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The United States and the Global Coalition
War Against Terrorism -Afghanistan
A Chronology: October 1-20, 2001
September, 2001
October 21-31, 2001
November, 2001
November 16-30. 2001
October 1, 2001 In an address to FEMA employees, President Bush said that 27 countries had granted overflight and landing rights to U.S. forces, 29,000 military personnel had been deployed overseas, 19 countries had agreed to freeze terrorist assets, $6 million in assets had been frozen in 50 bank accounts (including 20 foreign accounts), 241 threats had been analyzed by the Justice Department, and 150 persons in over 25 countries had been arrested or detained. He also announced the arrest of a Pakistani who had taken part in a 1986 hijacking in which two Americans had been killed. New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani addressed a special UN General Assembly meeting on terrorism and called on member states to decide whether they were "with civilization or with terrorism." The Defense Department announced that the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk would leave Yokosuka, Japan, for the Persian Gulf, where it might serve as a mobile base for ground troops. It also announced that 3,427 more National Guard and Reserve personnel had been activated, for a total of over 20,000. In Pakistan, President Musharraf told the BBC that he expected that the United States would soon attack the Taliban, and predicted a quick end to the Taliban's rule. In Rome, former King Mohammad Zahir Shah and Northern Alliance representatives agreed to convene a "Supreme Council" to which 120 Afghan political leaders would be invited. This would be a first step toward convening a "Grand Assembly" to form a new government for Afghanistan.
October 2, 2001 President Bush met with congressional leaders and warned that "there will be a consequence" if the Taliban did not surrender bin Laden and destroy his terrorism network. He also announced that Reagan National Airport would reopen the next day under stricter security procedures. Aircraft needed for resumption of service began arriving on the 3rd; flights began on the 4th. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld ordered the deployment of U.S. forces to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. He then departed for the Middle East, where he planned to visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Uzbekistan. Earlier in the day, he met with Indian Foreign and Defense Minister Jaswant Singh. The Defense Department later denied a report that 1,000 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division had deployed to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; the unit had only been placed on alert. Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou met with National Security Adviser Rice. British Prime Minister Blair warned the Taliban to "surrender the terrorists or surrender power" when he addressed a Labor Party conference in Brighton. He warned that British forces were within striking distance of Afghanistan as part of routine military exercises with Oman. After a briefing by Coordinator for Counterterrorism Francis X. Taylor, NATO Secretary General Robertson said that the United States had provided "clear and compelling" evidence of bin Laden's role in the terrorist attacks. As a result of the briefing, NATO concluded that the attacks were directed from abroad and will "therefore be regarded as an action covered by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states that an armed attack on one or more of the allies in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all." NATO was prepared to provide unconditional support for U.S. military actions.
October 3, 2001 Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld visited Saudi Arabia, where he met with King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah, and Defense Minister Prince Sultan. He declined to comment on whether permission had been given for U.S. forces to use Saudi bases for anti-terrorist missions.Secretary of State Powell lunched with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and discussed humanitarian aid to Afghanistan (Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. called for a pledge of $1 billion) and removal of remaining sanctions against Pakistan (Senator Sam Brownback had introduced a bill to that effect). Powell also met with the Emir of Qatar and the Foreign Minister of Portugal. Assistant Secretary of State William J. Burns met with British and Libyan officials in London in the hope of inducing Libya to sever its terrorist connections.U.S. officials briefed Pakistani officials on bin Laden's role in the terrorist attacks. Russian President Putin visited Brussels and said that his country would hold monthly meetings with EU officials about counterterrorism. He claimed that bin Laden had been aiding Chechen rebels. He also said that Russia would reconsider its opposition to the expansion of NATO if it was consulted. Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said that Afghan opposition groups had met regularly with U.S. officials outside Afghanistan. He expressed willingness to meet with Rumsfeld in Uzbekistan.
October 4, 2001 In a speech at the State Department, President Bush announced an additional $320 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. He said the coalition against terrorism was strong since it was not a religious war but "a war between good and evil." Bush later visited the Labor Department, where he announced an extended program of unemployment benefits for those who had lost their jobs as a result of the terrorist attacks. President Bush also met with Emir Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Thani of Qatar, who said that Arab governments would need more proof of bin Laden's role before supporting military actions against him. He also warned against attacks on targets that had no definite links to terrorism, or against groups engaged in resistance to Israel. Bush also met with President Vicente Fox and discussed security concerns along the U.S.-Mexican border. National Security Adviser Rice talked of an extensive U.S. contribution to "the reconstruction of Afghanistan" once the Taliban had been replaced by a more representative government. Richard Haass, Director of Policy Planning, met with former King Mohammad Zahir Khan in Rome. British Prime Minister Blair told Parliament about the U.S. case against bin Laden and his followers, stating that the evidence against them was "overwhelming." The British Government released an 18-page summary of the evidence. In Pakistan, Foreign ministry spokesman Riaz Muhammad Khan said that the evidence shown to his government "provided sufficient basis for indictment" of bin Laden. After Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld visited Oman, the Defense Department announced that the United States would sell 12 F-16s with precision-guided weapons to Oman. Rumsfeld then went to Cairo to discuss Egypt's role in the anti-terrorist coalition. He said that relief supplies might be air-dropped into Afghanistan.NATO announced that it would grant to U.S. forces unlimited access to member states' airspace, ports, air bases, and refueling facilities. Naval maneuvers were scheduled in the Eastern Mediterranean. Financial aid would be offered to states facing additional terrorist threats. NATO would also replace U.S. peacekeeping forces in the Balkans if necessary. Japan announced that it would provide $160 million in aid to Afghan refugees, and would use Self-Defense Force aircraft to transport relief supplies. Prime Minister Koizumi planned to visit South Korea and Japan to reassure them about his country's peaceful intentions.
October 5, 2001 After a visit by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Uzbekistan offered to allow U.S. forces to conduct humanitarian and combat search-and-rescue missions from its bases. President Islam Karimov was not yet ready to allow attacks on Taliban forces to be launched from Uzbekistan. A reinforced battalion from the 10th Mountain Division arrived in Uzbekistan the next day. The State Department issued its biennial list of groups designated by the Secretary of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Hamas, Hizbollah, al-Qaida, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan are among the 28 groups currently designated. The Japanese Government introduced bills to allow its Self-Defense Forces to ferry ammunition and operate field hospitals overseas. Personnel could carry weapons for self-defense during operations outside the immediate area of Japan. These emergency measures would last for 2 years. Relief flights to Pakistan began the next day. British Prime Minister Blair visited Pakistan. He and President Musharraf agreed that any post-Taliban government in Afghanistan must be "broad-based."
October 6, 2001 In his weekly radio address, President Bush warned the Taliban that "time was running out" unless they gave up terrorist suspects. White House spokesperson Claire Buchan dismissed a Taliban offer to free eight jailed aid workers (two were Americans) in return for an agreement not to use force. Bush also urged Congress to make funds available for the postwar reconstruction of Afghanistan. G-7 finance ministers and central bank presidents met in Washington to promote economic recovery and to devise means for tracking terrorist assets. They scheduled a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force for October 29-30. In Geneva, the UN-sponsored Afghan Forum pledged $608 million in humanitarian aid. A bomb explosion in Khobar, Saudi Arabia killed two persons and wounded four. One of the dead was an American. There was no clear connection to bin Laden.
October 7, 2001 U.S. and British forces attacked Taliban military targets throughout Afghanistan with bombers and cruise missiles. The 30 targets included airfields, air defense systems, terrorist training camps, and troop concentrations facing Northern Alliance forces. President Bush announced the strikes from the White House Treaty Room at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, and said that he had consulted with congressional leaders the day before. He said that over 40 countries had provided air transit or landing rights and that even more had shared information. Canada, Britain, Australia, France, and Germany had pledged military support. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that relief supplies would be air-dropped into Afghanistan, and that there would be radio broadcasts and leaflet drops to encourage defections from the Taliban. Rumsfeld spoke of cooperation with the Northern Alliance, and Gen. Myers hinted that covert operations were in progress in Afghanistan. Bin Laden, meanwhile, issued a taped broadcast in which he urged Muslims to join in a jihad against the United States and vowed that "neither America nor the people who live in it will dream of security before we live it in Palestine, and not before all the infidel armies leave the land of Muhammad." The State Department announced a "worldwide caution," warning Americans overseas of possible retaliatory attacks. The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia was closed.
October 8, 2001 U.S. forces continued their attacks on Taliban targets in Afghanistan, with some being conducted by day. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said progress had been made but warned against the "mistaken understanding that some sort of cruise missile" could defeat terrorism. Military operations would continue until "the terrorist networks are destroyed" and the Taliban had been overthrown. An additional 1,000 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division were scheduled to deploy to Uzbekistan. The Government of Tajikistan opened its air space to U.S. forces and offered to make its airfields available for operations against terrorism. President Bush warned of a "long war" in which "America is not immune to attack." He then signed an Executive Order establishing the Office of Homeland Security. Gov. Tom Ridge was then sworn in as its Director. The President also phoned the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Presidents of China and South Korea. At the UN, Ambassador Negroponte presented a letter to the Security Council stating that the attacks in Afghanistan were acts of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The letter added: "We may find that our self-defense requires further action with respect to other organizations and other states." British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, however, suggested that the United States and Great Britain had agreed to limit military operations to Afghanistan. The United States did not contest the UN General Assembly's election of Syria to a 2-year term on the Security Council. The UN's World Food Program announced that it would suspend food distributions in Afghanistan until the bombing campaign ended. NATO announced that five of its AWACS aircraft would patrol the East Coast of the United States. Canada announced that it would commit 2,000 military personnel, 6 warships, and 6 aircraft to the campaign. Australia offered 1,000 troops. France offered the use of its naval forces in the Indian Ocean and said that French intelligence agents were in contact with the Northern Alliance. In Pakistan, rioters burned UN and foreign relief offices, police stations, and movie theaters in Quetta to protest the attacks in Afghanistan. President Musharraf told reporters that he "was very positive the vast majority of Pakistanis are with me" but hoped that the campaign would be short, warning that his country had only limited ability to accept Afghan refugees. The Palestinian Authority condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States. There was widespread rioting in the Gaza Strip, however, where at least two persons were killed as Palestinian security forces fired on demonstrators sympathetic to bin Laden. The Palestinian Authority then declared a state of emergency. Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing. He found Zemin to be "understanding" of Japan's support for the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign and privately supportive of the campaign itself. Koizumi also visited a museum dedicated to Chinese resistance to Japan before and during World War II, where he delivered a "heartfelt apology" for his country's past aggression.
Monday, October 08, 2001 - WASHINGTON - The military may have been ready for the war that began Sunday, but the U.S. press wasn't. When U.S. forces went into combat there were no reporters with the troops who launched the first assault. The national Pentagon "pool" of reporters and photographers who are supposed to be dispatched to cover such operations was left behind in Washington in the first war of the new century. Some cynical reporters and editors say that's just the way the Pentagon may want it. "The struggle is on," George Wilson, the National Journal's Pentagon correspondent and one of Washington's most respected military writers, said days before the first bombs were dropped on Afghanistan. "My fear is that they will just freeze the press out. They'll tell only their success stories, not their failures." Pentagon officials said reporters and their editors were overreacting. The Bush administration is committed to giving the public "as much news as possible" about the conflict with terrorist Osama bin Laden and his network, said Victoria "Torie" Clarke, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. But they're not about to risk any American lives in the process. From the outset of President Bush's declaration of war on terrorists, both Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Clarke, his spokeswoman, have stressed that the "military front will be very unconventional." "So, we have to think of new ways to work with you all," Clarke told a meeting of Washington editors Sept. 28. She cautioned them not to view the war as something that would end quickly. "Years, not weeks' "We're talking years, not weeks. We're talking marathons, not sprints," she said. The war, military officials have said, will be waged largely by special forces, Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs and commando units. Those are the types of military units that long have shunned publicity, dealing in missions that often remained classified long after combat was over. Michael Geitler, former foreign editor of The Washington Post, said Sunday that the news media need to understand that those units "are not likely to make room for a reporter or photographer in their midst." But he also said the administration must realize that "the press will find a way to cover Americans at war, no matter what obstacles are put in the way." As upset as the media may be by their lack of access to the battlefront, some former defense officials were saying that the press already was reporting too much about the coming conflict. "I'm appalled at some of the things that are being reported," said Richard N. Pearle, former assistant secretary of defense for international security in the Reagan administration. Press accounts about what type of units were being moved into place and their capabilities went too far, he said in an interview. "We're giving them a lot of advice on how to avoid being captured," Pearle said. Charles Moskos, a sociologist at Northwestern University who gained fame for his studies of military issues, said he believed the that press could be "very self-policing" in times of combat. But the military, he said, has a penchant for secrecy. "They're going to try to keep this hush-hush as much as possible," Moskos said. His solution: a return to field censorship. That's something that the Pentagon used during World War II and the Persian Gulf War. It's anathema to journalists, but Moskos, who worked with The New York Times in Vietnam, said it works. "Censorship gives reporters access, and for the military, it loosens their lips," he said. "The paradox is the more censorship, the more information reporters will get." Striking a balance Anders Gyllenhaal, executive editor of The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., said that's not what editors want. "There's always a need to deal with military information carefully in a time of war," said Gyllenhaal, head of a Freedom of Information committee established by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. "But the answer is not extensive censorship." "The armed forces need the American people to understand what they're doing without giving away information that helps the enemy," he said. "That is the same thing that the media is looking for, and it can be accomplished with thoughtful and sensible guidelines."
October 9, 2001 As the air campaign continued in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld hinted that direct air support might be provided to the Northern Alliance and other opponents of the Taliban. General Myers reported that U.S. forces had achieved "air supremacy over Afghanistan." President Bush met with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and urged the public to "feel comfortable going about their lives." He announced the appointments of Richard A. Clarke to be a Special Adviser for Cybersecurity and of retired Gen. Wayne A. Downing as Deputy National Security Adviser for Combating Terrorism. At the UN, Ambassador Negroponte presented a letter to his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed Douri, warning him that if Iraq aided the Taliban, used weapons of mass destruction, or cracked down on its opposition groups, "There will be a military strike against you and you will be defeated." The UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan reported that four civilian guards working for a land mine removal group called Afghan Technical Consultants had been killed by a bomb or missile near Kabul. Egyptian President Mubarak expressed his support for the U.S. campaign against terrorism but urged the United States to avoid causing civilian casualties and to promote a Palestinian state. Foreign Ministers of 22 Arab countries met at Doha, Qatar, on the eve of a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. They reportedly sought to minimize the chance that Arab states might become targets in the war against terrorism, and to exclude groups fighting for "national liberation" from any definition of terrorism. Qatar's Al-Jazeera network broadcast a videotape in which bin Laden aide nSuleiman Abou-Gheith threatened further hijackings and attacks by "thousands of young people who look forward to death like the Americans look forward to living."
October 10, 2001 President Bush held a press conference at the FBI's headquarters and released a list of 22 "Most Wanted Terrorists" who were linked to events as far back as the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847. The list included Usama bin Laden and 12 members of al-Qaida. The State Department offered rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to their capture. President Bush also met with NATO Secretary General George Robertson and thanked him for NATO's cooperation in the campaign against terrorism. The deployment of five NATO AWACS aircraft was the first time that NATO had come to the defense of the United States. The air campaign in Afghanistan concentrated on targets around Kabul and Kandahar. The Defense Department announced that Pakistan had allowed U.S. forces to operate from air bases at Pasni and Jacobabad. The first U.S. fatality occurred when member Air Force Master Sergeant Evander Earl Andrews was killed in a forklift accident in Qatar. State Department Spokesman Richard A. Boucher said that terrorist suspects had been arrested or detained in 23 countries: 10 in Europe, 7 in the Middle East, 4 in Africa, and 1 each in Latin America and East Asia. Steps had been taken against terrorist financial assets in 112 countries. U.S. embassies had been ordered to stockpile at least a 3-day supply of ciprofloxacin in the event of an anthrax attack. National Security Adviser Rice contacted the executives of five television networks and urged them not to broadcast taped messages by bin Laden and his colleagues. They agreed to review and edit such messages in advance. White House spokesman Fleischer said that the messages might contain coded messages to terrorists in the United States. Taliban leader Muhammad Omar, meanwhile, urged "every Muslim [to] resolutely act against the egotistic power." The Northern Alliance agreed not to attack Taliban forces outside Kabul until an interim government had been established for Afghanistan. In Doha, the Organization for the Islamic Conference expressed concern about "deaths of innocent civilians" in Afghanistan. It called the September 11 attacks "opposed to the tolerant and divine message of Islam," and opposed attacks on "Islamic or Arab state[s] under the pretext of fighting terrorism." It urged the United Nations to lead future anti-terrorist campaigns and that terrorism be defined so as to exclude Palestinian and Lebanese groups fighting Israel.
October 11, 2001 President Bush held his first prime-time news conference. He told the Taliban that they still had a second chance; if they gave up bin Laden and his followers, "we'll reconsider what we're doing to your country." He also said that the United States was prepared to help the UN establish a stable and representative Afghan government that would be involved in neither terrorism nor the drug trade. The United States would support a Palestinian state if it recognized Israel's right to exist and was prepared to live in peace with Israel. Bush was prepared to meet with Yasir Arafat if he believed that it would promote peace. Bush urged Saddam Hussein to allow UN inspectors to return to Iraq and was conciliatory toward Syria. He also urged each American child to contribute $1 for the relief of Afghan children. The FBI said that terrorist attacks on the United States and/or U.S. interests were likely "over the next several days." Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said that the U.S. air campaign was now targeting cave complexes with laser-guided "bunker buster" bombs. In response to Taliban claims of up to 300 civilian deaths, he regretted any "unintended loss of life." Maj. Gen. Henry P. Osman said that U.S. forces had refrained from directly coordinating air strikes with the Northern Alliance. Deputy Secretary of State Armitage said that the United States was campaigning against all groups that threatened its interests or those of its allies. Consequences to states that supported terrorists might range from isolation to military action.
October 12, 2001 Vice President Cheney told PBS that "The U.S. homeland now is open to attack in ways that we've only speculated about before." The Treasury Department ordered a freeze on the assets of 39 more people and organizations, most of them linked to bin Laden. The air campaign over Afghanistan slackened in deference to the Friday Muslim Sabbath. In Pakistan, there was rioting in Karachi, but demonstrations elsewhere were smaller and more peaceful. The United States and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement about consultation on security matters. Canadian Transportation Secretary David Collenette announced that armed members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police would travel aboard Air Canada flights to Reagan National Airport. NATO AWACS aircraft began patrols off the East Coast of the United States. Philippines Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said that U.S. military advisers would assist his country's campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels in the southern islands. Abu Sayyaf was linked to al-Qaida, had executed one American, and was holding two more as hostages.
October 13, 2001 As the air campaign resumed, President Bush held a video conference with the NSC at Camp David. In his weekly radio address, he said that the Taliban was "paying a price" for harboring bin Laden. Al-Qaida spokesman Suleiman Abou-Gheith broadcast another vow of vengeance over Al-Jazeera, in which he warned Muslims in countries attacking Afghanistan to stay away from airplanes and tall buildings. The Defense Department admitted that a bomb aimed at the Kabul Airport had hit a residential area by mistake. It could not confirm Taliban reports of civilian casualties. The Gulf Cooperation Council states agreed to freeze the assets of persons and groups connected to bin Laden.
October 14, 2001 Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Haji Abdul Kabir offered to negotiate the transfer of bin Laden to a neutral third country if the United States stopped bombing Afghanistan. President Bush rejected the offer and insisted that bin Laden and his followers must be given up. Demonstrations continued in Pakistan. One protester was killed by police in Jacobabad, where U.S. forces were using an airfield. The Taliban brought foreign journalists to Karam, a village in eastern Afghanistan, where they claimed that a U.S. air strike had killed 200 civilians.
October 15, 2001 FORT BENNING, Ga. - "RAANGERRR! Rangers lead the way!" The cry bursts from Cpl. Jeremy Smith of Tuscaloosa as he leaps from a 40-foot tower and flies over water along a metal zip line, unharnessed and holding fast to a hand grip. Geysers of water erupt beneath him as he soars past the explosion and drops into the water, ending his cry. Smith, 23, isn't in enemy territory but at Fort Benning, just across the Georgia state line from Phoenix City at the Army Ranger demonstration site. The zip line trip is part of a demonstration of Ranger skills put on Friday for family and friends of the 105 graduates of Class 10-01 - the first group of men since Sept. 11 to earn their Ranger patches from the United States Army Ranger School. "When a Ranger gets his tab put on his shoulder, you can rest assured that he has earned it," said Col. Thomas Andrew Cole, commander of the Basic Combat Training Brigade at Fort Benning. At the graduation ceremonies, Cole makes little reference to the current struggle in Afghanistan and the role of specially trained soldiers such as Rangers, but he makes it clear that the new Rangers "may be in hostile territory in only a few short weeks." He speaks with confidence, not fear. "You have proven that you are capable of making it happen when it appears that it cannot be done," he said, speaking directly to the graduates. "You will be tested, and, by God, you will be successful. "Rest assured, America. Rangers will be up front and leading the way." Leading the way is a point of Ranger pride. They are often sent first into enemy territory to find a point of entry and secure an airfield for the landing of further troops or supplies. Only a few of the Fort Benning graduates will report to one of the Army's three Ranger battalions; most will return to deployable units to serve as leaders among the troops. Ranger graduate Jorge Arita, for instance, will return to the 82nd Airborne stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., after spending 20 days with his family in Texas. Arita, 25, one of the smaller soldiers at about 5 feet, 5 inches, was honored as the top noncommissioned officer of Class 10-01. Holding his 1-year-old daughter, Fanny, in his arms, Arita said he missed her first birthday during the two months of Ranger training and was glad to have her back in his arms, even if it's just temporarily. "Being in the 82nd, we'll probably be over there (in Afghanistan) soon," he said. Arita's family, like the families of other Rangers, shed few tears at graduation, although his wife Mayra, 20, admitted to some fear. "I have mixed feelings," she said. "I'm worried because I know that they might go somewhere, but I'm very proud of him." Feelings among the Rangers, however, were not mixed. "We're ready," Arita said. "A lot of us, as soon as we heard what was happening, everybody was ready to go back to their units." "I'd rather be somewhere I could be deployed right now," Smith said. "I think that's the attitude of pretty much everyone here." When news came of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the trainees were in Dahlonega, Ga., in the second phase of the course. Without any specific instructions from Ranger headquarters, attitudes among trainers and trainees changed that day, graduates said. "In the real event that has happened, the instructors are tightening down," Ranger graduate Stuart Farris, 28, of Carlisle, Pa., said. Ranger graduate Nicholas Dotti, 26, of Kinnelon, N.J., said the new sense of focus did not arise out of fear, but out of a sense of caring and responsibility for their fellow soldiers. "They know my face," Dotti said. "They know that this could be my last opportunity to train, and they don't want to see me on the news, dead in some ditch in Afghanistan." Sgt. 1st Class Henry Sitzler, a Ranger trainer, said he saw a change in students after Sept. 11. "The students are more willing to learn," he said. "They aren't as eager to slack off when they get the chance." Those chances, though, are few and far between during training, if they come at all. For the past 61 days, the 105 Ranger graduates spent 20 hours a day learning how, as a team, to sneak over mountains or lakes or through deserts with little food or water and carrying their supplies and ammunition along. Once they reach their destination, Rangers are trained to take out their targets quickly and silently, with or without weapons. Training comes in three sessions, each of which lasts three weeks. The first, held at Fort Benning, focuses on hand-to-hand combat. The second, held in Dahlonega, focuses on mountain maneuvering. The third, held in Eglin, Fla., takes trainees through the swamps. They also learn to use specialized weapons, wire and detonate explosives and drop from or be picked up by a helicopter that never lands. They even face an enemy, known as Merrill's Platoon. The opposing force consists of soldiers, most of whom have passed Ranger training, who act as the bad guys. Tuscaloosa's Smith is a member of Merrill's Platoon and says he and the rest of his platoon do not associate socially with the Ranger trainees or know any of their names. Smith left his hometown at 18 to join the Army and was stationed as an airborne infantry soldier in Fort Richardson, Alaska, for three years. When he re-enlisted, he decided to join the opposing forces at Ranger School in order to be closer to home, he said. He earned his Ranger certification in June. His job as part of Merrill's Platoon is to toughen Ranger trainees by making them face live opponents. "It simulates guerrilla warfare so the Rangers get used to that environment," he said. "We get into three-man teams and go out and look for them. When we find them, we aggress them." Ranger graduates said the most difficult part of training, though, is not overcoming the enemy but overcoming the harsh conditions and any desire to quit. Col. Hazen Baron, head of the Ranger School, said trainees fail the course and are not allowed to repeat it if they make a "lack of motivation statement" - if they say they are quitting or cannot get the job done. "To me, it just teaches you confidence and endurance," Dotti said. "Anybody can be a good leader when it's sunny and 80 degrees outside. When you're cold and tired and miserable, can you still lead effectively? That's what you have to find out about yourself." Baron said the men also must learn to work as a team, to know when to give orders, when to follow them and when to trust each other. "You don't earn your tab. Someone else earns it for you," Arita said. "When you have a successful mission, it's not because you made the best decisions but because others listened to you and helped you get the job done." Proof of the harsh conditions these men must endure has come on days such as March 20, 1976, or February 15, 1995, when 12 Ranger trainees died of cold-related injuries. A memorial honoring these men and others stands outside Ranger headquarters at Fort Benning. Inside headquarters, a gym-size hall of fame with pictures of past Rangers covering the walls demonstrates what Ranger trainees will become if they survive training without giving up. One such man is Pat Hurley, whose name was given to the Ranger demonstration site, Hurley Hill at Fort Benning. Hurley died during a special operations mission in Desert Storm after serving in Granada and Panama. Public Affairs Officer Christopher Schott was a friend of Hurley's. Schott, who earned his Ranger tab in 1984, served with Hurley in Panama. "If the war continues in Afghanistan and things get bad, we're going to need another Pat Hurley," Schott said. "Freedom is not free. It comes with a price." The air of self-sacrifice and seeming absence of fear is expected of Army Rangers. It's part of the Ranger Creed, recited with smiles Friday by the 105 newest Army Rangers. "I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other soldier," they shouted in perfect unison. "Never shall I fail my comrades. ... Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. ... Surrender is not a Ranger word. ... Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor. "Rangers lead the way!"
October 15, 2001 Secretary of State Powell visited Pakistan, where he praised the "bold and courageous" measures that President Musharraf had taken. He announced that Richard N. Haass, Director of Policy Planning, would serve as a special assistant for Afghanistan. Haass would meet soon with UN officials in New York. Powell also planned to urge both Pakistan and India to resolve the Kashmir dispute. The Defense Department announced that an Air Force AC-130 gunship had taken part in the air campaign when it attacked a Taliban stronghold near Kandahar. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld announced that U.S. forces were dropping leaflets into Afghanistan along with food. Some urged the finders to tune into "Information Radio." Rumsfeld called Taliban charges of 300 civilian deaths "ridiculous," although he admitted that the United States had not made an effective presentation of its case in the Middle East and South Asia. Rumsfeld and General Myers said that the attack on Karam had targeted a cave complex that apparently contained large amounts of ammunition. Former King Mohammed Zahir Shah addressed a letter to members of the UN Security Council in which he urged them to establish a UN peacekeeping force for Afghanistan should the Taliban government collapse. National Security Adviser Rice was interviewed on Al-Jazeera. She sought to assure her audience that the United States was not at war with Islam, expressed concern at Saddam Hussein's quest for weapons of mass destruction, and said that different means would be used with different countries in the fight against terrorism. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi met with President Bush at the White House.
October 16, 2001 At the Pentagon, Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold said that U.S. air attacks had "eviscerated" the Taliban's armed forces. Northern Alliance forces claimed to be about to capture the city of Mazar-e Sharif. Secretary of State Powell concluded his visit to Pakistan and continued to India. President Musharraf admitted that a majority of his people opposed the U.S. air campaign in Afghanistan but said that Pakistan would stay in the coalition for as long as necessary. Powell and Musharraf agreed that there was a role for moderate elements of the Taliban in a postwar Afghan government and urged Afghan opposition groups to hasten their efforts to form one. In northern Afghanistan, Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah rejected any Taliban role in a postwar government. Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, said that U.S. air attacks and increasing lawlessness inside Afghanistan were preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Defense Department, meanwhile, admitted that a Navy plane had accidentally bombed a warehouse used by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Kabul. Taliban military forces were believed to be storing equipment in nearby buildings. The House of Representatives approved by a voice vote a 2-year waiver of U.S. restrictions on economic aid to Pakistan. Secretary of State Powell sent a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in which he recommended that restrictions on financial aid to Azerbaijan should be lifted in view of that country's assistance to the U.S. anti-terrorist campaign. At the UN, special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi advised the Security Council against sending a peacekeeping force to Afghanistan without assuring political and financial support. He envisioned the UN's postwar role as humanitarian aid, helping the Afghans to form a broadly based government, and reconstruction. CNN announced that it planned to submit six questions to bin Laden through Al-Jazeera. They would include Bin Laden and al-Qaida's role in the September 11 attacks and in later outbreaks of anthrax, whether al-Qaida had trained or financed the hijackers, whether other foreign governments had been involved, whether bin Laden had weapons of mass destruction and planned to use them, how he would respond to Islamic leaders who called his attacks on the United States unjustified, and "how can you and your followers advocate the killing of innocent people."
October 16, 2001 When American pilots finish the bombing phase of the campaign in Afghanistan, the next wave of the war will be fought on the mountainous nation's rocky terrain. And that, many expect, will set the stage for the Army's Special Forces commandos -- the Green Berets of military lore. They won't talk about any plans in Afghanistan, but based on interviews with veterans, military experts and unclassified documents, a picture of how they might work emerges. After sliding down helicopter lines or parachuting from low-flying Air Force transport planes, they'll hit theground running with the latest high-tech gear. Each soldier is likely to be carrying a custom-tailored rifle along with a kit of attachments, including grenade launchers and nighttime sights. Many will be outfitted with a full set of Kevlar body armor and a helmet that weighs only three pounds. They'll bring in water in bladders strapped to their bodies and prepackaged, ready-to-eat meals. Dangling from belts or packed into rucksacks will be other gadgets: night-vision goggles and digital cameras, hand-held global-positioning-system receivers and maybe a laptop computer to send after-action reports to satellites overhead. The Green Berets are just one part of the so-called special-operations troops now widely expected to play a crucial role in the fight against Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and the Taliban regime that hosts it in Afghanistan. These troops are trained to drop behind enemy lines, where they could secure usable airstrips or search for Taliban outposts and terrorist sites that this week's strikes missed. Many are also trained to help in humanitarian relief efforts, and some could be assigned to hunt down specific targets such as Mr. bin Laden and his associates. Special-ops troops aren't used to being the center of U.S. military campaigns. In past conflicts, they've been used to support larger, more conventional forces. Relying on these elite units may make sense against the unconventional threats presented in Afghanistan, but it has its pitfalls. Intelligence efforts before and during special operations are crucial to keep commandos out of harm's way, and past setbacks have shown that being able to pull out units quickly is also key. Soldiers volunteer for these jobs, often attracted by the adventure of the force's high-risk, clandestine missions. Getting in isn't easy: Each service -- the Army, Navy and Air Force -- vets recruits with intense physical and psychological testing. The Green Berets generally prefer more mature officers and enlisted personnel, with five to 10 years in the military already. Combat experience helps and so does an outgoing personality: The troops are as likely to teach others how to fight as to do the work themselves. Life has changed in recent years for the 43,000 active duty and reserve special-operations soldiers and sailors, and not just because of the high-tech gear they've picked up. After a massive reorganization in the late 1980s, soldiers from the three separate service branches came together under one command for the first time. That means Army Green Berets, Navy Seals and Air Force special-operations pilots and commandos all work together. The Pentagon is spending $3.7 billion this year on outfitting these fighters, according to the U.S. Special Operations Command, the unified headquarters located at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. Current special-ops plans are cloaked in secrecy, and commanders won't even discuss options they may be considering in Afghanistan. But military experts suggest that scores -- possibly hundreds -- of gadget-laden troops could be involved. The Army's Special Forces probably will be the first to enter the region. They are likely to fly to the area aboard cargo planes landing at secure airfields outside Afghanistan. Indeed, some Special Forces landings have already been reported in Uzbekistan, on Afghanistan's northern border. From there, they could move into less-secure areas aboard Chinook helicopters flown by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Those choppers, which carry 20 commandos each, can be launched from the airfields in Uzbekistan, or perhaps from fields captured in northern Afghanistan itself. "We Own the Nights" Navy helicopters also could be used to ferry troops from aircraft carriers operating nearby. These missions are usually carried out in darkness, giving night-trained U.S. forces a big advantage over most threats -- including anywhere from 200 to 500 Stinger missiles still believed to be in the hands of Afghanistan's Taliban forces. "We own the nights," says retired Maj. Gen. David L. Grange, a former Special Forces commander. Special Forces troops will be ready to fight, but their primary mission may be something quite different. These troops are trained to show up in unfamiliar, sometimes hostile cultures, make friends quickly and teach resistance pockets or opposition leaders how best to fight for themselves. Thus, their focus may be working with the Northern Alliance or some of the other Afghan forces already trying to oust the Taliban in a grinding civil war. "They train to train others," says Anna Simons, who teaches special-operations officers at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. "All the Rambo stuff is a gross exaggeration." Before dropping, they will have combed lists of resistance fighters who worked with U.S. operatives in the 1980s during the Afghan resistance movement against the Soviet Union. "I would guess that in the last several weeks, they've been tapping into the old boys' network," says retired Col. Henry G. Gole, a former Special Forces soldier. Special Forces soldiers jump in with packs that weigh up to 200 pounds. Some carry a newly designed M-4 Carbine rifle -- a modification of the trusty but clunky M-16 -- and a selection of special fittings for the gun, including powerful scopes, a grenade launcher and laser and infrared aiming devices. They may also carry claymore mines, rectangular plates resembling football shinpads that can be detonated remotely to release a deadly spray of steel balls. For the cold weather of the looming Central Asian winter, troops bundle up in camouflage Gore-Tex outerwear and heavy parkas and hoods. Soldiers working together will often sleep two in a sleeping bag to retain body heat. Besides standard- issue equipment, Special Forces troops supplement their equipment with the latest wrist watches or hand-held computers they may have picked up at the local electronics store. And Army outfitters are always testing out new electronics. "We're gadget freaks," says one former Special Forces officer. After-action and intelligence reports require laptop computers on some missions. Hewlett-Packard 300 and 600 series have been especially popular because of their rugged construction and the ease with which they connect to the military's satellite- communications equipment, according to "Special Forces," a nonfiction guide to the community written by military novelist Tom Clancy. On the other hand, some Special Forces troops might shed all this equipment and adopt local dress to blend in to populated areas. Close on the Special Forces' heels may be more conventional troops -- Army Rangers or the Marine Corps. Thousands of Marines are stationed on Navy ships in the vicinity of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf, and they could be dropped in or around Afghanistan from ship-based helicopters. Rangers, especially the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, are trained to take out and secure airstrips and ports. When they go in, they can be expected to stay a while -- from weeks to months -- in order to establish support bases for smaller missions of special-ops troops. The bases these troops set up would also provide critical search-and-rescue support for smaller attack teams that would follow. They would likely be Green Berets or maybe even Navy Seals with regional expertise or language skills. These teams would search out targets that may be obscured from bombers or cruise-missile platforms -- moving columns of troops or vehicles, hidden command bunkers or bridges and tortuous roadways tucked along mountainsides. The teams, working in small groups of about a dozen, don't need to get too close to their targets. With a "ground laser target designator," commandos can illuminate targets with laser beams while Navy or Air Force bombers or Army attack helicopters aim their guided bombs and missiles where the laser points. By attaching the system to GPS and radio equipment, ground forces also can beam up precise targeting coordinates to incoming strike aircraft. By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2001 -- Coalition military forces have dropped "well over 2,000" munitions in more than a week of aerial strikes on Al Qaeda and Taliban sites in Afghanistan, but U.S. military officials caution against using these numbers to "keep score" in the war on terrorism. "(The numbers) are not the measure of effectiveness of a military campaign," Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory S. Newbold, Joint Staff director of operations, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing. "Box scores are generally not helpful." Newbold said Oct. 15 was a day of particularly heavy strikes. Roughly 100 aircraft, mostly off Navy carriers, struck targets in 12 areas, including a terrorist camp and a training area. "We struck the Taliban forces in a robust way that included troop and vehicle staging areas, some storage and maintenance sheds. And we hit some troop equipment storage buildings," he added. Newbold also noted AC-130 Spectre gunships were used in Afghanistan for the first time Oct. 15. He said the AC-130 is a particularly effective weapon platform for a mission like this because it allows precision strikes, making it harder for accidental misfires to hit unintended civilian targets. Newbold and DoD spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said they couldn't confirm reports that a U.S. bomb hit a Red Cross warehouse in Kabul, the Afghan capital. "As we get some good information, we'll let you know," Clarke told reporters. She also warned against reading too much into the normal ebb and flow of battle. "While at times you may see a certain leveling off of activities, other less visible activities may be under way," Clarke said. "The war against terrorism is a wide-ranging effort." She also gave an update on how reserve component forces are being used within the United States. To date, 53 state and territory governors have called 7,038 guardsmen to active duty to provide security assistance to 416 commercial airports, she said. In all, 27,802 National Guard and Reserve troops have been called to active duty for various missions.
October 17, 2001 During a stop at Travis Air Force Base on his way to the APEC Summit in Shanghai, President Bush said "We're paving the way for friendly troops on the ground to slowly, but surely, tighten the net" around the Taliban. He admitted that the war on terrorism might take more than 2 years and that there might be political consequences if the public got tired of it. In New Delhi, Secretary of State Powell assured Indian officials that the United States stood "shoulder to shoulder" with them in the campaign against terrorism, including that directed against India. He reportedly carried a promise from President Musharraf that Pakistan would curb extremists in Kashmir. While flying from New Delhi to Shanghai, Powell endorsed a strong UN role in the postwar political reconstruction of Afghanistan and did not rule out a peacekeeping force. Special envoy Brahimi, however, believed that a UN military force probably would be resisted and said that the Secretary General was not interested in involving the UN in either forming an interim government or reconstruction. The Defense Department admitted to two new developments in the air campaign in Afghanistan: F-15E fighters based in Persian Gulf states were taking part and armed unmanned drones (Predators equipped with Hellfire missiles) had been used for the first time. Rear Adm. John D. Stufflebeem denied that U.S. forces were making any special effort to coordinate their attacks with the Northern Alliance but said that U.S. planes had begun patrolling designated "engagement zones" in search of mobile targets and were "flex-targeting" nadjacent areas if nothing appeared in a designated zone. In Afghanistan, reinforced Taliban forces counterattacked Northern Alliance forces at Mazar-e Sharif. Taliban forces also seized World Food Program warehouses in Kabul and Kandahar, to the alarm of international relief organizations. Iran announced that it would conduct search-and-rescue missions if U.S. pilots operating over Afghanistan should crash in its territory.
October 18, 2001 President Bush met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin at the APEC Summit Meeting in Shanghai and said that China had agreed to share intelligence and help with the financial campaign against terrorism. The Defense Department admitted that U.S. Special Forces were operating in southern Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and General Myers hinted that the war in Afghanistan would become more intense. Rumsfeld said that the United States was prepared to aid the Northern Alliance. "Commando Solo" EC-130 aircraft were broadcasting messages urging civilians to stay away from potential targets and not to interfere with U.S. forces. Special representative Haass met with UN officials in New York to discuss a possible UN role in postwar Afghanistan. The Government of Uzbekistan announced that it would allow relief supplies to be delivered to northern Afghanistan. Japan's House of Representatives approved a bill allowing the Self-Defense Forces to provide logistical support for the anti-terrorist campaign. Related bills allowed the Self-Defense Forces to protect U.S. bases in Japan and the Coast Guard to use force against suspicious ships in Japanese waters.
October 19, 2001 In the first acknowledged action by U.S. ground forces in Afghanistan, Army Rangers and Special Forces seized an airfield in the south and attacked Mullah Mohammed Omar's headquarters near Kandahar. One helicopter on a supporting mission crashed in southern Pakistan, killing two soldiers. The Defense Department denied Taliban claims that the helicopter had been damaged over Afghanistan and that the U.S. raiders had been quickly driven off. Genneral Myers later said that there were no U.S. casualties, resistance had been light, Taliban losses were unknown, no Taliban leaders were on the premises, but potentially useful information had been captured. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld admitted that the United States was supplying money and ammunition to Northern Alliance forces and that there was good "coordination" with them. After meeting with President Zemin at the Shanghai APEC Summit, President Bush announced a new "constructive and cooperative relationship" with China. President Zemin urged the United States to minimize civilian casualties in Afghanistan and to seek a wider UN role in the conflict. Russian President Putin declared his "outright support" for the United States. UN special envoy Brahimi came to Washington to discuss the UN's role in postwar Afghanistan with Vice President Cheney and Deputy Secretary Armitage. European Union heads of government met at Ghent and declared their support for the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan and pledged to help reconstruct the country once the Taliban had been replaced by a stable and representative government. By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2001 Ground forces, including Army Rangers, operating under U.S. Central Command struck two terrorist sites inside Afghanistan Oct. 19, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed. DoD officials said two soldiers were killed in a Blackhawk helicopter accident in Pakistan. Their names have not been released. Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said during a Pentagon briefing that the troops struck and destroyed an airfield in southern Afghanistan and a Taliban command and control center near Kandahar. "U.S. forces were able to deploy, maneuver and operate inside Afghanistan without significant interference from Taliban forces," Myers said, adding that the troops did encounter "light resistance." Myers showed video clips of special forces troops to Pentagon reporters. The video clips showed servicemen packing individual bags, loading onto transport aircraft and later jumping out of those aircraft for an airborne assault inside Afghanistan. The video was taken at night with night-vision equipment, Myers explained. He noted that the service members found and destroyed a small weapons cache at the airfield. Myers refused to disclose how many troops were involved or any more details of how they got into or out of Afghanistan, saying only that "they accomplished their objective." Part of the forces' mission was to collect intelligence, he said. "One of the things I simply can't do is talk about any of the tactics, techniques and procedures that we used beyond what you've seen on that tape," Myers said in response to reporters pressing for more details. "If I were to divulge that, then the next time we conduct an operation somewhere in this world people would have an understanding of how we operate." Myers dismissed outright Taliban claims that they shot down the helicopter in which two soldiers died. "I think it's pretty well established the Taliban lie," he said. "Any claims they shot this helicopter down are absolutely false." He said the crash is classified as an "aircraft mishap" and is currently being investigated. He speculated the crash may have resulted from reduced visibility from landing in large amounts of flying dust at night. But, "it's going to be up to the mishap investigation board to tell us finally," he said. The chairman expressed his sympathy for the families of the two soldiers killed. "They, and all who are participating in Operation Enduring Freedom, are heroes," Myers said. "They put their lives on the line on behalf of freedom and on behalf of America. And they do it each and every day." President Bush, speaking in China where he is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, said, "I want to assure the loved ones that the soldiers died in a cause that is just and right, and that we will prevail. "These soldiers will not have died in vain," he said. Myers also said five others were injured in the night's missions three on the helicopter that crashed in Pakistan, and two others during the airborne landing. He said none of the service members had life-threatening injuries. Defense officials didn't give any other details about the condition or the identities of those injured. Meanwhile, air operations continued as well. Roughly 100 strike aircraft hit 15 planned targets, including anti- aircraft artillery sites, ammunition and vehicle storage depots and military training facilities. Four C-17 flights dropped 68,000 humanitarian ration packs as well. Myers had words of high praise for all the troops involved in these operations. "The credibility of any of the senior leadership in the services rests really with the professionalism and the way our young forces members conduct themselves day in and day out," he said. "They have never let us down."
October 20, 2001 At the APEC Summit Meeting, President Bush called the September 11 attacks "an attack on all civilized countries." He met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed, who said that the two had agreed to disagree about the U.S. air campaign. The Presidents and Foreign Ministers of Russia and China expressed their hopes for a peaceful solution in which the UN Security Council could play a major role. President Bush also praised Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi's cooperation. In Islamabad, a Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that Pakistani officials had met with Mullah Jalaluddin Haqqani, a Taliban leader from Khost Province, to discuss a possible role in a postwar Afghan government.
OEF Timeline:September
OEF Timeline:October 21-31
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