Osama claims he has nukes: If US uses N-arms it will get same response

By Hamid Mir

KABUL, Nov 9: Osama bin Laden has said that "we have chemical and nuclear weapons as a deterrent and if America used them against us we reserve the right to use them".

He said this in a special interview with Hamid Mir, the editor of Ausaf, for Dawn and Ausaf, at an undisclosed location near Kabul.

This was the first interview given by Osama to any journalist after the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

Stephanie Salter

AS LONG AS WE STILL HAVE IT, I'm going to make the most of the First Amendment: What we are doing in, above, and to Afghanistan is short-sighted, counterproductive and immoral. That I am among a mere 6 or 10 percent of Americans (depending on the poll) who feel this way hurts my heart.

The amount of nonthink, or flat-out denial, that is required to support Operation Enduring Freedom is painful to contemplate. Sending thousands of kids -- "our brave men and women in uniform" -- to risk their lives for it is unbearable.

By Nargis Farahmand

The streets are lined with blood,

The dust is coloured red,

The Orphan lies abandoned,

Without food, water, or bed,

The once enchanting city,

Is now the capitol of fear,

The world has shut it's heart,

Pretending not to hear,

The once green hills and valleys,

Are now pits of graves,

The once safe home to run to,

Is now a killer blade,

The once heard noise of laughter,

Is now the wail of grief,

The lives of many children,

Are wretched and very brief,

By ROBERT BUZZANCO

ALONG with hundreds of other Houstonians, I have been passing out fliers, holding signs, attending rallies and speaking out against American intervention in the Middle East and South Asia.

Now that the attacks have begun, I will be joining millions of Americans in a nationwide call for the Bush administration to recognize the peril of war in those regions and to refrain from a wider commitment. While this is not a majority opinion -- yet -- it is one that needs to be heard and discussed at the outset of this conflict.

Every one has their own views on what happened in the 11th of September. Some may agree- many disagree.

A Typical question asked by every American today is:

"Why would anyone want to bomb America?"

"How could someone do this to us?"

"Why would anyone want to hurt us?"

"Why is there so much hatred against the U.S.?"

"Why is there so much hatred against us?"

Why?

Why?

So many Americans are crying out these words today.

The question being consistently asked is who is responsible?

Who is most likely to have a motive?

The killing of Sheikh Yassin has drawn widespread international condemnation.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said it was not only against international law, but did nothing to help find a peaceful solution.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak described it as cowardly and King Abdullah of Jordan called it a crime.

In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers condemned Israel for an "extra-judicial killing", which they said undermined the rule of law.

But the US State Department avoided direct criticism of Israel, urging all parties in the conflict to remain calm and show restraint.

The death toll in the Middle East is overwhelmingly Palestinian, yet Israelis play the injured party. Islamic activist WAHIDA VALIANTE wants a reality check.

When I hear a Canadian ask why the Palestinian children are out in the streets in these times of violence, my heart sinks. Overwhelmed by the absurdity of the question, I find myself sad and fearful. As is so often the case where Israel is involved, the victim is labelled as the villain.

The real question is, "Where are the Palestinian children supposed to exist?"

By Shirl McArthur

Washington Report On Middle Eastern Affairs:

Jan/Feb 2001, Pages 15-16

With the turmoil surrounding the presidential election essentially freezing Congress into inaction, this is probably a good time to take another look at aid to Israel.

The common figure given for U.S. aid to Israel is $3 billion per year$1.2 billion in economic aid and $1.8 billion in military aid. As impressive as this figure is, however, since it represents about one-sixth of total U.S. foreign aid, the true figure is even more remarkable.

by Charley Reese

The murder of Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheik Yassin, makes perfect sense as long as you understand Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's strategy. That strategy is to make peace impossible.

For three years, Sharon has done everything to prevent peace. He himself provoked the new uprising, re-invaded the occupied territories, destroyed the Palestinian Authority, forced Yasser Arafat into house arrest and launched an unprecedented, brutal campaign of assassinations, curfews, fences, destruction of property and random killing of Palestinians. The Israelis have killed about 2,700 Palestinians in the past three years, in contrast to about 700 Israelis killed in the same period.

The UN General Assembly demanded Israel Tuesday night, July 20, to abide by the International Court of Justice's ruling and tear down the separation wall, but Tel Aviv defiantly pledged to pursue the construction.

The voting result was 150 to 6 with 10 abstentions on the resolution aimed at dismantling the 370-mile (600-km) controversial barrier, reported Reuters news agency.

All 25 European Union countries voted in support of the Palestinian-drafted measure after its Arab sponsors accepted a series of EU modifications over days of intense negotiations.

Voting "no" were the United States, Israel, Australia and the Pacific island states of Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.