Osama did not allow his family to use modern appliances such as refrigerators, although he liked fast cars. -- PHOTO: APWASHINGTON - OSAMA bin Laden was an austere father who banned toys and modern appliances at home, but also a flower-growing nature lover who spoke fluent English and adored fast cars, according to his wife and son.
In a book to be published at the end of this month, the Al-Qaeda boss's first wife Najwa and fourth son Omar give a rare glimpse into bin Laden's personal life up to the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States he is believed to have masterminded.
They chart bin Laden's transformation from a pious teenage newlywed to the global face of Islamic extremism, a role that took the family from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan and at one point, Najwa revealed, to the United States.
Najwa was kept in seclusion with Osama's new wives, one of whom she picked, in a spartan home without the mod-cons that make life in the stifling desert lands of Saudi Arabia and Sudan more comfortable.
Despite this aversion to modern appliances, bin Laden indulged in his penchant for fast cars, including at least one gold-coloured Mercedes. He once even bought a speed boat.
Spooks will no doubt pore over the book for new clues to bin Laden's habits or whereabouts. -- AFP
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