U.S. President George W. Bush stands with recipients of the 2005 Democracy Award of the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington July 13, 2005. The three democracy activists from Afghanistan are leaders of civil society organizations and have distinguished themselves in educating average citizens and local leaders about the basic values and principles of democracy. With the president are (L - R) : Mohammed Nasib, Sakeena Yacoobi and Sarwar Hussaini. REUTERS/White House photo/Erik Draper

President Karzai strongly denounces Killing of Cleric Saleh Mohammad - Press Release - Date: 13 July, 2005

Presidential Palace, Kabul- H.E Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, strongly condemned killing of the head of the Scholars’ Council of Helmand Province by the enemies of Islam and people of Afghanistan.

Cleric Saleh Mohammad was attacked and martyred by the enemies of peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, while leaving home for leading the Morning Prayer in Lashkargah Mosque.

Late Cleric Saleh Mohammad was one of the prominent scholars of Afghanistan who had spent so many years of his life in service to Islam and miserable people of Afghanistan.

At hearing the news H.E Hamid Karzai said: “I am profoundly saddened by the incident. Such attacks, targeting religious figures and Islamic Scholars, are carried out by the enemies of prosperity of Afghan people.”

H.E. Hamid Karzai extended his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Late Cleric Saleh Mohammad and instructed the relevant authorities to arrest the culprits and bring them to justice.

Released by the office of the Spokesman to the President - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

President Karzai saddened by the news of death and injury of hundreds in Pakistan

Presidential Palace, Kabul- H.E Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is saddened by the news of train accident in Pakistan, killing and injuring hundred of people.

The accident happened early in the morning today near the town of Ghotki in Sindh Province, when three passenger trains collided and resulted in death of at least 120 and injured hundreds more.

In his reaction to the news, the president said, “I am deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident. I, on behalf of the Afghan people, present my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims as well as people of Pakistan and wish prompt recovery to the injured.”

Released by the office of the Spokesman to the President - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Afghanistan force pays tribute to London dead

KABUL, July 14 (Reuters) - Soldiers from the multinational force pursuing Islamic militants in Afghanistan joined a silent tribute on Thursday to those killed in the London bombings, saying the attacks reminded them why they were fighting.

British and allied troops observed two minutes of silence at bases in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan as similar tributes to the 52 people killed in London on July 7 were held in other parts of the world.

"It is a good reminder to all of us why we are actually all here," British Major-General Peter Gilchrist, deputy commander of the U.S.-led military forces in Afghanistan, told one ceremony.

He said this was given particular emphasis as one of the bombers identified had visited Pakistan and Afghanistan. "We will all, I think, be stronger in terms of our resolve for what we have to do while we are here," Gilchrist said.

Three of the London bombers have been identified as British Muslims of Pakistani decent, and Britain's close allegiance with the United States and its military presence in both Afghanistan and Iraq have been seen as motives for the attacks.

According to Pakistani intelligence officials, one of the bombers, Shehzad Tanweer, spent two months in Afghanistan last year and four months in Pakistan at an Islamic school of a type widely seen by security agencies as militant breeding grounds.

The American commander of the force in Afghanistan said U.S. and British troops had been fighting side-by-side since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States and the London bombings had strengthened the bond.

"For those who lost, for those who hurt, and those who mourn, our prayers are with you in London," Lieutenant-General Karl Eikenberry said. British forces were part of the original U.S.-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban in late 2001 for refusing to hand over Sept. 11 architect Osama bin Laden.

Britain has about 1,100 military personnel in the country serving both as peacekeepers and with the U.S.-led anti-militant force. They include Gurkha troops from Nepal.

Afghan Foreign Minister Condemns London Bombings

The Office of the Spokesperson reports that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, H.E. Dr. A. Abdullah, sent a message of sympathy to his British counterpart, H.E. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, expressing solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom and condolences to the families of the victims of Thursday’s terrorist attacks in London.

Dr. Abdullah said that Afghans are outraged by the indiscriminate brutal bombings that took the lives of many innocent civilians in London. He added that the Muslim people of Afghanistan - long a victim of international terrorism themselves - condemn the bombings and consider them a distortion of the Islamic faith perpetrated by misled fanatics.

“Unfortunately, terrorism has once again shown its true face to the entire world,” said the Afghan Foreign Minister. He urged all Muslim communities and peace-loving people to stand firm and committed to wage an effective fight against this global menace. (Kabul, July 10)

India agrees to join Trans-Afghan pipeline project

New Delhi, July 13 (RIA Novosti, Natalia Shilo) - India has agreed to join the ambitious trans-Afghan pipeline project, Pakistani Deputy Oil and Gas Minister Ahmad Waqar said Wednesday. The pipeline will transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to India through Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The deputy minister spoke to reporters in New Delhi after a session of the bilateral Indian-Pakistani working group for energy cooperation. Waqar co-chairs the group with an Indian Deputy Oil and Gas Minister, S.B. Tripathi.

India expressed interest in joining the trans-Afghan pipeline project last month. Officials from the Indian Oil Ministry have now been invited to attend sessions of expert commissions working on the project.

Earlier this year, the Asian Development Bank submitted a feasibility study on the trans-Afghan pipeline project. The study was carried out by the British company Penspen in accordance with the agreement concluded in 2002 by the four states participating in the project.

The pipeline, 1,680 kilometers long and 56 inches in diameter, will run from Douletabad, in Turkmenistan, to the Indian town of Fazilka, which is near the Pakistani border. It is designed to withstand pressures of up to 100 times atmospheric pressure; and its projected annual capacity is 33 billion cubic meters. The pipeline and six compressor stations will cost an estimated $3.3 billion to build. Construction is due to commence in 2006.

Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov has repeatedly invited Gazprom to join the project, but the Russian gas giant has so far declined. This is hardly surprising, given that Ashgabat's policy of diversifying gas exports runs counter to Russian interests.

Afghan minister welcomes Aussie troops – Sydney Morning Herald 7/14/05

"We had asked all friends of Afghanistan to continue to contribute for the security of the elections," he said. "And for the fact that they are doing exactly what we had asked for, we are grateful."

Dr Abdullah acknowledged the SAS would be doing dangerous work but said the bigger picture also needed to be considered. "I think the countries who have committed forces here, they know that there are certain risks involved in peacekeeping and peace-making missions as well as in fighting against terrorism," he said.

"But looking at the wider danger, in general terms, the threat which terrorists are posing to the rest of the world is much more risky, much more dangerous.

"And it is the right time and right place to contribute to defeat those forces of evil that have inflicted casualties upon too many innocent people." But he said it was not yet possible to say exactly what the SAS will do.

"These are the details of the mission which will be (worked out) in consultation with the coalition forces and the the international forces, as well as with the government of Afghanistan," he said. "I am certain that they will be playing an important role and it is a significant step."

Hundreds of people, many of them guerrillas, have been killed since violence in the country stepped up in March ahead of the September elections. At least 33 US troops have been killed in action since March.

The Afghan foreign minister has welcomed Australia's upcoming troop deployment but cannot yet confirm exactly what their role will be. Speaking in Kabul, Abdullah Abdullah said his government was pleased Australia was upping its commitment to help fight a resurgent Taliban and suspected al-Qaeda terrorists.

"We welcome it and we are grateful," Dr Abdullah told ABC radio. "We appreciate that the Australian government has taken this decision." Australia will send 150 special forces troops to Afghanistan in a $100 million deployment to counter increasing violence ahead of elections scheduled for September 18.

Prime Minister John Howard also said Australia was considering sending a 200-strong provincial reconstruction team (PRT) to the country next year, but a final decision has not been made.

Dr Abdullah last month called for help from Australia to stem escalating violence, with the shooting down of a US helicopter by Taliban forces highlighting fresh security concerns in his country.

SAS 'hunting Taliban within weeks'- By Brendan Nicholson - The Age - Australia

Australian SAS soldiers on patrol near Bagram in Afghanistan during their last tour of duty in 2002. Within weeks, soldiers from Australia's elite Special Air Service Regiment will be hunting down Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents in the mountains along Afghanistan's porous and highly dangerous border with Pakistan.

Prime Minister John Howard announced yesterday that a special forces task group of about 150 SAS troops, commandos and support personnel would be sent to Afghanistan in about eight weeks.

They would stay for about a year and be back in Australia in time to help provide security for the 2007 Australia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum summit, Mr Howard said.

The Government was also considering sending a 200-strong provincial reconstruction team of military engineers to Afghanistan next year to help rebuild the war-ravaged country.

The decision to send the troops was made after requests at a military level from the US, Afghanistan and other countries to help deal with resurgent Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, Mr Howard said.

He conceded that the Australian forces could suffer casualties. During the previous SAS deployment in Afghanistan, one soldier was killed. Mr Howard said the Government had no plans to send more troops to Iraq as present deployment was appropriate.

Afghanistan's ambassador to Australia, Mahmoud Saikal, said yesterday that the SAS was badly needed along the Pakistan border, where the rise in violence in recent months had taken place.

He said the Taliban were being supported across the border by Pakistani extremists and even officers of Pakistan's intelligence service. "'Unfortunately leading figures of the Taliban, in the light of the day are wandering around towns of Pakistan," Mr Saikal said.

"They give interviews to the press, they hold meetings, they enjoy the support of radical and extremist parties in that country and certain elements within the intelligence service of that country."

Mr Saikal said 40 foreign insurgents captured in recent weeks came from Pakistan. "Let's not forget that the birth of al-Qaeda and the birth of the Taliban took place in Pakistan."

SAS support would be vital in the lead-up to Afghanistan's September 18 parliamentary elections, he said. " "We have a historic parliamentary election ahead of us, and we must make sure that Afghanistan is safe and secure for holding the election.

"We need long-term support and commitment from the world community. "The Australian provincial reconstruction team, which is likely to be in our country as early as April next year, is a clear sign of longer-term Australian commitment towards the stability and reconstruction of our country."

He said that in the past 31/2 years nearly 4 million refugees had re turned to Afghanistan. That was the equivalent of the whole population of New Zealand landing in Australia, Mr Saikal said. "You can imagine what would happen."

Mr Howard said the Taliban had been successfully overthrown, and good progress had been made in building democracy and the economy and in reducing the level of human rights abuses. "But the country remains fragile and it is very important that this progress is consolidated to help the new Afghan Government achieve its goals."

He said the winding down of operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands had given Australia the military capacity to make a further contribution to Afghanistan in Australia's national interest

Afghan Taliban say in contact with al Qaeda escapees

Kabul (Reuters 7/14/05) - Taliban insurgents claimed on Thursday to have made contact with four Arab al Qaeda militants who escaped a heavily fortified U.S. detention center in Afghanistan this week.
The U.S. military said it was carrying on an "aggressive" hunt for the four men who escaped the detention center at Bagram Air Base to the north of Kabul on Monday. It said it had no comment on the Taliban report.

Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi refused to give details as to when and how contact was established with the four men. The guerrillas are thought to have sympathizers in some villages close to Bagram district.

"Contact has been made and we hope they will arrive today at a mujahideen (holy warrior's) center," Hakimi said by satellite phone from an undisclosed location. Hakimi's information has often proved unreliable in the past.

The escape was the first known from the Bagram base and a major embarrassment for the U.S. military, which has refused to identify the escapees except as "dangerous enemy combatants." But Afghan officials named the men as Syrian Abdullah Hashimi, Kuwaiti Mahmoud Ahmad Mohammad, Saudi Mahmoud Alfatahni and Libyan Mohammad Hassan.

The U.S. military provided Afghan security forces with photographs of the escapees, which showed bearded men in orange prison uniforms whose ages appeared to range from 20 to 40. A U.S. spokesman said it appeared the men had swapped their orange prison uniforms for less distinctive clothes to make the escape.

The Bagram detention center has housed hundreds of militant suspects since U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban in late 2001 for refusing to give up al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

They have included senior al Qaeda suspects arrested in neighboring Pakistan and elsewhere. The U.S. military said at the weekend about 450 militant suspects were held there.

Monday's escape followed a painful two weeks for the U.S. military during which it suffered 19 deaths in a clash in the eastern province of Kunar, its heaviest losses in a single combat operation in Afghanistan since ousting the Taliban.

The losses have made 2005 the bloodiest year for U.S. forces in the country and came amid stepped-up militant violence ahead of Sept. 18 parliamentary elections, the next big step in Afghanistan's difficult path to stability.

Al-Jazirah: Taliban Military Official Reveals Contacts With 'Mujahidin' in Iraq - Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic 1240 GMT 13 Jul 05

[Announcer-read report over video] [FBIS Translated Text]

[Al-Jazirah anchorwoman Luna al-Shibl] Taliban Movement's Military Official (Dadallah) has revealed contacts between the movement and those whom he described as mujahidin in Iraq. He gave no further details. In an interview with Al-Jazirah correspondent in Pakistan, Dadallah pledged to escalate military operations against the US troops.

[Begin recording] [Dadallah] Revealing secrets related to military issues is inappropriate. Nobody can reveal the weapons he has. God willing, we will get stronger weapons than those we have in the near future. We still possess weapons that can down aircraft. However, I cannot reveal the types of these weapons.

Ahmad Zaydan, director of Al-Jazirah Office in Islamabad] Do you think that downing this aircraft in this way and the killing of a large number of US troops will encourage the neighboring countries or certain countries to support the Afghan Taliban Movement against the US troops in Afghanistan?

[Dadallah] Whether they change their strategy or not, we advise the neighboring countries not to listen to the Americans. The infidels do not

target Afghanistan alone. Their primary goal is to eradicate Islam and their opponents in the region. Thus, they are establishing agent governments that pave the way for them to control Pakistan, Iran, and the neighboring countries. [end recording]

Al-Shibl] We have with us in the studio Ahmad Zaydan, director of Al-Jazirah office in Islamabad. So, there are contacts between [Taliban] Movement and whom Dadallah described as mujahidin. Howe serious are these statements?

[Zaydan] Judging from the statements of leader Dadallah, there are contacts between them and some Iraqi resistance factions through the Internet, telephones, and electronic mail. He did not explain the details of these negotiations or contacts. Some sources close to the Afghan Taliban Movement believe that this coordination has to do with operations and the tactics used in both countries.

[Al-Shibl] There is currently military escalation in Afghanistan between Taliban Movement on the one hand and the Afghan Government and the US troops on the other. Some also believe that Al-Qa'ida has strongly returned to Afghanistan. Howe true is that?

[Zaydan] Certainly, yes Al-Qa'ida has made a strong return and there is close coordination between Al-Qa'ida and Taliban. Some sides seek to distinguish Taliban from Al-Qa'ida, given that Taliban has thus far not been declared a terrorist organization by many world countries. Based on the recent statements of Dadallah and Taliban officials in world mass media, Taliban will not give up Al-Qa'ida. They said that Taliban sacrificed the government and Afghanistan for the sake of Al-Qa'ida and thus it will not give up Al-Qa'ida now. Dadallah said in the interview that there is coordination in the operations between Al-Qa'ida and Taliban elements.

He pledged to continue military operations.

[Al-Shibl] So, there is no separation between Taliban and Al-Qa'ida.

This might explain the US and British statements about withdrawing the troops from Iraq and sending them to Afghanistan.

[Zaydan] Many British officials say that the real problem lies not In Iraq and that the real problem of what they term as terrorism started In Afghanistan and that they should return to Afghanistan. The US
Administration believes that Afghanistan is the source of evil and terrorism. Al-Qa'ida has returned to Afghanistan and Taliban might return to power in Afghanistan. We must note that diplomatic sources in Islamabad have said that the situation in Afghanistan is more serious than that in Iraq, given that the Afghan opposition which assumed power after the downfall of Taliban does not have strong backing among the Afghan people...

[Al-Shibl, interrupting] It only has power in Kabul...

[Zaydan] After the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan, the Afghan Government might leave with these troops.

[Al-Jazirah anchorman Abd-al-Samad Nasir] The south of Afghanistan has been recently in the limelight following the battles launched by Taliban against the government troops. What is the secret behind Taliban's strong return and does Taliban Movement still have extensions in the Pakistani street? Does it still receive aid and do fighters still join the movement?

[Zaydan] There are several reasons behind Taliban's resumption of military escalation. The major problem is that security in Afghanistan has deteriorated seriously in the recent period. Many observers believe that security under the rule of Taliban was much better than it is now. The reconstruction projects which the US Administration had promised to implement in Afghanistan have almost evaporated. There are no reconstruction projects in Afghanistan. The refugees have returned only to find a destroyed infrastructure and a very difficult economic situation.

Drugs have become rampant in a horrific way. Afghanistan's revenues of drugs now stand at $25 billion. According to UN reports, drugs almost disappeared during the era of Taliban's rule. In addition, Taliban has rearranged its ranks in Afghanistan. Moreover, Taliban says that the Iraqi resistance has given it a lesson and inspiration.

[Nasir] Taliban has returned strongly. Does it derive its strength from the Afghan people's solidarity with it and support for its ideology or does it derive its strength from outside the country?

[Zaydan] It is very difficult for any movement in the world to derive its strength from outside. It should derive its strength from the local arena. An Afghan official in the Afghan Government told me that if a Taliban official wears a black turban and stands in a street in Kabul or Jalalabad and shouts that Taliban has returned, many Afghan officials will probably escape. The situation in Afghanistan is worrying. The Pakistani tribal belt is very important in terms of supporting Taliban. There are Pushtun tribes in Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is a tribal unity between the two sides. There is a Pushtun proverb which says that a stick cannot serve as a barrier between two sides of water. Thus, the Pushtun tribes in Afghanistan and Pakistan cannot be separated.

[Al-Shibl] Thank you very much Ahmad Zaydan, director of our office in
Pakistan.

Former Taliban commander surrenders in Khost

KHOST CITY, July 14 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A senior former Taliban commander surrendered to the government in the southeastern Khost province, officials claimed on Thursday.

Availing the amnesty announced by President Hamid Karzai, Mullah Sadiq, cut off ties with the ousted student militia and pledged to support the government in its efforts to bring lasting peace to the war-hit country.

Mullah Sadiq had fought against the Soviets under the command of Jalaluddin Haqqani, who later joined the Taliban and rose to a ministerial slot in the regime. He remained district administrative chief of Orgun and police chief of the Ismailkhel and Gorbaz districts of Khost during Taliban era.
Khost deputy intelligence chief Naqibullah Esmati told Pajhwok Afghan News Mullah Sadiq was living in the Miranshah area of Pakistan, who returned and accepted the amnesty announced by President Karzai.

Earlier in May, another Taliban commander Abdul Malik Zulfan, involved in attacks against government and US forces in the province, had surrendered to the government.

Several Taliban leaders and activists, including some senior ones, have severed links with the militants and accepted the government-backed reconciliation efforts to play their role in reconstruction of the country.

Three suspected murderers arrested in Takhar

TALOQAN, July 14 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Takhar police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of the provincial tribal and border affairs head.

But the detentions did not satisfy the victim's family members, who insisted on apprehending the 'real culprits' linked to what they described as a 'political murder.'

Haji Abdul Qayyum, the Tribal and Frontier Affairs Department head, had been gunned down on his way home near Haji Baig area, some 10 kilometres west of Taloqan city.

Qari Mujahid, Qayyum's son-in-law, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Thursday there had been a political plot behind the killing and authorities should focus on that dimension.

Without naming the 'real killers,' Mujahid implied the murder of his influential father-in-law prior to the parliamentary elections was the handiwork of his political foes.

"Although not in the run for the elections, Haji Qayyum enjoyed a large following in the province. He could easily tip the scales in favour of anyone," Qari maintained.

Police arrested three men in raids over the last three days, Takhar police chief Colonel Haji Akram Baikzad said. The 70-year-old was a commander of the Jamiat-i-Islami before joining Taliban during the militia rule.

Warlord blames Dostam's men for killing his supporter - Pajhwok Afghan News 07/14/2005 By Habib Rahman Ibrahimi and Frogh

KABUL - Uzbek warlord commander Abdul Malik Wednesday accused Abdur Rashid Dostam's soldiers of attacking his men, killing one and injuring another.

Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Malik said Dostam's men had killed a prayer leader and wounded his brother in the Shirin Tagab district of the northern Faryab province. "Armed men of General Dostam killed brother-in-law of my bodyguard and wounded his brother today at 8 O'clock."

Interior Ministry's spokesman, when approached for comments, expressed ignorance about the killing. A security official in Faryab told this news agency a delegation had been sent to the area to investigate the matter. General Dostam could not be contacted despite repeated attempts by this news agency.

Kabul to have 214 BHUs in next two months

KABUL, July 14 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Health Minister Dr Saeed Mohammad Amin Fatemi has said 214 Basic Health Units (BHUs) will be operative in different parts of the central capital in the next two months.

In a chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, Fatemi said the step would help reduce burden on city's main hospitals besides provision of better health facilities to patients.

Dr Abdullah Fahim, a spokesman for the ministry, said the centres would be established in areas where people have no access to health services. They will be equipped with treatment facilities like family planning, mother and child healthcare and health education besides curing other diseases.

Fahim said the cost of construction work, which had been initiated some four months back, was being provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Regarding the equipments and provision of free of cost medicines, the spokesman said it had been donated by the government of Japan.

Decades of conflict in Afghanistan has left the country with a crumbling infrastructure having no proper health facilities in far off areas. People cross hundreds of miles of distance to the larger cities to get proper medical treatment there. A total of 117 hospitals and 995 medical centers are functioning across the country at present.

Residents concerned at bombing and torching of schools

HERAT CITY, July 13 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Two blasts in one school and torching of two others last night have caused widespread concerns in the western province.

Eyewitnesses informed Pajhwok Afghan News Wednesday that two bombs hit a girls' school in Shindand district, but provincial officials said there was only one explosion.

"There were two blasts at the entrance to the school, whose windowpanes and doors were shattered," insisted Najibullah, a resident of Bazaar-i-Kuhna in Shindand. He believed the bombs had been placed in the school to kill students, but the explosive devices were timed inaccurately.

Colonel Nisar Ahmad Paikar, chief of Herat Police's Crime Branch, said investigation was in progress to ascertain how the incident took place. Locals claimed one primary school was put on fire in Char Gosh village and another in Zir Koh area of the same district Tuesday night by unknown individuals.

Another inhabitant, Abdul Hamid suspected Taliban fighters were behind these anti-knowledge activities. But Paikar observed it was too early to blame anyone, saying the investigators were yet to complete their findings.

Press Briefing by Adrian Edwards Spokesman And United Nations Agencies in Afghanistan - Kabul – 14 July 2005

ط Reintegration of former AMF Soldiers

To date 56,706 former Afghan Military Forces officers and soldiers have been demobilized and 54,995 have been registered for reintegration.

Afghanistan’s New Beginnings Programme (ANBP) has also collected 36,395 heavy and light weapons under the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration process, of which 17,331 have been handed to the Ministry of Defence/Afghan National Army. The rest remain in safe storage.

The nationwide ammunition survey has so far identified 483,114 boxed and 1,230,610 unboxed ammunition sets in 357 caches throughout the country. Most of this ammunition has been identified as unserviceable and has been destroyed by our Implementing Partner (HALO Trust), while the useable portion have been transported to safe and standard storage. The teams are now surveying in the regions of Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz and Jalalabad.

Meanwhile, the ANBP was requested by the Elections Commission to verify weapons in the possession of illegal armed groups. To date a total of 15,252 weapons have been collected. Since June 12th 7,587 of these have been verified by ANBP weapons verification teams. Additionally, 16,764 boxed and 29,936 unboxed ammunitions sets have been verified under the DIAG [Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups] programme.

ط Radio quizzes to test Afghans’ knowledge of elections

A series of radio quizzes to help educate Afghan voters ahead of the September 18th National Assembly Elections, are currently being broadcast throughout the country.
The quiz programmes, which are being funded by The Asia Foundation, are on air every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on the national short-wave radio station Salaam Wantander, and on Radio Killid in Kabul each Thursday at 4 p.m. Contestants have been chosen from communities throughout Afghanistan and are tested on their knowledge of candidacy, registration, general knowledge of the elections, and female participation.

A total of nine weekly shows are being broadcast and prizes include radios, televisions, and stationary equipment for schools.

ط EU Parliamentarians to meet the press

Seven Members of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee for Development will hold a Press Conference at 5pm Saturday (July 16th) at the European Commission’s Offices in Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul.

The Parliamentarians are here on a fact-finding mission and their visit will focus on the current political situation in Afghanistan and the upcoming elections.

ط Human Rights Special Rapporteur press conference reminder

A reminder that next Monday, July 19th, Yakin Ertürk, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences, will be holding a press conference here at UNAMA in place of our regular press briefing. Ms. Ertürk has been in Afghanistan since July 9th on a fact-finding mission.

She has interviewed female prison inmates in prisons in both Kabul and Kandahar and met with the Kandahar Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, and the Public Prosecutor.

In Kandahar she has also attended a joint UNAMA-Ministry of Women’s Affairs capacity-building workshop, where she was introduced to representatives of the Department of Women’s Affairs from all provinces in the South and West of Afghanistan.
Today (Thursday) she is attending a psycho-social support group in Kabul where she will meet victims of gender-based violence in Afghanistan.
Whilst we are on this subject, please note that the July edition of the UNIFEM (United Nations Women’s Fund) Gender Advocacy in Afghanistan newsletter is now available.
Topics in this issue include; violence against women by women, women’s employment in Afghanistan, women’s higher education in Afghanistan, family planning and women’s health in Afghanistan, and the Afghan Constitution and Parliament.

ط Afghan Ministry of Health, UNICEF, plan extended diarrhoeal disease campaign

In response to increasing cases of diarrhoeal disease in Kabul, the Ministry of Public Health – with the support of UNICEF – is extending its annual diarrhoeal disease prevention campaign for a further two weeks.

The month of July traditionally sees an increase in cases of diarrhoeal disease, especially amongst children, as warm weather combines with the prevalence of contaminated water. This year, the large amount of ground water, the result of melting snow and high river levels, has further raised the threat from the disease.

Around Afghanistan

ط IOM lends hand with construction of clinics, schools in Herat

To enhance primary health care and strengthen education in Herat the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is supporting construction of 11 clinics and 28 schools in different districts of the province. All projects are under way and all should be completed by mid September. The costs, which are $1.37 million, are being donated by the US Agency for International Development (US AID).

ط UNOPS conducts road assessment in Central Highlands

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has finished conducting an assessment of 40 km of the Ghandak road in the Central Highlands. The road is an important alternative from Kabul to Mazar when the Salang tunnel closes due to inclement conditions during winter months.

UNOPS will be in charge of the road repairs, which will begin next week. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has provisionally approved US$80,000 for emergency road repairs to help alleviate damage from mudslides.

ط WFP Flood Assistance

The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food assistance to the Nangarhar Department of Rural Rehabilitation and Development for some 800 flood-affected people in the districts of Khewa, Kama, Mohmandara, Goshta, Lalpura, and Batikot. 87.2 Metric Tons of WFP assistance was dispatched on Monday and Tuesday for 4,800 affected people.

ط Students graduate from internship programme

A small group of graduate-level students has become Afghanistan’s first to complete training under the Civil Service Commission Professional Internship Programme.

This new internship programme gives graduates the chance to work for up to six months in Afghan Ministries, and has been supported by UNDP and the French government. One of the graduates Mr. Yama Yara is here today and is available to answer your questions after the briefing for any among you who may be interested.

Briefing by Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson

The final lists of election candidates are now on display in all JEMB provincial offices and on our website.

A total of 5,805 candidates are going to the polls on September 18th to bid for election to either one of 34 provincial councils or one of the 249 seats on the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House of the National Assembly. Just over 10 percent of the candidates are women.

We have 3027 candidates for the provincial councils, and 2,778 candidates for the Wolesi Jirga, including 69 Kuchis who are contesting the 10 seats reserved in the Wolesi Jirga for Kuchis.

The largest number of candidates is in Kabul province, where 390 candidates are running for seats on the Wolesi Jirga. The lowest is in Uruzgan province where 19 candidates are running for Wolesi Jirga seats.

With the production of the final list right on schedule, the JEMB can now take the 69 separate ballots to the printers for the massive printing task. A total of 40 million ballots will be printed at printers in Austria and the UK.

With the final list out and the Voter Registry Update just one week off completion, we are in the final stages of preparations for polling. Some 5,000 polling centres are being identified and assessed, and recruitment will soon begin of 180,000 Afghans to staff the polling centres on Election Day. On that day, the ultimate choice, the final decision about who will end up in a parliament representing the Afghan people lies, only, with the Afghan people.

Through the ballot they will reject those candidates who they believe are unsuitable, and they will choose those candidates whom they believe are most suitable to represent them. Their ballots will be cast in secret.

Latest available figures on the Voter Registration Update show that as of close of business Monday, almost 780,000 people had been issued new registration cards. This includes around 680,000 entirely new registrants, over 90,000 replaced cards and around 8,400 corrections to cards for voters who have moved provinces since the last election.

Finally we would like to remind everyone that media campaigning is banned outside the official campaign period, from August 17 to September 15. Activities such as rallies, distributing posters and leaflets, and other forms of campaigning that do not involve the media, are allowed at any time.

Questions & Answers

Question: My question is on the weapons collected from illegal armed groups. Is the collection of the weapons in this [DIAG] campaign backed up by force, or is it just voluntary?
Spokesman: No, at this stage this is not being done by force. These weapons have been handed in voluntarily. As you know, these are not just by candidates taking part in the elections, but also by people who have surrendered their weapons on their own account.

Here I want to say something: With more than 15,200 weapons already surrendered, we are confident that the vetting process, irrespective of any limitations it might have, is making a significant contribution to overall disarmament and to bringing about a better environment for the electoral campaign and Election Day.

Disarmament does not end with this week’s publication of the candidates' list. It is the intention of the Government and our own to take advantage of the momentum created by the vetting process to press for large-scale implementation of the DIAG programme. We will do our best to ensure that DIAG makes its own contribution to enhancing further the environment for the elections.

This being said, everyone has to recognize that disarmament will not be thorough by Election Day. Sadly but truly, no one can expect that the legacy of 25 years of war and militarisation to be erased in 40 months. The test for the parliamentary elections is not whether they will be perfect, but whether they will be meaningful and can result in a representative parliament and representative provincial councils - this is the Bonn benchmark and our own. We believe this objective is still very much within reach.

Further disarmament will help. So will the presence of observers and that of candidates' agents. And so will the determination of Afghans to go to the polls and vote according to their conscience. Like the presidential election, the upcoming election will take place under a system of secret ballot and we cannot emphasize enough how important it will be for voters to take advantage of this guarantee to elect those they trust to be their genuine representatives.

Question: What is the UN’s reaction to the Human Rights Watch Report?

Spokesman: At our press briefing earlier this week I talked about our reaction that report. It is a report that has to be taken seriously. It is very important that this country’s past is properly understood by everyone here. As you already know, the government has a transitional justice plan and is working on this plan. It has discussed this plan in The Hague with members of the international community very recently. We are talking to the government about this plan and a number of processes that not only include criminal justice but reparations for victims and truth – all these are essential measures that are crucial for ending impunity.

Afghan Base Holds Tribute for Commandos - By AMIR SHAH

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - (AP) Hundreds of U.S. troops gathered Wednesday at the main American military base in Afghanistan for an emotional tribute to 11 Navy SEAL commandos killed in recent fighting, honoring them as "the very best of the best."

Three of the 11 were members of a four-man special forces unit that disappeared on June 28 in mountains in eastern Kunar province, near the border with Pakistan. All are believed to have died in a firefight with militants on the day they disappeared. The fourth was rescued July 3.

The eight others killed were on a special forces helicopter shot down while trying to rescue the four. Also killed on the chopper were eight members of the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, a unit of elite Army helicopter crews that flies commandos behind enemy lines under cover of night.

"Our hearts are heavy with grief and the overwhelming sense of complete loss of our friends who were with us and then taken all at once," said Col. Pat Higgins, special forces commander in Afghanistan. "No words of mine can adequately express the sorrow we feel at the loss of so many."

About 700 troops attended the service at Bagram air base, 30 miles north of the capital, Kabul. Standing in a row were photographs of the 11 men and 11 rifles.

Many troops cried as a slide projector flashed photos of the 11 on a screen _ some showing the men standing and smiling with Afghan civilians or posing in front of a helicopter. The closing image was of a line of caskets draped in American flags in the back of a transport airplane.

"Each one of these men was a unique and gifted individual with hopes and dream and fears," Higgins said. "They came from different homes and different backgrounds. They came together to be part of an elite brotherhood of warriors to rise to the challenge of being the very best of the best. And they were the best of the best."

"They knew the danger they faced. They faced it anyway. Not one hesitated," he added. "We lost some who made a last stand against impossible odds. We lost others because they went in to rescue their friends."

The deaths of the 11 SEALs and eight crewmen provided the deadliest blow for the U.S. military since the war here began in 2001 and the greatest loss of life ever for the elite force of SEALs.

The single surviving commando was flown to Bagram for treatment after being found in the mountains. A military statement shortly after he arrived at the base said he was in a stable condition, but officials have not said whether he is still in Afghanistan or has returned to the United States.

Kunar province, where the fighting occurred, has long been a hotbed of militant activity and a haven for fighters loyal to renegade former premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is wanted by the United States. U.S. officials said al-Qaida fighters also were in the region. Osama bin Laden was not said to be there _ though he is believed to be somewhere along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier.

The region's wooded mountains are popular with militants because they are easy to infiltrate from neighboring Pakistan and have plenty of places to hide.

Afghanistan, Iraq-style Asia Times Online 13 July 2005 By Golnaz Esfandiari

The Taliban and their allies have markedly increased attacks in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people.

The fatalities include 16 US soldiers killed when their Chinook helicopter was shot down on June 28 - one of the heaviest US casualties since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban - and 21 people killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kandahar, also in June, at the funeral of a senior cleric assassinated days
earlier.

Adding to the US's woes, on Monday four al-Qaeda prisoners escaped from a detention center at Bagram air base north of Kabul. Hundreds of US and Afghan troops supported by helicopters hunted on Tuesday for the four Arab men - the first ever to escape from from the heavily guarded center at the main US base in Afghanistan.

The detention center has housed hundreds of militant suspects since US-led forces overthrew the Taliban in late 2001 for refusing to give up al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. They have included senior al-Qaeda suspects arrested in neighboring Pakistan and elsewhere. A US military spokeswoman
said about 450 militant suspects were currently held at the base.

The intensification of violence in Afghan appears to bear out comments from the Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak earlier this this month that he had received intelligence that al-Qaeda was regrouping and intended to bring Iraqi-style bloodshed to Afghanistan.

And he said on Monday that foreign fighters from Arab and neighboring countries were carrying out attacks with the Taliban. "Following the melting of the snow [in March], there has been a significant increase in terrorist attacks, more than we expected," Wardak said.

His comments came as authorities in southern Afghanistan confirmed the death of 10 Afghan police officers. Six of them were beheaded and their bodies and heads were dumped near the border with Pakistan. Beheading has been rare in the conflict in Afghanistan.

Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali said on Monday that the police officers had been abducted on July 8 following an ambush in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province. "In Helmand, in the Deshu district, a patrolling group of Afghan border forces came under attack by a large number of terrorists while it was traveling from Barancha region to Rubatak," Jalali said. "As a result of the fighting, unfortunately, they took with them 10 members of the border force, they martyred four of them
in one place, the other six men were killed just 200 kilometers away from the Pakistani border. Then the kidnappers escaped to the Gerdi Jangal border."

Jalali condemned the killings as un-Islamic and inhuman. "Those people who commit such crimes are not Muslims and they are not human beings because this is against Islam and humanity," Jalali said.

Afghan officials have said that the Taliban and their allies are stepping
up their attacks in an effort to disrupt upcoming parliamentary and local
elections. The scheduled September 18 elections are considered another key
step in the Afghanistan's path towards recovery.

Afghan election officials say that three Afghans working in support of the
elections have been killed in recent months.

Vahid Mozhdeh, an Afghan writer and security expert based in Kabul,
believes that the attacks are aimed at creating fear among government
forces to force them to quit. "One reason that can explain the stepping up
of [attacks] is the wish of al-Qaeda for the Americans to be blighted in
Afghanistan as they are in Iraq and to suffer more casualties," Mozhdeh
said.

Mozhdeh told RFE/RL that Taliban forces and their allies were becoming more
organized. He said they were changing their tactics and using more
effective explosives.

"Fewer fighters are involved, they come and attack using motorbikes and
quickly escape," Mozhdeh said. "The Taliban want to put people and the
coalition forces against each other. They conduct operations somewhere and
then leave and then coalition forces carry an attack against them there but
mostly civilians get hurt. We've been witnessing a series of suicide
attacks, which in the past had not been common in Afghanistan. Therefore,
we see that the experience of violence is spreading from Iraq to
Afghanistan."

Exports to Afghanistan stood at Rs 71.2b in 2004-05 - Daily Times (Pak)

ISLAMABAD: The $1 billion export target fixed for Afghanistan was surpassed in the fiscal 2004-05 by $ 166 million, an official told Daily Times on Wednesday.

The exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan stood at $ 1.166 billion in last fiscal year against the exports of $ 616.66 million in the fiscal 2003-04, the official said.

The exports from Pakistan during the last financial year stood at Rs 71.200 billion against the exports of Rs 37.717 billion during July-June period of 2003-04, showing an increase of Rs 39.483 billion.

According to official data, Pakistan's exports during 2004-05 included wheat and flour of Rs 8.260 billion against their exports of Rs 3.466 billion in the year before the last, showing an increase of Rs 4.794 billion.

The exports of rice during last fiscal stood at Rs 2.421billion against the exports of Rs 1.776 billion in 2003-04, showing an increase of Rs 645 million. The exports of ghee to Afghanistan during last fiscal stood at Rs

5.519 billion against its exports of Rs 2.622 billion in 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs 2.897 billion.

The exports of sugar from Pakistan to Afghanistan during the last fiscal year stood at Rs 2.687 billion against the exports of Rs 1.423 billion in 2003-04, showing an increase of 1.264 billion. The exports of cement from Pakistan to Afghanistan during last fiscal remained at Rs 3.343 billion against the exports of Rs 1.260 billion in 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs 1.920 billion.

The exports of paints and varnishes during last fiscal stood at Rs 2.989 billion against the exports of Rs 91.882 million in 2003-04, projecting an increase of Rs 2.070 billion. Mild steel products exports during last fiscal to Afghanistan remained at Rs 4.179 billion against the exports of Rs 1.478 billion in 2003-04, showing an increase of Rs 2.701 billion.

Sanitary wares exports during last fiscal to Afghanistan stood at Rs 107.196 million against the exports of Rs 86.678 million in 2003-04, registering an increase of Rs 20.5 million. The exports of constriction materials during last fiscal to Afghanistan stood at Rs 1.248 billion against the exports of Rs 838.572 millions in 2003-04, registering an increase of Rs 409.428 millions in the last fiscal year.

The exports of electric goods to Afghanistan during last fiscal year stood at Rs 626.663 millions against the exports of Rs 289.221 millions in 2003-04, showing an increase of Rs 337.442 million in the last fiscal. The exports of electronics goods to Afghanistan during last fiscal remained at Rs 186.234 million against the exports of Rs.55.265 millions in 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs 130.969 millions in the last fiscal year.

Exports of medicines to Afghanistan during last fiscal stood at Rs 525.572 million against the exports of Rs.328.611 million in 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs 196.961 million.

The exports of other grains and pulses to Afghanistan during last fiscal stood at Rs 256.612 million against the exports of Rs 121.536 million in 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs 135.076 million in the last fiscal year. The exports of fruits and vegetables to Afghanistan during last fiscal year stood at Rs 1.514 billion against the exports of Rs 2.189 billion in 2003-04, indicating a decrease of Rs 675 million in the last fiscal year.

The exports of milk and cereals to Afghanistan during last fiscal year stood at Rs 922.382 million against the exports of Rs 1.542 billion in 2003-04, indicating a decrease of Rs 619.618 million in the last fiscal year. The exports of miscellaneous goods to Afghanistan during last fiscal stood at Rs 35.896 billion against the exports of Rs 20.141 billion in 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs 15.755 billion.

Pakistan has imported from Afghanistan goods amounting to Rs 3.488 billion during the last fiscal year 2004-05 against the imports of Rs 2.619 billion during 2003-04, indicating an increase of Rs.869 million in the last fiscal year. Pakistan imported vegetables, fresh fruits, dry fruits, seeds, country drugs, spices, timber, scrap and miscellaneous goods from Afghanistan.

The trade between two neighbouring countries is mainly routed through Torkham and Chaman boarders by trucks. As many as 188,339 trucks transported goods from Pakistan to Afghanistan during the last fiscal 2004-05. As many as 117,501 trucks carrying export cargoes crossed into Afghanistan through Torkham and 70,838 trucks through Chaman.

German supplies to ISAF allowed via Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, July 13 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The government of Pakistan has allowed Germany to dispatch military supplies via the Karachi Port to US-led coalition forces and ISAF stationed in Afghanistan.

An agreement to the effect was inked the in Berlin by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and his German counterpart Joschka Fischer, the Foreign Ministry here said on Wednesday.

In an exclusive chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, a Foreign Office official said under the accord Germany could route goods and equipment through Pakistan to foreign troops in Afghanistan.

"We view the decision as a positive step towards better ties with Germany and revival of peace in Afghanistan," observed Naeem Khan, who hoped the pact would also help foster overall routine life in the neighbouring country.

The official explained although German military supplies to Afghanistan were shipped through Pakistan over the last 18 months, the agreement would give these consignments a legal cover.

National Endowment for Democracy Honors Three Afghan Activists Activists promote human rights, citizen participation in Afghanistan - By Mercedes L. Suarez Washington File Staff Writer (Dept. of State)

Washington -- Democracy starts at the ground level, and no one knows that better than Sakena Yacoobi, founder and president of the Afghan Institute of Learning.

Yacoobi’s organization has been responsible for providing more than 350,000 Afghan women and children with education, health care and human rights training. By educating women about the basic principles and values of democracy they can become aware of -- and begin to exercise -- their rights.
Yacoobi, along with Mohammad Nasib and Sarwar Hussaini, received the annual Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) on July 13. The three democracy activists met with President Bush in the Oval Office and were honored in a reception at the U.S. Congress. They also participated in a roundtable discussion with members of Congress on building democracy in Afghanistan.

“I hope that our National Democracy Award will create renewed interest and concern for all those who are working so hard to deepen the democratic process we have seen in Afghanistan,” said NED Chairman Vin Weber. Afghanistan held presidential elections in October 2004 and plans to hold parliamentary elections in 2005.

The three Afghan honorees are leaders of civil society organizations that educate average citizens about democracy, women’s and minority rights and strategies for peace-building and conflict resolution, according to a statement from the NED.

Mohammad Nasib is the director of the Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan, which has trained a network of more than 1,000 maliks, or local leaders, in the philosophy and practice of democracy and human rights. That network was influential in encouraging people to vote in the 2004 Afghan elections, according to the NED’s Web site.

The Cooperation Center for Afghanistan, directed by Sarwar Hussaini, is a nongovernmental organization that seeks to empower women and strengthen democratic practices within traditional institutions by promoting citizen participation. The center also runs a children’s rehabilitation center that provides education, food and recreation.

The NED, a private nonprofit organization, has been giving its annual democracy award since 1989. This is the first time it has acknowledged the work of Afghan activists.

[Disclaimer: The content of this news bulletin does not necessarily reflect the view or policy of the Afghan Government, unless specifically stated as such. The collection of articles and commentaries from Afghan and international news sources is provided for informational purposes, and accuracy of the news is the responsibility of the original source.]