Kammala wannan jumla: Tun da bututun zai ratsa Afghanistan, ya zama dole a yi aiki tare da Taliban. Jakadan Amurka a Pakistan, Robert Oakley, ya bar mukaminsa kuma kamfanin CentGas ya dauke shi aiki a shekarar 1997. A watan Janairun 1998, Taliban, ta zaɓi CentGas a kan abokin hamayyar Argentine Bridas Corporation, ta sanya hannu kan yarjejeniyar da ta ba da damar ci gaba da aikin da aka gabatar. A watan Yunin 1998, Gazprom na Rasha ya ba da kashi 10% a cikin aikin. A ranar 7 ga watan Agusta, 1998,
An kai harin bam a ofisoshin jakadancin Amurka da ke Nairobi da Dar es Salaam. Amurka ta yi zargin cewa Osama bin Laden ne ke bayan wadannan hare-haren, kuma duk tattaunawar bututun mai ta tsaya, yayin da shugaban Taliban na wancan lokacin, Mullah Omar, ya sanar da cewa bin Laden yana da goyon bayan Taliban. Unocal ya janye daga ƙungiyar a ranar 8 ga Disamba, 1998, kuma jim kaɗan bayan haka ya rufe ofisoshinsa a Afghanistan da Pakistan.