392. Road To 9/11: Bin Laden vs Saudi Arabia (Part 4)
Summary
Hosts William Dalrymple and Anita Arand interview Steve Coll on Osama bin Laden’s transformation from a celebrated Saudi hero to a stateless fugitive. The episode details his exile to Sudan, where he built Al-Qaeda’s network and funded attacks like the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Facing US pressure, bin Laden was expelled in 1996, fleeing to Afghanistan to ally with the Taliban.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Plaud, Tremfya, and Sallie Mae
Introduction: Bin Laden's descent from elite to terrorist
1990 Crisis: US troops in Saudi Arabia and Bin Laden's objection
Bin Laden's proposal to fight with Afghan veterans
Ideological clash: Wahhabism vs. US presence in holy lands
Family pressure: Passport restrictions and exile to Sudan
Life in Sudan: Farming, business, and building Al-Qaeda
Global network: Attacks in Somalia, Egypt, and Africa
Sponsors: Tremfya, Star Wars Podcast, and Attio
US-Saudi pressure and Bin Laden's denunciation of the Royal Family
Loss of citizenship and Jamal al-Fadl's defection to the US
Surveillance and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing context
Expulsion from Sudan and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan
Khobar Towers bombing and formation of Alec Station
Arrival in Kandahar and meeting Mullah Omar
Sponsors: Lenovo and Mint Mobile
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