Betul ke Taliban nak surrender? Ini sebahagian daripada taktik ? Sampai surrender dah bukan lagi taktik
Taliban agree to surrender Kandahar on Friday
December 6, 2001 Posted: 7:33 p.m. EST (0033 GMT)
| ||||
| ||||
(CNN) -- Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar appeared ready to surrender the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar Thursday, as word came that the airport east of the city had fallen to anti-Taliban forces.
The surrender agreement was struck Thursday, after talks between Taliban officials and interim Afghan government leader Hamid Karzai.
The former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, said Omar will begin the surrender on Friday by turning over the city to one of his commanders, who will then direct the handing over of weapons and ammunition to tribal elders. Zaeef said Omar will not surrender directly to Karzai.
Zaeef told CNN that the Taliban leadership, including Omar, would be guaranteed safety and allowed to go home under the agreement. In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reiterated Thursday that the United States would oppose any agreement that gives amnesty to Omar.
Karzai didn't specifically address Omar's status, but told CNN, "Mullah Omar must distance himself from terrorism, recognize that Taliban has brutalized Afghanistan. That is our demand."
Karzai said amnesty would be offered to the "regular Taliban," but he said that approximately 650 al Qaeda fighters -- which he referred to as Arabs -- in the Kandahar area are criminals who must be brought to justice. (Full story)
A representative of a local tribal commander in Kandahar said Taliban forces had handed over control of the airport, located about 10 miles southeast of the city. In eastern Afghanistan, meanwhile, intense fighting continued in the mountainous Tora Bora region, where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be holed up. (Full story)
Intense small arms fire was heard Thursday night outside the U.S. Marine base south of Kandahar. A Marine spokesman said the firing was in response to a credible threat of a possible enemy attempt to probe the camp's outer defenses.
Do You Yahoo!?
Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings.
