“Bin Laden’s CNN interview [conducted by journalist Peter Bergen on March 22, 1997] was the first time that he told Western reporters he was declaring war on the United States. ‘We declared jihad against the U.S. government, because the U.S. government is unjust, criminal and tyrannical. It has committed acts that are extremely unjust, hideous, and criminal whether directly or through its support of the Israeli occupation of the Prophet’s Night Travel Land (Palestine). And we believe the U.S. is directly responsible for those who were killed in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. Due to its subordination to the Jews the arrogance and haughtiness of the U.S. regime has reached, to the extent that they occupied the qibla of the Muslims (Saudi Arabia) who are more than a billion in the world today.’ ”
– Peter Bergen, The Osama bin Laden I Know, Page 183