The King Of Terror: Exclusive Zman Interview Bin Laden’s Biographer Speaks To Zman

- Shimon Rosenberg

He looked the world’s greatest terrorist in the eye and lived to tell the and views of the deceased terror mastermind, as he claims? story. He spoke three times with one of the Jewish people’s most virulent One thing we do know: Mir is the only journalist to have met with bin adversaries in recent memory, the sworn enemy of all Americans. Laden on three separate occasions. He is also the only journalist to have What is his motive? Is Hamid Mir himself an al-Qaeda faithful who met with bin Laden after September 11, 2001. In an exclusive interview seeks to propagate the image of Osama bin Laden as a martyr for with Zman, Mir shares with our readers astounding details about his the sake of Islam, as Western analysts believe? Or is he a journalist dramatic meeting with bin Laden and reveals previously unknown facts who is driven to provide the world an objective account of the life about al-Qaeda and its leader.

122 | ZMAN • September 2012 ZMAN • Elul 5772 | 123 e was sure he was experiencing his explosions were American bombs seeking dictator. The new leader brutally suppressed out the terror leader who was responsible any opposition against his regime. Hand weary, with terrible stomach for the untimely demise of so many innocent Waris Mir was one of those who openly cramps,final he was moments certain on the this al-Qaeda world. Hungry terror- Americans. He trembled from fright as he opposed the new government, publishing faced the fact that he was walking right into articles criticizing the use of force and terror. him there among the desolate mountains a war zone. Any second a bomb might land People believed that Mir would be immune ofists Afghanistan. would soon He finish thought him of offhis andwife buryand near them—he wouldn’t even have a chance to the excesses of the new military regime children back home and had to wonder why to see the plane approaching overhead…. due to his respected background and pres- he had recklessly decided to embark on this His escorts did not offer him much time ent status, but this was an illusion. Despite dangerous journey. Was it worth the chance to contemplate the situation, though. They his connections in high places, Waris Mir of succeeding and earning a bit of atten- led him into a cramped cave where the air - was sticky and reeked of staleness. Then tions. When that failed to prevent Waris Mir prepared to die young? the blindfold was removed and Mir found fromwas firedcampaigning from all against of his prestigiousthe new regime, posi tion?For For the a chancelast two at fleetingdays, Pakistani fame, was jour he- himself face-to-face with a tall Arab with a Hamid Mir, the Pakistani journalist. Inset: Waris Mir, Hamid’s the general decided to eliminate him. nalist Hamid Mir had trekked over the grey beard. The man introduced himself as respected journalist father, who was killed for criticizing Zia-ul-Haq. In July, 1987, Waris Mir met with an mountain passes along the Afghan-Pakistan Osama bin Laden. unknown co-conspirator in a restaurant to border. The terrorists among whom he The unknown Pakistani journalist was “They like this,” Mir tells us. “They want us discuss ways of overthrowing the dictatorial walked, who were in close contact with their standing before the world’s most infamous to write it word for word.” regime. When Waris arrived home he felt “supreme leader,” had promised to lead him terrorist. The man the entire Western world But others say bin Laden chose to speak to their hideout. There he would have the was desperate to catch and eliminate; the with Mir not because of his reputation for opportunity to speak with the world’s most man who carried a reward of millions of accuracy, but because he himself embraced notorious terrorist. dollars on his head. the terrorist’s cause. (See sidebar for our Mir had jumped at the offer. For a discussion with Mir about his own leanings.) journalist, this was the scoop of a lifetime. Rise of an Intrepid Journalist Originally, Mir had no plans of becoming International news agencies would chase a journalist. He only did so to perpetuate the him for special interviews and he would be Mir is the only journalist in the world to memory of his father. Mir was born on July the talk of the world. He would earn millions have met with the terrorist leader on three 23, 1966, in a small village near Islamabad. by writing a book about his experience. different occasions. The third and last time His family belongs to the country’s elite. And the CIA and other Western intelligence was two months after the September 11 agencies would pay him anything he asked attacks. Bin Laden had just barely managed political circles. Mir’s grandfather, Mir Abdul Pakistani dictator General Zia-ul-Haq meets for whatever crumbs of information he could to evade his pursuers in the Tora Bora Aziz,They was are a well-educated renowned poet and and influential a leader in with President Reagan in the White House. share with them…. Mountains of eastern Afghanistan (See the party of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who But now, after several days of wander- Zman Iyar 5771/May 2011). It was to be spearheaded Pakistan’s independence move- ing along the treacherous mountain passes, the only interview the supreme leader of the ment and became its founding father. al-Qaeda terrorist organization would grant Hamid’s father, Waris Mir, was a had blindfolded him and shared with him after 9/11. renowned writer in Pakistan, author of onlyMir wasthe filledbarest with minimum self-doubt. of food. His guidesThey Mir is an internationally famous writer a popular column in the Daily Jang and a had smeared him with a strange cream who has authored hundreds of articles professor of journalism. When he was in his that caused him to retch and forced him to in Arabic and English. In the course of eighties, Waris Mir got into a disagreement ingest strange tablets that gave him severe his career, he has managed to interview with Pakistan’s dictator, General Muham- stomach aches. mad Zia-ul-Haq, who rose to power in 1977 And there were the constant explosions ideological spectrum. He has met with as a result of a coup against democratically all around. anmany American colorful secretary figures from of state all acrossand with the What had made him choose to follow al-Qaeda’s supreme leader, with Saddam Bhutto was a hero in Pakistan, having the journalistic profession? He could have Hussein and with Shimon Peres. reorganizedelected Prime theMinster country Zulfikar politically Ali Bhutto. and become a simple shoemaker and enjoyed Speaking to Zman, Mir explained that he economically into a developed nation. a life of adequate sustenance rather than won the trust of many terrorists worldwide However, when the election of 1977 led to undergo this horrendous torture. because he has always been careful to convey a stalemate, General Zia-ul-Haq grabbed Former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on the way Mir realized that they were drawing their words accurately, without twisting the reins of power. He had Bhutto hanged to his trial. In a move condemned by the entire world, General nearer to the hideout. He understood that the their statements for his own purposes. in public and declared himself military Zia-ul-Haq had him publicly hanged. Inset: General Zia-ul-Haq.

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