Congress closed for anthrax investigations
October 18, 2001
The type of bacteria found in the House of Representatives is said to be particulary pure and refined, and can be easily transmitted through the air. Authorities fear that spores may have got into the ventilation system.
US authorities have not yet found the source of the letters, but there is increasing concern that they may come from within the United States.
Further traces of anthrax were also reported in New York on Thursday. New York Governor George Pataki confirmed that small amounts of the bacteria had been found in his Manhattan offices. Spores were located on the desk of a secured area within the offices of the state police. The strain is also said to be of the refined kind and therefore more easily airborne.
The anthrax alarm was triggered by a letter sent to Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle on Monday, from Trenton, New Jersey. The letter contained traces of anthrax. More than 30 of the senator's staff have since tested positive for exposure to the bacteria, as have employees Senator Russell Feingold, whose offices are adjacent to Daschle's. So far there is no sign that anyone has contracted the disease.
US authorities investigating the recent anthrax attacks say there are similarities in two letters that contained the potentially deadly bacteria.
According to the US Justice Department on Tuesday, the letters sent to an employee of NBC News in New York and Senator Tom Daschle in Washington were both postmarked from Trenton, New Jersey. Both were handwritten in similarly printed letters and numerals. However, US authorities have still not found conclusive evidence to link the incidents to the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
US prepares for ground attacks
On Wednesday, U.S. warplanes pounded Taliban targets in Afghanistan for the twelfth successive day. Jets bombed the Taliban's southern stronghold of Kandahar and the capital Kabul in an apparent preparation for ground attacks.
On day 12 of the US campaign, all signs point to the beginning of a new phase in Washington's military strategy. On Wednesday, US President George W. Bush said the Taliban's air defences were being demolished. "We're paving the way for friendly troops on the ground to slowly but surely tighten the net."
Bush's comments indicate that ground action may be imminent. Elite US troops are stationed on the helicopter-laden aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk in the Indian Ocean, ready for action. And the US has confirmed that AC-130 gunships are in action. These hard-hitting planes are usually a precursor to the deployment of ground forces.
Debate over peacekeeping plans
Foreign ministers of the 21 APEC member countries began preliminary talks on Wednesday, formulating an anti-terrorism declaration expected to be adopted this weekend. On Thursday, Chinese foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan said there was agreement that countries should strongly condemn and crack down any form of terrorism. But he also stressed that the United Nations should be involved in long-term efforts to combat terrorism.
The UN's response, however, was cautious. UN official Lakhdar Brahimi in charge of UN operations in Afghanistan, said that the UN was definitely not seeking a transitional administration or peacekeeping. Speaking on his way to the APEC summit, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said "some sort of broad-based assemblage representing all aspects of Afghan society" would be needed. "I think there probably will be a role for peacekeepers of some kind," he said.
European Union foreign ministers have also called for a broad-based government in post-war Afghanistan, saying the United Nations should play a leading role in rebuilding the devastated country.
EU foreign ministers reaffirmed their solidarity with the United States. But there are signs of unease over the continuing of US led strikes against Afghanistan. Dissent has sparked up within the ruling coalitions of some countries, such as Germany.
US President George W. Bush is due to arrive in Shanghai for this weekend's APEC summit. It is the president's first trip abroad since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. His four day visit will primarily be aimed at securing backing for the US-led anti-terror alliance.
Other leaders attending the economic summit include Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Clashes after killing of Israeli cabinet minister
Israel has demanded that the Palestinian Authority hand over the killers of cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi, or face a new round of military action and security restrictions. Zeevi was shot down on Wednesday at a hotel in Jerusalem. The radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, PFLP, later claimed responsibility for the killing, saying it was aimed at avenging Israel's assassination of PFLP leader Abu-Ali Mustafa in August.
In response to Zeevi's assasination, Israel sent tanks and troops into Palestinian-ruled areas near the West Bank towns of Jenin and Ramallah on Thursday. The Israeli cabinet says that these and other measures will continue until the Palestinian government hands over Zeevi's killers.
Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat is said to have ordered the arrests of those involved in Zeevi's assassination, and has called on security officials to take all necessary measures to prevent further acts of violence and terrorism.
In responce to the latest violence, Israel has broken off contact with the Palestinian Authority. The army has been placed on alert and Palestinan areas were again sealed off. The Israeli government has demanded the extradition of PFLP leaders for trial.
Reports of shooting have been coming in from the West Bank after Israeli tanks moved in. Palestinian sources say a 10 year old girl has been killed and another 11 year old critically wounded in Jenin, when Israeli tank fire hit a school. The Israeli army says it is investigating the report.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said everything had changed with the death of the tourist minister. He blamed the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, for the assassination. "Arafat has sole responsibility. In the past he has ordered terror attacks and he continues to do so. And he has never come down hard against the terrorists," he said.
German future participation still under discussion
Germany continues to discuss the nature of its own future participation in the anti-terrorism campaign. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said on Tuesday that Germany would be called upon to supplement its present contribution of military personnel on NATO Awacs aircraft.
In its Wednesday edition, mass-circulation tabloid Bild declared German armoured vehicles, which can detect nuclear, biological and chemical agents, would be deployed to the Afghanistan region. However, parliamentary speaker Uwe-Carsten Heye denied on Wednesday the immediate deployment of German troops.
The German Chancellor warned his junior coalition partner, the Green Party, to stop calling for an end to the US airstrikes. Although the Greens are unlikely to wield sufficient votes to block any future deployment, such a move could threaten the future of the current coalition. First signs of a potential rift opening up within the governing coalition showed up on Monday.
Schröder has pledged unreserved solidarity with the US, and issued a clear warning to the Green Party. "I have absolutely no intention of relinquishing any of my authority on this issue. It is up to the chancellor to determine the political course and anyone who violates that principle should be aware of the consequences," he said.
A Green vote against sending troops to join the US-led campaign could signal the end of the governing coalition - a prospect few in Berlin would relish at this point.