“The Western media had ignored [al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-] Zawahiri for the most part until 9/11, but after he appeared seated next to Bin Laden…on a videotape…on October 7, 2001…analysts realized that even if Bin Laden was the charismatic figure and the symbol of Qaedat al-Jihad, Zawahiri was its unofficial spokesman, chief polemicist, and […]
10/7/2001
Referring to an October 7, 2001, televised appearance by bin Laden, author Giles Keppel noted: “Bin Laden has used abundant audiovisual, as opposed to ideological, references, which have an impact on a young Arab audience that owes its education to television rather than to the crumbling educational system…” – Gilles Kepel and Jean-Pierre Milelli, eds., […]
10/7/2001
On October 7, 2001, Osama bin Laden said: ” ‘God Almighty hit the United States at its most vulnerable point. He destroyed its greatest buildings. …I swear by Almighty God who raised the heavens without pillars that neither the United States nor he who lives in the United States will enjoy security before we can […]
10/7/2001
Journalist Peter Bergen wrote: “The first such [bin Laden] statement surfaced on October 7, 2001–the very night the United States launched its initial cruise missile attacks and bombing raids on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets. At the very moment that tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of people around the world were glued to the grainy green […]
10/7/2001
“On October 7 [2001], U.S. and British forces begin air strikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan.” – Craig Unger, House of Bush, House of Saud, Page 305 […]
10/7/2001
In Phase Two of Operation Enduring Freedom, “air strikes and Special Operations attacks would hit key al Qaeda and Taliban targets [in Afghanistan]. In an innovative joint effort, CIA and Special Operations forces would be deployed to work together with each major Afghan faction opposed to the Taliban. The Phase Two strikes and raids began […]
10/7/2001
“The [al Qaeda] organization was clearly dealt a staggering blow by Operation Enduring Freedom [launched on October 7, 2001].” – Bruce Riedel, The Search for Al Qaeda, Page 87 […]
10/7/2001
“…social scientist Chalmers Johnson has commented, ‘Support for this enterprise [the dual oil and gas pipelines [through Afghanistan]]…appears to have been a major consideration in the Bush administration’s decision to attack Afghanistan on October 7, 2001.’ Political commentator Kevin Phillips has agreed that ‘plans were discussed in the spring and summer of 2001–well before the […]
10/6/2001
In an October 6, 2001, article in the National Journal, according to former Saudi Ambassador Chas W. Freeman: ” ‘Al Qaeda is directed first and foremost at the overthrow of the Saudi monarchy. You can be damn sure that any al Qaeda operative is on the Saudi wanted list and that any senior operative is […]
10/5/2001
“Shortly after the first anthrax victim died in October [5, 2001], the Bush administration began an intense effort to explore any possible link between Iraq and the attacks and continued to do so even after scientists determined that the lethal germ was an American strain, scientists and government officials said. But they said that largely […]