▁civ ili ans . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁out break ▁of ▁violence ▁since ▁the ▁Os lo ▁Peace ▁Acc ords ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁fail ures ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁govern ments ▁and ▁the ▁bank rupt cy ▁of ▁sec ular ▁Arab ▁radical ism ▁led ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁educated ▁Arab s ▁( and ▁other ▁Muslim s ) ▁to ▁em brace ▁Islam ism , ▁promoted ▁both ▁by ▁Iran ' s ▁Sh i ' a ▁cler ics ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁by ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ' s ▁powerful ▁W ah hab ist ▁sect . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁milit ant ▁Islam ists ▁gained ▁their ▁military ▁training ▁while ▁fighting ▁Soviet ▁forces ▁in ▁Afghan istan . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁Afghan ▁j ih ad ists , ▁though ▁supposed ly ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁volunte ers , ▁were ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁under ▁Operation ▁Cy clone ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Re agan ▁Do ctrine , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁longest ▁and ▁most ▁expensive ▁C IA ▁cover t ▁operations ▁ever . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁Arab ▁milit ants ▁was ▁a ▁wealth y ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ian ▁named ▁Os ama ▁bin ▁L aden . ▁After ▁fighting ▁against ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁in ▁Afghan istan ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁he ▁formed ▁the ▁al - Q a ida ▁organization , ▁which ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁U . S . ▁emb ass y ▁bomb ings , ▁the ▁USS ▁Cole ▁bomb ing ▁and ▁the ▁September