Senior foreign aid workers in Afghanistan expressed concern Wednesday over travel restrictions imposed by the ruling Taliban militia.
A top-level UN official said the new curbs, which require foreigners to obtain foreign ministry clearance to leave Afghanistan by road, had restricted the aid community's movement.
"Everybody is concerned. We are concerned because that is a breach of the rules," the UN official told AFP, asking not to be named.
"That has been imposed on us without consultation. It is breaching the memorandum of understanding on the free movement of our staff."
The Taliban on Sunday ordered foreigners leaving Afghanistan by road to get special clearance in addition to exit visas.
The order came only hours after the militia temporarily suspended flights by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Taliban foreign ministry officials said the restrictions had always been on the books and were only being "re-enacted."
They denied any link to fears that the United States is planning military strikes against Afghanistan.
Washington has warned of attacks against indicted Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden, who is living in Afghanistan under Taliban protection, if he is found to have been involved in the recent bombing of a US warship in Yemen.
The Taliban have refused to extradite bin Laden for trial in the United States or a third country for his alleged involvement in the 1998 bombing of two US embassies in East Africa.
Washington launched missile strikes against bin Laden in Afghanistan shortly after those blasts, prompting a sharp backlash against foreigners working in the country.
Some aid workers said they thought the restrictions were meant to keep foreigners in Kabul in case of a US-led strike.
"We are worried about the fact that they want to lock us up here," said Antoine Paumard, Kabul program coordinator of ACTED, a French non-governmental organization (NGO).
"It is not encouraging. The situation is not very good," he said, adding the new restrictions impeded operations during emergencies.
"To get clearance is difficult if, for instance, I become ill suddenly overnight and need to be evacuated out of the country urgently."
Another foreign aid worker said the restrictions "further complicated an already complicated situation."
Aid workers said they had not cut back staff or operations in the war-torn country, but most would be leaving over the Christmas period.
A top UN security official in neighboring Pakistan said the restrictions were nothing more than a "minor irritant" and there was no evidence of an imminent US attack -- KABUL (AFP)
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