Osama bin Laden
Biography of the World's Most Wanted Terrorist
Osama bin Laden picture, Osama bin Laden photos, Osama bin Laden biography
Osama bin Laden is the world's most wanted terrorist, most recently linked to the September 11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which killed approximately 5,000 people. Bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to a Yemeni family in 1957. His late father owned a major Saudi construction business and bin Laden became immensely wealthy through his inheritance, estimated at over $250 million. But, despite growing up in privilege, bin Laden left Saudi Arabia in 1979 to join rebels fighting against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Ironically, the Afghan resistance was primarily backed by American dollars and military aid. According to Middle Eastern analyst Hazhir Teimourian, bin Laden even received training from the CIA itself. While fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan, bin Laden founded the Maktab al-Khidimat. The MAK recruited Muslim fighters from around the world and sought out military aid to use in the struggle. However, according to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), who spent time with Afghani freedom fighters, as early as 1988 "bin Laden was so crazy that he wanted to kill Americans as much as he wanted to kill Russians." In 1989, bin Laden founded al Qaeda ("The Base"). It wouldn't be long before al Qaeda transformed itself into an international terrorist network and began carrying out attacks on U.S. interests around the world. But first, Bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan and rejoined his family's construction business. Shortly thereafter, in the summer of 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden reportedly offered his services to the Saudi government to help defend against an Iraqi invasion of the kingdom, he was rebuffed. Although the Saudis had resisted at first, then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney (now Vice President) and U.S. military commanders convinced King Saud that only rapidly deployed American military forces would be enough to deter Iraq from invading and quickly overrunning Saudi defenses. As a formidable amount of American military support and troops poured into Saudi Arabia, bin Laden became incensed. He claimed that the "infidels" were defiling the Muslim holy places and agitated for withdraw of Western coalition troops. When American military forces remained in Saudi Arabia, at the request of the Saudi government when the Gulf War ended in early 1991, bin Laden's continued outspoken opposition led to his being expelled from the kingdom. In 1991, bin Laden established a headquarters for al Qaeda in Khartoum, Sudan, spending the next five years there. U.S. pressure eventually led the Sudanese government to expel him from that country and bin Laden thereby returned to Afghanistan.  After his exile from Saudi Arabia, bin Laden issued a number of fatwahs (rulings on Islamic law) stating that American forces stationed in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia should be attacked. According to U.S. authorities, bin Laden was involved in at least three major terrorist attacks against U.S. interests prior to 1999:
In addition, U.S. authorities believe that al Qaeda members "provided military training and assistance to Somali tribes opposed to the United Nations' intervention in Somalia." On October 3-4, 1993, attacks against U.S. Army personnel in Mogadishu, Somalia resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. soldiers. After the 1998 embassy bombings, Bin Laden's acts of terror grew even bolder, with attempts to attack U.S. naval vessels and targets within the United States. On January 3, 2000, an attack on the USS The Sullivans, a U.S. navy destroyer, failed when the alleged attack boat sank in the port of Aden, Yemen. Around the same time, U.S. law enforcement personnel arrested Ahmed Ressam, who they believed was planning several terrorist attacks on West Coast targets, including Los Angeles International Airport, coinciding with the Millennium celebrations. Then, on October 12, 2000, the U.S. navy destroyer USS Cole was attacked by an explosive-packed boat that rammed the ship during its refueling stop in Aden. Seventeen U.S. sailors were killed, 39 wounded and a $1 billion modern warship was crippled. But, most troubling to Americans who believe that a massive intelligence failure led to the September 11, 2001 attacks is a failed terrorist attack in 1995, also believed to be linked to Osama bin Laden. Philippine police in Manila had discovered a clandestine terrorist cell allied with bin Laden that was plotting to plant bombs in a dozen American airliners. Even more ominous was a report that the terrorists also planned to commandeer an airliner and crash it into CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The bomb plot was discovered when one of the terrorists accidentally caused a fire while mixing chemicals. Philippine authorities insist that they passed on all of this information to the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Joint Task Force on Terrorism, but that U.S. authorities did not give it credibility. When the terrorist attacks in the United States occurred on September 11, it was immediately speculated that Osama bin Laden was behind them -- and, indeed, the United States and its allies now claim that evidence ties bin Laden to the attacks. Approximately 5,000 civilians were killed when two hijacked commercial airliners, loaded with highly flamable aviation fuel for transcontinental flights, were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, eventually causing the collapse of the towers and several surrounding buildings. A third aircraft was commandeered and flown into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, resulting in nearly 200 deaths. A fourth aircraft, widely believed to be targeting the U.S. Capitol complex, crashed in Pennsylvania, likely the result of a struggle between the hijackers and passengers determined to stop the plane from being used as another missile. Although the U.S. has only released some of the evidence linking bin Laden to the attacks, there existed additional warning signs that, had they been acted upon properly by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials, might have helped to prevent the tragic events of September 11th. In August 2001, a suspected Algerian terrorist, Zacarias Moussaoui, was picked up in Minnesota on immigration charges after a flight simulator training school tipped off authorities that Moussaoui had offered cash to learn only how to "steer" a jumbo jet and apparently wasn't interested in practicing take-offs and landings. When told of Moussaoui's arrest, French intelligence authorities notified the FBI that Moussaoui was linked to bin Laden and that the Saudi dissident was training his terrorists to fly commercial aircraft. The French, having thwarted an attempt by hijackers to crash an airliner into the Eiffel Tower in 1994, apparently understood the seriousness of the matter. Despite these ominous signs, U.S. authorities did not alert commercial airlines to be alert of the possible takeover of cockpit controls by terrorists, nor did they increase the alert status of U.S. fighter aircraft should an interception be neccessary. However, he has also raised enormous funds from both direct supporters and from indirect, perhaps even innocent supporters of charitable front groups throughout the world. Bin Laden's network is also suspected of profiting directly from the terrorist attacks by shorting the stock of major U.S. airlines, that of airline manufacturer Boeing, and several brokerage firms that suffered severe casualties when the World Trade Center was attacked. Shorting of a stock occurs when a buyer essential sells a stock at a higher price while promising to buy it on a specific date later), thus profiting from the difference if the price drops.(A trader would lose money if the stock went up at the purchase date.) On September 24, 2001, the United States froze the assets of the following organizations believed to be supporting terrorism:
After being expelled from Sudan, bin Laden set up shop again in Afghanistan. However, it is believed he also has terrorist cells operating in over 45 countries. However, intelligence officials believe that most of the terrorist indoctrination and training occurs within Afghanistan. Due to fear of U.S. air attacks, bin Laden reportedly stays no more than a few days in any given place. He also utilizes a network of deep underground caves to remain elusive. The ruling Taliban government of Afghanistan says it considers bin Laden a guest. However, U.S. officials believe the the Taliban and al Qaeda are actually dependent upon each other. Therefore, many analysts have mixed opinions on just who controls whom in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda has also formed alliances with similar Islamic fundamentalist groups, such as Egypt's Al Jihad, Iran's Hezbollah and Sudan's National Islamic Front. In addition, the U.S. believes that bin Laden is working with jihad groups in Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. Some analysts believe that bin Laden hopes to create enough causalities on the United States so as to make that country withdraw military forces throughout the region. The counter argument to this is why, then, would bin Laden take actions that would lead to an increase in American military might in the region? One possible answer is that he wishes to cause increased resentment towards the West, as well as towards the Western-tilting governments in the region. Of greatest concern is the situation in Pakistan. As bin Laden has made no secret about his desire to acquire nuclear weapons, one possible goal may be to destabilize the current government of President Pervez Musharraf. Another potential target may be the Saudi royal family. Paul Michael Wihbey, writing for the London Daily Telegraph, believes that bin Laden's real goal is to overthrow the House of Saud and thereby threaten the stability of Western economies through the control of much of the world's oil supply. Read Wihbey's article. Still other analysts believe that bin Laden's ultimate goal is to overthrow most of the current governments in the region and create a large fundamentalist Islamic state in the region. Although bin Laden's propaganda efforts of late have tried to embrace the Palestinian cause for self-governing statehood, few analyst believe that bin Laden is too troubled about the plight of the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza. |
