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-behavior before?
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
==^================================================================
