Prince Reaffirms Saudi-U.S. Alliance (washingtonpost.com) Crown Prince Abdullah said today that the alliance between the United States and Saudi Arabia has emerged undamaged from the attacks of Sept. 11. But he warned that the war on terrorism is being undermined by what he called the indefensible position of the United States in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Your honor, Osama made me do it As the first suspects in the terrorist war on America prepare to stand trial, their defenders and apologists are invoking a word from the Cold War: “brainwashed.”

CNN.com - A bloody ending to Kandahar hospital standoff - January 29, 2002 Afghan troops and U.S. Special Forces soldiers launched an assault Monday on a hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing six heavily armed al Qaeda fighters who had been holed up there for six weeks.

Fourteen U.S. Soldiers Hurt in Afghan Copter Crash Fourteen U.S. soldiers were injured and their transport helicopter suffered extensive damage when it crashed while landing in rough terrain in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, U.S. military officials said.

Attack U.S. and Win Aid - Middle East Forum ...this reflects the "mouse that roared" syndrome, named after the 1959 movie starring Peter Sellers in no less than three roles. It told the story of a tiny Europe duchy, Grand Fenwick, which finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy and decides to declare war on America in order to lose, then profit from the resulting aid.

Yahoo! News - Saudis Want Their Detainees Sent Home Saudi Arabia said Monday that more than 100 of its citizens are in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, making Saudis by far the largest group of terrorist suspects detained on this remote U.S. naval base.

Rebuilding From Within (washingtonpost.com) The key to making Afghanistan a respected and respectable country is steady improvement in the capacity of Afghan institutions -- private and public -- to meet the pressing needs of Afghanistan's people. The country needs outside help, but it must be rebuilt from within.

Bush Says U.S. Will Help Set Up Afghan Military President Bush said on Monday the United States will help train a new Afghan military but made clear to Afghan leader Hamid Karzai he would not commit U.S. troops to peacekeeping in the remote Central Asian country.

ABCNEWS.com : Rumsfeld Tours Camp X-Ray Amid reports the Bush administration will debate the legal status and rights of detainees, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld vowed that, no matter what, they "will not be determined to be POWs."

Suicide bomber strikes in downtown Jerusalem; at least 30 injured A suicide bomber detonated his explosives in downtown Jerusalem just after midday Sunday, injuring at least 30 people on a busy street that's been the scene of several previous attacks, officials said.

America's Chaotic Road to War (First in a series) -(washingtonpost.com) This series is based on interviews with President Bush, Vice President Cheney and many other key officials inside the administration and out. The interviews were supplemented by notes of National Security Council meetings made available to The Washington Post, along with notes taken by several participants.

CNN.com - Supreme Court justice to launch morals program - January 27, 2002 "In seeking rational explanations for irrational acts, an explanation becomes the excuse," Kennedy said.

NYPOST.COM Post Opinion: Oped Columnists: THE MISSING GUN By JOHN R. LOTT, JR. ...in this age of "gun-free school zones," one fact was missing from virtually all the news coverage: The attack was stopped by two students who had guns in their cars.

Pakistan Police Quiz Five Over Missing US Reporter Pakistani police searching for missing U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl said on Sunday they had interrogated five men in connection with the case, but had no idea where the journalist was.

U.S. lawmakers said pleased with detainee treatment A group of U.S. congressmen toured the Guantanamo Bay detention center Friday, and said captured al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are being treated humanely.

U.S. military tests anti-missile rocket An interceptor rocket launched from a U.S. Navy ship smashed into a dummy missile high over the Pacific Friday night, in the latest test in the Pentagon’s plans to shield America from long-range missiles.

Unrest a Chief Product of Arab Economies (washingtonpost.com) The economic misfortunes that fuel resentment among young Arab men emerge through the cigarette smoke at a street-side cafe, where a table full of Egyptians in their twenties and thirties erupts in bitterness over their dreary prospects.

Missile Test by India Raises Nuclear Ante (washingtonpost.com) India today successfully test-fired the newest version of a surface-to-surface missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, drawing condemnation from neighboring Pakistan in the midst of a tense military standoff between the two countries.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Mystery of missing US journalist Police in Pakistan say they have no clues as to the whereabouts of an American journalist missing since Wednesday.

BBC News | AMERICAS | Shoe bomb suspect 'did not act alone' The FBI has discovered forensic evidence that indicates alleged shoe bomber Richard Reid had help making the explosives found in his shoes on board an American-bound flight.

ABCNEWS.com : Bush Seeks $11 Billion to Secure Borders President Bush said today he will ask Congress to spend roughly $11 billion next year on securing the nation's borders to keep out terrorists who would try to attack the United States by air, land or sea.

U.S. Warplane Destroys Huge Store of Taliban Arms A U.S. AC-130 flying gunship has destroyed a huge store of Taliban arms in Afghanistan's chill southern mountains, a sign the U.S. military still has much to do in the shattered country, the Pentagon said on Friday.

Israeli Jets Strike After Suicide Bomb Attack Israeli warplanes launched a missile strike on Palestinian security targets in the West Bank and Gaza on Friday in retaliation for a Palestinian suicide bombing that wounded at least 25 people.

Elite Troops Kill, Capture Dozens of Taliban Elite U.S. troops attacked two guerrilla compounds in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing up to 15 Taliban fighters and capturing 27 others, Pentagon officials said. One U.S. soldier was wounded.

A Turkish path for Pakistan? | csmonitor.com In curbing militancy, Musharraf hopes to create a modern-minded Muslim state.

Lindh Back in U.S. to Face Charges John Walker Lindh, the young Muslim convert accused of joining al-Qaida soldiers in Afghanistan, returned to the United States Wednesday under FBI custody to face criminal charges that he conspired to kill fellow Americans.

Palestinian Militants Threaten War Islamic militants threatened ``all-out war'' Wednesday to avenge the killing of a Hamas commander in the West Bank, and Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority said it can no longer be expected to enforce a truce with Israel.

FBI: Prisoner Info Thwarted Attacks U.S. special forces and their Afghan allies confiscated thousands of weapons from a local warlord Wednesday, officials said, as troops pressed the search for Taliban and al-Qaida renegades in southern Afghanistan.

Mazar-e-Sharif rebounds — slowly After weeks of intense work to restore facilities destroyed by the Taliban, the local television station in northern Afghanistan’s largest city is ready to go back on the air — if only there was enough electricity.

FTC proposes hotline to thwart telemarketers The Federal Trade Commission is proposing the creation of a national ‘do not call’ registry that would allow consumers to ward off unwanted telemarketers with a single phone call.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | UN calls for bigger Afghan force The United Nations Secretary General's deputy special representative for Afghanistan, Francesc Vendrell, has said he believes the international community should deploy more foreign troops in Afghanistan.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Pakistan rejects India attack claims Pakistan has denied Indian accusations that its intelligence service was involved in an attack on an American cultural centre in Calcutta in which five policemen were killed and 20 people wounded.

'Activated' Asian terror web busted | csmonitor.com The arrest of dozens of Al Qaeda suspects shows the organization's depth in Asia.

Palestinian Wounds 16 After Deadly Israeli Raid A Palestinian gunman wounded 16 Israelis in a rush hour shooting spree in Jerusalem's main shopping street Tuesday after Israeli troops killed four Palestinian militants in the West Bank.

Rumsfeld Lashes at Critics of Prisoner Treatment Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday lashed out at critics of U.S. military treatment of Afghan war captives at an American Navy base in Cuba, saying their makeshift prison was fair and humane.

Gunmen Attack U.S. Office in India, Kill Four Four policemen were killed and at least 14 people injured in a dawn attack by unidentified gunmen outside the U.S. information office in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta Tuesday, police said.

washingtonpost.com: Not Exactly What We Intended, Justice O'Connor It is difficult to say, based solely on the letter of the law as we wrote it, that O'Connor is wrong. But as the congressman who shepherded the legislation through the House of Representatives, I believe that the "intent of Congress" was clearly more expansive than Justice O'Connor's ruling would suggest.

Wonders Never Cease - Destruction was the luckiest thing to happen to the Buddhas of Bamiyan. By Charles Paul Freund So how did the carved Buddhas of Bamiyan go from reviled grotesquerie to "things which are valuable to humanity and its heritage," indeed so valuable they must be rebuilt? There's nothing like a staged spectacle of barbaric destruction to transform otherwise obscure artifacts. Such an act provides relevant and apparent meaning to a work even as it destroys that work.

Afghan Leader Karzai Makes Moving Appeal for Aid Afghanistan's interim leader, Hamid Karzai, appealed to the world Sunday for help in getting his devastated country back on its feet after two decades of strife and disaster that created a breeding ground for terrorism.

China Finds Bugs on Jet Equipped in U.S. (washingtonpost.com) Devices taken off presidential plane could become issue at summit.

Rocky Mountain News: Opinion: Israeli occupation is worst form of violence Never in my life have I seen such disregard for human life as I have seen toward the Palestinians by Israel. Having just returned from the West Bank and Gaza Strip on a month-long trip, I have a heavy heart.

Israel Sets Palestinian Radio Station Ablaze Israeli troops blew up the Voice of Palestine radio station offices on Saturday to avenge a deadly Palestinian attack, and exchanged fire with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Tanks Approach Arafat's Office (washingtonpost.com) Israeli tanks, armored vehicles and paratroops advanced almost to Yasser Arafat's doorstep today, taking up positions within 100 yards of his walled compound in retaliation for a Palestinian gunman's attack that killed six Israelis at a party in a banquet hall late Thursday.

Powell: Saudis Have Not Mentioned U.S. Withdrawal (washingtonpost.com) Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday that he has had "no discussion" with Saudi officials about the possibility that Saudi Arabia will ask the United States to withdraw its armed forces from the kingdom.

Saudis May Seek U.S. Exit (washingtonpost.com) Saudi Arabia's rulers are increasingly uncomfortable with the U.S. military presence in their country and may soon ask that it end, according to several Saudi sources.

FT.com | News and Analysis | World Article | Losing ground at Camp X-Ray America's harsh treatment of its Taliban prisoners may be understandable but it risks alienating its international allies, says Philip Stephens

U.S. Anti-Terror Campaign Stirs Rights Concerns U.S. efforts to hunt down terror suspects around the world after the Sept. 11 attacks prompted fresh concern among rights watchdogs on Friday when American troops seized six Algerians in Bosnia.

OJR Tim Cavanaugh: Let Slip the Blogs of War Shine on, you crazy bloggers! Someday the rest of us will hold our manhoods cheap that we did not blog with you this day. But as long as courage lives and liberty endures, every American will be proud to have you out there, blogging for an audience of none.

French Newspaper Reports Shoebomber Plot E-Mail A French newspaper reported on Saturday that investigators had found an e-mail message in which alleged shoe bomber Richard Reid wrote of plans to destroy an airliner.

India’s nuclear strategy shows holes After India and Pakistan startled the world by testing nuclear devices in 1998, the leaders of both nations insisted that their mutual possession of nuclear weaponry would deter them from going to war in the same way it ultimately did for the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Air Force jets crash in Arizona Two Air Force single-seat jet fighters collided in midair and crashed Thursday afternoon in a remote area of Arizona’s San Bernardino Mountains near the Mexican border.

Primary races - over in one day? | csmonitor.com Democrats expect to approve a plan that allows, in essence, a national primary day for 2004 elections.

CNN.com - Saddam Hussein warns of U.S. demise - January 17, 2002 The U.S. will lose its superpower status because of its use of force rather than dialogue to settle disputes, Saddam Hussein has warned.

FOXNews.com - Terror Attack at Israeli Banquet Hall A Palestinian gunman opened fire at a packed banquet hall in northern Israel Thursday night, killing six people and wounding 30 others, police said.

U.S. Seeks Help Over New Al Qaeda Video Seeking to forestall possible future attacks, U.S. officials asked the public on Thursday to help locate ``suicide terrorists'' shown in five video tapes recovered from an al Qaeda house in Afghanistan.

Writer who videotaped American Taliban recounts experience (1/16/2002)At first, he couldn't tell the man was any different from the other wounded Taliban and al-Qaida fighters at the makeshift hospital: bleeding, in pain, covered in filth and matted hair.

CNN.com - Y2K bomb plot accomplice sentenced to 24 years in jail - January 16, 2002An accomplice to the al Qaeda-trained terrorist who plotted to bomb Los Angeles International Airport around New Year's 2000 was sentenced Wednesday to 24 years in prison.

CNN.com - Punxsutawney Phil a terrorist target? - January 16, 2002 When Punxsutawney Phil pops his head out of his hole on February 2 to tell people whether or not they will experience six more weeks of winter, the famous groundhog may see more than his shadow.

Facts Find Sept. 11 Myths Misleading Consider these changes: In Washington, D.C., the murder rate spiked 47 percent after Sept. 11; in Denver, shoplifting went up by 12 percent.

Al-Qaida in Cuba Making Threats Several al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners have vowed to kill an American during their time at this remote U.S. military base, officials said Wednesday.

TIME.com: Why the U.S. is Entering the Philippine Minefield The Muslim southern islands of the Philippines may be crawling with rival armed factions, but the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf remain isolated.

U.S. Indicts Al Qaeda-Trained Shoebomb Suspect Richard Reid, a Briton who trained with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in Afghanistan, was indicted on Wednesday for attempting to destroy an airliner with 197 people on board last month when he tried to ignite explosives in his shoes.

Philippines welcomes military aid Joint military exercises begin but president says U.S. troops not allowed
to fight near front lines.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | US to unfreeze Afghan assets The United States is preparing to release more than $200m of gold reserves and cash belonging to Afghanistan, as the shattered country makes increasingly desperate calls for help.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | US bereaved meet Afghan families A group of Americans who lost relatives in the 11 September terrorist attacks have arrived in Kabul to meet Afghans who have lost members of their own families in the US retaliatory attacks.

BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Analysis: Humiliating defeat for Iran's judiciary Ayatollah Khamenei's move to pardon reformist MP Hossein Loghmanian temporarily calms a potentially dangerous situation in Iran.

BBC News | AMERICAS | US defends captives' conditions US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has insisted that 50 al-Qaeda and Taleban prisoners being held under maximum security at a US naval base in Cuba are being treated humanely.

Powell to Fly Into South Asian Tinderbox Secretary of State Colin Powell is due in South Asia Wednesday, aiming to lower the temperature between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan as close to 1 million men stand ready for war on their border.

U.S. Taliban Charged with Supporting Terror Group The United States on Tuesday charged American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh with conspiring to kill U.S. nationals in the Afghanistan war and with providing support to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, charges that spare him from facing the death penalty.

Why the Muslims Misjudged Us by Victor Davis Hanson Two striking themes—one overt, one implied—characterize most Arab invective: first, there is some sort of equivalence—political, cultural, and military—between the West and the Muslim world; and second, America has been exceptionally unkind toward the Middle East. Both premises are false and reveal that the temple of anti-Americanism is supported by pillars of utter ignorance.

sunspot.net - op/ed - Looming lawsuits trivialize Sept. 11 ...the magnitude of this crime is such that none of us can ever be compensated.

Public sees new global role for US | csmonitor.com In recent years, signs seemed to mount of America's isolationist tendencies. But in the wake of Sept. 11, Americans' support for engagement in the world is surging.

Singapore Details Al-Qaida Plot Singapore released details Friday of what it said was an elaborate plot by al-Qaida terrorists to blow up Western embassies, U.S. naval vessels and a bus carrying American soldiers.

First Prisoners at Cuba Camp, U.S. Disarms Afghans The United States moved the first and most dangerous prisoners of the war in Afghanistan into a detention camp in Cuba on Friday, while its troops began disarming Afghan militia to impose some order in the chaotic nation.

Fla. Officials Probe Possible Plot Against Jeb Bush Florida law enforcement officials said late on Thursday that an investigation was under way into a potential threat to blow up Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, younger brother of President Bush.

U.S. Begins Flying Afghanistan Prisoners to Cuba The U.S. military on Thursday began flying al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners under heavy guard from Afghanistan to jail at the American Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a military spokesman said.

CNN.com - FDA to propose antiterrorist food safety guidelines - January 8, 2002 New voluntary guidelines to protect the nation's food supply against intentional contamination by terrorists or others are to be published this week by the Food and Drug Administration.

White House ends efficient vehicle plan - Jan. 9, 2002 After nearly $1.5 billion in subsidies, the Bush administration is ending an eight-year program to help automakers develop high-mileage, family size cars. Instead, it wants to spur the growth of hydrogen fuel cells to power the next generation of motor vehicles.

CNN.com - 'Compelling evidence' Arafat knew of arms - January 9, 2002 Israelis have presented what the Bush administration believes is "compelling evidence" that Yasser Arafat knew about a shipment of weapons intercepted by Israel, a senior State Department official told CNN.

FOXNews.com - Networks, U.S. Argue Over Televising Moussaoui Trial Accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui has joined forces with TV networks to argue in favor of televising a trial that could reveal Usama bin Laden's internal operations.

Deadly attack ends Mideast calm In the first deadly attack on Israelis in nearly a month, two Palestinians armed with grenades and assault rifles stormed an Israeli army post near the Gaza Strip early Wednesday, killing four soldiers before being shot to death in a gun battle. The attack dealt a severe blow to U.S. truce efforts.

Man accused of nuclear plant threats Authorities investigating alleged “terrorist threats” against the San Onofre nuclear power plant by a recently fired employee on Wednesday discovered more than 200 weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition at the man’s home and in a nearby storage shed.

Marine tanker crashes in Pakistan A U.S. KC-130 refueling plane with seven Marines aboard crashed Wednesday near an airfield in southwestern Pakistan. Defense officials said there were no initial signs of survivors.

Palestinian Authority says it will investigate possible links to weapons ship (1/08/2002) The Palestinian Authority said Tuesday it will question government officials accused by Israel of trying to smuggle Iranian arms to the Gaza Strip, while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon accused the Palestinians of conspiring with Iran against Israel.

Asteroid passes half-million miles from Earth days after discovery (1/08/2002) An asteroid large enough to wipe out France hurtled past the Earth at a distance of about a half-million miles just days after scientists spotted it.

New York Daily News Online | News and Views | Opinion | Rabbi Marvin Hier: Arabs Must Reach Out to Israelis Since the war in Afghanistan began, Arab coalition members Egypt and Saudi Arabia have pressured Washington to take a more direct role in the Middle East. They warn that failure to do so could dilute Muslim support for the American-led war against terrorism.

Time for the Palestinians to turn to peaceful and democratic struggle One of the most important new opportunities of which the Palestinians can avail themselves falls under the heading of democracy. Democracy can restore them to the ranks of civilized nations without prizing them away from their heritage or undermining their rights.

Palestinian-Iran Ties Worry Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Iran the ``center of world terror'' and said Tuesday a recently captured arms shipment showed that Iran and the Palestinians were collaborating to strike at Israel.

U.S. Captures Top al-Qaida Pair U.S. troops captured two senior al-Qaida fighters and confiscated their computers and cell phones near a huge underground cave complex used by Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, the nation's top general said Tuesday.

Somalia chafes under US scrutiny In village after village in southwest Somalia, everyone points a finger in the same direction. Terrorists, they say, are in El Wak.

U.S. 'Chasing Shadows,' Continues Afghan Bombing The U.S. bombing of Afghanistan entered its fourth month on Monday amid growing signs of frustration in Washington at the failure to capture Osama bin Laden and his top Taliban ally, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

FOXNews.com - Israel Displays Captured Weaponry; U.S. Envoy Wraps Up Talks Without Cease-Fire Israel accused Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Sunday of plotting "the next wave of terror," displaying 50 tons of missiles, mortars and mines seized during a commando operation at sea . Amid recriminations, a U.S. envoy wrapped up talks without an agreement for a formal Mideast truce.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Blair to challenge Pakistan UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is due to arrive in Pakistan shortly to tell Islamabad to take a tougher stance against Islamic militants in order to ease tensions between India and Pakistan.

Teen Pilot in Tampa Crash Had 'Sympathy' for Osama Police on Sunday gave details of a suicide note that appeared to show the lone 15-year-old who flew a light plane into a high-rise office block in Tampa was inspired by the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

A big test of nuclear deterrence | csmonitor.com The current crisis in South Asia has been profoundly affected by the mere presence of India's and Pakistan's nuclear arsenals.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Nepal summit ending without thaw Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee are due to leave a regional summit in Nepal on Sunday, with no sign of the tense military stand-off between the two countries abating.

Plane Crashes Into Fla. Skyscraper A 15-year-old student pilot took off in a small plane without permission Saturday and crashed into a skyscraper after ignoring a Coast Guard helicopter's signals to land, authorities said.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | 'Jaipur foot' for Afghan amputees Thousands of Afghans have lost one or both legs to the landmines that litter the country after more than two decades of war.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Deal signed on Afghan peace force A formal agreement has been signed on the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan.

BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Pakistan rounds up militants Pakistani police have arrested large numbers of Islamic activists in what appears to be a major operation against militant and sectarian groups.