Omar bin Laden shuns own father’s violent path

Osama Bin Laden’s fourth-born son, Omar, may have shunned violent Islamic extremism, but continues to share his father’s sense of being destined for greatness.

"Thank God my father doesn’t run the world," Omar Bin Laden told Telegraph.co.uk in an interview published on Thursday.

 My father’s dream was to bring the Americans to Afghanistan. I was surprised the Americans took the bait 

Omar bin Laden

Omar does not see his father as an Islamic extremist nor as a terrorist, but a man gone astray after having suspended his love for his family, beat and betrayed his children, and ruined his household after chasing his dream of becoming the champion of the Muslim World.

"My father is a strong personality," says Omar. "Nobody can stop him from getting his dream. Either he gets what he wants, or he dies."

Omar, 28, is the fourth-born of Bin Laden’s 11 sons and is different from his brothers for his freedom, self-reliance and his public rejection of his father’s path of violence.

Like his father, Omar is a man looking for a homeland; he is a national of Saudi Arabia where he has mainly lived after leaving his father. He was denied an entry visa to by Britain and his asylum requests in Egypt and Spain were turned down.

“My father’s dream was to bring the Americans to Afghanistan. I was surprised the Americans took the bait," Omar said.

"I was still in Afghanistan when Bush was elected," he continues. "My father was so happy. This is the kind of president he needs – one who will attack and spend money and break the country."

“Will there be more attacks? I don’t think so,” Omar says. “He doesn’t need to. As soon as America went to Afghanistan, his plan worked. He has already won.”