Bin Laden's son Omar Osama loses asylum bid in Spain

November 5, 2008 International Herald Tribune report via foolocracy.com:

Bin Laden’s Son Seeks Asylum In Spain

Omar Osama Bin Laden, one of Osama Bin Laden’s sons, is requesting political asylum in Spain. Bin Laden is at Madrid’s Barajas airport in a special section for asylum seekers. Spain has three days to respond to his request. It was not known on what grounds Bin Laden was seeking asylum.

Bin Laden, a pacifist, urged his father to “find another way” during a CNN interview earlier in the year.

Bin Laden, 27, married a 51-year-old British woman last year.

He also sought asylum in Britain, but the request was turned down because authorities thought his loyalty to his father would “cause considerable public concern.” Bin Laden was with his father in Sudan and Afghanistan, but left before the 9/11 attacks.

“I am proud of my name, but if you have a name like mine you will find people run away from you, are afraid of you,” said Bin Laden.

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November 5, 2008 Associated Press report via The New York Times:

Son of Osama Bin Laden Loses Asylum Bid in Spain

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Spain's Interior Ministry says it has rejected an asylum request from a son of Osama bin Laden.

A ministry official says the government determined that 27-year-old Omar Osama bin Laden did not ''meet the conditions necessary for entering Spain.''

The official would not elaborate or discuss the younger bin Ladder's reasons for seeking asylum upon arriving Monday at Madrid's Barrages Airport. The ministry official spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.

Omar Osama Bin Laden has 24 hours to appeal and remains in an airport transit area.

The Spanish official said the government usually seeks a recommendation from the U.N. refugee agency in asylum request cases. He says the agency also recommended against asylum.

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UPDATE: See Sudan Watch post dated Sunday, November 09, 2008: Bin Laden's son Omar Osama has been deported from Spain and is being questioned by Egyptian authorities in Cairo