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APPENDIX 3 ~ 227Appendix 3A CHRONOLOGY OFTHE TALIBAN1992April. Afghanistan and Kabul fall to the Mujaheddin as President Najibullahseeks shelter in UN compound in Kabul.1993Bitter righting between President Rabbani and Gulbuddin Hikmetyar leaves10,000 civilians dead.1994January. Factional fighting reduces Kabul to rubble as Dostum and Hikmetyarattack Kabul.February. UN appoints Mehmoud Mestiri to head Special Mission toAfghanistan. Pakistan Embassy in Kabul sacked.October. Six Western ambassadors in Islamabad accompany Pakistan InteriorMinister Naseerullah Babar to Herat to meet Ismael Khan.28 October. PM Benazir Bhutto meets Ismael Khan and Dostum in Ashkhabad.4 November. A 30-truck Pakistani convoy to Central Asia waylaid by warlordsnear Kandahar, 20 dead in fighting. Taliban emerge.5 November. Taliban take control of Kandahar and free convoy. Fifty deadin four days of clashes.25 November. Taliban take control of two southern provinces, Lashkargarhand Helmand.19951 January. 3,000 Pakistani Taliban from Peshawar leave for Afghanistan.2 February. Taliban move into Wardak province, 25 miles from Kabul.11 February. Taliban capture Logar province. Nine provinces out of 30 capturedby Taliban. President Rabbani sends delegation to meet Taliban.14 February. Taliban take Charasyab and Hikmetyar flees without a fight.18 February. Taliban put three conditions on joining possible interim government,neutral force made up of Taliban, only good Muslims will participateand all 30 provinces must be represented.7 March. Taliban advance on Nimroz, Farah, try to capture Herat. Talibanmove into south Kabul as Hazaras vacate their positions.11 March. Masud attacks Taliban near Kabul. Taliban pushed back toCharasyab.13 March. Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari captured by Taliban and dies inhelicopter crash while being taken to Kandahar by Taliban. Taliban takeFarah.4 April. Taliban capture part of Shindand airbase near Herat.29 March. Government forces push back Taliban 80 miles from Shindand.12 May. Taliban pushed out of Farah.31 May. Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki visits Kabul and Kandahar.10 July. Deputy chief of Saudi intelligence tours Afghan cities in peace mission,meets with Taliban.2 September. Taliban retake Farah, heavy fighting close to Shindand.3 September. Taliban capture Shindand. Kabul reshuffles military commandand demotes Ismael Khan as troops airlifted into Herat.5 September. Taliban capture Herat. Ismael Khan flees to Iran without afight.6 September. Pakistan embassy in Kabul sacked and burnt down. Iran warnsTaliban not to cross Iranian border.10 October. Taliban shift 400 tanks to Kabul from Kandahar, prepare forassault on city.11 October. Taliban begin major attack and recapture Charasyab.11 November. Kabul rocketed by Taliban. Thirty-six killed, 52 wounded inworst day of rocketing by Taliban.26 November. Worst ever bombing of Kabul by Taliban. Thirty-nine civiliansdead, 140 wounded. Government forces push back Taliban from Kabul.19963 March. Rabbani starts visit to Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.20 March. Taliban Shura meets in Kandahar with 1,000 ulema and tribalelders to discuss policy.4 April. Taliban Shura ends, calls for jihad against Rabbani. Mullah Omarmade Amir-ul Momineen.19 April. Senior US diplomats meet Afghan leaders in Kabul and Kandahar.23 May. UN envoy Mestiri resigns for health reasons.26 June. Hikmetyar joins Rabbani and becomes Prime Minister. Talibanrocket Kabul, 52 dead.