January 8, 2000

Afghan Taliban demand death for Christian, Jewish converts
KABUL, Jan 8 (AFP) - The leader of Afghanistan's puritanical Taliban militia has issued an edict imposing the death penalty on any Afghan Muslim who converts to Christianity or Judaism, an official radio report said Monday.

Afghan opposition says loses key town to Taleban
KABUL, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Afghan opposition confirmed on Monday it had lost the strategic town of Yakawlang in the central province of Bamiyan to the Taleban after heavy fighting.

Pakistan to ask Taliban to reduce diplomatic staff: Sattar
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar has said Pakistan will ask Taliban government to reduce strength of its diplomatic staff so that the country is able to comply

Jihadi groups not to give up military operations: Harkat
Fazlur Rehman Khalil Admires Taliban stand
D.I. KHAN (NNI): Chief of Harkatul Mujahideen, Maulana Fazalur Rehman Khalil has said that jihadi organizations would not give up military operations against the Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir.

Religious leaders to adopt anti-US stand
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Maulana Samiul Haq Sunday said leaders of Islamic parties have positively responded to his appeal to chalk out joint strategy

Taliban resistance - Operation stopped in Orakzai Agency - Frontier Post
KOHAT - To avert a possible clash between armed supporters of Taliban Tehrik and militia forces at the Orakzai Agency, the political authorities postponed a massive operation at Masthi

Afghanistanís trade contact with Turkmanistan - Frontier Post
Mazar-e-Sharif - The ruling Taliban has contacted the Turkmanistan government to reopen Klifit seaport which connect Afghanistan and Turkmanistan.

Iran, China denounce Israeli atrocities, Afghan crisis
Tehran, Jan 7, IRNA -- Iran and China fine-tuned their calls Sunday  and expressed their antipathy against the Zionist regime for its massacre of the oppressed Palestinians.

Bush Govt: In pursuit of Asia policy wonks
The Times of India, Jan 6 - By Ramesh Chandran
WASHINGTON: With the appointment of Democrat Norman Yoshio Mineta --of Japanese-American stock--as Secretary of Transportation, the Bush Cabinet is now finally ready and seems

State Department Denies Pak. Reports on New Appointments
Washington, 01/08/2001 - AAR - A US State Department spokesperson denied that any official announcements or decisions have been made yet in regard to high-level political appointments

What did the desperate do to deserve this? The Age (Australia), Jan 7
By AMIN SAIKAL
The holiday season marks a time of goodwill for most Australians. It is also a period in which one should think of those unfortunates who live in conditions far worse than most Australians enjoy.

Saudi says to sign security pact with Iran soon
DUBAI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's interior minister, Prince Nayef, was quoted on Monday as saying he expected to visit Iran soon to sign a security pact, a fresh sign of warming

US Senator calls on Pak. Foreign Secretary
ISLAMABAD (NNI): US Senator Arlen Specter who is visiting Pakistan called on the Foreign Secretary here Sunday. The senator discussed various aspects of Pak-US relations as well as the latest developments in Kashmir.

The option of Zahir Shah - By Dr. Jassim Taqui - Frontier Post opinion 1/8/01
Having failed to resolve the Afghan issue, the main players in Afghanistan have given a green signal to the former king of Afghanistan , Zahir Shah to try his luck.

More Sanctions Are No Substitute for Ending a War
By PAULA R. NEWBERG - The Los Angeles Times 01/07/2001
WASHINGTON--Late last month, the U.N. Security Council again voted tougher sanctions against Afghanistan as punishment for sponsoring terrorism and harboring Osama bin Laden, the alleged

History repeats in Afghanistan
Frontier Post (Letter)
The following two quotes from a book on T E Lawrence alias "Lawrence ofArabia" reveal so much of the vendetta oriented mentality of the imperialists.