Frontline Goes Inside al-Qaida

On Tuesday night, PBS’ FRONTLINE will air the first of two stories that delve into al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Correspondents Stephen Grey and Martin Smith explore the Taliban and al-Qaida inside Pakistan. They investigate details of a CIA militia pursuing al-Qaida and Taliban members and uncover ties between the Taliban and Pakistani military. One mid-level Taliban commander tells FRONTLINE, “If they really wanted to, [the Pakistanis] could arrest us all in an hour.”

In another installment, Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi reports from behind enemy lines on a group of Osama bin Laden loyalists as they prepare for the spring offensive against the U.S.

Watch the trailer:

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

Smith also talked to bin Laden biographer Steve Coll about the recent killing of bin Laden, succession plans within al-Qaida, the hideout and his final years.

Watch a clip of Coll discussing the military’s choice to bury bin Laden at sea:

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

And, scroll through FRONTLINE’s collection of past reporting on bin Ladin and al-Qaida and listen to interviews from the past 12 years about bin Laden.