Karzai Explains Afghanistan's Economic Goals During U.S. Visit - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

26 May 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Much of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's four-day visit to the United States this week was dominated by talk about security issues and Kabul's strategic partnership with America. But Karzai also used the occasion to discuss his government's economic goals -- including the dream of becoming a regional trade hub by building transit routes linking ports in Pakistan and Iran with the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai wrapped up his four-day visit to the United States on Wednesday with a visit to the central state of Nebraska. He stopped at a cattle farm to see how agriculture in his own country might be strengthened as farmers are weaned off of opium production.

It was one of several events during Karzai's U.S. visit that focused on how Afghanistan might achieve its goals of economic reconstruction. On Tuesday, at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, Karzai said the development of a reliable trade network is central to his vision of a prosperous Afghanistan:
"Afghanistan is now thinking of evolving a regional cooperation between the countries in that part of the world -- in terms of linking infrastructure, in terms of linking trade, in terms of also developing mechanisms that would foster this cooperative environment,” Karzai said. “We are in the early stages. [Afghan Foreign Minister] Dr. Abdullah is working on it with the foreign ministers of the neighboring countries. I believe a formalized structure of cooperation would take us a long way forward toward a secure psychological environment for all of us. That's what we need."

He said building roads is particularly important so that Afghanistan can become a link between Central Asia and key ports in Pakistan and Iran

"The money that we get, we plan to spend on major reconstruction projects. Afghanistan wants to be the hub of trade and transit in that part of the world. Afghanistan's highways and roads will [shorten] journeys by weeks for that part of the world,” Karzai said during his speech at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. “The journey from Tashkent [Uzbekistan] to [Pakistan's] port of Karachi will be less than 32 hours -- for cargo, for transportation of goods. The same will be to [the Iranian port city of] Bandar-Abbas. And that is the future we are seeking."

Karzai noted that Afghanistan currently produces enough electricity for about 6 percent of its population. He said his country has the potential to produce much more by using hydroelectric dams, wind power, and untapped coal resources.

"It's the biggest need in that part of the world. Right now, we are buying electricity from Iran, from Turkmenistan, from Tajikistan, from Uzbekistan. We have tremendous hydro capabilities, and coal and windmills and all of that. So [the funds also are] going to build the infrastructure for Afghanistan on which this machine will move towards a better future," Karzai said.

Karzai received new pledges of economic support from U.S. President George W. Bush. One is a promise to help Afghanistan become integrated into regional and international trade organizations.

nother is to help develop the legal framework for a thriving private business sector. Bush also promised to encourage U.S. businesses to become more involved with Afghan firms. But details on new U.S. financial aid commitments made to Karzai are unclear.

Anatol Lieven, an Afghan expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says the real issue is how much U.S. financial aid actually reaches the Afghans who need it most.

"Well, [Karzai] has been pledged more money. But whether that money will ever be provided -- or whether, if provided, it will actually be distributed to ordinary Afghans -- is a very different matter," Lievan says.

Bob McMullin, an American who manages the largest Internet provider in Afghanistan, told Karzai at Johns Hopkins University that corruption is the biggest impediment to the development of Afghanistan's private business sector -- and therefore, the Afghan economy.

Karzai says Afghan courts are just beginning to deal with corruption. He notes that the recent corruption convictions against two deputy officials from the Hajj Ministry mark the first time Afghan government officials have been sent to prison on such charges. He also notes t

hat another corruption trial is under way against officials from the Afghan Ministry of Transportation.
But Karzai admits it will take a long time to make the kind of changes that have a broad and lasting impact on corruption. "Corruption? It is a problem, indeed. It is a serious problem. It's one of the problems that we are trying to fix and that will take time to fix, unfortunately. The reasons we know. It's a country without institutional strength. It's a country with a lot of poverty. And yet it's a country with a lot of money flowing into it. That's the best recipe for corruption. An end to corruption will come when we are able to improve the salary structure in Afghanistan and bureaucracy's own structure -- and regulate it in a manner that politics will not intervene in it. I'm a very strong believer in stopping political interference in appointments of the civil service."

When asked about reports of unfulfilled aid pledges, Karzai said there is a widespread misunderstanding about the Tokyo donors conference of early 2002. "What was promised to us in Tokyo, which was close to 5 billion dollars, has been delivered to Afghanistan by all those who promised -- the Japanese, the Europeans, the Americans, and others. We are not complaining that the money has not come to Afghanistan. It has come to Afghanistan. It has been spent on Afghanistan,” Karzai said and went on saying that “We are complaining about the way that money has been spent in Afghanistan. That money has not come to the Afghan government. A little bit of it, very little of it was spent [that way]. Perhaps in the range of 200 million dollars of it came to [the Afghan government.] The rest of it is spent through NGOs. That is what we have a disagreement about."
Karzai told journalists in early 2002 that his government did not have the financial institutions needed to accept direct aid disbursements from foreign governments. But he now says this is no longer the case.

"The only thing we want is that that money should be spent with a higher accountability in Afghanistan, preferably through the government of Afghanistan. And then hold us accountable to what we do. If our performance as a government is not satisfactory, then tell us, 'Well, you have failed. You have no capacity. You have no ability to spend it, and there is no transparency.' Unless we do that, it will be very difficult for the Afghan government to gain capacity. Therefore, our request is that the international community spends the money through the Afghan system, or through a transparent, strong process through the private sector. And if they give us more money, we will be happier."
Another major economic challenge for Karzai is to eliminate the widespread cultivation of opium poppies -- the raw material for heroin. To do so, he says Afghan farmers need support so they can grow other crops, such as fruits and vegetables.

Speaking at his final stop in Nebraska on Wednesday, the Afghan president said he hopes his country can eliminate opium production in about five or six years. (By RFE/RL correspondent Ron Synovitz)
Afghan government postpones London donor conference from June to December
Associated Press / May 26, 2005 - Afghanistan's government said Thursday it has postponed until December an international donors conference in London that had been set for next month.
Finance Minister Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi made the decision after consultations with government colleagues and the international community, a statement from the Ministry of Finance said.

It gave no reason for the delay of the meeting, which had been scheduled for June 21. International donors are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Afghanistan to help it rebuild after a quarter century of war.

Afghan Official Cites Concern Over Uzbek Instability - Robert McMahon - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Washington, 27 May 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah says his government remains concerned over a possible escalation of violence stemming from the events in eastern Uzbekistan nearly two weeks ago. In comments to a group of foreign-policy specialists yesterday, Abdullah also repeated that he believes some Muslim extremists in Uzbekistan formerly linked to the Taliban had a role in antigovernment actions in Andijon.

Abdullah said his country is looking with concern at events in Uzbekistan as it tries to consolidate democratic reforms and its reconstruction effort at home. He told a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent policy institute, that the disturbances in Andijon posed a difficult problem for any government.

Abdullah declined to say whether the Uzbek regime’s use of force, which killed as many as hundreds of people, was excessive. But he said he hoped the Uzbek government can avoid further violence.

"Dealing with the issue of Uzbekistan, while [keeping] stability in mind as a priority, at the same time, [one must make] sure that out of the actions which have been taken the situation doesn’t further destabilize and deteriorate and we don’t enter into a sort of a vicious circle, that more instability, more bloodshed, doesn’t happen," Abdullah said.

Abdullah repeated comments he made last week in Japan in which he linked extremists said to be responsible for the Andijon disturbances to Uzbeks who were allied with the Taliban when it ruled Afghanistan.

"In regards to the situation in Uzbekistan, while there is an overall situation, there is also the element of extremism in extremist groups which are the products of that period [when] Afghanistan was ruled by extremist elements," Abdullah said. "Those are the remnants of that agenda, in that program."

Afghanistan itself continues to cope with remnants of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban at a time when central government control remains weak. Security remains a constant concern and the government is expected to seek new assistance from international forces to help prepare for parliamentary elections in September.

Abdullah said the government could undermine support for extremists by delivering on promises to improve the pace of reconstruction, human-rights reform, and other areas.

"The ability of extremist elements to call the shots in some cases will depend on our performance, whether we can deliver on the issues of governance, on the expectations of the people when it comes to the reconstruction of Afghanistan, on the security and the environment security of the people, certain freedoms which the people expect," Abdullah said.

Abdullah was in Washington in the wake of Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s recent visit. Karzai and U.S. President George W. Bush agreed to a "strategic partnership" aiming to ensure long-term cooperation between the two governments. In their memorandum of understanding, Bush pledge continued help to strengthen security forces, democracy, and the Afghan economy.

Italy moves to defuse row with Afghanistan over hostage talks

Rome – AFP – 05/26/05 - Italy moved to defuse a row with Afghanistan over the handling of negotiations to free a Italian aid worker, Clementina Cantoni, kidnapped ten days ago in Kabul.
The Italian foreign ministry said in a statement that reports of Italian government interference in the hostage negotiations were "without foundation".

"The management of every aspect of this affair is the subject of written agreements with the Afghan authorities," the foreign ministry said. "All operations are conducted in the full respect of the sovereignty of the Afghan government and under its supervision."

Cantoni, who works for CARE International, was dragged from her car in Kabul by armed gunmen in an incident which has prompted foreigners to tighten security measures.

Earlier Thursday Kabul accused Rome of meddling in negotiations to free Cantoni after Italian authorities had claimed the hostage's release had been delayed by infighting between different Afghan departments.

"The Italian embassy, without informing us, has set up some contacts with the alleged kidnappers. We believe these kind of contacts are not helpful for the negotiations and the safe release of Clementina," Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal told AFP.

"We were suggesting that the contacts should be made from one channel, from the Afghan side only," Mashal said. Mashal said that his ministry had formed a taskforce to collect and share all information with the international community.

"A taskforce has been established at the Ministry of Interior in which ISAF (NATO-led peacekeepers), coalition forces, the Italian embassy, other Afghan security agencies, United Nations and CARE International are represented," he said. Mashal said talks between Afghan authorities and the hostage-takers were ongoing but gave no further details.

"There are some issues regarding these contacts that we cannot reveal right now. Some contacts have been made -- the details of which could not be released at the moment," he added.

Cantoni had been in Afghanistan for three years and ran a programme providing food and employment for Afghan widows, who often struggle to find work and feed their children.

Afghan tribal elders appeal for kidnapped Italian

KABUL, May 26 (Reuters) - Afghan tribal elders and Muslim clerics are appealing to the kidnappers of an Italian aid worker, telling them what they have done is wrong and they should release the woman, the government said on Thursday.

Clementina Cantoni, 32, a worker for the CARE International aid agency, was kidnapped by four armed men who stopped her vehicle on a Kabul street on May 16.

"We are trying to appeal to the kidnappers through religious leaders and tribal elders," Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said in a statement.

The elders are telling the kidnappers that what they have done is against Afghan and Islamic law, and also runs afoul of Afghan culture, he said.

"It can only be righted by the safe release of Clementina," he said. He did not say how the elders and clerics were contactng the kidnappers.

Cantoni's abduction has raised fresh fears among Kabul's 2,000-strong foreign community of Iraq-style kidnappings by anti-government insurgents or criminals.

Officials say that they believe her kidnappers are criminals, not Islamic militants.

Mashal said Afghanistan and Italy were working as partners for the safe and speedy release of Cantoni and were sharing information, resources and personnel. "Progress is being made every day, and that is a testament to the teamwork," he said. "Lines of communication remain open, and we remain optimistic."

Authorities have declined to discuss the kidnappers' identity. The Italian embassy and Care International have refused comment on efforts to free Cantoni.
Three foreign U.N. election workers were kidnapped in Kabul in October and held for 27 days before being released unharmed.

Their kidnappers were believed to have been criminals linked to a Taliban splinter faction and officials initially said Cantoni's kidnappers were suspected of belonging to the same gang.

More than 100 of the widows Cantoni used to help rallied in Kabul on Thursday to appeal for her freedom. "Please free her. Clementina is a good girl and she helps us," one widow said from behind a burqa.

Bush names ambassador to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - US President George W Bush has nominated a career diplomat now serving in Iraq to be the new US ambassador to Afghanistan.

Ronald Neumann, once approved by the Senate, would replace Zalmay Khalilzad, whom Bush nominated last month to become US ambassador to Iraq.

Neumann currently serves as counselor for political and military affairs in Baghdad. Earlier in his career, he served as ambassador to Algeria and as chief of mission in Manama, Bahrain, the White House said.

US Envoy Says Afghanistan Making Progress but Faces Significant Challenges - By Meredith Buel Washington 26 May 2005

The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says the nation has made huge progress since he arrived there 17 months ago, but still faces significant challenges before it can become a normal, prosperous and secure country. Ambassador Khalilzad says there has been great change in Afghanistan since his arrival in late 2003.

He points out the nation has its first elected president in its 5,000 year history, is educating about five million children in school and has disarmed most of the warlords and their militias that have plagued the country for decades.

Mr. Khalilzad says the Afghan national army has grown from fewer than 5,000 soldiers to 25,000. He says new roads and infrastructure are creating jobs and have begun improving the economy. The ambassador says many of the advancements have taken place very quickly.

"Processes that would have taken other countries in other periods, decades or centuries, have taken place in just a matter of a very short period of time. But still Afghanistan has a long way to go to become a normal country, a democratic country, a prosperous country, and a secure country," he noted.

Ambassador Khalilzad concedes that the opium poppy trade is a critical problem and if left unchecked could undermine many of the positive advances made in Afghanistan. He says the amount of agricultural land used for poppy cultivation will be reduced by 30,000 hectares this year, and in the next several years the United States will spend $450 million providing opium farmers with an alternative livelihood.

Mr. Khalilzad says a few dozen insurgents loyal to the former Taleban regime have turned themselves in and he hopes several thousand will enter a government amnesty program in the coming year.

"The government and ourselves have started a program of strengthening peace, its called reconciliation and accountability, to open the doors to those who want to join in rebuilding Afghanistan to come back into the fold," he added. "Young Afghans should not allow themselves to be used by people who do not wish their country well, who have a proven record of failure, of bringing misery to Afghanistan, to be used as cannon fodder against their own people."

Ambassador Khalilzad says he believes it is inevitable that U.S.-led international forces will capture al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and former Taleban commander Mullah Mohammed Omar. Both are believed to be hiding near the rugged Afghan border with Pakistan.

"We are after them and we will ultimately capture them. We have to for no other reason, for symbolic reason, because of the roles that they have played in the past," he said. The Bush administration has named Mr. Khalilzad to be the new U.S. ambassador in Iraq. Ambassador Khalilzad declined to discuss his new posting until hearings on the nomination are held next month before the U.S. Congress.

Karzai Warns of More Afghan Violence

AP - May. 26, 2005 - Rebels in Afghanistan may try to disrupt parliamentary elections in September by launching attacks and kidnapping people, President Hamid Karzai warned in comments broadcast on the state radio Thursday.

His remarks come after an increase in the number of shootings and bombings across the country by Taliban-led insurgents, as well as the kidnapping of an Italian aid worker in the capital, Kabul.

"People must join together to prevent the enemy from attacking," Karzai said. "The enemy may ... try to destroy things, to sabotage things, to do kidnappings."

He recorded the comments in Pashtu, one of the national languages, for Radio Afghanistan before leaving for a trip to the United States on May 21. He is due back in the country on Friday. "With the help of God, these parliamentary elections will be successful," he said.

The polls are the next step toward democracy, 3 1/2 years after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban. Presidential elections were held in October. The surge in violence has followed a winter lull in the insurgency. Drug-related fighting and attacks by other criminals has also added to the unrest.

Afghanistan says progress made in war on drugs

Kabul – AFP – 05/26/05 - Afghanistan said it had made major progress in eradicating opium, amid increased pressure from the United States, but cautioned that its battle against drugs was far from over.

"The achievements, particularly within this year, have been very significant," General Mohammed Daud, deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics, told reporters in Kabul on Thursday.

However, he did not give any detailed figures on the eradication of poppy crops which are used to produce heroin. Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer of the drug.

His comments follow President Hamid Karzai's recent visit to Washington, where Karzai predicted that opium cultivation would drop by 30 percent in 2005 after leaked US documents accused him of being too soft in the war on drugs.

"Any gains made in decreasing the area under cultivation will almost certainly be offset by an increased yield. Afghanistan is expecting a bumper opium crop this year," a foreign diplomat in Kabul told AFP. After seven years of drought Afghanistan has had heavy rainfall this year and agricultural production is expected to benefit.

During his visit to Washington, Karzai also said war-shattered Afghanistan would wipe out opium within five to six years. However, Daud drew comparisons with Colombia and Thailand, saying that the fight against opium would take time.

"We can't make the 30-year-long journey overnight... Thailand completed opium eradication in 25 years," Daud said, adding that Colombia only saw a 10 percent drop in drug cultivation in the first year of its eradication campaign.

Daud said 40 tons (tonnes) of drugs including heroin and opium were seized in the first five months of this year, compared with 135 tons in 2004, 10 tons in 2003 and only three tons in 2002.

A newly launched US and British-trained counter-narcotics force had been been deployed in several regions to fight illicit drugs and traffickers, Daud added. "Afghanistan's government is determined to take on the struggle till the final victory," he added.

Daud also acknowledged that some government officials were involved in the lucrative trade but said lack of evidence prevented authorities from arresting them.

"There is a list of those who are involved but we need evidence to apprehend them. We will do it when we have proof against them," he said without naming those on the list.

Afghanistan has established a special court and jail system to deal with drug trafficking but efforts have so far done little to curb the trade in the impoverished nation.

Daud said that since their establishment in early April, the Special Narcotics Courts have handled 45 drug-related cases and have sentenced at least two traffickers to 18 months in jail.

Afghanistan produced 87 percent of the world's illegal opium used to make heroin in 2004, according to a UN report. Karzai said after his inauguration in December that he would wage a "jihad", or a holy war, on the drugs trade.

40 Tons of Afghan Opium Confiscated

AP - May. 26, 2005 - Anti-narcotics forces have confiscated 40 tons of opium this year in raids across Afghanistan, which has become the world's largest supplier of the raw material used to make heroin, an official said Thursday.

"We have had lots of success, especially this year," Gen. Mohammed Daoud, deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics, told reporters. "Operations are ongoing all over the country."

He said figures over the past three years since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban show police are now confiscating larger amounts of opium, from 3 tons in 2002 to more than 135 tons in 2004. The 40 ton figure was for the first five months of 2005, he said.

In one recent raid in Achin district in western Afghanistan, drug forces confiscated 528 pounds of heroin and two tons of opium and destroyed 20 drug laboratories, Daoud said.

His comments came as Afghan President Hamid Karzai, currently in the United States, defended his government's efforts at fighting drugs amid warnings that the former al-Qaida haven is fast turning into a "narco-state." He said his country could be free of opium poppies in five or six years.

However, a diplomatic cable sent May 13 from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul addressed to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a U.S.-sponsored crackdown on the narcotics industry had not been very effective, partly because Karzai "has been unwilling to assert strong leadership," according to a New York Times report Sunday.

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

Over 6,000 Afghans to stand in parliamentary polls - The News International (Pak) May 27, 2005

KABUL: Over 6,000 Afghans have registered to stand in the country’s first post-Taliban election in September including former Taliban officials and warlords with links to private militias. As the last registration sites shut their doors in the eastern province of Nangahar on Thursday, 2,905 people including 69 Kuchi nomads and 339 women had registered to stand in the lower house Wolesi Jirga elections, according to preliminary figures released by the Joint Electoral Management Body.

A further 3,141 people including 279 women registered to stand for election to provincial councils that will each nominate one member to stand in Afghanistan’s upper house or Meshrano Jirga, which will rule on legislation. Registration closed in most of the country on Monday but was extended by four days in Nangahar after anti-US riots earlier this month force UN-backed election registration sites to close.

Final figures for the numbers of candidates will be announced Sunday and the confirmed list of candidates will be published on June 4 from when Afghan people will have one week to object to nominations. There is a shortage of five female candidates standing for the provincial councils in five provinces including the Taliban stronghold of Uruzgan where not a single woman has registered.

Ex-Taliban leader regrets hiding bin Laden - By Kate Clark THE WASHINGTON TIMES May 26, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Former Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, in his first interview after three years in detention, said the Islamist regime erred by hosting Osama bin Laden but could still make a respectable showing if it ran for office.

As if to test his thesis, Mr. Mutawakil filed papers last week to run for parliament in September in his home city of Kandahar, the home base of the Taliban movement from its inception in 1994.

"I am an Afghan, and I have the right to be an independent candidate," he was quoted as saying at the time. "The public must decide who they want as their leaders, whether it's the Taliban or someone else."

Mr. Mutawakil was with the Taliban from the beginning, serving first as private secretary to leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, and then as the foreign minister as the group rose to rule Afghanistan according to harsh Islamic strictures. He fell out with Mullah Omar in the last weeks of their rule over the decision to back al Qaeda leader bin Laden and gave himself up in early 2002.

Mullah Omar disappeared as U.S. and Afghan resistance forces closed in on his Kandahar base in late 2001 and is thought to have been hiding, like bin Laden, in the rugged mountainous area on the Pakistan border.

In a rare public statement reported by a Pakistan-based news agency yesterday, Mullah Omar criticized the signing this week of a U.S.-Afghanistan "strategic partnership," saying Afghanistan "has been sold to the Americans for an indefinite period of time."

Mr. Mutawakil was held for two years at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, including eight months in solitary confinement, and was released a year ago only to be put under house arrest by the administration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai

The only major Taliban figure to have been arrested and released by American forces, he still wears the white turban and untrimmed beard of a mullah and, in the interview, was largely unapologetic about the Taliban regime, saying the current government could learn something from it.

"When you look back at our rule, there were good and bad points," he said. "People remember them, and they like some of the things we did -- security, the eradication of opium poppy and the fact that there was far less corruption in government."

He said that if the Taliban did run in any election, "they'd certainly get votes -- not a landslide, but it wouldn't be insignificant either." The decision to release Mr. Mutawakil and let him run for office is seen as part of a yearlong effort at reconciliation with the Taliban, including an amnesty program designed to take the heat out of an insurgency that still ties up 18,000 troops in southern Afghanistan.

So far, no major figures and relatively few foot soldiers have taken advantage of the program, but officials hope the former foreign minister can change that. "Mutawakil now ranks as the third most important member of the movement," one former senior member of the Taliban said. "If the government is to bring large numbers of people over, he needs to figure centrally in the reconciliation process."

In the interview, Mr. Mutawakil said there ?still needs to be deep, constructive talks. The Taliban are waiting to feel confident that they'll be treated with dignity."

Asked about bin Laden, who used Afghanistan as a base for a series of strikes on U.S. interests culminating in the September 11, 2001, attacks, Mr. Mutawakil said it had been a mistake to harbor him and his followers.

"Our guests used Afghanistan for their own ends against the world," he said. We suffered and so did they because of the international reaction." Mr. Mutawakil said rich and powerful guests had often been a problem for Afghanistan.

"There were the Soviet occupation forces, then the Arabs, and now it's not just the Americans, it's the international coalition and NATO, and there's no doubt that today's guests are very strong compared to our own army. At least, they're strong technically." He would not say whether he thought Americans would be forced to leave as their predecessors had been.

Taliban claim Afghan blast, two NATO troops hurt - May 26, 2005

KABUL (Reuters) - A roadside blast wounded two NATO peacekeepers in northern Afghanistan Thursday, police said, and a Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the explosion in an area in which they do not normally operate.

"An ISAF vehicle traveling in a convoy was damaged by some sort of explosion," said a spokeswoman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Two members of the force were lightly wounded, she said.

She declined to give their nationalities but the chief of police in Baghlan province, 160 km (100 miles) north of Kabul, said the two were from a Dutch unit based there.

Taliban insurgents do not normally operate in Baghlan. The cause of the roadside blast was being investigated, the spokeswoman said. A Taliban spokesman said the blast was caused by a remote-controlled bomb.

"By the grace of God, our mujahideen carried this operation out successfully," the spokesman, Abdul Latif Hakimi, said by telephone from an undisclosed location. "We waited two or three days for this," he said.

Taliban fighters have been involved in a series of bloody clashes with U.S. and Afghan government troops in the south and east of the country in recent weeks and scores of rebels have been killed, the U.S. military says.

Some anti-government militants operate in the north of the country but attacks are rare and it has been largely free of the violence seen in the south and east.

The 8,000-strong ISAF operates mostly in Kabul and the north - Daily Afghan Report May 25, 2005 - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

The declaration signed by U.S. President George W. Bush and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on 23 May in Washington has been made public by the White House (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 24 May 2005). In the declaration, the two countries commit to ensure that "Afghanistan will never again" become a safe heaven for terrorists. The primary goal of the strategic partnership is described as strengthening U.S.-Afghan ties in order to help Afghanistan's "long-term security, democracy, and prosperity." While the declaration specifically states that it is not "directed against any third country," it does encourage the "advancement of freedom and democracy in the wider region." The declaration encourages cooperation "between Afghanistan and its neighbors," while deterring them from "meddling" in Afghanistan's internal affairs. In case Afghanistan perceives that its "territorial integrity, independence, or security is threatened" or is at risk, the declaration calls for consultation "with respect to taking appropriate measures" to alleviate such threats. AT

...Although It Says Little About Possible U.S. Bases - The joint declaration remains somewhat vague on the issue most debated among Afghans, namely the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. The partnership allows the United States to "continue to have access" to Bagram Air Base north of Kabul and to "other locations as may be mutually determined." U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan will continue to have freedom of action in their activities "based on consultations and pre-agreed procedures." AT

Afghan-Based U.S. Forces Reportedly Kill Five Pakistanis Across Border - Five Pakistanis were reportedly killed in a U.S. aerial attack in the Lawara Mandai area of North Waziristan on 21 May, the Karachi-based daily "Dawn" reported on 23 May. Pakistan's Inter Service Public Relations Director Major General Shaukat Sultan, while confirming that shells and rockets fired by U.S.-led forces had landed inside Pakistani territory, said that he was unaware of any casualties. AT

Police Arrest Armed Pakistani National In Eastern Afghanistan - Afghan police have arrested a Pakistani citizen in Khost Province, Tolu Television reported on 24 May. The man, who has been described as a resident of the Mir Ali area of the Koram region, has not been identified. According to the report, the man is one of several armed Pakistani citizens who have been arrested by the Afghan authorities in recent days. AT

Canada Adds Afghan Party To List Of Banned Terrorist Organizations - Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Anne McLellan on 24 May announced that her country has added Hizb-e Islami, headed by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, to a list of banned terrorist groups, AFP reported. Hekmatyar's party is seeking the overthrow of the Afghan administration headed by President Karzai, McLellan said in a press release. Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister, is already recognized as a terrorist by the U.S. State Department. AT

Afghanistan Signs $1 Billion Oil Deal With Austrian Firm - Khalil Firuzi, head of the Afghan Logistical Oil Company, on 24 May signed a deal with the Austrian-based ILF (Ingenieurgemeinschaft Lasser-Feizlmayr) engineering consulting firm for delivery of 3 million tons of oil, Afghanistan Television reported. The $1 billion deal involves the delivery to Afghanistan of diesel, kerosene, petrol, and heating oil for five years. The report added that this deal will "undoubtedly have positive effects" on the lives of Afghans and the country's transport system. It is not known from where the oil products are being imported from. AT

'Strategic Partnership' Seen As Move Toward De Facto Rights For U.S. Bases Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

25 May 2005 -- The strategic partnership agreed to at the White House on 23 May by U.S. President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai seeks to ensure long-term cooperation between the two governments. In their memorandum of understanding, Bush pledged continued help to strengthen security forces, democracy, and the Afghan economy. Karzai agreed that U.S. forces will continue to have access to the Bagram Air Field north of Kabul and other strategic military installations.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the strategic partnership with the United States he has agreed to is in the best interest of both countries. Karzai says it is necessary because the creation of an Afghan parliament through elections in September will not mean his country is suddenly stable and capable of standing on its own.

"I'm glad that [President Bush] signed with me a memorandum of understanding on the long-term partnership between Afghanistan and the United States of America -- which will make sure that Afghanistan continues to receive reconstruction assistance; which will make sure that Afghanistan continues to receive training from the U.S. for its military and the police; and which will enable Afghanistan to stand on its own feet eventually; and to be a good, active member of the region -- contributing to peace and stability in the region; and to be a bridge between various parts of that part of the world for trade and values," Karzai said.

Bush said the partnership is based on a "strategic vision" against international terrorism, violent religious extremism, and drug trafficking. He said the strategy calls for continued support in the areas of security, democratic reform, and economic reconstruction.

"It's a partnership that establishes regular high-level exchanges on political, security, and economic issues of mutual interests," Bush said. "We will consult with Afghanistan if it perceives its territorial integrity, independence or security is at risk. We will help the Afghan people build strong, lasting government and civic institutions. We will continue to support reconstruction, economic development, and investments that will help educate and build up the skills of the Afghan people."

Analysts who have been studying the details of the joint declaration by Bush and Karzai said they were especially struck by one paragraph. That paragraph says "it is understood" that U.S. military forces will continue to have access to the Bagram Air Field north of Kabul and other strategic military facilities "as may be mutually determined."

It also says U.S. and NATO forces will continue to have "freedom of action" to conduct military operations that are based on "consultations and pre-approved procedures."

Ian Kemp, a London-based independent defense analyst, said such language suggests U.S. military forces will remain at bases in Afghanistan for a long time.

"Any strategic partnership should be to the benefit of both countries," Kemp said. "What the United States would be expecting to supply to the Afghan forces is continuing assistance -- both in terms of training and in terms of equipment. A continuation of what we've seen over the past four years of building up the Afghan security forces themselves. But in return for that, the United States is going to be looking for the basing of U.S. troops and U.S. aircraft in Afghanistan. And also, [the United States will be looking for] host-nation support. And possibly, intelligence."

Anatol Lieven, an expert on Afghanistan at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, agreed that the issue of long-term U.S. military bases is central to the partnership.

"I've always been completely sure that the Americans intended to keep Bagram -- and other places as well -- as permanent bases," Lieven said. "This, I think, will just take things a further step toward formalizing that. It is potentially very, very controversial within Afghanistan. [But] frankly, from Afghanistan's point of view, it probably will be necessary to keep the Americans and NATO around for a very long time to prevent Afghanistan's own inner demons from taking over again."

Lieven said it is significant that Bush spoke of signing "a strategic partnership" while Karzai stressed that their agreement is a "memorandum of understanding." The Afghan Constitution requires parliament to approve formal treaties. But Karzai could have difficulties getting a future parliament to agree to give long-term basing rights to the U.S. military.

"The fact that this document is a 'memorandum of understanding' -- and not a treaty -- is very important," Lieven said. "I don't think that Karzai would dare to submit a treaty agreeing to long-term American basing rights to an Afghan parliament, when and or if the Afghan parliament is ever convoked. I think it would provoke massive resistance. And it could cause a very major political crisis in Afghanistan. The point is, rather, to give all kinds of guarantees to the Americans. But at a less formal level which will allow for de facto basing rights to continue indefinitely and, in return, procure for Karzai and Afghanistan more commitments of American support."

Lieven said the most important aspect of the strategic partnership for Afghanistan is the psychological security it provides. He said it shows that the United States is not considering withdrawal. And that, he said, is essential for keeping European countries and other members of NATO involved in Afghanistan. (By RFE/RL correspondent Ron Synovitz)

Afghans Cautious On U.S. Military Bases - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Amin Tarzi

During a meeting in Washington on 23 May, U.S. President George W. Bush and visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed a memorandum of understanding towards establishing a "strategic partnership" between Washington and Kabul. At a joint news conference in the White House the same day, Karzai stated that the arrangement signed with Bush would "enable Afghanistan to stand on its own feet." Bush said that the strategic partnership signed with Karzai "establishes regular high-level exchanges on political, security and economic interests" and consultations with Afghanistan "if it perceives its territorial integrity, independence or security is at risk." The text of the "Joint Declaration of the United States-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership" released by the White House on 23 May specifies if such a risk is determined by Kabul to exist, the Afghanistan and the United States will take "appropriate measures" to address it.

The details of this agreement call for the U.S. to have access to military facilities in Afghanistan. The declaration states that U.S. military forces operating in Afghanistan will continue to have access to Bagram Air Base north of Kabul and to "facilities at other locations as may be mutually determined." However, the agreement fails to specify whether this strategic partnership will allow a permanent U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, something which has been at the center of debate between Washington and Kabul.(See also: 'Strategic Partnership' Seen As Move Toward De Facto Rights For U.S. Bases)

The issue of potentially establishing permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan was first raised publicly by Republican U.S. Senator John McCain during a visit to Kabul in February 2005. McCain told reporters that in order to secure the vital interests of the United States and support Afghanistan, his country needs to have a partnership with Kabul which he said should comprise "economic assistance, technical assistance, and military partnership" -- something, McCain added, that should, in his "personal view," include "joint military permanent bases." Shortly after his news conference, McCain's office released a statement on 22 February clarifying that while the senator hoped for a long-term commitment from the United States towards Afghanistan, "he did not mean to imply that [such a commitment] would necessarily require permanent U.S. military bases" in that country.

Karzai, while not discussing the issue of permanent U.S. bases directly, addressed the question of a strategic relationship with Washington during a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to Kabul on 13 April. Karzai told reporters that in order to safeguard Afghanistan's independence and ensure that the country did not turn once more "into a battlefield and a war-torn country," he has "demanded permanent, strong and sustained relations" with the United States.

Karzai added his decision to ask for such a strategic partnership was in line with his "manifesto" before the October presidential elections and after consultations with advisers "over the past three years."
Pressed by a reporter to elaborate on whether the strategic relationship he envisaged with the United States included the basing of U.S. military in Afghanistan, Karzai said, "We are not discussing just military bases. We are talking about comprehensive relations to guarantee that Afghanistan will not be destroyed again and to help Afghanistan become powerful and capable of standing on its own feet."

At the time, Rumsfeld said that while comprehensive relations, including in the military sphere, would continue between his country and Afghanistan, the establishment of permanent military bases in Afghanistan is a decision that only the U.S. president has authority over.

Afghan Views And Reactions - Before embarking earlier in May on a visit to Europe that preceded his trip to the United States, Karzai hastily invited close to a thousand Afghan representatives to a meeting to discuss his proposal for a strategic partnership with the United States.

The results of the 5 May meeting, which included many members of the Loya Jirga (grand assembly) that approved Afghanistan's constitution in January 2004, remain ambiguous.

Whereas Karzai spokesman Jawed Ludin said that the representatives were "on the whole…very positive" in their response to Karzai's proposal, some of the participants reacted less favorably.

Mohammad Yunos Qanuni, the leader of the National Understanding Front -- a newly-formed opposition block -- and the second-place finisher behind Karzai in the presidential elections, told "Kabul Weekly" on 18 May that he thought the "opinion of the representatives...were against the expectations of President Karzai." Qanuni, echoing sentiments widely held by Afghan media outlets since Karzai's announcement of the strategic partnership proposal in April, said that such a relationship would be "beneficial for both countries." However, Qanuni added that the "issue of U.S. bases in Afghanistan" was "something new." He did not reject the idea of bases, however. Instead, in line with the opinions of many in Afghanistan, he said that such a decision "can only be made by [the Afghan] parliament," which is scheduled to be elected in September.

Possible Foreign Opposition To U.S. Bases

The bases issue entered the headlines together with this month's student demonstrations in several Afghan cities. Students were ostensibly angered by a report in the U.S.-based "Newsweek" magazine that some interrogators at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba had desecrated the Koran -- a report later retracted by the magazine. But some of the students' slogans also rejected Karzai's military-base plans.

Following these deadly demonstrations, analysts raised the issue of whether some of Afghanistan’s neighbors were manipulating public opinion in Afghanistan in an attempt to prevent the development of a long-term U.S.-Afghan partnership (see "RFE/RL Afghanistan Report," 17 May 2005).

In an interview broadcast on 14 May on Afghanistan Television, President Karzai, without naming any particular country, stated that the demonstrations were instigated from abroad in order to -- among other things -- stop his policy of seeking to establish a partnership with the United States.

Kabul's main pro-government daily, "Anis," on 17 May alleged Iranian involvement in the demonstrations. The paper argued that because the United States is engaged in "a psychological battle" against Iran, Tehran is trying to arouse anti-U.S. sentiments among the Afghans and drive the United States out of Afghanistan.

Whether Iran had a direct hand in the recent demonstrations is something that may never be proven. But the uneasiness of Afghanistan's neighbors regarding such a possibility has been discussed by the Afghan media and politicians. Qanuni, for example, while acknowledging the U.S. bases in Afghanistan would "definitely create problems in the region," said that Afghans should be thinking "about their own country's interests."

Issues Remain Before September Elections

The mandate set by the 2001 Bonn Agreement, which has been used as the guideline for Afghanistan's transitional period, is set to end with the parliamentary elections in September. The new strategic partnership between Washington and Kabul means the U.S. forces will maintain a presence in Afghanistan even after the vote -- something which Afghan media say leaves a number of questions to be resolved by Karzai before they are debated by parliament.

As the independent "Kabul Weekly" recently commented, the total duration of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan has yet to be discussed. According to the weekly, it would be better to "think in terms of years, not decades or an indefinite period of time." In an earlier commentary, the weekly had written that "the word ‘permanent’ never has positive implications for Afghanistan."

Another issue discussed by the Afghan media, which Karzai needs to ponder before submitting a proposal to the Afghan parliament, are the principals guiding the presence of foreign forces on Afghan soil.

The text of the joint declaration states that "U.S. and Coalition forces are to continue to have the freedom of action required to conduct appropriate military operations based on consultations and pre-agreed procedures."

Legitimacy and responsibility are two other factors that Karzai will be faced with if he invites the United States to base its military in Afghanistan on a more permanent basis. The Mazar-e Sharif-based "Baztab" daily in April commented that if the U.S. were to establish bases in Afghanistan, people would "lose confidence" in the ability of the Karzai government to provide security on its own. Similar sentiments were echoed by Sakhi Monir, the editor in chief of the pro-Karzai "Anis," who said that during his election campaign Karzai promised to bring peace and security to Afghanistan in five years. The "strategic partnership" is an indication of a "new political thesis" for the Afghan president, Monir asserted, adding that Afghans voted for Karzai "with the very idea that he will be in a position to bring about peace and stability."

Publications such as the independent Kabul weekly "Wantandar," which supports the idea of a strategic partnership between Afghanistan and the United States, suggested in a 20 April commentary that such an arrangement would "constitute a one-way relationship, as Afghanistan will be constantly asking for assistance and the USA will have to grant it."

As Karzai left Washington after placing his signature on the joint declaration for a strategic partnership with the United States, many questions remain unanswered. If the Afghan president fails to deal with these questions diligently and transparently, it may fuel the desires of his domestic opponents and any potential foreign backers to undermine his government. Karzai needs the support of the majority of the Afghan people, something he apparently has. But in order to establish a clear mandate, there needs to be more public participation in a decision that is so vital for Afghanistan's future.

Inquiry finds Koran 'mishandling'- BBC News / Friday, 27 May, 2005

The US military says it has identified five incidents in which the Koran was mishandled by American personnel at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. But the jail commander said they had found no credible evidence that the book had been flushed down a toilet.

The denial follows similar allegations against US guards in a 2002 document made public on Wednesday, in which an FBI agent quoted an inmate. Newsweek also made the claim, which the magazine was forced to retract.

The Newsweek report sparked protests across the Muslim world, and was blamed for riots in Afghanistan that killed at least 15 people. The magazine withdrew its story, after saying it could no longer corroborate the report. The White House rounded on the magazine, saying its report had done "lasting damage" to the US image in the Muslim world.

Brig Gen Jay Hood said he had found that the Koran had been mishandled on five occasions since late 2001. Four cases involved guards and one was by an interrogator. The incidents appeared to be deliberate and accidental, he said.

Brig Gen Hood said those involved had not violated the rules they were working to at the time. The inmate who made the original allegation about the Koran being flushed down the toilet had retracted it, he said.

A Pentagon spokesman characterised the incidents as mainly inadvertent handling of the Muslim holy book. More than 500 people are being held at Guantanamo Bay, the US naval base on Cuba, suspected of links to the al-Qaeda network. Some have been detained for more than three years, but have not been charged.

Deadly blast at Pakistan shrine - BBC

At least 18 people have been killed in an apparent suicide bombing at a Muslim shrine in Pakistan, rescuers say. Hundreds of Shias had gathered at the Bari Imam shrine on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad, to celebrate the end of a religious festival.

More than 50 people were hurt in the blast. Correspondents said the scene was one of utter carnage, with bodies and body parts strewn around the area. Pakistan has a history of conflict between Sunni and Shia extremists. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said it was too early to say who was to blame for the attack. No group has said it carried it out.

[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.]