January 16, 2000

Crime Rate Soars in Afgan Capital
Sun 16 Jan 2000
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Crime is increasing in Afghanistan's capital, residents say, and some blame the upswing on a lull in the ruling Taliban's practice of publically punishing criminals.

FOCUS-Afghan Taleban recognise Chechen govt
10:29 a.m. Jan 16, 2000 Eastern
KABUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taleban Islamic movement on Sunday became the first government to recognise the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya but said it could hardly give any help to Chechens in their conflict with

Afghanistan's Taliban recognises rebel rule in Chechnya
ISLAMABAD, Jan 16 (AFP) - Afghanistan's Taliban regime said Sunday it had recognised the rebel government in Chechnya and its independence from Russia, and may consider military aid for the breakaway republic.

Taliban order probe into Kabul currency market loot
Fronter Post
PESHAWAR (NNI) - The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan have not ruled out the possibility of the involvement of political opponents in the looting of hundreds of thousands of US dollars and other foreign currency from Kabul foreign currency

Wheat import may go up on fresh demand
DAWN
ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: Pakistan's total imports of wheat may touch over 2 million tons during 2000 following the fresh demand by provincial governments to provide one million tons wheat in addition to normal annual federal wheat distribution

India asks Pakistan to hand over hijackers
By Seema Guha
The Times of India
NEW DELHI: After publicly pointing a finger at Pakistan's complicity in the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane and asking the international community to brand Pakistan a terrorist state, India remembered that Islamabad should also be formally

Ban Harkat, Pakistan asked
The Times of India
ISLAMABAD: The US and Britain have privately asked Pakistan's army ruler General Pervez Musharraf to curb militant groups operating from Pakistan, and, as a first step ban the Harkat-ul Mujahideen and disband its organisational presence in

U.S. offers reward in Pakistan in rocket-attack case
January 16, 2000
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) -- The United States on Sunday offered a reward for information about rocket attacks late last year on its embassy, cultural center and U.N. offices in the Pakistani capital.

Not-so-young times: The exotic sights of Afghanistan
New Straits Times Press (Malaysia)
01/15/99
NOW, where is Herat? How far away? Herat, I discovered, was 100km east. A truck would leave in five hours, and would pass 15km from Herat. I planned to grab it, then walk the rest of the way if I had to.