Osama bin
Laden was the founder and chief of Muslim militant organization al-Qaeda. He
was a son of a Saudi billionaire but chose to adopt militancy after taking part
in the Soviet Afghan War (1980s). Due to his motives and activities of his
organized, Saudi Arabia cancelled his citizenship in 1994. The most famous
terror activity of his organization was the September 11 attacks which
initiated the global War on Terror. He was later killed by US Special Forces on
2nd May 2011 in a Pakistani city, Abbottabad.
Early Life
Osama bin
Laden was born on 10th March 1957 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). His
father Mohammad bin Awad bin Laden was a billionaire and founder of
construction company Saudi Binladin
Group. His mother’s name was Hamida Ibrahim. In his childhood, Osama bin
Laden attended Al-Thager Model School in
Jeddah and in 1979 he earned a degree in Civil Engineering. In 1974, Osama
married his first cousin Najwa Ghanem in Lakakia (Syria). Osama bin Laden was a
thin and tall man with around 6 and half feet height.
Ideology of
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin
Laden was born to a conservative family having close relations with Saudi
monarchy. Apart from Salafism, Osama bin Laden was also heavily influenced by
Qutbism. He had the belief that Zionism is the main cause of unrest in the
world while the governments in USA and western countries are under the
influence of Jews as politics, media and economic institutes of USA are under
direct control of Jews.
In 1998 after bombing of US embassies in Kenya
and Tanzania, Osama bin Laden admitted to Al
Jazeera that he believe that targeting civilians of enemy countries are
allowed in Islam.
Contribution
in Soviet War in Afghanistan
Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 urged Muslims around the world to participate
in the armed struggle of Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet occupation. Osama
bin Laden as one amongst those who started to support the armed struggle
against soviet occupation in the very beginning.
Osama bin
Laden went to Pakistan in 1979 and joined a Palestinian scholar Abdullah Azzam to support the
mujahideen. Osama supported the resistance against soviet occupation through
his money. Osama bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam founded Maktab al-Khidamat in
1984 in order to supply money, fighters and arms from the Arab world to
Afghanistan. Osama also established camps inside tribal areas (FATA) and NWFP
province (now KPK) of Pakistan in order to recruit and train foreign fighters.
Formation of
al-Qaeda
In August
1988, Osama bin Laden formed al Qaeda
which was joined by many people of Egyptian
Islamic Jihad and other Arab fighters. The purpose of formation of this
organization was to prepare for a global jihad.
Rift with
Saudi Rulers
After end
of Soviet war in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia in 1990
as a hero. But the relations between Saudi rulers and Osama bin Laden soon
deteriorated after Iraqi President Saddam Hussain’s occupation of Kuwait. Saudi
Arabia invited forces of USA in Saudi Arabia in order to save the kingdom from
Saddam Hussain’s aggression and to end the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Osama
became displeased with the decision as he believed it was un Islamic for non
Muslims to reside in the country with holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and offered
support of his group to the Saudi rulers against Saddam’s aggression. But his
offer was rejected by Saudi authorities.
Osama bin
Laden continuously criticized Saudi monarchy due to which Saudi Arabia expelled
him from the country and Osama bin Laden settled in Sudan in 1992. In 1994,
Saudi Arabia cancelled his Saudi nationality.
Return to
Afghanistan
Osama bin
Laden used Sudan for organization of his group. He also invested heavily on the
infrastructure of roads, agriculture and other businesses in Sudan while his
generous attitude towards needy made him popular among common Sudanese.
Egyptian Islamic Jihad was the main faction of al Qaeda and after its failed
assassination attempt on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in 1995, the Sudanese
government exiled all the members of EIJ from Sudan.
Later in
1996, Sudan also expelled Osama bin Laden and other members of his organization
due to mounting pressure from USA, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Osama bin Laden reached
Jalalabad (Afghanistan) in May 1996.
In
September 1996, Taliban captured Kabul and Osama bin Laden allied with the
Taliban regime and Afghanistan became a safe haven for Osama and al Qaeda. Al
Qaeda also took part in several offensives of Taliban against Northern
Alliance.
Declaration
of war against USA
Osama bin
Laden declared a war against America for its alleged occupation of the Land of
Two Holy Places due to its military bases in Saudi Arabia against the danger of
Iraqi aggression. He declared this war through a fatwa in 1996.
Osama bin
Laden signed a second fatwa in February 1998 along with
leaders of several militant organizations in which he declared to liberate al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) and the Holy Mosque (in Makkah) by targeting
Americans and their allies. This fatwa was clear declaration of war against USA
and its allies for their support of Israel and bases of USA in Saudi Arabia.
On 7th
August 1998, two truck bombs exploded at US embassies in Nairobi (Kenya) and
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) which killed hundreds of people. After these attacks
by al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden was placed in the list of FBI’s most wanted
terrorists. After 1998 US embassy bombings, Osama bin Laden planned several
attacks on US but most of them either failed or cause little damage.
Deadliest
Attack on USA
On 11th
September 2001, 4 passenger planes were hijacked by 19 terrorists in USA. Two of
them were burst in to the 2 towers of world trade centre, one hit the wall of
Pentagon and the last one crashed in an area near to White House and Capitol. Around
3,000 men died during the attacks. America blamed Osama bin Laden for these
attacks and invaded Afghanistan after Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin
Laden to USA. Osama bin Laden initially in 2002 rejected his involvement in
September 11 attacks but later in 2004 he confirmed that he and his organization
al Qaeda was behind the terror attacks. The confirmation video tape was
released on Qatari TV channel al
Jazeera.
Death of
Osama bin Laden
After US invasion
of Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden managed to escape to Pakistan through Tora Bora
mountains in end of 2001 or beginning of 2002. Later, rumors spread about his
location in Afghanistan and Pakistan along with his death, capture and ill
health condition. But there was no concrete evidence about his whereabouts.
On 2nd
May 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces during an operation in
Pakistani city of Abbottabad in KPK Province. Osama bin Laden was residing in a
hose close to PMA (Pakistan Military Academy). Later, body of Osama bin Laden
was buried at sea by USA without mentioning the area.
Place in
History
Osama bin
Laden was one of the most important personalities of the last decade of 20th
Century and the first decade of 21st Century. His role during Soviet
Occupation of Afghanistan was praised in general but later he became a
controversial figure due to his formation of militant organization al Qaeda,
belief of legitimacy of killing of civilians of enemies, efforts of overthrow
of several Muslim governments (which he claimed are puppets of West) and support
of terrorism in several parts of world.
Most of the
world, including many segments in Muslim world, believes that he was a
terrorist who committed and supported terrorism in Middle East, USA and several
other parts of world. But it is also a reality that large faction of Muslims
considers him as hero due to his fighting spirit against world powers and also
due to his chosen miserable life despite being a member of a billionaire
family. He is a role model for many extremist elements in the Muslim world.
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