Attacks surprise Afghan arrivals

By JOSIE CLARKE and AGENCIES

About 100 mostly Afghan asylum seekers on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru played soccer and hung out their washing yesterday, ignorant of a possible US-led attack on their homeland.

When asked through the wire fence of their refugee camp whether they knew about the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington or the pending retaliation by Washington, one Afghani man said he knew nothing.

"I can't comment, I don't know anything," he said.

The Afghans, who landed on Nauru on Wednesday, were among hundreds rescued by the Norwegian freighter Tampa and later transferred to the Australian troop carrier Manoora.

While on board the Navy ship they did not receive any news from the outside world and once on Nauru were placed off-limits.

Yesterday, as some hung out their washing and others played soccer at the hot, barren camp, a few managed to speak briefly to reporters near perimeter fences.

"Of course, of course we are leaving [Afghanistan] because of the Taleban. The Taleban forces are a danger in Afghanistan," one man said.

Immigration officials said the first group had settled into their makeshift camp well, with some offering to cook.

Muhibullah Agah left his wife and job as an English teacher in Afghanistan and sold his house to pay people smugglers $US5000 ($12,000) to take him to Australia.

Agah said he fled Afghanistan because he feared for his life under the country's oppressive Taleban rulers.

"Our culture [has been] destroyed, our customs destroyed, our health facilities are bad, also there is no independent media," Agah said.

"It was so dangerous. If we were living there and you were in opposition or if you were talking against the Taleban ... they would imprison us, or kill us," he added.

Nauru agreed to take the bulk of the refugees while their applications for asylum are processed by United Nations officials. In return, Australia has pledged $A20 million ($23.9 million) in aid to the Nauru Government.

New Zealand has agreed to accept 150 for processing as refugees, but Immigration Service spokesman Ian Smith said there was no word about when the asylum seekers could arrive in New Zealand.

In Australia, the lawyer who brought action in the Federal Court against the Government over its handling of the Tampa and its human cargo has vowed to go to the High Court.

The full bench of the Federal Court this week overturned an earlier ruling that would have forced the asylum seekers to return to Australia.