TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The Taliban are not able to show resistance, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, one of the leaders of the Northern Alliance, said in the course of a telephone interview to the Uzbek television first channel on Thursday. He also said a future Afghan government must voice interests of all ethnic groups residing in Afghanistan and establish "fundamentals of democracy".
Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek, was a general in the army of Afghanistan's President Najibullah. But when Islamic rebels achieved superiority, Dostum forsook Najibullah and joined them.
According to Dostum, Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat, the largest cities of Afghanistan, are controlled by forces of the United Front (another name of the Northern Alliance). Ismail-Khan controls the region of Herat, Dostum controls the northern region and Gen. Fahim controls situation in Kabul. Dostum said forces of Ismail-Khan had captured Shindan.
According to Dostum, situation in Mazar-i-Sharif has become stabilize and he has withdrawn his forces from the city. There is only a garrison of 300 soldiers established by Dostum in Mazar-i-Sharif now. Mazar-i-Sharif's inhabitants are engaging in daily proceeding and chores. Dostum is at the Shibirgon airfield, around 65 miles to the west of Mazar-i-Sharif, "to do planned work".
According to Dostum, representatives of the United Front are carrying on negotiations with Mullah Fazil and Mullah Dadali, the leaders of the Taliban group of 10,000 militants in the Kunduz province.
"The Taliban must surrender without action," Dostum said.
General pardon has been declared in Afghanistan and the Taliban must seize this opportunity, according to Dostum.
"However, we must capture those terrorists who bloodied their hands," Dostum said.
Forces of the United Front have encircled the Kunduz province. If the Taliban forces in the province do not surrender, the United Front will pass to the offensive.
"Our enemies are suffering a psychological defeat," Dostum said.
The inhabitants of the southern regions of Afghanistan are expressing their readiness to fight against Mullah Omar, the Taliban supreme leader, and his adherents, Dostum said.
Dostum said who must rule Afghanistan. He released what three leaders - Dostum himself, Gen. Fahim and Ismail-Khan - think of a future Afghan government. According to them, a military council must rule the country before creation of a coalition government. The government must voice interests of all ethnic groups residing in Afghanistan. The future government must establish "fundamentals of democracy and protect rights of all sections of the population."
