February 9, 2000

Crew flee hijack plane
BBC
The captain and three senior crew have escaped from the hijacked Afghan plane, jumping from a cockpit window and running to safety.

Afghan hijack could be asylum bid-official
By Sayed Salahuddin
KABUL, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The head of Afghanistan's Ariana airlines said on Wednesday that the four-day-old hijacking of a Boeing 727 airliner to London could be an attempt to seek asylum involving some of the 150 passengers now on board.

Some Afghans Say Hostages Are Lucky
By AMIR SHAH
.c The Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - In a war-ravaged country where jobs, money and security are scarce, many Afghans joke that being hijacked and flown to London sounds like a stroke of good fortune, not a nightmarish ordeal.

Hijackers said linked to passengers- Afghan agency
ISLAMABAD, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The hijackers of an Afghan airliner now at a British airport could be linked to some of the passengers in an attempt to get political asylum, the head of the airline told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) news agency on

Afghan opposition offers cooperation for ending hijacking crisis
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The anti-Taliban Northern Alliance has offered full cooperation for peaceful solution to the hijacking crisis.

Musharraf for joint Pak-Afghan strategy to curb terrorism
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has said Pakistan and Afghanistan would form joint strategy to curb terrorism during his upcoming visit to Afghanistan, reports VOG.

Police question plane escapees
BBC
Four men who jumped from the cockpit window of the hijacked Afghan plane at Stansted airport are being questioned by police

Four hostages escape from hijacked Afghan plane
Wednesday, February 9 10:36 AM SGT
STANSTED, England, Feb 9 (AFP) -Four hostages dramatically escaped early Wednesday from a hijacked Afghan jet grounded at an airport near London, amid mounting speculation of an asylum motive for the hijacking as it entered its fourth day

Four escape Afghan aircraft as talks with hijackers continue
February 8, 2000
Web posted at: 7:39 p.m. EST (0039 GMT)
STANSTED, England (CNN) -- In a dramatic turn of events, four people jumped out of the cockpit of a hijacked Afghan airliner late Tuesday. Officials confirmed their escape and added that negotiations with the hijackers will continue.

Mounting speculation of asylum motive for Afghan jet hijack
Wednesday, February 9 9:35 AM SGT
STANSTED, England, Feb 9 (AFP) - As hostages aboard a hijacked Afghan jet grounded at an airport near London began a fourth day in captivity Wednesday, speculation was mounting here that the motive for the hijack was to seek asylum.

UN peace envoy on Afghanistan meets anti-Taliban leaders: opposition
KABUL, Feb 8 (AFP) - Former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani and his top military commander Ahmad Shah Masood met a special UN envoy in Dushanbe in neighbouring Tajikistan, an opposition spokesman said.

New UN Envoy For Afghanistan Meets Opposition Leaders
Tuesday, February 8 7:59 PM SGT
ISLAMABAD (AP)--Seeking to negotiate a peace deal that has eluded his predecessors, the new U.N. envoy to Afghanistan opened talks Tuesday with the opposition alliance that is fighting Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement.

Afghan opposition urges UN to turn the screw on Taliban
Wednesday, February 9 4:57 AM SGT
DUSHANBE, Feb 8 (AFP) - The former president of Afghanistan, Berhanuddin Rabbani, asked Tuesday the UN special envoy to his country to increase pressure on the Taliban regime, a minister in his exiled government said..

Masood not behind hijacking: Brother
The Times of India
STANSTED: The brother of Afghan opposition leader Ahmad Shah Masood on Tuesday denied allegations by the ruling Taliban militia that the opposition was behind the hijacking of an Afghan Airliner to Britain.

France ticks off Taliban on women's rights
The Times of India
PARIS: A woman heading France's delegation took a firm stand on women's rights in talks with members of Afghanistan's hardline Islamic Taliban leadership Monday, a foreign ministry spokesman said.