AFGHANISTAN DAILY NEWS BULLETIN 06/ 10 / 2013
Compiled by the embassy of afghanistan in canada
In this Bulletin:
- Transcript of Remarks Delivered by President Karzai at the 10TH US-Islamic World Forum
- Nawaz Sharif to Expand Its Ties With Afghanistan
- All Seven Insurgents Killed in Kabul Airport Clash: Officials
- Taliban beheads two boys in southern Afghanistan
- U.S. mission in Afghanistan needs clarity from Obama administration
- Army leaders walk fine line as Afghan advisers
- New German consulate opens in Afghanistan
- Germany To Keep 600 to 800 Troops Post 2014 in Afghanistan
[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.]
Transcript of Remarks Delivered by President Karzai at the 10TH US-Islamic World Forum
June 9, 2013, Doha, Qatar-Ladies and gentlemen! President Karzai is someone who needs no introduction especially to this audience, but he has earned one. He is of course the 12th President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He was first elected as chairman of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan after the ousting of the Taliban on December fifth, 2001 and subsequently confirmed by a Loya Jirga. In 2004, he was elected President and in 2009 he was re-elected President of Afghanistan. His friend, United States ambassador there, Ryan Crocker, once said that President Karzai has the hardest job in the world. I could add that it is probably the most [inaudible] job in the world and he has done it for eleven years and now he is preparing the ground for what in politics could be an even harder job ensuring the peaceful transition of power in a young but vibrant democracy. Despite all the difficulties, President Karzai has presided over the building and training of an afghan security force which is now leading the fight against the Taliban throughout the country.
Under President Karzai’s leadership, the Afghan economy has been growing at some 8 percent a year, something that we in the United States are jealous about. He has created circumstances in which the next generation of Afghans are showing remarkable talent and promise as they raised positions of government and private sector. He has presided over an multi-ethnic cabinet and through his leadership, Afghanistan has avoided the kinds of sectarian tensions vividly noticeable in other parts of the greater Middle East, so today, thanks to his leadership, nine million afghan children are in school, compared to less than half a million when he took power in 2001 and 40 percent of them are girls,
http://president.gov.af/en/news/21217
Nawaz Sharif to Expand Its Ties With Afghanistan
TOLOnews.com, 09 June 2013-Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that Pakistan wanted to expand its relations with Afghanistan and support the nation in its peace process.
He added that there needs to be a well-rounded policy to tackle the current situation in Afghanistan.
The premier added that Pakistan is ready to facilitate in the withdrawal process of coalition troops from Afghanistan and hoped that the Afghan Army and security forces would be able to manage the situation after the troops leave.
His comments came in after the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who is in Pakistan leading a six-member delegation, met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday.
Germany, which is a major stakeholder in Afghanistan, has made investments by stationing its troops and providing financial assistance. The German Foreign Minister also spoke to Nawaz Sharif about restoring peace in the war-torn country.
http://tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/10796-nawaz-sharif-to-expand-its-ties-with-afghanistan
All Seven Insurgents Killed in Kabul Airport Clash: Officials
TOLOnews.com, 10 June 2013-A group of seven Taliban insurgents who launched attacked at the Kabul International Airport early Monday, were killed in the assault, local officials said. Although, no civilians were killed in the attack, two were left wounded.
The attack took place at about 4 am after seven Taliban insurgents had taken shelter inside an under construction building in the area and started firing at the security forces, Gen. Ayub Salangi, the police chief of Kabul.
"One of the insurgents first blew himself inside a vehicle loaded with explosives in the area and the second inside the under construction building," Gen. Ayub Salangi, the Police Chief of Kabul said.
http://tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/10802-all-seven-insurgents-killed-in-kabul-airport-clash-officials
Taliban beheads two boys in southern Afghanistan
(Reuters) 10 June 2013- Taliban fighters beheaded two boys aged 10 and 16 as a warning to villagers not to cooperate with the Afghan government, local officials said.
The boys, named Khan and Hameedullah, had travelled to Afghan army and police checkpoints near their home in the southern province of Kandahar, scrounging for leftover food to bring to their families, the officials said.
"The boys were on their way back ... when they were stopped by Taliban insurgents who beheaded them," the chief of Zhari district, Jamal Agha, told Reuters. "Both of them were innocent children and had nothing to do with government or foreigners."
The militants have beheaded dozens of people in the last two years, accusing them of aiding the government and its foreign backers led by the United States.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/10/us-afghanistan-beheadings-idUSBRE9590PA20130610
U.S. mission in Afghanistan needs clarity from Obama administration
The Washington Post, By the Editorial Board, June 9, 2013-THE SITUATION IN Afghanistan is looking more hopeful than most Americans might think — if they think at all about that ongoing war. Though heavy fighting this spring has shown the Taliban to be a still-formidable force, the group has so far failed to gain significant ground. The Afghan National Army this month will pass a milestone, taking over the lead role in security across the country. Meanwhile, voter registration has begun for a scheduled election next April that should give the country a new, democratically elected president — and perhaps a fresh chance at political stability.
One part of Afghanistan’s transition, however, is lagging: U.S. and NATO plans for continuing military support after the withdrawal of regular combat forces at the end of next year. At a ministerial meeting in Brussels last week, the alliance made only incremental progress toward committing itself to a plan to support the Afghan army beginning in 2015. The ministers approved a “concept of operations” for a non-combat training mission that would be restricted to five locations in the country, with the United States assuming responsibility for the north and east regions. But there was no agreement on troop numbers — largely because the Obama administration has yet to determine the size of the U.S. force.
At the last NATO ministerial discussion on Afghanistan, in February, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told his colleagues the U.S. contingent would number between 8,000 and 12,000 and that a separate counterterrorism strike force would be set up outside the training mission. But Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel declined to discuss the counterterrorism force in a news briefing, while the commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, refused to repeat Mr. Panetta’s troop numbers, saying it might be six to eight months before he would make a recommendation on the size of the follow-on force.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/us-mission-in-afghanistan-needs-clarity-from-obama-administration/2013/06/08/e1639930-cfa1-11e2-8f6b-67f40e176f03_story.html
Army leaders walk fine line as Afghan advisers
Associated Press, By Kristin M. Hall, June 9, 2013-Forward Operating Base Finely-Shields, Afghanistan
In previous years, the U.S. Army would have helped the Afghan National Army if their troops had run out of fuel or money or run into some other logistical problem, but with the U.S. getting ready for a significant withdrawal, the Americans are teaching the Afghans to rely on themselves.
The U.S. military's new role of trying to train and mentor a young Afghan army comes after nearly 12 years of war. U.S. troops have borne most of the fighting over the past decade, but now the Afghan military is taking the brunt of the fighting against a resilient insurgency while the U.S. takes on more of an advisory role.
It is a daunting task for both countries. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew Stader usually commands a field artillery battalion, but this year he's leading a team of military advisers in eastern Afghanistan for an Afghan National Army brigade.
http://news.yahoo.com/army-leaders-walk-fine-line-afghan-advisers-153820954.html
New German consulate opens in Afghanistan
Deutsche Welle, 09.06.2013-In a move to show Germany's commitment to a civilian partnership with Afghanistan after NATO combat troops fully withdraw in 2014, Germany has opened a new consulate there. The facility is in Mazar-i-Sharif.
At a ceremony in Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle promised Germany would support Afghanistan beyond the planned exit of NATO's combat troops from the country next year.
Germany currently has 4,200 combat troops in Afghanistan, but Westerwelle said Germany's engagement wouldn't end there.
"We won't leave Afghanistan in the lurch," he said.
To that end, Westerwelle officially opened Germany's first consulate in Afghanistan outside the capital, Kabul. The facility in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, near where many German troops are stationed, will soon employ around a dozen German diplomats. As a precaution against possible attacks from extremists, the building will have high security measures.
http://www.dw.de/new-german-consulate-opens-in-afghanistan/a-16868951
Germany To Keep 600 to 800 Troops Post 2014 in Afghanistan
TOLOnews.com, By Karim Amini, 08 June 2013-The German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who unexpectedly reached Kabul on Saturday, said that 600 to 800 German soldiers will remain in Afghanistan post 2014 and Germany will not forget Afghanistan post 2014.
The German Foreign Minister said that his country expects a transparent, free and democratic election in Afghanistan.After a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the German Foreign Minister opened a press conference with Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasool, during which he said that his country will not leave Afghanistan alone and fully cooperate for lasting peace and stability in the region.
Germany will provide assistance to Afghanistan in terms of fighting corruption, strengthening of good governance and empowering the civil society. "While we withdraw our combat troops during the stipulated time, we will not forget Afghanistan post 2014. The opening of a German Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif is a strong indication to the people of Afghanistan that we want to have a reliable and a sustainable relation with the country."
http://tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/10783-germany-to-keep-600-to-800-troops-post-2014-in-afghanistan
Khalid Khosraw
Political and Media Officer
Embassy of Afghanistan in Canada
Tel: 613-563-4223
Fax: 613-563-4962
Email: k.khosraw@afghanemb-canada.net
