Footage of Hamza bin Laden's wedding released

Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden's son had not been seen in public since childhood

Hamza bin Laden
(Image credit: Central Intelligence Agency)

The CIA has released the first footage of Hamza bin Laden - Osama bin Laden's son - as a young adult.

The video clip was released along with hundreds of thousands of other documents, images, and computer files that were housed on a computer at Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. The device was seized by the US military in the 2011 raid on the compound during which the al-Qa’eda founder was killed.

The video shows Hamza bin Laden on his wedding day. Until now, the public has only seen childhood pictures of him, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The site adds that Osama bin Laden is not seen during the video, but “a man notes that the ‘father of the groom, the prince of the mujahedeen’ is overjoyed about his son's marriage”.

See more

Hamza bin Laden is being closely monitored by international security forces, writes Slate, despite US counterterrorism officials stating that Hamza is unlikely to replace or succeed al-Qa’eda’s current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

“His family name undoubtedly makes him a powerful propaganda tool”, the site adds, and he currently holds a high ranking in the organisation, which has been “pushed to the fringes of the global jihadi movement” by the rise of rival group Islamic State.

Earlier this year, says CNN, Hamza released a ten-minute audio message calling on followers of al-Qa’eda to attack Jews, Americans, Westerners and Russians in lone-wolf-style attacks, using “whatever means are easily available”.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us