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  Note the UTC time and source of information.
. -News for Thur. 04 April & Fri. 05 April 2002


US: al-Qaida, Taleban Still a Threat in Afghanistan

VOA News
5 Apr 2002 15:34 UTC
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The U.S. military says leaflets are circulating in eastern Afghanistan offering rewards for killing foreigners connected with the U.S.-led international campaign against the Taleban and al-Qaida terrorists. 

U.S. military spokesman, Major Bryan Hilferty, told reporters at Bagram Air Base near Kabul that the leaflets were found in the Shahi Kot valley of Paktia province. He said U.S. special forces patrolling the region also came under rocket attack last week, but there were no casualties. The area near the Pakistani border was the site of last month's fierce ground battles against al-Qaida and Taleban fighters. 

U.S. officials say the rocket attack and the leaflets are indications that al-Qaida and Taleban forces remain active in the region and continue to pose a threat to U.S. forces, local citizens and journalists. 

In a separate development Friday, International peacekeeping commanders sought an explanation from Afghan authorities as to why they were not told beforehand about an alleged threat against interim leader Hamid Karzai's life. 

Interior Minister Yunis Qanuni said more than 300 people were arrested in Kabul in the past few days, and about 160 were still being questioned. The commanders said they were there to protect Kabul and the interim government, and if there was any possibility of a coup, they should have been told about it. 

Afghan officials also said they had strong evidence linking the plot to the hard-line Hezb-e-Islami group led by former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar - who is a vocal opponent of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. The group has denied any connection to the alleged plot. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters. 

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