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Second Draft:
To the USA Security And Exchange Commission
I would like to ask the SEC one question.
How low will shorting be allowed to take the USA Stock Market, ZERO before the SEC finally sees they need to do something?
The terrorists are accomplishing their primary objective, to hurt the USA economy. No matter what happens in the future, shorting has been the catalyst for the most manipulated scenario in our stock market history to tank our economy and steal money from US citizens. The market is the shape it is in because anyone that does not live in the USA shorting everything they can. Bashers and short selling are out of control. There is no check or balance by the SEC to regulate short selling nor even have a fair shot at supply and demand for citizens of the USA to even dare attempt to support the stock market, our economy, our country. Of course the blame is placed on nervous investors.
The USA citizens are ready to buy, but no matter what we buy the price will decline. Not because of real people selling or supply & demand, but because of unrelenting short selling from greedy MMs and offshore, anti-US interests. Americans put up money to make solid investments in a hope to make money and there is always some unregulated offshore or Market Maker shorting everything that is bought. Our stock market is in horrible shape, shorting will continue to destroy our market and thus our economy and finally us as a country. They hit us in the financial heart of our economy with the murderous act at the WTC and arrogantly know the USA will let them short to finance more efforts to undermine our democracy.
Is it a coincidence that the first strike in this horrible murderous act just happens to target the firm responsible for ¼ of all the bond trading worldwide? And by the way nearly wiped it out.
Terrorist networks are widespread and extremely well backed. Can’t you see where if they would go to the long term planning of crippling our market and thus our economy they would have a plan to finish the job?
They hate us for being the richest nation the world has ever known. They intend to remedy that by destroying our wealth. How long will you continue to allow them to steal from the American people? How long?
:=) Gary Swancey
I'm not convinced the Afghanis aren't going to turn Bin Laden over.
It would make it politically difficult in the international realm to attack Afganistan if Bin Laden were turned over (he may consider it his own suicide mission). Could throw the whole war into doubt.
The market is a world market and one way or another has to sort itself out, just like always. Today I put in a market order for AMR 5 minutes after the open and it took over an hour for it to be filled (not some odd lot either). The whole world trades here and that is what makes the American market the biggest and best.
TP
That looks good to Me Gary!
AMERICA CRIES
The day was Tuesday, September 11,
When many Americans were sent to Heaven.
None of them had time to think or react;
It took just an instant to become a fact.Good-byes were said by only a choice few,
Using cell phones to warn -- peace was askew. As folks in New York went about there morning,
Work at the Pentagon was as usual -- no warning.
Terrorists had a plan to destroy our peace;
But America's faith & belief will never cease.
We have a huge wound set deep, and are weeping for sure,
But will recover, be stronger and forever endure.
Our peace is too precious to give up to a few,
We will do whatever it takes to rebuild anew.
All who perished in horror, whose cries are still loud,
Will give us the strength to wave Old Glory & be proud!
By: Juanita A. Spaulding
Frank (
http://www.katu.com/images/flagprint.jpg
Here is the first draft. PLEASE everyone who wants to lets get this letter designed and sent to SEC.
To the USA Security And Exchange Commission
I would like to ask the Sec one question.
How low will shorting be allowed to take the USA Stock Market, ZERO?
The terrorist are winning and no matter what happens in the future shorting has been the catalyst for the most manipulated scenario in our stock market history. The market is the lowest it has ever been and it is not because of P&D, it’s anyone that does not live in the USA shorting everything they can. Bashers are out of control as is shorting. There is not check by the SEC to regulate or even have a fair shot at supply and demand.
The USA citizens are ready to buy but no matter what we buy the price will decline not because of real people selling or supply & demand, short selling from greedy MMs combined with off-shore. We put up money to make solid investments in a hopes to make money and there is always some unregulated off-shore or Market Maker shorting everything that is bought. Our stock market is in horrible shape and no matter what, shorting will destroy our market and thus our economy and finally us as a country. They hit us in the financial heart of our economy with the murderous act of the WTC and arrogantly know the USA will let them short.
Is it a coincidence that the first strike in this horrible murderous act just happens to target the firm responsible for ¼ of all bond trading. And by the way nearly wiped it out.
Terrorist networks are widespread and extremely well backed. Can’t you see where if they would go to the long term planning of crippling out market and thus our economy they would have a plan to finish the job.
They are hitting us in the pocketbook.
:=) Gary Swancey
I hope he made it!
DD, I am in the process of writing a letter the SEC that will be comprosied of how much more shorting is the SEC going to allow before the entire USA market is not worth the price of one F-15 Eagle.
:=) Gary Swancey
I saw a photograph of people descending the staircase of one of the towers. There was one lone firefighter ascending. I remember thinking that he had the face of an angel. SH
and I'll say thank you for remembering them...(eom)grw5
What a brave, marvelous, courageous, wonderful profession - all to help others. Your fallen bretheran will NEVER be forgotten.
Thank you from my heart - God bless.
It is a black and white phot essay, set to haunting music.
and this one will touch your heart....
http://home.earthlink.net/~hankinhsd/thankyou.htm
I am a med. retired firefighter....
I would rather pass along thoughts about people around the world...
than thoughts about things that were destroyed....
I feel sorrow for those that were killed for no reason... and for their families,
but even more for those that chose to stay in... or that came and went in
knowing the danger that they would have to face...
Firefighters may call each other brothers, but they also feel that everyone else
is their family that they want to take care of....
Best wishes to you ALL(all ways and always)
George
Carolyn, I couldn't get it to load. I guess I don't have the right hardware. What is it? SH
I'm not convinced the Afghanis aren't going to turn Bin Laden over. Their announcement today that they going to leave the decision to the clerics of Islam may very well let their government off the hook and therefor open the door for them to turn him in. We'll know one way or the other tomarrow. SH
This is breathtaking:
http://www.beyondirc.net/~whiteshadowx/movie.swf
24-48 hours. Be Ready!!!!!
I have heard that they are trying to back up....... :o)
but it will take a lot more to get cleaned up.... VBG
George
Unbelievable!!!!!!! SH
This company should be banned to do business in the US!
NCCI pulls workers' flags
By Phil Galewitz, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2001
On a day of national mourning and prayer, a Boca Raton company had its managers confiscate some American flags from employees' cubicles, saying other workers might find them offensive.
NCCI Holdings Inc., a company that compiles workers compensation insurance data, told its 850 Boca Raton employees that displays of nationalism had no place in the office.
"Divisive statements or actions, political or religious discussions and anything else that could be divisive or mean different things to different people are not appropriate in our work environment," Chief Executive Officer Bill Schrempf said Friday in a memo to employees.
Several employees complained about the flag prohibition. One employee said she was suspended and told to go home Friday morning when she refused to remove a small flag from her desk. The company refused to confirm whether it had asked any employees to leave.
"It just boggles my mind that here in America or anywhere in America, one would be restricted from displaying it," one employee wrote in an e-mail to Schrempf that also was sent to The Palm Beach Post. "Too many people these days, including yourself, it seems, seem to forget what the flag symbolizes and that many men and women served to defend that flag. I think you should show a little more respect."
NCCI spokesman Michael Bullard said the company has a long-standing policy of prohibiting employees from bringing political or religious symbols into the workplace.
Fewer than 10 flags were removed from cubicles, Bullard said. "It seems to me only a small number of people are upset about this," he said.
Palm Beach Gardens human resources consultant Rita Craig said companies need to understand that "right now, more than ever, people want to celebrate the fact that they're American."
"Let's face it, this is the United States. Our flag signifies our freedom," Craig said. "It's not saying that other countries are bad."
Other large Palm Beach County employers, including Delray Beach-based Office Depot and the Palm Beach County School District, allowed their workers to display the flag at their desks.
At FPL Group Inc. in Juno Beach, some employees were given small flags, said Pat Davis, a company spokeswoman.
At Office Depot, the company sent an e-mail to employees Thursday encouraging them to wear red, white and blue clothing on Friday, said company spokesman Lauren Garvey.
NCCI observed a moment of silence at noon Friday, gathering its workers in the headquarters' atrium. The company also has offered to help businesses affected by the terrorist attacks. The attacks at the World Trade Center and Pentagon will generate thousands of workers compensation claims.
NCCI said it was not directly affected by Tuesday's terrorist attack, though some employees lost family and friends, Bullard said.
Gov. Jeb Bush this week urged all Floridians with flags to fly them. Radio stations and various groups have urged Americans to display the flag this week as a sign of national strength and unity.
NCCI is the only Florida company named in the 2001 Best Workplace for Financial Professionals by CFO magazine in its September issue. It was singled out for its "quality of work life."
NCCI's "company practices enable each employee to create for themselves the proper balance of work and family life," CFO said.
NCCI provides on-site amenities, including child care, gym and a Starbucks cafe. It also has an employee-community volunteer program and flexible work scheduling.
Staff writers Dan Weil, Amy Martinez and Jeff Ostrowski contributed to this story.
Send email to the writer: phil_galewitz@pbpost.com
God Bless America!
Excel
Pentagon Issues Order To Elite Units In Infantry
Military Action Could Involve Ground Troops
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41006-2001Sep16.html
By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 17, 2001; Page A13
The Pentagon issued a "warning order" late last week to some elite infantry units to prepare for a possible imminent combat mission, indicating the administration is moving closer toward taking wide-ranging military action that will involve ground combat troops, a defense official said.
The order was issued after planners on the staff of the Joint Chiefs last week worked intensely to produce several possible "courses of action," as the military calls tentative plans, to retaliate for the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. A senior officer on the Joint Staff then notified the Army that most of the missions being contemplated could require ground combat forces, as well as combat aircraft.
A warning order involving the deployment of troops overseas requires the approval of the secretary of defense.
President Bush is expected to be briefed on the tentative plans today by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and may approve one for execution, defense officials said.
Rumsfeld also indicated that multifaceted missions are being planned when he said on Fox News yesterday that "this isn't going to be a few cruise missiles flying around on television for the world to see that something blew up." He said that "there very likely will be" military action.
more...
:=) Gary Swancey
Pakistan Army Says Afghan Troops Amass at Border
Pakistan Officials Press Taliban to Turn Over Bin Laden
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42321-2001Sep17.html
By Jack Redden
Reuters
Monday, September 17, 2001; 9:46 AM
ISLAMABAD, Sept 17 – Pakistan's army said on Monday that Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have deployed a force of between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters just across the border from the Khyber Pass into Pakistan.
A Pakistani army officer said Islamabad had reinforced its own troops fanned out along the 870-mile long frontier.
"We are also forming our forces, but there has been no firing," Captain Ahmed Bahtti said at a military base in the Khyber Pass, some 200 km (120 miles) west of Islamabad.
The Islamic fundamentalist Taliban warned at the weekend that it would attack Pakistan if it provided help to the United States against Afghanistan. The Americans blame Kabul for sheltering Osama bin Laden, the man believed to have masterminded Tuesday's terror attacks on New York and Washington.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, meanwhile, was locked in closed-door meetings on Monday as he tried to try to stave off a U.S. strike on Afghanistan while preparing his nation for a war next door.
He sent a delegation to the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan to seek the surrender of Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden to avert an expected U.S. assault.
In a sign of the growing tension, the U.S. embassy in Pakistan said it had requested permission from Washington for all non-essential American staff and their dependents to be allowed to leave the country.
At the presidential palace in Islamabad, Musharraf was out of sight, apparently meeting advisers and officials of his military government. Aides gave no details of his talks.
As the consultations went ahead, the United Nations reported tens of thousands of Afghans streaming out of major cities and heading toward the borders with Pakistan and Iran.
"We are preparing for the influx of tens of thousands of people who are now on their way towards the borders of the neighbouring countries," said Yusuf Hassan, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Islamabad.
General Musharraf, who had previously defended Pakistan's backing for the rule of the purist Taliban, is in an awkward position domestically as he lines up behind Washington.
The divisions inside Pakistan were underlined by a meeting in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, of about 50 leaders of the Afghan Defence Council that was formed to protect the Taliban from international demands that they hand over bin Laden.
Pakistan, under intense U.S. pressure to provide assistance in the wake of last week's devastating terror attacks on New York and Washington, sent the team led by intelligence chief General Mahmood Ahmed to Afghanistan early on Monday to see the Taliban leadership.
The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press said the delegation went into an immediate meeting with the Taliban foreign minister and would later meet the hardline Islamic movement's spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar.
The United States has named bin Laden, who is sheltered by the Taliban and was already wanted for the bombing of two U.S. embassies in 1998, as a leading suspect in the latest attacks.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar, speaking as the delegation arrived in Afghanistan, told CNN in an interview that any decision to hand over bin Laden lay with the Taliban.
Sattar said the delegation would urge the Taliban government "to act responsibly in the terribly grave situation" raised by the attacks on New York and Washington.
While Pakistan would offer Washington full cooperation, Sattar said that any decision on specific help against terrorism would be taken only once Washington made known precisely what action it has in mind.
"Pakistan's position remains quite precarious," wrote The Nation newspaper. "Damned if it helps the U.S., not only by the Taliban but also by the large number of Taliban supporters in the country.
"And damned if it does not, because the U.S., already suspicious of Pakistan's disclaimers of its support to the Taliban, would lump Pakistan and Afghanistan together and act accordingly."
Musharraf consulted opinion leaders in the country following his promise to Washington to do whatever was necessary to help then track down those responsible for the September 11 attacks.
After meeting newspaper editors on Sunday, he was quoted as saying Pakistan had to be involved in the formation of a new political structure inside Afghanistan – an admission that he believed that larger changes than the surrender of bin Laden were now inevitable.
In Lahore, the leaders of groups united under the banner of the Afghan Defence Council were meeting to plot their strategy as Washington vowed retribution for the terror attacks in which more than 5,000 people are missing and feared dead.
The group was formed in response to U.N. sanctions invoked last January against the Taliban in a futile effort to force the surrender of bin Laden, whom the Taliban consider a "guest."
But there is broad antagonism in Pakistan to any U.S. attack on Afghanistan. A plan by the United Nations to deploy monitors along the border to enforce its arms embargo on the Taliban was condemned last month across Pakistan's political spectrum.
:=) Gary Swancey
Perosnally I believe they will invade Pakistan prior to the US getting a support force there to attempt to get control of certain scenarios.
:=) Gary Swancey
Uh, yeah, right.
Add Goodyear to the list of patriotic corprate citizens. PR~~~shaolin
Goodyear to Donate $1 Million Plus to Relief Effort
AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of the tragic events of
Sept. 11, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is announcing a $1 million gift
that is expected to be significantly enhanced through the personal donations
of Goodyear's 100,000 associates worldwide.
The contributions are to be divided between The New York Times 9/11
Neediest Fund to provide financial aid for rescue workers, civilians and their
families and the American Red Cross which is providing aid in Washington,
D.C., New York and Pennsylvania.
In addition to financial aid, Goodyear has dedicated manufacturing,
logistics and delivery personnel to assure continuous tire availability in
both New York and Washington, D.C. The company and its network of retailers
have been working around the clock to assure a steady flow of product to
affected areas by prioritizing and expediting shipments to keep essential
equipment operating.
Tire engineers have been dispatched to consult with New York City's tire
maintenance staff to assist in any tire needs to avoid equipment downtime.
Goodyear associates from several plants who are trained emergency
professionals are in New York assisting in rescue operations.
In announcing Goodyear's gift, Sam Gibara, Goodyear chairman of the board
and chief executive officer said, "Our deepest sympathy rests with those who
lost loved ones in the devastating events of last week. Goodyear's gift
allows the company and its associates to offer our support to the men and
women who put their lives on the line to save others. Goodyear and its global
family stand ready to do what we can to aid in their heroic efforts.
"We understand the daunting task that lies ahead and our company along
with our retail and commercial operations will continue to provide whatever
assistance is possible." Gibara also said Goodyear's fleet of three U.S.-
based airships will display aerial night signs to assist in relief and
philanthropic efforts as long as required.
Goodyear is the world's largest tire company. Headquartered in Akron,
Ohio, the company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals
in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries. It has marketing operations in
almost every country around the world. Goodyear employs about 100,000 people
worldwide. For more information about the company, visit http://www.Goodyear.com on
the Internet.
CNBC states to support the border from US attack. But no one knows just yet.
:=) Gary Swancey
Sounds beautiful to me.
Stronger and more resolved than ever!
Taliban deploys 20,000 to Pakistan Border
:=) Gary Swancey
Now I will once my targets are hit. But they are up.
:=) Gary Swancey
Yep I believe the margin calls will be heavy, also they are not extending the options, puts, calls. Triple Witching is still Friday I believe.
Big Money is going to fight the sell off ...
:=) Gary Swancey
Yep that is a good site.
:=) Gary Swancey
I have been thinking about this concept for days. As an artist, I am always thinking of images. First and foremost, I want to see the Twins rebuilt exactly as they were. They were something to see when visiting NYC. We have all seen the images of the destruction in the city. My concept for the memorial is the steel girders of the remains with the phoenix, in all its glorious might, arising out of the steel claws that remain. What say you? SH
I don't have much BUT I ain't sellin nothin' SH
Carolyn, "Out of the ashes shall arise the Phoenix" SH
I received this email tonight.........
Just got home yesterday!! (Thursday night) I have spent 30 hours on the Greyhound bus from Salt Lake City. I was in the air coming from Billings, MT (September 11th) visiting my mom when the attacks happened. I landed in Salt Lake an hour or so after the attacks, and was basically there until Wednesday. Mass confusion, but did not feel helpless or impatient due to what others are feeling at this moment in DC and NYC. Had time to think about others and pray for everyone I knew and did not know.
We have taken for granted that the ones we love will be here tomorrow, we have taken for granted our country and what we represent,
we have taken for granted our police officers, fireman, and our military and what they are doing to protect us, we have forgotten what the word patriot means. We have forgotten the words to our National Anthem, we have forgotten the words to our Pledge of Allegiance. We have fought in courts about the right to burn OUR flag, that represents all people who live here and all people who escape their countries for freedom.
On my bus trip back to Texas, I traveled thru Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico and saw the beauty of our country and the beauty of the people on the bus (all classes I might add). Normally you may not see the suit and ties on a Greyhound bus talking to a lower class of people, I saw us all come together and help whomever was in need. I was amazed at how we all came together and how we all worked together. I won't say that I did not meet a few idiots, I did... but not all have it in them to comprehend what most normal people can during this time.
Since this horrific tragedy, I do believe we now feel the need for changes in our system, in our schools, and for mankind. We need to stop taking for granted what we have here, we do not have to live in Kosovo, Sarajevo, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, Africa, India, Pakistan, Russia, China, Japan... we are a great nation not to be divided as these countries have been. We are not fighting for land, we are not fighting for freedom, we are not in Holy wars. We have been at war with ourselves over senseless crap. We have been ignorant about history, about God, about government and what it is doing for us and what it not doing for us. How many people understand our Bill of Rights, our Constitution, our checks and balance, the difference between republic and democracy, how many people understand this system and what it represents?
I have had a lot of time to think about so much and listen to so much... yes what happened in NYC and DC was tragic, perhaps now we will pay attention, perhaps now we will not take for granted what we have in this wonderful country. Perhaps now we won't cry if our burgers are not in our hands as we pull up to the drive thru window, we won't cry if the lights stay red for too long, we won't cry if our television program has been canceled, we won't tie up our courts for frivolous things.
The time to cry is now... and pray that we never have to see this kind of evil again. The time is now for so many changes and not to expect someone else to make them happen. The time is now to understand your government and pay attention to the grass roots, to pay attention and know what and whom you choose to vote for, no matter what party you are with, pay attention and learn to read between the lines of our media and the talking heads. There is truth out there, you just have to pay attention.
Perhaps one wonders why this tradgedy has hit our soil? Perhaps we need to learn more about our history and we don't have to go to far back to understand some of it. Let us start learning more about history instead of Hollywood, and perhaps we can see things a lot clearer. Remember the heroes of yesterday and today, they don't always play sports or sing us songs or act in movies. The true heroes are the ones we will never know their names or see their faces. Heroes who have fought for our country and our cities (police/fireman) no matter what color, religion, or class of people they belonged in. Heroes are your parents, your grand parents, your spouses, your friends, and strangers... they give without expecting any recognition. They do not gloat, they do not want attention, they do it out of love for their loved ones and for their country.
I know I have gotten on a soap box and I could stay here all night... I just had to get it off my chest and hope no one holds my words against me. I speak from my heart and from my head. I speak and know this event will forever change our lives. I am in deep sorrow as most of this Great country is, over what we have been stricken with. This is our greatest challenge and now is the time we must unite no matter what our belief or races are. It is time we act like a country and stop acting like a soap opera.
Today I called my sisters, my brother, my husband and my parents, I am now reaching out to my friends and relatives to let you all know you have and will stay in my prayers. I pray for us all, I pray for this great nation, and most of all I pray for our enemies, I repeat... most of all I pray for our enemies in hiding, the cowards that attacked us while we were sleeping.
If you know of anyone I may have left off this email list please pass along those I know, I did not have everyone's email with me at home and have guessed at most of them.
There are some I know that have donated blood, skin grafts, money, food, and clothing. Just wanted to remind you if ever anyone is need of your help it is at this moment. Please contact the appropriate charities and give what you can.
Please let me know what changes you have felt as well if you feel. I would like to hear them.
God bless us all!
Excel - Greg - Fish On!
There are still some investors I know who will probably be selling tomorrow because of margin calls. They've been holding on by the skin of their teeth for months now. I'm not sure if they are representative of a larger group.
Buffett says 'won't be selling anything' on Monday
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/010916/n16214829_4.html
By Anna Willard
WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett said on Sunday he will not sell any of his stocks when the market reopens on Monday, and in fact if the markets fall significantly he may use it as a buying opportunity.
:=) Gary Swancey
I just ran across this thread. Here is a link to the most frightening article I have ever read:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24503
The First Economic Retaliation of the War starts tomorrow at 9:30. All may watch in live TV right after "God Bless America" is sung. CSCO will be one of the Vanguard troops leading the Charge with a $3 Billion Buy Back.
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=repurchase&n=10
We need to remember this:
"Life Is..."
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
SET TO MUSIC, A TOUCHING REMINDER
http://www.yellow7.com/imagine/
The weather in Afghanistan tomorrow is expected to be sunny in the morning with increasing mushroom clouds in the afternoon. The temperature looks to be a moderate 2000 degrees with warm winds upwards of around 700 miles per hour. It will definitely be a day for the sunblock, and it wouldn't hurt to shake the dust off the ol' lead suit in the closet.
If you're planning on venturing outside in beautiful Afghanistan tomorrow, don't forget to drink plenty of fluids such as barium which shows up nicely when blasts of radiation flow through your body.
Most of all, have fun out there in dusty Afghanistan and enjoy the old country while........ well, while it's still there!.
Excel - Greg - Fish On!
Violations by the Taliban
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan2/Afghan0701-01.htm#P181_37555
· January-June 2001: Fighting between forces of the Taliban and the United Front factions Hizb-i Wahdat and Harakat-i Islami in and around the town of Yakaolang in the Hazarajat region led to a series of reprisals by Taliban troops against local civilians, who were mainly ethnic Hazaras. In January the Taliban massacred 176 civilians after retaking control of the town of Yakaolang. They lost and regained control of the town two more times over the next five months. In June Taliban troops summarily executed an unknown number of civilians and burned much of the town's center before being forced to withdraw from the town. 62 Also in January 2001 Taliban forces summarily executed at least thirty-one ethnic Uzbek civilians while retreating from Khwajaghar, in Takhar province, during battles with United Front forces.63
· August-October 2000: According to displaced persons who had fled to United Front-held Faizabad, the Taliban bombed residential areas of Taloqan and surrounding villages in the weeks before the city fell to them on September 5, 2000. Bombs, shells, and cluster munitions were heavily used throughout the city, destroying many homes. After the Taliban consolidated control of the villages, its forces carried out summary executions of suspected sympathizers of United Front commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.64
· May 2000: Taliban forces summarily executed at least thirty-one civilians near the Robatak pass, northwest of the town of Pul-i Khumri. These were men taken during sweep operations throughout Samangan and neighboring provinces in late 1999 and early 2000.65
· July-December 1999: A series of Taliban offensives in the north was marked by summary executions, the abduction and "disappearance" of women, forced labor of detainees, the burning of homes, and the destruction of other property and agricultural assets, including fruit trees, one of the mainstays of the local economy.66 According to a U.N. report later that year, "The Taliban forces, who allegedly carried out these acts, essentially treated the civilian population with hostility and made no distinction between combatants and non-combatants."67 According to one human rights researcher, in Khwajaghar, near Taloqan, 3,000 houses were systematically destroyed in July, and in Shamali, detainees were used for mine clearance.68 In July-August Taliban forces bombed the town of Dara-i Suf with incendiary cluster munitions; ground demolition forces burned down the entire central market and destroyed wells and homes.69 In December Taliban forces massacred ethnic Uzbek civilians in the village of Khoja Kuliob, Aibak district, Samangan province.70
· August 1998: After capturing Mazar-i Sharif on August 8, more than a year after some 3,000 of its soldiers had been captured and murdered there, Taliban troops rounded up and summarily executed at least 2,000 civilians, the majority of them ethnic Hazaras. Thousands more, including ethnic Uzbek and Tajik men, were detained. The Taliban governor, Mullah Manon Niazi, made inflammatory speeches in which he accused the Hazaras of murdering Taliban soldiers in 1997 and ordered them to become Sunni Muslims or risk being killed. Many civilians were also killed in aerial bombardments and rocket attacks as they tried to flee the city. There were reports that in certain Hazara neighborhoods, a number of women were raped and abducted by Taliban troops.71
· September 1997: Retreating Taliban forces summarily executed ethnic Shi'a Hazara villagers near Mazar-i Sharif after having failed to capture the city. According to the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, fifty-three villagers were summarily executed in one city, Qezelabad, and some twenty houses set on fire. In the village of Sheikhabad, some thirty elderly people were reported to have been summarily executed. Killings of a similar type were also reported in other villages in the area.72
· In addition, the Taliban has committed other serious violations of internationally recognized human rights outside of the context of armed conflict. Minorities have suffered from discrimination and other abuses, including arbitrary arrest and torture. Summary trials of suspected criminals frequently result in harsh sentences involving corporal punishment under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law. In areas under their control, Taliban authorities have enacted policies prohibiting women from working outside the home in activities other than health care, although the policies are not uniformly enforced. They have prohibited women from attending universities and have closed girls' schools in Kabul and some other cities, although primary schools for girls operate in many other areas of the country under Taliban control. The Taliban has enforced a strict dress code for women and the religious police have beaten women on the streets for violation of this code. Men have also been beaten or fined for dress code violations or for having beards that are too short.
:=) Gary Swancey
Pakistan, Iran, Russia Fueling Afghan Civil War
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/07/afghan0701.htm
(New York, July 13, 2001) The United Nations Security Council should impose a comprehensive embargo on all military assistance against all warring factions in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch urged today.
In a new report released today, Human Rights Watch accused Pakistan, Iran, and Russia of providing military support to Afghan factions with a long record of committing gross abuses of human rights. Other states in the region have also contributed to the ongoing war.
"The civil war in Afghanistan has been absolutely disastrous for civilians," said Joost R. Hiltermann, Executive Director of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch. "An arms embargo is the only way to stop the human rights violations they have suffered."
The 55-page report, "Crisis of Impunity: The Role of Pakistan, Russia, and Iran in Fueling the Civil War in Afghanistan," details the nature of military support provided to the warring parties; the major transit routes used to move arms and other equipment; the suppliers; the role of state and nonstate actors; and the response of the international community. Human Rights Watch conducted research on military assistance to the Taliban and the United Front over a two-year period, traveling to both Kabul and areas of Afghanistan under United Front control, as well as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan, and interviewing government officials, members of the diplomatic community, military officers, civil servants, journalists, academics, and others.
In calling for an embargo on military assistance, Human Rights Watch said that enforcement measures should be carefully structured to ensure a two-sided embargo would not benefit one side, the Taliban, at the expense of the other, the United Front. For reasons of geography and other factors, an embargo is more easily enforced against the United Front than the Taliban.
Lifting the embargo should be made contingent on concrete steps by the factions to end gross violations of human rights and bring perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch said.
In the war, all major factions have repeatedly committed serious violations of international law, including killings, indiscriminate aerial bombardment and shelling, direct attacks on civilians, summary executions, rape, persecution on the basis of religion, and the use of antipersonnel landmines. Most of the recent violations, especially summary executions and indiscriminate aerial bombardment, have been by the Taliban, while the United Front has failed to hold its commanders accountable for past abuses.
Many of the factions' violations can be shown to have been "widespread or systematic," a criterion of crimes against humanity. Direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian casualties may amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law.
The report charges that Pakistan has violated the U.N. arms embargo on the Taliban imposed in December 2000 by permitting arms to cross its border into Taliban-controlled territory. The Taliban is the Afghan faction in power in Kabul; Pakistan has been its principal international sponsor. Official denials notwithstanding, Pakistan has provided the Taliban with military advisers and logistical support during key battles; has bankrolled the Taliban; has facilitated transshipment of arms, ammunition, and fuel through its territory; and has openly encouraged the recruitment of Pakistanis to fight for the Taliban. In addition, Saudi Arabia has provided funds to the Taliban, while private actors and some officials benefit from the smuggling that links these countries.
Supporting the coalition of opposition groups known as the United Front are Iran and Russia, with secondary roles played by Tajikistan and, at least until 1998, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Iran has provided weapons, large-scale funding, and training. Russia has played a crucial enabling role in the resupply of United Front forces by arranging for the transport of Iranian aid, as well as providing direct military assistance itself, including transport helicopters in late 2000. Military assistance to United Front forces has crossed the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border with the active collusion of the Russian government. In general, Human Rights Watch supports international sanctions against governments and rebel groups that have engaged in a practice of gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Such sanctions include the imposition of embargoes on arms and other forms of military assistance by the international community. Likewise, governments that provide military assistance to abusive states and rebel groups should be held accountable for the resulting abuses.
The humanitarian toll of twenty years of fighting-some 1.5 million deaths and the massive displacement of populations, famine, and the ruin of the country's economic base-has not figured prominently in international policy on Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said. Existing U.N. sanctions against the Taliban, imposed to compel the surrender of Osama bin Laden, the Saudi national suspected of having orchestrated the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, do not address the larger issue of the war's impact on the civilian population.
"The international community has failed to hold Afghanistan's warring factions accountable for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law," said Hiltermann. "Civilians are at the center of this conflict, and their well-being must be at the center of the solution."
In calling for a comprehensive embargo on arms and other military assistance, Human Rights Watch said that Pakistan, in particular, should be pressed to comply with the embargo, especially to prevent the re-supply of ammunition and spare parts to the Taliban. Pakistan should also be urged to accept U.N. monitors to work alongside its own customs personnel, and steps should be taken to penalize Pakistan if it fails to comply with the U.N. embargo. Such measures should be designed to minimize any adverse humanitarian impact in Pakistan.
:=) Gary Swancey
Experts Weigh Risks of Air, Ground Campaigns in Afghanistan
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-091401defense.story
By PAUL RICHTER, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- As the Bush administration began weighing strikes against terrorist havens in Afghanistan, defense officials and military experts said Thursday that major operations in the rugged terrain could require months of preparation and would probably entail U.S. casualties.
Because of a primitive infrastructure and the hostility of many Afghanis, a major ground campaign would require a lead time long enough to allow several divisions of troops and their supplies to reach the region, experts predicted. An assault by special operations forces would probably lead to some U.S. casualties because of the difficulty the units would face trying to wend their way across the rugged, heavily armed region, they said.
And an air campaign, though easier in several respects, would have marginal value unless the U.S. forces had the kind of timely intelligence that it has often lacked about Osama bin Laden, experts said.
One military officer, noting that Afghans had defeated powerful intruders for more than 1,000 years, said the country "may be the worst place on Earth to do one of these things."
Pentagon officials said that over the past several years they have drafted various plans for possible operations in Afghanistan because of their concerns about bin Laden and other terrorist groups in the country. And U.S. intelligence has some familiarity with the region because of the aid the U.S. government offered Afghan rebels in their fight against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.
Yet they acknowledged that any effort would be hindered by a shortage of usable airfields, poor roads and faulty communications and utilities. Even the difficulty of local dialects will make it tougher for ground forces to make their way through the country.
Another major obstacle to a military campaign is America's poor relationship with most of Afghanistan's neighbors.
State Department officials, including Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, have spent long hours this week trying to convince the Pakistanis to cooperate with the new counter-terrorist effort. But though the Pakistanis have sought to appear cooperative, experts predicted that it would be difficult to persuade them to allow the United States to open any staging base in their country for a military effort in Afghanistan.
"I have to believe they would be very unenthusiastic" about permitting use of their territory as a base for a military strike, said Teresita Schaffer, a South Asia specialist and former U.S. ambassador, even though the Pakistanis are under strong pressure now to help the United States against terrorism.
Experts said they believed that the U.S. government's first choice would be to have Pakistan pressure the Taliban into forcing withdrawal of bin Laden's network from Afghanistan. If that effort were to fail, U.S. special forces could be sent to Afghanistan seeking to kill or capture bin Laden and other key figures in his network.
But experts said the long distances involved and rugged terrain would raise risks for the special forces and the helicopters that would carry them.
"You're taking chances with those long distances and possible maintenance problems," said retired Marine Lt. Gen. Anthony Zinni, the last commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. The capabilities of special forces units are better than they were in 1980, when President Carter's commando mission to rescue Iranian hostages failed. Yet, he added, "you face the same sort of circumstances."
Military experts said that if the Pentagon does not want to go with a small special forces unit to try to track down individual terrorists, the next best choice would be to go with a very large force, of perhaps several divisions. That is needed, they said, so that the troops would have all the force protection and logistic support needed in the difficult environment of Afghanistan.
"You can go small, or you can go big, but you don't want to have a force that's in-between," said retired Army Lt. Col. Ralph Peters. "You've got to support yourself and protect yourself."
But experts universally insisted that none of these approaches would make sense unless the United States is able to get intelligence-- possibly with the aid of allies-- that is accurate and timely.
When the U.S. forces struck Bin Laden's camps with cruise missiles in 1998, U.S. intelligence indicated he was there. But by the time the missiles were fired, bin Laden had moved on, adding to the impression that the strikes were a meaningless gesture.
"You don't want to use forces like this unless you've got very, very good intelligence," Zinni said.
:=) Gary Swancey
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Excel - Greg - Fish On!
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