May 5, 2001

Ex-communist general joins Afghan war, opposition suffers setback
Saturday May 5, 11:09 PM
KABUL, May 5 (AFP) - A former communist general has joined the fighting against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia, in a combined attack on the main city in northern Balkh province,

Afghan Taliban seize key town in Bamiyan province
Saturday May 5, 11:31 PM
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement captured the strategic town of Yakaolang in the central province of Bamiyan from the anti-government Northern Alliance

Afghan opposition claims new gain
The opposition Northern alliance in Afghanistan says it has captured the area of Zari, in the Taleban-controlled northern province of Balkh.

Taliban blame Iranian hardliners as Herat blast toll rises to 10
KABUL, May 5 (AFP) - Afghanistan's Taliban regime Saturday blamed Iranian hardliners for a blast in the western city of Herat which killed eight people

Iranian envoys leave Afghan city after protests
KABUL, May 5 (Reuters) - Iranian diplomats based in Afghanistan's western city of Herat left for Iran on Saturday after a bomb blast outside a mosque led to anti-Iranian protests

Iran condemns attack on its consulate in Afghan city
TEHRAN, May 4 (AFP) - Iran condemned Friday the attack on its consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat, which it blamed on "subversive foreigners".

Taliban to allow trial in absentia for bin Laden: newspaper
ISLAMABAD, May 5 (Kyodo) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime would allow indicted international terrorist Osama bin Laden to be tried in absentia in the United States

Afghan women take anti-Taliban cause to French parliament
PARIS, May 4 (AFP) - Three Afghan women, disguised wi th pseudonyms and the traditional all-covering burqa, visited the French parliament on Friday in the latest feature

Afghan women appeal to French
BBC 5/5/01
Three women from Afghanistan have appeared before the French National Assembly to describe the plight of women in their country under the Taleban.

Afghans cling to precipice, famine looms, says U.S.
By Elaine Monaghan
WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Severe drought prompted the United States this month to make its first official visit to Afghanistan in three years,

Afghan refugees offered hope
By Susannah Price at Jalozai, Pakistan
Saturday, 5 May, 2001, 13:27 GMT 14:27 UK  BBC News
The United Nations refugee chief has told Afghans living in a makeshift camp in Pakistan that he would work with the local authorities to improve their situation.

UN refugee appeal to Pakistan
BBC
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, has asked Pakistan to be patient in resolving the issue of the more than two million Afghan refugees it hosts.

EU mission expresses concern over fighting in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, May 4 (AFP) - A European Union mission Friday expressed "deep concern" over continued fighting between rival Afghan factions and the ruling Taliban militia's

Curbs cause of Afghan fighting, says Sattar
DUSHANBE (APP)–Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar Friday said the last year's one-sided U.N. Security Council sanctions against Afghanistan has

Russia cautious on Muslim threat to Uzbekistan
By Andrei Shukshin
MOSCOW, May 4 (Reuters) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov won promises of fresh arms supplies from Moscow on Friday, but Russian President Vladimir Putin

Iranian foreign minister meets Tajik counterpart
Dushanbe, May 4, IRNA -- Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamal Kharrazi met and conferred with his Tajik counterpart Talbak Nazarev Thursday evening.

China rules out strategic triangle
The Nation
WASHINGTON—China has virtually ruled out formation of a 'strategic triangle' with India and Russia, according to reports received here on Friday.

Taliban discard possibility of limited U.N. role in Tokyo talks
Islamabad, May 5, IRNA -- Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have discarded new proposals by Japan about any possible `limited role' of the United