March 3, 2000

Ruling Taleban, foes stop fighting in Afghanistan
KABUL, March 3 (Reuters) - Guns fell silent on Friday in Afghanistan, after two days of heavy clashes between the ruling Taleban movement and its opponents led by commander Ahmad Shah Masood.

Afghan opposition accuses Taliban of sabotaging peace talks
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Afghan opposition Northern Alliance has accused ruling Taliban militia of sabotaging the peace efforts by the United Nations and Organization of Islamic Conference by launching major offensives in two northern provinces.

Russian troops strengthen Afghan-Tajik border
By Sergei Yakovlev
DUSHANBE, March 3 (Reuters) - Russian border guards patrolling ex-Soviet Tajikistan's southern frontier said on Friday they had tightened security after fighting flared in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Afghan Taleban, foes battle for second day
By Sayed Salahuddin
KABUL, March 2 (Reuters) - Heavy fighting between Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement and forces of commander Ahmad Shah Masood raged for a second day on Thursday, witnesses said.

STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON
On the Fresh Pakistani-Taliban Offensive
As received from Afghanistan (ISA) mission, United Nations.
Following the latest confirmed reports on leaving Pakistan of convoys carrying ammunition and fresh recruits for Afghanistan, the Taliban mercenaries have launched a renewed wave of offensives against the armed forces of the Islamic State of

Hijack plane returns to Afghanistan from Britain
ISLAMABAD, March 3 (Reuters) - An Afghan Boeing 727 which was hijacked to London last month arrived in Afghanistan on Friday, an airline chief executive told the private Afghan news service.

Afghan Taleban to have anti-terrorism commission
KABUL, March 2 (Reuters) - The leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement issued orders on Thursday for the formation of an anti-terrorism commission.

Iran calls for anti-drug belt around Afghanistan
TEHRAN, March 2 (Reuters) - Iran called on Thursday for international efforts to reinforce the borders around neighbouring Afghanistan, the world's biggest opium producer, to stop the flow of drugs to nearby countries and the West.

Drought hits Afghan region
The United Nations says the southern region of Kandahar in Afghanistan is suffering its worst drought in nearly forty years.

US Policies have Led to Instability in Afghanistan - Rohrabacher
And now some excerpts from a US congressional hearing held this week by the House International Relations Committee to discuss the rising oil prices with Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. Part of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Ca) comments are being presented by AAR (courtesy of an Afghan monitoring source):

Indian globe-trotter has a long road ahead, and behind
Friday, March 3 12:38 PM SGT
DUSHANBE, March 3 (AFP) - An Indian globe-trotter, who has walked across 61 countries in 13 years, was set Friday to embark on the next leg of his marathon hike, out of the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan and into Afghanistan.