'Mullah Omar, Osama safe'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 11. The Taliban alleged that more than 100 civilians had been killed in a village in today's air raids by the U.S.

The Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, told presspersons here that 15 others had died when a mosque was bombed near the eastern city of Jalalabad. (An AP report said he accused the Pentagon of targeting civilians, saying, ``The Pentagon is lying to the world when it says it is not hitting civilians.'')

Mullah Zaeef claimed that the Taliban chief, Mullah Mohammad Omar, and the prime suspect in the September 11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, had survived the heavy bombardment.

The predicament of the Musharraf Government on the continuing military campaign was evident at the news conference of the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman. He faced a barrage of questions as to why Pakistan was reluctant to condemn the killing of innocent citizens.

In a related development, another official confirmed that U.S. military personnel had arrived in the country but maintained that their role was limited to logistical support. ``There are no combat forces on Pakistani soil,'' was the reply of the Foreign Office to questions about the decision of the Government to allow the use of two airports to the U.S.

``As stated earlier, I am not going to comment on any military matters. However, I can confirm that at the moment there are no reports of any combat troops in Pakistan,'' he said.

The spokesman denied that there were any differences between Pakistan and the U.S., particularly on the question of a future government in Afghanistan. ``There is no tension between Pakistan and the U.S. This is indicated by the fact that the U.S. Secretary of State is visiting Pakistan. As far as the question of a government in Afghanistan is concerned, Pakistan has always maintained that it should be broadbased, multi-ethnic and representative of all components of the Afghan population, and the Afghans themselves should choose it without outside interference.''

Night raids continue

AP reports from Kabul:

U.S. planes returned to the skies over Kabul late on Thursday, and several strong detonations could be heard in the east of the city near the Taliban military academy.

A huge fireball illuminated the blackened sky south of Kabul in the direction of Rishkore, a training base of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. The camp has been empty for months, but the infrastructure including buildings, training facilities and administrative offices remains.

Meanwhile, on the Pakistani border at Chaman, residents could see huge flashes and fireballs in the direction of Kandahar. In Kabul, planes attacked on Thursday afternoon, blasting the area near the airport, sending people scurrying from the area on bicycles, taxis and wagons.

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