A Journey Into Afghanistan

Pakistan and anthrax

In the house of anthrax

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=876941

Nov 22nd 2001 | KABUL

From The Economist print edition

Chilling evidence in the ruins of Kabul

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AMERICAN officials increasingly believe the anthrax attacks since September 11th were not carried out by people connected to al-Qaeda, but may have been the work of a lone American madman. To avert future attacks, though, perhaps they should look harder.

They might start, for example, in a nondescript house in the wealthiest district of Kabul, where a Pakistani NGO called Ummah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN) once had its offices. UTN`s president is Bashiruddin Mahmood, one of Pakistan`s leading nuclear scientists and a specialist in plutonium technology. Last month Mr Mahmood was arrested by the Pakistani authorities and interrogated on his links to the Taliban, with whom he has had frequent contact for, he insists, humanitarian reasons. Mr Mahmood was released again soon afterwards. The Taliban has denied any “abnormal” links between Mr Mahmood and Mr bin Laden, and he himself says he has never met the man.

In public, UTN helped Afghans with flourmills, school textbooks and road-upgrading schemes. But its offices suggest that this may have been a cover for something far more sinister. According to their neighbours, the Pakistanis who lived and worked there fled Kabul along with the Taliban, but the evidence they left behind suggests that they were working on a plan to build an anthrax bomb.

An upstairs room of the house had been used as a workshop. What appeared to be a Russian rocket had been disassembled, and a canister labelled “helium” had been left on the worktop. On the floor were multiple copies of documents about anthrax downloaded from the Internet, and details about the American army`s vaccination plans for its troops. The number of copies suggests that seminars were also taking place there.

One of the downloaded documents featured a small picture of the former American defence secretary, William Cohen, holding a five-pound bag of sugar. It noted that he was doing this “to show the amount of the biological weapon anthrax that could destroy half the population of Washington, DC.”

On the floor was a small bag of white powder, which this correspondent decided not to inspect. It may have contained nothing more deadly than icing sugar, but that could be useful for experiments in how to scatter powder containing anthrax spores from a great height over a city, or to show students how to do this. The living room contained two boxes of gas masks and filters.

On a desk was a cassette box labelled “Jihad”, with the name of Osama bin Laden hand-written along the spine. Most chilling of all, however, were the mass of calculations and drawings in felt pen that filled up a white board of the sort used in classrooms. There were several designs for a long thin balloon, something like a weather balloon, with lines and arrows indicating a suggested height of 10km (33,000 feet). There was also a sketch of a jet fighter flying towards the balloon alongside the words: “Your days are limited! Bang.” This, like the documents, was written in English.

Since UTN was run by one of Pakistan`s top scientists, a man with close links to the Taliban and, it is said, close ideological affinities with Mr bin Laden, the circumstantial evidence points to only one conclusion. Whoever fled this house when the Taliban fell was working on a plan to build a helium-powered balloon bomb carrying anthrax. Whether it was detonated with a timer or shot down by a fighter, the result would have been the same: the showering of deadly airborne anthrax spores over an area as wide as half of New York city or Washington, DC.

After the September 11th attacks, it was generally agreed that western intelligence agencies had failed through lack of “human intelligence”—men on the ground, as opposed to spy satellites and computers monitoring phone calls and e-mails. This failure was to be rectified. Yet since the fall of Kabul on November 13th, journalists have been fanning out across the city. They have stripped houses such as this one, and others directly connected to the al-Qaeda network, of all sorts of documents and other valuable evidence. These have included the names and addresses of al-Qaeda contacts in the West. For the West`s intelligence agencies, September 11th was Black Tuesday. There may be no words with which to describe their failure in the week since the fall of Kabul.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/281101/dlame21.asp

Anthrax balloon sketches found from Pak N-scientists` office

Sketches and calculations to make a helium-powered balloon bomb filled with anthrax have been found from the Kabul office of an NGO headed by Bashiruddin Mehmood, one of the two Pakistani nuclear scientists detained in Islamabad for questioning on their alleged links with Osama Bin Laden, a leading US journal has said.

Such a balloon bomb was capable of showering deadly anthrax over areas as vast as New York or Washington.

The ``most chilling`` items found from the Kabul premises included small bags of white powder and the ``mass of calculations and drawings`` of weather balloons with arrows indicating the suggested height of 10 kms or 33,000 feet, said The Economist in its print edition.

The premises located in the ``wealthiest district`` of Kabul belonged to the Ummah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN), whose President is a leading nuclear scientist and a plutonium technology specialist Mehmood, who along with another scientist Abdul Majid were detained again yesterday in Islamabad for questioning, The Economist said.

The two men, who are alleged to have made frequent trips to Afghanistan and met Laden on two occasions, have denied the charges.

``Since UTN was run by one of Pakistan`s top scientists, a man with close links to the Taliban and, it is said, close ideological affinities with Laden, the circumstantial evidence points to only one conclusion, the paper said.

``Whoever fled this house when the Taliban fell was working on a plan to build a helium-powered balloon bomb carrying anthrax,`` the journal said.

http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/nov/28ny5.htm

Pardesiji

Sat Sri Akal

It has been a pleasure to read your posts. Look forward to more of the same.

Dulla Bhatti ji,

Sat Sri Akal .. during last batch of updates, my note to you has been lost .. welcome back.

Best regards.

Stuka ji,

Sat Sri Akal.

Keep Punjabiat flag flying high my friend. It will take us long time but we need to keep building bridges with Pakistani friends. There is lot for us to learn in USA and it’s not just technology and business. In my view the best parts are super human effort to treat all races equal, attempt to have law and order protection for richest to poorest and last but not least, opportunities for under privileged without robbing the rich. That’s my friend what we should hope and pray for India and contribute towards it what little we can.

Regards.

DullaBhatti:

I think one should look at UK Asians for a full glimpse of relations between Punjabis of different faiths. The way I look at it is that it is better to build relations built on culture and language, and leave religion as personal.

The biggest mistake Punjabi Hindus made was to find common cause with other Hindus on basis of religion, rather than other Punjabis based on culture. I don`t think the Hindu leadership of the time was far sighted enough to see that for a Bengali a Punjabi would always be different regardless of common religion. Now, if we build bonds by culture, language and nation, we build bonds with our neighbors, friends, and the circle grows from small to big.

The problem that I am seeing is a tendency in Islam to build bridges based on religion rather than on culture, community and language. Based on that premise, a Punjabi Muslim will have more kinship for a Bosnian Muslim as compared to a Sikh or a Punjabi Hindu. I am not saying that all Muslims think like this, nor is it any attempt to decry or insult anyone. I am just speaking out about my perception. In England, in the 60s and 70s, the Desis made culture the basis of interaction, and the was no question of splitting the two quams. Now, it is religion which is becoming the defing factor, and therefore, it is perforce creating a split in the community. I would like to know what you think.

Pardesi ji, long time no see around here? A great post you wrote above(or below depending upon how you look at page:-)). I have similar feelings and wanted to respond to Tibor`s ramblings but due to lack of time and fear that I might not put forward my sentiment properly held me back.

I second what you have said 100%.

To add my 2 cents, I would say that I feel lot of affinity and cultural kinship with Pakistani Punjabis. Most of them, who don`t make religion as teh central point, are fine people and I feel no hurdles getting along with them...unfortunately that species is very rare. I am saddened to say it( and is contray to my statements I might have made few years back or felt like that few years back) that most of the pakistani Punjabi crowd particularly the educated one is totally confused about their identity. May be thrashing that the Jihadis from Lahore are getting in Afghanistan because Afghans look at them and they see a Punjabi(and not a Muslim), might knock some sense into them.

yes religion is important but there are things deeper and older on this planet than religion and God as we know it(or Him).

I know that many Punjabi hindus feel the same way. Stuka is not alone.

Long live Punjabiyat and its secular spirit.

Pardesi:

Excellent post. You said it better than I could.

Tibor # 186

You need to calm down little bit here. You have been writing as if you know more about Sikh and/or Khalistani thinking than perhaps even they know.

First of all Indira Gandhi (may God rest her soul in hell) was responsible for Bhindrawale (may God rest his soul with Indira too) cult since she built him as political counterweight to Akalis (who were just asking for more de-centralization of power that has been now accepted as gospel) and as we know he went out of control. So tell me, is Bhindrawale responsible for June 1984 or Indira shares equal blame too?

Second, were poor Sikhs to be blamed for asking Khalistan after November 1984 when state sponsored butchering took place in Delhi and many other cities of India? What have you or your patriotic people done to punish those responsible that are still roaming free? I am pretty sure your people were busy kissing Rajiv’s arse for three four days in early November 1984 when right under Federal government’s nose, Sikh killings were taking place. Where is that collective Indian sense of accountability or justice?

Third, stop talking of Sikhs and Khalistanis as if they are two separate people. It’s all matter of feelings at different time under different circumstances. Sikhs have been more patriotic before 1984 than anyone else. After 1984, for several years, we were confused by the events. Sometimes we felt that a separate small nation might have been better for us. Other times, we realize that Jihadi forces are right there on western side who have traditionally brutalized us in particular and Punjab in general. We also realize that there are benefits in belonging to a large nation with noble foundations (but still underdeveloped law and order system). Besides nations are coming together to form common markets and it will be perhaps mistake for us to blame every Indian for action of few thousands.

So tell me - in your infinite wisdom, if I have these views, what does that make me? A ``khalistani`` or a ``Sikh``? The truth of the matter is, our self-image has been shattered and feelings are deeply hurt. We do want to stay as part of larger country, but this situation with law and order has to improve not just for Sikhs but for all minorities. Believe me, we have more empathy for Muslims or Christians now when they are hurt in riots than we had before. Indian unity, if it has to be preserved, needs to respect all individuals’ life and property (not just those who are in power at the time) and put full force of state to go after riot planners and not just quickly hang killers of prime ministers. Statements such as equality for all citizens, are not worth the paper they are written on if there are no follow-ups.

So forget about who has allegiance to whom or why our Gurus sacrificed their lives. That’s history. Learn from it, but dont become its prisoner. Move forward and look at future. There is nothing wrong if Stuka has a sense of cultural affinity with Pakistani Punjabis or an UP Hindu loves to share Urdu couplets with a Pakistani Mohajir.

And never again equate Talibans with Khalistanis, otherwise you will be subjected to another long post :-).

November 16, 2001

Terrorist Sponsors: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China

by Ted Galen Carpenter

http://www.cato.org/dailys/11-16-01.html

Ted Galen Carpenter is vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute and is the author or editor of 13 books on international affairs.

The United States has assembled a superficially impressive international coalition against the threat of terrorism. Many countries in that coalition, however, contribute little of significance to the fight. Even worse, the willingness of some members of the coalition to actually combat terrorism is doubtful. Indeed, given their record, some of those countries appear to be part of the problem, not part of the solution. That concern is especially acute with respect to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and China.

Saudi Arabia enlisted in the fight against terrorism only in response to intense pressure from the United States following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Even then, its cooperation has been minimal and grudging. For example, Riyadh has resisted Washington`s requests to use its bases in Saudi Arabia for military operations against Osama bin Laden`s terrorist facilities in Afghanistan.

Even that belated, tepid participation is an improvement on Saudi Arabia`s previous conduct. The U.S. government has warned that it will treat regimes that harbor or assist terrorist organizations the same way that it treats the organizations themselves. Yet if Washington is serious about that policy, it ought to regard Saudi Arabia as a prime sponsor of international terrorism. Indeed, that country should have been included for years on the U.S. State Department`s annual list of governments guilty of sponsoring terrorism.

The Saudi government has been the principal financial backer of Afghanistan` s odious Taliban movement since at least 1996. It has also channeled funds to Hamas and other groups that have committed terrorist acts in Israel and other portions of the Middle East.

Worst of all, the Saudi monarchy has funded dubious schools and ``charities`` throughout the Islamic world. Those organizations have been hotbeds of anti-Western, and especially, anti-American, indoctrination. The schools, for example, not only indoctrinate students in a virulent and extreme form of Islam, but also teach them to hate secular Western values.

They are also taught that the United States is the center of infidel power in the world and is the enemy of Islam. Graduates of those schools are frequently recruits for Bin Laden`s Al-Qaeda terror network as well as other extremist groups.

Pakistan`s guilt is nearly as great as Saudi Arabia`s. Without the active support of the government in Islamabad, it is doubtful whether the Taliban could ever have come to power in Afghanistan. Pakistani authorities helped fund the militia and equip it with military hardware during the mid-1990s when the Taliban was merely one of several competing factions in Afghanistan`s civil war. Only when the United States exerted enormous diplomatic pressure after the Sept. 11 attacks did Islamabad begin to sever its political and financial ties with the Taliban. Even now it is not certain that key members of Pakistan`s intelligence service have repudiated their Taliban clients.

Afghanistan is not the only place where Pakistani leaders have flirted with terrorist clients. Pakistan has also assisted rebel forces in Kashmir even though those groups have committed terrorist acts against civilians. And it should be noted that a disproportionate number of the extremist madrasas schools funded by the Saudis operate in Pakistan.

China`s offenses have been milder and more indirect than those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Nevertheless, Beijing`s actions raise serious questions about whether its professed commitment to the campaign against international terrorism is genuine. For years, China has exported sensitive military technology to countries that have been sponsors of terrorism. Recipients of such sales include Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Even though Chinese leaders now say that they support the U.S.-led effort against terrorism, there is no evidence that Beijing is prepared to end its inappropriate exports. At the recent APEC summit, China`s President Jiang Zemin was notably noncommittal when President Bush sought such a commitment. Whenever the United States has brought up the exports issue, Chinese officials have sought to link a cutoff to a similar cutoff of U.S. military sales to Taiwan -- something that is unacceptable to Washington.

It is time for China, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia to prove by their deeds, not just their words, that they are serious about contributing to the campaign against international terrorism. In China`s case, that means ending all militarily relevant exports to regimes that have sponsored terrorism. In the cases of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it means defunding terrorist organizations and the extremist ``schools`` that provide them with recruits. It also means severing ties with such terrorist movements as the Taliban and the Kashmiri insurgents. The world is watching the actions of all three countries.

Stuka,

You ultimately ignaore the fact the Sikhs have no allegiance with muslims. Khalistanis did in the 80`s and may still, but never the sikhs.

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Stuka: yeah I was stuck with some personal nuisance. Will be posting as time allows.

I love Malerkotlis. Very cool people. The great great grandson Nawab Sher Khan from Malerkotla was my class mate for few years. He had very Mangoloid features(from his mother side I think) but was a true Punjabi in and out. The few times I have been to Malerkotla, its bazars, population mix the city composition etc reminded me of the old Punjab told to me by my grandfather.

To the beat of Indian music, Afghans celebrated fall of Taliban

Across Afghanistan, they are celebrating. The men are queuing at the barbers to have their Taliban regulation-length beards shaved off. Children are flying kites and distributing sweets. Music, banned by the Taliban, is blaring out again, and Indian pop tunes and film songs fill the streets.

In the bazaar, Abdul Baseer was selling Indian cassettes. When the Taliban paid him a visit just over a year ago, they pulled the tape out of all his cassettes and hung it symbolically from the nearby trees. All he was allowed to sell were recitals of the Koran. Yesterday an old recording of Ahmad Zaheer, the great Afghan singer, echoed from Mr Baseer`s stall. ``Today I have drunk too much, let me dream my dream,`` he sang. ``Put me in a river of wine.`` All of Afghanistan was dreaming with him.

Indian films are very popular in Afghanistan in towns and cities where film theaters existed before Taliban took power: Kabul, Jalalabad, Qandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Maimana, Kunduz, Pul-i-Khumri.

Now with the fall of Taliban Afghans want to know what was happening in Bollywood, Indian film industry. I asked him, ``How do you know so much about Indian film stars?`` ``We used to watch Hindi movies on video till the Taliban entered Kabul in September 1996. Even now people watch Hindi movies secretly. There is a huge underground network that distributes Hindi film videocassettes. It`s just like Pakistan, where Hindi films are popular. But the Taliban is very strict, and they often conduct raids in Kabul to search for persons watching Hindi movies. People, in spite of fearing terrible punishment, continue to secretively watch Hindi films because they need some entertainment.``

Traditional Afghan and Near-Eastern music were brought to the Indian subcontinent by Islamic rulers and strongly influenced the local classical music. The music of Afghanistan shows the impact of Indian film music, the popular music of neighboring Iran, which in its turn has absorbed Western styles. Yet despite the influences of these foreign styles, Afghan music has preserved its unique character.

The Afghan classical music is rooted from the Indian Classical Music. The Raag, Ghazal, Bhairavi, Khayal, Thumri style are the main types of classical music.

Dulla Bhatti:

Kiddan? Kithey gaye see?? Haven`t seen you around in a while... Look forward to seeing more of you ;)

Tibor:

My cultural affinity with Punjabi Muslims cames about at an individual level here in the states. But, beyond the individual level, there is culture in terms of music, literature, language etc. In those terms, all three communities, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus have contributed in good measure. You are right about Islam not having the plurality of Hinduism, but that`s their choice. That`s why, like I said before, I do not have a religious affinity with their religion, but so what?

BTW, there is one Tehsil in Indian Punjab called Malerkotla which was and still is a Muslim dominated area. When the Nawab of Sirhind ordered the execution of Guru Gobind Singhji`s sons upon their refusal to convert to Islam, the chieftain of Malerkotla, a Muslim, interceded on their behalf. Even though the intercession was not successful, and the Guru`s sons were executed, the grateful Sikhs promised eternal protection to the Muslims of Malerkotla. During partition, when Muslims were being slaughtered in east Punjab, the Sikhs remembered the promise made to the Malerkotla Muslims, and not a single Muslim of that Tehsil was harmed.

Santana Andre Montgomery Accepts Islam

Posted 10/23/2001

After studying Islam for many years, Montgomery, 27, a Support Engineer with Alcatel, declared the shahada last week at the ADAMS Center. His first acquaintance with Islam goes back many years. Subsequently, he stayed in Saudi Arabia in 1995-96 while he served in the army. There he had a first hand experience of how Islam was practiced.

Even though he was not a Muslim, he gave up some of the things that Islam prohibits while he studied Islam. ``I stopped eating pork twelve years ago``, he said. That is quite astonishing given the popularity of pork meat. He also virtually quit drinking.

What made him take the final step was the event of September 11. He initially felt angry like everyone else. He, however, then felt a change within him that completely turned him around. It was then that he decided to formally become a Muslim.

It was the peacefulness of Islam that attracted him, he said, contrary to the impression that September 11 leaves in many people`s mind. Further, in Islam he saw the fulfillment of his intellectual quest. ``There is nothing in Islam that cannot be explained``, he said.

Tadem,

I am very open to new concepts. Religion is evil, regardless of how it is used.