Remember back in the day when Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden were the Western world’s most hated peeps? Then along came ISIS and Jihadi John and there was a new evil in town. I suppose it also helps that Osama’s body is currently somewhere at the bottom of an ocean riddled with bullets.

Well now some photos have been released, taken during the mid-1990s, and they show Bin Laden hiding high in the Afghan mountains in a region called Tora Bora. Why did he choose this area? This from the Daily Mail:

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 [the photographer] Atwan during the interview: ‘I feel really secure in the mountains.’ 

Bin Laden was forced to flee the area following the 9/11 attacks when Western forces tracked him to the area and were rather liberal with air strikes. He was eventually tracked to a compound in Pakistan ten years later where special forces riddled his body with bullets and then argued over who killed him.

[source:dailymail]