Military

DATE=11/19/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-283355

TITLE=AFGHAN FIGHTING (L)

BYLINE=GARY THOMAS

DATELINE=ISLAMABAD

CONTENT=

VOICE AT:

INTRO: In Afghanistan, talks are continuing between hard-line fighters of the Taleban militia and the Northern alliance over the fate of two cities. The Taleban are still clinging to their last strongholds, but non-Afghan Taleban fighters are fearful of what will happen to them if they surrender to the Alliance. As V-O-A correspondent Gary Thomas reports from Islamabad, the U-S led anti-terrorist coalition does not plan to intervene.

TEXT: Kunduz -- the last remaining redoubt of the Taleban in the north -- again came under U-S bombardment Tuesday as negotiations continued for the surrender of that city, as well as that of Kandahar in the south.

The Northern Alliance, backed by U-S air power, besieged both cities after a series of lightening victories swept the Taleban from every major city except Kunduz and Kandahar.

Defectors have reported that non-Afghan Taleban, a mixture of Arab, Pakistani, and Chechen volunteers, have been intimidating and even killing those who advocate surrender.

Kenton Keith, a U-S spokesman for the newly-opened Coalition Information Service in Islamabad, says the Taleban have no choice except to give up.

/// KEITH ACT ///

We've heard lots of different versions of what's actually happening inside, including reports that many people who want to surrender are being intimidated and, in some cases, worse, by the hard-liners inside Kunduz. But, as far as we are concerned, the only option really is surrender, and it needs to be negotiated between the people within Kunduz and the people on the ground who are fighting, opposing them.

/// END ACT ///

The Taleban particularly the non-Afghan volunteers, fear what will happen to them if they are taken prisoner by the Northern Alliance.

Mr. Keith says the Coalition can urge the Northern Alliance to treat the prisoners fairly, but it cannot guarantee their safety or take them into custody.

/// KEITH ACT ///

The Coalition has used its best persuasive effort to urge upon the commanders of the Northern Alliance restraint and the proper treatment of prisoners. We are not in a position to guarantee anything. We are in conversation with these commanders, they know where the coalition stands, and we hope that they will take all of these things into consideration.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Keith praised the Northern Alliance for what he termed "restraint and discipline" in other cities it has taken, such as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Mr. Keith said some elements of the al-Qaida terrorist network, holed up with hard-line Taleban fighters, could conceivably slip across the border into Pakistan, but they would not remain at large for long.

/// REST OPT ///

The news conference was the first by the new service, set up as a counterweight to Taleban propaganda. The service is to hold daily briefings for journalists, field reporters' telephone queries, and may later arrange trips to Afghanistan when the security situation permits.

Mr. Keith -- a former U-S ambassador to Qatar, conceded that the inauguration of the service is coming a bit late, opening one and one-half months after the United States began bombing terrorist and Taleban targets in Afghanistan. (signed)

NEB/GPT/KBK