In this bulletin:

• Rome to host international conference on Afghanistan in the spring
• President Hamid Karzai Meets Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister
• Blast at Afghan refugee camp in northwestern Pakistan kills 4
• NATO soldier killed, several wounded in Afghan attack
• Dr. Spanta met his Egyptian Counterpart
• President Hamid Karzai Meets Head and Members of the Civil Service and Administrative Reform Commission
• President Hamid Karzai Holds Video Conferences with the Provinces of Ghor and Paktia
• Senator Clinton Makes Afghan Stop
• Peaceful Afghanistan in Pakistan's interest, Musharraf tells Senator Clinton
• ‘We are watching over Pak-Afghan border’, says Musharraf
• Al-Qaeda Leaders Have No Haven in Pakistan, Prime Minister Says
• 2,000 rally to condemn Pakistan gov't
• Whitehall 'hindered Afghan war'
• Pentagon chief discusses Iraq, Afghan wars in UK
• Hillary Clinton in Pakistan for Musharraf talks
• Lucky Dutch in Afghanistan
• Aid to Afghanistan is well accounted for
• AFGHANISTAN AND THE NEED FOR EDUCATION
• MPs oppose formation of new party in Jawzjan
• Afghan boys fear release of 'Kite'
• Feature: Sale of expired, spurious drugs on rise

Rome to host international conference on Afghanistan in the spring

The Associated Press - Monday, January 15, 2007 – Rome: Foreign donors and international organizations will gather in Rome in the spring for a summit on Afghanistan, Italy's Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The ministry confirmed a report in daily Corriere della Sera, which quoted Undersecretary Gianni Vernetti as saying in Kabul that the summit had been agreed upon in meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Tom Koenigs, the U.N.'s special representative to Afghanistan, and was scheduled for early April. Karzai is also scheduled to visit Rome on Feb. 16, Corriere said.

Vernetti said the conference will focus on security, justice and law issues, as well as efforts to combat drug trafficking in what is the world's biggest producer of opium.

Italy has resisted calls to beef-up its 1,800-strong contingent in Afghanistan to help fight the resurgent Taliban in the restive east and south. Rome has repeatedly called for an international conference on Afghanistan, saying that military action alone is not enough to solve the country's problems.

"We confirm our military presence in Afghanistan, without increasing it," Vernetti said, according to Monday's interview. "But we will definitely increase our political action.

President Hamid Karzai Meets Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister

On January 14, President Hamid Karzai received Gianni Vernetti, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister at the Gul Khana Palace. Both sides discussed issues related to security in Afghanistan and the region as well as fight against terrorism and narcotics.

Reaffirming his country’s continued assistance to Afghanistan, Vernetti said, “Helping Afghanistan is one of the important priorities for Italy. Italy is fully committed to helping ensure security, judicial reform, the rule of law and training of the Afghan border police.”

Mr. Vernetti talked about his country’s decision on holding an international conference on Afghan judicial reform program in which more help from donor countries will be expected.

Thanking Italy for its contributions to Afghanistan in the last five years, President Karzai called Italy’s assistance in the areas of security, judicial reform and rule of law as vitally important and hoped such assistance continues.

Speaking on security situation in the country, President Karzai applauded the tireless efforts made by security forces in Afghanistan that have resulted in a considerable reduction in the terrorist activities. The President continued, “Reconstruction process is well underway and police reform continues with the recent senior appointments in the Ministry of Interior.

President Karzai went on saying, “The international community strongly supports Afghan government in its counterterrorism efforts. The realities coming out indicate that Afghan government is right in its anti-terror move.” Emphasizing on the effective fight against narcotics, the President asked for a joint struggle against the phenomena as narcotics and terrorism are interlinked threatening humans’ life.

The President urged that international community needs to target the root causes and sources of financial, training and equipping facilities for terrorists and it is then that the people live in a fear-free world.

Also, in attendance was President’s National Security Advisor, Dr. Zalmai Rasool.

Blast at Afghan refugee camp in northwestern Pakistan kills 4

The Associated Press - Monday, January 15, 2007 PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A bomb exploded at an Afghan refugee camp in northwestern Pakistan killing four people and wounding five more on Monday, police said.

The motive for the attack at the Jalozai Afghan Refugee Camp in Nowshera was not immediately clear. The camp lies about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province.

Mohammed Tahir, an area police chief, said two Afghan refugees died on the spot and two more died at a hospital. Five others injured were in a stable condition, he said.

"We have no idea what exactly caused this explosion, but apparently it was some explosive device," he said, adding that officers had arrived at scene and bomb disposal experts were investigating. The dead and injured were Afghan refugees, he said.

Ten of thousands of Afghan refugees have been living at the Jalozai Refugee Camp and elsewhere in Pakistan since fleeing their homeland during a quarter century of war starting with the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Many later settled in Pakistan.

NATO soldier killed, several wounded in Afghan attack

Last Updated: Monday, January 15, 2007 - CBC News

A NATO soldier was killed and several others wounded on Monday in southern Afghanistan during an attack on a militant base. The alliance has not disclosed the nationalities of the dead and wounded soldiers.

NATO troops were attacking the militant base when they were "engaged from several insurgent positions," the alliance said. Aircraft later bombed the militant fighters.

Earlier on Monday, Canadian soldiers assisted two NATO soldiers wounded in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan. The bomb hit a convoy of soldiers in Sanzary, near the Panjwaii district.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Forces said the wounded were not Canadian. They are believed to be American. Canadian troops in the area secured the bomb site and helped bring the wounded soldiers to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their condition isn't known.

Militants often use remote-controlled explosive devices in their fight against foreign and Afghan security forces. More than 2,000 Canadian troops are serving in the southern Kandahar region of Afghanistan. Forty-four soldiers and one diplomat have died since the mission started in 2002.

Dr. Spanta met his Egyptian Counterpart

Posted On MoFA: Jan 15, 2007 - On his first official visit to Egypt, Afghan Foreign Minister, Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta met his Egyptian counterpart Mr.Ahmad Aboul Gheit. The two exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and concern. Referring to Afghanistan determination to deepen its relations with Islamic and Arab nations, Dr. Spanta invited Egypt to increase its role in the process of reconstruction of Afghanistan. On his part the Egyptian FM Mr. Aboul Gheit stated Egypt’s readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan in diplomatic, judicial and police training and also providing scholarships to Afghan students.

President Hamid Karzai Meets Head and Members of the Civil Service and Administrative Reform Commission

On January 13, President Hamid Karzai received a delegation of commissioners from the Civil Service and Administrative Reform Commission, led by Dr. Ahmad Mushahid, Head of the Commission at the Gul Khana Palace.

Dr. Mushahid introduced newly-appointed commissioners to the President who congratulated them on their appointments and said, “You have taken a difficult job that is critically important in ensuring a sound, effective and political administration in Afghanistan.”

President Hamid Karzai called the administrative reform as one of the Government’s top priorities and said, “You need to be careful with the appointments you make and make sure that qualifications and patriotism are fully considered.”

The President concluded by saying that both government and the people expect a lot from the Commission, thus it is very important that you help in capacity building of the Afghanistan administration.

President Hamid Karzai Holds Video Conferences with the Provinces of Ghor and Paktia

On January 10, President Hamid Karzai assessed the situation in Paktia and Ghor provinces in separate video conferences.

During the video conference, the President talked to the governors, senior officials and members of the Provincial Councils of Ghor and Paktia provinces, and listened to their reports on the general situation, progress and problems in these provinces.

Rahmatullah Rahmat, Governor of Paktia province, said, “The situation in the province is satisfactory, however, there are some irresponsible armed men in the province. Security problems rarely emerge and there is complete coordination between the security forces.”

“The security forces are ensuring security in the areas vulnerable to the enemy threat. Also, the national reconciliation programme is under way to encourage the opposition to join the Government.”

Speaking about reconstruction, the Governor of Paktia said, “Some projects have been implemented by the PRT, the National Solidarity Programme officials, and some other Ministries.”

“The National Solidarity Programme officials have implemented 860 projects this past year, and 26 other projects are currently being implemented. The PRT is currently implementing 18 projects and 14 other projects have already been completed.”

“An orphanage accommodating 200 orphans has been inaugurated, and the 100-bed military hospital provides health services to military personnel and civilians alike. Paktia’s Municipal Council is rebuilding the town of Gardez.”

“We will lay the foundation stone of a 130-bed hospital in the near future, and some districts are in dire need of health clinics.”

Speaking about the secondary and higher education, the Governor said, “Students and teachers happily go to school. Only 70 out of 201 schools have a building, and that the University in Paktia needs further assistance. We have approached different organizations for rebuilding it.

“The living conditions of the people are satisfactory compared to the past years. The people’s living conditions have dramatically improved in the past three years, but unemployment is still a serious problem in the province.”

“There were 400 shops in Gardez four years ago, but now there are 1,400 shops. 60 high-rise buildings have been built in the town. 21 km of road has been repaired in different districts of Gardez town, and 26 km road linking Zarmal district with Gardez is under repair. Residential houses are being built for 1,000 families.”

The Governor submitted his proposals to the President. His proposals requested the improvement of security situation, the provision of electricity, ensuring greater coordination between the local and central government, and hastening the pace of reconstruction.

Head of Women Affairs Department also briefed the President on women’s progress in the past years and the challenges facing women in this province.

The President instructed the provincial authorities to hasten the pace of development work, and to pay serious attention to education. During another video conference, the President assessed the situation in the province of Ghor.

Shah Abdul Ahad Afzali, Governor of Ghor province, briefed the President on the general situation in the province and the challenges ahead.  Senior provincial authorities and members of the Provincial Council attended the conference.

“Government offices have been rebuilt and there are 400 shops in Cheghcheran town. The construction and repair work of 36 schools have been completed. 27 schools are being rebuilt. 100 km of road has been repaired; eight health clinics and seven water dams have been rebuilt.”

“Roads are open to traffic during the winter, and 5,865 tonnes of food have been distributed to poor families.” “Lack of female doctors and medical supplies and buildings for clinics are major problems.”

“Despite these problems, international aid agencies support 24 health clinics and the hospital in Cheghcheran provides health services to the people.”

Head of Ghor’s Provincial Council said, “The security situation is satisfactory and the people's living conditions have improved compared to the past years. Drought has badly affected the people.”

The head of Ghor’s Education Department said, “There are 390 schools in the province, and 2,597 teachers are teaching 124,000 students. The people of Ghor ask the Government re-activate the Institute of Pedagogy.

The President said, “A bright future hinges on the development of education and a  young educated generation. The President instructed the Governor of Ghor to pay serious attention to the improvement of education.

Also, the President asked the people to encourage their sons to join the national army and police. The President instructed all relevant authorities to look into the problems of the two provinces and assist the people.

Senator Clinton Makes Afghan Stop

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 14 (AP) — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton ate breakfast with soldiers from New York and Indiana at the main American base in Afghanistan on Sunday before meeting with the top American general in Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai, and then traveling to Pakistan to meet with its president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

Mrs. Clinton, Democrat of New York, who is considering running for president, came from Iraq with Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, and Representative John M. McHugh, Republican of New York. The three are members of armed services committees.

Their meetings in Kabul were closed, and Mrs. Clinton and her colleagues did not talk with journalists. About 23,000 United States soldiers are in Afghanistan. Mrs. Clinton has said she wants to see more troops sent to Afghanistan, without saying how many.

Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the American commander in Afghanistan, gave Mrs. Clinton and her colleagues an update on the security situation, including the pace of reconstruction and the progress of Afghan Army and police training, said Col. Tom Collins, a military spokesman.

After leaving Kabul, Mrs. Clinton went to Lahore, Pakistan, where an official said she met with General Musharraf, a major ally in the American effort against terrorist groups.

Peaceful Afghanistan in Pakistan's interest, Musharraf tells Senator Clinton

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan needs peace and stability in Afghanistan, the president told U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who met him here after a visit to Kabul, the government said in a statement Monday.

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf made his comments at a meeting with Clinton, who called on him along with Senator Evan Bayh and Congressman John McHugh in the eastern city of Lahore late Sunday. Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terror.

The visit by Clinton - the wife of the former U.S. president who is considering a run for the job - came weeks after Musharraf's government announced a plan to plant landmines and build a fence along parts of its frontier with Afghanistan to stop Taliban and al-Qaida guerrillas from crossing over.

The Afghan government has opposed the plan, saying it would separate families instead of preventing cross-border terrorism.

At the meeting with Clinton, Musharraf said a "peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in Pakistan's vital interest," according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

It said Musharraf asserted that security along the shared border was a joint responsibility and that both sides should make an effort to ensure stability in the region.

Musharraf also "underlined the importance of the strategic relationship between Pakistan and the United States and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of co-operation in diverse fields," it said.

According to the statement, Musharraf also "affirmed Pakistan's firm resolve to fight extremism and terrorism," and in this context, he "highlighted holistic approach being followed by Pakistan."

Clinton, a senator from New York, praised Pakistan's role in the fight against terrorism. Pakistan was once a main ally of the Taliban. But it switched sides after a U.S.-led coalition force invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States.

Since then, Pakistan has deployed about 80,000 troops in tribal areas near Afghanistan to flush out foreign militants and their local supporters.

‘We are watching over Pak-Afghan border’, says Musharraf

RAWALPINDI (the News Int): President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday directed installation of the state-of-the-art system to record all movement across the Pak-Afghan border, observance of regulations and documentation of all those who cross the frontier legally and with rightful purposes.

Chairing a high level meeting here to review the border control measures, the President called for establishment of complete record of all movement across the border and emphasized that there should be no difficulties for the genuine travellers.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, NWFP Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai, Vice Chief of the Army Staff General Ahsan Saleem Hayat, heads of intelligence agencies and other high officials.

The President also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Afghan government for similar measures on the Afghan side as well. He appreciated the measures being taken for the improvement of existing security, immigration and customs on the Pakistan side.

He instructed the officials from both FATA and Balochistan government to take all necessary steps to curb illegal crossings. He directed that the Political Agents in FATA be reinforced so that they can deal with miscreants and the foreign elements effectively.

He also directed establishment of a state of the art system to record all movement across the border.

The Interior Minister briefed the participants about the measurers taken for the Pakistan-Afghanistan border control. It was noted that while Pakistan had over 900 check posts on its side, the Afghan side had only 100 posts and there was a need to increase these.

It was also observed that of the 2500-kilometer long Pak-Afghan border, only five percent area was in North Waziristan Agency.

The participants were also briefed of the measures to check illegal activities originating out of Afghan refugee camps and it was decided that steps should be taken through the United Nations for their early repatriation to their homeland.

It was noted that around 12,000 vehicles and over 30,000 people cross the Pak-Afghan border daily.

Al -Qaeda Leaders Have No Haven in Pakistan, Prime Minister Says

Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Al-Qaeda's leaders have no haven in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, rejecting remarks by John Negroponte, the U.S. director of national intelligence, that the terrorist network has its base in the country.

``There is no institutional support at all from our government to provide safe haven to anybody,'' Aziz said in an interview yesterday with Cable News Network, according to a transcript. ``Any aspiration or any doubts about Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism, we totally reject.''

Al-Qaeda is expanding its connections and relationships ``that radiate outward from their leaders' secure hideout in Pakistan,'' Negroponte said Jan. 11 in remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington.

Pakistan joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism in 2001, arresting more than 600 suspected terrorists since then. Afghanistan has accused its neighbor of failing to control their border and allowing al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters to operate from camps in the northwestern tribal district, a charge Pakistan's government denies.

Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda's leader, may have fled into the border region from Afghanistan in 2001. Ayman al-Zawahiri, al- Qaeda's No. 2, said he escaped a U.S. air strike in January 2006 on the village of Damadola near the border with Afghanistan, according to a videotape broadcast at the time by al-Jazeera television.

``The fact is, nobody knows where they are,'' Aziz said on CNN's ``Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer'' program. ``If any of these or other individuals are in our territory, we will go after them, and we have no information. In fact, if the world knew where these people are, they would collectively come and go after them wherever they are.''

Pakistan's mountainous 2,430-kilometer (1,510-mile) border with Afghanistan is ``porous'' and many of the estimated 3 million Afghans living in camps in the region go back and forth across the border, the prime minister said. Pakistan is taking steps to better control the border. Aziz, during a visit earlier this month to Afghanistan, agreed with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to speed up the return of refugees.

Civil wars and droughts over the past 25 years in Afghanistan created the world's largest refugee population with more than 6 million people fleeing their homes during that time, most of them going to Pakistan and Iran. About 1 million Afghan refugees are living in Iran, the United Nations said last month.

Afghans, including about 600,000 in and around the Pakistani city of Quetta, go back and forth across the border and may include supporters of the Taliban, Aziz said. The Taliban, ousted from power in 2001, sheltered al-Qaeda leaders.

``The Taliban and al-Qaeda are very different,'' he said. ``The demographics of al-Qaeda people are not what the Taliban represent. In the case of the Taliban, these are Afghans.''

Pakistan is ``committed to fighting terrorism because it's in our national interest and we want to be part of the coalition in the whole world which is fighting this scourge,'' Aziz said.

Pakistan must better coordinate the work of its security agencies in order to combat terrorism, Aziz said last week at a security conference in Islamabad, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported at the time. Pakistan's army has 90,000 soldiers deployed in the border region.

The government's anti-terrorism operations include the arrest of alleged al-Qaeda leaders Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi Mohamed Abdullah Binalshibh, both accused of helping plan the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S.

Pakistan has told its 13,000 Islamic schools, known as madrassas, to register with the government. Karzai has accused such religious schools of inciting people to join the Taliban insurgency in his county.

President Pervez Musharraf in 2005 ordered the expulsion of non-Pakistani students at madrassas after an investigation in the U.K. into bombings in London in July 2005 showed that at least one of the suicide bombers visited a Pakistani madrassa.

Islamic parties in Pakistan oppose Musharraf's support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism. Thousands of people demonstrated in the Bajur tribal region two days ago, marking the Jan. 13 2006 air strike on Damadola that killed 18 civilians, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The raid sparked anti-U.S. protests in Pakistani cities a year ago.

Pakistan's improved border controls will prevent terrorists coming into Pakistan and setting up havens, Aziz told CNN.

The government will reconsider a plan to mine areas of its border with Afghanistan to stop terrorists crossing the frontier, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said last week, according to APP. Afghanistan and the United Nations were among those who criticized the proposal.

Pakistan will consider proposals by Canada for an effective system without the use of mines, Kasuri said after meeting Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay in Islamabad.

Canada has long experience managing its border with the U.S. and is willing to provide technical support, including improving aerial surveillance, training for border guards and satellite telephones, MacKay said.

2,000 rally to condemn Pakistan gov't

By MATIULLAH ACHAKZAI - ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER - CHAMAN, Pakistan -- About 2,000 ethnic Pashtun tribesmen rallied in this Pakistani border town near Afghanistan on Monday to condemn the Pakistani government for new border control measures.

Chanting slogans against Pakistan, the protesters also asked the government to abandon its plan to plant mines and build a fence along parts of its frontier with Afghanistan, as it could divide Pashtun families.

"These measures are not meant to stop Taliban from entering into Pakistan. These steps are aimed at dividing Pashtuns, who live on both sides of the border," said Sardar Gillani, a leader of the nationalist Awami National Party.

"Don't divide us. Don't stop us from going to Afghanistan. Don's stop Afghans from coming here because they are our brothers and sisters," he said.

The rally came a week after Pakistan opened its first biometrics control system to screen travelers as part of its efforts to check cross-border movement by militants.

It also came weeks after Pakistan said it would fence and mine parts of its frontier with Afghanistan to slow militants' activities. The plan is opposed by the Afghan government, which accuses Pakistan of abetting the Taliban.

Monday's protest came three days after thousands of angry Pashtuns staged a rally on the Afghan side of the border against the new controls.

Whitehall 'hindered Afghan war'

By Sean Rayment, The Telegraph - London: A lack of political direction, a shortage of soldiers and "complete disconnection" between Britain's Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence (MoD) combined to hinder progress in the war in Afghanistan, a report by British military chiefs has concluded.

The document, drawn up by senior officers from 16 Air Assault Brigade, gives a withering assessment of how decisions in Whitehall prevented progress against the Taliban and, sources claim, contributed to deaths and injuries among soldiers.

The report, the first official assessment of the conflict, says the operation suffered from a "lack of early political direction" because ministers delayed announcing troops were being sent to Helmand province until early last year even though commanders were aware six months beforehand the operation would take place.

It concludes that insufficient soldiers went to fight the Taliban and complains of differences between the Foreign Office and MoD over counter-narcotics policy.

The report, written at the end of last year, is working its way up the military chain of command. It states in "clear and precise" terms that the forces sent to Afghanistan could have achieved more and suffered fewer casualties if greater numbers had gone at the start.

"Lessons learned" from the campaign suggest if commanders had been given more troops, they would have been able to man properly bases in the notorious towns of Nowzad, Sangin and Musa Qala, where 12 of the 19 soldiers died between June and September.

Although the report does not specify how many extra troops would have been required, senior commanders say the initial force of 3,500 needed a further 1,000 combat troops, together with extra helicopters and support units.

One senior officer who has seen the report said that with a larger force, Brigadier Ed Butler, the commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, would have had greater flexibility to conduct "rapid reaction operations" against the Taliban and begin "reconstruction in the so-called Afghan development zone".

The officer said that 60 years after the Second World War, senior commanders and ministers had ignored Field Marshal the Viscount Slim's maxim that "the more you use, the less you lose".

The report concludes that the deployment into theatre was "too slow", with troops arriving "in dribbles" rather than in large numbers because of a lack of RAF transport aircraft.

Pentagon chief discusses Iraq, Afghan wars in UK

By Andrew Gray, Reuters - Sunday, January 14, 2007

LONDON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates held talks in London on Sunday with top British officials on Iraq policy and ways to thwart any new offensive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Gates's trip comes four days after President Bush said he would increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq from about 130,000 to more than 150,000 as part of a new plan to tackle spiraling sectarian violence and insurgent attacks.

On his first visit to Britain since taking office last month, Gates held talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Defense Minister Des Browne. "Britain is our most important international partner in both Iraq and Afghanistan," Gates said.

London has said it supports Bush's new Iraq plan. But it does not plan to add to its contingent of some 7,100 troops in Iraq, based in the Shi'ite-dominated south. Britain plans to reduce its force in Iraq by "a matter of thousands" this year, Browne has said.

Speaking to reporters during a break in their talks, the new Pentagon chief said he and Browne had already discussed Iraq and would move onto Afghanistan, where U.S. and British troops form part of a NATO force battling Taliban militants.

Gates plans to visit Afghanistan in the coming days and he has said he wants to ensure progress there is not put at risk by the hardline Taliban Islamists.

"What do we need to do to sustain the gains that we've enjoyed? How can we prevent the Taliban from coming back? We have some information that they are planning a spring offensive," a senior U.S. defense official said on Sunday.

U.S. officials say they have information suggesting the Taliban are planning a campaign to build on their resurgence in 2006.

Last year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban government in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States. More than 4,000 people died in the violence.

Fighting in Afghanistan often subsides in winter months only to resume when the snows melt. Gates will ask military commanders when he visits Afghanistan whether they have adequate troops and other resources to counter any offensive, the official said.

The United States has around 20,000 troops in Afghanistan, Britain has some 5,000. Bush asked Gates, a former CIA chief, to replace Donald Rumsfeld after the president's Republican party lost control of the U.S. Congress in November elections. The defeat was driven in large measure by voter anger over the Iraq war.

Hillary Clinton in Pakistan for Musharraf talks

Lahore (AFP) - US senator Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan for talks with President Pervez Musharraf on Afghanistan and regional issues, officials said.

Clinton, a likely candidate for the 2008 presidential election, was part of a delegation of US senators that had earlier visited Afghanistan.

The talks in the eastern city of Lahore focused on the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan-US relations, other regional issues and matters of bilateral interest, officials said.

Musharraf said a stable, strong and peaceful Afghanistan was in the interests of the region. He reiterated Pakistan's continuing commitment to the fight against terror and to ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Musharraf also briefed the US senators about the Pakistan-India peace process and said that the peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute would ensure lasting peace in South Asia.

The members of the US delegation appreciated the role of Pakistan in the war on terror, officials said. Earlier Sunday, Clinton was in Afghanistan for talks with president Hamid Karzai.

Talks were due to focus on putting more troops into Afghanistan, rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, reconstruction, and women's rights, a top Afghan official said.

Clinton arrived there from Baghdad, where she said she doubted the United States or the Iraqi government could pacify the country.

Lucky Dutch in Afghanistan

by Vanessa Mock - 15-01-2007 Radio Netherlands

The Dutch troops fighting in Afghanistan have a new nickname: the Lucky Dutch. This is what they are reportedly being called by their British and Canadian NATO partners because the Dutch have suffered far fewer casualties in their operations against the Taliban, despite being involved in heavy fighting as they were last week .

The Dutch say this is thanks to their different approach to fighting the insurgency, focusing on reconstruction and winning the hearts and minds of civilians. Critics of the so-called 'Dutch approach' say they've been doing too much talking to the Taliban and not enough fighting and they'll have to pay the price later.
 
The idea of winning hearts and minds as part of fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan is nothing new. It's the reason why NATO forces in the country have been so busy with development and reconstruction, as well as with fighting the Taliban. But it's a strategy that Dutch troops on the ground appear to be taking one step further than their British and Canadian counterparts. And if the low number of casualties is anything to go by, it's been a success.
 
Over 4,000 people died in fighting in Afghanistan last year, with the British and Canadian contingents losing at least 35 soldiers each. But so far the Dutch haven't lost a single soldier in combat and civilian deaths have also been very low. So what are the Dutch doing that's so different? Frank van Kappen  is a former major general and an advisor to Dutch Defence Minister Henk Kamp:
 
If you spend all your energy fighting the Taliban and you forget all the population that's watching what you're doing, then you are wasting your energy. You're first job is to first convince the majority population, about 70 percent that sits on the fence, that you're then to protect them. The second thing you have to show them - very important in medieval and tribal society like Afghanistan - is that you are able and willing to fight if you are attacked. But that's not your first purpose. And that's what the Dutch have done.
 
Some 1,400 Dutch troops are trying to restore peace in the southern province of Uruzgan. In the six months since they arrived, they've tried to speed up reconstruction in the province and immersed themselves in Afghan culture and customs in a bid to engage with the local population. Instead of being holed up in remote, high-security military compounds all the time, the Dutch have also opted to build Pashtun-style houses with mud walls, where they receive tribal leaders with tea and dried fruit. And while having a talk over a cup of tea might not sound like the toughest military approach, Frank van Kappen says it definitely pays off:
 
If the Taliban wants to talk and drink tea with you, do it and talk to them. And try to convince the majority of the majority of the Taliban who are NOT hardcore Taliban that there is a future, another future than joining the Taliban and running around in the mountains.
 
Dutch generals have tried to limit the fighting and have reportedly opted instead for forming alliances with tribal leaders. Most controversially, they are even supporting the new governor in Uruzgan in his efforts to negotiate with the Taliban. That's strictly against official NATO policy. And NATO spokesman James Appathurai bristles at the suggestion that the Dutch have gone his own way:
 
I have not seen any indication of a new strategy not least because there is only one NATO strategy. It's a NATO strategy that all 26 NATO partners have signed up to. But all operations have their ups and downs. Afghanistan right now is in the cold, winter season when traditionally hostilities go down. It's also true that we had a spike in hostilities under the Canadian lead because the Taliban massed forces and tried to cut off Kandahar. And NATO had no choice but to fight them. They have been defeated in that battle and now we have to the opportunity as an Alliance, under the Dutch lead by pure coincidence, to focus more on reconstruction and development - and that's what's happened.
 
Military analysts say the fact that the Dutch have suffered so few losses in Uruzgan is because much of the hardest fighting had already been done for them, especially by American troops. But that was before the recent heavy fighting from which the Dutch emerged without any losses. And some have accused them of allowing the Taliban to tighten their grip on the province. The Taliban says they are lying low right now because are gearing up for a major offensive in the spring. James Appathurai of NATO again:
 
If there's going to be a spring offensive (from the Taliban), there is going to be a spring offensive from us. NATO is going to use this winter and spring to step up its activities and that means denying opposing forces the opportunity to deny the democratic process and investing ever more in reconstruction and development. So you will see a spring offensive. If the trends continue, there's going to be more fighting.
 
So it looks like the real test for the Dutch is yet to come in the spring. That's when it will become clear whether the Dutch strategy of trying to win the support of tribal leaders really has paid off.

Aid to Afghanistan is well accounted for

JOSÉE VERNER (Jan 15, 2007)- Waterloo Record - A Canadian Press article that ran in The Record on Jan. 11, unjustly and irresponsibly attacked the integrity of hundreds of dedicated workers delivering Canadian aid in Afghanistan.

As I outlined in my interview with the Canadian Press reporter, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) accounts for every dollar spent to help the citizens of Afghanistan rebuild their lives.

Already, Canada's aid program and the results it is achieving -- helping girls go to school, delivering small loans to women, supporting community projects such as water wells and roads -- have won praise and gratitude from the Afghans themselves.

Ehsan Zia, Afghanistan's minister of rural rehabilitation and development, said during a visit to Canada in December that the targeting of Canadian aid in his country was "perfect," and he added that Canada "has been very helpful in assisting the government of Afghanistan deliver services to its citizens."

Criticism of Canada's approach to delivering aid through the World Bank, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations is either misinformed or disingenuous. Donor countries provide aid this way because it is effective. Pooled funds enable donors to have more impact on development, while they ease the administrative burden for recipient governments, enabling more money to reach the poor for whom it is intended.

Accountability is extremely important to Canada's government, including CIDA. We continually work with our partner organizations to track, monitor and ensure the effective use of Canadian development funds. CIDA does due diligence on the initiatives it undertakes in Afghanistan. These include, among others, contributions to the World Bank-managed Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, the Mennonites Economic Development Associates, Montreal-based Rights and Democracy, and the Aga Khan Foundation.

Canadians can be proud of our $100-million annual funding to Afghanistan, which is not only enabling Afghans to build better livelihoods and communities, but is also helping the elected government of Afghanistan make progress toward developing its national budget, and establishing accountability procedures of its own. It is shameful that this effort -- and the honest, hard-working people making it -- should be so unfairly maligned, and your readers so badly misled.

Josée Verner - Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages

AFGHANISTAN AND THE NEED FOR EDUCATION

London, UK & Kabul, Afghanistan - 15 January 2007 - Visiting Afghanistan Deputy Minister of Education speaks on the importance of continuing learning and education processes throughout the schools in his country.

Funding from Britain and other countries is helping Afghanistan re-establish a modern education system after twenty-five years of war and rule by the Taliban regime. The country’s Deputy Minster of Education Abdul Ghafoor Ghaznawi, in London for the “Moving Young Minds World Ministerial on Technology in Education” conference, said that education is key to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan and the country’s future security.

Five-years is not a long time to set up a new education system, train teachers and build enough schools to educate all Afghani children.

The country was left in economic ruin after twenty-five years of war and its education system run down under Taliban rule, but now Afghanistan is well on the way to providing free and compulsory education for all.

Helped by funding from Britain and other sponsor countries, the Afghanistan government has been able to make education a key element in its strategy to rebuild a modern and stable country.

SOT (English speech) Super: Abdul Ghafoor Ghaznawi, Afghanistan Deputy Minister of Education “Our vision and policy is that we want every Afghan child of a school age to be in school and our target for that is the year 2010. We are very much in a hurry to see that this is achieved. Although our declarations ask 2015 for this, but for Afghanistan we want to achieve it by the year 2010".

Education for girls is also a priority. Under the former Taliban regime girls were banned from school. But now they are make up almost half the number of children at school and the government would like them to remain at school until they have finished high school.

SOT (English speech) Super: Abdul Ghafoor Ghaznawi, Afghanistan Deputy Minister of Education “We have ten thousand schools in operation in the nation. For that we have 181,000 teachers in action in these schools. We have seven-million children from Grade One to Grade Twelve, including girls, and in this seven-million children forty percent are girls. Can you imagine, from none being in school, now making forty percent of the school population. That's a bit jump."

Security is important to the success of the Afghanistan government’s drive to provide free education.

The Deputy Education Minister said that despite recent isolated attacks by Taliban insurgents on schools, especially those teaching girls, schools are providing security for children and their teachers now and for Afghanistan in the future.

MPs oppose formation of new party in Jawzjan

Zubair Babakarkhail  - KABUL, Jan 12 (Pajhwok Afghan News): A number of representatives from the northern and northeastern provinces on Thursday announced their opposition to the formation of Turk Tabari Islamic Shura in the northern province of Jawzjan.

Deputy of the Wolesi Jirga or lower house of parliament Sayed Mohammad Rahman Oghli, representing 30 parliamentarians, said formation of the shura was a threat to national unity.

Speaking at a news conference here, Oghli said top military official General Abdul Rashid Dostum and residents of the Jawzjan province had also expressed reservations about the formation of the shura.

Reading out a joint declaration issued by the 30 parliamentarians, he said besides expressing verbal opposition, people have also staged demonstration while some others attacked the newly-formed office of the shura.

Replying to a question, Oghli said the shura was the hand-maiden of a neighbouring country. However, he stopped short of mentioning name of that country.

The parliamentarians demanded of the concerned authorities not to register parties which create differences among people and different ethnic groups.

Chief of the newly-constituted party Mohammad Akbar Bai, on the other hand, rejected the allegations as baseless. He said the shura had been formed to bring peace, develop national unity and ensure the rights of his people.

Akbar added people were raising accusing fingers at his party were getting money from former warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum.

Afghan boys fear release of 'Kite'

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Three boys who starred in "The Kite Runner" are afraid of possible reprisals in their native Afghanistan when the Hollywood film is released later this year.

The Sunday Times of London reported that 12-year-old Zekeria Ebrahimi and 11-year-olds Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada and Ali Dinesh are worried that a simulated boy rape scene in the fictional film could cause them future problems.

The trio is concerned that the rape scene could be misunderstood in Afghanistan and therefore lead to the boys or their families being kidnapped or arrested.

"I want to continue making films and be an actor but the rape scene upset me because my friends will watch it and I won't be able to go outside any more. They will think I was raped," Mahmidzada admitted.

With one of the boys having been paid only $13,700 for the film and the others nearly $17,000 each, the risk associated with participating in the film adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel does not seem worth it to the boys now, the newspaper said.

Feature: Sale of expired, spurious drugs on rise

KABUL, Jan 12 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Seeking treatment for her grandmother is an experience Nilab will never forget. The 20-year-old from the central Logar province had brought her grandmother to Kabul for treating a fever in late July. The 70-year-old passed away after she began medication.

"She was fine until the night before," said Nilab. "We took her to a doctor and after she began taking medicines, her nails and lips turned blue, she died as we tried to get her to a doctor again," she added.

The doctor had prescribed treatment for malaria (Quinine Sulfate, Paracetamol tablets and glucose drip) which they bought for 150 Afs at a pharmacy at Karta-i-Naw, Kabul. After the death, the family discovered that the medicines were expired. When they tried to confront the pharmacy, the owner shrugged responsibility saying he did not sell the type of medicines.

Doctors say Nilab's grandmother could have died of complications of malaria or other causes but the family is convinced that it was the medicines that caused the death.

Nilab's grandmother is one of about 18 people killed by the fake expired medicines between March and May last year. Health Ministry officials say the number of deaths could be higher because all cases are not reported.

Amir Muhamad Farahi, director of the Evaluation Department at the Health Ministry said the government data reported only deaths that had occurred at the hospitals.

The registration of births and especially death is new to Afghanistan. And in cases such as those described above, people are unaware that poor quality medicines could have caused death. Or they believe all death to be "natural" or an act of fate.

Health officials said that certain medicines could be equivalent to "poison" upon expiry, and these could cause complications, and even death. The misuse of medicines or use of spurious or fake medicines is another major problem.

Farahi said all of these problems result from poor awareness, ignorance, lack of specific laws and inadequate enforcement of the rules that exist.

Ahmad Shah dispenses medicines in Deh Afghanan locality, a major street of Kabul. His supplies comprise common over-the-counter medicines and even antibiotics and medicines that are "controlled" - according to the Afghanistan Licensed Drug List. He sells his wares out of a plastic bucket. His stock had Aspirin, Paracetamol, Diazepam (a controlled medicine), Resochin, Metodine and Erythromycin when visited by reporters from the Centre for International Journalism (CIJ).

"I don't know the difference between different medicines, they have the same stamps and we buy those which are the cheapest and resell them," said Shah. "Generally the poor people buy medicines here, but some come, look at them and walk away saying the pills are fake," he added.

According to Dr Saeed Ibrahim Kamel, director of Health Regulations and Control at the Health Ministry, Kabul province has around 4,000 registered pharmacies. This number does not include the bucket-pharmacists who vend drugs at prices lower than the market rates and serve a clientele that is not educated and often very poor.

Chera Gul, 42, from Deh Sabz district about 15km northeast of Kabul, says the medicine vendors with buckets sell a strip of paracetamol for five afghanis. The same medicine costs 10 Afs at a registered drug store.

The bucket-pharmacists are not as ubiquitous as the telephone card sellers cum money changers on the streets of Kabul. But their numbers on certain streets like Deh Afghanan, Pul-i-Khishti and Kabul Mandi is high.

The medicine business is more obvious in Farah City, provincial capital of the western Farah province, situated about 1,000 kilometres from Kabul. "You come across a pharmacy after almost every five steps," said Mahtab, a resident. "Many medicine sellers don't even know how to read a prescription."

According to official statistics, Afghanistan has about 5,640 doctors for about 28 million people. Even though there is one doctor for roughly 4,964 people, most of them are based in the cities, and typically it is the untrained health workers who dispenses medicines in the villages.

Afghanistan imports all the medicines it needs. Most of the poor quality medicines originate in Pakistan, Iran, China and India are imported by companies that don't have import permits.

Since 2005 the government has a list of 1,270 approved medicines, including essential drugs, dispensary items and dental preparations. It lists 27 over-the-counter medicines and 42 controlled drugs (narcotic and psychotropic substances). It has another seven medicines which have been deleted from the list because of their high risk or availability of safer alternatives.

The Health Ministry officials said that they had test about 80 per cent of all medicines legally imported in the country. "With so many non-registered imports around, it is difficult for ordinary people to differentiate between good and bad medicines," said Dr Sayed Mohammad Ibrahim Kamil, head of the department of Health Law and Evaluation.

Mohammad Jafar Husaini, head of the Pharmaceutical Department in Kabul, describes the situation as "pathetic." This is largely because the government has almost no control on the medicines being smuggled and sold. He added that the concerned ministry checked the quality and prices of medicines that are legally imported.

Another official of the ministry, however, said only 30 per cent of the medicines in the market were legally imported. The smuggled medicines also include good quality drugs - which are smuggled to avoid government taxes.

The pharmaceutical department carries out surprise checks on drug stores but has not been able to control the spread of fake, expired or substandard medicines.

The Health Ministry's claim that about 80 per cent of the legally imported medicines are checked for quality, is a major improvement compared to the situation five years ago when it was a free for all. The government department responsible for regulating medicine trade and use has been around always, but there was little control on imports and use.

The government says its quality control laboratory conducts the tests though its effectiveness still remains a question.

The fake medicines are different in both appearance as well as the content. Pharmacists said that the fakes come in different colors, have different smells and taste different than the good quality medicines. The good Augmentin tablets - used for treating respiratory infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, lung abscess, among others - are of white colour, while the fake ones are grayish. Likewise, a good Aspirin relieves pain while the fakes cause drowsiness.

While those in positions of responsibility hesitate to discuss the situation freely, Abdul Qadir Samay, a recent pharmacy graduate, did not mince words. "Medicines whose utility has expired are sold openly and remain a major threat to public health," he said.

The poor regulatory oversight is partly because many institutions in Afghanistan that were rendered ineffective during the more than two-decades of civil war have yet to resume normal functions. The government's drug-testing laboratory at Ibn-i-Sina Hospital is a lab in the name only. Much of the equipment there - including microscopes - was acquired during the former Soviet rule and many machines were damaged during the 1999 - 2000 war.

The five-room lab has six old tables and employs 15 pharmacists. The employees refused to disclose the situation of their stocks but said they were getting far less chemicals and other supplies than that needed for proper testing. The government of Finland and the World Health Organisation has been assisting the work of the department, which is frequently disrupted by power failures.

Iwaz Mohammad Faizy, director of Chemical Pharmacy of the Pharmacy Department of the University of Kabul, says the government does not have the capacity to control trade in poor quality medicines. He said the government tested samples sent by the customs department but there were problems with sampling itself because it was customs officers and not trained pharmacists picking them up for random checks.

It was not possible to obtain test results from the Chemical Pharmacy, but officials there said there had been instances when they had tested Aspirin tablets and discovered that they had come with 10 parts of Diazepam. A normal Aspirin tablet should not contain Diazepam, which causes one to feel drowsy and sleep.

Dr Jamahir Anwari, the trade deputy at the Directorate of Pharmacy, denies the inefficiency of the government, saying that his department has capacity for checking the quality of all legally imported medicines. "We may not have the best equipment, but we have the means to separate the good from the bad," he added.

The government rules require all medicines imported into Afghanistan to be from a list of approved companies. Also all imports have to be registered at the Pharmacy Department of the Ministry of Health. The punishment for importing unregistered medicines is stiff, including confiscation of medicines and revocation of trading licenses. But there is no specific jail term for those guilty of the malpractice.

"First we advise them to stop the trade, then warn them, then put them on a blacklist and eventually even revoke their license and close down the store," said Hafiz Qureshi, head of the generic medicines at the Pharmacy Department.

Government records show that import licenses of only 33 foreign medicine companies had been cancelled for malpractice over the past four years. Abdul Hafiz Quraishi, manager of the generic medicine section of the Pharmacy Department provided the CIJ with names of some of the 33 companies. The list includes nine Indian and three Pakistani firms.

During a visit to different pharmacies in Kabul, CIJ reporters purchased 30 different types of medicines. Among them, three medicines Metodine (used for treating amebic diarrhea), Fansider (used for treating malaria) and Fluxitine (an antidepressant) were found expired.

The 47-year-old owner of the Hossaini Pharmacy located in Karta-i-She, said he was paying for all the medicines he sells, irrespective of whether they were expired or not. He admitted removing labels with the expiry dates before selling them to customers. He said he was unaware of the harm old medicines could cause and was also unaware of the punishment he could face if caught selling fake or old medicines.

Like many developing countries, many doctors in Afghanistan have business links with pharmacies or are on their payrolls. Often doctors write down prescriptions and instruct patients where to go for buying medicines. There are no official estimates but health ministry officials said about 30 per cent doctors may own pharmacies or have some interest in stores run by friends or cousins.

Most of Afghanistan's 930-kilometre border with Iran and the 2,240-kilometre border with Pakistan are scantily patrolled and largely porous. The smuggling is also decentralised in the sense that individuals going across the borders for different reasons are given lists of medicines to bring back by the pharmacies, which they deliver upon return. The more organised and larger importers have connections with government officials, who are duly compensated for the aid they provide to businesses.

Nilab has returned to Logar. She is now fully aware about the quality of medicines, for which she had to pay very high price - her grandmother. However, there are hundreds of people all over Afghanistan who like Nilab's grandmother become victims of poor quality medicines every year. But most of these families are largely unaware of the cause of death and continue to blame fate, while trade in old, fake and poor quality medicines continues to flourish.

[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.]