I'm inclined to agree with you. However, there were those reports that Osama's Arab Legion really didn't engage in a whole heckuva lot of combat against the Russians in Afghanistan. They mostly just took the training and sucked up the money (from the Saudis & Pakis) and made a few perfunctory forays into the 'Stan just to make it 'look good'.
I don't know what to make of the validity of those reports, personally.
probably....and when the USSR collapsed it was kinda logical they came after us next I guess.
I doubt Bin Laden is stupid and therefore I think he probably knows he's in trouble. But all leaders delegate at some point and he falls under the definition of a leader albeit an evil one.
oh I've read and heard that too, by more than one source
what I heard was that the Pakistani ISI was divying out the money unfairly, they were giving the Holy Warrior money to the most Islamist dudes, like Hetmakyar, now Hetmakyar is notorious for having done little fighting but just pocketing the money and keeping the weapons for the civil war he knew was coming up.....Hetmakyar being a good buddy of old Osama there....
and they say that Massoud, the Northern Alliance commander, who was a more moderate Muslim, was getting the short end of the stick and yet it was Massoud's crew that had the biggest victories against the Russians.....even the Pashtuns hailed Massoud as a war hero when he was assassinated....
it is established fact that the Holy Warriors weren't getting very far until the Americans outfitted them with Stinger missiles and it was the constant downing of Russian helicopters that turned the tide.....Bin Laden never likes to mention that though....
the CIA guy in charge acknowledges now that it had been a mistake to let the Pakistani ISI divy out the money, I wouldn't be surprised that the ISI also kept a lot of the Saudi and CIA money to fund the Taliban later....