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Fear, Exodus Grip Taliban's Capital
Tuesday, October 02, 2001
By Molly Moore / Washington Post

... travelers and refugees said, Taliban soldiers are rounding up young men from mosques, religious schools and city streets, ordering them to take up arms ...

CHAMAN, Pakistan -- Washington Post
The conservative southern Afghan city of Kandahar, birthplace and capital of the ruling Taliban militia, has dissolved into panic and frantic military preparations in anticipation of an attack by the United States, according to interviews with refugees and traders leaving Afghanistan.

They said parts of the once-bustling city are deserted as residents have fled to Pakistan or into remote villages, while other sections resemble military encampments with tanks standing sentry on roadways, dozens of impromptu checkpoints set up at intersections and Kalashnikov-toting men and boys patrolling the streets, frequently firing their guns into the air.

"They are preparing for war," said Ghulam Haidar, 60, who crossed the Pakistan border two days ago from Kandahar.
(More: JournalGazette.net News Source)
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