Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on the Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Eisenhower Hall Theatre, United States Military Academy at West Point, West Point, New York
8:01 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our Armed Services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan — the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It’s an extraordinary honor for me to do so here at West Point — where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.
To address these important issues, it’s important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of passengers onboard one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.
As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda — a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world’s great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda’s base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban — a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.
Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them — an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to nothing. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 — the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist network and to protect our common security.
Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy — and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden — we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the U.N., a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.
Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq war is well-known and need not be repeated here. It’s enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq war drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention — and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.
Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of the men and women in uniform. (Applause.) Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance, we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.
But while we’ve achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda’s leadership established a safe haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it’s been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient security forces.
Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to control additional swaths of territory in Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating attacks of terrorism against the Pakistani people.
Now, throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. And that’s why, shortly after taking office, I approved a longstanding request for more troops. After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan and the extremist safe havens in Pakistan. I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian efforts.
Since then, we’ve made progress on some important objectives. High-ranking al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed, and we’ve stepped up the pressure on al Qaeda worldwide. In Pakistan, that nation’s army has gone on its largest offensive in years. In Afghanistan, we and our allies prevented the Taliban from stopping a presidential election, and — although it was marred by fraud — that election produced a government that is consistent with Afghanistan’s laws and constitution.
Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There’s no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population. Our new commander in Afghanistan — General McChrystal — has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: The status quo is not sustainable.

As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger. Some of you fought in Afghanistan. Some of you will deploy there. As your Commander-in-Chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of your service. And that’s why, after the Afghan voting was completed, I insisted on a thorough review of our strategy. Now, let me be clear: There has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war during this review period. Instead, the review has allowed me to ask the hard questions, and to explore all the different options, along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and our key partners. And given the stakes involved, I owed the American people — and our troops — no less.

This review is now complete. And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war now for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home.

Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you — a military that, along with your families, has already borne the heaviest of all burdens. As President, I have signed a letter of condolence to the family of each American who gives their life in these wars. I have read the letters from the parents and spouses of those who deployed. I visited our courageous wounded warriors at Walter Reed. I’ve traveled to Dover to meet the flag-draped caskets of 18 Americans returning home to their final resting place. I see firsthand the terrible wages of war. If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow.

So, no, I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. And this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.

Of course, this burden is not ours alone to bear. This is not just America’s war. Since 9/11, al Qaeda’s safe havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.
These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies. Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.
To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda a safe haven. We must reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan’s future.
We will meet these objectives in three ways. First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban’s momentum and increase Afghanistan’s capacity over the next 18 months.
The 30,000 additional troops that I’m announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 — the fastest possible pace — so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They’ll increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.
Because this is an international effort, I’ve asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we’re confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. And now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility — what’s at stake is the security of our allies, and the common security of the world.
But taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We’ll continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s security forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government — and, more importantly, to the Afghan people — that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.
Second, we will work with our partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.
This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President Karzai’s inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We’ll support Afghan ministries, governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas — such as agriculture — that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.
The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They’ve been confronted with occupation — by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand — America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country. We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens. And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect — to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron.
Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.
We’re in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That’s why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.
In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who’ve argued that the struggle against extremism is not their fight, and that Pakistan is better off doing little or seeking accommodation with those who use violence. But in recent years, as innocents have been killed from Karachi to Islamabad, it has become clear that it is the Pakistani people who are the most endangered by extremism. Public opinion has turned. The Pakistani army has waged an offensive in Swat and South Waziristan. And there is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy.
In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect, and mutual trust. We will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists whose location is known and whose intentions are clear. America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan’s democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting. And going forward, the Pakistan people must know America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan’s security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.
These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.
I recognize there are a range of concerns about our approach. So let me briefly address a few of the more prominent arguments that I’ve heard, and which I take very seriously.

First, there are those who suggest that Afghanistan is another Vietnam. They argue that it cannot be stabilized, and we’re better off cutting our losses and rapidly withdrawing. I believe this argument depends on a false reading of history. Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action. Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now — and to rely only on efforts against al Qaeda from a distance — would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies.

Second, there are those who acknowledge that we can’t leave Afghanistan in its current state, but suggest that we go forward with the troops that we already have. But this would simply maintain a status quo in which we muddle through, and permit a slow deterioration of conditions there. It would ultimately prove more costly and prolong our stay in Afghanistan, because we would never be able to generate the conditions needed to train Afghan security forces and give them the space to take over.

Finally, there are those who oppose identifying a time frame for our transition to Afghan responsibility. Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort — one that would commit us to a nation-building project of up to a decade. I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what can be achieved at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests. Furthermore, the absence of a time frame for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.
As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, or our interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I don’t have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I’m mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who — in discussing our national security — said, “Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs.”
Over the past several years, we have lost that balance. We’ve failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our neighbors and friends are out of work and struggle to pay the bills. Too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we can’t simply afford to ignore the price of these wars.
All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly $30 billion for the military this year, and I’ll work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.
But as we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength here at home. Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military. It underwrites our diplomacy. It taps the potential of our people, and allows investment in new industry. And it will allow us to compete in this century as successfully as we did in the last. That’s why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended — because the nation that I’m most interested in building is our own.
Now, let me be clear: None of this will be easy. The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly, and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan. It will be an enduring test of our free society, and our leadership in the world. And unlike the great power conflicts and clear lines of division that defined the 20th century, our effort will involve disorderly regions, failed states, diffuse enemies.
So as a result, America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars and prevent conflict — not just how we wage wars. We’ll have to be nimble and precise in our use of military power. Where al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold — whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere — they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships.
And we can’t count on military might alone. We have to invest in our homeland security, because we can’t capture or kill every violent extremist abroad. We have to improve and better coordinate our intelligence, so that we stay one step ahead of shadowy networks.

We will have to take away the tools of mass destruction. And that’s why I’ve made it a central pillar of my foreign policy to secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists, to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and to pursue the goal of a world without them — because every nation must understand that true security will never come from an endless race for ever more destructive weapons; true security will come for those who reject them.

We’ll have to use diplomacy, because no one nation can meet the challenges of an interconnected world acting alone. I’ve spent this year renewing our alliances and forging new partnerships. And we have forged a new beginning between America and the Muslim world — one that recognizes our mutual interest in breaking a cycle of conflict, and that promises a future in which those who kill innocents are isolated by those who stand up for peace and prosperity and human dignity.

And finally, we must draw on the strength of our values — for the challenges that we face may have changed, but the things that we believe in must not. That’s why we must promote our values by living them at home — which is why I have prohibited torture and will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And we must make it clear to every man, woman and child around the world who lives under the dark cloud of tyranny that America will speak out on behalf of their human rights, and tend to the light of freedom and justice and opportunity and respect for the dignity of all peoples. That is who we are. That is the source, the moral source, of America’s authority.
Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents and great-grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions — from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank — that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.
We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades — a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, and markets open, and billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress and advancing frontiers of human liberty.
For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for — what we continue to fight for — is a better future for our children and grandchildren. And we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity. (Applause.)
As a country, we’re not as young — and perhaps not as innocent — as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. And now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age.
In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives from our people — from the workers and businesses who will rebuild our economy; from the entrepreneurs and researchers who will pioneer new industries; from the teachers that will educate our children, and the service of those who work in our communities at home; from the diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers who spread hope abroad; and from the men and women in uniform who are part of an unbroken line of sacrifice that has made government of the people, by the people, and for the people a reality on this Earth. (Applause.)
This vast and diverse citizenry will not always agree on every issue — nor should we. But I also know that we, as a country, cannot sustain our leadership, nor navigate the momentous challenges of our time, if we allow ourselves to be split asunder by the same rancor and cynicism and partisanship that has in recent times poisoned our national discourse.
It’s easy to forget that when this war began, we were united — bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. (Applause.) I believe with every fiber of my being that we — as Americans — can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment — they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, as one people.
America — we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with the confidence that right makes might, and with the commitment to forge an America that is safer, a world that is more secure, and a future that represents not the deepest of fears but the highest of hopes. (Applause.)
Thank you. God bless you. May God bless the United States of America. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
END 8:35 P.M. EST

KABUL (PAN): A local Taliban commander was among five rebels killed in a joint operation by Afghan National Army (ANA) and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) troops in the central province of Maidan Wardak, officials said on Tuesday.
Governor’s spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News four fighters — Mullah Baryalai, Hakim, Saber and Malik were killed and a woman injured during yesterday’s raid on a house in Yousufkhel area in the Syedabad district. The forces arrested two suspected militants from the house.
A resident of the area said on condition of anonymity two armed men Baryalai and Hakim were killed while a woman was wounded in the operation.
Separately, rebel commander Maulvi Sharif and a farmer were killed and three suspects detained in an overnight swoop from a house in Aqcha area of Nirkh district. Shahid said security personnel suffered no harm.
Maulvi Sharif, a dreaded Taliban commander in the district, has allegedly been involved in making suicide bombs. Resident Saleem said two civilians were killed and six others detained during the sweep.
Meanwhile, the NATO-led force confirmed the operation and said several enemy militants, including a sought-after Taliban district commander were killed and several suspects detained in the central province early this morning.
“During the engagement the building used by the enemy militants caught fire, causing grenades and ammunition to detonate. A local Afghan woman was inadvertently killed during the exchange of fire with enemy militants,” the force said.
In an operational update, ISAF’s press office said occupants of the compound confirmed the Taliban district commander had arrived earlier in the night and joined the other militants. The force recovered multiple AK-47 rifles and hand grenades, and detained several other suspected militants.
In the increasingly restive northern province of Kunduz, the multinational force said, several suspected insurgents were detained during an operation aimed at capturing a Taliban commander responsible for the facilitation of foreign fighters to other militant elements in the area.
“The joint security force searched a compound northwest of Kunduz City without incident and several suspected militants were detained.  No shots were fired, and no one was injured,” the statement added.
One ISAF service member from Great Britain died after his patrol struck an IED in southern Afghanistan yesterday, the update said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84929
Afghanistan 2nd most corrupt nation
PAN Monitor – Nov 17, 2009 – 11:52
KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan, a recipient of billions of dollars in international aid, achieved another dubious distinction on Tuesday when an influential global watchdog ranked it as the second most corrupt nation of the world.
The Berlin-based Transparency International said in its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) Somalia stayed the world’s most corrupt country, followed by conflict-torn Afghanistan and Iraq.
As the world economy begins to register a tentative recovery and some nations continue to wrestle with ongoing conflict and insecurity, it is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption.
Most of the 180 countries included in the 2009 CPI score below five on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of corruption). Lingering at the bottom of the index are unstable countries, scarred by war and ongoing conflict.
According to the index, Somalia has a score of 1.1, Afghanistan 1.3, Myanmar 1.4 and Sudan tied with Iraq at 1.5. The results demonstrate that nations perceived to have the highest levels of public-sector graft are those plagued by long-running conflicts.
In Kabul, Finance Ministry spokesman Aziz Shams acknowledged the existence of corruption in Afghan institutions. But he bristled at the report and said the ministry recently launched serious measures for tackling corruption.
With help from the Interior Ministry and Anti-Corruption Commission, he added, the Finance Ministry had introduced a new programme for vehicles’ registration, which shortened the time from weeks to just two days, in an effort to curb graft.
He also referred to an increase in the government’s annual revenue from 4.5 billion afghanis in 2008 to 60 billion afghanis this year — “a clear sign of falling corruption levels.” The anti-graft drive would be expedited during Karzai’s second term in office, he promised.
At the launch of the report, the Transparency International chairperson remarked: “Stemming corruption requires strong oversight by parliaments, a well-performing judiciary, independent and properly-resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law-enforcement as well as space for independent media and a vibrant civil society.”
As Afghanistan dropped to 179th place from 176th in the list, Huguette Labelle called for the international fraternity to find more efficient ways of helping war-devastated countries to develop and sustain their own institutions.
Highest scorers in the 2009 CPI are: New Zealand at 9.4, Denmark at 9.3, Singapore and Sweden tied at 9.2 and Switzerland at 9. These scores reflect political stability, long-established conflict of interest regulations and solid, functioning public institutions.
A day earlier, President Hamid Karzai’s administration announced it would set up a powerful anti-corruption body to investigate graft among senior officials. “President Karzai has dedicated his new five years term to fighting corruption,” Interior Minister Hanif Atmar told reporters.
Flanked by US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and British Ambassador Mark Sedwill, Atmar said prosecutors in the unit would be trained by officials from the EU police mission in Afghanistan, as well as others from Britain and the United States.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84931
Many being detained unlawfully: UNAMA
Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 17, 2009 – 12:02
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) believes that a large number of Afghan inmates are being kept illegally in state-run prisons.
A UNAMA official, Mohammad Yahya, made the remarks at a press conference marking the launch of a two-day workshop in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province.
The objective of the workshop arranged by UNAMA is to bring about coordination among police, justice and judicial authorities and avoid illegal detentions in the war-torn country.
According to a joint report of the UNAMA and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), Yahya said, some people were still being held unlawfully in the various jails across Afghanistan.
He added the report, which was completed in two years, contained interviews of approximately 1,000 inmates. The document showed that 10 of 100 prisoners were jailed improperly, he continued.
Without giving the number of illegal detentions, AIHRC Director in Balkh Syed Ahmad Sami admitted the practice was prevalent in the north and would continue as long as laws were not implemented.
However, provincial police chief rejected the claim and said they had legal discretion to keep a suspect in custody for three days for interrogation.
On the completion of the three-day remand, Sardar Mohammad Sultani said, police either free the suspects or referred them to the attorney office, based on evidence. According to the Afghan criminal procedure law, the accused shall then serve another 15 days, or a month in some cases, in the attorney office to determine whether they should be tried.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84932
Six new buildings inaugurated in Bamyan
Ghafari – Nov 17, 2009 – 18:42
BAMYAN (PAN): A newly constructed building for a district headquarters, two schools and three clinics were opened on Tuesday in Sighan district of central Bamyan province.
District chief Abdul Hadi Sighani told Pajhwok Afghan News the district headquarters building cost 343,000 US dollars provided by the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
The building with 28 rooms was constructed over 1.5 acres of land and took one year time to complete, he said.
Separately, three clinics were inaugurated in Hajar, Bayani and Khwaja Ganj areas of the district. The new projects were funded by the PRT with a sum of 390,000 US dollars.
Public health director Dr. Ihsanullah Shaheer said the clinics would provide healthcare facilities to about 45,000 people of the areas.
The two schools buildings were constructed from the budget of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) in the district, education director, Mohammad Raza said.
Programme manager at the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Directorate, Syed Rahmatullah Sirat, said a middle school, having 10 classrooms, was built over 1.3 acres of land at a cost of 137,000 US dollars in Qaruna village and another building for a higher secondary school, having 16 classrooms, was constructed in 1.5 acres of land at the cost of 2, 52,500 US dollars.
The two school buildings would house 822 male and female students at a time, he said.
myn/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84933
68 public welfare schemes executed in Herat
Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 17, 2009 – 18:43
HERAT CITY (PAN): Sixty-eight public welfare schemes were executed on Tuesday under the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) in western Herat province, an official said.
Rural Rehabilitation and Development Director, Aqa Mohammad Siddique, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 46 projects were completed in Ingeel, Guzrah, Kashk Kohna, Kurkh, Ghoryan, Adarsken and Chasht Sharif districts.
He added the schemes benefiting thousands of people cost 70 millions afghanis and took more than three months to complete.
The projects included electricity wires extension, water supply pipelines, micro-hydro electric power plants, digging wells, road construction and graveling, buildings for community centres and literacy courses for women.
NSP communications director, Jamshid Ahmadi, said 22 uplift schemes had been executed in Pashtun Zarghun district of the province.
The projects included construction of a school building, three community centres, 400 metres long protective walls, four bridges, three water heads, a public bathroom, a water reservoir, road graveling, canal construction and water channels for irrigation.
Ahmadi added more than 4,200 families of the district would get benefit from these projects, costing around 28 millions afghanis.
A dweller of Haji Alef Khan village in Ghoryan district, Habibullah, expressed his pleasure over extension of electricity to their village and demanded more projects for their village.
The communications officer of the department, Farhad Qazizadah, said the NSP has been working in all the 15 districts of the province since June 2003.
According to Qazizadah, 382 welfare schemes were inaugurated in the province at a cost of 358 millions afghanis during this solar year.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84934
Bashardost for anti-graft drive beginning from VPs
Abaseen Zaheer – Nov 17, 2009 – 19:02
KABUL (PAN): Presidential candidate Ramazan Bashardost has asked President Hamid Karzai to initiate the proposed anti-corruption campaign from his two deputies if he really wants to deal effectively with the menace.
Bashardost was speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, a day after the government announced it was establishing an anti-corruption task force consisting of investigators from the Interior Ministry and National Security Directorate to investigate kidnappings, corruption, as well as organised crime.
Flanked by the US and the British ambassadors, Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said the taskforce will check and investigate graft and bribery in government departments and among senior officials to fight corruption.
On Sunday, the London-based Guardian newspaper reported that Western soldiers were to begin investigating high-profile Afghans suspected of involvement in graft
Without mentioning any particular corruption cases against the two vice presidents, the French-educated parliamentarian called for referring Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili to judicial organs.
The number of corrupt officials in different government departments, including the cabinet, stood at 500, he claimed while showing journalists a file that he said carried the names of those involved in embezzlement.
Bashardost insisted the trial of the graft-tainted officials would greatly help in discouraging administrative corruption. “This file in my hand carries the names with evidence of officials involved in corruption.”
He proposed the establishment of an anti-corruption ministry assisted by 500 commandos to net the big fish. “The proposed ministry should have a special court consisting of five independent judges to handle corruption cases,” he suggested.
Bashardost, who denounced some government officials and departments as corrupt, was equally critical of international organisations including the United Nations and stressed their investigation.
The former planning minister termed the construction of houses in Sherpur Township by ministers and high-ranking government officials as a classic example of administrative corruption.
He resigned as planning minister from Karzai’s cabinet after his directives for closing about 2,000 NGOs allegedly involved in corruption were not carried out.
Asked if he would accept an offer from the government to head the proposed anti-corruption ministry, Bashardost replied: “You will never see me again sitting in the Karzai cabinet. I have already tasted this.”
ma/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84935
Accountability process starts in Daikundi
Hadi Ghafari – Nov 17, 2009 – 19:07
NEILI (PAN): In order to ensure transparency into the affairs of government departments, the process of officials’ accountability before the nation was kicked off in central province of Daikundi on Tuesday, an official informed.
Provincial executive, Zameen Ali Poya, told Pajhwok Afghan News all the directors of eight sectors of the province would present their reports before the nation about the progress and achievements made by the departments concerned.
A number of religious scholars, tribal elders and local people attended a gathering in the provincial capital, marking the first day of the accountability process, said Poya.
Governor Sultan Ali Uruzgani praised the process, saying it would help prevent all sort of administrative corruption.
He said the people could play a key role in dealing with the corruption in government departments.
Without giving details, the governor said one million US dollars allocated for construction of a road had been embezzled in his province.
In today’s gathering, provincial police headquarters and education departments presented their repots.
Police chief Murtazaqul Delshad said their personnel were able to maintain security for the August 20 presidential and provincial council elections.
frm/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84936
Prisoners end days-long hunger strike in Ghor
Abdul Latif Hakimi – Nov 17, 2009 – 19:34
CHEHCHARAN (PAN): Seventy-five inmates at the Ghor Central Jail, who were on a hunger strike over the last five days, have abandoned their protest, the jail authorities said on Tuesday.
Jail’s superintendent Col. Abdul Samee told Pajhwok Afghan News the protesting prisoners called off their strike after a five-member delegation from attorney general’s office approached them to review their cases and listen to their queries.
The inmates asked why those prisoners, who had been forgiven in connection with national days, were not released. They blamed officials for not detaining the real murderers for being powerful.
Western zonal jail chief, General Abdul Majid Siddique said the prisoners ended their hunger strike after their demands were met.
Deputy chief of Herat appellate court and member of the delegation Muhammad Aziz Sarwari promised the prisoners that he would farward their complaints to the attorney general.
A week back, around 350 prisoners of the central jail in southern Kandahar province went on a hunger strike, complaining about alleged maltreatment at the hands of jail staff.
They ended their six-day strike after officials promised them improved conditions.
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November 18, 2009
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84942
US hails plan to create anti-graft body
Lalit K Jha – Nov 18, 2009 – 14:40
WASHINGTON (PAN): The United States, welcoming the announcement of an anti-corruption drive by the Afghan government, has signaled its willingness to help the new Karzai administration in this regard.
“We have said that it’s time for action, for the Afghan government to address this problem of corruption, and that we stand prepared to work with them and support them as they address this,” a State Department spokesman said.
Ian Kelly told reporters at his daily press conference on Tuesday: “We welcome the announcement that we saw of the formation of the major crimes task force.” He added the task force being formed with US and British support would investigate and prosecute major anticorruption, kidnapping and organized crime cases. 
“As I say, there are American and British law-enforcement officials who are helping from the FBI and the British Serious and Organised Crime Agency,” said the spokesman, who also hailed the Attorney Generals recently established anti-corruption unit. 
“Then we also welcome the announcement by Chief Justice Azimi of another important institution, the National Anti-Corruption Tribunal, which will be designed to set up serious corruption cases throughout Afghanistan,” Kelly observed.
He continued the US was looking for more information on the Anti-Corruption Tribunal. “We will look forward to getting more details about how it intends to operate, what kind of cases it intends to prosecute.” 
The spokesman argued: Its actions that are important, and so well be monitoring it closely. And of course, we stand ready to help, too, in whatever way we can. But I think that these are some of the early signs of the kinds of tangible steps that we need to see to demonstrate that the Afghan government is serious about tackling corruption.  But its fair to say that we welcome these steps, but a lot will depend on the implementation.”
mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84945
Ex-general warns against US withdrawal from Afghanistan
Pajhwok Correspondent – Nov 18, 2009 – 19:02
WASHINGTON (PAN): Amidst growing calls from lawmakers to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a former American general has warned that such a move will be disastrous both for the region and the United States.
“We can’t abandon the government in Afghanistan. We can’t withdraw promptly our forces there, however much we might want to, without having adverse consequences far beyond Afghanistan and, especially, impacting on the government of Pakistan,” he argued.
General (R) Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, issued the warning to US lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“Al Qaeda would claim credit; terrorist recruitment would surge; subversion within states allied and friendly with us would intensify; Pakistan’s stability would be further undercut; and US power and prestige would wane. We would be dramatically increasing the threat,” he reasoned.
General Clark suggested Afghanistan’s economic development needed to be promoted in the agricultural sector through providing an enhanced market for Afghan crops. “If you don’t outbid the price for opium, you can’t compete in this market. 
“Afghanistan should be a world’s granary for wheat. And we should pay a premium to have the Afghans — the Afghans grow wheat.  And we should export it.  There are a lot of places in the world that need it,” he believed.
“We should be encouraging the development of the mineral and hydrocarbon resources in Afghanistan and promoting a long-range gas pipeline that connects India and Pakistan to Central Asian gas resources,” the former general proposed.   
“As far as security is concerned, we have got to give them the additional forces they need primarily, the police and the militia that they need. We’re never going to be able to walk away from US responsibilities for the support, for the intelligence, intelligence collection. We tried to do it in Vietnam and it failed,” Clark recalled.   
Meanwhile, several US legislators urged the Obama administration to end the war in Afghanistan by withdrawing troops from there. “Relying on military power alone has not done the job, and escalating the war now by sending in tens of thousands more troops wont solve the problem either,” Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey said.
Congressman John Duncan also asked the president to recall troops from Afghanistan. “We have now spent $1.5 trillion that we did not have — that we had to borrow — in Iraq and Afghanistan. Eight years is long enough. In fact, it is too long. Let’s bring our troops home and start putting Americans first once again,” he said on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
Arguing there was nothing conservative about the war in Afghanistan, he referred to a statement from the Centre for Defence Information a few months ago that the US had spent over $400 billion on the war and war-related costs there.
“Now, the Pentagon says it will cost about $1 billion for each 1,000 additional troops we send to Afghanistan. One Republican member from California told me recently that we could buy off every warlord in Afghanistan for $1 billion,” he concluded.
lkj/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84947
Foreign dignitaries to attend Karzai’s oath-taking ceremony
Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:34
KABUL (PAN): Officials from Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and some other countries will participate in the swearing-in of President Hamid Karzai for another five-year term.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to be held at the heavily-fortified Presidential Palace in Kabul on Thursday (tomorrow). Karzai was declared the winner of the fraud-tainted August 20 ballot after his closest rival Dr. Abdullah announced a boycott.
Ghulam Muhammad Wazir, press attach at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday that President Asif Ali Zardari — heading a high-level official delegation — would attend the ceremony.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Rahman Malik, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Afrasiab Khattak would accompany President Zardari, Wazir said. He added a team of Pakistani reporters would arrive in Kabul tomorrow to cover the oath-taking ceremony.
Official sources confided to this scribe US, Canada and British foreign ministers would also take part in the oath-taking ceremony. Representatives of other countries are also expected to attend.
Mahmood Ahmadzai, a member of the media office at the Presidential Palace, refused to offer any information about the foreign dignitaries attending the ceremony.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD), meanwhile, announced that tight security measures had been put in place and most roads would be closed to traffic tomorrow. The MoD said Thursday would be a holiday to deal with possible problems resulting from road blockades.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84950
Several rebels eliminated; US soldier dead by IED
Pajhwok Report – Nov 18, 2009 – 14:25
Several rebels eliminated; US soldier dead in IED strike
KABUL (PAN): Several militants were killed and detained in a string of joint operations by Afghan and foreign troops in Helmand, Zabul and Khost provinces, NATO said on Wednesday.
One US soldier was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in volatile southern Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
In an operational update, ISAF’s press office said an Afghan-international security force killed several enemy militants and detained a group of suspects while searching for a Taliban commander in Helmand province.
In an effort to net the commander responsible for assassinations and several other attacks in the area, the joint security force targeted a series of buildings on the western side of Marja district, where intelligence indicated militant activity. 
The force searched the buildings and detained the suspected insurgents without incident. While leaving the area, the troops observed fighters getting in position to engage the force from a nearby wood line. 
The ISAF statement said the joint force used precision air strikes to kill multiple fighters. No civilians were harmed in the operation, it added.
Also on Wednesday, a group of suspected militants was apprehended in Zabul province, where the soldiers pursued a Taliban commander responsible for several attacks in the area.
The force searched a series of buildings in Qalat city and detained the suspected militants. “During the course of this operation, no shots were fired,” the force said.
In southeastern Khost province, bordering Pakistan, several rebels including a Haqqani network facilitator were killed. The force targeted a compound near Nuri Kalay in the Sabri district, where intelligence sources reported the facilitator to be located.
“While clearing one of the buildings, the joint force shot and killed the enemy militants who aimed their weapons on the force. Occupants of the compound confirmed the identity of one of the dead militants as the Haqqani facilitator.”
mud/pr
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84952
23 militants killed in Paktika: official
Obaid Kharotai & Zainullah Stanikzai – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:37

SHARAN/LASHKARGAH (PAN): Afghan and NATO soldiers Wednesday claimed killing more than 23 Taliban fighters and seizing their vehicles, arms and ammunition in southeastern Paktika province.
Three rocket launchers, two machineguns, 12 Klashnikov rifles, three vehicles, eight motorbikes and a large quantity of ammunitions were recovered from the militants during a joint offensive in Barmal district, a spokesman for the governor said.
Hamidullah Zhwak told Pajhwok Afghan News the slain insurgents included a number of Arab and Pakistani citizens, whose dead bodies were seen at the site in Mangariti area of the lawless district. The joint force suffered no casualties.
The press office of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in neighbouring Khost province said the operation was touched off by a Taliban rocket attack. It added four bodies of the miscreants were seen at the scene after the fighting involving an air strike.
In southern Helmand province, the joint force claimed killing a top militant commander and seven other insurgents in Greshk district. District chief, Abdul Ahad Khan, said the international forces bombed the militants in Kopka area.
Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Taliban, said the fighters blew up some vehicles of the troops in different areas of the volatile province. Giving no more details, he said a large number of Afghan and NATO soldiers were killed in separate incidents.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84957
Afghans to celebrate Eidul Adha on Nov. 27
Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 18, 2009 – 15:04
KABUL (PAN): Eidul Adha — one of the two major religious festivals on the Islamic calendar — would be celebrated across Afghanistan on August 27 (Friday), the Supreme Court announced on Wednesday.
Maulvi Siddiqullah Muslim, head of the Supreme Court’s Darul Ifta (Fatwa Department), told Pajhwok Afghan News the announcement was based on a proclamation made by the Saudi government last night.
On Tuesday, Saudi authorities announced the sighting of the new moon of Zhul Hijjah in a number of provinces. The Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement: “Thus, Wednesday, November 18, will mark the beginning of the lunar month of Zhul Hijjah.”
In Kabul, a noted Afghan astrologist also claimed sighting the Zhul Hijjah moon Tuesday evening. Abdullah Kandahari told Pajhwok he saw the crescent along with several friends and thus the Eid would fall on November 27.
On Thursday, November 26, pilgrims including 30,000 Afghans will climb Mount Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) delivered his last sermon 14 centuries ago. Standing on Mount Arafat before sundown marks the climax of the hajj ritual.
mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84961
Nine dead in fresh violence
Pajhwok Report – Nov 18, 2009 – 15:45
KABUL (PAN): Two Taliban militants and as many security guards of a construction company were killed in a gun-battle in Alishing district of eastern Laghman province Tuesday night.
District chief Qasim Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News armed Taliban attacked the construction company in Qala-i-Tak area, sparking a fierce gun-battle with security guards. In the firefight, two guards and two assailants were killed and another five Taliban wounded.
Rebel spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the fighters attacked the district headquarters buildings in Alishang and Alingar, inflicting huge casualties on police. He said the fighters remained unhurt.
In southeastern Khost province, NATO forces said they killed two armed men in Sabari district.  An official at the NATO media office said foreign forces conducted a search operation in the area after they came under attack from insurgents. In a counter-attack, the official said, two rebels were killed.
But a resident of the district Abdul Naeem said the dead were civilians.
Deputy police chief Col. Wazir Badshah confirmed the operation, saying it was jointly conducted by NATO and Afghan National Army commandos.  He added NATO forces reported two armed men were killed.
Meanwhile, in southern Helmand province, Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers killed a policeman in Greshk district.  Abdul Ahad Khan, Greshk district chief, said the incident took place on Tuesday near the district bazaar.
He added ANA troops opened fire at the cop and killed him after a dispute over some issue. He said the ANA soldier arrested in connection with the murder was under investigation.
Helmand governor’s spokesman Daud Ahmadi confirmed the incident. He said the ANA troops asked the policeman to stop for a search, but he did not comply with the instructions.
However, a commander of the 3rd brigade of ANA, General Ghulam Muhiuddin Ghori, said the incident occurred when policemen clashed with the troops. He added one of their men was wounded by police.
Meanwhile, in Greshk district, a roadside blast killed two civilians on Tuesday afternoon. The Ministry of Interior said the civilians on motorcycles were hit by the landmine.
mnm/ma/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84969
Afghan with alleged al-Qaeda links detained
PAN Monitor – Nov 18, 2009 – 16:41
KABUL (PAN): An Afghan citizen with alleged links to the al-Qaeda network has been detained in Pakistan’s troubled southwestern province of Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan, a local TV channel reported on Wednesday.
Burhanuddin, travelling to Jeddah to perform Hajj, was arrested from Quetta Airport, police told DawnNews. The Afghan national also had in his possession a Pakistani passport. “Airport authorities knew he was an al-Qaeda suspect as soon as they checked his passport,” the channel said.
A day earlier, police arrested three suicide bombers in a raid on Samunguli Road in the provincial capital. The law-enforcers recovered a large cache of ammunition and explosives from the detainees. 
Superintendent Police Dr Farrukh said the accused — trained for suicide attacks and other terrorist acts — were arrested from a house in Arbab Town. Police seized a large quantity of ammunition, chemicals, detonators, batteries, commando uniforms, switches and a walkie-talkie set.
Also on Tuesday, two people were killed and a senior police officer was wounded in a bombing in Quetta. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nizam Durrani was injured by the bomb planted in a motorcycle on Spini Road.
PAN Monitor/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84970
Health clinics open in Badghis, Balkh
Ihsas & Ayubi – Nov 18, 2009 – 16:42
KABUL (PAN): Two health clinics have been inaugurated in northern Balkh and Badghis provinces, officials said on Wednesday.
The facilities would benefit more than 3,800 families in the provinces, Eng. Muhammad Osman, deputy head of the Badghis Rural Rehabilitation and Development Department told Pajhwok Afghan News.
One health clinic, consisting of nine rooms, was built in Aab-i-Kamari district of Badghis, he said, adding it had gynecology, obstetrics and pediatric wards.
According to the official, the project cost 3.9 million afghanis allocated from the development budget of the department. Spread over one acre of land, the clinic would deliver healthcare services to 3,000 families, he added.
Acting health director Dr. Noor Ahmad Habibi said BRAC would supply medicines to the clinic, where three doctors and two midwives would be appointed.
The second health clinic was inaugurated in Chahrkent district of Balkh. Farid Ahmad Sadat, a spokesman for the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) in the north, said the clinic cost 5.9 million afghanis.
He said the one-storey building had 11 rooms with internal medicine, pediatric, gynecology and surgery wards.  He said about 800 families would benefit from the project.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84971
SCA officials among three dead in accident
Hakim Basharat – Nov 18, 2009 – 16:45
KABUL (PAN): Three people were killed and two others wounded when a police pick-up vehicle collided with a car in central Maidan Wardak province on Wednesday, an official said.
A spokesman for the governor, Shahidullah Shahid, said the accident occurred in Nirkh district on the Kabul-Kandahar Highway at 10am. He added the police vehicle — en rout to Ghazni province — collided with a car and then hit a mini coach.
The dead included three occupants of the car while the injured were traveling in the coach. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Maidan Shahr. Doctors said their condition was out of danger. Shahid said an investigation had been ordered into the accident.
A relative of the victim, Haji Habibur Rehman, said two of the three dead were working with the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan. An official at committee’s regional office in Wardak, Ghulam Nabi, confirmed the deaths.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84990
Poverty cited as main cause of war
PAN Monitor – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:58
KABUL (PAN): A huge majority of Afghans believes that abject poverty, unemployment and widespread graft are the principal causes of the conflict in the impoverished South Asian country.
An international aid group said in a new research on Wednesday that 70 percent of Afghans surveyed viewed poverty and joblessness as the key reason for war in their country.
Those polled by the aid agency Oxfam and a group of Afghan organisations saw government weakness and corruption as the second most important factor behind the fighting, with the Taliban coming third.
Interference by neighboring countries was also cited as an important cause of instability in the war-devastated nation, where violence has reached its highest levels since the ouster of the Taliban regime in 2001.
Oxfams new survey — titled ‘The Cost of War’ — covered 704 Afghans from across the country. One in six Afghans is considering leaving their country; one in five has been tortured since the wars began in 1979; three quarters have been forced to leave their homes since then.
Surveyed over the drivers of conflict, 70 percent of the respondents blamed poverty and unemployment and 48 percent assailed corruption and ineffectiveness of the government. As 36 percent blamed the Taliban, 25 percent hit out at other countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran.
“The people of Afghanistan have suffered 30 years of unrelenting horror. In that time millions have been killed and millions more have fled their homes. Those who have committed the most terrible abuses have enjoyed impunity ,” said the executive director of Oxfam.
Jeremy Hobbs acknowledged: “Repairing this damage can’t be done overnight. It will take a long time for the economic, social and psychological scars to heal. The international community has to recognise this and to understand that Afghanistan needs more than military solutions”
One respondent told the group: “If people are jobless they are capable of anything.” It called upon the global fraternity to bear his words in mind and provide more effective aid to help kick-start the Afghan economy.
There was a strong sense that both sides on the conflict must prioritise the safety of civilians, 2,021 of whom have casualties up until October this year. “The Afghans’ desire that their safety should be paramount means that all sides must stop targeting civilians, argued Hobbs.
International forces were urged to tighten restrictions on air strikes and night raids. They must transparently investigate all allegations of harm to civilians and provide appropriate forms of redress, the report stressed.
The respondent s felt the Taliban and other insurgents should immediately stop targeting civilians and stop taking refuge in civilian areas, which puts normal Afghans on the front lines of the conflict.
Released on the eve of President Karzai’s swearing-in for a new five-year term, the research was conducted in 14 provinces across Afghanistan from January to April 2009 with 704 randomly selected men and women. The research consisted of structured interviews and group discussions.
PAN Monitor
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84993
Clinton arrives in Kabul amid stepped-up security
Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 18, 2009 – 11:41
KABUL (PAN): With the central capital literally under a security blanket, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived here on Wednesday to participate in President Hamid Karzai’s swearing-in for a new five years term.
Clinton was accorded a warm welcome by Afghan and US Embassy officials at the Kabul International Airport, where her plane landed at about 5pm. Ahead of having dinner with Karzai, she went straight to the US Embassy from the airport.
A spokesman for the embassy confirmed to Pajhwok Afghan News the secretary — on her maiden official trip to Kabul — would take part in Karzai’s oath-taking ceremony, scheduled for Thursday at the Presidential Palace.
Expected to hold talks with several Afghan and regional leaders, Clinton met in the evening with Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and American General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Amid growing calls for President Karzai to clean up his cabinet, more than 40 foreign dignitaries including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and his Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi are likely to attend the inauguration.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, a special envoy of the Japanese government and other foreign leaders will attend the ceremony.
In an effort to preempt possible sabotage bids, security forces stepped up patrols on roads and helicopter flyovers in and around the capital. Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi said Afghan National Army, police, and NATO-led ISAF soldiers were on alert.
In a statement, he said some roads leading to the capital would remain closed for traffic. Thursday has been declared a public holiday to prevent possible problems for residents.
The Ministry of Interior said Pul-i-Artal, Nadarya High School Square, Salem Karwan Square, Baraki Square, Kabul Customs, Logar Petroleum, Dahan-i-Bagh Square, Sya Sang Intersection and Wazir Akbar Khan Avenue would be shut for a short time Thursday afternoon. The Public Health Ministry will deploy ambulances at police stations to cope with any eventuality.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84994
Karzai, Zardari confer on terror war
Pajhwok Report – Nov 18, 2009 – 10:56
KABUL (PAN): On the eve of his inauguration for a second term, President Hamid Karzai Wednesday held talks with his Pakistani counterpart on issues of bilateral and regional interest including the war on terror.
President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Kabul on a two-day visit Wednesday evening to attend Karzai’s oath-taking ceremony — set for tomorrow. He was given a cordial welcome at a special ceremony at the Presidential Palace.
Karzai and Zardari later conferred on combating the scourge of terrorism, building trust between the neighbouring countries and boosting cooperation in various sectors and further strengthening relations in political, economic and cultural fields.
Zardari was happy about participating in Karzai’s inauguration and joining Afghans in celebrating the occasion. A year back, the Afghan president had participated in Zardari’s oath-taking ceremony in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Karzai also met the Japanese prime minister’s special envoy to Afghanistan.  Teti sero Phocopoma, who flew into Kabul to attend the ceremony, delivered to the president a letter of congratulations from the Japanese prime minister.
On the occasion, Phocopoma reiterated Japan’s continued commitment to Afghanistan and promised his country would help with the construction of dams, power generation, rural development and the DIAG process.
The president hailed continued support from Japan, particularly Tokyo’s pledge to deliver $5 billion in assistance over the next five years. He referred to the terminal at the Kabul airport as an example of Japan’s support to Afghanistan.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84995
600,000 tonnes of coal to be extracted
Muhammad Barat – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:41
AIBAK (PAN): The government has reached a 10-year agreement with a private firm for extracting 600,000 tonnes of coal from a recently discovered mine in northern Samangan province, an official said on Wednesday.
The agreement signed with Misaq-i-Mashriq, a private mining company for extraction, to dig out coal from the newly discovered coal mine in Rao-i-Dawab district, public relations official, Mohammad Kabir Mukarramzada, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
First discovered by the area people, the company surveyed the mine, spreading over 192 hectares of land, with a cost of 240,000 US dollars.
Mukarramzada said the company would invest $2 million on the project and would launch its extraction process one and a half year after completion of the survey.
The official said during the first year, over 25,000 tonnes of coal would be pulled out, and during the second year 35,000 tonnes, 45,000 during the third and 70,000 tonnes during the remaining seven years.
He added the government would receive 14 US dollars per tonne which would amount to $8.4 million revenue for the ten years. Rao-i-Dawab district chief, Amir Azizullah, meanwhile, said the project would provide job opportunities to more than 200 people.
The recently discovered mine is located around 150 kilometres south of provincial capital, Aibak. The company would also construct a 30-kilometre road, one clinic, a school and a mosque in the area, the district chief said.
Officials said the contract was signed with the company by the ministry of mines.
Area people have also expressed their pleasure over the coal extraction project.
A 35-year-old Shah Muhammad, who works in the project and earns 4000 to 8000afghanis per month, was happy, saying since he had started working in the project his economic problems were resolved.
A similar mine was discovered in Dara-i-Souf Bala district in 1967. Since then, government earns 266 million afghanis revenue per annum from the mine with about 400 tonnes daily extraction of coal.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84996
Opposition party wants end to corruption
Zubair Babakarkhail – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:42
KABUL (PAN): The United National Front of Afghanistan has asked for the formation of an independent and sovereign administration to bring positive reforms in the system.
Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, spokesman for the party Dastagir Hazhbar said the country was facing serious situation following the presidential elections.
He said the unprecedented fraud and the withdrawal of Abdullah Abdullah from the second round of polls had made the next administration doubtful in the eyes of the people. He said the people were fed up with the administration, poverty, unemployment and lawlessness.
To a question, he said removal of problems and end to administrative corruption was the collective responsibility of all political parties. However, he said, they wanted appointment of clear and experienced people on key governmental positions.
He warned the country would face serious problems and people would lose confidence in the government if proper attention was not paid to reforms in the new administration. He said the new administration should work for putting an end to administrative corruption on ministerial level.
He said a number of government officials were involved in administrative corruption and steps must be taken to find them out and take serious action against them.
A day earlier, the Transparency International released a list of countries involved in corruption and Afghanistan was on the second position.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84997
Cop kills civilian in Zabul; blast rocks Ghazni City
Sher Ahmad Haider and Hotak – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:43
ZABUL/GHAZNI (PAN): A policeman gunned down a civilian in a bazaar in southern Zabul province and as he escaped, Taliban captured and killed him, it has been learnt.
Shah Joy district chief Abdul Qayyum told Pajhwok Afghan the policeman scuffled with a civilian on some issue in the district bazaar and killed him with his gun. Police are investigating into the killing, the district chief said.
A shopkeeper at the district bazaar, Saleem, said both the killer and the victim were police.
He said the killer escaped after shooting his colleague, but he fell into the hands of Taliban in Tarang Ragha area and was killed.
But the district chief expressed his unawareness about his killing by the Taliban.
In southern Ghazni province, a bomb blast rocked Ghazni city this afternoon.
The explosives were planted beneath a culvert that went off in the middle of the city, but caused no casualties, witnesses said.
A shopkeeper, Zainuddian, said the blast took place as a police vehicle passed the area.
A police officer Hamdeedullah said the blast caused no injury to the police.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84998
Customs agents seize 4,000 mobile sets at airport
Abaseen Zaheer – Nov 18, 2009 – 20:44
KABUL (PAN): Customs officials have seized a truck loaded with 4,000 mobile sets worth 60 millions afghanis at the Kandahar airport premises, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said the mobile sets were meant for smuggling into the city without clearing custom duty.
“Since long there were reports that smugglers are taking advantage of military bases in the airport premises,” the statement quoted the finance minister Dr. Omar Zakhelwal, as saying.
He praised the customs officials for foiling the bid.
According to the statement, a number of importers acknowledge they had been receiving non-customs-paid foreign trade goods from a foreign company. But it gave no further details.
Kandahar customs chief Haji Asadullah Jajalzai told Pajhwok Afghan News that the mobile sets were of a UAE-based Global Company.
He said the customs officials confiscated the truck in the area that falls in the jurisdiction of foreign forces. “These people are out of our control,” he admitted.
The customs official further said the truck was hired on rent to supply the sets to a shopkeeper in the city. He said after interrogation from the driver, the shopkeeper was identified and arrested. The shop owner had told his investigators that he had received such supplies in the past, but he was not aware if these goods were non-customs paid.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84999
Minister mulls suing Washington Post
Zarghona Salehi – Nov 18, 2009 – 11:44
KABUL (PAN): The minister of mines Wednesday poured scorn over a US media report that he had accepted a $30 million bribe to award Afghanistan’s largest mining project to a Chinese mining firm.
Addressing a news conference here, Mohammad Ibrahim Adel vehemently rejected the Washington Post story as groundless and repeatedly denied receiving illicit payments during his three-year-old tenure as minister.
“The Chinese company’s investment, including plans to build a railroad and a 400-megawatt power plant, and to make $808 million bonus payment to the Afghan government far exceeded that of other firms,” contended the minister.
He argued it was not his job alone to award a contract to a particular company; it was granted in consultation with World Bank officials, experts from the ministry, parliamentarians, cabinet members and the president himself.
“So there is no question bribes being paid to me for awarding this contact,” Adel said, adding proposals of the firm were evaluated seven times before being forwarded to the ministries concerned.
He asked the Post to make public the identity of the official leveling the allegations against him. The minister said he had raised the issue with US embassy officials in Kabul and was consulting with his advisors on suing the newspaper.
He explained the China Metallurgical Group Corp. had provided 808 million dollars to the Afghan government in addition to investing 2.8 million dollars in the project. Adel claimed the project provided direct and indirect job opportunities to 20,000 people.
Quoting an unnamed US official, the newspaper claimed Adel received the bribe in Dubai, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in December 2007. The MCC was given the contract for the project to extract copper from the Ainak deposit — one of the largest unexploited copper deposits in the world — in central Logar province.
“The selection of the Chinese firm, known as MCC, has angered some Afghan and American officials who worked on the bidding process with Adel. They say he was biased toward the company and did not give a fair hearing to the proposals of Western firms.”
The daily said the issue had also gained urgency because the ministry was reviewing offers for another massive mining deal for an iron ore deposit west of Kabul, known as Haji Gak. The MCC is the front-runner.
Under Adel, the Post alleged, the performance of the Mines Ministry illustrated the weakness of Karzai’s government. Afghanistan’s wealth of mineral resources including copper, iron, marble, gold and gemstones represents a bright spot in an otherwise fragile economy.
With no major mines functioning, US and Afghan officials cited incompetence and corruption as huge hurdles to the industry’s development. The exasperating situation scared away potential investors, they claimed.
A former American adviser to the ministry claimed: “There is a pattern of improprieties that have gone on. We do know that the World Bank procedures and the government of Afghanistan procedures were badly breached repeatedly. There is every reason to believe there were probably gratuities exchanged.”
Trained as a mining engineer in the erstwhile Soviet city of Leningrad, Adel’s autocratic style has estranged sitting and former Afghan and American officials who have worked with him. “It also has prompted widespread allegations that he or his deputies have received payments to award lucrative contracts to allies.”
According to the Post, the first major contract of Adel’s tenure was to sell off the Ghori cement factory, Afghanistan’s only functioning plant set in the limestone hills of Baghlan province.
Former mines minister Mir Mohammad Sediq said Mahmoud Karzai, the head of the Afghan Investment Co. and the brother of the Afghan president, approached him in an effort to take over the factory.
In March 2006, President Karzai replaced Sediq and installed Adel, who moved quickly on the cement proposal. The Aria Zamin Company, a competitor for the project, said Adel used his clout to deprive the firm a fair chance.
mud/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85002
Karzai urged to prioritise human rights
Pajhwok Report – Nov 18, 2009 – 21:20
KABUL (PAN): A global rights group has urged re-elected President Hamid Karzai to prioritise human rights and the rule of law in his second term in order to boost stability and security in the war-torn country.
The Amnesty International said Afghan government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations and war crimes were enjoying blatant impunity.
Many of them were also widely believed to be involved in corruption and criminal activities, but were rarely held accountable, said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty Internationals Asia-Pacific director.
In statement mailed to Pajhwok Afghan News, Zarifi said: “Afghans from around the country continue to tell us that they suffer from poor governance, endemic corruption, a weak and inept justice system and lack of respect for human rights and rule of law.”
All those factors, he added, weakened support for the government and its international allies.
Amnesty International noted the recent presidential elections were marred by human rights abuses by the candidates as well as the Taliban insurgents’ increasing attacks against civilians.
The watchdog raised concerns that the upcoming parliamentary elections, currently scheduled for August or September 2010, faced even greater human rights violations as well as Taliban violence.
“In order to rebuild the trust of the Afghan people and the international community, government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations must be kept out of the election process and held to account.
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November 19, 2009
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85006
Karzai poised to be sworn in
Pajhwok Report – Nov 19, 2009 – 11:55
KABUL (PAN): Following meetings with foreign dignitaries including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, President Hamid Karzai is poised to take oath for a second term on Thursday.
Last night, Karzai held talks with Zardari, Secretary Clinton and Japanese prime minister’s special envoy to Afghanistan Teti sero Phocopoma. Challenges facing the war-torn country such as terrorism, reconstruction and good governance came under discussion.
As the president prepared for the swearing-in ceremony, representatives of US, British, Saudi, Turkish, Japanese, French, Pakistan and 35 other governments were in Kabul to attend the event that has prompted a security lockdown.
In an effort to preempt possible terrorist acts, security forces are patrolling roads and conducting helicopter flyovers in and around the capital. Several roads leading to the capital have been closed for traffic, with Thursday declared a closed holiday..
Ahead of the inauguration, Clinton held talks with foreign ministers from several countries at the US embassy in Kabul. She said though the world was ready to support Afghanistan, yet the new administration should work harder for people’s welfare and a better security environment.
Soon after her arrival in Kabul, Clinton said: “There is now a clear window of opportunity for President Karzai and his government to make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan, to demonstrate clearly that you’re going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people.”
Speaking at the US Embassy, she observed: “We stand at a critical moment on the eve of the inauguration of President Karzais second term We want to be a strong partner with the government and the people of Afghanistan.  And I always say both because its not either/or. It has to be both. 
Clinton made it clear US troops alone could not meet the goals of defeating al-Qaeda, helping the Afghans to get the capacity to defend themselves and provide governance that would result in positive changes for the Afghans.
mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85010
18 dead in Peshawar suicide bombing
PAN Monitor – Nov 19, 2009 – 16:26
KABUL (PAN): Eighteen people were killed and several others wounded in a massive suicide bombing in Peshawar, capital of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Thursday morning, local media reports said.
The latest suicide blast occurred near the main gate of the Judicial Complex on the high-security Khyber Road, reported private TV channels, monitored here. Several of the wounded are said to be struggling for life.
A doctor at the Lady Reading Hospital told Geo News they had received 16 dead bodies and a number of those injured. But a police official, who believed a taxi car was used in the attack, put the death toll at 18.
With the site cordoned off, witnesses claimed three policemen were among the dead. Peshawar District Coordination Officer Sahibzada Anis said that the bomber blew himself up, when intercepted by police at the main gate of the building.
“I can confirm that at least nine people have lost their lives and 30 others have been injured,” Anis told reporters. The casualties were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital, where an emergency was declared. 
The complex, housing district and sessions courts, is located close to the Peshawar Corps Commanders residence as well as Pearl Continental Hotel, where nine people were killed in June when attackers shot their way through a security check-post and detonated an explosives-laden truck.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti denounced the suicide attack as a cowardly act.  They vowed to continue the struggle against militancy.
PAN Monitor/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85014
Swearing-in ceremony begins
PAN Monitor – Nov 19, 2009 – 14:29
KABUL (PAN): As Kabul remains under a security lockdown, President Hamid Karzai’s swearing-in ceremony got under way at the Presidential Palace here on Thursday.
Being attended by approximately 800 VIPs including foreign dignitaries and Afghan legislators, the ceremony began with recitation from the Holy Quran just before noon. The recitation was followed by Afghanistan’s national anthem.
Hours earlier, Karzai had meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Japanese prime minister’s special envoy to Afghanistan Teti sero Phocopoma.
In his speech, Karzai is expected to touch on the challenges facing the war-torn country such as terrorism, reconstruction, good governance, the rule of law and respect for constitutionalism.
Soon after her arrival in Kabul, Clinton said: “There is now a clear window of opportunity for President Karzai and his government to make a new compact with the people of Afghanistan, to demonstrate clearly that you’re going to have accountability and tangible results that will improve the lives of the people.”
Speaking at the US Embassy, she observed: “We stand at a critical moment on the eve of the inauguration of President Karzais second term We want to be a strong partner with the government and the people of Afghanistan.  And I always say both because its not either/or. It has to be both. 
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85015
Karzai sworn in for 2nd term
PAN Monitor – Nov 19, 2009 – 16:35
KABUL (PAN): As Afghanistan faces a whole host of challenges and pressure from the global fraternity to deal with them, President Hamid Karzai Thursday took oath of office for a second term at the Presidential Palace here on Thursday.
Karzai was administered oath by Supreme Court Chief Justice Prof. Abdul Salam Azimi at a ceremony attended by approximately 800 VIPs including foreign dignitaries and Afghan legislators.
The ceremony began with recitation from the Holy Quran just before noon. Afghanistan’s national anthem was played before the president took oath from the top judge. After being sworn in, Karzai administered oath to Vice-Presidents Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili.
Hours earlier, Karzai had meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Japanese prime minister’s special envoy to Afghanistan Teti sero Phocopoma.
mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85019
ISAF generals review counterinsurgency strategy
Pajhwok Report – Nov 19, 2009 – 12:51
KABUL (PAN): Commander of Canada’s Expeditionary Force Command, Lt. Gen. Marc Lessard, visited the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command (IJC) at the North Kabul International Airport (NKAIA) military compound on Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Jacques Lechevallier, the IJC’s deputy commander hosted Lessard during his visit, the western military alliance said in a statement on Thursday.
The two generals toured the new command’s facilities and held a meeting to review a number of issues of mutual interest. Lessard also visited Canadian troops stationed at the headquarters.
During the meeting, the two generals reviewed the ISAF counterinsurgency strategy of protecting the Afghan people.
Lechevallier focused on the expanding relationship with Afghan national security forces, highlighting embedded partnerships. They also discussed the comprehensive approach of partnering with the non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan that provide a means of supporting governance and development, said the statement.
Lechevallier thanked Lessard for Canada’s significant contributions to ISAF and Afghanistan.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85023
Several militants eliminated; British soldier dead in attack
Pajhwok Report – Nov 19, 2009 – 14:04
KABUL (PAN): An Afghan-international security force killed and detained several suspected militants in southern Afghanistan where a British soldier died after his patrol was attacked by insurgent small arms fire on Wednesday, the western military alliance said on Thursday.
In southern Kandahar province, the joint force, in pursuit of a key militant commander, targeted two vehicles near the village of Sahabey in Ghorak district, ISAF said in a statement.
One of the vehicles contained an RPG launcher and several rounds, as well as a PKM machine gun and ammunition and the RPG launcher and other munitions were safely destroyed by the joint force, it claimed. The individuals were detained for further questioning.
In a separate operation, an Afghan-international security force detained a key Taliban explosives facilitator and one other militant while searching a compound elsewhere in the province. “This facilitator maintained direct contact with several senior local Taliban leaders and maintained supply lines to other militant elements in the area,” the force said.
The joint security personnel targeted the compound near Rigwa-i Olya village in the Panjwoy district where intelligence sources reported the facilitator to be located. After searching the compound, without incident, one detained militant surrendered, and identified himself as the facilitator.
In another operation, an Afghan and international security forces killed several enemy militants and detained a sought-after al-Qaeda IED facilitator and another militant in Ghazni province.
The militants were killed and detained during a search of a compound suspected of militant activity on the southern outskirts of Ghazni City, the alliance said. “This facilitator is reported to have supplied IEDs to other militant elements operating in the area and kept direct contact with local al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.”
The joint force targeted the compound after intelligence sources reported the al-Qaeda facilitator to be located. The joint force shot and killed the enemy militants after they demonstrated hostile intent.  The compound was searched without further incident. One of the detainees was identified as the al-Qaeda IED facilitator.
No civilians were harmed in any of these operations.
One ISAF service member from Great Britain died after his patrol was attacked by insurgent small arms fire in southern Afghanistan yesterday.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85027
Karzai vows peace, clean cabinet
S. Mudassir Ali Shah – Nov 19, 2009 – 14:26
KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai has renewed his promise to pursue talks with insurgents and dissidents in an effort to bring lasting peace to his war-devastated country and introduce reform to ensure good governance.
Soon after taking oath for a second five-year term here on Thursday, the 51-year-old told participants of the swearing-in ceremony that durable peace had been a longstanding demand of the Afghan nation. 
While urging disgruntled elements to return home, the president said that his administration would welcome all those who wanted to join the national mainstream. The Afghans, having no links to international terror networks, should come back to their country and take part in its reconstruction.
Karzai argued war alone could not guarantee peace and that was why the incoming government would press on with a national reconciliation process. He particularly mentioned Saudi King Abdullah’s mediation between Afghan authorities and some former rebels.
Confident that the Saudi ruler would continue to lend his weight to the cause of unity, the president hinted at convening the traditional Loya Jirga as part of a determined bid to end fratricides in a country ravaged by decades of conflict.
In the next three years, he revealed, Afghanistan’s nascent security forces would lead counterinsurgency operations in restive parts of the country. Foreign troops’ role would be restricted to training the Afghan forces over the next five years, he explained.
With regard to the arrest and prosecution of suspected insurgents, the president said it was the discretion of the Afghan government. He assured stepped-up security of jails and swift justice sector reforms.
“Corruption is a dangerous problem,” he admitted, disclosing his new administration would organise a conference in Kabul on effective ways of combating the scourge. He asked his arch political foe Dr. Abdullah Abdullah to work with him on a government of national unity.
Under pressure from the US-led international community to move decisively against widespread graft, he pledged to pick a clean cabinet. Ministers should be pious people committed to good governance and serving the long-suffering masses, he agreed.
Civilian deaths remained an issue of serious concern for the Afghans, said the president, who noted a decline in such slayings. However, he underlined the need for a full stop the killing of ordinary citizens in military operations.
Karzai, who sought greater control over foreign aid to kick-start Afghanistan’s economy, admitted narcotics posed a serious threat to the future of the country. His government would be duty-bound to deal with the challenge, he said.
Of his foreign policy goals, Karzai said: “We believe that our friendship with the United States is not limited to our joint struggle against violent extremists, and the forces of division and destruction.”
He added the relationship was in fact based on Afghanistan’s long-term interests, such as consolidation of stability and tranquility in the region. Afghans would never forget the sacrifices rendered by US soldiers in their endeavour to bring peace to the South Asian country, he remarked.
The president observed Afghanistan’s relations with neighbours were based on mutual respect and genuine friendship. “We will make efforts to expand these relations,” he said while thanking the neighbouring states for their assistance.
The participation of President Asif Ali Zardari in the oath-taking ceremony was reflective of Pakistan’s commitment to the war on terrorism, he remarked. To him, Zardari’s presence was also a sign of friendship between the two nations. 
The Indian-educated leader specifically expressed his gratitude to Pakistan and Iran. He also cited Kabul’s strategic ties with New Delhi, which has contributed $1.3 billion to Afghanistan’s reconstruction, the Russian Federation, Turkey, China and other countries.
PAN Monitor/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85036
US drone attack kills 4 in Waziristan
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 19, 2009 – 15:49
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Four suspected Taliban militants were killed as a US drone fired missiles at a rebel base in Pakistan’s restive tribal region of North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, a local official and witnesses said on Thursday.
The early morning attack targeted a militant compound in Hamzoni area of Miranshah, the main town in the lawless region. Four insurgents were killed and 10 others wounded in the strike, government official Samad Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said the pilotless drone fired two missiles into the compound. According to Samand, all the dead and wounded were local Taliban and there was no foreigner among them.
Resident Malak Ajab said the house belonged to armed supporters of militant commander Maulvi Nazir.
Meanwhile, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Azam Tariq said the Pakistani military wanted to create divisions among the fighters. He added the Pakistani soldiers were killing their supporters while US drones targeted backers of Mullah Nazir.
Pakistan’s armed forces are pressing on with a major offensive against the Taliban in the inhospitable mountainous terrain. About 500 militants have so far been killed since the offensive was launched in mid-October.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85038
HRW wants president to cut links with warlords
Pajhwok Report – Nov 19, 2009 – 18:55
KABUL (PAN): An international human rights organisation has urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other foreign ministers attending the inauguration of President Hamid Karzai to press for concrete action to sideline warlords and criminals
As Karzai was sworn in for a second term, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that warlords, criminals and rights abusers should not hold positions of authority in national or local government, or the security forces of Afghanistan.
Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW, said: “The new if belated US and European focus on governance and the rule of law in Afghanistan is welcome. It shouldn’t have taken a failed presidential election, rampant corruption and deteriorating security to realise that this is important.
“Karzai and his international backers should realise that it’s now or never to regain the trust of the Afghan people,” Adams observed in a statement mailed to Pajhwok Afghan News on Thursday.
Over the past eight years, the group alleged, neither the US nor other donors and supporters had confronted the problem of warlordism and criminality permeating the current Afghan administration.
It called on the US and other nations engaged in Afghanistan to review all of their political and military relationships in Afghanistan to ensure that they were not providing financial or political support to individuals or groups known to be engaged in criminal activity or with a record of human rights abuse.
“This includes addressing Afghan perceptions of corruption in foreign aid programmes, distancing all diplomatic and military personnel from criminal actors, and ending contracts with private security contractors and unregistered armed groups that are tied to criminal networks,” the press release said.
Adams believed President Karzai was rightly coming under immense pressure to break his dependence on former warlords and criminals who terrorised local populations, abused womens rights, flouted the law and stole from the state
“Influential governments should set a good example by cleaning up their own acts and stop dealing with the wrong people, he said. HRW called on Karzai to make the following commitments:
Ensure that no known human rights abusers or corrupt individuals are appointed to his cabinet, as advisers, or to provincial or local government.
Create a strong and independent vetting body and mechanism to exclude known human rights abusers and corrupt individuals from all levels of government. Create an independent vetting process for the 2010 parliamentary elections.
Make a strong and principled commitment to womens rights by appointing women to key positions in the cabinet, and to not relegate them to second-tier or isolated positions. Repeal the discriminatory Shia Personal Status Law and strengthen the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law now under consideration in parliament.
Ensure that any build up of the Afghan security forces is sustainable through adequate training, oversight, and accountability. Otherwise, new recruits are likely to commit abuses and engage in corruption, further alienating them from the public.
Train the police in crime prevention and crime-solving instead of using them primarily as paramilitaries in order to strengthen the rule of law.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85046
Two US soldiers dead in Zabul car bombing
Naseem Hottak – Nov 19, 2009 – 17:31
QALAT (PAN): Two US soldiers under NTAO command were killed and as many wounded as a suicide attacker in a car blew up his explosives at the entrance of their base in southern Zabul province on Thursday, officials said.
A source in the US military base in the restive Shah Joe district confirmed the attack.
Police chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang said the blast took place at approximately 11:30am.
Taliban have immediately claimed responsibility for the attack with Qari Yousuf Ahmadi saying the suicide attack was carried out by one of their men, Mohammad Hashim, a resident of southern Zabul province, bordering Pakistan.
Sarjang said the attacker detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at the gate of the US military base, killing two US soldiers and wounding two others. A passerby also sustained injuries in the blast.
However, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said the explosion killed 22 Americans and destroyed their four military vehicles.
A shopkeeper Javed Ahmad, who witnessed the attack, said the blast occurred 25-mretres from his shop that shook the district town. “I saw thick smoke and flames rising from the blast site,” he said.
The witness added after the attack, a helicopter of the foreign forces arrived at the scene to airlift the dead and wounded.
Meanwhile, deputy police chief Col. Ghulam Jilani said that a security guard of a logistic convoy of foreign forces was killed in a roadside blast in Shah Joe district.
The blast ripped through a vehicle of the security guards escorting the convoy on the main Kabul-Kandahar Highway today, killing one guard and wounding three others, he said.
The vehicle was comprehensive destroyed in the blast, he added. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85048
Hundreds of dignitaries attend swearing-in ceremony
Zainab Mohammadi – Nov 19, 2009 – 23:04
KABUL (PAN): Hundreds of high-level government officials and foreign dignitaries including Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari attended President Hamid Karzai’s oath-taking ceremony at the Presidential Palace here on Thursday.
Iranian Vice-President Muhammad Raza Rahimi, US State Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Prince Karim Aga Khan were among the 300 guests from 43 countries.
The Pakistani delegation comprised Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, head of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, and PPP (S) chief Aftab Sherpao.
Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, head of Asia Department at the Ministry of External Affairs YK Sinha, Advisor to the Minister Raghvendra Shastry and Vishnu Prakash, chief spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs were also present on the occasion.
Also in attendance were Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon of Canada, Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey, Rashid Muradov of Turkmenistan, Hamrohon Zarifi of Tajikistan, Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Foreign minister of Germany, Belgium, Holland and Spain, US Special Af-Pak Representative Richard Holbrooke, Japanese prime minister’s special envoy, the deputy prime minister of Turkmenistan, Greece ambassador-at-large and Dr. Saad Ibn Masood of Saudi Arabia also grace the occasion with their presence.
Apart from a number of Kabul-based diplomats and non-resident ambassadors from several countries, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana was among the attendees. The guests were accorded a warm welcome on their arrival in Kabul, which was literally under a security lockdown.
As a token of hospitality, Karzai exchanged pleasantries with some of the participants. “You are always welcome to take a seat here,” the president jokingly told the UAE foreign minister, who was among the late-comers.
Meshrano Jirga (Senate) Chairman Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, jihadi leaders, presidential candidate Dr. Ashraf Ghani, National Council members, tribal elders, religious scholars and government functionaries took part in the event.
Conspicuous by their absence were Karzai’s arch foe Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, who boycotted the run-ff elections, Wolesi Jirga Speaker Yunus Qanuni and Burhanuddin Rabbani.
mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85050
Women assure Karzai of support
Farid Tanha – Nov 19, 2009 – 17:53
CHARIKR (PAN): Hundreds of women from central Parwan province voiced support for President Hamid Karzai on Thursday, when he was sworn in along with two vice-presidents for a second five-year term.
At a meeting attended by 400 women in Charikar, Women’s Affairs Director Shah Jehan Yazdan Parast said they were fully behind the president because of the services he had rendered to females over the last eight years.
She added the president had been able to introduce democracy in Afghanistan and initiate valuable measures for women’s welfare. The official urged Karzai to pay even greater attention to women’s rights during his second tenure.
Hangama, a 30-year-old participant of the meeting, told Pajhwok Afghan News girls could go to schools, universities and offices because of President Karzai’s policies. They were denied schooling and jobs under the Taliban regime.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85054
Violence against women on the rise in Baghlan
Habibullah Sherzai – Nov 19, 2009 – 18:43
PU-I-KHUMRI (PAN): Department of Women’s Affaire in Baghlan province reports a worrisome increase in the scale of violence against women, including murder and suicide, this year as compared to the previous year.
With heightened concern, the department says up to 74 cases of violence were recorded since the beginning of this year, against last year’s 67 cases.
Department’s human rights director, Afghan Gul, told Pajhwok that this year’s violence cases included 6 murders, 3 suicides, 10 runaways, 10 food deprivations, 8 forced marriages, 7 engagements breakdowns, and several other cases of physical abuse.
According to Gul, out of last year’s 99 violence-related cases, 25 were about runaways, the rest included murder and suicide.
Gul also added it was most likely that more such cases could exist because most of the files were directly referred from the criminal department to the attorney’s office.
“Most women are highly concerned about the increase of the violence against them, in particular murder, and seek punishment to the perpetrators,” he said.
A 45-year-old Nasrin says: “A month and a half ago, my son-in-law brutally stabbed my daughter several times and killed her inside our house on a broad daylight.”
The woman explains that her 21-year-old daughter (Mouloda) had come to their house to see her father.  “The son-in-law followed her to our house wanting to talk to his wife in the other room. After a few minutes, her daughter’s screams were heard, and when they entered the room, and found the son-in-law holding a bloody knife, who immediately ran out of the house.”
In tears, the victim’s mother added: “When we entered the room, we found Mouloda lying there in a pool of blood.  We then took her to a hospital in our arms; the doctor told us that she is no more.”
Nasrin says that her daughter had been married for about two months, and does not know why a man would kill his wife in such a violent and barbaric way.
The mother further expressed that ‘if her daughter had any faults, her husband could simply divorce her, rather than stabbing her with a knife.’
She said that the government should punish the murderer publicly for the crime he had committed, so that people can learn not to behave in such a ruthless manner with women.
Police say that Mouloda’s husband Abdulhadi, 28, a resident of Dand-e-Ghori, Pulekhumri city, has been detained.
Baghlan’s crime branch police chief, Samonwal Habibul Rahman Afzali, said Abdulhadi’s case, charged with murder of his wife, had been referred to the provincial attorney’s office.
Fatima, 48, a resident of Du-Saraka, Polekhumri, says that one of the occurred murder cases of such nature is of an 18-year-old Razia, a student of Madan High School.
She claims that Razia was shot dead by her brother in her own house, and to this day the reason for the murder is unknown.
Fatima says that the types of problems affecting them now, such as brutal murders and the lack of follow ups, did not exist during the Taliban’s rule.
Abdulqadir, head of the provincial appellate court, says the Marzia’s brother has been at large, and that her father has been charged and detained for the crime, since he was present at the house when the murder took place.  The search and investigations for the real killer, however, still continues, although the victim’s detained father insists that the murder committed by his 25-year-old son only.
The victim’s father said: “My daughter used to talk on the phone to different people, would not listen to our advice, and had gone out of control. This is why my son killed her!”
Zaidullah Paiwand, head of the Independent Human Rights Commission, northeastern zone, condemns all forms of violence against mankind including against women. He says that there are several factors contributing to the rise in violence against women.
He added the laxity on the part of justice sources, increased corruption, existence of illegal armed groups, as well as a weekend government law enforcement system were the main contributors to such incidents. He said their commission was greatly concerned about the deteriorating situation.
Paiwand said the provincial should seriously work towards the prevention and elimination of incidents of violence against women, as well as the arrest and persecution of the perpetrators.
However, head of the provincial appellate court, Abdul Qadir, said that so far more than 10 people had been detained and about 10 more were under investigation by the judicial sectors in relations to such crimes.
According to him, in less than two months, four intentional murder cases, four suicidal cases, and 10 cases of physical abuse were referred to the provincial attorney’s office.
He added one of the cases was of female violence against another female.  A woman by the name of Gul Shah had severely beaten her brother’s wife, Zarnegar.
He said that the cause for the increase of such types of violence, include lack of legal awareness, family neglect, certain traditions, as well as early marriages.
Although the Afghan independent Human Rights Commission has not published a specific number of cases of violence against women during this year, but based on the commission’s information more than 2,000 such cases were recorded in 2008.
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Foreign troops kill two civilians
Sher Ahmed Haider – Nov 19, 2009 – 20:52
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Foreign forces stormed the house of an official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Ghazni City late Wednesday night, killing his two guests and detaining two of his relatives, police said on Thursday.
Police chief Brig Gen. Khyal Baz Sherzai told Pajhwok Afghan the forces raided the residence of Majeedullah Qarar, a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in the Plan-i-Char area.
The foreign troops killed two people staying at Qarar’s house and arrested two others, the police officer said, adding the dead were owners of a bakery and a handcart. Both were civilians, Sherzai explained.
Qarar said one of the dead was his cousin and another was his brother-in-law.
The victims were ordinary workers and had no link with any militant organisation, he insisted.
About the detainees, Qarar said both were his cousins — one working for the communications department and the second a student.
He alleged the foreign forces first blew out the main gate and then started searching his house. “They examined everything, broke crockery and searched boxes of clothes.”
Qarar charged some of his family members were bitten by dogs unleashed by the troops. The ministry spokesman said the foreign troops were backed by Afghan soldiers, who also fired at his house.
“Someone had thrown letters outside our house, which carried my cousins’ pictures with the cutline that they are linked to the Haqqani terror network,” Qarar added.
The police chief said the foreign forces also shot injured an owner of a wood stall near Qarar’s residence. “I fail to understand why the foreign soldiers conducted this operation,” remarked Sherzai. But the police chief denied Afghan troops assisted the foreigners.
In Kabul, ISAF said, the ‘militants’ were killed and detained during a search of a compound suspected of militant activity on the southern outskirts of Ghazni City. The joint force targeted the compound where intelligence sources reported the al-Qaeda facilitator to be located.
“The joint force shot and killed the enemy militants after they demonstrated hostile intent,” according to a statement from the NATO-led force. The compound was searched without further incident.
One of the detainees was identified as al-Qaeda IED facilitator, the force claimed. “This facilitator is reported to have supplied IEDs to other militant elements operating in the area and kept direct contact with local al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.”
Nearly two weeks ago, the foreign forces detained a former deputy security chief of Ghazni province, Ismail Aziz, but later released him.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85056
Two elders slain, civilians among 9 hurt
Pajhwok Report – Nov 19, 2009 – 18:47
KABUL (PAN): Suspected Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of tribal elders in northwestern Faryab province, killing two elders and abducting their three security guards late Wednesday, an official said on Thursday.
Deputy police chief, Muhammad Sadiq, said the elders, who were also members of a reconciliation council in the province, were slain in Qurchi area of Pul-i-Chiragh district.
District police chief Col. Maqim Khan confirmed the overnight incident. He said efforts were underway to secure the release of the abducted security guards from their kidnappers.
Meanwhile, NATO forces shot injured two civilians in the increasingly volatile northern Kunduz province late Wednesday.
Kunduz governor Eng. Muhammad Omar said the troops opened fire at a civilian vehicle after it failed to respond to warning signals in Ludin area on the outskirts of provincial capital. The injured included a young man and a child, he added.
The German soldiers, based in province, have also confirmed the incident. In a statement, they said it was an escalation-of-force incident that resulted in inflicting injuries on the civilians.
The troops expressed their sympathies with the victims’ family. They said the locals were repeatedly given warning signals but they ignored.
In Baghlan, militants attacked a joint convoy of Afghan and US forces in Baghlan-i-Markazi district, said Gen. Abdul Hai Attayee, coordination commander of the 209th Shaheen Military Corps.
He said the fierce gun-battle that took place last night left two insurgents and two ANA soldiers injured.
But Shah Wali Ahmadi, a doctor at the district hospital said they had received seven injured people, including five civilians and two soldiers.
A local resident, Azizullah, said he saw five civilians caught in crossfire between the forces and militants. He added one of his neighbours was among the wounded.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed their fighters killed six ANA soldiers and wounded four others in the attack. He denied casualties to the fighters, saying a police vehicle and a fuel tanker were destroyed during the clash.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85060
Afghans pin hopes on new Karzai admin
Zubair Babakarkhel – Nov 19, 2009 – 20:42
KABUL (PAN): A number of countrymen have expressed the hope that Hamid Karzai’s coming five years would bring positive changes in the country, but suggested that the president should remove some cabinet ministers and governors.
Karzai took oath of his office for the second term of five years on Thursday.
The countrymen demanded serious and practical steps against corruption and suggested that some ministers and governors must be removed to make the efforts fruitful.
Nimatullah, resident of the fifth police district of the city of Kandahar, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Karzai did not succeed to restore peace and security in the country with the existing lot of ministers and governors during the past eight years.
“The foremost thing for us is security. We can’t come out of our houses due to everyday bombings and fighting. Everything will get straight with the return of peace,” said Nimatullah.
He said Karzai should bring drastic changes in his cabinet and remove some governors if he wanted to serve the country and the people.
He said many of the ministers were involved in corruption while the governors were acting independently without caring for the government and the service to people.
Ahmad Farhad, resident of the eastern Nangarhar province, however, said Karzai had paid greater attention to reconstruction over the previous eight years.
“Karzai has done a lot in a short span of with regard to reconstruction. We hope he will restore peace in the coming five years,” said Farhad, who is running a shop in the city of Jalalabad.
He said Karzai had learnt a lot in the past years and it was hoped that he would bring positive changes in the country on the basis of his experience in the previous years.
A resident of the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif Dil Agha is perturbed with unemployment in the country for the past few years. He wants the president to end corruption in his coming five years.
Manizha, student of the 12th class at the Pul-e-Charkhi Higher Secondary School of this central capital, said she voted for Hamid Karzai with the hope that he would fulfill his promises with the people.
She said Karzai had both good and bad experiences in the past years, and he would use the same to take good decisions in future. She demanded of the president to solve the problems faced by students and teachers.
Abdul Hakim, a shopkeeper in the fourth police district of Kabul, says that there must be changes in the present administration by appointing experienced and able people on key posts. He said works had been done in the previous period of Hamid Karzai but that did not properly meet the expectations of the masses.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85061
Greece provides 1m euros for Afghan rebuilding
Khalil Fitri – Nov 19, 2009 – 20:44
KABUL (PAN): Greek roving ambassador in Kabul on Thursday handed over a cheque for one million euros to Afghan Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta on behalf of his government for reconstruction purposes in the war-devastated country.
The Foreign Ministry in a statement issued here on Thursday said Spanta met Dimitris Dollis and discussed with him matters of mutual interest.
Dollis, while handing over the cheque to Spanta, assured his country’s continued support towards Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts.
Hailing the generous contribution of the Greek government, Spanta said the reconstruction of Afghanistan would pave the way for democracy in the country to flourish.
The minister also stressed the need for unwavering support of the international community towards counter-narcotic campaign.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85062
Plots being distributed to returnees
Abdul Maqsood Azizi – Nov 19, 2009 – 20:45
PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Distribution of 2,000 plots to returnees from Iran and Pakistan got under way in central Logar province on Thursday, an official said.
The residential township for returnees, located around five kilometres east of this provincial capital city, consists of 4,400 plots. 
Refugee Affairs Director Ali Shah Ramz told Pajhwok Afghan News plots were being given to returnees registered with the UNHCR at Torkham and Islam Qala border crossings.
The official said the plots were provided at cheaper rates.  Some returnees expressed happiness over the distribution of plots but others expressed dissatisfaction.
Muhammad Kabir, who recently returned to Logar after staying for 15 years at the Jalozai refugee camp in the NWFP, was happy that he would finally have a house of his own in his motherland.
He demanded of the government to ensure provision of clean drinking water and construction of roads in the township so that residents were given all requisite facilities.
But a woman named Nasima, who returned to the country via Torkham and registered with the UN refugee agency, said she was visiting the refugee affairs department for the past two months but no one was paying heed to her problems. She said the department should give plots to deserving people.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85063
IED attacks injure four in Paktia
Lemar Niazi – Nov 19, 2009 – 20:45
GARDEZ (PAN): Four separate and near-simultaneous improvised explosive device blasts left three security men and a civilian injured in Zurmat district of southwestern Paktia province on Thursday.
An official and witnesses said the bomb attacks took place in the district centre and Mamozai area. District chief Gulab Shah told Pajhwok Afghan News the first blast occurred in Tameer Bazaar in the district centre, injuring a civilian and a policeman.
However, witnesses said the explosion wounded five civilians and a cop. The injured were rushed to a nearby health clinic, a shopkeeper named Abdul Kabir said. According to Kabir, the explosives were planted in a handcart.
In the Mamozai area, three back-to-back IED attacks hit two armoured vehicles of foreign troops and an Afghan National Army pick-up.
The media office of foreign forces in the province said two simultaneous roadside bomb attacks damaged their two vehicles. One ISAF soldier sustained injuries in the blasts, it added.
The third blast that targeted an ANA vehicle wounded a soldier. Taliban asserted responsibility for the last three attacks. Zabihullah Mujahid said a military tank of foreign forces was comprehensively destroyed, killing all the soldiers aboard.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85064
A white elephant in Kabul
Pratap Chatterjee – Nov 19, 2009 – 20:47
In a secluded valley a few miles from the Kabul International Airport, Caterpillar turbines custom-built in Germany and giant transformers flown in from Mexico hum away at a brand-new power plant. If all goes as planned, one engineer sitting at a single computer with four flat screens will be able to run this state-of-the-art diesel facility built by Black & Veatch of Kansas.
The help of three US ambassadors to Afghanistan and $285 million in US taxpayer dollars have flowed into the power plant outside Tarakhel village. President Hamid Karzai supported the project, convinced that it could help him win the August 2009 Afghan presidential election.
Two weeks before the August 20 vote, at an opening ceremony for the unfinished plant, Karzai stood beside Karl Eikenberry, the current US ambassador, who told the assembled media: “I would ask the citizens of Kabul when you turn on your lights at night, remember that the United States of America stands with you – optimistic of our combined prospects for success, and confident in you and our mission.”
But much, so far, has not gone as planned: The $280 million-a-year cost to run the power plant full tilt is more than a third of total tax revenues for the entire country; the plant would supply electricity to less than 2 percent of the population; and the plant’s cost – already more than $300 million – is roughly three times that of any similar plant in the region.
Far from the public relations coup Karzai and Eikenberry envisioned, their shining the spotlight on the plant exposed problems with planning, cost over-runs and alleged corruption.
Desperate for Power: Under the spectacular expanse of the Darul Aman mountains, tens of thousands of ethnic Hazara people live in Dasht-e-Barchi, a poor suburb west of Kabul. They have no proper sanitation and, without the investment of local residents, would have had no nighttime electricity. These local entrepreneurs invested in small diesel generators and a patchwork of low-voltage electrical lines slung across the unpaved streets and open ditches that serve as sewage culverts.
Mohammed Taleb, who hails from Maidan Wardak, is one such entrepreneur. Out of a shop front on Dasht-e-Barchi’s main street, he sells just enough electricity to power a single light bulb each in 300 households. He charges 80 afghanis (US$1.60) a month. “We have been waiting for the government to give us electricity but we don’t know when it will come,” he says.
Such generators have long been a major source of power for most citizens of Afghanistan, one of the least developed countries in the world. Just one in seven Afghans has access to electricity, according to USAID.
Even though Afghanistan has tremendous hydro-power potential and modest natural gas reserves, neither the transitional government that took over in 2001, nor the donors who supply two-thirds of the government’s annual expenditures have put serious effort into developing these power sources. As a result, five years after the fall of the Taliban, even the country’s capital lacked a guaranteed source of basic electricity.
Two major projects had been in the works for a while: A $35 million project to build a 220 kilovolt power line from Uzbekistan over the Hindu Kush, and a second $28 million power line from Tajikistan. Each is expected to supply 300 megawatts to Kabul. Engineers from KEC, an Indian company, have been hard at work since October 2005 on the Uzbek project with money from the Indian government, the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank. The Tajik project was awarded in November 2008 with funding from the Asian Development Bank and OPEC Fund for International Development.
Engineering difficulties and cost aside, there is no political guarantee that either project will work. Tajikistan is a failed state, and the Uzbeks, who kicked US troops out of their country in July 2005, are seen as an unreliable political partner of the US-backed Karzai regime.
In April 2006, shortly before he left Afghanistan, US ambassador Ronald Neumann dreamed up an alternative to the Central Asian transmission lines. According to former finance minister Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi, Neumann asked USAID to offer the Karzai government a 100-megawatt diesel plant. Budgeted at $120 million, it would be able to supply 500,000 people with basic electricity. And if completed in just over two years, before the 2009 elections, it would also allow Karzai, whose political star was already fading fast, to claim that he had provided electricity to Kabul.
Karzai readily agreed and instructed the nervous Ministry of Finance to approve the scheme in early 2007, and add $20 million of Afghan money to the US contribution.
An Unwanted Gift: Juma Nawandish, the former deputy minister of electricity, said he had never asked for a diesel power plant in the four years that he was in charge after the fall of the Taliban.  Nawandish, a trained natural gas engineer who now runs the Energy and Power Construction Company, favours locally produced gas as a power source. At his office in central Kabul, he pulls out a series of slides and engineering studies of the northern Shiberghan gas fields where he once worked. “I advised USAID to put their money here,” he said. “If they had rehabilitated the gas wells, and used our local engineers, we would have saved a lot of money.”
But USAID wasn’t listening. In July 2007, the agency issued a contract to a joint venture of Louis Berger of New Jersey and Black & Veatch of Kansas to build a 105 megawatt power plant with the latter company in the lead. The approved price tag was $257.8 million, more than twice what USAID had initially told the Karzai government the project would cost.
Numerous power experts from around the region said that the price was far too high. Bikash Pal, an engineering expert from Imperial College in London, said the rough price for building a 100-megawatt plant should be $100 million. Indeed, a search online for similar projects using Caterpillar turbines in the Dominican Republic, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, have lower price tags. Wartsila, a Finnish company that builds more sophisticated turbines than Caterpillar, is completing a 200-megawatt project in neighbouring Pakistan for $180 million.
Abdul Ghaffar, an Afghan engineer who runs his own power plant construction company in Dubai, says the Black & Veatch price is exorbitant. “I built a 22-megawatt plant in Kandahar for $550,000 a megawatt,” he scoffs. That plant was finished in 2008 and Ghaffar did not bid on the Tarakhel project.
Asked why the price was so high, Jack Currie, the Scottish manager of the Tarakhel project, replied: $109 million for the turbines built in record time; $22 million to transport the turbines and transformers from Germany and Mexico under contract with Matrix, a subsidiary of Agility of Kuwait; and $10 million for private security provided by London-based Hart Security.
Currie’s numbers did not include $60 million for executive salaries, expatriate consultants, and profits. The cost escalation “was because [USAID] wanted to do this in the shortest possible time,” said Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Ahmed Wali Shaerzai, in charge of the electricity sector. “It became very uneconomical.”
Even at the inflated price tag, now heading toward $300 million, the original December 2008 deadline became an impossible target. Ironically, the Indian engineers at KEC finished work on the Uzbek power line months before the Americans were able to turn on just one block of the Tarakhel plant. By January 2009, cheap power was flowing from the north down to Kabul at 6 cents a kilowatt-hour.
By contrast, USAID estimated Tarakhel’s electricity at 22 cents a kilowatt hour. Under the agreement signed with the Karzai government, Kabul is solely responsible for fuel and maintenance costs. When news broke at the monthly meetings of the Inter-ministerial Commission on Energy in Kabul, that Afghanistan was expected to pick up these costs, a number of donors and Afghan government bureaucrats registered anger and dismay.
“The contractor was lying to USAID. They were lying to the Afghan government. They were lying to everybody,” Sherzai said. “We were called into the president’s office many times to solve this problem” of getting electricity to Kabul.
In early 2009 Black & Veatch dismissed Tarakhel project manager Jack Currie, and it was not the first time. Black & Veatch had previously suspended Currie as project manager for a similar plant – a combined cycle gas turbine facility at Qudas outside of Baghdad. A January 2006 report by the Inspector General of Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) faulted planners and the contractors for supplying turbines that were unsuitable for the available fuel supply, and for failing to provide adequate training and maintenance for the plant.
Asked how long the Qudas plant had functioned after he left the project, Currie replied: “Six weeks.” Currie blamed the Iraqi engineers for not maintaining the power plant. He added that he hoped this would not be a problem at Tarakhel because Black & Veatch expects to spend a year in Afghanistan after the power plant is completed to avoid similar mistakes.
Too Expensive to Sustain: One of the biggest problems with Tarakhel is that Afghanistan simply does not have the cash to pay the fuel that will be imported from Turkmenistan. Indeed Abdul Ghaffar’s modest 22-megawatt plant in Kandahar has been mothballed for precisely that reason.
Jack Whippen, the head of Black & Veatch’s operations in Afghanistan, estimates that if diesel stays at 80 cents a liter, it will cost $96 million to supply and $12 million to operate the Tarakhel plant at 55 percent capacity. Extrapolating to full capacity brings the operational costs closer to $200 million. If the price of diesel goes up by just 25 percent to a dollar a liter, as Currie estimated, a back-of-the-envelope calculation puts the cost at $280 million a year for full production. Afghanistan’s total tax revenue for 2008 was $800 million.
Asked if he could justify spending this kind of money, Mohammed Khan, a member of the Afghan parliament and chair of the energy committee, said: “No. Not unless we have an emergency.” Khan, a Karzai supporter and trained electrical engineer, worked in the Kabul Electricity Department for many years.
Meanwhile, USAID has failed to complete studies on a cheaper alternative to Tarakhel. In February 2008 Black & Veatch was finally tasked with figuring out how to rehabilitate the Shiberghan gas fields. In June 2009 after spending $7.1 million, USAID “terminated” Black & Veatch from the project for “poor performance.” Black & Veatch says it failed because of security problems and because necessary equipment was held up at the border.
The agency maintains that time will prove that their investment was worthwhile. “I believe that the Tarakhel power plant contributes significantly to the overall energy project for Afghanistan,” says John Smith-Sreen, the technical representative for energy and water for USAID in Afghanistan.
Ongoing Investigations: Two weeks before the election, US Ambassador Eikenberry and President Karzai opened the plant – still only a third complete – to great fanfare. Twelve days later, a team of inspectors from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in Arlington, Virginia, arrived to determine why costs were so high and whether operations were sustainable.
SIGAR spokesperson Susan Phalen confirmed that the agency had “intense concerns” and that a report on the plant was due on November 30, but refused to speculate on the findings. “SIGAR’s policy is that we do not discuss inspections that are currently underway,” she wrote in an email response.
“Their job is to look in a manner that allows that if there was an error it not be repeated,” says Whippen, who claims to welcome the inspection. “So I would expect they would flash up what they considered to be weaknesses and I would hope they would. At the same time I expect they will also flash up some strengths.”
The SIGAR inspection is not the only probe into Tarakhel. In response to a complaint about possible fraud in Black & Veatch’s sub-contract awards, Laszlo Sagi, a special agent for USAID’s Inspector General, traveled to Kabul in September to interview Ian Cameron, who had handled the specific sub-contract for security at the plant.
Speaking for Black & Veatch, Currie says that Cameron is currently on vacation and unable to answer questions. Sagi refused to comment on Cameron, but acknowledged that in August he had recommended that the District Court in Virginia issue arrest warrants for fraud for two other individuals associated with security sub-contracts for Black & Veatch’s eastern region power contract.
Veteran political observers including Ramzan Bashardost, former Afghan minister of planning under Karzai, say that the problems at Tarakhel are in no way unusual, and point to a series of similar project failures in the past. (See Afghanistan, Inc.)
“The problem is that these contractors are here to make money for themselves not to help us,” says Bashardost. “We have to break up this political and economic mafia if we want to develop.”
Dr Ali Safi contributed research and reporting for this article. Pratap Chatterjee is an investigative journalist and senior editor at CorpWatch. He is the author of Halliburton’s Army: How A Well-Connected Texas Oil Company Revolutionised the Way America Makes War (Nation Books, 2009) and Iraq, Inc. (Seven Stories Press, 2004). He can be contacted at pchatterjee [at] igc [dot] org.
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Anti-Karzai governor quietly off to Uzbekistan
Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 19, 2009 – 12:56
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): The Balkh governor, known for his tirade against Hamid Karzai, quietly left for neighbouring Uzbekistan on Thursday, when the president and his running mates were sworn in for a new term.
During the presidential election campaign, Governor Atta Muhammad Noor publicly lent his weight to Dr. Abdullah Abdullah — Karzai’s principal challenger — and had the cheek to fire broadsides at the president.
On one occasion, Noor went to the extent of saying that he would not recognise Karzai’s new administration if he won the vote.
A resident of Balkh, Eishan Khalid, told Pajhwok Afghan News the governor went to Uzbekistan today, as hundreds of Afghan and foreign dignitaries participated in President Karzai’s oath-taking ceremony in Kabul.
Khalid believed Noor might have gone to the neighbouring because of his defiant statement that he would not work under a new government headed by Karzai.
But Deputy Governor Muhammad Zaher Wahdat said Noor was on a visit to Uzbekistan with a political agenda. Without giving details of the trip, he added: “It doesn’t mean he has left the province for good.”
On the other hand, a gubernatorial spokesman denied Noor’s departure from the province. Munir Farhad insisted the governor was in Balkh, amid reports that Noor had proceeded to Uzbekistan along with his family.
A source in the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), who requested anonymity, confided to Pajhwok that Noor had shifted his family to Uzbekistan three months back. He said a governor had to seek formal permission from the authorities before going abroad or even visiting another province.
Approached for comments, the IDLG deputy head said they had received no formal information from the governor. Burna Karimi added Noor had spoken of travelling to Uzbekistan for medical treatment, and that he would return in a few days.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85067
10 civilians perish in Uruzgan suicide attack
Omeed Khpalwak – Nov 19, 2009 – 21:19
TIRINKOT (PAN): At least 10 civilians were killed and as many wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vest in a crowded bazaar in central Uruzgan province on Thursday.
The bomber on foot detonated explosives strapped to his body after police opened fire at him, provincial crimes branch police chief Col. Gulab Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Security personnel recognised the attacker, who wanted to target a joint convoy of police and Afghan National Army in front of Deh Rawood district police headquarters.
The bomber blew himself up when asked by police to stop at a distance of a hundred meters, said Khan. He added the police opened fire at the assailant as he continued to get closer to them.
Khan said police and ANA soldiers escaped unhurt in the suicide bombing. The bomber’s boy was mutilated beyond recognition. But another official, Mohammad Musa, said that the bomber blew himself up when police and troops tried to capture him.
Public Health Director Dr. Khan Aqa Miakhel said the injured, including two children, were shifted to the district hospital. He said the dead included two children and eight adults.
Miakhel was unaware of the condition of the wounded, but Musa said five people were in a critical condition.
The bombing on Thursday, when President Hamid Karzai was sworn into office for a second term, came six months after a suicide attack killed five civilians and wounded 30 others in the same district.
Also on Thursday, two ISAF soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on their base in the neighbouring province of Zabul.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85068
Clinton hails president’s reform agenda
Zubair Babakarkhel – Nov 19, 2009 – 12:26
KABUL (PAN): US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday lauded President Hamid Karzai’s commitment to combating widespread administrative corruption, introducing reforms and strengthening Afghanistan’s security forces.
She told journalists at US Embassy the in Kabul after Karzai’s inauguration that the agenda outlined by the president in his speech was encouraging. The secretary particularly hailed his resolve to eradicate endemic graft.
While asking the global fraternity to be realistic about its goals in Afghanistan, the visiting secretary viewed Karzai’s speech as “an important starting point.” The address set forth an agenda for change and reform, she remarked.
“President Karzai’s inaugural address provides an important new starting point and we intend to build on it He was particularly strong on the steps that he intends to take regarding corruption,” said the visiting dignitary, who met her counterparts from several countries earlier in the day.
Washington was acutely aware of the difficulty of its mission in Afghanistan, she added. Still many brave Americans were here in an effort to bring progress to the impoverished country, devastated by decades of strife. “We are under no illusions. The road ahead is fraught with challenges and imperfect choices.”
In response to a query, Clinton said the Obama administration had conveyed its concerns to Karzai about the warlords and drug barons holding cabinet slots and other key positions in his previous government.
During his second term, she hoped, Karzai would focus on forming an efficient government that set store by giving the Afghans their due rights and delivering basic services to the masses. “We expect the government he is putting together will abide by the direction that his inaugural speech set.”
She was pleased by the Afghan leader’s pledge to have the country’s security forces take the lead over the next few years and require ministers, governors and other top-ranking government functionaries to declare their assets.
Asked whether the US would deploy additional troops to Afghanistan, the secretary replied that President Barak Obama wanted to consider the pros and cons of such a move before making a decision. “Our long-term ties with Afghanistan go far beyond military cooperation “
“We are committed to a long term partnership with Afghanistan, to assist the people of this country have a better future. We see our partnership very broad and deep. Our approach is to focus on security so the people feel they are free from intimidation,” she said.
Clinton said Karzai’s speech was a source of confidence to achieve their objectives and would help open a new chapter in the partnership between the two countries.
“We must seize this movement based on mutual responsibilities where we each do our part and advance our common fight against our common enemy,” she said.
She added the speech laid down Afghanistan’s commitment to take responsibility for the security by speeding up efforts to stand up a capable and effective Afghan national security force that can replace the international forces over the time.
“The US shares this same objective and welcomes this strong commitment,” she said.
“Of course, our civilian effort would remain long after our security effort has concluded and it will be just prcised to Afghan future and our interests.”
She said she was pleased with Karzai’s inaugural speech that outlined the steps, the Afghan government will take to improve its efforts to deliver services for its citizens the basic services including access to justice, education and economic opportunities they deserved.
“It’s an effort that requires steady progress and government capacity, transparency and accountability,” she said.
She said moving forward with president Karzai, his government in Kabul and leaders of district councils and provincial levels, they would keep in mind that there was a most critical partnership with the people of Afghanistan. “We will ensure that our efforts are delivering results for them,” she said and added, “As we call for accountability, we will hold ourselves accountable as well. That is why we are working to ensure that development funds on track and used as intended.”
Clinton said she met with Afghan education, finance and agriculture ministers and received a detailed briefing on their programmes and future plans.
“Through their work and our support, we are starting to see results,” she added.
She said farmers in Afghanistan had started switching from poppies to pomegranates, girls were attending schools with many taught by newly trained teachers, families were visiting new health clinics and thousands of new civil servants had been trained with a partnership with USAID.
mud/ma
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November 20, 2009
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13 killed in Farah suicide blast
Ahmed Shah Saber – Nov 20, 2009 – 18:23
FARAH CITY (PAN): More than a dozen people, mostly civilians, were killed in a powerful suicide bombing in the western province of Farah, near the border with Iran, Friday morning, officials said.
At least 29 others were wounded in the attack that occurred in the provincial capital at 9.30am, the Farah police chief told Pajhwok Afghan News. He said the bomber on a motorbike blew himself up in a busy square.
Gen. Faqir Ahmad Askar said the wounded included children, who were shifted to a nearby hospital. The suicide attack, coming a day after President Hamid Karzai’s inauguration, happened close to a truck stop.
Putting the death toll at 13, Gen. Askar believed Taliban militants were behind the rush-hour bombing. He said the deadly attack was in reaction to joint counterinsurgency operations by Afghan and foreign forces in the area.
Governor Roohul Amin, who confirmed the heavy explosion, said the attack happened about 50 meters from his office. He added some of the injured were in a critical condition. The fatalities included three police officials.
According to Askar, the bomber’s body was badly mutilated and could not be recognised immediately. The police chief said he was not clear whom the attacker wanted to target.
On Thursday, 10 civilians were killed and as many wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vest in a crowded bazaar in central Uruzgan province.
The bomber on foot detonated explosives strapped to his body after police opened fire at him. The attacker wanted to target a joint convoy of police and Afghan National Army in front of the Deh Rawood district police headquarters.
mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85077
Too early to transfer security duties to Afghans: Gates
PAN Monitor – Nov 20, 2009 – 13:04
KABUL (PAN): It is too early to set a timeframe for transferring security duties from NATO-led foreign troops to nascent Afghan forces that still lack resources and training, believes US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
Gates told a Pentagon news conference on Thursday: “I think it’s too early to say.” He was commenting on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s proposal for a timetable for a gradual security shift
He said military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan should make the judgment about when a province or a district was ready to be handed over to Afghan forces. In some parts, he thought, a handover could happen soon.
Flanked by Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary suggested President Obama would approve an increase in US troop levels in Afghanistan, where a record 68,000 American service members are already stationed.
Gates and Mullen told a questioner they anticipated that as soon as the president took a final decision, some forces would be dispatched to Afghanistan pretty quickly. “It’s not going to be a brigade a month because of the infrastructure piece ,” Mullen said.
About Brown’s proposal, the defence secretary said although Washington and its allies wanted to see Kabul take the lead for security, it would be counterproductive to transfer that responsibility before the Afghan forces were fully prepared for the task.
With regard to President Hamid Karzai’s pledge to combat corruption and put together a clean cabinet, the secretary remarked improving the quality and professionalism of Afghanistans central government would not be accomplished quickly.
“My view is that improvements in governance in Afghanistan will be evolutionary,” observed Gates, who added Washington desired stability and prosperity in the war-devastated country. “We’re there to help them. But corruption and a lack of good government are real impediments to the success of both the Afghan government and our own efforts.”
PAN Monitor
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85078
Security men among 27 dead in Pakistan attacks
PAN Monitor – Nov 20, 2009 – 12:27
KABUL (PAN): Three policemen perished in a roadside bomb attack while 20 Taliban insurgents and four soldiers were killed in clashes in northwestern Pakistan, where militant-linked violence has seen an uptick in recent months
The predawn bombing happened in the Yakatoot locality of Peshawar, capital of the North-West Province (NWFP), where a suicide attack outside a judicial complex left 20 people dead and scores wounded early Thursday.
A Pakistani TV channel, monitored here, said three police constables were killed and 10 others injured in the powerful roadside blast at Panj Katha Square. The remote-controlled bomb hit a police van patrolling the area, Geo News reported.
Elsewhere in the troubled northwest, security forces killed 13 Taliban fighters in Bajaur Agency and seven others in the South Waziristan tribal region — lying close to the Afghanistan border.
In Bajaur, bordering Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar, military jets pounded rebel hideouts in Gugray, Gatki, Supray and Swai areas of Mamond tehsil. At least two foreigners were among the 10 dead.
Another three militants were killed and two wounded in Charmang and Chinar areas of Nawagai tehsil. Four soldiers were also killed in the operations, the military said in a statement. Three militants were apprehended as a result of a clash in the Chungazai neighbourhood of Mamond tehsil and another two were arrested in Khar.
In South Waziristan, security forces “engaged and cleared a Taliban [hideout] …near Kikrai” on the Jandola-Sararogha front, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. “During the clash, seven Taliban were killed.”
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Paying off the warlords
Pratap Chatterjee – Nov 20, 2009 – 12:30
KABUL: Every morning, dozens of trucks laden with diesel from Turkmenistan lumber out of the northern Afghan border town of Hairatan on a two-day trek across the Hindu Kush down to Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. Among the dozens of businesses dispatching these trucks are two extremely well connected companies — Ghazanfar and Zahid Walid — that helped to swell the election coffers of President Hamid Karzai as well as the family business of his running mate, Vice-President Mohammed Qasim Fahim.
Some of the trucks are on their way to two power stations in the northern part of the capital: a recently refurbished, if inefficient, plant that has served Kabul for a little more than a quarter of a century, and a brand new facility scheduled for completion next year and built with money from the US Agency for International Development.
Afghan political analysts observe that Ghazanfar and Zahid Walid are striking examples of the multimillion-dollar business conglomerates, financed by American as well as Afghan tax dollars and connected to powerful political figures, that have, since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, emerged as part of a pervasive culture of corruption here.
Nasrullah Stanikzai, a professor of law and political science at Kabul University, says of the companies in the pocket of the vice-president: “Everybody knows who Ghazanfar is. Everybody knows who Zahid Walid is. The [government elite] directly or indirectly have companies, licenses and sign contracts. But corruption is not confined just to the Afghans. The international community bears a share of this blame.”
Indeed, the tale of the “reconstruction” of Kabul’s electricity supply is a classic story of how foreign aid has often served to line the pockets of both international contractors from the donor countries and the local political elite. Unfortunately, these aid-financed projects also generally fail because of a lack of planning and the hard cash to keep them operating.
The Rise of a Power Broker: Abdul Hasin and his brother, the vice-president, offer a perfect exemplar of the new business elite. The two men are half-brothers, born to the two wives of a well-respected religious cleric from the village of Marz in the Panjsher valley north of Kabul.
In the early 1980s, Fahim, the older brother, joined the mujahideen forces of Ahmed Shah Massoud in the struggle against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. In 1992, three years after the Soviet army withdrew in defeat, Fahim was appointed head of intelligence in Afghanistan by new President Burhanuddin Rabbani in the midst of a fierce and destructive civil war among the victors.
When the Taliban took control of the country a few years later, Fahim became intelligence chief for the Northern Alliance, also led by Massoud, which controlled less than a third of the country. On Sept. 9, 2001, two days before the World Trade Center was attacked, Massoud was assassinated by al-Qaeda operatives and Fahim took control of the Northern Alliance, which the US would soon finance and support in its “invasion” of Afghanistan.
A number of popular accounts of that invasion, such as Bob Woodward’s book “Bush at War,” suggest that the Central Intelligence Agency directly gave Northern Alliance warlords like Fahim millions of dollars in cold, hard cash to help fight the Taliban in the run-up to the US invasion. “I can take Kabul, I can take Kunduz if you break the [Taliban front] line for me. My guys are ready,” Woodward quotes Fahim telling a CIA agent named Gary after pocketing a million dollars in $100 bills.
Once the Taliban were defeated, Fahim was invited to become vice-president in the transitional government led by Hamid Karzai, a position he held for two years. It was at this juncture that Fahim’s brothers, notably Abdul Hasin, started to build a business empire — and not long after, good fortune began to rain down on the family in the form of lucrative “reconstruction” contracts.
In January 2002, while Fahim took whirlwind tours of Washington and London, meeting Gen. Tommy Franks, who had commanded US forces during the invasion, and taking the salute from the Coldstream Guards, his younger brother was putting together a business plan. Soon thereafter, Zahid Walid, a company named after Abdul Hasin’s older sons, not so surprisingly won a series of lucrative contracts to pour concrete for a NATO base as well as portions of the US embassy being rebuilt in Kabul and that city’s airport, which was in a state of disrepair.
On a plot of land in downtown Kabul reportedly “seized” for a song by Fahim, Abdul Hasin also financed the construction of a high-rise building dubbed “Goldpoint,” which now houses dozens of jewelry shops. Soon, the company was importing Russian gas, and not long after that, Abdul Hasin set up the Gas Group, a company that ran a plant in the industrial suburb of Tarakhel that marketed bottled gas to households and small businesses.
In the winter of 2006, Zahid Walid won a $12 million contract from the Afghan ministry of energy and water to supply fuel to the old diesel plant in northwest Kabul, according to data published on the Web site of the government’s central procurement agency, Afghanistan Reconstruction and Development Services. In the summer of 2007, the company won another $40 million diesel-supply contract, and last winter it took on a third contract worth $22 million.
On Oct. 19, I visited Zahid Walid’s heavily guarded headquarters in the wealthy Kabul neighborhood of Wazir Akbar Khan, not far from the even more heavily fortified US embassy. There, Ramin Seddiqui, the managing director of the company’s diesel-import business, filled me in on another exclusive contract the company had secured from the Afghan government only days before for an additional $17 million. Zahid Walid is now to supply diesel fuel to the new 100 megawatt diesel power plant being built by Black & Veatch, a Kansas construction company, with money from USAID.
Most senior Afghan government officials and political figures are loath to discuss how Zahid Walid has won all these contracts — at least publicly. On a recent visit to the Ministry of Commerce, I asked Noor Mohammed Wafa, the general director of oil products and liquid gas, about them. He promptly claimed that he had never even heard of the company. He then shot a glance at my Afghan assistant and said in Dari: “That’s Marshal Fahim’s company, isn’t it?” When I asked whether the rules were different for powerful political figures — as everyone in Kabul knows is the case — Wafa politely denied any suggestion of favoritism in the awarding of import licenses.
In fact, dozens of people assured me in private on my most recent visit to Kabul that favoritism and corruption are the essence of the Karzai government the US has helped “reconstruct” over the last eight years.
A White Elephant Power Plant: While Zahid Walid has won close to $100 million in diesel contracts from the Afghan government in these years, there is hard evidence that the money for this once-needed fuel is now essentially being squandered. Earlier this year, KEC, an Indian company, completed the first of two high-voltage power lines from neighboring Central Asian countries that will bring cheap and reliable electricity into the capital.
The initial 220 kilovolt power line from Uzbekistan — a $35 million project — follows the same path as Zahid Walid’s diesel trucks over the Hindu Kush. The comparison, however, ends there. True, the Indian engineers who constructed it had to survive the brutal snows in the Salang pass, but they are now done. On the other hand, the truckers continue to take the treacherous daily drive through the tunnel that connects northern Afghanistan to the south, bringing Turkmen diesel to Kabul at 22 cents a kilowatt hour. Meanwhile, the Uzbek electricity, traveling effortlessly through KEC’s transmission lines, costs the Afghan taxpayer a mere six cents a kilowatt hour.
To add insult to injury, much of the diesel is meant for the USAID power plant at Tarakhel that has become a symbol of the sort of massive and widespread reconstruction waste and abuse that has gone on in this country for years. The plant, built by Black & Veatch, is now projected to cost $300 million, three times the price of similar plants in neighboring Pakistan. In addition, it will only be capable of supplying one-third of the power the Uzbek power line can deliver far less expensively. Nor will the Uzbek line be the only source of cheap electricity. KEC’s engineers have broken ground on a second power line — this one from Tajikistan — that will supply 300 megawatts of electricity to Kabul, three times what the Tarakhil plant will produce at a bargain basement construction cost of $28 million.
“At full capacity, we burn 600,000 liters a day,” Jack Currie, the Scottish manager of the Tarakhil plant told me as I toured it in late October. “And just how much will that cost the Afghan taxpayer?” I asked. “Well,” replied Currie, “you can assume a dollar a liter of diesel.” I quickly calculated and arrived at an annual total of $219 million per year, not including the plant’s maintenance costs (estimated at another $60 million a year). Currie looked astonished when I mentioned the figure.
I took these numbers to Mohammed Khan, a member of the Afghan parliament and chair of its energy committee. “Will you approve the funds for this diesel power plant?” I asked. The soft-spoken Khan, a trained electrical engineer who worked for many years in the Kabul Electricity Department, answered simply: “No. Not unless we have an emergency.”
So why build a power plant that, in terms of kilowatt hours made available, costs 26 times as much as the Indian-built power line? Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi, Afghan’s former finance minister, recalls the process. The idea, he says, originally came from then-US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann, who dreamed it up in April 2007 shortly before he left the country. He apparently envisioned it as a strategic alternative to the Uzbek power line. After all, at that time the repressive Uzbek regime had denied Washington the use of what was seen as a key military base in Central Asia, Karshi-Khanabad, and so functionally kicked US troops out of the country. Naturally, then, it was also seen as an unreliable political partner for the US-backed regime of Hamid Karzai.
Following up, USAID officials told the Karzai government that they could build a diesel plant in Kabul in just over two years for $120 million. It would, the ambassador indicated, be functional just in time for the 2009 elections, allowing Karzai to claim that he had provided power to the electricity-starved capital. The Afghan president readily agreed to the plan, instructing anxious officials at the ministry of finance to approve the scheme in early 2007. He even agreed to put $20 million of Afghan funds into the project — after being assured that the US would pay for the rest.
Over the next two years, while Indian engineers raced the Americans to provide power to Kabul (ultimately winning handily), the ministry of energy and water was having a hard time keeping the lights on during Kabul’s harsh winters. And while the city waited for these promised sources of power to come online, the new political-business elite, with its specially set up companies like Zahid Walid, was winning government-issued contracts to supply diesel to the old Kabul power plant — and making money hand over fist.
Zahid Walid was hardly the only politically well-connected business to clean up: Ghazanfar, a company from Mazar-i-Sharif, also won $17 million in diesel-supply contracts in the winter of 2006-2007, and then an astonishing $78 million in new contracts for 2008-early 2009. Not surprisingly, Ghazanfar turns out to be run by a family that is very close to President Karzai. (One sister, Hosn Banu Ghazanfar, is the women’s minister and a brother is a member of parliament.)
In March 2009, the Ghazanfars opened a new bank in the capital, plastering the city with giant billboard advertisements featuring a cascade of gold coins. Less than six months later, the bank wrote out a $2 million interest-free loan to Karzai for his election campaign, paying back the favors his government had done for them over the previous three years.
A Patronage Machine: On Thursday, Mohammed Qasim Fahim was sworn in as vice-president in the new government of Afghanistan. Under an agreement with USAID, this new government is required to spend Afghan money on buying more diesel for the Tarakhel power plant. This, in turn, will put money exclusively and directly into the pocket of the vice-president’s brother.
Hamid Jalil, aid coordinator for the Ministry of Finance, admits that wasting money on unnecessary projects like Tarakhel has helped to hobble Afghanistan’s progress during the last eight years. “The donor projects undermine the legitimacy of the government and do not allow us to build capacity,” he says, adding in the weary tone you often hear in Kabul today, “corruption is everywhere in post-conflict countries like ours.”
Former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani summed up the whole profitably corrupt system that has run Afghanistan into a cul-de-sac this way. “It’s not crazy, it’s absurd,” he says. “Crazy is when you don’t know what you’re doing. Absurd is when you don’t provide a sense of ownership and a sense of sustainability.”
Pratap Chatterjee is an investigative journalist and senior editor at CorpWatch. He is the author of “Halliburton’s Army: How a Well-Connected Texas Oil Company Revolutionised the Way America Makes War” (Nation Books, 2009) and “Iraq, Inc.” (Seven Stories Press, 2004).
Dr Ali Safi contributed research and reporting for this article.
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Khost blast claims three lives
Saboor Mangal – Nov 20, 2009 – 14:21
KHOST CITY (PAN): Three people of a family were killed and as many wounded in a roadside bombing in the restive southeastern province of Khost, near the Pakistan border, Friday morning.
The improvised explosive device (IED) struck the car the victims were travelling in near a shrine in the provincial capital, a senior official told Pajhwok Afghan News soon after the explosion.
Acting Governor Tahir Khan Sabri, who blamed Taliban militants for the deaths, said the victims were civilians having no links with the government. Security forces defused several mines in the area on Thursday, he added.
One eyewitness said the dead included a man and two of his minor grandsons. The injured belonged to the same family, according to Anwarullah, who added the family had shifted to Khost from another province.
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US to deliver Afghan aid after verification
Lalit K Jha – Nov 20, 2009 – 13:34
WASHINGTON (PAN): As Hamid Karzai sworn in for a second term as Afghan president, the Obama administration said it had put in place a strict monitoring and verification process for the delivery of aid to the government in Kabul.
While hoping the new Karzai administration would take effective action to curb corruption and provide good governance, the US issued a note of caution the various Afghan government agencies would not be given aid if they did not adhere to strict guidelines.
“We have set up some, on our own end, some of our own monitoring and verification mechanisms to ensure that our aid is going to the right people, is meeting our goals for Afghanistan,” a State Department spokesman told reporters at his daily news conference.
Ian Kelly said: “We have a very robust monitoring procedure in place. We’re conducting a review of all the recipients on the side of the Afghan government for our aid to ensure that they’re using the aid in a proper way.”
He warned: “If these agencies and ministries don’t if we’re not able to certify them as having open and accountable procedures, they simply won’t receive the direct aid.”
The spokesman said the administration welcomed the statement of Karzai on his agenda for the next five years.
“They have already taken some steps to try and institutionalise the fight against corruption. And so we see it we saw that speech as something hopeful in terms of setting out a new way forward for the new government. But as they do go forward, we’ll be looking to see the government actually implement and follow through on some of these steps that he outlined,” Kelly said.
Hailing the pledge as a new chapter in Afghan-US relationship and a renewed partnership, he said Karzai recognised they had their own responsibilities to be open and transparent, “and we recognise that we have our own responsibilities to our own taxpayers, to our own people, but also to US national interests to ensure that that our aid programme meets our goals.”
Kelly added the administration was in the process of going ministry by ministry to certify that they had proper accounting procedures in place to receive aid directly.  It would not only improve transparency, but also ensure they had the capacity to receive US aid, he observed. 
“We’re also dramatically increasing the number of officers from the US Agency for International Development who can get out into the field and actually see how the aid is being delivered. So we have some mechanisms already in place, but we’re also looking to increase our own capacity to monitor the aid,” Kelly concluded.
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Ban greets Karzai; Germany seeks swift results
Pajhwok Correspondent – Nov 20, 2009 – 14:37
WASHINGTON (PAN): United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon Friday congratulated Hamid Karzai on being sworn into for the second term as president of Afghanistan.
A spokeswoman for the secretary general said that Ban welcomed the commitment of Karzai to serve all Afghans, fight corruption and provide good governance, security and services, as expressed in the president’s inaugural speech.
Michele Montas told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York: “In pursuance of realising these goals concretely, the United Nations looks forward to working with President Karzai and his government, the people of Afghanistan and Afghanistan’s international partners.”
In Washington, Defence Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged it was going to be a tough fight. The exit strategy was not going to be in the immediate future, he said, adding: “We are not going to go from a situation where we have a fair amount of dissatisfaction now, to believing that these problems have been solved in two weeks or a month, or on the basis of a single speech.”
The secretary met visiting German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg at the Pentagon, where the two leaders discussed the current situation in Afghanistan. Germany has more than 4,000 troops in Afghanistan.
Later in a speech at the CSIS, a Washington-based think-tank, the German minister aid his government wanted immediate results from the Karzai administration. The time had come to demand accountability and transparency from Karzai, he stressed. “He needs to act; smile alone is not going to work.”
Guttenberg said Germany, maintaining the current number of about 4,500 troops, was awaiting President Obama’s decision regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan. Germany, too, was concerned about allegations of corruption in Karzai’s government.
lkj/mud
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New NATO training HQ set to open
Pajhwok Report – Nov 20, 2009 – 15:02
KABUL (PAN): A new headquarters, known as NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, will be established to oversee higher-level training and mentoring of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
Marking a significant change to the command structure of Coalition Forces training and mentoring ANSF in Afghanistan, a ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 21 (tomorrow) at Camp Eggers, according to a statement from the alliance.
Additionally, the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan will officially combine with the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan. The two organisations will have synchronised missions under a single, dual-hatted commander.
The new organisation serves as a demonstration of NATO’s commitment to the Afghan people. After required training, ANSF deploy to various regions where they partner with coalition and NATO forces.
“Now, NATO forces will also add to the training and development of the Afghan forces alongside other coalition partners. Prior to the activation ceremony, a change of command is scheduled at Camp Eggers between Maj. Gen. Richard P. Formica and Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV.
mud/pr
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85089
Two US soldiers killed; militants detained
Pajhwok Report – Nov 20, 2009 – 15:03
KABUL: (PAN): Two soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have been killed in a roadside bomb explosion in volatile southern Afghanistan, the Western military alliance announced on Friday.
The service members were from the United States died on Thursday when their patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device in the south, the ISAF press office said in an operational update.
Early Friday morning, more than a dozen people — mostly civilians and Afghan policemen — were killed in a powerful suicide bombing in the western province of Farah, near the border with Iran, Friday morning.
A militant was killed in northern Takhar province by a joint Afghan-international force that was pursuing a facilitator of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The man was allegedly responsible for financing militant activities and transporting foreign fighters into the region.
The joint force raided a compound in the Bangi district, east of Kunduz City. During the search, the rebel showed hostile intent and was killed, the ISAF statement said, adding the search was completed without further incident.
In a separate operation, several suspected militants were detained in southeastern Khost province, where the troops were pursuing a Haqqani commander suspected of having links to several local senior insurgent leaders.
The soldiers, who searched a compound near the town of Zambar in the Sabri district, recovered several AK-47 assault rifles and bolt-action rifles and detained three suspected militants.
Also on Friday, the press release said, a suspected militant was arrested in central Maidan Wardak province during a search of several compounds known to be used by a Taliban facilitator. The joint force searched the compounds near the village of Darmandyan in Nirkh district.
mud/pr
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Eight dead in fresh US drone attack
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 20, 2009 – 15:07
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Eight people were killed and five others wounded in a US drone attack, the second in 24 hours, in Pakistan’s lawless tribal region of North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, officials on Friday.
The pilotless spy plane fired two missiles into a house in Machikhel area of Mir Ali town, government official Syed Rasul told Pajhwok Afghan News. However, he did not explain whether the dead were civilians or rebels.
Another official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were up to 10 militants — some of them foreigners — inside the compound when the drone attack took place. He said there were reports that an important meeting of the insurgents was taking place at the time of the assault.
The raid came a day after US missiles fired from an unmanned drone killed six militants, including three foreigners, in the same tribal region, where a large number of foreign militants are said to be hiding.
ma/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85093
Cop among 19 dead in fresh violence
Zainullah Setanikzai & Obaidullah Sarozawal – Nov 20, 2009 – 17:47
LASHKARGAH/SHARAN (PAN): A commander was among 15 militants killed in gun-battles with police in Greshk district of southern Helmand province, officials said on Friday.
Thirteen militants were killed during clashes with police in Haiderabad area of the district late Thursday, district chief Abdul Ahad said. He added the dead included a commander identified as Isamail Khan, while another commander named Abdul Jabbar was wounded during the operation.
In a separate gun-battle, two Taliban were killed on Thursday night, said the district chief, who added the clash erupted after the insurgents attacked the district headquarters building. Two policemen were also wounded during the firefight.
Ahad said the clash lasted one hour and the Taliban fled, leaving behind their dead colleagues.
Governor’s spokesman Mohammad Daud Ahmadi also confirmed the attack on the district headquarters, saying the police successfully repelled the assault.
Meanwhile, Paktika province, three Taliban and one policeman were killed in a clash near Sharan, capital of the province Thursday evening, an official said Friday.
A spokesman for the governor, Hameedullah Zwak, told Pajhwok Afghan News that a group of insurgents attacked a police patrol in Yahyakhel district. In the ensuing clash, three attackers and a policeman were killed and another cop was wounded. One attacker was detained, said the gubernatorial spokesman.
However, a doctor at the provincial civil hospital, who wished anonymity, said that three dead bodies of the police were brought to hospital.
He said the injured were taken to a health facility of the provincial reconstruction team.
Taliban claimed they killed 11 police, including an officer, in the ambush.
Zabihullah Mujahid said their fighters also destroyed two police vehicles.
ma
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Revenue collection up by 60pc
Abdul Qadir Siddique – Nov 20, 2009 – 18:18
KABUL (PAN): Domestic revenue collected during the first seven months of the current year is 60 per cent more than amount realised in the corresponding period of the previous year, Finance Ministry officials claimed on Friday.
Aziz Shams, a spokesman for the ministry, told Pajhwok Afghan News the domestic revenue reached 34.1 billion afghanis during the first seven months of the current year — indicating registering a 60 per cent increase.
The collections were also in line with the target set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Afghanistan, said the spokesman, who added the target for the current year was 60 billion afghanis.
“On the basis of the existing figures, we can safely predict that Afghanistan will achieve the figure by the end of the year,” Shams observed, saying a major chunk of the amount came from the customs offices at the borders of the country.
He recalled last year’s target from the IMF was 40 billion afghanis, but the overall collections stood at 41.5 billion afghanis.
The Finance Ministry was making efforts to root out corruption, said Shams, who was optimistic of achieving positive results in December. He reiterated the revenue target of 60 billion afghanis would be achieved.
The spokesman expected a further boost in the revenue, saying the uncertainty triggered by the recent political crisis had ended.
Deputy chief of customs offices Gul Maqsood Sabit linked the revenue increase to government efforts at curbing corruption at the customs offices and the introduction of reforms in several sectors.
In a statement, Sabit said the government would achieve the revenue target set by the IMF and would go a step forward by generating more income by the end of the year.
According to the statement, 5.34 billion afghanis were collected only in August-September this year. The amount realised during the corresponding period last year was 3.1 billion afghanis.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85096
Exhibition organised in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Nov 20, 2009 – 18:22
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): An exhibition, showing local products, was inaugurated in the southern city of Kandahar on Thursday. Officials and residents of the city are participating in the exhibition.
The three-day exhibition has been organised by the Afghan Nawakht advisory office in the city. Dry fruits from the province, handicrafts and agriculture products have been put on display.
In charge of the Afghan Nawakht advisory office in Kandahar Haji Naseer Ahmad told Pajhwok Afghan News that the exhibition was organised with the cooperation of CIDA and USAID.
He said different stalls had been set up in the exhibition and people from Kandahar, Zabul, Helmand, Nangarhar and the central capital Kabul are participating.
He said people from all over the country were invited to the exhibition but some of them did not attend it because of insecurity on the highways and in their respective areas.
People of the province appreciated the efforts to promote the local production by arranging such programmes. Muhammad Zaman, 30, told this news agency Kandahar was famous for its fresh fruits, handicrafts and other products, but the same were affected by the wars and incidents of insecurity.
He hoped the exhibition would help boost the products from Kandahar across the country and the world.
Abdul Rahman, one of the stall owners who was displaying pomegranates from his orchard, said he was joining the exhibition for the first time. He said they were trying to generate market for their produce in areas other than Kandahar.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85097
Germany hails Karzais inaugural speech
Zabeehullah Ihsaas – Nov 20, 2009 – 18:30
MAZAR-E-SHARIF (PAN): Germany has welcomed the speech delivered by President Hamid Karzai after his oath-taking ceremony on Thursday.
Talking to journalists in this northern city after ground-breaking ceremony of a police training centre on Thursday evening, junior foreign minister of Germany Guido Wester Wele said his country was supporting Karzais statement.
He said Karzais promise regarding end to corruption and reforms in the administration was important and they were fully supporting his plans.
He said the Afghan president should keep national unity in mind while constituting his new administration.
He said the political problems of the country were related to Afghans and they (Germans) were living as guests in Afghanistan and would never interfere in the political affairs.
He said policemen from all over the northern zone would get training at the police training centre once it was completed. The training centre is being constructed close to the Mazar-e-Sharif airport.
The German minister said the centre was a branch of the police training centre in Kabul and it would be accomplished in 2010. Without disclosing the expenditures, he said around 500 policemen would be able to get training at the centre at a time.
He said Germany had trained 30,000 policemen in 2009 at the cost of 43.2 million euros. He said training of police was necessary for peace in the country and Germany was playing its part in this regard.
Deputy governor of Balkh Muhammad Zahir Wahdat thanked the German government for its assistance in the northern zone and particularly Balkh province. He said Germany had done a lot in reconstruction. He referred to the reconstruction of the airport in Balkh and construction of a 400-bed hospital in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85098
Sayyaf survives assassination attempt
Hakim Basharat & S. Mudassir Ali Shah – Nov 20, 2009 – 19:07
KABUL (PAN): A veteran former jihadi leader and parliamentarian escaped unhurt in an assassination attempt while four of his bodyguards were killed in the attack in Paghman district of Kabul on Friday.
A source close to Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, a member of the Wolesi Jirga, confided to Pajhwok Afghan News the commander of the now defunct Ittehad-i-Islami narrowly survived the remote-controlled bomb explosion.
Abdul Ahmed, widely regarded as Sayyaf’s right-hand man, confirmed the attack. He four guards of the lawmaker were killed by the bomb placed in an irrigation ditch close to the Paghman-Kabul road in the Khwaja Musafir area.
A five-vehicle convoy was carrying the legislator from Paghman to Kabul. One of the Land cruisers was comprehensively destroyed, according to Ahmed, who said one bodyguard was wounded. His injuries are not life-threatening.
“It was a close shave indeed for Ustad Sayyaf,” he remarked, blaming Taliban insurgents for the botched assault that happened at about 4.00pm. With no immediate reaction from the militants, the Dawat-i-Islami leader could not be reached for comments.
On September 13, 2008, a governor of central Logar province had been assassinated in the same district. The Taliban fighters had then asserted responsibility for the bomb attack on Abdullah Wardak.
Heading to Logar from his home, Wardak was killed along with three guards when his car was struck by a landmine. The 53-year-old resident of Syedabad district was one of the top commanders of Ustad Sayyaf.
Also on Friday, more than a dozen people — mostly policemen and civilians — were killed in a powerful suicide bombing in the western province of Farah, near the border with Iran.
At least 29 others were wounded in the attack that occurred in the provincial capital at 9.30am, the Farah police chief said, adding the bomber on the motorbike blew himself up in a busy square.
Gen. Faqir Ahmad Askar said the wounded included children, who were shifted to a nearby hospital. The suicide attack, coming a day after President Hamid Karzai’s inauguration, happened close to a truck stop.
Three people of a family were killed in a roadside blast in the restive southeastern province of Khost, near the Pakistan border. The improvised explosive device (IED) struck the car the victims were travelling in near a shrine in the provincial capital.
mud 
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November 21, 2009
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Farah suicide blast toll soars to 21
Ahmed Shah Saber – Nov 21, 2009 – 16:35
ZARANJ (PAN): The death toll from yesterday’s suicide bomb attack in the western province of Farah, near the border with Iran, has gone up to 21, a senior official said on Saturday.
More than a dozen people, mostly and civilians, were killed on the spot in the powerful bombing that left another 30 wounded. The provincial police chief blamed Taliban insurgents for the deadly assault.
Farah Governor Rohullah Amin told Pajhwok Afghan News the fatalities included 18 civilians, a traffic official, a policeman and another government functionary. Eight children and a woman were among the injured.
A doctor at the Farah Civil Hospital said 12 of the wounded including a woman and a child were in a critical condition. Dr. Muhammad Hashim added they were doing their bit to provide all possible medical care to the injured.
Farah police chief Gen. Faqir Ahmad Askar said on Friday the suicide attack, coming a day after President Hamid Karzai’s inauguration, happened close to a truck terminal. Askar believed Taliban militants were behind the rush-hour bombing.
He said the deadly attack was in reaction to joint counterinsurgency operations by Afghan and foreign forces in the area. But Taliban fighters have not yet said anything about the blast.
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Karzai govt to fall if NATO pulls out, warns Miliband
PAN Monitor – Nov 21, 2009 – 01:29
KABUL (PAN): The British foreign secretary, in an apparent response to critics of the war in Afghanistan, has warned that the Karzai government will collapse if NATO withdraws from the conflict-devastated country.
David Miliband, among hundreds of foreign dignitaries who attended President Karzai’s inauguration in Kabul on Thursday, asked British opponents of the war to give more time to the campaign for rebuilding the country.
“If international forces leave, you can choose a time five minutes, 24 hours or seven days but the insurgent forces will overrun those forces that are prepared to put up resistance and we would be back to square one,” he told a British daily.
The Afghan president’s assessment of a three-year deadline for the shifting of security control to Afghan forces would not signal an end to western involvement, the foreign secretary explained in an interview with the Guardian.
He added: “My argument is not stay or go, my argument is we stay for a purpose, for a period, for progress. Artificial timetables just give succour to your enemy. We are going to transition, and transition is a better word than exit.”
The United Kingdom should look beyond its military mission in Taliban-infested southern Afghanistan, believed Miliband, who cautioned: “It is important we don’t fall into a trap of ‘Helmandshire,’ that we are creating a colony.”
While acknowledging mounting public anxiety about the war in Britain because of rising casualties, he observed: “Afghanistan wasn’t on the front pages until the last six months for obvious reasons.
“Now for tragic reasons there is a lot of interest. What we have to do is explain to people that the costs of staying are real but they are less than the costs of leaving,” the secretary continued.
At the end of his visit to Kabul, Miliband said Afghans were “sad that they need anyone, but they are passionate that my goodness they do, because if we weren’t here their country would be rolled over.”
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Abdullah says political will needed to curb militancy
PAN Monitor – Nov 21, 2009 – 16:29
KABUL (PAN): A former Afghan foreign minister has said both Islamabad and Kabul need a strong political will to deal with the growing militancy in the neighbouring countries.
In remarks aired by a private Pakistani TV channel on Saturday, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah called for a joint Pak-Afghan campaign to politically isolate the Taliban insurgents.
President Hamid Karzai’s principal challenger in the recent election, Abdullah agreed the movement of militants across the porous Pak-Afghan border was in the interest of neither country.
Speaking to DawnNews, he said although there were no quick fixes, a political resolve was required to effectively tackle the insurgency problem.
The Taliban militancy in Afghanistan has increased to an extent that it cannot be curbed without deployment of additional American forces, according to the ex-minister.
In order to resolve the crisis, the global fraternity needed a ‘credible Afghan partner,’ Dr. Abdullah said in an apparent criticism of President Karzai, who was sworn into office for a second term on Thursday.
Asked if he would join a unity government, as Karzai had proposed in his speech, Abdullah replied the president did not agree with his programme for change. However, he did not elaborate on his recipe for change.
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Militants held in Paktia, Kandahar
Pajhwok report – Nov 21, 2009 – 15:08
KABUL (PAN): Four suspected insurgents have been detained by a joint Afghan-international force in Taliban-infested Paktia and Kandahar province, NATO said on Saturday.
The joint force detained two militants in Paktika, one of them a wanted Haqqani facilitator who was dressed in women’s attire to avoid capture, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
In an operational update, the multinational force said the facilitator was responsible for financing and transporting weapons and fighters to other militant elements in the area.
The joint force targeted a compound near Nasruddin Kalay in the Barmal district, where intelligence sources reported the facilitator to be located. The troops searched the compound without incident and detained the suspected militants. 
In a separate operation in southern Kandahar province, the troops arrested two rebels including a Taliban facilitator responsible for several attacks in the area. A series of buildings on the north side of Kandahar City were searched.
On Thursday, command of Joint Task Force-Afghanistan was transferred to Brigadier General Daniel Mnard. Menard took command of all Canadian military forces and civilian staff serving with ISAF in Kandahar.
Approximately 2800 Canadian Forces personnel are deployed to the region as part of ISAF forces. “I intend to follow in the footsteps of previous commanders and move the yardsticks as far forward as possible over the next 10 and half months,” he said.
“Our integrated military-civilian team gives us the breadth and depth of knowledge needed to help Afghans rebuild their country as a stable, democratic and self-sufficient society.”
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Soldiers among 10 dead in Waziristan
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 21, 2009 – 15:33
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Four security personnel and six militants, including a rebel commander, have been killed in a fresh clash in the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghanistan border, officials said on Saturday.
Paramilitary troops launched an operation against the insurgents after their camp came under Taliban attack in Razmak area, a Miranshah-based government official told Pajhwok Afghan News.
At least four Frontier Constabulary (FC) men were killed and a fifth was injured in the rocket strike that prompted retaliatory action, Niamat Khan said. Six fighters including a militant commander were eliminated as the troops shelled rebel hideouts in nearby mountains.
Meanwhile, a military spokesman confirmed the assault. Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the Taliban rocket attack killed four FC men including an officer. Another three soldiers were wounded, he added.
In the northwestern city of Peshawar, one person was injured in a blast outside a non-governmental organisation’s office in the high-security neighbourhood of University Town.
Police said the device was planted adjacent to the office wall. Four to five kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. Security officials cordoned off the site on Abdara Road.
However, a worker of the NGO said the exact cause of the explosion was yet to be determined. Jibran Khan was not sure whether it was a bomb or a cylinder blast.
He denied reports that Taliban militants had sent a threatening letter to the organisation, working for the welfare of the handicapped, prior to the explosion.
mud
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Terrorists receiving arms from Afghanistan: Malik
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 21, 2009 – 01:29
ISLAMABAD (PAN): The militants involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan were receiving weapons from neighbouring Afghanistan, a federal minister alleged on Saturday.
The interior minister told journalists in Islamabad Pakistan had asked the visiting Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta to help ensure a stop to the meddling in Balochistan from Afghanistan.
“We told him our greatest concern is interference in Balochistan and that it should be stopped immediately,” Rehman Malik told reporters here. However, he would not give details of the alleged interference.
The minister, who took up the issue at a meeting with Panetta, suggested military action would be initiated soon in the famous arms bazaar of Dara Adam Khel and Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency to flush out terrorists.
“We will chase terrorists where ever they hide,” vowed the minister, who assured the NWFP government of all-out support. Additional forces have been sent to Peshawar in the wake of a recent string of suicide bombings.
Malik scoffed at a report published in a US daily that claimed reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Omar was hiding the port city of Karachi. “If they have information about his whereabouts, they should share it with us so that we arrest him.”
Meanwhile, a senior Afghan diplomat in Islamabad spurned the minister’s allegation as groundless. Afghanistan’s acting ambassador told Pajhwok Afghan News his country was not aiding militants in Pakistan.
Majnoon Gulab Zazai argued Afghanistan, itself a victim of terrorism, was doing its bit to defeat the scourge. Instead of indulging in the blame game, he suggested, the neighbours should jointly combat terrorists.
A day earlier, Panetta held talks with President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Washington’s policy review in Afghanistan. Gilani urged the US to share with Pakistan the main features of its new Afghan strategy.
A local media report said Pakistan had conveyed its serious concerns to the US over CIA’s interference in its internal matters, including its covert support to some terrorists. Islamabad reportedly presented to the CIA chief evidence in this regard.
According to the Business Recorder newspaper, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha informed the visiting director that CIA officials were assisting terrorists.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85128
Forces kill ten militants, detain five
Ahmad Qureshi & Ahmad Shah Sabir – Nov 21, 2009 – 16:30
HERAT CUTY/ZARANJ (PAN): Police killed ten Taliban militants and detained an armed group during separate operations in southwestern Farah and Nimroz provinces, officials on Saturday.
Police spokesman for the western zone, Col. Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, informed Pajhwok Afghan News the police ambushed a group of militants in Jija area of Khak-i-Safed district of Farah province, bordering Iran, killing six guerrillas Friday evening.
He added the police suffered no casualties at the battlefield. Some weapons and ammunitions were also seized from the Taliban fighters.
However, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi expressed his unawareness about the operation in Khak-i-Safed district.
He claimed their fighters killed four foreign soldiers and blew up a fuel tanker for the troops in Bakwah district on Friday.
Talking over the telephone from an undisclosed location, Ahmadi said a dozen policemen were killed in a separate attack on their checkpoint in Zindajan district of western Herat province, a claim dismissed by the district chief.
Haji Daud said that only one of their policemen sustained injuries when a rocket struck the Qurq police check-post.
In neighbouring Nimroz, police claimed killing four miscreants during a clash and detained an armed group. The four insurgents were killed after the police party came under assault from them in Khashrod district on Friday night.
Police chief Col. Abdul Jabbar Purdali said another miscreant was wounded in the firefight. A walky-talky and some ammunition were also recovered.
Taliban rejected the claims. Ahmadi said the fighters killed eight police and injured three others in the rocket fire.
The police chief further said that police had recovered three Kalashnikovs, one pick-up vehicle, some ammunitions and a motorbike from the five-member armed group of insurgents detained from provincial capital, Zaranj.
Governor Ghulam Dastagir Azad, who also confirmed the detention, said security officials were chasing the group for many days and finally they were able to catch them from a local house late Friday night.
In eastern Nangarhar, insurgents set ablaze a fuel tanker of ISAF soldiers Friday night. Governor’s spokesman Abdul Zia Abdulzai confirmed the incident. He said only the fuel was wasted in the fire and the tanker did not damage as firefighters reached the scene.
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Taliban, HIA deny hand in life bid on Sayyaf
Khwaja Baseer Ahmad & Basharat – Nov 21, 2009 – 16:32
KABUL (PAN): Taliban and the Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) have strongly rejected the assassination attempt made on the life of Abdul Rab Rasuol Sayyaf, a former jihadi commander and parliamentarian in Kabul that killed his four bodyguards on Friday.
The former jihadi leader and legislator from Kabul province narrowly survived the remote-controlled bomb explosion in Paghman district of the capital city on Friday.
Four of his bodyguards were killed in the attack in Khwaja Musafir area.
Speaking over the telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the bid and denied their involvement.
Without going into detail, the self proclaimed spokesman said that the attack might be a result of Sayyaf’s differences with his opposition parties.
Meanwhile, an HIA spokesman Eng. Haroon Zarghoon condemned Friday’s life bid on Sayyaf. He rejected the involvement of his group in the incident.
Saifuddin, introducing himself as the head of a little-known anti government group under the name of ‘Mujahideen-i-Paghman’, asserted the responsibly for the attack.
He, however, rejected any links with the Taliban and HIA. He claimed Sayyaf was also wounded in the bomb attack which was carried out of their fighters.
Paghman police chief Col. Haji Muhammad Raziq has said a suspect had been detained in connection with the bombing.
He identified the detainee as Toryalai, resident of Paghman. He added the suspect was introduced to the crimes branch of Kabul police headquarters. Officials of the crimes branch also informed of detaining two men on the suspicion of involvement in the assault. However, the officials did not reveal any further information.
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Children among six dead in blasts, clashes
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz & Khan Wali Salarzai – Nov 21, 2009 – 17:55
TALOQAN/ASADABAD (PAN): Two children were killed and as many wounded in two back-to-back roadside bomb explosions in Taloqan, provincial capital of northeastern Takhar province, police said on Saturday.
Police chief Ziauddin Mahmoodi told Pajhwok Afghan News the first blast ripped through a police vehicle in Qabar-i-Qazi area on Friday. He added no one was hurt from the police in the blast, but the vehicle was partially damaged.
Minutes after the explosion, a second improvised explosive device detonated close to the area, killing two teenage children and wounding two others, the police boss said.
Public health director Dr. Abdul Hakim Aziz said two dead bodies and two injured people were brought to the hospital.
“I was in my shop when the first blast struck the police vehicle, damaging its front side,” an eyewitness named Najmuddin said.
Taliban have asserted responsibility for the blasts with Zabihullah Mujahid saying 10 policemen, including some officers, were killed and as many others injured in the attacks. Two police vehicles were also destroyed, he added.
Elsewhere, NATO-led ISAF forces claimed they killed four Taliban insurgents in eastern Kunar province.
In a statement, the force said a group of insurgents attacked the foreign troops in Tantil area of Manogi district last night. In the counter attack, the statement added, four attackers were killed. The international forces remained unhurt.
However, Tahir Salfi, who claims to speak for the Taliban operating in the region, claimed they fired rockets at an ISAF convoy, destroying their two vehicles. Salfi said all the soldiers aboard were perished in the assault.
Nearly a month back, the foreign forces stationed in the district, bordering Nuristan province, claimed killing 15 Taliban in a clash, a claimed dismisses the Taliban.
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Blast claims teen’s life
Bashir Nadem & Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 21, 2009 – 16:36
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): A 13-year-old boy lost his life when he tried to plant a bomb beneath a bridge in the restive Zherai district of southern Kandahar province, police said on Saturday.
The blast that took place at about 10am yesterday destroyed the bridge, deputy police chief Col. Fazal Sherzad told Pajhwok Afghan News. He said the insurgents had convinced the teen to place the bomb under the bridge.
The Interior Ministry in Kabul strongly condemned the incident. In a statement, the ministry said anti-government elements were misguiding children against the government forces. The statement the child was killed and the bridge destroyed in the explosion.
In Faryab province, insurgents launched an attack on a joint Afghan-international security force. In the ensuing clash, three attackers were killed and six others wounded late Friday, said police spokesman Muhammad Afzal Imamzada.
He added NATO and Afghan forces remained unhurt.
But Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, the Taliban mouthpiece, claimed the fighters killed nine ANA and four ISAF soldiers and wounded four others. He confirmed the killing of two fighters and injuries to three others.
However, he accused the joint force of bombing a village in Qaiser district. Ahmadi said the air strike killed several civilians.
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Meeting on APTTA begins
Zainab Mohammadi – Nov 21, 2009 – 13:00
KABUL (PAN): A fourth joint working session on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) got under way in Kabul on Saturday. Officials from the two countries are attending the two-day meeting.
Minister for Commerce and Industries Wahidullah Shahrani told participants that the transit trade agreement inked between two countries in 1965 appeared irrelevant and outdated in view of the current situation.
Commerce Ministry officials said the agreement had been signed at a time when the bilateral trade volume was pretty low and Pakistan had only one port at Wagah. But now the neighbouring country has three ports — Wagah, Karachi and Gawadar.
According Afghan officials, the landlocked country was dependent on Pakistan in terms of transit trade. Currently, Pakistan uses Afghanistan as a transit route for trade with Central Asian countries.
Addressing the meeting, Shahrani said although the government in Kabul provided all possible facilities for Pakistani traders, Afghan businessmen faced a host of problems in the neighbouring country — the closest and cheapest transit route.
Khan Jan Alokozai, deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), claimed his landlocked country had a right over neighbours to offer it the transit facility.
Inordinate delays in clearance of transit trade goods at Pakistani ports were the main problems haunting Afghan entrepreneurs, said Alokozai, who urged the incoming government to pay due heed to resolving traders’ problems in a new agreement.
Responding to his demand, the minister said the newly drafted accord envisaged all the necessary facilities for traders from both countries. He added the draft agreement prepared by the Afghan government was referred to Pakistan for a review.
Shahid Bashir, Pakistan’s deputy minister of commerce, believed that inking a new agreement was important, given the economic growth achieved by both countries.
As discussions over the draft continue, he assured, the two countries would cooperate in addressing traders’ concerns.
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VPs introduced to office staff
Pajhwok Report – Nov 21, 2009 – 18:34
KABUL (PAN): Martial Muhammad Qasim Fahim and Muhammad Karim Khalili, the newly sworn-in vice presidents were introduced to office staff by President Hamid Karzai here on Saturday.
Also present on the occasion were Wolesi Jirga Chairman Muhammad Yunus Qanuni, several cabinet members, high-ranking government officials and staffers of the first and second vice-president offices.
President Karzai, who took oath on Thursday, congratulated the vice-presidents on assuming charge of office and wished them success. Afterwards, the president, his deputies and Qanuni visited the various parts of the cabinet council palace.
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November 22, 2009
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2 injured in attack on luxury hotel
Khwaja Basir Ahmed – Nov 22, 2009 – 13:17
KABUL (PAN): A rocket was fired into a high-security luxury hotel — a favourite haunt for foreign dignitaries — in the heart of Kabul Saturday evening, injuring two security guards and damaging a wall.
The attack on Serena Hotel happened at 6pm, an Interior Ministry spokesman told Pajhwok Afghan News. The projectile hit the wall opposite the Rabia Balkhi Hospital, he added.
Zmaray Bashari said it was not immediately clear as to who fired the rocket and from which direction. The assault, highlighting increasing insecurity in Kabul, was confirmed by capital police.
The press office at the Kabul Police Headquarters said a team had been sent to the scene to investigate the incident. A police official at the scene said the injured were security guards.
Last month, two rockets were fired into the gardens of the same hotel, but there were no casualties. The October 28 strike coincided with a deadly Taliban attack on a UN guesthouse in the upscale Shahr-i-Naw neighbourhood.
On January 14, 2008, Taliban insurgents stormed into the hotel overlooking the famous Zarnegar Park, killing at least six people. The assailants hunted down Westerners who cowered in a gym.
The gunmen lobbed grenades and fired AK-47 assault rifles, with one blowing himself up. An American, a journalist from Norway and some security guards were among the dead.
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Qanuni for early nomination of cabinet
Frozan Rahmani – Nov 22, 2009 – 14:01
KABUL (PAN): The Wolesi Jirga speaker Saturday urged President Hamid Karzai to introduce his new cabinet to the Lower House before the winter recess.
In Saturday’s session, Yunus Qanuni said they were expecting the president to introduce his cabinet as soon as possible because the Wolesi Jirga rose for the winter recess, beginning from December 6.
He said parliamentary commission heads would hold meetings on Sunday to decide on a date for the introduction of new cabinet members.
Under Article 64 of the Constitution, the president has the discretion to appoint his cabinet members who shall appear before the Lower House to win a vote of trust.
In a speech after being sworn into office for a second term on Thursday, President Karzai pledged to nominate a clean cabinet and crack down on widespread corruption.
Speaking in the Lower House, Qanuni asked MPs to conclude debate on a draft law prohibiting violence against women (VAW). He added legislation regarding medals and honours and the proposed financial budget for the second half of the year should be made at the earliest possible.
Lack of quorum is one of the major hurdles in the way of law-making. Saturday’s session was attended by only 50 of the 239 MPs.
Fatima Aziz, a lawmaker from northern Kunduz province, said 40 legislators had been to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj without permission from the Wolesi Jirga Secretariat. She said some lawmakers were permanent absentees.
“How can we approve a draft law in such circumstances?” she asked.
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Ex-jihadi commander shot dead in Jawzjan
Hamid – Nov 22, 2009 – 01:24
SHEBERGHAN (PAN): Gunmen shot dead a former Junbish-i-Milli commander along with a tribal elder in northern Jawzjan province on Saturday, police said.
Deputy Police Chief Major General Mohammad Ibrahim told Pajhwok Afghan News the assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire at Haji Nukruddin and his guest Haji Mohammad Meer in Sherbaig village of Qush Tepa district this afternoon.
The attackers managed to escape, the police officer said. However, he added, three suspects were detained in connection with the incident. He blamed the Taliban for the killings.
District chief, Hameedullah, said 50-year-old Nukruddin was an erstwhile commander of the Junbish-i-Milli led by Gen. Abdul Rashid Dustam. He identified the elder as Mohammad Mirza, 65.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the fighters had gunned down a militia commander with four others in the area.
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NATO takes command of training Afghan army, police
Pajhwok Report – Nov 22, 2009 – 01:25
KABUL (PAN): With the activation of a newly-established authority at Camp Eggers in Kabul, the Combined Security Transition Command (CSTC-A) merged with the new NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) to create a unified command for the training of Afghan security forces.
Aimed at fostering new and existing relationships, the multi-nation partnership will build on the already expanding task of training and mentoring the Afghan National Army (ANA) and police in preparation for the future security.
“Our mission is about teaming with Afghans to build a bright, dynamic future for this sovereign nation. As the NTM-A/CSTC-A mission has evolved, so has the mindset governing our outlook and perspective,” said the new commander of the mission.
Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell added: “This new mindset, a mindset that challenges us to focus on the people of Afghanistan, requires us to be agile, adaptive, culturally respectful and innovative. With this mission and this new mindset, the path to success for NTM-A/CSTC-A lies with 3 Ts — teaming, transparency and transition.”
Present at Saturday’s change-of-command ceremony were Afghan Minister of Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, Minister of Interior Hanif Atmar and ISAF commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
Also in attendance were more than 400 Coalition soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, Department of Defence civilian employees and contractors and partner nation representatives, the NATO-led force said.
The former commander, Maj. Gen. Richard P. Formica, applauded previous successes while looking to the future with a sense of optimism and pride. “It has been my honour and privilege to serve here in Afghanistan. Those of us who serve here recognise the strategic importance of this mission”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85156
Large-scale ammunitions seized
Khwaja Baseer Ahmad – Nov 22, 2009 – 01:41
KABUL (PAN): Intelligence operatives seized a large quantity of ammunitions in separate operations in southeastern Khost and western Herat provinces, the National Directorate of Security said on Saturday.
A statement issued from the NDS said the ammunitions seized in Khost province included six machine guns, 11 anti-personnel mines, seven hand grenades, 17 artillery shells, six remote-controlled mines, a magnetic bomb, two shells of RPG and three binoculars
In Herat, the statement added, the forces in their operations in Adraskan, Injeel, Guzara, Rabat Sangi districts seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunitions.
The arms included 35 shells of RPG, 20 mortar shells, two artillery shells, three anti-tank bombs, 17 anti-personnel bombs, five electric rocket launchers, two pistols, and two jerry cans filled with explosives.
The statement said nothing about the time of the operations or any arrests made in this connection.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85157
ANA soldier sentenced to death in triple-murder case
Khalil Fitri – Nov 22, 2009 – 01:28
KABUL/KHOST CITY (PAN): An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier was sentenced to death in a triple-murder case in eastern Nangarhar while another ANA soldier shot injured his American counterpart in the southeastern province of Khost.
A statement from the Defense Ministry issued here Saturday said the primary court of 201st Seylab Military Corps convicted Sergeant Attiqullah in the triple murder case after the man pleaded guilty on November 17.
Attiqullah had killed three people at Ghalji Plaza in the eastern city of Jalalabad six months back.
He had confessed to his crime, saying he had personal enmity with the victims. Nangarhar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai at that time pledged to unmask the culprits.
Meanwhile, an Afghan soldier shot wounded an American soldier in Spira district of southeastern Khost province on Saturday and then turned the gun on himself.
Media office of the American Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the province said the Afghan soldier accidentally fired at his US counterpart through a window.
Both the injured troops were rushed to the PRT medical facility, where the Afghan service member died of his wound.
General Zaheer Wardak, Commander of 1st Battalion of 203rd Thunder Military Corps, however, said the US soldier was wounded by an enemy fire. He said the ANA soldier’s action was not involved. Such incidents in Afghanistan are not unprecedented.
Almost a week back, an Afghan police killed five British soldiers and took to the heels. A month back, another police in central Maidan Wardak province, shot killed two US soldiers and wounded two others. He also managed to escape.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85162
Three Taliban killed, oil tankers torched
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz – Nov 22, 2009 – 15:03
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Three Taliban militants including two commanders were killed and three oil tankers torched in the increasingly restive northern province of Kunduz, officials said on Sunday.
A senior official told Pajhwok Afghan News that the deadly clash between police and Taliban insurgents occurred last evening in the Taj Guzar area of the troubled Imam Sahib district.
Administrative head of Imam Sahib, Moalim Juma Khan added rebel commanders named Baz and Qari Mohammad Sarwar were eliminated during the clash. Police suffered no casualties in the gunbattle, he added.
A Taliban spokesman said five tribal militiamen were killed and another two wounded during the fighting. However, Zabihullah Mujahid gave no details of the clash.
Separately, three oil tankers were burnt as a result of a gas cylinder explosion near the Spinzar Company in provincial capital, Kunduz City, the police chief said.
Brig. Gen. Abdul Razzaq Yaqubi told a press conference the tankers were carrying oil from the Sher Khan Dry Port to Kabul. Eighty tonnes of oil were burnt in the explosion, he said.
The drivers, cooking meals when the incident took place, have been detained. One driver, who did not want to be named, insisted there was no gas cylinder blast. But he would not say what caused the explosion. Whether it was a bomb or a rocket, he did not know.
Yaqubi said the oil tankers belonged to the private Sun Gas Company, but Governor Engineer Mohammad Omar said the vehicles were owned by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the militants attacked the Spinzar Company and torched 10 tankers carrying fuel for NATO forces. At the same time, Qari Mansur — introducing himself as Hezb-i-Islami spokesman, also asserted responsibility for burning the three oil tankers.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85164
US helping militias to fight Taliban
PAN Monitor – Nov 22, 2009 – 17:58
KABUL (PAN): As part of what they call a Community Defence Initiative (CDI) to induce a popular tribal uprising against the Taliban insurgents, American and Afghan officials are helping militias in southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan.
An influential US newspaper reported on Sunday the emergence of the independent militias, which could prove counter-productive, had encouraged officials to the extent that they were planning to encourage the growth of similar armed groups across the Taliban heartland.
The New York Times said officials were optimistic The American the risky plan would bring together thousands of gunmen to protect their areas from the militants. Hundreds of Afghans are already independently battling the rebels, according to the newspaper.
“By harnessing the militias, American and Afghan officials hope to rapidly increase the number of Afghans fighting the Taliban. That could supplement the American and Afghan forces already here, and whatever number of American troops President Obama might decide to send,” the daily added.
Expected to help fill the gap while the Afghan National Army (ANA) and police forces train and grow, the militias will spur the Afghans to join the armed campaign against the Taliban. “The idea is to get people to take responsibility for their own security,” a Kabul-based US military official told NYT.
“In many places they are already doing that,” the unnamed official said of the plan that could lead members of the private forces turning against Afghan and US governments. Americans say the scope of activities of the groups — tied to Afghan forces — would be restricted to guarding villages and manning checkpoints.
“These checks aim to avoid repeating mistakes of the past — either creating more Afghan warlords, who have defied the government’s authority for years, or arming militants, some of whom came back to haunt the United States,” the report said.
Reminiscent of a US military move in Iraq, the risky strategy is being implemented by American Special Forces soldiers. In the first phase of the plan, the militias will be established or expanded in areas with a population of about a million people.
The newspaper said Special Forces soldiers have been spreading across rural Afghanistan, descending from helicopters into valleys where residents were up in arms against the Taliban. “We are trying to reach out to these groups that have organised themselves,” Col. Christopher Kolenda was quoted as saying.
Interior Minister Hanif Atmar told NYT: “What we are talking about is a local, spontaneous and indigenous response to the Taliban.” He claimed his compatriots were ready, determined and capable of defending their homeland country. The minister said what the Afghans needed were resources.
The militias are said to have started taking up arms against the militants in the provinces of Nangarhar and Paktia. As the US concentrates on helping smaller militias, Afghans have been assisting larger armed groups, including those around the northern city of Kunduz.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85166
Taliban kill five border police officials in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Nov 22, 2009 – 19:47
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Five border police officials were killed on Sunday when Taliban fighters attacked their patrol in the Spin Boldak district of southern Kandahar province, bordering Pakistan.
Commander of 3rd Border Police Brigade Gen. Abdul Razzaq told Pajhwok Afghan News the cops were patrolling the district, where they came under attack from the militants in Loy Karez area. He confirmed five policemen perished in the ambush that comprehensively destroyed their vehicle.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman claimed commander Khuda Nazar was among six policemen killed in the assault. One police vehicle was destroyed and three pieces of weapons were seized from them, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi added.
Meanwhile, a member of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) was killed in the same province, the birthplace of the Taliban movement that has stepped up its activities in recent months.
An official of the directorate said on condition of anonymity the victim named Ziaullah was going to his office when unidentified gunmen, riding a motorcycle, shot him dead in the 2nd police district of Kandahar City. The assailants managed to flee.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85181
Astana to spend $50m on educating Afghans
Pajhwok report – Nov 22, 2009 – 17:25
KABUL (PAN): Under an agreement signed here on Sunday, Kazakhstan will spend 50 million dollars during the next five years on educating 1,000 Afghan students.
Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State Kanat Saudabayev, who visited Kabul today, signed the agreement with his Afghan counterpart Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta.
Saudabayev met President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Kai Eide, according to a statement from the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The visiting minister presented a letter from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to President Karzai. The Kazakh leader congratulated the Afghan president on his inauguration.
In the letter, Nazarbayev referred to Kazakhstan’s intention to strengthen bilateral relations, continue assisting in the stabilisation and peaceful development of the war-torn country.
Under agreement on cooperation in education, Astana will allocate 50 million dollars for educating 1,000 Afghan students in Kazakhstan’s vocational colleges and universities.
Beginning next year, Kazakhstan will annually receive 200 Afghan students for training in various specialties, ranging from doctors and teachers to experts in the field of law enforcement and border protection, from engineers and agronomists to journalists. The programme will run until 2018.
At their meetings in Kabul, officials from the two sides discussed prospects of cooperation in political, trade and economic, and cultural and humanitarian fields, and exchanged views on a range of issues of international and regional security.
While meeting Karzai, Saudabayev stressed the importance for Kazakhstan of participating in projects to develop natural resources and infrastructure in Afghanistan and increased grain exports to the landlocked country.
This can be done both on a bilateral basis and through the UN and other international organisations which, according to Saudabayev, would be mutually beneficial and effective.
Over the past several years, Kazakhstan has transferred 2.4 million dollars towards reconstruction in Afghanistan, including for building a school, a hospital and a road, as well as sending 2,000 tonnes of wheat in humanitarian assistance. This year, under the Program of assistance to Afghanistan for 2009-2011, 1.5 million dollars are to be allocated.
Saudabayev and Eide discussed concrete ways of Kazakhstans cooperation with the UN in the stabilisation of Afghanistan, as well as prospects for interaction between the world body and OSCE during Kazakhstan’s chairmanship organisation next year.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85187
Foreign troops kill civilian in Ghazni
Sher Ahmed Haider – Nov 22, 2009 – 17:35
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Foreign forces killed one civilian and arrested another during a raid in the Qarabagh district of southern Ghazni province, an official and residents alleged on Sunday.
Police chief Brig Gen Khyalbaz Sherzai told Pajhwok Afghan News the troops killed Abdur Rahim and detained another man named Abdur Rashid in the Wali village last night on ‘suspicion’ of being militants.
Backed by Afghan security forces, the foreign troops continued their search operation this morning. The Taliban militants said the men had no relation with the movement.
Resident Ghulam Sakhi said the slain man was an 80-year-old civilian. He added the soldiers arrested two cousins of his same family. Sakhi saw jet fighters hover over the area and later heard a big bang.
Last week, international soldiers killed a father and seized his sons on similar charges in the same village. On Wednesday night, US troops raided in Ghazni City the house of a spokesman for the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry, Majeedullah, killing two of his relatives and detaining two others.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85195
Love in wartime: UK soldiers sent home
PAN Monitor – Nov 22, 2009 – 12:30
KABUL (PAN): Having a sexy time in wartime, 10 pregnant servicewomen have been sent back to the United Kingdom from Afghanistan over the past six months, a British tabloid reported on Sunday.
In London, the Defence Ministry confirmed the servicewomen on military duty were sent home between April 31 and October 31 this year. The action was taken under UK military rules barring pregnant women from doing combat duty.
The Sunday Mirror quoted a ministry spokeswoman as saying: “All our forces are expected to behave within the Armed Forces’ code of conduct.” All 700 women and 8,500 men serving in the war zone were warned of the strict ‘no-touching’ rule on arrival.
Women are evacuated to the UK at the first opportunity for their own well being and to preserve operational effectiveness after they become or discover they are pregnant on operations.
The soldiers who abuse their position could face disciplinary procedures including sacking, according to the daily, which said those caught having sex were generally reprimanded by their commanding officer.
Since April, the report added, ‘women squaddies’ had sought more than 100 pregnancy test kits and 10 came out positive. A source told the tabloid: “The troops have been joking, saying that maybe it’s something in the water.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85198
Building for mly court inaugurated
Muhammad Jawad Sharifzada – Nov 22, 2009 – 18:02
KABUL (PAN): A newly-constructed building for a primary court of the Afghan National Army (ANA) was inaugurated in this capital city on Sunday.
Funded by the United States, the project cost $0.75 million, a military rights official, Colonel Abdul Karim, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said the primary court of the 201st Selab Military Corps had separate portions for judicial staff, legal advisors, attorneys and defence lawyers.
He said earlier the staff faced problems as all activities of the court took place in a single room. According Karim, the system was established three years ago under the Defence Ministry.
In the past, the Attorney General and the Supreme Court would handle military cases. Over the past three years, about 2000 cases including traffic accidents, murder, violations of rules, misuse of arms, etc, were registered and referred to the authorities concerned.
The Defence Ministry has five military corps and each has a building for primary court being constructed with US grants.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85201
Contract for multimillion police centre signed
Wali Salarzai & Moeed Hashmi – Nov 22, 2009 – 18:30
ASADABAD/JALALABAD (PAN): A contract was signed for the construction of a multimillion police centre in the Dangam district in eastern Kunar province while a key bridge was inaugurated in the Torkham border town in neighbouring Nangarhar.
Kunar Governor Fazlullah Wahidi signed the agreement with a representative of the Coalition Forces’ Army Corps on Sunday. The project costing 6.6 million US dollars would be completed in a year, the governor said.
The five-acre centre will have seven single-storey blocks, according to Wahidi, who added such buildings would go a long way in boosting the preparedness of the police force. Once strengthened, he said, the force would be in a better position to block terrorist infiltration from Pakistan.
Elsewhere in the east, Governor Gul Agha Sherzai inaugurated a newly-built bridge in the Torkham town of the Momand Dara district in Nangarhar. The work on the pedestrian bridge was launched six months ago.
Gubernatorial spokesman Ahmed Zia Abdulzai told Pajhwok Afghan News that the 11-metre-high, 45-metre-long and four-metre-wide bridge over a dry stream accounted for 123,000 dollars, provided by the Nangarhar-based US Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRC).
The construction of the link would help a great deal in maintaining security in addition to facilitating pedestrians, hoped Brig. Gen. Muhammad Zama Mamozai, commander of the Eastern Border Brigade.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85202
52 projects executed in Samangan, Ghor
Barat & Hakimi – Nov 22, 2009 – 18:41
KABUL (PAN): Fifty-two uplift projects were executed in northern Samangan and western Ghor provinces under National Solidarity Programme (NSP) on Sunday, officials said.
Samangan Rural Rehabilitation and Development Director Eng. Muhammad Aman Amin told Pajhwok Afghan News 15 projects were executed in Dara-i-Souf Bala and Payeen districts, benefiting over 2700 families.
The schemes included leveling of a 33-km road, construction of three water reservoirs, water networks, a power supply plan, a 314 metres supportive wall and digging of 13 water wells.
He added the projects cost 16.5 million afghanis provided by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) with a 10 per cent contribution from the local population.
In Ghor, 27 development projects were carried out in the Dawlatyar district under the work-for-food programme, a spokesman for Rural Rehabilitation and Development Department said. The projects included the levelling of 204 kilometre roads and cleaning of canals measuring 31 kilometres.
Zakarya Serat said 2,400 people who worked on the projects for three months received 477 tonnes of food items from the World Food Programme. Each worker was given 150 kg of wheat, nine kg of ghee and five of kg pulses.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85204
Women’s handicrafts go on display
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Nov 22, 2009 – 18:44
JALALABAD (PAN): A day-long exhibition of women’s handicrafts, arranged under the aegis of the Cross-Cutting Consulting Group (CCCG) on Counter-Narcotics was opened at the Sherzai Stadium in this eastern city on Sunday.
As many as 150 women from the 22 districts of Nangarhar province displayed their products, Baryalai Wyar, the CCCG media head, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
“The aim is to encourage and promote handicrafts and enhance women’s role in family economy,” he said, adding another slogan of the competition was to find market for such products. 
Women Affairs Department Director Shila Baburi stressed females have economic emancipation. She said the handicrafts benefited women financially and served as a useful pastime for them.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85207
Three cops, militant injured in clash
Jafar Tayar – Nov 22, 2009 – 18:49
FAIZABAD (PAN): Police clashed with militants in northeastern Badakhshan province and as a result three cops and a fighter were injured late Saturday night, an official said on Sunday.
Kishim district chief Abdul Wali Niazi said the clash that lasted one hour erupted after a group of militants attacked a police check-post in Madaba area. He added the injured fighter was taken away by his accomplices.
But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the fighters abducted a wounded policeman during the clash. The check-post was destroyed and the fighters seized a machinegun and two assault rifles, added Mujahid.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85208
Drugs, arms seized, heroin factory destroyed
Zarghona Salehi – Nov 22, 2009 – 19:41

KABUL (PAN): Narcotics weighing more than 12,000 kilograms with an arms cache were seized and a heroin-making factory destroyed in Deshu district of southern Helmand province, Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
In a statement, the ministry said the narcotics and arms were seized on Thursday during a joint operation involving Afghan police and US-led coalition forces.
The drugs and arms included 12,000 kg of opium, 110kg of heroin, 11 Kalashnikovs, three machine guns, three pistols.
The statement further said a heroin producing factory was also destroyed by the joint force.
Secretary to deputy counter-narcotics minister, Mehdi Kazmi, said the drugs and arms were confiscated from the factory.
The interior ministry said a man was held for connection with the narcotics and referred to the attorney office for further investigation.
More than 600 tonnes of narcotics were seized since the beginning of this solar year while 400 tonnes of narcotics were captured last year, the statement concluded.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85209
MP takes swipe at Pelosi
Abaseen Zaheer – Nov 22, 2009 – 11:58
KABUL (PAN): An Afghan senator has hit back at US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s remarks that denounced President Hamid Karzai as an ‘unworthy partner’ of the United States of America.
Mohammad Mohsin Hotak, a legislator southern Zabul province, angrily reacted to her statement on Sunday: “No foreign official reserves the right to level false allegations against Afghanistan or its president.”
Echoing the views of several US parliamentarians opposed to the troop surge requested by top American commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Pelosi dubbed President Karzai an “unworthy partner” who did not deserve a big boost either in US troops or civilian aid.
A critic of deploying more US service-members to Afghanistan, she said in an interview with the National Public Radio (NPR) aired on Friday that there was not strong support among her fellow Democrats in Congress for “any big ramp-up of troops” to oppose resurgent Taliban forces.
“The president of Afghanistan has proven to be an unworthy partner. We cannot fund a mission where we don’t have a reliable partner and where whatever civilian investments we want to make, which are so necessary, will be diverted for a corrupt purpose,” Pelosi told NPR News’ Morning Edition.
In response to her blistering attack, Senator Hotak alleged US authorities were divided in their views of Afghanistan. The viewpoints of the US president, and defence and foreign secretaries were starkly different from Nancy Pelosi’s on the Afghan issue, he added.
Hotak also slammed British Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s interview with the Guardian, in which he said the Afghan government would collapse like a house of cards if NATO troops withdrew from the war-crippled country.
As he told David Miliband not to refrain from making such statements in future, Upper House Chairman Sibghatullah Mujaddedi said everyone had the right to voice one’s opinion and that “we cannot stop someone talking.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85210
60 civilians, 72 rebels killed last week
Jawad Sharifzada – Nov 22, 2009 – 12:00
KABUL (PAN): Sixty civilians were killed and 102 others wounded in various violence-related incidents over the past one week, the Ministry of Interior has said.
Most of the civilian casualties occurred in volatile southern provinces of Ghazni, Helmand and Kandahar as a result of roadside bombs, rocket attacks, ambushes and suicide attacks, the ministry added.
In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said the death toll showed a 58 per cent increase over previous week’s civilian casualties.
The casualties inflicted on enemy forces included 72 dead, seven injured and 76 detained, registering a 27 per cent decrease compared to last week.
Police casualties jumped by 39 per cent with 23 officials killed and 34 others wounded during the week, according to the statement.
As many as 76 terrorists were netted, 42 bombs defused and 45 different kinds of weapons seized over the past seven days.
Additionally, an 89 per cent increase was recorded in narcotics-related activities this week. Eleven tonnes of narcotics were seized and 19 people arrested from different parts of the country.
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November 23, 2009
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85215
40 Pak Taliban dead in operations
PAN Monitor – Nov 23, 2009 – 13:29
KABUL (PAN): At least 40 Taliban insurgents have been killed and several others wounded in air raids and clashes with security personnel in volatile northwestern Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan.
Pakistani media outlets reported on Monday 50 terrorists were injured in military operations in the restive tribal region and Hangu district. At least two security personnel were killed and 13 others wounded in clashes.
The troops arrested 23 suspected terrorists during operations in Bajaur, Orakzai and South Waziristan Agencies, Daily Times reported. Security forces eliminated five militants during a search operation in South Waziristan.
Ten improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were defused on the Jandola-Sararogha axis, the army said, adding a total of 20 compounds and 14 caves were cleared in Zinda Narai, Point 1094 near Siplatoi and Abdullah Noor Kas near Kotkai.
In Bajaur, bordering Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar, 18 rebels were killed and eight others wounded in air raids and clashes in Mamond and Khar tehsils on Sunday. Jets pounded Taliban hideouts in Spera, Kherkai and Sewai areas of Mamond tehsil.
Soldiers fought pitched battle with militants in Khar, foiling their plan to attack security posts in Lowi Sam, Enzari and Rashakai, according to DawnNews. A group of 40 insurgents wanted to take part in the attack. Five of the fighters were eliminated.
A local official told the private TV channel that 11 militants, including their leader named Rafiullah, were killed in a separate engagement. The house of a rebel was targeted in Terkha area, where militants were hiding. At least two of the terrorist died in the raid.
Twenty guerrillas perished in ground and air strikes in the Shahukhel area of Hangu district, a sectarian flashpoint, and Orakzai Agency. Gunship helicopters hit terrorist bases in Shahu Khel, killing 13 Taliban and arresting another 15. One soldier was killed and eight others injured in the clashes.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets bombed Debori in Orakzai, killing four Taliban. Two militant hideouts were also destroyed. Security forces also destroyed an illegal FM transmitter at Mamozaki, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan news agency said.
In Swat Valley and Malakand, four suspects were netted while as many terrorists surrendered to security forces. Police seized rocket launchers and suicide jackets during a raid on a house in Kabal tehsil.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85217
Community-based approach to education suggested
Pajhwok Report – Nov 23, 2009 – 12:28
KABUL (PAN): A new groundbreaking study has suggested a community-based approach to education in Afghanistan in order to improve social acceptance of schooling and mitigate the risk of attacks on teachers and students, especially girls.
The international non-governmental organisation CARE, the World Bank and the Afghan government jointly released on Monday the report titled “Knowledge on Fire: Attacks on Education in Afghanistan.”
“Education-related violence is an alarming trend in Afghanistan, with girls at particular risk of attacks and other scare tactics aimed at keeping them out of school,” the report said, calling for raising awareness about the value and importance of education at the community level.
In 2008 alone, the study added, 670 education-related attacks including murder and arson occurred, causing hundreds of schools to close and parents to keep their children home.
“But this study suggests that an approach of building support for education at the local level can reduce the risk of attacks,” said Dr. Helene Gayle, president and chief executive officer of CARE.
The study proposed engaging, supporting and training community leaders in risk reduction strategies, identifying appropriate locations for new schools and revising policing policies for each community.
Lex Kassenberg, country director for CARE in Afghanistan, said: “I’ve seen communities embrace education including girls’ education when they’re given leadership over local schools and ownership in improving security.”
The director stressed: “And if we want to truly improve today’s grave situation in Afghanistan, we must ensure that the whole population is educated including girls. It is then that we can build stable societies where poverty and violence have no place.”
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organisation fighting global poverty. It places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85222
4 US soldiers killed in rebel attacks
Pajhwok Report – Nov 23, 2009 – 17:57
KABUL (PAN): Four soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have perished in roadside bomb attacks in restive southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan, where violence has considerably spiked in recent months.
“Three service members from the United States died in southern Afghanistan yesterday,” the multinational force said in an operational update on Monday. The statement did not give the exact places where the casualties occurred.
Two of the service-members died as the result of an improvised explosive device attack, while the third soldier perished in an insurgent attack with small arms fire, ISAF said, adding a fourth US American was killed in an IED detonation in eastern Afghanistan today.
The NATO fatalities were announced a day after the Norwegian home guard commander visited the ISAF Joint Command at the North Kabul International Airport military compound.
Major Gen. Bernt Iver Ferdinand Brovold met Maj. Gen. Jacques Lechevallier, IJC deputy commander.  During his brief visit to IJC, the Norwegian general was briefed on the different types of threats Afghan people faced and the counterinsurgency strategy. 
“Key points focused on protecting the Afghan people, synchronising good governance with responsive development and security and partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces to accelerate the growth of Afghanistan’s security capacity.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85227
Solar panels provide cheap, clean energy
Pajhwok Report – Nov 23, 2009 – 18:32
PUL-i-ALAM (PAN): More than 100 families in the central Logar province will enjoy cleaner and cheaper energy this winter, thanks to an initiative from the local Afghan Community Development Council.
The project was designed in close consultation with the Baraki Barak District Development Council, which nominated five villages to receive 25 solar panels each, one for each family, the US agency for international development said in a statement.
“Each solar panel generates approximately 40 watts of sustained electricity per household, enough to light four rooms with the most-commonly used 10-watt bulbs.”
The statement added the solar panels can help address concerns, the villages have expressed about house fires ignited by highly combustible gas cylinders.
In addition to safety, the solar panels save each family about $30 per month.
The 25 solar panels cost $10,700 and, in a strong show of local participation, each Community Development Council paid about 10 percent of the cost, as well as providing the bulbs, batteries and cables needed to run the panels.
Installation of the Logar solar panels follows similar projects in Paktia and Ghazni.  Similar projects in other parts of the country will follow over the next year, the USAID said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85235
Foreign Ministry orders probe into clash
Javed Hamim Kakar & Khwaja Baseer – Nov 23, 2009 – 16:04

KABUL (PAN): The Foreign Affairs Ministry has launched investigations into a clash between illegal Afghan and Sri Lankan immigrants in Australia. As many as 40 people were reportedly injured in the overnight quarrel.
Hundreds of Afghans and Sri Lankans, who want to enter Australia by using smuggling routes, were kept in the X-Mass Island on the western coast of Australia. The immigrants are usually kept there but some of them managed to get asylum in Australia after meeting legal formalities.
Ahmad Zahir Faqiri, spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Monday the ministry had directed the Afghan ambassador to Australia to investigate the incident and present his report to the government.
Australian officials said 150 people from the two countries clashed Sunday night and many were injured from both sides. They added the island had the capacity for nearly 1,000 people. However, in recent days, the number of illegal immigrants had considerably increased.
An Australian official was quoted as saying that some of the injured were administered first aid on the spot while others with serious injuries were shifted to Perth by helicopter. Australian officials said the brawl erupted in the male portion of the facility and both sides used batons, sticks and stones.
Sources said the Australian government had also started investigations into the incident after pacifying the situation by separating the Afghan and Sri Lankan illegal immigrants.
The process of illegal immigration to Australia has increased in recent past. Majority of the immigrants are from Afghanistan, Nepal and Palestine. The Australian government has issued strict instructions to its security agencies to discourage illegal immigrants from entering the country.
dk/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85236
ISAF to help strengthen ANA, police
Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 23, 2009 – 21:57
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander General Stanley A. McChrystal Monday renewed his promise of strengthening the Afghan National Army (ANA).
McChrystal held out the promise at a meeting with northern zone police chief, General Mujtaba Patang, during a visit to Mazar-i-Sharif — capital of northern Balkh province.
The top US general pledged to increase the numbers of the Afghan army and police force and impart them training with a view to improving the security situation in the north.
Police spokesman Lal Muhammad Ahmadzai told Pajhwok Afghan News the NATO commander also visited a foreign soldiers based in the province.
He added Gen. Patang demanded of McChrystal to help strengthen the police force in the province with the provision of sophisticated equipment. He also urged the establishment of more police and army checkpoints in the province.
frm/ma/mud
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85239
Taliban commander among six killed
Hadi Ghafari – Nov 23, 2009 – 16:46

BAMYAN CITY (PAN): A Taliban district chief was among six fighters killed in an air strike conducted by the US-led Coalition in Gizab district of central Dai Kundi province, police claimed on Monday.
Provincial police chief, Martaza Qul Delshad, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban-named chief for Gizab, Mullah Khairullah, was killed yesterday along with five fighters in Chehl Berani area of the district. He was on his way to Char Chino district of neighboring Uruzgan province.
Khairullah was allegedly involved in a string of bomb explosions and attacks on security personnel in the district. An influential of Kajran district and provincial council member, Haji Mohammad Ishaq Akhlaqi, said Taliban buried Khairullah and last night in Char Chino.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85253
Chakari asks TV channel to apologise
Khwaja Basir Ahmed – Nov 23, 2009 – 11:40
KABUL (PAN): With the West leaning on President Hamid Karzai to crack down on endemic corruption in high places, the acting religious affairs minister has angrily reacted to media reports about an arrest warrant issued against him on graft charges.
Muhammad Sediq Chakari, addressing a news conference in Kabul on Monday, asked a Kabul-based private TV channel to tender an unqualified apology for airing the misleading story. If the Tolo administration did not apologise, he warned, the issue would be referred to the Ulema Council.
Earlier in the month, two Religious Affairs Ministry officials were detained with an amount of 360,000 US dollars at the Kabul International Airport. Following the Nov 5 arrests, the attorney-general opined the minister concerned should answer queries raised by the attempted transfer of the ‘corruption money.’ 
While insisting the report aired by Tolo was baseless, Chakari said he had written a formal letter to a media watchdog at the Ministry of Information and Culture to initiate legal action against the TV channel. “If it doesn’t say sorry, I’ll move the Ulema Council against Tolo.”
He had no link to the ministry officials held on embezzlement charges in compliance with orders from the attorney-general’s office, said Chakari, who did acknowledge sending to Saudi Arabia $600,000 to meet possible needs of Afghan pilgrims.
Some of the money was spent and the remainder brought back to the country, he explained, explaining the officials were asked to return the remaining amount to the government. The minister continued he explained the whole situation to prosecutors at the attorney-general office.
Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News over the telephone, a Tolo representative said the channel’s story was based on a report in a London-based newspaper. Mujahid Kakar, in charge of the news section, denied any wrongdoing in releasing the news item.
Approached for comments, a deputy attorney general said they had not yet received any orders for issuing arrest warrants for Chakari. Fazal Ahmad Faqiryar refused to comment on the media reports.
On Sunday, The Times of London reported warrants had been signed for the arrest of Sediq Chakari and another cabinet minister on charges of theft and fraud. The second minister’s name was not mentioned in the story datelined Kabul.
In its online edition, the newspaper said investigators in the new major crimes task force, being trained by US and British officials, had found sufficient evidence to charge Sediq Chakari. The warrants were handed to Karzai earlier this month.
A police official confirmed to The Times that a warrant had been issued against Chakari. Under the relevant law, the president has to suspend a minister’s immunity before the warrant can be served.
Before issuing the warrants, the nascent force had arrested a general accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from government funds, much of it by claiming for ‘ghost’ staff and pocketing their salaries.
Separately, Faqiryar was quoted as saying that two cabinet ministers were being probed on suspicion of embezzlement. The official, who did name the cabinet members, told Reuters news agency: “If the ministers insist and don’t show up for the interrogation, we have other legal means with which to proceed.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85256
US forces detain rebel leader in Wardak
Hakim Basharat – Nov 23, 2009 – 18:18
KABUL (PAN): US forces have arrested a top Taliban commander during an operation in Syedabad district of central Maidan Wardak province, an official said on Monday.
Governor’s spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told Pajhwok Afghan News the operation was conducted in the Tangi area late Sunday evening.
He identified the detained commander as Mullah Bozarg and blamed him for involvement in several deadly attacks on foreign and Afghan forces.
Shahid said no shots were fired during the operation and the US forces took away the rebel commander with them.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they had no commander in Syedabad by the name of Mullah Bozarg. He alleged the foreign troops often arrested tribal elders in the name of action against militants.
Foreign and national soldiers have intensified operations against Taliban commanders in Syedabad, Nirkh and Chak district of the province.
A few days ago, foreign troops killed rebel commander Maulvi Sharif and detained the head of Taliban’s military commission, Maulvi Sher Ahmad, in Nirkh district.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85258
MoPH wins $1.5m GAVI award
Zarghona Salehi – Nov 23, 2009 – 12:30
 
KABUL (PAN): On the basis of improved child immunisation programmes and transparency in utilization of funds, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has won a $1.5 million award eyed by 72 countries.
Public Health Minister Dr. Sayed Muhammad Amin Fatimie told a press conference here on Monday the award was given by the Vietnam-based Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
The alliance has been providing funds to poor countries with an unstable health situation, particularly in the area of child immunisation, since 2000. Afghanistan has been eligible for receiving funding and awards since 2004.
Fatimie added the money — to be transferred to De Afghanistan Bank in 2010 — would be spent on vaccination. In 2008, he explained, his ministry overshot the vaccination target by 70,000 children.
Under GAVI rules, 20 dollars are paid for each child vaccinated. “Amidst corruption charges against high officials, the award is a matter of pride for Afghanistan. This is the first time award for the Public Health Ministry.”
He revealed the vaccination coverage had expanded from 15 per cent to 85 per cent over last nine years. Afghanistan also achieved awards for strengthening its immunisation system, safety of injection and purchasing new vaccines. 
At a huge gathering of GAVI partners from 72 countries in Hanoi from Nov 18-20, 17 nations including Afghanistan received awards for transparency in using funds and effective implementation of immunisation programmes.
“This award is a national glory; I congratulate all Afghans, vaccinators, management teams and particularly parents who bring their children to get vaccinated at health centres,” observed the minister.
GAVI has granted Afghanistan $100 million over the last nine years and another $34 million are in the pipeline for immunisation programmes, according to ministry officials..
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85260
Five Afghans killed in road accident in Iran
Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 23, 2009 – 18:56
HERAT CITY (PAN): Five Afghan refugees were killed and eight others wounded as two vehicles collided in southeastern Sistan va Baluchistan province of Iran, Iranian police said on Monday.
Police chief, Orduwan Qasmi, said an Iranian national was also perished and two others wounded in the accident in Hirmand city.
He added the injured people were taken to a nearby hospital. The accident occurred when the driver of refugees’ vehicle lost control over the steering.
Last year, 30 Afghan refugees were killed and at least 83 others wounded as a passenger bus carrying 123 people overturned in Ni Riz city of Fars province in Iran.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85261
Four ANA soldiers killed, 9 injured
Abdul Qadir Siddique – Nov 23, 2009 – 18:58
KABUL (PAN): Four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers have been killed and nine others wounded in separately incidents in Helmand and Kunar provinces, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Monday.
In southern Helmand, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle of the troops in Musa Qala district on Saturday, killing three soldiers, the ministry said in statement.
Another six soldier sustained injuries as militants opened fire at them while on patrol in the Maton village in eastern Kunar province.
In Zherai district of Kandahar province, one soldier was killed and another wounded, the statement said, but gave no details about the cause of the incident.
According to the statement, a large scale of explosives included 50 mines and four sacks filled with narcotics were recovered in Khakrez district of Kandahar, where seven militants were detained.
The ANA soldiers killed an insurgent while planting a roadside bomb in Sangin district of Helmand province. The bomb was defused in place, the statement said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85262
Tajikistan to deport 150 Afghan prisoners
Abaseen Zaheer – Nov 23, 2009 – 19:00
KABUL (PAN): Tajikistan government has agreed to deport 250 Afghan prisoners, languishing in different Tajik jails, to the country in near future, the Wolesi Jirga was told on Monday.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Abdul Kabir Farahi said the Afghans, arrested over the past several years, have been serving their sentences for committing different nature of crimes. “They would be deported to Afghanistan in light of an agreement reached between the foreign ministry and Tajikistan government,” he added.
He said a delegation of the justice ministry would soon visit the neighboring country and that the prisoners would be deported in groups.
“The convicts would complete their sentences in Afghanistan jails,” the minister said.
Farahi and the Minister for Refugees Affairs Abdul Karim Barahvi were summoned by the house to brief it about the progress made with regard to resolution of problems being faced by Afghan citizens in Pakistan.
The House last week gave a seven days time to the two senior officials about resolving Afghan refugees’ problems in the neighboring country. They presented their reports about their progress in this regard to the legislative body.
Barahvi told the lawmakers that he remained in constant touch with Pakistani officials for the last seven days. The Pakistani authorities promised to halt forced repatriation of Afghans until June, he added.
Earlier, Pakistani authorities had ordered Afghan refugees living in Pali, Dargai and Zangal Bagh camps to either return to their homeland or move into another refugees’ camp, Akora Khattak within three weeks.
After the expiry of the three weeks deadline, the authorities cut off power and water supplies to the camps.
Barahvi said the water and power supply to the three camps had been resumed.
Similarly, deputy foreign minister said they held talks with Pakistani officials, including Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul, and representatives of UNHCR about the refugees’ problems. Farahi said the officials concerned had pledged to help stop forced repatriation of the refugees until June.
He added the tripartite meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR officials was expected to take place in December.
However, he did not say where the meeting was going to be held.
Speaking at the session, MP Abdul Kabir Ranjbar accused Pakistan of breaching the agreements reached between the two countries.
Another legislator Noorul Haq Ulomi, said not only the neighboring countries, but other foreign countries were also taking political advantage of refugees for pressurizing the Afghan government.
He alleged that Pakistani government handed over 150 Afghans to Holland on the charges of terrorism in 2001.
Ulomi said the two ministries refugees and foreign can not resolve the problems of Afghan refugees all over the world. He suggested that measures should be carried on the cabinet level.
It is to be mentioned here that 1.7 million registered Afghans are living in Pakistan with 4,000 illegal and 9,50,000 registered Afghan in Iran with unknown number of illegal Afghans.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85263
Work on nine reconstruction schemes launched
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Nov 23, 2009 – 19:10
MEHTARLAM (PAN): Work on nine reconstruction schemes got underway in eastern Laghman province under National Solidarity Programme (NSP) on Monday, an official said.
An NSP official Engineer Humayun Akseer told Pajhwok Afghan News the projects, costing 7millions afghanis, in Qargha district would benefit thousands of families.
He added the schemes, included digging of 23 wells, construction of two small bridges, a 100-metre retaining wall, cleaning a Karez and conducting tailoring courses for 30 people, would take three months to complete.
About 1077 projects had so far been completed under the programme out of the total 1708 approved projects in the province.
Meanwhile, 10 newly-constructed barracks for Afghan National Army (ANA) were opened in Sorkhakan area of the district.
Governor’s spokesman, Syed Ahmad Safi, said the barracks accommodating 120 soldiers of Ziaul-Haq Camp Platoon of 2nd Brigade of the Selab Military Corps were built with financial support form the United States of America.
The barracks, costing 450,000 US dollars, took three months to complete. Safi added each barrack had the capacity to house 20 soldiers. The barracks have also the facility of mosque and dinning room.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85265
District police headquarters inaugurated
Ayubi & Sarfaraz – Nov 23, 2009 – 19:19
QALA-I-NAW (PAN): A newly-constructed building for the Aab Kamari district police headquarters in northwestern Badghis province was inaugurated on Monday.
The project costing $700,000 was funded by the Badghis-based US forces. The provincial police chief said the facility, built over one acre land, took one year to complete.
Brigadier General Syed Ahmad Sami added the building had all the necessary facilities such as electricity, water supply, a boundary wall and some other needs.
In northern Kunduz, Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation director said a 90-metre-deep well had been dug up to supply water to agriculture farms.
Abdul Aziz Nekzad said the well; dug on the premises of the department, would irrigate farms in the area which did not have a proper irrigation system before.
The total cost of the scheme was $25,000, provided by the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), he concluded.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85266
Gunmen kill official; 8 militants detained in Logar
Abdul Maqsood Azizi – Nov 23, 2009 – 19:33
PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Gunmen shot dead an official of Independent Local Governance (ILG) in central Logar province, where an eight-member militant group was detained on Monday, officials said.
Baraki Barak district chief, Muhammad Yaseen Ludin, told Pajhwok Afghan News Noor Muhammad was on his way to a mosque in the district town when three unknown armed men opened fire at him late Saturday evening, killing him on the spot.
Blaming the Taliban for the murder, Ludin said the 30-year-old man had received threats from the fighters, calling on him to give up his job.
A relative Muhammad Afzal said the gunmen were wearing masks and fled the scene after killing Muhammad. He said Mohammad had no personal enmity with any one.
In the same district, Afghan and US-led coalition troops detained an eight member group of insurgents. The joint offensive was carried out in the Chalozo village, deputy police chief Ghulam Nabi Charkhi said.
He said the joint force seized weapons from the detainees, currently under investigation.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85267
Clerics say poppy is prohibited in Islam
Zainullah Setanikzai – Nov 23, 2009 – 19:53

LASHKARGAH (PAN): Clerics in southern Helmand province, the world’s largest opium-producing region, on Monday termed the poppies a prohibited plant and asked farmers not to grow it.
The call was made at a large gathering participated by provincial officials, religious scholars, tribal elders and farmers in capital city Lashkargah.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Governor Abdul Satar Mirzakwal said the ulema’s role was crucial in eradicating poppy. He said the ulema had a great respect in society and they should talk about the drawbacks and harms of the poppy in their sermons in mosques.
“Everything that brings intoxication is prohibited in Islam,” said Helmand’s Ulema Council head, Maulvi Khuda Nazar. He called upon the people of the province to avoid growing the plant and called it haram in Islam. He said their efforts yielded positive results as the province witnessed a remarkable reduction in the poppies last year. “We persuade people not to grow the plant,” Nazar said.
Another scholar, Maulvi Mosavi, linked insecurity in the province to poppy cultivation, arguing the insurgents used money gained from the poppies for their movement.
According to a United Nations report; more than 90 per cent world’s poppy is produced in Afghanistan with Helmand responsible for 42 percent of the world’s total production.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85268
Huge terrorist bid foiled in Laghman
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Nov 23, 2009 – 19:54
MEHTERLAM (PAN): Security officials in eastern province of Laghman on Monday foiled a terrorist bid by seizing a truck laden with explosives.
Police chief Brigadier General Abdul Karim Omaryar told Pajhwok Afghan News late Monday they had intelligence report about a possible car bomb explosion in capital city Mehterlam.
He said the police and intelligence operatives found the truck on the outskirts of the city and destroyed it in place.
The truck had developed a mechanical fault, making it unable to move. The police boss said a mechanic trying to repair the vehicle was also detained and is now under interrogation.
He added 2,500 kilograms of explosives and 30 buckets of petrol hidden in sand were recovered from the vehicle.
A local, Humayon, said the security officials blew up the explosives. The blast was very powerful that shook areas, said the resident.
Almost two months back, a suicide attack in Mehterlam killed 23 people, including Deputy of National Directorate of Security (NDS) Dr Abdullah Laghmani.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85271
US pledges $38.7m for poppy eradication
Zubair Babakarkhel – Nov 23, 2009 – 21:56
KABUL (PAN): The United States has pledged 38.7 million dollars for the development of 27 provinces where opium production was eradicated or drastically reduced. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed here on Monday.
Speaking to journalists on the occasion, Deputy Minister of Counter-Narcotics Gen. Khodaidad said 10 million dollars would be spent in the southern province of Helmand, the world’s biggest opium-producing province.
A survey jointly conducted by the Counter-Narcotics Ministry and the United Nations this year revealed a 33 per cent cut in poppy cultivation in Helmand. The minister termed the assistance a big achievement, saying the amount would be spent on reconstruction projects in consultation with common people and elders.
He said the assistance would be utilised for development projects in 27 provinces on. “Strengthening the Good Performance Initiative (GPI) is the only way to get rid of poppy cultivation,” remarked Khodaidad, who informed developmental projects worth $60 million had been launched across the country under the same programme.
US Embassy official Anthony Wayne said the narcotics produced in Afghanistan were not only smuggled abroad, but a large number of Afghans were also using the drugs.  He added the fight against narcotics was very important for the US and they would always support Afghanistan in this regard.
“Narcotics are creating obstacles in Afghanistan’s march towards progress and increase administrative corruption and lawlessness in the country,” he added. The official added his country had pledged 80 million dollars for the GPI programme since its launch in Afghanistan.
Helmand Governor Muhammad Gulab Mangal told the news conference poppy cultivation was reduced in the province under a special strategy. He said the strategy included general awareness, alternative livelihoods and enforcement of the law.
About the increase in poppy cultivation in the past, Mangal recalled alternative livelihoods were given at one time and dollars were also distributed among farmers in the past which encouraged people to grow more poppies and get more dollars.
However, he continued, the people of Helmand had been informed about the harm caused by poppies to society and they had changed their mind regarding the cultivation of the banned crop.
According to officials, over 100,000 hectares of land was cultivated with poppies in Helmand last year. Poppies were not grown in 20 provinces while a 20 per cent decrease was achieved in its cultivation in the rest of the country during the current year.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85272
Health clinic torched in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Nov 23, 2009 – 22:34
KANDAHAR (PAN): Unknown gunmen torched a health clinic in the Daman district of southern volatile province of Kandahar on Monday, police said.
Police chief Brig Gen Sardar Mohammad Zazai said the incident happened in Thrank area when two armed motorcyclists entered the building and set on fire the facility after overpowering the guards.
Zazai said the assailants fled after the arson attack and that police were searching for them.
Public Health Director Abdul Qayyum confirmed the incident. He said everything including the building, medical equipment and a huge quantity of medicines were turned into ashes in the fire.
“About 25,000 residents of the area were deprived of the health facilities,” lamented the director.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident, the fourth of its kind during the ongoing year.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=85273
Suicide blast wounds 5 civilians in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Nov 23, 2009 – 22:36
KABUL (PAN): A suicide attack aimed at a police vehicle in Panjwai district of southern Kandahar wounded five civilians, including three children, late Monday, the Interior Ministry and police said.
The police vehicle was en rout to the district headquarters from a village Ghargi when came under attack at about 5pm this evening, the interior ministry said in a statement.
The attacker detonated his explosives close to the police vehicle, injuring five civilians. The injured were rushed to a health facility by the police, the statement added, but gave no more details.
Kandahar police chief Brig Gen Sardar Mohammad Zazai said the injured included a woman, three children and a man and they were taken to an ISAF health facility for treatment.
There was no claim of responsibility for the blast. However, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said their fighters killed nine foreign and national soldiers in separate bomb attacks in the same district before noon.
ma

WASHINGTON (PAN): Terming it as a historic event, Afghanistans top diplomat in the United States on Wednesday said several world leaders including those from the neighboring countries and its allies from across the globe are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Hamid Karzai in Kabul on November 19.
The preparation is under way to have high ranking officials from NATO countries, major donors of Afghanistan, countries in the region to come and attend the event., Said T Jawad, the Afghan Ambassador to the United States, told Pajhwok Afghan News in an interview.
“We anticipate to see a significant number of high ranking officials including presidents, prime ministers, defence ministers and foreign ministers from across the globe,” said Jawad, who would himself travel to Kabul to attend the event.
When asked who from the Obama Administration would be attending the inaugural ceremony, Jawad said: All high ranking officials of the United States and other major allies of Afghanistan are welcomed to participate. It is a historic day for Afghanistan. I do not know, exactly, who is being invited by the office of the protocol (in Kabul).”
As the Karzai Administration enters its second term, following months of not so healthy relationship with the Obama Administration, Jawad said Afghan-US relationship is a strategic relationship based on the national interest of both countries.
We are facing a brutal enemy. We are facing a number of challenges both in the area of security, services and development. I think there would be a renewed commitment on both sides to work more closely and more decisively to overcome some of the current challenges, because both we in Afghanistan and the US Government is under pressure to deliver results and show changes in a relatively short time frame, Jawad told PAN.
The Afghan people are demanding changes, and so is the US Congress which would like to see changes taking place in Afghanistan within a relatively short time frame, he said, adding that there mutual expectations on both sides, a lot of which are known.
There are preliminary talks about entering into a new compact with the United States and with possibly some of our major allies in Europe, indicating the mutual expectations on both sides and finding better ways to support each other, the Ambassador said.
But the key to success, he noted, would be to further enhance the mutual trust between the two countries, because both the administrations are under pressure by their people to show results in a relatively short time frame.
When asked what Kabul expects from the Obama Administration and the international community, Jawad said in the area of security and governance it would like to have help and assistance to take drastic action against corruption and enhance the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan to deliver services and provide protection to the Afghan people.
In the area of development, it is more of aid efficiency and channeling of more international assistance towards the budget of the Afghan government so there would be better use of the every dollar we use in Afghanistan, he said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84622
$92.8m to be used on irrigation system
Abdul Qadir Siddique – Nov 11, 2009 – 14:31
KABUL (PAN): British Department for International Development (DFID) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Afghanistan $92.8 millions in grant for improvement of the country’s irrigation system.
In this regard, an agreement was signed between Finance Minister Dr. Omar Zakhilwal and representatives from the DFID and ADB here on Wednesday.
The aid would be spent on overhauling and improving the irrigation system in north, south and eastern provinces, Zakhilwal told a press conference here on Wednesday after singing the agreement.
He said the ABD would provide $90 million while the rest would be provided by the DFID.
He said the amount pledged by the ADB was part of the $303 million grant which the bank had already vowed for the country over the next ten years.
Out of the total fund, $25 millions would be spent on improvement of agriculture, irrigation and livestock in eastern Nangarhar province, the minister said.
Nangarhar Agriculture and Livestock Minister Muhammad Asif Rahimi, who was also present at the press conference, said with the completion of overhauling the irrigation system in his province, more than 25,000 hectares of land would be brought under irrigation.
He said the project would be implemented in collaboration with the ADB.
According to Zakhilwal, $3.34 millions would be spent in Balkh, 12.1 would be set aide for the construction of Amu River’s embankment, 3.3 million for Helmand Canalization Master Plan and the remaining amount would go to the treasury.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84623
Parliament approves projects worth $53m
Abaseen Zaheer – Nov 11, 2009 – 20:27
KABUL (PAN): After a long debate, Lower House of the Parliament (Wolesi Jirga) on Wednesday finally approved 13 different public welfare projects worth $53 million.
The ventures are related to the ministries of education, rural rehabilitation and development, communications and information technology, labour and social affairs and agriculture, livestock and irrigation.
Some MPs criticized the approval, saying work had already been launched on the projects prior to their approval from the house.
Daud Sultanzoi said the approval was a symbolic act on the part of the house.
In response to Sultanzoi’s remarks, Head of the Finance and Budget Commission of the Parliament, Siddique Ahmad Usmani said the approval was needed so the funds set aside for the schemes could not be used for other means.
The firearms bill was also approved by the house.
Deputy interior security commission, Mohammad Mosa Hotak, said in light of the firearms act, only those people would now bear a gun who had committed no crime in the past.
An agreement signed between the government and International Labour Organization (ILO) was also okayed during the session. The agreement recommends 15 years as the minimum age limit for the children to work as labourer.
Another agreement reached with the Asian Good’s Organization was also given go-ahead by the house.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84624
Four NATO soldiers sustain injuries in Balkh
Zabihullah Ehsas & Sarfaraz – Nov 11, 2009 – 20:09
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): Four NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers sustained injuries in roadside bomb blast on their vehicle in the northern Balkh province early Wednesday afternoon, an official informed.
Police chief Brigadier General Sardar Muhammad Sultani told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident happened in Chamtal district at approximately 3:00pm.
He added after the blast the forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, arresting a suspect.
Despite efforts, this reporter was unable to have comments from the ISAF force stationed in the province.
In Kunduz, a German soldier sustained injuries during a face-to-face firefight with the Taliban insurgents on Wednesday morning. Without disclosing the exact location where the clash took place, the media office of the soldiers in the province said a number of militants were killed.
Chardara district chief Abdul Wahid Omar also confirmed the blast that took place in Gulbagh area of the district. However, he had no information about the casualties inflicted on the foreign troops.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84625
Norway renews support to Afghanistan
Muhammad Omar Sharifzada – Nov 11, 2009 – 15:24
KABUL (PAN): Norway has reiterated its support to the Afghan government, hoping the new administration would come up to the expectations of the international community.
Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Stre who met with his Afghan counterpart Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta here on Wednesday discussed with him matters of mutual interest.
Stre congratulated President Hamid Karzai on his reelection as president of the country for next five years. He said his country would continue to assist the government and people of Afghanistan in diverse fields of life.
He hoped the new administration would strive hard to ensure good governance and banish corruption.
He called on the government to remain committed to the supremacy of law and human rights.
The Norwegian Post website said Stre would meet talk with President Hamid Karzai and opposition politician Abdullah Abdullah during his visit to the country.
The talks would centre on the political situation in Afghanistan in the wake of the controversial presidential election, prior to the installation of a new government, the Norwegian post reported.
According to the post, Stre would also meet the chief of the international ISAF force, the US General Stanley McCrystal, as well as leaders of the non-governmental organizations.
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17 ANP members complete training in Wardak
Pajhwok Report – Nov 11, 2009 – 20:39
KABUL (PAN): Seventeen members of the Afghan National Police and 30 Satanmans on Wednesday graduated from Turkish Provincial Construction Teams Police Training Centre in Maidan Shahr, capital of the central Maidan Wardak province. 
Wahedullah Sabawoon, Advisor Minister of President in Tribal Affairs; Maidan Wardak Governor Haleem Fedai, Provincial Shura President Hadji Janan; Maidan Wardak Chief of Security General Abdulyamin Muzafarudin attended the graduation ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Sabawoon said that Afghanistan and Turkey has long-lasting friendly and brotherly relations which have deep roots in both societies. He thanked the Turkish PRT for the efforts of the Turkish Police instructors in training ANP members who will serve more effectively and with good manner for Afghanistan.
Noting the importance of the Police Training activities of the Turkish PRT, M. Turker Ari, Head of the PRT, said the team started its activities three years ago and since them it had implemented around 100 projects.
He underlined that every district of the province has at least two or three projects for the direct benefit of the local people. Ari added the PRT is now preparing its programme for 2010 in close cooperation with the Governors House and the people of the province.
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Pakistan bans cattle export to Afghanistan
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 11, 2009 – 15:16
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Pakistani authorities in North West Frontier Province have imposed ban on export of sacrificial animals to Afghanistan in the wake of soaring prices of the animals in the country in the run up to Eid festival.
Top administrative official in Peshawar, Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, told Pajhwok Afghan News the ban would be effective from tomorrow.
He said the authorities had also banned the movement of cattle to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) from where the animals could be smuggled into the neighboring country.
He said ‘realistic and concrete measures’ would be carried out at the joint border to make the ban effective.
However, a dealer, Sher Mohammd, said the ban would not prevent the animals smuggling into Afghanistan. He said up to 5,000 animals are being crossed into Afghanistan through Turkham border alone on a daily basis.
He said the high prices of the animals in Afghanistan had compelled the dealers to smuggle cattle into that country.
Another dealer said the Pakistani authorities had suspended their permits until the celebration of Eidul Azha.
He said the ban would result into huge losses to the dealers.
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Iranian consulate official shot dead in Peshawar
Daud Khan – Nov 12, 2009 – 16:48
PESHAWAR (PAN): Armed men gunned down a senior officer of the Iranian Consulate in Peshawar on Thursday morning.
Syed Abul Hassan Jafari, Director of Media Relations with the Iranian Consulate in Peshawar, was on way to his office when armed men waylaid his car and sprayed bullets at him.
The incident happened around 8am in Gulberg locality of Peshawar, witnesses and officials told Pajhwok Afghan News.
A close relative of the slain Iranian Consulate official outside his house told this news agency that Jafari was attacked at a corner of a street close to his house. He said said the attackers opened fire at him from two sides.
The relative said Jafari was receiving threats from unknown persons over the past few months. The government of NWFP provided him two police guards, but Jafari refused to accept the security, said the relative.
Hospital sources said the deceased had received six bullets in his body. They had he had died on the spot. The attackers managed to escape the scene. Police said they had launched a search operation to arrest the killers.
This is the second attack on officials of the Iranian Consulate in Peshawar in around one year time. Earlier, the cultural attache of the consulate Hashmatullah Atharzadeh was kidnapped by armed men while his police guard was killed. Whereabouts of Atharzadeh are still not known.
Before Atharzadeh’s kidnapping, armed men had attacked the vehicle of Afghan Consular in Peshawar Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who is still missing.
Abul Hassan Jafari was basically a journalist. He worked with the Peshawar-based English language newspaper The Frontier Post in the eighties. Later, he joined the Iranian consulate as director of media affairs.
The government of NWFP and the president and prime minister of Pakistan condemned the cold blooded murder of Abdul Hassan Jafari and assured his family that the killers would be traced and brought to the book.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84649
World must help boost Afghan forces: Tanin
Lalit K Jha – Nov 12, 2009 – 18:00
WASHINGTON (PAN): Afghanistan’s security forces are eager to take on the increasing responsibility of security of the nation, but the world should help and strengthen their capacity, said Afghan envoy to the United Nations.
Afghans are eager to take responsibility for security of their country and protection of their people, Zahir T Tanin, told members of the powerful Security Council during an open debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.
Unfortunately, lack of capacity and resources continue to hobble our progress, and we hope to address this with the international community in the coming years, Tanin said in his speech to the UN Security Council.
Tanin noted that concern for the lives of civilians is therefore not only an important moral and humanitarian issue, but also a crucial for political, military and economic goals in Afghanistan, and the region.
We should adopt a strategy that values the protection of people, respects their lives, rights and property, and enables positive and constructive interactions with local communities, he said.
We fully support the new NATO strategy which emphasizes the protection of civilians and introduces important follow-up mechanisms to ensure accountability, he said.
We appreciate the increased sensitivity that has been shown in response to concerns about the conduct of searches and arrests. And we support other strategic changes that have been proposed to improve the protection of civilians, Tanin said.
The Afghan Ambassador appreciated the steadfast condemnation voiced by the Security Council in response to terrorist attacks across the world, and in particular your strong and unwavering support for UNAMA following the appalling attacks in Kabul on the 28th of October.
Groups that deliberately target civilian populations should continue to be strongly condemned in these halls, and their unwillingness to obey even the most basic rules of combat should strip them of any legitimacy in our eyes, he said.
The Ambassador said the Taliban’s main tactic is to encourage the alienation of the international community from the Afghan people. The people of Afghanistan know from past experience exactly how brutal and repressive the Taliban are, and show consistent resistance to them.  However, they have higher expectations from the international community, he noted.
Observing that Afghans want to see their government and our international partners be their protectors, Tanin said: When we fail to protect and respect the Afghans, the Taliban and their allies use the people’s disappointed expectations to strain the partnerships that are so central to this fight, and damage our ability to earn the trust and engagement we need to succeed.
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Japanese aid announcement to Afghanistan praised
Lalit K Jha – Nov 12, 2009 – 14:49
WASHINGTON (PAN): The United States and the United Nations on Wednesday welcomed the Japanese’s pledge of giving a $5 billion in aid to Afghanistan and hoped other countries would follow suit.
The US appreciates all that Japan has done to assist in the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan and welcomes Japans renewed commitment to development assistance for this international effort, the White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, said.
The US President, Barack Obama, travels to Japan Thursday on a two-day visit, following which he would visit Singapore, S Korea and China; during which Afghanistan is expected to be a major topic of discussion with the world leaders.
As President Obama prepares to travel to Japan this week, he looks forward to renewing our strong alliance with Japan, and discussing our continued partnership on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and critical bilateral issues, Gibbs said.
At the United Nations headquarters in New York, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, welcomed the Japanese announcement as a very positive development and hoped other members of the international community will follow suit.
The Secretary-General appreciates Japans generous and continued contributions to the efforts and commitment of the international community to promote reconstruction and stability in Afghanistan, a UN statement said.
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Kidnapped Norwegian journalist freed
PAN Monitor – Nov 12, 2009 – 19:02
KABUL (PAN): A Norwegian journalist who was kidnapped last week in eastern Afghanistan has been released, Norway’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said the Norwegian was abducted along with his Afghan interpreter near the border with Pakistan.
She said the abductees were released Thursday after ‘Norwegian authorities worked very hard and intensely’ to secure their freedom. Imerslund declined to name the men or their abductors.
Norwegian news agency NTB identified the Norwegian as Paal Refsdaal and said he was in Afghanistan working on a documentary.
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Girl killed in escalation-of-force incident: ISAF
Zainullah Setanikzai – Nov 12, 2009 – 15:19
LASHKARGAH (PAN): British forces ‘mistakenly’ killed a girl in a car during an escalation of force incident in southern Helmand province, the NATO media office said here on Thursday.
In a statement, the force said the incident happened in Baba Jee area of Lashkargah, provincial capital, on Wednesday when the troops were on a patrol.
During the patrol, the forces saw a vehicle fast approaching a security post and the troops opened fired at the vehicle. Unfortunately a bullet hit a girl inside the vehicle.
ISAF doctors made all their efforts to rescue the girl but all in vain.
The press release added ISAF forces expressed condolences to the family and will compensate them.
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30 new buildings for schools in Ghazni soon
Sher ahmad Haidar – Nov 12, 2009 – 16:35
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): New buildings for 30 schools will be constructed in districts and capital city of the central Ghazni province with financial support from the World Bank, an official said on Thursday.
Provincial education director Husni Mubarak Azizi told Pajhwok Afghan News the buildings would cost an estimated amount of 60 million afghanis.
Azizi said it was an emergency project, under which the schools having no proper buildings had been prioritized.
He said the new buildings would consist of four to eight rooms in order to lessen the housing problems of students.
A school in old Ghazni city which was established this year is one of the schools which would have its own building next year.
Arifa, a grade-9 student of the school, said that they have been studying in tents which were not a suitable place for the girls to study.
She added that special attention should be paid to girls’ education, because the girls can not study in open as boys can.
Arifa expressed her happiness that their school would have classrooms next year.
There are 555 schools in Ghazni and more than half of them do not have buildings.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84667
US Afghan envoy objects to troop surge
PAN Monitor – Nov 12, 2009 – 15:58
KABUL (PAN): The US ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry has reportedly objected to sending more troops to the country for the time being.
However, the current American NATO commander in Afghanistan Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the western military alliance believes more troops are needed in Afghanistan.
Eikenberry expressed concern about deploying more troops before Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his government take stronger steps to fight corruption and mismanagement, The Washington Post, reported earlier yesterday.
The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for a response.
Obama named Eikenberry as the ambassador to Afghanistan earlier this year.
Obama met with his top national security advisers yesterday to consider four options for the US strategy in Afghanistan and to discuss how long it would take to put each in place. An administration official said afterward that Obama hasnt made a final decision on the troop-increase request by General Stanley McChrystal, who commands US and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.
Obama met for more than two hours with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, General David Petraeus, who commands US forces in the Middle East and Asia, Richard Holbrooke, special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and others.
McChrystal joined by teleconference from Afghanistan. He wants to add as many as 40,000 troops to a US force there thats scheduled to number 68,000 by the end of the year, including 21,000 that Obama authorized earlier this year.
Theres been a lot of discussion about the additional resourcing as well as a refinement of objectives, Petraeus said on CNN before the meeting. I think that we are indeed nearing a decision.
The session was Obamas eighth with his national security team on the Afghan decision.
The president is doing this in a very purposeful and deliberate way, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday. A decision may come after Obama returns Nov. 19 from a four-nation visit to Asia, he said. That trip begins today.
 All allies await the American decision, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, North Atlantic Treaty Organization secretary general, said in an interview in London with the British Broadcasting Corp. He declined to comment on how many troops he wants on the ground.
Brown said on Wednesday that he expected a decision by America within days but that was played down by the White House, which insisted it was “weeks and not days” away.
Asked what he would advise Obama to do, Rasmussen said: “We are right now in an intense phase of consultation among allies and I expect a decision on troop numbers to be taken within a very few weeks so I think it is a bit premature to make any final judgment on troop numbers.
“Basically I share Gen McChrystal’s view, his assessment, his recommendation of a broad counter-insurgency strategy. But I have not made a final decision on the exact troop numbers.
“But for sure we need to strengthen training and education of Afghan soldiers and Afghan police so we will definitely need more trainers, more education facilities, equipment and money to sustain an increased number of Afghan security forces.”
Speaking after the talks, he welcomed the British troop promise and said he “encouraged all allies to step up to the plate and provide more resources”. There have been criticisms that other Nato countries have failed to pull their weight in the multi-nation campaign.
Afghanistan may be able to take more responsibility for security next year, opening the way for western forces there to pull out, Rasmussen told Sky News. We will hand over responsibility to the Afghan security forces as their capacity develops, and that can start next year.
Ten Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, including John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, sent Obama a letter yesterday asking him to fully support General McChrystals call for additional resources and troops.
On this Veterans Day, young Americans are fighting in Afghanistan in what General McChrystal describes as a situation headed toward defeat unless we act while we still have the opportunity to turn the tide and regain the initiative, the senators wrote in the letter.
The president honored military veterans yesterday in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery for the national holiday, saying that no commemoration, no praise can match their service.
Our servicemen and women have been doing right by America for generations, Obama said. There is no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice, he said. As long as I am commander-in-chief, Americas going to do right by them.
Obama spoke after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a white marble sarcophagus housing the remains of unknown American soldiers from World Wars I, II and the Korean conflict.
Obamas trip to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea will be his first journey to Asia as president. Jeff Bader, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, said in a briefing for reporters Nov. 9 that the president would consult with allies on aid to Afghanistan.
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Blast kills two children in Nangarhar
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Nov 12, 2009 – 16:59
JALALABAD (PAN): A roadside bomb blast killed two children in Khogyani district of eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday, an official said.
A spokesman for the provincial governor, Ahmad Zai Abdulzai, told Pajhwok Afghan News the blast ripped through a civilian’s tractor at 11am, killing two children and wounding as many others in Zawa area.
No one has so far been arrested and detained in connection to the blast, but the case is under investigation, he said.
A doctor at Khogyani civil hospital, Abdul Qudoos, said the two wounded children were brought to the hospital with one in a critical condition.
Three months ago, a vehicle of a road construction company struck a roadside bomb elsewhere in the district, wounding three workers.
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90-kg of explosives found and defused in Kabul
Abasin Zaheer – Nov 12, 2009 – 17:05
KABUL (PAN): Explosives weighing 90 kilograms were found and defused in place in jurisdiction of the 7th police district of this capital city, the interior ministry said on Thursday.
In a statement, the ministry said the explosives detected in a ruined house in Chelsatoon area of the city.
No one has so far been detained in this connection. But police are investigating, the statement said.
Crime branch police chief Gen. Abdul Ghafar Syedzada said the explosives were discovered last night at around 8pm.
Meanwhile, police in Ali Khan Qala area on the Kabul-Gardez Highway of central Logar province found some explosives beneath a small bridge and defused it in place.
Col. Mohammad Jan Abid, crime branch police chief, said the explosives were packed in a jerry-cane and a bag. He added the explosive materials were defused by US-led coalition forces.
The statement further said 26 mines found and defused during the last 24 hours from Maidan Wardak, Ghazni and Uruzgan province.
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Protesting prisoners sew lips closed in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Nadim – Nov 12, 2009 – 16:08
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Around 50 prisoners at the Kandahar Jail have sewed their lips shut as a protest against alleged maltreatment by the jail authorities.
Kandahar Governor Toryalai Vissa told Pajhwok Afghan News that most of the demands presented by the prisoners were accepted. Only one of their demands which relates to the central government is remaining, said the governor.
The protesting prisoners, on the other hand, said health condition of 65 of their colleagues was serious while 50 more have sewed their lips together.
Around 350 prisoners went on hunger strike in the prison five days ago.
Vissa told Pajhwok Afghan News all the officials concerned had met the prisoners and listened to their problems. He said the prisoners complained about food, health facilities, telephone facility and mistreatment at the hands of some jail officials.
The prisoners demanded of the government to include political prisoners in those who are getting amnesty under special decrees of the president from time to time.
He said all but the one demand regarding the amnesty to political prisoners were accepted by the provincial government. There demand was beyond the capacity of our delegation, he added.
Meanwhile, one of the prisoners named Kamil told this news agency over the telephone that health condition of 65 prisoners was serious. He said around 50 prisoners had sewed their lips as a protest.
He said the prisoners wanted such a delegation that could solve their problems on the spot. He said the strike would continue till the acceptance of their demands.
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Senior Taliban leader arrested in Wardak: Officials
Hakim Basharat – Nov 12, 2009 – 17:23
KABUL (PAN): The international troops said they had arrest a senior Taliban commander in the central Maidan Wardak province.
The arrested Taliban leaders has been identified as Maulvi Sher Ahmad, who was head of the vice and virtue department during the era of Taliban in Wardak.
Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman for Maidan Wardak governor, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the leader was arrested in Aqcha area of Nirkh district. He said the detainee had been shifted to Bagarm for further investigations.
Muhammad Yousaf, a resident of Nirkh district, told this news agency that Sher Ahmad was arrested during the last night raid by foreign troops in Aqcha district.
He said dozens of religious scholars and local elders have visited the governors office today asking for the release of the detainee.
The NATO forces have also confirmed the arrest of Maulvi Sher Muhammad. The statement said he was arrested from Muhammad Jan Qala area of the district during an overnight raid.
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Commander among three militants killed in east
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Nov 12, 2009 – 17:52
JALALABAD (PAN): A commander was among three Taliban killed during a clash with police in Nazyan district of eastern Nangarhar province late Wednesday night, officials said on Thursday.
Border police chief in the eastern zone, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Zaman Mamozai told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban fighters attacked police checkpoints in the district last night, injuring three policemen. However, he said the wounded police were in a stable condition.
Following the attack, police launched a retaliation attack which resulted into killing of three attackers, including a commander identified as Faisal, Mamozai said.
However, Taliban claimed they killed 14 fighters in the attack. Zabihullah Mujahid admitted they lost their three fighters. Five police checkpoints were destroyed during the clashes, Mujahid said.
Nazyan district is located in remote area at the east of Nangarhar province and shares border with Khyber Agency on the other side of Durand line.
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ANA tank overturns, catches fire in Logar
Abdul Maqsood Azizi – Nov 12, 2009 – 17:53
PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): An Afghan military tank caught fire after it overturned in central Logar province, officials said on Thursday.
The incident happened in Niazi Qala area of provincial capital Pul-i-Alam this morning when the tank struck a ditch and overturned, a spokesman for the provincial governor said.
Din Mohammad Darwaish told Pajhwok Afghan News an ANA soldier sustained burn injuries in the accident.
An eyewitness, Ahmad Shakeb, who was working in his field at the time the accident occurred, said one soldier was killed and three others were injured in the fire. He added after the incident, ANA and foreign soldiers cordoned off the area and shifted the soldiers by another vehicle.
The Kabul-Pul-i-Alam Highway remained closed for traffic for at least two hours.
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Robbers kill passenger in Nimroz
Ahmad Shah Saber – Nov 12, 2009 – 17:57
ZARANJ (PAN): One person was killed and another wounded when suspected robbers opened fire on a passenger bus on the Zaranj-Dilaram Highway in southwestern Nimroz province, an official said on Thursday.
Provincial police chief, Col. Abdul Jabar Purdali, told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident occurred this morning, and that police are trying to find and arrest the robbers.
A resident of provincial capital Zaranj, Fazal Ahmad said unidentified gunmen signaled the bus driver to stop at 8am this morning, but the driver did not stop. The gunmen then opened fire at the bus in Nalan area of the district.
Head of Ahmad Shah Abdali Transportation Service in the province, Ismail said that 10 days prior to the incident some robbers also hijacked two buses from Dilaram-Grishk Highway and demanded 3 millions Afghanis from them.
Purdali confirmed the hijacking, adding the robbers took the drivers to the neighboring Helmand province.
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Gunmen kill two brothers in Faryab
Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 12, 2009 – 18:08
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): Unidentified gunmen shot dead two brothers in northern Faryab province, officials said on Thursday.
Faryab Police spokesman, Col. Afzal Imamzadah, told Pajhwok Afghan News 17-year-old Yousuf and his 25-year-old brother, Abdul Basir, were gunned down last night in Khairkhwa area of Andkhowi district. The attackers managed to flee and police are now investigating the case, he said.
Elsewhere, a man stabbed and injured his two brothers with a knife last night in the Adring area of provincial capital of Sar-i-Pul province.
Provincial police chief, Lt. Gen. Mohammad Bilal Niram, told this news agency the incident occurred because of a family dispute. The two injured brothers were shifted to a civil hospital. He added their condition was reported to be stable.
One of the injured, Noor Mohmad, said the dispute occurred over the expenses incurred during the construction of their house. He added when they come together to resolve the issue over the expenses, his eldest brother Ghulam Rasul stabbed him and the other brother Ghulam Nabi.
District crime branch chief, Ghulam Rabani, said that Gulam Rasul had managed to escape, however the case is under the investigation.
On another note, a man killed his father yesterday in the provincial capital, Mazar-i-Sharif of northern Balkh province. Furthermore, a man killed his wife, injured his brother-in-law as well as his mother-in-law a week ago in Sancharak district of Sar-i-Pul province.
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Work on govt buildings starts in Kandahar, Uruzgan
Bashir Ahmad Nadim/Omeed Khpalwak – Nov 12, 2009 – 18:16
KANDAHAR CITY/TIRINKOT (PAN): Work on construction of two official buildings was launched in Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces on Thursday.
The new building for the information and culture ministry is being construction at the site of the old building. The ground-breaking ceremony of the building was performed by Kandahar Governor Toryalai Vissa.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News the building would be constructed at the cost of 25 million Afs in nine months. He said the money for the building was pledged by the traders in the city.
Head of the culture and information department in the province Abdul Majeed Babi expressed happiness over the launch of construction work on the building. He said the city needed such a building to hold meetings, seminars and cultural gatherings.
Separately, construction of building for the water provision department was launched in Tirinkot, capital of Uruzgan province.
Deputy governor of the province Haji Khudai Raheem performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the work. He said the building was being constructed with the financial assistance of the Australian troops.
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Efforts launched to settle family dispute in Nangahar
Abdul Mueed Hashmi – Nov 12, 2009 – 18:17
JALALABAD (PAN): A government delegation launched effort to resolve a long standing dispute between the families of two former jihadi commanders in the eastern province of Nangarhar on Thursday.
The families of jihadi commanders Haji Zaman and Haji Abdul Qadeer have long standing dispute. The reconciliation efforts were launched by an official delegation headed by Asadullah Wafa, former governor of the eastern Kunar province.
The dispute started after the killing of former Nangahar governor and the then public works minister Haji Abdul Qadeer. The family of Haji Zaman Ghamsharik was nominated in the murder case.
To resolve the dispute, head of the presidents complaint commission Asadullah Wafa visited Jalalabad along with members of his delegation on Thursday.
Addressing a news conference, Wafa said the delegation including ministers, legislators, senior officials and elders and religious scholars from the province. He expressed the hope that their efforts would prove helpful in resolving the dispute.
Senator Sherzad, one of the members of the delegation, said their next meeting would be held following the oath-taking ceremony of President Hamid Karzai.
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Six militants killed, 14 detained
Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 12, 2009 – 18:54
KABUL (PAN): Six militants have been killed and 14 others detained during separate operations by Afghan National Army (ANA) and International Forces in the south and southeast of the country, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
In a statement, the ministry said two suspected militants were killed in Shah Wali Kot district as many in Mullah Alam area of Kandahar province while four insurgents were killed in Zadran district of southeastern Paktia province.
The joint force captured five militants in Zanah Khan District of Ghazni province on the charges of planting bombs on roadside.
The ministry said the forces seized a huge cache of ammunitions and arms during their operations.
In a separate statement, the defence ministry said one militant was killed and another was wounded yesterday in a clash with security forces in Charbuldak district of northern Balkh province. Over the past 24 hours, four ANA soldier were injured during the operations, it added.
Meanwhile, in yet another statement, the ministry said an Afghan soldier sustained injuries when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle patrolling in Zheri district of Kandahar province.
After the blast, the troops found and defused four more mines in Kandahar.
On Wednesday, the statement said, two ANA soldiers were wounded in Churah district of southern Uruzgan province and another wounded in Chahar Darah district of northern Kunduz province by mine explosions.
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Gold prices surge in Kabul market
Zainab Muhammadi – Nov 12, 2009 – 19:51
KABUL (PAN): As the gold prices continue their upward march in international market, one gram of Arabian gold registered 50 afghanis increase in the Kabul markets where the prices of other commodities stayed unchanged during the outgoing week, retailers said Thursday.
The price of gold struck a record high near 1,119 dollars an ounce in international market on Wednesday on the back of a weak greenback, analysts said.
Ghulam Siddique, a jeweler in Pul-Bagh-Omomi downtown, told Pajhwok Afghan News the prices of one gram Arabian gold surged from 1450afghanis to 1500afs. He, however, added the price of Iranian gold remained unchanged during that period as one gram of Iranian gold was being sold at 1250afs.
Fazal Rahman, head of Food Trade Union in the capital city, said 50kg of flour being sold at about 980 afghanis, a 50kg sack at about 2450afs and 5kg can of ghee at 245 afghanis, the same prices as last week.
He said a 50kg bag of sugar cost 1700afs, a kilo of green tea priced for 140afghanis and a similar amount of black tea for 180afghanis.
Jan Ali, a wood stall owner in Deh Mazang area of the city, said the rate of 565kg cedar wood was about 3950 while a similar amount of oak wood priced for 4600afs.
Ghulam Sakhi, a gas-seller in the 6th police district, said the price of one kilo of liquefied gas accounted for 50afs, the same as last week.
Mohammad Wali, the owner of Macro Rayan fuel station, said one litre of diesel being sold at 46afs and a litre of petrol accounted for 39afghanis, the same as last week.
Haji Muhammad Rafi Azimi, a moneychanger at Shahzada money market, said a dollar cost 49.80 afghanis while 1000 Pakistani rupees accounted for 584afghanis.
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Soldiers among 27 dead in Pakistan unrest
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 12, 2009 – 19:37
ISALAMABAD (PAN): Pakistani military Thursday claimed killing 22 Taliban insurgents during the ongoing offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region, bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan has launched a major offensive in south Waziristan agency against the insurgents since mid October. Nearly 500 insurgent had so far been killed in the operation still continuing.
In the fresh offensive conducted in Jandula and Shagi areas, five soldiers were also killed, the spokesman for the army, Maj Gen Athar Abbas said.
He said 22 militants were killed and a dozen others were wounded in the operation that also left eight soldiers wounded.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, Sindh province, police arrested a militant leader Qari Saeed along with his six companions.
Police chief Wasim Ahmad told Pajhwok Afghan News the Tehreeki-Taliban Pakistan leader Qari Saeed was collecting money from people in the name of Islam to raise fund for the insurgents in Waziristan.
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3,000 illegal Afghans detained in NWFP
PAN Monitor – Nov 12, 2009 – 16:23
KABUL (PAN): Pakistani authorities have detained more than three thousands illegal Afghan immigrants and 50 prayer leaders from district Mardan and Swabi in North West Frontier Province.
A senior police officer in Mardan region, Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, told reporters in provincial metropolises the police had issued red alert in Mardan and Swabi in the wake of Peshawar and Charsadda bomb blasts.
Aftikahr Ali said 30 special police squads had been formed for checking on the check posts along with installation of close-circuit cameras in 12 most sensitive localities of Mardan as part of the new security plan.
He further revealed that 50 special under-cover squads have been formed to gather sensitive information.
Meanwhile, security forces and political administration in Bajaur Agency apprehended 40 suspects during a joint search operation in Khar, the main town in the lawless tribal region, close to the Afghan border, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.
According to Geo News, the security men have held these 40 suspects for interrogation.
Meanwhile, police continued raids in different areas during the ongoing search operation under strict security arrangements all over Bajaur agency.
FC and levies have been heavily deployed in the area and strict traffic checking is carried out on all the entry/exit routes of the agency.
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Suicide blast near US base injures six
Mohammad Jawad Sharifzada – Nov 13, 2009 – 17:23
KABUL (PAN): A suicide car bombing near Camp Phoenix, a logistics support base for US forces just outside Kabul, on Friday injured three NATO soldiers and as many civilians, police and the alliance said.
The attacker in a white-coloured motorcar detonated his explosive-laden vehicle at 8am this morning targeting a NATO forces convoy on the Kabul-Jalalabad Highway. The blast wounded three foreign soldiers and three civilians, Kabul crime branch police chief Syed Abdul Ghafar Syedzada told reports.
The attack that took place in the 9th police district also destroyed several private vehicles.
Interior ministry spokesman Zamary Bashari also confirmed the attack, but he only gave information about civilian casualties.
A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told this news agency that four foreigners were killed in the attack.
A damaged bullet-proof vehicle of the foreign forces was seen at the scene.
An eyewitness Jamil said he saw three injured civilians at the site of the attack.
Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. A regional militant commander in southeastern Paktia province told this news agency that the suicide attack was carried out by one of their fighters named Rahmatullah, a resident of the province. But he was unaware about casualties.
It was a second such attack in Kabul in a month time.
In the previous attack five UN workers were killed and nine others were wounded that happened in the Shahr-i-Naw downtown at a guesthouse used by the UN staff.
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17 die in NWFP suicide attacks
Daud Khan – Nov 13, 2009 – 18:44
PESHAWAR (PAN): At least 17 people, including police, army personnel and civilians, were killed in two separate suicide attacks in northwestern Pakistan early Friday morning, witnesses and officials said.
The first attack was carried out in the city of Peshawar at 6:45am. The target was the offices of Pakistans intelligence agency ISI or the Inter-Services Intelligence.
Army officials confirmed the death of 10 people in the blast and injuries to nearly 60 others. They say the dead included seven military men and three civilians. The injured were shifted to Lady Reading and Combined Military hospitals in the city.
The civil administration, however, said the death toll had reached to 13.
Information Minister of the North-Western Frontier province Mian Iftikhar Hussain told journalists that 13 people were killed.
According to witnesses, the explosives were packed in a pick-up truck. There was firing and then a huge blast, said Ahmad Ali, one of the civilian injured who was waiting at a traffic signal on the Khyber Road at the time of the explosion.
The under attack building of the intelligence agency is also located on the Khyber Road. There are the governor house, the chief minister house, the US consulate and the building of NWFP assembly at short distance from the site of the blast.
One portion of the three-storey building is razed while several other houses in the same locality and at least 45 vehicles have been damaged in the blast.
Taimoor, whose house was bitterly damaged in the explosion, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there was firing and then the huge explosion. He said his mother, who was offering the morning prayers, fell unconscious while his children and other family members started running here and there.
I did not know what is going on for some time, said the 55-year-old. He demanded of the government to ensure security of the common citizens alongside focusing on their own security all the times.
About a week ago, the NWFP government had ordered all schools closed for fear of suicide attacks. However, the schools were opened a few days ago.
Attendance was thin at offices and schools on Friday and many people preferred to stay indoors instead of going to offices, coming out in the markets or offering the Friday congregational prayers at the mosques.
In a separate suicide attack at a police station in Bannu district, seven policemen were killed and 23 more people, majority of them policemen, were injured the same day.
The police station is located on the Waziristan-Bakakhel road. The area is located close to the troubled South Waziristan, where the Pakistan security forces are pressing a massive operation against the Taliban led by militant warlord Hakimullah Mehsud.
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Needy families receive aid in Wardak
Pajhwok Report – Nov 13, 2009 – 16:16
KABUL (PAN): Needy families in the central Maidan Wardak were assisted with four tonnes of humanitarian aid from the Turkish Provincial Reconstruction Team on Friday, the team said.
The aid was given to the families in Chak, Jagatu and Nerkh districts on the request of the Provincial Directorate of Afghanistan Red Crescent Society.
Provincial Shura Leader Maulvi Aziz-ur-Rahman and Dr. Bahadir Khan, Director of the Wardak Red Crescent Society, expressed their appreciation to the Turkish people for extending a helping hand to their Afghan brothers and urged the PRT to continue the noble activity.
M. Turker Ari, Head of the Turkish PRT, said the humanitarian aid campaign was the second part of the overall relief efforts of the team before harsh winter conditions prevail in the region.
On November 6, the Turkish PRT distributed 3.9 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the needy families of Sayedabad, Daymirdad and Behsud-1 districts of the province.
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UK to press on 5,000 extra troops in Afghanistan
PAN Monitor – Nov 13, 2009 – 18:06
KABUL (PAN): UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday he believed he could secure a commitment of 5,000 extra troops for the military operation in Afghanistan from NATO and other allies.
Britain has pledged to provide a 500-strong reinforcement to help train up Afghan security forces if partner nations will share the burden.
The Prime Minister is now lobbying some of the 43 nations involved in the International Security Assistance Force to make their own contribution to a fresh push.
“I have taken the responsibility of asking others in Europe, and outside Europe actually, if they will back this strategy which is partnering the Afghan forces, mentoring the Afghan forces,” he told BBC Radio 4′s Today.
“We need our other Nato allies to help. I am asking them to help. I think we can probably get another 5,000 forces into Afghanistan from that Nato and outside Nato group and Britain will be part of that.”
He spoke out as allies continued to await a final decision by US President Barack Obama over whether to send hundreds of thousands of additional US troops.
Brown said his conversations with the White House had left him assured the UK strategy was “very much in line with what President Obama wants to achieve”.
Brown said: “There has got to be burden sharing amongst the alliance and I am sending people around Europe to persuade other countries that they should commit more troops.
“We are having some success. But as the debate over these last few months has shown, there is a lot more that we have to do,” he said.
“We are the only country actually to have said that we will provide more troops as things stand, but I believe that others will, including countries from Nato.
“Our strategy must be Afghan control of their own affairs. That will take some time, but then British troops can start coming home.”
President Obama is still grappling with his response to a plan drawn up by General Stanley McChrystal – commander of international forces in Afghanistan – for tens of thousands more troops.
Asked if he was frustrated by the delay, Mr Brown said: “I have talked to President Obama…and I am satisfied that the strategy I outlined several weeks ago…is very much in line with what President Obama wants to achieve.
“In every country, in this country, there is a legitimate debate about strategy and about tactics but I am pretty sure that what President Obama wants to do is very much in line with the counter-insurgency proposals of General McChrystal.
“And I am absolutely sure also that he wants us to work with him in coalition partnership.”
The premier was speaking after a leaked memo showed UK officials proposed a strategic reconciliation between the Afghan government and Taliban leaders.
The document, seen by the BBC, proposed removing “reconciled Talibs” from the UN sanctions list. It said the “right combination of carrot and stick, at the right moment, would be critical to changing the calculations of individual commanders and their men”.
But Brown said the key was to strengthen Afghan institutions so they could take control.
“If at that point Afghans who are associated with the Taliban, who are not ideologically extremist as many are, are prepared to renounce violence, are prepared to join the political process, are therefore prepared to divide the Taliban by leaving any association with the insurgency, that is re-integration, that is reconciliation,” he said.
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ISAF troops among 19 hurt in Kabul blast
Mohammad Jawad Sharifzada – Nov 13, 2009 – 14:54
KABUL (PAN): A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device explosion near Camp Phoenix, a logistics support base for US forces on Jalalabad road just outside Kabul, injured nine ISAF service members, 10 civilian contractors and several Afghans, the western military alliance said on Friday.
In a statement the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC) said no ISAF service members were killed in the explosion that took place at 8am this morning.
“The insurgents use indiscriminate attacks like this to attempt to intimidate international forces and our Afghan partners, but we will continue our important efforts in support of the Afghan people,” said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, IJC spokesperson.
Earlier, police said the suicide bomb attack injured three NATO soldiers and as many civilians.
The attacker in a white-coloured motorcar detonated his explosives targeting a NATO forces convoy on the Kabul-Jalalabad Highway, Kabul crime branch police chief Syed Abdul Ghafar Syedzada told reports.
The attack that took place in the 9th police district also destroyed several private vehicles.
A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told this news agency that four foreigners were killed in the attack.
A damaged bullet-proof vehicle of the foreign forces was seen at the scene.
An eyewitness Jamil said he saw three injured civilians lying on the ground at the site of the attack.
Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. A regional militant commander in southeastern Paktia province told this news agency that the suicide attack was carried out by one of their fighters named Rahmatullah, a resident of the province. But he was unaware about casualties.
It was a second such attack in Kabul in a month time.
In the previous attack five UN workers were killed and nine others were wounded that happened in the Shahr-i-Naw downtown at a guesthouse used by the UN staff.
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Gunmen torch six NATO trucks, kill driver in Balochistan
Syed Shah Saqem – Nov 13, 2009 – 14:56
QUETTA (PAN): Gunmen in Balochistan province on Friday attacked a convoy of trucks carrying fuel for NATO and US forces from Pakistan to Afghanistan, torching six vehicles and killing a driver, police and witnesses said.
The attack took place in Mach area of Bolan pass at 9am this morning.
A police officer in the area, Mohammad Iftikhar Bangash, told Pajhwok Afghan News the tankers parked at a trucking station in Match area came under attack from dozens of armed militants. The attackers set five trucks on fire and killed a driver before fleeing the scene.
Bangash said police have reached the site and were investigating.
He identified the slain driver as Juma Khan. He said the fire was still burning as the firefighters were unable to douse it due to lack of equipment.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The oil and gas-rich Balochistan province borders Iran and Afghanistan, where both separatists and Taliban militants are active.
NATO and US-led forces in landlocked Afghanistan are hugely dependent on Pakistan for supplies, with about 80 per cent passing through Pakistan.
The bulk of supplies and equipment required by foreign troops is shipped through northwest Pakistan’s tribal region of Khyber, where Taliban militants have carried out a series of attacks on trucks.
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Prisoners abandon hunger strike in Kandahar
Basher Ahmad Naadem – Nov 13, 2009 – 15:42
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Hundreds of prisoners in a prison in southern Kandahar province, who were on a hunger strike since last six days, have ended their protest.
Nearly 350 ‘political prisoners’ held in Sarpoza prison were protesting against alleged humiliation at the hands of jail authorities since Sunday and demanded improved conditions.
The prisoners called off their hunger strike after their talks with a mixed delegation of religious leaders, Kandahar government officials, provincial council members and tribal elders were succeeded, head of the delegation, Col Noorul Haq Kochi, told a gathering held in the jail premises.
He said the prisoner who denying food since last few days had agreed to end their strike.
“Excluding one demand, all the demands which were legal have been immediately approved,” he said.
He said the only demand by the political prisoners of including them into those who are getting amnesty under special decrees of the president was turned down as it was out of their authority.
However, he said it would be discussed with the central government for a decision.
A prisoner, Kamil, thanked the delegation for listening to them and accepting their demands.
Around 50 prisoners at the jail sewed their lips shut during their protest on Thursday.
Three days ago, the delegation heard their demands including well treatment, not mistreating their visitors or subjecting them to surveillance, better food and health care, but the attempt to end the strike was failed.
Taliban have said the hunger strike resulted from insults made by a ‘pro-government warrior’ that led to a fight.
‘He insulted the Taliban leadership, so the Taliban beat him up, then prison officers beat the Taliban so badly they were sent to hospital,’ Mujahid has said.
Up to 1,000 Taliban inmates escaped from the prison in June after a brazen suicide attack blew open the front gates and destroyed the walls.
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Obama, Karzai admins discuss goals
Lalit K Jha – Nov 14, 2009 – 18:16
WASHINGTON (PAN): The Obama Administration is currently ‘discussing goals and deliverables’ with President Hamid Karzai; as the new administration in Kabul kicks off on November 19 with his swearing-in as next president.
Right now, we are discussing with the Afghans how they can best achieve the goals that theyve set for themselves with our help, the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, told reporters at his daily press briefing.
He said President Karzai has laid out a number of priorities for his government in providing services for the Afghan people.  These priorities are providing security, creating jobs, and generating economic growth, and delivering effective and accountable governance to the Afghan people, or fighting corruption.
Noting that theses goals are shared with the Afghan Government, he said.  So what were looking to do is to help them implement their own priorities, Kelly said.
The Obama Administration is looking for a new chapter in our relationship with the Afghan Government, based on improved governance, a serious effort to eradicate corruption, and a joint effort to accelerate the training of Afghan security personnel, he said.
Because the end goal here, of course, is for the Afghans to provide for their own security and provide the kind of services that a responsive and accountable government should provide for, Kelly asserted.
Stating that the US is looking for an Afghan-led process, he said: We believe that this is these are important goals for any government, to be able to provide security, to be responsive to the needs of the people and be able to deliver the kind of services that theyre looking for.
Reiterating that it is not really for the US to impose any kind of deadline, Kelly said: I think youve heard what the Secretary has said and what the President has said, that we will be looking for deeds and not just words.  And these are important issues, and wed look for them to act very quickly to implement.
But again, he said, the important thing is that this is a process that they own.  This has got to be done by Afghans for Afghans.  But we stand ready to help them as they go through this important process, Kelly said.
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Afghanistan needs upto $5b per annum for five years: Jawad
Lalit K Jha – Nov 14, 2009 – 16:14
WASHINGTON (PAN): Afghanistan’s top diplomat in the United Sates has said his country needed an average 3 to 5 billion US dollars per annum for the next five years to deliver services and better lives to the Afghans.
On an average Afghanistan would need something between $ 3 to $ 5 billion a year to improve delivery of services and to provide better lives to the Afghans. All of this does not need to have to some from the United States,” ambassador Said T Jawad, told the Pajhwok Afghan News in an interview.
Jawad welcomed the recent decision of the Japanese Government to provide $5 billion of the critical foreign aid to Afghanistan and hoped that more
As part of the compact, both the amount of the assistance necessary and the modalities of how this money should be spent would be further discussed and outlined, he said, adding that the building the infrastructure and providing better governance is crucial for the country and its people. So the money spent in the development cannot be separated from the money spent in the field of security.
Jawad said the people and government of Afghanistan hopes that like Japan other world powers including the US and regional countries would come forward with significant contribution for the rebuilding of Afghanistan and channel all ogf these resources through the budget of the Afghan government.
One of the major complaints during the previous years has been that most of the international aid to Afghanistan has been channeled through the non-governmental organizations. Noting that the commitment of the US and its European allies are strong, he said: If we improve, the delivery mechanism and ensure that this, money will be spent  properly for thr benefit of the Afghan people and the foreign tax payers, we would be able to receive more money because they are also increasing the capacity of the Afghan government to absorb more assistance and capacity.
When asked about the role of Richard Holbrooke, the Special US Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Jawad said he has put together an incredible team of experts on Afghanistan. He is an experienced diplomat and is doing his upmost to overcome the challenges that both Afghanistan and Pakistan are facing.
Holbrooke is currently travelling to Europe from where he would travel to Kabul to attend the inaugural ceremony of the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, who was declared elected by the Independent Election Commission last month.
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Kunduz governor welcomes more German troops
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz – Nov 14, 2009 – 15:39
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): The governor of northern Kunduz province has welcomed Germany’s announcement of sending 120 more troops into Afghanistan, but insisted the troops’ stay should not be for a long time.
Eng. Muhammad Omar told Pajhwok Afghan News the fresh deployment would strengthen the security and the fight against the rebels.
During his visit to Kunduz province on Friday, German Minister of Defense Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said his country will send about 120 more soldiers to Afghanistan.
The extra soldiers an infantry company will be sent to Afghanistan in January to support the German base in Kunduz, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel. Their task will be to defend the German base from outside attacks.
Violence has increased in the region, the magazine reported. After the Taliban announced the NATO transportation routes as targets, there have been several attacks on supply convoys.
Last week, north of the German base, insurgents set fire to several trucks that were to deliver supplies to US troops.
With the additional 120 soldiers, Germany will have some 4,500 soldiers in Afghanistan, which is the maximum troop level approved by the German parliament.
Kunduz governor Eng. Omar said the increase was a good omen for the dwellers, but said their prolong stay could create problems for them and the residents as well.
He said the international community should strengthen Afghan army to enable them to effectively deal with the rebels and pave way for foreign troops to leave the country.
Most of German troops are stationed in northeastern provinces including Kunduz.
Germany is one of the key supporters of Afghanistan and had a key role in training and equipping Afghan police. Germany had so far granted 170 million to Afghanistan.
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NATO forces raid ex-jihadi commander’s house, kill 12
Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 14, 2009 – 18:28
HERAT CITY (PAN): Residents of Shindand district in western Herat province have accused NATO forces of killing nearly a dozen civilians including women and children in an overnight raid on a house.
The NATO helicopters dropped off soldiers near the house of a former jihadi commander last night. The soldiers attacked the house, killing 12 people including children and women inside, Tor Muhammad Khan, an elder of the area said.
He said the dead included the commander, his wife and four children and some relatives.
“Even if there were militants, the forces should have searched the house for killing or arresting the wanted, but why they killed women and children, it is beyond our understanding,” the elder said.
“Raiding a house or entering it without permission is against our culture. Every one in our society keeps arms at home for self-defence. It is obvious the commander may have reacted to the forces then they killed all of them,” Mohammad said.
Tor Muhammad said he along with 200 local residents went to Herat city to discuss the killings with officials.
However, Shindand district chief Lal Mohammad Omarzai said four people were killed in the operation carried out in Bakhtabad village of Zer-i-Koh area.
He said three armed militants were killed and as many were detained during the opposition. He also confirmed that women had been killed in the raid, but gave no details.
NATO forces yet to comment over the incident.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi claimed there were no Taliban in the area and all people killed in the operation were civilians. He said dead included children and women.
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Two militants killed by own explosives in Zabul
Ahmad Omaid Khpalwak & Obaidullah Kharoti – Nov 14, 2009 – 16:39
SHARAN / TARINKOT (PAN): Two militants have been killed and six other people including a child and a policeman wounded in two separate explosions in southeast and south of the country, officials said.
A spokesman for Zabul governor, Hameedullah Zhwok, told Pajhwok Afghan News the two Taliban were killed when the mines they were planting along a roadside went off prematurely in Yahyakhel district last night.
However, Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, denied the claim, saying none of their fighters was killed last night in the district.
Elsewhere, a roadside bomb hit a police vehicle on patrol in provincial capital, Trinkot, of Uruzgan.
The crime branch police chief, Col. Gulab Khan, said the incident occurred yesterday in Tor Baba area on the outskirts of Trinkot, injuring a policeman and four civilians.
Trinkot civil hospital head, Dr. Gul Mohammad, said five wounded civilians were brought to the hospital. He added an injured child was in a critical condition.
Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said the blast inflicted huge casualties on foreign soldiers.
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Logar farmers not getting market for onion produce
Abdul Maqsood Azizi – Nov 14, 2009 – 16:45
PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Farmers in the central Logar province complained they were not finding prospective buyers for their onion produce this year.
They also grumbled that the produce was getting rotten for non-availability of proper storages in the province.
According to officials, onions were cultivated on around 1,107 hectares of land in Logar this year. Each hectare had rendered 32 tons of onion produce, the figures reveal.
Hayatullah is one of the farmers who has packed his produce in sacks and waiting for traders from city to come and take it before it gets rotten and lose its value.
The 35-year-old told Pajhwok Afghan News that he had cultivated onion at nearly 20 acres of land. Hayatullah said the farmers got bumper produce this year mainly because of plenty rains but the problem was now how to get market for that.
He said he was facing losses instead of income because no one was turning up to buy the onion. He had spent money and time to grow the crop but not getting the expected income this year.
He said traders were coming from the city, but they usually offer such a rate that could not get the farmers even the amount they had spent on purchase of fertilizers, seeds and medicines over the season.
Another farmer Mirwais also came out with similar grievances when contacted for comments. Hailing from Muhammad Agha district, the 32-year-old said he had go 500 sacks full of onion produce but could not get proper market this year.
Mirwais said the government was responsible for the problems as it did not sign agreements with the neighbouring countries for the onion exports.
He said the government should at least construct cold storages if it could not find markets for their produce outside the country.
Director of the agriculture department Eng. Sayed Muhammad Eisa admitted the farmers complaints were justified and the government was trying to address the same.
He said the foreign NGOs and countries should help the Afghan government in reducing problems of the farmers. He said Logar province had six cold storages, but those were insufficient for the farm produce.
He said they were not exporting agriculture products to Pakistan as the neighbouring country was imposing huge customs and duties.
Mirajuddin, an onion and fresh fruit trader, told this news agency that they could not export the agriculture products to Pakistan because police were forcing them to pay bribery inside the country while the Pakistani government was imposing huge duties and taxes on the products.
He said the government should talk to the Pakistani authorities as well as direct the police officials inside the country not to squeeze money from traders exporting fruit and other agriculture products to Pakistan.
Located nearly 65 kilometres south of Kabul, Pul-i-Alam is producing wheat, maize, barleys, onion, and potatoes along with fruit, like grapes, apricots and apples.
The farmers in Logar and several other provinces are complaining about non-availability of markets for their produce at a time when the government and international community are trying to persuade them to grow crops other than poppies.
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Seven Taliban killed in Wardak
Hakim Basharat – Nov 14, 2009 – 17:09
MAIDAN SHAHR (PAN): NATO forces in a pre-emptive attack killed seven Taliban insurgents in central Maidan Wardak province, officials said on Saturday.
A spokesman for the governor, Shahidullah Shahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News the offensive was carried out after intelligence reports indicated the insurgents had gathered to launch an attack the foreign soldiers in Badam area of Narkh district.
Shahid said seven Taliban insurgents were killed and a commander identified as Hidayat were among three fighters detained during the clashes.
A rocket launcher and two Kalashnikovs were seized from the site of the attack, said the gubernatorial spokesman, who added the forces remained unhurt.
A statement from NATO-led ISAF confirmed the operation, saying several insurgents were killed and some of them were detained with their arms.
A local Taliban commander on condition of anonymity said, one of their fighter was killed and two others were detained by the forces. He claimed three US soldiers were also killed in the gun-battle.
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ANA soldiers distribute relief goods in Zabul
Naseem Hotak – Nov 14, 2009 – 17:25
QALAT (PAN): Afghan National Army service members distributed relief foods among needy families in provincial capital Qalat of southern Zabul province, an official said on Saturday.
Commander of the 2nd Ground Brigade of 205th Atal Military Corps, Major Syed Agha, told Pajhwok Afghan News the relief goods, including warm clothes, were given to nearly 400 poor families. He said the relief was distributed to the families on the directives of defence ministry in Spina Ghbargah and Shirabad areas of Qalat city.
 He also hinted at distribution of such goods among the needy families in other districts of the province in near future.
The aid included flour, ghee, rice, tea, sugar, blankets, winter cloths and stationary for students, he said.
A dweller of Spina Ghbargah, Mohammad Omar, said that he was jobless and faced with economic problems. He said the relief would help them resolve their problems to some extent during the winter season.
Another resident of the city thanked the government and demanded of welfare organizations to provide them more relief goods.
Hundreds of displaced families who fled clashes between security forces and Taliban insurgents are leading a miserable life in their makeshift arrangements near the provincial capital and other remote parts of the province.
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Baghlan carnage: Govt assailed for failing to arrest culprits
Habibur Rahman Sherzai – Nov 14, 2009 – 20:33
PUL-I-KHUMRI (PAN): Participants of a gathering commemorating the second anniversary of the 2007 carnage in northern Baghlan province slammed the government for its failure to arrest the perpetrators.
The massive bombing ripped through a ceremony to re-open a sugar factory as part of a plan to improve and build the economy in the northeastern Baghlan province on November 6, 2007. Large groups of people, including children and elderly people were lined up to assist in the inauguration of the facility. At least 75 people, among them 59 children, were killed or wounded severely in the massive bombing.
It is widely believed that the blast was caused by a bomb full of ball-bearings as a suicide attacker could unlikely cause such a massive carnage.
Six members of the parliament were killed in the blast, including key opposition figures. The lawmakers killed in the bombing were former Commerce Minister Sayed Mustafa Kazemi, the prominent private sector representative Hajji Muhammad Arif Zarif, as well as Abdul Mateen, Al Hajj Sahib Al-Rahman, Nazuk Mir Sarfaraz and Sebghatullah Zaki. All six were members of the ten-member Economics Committee of the National Assembly.
Syed Ali Kazemi, the brother of deceased Mustafa Kazemi, criticized the government for being unable to net the conspirators of the massacre.
Speaking at the gathering of about 300 people in capital city of Baghlan, he said some powerful hands were behind the suicide attack. But he would not name anyone.
However, Attorney General Office has claimed some suspects in the attack had been arrested and prosecuted. Baghlan governor, Mohammad Akbar Barakzai, also confirmed the arrests.
A tribal elder, Haji Yaqoob Stanakzai, said the government at that time had vowed to compensate each family who lost their relatives in the attack with a flat and cash money but he said those promises are yet to be materialized.
“The children of the martyrs are still hungry and awaiting assistance from government as no one has so far helped them,” he said.
However, the governor promised that he being a representative of the government would make efforts to honour the pledges made by the government with the victim families.
A similar gathering in Kabul on Friday criticized the government for not capturing the culprits. The gathering was participated by Kazemi’s family who condemned the attack.
Also a week back, a similar gathering of some MPs led by Mohammad Younus Qanoni, speaker of the parliament, also criticized the justice and judicial authorities for not being able to arrest the culprits. The MPs then laid floral wreathes on the graves of their slain colleagues.
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Night letters ask govt officials to resign jobs
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Nov 14, 2009 – 14:08
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): The Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) led by former jihadi commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has asked its fighters to avoid harming civilians during their armed struggle against the foreigners in the country.
The directives were issued in letters distributed in mosques and markets in this provincial capital of the central Ghazni province.
The night letters warned the government officials to resign from their jobs and stop cooperation with foreign troops. The letters have been issued in Pashto and Dari languages.
The letters from HIA say that foreign troops have been defeated and they were on way to flee the country. The letters asked the fighters of HIA in Ghazni, Paktia, Paktika and Logar to mount pressure on foreign troops and fight the Afghan army and police only when there is no other way out.
The letters asked the opponents of the government to join hands with each others to continue their struggle from a joint platform.
The statement said that the HIA was not involved in burning and destruction of schools, roads or other facilities which benefit the common people. Security officials in Ghazni said they did not know about the letters.
Brig. General Khial Baz Sherzai, police chief of the province, said he did not receive any letter so far. However, a shopkeeper Muhammadullah says the letters were distributed in markets and mosques in Ghazni City two nights back.
Meanwhile, HIA spokesman Eng. Haroon Zarghoon said their party did not distribute the night letters. “Our policy is that the government officials should continue their jobs and we have nothing to do with public welfare works and schools.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84758
Karzai urges parents to give anti-polio drops to children
Zubair Babakarkhail – Nov 14, 2009 – 18:31
KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai has urged upon the people to administer anti-paralysis vaccines to their children during the current campaign against the disease.
Karzai’s message was released from the Presidential Palace here on Saturday. The three-day drive will be launched from Sunday, said the statement.
The president said the anti-paralysis vaccine did not harm children and health teams would be visiting houses to ensure each child get the vaccine.
Karzai said the countrymen must cooperate with the health teams who would be visiting houses in each and every part of the country to administer the vaccines to children.
Karzai also stressed the need for role of tribal elders, religious scholars and influential to persuade people to administer the vaccines to their children.
About the campaign, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Ahmad Farid Raid told Pajhwok Afghan News health teams would administer anti-paralysis vaccines to 8.8 million children below five years across the country. He said it was the sixth and last campaign during the current year.
He said another 6.8 million children would be given vitamin A capsules to save them from respiratory diseases during the upcoming winter.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84759
AG promises action against corrupt officials, ministers
Zubair Babakarkhail – Nov 14, 2009 – 20:59
KABUL (PAN): Attorney General (AG) Muhammad Ishaq Alako has said that double of the embezzled amount will be recovered along with imprisonment if any of the ministers or other government employees were found guilty of corruption.
Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, the attorney general said a special court would be established under the constitution to hear the cases of corruption against ministers and other governmental officials.
“We have cases about mayors, deputies, directors and a number of serving or former ministers and we will take the same to the court,” said the attorney general.
He said his office had cases against former minister for Haj and auqaf  Enayatullah Qasimi, present deputy minister Muhammad Siddiq Chakari, former minister for transport Habibullah Qadiri and former director of the Aryana Airlines Nadir Aatish.
Alako said case about the deputy minister for Haj and auqaf was present with his office and the minister should reply to several questions. “Complete cases were laying with us about him and several other ministers and those will be brought before the court when it is established,” said the attorney general.
Asked about their seriousness in the cases against the ministers, the attorney general said that they had all the requisite documents and they would present the same to the court. The rest of the job will be done by the judges and the court, said the attorney general.
He said the the problem of administrative corruption was related to the problem of narcotics and security. He said the locals and the international community fully aware of the problem of administrative corruption and they want the government to address the same.
He said the proposed court would not only help in discouraging administrative corruption, but also stop others involving themselves in corruption in future.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84769
Five suspected militants detained in Balkh
Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 14, 2009 – 19:04
KABUL/ MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): A joint Afghan and international security force detained five suspected militants in northern Balkh province, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.
The joint operation was launched in the Borka village of Balkh district on Friday, the ministry said in a statement, adding five suspects were detained during the operation.
A Kalashnikov, a pistol, 50 grenades, 600 cartridges, two knives and four kilograms of hashish were also seized from the militants, the statement said.
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Sardar Mohammad Sultani told a press conference that seven Taliban fighters were detained and another was killed during the operations named Belor. The operation was conducted in Balkh, Chamtal and Charboldak districts.
Sultani added a militant leader named Rahmatullah was among those detained during the operation. Rahmatullah is accused of killing three policemen during an attack in Helman area of Chamtal district.
However, a resident of Chamtal district said the forces also arrested civilians who had no relations with the rebels.
He added a 73-years old, Mohammad Kabir, resident of Naw-Shar village, was killed during the operation. “Innocent people are being killed or detained while the Taliban move free”, he added.
Sultani said police are investigating from the detainees. He said it would become clear whether the arrested people are militants or civilians during the interrogation. He added the operations are in progress in the area.
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New district building opens in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Nov 14, 2009 – 19:42
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): A newly constructed building for district headquarters in Dand district of southern Kandahar province was inaugurated on Saturday.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Governor Toryalay Wissa, heads of various provincial departments, Canadian soldiers and tribal elders.
Wissa told Pajhwok Afghan News the new facility was constructed with financial support from Canadian government and it took five months to complete. He said the facility made the district first of its kind in the province as to be large enough to house an entire administrative structure of a district.
He said work on some other projects, also financed by Canada, was underway in the same district, providing job opportunities to almost 1,000 local people.
The ventures included construction of roads, schools, medical clinics, cleaning of streams and canals, solar energy and the like, he added.
He said they prioritized all those districts which are either near the capital city or relatively peaceful in carrying out the welfare schemes. “Such schemes will soon be implemented in other parts of the province,” he said.
Dand Administrative Head, Ahmadullah Nazek, put the overall cost of the projects at 1.5 million afghanis. However, he said he did not have exact information about the expenditures of other ventures executed in other parts of his district.
A tribal elder, Malak Kaku, thanked the authorities for the projects in their area. He said the district has a suitable climate for agriculture and called upon the government to help the gardeners and farmers find a good marketing system for their productions.
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Seeds, fertilizers distribution starts in north
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz, Barat – Nov 14, 2009 – 19:43
KUNDUZ / AIBAK (PAN): The process of distributing tonnes of chemical fertilizers and improved quality wheat seeds to farmers was initiated in northern Kunduz and Samangan provinces on Saturday.
Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Director, Abdul Aziz Nikzad, told Pajhwok Afghan News more than 11 thousands tonnes of improved seeds and fertilizers being provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would be distributed to 55,000 farmers in Imam Saheb, Khanabad, Qala-i-Zal districts and provincial capital Kunduz city. He added the process would take a month time to complete.
A farmer, who has 2.5-5 acres of land, would receive 50kg of improved wheat seed, 50 kg of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and 100kg of urea, he said.
He added the amount of fertilizers and seeds worth 5000afs would be given to the farmers for 1800 afghanis. The farmers would pay for the remaining price through farmers’ cooperatives after harvesting their crops.
Meanwhile, distribution of 1360 tonnes of improved wheat seeds and chemical fertilizers was kicked off in northern Samangan province. The materials would be distributed to 6,700 farmers
Head of International Relief & Development (IRD) organization in the province, Engineer Matiullah Noori said the materials worth 1200,000 US dollars had been provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) abd would be distributed to the people of Hazrat Sultan, Roy Do Aab districts and provincial capital Aibak of Samangan.
Fertilizers and seeds worth 7000 afghanis in local market would be provided to each farmer for 1800 afghanis.
Acting director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Directorate, Noor Mohammad said 1950 tonnes of fertilizers and improved seeds were distributed last year to 15,000 farmers of the province.
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Suspected Pakistani terrorist detained in east
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Nov 14, 2009 – 20:31
JALALABAD (PAN): Intelligence operatives in eastern Nangahar province have arrested a suspected Pakistani terrorist along with explosives stripped to his body.
In a statement, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), said the man identified as Khalil son of Abdullah, a resident of Lakki Marwat, NWFP, wanted to launch an attack on the Nangarhar Hotel in Jalalabad City.
It said the arrested person had confessed to his intention of attacking the hotel situated in Pukhtunistan Square.
The statement further said security forces shot dead a fellow of Khalil apparently aiming to carryout a suicide attack on the same hotel a few days ago.
A suicide vest was removed from Khalil’s body, the statement added.
During his interrogation, Khalil had said he joined a group of Taliban militants led by Qari Gul Bahadur in Pakistani’s tribal region of Waziristan after completing his religious education from a religious school in Lakki Marwat.
He said Gul Bahadur had sent him to Afghanistan for carrying out suicide attack.
About three weeks ago, one suicide attacker was killed and his two companions were arrested alive when they conducted an attack on the said hotel where governor Gul Agha Sherzai was due to address a meeting of government officials.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84774
Final council poll results for Zabul, Uruzgan declared
Zubair Babakarkhel – Nov 14, 2009 – 15:03
KABUL (PAN): The election commission on Saturday announced final results for provincial council elections of Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.
The AEC in a statement said the much-anticipated results were announced after a lengthy investigation into the allegations of irregularities in the election process.
It added ‘a considerable amount of time’ was provided to the provincial council candidates to inform the commission about any irregularity or fraud.
“After a thoroughly review of candidates’ complaints, the commission reached a final decision on the results,” the statement said.
The results which are also available on the commission’s website, explains the winners of provincial councils seats in southern Zabul as following:
Haji Mohammad Hashim with 2, 511 votes leads the tally, Dr Zalmay with 1,874 is second and Haji Mohammad Daud with 1,367 goes to third position. Other winners are Haji Zadran, Haji Abdul Rahman, Ghulam Faruq Khan, Madina, Fauzia Nawisi and Zar Bibi.
The winners of Uruzgan are as following:
Abdul Ali with 5573 on the top, Jan Mohamamd with 3068 is second and Haji Mohammad Ibrahim with 2370 votes comes on third position. Amanullah Khan, Mohammadullah, Haji Amanullah, Hilai and Marjana are other candidates who made their way to the council.
The simultaneous provincial council and presidential elections were held on August 20, but still results of some provinces are pending.
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10 killed, 20 injured in Peshawar suicide blast
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 14, 2009 – 14:29
ISLAMABAD (PAN): At least ten people were killed and 20 others were wounded when a suicide attacker in a car detonated his explosives at a police check-post on the outskirts of Peshawar City, capital of NWFP, on Saturday, officials said.
The attacker detonated his explosives-packed red coloured motorcar in Pestha Khara area, neighborhood of Peshawar, when police stopped him for a search on the outer Ring Road.
The massive blast killed 10 people and wounded 20 others, an official of the post, Malik Jehangir told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said the bomber was en rout to Peshawar city when police intercepted his vehicle.
At least eight vehicles were also extensively damaged in the blast.
The wounded people were immediately rushed to Lady Reading Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Khyber Teaching Hospital where an emergency has been declared.
The law enforcement agencies have surrounded and sealed the explosion site, prohibiting irrelevant persons to enter the area.
An official of bomb disposal squad, Waheedur Rahman said up to five kilos of explosives were used in the blast that also drew condemnation from President Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani
Provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the attack killed five people and two attackers of the vehicle.
He said they had early intelligence information that three explosives laden vehicle would enter the city.
Hussain said the police foiled a huge terrorist bid in the city.
He said they receive information about terrorist activities in advance. “But sometimes we succeed or they,” he said.
An eyewitness Haji Yousaf put the toll of injured people at 30.
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US urged to revise Afghan detention policy
Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 15, 2009 – 19:21
KABUL (PAN): The Obama administration should revise its detention policies in Afghanistan to make them consistent with international law, Amnesty International, Human Rights First, and Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.
The call came as the United States military is hosting the media and some nongovernmental organizations today at its recently constructed but empty detention facility in the central Parwan province.
In a joint statement, the three organizations urged the US to end ‘arbitrary detention’ in Afghanistan and to fully align US detention practices with international law.
The organizations noted that the US has made some recent changes in its detention policy in Afghanistan. These include providing detainees with notice of the basis of their internment and the right to call witnesses and question government witnesses.
Its common knowledge that Afghans perceive US detention operations as secretive and lacking in due process, said Sahr Muhammed Ally, senior associate at Human Rights First. The United States must remedy this problem and take the critical step of bringing its detention practices into an appropriate legal framework that is consistent with international and Afghan law, and allows and provides detainees with a sufficient way to challenge their detention. Such reforms are a necessary precondition to establishing long-term stability in Afghanistan through the rule of law.
The three organizations urged the US and Afghan governments to take further steps immediately. In particular, they asked the US and Afghanistan to enter into a public agreement that spells out grounds and procedures for US detentions that are consistent with international and Afghan law.
A US domestic law, the Authorization for Use of Military Force, is currently being used as the basis for the detentions on Afghan soil.
It is inadequate because it fails to recognize that all persons held in Afghanistan are entitled to the legal protection of Afghan domestic law and international human rights law, regardless of whether they are in the physical control of the Afghan government or a foreign government.
All detainees in Afghanistan are entitled to minimum protections, including the right to legal counsel, and to be able to challenge the legal and factual basis for the detention before an independent and impartial tribunal. The U.S. reforms still fall short of providing detainees with those rights.
President Obama has taken some steps to sort out the mess created by the Bush administration, said Rachel Reid, Afghanistan researcher for Human Rights Watch. But the US will have a lot more credibility encouraging the Afghan government to respect the rule of law if it reforms its own detention practices.
The US should provide transparency in its detention operations by allowing private access to detainees by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), which is legally mandated to visit places of detention on Afghan soil, and by international human rights organizations, the three groups said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross does visit detainees being held in long-term detention by the United States, but their findings are confidential.
The US should also facilitate observation of the new detainee review board proceedings by Afghan and international human rights groups.
Similar detainee review processes conducted by the US in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay fell far short of international legal standards.
The Bagram detention facility serves as a symbol of the US operating outside a proper legal framework in Afghanistan, said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty Internationals Asia-Pacific director.
Given the real problems with the existing Afghan judicial system, the US and Afghan governments must immediately begin to establish a long-term solution that respects the right of the detainees to have their cases heard in a court of law, and to be set free if they are not found guilty of a criminal offense.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84787
IED blast kills three civilians in Zabul
Naseem Hotak – Nov 15, 2009 – 16:42
ZABUL (PAN): Three civilians were killed as an improvised explosive device buried at roadside ripped through a private car in Shamalzi district of southern Zabul province, an official said on Sunday.
District Chief Wazir Mohammad Jawadi told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident occurred in Jang Bridge area of the district on Saturday. three more civilians were wounded in the blast, he added.
He added one of three injured persons was shifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said they blew up two vehicles of security forces. Thirteen security personnel were killed in the blast. However Jawadi denied Ahmadi’s claim.
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15 militants killed in separate operations
Pajhwok Report – Nov 15, 2009 – 16:57
KABUL (PAN): A commander was among 15 Taliban militants killed during separate operations by Afghan and international forces in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.
Nuristan governor Jamaluddin Badr told Pajhwok Afghan News a group of insurgents attacked checkpoints of Afghan and NATO forces in Noorgram district last night. In retaliation attack, the joint forces killed six attackers, including their one commander.
Police Chief Qasim Payman identified the slain commander as Abdul Qadeer, who was a shadow district chief of the Taliban in Noorgram.
Meanwhile, NATO forces dropped bombs on suspected militants planting roadside bombs in Lichlaw area of Manugi district in Kunar province last night.
A dweller of the area, Sultan, said three dead bodies of the militants were still lying on the ground.
Without giving the exact number, NATO press office in eastern zone, said several militants who were burying roadside bombs were killed in the air strike. 
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Khalilullah Ziaee confirmed the incident, but gave no details.
Meanwhile, in southeastern Paktika province, six Taliban insurgents have been killed by Afghan and International forces during their joint operation in Sarobi district last night, an official said on Sunday.
Governor’s spokesman, Hameedullah Zhwok, told Pajhwok Afghan News the six Taliban were killed and their hideouts destroyed in Robat area. He added no one was hurt from civilians in the operation.
He added the bodies of the Taliban insurgents were shifted to district headquarters. Two machine guns, three Kalashnikovs, a pick up vehicle, nine remote-controlled mines and ammunition were also seized during the offensive.
Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed they hijacked five vehicles carrying supplies for NATO forces.
After the incident, NATO forces conducted an air strike and targeted their hideouts, but the militants remained unharmed, Mujahid claimed.
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Blast in pediatric ward kills visitor in Herat
Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 15, 2009 – 21:58
HERAT CITY (PAN): A hand grenade exploded at a pediatric ward in western Herat province late Saturday evening, killing an attendee of a newly-delivered mother, officials said on Sunday.
Police spokesman for the western zone, Col. Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, told Pajhwok Afghan News the grenade placed in a wood heater was exploded when a midwife set fire to it in Totachi clinic in Gulran district. The blast killed a visitor and injured three others, including the midwife and two other attendees.
The blast happened last evening when a midwife Nasima set fire to the wood heater to warm the room for the mother.
Public health director, Dr. Syed Naeem Alami, said a visitor of the patient was killed and other visitors and a midwife were wounded in the blast. He added the wounded people were shifted to a civil hospital and their condition was stated to be stable.
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Anti-Taliban mayor survives bid on life in Peshawar
Daud Khan – Nov 15, 2009 – 17:01
PESHAWAR (PAN): Gunmen wearing burqas attacked the house of an anti-Taliban leader in Peshawar on Sunday, but his security guards repelled the attack, killing three assailants.
The house of the Nazim (mayor) of Bazeedkhel Union Council Fahimur Rahman was the scene of Taliban attack, this time by three burqa-clad men, backed by seven other armed supporters on the outskirts of Peshawar, the main city in northwestern Pakistan.
Security guards of Fahimur Rahman challenged the three men and chased them. In the ensuing clash, three militants were killed while the rest managed to flee.
The clash took place in Badbher area, officials and witnesses told Pajhwok Afghan News.
About a week back, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted and killed another anti-Taliban leader Abdul Malik in the nearby locality of Matani.
Malik and his Lashkar (army of volunteers) had blocked the entry of Taliban from Darra Adamkhel side into their villages.
Sunday’s attack on nazim Fahimur Rahman was the third since the killing of nine militants from the restive Bara region in a clash in Bazeekhel village by his men last year.
Since then, Fahim escaped a car bomb attack in Barisko locality of Peshawar city about nine months ago. Three schoolchildren were killed in the blast. Another attack was carried out on Fahimur Rahman when a car full of explosives was detonated outside his house in Bazeedkhel village.
After the attack, Fahim shifted his house to Badbher from Bazeedkhel.
He was targeted by the Bara-based warlord Mangal Bagh as his men had killed nine volunteers of Bara-based Lashkar-e-Islam or LI.
No group or individual had so far claimed the Sunday attack on Fahim house, but it is believed that it would be the handiwork of LI or Taliban from Darra Adamkhel, who are situated less than 25 kilometres from Badbher.
Karim Khan, SP rural in the area, told journalists that some of the attackers were wearing burqas. They tried to enter the Hujra of Fahimur Rahman, but the guards were alert and they challenged them in time.
Fahimur Rahman told Pajhwok over the telephone that the armed men fled the scene after clash with his guards. Fahim said the militants killed civilians each time they attack him. He said his men were fully prepared and would not allow the militants to operate in the area.
Fahim accused the Lashkar-e-Islam of Mangal Bagh for the attack.
Police officials said they had shifted bodies of the three men to the Badbher police station, but it was not known as to which group they belong.
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First-ever press club opens in Helmand
Zainullah Setanikzai – Nov 15, 2009 – 17:22
LASHKARGAH (PAN): A newly constructed building for a press club, the first of its kind, was opened in the southern Helmand province on Sunday, an official of the club said.
Radio Liberty reporter and director of the press club, Muhammad Ilias Dayee, told Pajhwok Afghan News the press club currently had a director, deputy director, cashier, administrator and secretary.
Expressing his pleasure over the inauguration of the press club, Dayee said it would help strengthen journalist activities in the province, besides facilitating local reporters and those coming from the neighbouring provinces.
“The media men in the province earlier had to face with problems due to lack of a properly building for them. Now they would have the opportunity to set together at a single platform,” he added.
A hall for training, workshops, seminars and other cultural events would soon be constructed at the press club premises with support from some national and foreign nongovernmental organizations, he disclosed. “There will also be game facilities for the journalists such as chess, ping pong and billiard,” he added.
The press club is first of its kind in the southern province, a hotbed of Taliban, bordering Pakistan. Local reporters also expressed their pleasure over the construction of the club.
Baryalai Rahimi, a reporter with Tolo TV, believes there would be some positive changes after inauguration of the club. “We want to have closer relationship and cooperation with international media outlets,” he said.
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Ringleader of kidnappers’ gang netted in Farah
Sulaiman Hashimi – Nov 15, 2009 – 17:52
KABUL (PAN): Intelligence operatives Sunday claimed detaining a notorious ringleader of a kidnapping gang in western Farah province.
In a press release, provincial national directorate of security, said Akhtar Mohammad, the ringleader, a resident of Abdullah Sher area, was arrested along with a motorbike, a gun and a wireless set from provincial capital Farah City on Sunday.
Akhtar Muhammad had confessed to abducting Farid Ahmad, resident of Farah city, with support of four gunmen and kept him for 22 days in their captivity.
He said Farid Ahmad was released after his family agreed to provide them 175000 afghanis as ransom amount for his release.
In a separate press release, the intelligence department said a cache of arms and ammunitions was seized in northern in Sang Lashm area of Chal district in northern Takhar province during an operation.
The arms included BM1, artillery and an RPG7 rocket launcher and some ammunition.
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Polio vaccination campaign begins in Helmand
Zainullah Setanikzai – Nov 15, 2009 – 17:53
LASHKARGAH (PAN): A three-day polio immunization campaign was kicked off on Sunday in southern restive province of Helmand, where health officials say seven positive polio cases surfaced this year.
Dr. Nisar Ahmad Barak, deputy head of Bust hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News the campaign involving 190 supervisors and 2200 volunteers will target about 500,000 children of age five and below.
He said the polio teams would visit door to door at every district of the province to administer polio drops to the children against the deadly diseases.
Barak said religious scholars and tribal elders would assist the health workers in all the areas of the province, except a part in Garamser district.
Urging the Taliban not to create troubles in making a success the drive, Barak said it was not a political campaign, but aimed at saving the lives of children.
According to Dr. Nisar, so far seven positive polio cases had been registered this year in Nad Ali, Kajaki, Sangin and Nehar Seraj district.
Mula Rahmatullah, a resident of Nad Ali district, said that no one had visited his village for immunization for the last one year.
Abdullah Jan, a resident of Lashkargah city, said that the polio vaccinators come to a particular area and then leave.
He said that the officials should provide anti-polio drops to all the children in the area.
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12 uplift schemes executed in Laghman
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Nov 15, 2009 – 18:14
JALALABAD (PAN): A dozen uplift schemes have been executed under the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) in Qarghai district of eastern Laghman province.
NSP head in the province, Engineer Humayun Akseer, told Pajhwok Afghan News nearly 9240 people of the district would benefit from the projects, costing eight millions afghanis.
The projects which took three months to complete included wells, construction of road, community centre, micro hydro electric power and tailoring courses for women.
A dweller of Damlij village, Haji Mya Gul expressed his pleasure over completion an electricity project and a flour mill in his village.
According to Akseer, out of total 1,700 approved projects, 1400 had been completed and work on 300 others was underway in the province.
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Teachers protest skill evaluation test
Hamid & Mohammad Barat – Nov 15, 2009 – 20:51
SHEBARGHAN/AIBAK: Hundreds of teachers in northern city of Shebarghan staged a protest demonstration against an exam – a first of its kind in Afghanistan to evaluate their competency and set them up for pay raises if they score well.
The education ministry with financial support from finance ministry launched a countrywide professional skills evaluation exam for the teachers to judge and categorize their capabilities for pay raises and paving way for a boost in international funding for education in the country.
About 500 protesting teachers including women said that taking an exam from elder and experienced teachers in teaching tips was nothing, but to subject them to humiliation. They demanded an immediate end to the process.
Mohammad Halim, a demonstrator, said the best way to evaluate their know-how was asking students about their talent, not forcing them to set exam.
He said 500 out of 1655 teachers in the province did not appear in the exam, and instead resorted to taking part in the protest.
Yar Nazar Nazari, Education Director in Jawzjan, said those teachers who did not take part in today’s exam would receive no benefits of the process.
Elsewhere in the country, two new departments were opened in Teaching Institute of northern Samangan province.
The new departments of Mathematics and Science were opened in Darra-i-Sauf district consisting of four teachers and 55 students, five of them girls.
Head of provincial Teaching Institute, Syed Abdul Jameel Amani, told PAN that currently, there were 403 students, including 164 girls, in the institute whom are taught by 22 teachers in the areas of science, mathematics, social science, Islamic Studies, and Pashtu, Dari and English literatures.
Terming it a positive step towards promotion of education in the province, Amani said it would also partly resolve professional problems of the teachers.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84825
Taliban commander injured in US forces air raid
Abdul Mateen Sarfaraz – Nov 15, 2009 – 19:38
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): US Special Forces injured a Taliban commander in northern Kunduz province in an air strike and arrested his two companions, police said on Sunday.
Police chief Brigadier General Abdul Razzaq Yaqoobi, told a press conference Sunday afternoon, the Taliban commander was wounded last night as a result of an air strike by US forces on the outskirts of Kunduz City.
Without naming the commander, Yaqoobi said the incident took place in Gul Taipa locality. Two suspected Taliban militants were also arrested by the forces, he added.
Mohammad Ihsaan, a local farmer, told Pajhwok Afghan News the detainees were not the Taliban.
He explained the Taliban asked a local taxi driver Sahar Gul to take their injured fighter to a hospital. He said, meanwhile, the US forces descended from their helicopter and arrested the taxi driver and his son, but the militants fled.
Yaqoobi also told the press conference that police busted a six-member group of armed robbers at a time when they were trying to rob a house in the jurisdiction of 3rd police station of provincial capital. The group had links with the local Taliban, he added.
One of the robbers named Khuda denied the allegation.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84826
Karzai launches final anti-polio round
Pajhwok Report – Nov 15, 2009 – 16:23
KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai and Deputy US Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone marked the final round of polio eradication national immunization days with a ceremony at the Presidential Palace here on Sunday.
“The program is designed to encourage the Afghan population to vaccinate their children under the age of five against polio,” the USAID said in a statement. 
Afghanistan is one of only four remaining countries with endemic polio, said the statement, adding USAID is a partner with the Ministry of Public Health to achieve a polio-free country.
During the ceremony, President Karzai and Ambassador Ricciardone both administered polio vaccination drops to a number of children. 
Afghanistan is prone to virus transmission because of a broad border with Pakistan and movement of the people across the border between the two countries. “Cross-border coordination between Afghanistan and Pakistan is in place and several key steps have been instituted to further strengthen the coordination. These include synchronizing campaign dates, data sharing, regular meetings and the establishment of permanent vaccination posts at crossing points on the border.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84827
Afghan teachers take pay-scale test
Zarghona Salehi – Nov 15, 2009 – 14:19
KABUL (PAN): Amid a state of discontent, around 42,000 teachers on Sunday sit an examination first of its kind in Afghanistan for evaluating their competency and professional skills for establishing pay scales on the first day of the test.
Five hundred teachers protested in Shebarghan against the test, regarding it as an embarrassment.
In Sunday’s test, each teacher was given about 100 written queries with half of them about their profession, 25 general knowledge and the remaining 25 about their teaching tips at Rabia-i-Balkhi High School here, officials informed.
The participants of Sunday’s test included high school diplomat holders, bachelors, masters and doctorates, Dr. Ghulam Farooq Wardak, education minister told reporters.
“We have almost 170,000 teachers in public education sector across the country,” he said.
According to Farooq, the teachers who required training would be included in two to six months or two to four years training programs after the completion evaluation process. “If a teacher fails to pass the examination, he or she will be replaced with professional teacher,” he said. However, he did not elaborate.
“Those who manage to answer less then 40 per cent of questions will be enlisted in the long-term training programme, and during that period they would not teach,” the education minister said.
Over 77 per cent of the teachers in public schools had their high school diploma, 23 per cent 14-grade graduation or had the bachelors, masters and doctorates,” Muhammad Asif Nang, the education ministry’s spokesman told the media people.
He explained the teachers who scored high marks in the test could continue their duty as teachers without participating in the training programmes. “Based on their experience and scores, their salaries will be increased from 6000afs to 21000afs, while all the teachers currently receive 3000 to 5000afs per month salaries,” the minister informed.
“Those who score well up to more than 50 percent marks will be enlisted in short term programmes, and they can also continue teaching,” Nang said.
He added, the finance ministry had pledged the expenses for conducting the exam.
There was a mixed reaction about the test among the teachers.
Some teachers criticized the exam, saying it was wastage of time.
In Shebarghan, about 500 teachers staged a demonstration against the test.
The protestors, including women, said taking an exam from elder and experienced teachers in teaching tips was nothing, but to subject them to humiliation. They demanded an immediate end to the process.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84828
3rd central business registry office opens in Herat
Pajhwok Report – Nov 15, 2009 – 21:23
KABUL (PAN): US ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs, on Sunday inaugurated the third provincial central business registry office in eastern Herat to encourage greater economic prosperity and growth and creation of new jobs.
“We are pleased to support this project. Together, through organizations such as this one, we will continue to promote Afghan-led efforts to build a brighter future and to deepen the Afghan-US partnership, the ambassador said at the opening ceremony.
For registry, all Afghan investors and traders are required by law to be registered, to obtain a tax identification number (TIN), and to be published in the official gazette.  With the opening of the office, the investors can now easily complete most of these steps at the Central Business Registry in Herat. 
“The new computerized registry system helps to bring Afghanistans business registration practices up to international standards. It is one more step that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is taking to create opportunities and to expand and support Afghan businesses nationwide,” Wayne said.
This reform streamlines the business registration process, saving entrepreneurs time and money to operate a business in Afghanistan, leaving entrepreneurs more time to focus on growing their businesses and creating jobs for Afghans, the US envoy noted in his remarks.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Commerce and Industry Wahidullah Shahrani said the opening shows his ministrys commitment to improving the enabling environment for businesses to operate throughout the country.
This service is provided for entrepreneurs forming a business.  This process that used to take more than one week has been reduced to 1-2 days, and has resulted in greater transparency, reduced corruption, and increased efficiency, Minister Shahrani said.
The new Central Registry was renovated and furnished in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and with the financial assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84829
Afghan air force gets two transport aircraft
Nilab Habibi – Nov 15, 2009 – 16:21
KABUL (PAN): Two of the 20 C-27A medium-sized military transport aircraft pledged by the US were handed over to the Afghan Air Forces on Sunday, an official said.
Corps Chief of Staff General Abdul Wahab Wardak said the US military would give Afghanistan 20 refurbished transport planes over the next two years, doubling the size of its depleted air force.
Two of the C-27A medium-sized military transport aircraft, manufactured by Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica, have been delivered, he said.
NATO and US forces top commander General Stanley McChrystal at a military ceremony in Kabul said the remainder of the twin-engine, turbo-prop planes would be delivered by 2011.
He said pilots of the air corps gained the ability to conduct airlift missions similar with those done by coalition forces in defence of their country after the delivery of the C-27s.
When the Taliban came into power in 1995, the air force quickly fell into disrepair and much of the equipment that had not already fallen into the hands of warlords was destroyed when US-backed Afghan forces toppled their regime in late 2001, Wardak said.
“With the arrival of new aircraft our air force will have 40 aircraft including nine helicopters,” he said.
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Afghanistan crippled by lack of coordination
Lalit K Jha – Nov 16, 2009 – 16:22
WASHINGTON (PAN): Lack of strategic coordination across international military and civilian efforts to ensure aid effectiveness has crippled the Afghan state, a top Afghan diplomat stationed in Washington has said.
A lack of strategic coordination across international military and civilian efforts to ensure aid effectiveness has crippled the Afghan state and left us with no capacity and resources to deliver basic services to people, said Ashraf Haidari, Political Counselor at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, in his speech at the prestigious Emory University in Atlanta Georgia.
Some blame official corruption, which is a major problem in all less developed countries and post-conflict societies for every problem in Afghanistan, he said adding that he believes that corruption is a symptom of weak governance, which cannot be improved in absence of a comprehensive state-building strategy to strengthen the Afghan state so that they can gradually gain a firm hold on and execute the sovereign affairs of Afghanistan.
Haidari said the way the international community has so far operated in Afghanistan has unfortunately had the unintended consequence of further weakening rather than strengthening its state institutions.
We appreciate the diversity of nations present in Afghanistan as a sign of international goodwill and consensus for supporting our country. But each contributing nation has pursued their own aid strategies, which means they have bypassed coordination with one another, as well as with the Afghan government, he observed.
I wish to stress that Afghanistan cannot achieve self-reliance and self-sufficiency unless the international community enables it to do so. In light of our massive rebuilding needs, the international community must match ends with means, he said.
They should not only commit long-term resources to peace-building in Afghanistan but also ensure that aid is effectively delivered through the Afghan state institutions in order to achieve the objectives of our National Development Strategy (ANDS).  We call upon our international partners to deliver on various aid commitments they have made, and to align their aid resources with the objectives of our strategy, a key priority of which is to build capacity in the state institutions, Haidari said.
Regionally, Pakistan’s military and intelligence establishment must be persuaded bilaterally and multilaterallyto cooperate honestly in the war against extremism, while the country’s civilian government must be strengthened to ensure stability in Pakistan and the rest of the region on the long run. We are firmly committed to partnering with Pakistans democratically elected government to eliminate sources of instability in our two countries and to work toward long-term security and economic cooperation in the whole region, Haidari said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84843
Several suspects detained in east; ISAF soldier dies in south
Pajhwok Report – Nov 16, 2009 – 14:35
KABUL (PAN): An Afghan-international security force detained several suspected militants in Nangarhar province while a British soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, the western military said on Monday.
On Monday, ISAF said the joint security force targeted a compound near the village of Lawangpur in the Chaparhar district where intelligence sources reported the Taliban facilitator was located.  The joint force searched the compound without incident and detained the suspected militants, one of which was identified as the Taliban facilitator.
No shots were fired, and no civilians were harmed during this operation, the force said in a statement.
While, one ISAF service member from Great Britain died after his patrol was attacked by insurgents with small arms fire in southern Afghanistan yesterday, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Polish-led ISAF provincial reconstruction team in Ghazni completed two major projects on (Thursday) Nov. 12.  The PRT delivered more than 600 professional books to help complete the first provincial law library in the southern province.
“I am very grateful and pleased that the reconstruction team fulfilled this project,” said the Chief Justice of Ghazni Province Attaullah Fekri. “Thank you very much not only for the books, but the copy machine and the other equipment delivered.”
The delivery of the library assets was coupled with law training for 70 Department of Justice employees.  The goal of the training was to raise qualifications and skill level of all DOJ personnel on subjects including civil, criminal and international public law.
The PRT also helped increase electrical output in Ghazni city by one-third by installing a second generator in the city’s main power plant.
“With this newest generator, the residents of Ghazni city will now have the ability to use power 24 hours a day,” said Mr. Jan Mohammad, the director of the city’s energy department.
The total cost of the two projects was nearly$160,000 (US).
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84844
Rockets fired at NATO military airbase in Kabul
Khwaja Basir Ahmad – Nov 16, 2009 – 19:45
KABUL (PAN): A NATO military airbase in Kabul came under rockets attack Sunday night, but caused no casualties, an official said Monday.
The rockets were slammed into the Kabul airport area where the NATO forces are based at around 10:30. However, it could not be immediately known that from which direction the rockets were fired.
An official of NATO forces told Pajhwok Afghan News that one of the rockets hit the airport and another landed outside the airport.
The source said the attack caused no casualties or property damage.
Brig. General Muhammad Asif Jabarkhel, chief of the airport border police, said they heard the blasts inside the foreign forces base at the airport, but Afghan forces were not allowed to get in, so he had no information.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI), meanwhile, expressed unawareness about the incident.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84853
5 dead in Peshawar suicide blast
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 16, 2009 – 17:56
ISLAMABAD (PAN): At least five people were killed and 40 others injured in a suicide attack on a police station on the outskirts of Peshawar, capital of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), on Monday morning.
In the fifth suicide attack in eight days, the assailant detonated his explosives-packed vehicle in the Badbhera area at about 7.00am when children were going to school, a senior official said.
The bombing devastated a mosque, destroyed two rooms of a boys’ college and brought down a wall of the police station, Peshawar District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sahibzada Anis told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said there were two suicide bombers in the pick-up laden with explosives. The attackers detonated their explosives as police signaled them to stop. The target was a congested city neighbourhood, Anis added.
He confirmed the blast killed five people and wounded 40 others. The injured were taken to different hospitals of the city. An eyewitness, Saleem, said several houses and shops were destroyed by the explosion.
Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain Shah, who strongly condemned the attack, said students also suffered casualties. Shah asserted such cowardly acts would not deter the government from rooting out the scourge of terrorism.
Militants have stepped up attacks in Pakistan since the military launched a massive crackdown on them in South Waziristan Agency, bordering Afghanistan, in mid-October.
Police officer Karim Khan said 250 kilograms of explosives were used in the assault. “If the bombers had entered the city, dozens of people could have died,” he said.
Over the past two months, 17 suicide attacks have been carried out in different parts of the Pakistan, most of them in the NWFP, killing more than 300 people and injuring hundreds others.
Police and residents rushed to the site immediately after the blast and carried out a rescue operation. Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti condemned the blast and ordered a thorough probe into the attack.
TV footage showed rescue workers searching for survivors amid a tangle of bricks and twisted metal. The blast killed a horse attached to a wooden carriage and injured another nearby.
The dead bodies were pulled out of the rubble, state-run PTV reported, with the DCO saying the bomber came in a car from the direction of the Khyber Agency. “The car struck the wall between the police station and the mosque. The mosque collapsed due to the blast and the police station was damaged.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84854
Salaries of oil exploration firm workers snatched
Zabihullah Ihsas – Nov 16, 2009 – 16:34
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): An official of a gas and mine exploration company in northern Balkh province claimed on Monday that unidentified gunmen had robbed workers’ salaries amounting to 1.22 million afghanis.
However, security officials rejected the claim, saying there was no concrete evidence to support the assertion.
At a press conference here, Balkh Mine and Gas Exploration Company Director Eng. Muhammad Hanif said a group of armed men stopped company officials at gunpoint on their way to Balkh from the Jawzjan Exploration Department.
The officials collected the salaries from the department four days back, according to Hanif, who said the five masked gunmen fled after snatching a bag containing the amount.
Hanif informed the Balkh police headquarters soon after the incident but no arrest has been made so far. Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Sardar Muhammad Sultani blamed company workers for involvement in the robbery.
The police boss said the director of the company had no proof, and that an investigation showed that no illegal armed group was operating in the area.
“We have not received any report about a robbery in Zainabad area, on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif,” argued Gen. Sultani, who added the company workers should have informed them before transferring their salaries.
“We have repeatedly asked the authorities concerned to transfer our salaries through a bank, but our appeals have fallen on deaf ears,” said the director.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84865
10 children escape captors
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Nov 16, 2009 – 17:05
JALALABAD (PAN): Ten of more than a dozen children, abducted from the Haska Mina district of eastern Nangarhar province, escaped their captors and returned home on Monday.
Three of the 13 children, kidnapped by unidentified armed men three weeks back, had returned home a fortnight ago. Haji Hamisha Gul, Haska Mina district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News the 10 children were reunited with their families today.
He added the children — aged between eight and 13 — were kept in Dogar area of the Tirah Valley in Pakistan’s lawless tribal region of Khyber Agency, bordering the eastern province.
The district chief revealed the kidnap victims had the opportunity to flee as the Pakistan Air Force bombarded the Dogar area in Khyber Agency. Hamisha Gul explained the Pakistan Taliban had denied involvement in the abduction episode.
Sawab Khan, whose son and nephew were among the abductees, said: “The children were abducted by unidentified gunmen.”  He alleged the victims were beaten and subjected to starvation.
Sawab Khan insisted the armed men handed the children to the Pakistan Taliban, who asked them whether their family members worked for Afghan security forces.
Nangarhar governor spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said the children managed to escape and there had been no deal for there release.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84866
Militants kill eight police in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Nov 16, 2009 – 17:20
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Taliban militants killed eight policemen in an attack on their check-post in Arghandab district of southern Kandahar province late Sunday night, an official said on Monday.
The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Pajhwok Afghan News dozens of fighters coming from Khakrez and Shah Wali Kot districts stormed the Shaheen police post.
Eight policemen were killed and three others wounded in the assault, he added. The attackers managed to flee. The injured policemen were taken to a nearby hospital.
General Ghulam Ali Wahdat, commander of the 404th Maiwand Police Zone, said an investigation team had been sent to the area to asses casualties and damage caused by the attack.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, with their spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi saying that a dozen policemen were killed and 12 light and heavy arms, ammunition and a motorbike snatched.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84871
150 returning families get aid in Sarobi
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Nov 16, 2009 – 17:36
JALALABAD (PAN): Around 150 repatriated families in the Sarobi district of Kabul received relief items provided by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday, an official said.
Sarobi district chief Hazrat Muhammad Haqbeen told Pajhwok Afghan News that each returning family received four beams, 30 T-irons, one gate, 10 pieces of lumber, two windows, one hand-cart and other items.
Families with repatriation documents received help in Shpuli Baba, Gogamandi, Shwendi, Sanzali, Zheratanga and Kutagi villages of the district, the official said, adding relief distribution would soon be extend to other areas.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) also plans to provide 40 chickens each to more than 200 families. The organisation will provide 16,000 fruit saplings and brick-line a 35,000-metre-long canal.
Calling the relief inadequate to meet their needs, one villager named Malak Jamaluddin said the Afghans, who recently returned from Pakistan, had been facing a host of difficulties.
A resident of Gogamandi, Jamaluddin urged the Afghan government and charitable organisations to extend more help to the families. He said the villagers were worried about possible floods in the winter. 
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84872
10 rebels killed in fresh operations
Pajhwok Report – Nov 16, 2009 – 19:55

KABUL (PAN): Ten Taliban fighters have been killed and 21 others detained in separate operations by Afghan National Army troops, backed by US Special Forces, in different parts of the country.
The Defence Ministry in Kabul said on Monday the commandos of Zamaray Battalion of the 205th Military Corps killed a Taliban commander during an operation in Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province on Sunday.
A press release from the ministry said a machinegun and 80 kilos of opium were seized during the offensive in the region, where three militants were killed by their own explosives.
In a separate statement, the ministry said US Special Forces in Bagram killed six Taliban insurgents. Four militants were killed in Sarobi district of southeastern Patika province and another in Kandahar.
Another two Taliban were killed in Nirkh district of Maidan Wardak province, where two suspects were apprehended. In Daman district of Kandahar, a joint Afghan-US force detained more than a dozen suspects.
Meanwhile, six militants were detained by ANA soldiers in southern Ghazni and Uruzgan provinces.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, meanwhile, claimed the fighters inflicted huge casualties on Afghan and US forces in Panjwai, Sarobi and Syedabad districts.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84873
9 civilians dead in missile strike
Mateen Haqmal & Hassan Hakimi – Nov 16, 2009 – 19:18
MAHMOOD RAQI/CHAGHCHARAN (PAN): At least nine civilians have been killed and 25 others wounded in a missile strike in central Kapisa province while two arms smugglers were arrested in northwestern Ghor, officials said on Monday.
The deputy police chief of Kapisa said two missiles landed in a bazaar in Tagab district at 11 am, killing nine innocent people and injuring 28 others.
Colonel Ataullah Wahab Kohistani told Pajhwok Afghan News it was unclear from where and by whom the missiles were fired. But he said the apparent target was a French military base near the bazaar.
Locals, however, claimed the toll was much higher. Eyewitness Sherullah claimed seeing 25 dead bodies at the scene.
The NATO media office in Kabul confirmed the attack, saying some soldiers of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were among the injured.
A security official in Ghor province, meanwhile, said that two arms and drug smuggler had been netted. Gen. Abdul Baqi Nuristani, provincial police chief, said Abdul Rasool was arrested while smuggling weapons to Helmand.
Nuristani added the detainee, a resident of Badghis province, had placed one RPG, a Klashnikov assault rifle and a handgun beneath the seats of the vehicle he was traveling in.
He added a drug smuggler was apprehended in a separate police operation in Sagher district. Seven kilos heroin, a Klashnikov and a handgun were recovered from his possession, he concluded.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84874
IED strikes leave 11 dead in Helmand
Zainullah Stanikzai & Moeed Hashmi – Nov 16, 2009 – 18:03
LASHKARGAH (PAN): Six Taliban insurgents and five civilians have been killed in separate landmine explosions in southern Helmand province, officials said on Monday.
A police officer in Lashkargah, provincial capital, confided to Pajhwok Afghan News on Monday six suspected fighters were killed when the explosives they were planting in Khwaja Omari area of Nawa district went off on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, one farmer was killed and two others wounded as they stepped on a landmine buried in fields in Walizai area of Lashkargah, a resident claimed.
Haji Gul added the wounded people were airlifted by a foreign forces’ helicopter to their health facility. Driver Habibullah said he saw four dead bodies on the Helmand-Kandahar Highway in Nahr-i-Siraj area.
Separately, NATO-led US forces detained two people in Chaparhar district of eastern Nangarhar province Sunday night, an official said.
Governor’s spokesman, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, said the men were held on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities. NATO forces made the arrests in cooperation with Afghan security personnel, said the gubernatorial spokesman.
NATO confirmed the arrests, saying the detainees were under investigation.
Nahr-i-Siraj district chief, Mohammad Hasan Usmanzai, said the two were detained from Eidyakhel area. However, a tribal elder, Malak Faizullah Omar, said the detainees were locals.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84878
Four perish in Tagab assault: NATO
pajhwok report – Nov 16, 2009 – 18:50
KABUL (PAN): At least four Afghans were killed and more than 40 others in a militant attack on a bazaar in the Tagab district of central Kapisa province, NATO said on Monday.
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel provided medical assistance and transported to hospitals scores of Afghans injured in the insurgent assault, the Western military alliance said in a statement.
“Insurgents continue to harm the Afghan people with their actions. They are doing everything they can to stop the incredible progress the Afghan government and international forces have achieved in working together,” said Capt. Jane Campbell.
The press release added no ISAF service members, who were in Tagab to meet with local leaders, were injured in the attack. The NATO media office in Kabul earlier said some foreign soldiers were among the injured.
The deputy police chief of Kapisa said two missiles landed in the bazaar at 11 am, killing nine innocent people and injuring 28 others. Colonel Ataullah Wahab Kohistani told Pajhwok Afghan News it was unclear from where and by whom the missiles were fired.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84880
Tribal elders beheaded, rockets defused
Ahmad Qureshi & Basir Ahmad – Nov 16, 2009 – 20:32
HERAT CITY/KABUL (PAN): Taliban insurgents beheaded two tribal elders in southwestern Farah province, police officials said on Monday while intelligence agents claimed defusing two rockets in Kabul.
Farah deputy police chief, Col. Juma Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban abducted Sunday night four brothers from their residence located in Naw Bahar village on outskirts of Farah City.
He added the militants freed two of them as a result of mediation from local people and promised to release two others, Nisar Ahmad and Haji Syed Ahmad. But the guerrillas reneged on their promise and decapitated the tribal elders.
In the central capital Kabul, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said intelligence officials foiled a terrorist bid by discovering and defusing two rockets on the outskirts of the city.
In a statement, the NDS said the BM-1 type rockets — ready to be fired — were found in Khwaja Chasht village of Deh Sabz district.
Sunday night, the Kabul International Airport came under a missile attack that caused no damage. The recent incidents came days ahead of President Hamid Karzai’s oath-taking.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84881
Counter-narcotics policemen return from Iran
Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 16, 2009 – 19:39
HERAT CITY (PAN): A 10 members group of counter-narcotics policemen has returned from Iran after completing a three-week training course there, officials said on Monday.
The media office of Iranian police said the Afghan cops were trained in various spheres such as decision-making, management and information collection through Global Positioning System (GPS/CIS) in Tehran.
Commander of Iran’s Anti-Drug Squad General Hamid Reza Hossein-Abadi told Pajhwok Afghan News the training was part of bilateral cooperation in counter-narcotics campaign.
He said efforts against drugs would serve the entire region and promote regional and international security. He added a digital library had already been delivered to help Afghan police combat narcotics effectively.
Deputy Minister of Counter-Narcotics Dr. Mohammad Zafar said they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iranian officials regarding training the Afghan police.
“Iran has a vast experience in counter-narcotics and by sharing its experiences with Afghan police, our forces will be able to effectively deal with the situation,” he hoped.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Afghanistan is producing over 90 percent of heroin and opiates consumed across the world.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84882
Militants torch school in Farah
Ahmed Qureshi – Nov 16, 2009 – 19:41
HERAT CITY (PAN): Suspected militants torched a high school for boys and blew up an antenna of a private mobile company in Pusht-i-Rud district of western Farah province late Sunday night, officials said on Monday.
Police spokesman for the western zone, Col. Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, told Pajhwok Afghan News the school was set on fire in Masav area. He gave no more details of the arson attack.
Education Director Attiqullah Farahi said the militants sprinkled oil on the school building and set on fire its windows, doors, hundred of benches and tables in eight classrooms.
After the incident, the director added, they ordered all schools closed in the province due to Taliban threats. In June, a school was blown up in the Shaheed Abdul Sattar area of Bala Baluk district.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied involvement in the incident.
Also in Masav area, suspected Taliban militants blew up an antenna of the private company, Roshan. Police spokesman Ahmadi said an unexploded mine was found and defused near another antenna of the same company in Azizabad area of Shindand district in neighbouring Herat province.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84883
McChrystal hears complaints of air raids in Badghis
Abdul Latif Ayubi – Nov 16, 2009 – 12:04
QALA-I-NAW (PAN): NATO commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal Monday visited soldiers and tribal elders in northwestern Badghis province, where residents complained of deadly air strikes.
After talks with the governor and tribal elders, the NATO commander told reporters the objective of his trip was to meet with officials and soldiers on the security situation in the province. He acknowledged the people of the area had suffered due to NATO air raids.
On November 2, NATO warplanes pounded Quroto area of Bala Murghab district, destroying four houses and killing 14 civilians, seven policemen and soldiers of Afghan National Army (ANA).
“People are tired of NATO air strikes and seek a stop to them,” said tribal elder Mullah Rahmatullah, who met the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander.
Governor Dilbar Jan Arman urged Gen. McChrystal to support the ANA and police and establish a joint battalion of Afghan and NATO forces to guard the Bala Murghab-Qala-i-Naw Highway.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84884
Scores of Afghans held in Pakistan
Syed Shah Saqeem & Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 16, 2009 – 11:57
PESHAWAR/KABUL (PAN): Despite strong condemnation from the government in Kabul, Pakistani police are pressing ahead with a crackdown on Afghan refugees.
As a hundred refugees were detained in Peshawar on Monday, Afghan parliamentarians lashed out at the Pakistani authorities for the continued arrests and sought an immediate end to the swoop.
Over the past two months, Pakistani law-enforcement agencies have detained about 5,000 Afghan refugees, 3,000 in a single day. The arrests have been prompted by a string of deadly attacks in the neighbouring country.
Pakistani officials suspect the detainees with no valid travel documents are involved in terrorist activities in the country, currently in the thick of a massive counterinsurgency offensive involving thousands of troops.
In the fresh crackdown, police in NWFP detained about 100 Afghan citizens, most of them belonging to eastern Nangarhar province. Police officer Karim Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News the illegal Afghans were held from Yaka Toot, Faqirabad and Hazarkhwani areas.
Afghan Consul General in Peshawar Mateen Barakzai said Afghan Foreign Ministry and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials were in constant touch with the Pakistani authorities to secure their release.
Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said police had detained only those Afghans who were either criminals or had links with terrorist groups. Talking to this news agency, the ambassador asked Afghans to carry legal travel documents while staying in Pakistan.
With little support from the international community, the ambassador claimed, Pakistan continued to provide all necessary assistance to more than 2.7 million Afghans for decades.
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Ministers given 10 days to end refugees’ plight
Abaseen Zaheer – Nov 16, 2009 – 14:57
KABUL (PAN): Members of Parliament (MPs) on Monday set a ten-day deadline for the ministries of refugee and foreign affairs to submit a report about the continued crackdowns on Afghan citizens in Pakistan.
Wolesi Jirga or Lower House summoned Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Abdul Karim Barahawi and Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Kabir Farahi to brief the house about the problems facing Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
The MPs lashed out at Pakistani authorities for demolishing Afghan refugees’ camps and their forced evacuation from Durgi and Zangal Bagh camps.
They also assailed the Pakistani government for failing to recover the adducted Afghan ambassador designate Abdul Khaliq Farahi
Barahawi said Pakistan police tortured illegal immigrants and relocated those having identity cards.
“We are ready to provide shelter to our Afghans brothers, if Pakistani authorities violate their promises of sheltering them until a scheduled date for their voluntarily repatriation,” he added.
Deputy foreign minister believed that there were some elements hiding in refugee camps that prompted Pakistani authorities to launch a crackdown to arrest them. “This situation also created problems for ordinary immigrants,” he said.
“We will continue our struggle to find out a solution to the problem, although our earlier efforts in this regard were failed,” the minister said.
About the recovery of abducted Farahi, he said Afghan and Pak authorities were jointly working to ensure a safe release of the envoy.
He added Pakistan believed Farahi, who went missing in Peshawar city of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) September 23, 2008, was still alive.
Another MP Mir Ahmad Joyenda blamed Afghan diplomat in Islamabad of his involvement in corruption and asked for his immediate replacement.
Replying to Joyenda claim, Farahi sought evidence from him in support of his charges, saying his ministry would take action if any proof was provided.
Parliamentarians said that the answers from the two officials were not satisfactory, setting a ten-day deadline for them to find out solution to the problems facing Afghan refugees and present a report to the house.
According to foreign ministry, 1.7 million registered and 400,000 unregistered refugees are currently living in Pakistan. Around 950,000 registered Afghan refugees live in the neighbouring Iran.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84886
Militant commanders killed in Kunduz
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz – Nov 16, 2009 – 12:16
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Three Taliban commanders were killed and another two wounded in a joint Afghan-NATO offensive in northern Kunduz province on Monday, security officials claimed.
Speaking at a press conference here, Kunduz police chief Brigadier General Abdul Razzaq Yaqubi said the two militant commanders and a Taliban district chief were eliminated during an operation in Aqtash area of Khanabad district.
He identified two of the slain militants as Maulvi Ishaq and Maulvi Noorullah. Noorullah was the Taliban-named chief for the Khanishin district, the police chief added. The swoop featured police, Afghan National Army and NATO troops.
Bodies of the militant commanders were shown to journalists at the provincial police headquarters. Razzaq added the joint force and civilians suffered no casualties during the clash.
In a separate sweep, the police chief said, three insurgents were wounded in Qasab village of the volatile Chardara district. He said two locals cooperating with police were also killed and a third was injured in a clash with insurgents.
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WASHINGTON (PAN): The United States and China have agreed on the need for working together to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan and also to eliminate terrorism from the region.
A statement to this effect was issued by Pentagon, after the visiting top Chinese General Xu Caihou met with the US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, for more than an hour here.
Besides bilateral issues, Afghanistan and Pakistan appeared prominently in the discussion between the two leaders. The Pentagon said Gates and Gen Xu agreed on the need to work together to address the issues of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Earlier speaking at a Washington-based think-tank, Gen Xu said China remains concerned about the presence of extremist elements in Afghanistan as it is having adverse impact on its own country too.
Terrorist groups in Chinas periphery have colluded with the separatist forces within China and posed a severe threat to Chinas security and unification. We noted that in the Middle East, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan, there is still a lot to do in counterterrorism, Xu said.
Weve also noted the enormous efforts the United States has been making in this region. We are ready to continue our exchange and cooperation with the United States in this regard, he said.
However, he said China believes that such efforts should address both the symptoms of terrorism and its root causes. That is to say those while cracking down on terrorist groups, we shall work even harder to help countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan develops their national economies, improves the peoples livelihood and achieve stability within those countries. And China, again, is ready to make our contribution to that end, he said.
Meanwhile the State Department said it takes very seriously the views expressed by one of its official Matthew Hoh, who quit his Afghan posting, alleging that he did not agree with Americas policy for Afghanistan. However, the State Department said, it does not agree with the conclusions of Hoh.
We take his opinions very seriously.  Senior officials on the ground in Afghanistan and here in Washington have talked to him, have heard him out.  We respect his right to dissent, the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, told reporters at his daily press briefing.
“I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States’ presence in Afghanistan,” Hoh wrote in his four-page letter dated September to the State Department’s head of personnel.
“I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end,” he said according to the text of the letter available in various websites of US newspapers.
We take his point of view very seriously.  But we continue to believe that we are on track to achieving the goal that the President has set before us:  improving Afghan governance; providing security, infrastructure, jobs, basically giving the Afghan people an alternative to the very negative vision of the Taliban and al-Qaida, Kelly said.
The spokesman said Kelly was upfront with his own chain of command, and had the opportunity to discuss with his immediate boss who is the supervisor of the PRTs.  He also talked to the Deputy Chief of Mission out there, Mr. Frank Ricciardone.  It was very much an open and transparent process.  As I say, we value his service, we value his background and his skills.  This is why we appointed him to this limited non-career appointment to be a political officer, to be our eyes and ears on the ground in Zabul.  In the end, he made his own decision, that he decided to resign, and we respect that, he said.
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US remains committed to Afghanistan: Clinton
Lalit K Jha – Oct 28, 2009 – 15:53
WASHINGTON (PAN): US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Wednesday said the Obama Administration remains committed to Afghanistan as the White House said the President is getting towards the end of his review of the Afghan-Pak strategy.
We remain committed to our mission in Afghanistan.  We remain committed to a long-term partnership with Pakistan.  What the President is doing is reviewing all the different options about how best to carry out those commitments, and he will make his views known when he decides to do so, Clinton told reporters travelling with her in the airplane on her way to Pakistan.
Clinton landed in Islamabad on a three-day visit, the highest level from the Obama Administration.
Earlier in an interview to Geo TV of Pakistan, before leaving for Islamabad, Clinton said the US forces are not going to be in Afghanistan forever.
I dont think that open-ended is at what the entire President is looking to.  I think what he is looking to is how do we define the mission and make progress so that we can provide more stability and security for the people of Afghanistan, prevent the spillover from Afghanistan into Pakistan, work jointly with Afghanistan and Pakistan together against the extremist threat which threatens all of us, and I think thats how hes looking at it, Clinton said.
I know that the President has undertaken a very thorough review, which I applaud, because I think its such an important decision. But of course, the Afghan election is a very critical milestone. So I would bet that it would be somewhere in the vicinity, but I dont know when after the Afghan election, before or after, somewhere in that area, she said when asked when Obama would be making his announcement on the new Af-Pak strategy.
Meanwhile the White House said Obamas the discussion is getting towards the end, but remained non-committal on its announcement.
In terms of timing, all I can do is reiterate that the decision will come in the next several weeks or in the coming weeks, as we’ve said, the White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, told reporters abroad Air Force One travelling with the US President, Barack Obama.
But truthfully, I don’t know when that will be.  And I think the President is in the process of evaluating, as we’ve said, where we are, and we’ll make a decision in due time, Gibbs reiterated.
Meanwhile as part of the process, Gibbs said Obama is scheduled to meet Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff, on Friday. This is part of the continuing discussions of their assessment on Afghanistan and Pakistan and get input from other service branches on the proceedings thus far, he said.
When asked if the meeting with Mullen is one of the last pieces of the decision-making process, Gibbs said: I think we’re getting certainly toward the end of that.
However, Gibbs said, Obama will take some time after these meetings to think through what he has heard, what he has learned, and evaluate this process, both what’s best for our country, what’s best for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and for the region as a whole.
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20 Taliban insurgents eliminated in Helmand
Zainullah Stanakzai – Oct 28, 2009 – 13:59
LASHKARGHAH (PAN): Up to 20 Taliban fighters were killed on Tuesday in a joint operation by Afghan National Army (ANA) and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops in Greshk district of the restive southern Helmand province, officials said on Wednesday.
District chief Haji Abdul Ahad told Pajhwok Afghan News 20 insurgents were killed during the operation conducted in Qala-i-Gaz, Shourkai and in Deh Adam Khan areas of the district.
Commander of the 1st Brigade of the 205th Atal Military Corps Gen. Mahiuddin Ghori confirmed the casualties suffered by the militants. He added a rebel commander was among the 20 militants killed in the sweep. He identified the slain commander as Mullah Najibullah.
Ghori said ANA soldiers backed by US Special Forces detained three suspected militants in Sangin district of the province in a separate operation.
He said no civilian was hurt during the operation.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi denied the death of their 20 fighters. However, he accepted injuries to their two men.
He further added several foreign soldiers were perished during a clash in Deh Adam area of Greshk district.
On Tuesday, five civilians and two Taliban insurgents were killed and six children were wounded during a clash and explosions in Greshk and Nad Ali districts of the province.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83888
US condemns Kabul attack
Pajhwok Report – Oct 28, 2009 – 16:37

KABUL (PAN): The United States on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack on a guest house in Kabul that killed at least six UN employees including an American and injured many others.
In a statement the US embassy in Kabul said the brutal attack on their international partners and friends, who were working to help build a secure and peaceful future for all Afghans, left them shocked and saddened.
“Attacking civilian workers will not lessen our determination to support the Afghan people and their election process. Our sympathies are with the families who have lost loved ones in this violence,” the statement added.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83888
US condemns Kabul attack
Pajhwok Report – Oct 28, 2009 – 16:37

KABUL (PAN): The United States on Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack on a guest house in Kabul that killed at least six UN employees including an American and injured many others.
In a statement the US embassy in Kabul said the brutal attack on their international partners and friends, who were working to help build a secure and peaceful future for all Afghans, left them shocked and saddened.
“Attacking civilian workers will not lessen our determination to support the Afghan people and their election process. Our sympathies are with the families who have lost loved ones in this violence,” the statement added.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83889
Karzai shocked over UN officials’ death
Khwaja Basir Ahmad – Oct 28, 2009 – 16:42
KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai has condemned in his strongest words the terrorist attack on a guesthouse used by United Nations staff in Shar-i-Naw locality of Kabul city.
Three terrorists with grenades and suicide vests entered the guest house at 5am. The shootout between police the armed suicide attackers ended at 8:30 am when the attackers were killed. Six UNAMA staff members were killed and nine others wounded in the attack. Some civilians and policemen were also killed in the assault.
In a statement from the Presidential Palace said president Hamid Karzai was deeply shocked over the attack. The president expressed his deep concerns over the death of UN officials and innocent Afghan citizens. He added it was an inhuman act on the part of the enemies of the country.
Karzai ordered security organs to strengthen and maintain security for the international non-governmental organizations to avoid such incidents in future.
President Karzai offered his condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83891
Blast leaves four nomads dead in Zabul
Naseem Hotak – Oct 28, 2009 – 17:16
QALAT (PAN): Four nomads (kuchis) were killed as an explosive-filled gas cylinder went off in southern province of Zabul on Wednesday, an official said.
Deputy police chief Col. Ghulam Gilani Farahi told Pajhwok Afghan News the gas cylinder abandoned at a roadside on the Sewri-Shinki Highway detonated as a group of nomads picked it up , killing four people including two children, added Farahi.
The blast happened on the outskirts of Sewri district at 10am.
The explosion took place a day after three nomad girls were wounded when a landmine struck their camel in Greshk district of southern Helmand province.
Elsewhere, three Taliban fighters were killed during a joint Afghan and International forces operation. Taliban attacked a convoy of the forces on patrol in Naw Bahar district of Zabul province, Farahi said. He added no civilian was hurt in the clash.
Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid their fighters killed several Afghan and foreign soldiers in the assault.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83895
Lack of quorum delays approval of firearm bill
Abaseen Zaheer – Oct 28, 2009 – 01:15
KABUL (PAN): The Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of Parliament on Wednesday could not approve the draft bill on firearms due to lack of quorum. The draft bill with three chapters and 16 articles had been submitted to the parliament for approval by the Justice Ministry.
However, the approval was delayed as only 60 of the 240 parliamentarians were present during the session. A debate was held on the firearm draft law two days ago.
Mentioning the reason behind absence of the legislators from the House, a parliamentarian from Kabul Mir Ahmad Jooenda said many of them were busy campaigning for President Hamid Karzai or Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. The two are set to face each other in the run-off on November 7.
The House was faced with similar situation during the first round of the presidential elections on August 20. Most of the MPs in the August 20 polls campaigned for their favorite candidates.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83896
Support pledged to Karzai in Zabul, Helmand
Abaseen Hotak & Zainullah Stanikzai – Oct 28, 2009 – 17:55
QALAT (PAN): A large number of people including tribal elders and religious scholars in southern Zabul and Helmand provinces on Wednesday voiced their support for President Hamid Karzai in the presidential election runoff set for November 7.
People from different districts of Zabul in a gathering held in Qalat city, provincial capital, promised Karzai of casting their votes in his favour.
A tribal elder from the lawless Shinki district and one of the organizers of the gathering, Malak Shinwari, said the dwellers of his district would vote for Karzai as they did during the first round of the landmark presidential polls on August 20.
The participants also pledged to maintain security of the polling stations on the Election Day.
The announcement by the inhabitants of the restive province bordering Pakistan came ten days before the second round of polls.
In Helmand, the hotbed of Taliban insurgents, around 3000 local people, tribal elders and religious scholars voiced support to Karzai in a public meeting held in Lashkargah, provincial capital, on Wednesday, a campaign manager of the incumbent said.
Haji Amir Muhammad Akhundzada told Pajhwok Afghan News people of the provincial capital and other districts participated in the gathering.
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167m USD spent on reconstruction projects in Nangarhar
Abdul Mueed Hashmi – Oct 28, 2009 – 18:09
JALALABAD (PAN): Officials in the eastern Nangarhar province said different projects worth 167 million dollars had been launched in the past 10 months.
Deputy governor of the province Muhammad Alam Ishaqzai told a gathering of the provincial development committee (PDC) on Wednesday that 60 million of the said amount had been provided by the provincial reconstruction team (PRT), 17 million USD by the agriculture PRT and 90 million USD by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
He said the projects launched in the past 10 months included road construction, agriculture, education and health. “This has created positive effects on our national economy and lives of the common people,” said Ishaqzai.
He said amounts had also been spent on similar developmental projects from the government budged in the province.
It merits a mention here that PDC is holding the meeting on monthly basis and it is usually chaired by the provincial governor.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83902
Death toll from Peshawar blast reaches 90
Pashtun Shinwari – Oct 28, 2009 – 13:51
ISLAMABAD (PAN): The death toll from a powerful car bombing in Peshawar, capital of the North-West Frontier Province, has reached 90 with more than 200 others wounded. The huge blast took place in a crowded area of the on Wednesday, officials and witnesses said.
The sound of the massive bombing that happened near the historic Chowk Yadgar in People’s Mandi bazaar at approximately 1:00pm (local time), was heard kilometres away, witnesses said.
A shopkeeper in the area, Tariq, told Pajhwok Afghan News 70 people have been killed while dozens others, most of them shopkeepers sustained injuries as an explosives-laden truck detonated.
A police official Liaqat Ali Khan later told reporters 87 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded in the blast that collapsed nearby buildings. He added that several people were still trapped under the rubble and a rescue operation was underway to retrieve the bodies of victims.
According to bomb disposal squad more than 100 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast that also destroyed a nearby Mosque ‘Ummi Habiba’.
An official at the Lady Reading Hospital Faisal Zeeb said they received 90 dead bodies. Some of the wounded people were in a critical condition, he continued.
However, a private TV channel ‘Geo TV’ reported that the blast in Meena Bazar killed 87 and wounded more then 200 people, citing hospital sources.
Children and women are among the dead and the wounded, Zeeb said.
The bloody attack came as a counter insurgency offensive by Pakistan Army is ongoing in the tribal area of South Waziristan bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistani insurgents had threatened such attacks in big cities of the country in a reaction to the counter-insurgency operation. This was the fourth such attack in Peshawar city during the ongoing month of October
The terrorists in their attacks targeted Sadar and Khyber Bazaar of the historical city. More than 200 people most of them local residents were killed in the previous attacks.
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75pc national revenues devoured by corruption
Abdul Qadir Siddiqi – Oct 28, 2009 – 18:40
KABUL (PAN): Senior officials believe that 75 per cent government revenues are wasted due to administrative corruption in the country.
Muhammad Yasin Osmani, a senior official of the anti-corruption department, told a news conference here on Wednesday that most of the revenues were being wasted due to administrative corruption.
He said imports were not properly registered in the customs offices, sub-standard items were being brought into the market, permits were being issued to other people instead of traders and businessmen and agreements reached with only a limited number of people.
He said the purchase permits were not properly controlled by the Finance Ministry which resulted into increased administrative dishonesty and hence decreased the national revenues.
Spokesman for the Finance Ministry Aziz Shams admitted the wastage of government revenues, but said Osmani presented the situation in an exaggerated form.
He told Pajhwok that the anti-corruption department should share evidences with the Finance Ministry if they had any about such a large scale corruption.
Osmani said a large number of people involved in corruption had been produced before the attorney general’s office for further action.
He said positive changes had been brought into the affairs of the interior, justice and public health ministries and the attorney’s office as well as the Supreme Court.
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Senior officials influenced government jobs
Zabihullah Ihsas – Oct 28, 2009 – 19:27
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): Officials in the northern Balkh province accused some governors and ministers of interfering into making appointments to government jobs.
Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, head of the administrative reforms and public services, Abdul Rahman Rasikh said some governors and ministers were interfering in appointments of officials.
Rasikh said they appointed officials through competitive examinations, but some senior government functionaries interfered into the process, creating troubles for them.
Without naming any individual, he said some times the senior officials objected to the appointments of employees they picked on merit.
Besides the interference, he said non-provision of high salaries and security problems in some provinces were also adding to their problems in moving farward their works.
He said they would have appointed 90,000 officials under the new salary system if no hurdles were created for them by senior officials.
Rasikh further said the new system had been implemented in the ministries of communications, rural development, finance, agriculture and public welfare. He said they had completed 90 percent of their job in north and north-eastern zone.
Under the new system, he continued, the employees would get salaries ranging from 5,000afs to 32,000. The posts would have eight grades and the system would be implemented all over the country by the end of the current year.
He said the new system would ensure quality work in government departments. In the previous system, he said, jobs were provided to individuals through personal links and nepotism instead of competition.
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Residents fear deaths if roads remain blocked in north
Jafar Tayar – Oct 28, 2009 – 01:17
FAIZABAD (PAN): Residents of five districts in northeastern Badakhshan province on Wednesday said they could die of starvation due to shortage of food stuffs if roads blocked by continued events of snow avalanches were not cleared.
The snowfall has blocked several parts of the highways connecting Raghistan, Yawan, Kuhistan, Shaghnan and Kofab districts to provincial capital Faizabad. Residents of these areas fear the blockades could lead to severe shortage of foods.
Abdul Latif, a resident of Kofab district, who has come to Faizabad city for purchasing food items, was unable to return home due to blockade of the highway. He told Pajhwok Afghan News they reach Faizabad from their district after traveling for a whole day by vehicles while on foot it takes five days to reach here.
Latif was not the single person stranded in Fiazabad, but like him a large number of people are unable to go to their hometowns awaiting removal of the snow. “I bought some items and want to go back home but the bus drivers say the highway is still blocked due to snowfalls,” said Latif.
“People in bordering districts may lose their lives if the snow continued to fall and if the dwellers are not provided food items and other materials on emergency basis by government or other organizations,” said a provincial council member, Zabihullah Attique.
However, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday said it was moving tens of thousands of metric tons of food to remote areas of the country in preparation for the rapidly approaching winter.
Pre-positioning food before heavy snowfall begins will allow the WFP to continue providing desperately needed assistance to vulnerable Afghans during the harsh winter months.
The regional director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) Dr. Syed Naseer Himmat on the other hand complains about inadequate efforts on the part of the authorities concerned to clear the roads of snow for traffic.
He said his organization had insufficient food items and other materials for distribution among the needy families during emergency situations such as earthquake, floods and other natural disasters.
The northeastern mountainous province of Badakhshan that borders the neighbouring Tajikistan, Pakistan and China every year witnesses heavy snowfalls during the winter season. According to residents, every year tens of pregnant women die due to problems in carrying them to hospital.
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Eikenberry opens women and children clinic
Frozan Rahmani – Oct 29, 2009 – 13:56
BAMYAN (PAN): US ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry on Wednesday travelled to central Bamyan province to help open a new ward dedicated to the treatment of women and children at Bamyan Hospital.
On this occasion, the ambassador was accompanied by governor Dr. Habiba Sarabi, hospital administrators, members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, local government officials and community leaders, the US embassy in Kabul said in a statement.
The construction of the Female and Pediatric ward was part of a large-scale hospital remodeling and expansion project undertaken for the Ministry of Health and supported by international donors including the governments of New Zealand and Singapore.
The ward consists of 13 rooms on the first floor and another12 on the second, constructed at a cost of some $253,000.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the US envoy said: Healthcare, of course, is one aspect of our broader partnership with the Afghan government.
Eikenberry hailed completion of the ward. “Clinics like the one we are opening today will play an important role in turning around dire mortality rates for women and infants,” said the ambassador. “The provincial leadership should be proud of their contribution towards improving the health statistics for the entire country.
The Bamyan Hospital is the only one in the province, serving the broader Hazarjat region.
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No proof linking Wali Karzai to drug trafficking: Kerry
Lalit K Jha – Oct 29, 2009 – 15:12
WASHINGTON (PAN): An influential US Senator and a key aide of the US President, Barack Obama, today said that there is no hard evidence linking Ahmed Wali Karzai to drug trafficking and cautioned people not to indulge in character assassination based on news paper reports.
Senior American officials have told me repeatedly that there is no hard evidence linking Ahmed Wali Karzai to drug trafficking, said Senator John Kerry, Chairman of powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Kerry, who was recently in Afghanistan and played a key role in Hamid Karzai, agreeing to the run-off, said this in a statement after a series of news reports appeared in the US media alleging that Wali Karzai is on the pay role of CIA and a well know drug trafficker.
We should not condemn Ahmed Wali Karzai or damage our critical relations with his brother, President Karzai, on the basis of newspaper articles or rumors. But the appropriate congressional committees must be immediately provided with the most comprehensive and untainted information about his alleged entanglements, Kerry said.
After reading press accounts which allege that Wali Karzai has been on the payroll of the CIA, one of the agencies gathering intelligence about narcotics trafficking in Afghanistan, Kerry said he has serious questions about the information that Congress is receiving. On questions this serious, it is imperative that we receive reliable, current and accurate information, he said.
Reducing corruption and stopping the bribes from drug traffickers are absolutely essential to developing an effective Afghan government. Just this week, three DEA agents gave their lives in the fight against drug trafficking, a chilling reminder of the sacrifices American civilians and troops make in Afghanistan, Kerry said.
However, both the State Department and the White House refused to comment on a media report from New York, which said the Karzais brother is an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency. While the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, referred the question to the CIA, the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, said they do not speak on intelligence matters.
I’m just saying that we are very concerned about corruption. But I’m not going to comment on the relationship of President Karzai with his brother and how it may or may not influence policy, Kelly told reporters at his daily press conference.
We have made that clear to the Government of Afghanistan, that we are very concerned about corruption and its very negative influence on how the people of Afghanistan see their government, he said.
We made it quite clear that we are going to seek a new understanding with the government of Afghanistan on this issue. Once the elections are completed and we have a post- election administration in place, we’re going to discuss these issues with them, Kelly said.
The spokesman said right now the entire focus is on November 7 elections. Right now, we need to get through the second round. And our focus is on that: on providing support for the Afghans as they go through this process, he said.
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Kabul attack an attempt to detail runoff: US
Lalit K Jha – Oct 29, 2009 – 17:45
WASHINGTON (PAN): The United States and the United Nations Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a UN guest house in Kabul, observing that this was another attempt to derail the November 7 runoff, but vowed not to let the Taliban succeed in their attempt.
 I don’t doubt that there are going to be members of the Taliban or violent extremists that seek to disrupt, as I said, the will of the Afghan people, said the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs. That’s not going to be successful.  The Afghan people are going to decide who their next government will be run by, and we’re confident of that, he said.
Condemning the terrorist attack on a UN guest house in Kabul, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said the US remains firm in its commitment to Afghanistan to conclude the presidential election process. We remain firm in our commitment to Afghanistan and the Afghan people and to working with the Afghans to conclude their Presidential election process, she said.
The United States remains steadfast in its support for the United Nations and its vital work to help the Afghan people build a better future, she said strongly condemning the cowardly attack in Afghanistan.
 In principle, we are not and we should not be deterred by these heinous terrorist attacks.  We will continue our work, particularly on helping the Afghan Government and people, carrying on this second presidential election, scheduled on November 7th, while ensuring and strengthening the safety and security of our premises.  That is what I am going to do, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said.
At a news conference held at the UN headquarters in New York, Ban termed it a sad day and a very difficult day for the world body.  The world has lost women and men committed to the values of peace, dignity and respect for all. I condemn this shocking and shameless act, and the terrorists who committed this crime.  It is unjustifiable by any standard, he said.
Asserting that the United Nations will not be deterred from this noble mission, Ban said: We stand by the people of Afghanistan today, and we will do so tomorrow. However, he said there will be review of security procedures. We will take all necessary measures to protect our staff, he added.
The United Nations, while we ask the Afghan Government to provide strengthened security, we will also take necessary measures; administrative measures to further strengthen the safety and security of premises and our staff, not only in Kabul, but all other areas where we have seen that the situation is very dangerous, Ban said in response to a question.
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2 NATO soldiers killed in IED strikes in south
Pajhwok Report – Oct 29, 2009 – 13:29
KABUL (PAN): Two NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members including an American were killed in two separate IED strikes in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the western military alliance said Thursday.
No further details were released.
In a statement, Navy Capt. Jane Campbell, IJC spokesperson confirmed one of the service members killed was from United States.
“We are deeply saddened and offer our condolences to the friends and families of those killed,” said Campbell.
“Our mission to help protect Afghans is challenging, and despite this loss of life we remain focused on achieving our security objectives along with helping Afghans improve governance and development.”
Eight US soldiers have been killed in similar strikes in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday.
The statement further said an Afghan and international security force detained a few suspected militants on Wednesday in Lashkargah district, Helmand province, during a compound search operation.
The compound is known to be used by a senior Taliban commander with numerous connections to other Taliban commanders and leaders of the Taliban shadow government in the region.
The security force searched the compound near the village of Barang after intelligence indicated militant activity.
The joint force searched the compound without incident and detained the suspected militants, the statement said. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.
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Canada condemns deadly attacks in Kabul
Pajhwok Report – Oct 29, 2009 – 14:03
KABUL (PAN): Canada has strongly condemned Wednesday’s deadly terrorist attack at a guest house used by UN staff in Kabul that left six UN officials dead and nine others wounded in Shahr-i-Naw downtown.
Foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon in a statement on Thursday said: Canada strongly condemns the violent attacks occurred in Kabul on the United Nations guest house that claimed the lives of several people, including United Nations employees, and injured others.”
These cowardly acts, less than two weeks before the second round of Afghanistans presidential election, will not deter the international community from supporting Afghans as they exercise their right to vote,” he said.
Cannon said they would encourage all Afghans to exercise their hard-won right to determine the future of their country by participating in the second round of voting.
On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the friends and families of those who were killed in the attack and our sympathies to those who were injured,” he said.
Our support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and to the people of Afghanistan is unwavering.”
Canada is in Afghanistan at the request of the democratically elected Afghan government, and as part of a UN-mandated, NATO-led mission. Canadas continuing objective is to help Afghans build a stable and secure country based on the fundamental values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the minister said.
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One civilian killed, nine injured in Kunar blast
Khan Wali Salarzai – Oct 29, 2009 – 14:04

ASADABAD (PAN): One civilian was killed and nine others were wounded when the passenger pick-up vehicle they were traveling in hit a roadside bomb in eastern Kunar province on the Kunar-Jalalabad Highway on Thursday.
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Khalilullah Ziaee told Pajhwok Afghan News the vehicle was on the way from Asadabad to Jalalabad when struck the mine at 6am this morning in Khas Kunar district.
He added one civilian was killed and nine others including a woman and a child were injured in the blast.
The injured were shifted to civil hospitals in Jalalabad and Asadabad and their condition was stated to be stable.
Kunar civil hospital head Dr. Ihsanullah Fazli said four wounded people were brought to the hospital and they were in a stable condition.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the blast.
Elsewhere, unidentified gunmen set afire a vehicle of audit personnel of the education ministry in Khewa district of eastern Nangarhar province Wednesday evening.
An eyewitness and prison chief of Kunar province Nadar Khan Merani said the armed men torched the vehicle in Koz Shad Khan Village where the audit officials were visiting the schools.
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Afghanistan sees upswing in overseas flights
Zainab Mohammadi, Ihsas and Nadem – Oct 29, 2009 – 14:05
KABUL (PAN): The number of international flights for business, official and family travels outside Afghanistan has increased by 40 percent this year as compared to the previous year.
All international flights are currently departing and arriving at Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and Kandahar airports.
Kabul International Airport head Dr. Yaqoob Rasouli told Pajhwok Afghan News 30 to 40 percent of the international flights take place on a daily basis from the airport.
He added majority of these flights were bound for Saudi Arabia, India, China, Tajikistan, France, USA, Turkey, Pakistan and Iran.
According to Rasouli, the number of international flights from the airport has jumped by 45 percent against the last year’s number of flights.
He cited increasing business, family and official trips abroad as one of the reasons behind the increased international air travels from all the airports across the country.
He also mentioned outstanding technical capabilities at the Kabul airport environment as a contributing factor in attracting most of the international flights.
He linked the technical capabilities to the opening of a new terminal, modernized facilities and furnishings, increase in the number of experts as well as other positive changes at the airport.
According to him, all the international flights from Kabul airport were not only carried out by international airlines, but also by domestic airlines including Ariana, Safi Airlines, Kam Air airlines and Pamir Airlines.  However, all the international flights from Kandahar airport take place with Ariana airlines.
Ariana airlines in-charge at Kandahar Airport Haji Mohamad Qasim said they were operating international flights to the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Mashhad (Iran) as well New Delhi (India) from the airport since last three years and that presently up to three flights a week take place.
Qasim claimed the number of international travelers from the Kandahar airport have increased by 35 percent as compared to the last year.
From the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, there is only one overseas flight which takes place to Iran by the Kam Air airlines.
An official of the airlines, Baryalai in Mazar-e-Sharif, told this news agency that the airlines conducted flights to the city of Mashhad once a week or every next week depending on the number of passengers.
The representative also pointed out that each the flight had the capacity to carry 40 to 80 passengers onboard.
“Increase in such flights has occurred due to the interest showed by the travelers,” he said.
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Petraeus hints at new offensive in Helmand
Zainullah Setanikzai – Oct 29, 2009 – 16:33
LASHKARGAH (PAN): Commander, US Central Command General David Howell Petraeus has said a large-scale fresh military offensive would soon be launched to drive the Taliban militants out of the troubled southern province of Helmand.
Petraeus who visited Greshk district on Wednesday also talked to governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal and the US troops at their base in Shorab area, a spokesman for the governor Muhammad Daud Ahmadi told Pajhwok Afghan News on Thursday.
He added the two officials also discussed the current security situation in the province. Reconstruction projects, counter narcotics operations and training of Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were the topic came under discussion during their meeting, he added.
According to Ahmadi, the US commander wanted to clear all the areas of Helmand from insurgents in order to pave way for reconstruction efforts and opening of schools. However, he said the commander did not say when the operation was going to be launched.
Petraeus assured Mangal of continued support about training of ANA soldiers and counter narcotics efforts. 
He also praised the Food Zone Programme that helped prevented cultivation of poppies by distribution of improved seeds to farmers.
The warning of a new military offensive operation against insurgents came as deadly insurgents attacks happened during the outgoing month of October in which several foreign troops were killed. The October was seen a deadliest month for the foreigners since the fall of Taliban regime in late 2001.
As many as 55 US troops had been killed in different roadside bombs attacks and other violence related incidents and helicopter crashes this month.
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Eight Taliban attackers killed in Ghazni clash
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Oct 29, 2009 – 16:34
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Eight Taliban attackers were killed in a clash with police assisted by Polish troops in Giru district of southern Ghazni province late Wednesday night, officials said on Thursday.
District police chief Mohammad Khan told Pajhwok afghan News the Taliban fighters attacked the district headquarters building last night, sparking a fierce gun-battle with police. In the ensuing clash, he added, eight attackers were killed.
He claimed the police and foreign troops remained unharmed during the firefight.
Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Khyal Baz Sherzai confirmed the clash.
Referring to another incident of violence, he said militants launched an assualt on a security checkpoint situated between Khoshk and Ganj areas of Ghazni city late Wednesday night. However, he said the attack has no casualties.
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Withdrawal from run-off race carries no excuse
Muhammad Noman Dost – Oct 29, 2009 – 19:01
KABUL (PAN): Though the election law does not mention the fate of a candidate intends to withdraw from the second round of election, but lawyers have varied views about that.
The runoff election between Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is going to be held on November 7. Under the August 20 poll results, Karzai had obtained 49.68 and Abdullah 30.59 percent votes.
In recent days, Dr. Abdullah has put forward some conditions and warned he might boycott if those were not accepted. However, Karzai said election would not be postponed this time.
A teacher at the Rights and Political Affairs Department of Kabul University Wadir Safi told Pajhwok Afghan News any candidate who boycotted the polls would be declared as the defeated. He said there was no need for another term of elections.
Nawekht Yar, press department official of the election commission, said the time for postponement of election is over. He said any candidate who does not take part in the runoff would be considered the loser.
Nasrullah Setanikzai, another teacher at the Kabul University, however, said postponement was the right of a candidate. But he stresses the need for participation in the polls. He said no competition usually dispute the results of the election.
He said Karzai and Abdullah stayed on top after the first term election and the two should come forward for the second round on the prescribed date.
However, another teacher at the Kabul University Shehla Farid says the Loya Jirga should decide about the non-participation of a candidate in the second round of elections as the law does not mention something clearly.
Referring to the security situation in the country, Shehla said they should not create problems at this critical juncture and come forward for the election.
Head of the lawyers community, Gul Rahman Qazi does not believe even in the first term of the elections. He says the runoff is held after the first term elections are legal and constitutional.
If the first round was legal, then its results should have been accepted, said Qazi, who added that when fraud was reported in the first round polls, there is no need for the second round.
About the withdrawal of a candidate from the second round, Qazi said: “Logic says that when there are two competitors in the field and one withdraws, the second is considered successful.”
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IEC authorized to give verdict on polls
Abasin Zahir – Oct 29, 2009 – 16:02
KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission has been authorized to issue verdict about the fraud-tainted presidential elections, if any of the two contestants quits the runoff process.
The AIEC ordered run-off for the disputed presidential election after a fraud investigation decreased Hamid Karzai’s votes below 50 per cent of the total.
Zakaria Barakzai, deputy of the AIEC secretariat, told a press conference here on Thursday the Constitution and the electoral law did not clarify the issue, but the AIEC had the authority to make a decision on the matter.
To a question about what decision they will take in case a candidate withdraws from the race, Barakzai said it would be premature to comment on the issue now.
The official said all required material had been transferred to all the provinces, but the voting would not take place in 11 districts in Ghazni, Helmand, Maidan Wardak, Badakhshan and Nuristan provinces due to insecurity.
He showed reporters the ballot papers carrying the photos of Hamid Karzai and his challenger Dr. Abdullah.
Barakzai said the second round of voting would be held in 6,322 polling centres, whereas there were 6,800 centres in the first round. He said accreditation cards would be issued to 20,000 monitors of each candidate next week.
About Dr. Abdullah condition that the AIEC chief Azizullah Ludin should be removed before the runoff, Barakzai said that would not be done.
“The IEC high officials are selected by the president for three years and even the president himself is not authorized to fire them before the end of their term,” he explained. Barakzai said Abdullah’s demand had no legal status.
Barakzai said those officials who were accused of rigging in the first round had been removed from their jobs and introduced to the concerned judicial authorities.
“If any person found guilty of fraud in future, they will have to face legal action,” he warned. The runoff elections are due on November 7. The contestants are Hamid Karzai and his former foreign minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.
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Provincial candidates blast IEC for results delay
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Oct 29, 2009 – 18:07
JALALABAD (PAN): Dozens of provincial council candidates in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday protested against delay in announcement of the August 20 provincial council elections results.
The rally held under aegis of the Peace Karwan was participated by more than 300 people in this capital city.
The protesters who assembled at the Eid Gah Mosque marched towards the provincial election commission office and asked the commission officials for an early announcement of the election results.
The demonstrators also called for holding the second round of presidential election in a transparent way.
Malik Esmatullah Shinwari, a provincial council candidate, told Pajhwok Afghan News the people of Nangarhar suffered a lot due to their participation in the elections. “But it is not fair that the results of other provinces are announced, but of Nangarhar is still pending,” he lamented.
Shinwari warned they would not participate in the second round unless the provincial council results were announced.
Rahmatullah, a tribal elder of Kama district, said people voted in the face of security threats, but their votes were disregarded.
He said the results should be announced as soon as possible.
The provincial councils’ elections results had already been announced by the independent election commission, but the results for Nangarhar province are yet to be announced.
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5 drug traffickers detained in Kandahar airport
Bashir Ahmad Nadim – Oct 29, 2009 – 18:28
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Border police detained five drug traffickers with 20 kilograms of heroin at the Kandahar Airport on Thursday, an official said.
Border police commander in Kandahar, Gen. Abdul Razaq, told Pajhwok Afghan News the smugglers were arrested with bags filled with heroin in the airport premises as they wanted to smuggle the drugs in an India-bound flight. He added the detainees are under interrogation.
Meanwhile, provincial police chief Brig. Gen.Sardar Mohammad Zazai said hundreds kilograms of narcotics were seized in the 6th police district of the southern city.
He added the drugs including 212-kgs of opium, three kilograms of heroin, 10-kgs of hashish, 4-kgs of morphine and 900 grams of chemicals were seized in a raid on a house in the city.
A man was detained for possessing the narcotics from the house, who is now under investigation.
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Over 3000 graduates attend NMA entry test
Khwaja Baseer Ahmad – Oct 29, 2009 – 16:16
KABUL (PAN): More than 3000 high school graduates including 61 females on Thursday appeared in the entrance test to join the National Military Academy of Afghanistan in Kabul.
The academy will pick only 400 top of the contestants.
Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Muhammad Humayun Faozi, who visited the site of the entry test, said every country needed security forces and doctors and the entry test was aimed at filling the required staff.
Afghan National Army Training Command, Major General Aminullah Karim said 360 students would be selected for the academy and 40 including 10 female for military medicine out of the total 3027 contestants.
The National Military Academy (NMA) was established in 2005 with support from the United States. The entrance test for the academy is taking place for the sixth time.
Major General Karim said the students who would complete a four year course at the NMA would be awarded with a BA degree.
He added the academy had three departments including Civil Engineering, Military Rights and computer science.
Karim said the entry test was conducted by the ministry of higher education and the result would be announced by the ministry.
Mariam, 20, who participated in the test, said she was interested in becoming a doctor so she could serve the security forces of the country.
She added: “I can not fight with enemies of the country, but I want to support the war victims.”
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US troops not involved in desecration incident: Minister
Zarghona Salehi – Oct 29, 2009 – 19:30
KABUL (PAN): Acting hajj and religious affairs minister on Thursday rejected US troops involvement in Quran desecration incident in central Maidan Wardak province.
Residents of Khwjagan village in central Maidan Wardak province had alleged that US troops torched a copy of the Holy Book after their military vehicle struck a roadside bomb.
But a spokesperson for the troops in Kabul and local officials rejected the allegations as false.
NATO-led ISAF had clarified that an investigation conducted in conjunction with local Afghan National Army commanders into the incident found the claims unfounded.
A spokesman for the Wardak Governor, Shahidullah Shahid, had said the copy of Holy Quran was torched by unknown men 30 minutes before the bomb explosion took place.
Speaking at a press conference here, acting Hajj and Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Siddique Chakari said a survey conducted in coordination with local officials in the area soon after the incident found the foreign troops were not involved.
He added the survey showed the troops had left the area after a bomb struck their vehicle which also partially damaged a nearby house. He said the book might be torched by the explosion.
“I recall on Afghans that all the rumours about the desecration of the Holy Quran by the US troops based in the province are not true,” he insisted.
His speech came days after students of various universities staged violent protests against the incident in several parts of the country including capital Kabul.
Chakari praised the university students for their love with the Quran, but said their sentiments were being misused. He also advised the students to focus on their studies. Giving no further information, he said foreign hand could not be ruled out in spreading the false rumours.
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Obama to hold meeting on Afghan plans
Lalit K Jha – Oct 30, 2009 – 13:29
WASHINGTON (PAN): With October emerged as the deadliest month for the US soldiers, US President Barack Obama has convened his expanded 7th Situation Room meeting at the White House on Friday as the Pentagon announced it is flying more advance drones and MATVs to Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as more that 50 US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in October amid a dramatic surge in terroritst attacks.
Even as President Obama weighs the best way ahead in Afghanistan, (Defense) Secretary (Robert) Gates is working to ensure that this department continues to do everything possible to provide our men and women in uniform with the very best protection and capabilities to defeat the growing IED threat, said Pentagon spokesman, Geoff Morrell.
To name a few, additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, including the most advanced drones and new platforms, such as the MC-12, are either in theater or on their way, he said, adding that MRAPs designed specifically for Afghanistan’s rugged terrain, the MATVs, are being delivered by air.
Meanwhile the Obama-Mullen meet scheduled for Friday has been expanded to include top military leaders of the country. Originally Obama was scheduled to meet only Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Now besides Obama, Mullen and the Vice President, Joe Biden, other participants in the White House Situation Room meeting include Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates; General (rtd) James Jones; General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; General George W. Casey, Chief of Staff of the Army; General James T. Conway, Commandant, US Marine Corps; Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations; and General Norton A. Schwartz Chief of Staff of the US Air Force.
Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Advisor; John Brennan, Assistant to the US President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security and Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, Special Assistant to the President for Afghanistan and Pakistan would also attend the meeting, which is again expected to last a few hours at the Situation Room.  Obama has so far has held as many as six situation room meetings totaling more than 17 hours.
Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, continued to urge President to accept the recommendations of General Stanley McChrystal, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to send an additional 40,000 troops to the country.
Take his recommendation if you want to win, if you want to do what the administration talked about earlier this year.  If Afghanistan is the central front for the war on terror and we want to win there and we can win there, then let’s do what it takes to win and that’s follow General McChrystal’s recommendations, Congressman Duncan Hunter told the CNN in an interview.
However, the Democratic lawmakers insisted that Obama must be given an opportunity to listen to all the views before taking a decision. I do think a President, a Commander-in-Chief, has to look at not just what his general tells him for Afghanistan, but he has to look at the whole of the national security fabric, said Congressman Joe Sestak.   
I am supportive of a measure to increase, but I’m supportive of a measured increase for one goal — the eradication of the al Qaeda safe haven in Pakistan.  There’s no more al Qaeda in Afghanistan.  We need to ensure we also have benchmarks to measure success or failure that can trigger an exit strategy or alternative strategy if the cost becomes more than the benefit, he said.
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Ban wants security for UN staff strengthened
Lalit K Jha – Oct 30, 2009 – 17:46
WASHINGTON (PAN): UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday held a series of meetings with his top officials to review the security of the UN staff in Afghanistan.
The top UN official even went to the powerful Security Council seeking extra security for his employees, but asserted that the world body would not be deterred by such heinous crime by terrorist organizations.
Determined that the UN would continue to work for the peace, stability and development of the country with more vigor and commitment, Ban said he has taken a couple of step for the safety and security of the UN staff in Afghanistan. He also briefed the Security Council about it.
 Realistically speaking at this time we are now trying to first of all consolidate our staff who are scattered around in Kabul. And it will be very important for us how we can ensure in this very difficult situation the smooth conduct of our staff in Afghanistan, Ban told reporters after his meeting with the Security Council.
I have discussed with Mr. Kai Eide this morning on this issue. He told me that he has, he had spoken with all the security-related ministries and President Karzai, and tried ensure the safety and security of our staff so that they can engage in their official duties as normal, as usual, he said.
We need the support of the Member States. We must realistically assess the situation and put in place more effective protections for our staff as they perform their crucial tasks. This was the main purpose my briefing to the Security Council, Ban said.
On Thursday Ban convened an urgent meeting of the heads of all UN departments, funds and programmes, and agencies to urgently review the evolving security environment and respond appropriately.
I am going to chair the Chief Executive Board meeting tomorrow to discuss this matter where the heads of UN funds and programmes, specialized agencies and Bretton Woods institutions will all participate to discuss the security issues, he said.
 Ban also received a phone from President Hamid Karzai who assured him of the tightened security support for UNAMA. I urged him again that he should take immediate action to strengthen the security measures for the premises and staff, for their safety and security, he said, adding that he plans to brief the UN General Assembly about it tomorrow.
I will ask for expedited action for our security measures, so that we can meet the dramatically escalated threat to UN staff, now widely considered to be a soft target, as well as provide support for victims and their families, he said. 
Responding to a question on the November 7 elections, Ban said the United Nations will try to open as many polling stations as possible so that the Afghan people can cast their votes under a situation where they are not threatened and intimidated.
But as I told you that for all practical reasons we may not be in a position to open the polling stations where there were no policed polling stations during the first presidential election. But for that question I have just heard that we will have to continue to consult with Afghan authorities, he said.
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Nine militants killed in Helmand operation
Zainullah Setanikzai – Oct 30, 2009 – 17:45
LASHKARGAH (PAN): Nine Taliban militants were killed in an Afghan forces led operation in Greshk district of the volatile southern Helmand province on Thursday, officials said Friday.
The operation was conducted in Spin Jumat, Maljir and Charbagh areas of the district, said district chief Haji Abdul Ahad.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News a top Taliban militant known as ‘Jihadi’ was among the nine militants killed in the operation involving Afghan National Army troops and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
According to Abdul Ahad, five militants were also wounded during the offensive. A rocket and machines were recovered from the wounded insurgents, added the district chief.
He claimed the said areas had been cleared of militants and that the forces suffered no casualties during the operation. Residents also confirmed the operation.
However, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi denied any operation took place in Greshk district against them.
While local officials say the operation was carried out in western parts of the district.
The operation came three days after officials in the said district claimed 20 Taliban were killed in a similar offensive.
But Taliban said they inflicted casualties on the forces during the clashes.
Two days ago, Commander, US Central Command General David Howell Petraeus during his visit to the province said a large-scale fresh military offensive would soon be launched to drive the Taliban militants out of the southern province.
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Blast kills eight civilians in Nangarhar
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Oct 30, 2009 – 14:02
JALALBAD (PAN): At least eight civilians were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Khugiani district of the eastern province of Nangarhar on Friday, local officials said.
A spokesman for the governor Ahmad Zia Abdulzai told Pajhwok Afghan News the blast happened on a civilian car at 7:30. He added a woman and a tribal elder were among the dead.
Public Health Director Dr. Ajmal Pardis said one person died on his way to the district civil hospital and two died of their wounds in the hospital.
However, he put the death toll at 5.
A resident Abdullah said the victims were heading towards Kagi bazaar of the district from Khwaran village when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb.
Two months ago in a similar blast in Pajiragan district five people lost their lives including a tribal elder.
Taliban had claimed responsibility for the Pajiragan explosion.
Two women were killed as a result of a mine explosion in Haskamina district nearly a month ago.
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Civilians among 30 killed in south
Suliman Hashimi – Oct 30, 2009 – 13:50
KABUL (PAN): Afghan police assisted by US forces killed 26 Taliban insurgents in southern militant-infested Ghazni province while four civilians were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Kandahar province, the interior ministry said on Friday.
In a statement, the ministry said a group of armed Taliban attacked a military base in Geru district of Ghazni province.
Police clashed with the attackers and called in US forces air support.
Up to 26 attackers were killed in the clash and air raid, added the statement. Police suffered no casualties during the firefight.
On Thursday, Geru district police chief Mohammad Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News eight Taliban attackers were killed in a clash with police after the insurgents attacked the district headquarters building.
Geru district is one of the troubled districts of Ghazni province situated 75 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital, Ghazni City.
In a separate statement, the interior ministry said four civilians were killed and two others were wounded when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in southern Kandahar province.
Blaming the Taliban for planting the roadside bomb, the ministry said the incident happened in Khakrez area of Darzab district.
The dead included a woman, a girl and two boys. Two men were wounded in the blast.
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Suicide blast injures three security men in Kandahar
Basher Ahmad Nadem – Oct 30, 2009 – 23:45
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Three security officials were wounded as a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle on the eastern outskirts of Kandahar City, southern Afghanistan, police said on Friday.
The blast took place in jurisdiction of the 5th police district of the city on the Spin Buldak-Shorandam Highway at about 5pm this evening, said police chief Brig Gen Sardar Mohammad Zazi.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News the attacker was killed in the blast and the vehicle completely destroyed. Three security officials who were searching vehicles on the highway were wounded in the attack, he added.
The attacker detonated his explosives-packed vehicle when the security forces stopped him during the search.
Zazi said no one has so far claimed responsibly for the attack, but they were investigating.
The injured officials were rushed to a nearby hospital, said the police chief, but would not say about their condition.
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dozen Taliban perished in Jawzjan offensive
Hamid – Oct 30, 2009 – 19:18
SHABARGHAN (PAN): A dozen Taliban militants have been killed in a joint operation by Afghan and international forces in Darzab district of Jawzjan province, police said on Friday.
Deputy police chief Col Mohammad Ibrahim told Pajhwok Afghan News a Taliban commander named Mullah Ashraf was among the 12 insurgents killed in the offensive still ongoing.
He said a senior militant commander Mullah Noor Mohammad was detained during the operation. He said 17 villages were cleared of militants and their four hideouts were destroyed during the action.
The forces also seized a rocket launcher and a motorcycle belonging to the militants.
District chief Guldi Murad said the forces and civilians remained unharmed during the offensive which would be extended to Siyad district and Almulk area in neighbouring Sari Pul province.
On Thursday, security officials in Sari Pul province claimed killing two Taliban and detaining three others during a search operation in Siyad district.
According to the officials, the operation has been launched against the insurgents to ensure security for the presidential election runoff set for November 7.
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US senators briefed on Wali Karzai’s ties with CIA
Lalit K Jha – Oct 31, 2009 – 15:22
WASHINGTON (PAN): The CIA director Leon Panetta has reportedly briefed a number of American Senators on the agencys relationship with Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The unusual step by the CIA chief to brief the US Senators behind closed doors on this sensitive issue came following publication of a news report in the The New York Times this week that Wali Karzai is on the pay roll of the CIA and he is an alleged drug trafficker.
It is learnt that Panetta met with several Senators from both Republican and Democratic parties as the lawmakers tried to get more details on the issue.
Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has submitted a formal request letter to the CIA seeking more details on the issue. Kerry in a statement had said that so far he has not received any hard evidence that Wali Karzai is a drug lord.
Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Chairman, D-MI, said that he would not disclose what Panetta told him but he had got some clarity on issues related to Wali Karzai. However, Senator John McCain demanded that Wali Karzai should immediately leave the country. McCain alleged that he is involved in various illegal activities.
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Ban seeks extra funding for UN staff safety
Our Correspondent – Oct 31, 2009 – 16:43
WASHINGTON (PAN): UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Friday requested additional funding to augment security and safety capacity of the United Nations premises and staff.
It is absolutely necessary at this time, Ban told reporters following an informal briefing of the UN General Assembly regarding Wednesday’s attack at a UN guesthouse in Kabul that killed four staff members and wounded nine others.
A day earlier, he had briefed the Security Council on the issue.
I am very much encouraged by the unreserved support and cooperation of the Member States. They said that they will positively consider my additional budgetary support. This is not only budgetary support – we need political, moral, logistical and financial support, Ban said.
This is not the issue of Afghanistan only. We have experienced such terrorist attacks all around the world. The United Nations, unfortunately, has been exposed, has become a sort of “softer” target. We are working to bring hope. We are working to help those people in need, he said.
Therefore, it is totally unacceptable that the United Nations has become targeted by terrorist attackers. I am very much committed to continue to work. We will continue to function in Afghanistan, and I am very grateful to Member States for their strong support at this time of difficulty, Ban said.
Earlier addressing the UN General Assembly, Ban propose that an emergency fund be established with an initial ceiling of $25 million to assist the Department of Safety and Security to meet the new demands upon it in an increasingly dangerous world.
Ban said the UN staff who survived the attack have now been flown out of the country. Movement of all UN staff remains restricted, he said. Yesterday I spoke with President (Hamid) Karzai. He assured me that he will undertake every effort to assure the security of UN staff. Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah has also assured me, in a recent letter, of his full support for UNAMA, he said.
Special Representative, Kai Eide, will follow through on the tangible specifics of these assurances, he said adding that he has asked the Security Council to ask the international community to step up its support, with a special emphasis on areas outside Kabul.
I am also exploring the feasibility of bringing in additional security units to guard UN facilities and guest houses. The Designated Official and the Security Management Team are urgently reviewing security measures and our overall exposure, Ban said.
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Suspects held in Wardak as ISAF soldier dies in south
Pajhwok Report – Oct 31, 2009 – 16:18
KABUL (PAN): A joint Afghan and international security force detained two suspected militants in the central province of Maidan Wardak as a NATO soldier died of an IED attack in southern Afghanistan, the western military alliance said on Saturday.
The joint force searched compounds known to be used by a Taliban enabler responsible for kidnappings and executions of Afghan civilians and a Taliban commander with numerous foreign fighter contacts in the region, ISAF said in a statement issued here.
The force targeted compounds near the village of Kuz Jangjay in the Sayedabad district after intelligence indicated militant activity.
The joint force searched the compounds without incident as no shots were fired and no one was injured, the statement added.
The Taliban’s intentional attacks at bazaars, mosques, and schools within Afghanistan are well documented. Afghan and international security forces constantly partner in operations to ensure the safety and protection of Afghan people.
In southern Afghanistan, the statement said, one International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service member was killed in an IED strike on Friday.
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Woman among three civilians injured in Kapisa
Ahmad Jawed Jawed – Oct 31, 2009 – 14:15
MAHMUD RAQI (PAN): A woman was among three civilians wounded during a clash between Taliban militants and security personnel in Alasai district of central Kapisa province, an official said on Saturday.
District chief Mullah Mohammad told Pajhwok Afghan News the clash took place when Taliban fighters attacked a joint patrol of Afghan National Army (ANA) and French forces at 7:30am this morning in Visakhel and Dilvali villages of the district.
He added the clash that erupted around 10am this morning still continuing. The wounded woman was shifted to a district hospital. However, the two other injured people could not be shifted to the hospital due to continued firing between the security forces and militants.
Mohammad had no information about the casualties.
Qari Tariq, who introduces himself as a Taliban spokesman in the province, claimed eight French soldiers were perished in the clash.
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Germany must probe deadly Kunduz air raid: AI
Pajhwok Report – Oct 31, 2009 – 17:27
KABUL (PAN): The German government should immediately launch a credible, transparent investigation into a 4 September airstrike in Kunduz that killed scores of people, many of them civilians, Amnesty International has said.
The German military on Thursday said that NATOs investigation suggested the airstrike, which targeted two fuel tanker trucks that had been hijacked by Taliban fighters, was appropriate even though it led to civilian casualties.
Amnesty internationals investigation into the Kunduz incident suggests that the laws of war may have been violated during the airstrike. Local security officials as well as local village elders told Amnesty International that the air strike killed 142 people. The elders did identify some of the dead as Taliban fighters.
An urgent and transparent investigation needs to be launched by the German government into what happened in Kunduz,” the Amnesty International said in a statement.
“NATO and the German government must show accountability for the loss of civilian life and prove that it has the will and mechanism in place to investigate civilian casualties, said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty Internationals Asia-Pacific director.
According to the German military, NATOs investigation could not verify the exact number of casualties. Village elders from the area told Amnesty International in Kunduz that 142 people had been killed in the attack, of which at least 83 were civilians. The Taliban killed one of the tanker drivers during the hijacking, according to Afghan security officials.
The German Ministry of Defence had stated that it would analyze the NATO report and consider further action as necessary.
Amnesty International gathered eyewitness testimonies from survivors of the attack, as well as interviews with Mohammed Razaq Yaqoobi, the local chief of police, UN officials, and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
The Taliban again disregarded the lives of Afghan civilians by putting them in the line of fire, Zarifi said. But that doesnt absolve NATO from taking the utmost feasible precautions to ensure that it minimizes harm to civilians.
The Taliban control many of the villages in the area surrounding the airstrike. Residents of nearby Taleban-controlled village, AmerKhiel, were invited to take away fuel from the tankers after the tankers were stuck while crossing the Kunduz river.
The organisations research shows that NATO did not provide civilians in the area with effective warning that they were going to launch an attack, endangering the lives of people in the area.
In some circumstances, NATO aircraft in Afghanistan fly close to targets or shoot warning rounds to get civilians away from a potential target. Eyewitnesses to the attack told Amnesty International that they did not see NATO aircraft engage in any warning action prior to the Kunduz airstrike.
A local villager Omera Khan told Amnesty International that The Germans could have respond differently to the hijacking and prevent the civilian casualties. People were there to take the free fuel offered by the Taliban and at the time of the attack there was no warning.
NATO has been trying to improve the protection of civilians with its recently issued Tactical Directive, and we welcome this, but it still has not provided a credible accountability mechanism for redress. said Sam Zarifi. Immediately, NATO should publicize its report.
In 2009 Afghanistan has suffered the highest level of civilian casualties since the fall of the Taliban in 2002. All sides to the conflict must take every possible precaution to spare civilian lives. Civilians must not be made to pay the price for unlawful conduct on either side. All violations of international human rights and humanitarian law must be promptly, thoroughly and independently investigated and those responsible for them must be bought to justice, said Zarifi.
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Former Taliban commander killed in Wardak
Hakim Basharat – Oct 31, 2009 – 18:05
KABUL (PAN): Taliban fighters killed their former commander Lal Mohammad in Narkh district of central Maidan Wardak province on Friday, an official said Saturday, a claim denied by the Taliban.
A spokesman for provincial governor Shahidullah Shahid told Pajhwok Afghan News the former commander was killed by a Talib named Sher in Chaghri area.
Last year, security forces detained Lal Mohammad during an operation and then released him on August 19 – a day before the presidential elections after he agreed to reconcile with government.
After his release, the ex-militant commander worked for the Peace Strengthening Commission.
The commander got killed as the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) launched operation in Shahabuddin and Titmur areas of the district on Friday, killing four fighters.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied killing their former comrade adding Lal Mohammad was killed yesterday along with his two gunmen in an air strike of foreign forces.
Mujahid said six ANA, five US soldiers were also killed and two ANA vehicles and a US tank were destroyed in two separate explosions in Kashmiri Qala area on the outskirts of Madan Shahr city, provincial capital.
Shahid confirmed the two explosions, but denied casualties to ANA and ISAF soldiers.
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Peaceful Afghanistan vital to region: Bush
PAN Monitor – Oct 31, 2009 – 21:09
KABUL (PAN): Former US President George W. Bush warned Saturday that ‘the world would face serious threats’ if the resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida are allowed to retake control of Afghanistan.
Bush remarks came as 2009 was seen the deadliest year for international and US forces there since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban.
Speaking at a leadership conference in New Delhi, Indian capital, Bush said a peaceful, democratic Afghanistan is vital to the region.
“The mission in Afghanistan has been long and difficult and costly, but I believe it is necessary for stability and peace,” he told the conference. “If the Taliban and al-Qaida and their extremist allies were allowed to take over Afghanistan again, they would have a safe haven and the Afghan people, particularly the Afghan women, would face a return to a brutal tyranny.
“This region and the world would face serious threats,” he added.
Bush is extremely popular in India for ending a three-decade ban on civilian nuclear trade slapped on the country after its first atomic test in 1974.
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52 schools to have playgrounds in Ghazni City
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Oct 31, 2009 – 17:00
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Poland Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) will construct playgrounds for 52 schools in Ghazni city, provincial capital of southern Ghazni province, an education official said Saturday.
Education Department Director Husni Mubarak Azizi told Pajhwok Afghan News construction work over eight playgrounds at Jahan Maliki, old city, Shamsul Arifin and Ghazni city high schools had already been launched.
A nomad high school principal Abdullah hailed the projects.
He said the playgrounds would provide the students recreation opportunities to save them from engaging into purposeless activities.
He also stressed the need for construction of playgrounds at schools in other districts.
According education department, each playground would cost over $30000 and the total cost over the 52 school playgrounds is estimated $0.5 million.
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43 Taliban insurgents said killed in north
Hamid & Zabihullah Ihsas – Oct 31, 2009 – 18:44
SHEBARGHAN/MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): As many as 43 Taliban insurgents have been killed in separate operations of security forces in northern Jawzjan and Sar-i-Pul provinces, officials said on Saturday.
Deputy Governor of Jawzjan, Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, told a press conference that 25 Taliban fighters were killed and dozens others were wounded during a joint operation of Afghan and Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) forces in Darzab district of the province.
A group leader of Taliban identified as Mullah Noor Mohammad was among three militants detained during the offensive, added Jawzjani, who claimed the forces seized large-scale ammunitions and three motorcycles during the three days of operation in the area.
No one was hurt from civilians during the operation, security officials said.
However, Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid only confirmed the death of their four fighters. He said four policemen were killed during the clashes.
Elsewhere, 18 Taliban insurgents were killed and eight others were injured as police launched operations in Gurzi Wan, Syad districts and border areas between Sar-i-Pul and Jawzjan provinces.
Provincial police chief Lt. Gen. Mohammad Bilal Niram told Pajhwok the joint operations involving police, ANA, National Directorate of Security (NDS) and foreign forces were launched on Thursday and came to an end last night.
He added 18 fighters were killed and eight others were wounded. Security personnel remained unharmed during the operations, he added.
Niram said six Kalashnikovs, two rocket launchers, a mortar shell, two bullet boxes of machine gun, a solar power unit with two batteries and a motorcycle were seized from the Taliban.
Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, denied Niram’s claims, saying their fighters killed several national and international soldiers in clashes in Syad district. He blamed US forces for killing several civilians in their air strike.
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Candidates for results announcement before run-off
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Oct 31, 2009 – 16:06
JALALABAD (PAN): Provincial council candidates in eastern Nangarhar province have warned of agitation if their poll results are not announced before the presidential election run-off takes place.
Demanding a free and fair tally of the votes, the sitting Nangarhar Provincial Council Chief, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar, warned Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (AIEC) against irregularities in the vote count.
Muslimyar who was speaking at a press conference in Jalalabad, provincial capital, on Saturday threatened protest demonstrations in every village and district if any fraud was observed in the vote outcome.
Accompanied by other provincial council candidates, Muslimyar alleged 3,000 fraudulent votes were being cast alone at a polling station of Nangarhar High School.
When asked for evidence in support of his claim, Muslimyar told Pajhwok Afghan News the Independent Election Commission (IEC) had also confirmed widespread irregularities in the PC elections.
Another candidate Shir Bahadur Himmat presented a joint resolution of the aspirants at the press conference, asking for reelection at the polling centres where fraud was being observed. The resolution also demanded trial of those who committed fraud in the elections.
“If our demands are not considered, we will form the council on own discretion and will inform the people about that,” said Himmat.
The AIEC had announced provincial council election results of 30 provinces, but withheld results announcement of Kandahar, Nangarhar, Paktika and Ghazni provinces in the wake of alleged vote fraud.
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Abdullah not to boycott runoff poll
Danish Karokhel – Oct 31, 2009 – 12:42
KABUL (PAN): Presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah’s team on Saturday rejected the reports about his possible boycott of next week’s runoff.
His campaigner Syed Mohamad Ali Rizwani told Pajhwok Afghan News Abdullah called a meeting of his campaigners and close aides to make a decision about the poll boycott.
He added a final decision was made at the meeting, but it would be announced at a huge gathering of his supporters planned for tomorrow (Sunday) in presence of media outlets.
He said the meeting decided that Abdullah would not boycott the runoff.
There were reports that Abddullah is planning to boycott the runoff against incumbent Hamid Karzai.
The former foreign minister had put forward several conditions to avoid a repeat of the massive fraud of the August presidential election, including the replacement of the AIEC chief and the suspension of some ministers, setting Saturday as the deadline for his demands to be met.
The Afghan constitution says that any vote cast for a candidate who withdraws will not be counted. However, it does not specifically address a candidate who does not formally withdraw but urges supporters to boycott the polls.
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Afghan intellectual Prof Rasoul Amin dies at 72
Zainab Mohammadi – Oct 31, 2009 – 19:34
KABUL (PAN): A renowned Afghan politician, social figure and former education minister Prof. Rasoul Amin breathed his last this morning in Australia. He was 72.
Director of Regional Studies Centre for Afghanistan (RSCA), Abdul Ghafoor Liwal told Pajhwok Afghan News that Prof. Amin was one of prominent intellectuals and his death was a great loss to cultural and politics of Afghanistan.
Born in Wata Pur district of eastern Kunar province, he added, Prof. Amin completed his primary education in the province and higher education from Kabul University and did his masters in sociology from Peshawar University.
Prof Amin migrated to Peshawar in 1978 and established the Writers Union of Free Afghanistan (WUFA). Lecturers of Kabul University, writers, poets and journalists had joined the union. He had an important role in Rome Conference held in 2001 under the supervision of former king Mohammad Zahir Shah.
Liwal added, Prof. Amin came back to Afghanistan after 9/11 attacks on World Trade Centre and Pentagon and was appointed as education minister during the transitional period.
According to Liwal, Prof. Amin served as lecturer in literature faculty of Kabul University. He established the Afghanistan Study Centre (ASC) when he returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
A member of Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan, Habibullah Rafi, said Prof. Rasul Amin had published the Khpalwaki, Wafa and Azad Afghanistan magazines from Peshawar.
He added the professor had written tens of books and magazines about literature, culture and sociology.
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Karzai gathers more support for runoff poll
Pajhwok Report – Oct 31, 2009 – 19:49
KABUL (PAN): Several political gatherings were held in different provinces on Saturday voicing support to incumbent president Hamid Karzai in the presidential election runoff set for November 7.
The participants pledged they would vote in the run-off in favor of Karzai, dubbing him the most suitable person for the presidency.
Karzai’s campaign office manager in the northern city of Mazar-i-Shareef told a press conference that 17 political parties and associations, some of them led by former jihadi commanders, announced their support for Hamid Karzai.
Azizur Rahman Mayaar added the campaign offices of Hidayat Amin Arsala and Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, two candidates in the August 20 presidential election, were also supporting Karzai in the second round of the polls.
He said president Karzai agreed to a second round of the presidential election in the larger public interest.
Meanwhile, in eastern city of Jalalabad, a large gathering of Afghan Millat political party pledged support to Karzai.
Leader of the party and former finance minister, Dr Anwarul Haq Ahadi, told the gathering attended by 3,000 people that tens of thousands of his party’s followers would cast their ballots in Karzai’s favour in the run-off race.
In central Uruzgan, 300 people from Barakzai tribe also announced their support for Karzai.
The pledges came as only seven days are remaining for the run-off between Karzai and his challenger Dr Abdullah Abdullah.
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219 people convicted in drug smuggling cases
Khwaja Basir Ahmad & Zainullah Stanakzai – Oct 31, 2009 – 20:05
KABUL/LASHKARGAH (PAN): As many as 219 people were convicted and fined in drug smuggling cases during the past three months, an official of the Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) of Counter Narcotics Ministry, said on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference here, a spokesman for CJTF Khalilur Rahman Motawakkil said of the 219 convicts, 124 were convicted by primary court and 95 by the appellate court.
He said the men were sentenced to 5 to 20 years of imprisonment and cash fines ranging from 500,000afghanis to more than a million.
He said 410 kilos of heroin, 29 kilos of morphine, 10768 kilos of opium, 5439 kilos of hashish and 1703 kilos of chemical substance being used in making narcotics were seized during that period.
Meanwhile, in southern Helmand province, hundreds of families displaced by fighting between security forces and Taliban fighters from Baba Ji area were provided with necessary assistance in capital city Lashkargah.
The assistance from the World Food Program (WFP) included 100 kilos of wheat, ten kilos of pulses, seven kilos of ghee, a cylinder and kitchen items.
Happy with the assistance, a recipient of the relief, Khan Mohammad, told Pajhwok Afghan News the supplies would help them overcome their hardships to some extent. However, he called for more such relief goods.
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Six suspects held in UN Afghan guesthouse attack
Abdul Qadir Siddique – Oct 31, 2009 – 15:44
KABUL (PAN): Authorities have detained six suspects in connection with Wednesday’s deadly assault on a guesthouse used by United Nations staff in Kabul, the Afghan intelligence chief said on Saturday.
Three militants laced with guns and suicide vests stormed the UN residence in Shahr-i-Naw downtown around dawn, sparking a fierce gun-battle with UN security officials for at least an hour before NATO troops and Afghan police showed up.
The assault killed six foreign UN employees and at least two Afghan guards. The three attackers also were killed.
Amrullah Saleh, chief of the National Security Directorate (NSD), on Saturday told a press conference in Kabul that the suspects were picked up during raids in jurisdiction of the 5th police station of Kabul City in Nazar Qala and Qambar areas.
The six-member gang had links to the Haqqani terror network and the al-Qaeda, said the intelligence chief, who identified the detainees as Qari Aminullah, Masoud, Mohammad Amin, Haji Syedajan and Yar Jan.
He alleged that the detainees were involved in facilitating, enabling and sending terrorists for terror attacks.
According to Saleh, the arrested persons had confessed to their crime during the primary interrogations.
Saleh said the intelligence operatives had early information about the attack and they launched searching vehicles to foil the bid, but the terrorists managed to carry out their assault before 7am.
He said the detainees had named four more persons involved in masterminding the attack and that they would soon arrest them.
He disclosed besides the arrest of the six people in the guesthouse attack, the security officials had detained 110 people on the suspicion over the past three months including three Pakistanis.
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Pakistan denies border closer with Afghanistan
PAN Monitor – Oct 31, 2009 – 21:32
KABUL (PAN): Pakistan foreign office has refuted media reports that the authorities had closed its border with Afghanistan.
No such decision has been taken, a spokesman for the foreign office said in a statement on Saturday. 
However, the statement said, there was need for closer scrutiny and heightened checking on both sides of the border to prevent militants and terrorists infiltration.
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Abdullah drops out of Afghan election runoff
Baseer Ahmad – Nov 1, 2009 – 13:22

KABUL (PAN): Accusing Afghan election commission of being biased in favour of incumbent president Hamid Karzai, presidential election challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday announced he is not participating in the runoff set for November 7.
Speaking at a rally of his supporters underway at the Loya Jirga tent, Dr. Abdullah alleged the commission perpetrated widespread fraud during the first round held on August 20.
Abdullah’s announcement came five days after his deadline for accepting his demands was expired. He had listed a number of demands, including the removal of the chief election official, Azizullah Ludin, and the suspension of some ministers suspected of involvement in ballot-stuffing.
Dr. Abdullah said Sunday his demands for changes in the election commission to ensure a fair vote weren’t met.
However, he would not call on his supporters to boycott the runoff vote.
Abdullah also said the Afghan people should not accept results of an election from the current election commission. He told his supporters President Hamid Karzai’s government had not been legitimate since its mandate expired last May.
Abdullah announcement came as US Secretary of State said a boycott of the Afghan runoff election by Abdullah wont de-legitimise the poll.
Answering the question on whether the outcome of a runoff with only one candidate would result in a legitimate government, Hillary Clinton said such situations are not unprecedented and occur in many countries..
“We see that happen in our own country where, for whatever combination of reasons, one of the candidates decides not to go forward. I don’t think it has anything to do with the legitimacy of the election,” she told the Daily Telegraph.
Abdullah and others have charged that massive fraud occurred in the first round of voting on August 20. The initial results gave Karzai the win, but a subsequent review by a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of Karzai’s votes because of “clear and convincing evidence of fraud.”
The Afghan constitution says that any vote cast for a candidate who withdraws will not be counted.
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Abdullah calls on supporters to remain calm
Mohammad Ali Momand – Nov 1, 2009 – 11:46
KABUL (PAN): Presidential challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah has said his decision to boycott the November 7 runoff election was final, calling on his supporters to remain calm and exhibit patience during the election process.
Speaking at a press conference after addressing a rally of his supporters at the Loya Jirga tent here on Sunday, Abdullah said he took the decision to pull out of the race after prolong discussions with his supporters and close aides. He said his decision was meant for keeping Afghanistan alive and to allow the democracy to flourish in the war devastated country.
Abdullah’s withdrawal from the election handed the incumbent president a victory but raised doubts on the credibility of the new government.
The runner up in the August 20 president election said it was up to the people and the law of Afghanistan to decide about the legitimacy of the new set up.
Former Foreign Minister said he made his decision after his appeals for changes in the Independent Election Commission were turned down by Karzai government.
Before the announcement, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the withdrawal would not undermine the legitimacy of the election.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with the legitimacy of the election,” Clinton told reporters Saturday in Abu Dhabi. “It’s a personal choice which may or may not be made.”
Abdullah, who answered a volley of questions at the press conference also attended by a large number of foreign media representatives, said he would continue to serve his country as he had been serving since last 25 years.
To a question, he said it was not the matter of a victory or defeat, but he wanted the wishes of the Afghan people come true.
Abdullah also thanked the international community for its support towards reconstruction of the war-torn country and the efforts the world community had undertaken for giving the Afghans their right to vote.
“There is a great need for strengthening our country’s institutions for better services to our people,” he told the press conference.
He said the people of his country were denied to exercise their right to vote for decades. He said his decision to quit the runoff was based on national interest.
He called on his supporters to remain calm and exhibit patience as any reaction would not be in the interest of the nation.
Earlier, speaking at the rally of his supporters at the Loya Jirga tent, Dr. Abdullah alleged the commission perpetrated widespread fraud during the first round held on August 20.
Dr. Abdullah said his demands for changes in the election commission to ensure a fair vote weren’t met.
Abdullah also said the Afghan people should not accept results of an election from the current election commission. He told his supporters President Hamid Karzai’s government had not been legitimate since its mandate expired last May.
Abdullah and others have charged that massive fraud occurred in the first round of voting on August 20. The initial results gave Karzai the win, but a subsequent review by a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of Karzai’s votes because of “clear and convincing evidence of fraud.”
The Afghan constitution says that any vote cast for a candidate who withdraws will not be counted.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84052
Four of 13 abducted children rescued in east
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Nov 1, 2009 – 18:14
JALALABAD (PAN): Four of the 13 abducted children have been rescued from their adductors in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said Sunday.
Unknown gunmen kidnapped 13 children from Haska Mina district a week back and police rescued four of them during a search operation in Morgai forests.
A spokesman for the provincial governor Ahmad Zia Abdul Zai told Pajhwok Afghan News efforts were underway to ensure the release of the remaining kids.
Zai said the location of the other abducted children could be found, but the families claimed their children had been kidnapped by the people of a border village.
The gubernatorial spokesman said the residents of Haska Mina had set Sunday evening a deadline to the kidnappers for release of the children.
Haska Mina district chief Haji Hamisha Gul said the four released children were handed over to their parents.
Gul said due to heavy snow on the forest region, the rescuers were facing problems and the border of Durand Line was covered with snow.
Haji Shah Pur, deputy head of development council, said a tribe called Hassankhel in Aghaz and Kas area where they suspect the children might be kept in captivity.
“The families have accused the said tribe of abducting their children with support from Taliban militants to the other side of the border where Afridi tribe resides,” he said.
Pur said they had given Sunday evening a deadline to the tribe. “In case, the tribesmen did not comply with the deadline, then the district residents will take a decision on the issue,” he added.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84058
Militants behead two policemen in Farah
Saber & Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 1, 2009 – 16:28
ZARANJ (PAN): Taliban militants beheaded two policemen and in retaliatory action police killed two militants in western Farah province, officials said on Sunday.
Farah police chief Col. Mohammad Faqir Askar told Pajhwok Afghan News police attacked a group of militants collecting usher and zakat from locals in Pushtrud district on Saturday.
In the clash, two militants were killed and five others were wounded, added the police chief, who said one cop sustained injuries during the clash.
District chief Ghausuddin said the clash occurred after Taliban fighters beheaded two policemen in the area.
He added the policemen were going to their homes in plain clothes when Taliban captured and beheaded them.
Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said their men seized the two cops sitting in front of a hotel in the district bazaar. However, he expressed unawareness if any of their fighters was killed by police.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84061
29 Taliban eliminated in Uruzgan offensive
Ahmad Omaid Khpalwak – Nov 1, 2009 – 19:11
TIRINKOT (PAN): As many 29 Taliban militants have been killed in a joint operation involving police and US Special Forces in Dahrawud district of southern Uruzgan province, officials said on Sunday.
Crime branch police chief Gulab Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News the operation that started last night in Jangle Badam area of the district resulted in killing of 29 militants.
Three police also sustained bullet wounds during the clashes and their condition was stated to be stable, he added. The operation is still in progress and would continue until the area was cleared of militants, Khan said.
Provincial police chief Juma Gul Himmat confirmed the casualties suffered by the Taliban during the operation.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84066
Nine people killed amid upsurge in violence
Zainullah Setanikzai – Nov 1, 2009 – 16:59
LASHKARGAH (PAN): A community council head was among nine people killed in separate incidents of violence in the volatile southern province of Helmand, officials said on Sunday.
Provincial police chief, Col. Asadullah Sherzad, told Pajhwok Afghan News Taliban insurgents killed the community council head Haji Mirwali after his kidnapping from Nava district. His body was found today in Tarkha Naw area.
A member of the council, on the condition of anonymity said, the Taliban fighters had repeatedly warned Mirwali to leave his official duty, but he denied.
According to Sherzad, police are investigating the murder.
However, Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi denied killing the community council chief.
Elsewhere, a landmine struck a tractor in Chanjir area of Nad Ali district on Saturday, killing two brothers. The victims were shifting corn crops from fields to home when their vehicle hit by a mine, Sherzad said.
Resident Abdul Rahim said the area is the front line of clashes between Taliban and NATO forces. He said Taliban had planted land-mines in the area.
Separately, three civilians were perished yesterday in three back-to-back explosions in Nawzad district of the province.
A dweller of the district, Sher Mohammad, said the first blast claimed the life of a man and when another man tried to remove his body, a second blast took place, killing him on the spot.
Mohammad added when people rushed to the site to take the bodies of the two a third bomb exploded, killing another man and injuring four others. Security officials have so far said nothing about these blasts.
Elsewhere, a policeman was killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Grishk district of the province, according Sherzad.
He added two Taliban fighters were also killed in retaliatory attack and their bodies were still lying at the scene.
However, Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed seven policemen were killed by the blast.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84068
70 welfare schemes executed in Faryab
Zabihullah Ihsas & Zainullah Stanakzai – Nov 1, 2009 – 17:41
MAZAR-I-SHARIF / LASHKARGAH (PAN): Up to 70 welfare schemes have been executed in Qaisar district of northern Faryab province under the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) of the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Rural Development (MRRD), official said on Sunday.
NSP communication director in north, Farid Ahmad Sadaat, told Pajhwok Afghan News about 16120 families of 63 villages of the district would benefit from the projects. The schemes costing 73 millions and 920,000 afghanis were completed in one year time with financial support from the World Bank.
He added the projects included digging of 110 wells with hand pumps, construction 10 water tanks, laying 37 kilometres long water supply pipelines, construction a 90 metres canal, nine water reservoir, and two buildings for community centres, besides construction of more than 89 kilometres road and graveling, 190 small bridges and 23 kilometres retaining wall.
Sadaat added work on 2371 projects had been launched in 870 villages of the province and of them 1359 projects were inaugurated.
Meanwhile, in southern Helmand province, the foundation stone for a boys’ high school building was laid in provincial capital, Lashkargah on Sunday.
Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal, who laid the foundation stone, told this news agency the double-storey building would have 16 classrooms, a store, two administrative rooms and allied facilities. He said the project would take 14 months to complete with financial support form Danish government at a cost of 13 millions afghanis.
Principle of the school, Abdullah Mobin, said earlier they had to face with accommodation problems as more than 70 students were studding in a single room. He added 3200 students have been studding in the school in two shifts.
Officials of education directorate in the province said 90,000 students have been studding in 111 schools in the province.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84069
Police quickly respond to UN guesthouse attack: MoI
Muhammad Jawad Sharifzada – Nov 1, 2009 – 11:44
KABUL (PAN): The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Sunday rejected the reports that police were slow to respond to Wednesday’s terrorist attack on a UN guesthouse in Shahr-i-Naw downtown.
The United Nations on Friday demanded to know why it took an hour for Afghan police and NATO troops to respond to the Taliban attack on the guest house filled with UN staff.
Three militants laced with guns and suicide vests stormed the UN residence in the 10th police district of the capital city around dawn, sparking a fierce gun-battle with UN security officers for at least an hour before NATO troops and Afghan police showed up.
The assault killed six foreign UN employees and at least two Afghan guards. The three attackers also were killed.
Taliban have accepted responsibility for the attack that left nine UN staffers wounded.
A spokesman for the ministry Zamray Bashari said UN chief Ban Ki Moon had received repots in which it was mentioned that police were arrived an hour late at the site.
He said the reports were inaccurate. “Police arrived four minutes after the first shoot and started rescue operations,” added the spokesman.
He claimed the police response was very quick and showed bravery.
“Such reports will have a bad impact on the police morale,” he said.
Bashari said a joint commission of UN representatives and the ministry will investigate the incident and will send an accurate report to the UN secretary General.
He added there were 1000 police in Kabul responsible for security of UN offices.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84074
Karzai pledged support in Daikundi, Uruzgan
Hadi Ghafari – Nov 1, 2009 – 18:35
BAMYAN CITY (PAN): Supporters of three political parties and local residents of the central Uruzgan and Daikundi provinces on Sunday voiced their support for incumbent President Hamid Karzai in the runoff polls set for November 7.
Activists of the Hizbi-Wahdat Milli Party, Wahdat Mardum, Insijam-i-Milli and other residents of the two provinces who were gathered at a big mosque in Neili, provincial capital of Daikundi, voiced to Karzai.
Sohrab Ali Etimadi, a representative of the Hizbi-Wahdat Milli Party in his address to the gathering called on the participants to fully participate in the November 7 elections and cast their votes in favor of the incumbent.
The pledges came as presidential challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah announced his withdrawal from the election runoff race.
Abdullah told a rally of his supporters in Kabul he would not participate in the election as his demands for changes in the election commission were not met.
“The runoff election is a national issue and we should go to the polling stations and cast ballots in favorite a favourite candidate,” Haji Muhammad Anwar, a participant of the meeting, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Uruzgan province, a similar gathering also voiced support to Karzai in the election.
More than 1000 people participated in the meeting held in Tirinkot, provincial capital, a campaign manager of Karzai, Jan Muhammad Khan said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84085
Mangal launches Food Zone Programme
Zainullah Stanakzai & Khwaja Basir Ahmad – Nov 1, 2009 – 20:15
LASHKARGAH/KABUL (PAN): A newly introduced ‘Food Zone Programme’ which distributes seeds, fertilizer and equipment to farmers who grow wheat and other food crops rather than poppy, was launched on Sunday in southern province of Helmand, the leading producer of opium in the world.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the programme, Governor Gulab Mangal said farmers and gardeners of eight districts of the province and the capital city would be provided with improved seeds and fertilizers in exchange of not cultivating poppy.
He said over 12,000 farmers in the capital city alone would be given the assistance which would help considerably bring down the poppy cultivation in the region.
About the allegations that the programme is being rife with corruption, the governor said they had examined reports about corruption charges in the USAID-funded program and five people who were found guilty were introduced to the attorney office.
He warned any one found involved in malpractices would have to face the consequences.
Elsewhere, intelligence officials in Lugar province arrested two people with 16 kilos of explosives in the capital city, Pul-i-Alam, the National Directorate of Security said on Sunday.
In statement, the directorate said the substance was skillfully stuffed in a plastic ghee cane planted near a roadside in Hisarak village.
Two suspects were arrested and the explosives were destroyed in place, preventing a deadly terrorist attack, the statement concluded.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84086
Teachers, education officials honoured in Parwan
Farid Tanha – Nov 1, 2009 – 19:30
CHARIKAR (PAN): Education department of central Parwan province on Sunday honoured hundreds of schools teachers and some education officials for their outstanding performance during the current academic year.
A ceremony in this regard was organized in the provincial capital Charikar. Four teachers were decorated with medals and 480 teachers and some education department officials were awarded with first, second and third grade appreciation letters at the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Education Department Director said the department honoured the teachers and education officials for their best performance.
He said 15 staffs were awarded first grade, 19 second grade and the rest were given third grade appreciation letters.
Zakia, principal of a girl’s middle school in the province, who received medal, hailed the education department and added: “It is an honour for me that I won a medal.”
According to the provincial education department, there were 6250 teachers in 318 schools of the province.
Last year, 300 teachers were awarded with appreciation letters.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84088
Two US soldiers killed, seven civilians injured in violence
Pajhwok Report – Nov 1, 2009 – 19:41
KABUL (PAN): Two US soldiers were killed in the south while seven civilians were wounded as a joint ISAF and an Afghan National Army unit came under attack by rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire near Kapisa in eastern Afghanistan, the western military alliance said on Sunday.
One ISAF service member was wounded and one insurgent was killed as a result of the engagement in Kapisa, the force said in a statement.
Following the attack, the injured civilians and the service member were transported to an ISAF medical treatment facility for care, where subsequently one civilian died despite receiving medical treatment
An initial report indicates the insurgents may have used the civilians as shields during the attack.
“Protecting Afghan civilians and providing for their security is ISAF’s top priority,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Todd Vician, an ISAF Joint Command spokesman.
In southern Afghanistan during separate incidents, two ISAF service members died on Sunday, the statement said. One ISAF member was killed when his patrol struck an improvised explosive device. The other service member died of wounds received after encountering an IED while on patrol.
The service member who died of wounds was from the United States.
Meanwhile, an Afghan-international security force detained several suspected militants in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan after searching a compound known to be frequented by a Haqqani enabler involved with several IED and small arms attacks in the area.
Enablers are the lower ranking militant-cooperators who work for the insurgents at the district and village levels.
The joint security force selected the compounds near the village of Paru Kheyl in the Sabari district after intelligence indicated militant activity.  The joint force searched the compound without incident, recovered several small arms weapons and ammunition, and detained the suspected militants.
One of the detained suspects was identified as the sought-after Haqqani enabler.  No shots were fired and no one was injured.
In a separate event, an Afghan-international security force searched a number of compounds in Ghazni province known to be used by a Taliban enabler and his element currently operating in the area.
The joint security force selected the compounds near the village of Rad Kheyl in Zanakhan district after intelligence indicated militant activity.
The force searched the compounds without incident and recovered multiple RPG rounds, a mortar round and PKM machine gun ammunition, which was located in a mosque.  All items were destroyed in a safe place away from buildings and structures.  No shots were fired and no one was injured.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84089
Swine flu: Nationwide public health emergency declared
Zarghona Salehi – Nov 1, 2009 – 11:43
KABUL (PAN): Health authorities on Sunday declared a nationwide public health emergency and ordered the closure of all education institutes for the duration of three weeks in the wake of rapidly increasing swine flu activity in the country.
The National Anti Swine Flu Committee (NASFC) called for prohibiting all sort of public gatherings in halls, public baths, mosques and sport grounds for next two weeks, public relation officer at the office of vice president, Muzaffar Khawari, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
When these two weeks would end, the NASFC will announce whether or not to reopen the education institutes by keeping in view the situation, he remarked.
Some 316 cases of the N1H1 flu had been registered, managing director of the NASFC Dr. Mir Jawad Ahmad Muflih said.
He explained 45 out of 316 N1H1 flu affectees were Afghans and the rest were foreign soldiers based in Afghanistan. Only one Afghan has been so far died from the strain of flu known as H1N1 disease, he went on to say.
The influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth.
Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days.
Symptoms of the swine flu are similar to those of regular flu including fever, cough, fatigue and lack of appetite. There are four different drugs approved in the U.S. to treat the flu, but the new virus has shown resistance to the two oldest.
The precautions to prevention of the spread of the infectious diseases were washing hands often, covering nose and mouth when people cough or sneeze, avoiding close contact with sick people. Those who are sick should stay at home and limit contact with others.
Muflih urged the people to go to a nearby healthcare centre as soon as they feel infected with the virus.
He added a diagnosing team had been ordered to check the new comers at all borders of the country. All the governmental and private hospitals had been directed to get prepared to protect the residents, he concluded.
The Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and Kabul Antinayee were specialized for the N1H1 patients, he.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84090
125 ultras, 18 soldiers killed in Waziristan operation
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 1, 2009 – 20:35
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Up to 125 Taliban fighters and 18 Pakistan army soldiers were killed in the past two weeks of the ongoing military offensive in South Waziristan tribal region, the military said on Sunday.
Operation commander in Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan, 1st Lt. Shafiq told Pajhwok Afghan News five Taliban fighters were killed on Sunday in Kani Goram, Tawda Shina and Srah Rogha areas of the lawless region.
Shafiq added 125 Taliban fighters had been killed and tens of others wounded since last two weeks of the operation in the areas. He added 18 soldiers of Pak army were killed and 25 others were injured during the operation.
Elsewhere, in restive Swat valley of the NWFP, three bodies were found on Sunday.
A police officer, Farooq, said the bodies were found in Madyan area of the valley believed to be the Taliban.
Separately, unidentified gunmen blew up a girls’ school in Khyber tribal region, injuring four people, a resident of the area, Khairullah said.
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Obama admin cautious on Abdullah boycott
Lalit K Jha – Nov 2, 2009 – 13:23
WASHINGTON (PAN): The Obama Administration appears to be exercising caution in making any public comment on Afghan presidential election process after the withdrawal of presidential challenger Dr Abdullah Abdullah , thus making Hamid Karzai’s reelection almost certain.
Although Karzai continuing for another five years now is almost a reality, both the White House and the Secretary of State appeared to be very sensitive that their statements could draw reaction in Afghanistan. As such they maintained that it is for the people and Government of Afghanistan to decide on the next course of action and the legitimacy of the government.
It is now a matter for the Afghan authorities to decide on a way ahead that brings this electoral process to a conclusion in line with the Afghan constitution. We will support the next President and the people of Afghanistan, who seek and deserve a better future, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said in a statement.
Recognize the decision by Dr. Abdullah not to participate in the November 7 run-off, Clinton said: He ran a dignified and constructive campaign that drew the support of Afghan people across the nation.  We hope that he will continue to stay engaged in the national dialogue, and work on behalf of the security and prosperity of the people of Afghanistan.
The White House also echoed the same. It is up to the Afghan people and their authorities to decide how to proceed going forward, said Valerie Jarrett, White House Senior Advisor. We are going to work with the leader of the Afghan government and hopefully that’s going to improve the state of conditions for the people in Afghanistan, and also help us as we try to bring this war to a close, he said. Meanwhile, lawmakers said the Administration should now prepare to work with Karzai.  I think it is time for us to stop beating up on President Karzai, and start building up President Karzai and his government to be the government we need, because they’re not the enemy, Senator Joe Lieberman, told the CBS News in an interview.
Everyone knows the Karzai government can be improved.  But, look, Hamid Karzai is going to be the next president of Afghanistan.  He’s played this according to the constitutional, and the rules of law in Afghanistan.  He got 48 percent of the vote, even after the fraudulent votes were eliminated, he said.
I think President Karzai did the right thing by agreeing to the runoff and accepting the decision of the commission.  But I think everyone expected that President Karzai was going to be reelected.  So Dr. Abdullah’s exit from this race, I think, really says more about the fact that he knew he wasn’t going to win, Republican Congressman Joe Boehner told the CNN in an interview.
At the same time The New York Times, which in the recent past has run a series of anti-Karzai stories, warned that Obama Administration that at the time of war, it would have a very weak partner in Afghanistan.
Obama faces a new complication in Afghanistan, The New York Times published a news analysis. The complication is, enabling a badly tarnished partner to regain enough legitimacy to help the United States find the way out of an eight-year-old war. It will not be easy, warned The New York Times.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84096
Afghan minister receives award in Colombia
Lalit K Jha – Nov 2, 2009 – 13:54
WASHINGTON (PAN): The Rural Rehabilitation and Development Minister Mohammed Ehsan Zia, is being awarded for showing exemplary leadership in successful implementation of National Solidarity Programme.
The recognition of Zia for the prestigious award was made at the first Joint Meeting of Communities of Practice on Managing for Development Results being held in Medellin, a city in Columbia.
The award would be received by the Afghan Ambassador to the US, Said Jawad, who also holds the same position for Columbia, on behalf of Zia, who could not attend the function because of his pressing engagement back home due to elections.
This is for the first time, possibly in the post-Taliban era, that an Afghan minister is being recognized for successfully implementing a ground breaking project; particularly at a time of widespread allegations of corruption and inefficiency in the government.
Noting that the National Solidarity Program (NSP) is the largest national program for development and governance, Ambassador Jawad told Pajhwok Afghan News in a telephone interview from Medellin that the third edition of the Source-Book also features the success of NSP. I
Established in 2003, NSP with continued assistance of the World Bank and the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund has established development-focused governance structures at the community level through democratic elections with the full participation of women.
Through NSP, we have embarked on a genuine process of empowering men and women and uniting communities around a common, nationally oriented development and governance agenda, Jawad said.
During his stay in Colombia, the Ambassador is also scheduled to meet the President, Defense Minister and other top leaders of the country. During the meetings, the Ambassador is expected to discuss strengthening of the Afghanistan-Columbia relationship; besides having a firsthand knowledge of the Columbia experience in anti-narcotics drive.
Jawad said Minister Zia has dedicated the award it to the Community Development Councils and the rural population of Afghanistan.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84097
Ban arrives in Kabul after UN office attack
Pajhwok Report – Nov 2, 2009 – 16:49
KABUL (PAN): United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Kabul on Monday following the terrorist attack on a guesthouse last week that killed five foreign UN staff members and wounded nine others.
During his visit to the country, Ban will meet UN staff, his Special Representative and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Kai Eide, heads of UN agencies and security officials, UNAMA said in a statment.
The secretary general will also meet Dr Abdullah Abdullah and President Hamid Karzai to assure them and the Afghan people of the continuing support of the United Nations towards the development of the country and the humanitarian assistance that the UN provides to millions of Afghans everyday.
Last week Ban, in reaction to the attack on the Kabul guesthouse, told a press conference in New York: Those who gave their lives … came to Afghanistan armed not with guns or bullets. They came with a more powerful weapon hope. Hope for a better day for Afghanistan and a commitment to help its people build a better world and a better future. We will not be deterred from this noble mission. We stand by the people of Afghanistan today, and we will do so tomorrow.
Ban Ki-moon has previously visited Kabul in February 2009 and June 2007 as UN Secretary-General.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84100
Militant detained in Kandahar
Pajhwok Report – Nov 2, 2009 – 12:23
KABUL (PAN): One militant was detained in southern Kandahar province on Sunday in a joint Afghan-International Security Assistance Force operation, the western military alliance said on Monday.
The militant was detained in pursuit of a Taliban district leader and senior commander of a sizable militant element in the village of Daylanur, north of Kandahar City, after intelligence indicated militant activity, the force said in a statement.
The joint force used escalation of force measures to stop two motorcycles travelling south toward the city. The force recovered a pistol, ammunition, and documents and detained the suspected militant, the statement said.
One Afghan girl, who was riding as a passenger on one of the motorcycles, was accidentally killed during the operation to stop the motorcycles.
Immediate medical care was provided to the girl in an attempt to save her life. A joint investigation is in progress to verify the details of the event.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84102
UK pledges support to Afghan elections
Javed Hamim Kakar – Nov 2, 2009 – 16:30
KABUL (PAN): The United Kingdom has pledged its support to the second round of Afghan presidential elections scheduled to be held on November 7, the Karzai office said on Monday.
A statement issued from the president’s spokesman office said UK prime minister Gordon Brown had a telephonic conversation with President Hamid Karzai last night.
Both the leaders discussed the election process and bilateral relations of the countries, the statement said, adding, UK’s role in strengthening the country’s security situation and its development also came under discussion.
The fraud-tainted August 20 presidential elections seen widespread terrorist attacks. The initial results gave Karzai the win, but a subsequent review by a UN-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of Karzai’s votes because of ‘clear and convincing evidence of fraud.’
Runner-up Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who pulled out of the run-off race on Sunday and others have charged that massive fraud occurred in the first round of voting on August 20.
The former foreign minister and presidential challenger told a rally of his supporters in Kabul that he would not participate in the runoff as his demands for changes in the election commission were not met.
His decision to withdraw the runoff came as his talks with president Karzai broke down.
US embassy in Kabul on Sunday hailed Abdullah for his statement that he would continue to serve the country and the people.
The embassy also said the US would continue to support Afghan elections.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84103
34 people killed in Rawalpindi blast
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Nov 2, 2009 – 18:25
ISLAMABAD (PAN): At least 34 people have been killed and 32 others wounded in an apparently suicide explosion in Rawalpindi, the garrison city, near this capital city of Pakistan, a private TV channel reported.
The blast took place amid a crowd of people lined up outside a bank to collect their salaries and pension about 500 meters from the General Headquarters (GHQ).
The attack that drew condemnation from President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was allegedly carried out by a suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle near Shalimar Hotel.
An official Aslam Tarin said body parts of the suicide bomber and a suicide jacket have been found at the scene.
Police have cordoned off the area and rescue operation is underway as emergency declared in the hospitals.
An eyewitness, Iqbal, told Pajhwok Afghan News the massive explosion smashed the window-glasses of nearby markets, shops and houses. He added tens of people were killed or injured in the explosion.
A police official, Ishtiaq, the blast killed at least 20 people and wounded 30 others including women and children.
However, another officer on condition of anonymity said, 25 people were killed and 60 others were wounded in the blast.
Last month, Taliban attacked the GHQ, killing some officers and soldiers. (Detailed story to follow soon)
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84104
29 uplift schemes completed in north
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz – Nov 2, 2009 – 14:31
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Twenty-nine different developmental schemes have been completed in northern Takhar and Baghlan provinces under the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), an official said on Monday.
NSP information director, Ahmad Jamshid Ahmad,i told Pajhwok Afghan News about 5,000 families would get benefit from the 20 projects in Takhar and nine in Baghlan.
He said more than 3100 families of Khwaja Ghar, Chal, Bharak, Chah Aab, Darqad, Farkhar, Yangi, Kalafgan, Khwaja Bahauddin, Yangi Qala districts and sorounding areas of Taluqan, provincial capital, would benefit from these projects, costing more than 12 millions afghanis.
Ahamdi added the projects in Takhar included gravelling of more than 4.5 kilometres of roads, construction of 34 small bridges, digging of 31 wells with hand pumps, retaining walls, micro hydro electric power projects, a new building for community centre and conducting tailoring courses for women.
According to Ahmadi, more than 2,000 families of Doshi, Baghlan Jadeed and Baghlan Kohna districts would benefit from the projects, costing more than seven millions and 400,000 afghanis. The projects took one month to complete.
He added the projects included two kolometres road gravelling, 300 metres retaining wall, 20 wells with hand pumps, three building for community centres and a small bridge.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84107
NZ troops come under bomb-and-gun attack
Hadi Ghafari & Ehsas – Nov 2, 2009 – 16:06
BAMYAN CITY (PAN): A convoy of the New Zealand’s Provincial Reconstruction Team came under a bomb and gun attack by insurgents in central Bamyan province on Monday, security officials said.
Provincial police chief Brigadier General Khudayar Qudsi informed Pajhwok Afghan News two vehicles of the team were damaged in the blast followed by armed attack from insurgents in Shikari Valley.
The firefight lasted an hour, but there were no casualties to the troops, said Qudsi, who added a search operation has been launched against the attackers.
The New Zealand Defence Ministry also confirmed the incident.
In Sari-i-Pul, an illegal armed commander reportedly disarmed two policemen who were sent for asking the commander to surrender his arms to disarmament campaign, police chief Lt. Gen. Muhammad Bilal Niram said. He added the incident took place early this morning in Balkhab district.
A villager also sustained injuries as the commander named Muhammad Shireen, who had links with former jihadi commander, opened fire on him, the police chief said.  He added the police would step up efforts to arrest the commander.
frm/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84124
Karzai declared winner as runoff vote cancelled
Mohammad Ali Momand – Nov 2, 2009 – 19:09
KABUL (PAN): Independent Election Commission on Monday announced there will be no runoff election following the withdrawal of presidential challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah from the race, declaring President Hamid Karzai the winner.
The announcement to this effect was made by the election commission chief Azizullah Ludin at a press conference here.
Ludin said the decision to cancel the vote which was to be held on November 7 has been made to avoid expenditures on the elections process.
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UN to accept AIEC decision on poll: Ban
Mohammad Ali Momand – Nov 2, 2009 – 18:33
KABUL (PAN): United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday said whatever decision the Afghan election commission takes about the presidential elections in conformity with the country’s constitution will be acceptable to them.
“The United Nations and the world community will support whatever decision the AIEC takes for a sustainable political solution,” Ban told a press conference in Kabul after meeting with President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace here on Monday.
The UN top official arrived in the country on a surprise visit to discuss next week’s run off election with President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah.
Abdullah, the runner up, on Sunday announced his withdrawal from the race.
Ban spoke minutes before the independent election canceled the November 7 runoff election, declaring incumbent Hamid Karzai the winner.
The UN chief said Abdullah’s withdrawal from the election race has no impact on the election.
To a question, Ban said the UN has been working in Afghanistan for the last 50 years which should be appreciated and it would continue to serve the Afghans for their better future.
A deadly attack on a Kabul guest house with UN election workers last week killed five UN foreign officials and wounded nine others, raising questions about whether the UN might scale back in Afghanistan.
Three militants with guns and suicide vests stormed the compound before dawn in Shahr-i-Naw downtown, sparking a fierce gun-battle with UN security officers for an hour before the NATO forces and police showed up.
“Karzai assured me that he will take every security measure under his command for the safety of UN staff in Afghanistan,” said Ban.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84130
13 Taliban fighters killed in Paktia clash
Lemar Niazai – Nov 2, 2009 – 17:08
GARDEZ (PAN): More than a dozen Taliban fighters were killed in a clash with security forces in southeastern Paktia province, security officials claimed on Monday.
Deputy police chief Brig. Gen Ghulam Dastgir Rustamyar told Pajhwok Afghan News the clash erupted Sunday in Lwari area between Samkani and Janikhel districts.
Two wounded Taliban were detained in the clash, said Rustamyar, who added a policeman and a soldier were wounded during the firefight.
Dand-i-Patan district deputy police chief Abdul Wahab confirmed the casualties inflicted on the Taliban. However, he said the two wounded security personnel who were shifted to Samkani district by US-led coalition forces died of their wounds at the hospital.
myn/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84137
Road asphalting work launched in Laghman
Abdul Moeed Hashmi & Saboor Mangal – Nov 2, 2009 – 17:31
MEHTERLAM/KHOST CITY (PAN): Asphalting work on a sixteen kilometers road was launched in eastern Laghman province while extension of 5,000 telephone lines will be carried out in southeastern Khost province, officials said on Monday.
Laghman Governor Lutfullah Mashal inaugurated the road asphalting project at a ceremony held in this connection in Mehterlam, provincial capital.
Accompanied by provincial mayor and tribal council heads, the governor said the project was part of a 30 kilometers long road asphalting project recently inaugurated by President Hamid Karzai.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News the 18 meter wide road would also have 40 bridges which would cost $520, 0000 being provided by American Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
The road would link capital city Mehterlam with Shahr-e-Naw locality of the city, he added.
In Khost, 5,000 lines of Afghan Telecom Company with fax and internet facilities will be laid underground in the next five months, Habib Shah, Director General of the Afghan Telecom, said.
Funded by the Ministry of Communication, he said, the project would cost $500,000. With this development, Khost will become the 7th province in the country having fax and internet services.
ss/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84138
ANA claims killing eight militants in Kunduz
Abdul Matin Sarfaraz & Ehsas – Nov 2, 2009 – 17:45
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers on Monday claimed killing eight insurgents in an operation in northern Kunduz province.
Speaking at a press conference, 209th Shaheen Military Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Murad Ali Murad said another four militants were also detained alive during the offensive which was launched in Chardara, Qala-i-Zal and Gul Tepa districts on Sunday and still ongoing.
He added some weapons including machineguns, rocket launchers, Kalashnikovs and some explosives were also seized from the fighters.
He added the ANA soldiers and police suffered no casualties during the operation.
He said the offensive would continue until the areas were cleared of insurgents.
In the neighbouring province of Balkh, a civilian was killed and a district police chief and a farmer sustained injuries during an exchange of fire with robbers in Shulgara district late Sunday evening.
Police chief Brigadier General Sardar Muhammad Sultani said Captain Syed Kamal Hashmi was wounded in Quland area of the district. His secretary Rohullah Karimi said a local farmer was busy in his fields when a bullet hit him during the trade fire between police and robbers.
frm/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84140
Swine flu: Agreement inked with media outlets
Sher Ahmad Haider – Nov 2, 2009 – 14:43
KABUL (PAN): The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) on Monday reached an agreement of 9.5 million afghanis with different media outlets for releasing information for next 40 days about the rapidly spreading swine flu virus across the country.
The television and radio channels included Milli, Shamshad, Tamaddun, Aina, Arman, Killid, Salam Watandar and Sada-e-Zan Afghan.
The agreement came a day after the government declared a nationwide public health emergency for the influenza that has so far infected 346 people. Of those, 75 are Afghans while the rest are foreign troops stationed in the country.
Minister for Public Health Syed Muhammad Amin Fatimi told a meeting organised in connection with the agreement signing that parents should take special care of children of less than two years. He said pregnant women were also vulnerable to the disease known as A/H1N1.
He said the disease starts with throat infection and then spread into rest of the body. He asked the people to gargle with salty water three times a day.
He said government would require 125 million US dollars to overcome the disease. Of that amount, at least 60 million should be spent during the coming four months. 
He said the ministry needed four million vaccines while the World Health Organisation (WHO) had promised provision of one million vaccines for the government.
He said an emergency had been declared in hospitals across the country while small health clinics had been opened at the air ports.
dk/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84141
Swine flu may affect 5.5m Afghans
Abasin Zaheer – Nov 2, 2009 – 13:28
KABUL (PAN): The Ministry of Public Health on Monday warned the rapidly spreading swine flu virus could affect 5.5 million Afghans in the coming two years.
The ministry said around 80,000 Afghans would die from the disease if precautionary measures were not adopted to control spread of the virus.
This was stated by Faizullah Kakar, deputy public health minister, in his testimony before the Wolesi Jirga here on Monday. Kakar said the government needed 125 million US dollars to overcome the disease.
The deputy minister said 322 people were affected by the swine flu till this time. Of those, he said, 271 were foreigners while the rest were Afghans.
Kakar disclosed that two people, Eng. Mir Wais (35) and Nizamuddin (37), had lost their lives because of the influenza.
He said they were in contact with the foreign and local soldiers and they had conducted medical tests on some of them. The deputy minister was invited to brief the Wolesi Jirga members about the disease.
He said they had established an office which would work 24 hours a day to provide medical facility to the people. He said people could contact the office on the following telephone numbers: 0798684404, 0798665085 and 0797660829.
He said the World Health Programme (WHO) had promised provision of one million vaccines which would be gradually provided to doctors, security forces, government officials and then common people.
The deputy minister said the ministry had trained 2,000 doctors and nurses across the country to inform the people about the disease and treat them. He answered questions from the parliamentarians in the meeting.
It merits a mention here that the disease, now identified as A/H1N1 was diagnosed for the first time in Mexico.
dk/ma
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Taliban using chemical fertilizers in landmines
Sher Ahmad Haider – Nov 2, 2009 – 18:37
KABUL (PAN): Taliban militants are using chemical fertilizer besides other explosives in preparation of anti-tank mines.
This was stated by a Ghazni-based Taliban commander in a telephonic interview with Pajhwok Afghan News on Monday.
He said they were mixing white and black chemical fertilizers with explosives which usually proved very effective. Fertilizer is used by farmers in their fields and easily available all over the country.
One of mound of black fertilizer is available from 180 to 270 Afs in Kabul while the same quantity of white fertilizer price is ranging from 100 to 145 Afs.
The unnamed Taliban commander told Pajhwok Afghan News the two kinds of fertilizers had phosphorus and nitrogen besides hydrogen which proved very effective against heavy vehicles.
Government officials also admit that Taliban were using chemical fertilizers in preparation of landmines. General Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Defence Ministry, told Pajhwok Afghan News Taliban in the eastern and southern zones were using this kinds of land mines.
Police chief of Ghazni Brig. General Khial Baz Sherzai said Taliban were using chemical fertilizers in landmines. He said foreigners were preparing such kinds of mines.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84147
Karzai declared elected Afghan president
Mohammad Ali Momand – Nov 2, 2009 – 13:27
KABUL (PAN): The Independent Election Commission on Monday declared incumbent Hamid Karzai the winner of the presidential election after his challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah dropped out of the November 7 runoff vote.
AIEC chairman Azizullah Ludin in Kabul announced the commission cancelled the second round of ballot and declared Karzai elected president of Afghanistan.
Ludin said they came to the decision because a runoff was unnecessary with only one candidate in the field and to avoid insurgent attacks and the expense of a runoff.
After the announcement, the election commission in a statement issued here on Monday said the unexpected announcement of Dr. Abdullah Abdullahs withdrawal caused a huge challenge for the elections and people of Afghanistan.
Therefore, the IEC based on Article (156) of the constitution and bellow dilemma, has decided the following:
As the first round elections were held previously and the two leading candidates were eligible to contest in the run-off based on results of the first round of elections.
As per Article (61) of the constitution of Afghanistan, which states that the run-off election can only be held between the two leading or most voted candidates of the first round, and by taking note of the current situation where there is only one candidate to contest the run-off.
To prevent the high cost of the run-off election especially on E-day.
To preserve the national interests of the country and avoid prolonging the electoral process.
To avoid problems, such as possible security incidents and harm to those involved in the process.
“The IEC, considering the aforementioned reasons and its given authorities based on Article 156 of the constitution and Article 49 of the Electoral Law, has decided that Hamid Karzi, the leading presidential candidate of the first round of elections and the only candidate for the run off, is to be declared as the elected President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the United States welcomed the decision by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to conclude Afghanistans electoral process by foregoing a second round of balloting.  “We appreciate that the IEC has taken this decision according to its mandate under Afghan law,” the US embassy in Kabul said in a statement.
“Throughout, the United States has been committed to supporting the Afghan people and the institutions of their government in carrying out a constitutional electoral process,” the statement added.
The statement congratulated President Karzai on his victory in this historic election, saying the US was looking forward to working with him, his new administration, the Afghan people and their partners in the international community to support Afghanistan’s progress towards the institutional reforms, security and prosperity. “We also congratulate Dr. Abdullah and all the other candidates for their efforts to strengthen Afghanistans democratic future.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown were the first world leaders to congratulate Karzai on his re-election.
“I welcome today’s decision by Afghanistan’s IEC to forgo a runoff vote and to declare Hamid Karzai as the winner of the 2009 presidential elections,” said Ban, who met the incumbent earlier Monday after arriving in Kabul on a surprise visit.
Brown called Karzai to congratulate him and to reaffirm his country’s commitment to assisting Afghanistan, Karzai’s office said in a statement.
Massive fraud, mostly in favour of Karzai, and Abdullah marred the first round of the voting on August 20.
Karzai gathered more than 54 percent of the ballots in the August election, a percentage that made him an outright winner, but a UN-backed investigation discounted about one million, or a third, of his ballots and pushed him into a runoff with Abdullah, his nearest rival.
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A dozen Taliban eliminated in Waziristan
Pakhtun Shinwari – Nov 2, 2009 – 19:10
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Pakistani security forces said they had killed a dozen Taliban in the ongoing operation against them in South Waziristan on Monday.
A press release from the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) of the Pakistani armed forces here said they had destroyed the command and control system of Taliban in Waziristan.
The release said key Taliban hideouts and areas had been seized in today’s operation. He said those areas also included the town of Kanigoram, which is the stronghold of Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.
The release said the operation would continue till the troops purge the area of militants.
A political administration official in Waziristan Azizur Rahman told Pajhwok Afghan News the army had conduced operation against Taliban in Ladha, Nawazkot and Makeen areas.
He said jet fighters and helicopters also took part in today’s operation along with heavy artillery and ground troops. He said only one Pakistan army soldier was injured in the operation.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=84150
Armed group joins government in Badghis
Sulaiman Hashmi & Ahmad Qureshi – Nov 2, 2009 – 19:24
KABUL/HERAT CITY (PAN): A seven-member armed group has joined the government in northwestern Badghis province while eight armed men were arrested on the Herat-Dilaram Highway in neighboring Herat province, officials said on Monday.
A statement from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the group headed by Mohammad Nabi surrendered seven Kalashnikovs, one RPG and five motorcycles to the government. Without mentioning the exact place where the joining took place, the statement added the group agreed to take part in the reconstruction of the country and would shun violence.
The development came a day Taliban militants claimed 30 police including three senior officials had joined them, a claim denied by security officials in Badghis.
In western Herat, police arrested eight illegal armed men in Shindand district late Sunday afternoon.
A spokesman for police in the west zone, Colonel Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, said 11 Kalashnikovs and a motor car were recovered from their possession.
He also said an anti-government commander along with two of his aides joined the government.
Also in Herat, police rescued a young boy two weeks after his abduction from from Ghor Darwar area.
Herat police chief Brigadier General Esmatullah Alizai said Abdul Karim was recovered today in jurisdiction of the 5th police district. He said the boy was found with his hands and feet tied.
Two suspects with two Kalashnikovs and a vehicle were arrested for kidnapping the boy for ransom amount, the police chief said.
ss/ma

KABUL (PAN): As was widely anticipated, President Hamid Karzai and his principal political rival Dr. Abdullah Abdullah are said to have finally sealed a power-sharing deal on forming a coalition government — a move that negates pre- and post-election postures of the two leaders.
A member of the Karzai-led cabinet, familiar with the complex and tense negotiations, confided to Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday the agreement was reached at a meeting convened to end an election gridlock that has fuelled worries about the country’s political future.
At the fragile talks, attended by Wolesi Jirga members, jihadi leaders, cabinet ministers and Karzai’s campaign managers, the president reportedly stuck to his guns and vowed to resist — tooth and nail — what he called foreign pressures over the formation of a government of national unity.
But the minister, requesting not to be named, revealed the jihadi leaders eventually prevailed upon the president to enter a coalition agreement with his erstwhile foreign minister and accept the UN-backed electoral watchdog’s decisions that were formally unveiled yesterday.
“Now that an accord has been reached in principle, the polls won’t go to the second round and Dr. Abdullah will accept Karzai as president,” the source divulged, claiming the runner-up had indicated his willingness to respect the decision of the meeting that came hard on the heels of a new round of talks between Karzai and an influential US lawmaker.
Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry held talks with the president and Dr. Abdullah this morning. A US Embassy official, confirming the meeting, said the two sides discussed a power-sharing arrangement to avert a looming crisis. He refused to into the details of the so-called arrangement.
On Monday, Karzai’s camp slammed the UN-backed panel’s decisions on alleged vote fraud as ‘complex,’ rejecting the findings as illegal. But former foreign minister Dr. Abdullah hailed the inquiry outcome as a positive move.
Waheed Omar, spokesman for the Karzai campaign, said the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) should have communicated the outcome of its investigations to the Independent Election Commission (IEC).
Before being unveiled, Omar argued, the ECC decisions should have gone to the IEC for certification and adjustment of candidates’ vote tallies. The findings should have been released after being implemented, he believed.
In response to a query, the official claimed the ECC had come under pressure in announcing its findings in a secret and ambiguous manner. “The report is ambivalent. And we think it has been issued under duress.”
Over the last fortnight, he pointed out Karzai had been under mounting pressure from different quarters to cut a deal with Dr. Abdullah. The pressures led to converting the election results into a tradeoff, he alleged. “How can a candidate negotiate government formation with other contenders before he is formally declared an outright winner?” Omar asked.  
On the other hand, the Dr. Abdullah camp welcomed the report and said it was aware of the conclusion two days before its release. “While appreciating the ECC decisions, we expect President Karzai to respect them,” observed a spokesman for Abdullah.
Syed Hussein Aqa Faazal Sancharaki, insisting the election had gone into the runoff stage, revealed that Karzai’s vote share had come down to 48 percent from 54.6 percent, as announced initially announced by the IEC.
After an agonosingly long wait of nearly two months, the ECC finalised on Monday its decisions with respect to polling and counting for the presidential elections. It officially communicated the outcome of its investigations to the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which will adjust candidates vote totals in accordance with the findings before it unveils the final results.
The panel said it issued three separate decisions with respect to certification of the presidential election results. One, the ECC has ordered the IEC to invalidate 210 polling stations around the country where it found clear and convincing evidence of fraud.
Two, As a result of the audit and recount process, the ECC has directed the IEC to invalidate a certain percentage of each candidate’s votes in six separate categories. Each category corresponds to criteria set forth in the ECC order of September 8, 2009, which required an investigation of polling stations that were highly suspicious of fraud.
Three, the ECC decided that 18 polling stations quarantined by the IEC might be included in the results because it found no clear evidence of fraud. The ECC agreed that the other polling stations quarantined by the IEC were properly excluded from the election results.
Kabul-based diplomats say international powers including the US, France, Britain and the United Nations had been pressing the key candidates over the last few days to work out an arrangement so as to obviate the need for a second round of elections.
In the midst of reviewing its new strategy for Afghanistan, the Obama administration is yet to take a decision on surging US troop levels in the war-hit country due to the prevailing uncertainty.
The White House chief of staff stressed on Sunday the poll outcome must be legitimate to produce a credible government. “There are basically two roads there, or two basic processes. One is a runoff election between the two top candidates, or negotiations between those candidates. But the end result must be a legitimate and credible government to the Afghan people.”
John Emanuel told the CNN in an interview: “That’s what is important. It’s the Afghans making a decision about what type of government they are going to have and what road they’re going to take to that point.”
Translated & edited by S. Mudassir Ali Shah
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Runoff set for Nov. 7; coalition ruled out
S. Mudassir Ali Shah – Oct 20, 2009 – 12:44
KABUL (PAN): In a widely-anticipated move, President Hamid Karzai Tuesday announced the fraud-tainted presidential elections had gone to the run-off stage. The second round of polls between him and runner-up Dr. Abdullah Abdullah will take place on November 7.
Flanked by US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry, American Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, UNAMA chief Kai Eide as well as French and British envoys, Karzai made the announcement at a well-crowded news conference in Kabul after intense negotiations with major international players.
Based on the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) decisions, the Afghan poll panel had scheduled a runoff for the 7th of the next month, added Karzai, who welcomed the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announcement as “consistent with the Afghan Constitution and national interest.”
Regretting that the historic first round of Aug 20 had been disputed and Afghans’ mandate defamed, he profusely praised the spirit of the masses in flocking to polling stations in defiance of threats of suicide bombings and rocket assaults and demonstrating national unity in the process.
Hailing the ruling of the IEC, appointed by his administration, the president said: “We believe this decision is legitimate, legal and constitutional and that it strengthens the march toward democracy in Afghanistan” — an impoverished country devastated by decades of conflict.
“I hope the international community and the Afghan government and all others concerned will take every possible measure to provide security to the people so that when they vote, the vote is not called a fraud,” observed Karzai, apparently unhappy with the ECC findings.
In response to a query, he once again ruled out the establishment of a coalition government. Since no candidate had won an outright majority, he argued, such a set-up would lack legitimacy. He opined it was for the people to choose their leader in the next round.
All praise for the president’s statesmanship and political acumen, Senator Kerry also said there had been no discussion on a coalition government during his meetings with Karzai and Dr. Abdullah. However, he explained, the two antagonists had agreed to hold talks on determining the country’s future after the end to election stalemate.
Asked about guarantees that the runoff would not be rigged, the visiting senator replied he and Kabul-based diplomats from several countries had held long discussions with IEC and ECC representatives to learn lessons from the troubled August 20 ballot and ensure the round was a success.
“It’s going to be a historic period that we all are waiting to go through. We believe with this decision by the president today a time of enormous uncertainty has been transformed into great opportunity,” noted the powerful American legislator.
Kerry, who has repeatedly opposed a surge in US troop levels in Afghanistan in recent weeks, assured the international community stood firmly behind the Karzai administration in organising the re-election. He acknowledged the road ahead was strewn with difficulties, but it would define the importance of decisions taken today.
Speaking on behalf of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and US Special Representative Richard Holbrooke, he reiterated Washington’s commitment to helping the Afghan government in building its capacity and pursuing wide-ranging reforms to better serve its citizens.
The agreement on a second round had transformed the crisis into a “moment of great opportunity,” he thought, acclaiming the president’s openness to finding ways of resolving differences. “The international community is 100 percent committed to helping to carry out this election.”
In his brief remarks on the occasion, Eide spotlighted the role of UN agencies in assisting Kabul. He lauded the ECC for lending a helping hand to Afghan authorities in organising the presidential elections. He was of the view the key institutions functioned in “a young democracy.”
Before the question-answer session, Karzai took pride in bagging votes in all parts of the country, particularly in the Tajik-dominated north. He thanked voters for reposing confidence in him. He also greeted his closest challenger Dr. Abdullah for winning ballots in Kandahar (the president’s native province) and Dr. Ramazan Bashardost for doing well in Paktia and elsewhere in Pakhtun-inhabited areas.
Karzai called upon Afghans to come out in droves and elect their leader in the two-horse contest, slated for next month, to make it decisive. The president hoped for a higher turnout in the runoff, expecting 10 million Afghans would exercise their franchise on Nov 7, as against the six million who voted on August 20.
As many as 1.3 million votes were voided as a result of the ECC investigation into allegations of irregularities, he pointed out, promising they would probe the disrespect shown to voters. But right now, he explained, the time was not ripe for such a step because they had agreed to move towards solidarity and unity.
“I’m grateful to the global fraternity for assisting Afghanistan in conducting the ballot and hope it will honour its pledges to help us administer the next round,” he remarked while lauding untiring efforts by Senator Kerry and top UN diplomat Kai Eide to end the stalemate.
He was optimistic the next president would set store by nurturing robust relations with the US, the EU and neighbouring countries including Pakistan and Iran. The president predicted the future of the Afghan nation was bright.
PAN Monitor/mud
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Seven dead in back-to-back Islamabad blasts
Pajhwok Report – Oct 20, 2009 – 20:53
ISLAMABAD (PAN): At least five people have been killed and 18 others wounded in twin explosions that tore through the Islamic University in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad on Tuesday.
A police officer in Islamabad, Kaleemullah, told journalists the back-to-back blasts were carried out by suicide attackers. One bomber blew himself up inside the Sharia Faculty and the other in a cafeteria for females.
Dr Khwaja, a doctor at nearby hospital, said they had so far received three dead bodies and 18 injured people — some of them in a critical condition.
Although there was no immediate assertion of responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, analysts warned Taliban and al-Qaeda militants were likely to step up bomb attacks in reaction to an ongoing offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region.
On Saturday, the Pakistan Army launched a massive ground operation against Taliban militants in South Waziristan. On Tuesday, as part of the sweep, 20 Taliban were killed and 25 others injured in Makeen, Sherwangi and Narai areas of South Waziristan.
Mir Mohammad, a government official based in Wana, told Pajhwok Afghan News a roadside bomb struck an Army vehicle before noon in the Makeen locality, killing seven soldiers.
ss/mud
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Fresh violence claims 10 lives
Zainullah Stanakzai & Hakeem Basharat – Oct 20, 2009 – 19:39
LASHKARGAH (PAN): Four people were killed in two separate incidents in volatile southern Helmand province while six Taliban insurgents perished in central Maidan Wardak Province, officials said on Tuesday.
Helmand Governor spokesman, Mohammad Daud Ahmadi, told Pajhwok Afghan News two civilians were killed yesterday when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in Kach area of Greshk district. He accused the militants of planting roadside bombs to blow up government vehicles.
Separately, two bodies were found in the same the district, an eyewitness, Abdul Qadar said. Ahmadi said the corpses were yet to be recognised. The official added two workers of Ibn-i-Sena Hospital in Lashkargah had disappeared earlier on.
Hospital Director Dr. Toryalay Sahak said a driver and a guard had mysteriously been missing for two days. They disappeared on their way from Helmand to Kandahar province. He continued Taliban had told them the abductees had been freed, but they were yet to be traced.
At least six insurgents were killed and three others arrested during a joint Afghan-Coalition forces operation in Chak district of central Maidan Wardak province. A gubernatorial spokesman said the Taliban were killed while meeting in a house in Ter Mohammad area.
Shahidullah Shahid said some weapons were also recovered from their possession. Neither the joint force nor civilians suffered casualties during the operation, he explained.
Also on Tuesday, Taliban attacked guards of a private security firm, escorting logistic supplying vehicles in Salar area of the troubled Syedabad district. Shahid said one vehicle of the firm was destroyed in the attack.
myn/ss/mud
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Body dealing with banking disputes opens
Zainab Mohammadi – Oct 20, 2009 – 19:57
KABUL (PAN): The Financial Conflict Resolution Commission (FCRC), a body dealing with banking and communications disputes, was inaugurated here on Tuesday.
Abdullah Durrani, head of FCRC, told the inaugural ceremony the commission had been established in accordance with a law of De Afghanistan Bank.
Abdul Qadir Fitrat, head of Afghanistan’s central bank, said the FCRC had been set up to resolve cases before being referred to court.  He added the disposal of such cases in courts took a long time due to the pendency factor.
He assured the FCRC would tackle such problems in shorter period of time and in professionally sound manner. According to Fitrat, FCRC will handle cases of Central Bank, trade banks, money changers, Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology
He explained the six-member commission was an independent Agency of De Afghanistan Bank and the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology.
mnm/mud
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Kidnapped health workers freed
Zainullah Stanikzai – Oct 20, 2009 – 20:03
LASHKARGAH (PAN): Two kidnapped workers of the non-governmental organisation Ibn-i-Sena were freed by their captors on Tuesday. The two were abducted while traveling on the Helmand-Kandahar Highway two days ago.
Head of the health organisation in Lashkargah, capital of Helmand, Toryalay Sahak, told Pajhwok Afghan News the abducted employees were a driver and a security guard.
He said the NGO had completed its project in Lashkargah and the workers were carrying office equipment in a 303 bus to Kandahar. The vehicle was intercepted by unidentified gunmen, who seized the workers.
He said they had no information about the kidnapped men until this morning. However, he was later informed about their release and told that the two had safely reached their regional office in Kandahar.
Quoting the workers, Sahak said they were blindfolded by the kidnappers and locked in an isolated room. The kidnappers asked them certain questions. They were freed after being found innocent.
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International disaster reduction day marked
Zarghona Salehi – Oct 20, 2009 – 20:09
KABUL (PAN): The second vice-president has called upon government entities and non-governmental organisations to work in closer coordination to grapple with natural disasters in Afghanistan.
Besides Mohammad Karim Khalili, representatives from Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) and governmental and donor agencies took part in the ceremony in Kabul on Tuesday.
Khalili said Afghanistan had been suffering from natural and man-made disasters for quite a long time. He added efforts to cope with the problem had long been disorganised and, therefore, needed to be coherent and coordinated.
ANDMA Director Abdul Mateen Idraak told the gathering that floods, avalanches and landslides in different provinces had wounded 200 people and destroyed 10,000 houses, 89,000 acres of agricultural land and killed 6,000 animals this year.
But he explained public awareness about natural disasters, swift relief activities in affected areas and in-time warnings had helped reduce the scale of harm in 2009, compared to the previous year.
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One militant injured, another detained
Farid Tanha – Oct 20, 2009 – 20:11
CHARIKAR (PAN): One militant was injured and another detained during an overnight police operation in Bagram district of central Parwan province, officials said on Tuesday.
District chief, Kabeer Ahmad Raheen, told Pajhwok Afghan News the injured militant named Majawer and detainee Haidar were residents of the province.
They were going with a six-member group to Shokhi area of Kapisa to carry out disruptive activities but police ambushed them. He added security personnel were trying to arrest the insurgents still at large.
A resident of the area expressed pleasure over the police operation, saying the militants harmed innocent civilians in the area and tried to disrupt the security situation.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83433
Kandahar elders pledge support to Karzai in second round polls
Bashir Ahmad Naadem – Oct 20, 2009 – 12:46
KANDAHAR (PAN):  Tribal elders of southern Kandahar province have said they will stout support the incumbent president, Hamid Karzai, in the run-off poll and respect the decision of Independent Election Commission (IEC).
At a gathering, attended by 200 tribal elders, the international community came in for flak for disrespecting the mandate of Afghans, who braved security threats to exercise their franchise in the Aug 20 presidential elections.
A participant, Haji Toran Nek Mohammad, said Kandahar residents would back Hamid Karzai’s decision on the election results. He added they would respect any decision made by the IEC on the second round election.
Another participant, Haji Saifullah, hoped that President Karzai would win even the runoff, as many people who did not vote in the first election would cast their ballots in his favour this time around.
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IEC voices reservations about findings of UN-backed panel
Pajhwok Report – Oct 20, 2009 – 12:46
KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) Tuesday announced a presidential runoff election would be held on November 7, saying no contender had won an outright majority in the rigging-marred August 20 vote.
“After receiving calculating the results, the IEC has determined that President Hamed Karzai has received 49.67 percent of the total valid votes and is recognized as the leading candidate,” the poll panel said.
However, none of the candidates received more than 50 percent of the valid votes as required by the Constitution and the Electoral Law of Afghanistan, the commission said a day after receiving the long-awaited findings of an ECC investigation into charges of fraud.
Voicing reservations about the ECC decisions regarding the time constraints, the arrival of winter and problems facing the country, announces, it said the second round would be held on November 7 in accordance with constitutional requirements.
The results of the first round of the presidential election and further details will be announced at a press conference on October 21.
Soon after the president accepted the runoff, the UN chief welcomed the statement from Hamid Karzai. “He (Karzai) has made it clear that the constitutional process must be fully respected,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
He added: “This process is about the future of Afghanistan and the participation of the Afghan people in their future I commend President Karzai for the leadership he has displayed and for his commitment to ensuring full respect for Afghanistan’s Constitution and its democratic processes.”
He also praised Karzai’s key challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah for his dignified approach to the campaign as well as to the difficult post-election period. “These elections were held under extremely difficult, even dangerous circumstances,” Ban said in a statement.
The UN chief stressed courage and patience demonstrated by the Afghan people and their leaders must be recognised and applauded. They had voted in the face of intimidation and insecurity, he acknowledged.
In a statement released by UNAMA, Ban promised the United Nations would do its utmost for the conduct of the second round of elections in a free, fair, transparent and secure environment.
US President Barack Obama also hailed Karzai’s agreement to hold a runoff voting in as an important precedent for Afghan democracy. “I welcome President Karzai’s statement today accepting the IEC certification of the August 20 election results, and agreeing to participate in a second round of the election.
“This is an important step forward in ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will,” Obama said in a statement.
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Two policemen sentenced to death
Zainullah Stanikzai – Oct 20, 2009 – 20:57
LASHKARGAH (PAN): A military court in this capital of the southern Helmand province sentenced two policemen to death after found guilty of murder on Tuesday.
The trial was held at the police headquarters in Lashkargah in presence of General Muhammad Yousaf Sapi, head of the southern military court, head of military court in Helmand Muhammad Anwar Khan, provincial police chief Colonel Asadullah Sherzad, security officials and families of the convicts.
General Muhammad Yousaf Sapi observed that a former policeman Dad Muhammad, son of Abdul Nabi, opened fire on a driver in Lashkargah a year ago and killed him.
He said Dad Muhammad was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, but the high court suggested more serious punishment as the convict had intentionally killed a man.
General Yousaf said another convict Janan, who is resident of Deh Rahod district of Urozgan province, opened fire at his colleague and killed him five months ago in Garamsaer district of Helmand. He said both Dad Muhammad and Janan had confessed their crime during investigations.
General Yousaf added: “keeping in view the eyewitnesses account, evidence and the confession of the accused, both of them committed intentional murders they should be awarded death sentence under article 396.”
Muhammad Anwar Khan, head of military court in Helmand, said both the convict could file an appeal in two more courts against the verdict. It merits a mention here that there was no judicial attorney during the court hearing.
Ahmad Shah Pasoon, a writer and expert, said the absence of judicial attorney in the court bring the verdict of court under question. He said the accused should be given full opportunity to defend themselves.
However, residents of Lashkargah appreciated the court decision. Mujtaba, a city dweller, said police crimes had increased in the city recently. He said: “Such verdicts will have positive consequences on the security.”
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ANB introduces Islamic banking
Sher Ahmed Haider – Oct 20, 2009 – 21:11
KABUL (PAN): Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal Tuesday inaugurated the Islamic banking system in the government-owned Afghan National Bank (ANB).
ANB Director Khan Afzal Hadawal told the ceremony banking was an important sector of the national economy. “We want to provide reliable services to our people, keeping in view their demands.”
Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Hadawal said 99 per cent of Afghans were Muslims and that was why they introduced the Islamic banking system.
He said the Afghan National Bank was 77 years old but still lagged behind private banks. He believed the bank would progress if handed over to the private sector.
He added they would introduce a computerised system in the bank once it was given to the private sector.
Finance Minister Zakhilwal told the gathering the international banking system was based on interest. He claimed the interest-based system caused heavy losses to several banks last year.
He slammed interest-based banking as the weakest system and even the West was trying to introduce Islamic banking. He said banks in Islamic countries alone survived last year’s crisis.
First deputy of Wolesi Jirga Mirwais Yasini also addressed the gathering. He underlined the need for promoting Islamic banking. Service quality and transparency were the most important factors in this regard, he argued.
In this connection, he cited the example of Malaysia which has an Islamic banking system.
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Key road opened; 10 fighters killed
Ahmad Omeed Khpalwak – Oct 20, 2009 – 21:12
TIRINKOT (PAN): The Tirinkot-Kandahar road, closed by Taliban fighters near the Shah Walikot district of southern Kandahar province, was opened as a result of an operation by security forces on Tuesday.
Police officer Haji Wali Jan told Pajhwok Afghan News 250 policemen were sent to the area a day earlier to support local cops and they opened the route after a joint operation.
He added 11 Taliban were killed in the operation that was launched Tuesday morning and concluded in the afternoon. He claimed fleeing Taliban left behind several weapons and ammunition in the area.
Wali said the militants had planted 22 landmines in the area. Eleven of them were safely detonated while the rest were defused by police.
“We don’t have professional bomb disposal squads and this is why one mine went off injuring a local driver,” said the police officer. He said the road had been opened for traffic.
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Key powers pledge to support runoff
Pajhwok Report – Oct 21, 2009 – 19:09
KABUL (PAN): Key international powers have welcomed President Hamid Karzai’s decision to accept a runoff in the fraud-tainted August 20 presidential elections, assuring full support to ensure a rigging-free second round.
A day after the runoff was set for November 7, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that his government acknowledged the final results released by the Independent Election Commission (IEC). 
“We are pleased that both candidates recognised the need for a run-off election in the best interests of Afghan democracy.  Canada has consistently stated that all parties must respect the Afghan electoral process and the Afghan constitution,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Harper stressed it was important to remember how far Afghanistan had come since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Canada’s goal in Afghanistan was to help Afghans rebuild their country as a stable, democratic and self-sufficient society, he explained. 
“Canada continues to lend our support as Afghans proceed into the second round of elections. This is an important step in the countrys ongoing transition to democracy.  It is particularly important that these elections are an Afghan-led process,” the prime minister observed.
The United States also welcomed the announcement of certified results. “We congratulate all candidates in this historic race, and applaud the vigorous campaigns run by President Karzai and Dr. Abdullah, garnering support across the country and ethnic lines.”
As neither of the top two received more than fifty percent of the vote, the US Embassy in Kabul said, the Constitution required the holding of a run-off. It hailed President Karzai’s statesmanlike acceptance of the result and his agreement to a second round of voting.
“The US commends the IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) for fulfilling their mandates, working in coordination with one another to ensure that the electoral and adjudication processes were carried out under Afghanistans Electoral Law and according to international standards,” the embassy said.
It added the international community including the US had begun working with Afghan authorities to enable a second round of voting in coming weeks, fully recognising the security challenges involved in the process.
“The United States and our international partners, including the NATO International Security Assistance Forces and the United Nations, stand ready to support the Afghan people, the Afghan National Security Forces and electoral authorities as they carry out this next round of voting.”
Soon after the president accepted the runoff, the UN chief also complimented the statement from Karzai. “He (Karzai) has made it clear that the constitutional process must be fully respected,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
“This process is about the future of Afghanistan and the participation of the Afghan people in their future I commend President Karzai for the leadership he has displayed and for his commitment to ensuring full respect for Afghanistan’s Constitution and its democratic processes.”
He also praised Karzai’s key challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah for his dignified approach to the campaign as well as to the difficult post-election period. “These elections were held under extremely difficult, even dangerous circumstances,” Ban said in a statement.
The UN chief stressed courage and patience demonstrated by the Afghan people and their leaders must be recognised and applauded. They had voted in the face of intimidation and insecurity, he acknowledged.
In a statement released by UNAMA, Ban promised the United Nations would do its utmost for the conduct of the second round of elections in a free, fair, transparent and secure environment.
US President Barack Obama also hailed Karzai’s agreement to hold a runoff voting in as an important precedent for Afghan democracy. “I welcome President Karzai’s statement today accepting the IEC certification of the August 20 election results, and agreeing to participate in a second round of the election.
“This is an important step forward in ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will,” Obama said in a statement.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83444
UNSC condemns terrorist attacks in Iran
Pajhwok Report – Oct 21, 2009 – 14:50
KABUL (PAN): The United Nations Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack that occurred in Iran’s border city of Pishin on October 18, causing at least 57 deaths and 150 injuries.
While expressing their condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the people and the government of Iran, Security Council members underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of the reprehensible act of terrorism to justice.
In a statement, the powerful UN body urged all countries, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Iranian authorities in this regard.
“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.”
It reminded member countries to ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism complied with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.
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Abdullah seen as gaining ground in presidential runoff
Lalit K Jha – Oct 21, 2009 – 19:13
WASHINGTON (PAN): By agreeing to a run-off, President Hamid Karzai may have won accolades from US President Barack Obama and other top leaders, but the incumbent could well be headed towards a defeat in the November 7 run-off, predicts a leading analyst.
“In Afghanistan’s November 7 run-off election President Hamid Karzai is to lose,” said Michael Kugelman, Asia Programme Associate at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Center, in a statement the day Obama made a rare telephone call to Karzai to thank him for agreeing to the second round.
However, US-based think tanks believe even though the Obama administration does not favor either Karzai or his rival Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the latter now has a much greater chance of winning the election.
“Despite his comfortable margin over rival Abdullah, a variety of factors could make this election worrisome for the Afghan president. One big issue will be logistical: the months of advance planning that went into the first round of elections will need to be repeated over just a few weeks,” Kugelman argued.
“With less time to put security measures in place, more people may stay away,” he said, adding: “Karzai is also by no means ensured all the votes he got the first time; some of his supporters may disagree with his decision to submit to international pressure and abstain.”
Another major question is whether the non-Pashtun warlords will still support him, according to the observer. “Karzai reached out to them in August for Tajik and Uzbek votes, compensating for expected losses in violent, low-turnout Pashtun areas,” he noted.
 ”The same fears from the August elections — fraud, violence, low turnout — will be present this time, only given the lack of preparation time, they now will be magnified,” Kugelman warned.
“This is a test of President Karzai. It’s a test he must pass in order for us to get this right,” Senator Tom Casey told MSNBC in an interview.  It was time for Karzai to show leadership, to respect the process, to insist that this election was as free from fraud as humanly possible, he said.
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Women among six killed in Wardak
Hakim Basharat – Oct 21, 2009 – 14:22
KABUL (PAN): Four Taliban insurgents and two women were killed in a joint operation by Afghan and US-led coalition forces in central Maidan Wardak province late Tuesday night, an official said on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the governor, Shahidullah Shahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News the operation was conducted in Tar Mohammad Kali in Chak district, where four fighters and two women were killed inside a house.
The women died inside a house where the militants were hiding, according to Shahid, who claimed another three suspects were also detained. However, a resident of the area, who declined to be named, alleged the women and three men killed in the operation were civilians. He claimed the detainees were also ordinary residents.
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NATO quits Kamdesh outpost; US soldier killed
Pajhwok Report – Oct 21, 2009 – 14:35
KABUL (PAN): As part of a continued to realignment of forces, NATO troops have vacated a remote combat outpost in the restive eastern province of Kunar, where eight American servicemen were killed in an audacious Taliban attack in early October.
In a move to better secure and stabilise population centers, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Wednesday it closed the Lowell outpost in the far-flung Kamdesh district on October 20.
“Prior to the closure, international forces recently met with local leaders to explain the decision and discuss the handover of facilities to local authorities. The facilities were left intact for use by the local community,” the 42-nation force added.
Despite the troop relocation, ISAF assured, Coalition forces and the Afghan government would continue to seek opportunities to cooperate with and provide assistance to Kamdesh residents.
According to the operational update, a US service-member was killed in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan yesterday. However, the multinational force gave no detail of the roadside bombing.
In southern Kandahar province, a joint Afghan and international security force detained a suspected militant after searching a series of buildings known to be used by a Taliban suicide bomber and improvised explosive device facilitator.
The suspect was believed to be responsible for numerous attacks and ambushes in the region and was believed to be a shadow governor for the Taliban’s illegitimate government, the statement claimed.
The joint force searched the buildings near Mandozai village in Panjwayee district after intelligence reports indicated militant activity. The search was conducted without incident. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.
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Aid distributed to Pakistani refugees
PAN Monitor – Oct 21, 2009 – 14:36
KABUL (PAN): Afghan and NATO forces collected and distributed humanitarian aid in eastern Kunar province to refugees displaced by the outbreak of violence after a Pakistani military offensive against insurgents in the tribal region.
More than 4,000 bags of flour, 2,500 bags of rice and dozens of bundles and boxes containing tea, sugar, salt, cooking oil and other food items were sent to the northeast Afghanistan to help refugees in the area.
Additionally, a statement from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Wednesday, more than 100 tents would provide shelter for refugees in an area experiencing seasonally inclement weather.
The joint humanitarian assistance operation is an ongoing response to the increasing number of displaced persons in the Afghan-Pakistan border region. “More than 100 families have already crossed the border into Kunar in recent days. ISAF estimates that up to 3,000 families may follow in the coming weeks.”
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Passengers concerned at highway insecurity
Pajhwok Report – Oct 21, 2009 – 14:37
KABUL (PAN): Passengers and drivers traveling on the busy Kabul-North Highway have expressed concern over control of the route militants, who force vehicles to travel in daytime alone. The road used to remain open at night only three months ago.
Taliban insurgents control the highway at night and search travelers to check whether government employees were among them. Passengers say they were afraid of thieves in the past, but are now scared of militants.
Driver Wazir Mohammad claimed few people were willing to travel on the route at night, fearing Taliban attacks. Those looting vehicles in broad daylight posed as Taliban at night, he claimed.
General Mohammad Kabir Andrabi, police chief of Baghlan province, admitted the presence of anti-government elements on the northern route, but said they established more police checkpoints recently to secure the highway.
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Eastern zone governors to form Peace Jirga
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Oct 21, 2009 – 14:40
JALALABAD (PAN): Governors of the four eastern provinces have decided to establish a Peace and Development Jirga. The decision came at a meeting held in Jalalabad, capital of the eastern Nangarhar province.
Governors of Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan and Nangarhar attended the meeting. Addressing a joint news conference, Nangarhar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai said they had arranged two such jirgas in the past.
He said another jirga would be held next Thursday.  About the tasks of the jirga, Sherzai said: “It will not only work for peace and reconciliation, it will also work to eradicate poverty and implement development projects.”
Sherzai added the aim was to bring peace to the area. About the authority of the jirga, he said: “The decision will be taken in light of suggestions from tribal elders.”
Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi, governor of Kunar, said tribal elders, academics and culturists from the eastern zone would also attend the upcoming gathering.
About the power of the jirga, he said: “Im sure the government and the international forces will accept the decision of tribes.”
Laghman Governor Lutfullah Mashal said the jirga would work for peace and development and there was a need for such gatherings in the eastern zone to strengthen the peace process headed by Sibghatullah Mujadidi, chairman of the Upper House of Parliament.
He added: “Even though Taliban also use civilians as human shield, the jirga was the only forum to prevent foreign forces from the bombardment of population centres.”
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Afghans arrested; three dead in drone hit
PAN Monitor – Oct 21, 2009 – 15:46
KABUL (PAN): Pakistani security personnel have detained five important members of the Swat Taliban shura during a raid in the northwestern garrison city of Kohat, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday.
Members of Taliban shura, belonging to Matta, were arrested from the Railway Colony, according to Geo News, which said the detainees were transferred to an undisclosed location for investigations.
In Peshawar, capital of the North-West Frontier Province, police arrested 41 Afghan refugees on the charge of living illegally in Pakistan. A senior police officer said the arrests were part of a crackdown on illegal Afghan migrants.
Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Karim Khan was quoted as saying that the 41 Afghans included 21 drug peddlers and four runaways. He claimed Police had recovered 13 pistols, a Klashnikov and six kilos of narcotics from the detainees.
In the Waziristan tribal region, bordering Afghanistan, a suspected US missile attack left three suspected militants dead on Wednesday. A local media report said a pilotless US drone hit the Spalaga village.
A day earlier, government and private educational institutions across Pakistan were closed following an attack on the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), killing six people, including three female students, and wounding 29 others.
Interior Ministry spokesman Rashid Mazari said schools and colleges would be closed until the end of the week so they could boost security.
The Punjab government had decided on Monday to keep educational institutions open, but after reassessing the security situation, ordered closure of all public, private and philanthropic universities, colleges and schools.
In Sindh, all schools and colleges have been closed for four days and universities for one day. The NWFP government announced closure of all educational institutions, including the University of Peshawar. Balochistan Education Minister Shafique Ahmed Khan announced that all educational institutions would be closed from Wednesday and reopen on Monday.
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Drugs, explosives seized
Javed Hamim Kakar – Oct 21, 2009 – 17:06
KABUL (PAN): The Afghan National Army (ANA) has claimed seizing a huge quantity of narcotics during an operation in the southern zone of the country.
A statement from the Ministry of Defence here on Wednesday said the counter-narcotics forces seized the drugs in Helmand province and elsewhere in the south.
The statement said international troops also took part in the operation. It said 50 kilograms of opium, 10 kilograms of heroin and 500 kilograms of poppies were seized during the operation in Nawa district of Helmand.
Officials said the seized items were set on fire in the same area. Separately, the Defence Ministry said a large number of landmines were recovered in Garmser and Nawa districts. It said two soldiers were injured while trying to defuse a landmine in Nawa.
The Interior Ministry, on the other hand, said police had recovered explosives and arrested suspects during separate operations in the country.
Explosives, four landmines and three hand-grenades were seized during the operations conducted in different areas of Helmand, Kabul, Kunduz, Kandahar, Nangarhar and Khost provinces.
The ministry also informed about the arrest of seven suspects in Logar and another two in Parwan and Faryab province along with arms and ammunition.
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12 perish in Badakhshan traffic accidents
Jafar Tayar – Oct 21, 2009 – 17:17
FAIZABAD (PAN): At least 12 people were killed and 31 others injured in two separate traffic accidents in northeastern Badakhshan province, officials said on Wednesday.
Traffic police chief Maj. Haleem told Pajhwok Afghan News a predawn road tragedy happened when a lorry overturned on the Takhar-Badakhshan Highway, leaving nine people dead and 13 more injured.
Carrying some families, the lorry was en rout to Takhar province from Baharak district of Badakhshan, he said, adding the dead included women and children. Four women, five children and four men were wounded in the accident.
Blaming the accident on the road’s dilapidated condition, the traffic police chief said the injured were shifted to hospital. However, Faizabad Hospital chief Dr. Najla Zarifi said one injured was in a critical condition. 
The second accident took place on 8am in Kishem district of the remote province, killing three people and injuring 18 others. Abdul Wali Niazi, administrative head of the district, said the casualties happened when a flying coach turned turtle due to reckless driving.
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Rice production set to shoot up
Abdul Moeed Hashmi – Oct 21, 2009 – 17:44
JALALABAD (PAN): Agriculture officials on Wednesday said Nangarhar province would produce 320,000 metric tonnes of rice this year, showing an increase of 70 percent.
Agriculture and Livestock Department head Eng. Muhammad Hussain Sapai told Pajhwok Afghan News the crop was cultivated over around 70 percent of land, which would jack up the production from last year’s 250,000 metric tonnes to 320,000 metric tonnes this year.
He added the rice has mostly been cultivated in Batikot, Kama, Behsud and Surkhrod districts and in some other areas where farmers had better access to water. Over 22 rice varieties were grown across the province, he explained.
Estimated production of one hectare is 12 tonnes, the official said, adding Japanese, Bangladeshi and Kunduz seeds were good in terms of yield.
“Main reasons behind increase in rice produce are observing quality of seeds, use of improved varieties and increased water level in streams this year,” he explained.
“This year’s production will not only meet the needs of Nangarhar dwellers, but will also benefit residents of neighbouring provinces,” he said while replying to a question.
Different types of rice grown in Nangarhar include Behsudi, Longi, Garma, Sarda, Sarkhoshak, Sela, Barmal, Basti and many others, an irrigation department official, Haji Mahsel Khan said.
He said a new ‘seed improving machine’ had recently been installed in Jalalabad, provincial capital, in order to facilitate growers to easily collect crops from their fields.
Rice harvest is underway in the eastern province bordering Pakistan’s lawless tribal region of Khyber Agency.
The farmers would soon start supply of the rice to the market.
Besides increase in rice production, the province also saw a remarkable surge in wheat, fruits and vetch production this year.
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Afghan traders blame Pakistan for losses
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Oct 21, 2009 – 17:56
ISLAMABAD (PAN): The non-availability of transport facilities is causing huge losses to Afghan traders, who are facing problems in shipment of imported goods from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
A trader named Haji Ikhtiar told Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday goods worth thousands of dollars imported under the Afghan Transit Trade were lying in stores due to non-availability of transport.
Nearly 100 boogies full of imported goods were kept at Sibi Railway Station in Balochistan, awaiting transportation to Afghanistan, said the trader, who added they had talked to the Pakistani customs and trader ministry officials but they did not pay any attention.
Haji Sarfaraz, another trader, argued some of the goods lost their freshness with the passage of time. He said some items were also stolen from godowns. “Since we pay the government for keeping our supplies in godowns, the rates of the goods go up.”
Pakistan Railways Operational Manager Saeed Akhtar confirmed the delay in transportation of goods. He said the train carrying the goods had developed some fault.
He assured repairs of the train were underway and the trade items would soon be transported to their destinations.
Economic analyst Ikram Hoti accused the Pakistani government of misbehaving with Afghan traders. He claimed the mistreatment of Afghan businessmen was causing harm to trade between the two countries.
Hoti told Pajhwok Pak-Afghan trade had reached nearly two billion dollars, but the same had now dropped to one billion dollars. He feared the trade would plunge further if problems of Afghan traders were not addressed in an appropriate manner.
But an official at the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Mudassir Hussain, rejected the impression that a decrease in the volume of trader between Afghanistan and Pakistan was because of Islamabad’s policy. He said the security situation along the border was a key factor responsible for the decrease in trader.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83475
FEFA lauds ECC probe into fraud
Pajhwok Report – Oct 21, 2009 – 18:05
KABUL (PAN): An Afghan election watchdog has described the vote recount and adjudication of electoral complaints as an important and effective step towards building public trust in the poll process, completed by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC).
The thorough process of arriving at a more reasonable understanding of the election held on August 20 was done in compliance with the Electoral Law of Afghanistan, under close observation of many observer groups as well as candidate agents, the group said on Wednesday.
Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) believed the process provided a reasonably solid foundation for the restoration of credibility of elections in the war-hit country.
Nader Nadery, FEFA chairman, said: “The audit and the final decision by ECC on nullification of fraud votes and candidates conceding to the decision is an important step forward to build public trust in the future electoral processes in Afghanistan.”
FEFA lauded the transparent process of the recount and encouraged the ECC to ensure the initial steps and announcements served as the basis for identifying other administrative irregularities so that citizens could have confidence that their votes counted.
“FEFA once again commits itself as one of the voices of civil society and the people of Afghanistan to cooperate with all institutions that will ensure that elections are credible, acceptable and expresses the will of the people.”
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83480
Road construction project completed in Ghazni
Sher Ahmad Haidar/Nasim Hotak – Oct 21, 2009 – 18:56
KALAT/GHAZNI CITY (PAN): A one kilometre road between Ghazni City and Bazazi and the river ban has been reconstructed and opened for traffic.
The work on the road was started four months ago. An amount of 482,000 US dollars has been spent on the project. The amount was provided by the US-led provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Ghazni.
Ghazni Governor Dr Muhammad Usman Usmani inaugurated the road. He told Pajhwok Afghan News that reconstruction projects had been accelerated in the province. He said this was the fourth reconstruction project that he opened in the past one week.
Tribal elder and former member of the provincial council Dr. Ghani Bahadari demanded of the government officials to pay attention to reconstruction projects in Ghazni.
Bahadari majority of roads in the city were in dilapidated condition. Those must be either be repaired or reconstructed afresh.
The freshly-inaugurated road is connecting Ghazni City with Bazazai Bazaar. It has a width of 10 metres and footpaths have also been constructed on both sides of the road.
Maroof, a shopkeeper in Bazazai area, expressed happiness over the road reconstruction. He said the shopkeepers and people were fed up with travel on the dusty road. He said this would put an end to long route closurs in winter season which were causing serious problems in the past.
In the same token, a library was opened in the justice department in the city. The library has 1,500 books on different subjects.
Head of the justice department Abdul Razaq Azizi told Pajhwok the library was opened with the assistance of Polish-led PRT. He added that more books would be purchased for the library in the days ahead. An amount of 15,000 US dollars has been spent on the purchase of books for the library.
Separately, work on reconstruction of the boundary wall at the governor’s office in the southern zabul province was launched on Wednesday.
Muhammad Ashraf Nasiri, Governor of the province, told Pajhwok Afghan News the project would be completed in the coming two months.
He said an amount of 100,000 US dollars would be spent on the project. The amount was being provided by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.
He said construction of the boundary wall would secure the governor’s office on one hand and provide employment to dozens of jobless youth on the other.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83481
Abdullah says ready for run-off poll
Frozan Rahmani – Oct 21, 2009 – 18:58
KABUL (PAN): Runner-up Dr Abdullah Abdullah has said he was ready for a second round of voting in Afghanistan’s presidential election, saying he would soon explain his suggestions for preventing fraud in the run-off.
Abdullah, who would challenge the incumbent Hamid Karzai on November 7th, told a press conference that the IEC decision was ‘a step forwards towards progress’.
On Tuesday, IEC announced that the run-off will be held on November 7 as none of the two leading candidates, Hamid Karzai and Abdullah, were able to win an outright majority.
Calling on Afghan officials to organize a ‘free, fair and credible election’ with enough security arrangements, Abdullah said they were fully ready for the second round.
He expressed his hope the November election would take place on time and ‘under good circumstances.’
Abdullah urged measures in order to avoid a repetition of the fraud.
He said casting ballots in the face of Taliban threats was meant risking their lives, but they should be confident that the risk is worthwhile.
Abdullah also lauded Karzai for accepting the IEC the findings election results and said he had talked to him on telephone Tuesday evening.
“I am ready to contest in the run-off,” said Abdullah who noted transparency and maintaining security of the electorates would be key issues in the run-off.
He said he had some suggestions and conditions for the next round which he would explain to the media soon.
In response to a query about Kai Eide’s role in the election, Abdullah said the IEC and Eide’s role was under question at the beginning, but was good in last stages.
He said those who violated election and constitutional laws of Afghanistan during the elections shall face legal consequences.
Without elaborating, he said he would adopt a new campaign policy during the run-off.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83482
600 Afghans arrested in Mardan
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Oct 21, 2009 – 12:24
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Pakistani authorities in North West Frontier Province have arrested hundreds of Afghans including prayer leaders during a series of crackdowns on undocumented refugees, officials said Wednesday.
Deputy Inspector General of Police in Mardan, the second largest city of NWFP, Syed Akhtar Shah, told Pajhwok Afghan News nearly 600 Afghan refugees were detained from different parts of the city since yesterday.
He claimed the detainees had no legal documents to stay in Pakistan and that they were ordered to leave prior to their arrest.
A police officer in Hoti area of the city, Absar Khan, said the arrested Afghans were without passport, visa and refugee cards.
According him, several Afghan clerics were among the detainees.
It is to be mentioned here that Pakistani government had banned Afghan imams from leading prayers at mosques.
The father of an arrested Afghan, Abdul Wakeel, said they had been living in Mardan since last 14 years. He said police arrested his son from their clothes shop in the city.
An official at the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar, Zahir Babari, deplored the arrest of Afghans by Pakistani authorities. He told this scribe the officials of the consulate and Afghan embassy in Islamabad had raised the issue with Pakistani officials.
He hoped the authorities would soon release the detained Afghans.
In recent past, terrorist activities have increased in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad and other major cities. Authorities here have launched crackdowns on suspected elements. Hundreds of Afghans have also been arrested in NWFP, Rawalpindi and Islamabad in this regard.
A few days ago, Afghan foreign ministry summoned Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan and lodged a protest with him against the arrests of Afghan citizens.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83483
Five killed, 14 injured in fresh Afghan violence
Obaid Kharotai, Ehsas & Sarfaraz – Oct 21, 2009 – 11:41
SHARAN (PAN): Three Taliban insurgents have been killed in a fierce gun-battle with security forces in southeastern Paktika province, an official said on Wednesday.
Governor’s spokesman Hamidullah Zhwak told Pajhwok Afghan News the clash took place in Shakeen area of Barmal district on Tuesday.
Some weapons were also recovered from the militants and the security personnel suffered no casualties in the firefight, added the gubernatorial spokesman.
In neighbouring Khost, three children sustained injuries as a roadside bomb struck a police vehicle in Lakano area on the outskirts of provincial capital early Wednesday morning, an official said.
Salam, a resident of the area, who brought the victims to the Khost Civil Hospital, said the police vehicle passed the area when the blast occurred.
One of the children is said to be in a critical condition.
In Faryab province, police clashed with guerrillas late Tuesday night. One cop was killed and two others were wounded in the clash that happened in Qurchi area of Delcharakh district.
Deputy police chief Brig Gen Muhammad Sadiq said the militants attacked a police checkpoint in the area, sparking a fierce gun-battle with police. Five attackers were wounded in the clash, he added.
In northern Kunduz, armed miscreants attacked a police check-post, injuring two policemen, governor Eng. Muhammad Omar informed. He one assailant was killed and two others were arrested in injured condition.
However, Taliban mouthpiece Zabihullah Mujahid claimed over 15 policemen were killed in Wednesday’s assault.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83484
10 uplift schemes completed in Baghlan
Habib Rahman Sherzai – Oct 21, 2009 – 19:06
PUL-I-KHUMRI (PAN): Ten welfare projects have been completed in various districts of northern Baghlan province, an official said on Wednesday.
Rural Rehabilitation and Development Director Ahmad Niro said around 2,000 families in Doshi, Baghlan-i-Markazi and Khost districts would benefit from these ventures. The projects include graveling of a four kilometers of road and construction of five small bridges and 25 wells.
In addition, he added, two social centers having two rooms and a conference hall were also built in Baghlan-i-Markazi district.
He said the projects costing 8.5 million afghanis were completed under National Solidarity Programme (NSP).
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83485
Senior govt officials awarded certificates
Pajhwok Report – Oct 21, 2009 – 19:07
KABUL (PAN): Some 20 high-level government officials were awarded certificates on Wednesday on successful completion of a high-level leadership training and exposure visit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July and August.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP said the training participants included nine deputy ministers, one general director and six commissioners of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC).
A comprehensive high level training and experience sharing programme, the TLCDP is designed specifically for officials to equip them with skills and knowledge required for leading and managing complex public sector institutions.
The programme was designed in a way that the officials will have presentations by experienced and highly qualified international experts in the fields of management and leadership — in particular in an interactive and participatory environment.
In addition to the training sessions, UNDP said, the government officials had visited selected Malaysian public sector institutions and had focused on meetings and discussions with their counterparts in the host country.
According to the UN agency, the programme was implemented in Malaysia to learn from the experience of this South Eastern Asia country how it managed to register unprecedented economic and social development in the last two decades.
The Afghan officials had the opportunity to attend the 25th Tunku Abdul Rahman Lecture Dinner, under the title “Imbued with Integrity, Endowed with Ethics: Foundation for Managing Malaysia through Enlightened, Value-driven Leadership,” a high level policy development conference.
UNDP has been supporting the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC) through Civil Service Leadership Development (CSLD) project since May 2005. The objective of the CSLD project is to enhance the leadership capability of the civil service and support the operational capacity-building of the Afghanistan Civil Service Institute.
So far, over 700 senior civil servants from ministries and agencies have completed different leadership training programmes through this project. About 10 percent of the participants were female civil servants. Close to 40 percent were drawn from provincial offices.
The project has designed and delivered a special women leadership training programme for females holding mid-level managerial positions to equip them with modern management concepts and techniques and help them progress to leadership positions.
The project has drafted a concept document to be used as road map for the future development of training capacity of training capacity building, both at the centre and in the provinces, in line with the framework of the ANDS and the implementation strategy of the public administration reform.
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October 22, 2009
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83494
Talks on coalition govt still going on: Kerry
Lalit K Jha – Oct 22, 2009 – 16:19
WASHINGTON (PAN): Even as the issue has been denied by incumbent Hamid Karzai and his rival Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a key US Senator and a close aide of the US President, today said talks on a coalition government is still continuing between the two Afghan leaders.
It’s my understanding that, even today, there may have been some conversation between the two of them, Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters at the White House after his meeting with US President Barack Obama. He briefed Obama on his recent visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Kerry said he met both Karzai and Dr Abdullah during his stay in Kabul, but refrain from talking to them on this issue as this could have sent a wrong signal. I specifically did not discuss, nor did I even attempt to put on the table the concept of a coalition. That would have been inappropriate, he said.
When asked about his conversation with Karzai, he said the Afghan President asked for assurances, that the US will help work to guarantee that there is not a repetition of what happened in the last election.
I know that Ambassador (Karl) Eikenberry is working even as we speak, today, to bring people together in order to learn the lessons of the last election, to bring the various election commissions together, and to do the best thing possible to try to guarantee that there’s no repeat, he said.
This is a very tough environment in which to hold an election. And there are some serious security risks, which we all understand. Soldiers lost their lives in the last round trying to protect the right of Afghans to vote, he said.
During his meeting with Dr Abdullah, Kerry said they talked about restoring confidence to the government. We talked about the government reforms that he thinks are necessary in order to deliver good governance in Afghanistan. But we didn’t get into the counterinsurgency and military components of it, he said.
Kerry said the run-off is a very significant moment where Afghanistan has an opportunity to be able to reestablish the credibility of its governance and begin to move on a number of challenges that are critical to whatever the United States’ decisions are with respect to troops, Al Qaida or anything else.
I do believe that what I learned in Afghanistan and Pakistan confirmed to me overwhelmingly, without any doubt, that the president has been absolutely correct to take this time in order to allow some of these events to unfold and in order to be able to examine our strategy, he said.
I personally do not believe the strategy is defined merely by numbers of troops. That is the wrong focus, though numbers of troops will be important to a strategy. The strategy is focused on our ability to be able to have the Afghans themselves take control of this future. And the rate at which that can happen is critical, Kerry said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83495
Kerry thanks Karzai for hospitality
Lalit K Jha – Oct 22, 2009 – 11:47
WASHINGTON (PAN): Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Thursday thanked Afghan President Hamid Karzai for his hospitality during his latest stay in Kabul this week and termed him as a great host.
Kerry, who was in Afghanistan for several days trying to resolve the election imbroglio, and was successful in convincing Karzai to agree to the run-off, was all in praise for the Afghan President as he talked to the White House Correspondents following his meeting with the US President, Barack Obama.
I have to tell you, I am grateful to President Karzai for really a remarkable series of meetings and great hospitality. I think we ate lunch or dinner three times together, with large groups, and then we broke into smaller groups, Kerry said.
I spent many hours with him, one-on-one, and then we had other sessions where we had larger groups of people present. There were times when he was prepared to say this isn’t going anywhere, and we had to work to find ways to convince him that we could actually be productive and get additional work done, Kerry told the White House press corps.
And to his credit, you know, didn’t just lock the door and shut his mind and say, “I’ve had enough,” but he engaged in that. He bought into the creative efforts to try to find ways of looking at things. And he was very patient with me and with that process, Kerry said, giving a glimpse of his interaction with Karzai.
Like any leader, he (Karzai) had internal pressures and internal issues of one faction or another that believed one thing or another, not to mention the fact that he believed very deeply, personally, that he had won the first round, he said adding that so there was a powerful need to overcome both those domestic pressures, as well as some of his own personal beliefs.
Kerry recollected the moments wherein he was given a personal tour by Karzai of the palace where the King lived.
I had one of the more interesting personal journeys, if you will, talking with him about Afghan history, about his family, their tribe, his father, their long history in Afghanistan and its politics, the period of Soviet domination, the Taliban, Kerry said.
He took me on a personal tour of the old palace where the king lived. He showed me what the Taliban did to the tapestries. We walked around his personal residence at great length, just talking about the challenges of the country. And it was really, you know, as personal and as intriguing and productive as, I think, this kind of endeavor could be, Kerry said.
And I am grateful to him for the trust that he put in me, at a personal level, to be able to try to have that kind of conversation and relationship. In the end, I think we’re better for that, and I think where our opportunities can be followed up on in a more effective way in the days ahead, Kerry said.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83497
ANA arrests 39 suspects in anti-terror raids
Javed Hamim Kakar – Oct 22, 2009 – 17:30
KABUL (PAN): Thirty-nine suspected militants have been arrested by Afghan National Army (ANA) troops during separate raids in several parts of the country, the defence ministry said Thursday.
In a statement, the ministry said these people were detained over the past 24 hours for their alleged links to terrorist activities.
The arrests were made in Dehna Ghauri and Chandikhel areas of northern Baghlan province, Sabari district of southeastern Khost province, Zurmat district of Paktia province and Chak district of central Maidan Wardak province.
The detained people have been referred to the authorities concerned for further investigation, added the statement.
Meanwhile, the interior ministry said police have seized dozens of kilos of drugs in western Herat province.
In a statement, the ministry said police confiscated a vehicle in Gumrak area of Herat city, provincial capital, on Wednesday and recovered 35-kg of crystal heroin from it.
The deputy minister of interior responsible for counternarcotics, Gen Mohammad Daud Daud said an Iranian national was also arrested for possessing the drugs.
The detainee has been introduced to the provincial attorney office.
The drugs were seized a day after the defence ministry said hundreds of kilos of narcotics were seized in southern Helmand province.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83498
Senior Pak Army official shot dead
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Oct 22, 2009 – 16:43
ISLAMABAD (PAN): A senior Pakistani military official was among three people killed in an early morning terrorist attack in the heavily fortified capital city of Islamabad on Thursday, the army said.
Pakistan’s army spokesman Major Gen Athar Abbas told Pajhwok Afghan News unidentified gunmen opened fire at the vehicle of Brig Moeenuddin in G-11 area of the city.
He said Moeenuddin along with two army personnel were killed and one was wounded in the brazen attack.
Police chief Kalim Imam said Moeenuddin was going to the General Headquarters (GHQ) when came under attack.
According to Imam, the attackers were riding on a motorcycle and managed to escape after killing carrying out the deadly ambush.
An eyewitness named Munir Butt said the attackers also fired into the air while fleeing.
Meanwhile, police exchanged fire with a suspected suicide bomber. However, the bomber went missing in the streets of Islamabad and police have been searching for him.
The incident came two days after two suicide bombers staged attack at the Islamic International University, killing seven people including girl students.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83503
Suspects detained; US soldier dies of wounds
Pajhwok Report – Oct 22, 2009 – 14:01
KABUL (PAN): An Afghan and international joint security force detained almost a dozen suspected militants in southeastern Khost province on Thursday.
The arrests were made after the combined force searched a compound known to be used by a Haqqani commander and his element responsible for improvised explosive device and armed attacks in the area, the western military alliance said in a statement.
The troops searched compounds near Peru Kheyl village north of Khost City, after intelligence reports indicated militant activity and detained suspected militants, one of whom was identified as the sought-after Haqqani facilitator and commander. The compound search was conducted without incident.
In Paktia province, a joint force detained a couple of suspected militants after searching a compound known to be used as an IED manufacturing facility for militant elements in the region.
The joint security force searched the compound near the village of Tabiban, southwest of Gardez City without incident.
In both operations no shots were fired, and no one was injured.
Meanwhile, a US service member died of wounds sustained in an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83508
Wheat distribution to needy people starts in Ghazni
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Oct 22, 2009 – 15:06
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): The process of distributing 150 tonnes of wheat to one thousand needy families in Maqur district of southern Ghazni province was started on Thursday.
The distribution drive has been launched by the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Directorate under the World Food Programme (WFP).
District chief Sahib Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News 100 tonnes of wheat would be given to poor people, disables and widows in the first phase of the campaign. The remaining wheat would be provided to the people at the start of the winter in second phase.
Each family would receive 100 kilograms of wheat until next week, he said. Tribal elders have been involved in the distribution process in order to make it transparent, he added.
A provincial council candidate Dr. Bakht Bibi Rahimi claimed embezzlement and injustices in the distribution of wheat, saying much part of the relief was given to district officials.
Rahimi, who resides in the district, added some of the supplies may have reached the needy people, but most went to the relatives and friends of the officials.
District chief denied the claims, saying the lists of needy people were prepared by the area people and the relief was distributed in presence of tribal elders.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83516
Influential axed to death in Sar-i-Pul
Zabihullah Ihsas – Oct 22, 2009 – 15:25
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): An influential person was axed to death by unknown attackers in northern Sar-i-Pul province, police said on Thursday.
Provincial police chief Lt. Gen. Mohammad Bilal Niram told Pajhwok Afghan News the 60-year-old Haji Younus was axed when he was coming from a mosque to his home after prayers in capital city.
Haji Ziauddin, the brother of slain Haji Younus, said unknown people hit his brother by axe on head, injuring him seriously. He died of his wounds 30 minutes after the incident at a hospital.
He said his brother had no enmity with anyone and demanded of the government to find and detain the killers of his brother.
Niram said police are investigating into the matter and have launched efforts to find and arrest the attackers.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83525
Thousands rally against Quran abuse
Saboor Mangal/Bashir Nadim – Oct 22, 2009 – 12:32
KHOST/KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Thousands of students in Khost and Kandahar provinces on Thursday rallied against alleged desecration of the Holy Quran by US forces in central Maidan Wardak province a week ago.
In Khost, hundreds of students of the Sheikh Zayed University took to the streets and warned the government that they would take up arms in hands if the foreign troops continued with desecration of the holy book.
Residents of Maidan Wardak province say the American soldiers burnt a copy of the Holy Quran during search of a house in Khwajagan area of Maidan Shahr, capital of the province, a week back.
The students gathered in the university premises and chanted furious slogans against the United States. They burnt the portraits of US President Barrack Obama and Pop Benedict to mark their protest.
The students urged upon the Islamic world to snap all kind of political, economic and trade ties with the United States. In a joint declaration, they asked the Islamic countries to adopt a serious policy against the US for such acts.
The declaration said the students would raise arms if the Afghan government failed to investigate the incident and take action against the responsible persons.
Separately, around 1,000 students of the Kandahar University also staged a peaceful protest demonstration against the burning of the Holy Quran by US soldiers in Maidan Wardak. The protest demonstration started in the morning and continued for three hours.
The protesters were chanting slogans against the United States and the foreign troops. They demanded of the foreigners to respect the Afghan culture and traditions and their religion.
Ihsanullah, student of fifth year at the medical department of the university, told Pajhwok Afghan News their protest was against the burning of the Holy Quran by US troops in Maidan Wardak province.
He said peaceful protest was their right and they would continue to do so to convey the message loud and clear to the foreigners to respect their religion and culture.
Mohammad Zahir, another student from the Sharia Department, demanded of the foreign troops to stop searching houses at their own. He said such incidents were creating hatred among people against the foreigners.
A declaration demanded of the government and the Wolesi Jirga to investigate the incident and bring the responsible people before the court. It said the students would continue protest demonstrations and spread it to other parts of the country if such incidents were not stopped.
Residents of Maidan Wardak province had told Pajhwok that US troops had burnt copy of the Holy Quran during search of a house in Khwajagan area. The search was conducted after landmine attack on a military patrol.
However, spokesman for the Maidan Wardak governor Shahidullah Shahid had told Pajhwok the Quran was burnt half an hour before the landmine blast by unidentified people. Spokesperson for the US troops Captain Elizabeth Mathias also rejected involvement of US soldiers in the incident.
Similar protest demonstrations have already been staged in Maidan Wardak and Nangarhar provinces.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83528
Farmers threaten to resume poppy cultivation
Jafar Tayar – Oct 22, 2009 – 16:55
FAIZABAD (PAN): Farmers in northeastern Badakhshan province have threatened to resume growing poppies if the government fails to provide them with the necessary assistance and fulfilling its promises.
They say the government had eradicated their poppy corps last year, promising fertilizers, improved seeds and developmental projects in return. However, they alleged, no assistance was given to them despite passage of one year.
A local farmer, Nazrullah, 55, said he lost his poppy crop cultivated over half an acre of land last year. He said they were promised to be provided relief, but the government deceived them by making false promises.
However, Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Director Mohammad Alam Alami said they have been preparing for provision of fertilizers and improved seeds of wheat to some 13,000 farmers in the province.
He said the assistance being provided jointly by the ministry of agriculture and USAID would soon be distributed in Baharak, Juram, Shuhada, Kisham and Argo districts.
He said the farmers have to return the assistance after harvesting their crops.
According to the Counter-Narcotics Ministry, this year, Badakhshan was declared poppy-free and $13 million had been earmarked for its development.
In 2008, 20 provinces were declared poppy-free and the number is expected to rise to 24 in 2009. However, Afghanistan is still on the top of poppy cultivation in the world.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83529
Afghanistan rejects Pakistani allegations
Pakhtun Shinwari & Javid Hamim Kakar – Oct 22, 2009 – 12:54
KABUL/ISLAMABAD (PAN): Afghanistan rejected the Pakistani allegations regarding the presence of leader of Iran opposition group Jundullah in Afghanistan.
Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik had told journalists in Islamabad on Wednesday that leader of Jundullah Abdul Malik was hiding in Afghanistan. The group was accused of carrying out the suicide attack on Iranian military officials a few days ago.
Malik issued the statement following claims by Iranian President Ahmadinijad and other officials that Pakistani intelligence was involved in a blast in Sistan area of Iran.
Nearly 100 people, including senior generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, were killed in the explosion. The Iranian officials said Jundullah was involved in the blast and the group’s leader and other senior members were hiding in Pakistan.
However, Rehman Malik told journalists in Islamabad that Jundullah head Abdul Malik Regi was hiding in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Ministry here condemned and rejected the statement by the Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik. 
Spokesman for the ministry Muhammad Zahir Faqiri told Pajhwok Afghan News that Malik had issued similar statements in the past as well.
He said Malik should share with Afghanistan if he had any information regarding the presence of Jundullah leader or its members so as the Afghan authorities take steps to eliminate those elements.
Rejecting the presence of Abdul Malik and other members of his group in Afghanistan, Faqiri said: “We fully believe in the statement of Iranian government regarding presence of mastermind of the terrorist attack in Pakistan.”
The attack was claimed by Jundullah and Iranian officials claimed that British and American governments were also involved in the blast.
Soon after the explosion, Iranian President Ahmadinijad called his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and complained about involvement of his country in the incident.
Iran believes that members of Jundullah are hiding in Balochistan and Karachi of Pakistan and conducting terrorist attacks against the Iranian people and government from there.
In his yesterday statement, Rehmand Malik had also said that they had proofs regarding presence of Jundullah leadership in Afghanistan and the same had been shared with Iran.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83540
Campaigning for runoff poll from Saturday
Muhammad Jawad Sharifzada – Oct 22, 2009 – 18:00
KABUL (PAN): Campaigning for the runoff election between incumbent Hamid Karzai and his rival Dr. Abdullah Abdullah will begin from Saturday (October 24), according to Independent Election Commission (IEC)’s media commission.
Siddiqullah Tawhidi, head of the media commission, in a press conference on Thursday asked all media outlets to ensure impartiality during the campaigning period.
He said the people may not cast their vote with enthusiasm, but the media can play a key role in convincing them to go to polling stations.
He urged media organizations not to highlight any issue reflecting tribal discrimination of the two candidates.
About facilities to media people for coverage on the Election Day, Tawhidi said: “We have learnt many experiences from the first round of the polls, and we will make efforts to resolve the problems existed in some polling stations for media coverage.”
To a question, he said during the first round of the elections, some media outlets violated the code of conduct and were introduced to the violation commission of IEC.
He asked the international media to release reports which could encourage people to vote, not to discourage them.
The local media should also play a proactive role in encouraging people to vote as huge turnout would result into validity and legitimacy of the elections.
Afghanistan will hold a deciding round of its problem-hit presidential poll on 7 November, pitting Hamid Karzai against his rival Abdullah Abdullah.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83541
Religious seminary constructed in Logar
Rahmatullah Afghan – Oct 22, 2009 – 17:51
PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Construction work of a religious seminary was completed in Pul-i-Alam, provincial capital of central Logar province, on Thursday.
Logar governor Gen Attiqullah Lodin inaugurated the newly constructed building during a ceremony held in this connection.
The seminary cost $1.1 million and took 18 months to complete.
Acting Education Director Abdul Matin Jafar told Pajhwok Afghan News the seminary has been named as the Logar Modern and Religious Studies Seminary.
He said the facility was built over four acres of land having four blocks for classes and hostels.
Jafar said two blocks of 20 rooms had been specified for students and the two others consisting 28 rooms for hostel and other facilities including mosque, kitchen, library, etc.
Funded by Provincial Reconstruction Team based in Gardez, the building can accommodate 1600 students. Besides religious studies, the students would also be imparted training in computer and ICT.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83542
Many Afghans eager to join Nov 7 polls
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Oct 22, 2009 – 13:27
KABUL (PAN): A number of Afghans who did not participate in the August 20 polls wanted to join the second round on November .7
Around six million people had participated in the election. Hamid Karzai had got 54.6 per cent votes and his rival Dr. Abdullah got 27.8 per cent. However, the invalidation of ballots at 210 polling stations by the complaint commission reduced Karzai’s percentage to 49.67.
Many people did not join the previous elections for security reasons, but they are eager to going the same this time.
Said Ahmad, resident of Kabul, told Pajhwok he would take part in the polls this time as he believed his vote could play a key role in the future of the country.
Dr. Ahmad, resident of Kanda Lagh village of Ghazni’s Qarabagh district, is also among those who did not participate in the August 20 polls. However, the doctor said he was ready to join the process this time.
He said foreigners’ interference in the elections forced him to use his right to vote by supporting his favourite candidate.
Resident of Ramak village of Deh Yak district, Faizullah Khan, said he did not join the process because fearing militant attacks. However, he wants to vote despite security threats on November 7.
“I shall go to some other area to cast my vote if there is no possibility of the process in my own village,” said Faizullah Khan.
Many people in Kandahar provincial also did not participate in the elections fearing Taliban threats. Muhammad Hassan, resident of Dand district of the province, is one among them.
“No only me, but all members of my family will cast their votes this time,” said Hassan. He said interference by some elements forced him to participate in the polls this time.
Rahmatullah, resident of Char Dara district of the northern Kunduz province, said he did not participate in the process for security reasons. However, he would use his vote on November 7, said Rahmatullah.
Najmuddin, another resident of Kunduz, then said that he did not join the process because of an overwhelming number of candidates. “I shall use my right to vote this time as only two candidates are in the field now.”
A Taliban member, who did not want to be named, also said he would participate in the elections as a protest against the interference of foreigners in the process.
He said all Afghans should participate in the elections and stop the foreigners from interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
There is no comment from Taliban about the fresh polling process. Earlier, the Taliban had warned people against participation in the elections forcing many people to stay away from the process.
dk
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83543
Governors, elders pin high hopes on peace jirga
Abdul Mueed Hashmi – Oct 22, 2009 – 18:11

JALALABAD (PAN): Governor of the eastern Nangarhar province has said that the Peace Jirga recently constituted by the four eastern provinces will stop foreign troops from house searches and arrest of innocent Afghans in the name of al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Gul Agha Sherzi said this while addressing meeting of the jirga here on Thursday. Four provincial governors and nearly 500 tribal elders, religions scholars and influential attended the meeting.
Sherzai termed the jirga very important in bringing peace and stability in the region. He said the jirga would stop foreigners from arresting Taliban in the civilians in the name of Tailban and al-Qaeda.
He accused some officials and the first deputy president were more interested in their official posts and neglected the people. “I haven’t seen the president’s first deputy in the past four and a half years,” he added.
Governor of Kunar province Syed Fazlullah Wahidi said participants of the jirga would start forming different committees. He said the participants included 115 people from Nangarhar, 85 from Kunar and 45 each from Laghman and Nuristan.
Laghman Governor Lutfullah Mashal expressed concern over the insecurity. He said government officials were able to travel freely seven years ago, but they could not do so even on the Kabul-Jalalabad and Kabul-Kandahar routes.
He said at an average 42 Pakhtuns are killed in the country on daily basis. They included 11 policemen, 20 Taliban, six army men and five civilians. He did not mention the source of the figures.
Nuristan Governor Jamaluddin Badr complained the central government and international community did not pay heed to reconstruction in the province. He said schools did not possess buildings in many areas, there were not health clinics and the province needed more civic facilities.
An elder from Nangarhar Malak Sohail Shinwari said this was the first time that tribal elders had been given power in a jirga. “The jirga will prove a success story if authority is given to tribal elders,” he added.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83544
Qarabagh police headquarters gets new building
Khwaja Basir Ahmad – Oct 22, 2009 – 18:12
KABUL (PAN): Construction work over Qarabagh district police headquarters building and five security posts in Kabul has been completed at the cost of 0.5 million.
Kabul governor Dr. Zabihullah Mujaddidi, interior ministry officials, 202nd Shamshad Zone commander Brig. General Abdul Hamid, Kabul provincial council head Eng. Amiruddin Haqpana, French embassy representatives and district officials and tribal elders attended the inauguration ceremony held in this connection.
Mujadidi told Pajhwok Afghan News the two-storey police headquarters building constructed over one acre of land having 12 rooms, lock up, kitchen, dinning room and other allied facilities.
He said two security posts were also established in the province while three others were constructed in neighboring Kalakan district.
Mujaddidi said the total cost on the projects was 0.5 million, out of which 0.4 million was provided by Italy in grant and the rest by France.
Qarabagh district police chief Brig. General Muhammad Ayub Bahir said that construction work of the police headquarters building took one year to complete. He said earlier police had to face problems due to lack of offices.
Philip Laghyo, French embassy representative in Kabul, said in addition to the construction of the police headquarters building, 18 policemen of the district were also trained in modern techniques.
In next two years, he vowed, two million dollars would be spent on similar projects in various areas.
Later on, the officials visited the police posts in Qarabagh and Kalakan districts.
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Militant commander among seven killed in Wardak
Muhammad Hakim Basharat – Oct 22, 2009 – 18:20
KABUL (PAN): A key militant commander was among seven Taliban fighters killed in an overnight offensive by Afghan and US-led coalition troops in the central Maidan Wardak province, an official said on Thursday.
A spokesman for the governor Shahidullah Shahid told Pajhwok Afghan News the offensive came as surveillance aircraft reported the insurgents were gathered at a garden in Khawat area of Chak district late Wednesday night.
He identified the slain commander as Samiullah. According to Shahid, five of the dead fighters were residents of the same district, while the two others were from the restive Syedabad district.
He added all the dead bodies were handed over to the tribal elders in the area. No security personnel and civilians suffered casualty during the attack, he concluded.
A tribal elder in the area Haji Khuram also confirmed the overnight incident and killing of the seven militants.
A civilian who had no links with Taliban or al-Qaeda network was among the dead, added the elder who said two rebels were also wounded in the operation.
A week back, two ordinary women and four insurgents were killed in a similar sweep in the same district.
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Prices of rice, ghee, sugar fall in Kabul
Zarghona Salehi – Oct 22, 2009 – 18:36
KABUL (PAN): The prices of sugar, ghee and rice decreased while the rates of petroleum products soared during the outgoing week in the Kabul markets, dealers said on Thursday.
Fazl Rahman, head of the Food Association at Kabul’s main market, told Pajhwok Afghan News the price of a 50-kilogram bag of rice decreased by 20 afghanis and sold at 2420 afghanis, while the rate of five-kg can of ghee declined from 250 to 245 afghanis.
He added the price of 50-kg of sugar decreased by 15 afghanis against its last week’s price and being sold at 1705 afghanis. A kilo of tea was sold at 180afs, a 50 kg of flour at 1000afs.
However, a shopkeeper at Khair Khanah area, Ataullah, said a 50-kg bag of flour was sold at 1080 afghanis, a 50-kg bag of rice at 2600afs, the same amount of sugar at 1750afs, and a five-kg of ghee at 260afs and a kilo of tea priced at 220 afghanis.
Haji Muhammad Rafi Azimi, a moneychanger at the Shahzada money market, put the exchange value of one dollar at 49.29 afghanis whereas 1,000 Pakistani rupees were counted for 590 afghanis.
Last week’s exchange rate of the dollar was 49.40afs and 1000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 594 afghanis.
Sharfuddin, a gas-seller in Shahr-i-Naw, said the price of one kilo of gas stayed unchanged at 50afs.
According to Syed Mahmud Ahmed, a worker at a fuel station said the price of one litre diesel went up from 37afs to 42afs. However, the same amount of petrol remained unchanged as compared to the last week.
Haji Abdul Manan, a jeweler in first floor of Pashtani Bank of Kabul said the price of one gram of Arabian gold sold at 1450afs the same as last week. Similarly, the rate of the Iranian variety sold at 1200 afghanis.
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11 schemes executed in Sari Pul
Abdul Qadeer Siddique & Mohammad Barat – Oct 22, 2009 – 18:51
KABUL/AIBAK (PAN): Nearly a dozen reconstruction projects were executed in northern Sari Pul province while around 2,700 participants of a vocational training center graduated in Samangan province, officials said on Thursday.
In a statement, the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) of Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry said the NSP completed the welfare projects in Sozma Qala district of the province included gravelling of five kilometers road, conducting literacy and sewing course for women, construction of 16 bridges, four water storages and 12 wells.
The statement further said the projects costing 8million afghanis would benefit over 2,000 families.
Elsewhere in northern Samangan province, 2,700 students completed various vocational trainings.
The trainings being held in Hazrat Sultan, Fironkhajeer and Khurm Sarbagh districts were funded by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) through Afghan Aid with the cost 16 million afghanis.
Engineer Abdul Sattar Samimi, head of the training department of Afghan Aid Organization said the students – both men and women – were trained in carpet-weaving, poultry farming, improved seeds, confectionary, bee keeping, tailoring, veterinary and nursery growing over a period of ten months.
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IEC hastens preparations for runoff poll
Pajhwok Report – Oct 22, 2009 – 19:17
KABUL (PAN): After the certification and announcement of the final results of the August presidential elections, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) has hastened its preparations for holding the second round on November 7, the electoral body said on Thursday.
According to the preplanned work schedule, the IEC will commence distribution of essential materials from Saturday, 24th of October, it said in a statement issued here.
The IEC requested both the leading candidates Hamed Karzai and Dr.
Abdullah Abdullah, who will compete against each other, to organize their electoral campaigns based on the electoral laws and procedures – after the end of the challenges period and ceasing two days prior to the election. “Thus the campaigns must take place within 12 days from 12pm of 24 October until 12pm of November 5,” the statement said.
The IEC said all those media and observer groups would be allowed to monitor the run-off whose cards are still valid. The IEC will not be accrediting any new organization or entity but will accredit new individuals introduced by an accredited organization on receipt of the completed forms.
Only the agents of the two leading presidential candidates and of already accredited political parties would remain authorized to monitor the run-off election and the accreditation cards for these agents are still valid.
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Cop, militant killed in blast
Bashir Ahmad Nadem & Frozan Rahmani – Oct 22, 2009 – 19:33
KANDAHAR CITY/KABUL (PAN): A policeman and a militant were killed in a roadside bomb explosion in the volatile southern Kandahar province on Thursday, an official said.
The blast took place near Malalai Clinic last night, said police chief Brig. Gen. Sardar Muhammad Zazai.
He said the explosion also left two cops and an accomplice of the militant injured.
The blast happened as police patrolling in the area on foot reached the scene.
The injured policemen were taken to the Mirwais Hospital.
Meanwhile, intelligence operatives in the capital city of Kabul found a dead body of a local man in Chauni area, a senior police officer said.
He said police were investigating into the matter, but no one has so far been arrested in this regard.
In central Parwan province, one militant was killed, another wounded and two others were detained alive in a clash with security forces.
A spokesman for the 202nd Shamshad Military Corps Amanullah Asadyar said the clash took place in Bagram district.
He added the militants disguised in military uniforms were involved in planting roadside bombs.
The wounded militant was rushed to an emergency hospital while the other two were under an investigation, he added.
Two Kalashnikovs, one walky-talky, one anti-personnel bomb, one anti-tank mine, three mortar shells and three pairs of military uniforms were recovered from the militants, he concluded.
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US, Afghan soldiers killed in violence
Ahmad Javed Javed – Oct 22, 2009 – 19:49
KABUL/MAHMOOD RAQI (PAN): Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) has said an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier was killed in an insurgent activity in central Kapisa province while a US soldier died of wounds he sustained in the troubled south.
A statement from the MoD said Thursday the Afghan soldier of the 3rd Battalion of 201st Sylab Military Corps was killed in direct engagement with Taliban insurgents in Tagab district where an operation against the insurgents is ongoing.
The statement further said three soldiers also sustained injuries, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
District chief Abdul Hakeem Akhunzada told this news agency the incident took place at around 1:30pm on Wednesday.
Qari Tariq, a local Taliban commander, has claimed their fighters killed more than ten foreign and Afghan forces.
Also on Thursday, NATO-led ISAF forces in a statement said one US soldier died of his wounds in southern Afghanistan.
Without mentioning the exact location, it added the service member sustained injuries in a roadside bomb explosion.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83559
Militants torch four vehicles, abduct five drivers
Khan Wali Salarzai – Oct 22, 2009 – 20:09
ASADABAD (PAN): Suspected Taliban militants set afire four vehicles of a road construction company and kidnapped five drivers in Asmar district of eastern Kunar province, officials said on Thursday.
Police chief Brig. Gen. Khalilullah Ziaee told Pajhwok Afghan News the vehicles were burnt in Dab Baroro area. The vehicles were returning from the site of an under-construction road between Nari and Ghaziabad districts when intercepted by the militants.
He added the militants also seized five drivers of the vehicles.
A spokesman for the Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) in the area, Zubair Siddique claimed responsibility for the attack. He said they torched six vehicles and abducted seven people.
Ziaee demanded of tribal elders to cooperate with them in securing the release of the kidnapped drivers.
Last month, more than ten vehicles carrying supplies for foreign troops were torched by militants in the province.
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October 23, 2009
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Obama, Eikenberry discuss Afghan poll
Lalit K Jha – Oct 23, 2009 – 17:00
WASHINGTON (PAN): US President Barack Obama had a Situation Room meeting through a secure video conference with his ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, the upcoming November 7 runoff elections, in particular issues related to its preparation and how to make it free and fair, the White House said Thursday.
They discussed different preparations that are being made with the IEC (Independent Election Commission) to ensure that the election is run in a way that people can be confident about its outcome, the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, told reporters at his daily news conference.
It was primarily focused on the current situation there, the preparations that are being made to ensure a fair election, what has to be done to make sure that what caused votes to be thrown out before are not, and then also, a longer — just larger and longer discussion about the future of — overall of governance and of having a partner in Afghanistan, he said.
Obviously part of the discussion this morning, in reviewing the current political situation was to talk about the preparations that the Afghans are making to conduct the second election on November 7th, Gibbs said when asked about the details of the meeting that lasted for more than half an hour.
They discussed specifically, the process and the rule of law worked.  The ECC (Electoral Complaint Commission) and the IEC identified votes that shouldn’t be counted, those votes were thrown out, and we’re at that point now, he said.
Meanwhile Gibbs said there is no time line to announce the new Af-Pak strategy, which is currently being discussed threadbare by Obama who has held more than 16 hours of situation room meetings in the last few weeks.
The President, as you know, was in the Situation Room today for about an hour over video teleconference with Ambassador Karl Eikenberry from Kabul, discussing the current political situation in Afghanistan as part of the review and assessment process, Gibbs said.
The President will make a decision in the next few weeks, in the coming weeks, as I have said. I don’t know when that decision will be. It could be before the run-off. It might be after the run-off on — as planned on November 7th, he said.
Referring to the Obama-Eikenberry meet, Gibbs said there are questions that have to be addressed in the lead-up to November 7 polls to ensure fraud doesn’t happen, which will ensure that whoever is victorious. 
Issues of governance, of development, of all of those things are not simply going to be decided on one — through one act on November 7.  This is an ongoing and long process that the President and his team are addressing, he noted.
Without going into specifics, Gibbs said they also discussed what steps needs to be taken to make sure that the mistakes of the August 20 elections are not repeated and there is free and fair election this time.
We believe the Afghan people are going to choose their leader, and we will work with whomever that is to ensure a strengthened partnership, that we’re addressing the issues on the civilian capacity side, on development, and ensuring that as we work in Afghanistan to improve the security situation and the development situation, that there are comparable gains made in training by an Afghan national security force that can ultimately provide the type of protection and the government that’s needed to secure our country in the long run, he said.
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Republicans want quick decision on Afghan policy
Lalit K Jha – Oct 23, 2009 – 18:26
WASHINGTON (PAN): The opposition Republican Party wants the US President, Barack Obama, to announce his new Afghan policy, but the ruling Democratic Party wants him to hold on till the time the new government is formed in Kabul.
Lawmakers from both the parties on Thursday held several press conferences and gave interviews to news channels to buttress their point. While the Democrats blamed the previous Bush Administration for ignoring Afghan for too long, which they claimed has resulted in the present mess; the Republicans charged Obama of dangerously ignoring the recommendation of the US commanders on the ground to send thousands of more troops as soon as possible.
Republican Senator Mike Johanns said the new Afghan policy is long overdue and alleged that the US President, Barack Obama is taking an undue long time.  It’s still not clear to our men and women in the front lines whether the White House is going to add the additional troops that our military have asked for, he said at a news conference.
I just really feel very, very strongly that a decision on this is overdue. And I worry that we have men and women there that are in harm’s way by congressional action, by action now of two administrations who do not have the resources they need or the manpower to get security in Afghanistan, he said.
The House Minority Leader, Mike Boehner expressed his concern that the troops that are in Afghanistan today are in greater jeopardy as a result of the uncertainty that is being caused by the delay in this decision.
I think there’s enough information in the President’s hands. And I do believe that the quicker he makes this decision, the quicker General McChrystal can get on with the task at hand and bring more safety to those troops who are on the ground today, he said.
A day earlier, the former US Vice President, Dick Cheney, at a think-tank meeting said: “The White House must stop dithering while America’s armed forces are in danger.  It’s time for President Obama to do what it takes to win a war he has repeatedly and rightly called ‘a war of necessity.
The House of Representative Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, termed it as not a dignified statement.” She said: “The president has a very difficult decision to make. I don’t think that’s a constructive comment to make.”  The White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, alleged that Cheney ignored Afghanistan for seven years post 9 /11 as the countrys Vice President.
The same politicians who were demanding that the current President stop dithering and do whatever his generals suggest forget that the previous administration ignored and under resourced our commanders and soldiers in Afghanistan for nearly eight years, alleged Democratic Senator Jack Reed.
Indeed, Republicans have developed a troubling habit of blaming President Obama for trying to fix all the problems they created, Reed said at a news conference.
The fact that they ignored Afghanistan for six years and then, through some kind of report to the transition team as they were going out the door, and that they really have come up with a good plan — I mean, look, this past administration, I do not like to look back.  I think we should be looking forward, charged another Democratic Senator Ted Kaufman.
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Offensive to secure highway launched in Helmand
Zainullah Setanikzai – Oct 23, 2009 – 19:06
LASHKARGAH (PAN): Afghan police backed by US forces have launched a search operation against militants to ensure security on the Lashkargah-Kandahar Highway in the southern province of Helmand, an official said Friday.
Police chief Colonel Asadullah Sherzad told Pajhwok Afghan News the operation was underway in the Regin Manda area of Greshk district.
“In this area, the opposition forces use to launch their attacks against security forces on the highway,” said Sherzad.
He said they wanted to cleanse the area of insurgents and establish security check-posts on the highway so that the people could travel without any threat.
The police chief added the forces have so far met with no terror incident, but the operation would continue until the area is cleared of militants.
A driver of the passenger vehicle named Mohammad Daud said earlier they had to face with numerous problems in the area. He said many times drivers were caught in cross fire between security forces and insurgents. Happy over the operation, he hoped if the security situation was improved on the highway they would be enabled to continue with their job.
Helmand-based Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) also confirmed the operation, but gave no details.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said there was no operation underway in the area, but the US forces were searching for the logistic carrying container the Taliban had hijacked a day earlier.
He said the container was carrying weapons and generators for the foreign forces.
It is to be mentioned here that militants have launched dozens of attacks against foreign and national forces in Regin Manda area on the said highway.
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Peshawar car bombing wounds 15 people
Syed Shah Saqem – Oct 23, 2009 – 16:32
PESHAWAR (PAN): As many as 15 people sustained injuries in a massive remote-controlled car bombing in Hayatabad locality of Peshawar, capital of North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, officials and witnesses said Friday.
Explosives were packed in a car parked outside a restaurant owned by chief of the ruling Awami National Party’s chief Asfandiyar Wali Khan, the grandson of the freedom fighter Khan Abdul Khaffar Khan (Bacha Khan), in the phase-II area of the posh locality.
An eyewitness named Abdur Rehman told Pajhwok Afghan News over the telephone that the attack seemed to be the handiwork of the enemies of the party.
A police officer in the area, who declined to be identified, said the blast wounded 10 people who were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
He feared more casualties as the blast had collapsed the building.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing.
However, a private TV channel reported that police had arrested a suspect who was shifted to an unknown location. According to the channel, police have cordoned off the area and rescue workers shifted wounded persons to Hyatabad Medical Complex.
The bomb disposal squad said 40 kilograms of explosive was used in the blast.
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Fresh violence leaves 25 dead in Pakistan
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Oct 23, 2009 – 11:47
KABUL (PAN): A suicide attack and a mine explosion on a wedding procession in Pakistan killed at least 25 people and wounded several others on Friday, officials said.
Seven people including security personnel and civilians were perished in the suicide attack that happened at a security forces check post near Kamra Aeronautical Complex. The attack also left a dozen more people wounded.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Attock district police officer Fakhar Sultan said the suicide bomber blew himself near Kamra Aeronautical Complex at GT Road in the district. The dead included two security men and four civilians with eight others injured, he added.
According to Sultan, the attacker was riding on a motorcycle. The assailant detonated the explosives stripped to his body at the gate of the complex when he was stopped by the security personnel.
Elsewhere close to the Afghan border, a landmine exploded on a wedding procession in Lakaro area of the lawless Mohmand tribal region, killing 18 people including women and children.
A resident of the area, Abdul Jabbar Momand, told Pajhwok Afghan News most of the dead were women and children. He said the blast wounded six others.
An official at the political administration of the agency Zikria Shah said it was an anti-tank mine.
He blamed militants for planting the mine against military convoys.
Suicide attacks and bomb blasts have increased throughout the country including its capital Islamabad since the military has launched an operation against militants associated with slain commander of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Hakeemullah Mehsud in South Waziristan Agency, bordering Afghanistan.
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NATO to send more troops for Afghan war: Gates
PAN Monitor – Oct 23, 2009 – 11:57
KABUL (PAN): US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Friday said  NATO allies are moving toward sending more troops and civilian aid to Afghanistan.
The Pentagon chief cited a long-term commitment by NATO partners to remain in Afghanistan until the conflict is successfully resolved.
At a meeting of 28 NATO defense ministers in Bratislava, Gates said he did not seek specific promises of military assistance, and none was given. He described, however, “a renewed determination to see this through.”
“There were a number of allies who indicated they were thinking about, or were moving toward, increasing either their military or their civilian contributions, or both,” Gates said at a news conference. “And I found that very heartening.”
He praised NATO nations for already doubling the number of troops they have sent to Afghanistan over the last 15 months. “People really have been stepping up to this,” Gates said.
Gates also sought to assure allies that the United States also will remain in the fight, despite the Obama administration’s ongoing indecision over a war strategy.
“We’re not pulling out,” He said. “I think that any reduction is very unlikely.”
He said President Barack Obama would consider specific plans for moving forward over the next two to three weeks.
Speaking minutes earlier, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the defense ministers did not discuss precisely how many more troops might be sent. The U.S. and NATO military commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has asked Obama for as many as 80,000 additional American troops to continue the current mission of countering the escalating Taliban insurgency and protecting the local population.
Rasmussen said McChrystal’s request was being reviewed by NATO leaders, many of whom are reluctant to endorse large troop increases before Obama decides on a strategy.
“I have registered broad support from all ministers of this overall counterinsurgency approach, but without discussing resource implications of these recommendations,” Rasmussen said.
The top UN official in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, also signaled that more NATO troops would soon be on the move. “I do believe that additional international troops will be needed in the future,” he said.
Gates spoke before heading into a lunch meeting with officials from nations that have sent troops to Afghanistan. McChrystal also was at the meeting to brief the officials on his on-the-ground assessment of the war zone.
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Police salvage pieces of crashed plane in Baghlan
Habibur Rehman Sherzai – Oct 23, 2009 – 11:32
PUL-I-KHUMRI (PAN): Police have salvaged some pieces of wreckage of an apparently passenger plane that crashed two nights ago in a rugged mountainous regions of Baghlan province, officials said on Friday.
Earlier there were reports that a helicopter has been crashed in Andarab area of Khanjan district in the snow-capped mountains. A police party was tasked with searching the plane who returned with the news that they had found some pieces. However, the party failed to reach the exact location where the plane was crashed due inaccessibility to the area.
Baghlan police chief Col Mohammad Kabir Andarabi said the police party was sent to the area two days ago and it returned yesterday evening.
“The pieces of the plane show it is not a helicopter, but a plane, might be of passengers,” he added.
He said due to bad weather, the police party was compelled to return back before they could find the crashed plane.
Khanjan district police chief Col Mohammad Asif on Thursday told this news agency, the plane crashed in Bajga area in the mountains two nights ago at midnight.
He said the people of the area had informed them about the plane crash, but due to no road towards the area, it was very hard to reach there.
According to provincial officials it was not yet clear to which country the plane is belonging.
He said the central government had been informed about the incident.
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October 24, 2009
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Chinese firm wins Aynak tender through flawed process
Pajhwok Report – Oct 24, 2009 – 18:20
KABUL (PAN): A Chinese firm won tender for mining at the Aynak Copper, one of the world’s most valuable copper reserves, through a flawed process in Afghanistan in 2007.
A report shows that a Chinese firm won the rights to the copper deposits through a ‘flawed’ process that made it impossible for several western companies to win the bid against ‘state-supported’ Chinese companies who include government aid with their bid. 
James R. Yeager, who served as advisor to the Ministry of Mines in Afghanistan during the tender process, said no independent oversight existed to ensure transparency of the process.
“Unless there is change in the process to make it open and transparent and unless the US government establishes a policy for resource development to assist the private sector, China will continue to gain undue influence on the Afghan economy and ultimately Afghan society as a whole,” said Yeager. 
“This will be harmful to everything America is trying to accomplish in bringing stability, and a self-sustaining market economy to Afghanistan,” he added.
Former Congressman Don Ritter, who has been engaged with Afghanistan for 30 years, said something must be done so that the billions of dollars and lives sacrificed by the US in Afghanistan is given some credit in the contract process.
“The bottom line is this:  We need a policy on developing mines and minerals and oil and gas in Afghanistan that allows for an honest, open competitive process,” said Ritter.  “Otherwise, the market economy so crucial to the future of the Afghan people and the governance of the country will be dominated by the Chinese way of doing business,” he added.
The 78 page report took 18 months to produce and details the step-by-step process of how the copper tender was steered to the Chinese firm. 
In addition to Yeager, a volunteer group of individuals dedicated to the future of Afghanistan, were contributors to this report.  It outlines a series of recommendations Yeager says will ensure that future tenders are transparent and will benefit not only the businesses competing but also the Afghan people:
As per the recommendations, there must be due diligence of the bidding firms along with a look into the track record of firms in previous contracts. 
However, the same was not allowed by the Afghan Mines Ministry for the Aynak tender, said the report. Due diligence must include independently collected background information.
Under the recommendations, the donor community must provide more support to the Afghan minerals sector which is in need of support but not happening now.
Both the World Bank (WB) and the donor community must be engaged in active oversight of the tender process. However, in Aynak case, the WB instigated powerful government action and then removed itself from the process, leaving it to the Mines Ministry alone.
The Transaction Adviser must be independent and must be allowed to meet with officials outside the ministry. However, minister for mines prevented his involvement in this case.
There must be local public participation in the process but the minister for mines refused to initiate a formal public information and outreach programme.
At the same time, the Western embassies must be more engaged in the process and be better informed of western companies efforts.
“It is essential that western officials in Afghanistan understand the influence that vast monies, operating under an ‘Eastern business model’ framework can conflict with enlightened Afghan goals for the country,” said Yeager.  “Otherwise, all the rest of their efforts, military and economic will go for naught,” he warned.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83577
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan united on terror: Tanin
Lalit K Jha – Oct 24, 2009 – 17:01
WASHINGTON (PAN): Afghan Ambassador to the United Nations, Zahir Tanin, has said that three South Asian countries — India, Pakistan and Afghanistan now share the same goal of ending the menace of terrorism in the region.
What is happening, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India share one goal that how to fight terrorism, how to have a stable region. We also are facing a shared common challenge that is terrorism and extremism, as you say it. And we know that, three of us. We work here together. And I’m sure that is the same understanding amongst all the leaders in Kabul, Islamabad and Delhi, Tanin told the CNN when he along with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts made a rare joint appearance on a television show in the US.
Responding to a question on troops surge in Afghanistan, he said Kabul supports the report of General Stanley McChrystal the US and NATO Commander in Afghanistan on this issue. Our view is very, very clear about that. We supported General McChrystal’s suggestions and strategy, including increase of forces. We know that there is a threat. This threat is not only for Afghanistan. This threat is not only limited to Afghanistan and Pakistan. And this threat is not only regional, as we know everywhere, he said.
So without stabilizing Afghanistan, any talks about withdrawal or exit from the military activities and dealing with the current challenges is just against the interest of the United States and the global world, Tanin said.
The Afghan Ambassador said there is a forward momentum between the three countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States.
We have three main allies in this struggle, in this work, the government of Afghanistan, the government of President Zardari in Pakistan, and the United States. So I don’t think there is a difference between these three governments about how to take more steps, he said.
We hope, also, that all other people and institutions would help that process and there is a wide belief that in the near future, the prospect for promising development is there and we have to look into that very, very positively and constructively, he noted.
As far as Afghanistan is concerned, Tanin said: We made it very clear that we need each other, we have to work together in a bigger concept, I think the countries in the region, including India and others, should work together, and that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan and improvement of relations and trust would help to have such a forum.
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Holbrooke says he has fine relations with Karzai
Lalit K Jha – Oct 24, 2009 – 17:01
WASHINGTON (PAN): US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke on Friday praised Afghan president Hamid Karzai and strongly denied that he had strained relationship with the Afghan leader.
“I am looking forward to working with Karzai if he is reelected in the November 7 run-off presidential elections, Holbrooke told a press conference held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.
He said he respects Karzai and looks forward to meeting him in a few days. I respect him. And if he is re-elected as President on November 7, we all look forward to working closely with him in pursuit of mutual goals, the Special Envoy said.
In terms of my relationships with President Karzai, they’re fine. They’re correct. They are appropriate. I speak to him on behalf of my government, and he speaks as President of the country.”
In an interview to The Cable online forum of the prestigious Foreign Policy Holbrooke had said he was planning to visit Afghanistan later next month along with his trip to India. I personally look forward to seeing him in a few days, and I have absolutely no problems with him. It is as simple as that, Holbrooke said when asked about media reports about the strained relationship he has with the Afghan President.
If the second round re-elects Hamid Karzai as President of Afghanistan, we look forward to working with him. It’s as simple as that. And second terms are second terms in the United States and in Afghanistan, he said.
He said the United States has a very high hope that, after the election, the Government of Afghanistan will work closely with the international community to institute good governance and bring peace and stability in the country. I did this when I was there two months. This was the major topic of my conversations with President Karzai, was what would happen in the future, he said.
The US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry has continued that, and the Obama Administration looks forward to continuing it after the elections.
Referring to the November 7 elections, Holbrooke hoped that this time there would be less irregularity. It is reasonable to hope that there will be less irregularities this time for several reasons. One, there are only two candidates. Two, there’s the experience factor. Three, the international community, including the forces under General McChrystal’s command, are going to go all-out to help make this a success, he explained.
Now, they did so on August 20th, but there are more forces in the country today, and they are ready to deploy. Not all of the 21,000 troops authorized by President Obama were in place in August 20th. They are all there now, he said.
Not willing to predict the outcome of the election, he said: I am not going to predict what’s going to happen. I don’t think predicting things in Afghanistan is such a great idea.
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UN launches $4b Afghan development plan today
Pajhwok Report – Oct 24, 2009 – 13:08
KABUL (PAN): United Nations will launch its four billion US dollars development plan for Afghanistan at a ceremony to be held here on Saturday marking the role and achievement of the UN in the country.
The representatives and Afghan officials will join hands at simultaneous events across Afghanistan today to celebrate United Nations Day 2009, the UN said in a statement issued here on Saturday.
The ceremony will be marked with the launch of the UN Development Assistance Framework or UNDAF.
The key document which plans out US$ 4 billion of development assistance from 2010 to 2013 was prepared by 28 UN agencies in cooperation with the Government of Afghanistan.
UNDAF supports the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and focuses on three priority areas: Governance, Peace and Stability, with emphasis on Human Resources Development/Capacity development; agriculture and Access to Income, which targets rural communities and aims at building marketable skills through vocational training programmes; health and education.
The UN has been in Afghanistan for more than 50 years. Since 2002 UNAMA has led and coordinated the UN family and worked closely with the Government of Afghanistan. 


This year in Afghanistan, a number of broadcasters have launched the media campaign I work for the UN, I work for Afghanistan featuring UN staff members and people who have benefited from their work.
In the period leading up to UN Day, UN officials spoke with students at Kabul University and exchanged ideas about the role and achievement of the UN in Afghanistan. Events are also being held today in other cities across Afghanistan
The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan Robert Watkins, the Afghan Ministers of Agriculture and Economy and a number of deputy ministers and representatives from UN agencies will speak at the event.
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Taliban threaten to derail run-off vote
Javed Hamim Kakar – Oct 24, 2009 – 19:32
KABUL (PAN): Taliban on Saturday urged Afghans to boycott next month’s presidential election run-off and warned to disrupt voting in a repeat of their threat to derail the fraud-tainted first round.
The runoff poll would be held between President Hamid Karzai and his challenger and former foreign minister Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on November 7.
In a statement, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan called upon all the Afghans to abstain from going to polling centres on the day as the election process was being orchestrated by the US.
It said the US wanted to divert the attention of the Afghan people from its failure in the war against the Taliban.
The release lashed out at the Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission and termed it a ‘so-called body.’
The statement warned the Taliban fighters will launch their attack on the polling centres to be established for the runoff elections on November 7.
However, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said it was not unexpected the Taliban will threaten to disrupt the Nov. 7 run-off election, as they made similar threats for the Aug 20 first-round.
ISAF will continue to assist Afghan National Army and National Police forces plan their security posture for election events.
“Afghan forces will maintain primary responsibility for security of election sites and voters while ISAF forces will assist with the third-tier security for election events as well as continuing our security operations separate from election events,” the alliance said in a statement issued here on Saturday. “ISAF is committed to assisting our Afghan partners conduct a secure election run-off.”
The UN-backed fraud investigation invalidated thousands of Karzai’s votes from the August. 20 first round, pushing him below the 50 percent mark needed to avoid a run-off against Abdullah, the runner-up.
Overthrown by the US in late 2001, Taliban also threatened to disrupt the first round.
Though the Taliban attacks failed to disrupt the election process entirely, but resulted into a low turnout, particularly in the country’s volatile south and east.
The statement further warned of closing all the main roads against government and private vehicles on the day before the election.
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Hundreds of students protest Quran desecration
Rahmatullah Afghan – Oct 24, 2009 – 19:35
PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Hundreds of students of a high school in Pul-i-Alam, provincial capital of central Logar province, staged a protest demonstration against alleged desecration of the Holy Quran by US forces.
The American troops have allegedly burnt a copy of the Holy Book during an operation in the central Maidan Wardak province more than a week ago.
Nearly 1500 students took part in the demonstration and blocked the Kabul-Gardez highway against vehicular traffic for at least two hours in Porak area of the capital.
They were chanting slogans against US forces and demanded punishment to the responsible ones.
Principal of the Kurak High School Ghulam Nabi said it was peaceful protest demonstration and violent incident happened during the protest.
He said the students chanted slogans against US and its allies.
The protestors through a resulotion demanded action against those involved the incident.
The highway blockade also confronted passengers with great inconvenience as they remained stranded for two hours.
Muhammad Alam, a passenger, who was on the way to Kabul, said ‘thousands of people suffered as a result road blockade.
He said such protests should be carried out and planned in a proper way to avoid disrupting routine life business.
Several such protests were held in other provinces against the alleged desecration incident.
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Call to involve tribal elders, scholars in conflict resolution
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Oct 24, 2009 – 17:39
KABUL (PAN): Participants of a gathering in Kabul on Saturday stressed the need for involving tribal elders and religious clerics in the Afghan conflict resolution and restoration of sustainable peace in the country.
The gathering held under auspices of the Ministry of Border and Tribal Affairs was attended by nearly 200 tribal elders and religious scholars.
Speaking on the occasion, deputy minister of border and tribal affairs Muhammad Yaqub Ahmadzai said in the recent past no proper attention was given to tribal elders which led to increased problems.
He said keeping in view the Afghan traditions, the role of tribal elders and religious scholars in resolving issues was a must.
He said: “The foreigners also neglected our traditional values and convinced the government to enforce western democracy.”
Ahmadzai said if the government had no public support, it could not run for a long time.
“The doors of negotiations should be opened to opposition forces so that a long lasting peace could be restored in the country,” he suggested.
Muhammad Ayaz, a representative of the people of eastern Nangarhar province told the gathering the forces of several countries had come to Afghanistan and instead of respecting the Afghan culture, they were imposing their ideologies.
“That is why the Afghan government and foreign forces are facing numerous problems,” he argued.
He claimed had the government consulted the scholars and tribal elders, the situation would not have been deteriorated to this level.
Nader Khan Katawazi, a legislator from southeastern Paktika province said issues had always been resolved by tribal elders in Afghanistan.
The participants also called for organizing similar gatherings in other provinces in order to bring the tribal elders close to each other.
The tribal elders also met with NATO forces later in the day to discuss with them the current situation in the country.
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14-year-old boy rescued from abductors in Farah
Ahmad Shah Saber – Oct 24, 2009 – 20:29
ZARANJ (PAN): Security officials in western Farah province claimed rescuing a 14-year-old boy from a gang allegedly involved in human organs trading four months after his abduction.
A security official in Farah province told Pajhwok Afghan News Nani was freed during a raid on a house in Garni area of Khak-i-Safaid district.
He added the human traffickers abducted the boy four months back from Farah city, provincial capital of Farah.
“Such abductions are part of a larger gang that abducts children to remove their key body organs for trade,” said the official, who said the rescued child was handed to his family.
Farah police chief Colonel Muhammad Faqir Askaryar said a member of the gang involved in abduction of the boy Muhammad Ismail has been arrested with a gun.
Farah governor Rohul Amin said over the past one year, up to 30 people were rescued from abductors including three Iranians and a woman and 260 abductors arrested by police during that period.
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Parliament approves Land Expropriation Law
Mohammad Haseeb Noori & Zarghona Salehi – Oct 24, 2009 – 20:56
KABUL (PAN): Lower House of the Parliament approved Land Expropriation Law in its session on Saturday.
According to the law, if a person loses his/her land for public use shall be given either plot or money in return.
The draft law was sent to the Parliament in 2004 and ratified today.
Consisting of 23 sections, the law has now been sent for endorsement of the president.
According to the 40th article of the Afghan constitution, expropriation of a private property is only allowable by the government for public welfare schemes if an equivalent price of the property is paid to its owner.
Meanwhile, President Hamid Karzai stressed the need for promotion of higher education in the country.
In his message on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Kabul University, the country’s first higher education institution, the president said a great improvement was seen in enhancement of higher education over the past eight years, but more efforts were needed to further boost its level.
He asked the ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) to speed up its efforts in building the capacity of teachers, equipping laboratories and libraries with latest accessories.
MoHE minister Mohammad Azam Dadfer who attended the function said 30 years of war in the country had a devastating effect on higher education.
However, he added much has been done after the ouster of Taliban.
The Kabul University was first established in 1932.
According to Dr Obaidullah Obaid, head of medical faculty, 250 students annually graduate from the varsity while the number of graduates was 700 before the civil war in mid 90s.
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Nangarharis back Karzai as electioneering starts
Abdul Mueed Hashmi – Oct 24, 2009 – 19:19
JALALABAD (PAN): A countrywide electioneering has been launched for the November 7 runoff polls as a meeting was held in support of Hamid Karzai in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Saturday.
Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (AIEC) has announced last week that none of the presidential hopefuls succeeded to achieve the required number of votes in the August 20 polls. Hence, second round of the elections will be held between Hamid Karzai and runner up Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on November 7.
Election gatherings were held in different parts of the country in support of Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah on the first day of the formal election campaign on Saturday.
Around 1,000 elders attended a gathering in Jalalabad to announce their support for Hamid Karzai in the second round of polls. The gathering was organised by Nasratullah, candidate for the provincial council and son of former Nangarhar governor Haji Din Muhammad.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Nasratullah said the people of Nangarhar would fully participate in the second round of polls.
Alongside asking the people to cast their votes in the elections, he urged the gathering to support Karzai.
He demanded of the AIEC to take action against those responsible for fraud in the August 20 presidential elections.
An elder from Sherzad district, Haji Abdul Ahad, told Pajhwok they would fully support Karzai on November 7. “Karzai’s majority was openly converted into minority,” he added.
Head of the Arab community in Nangarhar Saifullah said the first round of the election was interfered and defamed by foreigners. “But this time, we will not allow any one to interfere in the polls,” he added.
He said the people of Afghanistan were united and any one fanning ethnic sentiments in the garb of elections, were enemies of the country.
It merits a mention here that it was the first meeting in support of a candidate being held in Nangahar since the announcement of second round of polls in the country last week.
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No fresh cards for runoff polls: AIEC
Zubair Babakarkhail – Oct 24, 2009 – 13:52
KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission (AIEC) has said it could not issue new cards to voters for the November 7 runoff polls.
The AIEC ordered a run-off for the disputed presidential election after a fraud investigation decreased incumbent Hamid Karzai’s votes below 50 percent of the total by invalidating ballots from 210 polling stations.
Many voters, who did not cast their votes in the first round on August 20, say they are eager to take part in the second round, but can not do so as the election officials are not going to issue them fresh cards.
Ahmad Khan, a resident of Bagrami district of Kabul, told Pajhwok he did not participate in the election. He went to the election office to get card, but was told that the election commission was not issuing fresh cards for the November 7 election.
Lal Agha, resident of Joi Haft area of Jalalabad in eastern Nangarhar province, also complained about non-issuance of card. The AIEC should open a small office in each province to issue cards to those who want to participate in the process this time, said Agha, who missed the previous election.
However, the AIEC officials said they could not issue fresh cards for the runoff process.
A spokesman for the AIEC, Noor Muhammad, told Pajhwok Afghan News the cards could not be issued due to shortage of time.
Officials of the election commission said they had issued 17 million cards for the previous presidential and provincial council elections across the country.
It merits a mention here that people less than 18 years of age are not eligible to participate in the process.
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Runoff polls: AIEC starts sending materials
Pajhwok Report – Oct 24, 2009 – 19:46
KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission on Saturday started transfer of election logistical materials to the polling stations for the November 7 runoff vote.
In a statement, the AIEC said the commission in accordance with its pre-made operational plans and after the announcement of the presidential election runoff has organized all its activities accordingly.
It said some of the necessary materials which were already at provincial offices have been packed and sent to the polling centers in accordance with the plan.
Two leading candidates, Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah will stand for runoff election on 7th of November.
Also 15 million ballot papers have been printed with the same characteristics of first round of election and will be deliver to the polling centers based with the transferring plan.
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NATO troops kill four civilians in Kandahar
Bashir Ahmad Nadem & Saboor Mangal – Oct 24, 2009 – 15:02
KANDAHAR CITY/KHOST CITY (PAN): NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops have reportedly opened fire at a civilian vehicle in the southern Kandahar province, killing four people including two women, sources said Saturday.
The incident happened in Chawni area of Kandahar City, provincial capital, at 3pm, said provincial information department.
In a statement, the department condemned the incident that happened when the foreign forces were passing the area.
The Governor’s House has launched an investigation into the incident.
Head of the Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar City, Dr. Mohammad Daud, told Pajhwok Afghan News four dead bodies and two injured persons were brought to the hospital.
The dead included two women, a child and a young boy, added Daud.
He said the condition of an injured woman was critical.
A family member of the victims, Ahmadullah, said the young boy who was killed in the incident, was going to marry tomorrow.
Canadian troops are based in Kandahar, but they have so far issued no statement about the killing of civilians.
Meanwhile, the information department said the foreign forces have detained a man allegedly involved in making and planting roadside bombs in Karez area of Maiwand district.
Four armed insurgents were killed and as many were detained by special foreign forces in Khoskawa area of the district, according to information department.
Taliban have so far said nothing about the incident.
Meanwhile, a military vehicle of foreign forces struck a roadside bomb in Rabath area of Paktia province this noon.
NATO office in the southeastern zone said the blast damaged the vehicle, but caused no casualties to the troops.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack killed five foreign soldiers.
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Foreigners among 18 dead in Bajaur drone attack
Pakhtun Khan Shinwari – Oct 24, 2009 – 13:23
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Three foreigners were among 18 Taliban militants killed in a pilot-less US spy plane’s missile strike in the lawless tribal region of Bajaur agency bordering Afghanistan, an official said Saturday.
A local official Haider Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News the attack took place this noon in Dama Dola area, targeting a base of the Taliban militants operating in the region.
He added the strike completely destroyed the base, killing 18 people including three aliens.
However, a resident of the area, Ihsanullah, said the drone targeted the house of local Taliban leader Maulvi Faqir Mohammad.
He said there were a number of local and foreign militants inside Mohammad’s house when the attack happened.
Among the dead were close relatives of the Taliban leader, said Ihsan.
A member of the militant group, Haji Zafar, said the attack happened at the house of one of Faqir Mohammad’s relatives.
He denied the killing of top militants or close aides of the Taliban commander.
A nephew and son-in-law of Faqir Mohammad were killed in the assault, he said.
The attack came as military operation against militants by Pakistani forces in South Waziristan, Bajaur and Mohmand Agency is ongoing.
Meanwhile, three people were killed and two others injured when an MI-17 helicopter crashed in tehsil Nawagai of Bajaur agency.
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A dozen militants killed in Kandahar, claims ISAF
Pajhwok Report – Oct 24, 2009 – 21:08
KABUL (PAN): A joint force of Afghan and international security troops killed a dozen militants and detained several suspects in southern Kandahar province after stopping a number of vehicles in pursuit of a Taliban commander on Thursday, the western military alliance said Saturday.
The joint force initially targeted a number of vehicles in transit across southern Maywand district after intelligence indicated militant activity, ISAF said in statement.
Several militants were killed after they failed to respond to warnings used by the joint force in the attempts to gain compliance of the militants and their vehicles.  Additionally, several suspected militants were detained. Subsequently, the joint force received hostile fire from militants in multiple vehicles maneuvering in the direction of the joint force.  The joint force returned fire, killing another group of militant. 
The joint force searched each of the vehicles and recovered a number of small arms weapons, documents and 2,600 pounds of black tar heroin.  The joint force identified one of the dead militants as the sought-after Taliban commander of Maywand District.
In a separate operation, the Afghan-international security force detained several suspected militants after searching compounds in Wardak Province known to be used by a Taliban commander and facilitator and his element responsible for several rocket and IED attacks in the region.
The joint security force targeted the compounds near the village of Patankhel in the Sayed Abad District after intelligence indicated militant activity.  The joint force searched the compound without incident and detained several suspected militants.  No shots were fired and no one was injured in the search.
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Commander among 7 Taliban killed in Ghazni
Sher Ahmad Haidar – Oct 25, 2009 – 16:28
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): A commander was among seven Taliban fighters killed in an explosion and an air strike separately in southern Ghazni province, officials said on Sunday.
In Andar district, a Taliban commander identified as Mullah Fazal Rahman with two others were killed last night when they were making bombs which detonated prematurely in the house of the commander in Gulo village, the district chief Yousuf Seraji told Pajhwok Afghan News.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the blast, saying foreign forces raided the house of Mullah Fazal Rahman, killing a Talib and three civilians.
A resident of the area, Naseem, said the slain people were Taliban fighters.
Elsewhere, four Taliban fighters were perished last night when foreign forces targeted them from the air in Qarabagh district.
District chief Mohibullah said after the air strike, the forces descended the helicopter and detained two other insurgents.
Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the air strike; but gave no details.
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ISAF probing civilian deaths in Kandahar
Pajhwok Report – Oct 25, 2009 – 15:25
KABUL (PAN): NATO-led ISAF has said the incident of civilian deaths in southern city of Kandahar that took place on Saturday was being investigated.
Four civilians were killed and two others were injured when the driver of a local vehicle failed to stop while approaching ISAF troops, the alliance said.
According to the initial report, ISAF troops tried repeatedly to signal the fast-approaching vehicle with passive measures, but fearing for their safety fired on the vehicle, the force said in a statement.
The injured were given immediate first aid before being taken to a nearby hospital by a local ambulance.
“We are deeply sorry for the loss of any life, especially civilians. We take many precautions to prevent this type of tragedy,” said Col. Wayne Shanks, an ISAF spokesman.
“However, we make every effort to minimize the risk of any damage, injury or loss of life to civilians during our operations.”
In a statement on Saturday, provincial information department condemned the incident that happened when the foreign forces were passing the area.
The Governor’s House has launched an investigation into the incident.
Head of the Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar City, Dr. Mohammad Daud, told Pajhwok Afghan News four dead bodies and two injured persons were brought to the hospital.
The dead included two women, a child and a young boy, added Daud.
He said the condition of an injured woman was critical.
A family member of the victims, Ahmadullah, said the young boy who was killed in the incident, was going to marry tomorrow.
He said the driver had parked the vehicle on the roadside and the foreign troops fired at it after they crossed.
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Cold storage for fresh fruits officially opens Wardak
Hakim Basharat – Oct 25, 2009 – 14:17
MAIDAN SHAHR (PAN): A cold storage built by the Turkish Provincial Reconstruction Team through the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) was officially opened in the central Maidan Wardak province on Saturday.
At the opening ceremony, Wardak Governor Feedai said that a new era started in the province as local fruit growers were introduced with a modern technology.
Governor thanked the Turkish PRT for its efforts to make the Cold Storage functional and encouraged the apple growers to store their products there.  
The amount of apple brought to the Cold Storage by the locals reached around 100 tonnes. 
For his part, the Turkish Ambassador Basat Ozturk stated that in line with the traditional friendship and cultural ties between Turkey and Afghanistan, Turkey will continue to extend its helping hand to this brotherly country.
Ambassador Ozturk added Turkey, by way of its PRT in Wardak, will sustain its efforts in the fields of education, health, good governance, security and humanitarian aid in order to increase the quality of life of the Afghan people.
Around 150 local people attended the ceremony.
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Forces kill several militants in separate operations
Pajhwok Report – Oct 25, 2009 – 20:17
KABUL PAN): Afghan and international joint security forces conducted four separate operations in eastern and southern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing several militants and detaining six others, the alliance said.
A joint security force killed several militants north of Khost City in Ghazni province after searching an enemy position in pursuit of a district Taliban commander linked to several other militant commanders and foreign fighters in the area, the force said in a statement.
During the operation, the joint force received hostile fire from an enemy position. Returning fire, they killed several militants. The joint force then searched the enemy location and found multiple rocket propelled grenades, AF-47 rifles and ammunition belts. All items were destroyed in place.
In another operation in Wardak province, a joint security force detained a couple of suspected militants after searching a compound known to be used by a Taliban commander. The joint force searched compounds near Maru village, southwest of Kabul without incident and without firing shots.
In a third operation today, the joint force detained a few suspected militants during a search of a compounds in Khost province known to be used by a Haqqani improvised explosive device technician linked to several militant commanders in the area. The joint force searched the compounds without incident.
In a separate operation in Kandahar province, a joint security force detained a couple of suspected militants after searching a compound in Kandahar province known to be used by a Taliban commander and his group believed to be responsible for several attacks in the Arghandab district. No shots were fired and no one was injured during this search.
No Afghan civilians were harmed during any these operations.
However, the statement said, one US service member was killed in an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan on Saturday.
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Fatimie in Ethiopia to attend meeting on maternal health
Zarghona Salehi – Oct 25, 2009 – 15:02
KABUL (PAN): Minister of Public Health Dr. Syed Mohammad Amin Fatimie has left for Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia, to attend a high level meeting on maternal health for paving the road to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG5) which is improving maternal health, the health ministry said Sunday.
The MDG5 aims to reduce the maternal death ratio by three quarters from 1990-2015 and achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015.
The meeting in Addis Ababa will result in a Call to Action that will make recommendations for specific programmes and for actions to reach the maternal health goal by 2015.
Afghanistan will strongly push the case and urge donor countries to invest more in programmes designed for the achievements of MDG5,” the ministry said in a statement.
The maternal mortality survey done by UNICEF and MoPH in 2002, showed a high level of mortality ranging from 1600 per 100,000 live births in Kabul to 6500 per 100,000 in Ragh district of Badakhshan.
MoPH Afghanistan can say with responsibility that improvement must have occurred in the health of mothers because 26 percent reduction has occurred in the mortality of children. “Health of child is very much related to the health of mother. Improvement in the health of infants and child could serve as surrogate indicator for the improvement of mother health.”
However, it is long way to go to achieve the MDG5 customized for Afghanistan, the statement added.
In addition to participating in this high level meeting, the Afghan team will be sharing some of its health system innovations with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MoH).
“In this regard Primary Health Care (PHC) of Afghanistan will be considered a model for the Ethiopian MoH. Afghanistan PHC is based on Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and is delivered to the rural communities through contracting out National and International NGOs, said Fatimie
The meeting is organized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The purpose of the meeting is to give maternal and reproductive health a more prominent place on the development agenda, and to increase the political and financial commitment to improve programme implementation at country level.
Every minute a woman dies due to pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes, which adds up to more than half a million women a year or more than 10 million women over a generation. And for every woman who dies, there are at least 20 others who are left with disabilities due to the lack of professional care. Moreover, access to sexual and reproductive health information and services is often of poor or not existing and quality is low, especially not catering for the needs of women and young people. Worldwide 1 in 10 women estimated at least 200 million women have an unmet need for family planning and contraceptives.
It is estimated that, by 2015, between $5.5 billion and $6.1 billion additional funding will be needed from domestic and international sources to accomplish MDG 5 to improve maternal health. In 2004, the worlds major donors invested only $530 million in maternal and newborn health.
MoPH is indebted to many individuals and health stakeholders, especially Afghan families and elders, the USAID, the World Bank, the European Commission, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, Rotary International, CIDA, MSF, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI Alliance) and JICA and many countries like USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Iran, Spain, Italy, Litvania, Canada, Australia, Brunei, AFD, Kinderberg International e.V., France, and Turkmenistan.
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83648
Four NATO soldiers die in south
Javed Hamim Kakar – Oct 25, 2009 – 15:45
KABUL (PAN): Four NATO-led International Security Assistance Force soldiers have been killed in separate improvised explosive device strikes in southern Afghanistan over the past 48 hours, the alliance said Sunday.
NATO media office in Kabul said among the fallen soldiers, three were Americans. However, it would not say about the nationality of the fourth soldier.
Meanwhile, Denmark’s defence ministry announced one of their soldiers has been killed in southern Afghanistan.
Taliban have also claimed they killed several foreign soldiers in their attacks in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
With the latest fatalities, the death toll of foreign soldiers has reached 424 during the ongoing year. In the previous year, 286 foreign soldiers were killed.
Separately, three Afghan National Army soldiers were wounded during an operation against militants in Kandahar province, the defence ministry said on Sunday.
In a statement, the ministry said the troops came under insurgent attack in Khos Madad area of Zeri district on Saturday when they were heading towards Kandahar City.
The injured troops were taken to a nearby hospital and their condition is stated to be stable.
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US forces open fire at civilians after bomb attack
Abdul Moeed Hashimi – Oct 25, 2009 – 20:20
MEHTARLAM (PAN): US forces on Sunday opened fire at civilians in eastern Laghman province after coming under a bomb attack this noon, killing a civilian and wounding three others, an official and a tribal elder said.
The incident came a day after foreign forces in Kandahar killed four civilians in a car after its driver failed to stop.
The bomb attack happened on the US forces in Safi Qala area of Mehtarlam city, provincial capital at 1pm.
A tribal elder named Zabardast Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News soon after the blast, two helicopters arrived at the scene and airlifted the dead and wounded soldiers.
He added after the blast, the forces cordoned off four villages.
Governor Lutfullah Mashal also confirmed the attack on US forces, but gave no details.
However, he rejected the report that the forces had fired at civilians.
Head of the Laghan Civil Hospital, Abdul Latif Qayumi said a seriously injured girl was brought to the hospital who was referred to Nangarhar civil hospital.
However, an official, who declined to be identified, told this news agency that one civilian was killed and three others sustained injuries in the gunshots fired by the US forces.
US forces have so far issued no statement about the blast and fire incident.
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Ammunition depots seized in Herat
Ahmad Qureshi – Oct 25, 2009 – 16:46
HERAT CITY (PAN): Three arms depots were seized in a raid by intelligence operatives in Guzrah district of western Herat province, officials said on Sunday.
An official of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) told Pajhwok Afghan News 300 rockets and mortar shells, 21 missiles, five anti-tank mines, 4 jerry-cans, 1000 cartridges of machine-gun and explosives were seized from the hidden depots in gardens and barren areas of Syawshan area of the district.
The source added the ammunitions and explosives were meant for using in disruptive activities by militants.
A resident of the area, Abdul Ghaffoor, said there could be more such depots in the area. He made an appeal to the government to search for them.
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No more troops to Afghanistan: Ordogan
Pashtun Shinwari – Oct 25, 2009 – 21:31
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Turkish Prime Minister Rajab Taib Ordogan on Sunday said his country has no plan to send more troops to Afghanistan as part of the US-led international war against terrorism.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gillani after a meeting in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Ordogan said his country wanted stability and security in the war-ravaged country.
“Turkey wants Afghanistan to be a self-dependent nation,” he said.
The Turkish leader also hailed Pakistan’s efforts for calling a trilateral summit between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey on regional situation.
He said Turkey strongly supported Pakistan on all regional issues. “The terrorists no specific religion and they are killing innocent Muslims to achieve their nefarious designs,” added Ordogan
To a question, the Turkish premier said his country did not have any plan to increase the number of their country’s troops under NATO command in Afghanistan.
He said the Turkish forces will take charge of NATO forces in Afghanistan next month.
An international conference will be held about Afghanistan in which friendly countries would participate, said Ordogan, but gave no further details.
Turkey has 730 troops in Afghanistan and so far two had been killed.
During his two days trip to Pakistan, the Turkish prime minister will address Pakistani parliament on Monday.
A press release from Pakistan prime minister secretariat to Pajhwok Afghan News said the two leaders exchanged views on various issues concerning both the countries.
The release added in addition to political, economical and trade relations, the issues of fight against terrorism and Afghanistan’s security were also came under discussion.
Both the leaders pledged to jointly fight the twin menaces of terrorism and extremism and will work on security and reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Pakistani prime minister told the press conference that he briefed his Turkish counterpart on the situation arising from the war on terror.
Gillani said it has been decided that the presidents of both the countries will hold meetings once a year.
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Envoy condemns arrest of Afghans in Pakistan
Pakhtun Shinwai – Oct 25, 2009 – 12:37
ISLAMABAD (PAN): Afghanistan has asked the Pakistani authorities to release the Afghans arrested by the Pakistani security agencies.
The demand was made following the recent arrest of Afghans by Pakistani security agencies in NWFP, Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Afghanistan ambassador in Islamabad Majnoon Gulab Zazai condemned the arrest of Afghans in Pakistan and said he had conveyed the same message to the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad.
In an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, the envoy said: “We want the Pakistani police not to tease Afghans and release all those arrested in different areas of the country recently.’
Spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Basit Khan said that the security agencies had launched operations in different parts of the country following the recent attacks.
He said hundreds of suspects had been arrested as a result of the operations.
He said only those Afghans were arrested and investigated who did not possess the necessary documents for stay in Pakistan. “Afghans are our brothers and the government highly values its ties with Afghanistan.”
The UNHCR officials said that Afghans having registration cards could live in Pakistan for three years. The UNHCR spokesman Asif Shahzad told Pajhwok that police had no right to arrest Afghans having the registration cards.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani authorities have asked Afghans living in and around the central capital Islamabad to leave the areas. Afghan envoy condemned the orders from the Pakistani authorities and termed it against the agreement with the UN and Afghan government.
Arrest of Afghans is continued in different parts of Pakistan. Police in Sindh province had arrested around 100 Afghans two days ago. Nearly 200 were arrested in Punjab. The arrest of Afghans in NWFP and the city of Peshawar are also continued.
Shah Nawaz, a police officer at the Tatara Police Station in Hayatabad locality of Peshawar, told Pajhwok that several suspected Afghans had been arrested following the recent blast in Peshawar.
He said the detainees were being investigated those found innocent would be freed soon.
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Commander among five killed in Farah: officials
Ahmad Shah Sabir & Kharotai – Oct 25, 2009 – 19:52
ZARANJ (PAN): Security officials said they had killed a Taliban commander and four of his men in an overnight clash in the southwestern Farah province.
Spokesman for the Afghan National Army in the western zone Colonel Ghulam Mahaiuddin told Pajhwok Afghan News the firefight reupted when the ANA and foreign soldiers found a hideout of insurgents in Bakwah district late Saturday evening.
Five guerrillas were killed while the ANA soldiers had received no fatalities, he claimed. A regional Taliban commander Mullah Najebullah was among the slain fighters, said Governor of Farah province Roohul Amin.
He said the soldiers had recovered a machinegun, an explosive laden waistcoat used for suicide attack and some other explosives from the hideout of the militants. But a Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said their fighters killed 11 foreign troops in the battle.
He admitted that two of their men were killed and a vehicle damaged in the clash.
In Nimroz province, a former jihadi commander handed over light and heavy weapons to Disarmament of Illegal Armed Group (DIAG) programme on Sunday.
Nimroz police chief Col. Abdul Jabbar Purdili said the 30 pieces of weapons were surrendered by Haji Fazal Ahmad. The arms included one anti-aircraft gun, rocket launcher, one machinegun, some Kalashnikovs and other weapons.
In Paktika, three militants, including a commander, were killed in a clash with police in Bakkhel district late Saturday night, Hamidullah Zhwak, spokesman for the provincial governor told Pajhwok Afghan News on Sunday.
Zhwak said fighting took place as police received a tip off from the local people about the presence of Taliban. Mullah Nek Muhammad, a commander along with his two fighters, was killed while two other militants suffered injuries in the clash, he added.
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Ghazni, Wardak gets reconstruction projects
Zarghona Salehi & Hakim Basharat – Oct 25, 2009 – 19:54
KABUL (PAN): Buildings for the higher education institute in Ghazni province will be constructed in six months at the cost of 61 million afghanis.
An agreement was inked between the Minister for Higher Education Muhammad Azam Dadfar and a private construction company here on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Dadfar said the building would be completed in six months from the development budget of the ministry.
He said the new department would have the capacity of seating for 320 students at a time while 250 students could be adjusted at the hostel.
The higher education Institute of Ghazni was established in 2008 which has 216 students and has agriculture and education departments which are currently based in a rental house.
Separately, foundation stone of district offices and police headquarters was laid in Jalriz district of the central Maidan Wardak province on Sunday.
Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman for the provincial governor, told Pajhwok Afghan News the two building would be completed at the cost of 1.7 million US dollars granted by the US forces stationed in the province.
He said the two buildings would have 30 rooms with other apartments, which would be constructed on 1.5 acres of land.
He said the projects would be completed in 10 months.
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HIA, tribal elders voice support for Karzai
Frozan Rahmani & Sarfaraz – Oct 25, 2009 – 12:50
KABUL/KUNDUZ (PAN): Harakat-i-Islami Afghanistan and tribal elders from the northern Kunduz province have voiced support for President Hamid Karzai in the run-off elections scheduled to be held on November 7.
Abdul Ghani Kazimi, head of the party told a news conference here on Sunday that Karzai was the proper candidate for the presidential slot as he was well aware of the country’s politics and had maintained national unity in the previous years.
Therefore, he said, the Harkat-i-Islami would fully support the incumbent president in his struggle for another term in office.
The participants called Karzai a moderate, realistic, willing to accept criticism, respectful to political and civil freedoms and a talented person.
Speaking on the occasion, head of party’s executive council Abdul Qayum Danish said although Karzai’s government had some weaknesses, but his positive points were more than that. “This is why, we support him in the upcoming polls,” he added. The party had supported Karzai in the August 20 polls.
Meanwhile, more than 200 tribal elders announced their support for President Karzai in Kunduz province on Sunday. The elders said foreign intervention forced Karzai to accept the run-off process and they would definitely cast their vote in favour of the president in the upcoming polls.
The second term election is scheduled to be held on November 7. Polling has already started on Saturday. Karzai has to face his former foreign minister Dr. Abdullah in the election.
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30 uplift schemes launched in north
Zabihullah Ihsas & Hamid – Oct 25, 2009 – 20:11
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): As many as 30 uplift schemes have been launched by the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) of the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Rural Development (MRRD) in the northern Balkh and Jawzjan provinces, officials said on Sunday.
Communication officer with the NSP in the norther zone Farid Ahmad Sadat told Pajhwok Afghan News 5,000 families of Balkh, Charbuldak and Chahar Kant districts would benefit from 18 projects there.
He said the projects included installment of nine electricity transformers with spreading of 41 kilometres electricity line, two school buildings, three community centres and 24 small bridges.
He added the projects, costing more than 41 million afghanis, would be completed in two years. Elsewhere, a dozen uplift projects were inaugurated by NSP in northern Jawzjan province.
Head of the Rehabilitation and Rural Development Directorate Eng. Mohammad Yousuf, said more than 2700 families of Qarqeen, Darz-i-Aab, Mangjak, Mordyan and Aqcha districts and provincial capital Shiberghan would benefit from the projects.
He said the projects would be completed at the cost of 82,000 US dollars provided by the ministry.
Eng. Yousuf added the projects included construction of 29 small bridges, three community centres, three water storage facilities, three wells, a training course of carpet weaving and 640 metres water supply pipeline.
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Goshta district elders boycott govt schools
Abdul Mueed Hashmi – Oct 25, 2009 – 20:15
JALALABAD (PAN): Residents in Goshta district of the eastern Nangarhar province boycotted the government to mark their protest against the house search and arrest of innocent people by the foreign troops.
The dwellers said they would not send their children to schools to mark their protest.
An elder from the district Roohul Amin told Pajhwok Afghan News that NATO forces searched their houses and arrested people after a blast in the area three days ago.
According to the elder, the people complained that the NATO soldiers took away cash amount and clothes they had found in the house during search.
He said elders from Goshta visiting the district headquarters the other day to release the people detained on the basis of suspicions, but they were not freed by the security forces.
Spokesman for the police headquarters in Nangarhar Colonel Abdul Ghafoor told Pajhwok Afghan News that a landmine attack was carried out on a NATO convoy in Goshta district a few days ago. He said the troops searched three houses after the blast and arrested three people.
Colonel Ghafoor said the troops searched four more houses on the basis of information they got from the three people and they arrested another suspect named Pehlawan. He said the elders of Goshta district had announced their boycott against the arrest of Pehlawan and stopped sending their children to schools.
A said a delegation had been sent into the area to talk to the elders and solve the issue. Head of the education department in the province Muhammad Iqbal Azizi told Pajhwok that they had come to know today that the people of Goshta district had stopped sending their children to schools.
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Protesters want water accords with Iran, Pakistan
Zubair Babakarkhail – Oct 25, 2009 – 12:15
KABUL (PAN): Participants of protest demonstration here demanded of the government to work out a procedure for the water flowing into Iran and Pakistan.
The protest demonstration was organised by member of the Wolesi Jirga Najeebullah Kabuli here on Sunday. The protest demo started from the Shar-e-Naw Park and concluded in front of the Iranian embassy.
The protesters, carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans regarding right of Afghanistan on its water sources, asked the government to decide the water issue with Iran and Pakistan in line with the international laws.
The organisers of the demonsration asked the rest of Afghans to join hands with them for their rights. Addressing the gathering, Najeebullah Kabuli said the water issue was a matter of life and death for Afghans.
“We want to stop the water flowing into Iran and Pakistan. Every Iranian is benefiting from the water but not the Afghans who have right over it,” said Kabuli.
He said they would not allow any one to usurp the rights of their country and their people. He alleged that Iran was not allowing construction of Salma Dam on Harirod River and this was why construction workers of the dam were attacked more than once.
A declaration was also released upon the conclusion of the protest demonstration. The declaration said Afghanistan could not become a sovereign state unless it define its frontiers with the neighbours.
The declaration said the people of Afghanistan would not accept the control of foreigners on their water and other resources.
The protesters asked the government to ascertain the capacity of the water flowing from Afghanistan into Iran and Pakistan and then enter into an agreement with the two countries in light of the international laws.
According to a survey of the Ministry of Water and Energy, Afghanistan has 75 billion squares feet water resources.
Twenty per cent of that is under ground. The survey said that only 25 to 30 per cent of the water is used in Afghanistan and that too, only in traditional ways.
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ISAF rejects Taliban dropping allegations
Zabihullah Ishas – Oct 25, 2009 – 20:42
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF0 in northern Afghanistan rejected allegations regarding air dropping of Taiban or other opposition members in the northern zone.
Brig. General Urgen Setzer, ISAF commander in northern zone, told a news conference on Saturday afternoon that foreign forces choppers did not drop Taliban or other opposition members in the northern zone.
He said he had not been provided with photo, video or any other evidence proving the charges against the multinational force. He added: “These are just rumours carrying no truth.”
Addressing a news conference earlier, President Hamid Karzai had said that armed men were dropped from helicopters through parachute in three northern provinces, including Kunduz, Baghlan and Samangan.
The president did not mention where the choppers came from, but said investigations had been launched.
Major General Murad Ali Murad, commander of 209 Shaheen military corps, did not dispute the claim regarding dropping of armed men through parachute from helicopters, but he also did give more details.
General Murad said some parts of Baghlan and Kunduz and Ghormach district of Faryab province were the restive areas in the north. However Afghan National Army (ANA) had carried out operations which had weakened the Taliban, he added.
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Four US soldiers die as helicopters collide
Pajhwok Report – Oct 26, 2009 – 14:40
KABUL (PAN): Two International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopters were involved in what was believed to be a mid-air collision in southern Afghanistan this morning, killing four US soldiers, the alliance said Monday.
In the statement, ISAF said its two service members were also injured in the incident, currently being investigated. But it is confirmed that hostile fire was not involved.
US spokesman Colonel Wayne Shanks, confirms the four ISAF service members were from the US.
While in western Afghanistan, one helicopter went down due to unconfirmed reasons.  Military casualties are reported and a recovery operation is underway.
The incident happened as a joint international security force was departing after it searched a suspected compound believed to harbour insurgents conducting activities related to narcotics trafficking in western Afghanistan.
During the operation, insurgent forces engaged the joint force and more than a dozen enemy fighters were killed in the ensuing fire fight.
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Quran desecration allegations proved false: ISAF
Pajhwok Report – Oct 26, 2009 – 18:48
KABUL (PAN): NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) has rejected the incident of burning a copy of Holy Quran by a US soldier in central Maidan Wardak province more than a week ago, terming the accusations as false.
The rumours of torching the Quran by a US service member in the Maidan Shahr district triggered protests in several parts of the country.
In response to the accusations that international forces dishonored the holy book after striking an improvised explosive device in Wardak province Oct. 14, ISAF troops conducted an investigation in conjunction with local Afghan National Army commanders and found the claim groundless, the alliance said in a statement issued here on Monday.  
A spokesman for the Governor of Wardak, Mohammad Alim Fadayee, and Mullah Qari of the ANA unit in Wardak, publicly stated that ISAF troops were not responsible for the desecration and found no wrongdoing by international forces, added the statement. 
In his address to citizens in Kowte Ashrow, Mullah Qari provided the results of the investigation into the incident and offered an explanation. 
Dear brothers, recently, the incident of burning of the Quran that happened in Kowte Ashrow, it was the actions of the enemies of Afghanistan and Islam for their private purposes, the statement said, quoting Qari, as saying. The enemies of Afghanistan are trying to make people go against the government in order to start riots.
The statement further said ISAF will always cooperate fully with the Afghan authorities and condemns any behavior that disrespects Islam or the people of Afghanistan.
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Abdullah worried about fraud in runoff
Lalit K Jha – Oct 26, 2009 – 16:11
WASHINGTON (PAN): Ruling out any coalition government with incumbent Hamid Karzai, his main rival Dr Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday publicly expressed his apprehension about possibilities of fraud and electoral malpractices during the November 7 run-off.
Appearing on at least two major American television networks on Sunday, Dr Abdullah said he remains apprehensive about another attempt of fraud by his rivals on November 7 when the country goes to poll to elect its president in the second round.
I am very concerned about this and I think I need to decide in the coming days on what to do about it, Abdullah told the CNN in an interview, adding that he would soon come up with sets of measures and conditions so that this could not be repeated.
If you think that we cannot exclude fraud this time around, so I do not want this upcoming opportunity to turn into another waste. So in that sense, I hope that together with the international community, we can come up with measures that ensure transparency and fairness of the elections, Abdullah said.
On Friday, the Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, had said that he expected the elections this time to have less irregularity but not full proof, by western standards.
I am not talking about boycott at this stage, though my supporters are pressing on that point, that if the state machinery a fraud, as well as election commission, which was unfortunately involved in fraud — both are in place, and then both are working in collaboration with one another, perhaps we might have to go through the same sort of saga, Abdullah told the Fox News in another interview.
Abdullah said he is working with the international community on sets of conditions which have to be met. These are not conditions in favor of one candidate against another, he said adding some of the things he will be putting forward are very serious issues.
Without it, without considering it, we will not have a transparent, credible process, and it will be very difficult to convince the people to turn out and to show up, because the people are taking risk. And they are taking risk in the first round elections, he said.
Meanwhile the White House said the US President, Barack Obama, would hold another Situation Room meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan with his national security team.
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Soldiers among a dozen killed in violence
Ahmad Shah Saber – Oct 26, 2009 – 13:35
KABUL/ZARANJ (PAN): Ten Taliban insurgents were killed in an Afghan National Army soldiers operation backed by foreign forces’ air support in southwestern Nimroz province, the defence ministry said on Monday.
The operation was carried out in Khashrod district last night, the ministry said in a statement.
District chief Mohammad Hashim Noorzai also confirmed the operation, saying US-led coalition forces bombarded the hideouts of Taliban in Kotalak area.
He added six dead bodies of the militants were found in the area.
In a separate statement, the defence ministry said two ANA soldiers were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in struck a roadside bomb in southern Helmand province. The blast happened in Yakhchal area of Greshk district.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
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25 militants eliminated in Badghis, Taliban rebut
Abdul Latif Ayubi & Ahmad Qureshi – Oct 26, 2009 – 18:10
QALA-I-NAW/ HERAT (PAN): Twenty-five militants were killed in a joint operation involving Afghan and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in western Badghis province, security officials claimed on Monday.
Deputy Commander of the 207th Zafar Military Corps in western zone, Gen. Khair Mohammad Khawri, told Pajhwok Afghan News a group of militants was eliminated during the joint offensive led by Afghan National Army troops and assisted by ISAF soldiers’ air support in Dara-i-Boom area of Maqur district last night.
Deputy police chief Col. Mohammad Jabar said the operation was launched after reports indicated presence of the militants planning to attack a military base of the US forces in the district.
He added seven militants were also wounded in the operation. Among the dead rebels, eight were the armed men of Mullah Ghausuddin alias Syah, a militant commander in the region.
Mullah Ghawsuddin having 50 gunmen is one of the sub-commanders of Maulvi Abdul Qudoos in Dara-i-Boom.
In a statement, ISAF said more than a dozen militants were killed in Badghis province, but gave no more details.
However, Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid denied casualties to the guerillas, saying civilians were killed in the air strike.
A resident of the district, Arbab Hanif, said two women, a man and a child of a family were killed and 25 shops were blown up in the air raid.
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Female worker of Governor’s House shot dead
Ahmad Jawed Jawed – Oct 26, 2009 – 17:50
MAHMUD RAQI (PAN): Suspected militants gunned down a female guard of the Governor’s House of central Kapisa province late Sunday night, an official said on Monday.
Rehana, 40, was shot dead at her house by unknown attackers in the 1st police district of Kohistan district, district chief Abdul Fatah Shafiq, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Her 15-year-old son was also wounded in the assault that happened at 10pm in Khum Zarghar village.
Her teenaged daughter, Zarifa, told police unknown gunmen knocked at their door last night and as her mother went to the door to see who was there, the men opened fire at her, killing her on the spot. She said her injured brother was shifted to a hospital in Panjsher.
She added they had no enmity with anyone and had received no warning prior to the incident.
Provincial police chief, Major General Matiullah Safi, said the police are investigating into the murder.
Sardar Wali, who introduced himself as Taliban local commander in the area, claimed responsibility for killing the women. He said they had warned her many times to leave the job, but she defied their order.
myn/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83738
US mourns its soldiers, civilians deaths
Pajhwok Report – Oct 26, 2009 – 16:17
KABUL (PAN): The United States Monday mourned the death of three civilian members of its embassy community and seven members of the US military killed in a helicopter crash in western Afghanistan.
In a statement, the US embassy in Kabul said the helicopter, carrying Afghan security forces, US military and US civilians, crashed for unknown reasons. Fourteen Afghan security personnel, 11 US military personnel, and one American civilian were also injured in the crash.
“We wish for a speedy recovery for those injured today, and send our thoughts and sympathies to those families who lost loved ones,” the statement said.
Four US soldiers were also killed in a mid-air collision of two NATO helicopters in southern Afghanistan.
pr/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83742
Bomber targeting official meeting killed in east
Abdul Moeed Hashmi & Mangal – Oct 26, 2009 – 18:38
JALALABAD (PAN): Police killed a suicide bomber before he could target a gathering of high ranking government officials taking place at a local hotel in the eastern Nangarhar province on Monday.
The bomber with a gun was shot dead at the entrance of the Haji Qadir Hotel where a gathering of government officials was ongoing at approximately 9:00am, a waiter of the hotel informed Pajhwok Afghan News, seeking anonymity.
The suicide attacker was killed after he lobbed a hand grenade at the vehicle of governor Gul Agha Sherzai parked outside the hotel. But the governor was not present at the time of the attack, Qadar Wafa, a cameraman associated with the national television said.
Head of traders union, Dr. Najibullah, who attended the gathering, said the governor was on his way to the hotel when the incident happened. It was a meeting of the sectorial directors, he explained.
Another suicide attacker was detained alive near the Governor’s House, added Najibullah.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said their two fighters had entered two separate government buildings in Nangarhar province.
In Khost, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has claimed killing five militants and detaining two others. The NATO press office in Khost said these militants were killed and arrested in an overnight operation in Sabari district.
But a local resident Haleem said the foreign forces raided a civilian house house last night. Among the dead, two were the house owners and the three others were guests who had come to the house from the neighbouring villages, he added.
According to Haleem, one of the dead was an Imam and a religious scholar at a religious seminary.
Sabari district chief Zarm Moeed also confirmed the offensive and said the militants were killed after a long resistance.
Salahuddin Ayubi, a regional insurgent commander, meanwhile, said none of their fighters has been killed in the attack. “All those killed by NATO forces are local civilians,” he claimed.
frm/ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83753
Abdullah wants AIEC chief dismissed
Zubair Babkarkhel – Oct 26, 2009 – 11:22
KABUL (PAN): Spelling out his conditions for holding the second round of presidential elections, runner-up Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on Monday called for immediate dismissal of Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission chief and suspension of some ministers.
Speaking at a news conference here, Abdullah said Azizullah Lodin should be replaced within five days, accusing him of no credibility.
Lodin had denied the allegations.
Abdullah said all those workers implicated in fraud should be sacked.
“I have the conditions for holding a free and fair election that the interior, education, border and tribal affairs ministers and director general of independent directorate of local governance should remain suspended on the Day of Election and the IEC chief be dismissed ,” he said.
Abdullah insisted that his observers should be allowed to monitor activities of the said officials during the election process.
He said the 500 polling stations established in insecure areas must be closed as there were irregularities in the first round. He asked for dismissal of those IEC workers who he believed were involved in rigging instead of transferring them from one province to another.
He said his demands were not aimed at personnel gains, but he wanted to ensure a fair second round of the presidential elections.
He also demanded probe into the allegations and complaints regarding provincial council elections and making the outcome of the investigation public.
The key challenger to incumbent president Hamid Karzai also sought the suspension of some ministers who he said campaigned for Karzai before the official campaigning period.
President Karzai and Abdullah have begun their two-week campaigns Sunday ahead of the run-off election as the AIEC ordered a run-off for the disputed presidential election after a fraud investigation decreased incumbent Hamid Karzai’s votes below 50 percent of the total.
However, Abdullah would not say what would be his reaction if his demands were not met.
He said he would show his reaction if faced with that unfortunate situation.
To a question, he said his conditions were simple and were not aimed at creating troubles in the way of holding the elections.
He said he had sent his conditions to the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and the AIEC.
ma
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http://www.pajhwok.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=83757
16 Americans lost lives in Afghanistan
Pahwok Report – Oct 26, 2009 – 11:52