Origins

1957 - 1989 How and where does the story of 9/11 begin? The answer is a tale of two countries: Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.  This first episode looks into Osama bin Laden's family history and formative years, his education, and the bin Laden family's long and highly profitable relationship with the Saudi royal family. The scene shifts after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 outrages Muslims around the world, including a young Osama bin Laden.  He was one of many who were inspired to raise money or travel to Pakistan to help the Afghans fight against the Russian occupiers.  The episode looks at how Afghanistan fit into American foreign policy interests during the Cold War, why the Soviets ultimately withdrew, and definitively answers the question to the widely speculated rumor: did the CIA have any connections with Osama bin Laden during the war?