Taliban war on women, by Cherie

Cherie Blair and US First Lady Laura Bush, are to join a high-profile publicity bid to spotlight the oppression of women under the Taliban.

The wife of the US president will use a radio broadcast tomorrow to tell listeners in America the Taliban ruthlessly oppress women and have done their best to spread repression elsewhere.

Cherie Blair will appear on Monday with a similar message, reinforced by senior Cabinet women. A No10 spokesman said: "We do believe we need to lift the veil and show what has been happening to women in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime and that is something we will focus on both on this side of the Atlantic and in the States."

The move is being seen as an attempt to widen the justification for the overthrow of the Taliban and counter anti-war campaigners who claim the attack on Afghanistan has nothing to do with freeing its people.

Mrs Bush's address is part of a campaign in which prominent women will highlight the Taliban's abuse of women's rights, which included forcing them to wear the all-enveloping burqa; banning them from work, secondary schools and universities; not allowing them outside alone and beating any who broke Taliban edicts.

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