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Sunday,
November 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Convene
Loya Jirga to pick future govt: Rabbani
WINDOW ON PAKISTAN
No asylum
for Omar, Laden: Pak |
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Power
transfer to Omar’s aides opposed
No plan to
yield Kandahar: Taliban Jailed
Taliban plead for mercy 15 rebels
die in clashes
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Convene Loya Jirga to pick
future govt: Rabbani Kabul, November 17 “We have not come to Kabul to extend our government: we came to Kabul for peace. We are preparing the ground to invite peace groups and all Afghan intellectuals abroad who are working for the peace,” Rabbani told a news conference. “We welcome the formation of a broad-based government as soon as possible,” the hitherto-exiled president said. “It depends of the seriousness of the Afghan people and the seriousness of the U.N.” He said the Northern Alliance would respect the will of a traditional Loya Jirga — or grand assembly of tribal elders and faction chiefs — to decide on a future government. The United Nations says the Northern Alliance is obstructing progress on urgent talks on a post-Taliban government by insisting these be held in Kabul. The U.N. wants the talks held in a neutral location. UNITED NATIONS: Members of the dormant G-21 on Afghanistan have said an early meeting of all factions in the country should be convened to find a political solution acceptable to everyone. Efforts are being made to revive the political process as fast as possible with “as many short cuts” as Afghans would allow, UN special envoy on Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi said after the meeting yesterday. The proposed meeting of the Afghan factions would include former king Zahir Shah, Northern Alliance and the Pashtuns, he told reporters here. He said the conclusion of the two-hour closed discussions was “we must go as fast as possible but not faster than possible.” Several places have been named as possible venues for the proposed meeting, but Mr Brahimi rejected Kabul as a possibility as the consensus at the meeting was that it should be held at a neutral venue. He stressed on hastening the peace process, saying “the more time is wasted (in convening the meeting) more problems might crop up making progress more difficult.” India, along with other powers, occupied centrestage at the G-21 meeting which is being held after several years. India’s special envoy on
Afghanistan S.K. Lama held extensive discussions with Mr Brahimi and other officials. Diplomats say India has a crucial role in determining the future of Afghanistan as it maintains good relations with some crucial groups. India’s role has become even more significant in the light of the faltering importance of the six-plus-two group in carrying the political process forward as each member tries to promote selective factions to promote its own interests. Pakistan’s part is also diminishing in the light of the collapse of Taliban militia over which it weilded considerable influence earlier, the diplomats say. The G-21 also expressed concern on the presence of foreign elements in Afghanistan, including Arabs and Pakistanis, the diplomats who attended the meeting said. During the meeting which was also attended by the Organisation of Islamic Conference, several members wanted the withdrawal of foreign fighters, including Pakistanis and Arabs, from Afghanistan, officials and diplomats participating in the meeting said. The members also decided that their involvement should be limited to political aspects and humanitarian issues should be left for the UN agencies. MOSCOW: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov warned the international community on Saturday not to rush into sending a peacekeeping force into Afghanistan, a ministry spokesman said. “The question of sending peacekeeping forces to Afghanistan has to be approached with extreme caution,” Ivanov told journalists, in remarks confirmed by his spokesman. Ruling out any Russian involvement in a such a force, Ivanov said the Taliban, which retreated from Kabul on Tuesday allowing the Northern Alliance opposition to take control, had not disappeared. “They can...carry out ambushes, explosions, diversionary operations,” he said. Britain, France and Germany on Friday announced they were sending troops to Afghanistan. Reuters,
PTI |
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WINDOW ON PAKISTAN GENERAL Pervez Musharraf is in real trouble these days. This is because of the unexpected developments in Kabul, captured by the Northern Alliance against the wishes of America and Pakistan at this stage. The fall of Kabul in the absence of a broad-based political arrangement for Afghanistan has given a big jolt to the General's new policy vis-a-vis the warring neighbour. Now it is difficult to have a regime in Kabul as desired by Islamabad. Even if a government representing all the tribes in Afghanistan finally comes into being with the efforts of the world community, it may never trust the Musharraf regime. The majority Pashtuns, who gave birth to the extremist Taliban with the help of Islamabad, too, will look askance at Pakistan. The case of the Northern Alliance, a known anti-Pakistan conglomerate of non-Pashtun forces, is entirely different. Now that it has acquired a position to play a dominant role in a future political
arrangement in Afghanistan, it will try to veto any move by Pakistan to induct Islamabad-friendly elements in important positions. General Musharraf had already been facing severe criticism at home because of his new Afghan policy — abandoning the Taliban after becoming a frontline ally of the US-led anti-terrorism international coalition — after the September 11 developments in America. Liberal Pakistanis, not under the influence of any religious organisation, however, appreciated his new role as the facilitator of the US scheme of things. They too may desert him if he fails to save their country's interests when a political dispensation is finalised for Afghanistan. In such a situation the General's plan to remain the President of Pakistan after the promised general election next year will go haywire. It is a formidable task for the General to keep his liberal support base intact. A master-manoeuvrer that he has emerged, General Musharraf is leaving nothing to chance to find a foothold in Kabul. With the help of Pashtun tribal leaders, he is reportedly busy engineering a southern alliance to convince the world community to include it in the future set-up in Kabul. Ostensibly, he is doing this to protect the interests of the majority tribal population of Afghanistan, but it is basically aimed at fortifying his own position in Pakistan. Denial of a major share of the administrative cake in Kabul to the Pashtuns may lead to a serious showdown in the NWFP of Pakistan. There has been a revolt-like condition there since the US-led military campaign began against the Taliban. Behind the unrest in the NWFP has been the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, "the Pakistani version of the Taliban movement", according to The Friday Times. Thousands of Tehrik activists recently attempted to join the Taliban in their fight against the American forces. Bajaur is the NWFP's biggest federally administered Agency. It has over seven lakh Pashtun population. In all, there are seven such Agencies, home to nearly 7.5 million people belonging to a number of Pashtun tribes. The atmosphere in Bajaur and the other Agencies has been tense since the bombing began in Afghanistan. Emotions have been running high because of powerful tribal loyalties. Then came the call for jihad by the Tehrik chief, Sufi Mohammad. This led to a great rise in the demand for AK-47 assault rifles, the Pashtuns' preferred weapon. According to one report, the AK-47 prices soon shot up by at least 50 per cent. With this weapon, black-coloured cloth also became dearer because of its unusually high demand from the jihadis as the Taliban use black turbans. These tribals may not take the Taliban defeat lying down. They will remain restless till they (the Pashtuns) are allowed a role in Kabul in accordance with their numerical strength in Afghanistan. They will make life hell for General Musharraf in case of any failure on this front. General Musharraf's worries do not end there. Besides doing everything possible to save his Afghan policy, already showing cracks, he is believed to be quietly engaged in finalising a deal with Ms Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to ensure the emergence of an elected political set-up that does not threaten his position as President. At the moment a deal with the PPP appears impossible, but it is not so keeping in view the General's past record. He does not hesitate in taking a U-turn if the circumstances so demand. |
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No asylum for Omar, Laden: Pak Islamabad, November 17 The sudden collapse of the Taliban even in southern Afghanistan beginning Friday shocked many Pakistani observers and triggered fears that fleeing militia fighters might now head toward Pakistan for sanctuary in border areas. The dramatic Taliban reversals prompted an urgent meeting on Friday headed by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who decided to plug all possible entry points with an additional 3,000 forces in the southwestern region. A foreign office spokesman denied reports that Taliban chief Mulla Omar or Osama bin Laden entered into Pakistan and also ruled out asylum for them. “They are not here nor will they be given asylum if they asked for it,’’ Mr Aziz Khan, Foreign Office spokesman, told reporters. “That is why we joined the western coalition against terrorism,’’ Mr Khan added. “Border security has been tightened to block entry of armed Taliban fighters who have been fleeing after withdrawing from many Afghan provinces,’’ an official said after the meeting. An official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr Yousuf Hassan, also expressed fears that fleeing Taliban militiamen might try to take shelter in refugee camps. “The government of the states hosting refugees have the responsibility to ensure the separation of any possible combatants from refugee populations and guarantee the non-military nature of the camps,’’ Mr Hassan said at a press briefing in Islamabad.
DPA |
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Taliban
down but not out Kandahar, November 17 To Mullah Abdul Masoom (24), who guards a Taliban post on a mountain peak, life is all about dodging U.S. war machines and keeping one’s morale high, says Online news agency. His gun-barrel constantly points south, apparently aiming at US B-52s and British Hornets, which fly over the area at least twice in 24 hours from their carriers in the Gulf. Masoom and his troops are confident they will win this war. “The Taliban have a lot of arms and even more courage, and once the ground war starts it is the Americans who would be at the receiving end,” he says. Mullah Abdul Jalil, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Taliban, said: “They can capture our cities, destroy the bridges and hospitals but the fight against the Americans will go on from the mountains and the deserts.” Though most Afghans hate the Americans, it does not necessarily translate to support for the Taliban, the Northern Alliance or even former king Zahir Shah. But there is another point of view. “I don’t think the militia regime is very popular, but at the same time Northern Alliance is even more hated,” said Rahim Jan, a resident of Bouldak town. “There cannot be peace even if U.S.-led forces take control of Kabul. The war will be waged from Afghanistan’s mountains and bring more misery for the country,” said Akhunzada Mateen of the Islamic Relief Agency. “The Taliban are feared, but the U.S. and the Northern Alliance have a worse human rights record,” he observed. Now, there is an increase in the number of people, including women, children and elderly men fleeing the city fearing an imminent ground attack on Kandahar. “We are scared of the Northern Alliance, which mostly consists of Uzbeks and Tajiks. They are slaughtering the people in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif,” said Haji Ibrahim (70). Around 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers are now in Kandahar. However, markets and shops remain open throughout the day and there is no ostensible increase in the prices of essential commodities, even oil and petrol. The general feeling is in favour of Osama bin Laden. Not only because the local people consider him innocent in the September attacks, but also because of growing anti-U.S. feeling, especially after the rampage and carnage committed by Alliance troops in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. The locals hold the U.S. responsible for the killings of Pashtoons in Kabul and other cities. Now the story is taking another turn. A huge number of Pashtoons who earlier were not supporting Taliban, are now supporting them, because of the killings of their tribal fellows in Kabul and other cities. This would definitely help Taliban in their expected guerrilla fight against the U.S. and Northern Alliance troops, locals believe.
IANS |
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Power transfer to Omar’s aides opposed Quetta, November 17 “This decision is unacceptable because it does not mean any real change of guard. These people (Naqeebulla and Bashar) have been close aides of the Taliban,’’ Yousaf Pashtoon, a close associate of Gul Agha, quoted him as saying. “These were the people who supported the movement and strengthened the Al-Qaida network in Afghanistan,’’ Pashtoon said and claimed that about 1,000 soldiers had been moved to Arghastan, south of Kandahar, to resist Omar’s decision. Other reports from Kandahar said Mulla Omar’s aides were still negotiating the transfer of power with local commanders including Mulla Naqeebulla.
DPA |
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No plan to yield Kandahar: Taliban Spin Boldak (Afghanistan) Nov 17 A Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed reports by a Pakistan-based Afghan news service last evening that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had decided to withdraw from the city to avoid more civilian casualties from the daily US bombing and hand it over to two local mujahideen commanders. “Kandahar is in complete control of the Taliban, and reports of the withdrawal of the Taliban are baseless,” spokesman Maulvi Najibullah said in this small town just over the border from Pakistan. Meanwhile, Tribal leaders with contacts in Kandahar said some groups of Taliban were fleeing the city to the south. “It looks like they are retreating from Kandahar and they are trying to come up to be where I am in (central) Uruzgan province,” tribal nobleman Hamid Karzai told Reuters by satellite telephone. Karzai, a supporter of former Afghan king Zahir Shah and who has been in Afghanistan since a day after the US air offensive began, said US aircraft pounded Taliban positions in the area on Saturday morning.
Reuters |
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Jailed Taliban
plead for mercy Herat, November 17 Haji Abdolkarim Qaybatani, in command of the citadel, said no summary executions had been carried out in the northwestern city of Herat captured by Northern Alliance warlord Ismail Khan on Tuesday.
Reuters |
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15 rebels
die in clashes Davao, Philippines, November 17 Three soldiers were injured in the fighting which broke out yesterday in Cateel town as troops encircled a rebel band that had torched telecommunications relay stations in Compostela Valley on November 12, Col Felipe Berroya said.
AFP |
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