Peter Bergen has travelled repeatedly to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to report on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. In 1997, as a producer for CNN, he produced bin Laden’s first television interview, in which bin Laden declared war against the United States for the first time to a Western audience. His most recent book is “The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al-Qaeda's Leader”. It was named one of the best non-fiction books of 2006 by The Washington Post. CNN produced a two hour documentary, “In the Footsteps of bin Laden”, based on the book.

In an interview with IPI, Peter Bergen reflects on whether journalists should talk to terrorists, where they should draw the line, and what it is like sitting down with fugitives and getting access their hunters cannot.

"Journalists are citizens too", he said. "Information from terrorists about imminent attacks on civilians should not be something that journalists should keep to themselves for any reason."