"Mulla Muhammad Omar on Wednesday accused Washington of being arrogant and indifferent on the issue of Osama bin Laden and urged ulema to issue a fatwa to counter a possible US strike on Afghanistan." Peshawar, Pakistan.

Naveed Miraj. "Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah is likely to visit Pakistan within next couple of days to use his influence with Taliban in an attempt to resolve the crisis looming large over the region." Peshawar, Pakistan.

"Pakistan has proved to the world that it is for peace and against terrorism." Peshawar, Pakistan.

From Kyodo News. "The Japanese government has received information about the possibility that some 12 foreign Islamic extremists came to Japan in early September shortly before the terrorist attacks on the United States, according to sources close to the case." Japan.

From Reuters. "Protesters upset by Japan's support for U.S. plans to retaliate against last week's terror attacks disrupted a government "town meeting" on Sunday, hurling abuse at two cabinet ministers who had come to the western city of Kobe to talk about the economy." Japan.

"Japan began Monday discussing the possibility of extending financial aid to the United States and support to refugees from Afghanistan in the event of U.S. retaliatory strikes in the wake of last Tuesday's terror attacks in the U.S." Japan.

"Mitchel said EU would provide every possible assistance to Pakistan to improve its economy and share its burden regarding influx of Afghan refugees in the country. 'We will support them for development projects and for poverty alleviation', he added." Pakistan News Service.

Excepts from his speech. Pakistan News Service.

Robert Parry. "But Bush's challenge now is to implement a measured - and effective - response to the Sept. 11 attacks. To do that, Bush must recognize the shades of gray that have marked the path behind and surely will mark the struggle ahead." USA.

Robert Parry. "But the blind spots also prevent Americans from fully recognizing the dangers from abroad and comprehending the motives of potential enemies, a situation of sudden relevance." USA.

Western aid workers began pulling out of the Afghan capital on Wednesday amid fears for their safety if the United States retaliates for the terror attacks on New York and Washington. Peshawar, Pakistan.

By Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a political scientist at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), who served as an advisor on foreign affairs under former president B.J. Habibie. Indonesia.

Dr Farrukh Saleem. "To be certain, not everything in the Carl Vinson Battle Group - or other battle groups for that matter - works as planned. If a quarter of whatever is there actually works only fools would want to get into its way." Pakistan.

Anwar Ahmad. "No one chooses to die out of cowardice, and to spread an evil - the crusaders didn't do so, Israel's founders didn't do so and the Muslim militants aren't doing so either. They simply find no other way of being heard." Pakistan.

Shafqat Mahmood, a former Senator and a former federal and provincial minister. "Placed in a difficult situation, there is little else that President Musharraf and his colleagues could have done." Pakistan.

"The bombers 'have to be seen as extremist lunatic fringes, as crazy as those crazies in America who go to the post office and shoot people at random,' he added." Malaysia.

"Malaysia should be given information on reports that one of the suspects who hijacked the airliner that crashed into the Pentagon was seen on a surveillance tape in Kuala Lumpur." Malaysia.