Strained Afghanistan Situation

As the shadow of war is getting darker and darker on the land of Afghanistan, the Afghans have been seized with fear and horror due to the impending U.S.`s military strike.

The Taliban government urged yesterday the Afghans to prepare a holy war against the U.S.`s attacks, reported the Associated Press (AP). The Taliban government declared to be ready to take a war, saying via the government dispatch, ``Osama bin Laden is not related to this terrorist attack, and the U.S. designated him as a prime suspect only to make a pretext for attacking Afghanistan.``

As the Taliban government reconfirmed the will to do-or-die resistance, an abundance of Afghans began to leave the possible target cities, seeking refuges. In capital Kabul, most citizens evacuated the city, and the stores closed the doors. And the remnants stored the food and the fuel, which then marked the skyrocketing rise in prices, reported the foreign news agencies and the Pakistan newspapers.

Although the Taliban authority blocked three roads linking the main cities with the capital Kabul in order to hold back the citizens.

The Taliban government began a crackdown to find out the stored goods, and is enforcing the merchants to continue the business.

``The Taliban government has supplied the citizens with the guns and rockets, appealing them not to flee via radio.`` a Japanese doctor Nakamura Satoshi said on 17th after leaving Afghanistan. ``I saw citizens digging a bomb-shelter under the ground against the U.S`s bombing attack.``

A CNN reporter Rick Robertson, who had been permitted to stay in Kabul, received the withdrawal order from the Taliban government on 17th. Reporter Robertson has persuaded the Afghan officials to permit his stay after moving to Kandahar 14 hours far from Kabul by car, but his request is unlikely to be accepted.

Since there is no TV broadcasting in Afghanistan, the CNN has reported alone the situation of Afghanistan to the external world thus far. The Taliban had prohibited the TV broadcasting on pretext of delivering impious contents, allowing only the radio broadcasting. Currently, an Afghan AFP reporter alone is sending a story from time to time in Kabul.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department partially permitted the withdrawal of Pakistan embassy staffs, warning the Americans who want to stay or travel in Pakistan to prudently consider the urgent security situation.

Hong Seong-Chul sungchul@donga.com