Osama bin Laden's hand-written journal was among the things confiscated during the Abbottabad raid by the U.S. Navy SEALs early morning on May 2 in Pakistan, Associate Press (AP) reported, citing US officials as source.
Osama bin Laden's 3-story Abbottabad hideout | AP
The AP report added that Bin Laden's journal contain "planning ideas and details of operations" and that "the journal was part of a huge cache of intelligence that included about 100 flash drives and five computers taken by U.S. Navy SEALs after they swept through the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan."
On May 7th, the Pentagon released videos of Osama bin Laden to the press. The tapes show the terror kingpin watching himself on television and preparing a video message addressed to the US government. The videos were reportedly seized in the dramatic US raid in the Abbottabad compound.
Personal items were also recovered from the al-Qaeda leader's hideout. They include an Avena Syrup which is widely marketed as natural Viagra and some other medications like Natrilix and Penza drops.
An alleged $1 million worth of marijuana plants were also found a few yards away from the compound. MailOnline reported that since bin Laden reportedly suffered from kidney problems, marijuana may have been used by the terrorist leader to ease the pain.
The raid at Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound in Pakistan revealed many things about the global terror kingpin. If the videos confiscated at his secret hideout in Abbottabad showed a "vain" Osama bin Laden, these personal items seized at the compound tell more about the terror chief.
Members of the anti-terrorism squad surround Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compoud | Reuters
Avena Syrup
Popularly known as an herbal form of Viagra, this botanical product used for impotence is one of items found in a medicine kit inside Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad mansion. It is also used as an artificial sweetener often used for a sour stomach.
"The discovery of Avena syrup raises questions about whether bin Laden or anyone at the compound was hoping to boost sexual desire and performance. Avena Sativa is an extract of wild oats, a dietary supplement marketed as an aphrodisiac known by the nicknames “natural Viagra” and “wild oats,” Cynthia Reilly, a pharmacist and director of practice development for the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, said as reported by MSNBC.
Here is the list of medications recovered at bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, according to NBC News:
1) Tablet
2) Ulcer Capsule
3) Tab/Cap Gabapentine
4) Penza drops
5.) Natrilix
6.) Grucid
7.) Avena syrup
8.) NIFIM, an antibiotic
9.) Syp, Tixylax , its use generally for children for chest problems
10.) Brufen syp
11.) Dettole, an antiseptic
Colas (Pepsi/Coke)
Osama bin Laden seemed to enjoy popular soft-drinks brand, Pepsi and Coca Cola, despite the fact that he hated the country where they come from.
Anjum Qaisar, a local store owner said that people from Bin Laden's compound regularly bought Pepsi, Coke, and other popular brands in bulk.
"I was curious about why they bought so much food, but I did not want to be rude by asking" such a personal question," Qaisar told Businessweek.
Mitshubishi and Suzuki
Qaisar added that bin Laden's errand boys "never came by foot, they always drove a Pajero or a little Suzuki van, and they bought enough food for 10 people."
Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It is known as the Mitsubishi Montero (meaning "mountain warrior") in Spain, India, and the Americas (excepting Brazil), and as Mitsubishi Shogun in the United Kingdom.
Petroleum Jelly
Stayed indoors for 5 years, the al-Qaeda leader and the other people living inside his mansion also took care of their skin. A family-size jar of Vaseline was also discovered inside the house. Vaseline is a brand of petroleum jelly which is commonly used either as a lubricant or to provide moisture for dry skin.
Marijuana
An alleged $1 million worth of marijuana plants were also found a few yards away from the compound. MailOnline reported that since bin Laden reportedly suffered from kidney problems, marijuana may have been used by the terrorist leader to ease the pain.
Apart from the items mentioned above, accounts from people who knew bin Laden said that he was a fan of Arsenal Football Club, obsessed with singer Whitney Houston, liked watching himself on Al Jazeera, enjoyed playing volleyball as one of his hobbies, and loved reading Jimmy Carters' book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid".
Osama bin Laden's home videos seized at his Abbottabad compound in Pakistan where he was killed in a raid by the U.S. Forces, have been released by the Pentagon on Saturday.
A screen grab of one Osama bin Laden's videos confiscated in the Abbottabad raid which shows him watching Television | Photo courtesy of BBC News
The newly released tapes of Osama bin Laden show him watching himself on television and preparing a video message addressed to the US government.
The videos would serve as further proof that US Navy SEALs really killed the terrorist leader at his Abbottabad hideout early morning on May 2 (Pakistan Standard Time). They are also said to show Osama bin Laden as "vain, someone obsessed with his portrayal by the world's media", according to Associate Press (AP).
AP further reported that "one of the movies shows bin Laden, wrapped in a brown blanket and holding a remote control, flipping back and forth between clips of himself. The small television was perched on top of a desk with wires running to a nearby cable or control box."
"In another, he has apparently dyed and neatly trimmed his beard for the filming of a propaganda video," AP added.
"The evidence seized during the raid also includes phone numbers and documents that officials hope will help break the back of the organization behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks," AP continued.
The videos confiscated from bin Laden's secret hideout were shown to reporters on May 7th and are said to be part of the largest collection of senior terrorist materials ever collected.
Meanwhile, remember Sohaib Athar, the guy who unwittingly reported the raid in Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound via Twitter? He also have a couple of Youtube videos relating to the incident. Check them out below:
Title: Osama's compound - burning after the attack
Title: Osama Bin Laden's Hideout
Here are photos of the tweets of Sohaib Athar:
His earlier tweets include the following in chronological order:
Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).
Go away helicopter – before I take out my giant swatter :-/
A huge window shaking bang here in Abbottabad Cantt. I hope its not the start of something nasty :-S
@m0hcin all silent after the blast, but a friend heard it 6 km away too… the helicopter is gone too.
Al-Qaeda, the jihadist group founded by Osama bin Laden, released a statement on Friday confirming the death of its leader, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Al-Qaeda Flag in Iran | Photo: Colonel Emerson Begolly, crwflags.com
According to AFP, the statement which was posted on militant Web sites contains the following:
"We also stress that the blood of the mujahid Sheikh Osama bin Laden, may Allah have mercy upon him, weighs more to us and is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain.
"We call upon our Muslim people in Pakistan, on whose land Sheikh Osama was killed, to rise up and revolt to cleanse this shame that has been attached to them by a clique of traitors and thieves who sold everything to the enemies.
"(We call upon them) to rise up strongly and in general to cleanse their country (Pakistan) from the filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it."
The statement also said a voice recording that Bin Laden made a week before his death would be released soon, Reuters reported.
Osama bin Laden was killed early morning on Monday in a raid by the US Navy SEALs in bin Laden's secret hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
The confirmation of the al-Qaeda erases doubts after President Barrack Obama decided not to release the death photos of the terrorist leader. The release of the photos has been wanted by many to really prove bin Laden's death.
Check out below an excerpt of the CBS interview of President Obama:
STEVE KROFT: Did you see the pictures?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Yes.
KROFT: What was your reaction when you saw them?
OBAMA: It was him.
KROFT: Why haven't you released them?
OBAMA: You know, we discussed this internally. Keep in mind that we are absolutely certain this was him. We've done DNA sampling and testing. And so there is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden. It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams and they all agree.
KROFT: There are people in Pakistan, for example, who say, "Look, this is all a lie. Obama, this is another American trick. Osama's not dead."
OBAMA: You know, the truth is that and we -- we're monitoring worldwide reaction. There's no doubt that Bin Laden is dead. Certainly there's no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again.
Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan was raided by the U.S. Navy SEALs early morning on May 2 which killed the most wanted terrorist in the world. During the assault in the $250,000 three-story mansion in Abbottabad, the U.S. forces did not only fatally shot the terrorist leader but also left four (4) other people dead, according to reports. Among those who were killed in the raid were a man described as bin Laden's courier and the courier's brother, one of bin Laden's wives and one of his sons.
New York Post's animation of the said raid in bin Laden's Abbottabad secret hideout
U.S. President Barack Obama has decided not to release the death photo of Osama bin Laden since it's too graphic saying in a CBS interview that "it is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of thesephotos, it would create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams and they all agree."
This means that the world will not be able to see Osama bin Laden's death photos. However, Reuters was able to take hold of 3 gruesome death pictures of the 3 men who were killed in the operation which reportedly include bin Laden's son, Khalid. Courtesy of MailOnline and Reuters, here are the said photos which were made pixelated since they are too graphic.
Believed to be Osama's son, Khalid bin Laden
Thought to be bin Laden's trusted courier
Another man killed in the assault
Meanwhile, check out below an excerpt of the CBS interview of President Obama:
STEVE KROFT: Did you see the pictures?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Yes.
KROFT: What was your reaction when you saw them?
OBAMA: It was him.
KROFT: Why haven't you released them?
OBAMA: You know, we discussed this internally. Keep in mind that we are absolutely certain this was him. We've done DNA sampling and testing. And so there is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden. It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams and they all agree.
KROFT: There are people in Pakistan, for example, who say, "Look, this is all a lie. Obama, this is another American trick. Osama's not dead."
OBAMA: You know, the truth is that and we -- we're monitoring worldwide reaction. There's no doubt that Bin Laden is dead. Certainly there's no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again.
Osama bin Laden death photos will not be shown to public since they are too graphic. This is according to US President Barrack Obama during an interview with CBS television's 60 Minutes.
Fake photo of Osama Bin Laden's corpse. A few hours after Obama's confirmation of bin Laden's death, the picture circulated online and was even picked up by some news websites as real.
"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. As a propaganda tool. You know, that's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. You know, the fact of the matter is this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think-- Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams and they all agree." Obama told CBS.
Obama added that a photograph of the dead body of Osama bin Laden would not make any difference and said the terrorist leader will not be seen walking on Earth again.
"You know, the truth is that and we -- we're monitoring worldwide reaction. There's no doubt that Bin Laden is dead. Certainly there's no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again."
Meanwhile, gruesome pictures of 3 other casualties in the US Navy SEALs raid that killed bin Laden have been published - 2 of them were dressed in traditional Pakistani garb and another one in a t-shirt.
The photos were reportedly taken by a Pakistani security official who entered the compound where the raid happened.
Time-stamps reveal that the images were taken an hour after the completion of the raid early morning on May 2.
Courtesy of MailOnline/Reuters, here's one of the photos which was made pixelated since it is too graphic.
The man is believed to be Khalid Bin Laden, son of Osama Bin Laden.
Osama bin Laden's body buried at sea per Islamic tradition - AP
Osama bin Laden | Photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
In accordance with the Muslim tradition that a burial should be done within 24 hours after one's death, the body of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group leader, Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea after killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan - reports Associated Press (AP).
The report added that the government of Saudi Arabia was unwilling to repatriate the body of bin Laden who was a Saudi national.
A U.S. raid launched early morning on Monday (May 2, 2011) in the town of Abbottabad in Pakistan killed the terrorist leader.
US President Barack Obama announced the death of bin Laden just a few hours ago. Read the details and full transcript HERE.
The President of the Philippines, Pres. Noynoy Aquino (PNoy) has released his statement on the death of the Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who was killed in a raid by the US forces in Pakistan on Monday.
PNoy said the terrorist leader's death "represents the end of the efforts of one man to stoke the fires of sectarian hatred and to promote terrorism on a scale unprecedented in the history of mass murder."
However, the President emphasized that we should not be complacent after Bin Laden's death, but "must continue to consistently and courageously raise its collective voice against religious hatred, political intolerance, and terrorism of all kinds."
Here's the full text of PNoy's statement of Osama Bin Laden's death courtesy of the website of government's Official Gazette:
Statement
of
His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
On the death of Osama bin Laden
[May 2, 2011]
The death of Osama bin Laden marks a signal defeat for the forces of extremism and terrorism. It represents the end of the efforts of one man to stoke the fires of sectarian hatred and to promote terrorism on a scale unprecedented in the history of mass murder. Let us not forget that this is not just an achievement for the United States. It has brought justice to over a dozen Filipinos who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center.
The death of Osama bin Laden should not lull us into complacency. The world must continue to consistently and courageously raise its collective voice against religious hatred, political intolerance, and terrorism of all kinds. We must remain vigilant and united in pursuing peace, pluralism, and collective efforts at security.
One sword has been beaten down; we must continue to be dedicated to the principle of beating the swords of terrorism into the plowshares of progress and peace.
Together with my national security team, we continue to take all relevant precautions and steps to ensure the safety of our people. We, as a democratic and free people, remain committed to fighting terrorism and are in solidarity with the peoples of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, check out the story of Osama bin Laden's death and the statement made by US President Barack Obama HERE.
Osama bin Laden killed by US forces in a raid in Pakistan.
Osama Bin Laden | Photo courtesy of Treehugger.com
Osama Bin Laden, the founder of jihadist group al-Qaeda who was widely recognized for the September 11 attacks of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, has been killed in Pakistan by U.S. forces, reports say.
Within an hour after it was reported that Osama Bin Laden is dead, a group of people who gathered outside the White House was reportedly seen singing the American national anthem and chanted "USA! USA!" and "Hey, hey, goodbye!" referring to the terrorist leader.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama will issue a late-night statement regarding Osama Bin Laden's death. The said statement will be broadcast on the live video feed below courtesy of the US government website:
Update: President Barack Obama issues statement on Osama Bin Laden's death (Video and Full Transcript)
President Obama's Statement on the death of Osama bin Laden | Video courtesy of "aleitchvideos" of Youtube
"Good Evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world, the US has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden the leader of Al Qaeda. The terrorist is responsible for the murder of thousands - innocent men, women and children.
It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.
And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child's embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.
On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.
We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.
Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we've made great strides in that effort. We've disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.
Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.
And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.
Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.
Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda's leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda.
Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must --- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.
As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not --- and never will be --- at war with Islam. I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.
Over the years, I've repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we've done. But it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.
Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.
The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who's been gravely wounded.
So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: Justice has been done.
Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who've worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.
We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.
Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.
And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.
The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it's the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.
Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
(I was on the 4th paragraph on transcribing the announcement. I just then thought of searching the rest. Thanks to CNN for the other parts of the transcription.)
Osama bin Laden's 3-story Abbottabad hideout | AP
