UN - Says it "does not have the means" to accept Taliban surrender at Konduz

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Current News - Homefront Preparations : One Thread

Taliban ask U.N. to oversee Konduz surrender

Special envoy says U.N. can't meet request

November 20, 2001 Posted: 2:26 p.m. EST (1926 GMT)

(CNN) -- The Taliban have approached the United Nations to negotiate a surrender of Konduz, but the world agency does not have the means to do so, a top U.N. envoy said Tuesday.

"It is evident that the United Nations cannot, has no means, is not present on the ground and simply cannot possibly accede to this request," said Lakhdar Brahimi, U.N. special envoy for Afghanistan.

Briefing reporters after a meeting with the U.N. Security Council, Brahimi said a religious leader and another Taliban representative approached U.N. authorities Monday night in Islamabad, Pakistan. They said Taliban commanders inside Konduz, the regime's last stronghold in northern Afghanistan, wanted to surrender through the United Nations, according to Brahimi.

Although the United Nations says it cannot oversee the surrender, it is urging the opposition Northern Alliance to show restraint.

In the no-man's land between the forces in Konduz, Northern Alliance commanders said they were holding meetings Tuesday with surrounded Taliban military leaders.

The alliance said 1,000 local Taliban troops have surrendered and others are fleeing Konduz and that 10,000 foreign troops are fighting with the Taliban, including Pakistanis, Uzbeks, Cheche ns and Arabs. This information cannot be independently verified.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001


Moderation questions? read the FAQ