September 13, 2001

THE ROVING EYE Masoud: From warrior to statesman

List of  foreign Taliban prisoners of war captured by the United Front

Afghan refugees fear death at hands of Taliban AFP

Acceptance Speech by Ahmed Rashid

The Role of Islamic Parties in Pakistani Politics

U.S. Gets Promise of Pakistani Cooperation
Thursday, September 13, 2001 7:44 PM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday received a pledge of cooperation from Pakistan in its war against terror, as Secretary of State Colin Powell confirmed for the first time that Saudi-born

Extremist Group Al Qaeda Suspected of U.S. Attack
Thursday, September 13, 2001 7:24 PM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda, a network of extremists suspected of the stunning terror attack on America, was formed by Islamic fighters resisting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan

Radio: Taliban Could Hand Over Bin Laden
Thursday, September 13, 2001 6:00 PM EST
LONDON (Reuters) - An Afghan radio station said on Thursday the ruling Taliban were ready to hand over Osama bin Laden to an Islamic court if Washington could prove his involvement in

Taliban leader closes ranks behind bin Laden
ISLAMABAD, Sept 13 (AFP) - Mullah Mohammad Omar, the reclusive supreme leader of the Taliban, said Thursday that Osama bin Laden could not be held responsible for the massive terrorist

U.S. May Activate Reserve Troops, Officials Say
Thursday, September 13, 2001 8:32 PM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is considering asking President Bush to call up thousands of members of the U.S. military reserves to active duty in the wake

THE ROVING EYE
Masoud: From warrior to statesman
By Pepe Escobar - Asia Week 9/10/01
Note: Pepe Escobar's interview with Ahmad Shah Masoud was held not long before an assassination attempt was made on the leader of the Afghani forces fighting the Taliban. Masoud was being

High-level US team to Russia for Afghan talks after terror strikes
WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (AFP) - The United States said Thursday it would send its number-two diplomat to Russia next week for talks on Afghanistan as it considers retaliating against terrorist

Arafat urges Arabs to join anti-terror coalition
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat called on Thursday for Arab states to declare their readiness to join an international coalition against terror proposed by the United States

Masood temporarily replaced as anti-Taliban commander
DUSHANBE, Sept 13 (AFP) - A deputy to Afghan opposition chief Ahmad Shah Masood, described as in a "very critical" condition, has temporarily replaced him as top military commander

Neighbours discuss aid to Afghan northern alliance
By Sergei Yakovlev
DUSHANBE, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Senior diplomats from Russia, India, Iran and other states hostile to Afghanistan's ruling Taliban met on Thursday

14 "fanatical Muslims" trained Boeing pilots: report
BEIRUT, Sept 13 (AFP) - Fourteen "fanatical Muslims" were trained as jet  airliner pilots by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia one year ago, the London-published Arabic Asharq al Awsat

ANALYSIS-Pakistani leader squeezed between U.S. and Taliban
By Jack Redden
ISLAMABAD, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan's years of involvement in Afghanistan's Taliban movement have left military leader Pervez Musharraf squeezed

Frightened Afghans await expected U.S. revenge raids
Thursday September 13, 11:06 PM
KABUL (Reuters) - Frightened Afghans braced on Thursday for possible U.S. retaliation for devastating terror attacks on New York and Washington as Arab residents

Taleban tense as US seeks targets
By BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson in Islamabad
The Taleban have turned Afghanistan into an Islamic emirate, by far the strictest Muslim state in the modern world. Now they face the possibility that their political

Afghan refugees in Iran fearful of US strikes, Masood situation: UNCHR
TEHRAN, Sept 13 (AFP) -  A US strike against Afghanistan in retaliation for the terrorist attacks, as well as the critical wounding of Afghan opposition commander Ahmad Shah Masood

France stands by US to "eradicate this evil": Chirac
PARIS, Sept 13 (AFP) - President Jacques Chirac on Thursday pledged French support for any US moves to "eradicate terrorism" in the wake of the devastating

'Fifty' suspects in FBI investigation
 German police raided a Hamburg flat on an FBI tip-off - BBC
The FBI says the identities of many of those involved in the terror attacks on America are known.

Afghan opposition commander's health critical: aide
KABUL, Sept 13 (AFP) - Anti-Taliban military commander Ahmad Shah Masood's health is "very critical" and getting worse following an assassination attempt this week, a senior opposition official told AFP Thursday.

Mystery shrouds anti-Taleban leader
Thursday, 13 September, 2001, 11:37 GMT 12:37 UK  BBC News
Sharply divergent reports are still emerging of the condition of Afghan opposition commander Ahmed Shah Masood.
Mr Masood was the victim of a suicide bomb attack near his home in northern Afghanistan on Sunday.

Masood's nerves system badly affected: Rabbani
Updated on 9/13/2001 10:53:34 AM
Frontier Post
Monitoring ReportPESHAWAR: The deposed Afghan president Professor Rabbani has said that his military strongman, Commander Ahmed Shah Masood is being shifted to a European country

Reports that Masood still alive are false: Hekmatyar
TEHRAN, Sept 13 (AFP) - Reports that Afghan opposition chief Ahmad Shah Masood is still alive following a suicide bomb attack are false, a former Afghan warlord was quoted as saying Thursday.

NATO Denies Report of Afghanistan Strike Plan
Thursday, September 13, 2001 5:54 AM EST
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO flatly denied a British newspaper report on Thursday that it was drawing up emergency plans for a possible massive strike on Afghanistan following Tuesday's

Evidence linking bin Laden to attack not credible: Taliban
KABUL, Sept 13 (AFP) - Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel Thursday dismissed reports that Western intelligence had linked Osama bin Laden to the terrorist attacks on the United States as lacking any credibility.

Taliban Deny Osama Bin Laden Under Arrest-AIP
Thursday September 13 1:36 AM ET
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban on Thursday denied a report that Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden had been placed under house arrest, the Afghan Islamic Press news service said.

Pakistan to help US investigation
Thursday, 13 September, 2001, 11:03 GMT 12:03 UK  BBC News
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has told Washington his country will co-operate in the hunt for terrorists following the devastating attacks in the United States.

Frightened Afghans await expected U.S. revenge raids
KABUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Frightened Afghans braced on Thursday for possible U.S. retaliation for devastating terror attacks on New York and Washington as Arab residents fled the capital

Arabs flee Kabul, locals dig trenches, expecting US strikes
Thursday, September 13, 2001 6:42 AM EST
ABU DHABI, Sep 13, 2001 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) -- Arabs living in Kabul are fleeing the Afghan capital, while local residents dig trenches, waiting for U.S. strikes.

Exodus of foreigners from Afghanistan gathers pace
KABUL, Sept 13 (AFP) - The United Nations, Red Cross and other groups were closing their offices or reducing their presence here Thursday amid fears of US retaliation for the terror strikes

Australian government claims asylum seekers may be terrorists
SYDNEY, Sept 13 (AFP) - Australian government lawyers told a court Thursday any ruling that would restrict its authority to keep out suspected asylum seekers could leave it vulnerable to disasters

Support for Bush anti-terror coalition grows
By Bill Tarrant
SINGAPORE, Sept 13 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's proposal for a global coalition against terrorism gathered momentum on Thursday, with Japan and China, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

Western diplomats to leave Kabul Thursday
Thursday September 13, 11:59 AM
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Western diplomats assisting eight foreign aid workers detained for preaching Christianity will leave Afghanistan on Thursday after appointing an Islamic scholar

Report: FBI Ignored French Warning on Extremist
Thursday, September 13, 2001 5:38 AM EST
PARIS (Reuters) - The FBI arrested an Islamic militant in Boston last month and received French intelligence reports linking him to Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden but apparently did not act on them

France calls for measured response to U.S. attacks
PARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - French Defence Minister Alain Richard said on Thursday it was important that world leaders mulling a response to terror attacks in the United States did not increase security concerns.

Repercussions for Muslim world
Comment - By Imtiaz Alam - The News: Jang (Pakistan) 10/12, 2001
ISLAMABAD: Accusing fingers are being raised against Osama bin Laden and his hosts Taliban, besides Islamic Jihad, for an unprecedented and horrifying attack on America which forced most