Afghans sell and buy mobile phone cards in a corner covered by candidates posters in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005. The legislative election on Sept. 18 is the next step toward democracy after more than two decades of war and civil strife in the country. (AP Photo/Tomas Munita)

UN Security Council slams extremists' bid to disrupt Afghan electoral process

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 23 (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned attempts by Taliban rebels and other extremist groups to derail preparations for Afghanistan's elections next month and called for additional financial aid to fund the polls.

"The Security Council expresses grave concern about the increased attacks by the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other extremists groups in Afghanistan over the past few months," said a statement by Japan's UN envoy Kenzo Oshima, the Council president for August.

It also condemned "attempts to disrupt the political process by terrorist acts or other forms of violence." Loyalists of the Taliban, the regime ousted in the 2001 US-led invasion, and other militants have stepped up their attacks on government, military and electoral workers in recent months and have killed at least three candidates.

On Monday, the Taliban rebels vowed to derail preparations for the September 18 parliamentary and provincial polls, the first to be held in the war-shattered country in three decades.

The Security Council called on Afghan election candidates and their backers to help "ensure that the ongoing electoral campaigns are conducted peacefully in an environment free of intimidation, and that the elections can be held successfully," Oshima said.

He called on the world community to extend additional financial aid in order to fill a gap of 29.6 million dollars (24.6 million euros) for the elections. Oshima's statement was released during an open debate in which the council earlier heard a briefing from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special representative for Afghanistan Jean Arnault.

Arnault stressed that "bringing extremist violence and other forms of insecurity under control will remain at the top of the agenda" for the Kabul government.

He also suggested that extremists appeared to be targeting pro-government and international peacekeepers rather than to try to stop the parliamentary polls. "However, it is too soon to rule out attempts at causing major disruptions of the election before, during or after polling day," he added.

Several speakers in the debate paid tribute to the 17 Spanish troops -- part of NAT0-led peacekeepers patroling north and west of Afghanistan-- who were killed in a helicopter crash near the western city of Herat last week.

Britain's UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry, speaking on behalf of the 25-member European Union, said the upcoming elections were a "further step toward entrenching democracy in Afghanistan."

And US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said Washington would continue to work with Afghanistan's neighbors to secure its borders and beef up regional security cooperation.

US and Afghan forces have killed at least 105 Taliban militants in the past three weeks as they try to secure the country before the elections, according to the US military.

US, Afghan military officials arrive for tripartite meeting

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Senior Afghan and American military officials Tuesday arrived in Pakistan to attend the meeting of a tripartite commission to be held on Wednesday, according to a military statement.

Chief of General Staff and Afghan National Army General Bismillah Khan and Lt General Karl Eiknebery, commander of the combined forces in Afghanistan will meet Pakistani defense officials at the 12th tripartite commission meeting in Rawalpindi,twin city of Islamabad.

Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Naeem Khan Monday said at the weekly press briefing that the meeting would discuss a host of issues with a special focus on border security, incidents of terrorism and economic and trade links between the two neighbors.

Formed in 2003 to resolve security issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the commission is mainly tasked to monitor the security situation along the Pak-Afghan border and to address eachother's concerns.

Wednesday's meeting has assumed much importance due to the next month's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. Pakistan says it will deploy 4,000 additional troops along its borders with Afghanistan ahead of the elections to check illegal cross-border-movement.

Some 70,000 Pakistani troops have been deployed in the rugged Pak-Afghan border areas to hunt for al-Qaeda terrorists and Taliban remnants who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal areas. Enditem

Six Taliban killed in raid on Afghan bomb store

U.S. and Afghan government soldiers killed six suspected Taliban militants and seized bombs in a raid on a rebel storehouse, a provincial official said on Wednesday. The violence in the southern province of Zabul was the latest in a surge of trouble in the run-up to September 18 elections.

"They wanted to carry out terrorist attacks with these remote-control bombs," Gulab Shah Alikhil, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said of the six militants killed and the explosives seized in the Monday raid.

About 30,000 U.S.-led and NATO troops are in Afghanistan trying to defeat Taliban insurgents and ensure security for next month's parliamentary and provincial elections. About 1,000 people, most of them Taliban fighters, have been killed in clashes, ambushes and blasts this year.

U.S. forces have suffered 47 deaths in combat in Afghanistan over the same time, their worst casualty rate in the country since arriving in late 2001 to force the Taliban from power.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday condemned the recent increase in militant attacks and Jean Arnault, special U.N. envoy for Afghanistan, said quelling violence remained a distant goal for millions of Afghans.

Despite the violence, Afghan government and U.S. officials say the vote, the country's next big step on a difficult path to stability, will not be disrupted.

Commander: Taliban Recruiting School Boys - By DANIEL COONEY

SHARAN BASE, Afghanistan - (AP) Taliban rebels are emptying Islamic boarding schools of students in a desperate drive to recruit fighters, including teenage boys, before next month's legislative elections, the U.S. military's operational commander in Afghanistan told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Tuesday.

But Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya said that despite the rebel threat and a spike in U.S. casualties in a spate of attacks, the 20,000 American forces in Afghanistan are enough to safeguard the polls, the next key step toward democracy.

He said the increase in American troops being killed _ 66 so far in 2005, making it the deadliest year for American forces in the country since they ousted the Taliban from power in late 2001 _ was a result of a dramatic jump in the number of U.S. patrols and operations against militants.

"We are out there patrolling more, therefore we are more susceptible to enemy attacks," he said while visiting a U.S. base next to the town of Sharan, in volatile eastern Paktika province. "If we are going to truly disrupt the enemy all the way through the elections and keep him off balance, we are going to have to continue these operations."

A major upsurge in militant assaults in the past six months has left more than 1,100 people dead. The rebels repeatedly have vowed to attack the polls and already have killed three candidates and four election workers, and rocketed election offices.

However, a purported Taliban spokesman said Tuesday the movement's leaders would not attack polling stations for the Sept. 18 vote. "Our high authorities have decided not to attack election polling stations because civilians or local people will be there," Mullah Latif Hakimi said in a telephone call from an undisclosed location. "We are against the elections and we are against any government policies, but we don't want to attack these elections and create problems for innocent people."

He said, though, that the Taliban would continue its attacks on the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan government. Information from Hakimi in the past has sometimes proven exaggerated or untrue, and his exact tie to the Taliban leadership cannot be verified independently. Attempts to contact Taliban commanders based in southern Afghanistan to confirm Hakimi's claims were unsuccessful.

Kamiya said that despite the high number of militant attacks recently, the Taliban was desperately recruiting new fighters, many of whom are boys, to replace hundreds of insurgents killed in clashes with coalition and Afghan forces.

"They are reconstituting themselves with the less-experienced and the young," he said. "They have closed madrassas (Islamic boarding schools) where they were training and indoctrinating their reserve, their future fighters."

Kamiya said the new recruits were coming from "sanctuaries inside Afghanistan and outside" _ an apparent reference to neighboring Pakistan. But he did not believe they would pose a serious threat to the polls.

"We have enough forces here to deliver a secure election for the Afghan people," the general said. The military last month deployed an extra 700 troops to Afghanistan. In addition to U.S. forces, some 3,100 soldiers from 19 other nations also are in the coalition.

A separate NATO-led peacekeeping force also has brought in reinforcements ahead of the polls and now numbers about 10,500. But Kamiya said the U.S.-trained Afghan army, which now numbers 28,000, and the 55,000-strong national police would be the main security forces guarding polling stations.

"We would be behind them," he said. "Our role is very much a supporting one."

Kamiya said the coalition had received good cooperation recently from Pakistani security forces on their side of the border, preventing militants from sneaking across the mountainous frontier.

Many rebels are believed to be based in tribal areas in Pakistan and come into Afghanistan to launch attacks, before going back across the frontier. A clampdown by Pakistani forces on the border area ahead of Afghan presidential elections last October led to a dramatic decrease in militant activity.

Al-Qaeda brings Iraq tactics to Afghans - By Andrew North - BBC News, Kabul

Foreign militants with links to al-Qaeda - some believed to have experience in Iraq - are trying to encourage Afghan insurgents to adopt more Iraq-style tactics against US forces, well-placed sources in eastern Afghanistan have told the BBC.

According to these sources, the wider use of suicide bombings and kidnappings are included in the tactics. These outsiders, some of them Arabs, have been offering large bounties to Afghans in Kunar province to kill US soldiers, two sources said. They have been showing videos of kidnappings in Iraq as part of recruitment efforts, they said.

Kunar is where US forces suffered their heaviest combat losses since overthrowing the Taleban in 2001 when a special forces team was ambushed in late June and a helicopter sent to rescue them was shot down.

There have been persistent US military operations there since, which American commanders say have made inroads on militant strength in the area. However, this recruitment and training drive has continued, several sources said - all of whom spoke only on condition their position or location not be identified.

With parliamentary elections due next month, the fear is these militants are seeking to fuel a new offensive in the last couple of weeks before polling day on 18 September.

One source was present as videos were shown by Arab nationals to a gathering of potential recruits in a residential compound in Kunar's remote Korongal valley. "They showed us footage of kidnap victims in Iraq being beheaded," he said.

"We were also given advice on carrying out suicide bomb attacks and promised money for our families." They were told they would be paid thousands of dollars for capturing or killing American soldiers.

Other sources - who all spoke on condition they not be identified - confirmed this account. They spoke to the BBC, they said, because they wanted to alert people to al-Qaeda's activities in Kunar.

Asadullah Wafa, the Kunar governor, said he could not comment on the accounts of these sources. But he confirmed continued reports of foreigners infiltrating his province from across the border in Pakistan - among them Chechens and Pakistanis as well as Arabs.

Al-Qaeda's penetration of the area around the Korongal valley has been facilitated by a local Taleban commander called Ahmad Shah, who is also known as Ismail. He narrowly escaped a US air strike in July after being tipped off.

It is not clear whether Ahmed Shah was in the area during the most recent US offensive in Korongal. But it was his supporters and his al-Qaeda backers who were the target. The US military says at least 40 suspected militants were killed in that operation.

But spokesman Lt Col Jerry O'Hara said this figure was an estimate and said he did not have details of their identities. It is not clear either to what extent this operation has disrupted militant activities there.

"We achieved some success," Col O'Hara said from his office at the Bagram airbase. "But time will tell if this means an end to enemy influence there." The spokesman said he had not heard of footage from Iraq being shown to potential recruits and that he had "no reports of videos being found".

But he said reports from Kunar and other areas suggested militant leaders were increasingly having recruitment problems and were having to resort to paying ever greater sums of money to persuade people to mount attacks. "We've seen a 40% to 50% rise in the level of payments going to fighters," Col O'Hara said.

The threat of more extreme, Iraq-style tactics is being treated seriously in many quarters here as the elections approach. Most recently, the Afghanistan Non-Governmental Organisation Security Office (ANSO) highlighted the issue in one of its regular briefings, focusing particularly on the east of the country. "This warning should still be considered current," the agency said.

Karzai calls on Afghans to get rid of tribalism in legislative elections – Xinhua, 08/24/2005

KABUL -Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday called on the Afghans to get rid of tribalism or ethnic relations and cast their votes in favor of honest candidates during the coming legislative elections.

"It is your responsibility to elect honest and patriotic representatives to the parliament," Karzai told an audience of some 350 delegates from the development scheme of National Solidarity Program (NSP).
The delegates invited by the Ministry of Rural Development and Rehabilitation to a four-day seminar had a meeting with President Karzai in Presidential Palace Tuesday morning.

"Not to think on tribalism or ethnic relations during the elections. It would be in the larger interest of your country if your vote goes in favor of a honest candidate," the president emphasized.

Over 10 million eligible Afghans to vote are going to elect their representatives to the 249-seat parliament on the election day salted for Sept. 18.

Violence worries candidates for parliamentary elections

KABUL, August 23 (Pajhwok Afghan News): With the landmark parliamentary election less than a month away, candidates are worried about their security as a number of hopefuls have been attacked, killed and threatened.

Several contenders have been slain in Ghazni, Kandahar, Helmand and Khost provinces so far. At least one candidate, a former jihadi commander once close to Gulbadin Hekmatyar, was shot dead in Kabul's bustling locality of Khairkhana on Friday.

Shukria Barakzai, an independent female candidate from Kabul, lamented the government had failed to provide security to thousands of contenders. "Security has always been a big problem. But now that we are preparing for parliamentary polls, stringent security arrangements should have been put in place."

In addition to the escalating violence that put a damper on electioneering, she cited a large number of people in the run for the polls as another factor behind the lackluster campaign. The woman pointed out the 33 Wolesi Jirga seat allocated to Kabul had created a feeling of rivalry among the 400 wannabes.

Afghanistan's turbulent political history has made parties and politicians hostile to each other. Shukria feared some elements might exploit the atmosphere of uncertainty and tension to intimidate their foes.

Although the first phase of the UN-sponsored disarmament programme has come to an end, there are widespread complaints that local warlords and strongmen - most of them in the field - remain armed to the teeth.

Mohammad Yaqub Shah Aryanpur, another parliamentary candidate from Kabul, too lashed out at the government's indifferent and discriminatory attitude towards candidates.

"Some Wolesi Jirga contenders have been given weapons and guards while others have been deprived of the concession," observed Aryanpur, who described the killings as a national loss.

Lutfullah Mashal, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, admitted some candidates had been allowed to keep weapons. "We decided to let them have weapons to protect themselves, but it's a temporary concession permissible till polling day."

Mashal told Pajhwok Afghan News wannabe were permitted to carry arms after they received threats from terrorists and warlords opposed to peace in Afghanistan.

Sultan Ahmad Baheen, spokesman for the Joint Electoral Management Body, confirmed the killing of only three candidates in political violence. "Three candidates have been killed in attacks, and a fourth died in a traffic accident in Khost. An electoral worker was killed in Helmand province," Baheen concluded.

Afghan Hazaras look to polls, Iran - The Christian Science Monitor - 08/24/2005
By Scott Baldauf

KHAROB-E MIYONA - After a 40-minute climb to this farming village in central Bamiyan Province, a young candidate in Afghanistan's upcoming elections explains the nuts and bolts of parliamentary politics, and why she deserves the villagers' votes.

"There are no good roads in Bamiyan, no electricity, no water," Fatima Kazemian tells a cramped classroom full of men and women. "The important thing when you select a representative is this: You shouldn't ask, 'What will you do?' We should take our officials by the collar and say, 'What are you doing now?' Your leaders should listen to you, and not hide themselves like a mouse in a hole."

Men murmur appreciatively at the tough words. Women smile silently. When American troops helped oust the Taliban regime, it was the Hazaras of Bamiyan who may have cheered the loudest. As the homeland of Afghanistan's most oppressed group - Hazaras are Shiite Muslims in a Sunni majority nation - Bamiyan is a province that stood to benefit the most from a modern, secular, Western-supported democracy that boosted minority rights.

But in three years, Bamiyan's citizens have received very little development aid, and next month's parliamentary elections could become a referendum of sorts for a well-behaved minority whose patience with the government of President Hamid Karzai is wearing thin. Out of frustration, some Hazaras may look to Iran for support, an unwelcome possibility in a country recovering from decades of conflict fueled by neighboring nations.

"Discrimination against the Hazaras continues even now," says Mohammad Musa Mahmudi, a senior political analyst for the National Democratic Institute, an American democracy-building organization in Kabul.

'Kite Runner' publicity - Hazaras have Mongoloid features that visibly set them apart and have led to the belief that they are descendants of Genghis Khan's invading armies. For centuries, Hazaras have been limited by low wage jobs and isolated in the mountainous center of Afghanistan. Their struggles have become more familiar in the West due to the recent best-selling novel, "The Kite Runner."

Despite the Karzai government's official policy of promoting minority rights - and the presence of six Hazaras on his cabinet - much of the government's and international community's funding is diverted toward more powerful ethnic groups, such as the Pashtuns and Tajiks, or to more accessible cities like Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat.

"Hazaras are not able to make a noise," says Mahmudi, himself a Hazara and a former human rights activist in Bamiyan. "They can't create conflict. They are not geopolitically located to be important to the government, so they will be neglected." But if Hazaras continue to be ignored, he warns, they may turn to the Shiite-cleric run nation of Iran. "They'll say, 'We went to the US and the West, but they didn't help us. You were right.' "

Bamiyan's first-ever female governor, Habeeba Sarabi - an ethnic Hazara and Shiite - insists that Iran's influence is slight in her province. "Most Hazara people know that Iran supported other people - the Aryan groups, mostly the Tajiks - during the jihad," she says. So while some clerics and politicians are spouting a pro-Iranian line, most Hazaras remain loyal to the government in Kabul. "We haven't forgotten that Iran wants to have a lot of influence here, so I think it will take a little time. We have to raise awareness and not be used by other people."

Refugee bitterness - Kazemian, one of 68 candidates for parliament from Bamiyan, spent most of her life in Iran as a refugee. Few Hazara refugees, she says, have fond memories of their Shiite brethren in Iran.

"If the Iranians had treated the Afghan refugees better in Iran - if they had let Hazaras go on to get university educations like the Afghans do in Pakistan - then the Afghans would leave Iran with better memories of the kindness of Iran," says Kazemian. "But the Iranians don't do this. They like the Aryan people, like the Tajiks or the Pashtuns, better than they like us. We have the same religion, but we have a problem with our eyes and our nose."

Yet during the anti-Soviet war of resistance - or jihad, as many Afghans call it - Iran provided strong and reliable support for Hazara political parties. Hazara leaders such as Karim Khalili, head of Bamiyan's ruling Hizb-e Wahadat party, made their homes in the Iranian border city of Meshhad, and maintained close ties with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

These past ties lead many Afghan politicians to suspect that Iran's influence in Afghanistan may be expanding, just as it has expanded in that other American war zone, Iraq.

"The Iranians are using the lack of confidence between Tajiks and Pashtuns and they want Hazaras to take more power in government," says Najib Fahim, a deputy minister of veteran's affairs, who recently returned from a two-year stint as head of Afghanistan's consulate in Meshhad, Iran.

"We Sunnis are a dispersed majority; they are an organized minority," says Mr. Fahim, himself a Tajik. "Most of the directors of new aid agencies are Shias. Most of the top students at Kabul University are Shias." He points to a possible "Iraq scenario" where Shiites dominate the political process.

Where's our road? - In the towns and villages of the Hazarajat, all this talk of Shiite power sounds a bit far-fetched. After all, there isn't a single paved road in Bamiyan, no reliable electricity, and no factories to create jobs. If this is power, Hazaras say, we don't want it.

"We don't want a parliament that is aligned with any faction," says Hayatullah Ahmedi, a tailor in the capital city of Bamiyan. "We have people from Bamiyan in Karzai's cabinet, those are people who took part in the civil war. They have guns. We don't expect them to fulfill any promises," says Mr. Ahmedi. "But still, we think they should do something for people."

Curb Afghan terror: India to UN on Pak – PTI 08/23/2005

United Nations - India has appealed to the international community to help 'shut-off' influx of extremist elements into Afghanistan from across the border, saying their objective was not only to disrupt coming elections but destabilise the country.

Without naming Pakistan, India's United Nations Ambassador Nirupam Sen said "it is clear that these extremist elements and their sponsors have decided to attack 'soft targets' such as candidates, election officers, aid workers and local religious leaders".

But "it appears that elections were not the only target of these groups, their objective being the long-term destabilization of Afghanistan. The tap that controls the influx of extremist elements must not only be closed for the forthcoming parliamentary elections, it must be shut off for good," he stressed. Sen strongly backed the recent assessment of the United Nations that international response to thwart the "destabilization strategy" of foreign extremist elements could not be limited to operations on the ground.

"It is necessary to resolutely attack the financing, safe havens where they are trained and the network that support them. The recent bombings in London have one again highlighted the international ramifications of terrorist networks and infrastructure sustaining them," he said.

Loan or war reparations: Kabul, Moscow lock horns

KABUL, August 23 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Moscow's call for the repayment of $10 billion debt by Kabul has drawn ire from Afghan officials and analysts, who in turn asked Russia to pay their country war reparations.

While spurning the Russian demand as untenable, Afghan experts Tuesday claimed the former Soviet Union's intervention had inflicted a gargantuan loss on Afghanistan, which had reason to seek recompense for the widespread destruction resulting from the invasion.

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin raised the debt repayment question with his Afghan counterpart Dr Anwarul Haq Ahady during his official visit to Russia on August 17. Kudrin dropped a broad hint at Russia taking the issue to Paris Club for arbitration.

In a chat with Pajhwok Afghan News Afghan, Finance Ministry spokesman Aziz Shams said the loan return row was far from settled. At meetings in the future, he added, the two sides would try a sort out the spat that erupted at a time when Afghanistan is in the thick of reconstruction campaign.

The spokesman claimed Paris Club had earlier assured Afghanistan it would convince Russia to write off the debt. For its part, Afghanistan contends Russia has to pay it war reparations to compensate for the large-sale deaths and destruction this country had suffered because of the Soviet invasion in 1979 and subsequent mayhem.

"Russia would probably waive off 70 percent of the debt but the Afghan government is not ready to pay the remaining 30 percent either," said the spokesman. Of the ten billion dollars debt, 70 percent accounted for the purchase of heavy arms such as Scud missiles and warplanes during the Babrak Karmal and Dr Najibullah governments.

A jihadi leader, Ayatullah Sheikh Mohammad Asif Mohsini argued all the money was spent on anti-Afghanistan activities that left 90 percent of its agriculture and retarded its trade with independent countries. He added Russia, therefore, should pay the price for the devastation it had caused to Afghanistan.

Analyst and parliamentary election candidate Dr Abdul Kabir Ranjbar said the arms were used for killing Afghans, who are now being asked to repay the loan, the bane of their lives. "If we insist on war reparations and take the case International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, we will get much more than the loan we are asked to return."

He maintained the erstwhile Soviet Union had left Afghanistan - its farms and deserts - infested with landmines which had killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people and continued to take their toll. More than 200,000 people have been killed and maimed by mine explosions over the last two decades or so.

Press officer of demining NGOs, Massod Ahmad Hamidzada told Pajhwok Afghan News: "Since 1989 $400 million have been spent on the mine-clearing effort in Afghanistan. And the cost continues to sar as the campaign goes on."

Amina Azimi, secertary of the Disabled Afghan Women Union, said the war-maimed women and men were a walking proof of Russian brutalities. "We want back our body parts. Can Russia give us what we have lost? "We urge President Karzai to seek our body parts from Russia."

Afghan Minister for Martyrs and Disabled Siddiqa Balkhi said: "In different parts of the country, I am shown maimed children, youths and elders - the legacy of Soviet invasion. I am extremely pained look at them; all orphans want war damages."

Afghanistan criticizes US military courts over prisoner abuse trials

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan human rights officials Wednesday described as "unbelievably lenient" the sentences U.S. military courts have handed down to American soldiers convicted of abusing two Afghan detainees who later died.

One soldier has been sentenced to two months in prison, another to three months. A third was demoted and given a letter of reprimand and a fine. A fourth was given a reduction in rank and pay.

"These punishments are a joke. They all should have got 20 years in prison or be sentenced to death," said Ahmad Shah Midad, a member of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. "A person's life has been taken. They must be punished properly."

The court-martials occurred in Fort Bliss, Texas over the past few weeks. The soldiers have been charged in relation to the deaths of two Afghans who were in detention at Bagram, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, in late 2002.

One of the two was a 22-year-old taxi driver known only as Dilawar. The other was Mullah Habibullah, who was about 30. The Army has publicly acknowledged the two deaths and announced in October that up to 28 U.S. soldiers face possible charges.

According to Human Rights Watch, which said it has obtained unreleased Army reports about the deaths, the two men were chained to the ceiling in standing positions, one at the waist and one by the wrists, while their feet remained on the ground.

One of them was maimed over a five-day period, dying with his leg muscle tissue destroyed from blows to his knees and lower body, the New York-based rights group has said.

An autopsy performed by a medical examiner and cited by the Army showed that Dilawar's legs were so damaged by blows that amputation would have been necessary, according to an Army report dated July 6, 2004.

Habibullah died of a pulmonary embolism apparently caused by blood clots formed in his legs from the beatings, according to a June 1, 2004, military report. A spokesman for the Afghan human rights commission, a state funded body, said the sentences were "disappointing."

"It's unbelievably lenient that these soldiers received such light sentences," said Ahmad Nader Nadery. "We want the United States to justify to us why these people have received such leniency." A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said he wasn't immediately able to comment.

Press Briefing by Adrian Edwards - Spokesperson for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and by United Nations Agencies in Afghanistan - Kabul – 22 August 2005

Today’s press conference is a joint press conference between the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and UNAMA.

As you know an important part of UNAMA’s work in Afghanistan, in line with the framework of the Bonn Agreement, is to promote human rights here. Today, as part of that, we are issuing, together with the AIHRC, the Second Report on the Joint Verification of the Exercise of Political Rights during the upcoming electoral process.

We are honoured to be joined by Dr. Seema Samar, Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and Ameerah Haq, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

Talking points by Dr. Seema Samar

This reporting period (4 June – 16 August 2005) focuses on complaints, the vetting and challenge process and the registration process. It will also provide an update on recommendations provided in the last report. I will begin with discussing some of the trends observed and make some general comments about the complaints verified. Ameerah Haq will follow with a discussion on recommendations.

General Environment and Trends

Our assessment is that the voter registration update was generally positive. Despite a number of attacks targeting registration sites, the process resulted in 1,694,341 people being registered. Women in the South and Southeast particularly benefited from this process, with Paktika registering the highest number of women at 59%. Khost registered 57% and Uruzgan 51%.

Challenge and Vetting Process

· The challenge and vetting process was met with disappointment - particularly at the fact that only 17 candidates of the provisionally disqualified were removed from the final candidate list, and that only 11 of these were removed for links to armed groups.

· The disarmament of the candidates and their armed affiliates, which led to the collection of 4,052 weapons, was also seen as less than complete and most of these candidates are seen as still holding stocks of weapons.

· Despite these shortcomings, verification efforts [show no evidence to support the notion that] the list of 5,800 candidates is overwhelmingly dominated by those linked with armed groups and human rights violators.

· There are in fact few verified cases of direct intimidation from these candidates [i.e. those who were provisionally disqualified]. However, some commanders are attempting to dominate the electoral process, as reflected in the report.

· The verification process shows that the greatest threat to the elections continues to come from anti-government elements. The report indicates an escalation of violence in the East, Southeast and South against candidates, election workers, religious leaders, government and security officials and election sites. Fortunately, this had not disrupted the election processes. However there is concern that it could have an impact on a candidate’s ability to carry out campaign activities.

On a more positive note, currently we have 19,388 observers, agents and media representatives registered. Among these are 1,601 domestic observers, 125 international observers, 12,487 independent candidate agents, 4,892 political agents and 283 media representatives. This does not even include FEFA (Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan) which currently has over 7,000 representatives ready to be registered.

In terms of verified cases, we had more than 150 incidents reported. Of these cases, 44 were verified; 57 are pending further investigation; 19 were found to be baseless; and 32 could not be verified due to insufficient information.

Key Findings From the Cases:

Freedom of Expression

· There is a lack of media outlets in many provinces – such as Bamyan, Laghman, Nuristan, Zabul, Uruzgan and Dai Kundi - a real problem and this will pose challenges to the campaign process.

· There are two cases in which candidates have been the target of threats and attacks due to public statements. In one case, a woman from Kandahar was shot at after receiving threatening phone calls warning her not to make remarks against the mujahideen. In the second case, the house and car of a candidate who edits a secular paper known for being critical of jihadi was the target of an arson attack. The case is still under investigation.

Freedom of Movement

· Improvised attacks and ambushes against vehicles of government, JEMB and private vehicles continue to be the main impediment for the freedom of movement.

· However, we also take note of a candidate being detained by Satar, the former district governor of Seyagird district of Parwan, and Mustafi, the current district chief of police.

Freedom from Intimidation

Unfortunately, we have noted an escalation of violent attacks against candidates and their relatives during this reporting period. While the motive of the attacks remain unclear, and they may be unrelated to the electoral process, these incidents do serve to impact a candidate’s sense of security. Our findings record one candidate being killed during this reporting period; two attacked and the brother of another candidate being killed; two civic educators were also killed during this period, although one does not seem to be related to his work as a JEMB worker.

Eight registration sites which were attacked - most of them by anti-government forces. There are also a number of cases in which a number of threats and attacks have occurred against women JEMB workers and candidates.

In regard to the principle of non-partiality

We are still getting reports of biased conduct by government officials. There is an improvement in terms of government authorities reprimanding and penalizing officials found responsible for misconduct.

We also take note of candidates who still appear to be carrying out government work, despite claiming to have resigned. We have submitted these cases to the ECC.

On the issue of non-discrimination

While we take note of the positive results of the registration process for women, as already noted, we are also concerned that women represent 18% of the total candidates who have withdrawn. Many women cite economic reasons and the inability to raise funds to campaign as the chief reasons why they have withdrawn.

Intimidation also cannot be ruled out as a factor that discourages women to remain candidates. We have noted a number of cases throughout the report of women facing threats, intimidation and being the object of violence due to their political activities.

[Due to a prior engagement, Dr. Samar was unable to remain for the question period and had to leave the press conference. Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner, remained to answer questions on her behalf.]

Talking points by Ameerah Haq, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General

Recommendations - I will begin by noting that we have noticed a number of positive developments and progress on the areas we highlighted as needing further action.

· The Provincial Council Legislation was passed by the Cabinet on 15 August.

· The Ministry of Interior sent out two orders to the Chiefs of Police instructing them to take measures to address the security needs of women candidates and voters.

· The President’s Office has been very responsive in further disseminating the Presidential Code of Conduct for Government Officials.

· The JEMB (Joint Electoral Management Body) and ECC (Electoral Complaints Commission) has provided additional resources to strengthen the capacity of the PEC offices.

· The Joint Electoral Operations Centre is establishing operational centres at the provincial and regional level to promote better integration on security matters.

· More has been done through the JEMB Community Mobilization Events programme to draw the support of elders and religious leaders to disseminate information on the electoral process and to mobilize people to vote.

At the same time there are shortcomings in the environment and more has to be done:

· Our information indicates that not enough is being done to train police officers on providing security to candidates.

· More efforts are required to strengthen coordination between national and international security forces.

· As witnessed in the last two months, people still do not know how to submit complaints and to provide supporting evidence and most of the complaints registered cannot be properly investigated.

· We therefore urge the Government, the JEMB and the ECC and national and international security forces to take additional measures to improve the environment.

Specifically we recommend:

· The Ministry of Interior should organize training on addressing the security needs of candidates.

· It is also suggested that the Ministry of Interior create “security zones” to allow candidates to carry out campaign activities in vulnerable areas. Identifying a few locations for campaigning activities and providing robust security may enable candidates, particularly women, to reach out to their constituency and undertake campaigning activities.

· The orders to the chiefs of police should be followed up by provincial action by the chiefs of police, Department of Women’s Affairs regional offices, and other relevant authorities to identify the security challenges women face and to take concrete steps to address them at the local level.

· The ECC can disqualify candidates until electoral results are certified by the JEMB. Every effort should therefore be taken to monitor the candidates vigilantly and to disqualify those candidates who are found to be intimidating and threatening others as well as those who still maintain links to armed groups.

· The Provincial Council legislation should be disseminated as quickly as possible so that Provincial Council candidates are aware of the responsibilities required of them and so that candidates can make an informed choice among Provincial Council candidates on election day and can determine which candidate is best qualified to carry out the tasks required of PC delegates.

· Finally, now that the campaign process is under way and election observers deployed, candidates, observers, political parties as well as elders, and the media can work towards disseminating information about the electoral process, particularly about the universality and the secrecy of the vote. They can also play a key role in guiding people towards using the ECC and PEC effectively to remove those candidates responsible for misconduct and violation of the Electoral Law.

Questions & Answers:

Question: We have heard from people in various provinces that in many cases recommendations were made by Shuras and Clerics to support some candidates and not others. Do you have any information on that?

AIHRC (answered by Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner): Yes there are some concerns in this regard of being information that our team and staff in southern provinces have tried to verify. We have encouraged, on several occasions, public meetings that AIHRC in those areas that we felt needed and where we received this information. We addressed the issue, we talked to the community and we highlighted the fact that this is a violation of the political rights of people and the community. And in several locations during these meetings people confirmed that they would not do it again. This still requires more monitoring and verification.

Taking that point we have tried to not give that much a role to local Shuras to play. During the last presidential elections, they were playing a role in some parts on the security issues and civic education, but we tried to not give them that much and tried to flag that and not having them play an important role in this process.

Question: Is it widespread? Did you observe that in all of the provinces of the country?

AIHRC (as answered by Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner): It is specifically in some areas. It is not widely spread.

Question: Where?

Question: In the south.

Question: With consideration to the instructions given by the Ministry of Interior to local authorities and in provincial and local levels, and considering the complaints made by people against armed candidates and with the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) saying we don’t have enough information and these complaints have not been followed in this investigation, what is the role of the Human Rights Commission? People don’t have enough awareness on how to complain against candidates.

AIHRC (answered by Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner): In regard to the elections complaints, the people have been complaining to the ECC, the Human Rights Commission and sometimes UNAMA. We are trying to help those who complain with cases of intimidation and cases of threats. We have informed them of the kinds of information needed to make the complaint and in some cases we do investigations to gather more information and data.

Question: A question on the Second Verification Report and also with just a few weeks to go before the elections: How does the United Nations rate what kind of elections to expect on the 18th of September? My second question is what mechanism of security measures have been taken by the Coalition, ISAF and also the Afghan National Forces? What is happening now? Are any special measures being taken?

Ameerah Haq: I think overall, as we have indicated in this report, number one, the additional voter registration that took place has resulted in a larger number of registrations bringing the total number of registrations to about 12.6 million. One of the disappointments perhaps has been the fact that there were not enough candidates disqualified. In the report we have indicated that about 90% of the cases and complaints were not supported by evidence and this is one of the key issues that you raised as well - how can we educate the public to bring better supporting evidence and what role can the Human Rights Commissions and others help in bringing that? But overall in terms of the trends, you’ve got a healthy registration. I think the main threat has been the anti-government activities that have taken place, particularly in the south, with some escalation of threats. Again, as was done with the Presidential Election, we said that we have set up this joint operational center, which includes the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence. Obviously the first line of defence would be the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, with reinforcement by ISAF and the Coalition – as you know some of them have brought in additional forces for this election. So we are concerned by the escalating threats… [voice indistinct]. We are concerned with the links of some of the candidates to illegally armed groups. As I said, this is going to be monitored with strong vigilance of this process. Yesterday, for example, a large quantity of weapons was seized from one candidate in Baghlan. So this vigilance on those who are candidates, must remain between now and the time of the election.

Question: As Dr. Samar said, out of 208 suspected linked armed candidates, only 11 were disqualified. Does this mean that you are concerned that people are still linked with illegal armed groups?

AIHRC (as answered by Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner): We have already addressed that question. We are still concerned that some of these people have kept their weapons. We need to keep monitoring these people. This is not just the responsibility of the AIHRC or UNAMA, but this is the responsibility of the media, civil society groups to provide sufficient evidence and monitor them and to provide the ECC with sufficient documents and the DDR/DIAG commission to [deal with] disqualification of those candidates. We still have time, I think.

Question: The Ministry of Interior has provided two weapons to each candidate. Isn’t that against the Electoral Law?

AIHRC (as answered by Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner): This is under process in Balkh province. The Chief of Police has provided vehicles to candidates to provide them with security. As far as we are concerned the Electoral Law says that the Ministry of Interior can allow the candidates to have previously registered weapons with themselves.

Ameerah Haq: What I understand is that the Ministry of Interior did not distribute weapons, but that bodyguards were allowed to own weapons in some centres. But I also believe that the National Security Council has not accepted that. So if there are violations of that, that needs to be reported.

Question: You mentioned in the report that three provinces are particularly bad for anti-government activities – Uruzgan, Zabul and Kunar. Has it reached a level where you think it’s not possible to have elections in some of these districts?

AIHRC (as answered by Nader Nadery, AIHRC Commissioner): So far the verification teams have not seen problems sufficient for that kind of judgment. There are possibilities, and still there are activities going on in terms of the exercise of political rights in these provinces and we hope this situation does not reach a level such that the environment is not conducive [to elections]. So far the environment is conducive. There are certain limitations, but it has not reached a situation where we can say that it is not fully conducive.

Afghan labourers to be sent abroad

KABUL, August 23 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The government is planning to send Afghan labourers abroad to arrest the mounting ratio of unemployment in the country.

Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News Minister for Public Works Syed Ikramud Din Masoomi said there were about 2.5 million jobless in the country and the government had planned to send them abroad to earn foreign exchange as well as support their families.

The minister, however, stopped short of revealing the names of countries scheduled to adjust the Afghan labourers. He added only unskilled workers would be send abroad under the programme.

It merits a mention to recall the ouster of Taliban had give birth to a large number of job opportunities in Afghanistan but the dearth of skilled labour is the main problem hindering the country's march towards rapid progress. In such a situation, a large number of skilled manpower, especially from the neighbouring countries is pouring in and finding jobs in Afghanistan.

Special Olympics Launches First National Games in Afghanistan

First-Ever National Games for Individuals with Special Needs - Press Release / Source: Special Olympics - Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Special Olympics, the movement dedicated to empowering people with intellectual disability through sports training and competition, will begin its first ever Special Olympics Afghanistan National Games at Kabul Stadium and Bagh Zannah. The competition will be held from August 23 to August 25, 2005. Approximately 360 special athletes with intellectual disabilities will participate in the sports of -Athletics, Bocce and Football.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for 11 am followed by the lighting of the Special Olympics “Flame of Hope,” at 12.00 noon. Marking this historic occasion with their noted presence will be the Minister of Youth, Minister of Martyrs and Disabled, Afghanistan Inspector General of Police and the National Olympic Committee President, Mr Anwar Jekdalek. The objective of the Torch Run is to carry the Flame of Hope as a symbol and inspiration in a country torn by constant strife and trauma by reaching to all individuals, and to serve as a catalyst for change in attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities.

In a message, Mr Troy Greisen, Managing Director, Special Olympics Asia Pacific, said, “With each and every event in various corners of the world we strive to help raise awareness and draw much deserved attention towards need for action by society at large for inclusion of people with intellectual disability. Through the achievements of these remarkable athletes competing at the first Special Olympics Afghanistan National Games, their lives will be better. In turn, we hope to change attitudes of society toward these individuals, gain more acceptance, and ultimately enhance the well being of the entire country.”

One of our goals in Afghanistan is to establish new local programmes in communities across the country. We are here to expand this movement and spread the message of hope to parents and families of persons with intellectual disabilities. Through these Games we will demonstrate that these capable individuals that have hurdled such difficult circumstances can not-only be proven as great athletes, but can also be fully accepted, empowered to serve as leaders and that their abilities can actually outshine their disabilities. ” he added.

Elaborating on the Special Olympics Afghanistan's objectives, Mr Nasrullah Izat National Director, Special Olympics Afghanistan, said, “We hope these Special Olympics National Games will be an experience of a lifetime for these athletes. And with consistent endeavors, we aim to reach a goal of enrolling 900 athletes in our programs by the end of 2005. Also, we plan to host our first-ever Healthy Athletes screening at the National Games this fall, where free medical screenings will be given to potential and current athletes.”

Inkind and financial support for the Program will come from Special Olympics International, the U.S. State Department, the Swiss Development Corporation, and various United Nations agencies.

Special Olympics year-round sports training programmes and competitive events in Olympic-type sports are open to all people with intellectual disability who are at least eight years old, regardless of the degree of their disability. The programme is absolutely free for the athletes and their families.

Special Olympics Afghanistan offers sports in Athletics, Bocce, Football, Cricket and Volleyball. Special Olympics Afghanistan started with a meager number of 5 athletes in 2003, and by 2004 there were 383 athletes training weekly. The estimate of individuals with intellectual disabilities in Afghanistan is approximately 900,000 (by World Health Organization), therefore giving Special Olympics Afghanistan an opportunity to touch & transform the lives hundreds of thousands more.

About Special Olympics - Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for 1.7 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 170 countries, Special Olympics has created a community based volunteer drive model that enhances society. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics.

Two murderers awarded capital punishment

KABUL, August 23 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A lower court Tuesday awarded death penalty to two men charged with the murder of a car driver. The verdict can be appealed in two higher courts.

Sala Khan and Mohammad Juma, from Alishang district of the eastern Laghman province, were convicted by the Ninth District's court of killing Abdul Habib from Nimroz province nine months ago.

Attorney Abdul Habib Yousufzai of the investigation branch of the provincial prosecution office, who presented evidence, sought execution of the convicts.

The two were charged with stabbing to death and beheading Abdul Habib, whose car they had hired from Kandahar to Kabul on December 1, 2004. Ghazni police had found Habib's body on a roadside on the highway a day after he was beheaded.

Yousufzai argued the convicts should be punished to death as they had failed to prove their innocence. Capital punishment to them would deter others from committing such crimes, the attorney maintained.

Mohammad Mozammil Majidi, the chief judge, said the two men were arrested after being chased by police near their home in Alishang district and were later shifted for investigations to Kabul.

The district police chief, who led the arrest operation, they had been held with their clothes stained with blood. They did not have documents of the car they were driving, the police chief continued. The convicts rejected the charge and said the car was their own, but their fault was that they did not have registration documents.

But in response, Ahmad Shah - brother in-law of the deceased - produced documents of the car and Habib's cell-phone set snatched by the murderers. A tearful father, wife and children of the deceased repeatedly demanded the execution of the convicts as soon as possible.

Fla. Judge Hurt in Afghanistan Bomb Attack

A local judge serving as a reconstruction adviser at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan was injured in a roadside bomb attack, his wife said. Brig. Gen. T. Patterson Maney, a judge in Okaloosa County in the Florida Panhandle, suffered head, neck and back injuries on Sunday but was expected to return to duty Tuesday, said his wife, Caroline.

The explosion rocked Maney's Humvee as it was returning to Kabul, his wife said Monday. Four others in the vehicle with him also suffered minor injuries, she said.

"They hit the trigger too soon. They hit the front of the car instead of the middle," she said. "It's a miracle that he's alive." Caroline Maney said her husband, who went to Afghanistan in April 2004, is scheduled to return home in October, after next month's legislative elections.

Maney presided over the trial of former Florida Senate President W.D. Childers, charged with violating the state's open-government law, in 2002. He sentenced Childers, a Pensacola Republican, to 60 days in jail for discussing public business in private with other board members while serving as an Escambia County commissioner. It was the first time anyone had been jailed in Florida for an open meetings violation.

[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.]