In this bulletin:

• At least two killed in Afghan cargo plane crash
• Afghan blast kills Canada troops
• Bodies of four soldiers begin journey home
• Statement by Prime Minister Harper on the death of four Canadian soldiers
• Afghanistan Condemns Bombing
• Deaths will not deter mission, says Defence Minister
• Taliban Militants Attack U.S-Backed Construction Company in Afghanistan, Kill Security Guard
• Fighting Escalates in Southern Afghanistan
• Afghan security makes world safer: Britain
• President Karzai Returns to Kabul after His Historic Visit to the Province of Badghis
• Trust vote: MPs clash over definition of 'majority'
• Analysis: Afghan President Gets Key Cabinet Picks, But At What Price?
• Interview: Rejected Afghan Culture Minister Tells What's Next
• Pakistan Won't Speculate on Bin Laden
• Al-Qaeda finds its missing link in Iran

At least two killed in Afghan cargo plane crash

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A cargo plane crashed into houses in a southern Afghan town on Monday, killing at least one resident and a foreign military man on board, provincial officials said.

The plane crashed while trying to land at an airfield used by U.S.-led troops in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand, the administrative chief for the province, Mahaiuddin, told Reuters by telephone from the scene of the crash.

Eight Afghans were injured, four of them seriously, when the Russian-made aircraft plowed into their mud-walled homes, but so far only one person had died, according to hospital doctors and officials.

They were uncertain how many people had been aboard the plane, but a foreign military man was killed, and there were fears that others had perished too as the cockpit was completely destroyed, officials said.

Helmand has borne the brunt of a growing insurgency by Taliban fighters, and it is also Afghanistan's main drug producing region, but several officials ruled out any chance that the aircraft had been fired on or sabotaged.

Minutes after the crash, foreign troops cordoned off the crash site as ambulances took the injured out and one helicopter was also seen ferrying casualties to a military base for U.S.-led forces.

British Defense Secretary John Reid was due on Monday to visit British troops stationed in Helmand, but was making a stopover in Kandahar when the cargo plane crashed in Lashkar Gah.

His travel plans were thrown into some doubt as one of the planes being used for his visit had been seconded to help with the emergency in Lashkar Gah, officials said.

An official who declined to be named said the cargo plane appeared to have been used by counter-narcotic forces employed by the U.S. government. A U.S. embassy official said he was investigating. (With additional reporting by Robert Birsel and Abdul Qodous)

Afghan blast kills Canada troops – BBC

Four Canadian soldiers have been killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan, Canadian military officials have said. The blast happened in the Shah Wali Kot district to the north of Kandahar, spokesman Lt Mark MacIntyre said.

The soldiers were travelling in a military convoy when their armoured vehicle was hit, Lt MacIntyre said. Canada has about 2,300 troops in Afghanistan. In February, it took charge of an international force hunting down former Taleban members.

According to Lt MacIntyre, the blast happened at about 0730 (0300 GMT) as the Canadian soldiers were on patrol. "Other soldiers secured the area and tried to rescue them but to no avail," he said. Fifteen Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.

Bodies of four soldiers begin journey home - MURRAY BREWSTER Canadian Press

Kandahar, Afghanistan — The bodies of four Canadian soldiers killed in a roadside bomb attack over the weekend have begun their final journey home.

In a ceremony that has become all-too familiar at Kandahar airfield, the flag-draped caskets were carried into the open belly of a Hercules transport for Monday's flight to Trenton, Ont.

Over 3,000 coalition troops — Canadian, American, British, Australian, Dutch, French, Romanian and Estonian — lined the concrete taxiway as light armoured vehicles bore the fallen soldiers to the edge of the formation.

The pallbearers, friends and comrades in arms, took them the rest of the way up the ramp of the aircraft with a bagpiper solemnly in lock-step behind them. "Into your hands Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers," intoned Captain David McLeod, a Roman Catholic padre with the Canadian Forces. "In this life you have raised them with your tender love. Deliver them now from every evil."

Once aboard the aircraft, Canadian Brigadier-General David Fraser, the coalition commander in southern Afghanistan, and some of his personal protection force held their own, private farewells. Two of the soldiers killed in Saturday's improvised explosive attack were part of the general's detail.

They had been returning to Kandahar airfield by road following a goodwill visit by Fraser on Friday to the village of Gumbad, 75 kilometres north of here. The general returned by helicopter Friday night.

Corporal Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell and Lieutenant William Turner all died at the scene of the attack, a dried up riverbed. The fourth soldier — Cpl. Randy Payne — died of his wounds in hospital.

Friends and comrades in arms remembered all of them fondly. In recalling Lieut. Turner — Bill to his friends — Sergeant Pete Maltais became choked up. "He was compassionate. He was dedicated to his job ... and he was a friend," said the straight-talking military police officer, who spent time with Lieut. Turner at Gumbad.

Sgt. Maltais said he was happy to see such a large turnout for the ramp ceremony among coalition troops. "As a soldier, you know, what's important is the beginning of the remembrance, so we don't forget what they've done," he said. "When you die doing what you want to do, you're doing for the right reasons and you feel useful, right? That's what counts."

The four had been travelling in a lightly armoured G-Wagon when it was rocked by a huge blast, likely from an explosive buried in the rock-strewn wadi. It was the worst one-day combat loss for the Canadian army since the Korean War.

The Canadian flag outside of the coalition headquarters remained at half-mast, even though the flag above the Peace Tower on the Parliament buildings in Ottawa remained at normal station. The newly elected Conservative government has said it will no longer lower the flag to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed, a break with tradition established by the Liberals.

A total of 15 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died since 2002 when Canada first became involved in Afghanistan following the ouster of the hard-line Taliban regime. An investigation has been launched into the attack.

Statement by Prime Minister Harper on the death of four Canadian soldiers - April 22, 2006 Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement today, upon learning four Canadian soldiers were killed when their armoured G-Wagon was struck by a roadside bomb near the Gumbad platoon house at about 7:30 a.m. Kandahar time this morning.

“This morning, I learned that four Canadian soldiers had made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. They were Corporal Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieutenant William Turner and a forth soldier whose family has requested he not yet be named. All died serving their country.

“These men were working to bring security, democracy, self-sufficiency and prosperity to the Afghan people and to protect Canadians' national and collective security. We will not forget their selfless contribution to Canada.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and co-workers of these four brave men. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

“Canada’s mission in Afghanistan faces significant risks such as this daily. I am proud of the work that is being done there, and the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to do it.”

Afghanistan Condemns Bombing

Ottawa – The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Canada expressed his government’s sympathy to the families of the four Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan today.

Amb. Omar Samad said “The Afghan Government strongly condemns this act of terror, and will not rest until the perpetrators of such attacks are brought to justice.” He added, “the Afghan government and people are grateful for the dedication and courage shown by Canadian and other multi-national troops in helping us secure the volatile Southern belt of the country.”

Embassy of Afghanistan

April 22, 2006

Deaths will not deter mission, says Defence Minister
James Gordon Sunday, April 23, 2006, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA -- The deaths of four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan will not deter international efforts to rebuild the war-torn country, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said Saturday.

Accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier, O'Connor told a press conference in Ottawa he didn't believe the tragedy would cause public support for the mission to wane.

"We're not going to let the terrorists win, and I believe Canadians understand that and they're behind the armed forces and they're behind this mission," the minister said.

The deaths come just two weeks after a debate in the House of Commons over the country's role and goals in Afghanistan. Although all parties appeared supportive - despite NDP leader Jack Layton's complaints the government wasn't being forthcoming enough - there is a growing chorus among peace activists that Canada should get out.

Recent polling also suggests regular citizens are split over the deployment. There are approximately 2,200 Canadian Forces personnel serving in southern Afghanistan as part of the U.S.-led operation.

Although O'Connor acknowledged differences of opinion among some groups regarding Canada's presence there, he pledged the government will stay the course.

"Our military, diplomatic, development and police contribution to this international effort is important, and these brave soldiers did not die in vain," he said.

Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lt. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne were killed Saturday when their light-armoured G-Wagon was hit by a roadside bomb north of Kandahar.

In a written statement Saturday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the four soldiers were working to protect Canadians' national and collective security.

"We will not forget their selfless contribution to Canada," Harper said. ``On behalf of all Canadians, I extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and co-workers of these four brave men."

Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada also expressed sympathy for the soldiers' loved ones. ``The Afghan government strongly condemns this act of terror, and will not rest until the perpetrators of such attacks are brought to justice," Omar Samad said in a written statement. ``The Afghan government and people are grateful for the dedication and courage shown by Canadian and other multi-national troops in helping us secure the volatile Southern belt of the country.''

In an interview Saturday, Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh suggested now is not the time to question the role of the Canadian Forces overseas or the possibility of extending the mission.

"Now is the time to show support for the families left behind," he said.

Asked whether or not the soldiers might have survived if they had been riding in a more heavily-armoured vehicles, Gen. Hillier argued the Mercedes-built G-Wagon is the right tool for the job.

"Any armoured vehicle can be defeated if you pile enough explosive into one location, and manage to detonate it at the appropriate and specific point in time," he explained, noting the crater left by the bomb was "huge."

Gen. Hillier added that while the military is doing everything it can to reduce

the risk to its soldiers, preparation and planning can only go so far. "We cannot reduce the risk to zero when somebody who wants to work every day to stop progress is willing to continue to try and kill you," he said.

Meanwhile, the government said it will no longer lower the flag on Parliament Hill to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed overseas. "We have returned to the 80-year tradition of remembering all casualties of war or operations on one day - Nov. 11," he said, adding the Liberals were "inconsistent" with the tribute over the past few years.

"Within the Defence Department, we are following our policies and you'll see, in appropriate places, the flags are at half mast." Ottawa Citizen

Taliban Militants Attack U.S-Backed Construction Company in Afghanistan, Kill Security Guard - By NOOR KHAN / Associated Press

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan Apr 23, 2006 (AP)— Taliban militants attacked a construction company working for coalition forces Sunday, killing a security guard and wounding two others, the company's director said.

The attack occurred on the Uruzgan-Kandahar highway near a southern Kandahar provincial village where four Canadian soldiers were killed in a suspected Taliban roadside bombing a day earlier.

A group of heavily armed militants launched a two-hour gun battle against the headquarters of the Thavazoo company in Shah Wali Kot district, said Haji Mohammed Youssef, the company's director.

One guard was killed and two were wounded before the remaining security personnel fled, Youssef said. The Taliban fighters then entered the compound, burning 14 trucks and bulldozers and stealing equipment before escaping.

Youssef said coalition forces gave him a contract to build a 25-mile stretch of road, 15 miles of which have been completed. "Coalition forces are giving us money to help rebuild our country, but the enemies of Afghanistan don't want us to succeed," he told The Associated Press.

Militants have been stepping up attacks against coalition and Afghan forces in a bid to derail reconstruction efforts, four years after a U.S.-led military force toppled the Taliban government for harboring Osama bin Laden.

Also Saturday, U.S. and Afghan soldiers arrested 16 Taliban members in two raids in southern Zabul province, which neighbors Kandahar, local Afghan army commander Gen. Rahmattalluh Roufi said Sunday.

"The Americans are questioning them now to see if they are important Taliban members or not," Roufi told the AP.

It was unclear if the arrests or Sunday's Taliban attack were linked to the killing of the four Canadian soldiers, the deadliest attack on that nation's troops since they deployed here in 2002.

Canadian officers blamed Taliban militants for detonating a massive roadside bomb that destroyed one of four armored vehicles in a convoy in Gomboth, a village about 25 miles north of the southern city of Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold. The blast was followed by militants and soldiers exchanging gunfire before the extremists fled.

A 2,200-soldier Canadian contingent moved into southern Afghanistan to relieve U.S. troops. Canada has had forces in the country since the U.S.-led offensive that toppled the Taliban at the end of 2001, and a total of at least 16 Canadians have been killed.

Rising violence is a growing concern for nations contributing troops to a force operating here under a NATO mandate. The force is to rise from its current 10,000 soldiers to about 21,000 by November as it gradually assumes command of international troops in Afghanistan.

Some 6,000 mainly British, Canadian and Dutch soldiers have started deploying in the south. The remote, tribal-dominated region near the border wit Pakistan is considered a haven for Taliban and al-Qaida extremists.

Fighting Escalates in Southern Afghanistan By NOOR KHAN AP Apr 23

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Afghan security forces surrounded Taliban fighters hiding in a village in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, launching a gunbattle that killed at least three militants and a police officer.

Elsewhere in the region, Taliban militants attacked an Afghan construction company working for coalition forces, killing a security guard.

The fighting came as visiting British Defense Secretary John Reid said coalition troops must maintain their offensive against Taliban and al-Qaida militants to prevent their return to power.

"The greatest danger of all for the people of Afghanistan and the people of the United Kingdom would be if Afghanistan ever again came under the rule of a Taliban regime prepared to protect al-Qaida or terrorist groups," Reid told reporters in the capital, Kabul.

Afghan police and soldiers fought Taliban militants in the volatile Gelan district of southern Ghazni province about 75 miles southwest of Kabul, said provincial Gov. Haji Sher Alam. Three Taliban fighters and a policeman were killed, he told The Associated Press.

The attack on the construction company occurred on the Uruzgan-Kandahar highway near a southern Kandahar village where four Canadian soldiers were killed in a suspected Taliban roadside bombing a day earlier.

A group of heavily armed militants waged a two-hour attack against the headquarters of the Thavazoo company in Shah Wali Kot district, about 25 miles north of Kandahar city, said Haji Mohammed Youssef, the company's director.

One guard was killed and two were wounded before the remaining security personnel fled, Youssef said. The Taliban fighters then entered the compound, burned 14 trucks and bulldozers and stole equipment before escaping.

Youssef said coalition forces gave him a contract to build a 25-mile stretch of road.

"Coalition forces are giving us money to help rebuild our country, but the enemies of Afghanistan don't want us to succeed," he told The AP.

On Saturday, U.S. and Afghan soldiers arrested 16 Taliban members in two raids in the southern Zabul province, which neighbors Kandahar, local Afghan army commander Gen. Rahmattalluh Roufi said Sunday.

"The Americans are questioning them now to see if they are important Taliban members or not," Roufi told the AP.

It was unclear if the arrests or the Taliban attack on the construction company were linked to the killing of the four Canadian soldiers, the deadliest attack on that nation's troops since they deployed here in 2002.

Militants have stepped up attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, particularly across southern Afghanistan, in a bid to derail reconstruction efforts four years after a U.S.-led military force toppled the Taliban regime for harboring Osama bin Laden.

Rising violence is a growing concern for nations contributing troops to a force operating here under a NATO mandate. The force is to rise from its current 10,000 soldiers to about 21,000 by November as it gradually assumes command of all international troops in Afghanistan.

Some 6,000 mainly British, Canadian and Dutch soldiers have started deploying in remote tribal-dominated southern region. Britain's deployment coincides with its taking control of the NATO mission in May for three years.

Afghan security makes world safer: Britain - By Robert Birsel

KABUL (Reuters) - British troops will see through their mission in     Afghanistan to make it and the world at large a safer place, Britain's defense minister said on Sunday.

Britain is taking over command of Afghanistan's NATO-led peacekeeping force next month and will soon have 3,300 troops based in the violent south of the country. Other NATO members, including Canada and the Netherlands will also have thousands of troops in the south as NATO takes over security from a U.S.-led force hunting militants.

"We never forget the immediate reason that brought us to Afghanistan this time," Defense Secretary John Reid told a news conference, referring to the September 11 attacks on the United States.

"All of the dangers we face have to be put in the context of the greatest danger of all ... if Afghanistan ever again came under the rule of a Taliban regime prepared to protect al Qaeda."

Britain has had troops in Afghanistan since soon after U.S. and Afghan opposition forces ousted the Taliban in late 2001, after they refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the architect of the attacks on the United States.

The NATO troops are arriving during a surge in violence by the Taliban who said last month they had launched a spring offensive in their campaign to rid the country of foreign forces and topple the Western-backed government.

Reid arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday, a day after four Canadian soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb blast in the southern province of Kandahar.

The expansion of the NATO force into the south has raised questions among critics in some countries who fear the troops will get bogged down in a relentless insurgency funded in part by Afghanistan's huge narcotics trade.

Questions have been raised in Britain about whether enough soldiers were being sent to the south but Reid rejected a British newspaper report that he had been asked for an extra 600 troops.

Reid also stressed the distinction between the NATO-led peacekeeping force and the U.S.-led force hunting militants.

"We're in the south to help and protect the Afghan people to reconstruct their economy and democracy. We would be perfectly happy to leave in three year's time without firing one shot," he said.

British troops would not be directly involved in tackling Afghanistan's huge drug trade, but would focus on security to allow anti-drugs efforts to go ahead, another official said.

President Karzai Returns to Kabul after His Historic Visit to the Province of Badghis – Date of Release: 22 April 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, returned to Kabul this evening after his historic visit to the province Badghis. President Karzai is the first leader of Afghanistan to visit the province of Badghis.

During this visit, the President laid the foundation stone of a new regional hospital, inaugurated a 400KW Diesel Generator and a bridge in Qala-e-Naw and met with the people of Badghis.

The new regional hospital will be built and equipped with 2.5 million Euros in funding from the Government of Spain. This facility’s diagnostic and treatment technologies will be state-of-the-art, including CT scanning, general radiology, ultrasound and a well-stocked pharmacy. It will also have major and minor surgery facilities and obstetrical and gynecology care.

The 400KW Diesel Generator was provided and constructed by the Spanish PRT in Qala-e-Naw. This new power generation facility provides 200 households with electricity in Qala-e-Naw.

While addressing a gathering of medical staff and health workers in Qala-e-Naw the President said, “The Government will work hard in the coming years to provide accessible and cost-effective quality medical care to all Afghans in every corner of the country.”

“Those who kill our medical staff are the enemies of Afghanistan. Afghans never kill doctors; it is the foreign mercenaries who kill our doctors. It’s the duty of the people of Afghanistan to safeguard health centers and medical staff.”

The President also visited the girls’ High School in Qala-e-Naw, met with teachers and students and discussed the situation of education in Badghis. The students asked the President to assist them with scholarships, teaching materials, computers and electricity.

While speaking to the students the President said, “I have instructed the Minister of Higher Education to provide scholarships to the students of remote provinces.”

The people of Badghis asked the President to assist them in the reconstruction of Herat-Badghis road and provide Badghis with safe water. The President assured them that the Government is working with the US Government on the reconstruction of the Herat-Kabul road.

The President added “The Minister of Energy will be going to Turkmenistan tomorrow to discuss the transfer of electricity from Turkmenistan to Badghis.”

After visiting the Spanish PRT, the President, on behalf o the people of Afghanistan, thanked the people and Government of Spain for their commitment to the reconstruction and security of Afghanistan.

The Spanish Ambassador reiterated his Government’s commitment to assist the people of Afghanistan with reconstruction and security.

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

Trust vote: MPs clash over definition of 'majority' - Makia Monir and Zubair Babakarkhail 

KABUL, Apr 23 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Hectic debate was again triggered in the lower house of parliament on the fate of three ministers who have got less than 50 per cent votes but approved by the House on Saturday.

The three included Communication Minister Amirzai Sangeen, Minister for Refugees' Affairs Ustad Akbar Akbar and Minister for Urban Development Yousuf Pashtun have got 120/244, 118/244 and 121/244 votes respectively.

Some MPs objected their approval as minister arguing that they remained short of getting 50 per cent 'yes' votes; however, the imbroglio was resolved on Saturday when majority of legislators again approved them through show of hand.

The MPs on Sunday clashed over the issue whether to reverse the process in respect of the three ministers or not. However, the session was adjourned by the speaker without reaching a consensus.

To untie the tangle, the legislators during their speeches, forwarded four suggestions: To hold voting afresh for the three people; to assign a commission of law-makers to amicably decide the issue; and to outrightly accept or reject them as ministers.

Today's debate ended without defining the 'majority' by the parliamentarians. Many advocated only simple majority was enough to approve a nominated person as minister, while others argued that the hopeful must obtain 50 per cent votes.

Challenging the approval of the three ministers, MP from Kabul Kabir Ranjbar said majority meant more than 50 per cent votes for a candidate. He said he was ready to defend his stance even in the international court. "I'm not against the three individuals, but the decision is contrary to the constitution," said Ranjbar.

Earlier, some 20 members of the parliament left the House to mark their protest against restarting debate on an issue, which they believed, had already been decided. The agenda for today's session was briefing by the finance and budget commission before the parliament but it was suspended in face of legislators' speeches on the ministers.

Analysis: Afghan President Gets Key Cabinet Picks, But At What Price? - Amin Tarzi Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Friday, April 21, 2006

The lower house of the Afghan parliament approved 20 of President Hamid Karzai's 25 cabinet nominees on April 20. The outcome illustrates that the People's Council (Wolesi Jirga) can function as an effective democratic forum. It also suggests that -- for now -- Karzai supporters in the lower house outnumber detractors. But two rejections -- of the only female nominee and of the long-serving culture minister -- could hint at trouble to come.

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The confirmations of three key nominees -- at the Defense (General Abdul Rahim Wardak), Foreign (Rangin Dadfar Spanta) and Finance (Anwar al-Haq Ahadi) ministries -- represent a significant achievement for President Karzai.

They also signal a clear defeat for the fractured opposition led by lower-house speaker and former presidential candidate Mohammad Yunos Qanuni.

But Karzai's broader victory might bring unforeseen consequences in the longer term, as he appears to have received the backing of conservative religious elements in the National Assembly.

While not unified under any single party, lawmakers in this fundamentalist bloc tend to focus on issues related to religion -- as opposed to ethnicity, language, or national origin. Many regard themselves as part of a united front to guard and interpret Afghanistan's Islamic identity.

Legislators dismissed five of the president's choices -- including Women's Affairs nominee Soraya Rahim-Sobhrang and Culture Minister Sayyed Makhdum Rahin. The other rejections were Gol Husayn Ahmadi (Transport and Aviation), Mohammad Amin Farhang (Economy and Labor), and Mohammad Haidar Reza (Commerce and Industry). Vote counts suggest Rahim-Sobhrang and Rahin met with Islamist hostility.

Rahim-Sobhrang was the only woman on Karzai's list of nominees. Karzai told RFE/RL in early April that he felt women were well represented in Afghan political life -- pointing specifically to the bicameral legislature, the National Assembly. As a result, he suggested, his cabinet was recruited "for practical reasons" and "not political reasons." Karzai claimed the "place of women in Afghanistan has been secured, and women have the support of the people."

It is true that more than one in four National Assembly members is a woman. But it is also true that -- with a few exceptions -- none of those women would have reached parliament without the constitutional quota for female representation.

Karzai is likely to nominate another woman to be the next women's affairs minister. But the voting on April 20 illustrated how the conservatives feel about the status of women in Afghan society.

The rejection of nominee and current Culture Minister Rahin was arguably a serious blow to the cause of individual rights and freedoms in Afghanistan. A cultural battle has raged in the country since the early post-Taliban period between Islamists -- led by Supreme Court Chief Justice Mawlawi Fazl Hadi Shinwari -- and Rahin's Culture Ministry over proper constraints on the media and cultural activities.

Karzai's choice to replace Rahin will say much about the future of Afghan culture. The committee in the lower house that oversees culture and media is solidly in the hands of conservatives, who are likely to push for a like-minded minister.

An 80-percent success rate -- including key ministries -- will probably have pleased President Karzai and his administration. But the first major showdown between the country's young parliament and its powerful presidency is not over. Karzai said before the confirmation process that the legislature should be obliged to publicly defend its rejection of nominees.

Afghanistan would be well served by explanations from the People's Council as to why those five ministerial nominees were unacceptable. That is particularly the case with Rahim-Sobhrang and Rahin, two ministers who have worked with Karzai from the outset and have a record on which their rejections might be based.

Interview: Rejected Afghan Culture Minister Tells What's Next - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Friday, April 21, 2006

Afghan lawmakers have refused to let two sitting cabinet ministers return to their posts. Parliamentarians voted to reject President Hamid Karzai's nomination of Economy Minister Amin Farhang and Information and Culture Minister Sayyed Makhdum Rahin to hold the same posts in the country's new cabinet. Both men have served in Karzai's cabinet for about three years. Earlier, proposed Foreign Minister Dadfar Rangin Espanta and Defense Minister Abdulrahim Vardak were approved. However many other proposed ministers, such as the women's affairs, transport, and commerce ministers, were also rejected. RFE/RL Tajik Service correspondent Darius Rajabian today asked Makhdum Rahin how he felt after his candidacy was rejected by parliamentarians.

Rahin: I have to tell you that regardless of the vote of the friends (members of parliament), I feel proud of my very valuable service to Afghanistan's mass media, culture, and art.

RFE/RL: So, why did the lawmakers refuse to allow you back to your office? Do you have some shortcoming?

Rahin: I think all tribal and nontribal extremists from different ethnic groups probably do not agree with me, for I took a very sober yet strict path regarding all ethnic and religious issues.

RFE/RL: Could you recall the successful things you accomplished during your ministerial term?

Rahin: I will summarize my activities in one sentence: the things that occurred during the last four and a half years in the Afghan Information and Culture Ministry are unprecedented in the last half a century.

RFE/RL: What exactly have you done?

Rahin: To be precise, I have to tell you that the steps taken by the ministry towards the freedom of expression and its institutionalization -- even if we had to take some risky moves -- are unprecedented for this country.

RFE/RL: What are your plans for the future now that you are no longer a minister?

Rahin: I teach at Kabul University and will keep working there. And my cultural and media activities will not be interrupted as they have been ongoing for the last 20 years.

Pakistan Won't Speculate on Bin Laden

Islamabad (AP) - Pakistan has no information on where Osama bin Laden could be hiding, a Cabinet minister said Monday, following the broadcast of a new audio tape purportedly from the al-Qaida chief.

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao refused to comment on the tape, broadcast Sunday by Arab news network Al-Jazeera. But he said Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorism were not focused on just trapping bin Laden, long suspected to be hiding in Pakistan's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

"It is not to arrest one particular person but to curb terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," Sherpao told The Associated Press.

"We have no information on his whereabouts," he said, adding that he would not speculate on bin Laden's presence at the border "unless we get credible information."

In the tape, bin Laden issued new threats and accused the United States and Europe of supporting a "Zionist" war on Islam by cutting off funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Bin Laden also urged followers to go to Sudan, his former base, to fight a proposed U.N. peacekeeping force.

In Sudan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Eldin Mohammad Ibrahim said the country was "not concerned with such statements" and would not host any terrorist groups, according to the Al Sahafa newspaper.

In the tape, bin Laden called on "mujahedeen and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arab peninsula, to prepare for long war again the crusader plunderers in Western Sudan. Our goal is not defending the Khartoum government but to defend Islam, its land and its people."

The government has been accused of unleashing Arab tribal militia known as the Janjaweed against civilians in a campaign of murder, rape and arson — a charge it denies. At least 180,000 people have died — many from hunger and disease — and 2 million people have been displaced.

Negotiators are trying to broker a peace deal between warring factions by an April 30 deadline. Members of the African Union have agreed in principle to hand over peacekeeping duties to the United Nations this fall.

"Sudan will cooperate with the international community and we are committed to the international charter, and we will not host any terrorist," Ibrahim was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Al-Qaida is not believed to have direct links to Hamas, which is an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was quick to distance the group from bin Laden, declaring that "the ideology of Hamas is totally different from the ideology of Sheik bin Laden."

The groups do, however, share an anti-Israel ideology that calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. And recent reports in Middle East media have said al-Qaida is trying to build cells in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and Sudan. Israel has indicted two West Bank militants for al-Qaida membership. Israeli government spokesman Raanan Gissin said it appeared bin Laden decided to issue the tape to deflect growing Arab animosity toward al-Qaida.

The intelligence community in the United States informed the White House on Sunday that it believed the latest bin Laden tape was authentic, said presidential spokesman Scott McClellan. "The al-Qaida leadership is on the run and under a lot of pressure," McClellan said.

The rugged Afghanistan-Pakistan border has been regarded as the likely hiding place of bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, since they fled Afghanistan in late 2001 when a U.S.-led military campaign ousted the Taliban regime that had granted them sanctuary.

Pakistan — a key U.S. ally in the war against terrorism — has deployed about 80,000 troops to its border tribal regions to track down militants and says it has arrested more than 700 al-Qaida suspects. Most of the top figures it has captured, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the planner of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, were trapped in major cities.

Last week, the government said it killed a senior Syrian operative, Marwan Hadid al-Suri, 38, alleged to be behind attacks on U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan and against Pakistan's security forces. He also allegedly distributed money to terrorists and their families. He was shot to death in a gunbattle with Pakistani agents near the Bajur tribal region.

Afghans' Uneasy Peace With Democracy - In Discord Over Convert's Trial, Muslims Say They Identify With Islamic Law First - By Pamela Constable Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, April 22, 2006\

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 21 -- The Herati Mosque stands in one of the Afghan capital's most modern neighborhoods. Its imam, Abdul Rauf, was one of the few local clerics to criticize the rigid Islamic views and harsh punishments of the Taliban movement when it ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

But last month, when an Afghan man was put on trial here for converting to Christianity, Rauf led the emotional charge to demand his execution under Islamic law. The public would "cut him into pieces" if the authorities failed to act, Rauf said.

The convert, Abdul Rahman, was hastily flown to Italy on March 29 after prosecutors declared him mentally incompetent to stand trial. That averted a showdown between the Afghan government and the Western powers that have financed and defended it for the past four years.

Since then, though, the incident has resonated bitterly among Afghan Muslims and put President Hamid Karzai on the defensive, highlighting the difficulties of trying to establish a modern democracy in a Muslim society where deeply held religious values stress submission and conformity over individual rights.

"You must understand how shameful it is for us that a Muslim would become a Christian," said Rauf, a cheerful man who rides a bicycle to his mosque each day. "If other people want to join Islam, we encourage and appreciate them. But ours is the complete and final religion. If you leave it, that is like throwing God away."

Sitting cross-legged in his tiny office, Rauf proudly showed an itinerary of a trip he made to the United States two years ago, visiting mosques and churches in several states. Then he opened a copy of the Koran and read in Arabic a verse saying that Allah is the God of all creation.

"It is true, I criticized the Taliban because they were so harsh and tortured people," Rauf said. "But if you leave Islam, our law says you must be killed. If Abdul Rahman stood before me right now, I would kill him myself."

Ask most Afghans about the potential conflicts between Islam and democracy, such as those exposed by the Rahman case, and they vigorously deny the questions' premise. Many point out that Afghanistan now has a freely elected president and parliament, an independent judiciary and press, and a new constitution that says no laws shall contradict the principles of Islam.

Members of the clergy, traditionally the most influential segment of this tribal, largely illiterate society, tend to add a major caveat. The Western world, they say, has no right to interfere in Afghanistan's religious affairs, and outsiders should not confuse Afghan desires for political freedom with a shift to permissive views on personal behavior.

"We have no enmity with the West, but if the West wants us to live in democracy, it must let us make our own decisions," said Enayatullah Balegh, imam of the large Pul-I-Khishti mosque. "Islam is everything to us. It is more powerful than our constitution. We appreciate honest help, but we ask that you not interfere, or else we will have no choice but to become suicide bombers."

In public, few Afghans are willing to question the authority of the clergy or the inviolability of Islamic law. But some, including college students, journalists, human rights advocates and government officials, say they support a more moderate interpretation of their religion.

Some suggest that extremists may have provoked controversies such as the Rahman case to incite religious fervor or weaken the Karzai government. Islamic insurgents are trying to destabilize the country, and Muslim sensitivities have been aroused by the publication of anti-Islamic cartoons in Europe and the mistreatment of Muslim detainees in U.S. military custody.

This month, the Karzai administration is attempting to solidify its power by naming a new cabinet and Supreme Court. The high court appointments are especially sensitive because the chief justice, an elderly Muslim cleric, has used his office to battle all forms of liberalization, including women singing on TV and editorials questioning Islamic law.

Karzai, seeking change through compromise, has reappointed the chief justice but nominated several justices known to have more moderate views. One is Qasim Hashimzai, the deputy justice minister, an articulate man who wears pinstriped suits and returned several years ago from long exile in the West.

"The principles of Islamic jurisprudence are perfectly logical and consistent with democratic political institutions, and the Koran gives people lots of freedom," Hashimzai said. "But it all depends who interprets Islam -- a rigid person, a moderate person or a one-eyed person."

He said that severe legal punishments, such as execution for converting to another faith, stemmed from earlier times, when Islam was under threat, and made less sense today. In the case of Rahman's high-profile prosecution, he said, "I think political hands were behind it. Someone wanted to test the system, to put the government in confrontation with Islam and with the West."

Day to day, there is little friction between politics and religion here. Most Afghans seem eager to choose leaders and express political opinions, but they are careful to adhere to Islamic cultural customs, such as arranged marriages, and say they would not dream of converting.

The government, for its part, invokes Islam at every turn but has so far refrained from carrying out extreme physical punishments reminiscent of Taliban rule. On the other hand, some legislators say Afghanistan's post-Taliban democracy is too young to withstand disruptive assaults on its official religion.

Shahzada Shahid, a member of parliament and Muslim cleric from Konar province, said he tried to calm his colleagues during two days of emotional debate last month over the Rahman case.

"I told them, 'We are a new democracy, our government is weak, and we need the international forces here to defend us,' " Shahid said. "But the West has to be very careful." It should not encourage people such as the novelist Salman Rushdie, the target in 1989 of an Iranian death order, or other people who speak against Islam. "These simple issues could bring about a real crisis in our society," Shahid said.

A few younger, educated Afghans said they strongly disagreed with executing a convert or enforcing harsh punishments, but they said they could not afford to be quoted for fear they would be ostracized and possibly hounded.

One young man, who works as an interpreter for a foreign government office, said he was the only one among his friends who thought Rahman's life should be spared. "It was shocking to see how obsessed people became over this," he said. "There are some moderate Afghans who think the way I do, but our mullahs are very strict, and many people are not educated, so they follow them."

He said many Afghans were upset with the president for allowing Rahman to leave the country. "They think Karzai has become a symbol of the West," he said.

At the Herati Mosque on Friday, several hundred men crammed into the sanctuary for weekly prayers. They included blue-jeaned teenagers, uniformed soldiers, middle-aged men in business attire and graybeards in robes and turbans. Afghan women are not permitted to worship in mosques.

After the service, worshipers offered nearly identical opinions, saying Islam was a democratic and beneficent faith -- but that no one had the right to leave it.

"Islam is the most perfect religion in the world. We have accepted it, and we should stick to it," said Mahmad Humayun, 35, a clean-shaven science instructor at Kabul University. "Islam is the basis for democracy. It gives rights to all people. Therefore, we must all think very carefully and never do anything to cause Islam problems."

Al-Qaeda finds its missing link in Iran - By Syed Saleem Shahzad Asia Times Online April 22, 2006

KARACHI - The US-led "war on terror" is entering a critical phase, with the al-Qaeda leadership being given a chance to revitalize its cause now that Iran is in the US crosshairs over its nuclear program.

"Tehran has taken over the central stage by challenging American hegemony," Hamid Gul told Asia Times Online. "Tehran is today's inspiration force. It charms the Arab youths on the streets. The Arab rulers are terrified of this development, and this is the reason they are coming to Pakistan one after another."

Gul is a former corps commander of the Pakistani army and ex-director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence. Persian-speaking Gul is reckoned as one of the architects of the jihadi movements that finally turned global and made Afghanistan their base in the mid- and late 1990s when the Taliban ruled.

Gul was referring to visits to Pakistan by Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salah. Islamabad is a US outpost in the "war on terror" that the two prominent Arab leaders visited, while at least one more is scheduled in coming weeks.

Contacts close to the echelons of power in Pakistan's military headquarters, Rawalpindi, tell Asia Times Online that judging from the pattern of talks, all of the Muslim countries that side with the United States anticipate a US attack on Iran around October.

And, according to these contacts, their strategy is to consolidate opinion in the Organization of Islamic Conferences to be prepared. This does not mean stopping the attack, but being ready for the fallout in the Middle East and beyond.

"Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's anti-American calls have become the voice of today's Arab youths. They see in him a hero, and it has shaken the foundations of pro-American dictators and monarchs," Gul explained.

"They [Arab rulers] are anxious and restive. They are seeing their doomsday started. Since Pakistan and Arab rulers operate under the US umbrella, they are basically joining their heads together to contain the Iranian threat.

"The way Iran has spun its web in the region, all strategic levers are coming into Tehran's hands. The Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan led by [Gulbuddin] Hekmatyar is part of the Islamic movement and already close to Iran, but it is only a matter of time when Taliban-related movements will resolve all differences with Iran and join hands with Tehran," Gul said.

Historically, Arabs have viewed Iran with hostility, and there are some who are skeptical whether Iran will continue in its current role as anti-US champion should back-channel diplomacy, especially involving Russia and China, lead to a resolution of the crisis over its nuclear program.

Within two weeks, the International Atomic Energy Agency will give a final report to the United Nations Security Council, the results of which could determine whether or not sanctions are imposed on Iran.

Critics argue that should the crisis be defused, Iran will back down from its present rhetoric and leave all radicals in the lurch. After all, they argue, Tehran has indirectly facilitated US interests in the region, be they in Afghanistan or Iraq.

"I don't agree with this notion," Gul said dismissively. "Iran raised funds for Hamas at a time when the whole Muslim world was sympathetic with Hamas but did not dare to openly support them. Iran [this week] pledged [US]$50 million.

"At the same time, it is untrue that Iran supported US designs in the region. Instead, it cleverly played its cards and now it is evident that it has trapped the Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq," said Gul.

Iran's becoming a rallying point for anti-US sentiment in the Muslim world fits well with al-Qaeda. Asia Times Online has already outlined a pivotal debate in al-Qaeda on two major issues - the question of a base and that of a unified command structure (see Al-Qaeda goes back to base, November 4, 2005).

Integral to the first issue was whether al-Qaeda should get rid of its shadowy image and fight in the open. This would involve the establishment of an Islamic state (base) from which calls for jihad could be issued and jihadi forces prepared.

Al-Qaeda has achieved this target in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan on the Afghan border by setting up a virtual independent state, which is being expanded into South Waziristan and many towns in Afghanistan, in Kunar, Paktia, Khost, Helmand and Zabul provinces (see Revolution in the Pakistani mountains, March 23).

But although the Afghan resistance is linked with the Iraqi resistance and they have started open battles against US-led forces in Afghanistan, the question of a unified command that would control resistance movements whether they be in Iraq, Palestine or Afghanistan is still unanswered.

This is where Iran could now fit in, by evolving from an inspirational anti-US model to taking a lead role in orchestrating resistance movements, in collaboration with al-Qaeda.

For radical Islamists, the situation is a major turnaround for their cause of pan-Islamicism and one that could even resolve 1,400 years of historical, ideological and political differences in the Muslim world.

"The Islamic Revolution of Iran [1979] was in fact a victory of all Islamic movements which were striving to establish one Islamic role model in the world so that it would be an inspirational force and would convince the masses that the Islamic system of life was still workable after 1,400 years," Muslim intellectual Shahnawaz Farooqui explained to Asia Times Online.

Shahnawaz is a young Pakistan-based Muslim intellectual, a teacher, writer and a poet. His main work is in the field of the interpretation of Muslim history and Muslim ideologies. His views are often aired in the Iranian media.

"The Iranian revolution was in fact a complete revolution under the leadership of imam [Ruhollah] Khomeini. It was above any sectarian bounds. After the revolution, Khomeini announced that the base of Shi'ite-Sunni differences was historical rather than theological.

"Shi'ites believe that Ali deserved to be the first Muslim caliph, and they rejected all three before Ali and believe Ali is the first caliph. Sunnis believe that the first three caliphs, Bakr, Omar and Osman, are all [the] righteous [ones] and that Ali was the fourth caliph. Imam Khomeini addressed this issue and called it historical differences which had no connection with basic Islamic theology, and if Shi'ites gave up their historical point of view on the issue of the caliphate, it would make no difference, but on the other hand it would wipe out Shi'ite-Sunni differences once and for all," Shahnawaz maintained.

"Unfortunately, imam Khomeini could not convince anybody - neither his internal circles of clerics nor Al-Howza [the supreme Shi'ite religious council in Iraq] as no one among the Shi'ites was ready to give up their historical position on the question of the caliphate.

"However, the situation turned bad after the demise of Khomeini and it was felt that during the period of [ex-president Hashemi] Rafsanjani and [former president Mohammed] Khatami the Iranian revolution was somewhere lost.

"However, the victory of President Ahmadinejad has once again revived the very spirit of the Iranian revolution, and once again all Islamic movements, whether it is the Muslim Brotherhood, Jamaat-i-Islami, Hamas, Islamic Jihad or any other, are joining hands with Tehran," said Shahnawaz.

"To me, President Ahmadinejad has redeemed the Iranian Islamic revolution with all its ideological legacies," Shahnawaz added.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Bureau Chief, Pakistan, Asia Times Online.

[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.]