Mississippi State University students returned home from religious services, weekend-trips home and various other activities Sunday afternoon to discover American military and British forces attacked military sites infiltrated by the Taliban in Afghanistan. “On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan,” President George W. Bush said as he addressed the nation in a live broadcast Sunday afternoon. “We are joined in this operation by our staunch friend Great Britain. Our other close friends of Canada, Australia, Germany and France have pledged forces as the operations unfolds.”
The joint forces consisting of 15 land-based bombers, 50 cruise missiles and 25 carrier-launched strike aircraft attacked Taliban military bases located near the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, the Taliban headquarters in Kandahar and Jalabad. Northern Alliance ground troops joined the air attacks from an airbase north of Kabul.
“It is very good Bush got support and help from all the other countries,” Brad Riles, senior, said. “He’s doing it the right way.”
President Bush addressed the nation on a live broadcast shortly before Americans saw Osama bin Laden in a pre-taped address for the first time since Sept. 11.
“Let the whole world know that we shall never accept that the tragedy of Andalucia would be repeated in Palestine,” Bin Laden said in his translated speech. “We cannot accept that Palestine will become Jewish.”
Bin Laden was speaking on a matter that occurred during the second week of May in 1948. After the Holocaust, the United States was an intricate part of the re-establishment of the biblical and former Jewish holy land in Palestine. This action has caused debate between the United States and the region ever since.
Bin Laden’s speech has some State students disagreeing.
“I think Osama (bin Laden) will continue to hold a grudge against us no matter what we have done or will ever do,” Riles said.
The exact details of how many locations were targeted and when the attacks began are still unknown.
“These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime,” Bush said.
Reports from the major networks are missing information Mississippi State students want to know-what exactly happened?
To learn where local and national military stands, The Reflector called Columbus Air Force Base public relations. Since Monday was the federal observation of Columbus Day, no personnel were present to answer any questions.
Attacking another country on a Sunday and the day before a federal holiday has many students wondering if this is part of the surprise in the missile strikes.
“We didn’t want to make the quick response; America wanted to make the right one,” Daniel Gibbs, graduate student, said. “It’s hard to tell right now what will happen in the future.”
“I think his (bin Laden’s) work is done,” Jill Mceachern, senior, said. “We won’t give him another opportunity to attack.”
The missile strikes came 26 days after the terrorist hijackings took place. The long wait to attack the Taliban came after the United States gave several warnings that America would fight back.
According to broadcast interviews with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the attacks were part of a continuous operation in which no United States ground forces were used. One hundred special-operations forces had targets that were attacked through laser-guided missiles. These targets were non-civilian targets.
“We should have done this earlier,” Patrick Wells, senior, said.
Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair, addressed the British nation Sunday as well.
“No country lightly commits forces to military action and the inevitable risks involved,” Blair said in a broadcast address. “We made clear following the attacks upon the U.S. on Sept. 11 that we would take action once it was clear who was responsible. There is no doubt in my mind, nor in the mind of anyone who has been through all the available evidence, including intelligence material, that these attacks were carried out by the al Qaeda network headed by Osama bin Laden.”
Blair also said he could not reveal how long the strikes would last, but he reassured his nation that the “targeted against places (are ones) we know to be involved in the al Qaeda network of terror.”
Taliban leaders also addressed the attacks, calling the missile strikes terrorist acts.
“We condemn the terrorist act against the Afghan nation,” Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef said. “Afghanistan is the victim of American arrogance and expansionism. These brutal acts are horrendous, terrorist acts, as inhuman as any in the world. America will never achieve its political goals by launching bestial attacks on the Muslim people.”
“Now the Taliban will pay a price,” Bush said. “We will not waver; we will not tire. We will not fail.”
“I think it’s about time we let their nation and the Taliban know what we are about,” Jessica Stokes, junior, said. “We are going to fight back; we’re not taking this lying down.”