“Osama also persuaded the Taliban leadership to destroy the ancient statues of the Buddha in Bamiyan [Afghanistan] in March [2] 2001. This act was in direct retaliation for the sanctions imposed on Afghanistan, a claim borne out by Arabic documents recovered by a Western journalist.” [Editor’s note: The author incorrectly identified the destruction of the Buddhas as having taken place in March 2000.]
– Rohan Gunaratna, Inside al Qaeda, Page 49