Afghans who can afford to leave the capital were packing their bags and taking their families to the countryside on Sunday amid growing fears of a US military strike.
With the expulsion of the last remaining foreigners from the International Committee of the Red Cross, eight aid workers held in custody for allegedly preaching Christianity were among the only remaining westerners in Afghanistan.
"If there is an attack, of course no one will be spared," said 35-year-old Mira Jan, a Kabuli who was loading his household belongings onto a truck in anticipation of an impending US attack.
"I don't know what kind of attack it will be but people say it will be very dangerous. I think they will attack Kabul first so we are leaving for the country, we have a house there."
Afghans said they were feeling surrounded after Iran announced it was closing its border and Pakistan agreed to a full list of US requests for assistance in tracking down alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden.
UN refugee officials in Iran warned that population movements inside Afghanistan are several times higher than usual.
The withdrawal of the expatriate staff of the Red Cross was another powerful symbol of their increasing isolation.
"We have been reducing our expatriate staff to a minimum necessary to run our activities in all our sub-delegations," said Red Cross chief in Afghanistan Robert Monin.
"But now I have come to the decision to push our reduction a little bit further and leave the country with all our expatriates."
He said the move followed an order from the Taliban on Saturday that all foreigners should leave the country because the Isalmic militia could no longer guarantee their safety.
"The idea for the future is that we hope to recieve a green light from our authorities and also the authorities of Afghanistan to be able to come back every day from [Pakistan] ... to run our operations," Monin said.
"It means that every day in the morning we will come in and in the evening we will leave."
The United States has identified Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, living in Afghanistan as a "guest" of the ruling Taliban militia, as the prime suspect in investigations into last week's terror strikes in New York and Washington.
Bin Laden on Sunday denied any involvement in his first statement since the attacks which killed more than 5,000 people from around the world.
But the Taliban remained defiant. Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakel said bin Laden had the militia's full protection.
"We will use all available means and resources for the defense of our country. It is our responsibility to provide security to all the people living in our country," he said, referring to bin Laden.
He also renewed the Taliban's warning that neighbors who assist the United States with a military attack would be considered enemies.
"If any country helps America on this issue or offers its ground or air space to help the US force, we can launch an attack under compulsion," he said -- KABUL (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
