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Al-Qaida will bleed America to bankruptcy: Laden
Musharraf says no sell-out on Kashmir
Pak ready to provide military help to
First female British soldier dies in Iraq
Suspected car blast kills 5 in Baghdad
Kanishka trial enters final stage
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Al-Qaida will bleed America to bankruptcy: Laden
Al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden says his group’s ultimate goal is to bleed the United States of America “to the point of bankruptcy.”
A complete transcript of Osama’s taped message, a portion of which was aired on Friday, was released by Al Jazeera on Monday. “We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah,” Osama said in the transcript. He said the Mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, “using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers.” “We, alongside the Mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat,” Osama said. According to the Treasury Department the US federal deficit was $413 billion in 2004. The total US national debt is more than $7 trillion. The Al-Qaida leader said it was easy for his group to “provoke and bait” US President George W. Bush’s administration. “All that we have to do is to send two Mujahedeen to the farthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written Al-Qaida in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving for it anything of note other than some benefits to their private companies,” he said. He added: “And even more dangerous and bitter for America is that the Mujahedeen recently forced Bush to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq which is evidence of the success of the bleed-until-bankruptcy plan with Allah’s permission.” “It is true that this shows that Al-Qaida has gained, but on the other hand it shows that the Bush Administration has also gained, something that anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush Administration-linked mega-corporations, like Halliburton and its kind, will be convinced. And it all shows that the real loser is you,” he said, directing his remarks at ordinary Americans. “It is the American people and their economy.” Osama lambasted Mr Bush’s Iraq policy saying “the darkness of black gold blurred his vision and insight, and he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America. So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq that threaten his future.” “We fight you because we are free men who don’t sleep under oppression,” the Al- Qaida leader said. “We want to restore freedom to our nation and just as you lay waste to our nation, so shall we lay waste to yours.” The transcript of the full 18-minutes of Osama’s address was aired on the eve of the November 2 election in the USA. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry’s campaign launched a final message of its own on Monday. “Your Stories” features Mr Kerry on the campaign trail talking about the people he met along the way. “It has been a great privilege to run for President,” Mr Kerry says in the ad, mailed to the Massachusetts Senator’s supporters. “We deserve a President of the USA who fights as hard for your jobs as he fights for his own job. I will understand that the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to. We need a new direction in Iraq, and I can run a more effective war on terror. I will make America safer and stronger.” “I’ll never hesitate to use whatever force is necessary to protect the security of the United States of America. We know that we can make this country stronger here at home because we know we can restore America’s reputation in the world,” Mr Kerry added. Mr Kerry began his day in Florida before flying to rallies in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. His final stop was scheduled for early Tuesday morning in La Crosse, Wisconsin, ending a 16-hour campaign day. “This is the choice, this is the moment of accountability for America,” Mr Kerry said at an airport rally in Orlando, Florida. “This is the moment where the world is watching what you’re going to do. All of the hopes and dreams of our country are on the line today.” Mr Bush campaigned in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Mexico on Monday. He then headed to his home state of Texas, where the Republicans are expected to retain their hold. Mr Bush told a rally in Des Moines, Iowa: “Tomorrow, the people of this good state and the people of America go to the polls. I’m excited about election day. I’m looking forward to it. I’m also optimistic about the future of this country. I see a brighter day and a more hopeful day.” |
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Musharraf says no sell-out on Kashmir
Islamabad, November 2 “I can never compromise on the interests of Pakistan, never will we sell out, never will we buckle under any pressure and there is no pressure on Pakistan,” President Pervez Musharraf told a gathering of intellectuals at an Iftar dinner last night. The Dawn newspaper today quoted General Musharraf as saying that Pakistan was for a peaceful settlement of the issue with India. General Musharraf, who had last week proposed gradual demilitarisation of all regions or a region of Jammu and Kashmir, said a resolution of the issue had to be acceptable to all three parties concerned — India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris. Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri had yesterday told reporters here that Islamabad had achieved its objective on the demilitarisation proposal as a debate on a possible solution of the problem had commenced both in India and Pakistan. Expressing optimism vis-a-vis finding a solution to the issue, the President said he saw light at the end of the tunnel as there was a growing desire and realisation among the people of the two countries that its peaceful settlement would lead to tremendous development of the region. “We have to find a way forward,” he said. The President said the Kashmiris had to be part of the solution, adding that he had not spelt out any solution to the dispute when he said that the Pakistani media should initiate a meaningful public debate on possible options. On the issue of holding two offices, he said it was not a personal matter but should be viewed in a realistic light in the larger context of Pakistan’s meeting internal and external challenges. Pakistani parliament comprising National Assembly and the Senate have already passed The President to Hold Another Office Act, allowing him to retain office of the army chief even after December 31, 2004, which opposition says is flagrant violation of the commitment Musharraf had made last year to shed military uniform. “Pakistan needs unity and stability, it needs a close harmony among politicians, bureaucracy and the military to keep moving forward in a sustainable manner on the path of socio-economic progress and also meet various internal and external challenges.” The issue of holding two offices, he said, was not personal as he believed in drawing respect from the hearts.
— UNI |
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Pak ready to provide military help to Nepal: Aziz
Kathmandu, November 2 Talking to journalists before leaving for the Bhutanese capital Thimpu, he said the Maoist conflict was an internal problem of Nepal and Pakistan would not interfere in such matters. He, however, extended full support to Kathmandu in combating terrorism. Mr Aziz said his visit was fruitful in promoting bilateral relations and said Pakistan was willing to increase and promote business, tourism and investment with Nepal. The Prime Minister held talks with his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba and discussed matters related to bilateral economic cooperation, development of Nepal’s hydro power potential and controlling terrorism.
— UNI |
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First female British soldier dies in Iraq
A
woman from Liverpool became Britain's first female soldier to die in Iraq, the Army said yesterday.
An investigation was launched after Staff Sergeant Denise Rose (34) was found dead from a gunshot wound at a military base in Basra on Sunday. Staff Sergeant Rose, who worked for the special investigations branch of the Royal Military Police, is the first female member of the military to die in the country since the military campaign to remove Saddam Hussein began last year. Her death brings the number to 70 of British service personnel who have died since the start of the Iraqi conflict. The Ministry of Defence said in a statement, "The incident is being investigated, but is not thought to have been the result of hostile action." Staff Sgt Rose joined the Royal Military Police in 1989 and trained as a Special Investigation Branch (SIB) investigator in 1995, conducting investigations into serious incidents within the military in the UK and Cyprus. As an investigation was launched into the circumstances surrounding her death, colleagues last night paid tribute to Sergeant Rose as an "intelligent", "popular" and "cheerful" team player. Lt-Col Robert Silk, commanding officer of her parent unit, the SIB (Germany), based at Rheindahlen, said, "This is a terrible shock for all her many comrades in the unit. She was doing so well in the Army and had a bright future in front of her. Since March 2003, a total of 69 British men have died as a result of the conflict in Iraq. Of these, 31 died in action, including seven in so-called friendly fire incidents, 31 in accidents, two in explosives accidents and five from natural causes or illness. The body of Sergeant Rose was found in Hotel Shatt-al-Arab in the Basra base, the administrative centre for 8,500 British troops early on Sunday.
— By arrangement with The Independent, London |
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Suspected car blast kills 5 in Baghdad
Baghdad, November 2 There was no word on the motive for the attack, which occurred on US presidential election day. Iraq has been a divisive campaign issue. The blast in the Iraqi capital’s mainly Sunni Muslim Adhamiya district badly damaged the ministry building and destroyed six vehicles. Smoke poured from the building as firemen fought a blaze set off by the blast.
— Reuters |
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PM invited to address Asean meet
Singapore, November 2 The summit provides business leaders from Asean and India the platform to network and work collaboratively towards a vibrant market and builds meaningful
partnerships," Asean Business Advisory Council Chairman Oudet Souvannavong said. The event will leverage on the agriculture and tourism sectors to promote Asean economic integration — UNI |
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Kanishka trial enters final stage
Vancouver, November 2 The guilt of Vancouver millionaire Ripudaman Singh Bagri and Kamloops mill worker Ajaib Singh Bagri, both charged with eight counts of murder and conspiracy in the bombing of the Kanishka flight which killed 329 off the Irish Coast on June 23, 1985, "has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt". "This is, in our submission, a politically motivated and terrorist event ...consistent only with a political and religious zealotry," Prosecution lawyer Robert Wright, who opened final arguments yesterday expected to last two weeks, told the British Columbia Court looking into the case. The prosecution's case is largely based on the testimony of three witnesses who said the defendants had confessed the crimes to them. "These admissions are the ultimate piece of evidence against the accused," Mr Wright told the Court. Defence lawyer David Crossin had argued a fortnight ago that one witness was a former disgruntled employee, another was paid nearly $ 3,65,000 by the government to testify and the third denied evidence on the stand she had given to investigators years ago. The prosecution team will spend the next three weeks finalising their case before Justice Ian Bruce Josephson who is hearing the complicated trial alone without a jury. Earlier this month, defence teams for both the accused wrapped up their closing arguments. A large part of the case rests on the position of the bomb on the Air-India flight which originated in Vancouver. Prosecutors have argued that the bomb was in the luggage originated in Vancouver, but Bagri's lawyers contend the luggage containing the bomb joined the flight in Toronto. "There was a murder plot in which two planes were supposed to explode simultaneously. The two bombs originated here in the city of Vancouver," Mr Wright was quoted by media reports as saying. He said Malik booked and paid for the tickets while Bagri arranged for the bags containing the bombs to be delivered to the airport. More than 32 lawyers are working on the Kanishka trial case which is believed to have cost more than $ 80 million since hearings began in April last year. It is being heard in a $ 5 million British Colombia Court room specifically built for security reasons.
— PTI |
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Al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden says his group’s ultimate goal is to bleed the United States of America “to the point of bankruptcy.”
A complete transcript of Osama’s taped message, a portion of which was aired
on Friday, was released by Al Jazeera on Monday.
Islamabad, November 2
