Did the CIA actually fund Osama bin Laden during the Soviet-Afghan war? 

Who was Abdullah Azzam, the radical scholar who turned jihad into a global franchise? How did a bureaucratic office meeting create Al-Qaeda? 

In Episode 2 of this new series, William Dalrymple is joined by Jason Burke, author of Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam and The Revolutionists, to discuss the founding of al-Qaeda. 

Summer sale is here: get an annual Empire Club membership for an extra 20% off with code SUMMER26. That's ad-free listening, early-access, every bonus episode, and full access to our exclusive members' series. Sale ends August 31st, so grab it before summer's over.

 

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Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott

Editor: Bruno Di Castri

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Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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