|
Last Update: October 14, 2001 |
| RSA-O Homepage | Live Chat | Find-A-Friend | Events/Announcements |
| Previous Editions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 |
|
Bin Laden taunts USA Dubai - The heavy US aerial bombardment of Afghanistan has signally failed to silence Osama bin Laden who taunted the world superpower again on Sunday via a simple video message aired by an Arab television station. The spokesperson for his Al-Qaeda group warned of more hijacked jetliner attacks to come against the United States and Britain in a new incendiary statement couched in religious cant. "The storm of airplanes will not be calmed, if it is God's will," Bin Laden's aide Suleiman Abu Ghaith said in a pre-recorded message broadcast in the early hours by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite station. "The storm will not calm, especially as long as you (United States and Britain) do not end your support for the Jews in Palestine, lift your embargo from around the Iraqi people, and have left the Arabian peninsula, and stop your support of the Hindus against Muslims in Kashmir," he said in Arabic. The White House, also facing fears of bio-terrorism as cases of anthrax multiply, dismissed the threats as "propaganda", but was clearly listening. "It's just propaganda," White House spokesperson Jennifer Millerwise told reporters, adding that the president's office would issue no further comment at the moment. The ease with which Bin Laden has managed to air his vitriolic statements to the world has greatly annoyed the US administration, even though it is not known when or where they have been recorded. The big US television networks, repeatedly scooped by Al-Jazeera, have been pushed to agree to no longer air Al-Qaeda statements in full and stayed silent. Some officials have even suggested Bin Laden is instructing followers via coded message within the statements. Al-Jazeera, the sole television station broadcasting from Kabul, has thrown a defence of press freedom back in the face of America and continued to run the statements obtained by its journalists in Afghanistan. "We tell and recommend Muslims in the United States and Britain, and those who reject the American policies, not to take airplanes and not to live in towers and high buildings," Abu Ghaith warned. He was referring to the suicide hijackings of four US airliners on September 11. The planes were crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon just outside Washington, killing about 5,500 people. A fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. US-led forces unleashed an aerial onslaught against Afghanistan on October 7 to force the ruling Taliban regime to hand over Bin Laden, the Saudi-born dissident who is the main suspect in the terror attacks. According to one of Bin Laden's sons, Abdullah, "America and Britain will never track down my father ... He has vanished into the landscape... he is invisible," Britain's Sunday Mirror tabloid reported. Al-Qaeda, meanwhile, has continued to make threats and in the fourth such statement, the representative singled out US President George W Bush and his father, the former president, as well as ex-president Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for "the worst crimes" against Muslims. Abu Ghaith, a Kuwaiti, "ordered" US and British citizens, as well as Arab allies of the anti-terror coalition, to leave the Arabian peninsula. "The soiling of the cradle of Islam by infidels" has been a rallying cry of Al-Qaeda and won considerable popular Arab support. A Canadian aircraft technician was shot dead on Wednesday night and his Filipino wife was badly wounded near Kuwait City by a man who shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest) three times as he fled the scene. Security forces have not ruled out a link to the US-led air strikes. Al-Qaeda also urged Muslims to continue to protest and "maintain the pressure" on their governments amid the military strikes. "We salute the young fighters who have pushed back the aggression of the oppressors, and killed them," said the spokesman, sitting in a tent with a Kalashnikov rifle. "We salute the Muslim crowds who have protested against this aggression and we call on them to maintain the pressure, especially after the foreign affairs ministers of Muslim countries expressed their support for this unjust campaign," he added. Abu Ghaith also directly addressed the US secretary of state. "I am addressing my statement to the American minister of foreign affairs Colin Powell who doubted our last statement and our promise that thousands of young Muslims want to die (as martyrs) and the storm of airplanes will not stop," he said. "Powell and the other members of the American administration know that when Al-Qaeda promises, it delivers," he said. Abu Ghaith warned in the last Al-Qaeda message on October 9 that the United States would face further attacks by hijacked planes and urged "all Muslims" to join in a jihad, or holy war, against America. However, Powell dismissed the threats the next day. "It's a chilling challenge," Powell said. "But I assure you we will meet that challenge. We will pursue this campaign until that spokesman will no longer have any reason to make such boasts." Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Kytie Koekblik ColumnKytie Koekblik Washington D.C. - Dis weird hoe deurmekaar ‘n mens is na September 11, 2001. Soms is jy bang, soms hardloop jou emosies met jou weg en jy skryf of se goed waarna jy later kyk en dink, sjoe, ek kan nie glo ek was so irrasioneel nie. Een week na die terroriste attacks het ek ‘n droom gehad. Ek was in ‘n verlate militere kamp in droe woestyn area. Die kleur van my droom was geel, soos ‘n ou koerant uitknipsel, of soos die kleur van ‘n landskap en sy mense wat in stof gebaai is. Ek was aan die onderhandel met iemand wat soos Condoleea Rice gelyk het. Ek het aan haar bly se, ons mense ondersteun die VSA, ons het geen anti-VSA sentimente nie, en as julle daarop aandring sal ons aan julle militere hulp aanbied. Condoleeza het met ‘n selfoon vir president Bush probeer kontak om hom van Suid-Afrika se bystand en ondersteuning te verseker. Maar dit was reeds te laat. Ek kon in die verte die missiele sien naderkom, soos honderde klein papiervliegtuigies oor die horison. Ek kon nie beweeg nie, ek het doodstil staan en kyk, en Condoleeza was skielik nie meer langs my nie, dit was net ek in die woestyn en die missiele wat groter en groter word, en in klein ligwolkies oor die aarde neerstort. Ek was skielik bang. Doodbenoud. Aan my linkerkant was ons militere kamp. Die mensies het in klein wit plakkershuisies gebly, ek onthou in die huisie naaste aan my was ‘n ma en ‘n babatjie wat nie ophou skree het nie. Die bevel het gekom, “Hardloop na die bunkers, ‘n tweede klomp jet fighters is oppad.” Die mensies, soos klein miertjies het begin hardloop, paniek bevange en hulpeloos. Tussen my en die militere kamp was ‘n draad, ek sou daaroor moes spring om in die kamp te kom. Ek het vir ‘n oomblik getwyfel, en besluit die kamp was die gevaarlikste plek, ek moes in die teenoorgestelde rigting begin hardloop, miskien het ek gehoop een klein mensie wat hardloop oor die uitgestrekte vlaktes sou nie die target word van ‘n enkele missiel nie. My bene was jellie toe ek begin hardloop, asof ek in die sand vasgesuig word. Ek het besef een vliegtuig stuur reg op my af. Ek het in die sand gaan le, probeer een word met die aarde rondom my. Uit die hoek van my oog het ek die wit missiel langs my sien val, die hoek van my oog het skielik lig geword, en ek het ontplof. Daar was geen vrees nie. Ek het my lyf in stukkies sien spat, ek het geweet ek bestaan skielik nie meer nie. My consciousness het aanhou funksioneer, asof ‘n mens van een realm in ‘n volgende realm oorgaan sonder om ophou leef, jy lyk net anders. Toe het ek skielik besef ek slaap, maar ek het nie ophou droom nie. Ek het net besef ek lewe steeds, my lyf het steeds in dieselfde posisie gele, plat teen die aarde, ‘n verskrompelde ineengekrimpte klein hopie mens. Ek het Condoleeza Rice sien naderstap. In haar hand het sy die drie stukkie van ‘n handgranaat vasgehou. Sy het verduidelik: Jy kon dood gewees het, maar die handgranaat was verkeerd aanmekaar gesit. Jy kon dood gewees het, maar dit was nie jou tyd om te gaan nie. Ek het wakker geword, natgesweet en ontsteld. Ek het besef die daglig het al deur my blindings begin skyn, en ek was in my bed in my huis in Washington DC. Ek was alleen, en ek was bang, en oneindig hartseer. Vandag, amper drie weke na die terroriste aanval, is ek kwaad. Gister het ek as joernalis onderhoude gedoen met die “anti-war” protestors. “n Klomp hippies met verskillende kleure hare wat op dromme slaan en simpele slogans skree en met groteske puppets rondhardloop met glimlagte oor hulle gesigte. Asof hulle nie grief nie. Daar was nie eers ‘n moment of silence vir die pyn en grief van hierdie land nie. “It looks like fun,” het die een bystander gese. En ek was kwaad. Kwaad oor dit nie so eenvoudig is soos war of peace nie. No Peace No Justice - een van hulle slogans - is net so ‘n ekstreme opsie met inherente probleme soos om die hele midde-ooste plat te vee met bomme en grootskaalse oorlog te maak. "We just want to make the world 'n better place." het die spul gese. Ja. Tie up the police resources; laat vlieg jou voel-puppet oor die strate van DC en skree jou anti-establishment slogans en sien of dit van die wereld 'n beter plek gaan maak. Dis juis omdat jy in die establishment van die USA bly dat jy enigsins in die strate kan stap en jou democratiese reg tot freedom of speech kan beoefen. Dis nie ‘n perfect world nie en daar’s nie perfect solutions nie. In “no justice, no peace” steek dalk meer as wat ‘n mens dink, daar steek dalk meer daarin as in "no peace no justice." Wat beteken Peace? En dis wat ons almal soek. Justice. Nie revenge nie, maar justice. Daai spul hippies het hulle eie cause gediscredit. Die een cop het vir my gese “ its been a good protest. Only one officer got hospitalized.” Peace? Is dit peace om die hele DC polisiemag op alert te sit omdat jou peace protest dalk mag hande uit ruk? Ek het Bush te mind krediet gegee na sy western movie retoriek. Vandag, amper drie weke na die aanval, het ons nog nie ‘n bloeddorstige oorlog en wraak gesien nie. Dis dan waar Kytie se kop op die oomblik is. Die een image het in my kop bly vassteek na gister se optog. Terwyl die een spreker gebid het, het al die hippies bly dromme slaan en in sirkels gesit en mekaar se rue gemasseer. Een ou oom, in ‘n geruite suit, het met sy Vredes plakkaat gestaan tussen sommige stoned studente. Sy geplooide gesig was in diepe hartseer en konsentrasie vertrek, sy oe toe. Op daardie oomblik was sy conviction, sy geloof en sy hartseer, vir my soos die lig van ‘n missiel wat in die hoekie van my oog ontplof. Kytie K. Kytie Koekblik would like you to respond to her tongue-in-cheek running commentary on suburban life in America in this editorial. Fresh off the boat, she is ready to explore and experiment with American bath plugs and to drive on the other side of the road. You can contact her here. © RSA-Overseas & Matheson Communications [ Top ] Winnie faces arrest on fraud charges ANC Women's League (ANCWL) president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela had been ordered to present herself to the police for arrest and prosecution on fraud allegations, the City Press newspaper reported on Sunday. She allegedly conspired with bank employees to defraud Saambou Bank by using ANCWL's letterheads, the report said. Madikizela-Mandela was ordered to present herself to the police in a letter sent by the Directorate for Serious Economic Offences to her lawyers this week. The pending arrest followed police investigations into allegations that workers at Saambou Bank and bogus employees of the African National Congress Women's League fraudulently used the league's letterheads to get loans from the bank. Madikizela-Mandela is accused alongside former Saambou employee Eddy Moolman, who is also facing fraud charges. Madikizela-Mandela told City Press that it was odd that she was now cited as a second accused when it was she who had alerted the bank to the alleged fraud and had opened a case. The newspaper said the loans, totalling more than R1-million, were given to about 66 people. Saambou apparently granted the loans of between R3 000 and R20 000 under its micro-lending policy. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] Justice is served for SA land claimants Elizabeth Nomatyale is 79, but she remembers being forced out of Ndabeni as if it were yesterday. And it was this weekend that she tasted justice for the first time when she got her share of land in Wingfield to compensate her for her loss all those years ago, as part of the government's land claims process. In 1936, long before statutory apartheid, Nomatyale - then 14 - her parents and five brothers were forced to move to Langa after the authorities decided, earlier during the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1918, that the residents would have to move from Ndabeni which became an industrial area. Ndabeni was originally created in 1901 by the Cape Town City Council to house victims of bubonic plague which broke out among Cape Town's dock workers. There was boundless joy on Saturday when 54,8 hectares of land in Wingfield near the N1 was handed to them as compensation for their loss back in the 1930s. Sitting under a burning sun, hundreds of people applauded as speaker after speaker spoke of the significance of the occasion. Nomatyale remembers: "We were very sad when we had to leave. We didn't want to but we had no choice. "I remember it clearly. It was New Year's day in 1936 when a donkey cart came to fetch our furniture. It was a sad day for all of us. "But I am very grateful that we received this land. It took many years but God blessed us." More than 500 applicants were involved in the claim. Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ]  Nel's KitchenRagel Nel Ragel Nel Washington D.C. - Remember how I promised you a travelogue about my surroundings one rainy day? Well, the day is here. It's a beautiful early autumn day outside, and not really raining at all, but a series of too many late nights (due to nothing more extraordinary or exciting other than work, I'm afraid. No raucous events to fess up about.) have brought on a severe drought in the head. Hence the rainy day. Perfectly logical, see? I'm so glad that you understand. Anyway, where were we? My surroundings. A city in the United States of America called Baltimore, or "Bawlmur", as it's fondly referred to by all the natives. It's a port city with a waterfront faintly reminiscent of the V & A in Cape Town (but minus the mountain and sweeping Southeaster.). Surrounding the waterfront is a mini explosion of skyscrapers faintly reminiscent of New York (but no one else agrees with me on that one. They have no imagination, is what I say.). That's where the natives of "Bawlmur" go to work and shop and play every day and night. The natives are called "hons", as in "honey". As in "Hi Hon! Welcome to Bawlmur!" Some of the more snobbish hons refer to the others as "Baltimorons". But that is only when they are in as equally polite hon company as themselves. Geographically, it's on the east coast of the United States, which means that if you get on the I-95 ( a highway) in Miami and keep on going north for an incredible amount of time, you will eventually reach Washington D.C. Keep on going further still for about an hour (or 45 minutes, depending on who's behind the wheel.) and you'll eventually reach two gigantic sports stadiums. Behind that, finally, lies Baltimore. The events at those gigantic sports stadiums are what most hons live and work for. I suspect, in fact, that some of them work only to be able to fund the events taking place in those stadiums. They're the quintessential American events, as American in fact, as apple pie, Independence on the fourth of July and McDonald's. They're called football and baseball; strange phenomena involving men in tights and shoulder pads (who claim to not be drag queens, yeah right!) called the Ravens, getting paid an astronomical amount of money to run around after a ball (faintly reminiscent of a rugby ball to the untrained eye) for an hour (well, it's supposed to be an hour, but every two seconds, they stop - I think it's because they're not very fit - and then it turns out to be more like three and a half hours.) Well, the hons don't seem to mind. That particular leg of the running around takes place in the autumn and if they are really good at it, into a part of the winter. In the summer, the same hons flock to the stadium next door for the other part of the fuss called baseball, where men called Orioles carrying wooden bats get paid an astronomical amount to run around after a small ball. The amount of time this particular exercise goes on for, varies, but say anywhere between three and four hours. But there is more to Bawlmur than that. Not much, but... no, I'm just joking. There are lovely book stores, restaurants, art galleries, theatres, a lyrical symphony orchestra and tons of obscure little bars where you have to know at least ten people in order to gain access, and then you still have to get past the last important hurdle before getting across the threshold: A block of a man with a surface of 2 sq metres... possibly called Bruno. That's what happens at night. By day there is the Inner Harbour (not necessarily to be confused with the Inner City.) where you can stroll around the promenade at the waterfront watching the hons rushing about their daily business, or the more peaceful sight of the docked boats bobbing gently in the water, seagulls screeching overhead. For the dog obsessed (like myself) there is Federal Hill Park, where pround owners get walked by enthusiastic, grinning dogs straining at their leashes. From there, you have a magnificent skyline view of the downtown area and the harbour. It makes a great backdrop for a romantic first date and possibly even a first kiss. For the more intellectual hons, there are a choice of great schools and the Enoch Pratt Free Library. In fact, Baltimore is the first city which offered library services to its community at no cost. To this day, you see proud plaques displayed on benches throughout the city, proclaiming that Baltimore is the city that reads. Perhaps this isn't the most conventional advertisement for tourism or for the city, but take this from an immigrant: after living there for a while, Baltimore really starts to grow on you. © RSA-Overseas [ Top ] SA bound to offer shelter to Afghan refugees The calamity which befell Afghanistan when the US finally attacked this week may be thousands of kilometres away, but its effects could be as disastrous to South Africa as they are to neighbouring Pakistan. This was according to home affairs director-general Billy Masetlha, who said the human tragedy in Afghanistan could have a spill-over effect on Afghans who no longer felt safe because of the air strikes. Masetlha said that as a signatory to the UN Commission for Refugees, South Africa was bound to provide refuge to asylum seekers. "The reality is that there is a human tragedy in that part of the world. It cannot be allowed to go unchecked because we have several Pakistanis living here who have relatives there. "We are obliged by law to give them refuge," Masetlha said. The UNHCR has sent planeloads of relief supplies to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in preparation for the possible arrival of up to 1,5 million refugees. As far as security on South Africa's borders is concerned, Masetlha said: "We do have a serious problem of border control." He said the budgets of the police and the army - who patrol our borders - had been adjusted in line with the lifting of the fences between South Africa and its neighbours. This would help deal with problems associated with the influx of illegal immigrants from Mozambique and Zimbabwe, as well as livestock which could be infected with the foot-and-mouth disease. "I do have a lot of Pakistanis who cross the borders illegally," Masethla noted, adding that human trafficking by organised syndicates was rife all over the world, including along South Africa's borders Thanks to IOL.co.za [ Top ] |
|
