U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, listens as Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday Oct. 12, 2005. Rice arrived here on Wednesday morning to hold talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other senior officials on the issues of terrorism, drug trafficking and militancy in the region. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Rice says US will stay in Afghanistan as long as needed

Kabul (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said US troops would stay in Afghanistan as long as needed, as Washington tries to bolster its influence in the region as an antidote to Islamic extremism.

In a meeting with President Hamid Karzai, whose government is fighting insurgents loyal to the hardline Islamic Taliban that were ousted from power here by a US-led war four years ago, Rice said the US goal was peace. "There has to be an antidote to extremism and terrorism -- and it is prosperity and peace and democracy. Our forces are here for those purposes," Rice said.

"The Afghan people will have partners through NATO and coalition forces, and through American forces, as long as they are needed and in whatever number to make certain we defeat terrorists and Afghanistan becomes a place of stability and progress," she said.

Four rocket attacks in Kabul before she landed underlined the difficulties facing Afghanistan, where warlords, drug traffickers and Islamic militants are challenging the authority and control of the Karzai government.

The country produces more than 80 percent of the world's opium, which is smuggled out and made into heroin, and the illegal crop contributes up to 60 percent of Afghanistan's economy.

Karzai said "the severe need for drugs eradication for the honour of our country for a peaceful future" was a key focus of their talks. The killing of 18 policemen in southern Helmand province late Monday, the biggest attack on the police force that began forming after 2001, could the work of drugs gangs, he said.

Rice is on a three-day tour of Central Asian nations aimed at boosting US influence in the region, while firming up support for the US "war on terror" and pushing for democratic reform.

Afghanistan embarked on a process to democratize after the Taliban were toppled, with last month's parliamentary election -- the first in more than three decades -- a key step.

The United States is leading a force of 20,000 soldiers in Afghanistan that has been trying to root out insurgents from the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allies, who conduct almost daily attacks in the south and east as part of their efforts to overthrow the new government.

A smaller NATO-led force of peacekeepers deployed in the north and west of the country is due to move into the south next year, although the United States has downplayed reports it is looking to reduce its presence. Violence linked to the insurgency has killed 1,300 people this year, many of them militants, up0 from 850 last year.

Rice first visited Afghanistan in March, when she praised the Afghan people as an inspiration to the world for emerging from decades of turmoil and embarking on the road to democracy.

The country is a flagship for Washington's efforts to promote democracy in the Islamic world, particularly with the US-led forces still caught up in controversial operations in Iraq. Rice later went on to Pakistan to show US support after Saturday's powerful earthquake, which killed at least 23,000 people and made some 2.5 million homeless.

She arrived in Kabul from Kyrgyzstan, where she denied on Tuesday that the United States was in geostrategic competition with Russia to gain the upper hand in Central Asia. Moscow has grown increasingly uncomfortable with the US military presence in the region.

The US presence in Kyrgyzstan was established after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, which then led the war in Afghanistan after the Taliban refused to hand over the alleged mastermind, Osama bin Laden.

In Kabul Rice said those attacks had laid out in "very difficult and graphic terms what it meant to have Afghanistan be a haven for terrorism." Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday assured the United States that its troops could continue using a base until the situation stabilized in Afghanistan.

"What we are not willing to do is to make a choice between our objectives in terms of the immediate concerns about military access and our objectives in terms of democracy," Rice said on Tuesday. "We think there is a inextricable link between our strategic goals of democratization and the war on terror.

Rice Promises More U.S. Aid for Pakistan

Islamabad (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday promised long-term U.S. help for Pakistan after an earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.

Returning from a trip through Central Asia and Afghanistan, Rice met with Pakistani leaders in the capital but did not tour the devastated Kashmir region.

"The United States has, as many parts of the world have, been through natural disasters," she said. "This is one of epic proportions. I want the people of Pakistan to know that our thoughts are with you ... We will be with you not just today but tomorrow."

Rice spoke after discussing U.S. relief contributions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri. Rice predicted more U.S. earthquake aid for Pakistan beyond an initial $50 million but gave no specific figures or timeline. Tens of thousands were believed killed in Saturday's quake, with millions left homeless after entire communities were flattened in the region touching Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

President Bush called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday morning to offer condolences and support with relief and recovery efforts, the White House said. Bush had called Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to offer help on Sunday.

Before leaving the airport, Rice met with some Afghanistan-based U.S. troops who are ferrying wounded from the earthquake zone to medical treatment in Islamabad. She posed with crew members of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that had just landed with 65 injured earthquake victims.

With additional helicopters arriving Wednesday, the United States will have 12 helicopters as well as heavy military transport planes in Pakistan for the recovery effort. The United States is also contributing medical equipment and other supplies. Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said an additional 21 helicopters and other equipment is at the ready.

Earlier in Kabul, Afghanistan, Rice praised political progress in the country four years after a U.S.-led invasion toppled the repressive Taliban regime. She brushed off rocket attacks near the U.S. Embassy in downtown Kabul that occurred overnight just hours before her arrival.

"It happens from time to time, so it doesn't change our plans," Rice said of the attacks, which wounded two people. After she spoke, Afghan officials said militants killed six police and five medical workers in separate attacks in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Afghanistan has seen more war then peace in recent decades, and much of the country is still in ruins. It also has installed a new and relatively stable democratic government and saw more than 6 million vote in largely smooth elections last month.

At the same time, rampant drug trafficking and rising insurgent violence imperils some of the democratic gains of U.S. ally, President Hamid Karzai. "Violence is going to continue, but this is a place that has come a very long way," Rice told reporters traveling with her from Kyrgyzstan.

At a news conference with Karzai, Rice said U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan "as long as they are needed and in whatever numbers they are needed" and added that the United States learned a lesson from allowing Afghanistan to become a haven for terrorists before Sept. 11, 2001. "We cannot simply defend ourselves," she said. "We have to be on the offense."

Karzai acknowledged the continued problem of insurgent violence in his country, but said it will not block progress toward democracy. What could determine success or failure in the long term is Afghanistan's response to drug trafficking on its soil, Karzai said.

"That will determine Afghanistan's future as a state that stands on its own feet, a state that has the respect of the international community. ... or as a state that will collapse and fail and fall back into the hands of terrorism," he said.

Neither Rice nor Karzai directly addressed whether they had privately discussed allegations that Karzai's own government includes drug traffickers. Rice met Karzai and others in Kabul before flying to Islamabad.

Her route into Kabul from the airport took her past newly repaired buildings but also through a slalom course or heavy barricades, razor wire and gun towers that revealed the daily threat of bombings and rocket attacks. About 1,400 people have been killed in Afghanistan since March in a campaign of violence that authorities blame on a resurgent Taliban.

On Monday, the U.S. military announced its 201st fatality in and around Afghanistan since U.S.-led forces invaded in late 2001 to oust the Taliban for harboring al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. This year has been the deadliest yet for the 21,000-strong, U.S.-led coalition force, with 85 soldiers killed.

Before meeting with Afghan officials, Rice said NATO and the United States will review military plans in light of Afghanistan's political development, "but they'll be reviewed with an eye to what remains to be done."

Taliban kill five Afghan aid workers-agency

Kandahar (Reuters) - Taliban gunmen killed five Afghan employees of a relief agency in the southern province of Kandahar on Wednesday, a director of the agency said.

The employees of the Afghan Help Development Services (AHDS) were returning from a visit to a village when the attack took place in Zera district south of Kandahar city, said Abdul Qair, the agency's director for Kandahar province.

"Five AHDS staff -- two doctors, two nurses and one driver -- lost their lives in the Taliban attack," he told reporters, adding two more employees, including a woman, were injured. AHDS is a local medical aid group and is funded by Western donors. It has been involved in offering health services to remote villages, especially for women.

No Taliban official could immediately be reached for comment. Rebels from the ousted Taliban regime have declared a holy war against aid workers as part of a campaign against U.S.-led foreign forces, the Afghan government and those supporting it. Several dozen aid workers, including Westerners, have died in the Taliban-linked insurgency since U.S.-led troops overthrew the regime in 2001.

News of the attack came as President Hamid Karzai finished talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is on a one-day visit to Kabul as part of a Central Asia tour.

Four rockets hit various areas of Kabul hours before her arrival and at least one person, a guard at the residence of the Canadian ambassador, was hurt when one of the rockets landed outside the house.

Wednesday's violence is part of increased attacks by the Taliban since September 18 parliamentary polls which the insurgents failed to derail despite vowing to do so.

Rocket explodes outside Canadian ambassador's residence in Afghanistan Oct 12 The Canadian Press

KABUL (CP) - A rocket exploded outside the Canadian ambassador's residence in the Afghan capital on Wednesday.

Two local men believed to be guards employed at the residence were injured in the blast just before dawn. Defence Minister Bill Graham is currently in Afghanistan but "was not involved," Defence Department spokeswoman Kiersten Leus said from Ottawa. She would not say where Graham was when the rocket exploded. The new Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, David Sproule, has been in the country for about a week, a Canadian embassy official in Kabul told The Canadian Press. It was not known where Sproule was when the rocket exploded.

Some Canadians were in the building when the rocket, one of two to hit the city on Wednesday, exploded, said Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary for Canadians abroad.

"We had guards from a local company and two of them were injured," said the Canadian embassy official. "The rocket in fact struck very close to our embassy residence."

The area of the city is heavily protected because it is home to buildings housing offices and residences of foreign diplomats. It was not clear whether the Canadian building was damaged.

It also wasn't clear whether the Canadian building was the intended target of the rocket or whether it was fired in the general area because of the number of foreign offices and residences located there.

The rocket hit just seconds after another rocket exploded inside a large compound housing the Afghan government's intelligence service, said an official.

Graham was scheduled to speak to reporters later Wednesday as he visits Canadian troops serving with the NATO force in the country. About Canadian 250 troops are working in Kandahar, about four hours from Kabul, with about 1,000 more set to deploy early next year.

A small special forces unit from Canada is also operating in the area, hunting and killing Taliban and al-Qaida rebels. Canada will also take command of the international operation in the region next year.

LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT VISITS AFGHANISTAN – Headquarters, International Security Assistance Force Kabul, Afghanistan - NEWS RELEASE Date - 11 Oct 05

KABUL, Afghanistan - Lithuanian President, Mr. Valdas ADAMKUS, heading a delegation of his Government, arrived in Afghanistan today for a 3-day visit to the country and NATO's priority mission, the International Security Assistance Force.

The purpose of the visit is to meet the President and Afghan Government, ISAF and NATO authorities and gain first-hand experience of Lithuania's contribution to the UN-mandated security assistance mission in Afghanistan.

The programme of the delegation includes a visit to the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Chagcharan, fully committed in the framework of the ISAF mission to extend the authority of the Afghan Government in Ghor Province.

In a series of comprehensive briefings and visits the Lithuanian delegation will meet Afghan President Hamid KARZAI; ISAF Commander, Lt General Mauro DEL VECCHIO; NATO Senior Civilian Representative, Mr Hikmet ÇETIN and the Commander of Coalition forces Lt General Karl EIKENBERRY.

Lithuania is the latest nation to take the lead in one of ISAF's nine provincial reconstruction teams (PRT) across the Northern and Western Regions, working with provincial authorities to create a stable and secure environment and assist in the reconstruction of the country within ISAF's area of operations.

Lithuania joined NATO on April 4th 2004 and has readily taken on one of the Alliance's most demanding challenges; to lead a PRT in the heart of Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountain range. The Lithuanian PRT was established on July 1st 2005 after a deployment phase of troops over the month of June.

LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT MEETS US SECRETARY OF STATE AT KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Release Date - 12 Oct 05

KABUL, Afghanistan - Lithuanian President, Mr. Valdas ADAMKUS, met the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Dr Condoleezza RICE, as their Afghanistan itineraries crossed in the ISAF-managed sector of Kabul International Airport this morning.

The meeting coincided with the departure of Mr Adamkus to visit the Lithuanian-led ISAF provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Chagcharan, Ghowr Province. Lithuania has approximately 100 troops with the ISAF mission, and has led the 200-strong PRT in Chagcharan since its creation in July 2005, as part of the expansion of ISAF's security assistance mission into the West of the country.

One of NATO's newest members, Lithuania operates closely with the United States, one of the Alliance's founding states. In conjunction with the PRT, the United States Agency for International Development (US AID) has identified over $1million-worth of projects in Ghowr Province since July 2005, including the recently completed sanitation system for Chaghcharan's Hospital, to be opened today. The hospital serves approximately 200 patients daily and the new system will provide clean conditions for operations, showers and flushing water toilets to improve the Provincial health service.

The US has approximately 400 personnel working with the NATO mission and leads a PRT in Farah Province, also in the Western Region of Afghanistan, where ISAF operates to extend the influence of the Afghan Government. Photographs of the meeting and the Lithuanian President's visit to Chagcharan are available on request from ISAF Public Information office.

US to supply aid to Pakistan from Afghan bases - October 11, 2005

The United States military helicopters flew from their base in Afghanistan on Tuesday to bring much needed supplies to earthquake-devastated regions of neighbouring Pakistan and ferry injured people to hospitals.

At the same time, the US air force aircraft were being loaded with 30 pallets of food, water, medicine and blankets at Bagram airfield to be flown in later. Twelve pallets of supplies, weighing 41,000 kilogrammes and rescue personnel were already flown in from Bagram on Monday. The helicopters were re-supplying American military rescue crews and helicopters that flew to Pakistan on Monday, said Bagram spokesman Liuetenant Colonel Jerry O'Hara.

"Bagram is an enabling force to support the guys in Pakistan," O'Hara told The Associated Press. "The re-supply will be ongoing the entire time we're there, that won't stop." The US has pledged up to $ 50 million in support, and President George W Bush on Sunday said he told Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf, "We want to help in any way we can."

Afghanistan, itself a major recipient of international aid, sent four military helicopters and one plane on Tuesday with four tonnes of medicine, 20 tonnes of dried food, and aid teams including 34 doctors and nurses. Other nations, including Germany, Great Britain, Turkey already have personnel on the ground helping in the search for survivors and treating the wounded.

Pakistan also said it would accept aid from its longtime rival India, which promised tents, food and medicine. However, Islamabad declined an offer of helicopters and has ruled out a joint rescue operation along the disputed frontier.

Kyrgyzstan Lets Coalition Forces Stay Until Afghanistan Stable

Ganci Airbase to support counterterrorism mission, Rice, Kyrgyz president agree – US State Dept.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed a joint statement October 11 in Bishkek expressing support for the presence of coalition forces in the Kyrgyz Republic “until the mission of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan is completed.”

The Kyrgyz Republic also said it will work to strengthen democratic principles inside the country and continue its battle against corruption. Rice is scheduled to continue on to Kabul, Afghanistan, October 12; Astana, Kazakhstan, October 12-13; and Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 13.

The purpose of Rice’s trip to Central Asia is “to advance bilateral and regional cooperation on security issues, to promote freedom through democratic and market-oriented reform, and to strengthen security in the region, including cooperation on counter-terrorism.”

Following is the State Department announcement of the joint statement:

U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman October 11, 2005 Statement by Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman – JOINT STATEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC ON THE PRESENCE OF THE U.S. MILITARY IN THE REGION

Following is the text of a joint statement issued by the United States of America and the Kyrgyz Republic on the Presence of the U.S. Military in the Region.

Kyrgyzstan understands the need to resolve urgently the military and political situation in Afghanistan, to contain the sources of terrorism and to create peaceful conditions for the social, economic and democratic development of the country.

In this regard, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic recognizes the important contribution of the international anti-terrorist Coalition, located at the Ganci Airbase, in strengthening regional stability. The Kyrgyz side will continue to take part in these and other joint efforts of the international community to contend with modern-day challenges and threats to security.

We support the presence of Coalition Forces in the Kyrgyz Republic until the mission of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan is completed, a mission supported by the United Nations.

The governments of the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic express their readiness to review the transparency of investments made for the use of the Manas Airport and at the same time to discuss other organizational and technical questions.

Regarding its domestic policy, Kyrgyzstan intends to continue its orientation toward strengthening democratic principles and carrying out a decisive battle against corruption in order to create the necessary conditions for sustainable development.

U.S. base will remain for duration of Afghan war, Rice says - PRAVDA 2005-10-11

The United States won new assurances Tuesday that an important air base used to support the war in Afghanistan will remain open as long as necessary.

Rice and Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed a brief statement promising open-ended U.S. use of the Manas air base for Afghan operations and a U.S. inquiry into whether past payments for use of the facility might have fallen into corrupt hands.

Rice is in Central Asia to celebrate democratic progress, such as the generally clean election that brought Bakiyev to power this year after the ouster of an increasingly authoritarian predecessor. Rice also wanted to firm up U.S. rights to the base, for which it pays about $40 million (Ђ33.27 million) to $50 million (Ђ41.59 million) a year, the AP reports.

Tensions over military bases rose over the summer when the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, dominated by Russia and China, urged the U.S. military to withdraw its bases from both Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The move was seen as a joint effort by Russia and China to drive the United States out of the strategically placed, resource-rich region, and Bakiyev initially seemed to go along.

Kyrgyzstan also hosts a Russian base, and the country is still heavily influenced in language, architecture and culture by its years as a Soviet republic.

U.S. officials said Tuesday's agreement is the first time Bakiyev has put the base rights in writing, and represented his most explicit repudiation of the Russian and Chinese position.

Afghan president: Afghans taking pride in Iran's progress – IRNA 10/11/05

Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a meeting with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia, Pacific and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Mehdi Safari on Tuesday said that the Afghan people and government take pride in the progress made in Iran.

Turning to historical bonds between the two states and Iran's crucial role in promotion of stability and security in Afghanistan as well as its reconstruction, the president stressed that having close relations with the friendly and brotherly neighboring Iran has been a basic policy and honor of his country over the past three and a half years.

Praising Iran's progress in various domains, he reiterated the need for Afghanistan's use of Iran's potentials and capacities towards advancement and development of his country.

For his part, Safari conveyed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's warm greetings to Karzai and assured him of Iran's continuous policy on establishment of security and stability in Afghanistan and participation in its reconstruction.

In response to Ahmadinejad's official invitation for a visit to Tehran, extended by Safari, President Karzai agreed to pay a visit to Iran at the first convenience.

Safari is scheduled to meet Afghan Finance Minister Anwar al-Haq Ahadi this afternoon. During the meeting, economic cooperation, formation of a joint economic commission and Iran's continued participation in the country's reconstruction process will be high on the agenda.

Besides, expansion of regional cooperation, in particular the tripartite Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan collaboration as well as that of Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan are expected to be discussed in the meeting.

Briefing Karzai on Iran's potentials, Safari also referred to the capabilities of the Iranian engineering companies and declared the country's readiness to participate in technical and engineering projects, particularly in the field of road construction.

Safari arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul on an official two-day visit on Tuesday. Upon arrival at Kabul airport, Safari was welcomed by his Afghan counterpart and Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan.

He is also expected to meet Afghanistan's ministers of foreign affairs and defense to hold talks on matters of bilateral concern. The Iranian deputy minister is being accompanied by the Foreign Ministry director general for West Asia Bahman Aqarazi.

Afghan editor tried on blasphemy charge

KABUL: The editor of an Afghan women's rights magazine went on trial today charged with blasphemy and Islamic religious scholars demanded a jail sentence of up to 15 years, a court official said.

Mohaqiq Nasab, editor-in-chief of ''Hoqooq-e-Zan'', or Women's Rights, was detained last week on the orders of a religious adviser to President Hamid Karzai after complaints from a group of religious figures.

''I can confirm that Mohaqiq Nasab was tried today in a primary court,'' a senior court official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The official said a group of Islamic Shi'ite figures who had complained against Nasab called for a jail term of between 10 to 15 years. Nasab himself belongs to the Shi'ite sect of Islam.

The information ministry has said Nasab's detention was technically illegal as the government-appointed media commission had to question him first. In his article, the 50-year-old Nasab questioned the need for harsh Islamic punishment for apostates, thieves and others, according to officials. Under Islamic law, blasphemy is punishable by death.

Head Of Regional Election Office In Southeastern Province Dismisse - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

The local head of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) in Paktika Province was dismissed along with three of his staffers on suspicion of having committed fraud during vote counting, Pajhwak News Agency reported on 9 October. The four allegedly tried to inflate the figures for a particular candidate, an unidentified JEMB official told Pajhwak. AT

A front-row seat in the plodding war on the Taliban - By Scott Baldauf, The Christian Science Monitor, October 11, 2005

BADO KALAY, AFGHANISTAN - The squad jumps from the back end of a Chinook helicopter into a swirl of sand kicked up by the rotors. We take positions on the bank of a mountain stream and pause in silence, scanning the hillside for movement.

The eight-member team is young - the oldest is 28 - and all are fighters of the elite 82nd Airborne, nicknamed the "Ghost Busters." Their mission: To work with about 40 US and 10 Afghan soldiers from a nearby base to sweep villages never before visited by US forces. They're looking for Taliban or their weapons.

For the next five days, I will have a front-row seat in what some call "The Other War," where 18,000 US troops continue fighting four years after ousting the Taliban government and sending Osama bin Laden into hiding. I will accompany a US Army squad carrying a mere 40 lbs. of body armor, notebooks, water, and MREs, while they carry up to 115 lbs. of "battle rattle" - guns, ammo, food, body armor, radios, and night-vision equipment. Together, we will tell a lot of unprintable jokes, see a lot of sheep, find a few Taliban weapons caches, and try to reassure scared villagers.

My team's role this morning is to climb a steep, 1,650-foot hill to secure the high ground. They will keep watch over the roads while other US squads, including troops from the fledgling Afghan Army, search a village that Taliban fighters have often used as a rest stop. The squad leader, Sgt. Jeremy Brannan of Panama City, Fla., almost inaudibly gives the order to move: "Let's go."

These remote mountains, stretching from western Ghazni through Zabul, Kandahar, and Uruzgan provinces, have been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting - and highest casualty rates - since the Taliban government fell in 2001. This is partly because of the insertion of small squads like Sergeant Brannan's into ever-more-remote corners of Afghanistan in an effort to disturb Taliban hideouts and entice their elusive foe into engagements. When the Taliban stand to fight US soldiers, who are aided by American air power, the insurgents usually lose.

Soldiers like Brannan and his men accept the dangers of their work. "For so long, it was quiet here, then it got kicked up," says Brannan, sitting at a watch post high above the village, where the house-to-house search for weapons has begun. "I think they hide up in the mountains and see how big an element we're sending in. Mostly they don't fight. But when they do, it's mostly spray, pray, and run."
Iraq war vets - The squad is led by a few veterans from the Iraq war, such as Brannan and Pvt. Mike Patraw of Platteville, Wisc. The men say they are shocked at the poor Afghan living conditions, and Brannan says it's hard to know which conflict is more dangerous. "I'd be tempted to say Iraq, but we've had a lot of dudes die here recently," he says. "But the Taliban aren't very good. Mostly it seems like lucky shots."

Brannan's men meet the danger, and the physical challenge of climbing up mountains loaded with equipment, with a sense of humor. As an outsider, it occurs to me that the standard GI gear must include a rifle, camouflage, and an unabridged Dictionary of Scatological Terms and Crude Jokes.

Trained in the woodland terrain of Ft. Bragg, N.C., these men are used to rugged conditions. But on this day, they struggle up Afghan hillsides of loose slate and sedimentary rock with difficulty. Some, like Private Patraw, carry M-240 Bravos, a medium-caliber machine gun that weighs about 50 lbs. Others carry the lighter M-4 carbines, but help out carrying the heavy ammunition for the M-240, along with several gallons of water and pounds of food.

"Now imagine you had to carry this," says Patraw, as I pause, huffing like the big bad wolf, just four miles into our march. I try to put that thought out of my head.

Big picture, small picture - As is true in most wars, it's often hard for the troops on the ground to see the big picture. American commanders remind the 18,000 US troops here that their presence in Afghanistan will give some breathing room for the Afghan government to establish its credibility, for the Afghan army to become strong enough to defend the country, for the Afghan people to accept the rule of their new government.

But as they patrol the villages, the squad also knows that democracy often has little to do with local loyalties. Unarmed Afghan villagers will always cooperate with whatever gunman is in town at a given time. Brannan's men know that a village of "friendlies," as cooperative Afghans are called, can turn into a Taliban haven overnight.

"I don't know who the villagers are closer to, the Taliban or us," says Senior Airman Brian Mellon, alias Gunslinger 37. He's an Air Force forward air controller temporarily assigned to Brannan's unit to call in and coordinate airstrikes if needed. "If we go there, we talk to them, give them food. But if the Taliban go there, they beat the local people. So if your life's in danger, it's more conducive to work with the Taliban."

Down below the unit, shepherds guide a hundred or so sheep across the rocky hillside, staring at the US soldiers. The soldiers stare back. "OK, now what are these guys up to?" asks Pvt. John Hernandez, of Long Island, N.Y.

"Just keeping an eye on us to tell their Taliban buddies," smirks Patraw. "Sometimes it gets frustrating," says Brannan. "You get back to the base and you say, 'So what did you do today?' I didn't see any friendlies, I didn't see any enemies." Private Hernandez jokes. "Saw some sheep."

As the afternoon drags on, I join the men as they start to dig into their MREs (meals ready to eat). I save the beef and mushrooms medley for later and pull out a package of vegetable crackers and cheese spread. There is so much dust in my mouth, I can hardly taste a thing, which may be a blessing.

Later on, I join in on an impromptu game of "hoops," tossing stones into an upturned Kevlar helmet, and occasionally hitting Pvt. Brian Martin of Trenton, Mich., the sniper, by mistake. Some of the soldiers scrape out hollows in the steep hill with their hands, in case they have to sleep on the mountain for the night.

Then at 4 p.m., Senior Airman Mellon, a native of Kailoa, Hawaii, receives a radio message from the village below. The village has been cleared. Afghan soldiers have confiscated stacks of Kalashnikov ammo magazines and, oddly, a pair of brass knuckles. None of the villagers have weapons themselves, so commanders believe the ammunition belongs to the Taliban.

Once again, in his quiet voice, Brannan gives the order. "Let's go." A few hours later, the men reach the night's resting place, a hilltop above another village cleared by other platoons. Kicking away stones, they fall in for the night. • First of three articles. Wednesday: Out of the hills and into the villages.

Neo-Taliban Appoint New Spokesman Daily Afghan Report - October 11, 2005
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Salimullah Mojahed has been appointed as the new spokesman for the neo-Taliban, AIP reported on 8 October. "On the order of the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, I have been appointed as the main Taliban spokesman," Mojahed told AIP in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location. Prior to Mojahed's call, a man identifying himself as Dadullah telephoned AIP to report that Mojahed has been "appointed as the new spokesman of the Taliban and [that] he will keep in touch with the press." Former neo-Taliban spokesman Mufti Latifullah Hakimi was arrested in early October in Pakistan (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5, 6, and 7 October 2005). AT

Seven worshippers wounded in mosque attack - via Afghan Press Monitor (No 173, 12 Oct 05) - published by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting

(Erada) Seven worshippers were wounded on the night of October 10 after unidentified men threw hand-grenades into a mosque in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, officials said the following day. Sayed Qasem, who was among the wounded, said a grenade was thrown through the mosque's window during nighttime prayers. The congregation rushed out after this first blast, which was followed by two more, he added. Confirming the incident, Paktika police chief Colonel Mohammad Rahim Alikhel said police had been sent to hunt down the attackers, but no arrests had yet been made.

Two dead in Badakhshan clash - via Afghan Press Monitor (No 173, 12 Oct 05) - published by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting

(Islah) Two people were killed and two others wounded during a clash between armed men in the Argo district of the northern Badakhshan province on October 11. Badakhshan police chief Abdul Wasey Kafil said the incident involved a local commander called Mukhtar, who opened fire on a motorcyclist on October 10, killing him and wounding another person. Argo district police arrested the alleged killer and put him in jail. But Kafil said a group of local people were so angry with Mukhtar that they stormed the jail, killing him and wounding another prisoner.

Two foreign insurgents captured - via Afghan Press Monitor (No 173, 12 Oct 05) - published by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting

(Hewad) The Afghan National Army and US-led Coalition forces arrested two non-Afghan militants during an operation in the Shinkay district of Zabul province on October 10, officials said the following day. Defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi said that three phones, five motorcycles (favoured in insurgent attacks) and one Kalashnikov assault rifle were seized in the operations. Local officials report that two Chechens and a Pakistani were killed in the same operation. (Hewad is a state-run daily mostly in Pashto.)

Osama Bin Laden dead in Pak occupied Kashmir in the massive earthquake? Kiran Chaube Oct. 11, 2005 – India Today

Rumors in Pakistan held Kashmir points towards some massive losses for Al-Queda is Pakistan held Kashmir. Some international think tanks believe Osama Bin Laden hiding in the safe sanctuary of Pakistan held Kasmir may be killed by the massive quake. However, no evidence suggests that the deadly earthquake that rocked Pakistan injured or killed the world's top terror leader, Osama bin Laden.

The quake shook the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where bin Laden is believed to be hiding. However, authorities at this point have no information indicating he's been injured or killed, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the information's sensitivity.

US hopes for bin Laden's death or capture were high in December 2001, when US and afghan troops surrounded a cave complex sheltering al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan’s Tora Bora region. But bin laden escaped and is now believed to be living a relatively isolated existence to evade capture.

Al-Qaida No. 2: U.S. 'Ran' From Vietnam

Washington (AP) – In a letter to his top deputy in Iraq, al-Qaida's No. 2 leader said the United States "ran and left their agents" in Vietnam and the jihadists must have a plan ready to fill the void if the Americans suddenly leave Iraq.

"Things may develop faster than we imagine," Ayman al-Zawahri wrote in a letter to his top deputy in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. "The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam — and how they ran and left their agents — is noteworthy. ... We must be ready starting now."

Senior U.S. military commanders have said that Iraqi security forces are improving significantly and some U.S. forces could return home early next year. Yet skeptics have raised concerns about whether such statements simply let the insurgency know how long they must wait for the U.S. to leave.

In a letter taking up 13 typed pages in its English translation, al-Zawahri also recommended a four-stage expansion of the war that would take the fighting to neighboring Muslim countries.

"It has always been my belief that the victory of Islam will never take place until a Muslim state is established ... in the heart of the Islamic world," al-Zawahri wrote.

The letter laid out his long-term plan: expel the Americans from Iraq, establish an Islamic authority and take the war to Iraq's secular neighbors, including Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The final stage, al-Zawahri wrote, would be a clash with Israel, which he said was established to challenge "any new Islamic entity."

The letter is dated July 9, and was acquired during U.S. operations in Iraq. It was written in Arabic and translated by the U.S. government. The Pentagon briefed reporters last week on portions of the document, but the full text was not available until Tuesday.

In a statement, the National Intelligence Director's office said the letter "has not been edited in any way" and its contents were released only after it was clear no military or intelligence operations would be compromised.

House Intelligence Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., said his committee is reviewing the letter, but he cautioned "against reading too much into a single source of intelligence."

In his letter, al-Zawahri, a Sunni, devoted significant attention to al-Zarqawi's attempts to start a civil war with the rival Muslim Shiite sect, the majority that now dominates the new Iraqi government. Ultimately, al-Zawahri concluded that violence, particularly against Shiite mosques, only raises questions among Muslims.

"This matter won't be acceptable to the Muslim populace however much you have tried to explain it, and aversion to this will continue," he wrote.

Al-Zawahri was also critical of the Taliban, which was toppled in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, because, he said, they did not have the representation of the Afghan people. He said students of the Taliban retreated to their tribes.

"Even the devout ones took the stance of spectator," al-Zawahri wrote. Contrasting that, he saw fearlessness in battles waged in the Iraqi cities of Fallujah, Ramadi and Al Qaim.

At times, the letter got personal. Al-Zawahri said he tasted the bitterness of America's brutality, noting that his "favorite wife's chest was crushed by a concrete ceiling" during an apparent U.S. attack. His daughter died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

To this day, he wrote, he did not know the location of their graves. The letter then switches to the court of public opinion.

"More than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media," he wrote. "We are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of our umma," or community of Muslims, he wrote. The line is an apparent reference to a phrase — "hearts and minds" — often used by President Bush.

[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.]