February 15, 2000

Interpreter says UK pressured hostages
By Kim Sengupta and Kate Clark in Khandahar
The Independent (UK) - 15 February 2000
An interpreter who worked with the Afghan hijack victims last night claimed the Immigration Service pressurised many of them into going home.

Interpreter accuses UK of bullying Afghan hostages
By Ralph Gowling
LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - An interpreter involved with freed hostages from last week's Afghan plane hijack accused Britain on Tuesday of having effectively bullied many to return to Afghanistan.

Charged Hijackers Appear in Court
.c The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) - Thirteen men appeared in court Monday, charged with hijacking of an Afghan airliner.

Afghan asylum seekers start UK legal moves
By John O'Callaghan
LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Dozens of freed Afghan hijack hostages on Tuesday began the long and delicate process of trying to persuade Britain to allow them to stay rather than send them back to their war-scarred homeland.

Hostages: Hijackers Were Big Family
By AMIR SHAH
.c The Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Freed hostages from a hijacked Afghan airliner said today that their captors took control of the plane to get asylum abroad, and described scenes of jubilation among the hijackers and their wives and children on board.

UK request on asylum seekers declined
Bureau Report - Dawn - 2-15-2000
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: Pakistan on Monday turned down Britain's request to accept those passengers of the hijacked Afghan plane who had sought political asylum in the UK, it is learnt.

Afghan Taleban minister says no deal with alliance forces until rule acknowledged
Bbc monitoring international reports
Delivered by the Dialog NewsFeed Service
Sun, 06 Feb 2000 01:45:09 GMT
Taleban Foreign Minister Mola Wakil Ahmad Motawakkil has given an interview to a Qatari satellite television station during which he explained the decision-making structure of the Taleban, defended

Afghan hijack passengers say they were threatened
Tuesday, February 15 1:19 PM SGT
KABUL, Feb 15 (AFP) - The 73 Afghan hijack passengers who returned home eight days after their plane was seized have told how they were threatened and beaten during their ordeal.

Taliban Bombing Kills Seven People
.c The Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Taliban jets bombed the opposition stronghold in Afghanistan's central Panjshir Valley, killing at least seven people and wounding 14, an opposition spokesman said Tuesday.

Renewed Afghan fighting claims 25 lives
2-15-2000
ISLAMABAD (NNI): At least 25 civilians were killed and 20 others injured seriously in renewed fighting between Taliban and anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in Dara-e-Souf district of Samangon province, reports Radio Mashad.

US asked to review Afghan policy
2-15-2000
ISLAMABAD (NNI): An Afghan woman has recently sent a letter to the US Secretary of State, Madelein Albright asking her to review their policy on Afghanistan and adopt a positive and realistic policy on human rights particularly women rights,

Islamic Conference to discuss Afghanistan
A delegation from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference OIC is expected in Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss a solution to the civil war in Afghanistan.

UN Afghan envoy holds talks with Kharazi, Velayati
2-15-2000
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Francesc Vendrell has held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharrazi, former Foreign Minister, Dr. Velayati and in charge of Afghanistan affairs in the Iranian Foreign Ministry,

Pakistani Agency Seeks to Allay U.S. on Terrorism
By Pamela Constable - Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, February 15, 2000; Page A17
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Officials of Pakistan's chief intelligence agency, often described as a "state within a state" whose main goal is to destabilize India, say their organization is much less powerful than in the past and is now primarily concerned

Soviet troops presence in Afghanistan was mistake - general
Monday, February 14, 2000 2:58 PM EST
MOSCOW, February 14 (Itar-Tass) - The deployment of Soviet troops in Afghanistan was a political mistake of the country's leadership, Moscow region governor and Afghan war veteran General Boris Gromov said.