Check out these rare photos of Osama Bin Laden at his hideout in Afghanistan

The US Department of Justice has released a series of photos of Osama Bin Laden from 1996, taken at his hiding home in Tora Bora, Afghanistan. The photographs have been used as evidence in an FBI terrorism trial and captures Bin Laden before he was a wanted terrorist, and as a free man . Strikingly, he is still seen to be in hiding, preparing for the blows that were to follow. [caption id=“attachment_2156495” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bin Laden at his Afghan hideout home in Tora Bora. Image from CNN.[/caption] The rare images, photographed by British-Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan, are a part of an interview conducted by the journalist for which he was sent to Afghanistan in November 1996, according to this report by CNN . The then Al-Qaeda communications lieutenant Khaled-al-Fawwaz (on whom the current day trial is being carried out) reached out to Atwan to offer him the first print interview with the jihadist leader. “I was told that Osama bin Laden was fond of my writing, he liked my style, and he wanted to meet me personally,” said Atwan, as quoted in a book titled The Osama bin Laden I Know.  The pictures include Bin Laden’s mud home, cramped with maps and weapons, long, portrait shots of Bin Laden carrying an AK-47, or sitting on his bed, in front of a large bookshelf, looking imposingly toward the camera. He has a calm smile on his face, that looks like he knew how to photograph. There are some images of him walking through snow-clad hills with Atwan, emerged in conversation. Some of the images are below: [caption id=“attachment_2156503” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Area surrounding Bin Laden’s home in Tora Bora. Image from CNN.[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_2156501” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Osama bin Laden took Palestinian journalist Abdel Barri Atwan on a two-hour hike around Tora Bora in 1996. Image from CNN.[/caption]       [caption id=“attachment_2156497” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bin Laden filming videos. Image from CNN.[/caption]     [caption id=“attachment_2156507” align=“alignleft” width=“285”] Portrait shot of Bin Laden. Image from CNN.[/caption]