On December 6, 1996, “Secretary of State Warren Christopher…sent the first formal demarche to the Taliban, demanding bin Laden’s expulsion. ‘Harboring bin Laden and allowing him and his supporters to transit Afghan territory at will and to conduct uncontrolled activities greatly hurt[s] prospects for Afghanistan rejoining the world community,’ the letter said. The response took several months.”
– Roy Gutman, How We Missed the Story, Pages 96-97