Puri Jagannadh Reveals Osama bin Laden's Final Years in Secrecy and Fear
Renowned Indian film director Puri Jagannadh, through his signature commentary series Puri Musings, has revealed several surprising facts about Osama bin Laden’s final years in an episode titled Most Wanted. Puri Jagannadh stated that bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda and mastermind behind the September 11 attacks that claimed thousands of innocent lives, lived his last decade in extreme fear and distress.
According to Puri Jagannadh, bin Laden once narrowly escaped capture when police stopped a vehicle in Pakistan’s Swat Valley without realizing he was inside. “Had they identified him then, he would have been caught ten years earlier,” said Puri Jagannadh. Following this escape, bin Laden moved through Swat Valley, Peshawar, and Haripur before finally settling in a house known as “Waziristan Haveli” in Abbottabad. This three-story building was heavily fortified with 12 to 18-foot high walls. Bin Laden lived there with his three wives, eight children, and five grandchildren.
Puri Jagannadh disclosed that bin Laden mostly stayed on the second and third floors of the house with his youngest wife. The residence had no telephone or internet connection. Even the household waste was incinerated on the premises to avoid any external contact, and neighbors were unaware of the family living there. Bin Laden reportedly owned just four sets of clothes, a jacket, and two sweaters, and lived in secrecy for nearly nine years. To avoid detection by surveillance satellites, he wore a cowboy hat while walking within the compound. Only Abu Ahmad al-Kuwaiti and his friend Abrar, whom bin Laden trusted, maintained outside contact and looked after the household’s needs.
Puri Jagannadh further revealed that bin Laden led a simple life, growing vegetables and raising rabbits and chickens within the compound. He held competitions among his grandchildren to plant trees, rewarding those whose plants grew the most. He secretly watched television using a satellite dish and regularly kept track of then-U.S. President Barack Obama’s statements about him. Surprisingly, bin Laden enjoyed watching Tom and Jerry cartoons and had a strong liking for sweets and chocolates.
On one occasion, Puri Jagannadh said bin Laden had to accompany his wife to a hospital due to complications during childbirth. Disguised, he told the doctor that his wife was mute and deaf to avoid questioning. As a result, the medical staff did not ask any questions, and no one recognized him.
Puri Jagannadh mentioned that bin Laden would discuss al-Qaeda’s operations, while his daughters took notes. He was reportedly distressed about the organization’s weakening and its declining popularity. At one point, he even considered changing al-Qaeda’s name. Since his children and grandchildren could not attend school, bin Laden personally taught them. The household possessed a computer without internet access, and USB drives were used to transfer information when necessary.
According to Puri Jagannadh, bin Laden lived under constant fear for years. With little to occupy his time, he used his video camera to film chickens, plants, and even helicopters flying overhead. He was particularly fearful of helicopters due to the proximity of a Pakistani army cantonment nearby.
Puri Jagannadh stated that after the U.S. Navy SEAL team raided the house and killed bin Laden, they seized approximately 470,000 files from the computers there. These included pornographic videos and plots to assassinate then-President Obama.
Puri Jagannadh concluded that despite being responsible for countless deaths and the September 11 attacks, bin Laden spent his final decade in hardship and perpetual fear.