Robinson warns Alliance against revenge

The United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has warned the world will not tolerate acts of revenge or abuse of civilians by the Northern Alliance.

Mrs Robinson said Alliance troops will not be permitted to carry out atrocities against perceived supporters of the Taliban regime.

Mrs Robinson said she is looking to the United States and Britain to ensure that the vulnerable people of the war-ravaged country are treated with fairness and dignity.

"Both the Taliban and the Northern Alliance have abused and caused many human rights violations," the former Irish president said.

"There is a culture of impunity and a pattern of violence in Afghanistan which has to end," she said.

She added that as territory changed hands in Afghanistan and city after city falls to the Alliance forces, there is a heightened danger of civilian massacres, rapes and retaliatory violence.