Afghan pilots' plea over airline

Several Ariana staff were victims of the February hijack

By Kate Clark in Kabul

Pilots and flight crew from the national Afghan airline Ariana have made a public appeal for help saying they are the main victims of UN sanctions aimed at forcing the Taleban to hand over Saudi militant Osama bin Laden.

He is wanted in America to face questions over the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Ariana staff have kept the airline going through 20 years of war, maintaining flights through military coups and rocket attacks

Following the UN sanctions, Ariana was banned from making international flights last November.

Pilots and flight engineers fear that their licences will soon expire under the 90-day rule during which they must fly or lose their permits.

Extinction

The Ariana staff last flew in April this year, when they were allowed to take Afghans to Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage. But the 90-day deadline is fast approaching.

Flight crew say that if their licenses expire, there is almost no chance of finding the money or getting a visa to go for the lengthy retraining required.

And once Ariana's professional staff are lost, the company also faces extinction.

Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in East Africa

Ariana staff have kept the airline going through 20 years of war, maintaining flights through military coups and rocket attacks.

But they say sanctions are the worst hardship they have ever faced.

The staff say they have served their company through many changes of regime and have always remained neutral.

Yet, they say, the UN policy penalises them much more than the Taleban - its intended target.

Several of the staff were victims of the Ariana hijack in February, when their domestic flight was forced to fly to London.

All chose to return to Afghanistan, but say they are now facing a future without employment, income or hope.

Besides the international flight embargo, the UN also froze Taleban assets.