Al-Qaeda gains first members
Meeting| Event Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Primary Organization | Al-Qaeda | |
| Subject | Formation of al-Qaeda | |
| Location | Farouq training camp, Near Khost, Paktia, Afghanistan | |
| Time | Late 1989 | |
| Participants | Abu Ayoub al-Iraqi (Leader) , Jamal Ahmed al-Fadl, Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri, Mohammed Atef, Osama bin Laden (Organizer) | |
 | Participants | Ayman al-Zawahiri2, Doctor Abdallah Izzildine2, Abu Musab al Saudi2, Doctor Fadhl el Masry2, Abu Faraj al-Yemeni2, Abu Burhan al-Iraqi2, Mamdouh Mahmud Salim | |
| | |||
| Narrative and Notes | |||
| Reliable | Abu Ayoub al-Iraqi gave a lecture to Jamal al-Fadl and presumably some others, saying with the imminent withdrawl of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, some fighters wanted to carry the battle elsewhere. A new group, called al-Qaeda, would be formed for this purpose. According to al-Fadl, Abu Ubaidah said this was the first meeting in which recruits pledged bayat to al-Qaeda. Al-Fadl was third in line. At this meeting, al-Fadl pledged bayat to al-Qaeda. He was told to keep his work for the organization confidential and not to join any other Islamic groups.1,3 | |
| | |||
| Sources | |||
| 1Jamal al-Fadl testimony, United States vs. Osama bin Laden et al, trial transcript, Day 2, Feb. 6, 2001. | |||
| 2It is unclear from al-Fadl's testimony whether these people were present at the meeting. | |||
| 3Jamal Ahmed al-Fadl testimony, United States vs. Osama bin Laden et al, trial transcript Day 7, Feb. 20, 2001. | |||
| | |||
| Key to bullets | |||
| High confidence | |||
| Some confidence | |||
 Low confidence | |||
 No confidence | |||
| Page maintained by John Lumpkin | |||
| Click here for a disclaimer and detailed explanation of the confidence ratings. | |||
