Bin Laden, Osama (1957–)

aka bin Ladin, Shaykh Usoma bin Laden, the Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujohid Shaykh, Haji, the Director

Osama bin Laden is likely the most infamous terrorist of today. Known among his cadres as “the prince” and “the emir,” bin Laden seeks to overturn the current world order and replace it with a world in which the Islamic world would have no borders. This Islamic polity, according to bin Laden, is to be ruled by a caliph, and rise to hegemony. He also seeks to encourage Muslim jihads around the world; end U.S. military operations against Iraq; destroy the state of Israel; and overthrow secular, moderate regimes in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. To achieve these ends, bin Laden created a militant Islamic network called Al Qaeda.