September 11 News.com - December 2001 Daily Timeline & Chronology of News Events With Daily Images.

©September11News.com Dec. 1: Canadian PM Jean Chrétien, and over 8,000 Canadians, arrived in New York City to show their affection and support for New York. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani proclaimed the day Canada Loves New York Day. Palestinian suicide bombers kill at least 10 Israelis and injure over 170, in a series of blasts in Jerusalem. Israeli PM Sharon says he plans to return home from New York a day earlier due to the terrorist attacks. Canadian journalist Ken Hechtman is released by the Taliban after seven days in jail. U.S. warplanes continue bombing Taliban positions around Kandahar as anti-Taliban forces launch ground offensives around the city. Diplomats and Afghan leaders inch closer to an agreement during lengthy meetings in Bonn. John Walker, an American citizen who identified himself as Abdul Hamid, emerged from the siege of the prison in Mazar-e-Sharif with 85 other Taliban fighters. Walker said he converted to Islam, and traveled to Afghanistan six months ago "to help the Islamic government." After talking to reporters Walker was reportedly taken away by U.S. Special Forces.	Jerusalem Attacked
	US Nears Kandahar
Dec. 2: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the Canada-U.S.A. border will be be patrolled by the U.S. National Guard to allow overworked U.S. customs agents to return to regular duties. Another suicide bomber kills at least 15 people and injures over 40, in a powerful bus explosion in the Israeli port city of Haifa. Israeli PM Ariel Sharon meets with U.S. President George W. Bush, and departs for Israel to deal with the dramatic escalation of terror against Israel. After the latest attacks on Israel, President Bush said, "This is a moment where the advocates for peace in the Middle East must rise up and fight terror." The body of Johnny (Mike) Spann, the first known U.S. combat casualty, arrives at Andrews Air Force Base with a Marine honor guard. Many high-ranking Taliban figures are reportedly on the verge of surrendering Kandahar, as opposition forces close in, and U.S. bombers continue to pound the city. U.S. government officials say that they have begun dispatching diplomatic, military, and intelligence agents to Asia and Africa to lay the groundwork for future war on terrorism efforts.	PM Sharon & Bush
	Haifa Bus Explodes
Dec. 3: Palestinian leaders accuse Israel of "declaring war" after Israeli gunships and F-16 fighter bombers destroy Yasser Arafat's helicopters in Gaza and a police station on the West Bank. In a rare live televised address Israeli PM Sharon said, "Those who rise up to kill us are responsible for their own destruction." Sharon described PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat as "the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East." U.S. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, "Obviously Israel has the right to defend herself." Arafat declared a state of emergency, and rounded up 150 militants connected to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. U.S. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge tells Americans to brace for fresh terrorist attacks, and put the nation on a high state of alert. Ridge said, "We are a nation at war. There are shadowy soldiers. This is a shadowy enemy." This is the third warning issued by the U.S. government. The FBI issued previous high alert warnings on October 11th and 29th. U.S. B-52 bombers strike targets around Kandahar and Osama bin Laden's suspected hideout near Jalalabad. Rival Afghan leaders edged toward a UN-brokered deal to form a post-Taliban government. After seven days of talks in Bonn, the group is down to selecting the 29 names for a transitional cabinet.	Arafat Chopper Hit
	Ridge - New Threats
Dec. 4: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to worsen as Israel brands Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority a "supporter of terrorism." Israeli warplanes strike at eight Palestinian facilities in the West Bank and Gaza, and Israeli bulldozers destroy the runway at Gaza International Airport. Arafat is reportedly seeking refuge from the Israeli air strikes in an underground facility in Ramallah. Afghan militiamen begin massing near Jalalabad for an assault on the Tora Bora mountain fortress thought to be a likely Osama bin Laden hideout. Pakistan gives U.S. intelligence officials access to arrested members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network including two retired nuclear scientists who were detained for ties to bin Laden. In Bonn, Germany the leaders of Afghanistan's four main ethnic groups agree in principle to a new interim government. The Bonn delegates broke into applause and handshakes after the deal was announced. Speaking from Kabul, Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said, "The transition of war to peace is taking place in a very smooth manner." Abdullah added, "Nobody expected, after 23 years of war, in a matter of days, that we will agree upon every detail."	UN Afghan Talks
	Afghan Marine Base
Dec. 5: Afghan tanks supported by American bombers begin an offensive strike on Osama bin Laden's suspected mountaintop stronghold in Tora Bora. Friendly fire from the strikes near the Tora Bora caves kills three U.S. soldiers and five Pashtun tribal fighters. U.S. President Bush said, "I, along with the rest of America, grieve for the loss of life in Afghanistan. I want the families to know that they died for a noble and just cause." The U.N. announces from Bonn that Hamid Karzai, a western-educated Pashtun who is leading 4,0000 troops in the assault on Kandahar, will assume control of the provisional Afghan government on December 22nd. Karzai said, "My priority will be peace and stability." Karzai also disclosed the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Muhammad Omar, has agreed to surrender Kandahar if he and other senior leaders are granted amnesty. Canadian Defence Department officials announce that members of the Canadian army's secretive anti-terrorist unit JTF2 are heading to an undisclosed location to join U.S. and British special forces. Canadian officials also said the Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto will depart for the Arabian Sea and join five other Canadian warships and 2,000 Canadian troops already committed to the war on terror.	Afghan Cabinet Deal
	Taliban Prisoners
Dec. 6: Interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai announces the surrender of Taliban forces in the southern stronghold of Kandahar. In return for surrendering and giving up weapons the Taliban were offered amnesty, although Karzai said some 650 al-Qaeda fighters "would be brought to justice." U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld quickly spoke out against amnesty for Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, saying, "Would an arrangement with Omar ... be consistent with what I've said? The answer is no." If amnesty was granted to Omar, Rumsfeld said "co-operation and assistance" with opposition forces "would clearly take a turn south." Rumsfeld orders an investigation into the friendly fire death of three American Green Beret soldiers who died near Kandahar on December 5th after a B-52 bomber dropped a 900-kilogram bomb near front line U.S. troops. Secretary of State Colin Powell met with NATO allies in Brussels to discuss the makeup of a peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend the U.S. administration plans to implement anti-terrorism measures for "war criminals." Senior U.S. officials say they are providing air support for Alliance troops fighting the al-Qaeda forces near cave complexes in Tora Bora, south of Jalalabad.	Afghan Cave War
	Ashcroft Hearings
Dec. 7: The Times of London reports that Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Muhammad Omar is being held captive in a "friendly environment" near the city of Kandahar. Amid reports of the fall of Kandahar, other reports indicate Omar was still in Kandahar or had fled. Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai toughened his stance on Omar describing him as a "fugitive" who should be brought to "international justice." In a significant shift in American policy a State Department official said Omar and other top Taliban leaders should be tried by Afghans for "crimes against the Afghan people" rather than necessarily facing American justice. Chaos in the Kandahar area reigns with indications that thousands of Taliban troops reneged on their promise to surrender, and slipped out of Kandahar. Eleven escaping Taliban fighters are killed in the first operational clash with U.S. forces in the region. U.S. Marines skirmish with enemy forces who are "perimeter probing" outside the U.S. compound dubbed Camp Rhino. American B-52 bombers continue to pound the caves around Tora Bora as opposition forces drive the remaining al-Qaeda forces deeper into the surrounding mountains. Speaking aboard the USS Enterprise docked in Norfolk, Virginia U.S. President George W. Bush says the military is "succeeding" in the liberation of Afghanistan. Bush added, "We are a long way from finishing. Much difficult and dangerous work is to be done." Bush was on the carrier for a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. American ships in the Arabian Sea board cargo ships in the area searching for fleeing Al-Qaeda commanders. Israeli F-16 jets destroy PLO leader Yasser Arafat's police headquarters in Gaza City. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, firefighters, rescue workers, and relief workers hold a ceremony in New York, where a Christmas tree trucked from Canada, is lit near the site of the World Trade Center's Ground Zero.	WTC Christmas Tree
	Pearl Harbor's 60th
Dec. 8: The allies tighten the dragnet around the fortified mountain hideouts of the al-Qaeda, as U.S. bombers continue to pound the Malawa mountains near Tora Bora. Afghan commander Haji Zahir said the al-Qaeda forces near Tora Bora were told they were surrounded and had no more than five days to surrender. U.S. marines in southern Afghanistan seal the escape routes out of Kandahar, and show photographs of the key al-Qaeda leaders to local Afghans. Pakistan deploys helicopter gunships and troops along the Afghan border to prevent al-Qaeda's escape. The Washington Post reports that the United States has obtained a videotape of Osama bin laden describing the damage to the world Trade Center as being much greater than he had expected. According to senior U.S. government officials, the tape was obtained in Afghanistan during the search of a private home in Jalalabad. In the tape bin Laden praises Allah for success and he uses language that indicates he was familiar with the planning of the attacks. Bin Laden explains on the tape how he expected only the top of the World Trade Center to collapse, and bin Laden also indicates that more destruction is coming. Go to Washington Post videotape story.	Camp Rhino Sunset Taliban Soldier Aims
Dec. 9: U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney confirms that the U.S. has an incriminating video of Osama bin Laden, and indicates President Bush is considering release of the tape to further prove Osama bin Laden's responsibility for the September 11th attacks. American warplanes unleash wave after wave of air strikes on the snow-capped Tora Bora mountain complex where Osama bin Laden and 1,000 al-Qaeda fighters are believed to be dug in. U.S. military leaders express confidence in bin Laden's whereabouts saying, "Our latest information is ... that he is in this area, the so-called Tora Bora are." Eighteen Northern Alliance soldiers including several commanders are killed in a helicopter crash in northern Afghanistan. The United Nations begins a massive wheat distribution relief effort in Kabul. The astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor and the International Space Station pay tribute to those who died on Sept. 11 and those who are fighting terrorism. Endeavor is carrying thousands of small flags to be distributed to relatives of the victims. Also sent to space was a U.S. flag that was flying at the World Trade Center on the morning of the attacks. North Korea accuses the U.S. of making it a target after Afghanistan, saying the country is "in full combat preparedness to lay down their lives for the country ... things will be different in the case of the second Korean War."	Camp Rhino Marines
	Sunday Service
Dec. 10: Kofi Annan accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Norway. Annan said, "We have entered the third millennium through a gate of fire. If today, after the horror of 11 September, we see the better, and we see further - we will realize that humanity is indivisible." Hundreds of Afghan tribal fighters storm the valley below the Tora Bora cave complex while Eastern Alliance tanks and U.S. bombers pound the Taliban positions on the mountains above them. U.S. Marines move into the capital city of Kabul and secure the grounds of the American embassy more than 12 years after it was abandoned in the wake of the Soviet withdrawal. U.S. Marines close in on Kandahar and deploy "hunter-killer" teams around the city to intercept escaping al-Qaeda or Taliban fighters. U.S. officials say President Bush is leaning towards the release of the Osama bin Laden videotape found in a Jalalabad apartment about 10 days ago. Bush said, "For those who see this tape, they realize that not only is he guilty of incredible murder, he has no conscience and no soul. He represents the worst of civilization." The Telegraph in London reports that five American officers have secretly entered Somalia to search for terrorist camps. A U.S. State Department delegation arrives in northern Iraq to pull Kurdish and other anti-government forces together. U.S. Secretary of Defense Powell meets with Russian President Putin in Moscow.	Annan Nobel Prize
	Powell and Putin
Dec. 11: U.S. aircraft resume bombing of the last stronghold of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda forces after a "surrender or die" deadline passed without any sign of compliance. Afghan tribal troops capture many of the caves and tunnels in the mountainous Tora Bora cave sanctuary. Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th hijacker, becomes the first person charged in connection with the planning of the September 11 attacks. Investigators believe Moussaoui, who was arrested in Minnesota in August, may have been the fifth member of the team of hijackers on Flight 93. U.S. President Bush speaks at a White House ceremony commemorating the 3-month anniversary of the September attacks, and later speaks at The Citadel military college in South Carolina, where he warns "rogue nations" that "They have been warned. They are being watched and they will be held to account." U.S. officials confirm that about 100 U.S. special forces are operating in Somalia, carrying out reconnaissance, looking for al-Qaeda members, and liaising with opposition groups. The 3-month anniversary of the September 11 attacks is remembered across America at 8:46 A.M. EDT, with services at Ground Zero, the White House, the Pentagon, and near the crash site of Flight 93. Go to December 11, 2001 memorial images.	Bush / The Citadel
	Rumsfeld / Pentagon
Dec. 12: American warplanes continue to blast al-Qaeda holdouts near Tora Bora as reports from news correspondents hint that Osama bin Laden has escaped from Afghanistan. American and Afghan officials expressed concern that key al-Qaeda leaders may have escaped into the tribal areas of northern Pakistan. The Christian Science Monitor reports that bin Laden might have fled to Pakistan 10 days ago with the help of local tribesmen. U.S. government officials decide to delay the release of an incriminating bin Laden videotape to ensure accuracy in the translation "before anything is released to the world." All four crew members are rescued from the Indian Ocean after a U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber malfunctions and crashes. U.S. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley sign a 30-point "smart border" action plan in Ottawa. Palestinian gunmen ambush a bus outside the Jewish settlement of Emmanuel, killing ten passengers. Soon after the attack Israel cuts contact with Yasser Arafat and the Israeli government indicates their military would commence widespread operations to disarm militants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Shortly after the attacks Arafat issues a late-night order that all offices and institutions of Hamas and Islamic Jihad be closed.	Israel Bus Ambush
	Camp Rhino Return
Dec. 13: U.S. warplanes continue to pound the caves near Tora Bora amid reports of massive explosions in the mountains. U.S. officials say that the al-Qaeda leaders in the Tora Bora caves are surrounded, and putting up strong opposition, indicating the possibility Osama bin Laden is among them. .U.S. President Bush announces that he is pulling out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia, starting a six-month timetable for withdrawal and clearing the way for creation of an anti-missile defense system. From the White House Bush said, "I have concluded the ABM treaty hinders our government's ability to develop ways to protect our people from future terrorist or rogue state missile attacks." Russian President Putin goes on national TV and calls the decision "a mistake." India is put on a full state of alert after gunmen storm India's parliament in a 30-minute shootout that leaves twelve dead. Israeli forces attack positions in Gaza and the West Bank and say Arafat is "irrelevant." The Pentagon releases a videotape, found in Jalalabad in November, clearly showing Osama bin Laden's full knowledge of the September 11 attack details. After days of translation the tape is broadcast worldwide. Go to the text and images of the Osama bin Laden videotape released by the Pentagon.	Bush Cancels ABM
	Pentagon Videotape
Dec. 14: India accuses a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group of carrying out the suicide attack on Parliament and demands that Pakistan arrest the group's leaders. Israel launches night incursions into villages, killing six Palestinians, and arresting 40 "terrorist suspects." Israel confirms for the first it was looking for a successor to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. An Arafat aid called the Israeli raids "a new massacre by the Israeli forces." British officials say they will send a 12-member team to Kabul to gather information on the preparation of a United Nations force that will arrive later in the month to protect the capital of Kabul. Afghan fighters supported by American aerial bombardment say they have routed the remnants of the al-Qaeda forces in the positions they held in the Tora Bora caves, and only a small pocket of fighters now remain on a snow-capped mountain ridge in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. U.S. President Bush urges patience in the hunt for Osama bin Laden saying, ""I don't know whether we're going to get him tomorrow, or a month from now, or a year from now, but we're going to get him." Captured American Taliban fighter John Walker is moved from Camp Rhino in southern Afghanistan to a U.S. navy ship in the Arabian Sea. A U.S. Defense Department official characterizes Walker's disposition as a "battlefield detainee." Hundreds of U.S. marines from camp Rhino begin the occupation of the strategic Kandahar airport. Many newspapers in the Arab world play down the significance of the videotape of Osama bin Laden who discusses the September 11 attack. Some Arabic news agencies question the authenticity of the video, which brings a strong response from President Bush who said, "This is bin Laden unedited. It's preposterous for anybody to think that this tape is doctored. That's just a feeble excuse to provide weak support for an incredibly evil man." The last remaining large piece of the World Trade Center is prepared for removal from Ground Zero and NYC officials say the piece will be stored and later used as part of a future memorial. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said an interagency task force will review ways to prevent leaks of classified information.	B-52 Sky Contrails
	Convoy to Kandahar
Dec. 15: The remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the Tora Bora area are reportedly closer to surrender as U.S. bombs continue to rain on them, and the cornered soldiers are running short of ammunition and supplies. U.S. officials say that Osama bin Laden was recently heard giving orders on intercepted short-wave radio transmissions near Tora Bora. Alliance commander Haji Zaher said, "I believe bin Laden is not here." India and Pakistan continue to exchange warnings in the aftermath of the suicide attacks on India's parliament. Palestinian officials report 13 people are killed in the second straight day of lightning raids by Israeli forces. Muslims around the world celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, and prepare for the start of the Islamic feast of Eid-al-Fitr. The anthrax spores mailed to Capitol Hill are traced back to U.S. Army stocks after genetic matches are found at five U.S. laboratories. The final standing facade of the World Trade Center's Tower One is toppled and removed for storage. Go to sequence images of the take down of the WTC Tower One facade.	Tora Bora Pounded
Dec. 16: Afghan forces declare they have wiped out the last pockets of al-Qaeda resistance in the Tora Bora mountains. Afghan commanders estimate about 200 al-Qaeda fighters were killed and another 35 were captured. Osama bin Laden continues to elude his pursuers with scattered conflicting reports of his whereabouts. U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stops briefly at the Bagram airbase near Kabul, and spoke to soldiers of the army's 10th Mountain Division. Rumsfeld becomes the first senior Bush administration official to step foot in Afghanistan. After a tour of the base, Rumsfeld held a town meeting with U.S. forces saying "The President of the United States, the commander-in-chief, is determined to let the world know that our country cannot be attacked without consequences, and you are bringing the consequences." Three U.S. marines are injured, one seriously, after a soldier stepped on an explosive device during a search for mines and booby traps at Kandahar airport. India says it has evidence linking the suicide attack on its parliament to Pakistani intelligence. The Pakistani government denied any involvement in the attack. Palestine Leader Yasser Arafat broadcasts a rare live TV and radio address calling for an end to the suicide bombings in Israel. U.S. officials say they are still trying to identify the person sitting with Osama bin Laden in the November 9 Kandahar home movie.	Rumsfeld in Bagram
	Kandahar Injuries
Dec. 17: After pounding the Tora Bora mountains for days, U.S. military officials say the trail has gone cold in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Rear-Admiral John Stufflebeem said it is "anybody's guess" on bin Laden's location. Stufflebeem, who is the deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added, "A few days ago we believed he was in that (Tora Bora) area, and now we're not as sure." As bitter rhetoric continues between India and Pakistan, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the situation "has the potential of becoming very dangerous." Saudi officials say the man in the bin Laden video is Khaled al-Harbi, a Muslim guerilla fighter. The U.S. embassy is officially re-opened in Kabul with a flag raising ceremony.	U.S. Embassy Kabul
Dec. 18: Afghan refugees stream past the Pakistani border to return to their homes in war-torn Afghanistan. Afghan tribal warriors prepare to attack the last remnants of the Taliban in the areas around Kandahar. FBI agents arrive in Afghanistan to interrogate al-Qaeda prisoners on the movements and whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. Twelve people are killed when Yemeni forces storm a village to capture al-Qaeda members operating in Yemen. Speaking from NATO headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld tells the NATO alliance, "We need to face the reality that the attacks of September 11, horrific as they were, may in fact be a dim preview of what is to come if we do not prepare today to defend our people from adversaries with weapons of increasing power and range." Interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai meets with Afghanistan's exiled king in Rome, and asks the former king to return home. U.S. President George W. Bush signs legislation designating September 11 as Patriot Day in honor of those killed in the September 11 attacks. A flag from the wreckage of the WTC, and signed by firemen, police, NYC officials, and victim's families, is raised over the Kandahar airport. A fire at the 100 year-old Cathedral of St. John the Divine, is fought by over 200 NYC firemen.	Rumsfeld NATO HQ
	Fire NYC Cathedral
Dec. 19: Israel agrees to resume talks with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Dozens of al-Qaeda fighters, who were captured in Pakistan after fleeing Tora Bora, revolt against their Pakistani guards and escape into the hills. At least six al-Qaeda fighters and six Pakistani police were killed. New York City officials said the people killed or missing in the World Trade Center attacks has fallen to less than 3,000. New York's Liberty Island opens for the first time since Sept. 11th. After 99 days the WTC fires are extinguished, and become the longest burning commercial fire fire in U.S. history. Go to December 19th WTC images.	Fireman NYC Ferry
Dec. 20: British Royal Marine commandos arrive in Kabul in advance of the arrival of a United Nations multinational security force expected to number about 3,000 peacekeeping soldiers. An Iraqi civil engineer who defected in August claims that Sadam Hussein has accelerated work on biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. The Pentagon says they might dispatch U.S. Marines to the Tora Bora region in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Pakistani troops kill an al-Qaeda fighter and recapture about a dozen others, one day after fugitives overpowered border guards. The last remaining building at the WTC is taken down. Go to December 20th WTC images.	Marine in Kandahar
Dec. 21: Palestinian supporters of militant Islamic groups battle with Yasser Arafat's security forces in the Gaza Strip leaving at least six dead. Under heavy pressure from Arafat, the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, issues a formal declaration that suspends suicide attacks and mortar attacks against Israel. India recalls its ambassador from Pakistan and announces a shut down of rail and bus links to Pakistan effective January 1st. American jets attack a convoy killing 65 people near Khost, about 160 km. south of Kabul. The Pentagon says they are confident it was a convoy of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, but locals and some Arabic news agencies say the convoy was a group of tribal elders heading to Kabul for the December 22nd inauguration of the new Afghan government. U.S. President George W. Bush tells reporters that Osama bin Laden "may have tried to slither out into neighboring Pakistan." The Pentagon says it is sending "thermobaric" bombs to remove the al-Qaeda from caves around Tora Bora. NY firefighters arrive in Kabul on a mission of remembrance and to bring aid to Afghan orphans.	FDNY Afghanistan
Dec. 22: A passenger on American Airlines Flight 63 bound from Paris to Miami tries to ignite an "improvised explosive" in his shoes, but flight attendants and passengers subdue him. The AA plane was diverted to Boston's Logan airport under the escort of U.S. fighter jets. Following reports of an armada of at least 20 ships linked to Osama bin Laden, British anti-terrorist police escort a suspicious Indian cargo ship to the Isle of Wight for inspection. After a six-hour pursuit of a North Korean fishing boat suspected of spying, a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat sinks the fleeing vessel after a fierce gun battle ensued between the two crews. Indian and Pakistani troops exchange gun fire along their border in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pentagon says it has sent a team to investigate whether U.S. warplanes mistakenly killed a convoy of Afghan tribal leaders who were thought to be fleeing Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders. An Afghan diplomat says the existing photographs of Mullah Mohammed Omar are not correct. Hamid Karzai takes the oath of office as Afghanistan's interim prime minister in a ceremony in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Karzai pledges to "fulfill my mission to bring peace to Afghanistan."	Afghan PM Karzai
Dec. 23: The man with explosive devices aboard Miami bound Flight 63 is identified as Richard C. Reid, the name on his British passport. French authorities identify the bomb suspect as Tariq Raja from Sri Lanka. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says he will defy an Israeli travel ban and go to Bethlehem for midnight mass in the Church of the Nativity. India and Pakistan rush troops to the Kashmir border after four people are killed in gun battles in the Samba sector of Kashmir. India asks the U.S. to declare Pakistan as a "terrorist state." Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former Afghan Taliban ambassador to Pakistan applies for asylum in Pakistan, saying "it is dangerous for me to go" to Afghanistan. The London Telegraph reports that uranium was found in an al-Qaeda tunnel complex near Kandahar airport, raising fears that Osama bin Laden may have obtained materials for a nuclear "dirty bomb". Osama bin Laden's mother is quoted in the London Mail doubting her son's guilt, saying, "I don't believe that he did the terrible deeds they say he did." Time magazine names New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as Person of the Year in 2001.	Person of the Year
Dec. 24: A senior Afghan official said Osama bin Laden was seen in a remote village in Pakistan near the Afghanistan border. Afghan soldiers continue to comb the Tora Bora caves in search of the top al-Qaeda leaders. Flight 63 shoe bomb suspect Richard Reid made his first court appearance in a Boston court. Yasser Arafat is denied access to Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem. Arafat's trademark black-and-white keffiya headdress was draped on an empty chair in St. Catherine's church in Bethlehem.	Bush at Camp David
Dec. 25: A rare gun battle near the Jordanian border leaves an Israeli soldier and two attackers dead. India and Pakistan moved warplanes, troops, and missiles to their border as the talk of war between the countries intensified. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, "We do not want war, but war is being thrust on us and we will have to face it." General Tommy Franks, aboard the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt said that U.S. coalition forces will continue to search the Tora Bora caves for Osama bin Laden "until we satisfy ourselves that he is there and dead."	Kandahar Christmas
Dec. 26: Al-Jazeera TV broadcasts a five-minute excerpt of a videotape of Osama bin Laden, indicating bin Laden was alive as of late November or early December. Osama bin Laden refers, in the tape received in the mail by al-Jazeera, that the WTC attacks occurred "three months ago." The video shows Bin Laden as noticeably weaker in appearance, looking gaunt and gray. U.S. commandos and anti-Taliban forces continue to search Tora Bora caves for clues to the whereabouts of key al-Qaeda leaders. For the third straight day no bombs were dropped by American warplanes who continue to fly over Afghanistan. Afghan PM Hamid Karzai believes the Taliban are defeated, saying "Some may still be here, but I don't think they are in large numbers. I think that terrorism is largely defeated in Afghanistan." India and Pakistan move guided missiles to the border, in the biggest military buildup in the region in over 20 years. Shoe bomb suspect Richard Reid is confirmed as a British citizen born in London, and Reid is said to be linked to Muslim extremists. Airports worldwide put in new security measures to check shoes for explosives. Read excerpts from Osama bin Laden's Dec. video broadcast on al-Jazeera TV.	Bin Laden Videotape
	Karachi Camouflage
Dec. 27: The White House dismisses the latest Osama bin Laden tape as "terrorist propaganda" after al -Jazeera TV plays the 34-minute video in its entirety. In the tape bin Laden says, "Those blessed strikes have inflicted on America, by its own admission ... more than $1 trillion in losses." Bin Laden continues to show his involvement in the September 11th attacks when he said on the video, "Hurricanes blew to strike their castle and tell them: We won't stop the attacks until you leave our lands." U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the U.S. plans to turn its navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, into a detention center for al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners. India and Pakistan inch closer to the brink of war as both countries levy sanctions to diplomatic staff, and India announces it is banning Pakistani aircraft from its airspace.	Kashmir Fighting
Dec. 28: Pakistan and India move closer to all-out war as border troops shell each other in the disputed Jammu-Kashmir region. The Indian army also ordered the evacuation of border towns. Pakistan warns the U.S. they may no longer provide logistic support in the search for al-Qaeda leaders, saying the Pakistani troops are required for support in the looming conflict with India. General Tommy Franks meets with U.S. President Bush at Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch where Bush tells reporters, Osama bin Laden "is a guy who three months ago was in control of a country. Now he's maybe in control of a cave. He's on the run."	Osama "On the Run"
Dec. 29: American bombers attack a suspected Taliban leadership compound near Gardez, south of Kabul. U.S. defense officials say there are 125 Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners at a detention facility near Kandahar. The Persian Gulf island nation of Bahrain pledges its best warship to the coalition against terrorism. A senior Afghan intelligence chief claims to have received "reliable information" that Osama bin Laden paid a "large amount" of money to an Afghan commander to be taken across the border to Pakistan. U.S. officials are reportedly offering cash "incentives" to Afghan militia commanders to assist in the hunt for bin Laden.	Ground Zero Cranes
Dec. 30: The chairman of the Senate intelligence committee says that Osama bin laden has likely survived the American military campaign and may have escaped to Pakistan. Afghan and British negotiators reach an agreement opening the way for a multinational peacekeeping force to be deployed around Afghanistan. Afghan officials say they will restore the two giant sandstone Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban in March, 2001. An observation platform with an unobstructed view of the World Trade Center's Ground Zero opens with long line-ups in New York City.	Chopper Hard Crash
Dec. 31: The war rhetoric and tensions between India and Pakistan appear to ease after Pakistan arrests over 30 Islamic militant leaders. India's foreign minister called the arrests "a step in the correct direction." Anti-Taliban forces move towards Baghran, 118 miles (190 km) northwest of Kandahar, in search of Mullah Mohammed Omar. U.S. officials say they have "credible" evidence senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are in the Baghran region. Michael Bloomberg is sworn in as the new Mayor of New York City taking effect at midnight. Rudy Giuliani closes the NYSE and celebrates New Years Eve with New Yorkers in Time Square.	NY New Years Eve