Arabia -- The Afghan war -- From donor to holy warrior -- The birth of al Qaeda -- Al Qaeda goes global -- Afghanistan, again -- Al Qaeda attacks -- The charismatic leader -- The 9/11 plot -- The fall of the Taliban and the flight to Tora Bora -- Al Qaeda's quest for weapons of mass destruction -- How al Qaeda took root in Iraq and the story of Abu Musab al Zarqawi -- Bin Laden on the run -- Bin Laden's legacy.