August 19, 2002

Yashwant Sinha became the first Indian external affairs minister on Monday to visit the Afghan town of Kandahar, nearly three years after his predecessor flew in to hand over three terrorists to end the Indian Airlines hijacking crisis and observed it was a 'bad dream' India and Afghanistan wanted to forget. 6:48:29 PM

Terrorist Abu Nidal was found dead in his Baghdad apartment, the Palestinian newspaper Al Ayyam reported on Monday. The newspaper said Nidal, whose real name is Sabri Al Banna, was suffering from a serious illness and apparently committed suicide. [ CNN.com ] This is the guy who wrote the manuals for terror, literally.  When Al-Qaeda want to know how to hijack a plane they would read manuals written by this guy and his students.  He died alone, knowing that no one would take care of him in his illness.  6:47:01 PM

Palestinians Promise to Keep Peace. (AP World News) The head of Palestinian security pledged Monday to enforce calm in Palestinian areas from which Israeli troops are to withdraw under a new agreement that brings the first sign of progress in months. But Islamic militant groups said they would continue anti-Israeli attacks. [Palestine & Israel News] 9:30:34 AM