War...

[SleepyHead]

Retaliation: U.S., Britain open attack

October 8, 2001 Posted: 9:49 a.m. EDT (1349 GMT)


SUMMARY:

The bombing campaign that began Sunday against Taliban and al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan could go on for several more days, Pentagon officials said. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told CNN on Monday that the attacks had been "very successful" so far.

Rumsfeld's counterpart in London, British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon, said the attacks struck 30 targets near the Afghan capital of Kabul, four other cities and 23 other locations. Rumsfeld would say only that "two to three dozen" targets were hit.

The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, said Monday that about 20 Afghan civilians were killed in the attack. Hoon said civilian areas were not under attack.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's opposition Northern Alliance traded artillery fire with Taliban forces, but it said it is awaiting the next move by the United States and U.S. allies before making a move of its own.

UPDATE:

Britain said targets of Sunday's attacks included Kabul, locations around four other cities and 23 other sites. Adm. Michael Boyce, Britain's chief of defense staff, said the offensive centered on knocking out Taliban air defenses and Afghanistan's tiny air force.

The two-pronged attack launched Sunday combines a broad campaign against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network with humanitarian airdrops. The campaign struck at several Afghan cities in the dead of night, aiming to take out some of the Taliban's air defense installations, its defense ministry, airport-based command centers, airfields, electrical grids and other energy production facilities.

In a videotaped statement broadcast on Qatar's al Jazeera television network, bin Laden said there would be "no security or safety" for the United States and tried to link the U.S. attack on Afghanistan to American support for Israel. The statement appeared to have been recorded before the attacks.

NATO Secretary-General George Robertson announced Monday that five AWACS surveillance planes and their crews will be sent to the United States so that American radar aircraft can be freed up for use elsewhere.

President Bush said, "The Taliban will pay a price" for their refusal to turn over bin Laden, whom U.S. officials blame for the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. And Bush warned that "the battle is broader" than Afghanistan: "If any government sponsors the outlaws and killers of innocents, they have become outlaws and murderers themselves," he said.

[SleepyHead]

Britain: 30 Afghan targets hit
October 8, 2001 Posted: 10:19 AM EDT (1419 GMT)

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Thirty targets across Afghanistan were hit by U.S. and British forces in the first anti-terror military action operation against the Taliban.

Admiral Michael Boyce, chief of the UK defence staff, said three targets were in Kabul, four were near inhabited areas and the other 23 were in remote, uninhabited areas.

It was the first military action since the U.S.-declared war on terror launched in the wake of the suicide hijackings that destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged The Pentagon.

The targets included terrorist training camps, military airfields, and air defence sites.

It is not clear how much damage was inflicted, and how successful the operation was, but battle assessment investigations are under way.

The offensive centred on knocking out Taliban anti-aircraft defences and the Central Asian country's tiny air force, Boyce said at a Ministry of Defence meeting in London.

Camps and training facilities of the al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the hijack attacks, were also hit, he added.

Further operations were imminent and British warplanes were being sent to the area to back up U.S. forces, he said.

Britain has three nuclear-powered submarines in the area -- HMS Superb, HMS Trafalgar and HMS Triumph, which can fire Tomahawk missiles.

Boyce would not reveal how many missiles had been fired, nor which of the submarines had been involved in Sunday's strikes.

The Afghan civilian population, their homes and property had not been targeted, reporters were told. British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said his country's forces were "committed" to a "relentless" and "sustained" campaign.

Asked if ground forces would be sent in to Afghanistan, Hoon said that "was clearly an option."

But he said it was possible the Taliban would collapse under the pressure of the air strikes and that Western ground troops would not have to be deployed in a hostile environment.

[This Message Has Been Edited By SleepyHead On October 08, 2001 02:10 PM]

[SleepyHead]

Defense officials: Air operation to last 'several days'
October 7, 2001 Posted: 8:05 PM EDT (0005 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pentagon officials said Sunday the airstrikes that began just after nightfall in Afghanistan could continue for some time as the United States and Britain seek to soften Taliban air defenses and damage key military infrastructure.

"I would expect this will go on for a few days," a senior Pentagon official told CNN.

The two-pronged attack launched Sunday combines a broad campaign against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network with humanitarian air drops.

The campaign struck at several Afghan cities in the dead of night, aiming to take out some of the Taliban's air defense installations, its defense ministry, airport-based command centers, airfields, electrical grids and other energy production facilities.

"The war against terrorism... will use every element of American influence and power," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pledged Sunday afternoon. "The aim is to create conditions for sustained anti-terrorist and humanitarian relief efforts in Afghanistan."

Among the early targets, Rumsfeld said Sunday, were radar installations around Kabul and Kandahar, and the Taliban's estimated fleet of 80 combat aircraft, many believed to be of Soviet early Cold War vintage, including several aging MiG 21 fighters.

Rumsfeld said the U.S.-led assault is intended to "make it increasingly difficult for terrorists to use Afghanistan freely as a base of operations."

"We intend to defeat those who use terrorism and those who house and support them," said Rumsfeld, who spoke shortly after President Bush announced the bombardment in a televised address.

Commanders of the Northern Alliance, the opposition group that holds some 10 percent of Afghan territory and is said to have been making significant gains against the Taliban in the last several days -- said their intelligence sources inside Taliban-controlled areas reported at least seven locations struck by U.S. and British forces, including the airports in Kabul and Kandahar and the Taliban Ministry of Defense in Kabul.

CNN's Kamal Hyder reported a huge explosion at an oil depot at the Herat airport, in western Afghanistan. Other targets were Jalalabad, in the east, and Mazar-e-Sharif and other towns in the north.

"It is important to go after the air defenses of the Taliban, and their aircraft," Rumsfeld said. "We are also targeting the command facilities of terrorist forces."

'Sustained' campaign
The United States and Great Britain opened what Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers described as a "sustained" campaign that would not only take down the Taliban's defensive infrastructure, but also to open up opportunities to strike directly at the al Qaeda's training camps and fortresses across Afghanistan's most treacherous mountain terrain.

The mission included bombing runs by U.S. B-2 Stealth bombers flown from the continental United States, as well as B-1 and B-52 long-range bombers from the British air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Rumsfeld said.

The bomber force was bolstered by 25 strike aircraft launched from the carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Enterprise, and about 50 Tomahawk Cruise missiles launched from four U.S. surface ships, a U.S. submarine and a British submarine. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said British aircraft would soon join the campaign. Bush said other allies, including Canada, Australia, Germany and France, have pledged to contribute forces as the operation proceeds.

Taliban Assistant Defense Minister Al Mulah Noor Ali told the Arab news channel Al Jazeera that Taliban forces shot down one U.S. aircraft Sunday, but Rumsfeld denied that claim. He said no U.S. aircraft have been hit by Taliban forces.

Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the weapons in use Sunday were conventional ordnance. He would not elaborate, though the bombs delivered by the bat-winged B-2 bombers were guided by satellites to their targets. The Pentagon also said several "dumb" bombs were dropped, presumably by the aging, high-payload B-52s.

Humanitarian Aid

Airdrops of humanitarian were set to begin shortly, the Pentagon said Sunday evening, discounting earlier reports that the humanitarian effort had commenced.

Packages of food and medicine were set to be expelled by two C-17 transport aircraft, in an attempt, Rumsfeld said early in the afternoon, to get sorely needed supplies to Afghan nationals denied basic necessities by ththe Talibannd al Qaeda, whom he described as a "foreign presence" in Afghanistan.

"To say that these attacks are in any way attacks against Afghanistan or the Afghan people is flat wrong," Rumsfeld said.

The United States planned to drop some 37,000 pre-packaged meals and medicines in the first stages of the operation, he said, though he refused to speculate how much of that might actually reach the people for whom it is intended. Aid packages were also to include leaflets asking people to remain in their villages, and small, transistor radios.

The United States has pledged significant aid to the Afghan people, many of whom have suffered years of war following the 1979 invasion by Soviet forces, and the 12 years of civil war that followed their retreat in 1989.

-- CNN's Ian Christopher McCaleb contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

Bin Laden: No 'security or safety' for U.S.
October 7, 2001 Posted: 11:48 PM EDT (0348 GMT)


DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- Americans will never know safety again unless the United States changes its policies toward the Islamic world, suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden said in a taped statement broadcast on Sunday on a Qatar-based television station.

A videotape of bin Laden, holding a microphone and sitting in a cave-like space, was shown on TV news network al Jazeera shortly after the beginning of the U.S.-led attacks in Afghanistan. The attacks began about 8:45 p.m., or 12:15 p.m. EDT.

"These events have split the world into two camps -- belief and disbelief," bin Laden said in the statement. "America will never dream or know or taste security or safety unless we know safety and security in our land and in Palestine."

It is unclear when the statement was made or whether bin Laden spoke before or after joint U.S.-British strikes on targets in Afghanistan, including camps associated with al Qaeda, the terrorist organization he is believed to head.

Speaking of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, which U.S. officials blame on bin Laden, he said, "This is America, God has sent one of the attacks ... and has attacked one of its best buildings.

"And what America is facing today is something very little of what we have tasted for decades. Our nation, since nearly 80 years is tasting this humility," he said. "Sons are killed, and nobody answers the call."

"When God has guided a bunch of Muslims to be at the forefront and destroyed America -- a big destruction -- I wish God would lift their position," he said.

Bin Laden also said America is "filled with fear from the north, south, east and west, thank God for that.

Al Jazeera reported that bin Laden and Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Mohammed Omar were still alive, after Sunday's bombings.

Bin Laden was accompanied by his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who spoke before him.

"Oh American people, can you ask yourselves, why all this hate against America and against Israel, why?" al-Zawahiri said. "All this hatred in the hearts of Americans against America?

"The answer is very clear and very simple, that America has committed so many crimes against the nations of Muslims. Unbearable and nobody could bear. America is the head of criminals by creating the Israel. This continuance of crime for 50 years, the Muslim nation shall not accept this crime."

U.S. prosecutors say bin Laden is the leader of al Qaeda (Arabic for "the Base") -- a worldwide network also blamed for the millennium bombing plot, last year's attack on the USS Cole in Yemen and the nearly simultaneous bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998.

"It is your government which is seizing the people of Iraq and killing them," al-Zawahiri said. "It is your government which is supporting the rotten governments in our countries."

Why don't they just nuke the place and get it over and done with. A quick war's a good war.

------------------
http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/king2.gif

[SleepyHead]

NATO pledges radar planes
October 8, 2001 Posted: 12:59 PM EDT (1659 GMT)

BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- NATO has reaffirmed its support of the U.S. fight against terrorism, pledging five of its aircraft to the campaign.

Five AWACS surveillance planes and their crews will be sent to the U.S. so that American radar aircraft can be freed up for the Afghan operation.

NATO's 19 members met to discuss Sunday's U.S.-led targeted strike on Afghanistan, pledging continued assistance when required.

NATO's council of ambassadors formally approved the deployment of the AWACS for counter-terrorism operations in the United States, during its meeting on Monday.

The move, expected to take place within the next 24 to 48 hours, will allow U.S. surveillance aircraft to be deployed elsewhere.

"The allies agreed that five NATO AWACS will deploy to the United States to assist in counter-terrorism operations," NATO's Secretary-General George Robertson said.

NATO has already invoked Article 5 of its Charter -- or the self-defence clause -- where an attack on one member nation is regarded as an attack on all.

While just two NATO members -- the United States and Britain -- participated in the early strikes, "other NATO allies have pledged direct military support as this operation unfolds," Robertson said.

He said the world was entering a "new stage" in the war against terrorism, which will be "pursued with determination and patience."

"All the allies are ready to play its role," Robertson added. "There is no lack of enthusiasm for the campaign."

He said that all the allies were aware that unless terrorism was tackled now the "considerable" potential would remain for the terrorists to do it again.

[SleepyHead]

Bush announces opening of attacks
October 7, 2001 Posted: 4:43 PM EDT (2043 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said the United States opened a new front in the war against international terrorism Sunday with its attacks on Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist camps.

"On my order, U.S. forces have begun strikes on terrorist camps of al Qaeda, and the military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan," Bush said in a somber, televised address from the White House Treaty Room. The air assaults, he said, were joined by Great Britain, with assorted intelligence efforts and logistical support from several other nations, including France, Germany, Australia and Canada.

"We are supported by the collective will of the world," Bush said.

U.S. warplanes and cruise missiles from American and British warships struck at al Qaeda bases and Taliban military installations near several key Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar.

About 40 nations were now on board with the United States' nascent anti-terror coalition, Bush said, all demonstrating varying degrees of cooperation. Bush described the action as "carefully targeted," and said its aim was to "cut the military capability of the Taliban regime."

The military mission, which began a scant 25 minutes before Bush took to the national airwaves, targets al Qaeda and its related terror networks, Bush said.

The United States says it has ample evidence that al Qaeda, led by Saudi-born suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, is responsible for planning and executing the airborne attacks of September 11 on New York and Washington.

Bush said the action was taken after the Taliban refused to meet several non-negotiable American demands.

"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," Bush said.

The foreign nationals he spoke of are eight Westerners, including two Americans, who were detained by the Taliban, and are on trial, for preaching Christianity -- a crime punishable by death in Taliban-controlled areas.

"None of these demands was met, and now, the Taliban will pay a price," Bush said.

Disrupting command and control facilities

Early U.S. aims, Bush said, will be to pick apart the al Qaeda network, whose bases dot Afghanistan's forbidding central and northern mountain ranges, and to disable the military machine of the Taliban, which is engaged in an ongoing struggle against rebel groups in the north of the country.

"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," Bush said.

"Initially the terrorists may burrow deeper into caves and other entrenched hiding places," he continued. "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."

But the operation will also have a humanitarian component, Bush said.

"As we strike military targets, we will also drop food, medicine and supplies to the starving and suffering men, women and children of Afghanistan," Bush said. "The United States of America is a friend to the Afghan people."

And, in a sharp warning to states that may be regularly involved in sponsorship terrorist activity across the globe, Bush said action in Afghanistan was only 'phase one' of the allied military campaign.

"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 innocence, they have become outlaws and murderers themselves," he said. "And they will take that lonely path at their own peril."

Bush announced the military action about two hours after returning to the White House. He had been at Camp David for the weekend, and had attended a memorial for fallen firefighters in rural Maryland just hours before he announced the attacks.

The president placed a series of telephone calls to several world leaders prior to the commencement of action, including to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin confirmed early on Sunday afternoon that he had spoken with Bush.

Bush also spoke with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, King Abdullah of Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov.

Vice President Dick Cheney was also engaged in several diplomatic telephone conversations, before he was moved from the White House to an undisclosed location -- an action described by officials as a "security precaution."

Congressional support
The president placed telephone calls to members of the congressional leadership on Saturday night to inform them of imminent military action.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois; House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri; Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota; and Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, all received evening phone calls.

Congressional leaders issued a joint statement of support for the U.S.-led action Sunday afternoon.

"The Administration has properly made it clear that today's action and any future action are directed against those who perpetrated the heinous attacks on the United States on September 11th, not against Islam or the people of Afghanistan," the statement said.

Lott said Sunday that Bush "has been very good about keeping the Congress appropriately informed."

"I'm very appreciative of what he has done and that the leadership of Congress has kept its mouth shut so that we would have the benefit of the president to make the final decision about when and where this action would take place," he said.

At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher said Sunday afternoon that the United States had a "clear right to self defense" following the September 11 attacks under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The attacks, Boucher said, were carefully planned to avoid civilian casualties.

The State Department then issued a warning to all Americans overseas to exercise caution as U.S. military action continued.

-- CNN's Ian Christopher McCaleb contributed to this report.

[This Message Has Been Edited By SleepyHead On October 08, 2001 02:45 PM]

[SleepyHead]

Bush provides $50 million in aid to Pakistan
U.S. also giving $25 million to aid Afghan refugees
September 28, 2001 Posted: 7:18 PM EDT (2318 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush is providing $50 million in new assistance to Pakistan to help the country's ailing economy and is making $25 million available to help meet the needs of tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing Afghanistan amid fears of a U.S.-led attack on the country.

In a memorandum to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Bush said it is "important to the security interests of the United States" to make up to $50 million available to Pakistan.

The money comes from an "economic support fund" and is designed "to help out a country that has taken a stand against terrorism," said an administration official who did not want to be identified.

In a separate memorandum to Powell, Bush said it is in the "national interest" to free up money from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to "meet unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of a new exodus of refugees from Afghanistan."

The money, according to the president, can be used to provide contributions to international governmental and non-governmental organizations or to pay for administrative expenses for the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

The United Nations believes between 10,000 and 20,000 refugees -- mostly women and children -- have arrived in Pakistan's Quetta region over the past week.

A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Afghans are making their way into Pakistan through mountainous areas along the border between the two nations.

The influx continued despite the official closure of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Some of the refugees who arrived in the Quetta region over the past few days told the refugee agency they had begun their trek before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, driven out by drought and poverty. Others say they left in the wake of the attacks.

"Most people are staying with relatives and friends or trying to blend into existing Afghan refugee settlements in an effort not to attract attention.

One local man in Quetta said he was hosting 25 Afghan refugees while another said he "accommodated 16," according to a UNHCR press release.

The refugees say most men are staying behind in Afghanistan to keep an eye on their property.

Many also accompany their families across the border and then go back, the UNHCR said.

Many of those who have fled to the Quetta region are ethnic Pashtuns, but there are also ethnic minorities among those streaming to the border.

Panic
Refugees who arrived from Kandahar said panic gripped the city on September 12 with thousands hastily fleeing; food prices, the refugees reported, nearly doubled in the wake of the attack.

Refugees have reported that people headed from cities to the countryside have had to put up with banditry and extortion.

Also, the U.N. refugee agency said Friday it will start airlifting supplies to Quetta.

The first plane -- an Ilyushin 76 with 44 tons of plastic sheets, is set to leave Copenhagen, Denmark, on Friday night and is to arrive in Quetta about noon Saturday.

The plane is to shuttle supplies between Quetta and Copenhagen. UNHCR is searching for 3,000 square meters of warehouse space.

Emergency appeal
On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched an emergency appeal for $584 million aid to help tackle the Afghan refugee and drought crisis.

The new six-month U.N. plan is aimed at helping Afghans still in the country -- where up to 7.5 million people face starvation -- and those fleeing Afghanistan amid fears of U.S.-led military strikes on the ruling Taliban.

Earlier on Thursday, an emergency meeting of donor countries and aid agencies discussed how best to tackle the worsening refugee crisis.

International aid workers have left Afghanistan, while the Taliban has virtually shut down the aid distribution network in the country, closing the U.N. communications network and seizing 1,400 tons of emergency food stored in a U.N. warehouse.

[SleepyHead]

Building a coalition
World widely condemns attacks, but next step unclear

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In the days after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Washington was flooded with expressions of sympathy and condemnation from world leaders. The Bush administration has worked to turn these words into an international coalition against terrorism.

The war against terrorism, the White House has said, will not end quickly or easily -- nor will it be fought in one country or by military means alone. This reality has made building an international coalition against terrorism a top diplomatic priority for the White House, not only to find those responsible for the attacks but also to prevent future terrorist acts.

Dozens of nations have lost citizens in the World Trade Center disaster, a point Washington has tried to reinforce by guiding world leaders like French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to see "ground zero" for themselves. More

And while most world leaders have issued condemnations of terrorism, there's been less common ground as to how to combat terrorism, and how specifically to help the United States.

[SleepyHead]

Poll: Most Americans back using ground troops in war
September 28, 2001 Posted: 3:27 PM EDT (1927 GMT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly two-thirds of Americans favor use of U.S. ground troops to carry out President Bush's war on terrorism in Afghanistan, according to a poll released Friday by CNN/Time.

And while more than 75 percent predict a U.S. victory, most of those polled forecast a long war with many casualties -- and the possibility of further terrorist attacks in the United States.

The poll, conducted September 27, covered interviews with 1,055 adult Americans, including 862 registered voters.

The respondents gave a resounding no to the idea of the Rev. Jesse Jackson traveling to Afghanistan to meet with Taliban leaders. And they said they believed the United States could count on such countries as Great Britain, Russia and other European nations but were less likely to believe Asian and Middle Eastern nations would stick with the U.S. coalition.

Those polled showed overwhelming support for Bush's response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, although 17 percent said the president should have a stronger response. Eighty-four percent approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president overall.

But Republican congressional candidates weren't catching a ride on Bush's coattails. Registered voters taking part in the poll preferred Democrats in the upcoming election by a 46 percent to 42 percent margin.

Pollsters also covered some questions about the daily life of Americans in the wake of the attacks, with 60 percent indicating life had returned to normal.

More Americans now said that the country is faring well than thought so two days after the attacks. But at 59 percent, that number was well below the 70 percent who responded positively in July. Almost the same number -- 58 percent -- said they thought the country was "in deep and serious trouble."

Despite a slumping economy and shaky markets on Wall Street, the poll indicated that Americans worried more about terrorism -- 56 percent -- than the economy -- 33 percent. More than three-quarters said they expected the country would at least experience car bombs in the next 12 months.

Respondents favored allowing pilots to carry guns aboard commercial airliners by a nearly 2-1 margin and favored federal control of airport security by nearly 4-1.

While respondents marginally favored such anti-terrorist measures as mandatory federal identification cards and allowing the government to intercept e-mail, most said they opposed any type of detention camps for Arab-Americans. The respondents also opposed random searches by police.

[SleepyHead]

U.S. warns NATO of long campaign
September 27, 2001 Posted: 8:24 AM EDT (1224 GMT)

BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- NATO defence ministers Wednesday pledged "unflinching support" for the U.S. campaign against terrorism.

After a briefing by U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, they reiterated a commitment to a "long, arduous" campaign in response to the U.S. hijack attacks.

NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said the U.S. made no specific requests at the meeting but added that the ministers were ready to give the U.S. their support.

Asked if Wolfowitz provided proof that suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks, Robertson said: "It is not necessary for an ally to produce evidence."

However, he said evidence was continuing to build and there was "no surprise" where it was pointing.

NATO has already agreed to treat the suicide attacks against the United States as an attack on the alliance, after enacting its self-defence clause for the first time in its history

Wolfowitz is standing in for his boss Donald Rumsfeld, who is staying in Washington to help formulate the United States' response to the terrorist attacks.

NATO has said in the immediate aftermath of the hijackings that it would stand ready to help the United States "if it is determined that this attack was directed from abroad."

Asked if the word "if" was being removed from that declaration, Robertson said the U.S. had not asked that the "if" be dropped, but he expected that request to come soon.

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero visited New York on Wednesday, and at a news conference with Mayor Rudy Giuliani, he pledged his country's "full solidarity" with New York and the United States.

"We want to go beyond just words," he said. "The Italian government is ready to participate in every action that would be considered necessary to fighting international terrorism by the NATO alliance."

Italy's commitment, he said, includes participating in any NATO military operation.

"This has been a crime against humanity," Ruggiero said. "I'm sure that we will all recover, and we will win."

[SleepyHead]

Putin's offer may signal new U.S.-Russian relationship
September 26, 2001 Posted: 8:22 PM EDT (0022 GMT)


By David Ensor
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to offer help to the United States in fighting terrorism signals he may now seek a new kind of U.S.-Russian relationship.

Putin announced Monday on Russian television that the U.S. forces can use Russian airspace for relief missions, Russia will help with search and rescue efforts for pilots if needed, and Russia will give more arms to the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in addition to sharing intelligence with the United States.

But perhaps the most important aspect of Putin's offer is that the government of Tajikistan -- which borders Afghanistan -- has been told by Russia's defense minister that Moscow has no objection to the U.S. Air Force making use of the air base in Dushanbe, a key strategic asset for launching any airstrikes against Afghanistan.

Since Tajikistan is protected by Russian troops, its government is not expected to disagree.

"Concerning the military presence, it's up to the United States to discuss separately with the independent states," said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.

Russian officials say Putin rejected arguments that overt help for the United States could anger Muslims in Russia and central Asia and increase support for people like Khattab. The Saudi-born Chechen warlord, who has been fighting Russian forces in the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya, is believed to receive aid from Osama bin Laden's organization.

"There were lots of statements out of Moscow in the last several days saying this is a big mistake to cooperate. He chose to ignore those statements, ignore his own advisors and really lean toward the West," said Michael McFaul, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment specializing in U.S.-Russian relations.

The reaction from the U.S. State Department was positive if muted, considering the leader in the Kremlin had just said U.S. forces could use a key former Soviet base.

"We think President Putin's remarks demonstrate that Russia can make a major contribution to the common struggle," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

McFaul saw Putin's remarks as signs of a possible change in U.S.-Russian relations.

"It has the potential to fundamentally alter international relations," he said. "This could really be the event that truly ends the Cold War and the lingering legacies that still now divide us."

But it could also begin a time of testing for Putin as many Russians are still profoundly suspicious of the United States.

The U.S. did send a signal on Chechnya that Russia will likely appreciate. While urging greater respect for human rights there, a U.S. spokesman said Putin is right when he told Chechen leaders that they should cut off all contacts with international terrorist groups.

[SleepyHead]

WHO'S WHO:

George W. Bush: U.S. president

Osama bin Laden: A wealthy Saudi expatriate living in Afghanistan who U.S. authorities cite as one of the primary suspects in masterminding the attacks. .

Colin Powell: U.S. secretary of state. A former Army general, Powell also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. .

Condoleezza Rice: U.S. national security adviser.

Gen. Richard B. Myers: Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Donald Rumsfeld: U.S. secretary of defense.

George Tenet: CIA director. .

Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden: Director of the U.S. National Security Agency, responsible for gathering intelligence on terrorist cells.

Gen. Pervez Musharraf: The military ruler of Pakistan.

Mullah Mohammed Omar: The Muslim cleric who leads Afghanistan's ruling Taliban. Taliban officials say they have played host to bin Laden but do not allow him to engage in terrorist activities.

Northern Alliance: A group of former mujahedeen fighters, mainly from minority ethnic groups, that oppose the Taliban. The group controls about five percent of northern Afghanistan.

IMPACT:

The attacks on the nation's landmarks of power and security signal the start of a protracted battle on terrorism that could permanently alter core U.S. military and diplomatic strategies.

[SleepyHead]

Bin Laden, millionaire with a dangerous grudge
September 27, 2001 Posted: 10:22 AM EDT (1422 GMT)


(CNN) -- Osama bin Laden, the man U.S. intelligence officials say is the prime suspect behind the September 11 hijacking attacks, is the head of a shadowy organization that is believed to have been targeting the United States and its allies since the early 1990s.

Bin Laden, an Islamic fundamentalist and the son of a Saudi billionaire, has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since 1999, and the U.S. State Department has offered a $5 million reward for his arrest.

U.S. prosecutors say bin Laden is the leader of al Qaeda (Arabic for "the Base"), a worldwide network blamed for both successful and failed strikes on U.S. targets. These include the millennium bombing plot, last year's attack on the USS Cole in Yemen and the nearly simultaneous bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998.

Bin Laden's anger with the United States stems from the 1990 decision by Saudi Arabia to allow the U.S. to stage attacks on Iraqi forces in Kuwait and Iraq. After the U.S. victory, the U.S. military presence became permanent.

In a CNN interview with bin Laden in 1997, he said the ongoing U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia is an "occupation of the land of the holy places."

He left Saudi Arabia in 1991 after feuding with the Saudi monarchy, taking assets that had grown to an estimated $250 million with him, U.S. officials say.

In 1996, bin Laden issued a "fatwah," a religious ruling urging Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and Somalia. A second fatwah in 1998 called for attacks on American civilians.

Network dates back to Afghan war
Bin Laden began forming his network in 1979, when he went to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets alongside Afghan resistance fighters known as the mujahedeen.

He used his family's connections and wealth to raise money for the Afghan resistance and provide the mujahedeen with logistical and humanitarian aid, and participated in several battles in the Afghan war.

As the war with the Soviets drew to a close, bin Laden formed al Qaeda, an organization of ex-mujahedeen and other supporters channeling fighters and funds to the Afghan resistance.

Once the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia to work for the family construction firm, the bin Laden Group. He became involved in Saudi groups opposed to the reigning Saudi monarchy, the Fahd family.

In 1994, the Saudi government stripped him of his citizenship and froze any remaining assets he may have had in the country.

Al Qaeda linked to other radical groups
Bin Laden is believed to be at the center of an international coalition of Islamic radicals. Al Qaeda has forged alliances with like-minded fundamentalist groups such as Egypt's Al Jihad, Iran's Hezbollah, Sudan's National Islamic Front, and jihad groups in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia, according to the U.S. government.

Bin Laden's organization also has ties to the "Islamic Group," led at one time by Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence since his 1995 conviction for a thwarted plot to blow up various New York landmarks. Two of Sheik Rahman's sons joined forces with bin Laden in the late 1990s.

The United States alleges that from 1992 on, bin Laden and other al Qaeda members targeted U.S. military forces in Saudi Arabia and Yemen and those stationed in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia.

In October 1993, 18 U.S. servicemen involved in the U.S. humanitarian relief effort in Somalia were killed during an operation in Mogadishu. One soldier's body was dragged through the streets.

Bin Laden was indicted in 1996 on charges of training the people involved in the attack and in a 1997 interview with CNN, bin Laden said his followers, together with local Muslims, killed those troops.

U.S. law enforcement also alleges that bin Laden has ties to failed attacks on two hotels in Yemen where U.S. troops stayed en route to Somalia.

On August 7, 1998, eight years after the U.S. deployment in Saudi Arabia, a pair of truck bombs exploded outside the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Bin Laden has denied responsibility, but prosecutors allege his culpability is evident on faxes sent by his London cell to at least three international media outlets. They also point to incriminating statements by certain alleged embassy bombers who are admitted al Qaeda members.

Nearly two weeks later, on August 20, 1998, President Clinton ordered cruise missile attacks against suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan.

Bin Laden survived the strikes and was indicted by the United States on charges of masterminding the attacks in November 1998.

Four of his alleged supporters were convicted of the bombings May 29, 2001, and sentenced to life in prison. Several suspects are in custody awaiting trial.

The man who pleaded guilty to a failed plot to bomb Los Angeles International Airport during the millennium celebrations leading up to New Year's Day 2000 claimed he was trained at an Afghanistan camp run by bin Laden.

Ahmed Ressam said he learned how to handle handguns, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and how to assemble bombs made from the explosives TNT and C4.

Bin Laden is suspected to be living in Afghanistan as a guest of its ruling Taliban government.

Taliban officials have condemned the September 11 attacks on the United States and said that he could not have been involved. The regime also has said it does not know where bin Laden is, a claim the United States refutes.

-- CNN Executive Producer Nancy Peckenham, Producer Phil Hirschkorn, CNN Terrorism Analyst Peter Bergen and CNN.com Writer/Editor Douglas Wood contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

Pentagon chiefs' records reflect modern military
October 1, 2001 Posted: 8:31 a.m. EDT (1231 GMT)

(CNN) -- As they plan a U.S. response to the massive terrorist attacks of September 11, President Bush and his administration will be relying on the advice of military brass with pedigrees that reflect the unconventional conflicts of the past four decades.

The current chiefs of the armed services received their commissions during the conflict in Vietnam, and most saw combat in that war. As senior officers, they played roles in either the 1991 Persian Gulf war or 1999's NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia. Some have experience in the military's peacekeeping and humanitarian missions during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. Only one, Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki, is a graduate of the U.S. military academies.

[SleepyHead]

Gen. Richard Myers

President Bush nominated Myers as chairman of the Joint Chiefs in August. He was confirmed by the Senate on September 14, and took over from Army Gen. Hugh Shelton on October 1.

Myers is the first Air Force officer to lead the Joint Chiefs since 1982. His career has included 600 hours of combat experience as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and stints as commander of U.S. forces in Japan and U.S. air forces in the Pacific. He led the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command from 1998 to 2000, becoming an ardent advocate of using and protecting satellites as military assets.

[SleepyHead]

Adm. Vern Clark

Clark has served as chief of naval operations since July 2000. He is a former commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, destroyer skipper and chief of the Atlantic Fleet's anti-submarine warfare school. During the 1991 Persian Gulf war, Clark directed the Joint Staff's Crisis Action Team; after the war, he commanded a carrier battle group in the region and served as deputy chief of the Pentagon's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia.

[SleepyHead]

Gen. James Jones

Jones, the commandant of the Marine Corps, is a former commander of the 2nd Marine Division, military assistant to the secretary of defense and chief of staff for relief operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. A graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Jones served in Vietnam as a Marine infantry platoon and company commander and later participated in Kurdish relief efforts in Iraq after the Persian Gulf war. He has led the Marine Corps since July 1999.

[SleepyHead]

Gen. John P. Jumper

Jumper was the commander of U.S. air forces in Europe during the 1999 Kosovo conflict with Yugoslavia. Before becoming Air Force chief of staff in September 2000, he served as chief of the Air Combat Command and as deputy chief of staff for air and space operations. A veteran fighter pilot with combat experience in Vietnam, Jumper has also served as the senior military assistant to two defense secretaries -- Dick Cheney, now vice president, and Les Aspin.

[SleepyHead]

Gen. Eric Shinseki

Shinseki, the Army's chief of staff, spent his career with U.S. armored forces before he assumed the U.S. Army's top post in November 1998. He served two combat tours in Vietnam and commanded the Army's 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. Before being named chief of staff, he served as commander of Army forces in Europe and as chief of NATO's SFOR peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[SleepyHead]

Profile: Taliban’s reclusive leader
September 20, 2001 Posted: 9:30 AM EDT (1330 GMT)


(CNN) -- The supreme leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, refuses to be photographed or filmed and rarely travels far from his base in the southern town of Kandahar.

Now in his early 40s he infrequently gives interviews and is thought to have met only two non-Muslims in the past few years.

Nonetheless what Mullah Omar says passes as law in the Taliban's Afghanistan and to challenge him is unknown.

The Commander of the Faithful, as he has become known, created the Taliban in the early 1990s and is their spiritual guide.

Those who have met him say he casts an imposing figure -- bearded with a black turban and with one eye stitched shut; the result of a wound sustained during a gunfight with Soviet troops during their occupation of Afghanistan.

In the wake of the Soviet withdrawal, Mullah Omar created the Taliban to overcome what he saw as Afghanistan's descent into warlordism and lawlessness.

His recruits came from the Koranic schools within Afghanistan and in the Afghan refugee camps across the border in Pakistan.

Driven largely by faith they swept across the country.

Before the final assault on Kabul in 1996 Mullah Omar, entered Kandahar's grand mosque and took out a rarely seen holy cloth once carried by the Prophet Mohammed.

Waving it from a rooftop he received an ecstatic response from his Taliban foot soldiers.

Spiritual destiny
Inspired by religious fervor they moved on to take Kabul within a matter of days, bolstering Mullah Omar's belief in his spiritual destiny.

With almost 95 percent of the country under Taliban control he has set himself the goal of transforming Afghanistan into the purest Islamic state in the world, declaring himself Amir-ul-Momineen, or head of the Muslims.

Whilst many ordinary Afghans disagree with his hardline interpretation of Islam, others say they are willing to endure the Taliban's excesses in exchange for the relative peace they have brought to the territory they now control.

In building the perfect Islamic state he has shown little regard for the concerns of the outside world.

Public executions and amputations are common and the Taliban's treatment of women has attracted much international condemnation.

Earlier this year he rejected pressure from around the world -- including from many Muslim countries -- not to go ahead with plans to demolish two ancient statues of the Buddha carved into cliffs near the town of Bamiyan.

The statues, described by many as world-class cultural relics, were blown to bits.

Mullah Omar dismissed the global outcry saying the statues' destruction was merely "breaking stones".

[SleepyHead]

Afghan opposition a web of loyalties, rivalries
September 25, 2001 Posted: 3:51 PM EDT (1951 GMT)

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) -- To figure out who is on Washington's side in Afghanistan is a bewildering task. There's a man who once declared a war of his own on America, and another who played host to Osama bin Laden when he first came to Afghanistan.

The shifting forces in a country steeped in tribal rivalries now boil down to the Taliban militia and the northern alliance -- currently the United States' only identifiable friend in Afghanistan.

The northern alliance, which has resisted the Taliban since it seized power exactly five years ago Wednesday, is headed by a sixtyish scholar and poet named Burhanuddin Rabbani, who is still recognized as Afghanistan's president by the United States and other Western powers, and holds Afghanistan's U.N. seat.

Rabbani studied at Egypt's pre-eminent Islamic university, Al Azhar, and his followers call him "teacher."

Then there's his deputy prime minister, Abdul Rasul Sayyaf. He heads Islamic Unity, the only opposition party whose membership is largely Pashtun. Sixty percent of Afghanistan's 21 million people -- and most of the roughly 30,000 Taliban fighters -- are Pashtuns.

Sayyaf and the Taliban have shared similar views. Like Osama bin Laden, the Taliban's guest and prime suspect in the September 11 terror attacks on America, Sayyaf has loudly protested the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, the site of Islam's holiest shrines. He has even offered to wage war to remove the Americans.

Afghan Arabs
During the nine-year Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Sayyaf's party got millions in Saudi aid, but the money was cut off when he backed Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.

It was Sayyaf's party that attracted most of the so-called Afghan Arabs -- Middle Eastern Muslims who came to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets.

After the Taliban took over, Sayyaf remained loyal to Rabbani. Most of the Afghan Arabs became the backbone of bin Laden's al-Qaida group, propping up the Taliban, but even though they are now at war with his northern alliance, Sayyaf has never denounced them.

During the Soviet occupation, bin Laden and many other Afghan Arabs joined an Islamic party led by Younus Khalis, who is now pro-Taliban.

A notable victim of Afghanistan's power shifts is Haji Abdul Qadir. As governor of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, Qadir welcomed bin Laden when he arrived from Sudan in May 1996 aboard a chartered flight with his wives, children and about 130 followers.

Then the Taliban overran Nangarhar province and drove out Qadir. The governor fled to Pakistan, while bin Laden stayed.

After taking control of Kabul in September 1996, the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, ordered bin Laden and his entourage to move to southern Kandahar, the heart of Taliban territory. Omar, who rarely travels outside Kandahar, apparently didn't know bin Laden, and said he wanted him close by.

Divisions within Islam
The divisions within Islam further complicate the picture.

Within the anti-Taliban alliance is Hezb-e-Wahadat, a party of minority Shiite Muslims who are despised by Sayyaf, the deputy prime minister. He considers Shiites to be outside the pale of Islam.

In the 1990s the two groups fought a war in Kabul that killed thousands of people and ruined entire neighborhoods. Witnesses at the time said Sayyaf's troops would capture Shiite areas, kill the men and rape the women.

While the Taliban are largely Pashtun, the alliance is an ethnic patchwork. Rabbani is a Tajik, the Shiites are Hazara. Rashid Dostum is an ethnic Uzbek and a former general in the communist army of President Najibullah, who was ousted by Islamic insurgents in 1992 and hanged by the Taliban four years later.

Under Najibullah's rule, Dostum's fighters were known for their ruthlessness in quelling dissent against Najibullah. But as Islamic insurgents got the upper hand, Dostum abandoned Najibullah and joined the rebels.

Two days before the terror assaults on New York and Washington, the northern alliance suffered a severe blow when a suicide bomber mortally wounded Ahmed Shah Massood, Rabbani's military chief.

Abdul Jan, a Pashtun living in Kabul, reflected the dismay of many Afghans as he mourned Massood's death.

"He was a good man who cared about his country," he said. "We are afraid of the others."

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[SleepyHead]

Ridge sworn in as homeland security chief
October 8, 2001 Posted: 4:18 PM EDT (2018 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was sworn in Monday as director of homeland security, taking over a new Cabinet-level position charged with coordinating U.S. efforts to defend against and respond to terrorism.

"I'm honored to join the extraordinary team you've assembled to lead America," Ridge said with President Bush at his side. "The size and scope of this challenge are immense ... an extraordinary mission. But we will carry it out."

Ridge -- a decorated Vietnam veteran, former congressman and two-term governor of Pennsylvania -- took the oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House.

Vice President Dick Cheney, who originally was scheduled to deliver the oath, remained at a location away from the White House as a security precaution after Sunday's U.S. and British strikes against Afghanistan.

Earlier Monday, Bush signed an executive order creating the new position.

"Together we will confront the threat of terrorism," Bush said. "We will take strong precautions aimed at preventing terrorist attacks and prepare to respond effectively if they might come again."

Bush said Ridge's job would be to take the strongest possible precautions against terrorism; strengthen and help protect the nation's transportation, food and water systems and critical infrastructure; coordinate federal assistance with state and local efforts; and work with the newly created Homeland Security Council, chaired by Bush and made up of his Cabinet and other top officials.

The job will require Ridge to marshal the resources of more than 40 federal departments and agencies that play a part in counter-terrorism efforts.

Congressional sources said Ridge will have input on budgetary matters and federal agencies will be directed to cooperate with him.

"It's a coordinating post, a policy post," said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. "But clearly various agencies continue to have their vital functions, which are much more operational and mission-oriented."

Ridge will have to coordinate information that is now dispersed among agencies as diverse as the CIA, Federal Emergency Management Agency and the departments of Justice, Defense and Energy.

Even the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will fall under his jurisdiction; it has a law enforcement component and manages millions of acres of land.

Ridge has a close working relationship with Bush, something that may serve him well in his new role.

"He's got something that [agency heads] don't have, and that is immediate access to the president if the president wants to get this job done," said U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, R-Florida. "And believe me, the presidential cache will go a long way on this one."

[SleepyHead]

Pentagon: New attacks aimed at similar targets
October 8, 2001 Posted: 3:36 PM EDT (1936 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Defense Department said a new round of airstrikes on Taliban and al Qaeda sites in Afghanistan on Monday focused on command and control facilities and air defenses.

Monday's assaults, which began as night fell over most of Afghanistan, followed the same pattern as ones launched Sunday -- the first of what the Pentagon said would be several days of U.S.-British strikes on Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the attacks sought to take out more of the Taliban's command and control assets, to cut off their communications and hamper their ability to mount coordinated military operations.

"We are hitting targets similar to those hit yesterday," Myers told reporters at the Pentagon.

Monday's operations included the firing of several cruise missiles from American ships and bombing runs by 10 B-1 and B-2 heavy bombers. The B-2s flew from the United States, Myers said.

Unlike Sunday's strikes, Monday's raids included only U.S. aircraft and cruise missiles launched from warships in the Arabian Sea, he said.

Defense officials in Washington and London said Monday their initial assessments of Sunday's heavy air raids on multiple targets -- 31 by Myers' count -- showed a broad level of success.

"We are still in the early stages of evaluating intelligence data that is available, and we will continue to do that throughout the day," Rumsfeld announced.

"We believe we have made progress in eliminating defense sites around the country... [but] we cannot state with certainty that we destroyed the dozens of command and control and leadership facilities we selected."

Bomb damage assessments would be forthcoming, Myers said.

Military runways, aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, airports and terror training camps were on Sunday's list of targets, Rumsfeld said earlier Monday. He added that Sunday's nighttime wave of bombing runs and cruise missile strikes were only the beginning of a longer campaign.

The joint strikes, launched by American and British air and naval forces Sunday, are aimed at disrupting the activities of the al Qaeda terror group, whose founder, Saudi dissident millionaire Osama bin Laden, has been implicated -- with several key lieutenants -- in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime has refused to meet U.S. demands that bin Laden be remanded to U.S. custody and that they dismantle several al Qaeda training camps throughout the country.

The Taliban, whose military has been built on a loose doctrine of guerrilla-based warfare, has little in the way of valued material that can be destroyed with missiles and bombs, Rumseld cautioned Monday. After 22 years of war in Afghanistan, he said, the Taliban have learned to make do with little.

Rumsfeld said that the Taliban likely would be able to continue communications between most units.

"They have very few targets that are valuable that can be hit from the air," he said. "We have to have a clear understanding of what is possible in a country like that. Much of the country is rubble.

"What we are doing is that which is doable, and it is only a part of an overall campaign," he said.

Without elaborating, Rumsfeld added that some ground units had been hit during the operation.

Rumsfeld: Humanitarian aid 'successful'
Officials said the air operations that began Sunday were intended to set the stage for future anti-terror operations and to make the airspace over Afghanistan safe for ongoing airdrops of foodstuffs to Afghan refugees.

"We believe the humanitarian aid flights were successful, and they will continue today," Rumsfeld said.

Two American C-17 cargo craft left Germany following the Sunday airstrikes and expelled some 37,500 daily ration packages over areas occupied by thousands of Afghan refugees. Rumsfeld and Myers said Monday they believed a similar number of prepackaged meals would be delivered before the day's operations were ended.

"It's not an effort against the Afghan people," Rumsfeld said earlier of the military operation. "Indeed, we are providing humanitarian assistance."

The United States has pledged significant aid to the Afghan people, many of whom have suffered years of war following the 1979 invasion by Soviet forces, and the 12 years of civil war that followed their retreat in 1989.

"Anyone who looks at the overhead photography of these poor human beings, amassing into thousands of people trekking across drought-stricken areas, has to be just heartbroken. It is important that we and other countries assist those people," Rumsfeld said.

In London, the British Ministry of Defense offered its own assessment of Sunday's operations, insisting civilians were not targeted.

"The targets included terrorist training camps, military airfields and air defense sites," said British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon.

During the Monday afternoon press briefing, Hoon said it was still too early to assess the damage from the attacks but emphasized that "the Afghan civilian population nor their homes or property have been targeted."

The Taliban envoy to Pakistan told reporters in a news conference Monday morning that several civilians, including women and children, were killed Sunday.

"I know there have been media reports that bombs and missiles have fallen near civilian areas. Detonations of nearby fire can give the impression that civilian areas are under attack," Hoon said. "I can assure you this was not the case."

Rumsfeld too discounted the Taliban claim, saying Monday afternoon that central areas of Kabul, where the civilian deaths were said to have occurred, were not struck Sunday. Flashes seen on television, he said, were all the product of anti-aircraft volleys.

Rumsfeld repeated Monday that the U.S.-led assault aimed to make it increasingly difficult for terrorists to use Afghanistan freely as a base of operations.

"The goal is simply to try to free the world of the threat of global terrorism," he said of the coalition's long-term aims. "We will not stop until the terrorist networks are destroyed. Countries that harbor terrorists and their training camps should know that they will suffer penalties."

Sunday's mission included bombing runs by U.S. B-2 Stealth bombers flown from the continental United States as well as B-1 and B-52 long-range bombers from the British air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

The bomber force was bolstered by 25 strike aircraft launched from carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Enterprise and about 50 Tomahawk Cruise missiles launched from four U.S. surface ships, a U.S. submarine and three British submarines, the defense ministry confirmed Monday.

-- CNN's Ian Christopher McCaleb contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

Bush: Bin Laden 'virtually took responsibility'
October 8, 2001 Posted: 5:33 PM EDT (2133 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After watching Osama bin Laden's videotaped comments on Qatar television Sunday, President Bush concluded bin Laden "virtually took responsibility" for last month's attacks, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters Monday.

Nevertheless, Fleischer said, the president sees the campaign against global terrorism as "much bigger than any one person," the comment reflecting administration statements to the U.N. Security Council earlier in the day that more nations may be implicated and targeted in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

"This is not a war against Osama bin Laden," Fleischer said. "This is a war against terrorists on multiple fronts. This is about a whole network of terrorists operating around the world with global reach who have the ability to inflict harm on the U.S. and its friends.

"If Osama bin Laden was gone today, the war would continue tomorrow," Fleischer said.

Fleischer also said the president noted the videotape was shot in daylight and that the U.S.-British military strikes occurred at night. The tape was presented as the response by bin Laden and his al Qaeda leadership to the strikes.

Fleischer said some of the key soldiers in the war in terrorism would be "very smart people sitting at desks" working at computer terminals trying to choke off financial resources funneled to terrorists through secret bank accounts or fake charities.

"There is a military component to what is under way," Fleischer said. "There are so many other components. And taking away the terrorists' money is a crucial component of it and literally that is a war that is fought by people wearing suits, sitting at computer terminals."

The president said as much Monday morning as former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was sworn-in as chief of the administration's new homeland security operation.

"The first shot of the war was fired several weeks ago, as we began freezing bank accounts," Bush said.

"Yesterday, we opened another front on the war on terrorism as we began conventional military operations designed to destroy terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban government," Bush said.

He added that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld informed him Monday morning the air missions were "executed as planned."

Attack in the works for a week
Meanwhile, a more defined picture of the president's planning process for the military strikes on Afghanistan began to emerge Monday.

Bush decided nearly one week ago -- Tuesday, October 2 -- to proceed with the strikes, top advisers said Monday, and he gave the go-ahead in a series of conversations Friday and Saturday after receiving assurances that all military and diplomatic pieces were in place.

"Last week was a month long," White House chief of staff Andrew Card said in a senior staff meeting Monday as he looked back on the decision.

At his National Security Council meeting last Tuesday, the president called top adviser Karen Hughes into the Oval Office and told her he had told the military to prepare for strikes.

"The Bush administration will enforce its doctrine," Hughes quoted the president as saying, a reference to his pledge to Congress, she said, that if the Taliban did not turn over Osama Bin Laden and other associates, it would share in their fate.

Bush told Hughes to start thinking about a speech to the nation to explain the strikes and the strategy behind them.

At Friday's National Security Council meeting, the president asked Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, if the commander of forces in the region had everything he needed to launch the operation.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said the president "turned to Gen. Myers and said, 'Dick, is Tommy Franks ready to go?'"

Myers, she said, responded: "Yes sir, he is ready to go."

At that point, the president gave the military the orders to prepare for strikes on short notice.

Franks is the Army general who heads the U.S. Central Command, which covers 25 nations of Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. As such, he is the overall commander of the operation against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The final order clearing bombers to leave their bases for the region came Saturday at another National Security Council meeting, after Bush called on each major participant and asked them if there was any reason not to proceed.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said the diplomatic coalition was in place. Rumsfeld told the president his trip to the region had gone well and that there was no military reason not to proceed.

There was a "sense of the weighty decision," Hughes said, even among friends and family members at Camp David who were not aware of the specifics of the president's decision to authorize military strikes. "There was a very heavy burden on the president."

'What do we do now?'
In a briefing with reporters, Rice and Hughes also said:

-- Military planning began virtually immediately after the September 11 attacks, and the plan was gradually refined as troops were deployed to the region and the administration received a better sense of what support nations in the region were willing to provide.

-- The administration convened discussions about combating bin Laden and the al Qaeda network soon after Bush took office

-- The strikes against the World Trade Center and Pentagon opened the door to attacks on Afghanistan under "self defense" clauses in international treaties. "The best defense is a good offense," Rice said.

-- Powell, Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney reviewed the president's address to the nation, at his request, and Rice left Camp David early Sunday to head back to Washington to coordinate with them.

-- Rumsfeld called Bush on Sunday to tell him the operation was under way, and the president then went to the Treaty Room to deliver his address to the American people. Afterward, he invited top aides to have lunch in the Roosevelt Room.

Hughes recalled sitting down and asking, "What do we do now?" Rice said she replied: "Now we wait."

Rice said Bush received several calls from Rumsfeld on the early stages of the operation, and that she briefed him throughout the day as well.

Both said Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair saw "eye to eye" on the broad strategy from the very beginning, and that they had a detailed strategy conversation when Blair was in Washington and attended the president's speech to Congress.

While the two leaders discussed timing and the British role in the strikes, "timing was a decision of the president," Rice said.

Hughes said she was in touch with Blair's top communications aide and that when she told him of the president's plans for a televised address, the Blair adviser said the prime minister would watch Bush speak and then deliver a statement of his own.

Hughes said "several hundred million dollars" in assets had been frozen around the world so far in the crackdown on financial support of terrorist organizations. She said the Treasury Department was poised to expand the list of organizations soon.

-- CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King contributed to this story.

[SleepyHead]

U.S. could hit countries besides Afghanistan
September 23, 2001 Posted: 8:14 PM EDT (0014 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top White House officials Sunday would not rule out the possibility that Iraq might also be subject to U.S. military action in the campaign against terrorism.

But they indicated that the Bush administration's priority is targeting Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for playing host to the suspected terrorist.

"The president made clear in his speech on Thursday night that this is a broad campaign," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

"Now, there has to be an initial phase to this campaign. And the initial phase focuses on the al Qaeda network and the country that harbors them most nearly, which is the Taliban and Afghanistan."

As the campaign unfolds, Rice said, the administration would "look at where terrorism exists ... and go after all of those bases for terrorism."

Some lawmakers have called on the United States to include Iraq in any military action, believing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has supported terrorist acts against America.

Sen. Jesse Helms, R-North Carolina, said he believed American forces may be "right close" to such an attack.

Speaking on CNN, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, would not say whether he believes Iraq had a role in the September 11 attacks against the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.

"The only thing I would say is we should not leave out and we have not left out where any of this leads to," said Shelby.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said there is no hard evidence yet that Iraq played a direct role in the September 11 attacks in which four commercial jets were hijacked and deliberately crashed.

"Well, there are some reports of linkages, but not to the extent that I would say today there is a clear link. But we're looking for links and we're watching it very, very carefully," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Powell said Hussein has long been considered "a potential source of terrorist activity" and stressed the United States would take "no options off the table."

"We have no illusions about Saddam Hussein," Powell said. "He means us no good. He means the region no good. ... And, as you know, we always have the ability to strike if that seems to be the appropriate thing."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld offered similar comments and hinted the U.S. approach to Iraq might hinge on that country's future behavior as it relates to terrorism.

"This is not an Afghan problem; this is a worldwide problem of terrorist networks. And let there be no doubt about it, that al Qaeda network is in at least 60 countries, and they are just one of many networks," Rumsfeld said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

He cited Iraq, Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Libya as nations that have "harbored and assisted terrorist organizations."

"As the president said, what we're looking at today is how are those states going to behave going forward," Rumsfeld said.

The United States began deploying troops, ships and aircraft, including heavy bombers, to bases overseas last week, raising the prospect of a U.S. strike against Afghanistan.

A second round of deployments awaits Rumsfeld's signature, a Pentagon spokesman told CNN on Saturday, but Rumsfeld avoided questions Sunday about that order.

The Pentagon is not disclosing how many planes are involved, where they are going or when they are departing from bases in the United States.

"What we've been doing is getting our capabilities located, positioned, arranged around the world so that at that point where the president decides that he has a set of things he would like done, that we will be in a position to carry those things out," he said.

Asked about the possible use of nuclear weapons, Rumsfeld would not rule them out, but he seemed to suggest their use is unlikely.

"The United States, to my knowledge, has never ruled out the use of nuclear weapons," Rumsfeld said.

"We have always said, if you'll think back to the Cold War, that we would not rule out the first use of nuclear weapons, because there was overwhelming conventional capability that we felt that would add to the deterrent. And so we have never done that."

Speaking on the same program, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said the use of such weapons was "not necessary."

"In other words, I think we should note that we have weapons now, precision weapons, and of the kind that would probably address this kind of a threat, which is specific small groups of people in remote places, without having to use nuclear weapons," McCain said.

As they have for days, Bush aides told Americans to prepare for a long battle, one that would be fought on multiple fronts with various personnel, including the military. And they said the battle would require sacrifices by the American people.

"War is war, and there will be casualties," Powell said on NBC.

There have been reports of disagreements between the State and Defense departments over how to fight this new war.

The State Department is said to favor narrowly targeting al Qaeda to keep an international consensus together. The Pentagon reportedly favors a wider military response that would hit at terrorist targets in a variety of countries, including Iraq.

Speaking with reporters later, Rumsfeld downplayed reports of dissension between him Powell.

"There is no question but that he and the president and I are all in agreement that coalitions are enormously valuable," Rumsfeld said.

But, he said, "the mission determines the coalition, and the coalition must not be permitted to determine the mission.

"We are going to have different countries and different people in different countries supporting us with respect to these activities and possibly not those. They're going to support -- others -- still a different group will support us with a totally different set of activities," he said.

At Camp David, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush presided over a ceremony at which the American flag was raised to full staff after more than a week of official mourning.

[SleepyHead]

U.S. to U.N.: Reprisals against other countries possible
October 8, 2001 Posted: 5:00 PM EDT (2100 GMT)


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Attacks against other countries might be necessary in an international campaign against terrorism, U.S. officials told the United Nations Monday.

In a letter to the U.N.'s Security Council, John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to the world body, said the nation's inquiry into terror attacks could lead beyond Afghanistan's borders.

We may find that our self-defense requires further actions with respect to other organizations and other states," Negroponte said in the letter.

The United States and Britain were scheduled Monday to brief the full Security Council on their military action, detailing the targets and aims of Sunday's air strikes on Taliban and al Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan.

Negroponte's letter explained the reasons behind the aerial attacks on Afghanistan Sunday and Monday, said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. Its delivery to the U.N. was expected, as the world body's charter requires member nations defending themselves from attack to submit a letter explaining their actions.

"The United States reserves the right to defend itself," Fleischer said.

The contents of the letter, Fleischer said, were nothing new -- several recent speeches by President Bush have stated that the hunt for those responsible for the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon may lead to suspects outside Afghanistan. But Fleischer refused to say which other nations could be possible targets in the international terrorists hunt.

The letter lays out what U.S. officials consider clear and compelling information linking suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda organization to the September attacks.

Investigators also believe Afghanistan's Taliban regime has supported them, and that al Qaeda continues to train and support terrorists who attack innocent people and target Americans, the letter said.

[SleepyHead]

Rumsfeld assesses U.S. strike
October 8, 2001 Posted: 11:26 AM EDT (1526 GMT)


Secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld discussed with CNN's Paula Zahn the Pentagon's assessment of the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan.

ZAHN: Good morning. Did yesterday's campaign meet its objectives?

RUMSFELD: Well, we'll know a good deal more later this morning as all of the various types of intelligence are examined and correlated. My impression is that it has been very successful. We do, however, have to understand that it's going to be a very long and sustained effort. As a said yesterday, there's no silver bullet, not a single thing that's going to win this effort for the coalition forces. But all the aircraft returned safely.

The humanitarian food and medicine drops were successful and the planes are starting to return now. So we feel that, thus far, it's been a very successful effort.

ZAHN: So, basically, what you're telling me this morning is that everything the Taliban is reporting -- that they shot down a jet, that they shot down a helicopter with 14 people on board -- is simply false?

RUMSFELD: That's correct. It is false what the Taliban has said. Indeed, much of what they have said over a period of time is false. These people are terrorists, they are harboring terrorists, they have been repressive to the Afghan people and it's no surprise that the many Afghan people are opposed to Taliban and even many Taliban are opposed to the Al Qaeda organization, the foreign terrorists that the Taliban leadership has been harboring.

ZAHN: I know you said your initial impressions are that this campaign has been successful. The British defense minister announced today that some 30 sites were targeted and struck in Afghanistan overnight. Do you want to go along with that report this morning?

RUMSFELD: Well, there have been two or three dozen targets. They were all military targets. They were military aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, airports -- military airports and runways. They were terrorist training camps. They were a host of things that are directly associated with the Al Qaeda and with the Taliban leadership which has been in close relationship with Al Qaeda these many years.

ZAHN: I know you have said that the Taliban don't have an army or a navy. What do you think they do have left at this point?

RUMSFELD: Well, it still has money, which we're trying to (AUDIO GAP) no longer want the leadership of Taliban to be supporting Al Qaeda and they, themselves, will find ways to assist the rest of the world in stopping this scourge.

ZAHN: I was speaking with an Air Force general who said that this is an unusual campaign because it's the first time really the U.S. has attempted to fight and feed at the same time. How critical is the humanitarian aid part of this?

RUMSFELD: Well, anyone who looks at the overhead photography of these poor human beings amassing in 20s and 40s and hundreds and now, more recently, into thousands of people trekking across drought-stricken areas looking for food, looking for sustenance and refuge -- anyone who sees that has to be just heartbroken. And it's important that we and other countries in the world assist those people, and that's what President Bush is doing. We were already the largest food donor in Afghanistan earlier this year before September 11, with some $170 million and the $320 million program that the president announced and will be joined by other nations is something that's urgently needed by the Afghan people.

ZAHN: But how does the humanitarian aid complicate your war planning?

RUMSFELD: It doesn't at all. We're perfectly capable of flying in transports and delivering food and medicine. As long as we're able to deal with the air defense capability of the Taliban -- the radars, the MiG aircraft and the surface-to-air missiles, which we, I think we'll find later today, have a good start on.

ZAHN: And a final question for you, sir. As you have said so much about how the American people need to be prepared for a long offense, what are we talking about here?

RUMSFELD: Well, I think realistically we have to expect that it could take some years and -- several years. The reason I say that is because there are a lot of people who have been trained in these terrorist training camps in many of the countries that sponsor terrorism. They are already out there, they are organized, they have been financed and what we have to do is to be patient. We have to recognize that the power of weapons today is such that they can impose enormous damage on free nations and free people.

We don't get up in the morning and think about protecting ourselves when we walk outside the door. We don't wear flack jackets and carry weapons. That is part of our vulnerability as a free people. It's also a wonderful aspect of our society.

ZAHN: Do you have enough cruise missiles to sustain a long campaign of the type you're talking about?

RUMSFELD: Well, as I say, this problem is not going to be rooted out by a cruise missile. There are things cruise missiles can do. There are things bombers can do. But there's an awful lot that will have to be done through the financial system, through diplomacy as well as through covert operations on the ground; and, particularly, through intelligence-gathering. All across the globe, people are stepping forward; dozens and dozens and dozens of nations are participating. And it is probably more likely to be a scrap of information that comes from somebody about how we can deal with this problem than it will be a cruise missile.

ZAHN: Secretary Rumsfeld, good of you to join us at such a busy time. We appreciate your being with us this morning.

RUMSFELD: Thank you very much.

[This Message Has Been Edited By SleepyHead On October 08, 2001 02:54 PM]

[SleepyHead]

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11

American Airlines Flight 11, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center with 92 people on board.


CREW
John Ogonowski, 52, of Dracut, Massachusetts, was the pilot of Flight 11. He lived on a 150-acre farm north of Boston. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and three daughters, Laura, 16; Caroline, 14; and Mary, 11. A lifelong aviation buff, he joined the Air Force after graduating from college and flew planes at the close of the Vietnam War. He joined American Airlines in 1979.

First Officer Thomas McGuinness, 42, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was Flight 11's co-pilot. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, and a 14-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. He was active in Bethany Church in Greenland, New Hampshire, friends and neighbors told The Boston Globe. Rick DeKoven, a church administrator, described him as "a devoted family man."

Barbara Arestegui, 38, was a flight attendant from Marstons Mills, Massachusetts.

Jeffrey Collman was a flight attendant.

Sara Low, 28, was a flight attendant from Batesville, Arkansas.

Karen Martin was a flight attendant.

Kathleen Nicosia was a flight attendant.

Betty Ong, 45, was a flight attendant from Andover, Massachusetts.

Jean Roger, 24, was a flight attendant from Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

Dianne Snyder, 42, was a flight attendant from Westport, Massachusetts.

Madeline Sweeney, 35, was a flight attendant from Acton, Massachusetts.

PASSENGERS

Anna Williams Allison, 48, of Stoneham, Massachusetts, was the founder of A2 Software Solutions, a firm that assists companies in software development. Allison had more than 19 years' experience in the software development industry and was a frequent speaker and trainer at national and local conferences.

David Angell, 54, of Pasadena, California, was the creator and executive producer of the hit NBC sitcom "Frasier." A native of West Barrington, Rhode Island, Angell entered the Army after graduating from college and served at the Pentagon until 1972. He worked in insurance and engineering before selling a script for a TV series in 1977. In 1983, he joined the TV series "Cheers" as a staff writer and began working with co-supervising producers Peter Casey and David Lee. This team formed a production company, creating and producing "Wings" in 1990 and "Frasier" in 1993. The trio won 24 Emmys.

Lynn Angell, 45, of Pasadena, California, was the wife of "Frasier" creator and executive producer David Angell. The Angells were returning from a wedding on the East Coast to attend the Emmy Awards.

Seima Aoyama

Myra Aronson, 52, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, was a press and analyst relations manager for Compuware Corp.

Christine Barbuto, 32, of Brookline, Massachusetts, was a buyer for TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She was on her way to California on a buying trip. Barbuto is survived her father and two sisters. She had worked for TJX for five years.

Berry Berenson, 53, of Los Angeles, California, was an actress and photographer. She was the widow of actor Anthony Perkins, who died in 1992, and sister of actress and model Marisa Berenson. She is survived by two sons, Osgood, an actor, and Elvis. Born into an aristocratic family, Berenson appeared in the movies "Cat People" (1982), "Winter Kills" (1979) and "Remember My Name" (1978).

Carolyn Beug, 48, of Los Angeles, California, was traveling with her mother, Mary Wahlstrom. They had gone to Boston to drop off relatives at a nearby college and were returning home.

Carol Bouchard, 43, of Warwick, Rhode Island, was a Kent County Hospital emergency room secretary.

Robin Caplin was from Natick, Massachusetts.

Neilie Casey, 32, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, was a merchandise planning manager for TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She worked for TJX for eight years. Casey is survived by her husband and a 7-month-old daughter.

Jeffrey Coombs, 42, of Abington, Massachusetts, was a security analyst for Compaq Computer. He is survived by his wife, Christie, and three children, Meagan, 10; Julia, 7; and Matt, 12.

Tara Creamer, 30, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was a merchandise planning manager for TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She had worked for TJX for eight years. Creamer is survived by her husband, John, and two children, Colin, 4, and Nora, 1.

Thelma Cuccinello, 71, was a Wilmot, New Hampshire, resident with 10 grandchildren. She was on her way to visit a sister in California. Daughter Cheryl O'Brien gave her mom a ride to catch a bus to Logan International Airport in Boston. "I was the last one to see her," O'Brien said. "I got to kiss her and say 'I love you' and 'Have a nice trip.' "

Patrick Currivan

Andrew Curry Green was from Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Brian Dale, 43, of Warren, New Jersey, was an accountant and attorney with Blue Capital Management. He was married and the father of three.

David DiMeglio was from Wakefield, Massachusetts.

Donald Ditullio, 49, was from Peabody, Massachusetts.

Albert Dominguez, 66, was a baggage handler for Qantas Airways in Sydney, Australia. He was traveling on holiday at the time of his death. He was married with four children.

Alex Filipov, 70, was an electrical engineer from Concord, Massachusetts.

Carol Flyzik, 40, was from Plaistow, New Hampshire.

Paul Friedman, 45, from Belmont, Massachusetts, was a consultant for Emergence Consulting.

Karleton D.B. Fyfe, 31, of Brookline, Massachusetts, was a senior investment analyst for John Hancock.

Peter Gay, 54, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was a Raytheon Co. vice president of operations for electronic systems based in Andover, Massachusetts. He had worked for Raytheon for more than 28 years.

Linda George, 27, of Westboro, Massachusetts, was a buyer for TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She was on her way to California on a buying trip. George is survived by her father, mother, sister and brother. She was engaged to be married.

Edmund Glazer, 41, of Los Angeles, California, was the chief financial officer and vice president of finance and administration of MRV Communications, a Chatsworth, California, firm that focuses on optical components and network infrastructure systems. Glazer was survived by his wife, Candy, and son, Nathan.

Lisa Fenn Gordenstein, 41, of Needham, Massachusetts, was an assistant vice president, merchandise manager, for TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She was on her way to California on a buying trip. Gordenstein is survived by her husband and two children.

Paige Farley Hackel, 46, was a spiritual adviser from Newton, Massachusetts.

Peter Hashem, 40, was an engineer from Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Robert Hayes, 37, from Amesbury, Massachusetts was a sales engineer with Netstal.

Ted Hennessy, 35, was a consultant for Emergence Consulting in Belmont, Massachusetts.

John Hofer

Cora Holland, 52, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, was with Sudbury Food Pantry, an interdenominational program that assisted needy families, at Our Lady of Fatima Church.

Nicholas Humber, 60, of Newton, Massachusetts, was the owner of Brae Burn Management.

John Jenkins

Charles Jones, 48, was a computer programmer from Bedford, Massachusetts.

Robin Kaplan, 33, of Westboro, Massachusetts, was a senior store equipment specialist for TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She was on her way to California to help prepare for a new T.J. Maxx store opening. Kaplan had returned to work this year after battling Crohn's disease, a life-threatening inflammatory illness of the gastrointestinal tract. She is survived by her father, Edward Kaplan, and mother, Francine.

Barbara Keating, 72, was from Palm Springs, California.

David Kovalcin, 42, of Hudson, New Hampshire, was a Raytheon Co. senior mechanical engineer for electronic systems in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. He had worked for Raytheon for 15 years.

Judy Larocque, 50, of Framingham, Massachusetts, was the founder and CEO of Market Perspectives, a research firm that offers online and on-site surveys. Before founding the company in 1993, she was the principal of Emergent Marketing, an executive marketing consulting firm.

Jude Larson, 31, was from Los Angeles, California.

Natalie Larson was from Los Angeles, California.

N. Janis Lasden, 46, of General Electric was from Peabody, Massachusetts.

Daniel John Lee, 34, was from Los Angeles, California.

Daniel C. Lewin, 31, was the co-founder and chief technology officer at Akamai Technologies Inc., a Cambridge, Massachusetts, company that produces technology equipment to facilitate online content delivery. He is survived by his wife and two sons. He founded Akamai in 1998 with scientist Tom Leighton and a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists and business professionals. Lewin was responsible for the company's research and development strategy.

Susan MacKay, 44, of Westford, Massachusetts, was an employee of TJX Cos., the off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions.

Chris Mello, 25, was a financial analyst with Alta Communications from Boston. He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in psychology. He is survived by his parents, Douglas and Ellen Mello of Rye, New York; a brother, John Douglas Mello of New York City; and his paternal grandmother, Alice Mello, of Barefoot Bay, Florida.

Jeff Mladenik, 43, of Hinsdale, Illinois, was the interim president at E-Logic.

Antonio Montoya

Carlos Montoya

Laura Lee Morabito, 34, was the Qantas Airways area sales manager in Boston. She lived in Framingham, Massachusetts, with her husband. She was traveling on company business at the time of her death.

Mildred Naiman was from Andover, Massachusetts.

Laurie Neira

Renee Newell, 37, of Cranston, Rhode Island, was a customer service agent with American Airlines.

Jacqueline Norton, 60, was a retiree from Lubec, Maine. She was traveling with her husband, Robert Norton.

Robert Norton, 82, was a retiree from Lubec, Maine. He was traveling with his wife, Jacqueline Norton.

Jane Orth, 49, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was retired from Lucent Technology.

Thomas Pecorelli, 31, of Los Angeles, California, was a cameraman for Fox Sports and E! Entertainment Television.

Sonia Morales Puopolo, 58, of Dover, Massachusetts, was a retired ballet dancer.

David Retik was from Needham, Massachusetts. He was a general partner and founding member of Alta Communications, a Boston-based investment firm specializing in communication industries. Retik graduated from Colgate University and received a master's in accounting from New York University. He is survived by his wife, Susan and their two children, Ben and Molly.

Philip Rosenzweig of Acton, Massachusetts, was an executive with Sun Microsystems.

Richard Ross, 58, of Newton, Massachusetts, headed his own management consulting company, the Ross Group.

Jessica Sachs, 22, of Billerica, Massachusetts was an accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Rahma Salie, 28, was from Boston.

Heather Smith, 30, of Beacon Capital Partners was from Boston.

Douglas Stone, 54, was from Dover, New Hampshire.

Xavier Suarez

Michael Theodoridis, 32, was a consultant from Boston.

James Trentini, 65, was a retired teacher and assistant principal from Everett, Massachusetts.

Mary Trentini, 67, was a retired secretary from Everett, Massachusetts.

Mary Wahlstrom, 75, of Kaysville, Utah, was traveling with her daughter, Carolyn Beug. They had gone to Boston to drop off relatives at a nearby college and were returning home.

Kenneth Waldie, 46, of Methuen, Massachusetts, was a Raytheon Co. senior quality control engineer for electronic systems in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. He had worked for Raytheon for 17 years.

John Wenckus, 46, was a tax consultant from Torrance, California.

Candace Lee Williams, 20, was a student from Danbury, Connecticut.

Christopher Zarba, 47, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, was a software engineer at Concord Communications. He leaves behind a wife and family. He would have been 48 on September 15.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77

American Airlines Flight 77, from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people aboard.


CREW

Charles Burlingame of Herndon, Virginia, was the plane's captain. He is survived by a wife, a daughter and a grandson. He had more than 20 years of experience flying with American Airlines and was a former U.S. Navy pilot.

David Charlebois, who lived in Washington's Dupont Circle neighborhood, was the first officer on the flight. "He was handsome and happy and very centered," his neighbor Travis White, told The Washington Post. "His life was the kind of life I wanted to have some day."

Michele Heidenberger of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was a flight attendant for 30 years. She left behind a husband, a pilot, and a daughter and son.

Flight attendant Jennifer Lewis, 38, of Culpeper, Virginia, was the wife of flight attendant Kenneth Lewis.

Flight attendant Kenneth Lewis, 49, of Culpeper, Virginia, was the husband of flight attendant Jennifer Lewis.

Renee May, 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, was a flight attendant.

PASSENGERS

Paul Ambrose, 32, of Washington, was a physician who worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the surgeon general to address racial and ethnic disparities in health. A 1995 graduate of Marshall University School of Medicine, Ambrose last year was named the Luther Terry Fellow of the Association of Teachers of Preventative Medicine.

Yeneneh Betru, 35, was from Burbank, California.

M.J. Booth

Bernard Brown, 11, was a student at Leckie Elementary School in Washington. He was embarking on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.

Suzanne Calley, 42, of San Martin, California, was an employee of Cisco Systems Inc.

William Caswell

Sarah Clark, 65, of Columbia, Maryland, was a sixth-grade teacher at Backus Middle School in Washington. She was accompanying a student on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.

Asia Cottom, 11, was a student at Backus Middle School in Washington. Asia was embarking on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.

James Debeuneure, 58, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was a fifth-grade teacher at Ketcham Elementary School in Washington. He was accompanying a student on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.

Rodney Dickens, 11, was a student at Leckie Elementary School in Washington. He was embarking on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.

Eddie Dillard

Charles Droz

Barbara Edwards, 58, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was a teacher at Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas.

Charles S. Falkenberg, 45, of University Park, Maryland, was the director of research at ECOlogic Corp., a software engineering firm. He worked on data systems for NASA and also developed data systems for the study of global and regional environmental issues. Falkenburg was traveling with his wife, Leslie Whittingham, and their two daughters, Zoe, 8, and Dana, 3.

Zoe Falkenberg, 8, of University Park, Maryland, was the daughter of Charles Falkenberg and Leslie Whittingham.

Dana Falkenberg, 3, of University Park, Maryland, was the daughter of Charles Falkenberg and Leslie Whittingham.

Joe Ferguson was the director of the National Geographic Society's geography education outreach program in Washington. He was accompanying a group of students and teachers on an educational trip to the Channel Islands in California. A Mississippi native, he joined the society in 1987. "Joe Feguson's final hours at the Geographic reveal the depth of his commitment to one of the things he really loved," said John Fahey Jr., the society's president. "Joe was here at the office until late Monday evening preparing for this trip. It was his goal to make this trip perfect in every way."

Wilson "Bud" Flagg of Millwood, Virginia, was a retired Navy admiral and retired American Airlines pilot.

Dee Flagg

Richard Gabriel

Ian Gray, 55, of Washington was the president of a health-care consulting firm.

Stanley Hall, 68, was from Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Bryan Jack, 48, of Alexandria, Virginia, was a senior executive at the Defense Department.

Steven D. "Jake" Jacoby, 43, of Alexandria, Virginia, was the chief operating officer of Metrocall Inc., a wireless data and messaging company.

Ann Judge, 49, of Virginia was the travel office manager for the National Geographic Society. She was accompanying a group of students and teachers on an educational trip to the Channel Islands in California. Society President John Fahey Jr. said one of his fondest memories of Judge is a voice mail she and a colleague once left him while they were rafting the Monkey River in Belize. "This was quintessential Ann -- living life to the fullest and wanting to share it with others," he said.

Chandler Keller, 29, was a Boeing propulsion engineer from El Segundo, California.

Yvonne Kennedy

Norma Khan, 45, from Reston, Virginia was a nonprofit organization manager.

Karen A. Kincaid, 40, was a lawyer with the Washington firm of Wiley Rein & Fielding. She joined the firm in 1993 and was part of the its telecommunications practice. She was married to Peter Batacan.

Norma Langsteuerle

Dong Lee

Dora Menchaca, 45, of Santa Monica, California, was the associate director of clinical research for a biotech firm.

Christopher Newton, 38, of Anaheim, California, was president and chief executive officer of Work-Life Benefits, a consultation and referral service. He was married and had two children. Newton was on his way back to Orange County to retrieve his family's yellow Labrador, who had been left behind until they could settle into their new home in Arlington, Virginia.

Barbara Olson, 45, was a conservative commentator who often appeared on CNN and was married to U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson. She twice called her husband as the plane was being hijacked and described some details, including that the attackers were armed with knives. She had planned to take a different flight, but she changed it at the last minute so that she could be with her husband on his birthday. She worked as an investigator for the House Government Reform Committee in the mid-1990s and later worked on the staff of Senate Minority Whip Don Nickles.

Ruben Ornedo, 39, of Los Angeles, California, was a Boeing propulsion engineer.

Robert Penniger, 63, of Poway, California, was an electrical engineer with BAE Systems.

Lisa Raines, 42, was senior vice president for government relations at the Washington office of Genzyme, a biotechnology firm. She was from Great Falls, Virginia, and was married to Stephen Push. She worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on developing a new policy governing cellular therapies, announced in 1997. She also worked on other major health-care legislation.

Todd Reuben, 40, of Potomac, Maryland, was a tax and business lawyer.

John Sammartino

Diane Simmons

George Simmons

Mari-Rae Sopper of Santa Barbara, California, was a women's gymnastics coach at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She had just gotten the post August 31 and was making the trip to California to start work.

Bob Speisman, 47, was from Irvington, New York.

Hilda Taylor was a sixth-grade teacher at Leckie Elementary School in Washington. She was accompanying a student on an educational trip to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a program funded by the National Geographic Society.

Leonard Taylor was from Reston, Virginia.

Leslie A. Whittington, 45, was from University Park, Maryland. The professor of public policy at Georgetown University in Washington was traveling with her husband, Charles Falkenberg, 45, and their two daughters, Zoe, 8, and Dana, 3. They were traveling to Los Angeles to catch a connection to Australia. Whittington had been named a visiting fellow at Australian National University in Canberra.

John Yamnicky, 71, was from Waldorf, Maryland.

Vicki Yancey

Shuyin Yang

Yuguag Zheng

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 175

United Airlines Flight 175, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, was the second hijacked plane to strike the World Trade Center, plowing into the south tower. Two pilots, seven flight attendants and 56 passengers were on board.


CREW

Capt. Victor Saracini, 51, of Lower Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, was a Navy veteran. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Michael Horrocks was first officer.

Robert J. Fangman was a flight attendant.

Amy N. Jarret, 28, of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, was a flight attendant.

Amy R. King was a flight attendant.

Kathryn L. Laborie was a flight attendant.

Alfred G. Marchand of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was a flight attendant.

Michael C. Tarrou was a flight attendant.

Alicia N. Titus was a flight atteandant.


PASSENGERS

Alona Avraham, 30, was from Ashdot, Israel.

Garnet "Ace" Bailey, 53, of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, was director of pro scouting for the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. Bailey was entering his 33rd season as a player or scout in the National Hockey League and his eighth with the Kings. Before joining the Kings, he spent 13 years as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers, a team that won five Stanley Cups during that time. As a player, Bailey spent five years with the Boston Bruins and was a member of Stanley Cup championship teams in 1969-70 and 1971-72. Bailey also spent parts of two seasons each with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, and three years with the Washington Capitals. He is survived by his wife, Katherine, and son, Todd.

Mark Bavis, 31, of West Newton, Massachusetts, was entering his second season as an amateur scout for the Los Angeles Kings. A Boston native, he played four years on Boston University's hockey team, where his twin brother, Michael, is an assistant coach. In addition to his twin brother, Bavis is survived by his mother, Mary; two other brothers, Pat and Johnny; and three sisters, Kelly, Mary Ellen and Kathy. The Bavis family lost a brother 15 years ago, and Bavis' father died 10 years ago.

Graham Berkeley, 37, of Xerox Corp. was from Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Touri Bolourchi, 69, was from Beverly Hills, California.

Klaus Bothe, 31, of Germany was on a business trip with BCT Technology AG's chief executive officer and another executive. Bothe joined the company in 1994 and was its director of development. He is survived by his wife and one child.

Daniel Brandhorst, of Los Angeles, California, was a lawyer for PriceWaterhouse.

David Brandhorst, 3, was from Los Angeles.

John Cahill was from Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Christoffer Carstanjen, 33, of Turner Falls, Massachusetts, was staff assistant in the office of information technology at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

John Corcoran "Jay" Corcoran, 44, of Norwell, Massachusetts, was a merchant marine.

Dorothy Dearaujo, 82, was from Long Beach, California.

Gloria Debarrera

Lisa Frost, 22, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, graduated from Boston University this year, with degrees in communications and business hospitality. She is survived by her father, mother and brother.

Ronald Gamboa, 33, of Los Angeles, California, was a Gap store manager.

Lynn Goodchild, 25, was from Attleboro, Massachusetts.

The Rev. Francis E. Grogan, 76, of Easton, Massachusetts, was a priest at Holy Cross Church in Easton. A veteran of World War II, Grogan served as a parish priest, a chaplain and teacher at Holy Cross schools.

Carl Hammond, 37, was from Boston, Massachusetts.

Peter Hanson, 32, of Groton, Massachusetts, was a software salesman.

Susan Hanson, 35, of Groton, Massachusetts, was a student.

Christine Hanson, 3, was from Groton, Massachusetts.

Gerald Hardacre

Eric Hartono

James E. Hayden, 47, of Westford, Massachusetts, was the chief financial officer of Netegrity Inc. Hayden is survived by his wife, Gail, and their two children.

Herbert Homer,48, of Milford, Massachusetts, worked for Raytheon Co.

Robert Jalbert, 61, of Swampscott, Massachusetts, was a salesman.

Ralph Kershaw, 52, of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, was a marine surveyor.

Heinrich Kimmig, 43, chairman and chief executive officer of BCT Technology Ag, of Germany was on a business trip involving contract negotiations with U.S. partners along with two other BCT execs, the company said in a statement. Kimmig studied mechanical engineering in college. After an internship, he became the design manager at Badische Stahl Engineering, and shortly after, he founded BSE Computer-Technologie GmbH, originally a locally operating software company. In 1999, this company became BCT Technology AG. Kimmig is survived by his wife and two children.

Brian Kinney, 29, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was an auditor for PriceWaterhouse Cooper.

Robert LeBlanc, 70, of Lee, New Hampshire, was a professor emeritus of geography at the University of New Hampshire. After earning his doctorate at the University of Minnesota, LeBlanc joined the University of New Hampshire's faculty in 1963 as a cultural geographer. With a specialty in Canadian studies, he looked at the Franco-American communities in New England's mill towns. He was acting chair and chair of the geography department for nearly 10 years, retiring in 1999.

Maclovio "Joe" Lopez Jr., 41, was from Norwalk, California.

Marianne MacFarlane

Louis Neil Mariani, 59, was from Derry, New Hampshire.

Juliana Valentine McCourt, 4, was from New London, Connecticut.

Ruth McCourt, 24, was from Westford, Massachusetts.

Wolfgang Menzel, 60, of Germany joined BCT Technology AG in 2000 as director of human resources. He is survived by his wife and one child. Menzel had planned to retire in six months.

Shawn Nassaney, 25, was from Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Patrick Quigley, 40, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, was a partner at PriceWaterhouse Cooper.

Frederick Rimmele was a physician from Marblehead, Massachusetts.

James M. Roux, 42, was from Portland, Maine.

Jesus Sanchez, 45, was an off-duty flight attendant from Hudson, Massachusetts.

Kathleen Shearer was from Dover, New Hampshire.

Robert Shearer was from Dover, New Hampshire.

Jane Simpkin, 35, was from Wayland, Massachusetts.

Brian D. Sweeney, 38, was from Barnstable, Massachusetts.

Timothy Ward, 38, of San Diego, California, worked at the Carlsbad, California-based Rubio's Restaurants Inc. A 14-year veteran of the company, he opened its second restaurant in San Diego and most recently worked in the information technology department.

William Weems of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was a commercial producer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93

United Airlines Flight 93, from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania, with 45 people on board.


CREW

Jason Dahl, 43, from Denver, Colorado, was the plane's captain. He had a wife and son. Dahl had a lifelong interest in flying, said his aunt, Maxine Atkinson, of Waterloo, Iowa.

Leroy Homer, 36, from Marlton, New Jersey, was the first officer on board. He was married and had a daughter.

Lorraine Bay was a flight attendant.

Sandra Bradshaw, 38, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was a flight attendant.

Wanda Green was a flight attendant.

CeeCee Lyles of Fort Myers, Florida, was a flight attendant. She reached her husband, Lorne, by cell phone to tell him that she loved him and their children before the plane went down. The couple between them had four children.

Deborah Welsh was a flight attendant.

PASSENGERS

Christian Adams

Todd Beamer, 32, was from Cranbury, New Jersey.

Alan Beaven, 48, of Oakland, California, was an environmental lawyer.

Mark Bingham, 31, of San Francisco owned a public relations firm, the Bingham Group. He called his mother, Alice Hoglan, 15 minutes before the plane crashed and told her that the plane had been taken over by three men who claimed to have a bomb. Hoglan said her son told her that some passengers planned to try to regain control of the plane. "He said, 'I love you very, very much, ' " Hoglan said.

Deora Bodley, 20, of Santa Clara, California, was a university student.

Marion Britton

Thomas E. Burnett Jr., 38, of San Ramon, California, was a senior vice president and chief operating officer of Thoratec Corp., a medical research and development company, and the father of three. He made four calls to his wife, Deena, from the plane. Deena Burnett said that her husband told her that one passenger had been stabbed and that "a group of us are going to do something." He also told her that the people on board knew about the attack on the World Trade Center, apparently through other phone calls.

William Cashman

Georgine Corrigan

Joseph Deluca

Patrick Driscoll

Edward Felt, 41, was from Matawan, New Jersey.

Colleen Fraser

Andrew Garcia

Jeremy Glick, 31, from West Milford, New Jersey, called his wife, Liz, and in-laws in New York on a cell phone to tell them the plane had been hijacked, Joanne Makely, Glick's mother-in-law, told CNN. Glick said that one of the hijackers "had a red box he said was a bomb, and one had a knife of some nature," Makely said. Glick asked Makely if the reports about the attacks on the World Trade Center were true, and she told him they were. He left the phone for a while, returning to say, "The men voted to attack the terrorists," Makely said.

Lauren Grandcolas of San Rafael, California, was a sales worker at Good Housekeeping magazine.

Donald F. Green, 52, was from Greenwich, Connecticut.

Linda Gronlund

Richard Guadagno, 38, of Eureka, California, was the manager of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Toshiya Kuge

Waleska Martinez

Nicole Miller

Mark Rothenberg

Christine Snyder, 32, was from Kailua, Hawaii. She was an arborist for the Outdoor Circle and was returning from a conference in Washington. She had been married less than a year.

John Talignani

Honor Wainio

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[SleepyHead]

Pentagon attack

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Defense has said a total of 126 Pentagon personnel are missing. The Navy released Thursday a list of 42 names of people connected with that branch of service.

On Friday, officials announced the names of 84 more people who have been identified as unaccounted for following Tuesday's attack on the Pentagon. The list includes 74 Army personnel -- 52 of them Department of the Army civilians or Army contractors -- and another 10 civilians working in the Pentagon for Defense Department agencies.

Any additional names will be released once next of kin have been notified.

Here is the list:

ARMY
Samantha Allen, Army civilian, 36, Hillside, Maryland

Spec. Craig Amundson, 28, Kansas

Master Sgt. Max Beilke (Ret.), Army civilian, 69, Laurel, Maryland

Carrie Blagburn, Army civilian, 48, Temple Hills, Maryland

Lt. Col. Canfield Boone, 54, Indiana

Donna Bowen, Army contractor, Verizon Communications

Sgt. First Class Jose Calderon, 44, Puerto Rico

Angelene Carter, Army civilian, 51, Forrestville, Maryland

Sharon Carver, Army civilian, 38, Maryland

John Chada, Army civilian, 55, Manassas, Virginia

Ada Davis, Army civilian, 57, Camp Springs, Maryland

Lt. Col. Jerry Dickerson, 41, Mississippi

Amelia Fields, Army civilian, 36, Dumfries, Virginia

Gerald Fisher, Army contractor, Booz-Allen

Cortz Ghee, Army civilian, 54, Reiserstown, Maryland

Brenda Gibson, civilian, 59, Falls Church, Virginia

Ron Golinski, Army civilian, 60, Columbia, Maryland

Diane Hale-McKinzy, Army civilian, 38, Alexandria, Virginia

Carolyn Halmon, Army civilian, 49, Washington, D.C.

Sheila Hein, Army civilian, 51, University Park, Maryland

Maj. Wallace Cole Hogan Jr., 40, Florida

Jimmie Holley, Army civilian, 54, Lanham, Maryland

Peggie Hurt, Army civilian, 36, Crewe, Virginia

Lt. Col. Stephen Neil Hyland, Jr., 45, California

Sgt. Maj. Lacey Ivory, 43, Missouri

Lt. Col. Dennis Johnson, 48, Wisconsin

Brenda Kegler, Army civilian, 49, Washington, D.C.

David Laychak, Army civilian, 40, Manassas, Virginia

Maj. Steve Long, 39, Georgia

Terrance Lynch, Army contractor, Booz-Allen

Teresa Martin, Army civilian, 45, Stafford, Virginia

Ada Mason, Army civilian, 50, Springfield, Virginia

Lt. Col. Dean Mattson, 57, California

Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude, 53, Indianapolis, Indiana

Robert Maxwell, Army civilian, 53, Manassas, Virginia

Molly McKenzie, Army civilian, 38, Dale City, Virginia

Maj. Ron Milam, 33, Oklahoma

Odessa Morris, Army civilian, 54, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Ted Moy, Army civilian, 48, Silver Springs, Maryland

Diana Padro, Army civilian, 55, Woodbridge, Virginia

Spec. Chin Sun Pak, 24, Oklahoma

Capt. Clifford Patterson, 33, Alexandria, Virginia

Scott Powell, Army contractor, BTG Inc.

Debbie Ramsaur, Army civilian, 45, Annadale, Virginia

Rhonda Rasmussen, Army civilian, 44, Woodbridge, Virginia

Martha Reszke, Army civilian, 36, Stafford, Virginia

Cecelia Richard, Army civilian, 41, Fort Washington, Maryland

Edward Rowenhorst, Army civilian, 32, Fredricksburg, Virginia

Judy Rowlett, Army civilian, 44, Woodbridge, Virginia

Robert Russell, Army civilian, 52, Oxen Hill, Maryland

Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class William Ruth, 57, Maryland

Marjorie Salamone, Army civilian, 53, Springfield, Virginia

Lt. Col. Dave Scales, 45, Cleveland, Ohio

Janice Scott, Army civilian, 46, Springfield, Virginia

Michael Selves, Army civilian, 54, Fairfax, Virginia

Marion Serva, Army civilian, 47, Stafford, Virginia

Don Simmons, Army civilian, 58, Dumfries, Virginia

Cheryle Sincock, Army civilian, 53, Dale City, Virginia

Lt. Col. Gary Smith, U.S. Army (Ret.), Army civilian, 55, Alexandria, Virginia

Pat Statz, Army civilian, 41, Tacoma Park, Maryland

Edna Stephens, Army civilian, 53, Washington D.C.

Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland, 52, Washington

Maj. Kip Taylor, 38, Michigan

Sandra Taylor, Army civilian, 50, Alexandria, Virginia

Sgt. Tamara Thurmond, 25, Alabama

Willie Troy, Army civilian, 51, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

Lt. Col. Karen Wagner, 40, Texas

Meta Waller, Army civilian, 60, Alexandria, Virginia

Staff Sgt. Maudlyn White, 38, Christianstead, St. Croix, Virgin

Islands Sandra White, Army civilian, 44, Dumfries, Virginia

Ernest Willcher, Army contractor, Booz-Allen

Maj. Dwayne Williams, 40, Alabama

Edmond Young, Army contractor, BTG Inc.

Lisa Young, Army civilian, 36, Germantown, Maryland

DEFENSE AGENCIES
Allen Boyle, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Bryan C. Jack, Alexandria, Virginia

Rosa Maria (Rosemary) Chapa, Springfield, Virginia

Sandra N. Foster, Clinton, Maryland

Robert J. Hymel, Woodbridge, Virginia

Shelley A. Marshall, Marbury, Maryland

Patricia E. (Patti) Mickley, Springfield, Virginia

Charles E. Sabin, Burke, Virginia

Karl W. Teepe, Centreville, Virginia

NAVY ACTIVE DUTY
Yeoman 2nd Class Melissa Rose Barnes, 27, Redlands, California

Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Kris Romeo Bishundat, 23, Waldorf, Maryland

Electronics Techinician 3rd Class Christopher Lee Burford, 23 Hubert, North Carolina

Electronics Technician 3rd Class Daniel Martin Caballero, 21, Houston, Texas

Lt. Eric Allen Cranford, 32, Drexel, North Carolina

Capt. Gerald Francis Deconto, 44, Sandwich, Massachusetts

Information Systems Technician 1st Class Johnnie Doctor Jr., 32, Jacskonville, Florida

Cmdr. Robert Edward Dolan,43, Florham Park, New Jersey

Cmdr. William Howard Donovan Jr., 37, Nunda, New York

Cmdr. Patrick Dunn, 39, Fords, New Jersey

Aerographer's Mate 1st Class Edward Thomas Earhart, 26, Salt Lick, Kentucky

Lt. Cmdr. Robert Randolph Elseth, 37, Vestal, New York

Storekeeper 3rd Class Jamie Lynn Fallon, 23, Woodbridge, Virginia

Aerographer's Mate 2nd Class Matthew Michael Flocco, 21, Newark, Delaware

Capt. Lawrence Daniel Getzfred, 57, Elgin, Nebraska

Electronics Technician 1st Class Ronald John Hemenway, 37, Kansas City, Kanas

Lt. Michael Scott Lamana, 31, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Operations Specialist 2nd Class Nehamon Lyons IV, 30, Mobile, Alabama

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Brian Anthony Moss, 34, Sperry, Oklahoma

Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Jude Murphy, 38, Flossmoor, Illinois

Illustrator/draftsman 2nd Class Michael Allen Noeth, Jackson Heights, New York

Lt. Jonas Martin Panik, 26, Mingoville, Pennsylvania

Lt. j.g. Darin Howard Pontell, 26, Columbia, Maryland

Aviation Warfare Systems Operator First Class Joseph John Pycior Jr., 39, Carlstadt, New Jersey

Information Systems Technician First Class Marsha Dianah Ratchford, 34, Prichard, Alabama

Cmdr. Robert Allan Schlegel, 38, Gray, Maine

Cmdr. Dan Frederic Shanower, 40, Naperville, Illinois

Chief Information Systems Technician Gregg Harold Smallwood, 44, Overland Park, Kansas

Lt. Cmdr. Otis Vincent Tolbert, 38, Lemoore, California

Lt. Cmdr. Ronald James Vauk, 37, Nampa, Idaho

Lt. Cmdr. David Lucian Williams, 32, Newport, Oregon

Information Systems Technician Second Class Kevin Wayne Yokum, 27, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Chief Information Systems Technician Donald McArthur Young, 41, Roanoke, Virginia.


NAVY CIVILIANS

Angela Houtz, 27, La Plata, Maryland

Brady Howell, 26, Arlington, Virginia

Judith Jones, 53, Woodbridge, Virginia

James Lynch, Manassas, Virginia

Capt. Jack Punches, USN (Ret.), 51, Clifton, Virginia


NAVY CONTRACTORS

Julian Cooper, 39, Springdale, Maryland

Jerry Moran, 39, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Khang Nguyen, Fairfax, Virginia

Marvin Woods, 58, Great Mills, Maryland

[SleepyHead]

World Trade Center

The list is too vast to post - http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/sleep2.gif

Click here to read list as of 8 October 2001 (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/trade.center/victims/rescue.victims.html#1)

[This Message Has Been Edited By SleepyHead On October 08, 2001 03:13 PM]

[SleepyHead]

REFLECTIONS FROM GROUND ZERO
September 18, 2001
by Gordon MacDonald

Gordon and Gale MacDonald are working with Salvation Army
emergency services at Ground Zero in New York City. We'd like to
share with you an excerpt from the first installment of Gordon's
daily reflections on their experiences.

An unbroken line of workers was arriving, like soldiers to the
front in a war. Each carried some kind of tool: a shovel, a
pickax, electronic equipment. Another line, just as fascinating,
but far more disturbing, was coming out. Men exhausted, filthy,
hardly able to walk.

We joined a small team of SA people at a nearby canteen, just
feet away from the crater. Gail immediately set about to organize
supplies because they were in disarray.

My place was with the workmen. I simply stepped out as the lines
moved by and started saying, "You look like a man who needs
something to drink." Virtually every man I encountered stopped
and took what I offered. I would make conversation: "How long
have you been in the hole?" "What's your job?" "Where's your
family?" "Do you have buddies in the pile? (Meaning: did you lose
someone?)." Virtually everyone did. Many had lost more than one.
Many had lost relatives (the police and fire services are full of
related people).

Almost no one refused my offer to talk. They would spill their
guts. I talked with men who'd just uncovered body parts. You
could smell death in their clothes. Often I would say, "I'm a guy
who likes to pray for his friends. Would you mind a prayer?" No
one ever refused. Most reached out and grabbed my hand, or, if I
put my hand on their shoulders, would come instinctively closer.
My prayer: "God, I thank you for my new friend. Please keep him
brave, strong, safe, and true. And help him remember this city
dearly loves him today."

Gordon MacDonald is editor-at-large of Leadership journal.

To read the rest of this article, to go: http://ChristianityToday.com/spiritual/special/groundzero-001.html

[bearkat77]

Goals of Operation Enduring Freedom

1. Acquire intelligence that will aid planning for future attacks against Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers.

2. Changing "the military balance over time" by denying to the Taliban the weapons they now use in fighting various opposition forces.

3. Developing relationships with groups in Afghanistan that oppose the Taliban and al-Qaida. Officials have not named any, but they could include the Northern Alliance rebels fighting the ruling militia or forces within the Taliban itself.

4. Making it more difficult for al-Qaida to use Afghanistan freely as a base of operation.

5. Making clear to the Taliban leaders and their supporters that "harboring terrorists is unacceptable and carries a price."

6. Providing humanitarian relief to Afghans suffering under the Taliban.

------------------
http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/cat.gif
Bearkat77's Beatlemaniac Page (http://bearkat77.www9.50megs.com)
Bearkat77's Tribute to John Lennon (http://bearkatjl.50megs.com)
Bearkat77's Tribute to Ringo Starr (http://bearkatrs.50megs.com)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Sans-Serif">Quote:</font><HR>Originally Posted By bearkat77:
5. Making clear to the Taliban leaders and their supporters that "harboring terrorists is unacceptable and carries a price."
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If only it was unacceptable before last month. Sure was a price for that.

------------------
http://www.beatlelinks.net/ubb/smilies/king2.gif