Omar Bin Laden, Osama Bin Laden Son: Sea Burial Demeaning, Killing 'Criminal': Report

A statement purporting to come from a son of Osama bin Laden denounced the al Qaeda leader's killing as "criminal" and said his burial at sea had humiliated the family, an online monitoring service said.

The statement, attributed to Omar bin Laden, bin Laden's fourth eldest son, said the al Qaeda chief's children reserved the right to take legal action in the United States and internationally to "determine the true fate of our vanished father," the SITE Intelligence Group said.

There was no independent confirmation of the authenticity of the letter, published on the website of Islamist ideologue Abu Walid al-Masri, although several specialists on militant propaganda said the text appeared genuine.

Omar bin Laden, who has been based in the Gulf in recent years, did not immediately respond to emailed and telephoned requests for comment.

The letter said, in part: "We hold the American President (Barack) Obama legally responsible to clarify the fate of our father, Osama bin Laden, for it is unacceptable, humanely and religiously, to dispose of a person with such importance and status among his people, by throwing his body into the sea in that way, which demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and which challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims."

The letter said the U.S. administration had offered no proof to back up its account of the mission. It alleged the goal of the raid had been to kill and not arrest, adding that afterwards the American commandos had "rushed to dispose of the body."

Some Muslims have misgivings about how U.S. forces killed bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan on May 2 and disposed of his body in the ocean.

Questions have multiplied since the White House said the al Qaeda leader was unarmed when U.S. helicopter-borne commandos raided the villa where he was hiding in the city of Abbottabad.

Bin Laden's swift burial at sea, in what many Muslims say was a violation of Islamic custom, has also stirred anger.

(Editing by Myra MacDonald)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Jean Clelland-Morin]

03:52 AM on 05/17/2011

Assuming this letter actually came from bin Laden's son, I don't necessarily disagree with him. However, his father not only is a self-admitted assassin, he basically brags about it. And who is in a position to second-guess president Obama's actions? // Jean Clelland-Morin

[cutesky]

10:10 PM on 05/15/2011

What a joke!!! Is Omar kidding??????

[David305]

07:48 PM on 05/15/2011

Many 9/11 families weren't able to provide their lost family members with a proper burial. Omar, you'll get over it just like we had to.

[CAELadyJane50]

11:27 PM on 05/14/2011

I wish Omar would be interviewed on Oprah Winfrey"s "OWN" show and discuss his thoughts and feelings about his father, and what his father did and what he thinks of the USA.

[jibcollazo]

09:35 PM on 05/14/2011

I'm just thrilled he was killed and we have one less maggot to worry about.

[Dorothy McMurray]

12:49 PM on 05/14/2011

Like I said, someone braided his dred locks too tight, and he's lost, and is still losing, lots of brain cells.

[Emmy Jean del MundoTimko]

11:38 AM on 05/14/2011

Was the people that got killed in 9/11 armed ? Our government gave him as much respect to Obama more than he deserves.And his son is still complaining? If its me,He deserves to be fed to the pigs.

[cwest91556]

06:14 PM on 05/15/2011

really? judge jury and executioner are you? were you aware that in the US there are at least 130 prisoners exonerated of charges, some from death row? The people that died in 911 deserve to have more injustice to honor them with? To kill another man, that was not tried nor convicted anywhere but in the MSM and in Americans minds. Do you confuse reports with evidence, facts with myth or honor with death? I'm just curious, because most people mindlessly go with the crowd on things, instead of looking for truth. Now you might say well he wasn't American, he was a terrorist. yet he was unarmed, he could have been captured alive and brought to trial for murdering 3000 people, but he was summarily executed, and that makes it all ok.

[cutesky]

10:14 PM on 05/15/2011

You bet your bippy it does!!! Bin Laden took full reponsibility for and was proud of the 9/11 tragedy.

[jibcollazo]

07:50 PM on 05/18/2011

If he was brought to trial it would have cost us too much money and eventually given the death penalty. So the Navy Seal saved us money and the headache of protecting him until his trial date. Did you lose anyone on 9/11 ? I don't think so.

[don st]

09:26 AM on 05/14/2011

Omar sounds just like a whole group of American citizens who blame the police for the death of a family member actively committing a felony. Or twenty million whining illegal alien criminal law breakers crying they are having their "rights" violated. He must have learned this watching US media outlets spilling that PC liberal garbage non stop. He must be a regular reader of the Huffy Post.

[logicdog]

01:12 AM on 05/14/2011

If you read Rolling Stone's interview with this guy several months ago, it's clear that he's decided to embrace the western-style of life, and he clearly admitted that he rejected his father's ideology of jihad. Well, Omar, you charted your course, and now you're stuck with it. Your father also charted his course and he is also stuck with the results.

You made better decisions than he did -- get over it.

[NoboyukiMasaki]

09:29 PM on 05/13/2011

Three thousand unarmed American Citizens were killed on American Soil by Al Qaida - so, what did these guys think was going to happen?

This is the United States of America - not Sweden!

[greenriverkate]

08:50 PM on 05/13/2011

OMG, you people that think his father was murdered are just nuts. He was given a fair warning, a death penalty! If we had taken him captive, all of you would be whinning about the cost to us taxpayers for his care and expense, cost of lawyers, the long drawn out press for YEARS to come. His people would go nuts, take captives and murder them, try for a trade of prisoners, invade our country and Bin ladin would have been a true marder!!! We don't need that!!! And where would we lock him up? Not in the US or in Gitmo, so where??? They may have intended to keep him alive but it didn't work out and we weren't there. Show some respect for the families of 9/11! And as far as this little piss ant, he is his fathers son!!!! Stop using religion as an excuse for our views. That is what bin ladin did and he twisted it just like all of you!

[cutesky]

10:16 PM on 05/15/2011

You are fanned and faved....great post!!!!!

[Marichu]

06:26 PM on 05/13/2011

Guess this is a case of what goes around comes around. OBL had no moral impediment when he had his followers kill innocent victims. Therefore the manner of his death should be seen as the expected outcome stemming from his own deeds. Karma.

[Just Cause]

06:16 PM on 05/13/2011

Is this for real where this family steps up because they feel a crime is committed? Where is the justice for the innocent people killed by his father's hand or direction? These people killed aren't all warriors, some are hard working men, women and children. It confuses me today that anyone kill babies and refer to religion of any kind.

The US buried him according to his religion and sea was the choice, did Bin Laden do the same for people he had murdered? He was a criminal and murdered thousands.

[Judith K Bogdanove]

05:57 PM on 05/13/2011

This blog itself is an insult to the brave Americans who administered justice to a mass murderer. Why do you waste your time with it? BL was the subject of a manhunt for years, taking up time and treasure from those he wronged. Sonny Boy, where is your remorse for the thousands he slaughtered who never even had a chance to face their killer?

[othel]

05:48 PM on 05/13/2011

I guess this means this guy will tie a bomb to himself and run into a crowd to kill as many as he can in reparation for his daddy. Not.

[NoboyukiMasaki]

09:33 PM on 05/13/2011

Good point!