Herald-Sun

Report: Taliban to Hand Over Kandahar The Associated Press Dec 6, 2001 : 7:15 am ET

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar agreed Thursday to hand over control of the militia's last bastion Kandahar to an opposition commander, the Afghan Islamic Press reported.

The Pakistan-based news agency, which has close ties to the Taliban, quoted an unidentified spokesman the movement's leader as saying control of the city would be transferred to Mullah Naqib Ullah. He is an Afghan commander who led guerrilla forces against the Soviets, and who now leads one of several groups fighting the Taliban.

There was no independent confirmation of the agreement. The report said it would be completed in a few days, but there was no mention of terms.

The report did not say whether Omar would surrender remaining Taliban forces or would be allowed to evacuate the city.

The agency said the commander would head a commission which would administer the city. It also said Omar had met a delegation from Hamid Karzai, who has been chosen to head an interim cabinet.

There was no comment from other sources of the report by the agency, which has good contacts with Taliban officials. The report said the handover would be complete in a few days.

The report from the news agency did not say what might happen to Taliban fighters.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Karzai said he was offering amnesty to Taliban fighters who agreed to give up but that the offer did not extend to Omar.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001

Answers

Wonderful if the "Taliban Arabs", the foreigners, get sold out, and then destroyed.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001

Remember we're down to the wiliest of the wily. Is this a genuine surrender or is it a trap? Fingers crossed.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001

OG, that's certainly something to think about, especially since it would be a 180 for Omar.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001

Think, "Vroom, vroom!"

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2001