“In May 1997 bin Laden teamed up with [Egyptian Islamic Jihad leader Ayman al-] Zawahiri, who had been wandering around Europe and the Middle East since he left Sudan in 1996, and with their supporters to form a close-knit group of jihadists. Zawahiri became its ideological leader, bin Laden its charismatic chieftain.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Bruce Riedel, The Search for Al Qaeda, Page 58