The West at War: The Warriors: I'm cut off on a mountain. The Taliban

FREEDOM fighter Abdul Haq was taken on a terrifying nine-hour drive to his death, his brother revealed yesterday.

Haji Qadir, himself a prominent Northern Alliance politician, said Abdul had to endure the journey in the agonising knowledge it would end in his death.

He was hanged at an Osama bin Laden training camp at Rishkor in north-east Afghanistan.

"My brother was a brave man who died trying to resolve this conflict," said Qadir. "He wanted to bring peace to the Afghan people, that was his dream. He was prepared to risk his life and paid a high price for trying to bring peace to the world.

"My brother had a strong sense of morality and was keen to try anything that he thought might lead to the destruction of the Taliban."

Yesterday the Americans sought to distance themselves from involvement in Haq's secret mission. It came despite Haq's call for help having been passed to the US Central Command - where a phone call on Thursday afternoon came from Robert McFarlane, national security adviser for President Ronald Reagan and a longtime supporter of Haq.

Veteran Mujahedeen guerilla Haq had gone back to his homeland as a lone warrior to try to turn Afghan warlords away from the Taliban into helping the Western coalition bring them down. He was also seeking to lay the first bricks in what could have been a new coalition government after Kabul was liberated.

But Haq's secret mission was uncovered after one of his own men betrayed his position. He was snared by Taliban gunman in a well- planned trap.

Haq and 50 of his bodyguards, including three prominent commanders, were surrounded in an isolated spot on the border of Logar and Jalalabad provinces.

In a desperate phone call to his nephew in Pakistan, Haq said: "I am cut off on a steep mountain road. There are Taliban ahead and Taliban behind. Can you do something?"

The nephew contacted a wealthy American living in Pakistan, James Ritchie, who passed a message on to the CIA giving Haq's position.

An unmanned drone armed with anti-tank missiles was dispatched. But it was too late. A later call from Haq revealed a column of Taliban soldiers was moving in on him.

The next call came from the Taliban itself - taunting the nephew about the capture. News of his execution followed later. "One of our people saw his body lying in the street," said Mr Ritchie's brother Joe. Last night one of Haq's "advisers", an American, was believed to be on the run inside Afghanistan after escaping the Taliban ambush.

The Taliban admitted yesterday they were actively scouring the country for him.

"He was spotted with Abdul Haq and we are searching for him," said Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Hanan Himat.

"The arrest and killing of Haq is a big fiasco for America's plans in Afghanistan and we dismiss categorically the American denial of not being behind this drama."

The CIA has denied any involvement with the covert campaign to try to turn Taliban leaders.

Haq met his death by hanging on the direct orders of Taliban ruler Mullah Mohammed Omar - his one-time anti-Soviet comrade-in-arms.

Yesterday the Taliban claimed it had also hanged five Afghan opposition commanders after capturing them in northern Afghanistan.

The commanders and 15 fighters were detained after Taliban forces repulsed a major opposition offensive in the Dar-e-Souf region of Samangan province.

Last night Qadir vowed to carry on his brother's fight to free their country.

Copyright 2001 MGN LTD
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