himself on the prophet mohammed. the prophet mohammed was not only a great religious leader but also battled the infidels. for bin laden, it was important to continue in the prophet mohammed s footsteps. reporter: for bin laden, the early days on the battleground were terrifying. when bin laden used to hear the explosions, he used to jump and he used to run away. i still remember that me and my elder and younger brothers, we used to laugh. reporter: but several years on the battlefield would harden bin laden. fear gave way to ambition. mohammed bin laden s shy and reticent young son osama, once reluctant to lead, was now ready to command his own all-arab army in afghanistan. his mentor adamantly opposed this idea. it was the beginning of a rift that would never heal. bin laden went and he built
to score. reporter: batarfi says the teenage osama would usually take the high road. he remembers the time his friend was being bullied. so i went running to the guy and pushed him away from osama. and solve problem this way. but then osama came to me and said, you know if you waited a few minutes, i would have solved the problem peacefully. so this was the kind of guy who would always think of solving problems peacefully. reporter: while batarfi took the lead on the playing field, when it came to religion, there was no question, osama was in charge. that s the mosque we used to pray. yes. reporter: five times every day, devout muslims turn towards
jeddah was its main door to the west, main port on the red sea and a huge amount of building had taken place. i taught osama bin laden english in saudi arabia from 1968 to 1969. osama sat about two-thirds of the way back on the right by the windows. he was not an outstanding student academically. on the other hand, he was a very bright boy. reporter: although arabic and religious instruction took priority, the al fatah school, one of the top schools in the kingdom, was surprisingly progressive. the boys had a western uniform. they had trousers, shirts, jackets and shoes. reporter: he had taught a number of bin laden s brothers. osama s family was well-known in saudi arabia. his father s career was the stuff of legend.
was now preparing for a life without luxuries or even basic essentials, a life as a holy warrior. i hear from his brothers that when they go there, they sleep on the sand. there is no blanket if it is cold. and you know, like soldiers. reporter: batarfi had no desire to join osama s army, so the two friends began to drift apart. i would prefer the beach. i was more romantic. you know, i was thinking of love. he was thinking of love of god. reporter: but how did osama bin laden s love of god become a mission to kill?
and bin laden, three years older, became neighbors and best friends. going to the mosque together, playing together, watching tv together. among their favorite shows, american westerns and bruce lee movies. he would watch cowboy movies and karate movies, things that action movies. reporter: batarfi took us to the field where he and bin laden played soccer as teenagers. and just looking, i think of a lot of memories. and i enjoyed being a captain, really, telling people what to do. reporter: on the soccer field, batarfi was the leader. osama, the follower. but i would tell him what to do. he was a good soldier. he would follow orders. usually because he was taller than most of us and older, he would play in the front because this way he could use his head