October 2, 2001

Bush warns Taliban: 'We will act'
Tuesday October 2, 11:35 PM
WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (AFP) - President George W. Bush worked to revive the ailing US economy Tuesday and bluntly warned Afghanistan's Taliban rulers that they must immediately turn over Saudi-born

Surrender bin Laden or face attack, Blair tells Taliban
Wednesday October 3, 12:22 AM
BRIGHTON, England, Oct 2 (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair bluntly warned Afghanistan's Taliban rulers Tuesday that there was no compromise left: hand over Osama bin Laden or face attack.

Rumsfeld heads to Middle East as U.S. buildup continues
By Charles Aldinger
Wednesday October 3, 10:04 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld left on a mission to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Uzbekistan on Tuesday for talks with their leaders as U.S. military forces

Anti-Taliban forces gear up for attack after mourning period
JABAL US SARAJ, Oct. 2, Kyodo - Preparations for an attack on Kabul appear to be in the making by the opposition Northern Alliance, likely to occur sometime this month following a period

Afghan Opposition Says U.S. Can Beat Taliban Easily
Tuesday, October 02, 2001 8:39 PM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Afghan opposition envoy said on Tuesday that with his side's help, U.S. forces could easily beat his country's Taliban rulers, who are sheltering Osama bin Laden

'Broad-based government' must replace Taliban: EU's Patten
STRASBOURG, Oct 2 (AFP) - There is a shared perception among Afghanistan's neighbors that a new broad-based government must replace the Taliban in Kabul, EU External Affairs

U.S. Says Campaign Will Pursue Kashmiri Militants
Tuesday, October 02, 2001 8:21 PM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday that its campaign against terrorism will pursue Kashmiri militants as well as the al Qaeda group blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

Britain pushes Afghan Taliban to free reporter
Tuesday October 2, 9:00 PM
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A senior British diplomat met officials from Afghanistan's ruling Taliban on Tuesday to push for the release of Yvonne Ridley, a British reporter detained last week

Blair issues Taliban ultimatum
October 2, 2001
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Afghanistan's leaders have been warned that they face imminent military action for not surrendering Osama bin Laden.

Ultimatums from Bush, Blair as US "proves" Taliban, bin Laden guilty
WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush issued an ultimatum Tuesday to the Taliban, telling them to surrender Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network or face the consequences

U.S. plans media campaign in Afghanistan
October 2, 2001 - By Andrea Koppel and Elise Labott -
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration is preparing a media campaign to convince the Afghan people that any U.S. military action targeting Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and the Taliban

Anti-U.S. protests in Quetta, Kandahar
QUETTA, Pakistan (CNN) -- Anti-U.S. demonstrators have rallied in Pakistan and Afghanistan in support of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban.

Musharraf backs king as option to Taliban
By Arnaud de Borchgrave - THE WASHINGTON TIMES
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan ó President Pervez Musharraf backed a plan yesterday to invite Afghanistan's exiled king to move to Pakistan and convene a tribal council as an alternative

Bush OKs release of aid for Afghan refugees
October 1, 2001
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush authorized the release of $100 million in humanitarian aid for Afghan refugees fleeing their country for neighboring Pakistan, CNN has confirmed.

Sources: Suspected terrorist leader was wired funds through Pakistan
October 1, 2001
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As much as $100,000 was wired in the past year from Pakistan to Mohamed Atta, the suspected leader of the terrorist hijackings, CNN has been told

Eliminating the Taliban
EDITORIAL * October 2, 2001 - Washington Times
So, after denying any knowledge of Osama bin Laden's whereabouts, the Taliban now admits holding him in a secret location and says that it wants to negotiate with the United States

Bin Laden seen in Kabul as net tightens
Richard Norton-Taylor - The Guardian 10/02/01
Osama bin Laden was in Kabul last week and US and British intelligence agencies have a "pretty good idea" where he is now, well-placed sources have told the Guardian.

In Pakistan, a Shaky Ally
By BARRY BEARAK The New York Times - 10/02/01
With its shelved democracy, epic corruption and crushing poverty, Pakistan may seem a strange choice as America's indispensable ally in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Bin Laden told mother to expect 'big news'
news.telegraph.co.uk - Tuesday 2 October 2001
OSAMA BIN LADEN telephoned his mother on Sept 9 and told her, "In two days you're going to hear big news and you're not going to hear from me for a while", it was reported last night.

Anti-Taliban Force, Ex-King Agree to Pact
By RICHARD BOUDREAUX and JOHN DANISZEWSKI - LATimes
October 2 2001
ROME -- Counting on a collapse of the militantly Islamist Taliban regime, Afghanistan's main opposition force and 86-year-old exiled king agreed here Monday to join in

Anti-U.S. rally in Taliban bastion in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Thousands of people marched through the streets of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar to protest against threatened U.S. attacks and burnt effigies of U.S. President George W. Bush

Pakistan hopes any U.S. Afghan campaign will be short
ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday that he hoped any U.S. action against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban would be short-lived and followed by

Taliban reject Rome declaration under ex-king
ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 (AFP) - The Taliban Tuesday warned of bloody war against any foreign-backed Afghan government as it rejected plans to set up a transitional administration under

Taliban Say U.S.-Backed Former King's Plan to Fail
Tuesday October 2 7:21 AM ET
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said Tuesday that U.S.-backed attempts to change their rule through ex-King Zahir Shah were doomed to fail, Pakistan-based

Report: Bin Laden Spotted in Kabul Last Week
Tuesday October 2 7:04 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. and British intelligence agencies have a ``pretty good idea'' where Osama bin Laden is hiding after he was spotted in Kabul last week, London's Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Taliban Bolster Kabul Garrison
By AMIR ZIA, Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Amid new warnings that the Taliban face likely U.S. military strikes, several thousand Afghans rallied Tuesday in the Taliban home base of Kandahar, shouting ``Death to America!'' and ``We are ready for jihad!''

Alliance poised to strike, Blair warns Taliban
BRIGHTON, England, Oct 2 (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has delivered Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime its bluntest warning yet that military action is imminent over its refusal to hand

Afghan opposition, former king have a long way to go: analysts
ISLAMABAD, Oct 2 (AFP) - With the Taliban on the brink of war with the United States, the international community and Afghan opposition are grappling behind the scenes to forge a post-militia

McFarlane Urges Admin. on Taliban
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Former National Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane, a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal, is pressing the Bush administration to support replacing the Taliban with a government headed by Afghanistan

Taliban Try to Shore Up Defenses in Afghanistan
Tuesday October 2 2:48 AM ET
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Turning to defense rather than negotiation, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban raced on Tuesday to prop up old alliances, woo new friends and retain their own men as they dug

Rumsfeld Not Hopeful of Taliban Collapse
Tuesday October 2 8:45 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Tuesday he was not hopeful that Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia would collapse under pressure from internal opposition alone.

Annan: U.N. Measures Give U.S. Right of Self-Defense
Tuesday October 2 8:23 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan Tuesday suggested existing U.N. resolutions gave the United States the right to proceed with a military strike against those responsible

Russia, Iran Defense Chiefs Discuss Afghanistan
By Richard Balmforth
Tuesday October 2 4:27 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian and Iranian defense ministers met for talks on Tuesday with both sides committed to arming Afghan opposition fighters against the Taliban but wary of U.S. military action in the region.

U.S. Afghan commando attacks pose logistics challenges
By Alan Elsner
Tuesday October 2, 12:05 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mounting special unit commando operations in Afghanistan, as President George W. Bush has suggested, would be complicated as well as dangerous and would