FBI Terrorism Trial Reveals Rare Photos of Osama Bin Laden’s Afghan Hideout

Photo: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York

The photos were released by the U.S. Department of Justice to be used as evidence in the terrorism conspiracy trial against bin Laden’s lieutenant Khald al-Fawwaz, taking place in Manhattan.

The set of photos, captured by Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan, shows bin Laden in his Tora Bora lair in Afghanistan, to which he fled after the 9/11 attacks.

Despite being a free man back then, bin Laden was already hiding in fear that the US had him targeted.

The year was 1996 and Osama bin Laden was not a household name, despite his declaration of war against the United States.

Following the publication of bin Laden’s religious decree against the U.S. in his London weekly newspaper; Atwan was invited by Al-Qaeda’s communications lieutenant al-Fawwaz to conduct the first print interview with the emerging terrorist in Afghanistan.

Atwan’s invitation was part of the future arch-terrorist’s propaganda campaign against the US, partly for its presence in Saudi Arabia. “He wanted media exposure,” Atwan said in a 2006 book called The Osama bin Laden I Know. “He wants to say, ‘Now I am an international figure; I’m not just a Saudi. I am aggrieved at Americans who are occupying Saudi Arabia who are desecrating the Holy Land’ “.

“I was told that Osama bin Laden was fond of my writing, he liked my style, and he wanted to meet me personally”, Atwan added.

The photos were found in 1998 during the Scotland Yard’s search of al-Fawwaz’s home in London, according to CNN.

Photo: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York

[via The Telegraph]

Gvido Mūrnieks

I know, that but hurt Muricans will find my comment offensive, but…
By these photographs, bin Laden seems, like a nice guy.
- pilgrimsoldier
  
  Not sure about nice, but he does seem relaxed and at ease. The reality is that even some of the most evil people in the world can probably seem ‘nice’ when they are not spouting vitriol. Maybe the release of these photos will help remind all of us that the reasons behind are complex. I’m guessing similar photos could be used to help those who see themselves as victims of Western aggression to see those who are deemed to commit acts of terror are also simply human beings who believe something passionately however misguided that may be!
  - dip
    
    These pix just may have been taken back when he was a valued American allied ‘freedom fighter’ in the fight against “communist’ terrorism….
    - Liron Samuels
      
      At the time the photos were taken bin Laden had already declared war against the United States, but he was not on the most wanted list.
Neal Grant

Anybody venture to guess who the Americans are in the photos (or, at least, european-type-guys) I presume CIA, but…
- Liron Samuels
  
  I doubt there are any Americans in the photos. In the third photo, showing bin Laden and two other men sitting, the man on the left is a Syrian terrorist named Abu Musab al-Suri and on the right is Gwynne Roberts, a British documentry maker. Al-Suri is seen in some of the other photos as well.