USA -American Forces Press Service

Israel gives Arafat 48 hour deadline

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Israel gives Arafat 48 hour deadline
By Herb Keinon, Arieh O'Sullivan, Jerusalem Post Internet Staff


JERUSALEM (September 30) - With the cease-fire brokered by Foreign Minister
Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat shattered over
the weekend by Palestinian riots and non-stop violence, Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon convened the security cabinet late last night to reassess the situation.

However, because of widespread feeling that the violence came about to mark the
anniversary of the intifada, the security cabinet is giving Arafat 48 hours to
fulfill his cease-fire obligations.

United States Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer told Jerusalem Post Radio the
next 72 hours are crucial. To hear his comments click here.

The cabinet says if the PA does not crack down on terrorism and violence, the
IDF will renew its pro-active measures.

Those include Israel's assassination policy and ambushes and raids to kill
Palestinian militants in the field.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has instructed the army to
start easing measures in the territories in areas where there is no violence or
riots.

The army is reportedly lifting its blockade on Jericho - if it remains quiet.

It also reopened the Rafiah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip along the
Egyptian border.

The army will ease further measures in the coming days - if there is no
violence.

Despite the weekend violence, a planned meeting between Israel and Palestinian
brigade commanders - the second since Wednesday's Arafat-Peres meeting - is to
take place this morning.

A senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said the cabinet was convened
last night because there had been some 50 Palestinian acts of violence -
including a mortar attack on Tekoa - since the Peres-Arafat meeting. "But what
is most disconcerting," the official said, "is that Arafat has not taken any of
the actions he was supposed to have taken against Hamas and Islamic Jihad."

According to last Wednesday's agreement, by Tuesday morning this week the
Palestinians are to have arrested a number of high-profile terrorists, and
Israel is to have removed blockades and roadblocks in a number of "quiet"
areas, as well as ease up on certain restrictions regarding entry into Israel
and the transfer of goods and merchandise.

Under the agreement, the Palestinians were immediately to give clear directives
to stop all forms of violence - from mortar fire to riots - and to end
incitement. Israel, for its part, was to immediately stop all initiated actions
in Area A, and reduce the security pressure on the Palestinians.

The security meetings were arranged during a three-hour meeting on Friday of
the joint security forum comprising top Israeli and Palestinian security
officials.

Attending that meeting for Israel were OC Planning Maj.-Gen. Giora Eiland, OC
Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Doron Almog, and OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Itzik
Eitan, as well as representatives of the General Security Service.

The meeting split into a number of groups according to regions, where more
detailed steps were outlined.

It was decided that more meetings would be held on the regional brigade
commander level today. Defense officials said last night that these meetings
may be delayed due to the continuing unrest.

The meeting last night was to decide on whether Israel would implement some of
the confidence-building measures it had promised the Palestinians.

These included opening the Rafah border crossing and lifting travel
restrictions.

One of the results of the Friday joint security forum was a decision to do away
with collective actions and treat each region separately. Thus, for example,
unrest in the Gaza Strip would not prevent Israel from lifting blockades in
areas of the West Bank where the cease-fire was kept, security officials said.

Earlier yesterday, Ben-Eliezer held a situation assessment with top IDF
commanders.

This Week in Israel

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THE JEWISH WORLD

This Week in Israel


Palestinian students at Al Najah University in Nablus erected a replica of the
Sbarro Pizzeria in Jerusalem, where a suicide bomber killed 15 Jews, to
celebrate the first anniversary of the Al Aqsa Intifada
Israel moved the clock back one hour on Sunday night, September 23. The time
difference to the East Coast is now 6 hours. Israel reverts to summer time the
night after the first Seder, on March 28th,



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to various sources, Osama bin Laden also intends to attack Israel.
The first signals to confirm such information were the arrest of Nabil Ukal, a
resident of Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, by the GSS a year ago. It transpired
that the 27-year old Ukal was sent to act as a bridgehead for attacks in Israel
and was the first representative of a global terror organization run by Bin
Laden in the Territories. Ukal had originally joined one of the organizations
attached to Bin Laden's organization and received military training in
Afghanistan. At the instruction of a senior member of the organization, he was
dispatched to prepare the military infrastructure for Bin Laden's organization
in the Territories and the Gaza Strip, as well as including Israeli Arabs. In
1998 Ukal returned to Gaza since which time he has received instructions from
activists in Bin Laden's organization in Jordan and in Britain on preparing
bombs. The charge sheet against Ukal stated that he had intended to perpetrate
large-scale terror attacks in central Israel, to dispatch suicide bombers,
activate bombs against IDF patrols and to launch anti-tank missiles at
settlements. Following Ukal's arrest, several members of his cell who had been
engaged in practical preparations for attacks were arrested. Their work
included collecting information, experiments in detonating devices and hoarding
explosive material. One of those detained is Said Hanawi, a Palestinian who
trained with Bin Laden in Afghanistan and the son of the former commander of
the Palestinian police station in Ramallah. Bin Laden recently mentioned the
US and Israel in the same breath. An investigation of the "Millenium cell" - a
group of Islamic activists trained in Afghanistan by Bin Laden, showed that its
members planned to bomb Israeli targets and hurt Israeli and American tourists
at the border crossings. The terrorists were found guilty, some were given
life sentences and some received the death penalty, which has not yet been
carried out.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A senior defense official stated that as early as August this year, Israel had
warned of serious attacks in the planning against the US - and a senior
American official confirmed that it would seem that this time someone would
take the rap for not heeding warnings from the Israeli Mossad. This week the
press reported that two senior Mossad officials were sent to Washington in
August this year and warned the Americans that widespread terror attacks were
being planned against "prominent" targets in the US. A senior Israeli defense
official said that the planned attacks were connected with Bin Laden, although
there was no specific information as to the nature of the plans. The Mossad
also informed the Americans that terrorist cells involving 120 people were
operating in the US.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Israeli defense estimates are taking into account the possibility that an
American attack, particularly on Iraq, will bring Israel into the conflict,
possibly through an Iraqi missile attack on Israel. Nevertheless, the defense
establishment has to date refrained from taking overt steps to improve civilian
protection. To date, the Home Command has not decided whether to open
additional stations for the allocation of gas masks. Meanwhile, the number of
people contacting the Tel Aviv station has increased noticeably.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unlike the situation on the eve of the Gulf War, Israel now has a defense
system against ballistic missiles - the Arrow missile system. Eight of the
last nine Arrow tests have proved that this system can destroy Scud-like
missiles. So far only one of the three Arrow missile batteries is lined up and
considered operational. The number of missiles that Israel possesses is
confidential, but the number of missiles in storage obviously depends on
financing, so that Israel's defense establishment is seeking an American
partner to manufacture the Arrow missiles.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Palestinian Authority threatened journalists working for foreign news
agencies not to publish footage of the expression of joy by Palestinians
following the attack on the US. The threats hinted at risk to their lives
should the pictures be published; the journalists succumbed and did not
publish. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs named the Reuters and A.P.
behavior "journalism under terror". However, the Foreign Ministry does have
film of the festivities, although it has decided not to distribute it
aggressively but only upon request. The US ambassador said that: "the
American people will be the judges of such conduct".



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Israel this week expressed solidarity with the victims of recent terror in the
US. The government session opened with a moment's silence and MK's stood for a
moment in memory of the victims. The Knesset also sent US ambassador in Israel
Dan Kurtzer, a letter of solidarity with the mourning of the citizens of the
United States, signed by all Knesset factions - excluding the Arab parties who
refused to sign. 40,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square for a rally
named "You have a friend". The rally was organized by the Jewish Agency and
Tel Aviv City Hall and was attended by the US ambassador in Israel. Minister
of Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres said at the rally: "We will go hand in hand
with America". In Jerusalem Yaffa Street, one of the city's proncipal roads,
was renamed New York Street for the next two weeks and Mayor Ehud Olmert said
at the ceremony that "of all the cities in the world New York is closest to
Jerusalem".



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harsh response in Israel's political circles, left and right, to comments made
by French ambassador Jacques Huntzinger that: "the tragedy in the US cannot be
compared with the terror in Israel. The Israel-Palestinian situation should
not be confused with the tragedy in the US". There were even calls to send the
ambassador home. Peres said: "The French ambassador's comments contain strong
tones of racism and anti-Semitism, and imply that Israeli blood is cheaper than
American blood". MK Michael Kleiner said that the judges of the "Dreyfuss'
affair would be proud of such an ambassador". MK Ran Cohen of Meretz condemned
the ambassador's remarks and said that "the French ambassador is encouraging
terror here in Israel".

Islamic Jihad

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(09:25) Several wounded in Jerusalem car bomb blast
By Dave Bender, Jerusalem Post Internet Staff


A car bomb blew up in the Talpiot neighborhood in southern Jerusalem shortly
after 09:00.

One person sustained minor shrapnel wounds from shards of glass in the attack.

He was treated at the scene by Magen David Adom.

Two others, suffering from shock, were transfered to Bikur Holim hospital in
downtown Jerusalem for treatment.

One of the two, an elderly man, is suspected of having suffered a heart attack,
according to the hospital spokesman.

Islamic Jihad has taken responsibility for the attack, according to Qatar-based
Al-Jazeera Television.

The blast took place adjacent to the "Bank Junction," on Bethlehem Road
parallel to Hebron Road.

The booby-trapped vehicle was in a small parking lot next to an apartment
building several dozen meters south of the intersection, when it blew up.

The explosion took place across the street from a school for children with
special needs.

The school was closed today.

The blast demolished the vehicle.

Several other vehicles in the vicinity of the explosion were also damaged.

Police sappers combed the area for other bombs, but found none.

Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene, according to eyewitnesses, and
doused the burning remains of the car.

Jerusalem police Cmdr. Mickey Levy said the explosive device was moderately
large.

The bombing was carried out in a residential area of the capital, and not
downtown, due to a lesser police presence, Levy said.

He added that police would in turn beef up security in the periphery of the
city in the wake of the bombing.

The 12-kilogram bomb, hidden in the vehicle, was made up of a liquid propane
gas tank, Kalashnikov and M-16 rifle bullets, ball bearings, nails and other
metal parts in order to magnify the lethal effect of the blast, Army Radio
said.

The vehicle had been stolen in Israel several months ago, and was then taken
over the Green Line to the West Bank, where the explosive device was prepared,
police said.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, after learning that Islamic Jihad had taken
responsibility for the attack, said,"Islamic Jihad and Hamas are the [Osama]
bin-Laden of the Middle East and we must fight them without compromise, giving
them no quarter."

Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau said in the wake of the attack
that "there was no point in continuing security talks with the Palestinians."

"Events of this nature are proof of the need to fight the head of the
Palestinian Authority [Chairman Yasser Arafat] with all of our abilities.

"This is a criminal that repeats himself over and over whenever he gets the
chance," Landau said, referring to Arafat.

"He just shoots, nonstop and blindly," he said, continuing, "therefore we must
wage war against Arafat."

"The police must make preparations, together with the public," Landau said.

One eyewitness said "I was outside working on our Succa with our children and
several others when I saw a big pink flash and a large rolling blast."

A Succa is a temporary dwelling erected for the week-long Feast of Tabernacles
holiday, Succot, that begins this evening.

The man hurried the children to safety and broke out his home first-aid kit, to
assist the wounded in the blast.

EMS, police, and firefighting forces were on the scene within moments, he said,
making the kit unnecessary.

There are reports of large traffic jams in the vicinity due to roads closed in
the area.

This is the first bombing attack in Jerusalem since the cease-fire agreement
between Peres and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat last week.

The blast comes on the background of numerous bomb and shooting attacks against
Israeli civilians and IDF forces throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
overnight.

USA -Syria-Iran-Izrael

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GSS arrests 20 Hamas terrorists
By Margot Dudkevitch


JERUSALEM (October 1) - The General Security Service revealed yesterday the
recent arrest of more than 20 Hamas terrorists, part of a widespread terrorist
infrastructure operating in Samaria who were trained and received their
instructions directly from Hamas headquarters in Syria and other countries.

All those arrested were qualified in the use of weapons and explosives, the
majority, young university students who were recruited by Hamas during
university studies in Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and other countries . Some of them
were involved in the planning of the two suicide bombings in Netanya on April
30 and May 18, in which eight Israelis were killed and scores wounded. The
terrorists had also planned to recruit young Israeli Arabs to assist them.

All the terrorists underwent intense training and were skilled in weapons use,
high quality explosives, and different methods of detonating bombs they
prepared and were also taught how to perpetrate different attacks against
civilian and military targets, including the abduction of soldiers. At the end
of their training they were sent to the territories to establish and operate
terror cells, mainly in Samaria.

Hassin Zail, 31, from Zbubah in Samaria, studied at a university in Syria where
he was recruited and sent for training in Syria and Lebanon. At the beginning
of 1999, he returned as a military expert and began training new recruits in
explosives and operations. He instructed his cell members to search for a
hiding place, to purchase raw materials for explosives, and gather
intelligence.

At the same time, Ahmed Abu Faraj, 25, from Shuweikeh, was instructed to
establish a cell which would perpetrate attacks. Faraj recruited Iyad Dakor,
Ramzi Nallawah, and Juad Kalibi, all in their 20s.

Additional suspects are to be arrested the GSS said.

Campaign Against Terrorism

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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 1, 2001

Operation Enduring Freedom Overview
Campaign Against Terrorism Results
Period Covered September 14-30, 2001



Department of State

Russia offered to share information and the use of their airspace for
humanitarian flights.
China offered to share information.
India offered to share information and pledged support of U.S. actions.
Japan offered diplomatic and military (logistical) support, and assistance to
Pakistan.
Australia offered combat military forces and invoked Article IV of the ANZUS
Treaty, declaring September 11 an attack on Australia.
South Korea offered military medical and air and naval logistics support.
UAE and Saudi Arabia broke diplomatic relations with the Taliban.
Pakistan agreed to cooperate fully with the request for assistance and support.
Secured overflight and landing rights from 27 countries.
Obtained 46 multilateral declarations of support.
19 nations of NATO invoked Article V declaring an attack on one as an attack on
all.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously enacted a binding resolution
requiring all member states to pursue terrorists and those who support them,
including financial support systems.
Department of the Treasury

Adoption of Terrorist Financing Executive Order.
Froze approximately 30 al-Qaida accounts in the U.S. and almost 20 overseas.
Put 27 names on the Terrorist Financing list.
Reviewing additional persons and entities for possible inclusion on the
Terrorist Financing list.
Froze approximately $6 million linked to terrorists.
Department of Defense

Approximately 29,000 military personnel, 349 military aircraft, 1 Amphibious
Ready Group, and 2 Carrier Battle Groups currently deployed in Theater.
Approximately 17,000 members of the Reserve have been called to active duty, as
well as several thousand National Guard operating under State authority.
Department of Justice

Analyzed 241 serious/credible threats.
Conducted 540 interviews.
Conducted 383 searches.
Issued 4,407 subpoenas.
Arrested/Detained 439 persons.
Approximately 30-plus countries offered support in criminal investigations.
Intelligence

Over 100 countries have offered increased intelligence support.
Approximately 150 arrests and detentions of terrorists and suspected supporters
of terrorism in over 25 countries.
Intensified counterterrorist operations with over 200 intelligence and security
services worldwide.
# # #

CentralnaAzja

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Latest News of the day
Wednesday 03/10/ 2001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blair to make last-minute appeal' to Taliban

London, Oct. 3, IRNA - British Prime Minister Tony Blair was reported Wednesday
to be set to fly to Pakistan to make

a last-minute appeal through General Pervez Musharraf to the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan to hand over Osama bin

Laden. Blair, who is visiting Moscow, en route, will be accompanied by former
Chief of Defense Staff, Lord Guthrie, who

has been in regular contact with the Pakistani leader since last month's
attacks in the US, according to London's Evening

Standard. The British Prime Minister effectively declared war against the
Taliban regime on Tuesday, saying there is "no

compromise possible with such people." No date was mentioned for Blair's trip,
but the prime minister was reported

elsewhere to be planning to fly to Oman on Thursday to visit 24,000 troops
engaged in Britain's military exercises since the

1982 Falklands War. The Evening Standard said that Blair was expected to
furnish Musharraf with evidence garnered by

US intelligence agencies, which is claimed to show a direct link between bin
Laden and the September 11 attacks in New

York and Washington. The prime minister's visit coincides with a hastily
organised three-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Oman,

Egypt and Uzbekistan by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. HC/KS End ::irna
15:57


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moderate Taliban may cooperate with world community: Pak expert


Islamabad, Oct 3, IRNA

USA -Izrael

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Poll: US-Israel ties stronger than ever
By Dan Izenberg


JERUSALEM (October 4) - American support for close US ties with Israel is
stronger than ever following the September 11 attacks, a poll conducted by
International Communications Research (ICR) shows.

ICR, a leading American polling firm which does work for ABC News, The
Washington Post, and the Associated Press, found that 92 percent of Americans
endorse full cooperation between the US and Israel in combating terrorism,
while 4% oppose such cooperation.

Seventy-four percent of Americans favor either strengthening ties with Israel
or maintaining the current, close relationship. Only 10% favor distancing the
US from Israel.

The poll was conducted under the auspices of the Institute for Jewish and
Community research and the Center for Middle Eastern studies at the Hudson
Institute.

According to the sponsors of the poll, which was conducted between September 14
and September 18, "If one purpose of the attacks in New York and Washington was
to drive a wedge between the American public and Israel, the results indicate
the terrorists failed to diminish American public support for Israel."

The sample consisted of 1,011 randomly selected adults throughout the US, with
a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

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Officials: Bush not putting pressure on Israel
By Janine Zacharia


WASHINGTON (October 4) - President George W. Bush's comments Tuesday on
Palestinian statehood, which sparked an outpouring of concern among Israel
supporters, were not designed to signal that the US would be bringing more
pressure on Israel, officials and well-placed sources here said.

Rather administration officials hoped Bush's comment - that Palestinian
statehood had always been part of a "vision" - would appease Arab states, which
have urged deeper US involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and which
have not been as forthcoming so far as the US would like in the war on
terrorism.

But officials say that involvement will have to be creative, and not
necessarily deeper. Former US assistant secretary of state and ambassador to
Israel Martin Indyk has been calling this week for the US to immediately
appoint a special Middle East envoy to help solidify the battered cease-fire
struck by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

Administration sources say the US is considering no such option, and point to
the fact that Dennis Ross served as special envoy for the first five months of
the intifada with no success in bringing an end to hostilities.

Prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, Washington was abuzz
with speculation about whether the US would use the UN General Assembly that
had been scheduled for September 24 to launch a new Middle East initiative to
help calm the intifada, and whether Bush would meet with Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yasser Arafat in New York.

The Jerusalem Post reported on September 9 that Secretary of State Colin Powell
might announce US support for a Palestinian state in his address as a means of
placating Arab states who say the US has been too pro-Israel.

But he never got the chance to do so, as the General Assembly was canceled.

With the US concerned that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could damage its
top priority - to destroy the Qaida network and Osama bin Laden - it is
exploring new ways of engaging in the Middle East morass.

Administration sources say the US is considering no such option, and point to
the fact that Dennis Ross served as special envoy for the first five months of
the intifada with no success in bringing an end to hostilities.

"There's nothing planned right now," said one US official about possible US
moves regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "It could change tomorrow
though."

One source familiar with administration thinking said it would be erroneous to
view Bush's airing of support for a Palestinian state "through the prism of
pressure on Israel."

Administration officials are fed up with bad US press in the Arab media, and
support for a Palestinian state, they believe, is a rhetorical device "that
isn't necessarily a movement of the goal post," the source said.

One Democratic legislative aide on the House International Relations Committee
said the Bush administration's announcement of support for Palestinian
statehood is stating an obvious fact that nobody speaks about publicly.

"We knew it even though they've never said it," the staffer said. "They are
blowing smoke on a non-issue in order to give our erstwhile Arab allies the
impression that we are sympathetic to the Palestinians."

But others saw the statement as indeed damning for Israel.

The pro-Israel lobby AIPAC said in response that until Arafat "decides to stand
against terrorism, it is unthinkable to grant him a meeting with the president
or gain US support for a Palestinian state."

Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East
Policy, writing in the Los Angeles Times yesterday, said the US has rewarded
the Palestinians prematurely, and indicated to Israel that it will suffer at
the expense of the new coalition against terrorism.

"Lending endorsement to Palestinian statehood in the current environment cannot
but be interpreted by Palestinians as the first political fruit of the
intifada. The desire to continue the armed struggle against Israel will gain
new urgency," Satloff wrote.

"For Israelis, whose last prime minister gave the Palestinians an offer of
statehood that was roundly rejected, US backing to statehood in the absence of
ongoing diplomacy will only fuel fears that the anti-Osama bin Laden coalition
will be built at their expense," he added.

Israelis already sense this, and for this reason, a cabinet statement yesterday
again called for Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas to be added to an executive
order calling for a worldwide freezing of assets of groups and individuals tied
to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher reiterated the US view yesterday
that Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas were already covered under a previous
order. That is true, but so was bin Laden and al-Qaida, and the previous order
did not have the scope of the new one signed by Bush.

Boucher did not deny a report that there are efforts under way to take Syria
off the state sponsors of terrorism list to help facilitate their participation
in the coalition.

Instead he said he had not seen the report, and added: "As we've often stated
in the past, the goal of the terrorism list is not to put people on, but to
take people off. The goal is to get countries to stop supporting terrorism."

Herb Keinon adds:

Israeli officials continued to react to reports of a new US diplomatic
initiative, and to Bush's comments about a Palestinian state with
understanding.

The statement could serve US interests in trying to build a coalition, without
costing us anything, since [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon has already indicated
that he also envisions a Palestinian state," one diplomatic official
said. "There is nothing really new here."

Another official echoed this sentiment.

"We were not shocked or angry or surprised," the official said, adding that
there was nothing in the content of what Bush said to "knock us off our chairs."

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By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 3, 2001 - Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld is not visiting the Middle East to
negotiate basing or fly-over rights for U.S. troops in the
war on terrorism, but to "solidify relationships."

The secretary is on the first leg of a three-day trip that
includes Oman, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia.

"These are relationships of long standing with the
exception of Uzbekistan, and that's a situation that it's
important for us to get to know them and establish a
relationship," Rumsfeld told reporters on the plane Oct. 2
en route from Washington to Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Even before this stint as defense secretary Rumsfeld was no
stranger to the region. He served as Middle East envoy
under President Reagan.

Rumsfeld didn't say what sort of relationship the
administration hoped to forge with Uzbekistan. He said he
believes that given political sensitivities in the region
it would be best for Uzbekistan to quantify its
relationship with the United States.

"I'm understanding of the fact that each country has a
different situation,," he said.

The Bush administration wants different countries to
cooperate in its war on terrorism in different ways,
Rumsfeld said. "We want countries around the globe to
recognize the seriousness of this threat," he said. "We
want them to understand the damage that was done to our
country and the threat that exists to countries across the
globe. And we want them to cooperate in a lot of ways."

One of the most important forms of cooperation is providing
intelligence on terrorist networks. "The countries on the
periphery of Afghanistan, in this case, have a lot more
information than countries that are not on the periphery,"
Rumsfeld said. "They've seen the flow of people back and
forth across those borders."

The secretary said he believes it won't be a bomb or
missile that will ultimately make the most difference in
fighting terrorism; it'll be "a scrap of information from
some person in some country that's been repressed by a
dictatorial regime that's sponsoring a terrorist
organization who's going to put out the kind of information
that's going to enable us to pull this network up by its
roots."

However, he stressed, a war on terrorism is a far cry from
a war on the Afghan people. "It is a mistake for anybody to
characterize the concern we have about terrorism and the
concern we have about the enormous loss of life in the
United States (Sept. 11) ... as having anything to do with
the people of Afghanistan," Rumsfeld said. "It doesn't."

Rumsfeld said he also hopes to visit troops participating
in the Bright Star exercise in Egypt, where his main
message to those in uniform will be "how grateful we are to
them."

Ukraina

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18:20) Reports: Ukrainian army shot down plane
By Jerusalem Post Internet Staff, Ap


It is being reported here that the Ukranian army may have fired a missile that
shot down the Sibir Airlines plane that crashed into the Black Sea this
afternoon en route from Israel to Siberia.

A senior Ukranian nayy officer, Igor Larichev, said the missile accidentally
hit the plane that was carrying some 75 - 77 passengers and crew.

However, a short time later, Ukraine's Defense Ministry issued a statement
denying that it fired a missile that was capable of hitting the plane.

It is understood the Ukrainian army may have fired some 20 missiles today as
part of military exercises in the area of the Black Sea.

"All the rockets used during the training exercise had guaranteed service lives
and self-destruction mechanisms in case they deviated from their course," said
Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk, according to a statement released by
ministry spokesman Kostyantyn Khivrenko.

A U.S. Defense Department official in Washington, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said a land-based surface-to-air missile had been fired from the
Crimean region of Ukraine.

Ukraine is the only country known to be conducting military
exercises in the Black Sea area, the official said.

The downing of the airliner appeared to be accidental, the
U.S. officials said.

Romanian and French pilots are also taking part in an air exercise in the
region of Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta, Romanian officials have said.
The exercise apparently includes the firing of air-to-ground missiles.

The Ukrainian exercises were conducted on Cape Onuk, in Crimea, about 250
kilometers (160 miles) from the site of
the crash, on territory controlled by the Russian Black Sea
Fleet.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft, navy, rocket forces, aviation and artillery took part
as well as Russian forces including shore-based forces and a guard ship.

Part of the exercise involved firing on an unmanned aircraft.

According to military officials, the exercise included anti-aircraft S-125, S-
200 and S-300 rockets, which are similar to U.S. "Patriot" missiles, and R-300
tactical rockets.

"The direction of the firing and the distance do not correspond to the plane's
explosion site either in theory or in practice. All the hits by the rockets
used during the exercise were recorded by corresponding devices and reached
their targets," Khivrenko, the Ukrainian defense spokesman, said.

"Moreover, the monitoring means of Ukraine's Air Defense
Forces as well as those of the Ukrainian air traffic control did not record the
presence of any civilian aircraft in the exercise area during the maneuvers."

He said that the targets were at a distance of 35-39 kilometers (21-24 miles).

Liban

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10:45) Lebanese source: Hizbullah attack 'strange and risky'



Lebanese and international sources rebuked Hizbullah's cross-border attacks
yesterday evening on IDF positions in the Mount Dov area.

"Any violent attack across the Blue Line is wrong according to the United
Nations because it's an infringement of a clear UN position," Staffan de
Mistura, the UN secretary-general's personal representative to south Lebanon
told Beirut's The Daily Star.

"But it could not have come at a worse time in view of the international
climate," de Mistura added.

The timing of the attack raised eyebrows among diplomats and security
officials.

"It's very surprising," said a Lebanese security source. "The timing is strange
and very risky, particularly as Israel keeps telling everyone that Hizbullah is
a terrorist group and it should be hit. Now Hizbullah is giving everyone a
reason to hit them."

A European diplomat said that Israel's response could go either way, but noted
that "the Americans certainly will not want to see a renewal of the Israel-
Hizbullah war."

Sharon

[Gość: #]

Sharon: We won't be another Czechoslovakia
By Arieh O'Sullivan


JERUSALEM (October 5) - Pressured by daily deadly terror attacks, Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon last night said all attempts to reach a cease-fire have
failed and he has ordered the security forces into action against Palestinian
terrorism.

"We can rely only on ourselves. And from today forward, we will only rely on
ourselves," Sharon said.

Speaking after the terror attack in Afula, which left three dead, Sharon called
on the West not to "appease" the Arab world by abandoning Israel in the war on
terror.

"Today Israel suffered another murderous Palestinian terrorist attack which
took a heavy toll," Sharon said. "All of our efforts to reach a cease-fire have
been torpedoed by the Palestinians. Fire did not cease, not even for one day."

Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv last night, Sharon said the cabinet
has instructed the security forces to take "all necessary measures" to bring
full security.

"We are currently in the midst of a complex and difficult political campaign. I
call on the Western democracies and primarily on the leader of the free world,
the United States: Do not repeat the dreadful mistake of 1938, when enlightened
European democracies decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia for a convenient
temporary solution. Do not try to appease the Arabs at our expense. This is
unacceptable to us. Israel will not be Czechoslovakia. Israel will fight
terrorism."

"There is no good terrorism and bad terrorism," Sharon said. "It is worse than
murder. We have been fighting terrorism for over 100 years. Unfortunately,
there is no swift and immediate solution. But if united we confront this
terrorism, we will be able to overcome it and bring peace. And we shall
overcome."

But the government stopped short of saying the cease-fire with the Palestinians
is dead.

"I don't sign death certificates," said Transportation Minister Ephraim
Sneh. "Actually, we are in a situation where a cease-fire is permanently defied
by Palestinian terrorism. That is why we have to take the measures to forestall
this danger and to fight back."

Sneh also refused to elaborate on what security steps will be taken. "Wait and
see," he said.

Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said last night that the
Palestinians "will have to pay a heavy price for this kind of attacks."

Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz said the IDF has not detected any
attempt by the Palestinian Authority to enforce the cease-fire.

"There is no war on terror by the Palestinian Authority and they don't even
carry out arrests," Mofaz told reporters in Tel Aviv.

While not repeating his claim that the PA is a "terrorist entity," Mofaz said
it has never abandoned its belligerent goal.

Meanwhile, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat convened the PLO leadership in Ramallah
yesterday to discuss the situation and how to deal with the latest
developments, Palestinian sources said.

The PA has been saying that it is unable to arrest terrorists while Israel is
killing Palestinians. But Arafat is under growing pressure to take action, a PA
source said.

He knows that he must deal with militants who are challenging his orders and
continue to carry out attacks, the source said. But as Hamas and Islamic Jihad
have fought side-by-side with Fatah during the intifada, he can not suddenly
start to arrest them, the source added.

Arafat wants to first try to convince them to stop carrying out attacks and
only then start to make arrests, the source explained. However, many senior
officials around Arafat want him to deal with those who violate the orders.

(Lamia Lahoud contributed to this report.)

Fatah

[Gość: +]

(16:45) Fatah claims responsibility for Afula slayings



The Aksa Brigades of Fatah issued a statement in Jenin this afternoon claiming
responsibility for yesterday's terrorist shooting attack in Afula that left
three dead and 14 wounded.

The streets of Jenin were plastered with photographs of the attacker, Nazir
Muhammad Hamed, who came from a village near the city, Israel Radio reported.

If the Aksa Brigades claim is true, this would be the first attack by
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement inside Israel
since Arafat declared a cease-fire last week.

President Directs Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan

[Gość: =]

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 4, 2001

President Directs Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
Remarks by the President to State Department Employees
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.


U.S. Assistance to the Afghan People
Listen to the President's Remarks



10:25 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please be seated. Thank you all.
Mr. Secretary, I'm honored you invited me back. (Laughter.) I'm glad to be
back to be able to say thanks on behalf of the American people to the patriots
who work for our Department of State. Thanks for your hard work. Thanks for
your dedication. Thanks for your love of America.

I'm also here to announce an initiative to help the Afghan people in a
time of crisis and in a time of need. America will stand strong and will
oppose the sponsors of terror. And America will stand strong and help those
people who are hurt by those regimes.

Mr. Secretary, I am proud of your leadership. Last time I came, I
predicted you would be a great Secretary of State. You have not let me down.
(Applause.) And neither have the folks who work at the State Department; not
only here in Washington, but in embassies throughout the world. America is
proud of your service. And America is comforted by the fact that we are united
as we stand to fight terror.

We are engaged in a noble cause. And that is to say loud and clear to the
evildoers that we reject you, that we will stand firm against terror, and that
this great nation, along with many other nations, will defend freedom.

I want to thank those of you who have worked extra long hours to help
forge this fantastic coalition that we're building, a coalition of people all
around the world who understand that the evil acts could have happened to them,
just like they happened to us.

People understand that now is the time to take a stand, to seize this
moment, to say that out of this evil act will come good. And the State
Department has helped lead the way. And I'm proud of your efforts. And I'm
proud of your hard work.

After all, many of you understand the effects of terror. We had two of
our embassies bombed. Your colleagues were injured and died. I mean, the
State Department has been on the front line of battling terror and the front
line of seeing the effects of terror. And the American people appreciate the
heroism of the people who serve our country overseas.

This is a unique type of war. It's a war that is going to require us
building a broad coalition of nations who will contribute, one way or the
other, to make sure that we all win. Some nations may be willing to commit
troops, if that's a decision that we make. Other nations will help in cutting
off funding. Truth of the matter is, the first shot we fired in this war
against evildoers was when the Secretary and I and the Secretary of Treasury
said we're going to find their money, and we're going to starve them of their
money.

We're going to find their bank accounts, and we will freeze them. We're
going to talk to banks all around the world, and make it clear that if they are
on our side, if they join the folks who are fighting evil, that they've got to
do everything they can to cut off their funds. When we starve them of their
funds, we starve them of their capacity to move against freedom.

I'm proud of the coalitions that we've built. I'm proud of the fact that
the Secretary of State and the able team here at the State Department is a
results-oriented group of folks.

We've said, not only join the coalition, we've said here's what we expect
you to do. Here is your assignment. One of the things the American people
appreciate about our administration is that we're results-oriented folks, that
we expect there to be results. We expect if you're on our team, that we want
your performance. And it's making a difference.

As I announced the other day, we've collectively rounded up 150
terrorists, people associated with the al Qaeda organization. Thanks to the
Secretary of State's work and others' work and the work of people around the
world, we've convinced those who joined our coalition to rout out terrorists,
to find them, to incarcerate them, to question them, to find out what's in
their mind and what their future activities may be. And we're making great
progress.

This is a strong coalition. It's a strong coalition because we've got
great leadership, but it's a strong coalition because we're right. Because
it's a strong coalition. Because we've made it clear, this is not a war
between Christianity or Judaism and Islam. As a matter of fact, the teachings
of Islam make it clear that peace is important, that compassion is a part of
life. This is a war between good and evil. And we have made it clear to the
world that we will stand strong on the side of good, and we expect other
nations to join us. (Applause.)

This is not a war between our world and their world. It is a war to save
the world. And people now understand that. And I want to thank you for all
your work of making that simple, yet profound, mission clear.

We have no compassion for terrorists in this country. We have no
compassion. Nor will we have any compassion for any state that sponsors them.
Oh yes, we're a compassionate nation, but our compassion is limited. We have
great compassion, however, for the millions around the world who are victims of
hate, of victims of oppressive government, including the people who live in
Afghanistan.

Today I'm announcing, along with the Secretary of State, that America will
contribute an additional $320 million in humanitarian assistance for Afghans
for more food, more medicine, to help the innocent people of Afghanistan deal
with the coming winter. This is our way of saying that while we firmly and
strongly oppose the Taliban regime, we are friends of the Afghan people.

We will work with the UN agencies such as the World Food Program and work
with private volunteer organizations to make sure this assistance gets to the
people. We will make sure that not only the folks in Afghanistan who need help
get help, but we will help those who have fled to neighboring countries to get
help as well.

There's no question that we're an angry people about what happened to our
country. But in our anger, we must never forget we're a compassionate people
as well. We will fight evil. But in order to overcome evil, the great
goodness of America must come forth and shine forth. And one way to do so is
to help the poor souls in Afghanistan. And we're going to do so.

I want to remind the world that helping people in need is a central part
of not only the Christian faith, but of Judaism and the Hindu faith, and of
course a central part of Islamic traditions. And that's why our coalition is
more than just one to rout terrorism out of the world. It's one to bind
together, to knit those traditions in a way that helps people in need.

You know, I talked to a lot of world leaders, and Colin has as well. And I
told him, through our tears, we see opportunity, that in our sadness and grief
we see an opportunity to not only defend freedom, but to make the world more
peaceful.

I see an opportunity at home when I hear the stories of Christian and
Jewish women alike, helping women of cover, Arab American women go shop because
they're afraid to leave their home. I see a great opportunity when I see moms
and dads spend more time with their children here at home.

I see out of this sadness and grief an opportunity for America to
reexamine our culture, to reexamine how we view the need to help people in

Al-Zawahri's group, Jihad

[Gość: ()]

New Images of Bin Laden Appear
_____Transcripts_____

• Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children's Sepideh Azerbaijani-
MoghaddamOn Afghan refugee women
• Photographer Gary Calton'Teaching the Taliban'
• Post Managing Editor Steve Coll on South Asia
• Former State Department Spokesman James P. Rubin on the Taliban
• Martin Smith Documentary Producer, "Hunting bin Laden"
• Women's Rights Activist Barbara Bickon Visiting the Northern Alliance





E-Mail This Article

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By Ward Pincus
Associated Press Writer
Friday, October 5, 2001; 1:49 PM

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates –– Rigid, unsmiling and flanked by AK-47-carrying
followers, Osama bin Laden appeared in tape broadcast Friday showing the terror
suspect sought by the United States in the rough, dry mountains of his Afghan
base.

Al-Jazeera television in Qatar said it believed the 30-second clip it aired was
the most recent images of the exiled Saudi, Washington's chief suspect in the
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The TV station did not say whether the footage had been taped before or after
the Sept. 11 attacks, or how it obtained it. Bin Laden has a history of using
the closely watched Arab satellite channel as a conduit to the outside world,
doling out interviews and footage over the years.

In the newly released tape, bin Laden, dressed in white and beige robes and an
Afghan-style dark turban, stands side-by-side with his top lieutenant, Egyptian
Ayman al-Zawahri.

Men armed with AK-47s, their faces covered, stand near the two.

Around them was a stark encampment of three or four squat cement huts and a
half-dozen or so sand-colored tents.

Rough, arid mountains lie behind them, lit by slanting rays of what appears
either early morning or late afternoon sun.

Singing and the beating of drums ring out in the background. Bin Laden at times
glances toward the camera, his face unmoving.

Al-Jazeera said the footage was believed to record a celebration of the union
of bin Laden's al-Qaida network and al-Zawahri's Egyptian Jihad. It also marked
the graduation of a group of newly trained fighters into al-Qaida, Al-Jazeera
said.

There was no obvious reason for timing of the release of the tape, and bin
Laden spoke no words on it – his Islamic Taliban hosts in the past have
discouraged him from speaking publicly.

It also was not clear what union the video would have commemorated.

In 1998, al-Zawahri's group, Jihad, and three other militant Islamic
organizations linked up with al-Qaida to form bin Laden's new International
Front for Fighting Jews and Crusades.

Beyond that alliance, there has been no known announcement of any closer
partnership.

Al-Zawahri's group, Jihad, is linked to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat, 20 years ago Saturday.

The alliance with al-Qaida led to a split within Jihad, some of whose members
feared taking on the United States.

An editor at Al-Jazeera, who asked not to be identified, said the station had
no information about the tape beyond what appeared on the air.

Operating since 1996, Al-Jazeera has provided an alternative to Arab
broadcasting's usual, uncritical news fare of country's leaders.

Their reports over the years have angered Muslim governments across the
political spectrum, and have drawn criticism of the United States in the high
tensions following the attacks on the United States.

Bin Laden was last seen in public in February, at his son's wedding in the
southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

Then, bin Laden praised the October suicide-bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen,
which killed 17 American sailors. "The pieces of the bodies of infidels were
flying like dust particles. If you had seen it with your own eyes ... your
heart would have been filled with joy," he said.

[Gość: Matrix6]

Experts are trying to crack code used by last month's hijackers

French police have reportedly recovered a code book which could give
investigators clues to the methods Islamic terrorists used to hide information
in seemingly innocent messages.
The American television network ABC said the book was found in the possession
of Kamel Daoudi, who was arrested in England after the terror attacks on the US
last month and has since been extradited to France.

Mr Daoudi worked at a cybercafe. French intelligence officials reputedly
believe his familiarity with the net could have helped the groups who carried
out the 11 September attacks keep in touch.



This code book is a major breakthrough in the investigation

Former French Defence Ministry Official Alexis Debat
Former French Defence Ministry official, Alexis Debat, told ABC's "Primetime
Thursday" programme that Mr Daoudi is believed to be part of Osama Bin Laden's
terrorist network.

Mr Debat said the information came from judicial sources who told him the
notebook with Arabic writing "seemed to be a codebook".

A BBC correspondent in France, Malcolm Brabant, said that if information about
the codebook is accurate, it could help the many computer experts hired by the
FBI to pick out hidden messages in e-mails sent before the suicide attacks in
New York and Washington.

"This code book is a major breakthrough in the investigation," Mr Debat told
ABC.

He said French officials believe terrorists would have received their final
instructions for the plot hidden in e-mail messages or even in pictures placed
on the net.

The discovery of the codebook suggests that the hijackers and their cohorts may
have used several techniques to communicate covertly.

Before now FBI officials have said that the hijackers used public web terminals
and unencrypted e-mail messages to keep in touch.

The codebook may reveal that the seemingly innocent messages actually
contained "trigger" phrases that helped co-ordinate the attacks.

French officials have even suggested that the hijackers could have been sending
and receiving instructions hidden in music or pictures attached to e-mails or
placed on the net.

The file concealing the message looks innocent, but those with the right
software can extract text hidden within it.

This technique of hiding information is known as steganography

The codebook could reveal the identifiers the hijackers used to spot the files
bearing hidden messages.

However, no evidence of hidden messages has been found in a survey of two
million images carried out by US researcher Niels Provos from the University of
Michigan.

Suicide missions



Alleged US terror ringleader, Mohammed Atta

The code book was reportedly found during a round-up of Islamic militants who
were suspected of planning to launch suicide missions against American targets
in France, including the US embassy in Paris.

The FBI has discovered that three of the suspected hijackers, including the
alleged ringleader, Mohammed Atta, turned up at a motel at Hollywood in south
Florida in August and demanded 24-hour internet access.

Staff who went into the men's room said they had two laptops and a stack of CD-
roms.

Experts believe the need to be constantly on-line suggested the hijackers were
waiting for important messages.

On this occasion, the hotel was unable to provide the telephone connections the
men needed, and they left in an angry mood, reportedly saying "you don't
understand - we are here on a mission".

"Islam is peace,"

[Gość: Dawid]

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2001

USA -Izrael

[Gość: xr]

Sharon 'clarifies' appeasement remarks
By Janine Zacharia and Herb Keinon


JERUSALEM (October 7) - Following sharp US criticism of his statement that
Israel won't be an appeasement sacrifice as Czechoslovakia was in 1938, Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon clarified it last night, saying he "regrets" if his
metaphor was not properly understood.

The clarification followed two days of angry exchanges with the US government
over his remarks Thursday night, in which Sharon warned the US and the Western
world against trying to appease the Arabs, in order to get them to join the
anti-terror coalition, by sacrificing Israel. Sharon had said this would be
similar to what the British and French tried to do in 1938 by giving Hitler the
Sudetenland in the mistaken belief that this would appease him.

"To my regret the metaphor [of Czechoslovakia] in my speech was not understood
properly," Sharon said. "And I regret it. President Bush has made a courageous
decision to set as a goal the eradication of terrorism. The government of
Israel welcomes this decision and will provide its full and unwavering support
to the success of this commitment of the president."

A similar message was conveyed by Sharon to US Secretary of State Colin Powell
in a telephone conversation on Friday. In that conversation, according to
Sharon's office, the prime minister expressed his appreciation for the "deep
friendship and special relationship" between the two countries, and "especially
with President George Bush."

Sharon asked Powell to convey to Bush "his appreciation of the bold and
courageous decision of the president to fight terrorism. Israel fully supports
this position and cooperates with it."

Powell made clear the president's displeasure, and emphasized the importance of
returning to the peace process.

Sharon's clarification last night of his comment came after he received
numerous messages of disapproval from the administration.

"The president believes that these remarks are unacceptable," White House
spokesman Ari Fleischer said at a news conference on Friday. "Israel can have
no better or stronger friend than the United States."

Fleischer's language recalled more adversarial moments between the allies of a
decade ago when then prime minister Yitzhak Shamir sometimes tangled with the
first Bush administration.

"President Bush is an especially close ally of Israel," Fleischer added. "The
United States has been and will continue to work very hard to secure peace in
the Middle East, to press the parties to end the violence and return to a
political dialogue. And that will continue to be the goals and the policies of
the United States."

US displeasure with Sharon's comments was conveyed to him directly by Powell,
as well as by Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, who spoke to him shortly after he
delivered the remarks Thursday evening.

This conversation was particularly tense, with Sharon reportedly telling the US
envoy that he could not believe he was calling to complain about his remarks,
rather than offering condolences for the Israelis killed by Palestinians in
recent days.

A senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said last night that Sharon
made his remarks after getting the feeling that the West was letting Hamas,
Islamic Jihad, and Yasser Arafat off the hook regarding terror against
Israelis. According to this official, Israel is concerned that the Palestinians
are picking up signals from the West that it would tolerate Palestinian terror -
the evidence being that in the last two weeks Palestinian terror has
increased, not decreased.

"The point Sharon was trying to make by bringing up Czechoslovakia was that
Israel won't give up its right to self-defense when faced with unmitigated
violence," the official said. "He was using it as a metaphor, not a historical
corollary. He was warning of something that may develop, and felt that it was
better to say it now."

To a certain extent, the message was received by the Palestinians, the official
claimed, citing the statement issued after the Palestinian cabinet meeting
Friday night that called on the Palestinians to stop the violence.

The highly unusual statement read that, "Some of the Palestinian factions, by
their actions, are deviating from the national interest and the national unity
of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian leadership is warning all those who
are trying to violate President Arafat's decision to cease fire that it is a
dangerous action and will harm the Palestinian national interest."

Fleischer insisted that Sharon's assumption that the US was trying to placate
the Arabs was inaccurate. "The United States is not doing anything that would
appease the Arabs at Israel's expense," he said.

Sharon has been increasingly frustrated by what he sees as mounting US pressure
on Israel to keep things quiet so as not to thwart US efforts to forge a broad
coalition with Arab states aimed at fighting a war against terrorist Osama bin
Laden's al-Qaida network.

Sharon reluctantly conceded under US pressure to allow Foreign Minister Shimon
Peres to meet with PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to try to clinch a cease-fire. But
since then Israelis have been gunned down daily and bombs have continued to
explode. American intelligence officials also are saying Arafat is not holding
up his side of the bargain.

Instead of condemnation from the US, Bush answered last week's attacks by
announcing US support for a Palestinian state, his first such statement ever,
angering Sharon.

Sharon has also been concerned about the US courting of Israel's enemies like
Syria, which is to be voted onto the UN Security Council tomorrow without any
opposition from the Bush administration.

And he is upset that terrorist groups like Hizbullah and Hamas are not being
included in the war on terrorism.

"Sharon wanted to draw a line in the sand," said one Israeli diplomat. He
wanted to "reaffirm the rules of the game," outlined during his last visit to
Washington. Then, the US and Israel pledged not to "surprise" one another and
to coordinate. Sharon wants that pact reaffirmed.

He may have achieved the opposite. The US is single-mindedly focused on the war
on terrorism, and US-Israel relations may not be as high a priority as they
were pre-September 11.

One former senior US official commented: "Sharon's heading down the wrong
track." Even Jewish organizations offered a rare public criticism of an Israeli
leader.

The Anti-Defamation League said in a statement it understands and empathizes
with Israel's anxieties and concerns about how US policy on global terrorism is
developing, but characterized as "regrettable" Sharon's comments comparing that
policy to the appeasement policy of the 1930s.

The American Jewish Congress also took issue with Sharon's remarks.

US launches 'anti-terror' satellite

[Gość: Kbl]

Saturday, 6 October, 2001, 08:31 GMT 09:31 UK
US launches 'anti-terror' satellite


The satellite can track individuals on the ground

The United States has launched a satellite which intelligence analysts say will
probably be used to gather information in the global campaign against
terrorism.
The Titan IV rocket was launched from Vandenberg airforce base in California on
behalf of the US National Reconnaissance Office, a secretive agency
specialising in providing information for the CIA and the National Security
Agency.

The rocket is believed to have been carrying a top secret KH-11 spy satellite -
that could monitor Afghanistan ahead of an expected military strike.

The US Air Force refused to comment on the payload, but the NRO builds and
operates America's spy satellites and specialises in gathering pictures and
electronic data, such as telephone conversations on the ground.

Pin-point accuracy

Experts from Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine said the satellite was
likely to be equipped with a digital camera able to pick out objects as small
as 10 cm (4 inches) across on the ground.

Orbiting hundreds of miles above the earth the 15 tonne KH-11 is capable of
tracking small groups of people walking on the ground as well as vehicle and
weapons movements.

It can monitor conversations and even spot campfires at night using infrared
technology.

Identifying the enemy

According to Aviation Magazine such information could be used to monitor the
movements of Taleban groups and refugees to help allied forces separate
potentially hostile groups from "non-combatants".

The United States is believed to have spy satellites over Afghanistan already
as US forces continue to build up nearby ahead of expected military strikes.

Before 1996 the NRO did not publicly disclose the launches of its satellites.

[Gość: X@Z]

The United States has begun its military operation in Afghanistan.
"We are beginning another front in our war against terrorism so freedom can
prevail over fear," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

There were reports of loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire in the Afghan
capital Kabul and the city of Kandahar, the main stronghold of the ruling
Taleban.


US President George Bush is to address the nation shortly, and UK Prime
Minister Tony Blair will speak immediately afterwards.

Meanwhile, the Taleban says it has sent 8,000 troops to its border with
Uzbekistan, which has given the US access to an air base for its anti-terrorism
campaign.


The US administration has repeatedly rejected Taleban offers to bargain over
the fate of its guest, Saudi-born militant Osama Bin Laden.

MUSLIMS UNITE!

[Gość: UMMA]

Topic: MUSLIMS UNITE!
Abu-Sayed
Member posted 09-23-2001 09:28 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is time for us to unite!
It does not matter whether you are a follower of Ali or Omar! It does not
matter whether Abu-Bakr was the right Khalif or Hassan!
This is ALL Arabic-Politics of 1400 years ago! Ali, Abu-Bakr, Hassan, and Omar,
no matter whether they were good or bad, are DEAD!
They died 1400 years ago and we have NOTHING to do with them!
We do not know whther they were good or bad! It is not our business!

Those who whorship Muhmmad, Ali, or Omar!
THOSE PEOPLE ARE DEAD!
But those who whorship GOD and believe in his Quran - GOD is for ever!

Let us not fight about Arabic politics of 1400 years ago!

Let us unite. It does not matter whether you follow tha Jahfari or Hanafi or
Maliki Madhhab!

The only important thing is that you follow GOD and His prophet Abraham!

The Quran teaches us that we should follow Abraham and his God - our God!

Abraham is the only prophet whose life and practises (his hadiths) are
mentioned in the Quran, thus he is our example!

Let us follow God alone, and try to be like His prophets Muhammad and Abraham!

IP: Logged

[Gość: aaaa]

Statement by the President

[Gość: Datsh]

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 7, 2001

Statement by the President
The Treaty Room



1:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. On my orders, the United States military
has begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military
installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These carefully targeted
actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of
operations, and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.

We are joined in this operation by our staunch friend, Great Britain.
Other close friends, including Canada, Australia, Germany and France, have
pledged forces as the operation unfolds. More than 40 countries in the Middle
East, Africa, Europe and across Asia have granted air transit or landing
rights. Many more have shared intelligence. We are supported by the
collective will of the world.

More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and
specific demands: Close terrorist training camps; hand over leaders of the al
Qaeda network; and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens,
unjustly detained in your country. None of these demands were met. And now
the Taliban will pay a price. By destroying camps and disrupting
communications, we will make it more difficult for the terror network to train
new recruits and coordinate their evil plans.

Initially, the terrorists may burrow deeper into caves and other
entrenched hiding places. Our military action is also designed to clear the
way for sustained, comprehensive and relentless operations to drive them out
and bring them to justice.

At the same time, the oppressed people of Afghanistan will know the
generosity of America and our allies. As we strike military targets, we'll
also drop food, medicine and supplies to the starving and suffering men and
women and children of Afghanistan.

The United States of America is a friend to the Afghan people, and we are
the friends of almost a billion worldwide who practice the Islamic faith. The
United States of America is an enemy of those who aid terrorists and of the
barbaric criminals who profane a great religion by committing murder in its
name.

This military action is a part of our campaign against terrorism, another
front in a war that has already been joined through diplomacy, intelligence,
the freezing of financial assets and the arrests of known terrorists by law
enforcement agents in 38 countries. Given the nature and reach of our enemies,
we will win this conflict by the patient accumulation of successes, by meeting
a series of challenges with determination and will and purpose.

Today we focus on Afghanistan, but the battle is broader. Every nation
has a choice to make. In this conflict, there is no neutral ground. If any
government sponsors the outlaws and killers of innocents, they have become
outlaws and murderers, themselves. And they will take that lonely path at
their own peril.

I'm speaking to you today from the Treaty Room of the White House, a place
where American Presidents have worked for peace. We're a peaceful nation.
Yet, as we have learned, so suddenly and so tragically, there can be no peace
in a world of sudden terror. In the face of today's new threat, the only way
to pursue peace is to pursue those who threaten it.

We did not ask for this mission, but we will fulfill it. The name of
today's military operation is Enduring Freedom. We defend not only our
precious freedoms, but also the freedom of people everywhere to live and raise
their children free from fear.

I know many Americans feel fear today. And our government is taking
strong precautions. All law enforcement and intelligence agencies are working
aggressively around America, around the world and around the clock. At my
request, many governors have activated the National Guard to strengthen airport
security. We have called up Reserves to reinforce our military capability and
strengthen the protection of our homeland.

In the months ahead, our patience will be one of our strengths

Al-Aqsa Mosque

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PA Mufti Calls Upon Muslims Not To Join U.S. Coalition Against Terrorism

MEMRI October 1, 2001
On Friday September 28, 2001, during the sermon in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, PA
Mufti, Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri, called upon Muslims to oppose the U.S. coalition
against terrorism and encouraged them not to fear the U.S. Following are
excerpts from the sermon:
”Oh Muslims, oh brothers, believers, everywhere, our Prophet used to deal in
Friday’s sermon with current events of his time and I will follow him and also
discuss some religious rulings connected to the current international event
following the [attacks] that took place in America on the 11th of this month.”
”First, there is a religious legal rule that man is innocent, namely, in Islam,
a human being is innocent until he is proven guilty. It is not allowed to
blame a human being and then tell him ’prove you’re innocent.’ Therefore we
tell America: ’It is forbidden to accuse a person before the beginning of the
investigation.’”
”Until now, the American administration could not present proof to convict the
accused in the [attacks] in New York and Washington, [because] it is possible
that there are other elements inside America who carried out these [attaclks].
[Since] those who flew the planes were professionals and had significant
technical knowledge.”
”Second, Allah says: ’It is forbidden to throw on one person the burden of
another.’ Therefore, we are not allowed from the legal religious point of view
to throw on a person the responsibility for a deed done by another person. It
is forbidden from the legal religious point of view to kill innocents, since
the comprehensive war does not leave out anything; it kills innocents, it burns
trees, it destroys homes and economies.”
”The aggressor will not be secure in his country, just like the party that was
attacked. In as much as it is forbidden to kill innocents in America, it is
forbidden to kill innocents in Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other
countries.”
”Third, our Prophet says in a long tradition (Hadiph): ’It is forbidden for a
Muslim to go against another Muslim, against his life, his properties, and his
honor (wife).’ It is forbidden from the religious legal aspect that a Muslim
would kill another Muslim; this killing is regarded as a severe sin. There are
tens of verses, and hundreds of traditions that forbid it. It is far more
sinful for a Muslim to ask for the help of a non-Muslim to kill another
Muslim. This is a grave heresy. Allah says in the ’Chapter of the Cow’ [in
the Quran] that ’heresy is worse than killing.’ ’Preserve Allah’s edict oh
rulers and be careful with your deeds.’”
”Allah says in another verse: ’You should fear Allah if indeed you are
believers.’ In another place he says: ’Do not fear them, but me if indeed you
are believers.’ The belief is the basis for fear of Allah. He who does not
fear Allah is shaken in his belief or lacks belief. We trust a Muslim who
fears Allah but does not fear human beings.”
”Oh Muslims, brothers in faith everywhere, from the pulpit of the blessed Al-
Aqsa Mosque we call upon America, the superpowers and the states that aligned
in a military pact, we tell all of them: ’No to war, because it brings
hardships on all mankind.’ [We say] no to the killing of innocents, no to the
killing of elderly women and children, no to [being under your]
guardianship. ’No to [your] intervention in other peoples’ issues. No to
imperialism, no to occupation.’ We tell the Muslims: ’You have to unite around
the Quran and the Sunnah, [the conduct of] his messenger, the Prophet
Muhammad.’” --
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: [phone]

Palestinian Authority

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08:55) PA: We are studying the situation in Afghanistan



The Palestinian Authority has not taken a position supporting or condemning the
US-led attacks against Afghanistan overnight.

"We are studying the situation, and will talk with others at a meeting of Arab
and Islamic foreign ministers in Qatar," Palestinian Authority Information
Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo cautiously said this morning during an interview
with Radio Palestine, Israel Radio reports.

"We are interested in a united front.

"We have in the past emphasized our condemnation of the attacks in New York and
Washington ... they cannot be justified in any religious or political fashion,"
Abed Rabbo said.

When Abed Rabbo was asked about a comments supporting Palestinians in a
videotaped statement by Osama Bin-Laden released last night by the Taliban,
Abed Rabbo said, "I heard what he had to say, and [although] it is true there
is terror and killing against the Palestinians carried out on a daily basis,
this does not justify killing people in New York or anywhere else.

"We do not want any more strategic mistakes made in the name of the
Palestinians."

When asked about reports of arrests of Palestinians engaged in planning or
carrying out terror attacks against Israelis, Abed Rabbo said, "There is
campaign of 'blackening' the Palestinian position. There are no arrests of
Palestinians. There never were in the past and there never will be.

"If a number of individuals were arrested, they were detained for reasons
directly connected to Palestinian security," Abed Rabbo said.

In a move viewed skeptically by Israel's defense establishment, Palestinian
police arrested at least two terrorists Saturday wanted by Israel and several
other Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
saying this was part of a new policy to rein in militants.

UK

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Monday, 8 October, 2001, 20:34 GMT 21:34 UK
US launches new strikes



US troops prepare for second wave of strikes

United States forces have launched a second wave of air strikes on targets in
Afghanistan.
Defence officials say the attacks are aimed at the Taleban's military
airfields, tanks and fighters. Bomber aircraft and missiles were deployed.

The attacks resumed almost exactly 24 hours after raids began on Sunday night.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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It is terribly important to understand that there is no magic bullet, that a
cruise missile will not solve it
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reports say the new attacks targeted the capital, Kabul, the Taleban stronghold
of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan and the airport in the eastern city of
Jalalabad. Mazar-e-Sharif and Konduz have also been hit.
Taleban forces are responding with anti-aircraft fire.

Power supplies to Kabul have reportedly been cut and Taleban radio has urged
residents to stay indoors and close their blinds, reports say.

Kabul residents reported bombs hitting targets on the outskirts of the city and
near the airport.

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press agency said a bomb had fallen near the
city's main hospital.

In other developments:

In Gaza City, Palestinian police shoot dead three demonstrators at a rally in
support of Osama Bin Laden and two police stations reported sacked by
protesters
FBI taking second case of anthrax in Florida "very seriously"
Captured British journalist Yvonne Ridley has been released by the Taleban and
has arrived in Pakistan
Protests against the air strikes in Afghanistan break out in two Pakistani
cities as President Musharraf tries to reassure people that strikes hit
military targets and did not hit Afghan cities
US citizens in Indonesia are advised to stay indoors and be prepared for
possible evacuation amid threats from hardline Muslims
Egypt recognises the US' right to bomb Afghanistan "if it has conclusive
evidence"
The main target of the attacks, Saudi-born militant Osama Bin Laden makes a
defiant statement - apparently recorded before the attacks - saying the US
was "filled with fear from north to south, east to west"
First strikes 'success'
The United States declared its air assault on Afghanistan on Sunday night a
great success.

President George W Bush said the operation was "executed as planned". But he
added that it would be "a long war, that requires understanding and patience
from the American people".



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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This action is not only against Afghanistan, but this is a terrorist attack on
the whole Muslim world
Taleban ambassador in Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a separate development, the US has called a meeting of the United Nations
Security Council, scheduled for 2100 GMT on Monday.
A letter submitted by Washington to the council on Sunday warned that the US
could take action against other countries and organisations after the strikes
on Afghanistan.

Humanitarian effort goes on

In Sunday's first wave of attacks, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld
said, US and British forces had struck military aircraft, runways, missile
launchers and "terrorist training camps".




Mr Rumsfeld insisted that every target attacked on Sunday night was a military
target and Kabul was not attacked directly. He said that the humanitarian
effort, air-drops of relief aid, would continue.

Mr Rumsfeld warned of a long campaign. The targets being hit were not going to
cause the Taleban "to rock back on their heels", he said.

"They do not have the kind of high-value targets which lend themselves to being
dominated from the air."

"We cannot yet state with certainty that we destroyed the dozens of military
command and control and leadership targets we selected," Mr Rumsfeld added.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that the utmost care was being
taken to avoid civilian casualties. He reiterated that the argument was not
with the Afghan people, who he said would not be abandoned once the current
conflict was over.


: Military glossary


Guide to the military hardware being used




Unlike Sunday night, British forces are not directly involved in the latest
strikes.

The Taleban said there were about 20 casualties in Kabul from the Sunday's
strikes, including women, children and elderly people.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hardware in action
Tomahawk cruise missiles
10 B-1 Lancers and B-2 stealth bombers
10 fighter bombers from aircraft carriers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Taleban ambassador in Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, described the
strikes as "a terrorist attack... not only against the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan, but on the whole Muslim world".
Independent reports from Kabul have not confirmed the death toll, but bombs are
said to have landed in a residential area in the centre of the city.

Fleeing Kabul

Many Kabul residents are reported to be fleeing the area, but reports said some
shops and schools opened as usual on Monday.


Some reports from the city quoted residents expressing relief at the lack of
civilian casualties.

The attacks followed warnings from US officials that time was running out for
the Taleban to hand over Bin Laden, whom the US accuses of organising the 11
September suicide attacks that killed more than 6,000 people.

On Sunday US forces later air-dropped relief to Afghanistan, including 37,500
ration packs.

Rumours of possible strikes have led to a major exodus of refugees from
Afghanistan.

But a spokesman for the UN refugee agency in Peshawar in Pakistan said basic
food and shelter "simply could not be provided" if there was a massive influx
of refugees.

The aid agency Oxfam said Afghans were probably better off if they stayed where
they were inside Afghanistan.