Photo Gallery Who Is Bin Laden?
Osama bin Laden recently went public with a threat to Europe on the occasion of the Danish Muhamman caricatures having been reprinted. Author Steve Coll says the threat could be real, or bin Laden could just be looking for attention.
Osama's brother Yeslam. The family remains involved in a number of business interests across the globe. Yeslam secured rights to the name Bin Laden Fashions, but dropped the idea amid protests.
One of Osama's sisters-in-law, Carmen. She says that the bin Ladens never disowned Osama after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Osama bin Laden has proven adept at avoiding his pursuers. Coll thinks he is likely hiding in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan.
Osama bin Laden's son Omar, 26, went public in January with his desire to act as an "ambassador for peace" between Muslims and the West. He does not renounce his father.
Author Coll says there were a handful of opportunities to capture or kill bin Laden prior to the attacks on New York and Washington D.C.
Bin Laden's father managed to build up a vast construction empire. His close contacts with the Saudi royal family led to his getting the contract to expand the grounds of the mosque in Mecca. He also worked on the mosques in Medina and Jerusalem.
