The Bin Ladens

by Steve Coll

  14. “Bin Laden’s half-brother condemns U.S. attacks,” Agence France Presse, September 12, 2001.

  15. “the possibility…Saudi Arabia”: Dateline NBC, op. cit.

  16. “The strong…Islamic faith”: Guardian (London) September 21, 2001. “This is a criminal act…who died”: Interview with Sabry Ghoneim, November 14, 2005 (RS). “bloody Arabs”: The author was present when the conversation occurred; the person who received the phone call relayed the language after hanging up.

  17. “Even if I do not condone…deserve it”: Interview with Bassim Alim, February 21, 2005.

  18. “a large amount…his family”: From FBI documents released by Judicial Watch, op. cit.

  19. Interview with Blum, op. cit.

  20. Ibid.

  21. Redactions in the FBI documents released to Judicial Watch make it difficult to be certain about the identity of the Washington passenger who was not interviewed. There were only five Washington passengers, however; of these, two were Shafiq and Akber Moawalla, who were clearly interviewed. Two others were college age. The fifth was Omar, who was then thirty-one years old.

  22. Interviews with Blum and Pascetta, op. cit.

  23. Ibid.

  24. Ibid.

  25. “Believe me…human being”: Boston Globe, October 7, 2001.

  26. The Record (Bergen County, NJ), September 27, 2001.

  27. All quotations, ibid.

  28. Lawrence (ed.), Messages to the World, pp. 111–12.

  29. Ibid., pp. 117–22.

  30. Ibid., pp. 124–25.

  31. Hamud (ed.), Osama Bin Laden, pp. 75–79.

  32. “a certain posture…corporation”: Interview with Andrew Hess, December 2005 (RS).

  33. Sunday Telegraph (London), December 16, 2001.

  34. All quotations, ibid.

  37. PUBLIC RELATIONS

  1. The account of the delegation’s trip and the exchange with Bakr Bin Laden is primarily from interviews with officials familiar with the Treasury Department’s work during this period. See also “Testimony of R. Richard Newcomb, Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of Treasury Before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigations,” June 16, 2004.

  2. Interviews with two former U.S. officials involved in the discussions, who asked to not be identified.

  3. Boston field office on September 11: Boston Herald, September 18, 2001. Other FBI investigations: Interviews with two former FBI officials and with several former Bin Laden partners and employees who were interviewed by the FBI or Department of Homeland Security investigators after September 11. FBI struggled with analysis: Declassified FBI files obtained by Judicial Watch show that much of the bureau’s written analysis of the family’s history and activity remained poorly developed.

  4. Interviews with former Bin Laden partners and employees, and with former FBI officials, ibid. See chapter 24, footnote 19.

  5. Telephone interview with Charles Tickle, February 16, 2006.

  6. “couldn’t help…a threat”: Interview with Dale Watson, May 27, 2005. Interview with Dennis Lormel, May 25, 2005.

  7. Interview with Lormel, ibid.

  8. Interview with a former U.S. official who asked to not be identified.

  9. Declassified e-mail obtained and released by Judicial Watch.

  10. “who were emotional…the victims”: Interview with Peri Bearman, December 2005 (RS). Fellowships suspended: E-mail communication from Frank Vogel, Harvard University.

  11. “The family wasn’t”: Telephone interview with John McManus, February 13, 2006. Bakr’s reaction: Interview with an individual who spoke with him, who asked to not be identified.

  12. “is fully separated”: Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2001. “a very honored name…cover”: Associated Press, October 7, 2001.

  13. Senior brothers did not go back: Interviews with two individuals close to the family who asked to not be identified. “I don’t know…this way”: Interview with Gail Freeman, April 27, 2006. Scotland Yard: Interview with an individual familiar with the incident, who asked to not be identified. London assault: Express (London) and Sun (London) August 16, 2002. German hotel: Interview with a second individual familiar with the incident.

  14. Interview with a member of the Harley club, who asked to not be identified.

  15. Transcript of 20/20 broadcast, March 15, 2002.

  16. Interview with a person involved with the 20/20 broadcast who asked to not be identified. Barbara Walters did not respond to requests for comment.

  17. Interview with Khaled Al-Maenna, February 20, 2005.

  18. Interview with an individual who worked with Bridges and who asked to not be identified.

  19. Interview with a person involved in the episode who asked to not be identified. Barbara Walters did not respond to requests for comment.

  20. Broadcast transcript, op. cit.

  38. BRANDS

  1. Interview with Jack Kayajanian, August 25, 2005.

  2. “I began…September 11”: “Supplemental Declaration” of Ibrahim Bin Laden, September 30, 2002, filed in Christine Binladin v. Ibrahim Binladin, Los Angeles County Superior Court, BD058156.

  3. Interview with Kayajanian, op. cit. Christine’s financial condition from her Income and Expense Declaration, filed December 18, 2002, ibid.

  4. Interview with Kayajanian, op. cit.

  5. “my own safety…many individuals”: Supplemental Declaration, September 30, 2002, op. cit.

  6. Interview with Kayajanian, op. cit.

  7. Much of the record concerning the custody struggle over Sibba that erupted in 2002 remains sealed, but the $4 million bond order is part of the public court file; it was an aspect of the court’s rulings on custody issued October 4, 2002.

  8. The attitude of Bakr and the brothers around him: Interview with two individuals close to the family, one of whom discussed the matter directly with Bakr; they asked to not be identified.

  9. “I feel…like yours”: Associated Press, December 23, 2005.

  10. “The name…the ocean”: Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2002.

  11. “accepted moral standards”: Associated Press, January 18, 2002. “insensitive”: Bloomberg News, January 22, 2002. “I am not…a newspaper”: Time, November 8, 2004.

  12. Boutique, watches, perfume blends: Author’s visit, December 2006. “shy, quiet…narrow legs”: Marianne MacDonald, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Evening Standard (London) May 26, 2006.

  13. All quotations, MacDonald, ibid.

  39. SO WHAT?

  1. “She’s still…good to Sama”: Interview with Sabry Ghoneim, November 14, 2005 (RS). Caroline remarried about eight years after Salem’s death: Interview with a person close to the family who asked to not be identified.

  2. The author is grateful to Robin Shulman for her enterprising field research, which brought her to the horse show where she made all of the observations and conducted all the interviews reflected in this section. Much of the descriptive language is also hers.

  3. All quotations in this section, ibid. The brochure about Rabab was provided to Robin Shulman during her visit to Khaled’s estate.

  4. Interviews with General Fathy Fathalla and Manfred Baier, Cairo Airport Company, November 21, 2005 (RS).

  5. “My father…camel again”: Interview with Bengt Johansson, October 3, 2006.

  6. Interview with an individual who discussed the issues with Yahya and who asked to not be identified.

  7. House of Saud, coproduced by Martin Smith and Chris Durrance for Frontline, 2005.

  8. “The B.A.E. files,” by David Leigh and Rob Evans, Guardian (London), June 7, 2007.

  9. “under…to Al Qaeda”: from “First Amended Complaint” (the insurers’ complaint), In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 03 MDL 1570. Legal bills exceeded $10 million: Interview with a Saudi official who asked to not be identified.

  10. Interviews with t
hree people in the Orlando area who made inquiries about the property.

  11. Abdulaziz Bin Bakr: Gulf News, November 18, 2006.

  12. Interview with Anwar Hassan, October 13, 2005, and written materials provided by Hassan.

  13. “were furious…themselves”: Ibid.

  14. Worldwide Projects, Inc., July 1, 2003.

  15. Economic City plans: Al-Bawaba (Saudi Arabia), December 21, 2005. “could either make…huge in scope”: Interview with a Bin Laden executive who asked to not be identified.

  16. Washington Post, October 14, 2005.

  17. Worldwide Projects, Inc., April 1, 2006.

  40. IN EXILE

  1. Author’s visit, December 2005.

  2. Brochure quotations from Fame materials obtained by the author. Abdullah’s business and lifestyle: Interviews with four colleagues and acquaintances in Jeddah, who asked to not be identified. See also “Bin Laden’s Eldest Son Speaks…” Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, October 21, 2001.

  3. At least twenty-three children: Associated Press, November 4, 2002. Arranged for at least one wife’s departure: “Bin Laden’s Wife Interviewed…” Al-Majallah, March 10, 2002. Yemeni wife home by December: Al-Quds Al-Arabi, December 29, 2001. Her return was confirmed by several Yemeni journalists during the author’s visit to the country in March 2007.

  4. “Saudi Interior Minister on Bin Laden’s Sons…” Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, July 3, 2004.

  5. “Osama did…the family”: Quoted in Bergen, The Osama Bin Laden I Know, p. 384.

  6. “Omar is wary…misses his father”: Times (London), July 11, 2007. “Polygamy…she was forty”: Express (London), July 16, 2007. Sun (London), September 20, 2007.

  7. All quotations from “Al-Majallah Obtains Bin Laden’s Will…” Al-Majallah, October 27, 2002, FBIS translation.

  8. All quotations, ibid.

  9. All quotations from Bergen, op. cit., p. 371.

  10. “I am…whole world”: Lawrence (ed.), Messages to the World, p. 208.

  11. “a rare…world infidelity”: “FBIS Report in Arabic,” May 6, 2004.

  12. Reward scheme: Ibid. “It is true…foreign one”: Messages to the World, op. cit., p. 255.

  13. “shows that…Islamic world”: “FBIS Report,” op. cit.

  14. “The Americans…intellects”: Messages to the World, op. cit., pp. 126–27.

  15. “Some American…from you?’: Ibid., pp. 161–62.

  16. All quotations, Ibid., pp. 162–68.

  17. “The swimmer…rain”: BBC Monitoring, January 19, 2006.

  18. “The freedom…America”: Messages to the World, op. cit., p. 169.

  19. “America…Zionist lobby”: Ibid., p. 110. “the idiots…from a lion”: “Bin Laden Calls Saudi Initiative ‘High Treason’…” Al-Quds Al-Arabi, March 28, 2002.

  20. “I miss…wolves”: Messages to the World, op. cit., p. 248.

  21. “that when…evil”: Ibid., pp. 254–55.

  22. “demonstrate…ugliness”: Ibid., p. 194.

  23. “underline…God Almighty”: Ibid., p. 183. “war winners”: Scheuer (as “Anonymous”), Through Our Enemies’ Eyes, p. 66.

  24. All quotations, BBC Monitoring, op. cit.

  25. All quotations, ABC News transcript, abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/transcript2.pdf.

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