81.   The United States has the military might to level Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, which is controlled by the hard-line Taliban religious militia.

82.   Tous angered hard-liners by calling for a diplomatic solution, rather than military strikes, to resolve the conflict with the Taliban religious militia in neighboring Afghanistan.

83.   Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Muttayn said the religious militia was pausing to build bunkers and take other measures to shore up defenses around Mazar-e-Sharif.

84.   Using cannons and explosives, the Taliban has reportedly resumed blowing up two towering stone statues of Buddha, a task the religious militia began a week ago.

85.   Foreign journalists have been banned from covering frontline fighting between the Taliban religious militia and the forces of ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani north of Kabul, Taliban troops said.

86.   Government forces repelled a night attack on Kabul by the Taliban religious militia from the east and southwest, an official spokesman told AFP Thursday.

87.   He declined to say if he had protested against the execution of former communist president Najibullah by the Taliban religious militia Friday.

88.   He declined to say if he had protested against the execution of former communist president Najibullah by the Taliban religious militia last Friday.

89.   He vowed that external criticism of the Taliban would not weaken the religious militia nor affect their morale.

90.   In the past two weeks, the religious militia have captured the three eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar from government or neutral forces.