ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The UNMGOA has reported to the Security Council that law enforcement agencies did not provide specific information concerning the alleged linkages between Taliban, Al Qaeda and organised crime networks in Afghanistan.

The UN Monitoring Group on Afghanistan, in its first report to the UN Security Council, said the linkages between the Taliban, Al Qaeda and organized crime networks are known to exist but “were not elaborated upon by those law enforcement agencies visited.”

“During meetings with some international law enforcement agencies it became evident that the information which the Group requires to fulfil its mandate is not available or could not be divulged by some of the agencies with whom the group consulted.”

Those consulted by the UN Monitoring Group in preparing its first report included government representatives of the US, Britain, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Europol, Interpol, International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Customs Organisation.

The UN Monitoring Group, established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1363 (2001), comprising experts in the fields of counter-terrorism, purchase of arms and financing of terrorism, money laundering, financial transactions and drug trafficking, submitted its report to the UN Security Council in January after the Taliban were routed from power under the UN-sanctified US Coalition’s war on terrorism.

The Monitoring Group, calling on the international law enforcement community to improve the sharing of information concerning the Taliban, Al Qaeda and organized crime, said it would look into possible ways of ensuring that such information was given to the UN in a viable form.

Noting its observations on the reports that the Taliban possessed stockpiles of chemical shells, Sarin, and VX gas projectiles which could be fired by the M46 130mm guns, the Monitoring Group said it had not been able to verify the locations or quantities of these weapons of mass destruction.

Underlining the threats to Afghanistan, the Monitoring Group said the single gravest threat to the Interim Administration and to lasting peace was the unregulated and uncontrolled flow of weapons and military supplies to the different factions within Afghanistan. The latest information available to the Group is that prior to the Coalition offensive, there were 100 Scud missiles and at least four Scud mobile launch units, the report said, adding, attempts were under way to determine “the distribution” of these systems between the various factions.

Stressing the importance of locating and monitoring the operational status of missiles, the Monitoring Group expressed concern that Taliban or Al-Qaeda or their sympathisers could well use these missiles to deliver Weapons of Mass Destruction in future attacks against International Security Assistance Force.

The Monitoring Group report said the task of determining the presence of weapons was complicated due to the number of countries in which similar models were manufactured. “It is quite difficult to distinguish a piece of Taliban military equipment from the one used by the Northern Alliance.”

However, the Group observed that after the Coalition activities in Afghanistan, evidence came to light of Al Qaeda’s interest in the manufacture of Weapons of Mass Destruction, some of which appeared to be crude.