Here’s an interesting piece, asserting that Osama’s millions are not as many as often believed, and that he is not financing global terror. So…who is? I can name a few people off the top of my head, and I’ll wager you can, too. Also, there are donations, which probably come from zakat payments made all over the world. From AP, with thanks to Ali Dashti:
WASHINGTON (AP) – Recent investigations into al-Qaida, including by the Sept. 11 commission, have substantially altered the commonly held view that Osama bin Laden’s inheritance and massive fortune are being used to finance his international terror operations.
While bin Laden isn’t poor, he’s not worth the $300 million once believed. Nor is he thought to be directly financing his terror group with his personal wealth or a network of businesses in Sudan, where he operated from 1991 to 1996.
“There has been a revision of collective thinking,” said Kenneth Katzman, a Congressional Research Service expert who has studied terror groups. “The new thinking is that bin Laden’s fortune didn’t really enter into al-Qaida that much, or wasn’t the driving force in al-Qaida.”
The report from the Sept. 11 commission concluded that al-Qaida has many financing avenues and could easily find new sources, particularly given the attack’s price tag of just $400,000 to $500,000 over two years.
While the report said the government has been unable to determine the source of the attack’s financing, the commission said it appears al-Qaida’s financial support doesn’t come from bin Laden personally.
“The CIA now estimates that it costs al-Qaida about $30 million per year to sustain its activities before 9/11 and that this money was raised almost entirely through donations,” the report said.