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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: unclewest who wrote (15562)	11/7/2003 8:37:27 PM
From: KLP	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793600

U.S. closing Saudi missions for check Associated Press msnbc.com All U.S. missions in Saudi Arabia will close Saturday because of "credible" information that terrorists in the kingdom have moved from plotting attacks to preparing to carry them out, the U.S. Embassy said Friday. THE UNITED STATES also warned that Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan may try to kidnap U.S. journalists working in that country. The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, said Americans in the kingdom should be "vigilant when in any area that is perceived to be American or Western." The embassy said in a warden message on its Web site that the missions in Riyadh, Jiddah and Dhahran would close to assess their "security posture." They will then advise the U.S. community when the review is completed and when the missions plan to resume normal operations. "The Embassy continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom," the message said. U.S. officials told NBC News on condition of anonymity that the al-Qaida terrorist network was believed to be behind the threat, which one of the officials said could also target "commercial and maritime" installations. Saudi police uncovered a cell Monday believed linked to al-Qaida in the holy city of Mecca. Police believe the cell had planned to carry out attacks during Ramadan. THREAT IN AFGHANISTAN In Afghanistan, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said it had "credible information that Taliban forces are actively searching for American journalists to take hostage for use as leverage for the release of Taliban currently under United States control." In a statement released to journalists, it advised them "to increase their security posture." The Taliban was ousted by a U.S.-led coalition almost two years ago. The U.S. military holds Taliban captives at Bagram Air Base, the coalition's headquarters north of Kabul, as well as at a detention facility on Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba. Fighters with links to the former regime have stepped up attacks in recent months, mostly in southern and eastern Afghanistan. On Oct. 30, Taliban insurgents abducted a Turkish road engineer, demanding the release of Taliban prisoners. Negotiations were continuing. NBC's Carl Rochelle contributed to this report from Washington.

To: unclewest who wrote (15562)	11/10/2003 9:17:00 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793600

When an American in uniform exercises his rights to free speech or freedom of religion, it is a story only if you are bigoted, prejudiced or believe US military personnel have no rights. Would you feel that way if the general in question had declared that there is no God but Allah, and that all who stand against Allah are doomed to have their butts kicked? Please note that I never said Boykin does not have the right to say what he said. He certainly has the right to say whatever he pleases, just as the media has the right to report his public statements, whether he made them in church or in the neighborhood bar. Public statements are a matter of public interest, and unless you are prejudiced, bigoted, or opposed to freedom of the press, there is no way to argue that such comments should be outside the realm of public debate. It was still a stupid thing to say. It aids America's enemies and damages America's influence in places where that influence is already very shaky. That's not smart.