12/24/1998

When asked if al-Qa’ida had nuclear or chemical weapons, bin Laden said, in the December 24, 1998, issue of Time: ” ‘Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so.’ ”

 – George Tenet with Bill Harlow, At the Center of the Storm, Pages 259-260