October 18, 2000

Anti-Taliban forces claim capture of northern Afghan district
KABUL, Oct 17 (AFP) - Afghan opposition forces Tuesday captured another district in the northeastern province of Takhar close to Tajikistan after bitter fighting overnight, a spokesman said.

ANALYSIS-Taleban foe fights for survival in Afghanistan
by Jack Redden
ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 (Reuters) - After 20 years of outfoxing his enemies, Afghanistan's most formidable guerrilla leader feels the noose of the triumphant Taleban movement tightening around his dwindling enclave.

Afghan rivals' conflicting claims of territorial gains
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The Taliban forces beaten back the opposition fighters in a counterattack on Sunday night and recaptured the areas, which had fallen to the Masood forces in Takhar and Kunduz provinces

The District of Chal is Liberated
Payam-e-Mujahid
Tuesday, October 18
The district of Chal in Takhar province was liberated from Pakistani-Taliban occupation.
A Mujahideen military source reports that the Mujahideen's coordinated attacks on enemy positions in Chal district

Taliban claim killing 22 alliance men
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Taliban have claimed killing and wounding a large number of opposition Northern Alliance forces in the latest round of war in northern Afghan province of Takhar.

CIS security pact members ready to counter Taliban threats
MOSCOW, October 18 (Itar-Tass) -- Six members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) united by the Collective Security Treaty are ready to tackle possible threats from Afghanistan's Taliban movement,

UN: Taliban Relax Some Edicts
By NICOLE WINFIELD
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The repression Afghanistan's ruling militia imposes against women cannot be justified under any reading of Islam, an independent U.N. human rights investigator for Afghanistan said in a report released Tuesday.

Afghan Taliban bans sport in late afternoon
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban Islamic movement Tuesday ordered a ban on all sports played in late afternoon and early evening because they could disturb Muslim prayers, the official Taliban radio said.

Bin Laden taunts US
Ewen MacAskill, diplomatic editor - The Guardian Wednesday October 18, 2000
Osama bin Laden, the man at the top of Washington's list of wanted terrorists, yesterday warned the US against launching a revenge raid over the attack on the USS Cole.

Taliban deny remarks attributed to Osama
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Taliban Tuesday denied remarks attributed to Osama bin Laden that he will continue his 'jehad' mission.

Taliban deny bin Laden hand in Yemen bombing
The Times of India 10.18.00
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan's Taliban rulers denied involvement Monday of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden in last week's deadly suicide bombing of a United States destroyer off the coast of Yemen.

Iran sends drought relief convoy to Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement said on Tuesday it had received a relief convoy for drought-hit people from neighbouring Iran, which does not recognise the Taleban government.

Taliban allow setting up of private bank
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Taliban have allowed the setting up of a private bank which will start its functions within next six months having its branches in various countries including Pakistan, United States, Europe and Central Asia.

Taliban minister meets Ukranian transport company head
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The Taliban Commerce Minister, Maulana Abdul Razzak met the chairman of a Ukrainian transport company and discussed with him issues pertaining to trade, reports Radio Kabul.

Hillary Clinton Sets Foreign Agenda
By TOM HAYS
NEW YORK (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton laid out her vision Tuesday for a ``new internationalism, not an old isolationism'' in U.S. foreign policy, and was criticized by her Senate opponent who said she had an

Meeting on Taliban uncertain
By our correspondent - The News 10/16
WASHINGTON: The attack on an American warship in Yemen has left the prospects of the meeting on Afghanistan among the interior ministers of Pakistan, Russia and the Central Asian Republics (CARS) next month in the quandary.

Is Pakistan a nightmare?
The Nation editorial 10/18/00
THE interview of Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf to a well-known American TV network - CBS - tried to allay fears of Pakistan's nuclear arms falling into the hands of religious extremists