From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [R-G] Pakistan scholar says Afghan military conflict far from over - Japan Economic Newswire Japan Economic Newswire November 13, 2001 Pakistan scholar says Afghan military conflict far from over Islamabad, Nov. 13 - An influential Pakistani defense scholar said Tuesday the military conflict in Afghanistan will continue even after the capture of Kabul by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance earlier in the day. The fundamentalist Islamic regime withdrew from the capital 'not because they don't have physical strength...they have withdrawn with all their human and military assets intact,' said Dr. Rifaat Hussain, chairman of the Defense and Strategic Studies Department at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad. After conceding the city to the opposition forces, the Taliban will try 'to control the rural areas of Afghanistan, particularly in the southern part, where they have strength,' he said in an interview with Kyodo News. Their retreat 'does not necessarily mean the Taliban have totally disintegrated as a military force,' Hussain said. 'The military conflict is far from over.' Northern Alliance fighters seized complete control of Kabul on Tuesday for the first time in five years. Asked if he still sees concern over a long civil war and additional terrorism, he said, 'Yes.' The war-torn country might be led to 'de facto division,' with the northern part controlled by the Northern Alliance supported by the United States while the southern part is left for the Taliban with support from the local Pashtun population, he said. The Pushtuns, who form the Taliban, are the majority Afghan population. Other minority ethnic groups such as Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras, constitute the Northern Alliance. Analysts point out that reconciliation of these groups will be one of the key factors when the international community discusses the future of the country. In a bid to set up a stabilized government in Afghanistan, he said it is necessary to bring in third parties such as the United Nations or a neutral peacekeeping force 'as the situation is so polarized.' 'The idea of broad-based government (in Afghanistan) will not work unless you get the Taliban as well as the Northern Alliance on board,' he said. Hussain has contributed articles to U.S. and European magazines and served as a commentator on regional defense affairs for major television networks. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
