Hello Barry Stoller, You are right. US has already proved beyond much doubt to the masses in the Mulim countries that, the rulers in most of these countries are working at the bidding of the US, which in turn is bent on eradicating all capabilities of Muslims to stand up for any significant military show of force. Besides the ambitions of masses are at diametric variance from those of the people in power in most of the countries. This has generated an acute degree of disgust among Musllims. Seeing themselves totally neutralised they are forced to look up to the 'terrorists' as teir heroes.
Muslims have a deep feeling of oneness, now when an open attack has been launched against Afghanistan, where the governement is seen by many as the only truly Islamic administration there are chances of uprising of the people in some Muslim countries, particularly Pakistan and some regimes may be toppled. That will lead a path to totally new leadership rising in the Muslim world. It can be said with some degree of confidence that a sharp line is now drawn between Muslims and the west. In fact the clash between civilizations has commenced. This may even lead to the WW III. Tariq From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2001 2:20 AM Subject: WWIII shaping up > From: Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: [R-G] WWIII shaping up > > > AP; Reuters. 6 October 2001. Military Response to Attacks Evolve; 'Trap > Is Being Set' for Bin Laden. Combined reports. > > WASHINGTON and LONDON -- Intelligence from Pakistan. Air strikes from > Oman or from aircraft carriers. Troops on the ground in Uzbekistan to > back up special forces operating inside Afghanistan. And perhaps a > command center inside Saudi Arabia. > > Three weeks into America's declared war on terrorism, U.S. military > options are taking shape. > > Questions remain, though. > > As U.S. armed forces position themselves for a possible strike against > Osama bin Laden and Afghan rulers who harbor him, it remained unclear > what kind of action will be taken and when. Some worry about how the > Pentagon can plan war strategy in a region with potentially unstable, > untested and unenthusiastic allies. > > The United States has maintained a large force in the Gulf region since > the 1991 war to oust Iraqi forces from Kuwait, and it still uses > facilities in numerous places including Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab > Emirates, Turkey and Qatar. > > On his first stop on a five-nation visit to the region, Defense > Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld noted Wednesday that Saudi officials are > worried a war on terrorism could create harmful "secondary effects" in > the Muslim world. > > They have said publicly that American troops must not use bases inside > Saudi Arabia to launch attacks on other countries in the region, > including Afghanistan. > > Privately, U.S. officials dismiss the dispute, saying Saudis are > cooperating, even if they are unwilling to publicize it. > > "The Saudis have always been very cautious publicly, and very > accommodating privately," said Tony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at > the Center for Strategic and International Studies. > > Experts suggest the U.S. Air Force would be allowed to use a new command > center in Saudi Arabia to direct air operations and to refuel, even if > not to launch raids. Others say Saudi reluctance is slowing U.S. > military preparations. > > Still others say it would be pointless to press for more from Riyadh, > and set the royal family up for domestic challenges, if another option > would work just as well. > > That's where Oman comes in. > > Oman's Sultan Qaboos has allowed the United States to preposition > military equipment and have emergency access to Omani bases since 1980. > The country could supply critical staging bases for operations inside > Afghanistan and has two airports that can give warplanes a straight shot > across the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea to Afghanistan while avoiding > Iranian airspace. > > In addition to Oman, air operations could be run from other bases, > including the Indian Ocean Island of Diego Garcia, where the Pentagon > was sending Air Force B-52 bombers. > > "Oman has become the obvious place for geographic reasons to fly out of > -- at least for combat missions," said Ivo H. Daalder of the Brookings > Institution. > > "We don't need to be close" for air activity, he said. > > For ground operations, however, troops do. > > The focus for that has been on Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, two former > Soviet republics bordering Afghanistan. > > Uzbek's president gave permission Friday for U.S. warplanes and troops > to use an Uzbek air base and the U.S. Army sent 1,000 infantry soldiers > there. They will be on standby to come to the aid of any U.S. special > forces that might run into trouble operating inside Afghanistan. > > The USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier also will be available in or near > the Arabian Sea as a floating base for other forces, defense officials > said. > > A carrier normally has about 75 Navy planes on board, including fighters > for land attack. But the Kitty Hawk left her home base in Japan this > week without the usual number of aircraft. > > Besides that, analysts noted, military plans are still evolving. > > And in Paris, French Defense Minister Alain Richard said Thursday that > action was not likely for "several weeks." He said many issues remain to > be decided among nations participating in the U.S. anti-terrorism > campaign. > > Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Saturday that plans > were in place for a military strike against Afghanistan's ruling > Taliban. > > "Things are coming into place, although obviously the timing on any such > action is a matter we must discuss with our close allies," Blair told > reporters as he returned to Britain after a whirlwind tour to bolster > support from allies on the Afghan borders.
