A rare look inside Osama bin Laden's Afghan hideout

Rare photographs of Osama bin Laden's life in Afghanistan before the 9/11 attacks have emerged during a terrorism trial in Manhattan.

The photos offer a glimpse into the cavernous tunnels and camps he was building in the mountainous area of Afghanistan known as Tora Bora.

They were taken by Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan, who was invited to the hideout in 1996 as part of Bin Laden's ploy to spread his message of hate to the world.

All the images were released by the United States Attorney's Office during the trial of Khaled al-Fawwaz, a communications conduit for terrorists in the mid-1990s.

The militant would sit in front of books when recording his terror messages to make it seem like he was intellectual.

A rare image of bin Laden in his home setting were released as part of the trial of Al Qaeda lieutenant Khaled al-Fawwaz, a communications conduit for Al Qaeda in London in the mid-1990s.

Another picture of Osama at his Tora Bora residence.

Syrian ideologue al-Suri, Osama and British documentary maker Gwynne Roberts.

The 9/11 mastermind would hike alone in the snow-covered mountains.

Osama smiles as he walks around Tora Bora surrounded by bodyguards and loyal followers.

Osama sits with Syrian-born ideologue Abu Musab al-Suri.

Osama grins during one of his lengthy walks in the isolated Tora Bora area.

Osama speaks to Syrian ideologue al-Suri.

Osama Bin Laden holds a Kalashnikov rifle in Tora Bora, a mountainous region of Afghanistan, in November 1996.

Osama walks around the base's compound whilst surrounded by loyalists.

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