10 March: Osama bin Laden

Born on this date in 1957 was the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Here are 10 things you might not know about him:

1. His full name was Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden. The name means Osama, son of Mohammed, son of Awad, son of Laden.
2. His father was a billionaire with close ties to the Saudi royal family. The bin Laden family made $5 billion in the construction industry, and Osama inherited around $25–30 million. Osama was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
3. His father had at least ten wives, Osama being the son of his tenth, Hamida al-Attas. Soon after Osama was born, his father divorced her, but set her up with his associate Mohammed al-Attas, to whom she is still married. Osama grew up with three half-brothers and one half-sister.
4. He went to university and studied economics and business administration, and possibly civil engineering.
5. He studied in England for a while, Learning English in Oxford. He was a Football fan and supported Arsenal.
6. While his main interest as a young man was religion, specifically "interpreting the Quran and jihad" he also read some secular books, and was said to be a particular fan of the works of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and Charles de Gaulle. He also wrote poetry. Later on, he became concerned about climate change, and wrote to America urging them to work with President Barack Obama to "save humanity from the harmful gases that threaten its destiny".
7. He had five wives, possibly six. He married for the first time in 1974 at the age of 17. His wives included Najwa Ghanem, Khadijah Sharif, Khairiah Sabar, Siham Sabar and Amal al-Sadah. He was separated from Najwa and divorced Khadijah, and his possible sixth marriage was annulled. He fathered more than 20 children. He was described by one of his bodyguards as a strict father, who liked to take his brood on shooting trips and picnics in the desert. There would have been no Music in his home – he was opposed to it on religious grounds.
8. During his lifetime there were reports that he was 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) tall, although this was thought to have been an exaggeration. After his death, his height was measured and he was found to be 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) tall. He was left handed and described as soft-spoken and mild-mannered in demeanour.
9. There was nothing mild-mannered about his methods. His main strategy was to lure his powerful enemies into wars of attrition which would eventually bankrupt them. He believed the killing of innocent people was entirely justified, that everyone living in a democratic country was responsible for that country's sins. Innocent bystanders in suicide attacks would get their just rewards in heaven if they were good Muslims, and if not, they'd burn in hell, which to bin Laden's mind, made it perfectly all right. His first bombing attack was the December 29, 1992 bombing of the Gold Mihor Hotel in Aden, in which two people died.
10. As prime suspect in the September 11 attacks, he had a huge price on his head. The US government offered a $25 million for information leading to his capture or death, and on top of that The Airline Pilots Association and the Air Transport Association offered an additional $2 million. In April 2011, President Obama ordered a covert operation to kill or capture bin Laden, code-named Operation Neptune Spear. Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1:00 AM local time by a team of United States Navy SEALs, who raided the windowless compound Abbottabad. It was reported that once his body had been officially identified, he was buried at sea within 24 hours, in accordance with Islamic law.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

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