Global Special Operations |
|
|
Global Special Operations |
|
|
September 11, 2001 Two hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City. Thousands were feared dead when the towers collapsed more than an hour after the impacts. A third hijacked airliner crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth, possibly bound for another target in Washington, DC, crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, apparently after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.The Federal Aviation Administration suspended all air traffic in the United States and diverted international flights to Canada. Federal offices and public buildings in Washington, New York, and other major cities were closed. President George W. Bush was in Florida at the time of the attacks. He flew first to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and then to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska before returning to the White House. During his first stop, he said: "The resolve of our great nation is being tested. But make no mistake: We will show the world that we will pass this test." That evening, he said that "the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities" would be used to find the terrorists and bring them to justice. "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them." Secretary of State Colin L. Powell canceled a visit to Colombia and returned from a meeting of the OAS General Assembly in Lima, Peru. Before returning, he said that terrorists "will never be allowed to kill the spirit of democracy. They cannot destroy our society. They cannot destroy our belief in the democratic way." The North Atlantic Council held a special meeting in which it declared its solidarity with the United States and pledged its support and assistance. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council made a similar pledge. September 12, 2001 The sad but somewhat uplifting side that the mainstream media has not reported yet -- the SURVIVAL rates and some positive news about the attacks. The World Trade Center The twin towers of the World Trade Center were places of employment for some 50,000 people. With the missing list of just over 5,000 people, that means 90% of the people targeted survived the attack. A 91% on a test is an 'A.' The Pentagon Some 23,000 people were the target of a third plane aimed at the Pentagon. The latest count shows that only 123 lost their lives. That is an amazing 99.5% survival rate. in addition, the plane seems to have come in too low, too early to affect a large portion of the building. On top of that, the section that was hit was the first of five sections to undergo renovations that would help protect the Pentagon from terrorist attacks. It had recently completed straightening and blastproofing, saving untold lives. This attack was totally unacceptable, but a statistical failure. American Airlines Flight 77 This Boeing 757 that was flown into the outside of the Pentagon could have carried up to 289 people, yet only 64 were aboard. Luckily 78% of the seats were empty. American Airlines Flight 11 This Boeing 767 could have had up to 351 people aboard, but carried only 92. Thankfully 74% of the seats were unfilled. United Airlines Flight 175 Another Boeing 767 that could seat 351 people had 65 people on board, leaving it 81% empty. United Airlines Flight 93 This Boeing 757 was one of the most uplifting stories yet. The smallest flight to be hijacked with only 45 people aboard out of a possible 289 had 84% of its capacity unused. Yet these people stood up to the attackers and thwarted a fourth attempted destruction of a national landmark, saving untold numbers of lives in the process. Out of potentially 74,280 Americans directly targeted by these inept cowards, 93% survived or avoided the attacks. That's a higher survival rate than heart attacks, breast cancer, kidney transplants and liver transplants -- all common, survivable illnesses. September 12, 2001 President Bush met with his national security advisers and with leading Members of Congress. He also telephoned the leaders of Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, China, and Russia as the first steps toward building an international coalition against terrorism. He called the attacks "acts of war" and announced that he would ask Congress for additional funds to protect the nation's security. Secretary of State Powell announced that he had authorized U.S. ambassadors to close their missions or suspend operations if they believed the threat level justified it. Twenty-five percent had done so. He had also telephoned the Secretaries General of the United Nations and NATO and the President of the European Union. He also expected to have active support from "friendly Muslim states" in the fight against terrorism and had spoken to officials in Saudi Arabia and to the Chairman of the Arab League. The North Atlantic Council invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, thereby considering the terrorist attacks on the United States to be an attack on all member states, and pledged any necessary assistance. Department of State Spokesman Richard Boucher said during a briefing that the United States would make careful preparations before responding to terrorist attacks. He said that Secretary of State Powell also had called the Foreign Ministers of Israel and the United Kingdom. The U.S. Congress met to approve a joint resolution pledging support to President Bush in his efforts to find and punish the terrorists. Both the UN General Assembly and Security Council approved by acclamation resolutions condemning the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and calling on member states to cooperate to bring the "perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors of the outrages" to justice. Finance Ministers of the G-7 countries pledged their financial resources to ensure that the terrorist attacks on the United States did not destabilize the world economic community. President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan pledged his country's "unstinted cooperation in the fight against terrorism." September 13, 2001 President Bush proclaimed September 14 to be a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance and announced plans to visit New York that day. He called on Congress to approve a $20 billion supplemental appropriations bill to provide assistance to victims and their families, relief and recovery efforts, investigations, and precautions against further attacks. During a White House daily briefing, Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said that President Bush would seek a resolution from Congress authorizing the use of military force in retaliation for the attacks on New York and Washington. Fleischer said that Bush had called various foreign leaders, including the Prime Ministers of Japan and Italy, the Secretary General of NATO, and Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. President Bush later said that he also had talked with the Presidents of Russia and China, and Secretary of State Powell added that the President had spoken to Egyptian President Mubarak and King Abdallah II of Jordan. President Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft urged the American people not to hold Arab-Americans and Muslims responsible for the terrorist attacks and pledged a swift response to violence against them. Secretary of State Powell told the Public Broadcasting System that the United States was creating an anti-terrorism coalition that sought to include the UN, NATO, the European Union, the OAS, and the Organization of Islamic States. He said that Usama bin Laden was a prime suspect in the terrorist attacks, and noted that Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar had said that his government had revoked bin Laden's citizenship. His contacts with Islamic states included the President of Pakistan and officials in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Powell said that the U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem had been swamped with calls from Palestinians who were expressing their sympathy and condolences, and disavowing any association with those who had rejoiced at the terrorist attacks. During a special briefing at the State Department, Powell expressed his sympathy to other nations who had lost citizens in the destruction of the World Trade Center and declared that "terrorism is a crime against all civilization." He said that the United States had provided Pakistan with a list of areas for cooperation, and he intended to discuss that list with President Musharraf. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage had already spoken with Pakistani representatives. Powell also had spoken with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel, and with Chairman Yasir Arafat in an effort to promote a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said that a response to the terrorist attacks would be a sustained military campaign, "with the full resources of the U.S. Government." The State Department announced that Deputy Secretary of State Armitage, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca, and Counterterrorism Coordinator Francis Taylor would visit Moscow and Brussels on September 19-20 to discuss cooperation against terrorism. The meeting in Moscow would include a meeting of a bilateral Afghan Working Group. Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill said that disruptions to the U.S. economy resulting from terrorist attacks would be short-term, and prospects for a recovery remained good. The New York Stock Exchange was to reopen on September 17. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta announced that U.S. airspace would be reopened to commercial air traffic. Airports would reopen on a case-by-case basis under more intense security. The only major airport that remained closed was Reagan National, in view of its proximity to downtown Washington. The NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council announced intensified cooperation to defeat terrorism. September 14, 2001 After attending a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral, President Bush visited the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York. President Bush ordered the mobilization of up to 50,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel for port operations, medical and engineer support, and home defense. The Defense Department planned to mobilize 35,000 from all services. Congress authorized President Bush to use all necessary military force against the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks, their sponsors, and those who protected them. The Senate approved the resolution by a vote of 98-0; the House of Representatives' vote was 420 to 1. The House and Senate also unanimously approved a supplemental spending bill authorizing up to $40 billion for disaster relief, counter-terrorism, and military operations. Secretary of State Powell enumerated his conversations with his counterparts in North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia during a press briefing. These included the Foreign Ministers of India, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, and Japan. He expected to hear from Israel's Defense Minister and Syria's Foreign Minister shortly. He also instructed U.S. ambassadors to talk to their foreign colleagues to convey the seriousness with which their government viewed the crisis. The Assistant Secretaries of nState for Near Eastern Affairs, European and Eurasian Affairs, and Western Hemisphere Affairs invited foreign ambassadors to the State Department for further discussions. President Assad of Syria had sent President Bush a letter of support. He warned Afghanistan's Taliban government that continued support for bin Laden would have consequences, and also warned that lack of support for the struggle against terrorism could effect U.S. relations with certain countries. During a visit to Washington to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said that the collective security provision of Article IV applied to the terrorist attacks on the United States. Parliamentary leaders of the 19 NATO countries endorsed a statement supporting the North Atlantic Council's pledge of solidarity with the United States. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick announced that the World Trade Organization meeting in Qatar would be held in November as scheduled. September 15, 2001 Three years ago, when the Pentagon decided to get closer to the nearly lawless country of Yemen to monitor extremists who had set up shop there, officials knew whom to send: a tiny group of hard-boiled, adventurous Special Forces soldiers who would show Yemenite troops how to clear land mines as a first step toward coaxing them into a deeper relationship. When top generals realized that the newly independent, autocratic regimes in Central Asia might become as important as those in the Persian Gulf because of their oil and natural gas and proximity to Afghanistan, they sent Special Forces troops to bond in a way only the elite brotherhood can: by scaling ice-covered mountains, jumping out of rickety Soviet cargo planes and conducting make-believe counterterrorist raids in the mud and rain. And just a week ago, a small team of Special Forces soldiers became the first American troops in nearly 30 years to resume relations with the Vietnamese army by helping its forces locate and disarm land mines from the Vietnam War.As Washington prepares its campaign against Islamic militants, the military's unconventional warfare units formally known as Special Operations Forces are certain to be at the center of the action. While conventional warfare units have seen their budgets decline or remain stagnant, funding for the Special Forces has grown steadily since the end of the Cold War, as has the military's dependence on them. Last year, Congress gave them $3.3 billion. This year, they will receive $4 billion, plus an as-yet undetermined portion of the $40 billion supplemental appropriation Congress passed yesterday. Some of the increased funding, officials said yesterday, will likely go toward expanding the clandestine units which have fewer than 5,000 members and the commando strike force units such as the Army Rangers, Navy SEALs and Air Force Special Operations Units.Created in 1962 as counterinsurgents in President John F. Kennedy's war against Latin American revolutionaries, Special Forces are made up of only 40,000 men (women are not permitted in most of their units) out of an armed forces of 1.1 million. The units include the military's only clandestine fighters the Special Mission Units such as the counter-terrorist Delta Force and a separate group charged with countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These groups would likely execute the secret ground strikes under consideration in the current planning of the military. The Special Forces would also be at the heart of any sustained effort to dispatch American military forces or cement military alliances in countries that are reluctant to have broad, visible contacts with the United States. This type of mission, known as an "engagement," has been the most in demand since the end of the Cold War, and has provided many opportunities for the U.S. military to enlarge and deepen its contacts around the world. For example, when Congress suspended most economic and military assistance to Pakistan in 1985 because of the country's nuclear program, only the Special Forces continued to hold small-scale exercises with the Pakistani armed forces. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, small Special Forces teams were the first to be dispatched to Russia, Poland, Hungary and East Germany to develop new military relationships there. While most infantry troops on peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo have stayed in well-guarded fortresses and patrol in full battle gear, the Green Berets, the Army's Special Forces live in houses in the villages and are allowed to leave their body armor at home. Their mission is to insinuate themselves into the local, underground political power structure to collect information about threats to U.S. soldiers and other potential violence. Special Forces are especially active in the Persian Gulf, where the United States tries to keep a low profile. Special Navy and Army units are responsible for the U.N.- sanctioned maritime interdiction program that aims to stop unauthorized supplies from reaching Iraq and unrefined oil from coming out. Each year, Special Forces troops conduct infantry and coastal craft training with the Special Forces units of nearly all of the Persian Gulf states, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. There is a standing proposal to move the U.S. Central Command's Special Operations Command from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa to somewhere in the Gulf because it is so active in the region. In the other big unconventional war, the so-called drug war in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, Army Special Forces troops and Navy Small Boat Units have trained foreign military units in tracking and fighting drug traffickers. They also constitute the biggest American presence in the U.S. funded peacekeeping and infantry training in Africa. Although the Special Forces are likely to be in even higher demand now, they will have to scramble to increase their numbers. More than 50 percent of the new recruits who seek to join the nonsecret side of the units fail the excruciatingly difficult qualifying courses. As a result, the Special Operations Forces have faced a serious recruiting shortfall in each of the past three years. They will also need to move up in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's list of priorities. He has yet to name a civilian to the post that oversees the Special Operations Command. September 15, 2001 President Bush met with his national security advisers at Camp David, Maryland. He told reporters: "This act will not stand; we will find those who did it; we will smoke them out of their holes; we will get them running and we'll bring them to justice." He also confirmed that Usama bin Laden was a "prime suspect." Secretary of State Powell praised Pakistan's willingness to cooperate and expressed gratification at worldwide expressions of support. "Dozens of countries lost lives [at the World Trade Center] and they realize that this was an attack against them, as well." The House of Representatives approved a Concurent Resolution urging that, in the struggle against terrorism, the rights of Arab-Americans and American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia be protected and that acts of violence or discrimination against them would be condemned. September 16, 2001 After returning to the White House from Camp David, President Bush expressed satisfaction at positive responses from the leaders of Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia. He warned the American public that "this war on terrorism is going to take a while," and that they must be patient. Vice President Richard B. Cheney told "Meet the Press" that nations that harbored terrorist groups would "face the full wrath of the United States." He said that no evidence had been found linking Iraq to Usama bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization, and it was not known whether bin Laden was still in Afghanistan. Terrorist attacks would not change U.S. relations with Israel or force a withdrawal from the Middle East. Secretary of State Powell told "Face the Nation" that Pakistan's President Musharraf had agreed to support the U.S. antiterrorist campaign. Syria and even Iran had made fairly positive statements. Nothing had been heard from Iraq, but no links had been found between Iraq and bin Laden. Existing sanctions against Iraq would remain in place. Powell later told CNN's "Late Edition" that the United States would insist that Afghanistan's Taliban government must cooperate with the United States against bin Laden or face the consequences. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states had been "supportive" and"ready to cooperate." Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters that the campaign against terrorism would be a years-long international effort. He hinted that countries that harbored terrorism could face a U.S. military response. September 17, 2001 President Bush addressed Pentagon employees and discussed the employment of mobilized Reserves and National Guards. When he pledged to find "those evil-doers," he reminded his audience of the posters in the Old West that said: "Wanted, dead or alive." In the afternoon, he addressed Muslim community leaders at the Washington Islamic Center and told them: "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. . . Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war." He urged Americans to treat their Muslim neighbors with respect. Secretary of State Powell expressed satisfaction with U.S. progress toward assembling an anti-terrorist coalition. His most recent conversations had been with President Salih of Yemen and Foreign Minister George Papandreou of Greece. Powell urged the people of Afghanistan not to "put their society at risk" by harboring bin Laden and the al-Qaida organization. The State Department issued a travel warning for Pakistan and authorized the departure of nonessential diplomatic and consular personnel and their families. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund announced the cancellation of their annual meetings scheduled for September 29-30 in Washington. The White House announced that French President Jacques Chirac would make a working visit on September 18, and that British Prime Minister Tony Blair would do so on September 20. The Amir of Qatar would make a working visit on October 4. Both visits were part of the U.S. effort to build an international coalition against terrorism. President Bush's most recent conversation had been with the President of the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury Department announced that it would form an interagency Foreign Terrorist Asset Tracking Center to identify foreign terrorist groups and their sources of finance. September 18, 2001 The White House announced that President Bush had conversed with the Secretary General of the United Nations, the President of Brazil, and the Prime Minister of Canada. Later in the day, Bush met with French President Jacques Chirac, who expressed "total solidarity" with the United States, although expressing doubt as to the appropriateness of the term "war." Bush also signed into law the congressional resolution authorizing the use of force to respond to terrorist attacks and the $40-billion emergency appropriation bill.Secretary of State Powell met with South Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-Soo and expressed thanks for his country's support. Powell said that the death toll at the World Trade Center included citizens of 62 nations. He later attended the swearing-in of John D. Negroponte as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Negroponte presented his credentials to Secretary General Kofi Annan the next day. Deputy Secretary of State Armitage, Assistant Secretary of State Jones, and Coordinator for Counterterrorism Francis Taylor met with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss measures to be taken against terrorists based in Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said that the United States was "moving in a measured manner" in "a very new type of conflict." The al-Qaida network might have connections in 50 to 60 countries, which made a "very broadly based campaign" necessary. At the United Nations, Ambassador A. G. Ravan Farhadi said that the Islamic State of Afghanistan, which opposed the Taliban's government, was willing to cooperate with the United States in the hunt for Usama bin Laden. The Security Council, meanwhile, issued a statement demanding that the Taliban comply with an existing Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1333 of December 19, 2000) and surrender bin Laden to appropriate authorities and close terrorist training camps. The UN also announced that it was indefinitely postponing the ceremonial opening of the General Assembly. In Afghanistan, Taliban leader Mohammad Omar refused a Pakistani demand to surrender Usama bin Laden, and called a meeting of Muslim clerics to decide his fate. As Taliban leaders urged their countrymen to prepare for a holy war with the United States, thousands fled Afghan cities and Pakistan attempted to close its border to stem the flood of refugees. September 19, 2001 They are probably already there. Setting up. Scouting. Staying out of sight. If TV or newspapers report on a raid by the Army's elite Delta force, a strike by the Rangers, Green Berets or Navy SEALs, that means one of two things: Either the assault is already done, or it failed. Special operations units typically lead U.S. troops into battle by entering a war zone in small teams, setting up a base, securing airfields or, yes, blowing up bridges. This time, they seem destined to do the bulk of the fighting as U.S. leaders try to hunt down Osama bin Laden, the Saudi exile suspected of playing a lead role in last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Start with the premise that this is not an operation for conventional forces, they are neither trained nor equipped for a mission like this, said a former senior Pentagon official who was in charge of special operations. "You are attempting to hunt down an individual who has home-court advantage and has the support of the regime you're going into," the Pentagon official said. That will require forces who can live for weeks or months in a harsh environment without outside support; personnel who speak the native tongue; and supremely conditioned and trained units that can make pinpoint strikes. Those are some of the skills Congress was hoping to put under one umbrella in 1987 when it created the U.S. Special Operations Command. The command was a reaction to the failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran. It was granted great independence, including leeway to basically operate like one of the services. Special Ops is budgeted about $4 billion a year and can spend that largely as it sees fit. At the command's disposal are about 29,000 active military and another 15,000 National Guardsmen, reserves and civilians. A mission document prepared by the Special Operations Command last year now seems prophetic: "As the Cold War came to a close in the early 1990s, few people predicted the degree to which the ancient problems of ethnic hatred, religious intolerance, and nationalist extremism would undermine the world's prospects for international stability," one section begins. Among the nine major missions of special forces are: combatting terrorism, special reconnaissance, psychological operations and unconventional warfare. Units with skills that would be needed to help find bin Laden in Afghanistan, according to the former Pentagon official, would be: Army Rangers, who could move in, in small teams, and hunker down for weeks. They could work on long-range reconnaissance and strategy. Army Special Forces, better known as Green Berets, could try to establish rapport with locals. The official pointed out that anti- Taliban forces do hold some ground, including a spot that could be used as an airfield. Army Delta teams are specially trained in counter-terrorism and although Afghanistan is land-locked, Navy SEALs train to operate on all terrains. SEALs also, the official said, have some of the military's best snipers. Half of the Navy's six SEAL units are based in Virginia Beach (two at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base and one at Dam Neck), but officials declined comment on their deployments. Carlos Moleda, a former SEAL who now lives in Virginia Beach, said special operations forces like SEALs would be well-suited for countering bin Laden's brutal tactics. "It's going to be a hunting game, and we're hunters, Moleda said. "We go out and get the head of the group and we take him." In 1993, special operations forces went after Somali warlord Gen. Mohammed Farah Aidid. Moleda was shot and paralyzed in that mission. Four years earlier, they led a raid to capture Manuel Noriega in Panama. Special operations personnel have to use not just their nearly unmatched physical conditioning, but their smarts. Moleda said their specialized training is often over- looked. Some SEALs have been trained to hot-wire cars, pick locks or to disable an airplane and roll it to block a runway, he said. To understand the country they work in, many special operations personnel learn second or third languages. Moleda is from Brazil and teaches Portuguese to SEALs at Little Creek. One downside to using special operations forces might be that they need much better intelligence information than conventional forces. Sending forces in after one man or his followers is among the most intelligence-heavy jobs, the former Pentagon official said. "If they go into the basement of a building," he said, "they need to know whether the door opens in or out." September 19, 2001 President Bush and Secretary of State Powell met with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Ivanov said that Russia would not object to U.S. efforts to enlist former Soviet republics in Central Asia for the campaign against bin Laden. President Bush planned to address a joint meeting of Congress on September 20 to outline his plans for diplomatic and military action. U.S. military preparations for "Operation Infinite Justice" (the Defense Department quietly shelved this name as potentially offensive to Muslims) began as the Air Force began deploying fighters and bombers to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Diego Garcia Island. Some would operate from the former Soviet Republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. A 14-ship Navy task force led by the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt left Norfolk, Virginia, for the Persian Gulf. A Marine Amphibious Ready Group was to leave Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for the Mediterranean on September 20. In Pakistan, President Musharraf told his people that his country faced "very grave consequences" if it did not cooperate with the United States in the campaign against terrorism. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said that Japan's Self-Defense Forces would assist U.S. armed forces by collecting intelligence and providing logistical support. The Organization of American States agreed to activate the 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty). It also scheduled a meeting of foreign ministers of member states for September 21 to discuss possible measures against terrorism. September 20, 2001 President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress, proclaimed that "freedom and fear are at war," and warned the Taliban to hand over bin Laden and all other al-Qaida leaders, free its prisoners, and close its terrorist training camps or face the consequences. He talked of a long campaign against terrorism and warned all countries that they would be regarded as hostile regimes if they continued to support terrorism. Bush announced the establishment of a Cabinet-level Office of Homeland Security, and nominated Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania as Director. British Prime Minister Tony Blair met with President Bush and pledged to stand "shoulder to shoulder" in the conflict against terrorism. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud promised support, while hoping that the Taliban would hand over bin Laden and that military actions would not create "an unbridgeable gap" between Islam and the West. Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with Vice President Cheney. Secretary of State Powell met with EU President Louis Michel. Secretary of State Powell told Fox News that citizens of 80 nations were among the victims at the World Trade Center, and that "the world is coming together." He did not rule out the possibility of cooperation with Syria or Iran, pointing out that there were many ways to participate in the coalition. The United Nations announced that the General Assembly would hold a special session on terrorism October 1. Secretary General Annan hoped that the session would lead to a convention against terrorism. The United States and the European Union issued a joint ministerial statement on combating terrorism. After a 2-day meeting, a council of Islamic religious leaders in Kabul urged bin Laden to leave Afghanistan. They set no deadline for his departure, and promised a jihad in reply to any U.S. military action. Secretary of State Powell said that the United States wanted action, not statements, concerning bin Laden. Sept. 21, 2001 Ft Bragg, NC The Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., said it had received a deployment order. Details were not provided. The command has a wide array of specialized units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, psychological operations units and seven Special Forces Groups spread out across the United States and the world. Air Force officials said eight B-52 bombers will deploy from the 917th Bomb Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Minot Air Force Base, N.D., also will contribute B-52s. Air Force refueling aircraft began deploying Thursday, including KC-135s from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., officials said. Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., with KC-135 refueling planes, also received deployment orders. One Marine Expeditionary Unit stationed at Camp Lejuene, NC was deployed. September 21, 2001 In Pakistan, at least two persons died amid large scale demonstrations against the government's support for the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign. Abdul Salaam Zaeef, the Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan, said that bin Laden would not be given up without evidence linking him to the attacks. White House Spokesman Fleischer was unimpressed, stating that: "there will be no negotiations and no discussions. The war preparations continue." Secretary of State Powell met with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, who promised nonmilitary cooperation and the sharing of intelligence with the United States. Powell also met with Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley, who promised support but warned of the adverse economic effects of tightening border controls. Manley said that his government had found no evidence that any of the hijackers had entered the United States by way of Canada. Sept.22, 2001 The Pentagon has deployed scores of warplanes and dozens of naval vessels in recent days, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has made clear that a far more secretive force is also on the move. "You can't move a ship or a plane or a tank without having someone see it move," Rumsfeld said last week. "You can do some other things." Those other things are the stock in trade of the Delta Force and other elite groups that make up U.S. Special Operations, the best of the American fighting corps, whose activities are so secret that not even family members are ever sure what they do. For the Army, those groups are the Rangers, the Green Berets and the top-of-the-line Delta Force, an operation so insular that for years the Army would not admit it existed. The Navy has its SEALS -- Sea, Air and Land teams -- trained in evasion, reconnaissance and underwater demolitions. The Marines have battle-ready Marine Force Reconnaissance teams, as well as Marine Expeditionary Units, which can be trained and designated for special operations in specific missions. And the Air Force has its own special operations units, capable of flying stealthy transport or attack aircraft through the darkness, under enemy radar, skimming just above the sort of mountainous terrain that has guarded Afghanistan from invaders through the centuries. The Air Force also has special combat control forces -- troops that slip into hostile territory before an air campaign begins, to help guide aircraft into the area, as well as PJ's -- for para-rescue jumpers -- who drop into any kind of terrain to keep downed pilots alive until they can be picked up by search and rescue helicopters. About 45,000 troops Of the 1.4 million active members of the U.S. military, analysts estimate that perhaps 45,000 are engaged in Special Operations of some sort. The elite Delta Force doesn't show up on the Army rolls, but one former member, Eric Haney of Marietta, reckons the entire unit is smaller than an infantry battalion -- roughly 1,200 troops. All fall under the umbrella of the Defense Department's Special Operations Command. "These guys are almost certainly going to be used on the ground," said retired British Army Maj. Charles Heyman, editor of Jane's World Armies, an authoritative defense publication. In fact, Special Operations teams are in the vanguard of just about every military operation the United States conducts. They stole behind Iraqi lines to direct warplanes to remote Scud missile sites during the 1991 Gulf War. They dropped into the ocean from several miles high and swam to shore to help guide in planes for the invasion of Grenada in 1983. They slipped into Kosovo to ferret out the anti- aircraft capabilities of Serb forces during the U.S.-led NATO air war in 1999. Those operations were successful, but things can go terribly wrong, as happened in Somalia in 1993, when 18 Special Operations troops were killed -- two of the bodies were dragged through the streets -- in a raid on the operations of warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. "They're only human," Heyman said. "They can't achieve the impossible, and they mustn't be asked to do the impossible. The missions that they're given have to be achievable and they need to have a reasonable chance of getting out." Three factors set these forces apart from the rest of the military: A highly selective recruitment process. When the Army calls for new Delta Force troops twice a year, it's not unusual for two dozen or fewer to be culled from a group of 200 or so who apply. The 200 have already been selected from among the Army's finest, including Rangers and Green Berets. Intensive training. They undergo excruciating physical and mental training as a matter of routine -- jumping out of airplanes into hostile terrain, surviving in the wilderness for days on end without food, drilling endlessly on the tactics of urban combat. High-tech weaponry. The units receive the best communications and fighting equipment available. "They all had custom-built weapons with hand-rifled barrels," journalist Mark Bowden wrote of the Delta Force troops in his book, "Black Hawk Down," an account of the Somalia mission. "Gun manufacturers outfitted them the way Nike supplies pro athletes." Their work is seldom disclosed to the public, a practice unlikely to change in the coming fight against terrorism. "The progress that takes place will be something that will be seen, most of it will be seen, some of it probably won't be seen," said Rumsfeld. "But it will occur in different places at different times in different ways." A large-scale attack on a terrorist camp could play out as one of the most intensive combinations of Special Operations units ever deployed. In Afghanistan, Army Rangers and a Marine Expeditionary Unit might pin down enemy forces and seal off a landing zone in the dark of night, while Air Force AC-130 gunships swoop in low over the mountains firing bullets the size of softballs. Delta Forces could try to penetrate bin Laden's inner lair in hopes of snatching or killing him, or perhaps gathering information. "One of the things we're going to want them to do is intelligence collection," said Daniel Goure, a senior fellow at the Lexington Institute, a national security think tank. "Rather than bomb the computers, we're going to want to take the disks out of them." Gathering information, though, is not the primary task of the Delta Force. Neither is making arrests. Its job is to hunt down the enemy and kill it. "We would not take terrorists alive," Haney said. "You don't go in to serve warrants." September 22, 2001 While spending the weekend at Camp David, President Bush assured the public that the U.S. economy was "fundamentally strong." He also mentioned discussions that he had had with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced that he was waiving sanctions that Congress had imposed on India and Pakistan after their 1998 nuclear tests. The Defense Department announced the mobilization of more than 5,000 additional Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel, for a total of 10,303. It declined to comment on Taliban reports that a remotely piloted vehicle had been shot down over Afghanistan (it admitted that one had failed to return the next day). In Afghanistan, fighting began between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban. September 23, 2001 After the Taliban claimed that bin Laden had disappeared, Secretary of State Powell urged it to "come to its senses" and give him up. Powell said that the Bush Administration planned to publish evidence linking bin Laden to the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York, as well as to earlier attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and on the U.S.S. Cole. There also would be a secret report. In Jiddah, the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States and promised "total support and cooperation." Russian President Putin contacted the leaders of five former Soviet Central Asian republics. Meanwhile there were unconfirmed reports of U.S. military transport planes landing at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice said that the United States, not the UN, would be in charge of military actions against terrorists. The United States did not rule out the possibility of cooperating with Iran and Syria, both of which had been designated as states sponsoring terrorism. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld hinted that the United States was seeking the cooperation of opposition groups within Afghanistan, and even that of dissident factions among the Taliban. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all crop-dusting flights in the United States for a day in view of a report that one suspected hijacker had asked questions about the performance of crop-dusting planes. September 24, 2001 President Bush signed an Executive Order freezing the assets of 27 organizations and persons known to be linked to al-Qaida and suspected of funding terrorism. He called on foreign banks to follow his example or have their U.S. assets frozen. Bush also met with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and thanked him for sheltering diverted international flights. Secretary of State Powell said that the United States had "an abundance of evidence" linking bin Laden to the terrorist attacks, but set no date for releasing unclassified information. The House of Representatives approved U.S. payment of $852 million in back UN dues by a voice vote. An amendment intended to protect U.S. military personnel from the International Criminal Court was deleted. The Senate approved a trade agreement with Jordan by a voice vote. President Putin announced the opening of Russian air space to humanitarian flights and more aid to Afghan groups opposing the Taliban. He did not rule out U.S. use of air bases in the former Soviet Central Asian republics, but also called for a broader role for the UN and other international organizations in the fight against terrorism. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said that although nonviolent solutions were preferred, and that military actions should be directed against terrorists rather than against Islam, Pope John Paul II recognized the right of the United States to use force in self-defense. September 25, 2001 President Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who offered nonmilitary support. Bush said that although one way to "rout terrorists" might be "to ask for the cooperation of citizens within Afghanistan who may be tired of having the Taliban in place." However, he denied any interest in "nation-building" and Press Secretary Fleischer denied that military actions were "designed to replace one regime with another." The White House announced that President Bush would limit his first trip to Asia as President to attending the APEC summit meeting in Shanghai on October 20-21. Visits to Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul would be postponed. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld described the U.S. war on terrorism as an "unusual conflict that cannot be dealt with by some sort of massive attack or invasion." The campaign would be called "Operation Enduring Freedom," to suggest that it would take a long time to achieve its goals. It might involve "revolving coalitions" since international support for specific U.S. military actions against terrorists might be selective. He and Secretary of State Powell later gave a 2-hour, top-secret briefing to Members of Congress, including 90 Senators. Secretary of State Powell met with Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero. The Saudi Arabian Government broke diplomatic relations with the Taliban. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that the United States could use bases in Tajikistan to attack targets in Afghanistan "if the need arises." Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar warned against supporting opponents of the Taliban in order to impose a government on Afghanistan. During an interview on the French television network France 3, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that bin Laden had threatened to assassinate President Bush during the G-8 Summit Meeting in Genoa. September 26, 2001 During a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Brussels, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz said that no military actions against terrorists were likely until more information had been collected. At present, NATO allies could be most helpful by sharing intelligence information and helping to trace the financial assets of terrorist groups. NATO Secretary General George Robertson said that evidence had been collected linking bin Laden and al-Qaida to the attacks on Washington and New York. Russian Defense Minister Ivanov also attended the meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher met with President Bush and Secretary of State Powell, and said that Egypt would require more proof of bin Laden's role in terrorist attacks before endorsing U.S. military actions. Powell also met with Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen. Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini said that his country would not join the U.S. coalition against terrorism, stating that the United States was "not sincere enough" to lead such a campaign in view of its continued support for Israel. In Kabul, a mob sacked the former U.S. embassy compound, which had been abandoned in 1989. In Pakistan, the U.S. consulate in Lahore was closed for security reasons. September 27, 2001 U.S. and Pakistani military officers concluded a meeting about the situation in Afghanistan. A Pakistani spokesman said there had been a "complete unanimity of views," but without giving details. Also in Pakistan, the Taliban's Ambassador said that a message had been delivered to bin Laden asking him to leave Afghanistan. At the UN, Secretary General Annan sought $584 million in emergency aid for Afghanistan. The United States sought support for a Security Council draft resolution calling for freezing the assets of terrorist groups, and for closer international cooperation against terrorism. After anti-American demonstrations in Jakarta, the State Department authorized the voluntary departure of family members and nonessential personnel from the embassy in Indonesia. September 28, 2001 King Abdullah II of Jordan met with President Bush, who signed a U.S.-Jordan free trade agreement, assured the King "that our war is against evil, not against Islam," praised Jordanian and Saudi cooperation, and pledged $25 million in aid to Afghan refugees. President Bush also spoke with the leaders of Australia and the Philippines. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique met with Secretary of State Powell. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a U.S.-sponsored resolution calling on member states to end financial, political, and military connections with terrorist groups, and to freeze their assets. Member states would report every 90 days to a 15-member compliance council. The United States abstained as the rest of the Security Council voted to lift economic sanctions imposed on Sudan in 1996 following an assassination attempt against Egyptian President Mubarak. Deputy Representative James Cunningham cited Sudan's recent cooperation against terrorism. In Afghanistan, the Taliban turned away a delegation of nine Pakistani religious leaders who sought bin Laden's extradition. September 29, 2001 President Bush spent the weekend at Camp David, where he video conferenced with the National Security Council (NSC). In his weekly radio address, he nspoke of "a different kind of war," adding that the United States condemned nthe Taliban and welcomed the support of others in isolating it. He announced that retired Army General Wayne Downing would be called on to join the NSC as a special assistant on terrorism. General Downing had criticized U.S. security lapses following the June 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers barracks in Saudi Arabia. The NSC and the State Department prepared an "Afghanistan Declaratory Policy" that called for an international effort to stabilize the country and to assist those who sought to make it peaceful, developed, and terrorist-free should the Taliban be removed from power. Approximately 4,500 protesters marched through downtown Washington to protest future U.S. military actions. They had originally planned to protest the World Bank and IMF meetings. Eleven were arrested. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs John R. Bolton discussed anti-terrorism with Russian Deputy Foreign minister Georgii Mamedov in Moscow. Bolton had previously visited Uzbekistan. September 30, 2001 Administration officials announced that $100 million had been authorized for the relief of Afghan refugees, and that a covert program of support for opposition groups in Afghanistan had been approved. On various Sunday television news programs, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Attorney General Ashcroft, and White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card, Jr. warned that terrorist groups eventually might attack the United States with chemical or biological weapons. Mohammad Zahir Shah, former King of Afghanistan, met with leaders of the Northern Alliance and with an 11-member U.S. congressional delegation in Rome. The King had no interest in restoring the monarchy but had proposed that he might convene a loya jirgah, or national assembly, to form a new government.In London, Prime Minister Tony Blair said that he had seen "incontrovertible evidence" linking bin Laden to terrorist attacks on the United States. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown announced that Great Britain had frozen $88 million worth of Taliban assets in a London-based bank. This document, based entirely on public sources, was prepared for background information and reference purposes. It is intended neither as a complete or comprehensive account of the Global Coalition Against Terrorism, nor as an official expression of U.S. policy.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Intellectual Property Charles E. Geck III Founder/Owner/Publisher GlobalSpecialOperations.com (TM) Special Forces Assn. Life Member #M-7514 All Rights Reserved |
| Home | Privacy | Sitemap | Email Webmaster |