2002

Jan 3, 2002 - Israel seized a ship, Karine A, in the Red Sea carrying 50 tons of advanced weapons allegedly for the Palestinian Authority. Most of the equipment was from Iran. Operation Noah's Ark was not reported until the next day when US envoy Gen. Zinni arrived to promote peace talks. Hezbollah helped broker the deal and it was reported to have been overseen by Fuad Shubaki, a close aide to Arafat. Captain Omar Akawi, a member of Fatwah, said he was in contact with Adel Awadallah, an alias for Adel Mughrabi, a weapons buyer for the Palestinian Authority.

Jan 8, 2002 - US soldiers captured 14 suspected fighters at the Zhawar Kili cave and bunker complex near Khost. An al Qaeda fighter blew himself up with a grenade during an escape attempt at a Kandahar hospital. 2 senior al Qaeda leaders were reported caught with documents and laptops, while fleeing bombing in eastern Afghanistan. An intensified search was reported to be in progress for Abu Zubeida (Zain al-Abidin Muhammad Husain), the director of external affairs for al Qaeda. -- Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's hamburger chain, died in Florida at age 69.

Jan 10, 2002 - In Afghanistan gunmen attacked the Kandahar airport as a US military transport took off carrying al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners to the US Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. Prisoners were set up in an area called Camp X-Ray.

Jan 15, 2002 - John Walker Lindh of Marin, Ca., was charged with conspiring to kill Americans as a Taliban member in Afghanistan.

Jan 16, 2002 - Richard Reid, the al Qaeda trained shoe-bomber, was indicted on 9 counts in Boston. Reid pleaded guilty Oct 4.

Jan 21, 2002 - Sec. of State Colin Powell said the US would contribute $297 million for Afghan reconstruction over the coming year during a conference on Afghan reconstruction in Tokyo. Int'l. donors pledged over $4.5 billion over 5 years.

Jan 27, 2002 - Vice Pres. Dick Cheney said he would not release Enron related energy task force documents from last year's meetings. Cheney and Rumsfeld said al Qaeda prisoner status at Guantanamo Bay would not change to POW. -- Iraq admitted an int'l. nuclear-inspection team (IAEA) on a 4-day mission to a site near Baghdad.

Jan 29, 2002 - Pres. Bush made his 1st State of the Union address and declared that the "war against terror is only beginning." Bush singled out Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil." He also appealed to Americans to volunteer for community services.

Feb 5, 2002 - Pres. Bush promoted his call for $5.9 billion to be dedicated to bio-terrorism preparedness as part of a $38 billion homeland defense.

Feb 12, 2002 - Sec. of State Colin Powell said the Bush administration was considering a variety of options to topple Iraq's Saddam Hussein. -- Arthur Anderson & Co. agreed to pay $10.3 million to settle shareholder suits arising from the Boston Market bankruptcy.

March 2, 2002 - US and Afghan forces attacked hundreds of suspected al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan in Operation Anaconda. US soldier Stanley Harriman (34) was killed and friendly fire was later suspected.

March 12, 2002 - The Bush administration announced a 5-color code system to alert Americans on the danger level posed by terrorists.

March 17, 2002 - It was reported that McDonald's Corp. had agreed to give 410 million to vegetarian groups, Hindu and Sikh organizations and to pay $4,000 to 12 plaintiffs to settle a suit over the use of beef tallow in french fries.

April 4, 2002 - It was reported that Saddam Hussein of Iraq had raised financial payments to the relatives of suicide bombers from $10k to $25k.

April 7, 2002 - In Iraq Saddam Hussein pledged to defeat the US if attacked and promised to continue supplying Palestinians to defend against Israel.

April 25, 2002 - Pres. Bush met with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, who told him bluntly that the US must temper its support of Israel. Abdullah gave Bush an 8-point proposal for Middle East peace.

May 8, 2002 - Abdullah Al Mujahir, also known as Jose Padilla, was arrested as he flew from Pakistan into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Padilla was alleged to be al-Qaida connected and suspected of plotting to build and detonate a radioactive ''dirty'' bomb in an attack in the United States. A public announcement of his arrest was delayed until Jun 10.

May 17, 2002 - Coalition forces battled enemy forces in Operation Condor in the Khost region. A pan-Arab newspaper quoted Mullah Mohammed Omar as saying Osama bin Laden is alive and that the future of the US in Afghanistan is "fire, hell and total defeat."

May 21, 2002 - The US State Dept issued its annual report on terrorism: "Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001." Iran was branded as the most active supporter of terrorism due to increased support for Palestinian militants.

June 3, 2002 - It was reported that the US planned to resume manufacturing plutonium triggers for nuclear warheads at a new $4.4 billion plant in 2020.

June 5, 2002 - Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft announced a National Security Entry-Exit Registration System for certain aliens to be fingerprinted and photographed as they cross the border. It legally fell under a 1952 law for foreign visitors.

June 6, 2002 - Pres. Bush proposed a new Cabinet department for domestic security. The Department of Homeland Security would operate on a $37.5 billion budget and have 169,154 employees.

June 10, 2002 - US officials announced the breakup of a terrorist plot to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb." Abdullah Al Mujahir, also known as Jose Padilla, was arrested on May 8 as he flew from Pakistan into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Padilla was said to be a US-born al-Qaeda associate scouting targets for the bomb. [see May 8]

June 11, 2002 - Moroccan police arrested three Saudi nationals who were allegedly planning attacks against U.S. and British war ships in the Strait of Gibraltar, key government officials said Monday. They were identified as: Hilal Jaber al-Assiri, Abdellah Ali al-Ghamdi and Zuher al-Tbaiti.

June 15, 2002 - Arthur Andersen was convicted of obstructing justice by shredding Enron-related documents in a verdict that boosted prosecutors' efforts to get to the bottom of the Enron scandal.

June 16, 2002 - The Bush administration revealed a secret plan to for the CIA to undermine and possibly kill Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein.

June 18, 2002 - Saudi Arabia announced its first al-Qaida-related arrests since Sept. 11 and said it was holding 11 Saudis, an Iraqi and a Sudanese man behind a plot to shoot down a U.S. military plane taking off from a Saudi air base.

June 29, 2002 - Rosemary Clooney (74), singer who became one of Hollywood's biggest celebrities of the 1950s, died on in her Beverly Hills mansion due to complications from lung cancer. Her 1977 autobiography was titled "This for Remembrance."  Rosemary Clooney worked at Wakeman General Hospital at CAMP ATTERBURY, teaching soldiers with jaw and throat injuries to sing, as a means of regaining their speech.

July 2, 2002 - Steve Fossett became the 1st person to fly a balloon solo around the world. On his 6th attempt he completed the journey in 13 days, 12 hours, 16 minutes and 13 seconds. He departed from Australia Jun 19 and covered an estimated 19,428 miles.

July 15, 2002 - John Walker Lindh agreed to serve 20 years in prison for fighting in Afghanistan in a plea bargain with the government. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Oct 4.

July 23, 2002 - Pres. Bush signed legislation designating Nevada's Yucca Mountain as the nation's nuclear waste repository.

July 28, 2002 - Aircraft from U.S.-British air patrols over southern Iraq bombed an Iraqi communications site, the sixth strike this month in retaliation for what the Pentagon says were hostile actions by Iraq.

July 31, 2002 - Richard Butler tells a US Senate committee that Iraq stepped up the production of chemical and biological weapons after UN inspections ended - and might even be close to developing a nuclear bomb.

Aug 1, 2002 - Opponents of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein shot and wounded his younger son, Qusai (35), in an assassination attempt in Baghdad. The Iraqi National Congress opposition group reported that the event 2 weeks later.

Aug 7, 2002 - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud said his country had made it clear to Washington, publicly and privately, that the U.S. military will not be allowed to use the kingdom's soil in any way for an attack on Iraq. Saud said the longtime U.S. ally does not plan to expel American forces from an air base used for flights to monitor Iraq.

Aug 12, 2002 - Iraq's information minister rejected the need for a resumption of U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq, saying inspectors had finished their work four years ago when they left the country in advance of U.S. and British air strikes.

Aug 18, 2002 - US federal agents said they had seized over 2,300 unregistered missiles at a counter-terrorism school, High Energy Access Tools (HEAT), in Roswell, New Mexico, that was training students from Arab countries and arrested its Canadian leader.

Aug 26, 2002 - US VP Cheney said that there is "no doubt" that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is amassing weapons of mass destruction for use against America and its allies.

Aug 30, 2002 - Alessandro de Gaetano, a screenwriter visits CAMP ATTERBURY with aim of writing a movie about an Italian POW at CAMP ATTERBURY.

Sept 1, 2002 - Some 600 Russian specialists began work on a key phase of an $800 million project to build a nuclear reactor at Bushehr, Iran.

Sept 12, 2002 - President Bush addresses the UN General Assembly and warns Iraq that military action will be unavoidable if it does not comply with UN resolutions on disarmament.

Sept 13, 2002 - Iraq will pay up to $5,000 each to Palestinians whose home is demolished in the Israeli campaign against suspected militants, a pro-Iraqi group said Friday, hinting also that Iraq is supplying weapons to the Palestinians. -- Foreign ministers of the U.N. Security Council's permanent five nations said that Iraq's refusal to obey past U.N. resolutions "is a serious matter and that Iraq must comply." Russia, Europe and key Arab states piled pressure on Iraq on Friday to readmit U.N. weapons inspectors to avert possible U.S.-led military action.

Sept 16, 2002 - Iraq said it would allow UN weapons inspectors unconditional access to suspected weapons sites. Naji Sabri, Iraq's minister of foreign affairs, addressed the letter to UN Sec. Gen. Kofi Annan. The inspection commission, headed by Hans Blix, is responsible for overseeing the destruction of Iraq's chemical and biological weapons and the long-range missiles to deliver them. Core staff: 63 people from 17 nations.

Sept 21, 2002 - Iraq rejected U.S. efforts to secure a U.N. resolution threatening war, with Iraqi state-run radio announcing Baghdad will not abide by unfavorable new resolutions adopted by the U.N. Security Council.

Oct 2002 - Col McGowen leaves and LTC Newlin assumes command of CAMP ATTERBURY.

Oct 1, 2002 - U.N. inspectors reached agreement with Iraq about a new mission to reassess Saddam Hussein's alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Iraq said it expected an advance party in Baghdad in two weeks.

Oct 3, 2002 - Police hunted for a "skilled shooter" who murdered five random victims over 16 hours with a high-powered rifle in Montgomery County, Maryland, just a short distance from Washington DC. A 6th victim was killed in DC. James Buchanon (39), Premkumar Walekar (54), Sarah Ramos (34), Lori Ann Lewis Rivera (25) and Pascal Charlot (72) became the 2nd to 6th victims.

Oct 11, 2002 - The US Senate follows the House of Representatives in authorizing President Bush to use force against Iraq. -- Former US Pres. Carter won the Nobel Peace prize.

Oct 16, 2002 - A Bush administration official reported that North Korea had told the United States it has a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of a 1994 agreement signed with the Clinton administration.

Oct 23, 2002 - Pres. Bush signed a $355.5 billion military budget, a $34 billion increase over fiscal 2002.  --  Congress has approved the $8 million construction of a state-of-the-art battle simulator at CAMP ATTERBURY that would bring thousands of military and civilian trainees to the base.

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., who requested the expenditure, said this will further establish the base as the premier military training center east of the Mississippi.

Oct 24, 2002 - John Allen Muhammad (41), an Army veteran who recently converted to Islam, and John Lee Malvo (17) were arrested near Frederick, Maryland, in connection with the sniper shootings that left 10 dead and 3 wounded.

Oct 26, 2002 - President Bush launched urgent diplomatic talks to unite Japan, South Korea and other allies behind a strategy to deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea. He also sought support for possible war with Iraq as Pacific Rim leaders stung by terrorism gathered for their annual summit.

Nov 4, 2002 - In northwest Yemen 6 al-Qaida suspects were killed when the car they were traveling in was struck by a missile from a US Predator drone.  Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, a suspected al-Qaida leader, was among the dead along with Kamal Derwish, a member of the Lackawanna, NY, sleeper cell.

Nov 8, 2002 - The UN Security Council unanimously approved a tough new Iraq resolution, aimed at forcing Saddam Hussein to disarm or face "serious consequences." Iraq has until Nov. 15 to accept its terms and pledge to comply. Iraq has until Dec. 8 to provide weapons inspectors and the Security Council with a complete declaration of all aspects of its chemical, biological and nuclear programs. Weapons inspectors have until Dec. 23 to resume their work in Iraq. Weapons inspectors are to report to the Security Council 60 days after the start of their work. If inspectors resume their work on Dec. 23, the latest they would be able to report to the council would be Feb. 21, 2003.

Nov 14, 2002 - Diplomats from the United States, European Union, South Korea and Japan decided to cut off the shipments of oil to North Korea in response to its violation of a 1994 nuclear agreement.

Nov 18, 2002 - U.N. inspectors returned to Iraq to resume the search for weapons of mass destruction.

Nov 25, 2002 - Pres. Bush signed into law the Department of Homeland Security and named Tom Ridge as head of the Cabinet-level office.  H.R. 5005.

Dec 7, 2002 - The Iraqi government presented to the rest of the world a 12,000 page declaration detailing its nuclear, chemical and biological activities and formally declaring to the UN that it has no weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein grudgingly apologized to Kuwaitis for invading their country in 1990.

Dec 12, 2002 - North Korea said it was immediately activating the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon that was shut down in 1994, due to suspension of fuel deliveries.

Dec 17, 2002 - U.S. President George W. Bush ordered the military to begin deploying a national missile defense system with land- and sea-based interceptor rockets to be operational starting in 2004.

Dec 20, 2002 - U.N. weapons inspectors put Iraq on notice that it must provide far more evidence about its weapons of mass destruction. Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix urged the United States and Britain to hand over any evidence they have about Iraq's secret weapons programs so U.N. inspectors can check it on the ground. The US began sharing sensitive information with the UN.

Dec 22, 2002 - The next 1,000 soldiers who pass through CAMP ATTERBURY will face their future backed by symbols of care from central Indiana residents.  Salvation Army staffers delivered 1,000 care packages to Atterbury on Thursday.

Dec 27, 2002 - Poland announced it will buy 48 U.S.-made F-16 jet fighters from Lockheed Martin for $3.5 billion to upgrade its air force to NATO standards.

Dec 30, 2002 - The UN passed a resolution by a 13-0 vote with Russia and Syria abstaining that put new limits on Iraq for purchases of certain communications equipment and antibiotics.