Jack Lawrence

However, he wanted to move beyond the daily bulletins and dig deeper into these stories.

At any point, did you think like, they've taken these four Western hostages, I am just another Westerner, maybe I might become another hostage?

The Taliban.

Say that name today, and everyone knows instantly who they are and what they're capable of.

But of course, that wasn't always the case.

They would eventually become a household name after an attack on the United States that was beamed around the world into every single household globally.

When 9-11 happened, the Taliban would actually condemn what had happened, however, would soon be thrust alongside those who were said to have committed this atrocity.

Anyone alive that day will know exactly where they were when they heard the news.

I was 16 at the time and was walking home from school with a friend when we stopped into his house.

As we walked in, his mum was fixated on the TV.

She simply turned to us and said, America is under attack.

Of course, at the time, no one was really sure what was going on or what this all meant, other than the fact that this was a life-changing event.

Immediately after 9-11, no one claimed responsibility for the attack, but focus was placed on al-Qaeda, as intercepted communications pointed to a man named Osama bin Laden as the mastermind.

Following 9-11, then-President Bush told the American public and the world that the Islamic militant group al-Qaeda were indeed responsible for the devastating attacks, and the Taliban regime of Afghanistan were providing a safe haven for this terrorist organisation.

And of course, we all know the story from there.

Operation Enduring Freedom was launched when troops entered Afghanistan with the initial invasion aimed to oust the Taliban and dismantle al-Qaeda.

It was a war that would last 20 years until the final withdrawal of American troops in August of 2021 when the Taliban simply regained control of the country.

However, before the 20 years of bloodshed, before those planes flew into the towers, the Taliban were by no means mainstream news.

However, their strict rule and archaic views had piqued the interest of some in the media.

And so, Sean was on a flight.