Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, gestures with an Afghan elder shopkeeper on a main road after laying the foundation stone of the Jamhuriat Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006. The modern ten-story hospital funded by China, will be well equipped with 350 beds, and will cost an estimated U.S.$20 million. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

In this bulletin:

• Six killed in Afghanistan Taliban ambush
• Italian 'released in Afghanistan’
• Afghan president opens work on $15 million hospital
• UNSC to send fact-finding mission to Afghanistan
• Hadley travels to Afghanistan after Iraq
• NATO reserves right to re-enter Musa Qala
• 3 journalists are hurt in Afghanistan
• Afghan success vs. Taliban seen hanging on reform
• NATO Compensates Relatives Of Dead Afghan Civilians
• Police Make Arrest In Murder Of Afghan Official
• Afghan opium crop may match record
• U.S.-Afghan Business Matchmaking Conference
• Countering Afghanistan's Insurgency: No Quick Fixes
• Qanuni for a stronger military to counter terrorism
• MoU on electricity supply to Pakistan signed
• Meshrano Jirga forms new committee
• NGO halts operations in Paktia
• Government of Afghanistan and ISAF open electrical power plant in Alishang
• The US role against militants in Pakistan
• Al-Zawahiri was frequent visitor to Madrassa’
• Ex Afghan warlord lays down arms to take up career in business

Six killed in Afghanistan Taliban ambush

Herat (AFP) - Taliban insurgents ambushed a police convoy in western Afghanistan killing a district police chief and five others, and wounding three other policemen, police said.

Mohammad Sediq, police chief of Adraskan district of Herat province was visiting police posts in the area Thursday when his convoy came under attack, Herat province's police chief, Nisar Ahmad Paikar, told AFP on Friday.

Paikar blamed the attack on remnants of Taliban who have waged an insurgency since 2001 when they were forced out of power by US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

In another incident US-led coalition troops raided a Taliban cell in remote eastern Nuristan province near the Pakistan border Wednesday, killing four insurgents and arresting two, provincial police chief Abdul Ghani said.

There are about 8,000 coalition soldiers with a separate 31,000-strong NATO-led force trying to bring stability to the volatile country.

The almost daily violence in Afghanistan is also blamed on the Al-Qaeda network and a radical faction led by fugitive ex-prime minister and fundamentalist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Italian 'released in Afghanistan'BBC

An Italian photographer kidnapped in Afghanistan last month has been freed, the Italian defence ministry says.

Gabriele Torsello and his Afghan translator were seized three weeks ago while travelling on a bus near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

His kidnappers at one point offered to hand him over in return for an Afghan convert to Christianity, who had received asylum in Italy.

It is not clear what has happened to the translator. One report said Mr Torsello's kidnappers had left him at the side of a road. The news, which was also reported by the Peace Reporter website, followed rumours that Mr Torsello had been caught up in a shoot-out.

The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said on Thursday there were reports that there had been a shoot-out between the journalist's kidnappers and the Afghan army, in which he may have been badly hurt or even killed.

The Italian defence ministry gave no comment on these reports, or on any of the details surrounding Mr Torsello's release. However a foreign ministry told Italian television that the former hostage - a 36-year-old Muslim convert - was in good condition.

Peace Reporter, a daily online newspaper with links to the Italian aid agency Emergency, which has been in contact with the kidnappers, said a phone call to a hospital run by the agency said Mr Torsello had been left on a road to Kandahar.

An Afghan member of Emergency's staff drove to the spot and found the Italian. Peace Reporter made no mention of his translator.

Last month the kidnappers of Mr Torsello said he would be released in return for Abdul Rahman, an Afghan who escaped a death sentence in his home country for converting to Christianity, and was offered a home in Italy.

The Italian government refused to take part in such a swap. The identity of the kidnappers is not clear. The Taleban have denied any involvement. Kidnappings of Westerners are not uncommon in Afghanistan.

Italian aid worker Clementina Cantoni was released in June last year after nearly a month in captivity. The Italian and Afghan governments denied newspaper reports that a ransom had been paid.

Afghan president opens work on $15 million hospital

KABUL (AFP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has attended a ceremony to mark the start of the rebuilding of a 15-million-dollar Chinese-funded hospital to replace one that collapsed under construction in 2004, killing around 10 labourers.

Karzai said the new hospital represented progress in Afghans' hopes of having good medical services inside the country instead of having to go to neighbouring nations for treatment for basic illnesses.

The new 10-storey Jamhuriat Hospital will have around 350 beds. The walls and roof of the old hospital collapsed while under reconstruction by a Chinese firm in 2004. Around 10 labourers were killed and 18 wounded.

Once built, the hospital will be equipped with modern medical instruments at a cost of more than five million dollars, Health Minister Mohammad Amin Fatimi said at the ceremony.

Afghanistan's health system is in tatters after nearly 30 years of war but international donors are helping to reconstruct the sector.

UNSC to send fact-finding mission to Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council will send a high-level fact-finding mission to Afghanistan next week to review the threat posed by Taliban and Al Qaida extremists, council president for the current month Jorge Voto-Bernales said on Thursday.

    Voto-Bernales, Peru's ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters that a nine-member team from the 15-member council will leave for Islamabad on Nov. 10 on its way to Afghanistan where it is due to arrive on Nov. 12.

    The mission is due back at UN headquarters on Nov. 17 and the Security Council is to hear a briefing on the trip on Nov. 22, Voto-Bernales said.

    The Taliban is waging mounting insurgency in Afghanistan. The rebels who are allied with Al Qaida have attacked troops in large numbers and intensified a campaign of suicide and roadside bombings.

Hadley travels to Afghanistan after Iraq

Wed Nov 1, 10:42 AM ET Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Bush's national security adviser arrived in Afghanistan Wednesday after wrapping up two days of meetings in Iraq aimed at soothing tension with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley traveled to Kabul for meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and senior military leaders. A joint NATO-Afghan force has stepped up patrols in areas where insurgents are active to increase security in the country.

Perino said Hadley, who made the trip unannounced as a security precaution, "had two days of good meetings in Iraq." His visit came as al-Maliki was trying to assert authority with the Americans, most recently with Tuesday's orders to lift joint U.S.-Iraqi military checkpoints around the Shiite militant stronghold of Sadr City and other parts of Baghdad.

Al-Maliki has repeatedly said the United States was trying to impose timelines for progress without first seeking his approval. At one point, he said he was a friend of the United States, but "I am not America's man in Iraq." The White House has sought to down play any serious dispute and said Hadley was not on a fence-mending mission.

NATO reserves right to re-enter Musa Qala

KABUL, November 1 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Wednesday declared they reserve the right to re-enter the Musa Qala district.

The NATO-led ISAF forces withdrew from the district after entering an agreement with local tribal elders on October 17.

Brig Gen Nick Pope said they were carefully observing the situation in Musa Qala. "The right to enter the district again was reserved."

He said the agreement made in Musa Qala district had the consent of the Afghan government. The 120-men ISAF unit that withdrew from the district is presently stationed in Lashkargah, capital of the southern Helmand province.

Interior Ministry spokesman Zmary Bashari, on the other hand, said government forces were still present in the district. He rejected any deal between government and enemies, the term Afghan officials use for Taliban.

Najib Khelwatgar/Makia Monir

3 journalists are hurt in Afghanistan

Nov 2, 7:46 AM ET Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan - Three National Geographic TV crew members were hurt in southern Afghanistan last weekend in a roadside bomb blast that killed one U.S. soldier and injured eight, a military official said Thursday.

The three American journalists suffered non-life threatening injuries in the blast Saturday in Uruzgan province, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Matt Hackathorn said. He did not disclose their names.

The Department of Defense has previously said that one American Special Forces soldier died in the blast. Eight other soldiers and an interpreter were injured.

Two of the National Geographic crew members, the producer and the cameraman, were flown to Germany for treatment for face lacerations, Hackathorn said. The crew's soundman suffered a ruptured eardrum; he stayed behind in Afghanistan.

The entertainment Web site TMZ.com, which first reported the injuries, said the crew was embedded with Army Special Forces for an upcoming special called "Inside the Green Berets."

Afghan success vs. Taliban seen hanging on reform

Reuters Thursday, November 2, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defeating the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan will require President Hamid Karzai to lead a new anti-corruption campaign that can stop disillusioned Afghans from turning to extremism, a report released on Thursday said.

The report by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group said ordinary Afghans have seen five years of often corrupt leadership in the provinces since the Taliban government fell to U.S.-led forces in retaliation for the September 11 attacks.

Ordinary people have seen little improvement in their everyday lives. Public institutions are weak or nonexistent, and where institutions do exist they are so corrupt that people wish they were not there, the crisis group said.

"This state of affairs has particular implications in the south, where many of the worst provincial and district leaders have close links to the central administration," said the 36-page report, entitled "Countering Afghanistan's Insurgency: No Quick Fixes."

"As a result, the disillusioned, the disenfranchised and the economically desperate are responding again to the call of extremists in a region radicalized through decades of conflict," it said.

This is one of the bloodiest years in Afghanistan's post-Taliban history. Fighting and bombing occur virtually daily and the government has warned of a coming rise in suicide raids.

The crisis group, which produces widely respected reports on hot spots around the world, said NATO needs to commit more international troops to combat zones in the south and east. It criticized Germany, Spain, France, Turkey and Italy for not being willing to send troops into embattled areas.

The report also called on the international community to step up diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to stop Taliban and al Qaeda fighters from crossing the border into Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is suffering from ill-conceived Western hopes of fighting "a quick, cheap war" that could be followed by "a quick, cheap peace," the crisis group said.

"Even now, there is less than one peacekeeper per 1,000 people in Afghanistan. In Bosnia, it was 18.6 per thousand, Kosovo 20," said Mark Schneider, the International Crisis Group's senior vice president. He said foreign aid statistics for Afghanistan follow a similar pattern.

The report called on Karzai to reinvigorate public faith in the government by leading a high-profile campaign against corrupt government and police officials, including senior members involved in Afghanistan's burgeoning narcotics trade.

Karzai also should work to extend the rule of law by ending what has become a culture of impunity among government officials and their allies, it said.

"The current violence is an urgent wake-up call for remedial action," the report concluded. "There is nothing inevitable about failure in Afghanistan ... however, without rethinking policies, there is equally nothing inevitable about success."

NATO Compensates Relatives Of Dead Afghan Civilians

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

November 1, 2006 -- The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan says it has paid compensation and handed out aid to civilians in Kandahar Province who were targeted by air strikes last week.

ISAF spokesman Major Luke Knittig said preliminary inquiries confirm 12 civilians were killed by the October 24 raid in the province's Panjwayi district.

Local residents claim that 60 to 85 civilians were killed. But Knittig said 57 other confirmed deaths are thought to have been Taliban fighters who were massing in a large, open compound for an attack.

Knittig said food, shelter, and clothing have been distributed to civilians in the Panjwayi district. He says cash payments have been made to relatives of the civilians killed. - (AFP)

Police Make Arrest In Murder Of Afghan Official

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

November 1, 2006 -- Afghan authorities say they have arrested a man who confessed to assassinating the official in charge of women's affairs for the southern province of Kandahar.

Safia Ama Jan was shot and killed September 25. Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said the man -- a former member of the Hizb-e Islami militia -- was arrested October 31. - (AFP)

Afghan opium crop may match record

Associated Press Reporter

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan farmers now planting opium poppies will probably reap a harvest comparable to this year's record crop, in part because insurgents control wide swaths of the south, preventing effective counter-narcotics work, officials said Thursday.

Planting is under way in southern regions responsible for the bulk of the estimated 6,100 tons of Afghan opium produced in the 2005-06 growing season. Anti-drug officials say that despite anti-cultivation campaigns, they foresee little improvement by harvest time next spring.

A senior U.S. official said the new poppy crop probably will be similar to the one planted a year ago, "maybe a little under — we were so high last year." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record.

Drug production has skyrocketed since a U.S.-led offensive toppled the Taliban regime five years ago for giving refuge to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida camps. Last spring's poppy harvest accounted for 92 percent of the global opium supply and was enough to make 610 tons of heroin — more than all the world's addicts consume in a year.

Police and government officials are deeply implicated in the trade, which adds to the corruption and lawlessness threatening Afghanistan's fledgling democracy. Taliban militiamen had all but eradicated opium cultivation by 2000 but now profit from it, protecting poppy farmers.

Deteriorating security in the countryside makes it difficult to monitor how much poppy has been planted, the U.S. official said. Taliban-led militants have increased attacks this year, particularly in Afghanistan's southern opium heartland.

Gen. Khodaidad, a deputy minister in Afghanistan's Ministry of Counter-Narcotics, said some provincial governors and police chiefs have been doing effective anti-drug work.

"But unfortunately, in some provinces, especially in the south and southwest, we haven't been doing as well," said Khodaidad, who like many Afghans uses one name. "The reason is very clear — fighting. Some of the districts are under the influence of the Taliban or al-Qaida."

Khodaidad said he hoped for a successful anti-cultivation campaign this fall followed by an eradication campaign in the new year, but he said he couldn't promise a reduction in the harvest. "I can tell you there will be no increase," he said.

The United Nations' anti-drug chief said recently that proceeds from Afghan opium production are being used to finance terrorist groups. The U.S. official said the country's drug trade was a $3.1 billion business this year and it doesn't "take much of that to fund terrorism."

Seeking to counter corruption that hinders anti-drug efforts, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is training special units of Afghan policemen who must pass polygraph exams and investigations of their backgrounds, Karen P. Tandy, the DEA administrator, said during a visit Sunday.

"DEA is very accustomed to working in countries where corruption is rampant," she said. "We have a method that has been extremely successful. ... You have patriots in every country who care about the future of their country, and that is no less true here in Afghanistan."

Khodaidad said President Hamid Karzai has warned government officials they will be removed if they help drug trafficking. He said a district chief and an administrator from the same district in Badakhshan, a remote and rugged northern province favored by drug producers, were recently fired.

The U.S. official said if there is no reduction in the opium harvest this year, Afghanistan would come under strong U.S. pressure to start spraying poppy fields with herbicide, an idea that Afghans, including Karzai, deeply oppose because of fears the chemicals could harm people.

U.S.-Afghan Business Matchmaking Conference

R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Remarks as Prepared Washington, DC October 31, 2006

I am honored to be here today to speak with a group that shares with the U.S. Government a great vision: to build a stable, open, prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan. Stability and peace in Afghanistan is one of the United States’ most important foreign policy priorities.

We meet today at a time when some have questioned the stability of the country and the efficacy of the US and international effort. I believe we can and will succeed. After almost three decades of conflict, the courageous and proud Afghan people deserve peace and prosperity. We hope to work with you to make this a reality. We will not leave until that job is done.

What We Have Accomplished Since 2001

There is reason to be optimistic about the future of Afghanistan, particularly if we remember the situation of the country just five years ago. In 2001, Afghanistan was the 5 th poorest country in the world. Al Qaeda was a state within a state. Today, although it is not yet prosperous, Afghanistan is taking steps to enter the World Trade Organization; it has averaged annual growth rates around 9 percent since 2003; and it is actively engaged in trade. Economic development is on the rise – the World Bank estimates Afghanistan’s Gross Domestic Product to be $7.2 billion in 2006, up from $4.7 billion in 2003.

Five years ago, the Afghan Government was just learning to function. Today, President Karzai leads a stable national government for the first time in that country’s history. The government has overseen successful Presidential and Parliamentary elections. President Karzai is now taking serious steps to institute good governance at the provincial and local levels.

And perhaps most heartening, we see countless little girls attending schools across the country. Thanks to sustained efforts by the Government of Afghanistan, enrollment in primary schools, which was a paltry 19.2 percent in 2000, has risen to 93 percent in 2004.

I will be visiting Afghanistan soon and look forward to seeing the great progress that has been made, and to discussing how to ensure that progress continues. The United States is committed to seeing this through. We remain Afghanistan’s largest provider of reconstruction assistance -- over $12.5 billion since 2001 -- and we will sustain our commitment over the long term.

Challenges for the Next Five Years

It goes without saying that many, many challenges remain, from improving security, to fighting narco-trafficking, to building a 21 st century infrastructure, to the critical area where you come in: revitalizing the Afghan entrepreneurial spirit and building a strong business sector. Let me walk through some of these challenges, and explain how the Afghan government, the US, and the international community are addressing them.

Security

Security continues to be our primary priority. We have seen an increased number of attacks in Afghanistan this year, particularly in the South and East. These attacks do not pose a strategic threat to the central government, but they do have an impact by preventing the government from effectively expanding its mandate. In substantial part these attacks are a result of the expansion of NATO’s ISAF and the Afghan government into new areas – thus bringing them into direct contact with militants.

Total international military forces, representing 26 countries, now number over 40,000 -- the highest ever in Afghanistan. U.S. troop levels have remained steady. While the Taliban and other criminal elements have attempted to take advantage of the transition to what they consider weaker NATO troops, NATO contingents have proven themselves to be extremely effective by winning military successes against the Taliban.

In addition to NATO proving itself, the Afghan National Army and National Police are improving every day, thanks to training and equipment from donor countries. U.S. and Coalition partners, especially Germany, have helped the growing Afghan National Police, now numbering over 30,000, increasingly take on primary responsibility for day-to-day policing of major cities. The Afghan National Army, 40,000 and growing, is now fighting side-by-side with Coalition forces.

One of the most effective things we are doing to build security – and one that will receive increased prominence over the next few months – is road building. The top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan, General Eikenberry explains succinctly why roads matter to security. He says: "Where the road ends, the Taliban begins."

The success of the Taliban depends on ungoverned and unpaved areas, where they can operate out of sight of the local authorities. Roads change that picture dramatically. Because most villages in Afghanistan find themselves disconnected from provincial capitals and away from the government services they need, the new roads bring goods to markets and ensure easy movement by the police, army and drug eradicators to areas that need urgent security action. Building roads, of course, also means employing and training Afghan workers. The United States recently committed an additional $60 million specifically to road building. By bringing infrastructure, government, and -- with your help -- businesses to all of Afghanistan’s regions, we hope to improve security for the long run.

Narcotics

In addition to security, trafficking of narcotics also remains a serious problem. As President Karzai has said, "We must destroy poppy before poppy destroys us." This year’s opium crop was the largest in recorded history, according to a UN Office of Drugs and Crime report.

Opium poppy cultivation brings corruption, weakens the Afghan government, and funds terrorist and insurgent groups. The situation is very troubling. The international community and Afghan authorities must do better.

There is no quick and simple way to end the poppy trade, but we have worked with the Government of Afghanistan to adopt a long term strategy we hope will work: 1) develop alternative economic opportunities for Afghans who might otherwise turn to drug cultivation or trafficking, 2) an extensive public information campaign, 3) strengthening the governments ability to interdict drug shipments, 4) reforming the justice sector, and 5) eradication. Until now, eradication has been small scale and voluntary. We must also consider that other methods of eradication – such as ground and aerial spraying, have done much to reduce the coca scourge in Colombia.

There are some bright spots in the war against poppy: In Nangarhar province the provincial governor enforced central government eradiation policies. Funds distributed by donors helped farmers purchase seeds and equipment to produce high-value fruits and vegetables and get advice on finding customers. Then our roads helped move the produce to market. The result was a 96 percent drop in poppy cultivation over two years.

A persistent, comprehensive approach will build Afghanistan’s own long-term capacity for fighting the drug trade and for insulating its new democratic institutions from the corruption and violence caused by it.

Drug trafficking brings with it another terrible scourge, that if not addressed, can permanently stifle the growth of Afghanistan’s economy: corruption. President Karzai’s new Attorney General, Dr. Abdul Jabbar Sabit, has launched an aggressive anti-corruption campaign. We stand side by side with him and the courageous prosecutors working in the provinces to support this effort. The United States is also making great efforts to support the justice sector in general, from training lawyers and judges, to building courthouses, to building public awareness that the law can help them.

Infrastructure and Power

With the right kinds of infrastructure, especially roads and electric power, Afghanistan has the potential for economic self-sustainability. Good infrastructure has a multiplier effect by enabling companies to settle and grow.

In an effort to rebuild Afghan infrastructure, since 2001, the United States has contributed over $1 billion to developing roads to link the country’s economic centers and help extend the reach of the central government to the provinces. Using U.S. and other donor funds, more than 1,500 kilometers of roads have been constructed over the past five years. The signature road project, the Ring Road, connecting Kabul in the east to Kandahar in the south and Herat in the West, is nearing completion. We have asked our international partners in private – and are calling on them publicly to do more to meet their commitments in this vital area.

We and international partners are also working to develop a safe and reliable power network. We are helping to upgrade the Kajaki Hydroelectric Dam, which will provide power for the major cities of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah. In Nangarhar, work is underway in rehabilitating the Darunta hydroelectric power station near Jalalabad. When finished, it will provide power to 9,000 customers. We are building northern and southern power grids for Afghanistan, as well as lines to import power from neighbors like Tajikistan.

Why You Should Invest: Building a Private Sector

Even with billions of dollars in resources from development banks and international donors, the private sector is the primary means for Afghanistan to develop. Our vision is for an Afghanistan that once again takes on its natural role as a land bridge connecting the Kazakh steppes to the ports of the Indian Ocean and beyond.

We look to private industry, owned and operated by Afghans, to be the driving force behind economic development in Afghanistan. Afghans around the world have responded. Since the fall of the Taliban, millions of Afghans have returned from abroad to help develop their country. And through institutions like the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce and the Afghan Investment Support Agency, they are founding new businesses and bringing employment to their fellow countrymen.

American businesses, including those of you here today, are doing their part. For example, Coca-Cola decided at the end of last year to open a bottling plant outside of Kabul -- a major investment in the area. Through the negotiations of Afghan businessmen, Toyota Motors opened a repair and parts facility in Kabul last June. These are only a few examples of the dynamism of the private sector, supported by this group and other Afghan business organizations, that can help drive development.

We and the Afghan Government understand that, in order to thrive, Afghanistan must be a good place in which to do business and invest. We are working on the infrastructure, regulatory and anti-corruption practices to improve the picture. It is making a difference. For example, the World Bank estimates that in 2003, it required 90 days to start a business in Afghanistan. In 2006, opening a new business takes a mere 7 days. By making it easier for Afghans to return home and found their own businesses, all of Afghanistan benefits.

In addition to working with groups like yours, the United States has announced the development of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones to improve the lives of both Afghans and Pakistanis. This initiative, first announced by President Bush in March 2006, is a joint effort designed to increase economic production through tax incentives. Similar programs have been employed with great success in Egypt and Jordan. Certain products manufactured in these zones will be exported duty-free to the United States, expanding international market access for Afghanistan and creating employment for Afghans. We are completing the feasibility studies and look forward to working with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and our own Congress to help open new economic opportunities to Pakistan-Afghanistan cooperative endeavors.

We Will Succeed

While the United States and other international donors can help Afghanistan create the conditions for a strong economy through security and infrastructure, we simply cannot make it happen alone. Real revitalization requires the ingenuity and expertise of the private sector.

The story of Afghanistan is at the moment is a difficult one, but the trend is positive. Your continued engagement is necessary to keep progress moving in the right direction. I commend you all for putting your efforts and resources into helping the people of Afghanistan and the United States find a new future together. Our commitment is for the long-term and I hope that yours is, as well.

Thank you again for inviting me here this afternoon.

Countering Afghanistan's Insurgency: No Quick Fixes

International Crisis Group - 11/02/2006

Kabul/Brussels - The rising violence in Afghanistan is an urgent wake-up call for President Karzai to build a clean and accountable administration and the international community to rethink its policies, including towards Pakistan's military government.

Countering Afghanistan's Insurgency: No Quick Fixes *, the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the insurgency in Afghanistan as fierce battles rage in the south, insurgent attacks in the east creep towards the provinces surrounding Kabul, and a new campaign of terrorist violence targets urban centres. Having regrouped within Pakistan, the Taliban and other anti-government elements have stepped up pressure, and disillusioned, disenfranchised and economically desperate people are responding again to the call of extremists in a region radicalised by decades of conflict. Self-interested spoilers, particularly in the rapidly expanding narcotics trade, further fuel the violence.

"The desire for a quick, cheap war followed by a quick, cheap peace has brought Afghanistan to the present, increasingly dangerous situation", says Joanna Nathan, Crisis Group's Afghanistan Analyst. "Both the government and its international backers need to admit mistakes and change course where necessary".

The Afghan government and international community are facing a series of inter-linked challenges: a battle against a resurgent Taliban and other anti-government elements from previous eras; a crisis of government legitimacy amid a culture of impunity; constantly expanding drug production and trade; and failure to meet popular expectations of development and improved lives.

The urgent measures needed include putting substantially more international forces into the battle zones and removing national restrictions so that all those in the country can be used where they are most needed. However, efforts to stabilise Afghanistan will be about containment at best until the international community puts real, sustained diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to tackle militant leaderships and reverse policies that feed extremism.

Within Afghanistan, no concessions should be made to violent extremists; instead the legitimate grievances of the population must be met. Promoting the rule of law and ending the culture of impunity are crucial to countering the insurgency and strengthening the Karzai government's legitimacy. Priority should be given to reforming the police and judiciary and attacking corruption. Short-term measures such as relying on ill-trained, poorly-disciplined militias, ad hoc anti-terrorism laws and discredited power brokers will not beat the insurgency but will undermine the long-term goal of building sustainable institutions.

"The Afghan government and the international community must accept that some short-term pain is inevitable and hold their nerve to pursue deep-rooted, substantive reform", says Samina Ahmed, Crisis Group's South Asia Project Director. "There is nothing inevitable about failure in Afghanistan, but without rethinking policies, there is equally nothing inevitable about success".

Worldstage - Daily Telegraph Islamabad

British troops will die for as long as Bush and Blair allow it. Faced with mounting pressure from Nato over Pakistan's alleged harbouring of the Taliban, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf's response was not to arrest Taliban leaders residing in Quetta, but to bomb a religious school hundreds of miles to the north.

European and Nato tolerance levels for Musharraf's two-track policy of hunting down al-Qa'eda, while allowing Afghan and Pakistani Taliban to recruit, plan and arm themselves in Balochistan province, is now at an all-time low.

Yet George Bush and Tony Blair still refuse to call the military's bluff, with the result that Nato troops continue to die every day in Afghanistan.

At least 80 people died in the bombing of a madrassa in the Bajaur tribal agency on the border with Afghanistan on Monday. The government says they were militants being trained by al-Qa'eda, the locals say there were students. American forces in Afghanistan may have been involved in the attack; they almost certainly provided intelligence for it.

The truth may never be known, because for three years the army has barred journalists and human rights investigators from the region – so much for Musharraf's much-vaunted freedom of the press. Anti-American protests are now taking place, led by Islamic fundamentalist parties who at the political level are allies of both the military and the Taliban.

So what is going on in this complex, high-stakes game? Taliban (and by default al-Qa'eda) base areas are being established in Pakistan's northern tribal agencies and Balochistan, which are spreading to the Afghan side of the border because of a shortage of Nato troops. International terrorists take advantage of such base areas to train, arm and collect funds.

In Kabul, Nato and US military commanders and the United Nations now speak openly of Pakistani collusion with the Taliban. Last week in Brussels, Nato ambassadors devoted two days of secret discussions on what to do with Pakistan.

But Nato knows it can discuss as much as it likes, but, until Bush and Blair are on board, there is nothing they can do. Yet Bush and Blair are determined to continue covering up the immensity of the problem. The Americans do not want to antagonise Musharraf, a key Muslim ally, when the war in Iraq is going so badly and who may be useful if Washington decides to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.

British policy is even more short sighted. To its credit Pakistan's Interservices Intelligence (ISI) is giving its fullest cooperation to Britain's MI5 in tracking down British-born Pakistani militants who travel between the two countries. MI5 and the Foreign Office have been seduced by this cooperation and have warned British commanders in Helmand province not to rock the boat by accusing the ISI of helping the Taliban.

Pakistan's strategy has been quite brilliant – offer full cooperation on "one-off" terrorist cases involving a few individuals, but do little to stem the Taliban crossing into Afghanistan or the rapid Talibanisation that is taking place inside Pakistan.

Thus British soldiers in Helmand are held hostage by Blair's refusal to deal with the larger problem, which is the need for Pakistan to crack down hard on all extremism, including the Taliban.

Despite the promises made by Musharraf to Bush and Blair after 9/11, there has been no reform of the madrassas, no serious attempt to deal with extremists and the military remains in political cahoots with the largest Islamic fundamentalist party that aids the Taliban – the Jamiat-e-Ullema Islam. Next year Musharraf plans to continue his alliance with them when he runs for another five-year term as president.

How long can this go on and how long will Nato troops and Afghans continue to die as long as the Taliban has a safe sanctuary in Pakistan? According to Bush and Blair – indefinitely.

But a revolt in Nato is brewing. Since the spring, when some 10,000 Nato forces took over in southern Afghanistan from US forces, they are suffering three times the casualty rate of American soldiers.

European countries are balking at providing more troops to the Nato force in Afghanistan. Norway, Denmark, Sweden and others have refused to send more troops. France, Germany, Spain and Italy, who have troops in safer parts of Afghanistan, are refusing to send them to the south where British, Canadian and Dutch forces are taking the brunt of the fighting.

European publics want answers as to why the Taliban are back when they were supposed to be finished and why their media is reporting that the Taliban leaders are in Pakistan. Nato faces a crisis and that is why its summit meeting in Riga this month is so critical to its survival.

In recent days, the ISI chief, Lt Gen Ashfaq Kiyani, has briefed worried ambassadors in Islamabad, promising a crackdown on the Taliban and all extremists. Let's hope this signals a decisive strategic change in the military's policy, rather than the ad hoc tactics it has pursued so far.

In the meantime ordinary Afghans are convinced that the US and Britain are not serious about securing Afghanistan, that the Taliban are on their way back to power and nobody has the power or desire to stop them.

Qanuni for a stronger military to counter terrorism

KABUL, Oct 31 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Speaker of the Lower house of parliament Younus Qanuni on Tuesday said 70,000 military force was not enough to keep security in the country.

Addressing a gathering of military officials during his visit to Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC), Qanuni said terrorism was posing a serious threat to the people of Afghanistan. "We need a strong military force to fight the scourge of terrorism."

He said the lower house had discussed the number of the Afghan army and the standard of the training imparted to them. The MPs were of the view that the strength of ANA should be increased, said the lower house speaker.

The 70,000 military force was approved for the country during the Bon Conference in Germany before the establishment of the interim government.

MoU on electricity supply to Pakistan signed

KABUL, Oct 31 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Afghanistan, Pakistan and two Central Asian countries have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide electricity to Pakistan via Afghanistan.

Under the MoU, Pakistan will import 1,000-megawatt electricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan which will be transferred to that country via Afghanistan.

This was disclosed by Minister for Energy and Water Muhammad Ismail Khan while speaking at a news conference here on Tuesday. He said a portion of the electricity would also be used by Afghanistan for its domestic requirements besides charging the buyer and supplier countries.

The minister said experts from the four countries would hold a meeting to the settle issues, like pricing and charges by the government of Afghanistan. The electricity line will pass through the northern Kunduz and eastern Nangarhar provinces.

He described the proposed project as a boost for Afghanistan's as well as economies for the three neighbouring countries. Two other neighbours in the north, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, have also expressed willingness to export electricity to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan, informed the minister.

Meshrano Jirga forms new committee

KABUL, Oct 31 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The upper house of parliament on Tuesday constituted a new parliamentary committee to work for reconciliation with dissident groups.

Formation of the National Reconciliation Committee was approved by majority of votes at the House in the Tuesday's session. Members of the newly-constituted committee were taken from other committees of the upper house.

First secretary of the House Aminuddin Muzaffari said: "We want to work on a scheme to launch fresh talks with Taliban and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hizb-i-Islami and other dissidents."

He said the dissidents were also people of this country and could not be sidelined.

He expressed the hope that the government would also support the plan and would join efforts to reconcile the opponents.

The government has already formed an independent reconciliation commission heading by Sibghatullah Mujaddidi which, he said, had helped reconciling 2,500 dissidents over the past one and a half years.

Some senators opposed the formation of the new committee, arguing that it would prove a parallel body to the independent commission.

Ahmad Shah Ramazan, head of the international relations committee at the upper house, said both houses of the parliament had forwarded their suggestions to the government many times, but there was no positive response. He urged the need for coordination and understanding between the parliament and the government.

NGO halts operations in Paktia

KABUL, Oct 31 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR) on Tuesday closed its office in Jaji district of the southeastern Paktia province after an attack by unidentified armed men at its office in the district.

A press release issued here said the NGO was working on welfare projects, like water supply, digging of wells and establishment of health clinics. A DACAAR official told Pajhwok Afghan News four hooded men broke into the office in Jaji district and shot a security guard, who died one day later.

The reason behind the attack on the office was not known, said the release, adding the office would remain closed till full investigations of the incident.

Erik Toft, head of DACAAR in Kabul, said: "With great regret, I say that I came to know that one of our colleagues had been killed and we had no other choice

but to halt operations in that district."

Government of Afghanistan and ISAF open electrical power plant in Alishang

Contact Information – ISAF Public Information Office

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan (2 November)-The people of Alishang, near the village of Reyn in Laghman province, celebrated the opening of a new micro-hydro electrical power plant on Monday.

The planning and construction of the $32,000 plant began as a proposal during a 2005 Shura.

“This power plant provides tangible proof that the Government of Afghanistan and ISAF forces are continuing to provide economic progress that will benefit the local Afghans now and in the future,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col Brad Bredenkamp, the Methar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team commanding officer who supervised the project.  The plant will provide power to approximately 300 homes within the village. 

The US role against militants in Pakistan

BBC News, Islamabad

Monday's aerial attack on a seminary in Pakistan's tribal area of Bajaur that killed 80 people has again triggered a debate about who is actually carrying out such attacks.

President Musharraf's opponents, led by the country's religious leadership, are insisting that the latest strike was carried out by US forces based in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Military officials have strongly rubbished such assertions, claiming it to be a "purely Pakistani operation".

Amid these conflicting claims, the problem of sifting fact from fiction has been compounded by the government's decision to block media access to Bajaur. Monday's strike was the deadliest in the tribal areas in recent history.

Defence analysts in Islamabad say the confusion over the architects of Monday's strike may have more to do with the nature of the intelligence sharing agreement between Pakistan and the US than anything else.

Few details of this agreement were made public when it was first ironed out in the wake of the September 2001 attacks in the United States.

But enough has surfaced over the last few years to help analysts piece together its various contours.

It is widely believed that the agreement was originally confined to intelligence sharing between the two countries on the presence, movement and activities of al-Qaeda suspects in and around Pakistan.

The focus was on preventing al-Qaeda suspects from taking roots in major Pakistani cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

The success of this intelligence sharing arrangement was obvious from the number of important arrests made in these cities. Among those nabbed were major al-Qaeda activists such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Abu Zubaida.

Senior Pakistani military officials say it was their successful intelligence sharing in the urban centres that encouraged them to replicate the model in the tribal areas.

But the arrangement that had worked so well in the cities soon ran into policy as well as practical snags in the lawless tribal territory on two counts.

On the policy front, there was no disagreement between the two countries on weeding out al-Qaeda from the cities.

But their security perceptions were found to be poles apart in the tribal areas where al-Qaeda operatives were given refuge by the Taleban.

Pakistani officials say the US was strongly advised to isolate al-Qaeda through political initiatives before resorting to military action in the area.

US officials, however, were said to be "resistant to suggestions that al-Qaeda and their Taleban protectors be treated differently".

More importantly, the kind of stealth operations that had led to important arrests in the cities were almost impossible in the tribal areas because of the difficult terrain and the highly integrated tribal structure.

It was only logical for Pakistan to use sophisticated US technology of aerial surveillance and remote identification of possible targets before taking action anywhere.

And once a decision was taken on decisive action, how it was to be done was an issue that essentially boiled down to the question of capability.

In many situations, the US was in a position to act more swiftly than Pakistan.

In the January attack on Bajaur for example - which Islamabad admitted had been carried out by the US - Pakistani authorities were informed of the intended attack just a few hours before it was actually carried out.

Intelligence officials describe it as a cooperation that is typical in most covert joint operations.

A day after this Monday's strike on Bajaur, Pakistani military officials gave a select group of journalists in Islamabad a background briefing on the "evidence" that had led to the strike.

Journalists, who attended that briefing, say they were shown photographs and videos of people "involved in rigorous physical exercises as early as 4 o'clock in the morning".

These were infrared images apparently shot from spy planes that are not known to be owned or operated by the Pakistan army.

Some of the "training" scenes depicted in the videos seemed similar to a Taleban propaganda video released to a popular television channel in Pakistan last month.

Officials, briefing journalists, said as far as they were concerned, it was convincing evidence that the madrassa was being used for training militants.

Analysts say if there is one thing that this sequence of events points to, it is the extremely close coordination between the two countries in what they define as anti-terror operations.

According to one senior official, if an operation involves US surveillance technology and advanced precision weaponry provided by the US, then who actually pulled the trigger is of academic interest only.

‘Al-Zawahiri was frequent visitor to Madrassa’

The News International (Pakistan) November 1, 2006

ISLAMABAD: A religious school in Bajaur agency destroyed in air strikes, killing around 80 people, was an isolated terrorists training facility frequently visited by al-Qaeda’s No 2 Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri.

At a briefing held here on Tuesday, top security sources said the facility, known as Maulvi Liaquat’s Madrassa, was actually used for imparting training to new recruits with second- and third-tier leadership of al-Qaeda, by Dr al-Zawahiri, head of al-Qaeda’s operation in Afghanistan’s Kunar province Abu Obaida al-Misri and Abu Farrah Libbi.

The officials showed stills and videos of the early morning training sessions at the destroyed seminary with participants drawn from Swat, Dir, Bajaur and even Afghanistan. The video and still photos taken through infrared cameras clearly show that people aged between 20 to 30 were carrying out exercises with no arms or weapons being used. The timing of the training was generally in and around 4:30 a.m. at the isolated seminary, which has a large portion for training, an undamaged mosque and spacious living area, said the security source.

It was seen that grown-ups doing stretching for their physical training, and it was claimed that these people were to be sent to their targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan within a day or two.

“We continued to monitor the site for several weeks and despite our efforts to stop it through approaching Maulvi Liaquat and Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, they carried out such activities unabated,” said the security source. He said that all the other religious seminaries in that part and other areas were closed and no student or child was present there. “The students had finished their religious education by end-Ramazan and there was a break of around 15 to 20 days,” said the source, and added: “this period was being used to train terrorists as this facility was located at an isolated place in Bajaur agency.”

He said the facility was frequently visited by Dr Al-Zawahiri, Libbi, Al-Misri and others to prepare a new lot of foot soldiers, as al-Qaeda is reportedly running short of them. “No weapon or arms were shown as being used for training, as tactics of terrorists have been changed and they prepare suicide bombers,” said the security source.

He said it was a matter of record that some leaders of the area had already announced to prepare around 20 suicide bombers, yet they were also involved in striking a peace deal to show their other face. “Yes, the peace deal like Waziristan was around the corner but the strike at the terrorist facility was essential from the security point of view, as an element of surprise is a must in such operations,” said the security source.

He said no ground operation was launched nor was it possible as it would give an early warning to these people. He said the first person who arrived at the spot following the strikes was Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, with 20 persons and they surreptitiously took away materials and articles.

He said after him Maulvi Liaquat and people from the area visited the place they did not take away the bodies. He said the mosque located at one side of the seminary remained undamaged except that one of its outer walls were damaged due to Pakistani strikes. “No American or any Nato plane or forces were involved in this operation, as it was an operation conducted fully by Pakistan security forces,” said the source.

He said no one had come out in the open claiming that his child was killed. “The dead bodies were taken to Swat and other areas which proved they were of Jihadis and not of seminary students,” he added.

The security official said it was a careful intelligence operations, as even those offered Namaz-e-Janaza of the dead persons were wearing masks. “No arrest was made as there was no security personnel who reached there,” said the official.

He said it is not yet fully established that the same facility had any link with rockets found in Islamabad and Rawalpindi recently, though investigations are still underway. He said the fact that in-charge of al-Qaeda’s operation in Kunar province established that as Kunar province is stronghold of Gulbadin Hekmatyar and these people belong to Jamaat-e-Islami. “JUI has nothing to do with it,” he said.

He said it was for the government to take action against the Jamaat-e-Islami, for their alleged involvement, if any, in such activities. The official said the entire Bajaur Agency is under the influence of JI therefore the Jamaat is trying to exploit the situation politically.

He said similar actions would be taken against all such facilities if people do not pay any heed to the call of stopping such activities in their areas. He said the operation was not conducted to favour Britain or Nato forces, but it was very much a security concern of Pakistan.

The official did not rule out retaliation by the terrorists and their mastermind for which security would be tightened to avert any sabotage activity in Pakistan. He said: “We have taken a number of political risks and these have ultimately proved good for Pakistan,” he said.

Ex Afghan warlord lays down arms to take up career in business

Thu Nov 2

KABUL (AFP) - With a closely trimmed beard and a Western jacket over his baggy outfit, chubby-faced Ezatullah Atef is a uniquely Afghan mix of former anti-Soviet warlord and shrewd modern businessman.

Not so long ago he commanded 1,400 men in one of thousands of mujahedin units that took up arms in a bitter, decade-long struggle against the Soviet army that eventually forced the invaders to retreat in 1989.

His militia also played a role in the US-led invasion that five years ago toppled the extremist Taliban regime. Today Atef is back in command though this time not at the head of an army but as manager of Qargha Lake, Kabul's most popular weekend scenic spot where on summer Fridays crowds gather for family picnics, to stroll through the picturesque gardens and take to the water.

"After the fall of the Taliban, I thought the era of the gun was over in Afghanistan," smiles the 46-year-old in an interview by the blue lake. "So I gave up arms and switched to business."

Atef was one of the first warlords to hand in his weapons when a disarmament programme was launched after the rout of the Taliban to rid the country of its mountain of illegal arms and unruly militias.

He says he handed in more than 800 machineguns, six tanks and a pile of artillery in 2002. The Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme records only 640 weapons, however, but says he also disbanded more than 1,400 men who had been under his command.

In July 2005 he also handed over four truckloads of ammunition, the UN-backed programme says.

Atef still has guns around him: he is often accompanied by two bodyguards -- as are many government officials and businessmen in troubled Afghanistan -- and armed men guard parts of the Qargha complex.

But today his business is the peace and calm of his lakeside haven, a state-owned national park dotted with pines and purple bushes and lit up in Spring by yellow roses.

Built in the 1960s, the lake, fed by snow from the surrounding foothills of the Hindu Kush mountain range, has long been an escape for Kabulis tired of the overcrowded city and is one of the few places lovers can be alone.

Once entry was free and there was little more than the natural surroundings to enjoy. But Atef has introduced many changes since securing a contract from the government that leases him the park for 20 years for 2,500 dollars a month.

After handing over the 40 afghani (nearly one dollar) entrance fee, visitors must pay up again at every turn, whether to park or pitch a tent.

There are dozens of restaurants and ice cream stalls. There are one-dollar boat rides to the deserted far banks of the lake, and pedalboats for families (one dollar for 15 minutes). Even a seldom-used jet ski waits at the shore and can be used for a fee.

Brightly coloured lodges, modelled on chalets that Atef saw during a trip to Switzerland and which sleep several people, have just opened at a cost of 80 to 200 dollars a night

"I have to spend 800,000 dollars on reconstruction and then I can collect the income for 20 years," he says, though he claims to have already spent two million dollars. He says he will return the property to the government when the contract expires.

Before starting the work, Atef had to resort to strong-arm tactics to destroy dams built by a rival warlord to divert the river flowing into the lake.

Besides the money generated by the park's various services and facilities, Atef also takes half the income of the lakeside food stalls as rent. On a good Friday this can hit 2,000 dollars, says one owner.

"I provide the stuff, the raw food and materials, he provides the place. Then we split the income 50-50," adds Norrullah who owns a barbeque restaurant.

This set-up has raised some eyebrows in the murky ethics of post-conflict Afghanistan where corruption is endemic, crime is soaring and an estimated 2,000 private armies still exist.

"Some say it is not a fair contract (with the government) but he is doing some good reconstruction work. That is significant -- let him work," says Sahpoor Zazai, a Kabuli who visits the lake most weekends.

"It is much better to have a corrupt businessman than a dangerous warlord," says the civil servant.

Many of the once mighty warlords who helped expel the Red Army or topple the Taliban have become a headache for the government of President Hamid Karzai.

Despite being ordered by the government to disband, some still run their own private armies and ignore the authority of the central government.

"What we know is there are up 2,000 (armed) groups which makes up to 180,000 persons," says the disarmament and demobilisation drive spokeswoman Ariane Quentier.

Most of the groups are involved "in activities which are illegal and (are) preventing the establishment of the state authority and the rule of law".

Former commanders, including some sitting in parliament, are accused of complicity in atrocities during nearly three decades of conflict -- notably the civil war that ruined Kabul and left around 80,000 dead in the capital.

The issue is complex, with calls from some quarters for the men who many regard as the liberators of Afghanistan to be called to account for war crimes.

Atef says he has genuinely left behind his warrior past. "Who is a warlord and who's not -- I leave for people's judgement," he says. "I struggled for my country's freedom and I'm proud of that."

[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.]