March 21, 1999

>Taliban disperse new year revellers in Kabul Sun 21 Mar 99 - 14:21 GMT
KABUL, March 21 (AFP) - Soldiers of Afghanistan's Taliban militia Sunday laid seige to the city hillsides and dispersed thousands of residents who were trying to mark traditional Persian new year ceremonies, witnesses said.

UN envoy in whistle stop Kabul visit as fighting puts peace at risk Sun 21 Mar 99 - 11:50 GMT
KABUL, March 21 (AFP) - The UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, made a whistle stop trip to Kabul Sunday as fighting escalated between the country's warring factions despite a breakthrough in peace talks.

Bin Laden still in Afghanistan: report Sun 21 Mar 99 - 00:34 GMT
LONDON, March 21 (AFP) - Suspected international terrorist Osama bin Laden, who vanished last month from his Afghanistan stronghold in Kandahar, is now living in the east of the country, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Exiled Afghan king marks Nauruz festival
The exiled former King of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah, has issued a message of greeting to Afghan nationals around the world to mark the celebration of Nauruz, the traditional New Year.

INTERVIEW-U.N. says no cash to get Afghans home
10:03 a.m. Mar 21, 1999 Eastern
By Andrew Hill
ISLAMABAD, March 21 (Reuters) - A U.N. official said on Sunday that Western focus on women's rights and on terrorism suspect Osama bin Laden had torpedoed plans to send 100,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan to the

Appeal for Afghan children's education
BBC
By William Reeve in Kabul
The importance of primary education for all children, including girls, was highlighted on Saturday at a ceremony sponsored by the United Nations children's agency, Unicef, at a school in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

UN Afghan envoy says peace talks will continue
The United Nations special envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, says both warring Afghan sides want to continue with the peace talks, started earlier this month in Turkmenistan.

U.N. envoy expects Afghan peace talks despite war
08:59 a.m. Mar 21, 1999 Eastern
By Sayed Salahuddin
KABUL, March 21 (Reuters) - The U.N. envoy to Afghanistan voiced confidence on Sunday that a third round of Afghan peace talks would take place despite a flare-up of fighting.

Taliban not certain about implementation of Ashkabad accord
WASHINGTON (NNI): Chief delegate of Taliban in Ashkabad talks, Maulvi Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel is unsure of implementation of Ashkabad accord, fearing this pact may also lapse like the past ones,
Masood sets terms for renouncing war
From Dr JASSIM TAQUI
frontier Post
ISLAMABAD - Ahmad Shah Masood, the warlord fighting the Taliban militia in Northern Afghanistan, is now demanding half a million dollar per month to stop fighting and to engage in the peace process, a confidant of the Taliban said here.

Masood ready to continue talks with Taliban
TEHRAN (NNI): Afghan opposition commander Ahmed Shah Masood has reiterated willingness of his alliance for holding peace talks with Taliban, reports Radio Tehran.

All ethnic groups to be accommodated: Taliban
The News: Jang
ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, keeping in view bitter experiences of the past about multi-parties government which did not produce desired results, wants people of all nationalities and ethnic groups, who waged

Taliban foil Masoods offensives
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Taliban have foiled opposition offensives at various war fronts in Afghanistan, reports Bakhtar news agency.
Britain doubts Taliban ability to establish writ on entire Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Derek Fatchett has said that Taliban would not be able to establish their writ on entire Afghanistan.