Afghan President Hamid Karzai, center, talks to officials during his visit to the National Institute of Rural Development in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, April 12, 2006. Karzai is on a four-day visit to India to discuss regional security and cooperation between the two nations. (AP Photo/A. Mahesh Kumar)

In this bulletin:

• Terrorist rockets kill 7 Asadabad children, wound 34
• STATEMENT BY TOM KOENIGS, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN, ON THE ATTACK OF A SCHOOL IN KUNAR PROVINCE
• U.S. Drug Chief Sees Progress Against Drugs in Afghanistan John Walters says area under poppy cultivation dropped steeply in 2005
• Afghanistan to adopt Indian rural plan CNN-IBN
• Karzai invites Indian IT companies to Afghanistan
• Afghanistan assures security of Indians
• Three British soldiers hurt in explosion in Afghanistan
• Too early to talk Afghan exit strategy: ambassador
• Afghan envoy asks Canadians to stay
• Gen. Rick Hillier calls for more military funding
• Troops call debate vital to democracy
• Afghan police in Sangin say Taliban shots killed Canadian soldier
• Afghanistan To Boost Cement Output Amid Pakistani Export Ban Afghanistan's influential neighbour, India
• U.S. Military Secrets for Sale at Afghan Bazaar
• Coalition boosting business opportunities with ‘Afghan First’
  

Terrorist rockets kill 7 Asadabad children, wound 34 - COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN - COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ASADABAD, Afghanistan – Seven Asadabad children were killed and 34 were wounded, some critically, when several rockets fired by Al Qaeda and Taliban extremists operating in the area slammed into the Salabagh Primary School this yesterday.

‘’This despicable act is further proof of the enemy’s wanton disregard for innocent civilians,” Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander, Combined Joint Task Force – 76, said. 

The children were attending class in an outdoor courtyard when at least one rocket exploded amongst the children.  A second rocket exploded nearby narrowly missing the courtyard.  The Salabagh school enrolls elementary and middle school aged boys and girls.  Three boys and four girls died during or shortly after the blast. 

Immediately, Coalition forces and Afghan community members forged together to move the twenty-nine children to the Medical Clinic at the nearby Asadabad Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) camp.  Dozens of Coalition and Afghan medical personnel treated the injured both at the school and in the clinic. 

Assadullah Wafa, the governor of Kunar Province , and Lt. Col. Pete Munster, commander of PRT Asadabad, addressed the people of the province over Radio Kunar within hours of the attack.

“We continue to assist Afghan National Security Forces in removing the enemy from this beautiful country and to assist in providing stability and security,” Munster told the public.

Taliban extremists have been implicated or have claimed responsibility for damaging more than 40 schools, assassinating teachers and intimidating school aged children in the past year. 

“These extremists are killing innocent children and with them, the future of Afghanistan ,” Freakley said.  “However, this atrocity will only strengthen the resolve of Coalition forces and the Afghan people to continue its pursuit of the terrorists and build a stronger, more independent Afghanistan .”

Al Qaeda and Taliban extremists oppose the education of girls and unrestricted education of boys.  This is the most violent attack on a school since the Taliban Regime was removed by Coalition Forces November, 2001.

“I told the people of Kunar we’re going to seek, find and destroy the enemy,” Munster said after his address. “And we’re going to help repair the damage done to this school and this city.”

“I think this shows the callousness and the complete disregard for the people of Afghanistan by the enemy,” added Lt. Col. Chip Bierman, the commander of Task Force Lava. “The thoughts and prayers of the Marines and sailors of this unit are with the children and their families.”

Five of the more seriously injured children were flown to Bagram for surgery and acute medical care at the U.S. hospital there. 

“On behalf of the entire Coalition team, my deepest condolences to the seven families who lost the lives of their children today and I wish for a full and speedy recovery of those injured in this atrocity,” said Freakely.

Asadabad is located in eastern Afghanistan ’s Kunar Province.

U.S. Drug Chief Sees Progress Against Drugs in Afghanistan John Walters says area under poppy cultivation dropped steeply in 2005

By Phillip Kurata US STATE DEPT Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Afghan authorities are succeeding in reducing opium poppy cultivation, according to the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, John Walters.

Briefing reporters in Washington April 10 after a visit to Afghanistan the previous week, Walters said that he saw "enormous progress" in Afghanistan's effort to eradicate opium poppy production since 2004 when he made his first visit to the country.

The most impressive progress occurred in the eastern province of Nangahar, traditionally one of the prime poppy growing areas of the country, he said. In 2005, the area under poppy cultivation dropped by nearly 50 percent nationwide, but the figure for Nangahar province was a decline of 90 percent, he said.

"This happened in Nangahar with no disruption," he said, parallel with efforts "to provide livelihoods that were legitimate and consistent with the continued rule of law."

The United States estimates that 207,600 hectares were under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2004, and the figure dropped to 107,000 hectares in 2005, according to one of Walters' aides. The amount of opium produced did not show a corresponding steep drop, however: 4,950 metric tons in 2004 and 4,475 metric tons in 2005, according to the Walters' aide.

The United Nations reports that 2.3 million people, 10 percent of the Afghan population, were involved in opium cultivation 2004; in the following year, the number of opium cultivators fell to 2 million, or 8.7 percent of the population.

Walters said that the opium trade remains the last large threat to Afghanistan, after the Taliban and al-Qaida have been driven from power and the warlords largely have been disarmed.

Walters said that the Afghan government in March launched an aggressive campaign in southern Helmand province, which was the heart of the Taliban power in the 1990s, to eradicate poppy cultivation after an unsuccessful attempt at eradication in 2005.

"The effort to have centralized eradication in force in conjunction with the governor's bogged down last year in Helmand, with farmers, local religious leaders and political leaders protesting and seeking to stop the eradication force," Walters said.

A new governor of Helmand, appointed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, has taken the lead in dispatching local and provincial teams of eradicators, armed with tractors, to destroy poppy fields while Afghan army units protect the eradicators from the Taliban, Walters said.

In 2006, there have been no protests from farmers, religious leaders or local political leaders opposing the eradication, Walters said.

"The opposition has come from the Taliban. The Taliban has encouraged farmers to grow poppy and they have said they will punish people who eradicate voluntarily, as the provincial government has asked. What the continuing eradication process shows is that the Taliban can't keep their promises."

To mitigate the hardships caused by eradication, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has stepped up activities to support farmers in the region through the Alternative Livelihoods Programs.

Cash-for-work programs provide immediate income for families who suddenly find themselves deprived of income from the poppy cultivation. One major project is the Marja irrigation drain cleaning in central Helmand, which is aimed at improving agricultural productivity. USAID reports that this particular drain cleaning project has resulted in 47,000 hectares of farmland receiving increased access to water.

Walters said that the Afghan government, supported by its allies, has no illusions that it can substitute opium poppy with an equally valuable crop.

"That's not what we're doing as a combined effort in Afghanistan. We're really doing rural development. We're bringing roads, electricity, microcredit. We're trying to give people, who have been chained to the land in a variety of ways including by poppy cultivation, a future," Walters said.

Walters said that resistance among farmers to giving up poppy cultivation has not been intense because they have not benefited from the enormous profits of the opium trade.

"Many poppy farmers are not land owners. They're sharecroppers, tenant farmers, growing what the owner of the land tells them to grow, and they're making minimal amounts of money," Walters said.

Walters said the entrenched interests in the poppy trade are higher up, and the Karzai government has established a national court to investigate, prosecute and try people suspected of involvement in the drug trade, which, according to United Nations estimates, accounted for more than 50 percent of Afghanistan's gross domestic product in 2005.

This court has special accommodations to assure the security of investigators, prosecutors and judges as they pursue traffickers, Walters said. The personnel involved in this operation are being trained by experts from Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, he said.

Walters said that the Karzai government's efforts to educate the public about the drug trade are paying off.

"The public opinion effort by the government to educate and support standards of right and wrong show that the vast majority of Afghans understand and believe that it is wrong to grow opium and to make money off this product. They don't want to be bullied by the Taliban to grow opium and have no alternative," he said.

Afghanistan to adopt Indian rural plan CNN-IBN

Hyderabad : Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday said that his country is keen to adopt Indian rural development techniques to ensure empowerment for villagers and profitability for rural-related industries.

During his visit to the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Karzai said "The concept of NIRD will be taken home with us to be implemented in Afghan villages."

As the local industries in Afghanistan were not profiting, other developmental programmes would be implemented, besides the Panchayati Raj system which was already being followed in most of the villages, he said.

In his interaction with the faculty, he invited them to Afghanistan to seek their guidance to set up a similar institute. He wished at least 200 people from Afghanistan to be trained by the NIRD.

He also interacted with self-help groups equipped himself with the way rural industries were functioning in Andhra Pradesh. NIRD, at its rural technology park, showcased over 42 quake-proof building technologies, suitable for Afghanistan.

Karzai, yesterday praised India for its achievements in the field of science and wanted companies from India, Asia's third largest economy, to invest in his country.

Karzai attended functions organised by top software companies, the Tata Consultancy Services Limited and the State-owned National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA).

At the function Karzai praised India and said that it was important for their country to learn from us. He also congratulated us for our achievements to develop science and then apply it in all walks of life thereby improving the

quality of life in India.

Earlier Karzai met crème de la crème of India's IT industry to seek a first hand study for application of the IT revolution in Afghanistan. Karzai, who is on a five-day trip to boost bilateral relations that have blossomed after the fall of the Taliban regime, arrived in India on April 9.

India has been extending monetary help to rebuild war-ravaged Afghanistan and is also looking to expand its economic presence in the Islamic nation.

India on April 10 pledged an additional 50 million dollars in aid to Kabul for development and training projects, taking the total Indian assistance promised in the past four years to 650 million dollars.

Karzai invites Indian IT companies to Afghanistan - Press Trust of India - Hyderabad, April 11, 2006

Afghanistan on Tuesday invited investments from Indian IT companies, while promising to provide land and other facilities to investors. Speaking after visiting the Hitec City in Hyderabad, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said the industrial environment in his country was conducive for investment.

"We provide land and all other required facilities to Indian companies", he said. Afghanistan is interested in promoting joint ventures with India in business and education, he said. Earlier, Karzai was given a ceremonial reception at Hyderabad Airport on his arrival.

Besides the Hitec city, he is scheduled to visit the National Remote Sensing Agency, TCS, National Institute of Rural Development and Osmania University campuses, before leaving for Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Karzai was received at the airport by the Governor Rameshwar Thakur, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and his cabinet colleagues.

Afghanistan assures security of Indians - Press Trust of India New Delhi, April 11, 2006

Seeking to address India's concerns, Afghanistan on Tuesday said it will take "specific measures" to ensure safety of Indians and other foreigners engaged in reconstruction projects in that country.

"The problem has to be tackled at two levels -- improving the security in the country as a whole and taking specific measures when it comes to the safety of those working in construction and development projects," Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, accompanying President Hamid Karzai, stated.

The comments from Abdullah came when referred to India's concerns over safety of hundreds of its nationals working on various reconstruction projects in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on Monday voiced concern over safety of Indians in Afghanistan as he discussed the issue with Karzai.

Four months ago, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) jawan MR Kutty, engaged in construction of crucial Zaranj-Delaram Highway, was kidnapped and then killed suspectedly by the Taliban in Kandahar province. Kutty was among around 300 BRO personnel working on the project.

In February, Indian Engineer Bharath Kumar, working with a Turkish firm, was killed in a bomb attack in Farah province. About 10 Indian doctors deputed to various hospitals in Afghanistan also received threats from Taliban.

Taking the issue seriously, India despatched about 200 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) commandos to Afghanistan last month for proximate security of the Indians engaged in various projects.

Too early to talk Afghan exit strategy: ambassador
John Ward - The Canadian Press, Tuesday, April 11, 2006

OTTAWA -- Setting timetables for pulling foreign troops out of Afghanistan would play into the hands of terrorists, the country's ambassador to Canada said Tuesday.

Speaking the day after MPs debated the Afghanistan mission in the Commons and New Democrats demanded a formal exit strategy, Omar Samad said it's too early to talk about leaving.

The long job of rebuilding a country shattered by a generation of occupation and warfare has just begun, he said.

"We think it would be premature to announce timetables and exit strategies when we are at this stage of the work.

"There may be a time down the road when the time will come when we can announce those things, but right now is probably not the best time.''

He said nailing down exit strategies would encourage terrorists. "Our common enemies are obviously looking at every move and every statement,'' he said. "We don't want to give them any ammunition . . . which would make our join effort more difficult.''

Samad, an American-educated former journalist who has been ambassador in Ottawa since September 2004, said he was heartened by the Commons debate.

"It was truly encouraging and moving for me . . . to hear the very strong support that was voiced by parliamentarians from all parties for the mission to Afghanistan last night,'' he said. "On behalf of my government and the Afghan people, I would like to thank the people of Canada.''

Samad said reconstruction in Afghanistan will take years. He estimated four to five years to rebuild the army and police and more time to develop a new economy.

Despite growing unrest and terrorist strikes in many out the outlying regions, including the south where Canadian troops are based, Samad said there is reason for hope.

"We are still at the very beginning of the process of rebuilding Afghanistan and putting things together,'' he said. "We have made some tremendous progress in many ways . . . . but we still have a long way to go.''

Canada has been involved in the region for four years and Samad said he is confident Canada will continue to play a key role in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged that Canada won't "cut and run'' and Samad said he welcomes that commitment.

"We are confident that Canada will continue to stand with us until we reach a point of no return, when the terrorist network is no longer a threat and when Afghanistan will be able to take care of its own security and development.''

Canada has about 2,300 soldiers assigned to Afghanistan, including a battle group and a provincial reconstruction team based in the troubled southern city of Kandahar. In the last three years, 11 Canadian soldiers and a diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.

Afghan envoy asks Canadians to stay - MICHAEL DEN TANDT – The Globe and Mail - 04.12.06

OTTAWA -- Afghan Ambassador Omar Samad made a blunt plea for an extended Canadian military commitment to his country yesterday, saying it is too soon to discuss exit strategies.

"Given the nature of the conflict and the nature of the problem, it would be premature to announce a timetable or an exit strategy when the job is just starting and we're not even close to the end of this mission," Mr. Samad said.

In his remarks, made in response to a House of Commons debate on Monday regarding the Afghan deployment, Mr. Samad steered clear of specific criticisms of any one point of view. He said he found the debate "educational."

However, the ambassador made it clear that the Afghan government is uncomfortable with even the discussion of plans for the eventual departure of Canadian troops -- a subject raised repeatedly by New Democrat MPs in the debate.

"I can tell you that from our point of view, it will take us maybe four to five years to finish the job of rebuilding our military institutions, our security institutions in Afghanistan," Mr. Samad said. "We're already halfway through the process."

In Parliament yesterday, NDP Leader Jack Layton pressed the government for answers to a list of questions about the Afghan mission raised in the House of Commons in November by Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, who was then the opposition defence critic.

"What is the command and control structure?" Mr. Layton asked. "What are the criteria for success? What will be the definition of progress and how is it going to be reported back to the Canadian people? What is the exit strategy?"

Mr. O'Connor responded that the government has goals, rules and policies with respect to the mission, "everything we need to be effective in Kandahar," but said he could not answer in greater detail within the 35 seconds allotted to him.

Canada has 2,300 troops serving in Afghanistan, 2,200 of them in the volatile Kandahar Province. Their mission's mandate is due to expire in February. Twelve Canadians have died in mishaps, friendly fire or enemy fire in Afghanistan since 2002. All but one were soldiers.

Ambassador Samad yesterday played down recent polls showing that Canadians are deeply divided about the merits of putting troops in harm's way in his country. "I believe we have seen different polls at different times in the past few months that show different figures," he said.

He countered the assertion, common among critics of the mission, that Afghanistan is an ungovernable amalgam of factions, tribes and geographic regions that will revert to the rule of the strongest once international troops leave.

Afghanistan's problems do not stem from ethnic or tribal strife, he said, but from invasions -- first by the Soviets, then by al-Qaeda.

"We are putting Afghanistan back together as the common home of all Afghans," he said. "The overwhelming majority of Afghans are in favour of peace and stability and reconstruction in one united homeland."

Gen. Rick Hillier calls for more military funding

Updated Wed. Apr. 12 2006 6:35 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff

Canada's top soldier says the military needs more recruits and public funds in order to effectively carry out missions such as the current one in Afghanistan.

Speaking a day after a House of Commons debate over the role of 2,300 Canadian Forces members in Afghanistan, Hillier says this country's military aircraft, ships and land vehicles have all "deteriorated" over the years -- and that current funding to the military remains below 1991 levels.

"I'm not ashamed to say we need money," Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada's chief of defence staff, said Tuesday afternoon in a speech to a Toronto business audience.

"If we want a helicopter, we don't need it 15 years from now in Afghanistan.... We need that helicopter in the very near future and actually, by September would be quite good."

Despite voices denouncing the Commons debate as being bad for troop morale, Hillier supported it, saying it's the kind of democratic process he would like to see in place in Afghanistan.

"Our soldiers don't mind debates, they don't mind discussions," he said.

"But you know what they tell me when I go to visit them?'Sir, the debate is over here, we're committed, we're on the ground, we're on the job and we're putting ourselves at risk.' And they need the support of Canada to do that.''

Hillier said as chief of defence staff he's non-partisan, but he wasn't shy on Tuesday about expressing his approval of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's actions.

Hillier said Harper showed leadership by visiting troops in Afghanistan last month and by continuing the Canadian Forces deployment launched by the previous Liberal government.

Meanwhile, a small group of about two dozen peace activists waved placards outside Toronto's Royal York Hotel where the general was speaking

"We need to stop this notion that any kind of peace can be brought through gun-barrelled diplomacy," Christine Jones, 38, of Toronto, told The Canadian Press.

James Clark, also of Toronto, said "We want the troops home," adding that it's simply too risky to send Canadian soldiers to such an unstable country.

But Hillier defended the deployment, saying Canada continues to be a target on terrorist hit lists since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. He also said Canadian Forces are helping to stabilize democracy in Afghanistan, as well as rebuilding schools and making communities safer.

"We are in Afghanistan for good Canadian reasons -- in support of our

interests, in protection of our values, and simply because it's right."

Hillier's speech to the Empire Club of Canada comes as a recent opinion poll, conducted by Decima Research, indicates Canadians are divided about Canada's role in the war-torn country.

Since Canadian troops were first deployed to Afghanistan four years ago, 12 Canadians have died in that country. Despite the mounting casualties, Hillier put a call out for more recruits.

"We know we can challenge Canadians and we know that as the message gets out, they'll be coming to us in droves,'' said Hillier. He added that the military surpassed its goal of signing up more than 5,600 new recruits in the past year.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada says the job of rebuilding Afghanistan has only just begun and that it's no time to talk bout pulling troops out of his country.

Omar Samad told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday said he was encouraged by the support expressed by all parties during Monday's debate in the House of Commons.

He said any talk of leaving would only play into terrorists' hands, and that there is still much to be done to rebuild the war-torn country.

Troops call debate vital to democracy (CP 4.12.06) Calgary Sun

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Given the difference in time zones, it's fair to say most Canadian troops in Afghanistan happily snored through every word of the House of Commons debate over Canada's role in this war-torn region.

But yesterday, many said they saw it as an important democratic exercise. "As an open society, we certainly have our own opinions," said Lt.-Col. Tom Doucette, commander of the provincial reconstruction team.

"Some Canadians certainly support the mission and others may not support the mission. For a variety of reasons, we have to give each and every Canadian their due respect and their own opinion."

Some troops were surprised and even disappointed at the sparse Commons turnout, as well as the fact some MPs left before everyone finished speaking.

"Was the debate useful?" Sgt. Frank Bird asked rhetorically. "In a way, yes, and in a way, no. If they were going to have a debate like that, they should have all been in the House debating."

Meanwhile, setting timetables for pulling foreign troops out of Afghanistan would play into the hands of terrorists, the country's ambassador to Canada said.

Omar Samad said it's too early to talk about leaving. "We think it would be premature to announce timetables and exit strategies when we are at this stage of the work," he said.

Afghan police in Sangin say Taliban shots killed Canadian soldier -

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Afghan police officers who patrol the district where a Canadian soldier was killed in a battle with insurgents say they are convinced Pte. Robert Costall was hit by incoming Taliban fire.

There are conflicting accounts of the savage firefight that killed the Thunder Bay, Ont., native on March 29 in the volatile Sangin district of Helmand province, west of Kandahar.

Canadian, American and Afghan authorities are conducting separate investigations into the battle, where Taliban fighters and local poppy-field workers tried to overrun a remote outpost. A U.S. National Guard medic, Sgt. 1st Class John Stone, also died in the attack.

In interviews set up with The Canadian Press and The Toronto Star, two officers said Afghan witnesses have painted a reasonably clear picture for them of who was responsible for the deaths.

"The way it was described to us, they were shot by Taliban at the beginning of the fight," Haji Wali-Jan, a Sangin police group commander, said in an interview through an interpreter.

It's unclear whether the police officers also interviewed Canadians and Americans involved in the battle.

A senior officer with the Afghan National Army, Maj. Rahmatullah Sha, the deputy garrison commander of Kandahar wouldn't comment on whether his country had come up with any findings.

Over the weekend, a senior Canadian investigator said it may be impossible to determine precisely who shot Costall, given the intensity of the battle and the differing versions of what happened.

Repeated media requests to interview soldiers have been denied by Canadian authorities. U.S. investigators refused comment altogether on Monday.

Since the engagement, there have been repeated suggestions by local media that civilians died in the air strikes that accompanied the battle - claims that were flatly denied by coalition commanders.

But Wali-Jan said an unknown number of civilians did die when retreating Taliban fighters ran into a local compound, which was reduced to rubble by a precision-guided bomb strike.

"It was a small village where they bombed," he said, "but it's also not the (Canadian Forces') mistake because terrorists were there, who are our enemies."

Despite being considered a Taliban nest by coalition commanders, Wali-Jan said the deaths saddened many nearby villagers. "We understand this pain very well because in Afghanistan, every house has seen this pain."

Wakil Khan, 27, another Afghan police officer, said many people don't consider coalition troops to be infidels - unbelievers - as the Taliban claim. "I don't know why some people are opposed to Canadians, Americans or British," he said, also through an interpreter.

"If we see the reality, they are here to protect us, to rebuild Afghanistan, to keep us safe and away from terrorism and Pakistan's (intelligence service)."
Many Afghans, from President Hamid Karzei down, often accuse Pakistan of pulling the strings of the insurgency.

Wali-Jan, who has been with the national police force for three years, said as many as 15 similar-sized battles have been fought in the region over the years, going back to the days of the Soviet occupation.

The claim that the Taliban have 600 suicide bombers ready to attack in Helmund province is a cause for concern, said Wali-Jan, but he remains confident. "We never lose our hope and we know that we are better than our enemies, and Inshallah (God willing), we will win forever."

Afghanistan To Boost Cement Output Amid Pakistani Export Ban

PESHAWAR, Apr 10 [Asia Pulse] - Following Pakistan's recent ban on cement exports to Afghanistan, the country's Ministry for Commerce said on Sunday that the government had increased investment in the sector to meet local demand and also control prices.

Head of Foreign Trade Department with Afghanistan's Ministry for Commerce Mohammad Azim, in an exclusive interview, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the department had discussed locally producing cement prior to the export ban by Pakistan.

He said that from US$200 million to $300 million more had been invested in the project, but he would not disclose names of the investors.

Pakistan banned import due to its own spiralling demand, prompted by rebuilding following the October 8 earthquake. Pakistan's Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERAA) said that many villages were flattened in Azad Kashmir and NWFP in the October 8 earthquake and rebuilding would need more cement. ERRA said Pakistan had banned sending of cement to Kabul as its export had dried the product in Pakistan and prices were increasing.

Azim Wardak said the ban had caused a spike in Afghanistan's cement prices, which in the last couple of week have increased by 100 afghanis (US$2.03).

"Shortage of cement has not been reported from any corner of the country, however the prices have been went up and touched 300 afghanis to 400 afghanis," Wardak said. He added that national traders had been instructed to import cement from Uzbekistan and Iran.

Head of Afghanistan's Construction Company Abdullah Nadi said that the Pakistani export ban had plunged many domestic rebuilding works into crisis. He said he feared some reconstruction work on might be halted due to cement shortages.

He also noted that Afghani traders were considering investing in cement manufacturing to east the country's dependence on imports.

It is reported that Afghanistan needs 10,000 tons cement every year, an amount which could be easily be provided if the cement factories of Ghouri and Jabal Siraj were reactivated. Such is the capacity of these factories Afghanistan could begin exporting cement to neighbouring countries. (Pajhwok Afghan News)

Afghanistan's influential neighbour, India - By Alastair Leithead
BBC News, Kabul

If you want to go to the cinema in Kabul you've got to like Bollywood. Film buffs here cannot get enough of the Indian export - in the movie halls or through the ripped-off DVDs on sale across the country.

Indian culture is close to people's hearts here, and Indian money is now being seen to have an impact on their lives.

"We've pledged $600m altogether on infrastructure, telecoms, health, education, humanitarian assistance, institutions - a whole cross section," said Sandeep Kumar, number two at the Indian embassy in Kabul.

"We're spending more than $110m in the power sector, have given three Airbuses to the national airline, and are building 218km [135 miles] of road at the moment in the south."

The difference between India and many countries who have offered cash, is that India money is already being spent. The large blue sign for Habibia High School stands firm outside the huge new three-storey building that is packed with students - the small print boasting the name of the proud donors: "Renovated by Government of India."

Inside in a calculus class, every desk is full and every gaze flicks between an exercise book and their teacher Ghafoor Mirza, an institution in this famous Kabul school.

Three presidents and a king came here to study, but decades of fighting took its toll and all that was left was a bombed-out building - pupils studied sitting in the dust under tents with few text books.

"This was a very good school but it was destroyed in the civil war and was just a skeleton," said Mr Mirza after setting an exercise.

"Now it's very good, and we are very happy. It is not only the building the Indians have brought - they have provided us with electricity, water, furniture and everything.

"We are happy because there is a history of friendship between Afghanistan and India and they have given us help like a brother would give to a brother."

At the end of the longest and straightest road in Kabul is the old presidential palace - its shelled-out gables and twisted roof are a monument to the war which tore this city apart.

In its shadow is a small patch of land with another marble plaque - this time marking where the Indian government will build the country's new parliament. But the question many are asking is whether India is more concerned with stalking the corridors of power than simply constructing them.

Afghanistan and India had always been close - until Delhi backed the Russians during the Soviet occupation. But could this just be a good opportunity to buy political influence when the old enemy Pakistan is not on the best of terms with the region's newest democracy?

"Pakistan does not like the Indians being close to Afghanistan," argues Afghan political scientist Professor Wadir Safi. "India has two unfriendly states in its neighbourhood: the People's Republic of China and Pakistan.

"That is why they are very keen to have good relations with Afghanistan, so it can be a bridge for them to the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union."

Where, of course, resources such as oil, gas and minerals could be very useful to a country with such strong regional ambitions.

President Hamid Karzai's recent visit to Pakistan was followed by a frosty exchange of views between the two countries, and many Afghans believe Islamabad is at the very least turning a blind eye to Taleban forces attacking across a border that is as long as it is porous.

Mr Karzai's current visit to India is bound to be a far cosier affair. Ten ministers and a delegation of business leaders have joined the trip to cement relations between the two countries and set up economic partnerships to bring much needed investment.

Regional security will no doubt be brought up in conversation and India will be griping about Pakistan's attitude toward Islamic militants in Kashmir, while Afghanistan will moan about the border unrest.

President Karzai cannot live without Pakistan, but after strong words from President Bush on his recent visit, Islamabad will still be smarting. As ever, Afghanistan is in the middle of it all, but all aid is good aid and all new business is welcome - this time the country's making the most of it.

U.S. Military Secrets for Sale at Afghan Bazaar - Los Angeles Times / April 10, 2006 / By Paul Watson, Times Staff Writer - April 10, 2006

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — No more than 200 yards from the main gate of the sprawling U.S. base here, stolen computer drives containing classified military assessments of enemy targets, names of corrupt Afghan officials and descriptions of American defenses are on sale in the local bazaar.

Shop owners at the bazaar say Afghan cleaners, garbage collectors and other workers from the base arrive each day offering purloined goods, including knives, watches, refrigerators, packets of Viagra and flash memory drives taken from military laptops. The drives, smaller than a pack of chewing gum, are sold as used equipment.

The thefts of computer drives have the potential to expose military secrets as well as Social Security numbers and other identifying information of military personnel.

A reporter recently obtained several drives at the bazaar that contained documents marked "Secret." The contents included documents that were potentially embarrassing to Pakistan, a U.S. ally, presentations that named suspected militants targeted for "kill or capture" and discussions of U.S. efforts to "remove" or "marginalize" Afghan government officials whom the military considered "problem makers."

The drives also included deployment rosters and other documents that identified nearly 700 U.S. service members and their Social Security numbers, information that identity thieves could use to open credit card accounts in soldiers' names.

After choosing the name of an army captain at random, a reporter using the Internet was able to obtain detailed information on the woman, including her home address in Maryland and the license plate numbers of her 2003 Jeep Liberty sport utility vehicle and 1998 Harley Davidson XL883 Hugger motorcycle.

Troops serving overseas would be particularly vulnerable to attempts at identity theft because keeping track of their bank and credit records is difficult, said Jay Foley, co-executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego.

"It's absolutely absurd that this is happening in any way, shape or form," Foley said. "There's absolutely no reason for anyone in the military to have that kind of information on a flash drive and then have it out of their possession."

A flash drive also contained a classified briefing about the capabilities and limitations of a "man portable counter-mortar radar" used to find the source of guerrilla mortar rounds. A map pinpoints the U.S. camps and bases in Iraq where the sophisticated radar was deployed in March 2004.

Lt. Mike Cody, a spokesman for the U.S. forces here, declined to comment on the computer drives or their content. "We do not discuss issues that involve or could affect operational security," he said.

Workers are supposed to be frisked as they leave the base, but they have various ways of deceiving guards, such as hiding computer drives behind photo IDs that they wear in holders around their necks, shop owners said. Others claim that U.S. soldiers illegally sell military property and help move it off the base, saying they need the money to pay bills back home.

Bagram base, the U.S. military's largest in Afghanistan and a hub for classified military activity, has suffered security lapses before, including an escape from a detention center where hundreds of Al Qaeda and Taliban suspects have been held and interrogated.

Last July, four Al Qaeda members, including the group's commander in Southeast Asia, Omar Faruq, escaped from Bagram by picking the lock on their cell. They then walked off the base, ditched their prison uniforms and fled through a muddy vineyard.

The men later boasted of their escape on a video and have not been captured. The military said it had tightened security at Bagram after the breakout.

One of the computer drives stolen from Bagram contained a series of slides prepared for a January 2005 briefing of American military officials that identified several Afghan governors and police chiefs as "problem makers" involved in kidnappings, the opium trade and attacks on allied troops with improvised bombs.

The chart showed the U.S. military's preferred methods of dealing with the men: "remove from office; if unable marginalize."

A chart dated Jan. 2, 2005, listed five Afghans as "Tier One Warlords." It identified Afghanistan's former defense minister Mohammed Qassim Fahim, current military chief of staff Abdul Rashid Dostum and counter-narcotics chief Gen. Mohammed Daoud as being involved in the narcotics trade. All three have denied committing crimes.

Another slide presentation identified 12 governors, police chiefs and lower-ranking officials that the U.S. military wanted removed from office. The men were involved in activities including drug trafficking, recruiting of Taliban fighters and active support for Taliban commanders, according to the presentation, which also named the military's preferred replacements.

The briefing said that efforts against Afghan officials were coordinated with U.S. special operations teams and must be approved by top commanders as well as military lawyers who apply unspecified criteria set by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

The military also weighs any ties that any official has to President Hamid Karzai and members of his Cabinet or warlords, as well as the risk of destabilization when deciding which officials should be removed, the presentation said.

One of the men on the military's removal list, Sher Mohammed Akhundzada, was replaced in December as governor of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. After removing him from the governor's office, Karzai appointed Akhundzada to Afghanistan's Senate. The U.S. military believed the governor, who was caught with almost 20,000 pounds of opium in his office last summer, to be a heroin trafficker.

The provincial police chief in Helmand, Abdul Rahman Jan, whom U.S. forces suspect of providing security for narcotics shipments, kept his job.

Though U.S. officials continue to praise Pakistan as a loyal ally in the war on terrorism, several documents on the flash drives show the military has struggled to break militant command and supply lines traced to Pakistan. Some of the documents also accused Pakistan's security forces of helping militants launch cross-border attacks on U.S. and allied forces.

Militant attacks on U.S. and allied forces have escalated sharply over the last half year, and once-rare suicide bombings are now frequent, especially in southern Afghan provinces close to infiltration routes from Pakistan.

A document dated Oct. 11, 2004, said at least two of the Taliban's top five leaders were believed to be in Pakistan. That country's government and military repeatedly have denied that leaders of militants fighting U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan operate from bases in Pakistan.

The Taliban leaders in Pakistan were identified as Mullah Akhtar Osmani, described as a "major Taliban facilitator for southern Afghanistan" and a "rear commander from Quetta" in southwest Pakistan, and Mullah Obaidullah, said to be "responsible for planning operations in Kandahar."

At the time, fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, his second-in-command Mullah Berader, and three other top Taliban commanders were all suspected of being in southern or central Afghanistan, according to the military briefing.

Another document said the Taliban and an allied militant group were working with Arab Al Qaeda members in Pakistan to plan and launch attacks in Afghanistan. A map presented at a "targeting meeting" for U.S. military commanders here on Jan. 27, 2005, identified the Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Quetta as planning and staging areas for terrorists heading to Afghanistan.

One of the terrorism groups is identified by the single name "Zawahiri," apparently a reference to Ayman Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy and chief strategist in Al Qaeda. The document said his attacks had been launched from a region south of Miram Shah, administrative capital of Pakistan's unruly North Waziristan tribal region.

In January, a CIA missile strike targeted Zawahiri in a village more than 100 miles to the northeast, but he was not among the 18 killed, who included women and children.

Other documents on the computer drives listed senior Taliban commanders and "facilitators" living in Pakistan. The Pakistani government strenuously denies allegations by the Afghan government that it is harboring Taliban and other guerrilla fighters.

An August 2004 computer slide presentation marked "Secret" outlined "obstacles to success" along the border and accused Pakistan of making "false and inaccurate reports of border incidents." It also complained of political and military inertia in Pakistan.

Half a year later, other documents indicated that little progress had been made. A classified document from early 2005 listing "Target Objectives" said U.S. forces must "interdict the supply of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) from Pakistan" and "interdict infiltration routes from Pakistan."

A special operations task force map highlighting militants' infiltration routes from Pakistan in early 2005 included this comment from a U.S. military commander: "Pakistani border forces [should] cease assisting cross border insurgent activities."

Special correspondent Wesal Zaman in Kabul contributed to this report.

Coalition boosting business opportunities with ‘Afghan First’

By Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Scott Gomer - Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan Public Affairs

KABUL , Afghanistan – There’s a new name for an ongoing Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan program designed to increase opportunities for Afghan economic development and expansion. The program is called “Afghan First” and applies to civilian and military organizations across the command.

“It is the command’s intent to leverage our contracting activities and resources to provide opportunities for economic expansion, increased entrepreneurship and skills training for the people of Afghanistan ,” said Col. Andy O. Smith, director of logistics for Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan.

“We must maximize our positive, long-term impact on local economies and the Afghan work force.” The new program directs CFC-A units to hire Afghan workers and purchase Afghan products and services whenever it is possible to do so. Another part of the program pushes for apprenticeship and other training programs to develop Afghan skill sets.

So far the command has hired more than 11,000 Afghan laborers, interpreters and construction workers. Contracts have been signed with 36 Afghan or Afghan-American firms working in Afghanistan. Total program expenditures exceed $1.7 million in supplies and services alone. Construction and infrastructure projects are worth millions of dollars more.

From this point forward, contracting office and procurement specialists will be looking for new ways to purchase required supplies and services from local vendors and help develop local workers as often as possible.

“Our leadership has challenged our commands at all levels to be creative and aggressive in carrying out the Afghan First program,” Smith said.

[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.]