Bin Laden: The Road To 9/11

Did anything in the childhood of Osama Bin Laden hint at his later evil actions? This fascinating history documentary on BBC Select investigates Bin Laden's early years in Saudi Arabia. In 1980, he traveled to Afghanistan to join resistance against the Soviet invasion. While considered a liability on the battlefield, his wealth proved invaluable and his successes led to the founding of Al Qaeda.

After helping in the Afghan defeat of the Soviets, Bin Laden was considered a Saudi war hero. But soon he was estranged from his family and declaring Jihad against the US. This compelling history documentary on BBC Select looks at the factors that transformed Bin Laden from a renowned freedom fighter to a devoted enemy of America and the West. What drove him to plot his most audacious attack?

As his reputation, and his terrorist network, grew, Bin Laden started to appear on US TV shows, granting interviews where he threatened the American people directly. He then issued his infamous fatwa calling for the murder of any American, anywhere on Earth. As this fascinating history documentary on BBC Select reveals, Navy Seals were soon on his tail. But could Bin Laden ever be caught?