2001

Jan 6, 2001 - A NATO meeting was scheduled in Italy on the use of ammunition with depleted uranium following the deaths from cancer of 6 Italian soldiers following duty in the Balkans. 5 Balkan veterans from Belgium along with peacekeepers from Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic had died of cancer.

Jan 8, 2001 - In Afghanistan the Taliban ordered the death penalty for anyone who converts from Islam to a different religion.

Jan 13, 2001 - Saving local history before it is lost, Jim West sifts through copies of the old Franklin Evening Star newspaper for articles about the early days of CAMP ATTERBURY.  About 20 large, bound volumes of the Evening Star — from 1942 to 1945 and 1950 to 1953 — were donated to CAMP ATTERBURY a few years ago.

Jan 20, 2001 - George Bush , the 1st president with an MBA, was inaugurated as the nation's 43rd president in Washington DC. The "compassionate conservative" vowed to lead "through civility, courage, compassion and character."

Feb 9, 2001 - The US nuclear submarine Greeneville struck the Japanese fishing boat, Ehime Maru, near Oahu with 35 people on board including 13 students. Nine people were missing. The sub was practicing a rapid ascent and had 15 civilian guests onboard. It was later revealed that civilian visitors sat at 2 of the subs 3 main controls when it surfaced. Capt. Scott Waddle, the sub skipper, was relieved of duty pending investigation. Sonar contact with the fishing vessel had been established over an hour before the accident.

Feb 16, 2001 - Two dozen US and British aircraft bombed 5 radar and other anti-aircraft sites around Baghdad with guided missiles. A number of new guided bombs, AGM-154A priced from $250-700k, missed their targets.

Feb 26, 2001 - In Afghanistan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar ordered the destruction of all statues including the Buddha statues carved into the stone cliffs of Bamiyan.

March 2, 2001 - In France Alois Brunner, former deputy of Adolph Eichmann, was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes against humanity. He was believed to be still alive in Syria, where he fled in 1954.

April 1, 2001 - A US Navy EP-3 surveillance plane with 24 aboard collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea and was forced to land in China. The fighter jet crashed. Chinese pilot Wang Wei parachuted out of his F-8 jet but had not been found. Zhao Yu, a 2nd pilot, later blamed the US plane banked and hit Wei's plane.

April 2, 2001 - During World War II, Stan Berenstain was sketching scenes of a far different nature than the warm and cuddly Berenstain Bears that made him rich and famous.  Six days a week, the Philadelphia artist sketched the stages of surgical procedures in the plastic surgery wing at Wakeman Army Hospital on the sprawling CAMP ATTERBURY military installation.

April 2, 2001 - Pres. Bush demanded that the Chinese release the US Navy crew and spy plane that had made an emergency landing on China's Hainan Island.

April 4, 2001 - US diplomats met with 24 US crew members held by the Chinese military on Hainan island. Colin Powell issued a statement of regret over the loss of the Chinese pilot involved in the incident. Powell also sent a letter to China's chief foreign policy official outlining ways of settlement. -- The US Pentagon reportedly destroyed its last canister of napalm, a jellied gasoline used extensively during the Vietnam war. It was developed in 1942 by Harvard and Army chemists who combined naphthene and palmitate. It was made by Dow Chemical from 1965-1969.

April 11, 2001 - China released the 24 US spy plane crew members detained since April 1. US text was released with the words "sincerely regret" and translated to "chengzhi yihan." In China the text was translated to "shenbiao qianyi" meaning "deeply sorry." Beijing kept the spy plane pending an investigation and more talks.

April 28, 2001 - It was reported that the CIA had released some 10,000 pages of documents on 20 Nazis that included Hitler, Eichmann, Mengele, Barbie, Mueller, Waldheim and Hoettl.

May 17, 2001 - The US pledged $43 million in aid to Afghanistan.

May 28, 2001 - Pres. Bush signed a bill ordering the construction of a WW II memorial on the capital Mall. -- The US and China tentatively agreed that the US spy plane on Hainan Island would be dismantled and possibly flown home aboard a giant Antonov-124 transport.

June 7, 2001 - CAMP ATTERBURY plays host to the 9th World Police and Fire games.

June 11, 2001 - Timothy McVeigh (33) was executed by lethal injection at the federal prison in Terra Haute, Ind., for the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing. For his final statement he issue a hand-written copy of "Invictus," a poem written in 1875 by William Ernest Henley, whose last 2 lines read "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

June 20, 2001 - Andrea Yates (36) drowned her 5 children, ages 6 months to 7 years, at her home near the Johnson Space Center. Yates had been under medication for post-partum depression. In 2002 a Houston jury found Yates guilty of capital murder and sentenced her to life in prison.

June 29, 2001 - The National Japanese American Memorial opened in Washington DC. It was privately funded by 20,000 Japanese Americans.

July 5, 2001 - The US spy plane from China arrived at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia aboard a Russian Antonov-124 transport plane.

Jul 14, 2001 - The US launched a prototype missile interceptor from the Marshall Islands and successfully struck a mock warhead launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, 4,800 miles away. This was the 4th such Pentagon test. A $100 million prototype radar failed to detect the strike.

Aug 2, 2001 - The UN war crimes tribunal found Radislav Krstic, former Bosnian Serb general, guilty for the 1995 genocide of some 8,000 Muslim men in Srebrenica. He was sentenced to 46 years in prison.

Aug 5, 2001 - In Afghanistan the Taliban closed a US relief organization office and arrested 24 of its workers for propagating Christianity.

Aug 8, 2001 - Four American Senators met with Pres. Jiang Zemin in China and warned him that the continued sales of sensitive missile technology would trigger an arms race and boost internal US support for a missile defense system.

Aug 14, 2001 - US warplanes attacked an Iraqi air defense system modernized with fiber optics by Chinese technicians.

Aug 23, 2001 - Modesto Rep. Gary Condit acknowledged on a TV interview with Connie Chung that he had made mistakes but that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of Chandra Levy.

Aug 27, 2001 - An unmanned US reconnaissance aircraft, Predator, was reported shot down over southern Iraq near Basra. In northern Iraq US planes attacked a missile and Iraq claimed 1 civilian was killed.

Sept 1, 2001 - The US issued a 34 cent stamp featuring Arabic calligraphy that says "Eid Mubarek," a greeting used to celebrate the 2 holiest Islamic holidays, Aid al-Fitr for the end of Ramadan fasting, and Eid al-Adha for the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Sept 11, 2001 - Hijacked jetliners hit the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside Washington. A fourth hijacked plane crashes into a field in Pennsylvania. Trading on Wall Street is stopped. The Federal Aviation  Administration halts all flight operations at the nation's airports for the first time in U.S. history. U.S. military is placed on high alert. President Bush addresses the nation and vows to "find those responsible and bring them to justice." Hundreds of New York City firemen and policemen sent to rescue WTC workers are lost when the WTC Twin Towers collapse. Reaction from international leaders is swift as world leaders react with outrage over the attacks.  ---  8:45 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 carrying 92 people, crashed into the North tower of the World Trade Center in NYC. It was enroute from Boston to LA.

 9:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 carrying 65 people, crashed into the South Tower of the WTC. It was enroute from Boston to LA.

 9:38 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 carrying 64 people, crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. It was enroute from Washington DC to LA.

 9:40 a.m. The FAA grounded all domestic flights and ordered all airborne craft to land immediately.

 10:00 a.m. The South Tower of the WTC collapsed.

 10:10 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 carrying 45 people, crashed southeast of Pittsburgh. The plane had left Newark for SF but was believed to be directed by hijackers to Camp David. Passengers appeared to have overcome the hijackers.

 10:29 a.m. The North Tower of the WTC collapsed.

 5:25 p.m. Building 7 of the WTC complex collapsed. Four groups of terrorists used knives, hijacked 4 airplanes, and were suspected to be linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization and appeared to be a franchise operation.

Sept 12, 2001 - Pres. Bush called Tuesday's terrorist attacks "acts of war." The US began building a broad int'l. coalition for a possible military retaliation against those responsible for the terrorist attacks on Sep 11. Federal authorities said followers of Osama bin Laden were responsible for airline hijackings directed at NYC and the Pentagon. The US air system remained grounded and financial markets closed. -- In Afghanistan Mohammad Omar, the Taliban leader, went into hiding. The Taliban military repositioned weaponry in anticipation of a US strike.

Sept 13, 2001 - The US requested that Pakistan grant air and land space for military actions in Afghanistan.

Sept 14, 2001 - Pres. Bush declared a national emergency and summoned as many as 50,000 military reservists. Congress approved nearly $40 billion and gave Pres. Bush war powers ok. The number of hijackers involved in the Sep 11 attacks was raised from 18 to 19 and their names were made public.

Sept 15, 2001 - North and South Korea began a 4-day series of meetings. -- Pakistan agreed to close its border with Afghanistan and pledged full support to combat int'l. terrorism.

Sept 17, 2001 - Pres. Bush declared that the US wants Osama bin Laden "dead or alive."

Sept 19, 2001 - Pres. Bush warned Afghanistan that he would not negotiate to take custody of Osama bin Laden. The Pentagon began deploying troops, ships and planes to the Persian Gulf under code name "Operation Infinite Justice." The title became a working name after Islamic scholars objected that "infinite justice" is reserved for God. -- Japan's PM Koizumi promised to push legislative changes to permit Japanese troops to provide logistical support for a US-led war on terrorism.

Sept 21, 2001 - In Afghanistan the ruling Taliban rejected Pres. Bush's ultimatum and to give up Osama bin Laden. The Taliban also threatened to hang Afghan aid workers if they communicate with their int'l. counterparts. -- Terrorist suspects were arrested in Britain (4), France (7), Germany (2 warrants), Peru (3 detained) and Yemen (20 detained). Lofti Raissi, an Algerian pilot arrested in Britain, was later described as the "lead instructor" to 4 of the hijackers.

Sept 23, 2001 - The 6-member Persian "Gulf Cooperation Council" (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAR) met in Jidda and pledged support for an int'l. coalition against terrorism.

Sept 24, 2001 - In Afghanistan Taliban officials said they were dispatching 300,000 fighters to defend their borders. Analysts estimated Taliban strength at 45,000 fighters with 20,000 in action against the Northern Alliance. -- Russia pledged support for US efforts and arms for anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Sept 28, 2001 - A Bush administration official said that small groups of US and British special forces had entered Afghanistan. -- In Afghanistan Taliban leader Mohammed Omar told a 9-member Pakistani delegation that the Taliban would be willing to fight to the death to protect Osama bin Laden from US military forces.

Sept 29, 2001 - Pres. Bush in his weekly radio address condemned the Taliban for sheltering terrorists and said: "We did not seek this conflict, but we will win it."

Oct 2, 2001 - The US gave NATO "clear and compelling" evidence that Osama bin Laden orchestrated the Sep 11 terrorist attacks.

Oct 7, 2001 - US and British forces struck 31 targets in Afghanistan. 40 warplanes, 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles, B-2 Stealth bombers, B-1 lancers, B-52s, F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets were used against air defenses, communication nodes and other large fixed target sites. Airdrops of food were also made. The Taliban later claimed that 8-20 civilians were killed in the attacks.

Oct 8, 2001 - US forces hit Afghanistan with a 2nd wave of attacks. 40 Taliban commanders along with 1,200 men switched sides and handed over control of a provincial road north of Kabul. 4 UN civilian workers were later confirmed as casualties of the bombing; Abdul Saboor, Safiullah, Najibullah and Nasir Ahmad worked for a mine clearing agency. The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan reported 200 civilian casualties.

Oct 13, 2001- Anthrax was confirmed in 3 US states. In Florida 5 more employees tested positive; in Nevada a letter sent to a Microsoft office tested positive; and in NYC a letter sent to NBC News tested positive.

Oct 14, 2001 - US warplanes hit Afghanistan targets around Kabul and knocked out the overseas telephone exchange. Bombs also hit the cities of Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, Jalalabad and Heart. Abu Baseer al-Masri, al Qaeda fighter and Egyptian militant, was killed near Jalalabad.

Oct 15, 2001 - US warplanes carried out their heaviest bombings in 9 days over Afghanistan. The Pentagon called in the slow moving AC-130 Specter gunships to targets around Kandahar.

Oct 16, 2001 - A wing of the US Senate building was closed following confirmation that a letter to Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., carried anthrax. It was later found that the anthrax contained the additive bentonite to enhance suspension in air.

Oct 24, 2001 - The US government arranged to buy 100 million Cipro tablets from Bayer for 95 cents each. The tablets were for anthrax. -- The Pentagon accused the Taliban regime of planning to poison relief food supplies and to blame the US for resulting deaths.

Oct 26, 2001 - Pres. Bush signed a sweeping anti-terrorism bill into law. It gave police and intelligence agencies vast new powers to fight terrorism. -- North Korea said it was no longer interested in dialogue with the US due to Pres. Bush's recent description of North Korea as "so suspicious and secretive."

Nov 3, 2001 - The Al-Jazeera TV network broadcast a videotape from Osama bin Laden. He portrayed that attacks against Afghanistan as a war against Islam and denounced Arab leaders who cooperate with the UN for peace negotiations saying that amounted to a renunciation of Islam.

Nov 4, 2001 - The US moved more special operations forces into Afghanistan and continued air strikes on the Taliban front lines. The Air Force dropped a 15,000 pound fuel-air explosion bomb called a Daisy Cutter that was last used in the Vietnam War. Thousands of foreign volunteers were reported moving to the Taliban front lines. -- It was reported that the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur cited bin Laden as possibly possessing an arsenal of biochemical weapons. US intelligence sources were cited that bin Laden purchased laboratories from the former Yugoslavia, Ebola virus from former Soviet stockpiles, botulism from the Czech Republic, anthrax from North Korea and the assistance of chemists and biologists from the Ukraine.

Nov 7, 2001 - Italy pledged an aircraft carrier and 2,700 troops to help the American campaign in Afghanistan.

Nov 14, 2001 - Britain pledged 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan in addition to 4,500 already in the war zone.

Nov 15, 2001 - Day 40 of the attack on Afghanistan: Osama bin Laden's Brigade 055 dispersed into the mountains of Afghanistan. US planes struck Taliban positions outside Kunduz, where as many as 20,000 Taliban fighters gathered. Kandahar went under siege by opposition forces. Jalalabad was reported to be under Yunis Khalis of the Northern Alliance. Mullah Omar in a BBC radio interview warned of a larger strategy: the "destruction of America."

Nov 19, 2001 - Some Taliban began secret negotiations for the surrender of Kandahar. They said outside forces had taken over their movement and named: the int'l. drug mafia, int'l. terrorists, the puritanical Wahabi school of Sunni Islam, and Pakistan intelligence.

Nov 23, 2001 - Taliban troop contingents were reported to have dug in at 2 bases near Jalalabad including an estimated 1,200 at Tora Bora. It was also reported that Pakistani airplanes were being used to evacuate pro-Taliban Pakistani fighters in Kunduz. -- Japan said it would send 1,500 troops to help with relief operations in Afghanistan.

Nov 25, 2001 - US marines landed near Kandahar marking the 1st major use of US ground troops in Afghanistan.

Nov 28, 2001 - Ahmed Abdel-Rahman (35), a top al Qaeda operative and son of the blind sheik linked to the 1993 WTC bombing, was captured by anti-Taliban forces. The Taliban said some 600 people including 450 prisoners were killed in the uprising at Qala Jangi. US bombing continued with intermittent strikes.

Dec 3, 2001 - A test US anti-missile launched from Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands successfully hit a dummy warhead from Vandenberg Air Base in California, 4,800 miles away. -- Some 3,000 Taliban surrendered at Char Dara, 6 miles west of Kunduz. Pashtuns battled Taliban forces at Kandahar's airport. The UN evacuated staff at Mazar-e-Sharif due to Northern Alliance infighting.

Dec 8, 2001 - John Walker, a Taliban soldier from Marin County, Ca., was held at Camp Rhino near Kandahar as a battlefield detainee. He was captured a week earlier following the prison revolt at Mazar-e-Sharif.

Dec 20, 2001 - It was reported that Adnan Ihsan Saeed al-Haideri, a defector from Iraq, said he worked on renovations of secret facilities for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons in Iraq before fleeing a year ago.

Dec 22, 2001 - Passengers and flight attendants subdued Richard Colvin Reid on AA Flight 63 from Paris to Miami. He appeared to have explosive materials in his shoes. The flight was diverted to Boston and the FBI confirmed that his shoes were packed with explosives. French police identified the man as Tariq Raja (28), a Sri Lankan traveling on a British passport. The sneakers contained pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and triacetone triperoxide (TATP).