Khaled Bin Ouda Bin Mohammed Al-Harbi - Appearance With Osama Bin Laden

Appearance With Osama Bin Laden

The U.S. Department of Defense released a videotape on December 13, 2001 showing Osama bin Laden having an extended conversation with an old acquaintance about the attack of 9-11. Initially bin Laden's friend's identity was unidentified. Commentators speculated that the unknown friend was an important al Qaeda financier, because he did not rise when bin Laden entered the room. By December 16, 2001 Al Harbi had been identified.

Time magazine reported that unidentified U.S. officials described al Harbi as being "a confidant and spiritual sounding board for bin Laden," but not an al Qaeda member." Time reported that Nawaf Obaid, who they identified as a Saudi security analyst, said al-Harbi is cooperating. Obaid called al-Harbi a "very successful recruiter".

In the tape, Khaled al-Harbi states that the tape was being made at the arrangement of the brothers who support al Qaida:

"We don't want to take much of your time, but this is the arrangement of the brothers. People are now supporting us more, even those ones who did not support us in the past, support us now. I did not want to take that much of your time."

In the tape, Khaled al-Harbi states that he and those with him began wondering why they had not heard news of the attacks, and then they got the news and celebrated.

The introduction to the translation states that the tape was made in mid-November 2001 in Afghanistan. The U.S. bombing of Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001. Therefore the bombing had started when bin Laden risked making the video with Khaled al-Harbi.