| Osama Bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi | | | | Invasion of Afghanistan. In 1984, he collaborated |
| Arabia on 10 March 1957. His father, Muhammed | | | | with Azzam in forming Maktab al-Khadamat which |
| Awad bin Laden was a billionaire businessman with | | | | helped funnel money, arms and fighters into |
| close ties with the Saudi royal family. Osama was | | | | Afghanistan. |
| born the only son of Muhammed and his tenth | | | | By 1988, Bin Laden had split from the movement |
| wife, Hamid al-Attas, the couple divorced soon | | | | over disputes with Azzam over whether Arabic |
| after his birth. His mother then married | | | | fighters should be integrated with Afghan fighting |
| Muhammed al-Attas, they had four children and | | | | units or not. Bin Laden returned to his native Saudi |
| Bin Laden grew up in the household with his three | | | | Arabia in 1990 as a hero of jihad who, along with |
| stepbrothers and one stepsister. He was raised as | | | | his Arab legion, had helped bring down the mighty |
| a devout Sunni Muslim, from 1968 to 1976 he | | | | superpower of the Soviet Union. At the same |
| attended the elite, secular Al-Thager Model School | | | | time, Iraq invaded Kuwait, spreading widespread |
| in Jeddah. During this time he married his first | | | | fear that they may invade Saudi Arabia as well, |
| wife, Najwa Ghanem at Latakia in Syria He went | | | | Bin Laden offered his services to the House of |
| on to study economics and business at the King | | | | Saud to protect the country but they rejected his |
| Abdulaziz University. After leaving university, he | | | | proposals instead inviting US and Coalition troops |
| joined Abdullah Azzam to fight the Soviet | | | | onto Saudi soil. |