|
Europe/Russia:
==At the request of the Queen, ‘The Star
Spangled Banner’ is played instead of ‘God Save the Queen’ during the
changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham palace, followed by a two minute
silence. A crowd of thousands watches the event - mostly Americans who
are stranded in London. Many of the spectators break down and
weep. [tele.Sep.14.2001 / bbc.Sep.13.2001]
==In contrast, on the live BBC current events
program ‘Question Time,’ the shocked US ambassador is shouted down by angry
members of the studio audience who blame American foreign policy for the 9/11
attacks. More than 2000 viewers call to complain, and the BBC soon
apologizes for the incident. [bbc.Sep.15.2001]
==In Austria, 10,000 church bells are rung to
signal a three-minute silence for the victims of 9/11. In Germany and
Russia, television and radio broadcasts are halted during brief memorial
silences, and silences are observed in other European nations as well. Tens
of thousands of ethnic Albanians take part in a memorial march in the town of
Pristina in Kosovo. [bbc.Sep.13.2001 /
ap.Sep.13.2001 / wat.Sep.14.2001]
==Russia and NATO issue a rare joint
declaration, condemning the terrorist attacks on the US and pledging “intensified
cooperation” against terrorism. [bbc.Sep.13.2001
/ usdos.Dec.26.2001]
==European leaders continue to be wary of the
Bush administration’s growing belligerence. French Prime Minister
Jospin warns “we must not allow ourselves to be led into considerations of a
conflict between the western world and the Islamic world,” while senior
officials in France and Germany refuse to characterize the situation as a
war. [tele.Sep.14.2001]
Middle East:
==The New York Times reports that in the Islamic
world the general consensus is that the undeviating US support of Israel and
of autocratic Arab regimes will inspire more anti-American terrorism in the
future. Many Muslims doubt that the US will reexamine its Middle
Eastern policies anytime soon. [nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==Israeli Prime Minister Sharon compares
Arafat with Osama Bin Laden. [gdn.Sep.14.2001]
==The Arab League Council issues a communiqué
deploring Israel’s exploitation of the aftermath of
9/11. [arabl.Sep.13.2001]
==Palestinian leaders are frantically trying
to undo the public relations damage caused by Tuesday’s news footage of some
residents of Nablus celebrating the news of 9/11. Most Palestinians
seem to be ambivalent about the attacks - they are too embittered by US support
of Israel to feel deep sympathy for America, but are too appalled by the
slaughter of innocent civilians to feel like cheering. Many assume that
the aftermath of September 11 will make a bad state of affairs even
worse. “We still do not know what kind of effect this will have. An
event like this can transform the whole situation. But I believe we,
the Palestinians, will be the main losers,” says one observer. Another glumly
predicts “We will be thrown in with America's enemies.”
[wap.Sep.14.2001 / gdn.Sep.13.2001]
==Turkish Foreign Minister Cem pledges to
assist the US in tracking down terrorists, but warns the Bush administration
not to turn the situation into a “fight between two religions and different
cultures… It would be the utmost disrespect to all religions to identify any
religion with terrorism. There is no Muslim, Christian or Jewish
terrorism.” [afp.Sep.14.2001]
Persian Gulf:
==It is reported that the departing carrier
USS Enterprise has been ordered to remain in the Persian Gulf area.
Along with the USS Carl Vinson, this gives the US Navy twice its usual
strength in the region. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==Turkish military sources report a major
American military buildup is underway at Incirlik Air Base in south-central
Turkey, evidently directed against Iraq. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==Iraq is moving military equipment, probably
as a precaution against a possible US attack. [wap.Sep.14.2001]
==Several dozen Iranians hold a candlelight
vigil for the victims of 9/11 in a public square in Tehran, ignoring police
orders to disperse. [ap.Sep.13.2001]
Afghanistan/South Asia:
==Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan are
reported to be virtually empty. [wap.Sep.14.2001]
==The US is demanding that Pakistan cut fuel
supplies to the Taliban, seal its border with Afghanistan, share any
information it has on bin Laden, block any activities or movements of
al-Qaeda members, and allow US overflights. It’s clear that Pakistan
will face dire consequences if it doesn’t comply. Pakistani President
Musharraf still avoids making concrete commitments, but he pledges to
cooperate with the US in a morning meeting with the American ambassador and
promises to review US demands in a cordial afternoon phone conversation with
Colin Powell. Many Pakistani officers and officials are not
enthusiastic about aligning with America against Afghanistan - some are
Islamists who sympathize with the Taliban, while others are afraid of
provoking violent internal unrest within Pakistan.
[cnn.Sep.13.2001 / sal.Sep.13.2001 / wap.Sep.14.2001]
==India offers full operational backing for
any US military attack in retaliation for 9/11.
[bbc.Sep.14.2001]
==Nearly a thousand prostitutes march to the
American Center in Calcutta, sign a petition condemning the 9/11 attacks, and
offer to donate blood to the victims. [wat.Sep.14.2001]
East Asia:
==The two Chinese army officers who wrote
‘Unrestricted Warfare’ - a book examining the use of terrorist tactics
against America in the event of war - tell a Hong Kong newspaper that the
people killed on September 11 were to some extent “victims of US foreign
policy,” and that the attacks were “very likely is the beginning of the
decline of the United States, as a superpower.” But around this time
other Chinese intellectuals condemn such anti-American sentiment as having
“taken joy from suffering,” The Chinese government itself cracks down
on anti-Americanism, banning anti-US postings on the
Internet. [amfpc.Sep.25.2001 /
nyt.Sep.16.2001 / asti.Sep.19.2001]
==In a telephone conversation with Powell,
Chinese Vice Premier Qian promises to “enhance cooperation” in tracking down
terrorists. China will soon begin to claim that it’s harsh attempts to
suppress an Islamic separatist movement in Xinjiang are part of the
international war on terrorism. [asti.Sep.19.2001
/ reu.Jan.30.2002]
War/Military:
==After meandering top-level discussions on
Wednesday and Thursday, a compromise concensus is reached to first attack al-Qaeda
and the Taliban, but to later broaden the war on terrorism to include other
targets - presumably Iraq. [clarke]
==In a brief White House press conference,
Bush says the attacks are part of “the first war of the 21st Century,” that
terrorism “is now the focus of my presidency,” and that “we will lead the
world to victory.” [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==During a news conference, Secretary of State
Powell says “I am speaking about war. The president is speaking about
war…” Powell says the US will rip up the network of terrorists
responsible for the 9/11 attacks, as well as those who support them - “And
when we are through with that network, we will continue with a global assault
against terrorism in general.” He calls Saddam Hussein “one of the
leading terrorists on the face of the Earth.” [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld says that any
future US military operations against those involved in the 9/11 attacks
would be “self-defense,” not retaliation. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==Ultra-hawkish Deputy Defense Secretary
Paul Wolfowitz begins publicly - if indirectly - pushing for the overthrow of
Saddam’s regime. He says that America must engage in a “broad and
sustained campaign” using “the full resources of the U.S. government,” and
ominously speaks of “ending states who sponsor terrorism.” This last
comment alarms more moderate officials. Colin Powell opposes any
adventures in Iraq at this point, and during a press conference four days
later he openly rebukes Wolfowitz: “We're after ending terrorism. And if
there are states and regimes, nations that support terrorism, we hope to
persuade them that it is in their interest to stop doing that. But I think
ending terrorism is where I would like to leave it, and let Mr. Wolfowitz
speak for himself.” According to Bob Woodward, after an early war
cabinet meeting at which Rumsfeld had talked of attacking Iraq, the
exasperated Powell approaches General Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, and asks “What the hell, what are these guys thinking about? Can't
you get these guys back in the box?" [wap.Sep.14.2001
/ lat.Sep.21.2001 / pbs.Feb.20.2003 / wap.Jan.29.2002]
==Responding to Bush’s requests of the evening
before, one of Clarke’s aides chairs a meeting of federal departments and
agencies to once again look for a link between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Conference
members unanimously conclude that there is no cooperation between the two.
The conference sends a memo to the president, “but there was never any
indication that it reached him.” [clarke]
==US military planners are ordered to draw up
scenarios for an attack on Iraq, as well as on
Afghanistan. [atl.Jan.2004]
==On Thursday morning, CIA leaders confer with
Bush and outline their plans for launching operations in Afghanistan to crush
the Taliban and al-Qaeda. “They'll have flies on their eyeballs”
enthuses the CIA's counterterrorist head Cofer Black, evoking images of
corpses rotting in the desert. It’s also reported that the US military
is studying a range of options for retaliating against the Taliban, including
massive bombing and large-scale ground
operations. [wap.Sep.13.2001+Jan.29.2002 / susk2]
==Former US Air Force Chief of Staff McPeak
comments on the likely effectiveness of US air strikes in Afghanistan: “If
you just want to level Kabul - that's a fixed target - we can do that, it's
not that hard to do,” but hitting a mobile target like bin Laden will be far
more difficult. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==The Bush administration is raising
objections to being restrained by the 1973 War Powers Act, which requires the
President to consult with Congress in making decisions that could lead to
hostilities. [spi.Sep.13.2001]
==Senator McCain calls for a commitment to
all-out war, including the use of ground troops… possibly to the discomfort
of the administration. Georgia Congressman Bob Barr’s proposal to
formally declare war on terrorism gains little support. His fellow
Republican, John Warner of Pennsylvania, says “It would be beneath our
dignity to have a declaration of war against Bin
Laden.” [obs.Sep.16.2001 / lat.Sep.14.2001]
==Governors in 31 states have called up about
10,000 National Guardsmen. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==A spokesman for the Army Recruiting Command
says that so far the 9/11 attacks have had “minimal impact” on the numbers of
people volunteering for the military. The Army's online recruiter chat room
is packed and inquiries on how to join the armed forces have increased, but
many of the queries are from veterans who are too old to re-enlist. An
observer comments on the disparity between the jingoism sweeping the nation
and the lack of interest in actually enlisting: "Flag-waving is not
patriotism." [nyt.Sep.14+Sep.16.2001]
==The Senate Armed Services Committee grills
General Richard Myers, in line to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, on why jet fighters were so slow to deploy over Washington on the
morning of September 11. [wap.Sep.14.2001]
Counterterrorism:
==Secretary
of State Powell publicly names Bin Laden as the prime suspect for the 9/11
attacks. [nyt.Sep.13.2001]
==There are
reports that White House and Justice Department lawyers are doing research to
determine whether the president has the authority to order
assassinations. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==In a
meeting with the president on Thursday afternoon, George Tenet proposes that
the CIA's powers be greatly expanded. Bush readily agrees. [susk2]
==Gary
Schroen, a former CIA station chief in Kabul and Islamabad, is ordered to
return to Afghanistan to liaise with the anti-Taliban opposition and to
eliminate senior members of al-Qaeda. CIA counter-terrorism chief Cofer Black
tells Schroen to "Capture Bin Laden, kill him and bring his head back in
a box on dry ice," and to impale the severed heads of other al-Qaeda
leaders "up on pikes." In 30 years in the CIA, this is the first
time Schroen has been ordered to kill rather than capture a target. See
Afghanistan, Sep.18 [bbc.May.04.2005]
==Federal investigators have identified 18 of
the hijackers. [nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==There are ominous false reports that there
were up to fifty al-Qaeda infiltrators in America who supported or carried
out the 9/11 attacks, including ten who are still at large. Senate
Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Biden alludes to the possible existence
of “a second team” of al-Qaeda operatives planning further attacks in the
US. [lat.Sep.13.2001 / abc.Sep.13.2001]
==The Transportation Department is planning to
resume putting armed sky marshals on flights, after neglecting the program
for years. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==There are growing calls for the reform and
federalization of US airport security. Screening employees are paid
less than janitors and have an annual turnover rate of 126% at major
airports. The GAO reports that 90% of them have less than six months
experience. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==In Phoenix, three Northwest Airlines
employees intentionally - and easily - breach security at the newly reopened
airport. Nervous officials evacuate the terminal when they learn of the
incident. [ap.Sep.13.2001]
==In late afternoon and early evening,
thirteen terror suspects are arrested at JFK and La Guardia airports near New
York City. The arrestees are described in the press as two new suicide
hijacking teams, and were reportedly carrying knives, fake id’s, one way
tickets dated September 11, and certificates from the same Florida flight
training schools that the 9/11 hijackers attended. One suspect was
found to have a pilot’s license. Jittery authorities promptly once
again shut down the newly reopened New York area airports, and remove all
trash cans from the terminals for fear of bombs. But the story turns
out to be a false alarm: none of the suspects have any connection with
terrorism, most of the reported details prove to be false, and the man with a
pilot’s license really is a pilot. An eyewitness describes the search
of a plane at JFK by overzealous law enforcement officers “Anyone with dark
skin or who spoke with an accent was taken aside and searched. And then
they went to any male with too much facial
hair.” [wap.Sep.14+Sep.15.2001 /
nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==It is determined that two of the 9/11
suicide pilots studied at Hamburg-Harburg Technical University in
Germany. The school’s president hears the news while he is shaving that
morning and later says “I nearly dropped my
razor.” [inside]
==Italian police are taking a renewed interest
in a burglary that occurred in Rome on April.06, in which American Airlines
uniforms, identification, and card keys were stolen from hotel
rooms. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==A manhunt is underway in Thailand for 15
Arabs believed to be linked to al-Qaeda. [bbc.Sep.13.2001]
==Two men are arrested in Malaysia for
threatening the US embassy. [bbc.Sep.14.2001]
==Although private flights are still strictly
prohibited in the US, specially authorized charter flights begin collecting
almost 140 well-connected Saudis from throughout America and evacuating them
overseas, usually to Europe, in an operation that continues until late
September. The passengers on one charter that departs the US on Sep.20
are mostly relatives of Osama bin Laden. The flights are evidently
authorized by Richard Clarke, although it’s not clear who in the
administration first proposed them. The FBI has denied reports that it was
prevented from adequately interrogating the Saudis before they
left. [sal.Mar.11.2004 /
hill.May.26.2004]
==For weeks, a young Iranian who’s been
imprisoned in Hanover while awaiting deportation has been desperately trying
to contact the White House and the Secret Service with critical information
about an imminent threat to the current world order. Until 9/11 he was
assumed to be deranged, but after the attacks his warnings attract more
interest. On this date he is interviewed by FBI and German federal
police agents - who quickly determine that he really is
deranged. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, overworked police around
the world are investigating countless crackpots and fringe
groups. [inside]
9/11 Aftermath:
==New York Mayor Giuliani says that 4,763
people are missing at the World Trade Center, and announces that 30,000 body
bags are available to hold human fragments. [wap.Sep.13.2001
/ sal.Sep.13.2001]
==Firefighters who’ve completed their 24-hour
shifts at the World Trade Center refuse orders to go home. On Friday, one
firefighter is quoted as saying “We know there are people alive. We just
can't get to them. There's got to be people.” [pbs.Sep.09.2002
/ nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==In the early afternoon, false reports
circulate that several trapped firefighters have been rescued from a SUV
after two days of being buried under the rubble at the WTC. In some versions
of the rumor, the freed survivors are in such good shape that they
immediately pick up tools and join the rescue workers. Late Thursday
night at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York, a young woman wearing surgical
scrubs and claiming to be a nurse tells a policeman that she’s been receiving
cell phone calls from her husband, who’s trapped with ten other police
officers under the wreckage of the North Tower. The report electrifies
the exhausted rescue workers, but the story soon unravels. On Friday
morning the hoaxer is arrested on charges that include reckless endangerment,
and in January 2002 she’s convicted and sentenced to three years in
prison. There are still other false reports of someone trapped in a
basement sending e-mails via his wireless organizer. In fact, no one was rescued
alive from Ground Zero after Wednesday. [wap.Sep.14.2001
/ nyt.Sep.13+Sep.14+Sep.15.2001 / irex.Jan.24.2002]
==There are false reports that rescuers have
recovered the bodies of one of the hijackers and of a flight attendant with
her hands tied behind her back. [bbc.Sep.13.2001]
==About this time, at the damaged St.
Charlie’s restaurant a couple blocks south of Ground Zero, a crowd of tired
volunteers is helping itself to free drinks when a rescue worker “put his
fingers in his mouth and whistled, loudly. "A moment of silence!"
he demanded, and the clamor stopped. "And let some spill for those
no longer with us," he added after a moment, and all across the room
splatters of beer hit the ash-covered floor.” [nyt.Sep.16.2001]
==Reuters reports that almost 12 tons of gold,
worth about $106 million, was stored in an underground warehouse that is now
buried under the rubble of the World Trade
Center. [reu.Sep.13.2001]
==A World Trade Center survivors’ page is set
up on the ny.com website, allowing WTC workers who are still alive to post
their names in order to reassure their friends and
families. [dmu.Sep.13.2001]
==Outside of lower Manhattan, most New York
City schools reopen. School officials feared that there would be
anti-Muslim incidents, but none occur. [nwd.Sep.14.2001]
==Bill Clinton becomes the first American
president to visit New York City after 9/11. Just after arriving back
in the country from Australia, he takes an unannounced walk through lower
Manhattan in the afternoon, informally interacting with the local residents
and passersby who crowd around him. [sal.Sep.14.2001]
==There are 90 bomb threats in New York during
the late morning and early afternoon. Grand Central Station, Macy’s, La
Guardia, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and many other buildings are
evacuated. Many of the thousands of evacuees milling about on the
street are clearly stressed out from several days of high
tension. [nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==Military police guard nearly every downtown
corner in Washington while fighter planes fly overhead. Local officials
say the city will remain in a state of emergency indefinitely. A legal
secretary trying to get to her office comments “…I don’t feel like this is
America.” [ap.Sep.13.2001]
==The capital remains jittery. Around
noon, the CIA warns that al-Qaeda may be planning to directly assault the
White House. This unlikely report is taken seriously and the armed
cordon around the White House is expanded, creating traffic gridlock.
Late afternoon, in the middle of a Senate vote, the Capitol is evacuated for
an hour due to a bomb scare. The Lincoln Memorial and other monuments on the
mall are closed, newly reopened Dulles Airport is shut down, and throughout
the day many other buildings in the capital are suddenly ordered evacuated
without explanation. Major bomb scares and building evacuations occur
in Miami, San Francisco, Wilmington, and other
cities. [wap.Sep.14.2001+Jan.29.2002 /
cnn.Sep.14.2001 / ap.Sep.13.2001 / nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==Rescue workers at the Pentagon are acting on
the assumption “that there is no savable life in there,” as one fire chief
puts it. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==One of Flight 93’s black boxes - the data
recorder - is retrieved at the crash site in Pennsylvania.
[cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==Combat air patrols over most metropolitan
areas are halted, outside of the New York-Washington
corridor. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==Commercial air flights are allowed to
resume in the US beginning at 1100 AM. Most major airports reopen,
though Reagan National near Washington remains closed indefinitely. By
430 PM, the FAA estimates that there are about 250 US commercial flights in
the air; normally there would be thousands. Apprehensive passengers
must contend with jittery security, long delays, and scheduling chaos - and
the confusion is compounded when the FAA bans all incoming flights by foreign
carriers. Around early evening, New York airports are again shut down
in response to arrests of suspected terrorists (see Counterterrorism).
While a National Airlines flight is preparing to depart from San Francisco, a
passenger is overheard joking to a friend “This one's headed for the White
House, right?” - the plane is returned to the gate and the two men are
removed and questioned. In one of the first Continental flights out of
Los Angeles after 9/11 - a red-eye to the East Coast - the men in one section
take turns sleeping, so that at least one of them would always be on guard
duty. [cnn.Sep.13.2001 /
wap.Sep.13+Sep.14.2001 / faa.Sep.13.2001 / nyt.Sep.14.2001 /
frmtt.Sep.19.2001 / csm.Sep.17.2001]
==A tripled demand for bus tickets forced
Greyhound to stop selling tickets in Chicago Thursday night. Thanks to the
commercial aviation shutdown, Greyhound has been running at full
capacity. [cnn.Sep.14.2001]
==Due to greatly tightened security, vehicles
are forced to wait up to 15 hours at some US-Canadian border
crossings. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==In Britain, the Guardian publishes a letter
to the editor in which a reader asks: “In the past few weeks we have been
warned about tidal waves and asteroids ending civilization. Why, when we can
do it for ourselves?” [gdn.Sep.13.2001]
The Administration:
==Bush’s limp public response to the disaster
so far continues to draw criticism. Political commentator Mickey Kaus
writes that Bush seems to be incapable of coming across as a dynamic leader,
and probably should give up trying to do so. USA Today notes that even
many Republicans feel that his speeches since 9/11 have been
inadequate. After watching the president’s Thursday broadcasts, Los
Angeles Times television critic Howard Rosenberg writes “Bush has lacked size
in front of the camera.” He has yet to appear in stricken New York
City, and Newsday columnist Ellis Henican asks “Where's Bush?… New York has a
right to know.” But even though his leadership has not been inspiring,
Bush is benefiting from a rally-round-the-president reaction in the wake of
9/11, and his approval rating is already sharply rising - see Public Mood and
Opinion [slate.Sep.13.2001 / ust.Sep.13.2001
/ lat.Sep.14.2001 / nwd.Sep.13.2001]
==Late in the morning, Bush invites reporters
into the Oval Office to listen while he has a phone conference with Mayor
Giuliani and Governor Pataki. Bush then holds a rare impromptu press
conference, briefly and emotionally answering a half-dozen questions. See
War/Military [nyt.Sep.16.2001 /
cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==In the afternoon, Bush meets with a number
of Congressmen from the states hardest hit by the 9/11 attacks. Senator
Schumer of New York points out that New York will need at least another $20
billion to rebuild, and Bush immediately responds “You've got it. I'll
agree to that.” In his earlier phone conference with Giuliani and Pataki,
the president had pledged “anything - anything it takes to help New
York.” It’s generally assumed that half of the $40 billion emergency
appropriation passed by Congress will go to New York, but a couple months
later the administration slashes much of the aid from its budget, leaving New
York with only $11 billion of the $20 billion it was
promised. [wap.Jan.29.2002 / cnn.Sep.13.2001
/ slate.Feb.05.2002 / nyt.Nov.21.2001]
==After the early afternoon White House attack
scare (see 9/11 Aftermath), Vice President Cheney is moved to Camp David full
time, beginning his journey into the realm of undisclosed
locations. [wap.Jan.29.2002]
Congress:
==Congress willingly reaches a bipartisan agreement to double the $20
billion the Bush administration has requested to pay for recovery from the
9/11 attacks, but work on the bill temporarily stalls over the White House’s
insistence on unfettered control of the money. See Sep.14
[cnn.Sep.14.2001]
==Congress declares that the police and
firefighters who were killed on 9/11 are war casualties, which allows the
federal government to grant funds to their families. Legislators also
pass a resolution urging all Americans to fly the national
flag. [cnn.Sep.14.2001]
==At least for the time being, congressional
opposition to the administration’s missile defense plan has collapsed. Under
heavy pressure to maintain a bipartisan front, Democrats are reluctant to
oppose the plan, even though they feel that an antimissile system would be
irrelevant against terrorist attacks. [nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==In one of the first instances of a leading
politician using the 9/11 crisis to advance partisan legislation, House Ways
and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas pushes capital gains tax cuts and
tax breaks for businesses. Thomas is later persuaded to back
off. [lat.Sep.14.2001]
Press:
==Violent pro-war commentary continues to
appear in the press and on television:
==Far-right columnist Ann Coulter writes of
Muslims: “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert
them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing
only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed
civilians. That's war. And this is war.” [upi.Sep.13.2001]
==Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, which had
published the editorial ‘Simply Kill the Bastards’ the day before (See
Sep.12), tries to outdo itself with another bloodthirsty op-ed piece: “The
heavens need to fall on (the terrorists) heads. They need to bleed. Not next
month. Not next week. Now. Cast a wide enough net, and you'll catch the fish
that need catching… Pinpoint them. Bomb them. And then bomb their smoldering
rubble - one more time!…” [nyp.Sep.13.2001]
==Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly is eagerly
discussing bombing Afghanistan when a skeptical guest asks him "Who will
you kill in the process?" O'Reilly responds "Doesn't make any
difference." [fair.Sep.17.2001]
==Gary Brookins publishes a cartoon in the
Richmond Times-Dispatch entitled ‘Time to Take Names and Nuke Afghanistan.’
[richtd.Sep.13.2001]
==Stimulated by leaks from “a high White House
official” expanding on the supposed terrorist plot to attack Air Force One
(see Sep.11 and Sep.12), conservative New York Times columnist William Safire
concludes that terrorist moles may have penetrated the White House or the
federal security agencies. [nyt.Sep.13.2001]
==Thomas Friedman writes that the 9/11 attacks
marked the beginning of World War III, a long, long struggle “against all the
super-empowered angry men and women out there.” He seems to be arguing
that America should suppress all terrorism and rebelliousness everywhere,
even when it’s not directed against the US. Friedman’s column later
wins a Pulitzer Prize. [nyt.Sep.13.2001]
.
==Media critic Danny Schechter comments on the
steady drumbeat for war in news coverage, and notes “There is very little
reporting on what this may lead to…” [mdc.Sep.13.2001]
==The Republican-dominated FCC begins a review
of the rule barring cross-ownership of daily newspapers and broadcast
stations in the same markets. Despite strong popular support for the
rule, media conglomerates have long opposed it - the Newspaper Association of
America calls it an “outdated and onerous restriction” - and are delighted by
the review. The FCC also launches a review of limits on cable
companies. [intnw.Sep.13.2001]
Culture/Entertainment:
==Nearly all major sports events are canceled
or postponed through the weekend. “Nobody much feels like cheering,”
comments Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. [nyt.Sep.14.2001
/ wap.Sep.14.2001]
==The World Wrestling Federation’s usually
wild ‘Smackdown’ show features wrestlers somberly discussing
9/11. [lat.Sep.18.2001]
==A downloadable video game sold by Angelfire
called ‘WTC Defender,’ in which players attempt to shoot down planes headed
for the Twin Towers, is pulled from the Internet. Angelfire offers
apologies. Store owners are also yanking Microsoft’s ‘Flight Simulator’
game, amidst speculation that the 9/11 hijackers may have used it to train
for their attacks. Microsoft refuses to withdraw the game, but agrees
on Friday to remove images of the World Trade Center from
it. [bbc.Sep.13.2001 / gdn.Sep.14.2001 / ap.Sep.14.2001]
==A few musicians begin giving concerts once
again. Madonna performs in Los Angeles. The Backstreet Boys gave
a show in Toronto as early as Wednesday, although one of their crew members
was on the flight that crashed into the North Tower. But many other
tours are still on hold. [cnn.Sep.14.2001 /
holly.Sep.14.2001 / bbc.Sep.14.2001]
==Movie studios and television networks are
delaying or re-editing films which feature the World Trade Center or acts of
terrorism. [bbc.Sep.14.2001 /
nyt.Sep.14.2001 / cnn.Sep.14.2001]
==All 23 Broadway shows reopen, observing a
moment of silence and briefly dimming their marquees in deference to the
victims of 9/11. In several shows, cast members read memorial
statements, in others the audience is asked to join in singing ‘God Bless
America.’ Attendance is down, several openings are postponed, and the musical
‘Assassins,’ dealing with presidential murders, is canceled
entirely. [nwd.Sep.14.2001 /
nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==At the encouragement of the city government,
many museums and cultural institutions reopen in New
York. [nyt.Sep.14.2001]
Public Mood and Opinion:
==A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted on
Thursday shows the first solid indication of a sharp rise in Bush’s
popularity - his job approval rating has risen to 86%, up 31% in four
days. Nine out of ten favored taking military action against any
responsible country, seven out of ten were ready for even a prolonged and
bloody war. Seven out of ten were prepared to surrender freedoms for
greater security. [wap.Sep.13.2001]
==Bush and Ashcroft speak out strongly against
blaming American Muslims for the 9/11 attacks. [salon.Sep.13.2001]
==In Britain, ten pig heads were left outside
a mosque in Exeter. [gdn.Sep.22.2001]
==Appearing on Pat Robertson’s ‘700 Club’ on
Thursday morning, the conservative preacher Jerry Falwell says that an angry
God is likely to continue to “allow the enemies of America to give us
probably what we deserve… I really believe that the pagans, and the
abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are
actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for
the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I
point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.’”
Robertson is supportive, saying “Jerry, that's my feeling” and “I
totally concur.” The broadcast provokes a furious public response, with
strong denunciations of Falwell pouring in from across the political spectrum.
Nonetheless, the two evangelists initially refuse to back down. On
Friday, the Bush administration calls Falwell’s comments “inappropriate,” but
does not rescind his invitation to attend Bush’s speech at the National
Cathedral. Facing continued public anger, Falwell releases a
halfhearted apology on Monday, expressing regret if his words “seemed harsh
and ill-timed,” but saying his real mistake was speaking “on television,
where a secular media and audience were also listening,” and implying that he’s
been the victim of distorted reporting. By then, even Robertson is
distancing himself from Falwell. Falwell finally issues an unequivocal
apology on Monday night, and renounces his original
statements. [wap.Sep.14.2001 /
nyt.Sep.14+Sep.18.2001 / cbs.Sep.15.2001 / falwell.Sep.17+Sep.18.2001]
==Inmates at Folsom Prison in California
donate money for the Red Cross and hang US flags made from paper scraps and
rags from their bars. One prisoner says “I may be a scumbag, but I'm an
American scumbag.” [lat.Sep.14.2001]
Civil Liberties:
==The Senate approves the ‘Combating Terrorism
Act of 2001,’ the first significant post-9/11 federal law restricting
civil liberties. The measure is sponsored by Democrat Dianne
Feinstein and Republican Orrin Hatch, who says “It is essential that we give
our law enforcement authorities every possible tool” against terrorism.
The act makes it far easier for authorities to monitor computer
communications, allowing prosecutors to authorize surveillance for up to 48
hours without a judge’s approval in some circumstances, including the
investigation of most computer hacking offenses. Senator Leahy objects
that the hastily written, vaguely worded bill is much too broad, but it
passes easily late Thursday night with minimal debate. Evidently, many
Senators don’t understand the law they approved - according to the ACLU,
several Senate staff members call the civil liberties organization the next
day and ask "What did we just vote on?"
[wire.Sep.14.2001 / spti.Sep.23.2001]
==In a floor speech, Senator Gregg (R-New
Hampshire) calls for a global prohibition on communication encryption
products that lack backdoors allowing government
surveillance. [wire.Sep.13.2001]
==House Minority Leader Gephardt said
"We're in a new world where we have to rebalance freedom and security.
We can't take away people's civil liberties . . . but we're not going to have
all the openness and freedom we have had."
[wap.Sep.14.2001]
Economy/Business:
==Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill says
that any disruptions to the American economy by the attacks will only be
short-term. Most economists here and abroad are
more pessimistic. [sal.Sep.13.2001]
==It’s reported that new jobless claims for
early September rose much more sharply than expected. This rise in
unemployment was already underway before the 9/11 attacks. A preliminary
study from the University of Michigan indicates that consumer confidence was
plummeting even before September 11. [cnn.Sep.13+Sep.14.2001]
==The US Federal Reserve and the European
Central Bank agree on a temporary swap arrangement that can transfer up to
$50 billion to shore up the European financial
system. [reu.Sep.13.2001]
==US Treasury and bond markets reopen, and
prices on government securities soar, as people look for safe
investments. Futures trading resumes in Chicago. After some
uncertainty, it’s announced that the New York Stock Exchange will resume
trading on Monday morning, after what will be the longest suspension of
trading since March 1933. [cnn.Sep.14.2001 /
nyt.Sep.13.2001 / indy.Sep.12.2001]
==Oil prices fell for the second day, wiping
out their sharp rise just after 9/11, and stabilizing at just a few cents
above their level before the attacks. [reu.Sep.13.2001]
==It’s becoming clear that the already
troubled airline industry is now facing a very severe crisis as a result
of September 11, which one expert calls “the blackest day aviation has
had.” It’s estimated that flight cancellations in the last few days
have cost the airlines $10 billion. Rising delays and expenses
are expected to lead to still greater long-term losses, which are expected to
drive some smaller airlines and airports out of business. Standard and
Poor has already downgraded the credit ratings of American and British
carriers. [bbc.Sep.13.2001]
==Working quickly, American and United
Airlines begin lobbying Congress to protect themselves from civil suits
stemming from the 9/11 attacks. [nyt.Sep.14.2001]
==UPS and Fedex resume air
shipments. [cnn.Sep.13.2001]
==Insurance companies expect 9/11 to be the
most expensive manmade disaster in history, with preliminary estimates of the
eventual claims ranging from $10 to $30
billion. [bbc.Sep.13.2001]
==The Japanese government releases a gloomy
economic report prepared before September 11. A member of the coalition
government, noting that the 9/11 attacks will worsen the already grim
situation, urges the government to act fast to head off a deflationary
spiral. [bbc.Sep.13.2001]
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