From: "Stasi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> R Subject: [Peoples War] Afghanistan: US Air Strikes Begin - BBC Sunday, 7 October, 2001, 16:39 GMT 17:39 UK PENTAGON CONFIRMS US STRIKES AGAINST AFGHANISTAN HAVE BEGUN RealPlayer Reports: http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1580000/video/_1584857_afghanistan17_wyatt_vi. ram The BBC's Caroline Wyatt in northern Afghanistan: "It seems that the time for diplomacy is over" http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1580000/video/_1584622_pakistan15_price_vi.ram The BBC's Susannah Price: "The Taleban say they are mobilizing their troops" http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1580000/audio/_1583030_bushaddress15_bush.ram President George W Bush delivers his radio address Kabul hit by blasts ============ Ready and waiting on the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1584000/1584110.stm Loud explosions have been heard over the Afghan capital Kabul and electricity supplies have been cut. The reports follow indications from Afghan opposition Northern Alliance that the United States was preparing to launch air strikes against the Taleban "very soon". Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said that unspecified American sources had told the anti-Taleban opposition to ground their aircraft and he warned residents of the capital Kabul to stay away from military bases. We will never bow down to American forces and will fight till the last breath Taleban Defence Ministry There is no confirmation from Washington, but Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to brief journalists after 1800 GMT following a series of unusual early-morning Sunday meetings at the Pentagon. The Taleban says it has sent 8,000 extra troops to Afghanistan's border with Uzbekistan, which has given American forces access to an air base for the US anti-terrorism campaign. "We have deployed our forces in all important areas because this is a question of our honour and prestige," a defence ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press. "We will never bow down to American forces and will fight till the last breath," he added. (Click here for possible targets) President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan gave permission on Friday to visiting Secretary Rumsfeld for US cargo planes, helicopters and troops to use Uzbek territory - but only for search and rescue operations inside Afghanistan. Within hours of Uzbekistan's announcement, elite US troops from the 10th Mountain Division began securing an airfield near the town of Termez near the Afghan border. In other developments: Taleban forces also send 2,000 troops to reinforce the town of Bagram, north of Kabul, which is one of the main areas of fighting with the opposition Northern Alliance UK journalist Yvonne Ridley, arrested 10 days ago after entering Afghanistan without permission is released, Taleban officials say Pakistan and Iran agree to open their borders to receive refugees from Afghanistan in the event of strikes by American-led forces Pakistan puts the leader of the pro-Taleban JUI party, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, under house arrest after he led a number of anti-US demonstrations G7 finance ministers pledge tighter laws to track down funds used to further international terrorism Donor countries pledge more than $600m for humanitarian needs in Afghanistan A Taleban spokesman again says Osama Bin Laden could go on trial in Afghanistan and the offer is immediately rejected by Washington _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________ ---------
