Osama+bin+Mohammed+bin+Awad+bin+Laden

“What America is tasting now is nothing compared to what we have been tasting for decades” (Munson).
 * Introduction**[[image:osama-bin-laden-1998jpg-0d53e0ea14cb1e4d.jpg width="276" height="350" align="right" caption="Osama bin Laden is the leader of Al-Qaeda." link="@http://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2011/05/osama_bin_laden_born_into_priv.html"]]

Osama bin Laden was a Saudi Arabian jihadist who founded and led Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths across the globe. Bin Laden was a well-educated man who’s passions changed the world. He was an elusive and dangerous terrorist leader who engineered and commanded the deaths of innocent men, women, and children. Bin Laden possessed a deep hatred for America. His actions still affect the masses even after his death. Bin Laden can be described as the killer of the many, the conductor of orchestrated killings, and the Saudi Arabian face of terrorism.

Osama bin Laden was six foot four of Saudi-Arabian descent. He had four or five wives and more than 13 children. Osama bin Laden was born on March 10, 1957, in the Saudi capitol of Riyadh. His father, Mohammed bin Laden, was from Yemen and owned a large construction company (Sennott). His father died in a plane crash when he was 10 (Beyer). Mohammed had 22 wives and 54 children. His mother, Alia, met Mohammed during his visit to Syria in the mid-1950s. Osama greatly adored his mother and made frequent calls to her throughout his life (Gatehouse). Osama was Mohammed’s 17th son of more than 50 children and the only child of Alia, Mohammed’s youngest wife (Sennott). Bin Laden’s many half-siblings accepted him. His acceptance into the family earned him an inheritance-share after his father passed (Beyer).
 * Personal Background**

In 1979, bin Laden attended King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. One of his teachers, Abdullah Azzam, was “a Palestinian who was a major figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has played a large role in the resurgence of Islamic religiosity” (Beyer). Azzam imparted to Osama his belief that all Muslim’s had a duty to drive out oppressors. At the time, Soviets were invading Afghanistan. Osama followed Azzam to the border regions of Pakistan where the two men worked to raise the Afghan resistance and mujahedeen against the Soviets (Gatehouse). He arrived with financial support and experiences with operating machinery and demolition equipment from working for his father’s construction company (Sennott). In 1986, he set up al-Masadah, which means the Lion’s Den, as a training camp for Arab recruits (Gatehouse). In the early 1980s, Azzam formed the Maktab al Khidmat. This group inspired Osama bin Laden to form his own terrorist group called Al-Qaeda (The Base) in 1988.

He traveled between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to raise money for the Afghan resistance (Sennott). American troops were being stationed in Saudi Arabia in 1990 to prepare for the Gulf War. This infuriated bin Laden and his hostility towards the United States grew (Munson). He began to speak of the need for Muslims to fight America to force the country to leave. This cause him to be asked to leave Saudi Arabia in 1991 (Sennott). He traveled to Sudan to spread his views. In 1995, Osama was expelled from Sudan because of those views. In May 1996, he took a private jet to Kandahar, where he was welcomed by the Taliban leader Mullah Omar (Gatehouse). From 1996 to 2001, he directed multiple bombings and orchestrated the deaths of millions. On September 11,2011, a select few of his Al-Qaeda terrorist caused the infamous hijacking and crashing of four planes in the U.S. He continued to act on his views of fury and fai th until his death on May 2, 2011, when US Forces stormed his compound outside of Islamabad. His death was announced by U.S. President Barack Obama a couple hours later (Munson).

The infamous face of terror that was Osama bin Laden was a passionate killer as well as a quiet man. He was a man who harbored hostility towards non-Muslims, especially the Untied States (Gatehouse). Bin Laden was described by fellow Afghan fighters as a quiet man (Barker). Osama was tall, thin, and soft-spoken who, as a child, enjoyed picnics, soccer and horseback riding (Munson). He also held prejudices against creature comforts such as running water, electricity, and ice. The legendary terrorist leader was a revolutionary who hated all non-Muslims (Gatehouse). He was also stubborn. Osama did not accept any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict other than the destruction of Israel (Munson).
 * Personality Traits**

His friend Khalid al-Batarfi commented that Osama was a confident and commanding man. He led through example and hints more than direct orders. Khalid also stated that Osama was a natural leader and expected his followers to follow his example even if they were not fully convinced (Gatehouse). The Al-Qaeda leader was elusive, successfully hiding from the U.S. and appearing wherever and whenever he pleased (Beyer). Osama was a sly, cunning mastermind who orchestrated numerous deaths. He was a revolutionary who hated the U.S. and non-Muslims (Barker). He knew how to attract media attention. He had a certain aura that would draw the focus of many.

He was angry towards the United States, callous, and very intelligent. This proved useful in his atrocious plans (Beyer). This anger fueled his passion for the destruction of the U.S. His intelligence played a role in planning the attacks against them and others. His beliefs and ideals provided the reasoning for such attacks and the callous nature they seemed to come from. Osama was also patient. He bided his time and set his plans in motion when he saw fit (Barker). The nearly untouchable Osama was fearless and was not afraid of dying while pursuing his beliefs (Munson).

Osama bin Laden faced many problems and conflicts from his childhood to his rise to power as the face of terrorism. As a child, his father’s death caused complications. Because Mohammed had so many children, there were questions about who his inheritance would go to. This issue was resolved by fairly splitting the inheritance to all 52 of Mohammed’s children (Sennott). As a student at King Abdel Aziz University in Jidda, he had an influential teacher named Abdullah Azzam. His close bond with Azzam ended when an assassin ended Azzam’s life. As the most influential person in bin Laden’s life, Azzam’s death affected him. Bin Laden went back to Jidda, having gathered support from his involvement in driving the Soviets out of Afghanistan (Beyer).
 * Obstacles**[[image:1108201-bin-laden-1024x768.jpg width="281" height="212" align="left" caption="Osama bin Laden evaded capture for 10 years." link="@http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/navy-seal-who-says-he-killed-bin-laden-reveals-identity/"]]

When Saddam Hussein threatened to invade, Osama offered the Saudi Arabia his support. The Saudi Arabian government denied his offer and invited the United States into their country (Beyer). Osama began writing treaties against the Saudi Arabian government for allowing foreigners into their lands. Because of this, the Saudi regime confined him to Jidda. This limited his communication and effectiveness against the Saudis. He later escaped and wound up in Sudan, where he continued to stand against America. His involvement with Al-Qaeda and multiple deaths led the United States to pressure Sudan. The United States and the Saudis pressured Sudan to expel bin Laden from their country (Munson). He and other Al-Qaeda members were forced to relocate (Senottt).

After Al-Qaeda’s attack on the World Trade Center, America’s push to capture him caused bin Laden to go into hiding. This forced him into isolation and crippled his contact with Al-Qaeda. Forced to use couriers and messengers, his communication techniques were more easily intercepted which caused him to move around even more (Feldman). For a decade, American efforts have kept bin Laden from commanding Al-Qaeda directly. Eventually, his couriers led Americans to his compound where he died (Gatehouse).

Osama’s face is scarred into the memories of many as a killer and murderer. As the leader of a notorious terrorist group, Osama led Al-Qaeda through acts against the United States and other governments, ethnic groups, and peoples. The author of such deadly events had earned himself a spot at the top of the FBI’s Most-Wanted List since as far back as 1998 (Barker). Under the direction of bin Laden, Al-Qaeda bombed the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 (Munson). This was the first of many US-targeted bombings the killed Americans and locals alike. Osama targeted United States-related targets to cripple and affect the focus of his anger and hatred. For most of his adult life, Osama bin Laden was the public face of terrorism in multiple countries. Although several countries viewed him as a savior, he stole the lives of millions to send a message to the United States. As long as he is in command, bin Laden and his men will not stop until the American influence is taken down (Beyer).
 * Historical Significance**

The violent killings of bin Laden partially resulted from American policies that lessen the sense of impotence, humiliation, and rage. These policies weakened religious ideals, an effect that enrages religious radicals like Osama bin Laden (Sennott). They have enraged him enough for him to devote his life to standing against America. For this reason, he militarized groups of men, sent them in populated areas with bombs, and had them kill themselves in his name. These were several examples, and the effects, of bin Laden’s true anger towards America (Gatehouse). As the “angel of death” in multiple countries, his followers brought wi th them that very element, death. Osama is mainly recognized as the terrorist killer with a deep hatred for America and her customs (Barker). Of all the terrorists and haters of America, Osama bin Laden stood out above the rest.

Bin Laden knew how to demand media attention (Beyer). Osama bin Laden’s ability to instill fear into people’s hearts also brought cameras forward. Also, America’s effort to silence his passionate defiance further popularized and motivated him. His seemingly effortless way of spreading alarm drew the eyes of anyone from politicians to journalists. His passion fascinated many. His power and influenced threatened several countries and their governments. Osama bin Laden’s maniacal and carefully orchestrated plans intrigued people. This attention was perfect for his most infamous killing in history (Gatehouse).

The most infamous mass murdering of Americans by Osama bin Laden is the plane hijackings on September 11, 2001. 19 Al-Qaeda militants hijacked four planes under commands to drive those planes into important American buildings (Feldman). Many appalled reactions stemmed from the events of that tragic day. This caused America to hunt down the terrorist leader with renewed intensity. The Americans successfully eliminated bin Laden as a leader and a threat to American national security (Sennott). The news of his death was generally taken happily. Justice had been served to the killer of peoples. Many Americans felt safer knowing a terrible killer did not exist in their world anymore. Osama bin Laden conducted enough horrific mass murders that people are glad that he is dead.

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 * References**