Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Civic Brief • Terrorist

Osama bin Laden

Osama bin Laden was a Saudi-born militant Islamist and the founder of al-Qaeda, the transnational extremist organization responsible for numerous attacks, including the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

Osama bin Laden was a Saudi-born militant Islamist and the founder of al-Qaeda. He was responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks and was killed by U.S. forces in 2011.

Early life

Bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1957 into a wealthy construction family. His privileged upbringing preceded a radicalization that led him to become a central figure in global extremism.

Al-Qaeda and militancy

He founded al-Qaeda in 1988 and directed it until his death. The group planned and executed attacks against Western targets, most notably the September 11, 2001 attacks, as well as the 2000 USS Cole bombing.

Hiding and death

U.S. intelligence tracked him to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. On May 2, 2011, during Operation Neptune Spear, U.S. forces raided the site and killed bin Laden. His body was buried at sea.

In short

  • Founded al-Qaeda in 1988 and led it until his death.
  • Masterminded the September 11, 2001 attacks.
  • Killed by U.S. forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011.
  • Died from gunshot wounds during the raid.
Canadian angle

Bin Laden’s actions had global security consequences, including for Canada through post-9/11 counterterrorism policy, intelligence cooperation, aviation security, and military and diplomatic responses to al-Qaeda-linked threats.

Quick questions

Who was Osama bin Laden?
He was a Saudi-born militant Islamist and the founder of al-Qaeda, the extremist group responsible for many attacks, including the September 11, 2001 attacks.
How old was Osama bin Laden when he died?
He was 54 years old when he died on May 2, 2011.
What happened to Osama bin Laden?
U.S. forces raided a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, and killed him during the operation.

Sources

  1. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Osama-bin-Laden
    Supports: Birth, death, founding of al-Qaeda, and role in major terrorist attacks.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden
    Supports: Birth date, death date, age at death, and cause of death.
  3. Federal Bureau of Investigation — https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/osama-bin-laden
    Supports: U.S. intelligence locating him in northern Pakistan and the 2011 raid that killed him.
  4. CNN — https://www.cnn.com/world/osama-bin-laden-fast-facts
    Supports: Birth and death dates and the account of the 2011 raid.
  5. William J. Clinton Presidential Library — https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/osama-bin-laden-and-al-qaida
    Supports: Al-Qaeda background and the inherited wealth figure of US$30 million.
  6. HISTORY — https://www.history.com/articles/osama-bin-laden
    Supports: Death reporting and burial at sea.