'I met Osama Bin Laden'

Osama Bin Laden's journey from moderate Islamic youth to ruthless leader of world jihad has been traced in a BBC Two programme that uses only the testimony of people who have actually met the al-Qaeda figurehead.

So goes the introduction to a BBC Two programe on the BBC Website.

From this little nugget you can already tell it will be a whitewash.

He was happy to learn English - according to his teacher - but unlike many of his half-siblings who were educated abroad and embraced a Western lifestyle, he did not.

Instead Osama stayed in Jeddah where he went to university, to study economics, and first encountered radical Islamic thinkers.

Excuse me? I seem to remember him studying somewhat in Beirut (terrorist tactics possibly) and having a fine old western style life. Seems others do as well.

From World Net Daily

In his youth, bin Laden frequented flashy nightclubs, casinos and bars in Beirut and was known as a drinker and a womanizer who frequently ended up in bar brawls.

and here and here

I Met Osama Bin Laden will be shown in the UK on BBC TWO, Sunday 28 March at 2000BST

I'll try and catch it but Sunday is my day at the pub.