The terrorist North mentioned in his testimony was not Osama bin Laden, however. To the extent that bin Laden was known to the western world in 1987, it was not as a "terrorist" but as one of the U. S. -backed "freedom fighters" participating in the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden's hatred of the U. S. and conversion to "terrorist" status is not believed to have come about until the Gulf War of 1990-91, when he was outspokenly critical of Saudi Arabian dependence upon the U. S. military and denounced U. S. support of a "corrupt, materialist, and irreligious" Saudi monarchy. (The Saudi Arabian government stripped bin Laden of his citizenship in 1994 for his funding of militant fundamentalist Islamic groups. )
I was watching C-Span and saw this testimony live in the late 80's. I dont recall Osama Bin Lauden by name, or dont recall who the suit was that was questioning him. I can tell you the suit was a total A__ H___ and Oliver North made him look quite stupid. But I can vouch that Bin Laden was part of the US sponsored Mujahideen in Afghanistan and was trained in US weapons of that era.
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
