Posted on 09/12/2001 7:03:34 PM PDT by oxi-nato
The US yesterday mobilised support from Britain and its other western allies for a crusade against Islamic terrorism in the wake of Tuesday's devastating terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in which thousands of people died. For the first time in its 52-year history, Nato last night invoked Article 5 of its charter, which declares that an attack on any member state is an attack on all, implying automatic European backing for US retaliation.
Nato is now drawing up an emergency plan for a massive attack on Afghanistan if proof emerges that Osama bin Laden, the wanted Saudi-born terrorist sheltered by Afghanistan, was responsible for the attacks. US justice department officials said yesterday that there was a growing body of evidence pointing towards his involvement. However, many US experts on terrorism, including the former CIA director, James Woolsey, and the former Nato commander in Europe, Wesley Clark, said they believed that Tuesday's terrorist operation also had state sponsorship, and mentioned Iraq as a suspect.
US defence officials stressed that the culprits would be punished. "We have a very large hammer that can be brought to bear in a number of ways at any time," one official said. "That's not a threat, it's a fact." By invoking Article 5, Nato has committed each member to take "such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area".
Investigators believe that four separate cells were involved in the hijackings, including trained pilots who had learned their skills at private flying schools in the US. Nato's historic move came amid reports that the intended targets for one of the hijacked aircraft were the White House and the presidential aircraft, Air Force One.
The ruling Taliban government in Afghanistan will now come under intensive pressure from Washington to hand over Bin Laden or face the consequences. Until now the Taliban has steadfastly refused to extradite him. Under contingency plans being prepared, an assault would involve tens of thousands of ground troops, equivalent to the scale of the force deployed in Kosovo, Nato defence sources said last night.
Such a taskforce, which might take weeks to assemble, would not preclude an initial US cruise missile attack, they said. The Nato sources said any multinational offensive would almost certainly involve British forces. It would also require the active support of Russia. President George Bush warned Americans that they faced a long, hard struggle against their terrorist enemies, but promised that the country would not stand alone. He promised to "rally the world. We will be patient. We'll be focused, and we will be steadfast in our determination," he said. "This battle will take time and resolve, but make no mistake about it, we will win."
Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, said that Washington wanted to build a "global coalition" to fight terrorism that would include not only Nato and Russia, but China and Muslim states. Mr Bush spoke to Tony Blair during the day, and indicated there would be no knee-jerk reaction. Mr Blair and Mr Bush concurred that the vital thing was to move forward together in a united action.
Mr Blair recalled parliament from its recess to debate the crisis on Friday. He said the attacks were "not only on America, but on the free and democratic world", adding that he expected the number of Britons who died in the World Trade Centre to run into hundreds. Early today 1,500 rescuers were forced to evacuate the World Trade Centre site after fears that a 54-storey building was about to collapse.
Teams of heavily armed FBI agents detained several people for questioning after raids in Boston and Florida on the trail of evidence left behind by the hijackers. The FBI's new director, Robert Mueller, said no arrests had been made, but justice department officials explained that a number of "material witnesses" had been taken into custody to help the FBI with the inquiry. Some of the detainees were seized from a hotel in Boston where several of the hijackers are believed to have stayed the night before the attacks. Police in Providence, Rhode Island, were reported to have stopped and searched a train heading south from Boston and held three passengers.
In Florida the investigation centred on two flying schools, in Venice and in Coral Springs, where some of the hijackers were enrolled as students. One called himself Mohamed Atta. Another reportedly went by the name Mohamed al-Shahid (Mohamed the martyr). Last year both men took a flying course at Huffman Aviation school in Venice. The school's president and owner, Rudy Dekkers, said the FBI was looking at student records at the flight school, including copies of passports from the men.
A flight instruction video, Arabic aviation manuals, a Koran, and a fuel consumption calculator were found in abandoned cars at Boston airport, the point of departure of the two flights which crashed into the World Trade Centre.
If Jesus didn't mention the Empire and the Emperor so directly, I'd almost agree with you. Jesus knew nationhood required sacrifices, Just ones. This is a just cause to save the life of innocent citizens of the Republic, I'll sort it out with God for you later.
You have missed the point of that entire passage Christian woman. I would suggest some reading for you
Was it not Christ himself that ordered his disciples to purchase a sword with the shirt off their back ?
LOL
They should have thought of this decades ago when they started supporting terrorists.
It is time. Afganis, look for a safe place if you are not aligned with your government.
Screw you. My countrymen, and some of my loved ones, were attacked and killed for no good reason. Take your scripture and shove it. Destroy these cretins before they destroy more of my loved ones. Sorry for being so direct. But from my early days, all I can remember about scripture is: eye for eye"....
I like the way you think....
Revelation 18:2-11
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (Not sure but Afghanistan may have been part of Babylon [Iraq] in the distant past, and there are reports that Iraq financed Bin Laden.)
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (drunk of the wine of her wrath could mean having tasted her terrorism, and waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies could be OIL...living for the money)
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (could be to prevent innocents and good people from feeling the pain of OUR wrath)
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. (Give back, as it was given to us indeed pay her back twice fold)
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, (the other countries that befriend Iraq and terrorists?)
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Anyway, its just a thought and possible reference.
Don't think playing holier than God cuts it.
Didn't get the context right for that verse, did we? You know, rightly dividing the Word of God isn't really that hard. Really. It just takes study.
I can imagine your surprise when He comes again, with that double-edge sword. The fit is going to hit the shan, you can count on it...the meek will inherit nothing but mockery and scorn, it is the humble before God who will inherit the earth.
Although clergy were forbidden to bear arms, and killing, even in war was a matter for penance under ancient canons (three years excommunication, as opposed to life-long with communion on the deathbed for murder), the Church plainly rejected the notion that the following of Christ required Christians to refrain from engaging in war.
Do not forget also, that the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John advised soldiers to "be content with your wages" not to leave the army.
Turning the other cheek is an injunction to the individual, not to a civil society.
On the other hand, Nostradamus said the "Anti-Christ" would come from the mid-east and described him as "...the man in the blue turban..."; Bin-Laden wears turbans, Hussein wears blue berets...close enough for me...time to make a couple of glow in the dark parking lots!
As for another literal reference: Dante could never imagine the horrors of the ring of hell that I hope these monsters are now trapped in...
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