World News 12-11-2001 Afghan Civilians Celebrate Taliban Retreat who: Afghan freedom fighters Northern Alliance what: Reported to have captured Herat in sweep of northern territories where: Afghanistan when: Last night snippet: "Afghanistan`s opposition forces have closed in on Kabul," says The Independent this morning, "claiming to have recaptured large swathes of territory from the retreating Taliban in a triumphant sweep across the north." "Alliance spokesmen claimed to have built on Friday`s capture of the strategic city of Mazar-i Sharif by seizing several other key northern towns," reports The Times, "surrounding thousands of Taleban forces in Kunduz, capturing Taloqan and opening a new front by advancing on the Taleban stronghold of Herat to the west." "The streets of Mazar were flooded with celebrating Afghan civilians at the weekend," reports The Sun. "They danced to pop music while men shaved off the long beards which had been made compulsory under the Taliban. Music cassettes were even said to be back on sale in Kandahar, the Taliban`s spiritual home in the south of the country, after brutal religious police fled." "As Taliban rule collapsed in town after town across the north in an apparent domino effect," says The Guardian, "thousands of Taliban fighters... fled from most northern provinces, allowing anti-Taliban troops to push south." [... more]

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