In a June 16, 2004, report on the history of al Qaeda, the 9/11 Commission “detailed Bin Ladin’s return to Afghanistan in [May] 1996 and merger with the terrorist group Egyptian Islamic Jihad, estimating that ‘as many as 20,000’ people trained in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan between May 1996 and 9/11.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, Without Precedent, Page 240