DUBAI: The late founder of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden's personal life was "austere" and he was "very stingy in spending on anything other than jihad," Zawahiri said, stressing that the Saudi-born leader was fiercely against charity work "at the expense of jihad."
Bin laden spent his fortune on financing "holy war" including the September 11 US attacks in 2001, said current al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri in an Internet video.
"The rich sheikh Osama... has spent all his money on jihad," said Zawahiri, Bin Laden's number two who took charge of the jihadist group after the world's most wanted man was killed in a US raid on a Pakistan hideout in May last year.
Zawahiri's message, posted on few websites, was introduced as the second part of his memoirs on the life of Bin Laden.
"He spent generously on jihad, especially on financing the September 11 attacks in 2001" on the United States and the "attacks against the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam" in 1998, Zawahiri said.
The wealth of Bin Laden, who came from a rich family behind grandiose construction projects in the oil-rich kingdom, is estimated at between $30 million and $300 million, but some estimates put it at one billion dollars.
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OBL was against charity work as may be some life will be saved from that. He was in death business who prefer to finance Jihad( death) not charity. CIA was providing him this finance in mountains of Afghanistan. CIA finance only destruction, chaos, anarchy and death.
9/11 was an inside job http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501
@Pashtun voice: Who will give the information about the whereabouts of Zawahiri when people watching the fate of Dr. Afridi ?
@Pakistan politics
CIA needs these stooges to accomplish their wicked agenda of new world order
Its funny how all these 'CIA stooges' are found living comfortably next to Pakistani army camps
This is a conspiracy.
Osama was not involved in 9/11 attacks. 9/11 attacks were an inside job with the involvement of Mossad.
@Arjun: Could you please cut it down, there is already too much hatred and trash talk is not going to help. I don't think you are serious as the US has never been a colonial power and is a multicultural society like India. Please cool it down the terrorists and their supporters have no sense of humor. Thanks for keeping it civil and regards, Mirza
@Rajendra Kalkhande: it is good that Pakistan continue its arrogance against USA and then US will teach it a lesson and also convert the masses with force to a peaceful religion. USA can do anything. They bought entire islamic world to their knees.
Thank God Zawahiri is not in the US custody otherwise the nay Sayers would call this a forced confession. Yet there are hardcore lovers and supporter of these terrorists who would make all excuses in their favor. Even if the top leader of fanatic terrorists are caught red handed with bombs, still they would be innocent to some. I am forgetting the name but a top terrorist wrote a book in which he named Pakistani generals that soon after 9/11 they came to meet us and apologized that they would have to be tough with us. One of the generals cried like girls when he was telling us about the policy change in Pakistan.
@Rajendra Kalkhande: So u wanna say this man is not controlled by CIA???
Bin laden fought all his life against USA (proven biggest terrorist of the world), so why should we blame him?
And he is so proud that bin laden spent all his money on jihad than on charity? What sort of lesser beings are these types?
@Ali: CIA needs these stooges to accomplish their wicked agenda of new world order
One day someone will get to you Zawahiri. I hope they don't show any mercy.
@Ali
And then they get caught half a mile from Kakul Academy along with 3 women and 14 children. It means army and the families of these jihadis are also part of the US led conspiracy
@antanu
Thou too, Brutus?
Mullahs are the worst enemies of Islam - all they know is how to preach hate and death. True Islam can be found in the motto Love for all Hatred for none
No surprise here --- when was the last time you came across a mass murderer who was big on giving to charity?
He spent generously on jihad, especially on financing the September 11 attacks in 2001″ on the United States and the “attacks against the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam” in 1998, Zawahiri said.
WOW! What a confession, dedicated to all those people who believe in conspiracy theories and trying to hide the truth. Thank you Zawahiri for exposing your co-terrorist.
Zawahiri is having problem in acquiring money for jihad as the unsuspected individuals who contributed money now woke up and started to give for charity.
Saying jihad is more important than charity is idiotic sermon-I guess we all can relax since he is not going to rebuild the scattered al-qaeda . Even anyone with a pea size brain of commonsense can see the lunacy in this propaganda.
notice the words 'fiercely against charity work' are not in quotations, very smart. Perhaps it was something Zawahiri never said? Nice way to mislead n manipulate Zawahirir's writings.
Surprising how these people make these videos only when the US needs them most.