AFGHANISTAN - Sept. 9 - Massoud Killed.

Itar-Tass says the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, 48, is killed in the suicide bombing carried out by two assassins masquerading as television journalists in Massoud's office. But Massoud's spokesman says the assassination attempt caused only minor injuries. He adds: "He (Massoud) is fine and in good health" receiving treatment for minor chest, hand and leg wounds. US officials say they believe Massoud is dead. But another US State Department official says: "There are conflicting reports about Massoud's condition. We're not able to confirm any of them". (Massoud acquired fame as a fighter against the Soviet occupation of the country in the 1980s. His forces have been the chief obstacle to the Taliban in its bid to rule the whole country. He was from the north of the country, while the Taliban come largely from ethnic groups in the south and east bordering Pakistan). The Taliban denies involvement in the attack on Massoud. Later in the week, it was confirmed that Massoud was mortally wounded on Sept. 9. According to US, European and Arab intelligence sources, the Sept. 9 suicide bombing attack appeared to have been a pre-emptive strike by Osama Bin Ladin and his supporters to eliminate a CIA-backed opponent who could have been a powerful ally on the ground in any US retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist assaults.

Olivier Roy, a French expert on the region, said the Bin Ladin group's terrorism "went too far for public opinion in the Muslim world". He said the tribal alliance led by Massoud would go on the offensive thanks to international help, notably from the US. In that sense, the assassination of Massoud would prove "counterproductive". He said the Northern Alliance could still prevail if it got significant Western help.

(Massoud was widely believed to have started working with the CIA last year. During the 1990s, after the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, the CIA was reluctant to help a foe of the Taliban, formed in Pakistan with US help and seen as the best instrument for keeping Afghanistan away from renewed influence from Moscow. As Taliban extremism mounted, the CIA planed two years ago to set up programmes to co-operate with Massoud, with money and other forms of assistance often being funnelled through Russia. US, European and Arab intelligence sources said the assassination of Massoud was a part in Bin Ladin's scenario designed to change the world's power balance. They said: "Bin Ladin's target was not just the United States; he could hardly expect American power to fold at one blow, so his strategy ultimately aimed at the Middle East... Bin Ladin hopes to change the political map by creating a militant Muslim nation with armed revolts fired by his ultra-spectacular blow against US power". The killing of Massoud demonstrated Bin Ladin's readiness to bracket Muslim opponents with US and Western capitalism as targets for elimination).