In this bulletin:

• President Karzai Receives Phone Call from President Bush
• Airstrikes kill 11 Taliban fighters (AP 8/23/06)
• Afghanis, Pakistan to conduct patrols
• Tripartite Commission meets for 18th time
• Canadian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
• Afghan boy's body returned to parents
• Former commander kidnapped, guards beheaded
• Karzai says world not doing enough on Afghan drugs
• German FM reaffirms commitment to Afghanistan
• Nation Faltering, Afghans’ Leader Draws Criticism
• Hunt Bin Laden in major cities
• ISAF DESTROYS TALIBAN AMBUSH PARTY IN KANDAHAR PROVINCE
• Return to Kandahar: The Taliban threat
• Unholy alliance with the Taliban that sustains a nation's drugs trade
• Unnamed Taliban spokesperson makes false claims to media
• It's Starting to Look a Lot Like an Army
• Mullahs' regime is inhumanely deporting Afghan and Iraqi refugees who have Iranian spouses
• 720 mln sq meters of land not cleared of mines in Afghanistan
• Afghanistan: Government Turns Its Sights On Northern Warlords
• Parliament condemns Israel's aggression
• ACC Trophy 2006: Afghanistan reaches semi-final

Airstrikes kill 11 Taliban fighters (AP 8/23/06)

NATO warplanes killed at least 11 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's violence-wracked south just hours after militant attacks left one NATO soldier dead and five others wounded, the alliance said Wednesday.

Two roadside bombs killed three Afghan civilians as renewed bloodshed in the south underscored the persistent threat posed by resurgent Taliban militants to efforts to extend the reach of the U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

Tuesday's NATO airstrikes were in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, a former Taliban stronghold, said alliance spokesman Maj. Scott Lundy.

Fifteen militants were preparing an ambush on a main highway but fled into a compound after realizing they were being watched. A subsequent bombing raid killed 11 militants, Lundy said. It was unclear what happened to the other four.

NATO troops killed one Afghan youth and wounded another after a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kandahar city that targeted a Canadian convoy, killing one soldier and wounding three, the alliance said.

Troops fearing a follow-up attack after the blast fired a single bullet at the two youths as they approached the scene of the bombing on a motorbike, a NATO statement said. The bullet hit both youths, killing one and wounding the other.

A purported Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, which also killed one child. Two Canadian soldiers were also wounded Tuesday in a separate attack in the south.

On Wednesday, two roadside bombs struck a truck and a motorbike in the Kandahar district of Daman, killing three civilians and wounding one, said Dawood Ahmadi, the provincial governor's spokesman.

Ahmadi blamed Taliban militants for the bombs, which were planted on a road usually used by NATO and Afghan forces. It was unclear if any soldiers were in the area at the time of the blasts.

More than 1,000 people, mostly militants, have died amid in an increase in violence in the last three months. Thousands of NATO and Afghan forces are battling Taliban fighters, believed to be backed by armed opium dealers, in southern provinces to extend the reach of Karzai's government.

It's the country's worst violence since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001 by U.S.-led forces for hosting Osama bin Laden. Karzai's office said Wednesday he will travel to Washington "in the near future" following an invitation from President Bush.

Bush telephoned Karzai on Tuesday to extend the offer and pledge continued American support, Karzai's office said.

"Both presidents talked about the situation in Afghanistan and the region," the statement said. "They discussed the progress Afghanistan, with the help from the United States, is making in fighting terrorism and rebuilding Afghanistan."

Karzai last visited Bush in May 2005, when the two leaders signed a strategic partnership agreement that ensures long-term U.S. support for Afghanistan in economic, security and other sectors. Bush also made a surprise visit to Kabul in March.

Afghanis, Pakistan to conduct patrols (AP- 8/23/06)

The Afghan and Pakistani armies agreed Wednesday to conduct coordinated and simultaneous patrols with the United States alongside their volatile border, a statement from the American-led coalition said.

NATO troops in charge of security in southern Afghanistan will also participate in patrols aimed at improving security operations alongside the porous 1,470-mile frontier, through which militants funnel money and equipment to help the Taliban-led insurgency.

"In order to coordinate the movements along the border areas, the participants discussed and agreed to a proposal to conduct coordinated patrols ... on their respective sides of the border, simultaneously," the statement said.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have been at loggerheads over border security, accusing each other of not doing enough to prevent militants from operating within the frontier. The patrol deal could signal an improvement in relations between the neighbors, who have both felt the brunt of Islamic militancy.

Wednesday's accord was reached during the 17th meeting of Tripartite Commission, which includes the U.S.-led coalition and aims to improve coordination and resolve disputes related to combating terrorism.

The parties also discussed potential use of "secure mobile telephones for intelligence coordination" and agreed that next meeting will be in October in Afghanistan, according to the statement.

The participants at the meeting in the Afghan capital, Kabul, included Gen. Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Pakistan's army vice chief of staff; Gen. Bismullah Khan, the Afghan army's chief of staff; Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, head of the U.S.-led coalition; and NATO forces chief Lt. Gen. David Richards.

Afghanistan has repeatedly criticized Pakistan for not doing enough to prevent Taliban militants and other rebels crossing the poorly marked border.

Pakistan, a former Taliban supporter but now U.S. ally in its war on terrorism, says it does all it can to tackle insurgents and has deployed 80,000 troops along the frontier.

Tripartite Commission meets for 18th time - COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - Aug. 23, 2006

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Tripartite Commission, composed of senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and the NATO International Security Assistance Force, held its 18th meeting Aug. 23 here.

Delegates included Gen. Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army; Gen. Bismullah Khan Mohammedi, Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army; Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan; and Lt. Gen. David Richards, commander of NATO-ISAF.

The 18th meeting consisted of several briefings to update the participants on issues of mutual interest.   The Border Security Subcommittee discussed the progress being made in Regional Command East and Regional Command South. The focus of this subcommittee, which held its first-ever meeting in May for operations in Regional Command South, has been on better coordination of security operations along the border area.

The Afghan and Pakistani militaries have improved their ability to conduct operations against their common enemy through better communication, enabled by the use of a geospatial data base and high frequency radios, provided by the United States.

In order to coordinate the movements along the border areas, the participants discussed and agreed to a proposal to conduct coordinated patrols by the Afghan National Army, Pakistan Army, Coalition Forces and NATO-ISAF forces based in Afghanistan, on their respective sides of the border, simultaneously.

The Military Intelligence-Sharing Working Group briefed about the latest efforts to form a three-way Joint Information Operations Center with Afghan and Pakistani liaison officers and the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.  The group also discussed the use of secure mobile telephones for intelligence coordination between the Afghan National Army, the Directorate General of (Pakistani) Military Intelligence, the Coalition and NATO-ISAF.

The Coalition’s Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Working Group discussed a recent counter IED information exchange at the U. S. Army National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, Calif.  This information exchange included Afghan and Pakistani military representatives.  The working group also reviewed the progress being made on developing a common database to aid in the fight against IEDs.

The Afghan, Pakistani, and Coalition delegations each presented after-action reports from recent operations to deny sanctuary and safe haven to their common enemy, and to improve the lives of the Afghan people through various reconstruction projects and humanitarian assistance.  The delegations also discussed future operations and how they can better shape the security environment along the border area.

Finally, representatives of NATO-ISAF briefed their plan for continuing expansion of ISAF’s mission into Regional Command East later this year. The Tripartite Commission will meet again in October in Afghanistan.

Canadian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan - Aug, 22 2006

AM640/TORONTO - Another Canadian soldier was killed today in Afghanistan in a suicide attack. He was identified quickly -- as Corporal David Braun, who was based at C-F-B Shilo in Manitoba.
   
He was killed in Kandahar today when a Canadian re-supply convoy was struck by a vehicle packed with explosives. Three other soldiers were injured, but are now listed in good condition, and their names were not released.
   
One civilian -- a young girl -- was also killed by the blast, along with the attacker. The bombing took place just outside the base that's home to Canada's provincial reconstruction team in the city.

The suicide attack brings to eight the number of Canadian soldiers to die in southern Afghanistan this month. In all, 27 have been killed since Canada deployed ground forces to the country in early 2002.

Afghan boy's body returned to parents - Canadian Press

Kandahar — The body of a 10-year-old boy shot and killed by a Canadian soldier in southern Afghanistan was returned Wednesday to his grieving parents. The boy died Tuesday after a suicide attacker struck a Canadian convoy in Kandahar, killing one soldier and injuring three.

The 10-year-old, whose name has not been released, was the passenger on a motorcycle that military officials say crossed a security perimeter that was set up around the bombing site.

Officials said soldiers were fearful of another suicide attack and fired on the motorcycle after several warnings to stop. "ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) soldiers signalled the motorbike to stop and fired two warning shots," NATO said in a statement. "The rider and passenger were both hit and wounded by a single bullet."

Both were taken to medics nearby and were flown by helicopter to the hospital at Kandahar Air Field where the young passenger died of his wounds. The driver, believed to be 17, remains in serious but stable condition. A NATO commander later issued an apology for the shooting.

"We are very sad at what happened and we express our deep regret and condolences to the family and community," said Colonel Arie Vermeij, deputy commander of ISAF's Regional Command South.

When approached by The Canadian Press at his home, the father of the boy grew angry, denouncing Canada's military for the shooting. He refused to speak about the incident or give his name. Several women in the family's compound began screaming and crying, their fists shaking as they tried to contain their sorrow.

The soldier who died in the suicide attack, Corporal David Braun, was based at CFB Shilo in Manitoba. Arrangements were being made Wednesday to return his body to Canada.

One of the soldiers injured in the attack was expected to be released from hospital Wednesday and returned to his unit in Kandahar. The other two remained in hospital in good condition. NATO soldiers in Afghanistan were bracing for a backlash from the shooting.

In late May, riots broke out in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, after a U.S. military cargo truck killed one man and injured several others in an apparent traffic accident. About 20 people were killed during the riots, and more than 120 were injured.

NATO officials were hoping to avoid similar unrest in Kandahar, where the security situation is much more volatile than in Kabul.

Colonel Fred Lewis, deputy commander of the Canadian contingent of ISAF, said he was concerned about a potential negative response from the community for Tuesday's shooting, and urged people to remain calm.

"I think we need to pass the right message to the Afghan people," he said. "The message is that we're here to help them and we certainly would never want to hurt them."

Investigators from the military's arms-length National Investigation Service were to probe the shooting.

There have been several incidents across Afghanistan in the past year in which civilians died during coalition military operations against Taliban insurgents, prompting angry rebukes from Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Late Tuesday night, Canadian soldiers attacked a heavily armed Taliban group, which NATO said was preparing an ambush.

The attack happened near Highway 1 in Kandahar's Zhari district, where two Canadian soldiers were injured late Monday in an ambush by suspected Taliban militants.

One of the injured, Corporal Jesse Melnyck, based at CFB Petawawa in eastern Ontario, was in stable, non-critical condition after being flown to a military hospital in Germany for further treatment.

The other soldier was in hospital at Kandahar Air Field, and was in good condition. His name was not released.

NATO said 15 insurgents were spotted by ISAF soldiers Wednesday as they moved into position preparing to attack. When they realized they were seen, the would-be attackers ran to a nearby compound.

Shortly afterwards, ISAF forces dropped a precision-guided bomb on the compound. ISAF estimates 11 Taliban were killed in the air strike, while two insurgents were later seen leaving the compound.

A NATO statement said no civilians were in the area. However, local residents reported that some civilians were also killed in the bombing.

Braun was the eighth Canadian to be killed in southern Afghanistan this month, and the 27th to die since Canada deployed ground forces to the country in early 2002. Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed condolences to Braun's family and friends.

"We are proud of Cpl. Braun's contribution to our mission in Afghanistan, and of all our Canadian Forces men and women who soldier on in the name of democratic values and freedom," Harper said in a statement.

"Our country honours this brave soldier, who exemplifies the best that Canada has to offer."

The PM also wished a speedy recovery to the three soldiers who were injured. A purported Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

Former commander kidnapped, guards beheaded

Pajhwok - By Abdul Mueed Hashmi - JALALABAD - Suspect Taliban abducted a former jihadi commander and killed his two bodyguards in the eastern Nuristan province, security officials said on Monday.

Deputy police chief Haji Ghulamullah Nuristani told Pajhwok Afghan News the tribal elder Haji Younus was kidnapped by Taliban along with his two bodyguards in Kamdesh district two days back.

The two guards were beheaded by Taliban, said Nuristani, who added their beheaded bodies were recovered by police in the Goradash area of the district.

The police officer said Haji Younus had no government job. He was a commander of Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami in the province during jihad era. In a similar incident, unidentified gunmen abducted Karim Haqdost, a former Hezb-i-Islami commander in Guzra district of western Herat province three days back.

Karzai says world not doing enough on Afghan drugs - By Yousuf Azmiy Tue Aug 22 KABUL (Reuters)

Drugs pose a far greater threat to Afghanistan than terrorism but the international community is not doing enough to tackle the scourge, President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday.

Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium, the raw material for heroin, and production is expected to rise to record levels this year as drug barons and Taliban insurgents cash in on the harvest.

"Once, we thought terrorism was Afghanistan's biggest enemy," Karzai told a counter-narcotics conference in the Afghan capital. "Poppy, its cultivation and drugs are Afghanistan's major enemy," he said.

The narcotics trade accounts for about a third of Afghanistan's economy -- and about 87 percent of the world's illegal heroin -- and the United Nations fears the country could become a narco-state.

The Taliban managed to stamp out poppy cultivation during the last year of their rule, but despite tens of millions of dollars in anti-narcotics aid from donor countries, opium growing has boomed since they were ousted.

Now the Taliban have joined forces with the drug gangs, security officials say, promising to help impoverished farmers protect their crops and reaping a share of the profits.

The Taliban are fighting to keep foreign forces and government authorities out of opium-growing regions such as the southern province of Helmand, the country's main opium area.

The drug gangs are also intent on resisting the spread of government authority and Karzai said drug barons were responsible for some of the attacks on schools and aid workers in drug-producing regions.

Afghanistan's opium output last year was about 4,100 tonnes, a slight drop over the previous record year, largely because of efforts by the government to persuade farmers to stop, coupled with threats to destroy fields.

But international experts say production has ballooned this year and might be a third or more bigger than 2005. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime is compiling figures for this year's crop and is expected to release its findings shortly.

Karzai said the world was not doing enough. "We are not happy about the aid so far. The effects are not really visible," he told the conference, attended by government and aid officials and diplomats.

"The aid has been scanty and minor ... we ask the world to help us in this regard substantially," he said. Karzai said Afghans had to fight narcotics even if the world did not help as it threatened the country's stability and future.

Karzai said it was drug barons and mafia outside Afghanistan who gained most from drugs and that farmers would abandon the crop if they got alternative ways to earn a living.

Experts say that in the long-term, the key to stopping drugs was providing farmers with other ways to survive, but that means developing the rural economy, which could take years.

In the meantime, farmers must be convinced that they risk having their fields destroyed and facing punishment if they grow opium, experts say.

Karzai has opposed the aerial spraying of herbicide over opium fields. Some experts say spraying fields would enrage farmers and drive rural communities into the arms of the Taliban.

German FM reaffirms commitment to Afghanistan - AFP

KABUL - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier reaffirmed the commitment of his country and the world to Afghanistan even as the conflict in the Middle East grabs public attention.

Steinmeier, who arrived Sunday for a three-day visit, was confident the German parliament would in the coming months extend the mandate of troops in Afghanistan but he ruled out an increase in the size of the force.

He told reporters that at this time of unrest in the Middle East it was "important to show our engagement, the engagement of Europe, of Germany and the international community is not only for the moment but is lasting."

His comments came during a visit to the city's police training academy. Germany has led the rebuilding of the Afghan police since the ousting of the Taliban in late 2001. The police force is often targeted by insurgents but also has a reputation for being corrupt and violating human rights.

Steinmeier acknowledged that security in Afghanistan had become "much more difficult than last year."

While around 95 percent of attacks took place in Afghanistan's south, "in the north also, where the Germans have responsibility, attacks have become more frequent," he said on Monday.

Germany is one of Afghanistan's main donors and has 2,850 soldiers as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It took command of ISAF forces in the northern quarter of the country in June.

The minister said there was no question of extra German troops deploying to Afghanistan, adding though that the country had no reason to "blush" about its contributions to reconstruction and fighting the insurgency.

"I ask you to understand that we cannot, at this time, go beyond (that which we have already)," said the ministry after talks with his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta.

Germany already has about 3,000 troops in the Balkans and 600 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also wanted to send reinforcements to the UN force in the Lebanon, Steinmeier said.

Nonetheless he was optimistic the German mandate in Afghanistan would be extended in autumn, the minister said after talks with President Hamid Karzai. He is due on Tuesday to travel to northern Afghanistan to meet German troops.

Nation Faltering, Afghans’ Leader Draws Criticism

By CARLOTTA GALL, New York Times, Aug. 22

After months of widespread frustration with corruption, the economy and a lack of justice and security, doubts about President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, and by extension the American-led effort to rebuild that nation, have led to a crisis of confidence.

Interviews with ordinary Afghans and with foreign diplomats and Afghan officials make it clear that the expanding Taliban insurgency in the south represents the most serious challenge to his presidency to date.

The insurgency, along with the other issues, has brought an eruption of doubts about Mr. Karzai, who is widely viewed as having failed to attend to a range of problems. That has left more and more Afghans asking what the government is doing.

Corruption is so widespread, the government apparently so lethargic and the divide between rich and poor so gaping that Mr. Karzai is losing public support, warn officials like Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

“Nothing that he promised has materialized,” Mr. Hakim said, echoing the comments of diplomats and others in Kabul, the capital. “Beneath the surface, it is boiling.”

For the first time since Mr. Karzai took office four and half years ago, Afghans and diplomats are speculating about who might replace him. Most agree that the answer for now is no one, leaving the fate of the American-led enterprise tied to his own success or failure. He was re-elected in 2004 to a five-year term.

On Tuesday, Mr. Karzai’s office announced that he had spoken that day with President Bush, who assured him of continued American support. Mr. Karzai accepted Mr. Bush’s invitation to visit Washington.

Mr. Karzai, a consummate tribal politician, has been the cornerstone of the effort to form a centralized democratic government in Afghanistan to replace the Taliban government, which was driven from power in 2001.

To his supporters, he has managed to keep the peace in a fractious society by giving regional warlords and armed leaders a stake in power while setting the country on the road to a democratic future.

“The perception of growing insecurity has affected the psyche of the Afghan people,” Jawed Ludin, the president’s chief of staff, said in a telephone interview from Kabul. But he called it a reality check rather than a crisis. He said people “still trust” Mr. Karzai and “still think he can lead them.”

But the costs of his compromises are becoming harder for average Afghans and some foreign donors to stomach. Critics say the compromises have insulated many people from the benefits of democratic change and hampered the running of the president’s administration and local governments.

Riots in Kabul on May 29, which left 17 people dead in the worst violence in the capital since the Taliban were deposed, were an ominous sign, many there say. The violence erupted after three Afghans were killed by a runaway American military truck. Four more people were killed when American soldiers fired into an angry crowd.

Afterward, protesters rampaged through the streets attacking foreign offices. They also chanted “Death to Karzai!” — an indication that he is blamed for the growing disenchantment. “He was shaken,” said one Western diplomat.

Recriminations against the president have continued, and Mr. Karzai’s own missteps have not helped to redeem his political standing.

In a reaction to the riots, the president appointed a powerful local commander with links to organized crime as police chief of Kabul. He also gave senior police posts to 13 former commanders who were to have been weeded out under long-awaited police reforms.

Mr. Karzai’s aides indicated that the steps were necessary to ensure security in the capital. But the appointments further alienated foreign diplomats and aid workers, as well as ordinary Afghans. “He is too accommodating,” said Joanna Nathan of the International Crisis Group, a policy research organization. “The police reform was incredibly disappointing.”

Recent interviews with a range of Afghans illustrated a common theme of complaints about corrupt and self-serving government officials.

Earlier this month 60 members of Parliament, which has until now been largely supportive, signed a measure protesting the appointment of certain officials and the poor performance of his government.

A group of elders from Baghlan Province in the north said they had been rebuffed when they went to the capital seeking to replace their governor, who they said was concerned only with his own power.

“We just want a neutral, impartial governor,” said one representative, Abdul Shukur Urfani. “People will start demonstrating, because they are dissatisfied with what the government is doing.”

Mr. Karzai has dismissed many such problems as petty, but the range of corruption in fact runs both large and small.

At one end of the scale is a housing scandal from three years ago, when cabinet ministers, in the president’s absence, awarded themselves and friends prime real estate in Kabul, where land prices have shot up since the American invasion.

An investigation was quietly dropped, and the officials were allowed to build ostentatious villas, which tower above passers-by as a constant reminder of official excess.

Elsewhere, though corruption is small in scale, it has an enormous impact on the poor, who account for most of the population. A driver interviewed recently in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, said he earned the equivalent of $40 a month but paid half of that in bribes to the local police, leaving him unable to feed his family.

An opposition politician, Abdul Latif Pedram, said: “There has never been so much corruption in the country. We have a mafia economy and a drug economy.”

Most galling to average people is the corruption of judges, which makes redress nearly impossible. There have been virtually no prosecutions of corrupt high-level or local officials. Corrupt police chiefs and governors remain in their positions or, if complaints grow too loud, are rotated to other jobs, said Mr. Hakim, of the human rights commission.

In southern Afghanistan the situation is so bad that people have begun turning to the Taliban for the swift, if severe, justice administered by mullahs, said Abdual Qadeer Noorzai, a human rights official in that region. Mr. Karzai has been slow to address the problems, or has acted only when pushed.

For instance, his choice for chief justice was a close ally, Fazel Hadi Shinwari, who had already served four years as head of the Supreme Court, presiding over one of the most corrupt institutions in the country. The problems were so apparent that Parliament refused to confirm the appointment, forcing the president to nominate a new chief justice, who was approved.

There are similar complaints in the provinces. The British and Dutch governments, which were preparing to deploy troops under NATO command to southern Afghanistan, had to prod Mr. Karzai to remove two governors, both personal allies, who had alienated much of their provincial populations.

The president’s staff pointed out that he had to balance the tribal, factional, regional and ethnic demands of the country in his appointments, and that it took time to build up fundamental institutions that had been obliterated by years of war.

But to many the appointments are indicative of Mr. Karzai’s tendency to placate powerful armed factions rather than make tough decisions to improve governance.

There are complaints about the economy, too. Three million Afghans of a population of roughly 30 million still depend on food aid, and the government has had to appeal for more help for farmers affected by drought again this year. Prices have risen sharply with the influx of foreign aid.

Despite the reconstruction boom, a lack of electrical power and other services constrains large-scale job creation, and hundreds apply daily for visas to find work in Iran or Pakistan. Poverty and joblessness are among the factors pushing people into the arms of the Taliban, local leaders in the south say.

A major problem, all acknowledge, is the absence of security, for which the president and his government still depend on foreigners, led by the United States, and now NATO.

Afghan and international forces find themselves fighting daily battles across five provinces of the south, while casualties are rising sharply among civilians, foreign troops and government forces alike. The scale of the insurgency has virtually wiped out the government’s ability to provide services in many places.

The lack of security is not all Mr. Karzai’s fault. Responsibility lies also with the American-led coalition, which promised to take care of security and cross-border infiltration. But the solution, military and civilian leaders warn, is not only military.

“The government has to build up in these provinces to a larger extent, to fight corruption and be present with the institutions in each of the districts and to deliver services to all of the population,” said Tom Königs, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which monitors the administration of development aid. That includes improving local governance, development work, diplomacy and anti-narcotics efforts, he said.

“In each of these fields we need to be successful,” he added. “Otherwise we will not be able to stabilize Afghanistan.”

Hunt Bin Laden in major cities - envoy

Daily News - By James Gordon Meek

WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is likely hiding in one of Pakistan's crowded cities, Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S. said in a recent interview. Ambassador Said Jawad insisted "it is much easier" for Bin Laden to operate from a city than a cave on the rugged border between the two nations, where many think he is hiding.

"We should also look to where you find Osama's closest friends. Where were they arrested?" Jawad told the Daily News. "A lot of them were arrested in major urban centers, not in tribal areas or in the mountains."

Since 9/11, Al Qaeda leaders such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, Ramzi Binalshibh and Abu Faraj Al-Libbi were all nabbed in cities such as Rawalpindi and Karachi. "I think we should enlarge the scope of the search to major metropolitan centers," Jawad said.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that Bin Laden may be in Afghanistan. Counterterrorism sources say he has traveled over the mountainous border several times since 9/11.

But Jawad said, "It's certainly very difficult for a 6-foot-tall Arab, who needs dialysis almost every other day for his kidney, to hide in a cave in Afghanistan."

The U.S. has hunted for Bin Laden for five years but has limited ability to search inside Pakistan, where his capture could lead to the toppling of Musharraf's fragile regime.

After 9/11, President Bush said he wanted the Al Qaeda leader caught "dead or alive." The CIA's Bin Laden unit, Alec Station, was recently disbanded, but Bush denied that the U.S. has let up on the manhunt.

ISAF DESTROYS TALIBAN AMBUSH PARTY IN KANDAHAR PROVINCE

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (23 August 2006) – A heavily armed Taliban group preparing an ambush was detected and destroyed by ISAF last night, near Highway 1 in Kandahar’s Zhari district.

The 15-man ambush team was spotted by ISAF at approximately 10:30 p.m. as it moved into position.  Upon realizing it had been detected, the group moved to a nearby compound. After confirming there were no civilians present ISAF dropped a precision-guided bomb on the compound.

Based on surveillance, ISAF assesses 11 Taliban were killed in the airstrike, while two insurgents were later seen leaving the compound.

Working alongside its Afghan security partners ISAF will continue its operations to improve security along the Highway 1 corridor so that ordinary Afghans can move freely across southern Afghanistan.

Return to Kandahar: The Taliban threat

Nelofer Pazira, the journalist who starred in the film 'Kandahar', has gone back to the southern Afghan city for the first time in four years. There she found residents living in fear as Islamic insurgents extend their deadly reach still deeper into the country

The Independent (UK)- Published: 21 August 2006

Fear permeates Kandahar. Eyes watch every passer-by, every car. Everyone is suspect. People shrink away from me when I ask to interview them. They run when they see a camera. The few brave souls who agree to talk do so either anonymously or because they are desperate.

There is no war, no shooting, no rockets. At least not yet, although the Taliban wave is reconquering Afghanistan, and fighting is spreading through Kandahar province.

Only a few months ago, the city of Kandahar was on the road to prosperity. Newly-paved streets with proper signs - one even named after Queen Soraya, wife of the 1920s reformer King Amanullah Khan - a park with a playground for children and several smart guesthouses were part of the new image. Near the Kandahar market, the foundations of many new modern buildings and houses had been laid.

Mohammad Hikmat and his younger brother bought land here - £27,000 for 400 sq m - to build a home. Over the past five years they made good money working with foreign reporters and aid agencies. But six months ago it all came to an end. The Taliban were coming back. All construction stopped. Fear spread like a fire. Then came a series of suicide attacks and printed decrees, often hung on the walls of local mosques, ordering the people to stop supporting the government.

Mr Hikmat decided to shelve his dream of owning a house and took his family to safety, across the Afghan-Pakistan border to Quetta. The construction company where he worked as an engineer fired most of its staff.

Mr Hikmat destroyed the press cards and letters of recommendation he and his brother had collected from journalists. His brother, who worked as a cameraman, erased all footage from his tapes, all film of the city, interviews and pictures of American troops, for fear of punishment by the Taliban. An Indian company that built the road between Kandahar and Spinboldak fled when news spread that the Pakistani army was helping the Taliban to reach Kandahar. Most foreigners left.

"The Americans abandoned Afghanistan," says Mr Hikmat. "When they were around, people were making money. The Taliban had run away but they were not defeated and the Americans knew that too. Yet the US decreased the number of its troops."

Then it was announced Nato would replace the US forces, a decision which encouraged the Taliban. People in Kandahar talk about a power vacuum of which the Taliban took full advantage. They had five years to organise and returned in force.

"Now the Taliban are everywhere," says Alia, a nurse in Kandahar's Polyclinic Hospital. She returned from Pakistan four years ago in the hope of living and working in Kandahar and made her home in the Khoshal Mena neighbourhood, a short distance from the city centre.

"There was a doctor called Aziz in this building" she says. "The Taliban hung a leaflet on his door, telling him if he didn't stop working for the government and didn't take his children out of school, he would be killed." He and his family escaped overnight.

Now Alia says she is scared for her own family's life. She has taken down the sign on her door which carried her name and occupation. "My children are also in school and I'm worried that I may face a similar threat," she says. Najeeba has her own mocking reaction. "At least they give you a warning," she remarks, although this might be a compliment by Afghan standards.

But Alia has another reason to worry. In recent months she engaged her 16-year-old daughter to a young Afghan who works for the Western military forces. He paid the family a bride price of about £7,000. But now Alia is fearful that her daughter and her new family will also become a Taliban target. For the Taliban control most of Helmand province, where some 4,000 British troops are stationed.

In the Panjwai district of Kandahar province, the Taliban have even been using loudspeakers, taunting Canadian troops to attack them. In the past week, Canadian soldiers travelled to Panjwai but can only hold the city centre.

In Panjwai, 30km west of Kandahar, where fighting began two weeks ago, 71 Taliban fighters died during the weekend in running battles with Nato and Afghan forces after an attack on government headquarters, according to officials.

Maiwand, the site of a great British military defeat during the Second Afghan War in 1778-1880, is now the seat of resistance to the government, and Nato.

A Maiwand resident who is hiding in Kandahar tells me he was threatened by the Taliban. He works in one of Kandahar's hospitals. "I can't go home because I know the Taliban will kill me," he says. "From our entire village there are only two educated people. It's not hard for the Taliban to find us there.

"They have continued to issue decrees announcing that the killing of all those working with the current government or any of the foreign agencies - especially the military - is an "Islamic duty". In neighbouring Helmand province, a leaflet pinned to the wall of a mosque says the Taliban will give $1,000 (£680) to anyone who brings them the head of a government worker or a foreigner.

Where is all this power and money coming from? A member of a religious group, Wakil Sahib, accuses neigbouring Pakistan. "They don't want Afghanistan to be free and economically independent," he says. "They want to keep Afghanistan as their market. They want us to continue to go to their doctors, buy their medicine, use their products. To serve their own interests, the Pakistani intelligence service funds the Taliban."

Saifullah, who is too frightened to identify his job, says everyone in Kandahar knows who created and supported the Taliban. "Pakistan, with the help of the US, originally created them -- and to this day they are providing them with weapons and money," he says.

Saifullah is one of those who suspect that the Americans directly help the Taliban. "They could control the Pakistani border and stop the Taliban crossing. So why don't they?" he asks.

The educated classes in Kandahar also tend to blame the United States. "The Americans realised that Afghanistan held no economic benefit for them so they decided to ignore the country despite all their promises," says Rafi, an unemployed engineer. "After the US, the responsibility lies on our own government, which has also failed.

"But I wonder if the war in Afghanistan is less about the Taliban and Pakistan, and more about the rivalry between America and Europe. Afghanistan has become a victim once again, just like it was during the Cold War."

But there is another reality which also helps the Taliban. When the Americans arrived in Kandahar, they also brought money, rebuilding projects, jobs and the hope of stability. Power was restored and the city had electricity, especially during the summer, when temperatures reach 55C. But the Americans also left the drug mafia and warlords intact. The former Kandahar governor, General Gulagha Shirzai, and the President's brother, Wali Karzai, who now heads the Provincial Council, have been accused of drug trafficking. They, and others like them, were America's allies.

Under the American administration, "warlordism" and poppy cultivation soared. Kandahar owed its new wealth in part to drug money. But with the shift from US to Nato forces, there came a "War on drugs" and Nato launched a relentless campaign to stop poppy cultivation. Using Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army, the Canadians and the British started to destroy the poppy fields, a policy which faced opposition from both the traffickers and the farmers. The first casualty was the power supply.

"When Nato took over, the electricity disappeared," says Ahmedallah. The Americans had apparently donated 14 powerful generators to the city, seven of them operational at any one time. But the Kandaharis are paying the price for the oil-operating machines, which provide the city with a few hours of electricity every other day. "We only had power for four days, if you counted all the hours together. And the bill for the month was $40," says Ahmedallah of his own home. An average government employee makes about $50 a month.

To continue the drug production, the traffickers as well as the farmers welcomed the Taliban. Poppy cultivation was allowed by the Taliban. "Farmers now let the Taliban stay in their homes," says Wali, who works part-time for the ROSHAN mobile phone company. "Wherever you find the Taliban, the Brits and Canadians can't go."

Two weeks ago, Wali was driving from Helmand to Kandahar when he saw a gun battle between the Taliban and Nato forces. He abandoned his car and ran to safety. A few days later he returned to find his car. The Taliban had burned it, he says, because they found papers from his work and his mobile phone inside. He'd paid $3,500 for the car and sold the burned wreck for less than $100. "If tomorrow the British and Canadians announced that the growing of poppies was allowed, the people wouldn't let the Taliban stay in the country," says Wali.

"It would certainly help if they also restore power," adds Ahmedallah. And if they established better control over the Pakistan-Afghan border, and paid the Afghan army better salaries, and used the old commanders who are now unemployed, and, above all, cleansed the current Afghan administration of corruption. The list goes on.

In Kandahar, they make a distinction between the old Pakistani-supported Taliban and the new forces of Gulbudin Hekmatyar. Hekmatyar was a well-paid CIA man during the Cold War, the much-feared leader of the Hizb-i-Islami (party of God) which brutalised the Kabul population before the Taliban. Some suspect that the CIA has called again on his services.

Of course, there are more conspiracy theories than facts. But the reality is that fear dominates every aspect of life here. "It would be easier to live under the full control of one or another government, be it the Taliban or a US-supported Afghan government," says Rafi. "But this is like living in purgatory."

If the Americans leave, Kandahar will fall in a week. That's what people in the city's bazaar say - and they are the ones who know the Taliban and al-Qa'ida.

In the crowded streets, where shops are filled with goods imported from Pakistan, Iran and China, where young boys sell large square blocks of ice and bottled water, foreigners are no longer welcome.

No Nato patrol can pass through here. "They are too scared to come to this area," says my guide Ahmedallah. So the Taliban don't attack the market because there are no foreigners - or perhaps, as the Kandaharis claim, because this place is their nest. Kandahar is lost.

Unholy alliance with the Taliban that sustains a nation's drugs trade

By Tom Coghlan in Kabul (The Independent) - 22 August 2006

More than a third of this year's record poppy harvest was produced in just one province, Helmand, in which 4,400 British troops have been engaged in intense clashes with the Taliban since June.

Here the insurgency and the drugs barons appear to have made an unholy alliance. When The Independent visited the drugs heartlands of north Helmand in May, local poppy farmers explained that the Taliban had promised to protect their poppy fields, whilst taking a tax on the opium produced.

Senior Nato officers have warned that millionaire drug smugglers are also funding the insurgents and have expressed concern that the threat to the poppy economy in the south is pushing the local populace into the camp of the Taliban. Some military figures have suggested an amnesty on poppy eradication for a year or more.

In neighbouring Kandahar local people accused Western nations of broken promises and complained bitterly that poppy cultivation and fighting for the Taliban were the only sources of employment in the economically devastated south.

"I was in a meeting where the foreigners promised $28m (£15m) to Kandahar if people stopped cultivating poppy," said one farmer in the town of Punjwai. "But they haven't even given so much as one boiled sweet."

In fact, in 2005, just short of $1bn was thrown at the opium problem. Nearly the same amount has been spent this year.

Western officials say that a note of optimism has been a sustained reduction in poppy in Nangahar province, one of the country's previous major drug production centres. But they admit to deep frustration in the face of massive government corruption and collusion on the part of many police and officials in the drugs trade.

Several members of the Afghan parliament are widely reported to be key figures in the drugs trade. An apparent US army intelligence document which was discovered on a computer memory stick at an Afghan bazaar earlier this year named a number of government ministers it alleged were complicit in the drugs trade, including the Interior Minister for Counter Narcotics. He denies the charge. Despite international efforts to reform the country's judicial system, no major drugs figures have yet been arrested.

In an interview with Fortune magazine last month, the Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted that there were "a lot of people" in his administration who profit from the drugs trade. The value of the Afghan narco-economy was put at $2.7 bn, or 52 per cent of Afghan GDP, last year.

Unnamed Taliban spokesperson makes false claims to media - COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN - COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

KABUL , Afghanistan – An unnamed Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan has made several claims recently to Afghan media outlets. Coalition forces have compared each of the claims with facts and information reported by Coalition troops on the ground in each of the provinces mentioned.

The unnamed spokesman reported that Taliban fighters killed eight Coalition members during an attack Aug. 21 on a Coalition convoy in Qala Bazaar of Alishang District, located in Laghman Province . The Coalition had already confirmed that an attack occurred, however, there were no casualties, and no damage to Coalition vehicles or equipment.

The spokesman also claimed that 50 Afghan and Coalition forces were killed during the last 10 days of fighting in the Laghman Province . The spokesman went on to say that 15 Coalition vehicles had been destroyed and 10 Coalition weapons had been seized. This is not true. The only other incident which has occurred in this province since Aug. 15 resulted in only one U.S. military member injured.

Finally, the Taliban spokesman claimed that an attack was conducted Aug. 21 on a U.S. patrol in the Lotta area of the Manoogi District in Kunar. The spokesman stated that 14 U.S. military members were confirmed dead by Taliban fighters, and that two Taliban fighters were killed and four others were wounded during the attack.

An attack did occur in Pech District, Kunar Province on Aug.19, and Coalition forces confirmed that three U.S. military members were killed and three were wounded in that incident. The U.S. patrol was actually struck by an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

It's Starting to Look a Lot Like an Army - The Los Angeles Times - By David Zucchino

A combat operation is seen as a milestone for Afghan troops and their U.S. trainers -- and a signpost for the fledgling Iraqi force.

RAMAZAN — This remote village in the high desert of southern Afghanistan is home to six mud huts and 70 people. A few miles away, tucked behind two soaring escarpments, the settlement of Qazi contains four huts, 50 people and a few goats.

More than 100 Afghan army soldiers descended on the two villages one day last month looking for Taliban fighters. After a carefully scripted battle plan, the soldiers sealed the villages and searched every hut, shed, paddock and fighting-age male.

They found nothing — no Taliban, no weapons, no documents, no bomb-making material. But in the eyes of the U.S. military advisors who set the raid in motion, the operation was a milestone.

For the first time in Afghanistan, the Americans said, the Afghan army had conducted a battalion-sized combat operation that combined logistics, mortars, scouts and infantry from three companies. It is the sort of operation that U.S. troops conduct routinely, but the fledgling Afghan army is just beginning to apply its training to real-life battlefields.

"We witnessed a little piece of history today," said U.S. Col. Martin Leppert, his face sunburned below his blond crew cut after a day spent supervising the operation in 120-degree desert heat.

The Afghan army, like the one being built and trained chiefly by the U.S. in Iraq, is the fulcrum for American strategy in both countries. U.S. forces will remain mired in Afghanistan and Iraq for years unless the two armies become strong and capable enough to fight on their own. For both Afghanistan and Iraq, the army is the one national institution potentially capable of projecting government authority and security.

The nascent Afghan effort could provide a signpost for the Iraqi army, despite significant differences in size and the nature of the insurgency each is fighting. If the Afghan army is still struggling in its fifth year of training, its halting progress suggests that the Iraqi army, in its third year, has a long way to go.

Men such as Leppert, 46, a full-time National Guard soldier from Wisconsin, are at the forefront of the Afghan training. Known as an ETT, for embedded training team, his 20 American trainers serve as mentors for their Afghan counterparts.

The training has evolved from putting raw recruits through basic training at a military center in Kabul, the capital, to conducting combat forays alongside U.S. or NATO units. Afghan battalions are a long way from being able to operate on their own, but trainers are trying to wean them from relying on the U.S. military for everything from carrying enough food and ammunition to setting up observation posts and mortar crews.

It is slow, frustrating work. Most Afghan soldiers are fearless fighters, but more than half are illiterate, with virtually no experience fighting in cohesive, disciplined units. Many recruits are too young to have fought in the country's numerous wars over the last quarter-century. Many older soldiers and officers fought the Soviets or the Taliban, but as guerrillas, not as part of a national army.

Today's army is very much a work in progress. Afghan commanders and soldiers complain of poor pay, faulty weapons, ammunition shortages and lack of protective gear. U.S. trainers, while praising Afghan soldiers for their bravery, complain of slovenly appearance, lack of discipline, petty thefts, mistreated equipment and infiltration of the army by Taliban spies or soldiers who sell information.

Afghan soldiers are armed with old AK-47 assault rifles collected from warlord militias. A first-year soldier earns $70 a month, less than a common laborer. (The top enlisted man makes $180 a month, a general $530 a month.)

The Afghan brigade commander, Col. Abdul Raziq, said he spent $250 of his $400 monthly salary on phone cards because his personal cellphone was his only reliable means of communicating with his commanders.

Soldiers have no body armor and no armored vehicles. Few even have helmets. They ride into battle in the dusty beds of U.S.-supplied Ford Ranger pickups, clutching their weapons while bouncing over rutted dirt trails. Their commanders scream orders into outdated U.S.-issue radios, forgoing code words or secure call signs.

"We're building the Afghan army on the fly," said Leppert, an aggressive, fast-talking officer known to fellow commanders as "Cowboy," as he watched from a ridgeline as Afghan troops swept toward the two villages. "We're building the airplane while the airplane is flying."

Operation Mountain Thrust, the 2-month-old campaign against a resurgent Taliban in southern Afghanistan, is being led by combat units from the U.S. and NATO countries, with the Afghan army in support.

From a forward operating base called Apache, Leppert supervises an Afghan brigade. His small hilltop base is protected by dirt berms, blast barriers, high walls, concertina wire and guard towers against Taliban fighters who control towns and villages across the arid Zabol province.

On the next rise is the headquarters of the Afghan brigade at Alexander's Castle, a crenelated fortification said to date from the days of Alexander the Great.

"This is very, very dangerous country," Leppert said. "We've lost a lot of good ANA [Afghan National Army] soldiers here."

The night before the search operation, Apache was attacked by three pickups of gunmen who raked the encampment with machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades in what Leppert called a "classic L.A. drive-by." The U.S. trainers climbed to the parapets and into the guard towers, firing back with automatic rifles and machine guns.

After a 25-minute battle, the attackers fled, Leppert said. Three were captured and interrogated. The only U.S. casualty was a twisted ankle suffered by a U.S. Navy trainer, part of a nine-man naval team training the Afghans to build and maintain military garrisons.

Just after dawn the next morning, the Americans and Afghans launched a "cordon and search" operation aimed at the two villages an hour's drive away over packed tan dirt and dry wadis. The trainers and Afghans had been collecting intelligence on the settlements, which they believed were sanctuaries for Taliban fighters.

The U.S. battalion commander, Lt. Col. Harold Walker, carried a battle plan and map with targets and observation posts marked with code names such as Roach, Firefly, Wasp and Maggot. His counterpart, Afghan battalion commander Maj. Gholem Sakhi, 44, carried a similar battle plan written in Dari.

The two commanders watched the operation play out from their command post at the top of a sandy ridge. They communicated through an interpreter. Walker speaks only a few Dari phrases, and Sakhi's only English phrase is a heartfelt "I love you, my friend!"

The Afghan scouts had taken up their positions on mountain ridges that rose high above the command post, and the mortar teams had set up on distant mountains to block any attempted escape by suspected militants. The two commanders used radio scanners to monitor all radio traffic in the area; Taliban fighters and their supporters in villages often communicate by two-way radio.

It was clear that the Taliban had its own observation posts and had spotted the convoy. It was likely that any Taliban in the two targeted villages had been warned to flee.

"We're watching them watching us," Walker said, squinting at the hazy gorges far below.

More than a hundred Afghan soldiers fanned out through the gorges, backed by more than 100 more in support roles. They were joined by 15 U.S. trainers, who had more firepower than the lightly armed Afghan troops.

The trainers were also able to call in artillery or airstrikes, if needed, along with helicopters for any wounded. Although this is a source of comfort for the Afghans, it has also made them dependent on U.S. resources. The Americans provide trucks, weapons, food, ammunition and fuel.

"We're the 911 for the ANA," said Walker, whose 10 trainers mentor 358 Afghan troops. "We will not let them fail."

Walker and Leppert acknowledged that the Afghans were unable to conduct proper combat operations without U.S. guidance and materiel support. But they point out that the battalion that conducted the search was less than a year old and had been created from scratch, mostly with young recruits.

"These guys are great fighters," Leppert said. "They believe in their cause, and they will get better."

On this day, for this mission, that seemed sufficient. The Afghan soldiers held their assigned positions, conducted a thorough search and jogged up mountains to set up observation posts.

"It's like watching a kid grow up," Walker said, sharing a meal of greasy chicken and naan flatbread with Sakhi. "It takes time and patience."

Mullahs' regime is inhumanely deporting Afghan and Iraqi refugees who have Iranian spouses NCRI 8/22/06

The commander of the State Security Forces (SSF) in Tehran province, Brig. Gen. Reza Zari, unveiled a plan to "deport 200,000 illegal aliens" and added that "the marriage of these people to Iranian women and their children with no identification papers" were a problem for the regime. He reiterated that "65,000 people in Tehran province alone have to be deported from the country in a short period of time."

Zari was referring to Afghan and Iraqi refugees who had married Iranian women. For more than a quarter of a century, the mullahs' regime had taken advantage of Afghan and Iraqi refugees to export fundamentalism and terrorism. Their children are presently deprived of citizenship, education, and health insurance. The refugees are currently being forced to leave Iran with their families.

The Chairwoman of the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Ms. Sarvnaz Chitsaz, called on all international human rights organizations, women and children's rights activists to condemn the measures taken by the mullahs' regime against the refugees and prevent it from deporting them involuntarily, especially those who have Iranian mothers or spouses. 

720 mln sq meters of land not cleared of mines in Afghanistan

KABUL, Aug 22, 2006 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 720 million square (sq) meters of land remains to be cleared of mines in war-weary Afghanistan, although over 1 billion sq meters has been cleared since 1989, a UN official told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"About 60 Afghans fall victim to mines each month," said Aleem Siddique, a spokesman for UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

Though the number is down from about 140 five years ago, it is still far too high, said Siddique, adding that almost 50 percent of all victims in 2005 were under the age of 18.

The Mine Action Program for Afghanistan, which is coordinated by the UN Mine Action Center for Afghanistan, continues to work hard to clear contaminated land across Afghanistan, the spokesman said.

Numerous mines are still buried in many areas of Afghanistan due to decades of war, imposing severe threat to innocent lives.

Separately, several manual clearance teams, which are all Non- governmental Organizations, are working diligently to clear mines on TV Mountain, which is located in central Kabul and is the highest in the capital of Afghanistan, Siddique said.

Fighting between mujahidin factions left the hill covered with hundreds of anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance.

The clearance of the mountain is expected to end in March 2007. However, a portion of it will remain as a clearly marked minefield, as destruction of the mines would cause damage to nearby residential areas.

Afghanistan: Government Turns Its Sights On Northern Warlords

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty - A decision by the Afghan Interior Ministry to request the disbandment of two political parties could signal an attempt by the government to curb "warlordism."

WASHINGTON, August 21, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- For years, northern Afghanistan has seen sporadic fighting between supporters of two long-time warlords, Abdul Rashid Dostum and General Abdul Malik. Now, though, the central government has indicated it has had enough, with Interior Minister Zarar Ahmad Moqbel calling for the two men's political parties to be disbanded.

He argues that the two parties -- Dostum's National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan (Hizb-e Junbish-e-Melli-ye Islami-ye Afghanistan), known as Junbish, and Malik's Freedom Party of Afghanistan (Hizb-e Azadi-ye Afghanistan) -- continue to maintain military wings and that these militia are responsible for the unrest in the northern province of Faryab.

Afghan law prohibits political parties from running militias, but in a country where many rogue armies are led -- officially or covertly -- by leaders of the country's 70-plus registered political parties Moqbal's move and the bluntness of his comments are unusual.

Warlords have been the bane of centralization efforts for decades. It is too early to say whether this move signals a new government willingness to tackle "warlordism," and curb the power of militias. But it is clear -- in Kabul and among the administration's backers in the international community -- that the current post-Taliban government must rein in warlords if it is to continue on the path toward democratization.

The venture could prove treacherous for President Hamid Karzai's central government -- particularly if it is not diligent in applying the policy. The move to disband Dostum's and Malik's parties has created discontent among those two men's supporters. But the government stands to gain broader support on a national level if it applies the same standard to other militias -- and is not seen to be engaging in favoritism among warlords. Conversely, the recent suggestion by some government officials that militias could be co-opted in the southern and eastern parts of the country could undermine the strategy.

Interior Minister Moqbel cited recent armed clashes in the northern Faryab Province in pursuing the ban.

He suggested the Justice Ministry could act through the country's recently appointed Supreme Court, which, unlike its predecessor, is not linked to the warring parties of Afghanistan's past.

Dostum is a former communist militia commander who allied with the mujahedin to help them take control of Kabul in 1992. Dostum's military units and his Junbish party were major actors during the ensuing civil war. For most of the period between 1992 and 1996, Dostum controlled large swathes of northern Afghanistan and Malik served as his unofficial foreign minister.

But relations between Dostum and Malik deteriorated following the death of Malik's brother, General Rasul Pahlawn, in 1996. Mali's brother was Dostum's second in command, and was killed under mysterious circumstances. Malik blamed Dostum.

One year later, Malik gained notoriety briefly when he helped Taliban forces conquer the seat of Dostum's power, the city of Mazar-e Sharif. Malik soon turned on his Taliban allies and assumed personal control of Mazar-e Sharif and parts of northern Afghanistan.

But Malik's fortunes soon faded. Within months, by September 1997, the Taliban and their Pakistani backers were able to oust Malik.

Dostum meanwhile took his defeated Junbish forces and found new allies to fight the Taliban. Dostum soon joined forces with the United Islamic and National Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan (aka Northern Alliance) -- formed around under the military leadership of Ahmad Shah Mas'ud.

Dostum played an active part in the U.S.-led campaign to oust the Taliban regime in late 2001. From 2002 to 2003, he officially held the post of deputy defense minister -- although he was rarely in Kabul. Instead, Dostum was busy fighting for supremacy in and around Mazar-e Sharif. His opponents included forces loyal to the current governor of Balkh Province, Ata Mohammad Nur.

In May 2003, the UN-backed central government sought to sideline Dostum. President Karzai named Dostum a "special adviser on security and military affairs," bringing the northern warlord to Kabul in an apparent effort to dislodge him from his northern stronghold. Dostum's job was to advise the president and recommend ways to bring security to the northern provinces (Balkh, Jowzjan, Sar-e Pol, Samangan, Faryab).

But Dostum's forces continued to tangle with provincial Governor Nur's forces despite the presidential maneuvering. The situation escalated in early 2004, with General Malik's arrival in Faryab -- in some views with tacit support from Governor Nur. Dostum's forces maintained the upper hand, but Malik loyalists have issued occasional challenges.

Dostum has relinquished the formal leadership of his Junbish party, but most observers are convinced he maintains effective control. Dostum and General Malik both insist that their political parties have no military wings. But each has repeatedly blamed the other for fomenting violence, including about 10 days of deadly fighting in early August.

Minister Moqbel's attempt to cripple Dostum's and Malik's political careers has little precedent in Afghanistan, so it is too early to assume the outcome. But the question on many Afghan minds if he succeeds is bound to be: Whose militia is next?

Parliament condemns Israel's aggression

Pajhwok - By Makia Monir - KABUL - The parliament on Monday condemned Israel attacks on Palestinians and asked the Israeli government to release the 20 Palestinian parliamentarians, eight cabinet ministers of the authority and speaker of the House.

In a statement released after an hour of discussion on the recent trouble in Palestine, the parliament announced political and moral support for the Lebanese and Palestinian people, who are suffering under Israeli aggression for more than a month.

The statement issued by the parliamentarian committee on international relations said detention and torture of the MPs and representatives of Palestinian people was an illegal action which must be condemned.

The statement urged the United Nations' Security Council, Organisation of Islamic Conference and the world community to put pressure on Israel for the release of the 29 people.

The statement said Afghans express solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanese people. "Representatives of the Afghan nation clearly announce their support and solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle to get an independent state," said the statement, which also lauded Hezbollah for standing in front of the 'brutal Israeli invasion'.

Speaking ahead of the release of the joint statement, former president and head of the Jamiat-i-Islami Party Burhanuddin Rabbani criticised the government and parliament for not showing immediate reaction on the detention of the Palestinian MPs and speaker.

"The policy based on dumbness towards issues of the Muslim world is not in our benefit as all Muslim countries raised their voice but we stayed indifferent," said Rabbani.

ACC Trophy 2006: Afghanistan reaches semi-final

KABUL, Aug 22 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Afghans made their way to the semi-final by routing the host Malaysia in the quarter-final of the ACC Championship Trophy 2006 by 9 wickets.

Afghanistan completed the 169 runs target set by the hosts in 28 overs while their 9 wickets were still in hand. Nauroz Mangal and Ahmad Shah Ahmadi of the national squad scored 78 and 73 runs respectively and remained unbeaten.

Winning the toss, the Malaysia team decided to bat first. They scored 169 runs in 47 overs for all-out. Afghanistan Hasti Gul Abid and Mohammad Nabi shined as both the pacers got three wickets each.

Chasing the comparatively easy target set by their opponents, the Afghan team completed the score in 27th over for the loss of one wicket. Nauroz Mangal and Ahmad Shah Ahmadi remained unbeaten with individual score of 78 and 73 runs respectively.

Ahmadi also got a wicket and was declared man-of-the-match at the end of the play. Skipper Raees Ahmadzai described the victory as result of team work. Ealier, Afghanistan defeated Qatar, Iran and Thailand in its group matches. The 17-nation tournament is played in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia.

[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.]