Why Does American Intelligence Fear Osama Bin Laden?

Bin Laden continued his contacts with Prince Turki, the head of Saudi intelligence.

He continued to do so even after Sudan (subject to UN sanctions) asked him to leave the country in 1996. Similarly, after 1998, when he had become a U.S. enemy number one and received a price on his head (five million U.S. dollars) and his bases in Afghanistan bombed. His family denies him, at least officially. CIA say they still see him as a mystery.

Financial Advisor

The fact is that from Afghanistan, where he returned in 1996 (same year as the Taliban took power), continues to Osama bin Laden’s lucrative “trade” and continues to train soldiers.

Since he became an adviser to and friend of Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Muhammad Omar, he has put his financial knowledge to the regime’s service, manage its trade interests through his bank in Khartoum, which his son is the head of and re-organizing opium routes. Osama bin Laden is considered to be good for 300 million U.S. dollars, he lives in a luxurious villa in Kandahar and strengthens its multinational terrorist organization. His organization al-Qaida training camp and has twelve branches in fifty countries.

He has been economic activity in Europe. The London City has his hand past secretly invested in industries such as electronics, real estate, import-export. They have now frozen bank accounts with Barclays. In Austria, he has owned large farms and accounts with Bank Giro Credit. He has acted in diamonds in Africa, owned a fleet of Kenya, forests in Turkey and Tajikistan. Elsewhere, he operates through a whole range of letterbox in Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Gulf countries and, of course, in tax havens in the Caribbean.

Freezing these financial holdings may partially inhibit the Osama bin Laden’s activities, but not entirely. The agents he sends out into the world, although an initial capital, but once they are in place, they may manage their own subsistence. Then, they rely to cash, may have its own bank account, often under false names.

In addition to the benefits that come from these companies continue funding from the Middle East by Islamic organizations and Islamic way of trust (hawala) transfer money.

Until air attacks in the United States September 11, the bin Laden and his mujahidin had a more discreet lives. Some time ago there was a significant event that can make contributions from Saudi Arabia more modest. Prince Turki, bin Laden’s main contact in the old home, was replaced as head of the secret services of another member of the royal family, Prince Nawaf. The reason for this RESHUFFLE is not known.