Category Archives: Osama bin Laden

Israel has its Bin Laden moment, but it can’t be sure killing Sinwar will see off Hamas | Jason Burke

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The history of ‘decapitation strategies’ tells us it is almost impossible to know what effect assassinating a key figure such as Yahya Sinwar will have

Israelis and others have ­welcomed the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and the ­master­mind of the 7 October 2023 attacks, as an “Osama bin Laden moment”. This reflects how many in Israel feel about the death of a man responsible for the ­murder of 1,200 people, mostly civilians and their compatriots, but ­terrorism experts have long debated the ­efficacy of eliminating the ­leaders of violent extremist groups, with some suggesting the strategy is counter-productive.

The truth is that no one is sure.

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Blair asked Bush during first phone call if he could call him by first name

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Archives reveal PM’s early attempts to establish personal relationship with president after 2000 US election

Tony Blair moved swiftly to place his relationship with George W Bush on a personal footing after the Republican won the 2000 US presidential election, asking him “early on” in their first telephone call if he could call him by his first name.

“Bush warmly assented (but stuck himself with addressing the prime minister as ‘Sir’),” according to a note of their call, which is among government files released to the National Archives. Blair was the first foreign leader to call to congratulate the president-elect. Michael Tatham, a British diplomat, noted that the eight-minute conversation had established “as good a rapport as one could hope for” from such a short call.

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The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad review – recent history at its finest

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Thomas Hegghammer delivers a meticulously researched account of a charismatic Islamist

Abdallah Azzam is not exactly a household name – at least when compared with the far more notorious Osama bin Laden. But the militant Palestinian cleric who inspired and mobilised Arabs to come to Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union in the 1980s is the most important jihadist figure before the birth of al-Qaida and the continuing consequences of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

Azzam is still revered by many who believe that the Islamic ummah (community/nation) matters more and has greater legitimacy than individual authoritarian Arab and Muslim states. Mosques, fighting units, training camps and websites have been named after him since he was assassinated in Pakistan in 1989. Fans maintain Twitter and Telegram accounts. Uncritical and heroic accounts of his achievements abound – in Arabic and English.

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Trump confirms US has killed Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza

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Death of son of the al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, was reported but not confirmed in July

Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that the US has killed Hamza bin Laden, a son of the former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Related: Hamza bin Laden: the end of a dynasty, but not al-Qaida

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Hamza bin Laden: the end of a dynasty, but not al-Qaida

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Osama bin Laden’s son was being groomed to be new leader of group responsible for 9/11

For most of the decade that followed the 9/11 attacks in 2001, hardly a day passed without news about al-Qaida. In the last year, by contrast, the Guardian has mentioned the group 11 times.

The event that has put it back in the spotlight is not a terrorist strike against the “Crusader-Zionist alliance” or the “hypocrite, apostate regimes” of the Middle East but the death of a high-profile member.

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Trump Jr. defends Benghazi hero’s take-down of Obama

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Kris Paronto, who was one of the CIA security contractors who defended the American compound at Benghazi during the 2012 attack, was forced to delete a Twitter criticism of former President Barack Obama when his account was temporarily suspended over the weekend. Tweeting after his account came back online, Paronto included the original tweet that got him into trouble.

Navy SEAL Who Shot Bin Laden Slams Sarah Huckabee Sanders For Praising VA

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The heroic Navy SEAL who shot dead Osama Bin Laden has come out swinging at Sarah Huckabee Sanders for her praise of the Veteran's Administration, which he slammed as a "damn insult to vets!" Robert O'Neill launched an angry tirade against the deputy White House press secretary on Twitter Wednesday, claiming the VA is so bad he pays for his own private health insurance and once had his wallet swiped at a VA facility. I just heard @SarahHuckabee talk about "successes" at the VA.

Nine ‘amazing’ moments from the Obama presidency

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Talking to Valerie Jarrett about her time as senior adviser to President Obama and specifically about that time he sang "Amazing Grace" in Charleston, S.C., on June 26, 2015, got me to thinking about other amazing moments of the Obama presidency. So, before Obama nostalgia hits full-tilt after New Year's Day, here are nine "amazing" moments from his presidency.