November 2, 2001	Friday	Shaba’an 15, 1422

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD Nov 1: The Afghan ambassador in Islamabad Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef said on Thursday that the Taliban administration had definitely arrested a few Americans but he can not disclose their identity as well as their number.

Mulla Zaeef said, it was difficult to tell whether the Americans captured were from the army, what he knew was that they were American citizens and further investigations against them were in progress.

Speaking at a news conference, the Afghan ambassador informed that the US planes had hit and badly damaged one of the largest Kajaki dams in Helmand province in their latest air strike.

The Afghan ambassador avoided to reply a question with regard to Pakistan government’s continued support to the US in providing intelligence, logistics etc but he declared in the unequivocal terms that any country even if it was a Muslim country will be dealt with as an enemy if it sent its troops inside Afghanistan. He was offering his comments on the reports that Turkey has agreed to sent its troops to fight alongside US forces in Afghanistan.

Replying to a question whether a chance of resumption of dialogue between Taliban regime and the US was still alive, he said “everyone knows our’s as well as the US stance as it was America who shut the doors of negotiations and refused to listen to reasons”. The key to resumption of a dialogue therefore, he maintained was with the America as we are ready to negotiate but whether it would be possible for us after getting of over 1500 Afghan innocent civilians killed and so much destruction.

Zahir’s aide: Taliban troops on Thursday foiled an attempt by four US helicopters to rescue Hamid Karzai, an aide of ex-King Zahir Shah, amid a clash with the militia near Kandahar province, the Afghan Islamic Press said.

It said Taliban troops on a tipoff raided a hideout of Karzai and his supporters at Deharwad town. In the battle four supporters of the ex-king were killed and several others were wounded, the news service said, adds AFP.