MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The US embassy in Saudi Arabia said no record of Osama bin Laden’s death certificate existed, secret communications released by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks revealed Friday.
"I am informed by the US Department of State's Office of the Legal Advisor that no certificate of death was issued for Usama [Osama] bin Laden," Glen Keiser wrote in the letter revealed by WikiLeaks.
In the letter, Keiser explains that the lack of a death certificate is "consistent with regular practice for individuals killed in the course of military operations," and goes on to suggest an alternative way to officially confirm the former al-Qaeda leader's death.
Since the criminal case against bin Laden was effectively dropped due to his death, Keiser recommends a process for requesting the order of "nolle prosequie," or "unwilling of pursuit," from the court which he said effectively acts as proof of death.
"In requesting that the criminal case against Usama [Osama] bin Laden no longer be pursued in US federal court, the US Attorney provided a declaration of the US Department of Justice attesting to facts supporting the conclusion that Usama bin Laden was killed."
WikiLeaks published over 61,000 of the so-called Saudi Cables so far and pledges to release over half a million such documents in total, including top secret reports by the Saudi Ministry of Interior and General Intelligence Agency.
The mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and the Pentagon was reportedly being held prisoner at a compound in Abbottabad by Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), and turned over to the Americans by the unnamed Pakistani officer for a $25-million award.
Bin Laden, 54, was a Saudi national who lived in Afghanistan, from where he orchestrated a series of bombings and attacks against US targets across the world.
