Bin Laden son wants to be peace activist

Source: Newsweek/AP

Omar Osama bin Laden bears a striking resemblance to his notorious father _ except for the dreadlocks that dangle halfway down his back. Then there's the black leather biker jacket.

The 26-year-old does not renounce his father, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, but in an interview with The Associated Press, he said there is better way to defend Islam than militancy: Omar wants to be an "ambassador for peace" between Muslims and the West.

Omar _ one of bin Laden's 19 children _ raised a tabloid storm last year when he married a 52-year-old British woman, Jane Felix-Browne, who took the name Zaina Alsabah. Now the couple say they want to be advocates, planning a 3,000-mile horse race across North Africa to draw attention to the cause of peace.

"It's about changing the ideas of the Western mind. A lot of people think Arabs _ especially the bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama _ are all terrorists. This is not the truth," Omar told the AP last week at a cafe in a Cairo shopping mall.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/id/94893

Sounds interesting. Get out and show them but be very very careful because I bet there are a lot of people who will be negative towards them. I wonder what route he'll take? Hmmm, looking at this bit, good luck since I think many people do not agree aggression is defense (though Osama and mrbush both do).

We might even listen then.

Though, in a strange way, I can understand why a son would want to defend his family. But he wouldn't be able to negotiated "fairly" unless he did that.

Whether it is or not, I fail to see where a horse race will advance peace in the Middle East all that much.

It's a start, but I agree that Omar must denounce his father's activities and extremism.

"THE WAR IN IRAQ:

There is some concern about the war in Iraq. I know of U.S. government evidence that the war in Iraq is illegal and it can be solved through me representing the United States Government with a peace treaty. I know there are notations in my ROTC Biography of a guarantee from Iraq through me for peace to the war in Iraq and that Mr. Hussein is innocent of his charges."

http://www.mercerforpresident2008.com/page.php?D=ct_20060716151723&DP=207c89d4384dd37789478897691b89f5

omar saw his father?

with his father since leaving Afghanistan."

Which was in 2000:

"There, Omar says he trained at an al-Qaida camp but in 2000 he decided there must be another way and he left his father, returning to his homeland of Saudi Arabia."



Poor kid. He doesn't know that his dad died in 2001?