They forgot the 'sleeping giant' and it will get them

[Steve Campbell]

Winston Churchill once said "you can count on America to do the right thing, once they have exhausted all other possibilities. "

 

[David_VT]

read this from 'the other side'...

can't verify if this is legit, but contrast it with yesterday's news and events... .



KABUL 23 Jan (IPS) - The Taliban warned the United States they will be

seriously punished if Osama Bin Laden, the Saudi fundamentalist the American

considers as their number one enemy was killed or arrested, Radio Sharia't

reported.



According to the Taliban's official Radio, the warning was delivered to the

US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Karl Inderfurth and Michael

Sheehan, State Department Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator and US ambassador

in Pakistan William Milam by Molla Amir Khan Mottaqi, a senior Taleban

Minister during a meeting last week in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.



"We told Michael Sheehan that the presence of Bin Laden in Afghanistan was

in the best interest of Washington because his supporters will not act

against the United States until he is here among us", Mr. Mottaqi said in a

statement issued by Taleban Embassy in Islamabad.



He also pointed out that Washington had turned the Saudi millionaire from a

"small individual" to a hero of the Islamic world.



"If he is arrested or killed, there would be a strong backlash against the

United States by his followers", the statement quoted Mr. Mottaqi as having

warned the American expert on counter-terrorism.



"We told Sheehan that we also want Osama's problem to be resolved but every

country has its own principles and traditions and we have to do what our

people want us to do", the Taleban Information Minister said in the

statement that was read by Radio Shari'at.



The meeting was held at the US Embassy in Islamabad.



"We told the US official that we are ready to resolve the issue through

talks and assured him that Osama bin Laden is not allowed and cannot engage

in anti-US activity from Afghan soil," the statement said.



Mottaqi reiterated the three different solutions the Taleban had in the past

presented to resolve the issue of Osama Bin Laden the Americans wanted for

the last years' twin bombing in Kenya and Tanzania, killing and wounding

more than 400 people, mostly in Nairobi



The proposals would call on the US to present hard fact documents proving

Mr. Bin Laden's involvement in terrorist activities to the Afghan Supreme

Court so that he could be on trial or a council of Islamic scholars decide

the issue or Ossama's activities to be placed under the surveillance of the

Organisation of Islamic Conference, the satement said, indicating that the

American envoys did not accepted any of the proposals.



Instead the US insist on the expulsion of bin Laden from Afghanistan to

stand trial in America.



Inderfurth was in Pakistan to press for the expulsion of the alleged

terrorist Osama Bin Laden.



The United Nations imposed last year a ban on international flights to

Afghanistan after the Taleban refused to hand over Mr. Bin Laden to the

United States.



Meanwhile, in a move that would anger Moscow, the Taleban who controls more

than 80 per cent of Afghanistan announced Sunday the opening in Kabul of the

Islamic Republic of Chechnya's first ever Embassy abroad.



Offering an all out support for the Chechen Muslims in their jihad (holy

war) against Russian infidels, Taleban's Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad

Motawakel also called on all Muslim nations to officially recognise the

Chechen Republic and offer the Chechen fighters all kind of military,

financial and humanitarian assistance.



"Now there is fighting in another Muslim home, it is the religious

obligation of all Muslims to rush to the help of their brothers," he said

during a joint press conference with Zelimkhan Yanderbiev a visiting Chechen

rebel official.



Taleban Supreme Leader Molla Mohammad Omar on Sunday officially opened

diplomatic ties with the Chechen government and gave permission for a

political mission in the Afghan capital.



"The Russians are pursuing their failed policy in Chechnya where a great

human tragedy is taking place, Mr. Yanderbiev told journalists.



He also criticised the international community and the United Nations for

not doing more to protect the Chechens, saying the UN and others are not

saying anything. ENDS TALEBAN-US 23100

 

[David_VT]

Attack and Honor (from another source)

All my lists that I use are full of these attack threads. In one sense it is a place for folks to vent. This post below came from an international list that has folks in the middle east. That one is real hot as the middle east posts have a real dark twist to them.



In that environment one man posted the following:

===== ====

"Hello all:

Regardless of the quantity of messages sent today in both faith and fury,I have read each one.



I feel obliged to comment as one who lived during WW2, and saw both the advent and aftermath.

Now is not the time to stand apart as a nation. Now is time to come together on common ground.



Many want immediate reaction. Yet, unlike Pearl Harbor, today's events can not yet to a specific terrorist. In that, our governmnet must take the time. . with steadfast unity, to find with certainty the real guilty.



In our philosophy as a Nation, we could not begin to compensate for an even worse loss, by retaliating on those who were "not" guilty. It would destroy the American comcept of democracy.



I urge you all. Pray for those whom remain, for their survivors. And if you have the time, visit your local Red Cross to donate.



In the coming days, there will be even worse suffering. But, as a nation, we will survive. If we, as those who are priveleged to be free, can show others that Freedom comes with a price. But the price paid leads all to Honor.



God Bless"

ISP TECH LIST, author not identified

==== =====

to lighten things a bit: too much heavy thought in the last 24 hrs, I feel the need for speed. . time to fire up the ram

 

[paccool]

Rich m

Like I said, I hope GWB proves me wrong. I want to believe he will do something and that your comments are correct.



Stan

 

[Bob Beauchaine]

My prayers go out to everyone who was even remotely touched by this cowardley attack on innocent people.

The sleeping giant quote came from Admiral Yamamoto the architect of Pearl Harbor and goes someting like this - I feel we have awakend a sleeping giant and filled him with a terible resolve I'm just not sure our leaders are capable of conducting the type of retaliation necessary to address these "people?". Lets hope we maintain our resolve until the lights go out on terrorism