Giovanini, regional director of operations at the Charles, said that none of the hijackers’ names released by the media match the names in that hotel’s guest registry in the days prior to the attacks.

He added that the FBI has not notified them of any findings.

“We just supplied them with the information and that was it,” Giovanini said. “The FBI was here as they were with every other hotel in this area to see if they could pick up on any leads.”

Giovanini added that he believes hotel employees will be more infomative when additional photographs of the hijackers are released to the public.

“From the pictures that are out there right now, employees have not come to us identifying any of them,” Giovanini said.

Still, the hotel has not approached employees with pictures to identify.

“We haven’t gone to employees and said, ‘Have you seen these individuals?’” Giovanini said.