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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nick who wrote (8582)	10/25/2001 4:44:15 PM
From: Lola	Respond to of 27666

Hectic Pakistani diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan IANS ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is making hectic efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Afghanistan even as the US-led coalition has stepped up military strikes against the Taliban. Working in tandem with "friendly" countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Islamabad is making concerted efforts to end the bombings in Afghanistan, said a Pakistani official who preferred not to be named. "We are still hopeful of finding a diplomatic solution and we still have some suggestions that can help end the strikes in Afghanistan," he told IANS. During his visit to Kandahar last week, Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban Ambassador in Islamabad, carried a new set of proposals from Pakistan for ending the military strikes, the official said. The proposals carried by Zaeef to the Taliban leadership had not emanated only from Pakistan. "We have discussed it with other friends as well," the official said. Among these friendly countries was the UAE, he said. Pakistan will also discuss the proposals with Turkey and share them with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who reached Islamabad on Thursday on a brief visit. The prince will hold discussions with President Pervez Musharraf and senior government officials. Saudi Arabia along with UAE severed diplomatic relations with the Taliban after the September 11 terror attacks in the US. The official said it would be a big diplomatic achievement for Pakistan if it succeeded, with the help of "some friends," in halting the US-led strikes. Afghanistan has been the target of military strikes since October 7 after the Taliban refused to hand over terrorist leader Osama bin Laden to Washington, which holds him responsible for the terror attacks. The Taliban claims more than 1,000 civilians have died in the strikes. During his visit, Prince Saud will deliver messages to Musharraf from Saudi King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the official said. Saud's talks in Islamabad will focus on "the situation in Afghanistan and the political future of the country in light of proposals prepared by Pakistan and some presented by European countries to Saudi Arabia," he said. The official said Pakistan would have no objection if the Afghans decide to make former king Zahir Shah head of any interim government in Afghanistan. "We agree there must be no power vacuum, and that insofar as possible the solution should be an inter-Afghan one," he said. The two-day Afghan Shoora (religious council) that concluded in Peshawar unanimously declared the former king a symbol of unity for Afghanistan. It asked him to lead a broad-based interim set-up and convene a Loya Jirga (an assembly of tribal elders) to pave the way for lasting peace. Shah, despite receiving a formal invitation, did not send his delegation to the conference, raising many an eyebrow. Expressing concern at the king's absence, Afghan leader Hamid Gillani told journalists: "It is amazing that all people are talking about the king, giving all-out support, but despite that, his majesty did not send his representative." The venue for the Shoora, jam-packed with delegates, resounded with such slogans as: "God is great," "We want peace on Afghan soil," and "No more bloodshed." The meeting was organised by the Assembly for Peace and National Unity of Afghanistan (APNUA). It was attended by various jehadi groups, including the opposition Northern Alliance, and 700 representatives of ethnic, communal and political groups drawn from 30 provinces of Afghanistan. Elders from Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were invited to attend the conference. The organisers claimed some "good" Taliban leaders were present at the meeting, but did not disclose their identity. This was the first time since 1996 that the Pakistan government allowed anti-Taliban groups, including partners of the Northern Alliance, to launch an initiative for a broad-based government in Afghanistan to be headed by Zahir Shah. Meanwhile, with the full backing of Security Council members, the UN secretary-general's special envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, will travel to Pakistan to discuss the "future possible role" of the world body in Afghanistan. "Brahimi is preparing to come to the region in the next few days to talk to as many Afghan parties as possible in search of a home-grown solution to the current crisis," a UN official in Islamabad said. "Nobody wants an arrangement imposed on Afghanistan," the official said, adding that the international community understood that Afghans would not accept such a solution. newindpress.com

To: Nick who wrote (8582)	10/25/2001 4:50:58 PM
From: Lola	Respond to of 27666

Bin laden bought Anthrax three years ago AFP LONDON: Chief terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden bought Anthrax spores by mail order at least three years ago, according to one of his Chief lieutenants, a British daily reported on Thursday . Bin laden paid 3,500 dollars to buy the bacteria through an Islamic separatist group in indonesia and another 7,000 dollars for supplies of E-coli and salmonella from eastern Europe, the tabloid Mirror said. The disclosure came in a confession by Ahmad Ibrahim al-Najjar, a senior Al-Qaeda lieutenant who was jailed for life in Egypt last year for trying to overthrow the country's government in favour of a fundamentalist Islamic regime, according to the report. He told a court in Egypt: "I support what osama does because the confrontation with the US concerns the Islamic nation," the paper said. newindpress.com