'Terrorism made Bin Laden irritable'

An astonishing interview with the wife of Osama bin Laden has revealed his attempts to manage his complicated domestic life while planning his terrorist campaign against the US.

Like many husbands he often came home late from work and was irritated if his wife tried to talk to him.

The woman, identified only as "A.S.", spoke to London-based Arabic weekly Al-Majallah on condition her location remain secret. She says her husband suffered from kidney and stomach ailments and had his children educated privately after the Taliban closed down schools.

She said: "During the last period, he was constantly worried and looked tired and exhausted due to the lack of sleep. Most days he was taking medicine and sleeping pills to help him go to sleep."

Mrs Bin Laden says her husband would visit once a week, taking it in turn to see his different wives.

He never mentioned any plan to attack the United States, she said. She claims to have last seen him "before the September events. He came to the house, gave me a telephone, and told me to call my family and tell them we were going somewhere else and that there would be no news of me for a long time".

Mrs Bin Laden says she is sure he has not been killed.

'Irritable male syndrome'