Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Stock Attack II - A Complete Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen who wrote (19414)	9/20/2001 11:22:33 PM
From: Stephen	Respond to of 52237

From the UK Times ..... Blair's finger on the trigger BY PHILIP WEBSTER IN NEW YORK, ROLAND WATSON IN WASHINGTON, AND RICHARD BEESTON TONY BLAIR prepared Britain for conflict last night with his strongest signal yet that he is on the brink of ordering British forces into action against Osama bin Laden and other terrorists in Afghanistan. Flying to New York for a service of remembrance for the 5,000 killed in last week’s outrages, the Prime Minister spoke gravely of the “heavy and huge” responsibility upon himself and other leaders as they considered ordering their armed forces into battle. US forces were yesterday assembling a fleet of 500 aircraft for use in future operations against Afghanistan and the US Army confirmed that it was also mobilising land forces. A Royal Navy task force of 24 surface ships, the largest assembled since the Falklands war, is already in the Middle East and heading for the Gulf. Further details were expected last night when President Bush was due to address a joint session of the US Congress in the most important speech of his young presidency. He was due to set out the evidence of bin Laden’s involvement in last week’s attacks and tell the American people that they were engaged in a battle between freedom and fear. Mr Blair was invited to attend the speech. Fearing further terrorist attacks Richard Cheney, the Vice-President, was taken to a secret location under heavy guard. The talk of war and the military build-up on the ground, followed America’s and Britain’s rejection of an offer from Taleban clerics, who have been sheltering bin Laden. Meeting in Kabul, they issued a fatwa (edict) saying that bin Laden should be “persuaded to leave whenever possible”. Washington dismissed the proposal out of hand. “It’s time for action, not words,” the White House spokesman said. “This is about much more than one man being allowed to leave voluntarily, presumably, from one safe harbour to another safe harbour.” In London a senior Foreign Office source described the move as a “good wheeze”. “One person is very important in all this, but it’s not about one person by any means,” the source said. “It’s about a large organisation.” Mr Blair said that there was “no option but to act” because last week’s atrocities had shown that there were no boundaries or limits to the form of terrorism now being waged against the West. The terrorists would use nuclear, chemical and biological weapons if they could get access to them and they therefore had to be stopped and their “entire apparatus” shut down. The Prime Minister said that he and other leaders were in agreement that there could be “no flinching”. For the first time Mr Blair personally called bin Laden the prime suspect but he suggested that even if the fugitive Saudi terrorist was caught that would not be enough and that other groups operating out of Afghanistan and causing mayhem around the world would also have to be dealt with. Mr Blair, who appeared preoccupied and serious, declared: “It is a huge and heavy responsibility for political leaders to get these decisions right and carry them through in the appropriate way.” But it was even more difficult for the forces who had to carry that action through on the ground. In another hint that action was imminent, he added: “We are extremely lucky to have in Britain some of the finest Armed Forces in the world. It is important that we get this decision right and make sure the action we take is effective. We have identified the prime suspects. Those who are helping or harbouring the people who did this are responsible too. Nobody should doubt our determination to bring the people who are responsible to account.” Mr Blair’s determined mood was underlined after the memorial service at St Thomas’s Church in the shattered heart of downtown Manhattan when he spoke of Britain’s backing for America. He said that just as America had stood by Britain during the Blitz, Britain would stand by America now. “We stand side by side with you now,” he said. In his historic address to Congress, Mr Bush was expected to rally his angry and grief-stricken nation by insisting that freedom would prevail. But the major theme of his speech to the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives was the patience that Washington and US citizens would need to ensure victory. Nor was the immediate threat over, the White House made clear. In a stark reminder that the US remains on high alert for further terrorist attacks, Vice-President Cheney was not attending last night’s occasion. The decision was taken because of “continuation of government issues”, according to a spokesman — government-speak for the dangers of losing the President and his potential successor. Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, had laid the groundwork for last night’s speech by saying that the struggle with terrorism would take more than five years. “It’s a marathon. It is not a sprint,”he said. Mr Blair had boarded his aircraft in Paris where he had a breakfast meeting with President Chirac. The previous evening he had dined with Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor . Both leaders were said to be “absolutely solid” over military action. Regards Stephen