Taliban vows to fight back

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 8. An emergency session of the Taliban Cabinet resolved today to fight back against U.S.-led forces and ruled out any change in the militia's policy of protecting the alleged terrorist mastermind, Osama bin Laden.

``We have decided to fight hard the attacks by the Americans and Britain,'' the Afghan Islamic Press quoted a Taliban spokesman as saying.

``We have discussed our military and political strategy and have taken several decisions on the military front. We have reinforced our military positions and have decided to deploy soldiers at some important places.

''We have also worked out a strategy for fighting. We will fight the Americans the way we fought the Russians,`` the spokesman said, referring to the 1979-89 Soviet occupation.

He said negotiations were the only way the hardline Islamic militia could be convinced to hand over Osama, blamed for the strikes in New York and Washington last month. ''There is no change in our policy regarding Osama bin Laden and we have always believed in negotiations.``

The Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Abdul Salam Zaeef, today warned the U.S of ''severe consequences`` for the military strikes in Afghanistan and claimed that at least one American aircraft was shot down during last night's attacks which killed about 30 civilians, including women and children. ''To the best of my knowledge the consequences are very severe and they are so severe that no one can determine it,`` Mr. Zaeef told reporters here.

He also said Osama was safe inside Afghanistan though there had been no direct contacts with him. ''Yes he is alive. He is safe inside Afghanistan.``

Contesting U.S claims that the strikes were only on terrorist camps and military installations, Mr. Zaeef said the rockets had hit civilian houses. ''There was no differentiation between the civilian part and the military part.``

- AFP, PTI

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