usnews.com: Washington Whispers: Archive of Web-only Whispers from November 2001 (11/30/01)

Friday, November 21, 2008

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11/27/01
White House won't forget Osama
As it enters its second month in operation, the White House anti-terror war room is stepping up its focus on how the Taliban treats women and Afghan citizens. In the latest report, shown here, the White House lists several Taliban atrocities against its people. The report is meant to counter Taliban wishes that it's time to stop the war on followers of Osama bin Laden.
• Read the complete report.

11/20/01
Publicist in chief
President Clinton's boyhood home of Hot Springs has roped him again to handle some PR for the fun town. His latest effort is a follow-up to the August distribution of three trading cards featuring Clinton. This time the trading cards feature the ex-prez and his beloved University of Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team. "The new card will show President Clinton in front of the White House, wearing a Razorback windbreaker and palming a basketball," said Tom Daniel, chairman of the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission. "The text on the back tells of the president's passion for the Razorbacks, and he describes his favorite Razorback memory. It also points out his link to his hometown of Hot Springs and tells about the city's status as a vacation destination and gives a phone number and Web site for getting more information about the city."
• See the trading card here.

11/14/01
In Oliver North's dreams
To all you Oliver North fans, we have bad news to report. That E-mail report floating around the Internet, in which the Iran-contra figure cites Osama bin Laden nearly 15 years ago for why he beefed up security at his house, is a fake. The only terrorist North cited was Abu Nidal. Our library genius Lee Neville searched every database he could to verify the E-mail, but nothing turned up. So we called North, and his aides confirmed the fake. North, in fact, suggests that at the time of the Reagan-era Senate hearings into the scandal, rebels like bin Laden were U.S. friends lined up against Soviet invaders.

Read the E-mail:
To our former Marines - Happy Birthday - Semper Fi!

I was at a UNC lecture the other day where they played a video of Oliver North during the Iran-Contra deals during the Reagan Administration. I was only 14 back then but was surprised by this particular clip.

There was Ollie in front of God and Country getting the third degree. But what he said stunned me. He was being grilled by some senator I didn't recognize who asked him, "Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"

Oliver replied, "Yes I did, Sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't this just a little excessive?"

"No sir," continued Oliver.

"No. And why not?"

"Because the life of my family and I were threatened."

"Threatened? By who."

"By a terrorist, sir."

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"

"His name is Osama bin Laden."

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued.

"Why are you so afraid of this man?"

"Because sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of."

"And what do you recommend we do about him?"

"If it were me I would recommend an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."

The senator disagreed with this approach and that was all they showed of the clip.

It's scary when you think 15 years ago the government was aware of bin Laden and his potential threat to the security of the world. I guess like all great tyrants they start small but if left untended spread like the virus they truly are.

11/13/01
Urban warfare gets jump start
With future military battles looking more like urban street fights than global war, the Army is stepping up its bid to equip its troops with new weapons such as sensors that can "see" through office walls–and differentiate between friend and foe. Army documents show that the service is seeking "white papers" detailing what types of equipment can be used for urban warfare right now as well as futuristic stuff as it develops a program called UCASS: Urban Combat Advanced Sensor Suite. The goals are simple and universal: help troops figure out where the bad guys are before they're fired on. It's especially important in offices, not your regular open battlefield. In requesting suggestions from the defense industry, the Army says it needs ideas on equipment capable of "detecting, discriminating, and monitoring an unfriendly intruder or noncombatant personnel through walls within a building, down long hallways, on adjacent floors, around corner, or anywhere line of sight is restricted." Or even a cave, while we're on the subject.

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