September 10, 1998

Taliban 'killed 4,000 in ethnic cleansing drive'
By Ahmed Rashid in Islamabad
Electronic Telegraph
Thursday 10 September 1998 Issue 1203
BETWEEN 4,000 and 6,000 Afghan Hazaras - three times more than recent Amnesty International estimates - were massacred by the Taliban when they captured areas of northern Afghanistan last month, according to diplomats.
UN Security Council condemns Iranian diplomat killings
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 22:01 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 10 (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned the killing in Afghanistan of nine Iranian diplomats, and called for an urgent investigation.

Iran asks Security Council for "urgent and necessary measures"
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 21:08 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 10 (AFP) - Iran on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to take "urgent and necessary measures" following what it described as the Taliban killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan.

Growth of Iran-Afghan crisis over Iranian diplomats
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 18:55 GMT
TEHRAN, Sept 10 (AFP) - The Talibans' announcement Thursday that they discovered the bodies of nine Iranian diplomats on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif comes a month after they captured the Afghan city.

Afghan UN ambassador accuses Taliban of diplomats' murder
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 18:14 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 10 (AFP) - Afghanistan's UN ambassador on Thursday accused Islamic Taliban militia of being behind the killing of nine Iranian diplomats whose bodies were found by the Taliban.

Taliban finds bodies of missing Iranian diplomats
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 17:24 GMT
ISLAMABAD, Sept 10 (AFP) - The Taliban said Thursday it had found the bodies of nine Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, prompting Tehran to warn it held the fundamentalist militia and Pakistan responsible for the killings.

Voice of America
INTRO: TALEBAN OFFICIALS IN AFGHANISTAN SAY THEY HAVE LOCATED THE BODIES OF NINE IRANIAN DIPLOMATS KILLED SHORTLY AFTER TALEBANFIGHTERS ENTERED AN OPPOSITION

Taliban close on central Afghan opposition stronghold of Bamiyan
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 15:31 GMT
KABUL, Sept 10 (AFP) - Solid Taliban gains put the opposition stronghold of Bamiyan city in central Afghanistan within artillery range as the hardline militia advanced on strategic Shebar Pass, officials said Thursday.

Anti-Taliban commanders switch sides as militia closes in on Bamiyan
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 14:41 GMT
KABUL, Sep 10 (AFP) - Anti-Taliban alliance commanders switched sides enabling the Taliban militia to close in on the opposition stronghold of Bamiyan city in central Afghanistan, Taliban sources here said Thursday.

Taleban Men Killed Iranians, Bodies Found
11:07 a.m. Sep 10, 1998 Eastern
By Andrew Hill
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taleban movement said Thursday it had found the bodies of nine Iranian diplomats whose disappearance sparked a huge Iranian military build-up and sharp border tension.

FOCUS-Iran in new war games as Afghan tension boils
11:37 a.m. Sep 10, 1998 Eastern
By Firouz Sedarat
TEHRAN, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Iran said on Thursday it would soon launch major army war games on its tense border with Afghanistan.

Iran Plans More Afghan Exercises
By Afshin Valinejad
Associated Press Writer
Thursday, September 10, 1998; 11:00 a.m. EDT
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran said today it will hold a second set of military exercises on its border with Afghanistan, while tensions rose over Iranian diplomats missing in the neighboring country.

Taliban militia attacks key stronghold of pro-Iran Afghan faction
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 12:43 GMT
ISLAMABAD, Sept 10 (AFP) - Taliban fighters launched a major offensive on a key opposition bastion in central Afghanistan and captured several vital bases in the Shiite Moslem-held Bamiyan province, reports said Thursday.

Iran steps up pressure on Taliban to free diplomats
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 11:31 GMT
TEHRAN, Sept 10 (AFP) - The Iranian army on Thursday announced plans to stage maneuvers along the Afghan border as Tehran stepped up the pressure on the Taliban to account for 10 diplomats missing in Afghanistan.

Iranian army deployed along Afghan border to stage maneuvers
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 10:23 GMT
TEHRAN, Sept 10 (AFP) - The Iranian army has deployed forces along the Afghan border and will soon stage ground and air maneuvers in the area, a senior military official announced Thursday.

Iran warns Pakistan, Taliban over "delay" in probe into diplomats' fate
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 09:49 GMT
TEHRAN, Sep 10 (AFP) - Iran on Thursday warned the Taliban and Pakistan over the "delay" in the investigation into the fate of Iranian diplomats allegedly taken hostage by the Islamic militia in Afghanistan.

Taliban say situation safe for NGOs' return
Thu 10 Sep 98 - 09:03 GMT
KABUL, Sept 10 (AFP) - The hardline Taliban militia Thursday said it was safe for Western aid groups to return to Afghanistan's war-torn capital.

Warring Afghan groups to hold talks in Kyrgyzstan
The News: jang
MOSCOW: The main combatants in Afghanistan's civil war plan to hold direct talks soon in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan, a news report said Wednesday. Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement and the opposition groups based in

Injured Taleban hospitalised in Karachi
The News: jang
KARACHI: A group of Taleban, injured in conflicts in Afghanistan, were brought in the city for treatment on Wednesday. The six injured were airlifted from Afghanistan by a Ariyana Airline at about 9 pm, kept in the MI room of Quaid-e-Azam

Iran's President Issues Strong Warning on Afghanistan
By DOUGLAS JEHL
New York Times
September 10, 1998
EHRAN, Iran -- Despite American calls for restraint, Iran's president said Wednesday that his country would act "in whichever way we see fit" to resolve a potentially explosive dispute with the militant Taliban Islamic movement that controls most of neighboring Afghanistan.

Taleban not ready to hand over Osama bin Laden to US
The News: jang
KABUL: Osama bin Laden, enemy No 1 in the United States, has a home in Afghanistan as long as he wants it _ even if his presence invites another barrage of US Tomahawk missiles. A top Taleban official, Abdul Sattar Paktis, strokes his

Hekmatyar sees no imminent solution to Afghan conflict
Wednesday, 09-Sep-1998 20:38:00 PDT
TEHRAN: Former Afghan Prime Minister and Chief of anti-Taliban Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) Gulbadin Hekmatyar has expressed pessimism about the an early solution of to the Afghan problem, calling for immediate halt to foreign interference and fighting.

Turkey offers to host Afghan peace talks
Wednesday, 09-Sep-1998 20:37:43 PDT
ANKARA: Turkish President Suleman Demiral has offered to host Afghan peace talks under auspices of the United Nations, Dr Abdullah, spokesman of the deposed Afghan President Prof. Rabbani said.