Osama’s Heir: Hamza Bin Laden Begins His Ascent Within al-Qaeda

Osama’s Heir: Hamza Bin Laden Begins His Ascent Within al-Qaeda

In mid-August 2015, the voice of Hamza Bin Laden, the so-called crown prince of jihad, reached al-Qaeda’s foot soldiers and sympathizers worldwide for the first time through an audio message. In that message, Hamza, a son of former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was introduced and strongly endorsed as the emerging “lion” of the al-Qaeda organization by none other than Ayaman Al Zawahiri, the current leader of the transnational jihadist group. [1] Though almost four years earlier, in June 2011, his name surfaced in jihadist forums briefly as the heir apparent of the al-Qaeda organization, Hamza bin Laden remained elusive, perhaps protected jealously by family members and trusted lieutenants of his slain father until now.

Since his first audio appearance, Hamza has been regularly featured in al-Qaeda’s propaganda messages, making it more-or-less apparent that the next generation of Islamist leaders is waiting to take the reins of al-Qaeda in the coming years. During the intervening years, until early 2018, Hamza was featured in at least ten recorded audio and audio-visual propaganda messages, urging followers to carry out jihad against Jews, Americans, NATO members and Russian interests worldwide. He also called on followers to target members of the Saudi royal family for collaborating with the United States and European governments. With his several appeals to fellow Muslims—these include calls to liberate Jerusalem and avenge his father’s death—Hamza’s message seems to be resonating with the followers of al-Qaeda.

Before taking over any official positions/ranks within the al-Qaeda organization, Hamza was listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the United States in January 2017. He earned this designation for his repeated media statements and appearances urging violent attacks against U.S. citizens at home and abroad. [2]

Hamza’s Childhood

Hamza bin Laden, as various reports based on the documents seized from Osama bin Laden’s Pakistan hideout now known as the “Abbottabad papers” and previous journalistic investigations suggest, experienced significant hardship and deprivation while growing up. Hamza, who had appeared in al-Qaeda propaganda videos several times during his childhood, spent most of his childhood and adolescent life in Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Born sometime during 1989, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Hamza was closely guarded by his mother, Khairiah Sabar, a child psychologist by profession who was also well educated in Islamic theology. Khairiah guided her son throughout their tumultuous journeys, including during their years of detention in Teheran, between 2001 and 2010.

His notorious father wanted Hamza to be sent to Qatar for religious studies, especially in the doctrines of jihad, so that he could receive the necessary training to spread the “right” messages about jihad. Osama bin Laden considered Qatar to be the safest place for Hamza—since he had no criminal record Qatar, it would be difficult for Hamza to be extradited to the United States. Osama bin Laden also approved a plan to move Hamza from Iran to Pakistan via Baluchistan, Sindh and ultimately to Peshawar. [3]

Hamza’s marriage to Asma, daughter of Egyptian al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammed al-Masri, in Iran in 2007 at the age of 17, was in sync with the al-Qaeda practice of using marriage to build and strengthen alliances, a strategy closely followed by Osama bin Laden and his trusted followers (al-Arabiya, January 19). This practice is reflected in the marriage of one of Osama bin Laden’s elder son, Mohammed, who married to the daughter of Mohammed Atef al-Masri (also an Egyptian), one of bin Laden’s closest confidants and a senior commander of the al Qaeda organization.

Entering the World of Jihad

While in detention in Iran, Hamza had the privilege of undergoing Islamist indoctrination and jihadist training from senior al-Qaeda operatives like Abu Khayr al-Masri, Saif al-Adel and Abu Mohammed al-Masri. He also received guidance from Abu al-Ghaith, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law and the former al-Qaeda spokesperson, while in Iran. Hamza’s love and respect for his parents are evident from the fact that he named his son and daughter Osama and Khairia, respectively. His son died recently in Pakistan’s Waziristan area, according to a statement released in al-Qaeda’s Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) in late December last year (Newsweek, January 1; al Arabiya, January 1). Following his release from Iranian detention along with his mother, wife and two children in August 2010, Hamza reportedly entered Pakistan’s Waziristan region to join al-Qaeda operatives. He went there for safety and security reasons, while his mother went on to stay in bin Laden’s Abbottabad hideout. Other reports suggest that Hamza was actually released from Iran in 2009 and then moved to Pakistan to join the al-Qaeda contingent there (CTC Sentinel Report, September 2017; al Arabiya, January 07). Conflicting timelines of his release from Iranian prison and his flight to Pakistan notwithstanding, Hamza managed to meet his father briefly in late April 2011, a few days before the raid on the Abbottabad hideout in early May 2011 that killed Osama bin Laden along with five other individuals, including a son named Khalid bin Laden (mother – Siham Sabar). Initially, it was suspected that Hamza bin Laden was killed that night, but later it became clear that he had not been present in the house (White House Press Brief, May 2, 2011). Hamza’s mother, Khairiah Sabar, was among those captured in the Abbottabad raid and released afterward.

Undoubtedly the most loved and cared for son of Osama bin Laden and Khairiah Sabar, Hamza’s interest and participation in al-Qaeda’s various propaganda releases from his early days made him one of the most well-known personalities in the bin Laden family, also making him a target. Hamza’s oratorical eloquence made him stand out from his siblings, whether he was delivering jihadist nasheeds (tarana or songs), sermons and moral support for jihad and the his father’s war against the Western world. Sometime in 2009, Hamza wrote in a letter to his father in which he said he was sad for the fact that “the mujahideen legions have marched and he has not joined them” (Reuters, May 21, 2015).

Role as a Propagandist

Thus far, Hamza’s journey toward al-Qaeda’s core membership has been smooth, and he certainly has the blessings of chief Ayaman al Zawahiri and other senior al-Qaeda members. A cursory look at his speeches through al-Qaeda’s media outlet, al-Sahab, reveals his ambition, as well as motivation, to achieve what his late father had imagined.

In one of his speeches, Hamza bin Laden strongly criticized Abdul-Aziz bin Rahman al-Saud, the late King and founder of Saudi Arabia, for being a British stooge. His December 9, 2017 audio message called for the overthrow of Saudi rulers for betraying the Palestinian cause and being responsible for Palestinian suffering (Site Intelligence, December 9, 2017). This was the third episode in a series from al-Qaeda, titled in English, “Sovereignty of the best of nations [Muslims] is in the uprising of the people of Haram [Saudis],” which is aimed at encouraging Saudis to rise up against their rulers. It was released by al-Qaeda’s media arm al-Sahab on the messaging app Telegram. Hamza reiterated his father’s long held views against Saudi ties with Western governments and the creation of Israel as a “Zionist-Crusader” conspiracy against Muslims. However, this was not Hamza’s only message concerning Saudi Arabia and its rulers. In August 2016, Hamza urged Saudi citizens to overthrow the rulers and join al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) (Express Tribune, August 17, 2016). In January this year, Hamza bin Laden once again, in the fourth episode of the aforementioned series, in accordance with al-Qaeda’s historical narrative about Saudi Arabia, renewed his call to overthrow Saudi rulers in response to their alliance with the West (SITE Intelligence, January 18).

Meanwhile, in a message released in May 2017, Hamza bin Laden called on Muslim youths to carry out lone-wolf style attacks against American and Jewish targets across the world. He advised “martyrdom-seekers in the West” to read al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine and suggested possible weapons they could employ (Long War Journal, May 13, 2017). Hamza called on his followers to take revenge for Syrian children, the widows of Palestine, Afghan orphans and the honorable women of Iraq. This audio-visual message features footage of both old and recent al-Qaeda-led attacks and of several notable jihadists, including Fort Hood (USA) shooter Nidal Hasan, Toulouse (France) attacker Muhammad Merah, and a clip showing the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov in Ankara (Turkey) by Mevlut Mert Altintas, among others. Hamza’s message was an extension of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri’s September 2015 appeal for followers to carry out self-driven attacks in Western countries. Al-Zawahiri’s message cited examples of Tsnarnaev and Kouachi brothers, who were responsible for the Boston bombings (April 2013) and the Charlie Hebdo shootings (January 2015) respectively.

Beyond the strong anti-U.S. and anti-Saudi rhetoric, Hamza bin Laden’s speeches touched on issues in the Syrian theater. In one of his audio speeches released in mid-September 2017, Hamza implored Muslims to join the jihad in Syria as a matter of urgency. The audio message and a text transcript, titled “The cause of al-Sham is the cause of Islam,” was released via al-Sahab (Long War Journal, September 17, 2017). This message especially raised speculation about Hamza being located in Syria. Reports in October last year also indicated that Hamza may be leading a new jihadist group in Syria, Ansar al-Furqan Fi Bilad al-Sham (The Supporters of the Quran in Syria) (South Front, October 13, 2017).  However, on December 31, the news of Hamza’s son’s death in the Khorasan region ended that speculation (al Arabiya, January 1).

Outlook

Hamza bin Laden’s stature and clout as a capable and charismatic leader within the al-Qaeda network is still in question. Propped up by his father’s legacy, Hamza has yet to acquire true jihadist credentials. For that, he has to come face to face with fellow al-Qaeda foot soldiers and regional heads and inspire them to carry out attacks avenging his father’s death that are in line with al-Qaeda’s signature attacks against the Western world. To prove his leadership mettle, Hamza needs to unify the fractured jihadist movement under the banner of al-Qaeda. While this will be a major challenge for the touted heir of Osama bin Laden, Hamza’s physical survival remains vital for the further consolidation of the organization. It is imperative for the next al-Qaeda leader to command the respect of his fellow jihadists, irrespective of regional dynamics and endorsements from senior al-Qaeda members. Nevertheless, Hamza has been groomed by senior al-Qaeda commanders and close associates of Osama bin Laden and present chief al-Zawahiri over the years, putting him in the best position to take the reins of al-Qaeda as it enters a new phase of jihad.

 

NOTES

[1] Also, Cited in Adrian Levy, Catherine Scott-Clark, “The Exile: The Flight of Osama bin Laden,” Bloomsbury, New York, 2017.

[2] State Department Terrorist Designation of Hamza bin Laden”, Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, January 5, 2017, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/266536.htm

[3] Bin Laden-Abbottabad Files, SOCOM-2012-0000015; SOCOM-2012-0000019, https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/352984/socom-2012-0000019-trans.pdf ; https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/352647/socom-2012-0000015-trans.pdf

[4] For full Text transcript, “Advice for Martyrdom-Seekers in the West”, https://baytalmasadircom.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/al-qaida-text-advice-for-martyrdom-seekers-in-the-west-eng.pdf