TODAY   |  May 02, 2011

Engel: Bin Laden loyalists engaging in ‘myth building’

NBC’s Richard Engel reports that supporters of the al-Qaida mastermind are “trying to create an alternative myth” to the events that unfolded before the death of Osama bin Laden.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>> the middle east . richard engel joins us live from benghazi, libya. richard, good morning to you. what is the reaction?

>> reporter: good morning, matt. i was just listening with great interest to savannah's account how the white house is describing what happened. in the middle east there is also a different version of events that is starting to emerge, particularly from the people who supported osama bin laden . if you look on websites or some commentators on arabic language television they are starting to engage in myth-building, describing this as a heroic moment, that osama bin laden fought to the end, that he was there, he bravely stood up against the navy seals and that even osama bin laden 's wife stood in front of him, showing loyalty to the end and sacrificed her own life. in general, however, i think it's fair to say that the reaction has been relatively positive. people in the middle east are happy to be rid of osama bin laden . he was an embarrassment to the region. he was an embarrassment to the religion of islam, many here felt, but he does have some supporters who are taking to the airwaves now, trying to create an alternative myth to what happened.

>> all right. nbc's richard engel in libya this morning. thank