February 28, 2000

Afghan Taliban to destroy Buddhas despite outcry: Mutawakel
KABUL, Feb 28 (AFP) - International outcry over the Taliban militia's plan to destroy ancient Buddhist statues has failed to sway the Afghan leadership from its Islamic mission,

US, UN Decry Taliban Order to Destroy All Afghanistan Statues
Washington, Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. and the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan criticized an order by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement to

UNESCO "scandalised" by Taliban statue threat
By Crispian Balmer
PARIS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO said on Tuesday the Taliban's plan to destroy priceless statues in Afghanistan was a crisis for world heritage

Pakistani-Taliban take up destruction-agenda of Afghanistan historical and cultural heritage
PRESS STATEMENT - Islamic State of afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
BY THE SPOKESPERSON February 27, 2001
In a systematic trend of subjection to Pakistani dictates, the Taliban militia leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has decreed the destruction of all statues, including the giant 5th century Buddha

Afghanistan's Heritage Destroyed by the Taliban
Press release
Washington, DC  - The office of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, commonly known as the United Front, today stated the decision by Mullah Omar, Taliban leader of Afghanistan,

Iran castigates Taliban destruction of statues
Tehran, Feb 28, IRNA -- Iran strongly condemned on Tuesday the destruction of ancient Buddhist statues by the hardline Taliban militia in Afghanistan and called

Taliban decree may punch gaps in Indian history
By Maneesh Pandey - Times o f India
NEW DELHI: The decree issued Monday by the supreme leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia, Mulla Mohammad Omar, ordering the destruction of all statues in the country

Commentary: Afghan statues ordered destroyed
By CLAUDE SALHANI
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Mulla Mohammad Omar is not a name that is widely known -- until now. Unfortunately, that may soon change.

Who will help Afghanistan?
By Olli Kivinen - Helsinki Sanomat
During the Kosovo War there was intense debate over military intervention for humanitarian reasons. From time to time in different parts of the world one comes

Secretary-General expresses alarm concerning
Taliban edict ordering destruction of statues and non-Islamic shrines
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General has learned with alarm of the edict issued yesterday by the Taliban supreme leader ordering the destruction of all statues and non-Islamic shrines in the country.

Annan to visit Afghan refugees in Pakistan next month
Wednesday February 28, 9:29 PM
ISLAMABAD, Feb 28 (AFP) - United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will visit Pakistan next month with a 15-member delegation of senior UN officials, the foreign office said Wednesday.

Taliban official escapes after illegally drawing sum from bank
Islamabad, Feb 27, IRNA -- A Taliban official, posted as bank manager in Kabul, escaped after withdrawing a huge amount from the bank, a Pakistani newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Pakistan executes Sunni activist
Sepa-e-Sahaba activists protest against the execution - BBC
A Sunni Muslim activist has been executed in Pakistan for the killing 10 years ago of an Iranian diplomat.