THE
LATEST:
FEDERAL AGENTS HAVE DETAINED TWO MEN at an Amtrak station in
Fort Worth in connection with Tuesday's World Trade Center tragedy. The
two men had up to ten-thousand dollars in cash, hair dye and
boxcutters similar to those used to hijack planes that downed the
World Trade Center. The FBI said the men,
initially arrested on suspicions of drug trafficking, provide
"the strongest possibility we have yet" in gaining
background on the Trade Center and Pentagon destruction.
TWO
OTHER MEN ARE NOW IN CUSTODY IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRADE CENTER
TRAGEDY.
Information about one of the men was reportedly obtained from the
two men detained in Fort Worth (see above) who are now being
questioned in Washington.
A MAN BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A
HIGH-RANKING OPERATIVE OF MASS MURDERER OSAMA BIN LADEN -- AND WHO
TRAINED AT FLORIDA'S EAGAN FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOL -- IS BEING
SOUGHT.
INTELLIGENCE
EXPERTS IN ISRAEL WARNED THE US CIA LAST MONTH OF LARGE-SCALE
ATTACKS BY TERRORISTS. -- The London Telegraph. Two
such experts went to Washington in August to warn the CIA that a
"cell" of as many as 200 terrorists were planning a
"big operation" in the US -- but there weren't enough
specifics to prevent Tuesday's attack. The CIA has a history of
being "overcautious" about Israeli information, the Telegraph
reports.
"For years," the Telegraph goes on, "staff at the
Pentagon joked that they worked at "Ground Zero", the spot
at which an incoming nuclear missile aimed at America's defences
would explode. There is even a snack bar of that name in the central
courtyard of the five-sided building, America's most obvious
military bullseye."
(The joking has stopped. Major news
media are now referring to the rubble of the World Trade Center as
"ground zero," an inappropriate and chilling term in this
new war against terrorism. "Ground Zero" has always been
the military term for the explosion point of an atomic bomb. We have
yet to know whether terrorists have access to atomic weaponry. --
Editor)
THE FBI BEGAN LOOKING FOR SUSPECTS
IN WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE A SOON-COMING TERRORIST ATTEMPT TWO WEEKS
BEFORE TUESDAY. The Los Angeles Times reports terrorist
suspects may have entered the US in California.
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY THEY
HAVE ESTABLISHED A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN TUESDAY'S DISASTERS AND THE
BOMBING OF THE USS COLE, THE SHIP IN WHICH A HOLE WAS BLOWN
LAST YEAR -- AND A LINK BETWEEN THE FUNDING OF TERRORISTS AND THE
SALE OF DRUGS!
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL
INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY THAT MASS MURDERER
OSAMA BIN LADEN AND ASSOCIATES MAY HAVE MADE BIG MONEY ON FINANCIAL
MARKETS BY "SHORT SELLING" ON REINSURANCE COMPANIES THAT
MYSTERIOUSLY LOST STOCK VALUE IN THE WEEK OR SO BEFORE TUESDAY'S
TRAGEDY. (The "irony" of this and so many other
aspects of what terrorists have done in the Tuesday tragedies, and
before and since, is that they have carefully, fanatically and
cynically used the tools of American capitalism to destroy hundreds
of thousands of lives -- killed many thousands, destroyed the lives
of those many, many thousands who were close to them -- in perhaps
the most peaceful nation on earth, with the stated goal of
increasing materialism for Islam and the remnants of the Persian
Empire. In other words, they used the best of America
against America. -- Editor)
"STAND UP AGAINST
TERRORISM" BUT RETURN TO YOUR NORMAL LIVES. That was the
message from President Bush during his regular Saturday radio
address. Bush is meeting with national security advisors at Camp
David this weekend under beefed-up security.
PAKISTAN HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE
TO COOPERATE WITH THE US in the war against terrorisism,
allowing the use by the US of Pakistani airspace and for the sealing
of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent the escape
from Afghanistan of terrorists, if those terrorists haven't escaped
already.
THE MAJORITY PARTY IN AFGHANISTAN
IS PLEDGING TO WAGE WAR AGAINST THE US if it attacks the nation
that has been harboring mass murderer Osama bin Laden. International
analysts are trying to understand how Afghanistan can respond
militarily to, well, anything.
THE TALIBAN, RULERS OF AFGHANISTAN
FOR NOW, IS THREATENING TO INVADE PAKISTAN. International
analysts are chuckling at this
bizarre threat.
A MAN IN PRISON FOR THE 1993
BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER was found, when arrested, with
plans
for a coordinated series of suicide commercial plane
hijacking-crashes. That man is Ramzi Ahmed Yusef, and some say
Tuesday's attacks were the fruition of his original plans. --
WorldTribune.com
AT LEAST 187 PEOPLE ARE PRESUMED
DEAD in the explosion that followed the crash of a jumbo jet
into the Pentagon Tuesday.
THERE ARE REPORTS THAT TERRORISTS
IN FRANCE were -- or are -- targeting the American embassy
there.
OPEC HAS PLEDGED TO KEEP THE FLOW
OF OIL GOING DURING A PROPOSED WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. It'll be
interesting to see whether such a pledge is kept under
circumstances.
WHAT'S BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A
PASSPORT OF ONE OF THE SUSPECTED HIJACKERS WAS FOUND AMONG THE
RUBBLE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. It's being examined by federal
authorities.
THE US IS PLEDGING TO GIVE
FINANCIAL HELP TO AIRLINES FOR THE ALMOST FIVE DAYS AIRPORTS WERE
CLOSED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION AGENCY.
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, ALREADY
PREPARING TO LOSE MONEY (BECAUSE OF THE FALTERING ECONOMY) BEFORE
TUESDAY'S TRAGEDY, is looking at a considerably reduced
profit margin in the next few months as Americans fear air travel --
and is laying off 12,000 employees. The company seems intent on
misusing the word "furlough" when describing its
intentions for its soon-to-be ex-employees.
Northwest Airlines is also cutting
back its flight schedule, even when it gets back up to speed this
week.
SO WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HEADLINES
ABOUT GARY CONDIT AND ROBERT BLAKE? (which TheLatest.Net
always called "MEDIA HYPE"): "WE
LIVE IN A DIFFERENT AMERICA TODAY...This
week's nightmare...has awakened us from a frivolous if not decadent
decadelong dream... The dream was simple -- that we could have it
all without having to pay any price, and that national suffering of
almost any kind could be domesticated into an experience of virtual
terror akin to a theme park ride." -- Frank Rich, The New
York Times.
IN 1999, OSAMA BIN LADEN WROTE HIS
PLAN FOR WORLD WAR THREE:
He's now being called the
"Architect of New Global Terrorism." -- The
Washington Post.
THE US IS RULING OUT IRAQ AS A
SPONSOR OF THE TUESDAY TERRORIST ATTACKS, according to US
intelligence sources, quoted in WorldTribune.com. This, despite
intelligence information from Israel saying, "All
the (terrorism) steps lead" to Osama bin Laden and of all the
countries, Iraq seems the most reasonable" candidate for
sponsoring Tuesday's attacks.
US OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING
WHETHER A COALITION OF IRANIAN, PALESTINIAN AND LEBANESE TERRORISTS
WERE BEHIND TUESDAY'S TERRORIST ATTACKS. WorldTribune.com
reports officials believe the effort was coordinated and sponsored
by mass murderer Osama bin Laden.
THE DEVELOPER WHO BOUGHT THE
99-YEAR LEASE TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO SAYS
THERE
ARE PLANS TO REBUILD.
MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR AUTHOR AND
TV PERSONALITY BARBARA OLSEN were held Saturday in
Washington.
A US MISSILE CRUISER HAS LEFT ITS
HOME PORT IN JAPAN headed
for an classified destination. Meanwhile, six
British ships have passed through the Suez Canal.
WHAT KIND OF WEAPONS MIGHT THE US
USE IN A WAR AGAINST TERRORISM? Writers Sean Hoare and Barry
Keevins have compiled an
illustrated list. -- News of the World.
WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC OVERVIEW OF
TUESDAY'S TRAGEDY? See
The Washington Times.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SIGNED A
PRESIDENTIAL ORDER DECLARING A STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY in
the wake of the terrorist attacks.
PRESIDENT BUSH ATTENDED MEMORIAL
CEREMONIES IN WASHINGTON Friday morning for those who
died in the terrorist acts. Also in attendance: all living former
Presidents (except Ronald Reagan, who's ill) and top US leaders.
Among the speakers: Rev. Billy Graham.
BUSH WAS IN NEW YORK FRIDAY
SURVEYING THE DESTRUCTION in the wake of the World Trade Center
collapse and meeting
rescue workers, who broke into an impromptu chant of "USA, USA!"
Bush also met with New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The president is
set to return to Washington shortly.
THE PRESIDENT HAS OKAYED THE
CALLING UP OF 50-THOUSAND MILITARY AND NATIONAL GUARD RESERVISTS,
though that many won't be needed immediately, officials say.
A NEW WASHINGTON POST-ABC POLL
shows 86-percent
of those asked approve of the job Bush is doing as president.
PARTISAN
ATTACKS AGAINST PRESIDENT BUSH BY THOSE IN THE NEWS MEDIA CONTINUE
EVEN DURING THIS CRISIS. -- NewsMax.com
RESCUERS CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR
SURVIVORS AMONG THE RUBBLE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER; none have
been found since Wednesday morning.
ATLANTA WAS A TARGET OF TERRORISTS
TUESDAY, according to FBI officials who have identified those
close to the hijackers as reported by Fox News.
EXTREMISTS LINKED TO OSAMA BIN
LADEN PLANNED TO HIJACK A PLANE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND TAKE IT TO
THE US MAINLAND (TO CALIFORNIA?) JUST MINUTES AFTER THE DISASTER AT
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, the Philippine
Star reports. No word on where the terrorists were planning to
take the plane or what went wrong with the plan. Local and US
officers raided a Philippine hotel Thursday night; its unclear what
happened.
ABOUT 65-PERCENT OF THOSE ASKED IN
ANOTHER POLL SAID THEY DON'T WANT THE US TO ATTACK OSAMA BIN LADEN
because it could lead to a wide Middle East war. In
a new Time-CNN poll, 92-percent believe bin Laden was personally
involved in Tuesday's attacks, but only 10-percent think bin Laden
should be targeted.
GERMAN POLICE CONFIRM THAT A MAN
CALLED THE US, WARNING OF TUESDAY'S TERRORIST ATTACKS,
according to The Drudge Report.
OFFICIALS IN INDIA SAY THEIR
INTELLIGENCE INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATION ABOUT AN UPCOMING TERRORIST
ATTACK ON THE US several days before the attacks Tuesday. They
say the communication mentioned that The White House would be
included in the attack.
TELEVANGELISTS PAT ROBERTSON AND
JERRY FALWELL say the terrorists' action and the resulting
devastation prove that America has angered God and lost
the protection of heaven.
MAYOR GIULIANI CALLED FOR NEWS
MEDIA ACCURACY after wide-ranging
Thursday reports that ten people were believed trapped alive under
the Trade Center debris. The sources of the reports were rescue
workers at the scene, not officials who, as TheLatest.Net
pointed out, denied the reports from the beginning.
ALSO: ALL
BUT ONE OF A DOZEN PEOPLE DETAINED AT NEW YORK AIRPORTS THURSDAY
HAVE BEEN CLEARED, authorities say. Senator Joseph Biden,
who called attention to the arrests by calling the suspects "a
second team" of terrorists, apologized for jumping the gun. The
one suspect still in custody may be released soon. One of those
detained was suspected of possessing a false pilots licence.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS RELEASED
THE NAMES OF THE HIJACKERS in Tuesday's terrorism. They now
say there were 19 hijackers involved. And those hijackers are
reported to have frequented bars in Florida, guzzling alcohol and
buying rounds for barflys. One of the later-terrorists was
reportedly even arrested for DUI -- hardly expected from what were
believed to be holy, "god"-serving Islamic fundamentalists
dedicated to the Islamic Jihad (war) against the "Great
Satan."
THE FBI SAYS IT'S RECEIVED
36-thousand leads from US citizens who want to aid the capturing of
terrorists and head off further terrorism.
RUSSIA'S
FORMER MILITARY BASES MAY SERVE AS STAGING AREAS FOR UPCOMING US
ATTACKS, The New York Post reports.
THERE WERE PRAYER VIGILS ACROSS
THE NATION, BRITAIN AND EUROPE FRIDAY, called by President Bush
a National Day of Prayer in remembrance of those killed in the
terrorist attacks. Children brought out candles to remember the
dead. Hillary Clinton, who has built her political career on
exploiting the sentimental evocation of doing things "for the
children" was, we're sure, proud. Though probably jealous that
she didn't implement the event.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Friday approved 40-billion dollars to aid the cleanup effort at the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as funding the upcoming
military effort. The Senate has already approved the funding. This
money is in addition to the rest of the budget for the fiscal year
that ends September 20th. Congress has also approved the use by
President Bush of all necessary force in finding and bringing to
justice those responsible for Tuesday's attacks.
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN
BRIEFING SENATORS on terrorist investigations, but
the briefings may not go on much longer, since some Congressmen
have been leaking secret information to the news media.
THE TUESDAY TERRORIST ATTACKS MAY
HAVE BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR FIVE YEARS, according to the Boston
Globe. Investigators are reported to have evidence that some
of the terrorists took advantage of the special relationship between
Saudi Arabia and the US by posing as students who are routinely
allowed into the US. One of the terrorists had links to a 1986
bombing in Israel.
THE ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN AIRPORT
WAS CLOSED FOR TWO HOURS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING for what officials
there call movement of military equipment. No further details
reported. The US has been negotiating with the Pakistani government
to close off borders with Afghanistan to keep terrorists from
crossing over, and so that the US may use Pakistani airspace during
an attack on terrorists.
THREE
AIRLINE EMPLOYEES INTENTIONALLY BREACHED SECURITY at Phoenix's
Sky Harbor Airport to prove a point: that there are still gaps
in security even after renewed efforts to secure air flights just a
few days after the Trade Center attacks.
THE US MILITARY HAS STEPPED DOWN from
its highest level of alert to "Charlie," the
second-highest alert level.
THE US CAPITAL REMAINS
on high security status.
GAS
MASKS ARE SELLING WELL among a terrorism-jittery Los Angeles
public.
THERE IS A LARGE INCREASE in
the amount of asbestos and dioxyn in the New York City air,
officials say, but Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday there is no
cause for alarm. -- TheDrudgeReport
AMERICAN TRAVELERS WERE BACK IN
THE SKIES Thursday for the first time since the Tuesday
terrorist attacks, but flights were severely limited. Federal agents
were present as airports reopened, as were elite
Delta Force commandoes.
REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT in
Washington is still closed to passenger plane traffic. Boston's
Logan Airport is reopening.
AN AFGHAN PILOT, along with a
retired Pakistani general, trained
Muslim radicals to fly civilian planes.
THE MAJORITY, if not all the
terrorists who launched Tuesday's assault on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon lived
in comfort in the US, immigrating by posing as businessmen and
students, US officials say.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS WARN
that plans for retaliation against terrorists and the nations that
harbor them include many long-range actions, some of which may not
begin for days, weeks and even months. In addition, Americans must
be prepared to see foreign civilian casualties in news reports about
the US military effort. "We're
building a global assault against terrorism," Secretary of
State Colin Powell said Thursday.
THERE
WERE AS MANY AS 50 FOREIGN NATIONALS in
America who were involved in the explosions that destroyed the
World Trade Center. The FBI says almost all of them have been
identified. Ten of those suspects are still on the loose.
CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN ON A BUYING
SPREE since the Trade Center attack, stocking
up on essentials and luxury items, anticipating a shortage when
the US launches airstrikes or should there be more terrorist
attacks.
THE FBI IS SEARCHING TEXAS for
an Islamic man, described
as a "spiritual leader" with connections to terrorist
Osama bin Laden.
AT LEAST ONE HIJACKER ON EACH
PLANE HAD A RAMP PASS, according to reports, allowing total
access for the hijacker to smuggle practically anything onto the
jet.
IN UNION CITY, NEW JERSEY,
five people are said to have trained a video camera on the World
Trade Center just before the explosions, taped it, the howled at the
explosions and congratulated each other. No world on how authorities
know this.
FOR ANALYSIS ON THE WAYS THE
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION MAY HAVE HELPED OSAMA BIN LADEN and his
accomplices accomplish the Trade Center disaster, see
WorldNet.com.
THREE PASSENGERS ABOARD A FLIGHT
THAT CRASHED IN PENNSYLVANIA Tuesday morning may have
overwhelmed hijackers and crashed the plane rather than allow
it to destroy the White House, a plan which terrorists announced
aboard the plane. If so, those passengers are being hailed as
heroes. The passenger who called in the report of the airborne
insurgency: Jeremy
Glick.
THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
will reopen Monday.
-- Mike Shiloh |