September 2, 2003

=September 2, 2003=

*War on Terrorism: Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden says that his organization is working on "serious projects"," and that his priority is to use biological weapons against the United States. Al Qaeda may already have such weapons, and be seeking means to transport and launch them. [http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/9/1/182216.shtml] [http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=966452003]
*Indonesia: An Indonesian court sentences Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir to four years in prison for treason against the Indonesian government. However, the court found insufficient proof that Bashir was the leader of the militant Islamic organization Jemaah Islamiyah. [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/indonesia_09-02-03.html]
*Iraq: A car bomb explodes near the headquarters of Coalition trained police in Baghdad, killing an Iraqi police officer and wounding up to 10 bystanders. [http://www.iht.com/articles/108526.html] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,96174,00.html] [http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/09/02/sprj.irq.main/index.html] [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml] [http://www.msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0cv=CA01] [http://www.csmonitor.com/newsinbrief/brieflies.html#WORLD6:44:36] Observers saw the incident as an attempt to destabilize the new Iraqi governing body. (See 2003 occupation of Iraq timeline)
*The Iraqi police handling the investigation say they have arrested 19 men in connection with the blast, many of them foreigners and all with admitted links to al-Qaeda. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/iraq/main541815.shtml]
*Astronomy: Astronomers announce the discovery of an asteroid (2003 QQ₄₇) whose orbit has a remote chance of striking earth. Meteorite researchers are not worried; all such previous discoveries have been followed by later observations which reduced the chance of collision from highly improbable to utterly impossible, but announcements like that of 2003 QQ₄₇ help maintain sufficient public interest to attract funding for skywatch projects. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3200019.stm]
*"SCO vs Linux": SCO Germany is ordered to pay fine of 10,000 Euro because they were ordered to cease their allegations that Linux contains stolen intellectual property of SCO. [http://slashdot.org/articles/03/09/02/1237244.shtml?tid=123&tid=99] [ [http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/anw-02.09.03-000/ German] ]
*Road map for peace: Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz states he favors expelling Palestinian President Yasser Arafat by the end of the year,because Arafat is obstructing the United States led peace plan. Arafat denies the statement and says he backs the peace plan (though he refuses to release control of Palestinian security services to reformer Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to stop militant group attacks as mandated by the plan). Palestinian leaders call Defense Minister's remarks inflammatory. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=3371626]
*Ontario premier Ernie Eves calls a provincial election for October 2. The incumbent Tories, Dalton McGuinty's Liberals, and Howard Hampton's NDP are in the race. [http://www.cbc.ca/ontariovotes2003/]
*Prince Edward Island premier Pat Binns calls a provincial election for September 29. The incumbent Tories, Robert Ghiz's Liberals, and Gary Robichaud's NDP are in the race. [http://www.cbc.ca/peivotes2003/]
*Natural disaster: A forest fire erupts in the Gorge of the Columbia River to the east of Cascade Locks, Oregon, forcing the closure of a 47-mile section of Interstate 84 and the evacuation of Cascade Locks for at least one full day. [http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1062590734326171.xml?oregonian?fpfp]