WAR ON TERROR. WHERE NEXT?
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/what_next/
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/what_next/
INTRODUCTION
While the war in Afghanistan may be drawing to a close, the US says its war on terrorism is only just beginning. Washington has moved on to the second stage, with covert and overt action in other parts of the world. The US has outlined its two goals - first to shut down terrorist camps and bring terrorists to justice, and second to prevent countries that Washington says are stockpiling chemical, biological or nuclear weapons from threatening the US and the world.
IRAQ
No clear evidence linking Iraq to the 11 September attacks has been presented, but Iraq is frequently mentioned as a possible target in the anti-terror campaign.
In his State of the Union speech, President Bush said the regime “continues to flaunt its hostility towards America and to support terror.”
He accused Baghdad of plotting to develop anthrax, nerve gas and nuclear weapons for more than a decade.
He has previously warned Baghdad that it must allow the return of the UN weapons inspectors, or suffer the consequences.
The question of what to do with Iraq appears to be undecided but the main option, analysts say, would be to launch an air offensive, possibly on an even greater scale than was last used in December 1998.
[Biens sûr, ces suppositions datent d'avant le massacre.]
IRAN
Iran was singled out by US President George Bush as a dangerous regime in his State of the Union speech. He said that along with North Korea, Iraq and their “terrorist allies” Tehran constitutes an “axis of evil”. There is no evidence linking Iran to the 11 September attacks on the US and Mr Bush said those three countries had been pretty quiet since the attacks. But Iran was accused of aggressively pursuing weapons of mass destruction and exporting terror. Mr Bush said this could not be tolerated but left it vague as to what action the US would take.
SUDAN
In 1998, Sudan was the target of American missile strikes, after the US accused it of ties with al-Qaeda, which Washington blamed for blowing up its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania earlier that year. There have been reports that US has contingency plans to attack targets in Sudan, where Osama Bin Laden was based before moving to Afghanistan. However, since 11 September the Sudanese Government has stepped up its efforts to arrest and hand over terrorist suspects.
SOMALIA
The US says al-Qaeda has bases in Somalia, and US flotillas have already begun patrolling the sea lanes. The Muslim country has no effective central government, and much of the country is divided into fiefdoms presided over by competing warlords.
Somalia’s interim Prime Minister, Hassan Abshir Farah, has strongly rejected American charges, but he has also said he would welcome the deployment of US military teams in Somalia to investigate the possible presence of al-Qaeda members.
YEMEN
Yemen is Osama Bin Laden’s ancestral home, and the US suspects his men were behind the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, in which 17 American soldiers were killed.
In mid-December Yemeni security forces - with the help of US intelligence - attacked mountain villages suspected of harbouring members of al-Qaeda network. It was the first time since 11 September that an Arab government used military force to confront suspected members of al-Qaeda, and many believe it could mark the start of phase two in America’s war on terror.
UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan has allowed the United States to use its airspace during the war in Afghanistan, as well as an airport for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Uzbek Government has its own problems with Islamic militants, and few believe Tashkent's co-operation has come without a price. Washington says the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) has ties to al-Qaeda and poses a regional threat that must be rooted out. Many believe that the US might help Uzbekistan do that, while turning a blind eye to government crackdowns on opposition groups.
TAJIKISTAN
The United States and the European military have reportedly been operating in Tajikistan, Afghanistan's immediate neighbour to the north. Reports have suggested that al-Qaeda has trained and backed Islamic rebels who are fighting the Tajik Government. In the past, Tajikistan has been accused by its neighbours of tolerating the presence of training camps for Islamist rebels on its territory, an accusation which it has strongly denied.
INDONESIA
Reports have suggested that America could target parts of Indonesia, where Islamic militants have gained a strong foothold. The head of the country’s National Intelligences Agency, Lieutenant General Hendropriyono, recently confirmed that al-Qaeda members have been fighting on the island of Sulawesi. Local militant groups - such as Laskar Jihad which has trained thousands to fight against Christians - are believed to have links with al-Qaeda. Washington is said to be frustrated by the unwillingness of the Indonesian security forces to rein in Islamic militants.
MALAYSIA
Since 11 September, there have been a series of arrests of Islamic militants suspected of having links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the region now say al-Qaeda’s roots in South East Asia are stronger than was first suspected. Two of the alleged hijackers who took part in the 11 September, Khaled al-Midhar and Nawaq al-Hamzi, are said to have been filmed at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with other known al-Qaeda operatives. Members of the rebel Malaysian Mujahideen Group (KMM) reportedly spent time in Afghanistan.
PHILIPPINES
The United States has provided logistical support for Manila’s campaign against the Abu Sayyaf, a militant Muslim group believed to be linked to Osama Bin Laden. American troops have been deployed to provide training and support in the hunt for rebels who operate in the south of the country. Philippines officials are convinced that the Abu Sayyaf has received arms, training and other logistical support from al-Qaeda. They say that the network first set up links with the Abu Sayyaf in the early 1990s, and that recent kidnappings were "part of the fingerprints of al-Qaeda".
NORTH KOREA
There is no evidence linking North Korea to the 11 September attacks on the US, but President George Bush has warned Pyongyang that it could soon become a target in the war on terror. In his first State of the Union address, Mr Bush put North Korea among a small group of the world’s most dangerous regimes. He accused it of arming itself with missiles and weapons of mass destruction which could be used to arm international terrorists. He described North Korea, along with Iraq and Iran, as “an axis of evil”. He left his warning vague without mentioning specific actions that could be taken, but hinted that he would move to use the full force of US military might if necessary.
PAKISTAN
[Pourquoi on ne voit pas le Pakistan sur la liste. Pourtant, c’est la pochaine cible inévitable si on veut «contrôler» l’Afghanistan. Et une partie des auteurs officiels du 11 Septembre viennent de la.]
IRAN
Iran was singled out by US President George Bush as a dangerous regime in his State of the Union speech. He said that along with North Korea, Iraq and their “terrorist allies” Tehran constitutes an “axis of evil”. There is no evidence linking Iran to the 11 September attacks on the US and Mr Bush said those three countries had been pretty quiet since the attacks. But Iran was accused of aggressively pursuing weapons of mass destruction and exporting terror. Mr Bush said this could not be tolerated but left it vague as to what action the US would take.
SUDAN
In 1998, Sudan was the target of American missile strikes, after the US accused it of ties with al-Qaeda, which Washington blamed for blowing up its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania earlier that year. There have been reports that US has contingency plans to attack targets in Sudan, where Osama Bin Laden was based before moving to Afghanistan. However, since 11 September the Sudanese Government has stepped up its efforts to arrest and hand over terrorist suspects.
SOMALIA
The US says al-Qaeda has bases in Somalia, and US flotillas have already begun patrolling the sea lanes. The Muslim country has no effective central government, and much of the country is divided into fiefdoms presided over by competing warlords.
Somalia’s interim Prime Minister, Hassan Abshir Farah, has strongly rejected American charges, but he has also said he would welcome the deployment of US military teams in Somalia to investigate the possible presence of al-Qaeda members.
YEMEN
Yemen is Osama Bin Laden’s ancestral home, and the US suspects his men were behind the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, in which 17 American soldiers were killed.
In mid-December Yemeni security forces - with the help of US intelligence - attacked mountain villages suspected of harbouring members of al-Qaeda network. It was the first time since 11 September that an Arab government used military force to confront suspected members of al-Qaeda, and many believe it could mark the start of phase two in America’s war on terror.
UZBEKISTAN
Uzbekistan has allowed the United States to use its airspace during the war in Afghanistan, as well as an airport for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Uzbek Government has its own problems with Islamic militants, and few believe Tashkent's co-operation has come without a price. Washington says the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) has ties to al-Qaeda and poses a regional threat that must be rooted out. Many believe that the US might help Uzbekistan do that, while turning a blind eye to government crackdowns on opposition groups.
TAJIKISTAN
The United States and the European military have reportedly been operating in Tajikistan, Afghanistan's immediate neighbour to the north. Reports have suggested that al-Qaeda has trained and backed Islamic rebels who are fighting the Tajik Government. In the past, Tajikistan has been accused by its neighbours of tolerating the presence of training camps for Islamist rebels on its territory, an accusation which it has strongly denied.
INDONESIA
Reports have suggested that America could target parts of Indonesia, where Islamic militants have gained a strong foothold. The head of the country’s National Intelligences Agency, Lieutenant General Hendropriyono, recently confirmed that al-Qaeda members have been fighting on the island of Sulawesi. Local militant groups - such as Laskar Jihad which has trained thousands to fight against Christians - are believed to have links with al-Qaeda. Washington is said to be frustrated by the unwillingness of the Indonesian security forces to rein in Islamic militants.
MALAYSIA
Since 11 September, there have been a series of arrests of Islamic militants suspected of having links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the region now say al-Qaeda’s roots in South East Asia are stronger than was first suspected. Two of the alleged hijackers who took part in the 11 September, Khaled al-Midhar and Nawaq al-Hamzi, are said to have been filmed at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with other known al-Qaeda operatives. Members of the rebel Malaysian Mujahideen Group (KMM) reportedly spent time in Afghanistan.
PHILIPPINES
The United States has provided logistical support for Manila’s campaign against the Abu Sayyaf, a militant Muslim group believed to be linked to Osama Bin Laden. American troops have been deployed to provide training and support in the hunt for rebels who operate in the south of the country. Philippines officials are convinced that the Abu Sayyaf has received arms, training and other logistical support from al-Qaeda. They say that the network first set up links with the Abu Sayyaf in the early 1990s, and that recent kidnappings were "part of the fingerprints of al-Qaeda".
NORTH KOREA
There is no evidence linking North Korea to the 11 September attacks on the US, but President George Bush has warned Pyongyang that it could soon become a target in the war on terror. In his first State of the Union address, Mr Bush put North Korea among a small group of the world’s most dangerous regimes. He accused it of arming itself with missiles and weapons of mass destruction which could be used to arm international terrorists. He described North Korea, along with Iraq and Iran, as “an axis of evil”. He left his warning vague without mentioning specific actions that could be taken, but hinted that he would move to use the full force of US military might if necessary.
PAKISTAN
[Pourquoi on ne voit pas le Pakistan sur la liste. Pourtant, c’est la pochaine cible inévitable si on veut «contrôler» l’Afghanistan. Et une partie des auteurs officiels du 11 Septembre viennent de la.]
SYRIE
?
CHINE
?
RUSSIE
?
ARABIE SAOUDITE
[Selon des spécialistes, une grande partie des fonds subventionnant les bénévoles Afghans viennent de là. Et aussi une partie des auteurs officiels du 11 Septembre.]
YOUGOSLAVIE
[Il semble que des combattants viennent de là. Bosnie, ect. ]
