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| Afghanistan |
| Talibs say journalists are spies |
| 2001-10-06 |
ISLAMABAD: The Taliban warned on Friday that hundreds of foreign journalists in opposition-controlled Afghanistan risked being viewed as spies by the Islamic militia. Taliban's intelligence chief Qari Ahmedullah told the Afghan Islamic Press that the estimated 300 foreign reporters currently in northern Afghanistan included many who were simply posing as journalists. "We cannot believe all of them are journalists," Ahmedullah said. "We are sure some of them are spies or military personnel from America and Britain." The Taliban has already arrested one female British journalist - Sunday Express reporter Yvonne Ridley - for crossing illegally into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. A Taliban intelligence source said on Friday that Ridley had been shifted from the eastern city of Jalalabad to Kabul, but gave no indication when she might stand trial or be released. "So far we have not found anything that would identify her as a spy," the source said from Jalalabad. "But even if these charges are not proved she has still broken our law by coming here illegally." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |