Bin laden Quote by Robert Lacey
““on December 7, 2001, Osama announced that he was leaving. “He deserted us,” remembers Al-Hubayshi bitterly. “After five weeks his people came round telling us to make our way to Pakistan as best we could and surrender to our embassies there. We had been ready to lay down our lives for him, and he couldn’t make the effort to speak to us personally. Today I think that I was made use of by Bin Laden—exploited, just like all the young kids who went to jihad. What did he care when he sent us over the horizon to die? He was as bad as the religious sheikhs back in Saudi who preached jihad in their sermons every Friday. How many of them ever sent their own sons to Afghanistan?””
About This Quote
Source Book: 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich' by Robert Lacey, 2015
Disillusionment with leaders who exploit followers, especially youth, for violent causes.
In simple terms: Leaders can betray and manipulate their followers.
Key Takeaway
Beware of blind allegiance.
Themes
betrayal
exploitation
radicalization
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- military recruitment
- online propaganda
- community activism
Key Concepts
political psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies protect vulnerable youths?
- What responsibilities do leaders have?
A Different Perspective
Not all groups are uniformly manipulative; context matters.
![“[to Navy SEALs] Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb. But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb. So they're using you guys as canaries. And, in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can…” quote by Mark Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/12a/mark-owen-41650_bin-laden_to-navy-seals-quite-frankly-i-didn-t-eve_19993.jpg)
