"In a video message from Osama bin Laden, aired on Qatar based al-Jazeera television a spokesman for the al-Qaeda organization, Sulemein Abu Ghaith, threatened, "The storm of airplanes will not be calmed, if it is God's will. The storm will not calm, especially as long as you(the United States and Britain) do not end you support for the Jews in Palestine, lift the embargo from the Iraqi people, and have left the Arabian peninsula, and stop your support of the Hindus against Muslims in Kashmir."
"Suleiman continued in his televised interview with this warning, "We tell and recommend Muslims in the United States and Britain, and those who reject the American policies, not to take airplanes and not to live in towers and high buildings". And, he singled out US president George Bush, his father the former US President, ex-president Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as having committed, "the worst crimes against Muslims."
"Further Suleiman said, "We salute the Muslim crowds who have so bravely protested against this agression(by America and Britain) and we call on them to maintain the pressure, especially after the foreign affairs ministers of the Muslim countries expressed their support for this unjust campaign."
"Gul Ahmaf Shami, a 22 year old Afghani student, said as he set off for jihad, "I want to be the next Osama bin Laden."
"Abdullah Laden, the 18 year old son of Osama bin Laden, said in a newspaper interview, "America and Britain will never track down my father. He has vanished into the landscape, he is invisable."
"Reuters news agency reports, "At least 200 people have been killed in two days of religious clashes in the northern Nigerian city of Kano triggered by US-led air strikes in Afghanistan."
"AFP news agrency said, "As US-British military strikes enter their second week, fears are growing in the Arab world that they are only a taste of a wider, prolonged campaign that could ignite the region."
"King Mohammed of Morocco in an address to a meeting of Islamic states warned the United States, "to tread carefully in its fight against terrorism to avoid fallout that could follow an action borne solely of revenge."
"As Northern Alliance soldiers and local Afghani civilian residents competed to retrieve the food packages dropped by the United States the fighters were quick to fire their kalashnikovs into the air to scare away women and children, their commander, Dagarwal Korband justified his soldiers actions saying, "Its American aid for the soldiers, they need the supplies to supplement their inadequate rations."
"In a small eastern Afghan village, Khorum, which was a collection of mud huts and livestock pens with perhaps 400 residents before it was flattened in a US air raid, an old man, Gul Ahmed wailed, "One hundred and eighty(others reported 230 had been killed) people died here. Why are the Americans attacking our innocent people? We are poor people, don't hit us, we have nothing to do with Osama(bin laden)."
"In the same village Abdul Rasool, 40, said his was"one of the many homes destroyed, and his wife and three sons aged six, ten and fifteen were all killed". And, resident Hussain Khan who lost four children in the air raid said, "I ask America not to kill us."
"In Thailand two Muslim organisations have urged that Thai Muslims shun Coca Cola, Pizza Hut, Ford cars, McDonalds, Pampers diapers, Nike sporting goods, American Express, Hollywood movies and other American products in protest over US air strikes on Afghanistan", the AP news agency reported."
"Reuters news agency reported that, "The Philipine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was advising Filipinos not to flaunt their love for America, saying they should avoid wearing shirts with slogans like, 'I Love USA' or 'I Love New York', and that car stickers expressing similar sentiments should be removed."
"US News and World Report magazine reported that "Afghanistan Northern Alliance leader, Haron Amin, has provided washington with a wish list of weapons including helicopters, tanks, and rifles, but that they want Russian equipment not American". And, "That a deal has been struck in which Russia will supply the weapons and Washington will arrange for Moscow to be paid."
"The US military had Taliban leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar in its sights on the first night of its bombing raids on Afghanistan but failed to kill him," said New Yorker journalist Seymour Hersh. Hersh cited intelligence and military sources as saying the incident had United States Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, "kicking a lot of glass and breaking doors". U.S. Officials say, "Omars residence was targeted by F-18 fighter planes but they attacked shortly after Omar had left, killing only two members of his family."
"In an interview with the Saudi newspaper, Al-Watan, Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, said, " It is true that we have not started our real battle against the United States because of their technological superiority; but, God willing, we will not greet them with roses". Mullah Omar went on to say, "We have said if Washington has the evidence proving Osama bin Laden's involvement and is confident of that, why don't they give us the evidence and we are ready to try him in Afghanistan or by a committee of Islamic scholars from three countries. By ignoring this proposal the United States is humiliating Islamic Syariah law, and accordingly the current war is not targeting Osama but the destruction of the Islamic Emerite of Afghanistan."
"In regard to American accusations that a letter sent to Microsoft offices in the U.S. state of Nevada containing the anthrax bacteria was sent from Malaysia, the Malaysian Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, responded, "We have not been able to confirm that the letter originated from Malaysia or if it was tampered with in the United States itself. The Government wishes to state that it takes such reports very seriously and will extend its fullest support and co-operation to US authorities to investigate the matter."
"Sally Kolhatkar, vice-president of the U.S. based Afghan Women's Mission said, "Its unbelievable what the Afghan women have been reduced to by the Taliban in recent years and by the mujahideen before that. As Americans, we feel very responsible that the lives of these women and their children have been wrecked by our government which had funded arms for fundamentalist terrorist groups like the Taliban and the mujahideen."
"Reuters reports that, "U.S. forces yesterday unleashed the fiercest attacks yet on the Afghan city of Kabul, triggering anguished pleas for mercy from the city's population and a signal from Pakistan that its support for the U.S. campaign could be undermined by mounting civilian casualities."
"The Taliban's deputy ambassador to Pakistan, Sohail Shaheen, told Reuters news agency, "Osama bin Laden and Afghan supreme leader Mullah Omar Mohammad are well and reports of Taliban rifts are groundless". Shaheen said, "The Taliban was receiving new sympathy and support. America, by launching an attack on Afghanistan, will not achieve what they want to achieve. Air strikes have unified Afghans. Not just Afghans but all Muslims. You see demonstrations and we are receiving sympathy and support of the Muslims of the world, which we did not receive before."
"Jean Ziegler, UN special representative on food aid to Afghanistan, and the Red Cross told journalists in a discussion regarding the value of American food drops over Afghanistan, "If there is no one on the ground to receive it(food aid), to distribute it, or to do humanitarian work it is obvious the man with the gun picks it(food aid) up, so the Americans are feeding the Taliban every night."
"Reuters news agency reported that, "U.S. ally Saudi Arabia said it was unhappy about the bombing of Afghanistan, sending the clearest signal yet that its relations with Washington are being tested by the war on terrorism". Interior Minister, Prince Naif broke Saudi silence on the bombing, telling reporters that, "the Kingdom opposed terrorism but did not approve of the U.S. response."
"A Western political analyst in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia said, "Its unbelievable the way the feeling here has changed from sympathy to anger for the United States in such a short time."
"Reuters news agency says, "A final episode has rubbed salt in already wounded Saudi pride in the past week. Saudis have been outraged by the rejection of a US$10,000,000.00 donation by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talai to victims of the collapse of the World Trade Center. Prince Alwaleed's check was shunned by Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, because of his criticism of U.S. Middle east ploicy."
"AFP news agency reports, "As U.S. led air strikes seek to weaken Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, President George Bush and his advisors ponder how to influence the creation of any future government in Kabul, believing a broad-based, democratic government would be in thier best interests. Both U.S. and Pakistani authorities have expressed concerns that the main opposition Northern Alliance, which now prefers to be called the United Front, is neither broad-based nor democratic."
"Reporting on increasing civilian casualities in Afghanistan Reuters news agency quotes Azizullah Khan, who spoke quietly at a hospital in Jalabad while he cradled his 18 month old baby who has head injuries, "We were all asleep when the bombs fell, my wife and three other children were killed. I have nothing."
"Mohammad Wali, who is seven, dressed only in a torn and faded shirt, lying in the hospital with his head bandaged was unclear about exactly what happened, "I was asleep and I don't know when the bombs fell. I woke and saw all my family were killed and the house was destroyed. I don't know who brought me here."
"Health and Human Services Secretary in President Bush's cabinet, Tommy Thompson, when asked about the anthrax attacks in the U.S. told CNN, "Well, there is no question it is bio-terrorism. Its a biological agent. Its terrorism, its a crime. But whether or not its connected to Osama bin Laden or the al-Qaeda network its still too early to say."
"The Guardian News Service reports that, "Such is the degree of suspician(about U.S. support for the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance), that President Musharraf has threatened to close Pakistan's airspace and cancel support for American bombing, if Washington reneges on what one source described as a 'tacit understanding' not to help the Northern Alliance too much."
"Lt-General Talat Masood, a close friend of President Musharraf, said, "If the Northern Alliance is allowed to move towards Kabul the Pakistan will conclude that the U.S. is just using Pakistan and ignoring its feelings."
"Clifford Beal, editor of Jane's Defence Review, says, "The United States could end up making a martyr of Osama bin Laden. If he is killed he is a martyr; if he is tried he becomes a martyr; if he is imprisoned he becomes a martyr. Its a lose-lose situation for the U.S. government". Beal forcast, "The longer the military action goes on the faster the coalition will erode."
"Former CIA officials told the Washington Post that "The best outcome would be for the Pakistanis or the anti-Taliban movement in Afghanistan to find and kill Osama bin Laden". "Remember the case of Che Guevara(the Cuban revolutionary)," one ex-CIA man said, "We found him and the Bolivians killed him with our guy watching. That should happen here."
"Carl Levin, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, said bluntly, "Osama(bin Laden) wants to be killed by the West. We hope that does not happen and that he is ferreted out and killed by the Afghan people."
"British Special Forces veteran, Tom Crew, who trained Afghan guerillas in the 1980's said, "Wherever he is he should be found, he should be vapourized, ideally by Muslims. But, would they do it? If you took him back to the U.S. you would get every American embassy around the world going up in smoke. If they sentenced him to death - oh my God! This man will become a martyr no matter what the outcome."
"Letting his suspicion be known that Osama bin Laden is responsible for the anthrax attacks on America, U.S. President George Bush said, "I wouldn't put it past him but we don't have hard evidence yet."
"Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad told British Prime Minister Tony Blair, "Even in Malaysia, people who had condemned terrorism, take very badly to the attack on Afghanistan."
"Asia News Network notes that, "Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament in Britain, has urged parents not to name their children after Osama bin Laden after it was revealed that there had been a huge increase, since the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, of British babies being given the same first name as terrorist leader Osama bin Laden."
"Pakistan President Pervez mushaffaf and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell agreed that, "any future Afghanistan government should include the opposition as well as Taliban members."
"Reuters news agency says that, "The U.S. military which first dropped bombs, then food on Afghanistan has now launched a paper propaganda assault by dropping nearly half a million leaflets with a message to tell the Afghan people that the Americans are their friends."
"In a headline titled, "United States on verge of a national nervous breakdown," Reuters news agency reports, "Disneyland, which is called the happiest place on earth, now won't let you in until they have checked your bags for guns, bullets or bombs."
"Many years before there were fears of anthrax attacks, far sighted poet T.S. Eliot wrote, "I will show you fear in a handful of dust."
"The AFP news agency says that, "By firing on Pakistani border posts on the eve of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, India has sent a message that it would not let its concerns over militancy in Kashmir be ignored by the United States led coalition against terrorism. If Washington can send warplanes across continents to root out terrorism in Afghanistan, New Delhi holds that it should be able to target militants it accuses of terrorism along its border."
"The Star newspaper of Malaysia said that, "Police and health officials have been put on alert for possible anthrax contamination following the discovery of a suspicious-looking envelope at a factory office in Butterworth, Malaysia. The factory office was sealed off while the envelope which had originated from Illinois in the United States was sent for further analysis."
"Britain's Guardian News Service reports that, "The Pentagon has spent millions of dollars to prevent Western media from seeing highly accurate civilian satellite pictures of the effects of U.S. bombing attacks on Afghanistan. The extraordinary detail of the images already taken by the satellite would have made it possible to see bodies lying on the ground after last week's bombimg attacks."
"Saudi Arabian newspaper, Al-madina, reported that, "Osama bin Laden's son, Abdullah bin Laden, denied having given an interview to a British tabloid newspaper which quoted him as saying his father would never be captured by the West. Abdullah speaking in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, said the British newspaper, 'Sunday Mirror's story was full of lies, and that the interview was totally made up', which raises questions about the credibility of the Western media."
"In a statement released to the press by a group of private agencies(including Oxfam, International Christian Aid, Action Aid and Islamic Relief) providing aid to Afghanistan's starving populous said, "Today we call on all parties in Afghanistan to pause military action to allow food to be delivered in safety and in sufficient quantity to keep people alive through the winter. Two million people don't have enough food to last the winter. Many people may die if military action of all sides is not suspended and the aid effort ensured. There should be justice for the people of America, that is beyond doubt, but the scale of justice will not and can not be balanced by the deaths of hundred of thousands of innocent Afghans."
"The U.S. based Associated Press news agency reports that, The Taliban's supreme commander, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was reported to be trying to rally his commanders, telling them by two-way radio: "God Almighty will defeat the great infidel confronting us. Show patience and confidence, because we are waging a holy war against infidels. Life and death are both the same to us, because we want to become martyrs."
"Tom Ridge, Director of the White House Office of National Security, when asked by NBC Nightly News how seriously the Bush administration was taking the threat of bio-terrorism, replied, "It's the number one priority this week and for the weeks ahead."
"Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, announced yesterday that, "Australia will send 1,550 military personnel, including 150 elite SAS troops, to join the U.S. led campaign in Afghanistan in mid_November."
"Given the situation of peril let's close our borders to Muslims because no one forces us to have them here," said Italian government Reforms Minister, Umberto Bossi. He compared his suggested measures to those imposed on the European meat industry during the recent mad cow disease scare."
"Reuters news agency said that, "Israeli Cabinet Minister, Rehavam Zeevi the hard-as-nails ex-military general who was assassinated yesterday had advocated the removal of Palestinians living and working in Israel, calling them 'lice' and a 'cancer' that must be stopped from spreading. In April(2001), Zeevi called on the military to destroy Palestinian President Yassar Arafat's house as a way to force him to reconsider whether to go on fighting Israel."
"Reuters news agency reports that, "A radical Palestinian group, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which said it had assassinated Israeli Cabinet Minister, Rehavam Zeevi yesterday, vowed to attack more senior israeli officials to avenge the slaying of its leader by Israel."
"Maher al-Taher, politburo member for the Damascus based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said, "The Zionist side itself has moved the battle to the targeting of political leaders when it adopted the assassinations of Palestinian political leaders, so it is natural that our response will match Israeli action. We will continue to do so in the future. The killing of Zeevi is a response to the massacres that Israel is committing against our palestinian people. The killing of the racist terrorist Zeevi is also a response to the killing of martyr Abu Ali Mustafa(leader of the PFLP) which was openly claimed by Israel."
"Al-Qaeda's military commander, Mohammed Atef, is said to have issued a warning to America in a communique to the Islamic Observation Centre in London. Mr Atef was quoted as saying, "America will not realise its miscalculations until its soldiers are dragged through the streets in Afghanistan like they were in Somalia."
"In an apparent threat to kill Palestine President, Yassar Arafat, the Israeli Cabinet Secretary, Gideon Saar said, "Israel would act against the Palestinian Authority in the way currently accepted by the international community if Arafat did not turn over Zeevi's (the assassinated Israli Cabinet Minister) killers". Saar was referring to U.S. air strikes on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers who refused to hand over osama bin Laden."
"The city council in Berkeley, California has approved a controversial resolution calling for a halt to the U.S. led bombing of Afghanistan. Council members have received thousands of death threats because of their approval for this resolution," reported the Reuters news agency."
"U.S. fears of unconvential terrorist attacks spread from anthrax and germ warfare to nuclear safety yesterday with a major nuclear power plant threatened. The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant was put on high alert after receiving a 'credible threat', further jangling American nerves already frayed by last month's mass killings in New York and subsequent anthrax attacks," says a Reuters news agency report."
"Interest in the Qur'an has risen so sharply in book shops in the U.S. and Britain that publishers are struggling to keep up. In the United States the demand has gone up by about about 500%," reported The Telegraph Group news service in London."
"The AFP news service reports, "U.S. Special Forces were said to be on the ground deep inside Afghanistan as Washington stepped up its campaign against the Taliban militia and pledged more support for the oppisition alliance."
"U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, confirmed, "the campaign was switching to the ground," and that "washington would provide air support and ammunition to help the opposition move on Kabul."
"U.S. President George Bush, rejected an appeal from six aid agencies to halt the bombing to allow the distribution of vital aid supplies ahead of the country's severe winter, saying, "The world must understand that the primary reason why food is not making it to the starving people is the Taliban."
"The AFP news service reports that, "An American geologist believes alleged terror chief Osama bin Laden may be hiding in sandstone caves in southeastern Afghanistan after studying rock formations in one of his videos."
"The first cracks have appeared in the 'total solidarity' which the European Union pledged after the September 11th attack on America. Neutral Sweden is agonizing over civilian casualities and Italy is impatient for an early end to the bombings as anti-war demonstrations spread in Europe," says Reuters news agency."
"Associated Press reports that, "Muslims are demanding an investigation into claims that the biggest mosque in Melbourne, Australia was refused insurance because of the current international terrorism crisis."
"More than 10,000 protesters marched through Jakarta(Indonesia) yesterday in the country's biggest strike to date against the U.S. led strikes on Afghanistan," reported Reuters news agency."
"Reuters news agency reports that, "The bloodshed, in which six Palestinians and one Israeli were killed, and threats of tougher Israeli retribution for Wednesday's assassination undermined U.S. led peace efforts which Washington hopes will boost Arab support for its offensive in Afghanistan."
"As anthrax fears sweep the United States and spread around the world, medical experts say that the psychological damage to society could be longer lasting than the physical impact, "The real purpose of chemical and biological weapons is to wreak destruction via psychological means, by enducing fear, confusion, and incertainty in everyday life," said Simon Wessely, a psychologist at St. Thomas School of Medicine. "The general level of malaise, fear, and anxiety may remain high for years, exacerbating pre-existing psychiatric disorders and further heightening risk of mass sociogenic illness."
"Shunting aside international appeals for restraint, Israel killed seven more Palestinians Saturday as its forces swarmed over the West Bank on a mission to root out 'terrorists' and find the assassins of an Israeli government Minister," reported the AFP news service."
"The Associated Press news agency reports that, "The main opposition group in the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance held Kabul from 1992 to 1996. where they earned notoriety for corruption, looting, rape, and indiscriminate attacks as they battled rival factions for control of the capitol."
"A U.S. helicopter supporting a commando raid in Afghanistan crashed in neighboring Pakistan, killing two U.S. marines in the first combat related American deaths of the military campaign," said the Associated Press news agency."
"I explained to President Bush our support against terrorism and why we were unable to support the operations against Afghanistan," said Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at the APEC conference."
"The United States President, George Bush, at the APEC conference said he had, "taken an interest in the Middle East issues and wanted to try and resolve it on the basis of recognition of the Palestinian right to a Palestinian state and the right of the Jews to a Jewish state."
"The Malaysian youth Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein said that, "We will continue to advise our members to do jihad in its right sense for the benefit of the community and not put the religion in a bad light."
"A senior Taliban military commander, Maulvi Jalaliddin Haqqani visited Pakistan this week to discuss the formation of a broad based government to succeed the militia," said Pakistan foreign office spokesman, Riaz Muhammad Khan."
"Taliban Rducation Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi said, "Several U.S. helicopters landed on Baba Dahib mountain about midnight. Simultaneously, the Taliban approached them and forced them to flee by firing at them."
"THE young son of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been killed in the US-led air strikes, according to BBC reports. The British broadcaster said an Afghan doctor had confirmed the 10-year-old boy died from his injuries after the first night of bombing raids on the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. Doctor Abdul Barri said he, "treated the boy for several hours as the Taliban leader begged him to save his son. The boy's wounds, however, were too serious and he died the same night."
"Maoist guerillas protesting the U.S. strikes against Afghanistan attacked a Coca-Cola plant in southern India on Sunday, causing significant damage to the facility. At least a dozen armed guerillas of the outlawed Peoples' War Group attacked the Coca Cola plant near the town of Mangalagiri in India's southern Andhra Pradesh state. The guerrillas cut telephone and electric lines before overpowering security guards and blasting several parts of the plant with dynamite and land mines. The attackers left a note that said America is the biggest terrorist state and is trying to dominate all other countries," according to Police Superintendent A. Purnachandra Rao."
"United States Vice President, Dick Cheney, referring to America's 'War on Terrorism', says that, "The campaign may never end. At least not in our lifetime."
