Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, and the Taliban.

Osama Bin Laden

Osama Bin Laden is both one of the worlds most wanted men and a hero in the Arab world. He is linked to terrorist bombings of American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen last year, and other attacks through out the decade. He is also wanted for the September 11, 2001 airplane hijackings that were crashed into the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia to a wealthy family. The family owns one of the biggest construction businesses in Saudi Arabia. The business brings in a lot of money and is the main contributor to Bin Laden's power. In 1979, Bin Laden left his home country of Saudi Arabia to fight against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda

While Bin Laden was in Afghanistan he started the organization known as Maktab al-Khidimat.

English: Osama bin Laden interviewed for Daily Pak...

English: Hamid Mir interviewing Osama bin Laden fo...

U.S. propaganda leaflet used in Afghanistan, with ...

The purpose of this group was to arm the Afghan resistance against the invading Soviet Army. After the Soviet army withdrew from the Afghan region, Bin Laden's faction changed its name many times. The final name for the organization is Al Qaeda, Arabic for "the base". This group now consists of Muslim extremists who have declared a ji-had or holy war against the United States. The anti-American group is funded by Bin Laden's millions and other sponsors in the Middle East. Al Qaeda is responsible for some of the most deadly attacks against Americans, both over seas and in our own country.

The Taliban

The Taliban first rose to power in 1996 as Afghanistan's government. The group was originally comprised of Afghans who were trained in Muslim schools in Pakistan along with former Islamic warriors. They captured the city of Kandahar and then advanced to...