Afghan warlords have a long tradition of changing sides in mid-battle, and none has switched teams more often than Rashid Dostum, the gruff and burly leader of an ethnic Uzbek faction.

Arab fighters suspected of links to Osama bin Laden have been given citizenship by the former Afghan Government, now fighting the Taliban.

Large crowds have attended the funeral of the main leader of the anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Masood.