January 20, 1998

Afghanistan: FO's unshared optimism
Brigadier (Retd) A.R. Siddiqi The Nation: Opinion/Views
Our Foreign Office faces the UN (Kofi Annan, Norbert Holl), Gulbadin Hikmatyar (for whatever he is worth) and Iran (for its declared support of the Northern Alliance)

Afghan currency hawkers hit by Taleban crackdown
By Sayeed Salahuddin
KABUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Afghan currency hawkers have lost their livelihoods because of a crackdown by the Taleban on foreign exchange traders, market sources said.

Food prices soar as Taliban close money market
NNI, Jan 20
KABUL: Accusing Russia of flooding the market with illegal notes, the Taliban government has shut down Kabul's money market sending prices of food and fuel soaring.