<!-- Commented out: thumb|Although not thought to be an [[al-Qaeda leader, Khaled al-Harbi (right) appears in this al-Qaeda video alongside Osama bin Laden.]] -->thumb|Frame grab from the Osama bin Laden videotape released by the Department of Defense on Dec. 13, 2001.

Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harbi, (, Khālid bin ‘Ūdah bin Muḥammad al-Ḥarbī) (born 1963) is a Saudi national who was associated with Osama bin Laden's mujahadeen group in the 1980s, and is thought to have rejoined bin Laden and al-Qaeda in the mid-1990s. Also known as Abu Suleiman al-Makki (Arabic: ابوسليمان المكي), he has a thick beard and requires the use of a wheelchair.

The BBC reports that Al-Harbi was Ayman al-Zawahiri's son-in-law.

Fighting for Islam

Al-Harbi volunteered to fight against the Soviet invaders of Afghanistan during the 1980s.

According to the website Global Terror Alert, Al-Harbi volunteered to fight in Bosnia in 1992. Al-Harbi lost the use of his legs during a skirmish in Bosnia.

Bosnia

Following their successful war of liberation, in 1995, the new Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina offered citizenship to all foreign volunteers who had fought on their behalf.

Al-Harbi settled in Bosnia until 1997, when arrest warrants were issued against him and 18 other men,

Initially bin Laden's friend's identity was unidentified.

Commentators speculated that the unknown friend was an important al Qaeda financier, because he did not rise when bin Laden entered the room.

By December 16, 2001 Al Harbi had been identified.

Time magazine reported that unidentified U.S. officials described al Harbi as being "a confidant and spiritual sounding board for bin Laden," but not an al Qaeda member."

Time reported that Nawaf Obaid, who they identified as a Saudi security analyst, said al-Harbi is cooperating. Obaid called al-Harbi a "very successful recruiter".

In the tape, Khaled al-Harbi states that the tape was being made at the arrangement of the brothers who support al Qaida:

His surrender was part of a one-month amnesty offer by the Saudi government on June 23, 2004.

Some commentators speculated that Al-Harbi was not eligible for the amnesty, arguing that it applied only to those who committed attacks inside Saudi Arabia.

References

  • Report: Fourth militant surrenders to Saudis: Amnesty for al-Qaida associates to end soon, MSNBC, July 16, 2004
  • Saudi officials identify man on bin Laden tape, CNN, December 14, 2001

Sources

  • Reuters
  • US Military translation of tape [https://web.archive.org/web/20011214230828/http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2001/d20011213ubl.pdf#search=%27bin%20laden%20video%20translation%27]
  • Saudi official news agency release of 12 November 2004 concerning the release of those asking for amnesty. Statement regarding extradition by Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz to the Council of Ministers, July 2003.
  • Date of US military bombing starting in Afghanistan: [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1556588.stm]