With the assassination of Al Qaeda leader Aymen al-Zawahiri ringing in their ears, Aimen & Thomas turn their attention once again to Afghanistan, focusing this time on the Soviet invasion in 1979 and the rise of global jihadism that followed. What led the Soviets to invade? What was Kabul’s Cold War relationship with Moscow like in the run-up to the invasion? What was the U.S.’s true role in the anti-Soviet jihad? And most importantly: why did thousands of young men from the Arab role sign up to fight? Through an in-depth look at the life of the most celebrated ideologue of modern jihadism, Abdullah Azzam, we’ll answer those questions and more, as we continue to assemble the geopolitical puzzle of the modern Middle East.

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