Just the Phax
Last Updated: 0620 Hours Eastern Standard Time, September 14, 2001 C.E.
A website devoted to presenting all reputable evidence regarding the
World Trade Center bombing.
Quote of the day:
"An eye for an eye leaves the world blind."
-DeLaVega's latest writing, in chalk, on the sidewalk of East 96th street between Park and Lexington Avenues
This is our Pearl Harbor. This is our Kennedy Assassination. Only this time there are no markings on the planes, there is no grassy knoll, there is no gun sticking out of a window. This is the beginning of what will be a long, arduous conflict and it will likely shape the twenty-first century. Just as our grandfathers did on that fateful day in 1941, we must stand in the face of "A day that will live in infamy" and defeat the newest threat to freedom.
Greetings. I am Sky. Outraged by the travesty that has taken place today, September 11, 2001, in New York City, I have begun a search for all reputable information regarding possible suspects for the carnage that occurred in Downtown Manhattan this morning. Every day I will update this site with whatever relevant information is posted. Essentially I scour the internet and filter the junk so you don't have to, and so you stay informed.
Articles - 9/14/2001
A close friend of mine has compiled photos of the disaster Tuesday.
They are available for download here. Some may be inappropriate for younger viewers.
Global
Intelligence Cooperation
Comes With Risks
New
Countries such as China, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia have offered to
help find America's attackers. Cooperation is vital, but Washington must be wary
of governments that might skew it to solve their own security problems.
U.S. Needs New Threat Assessment
NewSpecial
Low-Grade
Follow-On Strikes Possible
Breaking
Story
The size
and sophistication of the Sept. 11 attacks suggest the planners would likely
have planned subsequent, low-grade strikes.
Hijacking
Clues May Be Red Herrings
The abundance of apparent clues the attackers left does not fit well
with the perfection they showed in executing their mission. This begs the
question: Are the clues diversions?
U.S.
Relations With Pakistan Revived
Washington
needs Pakistan's cooperation for any action it might take against suspected
terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, who is sheltering in neighboring
Afghanistan.
Coalition
Warfare and Covert Operations
A
war on the perpetrators will require covert as well as conventional tactics, and
a coalition response will carry inherent tensions versus covert methods.
U.S.
May Wage War on Islamic Militants
The
United States may launch a war on Islamic fundamentalists, which, like the war
on drugs, would enlist the help of nations around the world and use a broad
spectrum of tactics.
Answers
in Attack Could Take Years
Identification of
the dead hijackers will not come fast enough to determine U.S. policy in the
days to come.
U.S.
Economy Will Rebound After Hit
The
decentralized and diverse nature of the U.S. economy will help it weather a
potential downturn following the blow to the World Trade Center.
Attack on U.S. Soil:No Easy Retaliation
World
Trade Center, Pentagon Attacked
In an unprecedented dilemma, the United States has no choice but to declare war,
but it cannot yet identify its enemy. Launching a campaign against militant
Islam -- an amorphous, transnational movement -- will hurt crucial geostrategic
relations.
Moderate
Arab Leaders in Tough Spot
U.S.
reprisals would likely inflame anti-American sentiments among radical Arab
citizens, making it hard for some Arab leaders to remain moderate.
Attacks
on U.S.: Redefining the Response
The U.S.
government will need to use a new approach, one that involves redefining the
entity it holds responsible, as it plans a response to yesterday's attacks.
The
Global Financial Fallout
The World
Trade Center attacks have rippled worldwide, disrupting commodities trading,
banking and manufacturing and causing stock markets in Europe and Asia to
plunge.
The
Sophistication of the Attackers
The U.S.
government will need to use a new approach in responding to yesterday's
terrorist attacks, which point to highly sophisticated perpetrators.
Today's Events - 9/14/2001
(most recent listed first)
Vice President Dick Cheney has been transferred to Camp David for security reasons and the perimeter around the White House has been greatly extended. President George W. Bush remains in the White House. 2448 GMT, 091301
The United States Senate was evacuated late Sept. 13 after a potential bomb scare. 2448 GMT, 091301
Ha'aretz reported Sept. 13 that the U.S. government is discussing a "massive retaliatory attack" against suspected terrorist bases in Afghanistan, citing U.S. diplomatic sources for the report. In addition to a cruise missile attack on terror bases, government officials are reportedly debating a ground attack on Afghanistan using elite forces. A plan to use select NATO forces in such an assault was also under discussion. The operation would ultimately include plans to assassinate Osama bin Laden, the report said. 2444 GMT, 091301
Latin American financial markets experienced further drops Sept. 13. The following market indices were down as of this afternoon: Brazil's BOVESPA by 7.3 percent, Argentina's MerVal by 2.7 percent, Chile's IGPA by 1.3 percent, and Venezuela IBC by 1 percent. The Peru and Toronto indices were up 0.3 and 0.8 percent respectively, while Mexican markets were closed. 2434 GMT, 091301
The world's central banks injected $120 billion in cash into the global financial system Sept. 13 to keep financial markets running smoothly. Reuters reported that there were some disruptions in markets in Tokyo and Moscow due to securities settlement problems. 2409 GMT, 091301
U.S. economic data released Sept. 13 show that consumer confidence had fallen to the lowest level of the year, and jobless claims were rising faster than expected before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, adding to fears that the U.S. economy will dip into a recession. While the European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged Sept. 13, analysts are expecting that the U.S. Federal Reserve may cut interest rates by as much as one-half percent to stimulate the economy. 2357 GMT, 091301
Justice Department officials have reportedly recovered the flight data recorder of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in rural Pennsylvania after being hijacked Sept. 11. 2357 GMT, 091301
According to a report on Russia's RTR television, Moscow is ready to discuss accelerating the destruction of chemical and other weapons of mass destruction in order to keep them out of the hands of terrorists. The statement was attributed to Sergei Kirienko, presidential envoy to the Volga federal district and the head of the state commission overseeing chemical disarmament. 2324 GMT, 091301
The Lebanese Daily Star, citing a senior Lebanese security official, said the Hezbollah may have to postpone alleged plans for a military strike against Israeli targets, as the attack on the United States will give Israel greater military leeway to respond to such strikes. The paper noted that Hezbollah was expected to stage another attack soon, based on a pattern of about one attack every two months this year. 2256 GMT, 091301
Richard Grasso, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, announced Sept. 13 that U.S. markets will remain closed tomorrow and be tested over the weekend, with the hope of reopening for trading Sept. 17 at 9:30 a.m. ET. This includes the nation's two largest markets, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. 2042GMT 091301
The U.S. Embassy in Egypt said that there are no "credible or specific threats to American citizens or interests in Egypt," according to Arabic News. The embassy said that American citizens should take the proper steps to ensure their own safety, however. 2030 GMT, 091301
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is planning a trip to Moscow to follow up on Russia's offer to help in the investigation of the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., Sept. 11. 2019 GMT, 091301
Afghan Radio reports that 14 "fanatical Muslims" were trained as jet airliner pilots by the Taliban militia one year ago. The trainees were said to be Afghans and Pakistanis, and were reportedly trained on a 727 aircraft. The trainees, some of whom had European passports, left Afghanistan about a year ago. 2004 GMT, 091301
CNET News.com reported that Earthlink and America Online have turned over to the FBI the account records for suspects in the Sept. 11 hijackings and attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. Both AOL and Earthlink denied reports that the companies had agreed to install a Carnivore surveillance system designed to monitor communications that go through Internet service providers. 1935 GMT, 091301
Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, a top suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the United States, changed locations within Afghanistan just minutes after reports of the attacks, AP reported, citing a Pakistani intelligence source. 1920 GMT, 091301
Various structures are reportedly in danger of collapse in lower Manhattan, including the American Express building and 1 Liberty Plaza. 1915 GMT, 091301
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell confirmed Sept. 13 that Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden is the chief suspect in this week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., AFP reported. Powell told a news conference that recent U.S. diplomatic overtures to Pakistan were aimed at securing Islamabad's cooperation in dealing with bin Laden, who is in hiding in neighboring Afghanistan. Gen. Tommy Franks, U.S. Central Command commander, flew to Pakistan Sept. 13 for a three-day visit with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. 1914 GMT, 091301
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the United States will launch a sustained military campaign in response to terrorist attacks on New York and Washington Sept. 11, AP reported. He added that Washington's response would unfold over time and would constitute a single military strike. 1913 GMT, 091301
Morocco's King Mohammed VI said Sept. 13 that his country wants to join forces with the United States to fight "all forms of terrorism", following the attacks on Washington, D.C. and New York this week, Moroccan news agency MAP said. The monarch made the comments during a meeting with U.S. ambassador to Rabat Margaret Tutwiller. 1903 GMT, 091301
Fox News is reporting that American University's campus in Washington is being evacuated, though this report is unconfirmed. World Watch Monitor also has unconfirmed reports that La Guardia Airport in New York has been evacuated. 1830 GMT, 091301
Pakistan Sept. 13 turned down a request by Washington to deploy in the country U.S. special forces, which could be used in a possible strike against Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, a top suspect in this week's terrorist attacks, the Washington Post reported, citing senior Pakistani officials in Islamabad. U.S. authorities said Tajikistan has though granted Washington the authority to place Special Forces troops at a site on the border with Afghanistan, which is harboring bin Laden. 1820 GMT, 091301
German police have detained an airport employee in Hamburg and are seeking another man in connection with this week's attacks on the United States, AP reported. Investigators believe that three of the terrorists who died in the suicide attacks belonged to a group of Islamic extremists that founded an organization in Hamburg earlier this year aimed at attacking targets in the United States. 1815 GMT, 091301
Air Security International reports that authorities are searching for a red Grand Am car suspected of being loaded with C12 explosives in the Manhattan area. As a result, all the bridges and tunnels leading into the city have been closed. 1753 GMT, 091301
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Sept. 13 that Army Delta Force personnel will be placed undercover on random U.S. domestic flights, NBC reported. 1740 GMT, 091301
Israeli Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau told Jerusalem Post Radio Sept. 13 that there is "more than mere circumstantial evidence" of links between the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, though he said there is no evidence linking Arafat to the recent attacks in the United States. Landau also called for the government to allow the Israeli Defense Force to increase its responses to Palestinian terror attacks. 1748 GMT, 091301
The Omaha World Herald reported Sept. 13 that security levels at Offutt Air Force Base, home of the U.S. Strategic Air Command, were lowered the previous evening. The base went from condition delta, the highest and most restrictive of five levels, to condition Charlie, the fourth-most-restrictive level. A heightened police presence continues on roads around the base. Air Force Maj. Todd Vician, an Offutt spokesman, said the security level at base facilities was unprecedented in recent memory. 1715 GMT, 091301
Senior diplomats from Russia, India, Iran and Uzbekistan met Sept. 13 in Tajikistan to discuss providing support -- including military, technical and humanitarian assistance -- to anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistann. Representative from the Northern Alliance, the main opposition group to the Taliban, also attended the meeting. 1735 GMT, 091301
Middle East Newsline, citing sources within the Central Intelligence Agency, reports that Iraq has developed an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) that can deliver a chemical or biological warhead. Though these reports are unconfirmed, the UAV was reportedly developed from a converted L-29 jet trainer aircraft acquired from Eastern Europe, and that flight tests of the craft have been conducted. 1613 GMT, 091301
The Military News Agency is reporting that the Russian Interior Ministry has ordered the alert of all units of the Volga federal district, with troops to reinforce all important state installations. Special motorized military units were also preparing to start round-the-clock patrolling operations, although that order has not yet been given. 1631 GMT, 091301
An Israeli political source told Israeli public radio that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres have agreed to meet at the Gaza airport on Sept. 16, AFP reports. A similar meeting was postponed after the attacks on the United States Sept. 11. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has reportedly urged Arafat, Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by phone to hold the meeting. 1641 GMT, 091301
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Sept. 13 that 4,763 people have been reported missing from the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. Giuliani said the figure was compiled from companies searching for employees, reports from rescue workers and phone callers, and included the two airliners that crashe into the World Trade Center towers. These early estimates could go up or down, Guliani said. Reuters is reporting over 5,000 people missing in New York and Washington, with over 300 feared dead from the Pentagon attack. 1651 GMT, 091301
South Korea has
lowered its defense and counter-terrorism alerts by one level, South Korean
daily Chosun Ilbo reported. South Korean and U.S. armed forces also announced
Sept. 13 that they would begin conducting joint counter-terrorism exercises to
prepare for possible attacks at installations on the Korean peninsula. 1659 GMT,
091301
Latin American and Canadian stock markets opened Sept. 13 after widespread closures the previous day. Only Brazil and Chile markets traded Sept. 12, and these markets stabilized after steep declines following this week's attacks, CNNfn reports. While the Mexican peso recovered more than half of Tuesday's declines, the Brazilian real continued to fall to its third consecutive low on Sept. 12. 1611 GMT, 091301
The BBC reports that China's Deputy Foreign Minister, Wang Guangya, appealed to the United States to consult with non-European countries before taking any retaliatory action for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. China was responding NATO's decision to invoke its mutual defense agreement following the attacks. Though China supports resolute action, Wang said, he asked that the United States to work through the U.N. Security Council. 1610 GMT, 091301
The Wall Street Journal reports that IMF and World Bank officials say that it is unlikely that the fall meetings scheduled for Sept. 28 and 29 in Washington will go forward as planned. Washington Police Chief Charles Ramsey told reporters that the city will not be ready to deal with massive protests and would recommend canceling the sessions. 1608 GMT, 091301
Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sept. 13 he would support the United States if
it launches retaliatory attacks against the perpetrators of Tuesday's terrorist
attacks, the Japan Times reports. Senior members of the government and the three
ruling coalition parties also stated that Japan must quickly formulate emergency
defense legislation to prepare for possible terrorist attacks. 1604 GMT, 091301
European markets stabilized in trading Sept. 12, helping to calm the major Asian markets entering the trading day Sept. 13. AFP reports that Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney and South Korea all posted minor gains after steep losses the previous day, though all markets remain fairly below pre-attack levels. Singapore dropped marginally, and Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan -- which were closed Sept. 13 -- posted losses of between 4 and 7 percent. 1519 GMT, 091301
The Afghanistan opposition Northern Alliance, which opposes the ruling Taliban, has appointed a new military chief to replace leader Ahmad Shah Masood, Reuters reported. Masood was replaced with a general named Mukhammad Fakhim on Sep. 11, a few days after Masood was wounded in an attack. Conflicting reports have stated that Masood was actually killed in the attack. 1501 GMT, 091301
The Washington Post reports that the Bush administration is continuing to gather support for a possible strike against Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden and his supporters in Afghanistan, pressuring neighboring Pakistan for intelligence and logistical backing after winning full NATO support Sept. 12. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has pledged his country's full cooperation in the probe into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, VOA news reported, while Saudi Arabia has also reportedly offered its support. The Chinese government is appealing to the United States to consult with countries beyond Europe before launching an attack, BBC reported. 1430 GMT, 091301
Fox News reports that almost all of the hijackers involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been identified on flight manifests, including many Saudi and Egyptian nationals and one known supporter of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, considered a prime suspect in the attacks. The news agency, citing law enforcement officials, said that a flight manifest from one of the four flights included the name of a suspected bin Laden supporter, while one person has also been arrested in connection with the attacks in Hamburg, Germany. 1427 GMT, 091301
U.S. authorities said at least one hijacker on each of the four planes used in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was trained at a U.S. flight school, AP reported. Overall, 50 people may have been involved in the operation. Attorney General John Ashcroft said 12 to 24 hijackers commandeered the four planes, and a government official said another two dozen or so are believed to have assisted them, AP reported. The Los Angeles Times reports that about 40 of the men have been accounted for, including those killed in the suicide attacks, but 10 remain at large. The Times also reported at least one of the suspects receiving advanced flight training in Florida was a commercial pilot from Saudi Arabia. 1417 GMT, 091301
The Associated Press reports that a former employee at Huffman Aviation school in Venice Venice, Fla., said FBI agents told him that Mohamed Atta, who stayed in his home while training at the local flight school, was involved in the attack on the World Trade Center Sept. 11. The Miami Herald, citing federal authorities, reports that Atta was one of four suspects who died on American Airlines Flight 11, the first jetliner to crash into the center. A second student at Huffman Aviation, identified as Marwan Alshehhi, is also a suspect. 1410 GMT, 091301
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban Sept. 13 dismissed reports linking Osama bin Laden to terrorist attacks on the United States earlier on the week, and reiterated that they would not hand over the Saudi dissident, AFP reported. Reports had surfaced the previous day claiming that the Taliban had arrested bin Laden. The Taliban is reportedly preparing for a possible U.S. attack, sending its top leader into hiding and repositioning its military hardware throughout the country, The Washington Post reported, citing reports from Pakistani intelligence sources.1405 GMT, 091301
Federal aviation officials said they would allow air travel in the United States to resume Sept. 13 morning. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said authorities were deploying hundreds of U.S. marshals and other agents to airports and airplanes to increase security with the gradual resumption of commercial flights, AP reported. 1400 GMT, 091301
The Times of India has published a report originally carried by an Arabic online newspaper, saying that the Taliban has placed Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden and several of his assistants under house arrest in Afghanistan. A diplomat at the Taliban embassy in Abu Dhabi could not confirm the report. 2318 GMT, 091201
Armed sky marshalls and/or company security officials will accompany flights in the United States for at least a short period of time, possibly indefinitely, according to airline industry officials and the Department of Transportation. 2240 GMT, 091201
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told Pakistani Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi Sept. 12 that the United States expects full Pakistani cooperation on the search for perpetrators of Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, AFP reported. Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters, "We thought … it would be useful to point out to the Pakistani leadership at every level that we are looking for and expecting their fullest cooperation and their help and support." Washington is concerned about Pakistan's relationship with Afghanistan's Taliban, which is suspected of harboring Osama bin Laden. Pakistan is one of only three countries worldwide that officially recognize the Taliban. 2355 GMT, 091201
Israeli intelligence officials briefing the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's cabinet Sept. 12 reported that a Middle East government likely sponsored the attack on the United States. They also identified Iraq as the most likely candidate, according to the Middle East News Line (MENL). The news report speculates that Iraq may have financed the operation and recruited Osama bin Laden, stating that Iraq maintains an alliance with bin Laden and radical Islamic groups. 2207 GMT, 091201
NATO's emergency council declared in a statement Sept. 12 that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States fall under the alliance's mutual defense arrangements. This is the first-ever invocation of Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty, which calls for joint action in response to an attack on one alliance member. 2152 GMT, 091201
United Arab Emirates state TV reported Sept. 12 that two men identified by U.S. authorities as possible suspects in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were carrying Saudi passports, AFP reports. The two suspects, Wa'el Mohammad al-Shihri and Ahmad Ibrahim Ali al-Hazzouni, reportedly carried international drivers licenses issued by the UAE and had rented a car which was later seized at Boston's Logan airport. 2150 GMT, 091201
The FAA announced late Wednesday afternoon that passenger air travel will resume temporarily to allow stranded travelers who were diverted Sept. 11 to reach their destinations. The partial opening will occur under heavily-intensified security precautions. The FAA said that it is not yet resuming normal operations due to continued security concerns. 2115 GMT, 091201
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Sept. 12 that Moscow and the European Union plan to step up cooperation to fight international terrorism follow the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, AFP reported. 1935 GMT, 091201
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has asked central banks to limit the trading in dollars to prevent shocks to the global currency markets, CNNfn reported. The Fed is concerned that a large dollar transaction could create dangerous ripples and harm liquidity. As of Wednesday afternoon, the dollar was bouncing back from earlier losses, stabilizing at 119.38 yen to the dollar and .9067 dollars to the Euro, while trading was thin, AFP reported. Greenspan is due to return from Europe later today. 1935 GMT, 091201
Reacting to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi cautioned against "impulsive" accusations and suggested that the United States should reconsider some international policies that have earned it enemies, the Lebanese Daily Star reported. "There's a need for re-examining the 'New World Order' and the proposed globalization. There's a need for more cooperation and for building relations based on the respect for the rights of people and a just distribution of wealth, not the logic of force," Aridi said. 1935 GMT, 091201
In a national television address, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Sept. 12. for coordinated international action to combat terrorism, which he called the "plague of the 21st century," Agence France-Presse reported. He cited the 1999 bombings of apartment buildings in Moscow in condemning the attacks on New York and Washington. National news agency Interfax quoted Putin in a telegram to Bush as saying, "There is no doubt that such inhuman acts must be punished." Interfax also reported that Russia placed its national air defenses on full alert and that "anti- terrorism measures" were being enforced nationwide. 1935 GMT, 091201
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sept. 12 that the number of Britons who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in the United States "could run into hundreds," AFP reported. 1930 GMT, 091201
In a statement Sept. 12 Taliban authorities offered to negotiate about the future of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden if the United States could provide proof of his involvement in the recent terrorist attack on the United States, Kyodo News Service reported, although the group has made similar statements in the past. Reuters reports that the Taliban has beefed up security at government offices and closed the main airport in Kabul after it endured a rocket attack by anti-Taliban forces overnight. 1927 GMT, 091201
Kyodo News Service reports that the United Nations evacuation from Afghanistan will be completed Sept. 14, and will include a large number of foreign aid workers. CNN reported that U.N. staff were taking unusual measures such as taking key documents and computer discs with them. 1852 GMT, 091201
European stock markets strengthened somewhat despite the terrorist attacks on the United States Sept. 11, MSNBC reported. London's FTSE 100 INDEX closed 134.80 points higher at 4,880.80, or up about 2.8 percent, late Sept. 12. The Paris CAC 40 index closed 54.51 points higher at 4,114.26, up 1.34 percent. Frankfurt's DAX was up around 85 points, or 2 percent higher, at 4,358 in late-afternoon trading. 1850 GMT, 091201
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said Sept. 12 that the United States was "reaping the thorns" of its foreign policy, in a commentary quoted by the official INA news agency on the terrorist attacks the previous day in New York and Washington. 1810 GMT, 091201
A plan to hijack commercial planes and fly them into U.S. targets was reportedly incorporated into a terror strategy by Ramzi Zhmed Yousef, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, Inquirer News Service reported. The plan was first uncovered in Manila in 1995 after police arrested four suspects in a plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II, and was passed on to U.S. officials by the Philippine government. At least four of Yousef's partners in the 1993 bombing have remained at large, increasing suspicions that they could be involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. 1758 GMT, 091201
The European Union is ramping up its own internal security measures for public transportation, airlines and around public buildings, Reuters reports, while Europol has set up a special task force for police agencies to exchange terrorism information. 1755 GMT, 091201
NATO ambassadors opened a debate Sept. 12 into whether terrorist attacks in New York and Washington represented an "armed attack" against the entire 19-nation alliance, AFP reported. If NATO nations agree on such a stance, the alliance could take "such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area." 1735 GMT, 091201
Citing its already fragile financial situation, as well as the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Midway Air has suspended its operations and laid off 1,700 workers, AP reported. In a statement the company said "demand for air transportation is expected to decline sharply." 1734 GMT, 091201
CNN reports that FBI agents have taken several people in Boston and southern Florida into custody for questioning about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on The World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The FBI is not calling them "suspects", but it does say they may provide material information on the case. Activity in Boston is centered around the Westin Copley Hotel and includes Boston police and SWAT teams. CNN reports that investigations in Florida are focusing their attention on several flight schools. 1720 GMT, 091201
CNN reports that the FBI has identified several suspects in the Boston area thought to be involved in the Sept. 11 hijackings and terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. The report was attributed to a "usually reliable" Boston television station but has not been confirmed by the FBI. 1708 GMT, 091201
The Jerusalem
Post reports that Israel has put its air force and anti-aircraft batteries on
increased alert and increased the number of its airborne patrols over Israeli
airspace. The measures were taken to prevent any unwanted infiltration, air
force sources said. Defense forces say no further significant security measures
are being taken, as the country was already on a high alert status due to recent
terrorist attacks. 1706 GMT, 091201\
The Federal Aviation Authority said today that the ban on all U.S. air travel, originally set to end at noon Sept. 12, has been extended indefinitely, National Public Radio reported. The Pentagon is also reportedly being evacuated for a second day in a row. Parts of the Pentagon near the initial impact by a commercial airliner Sept. 11 are becoming increasingly insecure and there are concerns of further collapse, CNN reported. The secretaries of the U.S. Army and Navy have been moved to the building's basement. 1620 GMT, 091201
Ha'aretz reports that Israel reopened its airspace to foreign airline traffic today, though foreign flights must still gain special security clearance before landing. Israeli airspace was closed Sept. 12 due to concerns that the country could be targeted for attacks like those in New York and Washington, D.C. 1631 GMT, 091201
Israeli Defense Forces have ramped up attacks in the territories, The Jerusalem Post reported, saying 10 Palestinians were killed and over 30 wounded in overnight and morning attacks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, following the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Israeli tanks moved into the West Bank city of Jenin early on Sept. 12 and reportedly destroyed a Palestinian security headquarters and two suspected terrorist hideouts before withdrawing. 1635 GMT, 091201
The Taliban said Sept. 12 that any retaliatory strikes by the United States on Afghanistan and on Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, would fail and that Washington would not be able to find any person it targets, AFP reported, citing a Taliban spokesman. Bin Laden is living in Afghanistan under the Taliban militia's protection. The United Nations has ordered all 80 of its employees out of Afghanistan. 1553 GMT, 091101
Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden Sept. 12 congratulated the people who carried out the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., but denied that he was involved, AP reported, citing Abu Dhabi Television's bureau chief in Islamabad. U.S. Embassies in Yemen, Kuwait and Oman and the United Arab Emirates announced that they are closing indefinitely. 1333 GMT, 091201
The FBI has reportedly identified five suspects in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, ABC news reported, citing Boston Herald report. Investigators are searching Boston’s Logan’s airport, where two of the hijacked planes used in the assault originated, and reportedly believe two of the suspects flew from Portland, Maine, to Logan before the attack. 1328 GMT, 091201
Fox News, citing the Boston Herald, reported that two of the suspects so far identified in the search of Logan airport were brothers, one of whom was a trained pilot, and had passports traced to the United Arab Emirates. Reuters though quoted a UAE government source who said there is no evidence that any emirate nationals were aboard the hijacked planes. The Boston Globe reported that one of the five suspects’ bags did not make the connection to the plane that was hijacked, and the luggage contained a copy of the Koran, an instructional video on flying commercial airliners and a fuel consumption calculator. The FBI also towed from the airport’s parking garage a rental car with a Virginia license plate that contained Arabic-language flight training manuals, ABC reported. 1325 GMT, 091201
Federal agents are planning to serve search warrants on a home or homes in south Florida of a passengers believed to be on one of the hijacked commercial planes used in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Reuters reported, citing a local television channel report. The station gave no further details of the planned search other than saying it would focus on Davie, a city about 20 miles northwest of Miami, while the FBI was not available to confirm or deny. Fox News reported that at least one Middle Eastern student at flight school Embry-Riddle University in Daytona Beach, Fla., is missing, and that authorities are looking into reports he may have been on one of the hijacked planes. 1320 GMT, 091201
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