What are the U.S. charges against him?
U.S. officials say Mr. bin Laden has turned Afghanistan into a personal training center for terrorists. The group is called "al Qaeda" or "The Base," and is estimated to have anywhere from several hundred to several thousand members, who operate in 35 countries, including the U.S. and Canada.

U.S. officials accuse Osama bin Laden of ties to four major terrorist acts before September 11, 2001:

February 26, 1993�The World Trade Center tower garage was bombed, killing six people. Investigators said the main organizer of the crime spent time at Mr. bin Laden�s guesthouse in Pakistan.

June 25, 1996�A U.S. military complex in Saudi Arabia is bombed, killing 19 and wounding 372. The U.S. blames Mr. bin Laden for the attack.

August 7, 1998�U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania are bombed, killing 224 people and injuring more than 5,000. According to officials, one of the suspects said he was part of a team recruited by Mr. bin Laden.

October 12, 2000�Suicide bombers attacked the USS Cole in Yemen. Seventeen sailors died; 39 were injured. A Kuwaiti newspaper obtained and released a video, reportedly taped at a bin Laden training camp, which boasted of the attack.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said on network television Sept. 23 that evidence would be made public showing Mr. bin Laden and his network were behind recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

Who are the Taliban?
The word literally means "the students." They are rural Afghanis trained in religious schools, whose aim was to set up the world�s purest Islamic state. They are mainly ethnic Pashtuns and emerged during the 1980 Russian invasion, gaining prominence in the early 1990s for escorting Pakistani goods safely through Afghani badlands. They captured the capital city of Kabul in 1996 and control of 90 percent of the country. The government is officially known as the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan. The international community does not recognize the Taliban government. The United Nations earlier this year passed a resolution imposing sanctions on the Taliban, until they turned over Mr. bin Laden. Such a handover was again rejected by Taliban officials on Sept. 21. They have asked for proof of his guilt.

Where is Afghanistan?
Afghanistan is called the crossroads between Central and South Asia. Afghanistan gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 19, 1919 and has often expelled invaders. Her total land mass is 647,500 square kilometers, slightly smaller than Texas. Made up of rugged mountains and plains, the climate is cold in the winter, hot in the summer. The society has vacillated between modernization and dominance of conservative tribal and religious influence since the 20th century. There are seven main ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch and Uzbek. Fifty percent of the people speak the Afghan Persian dialect Dari, 35 percent speak Pashtun. The nearly 27 million residents have a life expectancy of 46 years. The country suffers from famine, malaria, poverty and 10 million landmines left by the Russians.

There are an estimated six million refugees. Lack of a central government has meant few policies or guidelines for social and economic development. Per capita income is estimated at $800 per year, with high unemployment and a large migration from rural areas to the cities. Health services reach only a few people and only 12 percent get safe drinkable water.

The Taliban control 90 percent of the nation, but the international community recognizes the government of Burhanuddin Rabbini�s Northern Alliance.

The European Union has humanitarian agencies operating in Afghanistan dispensing millions in aid. The U.S. has provided $70 million in humanitarian assistance since 1997. The Bush administration continues to contribute to programs through UN-sponsored food, immunization and landmine groups.

Why is Pakistan important?
The Muslim majority-state of 142 million Pakistanis shares an extensive common border with Afghanistan. It was one of three nations with diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime. Observers believe the U.S. is looking to Pakistan for intelligence information on Osama bin Laden and his hosts. The Bush administration made a generous aid package available to Pakistan for supporting the American military response to recent terrorist attacks. Press reports say Pakistan has closed its embassy in Afghanistan. The government of President General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, is faced with growing deficits and a population earning $470 annually. Officials say the U.S. president is willing to lift sanctions against Pakistan, imposed after explosion of a nuclear device in 1998.