September 11 News.com - October 2001 Daily Timeline & Chronology of Events.

©September11News.com Oct. 1: U.S. President George W. Bush says $6 million in assets are blocked and 50 bank accounts frozen as countries join the U.S. effort to stop the flow of money to terrorist networks. The anti-Taliban alliance in northern Afghanistan and the former Afghan king agree to convene an emergency council as a first step toward forming a new government. The Taliban say the effort will fail.	North Afghanistan
Oct. 2: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld heads to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Uzbekistan to talk with leaders about war on terrorism. British Prime Minister Tony Blair says Taliban regime must surrender the terrorists or "surrender power." Taliban again reject calls to turn over Osama bin Laden. NATO secretary-general says United States has provided its 18 NATO allies with "clear and compelling" evidence of Osama bin Laden's involvement in the attacks. Fires continue to burn at the World Trade Center site.	WTC Fires Oct. 2
Oct. 3: Rumsfeld arrives in Saudi Arabia for meetings with defense minister and other leaders. The anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in Afghanistan says it is coordinating an offensive with the U.S. and expects to receive fresh supplies of weapons soon from Iran and Russia. U.S. administration officials say some of the terrorists involved in the attacks also took part in the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen a year ago and the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa.	Northern Alliance
Oct. 4: Britain becomes first government to outline alleged evidence against bin Laden, saying he spoke of a "major attack on America" before the hijackings. Pakistan becomes first Muslim nation to say U.S. evidence links bin Laden to the attacks and is enough to warrant an indictment. NATO allies grant United States access to airfields and seaports, agree to deploy ships and radar planes in war on terrorism. Anthrax strikes a Florida man who is hospitalized according to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson making the announcement to reporters at the White House. He said it appears to be an isolated case and that sporadic instances of anthrax do occur in nature, it is not contagious, and that this is not in any way terrorist-related. Read the entire text of the Osama bin Laden evidence released by U.K.	Anthrax Strikes U.S.
Oct. 5: the U.S. Army dispatches 1,000 soldiers to former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, which borders Afghanistan. Colin Powell extends sanctions on bin Laden's al-Qaida group and 24 other foreign organizations considered terrorist. Armed National Guard patrols begin work at dozens of U.S. airports. Bob Stevens, a 63-year-old Florida man dies after failing to respond to antibiotics for inhalation anthrax. Stevens is the first anthrax death in the U.S. in 25 years. Oct. 6: Bush warns Taliban that "time is running out" to surrender terrorists and close their operations. Taliban leaders offer to release eight imprisoned foreign aid workers if United States halts "massive propaganda campaign" and ensures Afghan people will not be the target of any attack. White House dismisses offer. Blair and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee call for a stable government in Afghanistan that represents a "broad base of all ethnic groupings."	First Anthrax Victim Bob Stevens, Fla.
Oct. 7: American and British forces unleash missile attacks against Taliban military targets and bin Laden's training camps inside Afghanistan. Speaking from White House, Bush says, "We will not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail." Bin Laden, in a videotaped message, praises God for the Sept. 11 attacks and swears America will never "dream of security" until "the infidels' armies leave the land of Muhammad." A spokesman says both bin Laden and the leader of the Taliban ruling council survived the missile attacks. The Afghan opposition also launches an attack. Go to October 7 Archives. Go to bin Laden Oct 7 Broadcast.	Tomahawk Missile
Oct. 8: Environmental tests detect the anthrax bacteria at the American Media building in Boca Raton, Florida. A co-worker of Bob Stevens who died October 5 from anthrax also tests positive for the disease and the building where both worked is closed after the bacterium was detected there. The FBI takes over the investigation into the Florida anthrax death after the germ was found in the nose of a co-worker and on a computer keyboard in their office. American air strikes on Taliban positions continue for the second day.	Al-Jazeera TV
Oct. 9: FBI agents wearing bio hazard suits swarm over the American Media Inc. building in Boca Raton, Florida. FBI and local law enforcement closed the building which houses the offices of several supermarket tabloids. All 300 people who work in the building and anyone who spent more than an hour inside since Aug. 1 were advised to visit health officials. American air strikes on Taliban positions continue for the third straight day. Oct. 10: FBI investigators spent their third day collecting evidence in the newspaper offices of the two men whose exposure to anthrax has prompted heightened fear of bioterrorism across America. American forces continue to strike military targets in Afghanistan, but the focus for Americans is quickly turning to the anthrax scare. Oct. 11: A third person employed by American Media tests positive for anthrax in Florida and officials say the probe into the source of the disease is now a criminal investigation. President George W. Bush speaks at a memorial service at the Pentagon. Bush vowed to destroy terror with 'every weapon' in the U.S. arsenal as he marked one month since the Sept. 11 attacks at a Pentagon speech. Air strikes continue for the fifth day. View Ground Zero images on Oct. 11th.	Anthrax in Florida
	Bush at Pentagon
Oct. 12: New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani speaks at a news conference and announces that an NBC News employee in New York has tested positive for anthrax in tests done after the network received suspicious mail addressed to NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw. CNN said the employee was exposed to the bacteria after opening a suspicious package at the NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters 10 days ago. U.S. President George W. Bush, at the White House celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, speaks about the anthrax scare sweeping the nation. In the latest of threats upon the U.S., Bush tries to reassure Americans that they are safe. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft holds a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington to discuss anthrax threats. Ashcroft said that people should be cautious when opening suspicious items they receive in the mail. American forces continue bombing strategic Taliban positions in Afghanistan. Oct. 13: Afghanistan assesses the damage after a seventh straight night of U.S. bombing raids, as the ruling Taliban defiantly snub U.S. demands to surrender Osama bin Laden. In a statement broadcast on Qatar's al-Jazeera television network Al Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Bu Ghaith, warns Americans and Britons, especially Muslims, children and 'all those who oppose U.S. policy, not to ride planes or live in high buildings.' Oct. 14: Jalalabad, long surrounded by militant training camps including some for bin Laden's al Qaeda network, sees particularly heavy bombardment since the United States launched its first strikes one week ago. U.S. warplanes again pounded Afghanistan, beginning a second week of strikes against Islamic Taliban rulers and loyalists of Osama bin Laden.	Anthrax at NBC NY
	Al-Qaeda's Ghaith
Oct. 15: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle talks to reporters on Capitol Hill after an envelope containing a suspicious powder, believed to be anthrax was opened in his office. Daschle staffers exposed to the substance are treated with antibiotics, a Capitol Hill physician tells a news conference attended by Daschle and Capitol Hill police. Health and postal officials said a small amount of anthrax spores had been found in a Postal Service mail sorting facility in Boca Raton. Suspicious letters and powder are reported at Microsoft offices in Reno, Nevada, and in several countries including Canada, Australia, France, and Germany.	Anthrax Int'l Alerts
Oct. 16: A 7-month-old son of an ABC producer tests positive for anthrax exposure after visiting the building three weeks prior. Microsoft's Bill Gates said the software giant was boosting security measures after six employees were exposed to a letter that tested positive for anthrax. In the United States, the number of people exposed to the potentially deadly germ rises to at least 12. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf meet in Islamabad. Powell arrived in the Muslim country amid protests by Islamic groups that back Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and that are furious Musharraf is backing the military action in neighboring Afghanistan. The U.S. military, which first dropped bombs, then food, on Afghanistan, launches a paper propaganda assault by dropping nearly half a million leaflets to convey a message that the United States is not the enemy, the Pentagon said. The leaflet shows a photo of an Afghan man shaking hands with a Western soldier. American forces strike Taliban positions for the ninth straight day.	Anthrax at ABC NY
Oct. 17: Palestinian gunmen assassinate far-right Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi in revenge for the killing of a militant leader, throwing U.S.-led peace efforts into turmoil. The radical Palestinian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility for shooting Zeevi, a 75-year-old former general who advocated the 'transfer' of Arabs from land claimed by Jews. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the killing marked a major change in Israeli-Palestinian relations. "The situation is different today, and will not again be like it was yesterday," he said. Thirty-one staffers at Tom Daschle's office test positive for anthrax. New York Governor George Pataki speaks to the media at a news conference in New York, and says his offices showed the presence of anthrax in a test and has been closed for further testing and decontamination work. Germany's Bayer company promises it will be able to deliver 200 million Cipro tablets in the next three months. Ciprobay is used to treat anthrax. U.S. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney meet with Congressional leaders prior to Bush's departure for a trip to the 21-nation gathering of Asian-Pacific leaders in Shanghai. The trip will take Bush out of the country for five days.	Anthrax at Capitol
	U.S. Anthrax Cases
Oct. 18: Two new cases of the skin form of anthrax are reported - one involving an assistant to CBS anchorman Dan Rather and the other a postal worker in New Jersey. That brings to six the total number of confirmed cases of anthrax infection. U.S. aircraft rain more bombs from the skies above Afghanistan but a Taliban minister said Osama bin Laden and his hardline Islamic protectors were all alive and well even as the toll rose. Victory in Afghanistan will require putting troops on the ground in addition to bombing terrorist and Taliban targets from the air, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon press conference.	Anthrax at CBS NY
Oct. 19: U.S. ground forces battle in Afghanistan, opening a new phase of the war on terrorism after nearly two weeks of fierce air strikes, a defense official said. President Bush meets with Chinese President Zemin and Asian Pacific leaders in Shanghai. The anthrax strains surfacing with terrifying impact in Florida, New York and Washington are all similar, said Bush officials, likely indicating a single source. " We obviously are preparing for more," said homeland security chief Tom Ridge. A second New Jersey mail carrier is confirmed to have skin anthrax.	Bush & Zemin Meet
Oct. 20: Elite U.S. Rangers launch raids into Afghanistan in the dark of night. Two U.S. soldiers are killed when their helicopter crashes in Pakistan near the Afghanistan border. In China, Bush says the soldiers "did not die in vain." Later Bush meets with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Zemin. Anthrax is confirmed at the Ford building on Capitol Hill. The FBI locates the mailbox in New Jersey where anthrax letters dropped. Paul McCartney and dozens of stars perform at a benefit concert in New York City. Israeli tanks move into Palestinian cities.	U.S. in Afghanistan
Oct. 21: The 21-member APEC countries, meeting in Shanghai China, end their conference and issue a joint statement denouncing terrorism. Israeli tanks enter several Palestinian cities in the West Bank in response to the assassination of cabinet minister Zeevi. Israel insists that Arafat hand over the killers. Several Palestinians are killed in street battles with Israeli troops. Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington announces at a press conference that two postal workers at the Brentwood postal facility in Washington D.C. are confirmed with anthrax and are hospitalized. Tests begin on hundreds of Washington postal workers.	Bush & Putin Meet
Oct. 22: Israeli tanks continue to roll into Palestinian controlled areas and engage in street battles with Palestinians. President Bush returns to Washington from China. Bush administration tells Israel to immediately leave the West Bank as Middle East tensions build. U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld scolds the press for troop movement leaks that may jeopardize lives or missions. Air strikes in Afghanistan continue with a focus on Taliban troops in Northern Afghanistan. Two Washington postal workers die mysteriously. Anthrax is the suspected cause.	Israel in Bethlehem
Oct. 23: Two postal workers from the Brentwood postal facility in Washington are confirmed to have died from inhalation anthrax. Many postal employees ask why they were not treated and tested earlier, and why Capitol Hill staffers apparently received priority attention. Another New Jersey postal worker is confirmed with anthrax. Anthrax is confirmed in a Washington facility that sorts White House mail. Later President Bush emphatically tells reporters, "I don't have anthrax." The FBI releases photographs of the letters, confirmed to carry anthrax spores, that were sent to Tom Daschle, Tom Brokaw, and the Editor of the NY Post. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell meets Israeli Minister Shimon Peres and asks Israel to withdraw from Palestinian controlled areas. Earlier Israel tells US that withdrawal demands are "out of line." The IRA promises to disarm "to save the peace process" in Northern Ireland.	Tom Daschle Letter
Oct. 24: Israel continues to raid Palestinian controlled areas, and claims to have captured two of the Zeevi assassins. U.S. Postmaster General John Potter tells Americans "There are no guarantees that mail is safe." He also advises Americans to wash hands after handling mail. An air strike in Kabul kills 22 Pakistani militants linked to Osama bin Laden. The U.S. House of representatives overwhelmingly approves a domestic anti-terrorism bill giving police new powers. Pentagon says they are "surprised at how doggedly" the Taliban are clinging to power.	USS Carl Vinson
Oct. 25: Under extreme pressure from the U.S. and other countries, Israel agrees to begin withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory. U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said homeland security is not temporary, and "will become permanent in American life." Opposition Afghan leaders indicate frustration that the 19-day bombing campaign has failed to weaken Taliban troops. USA Today headline reads: "Rumsfeld: bin Laden may get away." Defense Secretary Rumsfeld later clarifies statement and says finding bin Laden "is like finding a needle in a haystack." Anthrax at Capitol Hill is described as very high quality.	Bethlehem Attacked
Oct. 26: U.S. President George W. Bush signs the anti-terrorism bill into law. Britain announces that 200 elite commandos were ready for action in the U.S.-led coalition. A small amount of anthrax spores are found in a CIA mailroom. The CIA mail goes through the Brentwood mail facility. A state department mail handler is hospitalized with inhalation anthrax, and anthrax is found at a New York postal facility. Anthrax is confirmed in an off-site U.S. Supreme Court mail facility. Taliban officials say that Afghan opposition figure Abdul Haq was captured after slipping into Afghanistan and was executed by the Taliban for treason.	Terrorism Bill Signing
Oct. 27: Abdul Haq's execution is confirmed. Taliban officials said "anyone who assists the U.S. is liable to be killed." Haq attempted to escape after radioing for U.S. military assistance. Between 5,000 and 10,000 Pakistani warriors join a convoy of trucks and busses heading to the northern Afghanistan frontier. The Pakistani "jihad brigade" vowed to fight a holy war against United States. American warplanes strike Taliban targets with increased ferocity. Civilian deaths in Afghanistan continue to mount, with the errant bombing of a village north of Kabul killing ten. Israeli troops delay withdrawal from Palestinian areas citing ongoing battles with gunmen.	Kabul Bomb Crater
Oct. 28: For the second straight day civilians are killed in heavy U.S. air strikes in Kabul. Gunmen stormed into a Christian church in Behawalpur Pakistan, during Sunday services, and sprayed the congregation with gunfire, killing the minister and 15 others. Israeli tanks leave Bethlehem after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave the green light for withdrawal despite attacks by Palestinians that killed five people in Israel. A New Jersey postal worker is diagnosed with inhalation anthrax. A WTC memorial service, attended by victim's families, is held in New York City at "Ground Zero", amidst the still smoldering ruins.	NYC Ground Zero
Oct. 29: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller hold a press conference and tell Americans to be on the alert for a "credible threat" within the next week against the United States. U.S. aircraft intensify their strikes around the strategic northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Taliban Ambassador Abdul Salam Zaeef tells armed Pakistani volunteers "we already have plenty of mujahedeen on the front line." Traces of anthrax are found in mailrooms of the Supreme Court, the State Department, and the Health Department. Two new cases of anthrax are reported in New Jersey, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 15. The Skydeck at the Sears Tower in Chicago is re-opened.	Mueller & Ashcroft
Oct. 30: The Federal Aviation Administration imposes flight restrictions around U.S. nuclear plants and advises 103 nuclear facilities to fortify security. Alert warnings issued on Oct. 29 are based on information from Canadian intelligence officials. British PM Tony Blair arrives in Syria to help in Middle East peace efforts. U.S. jets pounded several areas held by the Taliban. A huge explosion north of Kabul creates a massive mushroom cloud. The Pentagon says it has small amounts of ground troops in Afghanistan to coordinate air strikes and to open lines of communication. A Manhattan hospital worker with inhalation anthrax is "struggling for survival."	Blast Near Kabul
Oct. 31: The French newspaper Le Figaro claims that Osama bin Laden stayed for 10 days in a Dubai hospital in July, 2001 for treatment of a serious kidney ailment. Under heavy security, two armored vehicles transported $200 million in gold from a Bank of Nova Scotia vault located in the ruins of the World Trade Center. Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan are hit with heavy bombardment from B-52 bombers, indicating possible preparedness for Northern Alliance troop movements on Taliban positions. A NY hospital worker dies from inhaled anthrax, becoming the first anthrax death not linked to the postal service or the news media.	FA18 - Full Moon