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Taliban lobbies U.N., U.S. for recognition |
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September 23, 2000
UNITED NATIONS, SEPT 22 (AP) - Afghanistan's ousted government called Thursday for increased sanctions against the Taliban at the same time the religious militia was lobbying the United Nations for official recognition four years after taking control of most of the country. A Taliban delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Abdur Rahman Zahid arrived in New York on Sunday for what aides said would be the most concerted effort yet by the Taliban to gain Afghanistan's U.N. seat. Afghanistan is now represented at the United Nations by the government of ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani, whose alliance controls less than 10 percent of the country. At a press conference staged at the same time Rabbani's government was addressing the General Assembly, Zahid told reporters that he came to New York to inform the United Nations that the Taliban had fulfilled all the conditions for the U.N. seat. He plans to take that same message to Washington over the next two weeks. "Why do they recognize a country that does not exist, that does not have an address? On what grounds does the opposition have that seat?" Zahid asked. "As far as the conditions that have been set by the United Nations, we have fulfilled them. We have the land, the population, government and authority. We are waiting for the world to come to that realization and do justice," Zahid said through an interpreter. Only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recognize the Taliban government, which has imposed a rigid form of Islamic law in the 90 percent of Afghanistan it controls. The United States, Russia and other U.N. member states have opposed Taliban representation at the United Nations. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright repeated that the United States would oppose any shift in the U.N. seat to the Taliban. While some governments automatically recognize whoever controls a country, "we pick and choose," Albright told reporters in Washington, citing the Taliban's human rights record and the fact that it is a sanctuary for Saudi exile Osama bin Laden as reasons for denying the Taliban a U.N. seat. The United States accuses bin Laden of masterminding the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998. U.N. sanctions were imposed on Afghanistan in November barring international flights to or from Taliban territory. Russia and the United States have threatened more - a call echoed by the ousted government in an address to the General Assembly's ministerial debate. Acting Foreign Minister Abdullah, who uses only one name, said that since the Taliban took over, "it has been a reign of terror imposed by religious police, and abuse in the name of religion, elimination of all freedoms and civil liberties, massive violation of human rights and degrading and tormenting treatment of men and women." Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and spent nearly a decade battling Western-backed Islamic groups before withdrawing in 1989. Three years later, the Islamic groups overthrew the communist regime in Kabul; the Taliban have since taken control of most of the country. |