From a December 1998 interview with Osama bin Laden: “TIME: The U.S. says you are trying to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons. How would you use these? bin Laden: ‘Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to […]
12/15/1998
In an interview in December 1998, Osama bin Laden said: ” ‘There are two parties to the conflict: World Christianity, which is allied with Jews and Zionism, led by the United States, Britain, and Israel. The second party is the Islamic world. In such a conflict, it is unacceptable to see the first party mount […]
12/15/1998
” ‘The terrorists will grow deep and wide, right and left, up and down to terrorize and entangle the West, and especially the United States,’ he [Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud] told a close aide in December 1998. So far, the Taliban, Osama and the Pakistani fanatics who volunteered to support the Taliban did […]
12/15/1998
“In December 1998, all [weapons] inspectors were withdrawn [from Iraq] following an autumn of much Iraqi obstruction, and ahead of U.S./UK bombing [which commenced on December 16].” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.] – Hans Blix, Disarming Iraq, Page 28 […]
12/15/1998
“In December 1998, [UNSCOM (UN Special Commission on Iraq) chairman] Richard Butler submitted a controversial report to the [UN] Security Council concluding that Iraq had not in fact provided the full cooperation it had promised. In anticipation of U.S./UK bombings, he ordered the withdrawal of UNSCOM staff engaged in the inspection effort. They were evacuated […]
12/15/1998
“On January 14, 1999, ABC News reported that three intelligence agencies believed that Saddam had offered asylum to bin Laden. ‘Intelligence sources say bin Laden’s long relationship with the Iraqis began as he helped Sudan’s fundamentalist government in their efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction. …ABC News has learned that in December [1998], an […]
12/15/1998
” ‘The British and the American people loudly declared their support for their leaders’ decision to attack Iraq,’ bin Laden announced in December 1998 in the Arab newspaper Asharq al Awsat. According to his logic, this made it imperative that all Muslims ‘confront, fight and kill’ Britons and Americans.” [The 15th of the month used […]
12/15/1998
Regarding a connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq, “One of the most persistent assertions, again arising from information provided by [Ahmed] Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress, is that [Iraq’s ambassador to Turkey] Mr. [Faruk al-] Hijazi was dispatched by Hussein in [December] 1998 to meet with Osama bin Laden and offer him and his supporters in […]
12/15/1998
The 9/11 Commission’s staff report from March 23, 2004, said that Bin Ladin’s whereabouts on three occasions could have resulted in military strikes: “In December 1998, February 1999, and May 1999. However, in each case, action was not taken because the intelligence was not sufficiently ‘actionable’–policy makers worried that the strike might miss Bin Ladin, […]
12/15/1998
“When asked in another interview [that aired on Al Jazeera in December 1998]…whether he was trying to acquire unconventional weapons, bin Laden repeated the Muslim-bomb argument: ‘Israel is stockpiling hundreds of nuclear warheads and atomic bombs. The Christian West controls a vast number of such weapons. Hence, we do not regard this as an accusation, […]