Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harbi

Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harbi, ( _ar. خالد بن عودة بن محمد الحربي) (c.1963 - present) is a Saudi national who was associated with Osama bin Laden's mujahadeen group in the 1980s, and is thought to have rejoined bin Laden and al-Qaeda in the mid-1990s. Also known as Abu Suleiman al-Makki (Arabic: ابوسليمان المكي), he has a thick beard and requires the use of a wheelchair.

The "BBC" reports that Al-Harbi was Ayman Al-Zawahiri's son-in-law. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3891175.stm Militant Saudi sheikh surrenders] , "BBC", July 13, 2004]

Fighting for Islam

Al-Harbi volunteered to fight against the Soviet invaders of Afghanistan during the 1980s.

According to the web-site "Global Terror Alert"Al-Harbi volunteered to fight in Bosnia in 1992. cite web
url=http://www.globalterroralert.com/khaledharbi.pdf
title=Dossier: Abu Sulaiman al-Makki (Khaled al-Harbi) (.pdf)
author=Evan Kohlmann
accessdate = 2007-01-23|format=PDF] Al-Harbi lost the use of his legs during a skirmish in Bosnia.

ettled in Bosnia

Following their successful war of liberation, in 1995, the new Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina offered citizenship to all foreign volunteers who had fought on their behalf.

Al-Harbi settled in Bosnia, until arrest warrants were issued against him, and eighteen other men, in 1997. The allegation against Al-Harbi was that he had provided a safehouse for terrorists.

Al-Harbi disappeared from the time his arrest warrant was issued and his appearance in a video taped in late 2001 where he had an extended conversation with Osama bin Laden.

Appearance with Osama bin Laden on Video at Request of Brothers in Saudi Arabia

The Department of Defense released a videotape on December 13, 2001 showing Osama bin Laden having an extended conversation with an old acquaintance about the attack of 9-11.cite web
url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2001/d20011213ubl.pdf#search='bin%20laden%20video%20translation'
title=translation of the video of Osama bin Laden
publisher="Department of Defense"
accessdate = 2007-01-23] Initially bin Laden's friend's identity was unidentified. Commentators speculated that the unknown friend was an important al Qaeda financier, because he did not rise when bin Laden entered the room.By December 16, 2001 Al Harbi had been identified.cite news
url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/16/se.05.html
title=SPECIAL REPORT: AMERICA STRIKES BACK
publisher=CNN
date = December 16, 2001
accessdate=2007-11-23] Saudi officials identified Al-Harbi on December 16, 2001, based on his inability to use his legs.Fact|date=November 2007

"Time magazine" reported that unidentified U.S. officials described al Harbi as being "a confidant and spiritual sounding board for bin Laden," but not an al Qaeda member."cite news
url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,994749,00.html
title=Reeling In An Imam
publisher=Time magazine
author=Scott Macleod, Elaine Shannon
date= July 26, 2004
accessdate=2007-11-27] "Time" reported that Nawaf Obaid, who they identified as a Saudi security analyst, said al-Harbi is cooperating. Obaid called al-Harbi a "very successful recruiter".

In the tape, Khaled al-Harbi states that the tape was being made at the arrangement of the brothers who support al Qaida::"We don't want to take much of your time, but this is the arrangement of the brothers. People are now supporting us more, even those ones who did not support us in the past, support us now. I did not want to take that much of your time."

In the tape, Khaled al-Harbi states that he and those with him began wondering why they had not heard news of the attacks, and then they got the news and celebrated.

The introduction to the translation states that the tape was made in mid-November 2001 in Afghanistan. The U.S. bombing of Afghanistan begin on October 7, 2001. Therefore the bombing had started when bin Laden risked making the video with Khaled al-Harbi.

Amnesty and surrender

Afterwards, Al-Harbi lived in hiding along the Iranian-Afghani border.cite news
url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,994749,00.html
title=Reeling In An Imam
publisher=Time magazine
author=Scott Macleod, Elaine Shannon
date= July 26, 2004
accessdate=2007-11-27]

Al-Harbi surrendered himself to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Iran on July 13, 2004. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3891175.stm Militant Saudi sheikh surrenders] , "BBC", July 13, 2004] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/07/13/binladen.aide/ Saudis: Bin Laden associate surrenders: Video showed al-Harbi talking to al Qaeda leader about 9/11] , "CNN", July 13, 2004] His surrender was part of a one-month amnesty offer by the Saudi government on June 23, 2004;Some commentators speculated that Al-Harbi was not eligible for the amnesty, arguing that it applied only to those who committed attacks inside Saudi Arabia.

On 12 November 2004, Khaled al-Harbi was released, as on that day the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that all who had surrendered under the "amnesty" had been released.Fact|date=February 2007 (Saudi official news agency release of 12 November 2004 concerning the release of those asking for amnesty.)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has stated that it will not extradite anyone involved in the 9/11 attacks to the United States.Fact|date=February 2007 (Statement regarding extradition by Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz to the Council of Ministers, July 2003.)

References

External links

* [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5430560/ Report: Fourth militant surrenders to Saudis: Amnesty for al-Qaida associates to end soon] , "MSNBC", July 16, 2004
* [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/16/ret.tape.identity/ Saudi officials identify man on bin Laden tape] , "CNN", December 14, 2001

ources

* Reuters
* US Military translation of tape [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2001/d20011213ubl.pdf#search='bin%20laden%20video%20translation']
* Saudi official news agency release of 12 November 2004 concerning the release of those asking for amnesty. Statement regarding extradition by Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz to the Council of Ministers, July 2003.
* Date of US military bombing starting in Afghanistan: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1556588.stm]