Not until 1998 did al Qaeda undertake a major terrorist operation of its own,
in large part because Bin Ladin lost his base in Sudan. Ever since the Islamist
regime came to power in Khartoum, the United States and other Western gov-
ernments had pressed it to stop providing a haven for terrorist organizations.
Other governments in the region, such as those of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and
even Libya, which were targets of some of these groups, added their own pres-
sure. At the same time, the Sudanese regime began to change.Though Turabi
had been its inspirational leader, General Omar al Bashir, president since 1989,
had never been entirely under his thumb.Thus as outside pressures mounted,
Bashir's supporters began to displace those of Turabi.
killers, who came from the Egyptian Islamic Group, had been sheltered in
Sudan and helped by Bin Ladin.
rity Council passed a resolution criticizing their inaction and eventually sanc-
tioned Khartoum in April 1996.
giving sanctuary to its enemies. Bin Ladin had to tell the Libyans who had been
part of his Islamic army that he could no longer protect them and that they had
to leave the country. Outraged, several Libyan members of al Qaeda and the
Islamic Army Shura renounced all connections with him.
rency. Some of Bin Ladin's companies ran short of funds. As Sudanese
authorities became less obliging, normal costs of doing business increased. Saudi
pressures on the Bin Ladin family also probably took some toll. In any case, Bin
Ladin found it necessary both to cut back his spending and to control his out-
lays more closely.He appointed a new financial manager,whom his followers saw
as miserly.
recruited for the Afghan war through the Farouq mosque in Brooklyn. He had
joined al Qaeda and taken the oath of fealty to Bin Ladin, serving as one of his
business agents. Then Bin Ladin discovered that Fadl had skimmed about
$110,000, and he asked for restitution. Fadl resented receiving a salary of only
$500 a month while some of the Egyptians in al Qaeda were given $1,200 a
month. He defected and became a star informant for the United States. Also
testifying about al Qaeda in a U.S. court was L'Houssaine Kherchtou, who told
of breaking with Bin Ladin because of Bin Ladin's professed inability to pro-
vide him with money when his wife needed a caesarian section.