August 23, 1996

Osama bin Laden issues a fatwa, the “Declaration of War against the American Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places”.

From Wikipedia:

Saudi Arabia is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest places in Islam. The reference to occupation in the fatwā refers to U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of controlling air space in Iraq, known as Operation Southern Watch.

Apologies for my near silence here and on Twitter for the last week or so. My other obsession (politics being the first) has taken hold of me lately, but it’s finally in a state where it won’t be consuming all of my waking hours.

I think.

Oh, what’s the other obsession? Stay tuned…