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“ | Just as you lay waste to our nation, so shall we lay waste to yours. | „ |
~ bin Laden in a video broadcast on Al Jazeera, 2004 |
Osama bin Laden (born Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden; March 10, 1957 – May 2, 2011), also known simply as Osama, was a Saudi-born terrorist leader who was one of the founders and leaders of Al-Qaeda. He is best known for being the mastermind behind the infamous and tragic September 11 attacks - which resulted in one of the largest losses of civilian life during peace time on American soil. He had also been responsible for the creation of a vast international terrorist network that champions jihad and the destruction of Western democracy in favor of Islamic law.
On May 2, 2011, bin Laden was shot and killed by the Navy SEALs in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and was buried at sea. After President Obama had made the announcement, U.S. citizens gathered around the White House and celebrated Osama's death. Afterwards, sometime in June 2011, al-Qaeda announced that Ayman al-Zawahiri was elected as the new leader; plus, they vowed to get revenge on the United States to avenge Osama bin Laden.
History
Early Life
Bin Laden was born Usama bin Mohammed bin Awad bi Ladin as a Saudi Arabian in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 10, 1957 to Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden and Hamida al-Attas, according to a 1998 interview on Al Jazeera. He was of Yemeni descent on his father's side and Syrian descent on his mother's side.
After Osama was born, Mohammed and Hamida divorced, and Hamida was recommended to Mohammed al-Attas. During the late 1950s or the early 1960, Hamid married al-Attas, and today, they are still together.
In 1967 when Osama was 10 years old, Mohammed died in an airplane accident. From 1968 to 1976, Osama attended Al-Thager Model School, a secondary school in Jeddah. From 1979 to 1981, bin Laden attended King Abdulaziz University, where he studied economics and business administration.
Villainy
Bin Laden had been in hiding for years and there had been doubts as to whether or not the mastermind was even still alive - but every now and then, Osama released a videotape of himself trying to intimidate the Western world with threats of further violence: Because of the nature of Islamic fundamentalism, it is argued that bin Laden and his followers were amongst the most dangerous terrorists in modern-times.
However, unlike many of his followers, bin Laden hadn't shown himself to be fanatical enough to risk his own life; in fact, he had gone to great lengths to ensure his own survival, despite encouraging others to commit suicide-bombings and other atrocities in defense of his cause. When his compound was finally discovered, he used one of his own wives as a human shield and was gunned down attempting to flee and save his own life.
Bin Laden was a strong believer in Sharia law and believed that all other ideologies must be opposed violently and without mercy - he also believed that civilians (even women and children) are legitimate targets in his war against the unbeliever, he often viewed America and Israel as imperialistic nations that must be destroyed or convinced into merging with Islam, he had often urged America and the Western world in general to abandon such vices as music, sex and liberalism: He was also antisemitic and believed that Jews are a dangerous enemy of Islam and must be treated as such.
Osama's violent criticism of the world was not limited to the Western world as he also believed almost all current Muslim nations had failed in their responsibilities as Muslim nations, he once believed that the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan was the only true Muslim nation in the world.
In 2010, bin Laden threatened in a new audio message with killing French citizens in retaliation for France's support for the United States in the war in Afghanistan and because the European country will ban to women the use of the Muslim veil.
Death
Over time, bin Laden settled into a compound near Abbottabad, Pakistan. Eventually, the Americans learned of bin Laden's whereabouts, and a strike team was assembled to go after him.
The CIA launched a mission, "Operation Neptune Spear", where United States Special Operation forces raided bin Laden's hideout compound. At around 01:00 Pakistan Standard Time, 2 May 2011 (UTC 20:00, 1 May), bin Laden was killed by bullets to the chest and head. DNA confirmed that it was his body. Additionally, photographs were taken of the body to confirm that it was Osama to senior officials, these photographs were not released to the public in order to keep from inflaming sentiment against the US. In order to keep bin Laden's burial site from becoming a place of pilgrimage for extremists, bin Laden was buried at sea within a few hours of his death.
Videos
Trivia
- Osama bin Laden's September 11 attacks were responsible for various media being recalled and/or banned.
- The Pokemon episodes "The Tower of Terror" (due to the title) and "Tentacool and Tentacruel" (due to Tentacruel smashing a skyscraper), though it was included in the Season 2 DVD release while the ban on the Pokemon episodes was eventually lifted.
- The 29th episode of The Amanda Show due to the Lucklesses' house being hit by a meteor.
- Grand Theft Auto III is set in Liberty City, an obvious knockoff of New York City. It was set to be released in 2001, but the release was delayed, and the developers removed destructible planes, the counterpart of the World Trade Center, and changed the color schemes of police outfits and cars. The overall graphic violence was also toned down (although it still is quite violent).
- His full name Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden means "Osama, son of Mohammed, son of Awad, son of Laden".
- It was believed that Osama really likes playing Videogames and watching animated pornographic shows like Bible Black, It is stated that he has quite few hobbies while on exile.