By Baron Helmut von Badde-Veather

BERKELEY -- Fighters with Afghanistan's Northern Alliance captured the city of Berkeley yesterday after a surprise attack. The assault expands the sliver of territory held by Northern Alliance forces to include a city that has been a bastion of opposition to the U.S. government for the last 35 years.

A force of 3,000 ethnic Uzbeks loyal to Gen. Rashid Dostum descended from hideouts in the Berkeley Hills early Wednesday, first overrunning the University of California campus and then proceeding to the city's Telegraph Avenue business district. They were met by a group of approximately 2,500 anti-war protesters, marching and chanting slogans such as "Stop the bombing," "Give peace a chance," and "Stop the hatred of Arab and Muslim peoples."

At first it appeared that a stalemate would ensue as the two sides faced off. But Dostum's forces gained the upper hand after subjecting the protesters to 120-mm tank cannon fire and a barrage of Katyusha rockets. The Uzbeks then followed up with small-arms fire from Kalashnikov automatic weapons, and finished the encounter with hand grenades and a bayonet charge.

Several hundred protesters were killed in the initial assault, with the rest scattering into nearby residential neighborhoods. Dostum's forces moved on to capture Berkeley City Hall and have set up a provisional government to rule the city.

Political observers say the timing of Dostum's attack is curious, coming the day after the Berkeley City Council became the only municipality in the U.S. to oppose the war in Afghanistan by voting for a resolution urging the U.S. to stop its bombing campaign.

Some believe that the Uzbek attack could have been aided by the U.S. government, which has long chafed at the city's repeated opposition to U.S. foreign policy. Berkeley residents have stymied U.S. military moves on repeated occasions through impassioned protests, boycotts, and letter-writing campaigns. Many believe that the White House may have taken advantage of the Afghanistan situation to remove one of its most formidable opponents.

Indeed, many Berkeley activists had little animosity for their Uzbek assailants, instead reserving blame for the United States government.

"They (the Uzbeks) were just doing what they were trained to do by the CIA and U.S. military, which is oppress innocent peoples," said activist Starfire Honeywind. "What I want to know is, how could 3,000 Uzbeks get to the Berkeley Hills without the knowledge and complicity of our government? The connection is obvious."