My ties with Bin Laden started in Jeddah: Adel Batterjee

News Network

January 26, 2013

Jeddah, Jan 26: Saudi businessman Dr. Adel Batterjee, whose name was removed from the list of the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee recently, said he has known Osama Bin Laden for long, from the time he was in Jeddah.

“My relations with him was very good, and we moved to Afghanistan together,” Batterjee said. “Takfiri ideology was already in existence in Peshawar, but was not widespread. We fought this ideology with all our strength, in our gatherings…in our Friday sermons,” he added.

“The reason for our fight against this (ideology) was because we were keen not to lure the fighters into this wrongful thought. Bin Laden at that time was not following this creed, and I swear on this,” the Saudi businessman said in an exclusive interview with Okaz, a sister publication of Saudi Gazette.

“We went our separate ways, when Bin laden traveled to Pakistan and from there to Sudan in 1991. I did not see him after that,” Batterjee said. “Since then I've had not direct or indirect links with him.”

The Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee list was issued following Sept. 11 attacks in the United States by the United Nations Security Council.

The Saudi businessman's name was deleted after Batterjee protested “it was unfairly put on the list” on Dec. 23, 2004.

Batterjee told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that he was surprised to see his name on the list, adding that the UN committee had not taken any measures to acquit him of the charges against him.

He submitted documentary evidence to Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost, who chaired a committee that was formed in 2010 to look into the list and decide which names should be removed. After reviewing all documents, Prost decided that Batterjee's name should be deleted from the list.

After Batterjee's name appeared on the list, the committee imposed a travel ban, froze his assets and prevented him from engaging in business activities around the world.

Comments

Batterjee has established charitable organizations in Sudan, including Al-Bir International, HAAD Organization, and finally the Doroob org.
""Batterjee's wealth and power remain intact, and so does his ideology. What is to prevent Batterjee from incorporating another organization, as he has done before, to continue funding extremism? All Batterjee needs is another acronym

Batterjee remained active in BIF despite having officially resigned as Director, and he established another orginazation HAAD ,

I wonder why Batterjee are set free to finance terrorism

he is big liar

i think its the time to punish him for his crime

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‘Land of the Free’ or ‘Land of Fear’?: U.S. turns campus crackdown into deportation machine

Agencies

April 6,2025

In a country that brands itself the “Land of the Free,” pro-Palestine students are being treated like enemies of the state. The United States—once hailed as a beacon for academic freedom—is now using deportation threats, visa revocations, and AI surveillance to silence dissenting voices on its university campuses. What started as peaceful protest against the genocide in Gaza has turned into a full-scale purge of international students who dare to speak out. As global outrage grows, America's hypocrisy on free speech has never been more glaring—or dangerous.

Point-by-Point Summary:

• Momodou Taal Forced Out:
British-Gambian activist and former Cornell PhD student Momodou Taal has left the U.S. after facing threats of deportation. His only “crime”: suing the Trump administration for policies targeting pro-Palestine students.

• Bold Words from Exile:
Taal called out the U.S. for suppressing dissent and ignoring its own laws:
“Is imprisoning those who speak against genocide the kind of nation you want?”

• 300+ Visas Revoked:
Trump-era directives have led to mass deportations of foreign students who participated in or supported Gaza solidarity protests.

• Rubio's Harsh Justification:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, calling student protesters “lunatics” and stressing the government’s right to “remove you from our country.”

• ACLU Slams Hypocrisy:
ACLU's Ben Wizner warned that the U.S. is now driving away the world’s brightest minds by criminalizing intellectual dissent.

• Targeted Individuals:

• Iranian student Alireza Doroudi arrested without cause.

• Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk lost her visa for an op-ed criticizing the Israeli regime.

• Indian scholar Ranjani Srinivasan fled after agents showed up unannounced.

• Korean resident Yunseo Chung, a green card holder, is still fighting deportation.

• Professor Rasha Alawieh was deported despite holding a valid visa.

• AI Used for Surveillance:
Reports confirm U.S. authorities are using artificial intelligence to flag students based on social media activity—even likes or shares.

• Selective Freedom:
No pro-Israel lobbyist or supporter has faced deportation, even amid cases of inciting violence and harassment.

• Global Consequences:
Calls to boycott U.S. universities are growing. The crackdown has undermined America’s status as a hub of academic freedom and global talent.

• Final Warning:
The U.S. now risks not only its academic integrity but its moral standing. In defending a genocide abroad, it’s committing a slow-motion purge at home.

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