DATE=8/18/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237266
TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: MOST FRONTS IN AFGHANISTAN ARE REPORTEDLY QUIET AS THE
TALEBAN CONSOLDATE THEIR SWEEPING ADVANCES INTO THE NORTH OF THE
COUNTRY. AID WORKERS SAY THE RECENT FIGHTING HAS CREATED A WAVE
OF REFUGEES WHO ARE BEING STOPPED FROM LEAVING AFGHANISTAN.
SARAH HORNER HAS THE DETAILS.
TEXT: SINCE JULY 11TH, THE TALEBAN HAVE BROUGHT NEARLY ALL OF
AFGHANISTAN UNDER THEIR CONTROL.
THE PAKISTAN-BASED AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS SAYS TALEBAN
REINFORCEMENTS ARE BEING SENT TO VARIOUS FRONTS ACROSS
AFGHANISTAN. THE OPPOSITION NORTHERN ALLIANCE REMAINS IN THE
CENTRAL PROVINCE OF BAMIYAN, AND IN THE PANJSHIR VALLEY AND
SURROUNDING AREAS, NORTH OF THE AFGHAN CAPITAL, KABUL. THE
ALLIANCE ALSO CONTROLS MOST OF THE NORTH-EASTERN PROVINCE OF
BADAKSHAN, BUT THE TALEBAN HAVE BEGUN ADVANCING INTO THE AREA.
INDEPENDENT SOURCES TELL V-O-A THAT APART FROM OCCASIONAL
SKIRMISHES FIGHTING HAS DIED DOWN. INDEPENDENT SOURCES SAY THEY
BELIEVE THE TALEBAN MAY NOT LAUNCH AN ALL-OUT GROUND ASSAULT ON
BAMIYAN AND THE PANJSHIR, BUT MAY SURROUND THEM IN AN ATTEMPT TO
"STARVE-OUT" THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE.
BAMIYAN IS THE HOMELAND OF AFGHANISTAN'S SHI'ITE MUSLIMS, THE
HAZARAS, WHILE THE PANJSHIR IS THE BASE OF SENIOR NORTHERN
ALLIANCE COMMANDER, AHMAD SHAH MASSOUD, AND HIS FELLOW ETHNIC
TAJIKS. AREAS OF NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN RECENTLY TAKEN BY THE
TALEBAN ARE MAINLY POPULATED BY HAZARAS AND ETHNIC UZBEKS.
THE SUNNI-MUSLIM TALEBAN ARE PREDOMINANTLY PASHTUN -- THE LARGEST
ETHNIC GROUP IN AFGHANISTAN. THEY SAY THEY DO NOT DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS.
THE TALEBAN'S RECENT ADVANCES HAVE CREATED A WAVE OF REFUGEES
ATTEMPTING TO REACH NEIGHBORING PAKISTAN. BUT THEY ARE BEING
STOPPED AROUND THE EASTERN AFGHAN CITY OF JALALABAD, CLOSE TO THE
PAKISTANI BORDER.
AID OFFICIALS -- WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED -- TELL V-O-A
THE TALEBAN ARE TAKING PEOPLE AWAY FOR QUESTIONING. AID OFFICIALS
SAY 1500 PEOPLE ARE BEING HELD NEAR JALALABAD AND THEY ARE ALL
BELIEVED TO BE UZBEKS OR HAZARAS FLEEING FROM NORTHERN
AFGHANISTAN. THE TALEBAN HAVE MADE NO COMMENT.
THE LONDON-BASED HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
SAID MONDAY THAT TALEBAN'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW INDEPENDENT
MONITORING OF THE SITUATION IN THE NORTHERN AFGHAN CITY OF
MAZAR-I-SHARIF -- AND OTHER MAJOR TOWNS RECENTLY FALLEN UNDER
THEIR CONTROL -- COULD SERVE TO CONCEAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
IN THE AREA.
A SMALL TEAM FROM THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS ON SUNDAY WAS
ALLOWED INTO MAZAR-I-SHARIF. THE HEAD OF THE RED CROSS IN
AFGHANISTAN, THOMAS GURTNER, SAYS HIS TEAM FOUND THE CITY CALM,
AND HE HOPED THE TALEBAN WOULD GIVE THE TEAM PERMISSION TO VISIT
DETENTION CENTRES IN THE CITY. MR. GURTNER SAYS IT IS DIFFICULT
TO HAVE A CLEAR AND OVERALL PICTURE OF THE SITUATION, AND HE SAYS
THE RED CROSS TEAM NEEDS TIME TO ASSESS DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY.
NO JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED INTO MAZAR-I-SHARIF SINCE THE
CITY FELL TO THE TALEBAN 11 DAYS AGO. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/KL
18-Aug-98 10:40 AM EDT (1440 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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