The Bin Ladens

We also began to thin out the presence of individuals on the Pakistani-Afghani borders who were involved in assistance. We did not have lists of names of individuals who came to Afghanistan. We believed that these people came and offered their services as a religious duty and thus we did not have any doubts about them.”

24. Apple computers: Interview with Daniel Coleman, August 31, 2005. Coleman is a former agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who worked on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda investigations for about ten years, beginning in 1995.

25. “Saudi is…reward them”: Harmony AFGP-2002-60246. Several government investigators said in interviews that they believed the Golden Chain documents were credible and authentic. “Bin Laden brothers”: “Government’s Evidentiary Proffer…” in United States of America v. Enaam Arnout, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 02-CR-892. “only a list…Al Qaeda supporters”: Casey’s Opinion on jurisdictional issues, In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 03 MDL 1570, January 18, 2005. “I have never…any kind”: Affidavit of Bakr Binladin, In Re Terrorist Attacks, sworn in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 25, 2006.

26. “a number of times…brother would”: Interview with Jamal Khashoggi, March 17, 2006, op cit.

27. All quotations, ibid.

25. LUMP SUMS

1. The profile of Bakr here is drawn from interviews with fifteen business partners, employees, family members, government officials, and pilots who have known or worked closely with him.

2. “All his life…his brother”: Interview with Sabry Ghoneim, a longtime Bin Laden employee in Cairo, November 14, 2005 (RS).

3. All quotations, interview with Yahia El Agaty, November 19, 2005 (RS).

4. The 2.27 percentage is listed in Ibrahim Bin Laden’s “Schedule of Assets and Debts,” as cited in “Declaration of Barbara L. Irshay,” January 21, 1993, in Christine Binladin v. Ibrahim Binladin, Los Angeles County, BD058156. I have presumed that this is the ownership percentage of all male sons, and that female heirs own half as much, as provided by Islamic law.

5. “stocks that I inherited”: Excerpted deposition testimony of Ibrahim Bin Laden, ibid. “Each beneficiary… clearing house”: “Declaration of Linda Pergament Swift,” May 24, 1993, ibid.

6. Al-Shammary (ed.), Top 1000 Saudi Companies, 1990. The directory listed the National Commercial Bank as the kingdom’s eighth-largest business enterprise, with about $1.3 billion in annual revenue.

7. Interview with a Bin Laden business partner who asked to not be identified.

8. What the family told the FBI: Interview with Daniel Coleman, August 31, 2005. Coleman is a retired FBI agent who conducted interviews about these financial issues. The reorganization, Bakr’s affidavit, the valuation of Osama’s holdings circa 1993: Documents submitted by Bin Laden defendants in In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 03 MDL 1570. That he owned about 2 percent of each firm: Osama’s MBC holding is projected from Ibrahim’s deposition testimony, op. cit. SBG holding of “about 2 percent” is disclosed by attorneys for the company in “Defendant Saudi Binladin Group’s Reponse…To Plaintiffs’ Objections…Dated July 26, 2007,” p. 4, In Re Terrorist Attacks.

9. All quotations: Interview with Sabry Ghoneim, November 14, 2005 (RS).

10. “The amount received…$20 million”: Associated Press, October 29, 2001. Yeslam’s tax returns: Nine/Eleven Finding Answers Foundation documents, provided to the author by Douglas Farah. The 9/11 Commission investigation and findings: “Monograph on Terrorist Financing,” National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, Staff Report to the Commission by John Roth, Douglas Greenburg, Serena Wille, August 2004. He remained a partner: Bin Laden documents submitted in In Re Terrorist Attacks, ibid.

11. In Re Terrorist Attacks documents, ibid. These court filings by Bin Laden defendants affirm that Osama was a partner in both MBC and SBG after the reorganization, but they do not describe the size of Osama’s SBG position.

12. No will, beneficiaries: Bexar County, Texas, probate case of Salem Bin Laden, 91-PC-1012.

13. “Deeds Issued by Shari’ah Courts, Registration No. 123, Submission No. 398,” Abdul Moshen Bin Abdullah Al-Khayyal, President of the Jeddah Courts, translated and filed in Ian Munro v. The Dee Howard Company, Bexar County, Texas, 91-CI-00928.

14. Dietrich settlement: Interview with Thomas Dietrich, April 12, 2006. Bell Canada settlement: Interview with Michael Pochna, August 31, 2006. Shopping center: Interview with Wayne Fagan, May 10, 2005.

15. Ian Munro v. The Dee Howard Company, op. cit. Interview with Charles Schwartz, who represented Salem’s estate, May 12, 2005. Also, interview with Keith Kaiser, who represented Howard, February 21, 2006.

16. “Financial Position…financial affairs”: Letter from Bakr M. Binladin to Ian Munro, July 25, 1993, filed in Ian Munro v. The Dee Howard Company, ibid.

17. NCB settlement: Interview with Bengt Johansson, October 3, 2006, and a second individual who asked to not be identified. “He didn’t…debts”: Interview with Ghoneim, op. cit.

26. AMERICA IN MOTION

1. Attended USC, did not graduate: E-mail communication, James Grant, USC, March 1, 2006 Khalil majored in mechanical engineering and took classes between the autumn of 1975 and the autumn of 1980, before leaving without a degree. Profile of clothing, cars, habits, competition at card games: Interviews with three individuals who spent extensive time with him and who asked to not be identified, as well as with several neighbors who knew him less well. Aspects of his personality are also available from documents and deposition testimony in more than one dozen civil cases in which he or his companies were involved; see specific citations below.

2. Isabel: Interviews and court documents, ibid. Jonesboro Drive: Los Angeles County property records, examined and typed, June 28, 2005. $600,000 renovation: Khalil Binladin and Isabel Binladin v. American Builders Association et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, C663911.

3. As of mid-2007, Cappello was managing director of Cappello Capital Corporation, an international investment firm.

4. “If I don’t know…say no”: Interview with an individual who worked with Bin Laden. Business interests: Interviews cited in note 1.

5. Kabeltan Corporation, Carrollton building, Dividend Drive: Dallas County, Texas, property records, examined and typed, February 16, 2006; author’s visits to properties. Cappello is listed as Kabeltan’s president in Dallas County records of December 30, 1983. Kenny Rogers horse loan: Interviews with two individuals familiar with the transaction, who asked to not be identified. These people differed slightly in their recollections of the loan amounts but described the deal and the profit margin in closely similar terms. A representative for Kenny Rogers did not respond to requests for comment.

6. Interviews with three individuals, op. cit. In a written declaration filed in America in Motion Corporation and Khalil Binladin v. Ron R. Goldie et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court, WEC13994, Khalil identified Mark Love as an employee since 1985. BIN Corporation is identified in Dallas County property records as a “successor by merger” of Kabeltan Corporation.

7. Tax cases: Dallas County v. Kabeltan Corp., Dallas County, Texas, 92-32136. Los Angeles County real property records document 99-1789705 describes a tax lien against Kabeltan, dating to 1986, involving a total liability of just over $172,000. See also 98-1432057, 97-1237072, 96-1849398, and 97- 154966, which describe tax proceedings by Los Angeles County and the State of California against Kabeltan and BIN