- CIA to allow 'select few' lawmakers see Osama Bin Laden death photos
- Bin Laden's son 'Crown Prince of Terror' disappeared on night of raid
- Wreckage of secret 'stealth helicopter' to be shown to Chinese military
Osama Bin Laden's son has denounced the Al Qaeda leader's killing as 'criminal' and said he reserves the right to take legal action against America.
The statement apparently made by Omar Bin Laden has appeared on an online monitoring service.
Omar, who is Bin Laden's fourth eldest son, claimed he and the Al Qaeda chief's other children are reserving the right to take legal action in the U.S. and internationally to 'determine the true fate of our vanished father',
He also branded his father's burial at sea as a 'humiliation' for his family.
There was no independent confirmation of the authenticity of the letter. It was published on the website of Islamist ideologue Abu Walid al-Masri.
Several specialists on militant propaganda said the text appeared genuine.
The news came as it emerged the CIA will allow a select few lawmakers to view the controversial pictures of Osama Bin Laden's corpse.
The CIA will allow the group to see the photos only if they travel to the agency's headquarters.
Today's move came as the White House faced renewed pressure to release the grisly images, following a series of requests filed under the the Freedom of Information Act.
News organisations, public interest groups and even one politician have all lodged official demands with government agencies to see the photographs of Bin Laden's body after he was shot last week at the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan.
President Obama has strongly resisted calls for the state to release the pictures as 'proof' of the terror chief's death at the hands of U.S. special forces.
Omar Bin Laden, 30, who is married to a British woman 25 years his elder, has been based in the Gulf in recent years.
He and his wife - formerly known as Jane Felix-Browne, but who now goes by the name Zaina Bin Laden - did not respond to emailed and telephoned requests for comment.
In April it was announced that a former British pole dancer has become pregnant with the couple's baby through IVF.
Louise Pollard, who is now a PA who lives in London, miscarried twins for the couple last year.
Omar and Zaina split up afterwards amid claims that he was suffering from a mental illness, but it now appears they are back together despite Omar telling the Daily Mail in September that there was 'no chance' of a reconciliation.
The letter purporting to be from Omar said, in part: 'We hold the American President (Barack) Obama legally responsible to clarify the fate of our father, Osama Bin Laden, for it is unacceptable, humanely and religiously, to dispose of a person with such importance and status among his people, by throwing his body into the sea in that way, which demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and which challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims.'
It alleged the goal of raid had been to kill and not arrest, adding that afterwards the American commandos had 'rushed to dispose of the body'.
Some Muslims have misgivings about how U.S. forces killed Bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan on May 2 and disposed of his body in the ocean.
Questions have multiplied since the White House said the Al Qaeda leader was unarmed when U.S. helicopter-borne commandos raided the villa where he was hiding in the city of Abbottabad.
Bin Laden's swift burial at sea, in what many Muslims say was a violation of Islamic custom, has also stirred anger.
They fear he could be Bin Laden's youngest son, 19-year-old Hamza, who has been dubbed the 'Crown Prince of Terror'.
Three of Bin Laden's wives and several of his children were taken into custody by Pakistani intelligence forces after the raid - but now it appears one of his sons may have evaded capture.
News of Hamza's apparent escape emerged during the interrogation of Bin Laden's three wives by Pakistani investigators.
Officials told ABC News the women had revealed one of the terror leader's sons had not been seen since the raid - but the source did not confirm which one.
Another son, 22-year-old Khalid, was confirmed dead by the U.S. military. He is believed to have been one of the men shown in graphic photos taken in the aftermath of the raid and released to Reuters last week.
In a further blow to U.S.-Pakistani relations, it emerged today the Chinese military could soon get its hands on the wreckage of a secret U.S. 'stealth' helicopter that crash landed in the raid on Bin Laden's compound.
The previously unseen helicopter crashed in the daring dawn raid in Abbottabad earlier this month, with Navy SEALs managing to destroy all but a tail section of the secret aircraft.
The U.S. has since demanded the Pakistanis return the destroyed helicopter.
But according to ABC news, Pakistani officials have said the Chinese were also 'very interested' in seeing the tail section, with one unnamed official adding: 'We might let [the Chinese] take a look.'
Pictures of the heavily damaged tail section circulated on the internet shortly after the May 2 raid, with the remaining tail bearing a striking resemblance to the smooth angular design of other stealth aircraft such as the B2 bomber.
The statement apparently made by Omar Bin Laden has appeared on an online monitoring service.
Omar, who is Bin Laden's fourth eldest son, claimed he and the Al Qaeda chief's other children are reserving the right to take legal action in the U.S. and internationally to 'determine the true fate of our vanished father',
He also branded his father's burial at sea as a 'humiliation' for his family.
There was no independent confirmation of the authenticity of the letter. It was published on the website of Islamist ideologue Abu Walid al-Masri.
Several specialists on militant propaganda said the text appeared genuine.
The news came as it emerged the CIA will allow a select few lawmakers to view the controversial pictures of Osama Bin Laden's corpse.
The CIA will allow the group to see the photos only if they travel to the agency's headquarters.
Today's move came as the White House faced renewed pressure to release the grisly images, following a series of requests filed under the the Freedom of Information Act.
News organisations, public interest groups and even one politician have all lodged official demands with government agencies to see the photographs of Bin Laden's body after he was shot last week at the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan.
President Obama has strongly resisted calls for the state to release the pictures as 'proof' of the terror chief's death at the hands of U.S. special forces.
Hideout: Osama Bin Laden was sharing his squalid lair with several of his children and three of his wives, including Amal al-Sadah, right, the youngest. She was shot in the leg when she charged at U.S. forces
The compound where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead by U.S. Navy SEALs on May 1. It is believed his youngest son may have escaped
He and his wife - formerly known as Jane Felix-Browne, but who now goes by the name Zaina Bin Laden - did not respond to emailed and telephoned requests for comment.
In April it was announced that a former British pole dancer has become pregnant with the couple's baby through IVF.
Louise Pollard, who is now a PA who lives in London, miscarried twins for the couple last year.
Omar and Zaina split up afterwards amid claims that he was suffering from a mental illness, but it now appears they are back together despite Omar telling the Daily Mail in September that there was 'no chance' of a reconciliation.
The letter purporting to be from Omar said, in part: 'We hold the American President (Barack) Obama legally responsible to clarify the fate of our father, Osama Bin Laden, for it is unacceptable, humanely and religiously, to dispose of a person with such importance and status among his people, by throwing his body into the sea in that way, which demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and which challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims.'
Hiding: Omar Bin Laden has condemned the manner of his father Osama's death
Missing? Osama Bin Laden's youngest son, Hamza, may have escaped during the raid by U.S. forces. He is pictured here aged around 14, in a propaganda video
The letter said the U.S. administration had offered no proof to back up its account of the mission. It alleged the goal of raid had been to kill and not arrest, adding that afterwards the American commandos had 'rushed to dispose of the body'.
Some Muslims have misgivings about how U.S. forces killed Bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan on May 2 and disposed of his body in the ocean.
Questions have multiplied since the White House said the Al Qaeda leader was unarmed when U.S. helicopter-borne commandos raided the villa where he was hiding in the city of Abbottabad.
Bin Laden's swift burial at sea, in what many Muslims say was a violation of Islamic custom, has also stirred anger.
Parents-to-be: Zaina, formerly known as Jane Felix-Browne, and her husband Omar Bin Laden
Home video: Films found at Osama Bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan show the terror leader obsessively watching videos of himself. He shared the specially-built compound with two other families
It also emerged today that one of Osama Bin Laden's sons went missing on the night U.S. special forces stormed their squalid hideout, Pakistani security officials have revealed.They fear he could be Bin Laden's youngest son, 19-year-old Hamza, who has been dubbed the 'Crown Prince of Terror'.
Three of Bin Laden's wives and several of his children were taken into custody by Pakistani intelligence forces after the raid - but now it appears one of his sons may have evaded capture.
News of Hamza's apparent escape emerged during the interrogation of Bin Laden's three wives by Pakistani investigators.
Officials told ABC News the women had revealed one of the terror leader's sons had not been seen since the raid - but the source did not confirm which one.
Another son, 22-year-old Khalid, was confirmed dead by the U.S. military. He is believed to have been one of the men shown in graphic photos taken in the aftermath of the raid and released to Reuters last week.
Couple: Zaina and Omar live at a secret location in the Middle East
The previously unseen helicopter crashed in the daring dawn raid in Abbottabad earlier this month, with Navy SEALs managing to destroy all but a tail section of the secret aircraft.
The U.S. has since demanded the Pakistanis return the destroyed helicopter.
But according to ABC news, Pakistani officials have said the Chinese were also 'very interested' in seeing the tail section, with one unnamed official adding: 'We might let [the Chinese] take a look.'
Pictures of the heavily damaged tail section circulated on the internet shortly after the May 2 raid, with the remaining tail bearing a striking resemblance to the smooth angular design of other stealth aircraft such as the B2 bomber.
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