Hello - I was reading the thread and came across this remark. I wanted to inquire as to a reference you might have for this assertion.
I read the above sentence to mean that Bin Laden and the US were in some way working in a coordinated manner against the Soviet Union. In the readings I have done, I have not seen a compelling case for such a cooperative venture.
The way I understand it is that the alliance was one of convenience, but an alliance nonetheless. Money was channelled indirectly to bin Ladin & his comrades and the US supported developments that were favorable to bin Ladin's fight against the Soviets.
So an alliance, yes, but a clandestine one. Did he shake hands with Reagan at the White House? No. Did he receive material and political support? I believe so, but I would be interested to look at the readings you've mentioned.