Osama Bin Laden, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States of America, has become the most wanted man in the world. The US government even offered to anyone who found the terrorist, alive or dead, the prize of U$50 million dollars, almost R$100 million reais.
Right after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden used the channel of Arab television, Al Jazeera, to make the announcement that the “Muslim holy war” had begun.
But what would the “Muslim holy war” be? According to scholars from the Arab world, bin Laden referred to the war against the United States (mainly) and against all oppressive Western countries that have always been against Islam (Muslims). Osama accused the US of always encouraging and funding dictatorial governments in the Middle East.
Osama Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia and his anger at the US began when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1991. Shortly thereafter, the US retaliated against Iraq, which became known as the Persian Gulf War. Osama, fearful of a possible Iraqi invasion of Arabia, wrote a letter to the Saudi king, but it was never answered. The Arabs accepted US support, something unacceptable to bin Laden.
After that, Osama began training guerrillas in Afghanistan. Saudi did not agree with bin Laden's actions and confiscated some of his material assets. Faced with these facts, the terrorist left his country and headed for Pakistan, then for Afghanistan (left that country after the end of communism) and then went to Sudan, where the spread of philosophy began. islamic.
With the Iraqi defeat in the Gulf War (1991), the US left military bases in Arab territories, a fact that displeased Bin Laden even more. In 1993, he organized the first terrorist attack on American territory: at the World Trade Center, a suicide bomber was responsible for six deaths. After that, Saudi Arabia withdrew the citizenship of Osama, who reacted with a car bomb attack in the city of Riyadh. Sudan, the country where bin Laden was located, was pressured by international bodies not to harbor the terrorist any longer.
Bin Laden then headed to Afghanistan again. In that country, he was welcomed by the Taliban (a group of fanatical guerrillas, religious fundamentalists). Together with bin Laden, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. From then on, bin Laden was free to articulate his terrorist actions with the Al Qaeda organization, of which he was the leader.
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists, together with bin Laden, put the terrorist plan into practice and carried out one of the biggest attacks suffered by the US in its territory. Four planes full of passengers were seized by Al Qaeda terrorists and launched at specific targets such as the World Trade commercial complex Center, in New York City, and the Pentagon (US Department of Defense and the location of the US Air Force), colliding with parts of the building. One of the planes was launched in an uninhabited region of Pennsylvania.
These terrorist attacks suffered by the US, in 2001, victimized about 3000 US citizens. The President of the United States at the time of the attacks, Georg W. Bush declared a "holy war" on terrorism and terrorists.
The first actions of the US military were the occupation of Afghanistan, the overthrow of the Taliban of the Afghan government and the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, a fact that later led to the condemnation and death of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, in the year of 2006.
With all the US military retaliation in the Middle East territories, Osama bin Laden was still at large. However, with the intense investigations of the US Armed Forces and the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), and with the collaboration of the government of Pakistan, the Forces United States Specials (specialized command of the US Navy) carried out a covert operation in Pakistani territory, in the early hours of May 2, 2011. The operation was primarily aimed at capturing Osama bin Laden, the No. 1 public enemy of the US. The military fulfilled the mission objective and captured bin Laden.
Osama Bin Laden was executed in Pakistan, in the city of Abbotabad, near the country's capital, Islamabad. The terrorist was found in a grand and secure three-story fortress, with 5-metre walls and a strong security system. In the residence there were no phone lines or internet connections. According to US soldiers, the residence was about eight times larger than any house in the region.
Thus, on May 2, 2011, with the death of Osama Bin Laden, the pursuit of the greatest enemy of the USA came to an end. But is terrorism against the US gone? Or will al Qaeda terrorism continue under the leadership of Ayman Al Zawahiri, considered bin Laden's right-hand man?
Leandro Carvalho
Master in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/morte-osama-bin-laden.htm
