52. Bin Laden vs the CIA: Declaring Jihad (Ep 2)

The Rest Is Classified

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 732 Ratings

🗓️ 3 June 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How did a Saudi millionaire, seemingly more interested in a simple life than luxury, become the architect of a global terrorist organization? What personal and geopolitical forces converged to transform Osama bin Laden from a shy student into a war hero and the spiritual leader of Al Qaeda? And why was 1979 such a pivotal year for both him and the future of Islamic extremism? In this episode, Gordon and David dissect the pivotal year of 1979, a "hinge year" in the Middle East that profoundly impacted bin Laden. From the Grand Mosque siege in Mecca to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, we explore how these events provided an outlet for his burgeoning extremist beliefs and set him on the path to violence. Discover how he leveraged his family wealth and charismatic influence to build a network of Arab volunteers, laying the groundwork for a movement that would change the world. Join Gordon and David as they trace the critical turning points that led to the formation of Al Qaeda, and the surprising ways in which bin Laden cultivated his image as a holy warrior. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com or click this ⁠⁠⁠link⁠⁠⁠. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠ ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee Exclusive INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/restisclassified ------------------- Pre-order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------------------- Email: [email protected] Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was there when bin Laden changed. He got permission to make a speech in the mosque in Saudi Arabia after the Afghan war finished. In this speech, he attacked America very hard, and he asked all Arab people to cut off their relationship with the American
0:22.9	people. He said, we have to make a stand against America because it helps Israel. Well, welcome to
0:29.3	the rest is classified. I'm Gordon Carrera and I'm David McCloskey. And that quote was from
0:34.0	Asam Daraas, an Egyptian filmmaker who covered Osama bin Laden during the Afghan
0:38.8	jihad and who's reflecting on what was probably Osama bin Laden's first anti-American public
0:44.5	speech, which came in 1990. Last time we looked at this incredibly consequential figure,
0:50.8	Osama bin Laden, from the rich, large family of a construction magnet who
0:56.2	becomes drawn into religious radicalisation and then towards the jihad in Afghanistan in the 80s,
1:03.6	where he starts to build his image as someone who is willing to take risks and to fight the fight
1:10.0	and take on the Soviet Union there.
1:12.4	But we left the story, David, with his organization being formed called Al-Qaeda, the base,
1:20.5	with the Soviets withdrawing from Afghanistan and Bin Laden really looking for a new purpose for himself
1:26.7	and for this group of
1:28.0	fighters that he'd drawn together.
1:30.1	That's right.
1:30.6	And it's February of 1989.
1:32.9	The Soviets have withdrawn from Afghanistan.
1:35.8	Coincidentally, Gordon, the Soviets withdraw on Osama bin Laden's 32nd birthday.
1:41.7	But of course, fundamentalist Muslims don't celebrate birthdays. So I'm sure he...
1:46.1	He didn't have a party with cake. They didn't have a cake for him, I'm sure. The CIA station in
1:52.0	Islamabad Pakistan sends a cable back to D.C. saying we won. There are parties at the CIA and in the
1:57.5	White House. And we have the Soviets out of Afghanistan after a decade in the
	...

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