Despite encouraging hints of
peace initiatives brokered by neighbouring
Turkmenistan in late August,
Taliban forces press on with their
attack on the
opposition Northern Alliance's northeast
supply routes, taking the key
town of
Taloqan after heavy fighting.
The Taliban
regime steps up its efforts to gain
diplomatic and
UN recognition, having reinforced its claims to effective control of the country thanks to
military successes in the northeast. The
U.S. sustains its criticisms over
drug trafficking, support for
terrorism, and a "deplorable
human rights record," although
State Department officials do meet Taliban representatives in
Washington, D.C., on September 29 to discuss these issues.
Around 150,000 people are said to be heading for the sealed
border with
Tajikistan in the wake of the successful advance of Taliban forces in the north of the country. The
refugees include almost the entire population of
Taloqan.
Although Afghanistan remains the world's biggest producer of
opium, the
UN drug control agency announces that the country's
crop for 2000 appears to be 30% smaller than that
harvested in 1999. Despite the agency's program to convince local farmers to grow other crops, the fall may be solely due to the terrible drought affecting the region.
The Taliban authorities announce that
traders arriving from
Pakistan will be allowed to transport their goods through Afghanistan without paying
customs duties. Taliban
deputy commerce minister Faiz Faizan also says that any
foreigners are welcome to
invest in the country
tax-free.