Special Summary Of The War On Terrorism

White House Says It Is `Closing In' On Bin Laden

The Bush administration said Monday that U.S. forces were "closing in" on Osama bin Laden, but White House spokesman Ari Fleischer refused to confirm reports that the search area for bin Laden has been narrowed to a 30-square-mile area of Afghanistan.

"I'm not going to get into an estimate of what the precise mileage may be where he is. Afghanistan is a big country," Fleischer said.

"We are closing in on him," he added.

Pentagon: More US Troops On The Ground In Afghanistan

More U.S. commandos have been put on the ground in Afghanistan to help in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the Pentagon said Monday.

Meanwhile, U.S. planes pounded Taliban front lines just outside the city of Kunduz, where Taliban and al-Qaida forces have been holding out for days as the rest of the north has fallen to opposition forces.

EU Formally Adopts Tougher Money Laundering Rules

European Union governments Monday formally adopted tougher rules to fight money laundering.

The legislation, seen as a key tool to fight the financing of terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., will enter into force in 18 months and then must be implemented by all 15 E.U. member states.

Jordan Foiled Sept Al-Qaida Plot Against 2 Hotels - CNN

Jordan thwarted an al-Qaida plot to attack two resort hotels around Sept. 11, Cable News Network reports.

According to the report, "coalition intelligence sources" believe that the attacks on the hotels were meant to coincide with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.

4 Missing Journalists Are From Reuters, European Dailies

The four international journalists missing Monday in Afghanistan included a television cameraman and a photographer working for Reuters (RTRSY) news agency; a journalist with the Spanish daily El Mundo; and a journalist with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

The journalists were stopped by armed men on a road between the eastern city of Jalalabad and the capital, Kabul. Gunmen opened fire after the journalists were taken from their cars, drivers said.

Schroeder Seeks Party Unity On Germany's Anti-terror Role

Fresh from winning a confidence vote, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder urged his party Monday to unite behind a German military role against terrorism and warned his Green coalition partners to fall in line.

Addressing a convention of his Social Democrats, Schroeder insisted he wants to lead Germany into greater global responsibility despite pacifist opposition that nearly brought down his center-left coalition last week.

Pakistan Urges Warring Afghan Groups To Reconcile

Pakistan urged Afghan factions Monday not to miss the historic opportunity to bring peace to their war-devastated country and pursue U.N. efforts to form a broad-based multiethnic government.

"All of our Afghan brothers should think of the future of their country and not resort to actions that promote their selfish interests at the expense of the unity and integrity of their state," Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar told a press conference.

UN Presses Afghan Factions To Meet, Set Up A Government

With no government in Afghanistan for the past week, the United Nations was pressing Monday for the disparate Afghan factions to quickly convene at a neutral site - possibly in Europe - to create an interim government.

The northern alliance, led by former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, sent troops and police into the capital Kabul immediately after the Taliban movement fled Nov. 13, and is therefore in the strongest bargaining position.

UK Lawmakers Panel: Govt Moving Too Fast On Terror Bill

A committee of U.K. lawmakers said Monday that the government is trying to move too quickly to enact a sweeping anti-terrorism bill.

A report by the House of Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee argued that a bill with such significant implications for civil liberties shouldn't be enacted without detailed examination.

US House Vows Early Dec Finish Of Terror Insur Bill

House lawmakers sought to calm a nervous industry Friday by vowing to finish legislation by early December that creates a temporary federal backstop for U.S. insurers in the event of a future terrorist strike.

"There will be legislation and it will be signed by the president," said House Financial Services Chairman Michael Oxley, R-Ohio.

IMF Policy Body Embraces Crackdown On Terrorism Funding

The nearly 200 member nations of the International Monetary Fund are being urged to embrace a series of detailed measures to combat terrorist financing and report back on their progress by early next year, officials announced Saturday.

The International Monetary and Financial Committee of the IMF said in a communique the organization's 183 member states are being asked to adopt a series of measures - including the creation of "financial intelligence units" to monitor suspicious transactions - as soon as possible.