Northern Alliance Commander Puts Boycott On New Afghan Government

One of the most influential commanders of the Northern Alliance, ethnic Uzbek Rashid Dostum, intends to boycott the Afghan transitional government which was formed in Bonn. The Indian media reported on Thursday referring to a statement by Dostum that he had made such a decision after his delegation which participated in a 4-party inter-Afghan conference in Bonn had been given no post in the provisional government. Dostum stated that he had insisted on being given the foreign minister's portfolio. Instead, he said, the delegation was offered the posts of ministers of mining, industry and agriculture. "We are disappointed at the decision, it's humiliating," he said. In regard to this, Dostum added that he would not arrive in Kabul until a permanent government had been formed there. He also stressed that he would not allow the Kabul provisional government to use the oil and gas resources of the northern provinces controlled by his troops.