Bin Laden: The Early Years (2001)

Osama Bin Laden made further trips, and joined the fighting. As a wealthy Saudi, he stood out and acquired a following, and other Arabs joined the Afghan Muslims. He organized a guesthouse and camps, naming them al-Qaeda. The Afghan jihad against the Soviet army was backed with American dollars, and supported by the governments of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. But after the Soviet withdrawal, bin Laden became disillusioned by the lack of recognition for his achievements. Half a million US soldiers were invited onto Saudi soil, a historic betrayal in bin Laden's eyes.