So they got him.
Why was he so "popular"? I think it was his smile.
Bin Laden always smiled. This was his unique selling point. Most photos of extremists show either a hateful scowl, emotionless resolve, or at best a forced, unfriendly smile.
Bin Laden smiled, but it wasn't an evil smile. It looked perfectly genuine. He wasn't smiling because he'd just killed lots of enemies. He was just calm and content with being a killer. At peace. His videos illustrate this most dramatically. He was collected, quiet, almost shy. I've seen more passionate performances by college chemistry lecturers.
That was surely his appeal. No-one joins a movement like Al Qaeda unless they're angry, but Bin Laden seemed to be living proof that you didn't have to stay angry to stay a member. Al Qaeda was the way out of that. Al Qaeda could bring you inner peace. Whether Bin ...
