Newly released CIA files on Osama bin Laden revealed that the Al-Qaeda leader planned to assassinate Prince Harry, tracking the royal’s proposed movements and activities for his deployment to Iraq.
Bin Laden kept news articles related to Prince Harry’s proposed military deployment on his computer, which were retrieved in May 2011 during a raid in his home in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the Daily Mail reported.
Among the stories he kept had the headlines “Prince Harry moves into the firing line” and “Prince Harry in Iraq could raise troops’ risk.” The articles also included opinions from experts who believed that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were plotting to kill the royal.
Prince Harry was supposed to tour Iraq with his unit the Blues and Royals in May 2007. However, his deployment to Iraq never pushed through after officials made a last minute decision to cancel it. Instead, Prince Harry secretly served in Helmand, Afghanistan later in the same year.
Terrorism analyst Bill Roggio told The Sun that the files prove Bin Laden wanted to take out Prince Harry during his tour. He added that even in Afghanistan, Prince Harry was still a target for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
The files that went public on Wednesday included videos, images, audio, and letters found on the terror chief’s computer after he was killed in a raid conducted by the US Navy Seals.
Aside from terror plots, his computer also contained copies of Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf And Death, Shaun The Sheep: A Woolly Good Time , and A History of Britain documentary, which show that Osama bin Laden was interested in British culture. He also kept a video of Queen Elizabeth II listening to a reading of the Koran.
Roggio added that it may take years to read all 470,000 files obtained from Osama bin Laden’s computer. However, a breakdown of key findings involve information on al-Qaeda’s relationship with Iran and the beginnings of ISIS, as well as insight into his son, Hamsa bin Laden.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle have set a date for their highly anticipated wedding. According to Daily Star, the couple met with the Queen at the Buckingham Palace last week, which is taken as a sign that they have asked for her blessing to marry.
[Featured Image by Matt Cardy/Getty Images]
