“After US troops intervened in Afghanistan, Osama made a speech at the Islamic Studies Centre in Jalalabad on November 10 [2001], before retreating to the Afghan-Pakistan border. According to those present he said ‘the Americans had a plan to invade, but if we are united and believe in Allah, we’ll teach them a lesson, the same one we taught the Russians.’ He concluded his address to the 1,000 or so regional tribal leaders in his audience as follows: ‘God is with us, and we will win this war. Your Arab brothers will lead the way. We have the weapons and the technology. What we need most is your moral support. And may God grant me the opportunity to see you and meet you on the frontlines.’ “
– Rohan Gunaratna, Inside al Qaeda, Pages 50-51