RE: Osama or Usama?

[Sven Franklyn Weil <sven@gordsven.com>]

On Mon, 8 Oct 2001, Larry A. Lovering wrote:

> The BBC reports it as Usama, also reported in the downloadable document from
> the British government that offers proof that bin Laden did it.

I guess it's all subjective.  Considering bin Laden's name is actually
meant to be written in Arabic script, using Roman letters is more of an
approximation of the sound -- sort of like spelling Chinese or Hebrew
words using "American" letters, or vice-versa.

-- 
Sven Franklyn Weil            "The needs of the many outweigh 
<sven@gordsven.com>                      the needs of the few
<http://www.gordsven.com/sven>                   or the one." 
                                                     -- Surak