#Austrian forces joined the International Security Assistance Force #ISAF in#Afghanistan in 2002, providing expertise and logistical support in the quest for #safety and #stability in Afghanistan #ISAFnic
Canadian
Forces Tribute - Kandahar Fields
Uploaded
on 5 Apr 2009
A
tribute to all the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, and all of the
ISAF (NATO), and to Katie Lamont- Kippel, singer of Kandahar Fields by Many
Waters Band. This was Katie's last performance. May she rest in peace.
-------------
News
- Afghanistan
Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in
Afghanistan
Sunday,
19 October 2014 19:22 Last Updated on Sunday, 19 October 2014 20:34
At an
event for the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, the Afghan Ministry of Public
Health (MoPH) as well as its non-profit partner organizations expressed
concerns regarding the lack of awareness about breast cancer in Afghanistan.
In
addition, MoPH officials stressed that the women who cannot afford to go abroad
for treatments lose their lives because of the lack of necessary health
facilities in the country.
"There
are no precise statistics for breast cancer in Afghanistan; however, we know
that there are many patients," head of Malalai Hospital Nasrin Oriakhil
said. "Just looking at our hospital, five of our employees have breast
cancer and they do not have access to proper treatment."
First
Lady Rula Ghani, who was present at the event, expressed concerns over
increasing cases of breast cancer in the country, pledging to support the
medical and mental well-being of Afghan women.
"Breast
cancer needs precise precautionary care and by increasing awareness and early
detection will help find against this disease," she said. "Women
should be able to take part in the health services and be part of defeating the
illness that threatens their lives."
The
first lady and the MoPH Acting Minister Soraya Dalil emphasized that the fight
against breast cancer can only succeed through proper awareness-building.
"October
19 is the day for the fight against breast cancer and the commitment to
building awareness about it," Dalil said.
Toward
the end, MoPH officials asked local and international donors to help
Afghanistan treat and build awareness about different types of cancer,
particularly breast cancer.
Because
of lack of statistics and research about the issue, the exact number of breast
cancer patients in Afghanistan is unknown. However, according to MoPH an
estimated number of 150,000 women are currently battling the disease. Officials
stress that smoking, drinking, late marriages and the decision not to
breastfeed are among some of the factors that increase the risks of breast
cancer in women.
-----------
Next
Five Years Are the Years for Hard Work: Abdullah
Saturday,
18 October 2014 13:06 Last Updated on Saturday, 18 October 2014 19:16 Written
by TOLOnews.com
Chief
Executive Abdullah Abdullah sat down with tribal elders, businessmen and Atta
Mohammad Noor, Governor of Balkh province, on Saturday in Kabul to discuss
their concerns and expectations of the National Unity Government.
During
the discussions Abdullah emphasized that the "next five years are the
years for hard work," stressing that for a successful government the
relationship between the people and the government must be "honest"
in order to reach the goals set.
He
began by addressing the electoral system that many have criticized has to be
amended as many have learned from the 2014 presidential and provincial
elections.
"We
have the district council and parliamentary elections ahead of us, but before
the elections near we will reform the electoral system, which in turn will
strengthen the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and take the nation a step
forward to a better future," Abdullah said.
The
meeting was attended by tribal elders and businessmen of eastern Kunar,
Nuristan, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces who raised their concerns about the
economic, security and educational issues in the provinces.
The
residents of Kunar have asked Abdullah to prevent the missile attacks from
Pakistan's military into the eastern parts of the country. He informed the men
that Pakistan's National Security Advisor, Sartaj Aziz, will be arriving to
Kabul on Sunday to discuss the bilateral relations between both countries.
On
Saturday, Kunar's Police Chief Abdul Habib Sayedkhili told TOLOnews that
Pakistan's military has fired nearly 50 missiles into the province that have
devastated many families.
In the
past year alone, Pakistan's military has fired nearly 6,000 missiles onto
Afghan soil and more than 2,000 families have been displaced because of the
shelling, according to local official reports.
--------------
OCTOBER
2014
Canada's
Approach in Afghanistan
This
year, Afghanistan will witness a number of significant milestones – ones that
will involve Afghans taking on a greater responsibility for the future
direction of their country, as well as ones that will address the vital needs
of democratization, security and peace.
Canada
remains committed to helping Afghans create a sustainable future, a more
peaceful environment that is safe and secure, a country that is well governed
and in control of its own destiny. While
Canada’s military mission has ended, we will continue to play an important role
through our Embassy in Kabul in supporting efforts toward a better future for
all Afghans.
To
that end, building on the significant progress that has been achieved in the
areas of security, diplomacy, human rights and development, Canada has
committed to 2017 an additional $227 million in development assistance and $330
million to help sustain the Afghan National Security Forces.
Canada’s
engagement in Afghanistan between now and 2017 will focus on:
•Supporting
the advancement of Afghan women and girls though increased investments in education,
maternal, newborn and child health, and the rights and empowerment of women and
girls.
•Advancing
security, democracy, rule-of-law and human rights.
•Contributing
to the capacity development for the management of humanitarian assistance.
These
priority areas build on Canada’s past programming efforts, support
Afghan-developed priorities and sustain progress in key areas that are
essential to Afghanistan’s future. Based on Afghan needs, these priorities have
been identified as areas in which Canada can continue making a significant
contribution to tangible progress in Afghanistan.
----------------
Top
Pakistani official visits Kabul
October
20, 2014 - 12:00:00 am
Afghan
Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah (right) with Pakistan’s Adviser to the
Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security, Sartaj Aziz, during
their meeting in Kabul yesterday.
Kabul:
Sartaj Aziz, the advisor to the Pakistani prime minister on national security
and foreign affairs, visited Afghanistan yesterday and held a meeting with
President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a statement from the Presidential Palace here
said.
During the meeting, matters pertaining to
mutual interest, including enhancing economic cooperation, trade and cultural
relations between the two countries as well as the role of Pakistan for peace
and stability in Afghanistan and the region came under discussion, Xinhua
reported citing the statement.
President Ahmadzai noted that Afghanistan
would not allow its soil to be used by terrorists, the statement said, adding
both the governments should avoid blaming each other over this issue.
The Pakistani dignitary, besides
congratulating President Ahmadzai for assuming office, also conveyed the
invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for him to visit Pakistan at a proper
time, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Iran has summoned the Pakistani
ambassador and demanded immediate steps to stop attacks by “terrorists and
rebels” that sparked deadly clashes on the countries’ border, state media
reported yesterday.
Noor Muhammad Jadmani was called to the
foreign ministry on Saturday evening following the deaths in the restive border
province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the official Irna news agency said
------------
ONE
BILLION RISING..... APRIL 5, 2014 8 MILLION BRAVE WOMEN, YOUTH, GRANNIES AND
ELDERS AND THEIR MEN VOTED IN AFGHANISTAN FACING THE EVIL AND HORRID
WEATHER.... SHOWING THE WORLD- FREEDOM IS WORTH DYING 4- and Afghan kids
matter... every one of them...
Voices
on Afghanistan: How women can beat the Taliban
Wazhma Frogh
It is
a completely new era for women in Afghanistan.
The
Taliban banned women from social life during their rule in the 1990s. At the
time, they could not leave their home or even work.
After
2001, when international forces came to Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban,
the government changed.
What
we have achieved in the past 12 years is incredibly important. The
international community supported this, but the women themselves also helped
make this happen.
Women
are now most involved in the education sector, particularly at the primary and
secondary levels.
We
also have a good presence in the health sector, although that’s not true in
some areas of the south-east where the Taliban are still very strong.
We are
in politics as well. Sixty-nine out of the 249 MPs are women. That’s a big
number even in comparison to the United States. Although this is because of the
quota in the constitution that reserves 27 per cent of the seats in the lower
house for women, it is still quite a good number.
But
women still are not in leadership positions and they are not very well
represented in the government. Out of 25 ministries there are only three female
ministers, including the ministry of women’s affairs, a position that cannot be
given to a man.
The
number of women in the judiciary – and in the police force – is also quite low.
We now
have a constitution that gives equal rights to Afghan women. The laws are
starting to change, but we still have challenges.
While
large numbers of girls are going to school, they might drop out early because
of security or cultural issues, or they might get married.
With
all these changes, there has been some public backlash as well. Some segments
of society are not prepared for the changes, and we have seen an increased
level of violence against women. Attacks against women occur several times a
day, every day.
Social
change can take a long time for people to grow accustomed to – such as a father
allowing his daughter to go to school – or to realise it’s OK for daughters and
wives to work.
This
mentality will take longer to change.
Thirteen
years is not a long time to expect that everything will change.
I
think the continuing insurgency and insecurity in the country has created more
obstacles for women than for men.
Men
are killed in insurgent attacks. Most of the causalities of war and violence
are men. Yet women, socially, are presented with more obstacles.
If an
attack happened near or at a school, then the girls’ families do not allow them
to go to school afterwards. The same is true of an attack near a market – women
are often stopped from being allowed to leave home afterwards.
The
goals of the Research Institute for Women Peace and Security involve promoting
or empowering women at the local level.
Women
traditionally play a very important role in addressing local conflicts. The
insurgency in Afghanistan will only stop if it is no longer accepted by
communities.
There
are local grievances at a community level that give reasons for young men to
take up arms and become insurgents. If mothers forbid their sons from joining
the Taliban or resorting to violence, they can play more of a role in fighting
the insurgency. This needs to be encouraged.
However,
this is not being encouraged because these women are not part of local
governments.
These
councils do not recruit or consult women on security issues.The government
approach is all very masculine. It’s about police, army and guns. But they need
to ensure there is a human security element.
We
believe that if women have more of a voice at the government level, they can
help resolve conflict. This will help defeat the insurgency.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Wazhma
Frogh is the founder of the Research Institute for Women Peace and Security in
Afghanistan. Follow Wazhma Frogh on Twitter: @froghwazhma
-------------
ONE
BILLION RISING- God bless women and God bless Kurdish Women
WORLD
DailyKos
/ By gjohnsit
ISIS's
Nightmare: Fierce Kurdish Women Fighters
In the
battle for Kobani, Syria, Kurdish women warriors are said to terrify ISIS.
.jpg)
------------
Pak-China-Afghan
troika to do wonders!
20
October 2014
Chinese
ambassador says cooperation between three neighbours to benefit region
Cooperation
among China, Afghanistan and Pakistan will benefit the region and special
emphasis should be given to building mutual trust and friendly consultations
between these countries should be encouraged to promote cooperation, said
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong on Sunday during his keynote address
on the opening day of Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral dialogue. A
collective regional approach toward countering issues and meeting challenges
was emphasised by diplomats, scholars and researchers at the dialogue.
Thanking
Pakistan-China Institute Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and German
political foundation Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Pakistan, Resident
Representative Ronny Heine for jointly organizing the two-day international
conference, Ambassador Weidong said that both Afghanistan and Pakistan were
close neighbouring countries and were good neighbours to China.
“It’s
timely and important conference,” Afghan Ambassador Janan Musa Musazai said
while thanking Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for
organizing the dialogue. “We look forward to welcoming the next round of
trilateral dialogue in Afghanistan,” Ambassador Musazai said in response to
Mushahid’s earlier announcement regarding the next trilateral conference in
Kabul.
The
first round of the trilateral dialogue was held in Beijing in 2013. After this
going conference the third session of trilateral dialogue will be held in
Afghanistan.
Adviser
on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz will address the
concluding session of the conference on Monday. “It’s a unique opportunity for
us to extend cooperation and tackle common threats and challenges together and
achieve common goal of security, stability and prosperity.” the Afghan envoy
said.
Ambassador
Sun Weidong emphasized building mutual trust and friendly consultations between
the two countries should be encouraged to promote cooperation. Assuring
cooperation in all avenues while highlighting three key threats: terrorism,
extremism and narcotics, the Chinese envoy said “China is also ready to extend
cooperation in this regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
Highlighting
the need to uphold the sovereignty, integrity and security of Afghanistan,
Ambassador Weidong welcomed international community to help Afghanistan improve
its security situation.
“China
believes that national reconciliation is inevitable for Afghanistan to achieve
its objectives,” the Chinese envoy stressed saying that China was traditionally
friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, and it respects independence and territorial
integrity of Afghanistan.
China
was the biggest neighbour to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Weidong
said. “China is devoted for the early settlement of Afghan issue. We have taken
an active part.”
The
Afghan envoy was grateful that President Mamnoon Hussain attended Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani’s ceremony of ascending to his office and to Adviser on
Foreign Affairs and National Security, Sartaj Aziz, who was currently visiting
Kabul.
Ambassador
Musazai said “Afghanistan and Pakistan are natural friends and partners joined
by inseparable bonds.” He also talked about building Peshawar-Jalalabad and
Chaman-Qandhar railways lines to bring both countries further closer.
According
credit to former Afghan President Hamed Karzai, the envoy said that Karzai
government laid foundation to lasting friendship with China, which was the
largest investor in Afghanistan.
Ambassador
Musazai said that the new government in Afghanistan would
further
develop the three main key policy objectives that continuing for past 13 years,
transforming Afghanistan from a failed state to functioning democracy,
broadening and strengthening relations in the region, and working with closet
neighbours in strengthening the bilateral and multilateral relations.
Earlier,
in his welcome address the senator said “our destinies are interlinked,” adding
with NATO and the United States receding in the region, the destinies of Asia
should be decided by Asians. Highlighting Germany’s role in developing
Afghanistan, the Senator said “Germany has good vision for Asia.”
He
said “in two days we will have good brainstorming and will come up with
specific policy recommendations which will be doable and promote cooperation
amongst the three neighbors in concrete areas.”
Thanking
the Senator for taking the initiative in holding the conference, Konrad
Adenauer Stiftung, Resident Representative in Pakistan, Ronny Heine said
“China, Afghanistan and Pakistan can play an effective role, as key events are
taking place in the emerging Afghanistan.”
The
session reviewing the current outlook for Afghanistan was chaired by Prof Li
Xiguang, DirectorPakistanStudyCenter, TsinghuaUniversity, Beijing.
The
new relations with China would create a new look in relations with Pakistan.
Both countries would give a new prosperous phase to the region said Dr Farouq
Azam, Chairman, Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan. “Let us act
now,” he said.
Eminent
scholar and political analyst Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi observed that there was
greater potential for increasing cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“They cannot function in isolation,” Dr Rizvi said and emphasized need for
developing economic power and societal linkages, which were very strong between
both the countries.
Presenting
NATO’s perspective, Director School of Politics & International Relations
at Quaid-e-AzamUniversity, Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal highlighted an emerging
opportunity for both Afghanistan and Pakistan with a reduced American presence
in the region.
The
session on Changing Regional Context was chaired by Ambassador Khalid Mehmood,
Chairman, Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad. In the presentation on
Cooperation in Countering Terrorism, Amir Rana, Director Pak Institute for
Peace Studies (PIPS), raised a question as how to deal with regrouping of
militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
------------
Helping
Afghan Children, Women and Families | Aider les enfants afghans, les femmes et
les familles
CANADA
September
6, 2014
Ajax,
Ontario
Canada’s
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, on behalf of the
Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La
Francophonie, announces funding to support humanitarian operations in
Afghanistan.
Le 6
septembre 2014
Ajax,
Ontario
Le
ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada Chris Alexander, au
nom du ministre du Développement international et de la Francophonie,
l’honorable Christian Paradis, annonce l’octroi de fonds qui serviront à
appuyer les opérations humanitaires en Afghanistan.
----------------
U.S.
Concerned About U.N's Handling Of Afghanistan Funds
Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 6, 2014
The
United States has expressed its concern with the United Nations Development
Program over the administration of a trust fund to pay Afghan National Police.
---------------
Afghanistan
war in numbers
October
7, 2014, marks the 13th anniversary of the start of the international campaign
in Afghanistan. Here are 13 statistics about the war:
Telegraph
By Ben Farmer 07 Oct 2014
1.
3,475 international troops have died in the campaign in that time.
2.
There are currently around 40,000 troops from the Nato-led coalition in the
country, down from around 150,000 at the campaign peak in 2011.
3. The
Nato-led coalition expects to keep around 12,000 troops in the country after
its combat mission ends on December 31, 2014.
4. The
number of Afghan civilians killed or injured in the conflict in the first six
months of 2014 rose by a quarter from 2013 levels to nearly 5,000 people.
5. The
UN says three quarters of the deaths and injuries were caused by insurgent
fighters.
6. 453
British troops have died during the campaign.
7. 615
British personnel have been seriously, or very seriously, wounded, according to
Ministry of Defence figures.
8.
7,422 British personnel were treated in field hospitals during the campaign.
2,187 were classified as wounded in action and 5,235 were treated for disease
and non-battle injuries.
9. An
analysis last year estimated Britain had by then spent at least £37bn on the
campaign. It predicted that would rise to £40bn by the end of the decade.
10.
Under Taliban rule, only 1.2 million students were enrolled in schools, with
less than 50,000 of them girls.
11. A
decade later, Nato said there were 8.2 million students. Nearly 40 percent, or
3.2 million, were girls.
12.
Around seven million Afghans voted to choose a successor to Hamid Karzai in the
first round of this year’s presidential election campaign. The result took five
months to resolve after a row about fraud.
13. By
early this year there were 68 private TV stations, operating alongside national
state TV and 22 state-owned provincial channels. There are 174 radio stations,
47 of them in Kabul.
------------------------------------------------------------------
.jpg)
Afghan
notebook: Kabul glitterati
BBC
News By Kawoon Khamoosh 7 October 2014
.jpg)
Afghans
were treated to a dash of celebrity stardust recently as Kabul hosted a glitzy
music awards ceremony.
The
Rumi awards, named after the 13th Century Persian mystic poet, aim to encourage
and honour Afghan singers and musicians.
The
awards were set up by Afghans living in the United States but this was the
first time the event had been held in Afghanistan.
The
open air event in the Babur Gardens on a hillside overlooking the city was
attended by a glamorous array of pop stars, film stars and journalists.
What
it occasionally lacked in technical precision and timing, it more than made up
for in the enthusiasm and sheer novelty of the occasion.
One of
the organisers, Nessar Bahaduri, told the BBC the ceremony was designed
"to show a different face of Afghanistan to the world". As a
succession of stars in glittering evening dress hit the red carpet, it was clear
that they had succeeded.
One of
the performers who attracted the biggest buzz at the September awards was the
female rapper Paradise.
Dressed
in a revealing black gown and diamond necklace, she posed for photographs with
her husband and fellow rapper Diverse.
The
couple have been dubbed the Brangelina of Afghanistan and their latest song is
an impassioned denunciation of violence against women.
The
hard-hitting lyrics cover taboo subjects like rape, domestic violence and
self-immolation.
"Unfortunately
women in Afghanistan face lots of troubles and we sing to give them a
voice," Paradise told the BBC. "I hope one day we won't be singing
about troubles but about the power of women instead."
The
awards had 17 different categories ranging from best male and female act, to
best song writer, best music director and best patriotic singer.
Afghans
were able to vote for their favourites online or via text message before a jury
picked the winners from a shortlist.
Victors
this year included Aryana Saeed who won the award for best female artist and
Obaid Joianda, who picked up the same award in the male category.
Aryana
is a judge of the Afghan version of TV talent show The Voice, and she's well
known for her ground breaking appearances on another music show Afghan Star,
where she attracted much criticism for performing without a headscarf.
Her
most famous song, Banoy E Atashneshin (Women of the Fire), is about lives of
ordinary Afghan women.
'Scary'
Unusually
for Kabul the Rumi awards were an evening event.
With
the security situation still fragile, most Afghans prefer not to venture out
after dark.
But
for one night only it seemed that the assembled guests were prepared to put
their fears behind them and the party went on until two in the morning.
Although
there were noticeably more men than women in the audience, some Afghan women
did come along, reassured in part by the heavy security at the event.
"I
came here to take part as a woman," one young spectator called Attia told
the BBC. "But it was scary."
In
recent years religious conservatives have tried and often succeeded in
preventing high profile music events from taking place in Kabul and other
cities across the country.
Just
last year religious groups in the western city of Herat intervened to prevent
the Afghan pop singer Shafiq Murid from holding a peace concert.
But
the Rumi awards have the firm backing of the government which sees them as an
important way to revive art and culture in Afghanistan.
Back
to Top
-----------
Every
Afghan Should Have Access to Education: Ghani
.jpg)
TOLOnews.com
By TOLOnews.com 15 October 2014
At an
event celebrating National Teacher's Day at Amani High School in Kabul,
President Ashraf Ghani reiterated the importance of the education sector,
asserting that his goal is to ensure that every Afghan has access to education.
"Every
Afghan, boy or girl, should know that they can be successful regardless of
where in the country they are," he added. "Education can form and
strengthen national unity and our goal in the next five years is to improve the
quality of education."
Ghani
thanked teachers around the country for their hard work, announcing that all
teachers will be given a piece of land within six months.
"We
ask the teachers to fight against corruption. The more they make efforts in
this regard, the higher their salaries would be."
Moreover,
the president asked the anti-government armed forces to join in the process of
peace.
"Let's
all come together to bring peace. You deprived yourself of education; do not
deprive your children of it," he asserted. "We hope that there is
peace so that the billions of dollars we spend on education could be spent on
the education sector instead."
The
president also emphasized on equality of opportunities for men and women,
stressing that his administration "will not tolerate violence and
discrimination against women."
------------------------------------------------------------------
First Lady Rula Ghani aims to elevate Afghanistan’s women: http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-afghanistan-first-lady-20141012-story.html …
First
Lady Rula Ghani aims to elevate Afghanistan's women
The
Los Angeles Times By Ali M. Latifi October 12, 2014
As the
wife of the newly elected president, Rula Ghani stands to be the first publicly
visible wife of an Afghan leader in nearly a century.
---------------
Paghman
Rapists Will Be Executed on Wednesday: Officials
TOLOnews.com
By TOLOnews.com 07 October 2014
Five
of the Paghman gang-rape culprits will be executed on Wednesday, officials at
the Attorney General's Office said on Tuesday.
----------
Pakistan
Continues Cross-Border Shelling in Kunar, Afghanistan: Reports
MOSCOW,
October 7 (RIA Novosti) - An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed that
cross-border shelling is continuing from Pakistan over the Durand Line in the
eastern Kunar Province of Afghanistan, the Khaama Press reported Tuesday.
---------------
Afghanistan,
Pakistan sign agreement on electricity transit fee
Khaama
Press October 12, 2014
An
agreement was signed between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Saturday to set
electricity transit fees from Central Asia to South Asia.
---------------
Survey
Says Afghans Want Ghani to Prioritize Security
TOLOnews.com
By Aazem Arash October 11th, 2014
The
majority of Afghans want newly elected President Ashraf Ghani to prioritize
security in his first days of office, says a new survey conducted by the 8AM newspaper.
-----------------
EU
announces €1.4b in new development aid package for Afghanistan
Khaama
Press October 11, 2014
The
European Commission announced this Friday new development funding of €1.4
billion to support growth and social stability in Afghanistan.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Suicide
Bomber Kills 7 in Pakistan Border Region
VOA
News October 15, 2014
A
suicide attack in Pakistan has killed seven people in the remote Tirah Valley,
an area known as a hideout for militants.
The
bomber detonated the explosives at a meeting of government-backed militia
members in the Khyber tribal region, along the Afghan border.
More
than a dozen men were wounded in the bombing, two Pakistani intelligence
officials said.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion fell on
Pakistani Taliban, who have been blamed for previous attacks against people and
groups who support the government in Khyber and elsewhere in the northwestern
tribal regions.
Pakistan
has been battling Islamist groups in its semi-autonomous tribal belt for a
decade with the aid of pro-government local forces.
New
al-Qaida faction
Separately,
an Islamist faction spokesman said a member of a new al-Qaida offshoot,
Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, was killed in an attack by a
missile-firing U.S. drone aircraft in the valley last Saturday, according to
Reuters.
The
spokesman, Usama Mahmoud, identified the militant who was killed in the drone
strike as Imran Ali Siddiqi, also known as Waliulla, who had been involved in
militancy since 1990 and had served eight years in prison over an attack on the
U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan.
He was
killed along with six other people, Mahmoud said in messages on Twitter that
were translated by the SITE intelligence group, which monitors Islamist
communications.
Some
material for this report came from Reuters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghan
militancy claims 15 lives
KABUL,
Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing militancy have claimed 15 lives elsewhere in
the conflict-ridden Afghanistan since Tuesday night, officials said Wednesday.
In a
latest violent incident, a car bomb went off in Khost province with Khost city
as its capital 150 km southeast of Kabul early Wednesday, killing five security
personnel and wounding five others, spokesman for provincial government Mubariz
Zadran said.
"Acting
upon intelligence report, the security forces launched operations in Zani khil
village of Nadir Shah Kot district, Khost province in the wee hours of
Wednesday and spotted a house wherein three suicide bombers were planning to
target security facilities, " Zadran told Xinhua.
All
the three would-be suicide bombers were killed during the operations, Zadran
added.
He
also confirmed that five security personnel had been killed during the
operations as a car bomb exploded.
"Unfortunately,
during the operations, an explosive-laden car parked inside the house exploded,
killing five security personnel and wounding five others," the official
further said.
Hours
earlier on Tuesday night, the Taliban militants laid ambush in Nad Ali district
of the southern Helmand province 555 km south of Afghan capital Kabul, killing
the district governor along with a police constable and wounding six more
police personnel.
"The
governor of Nad Ali district, Mohammad Anwar along with a policeman was killed
and six more police personnel sustained injuries due to an ambush occurred at
around 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday," spokesman for Helmand's
provincial government Omar Zawak told Xinhua on Wednesday.
In a
related incident, five Taliban militants were killed and seven others,
including five Taliban fighters, a police and a child, sustained injuries as
clash erupted in Gultapa village of Khajaghar district, Takhar province late
Tuesday night, provincial police spokesman Abdul Khalil Asir told reporters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
6
killed, 6 injured in road accidents in Parwan and Faryab
Khaama
Press October 15, 2014
At
least six people were killed and 6 others were injured following separate road
accidents in northern Faryab and Parwan provinces.
The
first incident took place between Qoromqol an Dawlatabad districts late
Tuesday, leaving a woman dead and five others, including women and children
injured.
Provincial
police spokesman, Syed Masoud Yaqoobi, said the incident took place after a
vehicle diverted from the highway and crashed.
In the
meantime, provincial police chief for norhern Parwan province, Mohd. Zaman
Mamuzai, said at least five civilians were killed following a traffic incident
in Charikar area early Wednesday.
Mamuzai
further added that a woman was also injured following the incident and was
shifted to a hospital in Charikar.
The
woman has been reported in a stable condition, Mamuzai said.
This
comes as at least 17 people were killed and 35 others were injured following a
road accident on Kabul-Ghani highway late last month.
High
speed and reckless driving and bad condition of the roads are said to be the
main reasons behind deadly traffic incidents in Afghanistan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Wounded
AP reporter vows to return to Afghanistan
Both her tight-knit family in Canada and her husband and stepdaughter in Pakistan worry, but they know her well enough to understand she will go back.
AP By
DAVID CRARY Oct 15, 2014
NEW
YORK - Over and over, Kathy Gannon has re-lived the decisions that led to the
death of her close friend Anja Niedringhaus and her own severe injuries, as
they went about their jobs chronicling the story of Afghanistan.
Gannon,
a veteran Associated Press correspondent, and Niedringhaus, an award-winning AP
photographer, had worked together on countless stories and negotiated many
dangers for five years. But they were always "very smart with how we went
about doing the stories, because we wanted to keep doing the stories,"
Gannon recalled.
Then,
on April 4, they were sprayed with gunfire by an Afghan police commander as
they prepared to cover the presidential election the next day.
Were
she to go back in time, would she do anything differently? The answer, firmly,
is "No."
"We
weren't careless or cavalier about the security arrangements ...," Gannon
said at AP headquarters in New York last week, in her first interview since the
attack. "We really made sure that we had a safe place to stay, we knew who
we were traveling with, we knew the area in which we were going. Honestly, I've
thought it through so many times - I know neither Anja or I would have done
anything differently."
The
stakes in the election were high for Afghanistan, a country already wracked by
13 years of war that was facing both the prospect of Western forces leaving and
a renewed Taliban insurgency.
The
two women had driven from Kabul, the capital, to the eastern city of Khost,
then connected with a convoy under the protection of Afghan security forces
that was transporting ballots to an outlying area. Their goal was to get a
first-hand sense of how ordinary Afghans would respond to this window of
democracy in a province considered a Taliban stronghold.
As
they sat in their vehicle in a well-guarded compound amid scores of police and
security officers, one of the men supposedly assuring their safety walked up,
yelled "Allahu Akbar," and fired on them with his AK-47. Then, he
dropped his emptied weapon and surrendered.
Niedringhaus,
48, died instantly of her wounds. Gannon, 61, was hit with six bullets that
ripped through her left arm, right hand and left shoulder, shattering her
shoulder blade.,
"I
looked down and my left hand was separated from my wrist," Gannon said.
"I remember saying, `Oh my God, this time we're finished.' ... One minute
we were sitting in the car laughing, and the next, our shoulders were pressed
hard against each other as if one was trying to hold the other up. The shooting
ended. I looked toward Anja. I didn't know."
As the
AP driver sped their bullet-riddled car over bumpy roads to the nearest
hospital, a municipal facility 45 minutes away, the AP translator told Gannon,
"Kathy, don't leave us." She was sure she was dying.
"That
time was very much about really making peace," Gannon recalled. "I
was so trying to just breathe and just go peacefully."
At the
hospital, Gannon was placed on a gurney, in excruciating pain. Yet there were
reassurances.
"At
one point the doctor said to me, `Your life is as important to me as it is to
you. We really are working trying to save it.'"
In the
operating room, she was sedated. When she woke up, she'd already been airlifted
from a U.S. base near Khost back to Kabul. It was only there, still only
half-conscious, that she realized her friend was dead.
Within
days, Gannon flew by an air ambulance jet to a hospital in Germany, and, later,
to the United States, to continue her treatment at the Hospital for Special
Surgery in New York City.
The
months of physical recovery and therapy have been grueling. Gannon raves about
the care she has received, in particular the reconstruction work overseen by
Dr. Duretti Fufa at the New York hospital that involved rebuilding her left arm
with bone, fat and muscle from her left leg.
"It's
so minute. You have to attach the nerves, you have to attach the arteries, the
vessels," Gannon said. "I had a gaping six-inch (15-centimeter) hole
right through where several bullets had just smashed through the arm. There was
nothing there. She has completely rebuilt it."
"She
has continued at every stage to do wonderfully," Fufa said. The hand and
reconstructive specialist praised the surgeons abroad for stabilizing the
complex injuries enough to allow Gannon's arms to be salvaged, and Gannon for
doing all the hard work of a patient that followed. "She is an incredibly
motivated person. I could not ask for a more motivated and pleasant patient to
work with."
Said
Gannon: "As horrible as everything was, there were so many times you
think, `My God, I'm so fortunate.' Every nerve, even the smallest nerve in my
left hand, was intact. How is that possible?"
Her
recovery remains a work in progress; the fingers of her left hand are still
immobile. As soon as she can, she wants to visit Niedringhaus' grave near her
birthplace in Germany to say a last goodbye. And she is determined, after
further surgery and therapy, to return to Afghanistan - and to report again
from there for the AP.
"Neither
Anja or I would ever accept to be forced out by some crazy gunman," Gannon
said. (Their attacker has since been convicted of treason and sentenced to
death by an Afghan court.)
Both
her tight-knit family in Canada and her husband and stepdaughter in Pakistan
worry, but know her well enough to understand she will go back.
Gannon
has established a strong bond with Afghanistan over three decades of covering
it. As she put it, "There's history still to be told there."
"Afghanistan
is a tremendous story of people who have really been caught in such successive
traumas that they always seem to come out on the losing end," she said.
"Afghans, through 35 years, have come through one war after another always
believing that it's going to get better. ... I have a tremendous affinity for
that struggle that they have constantly, constantly endured and never succumbed
to hopelessness."
Moreover,
Gannon says Niedringhaus would want her to go back.
Niedringhaus
loved shooting all sorts of subjects, including sports, but she spent much of
her working life in trouble spots - Iraq, the Gaza Strip, Israel, Kuwait,
Turkey - and was one of 11 AP photographers who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005
for coverage of the Iraq War.
She
and Gannon started working together in 2009 in Kabul, when Niedringhaus had
just finished an assignment embedded with a military unit. The photographer was
mildly irked when Gannon voiced some skepticism about such reporting
arrangements.
But
"That evening we were talking about stories," Gannon recalled.
"We just hit it off ... it was as if we had known each other for
ever."
The
partnership flourished as the two journalists found much in common in their
approaches to their jobs. They did not do their work from a distance. Instead,
they got away from officialdom and spent time in villages, sleeping on the
floors of mud houses.
"I
loved the way Anja got so excited about the stories," said Gannon.
"She loved getting up close with the people."
Gannon
recounts all the firsts they accomplished together. They were the first
international journalists to embed with both the Pakistani and the Afghan
armies. They traveled from Quetta in Pakistan to Kandahar aboard an oil tanker
carrying fuel to U.S.-led coalition forces. They got details of the massacre of
16 Afghans by a U.S. soldier from survivors, and visited poppy fields deep in
Taliban country.
Now,
Gannon insists she will do it again - without Niedringhaus, but in her memory
and with her spirit.
"If
it was reversed, Anja would be out there telling those stories too - she'd be
telling them in the most amazing pictures," she said.
"I
want to go and try and tell them. It might be physically half a team, but
emotionally and every other way, when I go back, it's a two-person team. We're
together on this."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Number
of ANA Casualties on the Rise
TOLOnews.com
By TOLOnews.com 15 October 2014
Statistics
shows that the Afghan National Army (ANA) casualties have increased
dramatically every year since 2003.
According
to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the ANA casualties have multiplied as
follows: 2003-nine killed; 2004-51; 2005-138; 2006-206; 2007-325; 2008-380;
2009-635; 2010-748; 2011-841; 2012-1,170.
Military
experts stress that the lack of air support and heavy weaponry is one of the
main reasons for the increase in casualties.
"There
are many factors which have led to the increase in the number of attacks this
year, but among them are the security transition [from foreign to national
forces], a decrease in the operations conducted by the foreign forces, a lack
of support from the foreign forces to the Afghan forces, lack of heavy
weaponry, and the escalation of insurgent offenses since the signing of the
Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA)," military analyst Jawed Kohistani
said. "The enemies want to challenge our forces."
In
their most recent attack in Sar-e Pul province on Sunday afternoon, the Taliban
killed 12 ANA soldiers and two police officers, injuring 13 soldiers and four
police officers. Moreover, they took six ANA soldiers hostage.
Provincial
Police Chief Noor Habib Gulbahari stated that the attack was conducted by a
number of fugitive Taliban who took refuge in different provinces. Gulbahari
added that the Afghan forces suffered heavy causalities for the first time in a
long time, emphasizing that the insurgents will face a harsh response.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Legal
Officials Demand Kabul Bank Suspects' Return
TOLOnews.com
By Shakeela Ibrahimkhail 14 October 2014
The
Kabul Bank corruption case is now in the appellate court and under new
investigation according to President Ashraf Ghani's decree, the head of the
appeals court said in Kabul on Tuesday.
Meanwhile,
the Attorney General's Office has called for the suspects in the case who have
fled the country to be brought back for questioning.
The 31
files regarding the individuals alleged to have been involved in the plot that
embezzled over 900 million USD from the bank's customers have reportedly
arrived at the appellate court and are in the process of being reassessed.
"Two days back, 31 cases of Kabul Bank arrived to the court, and each one
of the cases will be assessed and the outcomes will be announced next week in
an open session," head of the Appeals Court, Sediqullah Haqiq, said on
Tuesday.
The
reopening of the Kabul Bank case marks a major first step against corruption
for the new national unity government. Since news of the embezzlement plot
first broke in 2010, the bank case has become a kind of symbol of endemic
corruption in Afghanistan.
The
Ghani government, by taking on the case so soon, no doubt hopes to make it
clear to Afghans and the international community that they are serious about
tackling Afghanistan's corruption problems. But it remains unclear what will be
different about the investigation and adjudication processes this time around.
The
Kabul Bank case was already reviewed by the appeals court, but it was sent back
to the Attorney General and has laid dormant for multiple years. "It
wasn't clear who was involved in it, and the
amount
of money, at some points, was miscalculated by nearly 200 million
dollars," Haqiq said regarding the problems the case faced before
President Ghani decided to reopen it.
Part
of Ghani's decree included the order for all those convicted or suspected of
involvement in the bank case to be brought in by law enforcement. The Kabul
Police have arrested 21 people so far. Two others, who are Indian nationals,
were let out on bail thanks to the Indian Embassy. Then two top suspects, Milli
Bank Chief Muhibullah Safi and New Kabul Bank head Masood Musa Ghazi, were able
to leave the country under the guise of work leave.
The
Attorney General's Office has confirmed that the two men were able to get out
of the country because of the approval of a number of high-ranking offices.
They warned that those who let the suspects leave the country would be held
responsible if the two men refuse to appear in court.
According
to the Attorney General spokesman Basir Azizi, Muhibullah Safi and Masood Musa
Ghazi were released on bail by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Central Bank
of Afghanistan and by order of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
"The
attorney general expects that all alleged individuals in the case appear in
court, otherwise, the court will issue a verdict in their absence," Aziz
said on Tuesday.
According
to official estimates, 729 million USD worth of assets of the Kabul Bank are
still missing. In addition to bringing those responsible to account, President
Ghani's decree has also instructed the Attorney General to oversee the
retrieval of all the money that was stolen from the bank.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
HRW
urges new Afghan government to fight sexual harassment
Khaama
Press Oct 15 2014
The
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the new government of Afghanistan to take
urgent steps to combat sexual harassment of women in education, employment and
public life.
The
US-based rights body has expressed concerns regarding the sexual abuse of women
and has said that there are no laws in Afghanistan that specifically prohibit
sexual harassment or protect victims.
According
to HRW, government institutions lack effective policies to prevent and punish
sexual harassment.
This
comes as President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai described levels of sexual harassment
in schools as “shocking” and ordered the the education ministry to report every
incident of sexual harassment in schools to enable action against the guilty.
President
Ghani also directed ministries to develop a plan to counter sexual harassment
in educational institutions.
Heather
Barr of Human Rights Watch, said “President Ghani’s recognition of sexual
harassment in Afghanistan as ‘shocking’ is spot on.”
Barr
further added “The Afghan government should promptly enact a law against sexual
harassment and ensure that every government institution develops and implements
an anti-sexual harassment police.”
Sexual
harassment has been a significant women’s employment and participation in
public life after they regained the right to have access to education and
employment opportunties following the fall of the Taliban regime.
According
to HREW, harassment of women and girls on the street was a daily experience for
women and girls, and women who have sought help from the police in response to
harassment and even threats have received no assistance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
President
Ghani accepts Modi’s invitation to visit India
Khaama
Press October 15, 2014
President
Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has accepted an invitation by the Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to visit India.
A
statement released by the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, said the two leaders
discussed issues of mutual interest following a telephoen conversation on
Wednesday.
The
statement further added that Modi congratulated President Ghani on his election
to office and lauded his wisdom and statesmanship, and his ‘commitment to
unity, peace and progress in Afghanistan.
Modi
quoted in the statement said President Ghani’s expertise, global experience and
grassroots knowledge, borne out of travel to every district of Afghanistan,
will help him implement his bold agenda of economic reforms and development in
Afghanistan.
He
called President Ghani’s experience will be beneficial for India and the region
and reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to stand with him, as a friend and a
partner, at every step on the way, as his government moves forward in its
efforts to build a strong, stable, peaceful, democratic, inclusive and
prosperous nation.
In the
meantime, President Ghani described India as the foundation of Afghanistan’s
diplomacy and economic strategy. Ghani complimented Modi on his electoral
success and his development vision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Jolting
Some, Afghan Leader Brings Wife Into the Picture
By
DECLAN WALSHand ROD NORDLAND The New York Times OCT. 14, 2014
KABUL,
Afghanistan - For more than a decade, the Afghan first lady, Zeenat Karzai, was
virtually invisible. Sequestered deep inside the high-walled presidential
palace, she appeared to have abandoned her career in medicine and was only
rarely allowed out in public by President Hamid Karzai.
“People
don’t hear from me very much,” Mrs. Karzai acknowledged in a rare interview in
2004.
The
new president, Ashraf Ghani, is moving quickly in the opposite direction.
During his inauguration speech on Sept. 29, Mr. Ghani’s voice crackled with
emotion as he paid loving tribute to his Lebanese-born “life partner and
beloved wife,” Rula Ghani.
Mrs.
Ghani, who sat in the second row amid a sea of men, wearing dark glasses,
nodded back. A murmur ran through the crowd.It was a brief but symbolically
loaded moment. Many Afghan men are reluctant to talk about their wives with
other men in private, let alone before a crowd. Not only did Mr. Ghani
introduce the first lady publicly, he announced that she would have a public
role in advocating for women, children and the internally displaced.
Among
the mostly urban Afghans who have supported the widening freedoms for women of
the past decade, it was an occasion to be celebrated.
“Not
only did he say her name, he said it with pride,” said Hasina Safi of the
Afghan Women’s Network. “This is really a big deal in this country.” Shafic
Gawhari, the chief executive of a major media company, said on Twitter that it
was “one of the best parts of his speech.”
Just
as predictably, though, religious conservatives fulminated against Mrs. Ghani,
a Christian who met her husband at university in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 1970s
and moved with him to the United States. “Nobody has seen her convert to
Islam,” Maulavi Habibullah Hasham, of the Bagh Bala mosque in Kabul, said in an
interview. “I believe her mission is to convert people to Christianity.”
The
cleric’s comments echoed slurs employed by Mr. Ghani’s rivals during the
election and pointed to a reactionary streak in Afghan society that goes back
many decades.
In the
1920s, King Amanullah, a modernizing monarch, brought his Western-attired wife,
Queen Soraya, into the public eye — only to be forced into exile in 1927 by
mullahs who used her reputation to attack the king and diminish his authority.
Mr.
Karzai used that precedent to excuse his wife’s low profile — even if it
ignored the radical transformation of Afghan society since that time. “Get
real,” said Nasrine Gross, a women’s rights activist who took on Mr. Karzai on
the subject in 2009. “That was three generations ago, and not even 1 percent of
society was literate.”
Mrs.
Ghani’s initial public foray was a brief and deferential speech commemorating
International Women’s Day in March. Speaking in halting Dari, she noted the
importance of women’s traditional roles as homemakers and mothers, while
suggesting they could “use these skills outside the home as well.”
Yet it
provided fodder for Mr. Ghani’s opponents. Atta Mohammad Noor, a powerful
regional governor, led the public attacks, while scurrilous claims circulated
on social media: a doctored photograph showing Mr. Ghani worshiping in a
Christian church, and accusations that his wife was an Israeli agent.
The
controversy was a reminder that for all the impressive gains made by Afghan
women over the past decade — soaring education rates and solid representation
in Parliament, among others — many obstacles remain.
Mrs.
Ghani is highly educated, having studied in Paris, Beirut and New York, where
she graduated from Columbia University. Visitors to the couple’s house in the
Darulaman area of Kabul are shown into an elegant reception hall, with a
mixture of Middle Eastern and Nuristani architectural elements, that Mr. Ghani
is proud of pointing out was designed by his wife.
Friends
say that she has a softer, more composed demeanor than her husband, who is
known for his impatience and hot temper. During the election campaign she made
a handful of public appearances at his side and, as a bitter electoral dispute
dragged on through the summer, offered important support.
“If it
wasn’t for Rula’s wisdom, I don’t think Dr. Ghani would have had so much
success,” said Seema Ghani, a family friend who is not related. “It’s important
to have a personality at home to tone you down, to help with your emotions.”
Although
some take his advocacy of his wife as a repudiation of Mr. Karzai, Mr. Ghani is
a feminist by conviction, Seema Ghani said. “His grandmother, who was an
authoritarian, had a great influence on him,” she said. “He was the first person
to say, ‘Respect a woman as a woman — not as a mother, sister or wife.’ Coming
from an Afghan man, that’s quite unique.”
Still,
some are uncomfortable with a non-Afghan having such prominence. “A foreigner
cannot feel the Afghan pain,” said Hamida Asazai, a microfinance officer whose
family fled to Kabul from fighting in Wardak Province. “It’s very difficult for
her to understand what we have been through in recent years. And she is not a
Muslim, which worries us.”
Mrs.
Ghani, for her part, has skirted the question of her religion; in one recent
interview, she suggested that it did not matter.
“My
religion is not a factor,” she told The Los Angeles Times. “God created and
decided for me to be born in a Christian family. It’s not every day that a
Lebanese marries an Afghan. I think God’s hand is also in there.”
Now
that the heat of the election has dissipated, many Afghans are focusing their
public expressions of worry on whether Mr. Ghani can succeed in tackling his
main agenda: invigorating a battered economy, quelling Taliban violence and
keeping a national unity government intact.
But
social and cultural issues matter, too. Previously accused of appearing
professorial and aloof, Mr. Ghani has come to embrace the importance of Afghan
imagery, those close to him say. In meetings, he fingers a set of amber prayer
beads; before the election, he grew a beard.
In
that context, the public role of Rula Ghani can be taken as one element of a
complicated political balancing act — a topic that has been picked up by
another member of the Ghani family. The Ghanis’ daughter, Mariam Ghani, a
Brooklyn-based artist, exhibited a video in April that showed an ethereal
female figure wandering through the ruins of the old royal palace where King Amanullah
once ruled. The piece was called “A Brief History of Collapses.”
-------------------------
"
Joining
Islamic State is about 'sex and aggression,' not religion
By
Arie Kruglanski
Extremist
ideology exploits "humans' primordial instincts for aggression and
sex," writes Arie Kruglanski
--------------
ISIS's
Nightmare: Fierce Kurdish Women Fighters
In the
battle for Kobani, Syria, Kurdish women warriors are said to terrify ISIS.
-----------------
a
little late.... and 4 all the ISIS SPOILT $$$$$ RICH KIDS- because that's
exactly all ISIS is folks..... how are daddy and mommy gonna fix this 4 u
now???..imho
Shocker:
Leading Atheist Richard Dawkins Finally Admits Religion Isn't the Problem in
Mideast
Evolutionary
biologist parts ways with other atheists.
--------------
BLOGGED:
CANADA
MILITARY NEWS: Why we are in Afghanistan- Why have politicans and United
Nations betrayed our troops worse than the Heretic Muslim who kill innocent
Muslims by million? Why the betrayal so badly by global politicans of Nato
children serving?
-------------
Afghanistan News.Net -
Saturday 18th October, 2014
ISLAMABAD
- The Taliban has accused American forces of being behind this month's arrest
of the youngest son of the founder of the feared Haqqani Network, rejecting
Kabul's assertions he was apprehended inside Afghanistan along with another
suspected key militant commander.
Afghan
security officials Thursday announced the men were arrested in southeastern
Afghanistan and identified them as Anas Haqqani, the son of veteran Afghan
guerilla commander, Jalaluddin Haqqani, and Hafiz Rashid, suspected to be the military
commander for insurgent operations in the southeastern provinces.
"The
claims of the Kabul regime that both men are military commanders of the Islamic
Emirate [of Afghanistan, a reference to the Taliban's ousted government] and
have been detained in a complex operation inside the country are an absolute
fabrication far away from any reality," said a Taliban statement emailed
to media outlets late on Friday. It alleged the men were captured by "the
American forces in Bahrain from where they were sent back to Qatar and then
handed over to Kabul via United Arab Emirates."
It
described Anas Haqqani as a final year student, saying he and Rashid have no
affiliation to the Taliban insurgency and both had gone to the Gulf state of
Qatar to meet their relatives who had recently been freed from the U.S.-run
prison in Guantanamo Bay.
A
spokesman for Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, Abdul Haseeb
Sediqi, says Anas Haqqani "was directly involved in operational and
strategic decisions of the network, and ran its fundraising campaign" in
Gulf countries, besides overseeing its social media propaganda activities using
his "special computer skills."
The
spokesman said the other captured militant, Rashid, was a key Haqqani commander
was who was until recently living in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The
al-Qaida-linked Haqqani Network is blamed for staging some of the deadliest
attacks against NATO and Afghan targets from its bases in Pakistan's North
Waziristan border region.
-----------------
Afghanistan News.Net - Sunday 19th October, 2014
A China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral
dialogue Sunday called for further increase and strengthening of links among
the three neighbouring countries to bring peace, security and stability to the
...
--------------------------
Key
al-Qaeda leader killed in Afghanistan
October
19, 2014, 10:28 pm
KABUL-
Key Al-Qaeda leader Abul Bara Al-Kuwaiti was killed in an operation by the
National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces in eastern Nangarhar province of
Afghanistan on Saturday, the NDS said in a statement today.
The statement highlighted that, "Abul
Bara Al-Kuwaiti had close relations with the family of Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the
Al-Qaeda leader," adding that Al-Kuwaiti was killed in Nazyan district of
the province at al-Qaeda's commander, Abdul Samad Khenjeri's house.
During the operation, the NDS also seized
weapons and important documents regarding al-Qaeda activity. This is while
three days ago, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) arrested two top
leaders of the Haqqani Network, Anas Haqqani and Hafiz Rashid, marking a major
blow to the insurgent group.
Anas, the stepbrother of Sarajudin Haqqani,
had a substantial role in high-level decision making in the network. Rashid was
said to have overseen the preparation of suicide bombers for attacks inside
Afghanistan, according to NDS.
-----------------
Senior al-Qaeda members killed in Afghanistan
19 October 2014 15:30
(Last updated 19 October 2014 15:31)
Ground forces and drone strike leave two al-Qaeda members dead
in Nangarhar province
ISLAMABAD
Two
al-Qaeda members have been killed in a counter-terror operation and
U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province, according to
Afghan intelligence sources.
Afghan
intelligence officials said in a statement on Sunday: "Abul Bara
Al Kuwaiti, senior member of al-Qaeda, and one other key member of this group
have been killed in an air strike in Nangarhar province."
Kuwaiti,
believed to have been the son-in-law of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader
of al-Qaeda, had been coordinating attacks and drug trafficking in the
region, according to an intelligence official.
The
statement said a ground operation was initially launched against regional
al-Qaeda commander Abdul Samad Khanjiri in Lalmandi village in the
district of Nazian and was later followed by U.S. airstrikes.
“Two
Ak-47 rifles, one machine gun and a laptop with notable documents were seized
from their residence,” the statement added.
The attacks came after a
U.S. drone strike killed an alleged prominent militant commander belonging to
the Haqqani network and four of his companions on Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan.
The Haqqani network, the
main ally of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, has dramatically increased its attacks on
local and international forces.
--------------
Afghanistan,
Turkey Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement
Sunday,
October 19, 2014
Kabul (BNA) Turkey and Afghanistan yesterday
signed a strategic cooperation agreement, paving the way for more robust trade
and investment links between the two countries.
Presidents Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Recep
Tayyip Erdogan announced signing the pact at a joint news conference after
formal talks at the Presidential Palace in Kabul. Both leaders told reporters
the accord envisaged greater Turkish investment in Afghanistan’s vast mining
sector. The two sides will also cooperate in areas of defense, agriculture,
health, reconstruction and culture.
Erdogan told a questioner that his country
would focus on long-term fundamental development projects in Afghanistan in the
fields of mining, transportation and training of government personnel.
He added Turkish soldiers, operating within
the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) framework, had been
maintaining security around the capital and training their Afghan partners.
For his part, president Ahmadzai said his
administration had asked Turkey for the supply of weapons to Afghan forces. He
believed Istanbul being a major actor could use its enormous influence for
dispute resolution in the region.
President Ahmadzai also added that Turkey
within the framework of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) would help
Afghanistan in the fields of railway construction and aerial transport
development, besides construction of Ali Abad hospital and a University named after
Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi in Kabul.
In response to a query, the visiting dignitary
said that trilateral consultations among Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey had
been a success. Pakistan’s cooperation played a key role in facilitating the
recent presidential election, he insisted.
At the bilateral talks, Ahmadzai said, they
discussed counter-terrorism measures. He added terrorism was a shared problem
whose resolution needed a comprehensive regional strategy.
Erdogan, the first Turkish president to visit
Afghanistan in 56 years, arrived in Kabul earlier in the day for talks with
Ahmadzai and other high-ranking officials.
He inaugurated a road constructed in Kabul
with the financial support of Turkey. President Ahmadzai also pinned the
government’s highest medal of Ghazi Amanullah Khan on the chest of president
Erdogan.
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