In this bulletin:

• Bomb 'kills four Afghan soldiers'
• Afghan students, state employees join police in poppy eradication
• Leaks of Military Files Resume
• Afghanistan: Helmand Province Violence Intensifies
• The Taleban stronghold of Waziristan
• Afghanistan remains main source of drugs – Karimov
• Anti-drugs body to construct three hydropower stations
• Canada accused of dishonoring its Afghan war dead
• Canadian Entertainers to Perform for Military in Afghanistan
• Iran's nuke crisis, Afghanistan and Darfur to top NATO talks
• Afghanistan keen to expand mutual, regional ties with Iran
• AFGHANISTAN: First ever ICT conference launched in Kabul

Bomb 'kills four Afghan soldiers' - BBC News Wednesday, 26 April 2006

Four Afghan soldiers involved in a coalition-led operation against militants have been killed by a bomb in eastern Kunar province, officials say.

Another three are reported to have been hurt in the blast in Sawkey district.

The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says this was the biggest loss for the Afghan army since the start of Operation Mountain Lion.

It comes a day after the US said three suspected militants died in an air strike in southern Helmand province.

In another incident, Afghan officials said on Tuesday five insurgents had been killed in fighting with Afghan police after suspected Taleban militants attacked a police station in neighbouring Kandahar province.

Operation Mountain Lion involves around 2,500 US and Afghan forces targeting suspected Taleban militants along the border with Pakistan.

The incident in Sawkey district happened on Tuesday night as an Afghan National Army vehicle was passing through the area. The governor of Kunar province, Assadullah Waffa, told the BBC the roadside bomb was "the work of the enemies of Afghanistan".

On Tuesday coalition aircraft fired missiles and a bomb at a meeting of suspected militants in Lashkar Gah district in Helmand province, the US military said.

A military statement said there was no damage to civilians or property.

Helmand province has been at the centre of a recent upsurge in fighting. The Taleban has threatened a spring offensive against foreign forces.

The US military said the people killed in the air strike were "responsible for launching numerous attacks against the Afghan government and coalition forces including financing terrorist activities".

There has been an upsurge in violence in southern Afghanistan over the last year, making some parts no-go areas for aid workers.

More than 3,000 British troops are being deployed in Helmand province in the coming months.

Afghan students, state employees join police in poppy eradication

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (AFP) - Hundreds of high school students and state employees joined Afghan police in destroying poppy fields in northern     Afghanistan, officials said. Which currency do you have the most faith in next year? 
 
Around 1,500 people, mostly students and government employees, gathered in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh, after local authorities said they lacked sufficient manpower to carry the eradication campaign across the province.

"We do not have enough funds, machinery and personnel but we have the firm support of people to help us manually in poppy eradication," provincial governor Attah Mohammad Noor told the volunteers.

"For the prosperity of our country and to banish the bad name drugs bring to Afghanistan, we volunteer to come every week and participate in poppy eradication," high school student Mohammad Amin said on Wednesday.

But poppy farmer Ghulam Nabi, whose crop was destroyed by stick-wielding volunteers who descended on his fields, said growers should be compensated for the loss of one crop and given assistance to plant alternatives.

"If they wanted to eradicated our poppy fields they should have warned us earlier when it was the cultivation season. Now we have worked for months, have spent money, and they come and destroy at the harvest time. This is not fair," he said.

Noor said some 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) of poppy fields had so far been destroyed in the campaign, which would be stretched to all districts in Balkh.

Afghanistan is one of the world's biggest producers of drugs. The     United Nations and the Afghan government have estimated the total export value of Afghanistan's opium in 2005 at 2.7 billion dollars, equivalent to 52 percent of the country's official gross domestic product.

Europe gets 90 percent of its opium from Afghanistan. The government has launched a drive to stem the mammoth drugs production by eradicating opium fields and encouraging farmers to grow other crops.

Leaks of Military Files Resume
Despite security efforts, flash drives stolen from U.S. base in Afghanistan are still sold at bazaar. By Paul Watson, The Los Angeles Times Staff Writer April 25, 2006

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — Just days after U.S. troops were ordered to plug a security breach at their base here, the black market trade in computer memory drives containing military documents was thriving again Monday.

Documents on flash drives for sale at a bazaar across from the American military base over the weekend contained U.S. officers' names and cellphone numbers and instructions on using pain to control prisoners who put up resistance. A study guide on one of the drives describes tactics for interrogating and controlling detainees by pinching or striking nerve and pressure points on their face, neck, arms and legs.

 Traders at the bazaar near Bagram's main gate were openly displaying pilfered U.S. military memory drives in their shops Monday, two weeks after the Los Angeles Times reported on the black market in computer equipment, some of which contained American military documents marked "Secret."

U.S. soldiers spent thousands of dollars later that week buying scores of flash memory drives from the bazaar. The soldiers walked through the black market with a box of money, purchasing all the computer equipment they could find. For several days afterward, no more memory drives were available.

But an 18-year-old Afghan man who works on the base said that by Friday, memory drives were being smuggled off the base again. The devices are smaller than disposable lighters.

Several shopkeepers have said in recent days that they are eager for the military to return to the market so they can sell their new stock for premium prices.

Some of the memory drives for sale earlier this month listed the names, addresses and photographs of Afghan spies providing information to U.S. Special Forces. Others that were also marked "Secret" included American military officials' view that the Taliban and their allies were using bases in Pakistan to launch attacks in Afghanistan. One had maps dated Dec. 1, 2001, the day after U.S. and Afghan militia forces began their offensive at Tora Bora, that described possible escape routes of Osama bin Laden. The routes in the maps start not at Tora Bora, where many had thought Bin Laden was at the time, but in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Some of the drives contained sensitive documents that had been deleted but could be retrieved with software available on the Internet. Files on some of the drives for sale at the bazaar Sunday had been deleted too. It was not known if any of those drives contained classified information.

Lt. Mike Cody, a spokesman for the U.S. military here, did not respond Monday to a request for comment on the renewed sales of flash drives.

At the Pentagon, Air Force Lt. Col. Todd Vician said Monday that U.S. forces in Afghanistan were continuing to investigate the theft of the equipment and how to prevent further security breaches at Bagram.

"It is important for the investigation to continue, to determine what the problem is," Vician said. "The command in Afghanistan is taking this very seriously. We are treating this as seriously as any release of classified, sensitive information."

On April 13, the Army launched a criminal investigation and Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, overall commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, ordered a review of policies and procedures concerning the way computer hardware and software are accounted for.

At the bazaar, the Bagram worker said guards carefully searched people leaving the base until Wednesday, less than a week after U.S. soldiers bought up the military computer equipment from the marketplace.

The teen, who described his job as collecting U.S. soldiers' laundry, said he had smuggled out four flash memory drives to a local shopkeeper after shift change Sunday afternoon.

"They were checking us with metal detectors and they were checking every part of our body," he said. "Still the checking is a little serious, but not as much as it was for the last four or five days. I tried to bring a box of playing cards out but it was really difficult and they said it was not allowed."

Several more U.S. military drives were on sale at other shops in the bazaar Monday. One shopkeeper said he had been selling pilfered American military flash drives for four years, mostly to young Afghan computer users looking for cheap equipment, but also to some foreigners.

"I may have sold thousands of these flashes since I have come and opened this shop," the shopkeeper said. He asked not to be named because he feared retribution.

A drive for sale Sunday contained numerous U.S. military documents, such as one that listed at least 21 names and cellphone numbers of officers, including the colonel in charge, of a communications unit identified as "CJ6."

On another drive, in a folder titled "Police Study Guides," a document described methods of controlling suspects, such as techniques that "utilize reasonable tactics that do not increase the risk of injury beyond an acceptable level."

Called Pressure Point Control Tactics, they are ones that appear to be taught at many U.S. police academies. It is unclear from the documents on the drive whether they are approved for use by the U.S. military at its main Afghan base in Bagram, which includes a detention center for Al Qaeda and other terror suspects flown in from around the world for interrogation.

The control tactics' five principles include "pain compliance — the use of stimulus pain to control resistance behavior; mental stunning techniques — stimulation of overwhelming sensory input that is sudden, intense and unexpected" and "motor dysfunction — a controlled striking technique which overstimulates motor nerves, resulting in a temporary impairment," the document says.

Internet pages were copied to the same drive, including news reports on a February prison riot at Pul-i-Charki prison, near Kabul, the Afghan capital, that left at least seven inmates dead.

Other Web pages on the drive explained how to buy anabolic steroids, such as Liquid Anodrol, to quickly build up muscles. "The Ultimate Stack for Hard-Core Bodybuilding Warriors Who'll Use 'Any Means Necessary' to Pack Up to 25 Pounds of Raw Brutal Muscle in Just 8 Weeks!" declares one of the Web pages.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice, the U.S. military's criminal law, prohibits service members from using steroids unless they are prescribed for medical reasons.

Afghan shopkeepers selling the military flash drives say they don't know what is on them and are offering them only as used equipment. The trader who first put them on his shelves four years ago said that back then he thought the drives' colors, rather than their capacity or content, mattered most. He sold blue ones for the highest price: around $4.

Two weeks ago, the smallest 250-kilobyte drives sold for $20 each. Prices have more than doubled since U.S. soldiers walked through the bazaar.

"Nobody investigated the shopkeepers," the trader said. "They just came and bought as much as they could. The Americans were buying the disks with documents on them for a higher price. Even now if Americans come I will sell one [drive] to them for $200."

Shopkeepers say the soldiers who visited the bazaar April 14 seemed especially interested in laptops, so black marketeers are keeping their eyes peeled for what they think is sensitive information that will make them rich.

"An American gave me his phone number and said, 'If you find a computer which is from the base, just give me a call,' " said one. Even if security is tightened again, smugglers will find another way to get flash drives off the base, the shopkeeper predicted.

"If the Americans look under our hats, we will hide things in our shoes, and if they look in our shoes, we will hide them under our hats," he said. "We are poor people, we have to make money." Times staff writer Julian E. Barnes at the Pentagon contributed to this report.

Afghanistan: Helmand Province Violence Intensifies
Ron Synovitz - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Intense overnight fighting in southern Afghanistan on April 24-25 killed eight suspected Taliban fighters and an Afghan police officer in the Helmand and Kandahar provinces. The violence follows a visit to Helmand Province earlier in the day by British Defense Secretary John Reid. It also comes amid threats by the Taliban to target British and Canadian soldiers, who are currently being deployed in the south.

PRAGUE, April 25, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Defense Secretary Reid's visit to Helmand Province came amid a flurry of Taliban attacks on foreign troops in southern Afghanistan.

Violence has surged since the spring thaw began in southern Afghanistan in March. British troops are thought to be most at risk from roadside bombings and attacks by suicide car bombers. On April 22, a bomb killed four Canadian soldiers in Kandahar Province. Dozens of Afghan troops have been killed along with 13 U.S. soldiers so far this year.

But there have also been attacks of another kind by militants in the south. On several occasions already this year, the Taliban have concentrated groups of about 50 fighters together for bold frontal attacks on Afghan security checkpoints and NATO forward operations bases.

That scenario was repeated overnight on April 24-25 when several dozen Taliban fighters attacked an Afghan police checkpoint in the mountainous Miana Shien district of Kandahar Province -- about 80 kilometers north of Kandahar city. The battle continued into this morning, leaving five Taliban and one policeman dead. Two policemen also were wounded before the militants retreated into the mountains.

Ian Kemp, an independent London-based defense analyst, said such guerrilla tactics are to be expected in Afghanistan's southern mountains.

"Given the difficult nature of the terrain, it is very easy for Taliban forces to concentrate in the mountains in strength and then overwhelm the security forces in a particular location," Kemp said. "And then when [Afghan or U.S.-led coalition] forces move in for the counterattack -- relying upon helicopter gunships and upon fighters to drop bombs -- then the opposition forces can fade away back into the mountains."

U.S. military officials in Afghanistan say coalition warplanes also attacked a suspected Taliban camp in Helmand Province during the night, killing three Taliban fighters.

Britain now has about 1,000 soldiers in Helmand Province and is preparing to deploy a full task force of 3,300 soldiers there by the end of June.

British Defense Secretary Reid visited Helmand's governor, Mohammad Daoud, on April 24 to discuss the deployment. Daoud spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan about his meeting with the British defense secretary.

"The purpose of the visit was to review the British forces already in the area -- and also to see the problems in Helmand Province," Daoud said. "They've promised us they will help us with both the reconstruction and security efforts in Helmand Province."

Daoud said he thinks economic woes in Helmand make it easier for the Taliban to recruit fighters.

"We hope that the international community will cooperate with us in our country and in our province, especially in the training of police, Afghan troop, and other security organizations to increase our working capacity," Daoud said. "But also, especially, we want help with reconstruction so that there are more jobs created for people. The problems in our country -- especially in Helmand Province -- are the result of high unemployment."

Daoud says he received a pledge from Reid for help upgrading a factory in Helmand that produces cooking oil and cotton.

In addition to being one of Afghanistan's most violence provinces, Helmand is a main region for illegal opium farming. U.S. military officials have said that the Taliban is working together with organized drug gangs in Helmand -- complicating international efforts to bring security there and combat the narcotics trade.

Brigadier General Ed Butler, the commander of British troops in Afghanistan, says he expects some setbacks in the weeks ahead. But he also says he thinks there is an opportunity to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans.

(RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Salim Mohammad Saleh contributed to this report from Helmand Province.)

The Taleban stronghold of Waziristan
By Aamer Ahmed Khan BBC News, South Waziristan, Pakistan Monday, 24 April 2006

Waziristan's new landmarks speak eloquently of the intensity of the conflict that still rages between Taleban and al-Qaeda militants and the Pakistani security forces.

Not long ago, visitors from outside the lawless tribal belt along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan were shown a different version of history. They would see the mountain passes where Waziristan's fiercely independent tribesmen inflicted crushing defeats on the British army.

Or they would be shown the first concrete bunkers built by the British to protect themselves from raids by the locals.


Today, visitors are shown the house where Pakistan's most wanted tribal militant, Abdullah Mehsud, was hiding Chinese hostages when government forces attacked him. It is possible to be taken to the house where a US military strike killed emerging Taleban leader Nek Mohammed.

Freshly dug graves of tribesmen - some killed in battle with security forces, others by "unknown assailants" - dot the roadside along the only metalled road in South Waziristan.

But even these are perhaps insignificant landmarks for a place that has become known for blunting the self-declared American war on terror. American officials describe Waziristan as one of the most dangerous places in the world.

"Everyone here calls himself a Pakistani," says BBC Urdu Service reporter Dilawar Khan Wazir. "And they do actually look at themselves as Pakistanis."

But it is not an identity that is easy to define. "A dozen governments can change in Pakistan and few in Waziristan will even talk about it," says Mr Wazir. "In comparison, the slightest change in Afghanistan can destabilise the entire tribal belt."

It was perhaps inevitable that the conflict in Afghanistan between the US-backed government of Hamid Karzai and remnants of the ousted Taleban regime would spill across into Waziristan.

Over the last couple of years, this has led to the emergence of local Taleban commanders and brought droves of Arab and Central Asian militants to Pakistani territory.

Ahmed Rashid, author of the authoritative bestseller Taliban, calls Waziristan "Al-Qaeda Central". Apart from the Pakistan government, few in the area seem inclined to challenge this description - for good reason.

Entering Waziristan feels like travelling back in time. The sparsely populated and dramatic barren hills show few signs of having encountered modern times.
The fortress-like houses that occasionally dot the landscape add to that image.

These houses have walls that are just under a metre (three feet) thick and just over six metres (20 feet) high. In most cases, they are built around the entire landholding of the occupant that can be anything between five to 20 acres.

Originally meant to protect locals against invading Afghan tribesmen, many now serve as potential sanctuaries for militants on the run. The sanctity of these fortress-like homes is considered inviolable in the tribal belt - its invasion a crime deemed worse than murder.

A top military source with knowledge of the tribal areas told me that the government had compelling reasons for halting its military activities in South Waziristan, even if it meant accepting peace on the Taleban's terms.

"We could either carpet-bomb the place, killing every man, woman and child or we could risk hand-to-hand combat outside every house in order to flush out the foreign militants," the source said.

Either option would cause heavy military and civilian losses. "And every death would have given birth to a new tribal vendetta which would have prolonged the war for ever."

From inside Waziristan, the argument seems logical enough. And it explains why the government has conceded its writ to the Taleban so completely. Armed to their teeth, Taleban fighters can be seen patrolling the main roads in small groups.

There is not a government soldier in sight throughout the three-hour journey from Dera Ismail Khan district to Wana. The five check posts up to Wana are manned by Waziristan Scouts, a paramilitary force traditionally employed to keep an eye on the traffic.

The scouts mostly avoid checking vehicles, not wishing to engage armed tribesmen over their often dubious cargo.

Thousands of regular army troops deployed in South Waziristan remain bunkered in a fort that is visible from the main bazaar of Wana, one of the largest in the tribal belt. The bazaar crawls with Taleban fighters.

Their trademark long hair, beards and perpetually sullen expressions distinguish them from the non-militant tribals. The Russian assault rifle AK-47, commonly known as Kalashnikov, seems to be a part of the dress.

Some fighters can be seen with hand grenades dangling from their jackets - a typical tribal response to the government's call for a ban on the display of arms across Waziristan.

The scene is such that one has to keep reminding oneself of the fact that this is a time of relative peace for South Waziristan. Relative, because peace as it is understood in the modern world has perhaps never existed in this lawless part of Asia.

Afghanistan remains main source of drugs – Karimov

TASHKENT. April 26 (Interfax) - Uzbek President Islam Karimov has called efforts being taken to stop drug trafficking from Afghanistan insufficient.

"As long as sources for the production of drugs in Afghanistan are not eliminated, all other moves can be regarded as lame," he said at a Wednesday news conference following talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Tashkent.

"Drug trafficking in our area is not declining and the greatest reason for this is the unresolved problem of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the main source of drugs," Karimov said.

Speaking of cooperation with India in resisting terrorism he said: "Uzbekistan supports the well-considered and balanced policy that the Indian government pursues on questions of peace and stability on a global scale as well as in its own part of the world."

Anti-drugs body to construct three hydropower stations

26 Apr 2006 Source: IRIN

KATHMANDU, 26 April (IRIN) - In an effort to help local farmers develop alternative livelihoods, an Afghan anti-narcotics body has approved a US $3.2 million project to fund the construction of three micro hydropower stations in the country's northeastern Badakhshan province.

Launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in October 2005, the Counter-Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF) works to support the government of Afghanistan in its fight to eradicate poppy production and the illicit drug trade in the war-ravaged country, which currently produces 87 percent of the global opium.

"Some 4,000 households will benefit from the project, which aims mainly to lay the groundwork, by providing a steady power supply for the rural population so that they can develop alternative ways of earning their livelihoods based on the advantages of having electricity," UNDP said in a press release.

The management board of the fund, which includes representatives of the Afghan government, major bilateral and international donors and UNDP, has approved the project, which will fund the construction of a 100 KW hydropower station in the Chatta village of Faizabad district, an 85 KW station in the Sangab village of Baharak district and a 350 KW one in Jurm district of Badakhshan province, UNDP said.

"Other projects like this will be implemented throughout the country," said UNDP media relations officer Dominic Medley.

It is hoped that small-scale food processing facilities will be created thanks to the supply of electricity to the areas. This could in turn allow producers to take agricultural products to market with some added value, thereby bringing more income and encouraging production of legal crops, according to UNDP.

On the environmental front, the project introduces a major renewable energy concept allowing substantial cuts in the use of wood for various daily activities. It is hoped that by the end of the three-year project, the micro hydropower stations will be managed by local personnel, thereby contributing to the capacity development cause, the UN's main development agency stated.

Afghanistan's economy continues to rely heavily on the trade in illicit drugs. The UN and the government have estimated the total export value of Afghanistan's opium in 2005 at $2.7 billion - equivalent to 52 percent of the country's official gross domestic product (GDP).

Canada accused of dishonoring its Afghan war dead - By David Ljunggren Tue Apr 25

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's government defended on Tuesday a controversial decision not to lower flags to mark the deaths of soldiers killed in     Afghanistan, denying it wanted to play down an increasing death toll.

Critics say the move -- as well as a decision to ban media from filming the arrival of the coffins at Trenton air force base in Ontario -- showed Prime Minister Stephen Harper was following the lead of President Bush, who has taken similar steps in the Iraq war.

Four Canadians were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan on Saturday. A total of 16 Canadians have died in the war-torn country since the September 11 suicide attacks, and in previous cases flags on public buildings have been lowered.

"We will lower the flag for all casualties in all wars and all operations on November 11 -- Remembrance Day -- so that everyone will be treated the same, all military casualties will be treated the same," said Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor.

He told Parliament the new Conservative government was not trying to hide the effects of the war and noted that reporters were embedded with Canadian troops.

"What we are doing is insisting that at Trenton when the bodies return, the first time the families meet their fallen members that there be a time of personal grieving," he said, explaining why cameras would be banned. Harper will not be present at the air base when the bodies are flown in later on Tuesday.

Opinion polls show Canadians are sharply divided over wisdom of the Afghan mission and the letters pages of most newspapers are filled with angry complaints about the decision not to lower the flags.

Canada, which began sending soldiers to Afghanistan to back the U.S. war on terror, now has 2,300 troops in the southern city of Kandahar. The opposition Liberals -- who when in government last year decided to send troops to Kandahar -- accused the Conservatives of taking a leaf from Bush's book.

"Many legislators believe the government has other motives and that their real intention is to try to reduce the impact of these incidents on the population," Liberal leader Bill Graham told Parliament.

Earlier, Liberal defense spokesman Ujjal Dosanjh said the government's decisions "almost seem presidential and mimicking George Bush's policies in the United States."

The Globe and Mail newspaper backed O'Connor's decision, saying it would send the wrong message to Canadians if flags on public buildings were lowered every time a soldier died.

"To make a national show of mourning over each soldier who dies ... almost suggests that the country has been shaken to its roots," it said in an editorial on Tuesday.

Canadian Entertainers to Perform for Military in Afghanistan, April 26, 2006

OTTAWA, ON – Top notch performers from across Canada are sure to thrill Canadian Forces (CF) troops stationed in Afghanistan this coming May.

Performers who have signed up for this CF Show Tour, provided by the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency, include Michelle Wright, Julian Austin, The Wilkinsons, Diane Chase, Amanda Stott, Maritza and Richard Wood. Comedian and show tour veteran Kenny Shaw will serve as emcee.

The music-packed tour follows on the heels of a busy and difficult period for the troops serving in Afghanistan. Drawn mainly from CFB Edmonton, Alberta and Shilo, Manitoba, this is one audience that is certain to raise the roof for this group of entertainers.

Michelle Wright has drawn rave reviews for her powerful voice and her distinctive style. With roots in Motown and R&B, her brand of country music has broad-reaching appeal. Ms. Wright has sold over 2 million records in the US and Canada and has stockpiled twenty-five top ten hits. Country music singer Julian Austin is one of the Canadian Forces biggest fans.

“The feeling I had being over there with the fine men and women of our Canadian Forces is unexplainable,” says Austin of his last show tour, “I hope to make a great ambassador for our CF one day.” To commemorate this desire he has written “The Red & White”, a song dedicated specifically to the CF community.

Amanda Stott’s new album, ‘Chasing the Sky’ is rich in its musical simplicity. Amanda is a proud Canadian who has performed on many CF Show Tours before and she is looking forward to returning one more time.

The Wilkinsons’ combination of strong lyrics, tight harmonies and deep family roots make them one of the top country acts in North America, which is sure to go hand in hand with this type of tour.

Sudbury native Diane Chase, with her latest release ‘In the Middle of Something’ earned a top 10 on the Canadian Country Charts and a top 10 for video on Country Music Television.

French-speaking troops will not be forgotten as Quebec’s chart topper Maritza heads out on her second show tour. A graduate of Quebec’s wildly popular TV show, “Star Academie”, Maritza made waves with the release of her first album entitled, “Comment J’Feel”.

Richard Wood, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, rounds out the show. His stomping Celtic fiddle music is infused with contemporary rock. On previous show tours, his dance moves and raging music have consistently brought the troops to their feet. Says Richard of the experience, “bringing our country to them means more than you could ever imagine.”

The show tour will be a huge morale booster in this dangerous and hostile environment. It is an opportunity for CF members to unwind with the sounds and feelings of home.

Iran's nuke crisis, Afghanistan and Darfur to top NATO talks

By Shada Islam and Leon Mangasarian Apr 26, 2006, 5:08 GMT

Brussels - A meeting of NATO foreign ministers opening in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Thursday looks set to be dominated by rising concern over Iran's increasingly hardline nuclear stance, including threats it will suspend ties with the international nuclear watchdog if targeted by sanctions.

Although Iran is not formally on the NATO meeting agenda, alliance Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters he expected US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and European foreign ministers to discuss the issue during the two-day talks. 'Iran is a relevant subject for NATO policy,' Scheffer said.

Ministers from the 26-nation alliance will also review NATO plans to deploy troops in volatile southern Afghanistan by late July and to extend a NATO training mission for African Union troops in Sudan's wartorn Darfur province.

In addition, the meeting, being held from April 27 to 28, will study plans to extend NATO's global reaching by forging partnerships with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, an idea initially mooted by the US.

'We are not making NATO into a global alliance but into an alliance with global partnerships,' Scheffer told reporters ahead of the talks in Sofia.

The four non-NATO countries would not join the alliance but given their contribution to NATO operations or their 'political value,' they must be brought into the fold, Scheffer said.

'NATO will be NATO ... the core is not changing,' he insisted. But the alliance had to be 'innovative' in forging closer links with other countries, Scheffer said.

With NATO leaders set to meet in Riga, Latvia, in November this year, Scheffer said foreign ministers would also review demands for alliance membership from Croatia, Albania, Macedonia as well as Ukraine and Georgia.

However, the Sofia talks look set to be dominated by the escalating crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.

With the expiry on Friday of a United Nations Security Council deadline for Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment or face international sanctions, diplomats said Iran would 'loom large' at the two-day meeting.

In comments made ahead of the NATO encounter, Rice said Iran appeared to be heading for further international isolation. The international community needed to take 'credible steps to prevent Iran from continuing to develop its nuclear programme,' Rice insisted.

Washington has refused to rule out possible military action if diplomacy fails to curb the Islamic Republic's atomic ambitions, with President George W Bush saying repeatedly that all options, including military force, remain on the table.

The US and European states accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weaspons and are currently seeking support for UN sanctions against Tehran. However, Russia and China, which are permanent, veto-wielding members of the security council, oppose such action.

Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful electricity generation only.

Ministers in Sofia will study the alliance's planned deployment in southern Afghanistan amid increasing security fears in the region.

Scheffer said NATO governments should be prepared for further attacks on their troops and more casualties among alliance peacekeepers.

'It is a dangerous mission but NATO cannot afford to fail,' Scheffer underlined, adding: 'Realism demands that there will be more incidents and casualties ... but NATO will stand firm and has to stand firm.

He said the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) which is being deployed in volatile southern Afghanistan had been given 'robust means' to deal with attackers and 'spoilers.'

Scheffer insisted that NATO governments were aware of the risks in Afghanistan but also knew it was important to ensure the country did not once again become a 'black hole' for terrorist operations.

Rising violence in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of dozens of Afghan soldiers as well as 13 US soldiers so far this year. A bomb last week killed four Canadian soldiers in the southern Kandahar province, one of the regions due to come under NATO control.

Ministers will discuss Darfur amid US demands that the alliance should do more to stop ethnic conflict in the region. Scheffer said NATO governments are ready to extend a training programme for African Union peacekeepers in Darfur until September this year provided there was an AU greenlight.

Scheffer, however, ruled out any deployment of NATO forces in Darfur although he said advisors and communication, logistics and transport experts from the alliance could be deployed.

Afghanistan keen to expand mutual, regional ties with Iran - Tehran, April 26, IRNA - Iran-Majlis-Afghanistan

Afghan Ambassador to Tehran Mohammad Omar Davoudzi here Wednesday conferred with Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel on expansion and strengthening of bilateral and regional relations with Iran.

A report released by Majlis Media Department quoting Haddad-Adel said that Iran was keen on successful formation of the new government and its extensive role in safeguarding national sovereignty.

Majlis speaker referred to the decisive role of the parliaments of both countries and declared the readiness of Majlis to form a joint parliamentary friendship group.

"We can transfer our century-old experience in legislation and training of administrative staff, particularly that of the post-revolutionary era, to Afghan parliament," he added.

He also declared that Iran is prepared to broaden trade ties with Afghanistan and said that given the short distance between the two states and the present favorable conditions, this will be to the interest of the Afghan people.

Turning to the scientific achievements of Iran, he said that any progress made in the country will benefit the world of Islam.

He referred to the Persian language and literature as among the commonalties of the two states and hoped that sufficient effort will be made to promote and teach them in Afghanistan.

Haddad-Adel declared Iran's interest in expanding relations with Afghanistan in all fields and invited the country's speakers of the lower house and senate, Yunis Qanuni and Sebghatollah Mojaddadi respectively to visit Iran.

For his part, the Afghan diplomat thanked Iran for its assistance in the past and present and expressed satisfaction with the mutual friendly ties.

He said that given the proper grounds and reduction of obstacles on the way of trade exchanges between the two states, further bolstering of ties in the sector will be in the interest of both nations.

The ambassador referred to the significance of bilateral cultural ties to his country and appreciated the opportunities provided for Afghans to study in Iran.

He congratulated Iran's access to nuclear technology for peaceful use and said that the credit of this achievement belongs to the world of Islam.

At the end of the meeting, he called for exchange of visits between the executive and parliamentary officials of the two countries describing it as an important factor in expansion of ties.

AFGHANISTAN: First ever ICT conference launched in Kabul

KABUL, 25 Apr 2006 (IRIN) - Hundreds of participants from the growing information and communications technology (ICT} industry in Afghanistan on Tuesday opened the first ever ICT conference in the capital, Kabul.

The two-day forum, jointly organised by Afghanistan’s communications ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will showcase investment opportunities, and promote ICT awareness within the country. The forum will also launch an easy-to-use online capability for registering Afghan (AF) website addresses, according to UNDP.

“Afghanistan has made considerable progress in the field of communications during the past four years but still much [needs to] be done to provide communication services to all parts of the country,” Afghanistan’s first Vice-President Ahmad Zai Massoud told participants of the conference.

The post-conflict country has taken enormous technological strides in the field of communications after nearly three decades of brutal civil war and civil strife.

Four years ago, Afghanistan had only 20,000 telephone lines in the whole country. There are now more than a million new cell phone users. By the end of 2006, the wireless fixed telephone lines will reach 285,000, allowing not only voice, but also data exchange throughout the network, connecting hundreds of thousands of households in the country, according to the UNDP statement released on the eve of the conference.

“One of our main objectives is to increase awareness and explain the significance of ICT among all communities of the country, including the private sector, government officials and civil societies,” Minister of Communications Amirzai Sangin told the gathering.

It would provide a stage for creating coordination between the government, private sector, donor agencies and other stakeholders to form cohesive ICT development programmes for Afghanistan, Sangin stated, calling on the need for education and creating a strong communications infrastructure in the country for the development of ICT.

“We are planning to create a national optical fibre network along the major highways circling the country and also broadband connections will be made possible through links to similar networks in neighbouring countries,” Sangin explained.

“It would address two major problems: the high cost and limited bandwidth capacity in the current satellite-based communication technology in the country,” he 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.]