With no beard and no turban, the surprise winner of parliamentary elections in Afghanistan's conservative Herat is a petite, 33-year-old dynamo: Fauzia Sadat Gailani is a fitness instructor and wants to form the first women's political party in the country's history.(AFP/Emmanuel Duparcq)

Afghanistan celebrates Eid under tightened security – AFP 11/03/2005
By Waheedullah Massoud

KABUL -- Insurgency-hit Afghanistan celebrated Islam's biggest festival, Eid Al Fitr, under tightened security on November 3 amid unrelenting militant-linked violence that has claimed around 1,400 lives this year.

Mosques were guarded by armed police as men gathered for Eid prayers on the country's most important religious holiday, while extra police posts and patrols were set up in most key centres, officials said.

At the biggest mosque in the capital Kabul, Eid-Gah, guards were stationed outside and on the rooftop above some of the 2,000 worshippers who could not fit into the building.

In the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, police with batons monitored crowds in the famous Blue Mosque, in front of which a British soldier was killed last week when gunmen fired on an International Security Assistance Force vehicle. There were also extra armed patrols outside the shrine while 5,000 men, including top provincial officials, gathered inside.

"There has been reinforced security for Eid - police have installed extra security posts in the capital and the provinces," interior ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai said. "There are extra police patrols and checks and also there were a number of police securing mosques for Eid prayers. We are vigilant and remain alert."

While most people were spending the day with their families and friends, police officer Mohammad Rafiq, 32, said he did not mind being on duty to keep Kabul safe.

"We are on an increased state of alert although we do not have any new or specific threat," he said. A man waiting for a taxi, 24-year-old Shah Mohammed Safi, said he was not particularly worried about security.

"I do not see any particular danger," he said. "Sometimes we hear of rare attacks by the Taliban but that can happen anywhere, anytime. It has nothing to do with Eid. "They just want to create chaos and disturb people. They are hated by [the] public and will never be successful."

Loyalists of the hardline Taliban regime that was removed from power in a US-led campaign in 2001 have launched an insurgency against the government of Washington-backed President Hamid Karzai.

Attacks linked to the insurgency occur mostly in the south and east of the country and have killed 1,400 people this year, most of them militants. The toll is up from 850 last year and is the highest annual tally since the Taliban were toppled.

More than 50 US soldiers have also been killed in hostile fire this year, making it the deadliest since the United States invaded after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama Bin Laden for the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.

Unrelenting attacks blamed on the Taliban, which include the killing of at least three religious leaders during the fasting month of Ramadan that preceded Eid, have cast a shadow over Afghanistan's moves towards democracy after decades of civil war and occupation.

A key step in the process was the September 18 legislative elections, the first in more than three decades. The final results are due this week, with some former Taliban officials and warlords due to take seats in the parliament expected to sit by the end of the year.

Karzai's message for the three-day holiday, meanwhile, was one of reconciliation. Muslims should use the opportunity to put aside "all rancours and differences," he said in a statement.

Fitness instructor plans first Afghan women's party

Herat (AFP) - With no beard and no turban, the surprise winner of parliamentary elections in Afghanistan's conservative Herat is a petite, 33-year-old dynamo: Fauzia Sadat Gailani is a fitness instructor and wants to form the first women's political party in the country's history.

In this devout western province on the border with Iran, few could have foreseen that this young woman with a round face would have triumphed over influential war commanders and other local leaders.

But with 16,885 votes, about 3.6 percent of the provincial total, on a crowded ballot paper, she has topped the tally for Herat's seats on the new national assembly, Afghanistan's first in more than three decades.

Gailani was largely unknown before the September poll but her success cannot only be attributed to her election poster, which put her pretty face -- with big brown eyes and bright red lips -- against a mauve background.

"She was really busy: people say that she's done an excellent campaign," says Abdul Aziz Samiem, from the National Democratic Institute non-government organisation which monitored the poll.

"We saw her red 4X4 everywhere, in villages, in schools, in districts," he says, putting Gailani's success down to several factors. "Ordinary people think she's pretty, she's done a very strong campaign, women may have thought that she could be a good candidate for them," he says.

She was also helped by her name, with Gailani and Sadat two respected families in Afghanistan, despite her limited education. Born in Herat, she fled during the Soviet occupation and spent 16 years in Iran before returning home after the fall in 2001 of the hardline Islamic Taliban, which kept women at home and under the burqa.

Now Gailani pushes, before everything, the equality of rights between men and women. "Women are not seen as human beings in Afghanistan, but like objects that people can sell, trade or buy," she says. "There are not enough rights for women in this country: they cannot study, they cannot work."
She is particularly against child marriage, which is common in Afghanistan. "I can talk about it: I was married at 12, I had my first child at 13, and I hated that," she says.

Sitting at her side, her husband nods with an embarrassed pout. Later, when he has left, the mother of six adds, "If I could have chosen, I would have had only one child. One is good."

As though trying to make up for the time she lost while away, she is involved in a plethora of activities which cement her local network of relations with women.

A key project is a fitness centre she set up on her return to Herat with equipment imported from Iran. About 30 contraptions, some rudimentary, are spread out across a red carpet, in front a mirrored wall decorated with plastic flowers.

"I'm more powerful when I'm doing sports," Gailani says. "It's healthy and it's also good for the mind of women, to make them understand that they can get their rights."

This is what happened with her election campaign. "At first I thought that I couldn't say all that and win in this closed society. But after the campaign started, I saw people and I realised that I could make it. Now that lots of people voted for me ... no one can stop me at the parliament," she says.

She knows, however, that she will not have an easy time in the national assembly, which will be dominated by mujahedin warlords and Islamist jihadis, or holy warriors, often as conservative as the Taliban.

To "raise the voice of women", Gailani says, "I want to make a women's political party at the parliament with other elected women." Members could include Malalai Joya, a strong critic of warlords who came second in the parliamentary vote in neighbouring Farah province.

But before rallying other MPs, Gailani has some convincing to do at home. "You're going too far," exclaims her husband when she mentions her goal in front of AFP. "A women's political party... It's not possible."

"Even at home, I have problems with my husband sometimes," Gailani admits, before betraying her own fears. "Do you think that it's possible to create a women's party now in Afghanistan? Isn't that dangerous for us?" she asks.

Another girls' school burned down in Afghanistan - By AFP Middle East Times Published October 31, 2005

Another girls' school has been torched in Afghanistan, which is battling insurgents loyal to the ousted fundamentalist Taliban regime that banned education for women, an official said on Sunday.

The primary school, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Kabul in Logar province, was under renovation and the girls were studying in tents, provincial criminal investigation director Qudratullah Arabzai said. “The school, the tents, the chairs, generator and a vehicle were destroyed in the fire," Arabzai said.

The building, torched late on Saturday, was the fourth to be burned in the same district since the collapse of the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001, he said. The official blamed the attack on the "enemies of Afghanistan", a term usually used to refer to Taliban remnants.

A string of similar incidents in southern and southeastern Afghanistan has been blamed on loyalists of the Taliban, which banned girls from going to school. They were ousted by US-backed forces in late 2001.

Four years after the Taliban were removed, school enrolment among girls remains among the lowest in the world, with less than 10 percent of girls enrolled in secondary schools, according to a UN report this month.

Chaotic Kabul Has No Patience for Protesters - Los Angeles Times 11/03/2005

By Henry Chu The streets are crowded enough without the demonstrators who complain about pay, elections and more, shopkeepers say

KABUL — At almost any hour of the day, the streets of this city are a congested, chaotic mash of noise and activity. Donkey-drawn carts, drivers who observe no discernible rules of the road and determined pedestrians vie for space in the dusty, narrow lanes. At times they come to blows.

So not everyone is pleased with the latest species of street life to surface here, making Kabul even tougher to navigate: protesters. The Afghan capital has been hit by a wave of demonstrations over the last few weeks, organized by groups intent on taking their discontent and their demands public in the most palpable way possible.

Unhappy teachers, losing political candidates, retired soldiers and disabled residents have all rallied, increasing the frustration of those affected by the tumult.

"We are completely fed up with the protests happening around here," said Abdul Matin Naseri, 25, whose watch shop is near government offices. "If it's just one day, two days, three days, even a week, fine. But it keeps on going."

It's a lesson in the democracy that Afghanistan is trying to build from scratch after decades of repression and bloodshed. The right to peaceful assembly, officials say, is the privilege and price of a free society.

The string of protests, however, is also a sign of deepening public anger with the government of President Hamid Karzai. The country's interim leader after the Taliban was overthrown in 2001, then winner of its first free presidential election last year, Karzai has had trouble bringing tangible improvements to the lives of his people. Illiteracy, unemployment and a lack of basic necessities remain endemic in Afghanistan.

Critics accuse Karzai's administration of mismanaging the billions of dollars of foreign aid that have poured into the country.

"In the past four years, he hasn't solved the problem of electricity and water or repaired the roads," said Kabir Ranjbar, a political scientist at the University of Kabul. "These should have been his first public works in the city. And Kabul is a small city. If he can't solve these problems, [people ask] what can he do?"

Ranjbar faults Karzai for not taking aggressive enough steps at the outset of his administration to disarm a population accustomed to rule by warlords and the heavily armed Taliban. This, Ranjbar said, has fueled a Taliban insurgency and brought on a measure of instability that has impeded orderly and sustained economic and social development.

Street crime in this city of nearly 3 million is up. Some international organizations, including various U.N. agencies, forbid their employees to venture out after dark because of kidnapping threats — a prohibition that some call an overreaction but that shows the rising anxiety level.

"Under the Taliban there was security, there was a central government, no one was attacking anyone else's property," Ranjbar said. "They were imposing their views on the people, and they were bringing cultural darkness on Afghanistan. There's no doubt they were taking Afghanistan backward. But people felt safe. Right now, nowhere in Afghanistan do people feel safe."

One of Karzai's declared priorities was to strengthen the nation's ailing educational system. He promised teachers substantial pay raises, in some cases a 100% hike, and land for them to build houses on.

So a few weeks ago, when teachers heard that their $56 monthly salaries would grow by only $7, the faculty at Zarghona High, one of Kabul's best girls schools, walked out of class the next day.

"The government says that they don't have enough money. But they pay thousands of dollars to ministers, including for their travel and for hosting guests," said Fatana, 35, a Pashto-language teacher who, like many Afghans, goes by one name. "The money they make in one day a teacher can't make in a year. They tricked us."

She and her colleagues, nearly 300 in all, marched through the streets blasting the government. The sense of outrage and solidarity was enough that they planned a second demonstration for the weekend, which other schools pledged to join. But the teachers allege that education officials pressured them into canceling the event.

"Karzai told the teachers and students, 'We don't have any money. Go home and study,' " said Royela, a 38-year-old geography teacher. She shook her head when asked if she thought anything would come of the protest.

Late last month, officials announced that they would meet some of the demands of retired soldiers who thronged Kabul's central square for two or three days out of anger over low pensions. Traffic came to a standstill.

"They can come to the streets. This is something that is part of the democratic process, and the government of Afghanistan will listen and try to resolve their problems," said Karim Rahimi, a spokesman for the presidential palace.

The demonstrations are a headache for the government because of their potential repercussions. Not only might more disaffected groups be encouraged to take their grievances to the streets, but the protests would probably further inflame anger among those whose lives are disrupted and could make the government look increasingly ineffectual.

Naseri, the shopkeeper, offers this solution: Build a dedicated protest ground somewhere, preferably far from his establishment. "Or," he said, "they should have rules and regulations for protests. For example, they can walk through the streets, but not block the streets.

"In a democracy, you're allowed to speak out and express your opinions," Naseri added, the morning sunlight glinting off the hundreds of watch faces around him. "But you're not allowed to disturb others and make them close their shops."

Afghan airline to buy 4 737-700s - Seattle Times 11/03/2005

Boeing won an order from Afghanistan's Ariana Afghan Airlines for four 737-700 planes worth about $220 million at list prices. The airline will also lease two 757-200 models from Boeing Capital, a unit of Boeing, the company said in a statement. The plane manufacturer said it will begin delivering the 737s in 2009.

Daily Afghan Report - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty - November 3, 2005

Former Taliban Leader Reiterates Call For Afghan Jihad Against Foreign Forces...

In a message dated 1 November published by the Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), the former leader of the Taliban regime, Mullah Mohammad Omar, calls on Afghans to wage jihad against the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The message, sent as a congratulatory note to mark the end of Ramadan, warns Afghans that "jihad against the current infidel aggressor is an obligation" and lack of participation in it is "a major sin." Omar calls on his compatriots to join him in the jihad that he says is for Afghan "independence" and the "protection of Islamic laws" with their lives, property, and pens. The ousted Taliban leader says that "some newspapers and magazines in Kabul openly make fun of Islam," and those writing such articles are showered with money by Western embassies. In his message, Omar also congratulates "the heroic and mujahedin and freedom-loving nation of Iraq." Omar also expresses sympathy to Pakistan in connection with the October earthquake. AT

...As Renegade Former Prime Minister Assures Victory

In a message commemorating the end of Ramadan dated 2 November and published by AIP, former Afghan Prime Minister and Hizb-e Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar assures Afghans that "victory and the day of the defeat of the enemy is near." Hekmatyar compares the presence of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to the occupation of the country by the former Soviet Union from 1979 to 1989, adding that the behavior of "the Americans and the British" is "more abominable than the Russians'." Listing the insecurities in Afghanistan, Hekmatyar writes that the "only solution" for peace in Afghanistan is for the foreign forces to leave the country and an "interim Afghan government to the liking of the Afghans" to be formed, leading to free elections and the formation of an "elected Islamic government." Since the demise of the Taliban regime in late 2001, there have been numerous rumors of an alliance between the neo-Taliban and Hekmatyar, though in their messages neither Omar nor Hekmatyar refer to any such arrangement. AT

Netherlands To Increase Its Military Presence In Afghanistan

The number of Dutch forces in Afghanistan is to increase from the current 950 to 1,300, National Television of Afghanistan reported on 2 November. The announcement came during a meeting in Kabul on 2 November between Dutch Defense Minister Henk Kamp and Afghan First Deputy Defense Minister Mohammad Yusof Nurestani. The majority of Dutch troops, under NATO command, are to be stationed in the restive southern Afghan province of Oruzgan and in some parts of Kandahar. Nurestani pledged that Afghanistan will also dispatch a number of forces to the same areas where the Dutch forces will be responsible for maintaining security. Kamp and Nurestani also signed an agreement regulating the fate of prisoners of war captured by Dutch forces. AT

Five Policemen Killed In Southern Afghanistan

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Yusof Stanakzai on 2 November confirmed the killing of five Afghan policemen on 1 November in Helmand Province, AIP reported. Stanakzai attributed the attack in which the officers were killed to the neo-Taliban. Hajji Mohammad Rahim, head of Deshu District where the incident occurred, told AIP on 2 November that five militants were also killed in the incident. AT

Afghan Authorities Caution Population About Bird Flu

The Public Health Ministry issued an announcement on 2 November cautioning people about avian influenza (bird flu), Radio Afghanistan reported. According to the announcement, 15 types of chicken influenza have been discovered including the H5N1 strain that can infect humans. As a precautionary measure, the ministry advises Afghans to report chicken illnesses to agricultural officials, prevent children from touching chickens, and avoid eating imported chickens. AT

Might Warmer Relations With Jerusalem Cool Kabul's Relations With Tehran? RFE/RL 11/03/2005 By Amin Tarzi

In an unprecedented interview in Kabul with a reporter from Tel Aviv daily "Yedi'ot Aharonot," Afghan President Hamid Karzai hinted at a desire to establish formal relations with Israel. While the euphoria that accompanied presumptions of imminent full diplomatic relations was quickly tempered by preconditions, the warming of ties between Afghanistan and Israel sets Kabul's policies in sharp contrast to those of neighboring Iran, where President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad has called for the destruction of the Jewish state.

In the interview, which was conducted on 7 October but published a week later, Karzai welcomed Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and said that once "there is further progress [in the Mideast peace process], and the Palestinians begin to get a state of their own, Afghanistan will be glad to have full relations with Israel." Furthermore, while Karzai ruled out meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Afghanistan or in Israel, he said he hoped to meet the Israeli leader "somewhere else...soon." Karzai also revealed the he had met Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres "several times," referring to him as "a dear man, a real warrior for peace."

• The Media Buzz - One day after the publication of Karzai's interview, Lahore's "Daily Times" quoted a report by Pakistan's ARY news channel asserting that Kabul had decided to recognize Israel, with an official announcement forthcoming "in the next few days." While official Israeli reaction to news of an imminent establishment of formal ties with Afghanistan was muted, "The Jerusalem Post" on 16 October quoted unidentified "senior diplomatic" sources as saying that they were pleased with events but "not surprised."

Also on 16 October, the Israeli daily "Ha'aretz" quoted unnamed Israeli political sources as saying such a move by Kabul would represent "another important step on the road to recognition of Israel by the Muslim world."

Karzai spokesman Mohammad Karim Rahimi clarified his country's position regarding the issue on 18 October, saying that Afghanistan would not recognize until an independent Palestinian state had been established.

Unidentified Israeli sources indicated that they clearly understood the pressure that Kabul was under from the Arab and Muslim world and that no one in official circles had thought it realistic that Kabul would officially recognize Jerusalem immediately. However, "Yedi'ot Aharonot" quoted sources as having acknowledged the existence of a dialogue between the two countries and said the process would be a long one.

• The Iranian Angle - In contrast to Karzai's seemingly warm words for Israel, Iranian President Ahmadinejad on 26 October called at a conference in Tehran called "A World Without Zionism" for the destruction of the state of Israel. During the conference and without mentioning the Afghan leader by name, IRNA reported, Ahmadinezhad warned countries or leaders who had taken steps to "acknowledge the Zionist regime under pressure or due to lack of sound understanding that they will be confronted with the wrath of the Islamic ummah [community] and will forever be disgraced."

The Iranian president called that Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip a "trick" aimed at encouraging Islamic states to recognize Israel.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan on 28 October, senior Karzai adviser Dadfar Sepanta declined to discuss Ahmadinezhad's comments regarding Israel. But Sepanta said that Afghanistan's position was that "a policy of eliminating nations or states helps neither regional peace nor international stability." Sepanta said he views Israel "as a reality" like all other states. Israel has "the right to live in peace with their neighbors, just as the Islamic Republic of Iran has the right to live without any foreign threat," he added.

It would undoubtedly take some time for Afghanistan to recognize Israel, as the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis remains unfinished business. But the Afghan government's desire to break the ice and its willingness to engage the Israeli media -- and the prospect of possible contacts with Israeli leaders -- have clearly placed it on a drastically different platform than the Iranian government. In light of the increasingly vociferous Iranian condemnation of the presence of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, and with Kabul proclaiming policies so markedly different from Tehran's, Karzai's government might have to brace itself for the "wrath" of its western neighbor in the form of greater interference or even attempts to destabilize Afghanistan.

Britain isolated over role in Afghanistan - · Allies reluctant to get involved in war on terror · Tribal feuds and opium trade hinder peacekeeping - Richard Norton-Taylor Friday November 4, 2005 The Guardian (UK)

Britain is locked in an intense dispute with its European allies in Nato over a plan, fraught with political and security problems, to take control of peacekeeping in Afghanistan.

British military involvement in the country is to be stepped up early next year when it assumes command of the Kabul-based International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), and sends troops to a hostile southern province known for opium cultivation.

Officials are lobbying for support from European allies. But with the exception of the Netherlands, none is willing to take on any role that might involve fighting insurgents, terrorists and warlords involved in narcotics. France, Germany and Spain in particular are reluctant to get involved in fighting the Bush administration's "war on terror".

The Americans, meanwhile, are happy for the Europeans to take charge of Isaf -responsible for peacekeeping and nation-building - but have made clear they intend to keep control of the fight against terrorists.

The key moment comes next spring when Britain assumes control of Isaf under the leadership of Lt Gen David Richards, commander of Nato's allied rapid-reaction force, which is based in Germany.

It will also send a taskforce of 3,000 soldiers, including the 3rd battalion the Parachute Regiment and a squadron of Apache attack helicopters - their first deployment by British forces - to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, a hostile area of tribal feuds and poppy growing. These troops face the prospect of fighting terrorists, insurgents, and warlords involved in the narcotics trade.

John Reid, the defence secretary, told the Commons defence committee this week that Britain needed help from other countries - a clear indication that British forces are being stretched to the limit.

He also said British troops needed help from other agencies, including the Department for International Development, to counter the opium trade by helping to provide the growers with an "alternative economic livelihood".

In a division of labour designed to satisfy political sensitivities within the alliance, Nato is trying to separate the task of keeping the peace from that of fighting the narcotics trade and persuading Afghan farmers to grow something other than opium poppies.

Separate again is the war against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters which the US is determined to maintain firmly in its grasp as part of its continuing anti-terrorist operation, Enduring Freedom.

The US is also not particularly interested in attacking the Afghan opium crop, say British officials. Most of the heroin produced ends up on the streets of Europe, not America. It also does not want to provoke the warlords.

Mr Reid says the tasks of countering narcotics and terrorism in Afghanistan are intimately linked.

Nato is toying with the idea of having one general at the top with two chains of command - one dealing with the European-dominated peacekeeping forces, the other with the US anti-terrorist combat troops.

Afghanistan is Netherlands' most disastrous overseas mission

BRUSSELS, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The mission in Afghanistan is becoming the most accident-prone and expensive deployment ever for the Dutch defense ministry, the De Volkskrant daily reported Friday.

Although Dutch troops in Afghanistan never exchanged fire with al-Qaeda or Taliban fighters, the Dutch air force lost some 80 million euro worth of equipment in the past year, a record for Dutch missions abroad, the paper said.

The Dutch air force confirmed that a second Chinook helicopter was written off after making an emergency landing in mountains north of Kabul on Monday, according to the paper, one of the biggest dailies in the Netherlands.

The 25-million-euro aircraft, en route to Dutch commandos in Kandahar, was forced to land for reasons not yet clear. Three of the 17 soldiers on board were wounded.

In July, a Chinook crashed near Kandahar. The Dutch defense ministry has ruled out the possibility that the aircraft was shot down by Taliban or al-Qaeda fighters.

The air force suffered its heaviest loss in August last year when a miscommunication resulted in the crash of a 30-million-euro Apache combat helicopter north of Kabul.

"It is never nice to lose so much equipment that is so crucial and scarce," an air force spokesperson was quoted as saying, adding that "luckily there have not been any wounded or dead so far."

As the Dutch mission in Afghanistan continues its dangerous operations, the air force risks losing more of its remaining 11 Chinooks, the paper said. Enditem

Sweden offers new aid to Darfur and Afghanistan

STOCKHOLM, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sweden is increasing its support for peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Afghanistan, Radio Sweden reported on Friday.

On Thursday, the government decided to increase its contribution to the African Union mission in Sudan's troubled Darfur province by around 2 million dollars. This is in addition to just under one million dollars already contributed.

The government also has plans to double the size of the Swedish peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, according to the report.

There are currently around 100 Swedish soldiers in the northern part of the country. But the Foreign Ministry said this will have to double when Sweden takes command of a provincial reconstruction team in Mazar-e-Sharif in March. Enditem

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan sign Protocol on establishment of Contact Group - SCO Secretariat 11/04/2005

On November 4, 2005 a ceremony was held at the SCO Secretariat to sign the Protocol on the establishment of a Contact Group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Zhang Deguang and Ambassador of Afghanistan to China Qiamuddin Rai Barlas, representing the two parties, put their signatures to the Protocol. National Coordinator of the presiding state in the SCO and Assistant to the Minister of foreign affairs of China Li Hui, as well as the Ambassadors of SCO member and observer states to China attended the ceremony. SCO Secretary-General Zhang Deguang and Afghan Ambassador Qiamuddin Rai Barlas both delivered a speech, in which they highly valued the signing of the Protocol and expressed full confidence in future prospects of cooperation between the two parties. Upon the conclusion of the ceremony Zhang Deguang, Qiamuddin Rai Barlas and other diplomats took questions from the media. Later in the evening Secretary-General Zhang Deguang held a reception in honor of all the distinguished guests, participating in the event.

Afghanistan and SCO member states are close friendly neighbors. For many years changes in the situation inside the country have been exerting an important influence on the security situation in Central Asia region. After the creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the establishment of the new Afghan authority SCO member states had been seeking to establish ties of cooperation with the Afghan party to ensure joint protection of peace, security and stability in the region. In June, 2004 President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai attended on invitation the Tashkent summit of heads of SCO member states. After that the SCO and Afghanistan had started negotiations on the establisment of a contact group. In April of this year, the Council of ministers of foreign affairs of SCO member states officially authorised Secretary-General Zhang Deguang to sign the respective agreement on cooperation with the Afghan party.

In accordance with the Protocol, the SCO - Afghanistan Contact Group will hold regular working consultations, aimed at working out proposals and recommendations on conducting cooperation between the two parties on issues of mutual concern. A full version of the Protocol will be posted on the web site of the SCO Secretariat.

Poor/Rich Gap Growing in Afghanistan

Embassy Magazine, November 2nd, 2005 NEWS STORY By Christina Leadlay - Aid worker calls on donors and governments to think carefully and morally about where aid money is going.

Two large black tablets stand in the lobby of CARE Canada's Ottawa office, bearing the names of a number of CARE employees who've lost their lives while providing assistance to those in need around the world. Fortunately, it's a memorial that Clementina Cantoni, an Italian CARE worker, just narrowly missed joining.

Ms. Cantoni was in Ottawa on Oct. 26 at the invitation of CARE Canada to talk about her work in Afghanistan. For three years, she managed the CIDA-supported Kabul Widows and Vocational Training program in Afghanistan (HAWA), providing monthly food rations for approximately 10,000 women who've lost their husbands during the many years of conflict in the country. The program is also focused on health projects and income generation, finding employment opportunities for the women.

But on May 16, 2005, Ms. Cantoni, a well-known figure in Kabul, was abducted from her car by several armed men. Her whereabouts remained unknown for 24 days. She was released, unharmed and without ransom, on June 9. Due to security concerns, the Italian government has advised Ms. Cantoni not to return to Afghanistan for one year, though she is keen to go back. She is currently on leave and is based in Milan, Italy.

Though her abduction was not the subject of her presentation in Ottawa, Ms. Cantoni did refer to it during her conversation with Aly-Khan Rajani, program manager of overseas operations at CARE Canada, in front of an intimate audience, including Omar Samad, Ambassador of Afghanistan; his wife Khorshied Samad; Alessandro Cortese of the Italian Embassy, and Flora Macdonald, former external affairs minister who is actively involved with NGOs around the world.

Looking a bit fragile and slightly nervous, Ms. Cantoni nevertheless was composed and spoke eloquently during the event, held in CARE Canada's candlelit boardroom, choking up only once at the start of the conversation as she spoke of the warmth and friendliness of the Afghans she met. Mr. Rajani has worked with Ms. Cantoni on site in Afghanistan and they discussed the pressing issues in Afghanistan, the work being done by CARE, and the challenges ahead.

Ms. Cantoni said that during her time in Afghanistan, she witnessed both positive and negative changes taking place. While women are more visible in society and girls are seen going to school -- a sight Ms. Cantoni says never ceases to bring her joy -- the disparity between those more skilled and well-off versus the less fortunate, less skilled and marginalized -- including widows -- is growing.

She says the best thing the international community can do for Afghans is to help each citizen find their place in the reconstruction. "Don't leave sections of society behind," Ms. Cantoni urged, noting that while it's a time-consuming and challenging task, it is fundamental to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. She told the story of a reclusive widow who, after finding a work placement, was a completely different person, happy and chatting with her colleagues, having found her place in society. "This is what we were trying to do before I was abducted," she said, "trying to stimulate education and help women get jobs."

Ms. Cantoni also called for more targeted investment in certain projects. "There needs to be a more careful, moral assessment of how money should be spent by donors, NGOs and governments," she says. "There is a growing sense of resentment from Afghans, questioning where aid money has gone, feeling that it has not trickled down to where it needs to go," she says. Ms. Cantoni called for more and better targeting of the vulnerable and marginalized citizens, to give them the skills to participate in society. She notes that her feeding program is not sustainable and that soon they will have to move away from the dependency model, but that this move will be gradual and careful. "We want to put the women at the centre of the decision to get off the rations, to get ready for the future," she says.

Following the conversation, Flora Macdonald provided a visual report on the widows program based on her annual visits there since 2001. Head of CARE Canada, John Watson, expressed his admiration for all involved in the HAWA project, including CIDA. Mr. Watson says he is proud that Canada's aid agency broke ranks with other donor nations, keeping its aid programs running while British and American programs shut their doors in Afghanistan.

Ms. Cantoni was scheduled to deliver a similar presentation on the plight of Afghan women at the request of CARE U.S.A. in Boston.

Afghan Interior Ministry reforms rank, pay structures - November 3, 2005 Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan - Coalition Press Information Center (Public Affairs) By Air Force Capt. Dave Huxsoll Office of Security Cooperation-Afghanistan Public Affairs

KABUL , Afghanistan – Afghanistan ’s Ministry of the Interior is improving its ability to provide safety and security for the people of Afghanistan by dramatically rearranging its command structure.

With the assistance of the German Police Project Office and the Office of Security Cooperation-Afghanistan, the MOI is reorganizing its rank and organizational structure and that of the Afghan National Police to produce a more efficient and streamlined force, with clearer chains of command and communication.

“We want to increase the capabilities of our force to create a secure environment for Afghan families, businesses and communities,” said Yousuf Stanizai, MOI spokesman. “Having too many general officers undervalues the meaning of rank and can damage the discipline within an organization. This is something we want to avoid.”

Currently, the number of field grade and general officers outnumber police sergeants by a ratio of almost 3-to-2. “There’s a gross surplus of senior officers in the MOI and ANP, creating an almost reverse pyramid organization,” explained Army Col. Paul Calbos, chief of OSC-A’s Police Reform Directorate Ministry Reform Division. “By downsizing the number of these positions, the ministry will become a more organized, efficient and streamlined organization, with proper command and control.”
The general officer and field grade ranks are being thinned in a three-phase process designed to select the most competent, qualified and honest officers for each position. The first phase involves the selection of the 31 highest ranking positions in the MOI and ANP.

A concurrent process of pay reform within the ANP will result in significant salary increases for almost all members of the police force. So although some members may not maintain their current rank, if they remain on the force they will be making substantially more money, explained Air Force Maj. Jeffrey DeJoannis, deputy chief in the PRD Ministry Reform Branch.

Selection of the “Top 31” is a four-step process, with each step designed to further narrow down the field of officers. All of those interested in one of the 31 positions first had to submit an application. Next, a files review transition board examined each candidate’s education, variety and depth of experience, personal history and character. The board consisted of seven senior officers from the MOI; Ambassador Rudolf Schmidt, formerly the German special representative for Afghan Security Sector Reform; and Ray Fitzgerald, director of OSC-A’s PRD.

Next, each candidate was given a written exam to assess his knowledge of the law and legal procedures, his analytical abilities, management style and ethics.

Finally, the remaining candidates were interviewed by members of a selection board consisting of Interim Minister of the Interior Zarar Ahmad Moqbil, MOI chief of staff Lt. Gen. Sayed Mohammad Qudussi, special adviser to the MOI Gen. Ghulam Ghaws Naseri, Schmidt and Fitzgerald. The board then made three recommendations for each of the 31 positions.

Moqbil made the final selections based on recommendations from the board and forwarded the list to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for final approval. An announcement of the MOI’s “Top 31” is expected shortly.

Selection of the “Top 31” was executed over a two-month period, and all general officers from one star to three were able to compete for these leadership positions. “The process was carefully managed to ensure fairness and impartiality,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Ernie Martinez, PRD Ministry Reform Branch chief.

The second phase of rank reform will select 86 remaining general officer positions. This process will closely mirror the first phase selection process, with applications, interviews, file reviews and exams. This phase will be more decentralized than the first, however, with MOI and ANP leadership traveling to regions throughout Afghanistan to meet with the applicants.

“It’s very important for the newly-appointed leadership to travel out to the regions and provinces to put a face on the Afghan police reform and to promote the process to the entire country. They will be critical in the selection process since the generals they select will be responsible for the operations under their command and ultimately, the success of the entire reform process,” Martinez said.

The third and final phase will select personnel for the ranks of samunyar (major) through samunwai (colonel). “These are important reforms that will ensure that the highest qualified police officers meet the highest standards,” Stanizai said.

Pakistan postpones F-16 purchases - BBC

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf says he will postpone the purchase of F-16 fighter planes from the US. He said Pakistan needed to focus on reconstruction in the wake of the quake that killed more than 70,000 people.

Pakistan had been expected to buy more than 50 planes at up to $40m each. Quake reconstruction is put at $5bn. The president also accused the West of double standards when it came to giving aid for the earthquake victims, saying they had not given enough.

Six foreign Al-Qaeda suspects killed in Pakistan blast

Miranshah (AFP) - Six foreign Al-Qaeda suspects including a woman were killed when a bomb they were making exploded in Pakistan's restive tribal region near the Afghan border, the military said.

"It seems the explosion occurred when these people were busy making an improvised explosive device for terrorist activity," chief military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told AFP on Saturday, quoting local administration officials.

Residents said the blast happened at about 1:30 am (2030 GMT Friday) in a house near Mir Ali, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Miranshah, the main town in the rugged tribal zone of North Waziristan.

Sultan said six people were killed, one of whom was female, and they were all believed to be foreigners although their exact nationalities were still being investigated.

The blast during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr came days after security forces killed an Arab Al-Qaeda suspect and seized another in a shootout in the southwestern province of Baluchistan.

Hundreds of insurgents with suspected links to Al-Qaeda sneaked into Pakistan across the porous border from Afghanistan after US-led forces ousted the hardline Taliban regime there in late 2001.

Bin Laden Publicly Quiet for Long Time

Washington (AP) - Osama bin Laden, known for his fiery public statements, has been publicly mum for the longest stretch since the suicide hijackings on Sept. 11, 2001. That leaves U.S. counterterrorism experts questioning what, if anything, his silence means.

The al-Qaida chief with a $25 million U.S. bounty on his head issued two audio statements in December, his last known public words. He was last seen on a videotaped message to Americans on Oct. 29, 2004, saying the United States could avoid another Sept. 11 attack if it stopped threatening the security of Muslims.

"Any state that does not mess with our security has naturally guaranteed its own security," bin Laden said in a translation of an address aired on the Al-Jazeera network discussing the 2004 presidential elections.

Since the 9/11 attacks, the longest bin Laden had gone without issuing a new public statement — audio or video — was just over nine months. He has now let 10 months pass.

Two U.S. counterterrorism officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity, said there is no evidence to suggest bin Laden is dead. The working assumption is that he is alive, even if he isn't churning out tapes.

Ben Venzke, chief executive at the IntelCenter, a government contractor that does support work for the intelligence community, said terrorism analysts are paying attention.

"This is the first time things have changed in years. Messages have generally come in a consistent pattern, and now they are not," Venzke said. "It is likely that these changes in messaging by al-Qaida are the result of planning and a PR strategy, as opposed to their computer broke."

Venzke noted it was also the first October since 2002 that bin Laden had not delivered a message addressed specifically to Americans.

The terror leader is believed to be hiding in a rugged area along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, where the Pakistani government has little control and tribal loyalties run deep.

Venzke notes there could be a number of factors contributing to bin Laden's public silence. He may have decided to change the messenger. His deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, has been much more vocal, issuing seven messages this year. In years past, he and bin Laden delivered roughly the same number of messages.

Or the earthquake in Pakistan could have inhibited bin Laden's ability to transmit messages. Or a tape could have been destroyed in the rubble. Yet, al-Zawahri has managed to send out a message since the earthquake, calling on Muslims to provide aid.

Bin Laden also could be plotting an attack on the United States and has made a strategic messaging decision to keep quiet in the lead-up to the attack, Venzke said.

In a recent interview, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, retired Vice Adm. Scott Redd, said bin Laden can't communicate with his followers the way he had in the past.

"The more you communicate, the more you try to directly run an organization, the more vulnerable you are," Redd said. "And he is pretty deep in hiding. We know he is not communicating very much."

President Bush rarely mentions bin Laden, who has eluded U.S. capture despite being the most-sought terrorist in the world. Bush did mention him by name in a series of speeches focused on the war in terror last month.

Half of Americans think it's likely that the United States will capture or kill bin Laden, a number that has moved little over the last three years, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll.

Child nutrition in Afghanistan: 'My children are smaller than others' By Junko Mitani / Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

KABUL, Afghanistan, 2 November 2005 – Rahera is seven years old and lives in the Kakoji district, about 40 km outside Kabul. She eats her breakfast of bread at around 7 a.m. every morning. One loaf must last Rahera, her parents and two little brothers for three days. There is usually no milk or sugar.

At 10 a.m. Rahera can look forward to receiving a small pack of biscuits at school. Afghan children often cannot concentrate in school because they are so hungry. But Rahera explains that she does not eat all her biscuits herself. “Out of a total of 12 pieces in the pack, I eat only six and bring the rest home and give them to my two little brothers.”

At lunchtime Rahera goes home. Once again, the meal consists only of bread and a cup of tea. At eight or nine p.m., Rahera’s father comes home from his job as a construction worker, and the family eats dinner together. They usually have bread with some oil and yogurt with a little salt.

The family buys two glasses of yogurt, three times a week. Each time it costs 12 Afghanis ($0.24). When they have extra cash, they buy some onions. This summer they twice enjoyed a special treat: watermelon.

Asked what she does when she is very hungry, Rahera answers: “I drink water. My mother once gave me 1 Afghani and I bought a sweet fried bread! Our uncle’s family came the day before yesterday and gave me an apple! I like apples and rice. My favourite meat is mutton!”

Rahera’s mother, Haida, is 30 years old, illiterate and has already lost five children to pneumonia, measles, tetanus and diarrhoea. She is now pregnant for the ninth time.

When asked about her family’s situation, she replies after some thought: “Maybe it’s because of food that my children are smaller than other children. But our family is very poor. We can’t get enough to eat. That’s why we came to Kabul from our village a month ago.” About half of Afghan children are stunted because of poor feeding practices and malnutrition. Haida wishes for a better future. “I hope our children can continue to go to school, get good jobs and help the family.”

What UNICEF is doing - UNICEF and a local NGO partner are supporting the Government of Afghanistan to improve children’s nutritional status. As part of a project on infant and young child feeding and caring practices, health information is disseminated to the public and counselling is provided to families like Haida's. If any child is identified as suffering from very severe malnutrition (Rahera is not such a case), the child is enrolled in a special feeding programme.

The project seeks to combine education about a balanced diet – fruits, vegetables, meat, bread and rice – with information on health and hygiene practices, such as washing hands before cooking or eating, drinking only boiled water, and encouraging mothers and families to seek pre-natal care and essential vaccinations. The provision of immunizations is also supported by UNICEF.

Soldier Cleared in Afghan Abuse Trial - By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press Fri Nov 4

FORT BLISS, Texas - A military jury cleared an Army sergeant Friday of charges he abused a mentally retarded detainee at a U.S. detention facility in Afghanistan.

The jury took a half-hour to find Sgt. Duane M. Grubb not guilty. He is the third soldier from the Cincinnati-based 377th Military Police Company to be acquitted of striking and otherwise abusing detainees at the Bagram prison.

Grubb, 30, fought back tears and hugged his crying wife after hearing the verdict. "I'm just glad that it is over," said his wife, Violeta. Six soldiers from the company have been charged in an abuse investigation prompted by the deaths of two other detainees at the facility in 2002.

Grubb was accused of striking Zarif Khan, an inmate soldiers mockingly called "Timmy," after a disabled character on the cartoon "South Park." Khan, who was released from custody and could not be located to testify, was described during the court-martial as retarded.

Grubb, who had been accused of assault, maltreatment and making a false statement, testified that he never struck Khan. And his lawyer argued that the government's sole eyewitness, former Spc. Jeremy Callaway, contradicted his own testimony.

The defense attorney also questioned why Callaway was the only person to see the alleged abuse when other soldiers would have been in the area when it occurred. Grubb said he plans to leave the Army and go back to his civilian life as a construction foreman in Bloomington, Ind.

[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.]