After the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headed a multi-operational attack on Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The CIA's hunt for Bin Laden however predated the attacks upon the nation, according to news articles and documented intelligence reports, the agency were monitoring the embittered Saudi for many years while Bin Laden resided in the Sudan after he was forcibly expelled by the Saudis. Bill Clinton, then the US president, pressured Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, to expel Bin Laden. The CIA and Pentagon officials were often discussing about capture or kill operation of Bin Laden. The Clinton Administration however, declined many of these operations. By 1996, Bin Laden was welcomed back into Afghanistan as the Taliban fought against the Northern Alliance for control of the country after the Soviet retreat in 1989. 

Bin Laden then began terrorist operations against the United States which began in 1998 with two US Embassy's bombed killing over 300. After the attacks of September 11th, the CIA then began constructing a covert operation which involved the CIA's National Clandestine Service's (NCS) Special Activities Division and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). The operation was also known as the "Battle of Tora Bora" which lasted 11 days. CIA case officers Gary Schroen and later, Gary Berntsen would lead the operation from Namghar Province, which had major success in eliminating large numbers of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, With Bin Laden and about 400 Al Qaeda fighters trapped against the White Mountains north of the country, Bin Laden, as he did in the Sudan, escaped death.