In this bulletin:

• French to send reinforcements to Afghanistan, freeing U.S. to assist Canada
• Nato pledge on helicopters looms
• NATO unveils 'strategic vision' for Afghanistan
• Nato debates Afghanistan strategy
• Karzai Seeks bigger role for larger Afghan army
• Canada's conditions met, will remain in Afghanistan until 2011: Harper
• Afghanistan appreciates Canada's help: Karzai
• Harper expected to offer more Afghanistan details
• Brown tells Nato members to 'step up to the plate' and boost Afghanistan force
• NATO facing daunting challenges in Afghanistan despite achievements
• Airstrike Kills 3 in Afghanistan
• Afghanistan economy grew nearly 14 percent in 2007, new report says
• Paris international conference on Afghanistan to take place 12 June – Kouchner
• Afghan failure to meet IMF target casts doubt on debt relief: a report
• Afghan aid in doubt as tax goal missed
• The Times blamed for derailing Paddy Ashdown posting to Afghanistan
• Pakistan rejects Afghan minister's statement on nuclear waste
• Afghan opposition courts Taliban
• Kabul envoys in shipping boxes
• Rights groups to appeal Afghan detainees ruling
• French daily deplores lack of parliamentary vote on Afghan engagement
• Force ‘last option’ against militants, says NWFP CM
• NWFP Assembly slams CIA chief’s statement
• A Balancing Act in Pakistan

French to send reinforcements to Afghanistan, freeing U.S. to assist Canada

Canwest News Service Thursday, April 03, 2008

BUCHAREST, Romania - Canada's demand for reinforcements in the volatile south of Afghanistan was answered late Wednesday when France committed an additional battalion to the NATO mission.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy affirmed his country's commitment to Afghanistan in a speech at the NATO summit Thursday.

"France will play its full part in this collective action," said Sarkozy, who told a press conference Thursday that France would send 700 soldiers to Afghanistan. "I decided to ramp up France's military presence with a battalion to be deployed in the eastern region.

"Afghanistan is a strategic issue for international security. It is the central issue for relations between Islam and the West. Imagine what the consequences of a new terrorist state would be in that region of the world."

As a result of the French announcement, the United States confirmed it would deploy additional resources to the south, including Kandahar province, where 2,500 Canadian troops are located.

"It's good news for Canada and it's good news for NATO," Sandra Buckler, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's spokeswoman, told Canwest News Service. Harper had said he was "very optimistic" Canada would get the troops it wants, "whether we achieve it at this summit or the weeks to come."

Sarkozy made an impassioned plea for the Afghanistan mission, as he shared a podium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later Thursday afternoon. He pledged that French troops would do their part in the volatile eastern region along the Pakistan border.

"We want the security of Afghanistan, to rebuild Afghanistan," Sarkozy said. "If we want to leave one day, we must win today. "It's not when it's difficult that you abandon your friends." The French reinforcements will be deployed in the east of Afghanistan, an area heavily manned by American forces.

U.S. President George W. Bush thanked Sarkozy for his troop contribution to the U.S.-led eastern region at the top of the leaders' closed-door morning session Thursday, saying that would enable the U.S. to supply the 1,000 troops needed to assist Canada further south in Kandahar.

The Canadian troops in Kandahar province, along with Dutch and British allies, were recently reinforced by 2,000 U.S. marines, sent to the south on what was to be a seven-month mission. Eighty-one Canadian soldiers and a Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002. 

The demand for additional troops in the south, and medium-lift helicopters to assist them, was the major recommendation outlined in a report by former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley before Canada would commit to an extended mission in Afghanistan.

Parliament voted to extend the Canadian mission beyond a February 2009 deadline in the wake of the Manley report and in anticipation that the additional troops would be found.

France's new commitment will bolster the 1,500 troops it has already deployed in the capital of Kabul.

Earlier, Harper had stressed that Sarkozy had made Canada no promises and he "has made no ironclad commitment to NATO." But Harper said anything France announces this week can be seen as a win at a summit that has been touted as balm for the battered and divided NATO alliance desperately in need of a public display of solidarity and progress in Afghanistan.

"I think anything France does over and beyond what it's already doing is a victory," Harper said. "Increased French engagement, of any number in any province is a good development at this summit."

During a symposium in advance of the summit, Harper said NATO might have underestimated the early threats in Afghanistan by committing too few troops in the first years after the fall of the Taliban.

That candid assessment was one of several that Harper offered in a wide-ranging discussion that saw the Canadian prime minister firmly in the glare of the international spotlight at a 90-minute question and answer session.

"It appears to me that early on NATO concluded the job was much easier than it was actually going to be.

We threw out the Taliban, we secured Kabul . . . It was only, I think really, 2005-on that we fully grasped the nature of the security problem," the prime minister told an audience of some 300 think-tankers and international luminaries.

"The fact of the matter is that we all under committed, we all underestimated the task and we've been compensating ever since."

Harper's views on Afghanistan's justice system, negotiating with the Taliban, the pace of reconstruction, the ill-fated attempts to eradicate its flourishing opium trade, among others, were offered at a symposium sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Harper shared the stage with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

With a political battle behind him in Canada that has committed troops to 2011, Harper allowed the timeline for success in Afghanistan was not cut in stone.

"I think it depends on what you mean by success. If you took the definition of success as 'Afghan forces able to ensure a western equivalent security environment,' maybe that's a 20-, 25-year task. If you're saying 'Afghan forces able to manage the day-to-day security in most of the country,' we think that's an objective that if we put our focus and determination towards it, is achievable in a much shorter time frame."

Harper also endorsed Karzai's policy on reconciliation efforts with the Taliban - that less hardened Taliban adherents are welcome back into Afghan society as long as they disavow links to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups and agree to live peacefully under Afghanistan's constitution.

Harper said that is different from what proponents of broad-based negotiations with the Taliban, such as Canada's federal NDP, are calling for.

"That's different from the naive view of saying bring your guns and we'll kind of lay down our arms, which is the view of the element you talk about in Canada. It's not realistic. What President Karzai said is not only realistic, but I think is absolutely desirable."

Harper and his fellow leaders will discuss Afghanistan in depth at a special meeting today that will include NATO partners from 14 countries, the UN and Karzai himself.

Nato pledge on helicopters looms

Britain's Nato allies are to send 18 additional helicopters to Afghanistan to aid the fight against the Taliban, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.

And he said that eight members of the alliance which are not providing troops for Afghanistan have signed up to a new fund to support the military effort.

Mr Brown said the agreements, due to be formally announced on Friday, meant this week's Nato gathering in Romanian capital, Bucharest, should be seen as "the burden-sharing summit".

Under current Nato arrangements, nations providing troops for operations are also expected to fund them, leading to a financial drain on countries like the UK, US, Canada and the Netherlands which supply the bulk of combat troops in the south of Afghanistan.

The run-up to Nato's largest ever summit has seen a chorus of calls for other member states to take up a greater share of the operational and financial burden.

Speaking to reporters in Bucharest, Mr Brown said: "The most immediate need in Afghanistan is helicopters. And I think we will be able to announce soon that 18 new helicopters have been pledged by the different countries."

The Prime Minister added that when countries were either unwilling or unable to provide personnel on the ground in Afghanistan, they could now contribute either money or equipment to a trust fund.

"Eight countries have already agreed to be part of the trust fund that we, the UK, have set up after discussions with the French," he said. "This is going to be the model for the future."

Mr Brown did not name the countries expected to contribute to the fund or provide helicopters.

NATO unveils 'strategic vision' for Afghanistan

DPA 4.3.08 - Bucharest - NATO leaders meeting in Bucharest on Thursday were set to unveil a document outlining their "strategic vision" for Afghanistan. The four-page text was expected to call on the 26 NATO members and on the 14 non-NATO countries which contribute forces to the UN- mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to maintain a "shared long-term commitment" in Afghanistan.

According to the document's draft, the allies vow to support the Afghan leadership, bring together civilian and military efforts, and increase cooperation with Afghanistan's neighbours, "especially Pakistan".

The allies are also asked to ensure that they provide "maximum possible flexibility" in the use of forces by commanders on the ground ISAF and to fill remaining shortfalls.

Earlier on Thursday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged to send an additional battalion of 700 men to eastern Afghanistan. Poland and the Czech Republic are among other NATO members that have vowed to beef up ISAF's 47,000-strong force.

The document was launched at a NATO meeting in Bucharest which was also attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso

Nato debates Afghanistan strategy

BBC - Nato leaders are discussing the conflict in Afghanistan, on the second day of a summit in Romania. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will join talks aimed at devising a strategy to stabilise the country.

Earlier, France confirmed it would send a battalion of troops to the east of the country. The US said the pledge would free up some of its troops to bolster Canadian forces in the south.

Canada had threatened to withdraw its contingent in Kandahar province unless other Nato countries sent reinforcements. Having suffered rising casualties in the south, it wants its forces to be reinforced with a 1,000-strong battle group, along with helicopters and unmanned aircraft.

On Thursday, President Bush and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown are expected to urge more members of the military alliance to commit troops or extra resources to the battle against the Taleban.

France's contribution of around 800 troops was confirmed in a speech to a session of allied leaders by President Nicolas Sarkozy. "I have decided to reinforce the French military presence with a battalion deployed in the eastern region," he said.

But Gen Daniel McNeill, commander of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force, (Isaf) has asked for as many as 10,000 more troops, in the form of two combat brigades and a brigade of trainers.

Isaf's numbers have risen from 33,000 troops to 47,000 in the past 15 months, in response to a resurgence from the Taleban and other militants.

In other developments at the summit in Romania, Nato is discussing how to maintain links with Georgia and Ukraine after indicating that it would not be offering them membership. Delegates have only agreed on a closer relationship with the two states in the future.

President Bush had called for the two former Soviet republics to be allowed to join the alliance, but the move is opposed by Germany and France.

Karzai Seeks bigger role for larger Afghan army

The Guardian, 4.3.08 – Bucharest: Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, is expected to propose a radical expansion of the Afghan army today and call for his troops to take over security responsibilities in Kabul from Nato, according to officials at the alliance's summit in Bucharest. The news came after dismal day for Nato leaders, with the alliance unable to agree on new members. The summit was split on whether to offer membership prospects to Georgia or Ukraine, while Greece was able to block Macedonian membership single-handed. Croatia and Albania were invited to join the alliance.

Karzai's proposal is an attempt to compensate for a shortfall in international troop contributions to Afghanistan. Under the plan, the Afghan army would assume security responsibilities in the capital before the end of the year. It would eventually expand its strength from 55,000 to 120,000, well above the ceiling of 86,000 agreed earlier this year with the Afghan government's international backers.

The proposal will be discussed by Nato leaders at a meeting on Afghanistan that will hammer out a new mission statement for the 47,000-strong alliance force there. A bigger role for the Afghan army will be portrayed as a bright spot for the summit. The alliance is at odds over troop contributions in Afghanistan, where the US, Britain and Canada feel they are bearing a disproportionate weight.

James Appathurai, Nato's spokesman, said the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, had offered to send a battalion - about 700 troops - to Afghanistan's eastern front, which will release US troops to support embattled Canadian forces in the south. But the French offer is less than expected.

Canada had threatened to withdraw its forces from the southern Afghan province of Kandahar unless other Nato members provide reinforcements and equipment.

Gordon Brown, who arrived in Bucharest yesterday evening, said: "We believe there could be a greater burden-sharing, with countries providing equipment even where this will be used by the forces of other countries ... This is about people coming up to the plate."

According to sources familiar with the draft mission statement, it will emphasise the need for a shared long-term commitment in Afghanistan. It will also call for:

· Afghan troops to take the lead wherever possible in fighting the Taliban and providing security.

· Greater coordination between civilian and military arms of the international presence in Afghanistan.

· Pressure on Afghanistan's neighbours to contribute more to pacification. Pakistan is seen as its most troubling neighbour, with Taliban forces using its territory as a haven from which to mount attacks.

Greece was bitterly opposed to the accession of Macedonia, favoured by the rest of the alliance, because of the former Yugoslav republic's name, which Athens argues implies a territorial claim on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. "For the moment, Greece is not in a position to agree to the entry of Macedonia and it will be Croatia and Albania first," Spain's foreign minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos told reporters late last night.

George Bush also pushed hard for an offer of membership action plans (Maps) - which list the requirements for joining Nato - to Ukraine and Georgia, but faced resistance led by Germany and France. Britain backed offering Maps to the two former Soviet republics, but not at the expense of Nato unity. A late night debate among the leaders failed to resolve the disagreement.

Canada's conditions met, will remain in Afghanistan until 2011: Harper

BUCHAREST, Romania — The key conditions laid down by Parliament for keeping Canadian troops in Afghanistan have been fulfilled, Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared Thursday.

His statement came half way through a meeting with NATO allies in this former Cold War capital. The certainty of American reinforcements for Kandahar, NATO's approval of a comprehensive political-military plan for the war-ravaged country as well as progress toward acquiring battlefield equipment gave Harper the confidence to state that Canada will remain in Afghanistan.

"Today I can report that we have met these conditions," Harper said.

Speaking at a news conference at the NATO summit, Harper said Canada's engagement in Afghanistan "has been widely appreciated and respected by all our NATO allies."

Harper said he had no doubt his requests for reinforcements would be met because Canada's voice on Afghanistan is taken seriously by leaders of NATO countries.

Canada has made significant progress in getting helicopters and unmanned aerial drones to support Canadian troops operating in southern Afghanistan, he said.

And now France has committed a battalion of soldiers to eastern Afghanistan, enabling the movement of U.S. forces to the south to reinforce the Canadians - another condition for the extension.

Harper said Canada anticipates that the American deployment to Kandahar would "more than meet our needs."

He praised France for making an important commitment by sending the "significant number of troops" to Afghanistan and signalling a re-engagement with NATO.

Harper said he never doubted the allies with come through and conceded he had more reservations about getting the extension past Parliament than delivering more troops, equipment and a coherent vision for the Afghan mission.

Despite widespread speculation, Harper denied he had received iron-clad assurances from other world leaders.

Earlier Thursday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the summit France will send hundreds of combat soldiers to bolster NATO in Afghanistan.

Sarkozy challenged the alliance to agree on conditions for success in the war-ravaged country.

"France will play its full part in this collective action," Sarkozy said in his speech.

"I decided to ramp up France's military presence with a battalion to be deployed to the eastern region."

The speech did not spell out the number of troops, but speaking to reporters afterward he said the number is 700.

Sarkozy told the leaders that NATO must agree to remain committed to the mission over the long term, implement a comprehensive military and political strategy and gradually hand over responsibility to the Afghans.

U.S. President George W. Bush thanked Sarkozy for the contribution during the closed door session and said he'll now be able to move American forces to help the Canadians in Kandahar, said a senior NATO official.

Sarkozy made a passionate plea for the alliance's mission in Afghanistan during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"If we want to leave Afghanistan one day, we must win today," he said.

"It's not when it's difficult that you abandon your friends."

A senior American official said the French are not the only ones expected to increase their commitment.

"There were also a number of countries who made very clear that they are going to increase their own contribution, whether in terms of military forces, in terms of training forces, in terms of further funds for reconstruction, further commitment on the civilian side," said the official.

The official did not name the countries, but said they were expected to make formal presentations Thursday. NATO currently has 47,000 soldiers in Afghanistan.

Ottawa had threatened to withdraw its 2,500 soldiers from Kandahar unless NATO came up with 1,000 reinforcements and the Canadian Defence Department was able to acquire battlefield helicopters and unmanned spy planes.

The French decision takes some heat off Harper, who is slated to meet Thursday with the British and Australian prime ministers, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The Americans have said, as a result of the French decision, they will commit additional resources to the southern region, including Kandahar, where the Canadians have been demanding help.

The Pentagon has sent 3,500 U.S. marines to Kandahar for a seven-month deployment and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, says they are currently not scheduled to be replaced when their tour expires.

Afghanistan appreciates Canada's help: Karzai

Updated Wed. Apr. 2 2008 6:52 AM ET

The Canadian Press- BUCHAREST, Romania -- The back room arm-twisting and dealing gets underway today among NATO countries.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper started Wednesday meeting with both the secretary general of NATO and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Canada has requested reinforcements and extra equipment in order to continue its mission in Kandahar.

The French sent another signal yesterday that they are prepared to send more soldiers into the war-torn region, but there has been public backlash in France.

The Americans have repeatedly assured Harper that they are prepared to backstop the troop and equipment request, if no European NATO members step forward.

In shaking hands with Harper, Karzai said that his country appreciates Canada's help in defending and rebuilding Afghanistan `more than you can imagine.'

Harper expected to offer more Afghanistan details

Updated Thu. Apr. 3 2008 9:08 AM ET, CTV.ca News Staff

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was said to have a spring in his step as he arrived at NATO meetings Thursday morning, one day after learning the demand for 1,000 more troops had been answered.

Harper was expected to address NATO members on Thursday, along with Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier and Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

CTV's Graham Richardson told Canada AM Harper was expected to provide more specifics and possible a timeline for the Afghanistan effort.

"We'll hear from Prime Minister Stephen Harper as well as other officials about what this will mean on the ground in Afghanistan for Canadian soldiers," Richardson said.

Harper had said Canada would end its combat role in Afghanistan in 2009 unless NATO members provided an additional 1,000 troops to be deployed to Kandahar, as well as equipment.

The news came yesterday that the call for more troops had been answered.

Sandra Buckler, director of communications for Harper, told reporters that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has offered a battalion of soldiers -- normally around 700-800 troops -- to be deployed to the eastern region of Afghanistan.

"Subsequently, the Americans have confirmed that, as a result, they will commit additional resources in the south, including Kandahar province," she said.

It is understood that American troops in eastern Afghanistan will be redeployed to the south once they are replaced by the French.

The U.S. troops being sent to the south are expected to number 1,000.

The announcement is expected to officially be confirmed on Thursday, possibly in a speech by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Richardson said the development is a coup for the Conservative government.

"If Canadians are nervous or unsure about where the war is going, Stephen Harper now has something in his pocket he can talk about -- help, a partner, extra soldiers and extra equipment in Kandahar, something the soldiers or the military have been asking for for quite a long time," he said.

Harper has also called for more equipment, such as drones and helicopters. CTV reported Tuesday night that Canada will also lease aerial drones from the U.S. at a cost of $165 million, and procure between four to six Chinook helicopters and an unspecified number of light-armoured vehicles from the U.S. army.

Canada has been front and centre during the summit, with Harper pushing the Afghanistan issue to near the top of the agenda for the leaders gathered at the summit.

Another major issue has been efforts by Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO -- a move that is being backed by U.S. President George Bush, but is opposed by Russia.

"On a difficult day at the summit, when many people couldn't agree about new members such as Ukraine and Georgia, this is being seen as a bright spot," Richardson said. The meetings wrap up Friday.

Brown tells Nato members to 'step up to the plate' and boost Afghanistan force

Last updated at 00:36am on 3rd April 2008

Gordon Brown is joining George Bush in urging Nato allies to send more troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister called on Western nations to "step up to the plate" as he arrived for a crunch summit of the transatlantic alliance.

The plea came amid warnings from former UN envoy Lord Ashdown that Nato is "getting pretty close" to losing control of Afghanistan. Britain has around 8,000 troops in the country, mainly in the war-torn southern province of Helmand. Ninety-one have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion in October 2001.

Mr Brown is increasingly concerned that if other Nato countries fail to help out, Britain and the U.S. will have to send even more troops.

He wants some of his large European neighbours to follow the example of France, which is pledging extra troops to add to its contingent of 1,900, although the French said last night the figure was likely to be 'several hundred' rather than the 1,000 Nato hoped for.

Speaking on day one of the summit, Mr Brown said no Nato country should be on the sidelines.

"What I want is the process of burden-sharing to be more effective," he said. "We also believe there could be a greater burden-sharing with countries providing equipment even where this equipment will be used by the forces of other countries.

"We are setting up a Helicopter Trust Fund to enable countries to reequip their helicopters, to get them ready for Afghanistan and train the pilots to use them. "This is about people stepping up to the plate."

He said that even if members of the 26-nation alliance could not help with soldiers or kit, they could send men or women to train Afghan policemen, judges and civil servants.

Mr Brown's appeal comes amid mounting anger from leading participants – the U.S., Britain and Canada – that other countries are not playing their part, even though Nato as a whole pledged support.

Bush echoed his comments, saying: "We expect our Nato allies to shoulder the burden necessary to succeed. The question nations have to ask, is, is it worth it? My answer is absolutely it's worth it. Whatever the cost, we must win."

NATO facing daunting challenges in Afghanistan despite achievements

 KABUL, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Daunting challenges are lying ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), although the alliance has facilitated the post-Taliban Afghanistan to make considerable achievements over the past five years.

    "Since NATO took command of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2003, it has successfully expanded to cover the whole territory of Afghanistan, allowing the Afghan Government to gradually spread its influence into previously ungoverned areas," the alliance said in a report released on the eve of NATO summit in Romania.

    "Today, 60 percent of the country is relatively stable with no or few major security incidents. In those areas, the security environment has allowed greater progress in reconstruction, development, governance and counter narcotics," the report pasted on the alliance website said.

    Today's Afghanistan, with the support of international troops stationed in the country, has nearly 140,000-strong national security forces which includes both army and police. "At the strategic level, our main effort is to achieve our goals in Afghanistan by helping the Afghan government to develop its security forces to the extent that they can be effective without outside assistance," the report said.

    Afghanistan, according to the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB), a NATO-backed body, would have 80,000 troops by 2010and the target has been endorsed by JCMB while the Afghan Defense Ministry terms it insufficient, stressing that it needs up to 200,000-strong troops to independently safeguard the country's security.

    However, the newly brand and under training Afghan troops equipped with old Soviet Union-made weapons and newly provided U.S.-made equipment are not able to independently lead military operations against Taliban and al-Qaida operatives.

    NATO-led ISAF forces and the U.S.-led Coalition troops provide air support to Afghan forces when situation requires.

    Thanks to international troops for its contribution to stabilizing security in Afghanistan, more than 6 million Afghan children go to school and more than 80 percent of Afghans have access to health services.

    "By the end of 2007, 6.4 million children were in school, including 1.5 million girls. This is the highest number ever in the history of Afghanistan. In Kabul alone, there are five universities, comprising 14 faculties and 10,000 students. There were only about 900,000 children attending schools five years ago, and no girls, for whom education was illegal," NATO's report said.     

    It also said that in 2007, there were about 103 hospitals and 878 health centers across Afghanistan enabling more than 80 percent of the population to have access to health care, as opposed to 8 percent under the Taliban rule which ended in late 2001.

    The NATO-led ISAF forces have also been playing significant role in the reconstruction process of the war-ravaged Afghanistan as there are 26 civilian-military unites called Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) from ISAF nations involved in rebuilding activities.

    Over the past five years, according to NATO report, 440 irrigation canals have been built with ISAF support.

    In 2007, 1,080 projects had been completed and about 800 others are underway.

    Since the collapse of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan have made tremendous progress particularly in the field of communication as more than 3,000 km of roads have been asphalted.

    Currently, four mobile phone companies operate in the country and more than 3 million Afghans have cellular phones.

    However, ensuring complete security and eradicating opium poppyare among the daunting challenges lying ahead of NATO and the Afghan government striving to ensure long-term security in Afghanistan.

    For the past six successive years, Afghanistan has been toppingall poppy growing nations in the world as it supplies 93 percent of the raw material used in manufacturing heroin in the world.

    The NATO-led ISAF forces which expanded to current 47,000 troops have failed to annihilate Taliban and al-Qaida operatives in Afghanistan as conflicts and Taliban-related violence left morethan 8,000 people dead in the militancy-plagued country in 2007.

    Taliban outfit's notorious commander Mullah Brother vowed in a statement last Marchto launch so called "Spring Offensive" to intensify attacks against foreign troops deployed in Afghanistan.     

    Though Afghan and NATO forces have downplayed the threat, Taliban-led insurgency have claimed the lives of more than 300 people, mostly civilians, so far this year in the war-torn country,in the shape of suicide attacks and roadside bombings.

Airstrike Kills 3 in Afghanistan

By FISNIK ABRASHI – KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An airstrike in southern Afghanistan killed three armed militants, while a raid by U.S.-led coalition troops in the same region left several insurgents dead, officials said Thursday.

The airstrike Wednesday killed militants north of Kandahar city, the capital of the southern Kandahar province, deputy provincial chief Amanullah Khan said.

In neighboring Helmand province, U.S.-led coalition troops killed several insurgents during a raid targeting a Taliban commander in Kajaki district, the coalition said in a statement.

During the Tuesday raid the insurgents fired on the coalition soldiers before the troops returned fire, killing "a number" of militants and detaining four others, the statement said.

"As an added measure of safety, coalition forces temporarily relocated the compound's noncombatants to protect them from hostilities taking place," Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman, said in the statement.

Compounds in the region are usually walled areas with several mud-brick houses where extended families live.

The military said there were no civilian or coalition casualties during the raid.

Helmand, the biggest opium poppy-producing region in the world, has been the arena of the bloodiest battles between international troops and insurgents.

More than 8,000 people were killed in the insurgency in 2007, the deadliest year since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

Afghanistan economy grew nearly 14 percent in 2007, new report says

By RAHIM FAIEZ, Associated Press April 2, 2008

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's legal economy grew nearly 14 percent in fiscal year 2007, but the surge was hampered by corruption, insecurity and the lack of electricity, a new report said Wednesday.

The country's economic growth is expected to drop to 9 percent annually in 2008 and 2009, so long as foreign donor support continues and there is not another drought, according to the report by Asian Development Bank.

The government's ability to run the country effectively is seriously affected by pervasive corruption at all levels of administration, as well as by challenges posed by Taliban and other insurgents, especially in the country's south.

The government must combat corruption, overcome infrastructure bottlenecks and implement structural reforms in order to stimulate the private sector, it said.

"Private sector growth is needed for any economic resurgence, yet this is hampered by intermittent power supplies, poor land titling, corruption, insecurity and limited access to finance," the report said.

More than two-thirds of foreign assistance to Afghanistan is not channeled through the government, "which is a serious fiscal policy constraint, hampering expenditure prioritization, government development management and overall aid effectiveness," it said.

Another report released last week found that too much aid money meant for Afghanistan is wasted, with a vast amount being spent on the high salaries, security and living arrangements of foreign workers.

The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief, an alliance of 94 international aid agencies, said that since 2001, the international community has pledged US$25 billion in help but has delivered only US$15 billion.

Of that US$15 billion, some 40 percent of it _ or US$6 billion _ goes back to donor countries in corporate profits and consultant salaries, the ACBAR report said.

Paris international conference on Afghanistan to take place 12 June – Kouchner

Text of report by French news agency AFP - Paris, 1 April 2008: The international conference on Afghanistan, which is due to take place in Paris, will be held on 12 June, said Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner today, Tuesday.

Mr Kouchner, who was speaking in a parliamentary debate on the reinforcement of the French contingent in the country, said that this conference had been "expressly requested" by Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a visit by President Nicolas Sarkozy to Kabul on 22 December.

The minister added that this international meeting would be preceded by a "conference of the non-governmental organizations and civil forces in Afghanistan, to tell us what progress has yet to be made".

Sixty to 80 ministerial level delegations could attend the Paris conference, in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President Karzai, according to diplomatic sources.

This conference is to combine a collection of funds along the lines of conferences already held in France fo! r the Palestinians or Lebanon and a political meeting intended to establish a framework and a strategy for international efforts in these two countries.

The principle of this conference was announced on 18 January last by Mr Sarkozy, who did not, however give a date.

Afghan failure to meet IMF target casts doubt on debt relief: a report

Associated Press of Pakistan - LONDON, April 2 (APP)- The influential British daily ‘Financial Times’ has reported that International aid and debt relief for Afghanistan has been thrown into doubt by the country’s failure to honour an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and warnings that its three-year development master plan could be rejected.

According to the paper, Afghan Finance Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady last week admitted to donors that the government had failed to meet a target agreed with the IMF to raise $715m in taxes. At just 8.2 per cent of gross domestic product, the goal had been described by economists as “unambitious”.

At the same time, the paper said ,the World Bank and other donors have told the government that the latest drafts of the Afghan National Development Strategy, a document to which future funding and debt relief is pegged, is of such poor quality that it will be rejected if submitted in its current form.

Kabul’s failure to meet the tax revenue target and the risk that it will fail to produce an adequate development strategy have serious ramifications for both future international funding and the $10.6bn of debt relief it currently enjoys through the IMF-backed Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative.

The government has had almost three years to produce the development plan and received at least $15m from donors to support its drafting. Western observers in Kabul have caustically referred to it as the “world’s most expensive poverty reduction strategy”.

The document has been criticised for being unwieldy, lacking specifics and featuring free-market economic principles sitting uneasily with more statistic objectives.

The World Bank said the plan had not yet been rejected and that they looked forward to receiving the complete document - but time was running out.

A Ministry of Finance team has taken over the project in an attempt to get a workable document together before a donors’ conference in Paris in June, when the international community is expected to make future development pledges.

The hope had been that they would be able to use the existing strategy document as a basis for making future donations.

Under the terms of its agreement with the IMF, Afghanistan must produce a poverty reduction strategy which it has wrapped into its National Development Strategy - acceptable to the fund.

At the same time, Afghanistan must meet other obligations, including gradually raising its tax take, to make it less dependent on aid.

Ahady told donors in Kabul last week that the government fell short of the $715m target by about $50m because political turmoil in neighbouring Pakistan reduced customs revenues on imports into Afghanistan.

But members of the international community have questioned the explanation. An IMF team due to visit this month is to decide whether Kabul was at fault and could recommend that Afghanistan be stripped of its debt relief facility.

Afghan aid in doubt as tax goal missed

Financial Times, By Jon Boone in Kabul Published: April 1 2008

International aid and debt relief for Afghanistan has been thrown into doubt by the country’s failure to honour an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and warnings that its three-year development master plan could be rejected.

Anwar Ul-Haq Ahady, finance minister, last week admitted to donors the government had failed to meet a target agreed with the IMF to raise $715m (€458m, £362m) in taxes. At just 8.2 per cent of gross domestic product, the goal had been described by economists as “unambitious”.

At the same time the World Bank and other donors have told the government that the latest drafts of the Afghan National Development Strategy, a key document to which future funding and debt relief is pegged, is of such poor quality that it will be rejected if submitted in its current form.

The government has had almost three years to produce the document and received at least $15m from donors to support its drafting. Western observers in Kabul have caustically referred to it as the “world’s most expensive poverty reduction strategy”.

The document has been heavily criticised for being unwieldy, lacking specifics and with free-market economic principles sitting uneasily with more statist objectives.

A western official in Kabul said it “appeared the Afghans have tried to avoid making tough decision about priorities by simply throwing everything into the document”.

The World Bank says the plan has not yet been rejected and that they look forward to receiving the complete document, but time is running out.

A Ministry of Finance team has taken over the project in a desperate bid to get a workable document together before a donors’ conference in Paris in June when the international community is expected to make future development pledges.

The hope had been that they would be able to use the existing strategy document as a basis for making future donations.

Both the failure to meet the tax revenue target and the risk that it will fail to produce an adequate development strategy have serious ramifications for both future international funding and the $10.6bn of debt relief it currently enjoys through the IMF-backed Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

Under the terms of its agreement with the IMF, Afghanistan must produce a poverty reduction strategy – which the Afghans have wrapped into their National Development Strategy – acceptable to the fund.

At the same time, Afghanistan must meet other obligations, including gradually raising its tax take, to make it less dependent on aid.

Mr Ahady told donors in Kabul last week that the government fell short of the $715m target by about $50m because political turmoil in neighbouring Pakistan reduced customs revenues on imports into Afghanistan.

But members of the international community have questioned the explanation, and an IMF team due to visit this month is to decide whether Kabul is at fault. They could recommend that Afghanistan be stripped of its debt relief facility.

The Times blamed for derailing Paddy Ashdown posting to Afghanistan

Michael Evans, Defence Editor, in Bucharest - From The Times, April 3, 2008

President Karzai blamed yesterday what he called an “extremely ethnic” report in The Times for his decision to turn down the appointment of Lord Ashdown as the United Nations super envoy for Afghanistan.

The Afghan president did not explain why he had drawn a connection between what had appeared in The Times and how he had made up his mind about the former Liberal Democrat leader, but he insisted that he had initially approved the appointment, then changed his mind.

President Karzai was speaking at a conference in Bucharest run by the German Marshall Fund of the United States before the formal opening of the Nato summit in the Romanian capital.

After appearing on a panel to discuss Afghanistan in front of an audience of leading politicians and academics, he faced questions and someone asked him why he had vetoed Lord Ashdown for the role of UN envoy. His appointment was backed by Britain, the United States and every other Western government.

Mr Karzai first responded by saying: “I didn’t veto the appointment of Lord Ashdown. I knew of him as the leader of the Liberal Party [sic] and I was familiar with his achievements.”

He said he had agreed the terms of reference for the appointment which was to be made by the UN Secretary-General, and that he prepared to meet Lord Ashdown either in Kabul or at the Davos conference in Switzerland in January to talk about the job.

However, “unfortunately stories appeared in the press, in The Times, about Afghanistan, in extremley ethnic terms”, he said.

He made it clear he did not enjoy the references made in an editorial in the newspaper and as a result, “with a heavy heart, I didn’t want to do it, I decided to decline [Lord Ashdown]”.

Mr Karzai went on: “He’s a good man and he’s British [for whom] I have tremendous admiration. But I had to do it without my liking.”

However, he admitted that Lord Ashdown, who had gained experience in a similar role as UN High Representative in Bosnia, “would have been of great help”.

When Lord Ashdown’s name was withdrawn from the candidacy, the UN was presented with a significant dilemma because, as one British diplomat put it, “it was a shortlist of one”.

Eventually a Norwegian diplomat called Kai Eide was selected for the post. Mr Eide arrived in Kabul last Friday.

The editorial suspected of upsetting the Afghan leader appeared on January 16. Describing President Karzai’s “precarious position” in Kabul, The Times said: “Ethnically, he is a lonely Pashtun in a government made up largely of Tajik veterans of the Northern Alliance.”

Lord Ashdown suggested yesterday that had he been appointed he may have faced a tricky relationship with President Karzai. "Almost did, but thankfully didn't," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme of his near-appointment.

He added that what Afghanistan needed was not just more Nato troops but “a stable government”.

"You can defeat the enemy militarily on the battlefield but what we have to do is win the political battles,” he said.

Lord Ashdown gave warning that Nato was getting close to losing in Afghanistan. “I’m not saying for a moment that we have lost. I’m saying that we’re getting pretty close,” he said.

Pakistan rejects Afghan minister's statement on nuclear waste

ISLAMABAD, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Wednesday termed as baseless a statement from an Afghan cabinet minister that Pakistan had dumped nuclear waste in southern Afghanistan during Taliban period.

Afghanistan Parliamentary Affairs Minister Farooq Wardag was quoted as saying that Pakistan had buried nuclear waste in Kandahar and Helmand when Taliban were ruling the areas.

"The Afghan minister regarding dumping of nuclear waste by Pakistan in Afghanistan was baseless," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said at the weekly news briefing here.

He said disposal of nuclear waste was strictly regulated in accordance with the international standards.

"Our nuclear power stations are under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards which not only keeps an oversight on their operations but also on storage of nuclear waste which has to be fully accounted for," Sadiq said.

Afghan opposition courts Taliban

Talks began in 2007, a powerful coalition revealed last week. Experts say the move, an effort to undercut the government, could draw Taliban into the political process.

Kabul, Afghanistan - The country's most powerful opposition group announced last week that they have been engaging in peace talks with the Taliban. The move signals both the growing divisions within the Afghan government and the increasing possibility that elements of the insurgent group could be drawn into the political process, say analysts.

If successful, officials argue that the talks will change the way the United States deals with Afghanistan, by forcing Washington to contend with the opposition.

Representatives of the United National Front – an assemblage of ministers, members of parliament, and warlords led by former Northern Alliance commanders – say they have held secret talks with the Taliban for at least five months.

"Leaders of some Taliban sections contacted us," says Front spokesman Sayyid Agha Hussein Fazel Sancharaki, "saying, 'We are both Muslims, we are both Afghans, and we are both not satisfied with the government's performance.' "

The government, which has had a series of secret talks with the "moderate Taliban" since 2003, has in contrast taken a different approach to negotiations. It insists that the Taliban must first surrender completely – disavow armed insurrection and accept the foreign presence.

But some observers say this strategy is too stringent and will not produce fruitful talks. "Why are they negotiating with Taliban who aren't fighting?" former Taliban official turned political analyst Wahid Muzjda asks. "The problem is with those who are fighting the government, and yet the government refuses to speak to this group."

Mr. Sancharaki notes that his party will be more flexible in negotiations. "The Karzai government is using peace negotiations for political gain," he says, referring to President Hamid Karzai. "They will only talk to the Taliban if they lay down their weapons. This is impossible. But the National Front will have an agenda and a clear program for talks."

Perhaps to avoid being outmaneuvered by the opposition, Mr. Karzai's office responded by stating that both houses of parliament can negotiate directly with the insurgent group. The response marked a shift from previous policy in which Karzai tightly controlled the negotiation process.

The announcements come at a time when the government and the Taliban are

feeling increased pressure to come to the table.

Last year marked the bloodiest year of the insurgency yet – the United Nations reports that Taliban attacks and NATO reprisals killed more than 6,000 people, including at least 1,200 civilians. The nation also saw more than 130 suicide attacks in 2007, and 10 percent of the country is under Taliban control, according to a recent US intelligence estimate.

As frustration with the poor security conditions has chipped away at the government's support, analysts say that the Front is announcing the talks now in order to increase pressure on Karzai.

"[They] are trying to use the Taliban to enhance their leverage vis-à-vis Karzai, to force him to make concessions in terms of ministerial posts and other appointments," says Antonio Giustozzi, a research fellow at the London School of Economics.

As Karzai's foreign and domestic support slips, the Front hopes to use its new status as Taliban interlocutor to win international backing.

"The people of this country are turning against the international community because of the record of the Karzai government and the security situation," says Sancharaki. "The international community should look to the National Front as a partner in bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan."

The Front formed last year when former Mujahideen commander and president Burhanuddin Rabbani organized other strongmen and former Northern Alliance commanders in opposition to Karzai.

While the Front claims the support of 40 percent of members of parliament and scores of other influential figures, it still has difficulty shaking a checkered past.

Human rights groups allege that the commanders were behind many atrocities during the civil wars of the mid-'90s, and sections of the population consider

the commanders nothing more than warlords.

Talks with the Taliban increase the strength and prestige of the Front and further isolate Karzai, says Mr. Muzjda. "This is an election year," the political analyst says, referring to the spring 2009 presidential elections.

"They are trying to bolster their popularity and show that they are committed to peace." Regardless of their intentions, experts say that recent declarations of negotiations help draw the Taliban into the political process and convince all sides that a powersharing agreement is possible in the future.

"All these talks have the net effect of legitimizing the Taliban and weakening the rationale for foreign presence in Afghanistan," Mr. Giustozzi says.

While most expect the insurgency to continue for several years, the Taliban is facing increasing pressure to open dialogue – despite losses inflicted upon NATO and its Afghan allies, the insurgents have not been able to defeat the coalition in most conventional battles.

Although the core leadership is likely to resist peace talks, observers say that some Taliban commanders might be drawn to the Front due to shared antipathy for Karzai and to the opposition group's more flexible negotiation approach.

A recent Taliban statement openly called for coordination with the Front. "There is no doubt that the former ... commanders of Jihad have given a lot of sacrifices for Islam and for the path of freeing the country," the statement said, referring to Front leaders. "Now, it is necessary that they ... sacrifice once again against this invasion."

Yet ongoing deliberations in the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania – where members are debating troop commitments in Afghanistan – are convincing some insurgents to eschew negotiations and continue battling until all foreign soldiers leave the country, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi says in a phone interview.

Kabul envoys in shipping boxes

AUSTRALIAN embassy staff in Kabul are working out of reinforced shipping containers after an attack by Taliban suicide bombers forced the relocation of the mission.

The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed its Kabul embassy staff were using shipping containers for an office, citing difficulties in finding alternative and secure premises in the battered Afghan capital.

Eight people were killed, including an American, a Norwegian journalist and a Filipino woman in the January bombing and shooting attack on the well-guarded Serena Hotel, which housed the small Australian embassy.

Taliban threats of follow-up attacks caused the swift evacuation of the Australian mission and a temporary move into shipping containers, a DFAT spokesman said. The site of the temporary embassy cannot be revealed due to security concerns.

"It's their office facilities," a DFAT official said. "They have communications, appropriate equipment, phones, secure communications ... It's bomb-proof."

But the federal Opposition yesterday slammed the idea of a "containerised embassy", blaming the lack of proper office facilities on budget cuts by the Government.

"These reports are hugely disturbing," said Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb. "It is totally unacceptable to have Australian representatives who are working in one of the most dangerous theatres of war in the world expected to function and feel secure in shipping containers.

"This situation is against the background of the $58million cuts by the Rudd Government to the budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the proposed spending of $40million to lobby countries that are not a priority to Australia to secure a two-year seat on the UN Security Council."

Rights groups to appeal Afghan detainees ruling

Federal Court's decision not to halt transfer of captives into local custody 'failed to acknowledge the Charter,' Amnesty declares

PAUL KORING, The Globe and Mail (Canada) April 2, 2008 - Taliban fighters taken prisoner by Canadian troops in Afghanistan may be denied rights they would have if captured by British or U.S. forces, rights groups said yesterday as they announced an appeal of a Federal Court decision.

The case, which seems likely to end up in the Supreme Court of Canada, may determine whether the Constitution marches alongside Canadian troops waging war overseas.

Amnesty International and the B.C. Civil Liberties Association say that a ruling last month by Madam Justice Anne Mactavish "failed to acknowledge the Charter and international law obligations to prevent torture or ill treatment of prisoners" even after they are turned over to Afghan authorities.

Canadian handovers of detainees were stopped in November when compelling evidence of torture was found on a visit by Canadian diplomats to an Afghan prison. Prisoner transfers resumed three months later after yet another increase in monitoring arrangements and further promises from Kabul that abuse would stop and allegations of torture would be thoroughly investigated.

In the meantime, Judge Mactavish had refused to order a halt to transfers and ruled against the rights groups.

"British and American courts have ruled that some human rights protocols apply to detainees" captured by their armed forces in war zones, said Alex Neve, secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada. "Canada should be at the top of the heap in respect for human rights, not somewhere else," he added.

The British and U.S. rulings haven't been tested with respect to detainees captured and transferred in Afghanistan. The British case involved prisoners in Iraq. U.S. cases include some captured in Afghanistan and currently held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"This case is less about given rights to foreign detainees and more about preventing agents of our government from being ensnared in atrocities such as torture and genocide," said Jason Gratl, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

The government has argued that international law coupled with deals with the Afghan government provide all the protection needed to ensure detainees are not abused or tortured.

Canadian law already applies to Canadian soldiers deployed abroad. For instance, a criminal investigation into allegations that Afghan detainees were beaten by Canadian soldiers has been under way for more than a year, but there has been no decision on whether to lay charges.

The appeal announced yesterday is expected to be heard some time this fall.

Among the 11 grounds cited for the appeal, the right groups says the judge "erred in law by finding that the Charter does not apply to the detention of individuals by the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan despite the fact the Canadian Forces have 'complete control' over these detainees and cannot be compelled to turn them over to the custody of any other country, including Afghanistan."

French daily deplores lack of parliamentary vote on Afghan engagement

Text of report by French centre-left daily newspaper Liberation website on 1 April

The opposition is right to demand a debate on France's increasing involvement in this forgotten war. The French people and their representatives must know the reasons for and rules of this engagement against the Taleban and their Al-Qa'idah allies. A vote, though not explicitly envisaged by the Constitution, should be able to endorse the dispatch of French troops to combat zones.

Particularly with a president that has promised more transparency in foreign policy, from Cote d'Ivoire to Chad. A vote would also make it possible to clarify the positions of the majority and opposition in a war in which France has been engaged for six years and in which it has lost some 15 men.

Debates and votes have taken place in the United States, Canada, and Germany. A withdrawal by the Western countries, as the Socialists seem to want, would be synonymous with a military victory for the Taleban. It is simplistic to dismiss this combat as ! a US war. Unlike Iraq, the dispatch of Western forces was decided on by a UN resolution. The Western forces are not an "occupation army," as [Socialist leader] Francois Hollande says.

This is a difficult war, and the Afghan regime is deficient and corrupt. The fact remains that when the Taleban conquer a city, they begin by destroying girls' schools first. Then they impose their Islamist law. When they were in power, they protected Bin Laden. This is the struggle that French troops are waging in the Afghan mountains. It is important for deputies to decide whether they are willing to support it.

Force ‘last option’ against militants, says NWFP CM

Daily Times 02 April 08, By Zakir Hassnain

PESHAWAR: Authorities should only use force as a last resort against militants near the Afghan border, newly elected NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said on Tuesday.

Addressing the provincial assembly after being confirmed for the chief minister slot by Speaker Karamatullah Chagharmati, he said the use of force in the past made it harder to bring peace to the province. He said his government would, instead, promote dialogue at all levels. “We’ll make every effort to restore peace in the province. We’ll form traditional jirgas for peace,” he said.

Law and order: The chief minister said that he would announce a policy statement after receiving the vote of confidence from the House. However, he said law and order was the biggest challenge to the NWFP, adding that a large number of people had been killed in terrorist activities and there was a lot of destruction in the province. Hoti also said that provincial autonomy, unemployment, inflation, absence of foreign and local investment and lack of industries were some of the challenges facing his government.

Urging the international community to understand that people in the region were not terrorists, Hoti said, “We want peace. We want education. We don’t want suicide jackets and guns.”

The Awami National Party (ANP)’s Hoti was elected as NWFP chief minister unopposed on Monday. On Tuesday, Speaker Karamatullah Chagharmati told the House that six nomination papers had been submitted for Hoti and no candidates had been nominated in opposition.

A total of 113 members of the NWFP Assembly stood in favour of Hoti’s candidacy when the speaker sought the opinion of the House on it. Later, the newly elected chief minister thanked the lawmakers. All the parliamentary leaders congratulated the youngest chief minister in the province’s history — at 37-years-old — and assured him their full co-operation.

Also on Tuesday, NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani administered the oath of office to Hoti at Governor’s House amid tight security. Top military and civil bureaucracy, outgoing provincial caretaker ministers, federal ministers, MPAs and a large number of ANP and Pakistan People’s Party activists attended the ceremony, which started at 4.20pm.

ANP activists shouted slogans of “Fakhar-e-Afghan Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan” and Long live Pakhtunkhwa” shortly after the chief minister took oath.

NWFP Assembly slams CIA chief’s statement

Daily Times 02 April 08 - PESHAWAR: The NWFP Assembly on Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution calling on the federal government to take serious note of a statement made by United States CIA Chief Michael Hayden. Hayden had said the US was interested in targeting the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan where he said Al Qaeda had been planning attacks against the West. Awami National Party’s (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain tabled the resolution. Hussain said all differences should be resolved through dialogue and not by use of force.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary leader Pir Sabir Shah said Pakistan’s integrity was “in danger” because of “US interference”. PML-Quaid (PML-Q) parliamentary leader Qalandar Lodhi condemned what he called “foreign interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs”. ANP President Asfandyar Wali told reporters the democratic process had begun and the provincial assembly “will sit together, analyse the situation and devise ways and means of how to talk to the Taliban and resolve the problem”. Wali said his party was in contact with “some of the Taliban” and wanted to resolve the problem by peaceful means. staff report

A Balancing Act in Pakistan

Washington Post, Jayshree Bajoria Council on Foreign Relations, April 1, 2008

The new government in Islamabad has wasted little time making clear its disapproval of Washington's policy toward Pakistan and its strategy on counterterrorism. The visit by two top U.S. State Department officials on the same day the new Pakistani prime minister was sworn in was widely criticized (CNN) in Pakistan. New York Times correspondent Jane Perlez writes that the three-day trip by Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte "turned out to be [a] series of indignities and chilly, almost hostile, receptions," signaling challenges ahead in engaging Pakistan's newly elected government.

Islamabad's new leaders have asserted the decision-making process will now involve more than one man (Guardian), implying Washington will have to broaden its regular contacts within Pakistan beyond President Pervez Musharraf. The new government has also made it clear that it will no longer tolerate the death of civilians in anti-militant operations, and further, it prefers negotiating with militants as a strategy to counter extremism.

Yet while the Bush administration's official statements stressed cooperation, the Washington Post reported it continued to step up unilateral strikes against suspected militant hideouts inside Pakistan's tribal areas. The Post report says Washington wants to inflict as much damage as it can to al-Qaeda's network inside Pakistan before the new government puts a stop to U.S. air strikes. CFR's Daniel Markey says Pakistan's government needs to come to grips with the threat posed by internal militants but he also cautions against any heavy-handed U.S. approach to the threat. "The last thing we ultimately want to do is alienate the Pakistanis for short-term benefits," he says. "Killing another top-level [extremist] leader is probably not worth losing the relationship with Pakistan as a partner."

Experts say a shift in Pakistan's counterterrorism strategy could be worrisome for Washington at a time when militants from Pakistan's tribal areas continue to feed instability across the border, posing challenges to the NATO alliance in Afghanistan (NPR). Some have questioned Pakistan's willingness to fight this war. Matthew Cole, writing in Salon, revisits charges that Pakistani security forces have been abusing U.S. aid by double-dealing and assisting Taliban forces, allegations denied by Pakistani officials.

For much of the Bush administration, U.S. policy toward Pakistan has hinged on supporting Musharraf. "One of the chief drivers of Bush's foreign policy has been the president's own tendency to personalize diplomacy," writes Joshua Kurlantzick in the New Republic. This approach is drawing some critics in Washington and has been singled out by front-runners in the U.S. presidential campaign. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) have both been critical of Bush's policy and have advocated moving away from Musharraf. They have also said that future U.S. policy toward Pakistan must focus on economic aid that extends beyond counterterrorism efforts. The presumptive Republican nominee for president, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), has also pressed for economic development and education in Pakistan.

While this may signal a more comprehensive strategy for a future Pakistan policy, experts say Washington has to walk a bit of a tightrope in the country. No matter who calls the shots in Islamabad, the Pakistani army and its intelligence services remain important players in the U.S.-led "war on terror." Pakistani journalist Ayaz Amir writes in Pakistan-based The News that the " rethinking of the American alliance will have to come as much from General Headquarters as from the new National Assembly." The U.S. government has a long-standing relationship with Pakistan's military, as this timeline shows, and experts say it's unlikely the Pakistani army will be willing to cut these ties or forego U.S aid.

[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.]