October 10, 2001

U.S. Unleashes Heaviest Raids Yet on Afghanistan


By Sayed Salahuddin
Wednesday October 10 8:50 PM ET
KABUL (Reuters) - Planes and cruise missiles pounded Kabul and other Afghan cities into the early hours of Thursday in the fiercest bombardments since U.S.-led attacks against Osama bin Laden

Heaviest attacks yet shake Kabul
Wednesday, 10 October, 2001, 22:05 GMT 23:05 UK
Attacks by day and night as US claims "air supremacy"
US jets have launched the heaviest air strikes yet on Kabul, as a fourth night of attacks gets underway.

Taleban denies US air supremacy claim
BBC News
The Taleban authorities in Afghanistan have dismissed claims by the United States that it has gained virtual air supremacy over the country after three days of attacks.

Afghan Alliance 'ready to attack'
October 10, 2001
BAGRAM, Afghanistan (CNN) - With the U.S.-led strikes pounding Kabul from the air, commanders from the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance are calling on American military planners to target

Zahir's aide warns against interference in Afghan affairs
The News: Jang (Pakistan) - October 10, 2001
ROME: Afghanistan's former royal family has warned Pakistan not to try to play a king-maker's role if the Taliban regime collapses. General Abdul Wali, a senior aide and son-in-law of former monarch Zahir Shah

20-member Afghan Shoora in offing
By Salim Bokhari - The News: Jang (Pakistan) October 10, 2001
LAHORE: The stage appears to be set to form a 20-member joint council of Afghan representatives once the Taliban government collapses under the weight of the ongoing attacks by the United States and its allies.

Taliban assault UN mine clearing staff in Afghanistan: official
ISLAMABAD, Oct 10 (AFP) - The Taliban was beating up United Nations employees in Afghanistan, a UN spokeswoman said Wednesday.
"The NGOs working with the United Nations

40 tonnes of aid arrive in northern Afghanistan: UNICEF
ASHKHABAD, Oct 10 (AFP) - A 40-tonne consignment of humanitarian aid supplied by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) arrived Wednesday in the northern Afghan town of Andkhoi after transiting via

Iran can set up camps in Afghanistan for refugees: Taliban
TEHRAN, Oct 10 (AFP) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia have given Iran the green light to erect camps inside some Taliban-controlled areas in case of a major influx of refugees from US and British

People burn US aid in eastern province: Taliban
KABUL, Oct 10 (AFP) - A Taliban militia official said Wednesday Afghans in the eastern province of Khost had burned US food aid rather than accept "satanic" gifts from the enemy.

Islamic Chief warns strikes must avoid civilians
By Rawhi Abeidoh
DOHA (Reuters) - The head of the world's biggest Islamic organization condemned the attacks on the United States but said as he opened an emergency meeting of the group on Wednesday that retaliation

U.S. Officials See Lengthy Afghan Aid Campaign
Wednesday October 10 8:27 PM ET
By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials on Wednesday promised to lead a sustained effort to help starving Afghans battle the ravages of drought and the bitter onset of winter even

No imposed political dispensation in Afghanistan acceptable:
Musharraf Islamabad, Oct 10, IRNA - Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has said that no imposed political dispensation in Afghanistan will be acceptable.

No Pakistan-Taliban border clash: Envoy
Islamabad, Oct 10, IRNA - Taliban Wednesday said there has been no clash between Taliban soldiers and Pakistan's para-military troops along the Pak-Afghan border.

US commandos on way to Pakistan: Pak daily
Islamabad, Oct 10, IRNA -- Special operation helicopters of the U.S. army are on their way to an air base in Pakistan to launch a possible commando operation against Afghanistan, wrote a Pakistani daily on

Analysis: Central Asians defy jihad call
By Monica Whitlock in Dushanbe - bbc
The call from al-Qaeda for Muslims to join a holy war, or jihad, against the United States has met a mixed response in Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbours.

When Osama Met the Taliban
Posted Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2001- Slate .com
As commandos and U.S. infantry enter Afghanistan and fan out in search of Osama Bin Laden and members of his al-Qaida group, they'll need timely and accurate intelligence to complete their mission.

Bush's Favorite Afghan
By Jacob Weisberg  - Friday, Oct. 5, 2001 SLATE.COM
A recent article in the New York Times about how college campuses are reacting to the World Trade Center attack cited a characteristic anti-war comment from the Vietnam era. Daniel Ellsberg

US can use Pakistan airbases
By Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad – bbc
Pakistan has decided to allow the United States to use at least two of its airports for emergency use during the ongoing military operation in Afghanistan. Official sources, on condition of anonymit

Some Pakistani officers helped Taliban
Ahemd Rashid – Daily Telegraph
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A small group of officers from Pakistan's intelligence services visited Kandahar without permission from the government at the end of last month, reportedly to help the Taliban regime

Pakistan, in a Border Clash, Turns Back Taliban Forces
By JOHN F. BURNS – NY Times
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 9 — Border troops fought a two-hour gun battle today with Taliban soldiers at a frontier crossing with Afghanistan. The fighting increased pressures on President Pervez Musharraf

CIA's Stealth War Centers on Eroding Taliban Loyalty and Aiding Opposition
By Alan Sipress and Vernon Loeb
Washington Post Staff Writers Wednesday, October 10, 2001
The United States announced its war in Afghanistan with dramatic airstrikes Sunday but the campaign could ultimately be won by the covert efforts of American and Pakistani agents to win over commanders

Rebels Capture Northern Areas, Cut Off Taliban Supply Route
By Peter Baker and Susan B. Glasser
Washington Post Foreign Service Wednesday, October 10, 2001
JABAL SARAJ, Afghanistan, Oct. 9 -- Afghan rebels have capitalized on U.S. airstrikes to advance against Taliban military positions, capturing several northern districts and cutting off a key supply

Latest developments-Raids on Afghanistan
reuters
KABUL/WASHINGTON - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban gave Osama bin Laden free rein to wage holy war on the United States as Washington said its war planes had the run of the Afghan skies.

1,800 Taliban deserted in past 24 hours-opposition
BERLIN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Some 1,800 fighters from Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime have deserted and joined the the opposition Northern Alliance in the past 24 hours, a Northern Alliance

Defiant Taliban lifts curbs on bin Laden
By Sayed Salahuddin
KABUL (Reuters) - Reeling from repeated U.S. air raids, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban on Wednesday lifted all restrictions on the world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, saying he was free

U.S. expected to step up support for Northern Alliance
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (Kyodo) - The United States is expected to step up its behind-the-scenes military support for Afghanistan's anti-Taliban Northern Alliance after claiming Tuesday it had established

Government U-turn on Northern Alliance
War on terrorism: Opposition - By Kim Sengupta
Independent News / 09 October 2001
The government indicated that the Northern Alliance could form the next administration of Afghanistan, just days after stating that they were unfit to rule.

China and Russia back Afghan coalition government
BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia support the formation of a coalition government in Afghanistan and share a common stance on a campaign against terrorism, Chinese state media said on Wednesday.

U.N. resumes food shipments to hungry Afghans
By Scott McDonald
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency resumed food aid shipments to war-torn Afghanistan on Wednesday with 1,000 tonnes of wheat headed for the capital, Kabul.

Deserter says ranks of Taliban are full of 'Arabs and Punjabis'
By Patrick Cockburn in Panjshir valley, Afghanistan - Independent News / 08 October 2001
Anti-Taliban fighters on the front line north of Kabul burst into song last night as the US-led military assault on Kabul began. "I am happy! The Taliban are our enemies, but America is on our side

Taliban backs bin Laden after U.S. raids
By Sayed Salahuddin and Anton Ferreira
Wednesday October 10, 6:36 PM
KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban gave Osama bin Laden free rein to wage holy war on the United States on Wednesday as Washington said its war planes

China and Russia back Afghan coalition government
Wednesday October 10, 3:44 PM
BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia support the formation of a coalition government in Afghanistan and share a common stance on a campaign against terrorism, Chinese state media said on Wednesday.

Taliban agencies arrest 3 French, Pak newsmen: daily
Islamabad, Oct 10, IRNA -- The Taliban militia's secret agencies have apprehended two Pakistani and one French journalists for illegally entering Afghanistan, according to a daily.

Pakistan Tells Afghans to Stay Out of Politics
Wednesday October 10 8:27 AM ET
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan, home to more than two million Afghan refugees, issued a stern warning to them on Wednesday saying they would be deported if found taking part in political agitation.

Ousted Afghan President to Meet Tajik Leader
Wednesday October 10 4:30 AM ET
DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Burhanuddin Rabbani, ousted as Afghan president by the Taliban, will meet Tajikistan President Imomali Rakhmanov on Wednesday to discuss U.S.-led military strikes