Archive

American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Extraordinarily painful and difficult circumstances for the Arab-American community created by the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, bring about expressing shock, anger and outrage of the Arab-American community. The ADC provide a perspective to American citizens. A timeline includes a partial list of the numerous media appearances by ADC spokespersons in the media and the relevant internet links: http://www.adc.org/action/2001/2October2001.htm

Boys attend a math class at the Naswan school in Jalalabad.

In Jalalabad, school resumed for the first time since the Taliban withdrew on November 7. The director of education in the new post-Taliban provincial administration said his office has reopened 284 schools in the Nangarhar province since the Taliban withdrew, and 150,000 students have returned to school.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that rebuilding the health sector in Afghanistan will be essential to the overall development of the country. Although all of the health needs have not yet emerged because of continued fighting, WHO has outlined five areas that are in dire need of attention. To address these problems, WHO emphasizes the most basic resources, such as medical equipment, supplies and fuel, must be restored. Medical aid centers and well-trained staff will also need to be in place across the nation.

Twenty-five percent of children do not survive to the age of 5 years old. Malnutrition is widespread among children, affecting 10 percent acutely and 25 percent chronically. Immunization campaigns need to be administered throughout the country. Suitable drinking water and sanitation need to be made available to ward off digestive and respiratory illnesses.

Because of the continuous warring in Afghanistan during the last 22 years, it is believed that most Afghans suffer from some type of stress disorder. In addition, it is estimated that about two million Afghans are affected by mental health problems. Mental illnesses common in any population have not been addressed there for years. Those affected by mental health problems are in immediate need of professional attention.

Tuberculosis strikes about 72,000 Afghans each year. Outbreaks of other diseases, such as malaria, cholera, measles, typhoid, meningitis and hemorrhagic fever, occur with deadly consequences. Trained professionals, early warning and response systems, technology and treatments for communicable diseases need to be in place across the nation.

First aid to a landmine victim... The boy yet another statistic on a list of landmine victims. Minutes earlier the teenager had been foraging in the scrub collecting firewood on a sunny morning

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Afghans streamed out of their cities and poured into the countryside to flee what many feared would be swift and punishing American retribution. There they may often encounter land mines.

What most Americans do not know is that the refugee migrations began 20 years ago. The United Nations is concerned about a possible wave of refugees because of dire food conditions inside Afghanistan and the threat of a attacks because of war and bandits.

The United Nations pleads with countries neighboring Afghanistan to keep open their borders, and a massive international appeal for help has been launched with the United Nations seeking more than $500 million in aid. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says it has contingency plans for a "worst-case scenario" of up to 1.5 million new Afghan refugees across the region. Before the 9/11 attacks, 4.5 million refugees had already fled the country. Millions more within Afghanistan face famine as the harsh winter approaches.

US - The government has a hotline for any citizen to talk about the terrorist attacks on the US: 1(800) 331-7767.

Agents in cooperation with four other countries seized computers and served warrants in an attempt to knock out a massive piracy ring. "Operation Buccaneer," had federal agents grabbing up computers in 27 different US cities. The other countries involved are Australia, Finland, England, and Norway.

The seizures and warrants in Operation Buccaneer are aimed at an international piracy ring called "DrinkOrDie." The organization was founded in 1993 in Moscow and distributes all sorts of software and data, ranging from Microsoft operating systems to digital copies of recent theatrical releases. DrinkOrDie typically gets new releases of software, cracks off the protection, and distributes copies onto the Internet. One of the agents involved with the case stated, "There is currently nothing that the software industry has done in terms of copy protecting their programs that has not been defeated by DrinkOrDie."

CALIFORNIA -- Southern Californians of Middle Eastern descent again felt the sting of federal scrutiny as authorities rounded up people suspected of violating their student visas. Ten people -- all born in the Middle East -- were taken into federal custody Wednesday following the first crackdown of its kind in the nation. Immigration officials were seeking a total of 50 people with expired visas who were born in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Pakistan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Yemen, and who live in the San Diego area.

None of those arrested is suspected of involvement in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. One case will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's office, which will decide whether to file criminal charges. The rest of those detained face possible deportation. The roundup was the latest in a series of moves by the U.S. government that many San Diego residents with Middle Eastern roots view as discriminatory.

DC - The president said it is preposterous to doubt the authenticity of a videotape released by the administration Thursday that showed bin Laden gloating about the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. He called the tape a chilling admission of guilt. "It is preposterous for anybody to think that this tape is doctored. That's just a feeble excuse to provide weak support for an incredibly evil man," the president said.

Fearing that hibernating anthrax spores may outlast antibiotics, federal officials said yesterday that they may soon offer an additional treatment - the anthrax vaccine - to more than 3,000 people exposed to the deadly virus

Women in head coverings, small children in traditional Afghan garb and the women in Congress who had championed their cause crowded around the president as he put his signature to a bill committing the United States to the long-term development of Afghanistan targeting American aid to the education and health care of that country's women and children.

"The women and children of Afghanistan have suffered enough. This great nation will work hard to bring them hope and help," Bush said at a signing ceremony at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. "We work for a new era of human rights and human dignity in that country."

First lady Laura Bush accompanied her husband to the signature ceremony, later saying "I'm proud of the women who sponsored this bill and I'm proud to be here today as my husband signs this bill -- a bill that will restore freedom and dignity to all the people of Afghanistan."

ILLINOIS - An ethnic-interest group -- holding conferences, acting as a spokesman for the Muslim community, even having a top officer invited to greet First Lady Laura Bush in Chicago -- the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) may also maintain close connections to Hamas according to recent government reports obtained by the Tribune. Law enforcement reports bolstered by a Tribune review of corporate records, conference transcripts and other documents, reveal strong links to Hamas.

Hamas is a militant Palestinian group that has claimed responsibility for suicide missions that killed scores of Israelis. The government designated Hamas a terrorist organization in 1995 and recently shut down one U.S.-based group for allegedly providing funds to it.

A report by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, issued in August in connection with a deportation hearing involving a former IAP employee, states that a top-ranking Hamas leader contributed about $490,000 to IAP's budget. IAP has also produced training and recruitment videos for Hamas and has published Hamas communiques and distributed its charter, the INS said.

NEW HAMPSHIRE - An Amherst, NH woman found her sons photograph, Marine Captain Jason Walker of Merrimack sitting with other Marine helicopter pilots around a fire in a makeshift fireplace at the Marine base in southern Afghanistan. she stopped getting e-mail messages from him a couple of weeks ago.

NEW YORK - A 50-foot-tall piece of the facade of the the World Trade Center -- the last prominent piece of the twin towers -- will be saved for possible use in a memorial, city officials said Friday. The lattice of steel, from the north tower, is the second large piece from the twin towers the city is saving since two hijacked jetliners destroyed the trade center September 11. A piece of the facade of the south tower was removed several weeks ago, and is saved for possible use in a memorial.

Even though the economy is a concern, a solid majority feels optimistic about the economy right now, according to the latest FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. The poll, conducted December 12 and 13, shows 75 percent of the public thinks the country is headed in the right direction and 71 percent feels optimistic about the country's economy today (up from 55 percent six months ago). Two-thirds feel safe and secure about their personal financial future (down 4% since April). Most say the economy and related issues are now on par with the war on terrorism as top priorities on which Americans think the government should focus. Overall, more than half (57 percent) think cutting taxes is more likely to improve the economy than increased government spending (16 percent).

UTAH - Since 1992, US Army scientists in Utah have been developing a powdered form of anthrax that matches the strain used in the deadly letters that have killed five people since September, according to a published report. Until the latest anthrax threat, scientists sent anthrax samples by FedEx to the Army's bio-defense center at Fort Detrick, Md., where the bacteria was rendered harmless through radiation before being returned to Dugway for experiments. Samples were shipped in a wet paste form to minimize the danger of a spill or accident, the Dugway statement said. Five fatal inhalation anthrax cases have been reported since tainted letters first appeared earlier this fall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 18 cases of exposure -- 11 inhalation and 7 through the skin.

In further developments, genetic fingerprinting indicates that the anthrax spores mailed to Capitol Hill are identical to stocks of the deadly bacteria kept at Northern Arizona University and four other labs, according to scientists familiar with the tests.

WASHINGTON (State) - The state has millions of unclaimed dollars; some of it may be yours. Every Monday, The News Tribune publishes the names and last known residences of people who have forgotten money. If you spot your name, contact the Department of Revenue at 1-800-435-2429.

Heightened security after the 9/11 attacks has a side effect: Seizures of illegal drugs along the nation's borders and at its ports of entry increased substantially in October and November over the corresponding period a year ago, law-enforcement authorities say... 326 percent. Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said the steady price increasing in his city suggests "estimates of what is coming into the country may have been wrong... far more drugs were coming in than we were aware of."

Suicide Attack on India's Parliament
Terming Thursday's terror attack as a plot to blow up Parliament and the entire political leadership of the country, Defence Minister George Fernandes on Saturday asserted that New Delhi had 'enough evidence' to link the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba to the strike.

China Involved in 9/11?
A relationship developed between China and the Taliban earlier this year. Three days after the WTC attacks, China vehemently denied all reports connecting it to the Taliban. China signed a military cooperation deal with the Taliban in 1999, and as recently as last month, the Taliban claimed that China was providing them with military assistance. A new book is alleging that Beijing played an actual role in the 9/11 attack on America. Gordon Thomas says Beijing is positioning itself to become America's "new major enemy." Thomas has published 38 previous books.

Syria Replicates North Korean VX Gas Missiles
Syria developed a VX gas warhead that can be mounted on one of its Scud missiles. VX is a nerve gas that has long been produced by Syria. Damascus is already believed to have produced a Scud warhead that can deliver Sarin gas. The VX warhead has been tested on a Scud B missile. North Korea is said to have supplied Syria with both technology and equipment for the VX program.

Iraq Next? Teams Preparing For Somali Strikes
Last week, troops began setting up a base in Kuwait. In Washington, it barely needs to be discussed. Saddam is next. George W Bush this weekend, described Saddam Hussein as "evil." At the White House he used ominous language, saying "If (they) develop weapons of mass destruction that will be used to terrorize nations, they will be held accountable," he told a Rose Garden audience.

A scout team is in Somalia preparing the way for a possible strike against that nation as part of the US war against terror Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz told reporters.

Ebola Virus Spreading
The deadly outbreak of Ebola in Gabon is rapidly -- and unpredictably -- spreading out across the region. Fourteen people have been diagnosed in Gabon where eleven have died from the disease. Ebola then showed up in three outlying villages, all of whom are linked by the road system to larger urban areas. Ebola is incurable and usually fatal. It made its first appearance on the planet back in 1976, when it appeared 'spontaneously' in both Zaire and the Sudan. Ebola virus was being weaponized by both the US and Soviet Union. Both vehemently deny any connection with the African cases, either in 1976 or subsequently.

Feds Raid Islamic Charities
The first US raids under the authority of the "Patriot Act" were conducted in Illinois and New Jersey. The Benevolence International Foundation on Newark NJ and the Global Relief Foundation of Chicago were raided, their records were seized and all their financial assets were frozen. Both groups, not surprisingly, denied any connection to organized terror.

Russians Arrest Nuke Traffickers
Russian security forces arrested six men in possession of stolen weapons grade uranium 235 in Russia's first officially acknowledged theft of weapons-grade radioactive material. But there is a brisk traffic in nuclear materials stolen from loosely guarded Russian nuclear facilities, making the possibility of an al Qaida nuclear or radioactive conventional bomb that much more likely.

Moussaoui Indicted in 9/11 Attack
A federal grand jury has charged jailed French Moroccan Zacarias Moussaoui with six counts of conspiracy in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is the first indictment directly related to the hijackings of four airliners that killed more than 3,000 people. He has been charged with:

The federal grand jury concluded that Mousssaoui conspired with "bin Laden and Al Qaeda to murder thousands of innocent people in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania on September 11." Ashcroft called Moussaoui "an active participant" in the terrorist attacks, and said he was charged with "undergoing the same training, receiving the same funding and pledging the same commitment to kill Americans" as the terrorists on the hijacked planes. More: See Newsweek's report on the FBI fumble.

Moussaoui is a French citizen of Moroccan descent. Among other things, the indictment alleges that Moussaoui received financial support from a man sought in connection with the terror plot and had trained at al-Qaida-run camps in Afghanistan. Moussaoui was arrested on immigration charges on August 17, nearly a month before the attacks, after an instructor at an Eagan, Minn., flight school became suspicious when he offered $6,300 in cash to train on a flight simulator and made unusual requests about what he wanted to learn. He also underwent entry-level training at an Oklahoma flight school but left in May without successfully completing the course. Published reports state that Moussaoui was on a French intelligence watch list, but was able to enter the United States because the information wasn’t given to U.S. immigration officials.

FOX News used the FBI pictures and data to create an attractive interactive information page showing the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists.

Editor's Note: December 22, 2001

The war on terror is expanding into Kuwait and Somalia. Iraq and Somali targets are being considered. India is considering action against factions in Pakistan. Israel took action against Hamas and other jihad organizations. There is so much warring that getting the basic facts straight is sometimes a full time job. Casualties are not being reported here so far this week because the facts are difficult to gather. We know that the counts increased significantly in this past 14 days... very.

Meantime, most of the people that remain in Afghanistan are in danger of starvation and they are suffering from injury, mental ills, disease, and the cold to name a few. The Afghan refugee situation is a crisis. Humanitarian aid is sometimes reaching those that are near routes that are passable. However, there are blockades, battles, and bandits to contend with even in the areas where the Taliban is eradicated.

In review, much of the suffering in Afghanistan progressed following the 9/11 attacks. However, the war on terrorist camps and the Taliban there was the not the cause for all of the suffering that the media is reporting. A 100 days summary is available from the The COALITION INFORMATION CENTERS. The report is lacking detail in areas related to more than 20 years of war, Taliban rule, bandits, drug trafficking, and intolerance that are prevalent in reports we've opened dating back to 1993.

As we are looking for ways to bring about stopping the war, we find that President Bush is good at getting support for this war and also to expand the war. He and Tony Blair are masters of world politics for creating war. While Israel often appears to be on the outs with Washington, there too the war is now clearly about terrorist suicide attacks. That cause is real. Still, remember, war is not an answer for every time that a psycho-social flunky straps on a belt of grenades.

AND:
The European Union Warns US Against Extending a War on Terrorism! The US too urges Israel and India to exercise restraint.

Again, we are urging taking the path of restraint and peaceful solutions. Again, we ask, send a message to the President. Urge him to consider every possible alternative to violence. Urge him to bring an end to the suffering and misery of people suffering because America is at war.

Write to the President and let him know that you are thankful or that you support him but let him know that you don't want innocent people to pay for the September 11 attack. Let him know that your faith is important to you and that you believe that we can live in peace with the Muslim world while we find a way to stop terrorism. Let him know that the UN should be involved. This is a world problem.

Here is an e-mail address:

president@whitehouse.gov

Use this web page form if you like...
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=11918

If you get another moment, send a note to me at: eshunt@mailcity.com