In March 1997, “a Taliban spokesman told reporters that bin Laden was a ‘visitor’ living under Taliban protection. He said the militia would ‘never allow anyone to use Afghan soil to make attacks against another country.’ “ [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.] – Roy Gutman, How We Missed the […]
Category: quotes
3/15/1997
In March 1997, bin Laden said: ” ‘Our main problem is the U.S. government…By being loyal to the U.S. regime, the Saudi regime has committed an act against Islam,’ he said. Bin Laden made no secret of the fact that he was interested in fomenting a revolution in Saudi Arabia, and that his new regime […]
3/15/1997
“His [Osama bin Laden’s] intention of fomenting rebellion within Saudi Arabia is well illustrated in the interview given to CNN’s Peter Arnett [in March 1997]: ‘The first [problem] is their subordination to the US. So our main problem is the US government while the Saudi regime is but a branch or an agent of the […]
3/15/1997
“In March 1997, the Taliban delivered the definitive response to [Secretary of State Warren] Christopher’s letter [in December 1996, asking them to expel Osama bin Laden]. There was the direct answer that Maulvi Ehsanullah, a member of the Taliban inner shura and later deputy interior minister in charge of intelligence, gave to three U.S. diplomats […]
2/18/1997
In defense of using aggressive interrogation techniques, Deputy Chief in the Office of Legal Counsel, John Yoo wrote: “The Landau Commission, an Israeli investigation into allegations of torture against its security services…found that effectively preventing some terrorist bombings would have been ‘impossible’ without the use of coercive interrogation methods. In a [February 18] 1997 report […]
2/15/1997
“In a February 1997 Arabic-language television interview, bin Laden declared, ‘If someone can kill an American soldier, it is better than wasting time on other matters.’ ” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.] – Richard Miniter, Losing Bin Laden, Page 161 […]
2/15/1997
Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet released a written statement for the Joint Inquiry Committee on October 17, 2002. It read: “In February 1997, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security reported that: ‘The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and other intelligence sources have been warning that the threat of […]
2/15/1997
Describing a U.S. attempt to buy back the Stinger missiles from the Taliban for six-to-eight million dollars, author James Bamford wrote: “[CIA negotiator Gary] Schroen arrived on a chartered United Nations plane in February 1997. …The visit did not go well. [Taliban leader] Mullah [Mohammed] Omar refused permission to meet with them and sent them […]
2/12/1997
In the second World Trade Center trial, “After months of evidence the verdicts were finally read out on 12 February 1997. [Bomber Ramzi] Yousef was found guilty.” – Simon Reeve, The New Jackals, Page 242 […]
2/12/1997
In 1997, “the Gore Commission, created by President [Bill] Clinton in response to the explosion of TWA Flight 800, had concluded [in a February 12, 1997 report] that ‘the threat against civil aviation is changing and growing, and…the federal government must lead the fight against it.’ The Gore Commission Report voiced the consensus of American […]