The Bin Laden Papers: How the Abbottabad Raid Revealed the Truth about al-Qaeda, Its Leader and His Family

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An inside look at al-Qaeda from 9/11 to the death of its founder—told through the words of Bin Laden and his closest circle Usama Bin Laden’s greatest fear was not capture or death, but the exposure of al-Qaeda’s secrets. At great risk to themselves and the entire mission, the U.S. Special Operations Forces, who carried out the Abbottabad raid that killed Bin Laden, took an additional eighteen minutes to collect Bin Laden’s hard drives and thereby expose al-Qaeda’s secrets. In this ground-breaking book, Nelly Lahoud dives into Bin Laden’s files and meticulously distills the nearly 6,000 pages of Arabic private communications. For the first time, al-Qaeda’s closely guarded secrets are laid bare, shattering misconceptions and revealing how and what Bin Laden communicated with his associates, his plans for future attacks, and al-Qaeda’s hostility toward countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan. Lahoud presents firsthand accounts of al-Qaeda from 9/11 until the elimination of Bin Laden, as told through his own words and those of his family and closest associates. Cover About the book Title page Copyright page Epigraph CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Family tree Map PROLOGUE EIGHTEEN MINUTES INTRODUCTION PART I “AFFLICTED” AL-QAEDA (2001–2011) 1 “THE BIRTH OF THE IDEA” “The Birth of the Idea of September 11” “What Led to the Decision” and “Why I Made It” The Calamity of an “Idea” Musing on Mullah Omar’s Legacy 2 JIHADIS BETWEEN BORDERS Displaced The Tyranny of Borders Detention in Iran From “Knights of Jihad” to a “Bargaining Chip” 3 GLOBAL JIHAD ON AUTOPILOT “New Phase” and New Leaders A Sanguine Usama Reconnects The “Afflicted” Respond Usama’s Decisions Jihad in Saudi Arabia, 2003–04 ON SAUDI ARABIA AND AL-QAEDA 4 AL-QAEDA “HIDES” “New Phase” and New Leaders Deputy Leader General Leader of al-Qaeda Disengagement . . . “Gently” August 20, 1988 Revisited Al-Qaeda Rebuilt 5 THE “CALAMITY” Al-Qaeda’s Af-Pak Milieu Af-Pak The Pakistani State Problem The TTP Problem The Spies–Drones Nexus Drones: The Insurmountable Challenge Jihad vs Kumun The Spying Dilemma Whither Jihad? 6 “THE AMERICANS” Why Change al-Qaeda’s Strategy? The New al-Qaeda Strategy “Top Secret, Do Not Share it with Anyone” What If? PART II THE RISE OF THE “BROTHERS” (2004–2011) 7 SOME “BROTHERS” ARE MORE BROTHERLY THAN OTHERS Iraq and the Birth of the Islamic State North Africa Islamic Group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)—née Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen) Somalia Outreach from Somalia The “New Vision” PART III THE FAMILY 8 THE “FIRST MARTYR” The “Myrtle of Jihad” At Home with the Bin Ladens Away from the Family in Waziristan In Mourning 9 THE ESCAPES Iran in Usama’s Dreams Al-Qaeda’s Iran Dilemma The First Escape The Second Escape A Note about Saad The Real Relationship Between al-Qaeda and Iran 10 THE FINAL CHAPTER Hopes and Anticipations The “Security Guards” A Dream Then a “Written Agreement” The Arab Spring On Sons and Daughters 11 THE REAL COURIER The “Courier” Narrative The Alternative Narrative The “Closed Circle” Security Guards Courier and Two Intermediaries How Did Usama’s “Closed Circle” Fail? First Scenario Second Scenario EPILOGUE APPENDIX 1 USAMA BIN LADEN’S WILL APPENDIX 2 DRAMATIS PERSONAE ENDNOTES GLOSSARY OF ARABIC TERMS BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX