Global Special Operations

SITE NAVIGATION MENU TABLE OF CONTENTS 160th SOAR(A) AFSO ASSOC. 9-11-01 ATTACKS AU SPECIAL AIR SERVICE AWARDS RECEIVED BOSNIA BUMPER STICKERS CIVIL AFFAIRS/PSYOPS COMBAT VIDEOS CREDITS CSM MILLER TRIBUTE DISCLAIMER DEPT. OF DEFENSE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION GAMES ROOM GENERAL INTEREST Global SOF Directory GULF WAR GOVERNMENT (US) HEADLINES HOLIDAY POEMS HOMELAND SECURITY HOMEPAGE HUMOR INTERNATIONAL IRAQ IS COMMANDOS KOREAN WAR LETTERS LOCATOR SERVICES MULTIMEDIA GALLERY NET RESEARCH PRIMER NAVAL SpecWar COMMAND NAVAL SpecWar WEAPONS NEW SPECOPS BOOKS NZ SPECIAL AIR SERVICE PEARL HARBOR PRIVACY RANGERS SEALS SFA CHAPTER PORTAL SO COMMAND SO FLASH SO MEDAL OF HONOR SO PATCH SO WEAPONS SPECIAL FORCES SPETNAZ SUPPORT TROOPS TERRORISM TERRORISM PORTAL TIME & WEATHER WORLDWIDE TRAVEL & RELOCATION TROOPS TRIBUTES PORTAL UK SAS UK SBS US ARMY US AIR FORCE US FLAG US MARINE CORPS US NAVY VIETNAM WAR VETS BENEFITS WHATS NEW WOMEN IN AVIATION WRITINGS WORLD WAR I WORLD WAR II

Local time Amsterdam Auckland Baghdad Bangkok Beijing Beriut Berlin Buenos Aires Chicago Denver Honolulu Hong Kong Kabul London GMT Los Angeles Moscow New York Rome San Francisco Sydney Tel Aviv Tokyo Washington, D. C. Featured Web Site

Dept. of State
Office of the Historian
Bureau of Public Affairs

The Global War on Terrorism:
A Chronology Sep.-Dec. 2001


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, D.C., 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 in 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: 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 had also 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 had 
also 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 Osama 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 had 
also 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 re-open on September 17.

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta announced that U.S. airspace 
would be reopened to commercial air traffic. Airports would re-open 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, Counterterrorism, 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 
State 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: President Bush met with his national security advisors 
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 Osama 
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 
Muslins, 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 Osama 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. anti-terrorist 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 non-essential 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 against the United States in the hunt for Osama 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 Osama 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: 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 fourteen-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 
measurers 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 
Governor 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 two-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.

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."

President Bush telephoned the Presidents of Turkey and Nigeria and the Sultan 
of Oman before traveling to Camp David for the weekend.

Secretary of State Powell met with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, who 
promised non-military 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.

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 over 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 would also 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 Condoleezza 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 tha 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 non-violent 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 non-military 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 two-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: Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem met with Secretary of 
State Powell and pledged his country’s support to the war on terrorism.

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 non-essential 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 Talabin 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 
videoconferenced with the NSC. In his weekly radio address, he spoke of "a 
different kind of war," adding that the United States condemned the 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. Gen. 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.

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 re-open 
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 therefore 
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.

While returning from Central Asia, Rumsfeld visited Ankara, where he met with Prime 
Minister Bulent Ecevit and senior Turkish officials, and thanked Turkey for its 
assitance to the anti-terrorist campaign.

The State Department issued its biennal list of groups designated by the Secretary 
of State as foreign terrorist organizations. Hamas, Hizbollah, al-Qaida, the 
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 two 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 8 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 thirty 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. Governor 
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 
two-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 and warned that his country had only limited 
ability to accept Afghan refugees.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States. 
However, there was widespread rioting in the Gaza Strip, 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.

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. Gen. 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 cyber-security, 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 Suleiman 
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 Osama 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 three-day supply of ciprofloxacin in the event of an anthrax attack.

National Security Adviser Rice contacted the executives of 5 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 one dollar 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." Major General 
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: 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 Gen. 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 two-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 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 two 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 Admiral 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" adjacent 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 Gen. 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 2 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. Gen. 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.

EU 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.

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.

October 21, 2001: As U.S. planes attacked Taliban forces north of Kabul, Secretary of 
State Powell said that he expected Northern Alliance forces to "start moving on Kabul 
more aggressively" and eventually "invest" it. He declined to speculate about reports 
that President Bush had directed the CIA to destroy bin Laden and al-Qaida or about 
the origins of anthrax outbreaks in the United States. He hoped that the campaign in 
Afghanistan could be concluded before winter, and said that while "there is no place 
for the current Taliban leadership" in a postwar government, Taliban followers had to 
be included.

APEC leaders issued a statement condemning the September 11 attacks on the United 
States and agreeing on the need to deny terrorist access to money and arms and to 
expand cooperation between customs systems. Participants declined to comment about 
the U.S. air campaign in Afghanistan.

President Putin stopped in Tajikistan while returning from the APEC Summit Meeting. 
He met with Burhanuddin Rabbani of the Northern Alliance and pledged that Russia 
would supply it with arms. He later said that Russia recognized the Northern 
Alliance as the only legitimate government of Afghanistan.

October 22, 2001: As U.S. planes attacked Taliban positions near the Bagram air base 
and Mazar-e Sharif, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld denied Taliban claims that U.S. 
helicopters had been shot down, prisoners had been taken, and that a hospital in He 
rat had been bombed. He also said that U.S. air attacks were now in direct support 
of Northern Alliance forces.

During an interview for CNN’s "Larry King Live," President Musharraf warned of wider 
opposition in the Muslim world if the U.S. air campaign continued into Ramadan. In 
his news conference, however, Secretary Rumsfeld noted that there were many 
instances in which Muslim countries had fought each other or other countries during 
religious holidays.

Afghan opposition groups announced that they would meet in Istanbul as a first step 
toward forming a postwar government.

The United States signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to help it clean up a site 
where Soviet biological weapons were tested on an island in the Aral Sea.

Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
addressed the Council on Foreign Relations and feared that the air campaign in 
Afghanistan made the United States look like "a high-tech bully," and that the longer 
it lasted, the more vulnerable the United States would be to criticism in the Muslim 
world.

October 23, 2001: Defense Department spokesman Victoria Clarke admitted that U.S. 
planes had accidentally bombed a senior citizens’ home near Herat and a residential 
district near Kabul, but declined to comment on Taliban claims that the first attack 
had killed 100 civilians. 

After meeting with Security Council representatives, UN special envoy Brahimi 
announced that he planned to visit South Asia to meet with representatives of 
various Afghan political groups.

October 24, 2001: At the Pentagon, Adm. Stufflebeem said that the Taliban appeared 
ready for a long struggle. Stufflebeem also said that the Taliban might poison food 
supplied by international agencies and blame it on the United States and were using 
civilians as human shields in efforts to shelter personnel and equipment from U.S. 
air attacks.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited Washington and met with Secretary of 
State Powell, who said that military operations in Afghanistan would continue 
through Ramadan. Powell appeared before the House International Relations Committee 
in his first Congressional appearance since September 11 and discussed prospects for 
assembling a postwar government for Afghanistan. He said that the makeup of such a 
government was unclear, except that the Taliban would have no place in it. He 
expected the UN to play an important role. He also said that an airlift of food aid 
into Afghanistan might be necessary.

The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan agreed to open their borders to UN 
relief supplies bound for Afghanistan.

Over a thousand representatives of Afghan opposition groups met in Peshawar to 
discuss a possible postwar government. However, representatives of former King 
Mohammed Zahir Shah boycotted the meeting. Northern Alliance representatives were 
also conspicuously absent.

The Turkish Government offered to host a meeting of Afghan opposition groups at a 
time and place to be determined.

Pakistani officials said that a U.S. air raid on October 23 had killed 22 Pakistani 
guerrillas who were fighting alongside the Taliban near Kabul. The dead were members 
of the Harkat ul-Mujaheddin, which had also fought Indian forces in Kashmir; their 
group had been placed on the State Department’s official list of terrorist 
organizations in 1995.

October 25, 2001: President Bush met with Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad 
Khalifa of Bahrain, and designated Bahrain a "major non-NATO ally.’ He also called 
Crown Prince Abdullah to thank him for Saudi Arabia’s cooperation in the anti-
terrorist campaign.

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld took exception to a headline in USA Today that implied 
that the United States expected that bin Laden would escape. He said that the hunt 
would continue and would be eventually successful. During the daily Defense 
Department briefing, he said that U.S. air strikes were mainly against Taliban forces 
facing the Northern Alliance, and that a B-52 had carpet-bombed Taliban positions.

In London, Prime Minister Blair briefed Conservative Party leaders on plans to commit 
British ground troops to Afghanistan.

The U.S. Government formed a 100-member team in New York, to track the financial 
assets of terrorists. Most of the team would be from the Customs Service and had 
prior experience in tracking funds from drug trafficking and related activities.

October 26, 2001: The Taliban claimed to have captured and executed Abdul Haq, a 
prominent opposition leader among Afghanistan’s Pashtun community. Haq and two 
companions were apparently trying to persuade tribal leaders to defect. The Defense 
Department declined to comment on reports that Americans were with Haq before his 
capture, or that he had sought air support. State Department Spokesman Boucher called 
Haq’s death "regrettable," but not a fatal setback to efforts to topple the Taliban 
regime.

In London, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram announced that 200 Royal Marine Commandos 
would be made available for service in Afghanistan, and that 400 more would be placed 
on alert. An 11-ship Royal Navy task force would join U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean 
after completing maneuvers near Oman.

In Pakistan, President Musharraf expressed concerns that "anarchy and atrocity" would 
follow the collapse of the Taliban unless the coalition devised a "political strategy."

The State Department issued its annual report on religious freedom in the world. The 
report criticized practices in Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan although it 
did not place them among states of "particular concern" (Iran, China, Burma, Sudan, 
Iraq, and, most recently, North Korea). It mentioned Afghanistan’s Taliban, even 
though the United States had not recognized the Taliban as a legitimate government.

October 27, 2001: The Taliban claimed to have captured and executed five leaders and 
ten soldiers of the Northern Alliance. Northern Alliance leader Rabbani confirmed the 
death of Abdul Haq.

The London Sunday Telegraph interviewed Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, who 
said that he expected the United States and Great Britain to use the "war on terrorism" 
as an excuse to attack his country and overthrow Saddam Hussein. He predicted that such 
an attack would break up the coalition.

President Bush signed into law a bill allowing him to waive sanctions imposed on 
Pakistan after Gen. Musharraf’s seizure of power in 1999.

The Government of Pakistan announced that it had turned a suspected al-Qaida member 
over to U.S. authorities. Jamil Qasin Saeed Mohammad of Yemen was suspected of 
involvement in the October 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Aden.

October 28, 2001: Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld told CNN’s "Late Edition" that the 
United States had been assisting the Northern Alliance with air strikes, would support 
occupation of Kabul by the Northern Alliance, and planned to continue the air campaign 
through Ramadan. When asked about civilian casualties, Rumsfeld noted that the Taliban 
was using mosques, schools, and hospitals to shelter military equipment and supplies.

The "Army of Omar" claimed responsibility for the massacre of 16 Pakistani Christians 
worshipping in a Catholic church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. President Musharraf condemned 
the attack.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers announced that Pakistan would open its 
borders to the neediest Afghan refugees.

October 29, 2001: Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III 
warned that more terrorist attacks could be expected against U.S. interests at home or 
overseas within the next week.

After a meeting with U.S. Army General Tommy R. Franks in Islamabad, President Musharraf 
called for a bombing pause during Ramadan. In Washington, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld 
said that the terrorists "are unlikely to take [a] holiday" and observed that there were 
many historical examples of Muslim countries continuing to wage war during Ramadan. In 
London, however, British Secretary of Defense Geoff Hoon told reporters that a bombing 
pause would not be ruled out.

The White House announced that President Bush planned to meet with President Musharraf 
at the UN General Assembly on November 10. The State Department announced the over $1 
billion in economic aid would be offered to "strengthen" Pakistan.

During the Defense Department briefing, Rumsfeld said that U.S. planes were dropping 
ammunition to Northern Alliance forces. He did not rule out the possibility of 
establishing a forward base in Afghanistan. Gen. Myers said that "We are in the driver 
seat," and that U.S. forces were setting the pace for the campaign.

Rumsfeld also said that about 30 U.S. military personnel were serving as advisers to 
the Philippine Army against Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels on the island of Basilan.

Japan’s Diet approved legislation that would allow its Self-Defense Forces to provide 
logistical support for the U.S. campaign against terrorism.

October 30, 2001: Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld acknowledged that "a very modest number 
of " U.S. troops were in Afghanistan to coordinate air strikes and to provide logistical 
support for the Northern Alliance. He said that 80% of the day’s attacks were on Taliban 
front-line units in northern Afghanistan. Senior officials said that deployment of air 
and ground units to Central Asia was being considered. Rumsfeld declined to comment 
about reports of possible defections or supply problems among Taliban forces. He also 
announced plans visit Russia and Central Asia.

Gen. Franks, chief of the U.S. Central Command, visited Uzbekistan and met with 
President Karimov and senior officials.

British Defense Secretary Hoon visited Washington and met with senior officials and 
members of Congress. He suggested that the United States should take Ramadan into 
account when conducting the air campaign.

In Britain, Prime Minister Blair addressed the Welsh National Assembly in Cardiff, 
called the anti-terrorism campaign "a principled conflict," and pledged to use all 
possible means. Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, Chief of the British Defense Staff, said 
that the conflict might last three or four years. Brigadier Roger Lane of the Royal 
Marines recommended that his forces not be sent to Afghanistan until they received 
additional training and intelligence.

In Pakistan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Lubbers met with President Musharraf 
and Taliban Ambassador Zaeef in hopes of assuring the security of UN relief workers 
and supplies in Afghanistan. Lubbers urged the United States and Britain to show 
"self-restraint" to minimize civilian casualties.

At the UN, Secretary-General Kofi Annan also called for a bombing halt to facilitate 
the delivery of urgently-needed humanitarian aid.

October 31, 2001: Gen. Franks met with Northern Alliance Gen. Mohammed Fahim in 
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to discuss further military cooperation. Meanwhile U.S. air 
attacks included a B-52 strike against Taliban positions near Bagram. Adm. 
Stufflebeem said the preferred term for such an attack was "long stick" rather than 
"carpet bombing."

The Defense Department announced that reserve call-ups would exceed 50,000. 
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld would leave on November 2 to visit Moscow and various 
countries near Afghanistan.

AID announced that it would supply the UN and other humanitarian agencies with $11.2 
million to buy up to 30,000 tons of wheat from Central Asian countries for relief in 
Afghanistan. Administrator Andrew Natsios briefed President Bush on the impending food 
crisis in Afghanistan.

The European Union agreed to reinterpret its understanding of UN sanctions against 
Afghanistan so that arms could be supplied to opponents of the Taliban.

Saudi Arabia announced that it would freeze the assets of 66 persons and organizations 
on the U.S. list of sponsors of terrorism.

The U.S. Mission at the UN rejected a French proposal to seek Security Council 
condemnation of the anthrax attacks in the United States on the grounds that there was 
no clear proof that the attacks were of foreign origin.

In Kabul, Taliban spokesman Amir Khan Muttaqi said that negotiations with the United 
States were possible if it provided proof of bin Laden’s involvement in the September 
11 attacks. 

November 1, 2001:  Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said that he planned to increase the 
number of Special Forces troops operating with the Northern Alliance as soon as 
possible. U.S. forces were currently directing 80% of their sorties against targets 
in northern Afghanistan. The Defense Department also announced plans to deploy a 
JSTARS surveillance aircraft and an experimental Global Hawk drone to Afghanistan.

National Security Adviser Rice said that the air campaign would continue through 
Ramadan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia offered to extend overflight rights to U.S. aircraft during 
the campaign against terrorism. The Administration in turn urged a House-Senate 
conference committee to approve a Senate provision in the foreign aid appropriations 
bill that would allow President Bush to waive a ban on military aid to Azerbaijan. 

Turkey announced that it would sent 90 of its special forces troops to train the 
Northern Alliance.

President Bush proposed a plan to enforce the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention by 
calling on signatories to enact laws against developing biological weapons, as well 
as a UN procedure to investigate reports of their use.

Bin Laden, meanwhile, sent a handwritten letter to Al-Jazeera in which he urged 
Pakistan’s Muslims to resist the "Christian crusade."

November 2, 2001: After a meeting with Nigerian President Obasanjo, President Bush 
said that the United States was "slowly but surely tightening the net" around bin 
Laden.

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld left for Russia and Central Asia. He admitted that a 
Navy air strike had been called in to successfully protect Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun 
opposition leader who was being pursued by Taliban forces.

The Defense Department admitted that an Army helicopter had crashed in northern 
Afghanistan during bad weather. Four injured crew members were rescued and an air 
strike destroyed the wreck. Adm. Stufflebeem admitted that freezing rain was 
hampering efforts to fly more Special Forces teams into Afghanistan.

The State Department announced the freezing of the financial assets of 22 foreign 
terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hizbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Popular 
Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Basque ETA, the Real IRA, and three 
Colombian groups.

In Kabul, Muslim clerics denounced Muslim states, particularly Turkey, that had 
failed to support the Taliban.

November 3, 2001: Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld visited Moscow to discuss missile 
defense, nuclear arms reductions, and cooperation against terrorism with Russian 
officials. He then proceeded to Tajikistan, which authorized U.S. military engineers 
to survey three former Soviet air bases for possible use in the air campaign in 
Afghanistan.

Al-Jazeera broadcast another taped message by bin Laden, in which called on Muslims 
to defend Afghanistan against the U.S. "crusade" and called Muslim leaders who relied 
on the UN "hypocrites." Al-Jazeera also broadcast a 15-minute rebuttal by former U.S. 
Ambassador Christopher W. S. Ross.

November 4, 2001: Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld visited Uzbekistan and then continued 
to Pakistan. In Islamabad, President Musharraf cautioned him that bombings during 
Ramadan might offend the Muslim world. He privatedly offered to let the United States 
use three air bases in western Pakistan. Rumsfeld said that the Taliban had ceased to 
function as a government although "concentrations of power" still existed.

Gen. Franks appeared on ABC-TV’s "This Week" and denied an article by Seymour Hersch 
in the New Yorker that claimed that 12 Delta Force soldiers had been wounded by enemy 
fire in an attack on a Taliban stronghold. Franks said that all injuries were minor 
and not the result of hostile action. On "Meet the Press," Gen. Myers said that more 
Special Forces teams had arrived in Afghanistan to direct air strikes, and that 
logistical support would make the Northern Alliance forces better-prepared for winter 
warfare than the Taliban. Both said that although the war would be a long one, it was 
proceeding on schedule.

The State Department had no comment on a Taliban report that an American citizen, 
identified as John Bolton, had been arrested on October 26 and had died while in 
captivity in Kandahar. ICRC officials later turned over documents to the U.S. Embassy 
in Islamabad.

As Arab League Foreign Ministers met in Damascus, Secretary-General Amr Moussa and 
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Maher denied that bin Laden spoke for all Arabs or 
Muslims.

November 5, 2001: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria visited President Bush, 
endorsed the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign, but also called for action to improve the 
conditions that terrorists exploited.

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld concluded his Central Asian tour with a visit to India. 
He praised Indian cooperation, called for closer political and military ties, and 
pledged support for India’s campaign against terrorists in Kashmir.

The State Department announced the appointment of former Assistant Secretary of State 
James Dobbins as a special envoy to Afghan opposition groups.

November 6, 2001: Northern Alliance forces claimed to have captured villages south of 
Mazar-e Sharif. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said that more Special Forces units would 
be sent to locate targets, and that the air campaign would intensify. The Defense 
Department said that it had used two BLU-82 15,000-pound bombs on Taliban targets on 
November 4. 

French President Chirac visited President Bush and reaffirmed his support for the U.S. 
anti-terrorist campaign. They also discussed humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and the 
need to continue the Middle East peace process.

President Bush addressed an anti-terrorism conference in Warsaw by satellite video. He 
compared militant Islamic terrorists to the totalitarian regimes of the 20th Century, 
said that their access to weapons of mass destruction would pose a "dark threat" to 
civilization, and that no nation could be neutral in the struggle.

Secretary of State Powell was interviewed by Egyptian television. When asked whether 
Iraq was a possible target in the campaign against terrorism, he said that "there are 
no plans at the moment to undertake any other military action." Links between the 
September 11 terrorists and Iraqi intelligence had not been proven.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced that Germany would provide up to 3,900 troops 
for support duties in the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan. These would include up to 100 
from a "special unit." The deployment would require approval by the lower house of 
Parliament.

In Islamabad, Embassy spokesman Mark Wentworth said that there was no evidence that a 
supposed relief worker who had died in Kandahar was an American citizen.

November 7, 2001: The United States froze the assets of 62 organizations and persons 
with suspected terrorist connections. Most were offices or affiliates of Al-Barakaat 
and Al-Taqwa, which were informal financial exchange institutions linking the United 
States with the Middle East and Somalia. FBI and Customs agents raided the offices of 
Al-Barakaat in Alexandria, Falls Church, Minneapolis, Boston, Seattle, and Columbus. 
Similar raids took place in Liechtenstein, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, and 
Switzerland. President Bush held a press conference at the Treasury Department’s 
financial crimes center and told the world’s financial institutions that failure to 
act against terrorism would prevent them from doing business with the United States.

President Bush also held a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Blair, 
in which the reaffirmed their commitment to the campaign against terrorism.

Secretary of State Powell replied to criticisms of Saudi Arabia’s role in the anti-
terrorism campaign when he told reporters at the State Department than Saudi Arabia 
had "excommunicated" bin Laden, severed relations with the Taliban, and responded 
positively to U.S. initiatives. Powell also met with Kuwait’s Acting Prime Minister, 
who said that his country was and would remain "allied to the United States."

The Defense Department announced that the U.S.S. John C. Stennis and its escorts were 
being readied for duty in the Indian Ocean, which would bring the number of U.S. 
aircraft carriers in the region to four.

The House of Representatives voted, 405-2, to establish a Radio Free Afghanistan to 
broadcast news and entertainment to the country in local languages. 

Pakistan asked Taliban diplomats to stop holding news conferences and restricted 
domestic broadcasts by Al-Jazeera in an effort to restrict the Taliban’s propaganda 
campaign. President Musharraf called once more for the suspension of the U.S. air 
campaign during Ramadan during a stop in Istanbul on his way to a meeting of the UN 
General Assembly.

The UN and Pakistan reached an agreement to establish camps for Afghan refugees in 
Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province.

The Italian Parliament voted to commit a naval task force and up to 2,700 troops to 
the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign.

November 8, 2001: President Bush gave a speech in the George World Congress Center in 
Atlanta in which he stressed the public’s responsibility for preventing terrorism. He 
proposed mobilizing members of the Senior Corps and AmeriCorps to assist police 
departments, health agencies, and areas hit by terrorists, and concluded, "My fellow 
Americans, let’s roll."

National Security Adviser Rice said that President Bush would not met with Palestinian 
Authority Chairman Yasir Arafat during the UN General Assembly in view of Arafat’s 
failure to prevent terrorism in Israel.

The Government of Lebanon rejected U.S. requests to freeze the assets of Hezbollah on 
the grounds that "resistance groups" were not terrorist organizations.

The Government of Pakistan forbade the Taliban’s Ambassador to hold press conferences, 
and ordered the Afghan Consulate in Karachi to close.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Valpayee began his visit to the United States. He expressed 
concern about the slow progress of the war in Afghanistan and predicted that the United 
States would need to commit substantial numbers of ground troops.

Three Japanese Naval Self-Defense Force ships left Sasebo for the Indian Ocean.

November 9, 2001: Northern Alliance forces captured Mazar-e Sharif and claimed that 
Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan were in retreat. Secretary of State Powell said 
that he would prefer to see Kabul be declared an "open city" rather than having it 
occupied by the Northern Alliance.

President Bush met with Indian Prime Minister Valpayee and expressed satisfaction with 
Indian and Saudi cooperation in the campaign against terrorism. Saudi Foreign Minister 
Prince Saud, however, expressed frustration with Bush’s failure to seek a new Middle 
East peace initiative.

At the UN General Assembly, Organization of the Islamic Conference members postponed 
action on an anti-terrorism treaty until November 19. They sought an exemption for 
"national liberation movements." U.S. Ambassador Negroponte attended an Iranian-
sponsored "Dialogue Among Civilization," during which he urged Muslim states not to 
accept bin Laden’s claim that the United States was at war with Islam.

Czech Foreign Minister Milos Zeman met with Secretary of State Powell on his way to 
the UN General Assembly. Zeman said that Mohamed Atta, mastermind of and participant 
in the September 11 attacks, had talked about attacking the headquarters of Radio 
Free Europe and Radio Liberty during a meeting with a suspected Iraqi intelligence 
agent in Prague. Zeman also said that there was no record that Atta discussed 
attacks on targets in the United States.

November 10, 2001: President Bush addressed the UN General Assembly and said that 
each nation would be expected to play its part in the war against terrorism and 
that the ‘allies of terror" would be held accountable. He also said that his 
administration was working for the day that "two states--Israel and Palestine could 
live peacefully together within secure and recognized borders."

Bush also met with President Musharraf and said that he would seek an additional $1 
billion in aid for Pakistan. Bush said that he would encourage the Northern Alliance 
to move south, but not into Kabul. When Musharraf addressed the UN General Assembly, 
he said that Pakistan had taken measures to ensure the security of its nuclear 
weapons. Musharraf also met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to discuss their 
countries’ policies in Afghanistan.

Two Pakistani newspapers published an interview by journalist Hamid Mir with bin 
Laden, in which bin Laden claimed to have chemical and nuclear weapons, which he 
would use if the coalition used weapons of mass destruction on his forces. Bin Laden 
claimed ignorance of anthrax outbreaks in the United States.

November 11, 2001: With Northern Alliance forces claiming to have liberated 6 
northern provinces, the Taliban conceded the loss of three of them and claimed to 
be making a "strategic withdrawal." The Northern Alliance claimed a major victory 
over the Taliban at Taloqan. Foreign Minister Abdullah said that the Northern 
Alliance intended to fight "up to the gates of Kabul," but would only enter the 
capital to prevent a breakdown of law and order or the entry of Pakistani troops.

In New York, President Musharraf warned of anarchy and atrocities if the Northern 
Alliance captured Kabul and insisted that the Pashtuns must be involved in a 
postwar political settlement. He said that debt relief from the United States 
depended on a new agreement between Pakistan and the IMF. Secretary of State Powell 
said on "Meet the Press" that the United States had no plans to release F-16s that 
had been purchased by Pakistan and that had been impounded after Pakistan tested 
nuclear weapons.

Secretaries Powell and Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Rice all expressed 
skepticism that bin Laden had nuclear weapons. Rumsfeld told "Face the Nation" that 
bin Laden probably had chemical and biological weapons, and that U.S. forces had 
bombed sites where they might have been kept. Rice said that the prospect of bin 
Laden getting nuclear weapons made his defeat all the more imperative.

President Bush and Secretary-General Annan attended a memorial service at "Ground 
Zero." Before returning to Washington, Bush met with the Presidents of South Africa, 
Colombia, and Argentina. Powell met with Arafat, and stayed in New York to meet with 
the Foreign Ministers of Syria and the Gulf Cooperation Council states.

The UN announced that its first shipment of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan to 
Afghanistan was ready to be delivered.

Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed that British troops were operating in 
Afghanistan.

Johanne Sutton of Radio France Internationale, Pierre Billaud of RTL Radio, and 
Volker Handloik of the German magazine Stern became the first foreign journalists 
to die in the Afghan conflict when Taliban forces ambushed the Northern Alliance 
troops that they were accompanying.

November 12, 2001: The Northern Alliance announced the liberation of He rat. Its 
forces were said to be closing in on Kunduz, the last Taliban stronghold in the 
north, and to be approaching Kabul. Pakistani officials urged the United States and 
the UN to establish an interim government and to impose security on the Afghan 
capital.

At the UN, Secretary of State Powell attended a conference of Six-Plus- Two Group 
Foreign Ministers of states bordering Afghanistan. At the start of the meeting, he 
publicly shook hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi. Powell urged his 
colleagues to quickly organize a peacekeeping force and a provisional administration 
for Kabul. He told the New York Times that Muslim countries like Turkey, Indonesia, 
and Bangladesh could have a role to play.

AID Administrator Natsios visited Tashkent, and said that the liberation of Mazar-e 
Sharif would simplify the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

Defense Department officials said that the United States was considering the use of 
at least one air base in Tajikistan to support the air campaign in Afghanistan.

November 13, 2001: Taliban forces abandoned Kabul and Northern Alliance forces took 
control of the Afghan capital. Eight foreign aid workers, two of them American women 
accused of promoting Christianity, remained in captivity and were reportedly taken to 
Kandahar. Before the entry of Northern Alliance forces, mobs looted government offices 
and the Pakistani Embassy and killed any foreign Taliban supporters they could find. 
Foreign Minister Abdullah said that the Northern Alliance had sent its security forces 
into Kabul to prevent disorder, and that a Gen. Mohammed Fahim would lead a "military 
and security council." In Kandahar, Mohammad Omar urged the Taliban to "resist, put up 
resistance, and fight."

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said that U.S. Special Operations forces were operating 
in southern Afghanistan in pursuit of al-Qaida and Taliban leaders. Special Forces 
teams were currently in Kabul to observe the Northern Alliance. U.S. aircraft continued 
to harry fleeing Taliban forces. Rumsfeld urged other countries not to give sanctuary 
to fugitive terrorists and said that the struggle against terrorism was far from over.

Al-Jazeera reported that its Kabul office had been bombed before the Northern Alliance 
entered the city. A U.S. Central Command spokesman said that the building was thought 
to be used by al-Qaida.

President Bush issued a directive to authorize the establishment of military tribunals 
to try foreign terrorist suspects and their accomplices. The Secretary of Defense 
would appoint the tribunals and determine their rules and procedures.

Bush also held a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 
White House, in which Putin hoped that the war on terrorism would make possible 
closer cooperation between the United States and Russia. Bush said, "We will continue 
to work with the Northern Alliance commanders to make sure they respect the human 
rights of the people that they are liberating."

As President Musharraf returned from the United States, he called for the immediate 
deployment to Kabul of a UN peacekeeping force from Muslim nations so that a hostile 
government would not establish itself on Pakistan’s border. Pakistani spokesmen said 
that their government might contribute troops to a peacekeeping force.

At the UN, Brahimi proposed to the Security Council that a conference of Afghan 
representatives should be held under UN protection . This conference would establish 
a provisional council to select an interim government, which would in turn outline a 
program to draft a new constitution to be endorsed by a national council (loya jirga). 
Brahimi envisioned a two-year transition period between an interim and a permanent 
government. Secretary-General Annan instructed Brahimi to send UN political advisers 
to Kabul as soon as "security conditions permit."

U.S. special envoy James F. Dobbins met with former King Zahir Shah in Rome. Although 
Zahir Shah had been mentioned as the possible chairman of a provisional council, 
Northern Alliance leader Rabbani said that the king could only return to Afghanistan 
as a private citizen. In Kabul, Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah said that 
all factions except the Taliban would be welcome to help form a coalition government.

The State Department announced that it would institute a stricter screening program 
for men from 25 Arab and Muslim countries who were seeking visas to enter the United 
States.

In Germany, Chancellor Schroeder called for a vote of confidence when the lower house 
of Parliament voted on his decision to contribute up to 3,000 troops to the anti-
terrorism campaign.

November 14, 2001: Taliban forces continued to flee southward towards Kandahar. Some 
Pashtun tribes in southern Afghanistan reportedly had taken up arms against the 
Taliban. U.S. Special Forces teams were said to be setting up roadblocks in the search 
for followers of bin Laden, and Air Force planes were dropping leaflets offering a $25 
million reward for bin Laden’s capture. A Taliban spokesman, however, said that bin 
Laden and Mohammad Omar were still alive and well in Afghanistan.

The Taliban abandoned eight foreign relief workers who had been under arrest in 
Afghanistan since August. The workers were freed by residents of the town of Ghazni, 
who contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross, which arranged for their 
evacuation to Pakistan by U.S. Special Forces helicopters.

The UN Security Council approved a resolution calling on all parties in Afghanistan 
to attend a conference to settle the country's future, urging member states to 
provide humanitarian aid, and calling for a central role for the UN in the 
reconstruction process. The UN also authorized member states to provide 
peacekeeping forces.

Great Britain offered to commit 5,000 troops to peacekeeping in Afghanistan. Prime 
Minister Blair told Parliament that bin Laden had admitted his guilt in a video 
recorded on October 20. Bin Laden boasted that al-Qaida had attacked the United 
States "in self-defense" and as "revenge for our people killed in Palestine and 
Iraq."

U.S. special envoy Dobbins arrived in Islamabad to discuss the political future of 
Afghanistan.

November 15, 2001: Presidents Bush and Putin agreed that the United States and 
Russia would cooperate against terrorism and in the political reconstruction of 
Afghanistan. After their summit meeting at Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, Putin 
visited "Ground Zero" in New York before returning to Moscow.

The United States announced plans for an international conference for the 
reconstruction of Afghanistan, to be held at the White House later in November. A 
larger conference, sponsored by the World Bank, the UN Development Program, and 
the Asian Development Bank, was scheduled for Islamabad on November 27-29. AID 
Administrator Natsios flew to northern Afghanistan to assess relief needs.

The first peacekeeping forces arrived in Afghanistan as 100 British Marines landed 
at the Bagram airfield. President Chirac notified Secretary-General Annan that 
France would send troops to secure the airport at Mazar e-Sharif. Canada and the 
Netherlands also expressed their willingness to send troops. Turkey was expected 
to supply peacekeeping forces for Kabul, but was awaiting Security Council 
authorization.

As fighting continued around Kandahar and Kunduz, Gen. Franks said: "We are 
tightening the noose. It’s a matter of time." A Taliban envoy in Pakistan asked UN 
representatives for help in arranging the surrender of his forces in Kunduz; they 
were noncommittal. Bin Laden’s whereabouts were unknown, but a defiant Mohammad 
Omar vowed to fight on until "the destruction of America."

In the Philippines, Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels released seven of their ten hostages. 
A Filipina nurse and an American missionary couple remained in captivity.

November 16, 2001: The Taliban admitted that Osama bin Laden’s deputy, Muhammad Atef, 
had been killed in an air raid near Kabul earlier in the week. Atef, a native of 
Egypt, was wanted in the United States for his involvement in the 1998 embassy 
bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Defense Department announced that 300 Special Forces personnel were in 
Afghanistan: 200 in the north and the rest, along with allied personnel, in the south. 
Although Adm. Stufflebeem said that the Special Forces’ chief task was "strategic