was expelled from Sudan. He sought refuge in Afghanistan where the extreme Islamic fundamentalist Taliban was in control.

In 1996 bin Laden issued a declaration of war against the United States. Al- Qaeda set up camps to train international terrorists in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda was linked to the 1996 car bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, and the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. Bin Laden and his followers practice a form of Islamic extremism that directs them to kill Christians and Jews, and make no distinctions among military and civilians, including women and children.

On September 20, 2001 President George W. Bush spoke before a joint session of Congress saying that: "By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder. And tonight the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban:

• Deliver to United States authorities all of the leaders of al-Qaeda who hide in your land.
• Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens you have unjustly imprisoned.
• Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your country.
• Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist and every person and their support structure to appropriate authorities.