Afghan quick reaction police force secure the area where a cargo plane crashed kilometres north of Kabul. A cargo jet smashed into mountains near Afghanistan's capital, killing all eight crew on board from Russia, Ukraine and Pakistan, a government official said.(AFP/Farzana Wahidy)

Cargo plane crashes near Kabul – BBC

A Soviet-built cargo plane has crashed 20km (12 miles) north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. An Afghan security official at Kabul airport told the BBC there were no survivors. Ten people were on board, international peacekeepers said.

The International Security Assistance Force and the US-led coalition both said the plane was not theirs. The cause of the crash, which occurred in the Farza area of the Shomali plains, is not yet known.

The BBC's Andrew North has reached the crash site and says the plane was almost completely destroyed, with wreckage strewn over a wide area and a hillside set alight.

The plane was swaying from side to side and flying very low. There was no smoke coming from it. It then slammed into the mountain Malang, farmer

Initial reports had said the plane was a C-130 transport plane. Police official, Ghulam Rasool, told Associated Press "We have recovered five bodies. They are in many pieces. There is no one alive."

Our correspondent says Russian rouble notes have been found at the site but there are no details yet who was operating the plane. He says there has been some rain in the area but the visibility was reasonable.

Isaf spokesman, Lt Col Cristoni Riccar, said the plane had taken off from Kabul. Afghanistan has suffered a number of air crashes this year, mostly helicopters, but a plane belonging to the private Kam Air crashed in mountains near Kabul in February, killing all 104 people on board.

President Karzai Condemns the Terrorist Attacks in Jordan - Date of Release: 10 November 2005

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on three hotels in Jordan's capital, Amman, which killed at least 67 people and wounded many more.

In his reaction to the news the President said, “These attacks are criminal and heinous act of terrorism and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. The enemies of Islam, with the intention of killing innocent civilians, carried out these attacks to create tension and panic in the region. I stress the need for the world to intensify the global fight against terrorism.”

The President, on behalf of the people of Afghanistan, expressed his heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims, the Government and the people of Jordan and prayed for the full recovery of the injured.

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

Trans-Afghan gas pipeline project likely in 2006 - The News International (Pakistan) - November 11, 2005

ASHGABAT: The construction of a proposed gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan across Afghanistan will start next year, an Afghan minister said on Thursday.

"January, in my opinion, will see the last meeting to find a consortium for the TAP (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan) pipeline," Afghan Minister for Mines and Industries Mir Muhammad Sediq told Reuters in an interview. Work would soon start on the $3.6 billion project, Sediq said but gave no details about a completion date, financing plans or likely consortium members.

The project envisages a 1,600km pipeline, which would provide Turkmenistan with a new outlet for its gas. Afghanistan would get transit revenue while Pakistan would get the much-needed energy.

Sediq said the planned pipeline would supply gas from Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad gas field for 20 years at a rate of 30 billion cubic metres of annually. "The pipeline could be extended to India," he added and referred to the Asian Development Bank’s estimate that the reserves were more than the needs of Pakistan and India. Currently Turkmenistan exports the bulk of its gas from the 1.7 trillion cubic-metre Dauletabad reserves to Ukraine via a pipeline controlled by Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Afghan politicians hold first meeting - Financial Times By Rachel Morarjee in Kabul November 11

Afghanistan took another shaky step towards democracy yesterday as elected officials met for the first time in more than 30 years following September’s elections for provincial councils and the lower house of parliament. Politicians from 33 of the country’s 34 provincial councils held their first meeting to choose representatives for an upper house of parliament.

United Nations-backed election authorities are still struggling to finalise poll results from the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar where there has been a deluge of complaints.

Election authorities were also preparing to announce the final make-up of the lower house of parliament in which liberal Afghan women will be far outnumbered by drug barons, warlords and Islamic conservatives.

The final results will pave the way for President Hamid Karzai to convene both houses of parliament in late December, marking the end of a four-year transition to democracy laid out shortly after the fall of the Taliban in early 2002.

Despite the milestones passed, Afghanistan still has far to travel before it has a functioning democracy. With just weeks to go before the legislature convenes its first session, many politicians remain hazy about what their jobs involve.

Amina Rasooli, 21, a journalist who was elected to Kabul’s 29-member provincial council, said the body’s first meeting went well but added: “We still don’t know what our responsibilities are or what salaries we’ll get. We may find out at the next meeting.” Ms Rasooli was under the impression that the provincial councils – toothless bodies with few powers and no budget – were empowered to make laws.

“Nobody knows what the provincial councils will do, which could be a major cause for resentment as candidates have spent money on campaigns and given up jobs to run for office,” said a western election expert who trained candidates running in Afghanistan’s first election since 1969.

The provincial councils could provide a back door into Afghanistan’s upper house as they will nominate the majority of members of the upper house, while Mr Karzai appoints the remaining seats.

Mr Karzai will then have to drum up majority support from a 249-seat lower house of parliament in which Afghan female gym instructors who returned from Iran will sit alongside MPs from the former hardline Islamic Taliban regime.

This will include winning over a large number of former Mujahideen fighters who resisted the Soviets and then plunged the country into a bloody civil war between 1992 and 1996 when the Taliban took control.

“Around 45 per cent of the parliament will be former Mujahideen, 20 per cent democrats and intellectuals and 20 per cent independents,” said Nek Mohammed Kabuli, an analyst at the US-funded National Democratic Institute in Kabul. The remaining seats would be taken by former communists and Taliban leaders, he said.

Women made a stronger than expected showing in the elections with some winning seats by far larger margins than rivals backed by powerful militias.

Fauzia Gailani, who runs a chain of gyms in western Herat city, won more votes in the city than any of the supporters of powerful warlord and former governor Ismael Khan.

She said she would use her seat to promote women’s rights and education and would not bow to threats. “I don’t care what anybody says about me, or what kind of threats I receive, I will sit in the parliament. It must be a house for all of us, not a house of warlords.”

Afghanistan: What Will Become Of The Provincial Councils? - Amin Tarzi - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty - November 11, 2005

Afghan voters went to the polls in mid-September to elect representatives to the People's Council (Wolesi Jirga) of the Afghan National Assembly. At the same time, and with a fraction of the international attention afforded the national legislative contests, they picked members of Afghanistan's 34 provincial councils from among some 3,000 candidates.

While the functions of the 249 members of the national People's Council are enumerated to large degree in the country's constitution, the functions of the provincial councils remain largely unclear. Until the duties and authorities of those provincial bodies are more firmly enumerated and their members given official space in which to operate, there is a risk that a potentially effective mechanism for local government might be forever marginalized -- and an opportunity lost.

Both the National Assembly and the provincial councils are expected to begin their work around the beginning of December, after the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) announces the final certified results of the polls, which is expected next week.

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan stipulates in Article 138 that "a provincial council is to be formed" in each of country's 34 provinces that should "take part in securing the developmental targets of the state and improving its affairs in a way stated by law" and give "advice on important issues falling within the domain" of each province.

The article adds that the councils are to perform "their duties in cooperation with the provincial administration."

The JEMB website (http://www.jemb.org) likewise states that the "provincial council will take part in the development and improvement of the province and advise the provincial administration on related issues."

The breakdown of membership of the provincial councils is based on the population of each province, with a requirement that at least one-quarter of the members of each council be women. Provinces with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants will form nine-member councils; provinces with 500,000 to 1 million inhabitants, 15-members councils; provinces with 1 million to 2 million inhabitants, 19-member councils; provinces with 2 million to 3 million, 23-member councils; and provinces with more than 3 million inhabitants will have 29-member councils.

The provincial councils will have a direct impact on the make-up of the National Assembly, as each of the 34 councils will select one delegate to send to the 102-member upper chamber of the National Assembly, the House of Elders (Meshrano Jirga). Moreover, according to the constitution, an additional one-third of the House of Elders is to be selected from the members of district councils. However, the election of those councils has been postponed indefinitely because of disagreements drawing the district boundaries. As a result, the cabinet decided recently to fill the district council seats in the House of Elders temporarily with additional representatives from the provincial councils. Those members should be replaced by district-council representatives as soon as those bodies are formed.
Under the constitution, provincial council members who are selected to join the House of Elders will forfeit their seats on the local body and be replaced by the candidate of the same gender who received the next highest number of votes. According to the cabinet's decision, those provincial-council members who temporarily assume district-council seats in the House of Elders will be temporarily replaced on the provincial councils until they return to the local body.

Draft papers outlining the responsibilities and powers of the provincial councils were circulated among Kabul's power elite and representatives of donor states through the summer, and the final version was released in August, less than a month before the elections. Most Afghans, therefore, went to the polls on 18 September and voted for provincial council members with little idea of exactly what those councils would be empowered to do. Even in the document that was accepted in August, the outlined responsibilities of the provincial councils remain disturbingly vague.

While much of the attention in Afghanistan has been focused on power plays surrounding the National Assembly, the country's most significant local representative organ -- the provincial council -- is in danger of becoming a marginalized institution. The firmly entrenched positions of many of the country's provincial governors, with whom the councils will have to contend and cooperate, further highlight that risk.

It seems clear that the framers of the Afghan Constitution sought to steer the country toward a highly centralized state. However, if the provincial councils had more a clearly defined role and stronger authorities, they could become a powerful democratic force -- bringing the center into closer contact the periphery and fostering a genuine feeling of connection between average Afghans and the structures of government.

Conflicting signals on Afghanistan's entry into SAARC – Deepika

Dhaka, Nov 10 (UNI) There appears to be a deadlock over the admission of Afghanistan into SAARC, with India and Bangladesh presenting contradictory views on the issue.

While Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told reporters this evening that ''Afghanistan's application to become the 8th SAARC member has been welcomed by delegations and there is likely to be a consensus on this,'' Bangladesh gave a contrasting picture, stating that the SAARC constitution and logo had to be changed if Kabul were to be admitted.

Bangladesh's Additional Foreign Secretary Muniruzzaman categorically stated that there was no consensus on the Afghanistan issue. This was the first time that SAARC was discussing the entry of a new member into the grouping.

Mr Ahamed said he did not visualise any problem for Afghanistan to get membership of SAARC. ''Some modalities have to be gone through, but we should be in a position to welcome Afghanistan as a full member at the 14th SAARC summit in India.'' India and Pakistan strongly pleaded Afghanistan's case at the meetings of the programming and standing committees.

However, Bangladesh was lukewarm in its response to the proposal. Dhaka is not in favour of full membership of Afghanistan and instead supports observer status to it, informed sources said.

When confronted with Dhaka's assertions on the issue, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said, as far as ''I am concerned there was no opposition to Afghanistan's entry at the committee meetings. Certain modalities have to devised, but this cannot be construed as opposition.'' On China's request to have a sort of association with SAARC, Mr Ahamed said, ''we are agreeable to responding positively to its desire to seek a cooperative relationship with SAARC. An appropriate mechanism is under discussion.''

Afghan soldier killed after opening fire on US troops - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Nov 10

An Afghan soldier has been shot dead after he opened fire on US troops at a base in volatile eastern Afghanistan, wounding two American soldiers, the US-led coalition says.

The soldier fired at the US troops at a base about 48 kilometres from Gardez city, the capital of eastern Paktia province, coalition spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jerry O'Hara told AFP.

"He walked into the middle of the base and started firing," he said. "Coalition soldiers fired back and killed him. Two US soldiers were slightly injured, treated at the scene and returned to duty."

Colonel O'Hara says the Afghan National Army is investigating the incident. The army could not immediately be reached for comment. – AFP

Daily Afghan Report - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty - November 10, 2005

Al-Qaeda Reportedly Appoints Commanders For Afghanistan

Al-Qaeda has appointed two Arabs as field commanders for southeast and southwest areas of Afghanistan, Pajhwak Afghan News reported on 9 November, based on video that the news agency acquired from Peshawar, Pakistan. According to the report, Khaled Habib has been put in charge of southeastern provinces while Abd al-Hadi Iraqi has been assigned to the southwestern provinces of Afghanistan. During the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Iraqi was commander of foreign fighters in the country and he later commanded Arab fighters in northern Afghanistan's Takhar Province against the United Front (Northern Alliance). Habib, who is reportedly from Morocco, also commanded Arab fighters during the Taliban's rule. AT

Trial For Drug Traffickers Begins In Kabul

The Afghan Interior Ministry announced in a 9 November press release that preliminary proceedings for three members of a "major drug trafficking organization" began on 9 November at a Public Security Court in Kabul. The three unidentified men were arrested in 2004 by the Afghan Counternarcotics Police and have been charged with "various drug-trafficking crimes." Beyond distribution of heroin inside Afghanistan, the suspects allegedly had agreed to export 200 kilograms of heroin to the United States. Afghanistan's deputy interior minister for counternarcotics, Lieutenant General Mohammad Daud Daud, said that this "is a transparent example to anyone involved in the drug business that they will no longer be able to act with impunity in Afghanistan." The case is a rare example of Afghanistan openly putting on trial suspects involved in the illegal narcotics business. AT

Pakistan And India To Back Afghanistan's Bid For SAARC Membership

Pakistani Foreign Minister Kurshid Kasuri said on 9 November in Karachi that his country will "strongly support" Afghanistan's admission into the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Kasuri, who was on his way to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to attend the 26th session of the SAARC Council of Ministers, said that it was his privilege as the chairman of the meeting to propose admitting Afghanistan as a full-fledged member. Indian External Affairs Minister E. Ahmed, who will represent his country at the meeting, also indicated on 8 November that his country will "welcome" Afghanistan as a SAARC member, Dhaka's "The Daily Star" reported on 9 November. SAARC was established in 1985 and includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as members. AT

Pakistan Arrests Illegal Afghan Refugees In Waziristan

Pakistani forces on 8 November arrested an estimated 50 Afghan refugees in North Waziristan, the Islamabad daily "The News" reported on 9 November. The arrests come a day after North Waziristan authorities issued a 24-hour deadline for those Afghan refugees still in the area to leave the region (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9 November 2005). The arrested refugees have been given the choice of either crossing into Afghanistan or resettling in other areas of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province. Pakistan's measures against Afghan refugees in restive North Waziristan -- which borders Afghanistan -- are part of Islamabad's counterterrorism campaign. AT

Afghan importers diverting goods to Iran - Over 3,000 containers carrying ATTA goods stuck at Karachi Port and Port Qasim for want of railway wagons - By Imran Ayub Friday, November 11, 2005 Daily Times - Nov 10

KARACHI: Afghan importers are diverting imported goods to Iran, which were to be transited through Pakistan, because of delay in the supply of goods, imported under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA), through Pakistan due to a shortage of railway wagons.

Sources and customs agents, involved in clearing ATTA consignments from the ports, said they had witnessed around a 23 percent decline in consignments under the ATTA during the past three weeks.

“As of today (Thursday) three of our Afghan clients informed us that they have diverted their consignments to Iran and cancelled that deal with us,” said a senior customs agent.

"On an average the ATTA consignments cross 2,500 mark every month, but the delay in cargoes’ supply from Pakistan due to a shortage of railway wagons has forced Afghan importers to place and receive fresh consignments orders via Iran."

He said the two ports in Karachi and had received less than 2,000 containers under ATTA, which could lead to a decline in overall figures of the Afghan goods by the end of this fiscal.

Supply of goods imported under the ATTA came to almost a halt in August as less-than-demand supply of wagons by the Pakistan Railways stuck more than 2,000 containers at the two ports.

Sources and customs agents, involved in clearing ATTA consignments from the ports, said in the first phase containers were dispatched to Peshawar through railways and from there the consignments crossed borders on trucks.

“Now some 3,668 containers are stuck at the two ports,” said Amir Altaf, secretary of the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Clearing Agents Group. “The stuck cargoes need more than 3,000 railway wagons and today (Thursday) we got only 50 wagons.”

He said the Pakistan Railways never gave priority to ATTA and Afghan traders were annoyed to pay huge demurrage charges, containers’ detentions charges and port charges.

The sharp decline in ATTA imports rang alarm bells in the government quarters and federal authorities have intervened to propose measure so the major loss could be avoided.

“The government is considering ending monopoly of the Pakistan Railways in transportation of the ATTA goods to Peshawar,” said a source privy to the discussion on the proposal.

He said the federal government, with the Central Board of Revenue, had almost reached consensus and formal decision in this regard was expected within the next few weeks.

“Several options include involvement of the NLC (National Logistic Cell) and private carriers in transportation of the ATTA goods,” said the source.

Imports under the ATTA have registered a sharp jump over the past three years as traders and official believe improving conditions in landlocked Afghanistan and increasing construction activity have paved the way for increased trading activity in the neighbouring country.

The ATTA imports touched Rs 20 billion mark during financial year 2003-04 up by 48.7 percent compared with figures in 2002-03 and are expected to cross Rs 30 billion by the end of June 2006. But people involved in the trade say delayed supply of goods to Afghanistan could damage its scope. "We have asked the commerce ministry to allow private carriers to transport ATTA goods," said Mr Altaf of the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Clearing Agents Group.

Legal action to be taken against poppy cultivation in Afghanistan - November 10, 2005 - PakTribune.com, Pakistan

KABUL: Afghan Ulema have announced Jihad against poppy cultivation. This was decided at a high level meeting led by Governor Nangarhar Agha Sherazi was held in Jalalabad. The meeting pledged not to cultivate poppy in the province.

Later Governor Nangarhar Agha Sherazi talking to VoA said that the Afghan Ulema has also announced Jehad against poppy cultivation. To a question that some people have cultivated poppy in the province, he said there are some reports but government would take legal action against them.’

He said an administration commission against poppy cultivation has also been formed a talk with various tribes to pursue them not to cultivate poppy in province.

He said the problem would be resolved through talks. He appealed to the people of Nangarhar to cooperate with the government in this drive. He also thanked all those people who have not cultivated poppy in their fields.

Major road improvement projects near completion - November 11, 2005 Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan Coalition Press Information Center (Public Affairs)

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Two major road improvement projects in Afghanistan , costing more than $3.5 million, are near completion.

The first of these projects, which connects the eastern Afghanistan cities of Sharana and Orgun-E, is scheduled for completion the first week of December. This road is more than 55-kilometers long and costs an estimated $1.9 million. Workers widened the road, leveled the surface and installed drainage systems.

The second road project, also in southern Afghanistan , connects Qalat and Shinkay. It should be completed in December at a cost of more than $1.5 million. This 64-kilometer road improvement project also includes the installation of drainage systems, a new layer of gravel and widening the road’s surface. More than 600 Afghan contractors and laborers have worked on the two projects.

“While this will improve the security situation for the government of Afghanistan , it’s important to note that there will be numerous other benefits associated with these roads,” said Army Col. Michael Flanagan, Task Force Sword commander. “Economic opportunities are created when these roads are constructed, farmers can find winter markets for their goods and merchants can seek more competitive prices for their products. People in these areas will also find that emergency service vehicles and personnel are better able to respond to different situations. Roads that are navigable and are open through all kinds of weather are a keystone to prosperity and security.”

Arrested engineer 'is innocent' - 11 November 2005, BBC News

The brother of a man from west Wales arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of gun running has said he does not believe he has committed the crime.

Peter Eaton, 52, from Milford Haven, was one of six men, two of them UK nationals, detained in the capital Kabul last month.

The men have not yet been charged and no date has been set for any trial. Mr Eaton's brother, Tim, said: "I don't think my brother would have done anything like that."

Peter Eaton, who was working in Afghanistan as an electrical engineer, was one of six men, two of them UK nationals, detained in the capital Kabul last month under suspicion of smuggling weapons.

The group arrested, believed to include Mr Eaton, another man from the UK, an American, an Indian and two local men, are alleged to have been in possession of guns and fake badges representing the International Security Assistance Force of peacekeepers.

The Foreign Office has said that two UK nationals were among a number of men who were arrested on 12 October on suspicion of attempting to smuggle weapons to Russia.

A spokesperson added the situation was being monitored the situation and they were waiting for a court date to be announced. Tim Eaton told BBC Radio Wales that his brother had worked as an engineer in Afghanistan for several years, and before that in Kuwait and Bosnia.

He added: "He a good man really - I think I know my brother. "I don't think my brother would have done anything like that. "He's talked about having security guards and stuff because of the dangerous place he's working in. "I don't think he's held a gun - not to my knowledge."

AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY OFFICERS VISIT ISAF HEADQUARTERS - International Security Assistance Force Kabul, Afghanistan, ISAF NEWS RELEASE - - Release Date - 10 November 2005

KABUL - Today, 9 November 2005, the International Security Assistance Force

(ISAF) Headquarters hosted the first Afghan National Army (ANA) staff visit, which consisted of twenty-seven ANA Officers and the Secretary of the Afghan Vice Minister of Defence, Dr. MOHAMMAD NAEM and Chief of Operations from the Army General Staff, Lt Gen KARIMI.

ISAF Commander, Lieutenant General Mauro Del Vecchio, greeted the ANA senior staff on their arrival and provided them with a briefing on ISAF roles and commitment within Afghanistan as well as outlining the locations of ISAF troops throughout the Afghan territory; the ANA officers were also presented with the current military situation, logistic set up and medical assets.

During the second part of the programme, the visitors toured ISAF's compound and were shown a variety of facilities including the Joint Operational Centre (JOC), ISAF's central command and control centre. The JOC receives information from all of the units and Provincial Reconstruction Teams across Afghanistan and in turn directs those operations within its area of responsibility.

Before leaving, the delegation had the opportunity to see a sample of ISAF Armies' Armoured and Recognition vehicles, which are providing patrols and services around Kabul; a Mobile Command Post, with satellite radio communication capabilities and a Tracked Snow Personnel Carrier with power trailers, which is especially suited for mountainous terrain and winter operations.

The visit proved extremely useful for both parties: ISAF was able to demonstrate its deep-rooted commitment to the ANA staff and the Afghan MoD, illustrating the extent to which the mission is intertwined within the Afghan society, through the actions of the contributing nations to the Rehabilitation rebuilding / development of Afghanistan. In turn, ANA and MoD staff, were able to understand the operational capability of the troops who are committed to ISAF and NATO's strong desire to further improve the assistance given to the Government of Afghanistan, its Defence Forces and its brave people. All of the participants agreed that today's visit was extremely useful and together they have decided that it would be the first of a long series of essential coordination meetings.

ISAF troops conduct on average 600 patrols every week in Kabul, the Western and Northern regions of which almost 100 are conducted jointly with Afghan National Army units.

[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.]