ABU DHABI Ñ The United States has assured Gulf Arab states that it will not allow a massacre of Arab agents of Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Arab diplomatic sources said several Gulf Cooperation Council states have raised the issue with Washington. The sources said thousands of Arabs Ñ many of them from Gulf Arab states Ñ fought with Bin Laden's Al Qaida in Afghanistan. In Mazar A-Sharif, 100 Arab fighters were reportedly killed during an uprising against the Northern Alliance.

"We hope that all people who are of Arab or Islamic origin in Afghanistan can return to their country of origin," Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz said in Riyad on Sunday. "The matter is now under the supervision of the United Nations and we believe that this will mean human rights will be taken into consideration. We hope that no one will be subject to injustice."

The Arabs have been under siege by the Northern Alliance in the Afghan city of Kunduz. About 600 Arabs staged a revolt against their Northern Alliance captors, but by Sunday U.S. officials said the rebellion had failed.

In Kandahar, U.S. troops landed overnight Monday in the first stage of an attack on what is regarded as the last Taliban stronghold. Qatar has taken the lead in relaying Gulf Arab concerns over the Arab-Afghans. Qatar is current president of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassem said the Gulf Arab concern was relayed over the weekend to U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell. Hamad said the Arab captives should be treated as war criminals.

"We have asked a number of international parties to exert their pressure to commit all Afghan factions to avoid whatever might complicate the situation, and emphasized that Qatar obtained American assurances in this connection," Hamad said. "The United States has taken our concern as serious."

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