Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 01-09-18

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From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

[01] HEADLINES

[02] US

[03] taleban

[04] world

[05] leads

[06] finance

[07] cassoulides

[08] hasikos

[09] papadopoulos

[10] peres

[11] weather TUESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2001

[01] HEADLINES

US President George W Bush declared Osama Bin Laden as wanted by authorities "dead or alive",

Afghanistan however, is sending mixed signals about what to do with bin Laden,

US allies reaffirmed their support for a war on terrorism, but are tempering that will calls for cooler heads to prevail,

Nerves were frayed on international markets as the possibility of a campaign against global terror could hit buying power world wide,

AND foreign Minister Ioannis Casoulides said the sole aim of international terrorism is to destroy modern day western civilisation which Cyprus is a part of.

[02] US

As investors waited to see if U.S. share prices would once again plunge today after Wall Street suffered its largest point loss ever, Americans braced for the possibility of casualties in a hunt by their government to capture Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden "dead or alive."

Preparing the nation for a long, hard war and vowing justice for those killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by hijacked airliners, President George W. Bush issued a warning to the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan who regard Bin Laden as their "guest", to take his message seriously.

Washington has been rallying an international coalition for a war on "terrorism" after three hijacked airliners reduced to rubble the twin towers of the World Trade Center, and wrecked a wing of the Pentagon. Another plane crashed after passengers reportedly overpowered the hijackers.

[03] taleban

Reports in Pakistani newspapers suggested the ruling Taliban might be ready for negotiations.

The unconfirmed reports said a Pakistani team, in Kabul in a bid to try and convince the purist Taliban it must hand over bin Laden or face a U.S. strike, had received conditions for a possible handover.

Conditions included the trial of bin Laden in a neutral country, lifting of U.N. sanctions against the Taliban, economic assistance and suspension of foreign aid and military supplies to the Afghan opposition.

The Taliban also threatened, however, to launch a jihad, or holy war, if attacked by the United States and said bin Laden was innocent.

Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhond, deputy chairman of the Taliban Council of Ministers, said in a speech broadcast late yesterday it was unimaginable that the "terror attacks" in America had been committed by the Taliban or by bin Laden.

Afghanistan's highest-ranking Islamic clerics on Tuesday postponed for at least one day a planned grand council meeting called to discuss what to do with bin Laden.

[04] world

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank canceled meetings because of security concerns their flagship annual meetings due to be held at the end of September in Washington. European Union leaders said they would hold an emergency summit on Friday on the unfolding drama.

Washington's key allies reaffirmed support for a war on "terrorism" but many were cool on strikes against Afghanistan and feared escalation on religious or regional lines.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said that the West needs to react with a cool head and that the crisis is not about revenge.

Bush meanwhile, urged the United States to return to normal.

The toll in the World Trade Center attack stood at 5,422 missing, with 201 confirmed dead, after six days of rescue efforts at the smoking remains of the 110-story twin towers. Of the dead, only 135 have been identified.

Another 188 people died at the Pentagon, and 45 were killed in the crash of the fourth plane in Pennsylvania.

[05] leads

The government is increasing the number of air marshals aboard flights and there has been talk of troopers from the elite Delta Force riding shotgun on planes.

The FBI is following up 47,000 potential leads on the terrorist attacks. Officials have named 19 men they say used knives and box cutters to commandeer the four commercial airliners.

U.S. authorities have arrested on sealed warrants at least four witnesses with key information about the attacks or who posed a flight risk. They have detained 49 other people for immigration violations in the course of the investigation.

With Washington warning the world it was time to pick sides, Britain and Italy said they would contribute militarily if asked to. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac along with a parade of foreign ministers are due in Washington this week.

But there were also words of caution. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said it was "too early" to speak of a coalition against "terrorism," while Iran's supreme leader warned that any attack on Afghanistan could lead to even more problems for America.

[06] finance

After a day of wild trading, the Dow Jones industrial index plummeted 684.81 points, or more than 7 percent, its biggest one day point drop ever.

But caution persisted on the world markets, with many financiers worried that a U.S. campaign against global terror could hit buying power worldwide.

The colossal economic consequences of the attacks prompted Bush to say he was ready to work with Congress to develop an economic stimulus package.

In a chilling stock market sideshow, regulators said they were investigating whether bin Laden and those managing his multimillion-dollar fortune profited from the attacks.

They are looking into whether organizers of the attacks sold short shares in companies they expected to lose value as a consequence of the attacks. Selling short is a way of profiting from falling share prices.

[07] cassoulides

Speaking on his return from New York, Casoulides labelled fanatical islamic fundamentalism as a dark force which is singlemindedly determined to destroy western civilisation.

The Foreign minister added that it is for this that we must not permit such a thing from happening, since Islamic fanatics strike at not only the United States, but Cyprus' allies as well.

[08] hasikos

Speaking on CyBC radio this morning, Hasikos said that he was previously misinterpreted and made clear that under no circumstances would he either commit Cyprus to any action, or put the island in danger.

He added that given Cyprus' EU accession candidate status, the island has certain obligations to the bloc, adding however, that no one can impose anything on the government.

The Defence Minister dismissed suggestions that he should have informed the acting president of the republic and stressed that he had only expressed the government's firm policy.

[09] papadopoulos

Speaking on CyBC radio this morning, Papadopoulos stressed that all parties unequivocably condemn terrorism and added that Cyprus should join the ranks of those who are combating it.

The Diko leader said the island, given that it is partly occupied by Turkey, cannot remain unaffected by any emerging crisis, including a possible reduction in tourist arrivals, a petrol price increase and a general impact on other economic sectors.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Papadopoulos said that as a result of the tense situation, interest in solution efforts will diminish, while Rauf Denktash's intransigence will be played down.

[10] peres

The meeting was held at 1:00 am on September first at a private residence in Limassol.

The two foreign ministers arrived seperately under a shroud of secrecy at Larnaca airport on private jets.

They were then taken to the Limassol meeting place under extremely tight security.

A politician who played a key role in the meeting confirmed the secret talks to CyBC, but revealed nothing else.

The meeting was also confirmed by a source in the Israeli foreign ministry, but the source refrained from revealing the issues that were discussed.

[11] weather

Moderate sea breezes this afternoon, 3 to 4 beaufort, will be accompanied by slight seas.

Temperatures will reach 34 degrees inland, 31 on the southern coast, 29 on the western coast and 24 in the highest mountains.

More fine conditions tonight with the possibility of fog and low cloud developing tonight.

Winds will be variable light, 2 to 3 beaufort with calm to slight seas.

Temperatures will drop to 19 degrees inland and the western coast and 21 on the southern and eastern coasts.

A reminder that the fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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