In this bulletin:

• 24 Taliban Fighters Killed in Battle With U.S. Forces in Afghanistan
• More than 20 suspected Taliban drown again while crossing river in southern Afghanistan
• Alabama servicemen killed in Afghanistan
• Afghan Envoy Participates in "The Enabling Environment Conference" in Kabul
• Courtney Says Progress Made In Afghanistan
• Afghanistan makes major strides in education despite ongoing terror, other threats
• NATO brushes aside Taliban's Red Cross offer
• Early pullout risks 'half-done' effort in Afghanistan
• Pullout from Afghanistan not imminent
• Harper meets new French president, unworried about Sarkozy's pledges
• German minister: no exit from Afghanistan until Afghan forces can cope
• Iranian-made arms entering Afghanistan, Gates says BUT NO PROOF TEHRAN IS BEHIND FLOW OF WEAPONS
• President of Afghanistan Embraces Iran
• Government won't reveal number of prisoners taken by Canadians in Afghanistan
• Extremism threatens Kabul, Islamabad - Pakistan PM
• Pakistan not doing enough: Afghanistan
• Pakistan and Afghanistan at odds over peace talks monitor
• Islamabad wants to see prosperous Afghanistan: Pakistani PM
• Kashmiri militant reportedly killed in Afghanistan fighting US military
• Afghanistan: Deal To Release Dadullah's Body
• Guantanamo Judges Dismiss Charges for Bin Laden Aide (Update3)
• AFGHANISTAN: BIN LADEN IS 'ALIVE AND ACTIVE', SAYS TALIBAN LEADER
• Osama sent me a letter, says Taleban fighter
• Harry Afghanistan ban possible
• Canada can't be afraid to champion democracy
• AFGHANISTAN: ICRC asked to run hospital for war victims
• Troops seek a piece of home; Mom urges people to send care parcels to soldiers serving in Afghanistan
• The Ministry Reform Commission Submitted its Report to Dr. Spanta
• Kabir Arghandiwal Joins ANHAM, LLC as Regional Vice President of Business Development - Afghanistan/Central Asia

24 Taliban Fighters Killed in Battle With U.S. Forces in Afghanistan

Tuesday, June 05, 2007 Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — A gunbattle and airstrikes killed an estimated two dozen Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led coalition said Tuesday.

The Taliban fighters attacked Afghan and coalition troops with rockets and gunfire Monday in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, sparking a four-hour battle, a coalition statement said. Fighter aircraft bombed three enemy positions, it said.

The statement said "an estimated two dozen enemy fighters" were killed during the battle, but gave no further details on the casualty toll.

Roadside bombs, meanwhile, killed two Afghan soldiers and wounded five others in two incidents in southern Afghanistan on Monday, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Also Monday, a roadside bomb injured two soldiers in the eastern province of Khost, said Wazir Pacha, spokesman for the provincial police chief.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said ISAF troops were involved in that incident, but added that it had no further details.

More than 20 suspected Taliban drown again while crossing river in southern Afghanistan

June 05, 2007 08:23 EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Between 20 and 30 Taliban fighters have drowned in Afghanistan's Helmand province after security forces sank their boat.

Officials say the Taliban were trying to cross the Helmand River to flee Afghan and foreign troops. It's the second such incident in a week.

On Friday, a makeshift boat carrying Taliban fighters sank while fleeing a battle. It's estimated 60 militants died.

The coalition also says an attack by Taliban fighters on U-S and Afghan forces sparked a four-hour battle yesterday in Kandahar province.

Airstrikes were called in and three Taliban positions were bombed. The coalition estimates "two dozen enemy fighters" were killed.

Alabama servicemen killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2007

Two Alabama servicemen were reported killed in separate incidents last week in Afghanistan, according to military officials.

Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson, 42, of Talladega died Friday, and 82nd Airborne Division Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley was killed last Wednesday, according to statements from the military.

Robinson died in Kabul from non-combat-related causes, according to a statement released Monday by military officials at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where Robinson was stationed.

Robinson had served more than 12 years of active duty with the Marine Corps and had received numerous decorations, the statement said. No further details on the cause of Robinson's death were immediately available.

Hadaway was one of five paratroopers killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last Wednesday, according to information released Monday by the 82nd Airborne Division.

Hadaway, who also served in Iraq in 2005, joined the Army in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, of Fort Bragg, and leaves behind a stepson and two sons.

Staff Sgt. Ronald E. Walton described him as "a big ol' teddy bear" and said he was always "joking and having fun with the guys."

Afghan Envoy Participates in "The Enabling Environment Conference" in Kabul

Ottawa - Omar Samad, the Afghan Ambassador to Canada participated in the The "Enabling Environment Conference - Effective Private Sector Contribution to Development in Afghanistan" held in Kabul on June 4-5.

The Conference co-sponsored by the Government of Afghanistan and Aga Khan Development Network in partnership with the World Bank, The United Nations Development Programme and the Asian Development Bank was opened by H.E. President Hamid Karzai and His Highness The Aga Khan. At the inaugural session, HE Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia addressed the conference via video link, and HE Shaukat Aziz, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan addressed the closing session during a visit to Kabul.

The conference attended by Afghan and international business, governmental, civil society and NGO communities came up with an action plan after discussing a wide-ranging set of topics such as developing the legal frameworks, access to finance, developing economic infrastrucutre, improving access to land, streamlining regulations and goverment decision-making, encouraging civil society, addressing human capacity and accelerating social development issues.

Embassy of Afghanistan June 5, 2007

Courtney Says Progress Made In Afghanistan

By Jennifer Published on 6/5/2007

Norwich — While U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney is optimistic about the progress being made in Afghanistan, he said Monday that the situation in Iraq is “much more dire.”

“Afghanistan is underdeveloped but in terms of the political situation, it's much stronger and healthier than in Iraq,” Courtney said in a meeting with reporters at his district office.

Courtney, D-2nd District, spent almost a week in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kuwait with Rep. John M. Spratt Jr., D-S.C., Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio.

During a two-day visit to Afghanistan, the delegation met with President Hamid Karzai and attended a police academy class graduation.

Unlike the divided political leadership in Iraq, Courtney said Karzai is in charge in Afghanistan.

“We have to make sure he succeeds,” Courtney said.

Karzai spent an hour talking with the delegation about the challenges the country faces, including poverty, a lack of electricity, training security forces, drug trafficking, and a border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan that still serves as a training area for terrorists.

“Drawing down the military strength in Afghanistan was a mistake,” Courtney said.

The recent increase in troop levels there was a step in the right direction, Courtney said. He said Pakistan should be encouraged to help control the border area and funding for Afghanistan should be more robust, particularly economic aid and money for training security forces.

Courtney, who had not been to Iraq or Afghanistan before, returned home Friday. The delegation will make a report of its findings.

“It's important that, when we are being asked to vote on issues of war and peace, to see first-hand the conditions the troops are putting up with and get a sense of the social and economic landscape we're told about day in and day out by the administration and the military,” Courtney said.

He said there was a “higher degree of normal life” in Afghanistan, with new roads and schools being built, shops open, and traffic on the roads. Morale was high among soldiers, Courtney said.

As for Iraq, Courtney said: “I certainly can understand how people can get post-traumatic stress. You're on edge all the time you're there.”

His 12 hours in Iraq did nothing to ease his growing frustration with the Iraqi government. After speaking with American soldiers about the hardships they were facing, Courtney said that getting a “lackadaisical briefing” from the Iraqi politicians was unacceptable.

“I did not sense the urgency on the political side of the equation that I feel is necessary,” he said.

Courtney has repeatedly advocated for a timeline for a U.S. drawdown of troops in Iraq, and voted against the last supplemental spending bill for the war because the final legislation was stripped of all timelines.

Before he returned to Washington, Courtney hosted a town hall meeting for district residents Monday night to discuss his trip. The meeting was held at the Otis Library in Norwich.

Afghanistan makes major strides in education despite ongoing terror, other threats

Source: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Date: 05 Jun 2007

Afghanistan has made major strides in educating millions of children, particularly girls, in the last few years, but terrorism remains a major problem and increased help from countries like Japan is urgently needed, according to Education Minister Mohamed H. Atmar.

During a visit to Japan the minister attended a symposium on education in Afghanistan May 31 and met Mrs. Sadako Ogata, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other government officials and experts.

The minister said Afghanistan had made major educational strides since the Taliban was overthrown in late 2001. Since then, the number of students has risen from 900,000 to some six million. The number of teachers increased from 21,000 to 143,000, and more than 5,000 new schools had been established to bring the national total to nearly 8,400.

International attention has focused on girls education since they were banned from attending regular schools during the previous regime. Now, the minister said, some two million girls attend school, around 35 percent of the student population, and 28 percent of teachers are women.

Despite some reports of a 'backlash' against female education, Minister Atmar insisted that the problem surrounding girls was not cultural or social but 'practical' and "the situation is changing so dramatically that in a couple of years time this will not be an issue."

He cited a survey of parents, particularly of girls who were still not attending school, and said this clearly showed they were not restrained because of cultural or religious considerations but principally because of the lack of resources.

Parents said that "they will send girls to classes if there are schools nearby and if there are female teachers to teach them," the minister said. "Once we tackle these problems, the girls will go to school. This so-called backlash should not be blown out of proportion."

He acknowledged security remain a major problem. Last year 85 students, teachers, and administrators were killed, 187 schools were burned down, and 350 closed. But, he said, this situation would rapidly improve.

"I hope over the coming months rather than years, things will begin to improve," he said in an interview. "We do face some difficult years before we can fully succeed. For education, I would say we need a maximum of five years."

In addition to terrorism, the country faces other enormous problems. Eleven million people are illiterate and 90 percent of the population lives on less than $1 per day. Nearly half the school population has still not enrolled. Some 5,000 schools have no adequate buildings and an additional 73,000 classrooms need to be constructed. No new textbooks have been developed for secondary schools, trying to cater to Islamic needs in the system is an ongoing headache, and the entire education administrative system needs a major overhaul.

Minister Atmar said he hoped Japan would be a major partner in the country's recently developed five-year education plan even though he acknowledged that Tokyo's Official Development Assistance (ODA) was shrinking. During talks with Mrs. Ogata she told him "We have to do something about this problem." Education is a major priority for JICA which is committed to reaching the eight UN Millennium Development Goals, including higher educational standards, by 2015.

Afghanistan hoped for three things from Japan, according to the Minister:

- "The government has a five year education plan. We want you to become a long term and 'predictable' partner for those five years. Predictability is important because knowing what assistance is available will allow us to plan for the future.

- We would ask for a 'scaling up' of Japanese investment. In the last five years Japanese assistance was around $1.2 billion, with less than two percent devoted to education. Given the importance of education, that is not enough.

- "Everyone must stick to the agreed plan. Once Japan is a long-term partner, stick to the plan."

Minister Atmar added: "I have no doubt Afghanistan will rise again and overcome its problems. But the next few years will be difficult years."

NATO brushes aside Taliban's Red Cross offer

The National Post Tuesday, June 05, 2007

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The Red Cross is welcoming a statement by Mullah Mohammad Omar, the fugitive head of the Taliban, that calls on the humanitarian group to be part of an independent commission on civilian casualties in the Afghan war.

It appears to be Mr. Omar's first public mention of an international organization, and is a sign of "movement" in the Taliban's brutal conflict against foreign forces, the Red Cross says.

But on a day that the insurgents allegedly mortared a military hospital set up to help civilians, NATO strongly dismissed the Taliban chief's missive.

"He is a criminal who has caused tremendous suffering to innocent people," said Maj. John Thomas, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force. "We do not pay attention to calls for investigation from criminals."

Civilian casualties have become a point of contention in the Afghan fighting, with both sides facing criticism.

Last month, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused the Taliban of "war crimes" for targeting civilians, or making no effort to avoid civilian casualties in attacking military targets.

The statement purportedly issued on the Internet by Mr. Omar, and first made public by the SITE Institute, a terrorism watchdog in Washington, D.C., acknowledges that the "armed jihadi resistance" against foreign and Afghan government forces is taking a toll on civilians. It notes that both sides blame the other.

The statement accuses Human Rights Watch of bias, but also suggests appointing a group including the Red Cross, journalists, Afghan clerics and leaders to "show who is causing these incidents to the people and to the whole world how to avoid civilian casualties."

Early pullout risks 'half-done' effort in Afghanistan

The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, June 05, 2007

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The job of rebuilding war-ravaged Afghanistan will be left "half-done" if Canada and other foreign nations withdraw their troops in the next couple of years, a top Afghan cabinet minister warned yesterday.

If the job is not completed, any progress already made will surely vanish, said Mohammed Ehsan Zia, minister of rural rehabilitation and development.

Life is definitely getting better for people, he said. "Our expectation is that the Canadian people and the Canadian government, who have endured sacrifices in Afghanistan, should not leave the job half-done."

Pullout from Afghanistan not imminent

NEW YORK, June 5, 2007 (AFP) - President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated France's desire to pull its troops out of Afghanistan, but signalled it would not abandon its allies there, in an interview published Tuesday.

"We do not have the mission to stay there forever, but to leave now would show a lack of unity with our allies," Sarkozy was quoted as saying in The New York Times.

Sarkozy pledged before his election last month to bring French troops back home, while the United States has been calling for nations to contribute more forces to battle a Taliban insurrection.

France currently has 1,000 troops serving with the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, as well as Rafale fighter jets supporting the international force battling Taliban forces.

Sarkozy said a solution needed to be found "between the two extremes" to continue with the important job of training the Afghan army.

Harper meets new French president, unworried about Sarkozy's pledges

June 5, 2007 - 12:13 By: ALEX PANETTA

PARIS (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday he's not worried about a pair of promises made by the new government of France that could negatively affect Canada.

Visiting Paris between meetings in Germany with leaders of the European Union and the Group of Eight, Harper said he had an amicable meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, the new president of France, at the Elysee Palace.

Harper said he has no concerns about two of the promises the French president made - a pullout of French troops from Afghanistan, and an import tax on countries that don't respect the Kyoto accord.

On Monday, Harper had told an audience in Germany that it's impossible for Canada to meet its goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.

"This is not a policy aimed at Canada," Harper said about Sarkozy's proposed import tax. "What France is trying to achieve and what Canada is also trying to achieve ... is enforceable targets under an international protocol."

Harper told a news conference he had "a good discussion" with Sarkozy about Afghanistan.

"Like Canada, he obviously doesn't view his presence in Afghanistan as permanent," Harper said. "At the same time he's committed to work with our allies and committed to success there."

"He indicated to me no particular timetable to leave. So I think we're on the same page on both those matters."

Francois Fillon, the French prime minister, confirmed the statement.

"There is no pullout plan whatsoever," Fillon said. "France will be faithful to its promises and faithful to its allies."

Fillon elaborated on the proposed carbon-tax policy.

"It's not primarily aimed at Canada," he said, adding it has more to do with other countries.

The proposed tax has two objectives: dealing with climate change, an effort in which Fillon said Canada is an ally of France; and addressing the impact of environmental policies on trade.

It's not fair that European countries operate under green rules while others don't, giving some countries an unfair trade advantage, he said.

"We need to respect competitiveness rules that allow European countries and other countries to compete with the same handicaps and advantages."

Harper weighed in cautiously on another matter: a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow could aim its missiles once again at other European countries if Washington presses ahead with its plans for an anti-missile defence system.

Putin says the U.S. plans are aimed at Russia rather than rogue states, such as Iran. But Harper commented that the Russian president has nothing to fear from the U.S. missile-defence plans.

After their meeting at the presidential palace earlier Tuesday, Harper and Sarkozy took a walk through the streets of Paris to a restaurant, where they had lunch.

People cheered from apartment balconies as Sarkozy led Harper into a crowd, and Sarkozy stopped to shake hands with onlookers from the Canadian delegation.

German minister: no exit from Afghanistan until Afghan forces can cope

The Associated Press Published: June 5, 2007

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Germany's defense minister said there could be no discussion on withdrawing foreign troops from Afghanistan until Afghan security forces are strong enough to cope on their own.

Germany has some 3,200 soldiers in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led force battling Taliban insurgents and trying to bolster the administration of Western-backed President Hamid Karzai.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to neighboring Pakistan, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung praised Islamabad for its "very intensive" engagement in fighting terrorism.

However, he said the battle against extremists also must be waged on the Afghan side, including through efforts by Germany and other foreign countries to train Afghan police and army personnel.

Asked when foreign troops might withdraw, Jung said the aim was to build up Afghan authorities to the point where they could ensure the security apparatus was "self-supporting."

Setting a date for withdrawal would be "speculation," Jung said after talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Rao Sikander Iqbal.

"Afghanistan must be in a position to provide for its own security. That is the decisive point before you can talk about the question regarding an exit strategy," he said.

Jung, who met later with Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said Pakistan was making an "important contribution" to stability in Afghanistan by trying to prevent militants from crossing the rugged border.

Rao said he and Jung discussed how Germany could reward Pakistan — for instance with arms deals — for its help against militants. He didn't elaborate.

Iranian-made arms entering Afghanistan, Gates says BUT NO PROOF TEHRAN IS BEHIND FLOW OF WEAPONS

By Mark Mazzetti New York Times San Jose Mercury News 06/05/2007

KABUL, Afghanistan - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that Iranian weapons had begun flowing into Afghanistan in recent months. But he said he and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan agreed there was no direct evidence the Iranian government was behind the arms shipments.

Echoing comments made in recent weeks by top U.S. military commanders, Gates said Iranian-made weapons, including a type of armor-piercing bomb that has killed hundreds of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, were being smuggled into Afghanistan in support of Taliban fighters.

"There clearly is evidence that some weapons are coming into Afghanistan destined for the Taliban," Gates said as he and Karzai spoke to reporters after a meeting at the presidential palace in Kabul. The weapons shipments raise the possibility that the Tehran government is trying to destabilize Afghanistan, even as it pledges its support for the Karzai government. But Gates said it was also possible that drug smugglers or other criminal networks, and not the Iranian government, were behind the weapons flows.

"We're watching it very carefully," he said. Karzai said there was no proof yet that Tehran was arming Afghan militants. "We don't have any such evidence so far of the involvement of the Iranian government in support of the Taliban," Karzai said.

In fact, the Afghan leader was fulsome in his praise of Iranian leaders, saying that Iran and Afghanistan have "never been as friendly as they are today."

"It is in the interest of our brothers in Iran to have a stable and prosperous Afghanistan," he said.

The prospect of Iran, a Shiite country, directly aiding the Sunni Taliban is particularly worrying to U.S. officials, because it would demonstrate that Iran was ignoring sectarian considerations in order to undermine U.S. efforts throughout the region.

Both Karzai and Gates said they were optimistic that combat operations so far this year had significantly impaired the ability of the Taliban to carry out large-scale attacks, and that the Taliban's expected spring offensive against Kandahar, the main city of southern Afghanistan, had fizzled. Gates arrived in the Afghan capital Sunday, expressing guarded optimism about progress in the military campaign.

"Things are slowly, cautiously headed in the right direction," Gates told reporters aboard his plane Sunday. "I'm concerned to keep it moving that way."

U.S. military officials in Afghanistan have said the armor-piercing bombs, known as explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, had not been found inside Afghanistan until recently.

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Singapore on Sunday that the sophisticated bombs were evidence the Taliban was "adapting and learning."

A total of 75 allied soldiers died in Afghanistan in the first five months of this year, including 38 Americans, compared with 53 allied soldiers in the same period a year ago, including 37 Americans.

President Of Afghanistan Embraces Iran

By PETER SPIEGEL Los Angeles Times June 5, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Karzai gave Iran his full embrace yesterday, saying it has been his country's "very close friend," even as American officials meeting with him here repeated their accusation that Iranian-made weapons were flowing to Taliban fighters.

Mr. Karzai made the remarks at a joint news conference following a meeting with Defense Secretary Gates, who was in Afghanistan for nearly 24 hours to meet with American commanders and Afghan officials. Mr. Gates said he raised the issue of the Iranian munitions in his meeting with Mr. Karzai, but he acknowledged that there was no evidence the Iranian government was behind the alleged shipments.

When asked whether he believed Tehran, which has been mostly a benign presence in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, had decided to change course and support its former foes, Mr. Karzai gave an impassioned backing for the Iranian government. He called it a force for good inside Afghanistan.

" Iran and Afghanistan have never been as friendly as they are today," Mr. Karzai said. "In the past five years, Iran has been contributing to Afghanistan's reconstruction, and in the past five years, Afghanistan has been Iran's very close friend."

Pentagon officials in recent weeks have made repeated reference to the Iranian-made weapons the Americans say they have found in Afghanistan, which include roadside bombs that have been used so effectively against American forces in Iraq. Mr. Gates repeated the charge at yesterday's news conference, but said America has not determined why they have made a recent appearance. He said the weapons, which began turning up in "the past few months," might be part of a campaign being waged by Taliban fighters but also could be intended for violence related to the narcotics trade.

"We do not have any information about whether the government of Iran is supporting this, is behind it, or whether it's smuggling, or exactly what's behind it," Mr. Gates acknowledged. "But there clearly is evidence that some weapons are coming into Afghanistan destined for the Taliban."

Government won't reveal number of prisoners taken by Canadians in Afghanistan

Canadian Press Tuesday, June 05, 2007

OTTAWA (CP) - A Commons committee has been told the Taliban would be handed a propaganda coup if Canada revealed the number of prisoners it has captured in southern Afghanistan.

The foreign affairs committee demanded the Defence Department provide a breakdown of how many detainees had been captured since the mission began in 2002. It also wanted to know how many of those prisoners had been handed over to Afghan authorities.

The Defence Department refused Monday to provide the figures, saying they could be used as propaganda by insurgents and possibly even lead to further attacks against Canadian soldiers in Kandahar.

The denial comes after reports in April that Taliban prisoners - handed over to Afghans by Canadians - had been abused.

Liberal foreign affairs critic Ujjal Dosanjh said he cannot see how figures - without names or locations attached - could jeopardize national security. He said Canadian troops are in Afghanistan to help that country's society become more open and accountable and the Conservative government doesn't seem to be doing that at home.

Extremism threatens Kabul, Islamabad - Pakistan PM

05 Jun 2007 12:18:19 GMT Source: Reuters By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL, June 5 (Reuters) - Extremism poses a challenge for Pakistan and Afghanistan and both neighbours need to jointly fight it, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Tuesday.

Ties between the two countries, major U.S. allies in its war against terrorism, have sharply deteriorated over the past 18 months, largely over Afghan complaints that Islamabad is not doing enough to stop resurgent the Taliban operating in Pakistan.

Both nations, which also have historical border disputes, clashed several times in a frontier region in May after Pakistan, stung by accusations of not doing enough to stop the militants, began to fence parts of the border. Kabul opposes the fencing.

Aziz, in Kabul for a development conference, met President Hamid Karzai for the first time since last month's clashes.

During the meeting, they discussed a proposed joint peace council scheduled for August in Kabul to address the cross-border infiltration by militants from Pakistan and overall security.

The proposal for a council was agreed upon during a meeting between Karzai and his U.S. and Pakistani counterparts, George W. Bush and Pervez Musharraf, in Washington last year.

Musharraf and Karzai are expected to address the council, composed of 700 tribal elders, politicians and intellectuals from both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Aziz said extremism and terrorism posed a challenge for both countries and that they needed to campaign against it together.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan have a shared destiny...," Aziz told a joint news conference after the talks.

"We have to work together," he added.

Karzai said Pakistan should do more to curb militants.

Afghanistan says a resurgent Taliban are operating from Pakistani sanctuaries. Pakistan, the main backer of the Taliban before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, denies that and says the root of the Taliban problem is in Afghanistan.

Pakistan not doing enough: Afghanistan

Kabul, June 5 : Afghanistan has charged Pakistan with not doing enough to curb Taliban insurgency in the landlocked country.

Afghan Army Chief General Bismillah Khan was quoted by the Daily Times as saying that the 'cooperation that we need (from Pakistan), unfortunately, we don't get.'

Khan made the comments as he toured a commando training centre in Kabul with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Khan said the two countries needed a better exchange of information and more joint training exercises. According to the journal AsianViews, last year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused Pakistanof wanting to enslave the Afghan people.

It said that Karzai's statement was departure from his 'customary reticence and his careful wording', and seemed to suggest that the government in Kabul was and continues to be desperate to survive the ongoing corruption, charges of maladministration and resist the pressure from warlords and narcotics traffickers.

It says that the Karzai Government's to reach out to the moderate Taliban has been a dismal failure. Pakistan is being accused constantly by the Afghan leadership for providing a sanctuary to the Taliban in FATA and allowing them to launch attacks on Afghanistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan at odds over peace talks monitor

June 5, 2007

KABUL (AFP) - Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz cast doubt Tuesday on Afghanistan's wish for independent monitoring of an upcoming summit between the two nations aimed at quelling Taliban-led violence.

The "peace jirga" (tribal council) is due in August and dominated a meeting between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Aziz, who was in Kabul for a day-long visit centred on an investment symposium.

The jirga is intended to bring together 700 tribal leaders and other influential voices from both sides of the border to address insurgent-led violence in both countries.

But Aziz Tuesday questioned Afghanistan's wish for a third country to monitor the event and said reluctance in Pakistan over whether women would attend would also be discussed.

"The jirga process will open many doors of interaction, understanding...On the inclusion of women, we will sort that out in further discussions," Aziz told reporters at the presidential palace.

On a third country acting as an observer, he said: "My own view is we are both sovereign countries and we can settle our own disputes amongst each other and we may not need an umpire to tell us how to resolve our disputes."

Afghanistan wants an international group, such as the United Nations, to monitor the traditional jirga, which is intended to involve local people more closely in efforts to end the Taliban's crossborder insurgency.

"I think the two issues of dispute will be solved in the future talks, both issues can be solved. The issue of foreign observers in the meeting will be discussed in further meetings," Karzai said.

Karzai and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf agreed to the meeting during talks with US President George W. Bush in September.

The neighbouring countries have long accused each other of not doing enough against Taliban-linked militants active on both sides of the border, and relations between them are tense.

Afghan and Western officials have alleged that many of the men carrying out attacks in Afghanistan, including against the nearly 50,000 foreign troops here, are trained in camps in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan.

Islamabad says it has nearly 90,000 troops on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to stop militants moving between the countries, and it has arrested more militant leaders than Kabul.

"We have also set up nearly 900 border posts apart from other measures to prevent the movement of undesirable elements in either direction," Aziz said, in prepared remarks for the investment symposium.

"Due to our efforts, there have been vital achievements in the war against terror.

"We remain committed to working with our partners in Afghanistan as well as with the US and NATO forces towards promoting security and stability in Afghanistan."

He had a similar message after meeting Karzai. "Pakistan is doing all it can to ensure that extremism and terrorism must be fought in any form," he told reporters.

"We will always remain committed to take whatever action is necessary."

Islamabad wants to see prosperous Afghanistan: Pakistani PM

Source: Xinhua UPDATED: 22:08, June 05, 2007

Visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday tried to allay Kabul's concerns by saying Islamabad is in favor of a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.

President Pervez Musharraf, the government and the people of Pakistan all want to see a durably prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan, Aziz told a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The Pakistani government would do whatever it can to help Afghanistan, Aziz said, adding more bilateral interactions will contribute to better and closer relations.

At the press conference, Karzai said the two sides should strengthen cooperation in anti-terror, trade and so on.

He thanked Pakistan for housing millions of Afghan refugees, who fled decades of war in this country.

However, Afghanistan has been accusing Pakistan of not doing enough to fight Taliban militants operating on Pakistani soil and infiltrating the 2,400-km porous border, while Islamabad insists it has deployed 80,000 troops along the border to combat terrorists.

A two-day Pakistan-Afghan border clash in May killed six Afghan policemen and seven civilians, according to Afghan officials.

Aziz paid an unannounced one-day visit to Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Kashmiri militant reportedly killed in Afghanistan fighting US military

2007-06-05 15:38:51 -

SRINAGAR, India (AP) - An Islamic militant from India's part of Kashmir has been killed while fighting coalition forces in Afghanistan, relatives of the man said Tuesday.

But details of how the militant, Ayaz Ahmed Malla, was killed were sketchy and neither Afghan officials nor officials from the U.S.-led coalition were able to confirm the report. Indian officials said they had lost track of Malla after he moved to Pakistan a few years ago.

Dozens of Kashmiris fought in Afghanistan against the Soviets in the 1980s. But, if confirmed, Malla's death would be the first recorded case of a militant from India's part of Kashmir joining the Taliban to fight U.S. forces.

Himalayan Kashmir is predominantly Muslim, and the one-third of the region controlled by Pakistan teems with Islamic militants who are fighting Indian rule over the other two-thirds. The militants want to see the part of Kashmir controlled by Hindu-majority independent or merged with Muslim Pakistan.

Malla's father, Ghulam Mohammad, said his 18-year-old son was killed fighting American forces on May 29 on the outskirts of Kabul.

According to Mohammed, Malla left home and traveled to Pakistan's part of Kashmir in 2000 to receive weapons training and become a member of Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen, one of the more than dozen rebel groups fighting Indian rule over two-thirds of Kashmir.

Mohammed said he had heard from his son repeatedly since the boy left for Pakistan, including before two previous trips Malla made to Pakistan.

On the day Malla reportedly died, Mohammad said another militant called him to deliver the news. He could not say where the militant was calling from.

Afghanistan: Deal To Release Dadullah's Body

June 05, 2007 11 52 GMT

The Afghan government agreed June 4 to release the body of Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah to his family in exchange for the release of five local health workers, Health Ministry adviser Abdullah Fahim said June 5. The workers were kidnapped by insurgents in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province in March and Dadullah was killed by U.S.-led forces in May.

Guantanamo Judges Dismiss Charges for Bin Laden Aide (Update3)

By Ed Johnson Last Updated: June 5, 2007 04:03 EDT

June 5 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. military judges at Guantanamo Bay dismissed terrorism charges against Osama bin Laden's former driver and a Canadian detainee accused of killing an American soldier, challenging the government's new tribunal process.

Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Yemeni accused of chauffeuring the al-Qaeda leader, and Omar Khadr, who was aged 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan in 2002, were due to be tried by a military commission at the U.S. naval base in Cuba.

In both cases, the judges ruled yesterday they had no jurisdiction to proceed with trials as the two men weren't classified as ``unlawful enemy combatants'' as required by legislation passed by Congress last year, Defense Department spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said by e-mail. The rulings won't affect the continued detention of Khadr and Hamdan and prosecutors were granted 72 hours to consider appealing, he added.

There are about 385 suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Pentagon. The rulings yesterday are a further setback to President George W. Bush's attempts to try suspects in the war on terrorism and prompted calls by defense lawyers and human rights campaigners for the military commission process to be scrapped.

``We'll have to take a look at it and see what the implications are,'' Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters today during an official visit to Kyrgyzstan, when asked to comment on the rulings. ``That's the reason we have a judicial process in all of this.''

Hamdan is accused of serving as bin Laden's bodyguard and personal driver in Afghanistan, receiving weapons training and transporting and delivering weapons to al-Qaeda camps. According to the charge sheet, he transported ``one or more SA-7 surface- to-air missiles'' to be used by al-Qaeda or Taliban fighters against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan in November 2001.

Khadr, 20, is accused of throwing a hand grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan in 2002, according to the charge sheet released by the Pentagon in April. He is also charged with trying to kill U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan by laying roadside bombs, with conspiracy for allegedly training with al-Qaeda, providing support for terrorism and spying.

A previous attempt to try Hamdan was thwarted last year when the Supreme Court ruled that the military's tribunal process breached the Geneva Conventions and that Bush lacked the authority to introduce the plan.

Congress then enacted the Military Commissions Act, which explicitly authorized tribunals for ``unlawful enemy combatants.''

Military panels at Guantanamo, known as Combatant Status Review Tribunals, previously identified Khadr and Hamdan only as ``enemy combatants'' and the judges ruled yesterday they couldn't proceed because the suspects lacked the ``unlawful'' designation.

``Since the language is not identical, the judges said the detainees needed another CSRT before they would have jurisdiction,'' said Gordon by e-mail. ``The prosecution disagrees and the Court of Military Commission Review will have the opportunity to hear the case.''

The Pentagon considers it is ``implicit'' that the enemy combatants held at Guantanamo are unlawful, Gordon said.

In March, Australian detainee David Hicks, 31, who was captured in Afghanistan, was sentenced by a military commission to nine months in prison after pleading guilty to supporting terrorism. He returned to Australia last month to serve out his sentence.

Marine Colonel Dwight Sullivan, the chief of military defense attorneys at Guantanamo Bay, said yesterday's ruling would have a ``huge'' impact on the tribunal process because none of the detainees are classified as unlawful enemy combatants, Associated Press reported.

``It is not just a technicality, it's the latest demonstration that this newest system just does not work,'' AP cited him as saying. ``It is a system of justice that does not comport with American values.''

Sullivan said the ruling raised questions about the legitimacy of Hicks' conviction, AP reported.

Hamdan is accused of conspiring with bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders between February 1996 and November 2001. In that time, the group carried out the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000 and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on Washington and New York. He was captured in Afghanistan in November 2001 and transferred to Guantanamo in 2002.

Khadr, whose father, Ahmed Said Khadr, was accused of financing al-Qaeda before Pakistani forces killed him in October 2003, is accused of receiving training in the use of rocket- propelled grenades, rifles, pistols and explosives and also killing two Afghan militia force members in 2002.

The rulings should persuade the Bush administration to halt the commission process and allow trials in civilian courts, Human Rights Watch said. The decisions ``show that Washington's effort to create a parallel justice system in Guantanamo has failed,'' Jenifer Daskal, the group's advocacy director, said in a statement.

``In the five years it has taken the military commissions to prosecute one person, the federal courts have successfully prosecuted hundreds of terrorism cases, including dozens of international terrorism cases,'' said Daskal. ``It's time to move these cases to a tried and true system that works.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net .

AFGHANISTAN: BIN LADEN IS 'ALIVE AND ACTIVE', SAYS TALIBAN LEADER

Kabul, 5 June (AKI) - Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is alive and well, according to Taliban leader, Hajji Mansour Dadullah, the brother of Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah who was kileld by NATO forces in May in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. In an interview with Arabic television channel Al Jazeera, Dadullah said that bin Laden gives them "military instructions". Since his brother's death, Dadullah has taken over as military commander of the Taliban.

"Bin Laden sent me a letter of condolence on the occasion of the death of my brother, Mullah Dadullah," said the Taliban leader in his first television interview. He said that bin Laden is "alive and active."

"He has fully taken on his role and the proof that he is alive in in the signed letter that he sent me on the death of my brother," said Dadullah. "He advised me to continue on the path that was established by Mullah Dadullah and asked that all Muslims do this because my brother was a mujahid," he said.

The Afghan interior ministry had said that Hajji Mansour Dadullah was dead but he decided to present himself publically used the media to launch his message.

Al Jazeera asked the Taliban lader why for many years bin Laden had not appeared in any video message. "He is involve in only military tactics," he said. "Sheikh Osama prefers not be be seen because he believes it is dangerous to appear in the media," he said. "His presence among Muslims in for us an honour and we do not want to lose him," said Dadullah.

"Because of this even I have asked him not to show himself and to remain hidden to continue to give use instructions in a way that al-Qaeda can remain active in Afghanistan and continue to be active also in the rest of the world," Dadullah told Al Jazeera.

Hajji Mansour Dadullah is believed to be one of the five Taliban leaders who were released from Afghan prisones in exchange for the life of the Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo who was kidnapped by the Taliban earlier this year.

Osama sent me a letter, says Taleban fighter

The Times (UK) / June 5, 2007 Sam Knight and agencies

An Afghan militant claimed today that Osama bin Laden sent him a letter of condolence last month after the death of his brother, the Taleban's foremost military commander.

Haji Mansour Dadullah, the lesser known brother of Mullah Dadullah, who was killed by US and Afghan forces in Helmand last month, said that the world's most wanted man was "alive, active and well" and urged him to keep up the fight against the Nato coalition and Afghan Government.

“He sent me a letter of condolence after the martyrdom of my brother Mullah Dadullah,” Mansour Dadullah told al Jazeera television in an interview conducted in an open field in Afghanistan. "(He) told me to follow in the steps of my brother and urged Muslims to follow the steps of Mullah Dadullah because he was a mujahid."

The Taleban fighter, whose brother, Mullah Bakht Mohammad, is now believed to have taken over military command of the movement in southern Afghanistan and Pakistan, said that bin Laden, who has evaded capture for five-and-a-half years, was lying low but still able to give orders to al-Qaeda and its allies.

“These are just military tactics. He prefers not to appear because if he appeared in the media or met people he might face danger,” said Mansour Dadullah. “I urged him not to meet anyone and to stay in hiding and continue to give directives... so that al-Qaeda stays active in Afghanistan and the world."

The death of Mullah Dadullah — the Taleban's most senior, skilled and notorious military commander — came as a major blow to the insurgents three weeks ago, when his body, half covered by a pink sheet, was displayed by the Afghan Government.

His was the most significant of hundreds of fatalities suffered by the Taleban since it came under co-ordinated attack by Nato forces last year and its fighters have been struggling to gain the popular support needed to mount its spring offensive this year.

Nonetheless, the shadow of the former leader, a one-legged former mujahadeen who boasted that he planned attacks with bin Laden and helped introduce Iraqi-style roadside bombings, suicide attacks and vicious kidnappings into post-invasion Afghanistan, continues to fall across the country.

Today a Taleban spokesman said that the group had beheaded one of five kidnapped Afghan health workers because the Government had refused to hand over his body.

The group abducted a doctor, three nurses and a driver in Kandahar province in March and threatened to kill them unless Mullah Dadullah's corpse was given to the militants by 10am today. Reports from Kabul said that President Hamid Karzai had ordered the body to be delivered last night. Mullah Dadullah was buried in a secret location outside Kandahar.

The US military said in 2002 that bin Laden, who has a $25 million bounty on his head, had come closest to being captured by American forces during the battle for the Tora Bora mountains in late November 2001, the month coalition forces invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taleban and break up al Qaeda.

Since then he has managed to disappear into the tribal borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan — the only traces of his survival occasional audio and video tapes and reported contact from Taleban and al-Qaeda members. Bin Laden's vanishing, along with Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taleban, who is rumoured to be in hiding in Pakistan, remains one of the great frustrations of the campaign against terrorism.

In separate violence, more than 20 Taleban fighters were reported to have drowned after clashing with Nato and Afghan forces in southern Afghanistan today. Between 20 and 30 Taleban fighters are believed to have died in the battle — the second such drowning of militants in less than a week. On Friday, a makeshift boat carrying fighters also sank in the Helmand River, with the loss of around 60 lives. The sinking was seen by a Nato helicopter.

Harry Afghanistan ban possible

By Matthew Hickley June 05, 2007 04:00am

PRINCE Harry's hopes of serving in Afghanistan are in doubt because of concern over rising casualty levels among British troops.

Insiders say the intensity of fighting against the Taliban has increased markedly in recent weeks as NATO forces try to drive insurgents out of Helmand Province, where most British forces are deployed. Being banned from army service in Afghanistan would be a blow to the prince, who has already been told it is too dangerous for him to go to Iraq.

The head of the army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, announced last month he was cancelling Harry's planned deployment to southern Iraq.

There were fears the prince's presence would lead to more attacks from insurgents and put his fellow soldiers in greater danger.

Instead, alternative plans were made to send the 22-year-old on a low-profile tour of Afghanistan, where he could carry out relatively safe tasks such as training security forces.

But the level of violence in Helmand Province raised the question whether he would be any safer there than in Iraq.

A final decision on whether Harry, a second lieutenant in the Blues And Royals regiment, can serve in Afghanistan will not be taken for some weeks, say insiders.

Despite the fierce fighting a range of options remain open, including sending him to work at the NATO headquarters in the capital Kabul, which remains relatively safe.

Daily Mail, London, in The Australian

Canada can't be afraid to champion democracy

Kate Heartfield Ottawa Citizen Sunday, June 03, 2007

Last month I met a woman whose husband, an Indonesian human-rights activist, was poisoned to death on an international flight in 2004, six years after the downfall of Suharto. The march of freedom seems to be flagging.

There are three main ways Canada can promote democracy in the world. It can spend on development, which encourages freedom. It can offer expertise and support to fragile democracies. And it can try to change the behaviour of less-democratic governments.

The last method has gone out of vogue in the past few years, and it's not hard to see why. It's difficult. It requires picking sides and taking risks. Other than in Afghanistan, Canada's attempts have been half-hearted.

There are many ways of influencing bad governments short of overthrowing them. Indeed, the failing attempt to establish democracy by force in Iraq is one reason democratization is becoming a dirty word that makes some people cringe.

In February, Ben Rowswell, a policy adviser in the Foreign Affairs Department, spoke at a conference organized by a branch of Canadian Lawyers Abroad. He mentioned another reason for the "backlash" against democratization: Dismay at the results of democratic processes, including the empowerment of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Hamas in the Palestinian Authority.

We don't have to go through an Afghanistan or Iraq every time we champion freedom. And we can't let pseudo-democrats such as Chavez poison us against democracy. Elections alone do not make a democracy.

Governments such as Canada's have many levers other than force: Trade policy, sanctions, diplomacy, statements, international resolutions, partnerships with opposition groups.

Any effort is risky: You can alienate trading partners, back the wrong horse, close diplomatic doors, make dangerous enemies and, worst of all, you can fail and be seen to fail.

But to choose not to try is the coward's way out. It's cowardly to resign ourselves to living in an insecure, unjust world. It's cowardly to wait for governments to improve on their own or be conquered by domestic forces that might never be strong enough.

Which brings me back to the man who got on a plane and was killed by a large dose of arsenic. His name was Munir Said Thalib. His widow, Suciwati, said the investigation into his death is a test case for democracy in Indonesia: "It's very difficult to see how democracy will succeed until basic human rights are respected."

The pilot's murder conviction was overturned. Now other men are under suspicion; the whole thing looks like an exercise in scapegoating, perhaps to protect the military. Until the truth is uncovered, Indonesia cannot claim to be a free country. Canada, which has regular dialogues on human rights with Indonesia, has the power to keep nudging it in the direction of freedom.

Some governments you nudge, some you push. Burma's has extended the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nelson Mandela of her country. One of her countrymen, Soe Myint, now lives in India and is editor-in-chief of a news agency in exile called Mizzima News. It's a seedling waiting to be transplanted back into native soil when Burma is free. Soe Myint, on a recent visit to Ottawa, said that while he admires Canada's efforts for refugees and other victims, he wishes we would promote democracy more vigorously. "It's not only support we are seeking. It is also involvement. It is solidarity we are seeking."

Canada has made statements about Burma. It can do more. One way to influence Burma is to influence our business partners, China and India. The 2008 Olympics could be the opportunity of a generation to push for change in Chinese domestic and foreign policy.

UN Watch recently published a Human Rights Scorecard: Canada at the United Nations, 2006-2007. It lists many missed opportunities: "Canada took no action whatsoever at the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly against China's violations of civil, political and religious rights -- which harm over a sixth of the world's population. Canada was equally silent regarding Fidel Castro's police state, where journalists languish in jail for daring to speak the truth. It said nothing about Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow women to vote or drive a car, or its state-sponsored schoolbooks that teach children to hate Christians and other non-Muslims. Nor did it protest Robert Mugabe's repression in Zimbabwe."

The report called on Canada to speak out strongly more often and to "forge a broader alliance in support of human rights, democracy, and peace."

In other words, make democratization fashionable again.

AFGHANISTAN: ICRC asked to run hospital for war victims

KABUL, 5 June 2007 (IRIN) - The government of Afghanistan has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to manage a medical facility for conflict victims in Helmand Province, officials have confirmed.

The request comes more than a month after the 150-bed Emergency hospital was closed down in the southern insurgency-hit province.

“We have asked the ICRC, which is supporting a hospital in neighbouring Kandahar Province, to run Emergency hospital in Helmand Province,” Abdullah Fahim, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), told IRIN in Kabul.

The Italian NGO, called Emergency, which set up three hospitals of the same name in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and two other provinces, pulled out of the country in late April after one of its local staff was arrested on charges of collusion with the Taliban.

"We have received the government's request and will make a decision about whether to expand our medical services once we have conducted a medical assessment of the hospital in Lashkargah [capital of Helmand Province]," said Michael O'Brien, an ICRC official in Afghanistan.

According to O'Brien, such an expansion of ICRC's medical assistance to Helmand - where many aid and development organisations, including the UN, face security restrictions - would be consistent with the organisation's humanitarian mandate.

We gave Emergency a month to resume its activities in Afghanistan. There has been no response from them. I believe the organisation will not return.

Emergency hospitals were first established in Afghanistan in 1999. In addition to its well-equipped medical facility in Kabul, Emergency ran two similar centres in the northern Panjshir and southern Helmand provinces. Up to 28 other first aid posts were also managed by the Italian NGO across the country.

On 19 April Taliban fighters released a kidnapped Italian journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, after the government set free five Taliban prisoners. However, Mastrogiacomo’s Afghan interpreter, Ajmal Naqshbandi, was later beheaded by insurgents.

On 20 May Afghan intelligence forces arrested Rahmatullah Hanafi, the head of Emergency’s hospital in Laskargah, on charges of brokering a half-fulfilled deal with the Taliban which culminated in Naqshbandi’s death. Emergency has confirmed the involvement of Hanafi in the efforts that led up to the Italian journalist's release, but it maintains he did so only under their direct instructions.

“Rahmatullah Hanafi proved decisive for the release of Daniele Mastrogiacomo, by simply doing everything and only what the Italian government, through Emergency, asked him to do,” read an Emergency press release.

Afghan officials have, however, accused Emergency’s staff in Helmand of colluding with the Taliban - a charge strongly rejected by Emergency.

In response, Emergency closed down all its humanitarian medical activities in Afghanistan and criticised the head of the Afghan intelligence department for using the organisation as a scapegoat.

The locked doors of an intensive care room in Kabul's Emergency hospital

In May, Afghan Minister of Public Health Mohammad Ameen Fatimi sent a letter to the director of Emergency in Italy asking the organisation to resume its activities, the country’s MoPH reported.

“We have set no conditions for Emergency’s return and will be pleased to welcome it back to the country,” a spokesman for the ministry told IRIN.

However, Santanu Sanyal, an international adviser to the minister of public health, remained pessimistic about a possible return. “We gave Emergency a month to resume its activities in Afghanistan. There has been no response from them. I believe the organisation will not return,” Sanyal said.

Hundreds of people in Kabul submitted a petition calling on the aid body to return, a member of Kabul’s city council said.

Emergency, however, has repeatedly demanded the release of Rahmatullah Hanafi and has halted its operations in protest over his detention.

We will not allow a hospital to cure our enemies and terrorists who after treatment attack the same medical facility and kidnap health workers.

“In a poor and undeveloped country like Afghanistan, particularly in areas where violent armed conflicts still cause widespread harm, Emergency is seriously needed to help people in need of medical attention. Emergency should not let thousands of people suffer only for the release of one of its staff,” Abdul Hadi, a member of parliament, said.

The governor of Helmand Province, Assadullah Waffa, has criticised Emergency for treating wounded Taliban insurgents and other anti-government fighters.

“Emergency was a base for terrorists and the Taliban,” the governor told IRIN. “We will not allow a hospital to cure our enemies and terrorists who after treatment attack the same medical facility and kidnap health workers.”

Under the Geneva Convention, however, medical assistance should be provided to all “without any adverse distinction founded on sex, race, nationality, religion, political opinions, or any other similar criteria”.

ak/ds/cb

Troops seek a piece of home; Mom urges people to send care parcels to soldiers serving in Afghanistan

KARENA WALTER Local News - Tuesday, June 05, 2007 @ 01:00

Kathleen Snider wants you to know the letters and packages sent to soldiers in Afghanistan are cherished.

Even if Canadian Forces personnel like her 24-year-old son, Cpl. Jay McArthur, may not be able to tell you themselves.

With only 30 minutes on the phone and 35 minutes on e-mail a week, there's not a lot of time for soldiers to communicate with those back home.

"The soldiers can't say thank you, but it's very, very appreciated," said the St. Catharines woman.

Snider is urging everyone to send care package to soldiers to help keep up morale and show them appreciation.

She sends her son a package a week, alternating between snacks in one parcel and reading materials like magazines in another.

McArthur, who grew up in St. Catharines, attended Laura Secord Secondary School and was a member of the air cadets in Niagara Falls, has been serving in Afghanistan since February. He is based out of CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick.

McArthur has been receiving care packages from family, friends and strangers with toothbrushes, cereal bars, jams and socks.

"That's something they look forward to over there," his wife, Amber, said in an interview from New Brunswick. She said he recently received wool socks from a woman in British Columbia.

Sometimes they are looking for a little piece of home.

McArthur's most recent requests have been popcorn in a tin, because they don't have microwaves, and Kraft peanut butter.

Snider said some of the items received are shared by soldiers with the locals helping them, which she said goes a long way to building trust.

"It's letting them know we do appreciate what they're doing and boost their morale and be part of the positive circle of energy being sent," Snider said.

"That means a person can feel good sending something and the soldier feels good getting it. That soldier feels good sharing it and the person receiving feels good, too, she said. kwalter@stcatharinestandard.ca

Showing soldiers we care

The Ministry Reform Commission Submitted its Report to Dr. Spanta

MoFA: Posted On: Jun 05, 2007

The Expert Commission on the restructuring and reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted its 75-pages report to Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Dr. Spanta. The report contained a comprehensive review of the current structure and procedures of the Ministry. The commission has recommended a new organizational structure for the Ministry. The report also identified the steps that should be taken in next 3 to 5 years in order to revitalize the Ministry and making it a fully professional Ministry. The submission of the report completed the first phase of the reform process of the Ministry. The second phase is due to commence in mid. July this year, followed by the third phase, which will be in January next year.

Kabir Arghandiwal Joins ANHAM, LLC as Regional Vice President of Business Development - Afghanistan/Central Asia

Press Release Source: ANHAM, LLC Tuesday June 5, 9:00 am ET

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- ANHAM, LLC, a leading international contracting firm, announced today that Kabir Arghandiwal has joined the company as Regional Vice President of Business Development -- Afghanistan/Central Asia.

Arghandiwal has over thirteen years of marketing, management, finance, and international relations experience. Over the course of his career, Arghandiwal has founded and co-founded several business entities, developed and executed strategic plans to further international market penetration, and significantly grown businesses both in terms of assets and revenues.

"Mr. Arghandiwal's experience in international finance and management will be extremely valuable to ANHAM, LLC's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We know he will be an integral part of the company and look forward to our future successes together," said ANHAM, LLC CEO A. Huda Farouki.

Prior to joining ANHAM, LLC, Arghandiwal worked for both Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan as a senior banker. He is fluent in German, Farsi and Pashto, with a working knowledge of French and Arabic. He has a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in International Relations and an International Relations Honor Degree from San Francisco State University and a Masters of Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

About ANHAM, LLC

ANHAM, LLC is a leading contracting firm working throughout the Middle East and North Africa ("MENA"), Central Asia, and Europe. With a century's worth of experience between its principal founding companies, ANHAM is able to efficiently, effectively, and affordably deliver products and services throughout the world. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, ANHAM has international offices that specialize in providing local support and services to its initiatives, projects, and investments across diverse regions of the globe.

[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.]