Afghan Opposition Commander Heads for Talks in Tehran
DUSHANBE, Oct 18 (News Agencies) - The military commander of the Afghan opposition, General Mohammad Qassim Fahim, left Thursday for Tehran for a key meeting with Iranian, Russian, Tajik and Uzbek military and diplomatic representatives, diplomatic sources said here.
Fahim earlier held talks in Dushanbe with Russian military supremo General Anatoly Kvashnin, briefing him on the latest fighting in Afghanistan, where the Northern Alliance hopes to oust the ruling Taliban in the wake of U.S.-led air strikes.
The Afghan opposition commander "left for Tehran where a meeting of senior diplomatic and military officials from five countries - Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - is to take place on Friday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan," the sources said on condition of anonymity.
Abdullah Abdullah, the Afghan government-in-exile's foreign minister, accompanied him on the trip, the sources said.
Fahim took over leadership of the Northern Alliance after the assassination of Ahmad Shah Masood in an attack two days before the September 11th terror strikes that triggered U.S. reprisal actions in Afghanistan.
Representatives of the five countries held a similar meeting in Dushanbe on September 15th following the announcement of Masood's death.
