Osama's son 'bent on avenging his father's death':Ex-FBI agent

Washington, May 13: Hamza, about 28 year old now, wrote those letters when he was 22 and had not seen his father bin Laden in several years.

Ali Soufan, the former FBI agent who was the bureau's lead investigator of al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks, told CBS News the letters reveal Hamza to be a young man who adores his father and wants to carry on his murderous ideology.

The letters collected in the raid by helicopter-borne US Navy SEALs at a secure high-walled compound in Abbottabad, a garrison town north of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, in May 2011 have now been declassified.

Only a handful of US military and senior officials around then US President Barack Obama knew of the raid that was reportedly in the planning for months.

For a new episode of '60 Minutes' on the network, Soufan described one of those letters from Hamza: "He tells him that...he remembers 'every look...every smile you gave me, every word you told me.'"

Hamza also wrote this: "I consider myself to be forged in steel. The path of jihad for the sake of God is what we live."

Soufan said Hamza's potential as a leader was recognised years ago when he was still a boy. He was used in propaganda videos, sometimes holding a gun.

"He was a poster kid for the al Qaeda...and for members of al Qaeda, who were indoctrinated with these propaganda videos, he means a lot to them," Soufan said.

This January, the US named Hamza a "specially-designated global terrorist" - the same classification bin Laden had.

He even sounds like his father, said Soufan. "His recent message that came out, he delivered the speech as if it's his father...using sentences, terminology that was used by Osama bin Laden."

Hamza has recorded four audio messages in the last two years. "He's basically saying, 'American people, we're coming and you're going to feel it. And we're going to take revenge for what you did to my father...Iraq... Afghanistan'...the whole thing was about vengeance," Soufan said.

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US attempted 93 ‘regime change’ operations across the world since 1946, admits envoy

News Network

December 7,2025

Since 1946, the United States has attempted 93 coups or “regime change” operations across the world — including two in Iran, US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack has admitted.

Speaking to the UAE-based IMI Media Group, in remarks published by The National, Barrack said Washington tried twice to overthrow the Iranian government but failed both times.

“For (Trump) then to be imputed with regime change — we had two regime changes in Iran already. Neither one worked. So I think wisely leave it to the region to solve,” said Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Turkey.

His comments come six months after the US joined Israel in airstrikes against Iran during ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

On June 13, Israel launched an attack on Iran that killed at least 1,064 people and hit civilian infrastructure. Days later, the United States targeted three nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — in what Iran called a clear violation of international law. Iranian retaliation eventually forced a halt to the assault on June 24.

Barrack further claimed that US President Donald Trump and Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio are “not into regime change” and prefer a regional approach driven by Middle Eastern countries themselves. According to him, regional dialogue and non-interference by outside powers offer a more durable path forward.

He added that Washington is still open to an agreement with Tehran if Iranian authorities show “seriousness” and willingness to engage constructively.

However, Iran maintains the US has not shown readiness for meaningful talks. In an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations could advance only if Washington acknowledges Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy and lifts unilateral sanctions.

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