Provincial security chief among 20 killed in Helmand clash

KABUL, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): As many as 20 policemen, including provincial security chief, and three militants have been killed in an overnight clash in the restive Helmand province.

Interior ministry here confirmed the clash, saying 18 policemen had been killed and six others were missing after suspected Taliban ambushed the convoy last night.

The ministry's spokesman Yousaf Stanizai told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday the clash erupted at around 6pm on Monday in the Registan district that lasted till late night. He added the policemen were escorting a new district police chief to the Registan.

He further said provincial security chief Amanullah Khan had also been killed in the attack. The attack was carried out by enemies of the state, said Stanizai.

Earlier, a provincial police official, who wished not to be named, told this scribe the firefight erupted last night when Taliban ambushed a military convoy in the Regestan district of the province.

Twenty policemen, including the province's security chief Amanullah, and three insurgents died in the ensuing fight that lasted for several hours, said the official. He informed the attacking party was hiding in a hilly area and opened fire at the convoy when they were crossing the place.

Contacted over the telephone, secretary to Helmand governor Haji Mohyiuddin said complete information about the clash would arrive later. Taliban have stepped up attacks in the southern parts of the country after the September 18 parliamentary elections.

Several suicide blasts have been happened over the fortnight, three of them in Kandahar, killing a number of government officials and civilians.

Many police die in Afghan ambush – BBC

Militants have killed 18 police officers including a senior official in an ambush in southern Afghanistan, the interior ministry says. Fighting continued all day after the attack on Monday afternoon on a dirt road in Helmand province, in which four officers were also injured.

Some 150 police officers were said to be travelling in the convoy which was attacked by dozens of militants. Taleban elements have been blamed for previous attacks in the region.

Those killed included a senior police official in Helmand, Amanullah Khan, a spokesman for the interior ministry told news agencies. He had been on his way to present a new district police chief when the ambush happened.

The spokesman, Yusuf Stanizai, blamed the attack on "enemies of peace" - a term Afghan officials often use to mean militants loyal to the ousted Taleban government. He gave no indication of militant casualties but said the fighting had continued until 0100 on Tuesday (2100 GMT Monday).

Another official at the interior ministry, Dad Mohammed Rasa, was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying the ambush had been "the deadliest ever on the police".

13 injured as bomb rocks candidate's clinic in Herat

HERAT CITY, October 10 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Thirteen people were wounded, four of them critically, when a bomb went off in a private clinic in the Ghorian district of the western Herat province on Monday.

The time bomb was planted under a bed in the private clinic of leading candidate Dr Mohammad Saleh Saljoqi, who escaped unhurt in the attempt.

"I was examining patients in my clinic when spotted the bomb. I closed the clinic and called police, but the device exploded before arrival of the

security officials," narrated the doctor.

Besides injuring 13 people, he added, the explosion destroyed the whole building and partially damaged the nearby constructions. The injured were rushed to civil hospital where condition of four is stated to be precarious.

Dr Saljoqi, who stood fourth in the run up for the Wolesi Jirga, said he did not know the perpetrators. But it might be the handiwork of his political foes,

he doubted. Police said case had been registered and investigations were underway to reach the culprits. No arrest had been made thus far.

President Karzai Calls President Musharraf on the Destruction of the Earthquakes

Presidential Palace, Kabul –H.E Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, called H.E. Pervez Musharraf, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, yesterday evening and extended his deepest sorrow and condolences to the people of Pakistan for the loss of lives and massive destruction caused by the massive earthquake that occurred on Saturday, severely affecting part of Pakistan and India.

The President said, “I pray for the full recovery of our injured brothers and sisters and for swift rebuilding of the lives of those affected.” “The People of Pakistan assisted their brothers in Afghanistan immensely during the years of Jihad and today we will do our utmost to assist our Pakistani brothers. “On behalf of the Afghan people, I want to convey through you our solidarity to the brotherly people of Pakistan on this difficult day.” The President has ordered $500,000 of aid to the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan and 20 tons of dry fruits from the Afghan Red Crescent is being donated.

The cabinet has decided to lower the flag of Afghanistan all over the world to half-mast in respect for the victims of the earthquake.

Office of The Spokesperson to the President of Afghanistan

President Karzai Calls Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Destruction Of the Earthquakes - Date of Release: 10 October 2005

Presidential Palace, Kabul –H.E Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, called H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, this morning and extended his deepest sorrow and condolences to the people of India for the loss of lives and massive destruction caused by the massive earthquake that occurred Saturday, severely affecting parts of India and Pakistan.

The President said, “I pray for the full recovery of our injured brothers and sisters and for swift rebuilding of the lives of those affected.” “On behalf of the Afghan people, I want to convey through you our solidarity with the brotherly people of India on this difficult day.” The Afghan Red Crescent has donated 10 tons of dry fruits for the victims of the earthquake in India.

The cabinet has decided to lower the flag of Afghanistan all over the world to half-mast in respect for the victims of the earthquake.

Office of The Spokesperson to the President of Afghanistan

Quake leaves a dozen refugees dead in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A dozen of Afghan refugees were killed and 35 other sustained critical injuries in Manshera in NWFP during Saturday's earthquake, a devastating tremor in country history.

Officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad said they had extended all possible aid to the affected refugees.

The 8/10 temblor has leveled several buildings and the tentative death toll has been put at 20,000. The disaster magnitude stuns the nation that has wiped out the villages in Muzaffarabad.

Antonio Guterres, UNHCR chief, in a statement issued here on Tuesday said that medicines, blankets and food had been distributed to the quake-hit refugees. The aid would be sufficient for 01 million affectees, he added.

UNHCR had many godowns in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan but a helicopter was need for the delivery of aids to the far-flung areas, he added. The killer quake has hit the northern regions of the NWFP where .9 million Afghans are living. A severe jolt in the nation history that was called as 'colossal' by the Pakistan officials has badly affected Manshera.

Landsliding and blockade of road has posed a major impediment in carrying out relief operation in hilly areas and only helicopter might help in this situation. The devastating quake had turned many villages into ghost towns. The quake-caused damage in the hard-hitting areas was massive and the people wait for aid under the sky.

Afghanistan Offers Aid to Pakistani Earthquake Disaster Relief Efforts - Date of Release: 09 October 2005

The Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, today signed a decree, on behalf of the people of Afghanistan, for urgent assistance for the victims of the earthquake disaster in Pakistan.

In a presidential decree the President ordered the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the Afghan Red Crescent Society to send relief teams to affected areas in Pakistan to assist with relief operations.

The Ministry of Defence will send 4 helicopters, 20 doctors and 2 tons of medicine. The Ministry of Health will send 31 doctors and 5 nurses and 1 ton of medicine. The teams from the Ministries of Defence and Health and the Afghan Red Crescent will depart for Pakistan tomorrow morning.  

Afghan medical team leaves for Pakistan

KABUL, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): An Afghan Medical team, four helicopters loaded with two tons of various medicines and one N12 plane were sent in neighbouring Pakistan, defence ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

General Zahir Azimi, spokesman for defence ministry, told reporters the medical team comprising 34 surgeons and orthopedic doctors would stay for ten days in Pakistan and would provide all medical assistance to the quake victims.

"Afghanistan government will spare no effort to help the neighbouring country in this needed hour," he said "We will prove strong supporter of Pakistan to reduce its agony."

Afghan government has already delivered a cheque of $05 million to the officials of Pakistani embassy in Kabul. The flag would fly half-mast for three days on all offices of Afghanistan in and outside the country as a token of sympathy with Pakistan, Azimi said.

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Welcomes the Visit of H.E Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State of the United States of America - Press Release:

H.E Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State of the United States of America will arrive in Afghanistan for a one day official visit on Wednesday, October 12 th,2005.

H.E Condoleezza Rice will call on H.E Hamid Karzai, the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Delegation will be meeting with H.E Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan H.E Dr. Zalmay Rassoul, the National Security Adviser, H.E Habibullah Qaderi, the Minister of Counter-Narcotics, H.E Zarar Ahmad Muqbil, the Acting Minister of Interior, H.E Obaidullah Ramin, the Minister of Agriculture, H.E Hanif Atmar, the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and development.

During her visit, the delegation will also meet Afghan business women and entrepreneurs to discuss ways to help build opportunities for the women in Afghanistan.

In addition to a review of the bilateral relations between the two countries, both sides will hold discussions on a wide range of issues including regional cooperation, military and security assistance to Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics.

The United States of America led the International Coalition Forces in the war against terrorism and has the largest contingent of armed forces in Afghanistan. The United States is also the leading contributor to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Released by the Office of the Spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Kabul, Afghanistan - October 11 th, 2005

Rice's soft tone in Central Asia - By Jonathan Beale / BBC US State Department correspondent - Monday, 10 October 2005

Condoleezza Rice will have to tread carefully in this region in which both Russia and China have strategic interests, as she begins a tour taking her to Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. She wants to reinforce President George W Bush's message of spreading "freedom" without causing too much offence.

Countries in Central Asia continue to be important allies in America's war on terror. Kyrgyzstan, along with Uzbekistan, has provided the US with former Soviet bases from which it has mounted missions into neighbouring Afghanistan.

Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan all have large Muslim populations. The US needs them to counter Islamic extremism. And this region is a major route in the narcotics trade - all important reasons for Ms Rice to make friends not enemies.

Field of influence - The US plays down talk of a power struggle in this region, but China and Russia are flexing their muscle and exerting influence. Moscow historically has looked at much of the region as "their territory" - part of the former Soviet Union.

There are good reasons to continue the ties: a large Russian population, and Kazakhstan's oil supplies. Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are all members of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.

The group's primary aim seems to be to curb Washington's influence. In July its members signed a declaration calling for a timetable to be set for the closure of US military bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Another reason for the US secretary of state not pressing too hard on the pace of democratic and economic change. America's most senior diplomat for the region has already signalled the softer tone.

Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried said "the art of diplomacy and foreign policy making is taking principles, sticking to them, but applying them in the real world in ways that make sense." Ms Rice herself talks of giving countries time and space to find their own democratic path. In other words too much pressure may prove counterproductive.

Avoiding Uzbekistan - Not long ago Uzbekistan was seen as one of America's most important allies in the region. President Islam Karimov provided tough leadership to combat the threat posed by Islamic extremism.

He also allowed the US to use an airbase in the country for missions against the Taleban. But the relationship has since soured and deteriorated. The violent suppression of a protest against his regime in Andijan last May brought widespread condemnation.

The US was slow off the mark to join in the criticism, but has since added to international demands for an independent investigation into the killings which left hundreds dead.

Mr Karimov has refused - and to add insult has told the US they must leave the base at Khanabad. This illustrates the dilemma for Ms Rice. Uzbekistan is a country that has now turned to Russia instead.

Afghanistan Progress - This will be Ms Rice's second visit to Afghanistan as secretary of state. Last time she pressured President Hamid Karzai to set a date for parliamentary election.

This time she wants to celebrate the fact that they have taken place. But Afghanistan still has security problems. Freedom may be on the march... but its still very fragile.

Taliban claim hitting US ’copter - By Rahimullah Yusufzai - The News International (Pakistan) / October 11, 2005

PESHAWAR: The Taliban claimed on Monday that their fighters hit a US helicopter with anti-aircraft rockets in the eastern Nuristan province and killed a pro-government commander and his four men in Kandahar.

There was no independent confirmation of the Taliban claims. The US military and Afghan government invariably reject Taliban claims. Speaking from an undisclosed location, the new Taliban spokesman, Salimullah Khan Mujahid, told The News that the US military helicopter caught fire after being hit by rockets shortly before noon. However, he said he was unaware if there were any casualties once the chopper caught fire. He said US jet-fighters and helicopter gunships bombed the area after the incident.

Mujahid, who replaced Taliban spokesman Latifullah Hakimi following the latter’s arrest in Quetta last week, also claimed responsibility for the assassination of pro-Afghan government commander Aqil Shah alias Agha Shah and his four men Monday in Kandahar city. He said nine other supporters of the slain commander were wounded in the attack.

The Taliban spokesman alleged that the murdered commander was a cruel man and had made life miserable for the people of Kandahar. He said the deceased Aqil Shah was loyal to former Kandahar Governor Gul Agha Sherzoi, presently Governor of Nangarhar, and had committed atrocities on the Afghan people as Sherzoi’s commander and henchman. Besides, the Taliban spokesman argued that Aqil Shah deserved to die for serving the cause of the US military against the Afghan nation.

Chinese, Pakistani Taliban killed in Zabul operation

KANDAHAR CITY, October 20 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Zabul officials claimed on Monday Afghan and US forces had killed three foreign Taliban insurgents and captured 10 others during a new military sweep.

Wazir Mohammad, administrative chief of Shinkay district, told Pajhwok Afghan News two Chinese Taliban and a Pakistani were eliminated in the overnight operation while the 10 detained insurgents were being questioned.

Army officials in the neighbouring Kandahar said they killed two Taliban fighters in Maroof district. Without giving details, they added, five suspects held in the operation were being grilled.

Commanders, and Women Too, Are Strong in Afghan Election - The New York Times 10/10/2005 By Carlotta Gall

KABUL  - With votes counted for more than 70 percent of the seats from the parliamentary election on Sept. 18, a picture of the new legislative body is emerging.

As expected, former commanders or members of the mujahedeen factions that formed during the last two decades of war are likely to dominate Parliament. Centrist, reformist figures are doing less well than expected, suggesting that Parliament will be predominantly socially conservative and religious, political analysts say.

While the outcome could change as the last votes are counted, a rough tally of results so far indicates that mujahedeen, or jihadi, figures have already won nearly 50 percent of the seats in the 249-seat lower house, the Wolesi Jirga. Many will fill the ranks of the opposition, which is led by three rivals of President Hamid Karzai and is expected to make up the largest bloc in Parliament.

"The Parliament will have a more Islamist flavor than the current government," said one Western diplomat who asked not to be identified because of the political nature of his comments. Candidates who fall into a general category of centrist reformists would represent only a small minority, he said.

One surprise, though, has been the strong showing by women, some of whom have held their own against male candidates even in traditionally conservative areas. In one province a woman is leading the field for Parliament. A woman is winning in another province for the provincial council, which was also contested on Sept. 18. Women have been guaranteed 25 percent of seats in Parliament and in the provincial councils, but have earned their places with substantial numbers of votes, said Peter Dimitroff of the National Democratic Institute, which has been working with political parties in Kabul to help them organize.

Former Communists, despite a well-organized campaign, have not won as many seats as expected, but will still hold about a dozen seats.

Former officials of the Taliban, the militant religious movement that was ousted from power in 2001, have also made a poor showing, with only two former Taliban commanders winning seats so far. Some former senior Taliban officials, including the former foreign minister, Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, and Maulvi Qalamuddin, who led the Taliban's Department of Vice and Virtue, did poorly.

The two main opposition figures, the leader of the Shiite Hazara ethnic group, Muhammad Mohaqeq, and a politician who is an ethnic Tajik, Yunus Qanooni, have won substantial votes in their personal campaigns for seats, running first and second in Kabul, the capital, with 14 percent and 8 percent of the vote, respectively, so far.

It remains unclear how many of their followers have won seats because many ran as independent candidates in their home provinces. But one diplomat in Kabul estimated that together with the party of the ethnic Uzbek leader, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the opposition bloc could win as many as 100 seats.

The opposition bloc will mainly consist of the northern ethnic groups ranged against the large ethnic Pashtun bloc from southern and eastern Afghanistan. Mr. Karzai will be able to rely largely on his fellow Pashtuns, who are expected to command at least a third of the vote.

The Hazaras have done especially well and may be disciplined in their voting once in Parliament, but other northern groups may be divided, in particular the Tajiks, some of whose members in Parliament are expected to support Mr. Qanooni, while others will follow the former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, an ally of Mr. Karzai.

The women who have won seats are predominantly educated professionals and may prove more receptive to change than the men, the diplomat said. A woman, Fawzia Gailani, was the top vote getter in the race for parliamentary seats from Herat, with more than 12,000 votes. In Kunduz, another woman was the top vote getter for the provincial council. In two conservative tribal provinces in eastern Afghanistan, Nangarhar and Paktia, women were third and fourth, respectively, among candidates for Parliament.

The strong performance by women has also eased fears that the women who serve in Parliament will not have enough strength to make their views heard. Women who will get into Parliament through the 25 percent allocation have won enough votes to be taken seriously, Mr. Dimitroff said.

Poll results from three more Afghan provinces announced -

KABUL, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) declared unofficial poll results from Parwan, Bamyan and Zabul provinces on Tuesday.

According to the fresh announcement, former Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Salam Rocketti is leading in the southern Zabul province followed by former governor and a former Hezb-i-Islami loyalist Hamidullah Tokhi, while Tourpikay had made her way to the Wolesi Jirga among female contestants.

In Parwan, north of Kabul, commander of the northern alliance Haji Almas, Seddiq Ahmad Usmani, Saranwal Abdul Sattar Khawasi, Jan Gul Kargar and female candidates Samia Azizi Sadaat and Shafiqa Noori have been declared successful.

In the central Bamyan province, Ustad Mohammad Akbari of the Hezb-i-Wahdat, Syed Jamal Fokori Behishti and Sarwar Jawadi took lead over their male rivals, while Safoora Yalkhani remained successful among women.

The joint UN-Afghan electoral body had already announced provisional results of four provinces including Farah, Nimroz, Kapisa and Samangan. In a statement released here, JEMB chairman Bismillah Bismil said though counting had been concluded physically in all the 34 provinces, but over 80 per cent of votes had been audited and put on the panel's site.

We will not compromise the accuracy of our count operation as the people of Afghanistan expect nothing less of us and we ask voters and candidates to have patience with us as we complete the vital task of auditing all provisional results to ensure that voters have faith and confidence in the results as we continue to release them over the coming days, said Bismil.

After Three Years Of Reconstruction, Government Says Country Is Back In Business - Nikola Krastev - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

The Afghan government is holding a series of promotional seminars throughout the United States in an effort to woo U.S. investors with promises of efficient business registration, favorable taxation, improved security, and opportunities for investment in the food, tourism, and textile industries. After three years of reconstruction, the government says, Afghanistan is back in business. It says the economy has been growing at an average annual rate of 20 percent and that growth is forecast to remain strong over the next decade. The main selling points are the country's central location and the determination of the current government to establish a better investment climate than those in neighboring Central Asian states. RFE/RL attended a recent Afghan investment seminar in New York and filed this report.

New York, 10 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The Afghan government says that, in the last two years, more than 3,000 new investment projects have been registered in the country, totaling $1.3 billion. Almost half of that money, it says, comes from foreign investment.

Afghan Commerce Minister Hedayat Amin Arsala told RFE/RL that Afghanistan's location makes it a natural transportation hub for joint energy projects -- for instance, for delivering oil and gas from Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan to India or Pakistan.

"The pipelines will have to go through Afghanistan because that's the shortest route to India and to Pakistan," Arsala said. "And Afghanistan can also serve as a bridge between Central Asia and South Asia. So, for all those [reasons], I think, we're in a very good position. I mean, we're all in a good position to have trade from all the way from Russia to India, from Central Asia to India."

Without naming countries, Arsala expressed disappointment with the travel and commercial arrangements Afghanistan has with some of its Central Asian neighbors.

"The trading arrangements, the transit arrangements, and things like that have not been worked out as we would like to see them work out," Arsala said. "And at the same time, of course, they are going through a process of change, and change, of course, takes time. And I think that there's enormous potential in those countries. It would be a shame not to realize the advantage of all that potential." The rugged terrain of Afghanistan, Arsala said -- combined with its rivers, mountains, and rare wildlife -- make it a perfect spot to develop eco-tourism:

"Tourism is going to be one of the greatest possibilities in Afghanistan and in that region, particularly if we work together [and] organize tourism arrangements," Arsala said. "My feeling is that security is not really a big problem. It's exaggerated when people talk about these things outside Afghanistan."

Security Concerns - Security is, nevertheless, a major concern for potential investors in Afghanistan. More than 1,200 people have been killed in fighting across southern and eastern Afghanistan since the spring -- most of them suspected neo-Taliban fighters. In the latest violence, a prominent former militia commander and three other people were killed today by a suspected suicide bomber in the southern city of Kandahar, and another blast followed within hours.

There are currently some 12,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, plus a separate force of more than 20,000 U.S.-led troops. Plans are under way to increase deployment of NATO-led troops by next year in southern Afghanistan.

Omar Zakhliwal is the president of the Afghan Investment Support Agency, which has been established within the framework of Commerce Ministry to facilitate and promote investment in Afghanistan. He said the overall security situation in the country is not being accurately portrayed by the media.

"Yes, we have incidents here and there, but people are going about their lives," Zakhliwal said. "There are already investors who are on the ground and doing business. In the past three years that I've been in Afghanistan, I do not have an example of an investor coming to Afghanistan and then leaving for security reasons. That's the indicator of the situation we have on the ground."

Corruption An Issue - Afghanistan, Zakhliwal said, is known for its hospitality toward non-Afghans, and he said there are more than 10,000 foreigners enjoying life in Kabul today. Corruption is an issue, he conceded, but he said the government is determined to tackle the problem.

"There are corruption problems," Zakhliwal said. "Given the background of Afghanistan, it is only to be expected. But lots of improvements have taken place. I say one example of this [is] that anybody entering Afghanistan will get their [business] licenses within three to four days, without a penny being paid for bribes or anything like that."

Mariam Nawabi, the commercial attache at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, pointed to the importance of engaging female entrepreneurs in investment opportunities. Despite the image of oppressed Afghan women, she said, there is an entire class of female entrepreneurs working in the construction, transportation, and food industries.

At this point, she said, most of the businesses are family-related and locally operated. The main challenge for women, she said, is to become integrated into the business system and to get more global exposure. For female entrepreneurs coming to Afghanistan from abroad, she told RFE/RL, the overall experience has so far been positive.

"For women who are trying to do business in Afghanistan coming from the outside -- foreign women coming -- the challenges are the same as the ones that the men may have when they enter Afghanistan," Nawabi said. "Just finding local partners, information, finding out how to best take their project forward. And I have met many American businesswomen who are moving forward with their projects. When they go to Afghanistan actually, they have not expressed to me any problems that they’re having dealing with the men."

The lack of infrastructure and a suitable transportation network remain major challenges for foreign investors in Afghanistan, as well as the limited know-how and global perspective of Afghan entrepreneurs. Current law also does not permit land ownership for foreigners. They can lease land for up to 99 years.

Kabul to host ECO conference in November

KABUL, October 10 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The third conference of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) would be held in Kabul next month, officials said on Monday.

Investment Manager of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA), Shakib Noori told Pajhwok Afghan News AISA would host the conference, due on 9 th and 10 th of November, in collaboration with Afghan Commerce Ministry (ACM).

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will inaugurate the conference that aims the development of private sector and reconstruction of the country.

ECO is formed by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan in 1985 and currently the number of member countries has reached ten including Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Conference is meant to promote trade and investment among the member states. The summit will also focus on business-to-business interaction and networking opportunity.

A bilateral cooperation would be encouraged in member nations regarding transportation, transit and investment. The summit will arrange hot debates on social problems in general but trade and commerce in particular.

Noori said that an exposition of the products of member countries would also be opened by the conference begins. Representatives from private sector, Afghan cabinet ministers, diplomats, and policy makers and as well as mediamen are expected to attend the conference.

Bulgaria to strengthen presence in Afghanistan after ending mission in Iraq - Bulgarian News Network, Bulgaria / October 10, 2005

SOFIA (bnn)- The ending of Bulgaria’s military mission in Iraq raises the question of a larger presence of Bulgarian military troops in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin said in an interview for the private bTV channel on Sunday. At the moment there are about 80 people there including medical teams and specially trained servicemen.

“Next year the Bulgarian contingent is scheduled to take the management of the airport in Kabul, which will probably double the need of Bulgarian military professionals in Afghanistan,” Kalfin explained.

Only those of the military unit who wish to continue the Iraq mission after the ending of its mandate will remain in Iraq, Kalfin added. He said that the Cabinet will not dispatch another contingent, only about 10-15 new military servicemen to replace the ones who want to return at the end of the month.

“At the moment Bulgaria discusses with its NATO partners the possible opportunities of assisting the processes in Iraq after January 1, 2006. We are searching for a way that Bulgaria can be most helpful for Iraq without the participation of a military contingent,” Kalfin said.

He added that the conversations will continue during the visit of President Georgi Purvanov in U.S. scheduled for October 17. /bnn/

Guantanamo detainees - The News International (Pakistan) / October 11, 2005

KABUL: Afghanistan is preparing prison facilities for detainees due back from the US Guantanamo Bay detention camp where they have been held for up to four years, the defence ministry said on Monday.

"The United States is ready to hand over the Afghan prisoners to Afghanistan," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told reporters. He did not know when the prisoners were due home. "The defence ministry and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are in the process of preparing facilities and security for them," he said.

Most of the prisoners were captured during the US-led invasion of Afghanistan at the end of 2001 that led to the ouster of the fundamentalist Taliban regime. The US-led campaign was launched after the Taliban failed to hand over Osama bin Laden for the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

Most of the detainees, detained as suspects in the US "war on terror" launched after the attacks, belonged to the Taliban. US and Afghan officials met on Sunday to discuss the transfer of the prisoners, Azimi said. "The discussions were focused on mechanisms for the transfer, on how to keep the prisoners and their security," Azimi said. Dozens of Afghan prisoners have already returned to Afghanistan, including former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who came back last month.

Commander killed as armed men storm jail

FAIZABAD, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Former commander of Jamat-e-Islami Pahlawan Mukhtar was killed and his two supporters sustained injuries after armed men stormed jail in Argoy district of northeastern Badakhshan, security officials said Tuesday.

Haji Abdul Salam, senior provincial police official, told Pajhwok Afghan News that nearly 40 supporters of former Hizb-e-Islami commander Abdul Wahab attacked the prison and killed Pahlawan Mukhtar after giving a sound thrash to the prison chief.

Earlier, a famous Buzkushi athlete Mukhtar (27) shot dead Abdul Wahab (40) a few hours ago and surrendered himself to the police, official said, adding the two parties had some old feud.

Basir Ahmad (32) uncle and Muhibullah (27) cousin of the deceased (Mukhtar) who got injuries in the attack were rushed to the provincial hospital.

Basir Ahmad said, "I went jail to meet Mukhtar, meanwhile, armed men stormed the prison and sprayed bullets on Mukhtar, one bullet hit me in the leg."

Haji Salam said the case was under investigation and none of the attackers were arrested. However, three loyalists of Mukhtar had been nabbed, he added.

US to extend Afghanistan agro, power assistance -

KABUL, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The United States would provide Afghanistan assistance for power and irrigation projects, Agriculture and Food Minister Obaidullah Ramin announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists at the Kabul airport on return from Washington, Obaidullah Ramin claimed the US energy minister had promised to provide 150 megawatts of power to Kabul in the winter.

The US would also undertake a number of irrigation projects across the country, the minister said, adding officials of the US Chambers of Commerce and Industry had vowed to help promote gardening in Afghanistan.

Afghan Agriculture and Livestock Ministry spokesman Abdul Latif said details of the assistance promised by the United States would be announced later at a news conference.

Ghazni to have big library and meeting hall

GHAZNI CITY, October 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A big library and a meeting hall will be built in the southern city of Ghazni in the next six months, officials said Tuesday.

The library will have a seating capacity for 100 readers while the meeting hall will accommodate about 400 people. Both will be constructed in the Hazrat Sanayee Park on the outskirts of the city.

Ghazni deputy mayor Musa Khan Urzoyee told Pajhwok Afghan News they had allocated 25 million afghanis for the construction of the library and the hall, projects that would be completed by the spring.

The objective behind the projects, Urzoyee said, was to promote the reading culture in the region - which was once called the center of civilizations and the capital of the old Afghanistan under the Mahmud Ghaznavi.

Ariana TV goes on air in Ghazni

KABUL, October 10 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Afghanistan's newly-established and increasingly popular Ariana Television (ATN), as part of its expansion plans, launched transmissions in the southern city of Ghazni on Monday.

The private TV channel thus entered the sixth province since its inception just 47 days back, with ATN Director Ghulam Reza Zaki voicing satisfaction with their ability to reach such a large number of viewers.

"We launched our transmissions in Ghazni today after going on air in Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat. In the near future, we plan to expand our network to several other cities in north, central and southern parts

of the country."

Zaki told Pajhwok Afghan News residents could watch ATN by using an ordinary antenna after a transmitter was installed in their city. The ATN is regarded as Afghanistan's fast growing channel airing informative programmes on a wide range of subjects including religion, languages, politics, social issues and current affairs.

Because of the caution it exercises on sensitive issues, Zaki observed, ATN is steering clear of controversy and attracting a huge audience in a conservative country where the electronic media is a new phenomenon.

Funded by Afghan trader Eng. Ehsanullah Bayat, who also co-owns one of Afghanistan's mobile phone networks, ATN is watched in 75 Asian and African nations via satellite.

[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.]