71.   The Taliban Islamic movement warned on Wednesday its forces would strike back militarily at a powerful Afghan warlord if his troops attacked the religious militia north of here.

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

73.   Troops loyal to northern Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostam controlled the strategic Salang tunnel providing access to northern Afghanistan and Central Asia.

74.   Two Chinese and eight Pakistani hostages have been released by an Afghan warlord but their departure for Pakistan had been delayed, Interior Minister Naseerullah Babar said Thursday.

75.   Zafar Saidov said that talks Rakhmonov had conducted with Afghan warlord Ahmed Shah Masood and with rebel leader Bakhrom Sadirov had still yet to produce a solution.

76.   Masood recently allied with northern Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostam in the battle to recapture Kabul.

77.   Northern Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostam Monday directly accused Pakistan of backing the Taliban, a spokesman here said Monday.

78.   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.

79.   Several hundred Afghan fighters are already on the ground with the US-led coalition under the command of local Afghan warlord Zia Lodin.

80.   Talks between Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostam and Pakistani Interior Minister Naseerullah Babar ended here Monday without finalising a ceasefire agreement, a spokesman said.