October 15, 2001

ex-king pleads for UN peacekeepers in Afghanistan
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Afghan ex-king Zahir Shah has asked the United Nations to prepare to quickly dispatch an international peacekeeping force to Afghanistan in case its ruling Taliban

Powell says U.S. preparing for post-Taliban system
By Elaine Monaghan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Washington is preparing for the collapse of Afghanistan's Taliban government and has named a special coordinator to discuss alternatives with United Nations officials

UN's Annan regrets deaths of Afghan civilians
By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed regret on Monday over civilian deaths during U.S. raids on Afghanistan and urged all parties

Rumsfeld says Taliban casualty numbers 'ridiculous'
WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The Taliban's claim that U.S. strikes on a village in Afghanistan resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties was "ridiculous," U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Monday.

U.S. military papers Afghanistan with leaflets
By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. military, which first dropped bombs, then food, on Afghanistan, has now launched a paper propaganda assault by dropping nearly half a million leaflets

Pakistani general attacked in pro-Taliban protests
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Oct. 16 (Kyodo) - A Pakistani military helicopter carrying an army general was hit by gunfire on Monday and was forced to make an emergency landing during an anti-U.S.

U.S. military papers Afghanistan with leaflets
By Tabassum Zakaria
Tuesday October 16, 7:03 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military, which first dropped bombs, then food, on Afghanistan, has now launched a paper propaganda assault by dropping nearly half a million leaflets to

US military 'missed' Taleban leader
Monday, 15 October, 2001, 11:05 GMT 12:05 UK BBC News
The US military had Taleban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar in its sights on the first night of the airstrikes on Afghanistan, a US magazine has reported.
The Pentagon has refused

Powell to address Pakistan's concerns on Afghanistan
By Raja Asghar
Tuesday October 16, 4:50 AM
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Pakistan on Monday amid protests by Islamic groups backing Afghanistan's Taliban and with a mission to tackle the concerns

U.S. Attacks Kandahar with AC-130 Gunship
Monday October 15 8:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Monday attacked Afghan targets around the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar with an Air Force Special Forces AC-130 gunship

U.S. Pilots Admit to Nerves on Afghan Air Raids
By Zorana Vucicevic
Monday October 15 12:10 PM ET
ON BOARD THE USS CARL VINSON (Reuters) - The most junior pilot on the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson admitted he was nervous as he flew his first bombing mission over Afghanistan.

UN says US 'feeding Taleban'
Monday, 15 October, 2001, 18:31 GMT 19:31 UK BBC News
A United Nations official has harshly condemned the United States policy of dropping food aid to Afghanistan while bombing the country.

Afghans begin cricket tour
Monday, 15 October, 2001, 12:00 GMT 13:00 UK BBC News
The Afghan cricket team has left the war in their homeland behind them to take part in Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy competition.

Broad based govt in Afghanistan could bring peace, stability:
Pakistan Islamabad, Oct 15, IRNA - A special envoy of former Afghan King, Zahir Shah is in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials about situation in Afghanistan and the efforts

UAE official praises Iran for genuine service to Afghan refugees
 Mashhad, Khorasan prov. Oct. 15, IRNA -- Head of the Administrative Council of UAE Red Crescent Society Mohammad Nasser al-Savidi on Monday praised Iran for the genuine service it has provided

UAE official calls on Taliban to allow setting up refugees camps
 Taybad, Khorasan prov. Oct. 15, IRNA -- Head of the Administrative Council of UAE Red Crescent Society Mohammad Nasser al-Savidi on Monday called on the Afghanistan rulers Taliban

100,000 Afghan children could die this winter: UNICEF
ISLAMABAD, Oct 15 (AFP) - As many as 100,000 Afghan children could die this winter unless food reaches them in sufficient quantities over the next six weeks, the United Nations Children's Fund

Afghan UF Alliance Claims Capture of Key Airport Near Mazar-i Sharif
By Omar Samad
WASHINGTON - Oct. 15, 2001 - AAR - Afghan resistance forces battling the Taliban and Bin Laden brigades in Northern Afghanistan claim to have made startling

Powell names special Afghan envoy as US boosts post-Taliban planning
ISLAMABAD, Oct 15 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell Monday named a special envoy to explore options for Afghanistan's future as the United States

Pentagon sets sights on Taliban's elite Brigade 55
WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (AFP) - US military targets in Afghanistan now include troops, specifically the Taliban's Brigade 55, an elite unit that includes Arab fighters loyal

Former Afghan king envoys in talks with Pakistan on post-Taliban era
ISLAMABAD, Oct 15 (AFP) - Special envoys from former Afghan king Mohammed Zahir Shah Monday began talks with Pakistani leaders on any post-Taliban scenario in Afghanistan.

Afghan Rebels Say 4,000 Defect
Move Seen as Blow to Taliban, Bolstering Alliance's Hold on North
By Peter Baker - Washington Post Foreign Service  Monday, October 15
JABAL SARAJ, Afghanistan, Oct. 14 -- About 4,000 troops defected en masse from the Taliban militia in northern Afghanistan in a significant blow to the ruling regime

India, Russia in close contact over US strikes in Afghanistan: Klebanov
NEW DELHI, Oct 15 (AFP) - Long-time allies India and Russia are in close contact monitoring developments over the US strikes in Afghanistan, Russian Deputy Prime

Afghan opposition says advances on Mazar-i-Sharif
JABAL-US-SARAJ, Afganistan, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Afganistan's opposition Northern Alliance said on Monday its forces had advanced toward the northern Taliban-held city of Mazar-i-Sharif,

U.S. pounds Afghan cities in anti-Taliban campaign
By Zeeshan Haider
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes pounded Afghan cities on Monday, dropping bombs and missiles in some of the fiercest daylight bombing

Afghan rebels change tack
BBC News
The opposition Northern Alliance in Afghanistan has signalled a sharp change in policy over its offensive against the Taleban-controlled capital, Kabul.

Pakistan urges US caution
BBC News
Pakistan is to raise concerns about civilian casualties in Afghanistan with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who arrives in Islamabad on Monday.

Flashback: When the Taleban took Kabul
BBC News
By Terence White, former AFP correspondent in Kabul
I was a journalist based in Kabul when the Taleban first marched into the capital and committed an atrocity that most people other than Afghans have probably now forgotten

From Afghanistan, a letter of anguish
LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH
Marri, a young woman in Kabul, Afghanistan, smuggled this poignant letter out to London Sunday Telegraph correspondent Christina Lamb after the U.S. and British air strikes began last week.

Afghan opposition hints at military restraint
LONDON, Oct 15 (AFP) - Afghanistan's opposition Northern Alliance on Monday indicated it would hold back from an offensive to take Kabul alongside US-led strikes until

Pakistan says U.S. should "take out" Taliban leader
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan's president will advise the United States to first "take out" Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar before turning its attentions

Pakistan says Taliban not terrorists
ISLAMABAD, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Monday it did not, and had never, regarded Afghanistan's ruling Taliban as terrorists and wanted to see a short war waged

Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar are fine - Taliban
By Sheree Sardar
ISLAMABAD, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden and the Afghan Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar are well and reports of Taliban rifts

UN investigator condemns bombing of Afghanistan
GENEVA, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A U.N. special investigator called on Monday for an end to the bombing of Afghanistan, saying it put the lives of millions of civilians at risk.

Saudi Arabia unhappy with US raids on Afghanistan
By Mariam Isa
RIYADH, Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. ally Saudi Arabia said it was unhappy about the bombing of Afghanistan, sending the clearest signal yet that its relations with Washington

Iran gradually clarifying position towards US and Taliban foes
TEHRAN, Oct 15 (AFP) - After an initial observation period marked by a swift condemnation of the September 11 terror attacks, Iran seems to be defining its hostility towards

Jane's Intelligence Review
11 September 2001
'Lion of Panjshir' dies' - By Anthony Davis
The leader of Afghanistan's anti-Taliban opposition, Ahmadshah Massoud, was mortally wounded by suicide bombers on 9 September, dying within minutes of the blast

Hikmatyar provides Stinger missiles to Taliban
F P ReportPESHAWAR: Gulbudeen Hikmatyar, former Afghan Prime Minister and chief of Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan has provided US-made anti-aircraft stinger missiles to Taliban.

Hamid Gul opposes anti-Taliban set-up in Kabul
Frontier Post 10-14-2001
RawalpindI (Agencies) - The former chief of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Hamid Gul has cautioned the Pakistan Government for any plan of bringing anti-Taliban forces

President Weighs Who Will Follow Taliban in Power
By DAVID E. SANGER  - NY Times
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 - In at least two meetings in recent days with his National Security Council, President Bush has begun discussing how the United States and its

Pakistan: Long war worries us
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (UPI) - Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar said Sunday the longer the U.S. operation in Afghanistan, the "greater will be the worry and concern in Pakistan."

VOA led astray?
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson - Washington Times 10/14/01 Commentary
Nearly 20 years ago when I was director of the Voice of America, I was confronted with a dispute between the head of VOA news and a USIA policy officer over the word

To Some Afghan Expatriates, Dreams of Glory
They Would Trade Good Life in U.S. to Pick Up Their Roots in the Home
By Hanna Rosin - washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, October 14, 2001
So what if Ehsan Mayar is 69 and retired? He can dream. He's not having the business cards printed quite yet, but he has picked out the title: Minister of Reconstruction,

Pakistan Poll Commissioned By Newsweek
NEW YORK, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- While a narrow majority (51%) of Pakistanis agree with General Pervez Musharraf's policy of cooperation with the U.S. (41% disagree)