BBC 9/30 News Roundup on the Terror Crusades Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit [Following are several articles from the BBC on the latest developments in England, Europe, and the Middle East. It's semi-official media, definitely mainstream, but much less laden with ignorant American poison than the US mainstream news.] 1 - Bin Laden 'hidden by Taleban' 2 - US backs former Afghan king 3 - Pakistan Taleban talks fail 4 - [In britland:] Pledge to wipe out Islamophobia 5 - Terror suspect 'taught hijackers' * http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1571000/1571689.stm Sunday, 30 September, 2001, 13:58 GMT 14:58 UK Bin Laden 'hidden by Taleban' Bin Laden supporters make they voices heard in Peshawar, Pakistan Osama Bin Laden is under the control of the Taleban regime in Afghanistan and is being kept in hiding, according to the movement's ambassador in Pakistan. "Osama is in Afghanistan, but he is at an unknown place for his safety and security," Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef told reporters. The Saudi-born militant is the United States' main suspect for the 11 September suicide hijacking attacks, and Washington has demanded that the Taleban hand him over or face punishment for sheltering him. The Taleban ambassador said Washington could break the stalemate if it were willing to provide proof of Bin Laden's role. "We say if they change and talk to us, and if they present evidence, we will respect their negotiations and that might change things." There has been a lukewarm response to the announcement in Washington, with White House spokesman Ken Lisaius saying it "does not change anything". "The president was extremely clear... that the demands that he outlined were not open to negotiation nor were they open to debate," he added. In other developments: -Saudi Arabia's defence minister rules out the use of bases on Saudi territory for US-led strikes against Afghanistan -A delegation from the US Congress meets the former King of Afghanistan to discuss his possible role in a government to replace the Taleban. -The trial of eight westerners accused of preaching Christianity resumes in Kabul -The UK Foreign Office expresses concern for the welfare of a British journalist being held by the Taleban -Russia welcomes a UN Security Council resolution aimed at closing down funding for terrorist groups -Anti-war activists protest in Washington, calling on the US administration to pursue peace UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says he has been shown strong evidence linking Bin Laden to the attacks against the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington which cost more than 6,000 lives. In a BBC interview, Mr Blair said the evidence from intelligence services was "powerful and incontrovertible". Meanwhile in the US, President George W Bush is meeting key advisers at his Camp David presidential retreat to consider further the US response to the attacks that killed more than 6,000 people. A BBC Washington correspondent says White House officials are drawing a picture of a president spending another weekend in intense discussion with his closest security advisors. They say his message, repeated time and again, to those around him, is that nothing should deflect from the campaign to destroy terrorism. However, Mr Bush has to deal with a weakening economy. He is understood to want to introduce a stimulus package next week that would increase unemployment benefits, tax cuts and the minimum wage. Meanwhile, the FBI says it is following up over 100,000 leads. More than a dozen British warships have arrived in the Gulf state of Oman, adding to speculation in the region that the US and Britain may launch military action soon. 'Nonsense' Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz dismissed as "nonsense" reports that the Saudi authorities would allow Washington to use its bases to attack Afghanistan. However, he did say Saudi airspace could still be used as his country's contribution. "We do not accept the presence in our country of a single soldier at war with Muslims or Arabs," Prince Sultan said in comments published on Saudi Arabia's official Okaz newspaper on Sunday. The US is gathering forces within striking distance of Afghanistan The BBC Middle East correspondent says this is the clearest indication yet of where Saudi Arabia stands over the western military build up in the Gulf. The comments imply that American planes could fly over Saudi Arabia but not launch an attack from its territory. There has been much confusion over how far Saudi Arabia would work with the US since the 11 September attacks. Saudi officials have hitherto been reluctant to comment publicly, apparently fearful of a backlash if Afghan civilians are killed in any military action. Osama Bin Laden's main aims include the removal of US forces from Saudi Arabia, which he says defiles Islam, and overthrowing the Saudi monarchy. * http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1571000/1571353.stm Sunday, 30 September, 2001, 15:05 GMT 16:05 UK US backs former Afghan king The former king (right) says he wants to be of service A delegation of United States congressmen have said they came away "very much impressed" from talks with the former King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, on setting up an alternative to the Taleban government. The former king met the congressmen, from both the Democrat and Republican parties, and also had further discussions with members of Afghanistan's opposition Northern Alliance. A spokesman for the former monarch said the talks had been "very fruitful". The US delegation, which also had a meeting with the Northern Alliance, had already discussed the crisis with officials in Moscow. They see the the 86-year-old former monarch - who belongs to the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, the Pashtuns - as a critical figure in setting up any unity government to replace the Afghan regime, which has been sheltering Osama Bin Laden since 1996. US republican delegation head Curt Weldon said : "He wants to see people of Afghanistan liberate themselves. That's the same thing that we want, but we think that perhaps he is the person who can rally those against the Taleban most effectively". Unity government The former king has called for a grand assembly of elders to be convened to create an anti-Taleban coalition. An outline agreement for the establishment of new supreme and military councils has already been reached. The new governing council would include tribal leaders and intellectuals from both inside and outside Afghanistan. On Saturday, the congressmen told representatives of the anti-Taleban Northern Alliance that the US would help rebuild Afghanistan in exchange for help in overthrowing the Kabul government. Interference rejected But exiled President Burhanuddin Rabbani - still recognised by the UN as leader of the legitimate government of Afghanistan - said any authority imposed from outside would be unacceptable. "We are sending a delegation (to Rome) to offer them a 'national unity,'" he said, in a statement quoted by the AFP news agency. "It is Afghans themselves who will decide their destiny, and people or groups abroad which do not take the realities of the country into account or are imposed from outside will be doomed to fail." The Taleban supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has dismissed talk of a role for the former king, who was deposed in a Soviet-backed coup in 1973. "He is too old and weak... A ruler who is brought in from outside will not last and the future of the Taleban will be bright with the help of God," he told the Iranian daily Entekhab. Northern Alliance fighting The Northern Alliance coalition holds about 10% of Afghan territory. Its forces have been engaged in fierce fighting with the Taleban in an effort to advance on the capital, Kabul. They are pinning their hopes on possible US strikes against their enemy. But, according to the Tajik news agency Asia-Plus, the alliance has admitted losing control of a key district in the north to the Taleban. A Northern Alliance diplomat based in Russia, Mohammad Saled Registani, was quoted as saying that anti-Taleban forces had briefly captured Zari District, 90 kilometres (55 miles) west of Mazar-e Sharif, only to see their enemies retake it. * http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1568000/1568039.stm Friday, 28 September, 2001, 18:03 GMT 19:03 UK Pakistan Taleban talks fail; Bin Laden is thought to be in hiding in Afghanistan Talks between a delegation of Pakistani Islamic leaders and the Taleban authorities in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar have broken up with no sign of progress. The hardline Islamic regime faces the threat of attacks from the United States if it does not hand over Osama Bin Laden, the prime suspect in the 11 September hijack plane attacks in which more than 6,000 people were killed. But the AFP news agency quoted Pakistani delegates as saying the Taleban had no intention of bowing to the pressure. "The Taleban clearly said there was no question of handing over Osama bin Laden, on moral or religious grounds," said Karachi-based cleric Mufti Mohammad Jamil. Mufti Jamil was part of the 10-member delegation that met Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Joint declaration But the Pakistani delegation did sign a joint declaration with Mullah Omar agreeing to hold further talks. "The delegation talked to Mullah Mohammad Omar and with senior officials of the government," said the Taleban consul in Karachi, Rahmatullah Kakazada. "They decided on future delegations to discuss further co-operation," he quoted the joint declaration as saying. The Taleban's ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, who accompanied the delegation to Kandahar, described the day-long talks as "fruitful." "We didn't go there to discuss Osama Bin Laden, but to discuss the crisis, and talked about the stability of Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. Tug-of-war A Pakistani government spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, said President Musharraf had asked the US to hold off from military action while Pakistan pursued diplomatic efforts. Mr Qureshi was quoted as saying that the situation was a "daily tug-of-war" with the US. He told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that the US was pressing to intervene militarily as soon as possible, while President Musharraf was asking for more time to pursue diplomacy. On Thursday, the Taleban said Bin Laden had been told of their decision to ask him to leave Afghanistan of his own free will. The decision to ask him to leave was made by a council of religious leaders and endorsed by the Mullah Omar. Message delivered Taleban officials said the message had been delivered but would not say where he was. "We have not lost Osama, but he is out of sight of the people," Ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef told the Associated Press. The Taleban Information Minister said the clerics' edict was delivered to Bin Laden by hand. The Taleban have responded defiantly to US and British warnings of a possible attack, saying they have 300,000 fighters ready to fight a holy war. * http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1570000/1570106.stm Saturday, 29 September, 2001, 13:48 GMT 14:48 UK Pledge to wipe out Islamophobia; Mosques and Muslims have been targeted Home Office Minister John Denham has promised that the government will act to cut out the "cancer of Islamophobia" in British society. He told an anti-racism conference in London that the government condemned the attacks on British Muslims which followed the US terrorist strikes. "We are making it abundantly clear that nothing in the events of 11 September provide any justification for racists in this country to attack, or discriminate against, or abuse Muslims," he said. "Islamophobia was wrong before 11 September and is wrong today. "The real Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and understanding. "That is why the government and the majority of British people find the unprovoked attacks on Muslims so repugnant - and why we must tackle the cancer of Islamophobia." 'Revenge attacks' Mr Denham said the police were doing "everything possible" to protect Muslims from the growing threat of racist attacks. Forces across the country were holding "extensive and regular" meetings with members of the Muslim community. He said the government not only wanted to strengthen race relations laws and introduce tougher penalties for racially aggravated attacks, but also develop an improved dialogue with the Muslim community. His comments echo remarks earlier this week by Prime Minister Tony Blair, who stressed that the international fight against global terrorism was not directed at Islam or Muslims. The Muslim News said it had documented nearly 100 confirmed reports of so-called "revenge attacks", including mosques being fire-bombed and mothers threatened by gangs of men in front of their children. Saturday's one-day anti-racism conference is being organised by UK group the Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism (Fair). Media plea During the day journalists and academics will examine the way Islam is treated in UK society. Fair said the event was originally designed to explore the more subtle forms of Islamophobia, such as the way the religion is portrayed in the media, popular culture, education and political language. But it said in the light of the US terror attacks, it will also explore some of the more "overt manifestations" of anti-Islam feeling being experienced by the Muslim community. Mr Denham also called on the media to do everything it could to avoid promoting "a distorted or caricatured or prejudiced" view of Muslims or the Islamic faith. Greater London Authority deputy chairman Trevor Phillips was also expected to speak at the conference. He will call for new legislation to protect Muslims, and other religious believers, from violence and intimidation. * http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1568000/1568632.stm Friday, 28 September, 2001, 23:42 GMT 00:42 UK Terror suspect 'taught hijackers'; Thirteen men are being held under the Terrorism Act 2000 An Algerian pilot, taken into custody by British police a week ago, was an instructor for four of the hijackers involved in the suicide attacks on the United States, a court has heard. The allegation against Lotfi Raissi was made during an extradition hearing at Bow Street Magistrates Court in London after he was re-arrested on an international warrant on Friday. The FBI wants Mr Raissi, who has been living at Colnbrook in Berkshire, close to Heathrow airport, to be extradited to the US for questioning over the 11 September attacks. The 27-year-old was remanded in custody for seven days. Mr Raissi's wife Sonia and his 29-year-old brother, Mohamed Raissi, of Hounslow, west London, were also arrested in the UK last Friday under the Terrorism Act 2000. They were released without charge on Tuesday. A third man arrested in Birmingham on the same day has also been released. Scotland Yard said the 44-year-old, previously named as Abu Imard, was released without charge on Friday. At Friday's hearing, prosecutor Arvinda Sambir said of Mr Raissi: "He was a lead instructor of four of the pilots that were responsible for the hijackings. 'Conspiracy to murder' "The one that we are concerned about is the one that went into the Pentagon," she added. She said Mr Raissi visited the US on a number of occasions between June and July this year. On 23 June he visited Las Vegas with his wife and then flew to Arizona, she said. "We say he was there to ensure that pilots were capable and trained for this purpose." Ms Sambir said the warrant from the US authorities detailed charges of obtaining a pilot's licence dishonestly. But she said further charges were expected, adding: "It is no secret that conspiracy to murder is being looked at." It was alleged that Mr Raissi had attended the same flight school as four of the hijackers before qualifying as a pilot in 1997. US developments A pilot's logbook found at his home appears to have been tampered with and prosecutors say several pages have been torn out. But Mr Raissi's defence counsel, Richard Egan, said his client adamantly denied any involvement in the attacks and was "confident he would be absolved of all involvement". The Algerian pilot has lived in the UK for the past two years with his French wife Sonia. There have been other major developments in the hunt for the people behind the attacks in the past day. In the US, the FBI confirmed for the first time that some of the hijackers did have links to Osama Bin Laden. They also revealed that Mohammed Atta one of the key hijackers left behind a stark, handwritten document. Entitled "the last night", it urges the hijackers to prepare for death, stand fast, and obey God's will. 'Embassy attack' Meanwhile, police in Leicester are also continuing to question three men in connection with alleged plans to attack the US embassy in Paris. And detectives have also detained seven men under the Terrorism Act 2000 after they were found hidden in a lorry at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The men, understood to be six Iraqis and a German, were arrested on Wednesday in connection with illegal immigration offences. Police said they were being held under the Terrorism Act because of where they were found. On Friday officers were granted extra time to allow them to continue questioning the men for a further three days. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytmid-09.30.01-14:33:24-810