Osama bin Laden’s mysterious life gave rise to a number of myths about him. The following are 10 myths about the notorious terrorist as summarized by the Guardian.
Myth 1: Bin Laden was created by the CIA.
Some say the U.S. funded bin Laden during the 1980s to fight the USSR,
BUT bin Laden did not receive any funding or training from the U.S.
Myth 2: Bin Laden is rich.
Bin Laden is known to be from a wealthy family but did he inherit a huge fortune?
NO. Apparently he was cut off from the family and left Saudi Arabia with no money. What he did have was a huge network from which he could easily raise money.
Myth 3: He was responsible for 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
NO. Ramzi Yousef was the main perpetrator of the attack.
Myth 4: He raised money from the illegal drug trade.
NO evidence has been found although it has been repeatedly claimed as such.
Myth 5: He didn’t expose himself to danger.
NOT REALLY. Witnesses say he actually fought in battles such as the 1989 battle of Jalalabad.
Myth 6: He lived in a cave.
He invited several journalists to meet him in caves during the 1990s.
HOWEVER there is no evidence that he ever actually lived in caves. He is known to have lived in houses nearby. Even before he was killed, he lived in a comfortable mansion near the Pakistani capital.
Myth 7: Bin Laden was a tearaway teen.
NO evidence has been found. He appears to have been a shy and religious kid who spent time studying scripture.
Myth 8: He was dying from kidney disease.
There were some reports about his renal problems,
BUT certainly not enough to suggest they would kill him. They were likely to have been caused by his height and his sedentary lifestyle.
Myth 9: He was the leader of Chechen groups.
Various claims have been made by different organizations,
BUT no proof has been found.
Myth 10: He was a fan of Arsenal.
DESPITE some claims, no evidence says he was a fan of the soccer club.
By Yun Suh-young (syun@heraldcorp.com)
Intern Reporter
