DATE=9/10/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238416
TITLE=AFGHAN MASSACRE (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TALEBAN OFFICIALS IN AFGHANISTAN SAY THEY HAVE LOCATED
THE BODIES OF NINE IRANIAN DIPLOMATS KILLED SHORTLY AFTER TALEBAN
FIGHTERS ENTERED AN OPPOSITION STRONGHOLD IN THE NORTH OF THE
COUNTRY LAST MONTH. MEANWHILE, THE U-N REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS IT
HAS EVIDENCE TALIBAN FORCES HAVE ENGAGED IN THE SYSTEMATIC
KILLING OF CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN. AS SARAH HORNER
REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD, IT IS THE FIRST TIME U-N OFFICIALS HAVE
OFFERED DETAILS OF THE KILLINGS.
TEXT: TALEBAN SPOKESMAN, WAKIL AHMAD, SAYS THE TALEBAN ARE READY
TO HAND OVER THE NINE BODIES TO IRAN. THREE OTHER IRANIANS ARE
STILL UN-ACCOUNTED FOR.
MR. AHMAD SAYS THE IRANIANS WERE KILLED BY TALEBAN SOLDIERS
DURING LAST MONTH'S CAPTURE OF A KEY NORTHERN OPPOSITION
STRONGHOLD, BUT HE SAYS THE MURDERS WERE NOT ORDERED BY THE
TALEBAN LEADERSHIP.
MR. AHMAD SAYS HE HAS CONTACTED IRANIAN OFFICIALS BY TELEPHONE,
BUT WAS TOLD TEHRAN WILL NOT SPEAK TO THE TALEBAN UNTIL THREE
CONDITIONS ARE MET: THE UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF 70 IRANIANS THE
TALEBAN IS ALLEGEDLY HOLDING; THE PUNISHMENT OF THE KILLERS OF
THE DIPLOMATS; AND AN OFFICIAL APOLOGY FROM THE TALEBAN.
// OPT // MR. AHMAD DID NOT INDICATE WHAT THE TALEBAN'S RESPONSE
TO THE CONDITIONS WILL BE, BUT HE REFUTED AN EARLIER CLAIM BY
IRAN THAT TALEBAN LEADER, MULLAH MOHAMMED OMAR, ORDERED THE
DIPLOMATS AND ONE JOURNALIST TO BE KILLED. // END OPT //
THE TALEBAN'S STATEMENT COMES AS THE U-N REFUGEE AGENCY
(U-N-H-C-R) IS EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE FATE OF CIVILIANS IN
THE TALEBAN CAPTURED AREA WHERE THE DIPLOMATS WERE KILLED.
TALEBAN FORCES OVERRAN THE AREA LAST MONTH, AND NO WESTERN
REPORTERS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED INTO THE AREA SINCE.
U-N-H-C-R'S SPOKESMAN IN ISLAMABAD, RUPERT COLVILLE TELLS V-O-A
THE AGENCY IS EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE
CIVILIAN POPULATION.
// COLVILLE ACT //
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY FLEEING THE
COUNTRY. IT IS EXTREMELY HARD FOR THEM TO GET SOMEWHERE
SAFE. FOR THAT REASON, WE THINK IT IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT THAT THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES KEEP THEIR
BORDERS OPEN TO THESE PEOPLE. FROM EVERYTHING WE ARE
HEARING THE SITUATION IS VERY GRAVE. HOWEVER, ALL THE
REPORTS WE HAVE CONCERN THE FIRST FEW DAYS AFTER THE
TAKE-OVER OF MAZAR (-I-SHARIF). WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS
HAPPENING NOW, WE WISH WE DID. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE
SAME TYPE OF THING IS CONTINUING OR WHETHER THINGS HAVE
GOT BETTER, BUT IT IS A VERY, VERY WORRYING SITUATION.
// END ACT //
LAST WEEK, THE HUMAN-RIGHTS ORGANIZATION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
ACCUSED THE TALEBAN OF DELIBERATELY AND SYSTEMATICALLY KILLING
THOUSANDS OF ETHNIC HAZARA CIVILIANS IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF, AFTER
CAPTURING THE NORTHERN CITY AUGUST 8TH. TALEBAN OFFICIALS DENY
THE ALLEGATIONS THEIR FIGHTERS HAVE KILLED CIVILIANS.
MEANWHILE, OFFICIALS FROM THE DOMINANT SUNNI-MUSLIM TALEBAN SAY
THEIR TROOPS HAVE MADE ADVANCES INTO THE CENTRAL AFGHAN REGION OF
BAMIYAN -- HOME TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS OF ANOTHER
MINORITY GROUP, THE SHI'ITE MUSLIM HAZARAS.
// OPT // THE TALEBAN CONTROL 90-PERCENT OF AFGHANISTAN AND FOR
THE PAST YEAR HAVE BLOCKADED THE TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN TRADE
ROUTES INTO BAMIYAN. SINCE LAST DECEMBER THE U-N WORLD FOOD
PROGRAM HAS URGED LIFTING THE BLOCKADE, WARNING OF POSSIBLE
STARVATION IN THE REGION.
THE TALEBAN SAY THEY FEAR FOOD DELIVERIES WILL BE USED TO FEED
THE SOLDIERS THEY ARE FIGHTING. BAMIYAN IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF
THE HEZB-I-WAHDAT GROUP, A MEMBER OF THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE
FIGHTING THE TALEBAN.
FOLLOWING THE TALEBAN'S SWEEPING ADVANCE INTO NORTHERN
AFGHANISTAN LAST MONTH, TALEBAN TROOPS CONTROL NEARLY ALL ACCESS
TO BAMIYAN. // END OPT //
REFUGEES FROM MAZAR-I-SHARIF, ARE BEGINNING TO DESCRIBE THE
TALEBAN TAKEOVER. THE U-N-H-C-R'S RUPERT COLVILLE SAYS MANY
EYEWITNESSES ARE TOO FRIGHTENED TO COME FORWARD.
// COLVILLE ACT //
WE ARE HEARING THAT SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE FLED THE
CITY JUST AS THE TALEBAN ARRIVED, THAT WHAT SEEMS TO BE
A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF CIVILIANS WERE KILLED IN THE
STREETS OR IN THEIR HOMES. THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A
SPECIFIC TARGETING OF THE HAZARA PEOPLE. IN SOME AREAS
OF THE CITY, IN HAZARA AREAS, HOUSES ARE SAID TO HAVE
BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY SEARCHED AND INDIVIDUALS EXECUTED IN
THE HOUSES.
// END ACT //
ALTHOUGH MAZAR-I-SHARIF HAS BEEN LARGELY SEALED OFF SINCE THE
TALEBAN TAKE-OVER, A FEW RED CROSS WORKERS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED IN,
BUT ACCESS TO OTHER AID AGENCIES AND THE UNITED NATIONS HAS BEEN
DENIED. (SIGNED)
NEB/RAE
10-Sep-98 12:43 PM EDT (1643 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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