December 9, 1999

Afghan opposition offers Taleban a Ramadan truce
06:10 a.m. Dec 09, 1999 Eastern
By Sayed Salahuddin
BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Afghan opposition leader Ahmad Shah Masood offered the ruling Taleban movement on Thursday a month-long ceasefire for Ramadan, the Moslim month of fasting which starts on Friday.

Afghan Taleban to monitor foreign agencies
06:08 p.m Dec 08, 1999 Eastern
ISLAMABAD, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement said on Wednesday it would set up a commission to monitor foreign agencies working in the war-shattered country.

Afghan orphanage gives hope to a few
KABUL, Dec 9 (AFP) - Abdul Ghafar is a forward in the football team. He wants to be a doctor or maybe an engineer when he grows up.

Pakistan and Iran agree Afghan effort
BBC
Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, has said his country and Iran will co-ordinate their policies on Afghanistan.

Iran wants end to sectarian violence in Pakistan
06:11 a.m. Dec 09, 1999 Eastern
TEHRAN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Thursday he wanted to see an end to sectarian violence in neighbouring Pakistan, which has claimed the lives of several Iranians in recent years.

Musharraf says sectarianism Pakistans internal issue
TEHRAN (NNI): Pakistan Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has said sectarianism in Pakistan is its internal problem, blaming external hands for creating the problem in Pakistan.

AFGHANISTAN: Banks hit by UN sanctions
Financial Times
By Farhan Bokhari in Peshawar, Pakistan
Maulvi Masiullah Ahmedi, manager of Afghanistan's Afghan milli (national) bank, seemed unperturbed yesterday, despite the closure of his branch in compliance with United Nations-backed sanctions on Afghanistan.

Taliban reject Uzbekistan allegations
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan have rejected the allegations of the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan that Uzbek Islamists are being trained in Afghanistan.

UN facing difficulties in aid supplies to Panjsher
WASHINGTON (NNI): The spokesperson of UN Coordinator Officer for Afghanistan, Stephanie Bunker has said the World Food Programme was facing strategic problems in food supplies to the displaced Afghans in Panjsher.