Bin Laden Osama - Bin Laden: the man who declared war on America

Copyright 1999, 2001 by Yossef Bodansky

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from Random House, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from Random House, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Published by Prima Publishing, Roseville, California. Member of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

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The opinions expressed in this book are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the members of the congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, the U.S. Congress, or any other branch of the U.S. government.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bodansky, Yossef.

Bin Laden : the man who declared war on America / Yossef Bodansky.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-79772-8
1. Bin Laden, Usamah. 1957 . 2. TerroristsSaudi Arabia Biography. 3. MuslimsSaudi Arabia Biography. 4. TerrorismReligious aspectsIslam. 5. Jihad. I. Title.
HV6430.B55B63 1999
953.8.053092dc21
[B] 99-30318

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v3.1

To the memory of
Avraham Tchernikhov

(18991988)

My grandfather, whose nurturing,
encouragement, and love molded and tempered me.

YOSSEF BODANSKY , director of the House Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, has done it again. He has proved that he is not only a wordsmith but also a meticulous researcher and superb political analyst. Using these skills in a private capacity, he has set forth reasonable and prudent information never before published that explains recent events such as the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, including a well-documented sequence of events leading up to the attacks. The results are informative, for Bodansky explains the vast global conspiracy that uses terrorism as a strategic weapon that has resulted in the tragic deaths of Americans and the wounding of many innocents.

Contemporary terrorism has become a direct threat to all Americans as it casts its ominous shadow worldwide. Bodansky proves that Fortress America is a concept relegated to history books, for today Islamist terrorism penetrates Americas geographic shield, bringing us within target range of terrorist activities. Focusing on this salient thought, Bodansky points out the fallacy of assuming that the United States is immune to terror attacks.

Understanding and reacting to the information presented here is the responsibility of all Americans, because indifference is not an acceptable option, nor a heritage we would wish to pass on to future generations. This book should provide the stimulus to all Americans to join in with their elected representatives in preparing for the major threats currently posed to the United States and its friends. There is no better armament than accurate knowledge, factual information, and elected representatives who are sensitive and responsive to the needs of their constituents and all Americans. If there is one important message that this book conveys, it is that a campaign by radical, militant Islam threatens our way of life.

Bodansky explains the subtleties that define the relationships between the extremist elements in the Muslim world, their leaders, and the more visible figures, such as Osama bin Laden. We learn not only that bin Laden is responsible for a number of bombings but also that he is part of a dynamic, political intrigue, involving the heads of state of many countries. Bin Ladens history is presented, as is the evolution of his hatred for Jews and Crusaderswhom he holds responsible for debasing Saudi Arabia with corrupting Western influences.

A tour of the many countries entangled in international terrorism is embarked upon with Bodansky as our tour guide, saying in effect, Join with me and we will learn together. By understanding the view of the West held by Islamists, we learn about the religious and psychological justifications used by fanatics to destroy innocent civilians.

The tour begins with an overview of bin Ladens youth and his development into a wealthy ideologue whose sole purpose is to bring glory to Islam by destroying its perceived enemies. Bodansky carefully explains why the royal family of Saudi Arabia initially supported bin Laden in his efforts to purge Islam of tainting influences in such remote places as Afghanistan. A split between the Saudi rulers and bin Laden occurred, however, after the Saudis allowed the United States to remain in the country after the Gulf War. This was the catalyst for bin Ladens continued confrontation with the House of al-Saud. Bodansky reveals that the complicated involvement of other terrorism-sponsoring countries was a necessary ingredient in bin Ladens rise to a paramount role as a spiritual and military leader of his terrorist forces.

Bodansky highlights how fundamentalist Islamas manifested in the Iranian Revolutionshaped bin Laden as the supreme ideologue whose militant identity was forged during the war in Afghanistan. Later we learn of the rise to power of Hassan al-Turabi, the spiritual leader of Sudan and a bin Laden sponsor. During this period a dramatic combination of Sunni militancy with Iranian terrorist techniques helped bring radical Islam, along with terrorist networks, into Africa.

Additional details of Islamist networks in the Horn of Africa and East Africa reveal how terrorist-sponsoring nations made inevitable the armed clash with American forces in Somalia. As bin Laden rose to power along with other terror chiefs such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, the key terrorism-sponsoring statesIran, Sudan, and Pakistancollaborated to form terrorist networks worldwide. This dangerous collaboration between Sunni and Shiite terrorists bodes ill for the entire world. Detailed analysis of the attempted assassination of Hosni Mubarak, president of Egypt, is provided by Bodansky, along with details never before revealed about those responsible for the bombing of the U.S. barracks known as Khobar Towers and the downing of TWA800.

Successful, the terrorist groups continued their ways and expanded their efforts from the Balkans to the Philippineswith the continued support of Tehran, Khartoum, and Islamabad. Expanding on their role, these groups set their sights on a worldwide jihadholy warrationalized away by religious decrees, called fatwas, issued by bin Laden. Bodansky explains why the terrorists feel they were betrayed by the United States, resulting in attempts at revenge. By placing these details in a coherent, easy-to-understand analysis and review, Bodansky brings insight and understanding to the many events that preceded and initiated the twin bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.