The Taliban surrender positions, Russia speaks about post-war structure of Afghanistan

The Taliban are leaving Kandahar by mullah Omar’s order, who is still there, and go to mountains to continue partisan war. Probably today, the power in the city will be handed over to two Pashtun field commanders – to mullah Nakibullah and Haja Bashir, whose units are located near to Kandahar. This was reported today by Afghan Islamic Press agency. Nakibullah, who is a Pashtun from Alkazi tribe, once belonged to Hezb-e Islami party of Burhanuddin Rabbani. Before capturing Kandahar by the Taliban in 1994, he was in command of an army corps. Bashir is an adherent of Yunus Halis, the leader of his own group of Hezb-e Islami party, who seized power from the Taliban in Nanagrahar province and took Jelalabad under his control. He also belongs to Pashtun from Nurzai tribe settling Kandahar area. While these commanders are against the Taliban, they are also categorically against the Northern Alliance’s entry into southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan settled by Pashtun, RIA ‘Novosti’ reports. This Friday, Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s official Aziz Han refuted Iranian radio’s report, that Osama bin Laden had passed to Pakistani territory, while characterizing this information “absolutely false”. Moreover, according to Pakistani president’s spokesman, measures are being taken to bar from the border’s violation by the Taliban and foreign militants fighting in their units. According to him, after a special sitting of Pakistani supreme command, carried out under president Perves Musharraf’s chairmanship, in which governors of Belujistan and of the Northwestern Border provinces, as well as commanders of the corps quartered there and internal affairs minister took part, additional units, including 3,000 people from the regular army, were leaded to the border of the country. Units of frontier guards and of the police were reinforced, though any tanks were sent here. Moreover, air patrolling of the border was strengthen. On Friday, in Badjaur area, 4 Albanians and two Turkish citizens were detained belonging to Osama bin Laden’s militants, who, together with two dozens of Pakistani “volunteers”, decided to return home through Ghaki passing. They are being interrogated by civil and military investigators in Peshavar. Two weeks ago, several thousands of Pashtuns came to Afghanistan from Pakistani border regions. Pakistani authorities are intending to detain all the returning militants and to punish them according to the law. In Kabul, in their Friday sermons, mullahs called Afghans to detain all foreign militants, who had been fighting for the Taliban, and to hand them over to the new authorities. At the same time, Kabul citizens were called to avoid lynch law.

Russian diplomacy is seriously worried with the situation in Afghanistan. The Foreign Ministry’s head Igor Ivanov announced today it was necessary to “avoid danger of a new civil war in Afghanistan”. While speaking with journalists in New York, the foreign minister stressed this danger really existed. According to him, “many things depend on to what degree international community will be co-ordinated”. The minister confessed, he is much more worried not with contradictions inside Afghanistan, that are “natural and real”, but with how to “bar from discords in the framework of international community.” Because in this case, it would be really complicated to avoid a negative development of the situation in Afghanistan.” It is obvious, the Foreign Ministry’s head stressed, that Afghan future depends on foreign assistance. “Without this assistance, it will be complicated on this stage to solve all the problems, both humanitarian and economical,” – he said. Igor Ivanov warned some countries against tug-of-war what about forming state bodies of Afghanistan. According to the minister, “we see that now certain manoeuvres are being carried out by some countries that want to guarantee their interests through certain persons.” “We suppose this pretension to be dangerous, that could cause aggravation of contradictions within Afghanistan,” – he said. It is necessary to obtain that the government would be unifying in Afghanistan. “It is necessary that ethnic officials worked together supported by UN,” – Russian foreign minister said. Only in such circumstances, he noticed, these officials would be able to solve problems lying before Afghanistan. “This should be done fast, because already now there is a vacuum of power in the country,” – Russian diplomacy’s leader said. Namely because of that, Ivanov noticed, Russia has already sent its delegation to Kabul, where representatives of the UN Secretary General and of some countries arrived to stir up efforts for creation of a temporary government in this country. “I suppose, political regulation in this country will depend on how fast we solve problems with the temporary leadership, how deeply we co-ordinate our efforts under UN aegis,” – the Russian minister said. Moscow speaks in support of the proposal to create a stable leadership in Afghanistan, that would enjoy a wide international support and would meet the engagements it must take according to UN Security Council’s resolutions. “We will work just in this direction,” – Ivanov noticed. While answering questions of journalists about Afghan ex-king Zakhir Shah’s returning to active political life, he said this question, as well as many others, should be solved by Afghan nation. “Today, our task is to create a temporary leadership, but not to predetermine Afghanistan’s fate,” – the Russian foreign minister concluded. The Taliban surrender positions, Russia speaks about post-war structure of Afghanistan The Taliban are leaving Kandahar by mullah Omar’s order, who is still there, and go to mountains to continue partisan war. Probably today, the power in the city will be handed over to two Pashtun field commanders – to mullah Nakibullah and Haja Bashir, whose units are located near to Kandahar. This was reported today by Afghan Islamic Press agency. Nakibullah, who is a Pashtun from Alkazi tribe, once belonged to Hezb-e Islami party of Burhanuddin Rabbani. Before capturing Kandahar by the Taliban in 1994, he was in command of an army corps. Bashir is an adherent of Yunus Halis, the leader of his own group of Hezb-e Islami party, who seized power from the Taliban in Nanagrahar province and took Jelalabad under his control. He also belongs to Pashtun from Nurzai tribe settling Kandahar area. While these commanders are against the Taliban, they are also categorically against the Northern Alliance’s entry into southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan settled by Pashtun, RIA ‘Novosti’ reports. This Friday, Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s official Aziz Han refuted Iranian radio’s report, that Osama bin Laden had passed to Pakistani territory, while characterizing this information “absolutely false”. Moreover, according to Pakistani president’s spokesman, measures are being taken to bar from the border’s violation by the Taliban and foreign militants fighting in their units. According to him, after a special sitting of Pakistani supreme command, carried out under president Perves Musharraf’s chairmanship, in which governors of Belujistan and of the Northwestern Border provinces, as well as commanders of the corps quartered there and internal affairs minister took part, additional units, including 3,000 people from the regular army, were leaded to the border of the country. Units of frontier guards and of the police were reinforced, though any tanks were sent here. Moreover, air patrolling of the border was strengthen. On Friday, in Badjaur area, 4 Albanians and two Turkish citizens were detained belonging to Osama bin Laden’s militants, who, together with two dozens of Pakistani “volunteers”, decided to return home through Ghaki passing. They are being interrogated by civil and military investigators in Peshavar. Two weeks ago, several thousands of Pashtuns came to Afghanistan from Pakistani border regions. Pakistani authorities are intending to detain all the returning militants and to punish them according to the law. In Kabul, in their Friday sermons, mullahs called Afghans to detain all foreign militants, who had been fighting for the Taliban, and to hand them over to the new authorities. At the same time, Kabul citizens were called to avoid lynch law.

Russian diplomacy is seriously worried with the situation in Afghanistan. The Foreign Ministry’s head Igor Ivanov announced today it was necessary to “avoid danger of a new civil war in Afghanistan”. While speaking with journalists in New York, the foreign minister stressed this danger really existed. According to him, “many things depend on to what degree international community will be co-ordinated”. The minister confessed, he is much more worried not with contradictions inside Afghanistan, that are “natural and real”, but with how to “bar from discords in the framework of international community.” Because in this case, it would be really complicated to avoid a negative development of the situation in Afghanistan.” It is obvious, the Foreign Ministry’s head stress, that Afghan future depends on foreign assistance. “Without this assistance, it will be complicated on this stage to solve all the problems, both humanitarian and economical,” – he said. Igor Ivanov warned some countries against overbalancing what about forming state bodies of Afghanistan. According to the minister, “we see that now certain manoeuvres are being carried out by some countries that want to guarantee their interests through certain persons.” “We suppose this pretension to be dangerous, that could cause aggravation of contradictions within Afghanistan,” – he said. It is necessary to obtain that the government would be unifying in Afghanistan. “It is necessary that ethnic officials worked together supported by UN,” – Russian foreign minister said. Only in such circumstances, he noticed, these officials would be able to solve problems lying before Afghanistan. “This should be done fast, because already now there is a vacuum of power in the country,” – Russian diplomacy’s leader said. Namely because of that, Ivanov noticed, Russia has already sent its delegation to Kabul, where representatives of the UN Secretary General and of some countries arrived to stir up efforts for creation of a temporary government in this country. “I suppose, political regulation in this country will depend on how fast we solve problems with the temporary leadership, how deeply we co-ordinate our efforts under UN aegis,” – the Russian minister said. Moscow speaks in support of the proposal to create a stable leadership in Afghanistan, that would enjoy a wide international support and would meet the engagements it must take according to UN Security Council’s resolutions. “We will work just in this direction,” – Ivanov noticed. While answering questions of journalists about Afghan ex-king Zakhir Shah’s returning to active political life, he said this question, as well as many others, should be solved by Afghan nation. “Today, our task is to create a temporary leadership, but not to predetermine Afghanistan’s fate,” – the Russian foreign minister concluded.

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/11/17/33925.html