In this bulletin:

• Afghanistan Defense Minister Plans Troop 'Surge'
• DOD: 405 Military Deaths in Afghan Area
• Canada praised by Bush for role in Afghanistan; seeks more U.S. equipment
• Rice Urges Canada, Other NATO Allies to Persevere in Afghanistan
• Karzai: Terrorists get trained, equipped outside Afghanistan
• Good mmmorning, Afghanistan! It's Robin Williams & Co back in old routine
• French defence minister see 'deteriorating situation' in Afghanistan
• Harper sees Afghanistan in a very difficult situation
• Layton ready to tackle Afghanistan issue in 2008
• Afghanistan's hidden treasures are revealed
• All but forgotten, Kabul's drug addicts live amid detritus of war
• Shopping grounds to a halt in Afghanistan as nation prepares to observe Eid

Afghanistan Defense Minister Plans Troop 'Surge'

By Al Pessin Kabul 19 December 2007

Afghanistan's defense minister is planning a training surge that would increase the number of Afghan soldiers available to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida by as much as 20 percent by the time the weather improves in the spring. VOA's Al Pessin reports from Kabul.
Afghanistan's Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak mentioned the plan Wednesday during a meeting with the top U.S. military commander in the region, Admiral William Fallon. The minister provided details later in a VOA interview.

"Actually, the purpose is that we should be able to have more troops when the fighting season comes," he said.

The minister says he wants to increase the number of troops trained during the next several months. The extra 5,000 recruits, in addition to 10,000 already scheduled to be trained, would bring the total size of the Afghan National Army close to 70,000. Until recently, that was the target figure for the army's total size, but the United States recently agreed to support a request from Kabul for an army of 80,000.

While the new troops are being trained, the minister says, his forces will try to break Afghanistan's traditional pattern of military lull during the winter and move against the Taliban and al-Qaida.

"We will try to continue to do operations during the winter to stop their command and control and also entrap their communications, and all that, and to try to neutralize their capability to try to launch a spring offensive. But generally, I think it will be a fighting season when the snow melts, so we will have more ANA [Afghan National Army] available to deal with the situation," added Wardak.

Wardak says Afghan National Army troops are gaining experience and skill every day, and should be given more responsibility on the country's battlefields. He says some NATO countries do not work as well with his forces as he would like, and it should be "mandatory" for NATO troops in Afghanistan to increase their cooperation with the country's army.

Wardak wants Afghanistan to end its need for foreign forces as soon as possible, but U.S. officials say they want to be careful not to give the Afghan military more responsibility than it is ready to handle.

Admiral Fallon met with the Afghan minister as part of a 30-hour visit designed to help him write an assessment of the situation in Afghanistan six years after the U.S.-led invasion. The admiral says the assessment is to include recommendations on what the United States can do to be more effective in helping stabilize Afghanistan and reduce its need for foreign military help.

DOD: 405 Military Deaths in Afghan Area

By The Associated Press – 2 days ago

As of Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, at least 405 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Dec. 15, 2007, at 10 a.m. EST.

Of those, the military reports 274 were killed by hostile action.

Outside the Afghan region, the Defense Department reports 63 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, two were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey; and Yemen.

There were also four CIA officer deaths and one military civilian death.

Canada praised by Bush for role in Afghanistan; seeks more U.S. equipment

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised Canada and other allies Thursday for their combat roles in Afghanistan while saying the U.S. administration is worried NATO countries will eventually tire of the mission and leave.

The two made a pitch for long-term commitments in Afghanistan on the day Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier came to Washington for a private discussion and a working lunch with Rice and other U.S. officials.

Sources close to the talks say Bernier asked the United States to provide more equipment, like helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, to battle the Taliban while pressuring allies to contribute soldiers to the Afghan mission.

Canada also wanted to know whether more U.S. troops would be available for Afghanistan as they leave Iraq. The response was that it won't happen in the short term; a point U.S. Defence Minister Robert Gates has been making.

Earlier in the day, Bush mentioned the Canadians - along with the British, Dutch, Danes and Australians - at a news conference, thanking them for their "contribution of shooters, fighters, people that are willing to be on the front line."

"They are brave souls," Bush told a news conference. "They're working side by side with the Afghan forces and U.S. forces to deal the Taliban a blow. And I've only got praise for them."

The president went on to say: "My biggest concern is that people say, 'Well, we're kind of tired of Afghanistan; therefore, we think we're going to leave'."

The United States understands some countries aren't in a position to commit combat troops, Bush said.

Countries like France and Germany have only deployed soldiers to less violent part of the country.

"Our objective is to help people ... meet a mission that they're comfortable with achieving," said Bush, "and convince them that this is going to take a while. It's going to take time for this democratic experiment to work."

Canada has lost 73 soldiers and one diplomat since 2002, casualties that have sparked a national debate.

"It's a dangerous mission but it's a mission that we're proud of," said Bernier, noting the Conservative government is hoping to stay longer.

"It is one of our most important foreign policies . . I hope we will be able to have our mission extended for a couple of months.".

Ottawa is awaiting a report in January from former Deputy Prime Minister John Manley, and Parliament is expected to vote this winter on whether to extend Canada's mission in Afghanistan beyond February 2009.

Rice called Canada "an extraordinary partner" making an "invaluable and effective" contribution to what is an "absolutely essential mission ... crucial to the future of the United States, Canada and all civilized nations."

"I want to say to the families of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice there that their sacrifice is not in vain," she said while standing alongside Bernier after their meeting at the State Department.

"We learned the hard way what happened when we allowed a failed state to emerge in Afghanistan under Taliban control, that then allowed al-Qaida to burrow in, to train, to become equipped, to fundraise," she said.

"It was the United States that was attacked on Sept. 11th, but of course it could have been any of us and it has been others, as well."

Bernier and Rice talked about other issues.

The most heated exchanges, said a source, were over U.S. plans to require passports at the border with Canada.

Rice reportedly took a "hard line" on the policy despite the fact that Congress just passed a measure this week to delay the passport rule until June 2009 at the earliest.

Canada wants the rule phased in, with ample time for provinces to develop high-technology driver's licences as alternatives.

But the U.S. administration seems determined to implement the security plan during Bush's presidency as a legacy for the Homeland Security Department.

Canada also raised concerns about U.S. rules that prohibit military manufacturers from employing dual nationals and foreign-born citizens on American projects in Canada.

The regulations contravene the Canadian Charter of Rights and several provincial charters.

That conversation was reportedly more positive, with the U.S. side noting there's a process that could eventually allow them to provide exemptions for Canada.

Bernier and Rice discussed the Middle East peace process and the donors' conference this week in Paris that raised $7.4 billion to help the Palestinian government.

While Canada is considering whether to keep fighting in Afghanistan, the United States is reviewing all facets of its operations and its long-term strategy there.

Top military brass are pushing to deploy more troops to Afghanistan from Iraq, but so far the idea isn't flying with the Bush administration.

It was Bernier's first formal meeting with Rice since taking over the foreign affairs portfolio in August.

Rice Urges Canada, Other NATO Allies to Persevere in Afghanistan

By David Gollust State Department 20 December 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday hailed Canada's military role in Afghanistan and said defeating the Taliban-led insurgency there is crucial to international security. Rice met Canada's Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier in advance of a parliamentary debate in Canada next month on the future of that country's Afghan mission. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The Bush administration is heaping praise on Canada for its Afghan effort amid domestic criticism there that Canadian battlefield losses have been disproportionate and that some other NATO members are not sharing the burden.

Canada has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, most of them in the volatile southern part of the country. More than 70 Canadians have been killed there since Canada joined the NATO mission a year ago.

At press events Thursday, both President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice applauded Canada for its sacrifices in Afghanistan.

Rice, meeting reporters after talks with Foreign Minister Bernier, said Canada's role has been extraordinary and invaluable, and that Afghanistan must not be allowed to become the terrorist safe haven it was before the U.S.-led invasion at the end of 2001.

"We learned the hard way what happened when we allowed a failed state to emerge in Afghanistan under Taliban control, that then allowed al-Qaida to burrow in, to train, to become equipped, to fund-raise, to use the assets of a state like Afghanistan to improve their capabilities as terrorists. And as a result, they were able to use that platform for the attacks of September 11," she said.

Canada is committed to keeping troops in Afghanistan until February of 2009 and the Conservative Party government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said it would like to see the military mission extended beyond that.

However opposition parties are adamant about ending the mission on schedule or even sooner. A parliamentary debate in Ottawa will to be held after an independent study panel on the Afghan mission reports to legislators late next month.

Appearing with Rice, Foreign Minister Bernier made clear the Harper government's inclination is to remain, but said the decision rests with parliament.

"It will be vote in Parliament, in the House [of Commons] for the future of our military mission," he said. "And it's our job as a government, when we'll take our decision, to explain our decision to Canadians, what we're doing there. And I hope that we'll be able to have our mission, our military mission, extended for a couple of months. But we're going to await the recommendations from the panel. And after that, we'll have a position from our government and we'll have a public debate."
At his news conference earlier Thursday, President Bush applauded Britain, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands for their Afghan contributions, saying they are working side-by-side with U.S. forces to deal the Taliban a blow.

Mr. Bush said his main concern is that countries in the NATO-led international force in Afghanistan will grow tired of their involvement, stressing it will take time for what he called the "democratic experiment" in Afghanistan to work.

Rice said the United States is working with all the NATO allies to make sure responsibilities in Afghanistan are spread more evenly.

U.S. officials, among them Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have recently become more vocal in criticizing restrictions by some NATO members on their combat roles in Afghanistan, or for not supplying helicopters or other key equipment.

The United States has about 26,000 troops in Afghanistan and has the lead combat role. NATO provides most of the remaining 28,000 troops, but British, Canadian, Dutch, Danish and Australian forces are credited by U.S. officials with doing most of the fighting.

Karzai: Terrorists get trained, equipped outside Afghanistan

www.chinaview.cn 2007-12-20 00:55:52 By Zhang Yunlong, Shuai Rong

KABUL, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Stressing that Afghanistan is not a stronghold of terrorists but victim of terrorism, Afghan President Hamid Karzai Wednesday said the terrorists are foreign-based and getting training abroad.

Addressing a press conference here after offering prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Adha, Karzai called on the international forces to fight militants in their sanctuaries and training centers outside Afghanistan.

He did not mention any country by name, but Afghanistan has repeatedly claimed that militants are using lawless tribal areas in neighboring Pakistan as bases to fight in Afghanistan, an accusation categorically rejected by Islamabad.

The remarks came ahead of an announced two-day visit by Karzai to Pakistan from Dec. 26.

Pakistan has repeatedly rejected proposals about possible direct anti-militants mission of foreign troops inside its soil, saying its own forces are fully competent for the task.

Over 6,000 people, mostly insurgents, have been killed in violence and military conflicts so far this year in Afghanistan.

The Taliban, toppled in late 2001, has waged a years-long insurgency against the Afghan administration and been engaged in a guerrilla-style fighting with the government forces and the international troops besides launching roadside bombing and suicide attacks.

The insurgents, though cornered, are still exercising its influence in parts of southern and eastern Afghanistan and they, in a new wave of insurgency to avenge the defeat in direct confrontation, have apparently focused their "invisible" guns, like suicide blasts, towards major cities including the capital Kabul, analysts say.

The past two months have seen several suicide blasts targeting foreign troops and Afghan national army and police in Kabul and surrounding areas, leaving dozens dead.

U.N. Secretary-General's special envoy to Afghanistan Tom Koenigs said in mid-October that the United Nations had recorded 606 roadside bombs and 133 suicide attacks since January this year, up 30 percent from last year.

Koenigs has called for an "integrated political-military strategy" to overcome increased violence and bring peace to Afghanistan.

Deeply concerned about the worsening situation in Afghanistan, the United States and the NATO, according to western officials, have begun to review their Afghan mission.

The reviews reportedly acknowledge the need for greater coordination in fighting against Taliban and al-Qaida militants, halting the growing opium planting that allegedly finances the Taliban insurgency and helping the Afghan government extend its legitimacy and control.

Good mmmorning, Afghanistan! It's Robin Williams & Co back in old routine

By JASON STRAZIUSO in KABUL

ROBIN Williams and Lance Armstrong took a swipe at the French, Kid Rock strummed Sweet Home Alabama, comedian Lewis Black grumbled about the snow, and Miss USA told the troops to "keep kicking butt".

Some 500 American soldiers watched an all-star USO (United Services Organisations) cast perform under a steady snowstorm at a US base in Kabul.

The stop was part of a six-day, 14-show tour that saw the entertainers begin their day with a performance in Iraq.

The group was also performing at bases in Bagram, Kandahar and Kyrgyzstan.

The audience of soldiers – bundled in hooded jackets and warm hats – stood in the snow before a makeshift stage waiting for Williams and company to arrive after they were delayed by rough weather.

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was travelling with the group, took the microphone first, telling the soldiers it was a tough time to be away from home but the stars had arrived to provide some festive cheer.

"We brought a few celebrities tonight to try and lift your spirits," he said.

To a burst of cheers from the assembled soldiers, he introduced the first act: Miss USA, Rachel Smith, who gave them a blunt message of support: "We wouldn't have the opportunities and freedoms that we have back at home if you guys weren't over here kicking butt."

Smith, who was born on a military base in Panama, said she wanted to give something back because she knew what the troops were going through and called their work invaluable.

Armstrong, arguably the world's greatest-ever cyclist as a seven-times winner of the Tour de France, told the soldiers that the entertainers had got stuck in Tikrit, Iraq, because of a sandstorm and had to bunk in the same room.

He raised a laugh as he described how Black started snoring 60 seconds after the lights were turned out. "Then Robin was above me snoring, so all night I was punching the bunk trying to get him to stop," he said.

After winning the world's most prestigious bike race so often, he said he was the most hated man in France.

He then said he did not think "there's that many French people around here anyway" – a statement that could be interpreted as a dig at the French military, stationed in the relatively peaceful north of Afghanistan.

However, Armstrong later said he walked offstage and promptly ran into several French soldiers. It was unclear what their reaction was.

Robin Williams, a USO veteran making his fourth trip to Afghanistan, told the soldiers he had woken up on Thursday in the desert sands of Iraq and then ended his day with snow in Kabul. "From sand to snow, mother nature is having hot flashes," he said.

Then he, too, took a dig at the French.

"They're the only people who go into combat wearing a chef's hat," he said. "It's amazing."

Among the many soldiers in the crowd wearing wide smiles on their faces was Lieutenant-Colonel Larry Terranova.

"Afghanistan is sometimes called the forgotten war and we don't get a lot of attention here and conditions are pretty miserable, so it means a lot," said Lt-Col Terranova, 48, who is normally based in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

He revealed some homesickness when he said he would miss his four children and four grandchildren over the holidays.

Williams, Armstrong and company have already performed in Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan and will perform in Kyrgyzstan and Europe before returning home.

Wayne Newton, head of talent recruitment for the USO, has complained in the past that the USO has had trouble recruiting entertainers for trips overseas.

But John Hanson, USO spokesman, said that had proved not to be the case for this particular tour, noting the presence of an all-star cast.

He said there had been 52 USO tours in 2007 that performed more than 300 shows.

"We don't want people to think there aren't people willing to come out here… there are," Mr Hanson said, adding entertainers must commit to between ten days and two weeks per tour.

The cheerleaders of the American football team the Dallas Cowboys – known as "America's Sweethearts" – are currently in Korea to entertain troops there, marking their 65th USO tour.

The cheerleaders were first asked to go to Korea in 1979 and were praised for their "unwavering commitment and support of our nation's troops", by USO president Edward Powell.

Kid Rock, who performed on acoustic guitar and had soldiers sing along with the chorus to Sweet Home Alabama, said he volunteered for the sake of the soldiers.

"I'm here for one reason – to entertain these guys," he said in an interview after the show.

"To be a source of entertainment, give them a slice of home. How can you not come?"

Robin Williams said he wanted the troops to know people in America were thinking about them. "Especially at Christmas… to let people know they're not forgotten," he said.

Armstrong – who said he was introduced to USO tours through the comedy actor, a longtime friend – said debates about the rights and wrongs of the war on terror were not relevant to what they were doing.

"I feel like it's important for us as entertainers or sports figures to support our troops regardless of what you think of the conflict," he said.

"The bottom line is that they sign up to defend our country."

CONGRESS CRITICISED

PAYING for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in fits and starts undermines US military planning and risks gains made over the past year, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday.

The US Congress this week approved $70 billion (£35 billion) for combat operations, only half of what President George Bush requested.

"We will again face the risk of running out of money," said Mr Gates, who is likely to spend Christmas with troops in one of the two countries.

He said the uncertainty of funding required the Defence Department to make "short-term plans and short-term decisions."

Mr Gates, pictured, has been pressing allies to send more forces to Afghanistan, where the US carries the largest share of the load.

No more than 7,500 additional troops are needed there, Mr Gates said, and nearly half would be used to train Afghan military units.

Asked if the US would fill any of those troop requirements, he said the Pentagon would continue to look at it.

Mr Gates was cautiously optimistic about further troop reductions in Iraq beyond t

Hose planned next summer, but declined to make a specific projection. "We obviously want to sustain the gains that we have already made," he said.

In September, Mr Gates raised the possibility that US troop levels could be reduced to 100,000 by the end of 2008 if conditions in Iraq continued to improve.

He stressed that it was a hope, not a plan and that it would depend on how well the initial troop withdrawals go during the first half of the year.

Yesterday he said it was a "lapse" on his part to give an "absolute number". Circumstances and the judgment of General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, would dictate further reductions.

Current plans call for the 20 combat brigades to be cut to 15 by mid-2008, leaving about 130,000 American troops in the country. Mr Gates said that could be reduced to ten by the end of 2008 if violence in Iraq continued to ebb.

The full article contains 1266 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.

Last Updated: 21 December 2007 10:28 PM

French defence minister see 'deteriorating situation' in Afghanistan

PARIS - France's defence minister is expressing concern about what he sees as a "deteriorating" security situation in parts of Afghanistan.

Herve Morin also says in an interview Thursday in the newspaper Le Monde that international efforts won't help unless the Afghan army and justice system are shored up.

However, Morin says France will only consider sending more troops to Afghanistan if a NATO review calls for new forces.

France pulled 200 special forces out of Afghanistan last December, prompting speculation that it might withdraw from the country altogether.

However, newly elected President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered more troops sent to Afghanistan this past summer to train the Afghan army.

Sarkozy is also said to be planning a trip in the coming weeks to Afghanistan, where France currently has some 2,000 soldiers.

NATO and the Bush administration are reassessing the Afghan mission to better co-ordinate the battle against al-Qaida and the Taliban, extend government control beyond the capital, Kabul, and curb opium production that funds the insurgents.

But "the question of reinforcing the French forces in Afghanistan could only be raised in the framework of a global review about NATO action in this country," Morin told the newspaper.

The United States, whose military is already heavily deployed in Iraq, has been lobbying its NATO allies for a greater contribution of troops and equipment for Afghanistan - specifically helicopters, 3,500 police trainers and three battalions of ground troops.

Canada currently has some 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, deployed mainly in the Kandahar area in the south.

Like Washington, Ottawa has been calling on other NATO countries to do more, including committing troops to the volatile south where the insurgents are strongest.

Harper sees Afghanistan in a very difficult situation

Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:11pm EST By David Ljunggren and Randall Palmer

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Afghanistan is in a "very, very difficult situation," in part because the international community wasted years before trying to stamp out the Taliban across the country, says Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Canada has 2,500 troops in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on a mission that is due to end in early 2009. Harper strongly defended the troops but conceded the mission to stabilize the country was going more slowly than expected.

"When I say progress is slow and uneven and at times discouraging, it's not because our guys aren't doing a terrific job. They really are. It's a very, very difficult situation," he told Reuters in an interview this week.

Harper said that while the 2001-02 international mission to expel the Taliban from government succeeded, no attempt was made subsequently to pacify the entire country.

"That effort, unfortunately, did not begin until three to four years later so by the time our allies and ourselves went out into the countryside, the process of the Taliban rebuilding had begun," he said.

"Ever since we actually finally got out to Kandahar ... we've had to now deal with the reality that the Taliban had already reengaged and begun to rebuild in those areas and (it was) a missed opportunity, I suppose, from about 2002 to 2005. But that's the way it happened and now we have to manage it."

The interview took place on Tuesday but at the request of his office it was embargoed until Thursday.

Opinion polls show Canadians are deeply split over the mission. Two of the three opposition parties want the troops back on schedule in February 2009, while the third insists they should return immediately.

The government favors extending the mission in one form of another on the grounds that Afghanistan will not be able to stand on its own feet by early 2009.

"We are making progress. I think frankly, if we were to go back to 2005 ... I would presume that progress is slower than we would have hoped," Harper said.

"Ultimately, where we need to make progress is not turning Afghanistan into (somewhere) as law abiding as (Ottawa). It's to really put in a situation where the Afghan government is capable of managing the security threats itself ... I think we're a couple of years away from being where we need to be."

In October, Harper named a five-member panel to review the future of the mission. He has pledged to let the House of Commons vote on the government's plans for the troops.

Since 2001, 71 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, the third highest toll, behind the United States and Britain, among the nearly 40 countries with troops there.

(Editing by Peter Galloway)

Layton ready to tackle Afghanistan issue in 2008

Updated Thu. Dec. 20 2007 7:17 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff

NDP Leader Jack Layton said the current mission is Afghanistan "is not going to succeed," and that the country must take a new direction in the new year.

"I think that no Canadian wants to abandon Afghanistan, but they want an approach that's actually going to work," he said Thursday.

Layton said the new direction should be attaining peace through negotiating a ceasefire with all sides, and that Canada should be focusing on aid and reconstruction.

He also promised to make a "major speech" on the proposed changes in January.

"We're going to lay out in more detail exactly how that might happen," he said.

Layton made the comments during an end-of-year conversation with CTV's Mike Duffy Live, during which he spoke on a number of issues surrounding the federal NDP party.

Most notable was the mistaken accusation leveled by NDP MP Irene Mathyssen that a Conservative MP was viewing images of a "scantily-clad woman" on his computer in the House of Commons.

Layton said he was made aware of her intentions only moments before the accusations were laid, but that the issue was now behind them.

"When she discovered that it was the girlfriend apparently, she accepted that and apologized for it," he said. "I think when a party apologizes for making a mistake, that's a good thing and you move on."

Layton also touched on the Mulroney-Schreiber affair, saying he believed it could threaten to hurt the way Canadians view their government.

"I think this is what Canadians are reacting to -- this idea that money gets passed around, cash in envelopes of whatever colour in hotel rooms, in restaurants -- and they're beginning to ask themselves what do we have to do to get a clean government," he said.

Other topics Layton spoke on during the conversation included:

* the NDP's "good traction" in Quebec, including a federal by-election victory by Thomas Muclair;

* Harper's appointment of more than 1,000 people without the use of an appointment's commissioner;

* the Conservative's failure to address wait times in the health care system; and,

concerns that announced tax cuts will result in less money to be spent on working class families and growing poverty.

When asked about whether he thought Canadians wanted an election to be called early next year, Layton said they would accept it as a chance for change.

"I don't know that Canadians ever really want an election. But I know a lot of people feel Mr. Harper's taking the country in the wrong direction," Layton said. "I think they would accept it as an opportunity to get the country on track on a lot of issues."

Afghanistan's hidden treasures are revealed

By FRITZ LANHAM Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Dec. 21, 2007, 5:40PM

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul, an exhibition of artifacts documenting that country's role as an ancient crossroads between East and West, will tour the United States in 2008, including a stop at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

The exhibit features some 230 works, among them gold objects from the famed Bactrian hoard, a 2,000-year-old treasure cache discovered in 1978 but hidden from view until 2003.

The exhibit runs May 25-Sept. 7 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Dates for stops in Houston, San Francisco and New York are being finalized. National Gallery of Art and National Geographic partnered with Afghanistan's National Museum to produce the show.

All but forgotten, Kabul's drug addicts live amid detritus of war

KABUL, Afghanistan - The sound of gunfire once echoed in the imposing, bullet-scarred structure. Now, a stale whiff of heroin hangs in the air. The spent bullet cartridges have been replaced by used syringes.

Huddled in a tight circle, a group of men smoke hashish. In a corner, a 22-year-old man mumbles incoherently, almost invisible beneath the plastic sack wrapped around him.

About a dozen drug addicts call this once grand building - Kabul's former Russian Cultural Centre - their home. Most fled to Iran as refugees during the harsh Taliban rule. Many became addicts while away. Now, Iran is sending many of them home, often against their will.

Mohammad Sultan, 45, was deported from Iran nine months ago. He says the drugs keep him from dwelling on his problems. His wife and three children are still in Iran, and he hasn't heard from them for some time. The story is repeated around the room.

Police officers harass the addicts for money. Of the government, Sultan says, "They don't care whether we live or die. We are just like insects for them."

About half of Afghanistan's drug users are returning refugees from Iran or Pakistan, said Mohammad Zafar, the director general for policy and co-ordination in the Afghan Ministry of Counter-Narcotics.

"Most of the drug users from Iran are heroin addicts and frequently use injections," he said. "Life for refugees is very hard in other countries, with no jobs, and they are introduced to the habit through drug users in other countries."

In Afghanistan, they have a ready supply: The country's farmers produce 93 per cent of the world's opium, the main ingredient in heroin.

Doctors and medics from the Zendagi-e Nawin rehabilitation centre visit the addicts often to examine and administer much-needed medicines.

AIDS is a concern. A study by Action Aid Afghanistan found that while the country does not have many HIV cases, there is a high risk that the virus could spread because of an increasing number of injecting drug users.

Nearly half of the 99 injecting drug users interviewed by Action Aid did not know HIV could be spread through sharing needles, and 69 per cent did not know where they could get an HIV test.

The former cultural centre, built during the Russian occupation in the 1980s, saw heavy fighting during Afghanistan's three decades of conflict.

Today, its battle-scarred walls are witness to a new cycle of destruction.

Shopping grounds to a halt in Afghanistan as nation prepares to observe Eid

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The streets of Kandahar city, teeming with sheep peddlers and eager shoppers in recent days, are about to grow quiet as Muslims across Afghanistan settle in to observe Eid al-Adha.

Like Muslims elsewhere in Asia, the religious holiday commemorating Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for Allah is a big occasion for Afghans.

The timing of the festival is based on interpretations of the lunar calendar by religious authorities. For many Muslims, Eid begins on Thursday but the anticipation had started much earlier.

In the days leading up to the holiday, thousands of Kandaharis hit the market to pick out a sheep for slaughter and a new outfit, as is tradition.

Muslims are required to sacrifice the animal - one part going to the poor, the second to a friend and the last to be kept for one's own family - and even those who could barely afford it will go to market in search of a hard-to-come-by bargain.

As such, the streets of the city where Canadian troops have been based for the last two years are virtually overrun with sheep, as business-savvy shepherds seek to make a profit.

"I have a very good business these days," said 42-year-old Ahmadulla, who's been in the sheep business for a decade.

"I don't have a lot of money and this business even can be done with a small amount ... It is a golden chance for me to feed my family for one more year."

It is not uncommon even for those not typically involved in the sheep business to buy a small herd at low cost before the holidays and sell it at a marked up rate later.

As on Valentine's Day in North America when the price of a dozen long-stem roses momentarily skyrockets, so too does the price of a sheep at Eid. A sheep that would typically cost $100 could sell for twice that amount during the holiday, a phenomenon that particularly aggravates butchers.

But high prices have done little to mar the joy and anticipation that mark the lead up to Eid.

"Our father bought us shoes and clothes for Eid," a beaming 12-year-old Halima said. "I am very excited to have this stuff."

A burka-clad woman who hesitated to chat and wouldn't give her name said she, too, was buying new clothes for her and her daughter.

"My husband also does shopping for me but as a matter of fact, I don't like his taste," she said.

At mosques in Kabul, the Afghan capital, religious leaders asked Afghans to pray for the jobless and for less violence. Mosque visitors gave extra money to beggars sitting outside.

"Afghanistan has gone through much conflict. Today we want unity in Afghanistan. More people are jobless in this country, pray for the jobless," said Shah Sayed Wahidi, the religious leader at a Shiite mosque.

President Hamid Karzai made a renewed call to the United States and coalition forces to take their fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban militants beyond Afghanistan's borders. In a speech at the presidential palace Wednesday, Karzai said Afghanistan does not provide shelter for terrorism but is its victim.

"We want the struggle against terrorism to go after their shelters ... and training centres," Karzai said. He did not name any country, but such comments from Afghan officials are known to mean Pakistan.

Karzai's reference was the first public criticism of Afghanistan's eastern neighbour in months.

Afghan officials regularly accuse Pakistan of not doing enough to stop the training and the movement of militants across the porous border.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has acknowledged that Taliban fighters seek safe haven in Pakistan before crossing into Afghanistan.

Karzai's remarks come at a time when the United States is reportedly reviewing its strategy in Afghanistan as the country goes through its most violent year since the Taliban was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

Some 6,300 people, mostly militants, have died in insurgency-related violence this year. Seventy-three Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have lost their lives since Canada's mission in Afghanistan began in 2002.

With files from the Associated Press.

[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.]