March 29, 2000

Escaped Afghan commander 'safe' - BBC
There have been conflicting reports about the whereabouts of Afghan opposition leader, Ismail Khan, who escaped from a Taleban jail on Sunday.

Ismail Khan in a "safe place" inside Afghanistan
KABUL, March 29 (AFP) - Afghan opposition leader, Ismail Khan, who escaped from a Taliban jail in Kandahar has reached a safe place under opposition control inside Afghanistan, anti-Taliban officials said Wednesday.

Taliban officials behind ex-governor's escape?
By AIMAL KHAN - Pakistan's Frontier Post 03/29/2000
PESHAWAR - Though the mystery of disappearance of former Herat governor, Islmail Khan, along with Abdul Zahir Khan is yet to be unfolded, there are strong indications to suggest that their escape was planned by certain Taliban officials.

UN closes offices in Kandahar
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The United Nations on Tuesday closed down its offices in Kandahar and withdrew six-member international staff to protest search of the offices by the Taliban looking for Ismail Khan, the former governor of Heart, a UN

Former Afghan leader said to be in Iran - IRNA
TEHRAN, March 29 (Reuters) - Ismail Khan, a senior Afghan opposition commander know as the ``Lion of Herat,'' is in Iran after escaping from a Taliban militia jail, the official IRNA news agency said on Wednesday.

UN pulls out of south Afghanistan after office raid
By Scott McDonald
ISLAMABAD, March 29 (Reuters) - The United Nations has stopped operations in southern Afghanistan after its offices were raided twice by armed Taleban soldiers in search of an escaped opposition leader, a U.N. official said on Wednesday.

28 Terror Suspects Charged
By JAMAL HALABY .c The Associated Press
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Jordan indicted 28 Arabs linked to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden on terrorism charges Tuesday stemming from what officials say was a conspiracy to attack Americans and Israelis during New Year's celebrations.

Security Council mulling ways to cut arms supply to Afghanistan
UNITED NATIONS (NNI): The UN Security Council is working to ensure a reduction in arms supply to Afghanistan and explore ways to improve the situation there.

7 killed, 16 injured in Torkham blast
PESHAWAR (NNI): At least seven persons including children were killed and 16 others sustained serious injuries in a bomb explosion at a shop in Torkham, 45 kilometers north-east from here close to Pak-Afghan border on Tuesday morning.

UN Says It Has Withdrawn Its Staff From S. Afghanistan
INTRO: The United Nations says it has withdrawn its international staff from southern Afghanistan, in protest against raids by armed Taleban soldiers on U-N offices in Kandahar. As V-O-A's Scott Anger reports, the international body says the action

Unocal denies report
BUSINESS RECORDER REPORT (Pakistan)
KARACHI (March 29) : A spokesperson of Unocal has denied a report which appeared in Business Recorder issue of March 24 that the company is trying to re-join the Turkmenistan gas pipeline project. "I want to clearly state that Unocal is not getting