rediff.com News
      HOME | US EDITION | REPORT
September 26, 2001
 US city pages

  - Atlanta
  - Boston
  - Chicago
  - DC Area
  - Houston
  - Jersey Area
  - Los Angeles
  - New York
  - SF Bay Area


 US yellow pages

 Archives

 - Earlier editions 

 Channels

 - Astrology 
 - Cricket
 - Money
 - Movies
 - Women 
 - India News

 Services
  - Airline Info
  - Calendar New!
  - E-Cards
  - Free Homepages
  - Mobile New
  - Shopping New

 Communication Hub

 - Rediff Chat
 - Rediff Bol
 - Rediff Mail
 - Home Pages


 Search the Internet
         Tips
 Links: Terror in America
E-Mail this report to a friend
Print this page Best Printed on  HP Laserjets

Northern Alliance has
Pak POWs: Russia

Arun Mohanty in Moscow

A number of Pakistani soldiers have been taken prisoners by the Northern Alliance during the fighting with Taleban forces, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Wednesday.

"Pakistan armymen were fighting on the side of the Taleban till last week," Ivanov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

"The Northern Alliance has taken a number of Pakistani prisoners of war till now," Ivanov was quoted as saying in Bruxelles, where he is attending a conference of NATO defence ministers.

"We extended assistance to the Northern Alliance because Pakistan was openly supporting the Taleban," he said, adding that Pakistan had changed its policy toward the Taleban only last week.

Russia is ready to increase military assistance to Northern Alliance, Ivanov said. "We have been constantly extending support to the Northern Alliance ever since 1996 and that policy has started yielding results. We will continue that assistance and would even increase it," Ivanov emphasised.

Ivanov's statement comes on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin's first public statement that Moscow would provide military assistance to the Northern Alliance.

Talking about the relations between the Taleban and Osama bin Laden, Ivanov said the two were "intrinsically linked" and it was difficult to separate them.

"They are one and the same," Ivanov said, pointing out that just two months ago, bin Laden was appointed the general inspector of the Taleban, a post equivalent to that of defence minister.

"So their close relations are very obvious," he said.

Indo-Asian News Service

The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage

EXTERNAL LINK
For Further Coverage and Information, you may visit www.saja.org/roundup

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report

ADVERTISEMENT      
NEWS | MONEY | SPORTS | MOVIES | CHAT | CRICKET | SEARCH | NEWSLINKS
ASTROLOGY | CONTESTS | E-CARDS | ROMANCE | WOMEN | WEDDING
SHOPPING | BOOKS | MUSIC | PERSONAL HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL| MESSENGER | FEEDBACK