DATE=9/15/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238680
TITLE=AFGHAN IRAN (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE TALEBAN SAY THEY HAVE CAPTURED AN IMPORTANT PASS IN
CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN FROM AN OPPOSITION FACTION THAT SHARES
RELIGIOUS LINKS WITH IRAN. THE ADVANCE COMES AS IRAN'S SUPREME
LEADER HAS PUT THE MILITARY ON FULL ALERT AS TENSION CONTINUES TO
RISE BETWEEN IRAN AND THE TALEBAN. SARAH HORNER HAS THE DETAILS
FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: TALEBAN SPOKESMAN WAKIL AHMAD TELLS THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC
PRESS (A-I-P) THE IMPORTANT SHIBER PASS FELL TO TALEBAN FORCES
AFTER HEAVY FIGHTING AGAINST THE HEZB-I-WAHDAT GROUP.
MR. AHMAD SAYS THE TALEBAN ARE OFFERING A GENERAL AMNESTY TO
OPPOSITION SOLDIERS WHO SURRENDER.
FIGHTING BEGAN FOR THE PASS AFTER THE CENTRAL CITY OF BAMIYAN
FELL TO THE TALEBAN SUNDAY. THERE IS NO INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION
AND NO COMMENT FROM HEZB-I-WAHDAT.
//OPT// TALEBAN FORCES CONTROL TERRITORY EAST AND WEST OF SHIBER
PASS. THEIR OPPOSITION HAS FORCES FURTHER TO THE EAST AND
HEZB-I-WAHDAT TROOPS MAY TRY TO REACH THE TOWN OF JABUL-SERAJ TO
JOIN UP WITH FORCES BELONGING TO LEADING OPPOSITION COMMANDER,
AHMAD SHAH MASSOUD.
COMMANDER MASSOUD HAS HELD FRONT LINES AGAINST THE TALEBAN CLOSE
TO THE AFGHAN CAPITAL, KABUL, FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR. THERE HAS
BEEN NO COMMENT FROM COMMANDER MASSOUD SINCE THE TALEBAN SWEPT
INTO CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN, AND IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER HE WILL
FIGHT ON, OR TRY AND NEGOTIATE A SURRENDER WITH THE TALEBAN. //
END OPT//
HEZB-I-WAHDAT IS A SHI'ITE MUSLIM GROUP WITH RELIGIOUS LINKS TO
NEIGHBORING IRAN. IRAN HAS BEEN HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE SUNNI
MUSLIM TALEBAN SINCE THE MOVEMENT CAPTURED KABUL TWO YEARS AGO.
THAT CRITICISM HAS EVOLVED INTO HIGH TENSION SINCE TALEBAN
OFFICIALS ADMITTED LAST THURSDAY THAT RENEGADE TALEBAN SOLDIERS
HAD KILLED NINE IRANIAN DIPLOMATS. THE OFFICIAL STATE NEWS
AGENCY, IRNA, SAYS IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER, AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI
HAS (TUESDAY) PUT THE MILITARY AND LEADING CIVILIAN OFFICIALS ON
FULL ALERT.
THE ORDER COMES ONE DAY AFTER THE BODIES OF SEVEN OF THE
DIPLOMATS WERE FLOWN MONDAY BY THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS TO
TEHRAN, AMIDST EMOTIONAL SCENES AT THE AIRPORT.
IRANIAN OFFICIALS HAVE VOWED TO AVENGE THE DIPLOMATS' MURDERS AND
HAVE DEMANDED THE EXTRADITION OF THE TALEBAN SOLDIERS
RESPONSIBLE. THE TALEBAN SAY THE KILLERS WILL BE PUNISHED, BUT
WILL NOT BE HANDED OVER TO IRAN.
TALEBAN OFFICIALS HAVE APPEALED TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO MEDIATE
AND HAVE WARNED OF WIDENING REGIONAL CONFLICT IF IRAN TAKES
ACTION AGAINST TALEBAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN.
// OPT// THE MURDERS TOOK PLACE DURING A TALEBAN OFFENSIVE IN
NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN IN EARLY AUGUST. THE BODIES OF THE OTHER TWO
HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND. A FURTHER THREE IRANIANS, TWO DIPLOMATS AND
A JOURNALIST, ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR. //END OPT//
REACTION TO THE DEATHS HAS BEEN STRONG. NEWS AGENCIES IN IRAN
REPORT GROWING POPULAR SENTIMENT FOR A REVENGE STRIKE ON THE
TALEBAN.
LAST WEEK, THE IRANIAN MILITARY CONDUCTED WAR GAMES WITH 70,000
ELITE TROOPS CLOSE TO THE AFGHAN BORDER. THE NUMBER OF SOLDIERS
HAS NOW INCREASED TO 200,000. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/LTD/GE
15-Sep-98 9:08 AM EDT (1308 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
