Afghan drugs squads seize 21 tons of opium and 180 kilograms of heroin

KABUL, Afghanistan - (AP) Counter-narcotic squads have seized and destroyed 21 tons of opium and 180 kilograms (400 pounds) of heroin in raids over the past five days across two of Afghanistan's main poppy growing regions, a government statement said Monday.

The strikes "significantly disrupted the drug trafficking trade" in the eastern province of Nangahar, and Helmand province in the west, the statement said.

the raids included attacks on drug processing laboratories, drug markets and storehouses. Also seized was a "significant amount" of chemicals used to process opium into heroin.

"Afghanistan is determined to tackle the drugs networks at every opportunity," Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali was quoted as saying. Afghanistan's government is under fire for not being tough enough on the burgeoning drugs trade, which last year produced nearly 90 percent of the world's opium.

During a visit to Washington last month, Afghan President Hamid Karzai rejected the accusation and said that opium poppy production will be down 20 percent to 30 percent this year and his country would be rid of the drug in five or six years.

The United States, Britain and other countries are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the anti-drug campaign. The cash is being used to train police units to destroy laboratories, arrest smugglers and destroy opium crops, as well as to fund projects to help farmers grow legal crops.

Mother of kidnapped Italian begs Afghan mothers – Reuters 06/06/2005

KABUL - The mother of an Italian aid worker kidnapped in Afghanistan made a plea on Sunday to the mothers of the men holding her, asking them to help secure her daughter's freedom.

In Italy, Pope Benedict called for the release of Clementina Cantoni, 32, who works for the Care international aid agency and was kidnapped by four gunmen on a Kabul street three weeks ago.

"I imagine you have enough problems right now to pay attention to my plea, but I am a mother exactly like all of you, and my heart is bleeding because of the situation my daughter is in," Germana Cantoni said in the letter.

"I beg you all to use all your influence on your sons for the immediate release of my daughter," she said. A copy of the letter was released by the Interior Ministry.

Officials say they believe Cantoni's kidnappers are criminals, not Islamic militants, but they have declined to reveal their demands or say who they are. They say negotiations are going on and they remain hopeful Cantoni will be released.

Cantoni's abduction has raised fresh fears among Kabul's 2,000-strong foreign community of Iraq-style kidnappings by anti-government insurgents or criminals. In St. Peter's Square in Rome, the pope spoke of brotherly relations between all people.

"The painful experience our sister is living is a catalyst for seeking, by all means, peaceful and brotherly relationships between individuals and nations," the pope said to clapping from a crowd of tens of thousands.

Afghan and Italian negotiators have come close to freeing Cantoni three times in the last few days but talks broke down with the kidnappers, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported on Sunday.

Cantoni has been living in Afghanistan for three years, most recently working on a project helping thousands of impoverished widows. Many of the women she helped have been rallying to demand her release. Muslim clerics and scholars as well as politicians and celebrities from both countries have called for her to be set free.

Paktika governor alleges cross-border infiltration

KABUL, June 5 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The governor of Paktika alleged on Sunday several groups of Taliban had recently infiltrated into different districts of the southern province after crossing over from Pakistan.

In an exclusive chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, Governor Gulab Mangal said the government was taking measures to prevent further infiltration and track down the combatants before they could carry out disruptive activities.

He pointed out former Taliban leaders and members, ready to join the reconciliation process, were under threat from hardliners opposed to negotiations with the government. By and large, Taliban rank and file and moderate leaders have positively responded to US-backed peace parleys.

"We have set up new check-posts along the border at important points," Mangal revealed, adding the Afghan National Army had extended patrols to remote districts of Paktika so as to preempt possible attacks from Taliban insurgents.

In order to escape border guards' notice, the governor continued, the militants were crossing into Afghanistan in small groups. Mangal suggested the Pakistan government was making half-hearted efforts to block cross-border rebel movement.

"If Pakistan demonstrates sustained determination, it can effectively curb Taliban activities," Mangal observed, believing authorities in border areas could eliminate 'training centers' and meeting-places of the Taliban.

He asserted the ousted student militia had considerably weakened as a result of anti-insurgency operations, but was hell-bent on disruptive activities to make its presence felt.

11 more Taliban join reconciliation process

GARDEZ, June 5 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Eleven Taliban leaders including some key figures have joined the reconciliation process in the southern Paktia province, officials claimed on Sunday.

Provincial police chief Hai Gul Sulemankhel told Pajhwok Afghan News Maulvi Ahmad Shah, the then chief of the public works and welfare department of Paktia during the Taliban era, was among the 11 people ready to mend fences with the government.

He added government officials including Paktia governor, police chief, intelligence head, prosecutor, corps commander and information department director had held discussions with the Taliban, "who have agreed to join the reconciliation process.

Sulemankhel the 11 leaders had earlier fled their areas to dodge capture and "now they have returned to play a part in the reconstruction of the country." The police chief declined to disclose identities of the rest of the leaders. Meanwhile, Paktia Ulema Council claimed it had contacted the Taliban leaders on April 10 to invite them to peace talks with the Karzai administration.

Kabul to set up new police unit

KABUL, June 4 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Interior Ministry has announced to set up a special police unit for tightening security in Kabul, officials said Saturday.

Major Gen Abdul Jamil Junbish, acting police chief of Kabul told Pajhwok Afghan News formation of the new unit was aimed at strengthening security inside the Kabul city.

He said Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali had issued orders to this effect on Friday. However, he stopped short of divulging how many people would be employeed and what would be its areas in the capital.

The new move has been taken in face the incident of rocket attacks and the kidnapping of Italian aid worker. Junbish informed police had stepped up efforts against criminals and had seized huge quantity of ammunitions and weapons in the city.

Press Briefing by Ariane Quentier Senior Public Information Officer And United Nations Agencies in Afghanistan Kabul – 06 June 2005

ط The Afghan government and UNAMA begin discussions of the post-parliamentary election agenda

Last Wednesday, the Government of Afghanistan and UNAMA initiated a series of discussions regarding future cooperation between Afghanistan and the international community, which, with the holding of the parliamentary elections and the completion of the Bonn process, will have to be revisited.

The close partnership between Afghanistan and the international community will remain the cornerstone of any future collaboration with a view to achieving security, full disarmament, justice, a competent civilian administration as well as the implementation of the Afghan constitution, a robust development strategy, and the promotion of human rights.

A number of other key principles will continue to mark the relationship between the Afghan government and the international community. These include the leadership role of Afghanistan in the reconstruction process; the need for an even allocation of funds throughout the country; the development of regional cooperation; the necessity to increase capacity building, combat corruption and develop public information as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in the allocation of resources.

Discussion of the post-election agenda will be an opportunity for a broader dialogue within the country, which will focus on priorities for the coming years, and the respective contributions that Afghans and international partners can make to this country.

The Security Council met last March (24th) and unanimously adopted resolution 1589 to extend the mandate of UNAMA until March 2006. UNAMA was established on 28 March 2002.

ط Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR)

The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of former combatants is continuing at good pace and expected to be completed according to the timeframe, which is by the end of June 2005. The teams continue to work in Kabul and Bamyan, having finished the disarmament process in all other regions.

As of today, a total of 58,543 former Afghan Military Forces officers and soldiers have joined the DDR programme. From that figure, 48,605 former combatants have entered the reintegration process.

The total number of weapons collected to date is 33,280. In terms of Heavy Weapons there is no change to the figures we last reported (9,085).

ط Candidates with links to illegal armed groups to be given opportunity to disarm

As provided by article 35 a) of the Electoral Law, but also the Code of Conduct and the declaration signed by candidates when they filed their nomination documents, candidates are prohibited to participate in the electoral process if they have links to illegal armed groups.

Because the nomination period was short, it has been decided that those candidates who have not had the opportunity yet to sever their links with armed groups will be provided with the facilities to do so before final lists are established. The Joint Secretariat of the Disarmament and Reintegration Commission, supported by international military forces and the UN, will use its expertise to act as an advisory body to the Electoral Complaints Commission on this issue and indicate which candidates it believes have links with illegal armed groups and to what extent. On this basis, candidates will be given the opportunity to consign their weapons. If they do not comply, they will be formally disqualified - as provided by the law.

ط World Environment Day

Yesterday, June 5th, was World Environment Day. This year’s theme is “Green Cities: Plan for the Planet”, which refers to the challenges posed by the rapidly increasing proportion of people who live in urban environments – and the subsequent damage to the environment - a challenge that definitely applies to Kabul and its fast growing population.

In his annual message, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: “By 2030, more than 60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. Such rapid urbanization presents profound challenges, from poverty and unemployment to crime and drug addiction”.

“On this World Environment Day I urge individuals, businesses and local and national governments to take up the urban environmental challenge. Let us create ‘green cities’ where people can raise their children and pursue their dreams in a well-planned, clean and healthy environment”.

In Afghanistan, the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) organized events to mark this special day.

Yesterday, the Director-General of the National Environmental Protection Agency visited the Kabul river-cleaning project, which has just completed the cleaning of a high priority 26 km stretch of the Kabul riverbed. The project, initiated on March 12th, was organized by Kabul Municipality and funded by UNAMA. It has employed hundreds of Afghan workers to dredge the Kabul River – the overall aim being to create a cleaner environment for the capitals inhabitants and to prevent potential flooding.

Meanwhile yesterday three Afghan Ministers – the Minister of Women’s Affairs (MOWA), the Minister of Urban Development and Housing, and the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), yesterday conducted a tour of Bagh-e Zana or the ’Women’s Garden’ in Kabul to raise the profile of green spaces for Afghan women in the country.

The Women’s Garden has undergone several phases of rehabilitation sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the German, Japanese and French governments, and is now used by Afghan women and children as a safe social meeting place, as well as by female students who attend weekly literacy classes there.

ط Afghan Conservation Corps to rehabilitate natural resources while generating income

I will also use World Environment Day to let you know about an initiative of the Afghan government, the Afghan Conservation Corps or ACC, which was established in July 2003. The ACC is meant to address the dual priorities of rehabilitating the country's natural resources while generating employment for thousands of Afghans. ACC’s projects for next summer range from income generation for women through home and community nurseries, to environmental programs for youth, continued training for government staff and communities, and revitalization of urban environments.

In terms of forestry, in the last two years ACC rehabilitated 53 nurseries for the Department of Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food, totaling 499 jeribs, in 21 provinces. In the last 12 months, the nurseries have produced 1,600,000 saplings of forestry, fruit and nut varieties.

In its reforestation efforts, ACC also planted 350,000 conifer and pistachio trees on 12,500 jeribs of government forestland in 13 provinces. These young forests are maintained by ACC and the Department of Forestry until trees become mature - which usually takes 2 years of dedicated care.

In addition to forestry, ACC helps the government and the communities to manage water and soil resources, as well as the natural and urban environments, with works such as the rehabilitation of public parks or the Kabul River cleaning project. Finally, ACC trains communities and officials as well as the public at large through public information campaigns.

ACC has favored labour-intensive methods and has generated 550,000 labour days of work since it was created. It is supported by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). It works with the Department of Forestry and Rangelands of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food, with the National Environment Protection Agency, the Kabul Municipality, the Green Afghanistan Initiative (GAIN), and other communities around the country. ACC is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of Agriculture.

ط National Human Development Report regional launch

After a successful February launch in Kabul, Afghanistan’s first National Human Development Report – ‘Security with Human Face’ – makes its way to the rest of the country.

Initiated by the Government of Afghanistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Human Development Report will be launched in Herat on June 7th, 2005. This will mark the first of seven regional launches.

Attending the launch will be the UNDP Assistant Country Director and Head of the External Relations Unit, Mrs. Zahira Virani and the reports authors Dr. Daud Sabah and Dr. Omar Zakhelwal. The launch will take place from 9:30 -10:30am at the Park Hotel, Shahr-e Now, Herat.

ط Petition for Clementina’s return signed by Heads of UN agencies

This morning the 16 heads of the agencies making up the United Nations Country Team and UNAMA representatives signed a petition asking for the safe and immediate return of Clementina Cantoni, our colleague from the non governmental organization (NGO) CARE, who was kidnapped in Kabul 3 weeks ago. The petition had also been signed earlier by hundreds of Afghan widows whom Clementina had helped and dedicated herself to in the last three years she spent in Afghanistan, as well as by heads of non-governmental organizations.

By signing the petition, the UN Country Team wants to express its support and solidarity for its friend and colleague Clementina.

Sultan Baheen, Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) National Spokesman

I would like to make a correction to the figures regarding the number of women in Provincial Councils that we issued yesterday in our press conference. There are 270 instead of 240. The total number of candidates is 6070 out of which 2884 are for the Wolesi Jirga. For the Provincial Councils there are 3186, of which 68 are Kuchis, including 6 Kuchi women.

Questions & Answers

Question: How significant is this process of discussions of the post election agenda for UNAMA’s future?
Senior Public Information Officer: It is very significant. One of UNAMA’s main roles, according to its mandate, is to support the implementation of the political aspects of the Bonn agreement. And this will be done by September when the parliamentary elections are completed. So a great part of the mandate of UNAMA will have to be revisited because the political side of the Bonn agreement will have been implemented. Therefore the Afghan government - which is hosting the United Nations - and the United Nations, need to have wide consultations to see how they can collaborate in the future, to what extent, and according to which principles they can work together in the future - once the implementation of the Bonn agreement has been completed. So it is very important.

Question: Is there a plan that has been drawn up?
Senior Public Information Officer: If you read the joint statement that was issued yesterday, we have come up with a number of principles as to the way the government of Afghanistan, UNAMA and the international community will work together in the future. Based on these principles, a larger and wider framework for further cooperation, as proposed by the Afghan government, will be discussed.

Question: Do we have any reaction or information on the killing of an election worker in Uruzgan province on Friday?
JEMB National Spokesman: Regarding the civic educator who was killed on Friday, this is very sad news for us. But our people in the field, the JEMB staff, and our partners are committed to continue our work.

Senior Public Information Officer: In the name of UNAMA, I would also like to add that UNAMA condemns any type of violence that aims to derail the electoral process or the democratization process that is ongoing in Afghanistan. By voting massively last year, the Afghan people have demonstrated how important it is for all of them to go and vote to rebuild - through elections - a democratic Afghanistan. This is the will of the people. We condemn any violence against the electoral process or the will of the Afghan people.

Question: Was it the first attack on the election workers this year?
JEMB National Spokesman: Yes it was the first incident involving election workers this year.

Question: What are your concerns regarding security in Afghanistan and how can you guarantee the security of your staff in the field?
JEMB National Spokesman: This is the responsibility of the Government of Afghanistan and the Afghan forces that are responsible for the protection of all Afghans including our staff. We have liaison officers who work closely with the security and also military forces.

Question: Are you satisfied with the security environment in the field?
JEMB National Spokesman: As already mentioned, this is the first incident that has happened since the electoral process started. We hope that the security arrangements in the field will help us to continue our work as much as possible.

Question: Can this kind of incident affect your work?
JEMB National Spokesman: Any security incident can affect our work. As happened during the nomination time, the problems in Jalalabad delayed our work and that was one of the reasons we extended the nomination process.

Question: If there are no complaints by people regarding candidate nominations, how can we look into their eligibility?

JEMB National Spokesman: It is not only an individuals that can challenge but also Afghan institutions. As you know, yesterday we requested the Joint Secretariat of the Disarmament and Reintegration Commission to provide information regarding links between candidates and illegal armed groups. So it will not only be the Electoral Complaints Commission working on challenges received from individuals, but there are also institutions, which will allow the Complaints Commission to look into the eligibility of certain candidates.

Blame Game in the North – IWPR 06/06/2005 By Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi

Mazar-e-Sharif - Rival powerbrokers in northern Afghanistan have sought to defend themselves against claims that their forces were responsible for the first reported violence of the legislative election campaign.

Witnesses say armed forces affiliated with General Abdul Rashid Dostum clashed in Faryab province with supporters of Abdul Malik on May 17, leaving two dead and 12 wounded.

In interviews with IWPR, a Dostum representative has denied that followers of the general were involved in the clash, while Malik insisted that his men were merely defending themselves.

Locals said fighting broke out when Gul Mohammad Pahlawan, Malik's brother, went to the family home in Sherin Tagab district to campaign for Malik in the country's first democratic legislative election, scheduled for September 18.

The gun battle lasted four to five hours, after which the opposing sides settled into a standoff that lasted three days, local people said. The factions dispersed when police arrived.

The dead were not identified by political affiliation. Witnesses said six men from each side were among the wounded. No arrests were made, but a force from Kabul took Pahlawan and some of his supporters to the capital for questioning.

Unlike Malik, Dostum is not a candidate in the September poll, but several of his supporters are seeking seats. Malik is leader of the Hezb-e-Azadi, Liberty Party. Dostum was made armed forces chief of staff by President Hamed Karzai earlier this year in one of the president's more controversial appointments. Dostum resigned his private militia command upon taking the post.

"People fled the area where the incident took place," said a witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Shopkeepers took their merchandise home, because in the past when pro-Dostum and Malik forces fought, they would loot the area afterward."

Another local man, who spoke on condition his name not be used, said Pahlawan distributed arms from a hidden cache to his supporters as soon as he entered his family stronghold.

Malik said his brother was attacked by Dostum supporters from nearby areas. "I sent my brother … to visit the elders of my tribe, and this is my right," said Malik. "But General Dostum, based on his former animosity toward me, sent 2,000 of his armed men to take on my brother. They had to defend themselves."

Among those involved in the fighting were a commanders Fatiullah and Rahmat Raees, well known Dostum lieutenants, alleged Malik. Azizullah Kargar, Dostum's deputy, denied that his boss had any armed forces in the area. Those who moved against Pahlawan were people out to settle old grievances against Malik and had no affiliation with Dostum, he told IWPR.

Malik claimed his people were attacked because of the strength of his political support in Faryab province. "I am a leader of a political party and have the right to campaign anywhere in Afghanistan," he said.

"I have many supporters in the area. Dostum is afraid of my influence because if people favour my candidacy in that province, no one will vote for Dostum's supporters."

"The warlords proved once again that the best way for their political competition is still armed force," said Qayyum Babak, a political observer from Faryab province.

"I wish people wouldn't support either faction," said Niaz Gul of Mazar-e-Sharif, reflecting a widely held view. "If they make it into parliament, they'll create a situation similar to the one before, when they were battling for supremacy here."

Both Dostum and Malik are blamed for personally motivated killings during the civil wars. Rasool Pahlawan had been one of Dostum's best-known lieutenants. After Rasool was killed, Malik sided with the Taleban and helped drive Dostum out of the country. Malik briefly controlled the region until 1998, when it was conquered by the Taleban, prompting him to go into exile. Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is an IWPR staff reporter in Mazar-e-Sharif

Refugee schools in NWFP to be closed down

PESHAWAR, June 5 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The Pakistan government has formally announced all secondary schools for Afghan refugees in North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) camps would be closed by the end of June for lack of funds.

Minister of State for Frontier Region (SAFRON) Sajjad Hussain Chattha told Pajhwok Afghan News the schools were being closed because no government or relief organization was ready to finance the project.

"Secondary schools for Afghan refugees will close down on June 23," he said, adding donors were no longer interested in funding the Frontier-based schools."

The decision offers refugees living in NWFP, particularly those in camps, a cause for hand-wringing, prompting Afghan Teachers' Association in Peshawar to stage a protest in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in the city.

Niaz Mohammad Khan, a protestor, reckoned that about 9,000 Afghan children were being educated in these camp schools. He warned the students would be deprived of their right to education if the decision was implemented.

He also voiced disappointment with the Pakistani government's decision, which would leave at least 650 teachers and support staff jobless. But the UNHCR has not yet reacted to the decision.

However, one official revealed on condition of anonymity the UNHCR was only funding primary schools in the camps. UN estimates suggest there are more than three million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.

Pakistan Hands Over Terror Suspect to U.S.

Islamabad (AP) 6/6/05 - Pakistan has handed over to the United States senior al-Qaida suspect Abu Farraj al-Libbi, who was wanted for two assassination attempts against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, an official said Monday.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani confirmed a reported comment by Musharraf published in a newspaper in the United Arab Emirates on Monday that al-Libbi had been handed over, but gave no further details.

"The president made a statement to this effect. The president's statement was self-explanatory. I don't have further details," Jilani said at a news conference in Islamabad.

Some officials have described al-Libbi as al-Qaida's No. 3 leader, after Osama bin Laden and Egyptian surgeon Ayman al-Zawahri. However, he does not appear on the FBI list of the world's most-wanted terrorists, and his exact role in al-Qaida is murky. He was arrested May 2 after a shootout in northwestern Pakistan.

An intelligence official said al-Libbi was whisked out of Pakistan with U.S. officials aboard an airplane "a few days ago." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the clandestine nature of his job, did not know where al-Libbi was taken.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad was not immediately available for comment. On May 31, Musharraf told CNN that Pakistan would hand al-Libbi, who is a Libyan, to the United States.

In an interview with United Arab Emirates daily al-Ittihad he confirmed that had happened. "Yes, we turned Abu Farraj al-Libbi over to the United States recently, and we don't want people like him in our country," Musharraf was quoted as saying.

The Pakistani leader did not say when or how al-Libbi was handed over or provide other details. In Pakistan, al-Libbi was wanted for allegedly masterminding two attempts on Musharraf's life in December 2003. The president was unhurt, but 17 people died in the second attack.

The assassination attempts carry a maximum penalty in Pakistan of death by hanging. The personal nature of the attacks led many to believe Musharraf would seek to try al-Libbi here.

Pakistani officials also have said that al-Libbi was behind a suicide attack against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, weeks before he took office last year. Nine people died, including Aziz's driver. It was not entirely clear what charges if any al-Libbi might face in the United States, or if he has been indicted by any U.S. court.

In Washington last week, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States was talking to Pakistan about al-Libbi but had not yet discussed his extradition. Pakistan says it has captured more than 700 al-Qaida suspects since the Sept. 11 attacks, sending most of them to the United States.

They include al-Qaida's former No. 3, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who was arrested in March 2003 during a raid near Islamabad. Two other alleged al-Qaida leaders, Ramzi Binalshibh and Abu Zubaydah, were also arrested in Pakistan.

Pakistan also has deployed about 70,000 troops in its tribal regions bordering Afghanistan_ considered possible hiding places for bin Laden — to track down suspected terrorists.

Bin Laden ‘gave me licence to shoot him’ - Nick Fielding / The Sunday Times (UK) / June 5, 2005
A FORMER personal bodyguard to Osama Bin Laden has revealed how the Al-Qaeda leader survived at least three assassination attempts during his time in Afghanistan and rejected several requests to return to his native Saudi Arabia — including one delivered in person by his mother.

Abu Jindal, 35, a Yemeni who claims to have worked for Bin Laden from 1995- 2000, said he was given the authority to kill the terrorist chief if he seemed about to be taken by his enemies.

“I was the only member of his bodyguard who was given this authority,” he said when interviewed in Yemen by al-Quds al-Arabi, the London-based Arabic newspaper.

“I took care to keep the two bullets in good condition and cleaned them every night ... If enemy forces surrounded Sheikh Osama and there was no possibility that he would escape, I was to kill him before they could catch him alive.”

Abu Jindal said there were at least three assassination attempts during his time with Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

The first was in 1998 by a young Uzbek, allegedly sent by the Saudis and offered a reward of 2m Saudi riyals — £300,000 at today’s rates — and Saudi nationality.

“He was only 18 and had been deceived. He was crying in a very pathetic manner and said, ‘I made a mistake’. Finally, Sheikh Osama said to release him.”

Following another failed assassination attempt in Jalalabad, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban leader, convinced Bin Laden to move to the comparative safety of Kandahar in the south. Abu Jindal said Bin Laden and his family were guarded by 14-16 bodyguards who travelled with them at all times.
The Saudis tried many times to coax Bin Laden back to Saudi Arabia. “At one time the Saudi government sent his mother and his half-brother by a special Saudi plane that landed at Kandahar airport,” said Abu Jindal.

On another occasion, Prince Turki al-Faisal, now Saudi ambassador in London, arrived in a large aircraft intending to return with Bin Laden and his retinue. “The delegation left without him,” said Abu Jindal.

The former bodyguard, whose real name is Nasir Ahmad Nasir al-Bahri, served a short prison term after returning home. He is now free, although closely watched by the intelligence services.

GIs in Afghanistan wage `forgotten' war Chicago Tribune / June 5, 2005

By Kim Barker Tribune foreign correspondent

Sgt. Ben Crowley looks through the scope of his rifle at the suspicious white bag lying in the middle of the dusty road. He sees no wires poking out, nothing that screams bomb. He moves closer, his gun pointed at the bag. Four vehicles, filled with U.S. and Afghan soldiers, wait behind him.

But no one is nervous. The bag is what it seems--full of dirt and gravel and nothing else. It is a typical moment in a typical day near a typical base in the middle of nowhere, Afghanistan. Little happens throughout this day. No bombs, no rockets, no gunfire. Just hordes of children demanding chocolate and pens.

Crowley walks back to his Humvee, which will break down within the hour, the third time in a week. As usual, his rifle has no bullet in the chamber. He is not locked and loaded. Crowley does not see the point, because most attacks here involve roadside bombs, not guerrilla ambushes.

" Iraq is like a war," said Crowley, 28, of Greensboro, N.C. "This is like a summer camp." Sometimes war is not hell. It is simply waiting. But the war in Afghanistan is not really a summer camp, unless summer camp involves swallowing pounds of dust every day, hiking with guns and searching for an alleged Taliban sympathizer named Mohammad Wali. And in this war, soldiers die. On Friday, two were killed by a roadside bomb east of where Crowley and his platoon had patrolled the day before.

But the war in Afghanistan is different from the war in Iraq. The soldiers here sometimes joke that Afghanistan is the forgotten war, but that is not considered funny. Some letters addressed to the base chaplain, generic ones sent to support U.S. troops, even thank the soldiers here for what they have done for the Iraqi people.

"When I told some of my friends back home I was going to Afghanistan, one was like, `We're still over there? We have troops over there?'" said Sgt. Michael Kennicker, 25, of Greenwood, Neb. "To me, it is forgotten, it really is."

When Sgt. Herman Sarantes was deployed to Iraq, his family, friends and acquaintances mailed him three or four packages a week. In Afghanistan, he said, he receives mail only from his wife and parents. And a letter can take six weeks to arrive.

These soldiers all serve in the engineers platoon in the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade. Most in the battalion also have served in Iraq. A few have pulled triple duty--first Afghanistan, then Iraq, now Afghanistan again. They are among about 16,700 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan, helping rebuild the country and fighting insurgents, who sometimes go for months without attacking.

Combat here is sporadic but fierce, mostly along the Pakistan border. Roadside bombs are the most common weapon; the two U.S. soldiers killed by one Friday belonged to a unit getting ready to go home. Life might seem calmer in Afghanistan than Iraq, but this is a war.

"The soldiers are still in danger every day of their lives," said Sgt. 1st Class Rick Scavetta, a coalition spokesman.

Civilians are also at risk. In the past two weeks, three bombs have exploded, targeting Afghan demining groups in the southwest. A suicide bomber killed 19 people Wednesday at a Kandahar mosque.

Life for the engineers platoon has been more peaceful. Their battalion is stationed in Orgun-E, one of the larger of a dozen or so U.S.-led coalition bases along the border with Pakistan and in southern Afghanistan.

Everything is slower here in Paktika province. The Humvees tool along at 10 m.p.h. on Highway 141--really a narrow, bumpy dirt trail. There are no paved roads; some are just dried-out creek beds. The mail takes so long to arrive because it has to be sent by helicopter or "jingle truck," a local truck with dangling, clanging chains. Short patrols take a long time.

"Oh, it's going to be a long, boring day," said Sgt. 1st Class William Porter, 36, the platoon leader, at the beginning of a recent patrol. Fifteen U.S. soldiers and 12 Afghan troops planned to visit people in five villages. Porter brought along two books: "The Complete Guide to Investing in Rental Properties" and "Own Your Own Corporation."

The most exciting moment on this patrol is a tossup--maybe the bag in the middle of the road, or a generator that sounds like an automatic rifle, or an unexploded mortar shell found decorating an Afghan's home.

The Afghan soldiers find out more information than the U.S. soldiers; they grab the mortar and they learn that a nearby gang of thieves is still active. But "exciting" is not the point. And boredom is good, the soldiers say. "Suits me just fine," Crowley said. "If I never have to fire my weapon again, I'll be happy."

Paktika province has long been considered a Taliban haven, but that is changing. When set up shortly after the fall of the Taliban in December 2001, the Orgun-E base faced weekly rocket attacks. By last year, the attacks were monthly.

Since this unit arrived in late February, no rockets have been fired at the base. A few roadside bombs have been found nearby, but villagers reported all of them and none exploded. The bomb that killed the two soldiers from another unit was a rarity. The three soldiers killed from this unit died in a helicopter crash, not combat.

In recent weeks, the Paktika governor finally planted an Afghan flag in the lawless land of Bermel, the only district that had not yet pledged support to the government. The new Bermel police chief replaced a man whose head was cut off by insurgents last year.

Many people seem to be moving on. The police chief of another nearby district is a former Taliban member who recently rejoined the government. "Paktika early on was a Taliban stronghold, and now it is not," said Lt. Col. Tim McGuire, the battalion commander. "There are isolated bands, but the vast majority of the people support the government."

But the minority is not just going away. Insurgents are still planting bombs to kill U.S. soldiers. Fighting also broke out last week in Bermel, between soldiers and insurgents trying to cross the Pakistani border. Some people simply shoot bad looks at the soldiers. In a nearby district, someone posted "night letters," warnings that Afghans who support the U.S. will be killed. When the governor travels to different districts, not everyone claps.

"Some of the guys around here weren't too happy about having the governor," said Sarantes, 28, of Miami. "We ask them, `Who's the president?' They say they don't know. We ask, `Who's Hamid Karzai?' They say, `He's your president, not ours.'"

Some Afghans allege abuse, they worry about American soldiers searching their homes. In Iraq, the engineers' platoon, which specializes in demolition, blew up bombs and weapons caches and sometimes doors. Here it works like an infantry platoon, checking roads, visiting villages and providing security.

"Here, it's more hearts and minds," Sarantes said. "Pretty much we have to put our weapons away and see how people are doing." That means drinking a lot of tea and listening to people complain about a lack of roads and schools. It means Crowley showing kids that he can wiggle his ears and later play "Dixie" on his harmonica. It means pens, chocolates and peppermints.

Most Afghans encountered on the patrol say they are happy to see the Americans. Only one girl sobs and says she is scared. The U.S. soldiers let the Afghan troops take the lead; the Afghans walk first, they talk first, they search first, if necessary. U.S. soldiers follow. The goal is to train the Afghan soldiers to handle their country's security.

At one point, Sarantes walks up the main road of Orgun, the village closest to the base. He asks a shopkeeper whether he has heard anything about the three jingle-truck robberies on Highway 141. Daoud, the shopkeeper, who like many Afghans has only one name, says he knows nothing.

Sarantes asks Daoud what he knows about a roadside bomb found before it exploded. Again, Daoud says he knows nothing. "If we see mines or something, we'll let you know," Daoud promises him. "But if you want tea, we'll give you tea now."

Later, Sarantes and Kennicker will ask men in other villages whether they know. They will ask about Mohammad Wali, who is on the so-called black list of Taliban sympathizers and insurgents.

The U.S. soldiers will learn little. But they will drink many cups of tea, and they will be told repeatedly that Afghans only want peace, and that nobody here wants to fight anymore.

India-Pakistan begin gas talks - BBC

India and Pakistan have begun talks on a proposed natural gas pipeline from Iran to India. The multi-billion dollar project, which would provide India with much-needed natural gas, would have to pass through Pakistani territory.

India's oil minister Mani Shankar Aiyar is in Pakistan to discuss the safety of the project with Pakistani officials.

Talks on the pipeline have often been postponed in the past due to tense relations between India and Pakistan.

A 2,600km (1620-mile) landline would cost about $4bn and the supplies would be a huge boost for energy-starved India. "If security and other issues are resolved with Pakistan, I would say construction could begin with all deliberate speed in three years," Mr Aiyar told AFP news agency ahead of the meeting.

"This could be an international consortium or other entity. We are only a customer right now, but security and other agreements will make this project viable for investors."

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have embarked on a peace process since January 2004. "There are two sets of agreements. Iran and India have to agree on a price. Iran and Pakistan have to agree on building the pipeline. There could be

Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the gas pipeline would spur trade ties between the two neighbours - "a standalone project of huge significance". India's energy demands, both in oil and gas, are expected to double by 2020 as the country's economy grows rapidly.

The world's second most populous country produces only half the natural gas it uses and currently imports 70% of the crude oil it needs. Record oil prices in recent months have hit India hard as a result.

The Indian government says natural gas imports will be needed if expected economic growth of 7-8% is to be sustained. Correspondents say India has embarked on "pipeline diplomacy" to meet its rising energy needs.

Three pipelines are under consideration - from Iran through Pakistan, from Turkmenistan through Pakistan and Afghanistan, and from Burma through Bangladesh.

Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan stand to reap millions of dollars in transit fees. India has already signed a $40bn (£21bn) deal to import millions of tonnes of liquefied natural gas from Iran.

[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.]