Bin Laden's Son On the Rise, Whereabouts Unkown

The heir apparent of Osama bin Laden has resurfaced in an audio message after months of silence, prompting renewed speculation in the emergence of a more radical al-Qaeda.

In the undated message released by the militant group, the younger Bin Laden calls on jihadist groups of Syria to unite and use the country’s conflict as a springboard to “liberate Palestine.” 

He also called on all muslims throughout the world to unite.  “The Islamic nation should focus on jihad in Syria… and unite the ranks of mujahideen,” he said. “There is no longer an excuse for those who insist on division and disputes now that the whole world has mobilized against Muslims.”

Al Zawahiri, a prominent militant in Syria, said the matter of unity in Syria was “one of life and death” for jihadist groups.  “Either you unite to live as Muslims with dignity, or you bicker and separate and so are eaten one by one.”

Bin Laden is expected to be 23 or 24 years old and was not found among the dead after the raid conducted by Navy SEALs in 2011 on the Pakistan compound housing his father.  

His whereabouts are unknown, but some experts think he is being carefully protected by al-Qaeda’s leadership to one day take over his father’s position.

In September of 2015, bin laden made an audio recording calling for the destruction of wester cities such as Washington, London, and Paris.