In this bulletin:

• Three suicide attacks in volatile Afghan south
• Afghan parliamentary speaker urges Pakistan to crack down on insurgents
• Afghan parliamentary delegation continues NATO visit
• Afghan, Pakistani peace commissions hold first meeting
• Italian journalist well, indirect contacts made: Taliban
• Threats will not make Germany leave Afghanistan: minister
• AFGHAN PARLIAMENTARY DECLARATION ON THE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND AMNESTY BILL
• Afghan parliament speaker defends amnesty bill
• Path to peace, justice in Afghanistan
• O'Connor to meet with Afghan human rights leader
• Cdn soldier charged in comrade's death
• Pakistani among five held in Nimroz
• Report: Breaking Point: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan
• Press Conference - Talking Points - Kabul – 12 March 2007
• 190 reconstruction projects on hold due to insecurity: ISAF
• WB ready to facilitate Pak-Afghan water treaty on lines of Indo-Pak Indus Water Treaty
• Afghan smuggler arrested
• Distance Learning for Afghanistan
• Congressional Caucus on Afghanistan formed

Three suicide attacks in volatile Afghan south

By Mirwais Afghan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, March 13 (Reuters) - Three Taliban suicide bombers killed themselves along with a policeman and an Afghan civilian and wounded a dozen people in separate attacks in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said.

The Taliban have stepped up operations in their old heartland ahead of an anticipated spring offensive against government and Western forces. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for all the three attacks.

In Spin Boldak, a town on the Pakistani border, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpost, killing a policeman and a bystander.

"The man entered from the Pakistani side and blew himself up as police tried to search him," Abdul Razzaq, chief of the border security force in the area, told euters. He said eight people were wounded in the attack.

There were two suicide attacks in Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern province of Helmand. In both cases the bombers killed themselves but no one else.

One attacker targeted a NATO convoy, but only wounded two Afghan bystanders, according to the deputy police chief of Helmand, Mohammad Isa Iftikhari.

In the other attack, on an Afghan army office in the provincial capital, a soldier was wounded.

Last year saw the worst violence in Afghanistan since the Taliban were chased from power by U.S.-led forces in late 2001. More than 4,000 people died in fighting in 2006, including about 1,000 civilians. Suicide bombings jumped from 21 to 139.

Most of the violence has focused on eastern and southern regions bordering Pakistan. U.S. and Afghan officials say that the Taliban organise and launch attacks from the safety of their sanctuaries on the Pakistani side of the long, porous border.

Richard Boucher, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said border control was the joint responsibility of Pakistan, Afghanistan as well as NATO and U.S.-led forces and they were working in tandem to combat the Taliban.

"I think it is important to remember that the Taliban are under pressure from all sides, including from Pakistan," he told a news conference after talks with Afghan officials in Kabul.

"There've been steps in Pakistan to disrupt the leadership, disrupt the networks, to go after some of the training facilities. The goal for all of us is to do this and do it effectively from all sides."

Fighting is expected to be heavy in 2007 as the Taliban have announced that they have prepared thousands of suicide bombers.

American ambassador to Kabul Ronald Neumann said on Monday that U.S.-led forces were fully capable of repelling the Taliban's spring offensive. NATO and Afghan troops last week launched their biggest operation so far to pre-empt the Taliban's spring offensive.

Afghan parliamentary speaker urges Pakistan to crack down on insurgents

The Associated Press - Monday, March 12, 2007

BRUSSELS, Belgium: Afghanistan's parliamentary speaker appealed Monday for Pakistan to crack down on insurgents operating across the countries' rugged border.

"Afghans expect their neighbors, especially Pakistan to stop supporting terrorist activities and terrorist training camps and stop these people from infiltrating into the country," speaker Yunus Qanoon told reporters during a visit to NATO headquarters.

Although Pakistan has deployed 80,000 troops along the border, Afghan officials have frequently complained that their neighbor has not done enough to control Taliban insurgents.

Qanoon, who led a delegation of Afghan lawmakers to NATO headquarters, praised the work of the alliance's military mission in the country, but said he hoped it would do more to build up Afghanistan's own security forces so one day they would not have to rely on support from foreign troops. "There's a need for NATO and coalition forces, but not for ever of course," he said.

Afghan parliamentary delegation continues NATO visit

Brussels, March 13, IRNA - Afghanistan's Parliament Speaker Yunus Qanooni will visit the Allied Command Operations in the Belgian city of Mons, where he will meet with SACEUR (the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe) General Bantz Craddock Tuesday and attend a presentation on the work of the Allied Command Operations as well as visit the Partnership Coordination Cell.

Qanooni, who is leading a delegation of Afghan parliamentarians, met NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and NATO ambassadors Monday and discussed NATO's role in the Afghan stabilization process.

Speaking at a press conference later, Qanooni called for constructive and friendly ties with neighboring countries in order to help create security and stability in Afghanistan.

Following their visit to Belgium, the Afghan delegation will travel to the Netherlands to meet with members of the Dutch Parliament as well as with its minister of defence and minister for development cooperation, according to a NATO statement.

Afghan, Pakistani peace commissions hold first meeting

Malaysia Sun Monday 12th March, 2007 (IANS) - Afghan and Pakistani peace commissions met for the first time in Islamabad Monday to pool ideas for a strategy to help in stemming the insurgency in Afghanistan.

Two days of talks aimed at drawing Pashtun tribes either side of the shared border into initiatives to marginalise Taliban and other insurgents.

Afghan and Pakistani presidents Hamid Karzai and Pervez Musharraf first agreed on a tribal approach to tackling the militancy during a meeting with US President George W. Bush in Washington last autumn.

Two separate councils or jirgas will be held on both sides of the border to address the issue of infiltration by insurgents that are fighting NATO and US forces in Afghanistan.

Coalition partners and the Afghan leadership have accused the government in Islamabad of not doing enough to stem the cross-border movement.
But Pakistan says control of the 2,560 km frontier is the joint responsibility of all partners.

In addition to keeping some 80,000 soldiers in the area, Musharraf last year announced his plan to fortify selective stretches with fencing and mining.

The idea drew international criticism and was condemned by Afghan officials as dividing ethnic Pashtun communities that straddle the border.

Italian journalist well, indirect contacts made: Taliban

Kandahar(AFP) - A Taliban spokesman said Tuesday there had been "indirect contacts" with Italian officials about a journalist kidnapped 10 days ago whom the militants have threatened to kill.

The journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, was in good health, and being kept with two Afghans he was captured with on March 4, at a Taliban "base" in the southern province of Helmand, Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP.

"He's in a good health and being kept in a Taliban base," Ahmadi said in a telephone call from an unknown location. "We have been in indirect contacts with the Italians over this."

The Italian foreign ministry said Saturday it believed the 52-year-old was alive, based on news received from reliable sources.

Officials said they also had "credible" information about those responsible for the kidnapping, adding: "Contacts are ongoing in order to establish with certainty the intentions and expectations of the kidnappers."

Taliban operations commander for southern Afghanistan, Mullah Dadullah, told AFP in an interview Sunday that the La Repubblica journalist would be killed in seven days unless Taliban demands were met.

These included a date being set for the withdrawal of nearly 2,000 Italian troops in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and the release of two Taliban spokesmen being held in the country.

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said on Sunday that the country's soldiers would remain in Afghanistan despite the threat.

Threats will not make Germany leave Afghanistan: minister

March 12, 2007 - BERLIN (AFP) - Germany will not bow to terrorist threats demanding the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Monday. "We will not be blackmailed," Schaeuble told RBB radio.

He added however that the government took seriously threats made at the weekend by two Islamist groups to attack Germany and to execute two German hostages being held in Iraq unless Berlin ended its Afghanistan mission.

"We are part of a global target. We should have no illusions that we are as much under threat as Spain, England or other nations," Schaeuble told RBB. He said German soldiers were also contributing "to our own security" by helping to stabilise Afghanistan.

Germany has almost 3,000 troops in northern Afghanistan, where it commands the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

On Sunday, a group linked to Al-Qaeda called The Voice of the Caliphate warned on the Internet that Austria and Germany "have provoked those whom you call terrorists to target you" by deploying troops in Afghanistan.

On Saturday, a militant Islamist group in Iraq had threatened in a videotape purportedly showing two German hostages to execute them if Germany keeps its soldiers in Afghanistan.

The Kataeb Siham al-Haq (Righteous Arrows Battalions) said in the tape posted on an Islamist website that it gave the German government 10 days to start withdrawing its troops.

Germany has resisted pressure from its NATO allies in recent months to send more soldiers to Afghanistan to help battle a Taliban insurgency.

But parliament on Friday approved a decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet to send six Tornado jets to Afghanistan to carry out reconnaissance missions for NATO.

Al Qaeda threatens Spain for presence in Afghanistan

03/12/2007

Germany and Austria were also threatened. Al Qaeda says the Socialist Government "deceived its country as it pulled out troops from Iraq and sent 600 soldiers to Afghanistan."

Al Qaeda warned that the presence of Spanish troops in Afghanistan "puts Spain at risk again," according to a video posted in an Internet channel created by the terrorist cell. There, Germany and Austria are also threatened if they don't pull out their troops from that country.

The video shows a hooded man reading out a statement warning the Austrian Government "not to follow the example of Spain's Government, as it deceived its people withdrawing troops from Iraq and sending 600 soldiers to Afghanistan. "

"Islam countries are an only nation, and he (Spanish Government) puts his country at risk again sending troops to Afghanistan," the hooded man warned.

The recording, which also shows photos of western leaders, among them Angela Merkel, accuses the German Government of "deceiving its people" and "following the lies of Bush."

AFGHAN PARLIAMENTARY DECLARATION ON THE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND
AMNESTY BILL

Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:35 pm (PST) - Translation from Afghanwire.com. Thanks to Alex Strick van Linschoten for the reference. Published in Hewaad on Sunday the 11. of March 07

As the legitimate jihad, resistance and combat of the people to defend religion and country are the glorified successes of our country and are our historical honor, it is necessary for the accomplishment of the national reconciliation process, the consolidation of national unity and in this sensitive time the establishment of a trusting atmosphere among the tribes and sects of the country that the following articles are approved:

Article 1:

This approval is issued in order to strengthen national reconciliation
and tranquility, to maintain national interests, to put an end to the
hostilities, and establish an atmosphere of trust for all the parties
involved in the fighting and aligned to the constitution of the
country.

Article 2:

In order to strengthen peace and tranquility, and to put an an end to
the fighting, the parliament of Afghanistan calls on all those opposed
to the government of Afghanistan to join the processes of national
reconciliation, reconstruction and nation-building.

Article 3:

1. All the political groups who were hostile towards one another
before the interim administration are involved in the process of national
reconciliation process in order to get on with other sects of society
and to start a new life in the modern chapter of the history of
Afghanistan. They should take the advantage of all their rights and
they should not be prosecuted by the judiciary

2. Those groups and individuals who are still opposed to the
government can benefit from the provisions of this bill if they abandon the
resistance, join the process of national reconciliation, and respect
and observe the constitution of the Islamic State of Afghanistan and other
issued laws.

3. The provisions of the prior sections of this article have no
bearing on the criminal files of individuals or their rights.

Article 4:

1. Those individuals who are being prosecuted for committing crimes
against the internal and external security of this country cannot
benefit from this bill.

2. Those individuals who have been sentenced by the courts for their
crimes against internal and external security will have their
sentences reduced or waived in separate decrees if they present reliable
guarantees to the commission of national reconciliation that they will
no longer be part of any anti-government activity

Article 5:

A high commission will be appointed by the parliament of Afghanistan
in order to put an end to the fighting and to establish a trusting
atmosphere between the government and insurgents in order to prepare
the ground for close cooperation with the independent commission of
national reconciliation.

Article 6:

This bill is signed by the president and should be published in the
newspapers.

Afghan parliament speaker defends amnesty bill

BRUSSELS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The speaker of the lower house of Afghanistan's parliament defended his country's newly passed amnesty bill on Monday, saying it was misinterpreted in the West.

    "Unfortunately certain elements have embarked on propaganda against it," Mohammad Yunus Qanooni told reporters after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the NATO headquarters. It is not true that war criminals are going to be acquitted under the law, he said.

    "Those people who have been involved in international war crimes are not going to be ignored," he clarified. Individuals can file lawsuits against whatever crimes they think have been done to them, he added.

    The Afghan parliament's lower house, or Wolesi Jirga, passed an amended bill on Saturday that would give amnesty to groups involved in war crimes during more than two decades of war in the country.

    The legislation triggered concerns of human rights groups that war crimes might not be reckoned with.

Path to peace, justice in Afghanistan

Healing the wounds of the civil war requires both reconciliation and accountability. By J Alexander Thier and Scott Worden - WASHINGTON – Christian Science Monitor

Like every country facing the aftermath of civil war, Afghanistan is struggling to balance the need for peace and stability with demands for justice and accountability. Last Saturday, the lower house of the country's parliament passed a bill that encourages all factions, including the Taliban, to join in a process of national reconciliation. In return, these groups and individuals would be immune from prosecution for atrocities committed before joining the process.

Although President Hamid Karzai successfully negotiated a crucial amendment to protect the rights of victims of war crimes, the new amnesty law still favors the powerful warlords who sponsored the bill. Unless the government takes responsibility for standing up to the perpetrators of past atrocities, true national reconciliation may be impossible to achieve.

The amnesty issue arose last month when Afghanistan's parliament passed a hastily drafted "Charter on National Reconciliation" that aimed to provide a "comprehensive solution" for "consolidating peace and stability." These goals are worthy, but healing and unity were not the only motives behind the legislation. The bill was also a self-serving attempt by many of the country's top warlords-cum-politicians to escape prosecution for the horrific catalog of crimes – mass executions, torture, rape – that they perpetrated against other Afghans for nearly three decades.

It's a positive sign for Afghanistan's young democracy that the initial bill provoked an outcry. Despite a rally in the national stadium by the still-armed political leaders behind the measure, civil-society leaders and human rights groups protested that parts of the bill were unconstitutional and against international law. Then the usually conservative National Council of Islamic Clerics declared the bill un-Islamic because only victims have the right to forgive their tormentors under sharia law. Western diplomats also pressed Mr. Karzai to find a solution that promoted stability and respected international law.

After intensive negotiations, Karzai achieved a legislative compromise that acknowledges the sacrifice made by mujahideen fighters against Soviet occupation, while calling for a process that will rebuild trust in Afghanistan's divided society. The legislation invites all groups involved in the past three decades of war to lay down arms and rejoin society. This includes communists, Islamists, and royalists who fought a series of civil wars over the past 25 years, and the Taliban and other forces that are still fighting the government today. An unconstitutional prohibition on criticizing the jihad and its leaders has also been struck from the bill.

The most controversial and confusing aspect of the bill remains its amnesty provisions. On one hand, the revised bill offers general amnesty from prosecution to all former combatants who agree to abide by the Constitution and laws of Afghanistan. However, a crucial clause restricts this reprieve, stating that the amnesty "shall not affect individuals' ... criminal or civil claims against persons with respect to individual crimes."

Read broadly, this provision could mean that amnesty does not really protect any individual from answering for his crimes – so long as a victim is brave enough to bring a claim. But in Afghanistan, where many of those responsible for past crimes retain weapons and power, it is unlikely that a victim would press a claim without active support from the state. And in fact international law requires the Afghan government to investigate and prosecute war crimes.

The best way to ensure that the new bill becomes a force for reconciliation is to implement it within the framework of the Action Plan for Transitional Justice, enacted by Karzai last December. The plan sets up several mechanisms to foster forgiveness and accountability, such as a commission to vet high-level government officials and a program to build national monuments of remembrance for victims. But crucially, the plan states, "[T]here will [not be] amnesty for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations."

These are momentous decisions for Afghanistan's future in an unstable time. International experience has shown that amnesty has not worked to promote reconciliation where potentially guilty parties have simply tried to evade accountability. The original bill referred to the process of truth and reconciliation in South Africa as a model for Afghanistan, but they drew the wrong lesson. In South Africa, amnesty wasn't for everyone; it was granted only to those who publicly admitted their crimes and asked forgiveness. The threat of prosecution remained for those who did not cooperate.

In Afghanistan, lack of accountability continues to erode support for the government and creates fertile ground for the insurgency. Karzai must seize this opportunity to cement his leadership by transforming a self-serving attempt by warlords to avoid justice into a measure that truly sets a course for reconciliation and peace.

• J Alexander Thier and Scott Worden are advisers on the rule of law at the United States Institute of Peace. Mr. Thier served as legal adviser to Afghanistan's Constitutional and Judicial Reform Commissions from 2002-04. Mr. Worden served as a legal adviser on electoral and human rights issues in Afghanistan from 2005-06.

O'Connor to meet with Afghan human rights leader

Updated Tue. Mar. 13 2007 - Canadian Press

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor has set up a new meeting with an Afghan human rights leader to discuss Canada's detainee policy.

O'Connor is to meet with Abdul Noorzai of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission on Wednesday at the NATO base in Kandahar.

The two men were supposed to hold discussions Monday in Kandahar city but the meeting was cancelled at the last moment.

Canada has signed an agreement with the commission to monitor the treatment of Taliban prisoners that are handed over to the Afghan government.

O'Connor has said he wants Noorzai's group to ensure it's capable of the job, which would include reporting on any prisoner abuse. The minister has been criticized over Canada's policy on the handing over of detainees.

Cdn soldier charged in comrade's death

CFB SHILO, Man. (CP) - A Canadian soldier has been charged with manslaughter in the death of one of his comrades during a patrol in Afghanistan last August.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service charged Master Cpl. Robbie Fraser, based in Shilo with 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry regiment, with one count of manslaughter and one count of negligent performance of duty.

The charges under the National Defence Act come in relation to the shooting death of Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh during a routine patrol outside Kandahar last Aug. 9.

Walsh's father Ben, who lives in Regina, says he was told his son was seated beside the driver of a G-wagon when another soldier's gun discharged from inside the jeep, hitting his son with one fatal shot.

Officials at the base in Shilo confirmed the accused soldier is back at his home base but said it would be inapproriate to comment on the matter before it goes to trial.

Earlier this month, another Canadian soldier was killed by an apparent accidental discharge, this one inside his tent on the base in Kandahar.

Pakistani among five held in Nimroz

HERAT CITY, Mar 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Security officials in the western Nimroz province claimed arresting five suspected terrorists during an operation in the provincial capital of Zaranj.

Provincial Governor Ghulam Dastagir Azad told Pajhwok Afghan News the detainees also included a Pakistani national. He said an Ak-47 assault rifle had also been recovered from their possession.

He said the five people were arrested on charges of links with the anti-government elements. They were being investigated at the provincial police headquarters in Zaranj.

The governor said the militants were entering the border districts of Nimroz after the launching of Operation Achilles in the neighbouring province of Helmand.

He believed the militants were re-organising and preparing themselves for subversive activities in the Char Burjak, Dilaram and Khashrod districts of Nimroz.

In the neighbouring province of Farah, Taliban said they had destroyed a police vehicle in a landmine explosion and killed all the policemen traveling in it. However, Farah Governor Mohayuddin Baloch rejected the killing of policemen in the blast. He said the vehicle was partially damaged.

Police said they had arrested five people for creating disturbance during a protest demonstration in Taloqan, capital of the northern Takhar province.

Security chief of the province Ziauddin Mahmoodi told Pajhwok Afghan News one Kalashnikov and two pistols had also been recovered from the detainees.

During the protest demonstration on Saturday, supporters of a former commander Mutallib Baig pelted stones at the offices of the provincial council. The protestors were angry at the arrest of two people in the Hazar Samach district.

Report: Breaking Point: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan

February 23, 2007 - Center for Strategic and International Studies

The CSIS PCR Project released its final report on Afghanistan entitled, Breaking Point: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan. The current study is a follow-up to the 2005 baseline report In the Balance: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan. The report’s conclusions are based on 1,000 structured conversations that took place in half of Afghanistan’s provinces; 13 surveys, polls, and focus groups; 200 expert interviews; and the daily monitoring of 70 media sources and 182 organizations. Three of the report’s main findings are:

• Afghans are losing trust in their government because of an escalation in violence;
• Public expectations are neither being met nor managed;
• Conditions in Afghanistan have deteriorated in all key areas targeted for development, except for the economy and women’s rights.

The general assessment of the five key pillars is as follows:

Security: Afghans are more insecure today than they were in 2005. This is due largely to the violence surrounding the insurgency and counter-insurgency campaigns, and the inability of security forces to combat warlords and drug traffickers. State security institutions have increased their operational capacity and have trained more personnel, but they - particularly the Afghan National Police - have had problems with retention, staff effectiveness, corruption, and general oversight.

Governance and Participation: The central government’s institutional and human capacity has improved, but its legitimacy has deteriorated. Sub-national government structures still lack capacity. In their place, militia commanders and local mafias have filled the void, undermining local governance, democratic rights, and service delivery.

Justice and Accountability: Traditional, informal judicial structures continue to fill the gap in justice for many Afghans, while the formal justice sector remains inaccessible and corrupt, and is unable to confront impunity, adjudicate land disputes, unravel criminal networks, or protect the rights of citizens.

Economic Conditions: High economic growth and a more open business environment have improved the general health of the Afghan economy, yet these benefits have not translated into sufficient employment and income generating activities for the ordinary citizen.

Social Services and Infrastructure: Although reconstruction investments by the international community have enhanced social services and infrastructure, deteriorating security conditions, a scarcity of competent personnel and low quality has limited access and its benefits for many Afghans.

The Afghan government and its international allies face a far more difficult and complex situation today than they did when the Taliban fell in 2001. Reforms are required in the military and civilian sectors, especially as the violence is expected to increase as spring approaches.

Countering these negative trends requires a more focused effort. A policy of “staying the course”—even if bolstered by new resources—will not reverse the trends. A fresh surge of supplemental funding is expected this year. It must be directed in a way that finds and engages the maximum number of Afghan citizens.

1. Restore public confidence in the plan for safety. Focus on Kandahar and Helmand provinces; treat the threat as an insurgency; concentrate on ways to counter the Taliban’s tribal and charismatic appeal and tactics of intimidation; and restore confidence in the U.S. and international commitment.

Move from “big army” sweeps to a rapid-response mode that would provide a “15-minute” rapid response protective umbrella in the endangered south and east of the
country. Establish a consistent Afghan-led security presence in half of the 26 districts in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, with more flexible fighting forces and more helicopters.

Address Pakistan-Afghanistan challenges by focusing on the needs of disenfranchised Pashtun communities on both sides of the border. Invest in intelligence to clarify developments in the border region.

Shift the anti-drug effort from eradication to a combination of purchase, alternative crops, and interdiction, with a particular emphasis on the high-growth provinces of
Kandahar and Helmand.

2. Mobilize communities to contribute to the recovery. Move away from over-reliance on Kabul and centralized systems; diminish the role of middle men and corruption; and
enhance local participation.

Improve the use of international funds by shifting to a venture-capital model, delivering direct payments to the struggling Afghan middle class, and investing in
non-traditional partners.

Leverage existing structures by expanding the National Solidarity Program (NSP) and working with the informal justice sector. Shift 50 percent of the development
budget to the provincial level, and distribute direct assistance through the Hawala system.

Expand communications through a single message of effort and partnership, and use “no-tech” to “high-tech” methods such as text messaging or holding meetings in
local town halls to link up with key gatekeepers of information (e.g., mullahs, truck drivers, local elders).

Restoring progress in Afghanistan requires dramatic changes. If a critical mass of Afghans experiences positive change, the negative trends are reversible. 2007 is the breaking point.

UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno

Press Conference - Talking Points - Kabul – 12 March 2007

I am at the end of my visit to Afghanistan, before that I was briefly in Pakistan where I met with President Musharraf. Here [in Afghanistan] I met with President Karzai and his senior advisers. I also went to the provinces. I was in Assadabad and Gardez to see with my own eyes the impact on the ground of what is happening. Each time I come to Afghanistan I try to go to a different place, last time I visited Kandahar so this time I visited Assadabad and Gardez. Now is the time to reflect upon where we are.

Last time I was in Kabul was for the inauguration of the parliament and that represented the completion of a phase in which UNAMA played a very important role. Now we are looking at a different phase where UNAMA has to help consolidate what has been achieved starting with the Bonn agreement – and has to do that in support of the Government of Afghanistan. In the previous phase a lot was happening in Kabul, today a lot is happening in the provinces. And we want UNAMA to be more and more present in the provinces throughout Afghanistan.

I have reflected during my visit on the role of UNAMA in this new phase and it is essentially to consolidate the partnership with the Afghan people. The United Nations has always put the Afghan people first and there is no need here for a viceroy. The Afghan people have demonstrated that they can go a long way forward by themselves but that means also when we think that something is wrong, whether this is on the Afghan side or on the side of the international community we will never hesitate to speak up.

We believe that the best way we can help is by being honest, by being candid and reflecting the concerns of the Afghan people and helping to address them in a very concrete manner whether it is security, governance, economic development or reconstruction.

Questions

VOA : After five years people are not satisfied with the security situation. What is your observation on this and in your opinion what are the mistakes’ of the world community in this regard?

USG Gu é henno: From the picture I have from coming to Afghanistan a little bit more than fourteen months after the inauguration of the parliament, it is nuanced. There is very brutal action by some insurgents who do not hesitate to use suicide bombers and inflict casualties on the civilian population in a very horrible way. At the same time when I look at the situation I think you have areas like in the provinces where I was, like Kunar and Paktya. Yes there are very serious issues in terms of security but at the same time some progress. In the north there is banditry, there is criminality. There are a number of issues that need to be addressed but we cannot say that the security situation has deteriorated. There are very serious issues obviously in the south and southeast. In these areas as everywhere I think the military strategy has to be combined with political and development strategy. It is essential to combine the three. I think ISAF is doing a very commendable and difficult job. I think at the same time it is important to further strengthen the Afghan security forces – in particular to make a greater effort for the Afghan National Police. I also think it is important to improve governance so that the people have confidence in the state of Afghanistan.

BBC : At the US Senate, NATO ex-Commander General James Jones has said that looking at the security situation and narcotics problems the UN has failed in Afghanistan. He strongly mentioned that Afghanistan needs an authoritive leadership. What is your reaction to this?

USG Gu é henno: My reaction is that Afghanistan is a sovereign country with strong leaders and that the duty of the international community is to support and build up the Afghan state, which means for the United Nations sometimes that we will have to be frank with leaders and tell them that this or that issue is a matter of concern to us. I think we need to be strong in speaking up and expressing the needs of the Afghan people – speaking up as I said with the Afghan leadership and with the international community. That is the role of the United Nations – to be a reference; a reference of integrity so that we will never lose track of what was the strategic goal in Bonn; that is to build a state that would be accountable to its people and that would serve the needs of the people of Afghanistan. Frankly the issue is for the international community also to be responsive. That is not about one person, one viceroy; it is about listening more carefully to the voice of the Afghan people and then being close to them throughout the country, in the provinces.

Kabul Press : The Afghan Parliament recently approved the Amnesty Bill. Why do the UN and the world community play a double-standard game? On one hand they advocate for Human Rights and on the other hand they meet those accused of human rights violations.

USG Gu é henno: It is clear that justice is the true foundation of peace. In Afghanistan we believe it is very important that the government remains committed to the Action Plan for Peace, Reconciliation and Justice. That is essential. And it will be very important that the bill, that is still being discussed, reflects that commitment of the Government. I discussed the issue with President Karzai and I do hope that this discussion will conclude with a bill that is in accordance with international principles and with the fundamental needs of the Afghan people.

Good Morning Afghanistan : Musa Qala [in Helmand] has been under the control of the Taliban for the last month. According to reports this is because of differences between the Amercian and British troops. Having a district under Taliban control will further undermine the peace process in Afghanistan. What is the view of the United Nations if this situation continues?

USG Gu é henno: It is very important that no district in Afghanistan becomes a base for Taliban. The authority of the state must reach every district. I don’t know the details of Musa Qala, but I strongly believe that it is an illustration of the difficulties of integrating a military strategy with a political and development strategy. The three strategies must go hand-in-hand.

Radio Killid : President Karzai has repeatedly expressed that in any military [NATO and Coalition] operations the security and lives of civilians must be protected. What is your view on this situation if civilian lives continue to be lost? Don’t you think that if this continues and civilians lose their lives it will make more distance with the Government and people will lose confidence in the Government?

USG Gu é henno: It is very important that force be used in the most discriminate way, avoiding civilian casualties. I know that sometimes the tactics of the insurgents are precisely to ensure that civilians are in the cross fire, so ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] has a difficult job. But we will always speak up for the protection of civilians. And we must not forget all the civilians who are killed because of suicide bombings. But I certainly agree with President Karzai that it’s essential that ISAF and other military forces use restraint to prevent civilian deaths.

Question : You’ve spoken of UNAMA’s role and the need for frankness and candor. Could you exercise some of that candor now to tell us what your opinion is on the Wolesi Jirga bill as amended by President Karzai and sent back. Do you think it meets the needs for justice and accountability and does it meet the needs of Afghanistan as you stated earlier?

USG Gu é henno: Looking at the bill, what will have to be addressed is to make sure that the right of the victims to seek justice is protected, [and] the right of the state to seek justice is protected. And as I said in response to an earlier question, this bill must not detract from the Action Plan for Peace, Reconciliation and Justice which is a comprehensive plan that has to be the roadmap in the management of transitional justice.

BBC Persian : None of the warlords themselves fire [fired at] to the people. It was only low level people. Do you think the leaders should not be held accountable for the crimes that happened during Afghanistan’s civil war?

USG Gu é henno: Justice after a cruel war is always a long process. When we look at the experience of other countries, justice does not happen easily and quickly. The key is to keep that direction. Maybe it will take some time. When we look at what happened after World War II, when we look at what happened in Europe, when we look at the situation when dictatorships fall, it does not happen immediately but we see and we have instances of that whether it’s Latin America, in Europe, all around the World. We see that keeping this focus on justice is important. Maybe this will take some years but this has to be our horizon.

IRIN : Your Excellency, my question is non-political, I would like to have your views on how many changes do you see in the lives of Afghan people five years after the Taliban?

USG Gu é henno: Of course after decades of war, the situation for too many Afghans remains tragic and unacceptable. But at the same time a lot is happening that is not always reported. For instance the World Food Programme (WFP) has provided a vital lifeline to nearly five million Afghans suffering from food shortages and all those affected by last years droughts and floods. For instance last year alone, close to three million Afghan children received schoolbooks and other learning materials from UNICEF. And today I discussed with the Afghan Minister for Education that there are now more boys and girls in schools than ever in Afghanistan’s recent history. And in the health sector, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is conducting major vaccination campaigns, including in very difficult areas and areas presently afflicted by conflict to eradicate polio and other life threatening illnesses. And in 2006 more than 150,000 refugees have been helped by the High Commissioner for Refugees to return home. Of course more needs to be done but I do think that a major effort is taking place that needs to intensify to continue to help the people of Afghanistan.

AINA TV : Your answers are less than frank and candid. Can I ask specifically what the United Nations position is on the issue of civilian casualties and the Amnesty bill?

USG Gu é henno: On civilian casualties, each time such an incident happens we are ready to investigate and we raise this with the leadership of ISAF, we raise this with the Government of Afghanistan and we make every effort to put pressure so that incidents are not repeated. Let’s be very clear about that.

We strongly believe that it is very important that the [international] forces respect Afghan customs in the way that they search houses and to be very careful about such issues. And I have discussed it myself with the commander of ISAF when I met him.

And on the Amnesty Bill I think I have been very clear: Again this something that I have discussed with the President and now there is work in the Parliament and the mission will continue to be engaged.

Pajhwok News : What is your assessment of the UN’s activities in Afghanistan over the last five years? What issues did you discuss with Pakistan’s President Musharraf?

USG Gu é henno: When I look at the last five years everybody has to recognise that Afghanistan has come a long way, and UNAMA has accompanied Afghanistan in that long process of rebuilding Afghanistan after a devastating war. Of course there were immense expectations after the inauguration of the parliament. I remember very vividly that period of December 2005, and compared to the expectations what has been achieved will never match the expectations. It is not easy to rebuild a state that has been destroyed. It requires a combination of persistence and humility on the part of the International Community. And that frankly is the role of UNAMA today, UNAMA will stay at the side of the Afghan people supporting their effort with humility but at the same time with persistence, courage and sometimes as I have said, speaking up on issues when we think the wrong course is being taken. We believe that is the best way of respecting the Afghan people – to tell the truth.

With President Musharraf, the heart of my discussion was the relationship between the two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan. My conclusion on carefully listening to President Musharraf and President Karzai is that more needs to be done to build trust between the two countries. There is no point in pursuing a blame game, what is important is for each country to make gestures that will gradually build a cooperative relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. A border cannot be managed in any other manner other than in a cooperative relationship.

Everybody must make every effort to prevent the territory from becoming a place that can be used as a sanctuary. We all know that it’s very difficult but if the two countries cooperate, if they work also on processes, like the peace jirgas on each side of the border then that can really help deal with the issues so that gradually there is a separation between the foreign fighters and the local fighters and then gradually full control over the situation. President Musharraf assured me of his intentions and his will in this respect. One should not try to second guess intentions but now work in a practical manner to improve the interaction between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

AFP : My question is for Tom Koenigs and I would like to go back to the amnesty bill. In your previous press conference you were quite critical of the Amnesty Bill. What is you position now and are you satisfied wit the amendments made to the bill?

SRSG Koenigs : We have been very explicit in criticizing the first bill. We have had two criticisms which were one, the rights of the victims have to be preserved. And second, it has to be Constitutional particularly referring to Article 7 of the bill. We have spoken about this with a great many of people in Afghanistan, parliamentarians, Government ministers, the President, civil society, human rights organizations including the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. We have now apparently a draft bill in parliament which addresses these criticisms. The bill gives explicitly, if that is as the President has told us, gives explicitly the right to the victims to ask for justice against perpetrators. And all legal systems could take responsibility not only on to the lowest grade of perpetrators but on the whole chain of command. Apparently Article 7 has been completely eliminated. The whole context of this bill has to be seen in the political debate in the parliament in future; this is a subject that accompanies us further on. But the last thing is the most important. Mr. Guéhenno has clearly said so. The most important thing is the implementation of the Action Plan for Reconciliation, Peace and Justice. The Cabinet and the President have supported it, and the President has launched it on human rights day last December.

Question : Do you agree with the new amended bill?

SRSG : I have not seen the official translation of the draft of the bill as it is now. I have only given you my arguments which I have shared with every body and with you.

190 reconstruction projects on hold due to insecurity: ISAF

KABUL, Mar 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): NATO troops on Sunday said that insecurity in the southern province of Helmand has disrupted reconstruction activities and caused 190 development projects to be put on hold.

Colonel Tom Collins, spokesman for the the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said at a press conference on Sunday that the projects have been stopped due to extremist activity in the area, in reference to the increase in Taliban insurgency.

According to Collins, the projects being implemented by various NGOs, and which have had to be temporarily suspended, were in the areas of construction of health clinics, bridges and power supply.

He did not specify the projects or the area where they were being implemented.

The ISAF spokesman said that even though the anti-government miscreant activities persist, a two-kilometre road, a bridge, health centers and a primary school with a library had successfully been constructed in the Sangin district of Helmand province.

Helmand is one of Taliban strongholds in the south and according to Assadullah Wafa, the provincial governor, four districts of the province, including Musa Qala, are under Taliban control.

NATO and Afghan forces launched their largest military offensive in the country a week ago to root out the anti-government elements in the province. The joint offensive code-named Operation Achilles focuses on the northern districts of Helmand.

Collins said the operation had caused heavy losses to the opponents and that it was progressing successfully. The ISAF spokesman also informed journalists about the deployment of six German Tornado airplanes, which will be used in the Balkh province and will be operational by end-April.

Collins rejected that the opposition possessed anti-aircraft weaponry. He said there has been no incidence of ISAF aircraft being brought down by any anti-aircraft missile or any other anti-aircraft weapons.

Concern increased over opposition access to anti-craft guns after a helicopter of coalition forces crashed in Zabul province, three weeks ago. A Taliban spokesman said they had hit the plane and added that they had access to anti-aircraft weapons.

WB ready to facilitate Pak-Afghan water treaty on lines of Indo-Pak Indus Water Treaty

Malaysia Sun - Monday 12th March, 2007  (ANI) - Islamabad, Mar 12 : The World Bank has shown its willingness to conduct a feasibility study for a water treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the lines of the 1960 Indus Water treaty between India and Pakistan, provided both the countries desire so.

John Wall, the Country Director World Bank, said the bank would facilitate both Islamabad and Kabul to enter into a water treaty on the pattern of the 1960 treaty between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Pakistan has already made a plan to construct big dams on the Indus River, which draws water from Afghanistan through the Kabul River. Pakistan wants to ensure its water share as the low riparian land for its sustained water resource development.

Officials said regarding the treaty with Kabul, the WB has already asked one of the United Nations (UN) agencies to help collect data on water from Afghanistan, which is the upper riparian country. The data is required for the draft of the treaty.

Work on its collection has already started and the federal government is in touch with Kabul through the World Bank, The News quoted an official as saying.

Islamabad and Kabul had felt the need for a treaty between them on the sharing of the water of the Kabul and Kunhar rivers and other tributaries entering Pakistan from Afghanistan.

For this, the government of Pakistan had formed a nine-member committee on September 9, 2003 headed by the chairman of the Flood Commission.

Member Water Wapda, director-general of Foreign Office for Afghanistan and ECO countries, the joint secretary of Law and Justice Ministry, additional chief secretary NWFP, additional secretary Balochistan, managing director National Engineering Services of Pakistan and chairman Indus River System Authority (Irsa) are the members of the committee.

"The committee was assigned the task of making a draft of the water treaty within three months, but it failed to do so because Afghan authorities did not cooperate. Now the WB would help draw up the draft of the treaty," the official said.

He said Afghanistan wished to start a hydroelectric project on the Kabul River and develop the Kama irrigation project, which was why both the countries felt the need for a water treaty to ensure that the rights of the lower riparian state are protected.

He said the nine-member committee had prepared an interim report, which said that about 17 million acres feet (MAF) of water entered Pakistan through the Kabul River every year. Currently, Afghanistan irrigates 12,000 acres of land with water from the Kabul River.

According to the official, if the Hamid Karzai Afghan government goes ahead with its hydroelectric project on the Kabul River and the Kama irrigation project, it would be able to irrigate another 14,000 acres, using another 0.5 MAF of water.

The interim report, which will be submitted to the government within the next few days, further said that a reduction of 0.5 MAF of water in the Kabul River would have a negligible effect on Pakistan's water share, the official said.

Afghan smuggler arrested

KABUL: An Afghan man was arrested at the central post office in Kabul when he tried to mail a coat fitted with eight pounds of heroin to London, Afghan television reported. The man had hidden the heroin in the lining of a traditional Afghan coat, the national broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan reported.

Afghanistan produces 92 percent of the world's opium, the main ingredient for heroin, according the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Most of it is smuggled across the borders with Pakistan and Iran.

The government and its allies have stepped up measures against the country's drug trade, worth about $3 billion dollars annually, which experts say helps finance the Taliban.

Distance Learning for Afghanistan

Government ministry tackles education problem by offering “open university” classes on television. Institute for War & Peace Reporting- By Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi (ARR No. 244, 9-Mar-07)

Farzana, 28, teaches in a girls’ school in Balkh province. She herself has only completed a 12-year school education since she was unable to go to university, as there are far fewer places than applicants. When she heard that she might be able to get a higher education via television, she was enthusiastic.

“My students can’t learn much from me because I’m not a professional teacher. If I can do study courses on television, my life will change completely,” she said.

The fall of the Taleban regime saw a boom in public education, and thousands of Afghan children returned to the classroom. Many are now leaving high school and looking for new opportunities.

But according to the Ministry of Higher Education, the state university system can absorb only 30 per cent of those who wish to continue with their studies.

Afghanistan also has two private universities, the Afghan-American University and Kardan University, but fees of approximately 5,000 US dollars a year, in the case of the former , are well beyond the means of most Afghan families.

So the Ministry of Information and Culture, which has now absorbed the Ministry of Youth Affairs, has decided to institute the Open University, a system by which students can follow higher-level courses from the comfort of their homes.

The programme of study is not intensive: courses are offered just once a week, for two hours, on the national television channel which reaches most of the country. The government has also promised to rebroadcast the courses on local and private stations.

Gul Ahmad Yama, president of the Open University, said that the first year will be a trial period. “For the time being, we will offer only literature and history through the Open University, but over time we will be able to cover other essential subjects,” he said.

According to Yama, the curriculum is similar to that of more traditional universities. “Students are assigned text books at the beginning of the semester, they study at home, and they can contact lecturers via the internet if they have problems or questions,” he said.

The Open University will meet international standards, said Yama, and will use lecturers from Kabul University, the Afghan Academy of Sciences, and outside the country. So far about 2,000 students have signed up for the courses.

Once the trial period is completed and the university opens officially, it will award diplomas to its graduates. “Those who register must pass exams, like all students,” said Yama. All the costs will be borne by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

“This university is open to everyone,” said Yama. “We have suffered through many years of war, and now we need to spread education and culture throughout the country. The best way to do this nowadays is to use the media.”

Television learning is a novelty for Afghanistan. Ghulam Farooq Khpalwak, a lecturer at the engineering department of Balkh University in northern Afghanistsn, approves of using technology to promote education. In his 15 years of teaching, he has not seen anything like it.

“The professors who are taking part in this project are quite capable. It will help them gain recognition and it will raise the [knowledge] level of students,” he said.

It is also a valuable lesson to Afghans, he added. “They will see that there are many ways of learning besides the classroom.” But Khpalwak cautioned against placing too much hope in the Open University.

“This system will have problems of its own, and we should not rely on it too much,” he said. “We have a lot of difficulties in our own universities –shortages of textbooks and teachers. - and the Open University will be no exception.”

The Ministry of Higher Education is even more cautious about a project in which it is not directly involved. According to deputy minister Suraya Paikan, the Open University is not a recognised educational institution and the certificates it grants will not be valid.

“This programme does not meet the standards set for higher education,” she said. “The Ministry of Information and Culture can only offer informative programmes. They have no authority to be doing higher education.”

Paikan acknowledged, however, that the initiative could play a valuable role in making information more widely available to people in Afghanistan.

“If [Open University officials] ask, we will offer them our teachers for lectures,” she said.

Yama admits that the programme is not yet certified, but insists that the Open University will eventually gain recognition.

“We are taking all the steps needed to establish a university,” he said. “When we get to the stage of asking the Ministry of Higher Education for registration, we will have everything ready.”

Young people are eager for the programme, regardless of the debate taking place among educationists.

Nazar Muhammad, 30, a resident of Baghlan Province, has not been able to get a place at university. “I am very hopeful that I will be able to study through the Open University,” he said. “And I can do it without giving up my job.”

But a televised curriculum will be of little benefit in those remote parts of Afghanistan that have no access to television either because they have no electricity or because the TV signal does not reach there.

Jamshid, 31, lives in the Sayad district of the northern province of Sar-e-Pul. He would very much like to continue his studies, but fears the TV courses will not help him.

" I want to study and I’m very grateful to the government for paving the way, but as long there is no television here, it will be of little benefit,” he complained.

Yama recognises the project’s technical limitations, but at the moment he can do little about them. “The Ministry of Information and Culture is trying to extend its influence all over Afghanistan, but we have limited resources right now,” he said.

Still, there are some people who will not let difficulties stand in their way. Norulhaq, who lives in the remote Kohistanat district of Sar-e-Pul province, is going to study no matter what.

“If the government gives us this possibility, why shouldn’t we welcome it?” he asked. “If we wait until television comes to our village, we will never have any opportunities. I am going to buy a generator and a digital antenna. I want to study now!”

Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is an IWPR reporter in Balkh province.

Congressional Caucus on Afghanistan formed

NEW YORK, Mar 11 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Friends of Afghanistan in the US Congress have formed a 'Congressional Caucus on Afghanistan' to ensure a more active role in resolving the trouble in the war-battered country.

Influential Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson have been nominated by their respective parties to head the caucus as its co-chairmen. Wilson is also co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on India.

A Congressional source told Pajhwok Afghan News the objective behind the formation of the Caucus has been redefined and expanded. First constituted in the 107th Congress, the Caucus so far had two objectives. First, to promote and strengthen bilateral relationship, and secondly to develop and improve long-term political and security relationship.

At present, the Congressional Caucus has about one and half dozen Congressmen from the House of Representatives. Its strength is expected to increase as the Caucus expects more members to join them once an introductory letter is sent to all members of the 110th Congress.

The new caucus has included four additional objectives so as to make it more pro-active, the Congressional source said. The objectives are: To enhance economic relations, to support increase academic interaction, to support Afghanistan's efforts towards socio-economic and human resources development, and finally to eradicate terrorism and bring peace and true democracy in the country.

[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.]