In this bulletin:

• President Karzai Leaves for Azerbaijan
• President Karzai Receives a Phone Call from President Bush
• President Karzai Expresses His Regret at the Plane Crash in Armenia
• Afghan governors meet, discuss future of southern Afghanistan
• Spartan commander confers with Pakistani leaders
• Britain Takes Lead of NATO Force in Afghanistan
• Afghan rebel's pledge to al-Qaeda
• US Senate approves funding for Iraq, Afghanistan
• Four security guards killed in Taliban ambush in Afghanistan
• Firefight leaves 4 Taliban militants dead in S. Afghanistan
• UN says needs urgent help to feed Afghan hungry
• But Iran could use leverage in Afghanistan to create trouble for US, some warn.
• Request Stokes Debate Over Yale Student With a Taliban Past

President Karzai Leaves for Azerbaijan - Date of Release: 04 May 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, left for Baku, Azerbaijan, this morning to attend the 9 th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).  

In his address to the Summit the President will call for greater cooperation among the ECO member states, highlight the necessity of expanding and developing the intact natural resources available in the region and stress the significance of the global fight against terrorism.

During this visit, the President will hold meetings with H.E. Mahmuod Ahmadinezad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and H.E Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to discuss issues of bilateral interest.

The President is accompanied on this trip by H.E. Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Zalmay Rasoul, National Security Advisor, H.E. Muhammad Ismail, Minister of Water and Energy, H.E. Muhammad Amin Farhang, Acting Minister of Economy, H.E. Amirzai Sangeen, Minister of Communications, H.E. Dr. Ishaq Naderi, Senior Advisor to the President on Economics, H.E. Dr. Enayatullah Qasemi, Acting Minister of Transport and H.E. Karim Rahimi, Spokesman to the President.

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

President Karzai Receives a Phone Call from President Bush - Date of Release: 02 May 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, received a phone call which lasted about 20 minutes Yesterday afternoon from H.E. George W Bush, President of the United States of America. President Bush congratulated President Karzai on the approval of his cabinet by the Parliament.

The two Presidents discussed issues of bilateral interest and exchanged views on a wide range of issues including the fight against terrorism and NATO’s expansion in Afghanistan. President Bush assured President Karzai of the United States’ continued support in the common fight against terrorism and in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. President Karzai thanked the people and Government of the United States Of America for their unwavering support to the fight against terrorism and To the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

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

President Karzai Expresses His Regret at the Plane Crash in Armenia - Date of Release: 03 May 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, expressed his regret at the plane crash in Armenia, killing 1 1 3 people on board

According to reports, a plane flying from Yerevan, Armenia, to the southern Russian city of Sochi has crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 1 1 3 people on board.

The President, on behalf of the people of Afghanistan, expressed his heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Armenia.

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

Afghan governors meet, discuss future of southern Afghanistan - COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN - COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN May 4, 2006

By Army Maj. Nancy A. Hansen 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan– Governors from five southern provinces met here April 25 to discuss the future of their provinces, share ideas and move toward a cooperative approach to addressing the concerns of the people of southern Afghanistan.“ This is the first time that five governors have met together,” said Kandahar Governor Assadullah Khaled, who hosted the meeting of fellow governors from Day Kundi, Helmand , Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.

One of the main issues discussed was the need for cooperative security among the provinces. The governors collectively agreed there was a need to establish a joint coordination cell at the regional level between each province and their respective police forces.

They believe the cell will enhance the pursuit of the enemies of Afghanistan across the provinces’ boundaries. Another benefit would be better coordination in reconstruction-related efforts and improved intelligence and information sharing across provinces, according to Governor Khaled.             Brig. Gen. David Fraser, Canadian Coalition Forces commander, also attended the conference.

“I applaud the effort these governors have made to change the focus of these meetings from what it was, to what it should be -- led by Afghan effort with an Afghan solution,” he said.

Recognizing that many challenges lie ahead on the road to improving the infrastructure and quality of life for Afghans, the governors made their needs known to each other and discussed how the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, along with the aid of the Coalition forces, can help obtain the regional stability they seek.The ANA and ANP plan to meet and synchronize their efforts in all southern provinces.

Jan Mohammed Akbari, governor of the newly formed Day Kundi Province , expressed his desire to support a provincial reconstruction team to improve conditions there. He said he also looks to Coalition forces to provide assistance. The Uruzgan governor, Abdul Kahim Munib, said he has made progress in his mission to win the support of the local population in the fight against enemy fighters and to assure the people of Uruzgan that the government will provide services to its citizen.

Mohammad Daud, Helmand governor, discussed the drug-eradication effort in his province. “There are about 2,000 personnel working to destroy the poppy fields,” he said.

Daud also asked about increasing the capacity of legitimate Afghan government institutions at the district level and providing necessary resources for maintaining a government presence.

It’s the coalition’s intent to support the governors and its responsibility to carry their message to the international community, said Fraser. “We can’t be everywhere all at once,” said Fraser. “Our job is to listen and find out what your concerns are, where the priorities are, and then to raise your issues, with everyone above us, to make sure you get the resources down here that your need so that you can improve your life.”

Spartan commander confers with Pakistani leaders

By Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pintagro Task Force Spartan public affairs

JALALABAD AIR FIELD , Afghanistan– The commander and command sergeant major of the Coalition’s Task Force Spartan met with a delegation of Pakistani military officials April 27 at the Pakistani border outpost of Nawapass to discuss ongoing anti-terror operations and border security.

Army Col. John Nicholson, Task Force Spartan commander, conferred with Pakistani Brig. Gen. Iftikhar at a remote facility overlooking a mountain pass along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

The two leaders discussed efforts against terrorists operating in the border area, complimenting the Coalition’s Operation Mountain Lion, a comprehensive anti-terror initiative launched April 11.

The commanders discussed border security issues, current and future operations, communications technology, regional economic development and individual terror targets.

Nicholson used the opportunity to outline Operation Mountain Lion objectives for the Pakistani leaders.

“Our primary aim has been to separate the enemy from the people,” he said, noting this can happen when terrorists perish, flee the area or reconcile with the Afghan people and government.

The commander also described allied efforts to reach the people -- including reconstruction projects, humanitarian endeavors, education programs and security efforts.

Nicholson noted the importance of economic development as well as security along the 300 miles of border shared by Pakistan and the northeastern Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan .

“Ultimately, a viable, legitimate economy on both sides of the border will help stabilize things more than anything,” he said.

Nicholson told his Pakistani counterparts that he met with Afghan civil and military leaders as well as village elders and other community leaders during his time in eastern Afghanistan . The Afghan people overwhelmingly embrace allied efforts to establish peace, he said.

“They want stability and safety more than anything -- they want security,” he said.

Britain Takes Lead of NATO Force in Afghanistan

By CARLOTTA GALL Newyork times, May 4, 2006

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 4 — Britain took command of the NATO peacekeeping force in Afghanistan today in preparation for the force's expansion into the turbulent south and southeast of Afghanistan over the coming months.

Lt. Gen. David Richards assumed command from the departing Italian commander in a short ceremony. In a warning to insurgents, he promised to build a strong and unified security assistance force, bringing NATO and American coalition forces together under one command.

General Richards takes command immediately of 9,000 troops of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, which is stationed in Kabul and the north and west of the country and primarily performs reconstruction activities.

By the end of July, he will also assume command of NATO and other forces in southern Afghanistan, adding combat operations against insurgents to NATO's mission of stabilization and security.

The arrival of 6,000 NATO troops in the south will allow the United States to reduce its force of 19,000 by 2,000 to 3,000 in August. American forces will remain in the border provinces of eastern Afghanistan and are expected to come under the NATO flag by November, giving General Richards command of the entire international military force across the whole country.

"It will be NATO's most challenging ground operation ever, conducted in parallel with overall change in NATO," Hikmet Cetin, NATO's civilian representative in Afghanistan, said at a news briefing after the ceremony. "NATO cannot afford to fail in Afghanistan, for the whole world and the whole region," he said.

"As we know, security in the south and southeast is still borderline. NATO will be challenged, but as NATO is ready for this challenge, it will not be discouraged. We will do what is needed for success."

Afghanistan is NATO's top priority mission and it is sending its elite force, the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, to take on the task, he said.

The departure of American troops from southern Afghanistan has already raised concerns among Afghans there as they face an increasingly violent insurgency, and General Richards, who has served as commander of British peacekeeping forces in East Timor and twice in Sierra Leone, was quick to dispel concerns.

"I am more than confident the skeptics will be proved wrong," he said.

The number of foreign troops in southern Afghanistan will double with NATO coming in, they will have more Apache helicopters than before, and American aircraft will remain in support of NATO troops.

"The U.S. will remain the major shareholder in the operation with all the benefits that brings," he said.

He promised to be an "implacable opponent" and make robust use of military force against those who continued to oppose the Afghan government by violent means. NATO forces will not be directly involved in poppy eradication but will help provide a secure environment for Afghans security forces to conduct eradication, he said. He also said he would work for close collaboration with Pakistan to deny the insurgents safe sanctuary across the border.

Mr. Cetin said he planned a visit to Pakistan to build on a flurry of visits there by ministers of NATO countries and the United Nations special representative in Afghanistan.

"Without the cooperation of the whole region, we will not have stability," Mr. Cetin warned.

NATO does plan to do some things differently, General Richards said. At a news briefing after the ceremony, he said NATO would not hold detainees, nor would it hand them over to American detention facilities, but would pass them to the Afghan law enforcement agencies under a carefully monitored system.

He also promised that his troops would respect Islam and the cultural traditions of Afghanistan. Asked if his troops would continue to raid houses, which has upset many communities, he said the issue was at the top of his "list," and that while he would not entirely constrain his troops from searching a house, he was advising them not to conduct such searches when there is any doubt about the necessity.

Afghan rebel's pledge to al-Qaeda

BBC News / Thursday, 4 May 2006

Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar says that he is ready to fight under the banner of al-Qaeda, according to a video broadcast by al-Jazeera TV.

"We hope to participate with them in a battle that they lead. They hold the banner and we stand alongside them as supporters," he said in the video.

The rebel warlord is classified as a terrorist by the United States.

He is opposed to the central government of Hamid Karzai and urges war against foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Mr Hekmatyar was Afghanistan's prime minister from June 1993 to June 1994. His faction, the Hezb-e-Islami, helped end the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Berates the West

In the video, a bearded Gulbuddin Hekmatyar wears a black turban and has a machine gun propped up against the wall behind him.

He berates Western governments for not taking seriously a truce offer made by Osama Bin Laden in January to the American people and another to European countries in April 2004.

"The Americans and their friends the Europeans are the ones who declared war on the Muslims and ignited the flames in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq," he says.

"They are trying to rule Muslim states directly or through their vassals. They are plundering the wealth of Muslims and holding them back from self determination."

His group has been blamed for several recent attacks against US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Correspondents say that statements from Gulbuddin Hekmatyar are rare, but when they appear, their theme and tone is the same: hatred of the United States and its allies in Afghanistan and calls for rebellion there in the name of Islam.

US Senate approves funding for Iraq, Afghanistan May 4, 2006

The US Senate approved a bill to provide funding primarily for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which lawmakers have inflated so much that the bill risks being vetoed by President George W. Bush.

Totaling 109 billion dollars, instead of the 92 billion sought by the administration, the bill includes funding for several local projects, much to the dismay of some lawmakers.

The legislation passed by a vote of 78 to 20.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican, promised to ensure that the price tag was reduced in negotiations with the House of Representatives, in a bid to help the bill pass.

"Families must live within their means, and so should Washington. I applaud the administration's determination to stick to true emergency spending, and will support a veto, if necessary, to keep federal spending under control," he said last week.

The legislation includes 65.7 billion dollars to finance military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as nearly 30 billion dollars to help fund reconstruction of the US Gulf coast in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year.

It also freed up 1.9 billion dollars to fund border security initiatives.

Four security guards killed in Taliban ambush in Afghanistan Thu May 4

Four Afghan security guards escorting trucks carrying supplies for the US-led military were killed when Taliban militants ambushed them in southern Afghanistan, a military commander said.

The killings occurred late Wednesday in volatile Uruzgan province, military commander for southern Afghanistan General Rahmatullah Raufi said.

"Yesterday, Taliban attacked a convoy of civilian trucks carrying supplies for the US forces in Uruzgan," the general said on Thursday.

"Four guards from a private security company were killed," he said and added that the attackers also set one of the vehicles ablaze.

Raufi said that the Taliban fled the area after troops and local police reached the site.

Meanwhile Afghan authorities found the beheaded body of a policeman late Wednesday in Grishk district in neighbouring Helmand province, police official Amanullah Khan said.

"He (the policeman) was kidnapped by Taliban on Tuesday. We found his body yesterday. They had chopped his head off," Khan said.

Taliban militants continue to launch almost daily attacks across the south and east of Afghanistan.

Scores of people -- many of them rebels -- have died in the violence.

Firefight leaves 4 Taliban militants dead in S. Afghanistan

Source: Xinhua

Four Taliban militants were killed and one police wounded in a firefight in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan on Wednesday, a spokesman of the provincial government said.

"Clashes and exchange of fire between Taliban-linked militias and government police in Sangin district at 10 a.m.(0600 GMT) left four Taliban fighters dead and several others injured," Hajji Mohidin told Xinhua.

He, however, failed to give the number of Taliban militants who were wounded in the incident, saying the militias run away with their injured colleagues.

One police also sustained injuries in the firefight, the official confirmed.

Helmand and the neighboring provinces of Uruzgan, Kandahar and Zabul, the hotbed of Taliban militants, have been the scene of increasing insurgency as over 300 people including 15 American soldiers have been killed since beginning this year.

No Indian troops for Afghanistan, security team gives report

NEW DELHI, MAY 4 (PTI) -- Despite attacks on its nationals by Taliban in Afghanistan, India today maintained that it will not send its troops to the war-torn country.

"There is no such proposal," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters here when asked about a media report that Britain had asked India to send its troops to Afghanistan to be part of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The report said the British proposal was put forth by Prime Minister Tony Blair's Foreign Policy Adviser Nigel Shinwald during his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Tuesday.

Shinwald had reportedly said India should contribute troops for the ISAF in Afghanistan to do justice to its own increased role and strategic requirements in that country.

The report came close on the heels of abduction and killing of Indian engineer K Suryanarayana by Taliban in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a high-level team which assessed the security measures for Indians in Afghanistan has opined that the protective arrangements were adequate but there was a need to follow these properly and religiously by the individuals, sources said.

The three-member team, which went to Afghanistan on Sunday in the wake of Suryanarayana's abduction, has presented its report to the government on its assessment of the security measures for Indians in the war-torn country.

Suryanarayana, who worked with a Bahrain-based company, was also believed to have not followed the security drill properly which led to his abduction and killing.

via Outlook India

UN says needs urgent help to feed Afghan hungry

May 4, 2006 — KABUL, My (Reuters) - The U.N. food agency appealed on Thursday for urgent donations to help feed 3.5 million Afghans, warning that rations would soon have to be cut if it could not get funds.

The World Food Program (WFP) said it needed 52,000 tonnes of food worth about $40 million to fund operations until December.

"Our lack of funding has left us almost no choice and food rations and activities will have to be cut if we do not receive fresh donations," said the WFP representative in Afghanistan, Charles Vincent.

The United Nations says 6.8 million Afghans out of a population of about 25 million are chronically hungry.

The WFP said it was worried it might not be able to pre-position about 25,000 tonnes of food before the onset of winter, which could lead to severe hardship for isolated communities.

"We are working in some of the most remote and inaccessible locations in the world in Afghanistan, and it can take four to seven months to translate a donor's pledge into food assistance on the ground," Vincent said in a statement.

Most Afghan farmers do not harvest enough food to meet their needs and many sell their assets, and some even their daughters, to survive, the WFP said.

Afghanistan was expected to face a shortage of 400,000 tonnes of cereals this year despite a good harvest in the main wheat-growing north, the WFP said.

Iran, US share Afghan goals

But Iran could use leverage in Afghanistan to create trouble for US, some warn.

By David Montero | The Christian Science Monitor | May 4, 2006

HERAT, AFGHANISTAN - The smooth blacktop roads and 24-hour electricity of Herat set this Afghan commercial capital apart as a model of stability in a country still struggling to get on its feet. Much of the wealth in this western city, with its tree-lined streets and handsome shops, is credited to the largesse of Iran.

The Shiite republic, one of Afghanistan's greatest trading partners, has a visible hand here, building roads and schools, and keeping shops afloat with electricity and goods. What's more, these projects represent only a fraction of the $204 million Iran has spent in aid, ranking it among the top donors to post-conflict Afghanistan.

Even though the US and Iran are locked in an international struggle over Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, the long-time foes have worked together well in Afghanistan, a place where they have common ground. Pushing Iran against the wall through sanctions or war could deal a setback to the recovery here, the first battlefield in the war on terror, some observers say.

"The disagreements we have with the international community do not have a place in Afghanistan," says Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Iran's Ambassador to Afghanistan. "Our understanding for Afghanistan is that it can be a good model for cooperation among the international community."

Iranian influence is certainly nothing new in Afghanistan. The two countries share centuries of history, thousands of miles of porous borders, and a common language. Nearly 2,000 people commute across the border every day.

But as tensions rise between Tehran and Washington, some speculate that Iran could use its leverage in Afghanistan to cause problems for the US.

"They do have the capacity to cause trouble here. If they were to perceive that the government is siding with the West ... or they felt that the US military based in Afghanistan could be damaging to the internal situation in Iran ... we could expect problems here," cautioned one Western diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

Cement is a popular example of Iran's oversized influence. Iran once enjoyed a virtual monopoly on cement in Afghanistan, but it recently stopped exporting here, opting for Iraq instead. Prices nearly doubled according to local sources. For many Afghans, the incident exposed Iran's capability to disrupt reconstruction with the flip of a switch.

"If Iran decides to stop exporting goods, it can create a big problem for us," says Alhaj Qulam Qader Akbar, the head of Herat's Chamber of Commerce. "A lot of projects have been suspended because of the price [of cement] going up."

Such disruptive powers are not limited to the market, some say. Journalists talk of Iran's growing involvement in terrorist attacks here. Rumors also abound that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is secretly camped out in Herat.

Syed Ahmed Ansari, a police chief for Shindad, a town in Herat Province, told the Associated Press in February: "From Iran they are bringing explosive material to Afghanistan. They don't want Afghanistan to be at peace because they are at war with the United States."

So far, though, there is no direct evidence of such meddling, and Iran has never been directly implicated in any attacks. "We don't have evidence of that, but that is something we hear. If we want to comment on something, we should have evidence," says Gen. Ayub Salangi, Herat's chief of police.

Mr. Bahrimi, the Iranian ambassador, insists his country's role in Iran has always been a positive one. But he suggests that action taken against Iran could change that role.

"If new circumstances are imposed on us, in proportion to these circumstances, we'll make up our mind," he says, adding, "If [the Americans] control their behavior in Afghanistan, there isn't any reason for concern."

Even in the US, those closely watching Iran are hard pressed to find evidence of misconduct in Afghanistan. Instead, some have found themselves admitting that Iran, despite its activities elsewhere, has proved to be a good neighbor here.

Such was the case during a March congressional hearing on progress in Afghanistan. A panel of experts working on Afghanistan unanimously highlighted Iran's contribution to stability.

"I do not believe Iran is a major, negative player in Afghanistan," Seth Jones of the Rand Corporation told the panel. "If anything, the Iranian government's role in relationship with the Afghan government is actually fairly decent."

Barnett Rubin, a professor at New York University, went a step further, saying: "[W]e should be wary of anyone who is trying to sell intelligence or reports that Iran is trying to destabilize Afghanistan. It is not."

In fact, such are the contributions of Iran here that forcing it to pull out, either through sanctions or war, could hamper reconstruction, particularly by destabilizing the economy, many speculate.

"The tensions that Iran has with the international community are a deep cause of concern for us. If there are sanctions, or other means of exerting pressure, it will have its implications on Afghanistan. And that's the last thing we need," says Naveed Ahmad Moez, spokesperson for the foreign ministry.

Iran's support of the Karzai government stems in part from its antipathy toward the Taliban regime, which killed nine Iranian diplomats in 1998. Tehran supported the Northern Alliance and the US in ousting them.

Many say it's simply not in Iran's interest to make waves. Cross-border business is booming and the western border is stable. But there are those who say the US would be foolish to completely rule it out.

"The Americans should be concerned about Iranian influence," says Najibullah Fahim, professor of political science at Kabul University. "You know that Iran is hostile to America and will create enmity towards Americans here."

Sen. William Delahunt (D) of Massachusetts, who attended the March congressional hearing, seemed to think likewise. But when he pressed Maureen Quinn from the State Department, her retort was short but to the point.

"Iran participated in the London conference," she said, referring to an international donor meeting held in January. "They have contributed to road construction, electricity."

Request Stokes Debate Over Yale Student With a Taliban Past

By ALAN FINDER / The New York Times / May 4, 2006

A student at Yale University who was once a roving ambassador for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has applied for admission to a degree-granting program, putting new pressure on university officials in an emotionally charged political debate over his presence at Yale.

The student, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, 27, began taking courses at Yale last summer in a nondegree program for untraditional students. After an article about his experience appeared in The New York Times Magazine on Feb. 26, Yale was fiercely criticized in opinion articles in The Wall Street Journal and in other newspapers and magazines, as well as on cable news shows and Web sites.

Four alumni began a blog, Nail Yale, that questioned why someone they described as "an apologist for a brutal, misogynistic, terrorist-abetting tyranny" was being allowed to attend one of the country's most selective universities. And some families of victims of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and of American servicemen and women in Afghanistan accused the university of harboring a representative of a regime that had committed myriad crimes and repeatedly violated human rights.

But on campus, a number of students and professors support his presence, saying that he would benefit from a Yale education and that they would benefit from having him at the university.

Now Yale faces the question of whether to admit Mr. Hashemi on a more formal basis to a program that leads to an undergraduate degree. Yale's president, Richard C. Levin, declined a request for an interview and has generally not spoken publicly about Mr. Hashemi. He did tell The Yale Daily News, the student newspaper, that the admissions office would decide whether to allow Mr. Hashemi to pursue a Yale degree.

Mr. Levin also said last month that a Yale College subcommittee would review the mission and the admissions criteria this summer for both the program Mr. Hashemi is currently in and the one he has applied to.

In a statement issued in March, the university said: "We acknowledge that some are criticizing Yale for allowing Mr. Hashemi to take courses here, but we hope that critics will also acknowledge that universities are places that must strive to increase understanding, especially of the most difficult issues that face the nation and the world."

Mr. Hashemi worked for the Office of Foreign Affairs under the Taliban, serving initially as a translator and then as a diplomat in the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. He was named a roving ambassador in 2000, traveling to the Middle East and Europe. He toured the United States early in 2001, speaking at Yale and several other universities and appearing on public television and radio; he defended the abridgement of women's rights by the Taliban and the destruction of huge Buddhist statues, among other things.

At Yale, where the debate has been more muted than in the opinion columns, some students argue that Yale, as an ethical matter, should not admit Mr. Hashemi into the degree-granting program.

"I think the university is well within its rights to deny admission to people who've been complicit in a wide variety of crimes," said William A. Wilson, a freshman who is active in the Yale Political Union, a nonpartisan student group that organizes debates on current affairs.

Mr. Hashemi's supporters say it is in the long-term interests of the university and the country to educate bright Islamic students, so they learn to think critically and better understand the West.

"He is an example to me of intellectual curiosity and tolerance," said Tatiana Maxwell, the president of the International Education Foundation, which was created to raise money to send Mr. Hashemi to college.

"There is value to him to be at a university where the highest intellectual standards are upheld," she said. "On the flip side, if someone is willing to listen and see his value — Yale, which is educating our future leaders, has the most to gain by having him in its midst."

Mr. Hashemi did not respond to a request for an interview. Despite two months of criticism in the media, he decided over the last few weeks to apply for the degree-granting program for special students by the deadline of May 1, Mrs. Maxwell said.

Mrs. Maxwell said the backlash this spring had deeply affected Mr. Hashemi. She described him as a low-key person who left school after the fourth grade and earned a high school equivalency degree in Pakistan. When he was suddenly the object of attention from other Yale students and from the news media in recent months, Mrs. Maxwell said, he found the experience traumatic; he was uncertain whether he would remain at Yale.

Some supporters are worried that it might not be safe for Mr. Hashemi to return home, as he plans to do after the spring semester ends this month. Mrs. Maxwell and other supporters said there had been speculation in Pakistan, where his family lives in exile, that he must have been an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency if he had managed to get admitted by Yale after serving the Taliban.

If admitted to the degree-granting program, he would have many of the privileges and responsibilities of Yale undergraduates, although he could not live in university housing. He is likely to learn within a month or two whether he will be admitted, university officials said. The program is designed for people who have not begun or completed their college education because of family or job responsibilities.

In a statement released two weeks ago, Mr. Levin, the Yale president, said the standard for admission to the degree-granting program this year would be the same as for regular candidates for admission to Yale College, "recognizing that in assessing more mature candidates, relatively more weight should be given to achievement than potential."

Some students and faculty applaud Mr. Hashemi's presence at Yale. "What the United States is doing in the Middle East is to try to support and encourage people all across the region who want to be part of states that are good international citizens and want to be engaged with the international community," said Charles Hill, a lecturer in international affairs and a retired veteran of the State Department. "Mr. Hashemi wants to shape his future on the side of the line in the region that wants to be legitimate contributors to international peace and order."

But the alumni who created the blog, Nail Yale, have assailed the university for admitting Mr. Hashemi to any of its programs. The blog's name refers to the Taliban's banning of nail polish and to accusations that Taliban enforcers pulled out the nails of women who wore polish.

"We wanted to make it clear that alumni were upset about this," said Clint Taylor, one of the blog's founders. "It's a betrayal of Yale's core values. We're still at war with the Taliban. They're massacring schoolteachers in Afghanistan and fighting American soldiers."

David Cameron, a political science professor, said in an e-mail message that if Yale decides to admit Mr. Hashemi, he hoped it would state clearly that Mr. Hashemi would learn about "values the Taliban rejected: democracy, the rule of law, ethnic and religious toleration, human rights, and the equality of men and women."

[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.]