December 6, 2001 Diary: America Strikes Back

Bomb kills 3 Green Berets
Thursday, December 6, 2001
Three U.S. Green Berets were killed and 20 were wounded in the battle to seize the southern Afghan city of Kandahar early Wednesday when an American bomber dropped a massive, 2,000-pound "smart" bomb about 100 yards away, in the first deadly "friendly fire" incident to befall U.S. troops in the war, Pentagon officials said.

Insurance rates spike
Thursday, December 6, 2001
By Mark Fagan

Harris Construction Co. Inc. is bracing to pay at least $150,000 more for the same insurance coverage next year. And that means Harris' customers — businesses looking to remodel, expand or move into new buildings — could be in for a shock.

Victims can expect about $1 million
Thursday, December 6, 2001
Families of firefighters and police officers killed in the World Trade Center attack can count on getting about $1 million each in government benefits, insurance payments and charitable donations, a New York Daily News study has found.

Neither snow, nor rain, nor anthrax shall stay Santa letters
Thursday, December 6, 2001
Pat Koch stood before a neighborhood garden club, making her annual plea for volunteers to help answer the thousands of letters to Santa that pour into this little town's post office each holiday season.

Marines taking offensive stance
Thursday, December 6, 2001
U.S. Marines are moving into an offensive mode for the first time around the Taliban's last stronghold, Kandahar, helping tighten the siege of the city as Afghan tribal fighters move in, U.S. officers said Wednesday.

Afghan factions sign pact on post-Taliban government
Thursday, December 6, 2001
With a war still being fought in their homeland, Afghan factions signed a pact Wednesday to create a temporary post-Taliban administration, putting aside differences over power-sharing to take the first step toward peace.

Saddam still on America's radar screen
Thursday, December 6, 2001
By Jim Hoagland
Washington Post Writers Group

While managing the endgame of the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, the Bush White House also gives serious thought to what comes next in its war on global terrorism and to the long-term significance of the eclectic battlefield strategy it has improvised in Central Asia.

Marines fire into desert after detecting 'credible threat'
Thursday, December 6, 2001
(Web Posted Thursday at 4:10 p.m.) U.S. Marines went on alert late Thursday and fired mortars around their base in southern Afghanistan to repel what a spokesman said was "almost certainly" an attempt by Taliban forces to probe their defenses.

Taliban agrees to surrender Kandahar
Thursday, December 6, 2001
(Updated Thursday at 12:25 p.m.) The Taliban agreed Thursday to surrender their last major bastion Kandahar to tribal forces under a deal guaranteeing the safety of their supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, officials of both sides said.

Pentagon investigates deaths of three U.S. soldiers
Thursday, December 6, 2001
(Updated Thursday at 11:39 a.m.) Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has ordered an investigation into the mistaken bombing in Afghanistan that killed three U.S. soldiers.

Expert warns of biological attack threat
Thursday, December 6, 2001
The threat of a chemical and biological attack against this country increases the closer the United States gets to capturing Osama Bin Laden, a preparedness expert said. "Washington is extremely anxious about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida using a weapon of mass destruction," said Kyle Olson, who leads a Justice Department program to address domestic preparedness and the threat of chemical and biological terrorism.

Fugitive suspected in anthrax hoaxes caught
Thursday, December 6, 2001
An escaped convict suspected of mailing hundreds of anthrax hoax letters to abortion clinics was captured Wednesday at a copy shop outside Cincinnati after employees recognized him from his wanted poster.

Ashcroft defends anti-terror tactics
Thursday, December 6, 2001
(Web Posted Thursday at 12:24 p.m.) Attorney General John Ashcroft, defending administration measures to counteract terrorism, declared Thursday the nation must not let down its guard against threats that present "a daily chronicle of the hatred of Americans by fanatics."

Briefly
Thursday, December 6, 2001
• Washington, D.C.: Leahy anthrax letter opened
• Washington, D.C.: Missing foreigners tracked
• Washington, D.C.: Post-attacks security may cost states $4 billion
• Pakistan: Refugees to be expelled