Some of Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani's own commanders are
ready to switch sides and join the Taliban in an assault on the
capital Kabul, a spokesman for the Islamic militia said Wednesday.

The offer comes only 24 hours after Taliban forces captured the key
western Afghan city of Herat.

"Commanders in Paghman have asked us to move into the area" 15
kilometers (nine miles) west of Kabul, Taliban spokesman Hashim Khan
told AFP.

The area is controlled by Rabbani's ally, Rasul Sayyaf who heads his
own Ittehad-i-Islami party.

The offer to cooperate with Taliban in an attack on Kabul was made
through Sayyaf's commander Toofan (eds one name), he said.

Sayyaf himself left his Paghman stronghold and arrived in Kabul
Tuesday with his entire family, while his close aide Ahmed Shah moved
his family to the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar, Khan said.

But Khan said the Taliban leadership was in no hurry and had advised
against rushing into a new alliance in Paghman.

He said the Taliban wanted a full assessment before any assault on
Kabul which would most likely come from Maidan Shahr, 30 kilometers
(18 miles) southwest of the capital.

"I think an attack on Kabul would take some time," he said.

Khan said pro-Rabbani forces panicked after the Taliban entered the
key western city of Herat on Tuesday after capturing the major air
base of Shindand last week.

Other Afghan sources in radio contact with Taliban said Herat was
peaceful Wednesday and people in the city had "welcomed" the change.
They said the city's economy had been badly handled by provincial
governor Ismail Khan who had now fled to Iran.

Khan described as "completely wrong" Afghan government's claims that
Pakistan was financing and training the Taliban militarily.

"Whenever they suffer military reverses, they accuse foreign powers"
of interefering in Afghanistan, he said.

Reports from Kabul Wednesday said that following Afghanistan's
denunciation of Pakistan hundreds of demonstrators had attacked the
Pakistan embassy seriously injuring three staff and leaving the
building a smouldering wreck.

More than 1,000 people chanting slogans against Pakistan, stormed the
building, witnesses said.
