On December 12, 2001 the Pentagon released a videotape (and translation) allegedly showing Al Q'aida leader Osama bin Laden in conversation with other Arab potentates. Controversy rages about its authenticity and content.

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat discloses the identity of "the obscure shaykh" in the Bin Laden video. His name is "al-Harbi" and he has fought in Afghanistan and Bosnia.

WHILE different stories circulate regarding the identity of "the obscure shayh" in the Osamah bin Laden video that was broadcast last week, informed sources told ash-Sharq al-Awsat yesterday (Friday, 15 Dec. 2001) that his real name is Khalid `Awdah Muhammad al-Harbi. It has been learned that he is one of the old Mujahideen in Afghanistan and that he took part also in the war in Bosnia and was wounded there. Meanwhile, American authorities have been investigating whether "the Shaykh" had any role in recruiting the men who carried out the attacks in New York and Washington last 11 September.

According to the sources, al-Harbi is one of the old Mujahideen in Afghanistan and he also took part in the war in Bosnia where he was wounded about eight years ago. He is married and has two children, one of them named Sulayman.

American reports had identified him as `Ali ibn Sa`id al-Ghamidi and that he was a professor of religious studies. American officials said that they did not know where al-Ghamidi taught and whether he was in Saudi Arabia now. The New York Post quoted an American official as saying that the American authorities were interested in ascertaining whether this shaykh had recruited some of the 11 September suicide attackers.

Other sources added that "the shaykh" could be Muhammad `Ali al-Ghamidi, known in the Saudi region of al-Qaseem as Abu Sulayman al-Makki, who had left al-Qaseem about month ago with his nine-year-old son Sulayman, against the advice of those who met him and told him not to take his son. He also did not listen to their warnings not to travel to Afghanistan. Those sources said he had been arrested twice.

The sources also provided new information concerning the vision that al-Ghamidi mentioned in his conversation with Bin Laden in which the name of Saudi Shaykh Salih ash-Shu`aybi was mentioned. The sources said that the name of the person in question was really Salih ash-Shaqiq (30) who had given an explanation of the vision (dream) that he had heard from someone who had come to him for consultation about a dream that was similar to the events of 11 September in New York and Washington.

Other sources said that there is no well known Islamic preacher in Saudi Arabia by the name of `Ali ibn Sa`id al-Ghamidi, rather the name of the well known Saudi preacher is Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sa`id al-Ghamidi who is a professor of Islamic doctrine in Umm al-Qura University in Mecca. Al-Ghamidi comes from the Saudi region of al-Bahah and has no connection with Afghanistan.

In any case, ash-Sharq al-Awsat confirms based on reliable sources that the shaykh on the video is in fact Khalid `Awdah Muhammad al-Harbi.

Bin Laden's guest has not been back to Saudi Arabia since the video was made

WHILE Condaleeza Rice, the National Security Adviser to the American President, was saying that the American government was trying to determine the identity of the guest who appears with the leader of al-Qa`idah, Osamah bin Laden, in the video tape that was found in Afghanistan, reliable sources confirmed the accuracy of the information published by ash-Sharq al-Awsat yesterday in which the identity of the guest was revealed to be a Saudi by the name of Khalid `Awdah Muhammad al-Harbi.

The source said that al-Harbi is not now in Saudi Arabia and it is believed that he is still with Bin Laden or in hiding somewhere there.

The source said that al-Harbi was married to a Syrian woman with whom he has two sons, the first named Sulayman -- for which reason al-Harbi is called "Abu Sulayman" [i.e., Father of Sulayman] in the video. The second son is named Nur.

The source denied what had been said regarding al-Harbi's importance in the organization "al-Qa`idah." In fact he has not achieved any such importance. The source explained Bin Laden's interest in his guest by the fact that they were old acquaintances going back to the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan when al-Harbi fought together with Bin Laden.

Al-Harbi left that country after the country was freed, and continued his activity in Bosnia where he was wounded and forced to retire from such activities. He then returned to Saudi Arabia. The source denied that had a role in recruiting suicide fighters or collecting money for the organization "al-Qa`idah," saying he was not an activist nor did he have any role in field activities or in finance with al-Qa`idah. He also denied that al-Harbi had been behind the filming of the video in that particular session.

Related items on this website:

 Letter from Arabist Eric Mueller about these articles

Article in ath-Thawra