Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- "Thousands of people are pouring out of Afghanistan amid fears of US strikes, defying border closures and threatening to overwhelm the aid effort to support them...The UN says about 4,000 people have made the journey in the past two days, and it expects another 3-4,000 a day will continue to flood in. About 5,000 refugees are on the border near Kandahar, being prevented from crossing. A BBC correspondent in Peshawar says most of the Afghans entering Pakistan are women and children; there are reports the Taleban is refusing to allow any men to leave in case they are needed to fight....a BBC correspondent says that the roads out of the capital Kabul and Jalalabad in the east are crammed with vehicles of people fleeing to the countryside." Hmmm...isn't that interesting...wonder where we've seen that type of human reaction to a full scale US military assault before? K. Tuesday, 18 September, 2001, 13:59 GMT 14:59 UK Afghan exodus gathers pace http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1549000/1549700.stm Thousands of people are pouring out of Afghanistan amid fears of US strikes, defying border closures and threatening to overwhelm the aid effort to support them. Bin Laden: Wanted "dead or alive" by President Bush The exodus continued as Afghanistan's ruling Taleban put off making a decision on whether to hand over Osama Bin Laden. Pakistani leaders have warned the Taleban's spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar that unless he surrenders Bin Laden, a prime suspect in the destruction a week ago of the World Trade Center in New York, he risks a devastating US strike. Talks are continuing on Tuesday between a Pakistani delegation and the Taleban, but a special session of 1,000 senior Afghan Islamic clerics, the Shura, called to discuss Bin Laden's fate, was postponed for at least a day, according to a Taleban official. In other developments: President George W Bush said he wanted Bin Laden "dead or alive Two more people in the United States are detained as "material witnesses", taking the number of people detained for questioning in the investigation so far to 49 According to the latest figures, 5,422 people are still missing in New York and 201 are confirmed dead, 135 of whom have been identified The FBI investigates more than 40 attacks on Muslims, and two major trials involving Muslims are postponed through fear of prejudice Stock markets around the world remain volatile following the biggest one-day fall in history on Wall Street America observes a minute's silence at precisely 0848EDT (1248GMT), when the first plane struck the World Trade Center a week ago. A Pakistan Government official told the AP news agency on Tuesday that the Taleban had discussed conditions for extraditing Bin Laden, including international recognition of the Taleban government and lifting of UN sanctions. But these demands have been made before, and at the moment Taleban leaders are talking more about a possible holy war against the US if attacked and professing their belief that God is able to bring them victory even against the military might of Washington. An influx of 2.5m refugees is already overburdening aid workers Aid officials are preparing themselves for the influx of refugees, moving tents, food supplies and staff to border areas. But they are already overburdened with 2.5 million Afghan refugees, victims of civil war and drought. Pakistan closed its borders on Monday as tens of thousands of Afghans streamed toward the frontier. Thousands of refugees tried to cross into Pakistan at the border town of Torkham in northern Pakistan, but were turned away. But much of the Afghan-Pakistan border lies in remote areas, and it is virtually impossible for the Pakistanis to prevent people coming in. Thousands have already crossed near the Pakistani city of Quetta, and the UN is now moving tents and food supplies to that area. The UN says about 4,000 people have made the journey in the past two days, and it expects another 3-4,000 a day will continue to flood in. About 5,000 refugees are on the border near Kandahar, being prevented from crossing. A BBC correspondent in Peshawar says most of the Afghans entering Pakistan are women and children; there are reports the Taleban is refusing to allow any men to leave in case they are needed to fight. The UN is targeting Afghanistan's internal refugees Nevertheless, a BBC correspondent says that the roads out of the capital Kabul and Jalalabad in the east are crammed with vehicles of people fleeing to the countryside. Kandahar - the principal city in the south and the headquarters of the Taleban - is reported by aid agencies to be half empty and Kabul a quarter empty. UN spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker, said: "The situation is developing very rapidly right now. "We are therefore prioritising assistance for the internally displaced people. "We have to scale up assistance before winters that start in November." Bin Laden and the Taleban have denied any involvement in the US attacks on New York and the Pentagon a week ago. The Taleban have also refused to hand over the exiled Saudi-born militant Bin Laden, who has been living under their protection since 1996. The US is pointing the finger at me, but I categorically state that I have not done this Osama Bin Laden However, BBC correspondent Kate Clark says that there is still a possibility that the Taleban, fearing for their own regime, may hand him over. It would be a huge climbdown, but public endorsement by the clerics might make it possible. Muslim attacks Mr Bush has called for an end to violence against Muslims in the United States over the past week. Pro-Taleban supporters shout their defiance as they are arrested in Pakistan In a visit to a mosque, Mr Bush condemned what were described as revenge attacks on Muslims and members of some ethnic minorities. European leaders are heading to Washington for talks this week with Mr Bush, who is trying to form an international anti-terrorism coalition. French President, Jacques Chirac arrives on Tuesday, and will be followed UK Prime Minister Tony Blair later in the week. Both leaders will be back in Europe for a special European Union summit on Friday. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the international coalition was coming together. Pakistan has already pledged to provide the US with support and, although the government will not spell out exactly what this means, Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said he could not rule out the idea of basing foreign troops in Pakistan. As the consultations went ahead, Reuters news agency quoted a Pakistani army captain as saying the Taleban had moved a large number of weapons, including missiles, to positions near the Pakistani border. The Afghan rulers have warned that they might attack any country that offers assistance to the United States. ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
