September 11, 2001 will always be remembered as one of the darkest days in American history. Several members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger airliners and crashed them into buildings, killing a total of 2,996 people and injuring more than 6,000. On October 7, 2001, the United States began attacks on Taliban-controlled parts of Afghanistan. These attacks and invasions were intended to target Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda. The United States has asked the Taliban to hand over Osama bin Laden. When the Taliban did not hand over bin Laden, the United States began bombing various Taliban-controlled locations in Afghanistan, an invasion ensued, and the war in Afghanistan began. Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda and the man who planned the September 11, 2001 attacks lived in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban, a group of Afghan freedom fighters. “In the weeks before the invasion, both the United States and the UN Security Council had called for the Taliban to hand over Osama bin Laden for trial. (US-led attack on Afghanistan begins).” In his September 20, 2001 speech to the United States Congress, President Bush made the following demands: “And tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands of the Taliban: Turn over to the U.S. authorities all al Qaeda leaders who hide in your land. Release all foreign citizens, including American citizens, whom you have wrongly imprisoned. Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your country. Immediately and permanently close every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and turn over every terrorist and every middle-of-the-paper person in 2014. .Griffin, David R. “Did 9/11 Justify the War in Afghanistan?” Global search. Np, June 25, 2010. Web. January 12, 2014. .Hanson, Victor D. "Why did we invade Iraq? | National Review Online.". Np, March 26, 2013. Web. January 12, 2014. Jehl, Douglas, and David Johnston. "In video message, Bin Laden issues warning to U.S. The New York Times, October 30, 2004. Web. January 15, 2014. "US-led attack on Afghanistan begins." History.com. A&E Television Networks, nd Web. 12 Jan. 2014. .