From a declassified U.S. Department of State cable, dated August 22, 1998: ” ‘[Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed] Omar warned that the [U.S. cruise missile] strikes [against bin Laden] would be counterproductive to the U.S. They could spark more, not less, terrorist attacks. And they would further increase Islamic solidarity against the U.S. The Islamic world would rally to Afghanistan’s side in the face of the attacks. …On Bin Ladin, Omar said that getting rid of one individual would not end the problems posed to the U.S. by the Islamic world. He again said that he has seen no hard evidence against Bin Ladin [regarding the African embassy attacks on August 7].’ ”
– Peter Bergen, The Osama bin Laden I Know, Page 231