A lot more needs to be done: U.K.

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, NOV. 13. Britain has reacted cautiously to the fall of Kabul to the Northern Alliance forces saying it ``welcomed'' the setback to the Taliban but the main military objective of destroying the Al-Qaeda network and bringing Osama bin Laden to ``justice'' still remained to be achieved.

``A lot of work has still to be done,'' the British Foreign Office said stressing the military as well as political tasks ahead.

A spokesman said Britain was working closely with the United Nations in its efforts to get an agreement on the future political set-up in Afghanistan and to avert a humanitarian crisis in the region. ``We don't want to see a major conflict,'' he said as developments in Afghanistan moved rapidly, overwhelming the discussions in New York among the ``six plus two'' group of countries on a post-Taliban regime.

There was no immediate comment here on Pakistan's reported suggestion that the areas vacated by the Taliban should be declared a ``demilitarised'' zone, but observers noted the concern in Islamabad over a possible Northern Alliance sweep of Kabul. Official sources expected the Alliance to abide by the limits imposed by Britain and the U.S. on how far they advance, and initial reports indicated that they were sticking to their promise not to exceed the brief.

The dramatic events pushed the pace of diplomatic efforts to prevent a political vacuum in Afghanistan by speeding up moves for a broad-based, multi-ethnic regime to replace the Taliban. The British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, was expected to speak to the U.N. Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, while the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Jack Straw, who is already in New York, was to hold talks with Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.'s pointman in Afghanistan. The humanitarian aspect of the crisis was high on the agenda of diplomatic parleys, it was stated. ``The Taliban had been a big obstruction in getting relief across to the people and now that they are on the run it should be possible to accelerate relief measures,'' one commentator said.

Television channels highlighted the ``celebration'' in Kabul as the Alliance entered the city and ``liberated'' it from the Taliban grip. People were shown listening to radio music in public for the first time in years, and one man proudly displayed his freshly-shaven face - excited at having been able finally to get rid of his Taliban-imposed beard. Scenes of celebrations dominated headlines and in interviews the ``liberated'' citizens of Kabul attacked the Taliban for giving Islam a bad name. ``Islam is a tolerant religion and the Taliban turned it into something repressive,'' one youth said as people clapped and made ``victory'' signs.

The Defence Secretary, Mr. Geoffrey Hoon, said the British troops played ``a very significant part'' in making the Northern Alliance offensive so effective. He said the Taliban had disintegrated more rapidly than was expected but added that it was not entirely surprising. Mr. Blair insisted that the campaign must continue until the Al-Qaeda network had been ``hunted down''.

Important success: Moscow

AP, Reuters report:

Russia today welcomed the Afghan anti-Taliban Opposition's takeover of Kabul as an ``important success''. ``The surrender of Kabul by the Taliban testifies to the serious losses they have suffered as a result of the anti-terrorist operation and the offensive'' by the Northern Alliance, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ``Moscow views this event as an important success of the anti-Taliban coalition forces and welcomes it.''

`Turn it into political victory'

The French Prime Minister, Mr. Lionel Jospin, welcoming the fall of Kabul, said today that it was now up to the U.S.-led coalition to ``turn this military success into a political victory'' by helping Afghanistan to establish a broad-based post-Taliban government that would return the country to peace.

Mr. Jospin, who was speaking during question time in Parliament, rejected concerns that military action on the ground in Afghanistan had outpaced political developments.

Earlier, the French President, Mr. Jacques Chirac, said the entry of Opposition forces into Kabul made a political solution on the future of Afghanistan all the more pressing. ``Nothing would be worse than a transition period where there was no coordination, a situation which would not guarantee stability.''

Meanwhile, an AFP report from Rome said Italy welcomed the news of the fall of Kabul, but warned that the Taliban was not in full retreat. ``This news needs to be handled with caution,'' the Italian Under-Secretary of State for Foreign affairs, Ms. Margherita Bonvier, said at a symposium for Afghan women.

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