A U.S. bomb crashed through a flimsy mud-brick home on Kabul yesterday, blowing apart seven children as they ate breakfast with their father. What shall I do now? Look at their savageness. They killed all my children and my husband. The whole world is responsible for this tragedy. Why are they not taking any decision to stop this?" wailed the wife of Gul Ahmad as the bodies of her children were pulled from the smouldering wreckage of her home and wrapped in shrouds.
Pakistan's Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, said it was time for the United States to review its approach. "Now the world, including Pakistan has started thinking that whatever currently is happening in Afghanistan is not good," he said in a speech on Saturday.
"The Americans come here and drop their bombs on Afghanistan and kill innocent people". These words were spoken not by ruling Taliban militia, they were the words of a Muslim holy man in an opposition held village close to the frontline, reports reuters news agency.
Afghan men digging grave to bury children killed by the Americans were angry. "Your filming makes no difference. Nobody runs it, nobody cares. Just get lost," one said to a reporter.
A top aide of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said, "The United States would be well advised to end its strikes against the Taliban regime and al-Qaeda network as soon as possible. America should also stop its bombing campaign during Ramadan, Islam's holiest month and a time when Muslims feel closest to god and their faith. The United States might have enjoyed more support if they had first sought the approval of the United Nations before they started their military campaign against Afghanistan".
Iraq's Deputy prime Minister, Tareq Aziz, said in an interview with a British newspaper yesterday that, "The United States and Britain plan to launch 1,000 missles at 300 Iraqi targets in a bid to topple President Saddam Hussein. We know they are preparing this attack. When they decide to attack Iraq it will be for their own agenda because they want to replace this government because it is independent and will not bow to America. It will not be because of what happened to the United States".
"There could be as many as 40 places in the United States with the ability to produce the lethal version of anthrax that was mailed to U.S. Senate majority Leader, Tom Daschle," said Senator Bob Graham, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) is considering secret missions aimed at killing individuals that the United States designates as terrorists," the Washington Post newspaper reported yesterday.
From Jason Jones, Pendleton, USA, "I am an American. And there is a fire that burns inside me today. A raging blaze of frustration caused by the leaders of my country. Those standard bearers for a Pax Americana where imperialists impose upon the oil-rich third world their ideas of 'peace' and 'stability'. Where greed is rewarded and charity punished. Where human decency and humanity are demolished or left for dead. We(the USA) claim to care about the Afghan people. We care so much indeed that we have forced upon them a civil war, then gave them the Taliban and Osama bin laden as their only hope, and finally we took even that away in the end. The American empire bombed their homes, starved their children, and irradiated their drinking water with depleted uranium out of our love for them. With friends like us, who needs enemies? Meanwhile here at home the ruling elite expoits the human tragedy to reinforce destructive nationalism and blind patriotism, which are only euphemisms for prejudice, xenophobia, genocide and religious bigotry"...
"The U.S. military strikes are likely to continue through Ramadan. It is felt that if the attacks are reduced during Ramadan it will provide an opportunity for the Taliban to boost their military strength," said America's Ambassador to India, Robert Blackwell, yesterday...
"The ruling Taliban have advised the Pakistani mujahideen not to enter their country yet. We have requested that since there are only mainly air assaults on Afghanistan so far there is no need and it will be of great danger for them," said Afghanistan's Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Zaeef at a press conference.
The Taliban on Monday said an unspecified number of Americans had been arrested in Afghanistan. "I don't know how many there are or or where they are or what their condition is," said Afghanistan's Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Zaeef yesterday. At the same press conference Mullah Zaeef also said, "There was mounting evidence that the United States is using chemical weapons in its attacks on Afghanistan and it is feared depleted uramium shells were also being fired".
"Saudi Arabian newspapers have slammed the U.S. led bombing of Afghanistan for killing thousands of innocent civilians, branding America's military campaign a 'genocide'. The American Eagle is no longer noble in its campaign and is losing its way," reported the AFP news service.
"Any one of tens of thousands of shipping containers shuttled into the United States every day could conceal a weapon of mass destruction, even a nuclear weapon, aimed at the heart of America," says Executive Director of the U. S. Maritime Security Council, Kim Petersen.
"A special American CIA unit is training with Israeli commandos to take out Pakistan's nuclear weapons in case of a coup against President Pervez Musharraf. The U.S. force is training in the United states with members of israel's Unit 262, a commando team that has engaged in behind the lines operations including theft and assassinations," according to an article in the New Yorker Magazine.
A U.S. intelligence officer has expressed alarm over, "the recent questioning of two retired Pakistani nuclear scientists with reported Taliban connections and sympathies," describing this as only the tip of the iceberg.
"An international coalition put together by the Bush administration in the days following the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington showed signs of fraying at the edges as the U.S. military continued to pound away at Afghanistan in an air bombardment more than three weeks old. A growing number of civilian casualities in the air war aimed at Islamic militant Osama bin Laden and his Taliban protectors put U.S. allies in the region on edge and appeared to be hurting public support elsewhwere," reports the Reuters news agency.
Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, Iran's Foreing Minister said in reference tothe Organisation of the Islamic Conference(OIC) position on the bombing of Afghanistan, "Part of the OIC statement, while expressing concern about the developments in Afghanistan, also said the organisation does not find justification for anyone to attack any Muslim country on the excuse of fighting terrorism".
The AFP news service reports that, "A CBS News and The New York Times Newspaper opinion survey found that about 45% of Americans believed the U.S. government had not told everything it knew about the anthrax attacks".
Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, during a live television broadcast on Monday displayed photographs of Afghan children reported to be bombing victims and made a plea to stop what he called "the killing of innocents". "Let's seek solutions to the problem of terrorism, yes let's seek out the terrorists, but not like this, huh?"
The Guardian newspaper in Britain, America's strongest ally in the war on terrorism, in poll results published yesterday showed that 54% of Britains, "wanted the bombing to be stopped for humanitarian reasons".
General Tommy Franks, Commander of the U.S. operation in Afghanistan, strongly denied suggestions that, "the U.S. campaign was stalled, with air raids not achieving their goal of softening the Taliban's resistence, and the Northern Alliance failing to march on key cities".
India's outspoken Defence Minister, George Fernandez, said yesterday that, "Washington may never capture osama bin laden and the plan to overthrow the ruling Taliban is a long term gamble".
Vowing to protect Americans from "an threat whatsoever" President George Bush set up a task force on Monday to stop would be terrorists from entering the United States by tightening up immigration policies, saying "Along these lines we have set up a foreign terrorist task force to make sure that the land of the free is safe from people who might come to our country to hurt people".
"Israeli tanks, armour and troops held on to Palestinian ruled areas in the northern West Bank yesterday despite pressure from Israel's closest ally, the United States, for an immediate withdrawal," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Malaysian prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed is one of the world leaders who can help restore peace in Afghanistan with the backing of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference(OIC)", according to former Afghan Education Minister Dr. Farouq Azam.
"A pre-dawn U.S. air raid hit a dispensary of the Red Crescent(Islamic Red Cross) society in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar yesterday, killing 11 people, including patients and staff," said Dr. Obaidullah who received wounds to his head, hands and leg in the attack.
"Osama bin Laden underwent treatment in July(2001) at the American Hospital in Dubai where he met with a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) official," the French daily newspaper, Le Figaro, and Radio France International reported yesterday.
"U.S. authorities suspect Osama bin laden's inner circle may have issued new orders for attacks against Americans and are concerned the terrorists might strike even if they get cut off from their central command in Afghanistan," U.S. intelligence officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said yesterday.
Fifteen year old Afghan warlord, Mohamed Aqa Humayun Khadim, who commands a private army of 300 soldiers when asked about moves in the West to end the use of child soldiers answered, "Children make great soldiers. They are strong and fast and they are brave".
"U.S. air raids crippled Afghanistan's biggest hydro-electric dam complex, cutting electricity to two cities in the Taliban's southern heartland just weeks away from winter," reported Reuters news agency.
"Nato's only Muslim member state, Turkey, announced yesterday it would send a team of around 90 special forces troops to Afghanistan to help train the U.S. backed opposition battling the ruling Taliban. A link has been made between the support for U.S. interests in Afghanistan and additional resources for the Turkish government that wil come fron the International Monetary Fund," Said a Reuters news agency report.
Reuters news agency reports that, "The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies confirmed yesterday that one of its medical dispensaries had been hit by a bomb in a U.S. air raid in Afghanistan". They also noted, "The Pentagon denied bombing the clinic".
"Traces of anthrax were found at a specialized postal facility in Kansas City, Missouri, extending the anthrax threat to the Midwest from the nation's East Coast," reports the Associated Press news agency.
The AFP news service reported that, "Anthrax has been found in mail sent to the United States Embassy in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, Lithuanian health officials said yesterday".
"U.S. National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that, "The United States can not afford to stop its war on terrorism for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. This is an enemy that has to be takn on and taken on aggressively and pressed to the end and we are going to continue to do that. We have to continue the military action. We can't afford to have a pause".
In a letter to Qatar's al-Jazeera satelite television network, Osama bin laden called for, "Muslims in pakistan to stand in the face of a Crhistian Crusade against Islam. Muslims in Afghanistan are being subjected to killing and the Pakistani government is standing beneath the Christian banner. The world is split in two. Part of it is under the head of the infidels, U.S. President George Bush, and the other half under the banner of Islam".
"The brother of assassinated Afghan opposition leader, Ahmed Shah Masood, disparaged the U.S. bombing of his country as a waste of time," reports the AFP news service.
"Pakistan could become a source of hardware for terrorists planning to build a nuclear bomb, while impoverished scientists from the former Siviet Union could provide the required know-how," says the United Nations' atomic watchdog, The International Atomic Energy Agency. "While we cannot exclude the possibility that terrorists could get hold of some nuclear material, it is highly unlikely they could use it to manufacture and successfully detonate a nuclear bomb".
"The Japanese government has decided to dispatch military vessels to the Indian Ocean to assist U.S. military operations against Afghanistan," the AFP news service said yesterday.
"More than 70 lawyers from this frontier town(Quetta, Pakistan) announced yesterday they were joining the holy war against the United States and would offer the Taliban their legal expertise," Reports the AFP news service.
Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed said he was, "preparing a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush urging him to stop the attacks on Afghanistan as soon as possible". He said, "All political parties in the country, including the opposition, had agreed on a common ground to condemn terrorism and the attack on Afghanistan".
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed when asked by the BBC to explain his statement that a gay British government minister would be chased out of the country if he came to Malaysia with his gay lover replied, "I don't have any opinion about his private life. But, if he comes here(Malaysia) in his official capacity with his friend we will arrest him. That is our law and those who come to our country must submit to our law."
An Afghan opposition official, Saeed Hussain Anwari, said, "Americans were on the ground in opposition territory and appeared to be directing air strikes on Taliban positions".
"The Taliban have no fears the death of their leader, Mullah Omar, could lead to disintegration of the fundamentalist movement because any Muslim can replace him," said the governor of Mullah Omar's stronghold in Kandahar, Hasan Rehmani, yesterday.
"The Taliban yesterday threatened to hang captured supporters of a top aide to the exiled former king, Zahir Shah, who was on an underground mission in Afghanistan," the Afghan Islamic Press reported. The Islamic militia was reported to have captured 25 followers of former Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister, Hamid Karzai, after a clash in Uruzgan province.
"Turkey, the only Muslim member of NATO, said yesterday it was not in favour of halting U.S. led military strikes against Afghanistan during the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan," reported the AFP news service.
"Worried they are losing the public relations battle in the war in Afghanistan, the United States and Britain have set up three 24-hour information desks around the world that aim to shoot down damaging Taliban claims as they are made. Facing anger in the Muslim world and fading support in Europe over television images of civilian deaths in Afghanistan, the coalition hopes to counterbalance the Taliban allegations and stress its humanitarian campaign," reported the Washington Post newspaper.
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has warned U.S. President George Bush of, "a big news management issue" in the war against Afghanistan.
Claiming the al-Jazeera satellite news channel which has broadcast war footage from Afghanistan was a thorn in the side of the Bush administration, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has accused the Qatar based channel "of a pattern of spreading Taliban propaganda".
Mehmood Sham, editor of Pakistan's Jang newspaper, said yesterday that "A white powder in an envelope hand delivered to his paper last week had tested positive for anthrax spores, the first confirmed case of its kind outside of the United States". But an official Pakistani source and Western diplomats who declined to be named said, "There were two previous cases of anthrax in Pakistan, which had thrown its weight behind U.S. military strikes on Afghanistan, but that authorities did not want to spark a panic over the first two".
"The U.S. Supreme Court, which closed its doors last week after discovering anthrax in its basement mailroom, will reopen in stages beginning on Friday after tests found no further traces of anthrax," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Britain's Beijing consulate remained shut for a third day yesterday while a suspect package containing white powder was tested for anthrax," an embassy spokesman said yesterday.
"A U.S. postal worker in Virginia, who was unhappy with her employer's response to recent anthrax attacks, was charged with sending an anthrax hoax letter and tampering with the mail," postal authorities said yesterday.
"Authorities in California beefed up security around four of the states bridges after a credible threat had been made against suspension bridges on the U.S. west coast," Governor Gray Davis announced to CNN's larry King Live show yesterday.
"Muslim leaders in Australia distanced themselves yesterday from a Taliban call for a holy war on Australia for backing the U.S. led military campaign in Afghanistan," reported the Associated Press news agency yesterday.
"Hollywood is busy working with the White House to see if they can create films what will sell the United States to the Muslim world," according to film director, Lionel Chetwynd.
"The Bush administration had decided the terrorist attacks of September 11th had been the work of Osama bin Laden and his associates, and the mood of the American people was for swift retribution. Massive bombing raids in Afghanistan followed. Other countries had been assured that the bombs would be carefully targeted, and great care would be taken to ensure there were no civilian casualities. Despite the sales talk, bombs have rained down on or around schools, hospitals, and private homes. More recently, disturbing eyewitness accounts have surfaced of helicopter gunships shooting down defenceless women and children. So much for the promises of 'carefully targeted' bombing runs. To help restore some sanity and confidence in the world, the Bush administration must show it can distinguish between the practical and the political, the real and the rhetorical. Catching real terrorists is a lot better than just killing people who happen to live near them." From the Star Newspaper of Malaysia.
"Eighty Taliban soldiers were killed in overnight fighting when opposition forces attacked their positions near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif," a Northern Allaince spokesman, Qari Qudratullah, told a press conference yesterday.
"Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said yesterday they had shot down a U.S. helicopter and downed another U.S. aircraft which came to its aid, killing up to 50 troops," according to an Afghan Information Ministry official.
The U.S. Central Command dismissed reports that the Taliban shot down any of its planes, telling CNN news, "No U.S. helicopters were shot down in Afghanistan".
Afghanistan's Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Salam Zaeef, said "Between 40 and 50 Americans died in the helicopter that was shot down. You can see the bodies of the Americans on board their helicopters with their uniforms".
"A restaurant in northwestern China called, 'Beef Noodles Bin Laden' has been ordered by local authorities to change its name," says the AFP news service.
"The identities of all 19 hijackers in the September 11th attack on America, once in doubt, are now clearly established," says FBI Director, Robert Mueller.
On Friday, U.S. President George W. Bush said, "The enemy won't rest during Ramadan and neither will we. We are going to pursue this war until we achieve our objectives".
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia is determined to fight on during Ramadan if the United States does according to Mullah Omar's chief of staff, Mohammad Taieb al-Agha who said, "We see this war as a jihad. We have not asked for a halt to the fighting, this is up to the United States. Jihad is a religious duty and does not violate the tenets of Ramadan".
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic nation, Minister for Security and Political Affairs, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said, "All out efforts by the Indonesian government are now afoot to seek an end to the U.S. military strikes against Afghanistan".
"With no major breakthroughs so far in the investigation of the murderous September 11th conspiracy nor public victories against Osama bin Laden and his Taliban hosts, the United States has battled the threat of slipping support abroad and political sniping at home. As the harrowing images of orange balls of fire devouring 5,000 lives in Manhattan lose some of their immediacy, the United States is increasingly on the defensive over footage of carpet bombing that is incinerating people on the other side of the world," reports the German dpa news service.
"Mindful the U.S. led coalition will survive only while partner governments stand up to domestic opposition, the U.S.-British alliance has taken the offensive in the propaganda war with a network of high tech information 'war rooms' to rebut Taliban claims. In the tit-for-tat information battle the Taliban this week showed Western journalists around a bomb-charred village, while the Pentagon briefed the media on the Islamic movement's propensity to lie," reported the dpa news service.
Israeli leaders' demands were satisfied as U.S. lawmakers added to the list of 'terrorist' organisations groups which attack Israel, such as Hamas, Hizbollah, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine according to Rebecca Needler, spokesperson for the pro-Israeli American Israeli Public Affairs Committee says, adding, "We applaud the Bush administration for its decision to go aggressively after all forms or terrorism. This new list shows clearly there is no distinction between terrorism against Americans and terrorism against Israelis".
"Emotions boiled over in New York City on Friday as firemen protesting over restrictions on their search for collegues lost in the rubble of the World Trade Center scuffled with police, leading to twelve arrests as hundreds of firemen broke down barricades injuring five police officers," said the AFP news service.
