WASHINGTON -- The United States has offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the "identification or location" of the son of Osama bin Laden, the deceased leader of the Al-Qaeda terror organization.
"Hamza bin Laden is the son of deceased former AQ leader Osama bin Laden and is emerging as a leader in the AQ franchise," a State Department statement said on February 28, using an acronym for the extremist group.
"He has released audio and video messages on the Internet calling on his followers to launch attacks against the United States and its Western allies, and he has threatened attacks against the United States in revenge for the May 2011 killing of his father by U.S. service members," the statement added.
The United States invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 because the Taliban-led government had protected Al-Qaeda and the elder bin Laden, who organized the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.
The Taliban was driven from power, and bin Laden, hiding in the northern Pakistani city of Abbotabad, was killed in a U.S. raid in 2011.
Speculation about Hamza bin Laden’s location has centered on Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran.
A 2018 United Nations report highlighted that "Al-Qaeda propaganda continues to highlight a new generation of potential leaders, such as Hamza bin Laden...in an apparent attempt to project a younger image to its sympathizers."
In a July 2016 audio recording, Hamza bin Laden threatened revenge against the United States for killing his father.
"If you think that your sinful crime that you committed in Abbottabad has passed without punishment, then you thought wrong," he said.
-
![16x9 Image]()
RFE/RL
RFE/RL journalists report the news in 26 languages in 22 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.
