Daily Kos

Osama Bin Laden's Son Wants Peace

Fri Jan 18, 2008 at 02:55:52 AM PDT

Haven't heard anything about this in the MSM. As we fight about our candidates the world carries on.

Bin Laden son wants to be peace activist

Osama Bin Laden's Son Says He Wants to Be Peace Ambassador Between West, Muslims
Omar Osama bin Laden bears a striking resemblance to his notorious father — except for the dreadlocks that dangle halfway down his back. Then there's the black leather biker jacket.

The 26-year-old does not renounce his father, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, but in an interview with The Associated Press, he said there is better way to defend Islam than militancy: Omar wants to be an "ambassador for peace" between Muslims and the West.

The sins of one's father must be one heck of a burden to try and thwart. But I give Omar some kudos for trying.

"It's about changing the ideas of the Western mind. A lot of people think Arabs — especially the bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama — are all terrorists. This is not the truth," Omar told the AP last week at a cafe in a Cairo shopping mall.
Of course, many may have a hard time getting their mind around the idea of "bin Laden: peacenik."

"Omar thinks he can be a negotiator," said Alsabah, who is trying to bring her husband to Britain. "He's one of the only people who can do this in the world."

Omar lived with the al-Qaida leader in Sudan, then moved with him to Afghanistan in 1996.

There, Omar says he trained at an al-Qaida camp but in 2000 he decided there must be another way and he left his father, returning to his homeland of Saudi Arabia.

"I don't want to be in that situation to just fight. I like to find another way and this other way may be like we do now, talking," he said in English.

Omar said he hasn't seen or been in contact with his father since leaving Afghanistan. "He doesn't have e-mail," Omar said. "He doesn't take a telephone ... if he had something like this, they will find him through satellites."

Omar doesn't criticize his father and says Osama bin Laden is just trying to defend the Islamic world.

"My father thinks he will be good for defending the Arab people and stop anyone from hurting the Arab or Muslim people any place in the world," he said, noting that the West didn't have a problem with his father when he was fighting the Russians in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

I don't recal hearing about Bin Laden asking for a truce? Perhaps one of Bushcos doctored Bin Laden 'fear' tapes hid the real request? If Bushco had accepted a truce might they not have captured him by now?

Oh, wait, that would mean the occupation in Iraq would have had to end...

Omar is convinced a truce between the West and al-Qaida is possible.

"My father is asking for a truce but I don't think there is any government (that) respects him. At the same time they do not respect him, why everywhere in the world, they want to fight him? There is a contradiction," he said.

I wonder how much support for peace Omar will get?

Tags: Osama Bin Laden, Omar Osama bin Laden, son, peace activist, Bushco (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

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