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 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.
September 11 News.com - A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001.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.
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.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. September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. Click on the Osama (Usama) bin Laden picture photo for a larger image. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001.
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.
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. September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001.
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.
In 1994, Saudi Arabia strips bin Laden of citizenship for alleged terrorist links and his family
disavows him.
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. September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. Click on the Osama (Usama) bin Laden picture photo for a larger image. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001.
September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001. 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.
For 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. September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001.
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.
In Osama bin Laden's own words.
September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001. Click for a larger image. 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: September 11 News.com - Osama bin Laden. A profile of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the al-Qaida. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization are wanted by world governments for acts of terrorism in New York City and Washington on 9-11-2001.
"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."
