Anarchy hampers peace efforts

Growing anarchy and continued fighting across Afghanistan are throwing attempts to build peace into confusion.

The Northern Alliance is now facing setbacks as the Taliban counterattack. In some parts the Alliance is breaking into rival factions.

British troops of the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment have for a week been on 48 hours' notice to move, but now that warning time has been extended to seven days. They had expected to join Royal Marines holding Bagram airport to begin a security and humanitarian operation in the Kabul area.

The message that the British troops are not wanted was repeated yesterday by Alliance foreign affairs spokesman Abdullah Abdullah in talks with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in the Iranian capital yesterday.

Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi added: "I believe Afghans would not prefer to have foreign troops on their soil."

The spiritual leader of the Taliban, Mohammad Omar, has announced he will go into hiding to direct a winter guerrilla war against the Alliance. A spokesman said he had appointed his deputy Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Usmani to take his place as political head of the movement, adding: "Mullah Omar has shifted to an unknown place for security reasons."

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