Expert: Kabul on Verge of Cholera Epidemic

Kabul (AP – June 14, 2005) - The Afghan capital is on the verge of a cholera epidemic, with more than 2,000 cases of the disease and at least eight deaths reported in recent weeks, a health expert warned Tuesday.

Afghanistan's Health Ministry on Monday confirmed up to 300 cases, but claimed they have been dealt with and there had been no fatalities. It said there was no risk of the disease spreading.

But on Tuesday, Fred Hartman, technical director for a USAID-backed health and development program, told The Associated Press that eight or nine people had died in the past two weeks, and warned the disease could spread quickly throughout the city's 4 million population.

"An epidemic is about to break out here. Over two thousand cases have been reported so far," said Hartman, who has been involved with efforts to contain the outbreak. "There are always deaths with cholera," he said.

Hartman said the government was well-equipped to deal with the outbreak and had set up an emergency task force to ensure that hospitals have the necessary equipment and medicine to treat patients. He said the disease had been detected in wells around the city, the source of drinking water for most of the city's residents, as well as irrigation ditches.

Cholera is a major killer in developing countries, where it is spread mainly through contaminated food or water. The bacterium attacks the intestine and causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.

The warning was in stark contrast to Health Ministry official Ahmid Shah Shukomand's claim Monday that the outbreak had been contained. "We had about 200 to 300 cases, but they were discharged from hospitals after treatment," Shukomand told The Associated Press. hukomand on Tuesday reiterated those comments, and said even those few hundred people suspected of having cholera have not been confirmed to have the illness.

He said authorities had launched a campaign urging people to boil drinking water, wash vegetables before eating them and regularly wash hands. Health ministry workers have chlorinated wells throughout the city, he added.

A spokesman for UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, Edward Carwardine, said the last cholera outbreak in Kabul was in 2003 when there were 7,000 suspected cases. But he said the government was fast to respond and the disease quickly disappeared after wells were chlorinated.

In 2001, 114 people died from a cholera outbreak in Afghanistan's north, according to the World Health Organization's Web site. It had not information on the latest cases.

Afghanistan health ministry plays down fears of cholera outbreak

Kabul (AFP – June 14, 2005) - Afghanistan's health ministry played down fears that the capital Kabul faces an outbreak of cholera but aid agencies said there was cause for concern.

Health Minister Amin Fatimie said there had been more than 2,000 acute cases of diarrhoea, but added that they had not yet been identified as cholera and the number was normal for the time of year.

However Fatimie said he did not "rule out the possibility of cholera" and samples had been sent overseas for testing because Afghanistan lacked the facilities.

"To date, we have registered 2,306 cases of acute diarrhoea in four hospitals of Kabul," Fatimie told AFP. There had been three fatalities including two children, he added.

"It is not an extraordinary number that we have registered. In comparison with last year, the same time, same month, the number of cases then was twice as high," Fatimie said. Some 546 people had been hospitalised for treatment while the rest had been given medicine and discharged, he added.

The Afghan Non-governmental organisations Safety Office, a security group for aid agencies, sent out an emailed warning last week warning of a potential outbreak of the deadly disease.

"I think it is not an epidemic but it is certainly a cause for concern. At the moment the number of cases is relatively low but the Ministry of Health has already begun chlorinating wells which can reduce contamination," said UNICEF spokesman Edward Carwardine.

At Cure International Hospital, where they had three people under treatment for severe diarrhoeal disease, a doctor said it was unclear whether the disease was cholera. "We cannot confirm cholera. We don't have the facilities to test for cholera," said Jackie Sinclair.

Across Afghanistan, where most people have no access to running water, an estimated 50,000 children under five die of diarrhoea every year, UNICEF's Carwardine said.

4 U.S. Troops Hurt in Afghan Bomb Attack

Kabul (Reuters 06/14/05) - A bomb exploded Tuesday near a U.S. military vehicle on a road in central Afghanistan, wounding four American troops and their Afghan interpreter, the U.S. military said. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, and U.S. aircraft were sent to the scene to transport the wounded to a hospital, said spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara.

The attack occurred during a routine patrol in support of an ongoing operation south of Ghazni, south of the capital, O'Hara said. "Terrorists, who often pay impoverished Afghans to detonate these devices for them, are behind these brutal attacks," he said. "These criminals know they cannot stand up to Afghan and coalition forces, so they are forced to resort to these tactics."

On Monday, a suicide bomber wounded four U.S. troops in an assault on an American military convoy just west of the city. O'Hara said three bombs were discovered and destroyed in other locations Monday.

Meanwhile, Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces killed two suspected insurgents and captured 13 others in a firefight in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.

The clash occurred Monday after the 15 rebels were spotted walking through a narrow valley just north of Kandahar, the main city in southern Afghanistan, a statement said. One of the 13 arrested was wounded in the fighting and was taken to Kandahar for treatment, it said.

Also on Monday, police in Kandahar arrested an alleged local Taliban commander, Mohammed Eisah, who is suspected of involvement in the killing in May of Abdul Fayaz, a top cleric in southern Afghanistan, as well as the assassination last year of a regional army commander, said police chief Gen. Hayub Salangi. He said Eisah was captured after a firefight near the city.

In addition to Eisah, two Afghan men and two women were arrested at a police checkpoint near Kandahar after they were found to be carrying weapons and photos of Osama bin Laden and renegade former premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said Salangi.

Even though U.S. military commanders express optimism about progress toward making Afghanistan secure, there has been a sharp rise in bombings, shootings and other violence since winter's snow melted in mountain passes used by insurgents. President Hamid Karzai's administration has warned that Taliban-led rebels and al-Qaida militants are trying to subvert crucial legislative elections in September.

Two 'rebels' die in Afghan clash – BBC 6/124/05

Two suspected militants have been killed and 12 others captured in a clash with Afghan and US-led coalition forces in southern Afghanistan. A US military statement said the clash occurred north of the southern city of Kandahar.

Separately, police say 18 commanders linked to an anti-government warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, have surrendered. There has been an increase in militant activity in the south and east of the country after a lull during the winter.

About 18,000 US-led foreign troops are in Afghanistan tracking al-Qaeda and Taleban militants. The incident happened when the Afghan and coalition forces spotted a group of 15 rebels moving in a narrow valley and blocked their way, a US military statement said.

Two militants were killed and another wounded in the gun battle. The soldiers detained 12 rebels from the group after a "complete search of the area," the statement said.

About 150 rebels have been killed in violence this year, according to the US and Afghan government figures quoted by the Reuters news agency. On Monday, a suicide bomber wounded four US soldiers in an attack on an American military vehicle near Kandahar.

The commanders linked to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar were said to have surrendered as part of a reconciliation drive aimed at former militants. The fighters are said to have given themselves up in the south-eastern town of Gardez on Sunday.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's group, Hezb-e-Islami, is suspected of carrying out a string of attacks against US and Afghan troops. Last month, the Afghan government extended its amnesty scheme to include top figures in the former ruling Taleban, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Pakistan sees Afghanistan rid of al Qaeda in 10 yrs

Canberra (Reuters) - The militant al Qaeda network should be dismantled and sustainable democracy achieved in Afghanistan within 10 years, allowing foreign troops to leave, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday.

Musharraf told Reuters in an interview that a sustainable democracy with a central authority needed to be achieved in neighboring Afghanistan, its militia removed and a strong Afghan army created, before foreign troops could leave.

"All this is do-able in 10 years and I am very sure that the way we are going we will be able to dismantle the al Qaeda organization totally (within Afghanistan in 10 years)," Musharraf said during the first visit by a Pakistan president to Australia. "I think in 10 years we should be able bring a semblance of democracy that is sustainable, ensuring the integrity of Afghanistan."

U.S.-backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai won a presidential election last October and parliamentary elections are due to be held in the country on Sept. 18.

The United States commands an 18,300-strong international force, most of whom are American. The alliance is fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants and is hunting their leaders, including al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, airliner attacks on the United States. U.S.-led forces overthrew the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan in late 2001 after they refused to hand over bin Laden, who they had been sheltering.

More than 70 U.S. soldiers have been killed in action and more than 400 wounded in Afghanistan since 2001, while U.S. and Afghan government figures show about 150 insurgents have been killed this year.
Musharraf said al Qaeda's back had been broken in Pakistan, where hundreds of al Qaeda suspects have been arrested since 2001 and handed over to the United States.

But bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar remain at large. U.S. and Pakistani officials say they don't know where bin Laden is, but their best guess is somewhere along the rugged border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We have broken (al Qaeda's) cohesion, their lateral and vertical cohesion (in Pakistan). That's a great achievement because they cease to exist as a homogenous body able to execute operations in a command and control environment," Musharraf said. "But ultimate dismantling, ultimate elimination (in Pakistan) will take time."

Pakistan's Musharraf says Osama bin Laden still alive

Canberra (AFP 6/14/05) - Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden is alive and probably living in the rugged mountains bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said.

Speaking during a three-day visit to Australia to promote counter-terrorism cooperation and increased trade, Musharraf said Pakistan had suffered 250 casualties in fighting bin Laden's Al-Qaeda and other militant groups in its western tribal regions.

It had also destroyed the logistics and communications hubs of the terror networks so that they no longer functioned coherently, he said on Tuesday.

However, the Saudi behind the September 11 attacks on the United States was proving elusive because of the difficulty of the terrain, Musharraf said.

"It's very easy for a person to hide," Musharraf told an Australian Press Club lunch in Canberra. "I know that he is alive. Most likely he is alive, yes, because of our information and interrogation of various Al-Qaeda operatives that we have apprehended.

"Maybe he is in the border region in hiding wherever he sees a vacuum." Musharraf said while his government had deployed around 70,000 troops to fight insurgents hiding in the tribal areas separating Afghanistan from Pakistan, the soldiers could not cover the entire region. "It is not easy to get a person there," the president said.

Musharraf is expected to sign an agreement on counter-terrorism cooperation during a meeting with Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday. He leaves Australia on Thursday to visit New Zealand.

Britain to reduce troops in Iraq, send more to Afghanistan

London (AFP 06/14/05) - Britain will reduce the number of its troops in Iraq soon and send more to Afghanistan to fight remnants of the Taliban. The Iraq contingent will decrease in "battalion chunks" following the elections expected at the end of the year, Air Marshal Glenn Torpy was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

By next year, the 1,000-man British force in Afghanistan is likely to be increased considerably as the army, backed by Royal Air Force Harrier jets, move into more dangerous parts of the country to combat the growing heroin trade and to hunt down remaining Taliban.

The United States, backed by Britain and other allies, launched a war against the Islamist Taliban and Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington.

The Afghanistan deployment depends on the situation in the Middle East becoming more "manageable", although Torpy expected "a satisfactory conclusion" to the Iraq operation within 18 months.

Iraqi Defense Forces, trained by the western allies, are now expected to assume a larger role in establishing security in the British sector in southern Iraq, Torpy was quoted as saying.

"At the end of the year, after the election period, we should be in a position to start a gradual reduction in British forces," he was quoted as saying. Troop numbers in Afghanistan will automatically increase when the British-led Allied Rapid Reaction Corps is scheduled to deploy there in May next year.

The NATO unit, working alonside the US-trained Afghanistan National Army, will be deployed in the more dangerous southern area of the country where US troops will still operate.

Afghan clerics demand US apologize over alleged Quran abuse at Guantanamo Bay - By AMIR SHAH - Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan - (AP) Afghanistan's Islamic clergy demanded the United States apologize for alleged desecration of the Islamic holy book by U.S. troops at a military prison in Guantanamo Bay and demanded that those responsible be handed over to a Muslim country to face trial.

The clergy, the Ulamas Council, made the demand in a resolution at the end of a meeting of clerics from across Afghanistan. "Abuse of the Quran in Guantanamo Bay is a crime. It hurts the hearts of Muslims. The Ulamas Council of Afghanistan wants the United States to apologize to Muslim nations all over the world," cleric Malwari Saaduddin said, reading out the resolution.

"Whoever is responsible for these crimes should be handed over to an Islamic country to face trial," he added. Anti-U.S. sentiment spiked here last month and 15 people were killed in riots after a U.S. magazine reported that interrogators at the U.S. prison placed copies of the Quran in washrooms and flushed one book in the toilet to get inmates to talk. Newsweek magazine later withdrew its story and apologized.

The U.S. Defense Department earlier this month detailed five incidents of U.S. guards desecrating the Quran, but did not find any case of it being flushed down a toilet.

There are about 540 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, most of them captured on the battlefields of Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Some detainees have been there more than three years without being charged.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers, earlier this month accused the media of bias over its reporting about Guantanamo Bay, and said it shouldn't be focusing "a couple of incidents where an overzealous guard or interrogator abused the Quran."

The Ulama Council is highly influential in Afghanistan, with some 6,000 clerics as members nationwide. The organization also condemned a spate of attacks across the country in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing Monday that wounded four U.S. troops and another on June 1 inside a mosque that killed 20 people. It said committing suicide, in any form, was against Islam.

Eastern Afghan Tribal Leaders Voice Concern over New Governor - RFE/RL 06/13/2005

Tribal leaders in Nangarhar Province voiced concern over apparent plans for a new regional governor appointed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Afghan Islamic Press news agency reported 12 June.
"We are Pashtuns," said area tribal leader Malek Mohammad Nazir. "We want a Pashtun governor here. We do not want a governor who wears a tie. If such a governor comes here and behaves well, then fine. Otherwise we will oppose him very strongly."

Nazir's statement came during a farewell ceremony for Nangarhar Province Governor Haji Din Mohammad, who announced that he quit his post upon orders from Kabul.

The news agency said Karzai has not aired an official announcement about the transfer. But Afghan television reports said that Din Mohammad has been appointed as governor of Kandahar Province.
The sitting Kandahar governor, Gol Agha Sherzai, will take over in Herat Province. Parwan Province Governor Abdol Jabar Taqwa will take the governor's seat in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar. The Pakistan-based news agency offered no independent confirmation of the reported gubernatorial shakeup beyond public remarks by Din Mohammad in Jalalabad.

Four tones of heroin seized, band smashed in South Afghanistan

KABUL, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Afghan law enforcing agencies in a major anti-drug operation in southern Helmand province have seized four tones of heroin and arrested seven smugglers, a state-run newspaper reports Tuesday.

"Personnel of National Security Directorate in an operation against drug traffickers in Khanshin district of Helmand province busted a gang and seized 4,000 kg heroin from their possession yesterday," daily Anis added.

One of smugglers, the daily added, was injured during the exchange of fire. A quantity of arms including a rocket propelled grenade and two vehicles were also seized form the band.

It is the second major operation in the province against the smugglers. Personnel of Afghan Counter Narcotics Force in a three-day operation had destroyed a drug bazaar in Bahram Shah area close to Pakistan border early this month. Enditem

Press Briefing by Ariane Quentier Senior Public Information Officer And United Nations Agencies in Afghanistan - Kabul – 13 June 2005

ط Today’s speakers

Today’s first guest is Mr. Grant Kippen. He is the Chair of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) the independent organization responsible for adjudicating electoral complaints. He will talk to you today about the ECC and the candidate’s challenge process that is currently underway.

Today’s second guest is Mr. Guiseppe di Gennaro, from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He was the coordinator of the Italian Justice Lead in Afghanistan, and he currently chairs the workshop on prison law and its relationship to Human Right’s principles. He will speak to you today about the rule of law and justice reform issues in Afghanistan.

ط UNAMA welcomes back released aid worker, Clementina Cantoni

I cannot start this briefing without saying how much the UN family and the international community are relieved and happy with the safe release of Clementina Cantoni last Thursday evening.

As you know, Clementina had been abducted in Kabul while driving home three weeks earlier. She had been in Afghanistan for almost three years. She was widely respected and loved for having dedicated herself to helping Afghan widows to survive the hardship of post-war Afghanistan.

Although a few days after the release of Clementina, UNAMA wants to welcome her back, and UNAMA would like to thank the Afghan authorities for making this happen. UNAMA also wants to thank the Afghan people who expressed clear outrage at the kidnapping of Clementina, and offered wide-scale public support for her safe release.

ط The disarmament of former combatants reaches 60,000 mark

A significant milestone has been reached today as Afghan New Beginnings Programme (ANPB) figures showed that more than 60,000 military personnel have disarmed. This represents a major achievement for the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme (DDR) of former soldiers and officers of the Afghan Military Forces (AMF).

A total 60,076 ex-combatants have formally disarmed, while 51,353 have been demobilized and 49,431 have entered the reintegration process.
In terms of the reintegration choice, the agricultural sector continues to be most popular and has attracted 41.8%, whereas vocational training and job placement has attracted 25.3% and business options a further 22.4%.

With reference to heavy weapons, there is no change to the figure last reported (9,085).
The disarmament of AMF will conclude at a ceremony on 28th June. Although many have disarmed and joined the program, efforts continue to ensure that all those entitled to join do so before the program closes.

ط Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups starting

The day before yesterday, Saturday, the Government of Afghanistan announced the official start of the Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups, also known as DIAG. DIAG, which coincides with the completion of the disarmament and demobilization part of the DDR programme, will represent the next crucial step in the disarmament of all irregular forces in Afghanistan. DIAG will be led by the Government of Afghanistan with the support if the international community, including the UN.

During the launching press conference held Saturday by Vice-President Khalili, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan (DSRSG) Filippo Grandi said, “We are grateful with all those who cooperated with DDR and especially the commanders. The struggle is now to make renewed efforts to build a prosperous and democratic country. This will need the cooperation of all the people of Afghanistan”

Vice-President Khalili and other speakers at the press conference launching DIAG, including DSRSG Filippo Grandi, also echoed the recent Joint Electoral Management Body statement. This statement announced that weapon collection facilities are being offered to electoral candidates who are assessed as having links with illegal armed groups, and who must disarm in order to avoid disqualification from the electoral process. Weapon collection sites are being set up in all provinces and notified candidates will have until the end of June to consign weapons, in order to comply with the electoral law.

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.

ط The Millennium Development Goals Report 2005

Last Thursday, June 9th 2005, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the Millennium Development Goals Progress Report at UN Headquarters. The 44-page publication contains up-to-date UN statistics for the 8 goals and 18 related targets, on income poverty, health, education and gender equality; environmental sustainability and slums; and on trade, aid and debt.

The report features regional and global averages on progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is the most comprehensive accounting to date on how far the world has come since the adoption of the MDGs. It represents the most complete official UN data set on the development goals, before the next September summit.

Overall the report shows that if current trends persist, there is a risk that many of the poorest countries will not be able to meet many of the MDGs. As the Secretary-General puts it, “considering how far we have come, such a failure would mark a tragically missed opportunity. This report shows that we have the means at hand to ensure that nearly every country can make good promises on the Goals. Our challenge is to deploy those means”.

The new Afghanistan Millennium Development Goals Reports is currently in preparation, under the leadership of the government, and will be released before the September summit.

For more information on the MDGs report, consult the website at: http://millenium indicators.un.org or click here for the press release.

ط Transitional Justice Conference in The Hague, Netherlands

An international conference on peace, justice and reconciliation in Afghanistan, was held in The Hague, in the Netherlands on 6th and 7th June.

Hosted by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference was attended by an Afghan delegation headed the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, and including the Minister of Refugees and representatives of the President's Office and the Supreme Court.

Other key participants included the Chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, the Special Representative for the European Union, representatives from major donor countries, as well as experts of the International Centre for Transitional Justice and the Afghanistan Justice Project.

Ideas put forward by the Office of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, based on detailed discussions with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and UNAMA, resulted in the conference support for the adoption of a comprehensive action plan for peace, justice and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

The action plan is to be based in countrywide consultations amongst the Afghan population on how to deal with the legacy of two and a half decades of conflict - with the aim of moving towards a stable, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan. These consultations called for a wide range of transitional justice measures, such as public symbols, institutional reform, truth-seeking and documentation, reconciliation and accountability.

ط Flood Update

In Balkh province, reports indicate that heavy rainfall led to flooding in the Qaland village of Sholgara district on Friday and Saturday. A verification mission from the United Nations Mine Action Centre (UNMACA) has already been dispatched to the affected area, and will report back in the next few days.

In terms of response, the provincial disaster response committee, made up of the Department for Rural Rehabilitation and Development, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), met in Balkh City yesterday. They agreed to send food and non-food items for 15 families. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also agreed to provide medical supplies if needed.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is transporting the humanitarian relief by convoy from Balkh City to the affected areas today.

Briefing by Guiseppe di Gennaro, former Coordinator of the Italian Justice Lead in Afghanistan, and current Chairman of the workshop on Prison Law and Human Right’s Principles

Afghanistan is moving towards democracy, and as such, needs a functional and strong justice system.

Why does the United Nations deal with it? Since the beginning of the Bonn process, the United Nations have highlighted that there is a conflict in power between state and citizens and individuals. In terms of the relationship between justice and human rights - in a well-functioning democracy, it is necessary to be able to apply justice without violating the human rights of an individual.

Progress has been made. In recent years three laws have been enacted and these are the law on criminal procedures, the code of juvenile justice, and the Penitentiary law. Regarding the penitentiary law, a workshop is being conducted by UNODC this week. High-level Afghan authorities will be participating in this workshop to talk about the implementation of the new prison law and discuss its relationship with human rights issues.

Questions & Answers

Question: We recently marked the International Day of Child Labour. What is the United Nations view of this issue in Afghanistan?

Senior Public Information Officer: As a matter of principle, any form of forced or slave labour is condemned by the United Nations and UNAMA. As to which specific recommendations have been made for Afghanistan, I will have to refer you to UNICEF, who is directly involved in the matter of child labour.

Question: With over 60,000 AMF disarmed, is the United Nations closing this chapter of DDR [Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration]?

Senior Public Information Officer: Indeed, we have a little over 60,000 military personnel who have disarmed since the inception of DDR. But we have another few weeks to go and we will probably go beyond 60,000 because there are still military personnel from the AMF needing to disarm. We think, and please remember the figures fluctuate, but we think there will not be more than 70,000 military personnel to have disarmed by June 28th. That said the DDR programme is made up of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. What we are talking about is the completion of disarmament and demobilization. You might remember that the reintegration process is still ongoing and will take another year. So when we talk about the completion of the process, we are talking about the completion of disarmament and demobilization, not reintegration as we have another 12 months to go on this.

Question: Do you still have a problem with the division in Panjsher, the First Division?
Senior Public Information Officer: We have a problem with the First Division. We still have no compliance from the First Division and are still in a negotiating process. But we are hopeful and optimistic that by June 28th we will have had positive negotiations with the First Division and will have completed the disarmament and demobilization process, including that of the First Division.

Question: With reference to the ‘Challenge’ period, a lot of people are concerned that the period only lasts for 4 days and that this length of time is not enough. Do you think 4 days is realistic?

Senior Public Information Officer: It was longer than 4 days. But what we recognize is that there are some parts of the country that might have difficulty in getting a particular challenge in, in that particular period of time. We will deal with those on an exceptional basis. If there is any issue and they do want to bring something forward, we can take it on an individual basis.

American Archaeologist Authenticates Afghanistan’s Recovered National Treasures - By Pat McDonnell Twair - Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Middle East - May/June 2005

TELEVISION VIEWERS around the world witnessed the looting of priceless antiquities from Iraq’s national museum as U.S. troops passively observed the blatant theft of a nation’s heritage.

It was presumed the same thing happened to Afghanistan’s historical treasures when that country’s national museum was reduced to a roofless, derelict building during the war against Soviet occupation and subsequent Taliban rule.

But archaelogists were puzzled by the fact that most of the precious objects from the Kabul museum failed to show up in Western auction houses. The museum had gained notoriety for its collection of more than 21,000 primarily gold objects of the Bactrian culture recovered in 1978 at Tilya Tepe (Mountain of Gold) by Russian archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi. As word of the horde of gold ornaments spread, Sarianidi rushed the treasure trove to the Afghan capital for safety.

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan shortly afterward, in 1979, it was feared the prized objects had been sent to the U.S.S.R. or melted down. In 1988, a young American archaeologist, Fredrik Hiebert, began working with Sarianidi. He soon became a specialist on the ancient Bactrian cultures that thrived in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

In the summer of 2003, Hiebert received word that the Bactrian gold was in the hands of the Afghan government. The legendary Bactrian gold collection and Afghanistan’s gold bullion had been sequestered in an impenetrable vault protected by seven elaborate locks in the presidential palace complex. The Taliban had tried and failed to crack the safe.

After the Taliban were expelled, the new government called in a team of locksmiths to open the vault, and invited Hiebert to Kabul to head a team of archaeologists to verify the authenticity of its contents.
During a Jan. 27 lecture at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Hiebert, who is a National Geographic fellow and a research associate at the University of Pennsylvania and Oxford University, said he and Sarianidi were present in Kabul as five Central Bank officials and technicians began to open the vault.

“We were shocked,” Heibert recalled, “we weren’t prepared.” Eighteen people watched breathlessly as one treasure after another was removed from its quarter-century interment.

The awestruck scientists stared in disbelief as precious gold appliqués, pendants and clasps, an elaborate crown and a statue of Aphrodite were carefully unwrapped.

As Minister of Culture Makhdoom Raheen removed each object, he handed it to Hiebert, who weighed and measured it, then gave it a new identification number and description in English and the Afghan Dari language. The final step was to take a digital photograph of each item.

“I wanted to make sure we weren’t disrupting the traditional system with our photographic and scientific measurements,” Hiebert explained. “We preserved the traditional Afghan keyholder system and repacked the objects in new safes with UNESCO and the Afghan government overseeing their storage in a secret location.”

As the inventory process drew to an end, the minister of culture inquired: “Would you like to look at these other boxes?” Hiebert stared incredulously as he was presented with six dented and dusty tin trunks.

“Then there were 20, then 80, and finally 120 containers were brought to us,” he told his UCLA audience. “Some were just tin boxes with a lock, others were safes with keys. Many were dented and indicated animals had leaned or rested on them.” Ultimately, more than 2,500 objects documenting the unique history of Afghanistan were pulled from the ragtag amalgam of containers.

Exquisitely carved ivory plaques from the Kushan culture, cast bronze busts of the classical Roman style, Chinese lacquer bowls, Buddhist bodhisattva sculptures, first century glassware and a crystal vase engraved with the image of Alexandria’s Pharos lighthouse were withdrawn from the battered containers.

Hiebert and Sarianidi were delighted to discover that 2,000 of the choicest coins were intact. These include a series of 5th century B.C. coins illustrated with the profiles of successive kings. Miraculously, fewer than 100 objects are now missing from the Kabul Museum’s original display collection.

“The Kabul Museum was small, but every article was a masterpiece,” Hiebert explained. “The real heroes are the men who risked their lives while bombs were falling to rescue their national treasures,” the American archaeologist said. “We’ll never know who they were, but they carefully packed each object in pink toilet paper or newspaper. They sealed lock holes over with a paper bearing the names of eight to 10 of the signers stating the boxes couldn’t be opened unless all the signatories or their descendents were present.”

“Best of all,” Hiebert marveled, “through every indignity occurring in their country, they managed to keep the whereabouts of their national treasures secret.” Hiebert views these recovered antiquities as proof of a distinct Central Asian identity midway between the eastern and western outposts of the Silk Route.

“These objects from China, India, Egypt, Rome, Greece and ancient Afghan cultures represent a Silk Route melting pot,” he enthused. “Having handled each of these pieces, I see a tremendous similarity, such as evidenced in hundreds and hundreds of appliqués made from one mold, that indicate a unique culture emerged in Afghanistan.”

Hiebert hopes the rest of the world will have a chance to see these protected antiquities—and not only for their beauty. “A tour through the world’s most respected museums,” he explained, “would help to raise revenues to build a state-of-the-art national museum to keep these objects safe in perpetuity.” Pat McDonnell Twair is a free-lance writer based in Los Angeles.

Ex-jihadi leader wounded; two fighters killed

KANDAHAR CITY, June 14 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A former jihadi commander was wounded by unidentified assailants in the Brikhnakot neighbourhood late Monday night, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.

Commander Mondi was on his way home in this increasingly shambolic southern city when attacked by gunmen, Kandahar police chief General Mohammad Ayub Salangi said, adding one of the assailants was also injured in retaliatory fire from his guards.

Police arrested the injured attacker with a motorbike while his accomplices escaped, revealed Salangi, who explained the commander had surrendered his arms to the government under the DDR programme.

Taliban spokesman Mufti Latifullah Hakimi, in a telephone call to this news agency, claimed responsibility for the attack: "Our men carried out the assault. One Talib Mullah Siddiqullah was martyred while three guards of the commander were killed."

Mullah Siddiqullah was the brother of Mullah Jalil, deputy foreign affairs minister during the Taliban rule, Hakimi continued.

Commander Mondi along with his guards is under treatment in the Kandahar hospital. "They are in stable condition," informed the police, who branded the assailants as terrorists. "We will grill the arrested attacker so as to track down his accomplices, who escaped after the shooting," Salangi concluded.

Jalalabad districts poised to get Net facility soon

JALALABAD, June 14 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Work on laying Internet cable in all districts of Jalalabad will kick off in the next two months. The facility will be provided by the Afghan Cable in all districts of Jalalabad.

Afghan Cable chief Engineer Zalmay told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday the system would benefit the residents of Jalalabad. So far the Afghan Cable has provided connections to over 7,000 houses in Jalalabad.

Of the three Internet clubs in the city, only one is operative at the moment while two had been destroyed during last month's violent demonstrations against the desecration of the Holy Quran at the Guantanamo Bay.

Jalalabad residents, on the other hand, have conflicting views about the proposed launch of the Internet facility. Abdullah Saar, a computer instructor, said the Internet had become a necessity of modern-day life. If materialised, the plan will benefit the people of Jalalabad.

An engineering student at the Nangarhar University, Ataullah, hoped the facility would help students and researchers apart from the masses. He stressed the Net ought to be cast wide to benefit the maximum number of surfers.

However, some people have serious reservations about the laying of the Net cable, arguing it is against Islamic teachings in that it provides access to "unhealthy and unwholesome sites promoting vulgarity."

Hussain Khan, a student at the Central Darul Huffaz Seminary, denounced the step as "a sinister conspiracy of the infidels to alienate Muslims from their religion." He urged the government to establish seminaries instead of allowing spread of indecency in a devoutly Muslim society.

Iran, India sign 22-billion-dollar LNG deal

Tehran (AFP 06/14/05) - Iran and India signed a deal worth 22 billion dollars for Tehran to supply five million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually over a 25-year period from 2009.

"We managed to agree on a price for the LNG. The exports should begin in 2009 and rapidly reach a level of five million tonnes annually," Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanghaneh said following talks with his Indian counterpart Mani Shankar Aiyar.

The contract was signed between the National Iranian Gas Export Company and three Indian firms -- Indian Oil Company (IOC), Gail, and Baharat India -- and came after three days of negotiations between the ministers.

Zanganeh also announced that discussions would continue between the two countries over awarding India exploitation rights in the onshore Jofeir oilfield and 10 percent of the field at Yadavaran in Khuzestan province of southwest Iran.

"If India accepts increasing the exports of LNG by 2.5 million additional tonnes, its share in Yadavaran will increase to 20 percent," he added. The two counties have yet to agree on the price of the extra 2.5 million tonnes of LNG.

Meanwhile, India and Iran signed a memorandum of cooperation over building a gas pipeline between Iran and India via Pakistan. The document sets the framework for discussions on the amount of gas to be transported and on when the more than four-billion-dollar project to build the 2,600-kilometre (1,600-mile) link would start.

An announcement on the pipeline will be made around the end of the month, an Iranian official said Monday on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference in Kuala Lumpur.

"We will make an announcement in two weeks," Reza Amrollahi, Iran's senior deputy energy minister, told reporters. Pakistan, meanwhile, said it was to hold talks with Iran on the pipeline next week.

Negotiations over the pipeline -- which would will supply gas from the massive South Pars offshore fields in the Gulf -- began in 1994 but made little headway because of tensions between Pakistan and India, which have fought three wars since gaining independence in 1947 from Britain. However, since January 2004, the two energy-starved countries have been engaged in a peace process and relations are at their best for years.

Aside from relations between the two neighbours, there are other obstacles: its high cost and necessary transit through the unsettled Pakistani province of Baluchistan where gas pipelines have been sabotaged by tribes.

The United States, an increasingly close ally of India and leading critic of Iran, has also made clear its objections to New Delhi buying gas from a country it accuses of supporting terrorism and attempting to make a nuclear bomb.

Bush says he is sensitive to Pakistan's security needs

WASHINGTON June 10 : President George W. Bush on Friday conveyed Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, that he was sensitive to Pakistan's security needs.

"President George Bush received Foreign Minister Kasuri at the Oval Office on Friday and the two discussed a range of issues," a Pakistani embassy statement said.

"President expressed happiness over the 'unique' relationship that Pakistan and US enjoyed," the statement said. President Bush praised the bold leadership of President Pervez Musharraf and expressed hope that the Kashmir issue would be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties concerned.

President Bush said that real reform was called for the agreed with the Foreign Minister that there should be no artificial deadlines. He said that principles for reforms needed to be developed.

The Foreign Minister thanked President Bush for his support to Pakistan and said that bilateral ties extended over diverse fields including political, economic, defence and other areas.

Foreign minister Kauri underscored the need for US support to Pakistan in these areas and briefed the US President on the latest developments in Pakistan-India relations including the visit of All Pakistan Hurriyat Conference delegation to Pakistan and the start of Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service. "A stage had been reached where solutions to the core issue of Kashmir needed to be discussed. This would require vision and courage".

Discussing the UN Security Council reform, Foreign Minister Kasuri stated Pakistan's view that these be comprehensive and holistic. At the request of President Bush, Foreign Minister Kasuri gave a comprehensive briefing on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, the statement said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Advisor to the President on National Security Affairs Stephen Hadley, Senior Director at the National Security Council Micheal Green and Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca were also present in the meeting.

On the first day of his 2-day visit to Washington, the Foreign Minister also met other senior US figures including National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, Senator Richard Lugar- Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Warner- Chairman Armed Services Committee and Congressman Henry Hyde- Chairman, House International Relations Committee.

He held a breakfast meeting with members of Pakistan Congressional Caucus. Foreign Minister Kasuri addressed the Brookings Institution on "Pakistan-US Relations: Challenges and Opportunities". He also gave interviews to electronic and print media.

Foreign Minister Kasuri separately met the US President's National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. Pakistan-US bilateral relations Kashmir and Afghanistan were discussed.

The Foreign Minister requested the NSC Advisor for an investigation into reports of desecration of the Holy Quran and urged for punishment to those responsible.

The Foreign Minister underscored Pakistan's unwavering cooperation in the international counter-terrorism efforts, the cost both human and material to Pakistan notwithstanding. The Foreign Minister also briefed him on the steps taken by the government to establish a sustainable democratic order in Pakistan.

In meetings with US legislators, Foreign Minister Kasuri briefed his interlocutors on Pakistan-US bilateral relations, latest developments
in Pakistan-India and Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.

In his address to the Brookings Institution, the Foreign Minister highlighted the various dimensions of the broad-based Pakistan-US relationship and the opportunities which existed to further enhance these ties.

Earlier, in his breakfast meeting the members of the Pakistan Caucus, expressed bipartisan support to promoting long-term relations between Pakistan and US in the Congress. Co-Chairs of the Caucus Congressman Dan Burton and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee indicated their intention to send a joint letter to the leaders of Pakistan and India encouraging them to pursue the dialogue process for resolving their outstanding issues.

Families of soldiers killed in Afghan plane crash sue contractor

JACKSONVILLE, Florida - (AP) The families of three U.S. soldiers killed in an Afghanistan plane crash on Monday sued the contractor that supplied the plane and crew, Blackwater USA, saying it was negligent and didn't make safety a priority.

"This crash was totally preventable," said attorney Bob Spohrer who filed a wrongful death suit against five subsidiary companies of Blackwater. He contended that a pilot error caused the plane to slam into a snow-covered mountain near Afghanistan's western border of Iran last November.

A call to Blackwater USA was not immediately returned Monday. Lt. Col. Mike McMahon, 41, Chief Warrant Officer Travis W. Grogan, 31, and Spc. Harley D. Miller, 21 died in the crash, along with three employees of Blackwater USA.

The suit alleges there was nothing wrong with the aircraft and that there was no enemy fire, but that the pilots were newly deployed to the region _ arriving in Afghanistan just 16 days before the crash _ and had not flown the route they were taking the day of the crash.

The pilots also failed to file a flight plan and rescue efforts were delayed because the company failed to use the electronic location transmitter that might have saved at least one life: Miller survived the crash but died of internal injuries before rescuers arrived two days later.

"Blackwater violated standards ... and their contract with the (U.S.) Department of Defense," Spohrer said. "Above all, they failed in their safety obligation to these U.S. servicemen and their families." The suit did not specify amount sought in damages. "In an instant, I went from being Mike McMahon's wife to being his widow," said McMahon's widow, Jeannette.

[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.]