(Marcia)From a greatly-esteemed gentleman of my acquaintance: Re Bin Lauden: Give him a sex change operation and send her back to Afghanistan ROTFLOL - that made me laugh so hard co-workers came around to see what was so funny. :-) All agree is an excellent idea!

(I liked it, too! Payback is a B**** and then you die!) Terry, I'd be much happier and feel a whole lot more secure if our media kept their noses out of the military maneuvers and let it remain as secret as possible..... or did you wish to inform out enemies of where we are at all times so more atrocities could be committed on our best and brightest? I also wish they would stop telling us how to commit bio-medical and chemical mayhem. I KNOW the evil people can find out for themselves or invent new ways to kill us. It is the giving the ideas to the lone and warped like the one who slit throats on the Greyhound bus that bothers me. I refuse to participate in this dissemination of comfort and information to those who would do us harm. *end of rant*

I completely agree, Marcia! Whenever it was that they were in Boston about to try to get some suspects, the media caught on, and practically gave them a head start to get out of there before the FBI could get to them... We don't need to know everything!!! Tell us when it is over!

I read "The first casualty of war is truth, somebody said, and we know that disinformation is a key part of this stragedy. Therefore the quest for reliable info is extra-essential . . . "

Judiciously, Dear Terry. Moderation and wisdom, not tell-all and know-all. Sometimes it is best to know after it is all over! The following was sent to me from a really surprising source. I like it! Subject: LETTER FROM GOD From: GOD To: My Children on Earth RE: Idiotic Religious Rivalries My Dear Children (and believe me, that's all of you), I consider myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, and gene by gene. I've been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again. I want to let you know about some of the things that are starting to tick me off. First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall. Enough already! Let's get one thing straight. These are YOUR religions, not Mine. I'm the whole enchilada; I'm beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there is only one of Me (which by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was written personally by Me, and that all the other bible's are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I even begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense? Okay, listen up now. I'm your Father AND Mother, and I don't play favorites among My children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a "doer" anyway. So ALL of your books, including those bible's, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure of that, so that you would never trust a written word more than your own living heart. You see, one human being to me, even a bum on the street, is worth more than all the Holy Books in the world. That's just the kind of guy I am. My Spirit is not a historical thing, it's alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath. Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Me. Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense. You act like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls" for My sake. Please, don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite well on my own, thank you. I don't need you to defend Me, and I don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each other. And another thing: I don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas. For example, I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and I've never EVER had a conversation with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart! Of course, come Judgment Day, I certainly intend to... The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so that YOU can become more aware of ME, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what's in each of your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached. Lighten up and enjoy Me. That's what religion is best for. What you seem to forget is how mysterious I am. You look at the petty differences in your Scriptures and say, "Well, if THIS is the truth, then THAT can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out My Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature, which by the way, you NEVER will, why not open your hearts to the simple common threads in all religions. You know what I'm talking about: Love and respect everyone. Be kind, even when life is scary or confusing, take courage and be of good cheer, for I am always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear My still, small voice (I don't like to shout). Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are My Own Child. Hold back nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die surely will, and the parts that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy (I stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin, but who do you think gave it to him in the first place?) Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I'm very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think I care whether you call me Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakantonka, Brahma, Father, Mother or even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think I care which of My special children you feel closest to - Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Me and My Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about My business of loving one another as I love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple? I'm not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your heart; I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to combine all the Great Traditions in One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for themselves. But My Special Children - the ones that your religions revolve around - all live in the same place (My heart) and they get along perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none. My blessed children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked, protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving, and laughing together. Finally, My Children everywhere, think of the life of Jesus and the fearlessness with which He chose to live and die. As I love Him, so do I love each one of you. I'm not really ticked off, I just wanted to grab your attention because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you free will. I just want you to be happy. Always. Trust in Me. Your One and Only, God An Impatient Letter From God Author: Bo Lozoff As read on the May 16, 1998 Paul Harvey Radio Show Original transcript at http://www.ktrs.com/fromgod.htm

I thought we paid our politicians to do a good job for us. Truth is not sacrificed - safety of the polulace is. We have a good governmental system. Mob rule nearly destroyed France. I don't need to know where the mountain troops are in Usbekistan! I trust our elected officials. Heaven help them if they do not live up to our newly-rigorous demands!

They say now that there is a 100% chance that they will strike again but can't say where.

Indeed, they successfully revel in our tragedy. We are all "infidels" in their cultish belief structure, which is so against true Islam. They are not sane people. They kill for their rewards. I wonder how long before they kill off all of their devotees. Not soon enough, I fear. Be safe, Lucie! ...and everyone!

The first death of Anthrax in Forida is now believe to have been intentional. :-(

Saturday October 6 4:41 PM ET Anthrax Case Puzzles Investigators By AMANDA RIDDLE, Associated Press Writer LANTANA, Fla. (AP) - Relatives of a Florida man who contracted a fatal case of anthrax are being given antibiotics as a precaution and his co-workers have been tested and cleared, health authorities said Saturday. The search to find out how 63-year-old Bob Stevens contracated the rare and extremely lethal inhaled form of the disease expanded one day after his death. More than 50 health and law enforcement officials have fanned out across Palm Beach County to track his movements over the past two months and look for other possible cases. Officials are also going over medical records in four North Carolina counties that he might have visited recently. ``We have a long chronology of common activities we need to pursue,'' Florida epidemiologist Dr. Steven Wiersma said. ``We don't have any really hot leads at this time.'' Investigators are awaiting test results from soil and other specimens. The results could take days. No other cases of anthrax have been reported in the area. Wiersma said several of Stevens' co-workers at the supermarket tabloid The Sun have been tested, but results were negative. Antibiotics are being given to close family members. Officials have said there is no evidence that Stevens was the victim of terrorism. Wiersma said tests of Stevens' blood helped confirm that belief because the anthrax in the sample responded to penicillin. Anthrax developed by some countries as a biological weapon could be resistant to the antibiotic, he said. More...http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011006/us/anthrax_case_27.html Moon, do you have a source for your scary news? I'd love to get a few sources!

This man also visited North Carolina where he might have contracted it. Many leads to follow before the media needs to fighten us any more than we are already!

From The Miami Herald Florida man dies from anthrax Search is on for source and other possible cases BY LARRY LEBOWITZ, LISA ARTHUR AND WILLIAM YARDLEY A Palm Beach County man died Friday from inhaled anthrax, but health officials continued to assure an anxious state that he was stricken with an isolated case of the deadly disease -- increasingly feared as a bioterrorism weapon -- though how he contracted it remains a mystery. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Doctors want direction in preventing infection So far, the search in S. Florida for other anthrax cases is negative Terrorism alert led to diagnosis of rare, fatal disease Previous coverage Friends, relatives wonder how S. Florida man contracted anthrax What is anthrax? Anthrax Q&A Graphic: Unseen perils -- Chemical and biological weapons Is nation prepared? Is U.S. prepared to battle germ weapons? Experts fear U.S. plan against bioterrorism is inadequate Chemical, biological war front particularly difficult to defend Florida response State scrambles to respond to possible biowarfare attack Hijacker looked into crop-duster in Florida Gas masks fly off store shelves Water systems well prepared for disasters, managers say More coverage Latest developments regarding terrorist attacks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Florida man diagnosed with anthrax -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ``I don't want to give anyone the slightest inkling that we know what caused this,'' said Steven Wiersma, the state's chief epidemiologist. ``We're looking at any possible physical way this could have happened.'' A day after Robert Stevens' condition became public, doctors in South Florida and at several hospitals across the country received orders or decided on their own to reexamine certain cases, this time looking for traces of inhalational anthrax, a strain of the disease that is nearly always fatal. The last case of inhaled anthrax reported in the United States was in 1976. Even as health officials urged calm in Florida, they aggressively pursued doctors' reports of possible new cases -- including a 75-year-old Miami-Dade resident -- all of which had proved false on Friday, said Wiersma. ``Three cases have gotten our attention and we feel very comfortable that they are not anthrax. . . . We had several leads that were highly suspicious that we've ruled out,'' he said, adding that ``each passing hour that we don't turn up a new case . . . is very good news.'' Wiersma said an alliance of investigators from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the state Health Department and the Palm Beach County Health Department had ``cast a very wide net.'' By lunchtime Friday, investigators were inspecting Stevens' Lantana home behind crime-scene tape. In the back of the investigators' Ford Explorer: plastic coolers filled with supplies, boxes of latex gloves and a small manual, Emergency Response to Terrorism Job Aid. The six investigators working at the Stevens house were one of three teams officials said had been deployed to investigate the case. One team planned to trace Stevens' travels, habits and lifestyle over the last 60 days -- considered the maximum incubation time for anthrax. The other investigative teams began poring through South Florida hospital records and medical examiner records across the state, looking for suspicious symptoms or unexplained deaths since the terrorist attacks Sept. 11. Several of the suspected terrorists trained as pilots in South Florida and lived within 10 miles of the Stevens home. Officials acknowledged Friday they were in uncharted territory, responding to the anthrax case with unprecedented investigative scope as concern over bioterrorism has surged following the attacks. BAFFLING CASE Palm Beach County Health Department spokesman Tim O'Connor, stationed for most of the day at the county's emergency operations center, said even experienced investigators are feeling challenged by the Stevens case. ``They've never had one like this,'' he said. Inhalational anthrax in people -- caused by breathing anthrax spores in the air -- is extremely rare nationwide. Only 18 inhalational cases were documented in the United States in the 20th Century. A less serious form of anthrax, caused by skin contact with anthrax spores and usually resulting in skin lesions that can be treated with penicillin, was last reported in the state in 1974. The same form was reported in Texas earlier this year. The skin disease is usually contracted by people who work with infected farm animals. Anthrax has not appeared in Florida livestock for half a century. In addition to state and local investigators, the CDC has dispatched 12 staffers to work on the investigation in Florida. BIOHAZARD BAGS After 2 1/2 hours at the Stevens house, investigators hauled away several large red biohazard bags, the type hospitals use for medical waste. They drove off just as a crowd of schoolchildren ran up the block from their afternoon bus stop. The investigators told Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies who joined them at the house that they were there to collect samples and unspecified items. Wiersma, the epidemiologist, later said the investigators likely took for testing items such as fertilizer containers and pesticide sprayers. The investigators carried electronic monitoring devices and black duffel bags into the home. Their only visible protection was the latex gloves. They did not wear protective suits or masks. They combed through the house and its attached storage room, then moved to Stevens' prized vegetable garden in the side yard. One investigator appeared to be taking measurements of the air with a hand-held device. Another collected samples of the garden soil and went through two compost piles. Next they moved to a white Saturn in the driveway. First they checked under the hood, then they spent about 15 minutes inside the car. They left without comment, and a Palm Beach sheriff's deputy removed the crime-scene tape that had been strung around the house before most of the people who live in the working-class neighborhood returned home from work. A private security firm patrolled outside the house Thursday and Friday. Stevens, 63, was pronounced dead about 4 p.m. Friday at JFK Memorial Hospital in Atlantis, in Palm Beach County. His passage was swift, beginning Sunday when he first felt poorly while driving from Charlotte to Durham, N.C., to visit his daughter's boyfriend at Duke University. The family drove back to their daughter's home in Charlotte the same afternoon. Just a day or two earlier Stevens had felt well enough to hike in the mountains near Chimney Rock, outside Asheville. FEELING ILL By the time Stevens left Charlotte for Florida at 6 a.m. Monday, he felt so badly that his wife, Maureen, drove the entire 14-hour trip while Stevens stayed in the back seat. Within hours of their return to Palm Beach County, they were heading to the hospital. Stevens was admitted about 2 a.m. Tuesday, initially able to speak with emergency room workers. He was no longer coherent when the hospital's infectious disease specialist, Dr. Larry Bush, took over the case. Family members told medical workers Stevens had been confused, had a high fever and had been vomiting. By 8 a.m. he was on life support, breathing with the aid of a ventilator. A state lab first found the anthrax bacteria Thursday, and the CDC confirmed the finding that afternoon. There has been much speculation, but nothing close to proof, of how Stevens contracted anthrax. Some have even questioned whether Stevens might have encountered anthrax in his work as a photo editor for supermarket tabloids, several of which are published in Boca Raton. AUTOPSY PLANNED Ron Haines, a photographer who works with Stevens, characterized his colleague as a desk-bound editor. ``It's a desk job,'' Haines said. ``He was sitting at his desk.'' Wiersma said officials are trying to arrange an autopsy. And in North Carolina, officials have launched a similarly complex investigation of places Stevens visited. So far, they have discovered no signs of anthrax. Late this week, investigators in Florida were able to individually rule out suspected additional cases ``on the order of hours,'' with assistance from a high-tech lab technique -- called PCR technology -- that they are using at a state-run medical lab in Miami-Dade, Wiersma said. Researchers insert a genetic probe into either a blood sample, cerebral fluid or material collected from the lungs to search of evidence of anthrax DNA. Wiersma said investigators have not ruled out that Stevens could have been a victim of terrorism. Other experts say the complicated case leaves plenty of room for that possibility. Dr. Frederick Southwick, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Florida's College of Medicine, on Friday dismissed suggestions that Stevens might have contracted the disease while working in his garden. POSSIBLE TERRORISM Southwick said it would have been impossible for anyone to inhale anthrax spores through soil. Rather, he speculated, the spores must have been airborne by design. ``I honestly think that somebody released some anthrax,'' Southwick said. ``The fact that it's in the area near where the terrorists were living, and that it's the first case since 1974 -- that is too much.'' Southwick said it was also possible that Stevens could have forced anthrax spores airborne if he had handled an infected animal or animal product. Herald staff writers Lila Arzua, Jennifer Babson, Lesley Clark, Daniel de Vise, Manny Garcia, David Green, David Kidwell, Sara Olkon and Peter Wallsten, and Herald researcher Elisabeth Donovan contributed to this report.

(Marcia) Letter from God: "I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a 'doer' anyway..." I never doubted it for a minute! LOL "I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and I've never EVER had a conversation with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart!" I would love to send this to Falwell and the others. Thanks for this Marcia!

Thanks Moon for the article. I could not find one and your is great. Suzee, I loved that Letter from God. I can think of a lot of people who need to read it! Happy news for me since I use this airport in about 2 weeks to attend my son's wedding: Honolulu Airport is one of the best-protected airports in the country during this time of heightened national security, said the airport's federal security manager. Allen Agor, who reports to the Federal Aviation Administration's assistant administrator for security, said new high-tech explosive detection machines, six canine detection teams, increased security measures and a "battalion strength" of military, federal, state and civilian law enforcement officers provide a highly visible armed deterrent to criminal acts against civilian aviation. "It's safer to fly now," Agor told legislators reviewing Hawaii's terrorism readiness yesterday. "(Security) is a notch above what it was on Sept. 11." Agor added that plans for federal control of security at state airports will likely take place in the next six months. State and federal officials say Hawaii continues to prepare for possible acts of terrorism, although it can never know what, if anything, may be a target. Edward Correa Jr., adjutant general of the state Department of Defense, said assessment teams reviewed critical state and county buildings yesterday, as well as other infrastructure, to see how they could be protected. Key to all this readiness, Correa said, has been the close communication and coordination developed among all agencies over the past 18 months. Along with state airports, security at Hawaii's waterways has improved, state harbors manager Barry Kim said. Honolulu Harbor has been closed to recreational vessels while the Coast Guard patrols waters near the airport reef runway. Also closed is the Aloha Tower observation deck. And all state harbors have been closed indefinitely to pole fishing, Kim said. State Public Safety Director Ted Sakai said he is reassessing manpower needs at the state courts, prisons, state buildings including the state Capitol, and state airports. The department's budgets are being reviewed with an emphasis on health, safety and security. http://starbulletin.com/2001/10/06/news/

Lucie sent this and I consider it important enough for all to read! Even if I may have posted this before, read it again. I need to do so! A message from the pilot! Worth reading if you are going to be flying anytime soon. The following is from a letter by a professional friend and her return flight to D.C. this week. "I just wanted to drop you all a note and let you know that I arrived safe and sound into Dulles Airport tonight [9/15] at about 6:00. It was an interesting flight. The airport in Denver was almost spooky, it was so empty and quiet. No one was in line for the security check point when I got there so that went fairly quickly, just x-ray of my bags and then a chemical test to be sure nothing explosive was on them. Then I waited 2 1/2 hours to board the plane. What happened after we boarded was interesting and thought I would share it with you. The pilot/captain came on the loudspeaker after the doors were closed. His speech went like this: "First I want to thank you for being brave enough to fly today. The doors are now closed and we have no help from the outside for any problems that might occur inside this plane. As you could tell when you checked in, the government has made some changes to increase security in the airports. "They have not, however, made any rules about what happens after those doors close. Until they do that, we have made our own rules and I want to share them with you. Once those doors close, we only have each other. "The security has taken care of a threat like guns with all of the increased scanning, etc. Then we have the supposed bomb. If you have a bomb, there is no need to tell me about it, or anyone else on this plane; you are already in control. So, for this flight, there are no bombs that exist on this plane. "Now, the threats that are left are things like plastics, wood, knives, and other weapons that can be made or things like that which can be used as weapons. "Here is our plan and our rules. If someone or several people stand up and say they are hijacking this plane, I want you all to stand up together. Then take whatever you have available to you and throw it at them. Throw it at their faces and heads so they will have to raise their hands to protect themselves. "The very best protection you have against knives are the pillows and blankets. Whoever is close to these people should then try to get a blanket over their head--then they won't be able to see. Once that is done, get them down and keep them there. Do not let them up. I will then land the plane at the closest place and we WILL take care of them. "After all, there are usually only a few of them and we are 200+ strong! We will not allow them to take over this plane. "I find it interesting that the US Constitution begins with the words 'We, the people'--that's who we are, THE people and we will not be defeated." With that, the passengers on the plane all began to applaud, people had tears in their eyes, and we began the trip toward the runway. The flight attendant then began the safety speech. One of the things she said is that we are all so busy and live our lives at such a fast pace. She asked that everyone turn to their neighbors on either side and introduce themselves, tell each other something about your families and children, show pictures, whatever. She said "For today, we consider you family. We will treat you as such and ask that you do the same with us." Throughout the flight we learned that for the crew, this was their first flight since Tuesday's tragedies. It was a day that everyone leaned on each other and together everyone was stronger than any one person alone. It was quite an experience. You can imagine the feeling when that plane touched down at Dulles and we heard "welcome to Washington Dulles Airport, where the local time is 5:40." Again, the cabin was filled with applause. Last night I saw a program with college students where one of them said that at their campus there are no more hyphenated titles, i.e., African-American, etc., everyone is just an American. No one will ever be able to take that pride away from us.

Liz K) Whenever it was that they were in Boston about to try to get some suspects, the media caught on, and practically gave them a head start to get out of there before the FBI could get to them... The postscript to this incident: The day after the bombing, three Saudis in their early twenties traveled to Boston to visit their father, who was being treated at a hospital there. Their bill at the Westin Hotel was being paid by the fiancee of one of them -- a man whose name is similar to that of Mohamed Atta, one of the hijackers. After a hotel clerk tipped the FBI, agents swarmed the hotel. An agent saw one of the women outside her room and pointed a gun at her, according to the family's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro. She tried to run away but he grabbed her and hit her across the mouth, he said. The three were released after five hours, and the Saudi Embassy called it a "humiliation." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37533-2001Sep27.html and: .......on Wednesday, a young Saudi woman in traditional garb, her face veiled, stepped out of her room at the Westin Copley Place Hotel, which had become a second home for her family during numerous trips to Boston to accompany their ailing father for medical treatment here. The plan was to meet her sister-in-law and brother-in-law at the elevator bank. She would barely get past her hotel room door. As she stooped to pick up a newspaper, a man in plain-clothes pointed a handgun at her as he grabbed her, dragged her down the hallway, and handcuffed her, barking demands that she silence her screams, according to her lawyer, Jonathan Shapiro. Thus began a five-hour ordeal for the woman and her family, in which, Shapiro alleges, she suffered a 6-inch scratch across her face, her sister-in-law was kicked in the head, and the whole family was detained for hours by authorities -including the FBI, Boston police, and Immigration and Naturalization Service officials - without the right to an attorney. Boston police referred all questions about the incident to the FBI, which declined comment. The family members, who asked that their names be withheld for fear of their safety, are well-connected Saudis with business interests in the region. Shapiro, a local criminal defense attorney, said he suspects they were targeted by law enforcement officials last week because the woman's fiance shares a name nearly identical to Mohamed Atta, one of the suspected hijackers in Tuesday's attack. The fiance had visited the family at the hotel but had left before the Wednesday incident. The interrogation, which followed a stake-out of the hotel and a raid by a Boston police SWAT team, FBI, and State Police detectives, took place in a climate of fear and anger the day after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Law enforcement sources later confirmed that there was no connection between the family and the hijackings, saying that it was a case of mistaken identity. The family yesterday permitted their attorney to speak on their behalf in the hope, Shapiro said, of highlighting the danger of indiscriminate targeting of Arabs. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/259/nation/Saudi_family_accuses_agents_of_abuse_in_case_of_mistaken_identity+.shtml

"Fatima", in the Afghani resistance group called RAWA, a women's-rights organization in which any member pretty much faces an automatic death sentence, was asked about the Northern Alliance by Salon: "Do you support the Northern Alliance?" "We condemn the cooperation of the United States with the Northern Alliance. This is another nightmare for our people -- the Northern Alliance are the second Taliban. "The Northern Alliance are hypocrites: They say they are for democracy and human rights, but we can't forget the black experience we had with them. Seventy-year-old grandmothers were raped during their rule, thousands of girls were raped, thousands were killed and tortured. They are the first government that started this tragedy in Afghanistan." http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2001/10/02/fatima/print.html I'm adding Salon to my list of news sources at http://www.spring.net/news They've been fearless in their coverage.

I see where attackes on Afghanistan have begun. It's been a non - news day for me so far. But I'll do a scan of the usual sources soon and turn on the tv, see what's been doing on.

Non-news??? I've been glued since 7AM Hawaiian time when we were looking for pre-game football. Afghanistan women tear my heart. NO one should be so treated. Thanks for the link! Sometimes you have to make deals with the Devil to catch a greater EVIL...!

I will remain calm. From The Miami Herald: Published Monday, October 8, 2001 Second case of anthrax found at South Florida tabloid BY MANNY GARCIA and LARRY LEBOWITZ The Boca Raton offices of American Media Inc. were shuttered Monday after a second employee showed signs of the rare anthrax bacteria that killed a 63-year-old photo editor for the Sun supermarket tabloid last week. The second employee, a 73-year-old man initially hospitalized for pneumonia, has not been determined to have anthrax, although a nasal swab showed signs he had been exposed to it, a state health official said. FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said the man, whose name has not been released, is in stable condition at an undisclosed South Florida hospital and is expected to survive. More than 300 employees of the National Enquirer, the Star, the Globe, the Sun and the Weekly World News who work for AMI are being asked to go to the health department offices in Delray Beach for antibiotics and further testing. On Monday, Florida Health Secretary John Agwunobi urged any employees or visitors ``who have spent more than an hour'' in the AMI building, 5401 NW Broken Sound Blvd., since Aug. 1, to go to the Delray Beach Health center. The health department has also set up a hotline, 1-800-342-3557, for anyone employed in the building or who has visited the building since Aug. 1. Agwunobi said a sample in the building tested positive for anthrax ``within the work area frequented by the first case.'' He said he believed the sample was from the computer keyboard of Bob Stevens, a Sun photo editor who died Friday of inhaled anthrax. FBI and health department officials said the second case was confirmed late Sunday night after nose swabs on a co-worker of Stevens showed signs of the bacteria that causes pulmonary anthrax. Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Health Department, said the man did not have a ``full blown'' case of anthrax, but the nasal swabs showed signs of the same bacterial spore that led to the fatal case of inhalation anthrax that killed Stevens and led to widespread fears -- so far unconfirmed -- of a bioterrorist attack. An environmental test inside the American Media building in Boca Raton also confirmed the presence of the bacteria, O'Connor said. Agwunobi said the person was found to have anthrax ``within his nasal cavities.'' He has not shown any symptoms of clinical anthrax, Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan said. State health officials received a ``preliminary positive indication'' of anthrax Sunday afternoon and confirmation ``was obtained late in the evening,'' Agwunobi said. ``The building has been secured for the purpose of further environmental public health testing and we have begun to contact employees,'' he said. ``Our intent is to have the employees come to a centralized site in the Palm Beach County area so we can test them, so we can provide them with education, and so that we can provide them with prophylactic antibiotics.'' Brogan said the FBI is ``in control'' of the investigation, and that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is working with the bureau. American Media is attempting to re-create visitor logs dating back to Aug. 1 as well as a complete list of former employees who may have been inside the building, in an office park near Glades Road, west of Interstate 95, as recently as Aug. 1. The company started notifying employees Sunday evening that they were not supposed to show up for work in Boca Raton. Many were initialy instructed to work at the offices of a sister publication, the Spanish language supermarket tabloid Mira! in downtown Miami. A growing team of investigators from the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, working with the FBI and the state and local health departments, are continuing to re-create Stevens' personal and work habits and travels in hopes of identifying the source of the infection. At least five units from the Boca Raton police department started to block off parking lots, and shutter buildings of America Media Inc. Delivery people and FedEx trucks that usually do business in the building were turned back throughout the morning. Police and security personnel from American Media refused to say whether the health department had returned since finding out swabs taken from offices of the tabloid were positive for anthrax. Directly across the street, in a Broken Sound Boulevard office park, Peter Amodeo paced back and forth smoking a cigarette. He works for Paz Building Management, which runs an office across from American Media. ``Some people in our building are really freaking out. This is very scary. It's not like they raise chickens or anything in that building across the street,'' said Amodeo. ``And that building makes a lot of enemies because of the things they put in the paper. They have bomb scares all the time. They're always standing in our parking lot because the building is being searched. I think we're all just a little bit anxious today.'' Amodeo said that, as far as he knew, his company had not received any information about what was going on across the street, or whether employees in his building should be concerned. ``But they're worried anyway, because a lot of those people who work across the street park in our parking lots every day,'' he said. ``It doesn't matter if you can't catch it from another person. Nobody is thinking logically."

There goes Florida's tourism :-((

Moon, please wash your hands a lot! No rubbing your nose or eyes when out in public (yes, I know you know better!). Appatently this got transmitted to the second man with a contiminated computer keyboard. At least that is what we are hearing way out here 6 hours behind Florida! Hugs, Moon! We need you to be well and safe! And everyone else, too!

Speaking of tourism, Hawaii's has become nil since it requires long distance flying to get here and not commercial craft are being allowed in port other than the usual ones - and they get a complete inspection before being allowed in. There are advantages and disadvantages living out here so remotely. My island has NO strategic importance and little population. However, we have become self-sufficient by necessity!

Hugs, Moon! We need you to be well and safe! And everyone else, too! Thanks, Marcia! It appears some people in the Miami area have been sent envelopes containing a white powder. One man threw it out and it caused sparks and he suffered a burning sensation in his hand. Had to call paramedics and his family were all checked into the hospital.

Speaking (further) of tourism... My departure date to go to Indonesia (Bali) has been set back indefinitely. I was set to leave this month, to begin my dissertation research. A number of other scholars have been flown back to the US, as there have been numerous threats of "sweeping" tourist hotels for American and UK citizens. Ah well...

Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world. Be safe, Winter, Dear. Hilo is nice this time of year...! =)

Marcia Indonesia is the largest Islamic country in the world Yes, although my research is in Bali, which is over 95% Hindu. BUT it also happens to be host to the densest population of Western tourists in the whole nation, so there's the possibility of the island still being targets of anti-US "sweeps." Thanks, MArcia. I will be safe, by waiting this out a few more weeks.

Suzee, I didn't know the rest of the story. Thanks for sharing that...how awful for them! I think the point I was trying to make is still there, however- a lot of people will be questioned and interogated, both innocent and guilty. I'm not saying that violent treatment by authorities is ok by any means. But I don't think that the media should be following every single little detail of the hunt. "yellow journalism" of sorts is not what we need right now, and I'm frankly scared that the media/the entertainment industry is going to give some would-be terrorist ideas as to what to do next, or let them know and give them warning that we're coming to get them in the next few minutes. Sorry, Terry...I know that belongs in another topic.

Statement by USGS Director Chip Groat on World Disaster Reduction Day Today, October 10, is World Disaster Reduction Day--a term that in the past has applied largely to natural disasters. But this year, in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States, it has taken on a new meaning. Unnatural disasters, those caused by hatred and intolerance, may seem an even more daunting challenge to our society than the earthquakes and floods we have faced before. However, the lessons we have learned from a century of battling natural hazards can help us in this new fight. Over the past 100 years, we've gotten much better at saving lives. In 1900, a hurricane hit Galveston, Texas, without warning, taking at least 6,000 lives and perhaps twice that many. In 1902, an incandescent cloud of volcanic gas and ash swept down the flanks of Mont Pelee, in Martinique, wiping out a city of 30,000 people. In 1906, a great earthquake struck San Francisco, taking hundreds to perhaps thousands of lives. From those disasters, we learned, and those lessons have saved lives throughout the 20th century. Terrorism has become another of the hazards we face, and we can use many of our approaches to dealing with natural hazards as we begin to deal with this unnatural hazard--approaches such as monitoring the warning signals, understanding the problem, sharing information, educating the public to take steps that protect themselves and their loved ones. It will take a long-term commitment from all sectors of our society, but we have made progress against the threat of natural disasters with these tools and we can use them to reduce the threat of terrorism as well. Many of the steps we have taken to mitigate one natural disaster have provided unexpected benefits for others--building codes that protect from ground shaking also strengthen buildings against strong winds and landslides. In the same way, actions to reduce risks and losses from natural disasters-- such as improved communication structures, better notification systems, strengthened infrastructures--can help protect us against attack, and actions to reduce vulnerability to terrorism can help in the fight against natural disasters. USGS capabilities have already been critically important as we respond to the disaster and prepare our Nation for the future. The USGS geospatial data set is the Nation's only national coverage of our infrastructure--our dams, bridges, highways, airports, and urban areas. These maps and images have contributed significantly to the efforts to understand the scope and focus resources as needed for recovery. Looking to the future, ongoing work on real-time water quality may prove invaluable in monitoring public water supplies to ensure our water is safe to drink. The geophysical techniques used to monitor earthquakes may be useful in response and recovery. These are only a few of the possibilities that can be envisioned. We need to bring the full impact of science and technology to bear on the hazards we face, whether terror in the skies or tremors in the Earth. The USGS stands ready to play our part in the struggle to ensure a safe and secure future for our children and our world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kathleen K. Gohn U.S. Geological Survey Public Affairs Specialist Office of Communications 703-648-4242 phone 119 National Center 703-648-4466 fax Reston, VA 20192 kgohn@usgs.gov

I happen to agree with Rush on this totally! Liberals among us, I read your posts. Afford me the same respect! From Rush's Page: On Monday, I received a note from the editrix of The Limbaugh Letter, Diana Schneider. I had not been watching PMSNBC this morning. I'd been flipping around to some other channels. Diana wrote the following: "Rush, it seems that the peaceniks may have their atrocity that you advised them to wait for. All morning on PMSNBC there was nothing but moaning and wailing about four United Nations workers who reportedly were killed yesterday. These four were the only hope that poor, starving Afghan people had, we're being told. It's been wall-to-wall television grief. A U.N. spokesbabe came out and gave a snide lecture to the allied forces that combatants should be more careful to distinguish between soldiers and innocent civilians." Now, three or four people removing land mines during a war? Is that not what they were doing? This is the residue of the Princess Di legacy, here. These people didn't know enough to get out of the way. They're out in the middle of a war removing land mines, for crying out loud! This is not what I call intelligence! They're removing land mines in the middle of a war, and unfortunately, they go up and give 'em some orange vests! They pretend they're quarterbacks at a National Football League in practice or whatever, where they'd get red vests, so we won't target them. You know, there are some people - I'm not one of them, I want to stress this - who will say that the United Nations would not be above placing these people in this situation for this express purpose, just to cause this. I'm not one of them, but I think that you probably know that there are people who are, or who could hold that opinion. I've received another note from a friend who has an interesting perspective on these peaceniks, the U.N.-types who really think you can win wars with good vibes - the types who think a few U.N. workers dying is a tragedy, but that six thousand Americans dying isn't. Folks, the timing of the peaceniks couldn't be better for demonstrating exactly who and what they are. What they first and foremost are is anti- American. We hadn't even done anything yet, and they were demonstrating. They switched that one anti-WTO protest in Washington D.C. on a dime to being an anti-war protest, because what they are primarily is anti-American and anti-America's policies. If these people were to be patient, and wait for things they can call atrocities - like if we happen to bomb a building Mullah Omar calls a baby milk plant, or whatever - they might get some sympathy. You know what, I wonder if in Afghanistan they have abortion caves instead of hospitals. "Rush, you're flirting dangerously here. You're risking offending people." Well, I'm just wondering. If we happen to hit a Mullah Omar cave or something or whatever, there'd be sympathy. I mean, they're trying to gin up an excuse to say we killed civilians - which they'll say no matter what. It's just not working. There was a conflicting story Monday that Mullah Omar, through a spokesman, told the world that 20 civilians had been killed in the first wave. Suddenly, they care about civilian casualties, now that we're bombing their strongholds around the clock. Day, night, clouds, sun, snow, pollution, clear as a bell - it doesn't matter. We're just hitting round the clock. There is no break from it. So they put out this news that 20 civilians were dead. Well, they got their signals crossed because they went to the hospital and the hospital said, "Nope, nobody here." They had no reports of casualties in the hospitals or anywhere else! They're putting out false information, which is no surprise to us, but just bewilders the media and liberals. The point is that the protesters in this country, the peaceniks, ought to be waiting for us to do something bad before protesting. Instead, the minute we move to defend ourselves, the minute we take a defensive procedure, they go into action. They were in action as soon as we lost those five or six thousand people, as a matter of fact - and there's only one conclusion: they hate America, and they're so blinded by that hate, they aren't even aware of it.

Yeah, Marcia! I watch Italian TV via satellite and am disgusted by the thousands of protesters out with the red communist flag. They are nothing but trouble makers with no original thoughts of their own.

~~~~(Liz K)I'm frankly scared that the media/the entertainment industry is going to give some would-be terrorist ideas as to what to do next, or let them know and give them warning that we're coming to get them in the next few minutes.~~~~ I didn't intend to disagree with your point - I don't want any leaks to create problems for the police, armed forces, etc., either as they capture (hopefully) these crazies. I do want them to exercise some caution. The incident in Boston happened the day after the attack on the WTC in a charged atmosphere. But I'm not as trusting of the government as some (maybe I've been on the receiving end of "non-truths" from too many different administrations). I like the idea of all the checks and balances and I want to know *everything* as soon as it is safe. I would prefer that neither the government nor the press nor the police (FBI, etc.) have free reign to do amything without being accountable. I like Walter Cronkite's idea about press coverage below (and I'm sorry, too, if this should be posted in the other topic-it's kind of a mixed bag). Cronkite, 84, believes the current generation of network anchors has been "first-rate" in their coverage ....With the potential of the United States waging war in Afghanistan and elsewhere, Cronkite cautions journalists not to become overly manipulated by the military. "We can't let what happened in the Gulf War happen again, when the Pentagon wouldn't allow cameras to cover the war on the ground," he says. "That doesn't mean you simply broadcast live from the battlefield so the enemy a mile away knows what American troops are doing. You work with the military about what information gets released when. We did that during World War II, and it worked just fine. The public has a right to know what really goes on." http://www.tvguide.com/magazine/robins/011008.asp An odd, but interesting story about the involvement of the entertainment industry (giving the government ideas!!): U.S. Army turns to Hollywood for theories By Guylaine Cadorette, Hollywood.com Staff HOLLYWOOD, October 9, 2001 -- Government intelligence specialists have been secretly appealing to Hollywood filmmakers and writers for terrorist scenarios, Variety reports. The U.S. Army ordered a special committee to gather at the University of Southern California last week to brainstorm possible terrorist targets and schemes in the U.S. and to offer possible solutions to those threats. The ad hoc committee was formed in August 1999 after the Army awarded a five-year contract to USC to create the Institute for Creative Technologies. The ISC was to enlist the entertainment industry, video game makers and computer scientists to improve virtual reality and simulation training for soldiers. Screenwriters Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard), Paul De Meo and Danny Bilson (The Rocketeer) are involved in the committee, as are directors David Fincher (Fight Club), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), Randal Kleiser (Grease) and Mary Lambert (The In Crowd). One USC insider told Variety the group was focused on short-term threats against the country and had already met twice via telephone conference with the Pentagon. James Korris, ITC creative director, confirmed that meetings with the Army were taking place but did not elaborate on any specific committee recommendations. http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/article/1093259

Walter Cronkite:The public has a right to know what really goes on." While I agree with him, IMO the journalists today are not in the same category as the ones in WW II. They seem to be more agressive & self-serving. And in some ways disdainful of the administration and the armed forces.They never got over Viet- Nam. Not many Ernie Pyles around.

Yup, Evelyn. You are sadly correct. It is all show business now, and ratings! Be safe, My Dear! *HUGS* Tornadoes!!! NO playing Helen Hunt, please! We love you!

It's been one month now. The changes wrought to our society and way of life have been enormous. But life will go on. India helped FBI trace ISI-terrorist links MANOJ JOSHI TIMES NEWS NETWORK NEW DELHI: While the Pakistani Inter Services Public Relations claimed that former ISI director-general Lt-Gen Mahmud Ahmad sought retirement after being superseded on Monday, the truth is more shocking. Top sources confirmed here on Tuesday, that the general lost his job because of the "evidence" India produced to show his links to one of the suicide bombers that wrecked the World Trade Centre. The US authorities sought his removal after confirming the fact that $100,000 were wired to WTC hijacker Mohammed Atta from Pakistan by Ahmad Umar Sheikh at the instance of Gen Mahumd. Senior government sources have confirmed that India contributed significantly to establishing the link between the money transfer and the role played by the dismissed ISI chief. While they did not provide details, they said that Indian inputs, including Sheikh�s mobile phone number, helped the FBI in tracing and establishing the link. A direct link between the ISI and the WTC attack could have enormous repercussions. The US cannot but suspect whether or not there were other senior Pakistani Army commanders who were in the know of things. Evidence of a larger conspiracy could shake US confidence in Pakistan�s ability to participate in the anti-terrorism coalition. " continued at http://www.timesofindia.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=1454238160 and why and how osama escaped our 75 missiles: " �98 attack: Tip off to Osama cooked ISI chief�s goose

More recent comments on the terrorism issue from Woods today, courtesy Amy Reiter's Salon.com gossip column: ---------------- "I won't get on an airplane unless it's an absolute necessity," Woods tells the Calgary Sun. And that's just one of the ways the creepy actor has seen fit to adjust his life in light of the recent terrorist attacks. "I won't go into a stadium, and I won't attend a big public event," he says. He's also refusing to travel to New York for the premiere of his new movie, "Riding in Cars With Boys," despite a specific request from Mayor Giuliani. "I think too few people have grasped the reality we're totally and irrevocably at war," Woods opines. And though he refuses to comment even now about the four Middle Eastern-looking men he told the FBI he encountered a few months back, he will say this. "I've spent a great deal of time lately talking to the FBI and have learned some startling things. I'm convinced, as they are, that there will be more horrific acts of terrorism."

I was absolutely delightedly stunned to see the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India cooperating and greeting one another on the news last night. War breeds strange alliances. Perhaps there might be some good out of the ashes of this very frightening time. On Art Bell's show last night they were longing for the good old days of the checks and balances of the Cold War era. Who could have imagined!

The White House and the media have agreed not to turn Bin Laden's video releases in to tv wallpaper, playing them round the clock in their entirety. The idea, as I get it, is that these tapes may contain coded instructions to sleepers waiting to wreak destruction. Makes sense. An example is the statement that doesn't make sense about the "80 years" as the period of oppression. I mean, nothing really happened in 1921 that relates to this, or does it? The lead story now is that there may be additional terrorist attacks over the next several days, according to the FBI. The President is going to speak in about 15 seconds.

Finally sanity. It got so nauseating to see him speak on tv that I shut it off. as for 1921: Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1921 Also called " Treaty of Kabul" because it was negotiated and signed at Kabul by Henry R. C. Dobbs, the British envoy, and Mahmud Tarzi, chief of the Afghan delegation, after arduous, eleven month negotiations. The treaty restored "friendly and commercial relations" between the two governments after the third Anglo-Afghan War and negotiations at the Mussoorie Conference and Rawalpindi. The negotiations proceeded in four phases: During the first session, January 20 to April 9, 1921, the Afghan Amir unsuccessfully demanded territorial concessions, while Britain wanted the exclusion of Russian consular offices from southeastern Afghanistan. In the second phase, from April 9 to mid-July, 1921, Britain asked Afghanistan to break the newly established diplomatic with Russia in exchange for a subsidy of 4 million rupee and weapons, as well as guarantees from unprovoked Russian aggression. When in the third stage, from mid-July to September 18, the British foreign office informed the Italian government that it was about to conclude an agreement which would, "admit the superior and predominant political influence of Britain" in Afghanistan, the Afghans refused to accept an "alliances." An exclusive treaty was impossible after Afghanistan announced ratification of the Russian-Afghan treaty of 1921. In the fourth and final stage of negotiations, from September 18 to December 8, 1921, the British mission twice made preparations to return to India, when finally an agreement was signed at Kabul on November 22, 1921. Ratifications were exchanged on February 6 of 1922. In the treaty both government "mutually certify and respect each with regard to the other all rights of internal and external independence." Afghanistan reaffirmed its acceptance of the boundary west of the Khaibar, subject to minor "re-alignment." Legations were to be opened in London and Kabul, consulates established in various Indian and Afghan towns, and Afghanistan was permitted to import arms and munitions through India. No customs duties were to be charged for goods in transit to Afghanistan and each party agreed to inform the other of major military operations in the frontier belt. Representatives of both states were to meet in the near future to discuss conclusion of a trade convention, which was signed in June 1923. more... http://www.afghan-network.net/Culture/treaties.html

Bush gave one of his best tv appearances tonight. He was eloquent, this whole crisis has moved him to a level many didn't feel he was capable of acheiving. He asked every child in America to send a dollar to a child in Afghanistan.

Hi all Marcia, a cartoon wizard by the name Garrick Tremain lives in New Zealand. I will send you a copy of the October 12, 2001 cartoon in the Press. ITS BRILLIANT!!!!! If you can wait a few days more, you will also get some photos from me of my house and it's residents. I have some ready to go, but have not yet dispatched them. Rob

Perhaps there might be some good out of the ashes of this very frightening time. True unification for peace. It is a dream, let's hope it becomes a reality. As for 1921 could be 1+9=10 the month October and 21 the date. It could be a date to watch for.

Moon!! That is My Son's Wedding day!!! Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network update One month into its disaster relief support operation in New York City, Salvation Army Team Emergency Response Network (SATERN) volunteers are holding up well. SATERN Amateur Radio Liaison Officer Jeff Schneller, N2HPO, says his current team is doing a fantastic job, and the operation could run for several more weeks. SATERN is now ''making do'' with at least six Amateur Radio volunteers per day, from about 9 AM until 11 PM, primarily to support the Salvation Army World Trade Center canteen operation. Operators have come from all over, including New Hampshire, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida and Missouri, and Schneller said he even had offers of help from England and Canada. Two local groups--the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society (BEARS) and the Electchester VHF Club have been providing exclusive use of their repeaters since Day One. Schneller, who's in the fire alarm and sprinkler business, also has been involved from the start, and--with the understanding and support of his customers--has been logging some long hours. He said most of the volunteers' employers have been supportive as well. Carlos Varon, K2LCV, has been Schneller's backup and is in charge of scheduling volunteers. SATERN radio volunteers have been handling base station duties at Salvation Army Headquarters on 14th Street in Manhattan as well as providing communication at key field sites, aboard supply trucks and at the distribution warehouse. Schneller thanked the dozens of Amateur Radio operators who have turned out to assist. He also said he appreciated the many other offers to help. SATERN now is limiting its fresh volunteers to those available from the Greater New York City area. Schneller strongly advised all Amateur Radio operators to prepare for the future by first getting acquainted with and joining their local ARES or SATERN teams, then by taking the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course. More information about SATERN is available on the SATERN Web site, http://www.satern.org . Information on the ARRL's emergency communications course is available on the ARRL Web site, http://www.arrl.org/cce/ .

In SLATE someone did a back calculation from Osama bin Laden's citation of "80 years" of Islamic suffering. Using the Islamic religious calendar, not the solar or secular 365-day calendar, 9-11-01 turned out to be the exact 80 year anniversary of the ending of the Caliphate by Ataturk. Which makes the most sense of anything.

yup!!! Just please not the 21st of October...! I wonder if the antibiotics I am taking now will protect me from anthrax future? Probably not...

11 Sept. 2001 = 23 Jumada Al-Thani 1422 23 Jumada Al-Thani 1342 = 29 January 1924 The Caliphate was abolished on 3 March 1924. http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupk/history.htm

Hi all Marcia: yup!!! Just please not the 21st of October...! Rob: And I suppose it is not an option to shift the wedding to a certain spot in Hilo or even better, to a certain city on the east coast of the South Island?? Get a hint?? Rob

Why?? There are some advantages to being in a little country like New Zealand. Save perhaps for Fiji, and maybe Australia we are too small to annoy the hell out anyone enough that they would decide to attack the country. Last country we annoyed was France, and they sent two government agents to blow up the Rainbow Warrior (flagship of Greenpeace), in Waitemata Harbour, Auckland. Some Kiwis have never forgiven the French for that and some probably never will. Rob

Well, it looks like no one is gonna pull any atrocities in China: This from AP: CHINA BLOCKS MIDDLE EAST TICKET HOLDERS "Beijing authorities have instructed Chinese airlines in HK to halt tickets sales to nationals of 19 countries , mainly in the Middle East. China National Aviation Corp , the sole agent of 10 mainland airlines in HK, told travel agents to stop selling tickets to China to holders of certain passports and to refund purchased tickets...for "safety reasons". The memo added tht there would not be a "total ban" ..wording that may have been meant to allow room for diplomats or dignitaries to travel."

Evelyn.....thanks for posting that. I had no idea...!!! Rob, it has been suggested that we claim independence from the US as overthrown Hawaiian nationhood and all that. Rather nasty suggestion, actually. There is not much difference in the poor classes and women status of old Hawaii and old Afghanistan when you get down to the ugly truth. In any case, Mme Pele would love to bless their wedding and I am certain would the loveliness of Christchurch. What a wonderful excuse to go way-down-under!

Another thought on China and forbidding sales of tickets to the Mideast. Our terrorists came in from Canada, from other outside the US places. They took flying lessons and got credentials. For all I know, the pilot of the plane taking me to my son's wedding is a licensed professional pilot bent on sending me to eternal damnation and he to the 20 virgins waiting for him. China is so vast it would be easy to get there illegally!!!

Oh no Marcia, please have faith that you will arrive safely to your son's wedding. The US/Canadian border is so long, is there anyway that it can possibly be effectively controlled? I think that I'd read something some time ago about the Chinese government being very wary of the possiblity of Islamic fundamentalist groups within China. There are provinces in western China were the population is largely not ethnically Chinese and Muslim. This, of course, doesn't mean that all of the Islamic citizens of China want to create their own Islamic republics. I haven't come across the topic since.

Cheryl!!! *HUGS* welcome back! I cannot imagine patrolling China's borders if we cannot control the distances involved on our Canadian border. Unhappily, I think we are just restricting law-abiding citizens. The truly evil will find way to accomplish their nefarous ends. Just like gun laws. Thanks for the good thoughts on my son's wedding. My phamacist, yesterday, said she has very good vibes that all would be well. I'm hanging onto that thought!

Going after the big fish (financial): http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/13/international/13ASSE.html

Now, in the "if this turns out to be true" department: XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SAT OCT 13, 2001 15:29:42 ET XXXXX MAG: U.S. FAILED TO KILL TALIBAN LEADER WHEN HE WAS IN SIGHT DURING FIRST NIGHT OF WAR; RUMSFELD FURIOUS The U.S. military failed to kill Taliban leader Mullah Omar when he was in its sights during the first night of the war, the NEW YORKER is planning to report on Monday. According to publishing sources, Seymour Hersh has filed a story quoting top intelligence-community members claiming to be 'crestfallen' about the incident. MORE Reaction in Washington to the failure to strike immediately was fierce, Hersh reports. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was "kicking a lot of glass and breaking doors," one military official said. An unmanned Predator reconnaissance aircraft operating in the Kabul area identified a convoy carrying Mullah Omar as he fled the capital. The Predator is armed with two anti-tank missiles, but under the rules of engagement in effect Sunday night the C.I.A. could not order such a strike. Although the precise sequence of events could not be fully learned, Hersh reports, General Tommy R. Franks, the commander in charge at the United States Central Command in Florida reported that 'Judge Advocate General, a legal officer', doesn't like this, so we're not going to fire.' It was decided to target a few cars in front of the building to perhaps scare Mullah Omar out of the building to take a look. Omar did leave the building, but not immediately. Soon after he left, Hersh reports, the building was targeted and destroyed by F-18s, too late to kill Omar. "

"According to the intelligence report, the U.S. tipped off Israel last week that bin Laden's al Qaeda cells and networks in Lebanon were complete and ready to launch strikes in Israel. They operate under the command of Imad Mughniyeh, terrorism and intelligence consultant to Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the report. As former head of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah's security apparatus in the 1980s, Mughniyeh was responsible for the 1993 bombing of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut and the blasting of Israeli locations in Argentina." http://www.freeman.org/m_online/may01/debka.htm "Following the kidnapping last October of the four men P three soldiers on the Lebanese border and Tannenbaum outside the country -J DEBKAfile revealed for the first time that the notorious Lebanese hostage-taker Imad Mughniyeh was behind the snatch P not the Hizballah. This now ties in with another surprising development, recently pieced together by US intelligence in the course of its investigation of the terrorist-bombing of the US Cole in Aden harbor in the same month as the kidnappings: Iranian spiritual ruler Ayatollah KhameneiUs personal security service, which is headed by Mughniyeh, has struck a deal with Bin LadenUs al Qaeda for an operational partnership against US Gulf and Middle East targets as well as Israeli and Jewish interests worldwide." http://www.debka.com/TERRORISM/body_terrorism.html

CHINA BLOCKS MIDDLE EAST TICKET HOLDERS Incredible! But there might be something to it. In Italy there was an anti-war march from Perugia to Assisi there were more than one hundred thousand people. In other cities in Europe there were also anti-war protests. It turns out that Milan is the main European hub for muslim terrorists. Five were arrested today that had planned to bomb the US Embassy in Rome. Which is on Via Veneto. The US better get the ground troups in there and do what they're supposed to do. What is holding them up?

Take a look at David Kline's comments on ground troops in news 54. It strikes at the heart of our survival.

(Moon)In Italy there was an anti-war march from Perugia to Assisi there were more than one hundred thousand people. In other cities in Europe there were also anti-war protests. Yes, I saw some of them interviewed, talking about the need to resolve this through "peaceful negotiations." I'd like to know--what planet do these people come from? Negotiations with whom--with people who do not even value their own lives? Their naivete is appalling.

They are Communists, Mari. Unfortunately, Umbria is a predominantly communist region in Italy. They have no clue. They should just stick to their great wines and mineral waters. I thank God that in Italy we now have a center-right governement after years of abuse from the secular left.

Amen, Moon. Oh, I'm taking the "Story of Yew' on my plane trip upcoming in three days. I understand it is very good and a good diversion for what will be a tense flight. I hope we all wish to get to our destination with lives intact.

I will be thinking of you on Oct. 21st. My very best wishes to you, your son and his bride. :-D

Thanks for your good wishes. I have forwarded them to the Bride and Groom. More at Geo 40 so I don't add too much bliss to a serious topic. Please be careful, Moon, dear! You are not replaceable!!! What a great reason for not opening junk mail!

"Rumseld, fielding reporters' questions at the Pentagon, ridiculed Taliban claims of hundreds of civilian casualties in Afghanistan. The ruling militia escorted American journalists around a crater-pocked area near the village of Karam over the weekend to buttress their claim. But the defense secretary said the targets in that case were underground caves suspected of being used to store weapons. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that a secondary fire touched off by the bomb ``went on for three and a half to four hours.'' Said Rumsfeld: ``They were not cooking cookies inside those tunnels... You do not spend that kind of money and dig that far in and store that many weapons ... unless you have very serious purposes for doing it.'' He said the individuals in the vicinity ``clearly were connected to those activities.'' http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Attacks-Washington.html It was a tv reporters insertion that said Rumsfeld said the amunition may have caused destruction in the small commuity.

The media is running the risk of becoming a great propaganda machine. Someone should pull the plug.

YES, Moon! I will not watch some stations for that very reason. I am back to listening to NPR... Thank you for posting in the 666 position. Hardly demonic, I think!

Thank you for posting in the 666 position. Hardly demonic, I think! LOL! That's alright Marcia, in college my PO Box # was 0069. T'is true!

In college my phone number was extension 1234. When a guy asked for it, and I gave it to him, he often looked at me sideways and asked me to tell him if I was not interested in him. Numbers are curious things. In Hebrew characters, the characters can either be letters or numbers!

From Fox: Terrorists Failed in Their Ultimate Mission Wednesday, October 17, 2001 Glenn Harlan Reynolds Five weeks have passed since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and from what we have learned in that time I think it's fair to pronounce the attacks a near-total failure. True, they caused unprecedented death and devastation. But the attacks were not, really, about death and devastation. They were about terror, which is why those who perpetrated them are called terrorists. The goal, as now seems clear, was to provoke a frightened and inflamed United States to lash out indiscriminately, create a split between the Islamic world and the West and to deliver some existing regimes ? chiefly in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Algeria ? into the hands of Islamic fundamentalists. At the same time, the U.S. would collapse under domestic fear and quickly sue for peace, abandoning Israel and offering a complete withdrawal of its influence from North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia as the price it would pay to prevent similar attacks from happening again. It seems pretty clear that this was the terrorists' plan, and when measured against these objectives, it is also clear that this plan failed. Understanding why the terrorists ultimately failed means understanding the true nature of the United States' core strength. The plot failed in part because of the immediate response by the government to quickly ground flights ? most likely preventing additional hijackings ? and by the passengers of United Airlines flight 93 who bravely overtook the hijackers and probably saved the Capitol and/or the White House from destruction. It failed more fundamentally because the U.S. did not react the way that Usama bin Laden's followers expected. Having apparently watched the Denzel Washington movie The Siege ? a film that depicted mass hysteria incited by Islamic terrorist attacks in New York ? one too many times, bin Laden's men overestimated the likelihood that the U.S. would panic and overreact. They also learned the wrong lesson from previous cases when a few casualties caused the U.S. to withdraw from foreign commitments; hitting Americans on American soil isn't the same thing. But most significantly, the terrorists misjudged the reaction of American women. In the past, American women have been far more reluctant to see the nation go to war than men. But this time, American women seem to be, if anything, more bellicose than the men. Part of this hawkish reaction by American women stems from the attack being on American soil, killing civilians, parents, children, and spouses. But part of it also stems from the fact that these attackers represent a culture that brutally oppresses women. When I remarked to a friend that my Web site was generating more bellicose e-mail on the war from women than from men, he compared their reaction to what could be the expected response of African Americans if the U.S. had gone to war against apartheid South Africa. I think he's onto something. Media targeted at women seem to be bearing this theory out: The most recent issue of the Star tabloid features a special 12-page section on the war emphasizing the role of women in combat from the Gulf War, to women serving today on aircraft carriers. There is a feature on the "defiantly lipstick-wearing" female anti-Taliban guerrillas in Afghanistan and a sidebar on 17-year-old British female sailor Jodie Jones of HMS Illustrious who declares, "I'm ready for action!" A profile of a female three-star general concludes, "as the nation launches an all-out counterattack on Usama bin Laden and his evil henchmen, we couldn't be in better hands." In America and Europe, the emotional and political tone is largely set by middle-class married women. These women ? who never much thought about the Taliban and Islamic regimes ? are thinking about them now, and they don't like them. American and European women are likely to be far more supportive of military action against the misogynist regimes of radical Islamic states than of other kinds of military action. They're also likely, even after the war, to keep pushing for female emancipation throughout the Islamic world. The liberation of Islamic women is the thing, I think, that bin Laden and his ilk fear the most. But as a majority of voters in the world's richest and most powerful countries, American and European women are likely to eventually get what they want. It may take a couple of decades, but a direct consequence of the Sept. 11 atrocities may be the liberation of women throughout the Islamic world. For bin Laden, the Taliban and their supporters and followers, that would be a failure. A colossal failure.

American and European women are likely to be far more supportive of military action against the misogynist regimes of radical Islamic states than of other kinds of military action. Hell hath no fury like women seeking to liberate other women forced to wear ugly fashions. ;-)

YES!!! Karen! Right on. Gazooks what they have conceived for us to wear... we must be roundly hated by the male fasion pundits. arrgh!

Not to mention those spooky garment which hide women of certain faiths. Their men must be very insecure!

A Boston trauma expert arrived in NYC shortly after September 11th. At the conclusion of his visit, he observed "starting around the Thanksgiving holiday and through the New Year, a major mental health crisis will emerge in the city and surrounding area." Indeed, doctors and mental health experts are already observing the psychological fallout from the disaster rippling out from ground zero. Those at highest risk were personally exposed to the events, especially those threatened with injury or death. The second ripple includes those who lost friends, loved ones, or coworkers and those involved in recovery work. For the rest of us who spent days glued to our TV sets as the horror unfolded, even this exposure can trigger disabling symptoms, particularly in those with preexisting problems with anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With these encouraging words: "Most people will recover as long as we maximize the normal recovery process," another expert encouraged everyone experiencing i trusive mental or physical anguish from the attack to seek help. For more information, check out http://www.psych.org and click on "Coping With a National Tragedy." from www.femailhealthnews.com

One of my coworkers suggested we train women in combat and send them in dressed in traditional women's garb with veils and all, they could move in to areas our troops couldn't reach easily and they could pack quite a bit of concealed ammo and weapons under all that clothing.

Hmmmm!!! That sound better than the email making the rounds suggesting every plane take off with a baby pig aboard. If a Muslim is buried with swine ("unclean") they believe they are doomed to Hell. Then, do the suggested air drops of 100,000 swine into Afghanistan... Perhaps there is merit to this after all.

What's up with this? October 20, 2001 THE AMBASSADOR Don't Doubt Steadfastness of Taliban, Envoy Insists By JOHN F. BURNS http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/20/international/asia/20STAN.html?todaysheadlines "He was asked how it was that Mullah Omar had declared a "holy war" against the United States � and had said it was the duty of all Muslims to rally to the Taliban's side � but that not a single government among the 56 Muslim nations had rallied to the Taliban's cause. "Inshallah," or God willing, he said, "there will be a lot of Muslims joining us." And if not, he added, it is hardly the Taliban's part to persuade them. "All of our actions are according to the Shariah law," he said, invoking the Islamic legal code. "We do not argue with people, and we do not reason with them." But the most evocative response came with a resounding laugh from the mullah and a kind of thigh-slapping comicality from his interpreter, a huge man with an eyepatch. Toward the end of the 40-minute audience, he was asked if the anthrax attacks in the United States had been masterminded by Mr. bin Laden. "Anthrax?" he said, and then paused as if for theatrical effect. "We don't know about this. We don't know what it is." Across the garden, many of the 150 reporters from across the world joined in the burst of laughter, drowning out the birds chirping at the approach of dusk."

Do you detect more than a little sadism in this press conference? We are permitting our thoughts to be diverted by press giving space and credibility to such rantings? Pathetic!

Greek Americans join relief effort Greek Orthodox Church also helps open funds in support of victims of September 11 terrorist attacks on USA With thousands of innocent civilians having perished in the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, and many remaining homeless and jobless since the collapse of the World Trade Center, the Greek-American community and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese are joining nationwide relief efforts. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has asked that all parishes conduct a memorial service tomorrow to commemorate the 40 days that have passed since thousands of people were killed that Tuesday morning. "On this solemn occasion let each and every one of us light a special candle for the September 11 victims, the proceeds of which should be sent to the Sept. 11 Relief Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America," an encyclical instructed. The relief fund and the Sept. 11 Relief Center at the St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, located close to the disaster site in New York City, were founded by the Archdiocese. Contributions to the fund presently total $1.2 million and have been generated by organizations, individuals and parishes from across the country and around the world. Moreover, the newly established Department of Philanthropy of the Archdiocese, headed by Archimandrite Antonios Paropoulos, is also expected to play an important role in relief efforts. Both the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek-American community suffered losses that Tuesday morning last month, as several Americans of Greek descent died while at work in the Twin Towers and St. Nicholas Church was crushed under the falling debris. The Archdiocese announced that the church will be rebuilt once rescue workers have completed their work and construction crews have cleared the debris from the area. In a gesture of support and concern over the destruction of St. Nicholas Church, Martin Kaplan, chairman of the American-Jewish Committee (AJC), this week donated $10,000 of AJC funds to the Archdiocese for the church's reconstruction. "This gesture is a treasure, a movement of the heart," Archbishop Demetrios of America said after the meeting. In addition to the relief efforts of the Archdiocese, there is a similar campaign by the Greek-American community organized by the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA). AHEPA Supreme President Andrew T. Banis announced recently that the association was launching an international fund-raising drive to raise $100,000 for disaster relief needed as a result of last month's terrorist attacks. This announcement builds upon a previous call directed to its chapters and members to provide disaster relief by organizing blood drives and donating blood. "As our nation prepares for a sustained campaign against terrorism the Greek-American community must stand side-by-side with this effort, offering our resources for the protection of democracy, freedom, and humanity," Banis said. "Therefore, I am calling on the AHEPA family to focus all its energy in this effort to raise a minimal amount of $100,000 by November 1." According to Banis, once the fund-raising goal is achieved, the funds will be allocated to one or more of the charitable organizations assisting with disaster relief, including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and the Firefighter's Fund. The $100,000 raised will be in addition to the financial contribution provided by AHEPA to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Established in 1922, AHEPA is the largest Greek-American association in the world with its own chapters in the USA, Canada and Greece, as well as sister chapters in Australia. MIRON VAROUHAKIS More... http://www.ekathimerini.com/news/content.asp?aid=104435

(Karen)Hell hath no fury like women seeking to liberate other women forced to wear ugly fashions. ;-) ****** ROTFL

David Kline (who has his own topic in the news conference): We'll get to a real war footing, eventually, but pyschologically right now I think folks are still hopinmg against hope that it'll somehow turn out to be a movie-of-the-week sort of war. A temporary disruption, that's all. But soon enough, I'm afraid, casualties won't make the news unless they're double or triple digit. And the American people will be expected -- indeed, *required* to make and accept daily sacrifices as normal. War lite. Perfect.

It's those darn liberals again ;-)B http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2001/10/21/stiusausa02030.html October 21 2001 TERRORISM ULTRA ZEALOTS: If you think Bin Laden is extreme - some Muslims want to kill him because he's soft IF YOU thought Osama Bin Laden's brand of Islamic fundamentalism was as extreme as it gets, think again. A rival group of Muslim terrorists exists which regards him as an infidel who has sold out. Bin Laden's declaration of war against the West has failed to impress Takfir wal-Hijra, an ultra-hardcore group that has won a reputation for unbridled savagery in Egypt and Sudan. Hamza: even he's shocked Its fundamentalism is so extreme that members have embarked on killing sprees in mosques against fellow Muslims in the belief that a pure Islamic state can be built only if the corrupt elements of the last one are wiped out. In this they see Bin Laden and his followers as pragmatists who are "excessively liberal". To drive the point home, four of its members pulled up in a pick-up truck outside his house in Sudan in 1995, spraying it with bullets in an effort to kill him . . . "They are nothing but a bunch of extremists," said Abu Hamza, the claw-handed radical preacher at Finsbury Park mosque in north London, who outraged public opinion in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center by describing them as an act of "self-defence".

"The world's most wanted terrorist suffered a setback as first word of a fatality among the top ranks of his Al-Qaeda network was reported on Thursday by a London-based Islamic group. ...The Islamic Observation Center said in an e-mailed statement to The Associated Press that an Egyptian militant, identified by his nom de guerre Abu Baseer al-Masri, was killed by a bomb on Sunday near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan." Source: http://www.ecola.com/go/?f=&r=as&u=www.hindustantimes.com

Reacting to the news of Abdul Haq's execution today by the Taliban: Oh man, this is a real tragedy -- on the scale of Massoud's death. He was Pashtun, one of the few with enough credibility and respect to be able to potentially rally fellow tribesmen away from the Taliban. And he was quite simply a great guy. Educated, funny, always playing practical jokes, a lover of poetry and music, and incredibly brave. He lost a foot to a land mine and thereafter hopped (literally) into battle. He was also kind. Western reporters who travelled with him and his fighters always had the feeling that Abdul Haq was looking after them, personally. Very solicitous of other's needs; very respectful of women. Abdul Haq was no toady of the U.S., either. He could be very critical of imperial behavior by the U.S., and indeed criticized the current bombing effort as potentially galvanizing of Taliban resistance. I could tell you stories about him. One time he flirted with my girlfriend just to see my reaction (wink wink, nod nod, then he burst out laughing at my obvious discomfort). And he loved to trade good natured insults -- "You feeble Americans, even our women walk faster than you ... "Yeah, no shit Abdul, with guys like you after them, no wonder!" I don't know what else to say. Maybe it's not true. But it probably is. - David Kline

More on the bin Laden death story: http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/interrogatory102501b.shtml

More from a shocked and dismayed David Kline: I really am finding this hard to believe: the two greatest living Afghans, Massoud and Abdul Haq, both murdered in less than two months by the Taliban. And it's difficult to explain how much these men symbolized hope for Afghanistan, even in their personal manner. Massoud spoke French, loved literature and led his men quietly, almost shyly. Abdul Haq was a poet with the charisma of a warrior, a big (teddy) bear of a man who laughed easily. They were cosmopolitan, sophisticated about the ways of both the West & the East -- not at all the sort of "warlord" the media is so fond of presenting these days. It has become easy, of course, to shake our heads and tsk tsk the Afghans for all the ways that they are screwed up. But you could never think such things in the presence of Massoud or Abdul Haq. They were truly *impressive.* And their vision was wider and deeper than you might expect of people who had lived in caves and mountain redoubts for so long. Each imagined a liberated Afghanistan with schools for all, electricity for all, a new class of women doctors trained to give medical care to all, and economic development schemes that were rather well thought out. But mostly, they imagined peace. Just peace. For a people who hadn't had it in 25 years. I just spoke to the woman who was my girlfriend then (she did refugee work along the Afghan border at the time) and she reminded me that our first date was very traditional -- "dinner and a movie" -- except for the fact that it was at Abdul Haq's house. The dinner he cooked himself (no lie), and the movie was (of course) video of anti-Soviet fighting. We played cards (Poker and Fish), told jokes, arm wrestled, and recited poetry to each other. It was from Abdul, in fact, that I first learned to recite the traditional Pasthun landay (rhyming couplet) that goes like this: Your face is a rose, your eyes candles Faith, I am lost! Should I become a butterfly or a moth? Now he's gone. They're all gone, really -- the only ones who could deliver the Afghans from their present misery. Who else has anywhere near the stature these men had? Ismael Khan maybe, but he's probably too regional. Anyway, I keep holding the thought that societies usually end up producing exactly the leaders they need. So maybe there are others, unknown as yet, who will one day take the place of Massoud and Abdul Haq. Wow, I thought I was soooo cool about Afghanistan. I'd seen a lot of shit there, stuff that I didn't at the time think I was strong enough to see. I thought nothing about that country could shake me up anymore. But here I am, simply stunned. I have a hard time believing it's real.

We all have a hard time believing it is real. Until the stuff starts hitting your neighbors or in your yard, it is somehow remote. In Hawaii, it seems like another planet. But, then, so does all of the rest of the world. War lite. Too bad they aren't all like that...

That was very, very tough news for David, who knew these guys intimately from his years as a war correspondent in Afghanistan. He has been very obviously shaken by the death of these two leaders who were so critical to Afghanistans future. I can feel his despair and pain. An excerpt from an ABCnews.com report today gives the Afghanis a glimmer of hope for a peaceful future: D U S H A N B E, Tajikistan, Oct. 25 � Like so many children in Afghanistan, 13-year-old Ahmed Massoud lost his father in the fighting that has engulfed the country for more than 20 years. But Ahmed's loss was also a loss for the country. His father, Ahmed Shah Massoud, was a brilliant military leader who helped the Afghans throw out the Soviet invaders in the 1980s. For the last few years, he had led the Northern Alliance's military efforts against the repressive Taliban who control most of Afghanistan. Then � two days before the attacks on New York and Washington � Massoud was assassinated by suicide bombers posing as a television news crew. Northern Alliance officials believe the assassins were sent by Osama bin Laden to eliminate the Taliban's most formidable enemy. Although Massoud led a life of war, he was grooming his son to lead the Afghan people on a path he hoped would lead to peace. "My father never talked to me about war," Ahmed told me shortly before his father's memorial service. "He did not want me to follow a military education. He said that the world would be peaceful when I grow up, so I have to be ready for this peaceful world." Ahmed lives with his mother and four sisters in Tajikistan, safely away from the fighting in northern Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley. He is barely a teenager, but members of his father's anti-Taliban forces already treat him with incredible deference and respect. He is very quiet, but carries himself with the self-assurance of a grown man. When he met with us, he strode across the room to shake our hands, then calmly took his seat for the interview. His movements and his bearing are exactly like his father's. Meeting a Warrior I met Ahmed Shah Massoud a year ago when I traveled to northern Afghanistan, where he was nearly surrounded by the Taliban and fighting desperately to keep his supply lines open for the winter. To reach him in his mountainous headquarters, we first flew in an ancient Russian helicopter over the 18,000-foot peaks of the Hindu Kush range. We continued by pick-up truck over rough dirt roads, then crossed a river Afghan-style: on a raft of cow hides sewn together and inflated. The technique worked for the army of Alexander the Great, and it worked for us. It was hard to believe that these were the same people who had defeated the mighty Soviet military, but they were. Many believe it was because Massoud was a brilliant strategist whose guerilla tactics bled the Soviets for 10 years until they finally gave up and left. Massoud's battlefield success is legendary � and not lost on the Taliban commanders. Although no evidence has emerged of Taliban involvement in his assassination, many suspect they knew that to control all of Afghanistan they needed to take him out. more at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/DailyNews/junger_feature.html

*I've thought of worse suggestions...* This was forwarded to me by several people. A little ancient female wisdom in an otherwise-bleak situation... Take all American women who are within five years of menopause -- train us for a few weeks, outfit us with automatic weapons, grenades, gas masks, moisturizer with SPF15, Prozac, hormones, chocolate, and canned tuna -- drop us (parachuted, preferably) across the landscape of Afghanistan, and let us do what comes naturally. Think about it. Our anger quotient alone, even when doing standard stuff like grocery shopping and paying bills, is formidable enough to make even armed men in turbans tremble. We've had our children, we would gladly suffer or die to protect them and their future. We'd like to get away from our husbands, if they haven't left already. And for those of us who are single, the prospect of finding a good man with whom to share life is about as likely as being struck by lightning. We have nothing to lose. We've survived the water diet, the protein diet, the carbohydrate diet, and the grapefruit diet in gyms and saunas across America and never lost a pound. We can easily survive months in the hostile terrain of Afghanistan with no food at all! We've spent years tracking down our husbands or lovers in bars, hardware stores, or sporting events...finding bin Laden in some cave will be no problem. Uniting all the warring tribes of Afghanistan in a new government? Oh, please ... we've planned the seating arrangements for in-laws and extended families at Thanksgiving dinners for years ... we understand tribal warfare. Between us, we've divorced enough husbands to know every trick there is for how they hide, launder, or cover up bank accounts and money sources. We know how to find that money and we know how to seize it ... with or without the government's help! Let us go and fight. The Taliban hates women. Imagine their terror as we crawl like ants with hot-flashes over their godforsaken terrain. I'm going to write my Congresswoman. You should, too!

An amazing story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56956-2001Oct26.html You watching TV?" Rick Rescorla was calling from the 44th floor of the World Trade Center, icy calm in the crisis. When Rescorla was a platoon leader in Vietnam, his men called him Hard Core, because they had never seen anyone so absurdly unflappable in the face of death. Now he was vice president for corporate security at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co., and a jumbo jet had just plowed into the north tower. The voices of officialdom were crackling over the loudspeakers in the south tower, urging everyone to stay put: Please do not leave the building. This area is secure. Rescorla was ignoring them. "The dumb sons of bitches told me not to evacuate," he said during a quick call to his best friend, Dan Hill, who had indeed been watching the disaster unfolding on TV. "They said it's just Building One. I told them I'm getting my people the [expletive] out of here." Keep moving, Rescorla commanded over his megaphone while Hill listened. Keep moving. "Typical Rescorla," Hill recalls. "Incredible under fire." Morgan Stanley lost only six of its 2,700 employees in the south tower on Sept. 11, an isolated miracle amid the carnage. And company officials say Rescorla deserves most of the credit. He drew up the evacuation plan. He hustled his colleagues to safety. And then he apparently went back into the inferno to search for stragglers. He was the last man out of the south tower after the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, and no one seems to doubt that he would've been again last month if the skyscraper hadn't collapsed on him first. One of the company's secretaries actually snapped a photo of Rescorla with his megaphone that day, a 62-year-old mountain of a man coolly sacrificing his life for others. It was an epic death, one of those inspirational hero-tales that have sprouted like wildflowers from the Twin Towers rubble. But it turns out that retired Army Col. Cyril Richard Rescorla led an epic life as well. In this time when heroes are being proclaimed all around, when brave actions are understandably hailed as proofs of character, here was a man whose heroism was a matter of public record long before Sept. 11.

The New Yorker Magazine has put together a collection of links to all of the magazine's coverage of the attacks and the aftermath plus older relevant articles: http://www.newyorker.com/FROM_THE_ARCHIVE/PREVIOUS/

Thanks Terry... I have chills just reading this account of Col. Rescorla. He personifies Hero in my book! There were many heroes that day...

This is a something my son found and made me LOL! Enjoy this treat. http://www.madblast.com/binladen.htm

October 29, 2001 U.S. 'guard down' due to anthrax attacks By Daniel F. Drummond THE WASHINGTON TIMES Terrorist groups are using anthrax attacks as a diversion and taking advantage of an overburdened law-enforcement system to plan more attacks on America, federal law-enforcement and intelligence sources say. The sources, all of whom are either working on or have close knowledge of the investigations of both the anthrax and Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said that regardless of whether Osama bin Laden or the al Qaeda terrorist network are behind the anthrax attacks, they are taking advantage of the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies' dedication to solving and dealing with the anthrax attacks as well as hoaxes and scares. "Our guard is down now because we are looking at mail," one intelligence source said. Indeed, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III told a group of the country's mayors that more than 7,000 of its 11,000 agents and support personnel are working on investigations relating to the Sept. 11 and anthrax attacks. "There is just too much going on," an FBI source said, adding that agents are working on the investigations almost simultaneously by asking about both the anthrax and Sept. 11 attacks with those they question. "We still have to deal with the hoaxes." More at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20011029-26230978.htm

I love the way the media is working with the enemy in their effort to "keep us informed." I think, in the interests of America, they should to be a lot less headline grabbing. This is so tiresome, I have ceased to watch the news!!!

Ashcroft has given out a "terrorist warning advisory" to state, national and local agencies (see NYTimes) today. What's also tiresome is how little informed we are of the details of stories like this. Why? Why now? I've been thinking about the possibility of some sort of threat during Halloween. This is an awful thought...the worst of the worst-- but what about the possibility of our children being harmed? But why hasn't the media discussed any precautions parents might take (candy, trick-or-treating, etc)? I hate to give into paranoia... but I'm handing out stickers this year.

here in the NY metro area, that is all that seemingly has been on the news- what to check for in candy, areas that should be avoided, etc. I think that it should be put on the national news... If I had kids, I'd be wary of having them go out at all, unless I were with them, and even then, I wouldn't be very comfortable. also heard that all proceeds from this year's UNICEF (those little boxes that kids have in their trick-or-treat bags to collect $), will go to the Afghan children... apparently this is unprecedented in that never has the entire collection gone to one single cause.

What's also tiresome is how little informed we are of the details of stories like this. I agree. It is not enought to warn us. They must give us whatever details they have.

They're probably not giving out too many details because it would tip off the terrorists that we know how to tap in to their communication channels. They're going to be offering "candy" in the form of false threats to see if we can intercept their messages over wire, the net, etc.

They're not giving us details because they don't have them. What sparked this latest alert is an increase in the amount of "noise" among the terrorists communications networks, similar to what was observed immediately prior to September 11. The government is damned if it does, damned if it doesn't. IMO, they issue these warnings to us because, with law enforcement departments throughout the country being placed on high alert, word is bound to get out that something is afoot. If they don't issue a warning--albeit a general one--people would complain that they're covering up the info. So they issue the alert to the public, and the public complains it's not enough info. Believe me, I'm as frustrated as anyone, but the government has an incredibly difficult situation they're trying to deal with, and so I think we need to have a bit more patience and understanding and not be so quick to second guess.