September 15, 2000

Afghans lead world in opium growing, despite drop
By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Despite a 28 percent decline in raw opium production this year, Afghanistan still remains by far the world's largest opium poppy supplier, the head of the United Nations drug agency reported on Thursday.

UNHCR chief in Pakistan about Afghan refugees
By Tahir Ikram
ISLAMABAD, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, arrived in Pakistan on Thursday to examine the plight of Afghan refugees, the largest single group of refugees in the world.

Head of U.N. refugee seeks to hasten return of Afghans
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- With 2.6 million Afghans still living in neighboring states, the head of the U.N. refugee agency began a regional tour Thursday aimed at speeding the pace of their return home.

Cyprus to host meeting on Afghanistan
Athens, Sept. 14, IRNA -- A meeting aimed at bringing peace to war-torn Afghanistan will take place in Nicosia, Cyprus, beginning on Friday.

Afghanistan, Turkmenistan to set up border markets
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to establish common border market to promote trade between the two countries, diplomatic sources said Thursday.

Afghan drug traffickers killed in Iran - BBC
Tehran, Sept 14 -- The Iranian security forces are reported to have killed eleven Afghan drug traffickers this week in the northeastern province of Khorassan on the border with Afghanistan.

Afghan conflict not to spill into Tajikistan: President
Times of India
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan: President Emomali Rakhmonov promised that Tajikistan's armed forces would overcome Islamic rebels in the troubled Central Asian nation, officials said Thursday.

Taliban intrude into Pak territory
PESHAWAR, Sept 14 (Frontier Post) -- Rumours of Taliban’s intrusion into Pak territory have turned into reality as recently some 15 to 20 Taliban took away a number of arrow marks,

Taliban form commission on prisoners
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Afghanistan ruling Taliban have constituted a commission to review the cases of prisoners across Afghanistan and to release those in minor cases, Afghan embassy spokesman said Thursday.

Geneva mayor sees UN sanctions impact on Afghan
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Mayor of Geneva, who recently visited Afghanistan, has said the US-sponsored United Nations sanctions have badly affected the common people.

UN urged to impose arms embargo on Afghanistan
Bureau Report - DAWN
PESHAWAR, Sept 14: The Revolutionary Afghan Women's Association has urged the United Nations and the US to impose effective ban on arms supply to Taliban and the opposition Northern Alliance.

Vajpayee accuses Pak greatest ‘source of terrorism’
WASHINGTON (NNI): Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in an address to a joint session of the US Congress Thursday, described Pakistan as the greatest "source of terrorism".

Sattar, Albright discuss ways to ease tension
By Our Correspondent - DAWN
NEW YORK, Sept 14: President Clinton would like to be helpful in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and to facilitate dialogue between the two countries in the Kashmir dispute.

20 Bangladeshis Charged with Planting Bomb to Kill PM
DHAKA (Sept. 15) XINHUA - A case has been filed Thursday in a magistrate's court in Gopalganj, 230 kilometers southwest of Dhaka, with sedition charges against 20 persons for planting a powerful time bomb

Iranian schoolgirls win reprieve from head scarves, black coats
TEHRAN, Sept 15 (AFP) - Iranian girls will be allowed to take off their obligatory head scarves at school and wear coats in colors besides black for the first time in 19 years when classes start in late September.

Socio-economic assurances to help repatriate Afghans: Ogata
By Umer Farooq - The News Int.
ISLAMABAD: Peace, political stability, socio-economic assurances are required to expedite the repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland, said Mrs Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,