Rula Amin: Osama's brother recalls 'good boy'

CNN's Rula Amin with Sheikh Ahmad

JEDDA, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- CNN Correspondent Rula Amin sat down last week with a half-brother of Osama bin Laden to talk with him about his childhood and his impressions of the man known as the most-wanted terrorist in the world.

The half brother, identified as Sheikh Ahmad, did not want his last name used; he and Osama have the same mother but different fathers. The interview was taped in a friend's house in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, where Sheikh Ahmad, a 36-year-old businessman, lives. He rejected any suggestion that his brother was behind the September 11 attacks against the United States.

CNN: How did this interview come about?

AMIN: We've been trying to get the bin Laden brothers to talk for a long time, trying to learn about his character, his childhood, and what they think about him and what happened. I've been trying different contacts in Saudi Arabia and got through to this brother who was willing to talk. It did take a lot of persuasion.

CNN: What do you know about this half brother?

VIDEO Osama bin Laden's half-brother paints a completely different picture of the man. CNN's David Ensor reports (March 19) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • Half-brother says bin Laden still alive  • Interview transcript

AMIN: You know what this brother's ambition is? He wants to play the role of Osama bin Laden when Hollywood makes the move. He thinks he resembles him.

He runs a production company. They basically do business shootings, advertisements. It's part of the bin Laden family's business [which started as a construction company].

CNN: Describe the brother's temperament during the interview

AMIN: He had his concerns that he didn't want the interview to be misused. He wasn't very enthusiastic about doing it at first, but he did it willingly.

During the interview, he felt comfortable. He thought that this was something people should know about his brother. He felt comfortable that he was not hurting his brother or anyone else. In his eyes, Osama was an ideal brother: He never drank, he never played cards, he never ran after girls. He was describing a good boy.

CNN: What stood out to you about the interview?

AMIN: There's always this emphasis on Osama having been so religious since he was very young. Other people have told me the same thing. He tells this story about Osama hiding his face with a head cover when he was going down the stairs and the maid was going up.

People were never able to fault him when it came to religion. He was very observant. That gave him respect.

CNN: Did you get the impression Sheikh Ahmad is close to Osama bin Laden?

AMIN: Bin Laden has been away from his family, from Saudi Arabia, for a long time, and he took a different course. The family disowned him even before September 11.

This brother is one of the few brothers who has visited Osama over the years. He visited him in Sudan a few times and he saw him in Afghanistan last year.

According to this brother, three weeks ago their mother received a phone call saying that Osama was fine. They believed the phone call was credible and that Osama is alive.