In this bulletin:

• Militants cross from Pakistan into Uruzgan: Dutch FM
• Taleban fighters die in US attack
• Foreign affairs minister pays surprise visit to Canadian troops in Kandahar
• Peter MacKay visits troops in Kandahar
• Karzai seeks Britain help in boosting Afghan air force
• Al-Qaida video purports to show roadside bomb attacks on U.S., Afghan troops
• Purported Al-Qaeda appeal urges Pakistanis to overthrow Musharraf
• Come to Afghanistan and make money, Karzai urges
• Afghan terms for energy corridor
• Afghan refugees may stay for three years in Pakistan
• Blast near Indian consulate in Herat causes no casualties
• Local Taliban commander injured in Laghman
• NATO expansion into southern Afghanistan "will be tough"
• In Afghanistan's dangerous south, Canadian troops work for stability
• Joya's diatribes against Mujahideen spark anger
• Iran Letter to Bush Criticizes U.S. Govt
• Ill Afghan Boy Heads to U.S. for Surgery
• Around the clock guard as Bollywood returns to Afghanistan

Militants cross from Pakistan into Uruzgan: Dutch FM

KABUL, May 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said Sunday militants and Taliban fighters were crossing from Pakistan into Afghanistan to carry out attacks in the southern Uruzgan province, where Dutch forces being deployed.

Speaking at a joint press conference here on Sunday a day after visiting Islamabad, Bot said he had talked to Pakistani officials to stop infiltration of militants from Pakistan via border into Afghanistan.

In meetings with Pakistani authorities, Bot said he particularly emphasized on

reinforcement of Pakistani forces at border near Uruzgan province, in order to prevent cross-border movements of the militants.

The Netherlands have already deployed 400 of its soldiers in Uruzgan and Baghlan provinces with the number to raise to 1,400 next month and 2,000 by the end of the year.

The Netherlands has donated 260 million Euros to Afghanistan's reconstruction and 150 more would be pledged for next two years, the minister said. In his address, Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta also appreciated Netherlands contribution to the war-ravaged country.

He noted that sources of terrorism were outside Afghanistan and Pakistan could do more to fight the menace. He said cooperation between the two neighbours would help the war on terror to be fought more effectively.

Spanta also said President Hamid Karzai was planning to visit Iran in the near future, but he would not give detail of the trip. Lailuma Sadid

Taleban fighters die in US attack – BBC

Four Taleban fighters have been killed by a US air strike in Afghanistan, close to the Pakistani border, a US military spokesman said. The attack targeted a group of militants loading rockets on a truck near a cave 2km (1.2 miles) inside the Afghan border, US forces said.

US forces denied a claim by some officials in Pakistan that the attack had taken place on Pakistani territory. Pakistanis have protested over past US air strikes on their territory.

A US missile strike in January, reportedly targeting top al-Qaeda officials, killed more than a dozen people and prompted complaints from Islamabad that Pakistani sovereignty had been violated.

Much of Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is not clearly delineated and passes through rugged, mountainous terrain. US military spokesman Lt Col Paul Fitzpatrick said on Monday that global positioning technology had confirmed the attack took place within Afghanistan.

"We know where the borders are of the two counties," he said. He said a joint team of US and Afghan soldiers had ordered the attack after observing Taleban fighters loading rockets onto a truck near a cave.

Troops visiting the scene after the attack "found four dead enemy combatants and captured one combatant", he said. Pakistani military officials had earlier said the attack had taken place on their territory.

However, the Pakistani army's top spokesman, Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan, rejected this. But, he said, three Pakistani tribesmen hurt in the attack on the Afghan side of the border had been brought to Pakistan for treatment.

Attacks by fighters linked to Afghanistan's ousted Taleban militia have risen recently. US troops have been hunting Taleban and their al-Qaeda allies in eastern Afghanistan in co-ordination with Pakistani forces across the border.

Foreign affairs minister pays surprise visit to Canadian troops in Kandahar May 9, 2006 - BOB WEBER

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay landed in Kandahar Tuesday morning in a surprise visit to Canadian troops as public support for their mission in Afghanistan seems to be slipping.

MacKay will visit with troops at both the main coalition base at Kandahar Air Field and the smaller Camp Nathan Smith in downtown Kandahar, where the provincial reconstruction team is based. MacKay is also slated to meet with Afghan government officials in both Kandahar and Kabul, the capital.

MacKay's two-day visit comes as public opinion polls in Canada suggest a slight majority of Canadians now oppose their country's involvement in the war-shattered country - even as Afghan leaders have said they intend to ask MacKay to extend Canada's deployment.

"Yes, I will ask that," Assadullah Khalid, governor of Kandahar province, said Monday. "We want (Canadians) to stay longer until the time we have rebuilt Afghanistan."

As violence increases in southern Afghanistan, Khalid added that if western governments wanted their soldiers home sooner, they should pressure governments that shelter the Taliban.

"If we put pressure on Taliban's international supporters outside the borders, then for sure (the Taliban) will not stay a long time," he said.

Afghan officials have often said that many Taliban suicide bombers enter the country from Pakistan. Canada's current commitment to Afghanistan runs out in February 2007. Recent polls have suggested that public support in Canada for the mission is fading.

Khalid suggested that more Canadian and other foreign troops may be needed. Khalid warned that the last time western troops left Afghanistan too early - after the Russians were driven out - the Taliban rushed in to fill the vacuum.

"After fighting the Russians, the world forgot about us and everyone knows what was the result," he said. "I don't want this to happen again. I'm sure it will not happen again."

Taliban activity has been increasing in Afghanistan's southern provinces in recent weeks. Coalition commanders acknowledge an increase in the number of suicide and roadside bombers, and observers say the Taliban have been moving more freely in the rural areas.

Khalid, however, insisted the situation was under control. "Six weeks ago we had some incidents," he said. "The situation is OK now. It's under control and getting better day by day. (The Taliban) haven't controlled anywhere in Kandahar."

Khalid praised the actions of Canadian troops in his province. In addition to increasing security, they are also helping rebuild the country. "They are helping us with reconstruction, which Afghan people will never forget - never."

Khalid said his government planned to double the number of Afghan National Police, who have often found themselves on the front lines against the Taliban.

He acknowledged that Afghans are growing impatient for the government of President Hamid Karzai to create concrete improvements in the daily lives of the country's citizens.

"Afghanistan is destroyed," he said. "It is suffering from 30 years of fighting. "It is not feasible to fix everything in one day. If it happened to you, you would be in a hurry too."

Fifteen Canadian soldiers and one Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002, when Canadian troops first arrived here.

Peter MacKay visits troops in Kandahar

Last Updated Tue, 09 May 2006 05:44:33 EDT CBC News

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay paid a surprise visit to the troops in Afghanistan on Tuesday. MacKay landed at Kandahar for a two-day visit to show support for the troops and reassure Afghan leaders that Canada's commitment won't waver.

"We've had a debate in the Parliament of Canada – the commitment is to finish the job," he told reporters. "The commitment is not defined in terms of years, it's defined in terms of its success and we feel that progress is being made and we're here … to see that the work is going to be completed."

Recent polls have suggested support among the Canadian public for the Afghan mission has fallen below 50 per cent. Afghan officials, however, said on Monday they intend to ask Canada to extend the deployment. It's currently set to end in February 2007.

In Ottawa, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said on Monday that Canada could extend the Afghanistan mission indefinitely but wouldn't be able to take part in any other large-scale operations, such as a deployment to Sudan's Darfur region.

"As long as we are expanding the armed forces, we'll not be able to maintain two sort of heavy lines of commitment from the army," O'Connor told the Senate defence committee. Canada has about 2,200 people in Afghanistan, which O'Connor said will be the limit until new recruits are fully trained and equipped.

"We can maintain Afghanistan as it is into the future basically forever, but we would be greatly challenged for a substantial commitment elsewhere," he said. After arriving Tuesday morning, MacKay planned to meet with soldiers at the main coalition base at Kandahar air field and at the smaller Camp Nathan Smith in downtown Kandahar.

His trip will also take him to Kabul, where he will meet government officials. Taliban activity has intensified in recent weeks in the southern Afghan provinces, where Canadian troops are operating along with other coalition troops. Military officials say there has been an increase in roadside bombs and suicide attacks in the area.

There have also been reports that Taliban fighters are frustrated by the fact that their attacks have produced little damage to the armoured Canadian vehicles, the LAV III and Bison troops carriers and Coyote surveillance vehicles.

That has reportedly driven Taliban extremists to the black market looking for bigger and better weapons to aim at the Canadians. Attacks against the more lightly armoured Mercedes G-Wagons have been more damaging. Fifteen Canadian soldiers and one Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002.

Karzai seeks Britain help in boosting Afghan air force

KABUL, May 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): President Hamid Karzai Sunday asked Britain to assist Afghanistan in formation of the country's air force.

In a meeting with British Air Chief Marshal, Sir Gockstirrup in Kabul, the President said Afghanistan was trying to enhance air force and would need Britain's help in this regard.

A statement issued by the presidential office quoted Karzai as saying the Afghan had one of the strongest air forces in the region before its demolishing during civil war in 1992.

Britain has just taken over command of the NATO-led international peacekeeping force from Italy. Currently, Afghanistan has 15 helicopters and two training jets in its air force.

The visiting Air Chief Marshal said his country would continue to help the Afghan people, but he would not give any specific answer to the air force suggestion by President Karzai.

The two also discussed the fight against drugs and terrorism in Afghanistan. Karzai called eradication of poppy a top priority of the government that needed support of the international community.

Britain is doing all-out efforts as a leading country to rein in the drugs in the landlocked country. More than 3,000 of its troops have been started moving into the most poppy-producing province to the south, Helmand. Sir Gockstirrup will also pay visit to Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

Al-Qaida video purports to show roadside bomb attacks on U.S., Afghan troops

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - An alleged al-Qaida videotape broadcast Monday on Arab television purported to show roadside bomb attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces in a violent Afghan region bordering Pakistan.

The video showed a militant preparing a mine for an attack. Sitting next to him on a bench was a boy who appeared to be about five years old, holding a pistol, with ammunition belts draped over his shoulders and his face covered by a headscarf. The boy sat and watched as the man, also masked, wrapped a mine in transparent tape.

An anchorwoman on Al-Jazeera, which aired the video, said it purported to show bomb attacks by al-Qaida and its Taliban allies against two U.S. military vehicles and an Afghan military vehicle last month in Afghanistan's Kunar province, on the eastern border with Pakistan.

The authenticity of the video, which lasted less than two minutes, could not be independently confirmed. Al-Qaida and other Islamic militant groups often post such videos on the Web to show off their attacks, rally supporters and tout their strength. The tape bore the logo of Al-Sahab Media Production House, al-Qaida's video-producing arm.

The tape showed what appeared to be three separate attacks. In each one, a military jeep or truck is seen driving down a mountain road before it is hit by an explosion that flips the vehicle over. The video also showed a helicopter landing: Al-Jazeera said the tape claimed that the aircraft was evacuating casualties. No injured personnel can be seen.

The tape appeared four days after Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a powerful Afghan warlord, declared his support for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network in a video also aired by Al-Jazeera. In recent weeks, bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri each issued separate messages to rally Muslims to fight U.S. and allied forces.

Monday's video comes amid a spike of Taliban-led suicide bombings and ambushes against coalition and Afghan forces in southern Afghanistan, and an ongoing U.S.-Afghan anti-militant operation in Kunar province. On May 5, a U.S. military CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in the rugged mountains of Kunar, killing 10 American soldiers, but the military said the crash was not caused by hostile fire.

Purported Al-Qaeda appeal urges Pakistanis to overthrow Musharraf

Miranshah (AFP) - A leaflet urging Pakistanis to rise against military ruler Pervez Musharraf was distributed in the volatile tribal district near the Afghan bordery, residents said.

It came a day after another leaflet, containing statements purportedly from Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, was distributed in the same region -- North Waziristan tribal district -- calling for Musharraf's assassination.

Saturday's leaflet sought the support of tribal people to defeat the United States and Pakistani troops battling pro-Taliban insurgents in the tribal regions.

"I pray to Allah almighty to bring down his wrath on Bush, Pervez and their armies and bestow a chance for someone from the ranks of faithful to kill this slave (Musharraf) of Bush," the purported Bin Laden statement said on Saturday.

Written in Urdu, it bears the signature "Mujahiden Emirate-e-Islamia Afghanistan" and was distributed in the towns of Mir Ali and Miranshah, residents said.

Musharraf, who became a key US ally after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, survived two attacks on his life in December 2003. Both were blamed on Al-Qaeda.

The new leaflet on Sunday, issued by a group calling itself Mujahiden Waziristan's Free Tribes, said jihad or holy war had become an obligation for all Muslims.

"It is an obligation on you to support tribal Muslim brothers with money and life," the leaflet said. "It is your obligation to rise against this apostate and traitor and his forces, to evict them from the region and to establish the rule of Sharia (Islamic law)."

The sponsors of the leaflets have urged all recipients to spread the message to people in other parts of the country.

The Pakistani army has been battling Al-Qaeda and pro-Taliban militants in two districts of the Waziristan tribal belt for the past three years, killing hundreds of insurgents for the loss of 600 soldiers.

Come to Afghanistan and make money, Karzai urges - Tue May 9, 2006

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai opened an investment conference on Tuesday with a plea for businesses to come and make money while acknowledging there were still problems including red tape and corruption.

Surging violence is largely confined to the Afghan south and east but economists say it is a huge deterrent to investment. And for those businesses that do enter the Afghan market, security is a significant extra cost.

Nevertheless, Karzai said Afghanistan provided numerous opportunities.
"Afghanistan needs investment in every walk of life," Karzai told the opening of the conference, organized by the state-backed Afghanistan Investment Support Agency.

"Whoever invested in Afghanistan in the past four years has earned a lot," he said. "Those who invest now in the still fresh, needy, greedy market in Afghanistan will make a lot."

The investment board has approved nearly $1.3 billion in new investment over the past two years but just a small fraction of that has actually occured. Nearly half of approved investment has been in construction and construction material.

Karzai mentioned those sectors as well as agri-business, communications, mines and industry as prime areas for investment.

"These are the markets that are vital for the growth of Afghanistan and for the growth of the region ... These are the areas where Afghanistan can offer the greatest of opportunities."

But there were also opportunities in other areas such as tourism, hotels, services, textiles, dried fruit, fruit processing and medicinal herbs, he said.

Laws and regulations had been adopted to protect investors, who were free to repatriate profits, he said. This was a matter of self-interest, he said.

"Afghanistan needs to be prosperous, Afghanistan needs to emerge from poverty, Afghanistan needs to be linked to the rest of the world, therefore Afghanistan needs to attract business."

Among the problems business still faced were certain laws that made business difficult or caused delays, red tape and corruption, he said. "But these are all problems that we're aware of as we move forward toward providing you a better environment for business."

After decades of war and isolation, the country of about 25 million people has seen significant economic growth since the Taliban were ousted in 2001. Although the benefits of growth are largely confined to urban areas.

The economy rebounded strongly last year, helped by a weather-related recovery of agriculture, with gross domestic product of 13.8 percent in fiscal 2006 from 8 percent the previous year. The International Monetary Fund expects real GDP growth to slip back to 11.7 percent in fiscal 2007.

Afghan terms for energy corridor- Dawn, Pakistan 05/09/2006

ISLAMABAD - Afghanistan on Monday agreed to allow export of electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzystan to Pakistan on the condition that it was paid a transit fee and the transmission line went through Kabul and not through the Wakhan corridor.

When Tajikistan and Kyrgyz republic confirmed their ability to make available about 4,000-megawatt of hydroelectricity to Pakistan and Afghanistan in summer, international lenders showed keen interest to finance the regional electricity trade project.

On the first day of a two-day energy ministers conference, the international lender community, including the World Bank, the USAID, the Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation, also supported the regional electricity connectivity through Afghanistan while a couple of US and Russia-based power companies also showed interest in taking part in the project.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi presided over the conference while Tajik deputy prime minister Assadullo Ghulomov, advisor to the Kyrgyz prime minister Mr Omorov Janybek and Afghan Deputy Minister Mohammad Jalil Shams also attended the conference.

On the sidelines, however, the World Bank declined to comment if it would support other regional energy cooperation projects like Iran to Pakistan or Iran to India gas pipelines.

"We don't have an official position on the (IPI gas) pipeline", Vladislav Vucetic, the World Bank's lead energy specialist for South Asia Energy and Infrastructure said.

He also declined to comment when asked if the World Bank was presenting electricity trade between central Asia and South Asia as an alternate to Pakistan's efforts for nuclear energy. "The (World) Bank does not deal with nuclear issue," he said and added: "We have no comment on Pakistan's quest for nuclear energy sources."

Afghanistan's deputy minister administration Jalil Shams said his country was ready to support electricity export from the central Asian republics to Pakistan and to have a transmission line pass through Afghanistan because transit trade between the two regions would not take place without Afghanistan.

He, however, said Kabul preferred the Kabul route for the transmission line because it was technically more viable, socially more acceptable and more reliable from security perspective than Wakhan route.

He said the Wakhan route was unviable because there was no road access, it remained closed for six months in winter, financially uneconomical because of its length and mountainous terrain and was very vulnerable to sabotage.

He said Afghanistan would support the Kabul route because it would ensure to it sizable wheeling charges and supply electricity to Afghan consumers along the transmission line.

The proposal was also supported by Pakistan. The participants agreed to prepare a project structure and set up an entity comprising officials of the four countries to speed up the project and negotiate other technical and financial arrangements.

They also agreed to chalk out a mechanism to implement a memorandum of understanding (MoU) already signed between Pakistan and Tajikistan for power export of upto 1000-MW to Pakistan. The Kyrgyz representative said his country had a surplus of about 6000 megawatts of which 3,000-MW could be exported in summer.

The conference is expected to issue a joint communique on the future strategy of the project implementation, including creation of a multilateral legal entity and the time table for further negotiations on the subject.

Afghan refugees may stay for three years in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Pakistan said on Sunday all Afghan refugees would be repatriated after three years according to memorandum of understanding (MOU) singed with United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Yar Mohammad Rind said they signed last month MOU with the UNHCR to repatriate the three millions Afghan refugees.

Rind told Pajhwok Afghan News all refugees would be registered and would be granted permission cards to legally stay for three years. "The registration does not mean that the Afghan refugees would stay forever in Pakistan, but they would be repatriated massively," Rind added.

He said 400,000 Afghans were expected to return home this year. Afghan refugees have expressed concern about such deadlines by the Pakistani government.

Basir Jan, hailing from Board area in Peshawar, said the new registration was a chance for Pakistani police to disturb refugees. Murtaza, another Afghan in Rawilpindi, said police would be again bothering them to get bribes according to the new registration.

Sawab Khan of Afghan Colony, said: "Today they are registering us and tomorrow would order us to close our businesses and sell our houses." A spokesperson for UNHCR in Islamabad, however, said the registration was to benefit the refugees since they would be officially allowed to stay till three years in Pakistan. Mubarak Zeb, a police official in Rawilpindi, said the registration has not yet started, and thus no question of annoying the refugees might be created.

Blast near Indian consulate in Herat causes no casualties

HERAT CITY, May 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): An explosion occurred on Sunday morning near the Indian consulate in the fourth police district of the western Herat province, but inflicted no casualties, security officials said.

Provincial intelligence chief Maj Gen Ghulam Sarwar Haideri told Pajhwok Afghan News the blast took place 500 metres away from the Indian consulate. He said miscreants wanted to spread horror in the region and terrify the residents and foreign workers.

This was the second blast close to the Indian consulate in this province during the last month. However, he would not say whether Indian consulate was the apparent target of the explosion. Haideri said enemies of the country, an euphemism used for Taliban might have perpetrate such disruptive activities to destabilize the security.

Indian consulate officials declined comment on the incident. Aziz Ahmad, a middle aged shopkeeper on the blast site, who is also an eyewitness of the incident said, the blast damaged a wall and many shrapnels of the devices scattered at about 120 metres.

He said the blast dug up a hole on the road leading to Indian consulate. India has been one of the main contributors in funding reconstruction of the war-ravaged central Asian country.

Local Taliban commander injured in Laghman

MEHTARLAM, May 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A Taliban commander, who waged active wars against Afghan National Army (ANA) and coalition forces, overnight injured in firefight in Alishang district of the eastern Laghman province.

Mullah Ghulam Nabi Gharat, calling himself spokesman for the injured commander Abdullah Pashtun, told Pajhwok Afghan News via telephone from an undisclosed location that Pashtun was wounded in attack by American spies in Zard Kamar area of the Alishang district.

He stopped short of disclosing the health condition of the injured commander and said that Pashtun had been evacuated for treatment to some secret place. An official of the intelligence department, requesting anonymity, told this news agency that they had been informed about the shootout in the region.

He said their personnel had seen blood in the area indicating some injuries in the shootout. Pashtun has great influential in Alingar, Alishang and Daulat Shah. Coalition forces pounded his house and hideouts in the yesteryear that left six of his family members killed.

NATO expansion into southern Afghanistan "will be tough"

Kabul (AFP) - NATO realises that its expansion of peacekeeping forces in southern Afghanistan will be tough with its troops certain to face violent opposition, a spokesman said.

However the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has said it was prepared for the challenge in the region where attacks by Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants are common.

"We know full well that there are people in the south who don't want to see peace and stability because they make profit and power out of not having peace and stability," NATO civilian spokesman Mark Laity said.

"So they are going to oppose us. We expect that and therefore it's going to be very challenging for us to go in the south and confront those people," he told reporters in Kabul.

"We're in effect challenging lawlessness and bringing in stabilisation," he said. "If we succeed, and I am sure we will, the effect this will have on the whole of Afghanistan will be enormously beneficial."

The ISAF had 10,000 troops drawn from 30 countries stationed in Afghanistan, but is due to take control of counterinsurgency operations in the south and east from US troops by the end of the year. When the handover is completed, ISAF will comprise between 23,000 and 25,000 troops.

The force was moving into the "toughest parts of the country," NATO military spokesman Major Luke Knittig said Friday, adding it was a challenge "that we are ready for".

The expanded force will include about 3,300 British troops who will assume US positions in the volatile Helmand and Uruzgan provinces. In comments published in The Times newspaper in Britain last week, the Taliban warned Britain that they would turn the country "into a river of blood".

"Our activity will increase day by day. We now have the confidence to fight face-to-face and we have all the ammunition we need," spokesman Mohammad Hanif Sherzad said.

In Afghanistan's dangerous south, Canadian troops work for stability

Gumbad (AFP) - With its thin barrier of barbed wire, dusty courtyard and mudbrick barracks, this Canadian military post in southern Afghanistan is hardly imposing.

Nonetheless it represents the authority of the Afghan government in Kandahar province's Shah Wali Kot district, one of the most dangerous in Afghanistan.

"Historically this has been a problematic area, the Gumbad valley, with a lot of Taliban activity and generally a lack of government presence," says area commander Kirk Gallinger, sitting on the ground under the blazing sun.

The Canadians, who are in charge of Kandahar under the US-led coalition, took over the camp from the Americans in February.

Their mission is to secure and stabilise the mountainous and isolated area, where the roads are practically impassable because they are in such bad condition.

The deployment has already paid a heavy price. On April 22 four men who had just left the base were killed by a homemade road bomb. Such devices represent the main danger facing military convoys on the nearly five-hour journey to Gumbad.

Gallinger does not let his troops take chances. "We have a very active force posture, we have very good surveillance, we patrol the area, we talk to the locals to try to get as much information as possible and all of that contributes to our force protection," he says.

The barbed wire, the armoured vehicles equipped with 25 mm cannons, the nest of machineguns collected on the roof are only the visible part of self-protection. The fort is also covered by an invisible technological barrier.

The commander can call at any time on sophisticated unmanned spy planes which can detect movement at night as well as during the day. War planes are also on standby in case of need.

It is difficult to gauge the number of Taliban militants in the area, Gallinger says. "I don't believe there are large numbers. All of the numbers we hear are often exaggerated. I believe there likely some small cells operating. We quite honestly don't know," he says.

One problem is that the Taliban blend in easily with local villagers, even though they might not find wholehearted support in the community.

"The local population I would not say are actively supporting the Taliban but to a large extent they are often caught between the two elements," the commander says.

The Canadians' approach is to build contacts with the local population to explain their presence and see how they can help.

"We'll patrol in a village, sit down with the village elders, usually have some tea, have a good talk with them and we'll push all of the major themes we work on: a need for stability and security before we can help facilitate construction and development," the commander says.

This direct approach has also had a price. A Canadian officer was struck on the head with an axe while meeting elders in a village in the area earlier in the month. He is still in hospital in Canada.

Two hundred metres (yards) from the fort a brand new "government house" will soon be filled with Afghan security forces and representatives of the provincial governor and central government.

Just another 100 metres along is a field of illegal opium poppies, one of the thousands under cultivation in the area. The Canadian soldiers, who are busy enough securing the region, are not tasked with poppy eradication, which is the responsibility of Afghan forces.

Nonetheless, they can't ignore the drug crop, which has been linked to the Taliban and their insurgency. "We are interested in where poppy fields are growing and we are interested in who is reaping the benefits of the money because it all ties in the security situation," Gallinger says.

There was also a humanitarian concern, because "the Afghan government can just come in and destroy the farmers' fields (and) that leaves the farmer without any money..."

The Canadians have a clear objective in Gumbad, before they move on to another part of the volatile area.

"What we hope is to stabilise this area, bring an Afghan force here that will take over the stability and security and allow us to move somewhere else," the commander says.

Joya's diatribes against Mujahideen spark anger

KABUL, May 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Female member of Wolesi Jirga (lower house) Malalai Joya was hurled at by plastic bottles after she called Mujahideen as traitors and killers in the parliament on Sunday.

Hearing diatribes against the holy warriors by an outspoken female MP, former Mujahideen leaders sitting in the parliament enraged and responded with throwing bottles at her.

Joya dubbed Mujahideen as traitors and killers of 60,000 people in Kabul. MPs and former Mujahideen leaders berated Joya branding her as member of a former communist party and for defaming Islam. With throwing bottles at Joya, the MPs also shouted slogans against her like, "Death to communists."

Joya, known for speaking against the Mujahideen on the floor, also faced condemnation from her female colleagues. The hullabaloo ignited by Joya also marred the discussion scheduled on annual budget that the parliament has to pass soon.

Defending her remarks, Joya said she was an independent MP, while other linked her to notorious communist party, Sholay-e-Javid, which is believed to be still operating clandestinely.

MPs who stood against Joya said they could not tolerate such criticism by Joya anymore. Mullah Tarakhel, a Kuchi nomad MP said Joya's remarks were not acceptable to anybody in the parliament. He said even the other female MPs sitting close to Joya attacked her with bottles.

However, an MP from Joya's province and also a former pro-communist governor Khudai Nazar Sarmchar said Joya was right and Mujahideen were responsible for killing of tens of thousands of people.

A member of the Wolesi Jirga's administrative board, wishing to stay anonymous said Joya had brought 'new trouble' along with her after returning from her foreign trips recently.

He said nobody should be insulted in the parliament as he or she was the representative of his or her people. He said the lower house then started discussing how to deal with the three-month absence of Joya, who spent the time in Canada.

Joya got popularity after she spoke against Mujahideen in the Constitutional Loya Jirga late 2003. Zubair Babakarkhel

Iran Letter to Bush Criticizes U.S. Govt

New York (AP) - Iran's president declared in a letter to President Bush that democracy had failed worldwide and lamented "an ever-increasing global hatred" of the U.S. government. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice swiftly rejected the letter, saying it didn't resolve questions about Tehran's suspect nuclear program.

"This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort," Rice said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way."

Rice's comments were the most detailed response from the United States to the letter, the first from an Iranian head of state to an American president since the 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

The letter from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made only an oblique reference to Iran's nuclear intentions, asking why "any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East region is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime."

Otherwise, it lambasted Bush for his handling of the Sept. 11 attacks, accused the media of spreading lies about the Iraq war and railed against the United States for its support of Israel. It questioned whether the world would be a different place if the money spent on Iraq had been spent to fight poverty.

"Would not your administration's political and economic standing have been stronger?" the letter said. "And I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever- increasing global hatred of the American government?

Ahmadinejad on Tuesday called his letter "words and opinions of the Iranian nation" aimed at finding a "way out of problems" facing humanity, according to the official Iranian news agency. He spoke briefly before boarding a plane for Indonesia, where he was to attend a summit of developing nations.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator called the surprise letter a new "diplomatic opening" between the two countries, but Rice said it failed to resolve the dispute over the Iranian nuclear program — the focus of intense U.N. Security Council debate this week. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Bush had been briefed on the letter, which the White House received Monday through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

"There's nothing in here that would suggest that we're on any different course than we were before we got the letter," Rice said.

Even though the letter hardly touched on nuclear issues, officials said it appeared timed with a push by the United States and its European allies for a Security Council vote to restrain Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Both China and Russia are opposed to leveling sanctions against Iran and the letter could provide them support.

Rice, who said she expected no quick action on sanctions, met privately Monday night with foreign ministers from the other permanent members of the council.

Her spokesman gave no details of the substance of the discussions, but described the talks as strategic and not focused on specific steps.

The United States is concerned that Iran's program is a cover for making nuclear weapons, while Iran contends it has the right to process uranium as fuel in nuclear reactors to generate electricity.

In the letter, Ahmadinejad says that people around the world have lost faith in international institutions and questions whether the Bush administration has covered up some evidence surrounding the Sept. 11 attacks.

Liberalism and Western-style democracy "have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity," said the letter, obtained late Monday by The Associated Press.

"Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the Liberal democratic systems," it read.

Ahmadinejad also suggests that Bush should look inward, saying there was an increasing hatred worldwide of the United States, and that history shows how "repressive and cruel governments do not survive."

"How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people's houses destroyed over their heads? Are you pleased with the current condition of the world? Do you think present policies can continue?"

Most of Iran's newspapers devoted their front pages to Ahmadinejad's message on Tuesday. "Ahmadinejad's letter, an initiative in global diplomacy," read a headline in the hard-line daily Resalat.

The moderate daily Shargh, or East, said the message may open a new page in relations with the United States. But a conservative lawmaker lambasted Ahmadinejad for failing to consult parliament before he sent the letter.

"This message is the outcome of a series of taboo-breaking behaviors in Iran's foreign policy. ... That the parliament is not aware of (the contents of the) letter is questionable," Hashmatollah Falahatpisheh told an open session of the parliament broadcast live on state-run radio Tuesday.

Ill Afghan Boy Heads to U.S. for Surgery - By JASON STRAZIUSO Associated Press Writer

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — An 8-year-old Afghan boy whose defective heart has stunted his growth and doesn't allow him to run or play soccer will travel to Washington this week, where doctors will perform life-saving surgery, officials said Monday.

Without the open heart surgery, doctors say, Omar Mohammed, a shy boy who at times flashes a wide smile, likely would not live to adulthood.

Afghan doctors for years have known Omar had a serious condition, but that condition was not properly diagnosed until American doctors used an ultrasound about a year ago.

Lt. Col. Drew Kosmowski, the chief surgeon on the main American base in Bagram, said Omar's heart has a hole that prevents his blood from carrying as much oxygen as it should _ stunting his growth and harming his organs.

His condition requires several surgeries, to be performed at Children's National Medical Center.

"Our hope is that this young Afghan boy, who is just a delight to be with, will be able to grow up and have a happy, normal life. Right now he can't go out and play without getting winded," Kosmowski said. "We feel that if this is not fixed soon, it's something he could die of."

Omar, dressed in a red-and-white striped T-shirt and bright blue sneakers, was alternately shy and smiling as his doctors and father spoke with reporters Monday. He and Kosmowski often exchanged wry smiles or slapped hands.

Omar's favorite part of his treatment so far has been a helicopter ride _ and the food. When asked how he feels about going to the U.S., he whispers one word: "Happy."

Omar and his father could leave Afghanistan as early as Tuesday aboard a U.S. military plane and land in Washington as early as Thursday. His father, Fadhim Mohammed, said he and his wife are thankful for the aid. "I feel very good because I didn't think he'd be able to go to the United States," he said.

The Larry King Cardiac Foundation _ founded by the host of CNN's "Larry King Live," who had quintuple bypass heart surgery in 1987 _ will pay the medical costs. The Afghan Embassy will help Omar and his father find a place to live during the several months they'll be in the U.S.

Omar's mother, sister, 5, and brother, 4, will stay in Afghanistan. U.S. officials said they hope Afghan medical facilities will improve to the point where Omar's surgery could be done here.

"There's no way possible to treat every chronic illness in a country, but this helps one family, and it raises awareness for the medical needs here," said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, a U.S. military spokesman.

Around the clock guard as Bollywood returns to Afghanistan

Mumbai (AFP) - Indian movie stars were given around-the-clock protection by 60 armed guards during Bollywood's first return to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime, a movie director said.

Director Kabir Khan said he would encourage other film-makers to head for Afghanistan despite the killing of an Indian engineer by Taliban militia last month.

Khan shot for four months in the country for "Kabul Express," a film about a group of Indian journalists preparing to film a documentary in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

He said Bollywood films were hugely popular in Afghanistan and locals rallied around the crew to ensure they were not harmed. "There are five theatres in Kabul and they run only Bollywood films," said Khan, who returned in February.

"Let us understand Afghan people are different and Taliban are different. In fact, the government of Afghanistan was cooperative and they sent a team of 60 bodyguards to give us security around the clock."

Kabul Express, starring model-turned-actor John Abraham, one of the hottest properties in Indian cinema, is the first major Bollywood feature shot in Afghanistan since the 1992 hit Khuda Gawa (God is my Witness).

The emergence of the Taliban regime during the 1990s civil war halted further film plans until the regime was toppled in a US-led operation in late 2001.

US-led forces continue to hunt down insurgents from the former Taliban government and other extremist Islamic outfits. Kabul Express is due for release later this year.

[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.]