December 5, 2001 Diary: America Strikes Back

Governor urges Kansans to be vigilant
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Kansans are being urged to maintain their vigilance because of the latest warning that more terrorist attacks are possible in the coming weeks. The alert, announced Monday by Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, was the third general warning issued by the government since the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks.

Afghan troops combing foothills for Bin Laden; U.S. evaluates targets
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
The long-awaited ground attack on suspected terrorist hide-outs in northeastern Afghanistan got under way Tuesday as the Pentagon challenged persistent reports that the effort to flush Osama bin Laden from his rumored bunker complex in the mountainous region has caused widespread civilian casualties.

Pakistan assists CIA in hunt for bin Laden
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Pakistan has agreed to step up cooperation with the CIA in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, which is now centering on the rugged mountains along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, Pakistani intelligence officials said Tuesday.

Afghans agree on interim government
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
A new Afghan government headed by Hamid Karzai, the Pashtun warlord leading the insurrection in Kandahar against the Taliban, was taking shape on Tuesday, and was expected to assume power in Kabul before Christmas, said western observers.

Rumsfeld considering options for dealing with American Taliban
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday he is considering "various options" for dealing with the 20-year-old California man captured with Taliban soldiers, but a decision on his fate is not a top priority as the war continues in Afghanistan.

Recession more real than terrorism
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
By David Broder
Washington Post Writers Group

Sixty years ago this week, on Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a devastating attack on the United States fleet and air bases in Hawaii. Pearl Harbor Day — the day FDR said "will live in infamy" — remains a landmark in history and in the minds of those of us with our personal memories of that transforming moment in our lives.

U.S. troops killed by misdirected airstrike
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
(Web Posted Wednesday at 3:14 p.m.) American bombs accidentally killed three U.S. servicemen and injured 20 others in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday. Anti-Taliban fighters in the mountainous east battled al-Qaida guerrillas, capturing territory below a suspected cave hide-out of Osama bin Laden.

Three Americans, five Afghans killed in bombing accident
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
(Updated Wednesday at 12:17 p.m.) Three American soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in Afghanistan Wednesday when a bomb launched from an Air Force B-52 bomber missed its target. The friendly-fire accident produced the worst U.S. casualty toll of the war.

Postal Service ends year $1.68 billion in the red
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Battered by the terrorist attacks and a declining economy, the Postal Service saw its first drop in volume in a decade and finished the fiscal year with a $1.68 billion loss. Managers are scrambling to cut expenses, seeking help from Congress and discussing the possibility of speeding up a rate increase.

Explosion reported today
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
An explosion shook central Jerusalem on this morning, but no injuries to Israelis were immediately reported, police said. It appeared to have been a suicide bombing, a police spokesman said.

Powell's support for Israel measured
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Secretary of State Colin Powell voiced qualified support on Tuesday for Israeli retaliation for terror attacks and said Yasser Arafat must do more to control Palestinian terrorist groups.

OKC breaks ground on new federal building
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
Workers broke ground for a new federal building Tuesday, with the mayor saying he hoped the project would send a message of hope to New Yorkers recovering from the Sept. 11 attack.

How to try the terrorists
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
By Mike Hoeflich

In recent weeks, President Bush and Atty. Gen. JohnAshcroft have made several decisions which have generated a substantial amount of debate.

Interviewing isn't incarcerating
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
By Jack Anderson and Douglas Cohn
United Feature Syndicate

Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft has ordered interviews of 5,000 Middle Eastern men between the ages of 18 and 33. None will be compelled to participate.

Man suspected of sending fake anthrax threat letters caught
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
(Updated Wednesday at 5:47 p.m.) An escaped convict suspected of mailing hundreds of anthrax hoax letters to abortion clinics was captured Wednesday at a copy shop in this Cincinnati suburb.

Briefly
Wednesday, December 5, 2001
• Washington, D.C.: Lawmakers pray for country
• Washington, D.C.: Capitol tours delayed
• San Francisco: AMA suggests study for smallpox vaccinations