Taliban complain to UN about Iran, Tajikistan's interference

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Taliban have complained to the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, about the interference of Iran and Tajikistan in Afghanistan by providing military assistance to their opponents.

Taliban Foreign Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund in a letter to Annan urged the United Nations to help check the flow of arms supplies into Afghanistan. He also assured Taliban's cooperation and assistance in controlling the situation at borders.

He categorically denied the presence of the Pakistani nationals in the ranks of the Taliban and termed the ongoing fighting as general uprising against the "criminals."

On the issue of Osama, the minister said that the man who had allowed him (bin Laden) to live in Afghanistan is now siding with the Afghan opposition commander Ahmed Shah Masood in northern Afghanistan.

In his letter, Hassan has accused the opposition of initiating the war and foiling the peace talks. The rocket attacks of the opposition on Kabul international airport, the letter said, resulted in disruption of the UN and ICRC flights to the city. The Taliban minister claimed that now peace and security has been restored at Kabul airport and all planes can safely make landing and take off there.

The minister has requested Kofi Annan to disseminate the letter in the United Nations as its official document.