Rare photos have emerged of the primitive and isolated compound Osama Bin Laden lived in until a Western bombing campaign forced him to flee.
The images resurfaced last month during the terrorism conspiracy trial in New York of Al Qaeda lieutenant Khaled al-Fawwaz, a communications conduit for the terrorist organisation in London in the mid-1990s.
They were taken by Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan, who was invited to the hideout in 1996 as part of Bin Laden's ploy to spread his message of hate to the Western world.
The 9/11 mastermind had declared war on America and planned a media campaign to garner international attention.
It included his first television interview for CNN's Peter Arnett and Peter Bergen in 1997 and a sit-down for ABC News' John Miller a year later.
'He wanted media exposure,' Atwan told CNN's Bergen for his 2006 book, The Osama Bin Laden I Know.
'He wants to say, "Now I am an international figure; I'm not just a Saudi. I am aggrieved at Americans who are occupying Saudi Arabia who are desecrating the Holy Land"', said Atwan.
He was seen making video announcements in front of shelves of Islamic books - in a bid to make him look intelligent - and was captured with a wide grin as he strolled around the isolated compound.
For several years, he developed an intricate network of caves and dwellings 14,000ft up in the White Mountains.
He discovered the area during the anti-Soviet war in the 1980s, and decided to settle and set up the compound in 1996 - when the Taliban had taken control of Afghanistan.
Bin Laden chose the location because of its proximity to the border with Pakistan, while the rugged terrain meant it would be difficult for opposition forces to attack on foot.
The system of caves and underground passages meant he would also be protected from air attacks.
He told Atwan during the interview: 'I feel really secure in the mountains.'
According to reports Bin Laden would spend hours on long hikes through the mountains, always carrying a Russian-made Kalashnikov rifle by his side.
Bodyguards, militants and children - including his sons - would constantly follow him around as he looked for new hideout locations.
He told his family members they needed to know the terrain and the tunnel system inside out in case of an attack.
(dailymail.co.uk)
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