Osama Bin Laden Case Study
This paper utilizes Osama ((Usama)) Bin Laden (UBL) to explain the effectiveness of “psychology of defeat” and how it was implemented by terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. At 13 years old UBL’s father, a Yemen billionaire, died leaving him an $80 million dollar trust fund. Throughout UBL’s early life he felt ostracized by his family enhancing his frustration of his lack of social status. Being overshadowed by his brother’s, especially elder half-brother Salim, Osama eagerly looked for a purpose in life. Circa 1973 UBL lived a much westernized lifestyle in Beirut going to night clubs, drinking and often embroiled in shouting matches resulting in the occasional fist fight. At 24 years old UBL graduated from King Abdul-Aziz University,
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For example, during the Somalian conflict, circa 1992, UBL allegedly sent his followers to work with the warlords and capitalize on the US failed attempts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Somalians (Phillips, 2002). The US provided some humanitarian aid however warlords confiscated much of the aid prior to the locals receiving it. UBL then provided his own humanitarian aid to Somalian Islamists. These actions enabled UBL to establish a foot hold in an unruly mobocracy state.
UBL eventually became obsessed with the religion of a very strict Islamic faction, and later generated his own eccentric mixture of beliefs similar to cult leaders. Furthermore, UBL imposed these skewed radical religious ideologies to encourage followers to accept martyrdom. UBL indoctrinated “brainwashed” new recruits by implementing a totalitarian atmosphere in isolated camps. In these camps the new recruits received in depth teachings founded on UBL’s radical religious views preparing them for the Holy War against the “infidels”.
UBL managed to substitute the fear of God and devotion to the Quran with his own radical views above everything that mattered to potential followers. By doing this, he indoctrinated thousands of followers who became dependent upon him. UBL understood the psychological and behavioral factors of these individuals and capitalized on them at every
For example, during the Somalian conflict, circa 1992, UBL allegedly sent his followers to work with the warlords and capitalize on the US failed attempts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Somalians (Phillips, 2002). The US provided some humanitarian aid however warlords confiscated much of the aid prior to the locals receiving it. UBL then provided his own humanitarian aid to Somalian Islamists. These actions enabled UBL to establish a foot hold in an unruly mobocracy state.
UBL eventually became obsessed with the religion of a very strict Islamic faction, and later generated his own eccentric mixture of beliefs similar to cult leaders. Furthermore, UBL imposed these skewed radical religious ideologies to encourage followers to accept martyrdom. UBL indoctrinated “brainwashed” new recruits by implementing a totalitarian atmosphere in isolated camps. In these camps the new recruits received in depth teachings founded on UBL’s radical religious views preparing them for the Holy War against the “infidels”.
UBL managed to substitute the fear of God and devotion to the Quran with his own radical views above everything that mattered to potential followers. By doing this, he indoctrinated thousands of followers who became dependent upon him. UBL understood the psychological and behavioral factors of these individuals and capitalized on them at every