Taliban doomed, Musharraf says

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 2, 2001

"It appears that the United States will take action in Afghanistan, and we have conveyed this to the Taliban," President Pervez Musharraf said.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- All but giving up on efforts to mediate the standoff over Osama bin Laden, the president of Pakistan said Monday the ruling Taliban regime that is harboring the terrorist leader is probably doomed.

"It appears that the United States will take action in Afghanistan, and we have conveyed this to the Taliban," President Pervez Musharraf said in a BBC interview in the Pakistani capital, clearly indicating he expected war to come.

When asked if the Taliban's days are numbered, the president replied, "It appears so."

Two Pakistani military intelligence sources, speaking separately on the condition of anonymity, said they expected a U.S. strike to begin as early as today.

Two British newspapers, citing unnamed sources, reported Monday that military action led by the United States would likely begin within 48 hours, and similar reports were made on radio stations in Iran and Russia.

For their part, the Taliban were bolstering their garrison in the Afghan capital. More than 6,500 fresh troops have arrived in recent days, according to Taliban officials in Kabul.

Meanwhile, the former king of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, said Monday he has agreed to cooperate with the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance of Afghanistan. The agreement came after meetings with alliance diplomats and military commanders, and visits from U.S. diplomats and politicians.

U.S. congressional leaders pledged to support the Afghan opposition.

"I can tell you, in Congress we know what you are doing, and if you help us to overthrow this Taliban tyranny and bring to justice bin Laden, we will do right by you this time," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. "Congress will help you to rebuild your society."

With powerful diplomatic forces gathering momentum against the Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, the regime's supreme leader, lashed out at both Zahir Shah and the United States.

"Do you not feel ashamed coming back with the support of the Americans?" Omar said in comments directed at the former king during a radio address late Sunday. "How dare you think you can return to Afghanistan backed by the United States?

"Even if the whole world comes together, they cannot return you to power. Don't try to frighten the Taliban by saying, "I am coming, I am coming.' Let us see how you will come!"

Omar said the United States was afraid to attack Afghanistan and accused Washington of waging a war on Islam, not terrorism.

"America wants to kill Muslims," he said. "You, America, must understand that unless you change your policies, you will not be able to extinguish the fire you have started.

"Leave the Afghans, Muslims and Arab countries alone ... and then you will be safe. If not, you won't be safe for the rest of your life."

Pakistan said it would keep trying, even though it saw almost no chance of getting the Taliban to relent.

"Whatever dim hopes are left, possibilities exist," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Riaz Mohammed Khan. "We will remain engaged with the Taliban."

He said Pakistan had no knowledge about U.S. operational plans for any strike.

Also Monday:

After a suspension of several days, the United Nations resumed food shipments to Afghanistan over the weekend. Eight trucks carrying 218 tons of wheat reached Kabul, the capital, said Khalid Mansour of the World Food Program. The agency feeds nearly two-thirds of Kabul's 1-million people.

Help for what could become a flood of refugees was also moving into high gear. Yusuf Hassan, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said work would begin today on the first camp for 10,000 new refugees, near the frontier Pakistani city of Peshawar. Sites for other camps were being worked out with Pakistani officials, he said.

U.S. officials told Knight Ridder the Bush administration is preparing a $200-million emergency aid package for Afghanistan, hoping to stave off a humanitarian tragedy and reassure Washington's Muslim allies that its campaign against terrorism is not aimed at the Afghan people.

The relief effort, to be unveiled later this week, could include air drops of food to remote areas of Afghanistan paid for by the United States and conducted by the United Nations, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The aid will include $177-million in food and $20-million for such things as blankets and shelter, said a U.S. aid official. The $20 million is only a down payment on a much larger amount of nonfood supplies, the official said.

Britain said it had frozen nearly $90-million in Taliban funds deposited in a London bank. The government of Prime Minister Tony Blair also promised new laws to attack money laundering and tighten the extradition and deportation process.

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