This mind-boggling profile on Osama bin Laden came out 20 years ago in a U.K. newspaper

[Are_grits_groceries]

This article from Dec. 6, 1993, by Robert Fisk of The Independent, titled, “Anti-Soviet warrior puts his army on the road to peace,” is stunning to consider 20 years later.

Osama bin Laden, fresh off the U.S.-backed mujahideen’s victory over Russia in 1989, flew his men, materials and money down to Sudan, ostensibly to start public works projects. When asked if they were militant training camps, the “Saudi entrepreneur” and future leader of al Qaeda told Fisk: “I am a construction engineer and an agriculturalist. If I had training camps here in Sudan, I couldn’t possibly do this job.”

The piece is fascinating because it is a positive profile of a man who would become a global terrorist mastermind.

Some key lines:

“OSAMA Bin Laden sat in his gold- fringed robe, guarded by the loyal Arab mujahedin …”

“With his high cheekbones, narrow eyes and long brown robe, Mr Bin Laden looks every inch the mountain warrior of mujahedin legend.”

“He is a shy man. … married – with four wives – but wary of the press.”

“Was it not a little bit anti-climactic for them, I asked, to fight the Russians and end up road-building in Sudan?”

Bin Laden’s work in Sudan purportedly involved overseeing a 500-mile highway from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Fisk reported that “Bin Laden has brought the very construction equipment that he used only five years ago to build the guerrilla trails of Afghanistan.”

This article originally appeared in Business Insider
http://deadstate.org/this-mind-boggling-profile-on-osama-bin-laden-came-out-20-years-ago-in-a-u-k-newspaper/

People have no idea about the bin Laden family's history with the Saudis and the US.
They assume he always hated the US and was plotting 9/11 all his life. He changed quite a bit over time.
"The Looming Tower" is a great read about 9/11 and the long history that lead to it.

[Bonobo]

1. Funny how perspective changes everything.

Back then he was a hero to us, a "terrorist" to the USSR. He wasn't a terrorist in our eyes until he attacked us.

[madokie]

2. We were placing concrete for a driveway

when the news broke that an airplane had hit the world trade center. Without a thought my first words were Bin Laden. My first thought was little boots and darth were behind this.
I was right on both accounts

[watoos]

4. Same for me.

My daughter called me on the phone practically crying. I turned on the tv and saw the tower and told her she would be ok in Columbus, that this was the doing of Bin Laden. Sad, but I bet a lot of people thought the same thing that we did, but it didn't concern Bush enough to even meet once with his security council over Bin Laden.

[newfie11]

5. Exactly my thoughts

I was on a mobile medical unit traveling to Cheyenne River Res when this came on the radio.
My secretary ask who would have done such a thing. Of course Bin Ladin came to mind as he had done it before.

As the years and new info came out I am convinced baby bush and igor cheney were in on it somehow.

[Zoonart]

8. Me too!

Last edited Mon Dec 9, 2013, 10:16 AM - Edit history (1)

My first thought was - This makes all their PENAC dreams come true.
(Cheney, Wolfie, Rummy- et al)

[dipsydoodle]

3. Changing faces.

Reminds me of the US boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics because Russia had invaded Afghanistan late '70s.

And then 2001.............

[RC]

6. Osama bin Laden was our good friend, until he was no longer useful to us.

Then we abandon him, with out so much as a thank you for all that he had done for us. We just left him high and dry.
But even now, I am not fully convince he actually was the real master mine behind 9/11. I have too many unanswered question about the actions of our own government leading up to that day and on that day.

[DeSwiss]

7. +1000

[heaven05]

9. yep, I totally agree

[riverbendviewgal]

10. great journalist

Just read his Wikipedia.