Thaindian News

London, July 15 (ANI): Omar bin Laden, one of the sons of Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden has said that he believes his father is still alive, and that he still loves him in spite of his links to various terror-related tragedies around the world.

“My dad is on the Earth, but I don’t know where. He’s still alive. If that sort of person dies, you could never make it a secret. The world changes if he dies,” The Sun quotes Omar, as saying.

Omar, 29, says: “It’s a weak son who just wants to be like his daddy. I still love him - of course I do - he’s my father. That’s a normal human situation. I miss him as a father, but we are different. I want peace.”

He adds: “My father said the only good thing to come out of America were weapons - like Stinger missiles.”

Omar reveals that he wants to call his soon to be born baby boy Osama.

Omar - who has a son, Ahmad, five, from a previous marriage - says: “If the baby is a boy I might call him Osama - but I hope he will be peaceful in every respect. It’s traditional to use the grandfather’s name again.”

He adds: “I prefer him to be in the Middle East with me. But wherever he is I will take care of him and take care of both his mothers - Louise as well as Zaina because she is carrying my child. She is very pretty.”

Omar, who owns a construction business, says: “When people get angry and upset, they say a lot of things they don’t mean. I don’t hear voices from my father in my head - but I do dream about him a lot.”

“The dream I have is that he is driving a truck and I stand in his way so he has to change direction. I hope to change his way for good, but it’s only a dream. I admit I’m suffering from depression and taking anti-depressants because of the worry about my family, including two brothers being held in Iran for nine years,” he adds.

“They are innocent. They are not terrorists, but they are very down that they cannot leave Iran. I am very stressed and worried for them, but I’m not schizophrenic,” he says.

He has a striking resemblance to his infamous father, with a long, broad nose. But the dark and distant eyes lack the al-Qaeda chief’s sinister sparkle.

Omar, a practicing Muslim, admits: “I’ve had a heavy life. It’s been crazy at times. It was a very difficult childhood - far from normal. Sometimes we had everything. Other times we were hiding in the mountains and had nothing.”

Omar was born in Saudi Arabia to Osama’s first wife, Najwa. The family moved to Sudan, in Africa, but the al-Qaeda leader was forced to flee as his terror group grew.

In May 1996 he left for the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan, choosing Omar alone to accompany him, and setting up terror training camps.

Omar became his father’s personal tea boy, living in freezing huts on meagre rations. The then teenager learned to fire a Kalashnikov rifle and to drive a Russian tank. His mother and siblings later joined him.

He says: “I was his chosen son. He’s one of those people who has a magical effect for anyone who sits and listens. He changes minds. They said this also about Hitler. But I didn’t follow my father.”

Omar fled Afghanistan in April 2001, just before his father became the world’s most wanted man.

Today, over a club sandwich at a plush hotel, I ask what he would say to his father if he were to call Omar’s mobile sitting on the table in front of us.

He stares blankly at the phone for what seems like an age before looking up and saying quietly: “He’s never going to ring.” (ANI)