In testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on February 5, 1997, assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, Toby Gati, said: ” ‘Iran remains foremost among the states which sponsor terrorism. …Iran continues its support for terrorist organizations such as Hizballah and Hamas and continues to host offices of other terrorist groups […]
2/4/1997
On February 4, 1997, former CIA operative Robert Baer met with an unnamed source to discuss Unocal’s plans to build pipelines in Afghanistan. “In spite of the ongoing civil war and the Taliban’s tightening grip on Afghanistan, Unocal intended to proceed with both pipelines. It calculated that running a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan […]
1/31/1997
According to a highly redacted CIA intelligence report from January 31, 1997, “Circa 1991, Sudanese National Islamic Front (NIF) [redacted] and Iran had common anti-imperialist objectives and, as such, should coordinate their activities. [Redacted] Shia and Sunni Islamists might effectively coordinate their activities and form a tripartite front against their common enemies. The front would […]
1/31/1997
According to a highly redacted CIA intelligence report from January 31, 1997, titled, “Terrorism: cooperation among Usama Bin Ladin’s Islamic Army, Iran, and the NIF (Sudan’s National Islamic Front)”: “Shortly after the tripartite agreement was reached [redacted] operatives traveled to southern Lebanon to receive training in explosives from Hizballah. [Redacted] Iran also began training individuals.” – […]
1/27/1997
According to a declassified CIA intelligence report from January 27, 1997, “Usama (Bin Ladin)’s Islamic Army [al Qaeda] issued a series of fatwas, most of them against the United States. …One fatwa stated that it was legal under Islamic law for the Islamic Army to fight U.S. forces anywhere in the world. …Another declared that […]
1/20/1997
2nd Term -William J. Clinton – Democratic president inaugurated -Albert A. Gore – Vice President – […]
1/20/1997
A few months after the Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, on January 20, 1997, an unidentified US diplomat said: ” ‘The Taliban will probably develop like the Saudis did. There will be Aramco [American oil company consortium that originally controlled Saudi oil], pipelines, an emir, no parliament and lots of Sharia law. We can […]
1/6/1997
According to a recently declassified top secret Counterterrorist Center Commentary on January 6, 1997, “[Redacted] agents of Usama Bin Ladin purchased a container of uranium [redacted] but [redacted] bogus nuclear material [redacted] efforts by Bin Laden suggests he is taking steps to develop the capability to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD)–possibly involving chemical agents […]
12/26/1996
“In another FBI 302 [interview summary] in late December [26] 1996, the Bureau noted that when [mobster turned FBI informant Greg] Scarpa [Jr.] suggested to [WTC bomber Ramzi] Yousef that he ‘give up *BOJINGA* or BIN LADEN, YOUSEF responded that the Government would never go after BIN LADEN because the Government knows that within one […]
12/15/1996
“In December 1996, a senior Iranian diplomat told me [journalist Ahmed Rashid] in hushed tones that the Saudis and the CIA had channelled US$2 million dollars to the Taliban–even though there was no evidence for such suspicions.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.] – Ahmed Rashid, Taliban, Page 166 […]