Afghanistan's airline and central bank to be taken off sanctions list

Afghanistan's national airline and the country's central bank are to be allowed to operate again.

The UN's Security Council is planning a new sanctions regime aimed at al-Qaida and the Taliban, rather than Afghanistan.

In addition, the US plans to unblock $200 million in frozen Afghan assets.

In November 1999, the Security Council froze the Taliban's assets and imposed an international flight ban on Ariana airlines in an attempt to pressure them to hand over bin Laden for trial over the deadly bombings of two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Then the council slapped an arms embargo on the Taliban that is set to expire on January 19.

Now the Taliban are out of power, the council's five key members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - met privately to work out a resolution that will replace the one about to expire.

According to the draft resolution, the five major powers have agreed to a full arms embargo, a travel ban and the freezing of all accounts associated with bin Laden, al-Qaida and what remains of the Taliban.

It will also retain a group that monitors compliance with the sanctions regime. But monitoring the drug trade from the world's largest opium producer will be worked out directly with the new Afghan leadership.

Still to be resolved before next Friday, when the council is expected to vote, is whether the resolution will expire or be up for review within 12 months.

Discussion is continuing on whether the arms embargo should be Afghan-specific or apply wherever al-Qaida may be and how that could be enforced.