Osama Bin Laden’s Son Requested His Father’s Death Certificate, The U.S. Failed To Deliver
According to Wikileaks, a letter that claims to be addressed to the son of Osama bin Laden responding to the release of his father’s birth certificate has surfaced. The letter is addressed to Abdullah bin Laden and from the United States Embassy located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The response does not deny the release of the death certificate, instead it claims that the death certificate simply does not exist. However, rather than leave Abdullah bin Laden without any information, the letter does provide one means of which the bin Laden family can authenticate Osama’s death.
The original request was sent to the United States embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the same location where the return letter originated. Wikileaks obtained the letter and opted to share it with the world, revealing that a death certificate for Osama bin Laden does not exist, according to the Washington Post. The discovery has some conspiracy theorists wondering if Osama bin Laden is actually dead. However, the United States Embassy proactively attempted to dissuade such thoughts by advising that proof of his death was evident by the dismissal of the federal indictment against him.
Previous reports of Osama bin Laden’s burial at sea stated that his body was handled with respect and in accordance to tradition, according to Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette, via email that was presented by the Huffington Post.
“Traditional procedures for Islamic burial was followed. The deceased’s body was washed (ablution) then placed in a white sheet. The body was placed in a weighted bag. A military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker. After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up, whereupon the deceased’s body slid into the sea.”
According to the Express Tribune, the letter claims that the lack of a death certificate is “consistent with regular practice for individuals killed in the course of military operations.”
Abdullah’s request for the death certificate arrived at the U.S. Embassy and was responded to on September 9, 2011, just four months after Osama was killed and buried at sea. It is unclear why Abdullah requested the death certificate. There were no official photos released of Osama bin Laden’s body, nor were there any images of his burial at sea.
Despite the lack of proof surrounding Osama bin Laden’s death, the United States government seems satisfied that the proof supplied in the letter is enough to satisfy Abdullah’s query.
[Photo Courtesy: The Express Tribune]
