Grinning Terrorist: Unseen Images Of Osama Bin Laden's Original Hideout – His Headquarters In 9 Pics
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/480x251/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/640x335/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/768x402/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/1024x536/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/1280x670/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/1440x753/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/1600x837/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/TD2LdDa0h/2160x1130/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg?position=top 2160w)
Mar. 13 2015, Published 11:41 a.m. ET
Rare photos from Osama Bin Laden's private compound before the 9/11 attacks have emerged.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/480x270/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/640x360/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/768x432/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/1024x576/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/1280x720/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/1440x810/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/1600x900/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/U2x33boIx/2160x1215/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911.jpg 2160w)
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Z_BPgvCmR/335x500/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-01.jpg 335w)
Images of Osama Bin Laden's mysterious compound have surfaced.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/480x313/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/640x418/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/768x501/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/1024x668/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/1280x835/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/1440x939/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/1600x1043/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/N_auHNJ7w/2160x1408/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-05.jpg 2160w)
Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan took the photos in 1996, when Bin Laden hoped to spread his message of hate to the Western world.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/480x328/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/640x437/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/768x525/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/1024x699/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/1280x874/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/1440x983/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/1600x1092/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/aEwtIQ0VO/2160x1475/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-04.jpg 2160w)
At the time, Bin Laden had already declared war on the United States, and vowed to grab worldwide attention.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/480x323/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/640x430/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/768x516/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/1024x688/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/1280x860/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/1440x968/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/1600x1075/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/naprXjsjO/2160x1451/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-03.jpg 2160w)
For several years, he developed an elaborate network of caves and hideouts 14,000 ft. up in the White Mountains, according to reports.
- 'Losers': Megyn Kelly Slams 'Parents of Gen Z' Kids Who Shared Osama Bin Laden's 2002 'Letter to America' on TikTok — 'You Were Likely Boozing'
- TikTokers Obsess Over Terrorist Bin Laden's Note to America, Message Scrubbed From Website
- Al Qaeda's Twisted Tyrant Ayman al-Zawahiri: From Egyptian Doctor To Osama Bin Laden's No. 2, The Man Who Escaped Death — Until Now
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/480x318/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/640x423/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/768x508/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/1024x677/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/1280x846/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/1440x952/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/1600x1058/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/YA-JqNFzG/2160x1428/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-02.jpg 2160w)
The terrorist leader used a walking stick around the site, and often had protective militants close at hand.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/480x319/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/640x426/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/768x511/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/1024x681/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/1280x851/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/1440x957/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/1600x1063/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/bZaKchSBc/2160x1435/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-07.jpg 2160w)
Watchful eye: Dozens of his men would join in on the 9/11 mastermind’s walks.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/480x315/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/640x420/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/768x504/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/1024x672/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/1280x840/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/1440x945/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/1600x1050/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/sKJGVXmfP/2160x1417/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-08.jpg 2160w)
According to Atwan, Bin Laden "loved the nature there. He loved the mountain. They were trying to have their own community."
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/480x323/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/640x430/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/768x516/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/1024x688/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/1280x860/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/1440x968/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/1600x1075/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/xvESn1sEK/2160x1451/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-09.jpg 2160w)
To enter the compound, one would take a long dusty road complete with various security checkpoints.
![Osama Bin Laden Pre-911 Photos](https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/480x316/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 480w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/640x421/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 640w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/768x505/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 768w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/1024x673/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 1024w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/1280x841/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 1280w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/1440x946/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 1440w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/1600x1051/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 1600w, https://media.radaronline.com/brand-img/Iquc5qzsK/2160x1419/2015/03/osama-bin-laden-pre-911-10.jpg 2160w)
After the 9/11 attacks, Bin Laden relocated, hiding successfully for a decade. The 10-year search ended on May 2 2011 when he was killed during a Navy Seal operation in Abbottobad.