Osama bin Laden is “one of the most vicious and one of the most cruel killers of our time,” said Prince Turki Al-Faisal bin Abd Al-Aziz Al-Saud (SFS ‘68), former head of intelligence in Saudi Arabia.
By speaking on Sunday in ICC Auditorium about his experiences as Saudi chief of intelligence, Turki said that he was breaking “a social taboo of the Kingdom [Saudi Arabia].”
Before leaving his position in 2001 after 24 years of service, Turki said that he met with many important Middle Eastern leaders, including Osama bin Laden. Turki said that he met with bin Laden several times in Pakistan and described him as a “relatively pleasant man” and “shy and soft spoken” during these interactions.
Turki said that he has since changed his view of bin Laden.
Turki’s past experience with bin Laden also included negotiations with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. In 1998, Turki said that he asked Omar to return bin Laden to Saudi Arabia because he had denounced the United States and Saudi Arabia on American television and promised bloodshed. During this first meeting, Turki said Omar “seemed willing to negotiate.”
After many months passed without a response from the Taliban, Turki said, he returned to Khandahar for a second meeting. Turki described this meeting as a 180 -degree turn from the first meeting.
“Omar was abusive, insulting and totally out of order,” Turki said.
Turki said that Omar accused him of acting only in the interest of the United States and refused to negotiate. Turki said that before he left the meeting, he issued a warning to Omar.
“You are going to regret this act, and it will bring harm to you and Afghanistan,” Turki said were his words to Omar.
On Sunday, Turki also spoke about his visit to Ground Zero last week.
“I had feelings of such intensity and enormity that I couldn’t believe where I was,” he said.
Turki ended his speech by giving an optimistic view of the future after the events of Sept. 11.
“Mankind has been struck by many tragedies in the past, and every time mankind recovered, and New York will recover,” he said.
