NYDailyNews

Pakistan Begged Afghans To Evict Terror Camps

By KIT R. ROANE Special to The News

KABUL, Afghanistan akistan knew that Al Qaeda camps were training terrorists, and it implored the Taliban to rein them in, according to a captured letter shown to reporters yesterday by Northern Alliance officials.

The letter, seen by U.S. News & World Report, is among hundreds of documents that an alliance intelligence official said had been captured in recent weeks. He said some of the documents link the Al Qaeda camps to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The Pakistani letter — the only document for which an English translation was available yesterday — expresses a sense of betrayal that the Taliban, which Pakistan set up in power, knew that terrorists trained in Afghanistan were striking Pakistani targets and failed to do anything about it.

"Pakistan has been genuinely concerned over" a spate of violence "by trained terrorists, who have unfortunately found sanctuary in our brotherly neighboring country, Afghanistan," it says.

"We have credible reports that there are certain training camps on Afghan soil which are only meant to train Pakistani terrorists," the letter adds, saying the men in these camps have conducted raids into Pakistan.

Wounded Friendship

The tone of the Pakistani letter is one of a friendship wounded by the Taliban's reluctance to clamp down on the terrorism, and it lists some of the things Pakistan has done for the Taliban.

"Despite the presence of over 2 million Afghan refugees, Pakistan does not permit anyone to carry out anti-Taliban activities from its soil," says the letter, which was written in Pashtun and copied in English.

"Pakistan even expelled some old jihadi commanders and has neutralized many others who have now gone dormant."

The letter points out that Pakistan was the first country to recognize the Taliban and says the Pakistanis are concerned about reports of "assassination teams being sent to our cities ... to assassinate dissident anti-Taliban personalities."

Islam "prohibits such killings," it continues, noting that "rumors about this activity will cause negative repercussions and serve to reduce support sentiment for Taliban within Pakistan."

Detailed Info on Camps

The Northern Alliance intelligence official said the letter, which contains information about specific camps in Afghanistan and specific individuals working in those camps, was found along with an illustrated military manual that describes in Pashtun how to construct booby traps, plant mines and conduct covert operations.

"We are sending these papers to the highest level of the government," the intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

He said the latest cache of documents was found in a Kabul house that was used by Arab fighters before the Northern Alliance's victory here.

The Pakistani letter, which appears to be two to three years old, repeatedly notes that a list of nine wanted criminals, along with their photos, is attached and provides detailed information about the camps near Khost, Zawar and Jalalabad where the men reside.

"We are hopeful that in consideration of the mentioned facts" that the Taliban government "will ... respond by closing the identified camps and handing over the [identified] criminals to the government of Pakistan," it says.

"We also expect from our friends to discontinue sending of assassination teams to Pakistan."

Kit R. Roane is a reporter for U.S. News & World Report.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001