World IN BRIEF : AFGHANISTAN : Rebels Reject Offer to Negotiate Peace

Rebel commanders rejected an offer from Afghan President Najibullah to directly negotiate an end to their country’s civil war, vowing to fight on to topple his Communist-style government. They also accused fundamentalist rebel chief Gulbuddin Hekmatyar of secretly plotting to form a coalition government with Najibullah and Gen. Shahnawaz Tanai, a former defense minister who defected in 1990. “Now when jihad (holy war) is nearing success and the regime is on its way out, a new game is being played to put up hurdles and prolong Najib’s life,” said a statement by the political committee of the Council of Commanders.