Osama

Osama bin Laden (1957–2011) was a Saudi-born Islamist militant and the founder of al-Qaeda, a transnational extremist network responsible for numerous attacks against Western targets. Born in Riyadh to a wealthy family connected to the Saudi construction industry, he used wealth to support militant activities and networks.

During the 1980s, bin Laden supported the Afghan mujahideen fighting the Soviet invasion, and he later helped organize a broader Islamist movement. In 1988–1989 he helped establish al-Qaeda to coordinate jihad across borders, aiming to unite various groups under a global Islamist struggle against what he described as Western influence and secular governments in the Muslim world.

Al-Qaeda carried out several major attacks attributed to its leadership, including the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the attacks on September 11, 2001, in the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people. From the mid-1990s onward, bin Laden issued declarations calling for attacks against the United States and its allies, solidifying his position as a principal figure for global jihad in the eyes of many governments.

Following 9/11, bin Laden remained at large as the United States led invasions in Afghanistan and pursued him internationally. He was killed on May 2, 2011, during a U.S. Navy SEAL operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan; his body was reportedly buried at sea.

Bin Laden’s death did not end terrorism, as al-Qaeda and its affiliates continued to influence extremist movements and counterterrorism policy worldwide. He remains a highly controversial and condemned figure in history.