Bin Laden’s perversions

Does any of this surprise you?  It doesn’t surprise me.  Given bin Laden’s fanaticism, his sadism, his isolation, his personal and religious misogyny, all of this comes across across as totally believable.  It also puts me strongly in mind of this story, from several years ago, tell about the way in which Taliban warlords used their power to rape young girls.  It’s all part of the same package deal of cruelty, perversion and profound cultural narcissism.

(By the way, if you want something else icky, this ought to do it.)