Northern Alliance Likely To Maintain Pandzhsher Base

The Northern Alliance commander and defence minister of the ISA (Islamic State of Afghanistan), General Mohammed Kasim Fahim, gave an order for weapons, ammunition and food supplies to be transferred from Kabul to the Pandzhsher valley straight after the seizure of the Afghan capital on the 13th November. According to the Bonn agreement, General Fahim was appointed defence minister in the interim Afghan government. According to reports from the NNI, known for its links with the Pakistan intelligence service, the Northern Alliance intends to build an arms depot in Pandzhsher before the new administration takes office on 22nd December, and the UN peacekeeping troops arrive in Kabul. In the meantime, supporters of the Northern Alliance are keeping a base close to Kabul, which will probably be demilitarised. Pakistani observers state in regard to this that the so-called "Pandzhsheris" /Pandzh locals/ - ethnic Tajiks (interior minister Yunis Kanuni, defence minister General Fahim and foreign minister Doctor Abdulla) whether they like it or not have to co-operate with the so-called Kandaharis /Kandahar locals/ - Southern Pashtuns headed by new premier Hamid Karzai.