US women campaign against Taleban

The United States has again urged the Taleban movement in Afghanistan to re-open schools for girls and to allow women back to work.

A senior American official Karl Inderfurth told the BBC that Washington would not recognise the Taleban administration until it improved its treatment of women and agreed to the formation of a broad-based government.

The statement came in response to a campaign by American women's groups against the Taleban's treatment of Afghan women.

One of the groups said they were concerned that at least one American oil company was lobbying the administration to recognise the Taleban.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service