Operation Enduring Freedom - February 2002

• Day 145: Thur, 2/28/02 - A mortar shell hit an Afghan school, killing a boy; attack blamed on al Qaeda/Taliban renegades.  The World Bank launched its Afghanistan Directory of Expertise.
• Day 144: Wed, 2/27/02 - The US Armed Forces Institute of Pathology wants DNA samples from bin Laden's family to test against tissue samples found at a bombing site.  The tissue was from 3 men killed in a CIA attack on 2/4/02.  Russia's a bit concerned about US troops in Georgia.
• Day 143: Tue, 2/26/02 - A US military plane was fired on by gunmen in Pakistan as it was landing at Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad, which is being used as a US logistics base.  Pentagon says military trainers may go to Georgia.  US officials look into Russian arms dealer Victor Bout, a former Soviet military officer, as having delivered sophisticated weapons systems to al Qaeda, Taliban, and Abu Sayyaf.  His operation is based in the United Arab Emirates.
• Day 142: Mon, 2/25/02 - 2,000 2-yr old IRS desktop and laptop computers will be sent to Afghanistan to help rebuild the Afghan finance ministry.  Afghanistan and Haiti are both waved from the US narcotics black list, and will continue to receive US aid.  20 major drug-transit/producing countries are: The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.
• Day 141: Sun, 2/24/02 - US military base at Kandahar's airport was fired on by Russian-made BM-12 rockets, but the attackers missed their target.  US is willing to send detainees at Camp X-Ray home to their countries, but only if they will be prosecuted there, and the US must be allowed to question them.  Iran and Afghanistan pledge their brotherly ties.  A hole large enough for a person to crawl through was discovered in a tunnel next to the US Embassy in Rome.  This hole was in an area that had been marked on a map that was found in a raid in a Rome apartment.  The arrested Moroccans have been uncooperative with Italian officials.  It is believed that they were either going to poison the embassy's water, or pump a poisonous gas into it, using potassium ferrocyanide.  Homefront: Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said there are at least 100 al Qaeda operatives living in the US, and all have been trained to carry out attacks when called upon.
• Day 140: Sat, 2/23/02 - The search for bin Laden continues in India's Kashmir, as he is reported to be protected there by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, a Pakistani militant group linked to al Qaeda.  Pakistani intelligence officials intend to block US extradition attempt of key Pearl kidnapping suspect Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh.  Sungai Manggis, may be the perfect terror base for three Muslim extremist Indonesian-born preachers, who recruited men for terror cells.  One of the three, Hambali (aka Nurjaman Ridua) "helped two convicted terrorists - Ramzi Yousef and Wali Khan Amin Shah - plan several attacks, including a plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II when the pontiff visited the Philippines in 1995."
• Day 139: Fri, 2/22/02 - Kidnapped WSJ reporter Danny Pearl was killed.  A videotape was released showing the kidnappers slitting Pearl's throat.  Three bodies of US servicemen recovered in Philippines after chopper crash.
• Day 138: Thur, 2/21/02 - A US Army transport helicopter, MH-47E Chinook, crashed at sea about 2:30 a.m. in the southern Philippines, killing all 10 Americans aboard.  Fishermen said they heard an explosion then it burst into flames as it fell to the sea.  The US is there targeting Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group with its stronghold on Basilan island, in its global war on terrorism.  200 Taliban war prisoners were freed in time for Muslim Eid celebrations.  In a courtyard in Mazar-i-Sharif, they were told "to embrace the new Afghanistan and forget divisions of the past, and only fight against people who interfere in our country."  Huge crops of poppy (heroin) are expected from Afghanistan by end of March if plants are not destroyed.  Congress asked "to authorize $98 million to train and arm a Colombian army brigade to protect an oil pipeline."  US government limits its military aid for Colombia to counternarcotics operations but the rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been identified as a terrorist organization, so the US may start providing more support.  Maps of Washington D.C. targets, a computer program on how to spread pesticides with a crop duster plane, and other terrorism tools were found in a NATO raid back in October '01 of the Sarajevo office of the Saudi High Commissioner for Aid to Bosnia.  One of the six men arrested back then was Algerian-born Sabir Lamar, "son-in-law of a local employee of the US Embassy in Sarajevo who had the keys to the building."  Homefront: The FBI increased security on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia after receiving threats of a possible attack on it.  Commercial satellite Ikonos' images of Afghanistan, operated by Denver-based Space Imaging, Inc., are now available to the public.  "The National Imagery and Mapping Agency, a military intelligence agency that analyzes satellite photos and makes maps, paid about $8.5 million for the images and two months of exclusive access to Ikonos while it was over Afghanistan" during the heat of the war on terrorism fighting.  It quit paying for exclusive rights in January.
• Day 137: Wed, 2/20/02 - "US-led forces will remain in Afghanistan until all pockets of Taliban and al Qaeda resistance are crushed" said the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers.  British peacekeeping patrol was fired upon in Kabul; no casualties reported.  Al Qaeda leaders are still trying to move operations from Afghanistan to a country that will support them.  It still has the capability of carrying out global terrorist attacks and is so large and well-established that it will continue to operate, even if bin Laden were killed, according to a Pentagon official.  An al Qaeda ally, Islamic extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah, "has ties in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines , and had sent some of its fighters to be trained in Afghanistan".  The network is much larger and sophisticated than the Pentagon thought.  Abu Sayyaf savagery on video shocks Filipinos.  Homefront: US makes new policy that it may pay ransom to kidnappers, however, it will aggressively try to recover the money paid.
• Day 136: Tue, 2/19/02 - Kandahar official claims "Pashtun warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Iranian government that shelters him" are trying to destabilize the Afghan government and promote resistance to foreign troops on its soil.  3 detainees held at Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay sue the US military and Bush administration members, claiming they are entitled to the same rights as Rat Boy (John Walker Lindh).  A terrorist plot to poison Rome's water supply with cyanide was uncovered during a raid on an apartment where maps of the city's water system were found.  Four Moroccans were arrested, at least one of which has ties with al Qaeda.  Philippines' troops and Abu Sayyaf guerrillas exchanged gunfire near the base where US special forces are moving in.  Homefront: Office of Strategic Influence established by the Pentagon "to market America's war on terrorism outside the US," was set up shortly after 9/11/01.  US will now review overseas kidnappings on a case-by-case basis, instead of maintaining its hands-off approach.
• Day 135: Mon, 2/18/02 - US paid Pakistan $80 million for providing US forces logistical support in the war on terrorism and will pay another $200 million in March.  Pakistan will continue to bill the US for services its troops use, which will be about $50-$60 million monthly.  The US also gave "$673 million in grants and helped Islamabad secure other help including debt rescheduling from foreign lenders."  Pakistan's Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said billing was being done under the Acquisition and Cross Services Agreement (ACSA).  US said there's still a threat in Afghanistan from bin Laden's al Qaeda network, at least until some of the top leadership can be captured.  US Major General Charles Campbell is beginning a special mission to help Afghanistan build a national army.  Mullah Abdul Razzak, fugitive and former Taliban interior minister, said the interim government's failure to stop lawlessness would have the Afghans soon demanding for the return of the Taliban.  Police found four rockets on government land at the edge of a neighborhood in Pakistan.  Two rockets were aimed at Karachi International Airport Terminal One, used by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, and two pointed at an airport hotel used by coalition forces as barracks.  US Special Forces will mount night patrols over Philippines rebel island of Basilan.
• Day 134: Sun, 2/17/02 - Hamid Karzai, Afghan Interim Leader, said more arrests made in killing of Afghanistan's aviation minister.  Former Taliban supporter Saudi Arabia reopens its embassy in Kabul.
• Day 133: Sat, 2/16/02 - Gunmen open fire on six British peacekeepers in Kabul.  Australia's first fatal casualty in the "War on Terror": A Special Air Service (SAS) soldier was injured when the Landrover he was driving ran over an anti-tank mine.  A US combat search and rescue helicopter evacuated him to a US medical facility in Kandahar, but he soon died.  Mullah Omar is believed to still be in Afghanistan - in Uruzgan, a large province between Kandahar and Kabul.  Fresh fighting in north Afghanistan between rival ethnic forces (Uzbek and Tajik) in the interim government and in the east between tribal forces (Pashtun Kochi and Gurbez tribes).  US bombed the Farm Bagh area, east of Khost, in support of the security forces' attempt to halt the tribal battle.  An Afghan worker for UNICEF was wounded when gunmen tried kidnapping him.  Last week an Afghan aid worker with British-based FOCUS was kidnapped.
• Day 132: Fri, 2/15/02 - US lifts sanctions from Afghan banks and Ariana Afghan Airlines.  Afghan Interim leader Hamid Karzai said the killing of the Transportation Minister Abdul Rahman yesterday by mob was an "assassination" and that 20 people in his own government were involved, including five senior military and defense officials.  Faisal Marahomsar, the leader of the "Pentagon gang" - which was on the US list of terrorist groups - and 10 others, were arrested in Manila.  The Pentagon gang broke off from the Moro
  Islamic Liberation Front.  Homefront: VP Dick Cheney said 60 countries harbor terrorists and that many of those who were in Afghanistan have returned to their own countries or gone underground, since the US began its War on Terrorism.
• Day 131: Thur, 2/14/02 - The CIA, the first Americans on the ground in Afghanistan, wages its own war there, operating missile-carrying drones, gathering intelligence, and supplying weapons and training.  The Philippines is on red alert after reports that 17 bin Laden bodyguards may enter the country to attack US targets.  Bin Laden is said to have a Filipino wife.  Topping the list of 17 is Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei, whom the FBI is hunting.  New Afghan transportation minister killed by muslim pilgrims on way to Mecca.  Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian, may be emerging as bin Laden's 3rd-in-command and is believed to be actively regrouping al Qaeda to perform terrorist attacks on Americans.  2nd day of money drops in Afghanistan.  Homefront: Retired Air Force master sergeant Brian Patrick Regan is indicted on criminal charges of trying to spy for Iraq, Libya, and China.  He personally wrote Hussein a letter asking for $13 million in exchange for military and satellite secrets.
• Day 130: Wed, 2/13/02 - A US Air Force cargo plane crashed in remote area of Afghanistan, injuring crew.  Fighting breaks out at US base in Kandahar.  US C-130 planes dropped white envelopes containing a photo of President Bush and two $100 bills along southern border of Afghanistan.  The envelopes had no message.  Homefront: 6 of the men on FBI's latest terror alert are already in custody in Yemen.  Alert issued in N. & S. Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia for 2 "Arab-looking" men who may have attempted to hijack a tractor-trailer.
• Day 129: Tue, 2/12/02 - 15 Taliban leaders are in contact with Afghan authorities over a possible surrender.  Chief suspect in WSJ's Daniel Pearl's kidnapping, Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, a London-born Islamic militant was arrested in Pakistan, near Indian border.  Homefront: New terror alert issued by FBI: Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei, a Yemeni national, and others may be plotting to carry out a terrorist attack in the US or on US interests today or in the near future.  FBI says no targets were given.  View al-Rabeei and other newly discovered terrorists.
• Day 128: Mon, 2/11/02 - "For the first time since the 9/11 attacks, US and British planes patrolling the no-fly zone over northern Iraq bombed Iraqi air defense systems in response to anti-aircraft fire.  Allied planes over northern Iraq have repeatedly been fired on since 9/11 but had not responded with bombing
  until now."  Celebrating the 23rd anniversary of their Islamic revolution, Iran televised and staged rallies in all major cities with President Khatami saying the rallies constituted a reply to "US insults and trumped-up charges" against Iran.  Amid chants of "Death to America!", Khatami said US foreign policy was to blame for the 9/11 attacks.  Small pieces of bone and flesh have been recovered from the Hellfire missile strike that hit 2/4/02; will be evaluated to see if the individual(s) can be identified.  Two people have been arrested for killing the four journalists last November in a roadside ambush.  Homefront: Passenger went into bathroom 25 minutes prior to flight landing in Salt Lake City (bucking the 30-minute law adopted for the Olympics).  Upon leaving the bathroom, he stared for about a minute at the flight attendant who told him to immediately return to his seat.  He appeared to give a "thumbs up" to another passenger, prompting undercover air marshals to take control of the cabin.  Olympics continue - check out the "2002 Olympics Virtual Tour" by USA Today.
• Day 127: Sun, 2/10/02 - US signed defense agreement with Pakistan which includes allowing US use of Pakistani facilities for military operations.  Hamid Karzai released 300+ Taliban detainees outside the presidential palace in Kabul, saying they were innocent.  They were asked if they wanted to continue being soldiers; they said "no".  He urged them to find jobs.  Iran closes Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's office, as show to US that they are not trying to undermine new Afghan interm government.  10 Abu Sayyaf gunmen killed in southern Philippines when the Philippine army caught up with about 80 of the rebels.
• Day 126: Sat, 2/9/02 - 3 men arrested in WSJ Pearl's abduction have ties to bin Laden through their Jaish-e-Mohammed, or the Army of Mohammed, group.  Leads from them point to Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh (aka Sheikh Omar), a British-born Islamic militant, as key suspect.  Plans uncovered showing Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia targeted for attacks by terrorist hit squads codenamed "Jibril", Arabic for Gabriel, the archangel.  Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani said it was shameful that the Afghan government was decided on outside its borders (in Bonn, Germany) and without top Afghan leaders.  He also stated that foreign troops would not be tolerated on Afghan soil for more than a year.  Taliban leaders are regrouping outside Afghanistan.  There are now 220 detainees at Guantanamo Bay.  Some have been questioned as many as four times, each time giving a different name and information.
• Day 125: Fri, 2/8/02 - The Taliban's foreign minister Mullah Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil surrendered to authorities in Afghanistan.  A Malaysian, Azmi bin Salleh, arrested at Manilla International Airport was carrying 104 passports and $57K US.  He was on his way to Kuwait, and may be a finance officer for al Qaeda.  The screen saver on his cell phone read "Osama bin Laden".  Homefront:  19th Winter Olympics open in Salt Lake City.  "The US flag recovered from the World Trade Center rubble was brought into the stadium before the parade of athletes by eight American athletes and several New York City area police and firefighters.  'This flag serves (as) a symbol of this nation's strength, of our resolve, of our determination to fight for freedom,' President Bush told US athletes."
• Day 124: Thur, 2/7/02 - Geneva Conventions will apply to Taliban soldiers but not to al Qaeda fighters.  Homefront:  Passenger subdued with axe after he attempts to break into cockpit of a United Airlines flight five hours after it left Miami on way to Argentina.  New York at its finest - 1300 rescue workers and business owners have given notice that they plan to sue NYC for $7.18 billion.
• Day 123: Wed, 2/6/02 - CIA Director George Tenet says over 1,000 al Qaeda militants have been arrested but group still exists, and outlines other countries who are threats to US security.  US, China, Iran gearing up to be first to run oil and gas pipelines through Afghanistan.  US delivers more detainees to Camp X-Ray after 2 week suspension.  Homefront:  Rat Boy will not get out on bail per Judge's order.
• Day 122: Tue, 2/5/02 - US and Iran continue with "war of words" over Iran's helping al Qaeda.
• Day 121: Mon, 2/4/02 - A "tall man who was being treated with great deference by those around him" was hit by a CIA-launched Hellfire missile in the Zhawar Kili area - speculation that it may be bin Laden or other top al Qaeda.  Fighting breaks out in Mazar-e-Sharif among rival Afghan warlords and Hamid Karzai calls for more peacekeeping troops.  Afghan authorities are turning stinger missiles to US.  The FBI has joined the search for WSJ's kidnapped Daniel Pearl.  Home-Afront: The American Bar Association "voted to recommend that foreign terrorists being tried before military tribunals be afforded the same rights as Americans."
• Day 120: Sun, 2/3/02 - Afghan warlords in Gardez agree to a conditional cease-fire after B-52 bombers circled over the region.  Def. Sec. Donald Rumsfeld accuses Iran of helping Taliban and al Qaeda militants escape, and did not put troops along their Afghan border to prevent escapees from crossing over.
• Day 119: Sat, 2/2/02 - Fighting continues among Afghans over a provincial capital.  Residents want US intervention.  Hamid Karzai "established a special committee to investigate factional violence threatening the country's stability."
• Day 118: Fri, 2/1/02 - Chief kidnapping suspect of WSJ's Daniel Pearl has been in contact with 3 important Indian government officials.