By The Associated Press

In 1998, Saudi-born exile Osama bin Laden announced the formation of the International Front for Fighting Jews and Crusades, an alliance bent on killing Americans and destroying U.S. interests around the world. The members of the front are:

• AL-QAIDA: The name of bin Laden's original group means "the base.'' Founded in Afghanistan in the early 1990s, it is one of the two main members of the International Front.

• EGYPTIAN JIHAD: The Egyptian Jihad, or Holy War, is the second main partner in the International Front. Its leader Ayman al-Zawahri is bin Laden's top lieutenant. Blamed for assassination of Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat in 1981 and a series of attempts to kill other Egyptian leaders. Al-Zawahri's decision to join the International Front led to a split within Jihad; other Egyptian militants feared taking on the United States.

• PAKISTANI SOCIETY OF ULEMAS: Mir Hamza signed the International Front founding declaration as leader of this little-known group, whose name means "society of religious scholars.'' Observers in Pakistan believe it is an alias either for Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, which means Organization of Islamic Clerics, or for Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, which means Organization of Pakistani Clerics.

  Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a hard-line group and a staunch supporter of Afghanistan's Taliban movement. It vehemently opposes the United States.

• ANSAR MOVEMENT: Led by Fadl Al-Rahman. The Ansar movement was previously called Harkat-ul Ansar and was declared a terrorist organization by the United States. Now called Harkat-ul Mujahedeen. The group is fighting in Indian Kashmir for its merger with Pakistan. The group's members are also fighting in Afghanistan against the anti-Taliban northern-based opposition alliance.

• BANGLADESH JIHAD: Led by Abdel-Salam Mohamed, according to International Front's founding declaration. Bangladesh's police anti-terrorist squad has no knowledge of such a group. But a small group called Harkatul Jihad, led by Mufti Hannan, is suspected in several bomb attacks in Bangladesh over the last two years. Hannan, who is at large, is believed to have links with the Taliban.

Also:

• ISLAMIC ARMY FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE HOLY SITES: On Aug. 7, 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were attacked. Bin Laden's International Front never claimed responsibility, but a day after the explosions, the previously unknown Islamic Army for the Liberation of the Holy Sites claimed responsibility. The Islamic Army, believed to be the International Front's military wing, described bin Laden in its statement as a "source of inspiration'' and referred to him as the "warrior sheik.''