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The Terrorist of the stock market (bashers & Shorters) are starting to raise cane about that petition and it has not been out but a couple of hours. The bottomline is the government is lifting restriction to get people to buy and we are to buy what ... Phantom shares. They need to stop it and make it transparent.
"NO OWN - NO SELL" Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/NoShorts/petition.html
Proud To Be An American Against Terrorism & Its Propaganda!
:=) Gary Swancey
Pass these sites on to everyone you know ~~
http://www.governmentguide.com/govsite.adp?bread=*Main&url=http%3A//www.governmentguide.com/ams/...
http://www.governmentguide.com/govsite.adp?bread=*Main&url=http%3A//www.governmentguide.com/ams/...
Jobs for Terrorist Intervention: http://www.governmentguide.com/benefits_and_assistance/patrioticjobs.adp
M&M's Mark
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
They got to do something before we end up at ZERO ... They will lift restrictions on buying, lift delisting but as long as the buying is buying stock that does not exist or borrowed the market is going down.
"NO OWN - NO SELL" Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/NoShorts/petition.html
Proud To Be An American Against Terrorism & Its Propaganda!
:=) Gary Swancey
Ther Ya go Gary. I just sighned the petition.
Frank (
http://www.katu.com/images/flagprint.jpg
Save America's Finanical Markets
"NO OWN - NO SELL" Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/NoShorts/petition.html
Proud To Be An American Against Terrorism & Its Propaganda!
:=) Gary Swancey
Ahh. . .Georgia. . .I see it from a different light, now. I guess I'm still pissed off over this crazy event of being threatened by upcoming terrorists. I do not support a nuclear attack on sand-dunes and camels. That is all it would be if we took aggressive action against Afghanistan. Why send a two-million dollar Tomahawk missle into a 40 dollar tend and a flock of brain-washed poor people? The "surgical removal" aspect seems to be the best. I even believe that we should set up emergency shelters for the women and children of Afghanistan (perhaps across the border in Pakistan) which will show the Middle East that we are not opposed to their "beliefs" or "religions". What we are opposed to is "terrorism". Osama bin Laden is doing nothing but influencing the uneducated via his leadership skills and his distorted way of thought.
Okay. . .got some work to do. Be careful out there. Some of these latest articles aren't too promising. However, I do not see America as being willing to fold to a bunch of distorted camel jockies. Even if they did get educated in America.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
No Mary BOP is a very good friend of mine. Reread his post. He is not posting anti-american ...
"NO OWN - NO SELL"
Proud To Be An American Against Terrorism & Its Propaganda!
:=) Gary Swancey
Bird of Prey. . .
You are were probably one of OBL's brainwashed followers.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Gather in Afghanistan. All that wish for a "jihad" with America should gather in Afghanistan. Be prepared to defend OBL to the death from the American forces coming for him in Afaganistan. Travel from wherever you are to Afghanistan, Gather all of your brethren together.
All peaceful people should leave Afghanistan to OBL and his followers. Leave and return in 50 years or so when the radiation has returned to acceptable levels.
The Bird of Prey
The End Days are upon us.
Trainees eager to join 'jihad' against America
By Jack Kelley, USA TODAY
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Morning at the Dar-ul-Uloom
Haqquania madrassa, or religious school, begins
with a prayer and a defiant chant. "Oh, Allah,
defeat the enemies of Muslims and make Islam and
the Taliban victorious over the Americans in
Afghanistan," the 3,500 students say in unison in
the school's courtyard. Then, they break into a
chorus of "Jihad! Jihad!" or "Holy war! Holy war!"
Their words bring a smile to the face of the
school's chancellor, Maulana Sami ul-Haq. "Osama
and the Taliban would be proud," he says. Ten of
the Taliban's 12 senior leaders studied here. Their
pictures hang on the walls of the courtyard, next
to that of Osama bin Laden.
Even Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban's leader,
attended the school briefly before he left in the
1980s to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
"They are all our inspiration," Haq says. "And
soon, we'll be fighting alongside them."
Tens of thousands of students at Pakistan's 6,000
militant Muslim madrassas say they plan to go to
Afghanistan to fight U.S. soldiers, attack bases in
Pakistan that may host American forces, or conduct
suicide bomb attacks against U.S. targets if
President Bush launches military action against bin
Laden and the ruling Taliban militia in
Afghanistan.
Bush has named bin Laden the prime suspect in the
attacks in the USA and is expected by many here to
be preparing retaliatory strikes at him and the
Taliban, which has been harboring him for years.
But the madrassa students say any U.S.-led strikes
won't stop the terrorism.
"We are all Osama bin Ladens," says Abdullah Shah,
35, senior teacher at Dar-ul-Alloon Sarhad, a
nearby madrassa. "Getting rid of one Osama won't
solve your problems. Your trouble is just
beginning."
Already, more than 2,000 students, some carrying
the Koran, Islam's holy book, and AK-47 assault
rifles, have crossed into Afghanistan within the
last week, Pakistani officials say.
More are on their way. Hundreds of others, who have
been fighting Indian forces, are withdrawing from
the Pakistani side of the disputed Himalayan region
of Kashmir. They also are heading for Afghanistan,
Indian officials say.
Other madrassas, such as Haqquania here, are
planning to shut down temporarily next week to
allow their students to join the Taliban. Those who
do go are being offered "extra credit."
"We give them the knowledge, the Taliban gives them
the guns," Haq says. "I, and all my students, will
support the Taliban and Osama at all costs. They
are the only ones implementing true Islam."
Haq is believed to be one of bin Laden's closest
friends in Pakistan, and Pakistani officials say he
is a Taliban insider. He keeps three pictures atop
his desk, and one in his wallet, all of which show
him standing arm-in-arm with bin Laden. He says he
uses a red "hotline" phone on his desk to call
Taliban officials in the Afghan cities of Kabul and
Kandahar.
"Osama and the Taliban are alive and well, thanks
to God," Haq says.
He refuses to say when he last spoke with bin Laden
and denies knowing where he is hiding. "Osama and
the Taliban will not go lightly. They are preparing
for a fight. That's where we come in."
USA TODAY was invited to spend a day at two of
Pakistan's madrassas, one of them militant and the
other moderate. The Islamic clerics who run the
schools say they want to explain their anger to
Americans before their jihad against the United
States begins.
There are an estimated 40,000 madrassas in
Pakistan, of which the government says 6,000 are
militant. The madrassas, financed by wealthy
businessmen in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other
countries, offer the best chance for an education
for Pakistan's poor. Most government-run schools
are overcrowded and underfunded and require
students to pay for some costs. The madrassas do
not charge tuition.
The students, most of whom are from Pakistan and
Afghanistan, spend up to 6 hours a day memorizing
the Koran. Then, they spend 2-4 hours listening to
lectures about the Koran and the Islamic prophet
Mohammed. Their curriculum includes some
mathematics and geography but little else. Critics
say the schools are teaching intolerance.
"These schools are providing an education which is
basically unchanged from the 11th century," says
Islamic analyst Pervez Hoodboy. He says they
produce "a student with a particular mindset, one
who does not question and who can be easily
motivated into fighting to the death."
Pakistani officials, while insisting that militant
Muslims represent only 15% of Pakistan's 140
million people, fear that the actions of the
madrassa students could destabilize the government,
which is led by a man who took power in a military
coup 2 years ago. Fearing an uprising mobilized by
the madrassas, the government has not cracked down
on the schools.
"The biggest danger for Pakistan is from young,
disillusioned and angry Pakistanis, many of them
poor and jobless, who may be driven to join the
radicals in a jihad," says former Pakistani army
chief of staff Mirza Aslam Baig. "Some of the
madrassas are breeding grounds for this
radicalism."
Lately, lectures on the Koran at Haqquania and the
moderate Dar-ul-Alloon Sarhad madrassa have given
way to heated discussions about impending U.S.
military action. Students and faculty at the
madrassas demand that the United States make public
the evidence it has proving bin Laden's involvement
in the terrorist attacks earlier this month in the
USA.
"How can you convict someone without presenting
evidence or witnesses against the alleged culprit?"
asks Khalid Ahmad Banouri, chancellor at
Dar-ul-Alloon Sarhad. Surrounded by more than a
dozen other Muslim clerics, he sits on a large
Oriental carpet in a courtyard of the school. "It
makes many Muslims believe that, despite what
President Bush says, this attack will be on Muslims
and Islam itself."
The expected assault on Afghanistan is just the
latest act by the United States, Banouri says. He
says America has implemented a foreign policy based
on hypocrisy and self-serving interests:
* He ridicules U.S. support for Israel, which he
accuses of brutalizing Palestinians and illegally
occupying the West Bank of the Jordan River.
* He blasts U.S.-backed economic sanctions on Iraq,
which he says are causing thousands of Iraqi women
and children to starve to death.
* He and others here also are furious that
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to
share intelligence on the whereabouts of bin Laden.
And they are angry that Musharraf will allow U.S.
fighters to fly through Pakistani airspace on their
way to attack targets in Afghanistan.
At the Haqquania madrassa, a student who says he
has just attended one of bin Laden's training camps
pulls out a training manual, called the
"encyclopedia," which U.S. officials say is used at
the camps in Afghanistan. "Now listen, American,
and listen well," says Hussain Zaeef, 21. He reads
from Page 12 of the manual: " 'Bomb their embassies
and vital economic centers.' That's what I will do
to you and your country. I will get your children.
I will get their playgrounds. I will get their
schools, too. I will get all of you."
Tempers then flare. Several students begin yelling
at once, pointing their fingers and gesturing
wildly.
One yells out the name of Mohammed Atta, an alleged
bin Laden associate believed to have hijacked one
of the two jets that crashed into the World Trade
Center. Another says he will "kill more than Atta."
A third student then unfolds a picture of the Sears
Tower in Chicago. "This one is mine," he says.
To learn more, visit http://www.usatoday.com/
Comments or concerns? Please e-mail us at
mailto:emailnewsletters@usatoday.com
For up to the minute news and information, visit
http://www.usatoday.com/
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
May be of interest:
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=TABLE&read=28146
Arch. . .
I have absolutely "0" belief that the Chinese government is posing a threat against the United States. And I certainly wouldn't accredit the development of their latest supposed "missle" technology. . .with Russia. Do all of you remember the accuracy of the SCUD missles during the Gulf War ~~ Operation Desert Storm? The SCUD missles never even came close to hitting designated targets. That article was written by someone of the "paranoia" level. That is exactly what we do not need to occur. However, with Freedom of Press coming into full swing. . .we're going to see more of the nonsense than we will see of "credible evidence" on pressing concerns.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
this is a good read>>>>>>>>>
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=188594
Arch
Scroll down for story!
SEARCH
Wednesday 26 September 2001
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War will begin within days
By George Jones and Anton La Guardia
(Filed: 26/09/2001)
TONY BLAIR cleared the way yesterday for military strikes against Afghanistan within days by declaring that the Taliban would become an enemy in the battle against terrorism unless they handed over Osama bin Laden.
Tony Blair: the Taliban is a regime 'founded on fear and funded by drugs and crime'
Standing in the Downing Street garden, he said that America and its allies had the power to do "very considerable damage" to the Taliban. "Military conflict there will be unless the Taliban change and respond to the ultimatum given to them," said Mr Blair.
As diplomats said that military action was likely to begin "within a week", Downing Street announced that Parliament would be recalled for one day on Thursday of next week. Political leaders had already indicated that MPs should be brought back only after action had started.
Mr Blair's ultimatum, delivered 24 hours after he briefed Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, and senior parliamentarians, was seen as preparing British and international opinion for hostilities.
The Taliban were further isolated yesterday when Saudi Arabia severed all relations with the regime. Last night, a Saudi official said that Afghan diplomats had been given 48 hours to leave the country.
This leaves only Pakistan maintaining diplomatic links with Kabul since the United Arab Emirates cut ties at the weekend. President Bush, whom Mr Blair visited last week and vowed to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with in the fight against terrorism, praised the Saudis' "wise step".
Only President Musharraf of Pakistan, the traditional backer of the Taliban, said that his country would maintain contact because "at least there should be one country who ought to be able to have an access to them".
In a message to the American people, the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, stepped up his defiance. He said the attacks on New York and Washington were to avenge US "cruelty" towards Muslim countries.
"The American people must know that the sad events that took place recently were the result of their government's wrong policies. Your government is perpetrating all sorts of atrocities in Muslim countries. Instead of supporting your government's policies you should urge your government to reconsider their wrong and cruel policies."
He added, without claiming to know who was responsible: "The recent sad event in America was the result of these cruel policies and was meant to avenge this cruelty."
Mr Blair said the Taliban knew what it had to do. If it stood in the way of bringing bin Laden to account, it would be "every bit our enemy" as bin Laden himself. "Our enemy's friend becomes our enemy too," he said in his strongest warning yet that the Taliban would be toppled unless it agreed to hand over bin Laden.
He described the Taliban as a regime "founded on fear and funded largely by drugs and crime" where poverty and illness were endemic and women's rights "non-existent".
Mr Blair emphasised the unity of the coalition lined up against Afghanistan. He said military action would be directed at the Taliban and not at the ordinary people of Afghanistan and promised that Britain would help efforts to deliver food to Afghan refugees to avert a winter crisis.
The Prime Minister called his unscheduled press conference after a day of non-stop diplomacy aimed at securing international and domestic political backing for military action. The most significant breakthrough came late on Monday with President Putin's announcement that Russia would share intelligence with the West and help the opposition Northern Alliance in northern Afghanistan.
In a historic address to the Bundestag in Berlin, Mr Putin yesterday sought to capitalise on his gesture by calling on the West to welcome Russia back to the diplomatic top table.
Mr Blair did not state when the ultimatum to the Taliban would run out nor does the Government expect a positive response. But it was meant to increase the pressure on the regime and provide justification for America and Britain to take military action.
"We have the power to do very considerable damage to the Taliban regime, and any action we take will be directed towards the regime, and not the ordinary people of Afghanistan," he said.
As the world lined up behind the coalition, Abdul Sattar, Pakistan's foreign minister, warned against governments giving military aid to the Taliban's Northern Alliance opponents. He said: "We must not make the blunder of trying to foist a government on the people of Afghanistan."
His comments were seen as reflecting concern in Pakistan that Iran, an old enemy of the Taliban, might, after yesterday's visit by Jack Straw, have a greater say in the future of Islamabad's old client state.
Recognising the delicacy of Gen Musharraf's position, Mr Bush did not call on Pakistan to follow Saudi Arabia's lead and instructed his officials to moderate previous talk about overthrowing the Taliban.
The president said he wanted to "make sure that Pakistan is a stable country and that whatever consequences may occur as a result of actions we may or may not take, is one that we do the best we can to manage".
He called on Afghan citizens disenchanted with Taliban rule to help the US pursue bin Laden but added that he was not interested in "nation-building" or supplanting regimes. "We're focused on justice and we're going to get justice. It's going to take a while probably but I'm a patient man. Nothing will diminish my will and my determination."
The Prime Minister attempted to calm concerns that terrorists might be planning biological or chemical weapons attacks on Britain after the head of the World Health Organisation warned governments to prepare for possible attacks. He said there was no specific threat and it was important not to be "alarmist" about such possibilities.
Labour confirmed that its annual conference in Brighton next week would be cut short, finishing on Wednesday to enable MPs to return to Westminster. Mr Duncan Smith reaffirmed his "full backing" for the Government's support for America's efforts to bring the perpetrators of the World Trade Centre and Pentagon atrocities to justice. "They were attacks we simply cannot allow to go unpunished," he said.
God Bless America!
Excel
Arch-- just another twit to disappear...
maybe as a bit of tiny pieces.... :o)
Best'o'Luck to You and ALL(always and all ways)
George
not a good thing here..................
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=188118
Arch
US on highest level of alert
by James Langton in New York
Security measures across America were being tightened today amid growing fears of a second wave of terrorist attacks.
Possible targets now range from nuclear power stations, drinking water reservoirs and any industry using hazardous materials, with law-enforcement agencies and the armed forces now operating at an unprecedented level of alert.
Combat fighters at 26 air bases are on standby to protect America's 103 nuclear power reactors, ready to intercept and open fire if necessary if there is any attempt to repeat the hijacking of a passenger jet.
Power stations have been placed on the highest level of alert, with patrols by armed guards and access to secure areas restricted to essential staff.
Richard Meserve, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, admitted yesterday that the possibility of a suicide mission using fuel-laden commercial jets had never been considered until the attacks of 11 September. Reactor sites were now "considered part of the homeland defence", he said.
The FBI is also urging water companies to step up security measures after fears of deliberate contamination using chemical or biological weapons.
Boats have been banned from using reservoirs and water testing has been stepped up. Intelligence agencies believe terrorists might also try to cut off water to major cities by blowing up dams and pumping equipment.
With the FBI now seeking nearly 400 people in connection with the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the underground network of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists and their supporters inside the United States is far bigger than previously realised.
Three men were arrested in San Diego, California yesterday, under suspicion of providing forged identity cards for the hijackers. Their arrest brings the total held to 353.
The Attorney General, John Ashcroft, said last night that he believed there was "a potential for additional terrorist incidents". He revealed that the FBI had discovered an attempt by several suicide hijackers to obtain hazardous material transport licences for lorriesin what seems to be further confirmation that plans were being laid to use biological or chemical weapons inside the US.
Around 20 people have been charged after they made fraudulent attempts for licences to drive tankers. Mr Ashcroft warned that: "Terrorism is a clear and present danger to Americans today.''
He is also asking Congress for the right to detain or deport immigrants suspected of terrorist activities and increased powers to wire-tap telephone calls.
The authorities also know that the terrorists, including Mohammed Atta, who piloted American Airlines Flight 11 into the World Trade Center, had shown interest in buying small cropspraying planes, which can disperse up to 800 gallons an hour. One even asked for a Department of Agriculture loan to buy a plane. A two-day ban on crop-spraying was lifted by the Federal Aviation Administration yesterday.
The Washington Post also reported the testimony of a convicted terrorist collaborator in the trial of an Arab in July who was convicted for an attempt to bomb Los Angeles International Airport in 1999.
The witness, Ahmed Ressam, claimed to have been trained in the use of chemical weapons at a camp in Afghanistan. He described an incident of a dog being placed in a box filled with cyanide and sulphuric acid. "We wanted to know the effect of the gas," Ressam said, adding it had taken the dog four minutes to die.
Airline security is now the top priority in the US, with a growing dispute over the best way to prevent hijackings. The Airline Pilots Association formally requested the right to carry guns yesterday and has changed guidelines to warn crew members that they must be prepared to kill anyone breaking into a cockpit.
Pilots are asking for guns with "frangible bullets'' which disintegrate on impact and fragment and cannot puncture the pressurised skin of a jet. A union spokesman, John Mazor, said: "The cockpit has to be defended at all costs."
The union also wants cockpits to be equipped with stun guns and reinforced doors.
The American FAA has said it would prefer to use armed sky marshals and may recruit members of the National Guard to fly on planes until more are trained. President Bush will announce more airline safety proposals tomorrow.
Arch
I highlighted a part I wanted to point out in that article. You see, not everyone thinks that the NYC trgedy is all we should talk about. We were sad because of it, but get over it! Life goes on, and being all sad and "wussy" like won't help others. Donate whatever, blood, money, ect, and put it in the past people. It was bad, but morning over it for weeks only makes it worse and the terrortists would feel like they won. Standing up strong and moving on with our economy will make us the true winners! TO show them that they cannot disrupt our lives and make us live in a fearful world is the key to victory.
America's Confidence Boost
Impeccable timing
by Marty Burns, Sports Illustrated
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Love him or hate him, you've got to admit: Michael Jordan has always had impeccable timing.
From his arrival in 1984, when the NBA and Nike were about to embark on a revolutionary marketing partnership, to his stripping the ball from Karl Malone in the closing seconds of the '98 Finals, the man has always known how to meet the moment.
Only this time he's done it for an entire nation.
With his announcement Tuesday that he would come out of retirement to play for the Wizards (and donate his $1 million salary to the relief efforts under way from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks), Jordan has done more than boost the spirits of Washington fans. He has, in a small way, helped a grieving nation take its mind off the past two weeks. If ever we needed a good sports story, it is now.
And make no mistake about it, Jordan's return is a good story. It has all the dramatic elements: a huge star (His Airness), a man-against-nature challenge (proving he can still play at age 38), a monumental risk (his sterling legacy), and the prospect of nightly conflict (with Kobe, Vince and Allen, to name a few). Somewhere Shakespeare must be finger-rolling in his grave.
Jordan didn't plan it this way. Three weeks ago, he was just a bored retiree who wanted to get back on the basketball court. He isn't donning the uniform out of any sense of patriotism.
But at least he was smart enough to read the nation's mood. Within hours after the terrorist bombings, Jordan shelved his plans for a press conference to herald his announcement. Instead, he low-keyed it with a fax at a more appropriate time.
With America trying to get back to some sense of normalcy, Jordan has picked up the ball. The next few months figure to bring enough sobering news, apprehension and fear into our public consciousness. Jordan's against-all-odds comeback should provide some much-needed escape.
Will he still be able to work his magic and lift the Wizards to respectability? Or will he be another Willie Mays, dropping fly balls in center field? Either way, it's going to be must-see TV.
Some people no doubt wish Jordan would have followed Joltin' Joe's lead and just "left and gone away." But let's not kid ourselves. Old sports heroes almost never go away.
They just do commercials for Mr. Coffee.
Maybe Jordan should have stayed retired. But it's his life, and his right to give up that perfect ending in '98. A nation will be watching to see what happens next.
Simon & Garfunkel couldn't have said it better.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news/cnnsi/20010925/impeccabletimin.html
Bix. The name "Jafari" is very common as it is an predominetly iranian name.
Frank (
http://www.katu.com/images/flagprint.jpg
Bix. The name "Jafari" is very common as it is an predominetly iranian name.
Frank (
http://www.katu.com/images/flagprint.jpg
this is spooky too...wow. eom
Arch
Getting Spookie
http://www.medcom.com (Geiger Counters for Sale?)
Book: "Living with Radiation: The First Hundred Years" (book) Price 35.00
Jafari Photo? http://www.netiran.com/Htdocs/WhosWho/000006WWG064.html
U.S. Renames Buildup 'Operation Enduring Freedom'
September 25, 2001
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Moving to repair any damage to Muslim sensibilities, the United States on Tuesday changed the code name of its military buildup in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on America to "Operation Enduring Freedom."
The change was made after the initial name -- "Operation Infinite Justice" -- last week ran into objections from some Islamic scholars on grounds that only God, or Allah, could mete out infinite justice in their view.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters of the new name at a Pentagon briefing. He stressed this was just the designation for the current military buildup and not for the overall U.S. assault on international terrorism using economic, political and diplomatic means.
The initial name surfaced last Wednesday, not long after the Bush administration apologized for another term that could alienate Muslims it would like to include in a coalition to fight terrorism in the wake of a Sept. 11 attack on America.
Earlier last week, the White House said it regretted if President Bush's Sept. 16 call for a "crusade" against terrorism had offended anyone. That reference summoned up in the Arab world the Christian struggle from the 11th to 13th centuries to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Arch
here's a concern as our attention is diverted>>>>>
September 25, 2001
China tests supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
China has conducted the first flight test of its new Russian-made anti-ship cruise missile, the most potent naval weapon in China's growing arsenal and a major improvement over its other anti-ship cruise missiles, according to U.S. intelligence officials.
A Chinese Sovremenny-class guided missile destroyer fired an SSN-22 Sunburn missile during a test Sept. 15, said officials familiar with reports of the test.
"This is the first test from sea, and it gets them close to an initial operating capability," said one military official.
The new supersonic cruise missile is part of China's naval buildup, which Pentagon analysts say is focused on developing the capability to sink U.S. warships.
Testing of the Sunburn, called the Moskit by Russia, had been expected. U.S. intelligence agencies monitoring the region had spotted both of China's Sovremenny destroyers in the northern China port of Bo Hai Bay a week before the test, as the ships were loaded with missile cannisters.
The first batch of 48 SSN-22s were transferred from Russia last year. It is not known exactly how many of the missiles the Chinese navy has stockpiled, but officials said it could be several hundred.
One Navy official said recently that the new Chinese warships and their missiles "changed the capability of the [Chinese] surface force."
The missile, which can be equipped with both conventional and nuclear warheads, has a range of between 80 and 85 miles, and its high-explosive warhead is believed to be capable of sinking most U.S. ships. Its supersonic speed worries Navy officials.
Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military, said the Chinese missile ships are now operational, and "there is an expectation that China will be purchasing a more advanced version of this ship."
"The testing of the Sunburn serves as a reminder that as we seek cooperation with Beijing over the terrorist threat, we should keep in mind that Beijing's ultimate goal is the conquest of the democracy on Taiwan for which the Sovremennys were purchased," said Mr. Fisher, who is working on a book about the Chinese military.
Mr. Fisher said published reports have stated that China also is planning to purchase a small, Russian-built attack boat that will be armed with two Sunburns. "This would be an excellent blockade weapon" in a conflict with Taiwan, he said.
China began its purchase of the weapons after the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis. Beijing fired short-range missiles north and south of Taiwan prior to scheduled elections in what U.S. officials said was an attempt to intimidate the island.
The United States responded by dispatching two aircraft carrier battle groups to the region in a show of force.
China then began building up its anti-aircraft carrier weapons, taking delivery of the first two Sovremennys last year.
U.S. intelligence agencies believe Beijing may purchase two more of the missile ships in the next several years.
During China's recent large-scale war games near Dongshan Island, opposite Taiwan, Chinese press reports said Chinese naval forces practiced engaging U.S. aircraft carriers and warships in combat.
China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and is preparing for a conflict with the United States if Beijing's leaders decide to use force to retake the island.
President Bush earlier this year said the United States would do "whatever it took" to defend Taiwan from such an attack.
U.S. officials said Russia initially built the SSN-22 for use by the Soviet navy against U.S. ships during the Cold War
Arch
absolutely chilling>>>Monday, Sept. 24, 2001 9:56 a.m. EDT
Bush Warned Privately of Coming Nuke Terror Attack
Hours before his rousing Thursday night address to a joint session of Congress, President Bush warned a congressional prayer meeting that there was credible evidence a second wave of terrorist attacks would strike the U.S., this time featuring chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons.
"It was quite a remarkable scene," Newsweek's Howard Fineman told radioman Don Imus Monday morning.
"The president confessed to [the prayer meeting] his anxieties. He said, 'You know, I have to walk a fine line here. You know my problem.'"
Bush then explained:
"I don't want to alarm people. But there is evidence, there's enough evidence that we face further attacks."
The president's warning included the phrase "chemical, biological and plutonium - meaning the possibility of even nuclear terrorism," the Newsweek reporter said.
Read former Soviet intelligence agent Stanislav Lunev's advice to America on how to prevent nuclear terrorism: "Bush Must Warn Rogue States of Nuclear Retaliation"
Arch
I found this on a RB board! LMAO.
http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=370492&size=md
Frank (
http://www.katu.com/images/flagprint.jpg
Check these messages (for information pertaining to the previous posts). This is my friend's response as to where the information stemmed from:
Found it here.
.. http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=FRCD&read=16267
and here.. http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=FRCD&read=16268
And more interesting reading..
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=FRCD&read=16259
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Tuesday, September 25, 2001
New 'war vote' virus deletes PC files
REUTERS in San Francisco
Computer security experts are warning of a new virus that deletes files while masquerading as a program that will allow people to vote on whether the United States should go to war over the September 11 hijacker attacks.
The "Vote Virus", which so far was not widespread, circulated via e-mail to users of Microsoft's Outlook e-mail program, said Simon Perry, vice-president of security solutions at Computer Associates International.
The virus, punctuated by strange grammar and a mix of lower- and upper-case letters, appears with the subject line: "Peace between America and Islam!" and the body of the e-mail reads: "Hi. Is it a war against America or Islam!? Let's vote to live in peace!" Mr Perry and other experts said.
When the attachment entitled "WTC.exe" was opened, the virus tried to delete all the files on the computer's hard drive and sent copies of the e-mail to every address listed in the computer's address book, he said.
The virus also defaced any Web pages that were hosted by an infected computer to read: "America ... few days will show you what we can do!!! It's our turn ))) ZaCker is so sorry for you," according to Mr Perry.
In addition the virus, which is a worm because of its self-propagation capabilities, deleted the Windows directory files, tried to download a "backdoor" on the computer and unsuccessfully attempted to reformat the system, said Vincent Gullotto, senior research director of Network Associates' Antivirus Response Team. A "backdoor" would enable someone to get remote access to the computer without permission.
The virus also can delete antivirus software on the computer, according to Vincent Weafer, director of Symantec's Antivirus Research Centre.
Sick sense of humour
The virus is believed to be the work of an opportunist and not associated with the September 11 airliner attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon in which nearly 7,000 people are feared dead.
"There is no evidence that this is related to the people who carried out" the attacks, Mr Perry said.
Virus writers have discovered that they can easily dupe people into opening e-mails by appealing to their prurient interests.
For example, popular viruses have have purported to be photos of naked women or love letters, such as the "I Love You" virus that caused an estimated US$8.7 billion in global damage last year.
Researchers are worried that the new, dangerous virus might spread quickly because of its supposed relation to the debate over US retaliation for the attacks.
"We feel this is likely to get quite a high pick-up in that a lot of people are going to click on this," Mr Perry said. "If the news about this doesn't get out before people get their e-mails, they're at risk."
Mr Perry said he expected there would be more socially engineered viruses related to the topic of war and terrorism.
"What this is is a sick sense of humour," Mr Perry said. "Chances are this is not any kind of cyber-terrorism. It's just cyber terror."
"If this was truly politically motivated there would have been more of a message some place in the code," said Mr Gullotto.
Few infections so far
While Symantec and Network Associates reported only a couple of customer infections each, between five and 10 large corporate customers of Computer Associates had been infected since the virus first appeared on Monday morning, Mr Perry said.
Researchers did not know where it originated from but it had not yet hit Europe and Asia, he said.
The software companies were working to update their antivirus programs to detect and protect computers against the new virus, researchers said.
A free security update for Outlook 2000 that was released about a year ago automatically blocks it, according to Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler.
"We find it appalling that someone would choose this time and these circumstances to propagate a virus," he said.
"Should Americans just sit still and do nothing if a nuclear evet or a biological attack on our citizens takes place?"
No! I'm totally supportive of taking out the terrorits. But just dropping bombs on cities isn't going to hurt the terrorists. If anything, that would aid their cause by causing the citizens of those countries to rally behind them. I think we need to use our heads and really concentrate on hitting the terrorists as directly as possible.
Let us know if you can get more info about the source of the article... tia
Sara : )
sarals. . .
There is every possibility it is just another Internet hoax. Nonetheless, the individual who forwarded it to me is quite credible in his research. We all want to believe that two wrongs don't make a right. . .but have we taken a look at the military build up in the Gulf region? Of course, we are preparing some sort of retaliation. Should Americans just sit still and do nothing if a nuclear evet or a biological attack on our citizens takes place? I believe whoever authored the article meant to use his termination for "intimidation" purposes. . .and not mere facts of life. I do . . .also agree that a 5 to 25 million dollar reward be provided to any individuals that can thwart any terrorist plots. The risk comes in that the potential to pay an individual to thwart one attack could fortify them (with cash) to cause another attack. This is. . .indeed, going to be an interesting war.
Lets hope for peace!
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Sara - My thoughts exactly....already asked Mark to see
if he can determine the "published source".
Is that an article from somewhere or something passing around the internet? It feels fake to me...
"My suggestion is that the U.S. must warn rogue states, i.e., Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya, that if these groups use a weapon of mass destruction on an American city, the U.S. military will not do any investigations, there will be no delay – the U.S. will use similar weapons on their population centers and military targets."
Two wrongs would not make a right. This is the kind of thinking that takes out innocent civilians and it is my deepest hope that this is not how we would respond.
Sara
Or this note. . .
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001 10:35 p.m. EDT
Israel's Mossad Warned CIA of Attacks
London's Telegraph reported that Mossad officials traveled to Washington last month to warn the CIA and the FBI that a cell of up to 200 terrorists was planning a major operation.
The paper said the Israeli officials specifically warned their counterparts in Washington that "large-scale terrorist attacks on highly visible targets on the American mainland were imminent." They offered no specific information about targets, but they did link the plot to Afghanistan-based terrorist Osama bin Laden, and they told the Americans there were "strong grounds" for suspecting Iraqi involvement.
A U.S. administration official told the paper that it was "quite credible" that the CIA did not heed the Mossad warning: "It has a history of being over-cautious about Israeli information." But the official noted that "if this is true, then the refusal to take it seriously will mean heads will roll."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I believe all Americans and our allies need to be on HIGH alert. Particularly in moments after an initial attack on the perpetrators of the events that took place on our nation. I know this thought rings loudly in the ears of most Americans, but PLEASE report any suspicious activities in your own cities and neighborhoods (and suspicious people) to the FBI. . .with as MUCH detail as possible. This can help us do our best to stay ahead of these evil mongrels that destroyed our WTC, damaged the Pentagon. . .and killed thousands of Americans on our own turf.
We need to bring everyone to a "heightened awareness" that the catastrophic events may not be over. Obviously, the best thing we can do right now is curtail the next possible attacks. Be on your guard.
Peace. . .
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
Has anyone seen this note? ~~~~
Fascinating interview with Ex-KGB agent after Bush suggest next wave from terrorist may involve nukes:
"Bush Must Warn Rogue States of Nuclear Retaliation"
Col. Stanislav Lunev
Monday, Sept. 24, 2001
Col. Stanislav Lunev is the highest-ranking military spy ever to defect from Russia. He continues as a security consultant to the U.S. government. He filed this report from an undisclosed location in Europe.
After the Sept. 11 tragedy, some liberal Americans and many European politicians have expressed serious reservations about U.S. plans to fight a "war" against international terrorists.
Clearly, such politicians and pundits do not understand the danger from the most aggressive evil of our day: international terrorism.
These groups clearly have received sufficient funds, supplies, support and hospitality from rogue nations – all of whom have close ties to Russia's military and intelligence agencies.
Intelligence experts have told me that there are more than 5,000 highly trained terrorists in the U.S. and Europe who are in permanent readiness for new attacks against the civilized world.
Now that we are in a full-blown war, the stakes are high for each side.
No one can rule out that these terrorists may have biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. No one can rule out their use.
International terrorism currently has enough power to challenge the West and, using weapons of mass destruction, perhaps hit us with a devastating blow.
The planning, network and resources involved in the operation of Sept. 11 suggests to me that one or more countries were behind this, and also that Russian intelligence agencies were likely aware of the possibility of these attacks.
Moreover, I firmly believe that the perpetrators of these acts carefully considered the aftermath of their attacks.
The dramatic increase of short-selling American Airlines and United Airlines stocks two weeks before the Sept. 11 tragedy is just one clue.
No doubt, the groups also realized America would retaliate.
It is after America's retaliation that we must worry about the next attack, which may be an escalation in scope and severity over the ones of Sept. 11. This is why America's response must be swift and wide-ranging: hitting terrorist networks abroad and uncovering other networks here that may have been preparing for years for the "second wave" of attacks.
My suggestion is that the U.S. must warn rogue states, i.e., Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya, that if these groups use a weapon of mass destruction on an American city, the U.S. military will not do any investigations, there will be no delay – the U.S. will use similar weapons on their population centers and military targets.
This policy is one used by Israel, one that has kept it safe despite many enemies.
Also, there is little time to uncover terror networks here in the U.S. I would advise the U.S. government, without delay, to offer a large reward of $5 million to $25 million to any person with any knowledge of planned terrorist attacks against the U.S. or Europe.
Right now, the U.S. is using this reward system for the capture of Osama bin Laden, but the reward needs to be offered here. It is very possible that, for such a large amount of money, one of the terrorists, or a friend of a terrorist, will come to the FBI and help them foil a plot.
I am surprised this has not already been done.
Another caveat: The U.S. is currently moving forces to the Mideast in the area of Afghanistan.
I am sure American leaders have no plans to get bogged down in a Vietnam-style war in Afghanistan, as we Russians did.
But I am worried about such a large concentration of U.S. forces so far from the homeland of the United States.
Please be on guard. America's military is already very weak after 10 years of signficant cuts.
Do not concentrate your forces abroad and leave them vulnerable to weapons of mass destruction that terrorist nations may now have.
Keep the Faith!
M&M Man
OldBlue -- Odd -- When I looked last night he had "0 Posts" (eom)
They are not all gone spiel. Just the ones from the 10th of september.
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/memalias.cgi?member=Jafari
Frank (
http://www.katu.com/images/flagprint.jpg
The Yahoo Cult.
On December 29,2000, someone with the alias "professor of evilology" started a discussion thread called "Bin Laden, An American Hero"
He Opened:
"In a world subverted by Zionist who promote drugs,violence,and multiculturlism,one man stands up against them ; his name is Bin Laden."
http://messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=GN&action=m&board=9195136&tid=binladenanamericanhero&a...
http://messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=GN&action=m&board=9195136&tid=binladenanamericanhero&a...
Lawmaker asks SEC to consider halting short selling
Monday September 24, 4:19 pm Eastern Time
WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers asked financial regulators on Monday to consider putting a temporary halt to short selling, saying the practice may be putting further pressure on already fragile markets.
``I am concerned that the confluence of negative macroeconomic forces and possible short selling and speculation in stocks from industries now under pressure may be adding to the downward cycle we are seeing in the markets since trading resumed on Monday,'' said New York Democrat John LaFalce, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee.
``To the extent that short sellers have played a significant role in creating the current market conditions, I request that you consider the appropriateness of certain measures, including inhibiting short selling,'' LaFalce said in a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission head Harvey Pitt.
Short selling is a common but risky way of exploiting a fall in share price by selling borrowed shares, buying them back later at a cheaper price and keeping the difference as profit.
The Commission has the power to alter or suspend activities, such as short selling, if it decides it needs to do so to protect the public interest of investors, LaFalce said, citing the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Market regulators across the world have begun to look into the possibility that people with prior knowledge of the Sept. 11 jetliner attacks in New York and near Washington sold shares short, betting that the deadly events would drive down stocks, including insurance and airline shares.
There have also been reports that put options, whose value rises as underlying shares slip, were bought in large quantities in the run-up to Sept. 11, when hijacked airliners smashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
LaFalce also asked Pitt to analyze current market conditions to determine whether short selling or other similar activities have contributed to recent market declines.
Last week, the first full week of trading since the attacks, investors dumped stocks amid worries about the cost of possible U.S. military retaliation, massive layoff announcements and signs the economy may slide into a recession.
The Dow Jones industrial average skidded 1,370 points, its biggest weekly weekly loss since the Depression in the 1930s.
On Monday the markets rallied, with the blue-chip Dow Jones unofficially closing up about 366.7 points, or 4.5 percent, to 8,602.5. The technology-laced Nasdaq index unofficially closed up 75.9 points, or 5.3 percent, at 1,499.1
God Bless America!
Excel
Other links are gone too.
"Creepy stuff from the COMPX board -"
http://search.messages.yahoo.com/search/messages?tag_M=Jafari&fname_M=txt_main
Check about midway down.
They have even eliminated links speaking about this wacko.
Gone on Yahoo as well.
Intersting to note that all Jafari posts are now gone on RB (eom)
O I agree with your assessment but I found the predictions strange as well.
Proud To Be An American Against Terrorism & Its Propaganda!
:=) Gary Swancey
"Ring The Bells!"
I receive letters from people around the world. A predominant
theme I encounter daily, and especially now, is fear. As a
nation, as a world, and as individuals, we are afraid. The root
of the word "terror," from whence we get "terrorism," comes from
the Indo-European base "tre" (shake or tremble) and means to
"shake with fear." We tremble in the wake of planes crashing and
buildings burning. The earth trembles and our very security is
shaken.
I sense more fear now than before. "Afraid is a country with no
exit visas," says Audre Lorde. If you have entered the country of
"Afraid," or are concerned that you may, then listen to this.
In 1799, when the armies of Napoleon were sweeping over Europe,
Massena's army of 18,000 suddenly appeared on the heights above
the town of Feldkirch. It was Easter Sunday and the rising sun
glittered on the weapons of the French army as they overlooked
the village below.
A hasty town council meeting was called to decide what could be
done. Resisting such an army was out of the question. Finally,
the dean of the church arose and said, "It is Easter Day. Ring
the bells and have services as usual, and leave the matter in
G~d's hands." They agreed to do as he suggested and, from the
towers of Feldkirch there rang out loud and joyous peals calling
worshippers to gather.
The French heard the sudden clanging of the bells with surprise
and alarm. They concluded that the Austrian army had arrived to
defend the town. Massena broke up his camp, gave the order to
march and, before the bells had ceased tolling, not a soldier was
to be seen.
In the midst of fear, when there is nothing more to be done, it
may be time to ring the bells. For courage is not the absence of
danger, but deciding to go ahead anyway. So ring the bells! Let
everyone know that you have chosen to LIVE. Let them know that
your true security will NOT be shaken by fear.
Ring the bells! In America and around the world. Ring the bells
and live boldly. You were not given the spirit of fear, as the
Bible teaches, but the spirit of power and love and a sound mind.
Ring the bells! Ring them loudly. Let the mountainsides resound
with their joyous pealing. And after the chimes have died away,
your fear, too, will have disappeared.
Ring the bells!
© 2001 Steve Goodier
U.S. Vows to Lay Out Bin Laden Case
By NANCY BENAC
WASHINGTON (AP) - A solemn President Bush returned the American flag to full staff Sunday as the United States promised to lay out evidence making Osama bin Laden's guilt in the terrorist attacks ``very obvious to the world.'' The administration scoffed at Taliban claims he cannot be found.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said the government would ``put before the world, the American people, a persuasive case that ... it is al-Qaida, led by Osama bin Laden, who has been responsible.'' Several officials pledged Bush will disrupt the flow of money to bin Laden with an executive order freezing his group's U.S. assets.
Administration officials and congressional leaders turned their appearances on Sunday's TV talk shows into a two-pronged effort to show the government's resolve to choke off the terrorists and to encourage Americans to return to a more normal routine - crucial to getting the recession-bent economy moving again.
As the U.S. military got ready to strike, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld suggested that brute force may not be the best way to get at bin Laden.
``Is it likely that an aircraft carrier or a cruise missile is going to find a person?'' Rumsfeld asked reporters. ``No, it's not likely; that isn't how this is going to happen.''
Rather, he said, ``This is going to happen over a sustained period of time because of a broadly based effort where bank accounts are frozen, where pieces of intelligence are provided, and where countries decide that they want to change their politics.''
Nonetheless, U.S. forces around the world were being repositioned. A Defense Department team arrived in Pakistan to discuss military cooperation in a possible strike against bin Laden's network.
``What we've been doing is getting our capabilities ... arranged around the world, so that at that point where the president decides that he has a set of things he would like done, that we will be in a position to carry those things out,'' Rumsfeld said on CBS' ``Face the Nation.''
He confirmed the United States had lost contact with an unmanned aircraft over Afghanistan but said he had no reason to believe the plane was brought down by Taliban fighters, as they claimed.
In Austin, Texas, authorities pulled from an American Airlines flight two men whose names matched those on an FBI list of people wanted for questioning. The passengers were detained while boarding, said John Hotard, a spokesman for American Airlines. He referred all other questions to the FBI.
Administration officials rejected claims of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban that bin Laden could not be located. ``It's just not believable that the Taliban do not know where the network can be located and found and either turned over or expelled,'' Rumsfeld said.
Powell said that even as military forces deploy and U.S. diplomats enlist other nations in a campaign against terrorists, Americans need to show their resilience by resuming ordinary activities.
``We need to get back to work,'' he said on ABC's ``This Week.'' ``We need to get back to ball games. We need to show the world that America is strong.''
Without words, Bush sought to send the same message. In a ceremony at the Camp David presidential retreat, Bush placed his hand over his heart as the flag was raised to full staff for the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Flags around the nation were returning to full staff in keeping with a proclamation Bush signed on the day of the attack.
Professional football did resume Sunday for the first time since the attacks, but in ways large and small, signs abounded that all was not normal.
-The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that nearly 7,000 federal workers were helping with ongoing recovery operations in New York and Virginia, with bodies and debris still being removed from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
-Concerned about possible chemical weapons attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a one-day ban Sunday on crop-dusting from airplanes in domestic airspace.
``The intelligence community came to us and encouraged us to shut down the crop dusters,'' said Scott Brenner, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
-Tens of thousands of people gathered in New York's Yankee Stadium to pray for the missing and dead, passing through tight security that included police officers positioned on the stadium's light stanchions.
Investigators continued their wide-ranging work. In a Dallas suburb, the FBI arrested a Palestinian whose name turned up in the address book of a former personal secretary to bin Laden. Ghassan Dahduli is appealing an immigration court deportation ruling for obtaining a work visa through fraud, FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said.
Powell detailed the diplomatic effort to assemble a worldwide campaign against bin Laden's network. He disputed suggestions that Saudi Arabia had denied the U.S. military permission to launch attacks from a Saudi base.
``They have been very responsive to all the requests we have placed on them,'' Powell said on ``Meet the Press'' on NBC. ``But I don't want to go into what we have not yet asked of them.''
He said the U.S. decision Saturday to lift sanctions on India and Pakistan, imposed after the two nations tested nuclear weapons in 1998, shows that ``we will stand by our friends who stand by us.'' Both nations have offered cooperation with the U.S. effort to get at the terrorists.
Asked whether the United States would expand its campaign to include military action against Iraq, Powell said Bush's ``singular focus for the moment'' was bin Laden's network.
He said the administration was assembling a document that would lay out the evidence against him. ``His guilt is going to be very obvious to the world,'' Powell said.
National security adviser Condoleezza Rice, interviewed on CNN's ``Late Edition,'' said another facet of the administration's campaign would be an executive order from Bush to cut off the terrorists' money supply by freezing their assets, ``squeezing the life blood out of this organization.''
In a reflection of the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding the U.S. response, Rumsfeld said the name of the operation would be changed from Infinite Justice, which offended some Muslims. He said the administration wants a name that ``in no way at all would raise any question on the part of any religion or any group of people.''
09/24/01 00:27
God Bless America!
Excel
Joe here is someone elses opinion of selling............
Little Guy Isn't Doing Big Selling
By Yi Ping Ho
Staff Reporter
09/21/2001 08:58 AM EDT
Waves of selling keep crashing into the U.S. equity markets, sending stocks lower. Who's behind them?
U.S. stocks are off more than 10% since the terrorist strikes last Tuesday, and confidence in the world's financial powerhouse has been shaken. Market strategists, economists, and money managers say the selling is, broadly speaking, coming from everywhere. But some forces more than others are at work to drive the stock market lower.
Flight to Quality
"Obviously a lot of managed money is leaning on this quite heavily," said Jeff Hall, economist at IRF/Thomson Financial. Hall said the runup in the short end of the Treasury market suggests that many are placing bets on the safer and more liquid assets of short-term bonds. David Greenlaw, chief U.S. fixed-income economist at Morgan Stanley, agreed. The economist said one sign of the flight from stocks into short-term debt is the steeper Treasury yield curve, which tracks the difference in yields between short-term and long-term securities.
Cash has also become a safe alternative, said Maryann Hurley, Treasury market strategist at D.A. Davidson. "I'm hearing bank deposits are just bulging."
John Bollinger, president of EquityTrader.com, pointed out there have been large numbers of block trades on the New York Stock Exchange since Monday. "This to me says that a lot of professionals, fund managers, hedge fund operators and proprietary traders have been very active on the sell side. It's my sense that individuals are not as panicked."
Likewise, Hall said didn't think the individual investor was doing the bulk of the selling. "For many -- take myself as an example as I didn't bail out of my retirement plan money -- there could be optimistic betting that in 18 months or so [the market] will be restored."
Experts said Monday's activity on 401(k) assets was about nine times its normal level. But other data suggest it hasn't been a mad dash to the bank. A researcher at Trim Tabs, which tracks mutual fund flows, said a total of $7.8 billion flowed out of U.S.-based mutual funds on Monday and Tuesday, compared with withdrawals of $8.5 billion Aug. 28 and 29.
Margin Calls
According to John Babyak, portfolio manager at WHB/Wolverine Asset Management, margin calls on individual investors by brokerages are one of the reasons for the sharp drop in stocks since the market reopened on Monday. "I can guarantee it," Babyak said. "They're actually pricing customer portfolios on an intra-day basis -- which is unheard of -- and making margin maintenance calls based on those intra-day levels. They're giving people ultimatums." Traders at the major brokerages were not immediately available for comment.
Investors often sell stock when brokerages require them to increase the amount of cash backing up a margin account. Babyak said the "extreme situation" occurs when brokerages put "a squeeze on customers" who don't want to sell. This has exacerbated selling pressure in the market, Babyak said.
Related Stories
Skittish Consumer Is Economy's Biggest Concern
Defense Equipment Firms, Security Specialists See Big Gains
Markets Didn't Hear Anything They Liked
Who's Doing the Selling?
Margin calls tend to occur in days after a sharp decline, and are often taken as contrarian indicator that stocks are oversold and have reached a bottom. But Babyak cautioned against using it as a bullish sign. "There are other technical things you want to see happen, like the market closing up for a change."
Babyak also believes insurance companies, preparing to meet the plethora of claims in the wake of last Tuesday's terrorist hijackings, could be pulling out of equity investments. "These aren't numbers that tend to drive the market," said Babyak, estimating that the sector owns about $20 billion to $30 billion worth of stocks, "but it's certainly not helping."
Foreign Pressure
Strategists also think foreigners could be selling U.S.-based financial assets, including stocks. According to data by the Federal Reserve, foreigners owned about $1.7 trillion worth of stocks, excluding American depositary receipts, at the end of the second quarter, out of a total of $14.2 trillion. The proportion of foreign holdings of U.S. bonds is higher.
"Certainly we've seen dollar flows out of this country, we've seen fixed-income flows out, and we're seeing equity flows out," said Hall. Currency investors have been fleeing to the Swiss franc at the expense of the dollar, he said.
But the impact of any flight by foreign-owned capital won't be great, said Morgan's Greenlaw, even though there has been some repatriation of currency investments to Japan. "I don't think people are moving big chunks of foreign capital around at this point, because everything's unstable."
In the aftermath of the 1990-91 Gulf War, the U.S. became the beneficiary of a flight to quality abroad. But could the same thing happen again? It's hard to tell at this point, Greenlaw said, as the U.S. has become "more vulnerable in the short run because of the disruptions and near-term downsides in the economy." But things will be different over time. "As [Alan] Greenspan said in his testimony [Thursday] , there's reason to believe we still face an environment of pretty good economic performance."
God Bless America!
Excel
Fort Collins' ‘gun people' are stocking up
By Alex Tizon
Seattle Times staff reporter
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The sign above Clifford Hamblen's shop reads GUNS GUNS GUNS in big white letters that span the width of the storefront. He wanted no ambiguity. He wanted to make sure unsuspecting citizens would not wander in thinking it was a bagel shop or a Socks Galore, which are nearby. If he had an extra five feet, he would have added another GUNS to match his business card.
But it hasn't been necessary. Customers come, young and old. More so lately with the nation anxious about the war on terrorists. President Bush has been telling the country to get ready, and that's what Hamblen's customers have been doing. Gun sales are up 20 percent; ammunition sales, 50 percent.
"People are nervous," Hamblen says. "Anytime people are nervous, the first thing they do is stock up on bullets."
It was a long haul southward along the Rocky Mountains from Sheridan, Wyo., to this eclectic town of college students, shopping malls and, for lack of a better term, gun people. This includes hunters, target shooters, paramilitary patriots, self-defenders and people who just like to shoot prairie dogs for relaxation.
Fort Collins began as a military outpost to protect white settlers from the Indians. The Indians are gone, but the name stuck, and some of the Old West gun-slinging culture remains.
In a city of just over 100,000, there are at least six shooting clubs and four shooting ranges, not to mention the Rockies to the immediate west, which some regard as one giant shooting range.
GUNS GUNS GUNS sits off Highway 14, in the truck-stop part of town. Across from the shop is a cornfield and next to that, a cemetery.
Hamblen is 42, a former traveling gun-safe salesman who decided, along with his wife, Carol, to open their own shop in 1996 and leave the life of the road.
He wears a Beretta polo shirt stretched tight around the midsection, old jeans and white Nikes. On his right hand he wears a shotgun-shell ring.
He looks harmless compared to his employees, who all have semi-automatic pistols tucked over their waistbands.
There's Tim Bliss, the sales manager, with a Glock 23 on his hip and 20,000 rounds of ammunition in his basement — just in case he's forced to protect his family from "a foreign army."
There's Steve McKinley, an office worker with one handgun and a knife on each hip — presumably in case one arm is disabled and he would need his other hand to access a weapon.
They are all self-professed rednecks — "My neck is as red as they come," says Hamblen — and exceedingly nice guys.
Don't think because they carry enough firepower to destroy a small town that they're uncivilized or mean.
But it did take a while for them to warm up. When I walked in, they were businesslike, aloof. As we talked and got to know each other, they loosened up.
The turning point came when the subject turned to God, and I mentioned that my younger brother was head pastor at a church in Berkeley, Calif. Everyone at GUNS GUNS GUNS is a born-again Christian, and many of them attend the same Assembly of God church. Suddenly, we were brethren.
While I was in the store, the director of missions for their church, Thomas "Doc" Collins, was looking over a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum.
Doc Collins said he came in to sell two handguns for a patient of his. Collins is a real doctor. The patient, an elderly man, has a chronic illness and became depressed over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks; he talked about shooting himself. Doc Collins took his guns away and offered to get rid of them.
Most discussion at the store — between staff and customers, staff and staff, even customers and customers — centered on the current crisis. It was coffee talk, over-the-counter and break-room talk.
"You know what Hitler said," says Hamblen. "A country needs a war every 15 years to get united."
"I thought it was the Founding Fathers who said that," McKinley says.
"No, it was Hitler, wasn't it?" says Hamblen. "Every 15 or 17 years."
"I'm pretty sure it was the Founding Fathers," McKinley insists.
"And it wasn't about being united. They said a country needs a revolution every once in a while to keep people vigilant."
Unity, vigilance, faith — they were all good.
The one with the Glock, Tim Bliss, says war always brings people to God.
"The day before, they couldn't give two hoots about God, but now... " Bliss says.
"You know what they say: There are no atheists in foxholes."
Bliss explained why citizens were stocking up:
If the country goes to a real shooting war, ammunition for civilians would be the first to run out because munitions factories would produce exclusively for the military.
And if martial law is declared, he says, all gun shops would be shut down.
Handguns and handgun ammo are selling faster than anything else. Handguns are considered by gun-shop owners as self-defense weapons.
Those who own or want handguns are "just-in-case" kind of people, anyway, and the current situation is seen as the ultimate just-in-case scenario.
So the rush is on.
The cash register rings from 9 to 5, six days a week, at GUNS GUNS GUNS. Citizens come with questions and fears — and cash. Clifford Hamblen and staff happily, dutifully, oblige.
Editor's note: Seattle Times reporter Alex Tizon started his journalistic road trip in Seattle on the day after terrorists attacked America. He is now somewhere in the Midwest, making his way to New York City. This is his sixth report.
He can be reached at 206-464-2216 or atizon@seattletimes.com.
God Bless America!
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