In this bulletin:

• Pakistan can do more against terrorism, says Afghan FM
• Pak unhappy with Afghan FM's remarks on fight against terror
• Suspected Taliban Ambush Police Patrol in Afghanistan
• Pro-Taliban Pakistani cleric deplores Musharraf's Afghan policy
• $80m to be invested in petroleum, other sectors
• World Bank to assist Afghanistan
• Australia Says Committed To Secure Stable Afghanistan, Iraq
• Pakistan asks Afghans to go back or shift to camp
• Taliban seek more deadly weapons - Seeking vehicle-mounted missiles
• WHO begins 'toughest' polio drive
• Scuffle in Afghan parliament after woman MP criticises warlords
• The Limits of Press Freedom
• Veteran Afghan police commander outspoken in criticism of corruption
• Liberals ponder role in Afghanistan
• Get soldiers out of Afghanistan, into Darfur
• U.S. must not abandon Afghans in their hopes, dreams

Pakistan can do more against terrorism, says Afghan FM - Mon May 8

KABUL (AFP) - Pakistan could do more in the fight against terrorism, Afghanistan's foreign minister said after Islamabad rejected as absurd a similar statement by a top US counter-terrorism official.

Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, sworn in last week, said however that his country appreciated Pakistan's cooperation against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants trying to topple the Afghan government.

"I think our brother country Pakistan can do something more against terrorism but I am very happy that we have had very strong cooperation against terrorism and for security and stability-building in Afghanistan," Spanta told reporters on Sunday.

"We know the sources of terrorism are outside Afghanistan... to have sustainable success in this region, I think it is immediately necessary that we work together and closely with Pakistan against terrorism."

Afghan officials have long said that the insurgency plaguing their country is being directed by leaders of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda movements who fled to Pakistan after the Taliban government was toppled in late 2001.

Pakistan rejected Sunday a similar statement by the US ambassador in charge of counterterrorism, Henry Crumpton, who reportedly said during a visit to Kabul last week: "Has Pakistan done enough? I think the answer is 'no'."

"This is an absurd and irresponsible statement," Pakistan chief military and presidential spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told AFP. Crumpton also reportedly said the Taliban and Al-Qaeda leadership, including Osama bin Laden, were mainly based in Pakistan and "the Pakistanis know that."

Similar claims this year by Afghan officials annoyed the Pakistan government, souring the already uneasy relations between the neighbours.

Pakistan insists the deployment of tens of thousands of troops to hunt down militants in its rugged tribal terrain along the mountainous border with Afghanistan shows its commitment against terrorism. And the Pakistani army says it has killed more than 200 foreign and local militants over the past three months.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, who addressed the media briefing with Spanta, said an exchange of intelligence about the cross-border movement of militants was vital.

It was "obvious that there is a coming and going of Taliban from Pakistan into Uruzgan (province) and of course the Taliban is also established in Uruzgan itself," he said.

The Netherlands is due to deploy around 1,400 troops to Uruzgan province in the coming months in a decision which faced some resistance in the European country. "There are many links. If we want to combat this insurgency, we should work closely together," Bot said.

Pak unhappy with Afghan FM's remarks on fight against terror – New Kerala

Islamabad: Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed M Kasuri today expressed regret over the statement of his Afghan counterpart that Islamabad could do more to crack down on Taliban, saying the country has "sacrificed" hundreds of its soldiers in the war against terror.

Referring to Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta's comments that his country wants Pakistan to do more to prevent Taliban incursions and jointly fight against terrorism, Kasuri said "the entire world is admitting whatever Pakistan has done in war against terror besides sacrificing hundreds of its soldiers." On one hand, Spanta has admitted Pakistan's endeavours while on the other, he is demanding for more, Kasuri said.

"I think our brother country Pakistan can do something more against terrorism but I am very happy that we have had very strong cooperation against terrorism and for security and stability-building in Afghanistan," Spanta said yesterday.

Kasuri said the two countries had agreed to use diplomatic channels rather than the media for discussing matters relating to terrorism. Pakistan has sacrificed 600 troops and this number is three times more than killings of US soldiers in Afghanistan, the Minister said.

"1.5 lakh US troops have been deployed in Iraq but despite that they have failed either in capturing (Abu Masab al) Zarqawi or controlling the situation," Kasuri said adding, however, it does not mean that the US was not serious about improving the situation in Iraq.

Islamabad yesterday rejected similar remarks by top US counter-terrorism official Henry Crumpton who said that Pakistan continued to be a "safe haven " for militants.

Suspected Taliban Ambush Police Patrol in Afghanistan - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

KABUL, May 8, 2006 -- Suspected Taliban fighters ambushed a police patrol in southern Afghanistan overnight, sparking a gunbattle that left at least two policemen and one of the attackers dead.

The attack happened in Zabul Province along the highway linking the cities of Kandahar and Kabul. The area has seen an increase in violence blamed on the Taliban in recent weeks. In the eastern city of Jalalabad today, three bombs exploded in the central market. No one was hurt in the attack, which caused property damage.

Pro-Taliban Pakistani cleric deplores Musharraf's Afghan policy - Bashir Ahmad Nadim

QUETTA, May 6 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Chief of Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) party Maulana Fazlur Rahman has described the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan as a threat to the national security of the former.

"During the reign of Taliban, no one can imagine raising the issue but the incumbent Afghan government is trying to air the problem," said the religious leader, who is staunch supporter of the ousted militia.

Addressing a public meeting organised by JUI Balochistan chapter here on Saturday, Fazal lashed out at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for deploying regular army at the Pak-Afghan border.

Since the rule of King Zahir Shah to the coming into power of Taliban, no government pondered the idea of deployment of army on the Durand Line, said the JUI chief.

Why regular army was positioned at the border when a friendly government, as said by Musharraf, was in place in Afghanistan, questioned the head of the Pakistan's leading religious party.

Appreciating the six-year rule of the hardliner militia in Afghanistan, the Pakistani cleric said they were the true supporters of Pakistan. He also raised accusing finger at the Afghan government for allowing India to open consulates in a number of its cities.

He condemned the military government in Pakistan and rejected as baseless claims made by rulers about Pak-US friendship. Commenting on the speech of Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Afghan Consul-General Ahmad Ali Babak said Fazal had no right to issue such a statement about Afghanistan.

He said the incumbent Afghan government wanted cordial relations with Pakistan but such statements would affect the ties between the two countries. Regarding the opening of Indian consulates, Babak said Afghanistan was a sovereign country and it had the right to establish close ties with all countries.

$80m to be invested in petroleum, other sectors - Ahmad Naim Qadiri

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, May 6 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Local traders in the northern Balkh province will invest $80 million in fields of petroleum and other productive industries in the Sher Khan Port.

Addressing a workshop here on Saturday, Governor of Balkh Atta Mohmmad Noor said such investment would be very effective for uplift of the country.

In his address Chairman of the Afghanistan International Chambers of Commerce (AICC) Azrakhsh Hafizi said traders would make such investment to take part in reconstruction and development of the country. He said the projects created with this fresh investment would provide job opportunities to great number of people. Hafizi said more than $170 million investment would be made to enhance cement production in the neighbouring Baghlan province.

World Bank to assist Afghanistan

KABUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank (WB) has decided to assist Afghanistan with 270 million U.S. dollars annually in the next couple years, the bank's country director announced Monday.

"For the last two years we have been providing money 100 percent in grant and the policy is to continue at around 270 million U.S. dollars a year. So, that is certainly for the next three years," Alistair McKechnie told reporters at a press briefing here.

Major part of some 1.3 billion U.S. dollars provided to Afghanistan by the Washington-based lending agency over the past four and half years was soft loan, McKechnie added.

"It is soft loan. I want to explain what is soft loan. It is for a duration of 40 years, and, for the first 10 years, none of the loan amount has to be paid back, and there is no interest but there is 0.5 percent to cover administrative cost," the WB's Afghanistan director noted.

All the assistance, he added, would be spent on building government capacity, strengthening administration, supporting private sector and good governance in the country. Enditem

Australia Says Committed To Secure Stable Afghanistan, Iraq - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

CANBERRA, May 8, 2006 -- Prime Minister John Howard has said Australia would send 240 more troops to Afghanistan in July to support a Dutch-led reconstruction effort in the country. Howard said today the deployment was a further reminder of Australia's commitment to securing a stable and democratic future for Afghanistan.

Howard said "The situation in Afghanistan requires a continued strong coalition presence like all operations in that country. There is danger. The situation in Afghanistan still remains in a number of parts of the country quite fraught and it's important

that any commitment we make be understood in that context." Australia already has some 300 troops in Afghanistan, including 190 special forces soldiers. Meanwhile Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said Australia will

keep troops currently guarding Japanese engineers in Iraq even if Tokyo's commitment ends. Nelson said the Australian contingent of 470 troops deployed in the the southern Al-Muthanna Province would be used to train local security forces if the Japanese left. Speculation has been rife that Japan may start withdrawing its soldiers this year.

Pakistan asks Afghans to go back or shift to camp – Xinhua 05/08/2006

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has urged Afghans living near the capital in Rawalpindi city to go back or move to a refugee camp in another city by the end of May, the United Nations refugee agency said Monday.

    "They have an option of assisted repatriation by the UN refugee agency, or relocation to Kot Chandna refugee camp in Mianwali, Punjab province," a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) statement said.

    According to the authorities, a total of 7,335 Afghans in Rawalpindi will be affected by this movement between May 15 and 30. No reason is given for Afghans expulsion but Pakistan has cited security concerns for such decisions in the past. Pakistan closed the lone Afghan refugee camp on the outskirts of Islamabad last year, which was the home to some 25,000 refugees.

    "Afghan elders are being asked to provide lists of names of those who wish to repatriate to Afghanistan or relocate to the District Coordination Officer's Office in Mianwali," the UNHCR statement said.

    Repatriating Afghans who had been verified by UNHCR were eligible to receive a travel grant of between four U.S. dollars and 37 dollars each, depending on the distance to their destination inside Afghanistan, plus a grant of 12 dollars each to ease reintegration once they were home, it said.

    Afghans who opt to relocate will be moved to Kot Chandna camp, currently home to some 18,000 Afghan refugees, according to the statement.

    The decision to expel refugees from Rawalpindi came after Pakistan struck a deal with the UNHCR to issue identity cards to Afghan refugees, who were allowed to stay in Pakistan for three years.

Taliban seek more deadly weapons - Seeking vehicle-mounted missiles

May 7, 2006 MURRAY BREWSTER CANADIAN PRESS

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Frustrated by their inability to punch through the reinforced plating on Canadian fighting vehicles, the Taliban are scouring the black market for bigger and better weapons to take on Canadian armour, coalition and Afghan security sources say.

Being able to destroy even one light armoured vehicle — a Bison armoured troop carrier or Coyote reconnaissance vehicle — would be a significant moral victory in the eyes of insurgents, a senior coalition source told The Canadian Press.

"They want to take out one really bad," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "To them it would be a huge victory because they haven't be able to do that to this point."

A handful of LAV-IIIs have been attacked with rocket propelled grenades and roadside bombs, suffering relatively minor damage such as blown tires. But none has been seriously disabled with a major loss of life.

Four Canadian soldiers did died recently in an insurgent attack, but they were travelling in a relatively lightly armed Mercedes G-Wagon.

There also have been no direct attacks Canada's forward operating bases in the Sangin district of Helmand province and the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province — a peaceful interlude coalition commanders attributed to the presence of armoured vehicles.

"The reason they haven't tried to attack our (forward operating bases) is because of the presence of the LAVs," said one combat officer.

The anti-armour weapon of choice among the Taliban and Al Qaeda is the RPG-7, which can be fired by an individual fighter. Insurgents are apparently looking for shoulder-launched weapons similar to the German Armbrust and possibly armed with some kind of supercalibre warhead, said an Afghan security source.

Ideally, the Taliban would like to lay their hands on a jeep-mounted AT-1 Snapper, a Soviet-built system that was part of the Taliban's arsenal prior to the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that drove them from power. It's unclear how many of those systems, exported to the Middle East during the Cold War, are still available.

In addition, the hunt is on for additional anti-tank mines, which have the dual benefit for the insurgents of being easily rewired into lethal improvised explosive devices.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, the commander of coalition forces in southern Afghanistan said the Taliban were ``looking for ways to kill us." But Brig.-Gen David Fraser declined to discuss the specifics of the threat, which coalition counterintelligence officers are working to mitigate.

"We just don't sit around and wait for them to kill coalition forces," said Fraser, who is also the multinational brigade commander in the south. "We're always changing and adapting and staying ahead. We can counter anything the Taliban can throw at us right now."

Prior to deploying Canadians to southern Afghanistan, Ottawa spent $34 million adding reinforced plating to almost all of its thin-skinned vehicles operating in Kandahar.

"The Taliban are frustrated right now," said Fraser. "They're frustrated because they can't kill. Having said that, I can't reduce the risk to zero. We've had casualties and we are prepared for casualties."

In the craggy mountain passes and mud-walled compounds north of here, mujahedeen veterans attempt to school a new generation of jihadists on how to destroy armoured vehicles. They rely on their experience fighting slow-moving Soviet tanks, such as the T-72, a generation ago.

"The tactics we see date back to the mujahedeen, but we studied the same books," Fraser said. "We've adapted."

Unlike Soviet tanks, the LAVs and Bisons move swiftly and are more manoeuvrable, especially off-road, making them a much tougher target to hit with either a shoulder-mounted weapon — or even anti-tanks mines, which are traditionally sown along roadways.

Just as worrisome are the persistent rumours the Taliban have managed to reactivate a handful of U.S-made Stinger missiles using recently purchased battery packs. The CIA-sponsored weapons date to the Soviet occupation.

To date, it's not been conclusively proven that the militants have such capability, but it is also a subject coalition commanders are loath to discuss. Two interview requests directed to the U.S. military by The Canadian Press were turned down.

Afghan sources said a turncoat Taliban commander has offered to turn in two of the weapons for the $100,000 US per missile reward offered by the Afghan government. However the unnamed commander has yet to produce verifiable evidence he has access to them, said a coalition intelligence source.

Last year, Pakistani forces along the Afghan border seized as many as six dilapidated Stingers. Since the Canadians fly only a handful of transport planes into Kandahar and have no battlefield air transport of their own, the principal threat from the missile comes when Canadian troops ride in coalition helicopters.

"It's something we consider every time we do our planning," Canadian Maj. Blair Baker, the air space co-ordinator for the multinational brigade, said in a recent interview. "We're always aware of the threat that's out there and we do take precautions."

For security reasons, Baker wouldn't discuss the range of countermeasures being taken, but all helicopters are equipped with flares and other devices meant to confuse incoming missiles.

WHO begins 'toughest' polio drive - BBC News / Monday, 8 May 2006

Some 16 million children living in the remote and dangerous border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan are set to be vaccinated for polio this week. Tens of thousands of health workers will fan out across the region in the coming days to carry out the programme.

It will be one of the most demanding immunisation programmes ever carried out by the World Health Organisation. But the WHO hopes it will mean the total eradication of polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This would mean polio remained endemic in only two countries, India and Nigeria.

The week-long campaign will target 14 million Pakistani children and two million Afghan children, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said earlier in the week.

"The virus is still circulating in this corridor, so it's important to target the children who live on the border between the two countries," she told journalists.

This year alone, five cases had been reported in Afghanistan and two in Pakistan, the WHO said. The organisation's Oliver Rosenbauer told the BBC that the teams would be operating in an area that is not only geographically difficult, but also dangerously insecure.

"It is extremely challenging to run immunisation campaigns in these areas, extremely dangerous," he said. "We have staff regularly put at risk, staff who are kidnapped. So it's absolutely admirable what they're able to achieve under these circumstances."

The WHO launched a worldwide campaign in 1988 to try and eradicate the virus, but failed in its bid to wipe out polio infections by 2005. The programme suffered a setback two years ago when northern Nigeria suspended immunisation and the virus spread re-infecting once polio-free countries.

Now the WHO believes the campaign is back on track, and the prize of global eradication is within reach, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva reports.

Scuffle in Afghan parliament after woman MP criticises warlords May 8

KABUL (AFP) - Former warlords in Afghanistan's parliament hurled water bottles and rushed at a woman MP after she accused them of being involved in the deaths of thousands of people.

Malalai Joya said bearded and turbaned MPs who were once warlords in the country's decades of conflict had to be restrained from physically attacking her after a heated session of the four-month-old parliament.

The uproar, in which several MPs rose from their chairs shouting, was shown on television. A cameraman from a private television station said one of the MPs had slapped him across the face while he was filming the scuffle.

Joya, who has had death threats against her after a similar outburst during a meeting to draw up a post-Taliban constitution in 2003, alleged that she had heard a prominent former warlord telling his men "to stab me with a knife".

"Several of them threw water bottles at me and many others rushed towards me to beat me up," she said in an interview with AFP afterwards.

Joya, in her late 20s, said the MPs had reacted angrily to her statement that some of the men who led the resistance to the 10-year Soviet occupation were responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in a civil war that erupted after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.

Her comments were made in a debate about the anniversary last month of the defeat of communism in Afghanistan in 1993 when the government that replaced the Soviet administration was toppled.

"I told them that we have two types of mujahedin -- one who were really mujahed (holy warriors) the second, those who killed tens of thousands of innocent people and who are criminals. My words sparked their anger," she said.

The civil war ended with the 1996 takeover of the extremist Taliban regime that was ousted in late 2001 by a US-led coalition.

Joya caused a similar outburst at a 2003 constitutional Loya Jirga, or traditional gathering, when she said the once-powerful warlords involved in atrocities in the war deserved punishment.

Delegates rushed at her, yelling "Allahu akbar" (God is the greatest) and demanding her expulsion, and had to be kept back by soldiers.

The incident catapulted Joya into the international spotlight that was on the country as it emerged from the oppression of the Taliban, which kept women behind doors and barred them from political and economic activities.

The parliament, inaugurated in December after the first general parliamentary election in around 30 years, is dominated by former mujahedin but includes MPs eager to push the country along the road to democracy.

The Limits of Press Freedom – IWPR 5/08/2006 By Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi in Mazar-e-Sharif

As more than one journalist has found to his peril, press freedom has fairly narrow limits in Afghanistan

Until last year, Salim was a successful journalist in the northern province of Jowzjan. "I liked my job, and I was good at it," he said. "I was exposing corruption among local influential figures."

Salim is not this man's real name – he did not want to be identified, because he has received death threats from powerful local figures. "These people rule the area, so I had to leave [the publication]," he said. "My family's life is more important than my job." Salim now runs a shop. "My mouth has been gagged," he said.

The media scene in Afghanistan has changed dramatically since the fall of the Taleban more than four years ago. Television, once banned, is flourishing, with Bollywood movies, music videos and satirical programmes enlivening the airwaves. Radio stations are broadcasting everything from rap music to soap operas.

According to Deputy Minister of Information and Youth Sayed Aqa Hussain Sancharaki, the media scene looks positive.

"Right now, there are nearly 400 publications, 50 private radio stations, five news agencies, and six TV channels operating in Afghanistan," he said. "Soon we will have another eight television networks. Under the Taleban, there was only one state-run radio station."

But the proliferation of media outlets, and the undeniable progress that has been made, can obscure some unpleasant underlying realities: there are topics - and people - that cannot be touched. The print sphere, especially, is having a difficult time.

Mohammad Hassan Wolesmal, a political analyst and chief editor of the Afghan Milli Jarida (Afghan National Magazine), is well known for his critical stance vis-à-vis the government. Following an article in the March issue of his magazine entitled "Karzai's government lacks a national strategy", all the windows in his office were broken, he said. He later received a phone call warning him to be more careful about what he published in the future.

"Media freedom ends the minute you touch a warlord or a government official," he said. Rahimullah Samander, head of the Afghan Independent Journalists Association, said real progress has been slow in the media sector, despite the obvious changes.

"Some people who have been in power for a long time and are supported by armed militias are an obstacle - they do not believe in free speech," said Samander. " Provincial governors and other influential figures tell journalists what to print and what not to print. That is censorship, and it means journalists are not able to reflect reality."

According to Samander, there were more than 40 attacks on journalistic freedom in 2005, including the murder of two journalists, abductions, beatings and the detention of several others.

Farid Hakimi, chief editor of Andisha-e-Naween (New Idea), a monthly in Mazar-e-Sharif, has also been threatened many times for his articles. "If this continues, only a very small number of journalists will dare to write the truth," he said. Nor is the problem confined to the provinces, observers say.

"The existence of extremist groups in parliament is more dangerous than the existence of local powerful men in the provinces," said Fazul Rahman Orya, a political analyst and chief editor of Payam magazine. "There are two factions in parliament - supporters of the government, led by Abdul Rab Rassul Sayyaf, and the opposition, led by [parliamentary speaker] Younus Qanuni and [former president] Burhanuddin Rabbani. "Neither faction believes in freedom of speech, and they will be a big hindrance to the media in the future."

The parliament has adopted a very conservative position towards the media. Many observers say that Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, who had served as minister of information and culture since early 2002, failed to be confirmed in post by the legislature because lawmakers objected to what they saw as his permissive attitude to the media.

Zarghona Saber, a media analyst in northern Afghanistan, is more optimistic for the future. "The past four years have been a battle between powerful figures who were afraid of reality and journalists who wanted to make people aware of the facts," she said. "This is not uncommon in a society where the gun has always ruled."

While it is true that warlords still hold sway in some areas, she said, they are now losing power. "The media is the winner in this game," she said. "People realise what the warlords are. They no longer have a place in society. The media is getting stronger every day."

Deputy Minister Sancharaki characterised attempts to stifle the media as a positive, not a negative sign. “In the past, the media was not free in Afghanistan, so nobody tried to interfere with it," he said. "When local powerful men who are unused to a free press feel threatened by the media, they try to interfere. That indicates that the media is getting stronger. "As Afghanistan is moving towards democracy, this situation will improve."

Political pressures are not the only problems the media face. Many print outlets are feeling a severe financial pinch. "A lot of publications have been funded by non-governmental organisations and powerful men over the past four years," said Orya. "Now the funding is cut, these publications are beginning to close."

Shafiq Payam was chief editor of Baztab daily in Mazar-e-Sharif, but had to shut down after just a few months. "We cannot cover our costs by selling our newspaper because people are not used to reading papers in Afghanistan," he said. "And there are not enough traders to pay for advertising."

Musawer Qaderi, chief editor of the Sahar daily in Mazar-e-Sharif, confirmed that the lack of demand was a difficulty. "We have to teach people that buying a newspaper is necessary for them," he said.

But it may be a hard sell, judging by the voices on the street. Abdul Rahman, a 40-year-old shopkeeper in Mazar-e-Sharif, said he would like to get information about Afghanistan from the newspapers, but he finds the local publications uninteresting.

"These papers are not able to say anything about corruption in government offices," he said. "Whom should we trust? I don't know whether these journalists are afraid or just don't know anything."

Ajmal Aryan, a student at Balkh University, said, "All the young people want to learn about the political situation of their country through the newspapers, but we don't see anything in the papers worth paying for."

Mohammad Gul sells magazines and newspapers in Mazar-e-Sharif.

"These magazines are from a year ago last January," he said, pointing at some old stacks. "I can't sell them. "I think people would give money to a beggar before they'd buy a magazine."

Veteran Afghan police commander outspoken in criticism of corruption

The Canadian Press 05/08/2006 By Bob Weber - The police won't be cleaned up until the government is, too

KANDAHAR - He's had his life threatened under four regimes and one of them - the Taliban - beat him so badly his legs still hurt.

So the man who may be Afghanistan's toughest cop has no qualms about facing corruption in the police force he's trying to rebuild, questioning integrity in the government he serves - or sometimes criticizing the equipment his western partners supply his men. Col. Muhammed Hussain Andiwal will do what he must to ensure that the undermanned, underequipped and underfunded Afghan National Police helps lead his tattered country back to the rule of law.

"This is a harsh reality," says the grizzled law enforcement veteran.

"Since 35 years, I have not seen this much corruption in our government. The people of Afghanistan, they do not trust the government authorities, including the Afghan National Police."

Now a liaison officer to coalition forces, Andiwal began his career back in the 1970s when his country had a professional, German-trained police force, with full-time detectives and criminal investigators. Three decades of chaos - a Russian invasion, the civil war following their ouster, and the Taliban-imposed theocracy that followed - smashed that structure to bits.

But Andiwal's ironclad devotion to law and order has never wavered. On his desk, the four volumes that guide his life lie near to hand: the Koran, the Afghan constitution, the military instruction manual and the ANP code of service discipline.

"If they work out of these four books," everything will be OK, he says. "I am against anything that is not in them." Sometimes, that puts him in conflict with his partners and allies. The idea of rapid reaction forces - specially-trained and specially-armed police - has been proposed as a way to respond to Taliban attacks.

But to Andiwal, that smacks too much of the old private militias that have wreaked so much havoc in Afghanistan. And it puts him in mind of a Russian experiment in restoring order that went terribly wrong.

"Soviets distributed some extra rifles. It had a bad result for Afghans," he said. "We don't need extra force. I have a bad memory of extra force." Put the money into the regular police, he says - a force that could use some additional funding.

Andiwal says Afghan police stations are sometimes so short of ammunition that when they are attacked they don't shoot until the Taliban get close so scarce bullets are not wasted.

And training days are often cancelled because policemen are needed for operations. Police stations themselves are woefully understaffed. A typical substation has 40 officers. Kandahar has 10 of them - for a city of two million people.

Each station should be manned by 100 officers, Andiwal says. Andiwal casually points out mistakes the West has made in equipping his men. The Japanese sent radios, but too few. Now-discarded Polish-made AK-47 rifles supplied by the U.S. jammed after a few rounds.

But he saves his deepest scorn to describe his country's own failures. He acknowledges that his force is often viewed as part of the problem. Former smugglers - and worse - are in the ANP, Andiwal says. "These people who destroyed the bridges, who destroyed the schools, they are now commanders."

Bribery? He knows. Pay his men the equivalent of $300 a month instead of the current $70 and that problem would disappear, he says. But he insists the police won't be cleaned up until the government is, too. "We can't clear up the corruption in the ANP without clearing up the corruption in the government," he says. "We have very weak authorities."

Andiwal's blunt speech has long made him a target. His life was threatened under the Russians and during the brief reign of the warlords. He was thrown in jail by the Taliban, for whom he reserves his deepest contempt.

"They scared the people and the criminal activity was stopped," he snorts. "It wasn't important who you were or what your background was. If you had robes and a beard you were a good man."

Andiwal hasn't received a death threat for some time, which fuels a sort of grim optimism. "I feel a little bit safer than previous," he says. "Things are getting better day by day."

Day by day, however, may not be fast enough. Afghans are waiting to see what happens with their new government, but Andiwal knows they won't wait forever. "If we miss this chance," he says, "we may not be able to control the situation."

Liberals ponder role in Afghanistan

Leadership hopefuls rub shoulders with Ontario wing of party faithful

BILL CURRY – Globe and Mail

TORONTO -- Canada's military mission in Afghanistan is shaping up to be the most sensitive issue in the Liberal leadership campaign, as public support declines for the mission originally launched when the party was in power.

The 11 candidates for the party's top job shared a stage for the first time this weekend in front of Liberal delegates from across Ontario. The gathering of the federal party's Ontario wing was the largest meeting of Liberals since the party's January defeat.

Comments and speeches by the candidates and interim leader Bill Graham focused on the environment, aboriginals, social justice, foreign aid and longer-term economic issues. Canada's Afghanistan mission, despite being one of the main political issues at the federal level, was barely mentioned.

Only one of the 11 candidates, Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff, mentioned Afghanistan during the nearly two hours the candidates were on stage for speeches and questions Friday evening.

"We have got to be the party that stands for human rights everywhere, that does the tough lifting when it has to be done," Mr. Ignatieff told the crowd of about 1,500. "You ask us to do something hard and difficult and we can do it. We're doing it in Afghanistan. It's in the greatest tradition of our country and that's the kind of country we want."

The next day, The Globe and Mail published a public opinion survey showing the proportion of Canadians who disagree with Canada's decision to send troops to Afghanistan is on the rise, particularly in Quebec.

The Strategic Counsel survey of 1,000 people found 54 per cent of those polled oppose or strongly oppose Canada's involvement, up from 41 per cent two months ago.

Among Liberal voters, support for the Afghanistan mission has plummeted in the past two months. In mid-March, 39 per cent of Liberal voters were opposed to sending Canadian troops to Afghanistan. Liberal voters' opposition has grown to 54 per cent, according to the Globe and Mail/CTV poll.

That change in public and party sentiment is not lost on the candidates, most of whom avoided the topic in their speeches.

In an interview, Liberal MP and leadership candidate Joe Volpe said he noted Mr. Ignatieff's comment on Afghanistan "didn't go over well" with the Liberal delegates.

"There was a deafening silence in the room. There wasn't much of an uptake on the robustness of Canada's disposition, because the robustness of Canada's approach isn't matched by the robustness of the [public] support," Mr. Volpe said.

Mr. Volpe said he and the party must decide whether to support the "peacemaking" activities currently taking place in Afghanistan.

Mr. Ignatieff told The Globe his support for Canada's mission in Afghanistan also includes concerns about the "counterinsurgency" aspect. However, he warned Liberals not to allow the military to become a symbol of the Conservative Party.

"The Liberal Party must not allow the Conservative Party to become the party of national defence. The Liberal Party has a great record of building the Canadian military," he said.

Mr. Ignatieff said Canadians will support, as he does, the notion of providing security to the Afghans but will not support "an indefinite counterinsurgency war with the Americans."

With nearly seven months to go until the Liberal leadership convention in Montreal, the weekend was primarily a chance for the many undecided Liberals to meet the various candidates and decide who to support.

The candidates set up competing "hospitality suites" Friday and Saturday night where free drinks were a popular draw for the younger delegates as they went from room to room meeting the candidates.

A popular topic of conversation in the hallways focused on how the lengthy leadership race will affect the party's ability to fund a federal election that could come shortly after.

Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua, who is a leadership candidate and veteran organizer, said he believes the recruitment of new Liberals by all candidates will lead to a stronger overall team for the next election.

However other party members were more pessimistic in private, expressing concern that the new financing rules will mean there will be no donors left for the election fund once party faithful have been tapped for donations to the various leadership candidates.

Several delegates expressed hope that the large number of candidates will spread out support so that the clear internal divisions between supporters of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin will fade, allowing the party to be more united for the next election.

Last week's Globe and Mail/CTV poll gave the Liberals the support of 31 per cent of decided voters, compared with 35 per cent for the Conservatives.

Liberal MP Ken Dryden urged Liberals to treat the leadership race as part of the campaign to win the next election, which he predicted will be one year from now.

Former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae received a friendly welcome from the Ontario Liberals, particularly when he promised not to attack any other candidate throughout the lengthy leadership campaign.

Mr. Ignatieff, a former Harvard professor, as well as former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy, appeared to have the largest number of supporters in the audience, judging by crowd reaction to their names being called to speak on Friday.

Several delegates said the current number of candidates is not sustainable and speculation focused on whether any candidates should be pressured to step down over the next few weeks.

But with no clear front-runner, supporters say every candidate could have an impact as a potential kingmaker at the delegate convention.

While Mr. Ignatieff, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Rae and Mr. Dryden appeared to have the most supporters at the weekend event, organizers for other candidates such as Mr. Volpe and Stéphane Dion insist they are doing very well in the all-important ground war signing up members in ridings across the country.

Mr. Kennedy's speech praised the values of the Liberal Party and accused the federal government of repeating what he said were harmful policies brought in during Ontario's previous Conservative government. "Do not let Stephen Harper do to Canada what Mike Harris did to Ontario," he said.

The other candidates include Martha Hall Findlay and Liberal MPs Scott Brison, Carolyn Bennett and Hedy Fry. Mr. Dion, a former environment minister, argued that the economy, foreign aid and the environment must be seen as one issue. "The planet cannot afford what humanity is asking it to do," he said.

While there has been plenty of talk since the election of whether the Liberal Party should move to the left to counter the increase in support for the NDP, Mr. Dryden was the only candidate to attack NDP Leader Jack Layton while on stage.

Mr. Dryden said the NDP should be held accountable for Conservative policies that are scrapping funding to programs that were supported by both the Liberals and NDP.

Get soldiers out of Afghanistan, into Darfur

NDP: Canadians supportive of peacekeeping role, Layton says

VANCOUVER - The federal NDP says Canada should take a lead role in any United Nations mission to stop the bloodshed in Darfur, even if that means reducing its commitment in Afghanistan.

U.S. must not abandon Afghans in their hopes, dreams - The Morning Call 05/08/2006 By Pamela Varkony

''In this high stakes game of world poker, jacks and kings are high.'' Nothing in Afghanistan is at it appears.

Boutiques selling designer fashions are hidden behind rusty gates, in the new ''Venus'' womens gym, burqas are stripped away, revealing spandex workout clothes.

Meanwhile, the reviled Taliban of western newscasts is viewed by much of the male population not as a terrorist organization, as much as a conservative social movement.

To spend any amount of time in Afghanistan is to hang suspended between reality, history, and inscrutable mysteries.

From 30,000 feet, the rugged terrain looks as if an ancient monster clawed its way out of the country. Jagged, bare brown mountains meld into barren brown plains. Rare patches of green provide proof of life in remote villages. As the country's capital, Kabul, comes into view, majestic snow-capped mountains rise up to meet you.

Arrival at the cinder block building that is Kabul's airport is the first test of your survival skills. As you navigate the swarm of ''baggage porters'' pushing and shoving you and each other for a chance to earn a few Afghanis, maintaining your composure and your luggage is a challenge.

A military presence is everywhere. Afghan army soldiers, most armed with semi-automatic rifles and side arms, study you carefully as you stand in the passport entry line.

The scene in the parking lot is like a Bollywood movie … men in suits with briefcases get into chauffer-driven cars, women, many covered from head to toe in black, anxiously search the faces appearing through the door. Afghan raders in traditional dress carry packs of goods on their back as western women scurry to put on their head scarves.

First impressions are lasting. Mine is of the acrid smell in the air, a mixture of dust, exhaust, and what must be the highest airborne fecal count of any city in the world.

To describe traffic in Kabul as ''chaotic'' is to not do it justice. I quickly had to adopt an attitude of ''Enshallah,'' depending on God, fate, and a trusted staff of drivers, including the wonderful, dignified, head translator and ''fixer,'' Najib, to get us through.

Had it not been for my intrepid companions, Toni and Ray Maloney, who are experienced Afghan travelers, I might have been less able to enjoy the panorama playing out before me. Bpeace, the non-governmental organization, or NGO, of which Toni is the president, and with whom I had come to assist and write about, maintains a presence in the capital. That presence includes Najib, the drivers, and a program coordinator.

As the days of the mission played out, it became clear that Afghanistan is a crucial piece of the world puzzle. Often referred to, incorrectly, as the ''middle east,'' Afghanistan's location in southern Asia is of critical importance. Sharing borders with Pakistan, Iran, China, and ''the minor stans,'' Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and with its close proximity to India, the country is strategically located both militarily and commercially.

Thirty years of invasions, occupations, and civil war have destroyed the country's infrastructure. Many buildings have been reduced to, and remain, rubble. The poverty is mind-numbing. Afghanistan's average national income is $335 per year, a rise of 14 percent from the previous year. Food prices are dropping due to increased agricultural output, but fuel and housing costs are skyrocketing, driven by the many humanitarian organizations working in the country. Government officials recently complained publicly about losing the best and brightest from public service because government salaries of $40 to $80 a month cannot compete with foreign NGOs paying $1,000 per month.

Inflationary pressure aside, those organizations are providing much-needed services and stability in other areas; medicine, education, human rights, gender equality, and economic development. The International Organization for Migration, through its U.N.-backed ''disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program,'' is an example of one such success.

Standing in the doorway of his electrical repair shop, next to the huge generator that powers his machines, Sami Khan looks every inch the mujahideen fighter. In a country where the average life span is 47, the fact that Sami has lived to 60 is a miracle. ''When the new government took power, I went to the military ministry to formally enlist, but they turned me away. I was too old. I had fought all those years and now I'm too old. What do I do?''

In return for the surrender of his weapons, Sami was offered extensive training in a trade, given literacy and small business classes, and eventually, $700 worth of rent and supplies. While in the DDR program, Sami met a younger former combatant who fixes motors. The one-time enemies are now business partners.

The Bpeace program has had similar success. The Business Council for Peace focuses on helping women to establish their own businesses, no small task in a place where four years ago women were stoned in public for not being completely covered. One year into Bpeace's three-year mentoring, training and support plan, success stories are emerging.

Sara is becoming one of the leading fashion designers of the country. Habiba has managed to save enough money to buy a small piece of land to open a safe, clean day care center. Nasima is helping to revive Afghanistan's once famous silk industry through the creative use of natural dyes and native designs in her silk scarves.

Yes, Afghanistan is still a dangerous place. I experienced two explosions in the two weeks I was there. But like the school yard bully, the bad guys need to know they are not going to win.

Ultimately, a country is defined by its people. For all the good intentions of the international community, for all the outside political pressure to democratize, only the Afghans can decide if they are gong to live in a modern, open society or return to the fractured rule of tribes and warlords. While that debate is playing itself out, the players sitting at the table would do well to remember the rules. In this high stakes game of world poker, jacks and kings are high. To walk away with the most chips, you have to be willing to hold 'em, not fold 'em, and never be the first to blink.

Every single Afghan to whom I spoke about their feelings toward America had one thing to say: ''Don't abandon us.''

Pamela Varkony is a writer and commentator living in Allentown. She is a former member of city council. For more photographs and details about her trip, read her postings from Afghanistan on her blog, ''Perspectives ... public and private,'' which can be found on-line at mcall.com

[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.]