Encyclopedia Jihad News Today

War. but from a psychological point of view, it was really the beginning of sort of bin ladens almost mythic persona, because a group of arabs had held off the soviets. it got a lot of play in the middle east. >> reporter: the once reticent and terrified bin laden was now hailed as a fearless leader, a hero on the front lines of jihad. >> hes brave, and hes ready to give his life. hes not a coward. >> reporter: in 1988, the soviets, worn down and demoralized, began to withdraw from afghanistan. ...

Spiritual. he is the man who would mentor and shape osama bin laden throughout much of the 1980s. >> my name is hadaifah azzam. ive been living with bin laden for more than eight years continuously you could say. >> reporter: this is abdullah azzams son. this is his first interview for western television. >> my father was leading islamic and arabic studies and osama bin laden was studying engineering at that time. >> reporter: bin laden was drawn to the influential cleric, seen here in afghanist...

Violent jihad, and he would never look back. ♪ [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. were adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, were covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. mom! [ male announce...

Hailed as a fearless leader, a hero on the front lines of jihad. >> hes brave, and hes ready to give his life. hes not a coward. >> reporter: in 1988, the soviets, worn down and demoralized, began to withdraw from afghanistan. and bin laden now battle hardened, returned a holy warrior, without a war. but this man would soon change that, ayman al zawahiri. >> we are muslims who believe in their religion. >> reporter: a radical egyptian who would give bin laden the enemy he was looking for. ♪

A call for jihad against the infidels sounds throughout the muslim world. a call raised by men like abdullah azzam, a palestinian cleric, charismatic and deeply spiritual. he is the man who would mentor and shape osama bin laden throughout much of the 1980s. >> my name is hadaifah azzam. ive been living with bin laden for more than eight years continuously you could say. >> reporter: this is abdullah azzams son. this is his first interview for western television. >> my father was leading islamic...

In mecca, the holiest of sites, became a battleground where militants seized it and the saudi government sent in troops. osama bin laden was appalled that such a holy place had been defiled. and then, one month later, the final blow. the soviet union, godless and communist, invaded afghanistan, a muslim country. it was an affront to islam. one year, three monumental events that would change bin laden forever. the once shy, religious boy, was about to answer the call to a violent jihad, and he wo...

>> it was written, kill americans in the sea, kill americans in the air, kill americans everywhere. >> reporter: his significance to al qaeda is underscored by his preoccupation of freeing the blind sheikh from his american prison. bin laden vowed as much in this video. >> reporter: theres even a training exercise aimed at springing him, outlined in the encyclopedia jihad, al qaedas massive guide on everything from guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics to how to recognize a rattlesnake or trea...

>> reporter: his significance to al qaeda is underscored by his preoccupation of freeing the blind sheikh from his american prison. bin laden vowed as much in this video. >> reporter: theres even a training exercise aimed at springing him, outlined in the encyclopedia jihad, al qaedas massive guide on everything from guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics to how to recognize a rattlesnake or treat a scorpion sting. >> thousands of pages, draws on many sources, including u.s. army manuals and is...

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