what Atta and his cohorts accomplished didn’t require any guts?

None whatever. He could be sure of success once on the plane, since his ‘audacious’ oh-so-ingenius carving up of stewardesses would elicit a gallant attempt from the cockpit to save them. He knew that he’d escape ever being held to account, via his choice of death for himself. And he’s still mooning the USA from his nest among the 72 virgins, while his acolytes worldwide sing his praises and rhapsodize about his courage.