Stardate 20011113.0632 (On Screen): There were fragmentary reports out of Mazar-e Sharif that hundreds in the city had been killed by Northern Alliance forces, which lead to concerns of wholesale revenge killings of innocents, or worse of troops run amok pillaging. Now more information is appearing and the reality is much less terrifying: most of those killed (several hundred) have been Pakistani and Kashmiri fighters. In other words, the city was taken but there was still resistance inside the city which is being reduced. This is hardly surprising, and it suggests that as resistance is subdued that things will calm in the city. There is always a certain amount of this when a city falls. Something of the kind is also taking place in Kabul due to the fact that there remain some Taliban forces there; there will be sporadic combat in that zone for a long time. It appears that the message has gotten through to the Northern Alliance commanders that they need to reign in their troops and control them after major victories. Let's hope they can keep control.
(discuss)
