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This Soviet tank was among hundreds destroyed by Afghan forces during the Soviet Union’s invasion in the 1980s.

national affairs. Each country tried to spread its influence around the globe and weaken the other country’s power. Osama bin Laden was one of many Muslims from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East who went to Afghanistan to fight Soviet troops occupying the country. While some Afghan rebels received money from the CIA, bin Laden didn’t. But the war there gave him a chance to build al-Qaeda. In 1998, bin Laden had said Muslims around the world had a duty to kill Americans. He believed that the US government was already carrying out a war against their faith. Even before then, al-Qaeda terrorists or people con- nected to them had carried out attacks on US targets, drawing the atten- tion of the CIA. Meanwhile, within the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) watched for suspected terrorists to try to prevent attacks.

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