BIN+JOB
TIME.COM -
Thursday, July 18, 2002 (Accesed)
How Bin Laden Got Away
TIME
Exclusive: Pakistani intelligence believes Osama fled Tora Bora before the bombing
Wednesday, Jul. 17, 2002
Was Osama bin Laden hiding out in the Tora Bora mountains when the U.S. bombed
the cave complex last December? Yes, say "sources close to the al-Qaeda
leader" — he even supposedly suffered a shrapnel wound to the shoulder during the bombing.
And U.S. officials certainly believed at the time that radio communications
among the al-Qaeda men defending the caves pointed to bin Laden's presence. But
senior Pakistani intelligence sources tell TIME that reports of his presence in
the area during the bombing were part of an elaborate hoax designed camouflage
bin Laden's real whereabouts.
An officer of
Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), speaking on condition of
anonymity, tells TIME that bin Laden was last seen on November 17, departing
the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan in anticipation of the imminent
collapse of the Taliban regime. The officer says bin Laden headed for the Tora
Bora area in a convoy of 25 vehicles that included four trucks carrying his
family members and personal belongings. He was accompanied by al-Qaeda's deputy
leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and other operatives, as well as by senior Taliban
officials from eastern Afghanistan including Jalalabad governor Mullah Abdul
Kabir.
Pakistani military
intelligence believes, however, that bin Laden left Tora Bora before the U.S.
began bombing al-Qaeda positions in the area. Reports about his presence in
Tora Bora during the U.S. campaign there have never been confirmed, and the
Pakistanis believe al-Qaeda may have deliberately created the impression that
bin Laden was present in order to camouflage his move to a safer location. ISI
members believe bin Laden, in fact, moved from Tora Bora to Nazian, another
remote town in the lap of the White Mountains near the Pakistan border, before
disappearing altogether.
As to his current
whereabouts, the ISI believes bin Laden is still alive and is hiding somewhere
in Afghanistan. However, its officers concede that a number of the al-Qaeda
rank and file have sneaked into Pakistan and have taken refuge both in the
tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and in some cities. Islamabad claims to have
captured 378 al-Qaeda men on Pakistani soil over the past eight months, of whom
327 were delivered to U.S. custody — among them Abu Zubaida, a close aide to
bin Laden.
Despite the picture of bin Laden's escape painted for TIME by ISI sources, Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf had earlier speculated that the al-Qaeda leader may have died due to kidney failure. He based his assumption on the premise that bin Laden suffered from a renal condition requiring regular dialysis treatment. President Musharraf had also, of course, earlier speculated that bin Laden may have been killed during the U.S. bombing at Tora Bora.
Bin Laden alive and healthy despite shrapnel
wound, claims newspaper editor
By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer
CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden, America's most wanted terror suspect, is in good health despite being wounded in a U.S. bombing raid in Afghanistan, the editor of a London-based Arabic language paper said on Monday.
Abd al-Bari Atwan, the editor of
London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi, said "sources" close to the al-Qaida
leader "confirmed to me that the man (bin Laden) is in good health."
Atwan said bin Laden, who Washington says
masterminded the Sept. 11 terror attacks, was injured during December
retaliatory U.S. bombing raids in Afghanistan and underwent surgery to remove
shrapnel from his left shoulder.
"It (the shrapnel injury) happened
during the American carpet bombing of (the) Tora Bora (mountains) in
Afghanistan," Atwan said in a telephone interview with The Associated
Press office in Cairo.
The editor refused to answer
"security" related questions or explain who provided the details
about bin Laden or how he obtained the information.
News of the Saudi-born terror suspect's
whereabouts or whether he is alive or dead has been the subject of intense and
conflicting speculation since a U.S.-led coalition in October first launched
strikes on al-Qaida and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
Following the attacks on New York and
Washington that killed thousands and the launch of the U.S.-led war on terror,
bin Laden has appeared on several broadcast video tapes showing signs of fatigue
and weight loss.
Unconfirmed reports have also been
circulating of bin Laden, 44, suffering a kidney illness and heart trouble.
Atwan told the AP that the sources close
to bin Laden said was not suffering from kidney failure and his only health
problem related to his shoulder wound.
In a televised interview with Britain's
Sky News on Monday, Atwan said bin Laden's latest video showed that as a result
of the shrapnel wound "his left shoulder was very stiff. He is left handed
and he could not use his left hand."
On Saturday, August Hanning, the head of
Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, was quoted as saying bin Laden is alive
and hiding along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
German security agencies have been working
closely with U.S. counterparts following the Sept. 11 attacks after it emerged
that three of the suicide hijackers had lived in Hamburg.
Atwan said he had been told that fugitive
al-Qaida supporters were planning new attacks and that bin Laden was planning
to capitalize on a possible U.S. attack on Iraq to publicize his cause.
"This is most likely because he's really
seeking publicity," Atwan said.
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USA TODAY - 07/18/2002 - Updated 05:25
PM ET
Page 1A
By Kevin Johnson
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON -- The
FBI's chief of counterterrorism sent ripples through the Bush administration
Wednesday by declaring that he believes Osama bin Laden is dead.
The remark by FBI
Executive Assistant Director Dale Watson represents the first time a ranking
administration official has publicly expressed an opinion on the al-Qaeda
leader's fate. It contrasts sharply with the White House's efforts to avoid
speculation on bin Laden to try to keep him from being the focus of the war on
terrorism.
Watson oversees
thousands of agents, and he reviews daily reports on threats to the United
States and the pursuit of terrorism suspects around the globe. He told a
national conference of police officials here that his conclusion about bin
Laden was not based on specific evidence, but on a personal belief.
The FBI declined to
comment. Bureau officials, taken aback by Watson's statement, said he was
expressing his opinion and was not speaking for the FBI. White House spokesman
Ari Fleischer said ''nobody knows'' whether bin Laden is alive.
U.S. intelligence
officials -- like their counterparts in Great Britain, Germany and Pakistan --
said Wednesday that they still assume that the Saudi-born terrorism leader
survived U.S. bombing in Afghanistan and likely is hiding near that nation's
border with Pakistan. A senior U.S. intelligence official said that if bin
Laden were dead, U.S. agents probably would have intercepted communication
among al-Qaeda operatives indicating that. ''Washington is operating under the
assumption that bin Laden (is) alive and al-Qaeda is preparing to strike
again,'' the official said. ''We wish bin Laden were dead, but that's most
likely not the case.''
Whether bin Laden
survived the U.S. bombing of al-Qaeda hideouts last year is one of the nagging
questions in the war on terrorism. Recent reports in Arab newspapers overseas
have suggested that he is recovering from a wound and is plotting attacks.
Last week,
President Bush urged reporters not to get caught up in guessing about bin
Laden's fate. ''If he is (alive), we'll get him,'' Bush said. ''If he's not
alive, we got him. But the issue is bigger than one person.''
Watson also told
the audience at the National Conference of Community Oriented Policing Services
that there is ''no question in my mind'' that the United States will be
attacked again. He said al-Qaeda members who fled Afghanistan have become
''fleas of the world'' who still might contact al-Qaeda ''sleeper cells'' here.
Asked to estimate how many al-Qaeda operatives are here, Watson said, ''I don't
think anybody really knows.'' He warned the police officials that operatives
''could be in your neighborhood today.''
Watson said the
challenge for U.S. authorities is to better interpret tips that could expose
terrorists. His comments came on a day when a congressional report cited poor
communication among U.S. law enforcement agencies as a key factor in America's
inability to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks.
© Copyright 2002 USA TODAY, a
division of Gannett Co. Inc.
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USATODAY.COM
07/18/2002 - Updated 01:39 PM ET
[CAREERS NETWORK] -- The Daily Grind -
Five factors make for a great job - By Denise Kersten
Most of us have our share of bad days at work. Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed in the morning; sometimes it seems the afternoon will never end.
In the past months, I've written a number of columns offering advice on getting through these tough times. I've covered how to cope when you can't quit, how to fix your relationship with a boss, how to get your career on track and so on.
But there are workers out there who don't need these tips — they truly love their jobs.
Case in point: Joe Romello, chief information officer and VP of engineering for GSI Commerce, an e-commerce outsourcing firm in King of Prussia, Penn.
"This is one of the two jobs I've had that's launched me out of bed in the morning and would keep me here all week if I didn't have to sleep," says Romello, who's been with his company for three years.
I talked to several satisfied workers to find out exactly what about their jobs makes them so happy. Their responses centered around five themes:
Some find happiness, working from home |
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1. Quality co-workers and clients.
"People are the most important element," says Romello, who credits both his subordinates and the company's senior managers with making his company a great place to work. "They've got energy and passion and drive for what they do."
Working with intelligent people keeps Alexandra Balfour in high spirits. Balfour, a graphic designer for National Geographic magazine in Washington, D.C., says she's surrounded by talented colleagues and describes the magazine staff as "like a family."
Paula Ruelius' co-workers really are her family. She's served as office manager for her parents' company, Paulus Machine Shop in Enola, Penn., for the past three years. While it's not for everyone, working alongside her parents has been "one of the greatest experiences," Ruelius says.
Clients or customers can also bring fulfillment.
Rebecca Conradi, an estate planning attorney in Oakland, Calif., works alone but enjoys her client interaction. "Everyone who comes to me is a thoughtful person who is doing something they probably won't be there to see the benefit of," she says.
2. Smart management.
No job is great simply because of the management. That said, poor managers can take an otherwise perfect job and make it miserable.
"Without respect for the people you're working for, no job would be worth it," says Romello, who has worked for managers who "made it too difficult to do anything well or do anything of substance."
Many people leave their jobs to escape poor relationships with supervisors, often because the boss can't relinquish control. The best managers trust their employees enough to give them the tools and resources they need to excel.
Billy Axelrod, field communications project manager for Gap, Inc., appreciates this aspect of his supervisor. "I have a great deal of autonomy," he says. "I am trusted to make my own decisions and I'm always supported."
3. Helping others.
Making a difference in people's lives is the best aspect about being an occupational therapist, says Chrissie Anderson, who helps patients in Charleston, W. Va. learn basic self-care skills so they can live on their own. Someone who's had a stroke, for example, might need to learn different techniques for everyday tasks, like putting on a shirt or preparing meals.
"It's a new way to live their lives, and you're giving them the tools to do that," she says. Anderson's patients often return after they finish therapy to express appreciation with cards, candy or holiday gifts. Others stop by to show Anderson's work paid off.
Conradi also finds satisfaction in helping clients remove a level of stress from an inherently traumatic situation. "It's gratifying to have a level of trust put in you," she says.
4. High achievement.
Meeting challenges, reaching goals and earning recognition make hard work feel worthwhile.
"One of the things I love about my job is that I do feel like I'm successful and I feel my audience really appreciates my work," says Axelrod, who facilitates communication between Gap's corporate headquarters and its store managers.
Romello enjoys the challenge of working on cutting-edge Web technology and inventing new solutions. "A lot of this stuff's never been done. That's kind of exciting, especially if you get it right."
For some workers, extra pressure enhances the satisfaction of a job well done. Ruelius feels working for a family company raises the bar. "I have to hold myself up to a higher standard," she says. "They're entrusting me with something they built. They're passing on a really wonderful gift."
Others, like Conradi, appreciate an intellectual challenge without a high level of stress. Unlike many areas of law that require a response to conflict, estate planning aims to prevent future conflicts, which Conradi finds "very stimulating, yet not generally terribly high stress."
5. That certain something.
Aligning your unique mix of talents, interests and preferences with a set of job responsibilities can make going to work a joy.
For Balfour the magic ingredient is simply the chance to present information visually. "I'm a visual person," she says. "I like making things look good in a way that's understandable."
Conradi enjoys her profession's "blend of technical legal skills and personal skills."
What does Ruelius like most about her job? "The fact that it is so small. You're involved in everything."
So how did all of these people land in their ideal positions?
Their paths varied.
Balfour knew exactly what she wanted and went after it, despite the scarcity of jobs in magazine work and the fact that her major was art history, rather than design. "I promised myself I would do it," she says.
For others, landing in the right line of work was less premeditated. "You go a certain direction not knowing why, and it really ends up working out," Conradi says.
Axelrod was steered into his current role by a savvy manager who saw a good match with his skills, interests and experience. "She had the crystal ball," he says.
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U.S.NEWS - Thursday, July 18,
2002 (accesed).
E-learn and earn
As dot coms mostly fade, online universities are proving that there's
gold in them thar screens
By
James M. Pethokoukis
Director
Steven Spielberg recently received his diploma from California State
University-Long Beach after dropping out in 1968 to conquer Hollywood. A great
example to dropouts everywhere–though, unlike Spielberg, most students probably
couldn't get their natural sciences professor to visit them at work. At least
not in person. Through E-learning, however, college students can have
instructors visit them via the Internet. They can download video and audio of
lectures and attend class discussions through chat rooms and message boards.
Whatever
the quality of these E-courses, more and more people are taking advantage of
their convenience. Online-learning enrollments are growing 33 percent a year
and are expected to hit 2.2 million by 2004, according to International Data
Corp. And a study by Bear Stearns found that 150 institutions offer
undergraduate degrees online and that nearly 200 offer online graduate degrees.
But
can companies and institutions make a profit from E-learning? People are still
reluctant to pay for online content generally–one study found that 70 percent
of adult surfers didn't see why anyone would pay. Yet the University of Phoenix
Online, a division of distance-learning company Apollo Group that trades as a
separate tracking stock, made $31.8 million in fiscal 2001 and $23.6 million in
the first six months of fiscal 2002. Rivals like DeVry and Strayer Education
don't break out online results, but "they are either already profitable or
soon will be," says Greg Capelli, education analyst with Credit Suisse
First Boston. And while shares of most E-stocks have tanked, E-learning stocks
are up an average of 14.5 percent this year.
Apollo
Group President and CEO Todd Nelson says that he agrees with "new
economy" prophets who call E-learning the "next great application of
the Internet." Still, it is hardly a can't-miss business. Academic
institutions have found E-profits elusive. New York University, the University
of Maryland, and Temple University have shuttered their for-profit ventures.
Columbia University's Fathom has yet to make a profit and is shifting its
strategy. So what's the key to making E-learning make money?
Keep
it useful. Columbia University's Fathom was born from a vision of
having millions of Internet users sign up for semester-length liberal arts
courses like Greek and Roman Mythologyfor $414. But Anne Rollow, Fathom's head
of strategic alliances, admits the firm overestimated the willingness of
so-called lifelong learners to "experiment"–especially at several
hundred bucks a pop. So now Fathom has added free, quickie intro seminars,
10-week courses for $50, and longer career-development coursessuch as Define
Your Core Business. "It helps when you offer classes that students
actually care about," says Lehman Brothers analyst Gary Bisbee.
Keep
it real.An E-firm with an established offline presence has the
marketing advantage of a brand name. Indeed, a poll of human resource managers
found that 77 percent thought online degrees from offline institutions were
more credible than those from pure E-learning firms. "It helps to be both
bricks and clicks," says Bear Stearns analyst Jennifer Childe. She points
out that pure E-learning firm Jones International University has only 6,000
students, while the University of Phoenix Online has 37,569. Helping power that
growth has been the 26-year-old University of Phoenix, with 78,700 students, 38
campuses, and 78 learning centers in the United States, Canada, and Puerto
Rico.
Keep
it simple. Many academic efforts, says Bisbee, had "lots of
whiz-bang features like video and high-end graphics, even though not everyone
could use them." And while sticking a camera in the back of a lecture hall
is the simplest way to do E-teaching, most college students will attest that
lectures are the least important part of the educational experience. "A
lot of the people who rushed into this business were refugees from cable
television and thought you did this the way you do a talk or cooking
show," says Andrew Rosenfeld, CEO of Cardean University, which offers
business courses online, including a full M.B.A.
Creating
a profitable little business may be a comedown for bold entrepreneurs looking
to build the Amazon.com of education.
Then again, Amazon would have been profitable long ago if it had stuck to
selling just plain books.
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