IRE: 10/07/2001 9:54 am ET

Northern Alliance Says U.S. Attacks May Be Hours Away

JABAL-US-SARAJ (Reuters) - Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, foreign minister in Afghanistan's opposition Northern Alliance said Sunday that U.S. air strikes on the Taliban were probably just hours away.

"We believe that the strike by the United States and (its) alliance will take place soon, very soon," he told a news conference.

Asked if a strike could be hours away, he looked at his watch and said :"What time is it now?" It was around 1230 GMT. [8:30 a.m. EDT]

"Certainly it is not matter of weeks. I'm not saying soon, I'm saying very soon," he said.

The Northern Alliance is fighting the ruling Taliban from the corner of Afghanistan's territory that it controls.

Thought from OG: I wonder if this is all a feint, to get as many Taliban troops up in the mountainous north of the country while other forces take the cities in the plains?

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001