Northern Alliance Takes Mazar-e-Sharif

After weeks of U.S. bombing, the Northern Alliance has thrown the Taleban out of the key north central Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Excerpts of interest from an article pertaining to the anti-Taleban events follow:

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Nov. 9 — U.S. officials confirm
that the Northern Alliance
seized Mazar-e-Sharif

U.S. Officials told NBC News that northern opposition forces backed by intense U.S. Bombing captured the strategic Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Friday and took hundreds of Taliban prisoners, including a top commander.

A U.S. commander in the region said U.S. warplanes were attacking the retreating Taliban forces Saturday morning to prevent them from regrouping.

Current State of Northern
Alliance forces, 11/09/01

(click for large size image)

The victory, a major breakthrough in the U.S.-led campaign to topple the militant ruling Taliban and dismantle Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network, followed several days of fierce trench warfare that exacted a severe price on the Taliban, U.S. Officials said on condition of anonymity.

Northern Alliance tanks advancing
towards Mazar-e-Shariff, 11/09/01

... Rear Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt battle group, said Saturday morning that scores of Navy F-14 Tomcats and Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornets were launched from the Roosevelt shortly before midnight to “try to take out as much as we can as they try to fall back and regroup.”

F-14 Tomcat moves between F/A-18C
Hornets & two EA-6B Prowlers before
dawn on the deck of the USS Theodore
Roosevelt, in the Arabian Sea, 11/09/01

Fitzgerald told U.S. pool reporters that the warplanes, accompanied by E-2C Hawkeye surveillance aircraft and S-3B Viking tankers, were also “going after the tanks they had in the area and the armored vehicles, and, of course, any of the command-post and troops in the area.”

Nov. 9 — Report from Northern
Alliance base camp about
150 miles east of Mazar-e-Sharif

... Mazar-e-Sharif has a large airport that could be refurbished for U.S. and allied aircraft to conduct humanitarian missions and mount attacks against the Taliban. The city also controls a supply route from Uzbekistan, 45 miles to the north, that does not get blocked by winter snowfalls, a key concern for the opposition alliance.

A spokesman for the Northern Alliance, Ashraf Nadeem, said opposition forces were able to enter the city after they broke through Taliban lines Friday at the Pul-e-Imam Bukhri bridge on the southern edge of the city.

U.S. sources told NBC News that the rebels launched an attack from the north and the south while Taliban troops were retreating. Flushed out into the open, those forces were moving targets for U.S. Warplanes

Two more teams of U.S. special forces landed in Afghanistan in the last day and a half to help identify targets, sources said, while Taliban defectors were providing the best intelligence of where to find Taliban military hideouts.

F/A-18C Hornet returns to the USS
Theodore Roosevelt, in the
Arabian Sea, 11/09/01

The U.S. air support “has had a very good impact in breaking the front lines,” Nadeem said. ...

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Source:

• MSNBC [link inactive]

Islam, Like Christianity, Full of Fuel - Handle With Extreme Caution

Islam, when treated literally, contains plenty of fuel for the types of actions taken by the mass murderers on 9-11-01. Their so-called "holy" documents, just like christian ones, combine the most potent emotions of human existence, both positive and negative, in an effort to seduce and threaten the vulnerable children and enslave them for their entire lives, in a cycle of brainwashing from one generation to the next, ad infinitum.

People can be good *despite* religion, not because of it. It appears that some in the U.S. are finally beginning to recognize this fact, as evidenced by the following ...

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US tightens entry requirements for Muslim men [link inactive]

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The United States is tightening visa restrictions for men from predominantly Muslim nations. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the intention is to make sure those who come to the United States pose no threat to the American people.

Mr Powell says the clamp down on certain visas is temporary and does not indicate a shift to close off the country.

State Department officials say Muslim men from 25 selected countries wanting to enter the US will have to complete a detailed questionnaire and wait 20 days for visas.

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One final comment: Thank goodness some in the U.S. are finally coming to their senses when it comes to the threat posed by the virulent extremist anti-human elements embedded deep within islamic cultures and large numbers of influential mullahs/hate-fomenters within that particular faith, at this time, on this earth, in the countries selected for "special" treatment when it comes to visas to enter the U.S.

Raising Alarm on Civil Liberties

As Ashcroft continues his federal campaign to attack terrorism by scaring Americans and trying to strip away every civil liberty he can get his hands on, evidence is beginning to surface that he has gone too far, way too far.

Put another way, what are we fighting for but our right to be free? If we attack ourselves by stripping away our freedoms, we have lost the war by our very own acts, no matter what actions potential terrorists threaten us with.

Excerpts from pertinent article follow:

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Government eavesdropping on lawyers' conversations with clients detained in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is a dangerous erosion of America's justice system, defense lawyers and civil libertarians warned today.

"If the government is going to be allowed to eavesdrop on lawyers and clients, why should we bother having a justice system at all?"

... "Why not just give government blanket authority to lock people up without charge and detain them indefinitely?"

"It is one more example of the (Bush) administration cutting the judicial process out of the loop."

... "This proposal is a terrifying nightmare for innocent people who are under suspicion by the attorney general."

... Sidestepping the usual public comment period for new rules, the Justice Department published a new rule in the Federal Register on Oct. 31 that allows monitoring of normally privileged attorney-client communications if Attorney General John Ashcroft concludes there is "reasonable suspicion" they are related to future terrorist acts.

The rule is one of a series of actions the Bush Administration says will help the fight against terrorism but that alarm many as a broad-brush attack on cherished civil liberties.

President Bush last week signed the USA Patriot Act, which passed Congress with little opposition, propelled by the urgency of the Sept. 11 attacks. It gives police sweeping new powers to secretly search people's homes and business records and to eavesdrop on telephone and computer conversations.

The Social Security Administration also is pressing for the right to disclose personal tax records, Social Security numbers and other data to law enforcement agencies.

"It's outrageous." ... "Every time government power is expanded, it's inevitably abused. The reason we fought the revolution more than 200 years ago was to keep the government from having unlimited power. If we let the government take away our freedoms, then we're all going to be in a sad state." ...

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Source:

• San Francisco Chronicle

In the first interview with bin Laden since September 11, 2001, Hamid Mir, a Pakastani journalist, reports bin Laden's threats of the use of chemical and nuclear weapons against the U.S. in response to said use by the U.S. against his cause, which he stated to be "to spread the word of god".

Be forewarned that the thrust of bin Laden's comments in this interview are to pardon actions of hate towards innocent civilians and to promote his propaganda of victimization psychosis, with any/all actions by him and his followers deemed worthy simply because he views non-islamist folks as personal affronts and threats to his god-centric views of the way the world should be enslaved to his faith and to his efforts to create a bin Ladenized world theocracy:

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Kabul, Nov 9: Osama bin Laden has said that "we have chemical and nuclear weapons as a deterrent and if America used them against us we reserve the right to use them".

He said this in a special interview with Hamid Mir, the editor of Ausaf, for Dawn and Ausaf, at an undisclosed location near Kabul.

This was the first interview given by Osama to any journalist after the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

The correspondent was taken blindfolded in a jeep from Kabul on the night of Nov 7 to a place where it was extremely cold and one could hear the sound of anti-aircraft guns firing away.

After a wait of some time , Osama arrived with about a dozen bodyguards and Dr Ayman Al-Zuwahiri and answered questions.

Hamid Mir: After American bombing on Afghanistan on Oct 7, you told the Al-Jazeera TV that the Sept 11 attacks had been carried out by some Muslims. How did you know they were Muslims ?

Osama bin Laden: The Americans themselves released a list of the suspects of the Sept 11 attacks, saying that the persons named were involved in the attacks. They were all Muslims, of whom 15 belonged to Saudi Arabia, two were from the UAE and one from Egypt. According to the information I have, they were all passengers. Fateha was held for them in their homes. But America said they were hijackers.

Hamid Mir: In your statement of Oct 7, you expressed satisfaction over the Sept 11 attacks, although a large number of innocent people perished in them, hundreds among them were Muslims. Can you justify the killing of innocent men in the light of Islamic teachings ?

Osama bin Laden: This is a major point in jurisprudence. In my view, if an enemy occupies a Muslim territory and uses common people as human shield, then it is permitted to attack that enemy. For instance, if bandits barge into a home and hold a child hostage, then the child's father can attack the bandits and in that attack even the child may get hurt.

America and its allies are massacring us in Palestine, Chechenya, Kashmir and Iraq. The Muslims have the right to attack America in reprisal. The Islamic Shariat says Muslims should not live in the land of the infidel for long. The Sept 11 attacks were not targeted at women and children. The real targets were America's icons of military and economic power.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was against killing women and children. When he saw a dead woman during a war, he asked why was she killed ? If a child is above 13 and wields a weapon against Muslims, then it is permitted to kill him.

The American people should remember that they pay taxes to their government, they elect their president, their government manufactures arms and gives them to Israel and Israel uses them to massacre Palestinians. The American Congress endorses all government measures and this proves that the entire America is responsible for the atrocities perpetrated against Muslims. The entire America, because they elect the Congress.

I ask the American people to force their government to give up anti-Muslim policies. The American people had risen against their government's war in Vietnam. They must do the same today. The American people should stop the massacre of Muslims by their government.

Hamid Mir: Can it be said that you are against the American government, not the American people ?

Osama bin Laden: Yes! We are carrying on the mission of our Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). The mission is to spread the word of God, not to indulge massacring people. We ourselves are the target of killings, destruction and atrocities.

We are only defending ourselves. This is defensive Jihad. We want to defend our people and our land. That is why I say that if we don't get security, the Americans, too would not get security.

This is a simple formula that even an American child can understand. This is the formula of live and let live.

Hamid Mir: The head of Egypt's Jamia Al-Azhar has issued a fatwa (edict) against you, saying that the views and beliefs of Osama bin Laden have nothing to do with Islam. What do you have to say about that ?

Osama bin Laden: The fatwa of any official Aalim has no value for me. History is full of such Ulema who justify Riba, who justify the occupation of Palestine by the Jews, who justify the presence of American troops around Harmain Sharifain.

These people support the infidels for their personal gain.

The true Ulema support the Jihad against America. Tell me if Indian forces invaded Pakistan what would you do?

The Israeli forces occupy our land and the American troops are on our territory. We have no other option but to launch Jihad.

Hamid Mir: Some Western media claim that you are trying to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons. How much truth is there in such reports?

Osama bin Laden: I heard the speech of American President Bush yesterday (Oct 7). He was scaring the European countries that Osama wanted to attack with weapons of mass destruction.

I wish to declare that if America used chemical or nuclear weapons against us, then we may retort with chemical and nuclear weapons. We have the weapons as deterrent.

Hamid Mir: Where did you get these weapons from ?

Osama bin Laden: Go to the next question.

Hamid Mir: Demonstrations are being held in many European countries against American attacks on Afghanistan. Thousands of the protesters were non-Muslims. What is your opinion about those non-Muslim protesters ?

Osama bin Laden: There are many innocent and good-hearted people in the West. American media instigates them against Muslims. However, some good-hearted people are protesting against American attacks because human nature abhors injustice.

The Muslims were massacred under the UN patronage in Bosnia. I am ware that some officers of the State Department had resigned in protest.

Many years ago the US ambassador in Egypt had resigned in protest against the policies of President Jimmy Carter. Nice and civilized are everywhere. The Jewish lobby has taken America and the West hostage.

Hamid Mir: Some people say that war is no solution to any issue. Do you think that some political formula could be found to stop the present war ?

Osama bin Laden: You should put this question to those who have started this war. We are only defending ourselves.

Hamid Mir: If America got out of Saudi Arabia and the Al-Aqsa mosque was liberated, would you then present yourself for trial in some Muslim country ?

Osama bin Laden: Only Afghanistan is an Islamic country. Pakistan follows the English law. I don't consider Saudi Arabia an Islamic country. If the Americans have charges against me, we too have a charge sheet against them.

Hamid Mir: Pakistan government decided to cooperate with America after Sept 11, which you don't consider right. What do you think Pakistan should have done but to cooperate with America ?

Osama bin Laden: The government of Pakistan should have the wishes of the people in view. It should not have surrendered to the unjustified demands of America. America does not have solid proof against us. It just has some surmises. It is unjust to start bombing on the basis of those surmises.

Hamid Mir: Had America decided to attack Pakistan with the help of India and Israel, what would have we done ?

Osama bin Laden: What has America achieved by attacking Afghanistan ? We will not leave the Pakistani people and the Pakistani territory at anybody's mercy.

We will defend Pakistan. But we have been disappointed by Gen Pervez Musharraf. He says that the majority is with him. I say the majority is against him.

Bush has used the word crusade. This is a crusade declared by Bush. It is no wisdom to barter off blood of Afghan brethren to improve Pakistan's economy. He will be punished by the Pakistani people and Allah.

Right now a great war of Islamic history is being fought in Afghanistan. All the big powers are united against Muslims. It is 'sawab ' to participate in this war.

Hamid Mir: A French newspaper has claimed that you had kidney problem and had secretly gone to Dubai for treatment last year. Is that correct ?

Osama bin Laden: My kidneys are all right. I did not go to Dubai last year. One British newspaper has published an imaginary interview with Islamabad dateline with one of my sons who lives in Saudi Arabia. All this is false.

Hamid Mir: Is it correct that a daughter of Mulla Omar is your wife or your daughter is Mulla Omar's wife ?

Osama bin Laden: (Laughs). All my wives are Arabs (and all my daughters are married to Arab Mujahideen). I have spiritual relationship with Mulla Omar. He is a great and brave Muslim of this age.

He does not fear anyone but Allah. He is not under any personal relationship or obligation to me. He is only discharging his religious duty. I, too, have not chosen this life out of any personal consideration.

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Source:

• Dawn