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Article: Inside Al Qaeda's Secret World; Bin Laden Bought Precious Autonomy
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- December 23, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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In May 1996, Osama bin Laden and his entourage of three wives, 13
children and a cadre of Arab militants and bodyguards arrived at the
Jalalabad airport in eastern Afghanistan at the invitation of a
powerful local military commander eager to offer bin Laden refuge
after his expulsion from Sudan.
Jalalabad, a chaotic commercial trading center close to Pakistan
and a few hours' drive from a catacomb of mountain hideaways known as
Tora Bora, became the gateway for bin Laden's audacious attempt to
build an autonomous, multinational army of religious warriors and
global terrorists within the boundaries of a sovereign state.
Last week, forces charged with that mission lost their last
foothold in ...