Usama bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Ladin (Arabic: أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن‎)
10 March 1957 (1957-03-10) (age 51)
Osama bin Laden in the December, 2001 Al-Jazeera video. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Events in December Union Day of Romania (1 December World AIDS Day ( December 1) National Day of Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island"
Place of birth	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Battles/wars	Afghan Jihad War on Terrorism

Usāmah bin Muḥammad bin `Awaḍ bin Lādin (Arabic: أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن‎; born 10 March 1957),<sup>[1]</sup> most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is an Islamic militant, and believed to be the founder of the Jihadist organization Al-Qaeda. Riyadh ( الرياض Ar-Riyāḍ) is the Capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving The War on Terrorism (also known as the War on Terror) is the common term for the military political and legal, and ideological conflict and specifically for U Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. For the British newspaper and Marxist organization see Militant tendency. A Mujahid (Arabic ar مجاهد, literally "struggler" is a Muslim involved in a Jihad, id est fighting in a war or Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The ^[2] He is a member of the prestigious and wealthy bin Laden family. The bin Laden family (بن لادن In conjunction with several other Islamic militant leaders, bin Laden issued two fatawa—in 1996 and then again in 1998—that Muslims should kill civilians and military personnel from the United States and allied countries until they withdraw their military forces from Muslim countries and cease their support for the state of Israel's policies. A fatwā (فتوى plural fatāwā فتاوى in the Islamic faith is a religious opinion on Islamic law issued by an Osama bin Laden wrote what is referred to as a ''fatwa'' in August 1996 and was one of several signatories of another and shorter fatwa in February 1998 A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A civilian under International humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her Country 's Armed forces. A privileged combatant is a person who takes a direct part in the hostilities of an armed conflict within the Law of war and is someone who upon capture qualifies as a Prisoner The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term Muslim world (or Islamic world) has several meanings For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. ^[3][4]

He has been indicted in United States federal court for his alleged involvement in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya, and is on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. In the Common law legal system an indictment (ɪnˈdaɪtmənt (in-DITE-mint is a formal accusation of having committed a criminal offense The United States federal courts are the system of Courts organized under the Constitution and laws of the Federal government of the United States In the 1998 US Embassy bombings ( August 7, 1998) hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous Car bomb explosions at the United States Dar es Salaam (دار السلام "Abode of Peace" Dār as-Salām) formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya Nairobi (naɪˈroʊbɪ is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south See also Former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, FBI Most Wanted Terrorists The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949

Although bin Laden has not been indicted^[5] for the September 11, 2001 attacks, he has been reported to have orally claimed responsibility for them, in a Conservative leaning British language newspaper ^[6] and in videos released to the public. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined ^[7] The attacks involved the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, and the subsequent destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, and severe damage to The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia,^[8] along with the deaths of 2,974 victims. United Airlines Flight 93 was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Newark International Airport United Airlines Flight 175 was a scheduled US domestic passenger flight from Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts to Los Angeles American Airlines Flight 77 was the third flight hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks, and it was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon. The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. ^[9]

Usage variations of bin Laden's name

Because there is no universally accepted standard in the West for transliterating Arabic words and names into English, bin Laden's name is transliterated in many ways. Transliteration is the practice of Transcribing a Word or text written in one Writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice The version often used by most English-language mass media is Osama bin Laden. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" Most American government agencies, including the FBI and CIA, use either Usama bin Laden or Usama bin Ladin, both of which are often abbreviated to UBL. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all Less common renderings include Ussamah Bin Ladin and Oussama Ben Laden (French-language mass media). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The latter part of the name can also be found as Binladen or Binladin.

Strictly speaking, Arabic linguistic conventions dictate that he be referred to as "Osama" or "Osama bin Laden", not "bin Laden," as "Bin Laden" is not used as a surname in the Western manner, but simply as part of his name, which in its entirety means "Osama, son of Mohammed, son of 'Awad, son of Laden". The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings However, the bin Laden family (or "Binladin", as they prefer to be known) do generally use the name as a surname in the Western style. Consequently "bin Laden" has become nearly universal in Western references to him, Arabic convention notwithstanding.

Bin Laden also has several commonly used aliases and nicknames, including the Prince, the Sheikh, Al-Amir, Abu Abdallah, Sheikh Al-Mujahid, the Lion Sheik,^[10] the Director, Imam Mehdi and Samaritan. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Cheikh, Shaikh, and other variants ( Arabic:, shaykh ^[11]

Childhood, education and personal life

Main article: Childhood, education and personal life of Osama bin Laden

See also: Bin Laden family

Osama bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Osama bin Laden, a Militant Islamist and reported founder Al-Qaeda, in conjunction with several other Islamic militant leaders issued two Fatwas The bin Laden family (بن لادن Riyadh ( الرياض Ar-Riyāḍ) is the Capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi ^[12] In a 1998 interview, he gave his birth date as 10 March 1957. ^[13] His father Muhammed Awad bin Laden was a wealthy businessman with close ties to the Saudi royal family. The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ^[14] Osama bin Laden was born the only son of Muhammed bin Laden's tenth wife, Hamida al-Attas. Hamida al-Attas, nee A'alia Ghanem, (born 1934 is the mother of Osama bin Laden. ^[15] Osama's parents divorced soon after he was born, according to Khaled M. Batarfi. Osama's mother then married Muhammad al-Attas. The couple had four children, and Osama lived in the new household with three stepbrothers and one stepsister. ^[16]

Bin Laden was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic ^[17] From 1968 to 1976 he attended the "élite" secular Al-Thager Model School. A Secondary school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Al-Thager Model School is a two-story building that used to house both primary and secondary grades as ^[18] Bin Laden studied economics and business administration^[19] at King Abdulaziz University. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. In Business, administration consists of the performance or management of business operations and thus the making or implementing of major decisions King Abdulaziz University ( KAU) (جامعة الملك عبد العزيز was founded in 1967 in Saudi Arabia and had 2000 teachers and more than 37000 students Some reports suggest bin Laden earned a degree in civil engineering in 1979,^[20] or a degree in public administration in 1981. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built Public administration can be broadly described as the development implementation and study of branches of government Policy. ^[21] Other sources describe him as having left university during his third year,^[22] never completing a college degree, though "hard working. "^[23] At university, bin Laden's main interest was religion, where he was involved in both "interpreting the Quran and jihad" and charitable work. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Jihad (جهاد ʤɪhæːd an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. ^[24]

In 1974, at the age of seventeen, bin Laden married his first wife Najwa Ghanem at Latakia. Najwa Ghanem is a Syrian woman who is the first wife and first cousin of Osama bin Laden. Latakia or Latakiyah (اللاذقية Al-Ladhiqiyah, Λαοδικεία transliterated as Laodicea, Laodikeia or Laodiceia, ^[25][26] Bin Laden is reported to have married four other women^[27] and divorced two, Ali bin Laden and Abdullah. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. Bin Laden has fathered anywhere from 12 to 24 children. ^[28]

Beliefs and ideology

Main article: Beliefs and ideology of Osama bin Laden

Bin Laden believes that the restoration of Sharia law will set things right in the Muslim world, and that all other ideologies—"pan-Arabism, socialism, communism, democracy"—must be opposed. Osama bin Laden, a Militant Islamist and reported founder Al-Qaeda, in conjunction with several other Islamic militant leaders issued two Fatwas Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. Pan-Arabism is a movement for Unification among the peoples and countries of the Arab World, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system ^[29] He believes Afghanistan under the rule of Mullah Omar's Taliban was "the only Islamic country" in the Muslim world. Mullah Mohammed Omar ( Pashto: ملا محمد عمر (born c The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately ^[30] He has consistently dwelt on the need for jihad to right what he believes are injustices against Muslims perpetrated by the United States and sometimes by other non-Muslim states,^[31] the need to eliminate the state of Israel, and the necessity of forcing the US to withdraw from the Middle East. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. He has also called on Americans to "reject the immoral acts of fornication (and) homosexuality, intoxicants, gambling, and usury," in an October 2002 letter. Fornication, or simple fornication is a term which refers to voluntary Sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a Chemical substance that acts primarily upon the Central nervous system where it alters Brain Usury (ˈjuːʒəri comes from the Medieval Latin usuria, "interest" or "excessive interest" from the Latin usura "interest" October 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - ^[32]

Probably the most controversial part of Bin Laden's ideology is that civilians, including women and children, can be killed in jihad. A civilian under International humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her Country 's Armed forces. ^[33][34] Bin Laden is anti-Jewish, and has delivered warnings against alleged Jewish conspiracies: "These Jews are masters of usury and leaders in treachery. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility They will leave you nothing, either in this world or the next. "^[35] Shia have been listed along with "Heretics, . . . America and Israel," as the four principal "enemies of Islam" at ideology classes of Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organization. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The ^[36]

As a Wahhabi^[37], bin Laden opposes music on religious grounds,^[38] and his attitude towards technology is mixed. Wahhabism ( Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية or Wahabism is a conservative reformist call of Sunni Islam attributed to Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt He is interested in "earth-moving machinery and genetic engineering of plants", on the one hand, but rejects "chilled water" on the other. A machine is any device that uses Energy to perform some activity Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. ^[39]

Militant activity

Main article: Militant activity of Osama bin Laden

Mujahideen in Afghanistan

After leaving college in 1979 bin Laden joined Abdullah Azzam to fight the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan^[40] and lived for a time in Peshawar. Osama bin Laden, a Militant Islamist and reported founder Al-Qaeda, in conjunction with several other Islamic militant leaders issued two fatawa Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (1941 As-ba'ah Al-Hartiyeh British Mandate of Palestine – November 24 1989 Peshawar, Pakistan) (Arabic عبدالله عزام The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving ( پښور; Urdu: پشاور) is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province and the administrative centre for the Federally Administered ^[41] By 1984, with Azzam, bin Laden established Maktab al-Khadamat, which funneled money, arms and Muslim fighters from around the Arabic world into the Afghan war. The Maktab al-Khidamat, also Maktab Khadamāt al-Mujāhidīn al-'Arab ( Arabic: مكتب الخدمات or مكتب خدمات المجاهدين العرب MAK Afghan Arabs (also known as Arab-Afghans) were Arab and other Muslim fighters who came to Afghanistan during and following the Soviet-Afghan War to Through al-Khadamat, bin Laden's inherited family fortune^[42] paid for air tickets and accommodation, dealt with paperwork with Pakistani authorities and provided other such services for the jihad fighters. During this time Bin Laden met his future al-Qaeda collaborator Ayman al-Zawahiri, who encouraged Osama to split away from Abdullah Azzam. Osama established a camp in Afghanistan, and with other volunteers fought the Soviets.

Formation and structuring of Al-Qaeda

By 1988, bin Laden had split from Maktab al-Khidamat; while Azzam acted as support for Afghan fighters, Laden wanted a more military role. The Maktab al-Khidamat, also Maktab Khadamāt al-Mujāhidīn al-'Arab ( Arabic: مكتب الخدمات or مكتب خدمات المجاهدين العرب MAK One of the main leading points to the split and the creation of al-Qaeda was the insistence of Azzam that Arab fighters be integrated among the Afghan fighting groups instead of forming their separate fighting force. ^[43] Bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia in 1990 as a hero of jihad, who along with his Arab legion, "had brought down the mighty superpower" of the Soviet Union. ^[44] However, during this time Iraq invaded Kuwait and Laden met the Sultan, and told him not to depend on non-Muslim troops and offered to help defend Saudi Arabia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Khalid Bandar Fahad Turki Bin Laden was rebuffed and publicly denounced Saudi Arabia's dependence on the US military. Bin Laden's criticism of the Saudi monarchy led that government to attempt to silence him. The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in a framework of an Absolute monarchy whereby the King of Saudi Arabia is not only Head of state, but also the

Bin Laden moved to Sudan in 1992 and established a new base for Mujahideen operations in Khartoum. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Khartoum ( الخرطوم al-Kharṭūm) is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. Due to bin Laden's continuous verbal assault on Saudi King Fahd, on 5 March 1994 Fahd sent an emissary to Sudan demanding bin Laden's passport. King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, ( 1921 - August 1, 2005) was the King of the Kingdom Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) His family was persuaded to cut off his monthly stipend, the equivalent of $7 million a year. ^[45] By now bin Laden was strongly associated with Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), which made up the core of al-Qaeda. The Egyptian Islamic Jihad ( الجهاد الإسلامي المصري) ( EIJ) formerly called simply Islamic Jihad ( الجهاد In 1995 the EIJ attempted to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian Islamic Jihad ( الجهاد الإسلامي المصري) ( EIJ) formerly called simply Islamic Jihad ( الجهاد The attempt failed and the EIJ was expelled from Sudan.

In May 1996, under increasing pressure from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United States on Sudan, bin Laden returned to Afghanistan and forged a close relationship with Mullah Mohammed Omar. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Mullah Mohammed Omar ( Pashto: ملا محمد عمر (born c ^[46] In Afghanistan, bin Laden and al-Qaeda raised money from "donors from the days of the Soviet jihad", and from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). History After independence in 1947 two new intelligence agencies were created in Pakistan called the Intelligence Bureau (IB and Military Intelligence ^[47]

Early attacks and aid for attacks

It is believed that the first bombing attack involving bin Laden was the 29 December 1992 bombing of the Gold Mihor Hotel in Aden in which two people were killed. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Aden (ˈeɪdən Arabic: عدن) is a city in Yemen, 170 kilometers east of Bab-el-Mandeb. ^[48]

It was after this bombing that al-Qaeda was reported to have developed its justification for the killing of innocent people. According to a fatwa issued by Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, the killing of someone standing near the enemy is justified because any innocent bystander will find their proper reward in death, going to Paradise if they were good Muslims and to hell if they were bad or non-believers. Mamdouh Mahmud Salim ( ممدوح محمود سالم) alias Abu Hajer al Iraqi (أبو هجر العراقي (b Paradise is a word of Persian origin ( Persian: پردیس Pardìs) that is generally identified with the Garden of Eden or with Heaven. Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering ^[49] The fatwa was issued to al-Qaeda members but not the general public.

In the 1990s bin Laden's al-Qaeda assisted jihadis financially and sometimes militarily in Algeria, Egypt and Afghanistan. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's In 1992 or 1993 bin Laden sent an emissary, Qari el-Said, with $40,000 to Algeria to aid the Islamists and urge war rather than negotiation with the government. Their advice was heeded but the war that followed killed 150,000-200,000 Algerians and ended with Islamist surrender to the government. The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991 Another unsuccessful effort by bin Laden was funding of the Luxor massacre of November 17 1997, ^[50][51][52] which killed sixty two civilians, but revolted the Egyptian public and turned it against Islamist terror. The Luxor Massacre took place on 17 November 1997, at Deir el-Bahri, an Archaeological site located across the River Nile from Luxor A later effort that did succeed was an attack on the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan. Mazār-e Sharīf ( is the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, with population of 300600 people (2006 estimate Bin Laden helped cement his alliance with his hosts the Taliban by sending several hundred of his Afghan Arab fighters along to help the Taliban kill between five and six thousand people overrunning the city. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately ^[53]

In 1998, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri co-signed a fatwa in the name of the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders which declared the killing of the North Americans and their allies an "individual duty for every Muslim" to "liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) and the holy mosque (in Mecca) from their grip". Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Al-Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic:المسجد الاقصى /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/ {{Audio|ArAqsaMosque Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored ^[54][55] At the public announcement of the fatwa bin Laden announced that North Americans are "very easy targets. " He told the attending journalists, "You will see the results of this in a very short time. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends "^[56]

In response to the 1998 United States embassy bombings following the fatwa, Bill Clinton ordered a freeze on assets that could be linked to bin Laden and signed an executive order authorizing Laden's arrest or assassination. In the 1998 US Embassy bombings ( August 7, 1998) hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous Car bomb explosions at the United States William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States executive order in the United States is a Directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. ^[57]

September 11, 2001 attacks

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has stated that evidence linking Al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks of September 11 is clear and irrefutable. ^[58] The Government of the United Kingdom reached the same conclusion regarding Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's culpability for the September 11, 2001, attacks. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at ^[59] Bin Laden initially denied involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks. On 16 September 2001, bin Laden read a statement later broadcast by Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite channel denying responsibility for the attack. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island" ^[60]

In a videotape recovered by US forces in November 2001 in Jalalabad, bin Laden was seen discussing the attack with Khaled al-Harbi in a way indicating foreknowledge. Jalalabad (Jalalkot ( Pashto: جلالکوټ، جلال اباد) is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harbi, (خالد بن عودة بن محمد الحربي (c ^[61] The tape was broadcast on various news networks on 13 December 2001. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Some have disputed this translation however. Arabist Dr. Abdel El M. Husseini stated: "This translation is very problematic. At the most important places where it is held to prove the guilt of bin Laden, it is not identical with the Arabic. "^[62]

In the 2004 Osama bin Laden video, bin Laden abandoned his denials without retracting past statements. On October 29, 2004, at 2100 UTC, the Arab television network Al Jazeera, broadcast excerpts from a videotape of Osama bin Laden In it he stated he had personally directed the 19 hijackers. ^[7][63] In the 18-minute tape, played on Al-Jazeera, four days before the American presidential election, bin Laden accused U. S. President George W. Bush of negligence on the hijacking of the planes on September 11. ^[7]

According to the tapes, bin Laden claimed he was inspired to destroy the World Trade Center after watching the destruction of towers in Lebanon by Israel during the 1982 Lebanon War. The 1982 Lebanon War (מלחמת לבנון Milhemet Levanon) (الإجتياح Al-Ijtīāḥ, "the invasion" called by Israel the Operation Peace ^[64]

In two other tapes aired by Al Jazeera in 2006, Osama bin Laden announces,

I am the one in charge of the 19 brothers … I was responsible for entrusting the 19 brothers … with the raids [5 minute audiotape broadcast May 23, 2006],^[65]

and is seen with Ramzi Binalshibh, as well as two of the 9/11 hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri, as they make preparations for the attacks (videotape broadcast September 7, 2006). Ramzi Binalshibh (رمزي بن الشيبة of which Binalshibh is an erroneous latinization also erroneous is the transliterated version of Ramzi bin al-Shibh Hamza al-Ghamdi ( Arabic: حمزة الغامدي also transliterated Alghamdi) was named by the FBI as one of the hijackers of Wail al-Shehri ( Arabic: وائل الشهري also transliterated Alshehri) (July 31 1973 Shehri was born in Annams and grew up in the Um Saraar neighborhood ^[66]

Despite this, bin Laden is reported to have complained as recently as November 2007 of the lack "of evidence admissible in court" tying him and his organization to the 9/11 attack. ^[67]

Declarations since September 11, 2001

Main article: Messages of Osama bin Laden

Since September 11, 2001 messages from Bin Laden are published regularly via Arabic media. There have been several videos released by or claiming to be produced by Osama bin Laden.

In a message from Reuters, on March 19, 2008, Bin Laden is cited to have threatened the European Union "with grave punishment for publication of cartoons mocking Islam's Prophet Mohammad. This article is primarily about Reuters prior to its 2008 merger with Thomson "Your publications of these drawings -- part of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican had a significant role" addressing "those who are wise at the European Union".
The translation of this declaration suggests that Bin Laden regards "the wise" as having initiated the publications. On March 20, also according to Reuters, "The Pope has urged his priests to be fearless after Osama bin Laden accused him of starting a "new crusade" against Islam. "

In the videotape from March 20, 2008 broadcasted by Al-Jazeera the voice identified as Osama bin Laden declares "Iraq is the perfect base to set up the jihad to liberate Palestine. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island" For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Jihad (جهاد ʤɪhæːd an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. ". ^[68]

Criminal charges and attempted extradition

Osama bin Muhammad bin 'Awad bin Laden

FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
Osama bin Muhammad bin 'Awad bin Laden
Born:	March 10, 1957 (1957-03-10) (age 51) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Charged with:	Murder of U. See also Former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, FBI Most Wanted Terrorists The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Riyadh ( الرياض Ar-Riyāḍ) is the Capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries S. nationals outside the United States Conspiracy to murder U. In the Criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between Natural persons to break the law at some time in the future and in some cases with at least one overt act S. nationals outside the United States Attack on a federal facility resulting in death
Date Added:	June 7, 1999
Number on List:	#456
Currently Top Ten Fugitive

The 9/11 Commission Report concludes, "In February 1996, Sudanese officials began approaching officials from the United States and other governments, asking what actions of theirs might ease foreign pressure. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, is the official report of the events leading up to In secret meetings with Saudi officials, Sudan offered to expel bin Ladin to Saudi Arabia and asked the Saudis to pardon him. US officials became aware of these secret discussions, certainly by March. Saudi officials apparently wanted bin Ladin expelled from Sudan. They had already revoked his citizenship, however, and would not tolerate his presence in their country. Also bin Ladin may have no longer felt safe in Sudan, where he had already escaped at least one assassination attempt that he believed to have been the work of the Egyptian or Saudi regimes, or both. On 19 May 1996, bin Ladin left Sudan—significantly weakened, despite his ambitions and organizational skills. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) He returned to Afghanistan. "^[69] The 9/11 Commission Report further states "In late 1995, when Bin Ladin was still in Sudan, the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) learned that Sudanese officials were discussing with the Saudi government the possibility of expelling Bin Ladin. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all US Ambassador Timothy Carney encouraged the Sudanese to pursue this course. The Saudis, however, did not want Bin Ladin, giving as their reason their revocation of his citizenship. Sudan’s minister of defense, Fatih Erwa, has claimed that Sudan offered to hand Bin Ladin over to the United States. The Commission has found no credible evidence that this was so. Ambassador Carney had instructions only to push the Sudanese to expel Bin Ladin. Ambassador Carney had no legal basis to ask for more from the Sudanese since, at the time, there was no indictment outstanding. "^[70]

On 8 June 1998, a United States grand jury indicted Osama bin Laden on charges of killing five Americans and two Indians in the 13 November 1995, truck bombing of a US-operated Saudi National Guard training center in Riyadh. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 ^[71] Bin Laden was charged with "conspiracy to attack defense utilities of the United States" and prosecutors further charged that bin Laden is the head of the "terrorist" organization called al Qaeda, and that he was a major financial backer of Islamic fighters worldwide. ^[71] Bin Laden denied involvement but praised the attack.

On 4 November 1998, Osama bin Laden was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, on charges of Murder of US Nationals Outside the United States, Conspiracy to Murder US Nationals Outside the United States, and Attacks on a Federal Facility Resulting in Death^[72] for his alleged role in the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (S In the 1998 US Embassy bombings ( August 7, 1998) hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous Car bomb explosions at the United States

The evidence against bin Laden included courtroom testimony by former Al Qaeda members and satellite phone records. ^[73][74]

On 7 June 1999, bin Laden became the 456th person listed on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, following his indictment along with others for capital crimes in the 1998 embassy attacks. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives during the 1990s is a list maintained for a fifth decade of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives of the United States 's Federal See also Former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, FBI Most Wanted Terrorists The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment.

Attempts at assassination and requests for the extradition of bin Laden from the Taliban of Afghanistan were met with failure prior to the bombing of Afghanistan in October 2001. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately ^[75] In 1999, US President Bill Clinton convinced the United Nations to impose sanctions against Afghanistan in an attempt to force the Taliban to extradite him. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security

Years later, on 10 October 2001, bin Laden appeared as well on the initial list of the FBI's top 22 Most Wanted Terrorists, which was released to the public by the President of the United States George W. Bush, in direct response to the attacks of 9/11, but which was again based on the indictment for the 1998 embassy attack. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Federal Bureau of Investigation 's " Most Wanted Terrorists " is a list of Fugitives who have been indicted by sitting Federal Grand Juries The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Bin Laden was among a group of thirteen fugitive terrorists wanted on that latter list for questioning about the 1998 embassy bombings. Bin Laden remains the only fugitive ever to be listed on both FBI fugitive lists.

After the bombing of Afghanistan began in October 2001, the Taliban did offer to turn over Osama bin Laden to a third party country in return for the US ending the bombing along with evidence that Osama bin Laden was involved in the 9/11 attacks. This offer was rejected by George W Bush stating that this was no longer negotiable with Bush responding that "There's no need to discuss innocence or guilt. We know he's guilty. "^[76]

Attempted capture by the United States

US leaflet used in Afghanistan.

According to the Washington Post, the US government concluded that Osama bin Laden was present during the Battle of Tora Bora, Afghanistan in late 2001, and according to civilian and military officials with first-hand knowledge, failure by the US to commit US ground troops to hunt him led to his escape and was the gravest failure by the US in the war against al Qaeda. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in Afghanistan in December 2001 Intelligence officials have assembled what they believe to be decisive evidence, from contemporary and subsequent interrogations and intercepted communications, that bin Laden began the battle of Tora Bora inside the cave complex along Afghanistan's mountainous eastern border. ^[77]

The Washington Post also reported^[78] that the CIA unit dedicated to capturing Osama was shut down in late 2005. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all

US and Afghanistan forces raided the mountain caves in Tora Bora between 14 August and 16 August 2007. Tora Bora (Pashto توره بوره “black cellar”) Tora Bora (Pashto توره بوره “black dust”) known locally as Spīn Ghar is a cave complex situated Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The military was drawn to the area after receiving intelligence of a pre-Ramadan meeting held by al Qaeda members. Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic After killing dozens of al Qaeda and Taliban members, they did not find either Osama bin Laden or Ayman al Zawahiri. ^[79]

Bounty: Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, US government officials named bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda organization as the prime suspects and offered a reward of $25 million for information leading to his capture or death. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. In the Parlance of Criminal justice, a suspect is a known person suspected of committing a Crime. ^[80][11] On 13 July 2007, this figure was doubled to $50 million. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[81]

The Airline Pilots Association and the Air Transport Association are offering an additional $2 million reward. The Air Line Pilots Association International, is the Collective bargaining representative for over 64000 pilots of 41 U The Air Transport Association is a Trade organization of the largest North American airlines ^[82]

Current whereabouts

Main article: Location of Osama bin Laden

Claims as to the location of Osama bin Laden have been made since December 2001, although none have been definitively proven and some have placed Osama in different locations during overlapping time periods. The current location of Osama bin Laden, a major figure suspected of involvement in international terrorism and one of the most wanted people sought by the United

A 11 December 2005, letter from Atiyah Abd al-Rahman to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi indicates that bin Laden and the al-Qaeda leadership were based in the Waziristan region of Pakistan at the time. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Atiyah Abd Al Rahman ( عطية عبد الرحمن) is purported by the US State Department to be a senior member of Al-Qaeda and a member of the Libyan Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (أبومصعب الزرقاوي, Abu Musab from Zarqa)) (October 30 1966 – June 7 2006 born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal Waziristan ( Pashto: وزیرستان "land of the Wazir " is a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and In the letter, translated by the United States military's Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, "Atiyah" instructs Zarqawi to "send messengers from your end to Waziristan so that they meet with the brothers of the leadership … I am now on a visit to them and I am writing you this letter as I am with them…" Al-Rahman also indicates that bin Laden and al-Qaeda are "weak" and "have many of their own problems. "USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, " The letter has been deemed authentic by military and counterterrorism officials, according to the Washington Post. ^[83][84]

Reports of his death

Main article: Location of Osama bin Laden

Reports alleging Osama bin Laden's death have circulated since late 2001. The current location of Osama bin Laden, a major figure suspected of involvement in international terrorism and one of the most wanted people sought by the United ^[85] In the months following the 9/11 terrorist attack, many people believed that bin Laden was dead. This belief was perpetuated by subsequent media reports often referencing bin Laden's serious health problems,^[86] though there has been evidence to suggest that he is still alive as of March 3, 2008.

April 2005: The Sydney Morning Herald stated "Dr Clive Williams, director of terrorism studies at the Australian National University, says documents provided by an Indian colleague suggested bin Laden died of massive organ failure in April last year … 'It's hard to prove or disprove these things because there hasn't really been anything that allows you to make a judgment one way or the other', Dr. The Sydney Morning Herald ( SMH) is a daily Broadsheet Newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a public Research university situated in Canberra, Australia. Williams said. "^[87]

August 2006: On 23 September 2006, the French newspaper L'Est Républicain quoted a report from the French secret service (DGSE) stating that Osama bin Laden had died in Pakistan on 23 August 2006, after contracting a case of typhoid fever that paralyzed his lower limbs. Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. L'Est Républicain (founded in 1889 by Léon Goulette is a daily regional French Newspaper based in Nancy. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, bilious fever, Yellow Jack or commonly just typhoid, is an illness caused by the Bacterium ^[88] According to the newspaper, Saudi security services first heard of bin Laden's alleged death on 4 September 2006. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[89][90][91] The alleged death was reported by the Saudi Arabian secret service to its government, which reported it to the French secret service. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The French defense minister Michèle Alliot-Marie expressed her regret that the report had been published while French President Jacques Chirac declared that bin Laden's death had not been confirmed. Michèle Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie (born 10 September 1946) is the French Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories she is the first woman to The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected ^[92] American authorities also cannot confirm reports of bin Laden's death,^[93] with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying only, "No comment, and no knowledge. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States "^[94] Later, CNN's Nic Robertson said that he had received confirmation from an anonymous Saudi source that the Saudi intelligence community has known for a while that bin Laden has a water-borne illness, but that he had heard no reports that it was specifically typhoid or that he had died. Waterborne diseases are caused by Pathogenic Microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated Drinking water is consumed ^[95]

November 2007: In an interview with political interviewer David Frost, taken on November 2, 2007, the Pakistani politician, and Pakistan Peoples Party chairwoman, Benazir Bhutto, claimed that bin Laden had been murdered by Omar Sheikh. Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE (born 7 April 1939) is an English Satirist and Television presenter, famed as both a Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Pakistan Peoples Party ( PPP) (پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی is Centre-left Political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist Benazir Bhutto ( Sindhi: بينظير ڀٽو Urdu: بینظیر بھٹو beːnəziːɾ bɦʊʈːoː (21 June 1953 &ndash 27 December 2007 was a Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh ( احمد عمر سعید شیخ) (sometimes known as Umar Sheikh, Sheikh Omar, Sheik Syed, or by the alias "Mustafa During her answer to a question pertaining to the identities of those who had previously attempted her own assassination, Bhutto named Sheikh as a possible suspect while referring to him as "the man who murdered Osama bin Laden. " Despite the weight of such a statement, neither Bhutto nor Frost attempted to clarify it during the remainder of the interview. ^[96] Omar Chatriwala, a journalist for Al Jazeera English, claims that he chose not to pursue the story at the time because he believes Bhutto misspoke, meaning to say Sheikh murdered Daniel Pearl and not Osama Bin Laden. Daniel Pearl ( October 10, 1963 – February 1, 2002) was an American Journalist who was kidnapped and murdered in ^[97] The BBC drew criticism when it rebroadcast the Frost/Bhutto interview on its website, but edited out Bhutto's statement regarding Osama Bin Laden. Later the BBC apologized and replaced the edited version with the complete interview. ^[98] Bhutto's statement regarding Bin Laden conflicts with an earlier statement in October 2007, where Bhutto stated in an interview that she would cooperate with the American military in targeting Osama bin Laden. ^[99]

Rumours

British asylum and football enthusiasm

According to a 2005 story published in the The Times of London, in late 1995 Bin Laden "asked some of his followers in London" to see about the possibility of him being granted asylum in the United Kingdom. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The al-Qaeda leader allegedly wanted to abandon his base in Sudan. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The then Home Secretary Michael Howard is reported to have told a Times reporters, "we picked up information that bin Laden was very interested in coming to Britain. Michael Howard QC (born 7 July 1941 is a British Politician, a Conservative MP since the 1983 General Election for the constituency of It was apparently a serious request. " Members of the bin Laden family owned properties in London at that time. ^[100] Osama bin Laden discussed this issue in an interview with journalist Robert Fisk in Afghanistan in 1996. Robert Fisk (born July 12 1946 in Maidstone, Kent) is a British Journalist and is Middle East correspondent Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, He confirmed that he had received a letter from the British Government via the embassy in Khartoum before he left Sudan informing him that he would not be permitted to enter the United Kingdom but denied asking to go there. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at Khartoum ( الخرطوم al-Kharṭūm) is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He said "The letter gave the Saudi press the opportunity of claiming that I had asked for political asylum in Britain - which is not true". The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Right of asylum (or political asylum) is an ancient Judicial notion under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his ^[101]

According to another report that came out shortly after the 9/11 attack, bin Laden stayed in London in the late 1990s and became "a big fan of" Arsenal FC. In response to the reports, a club spokesman told a BBC Sport reporter, "clearly he wouldn't be welcome at Highbury in the future. "^[102]

Biographical books of Bin Laden such as The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright and The Osama Bin Laden I Know, An Oral History Of Al Qaeda's Leader by Peter Bergen, have found no evidence of Bin Laden ever traveling outside of the Muslim world. The Looming Tower Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 is a historical look at the way in which Al-Qaeda came into being the background for various terrorist attacks and Lawrence Wright, born August 2 1947 is a Pulitzer Prize -winning American author screenwriter staff writer for The New Yorker magazine and fellow at Peter Bergen (born December 12, 1962) is a print and television journalist and author who appears as a terrorism analyst on CNN.

Criticism

Main article: Criticism of Osama bin Laden

Among Salafist Muslims who have criticized bin Laden for adherence to Qutbism (the ideology of Sayyid Qutb), takfir and Khaarijite deviance, are said to include Muhammad Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee, Abd-al-Aziz ibn Abd-Allah ibn Baaz, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan and Muqbil bin Haadi al-Waadi'ee. See also Osama bin Laden Osama bin Muhammad bin 'Awad bin Laden (أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن born 10 March 1957) the Qutbism (also Kotebism Qutbiyya or Qutbiyyah is the radical strain of Islamist ideology and activism based on the thought and writings of Sayyid Qutb, an Islamist Sayyid Qutb (ˈsaɪjɪd ˈqʊtˁb (also Saïd Syed Seyyid Sayid or Sayed last name also Koteb (rather common Qutub Kotb or Kutb (سيد قطب October 9, 1906 For the Salafist extremist group see Takfir wal-Hijra In Shia terminology "takfir" Kharijites (Arabic Khawārij خوارج literally "Those who Went Out" is a general term embracing various Muslims who while initially supporting the Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz () also known as Bin Baaz, was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in 1999 Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi’ee (19??-2001 ( مقبل بن هادي الواديعي was a renowned Muslim scholar and a proponent of Salafism.

See also

• Messages of Ayman al-Zawahiri
• Messages of Osama bin Laden
• Afghan Arabs
• Allegations of CIA assistance to Osama bin Laden
• Ayman al-Zawahiri
• Afghan Civil War
• Clearstream scandal (Bin Laden's Bahrain International Bank used this clearing house for its financial activities). There have been several videos released by Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri. There have been several videos released by or claiming to be produced by Osama bin Laden. Afghan Arabs (also known as Arab-Afghans) were Arab and other Muslim fighters who came to Afghanistan during and following the Soviet-Afghan War to Claims have been made that the American government, and in particular the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA are responsible for enabling " Afghan Arabs," The Civil war in Afghanistan, also known as Afghan Civil War, began in 1978 and has continued Clearstream Banking SA (CB is the clearing division based in Luxembourg, of Deutsche Börse. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf A clearing house is a financial services company that provides clearing and settlement services for financial transactions usually on a Futures exchange
• Bin Laden Issue Station (The CIA's bin Laden tracking unit, 1996-2005)
• The Golden Chain
• Islamic fundamentalism
• Islamist terrorism
• Islamofascism
• Ladenese epistle
• Mujahideen
• Osama bin Laden as destructive Cult leader
• Osama bin Laden in popular culture
• Saleh Abdullah Kamel

References

Bibliography

• Peter L. Bergen, The Osama bin Laden I Know (New York: Free Press, 2006
• Michael Scheuer, Through Our Enemies' Eyes, Washington, D. C.  : Brassey's, c2002
• Wright, Lawrence, The Looming Tower : Al-Qaeda And The Road To 9/11, New York : Knopf, 2006.

External links

• "Main Columns of the Osame Bin Laden Ideology"
• "Listening to Bin Laden" by Said Shirazi, an analysis of his collected speeches.
• Osama Bin Laden Videos
• Up to date article about bin Laden Guardian Unlimited, 11 September 2006
• The Law of Legends: Osama bin Laden and Robin Hood
• Full-length video Sept 2007

Profiles

• FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives poster
• America's Most Wanted Profile
• BBC News: 'I met Osama bin Laden'—26 March 2004—a short profile of bin Laden's life
• Interpol Profile
• Who Is Osama bin Laden?—By Michel Chossudovsky
• New Yorker article on Osama's youth
• Osama Bin Laden at the Internet Movie Database

Other

• "Main Columns of the Usame Bin Laden Ideology", Journal of Turkish Weekly
• Al Qaeda's Evolution, March 2005
• Does Bin Laden still control Al Qaeda?, March 2006
• About.com's Is Osama bin Laden Dead?
• BBC News News about a new audio recording of Osama on the BBC UK website. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Michel Chossudovsky is a Canadian economist. He is a Professor of economics at the University of Ottawa. Thursday, 19 January 2006
• CBC News video interview with Bruce Lawrence, editor of Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden (2005, ISBN 1-84467-045-7) from CBC News: The Hour, 21 November 2005
• Fatwa from World Islamic Front for Jihad against Jews and Crusaders—Statement from bin Laden, 23 February 1998
• BBC: Transcript of Osama bin Laden video aired by al-Jazeera
• Deborah Amos "Interview: Osama Bin Laden: The World's Most Wanted Man" 30 January 2006, Council on Foreign Relations
• Osama bin Laden at the Internet Movie Database
• Al-Watan al-'Arabi report from 1998 translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service
• Emerson, S. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Hour is a Canadian television Newsmagazine broadcast on CBC Television. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. (2002), American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us, Free Press; ISBN 0-7432-3324-7.
• Coll, Steve (2004), Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to 10 September 2001, Penguin Press; ISBN 1-59420-007-6
• Randal, Jonathan. Osama: The Making of a Terrorist. I. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. B. Tauris. ISBN 1-84511-117-6
• Guardian article about the difficulty of romanizing Arabic, i.e., Usama vs. Osama
• Robin Cook The struggle against terrorism cannot be won by military means The Guardian, 8 July 2005
• Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror by Robert Young Pelton (Crown, 1 September 2006)
• Osama's Big Lie