Pubdate: Thu, 11 Oct 2001
Source: New York Times (NY)
Section: International
Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Clyde Haberman

An Overview

ATTACKS ON TALIBAN TROOPS, BLACKOUTS IN KABUL AND THE MONEY TRAIL

United States warplanes trained their sights on new targets in Afghanistan. 
At first, the focus of the bombing campaign was almost entirely on air 
defenses, command centers and terrorist training camps. But now Taliban 
troops in the field have been pounded, and apparently hard.

Officials in Washington said there had been "substantial" attacks on 
garrisons, bivouac areas and the like, punishing strikes on ground troops 
that some reports said were particularly fierce in and around Kabul, the 
Afghan capital.

Having already claimed to basically own the Afghan skies, the Americans 
looked to "condition the environment" -- Pentagon-speak for weakening both 
the Taliban and Arab fighters enlisted by Osama bin Laden, so American and 
British special forces may eventually be able to operate with some safety 
inside Afghanistan.

It was as hard as ever, though, to get a full picture of the damage 
inflicted by the bombers or the impact on ordinary Afghans. Taliban 
officials said that since the air strikes began on Sunday, 76 people have 
been killed and more than 100 wounded. But there was no way to confirm 
those figures or to determine how many of the casualties were civilians.

Refugees' Tales

Some Afghans who fled Kabul and sought refuge in territory controlled by 
anti-Taliban rebels gave a few clues to life in Kabul these days. They 
estimated that nearly two-thirds of the population had fled, though where 
to was not clear. Not surprisingly, they said there are night-time curfews 
and blackouts. But something that approaches normality returns by day, they 
reported, and thus far food remains plentiful.

The goal of the American-led operation is to break apart Mr. bin Laden's 
terrorist network and to get rid of the militantly Islamic Taliban.

The 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest 
Muslim body, met in Qatar and warned Washington against inflicting civilian 
casualties and going after Arab states. But significantly, it did not 
condemn the American actions in Afghanistan, and that meant Washington 
could claim something of an Islamic blessing, however tepid, for the 
antiterrorist campaign.

Not that Americans were entirely pleased. Officials in Washington 
complained especially about Saudi Arabia. It hasn't cooperated fully, they 
said, in investigating the suspected hijackers in the terrorist attacks of 
Sept. 11, and has refused to freeze the assets of Mr. bin Laden and his 
associates.

Following The Money

One intriguing source of money for his network came to light: honey, a 
staple in the Middle East since biblical times. Not only have honey sales 
provided him with cash but they also make it easier for him to ship 
contraband like weapons and drugs. The smell, it seems, camouflages what is 
in the shipments.

Complicating matters for American officials were new concerns about whether 
terrorism at home was more extensive than had been thought. Attention 
turned again to Florida, where a third person tested positive for exposure 
to anthrax. She was a co-worker of two men who also had been exposed to the 
disease, one of whom died. The Florida situation is now the subject of a 
criminal investigation, and while no one called it a terrorist act, no one 
also ruled out the possibility.

The public's access to information in these circumstances can often be 
limited. That became apparent on another front. The five major television 
networks bowed to White House urging and said they would they sharply edit 
future videotapes from Mr. bin Laden and his followers, to remove threats 
and anti-American language that the government deems inflammatory. The 
agreement came after talks between network executives and Condoleezza Rice, 
the national security adviser.

It was the "patriotic" thing to do, one official said, given the tremendous 
exposure that Mr. bin Laden has got. But it was also a rare joint 
arrangement to limit news coverage, and the decision seemed likely to 
intensify ongoing debates about how close the relationship should be 
between the government and those who report on it.
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