RIYADH: The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 created an environment conducive to the rise of numerous terrorist organizations.
Osama bin Laden, a Saudi-born dissident, emerged as a key figure during this period, exploiting the circumstances of the invasion, and his own financial resources, to enhance his position as founder and leader of Al-Qaeda, one of the largest armed groups that promoted jihadist ideology.
Bin Laden sought to target not only the West but also Islamic countries that did not comply with his radical positions and views.
Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, Bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia. Encouraged by what he perceived as his accomplishments during the war, he began preaching in mosques, inciting action against regional governments and calling for jihad, or a “holy war” against several countries.
This stark divergence in the positions of Bin Laden and the Saudi government caused a rift, resulting in political and security restrictions on his movements, and efforts to curb his power and interference in Saudi affairs at both the regional and international levels.
How we wrote it
Arab News provided six-page coverage of Osama bin Laden’s assassination, headlined “Bin Laden’s Luck Finally Runs Out.”
Recognizing the serious threat his extremist ideology posed to national and regional security, in 1991 Saudi Arabia expelled him from the country. Bin Laden subsequently moved to Sudan, where he continued to expand his group’s activities, including its involvement in global conflicts and acts of terrorism.
In 1994, Saudi Arabia revoked his citizenship and froze his assets, forcing him to rely on external sources for funding. In 1996, he moved his operation to Afghanistan after he was expelled from Sudan following US pressure on the country’s government. Riyadh began coordinating with allied nations in an attempt to track Bin Laden’s movements and contain his terrorist activities.
The revocation of his citizenship reflected the Kingdom’s pragmatic recognition of the threat he posed to both national and global security. At the time, though, Saudi authorities faced significant criticism from some international media outlets and Western human rights organizations, which viewed the decision to revoke citizenship as a breach of human rights, portraying it as a repressive measure to apply to individuals.
Despite the criticism, the Saudis remained firm in their stance, regarding it as essential to distance the Kingdom from a figure who had become controversial worldwide, and to remove any association with the radical ideologies he promoted.
Additionally, they sought to send a clear message to the world that neither Bin Laden nor his actions represented the beliefs of the Saudi state or its people.
Key Dates
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1
Osama bin Laden born in Riyadh, one of more than 50 children of a millionaire businessman. Accounts of his exact date of birth vary.
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2
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.
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3
Bin Laden establishes Al-Qaeda from a network of Arab and other foreign veterans of the US-backed Afghan insurgency against the Soviet Union.
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4
Soviet forces leave Afghanistan and Bin Laden subsequently returns to Saudi Arabia.
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5
Bin Laden is expelled from Saudi Arabia and travels to Sudan.
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6
Saudi Arabia, angered by Bin Laden’s propaganda against its rulers, revokes his citizenship and freezes his remaining assets in the country.
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7
Forced to leave Sudan following US pressure on the country’s government, he returns to Afghanistan.
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8
US President Bill Clinton names Bin Laden as America’s top enemy, holds him responsible for the bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
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9
Three hijacked planes crash into major US landmarks; two destroy the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and one damages the Pentagon in Washington. A fourth hijacked plane crashes in a field in Pennsylvania when passengers fight back against the hijackers. Bin Laden says collapse of Twin Towers exceeded Al-Qaeda’s expectations.
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10
US President George W. Bush declares Bin Laden “Wanted: Dead or Alive” for the 9/11 attacks.
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11
US attacks Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which hosts Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.
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12
Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban collapses when the group surrenders Kandahar and its leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, flees the city.
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13
Bin Laden is killed in Abbottabad, 60 km north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
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14
Saudi Arabia revokes citizenship of Bin Laden’s son, Hamza, a day after the US offers $1 million for information about his whereabouts.
Seven years after his citizenship was revoked, when it became clear that he and his Al-Qaeda operatives were responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US, the voices advocating for his human rights fell silent.
By expelling Bin Laden and adopting a strong stance against extremist ideologies, Saudi Arabia had emerged as a reliable partner in the global war on terrorism, through the restriction of financial aid to individuals and organizations suspected of supporting terrorism, and increased counterterrorism cooperation with international partners.
In the three decades since then, it has become evident that Saudi Arabia’s handling of Bin Laden was not an isolated case but part of a broader strategy aimed at eradicating extremism at its roots.
Successive Saudi leaderships have upheld a firm, zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and worked to eliminate extremist elements within the Kingdom. This included shutting down sources of jihadist and extremist financing, restrictions on financial aid to individuals or institutions suspected of supporting terrorism, and the implementation of internal programs to combat extremist ideology.
Through the multifaceted approach it adopted to address the activities of Bin Laden, the Kingdom positioned itself as a model for counterterrorism efforts, and strengthened its leadership role in global initiatives to combat extremists while dismantling their financial and media support networks.
The pivotal international role Saudi Arabia plays in efforts to combat terrorism was evident as recently as last year when authorities in the Kingdom said they warned German counterparts about Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen and his extremist views.
Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden during shooting training at al-Faruq base in Afghanistan. Video grab/AFP
The warnings fell on deaf ears, however, and on Dec. 20, 2024, Al-Abdulmohsen drove his car into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg in an attack that killed six people and injured at least 299.
In March 2019, 25 years after revoking Bin Laden’s citizenship, Saudi authorities did the same to one of his sons, Hamza. He sought to revive Al-Qaeda, having embraced many of his father’s extremist ideologies, including incitement to hatred and violence, and the recruitment of young Muslims to join extremist groups. He directed his rhetoric against Arab regimes and the world at large.
Saudi authorities announced their decision the day after the US State Department offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Hamza, describing him as “an emerging Al-Qaeda leader” who “threatened attacks against the United States and allies.”
On August 1, 2019, US media reported that Hamza was killed in an American airstrike. Citing unnamed US intelligence officials, the reports offered little information about the location or date of his death. In a brief statement on Sept. 14, President Donald Trump confirmed Hamza had been killed in a US “counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.” He gave no further details. Al-Qaeda did not confirm the death.
In September last year, media reports claimed that intelligence documents suggest Hamza might have survived the attack thought to have killed him and was secretly running Al-Qaeda operations in Afghanistan with his brother, Abdullah.
The accuracy of the reports remains unclear but the uncertainty means the question of whether Al-Qaeda’s threat to the region and the West is truly over has yet to be resolved.
- Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah).
