Does anyone know the reason Osama was exiled from his home country of Saudi Arabia?
It should be obvious, I guess. Osama was exiled from Saudi Arabia for his support of terrorist groups. From apbnews.com :
Exiled from Saudi Arabia in 1991 for his support of terrorist groups , bin Laden moved to the Sudan, where he invested millions of dollars and offered jobs to the country’s desperately poor citizens. In 1996, Sudan, under pressure to expel known terrorists, also exiled bin Laden. He then moved back to Afghanistan and started building training camps to develop an alliance of terrorist groups intent on an international holy war, according to court documents. Atef, as bin Laden’s military commander, led the training in these camps.
A little background might be useful in understanding what ultimately led to his exile. Same source:
Bin Laden’s rise to most wanted international terrorist was not an overnight sensation. From 1979 to 1989, the Soviet Union fought a disastrous, and ultimately unsuccessful, war to conquer the mountain passes and arid plains of Afghanistan. In the early 1980s, bin Laden, like many other young, zealous Saudis, joined the ranks of the American-backed mujahadeen, the “holy warriors” who fought the Soviet troops with an estimated $6 billion in American weapons. When the fighting ended, bin Laden emerged as the leader of an organization of battle-hardened veterans and religious fundamentalists crusading to oppose non-Islamic governments with violence. Bin Laden called his group al Qaeda, Arabic for “The Base.”
According to court papers, al Qaeda quickly developed a strong anti-American outlook. The United States’ involvement in the 1991 Gulf War and 1992 famine relief mission in Somalia only strengthened bin Laden’s hatred – al Qaeda considered the U.S. military’s continued presence in the Middle East “American occupation of Islamic countries.”
In 1992, bin Laden issued a proclamation, ordering the attack of U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia and Somalia. In early 1993, bin Laden-trained forces ambushed American troops in Somalia, killing 18 Army Rangers…
In 1996, Sudan, under pressure to expel known terrorists, also exiled bin Laden. He then moved back to Afghanistan and started building training camps to develop an alliance of terrorist groups intent on an international holy war, according to court documents.
Also, bin Laden supporters were responsible for the 1993 WTC bombing, as well as the 1998 African embassy bombings, and the 2000 USS Cole attack (apparently). I’m glad I researched this, I never made the connection between bin Laden and the attacks on American Rangers in the Sudan before.
Oh and please, no “All The Base are Belong to Us” jokes.
Markxxx
September 18, 2001, 4:07am
4
The Chicago Tribune said he was put under “House Arrest” in Saudi Arabia. Was he actually exiled? I mean told to get out? Or did he leave to avoid being put under arrest?
