Osama bin Laden

Founder of al-Qaeda (1957-2011) · Saudi Arabia · Historical Figures · Died at 54

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He founded al-Qaeda in 1988 and orchestrated the 11 September 2001 attacks that killed 2,977 people and triggered two decades of global war. The world's most wanted man for nearly ten years, he was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011.

Historical Figures Business Professional Entrepreneurship 20th Century

A life in dates

2011Died2 May 20111998“The International Islamic Front for Jihad against the U.S.”In their words23 December 1998In response to the interviewer stating: 'Are you responsible for the bomb attacks on the two American embassies in Africa?'Read the whole statement

“Any effort directed against America and the Jews yields positive and direct results, Allah willing.”In their wordsMay 1998Interview with ABC reporter John Miller (May 1998)Read the whole statement

“I am one of the servants of Allah. We do our duty of fighting for the sake of the religion of Allah.”In their wordsMay 1998Interview with ABC reporter John Miller (May 1998)Read the whole statement

1996“You left [Somalia] carrying disappointment, humiliation, defeat and your dead with you”In their wordsAugust 1996Osama Bin Laden's Jihad and text of Fatwahs and Declaration of War, Text of the August 1996 Fatwa at PBSRead the whole statement

“More than 600,000 Iraqi children have died due to lack of food and medicine and as a result of the unjustifiable aggression (sanction) imposed on Iraq and its nation.”In their wordsAugust 1996Osama Bin Laden's Jihad and text of Fatwahs and Declaration of War, Text of the August 1996 Fatwa at PBSRead the whole statement

1990“We will fight him with faith”In their wordsMeeting with Saudi Royal Family (1990)Read the whole statement

1988General Emir of Al-QaedaOffice1988-20111957Born10 March 1957

Also in Deutsch

Photos 12

Muhammad bin Ladin, Osama's father

Entrance to the Dubai headquarters of the Saudi Binladin Group

Percentage of Muslims by country in 2014

In their own words 10

Osama bin Laden

10 statements, newest first

The International Islamic Front for Jihad against the U.S.
Dec 23, 1998, In response to the interviewer stating: 'Are you responsible for the bomb attacks on the two American embassies in Africa?', Own words
After our victory in Afghanistan and the defeat of the oppressors who had killed millions of Muslims, the legend about the invincibility of the superpowers vanished.
May 1998, Interview with ABC reporter John Miller (May 1998), Own words
Any effort directed against America and the Jews yields positive and direct results, Allah willing.
May 1998, Interview with ABC reporter John Miller (May 1998), Own words

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About this person

Raised in a wealthy Saudi family, bin Laden left the country during the Soviet-Afghan War to fund and arm the Afghan mujahideen, co-founding Maktab al-Khidamat in 1984. He established al-Qaeda four years later and commanded forces through Afghan civil wars before Saudi Arabia expelled him in 1991 for his anti-Western stance. From Sudan and later Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, he directed bombings of the World Trade Center in 1993 and U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998, declaring holy war on Americans both military and civilian. The operation he planned with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed saw 19 hijackers crash passenger planes into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, killing nearly 3,000 and injuring 25,000. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan and hunted him for a decade until Navy SEALs found his compound in Abbottabad and killed him there on 2 May 2011.

Country

Saudi Arabia

In common with Osama

Martha ColburnAlso in Meet Me in Wichita (2006)

Historical Figures from Saudi Arabia 5

Ibn Saud69.6

Faisal of Saudi Arabia66.3

Fahd of Saudi Arabia65.1

Saud of Saudi Arabia62.9

Khalid of Saudi Arabia62.3

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