Bin Laden's son in Damascus after eight years in Iran

Wed, Jan 6 2010 22:07 IST | 229 Views | 3 Comment(s)
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Damascus, Jan 6

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's youngest son arrived in Damascus last month after spending eight years in Iran, the regional daily al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Wednesday.

Omar bin Laden told the London-based daily that his 16-year-old brother, Bakr, arrived in Damascus on Christmas Eve.

"It was a joyful moment for the family ... but the joy will not be complete until all my siblings arrive safely from the Iranian capital," Omar was quoted as saying.

Omar also said that he had applied for a visa to enter Tehran with his British-born wife and his mother, Najwa al-Ghanem, Bin Laden's first wife, 10 days ago.

Bakr, as well as his four brothers and sister Iman, as well as another of their father's wives, a woman identified only as Umm Hamza, had been held in Iran since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that the Saudi and Iranian governments were in talks to allow bin Laden's daughter to leave Iran.

Iman had been at the Saudi Embassy in Tehran for a month and had asked to be allowed to leave the country, al-Faisal said. Iranian authorities said they would have to verify her identity first.

"We are ready to prove to the Iranians that these are sons of Osama Bin Laden," al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted Omar as saying. "We also want to prove our good intentions. We will take my siblings to any place they want to go to outside Iran."

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omar bin laden# 1Jan 7, 2010 6:28 PM IST

HELLO, I am Omar Binladin . The 4th son of Osama Binladin. Many lies have been written about me. That nearly destroyed my life, Thats why I contacted the author Jean Sasson to write my book. the book is : called GROWING UP BIN LADEN.

omar bin laden# 2Jan 7, 2010 6:30 PM IST

I lived with my father in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and in Afghanistan. It was a life you could never imagine. I nearly lost my life so many times.I visited my fathers training camps. My father sent me to the front line of the civil war. And I was with my father when he got the news about the Embassy bombings in Africa. We were rushed to a safe house where we stayed for over a month while President Clinton bombed Afghanistan with Cruise missiles.

omar bin laden# 3Jan 7, 2010 6:31 PM IST

Many dramas have ruled my life.
People may ask why I left my father? I left because I did not want anyone to chose my destiny.I should be the one to decide -- so I have decided. And I believe I chose correctly, for I chose LIFE. I chose PEACE. And as I follow my goal, I pray each day that others will be strengthened by my example. I believe that I was given the wisdom to see the correct direction. I hope you take this journey with me, to realize that you, too, can chose the right path in life, one that requires courage, but has many rewards.
I wish you many good things ..... Omar bin laden