In this episode, we discuss the history of the United States of America's conflict with al-Qaeda and how previous decisions, dating back as far as World War I, have affected our modern world. We start with some background about the bin Laden family and Osama bin Laden's childhood. Next, we cover the formation of his extremist views and the Afghan-Soviet War. Then we move to the "why" behind his declaration of war against the United States. Lastly, we discuss the long-term effects of bin Laden's ideas and the groups he has inspired. Thank you for listening.