U.S. Troop Deployment Begins: Time for Action / deutsche KSK

verfasst von Sascha, 20.09.2001, 01:10

'Time for Action'

<font size=5>U.S. Troop Deployment Begins</font>

Bush Demands Bin Laden

Sept. 19 — <font color="#FF0000">U.S. forces, including some 100 aircraft, were deployed today in </font>an operation tentatively called"Infinite Justice" for possible military action to root Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist network from Afghanistan, sources in the Pentagon said.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld signed the order to <font color="#FF0000">position mostly tankers and support aircraft overseas, to be followed by fighters and bombers</font>, the sources said. <font color="#FF0000">The fleet will join locations already in use by the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf and Britain's Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean, and are scheduled to be in place by Sept. 24.</font>

The order does not include ground troops.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told reporters today,"The United States is repositioning some of its forces to support the president's goal," but did not elaborate.

The military has dubbed the mission"Infinite Justice," but the name is still subject to White House approval.

Bush to Address Congress

President Bush, who has labeled bin Laden the"prime suspect" in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, <font color="#FF0000">said he has accepted an invitation to address a televised joint session of the Congress on Thursday evening to explain who may have wanted to attack the United States and why</font>. Rice said Bush will not use the opportunity to announce any forthcoming military action.

<font color="#FF0000">Bush also stressed today that the United States is declaring war on terrorism, not Islam</font>.

"We don't view this war as a religion in any way, shape or form," Bush told reporters from the Oval Office."And for those who try to pit religion against religion, our great nation will stand up and reject that kind of thought."

Earlier today, Bush met with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and both leaders pledged to strengthen efforts against international terrorism. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf also addressed his nation today, echoing Bush's assertion that Islam was not being targeted. He said that at no time during negotiations between the two nations"have the words Islam or the Afghan nation been mentioned."

American diplomats have asked Pakistan for assistance in gathering intelligence on bin Laden's whereabouts, for logistical support and for use of the nation's airspace.

Musharraf was trying to reassure a nation that is deeply divided over whether to support the United States or bin Laden. There have been violent protests in the city of Karachi, where effigies of Bush and Musharraf were burned, and American flags were burned in demonstrations in Peshawar, on the border with Afghanistan.

A Religious Decision

The Taliban, the ruling militia in Afghanistan, is letting an Islamic religious council decide whether bin Laden should be turned over to the United States. The council's meeting is expected to continue into Thursday, and a statement from Afghan's supreme leader held out little hope that bin Laden would be given up, despite the threat of American military action.

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar told the clerics today that bin Laden was an excuse being used by the United States for destroying their nation. But he also opened the door for the United States to make its case against bin Laden to the Afghan government and the clerics' council, saying,"we are ready for more talks."

Though State Department sources have said discussions with the Taliban are possible, <font color="#FF0000">Bush appears to have little interest in a meeting</font>.

<font color="#FF0000">"It is time for action, not negotiation with the Taliban," presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer said</font>.

High-level government officials in Pakistan, one of only three nations to officially recognize the Taliban regime, sent a warning to Taliban leaders that Afghanistan faces large-scale U.S. military attacks if it does not turn over bin Laden. (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.)

To this point, the Taliban has said bin Laden is not connected to the attacks, although U.S. intelligence officials think the vast majority of the evidence in the case points to the notorious leader of the international terrorist network al Qaeda, some of whose members have been convicted in the United States. Bin Laden has also proclaimed his innocence.

A Nation on Edge

The FBI investigation continues to expand, with law enforcement agents seeking 190 people for questioning about the hijackings, which they think were carried out by 19 men. Government and law enforcement sources say that additional terrorist actions may have been planned and that some of the 37 people on an FBI watch list who have had flight training had airline reservations this weekend.

Late Tuesday, officials handed down their first charges connected to the investigation, against three Arab men in Detroit allegedly caught with fake IDs. A grand jury in White Plains, N.Y., has begun assessing evidence in the terrorism probe.

U.S. intelligence officials also believe that one of the suspected hijackers in last week's attacks <font color="#FF0000">met with an Iraqi intelligence official in Europe earlier this year</font>. But the intelligence community does not see strong evidence of Iraqi backing of the attacks. The Iraqi government denied any connection with the suspected hijacker.

<font color="#FF0000">About 5,800 people are dead or missing as a result of last week's attacks, which left the twin towers of the World Trade Center a pile of ash and rubble and destroyed one section of the Pentagon. Another hijacked plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, killing all 45 people on board</font>.

American Coalition-Building Continues

In Washington, Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell are continuing work to cement an international coalition of countries committed to extensive anti-terrorism efforts.

Bush met with French President Jacques Chirac at the White House for two hours Tuesday night. Chirac, the first foreign head of state to visit Washington since the attack, appeared to give the United States a pledge of substantial support in the anti-terror campaign.

<font color="#FF0000">"We are completely determined to fight by your side this new type of evil, of absolute evil, which is terrorism," said Chirac</font>.

Bush has also met with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and made phone calls to South Africa President Thabo Mbeki and South Korea President Kim Dae-jung. British Prime Minister Tony Blair will pay a visit to Washington later this week or early next week.

<font color="#FF0000">German defense sources said the country's elite commando force, the KSK, could take part in an operation to go after bin Laden. There are also reports in German media that 300 KSK troops could be sent to rescue American, German and other international aid workers imprisoned in Afghanistan on charges of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity</font>.

Eigener Kommentar: Es spricht sich rum, daß unsere KSK eingesetzt werden soll.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said today his country would move to provide logistical support for U.S. military forces if some sort of action against Afghanistan became necessary, Reuters reported.

Bush has signed a congressional measure authorizing him to use military force in a potential retaliation to the terror attacks.

Hope for Survivors All But Gone

At the World Trade Center, rescue efforts go on, but no survivors have been pulled from the thousands of tons of rubble for a week, and the likelihood that any of the 5,422 missing will be found seems increasingly slim.

<font color="#FF0000">"We're doing the best we can. We've had thousands of people working for the last seven nights, seven days,"</font> New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said today."With each hour at this point, with each minute our hopes diminish."

Mayor Rudolph Guiliani said that workers at the World Trade Center site have now recovered <font color="#FF0000">233 dead victims, of whom 170 have been identified</font>.

French President Chirac paid a visit to New York City today to congratulate Guiliani and to convey heartfelt appreciation for the efforts of the city's firefighters.

"You did that for New Yorkers but also for all the free world, for the dignity of mankind," Chirac said in English before taking an aerial tour of demolished lower Manhattan."We know that and we're beside you."

Meanwhile, Attorney General John Ashcroft toured the Pentagon, where the total confirmed dead has reach 189. He said his first response to seeing the devastation was"one of anger and then it's a response of sympathy to the victims and their families."

To help aid emergency efforts at both sites, Bush has signed a $40 billion emergency aid package. The question of financial relief for struggling businesses affected by the attacks is looming increasingly large. Bush has said a financial bailout for the airline industry is one of his priorities, and Congress could vote this week on an airline aid package ranging from $15 billion to $24 billion.

"Make no mistake about it, this has affected our economy in a big way but I've still got faith we'll recover," Bush said."This has shocked our economy and we're going to respond."

Quelle: http://www.abcnews.com[/b]

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