Osama Bin Laden

Usamah bin Mohammed bin Laden, known as Osama bin Laden, was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1957. His father, Mohammed bin Laden, was a builder and contractor and had 11 wives and at least 52 children. Mohammed's 11th bride, a petite Syrian woman, produced only one child, Osama. It was rumored that she was Mohammed's favorite wife, and although Osama was his 17th son, he was also favored by his father.

Mohammed bin Laden moved his family from Yemen to Saudi Arabia to enhance business opportunities for his construction company. Mohammed had connections with the royal family in Saudi, the house of al-Saud. Ultimately, bin Laden's construction corporation became one of the largest and most profitable construction companies in Saudi Arabia. Mohammed's connection to the house of al-Saud furthered his ability to gain lucrative government contracts, including the rebuilding of mosques, the development of new airports and roads, and construction of other major facilities.

Mohammed further strengthened his ties to the Royal House of al-Saud by actually paying government employees' salaries for several months when the Saudi treasury ebbed low. In turn, Mohammed was rewarded with future government contracts in Saudi Arabia. He died in a plane crash in 1967; however, King Faisal continued to be supportive of bin Laden Construction. It has been estimated that the corporation was worth $36 billion in the 1990s. Although initially developed as a construction company, the bin Laden corporation had long ago diversified into other business interests, including telecommunications and import/export.

The development of Osama's religious beliefs were undoubtedly rooted in the teachings of his father, Mohammed, a devout Muslim. He believed in the importance of religious and community leaders working together to strengthen Muslim devotion in his country. It is reported that Mohammed spent a great deal of money financing ongoing religious meetings, called halqas. Later, Osama would also be involved in [Page 62]the rebuilding of the mosques in his country, as well as the rekindling of his followers' interest in a more traditional Muslim lifestyle.

Reward poster offering up to $25 million for information leading to the capture of Al Qaeda leaders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden.

U.S. Department of Defense.

Bin Laden has been the focus of much debate and speculation. Although he is most known for his tendency to strike aggressively, his followers describe him as being slow to act, rather than impulsive, and as quiet, thoughtful, wise, intelligent, and observant. There have been reports of him struggling with ill health, but he has denied experiencing any problems.

As a young man, Osama bin Laden chose a traditional Moslem education. He majored in economics and management while attending one of the finest universities in Saudi Arabia, Saudi King Abdul Aziz University, rather than attending a university in Europe or the United States, where many of his brothers were educated. Although it is reported that Osama engaged in fairly typical activities during his college years, his views changed after the upheaval in the Middle East during the 1970s, especially the 1973 defeat of the Arab States by Israel in the Yom Kippur War. During this time, he began to question the political policies of the United States, specifically their role in backing Israel during the war.

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