41.   US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld flew into this strategic western Afghan city late Saturday for talks with a powerful Afghan warlord.

42.   Karzai went to the Western city of Herat Wednesday for talks with powerful warlord Ismail Khan who has close links with Iran.

43.   Powerful Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostam on Wednesday played down ethnic fighting in the north of his country and said that he had already resolved the matter.

44.   The claim came as Monrovia was preparing for the arrival of two powerful warlords for the installation Friday of a new council of state, or collective presidency.

45.   The fighters were all members of the Habr Gedir clan of the most powerful Mogadishu warlord, Mohamed Farah Aidid.

46.   The fighting pitted the militia of powerful Mogadishu warlord Mohamed Qanyare Afrah and those of his rival, little-known Hashi Dhabarey.

47.   The Islamic Taliban militia who seized Kabul a month ago said Tuesday they still controlled areas in northwestern Afghanistan captured from a powerful northern warlord.

48.   The new six-member collective presidency on which three powerful warlords have seats was sworn in last Friday.