bin laden's time in the shadow of his mentor abdullah azzam would be short-lived.erely content to fund the fight, bin laden would join it. his countless hours and days in the harsh saudi desert without shelter and with few provisions had prepared him for this moment. it was always his belief that he was destined to be a holy warrior. >> i think he's always modeled himself on the prophet mohammed and the prophet mohammed was not only a great religious figure but also somebody who personally battled the infidels. so for bin laden it would have been important to continue in the prophet mohammed's footsteps. >> reporter: for bin laden the early days on the battlefield were terrifying. >> when bin laden used to hear the explosions, he used to jump and he used to run away. i still remember that me and my elder and younger brother, we used to laugh. >> reporter: but several years on the battlefield would harden bin laden. fear gave way to ambition. mohammed bin laden's shy and reticent young son osama, once reluctant to lead, was now ready to command his own all-arab army