Osama bin Laden's mother, Alia Ghanem, spoke out for the first time this week about her son's life and radicalisation in a bombshell interview with The Guardian.

Ghanem, who lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with her husband of more than 50 years and two of bin Laden's brothers in one of the most lavish homes in the country, sat down with journalist Martin Chulov to discuss bin Laden's childhood and how he became the most famous terrorist in the world, responsible for the 9/11 attacks and others across the world.

Before he was killed ... an undated file photo of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Credit:AP

The interview covers more than 50 years of the extremist's life, and bin Laden's family and friends blame everything from global political forces to bin Laden's own character for the former leader of al-Qaida's decades of fanaticism. Chulov spoke with bin Laden's mother and siblings, as well as Saudi officials, to piece together his life.

Bin Laden's family remembers a loving, passionate young man. Ghanem called bin Laden, her first born son, "shy," and "academically capable" as a child.