Afghan elections to go ahead despite widespread violence, presidential spokesman says - By DANIEL COONEY - Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan - (AP) Landmark legislative elections in Afghanistan will go ahead as planned in September despite a major upsurge in attacks by Taliban-led rebels that have raised fears the polls could be threatened, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said Tuesday.

In the latest violence, meanwhile, five police officers were killed in two attacks. "I would like to emphasize that Afghanistan will not go back ... The progress we have made can never be reversed regardless of how hard the terrorists and the enemies of Afghanistan try," spokesman Jawed Ludin told reporters. "The elections in Afghanistan will take place. The elections will be successful."

His comments come after three months of unprecedented fighting that has killed about 465 suspected insurgents, 29 U.S. troops, 38 Afghan police and soldiers, and 125 civilians. The violence has left much of the country off-limits to aid workers and has reinforced concerns that the war here is not inding down, but in fact worsening into an Iraq-style conflict. Afghan and U.S. officials have predicted that the situation will deteriorate in the lead-up to the polls _ the next key step toward democracy after a quarter-century of war.

An 8,300-strong NATO-led peacekeeping force, which is responsible for security in Kabul and elsewhere, has said it may add another 3,000 soldiers to its ranks ahead of the elections. The United States, which is leading a separate coalition of about 20,000 troops, is keeping a battalion on standby as a rapid reaction force if needed.

Last week, the United Nations' top envoy for Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, warned in New York that the bloodshed threatens the Sept. 18 elections. He said the insurgents have more money, better weapons and good radios to spread propaganda ahead of the parliamentary vote. The envoy warned that the rebels "are demonstrating increased cruelty and blind violence."

Ludin's comments came a day after President Karzai lashed out at the Taliban and its leader, Mullah Omar. "You are not leading an Islamic life by killing your people, destroying your country," he said in comments broadcast late Monday on state-run Afghan National TV. "You are killing the sons of Afghanistan."

Karzai said he was "very happy about the victory" last week in a massive battle against rebels in Miana Shien district in the country's south that left 178 insurgents dead. He promised to rush government aid into the area now that the insurgents had been killed, captured or driven away.

"People are living in such terrible poverty there. They have no food. The place has no government," he said. "It's no wonder the enemy infiltrated that area and did things against the government."
In the latest fighting, militants ambushed a police convoy in eastern Laghman province late Monday, killing three officers and wounding the provincial police chief, said local police official Zalmay Mazlumyar.

In a second attack, a remote-controlled bomb was blown up under a police vehicle in central Uruzgan province on Tuesday, killing two officers and wounding three others, provincial police chief Rozi Khan said.

Meanwhile, five Pakistanis were arrested at a police checkpoint in neighboring Kandahar province. The men were suspected of being members of the Taliban and were thought to be fleeing the fighting last week in Miana Shien, said local police chief Aka Gulan Rassool.

Several Pakistanis are believed to have taken part in the violence and Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of not doing enough to prevent its citizens from coming into Afghanistan to fight.

President Karzai Appointing Jawed Ludin as his New Chief of Staff - Date of Release: - 28 June, 2005

Presidential Palace, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has issued a decree appointing Mr. Jawed Ludin as the Chief of the Staff of the President.

Jawed Ludin was born in Kabul on 16 March, 1973. He went to school at Ghazi High School in Kabul. He went to university in London, the UK and earned his Masters Degree in Politics and Sociology in 2001.

Jawed Ludin also has experience of working for international Organizations in the areas of management, international development and public relations. He has served as the Spokesman and Director of communications of the President since May, 2003.

Released by Office of the Spokesman to the President
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Three police, one suspected militant killed in Afghan ambush

KABUL, June 28 (AFP) - Three policemen and a suspected Islamic militant were killed in an ambush on a police vehicle in eastern Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday.

The local police chief was also injured in the attack in Dawlat Shah district of Laghman province on Monday night, provincial governor Shah Mohammad Safi told AFP.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack but similar incidents have been blamed on remnants of the ousted Taliban regime, which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to late 2001. "The search for the attackers is ongoing in the area," the governor said.

Intelligence officials said earlier this month they had captured three Pakistani nationals who wanted to assassinate former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in the same province, east of the capital Kabul.

The Taliban have waged an insurgency since they were toppled by US-led troops three and a half years ago for refusing to hand over Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Afghan election on track despite security worries - by David Brunnstrom / June 27, 2005

KABUL (Reuters) - Voter registration for Afghanistan's September elections has been overwhelming and the polls are on track despite security worries including an attack on a registration site at the weekend, organizers said on Monday.

No one was hurt in the attack in the southeastern province of Paktika early on Saturday, but police battled gunmen for several hours, delaying its opening, Bronwyn Curran, a spokeswoman for the Afghan-U.N. election commission, told a news briefing.

She said security and other problems, such as sandstorms and flooding, had prevented registration at 59 of 1,052 stations nationwide, but 73,000 people had registered in the first two days of the month-long process that began on Saturday.

More than 10.6 million people registered for October's presidential polls won by Western-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai. The parliamentary elections are on Sept. 18.

Organizers aim to register up to two million more by July 21 who were not old enough for the October vote, have not previously registered, have lost their registration cards, or have moved.

Curran called the progress remarkable. We are now three days into the voter registration with an overwhelming response," she said. "We are quite well advanced with the electoral process, so despite security problems, we are well on track."

She said several districts of the insurgent-troubled southern province of Zabul were among those where registration could not take place as helicopters were not able to fly in with materials.

Briefing the U.N. Security Council on Friday, U.N. Special Representative for Afghanistan Jean Arnault said worsening security had had a negative impact on poll preparations.

He said combat operations were not enough to beat militant destabilization strategies and it was necessary to attack their financing, training safe havens, and support networks. He welcomed recent contacts with Pakistan on this.

Curran said security was being assessed day by day, but it was not envisaged that a delay in the vote would be necessary. "Despite the security challenges around Afghanistan and obviously escalating level of violence, none of the key phases of the election have been delayed so far," she said.

Registration began after a major anti-Taliban operation last week which the government said killed 178 guerrillas, what would be one of their bloodiest setbacks since their 2001 overthrow.

On Sunday the Taliban rejected the figure, saying it had lost only seven or eight men. U.S. military spokesman Colonel Jim Yonts said U.S. estimates were of 77 guerrilla dead and 13 captured, but government figures could be more accurate.

In the southern province of Helmand, meanwhile, the provincial governor said troops had captured eight Taliban guerrillas, including two commanders, at the weekend.

Haji Mohammad Wali named the commanders as Mullah Fazlulhaq, who he said had recently been appointed Taliban commander for the province, and a district commander, Mullah Shair Mohammad.
He said they were caught with five remote-control bombs and the other guerrillas were captured after a search force of 450 men was sent to Kajakai, Nauzad and Khan Nishin districts.

Yonts told a news briefing last week's operation, where Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces meet, showed the ability of Afghan forces to deny sanctuary to the guerrillas. U.S. and Afghan forces have reported killing more than 200 insurgents this month and nearly 400 since March.

While the latest operations appear to have been a blow to the Taliban, it remains to be seen how much damage has been done to an insurgency that has picked up with a vengeance since the end of the winter and which analysts say has been attracting hundreds of new recruits from Pakistan and elsewhere.

American forces reassert control in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan Associated Press / June 26, 2005

Skimming low over the desert in helicopters with guns at the ready, American troops advanced into the Khakeran Valley in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, three months after Taliban rebels attacked police and forced them to flee.

The move is the latest part of a strategy to reassert U.S.-led coalition and Afghan control over an insurgent stronghold, after a spate of attacks raised fears of an Iraq-style insurgency here. Blistering U.S. assaults against nearby mountainous rebel camps last week left 178 suspected militants dead.

Up to 300 insurgents are suspected to be in the Khakeran Valley, about 220 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of the main southern city of Kandahar, said Lt. Luke Langer, a platoon leader in the 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade.

"The enemy has been using the Khakeran Valley as a sanctuary," he said. "Without question, I know the Taliban are in the area and I'm sure we will make contact. From talking to local people, we know the enemy are very angry with us being here."

Flying in a convoy of two CH-47 Chinook helicopters, a Blackhawk and two Apache attack choppers, about 50 American troops hopped up the river valley from village to village in search of the rebels.

At the first hamlet, the soldiers rushed from the aircraft as a handful of mangy chickens scampered away in clouds of billowing dust. A few farmers stood around and watched with nervous, but curious, looks on their faces as the troops searched the few mud huts and fields of wheat and tomatoes that made up their community. Nothing suspicious was found.

A report then came through on the radio that a group of suspected rebels had been spotted milling around in the next village. The troops ran back to the helicopters and flew toward it, below the brows of the barren, sun-scorched hills that border the valley.

They landed out of sight of the village, and a small scouting party sneaked off to get a closer view. The other troops waited, ready to attack if the presence of insurgents was confirmed. But then word came back: the group of people weren't rebels, but guests at a local wedding.

Back on the helicopters the troops went, and they flew to Mangal Khan, the main village in the valley, which used to house a local police contingent before the Taliban attacked in March and the officers fled.

They landed on the outskirts of the village and walked in, searching houses as they went. Two men were led out of one of the homes with their hands tied. The troops declined to say why they were suspects.

The soldiers walked into the remains of the local police station, its windows smashed, its walls partly burned and pocked with bullet holes. A meeting was then called with the village elders, and sitting in the yard in the shade of a tree, next to a rusting anti-aircraft gun, the American commander announced that they weren't leaving.

"We are here to stay. We are going to rebuild this police station," Capt. Michael Kloepper told the villagers. Then, speaking to The Associated Press, he outlined his approach to his job in Afghanistan. "I came here to help the people, but I also came here to kill the Taliban," he said. "I like fighting the Taliban."

About 465 suspected insurgents have been reported killed since the start of a major upsurge in fighting in March when snows melted on mountain tracks used by the rebels. In the same period, 29 U.S. troops, 38 Afghan police and soldiers and 125 civilians have been killed.

The biggest loss for the insurgents was in the three-day barrage by American aircraft against rebel camps in the Miana Shien district of Kandahar province last week. While about 80 militants, including two top Taliban commanders, are still thought to be in the area, dozens of others are believed to have fled _ some possibly toward Khakeran Valley.

American spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara said troops were operating across the whole region, "taking away enemy sanctuaries." "The enemy forces are not dumb. So when they get a sense that we're doing an operation in area 'X,' they will move onto area 'Y,'" he said. "It is our goal to be in area 'Y' before they set anything up."

Abandoned religious school used as bomb factory in Afghanistan: official

KHOST, Afghanistan, June 28 (AFP) - Authorities have discovered an abandoned religious school used as a secret bomb making factory in southeastern Afghanistan, an intelligence official said Tuesday.

Nearly half a tonne of explosives, remote controlled devices and other materials were recovered Monday from the Dawatul-Haq madrassa in Khost province, provincial intelligence chief Mohammed Sadiq Tarakhil told AFP.

The Islamic school some 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Hassanzay village in Mandozay district was vacant and had not been used for its intended purpose for the past year, he said. "This is the first time terrorists have used a madrassa as a terror facility in Afghanistan," he said.

"Yesterday we discovered some 400 kilograms (881 pounds) of explosives, remote controlled devices, two remote-controlled bombs, fuses, rockets, 200 meters of wire and vehicle registration plates from the madrassa," he said.

Remote controlled bombs are a favourite tool of the ousted Taliban regime, which has used them for a string of roadside attacks on US and Afghan forces during a renewed insurgency since the start of the year.

Two suspected militants were arrested later in the area but Tarakhil refused to comment if the arrests were related to the bomb facility.

Separately in neighbouring Paktia province 17 landmines were discovered and defused on the main road from the provincial capital Gardez to Sayed Karam district, which is routinely used by Afghan and US-led forces.

Ali Ahmed Mobariz, the province's intelligence chief, blamed the attack on an alliance of the Al-Qaeda network, the Taliban and the fundamentalist Hezb-e-Islami group run by former Afghan premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Afghan officials frequently make such claims. Four US soldiers were wounded in a roadside bomb explosion on the same road earlier this month.

Man with weapon killed at checkpoint - COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN
COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER KABUL, AFGHANISTAN June 27, 2005

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition forces killed an Afghan man June 26 after he drew an automatic weapon at a vehicle control point manned by Afghan and Coalition forces east of Qalat in Zabul province.

The man approached the checkpoint on a motorcycle at a high rate of speed and ignored verbal warnings to stop. As he drew closer he brandished an AK-47 assault rifle. Coalition forces opened fire, killing him. A search of his possessions revealed an ammunition-carrying vest with additional AK-47 rounds.

“We conduct vehicle checkpoints primarily to improve the overall security in that area,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jerry O’Hara, a spokesperson for Combined Joint Task Force-76. “We routinely stop and search vehicles for munitions, weapons and drugs to ensure the safety of Afghans and to prevent terrorist attacks. Checkpoints like these have prevented attacks by confiscating weapons, drugs and munitions and by securing the arrest of the individuals transporting them. It is only criminals like the one (on June 26) that have any need to fear them.”

Plans to rebuild northern Afghan airport for international flights announced - Balkh Television 06/26/2005

Enayatollah Qasemi, the minister of transport, and his entourage paid a visit to Mazar-e Sharif. Balkh Province Governor Atta Mohammad Nur, a number of prominent intellectuals, heads of political parties and a number of traders went to welcome the minister. Representatives of political parties and leaders from the private sectors also went to Kholm District to welcome the minister and his entourage. The minister told our reporter:

[Qasemi] The main goal of my visit is to assess the situation down here. We would like to start the reconstruction work of the airport. I talked with the finance minister and we decided to reconstruct Mazar airport similarly to the one in Kabul and it should be second international airport after Kabul. We will soon have it rebuilt and completed. We want to have direct flights from Mazar-e Sharif to other provinces and cities. I am visiting here to assess the necessary activities. [Passage omitted, details on his visit]

Mazar airport should be ready for international flights and we have allocated 20m dollars at the moment and will spend 80m dollars more in the future. Via BBC Monitoring

Al-Qaeda linked militants issue 28 death threats to Pakistan 'spies'

MIR ALI, Pakistan, June 27 (AFP) - Suspected Al-Qaeda linked militants in Pakistan's tribal belt have issued death threats to 28 tribal elders, prayer leaders and social workers accused of spying for the government.

Photocopies of a note handwritten in Pashtu were circulated in this village in the North Waziristan district of north-western Pakistan bordering Afghanistan by unidentified people late Sunday, residents said.

It listed the names of 28 people and warns them to get ready to die. Three of them have already survived attempts on their lives. "These people are spying for government and informing it about the activities of Mujahedin," said the unsigned note, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

"These people are friends of Jews and Christians, they are also friends of (Pakistan President) Pervez Musharraf," it said. One of those named, a prayer leader, said he was not afraid.

"I have been receiving such threats and in the past they (militants) had sent me money for my 'kafan' (funeral sheet)," Maulvi Janat Mir told AFP. "We are not afraid of such threats and life and death is in the hands of Allah, however, we have stepped up our security," he said.

Militants last month shot dead two tribesmen in Mir Ali, some 25 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, for allegedly spying for the United States.

Officials have previously said that Pakistani troops had pushed militants from the region after a year of military operations in which hundreds of rebels and 250 soldiers died.

Suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban members fled there from Afghanistan in late 2001 and US and Pakistani officials believe Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden may be sheltering somewhere along the mountainous border.

Rashid wants Pakhtoons not to be ignored in Afghanistan - PakTribune

BANNU, June 27 (Online): Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, the information minister, said on Sunday Islamabad had asked Washington not to ignore Pakhtoon majority for stable Afghanistan, hoping the point would be well understood by the US.

Speaking to a function organized for the launch of a Radio Pakistan station in Bannu, the minister said Pakistan wanted to see Afghanistan back on the path of progress and development and was doing the needful for its reconstruction, peace and stability.

He said maximum support for Hamid Karzai led Afghan government came from Pakistan since it considered it imperative for a strong Afghanistan. He said US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad was trying to spoil friendly Pak-Afghan ties by accusing Islamabad of hosting Taliban militants.

He said Pakistani security forces were cracking down on terrorists hiding on their soil and remained quite successful in purging most of the tribal areas of al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.

Rashid said, "We believe neither Osama bin Laden nor Mulla Omar is in Pakistan controlled territories. And if anyone claims they are in Pakistan, he/ she must let Pakistani authorities know their whereabouts for crackdown." He said Islamabad was sincere in sorting out Kashmir conflict with New Delhi on negotiation table and that too in line with the aspirations of Kashmiri people.

He said, "We will never let down our Kashmiri brethren and will find a solution equally acceptable to them." The minister said the time was ripe for Kashmir settlement.

"Gone are the days when one could think of resolving Kashmir through use of power. Today, dialogue is the only option available to us for its sustained solution."

He said the government had plans to set up 47 new radio stations in country's remote areas. He said the launch of more radio and television channels would promote cultural, educational and social activities in Pakistan. He said the government believed in freedom of the print and electronic media, however media would have to conform to code of ethics.

Two Pakistanis held for filming Taliban attacks - ANI / Peshawar, June 27, 2005 via The Hindustan Times (India)

Afghanistan authorities have arrested two Pakistani nationals on charges of entering the country illegally to film Taliban attacks against US troops and government installations in Kunar province. With this, the number of Pakistanis arrested in Afghanistan over the past week has risen to five.

The duo belongs to Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). Most of the 50,000 Pakistanis hailing from the province are employed in Afghanistan, particularly the construction industry.

Giving details of the arrests, Kunar Governor Asadullah Wafa said that the two men had come with Taliban commander Mulla Ismail to make movies of attacks against US-led coalition troops.

He, however, didn't provide names of the arrested men. Nor did he provide any details about the cameras or other equipment seized from them. Wafa alleged that an Arabic language TV channel had paid Rs 500,000 to the duo to film the Taliban military operations.

The News reported that Ismail claimed responsibility for a number of rocket attacks and roadside explosions in Kunar in recent days. He reportedly set up his own band of followers named Bira'a ibne Malik Front that operates under its own name and owes allegiance to Taliban leader Mulla Mohammad Omar. Ismail revealed that his men fired rockets at the US military base at Manegai near Kunar's capital Asadabad.

Press Briefing by Adrian Edwards Spokesperson for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and by United Nations Agencies in Afghanistan - Kabul – 27 June 2005

ط Briefing by SRSG Jean Arnault to the UN Security Council

Jean Arnault, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan (SRSG) has been in New York to brief members of the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan. In the briefing, which took place on Friday June 24th, the SRSG raised the issues of the recent increase in anti-government violence, as well as corruption and the fallout from the illegal drugs trade, which he warned could have consequences for the political transition.

The country’s south has been most affected by recent problems, but there are difficulties in other areas too. Jean Arnault said the international response to thwart these destabilization efforts could not be limited to combat operations, but should include attacking the financing, safe havens and networks that support those committing these crimes.

Close cooperation between the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and international forces succeeded in creating a safe environment for last year’s presidential election. Jean Arnault called on all sides to renew and heighten their cooperation to assure a safe environment for the upcoming parliamentary and provincial council elections.

ط 5,916 weapons collected through DIAG programme

In the last days we have seen progress in the handing in of weapons by prospective election candidates, with 632 weapons collected in the last 24 hours. At some Weapons Collection Points munitions has been arriving by the truckload. The reported total, which includes both light and heavy weapons, is 5284 weapons turned in since the programme started earlier this month. Teams from the Afghan New Beginnings Programme have verified 1,480 of these so far.

Weapons collected range from shoulder-held anti-aircraft SAM-7s to flamethrowers and bolt-action rifles. Additionally, 311 boxed and 5,939 unboxed ammunition sets are verified as having been received under the DIAG programme.

As I mentioned at our last briefing 255 prospective candidates were sent written notices informing them of the need to sever links with armed groups and hand in weapons. After a review to ensure no candidates were included in error this list was reduced to 217. Of these, 51 have already surrendered their weapons, and this figure is growing daily. Another 40 individuals, although not running for elections, have used the opportunity to hand over weapons.

According to the electoral law, the Code of Conduct, and the declaration signed by candidates when filing their nomination, individuals commanding or belonging to armed groups cannot run for public office.

ط Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme

Two days ago, on June 25th, a ceremony was held at the Ministry of Defence to reward 140 Generals who have supported the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programme. Afghanistan’s New Beginnings Programme (ANBP), in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the international community, has offered a financial package to Afghan Military Forces (AMF) commanders and senior officers whose military units have decommissioned and who have shown full support for the DDR process. With these 140 Generals, the total number of Commanders to have been awarded the Financial Redundancy Package (FRP) stands at 328.

Among those attending were the Deputy Defence Minister Ahmad Yousouf Nooristani, the advisor Minister and Deputy of the Demobilisation and Reintegration Committee Mohammad Masoom Stanakzai, and a number of diplomatic, donor and UN representatives.

June 25th was also the last day for receiving lists of Afghan Military Forces units for decommissioning by Afghanistan’s New Beginnings Programme (ANBP) - with the exception of Division 1 and Division 8. Negotiations with these divisions are still being completed.

So far 61,026 officers and soldiers have disarmed, of whom 51,887 have entered the Reintegration process. The Afghan New Beginnings Programme has also collected a total of 34,576 light and medium calibre weapons under the DDR process.

A survey by the ANBP’s Monitoring and Evaluation Unit has found the majority of ex-combatants either happy or very happy with their reintegration choice and training. Regarding their economic situation, 24% stated that they were much better off and 53% said moderately better, while only 16% stated that there had been no change. The survey found that 71% had been successful in finding work, while 29% are experiencing difficulties in gaining employment. The majority of ex-combatants surveyed said they had had no contact with their former commanders, and all stated that they had no interest in rejoining any armed group.

ط In Kabul, Minister of Interior sets fire to more than 30 tons of illicit narcotics

Yesterday was International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In a message, Secretary-General Kofi Annan highlighted the fact that nearly 200 million people in the world are still consuming illegal drugs. “These drugs,” he said “might have names that sound colourful or enticing… But these are little more than tickets to a dead end (…) Those who have not ventured down the path of drug abuse should learn the lesson from those who have, and firmly choose not to.”

To mark the day in Afghanistan, the Minister of Interior set fire to more than 30 tons of illicit narcotics, including more than 13 tons of opium, nine tons of hashish, two tons of heroin as well as smaller amounts of cocaine, morphine and precursor chemicals used to produce opium and heroin. Ninety percent of the heroin found in the streets of Europe comes from Afghan poppy fields.

ط FAO workshop on quality production

Those of you familiar with the Fair Trade movement may be interested to know that a 4-day workshop on Agricultural Product Quality and Market Access started here on Saturday 25 June.

The workshop was opened by the deputy Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food (MAAHF). Representatives of Afghan ministries and institutions were present at the opening, as well as donor agencies.

A goal of this workshop is to improve awareness among small-to-medium entrepreneurs and government institutions in the food sector, about quality production and market access fundamentals. Among products of potentially high value are Afghan grapes, apricots, honey, and medicinal and aromatic plants. These could generate valuable export earnings.

The workshop is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and is being facilitated by Fair Trade Netherlands and FAO consultants. Fair Trade is known worldwide. It aims to promote labour, environmental and social standards as a way of helping farmers,

Briefing from Bronwyn Curran, Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) International Spokesperson

The update of the Voter Registry (VR) is now in its 3rd day, and already tens of thousands of Afghans have poured into our registration centres to either add their names to the list of voters, or to correct the province listed on their Voter Registration card. On the first day we had around 30,000 people either adding their names or correcting details.

The JEMB has established 1,052 Voter Registration stations across Afghanistan, with at least one male and one female registration station in every district of the country. In fact we have a total of 485 female voter registration stations, another 485 male voter registration stations, and 82 separate Kuchi registration stations. They are established in a total of 720 locations.

Remarkably, despite a range of challenges from sandstorms, to cancelled flights, to flooded rivers cutting off access to some VR stations, we managed to open in all but 20-25 of those 720 locations.
In terms of stations, we opened in all but 59 of the 1,052 VR stations. Voter Registration will run until July 21st.

SECURITY PROBLEMS --- A Voter Registration centre in Dila in Paktika province was attacked by gunmen in the early hours of Saturday morning June 25th. Police fought back for several hours. There were no casualties among police or electoral staff.
BALLOT LOTTERY --- The Ballot Lottery is in its second day today. This is being conducted to determine the order of candidates’ names on each of the 69 ballot papers – 34 for the Wolesi Jirga, 34 for Provincial Councils and one Kuchi ballot.

We have 22 Afghan schoolchildren from the Abdul Qassim Firdaus school in Kabul taking an active role in the lottery, by pulling the names of candidates out of boxes at random – all in the ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel. This ensures an entirely random approach to the order of names on every ballot.
Yesterday those schoolchildren helped determine the order of names of all 34 Wolesi Jirga ballots over about 5 hours.

They are back at the Intercontinental Hotel ballroom, pulling out the names of Provincial Council candidates. Already this morning they have completed the ballot lotteries for eight provinces with another 26 to go. All media are invited to come and film and photograph the event. There will be staff on hand to handle any of your queries.

Lastly, a very important reminder of the need to accredit yourselves to cover Registration and Polling. We have issued to most of you, and we posted on our website, the accreditation application forms and the code of conduct which you must sign.

Please fill these in, attach a letter from your bureau chief or assignment editor and a copy of valid photo ID and either bring to the JEMB HQ office or scan and send by email, or fax to the number listed on the form as soon as possible.

This process could take more than a day, it could take three days, but the accreditation staff is doing their best to process it on the same day. I would urge you to arrange this as soon as possible so that you do not get caught in a list minute rush where you may have to wait a few days.

Questions and Answers

Question: On the illegal drugs day, particularly on what is happening in Afghanistan, what is the United Nations particular comment, and has any progress been made, or are there any challenges, and on drug abusers on this date, particularly in Afghanistan, what is the state of the situation?

Spokesperson: I do not have information about the status of drug abuse in Afghanistan. From what I understand there seems to be some progress in poppy eradication this year. If you want further details, I will try to provide you with the information after the briefing.

Question: On the UN drug date (International Day Against Drug Abuse), has the UN seen a reduction in eradication?

Spokesperson: The United Nations has seen some progress this year.

Question: I have a question on the registration centres. Have the registration centres been opened throughout Afghanistan without any security problems? We heard that in Zabul province and some areas, because of the security concerns the JEMB was not able to open the registration centres…

Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson: Some of the 59 stations which did not open on the first day, as I mentioned to you earlier, were in Zabul province because due to security problems we were not able to fly our helicopters into certain districts to deliver our materials for registration on the first day. So they are among the 59 of the 1,052 registration stations that did not open on the first day. We are still waiting for the Field Operations Report to see what the latest status is for those districts in Zabul.

Question: Is this the only known case or are there other locations that could not be opened because of the security situation?

Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson: There were 25 locations out of a total of 720 locations where we could not open voter registration on the first day for a range of reasons from sandstorms to flooded rivers blocking access to remote voter registration stations, and security was another reason. In some of the female voter registration stations, the husbands of the female staff decided at the last minute that they wanted to change the location of some of the female registration stations and so some negotiations went on about setting up a new location that took a few hours and delayed the opening.

Question: Can you update us the ballot papers design, some candidates have expressed their concern about how some 40 million ballot papers are planned to be printed while there are only 10 or 11 million voters. Is this correct and what are you doing about this?

Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson: I would have to check regarding the exact number of ballot papers. I know the general planning principal is to print a great deal more than the number of voters to allow for emergencies, and accidents and a range of problems that might occur. But for the exact number, I would have to check.

On the design of the ballots there has been a long process of consultation between the JEMB Secretariat staff and political parties. We meet with them every fortnight to discuss a range of decisions including the ballot paper. It is also discussed at length among the JEMB Commissioners. The final design is probably a few days off, but certain colours have been chosen to differentiate between the Wolesi Jirga and Provincial Council. A separate colour has been given to Kuchis. Regarding the issue of the size and amount of space given to names, symbols, papers, I can tell you that every ballot paper is going to be arranged in size because the number of candidates ranges from province to province. But the proportional amount of space being given to the name, the photograph, and the symbol is standardised across all the ballot papers. We will be able to release the full details about the ballot papers being designed within the coming week especially once the ballot lottery is finished and the order of names of candidates on the paper is determined.

Question: There are indications both in Kabul and some provinces that people are still holding on to their current public jobs while being candidates. What are there procedures pertaining to this?

Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson: As you are probably aware there is a vetting process under way by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), which is set up to examine these kinds of issues. There was a six day process where the names of candidates were displayed and during these six days anybody could come forward to file a formal challenge against candidates who violated the criteria for eligibility and that included if they still held any of those jobs which, under the law, they are required to resign before becoming a candidate. These kinds of allegations, where people haven’t resigned their jobs when they were meant to, are among a very broad range of allegations which are being considered right now by the Electoral Complaints Commission.

The Electoral Complaints Commission has in fact received 600 challenges. Some of the challenges are against more than one candidate. Those 600 challenges are being considered and on July 2nd the ECC will publish the list of candidates who have been provisionally excluded for a range of reasons including that perhaps they haven’t resigned from their jobs. And then they all have until July 7 to respond and the ECC will consider their responses before the final decisions on exclusions or approvals.

Question: Is it a possibility, or are you considering the possibility, of going ahead with the election even if in some provinces you have not been able to carry out registrations and on the day it is not set up, security-wise, would you go ahead and leave some provinces out?

Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson: The question of leaving out some districts, or larger areas, from voter registration is being considered on a day-to-day basis. The security situation is being assessed on a day-to-day basis in cooperation with the international military forces, the Afghan National Army, and the Afghan National Police assessing where it is safe and where it is not. It is hoped that with the long window for voter registration those districts which might not be safe on one day could be safe and could be secured on one of the other days within that four-week period. There are contingency plans set aside if some districts prove just consistently too dangerous to open then we may consider relocating some of those voter registration stations. The penetration of the voter registration station network we have this year is far deeper than what it was last year. This year we are in a lot of districts that were not touched last year either because they are so remote or because it was too dangerous. So every effort is there to reach districts that were not reached last year. And there is extensive contingency planning to make sure that if there is violence or too much insecurity that those people would still have a chance someway, even if it means that they have to travel a bit further. At this stage it is not envisioned that security would be so bad that so many stations would be closed to the point of requiring us to delay the elections. All efforts are being made to ensure that there are no delays. Despite the security challenges around Afghanistan and the obviously escalating level of violence, none of the electoral processes have been delayed or hampered so far. During the candidate nomination process we did close a few offices, but we extended the candidate nomination period to make up for those closures. We are now three days into voter registration with an overwhelming response with 73,000 plus people coming in to register. We have almost completed the ballot lottery and we have almost completed the vetting of candidates. On July 12 we will have a final list of candidates. So we are quite well advanced despite these security problems.

Question: Could voting be extended if there is a deteriorating security situation and could locations be moved?

Bronwyn Curran, JEMB International Spokesperson: There is quite a range of contingency planning going on, but at this stage there is no final decision on exactly which contingency plan, so perhaps further down the track we will be able to talk about that, but not at this stage.

Hi-tech SAS troops take on Taliban - Michael Smith The Sunday Times (UK)
June 26, 2005

UP TO two squadrons of British special forces are preparing to go to Afghanistan within weeks to provide the reconnaissance for an expected British deployment of more than 5,000 troops.

The men from the SAS and the new Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) will form a combined joint taskforce with members of the Australian SAS, according to senior defence sources. A company of British paratroopers will provide backup.

The British special forces of about 120 men will be based in the southern province of Kandahar ahead of a 5,500-strong infantry battle group expected to be sent early next year. There are currently 1,100 British troops in Afghanistan.

The British and Australian special forces will fan out across the territory to be covered by the British battle group. They will identify the most serious threats in the region and gather intelligence on any Taliban activity.

The troops face a hostile environment, with Taliban fighters regrouping in southern Afghanistan backed up by members of Al-Qaeda, including specially trained suicide bombers.

Last week RAF Harriers based at Kandahar joined US aircraft in providing support to American and Afghan forces in clashes in which 132 Taliban fighters were reported killed.

During their operations the SAS troopers will be assisted by the improved intelligence provided by a squadron from the SRR, which was formed this year to help in the fight against international terrorism.
Special forces commanders were warned months ago that they should be ready for Afghanistan. Senior commanders prepared what one source last week described as demands for “new Gucci kit” — requests for the latest equipment to spy on and fight the enemy.

The equipment, bought as a result of lessons learnt from the first SAS deployment during the war in Afghanistan, includes a spy plane the size of a child’s glider.

The American-made drone is launched by hand, can reach heights of about 100ft and operates to a range of more than five miles. The SRR intelligence operators also have lightweight signals equipment capable of picking up mobile phone and radio communications.

The British will also be taking so-called “fire-and-forget” electronic jammers that can be planted at various strategic points to provide blanket disruption of Taliban and Al-Qaeda communications.

The intelligence operators will have laptop computers linked to the larger US drones such as the Predator and Global Hawk and to American aerial reconnaissance satellites to download imagery of Taliban positions.

They are also expected to take a number of Supacat six-wheel, all-terrain vehicles, which have powerful turbocharged V8 diesel engines. The vehicles will be fitted with a grenade launcher that acts like a scatter gun, allowing the SAS to regain the initiative if they are ambushed by Taliban or Al-Qaeda fighters.

The composition of the battle group heading for Afghanistan has not yet been decided. Military commanders were hoping to send 19 Light Brigade, the new light infantry formation, to form the main British force. But Brigadier Chip Chapman, its commander, has said he does not believe it will be operational in time.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to a change in tactics for the SAS, which has traditionally worked in small patrols of four men. Teams now vary in size and some of the operations during the Afghan war were the largest mounted since the 1970s.

Taleban training camps, activities in Pakistan – Anis 06/26/2005

An editorial in the government daily Anis asks the USA, the UN and NATO countries to turn the finger of blame on Pakistan for harbouring terrorists elements and interfering in its neighbours internal affairs and urges the USA, as Afghanistan's strategic ally, to impose economic sanctions, if it wants to achieve results in the fight against terrorism.

The paper accuses the Pakistani Intelligence Service of promoting and helping Taleban terrorist activities, and quoting refugees returning from Pakistan, it lists a number of locations where training of terrorist elements are carried out. The editorial warns that unless the US adopts a tougher stance against Pakistan, events like 9/11 might be repeated in the world and Afghanistan will be turned into a haven of terrorists again. The following is excerpt from article titled "There are wheels within wheels", published by Afghan newspaper Anis on 23 June:

At a recent interview with Aina TV, the US ambassador and special envoy to Afghanistan, Dr Zalmay Khalilzad criticized the Pakistani authorities for not doing enough to arrest the leaders of the Taleban and Al-Qa'idah. [passage omitted, details of interview]

If we have a look at and study the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we will clearly see that Pakistani politicians, particularly the officials in Islamabad, speak so brazenly and undiplomatically that it is unprecedented in the whole world.

Every country has its own policy and diplomacy and sometimes it has to conceal some national and international issues and realities for its national interest, but Pakistan's double standards and fraudulence is unparalleled in the world. Neighbouring countries everywhere in the world share their regional economic interests and score notable achievements this way. However, the hegemony and authoritarian Pakistani leaders are always striving to be the key player of political scenarios in Afghanistan. [passage omitted on Khalilzad comments and Pakistani politicians reactions]

Our people believe that Mr Khalilzad realistically spoke about the pains and miseries the Afghan people have been suffering. Our country has never been immune from Pakistan's interference and intervention since the Indian subcontinent was divided into two parts 50 years ago, India and Pakistan,. The entire security problems, social calamities, chaos and tension the Afghan people suffered were caused by Pakistanis and some other expansionist neighbouring countries. [passage omitted, on Pakistani foreign minister's reactions to Khalilzad's comments]

Our compatriots who returned from Kachlogh and Pashtunabad regions of Quetta say they have seen that the Taleban had an extensive military presence in those regions. According to them, senior Taleban leaders live in residential blocks belonging to the Pakistani army in a region called Choni, which is a military base and training centre for the Pakistani army.

Likewise, a religious school called Dar-ul-Ulom wa Haqania, owned by Mawlawi Jalalodin Haqani, is a training centre and military base for the Taleban engaged in clashes in the south of Afghanistan. When the US and coalition forces try to crack down on these groups, the ISI [Pakistan's Intelligence Service] officers inform the Taleban groups beforehand and transfer them to another region.

The US Federal Police have recently took this religious school into sharp focus, but the ISI informed the Taleban prior to the US operation to abandon the area. This way the ISI also wanted to convince the US authorities that the information given by the Afghan sources was wrong.

Taleban leaders freely commute in Pakistani cities under the ISI security protection and in official vehicles belonging to the ISI agency. At present, the Taleban are being trained in conducting suicide attacks and massacres at religious schools in Peshawar and tribal areas.

The ISI is presently training terrorists in camps in some Pakistani regions like Kohat, Bara, Akora Khatak and Shamshato in how to carry out acts of destruction and massacres in Afghanistan. The cities of Lewargi and Waziristan have changed into an arsenal of mass murder weapons. The Taleban and Al-Qa'idah terrorists are equipped with weapons and explosives in these regions and then dispatched to the southwestern and eastern parts of Afghanistan to carry out terrorist activities.

The recent arrest of Pakistani nationals with explosives and criminal documents by the Afghan security authorities in Surobi, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Khost and Kabul was the most concrete evidence of Pakistan's interference, especially that of its intelligence agency. During investigation, the suspects admitted to their crimes and openly spoke about involvement of the ISI and Pakistani extremist groups in terrorist activities and massacres carried out in Afghanistan. The investigation and interviews with the suspects have been broadcast on Afghan national and private television channels as well.

With this in mind, there is no doubt that the ISI and Pakistan's intelligence services are behind the continuation of insecurity and instability in Afghanistan.

Despite available concrete evidence, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan still claims they do not interfere in Afghan affairs. We really praise them for their barefaced and shameless lies.

Although diplomats and senior government officials of Pakistan pay regular visits to Kabul and assure they would fully cooperate with the Afghan government to provide adequate security for the upcoming parliamentary elections, it is unfortunate that the Pakistani president says the USA made a mistake by not recognizing the Taleban rule and that security and stability in Afghanistan would not have been so volatile had the USA built relations with them.

During his visits to Pakistan, President Karzai has always drafted a list of Taleban and Al-Qa'idah suspects and asked for their arrest and extradition to the Afghan government. But Pakistan has not shown any goodwill in this respect over the past three-and-a-half years. They tell lie that the leaders of the Taleban and Al-Qa'idah are not in Pakistan. This is at a time when the Taleban and Al-Qa'idah hold all their meetings and gatherings inside Pakistani territory and hatch destructive plots against the Afghan nation under the ISI instructions. They commit criminal activities, fuel infighting and bloodshed and massacre our innocent compatriots on a daily basis.

Unless Pakistan desists from its double standard policy and stops supporting the terrorists, the Afghan parliamentary election cannot be held in the climate of peace and security.

The Afghan people seek friendly relations with the neighbouring countries. However, the Pakistanis ignore our goodwill and exploit our leniency and pursue vicious policies against our territorial integrity and national interest. [passage omitted on economic hardship in Afghanistan]

It is crystal clear that Pakistan would change Afghanistan into a haven for terrorists and its mercenary Taleban if the international community were not present in our country. Then, the bitter incidents of the 1990s would be repeat and Afghanistan would lapse back into anarchy and rivers of blood would float in the country.

To prevent disastrous happenings like the tragic incident of 11 September, we earnestly ask the USA and the European Union and NATO to force Pakistan to stop interfering in the Afghan affairs and arrest the leaders of the Taleban playing the key role in undermining security and stability in Afghanistan and surrender them to the Afghan leadership. The USA and Europe should make it clear to Pakistan that they will put economic sanctions on Pakistan unless it abstains from interfering in the Afghan domestic affairs. This issue should also be discussed and decided by the UN, the UN Security Council should issue a declaration against Pakistan.

Afghanistan is currently unable to defend itself and take action against interference of the neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan. The governments of Afghanistan and USA have recently signed a strategic cooperation treaty, thus the USA should not keep silent to Pakistan's double standard and hostile policies against Afghanistan. The USA should boldly and openly defend Afghanistan from foreign interference.

Pakistani politicians in Islamabad are extremely professional in deception and trickery. When the West or the USA puts pressure on them, they surrender an Al-Qa'diah leader hidden in secret places in Islamabad to the US authorities to prove their commitment and cooperation in the fight on terrorism and they even receive tributes from the US authorities for this.

Therefore, the USA should take a tough stance against this policy of Pakistan. If Pakistan is a strategic ally of the USA in the fight against terrorism, Afghanistan, after signing the strategic bilateral treaty, is also a strategic ally to the United States in various spheres. The USA can play a significant role in building friendly relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan and maintaining security and stability in the region.

Our people want the USA, UN and NATO countries to point the finger of blame on the unfriendly acts of the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to ensure security and stability in the region. Via BBC Monitoring

US soldier missing after Humvee falls into Afghan river

KABUL, June 28 (AFP) - US forces in Afghanistan are searching for a missing American soldier whose armoured vehicle slid down a bank into a swollen river, the military said Tuesday.

Coalition aircraft were helping hunt for the soldier after the incident on Saturday in the Pech River in the northeastern province of Kunar, it said in a statement.

The missing soldier was in the back of the cargo Humvee when the road began to give way and the vehicle started sliding towards the water, which was swollen due to to recent snowmelt.

"All other vehicle occupants escaped the vehicle before the road gave way. The missing service member is believed to have fallen into the river in his effort to escape the vehicle," the statement said. "We are doing everything we can to find our missing comrade," said US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jerry OHara.

"No effort is being spared in our attempts to find this individual. Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women conducting these rescue efforts and for the family of the missing individual." The name of the individual is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the statement said.

Thirty-one US service members have died in Afghanistan so far this year, 15 of whom were killed when a Chinook helicopter crashed in bad weather in April. Some 18,000 coalition force under the leadership of the United States are based in Afghanistan after they toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001.
US to build barracks for Afghan soldiers

KABUL, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The US army would build facilities and barracks to house newly trained Afghan soldiers in the post-war nation, US military spokesman said Monday.

"The Afghanistan Engineer District (AED) of the US Army Corps of Engineers has built or is currently building facilities at 11 installations to house 35,000 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers in different provinces," James Yonts told journalists. These facilities would be constructed in Kabul, Kandahar, Khost,Gerdez, Mazar-e-Sharif and Qalat, he added.

The projects costing over 814 million US dollars, according to the spokesman, would cover constructing 421 barracks, 73 administrative buildings, 12 dining facilities and 225 support facilities, which include morale, welfare and recreation such as gyms and community centers.

"The AED is installing independent power plants and waste water treatment stations at each installation to ensure there will be power and running water," the Army Colonel added.

Under the historic Bonn agreement signed in late 2001 in Germany, the post-Taliban Afghanistan would have a 70,000-strong new brand army, and the US, serving as a lead nation in forming Afghan armed forces, has helped to train 28,000 Afghan troops so far. Enditem

[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.]