| Information
on Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Jihad (Holy War). Click on the images for a larger image. |
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Osama (Usama) bin Laden  |
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| Prior
to the September 11, 2001 attack on America, Osama
bin Laden was called America's most wanted terrorist suspect. The U.S. State Department said Osama bin Laden is "one of the most significant financial sponsors of of Islamic extremist activities in the world." Osama bin Laden, sometimes spelled Usama bin Laden, is 44 years old (2001). Osama bin Laden's code name, "The Contractor," is maybe the best indicator of bin Laden's link to terrorism. Officials in many countries including the United States say that bin Laden's money has paid for terrorist acts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. His personal wealth is estimated at $250 million U.S. |
 Osama bin Laden "The Contractor" |
| A
Saudi, Osama bin Laden is the 17th child, of 50-53 children, from a
family that ran the largest construction companies in the Arab world. Bin Laden Group, a construction empire based in the Saudi city of Jidda made its fortune in building projects for the Saudi royal family. He is said to be the head of a worldwide network of terrorist camps that support Jihad or Islamic Holy War against secular governments of the Muslim Middle East and Western powers. In 1998, bin Laden called on Muslims to kill Americans wherever they can be found. |
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| What is Jihad? | |
| Jihad
uses centuries old interpretations of the Koran to justify violence in
the name of God. Muslim scholars brought out the Koran's interpretations during the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Religious rulings were issued called fatwas. The fatwas exhorted Muslims everywhere to defend Islamic land from infidels. |
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| Osama bin Laden timeline. | |
| In
1984, bin Laden moves from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan to help Abdullah Azzam, founder of the Office of Services, establish training camps across the border in Afghanistan. The Office of Services' goal was to recruit and train Muslim volunteers. Bin Laden provides financial support and handling of military affairs. In 1986, Bin Laden establishes his own training camp for Persian Gulf Arabs called Al Masadah, or the Lion's Den. |
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| In
1988, bin Laden turns to a global crusade. He founds a group called
Al-Qaida or Al-Qaeda (Arabic for The Base). According to the American Central Intelligence Agency, The Base has 5,000 trained militants, who have created cells in 50 countries. The purpose of these camps is to take militants from around the world and shape them into an international network that would bring all Muslims under a militant version of Islamic law. |
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| In 1989, bin Laden returns to Saudi Arabia to join his family's construction company. | |
| In
1991, bin Laden moves the headquarters for al-Qaida (Al-Qaeda) to Sudan, where a militant Islamic government had come to power. |
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| In
1993, a bomb explodes at the World Trade Center, killing six people and
injuring another 1,000. Links to the Office of Services and al-Qaida (Al-Qaeda) emerge, but do not lead to charges. |
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| In
1994, Saudi Arabia strips bin Laden of citizenship for alleged terrorist
links and his family disavows him. |
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| In 1996, bin Laden is forced out of Sudan following intense pressure from the U.S. on Sudan. | |
| In
1998, bin Laden made his way back to Afghanistan. The International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, which acts as an umbrella group for international militant groups organized by bin Laden, issues a religious order saying it is a religious duty of Muslims to kill Americans anywhere possible. In 1999, bin Laden moves to the village Farmifadda, Afghanistan. |
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Why
does Osama bin Laden want to kill Americans? The following is excerpted from the fatwa, or edict, of February 1998, issued by the Osama bin Laden organization. |
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more than seven years, the United States has been occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbors and turning its bases in the peninsula into a spearhead through which to fight the neighboring Muslim peoples. |
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| The
best proof of this is the Americans' continuing aggression against the
Iraqi people, using the peninsula as a staging post, even though all its rulers are against their territories being used to that end, but they are helpless. ...These crimes and sins committed by the Americans are a clear declaration of war on God, his messenger and Muslims. And ulema [Muslim scholars] have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad [Holy War] is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries. On that basis, and in compliance with God's order, we issue the following fatwa to all Muslims: The ruling is to kill the Americans and their allies is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it, in order to liberate the Al Aqsa mosque [Jerusalem] and the Holy Mosque [Mecca]... This is in accordance with the words of Almighty God... We call on every Muslim who believes in God and wished to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it. |
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| In Osama bin Laden's own words. |
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In
an interview with ABC's correspondent John Miller, on May 28, 2001, Osama Bin Laden made the following comment on the fatwa issued calling on Muslims to kill Americans, regardless of whether they are civilians or military: |
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| "Allah
ordered us in this religion to purify Muslim land of all
non-believers… After World War II, the Americans became more aggressive and oppressive, especially in the Muslim world. American history does not distinguish between civilians and military, and not even women and children. They are the ones who used the bombs against Nagasaki. Can these bombs distinguish between infants and military? America does not have a religion that will prevent it from destroying all people." |
| Osama bin Laden - Most Wanted |
| On
October 10, 2001 the FBI Releases a New Series of Most Wanted Terrorist Posters, Including Osama bin Laden. Click on the images for a larger image. |
 Bush / FBI Oct. 10th |
 FBI Most Wanted Terrorists Web Site |
 FBI Most Wanted Terrorists Poster- 22 Terrorists |
 Osama bin Laden |
 On October 10th President Bush and the FBI Announce a New Most Wanted List. |
 November 10, 2001 Interview with a Pakistani journalist. |
Within
weeks of the September 11, 2001 attacks, major US news magazines, and U.S. military forces, focus on a 'target': Osama bin Laden. |
 Muslim protester tapes over 'Target' on Time cover. |
 The Weekly Standard September 25, 2001 |
 Newsweek September 25, 2001 |
 US News / World Rep September 25, 2001 |
 Time September 25, 2001 |
| In
August 2002 CNN Broadcasts Excerpts From Previously Unseen Osama bin Laden Videotapes Click on the images for a larger image. © Copyright CNN/AP |
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| Live
September 11 News Osama bin Laden News & Al-Qaeda News Today's Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda Headlines. Live News. Updated Every 15 Minutes. Click on the news headlines for the complete news story. Opens a new window. |
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| Today's Al-Qaeda Headlines | Today's Osama bin Laden Headlines | ||
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| Osama
Speeches Read the Oct., Nov., & Dec., 2001, Osama bin Laden speeches broadcast on Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV.  |
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Osama
Evidence Read the detailed list of evidence from the U.K. and from the Dec. 13th Pentagon videotape. |
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