BEFORE AND AFTER - difference in 10 years Kabul from Afghanistan
Karzai Looking Out For Himself: Abdullah
TOLOnews.com By Saleha Sadat 24 November 2013
TOLOnews.com By Saleha Sadat 24 November 2013
Presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah has argued that recent statements and moves by President Hamid Karzai indicate he is abusing the security pact negotiation process and preparations for the upcoming elections to suit his own interests.
Abdullah's comments came on the last day of the Loya Jirga, in which participants voted to approve the BSA to the Afghan government.
According to Abdullah, Karzai has given mixed messages when it comes to the upcoming elections, asking foreign nations not to interfere in the elections process while also demanding the U.S. guarantee transparency for the elections.
Transparent elections were one of Karzai's preconditions for the signing of the BSA, which would ensure a close military partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan in the years following the NATO troop withdraw in 2014.
On Thursday, at the opening ceremony of the Jirga, Karzai told the some 2,500 participants that he would wait to sign the BSA until after the Presidential elections in April.
Abdullah claimed that Karzai was looking to benefit his preferred candidate by postponing the signing of the agreement.
Abdullah ran for President in 2009 and lost to Karzai after the first round of voting left them dead-even, despite widespread documentation of voter fraud and other electoral improprieties in favor of the incumbent Mr. Karzai.
"We want good elections from the Independent Election Commission and from Electoral Complaints Commission, so what does the recent statement of President Karzai mean? - It means that President Karzai is trying to get approval ratings through this national issue," Abdullah said. "The candidate he is favoring is not and will not be acceptable to Afghanistan."
Abdullah is not the only candidate that has come out against Karzai's apparent move to delay the signing of the BSA. Former Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak has also been a vocal supporter of the accord and critique of the President's decisions.
U.S. officials have urged Karzai to sign the agreement before the end of the year
Peace in Afghanistan is among the new preconditions Karzai has set in front of the U.S. for signing the pact. Abdullah scoffed at this demand, and said that bringing peace to Afghanistan, immediately, was impossible and that President Karzai was simply trying to get the support of the people by setting expectations he himself could not meet.
The April vote will be the first time Karzai cannot run, with his term limitation imposed by the Afghan Constitution.
"Our demand is that the fate of this agreement be decided as soon as possible because the same way the political transition will take place in 2014, security responsibilities will also transfer," Abdullah said. "That is why people are concerned as investments are leaving Afghanistan and unemployment is increasing, corruption has reached its limit and many people think that this year is the last year...it is the responsibility of the President to calm these concerns."
Abdullah elected not to participate in the Loya Jirga this week in Kabul, which saw some 2,500 leaders from around Afghanistan gather to discuss the BSA. He argued the event was illegal and defied logic in determining the future of Afghanistan's relationship with the U.S.
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Afghanistan's populist prince
Country's first president's nephew, and former king’s grandson Nadir Naim hopes to serve the nation if he wins at polls.
Aljazeera By Tanya Goudsouzian 25 Nov 2013
Prince Nadir Naim was barely three when a now iconic National Geographic photograph was taken of him with his late grandfather, the former Afghan King Mohammed Zahir Shah, at a farm near Kabul.
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Afghanistan’s Future is Brighter Than You Think
By Jamil Danish
November 06, 2013
Most believe Afghanistan is doomed following NATO’s withdrawal. The country’s youth will ensure it prevails.
In less than six months Afghanistan will face one of the most crucial crossroads in its history: the chance for a peaceful transfer of power from one elected leader to another. A successful presidential election that is free and transparent is crucial for continued progress in the country beyond 2014, with the risk of failure potentially dealing a difficult blow to a populace exhausted by setbacks.
A positive outcome will not be easy, and will need support from two key groups: Afghanistan’s younger generation who will live with the consequences of the election, and an international community that has invested so much into Afghanistan in the past decade.
At an Asia Society gathering of young Afghanistan leaders in Kabul last month, I could sense the frustration from my peers about the lack of faith that Afghanistan can truly stand on its own in coming years. The international press has done a good job of presenting the worst case scenarios for Afghanistan if the elections fail just as foreign troops are withdrawing. In this scenario, the Taliban and other insurgent groups will take over, the government will collapse, and the country will be ruled by factions engaged in continual civil war and skirmishes. This attitude not only turns away international groups, but discourages people in Afghanistan who see or hear the same message.
There is another scenario that must be presented, and one my peers and I, living and working in Afghanistan, feel is just as likely. In this other future for our country, fair and transparent elections will bring in a legitimate government that can work to keep insurgents at bay. There will be no return to the dark ages prior to 2000 that so many Afghans fear, with fewer innocent civilians being murdered and disruptions to civil society minimized.
A key element of finding that success is for Afghanistan’s younger population to buy into the new government. This sector of the population makes up two-thirds of the country and are more connected to the world than their predecessors growing up during the era of the Taliban. Many of them hold positions as public administrators in the Afghan government, and some have returned from quality educations overseas to become role models of change in Afghanistan’s economic, social, and political life. There is no reason why Afghanistan can’t produce world-class leaders that bring decisive, committed, and responsible decision-making to lead the country at this critical time.
That said, the country must work to bring in those young people on the fringes of the new wave. Many live in rural areas and are either unemployed or reliant on farming, creating a situation in which joining insurgents is a tempting option. If these groups of young people are excluded from the process it will not bode well for the new government.
Women have also been sidelined for too long. Many women are not part of the political process and are therefore excluded from vital decisions. They should be given a chance to vote in a free and fair manner in the election, and need more chances to lead some of the district councils in remote villages.
The international community should engage Afghanistan at this crucial time by providing support for a free and fair transition of power. Rather than cut and run, the U.S. and other players should see this as a chance to give up the role of occupier for one of ally and support.
This commitment should not end, of course, after the election. If the international community wants to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists, they should continue to engage in the country into 2014 and beyond. This is the only way Afghanistan, and the world, will truly be able to look back at the previous decade and say all the pain and suffering was worth the cost, and that a new era has begun.
Jamil Danish is Strategic Communication Policy Advisor to the Minister for Rural Development of Afghanistan (MRRD) and a 2013 Asia Society 21 Afghanistan Young Leader.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/afghanistans-future-is-brighter-than-you-think/
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Afghan Women Entrepreneurs Challenge Stereotypes in India
Image Credit: Sanjay Kumar Nov 22
Afghan women entrepreneurs gathered in India this week to exhibit the handicrafts for eager Indian customers
She cannot communicate with her customers. She can neither understand the local language, Hindi, nor utter a single English word. All Najiba Drab can tell her customers are the prices of her wares. Yet, for the last three days, her Afghan garments business has been booming in New Delhi. Without any assistance from the locals, she has managed to clear almost all her inventory that she brought to exhibit in the three-day trade exhibition titled “Made in Afghanistan.”
The first of its kind in India, the exhibition brings together more than a hundred traders from all over Afghanistan on Indian soil to showcase their products and search for opportunities in India.
“The exhibition is not only a wonderful opportunity to introduce Afghan items to India but also to show a different face of Afghanistan – a country of economic vibrancy and zeal, a country that despite its troubled past is quite eager to change its image,” says Drab in an interview with The Diplomat.
Speaking through an Afghan interpreter, the 43-year-old garment designer and director of Barakat Zaman Company, a Kabul-based company, recounts how she traveled all alone from Afghanistan to introduce her wares to the Indian market. Over the three days of the exhibition, she received a “very satisfactory” response and plans to enter into some kind of joint venture with an Indian partner to expand her business.
As a garment manufacturer who has been running her small-scale industry in Kabul for the last 15 years, she understands that conducting business from Afghanistan is not going to be easy. She appreciates the conference, “Trade with Afghanistan,” a two-day meet which coincided with the exhibition. Around nineteen countries participated in the event, which was organized to explore economic cooperation and investment opportunities in the troubled war-torn country.
However, the intent of the conference and exhibition cannot hide the lurking fear and concern that are in the minds of every Afghan: “People are very anxious about 2014 and life in Afghanistan after that. I have done business even during the Taliban time. But I don’t want them to come back. However, keeping the foreign troops in our country permanently is not a solution. We have to fight our own battles and develop the country,” asserts Drab, who is very vocal about independence for women and feels proud that in the last ten years the situation in Afghanistan has improved for women.
Fariha Yaar, 21, also agrees with Drab that women are now more active in all walks of life in the landlocked country. She is in Delhi with her mother to showcase the handicrafts that Morwareed Kabul, her company, produces.
“Its really great to be in India, a country we love so much. We want our future to be guided by such economic interaction. But it’s the uncertainty that stalks the future; we don’t know what’s going to happen in my country after 2014. I want the U.S. troops to stay back.”
A graduate in business studies from American University of Afghanistan, the young girl wants to make a career out of business and introduce Afghan goods all over the world.
Yaar expressed some of her concerns about her future to The Diplomat: “You know, I want to focus on business full-time, but you cannot keep your mind off the current political situation in the country. What if the Taliban comes back to power, then what will happen to all the freedom we have got in the last ten years?”Her stall has been quite successful over the last three days and on the concluding day, she received lots of queries from buyers curious about the Afghan traditional dresses, gems and stones.
“I like this curiosity among Indians about Afghanistan. I have done my initial studies in Pakistan when my family shifted there during the Taliban regime but that country does not bind me. India attracts me a lot. I like the people and wish there were direct trade routes between the two countries,” says the girl from Kabul.
Her mother, Jamila Yaar, is happy that she and her daughter can travel alone and deal with customers in Delhi. She also wants this freedom and independence in Kabul.
“Security is a big issue in Afghanistan and I hope that the U.S. troops will stay back to secure peace in the country.”
Humaira Aimaq, a 55-year-old entrepreneur, who, despite her limited linguistic ability, has also succeeded over the course of the exhibition, echoes these feelings. Aimaq employs 40 women in her Kabul factory, which produces traditional Afghan handicrafts and stone products. Although she has been to Iran and other central Asian countries to sell her products, it is her first trip to India and she is encouraged by the response.
“I now have an idea what Indians want and what the price range should be. Next time I come back, I will keep Indian interests in mind,” says Aimaq.
She further adds that business is good in Afghanistan now, but gradually, fears for the future have started creeping into her head: “I dont want to wear the burqa again. I don’t want to see Taliban taking over the country.”
Out of around 50 stalls in the exhibition, at least one third were in the hands of women. It is not yet clear how much business the exhibition generated over the three days. What is certain is that the show managed to market a new image of Afghanistan in India.
“I am really surprised at is the kind of confidence Afghan businesswomen were demonstrating. They are not wearing veils. They are modern and this is quite a discovery for me.” says Rashmi, a visitor who came to see the exhibition out of a sheer curiosity to interact with Afghans.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/afghan-women-entrepreneurs-challenge-stereotypes-in-india/
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US-Afghanistan withdrawal: Can Pakistan survive without NATO money?
By Farooq Yousaf Published: November 25, 2013
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Karzai's Refusal to Sign Frustrates Afghans
November 26, 2013
Hamid Karzai’s decision to contradict the Loya Jirga inspires frustration and fear before the 2014 elections.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/karzais-refusal-to-sign-frustrates-afghans/
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Afghanistan
China’s Afghanistan Challenge
China has an opportunity to assert leadership in helping steer Afghanistan in a more positive direction. Investing in Afghanistan now will save years of trouble later.
The 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is fast approaching. China has just over a year before Afghanistan fades from the West’s radar and Western attention toward the country shrinks substantially. However, it is not clear that Beijing has properly considered what it is going to do once NATO forces leave and pass the responsibility for Afghan stability and security to local forces.
And more crucially, it is not clear that China has thought about what it can do with the significant economic leverage it wields in the region. Afghanistan offers China the opportunity to show the world it is a responsible global leader that is not wholly reliant on others to assure its regional interests.
Traditionally, Chinese thinkers have considered Afghanistan the “graveyard of empires.” They chuckle at the ill-advised American-led NATO effort and point to British and Soviet experiences fighting wars in Afghanistan.
But in reality, the presence of NATO forces provided China with a sense of stability. Beijing correctly assumed that NATO’s presence in Afghanistan would mean regional terrorist networks would remain focused on attacking Alliance forces rather than stirring up trouble in neighboring countries like China. NATO’s targeting of Islamist groups also had the effect of striking anti-Chinese Uighur groups that had sought refuge in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban or al-Qaeda. These Uighur groups would otherwise have focused their attention on targeting China.
Yet as the date of American withdrawal from Afghanistan approaches, this security dynamic is changing. While China does worry about the threat of Islamist Uighur groups striking from their Afghan bases, this concern is relatively marginal. The bigger problem is the potentially negative repercussions for the rising number of investments from China’s private sector in Afghanistan and its surrounding region. These investments are part of a broader push into Central Asia that flows from an effort to develop China’s historically underdeveloped province of Xinjiang, which borders Afghanistan.
The prospect of an Afghanistan returning to chaos is, therefore, not appealing to policymakers and business people in Beijing. This scenario would bring instability directly to China’s doorstep, and this instability could potentially expand northward into Central Asia or southward into Pakistan. China would suffer from further chaos in either direction.
The solution to this problem is complex. China is not necessarily expected to invest heavily in security efforts and rebuilding Afghanistan’s security apparatus, though a more substantial contribution in this direction than the offer to train a nominal 300 policemen that China made last year in Kabul would be helpful. Rather, China could focus on what it is able to do best: invest in Afghanistan and develop its abundant natural resources.
Chinese state-owned firms have already invested in oil fields in Amu Darya in northern Afghanistan and a copper mine in Mes Aynak, southeast of Kabul. These investments have had mixed success.
Amu Darya has produced for the China National Petroleum Company (CNPC), though its current status is unknown. Problems and uncertainty with China’s investments in Central Asia are reflected in the difficulties of two other Chinese companies—the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) and Jiangxi Copper—in the south.
In part this is because companies operating in the south face understandable security concerns that range from locals angry because they feel they were not justly compensated for their land that was affected by the mine, to Taliban-affiliated groups eager to punish the central government by undermining efforts to develop the country.
But these companies also often find they lack a full understanding of the environment in which they are trying to invest. Orchestrators of projects that begin with the best of intentions and large investments, like the Mes Aynak mine, find themselves burdened with a local government response that is confused. Confusion turns to anger when these projects fail to deliver elements that were supposedly included in the original contract. For example, the local Afghan government initially believed that MCC and Jiangxi Copper would build a train line in the south. But the companies claim the contract only stipulated it would conduct a feasibility study. They also claim that the security situation has driven Chinese workers to refuse to work on the site, though reports about whether these stoppages are actually occurring are unclear.
The difficulty of this deal contrasts with the rapidity with which Chinese energy giant CNPC was able to bring online the oil field in Amu Darya. Political complications with the local Afghan strongman Rashid Dostum have held up work, and it is not clear that they have been completely resolved. The field has produced some oil that was transported across the border by truck into Turkmenistan, where it is refined at a separate CNPC site. The company has also said that it is going to develop a refinery in Afghanistan to help facilitate Afghan energy independence.
These two projects show the potential benefits and downsides to investing in Afghanistan. Large mining projects like these have the potential to be help rebuild parts of Afghanistan and transform the economy from one that is reliant on the drug trade and foreign aid to self-reliance.
Even if they were all successful, however, Chinese investments alone would not transform Afghanistan into a stable and prosperous state. China also needs to leverage its power within the region and persuade other countries to engage in Afghanistan in order to complete this transformation. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional entity led by China, has done very little in Afghanistan due to a lack of agreement among members about what exact actions to take. China believes the SCO should do more, but other member countries believe a bilateral approach is better that a multilateral one and that focusing on building individual relationships in Afghanistan will help strengthen their particular interests. This is unfortunate as the SCO could be a useful vehicle through which China and other regional actors could undertake efforts to counter the narcotics trade in the region and strengthen border controls.
China has growing influence in the Asian Development Bank, which has already invested heavily in Afghanistan. China could continue its support for these projects to help connect Afghanistan to the broader region and reintegrate the nation into the global community, thus fostering stability. This approach complements China’s broader regional strategy to develop Xinjiang into the “gateway for Eurasia” as Premier Wen Jiabao put it during the China-Eurasia Expo in September last year.
And at the social level, China needs to foster person-to-person contact with Afghanistan. Last year during a visit to Kabul, the most striking characteristic of Kabul University’s Confucius Institute—one of the Beijing-backed centers that promote Chinese language and culture across the world—was the absence of Chinese teachers and Afghan students. This stood in contrast to other Confucius Institutes in Central Asia with dozens of students crowding around excited teachers. The security situation undoubtedly complicates things in Kabul, but there are safer parts of the country in which to operate. To further encourage societal ties, Beijing could try to entice more Afghans to study and work in China through scholarships and study grants.
China has an opportunity in the next year to assert some leadership in helping steer Afghanistan in a more positive direction. A stable Afghanistan is in China’s national interest, and taking the lead on this regional issue of international importance could help bolster Beijing’s global position. The West may have made mistakes in Afghanistan’s past, and making up for them will undoubtedly take time. But the Afghanistan problem is one that remains on China’s borders and has the potential to result in even more regional instability. Investing in Afghanistan now will save years of trouble later.
Raffaello Pantucci is a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and the co-editor of China in Central Asia. This piece originally appeared on the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace website.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/04/chinas-afghanistan-challenge/2/
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Dr. Abdullah Abdullah- the honest man of Afghanistan- Afghan Youth call him the Nelson Mandel of Afghanistan and all Afghans love him dearly....
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah the Nelson Mandela of Afghanistan- he is called the most honest man in Afghanistan and kids, youth and elders love him.... he is Afghanistan. April 5 2014
News - Election 2014
Presidential Names Ordered for Ballot
Monday, 25 November 2013 17:59 Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:41 Written by Sayed Tariq Majidy
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The 11 Presidential candidates who made the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) final list last week gathered in Kabul for a meeting with elections officials on Monday regarding the ordering of names on ballots to be used in the April vote.
The final list was published last week and saw the Presidential field grow by one, going from 10 to 11, after Dawoud Sultanzoi made his way back into the race after being initially disqualified by the IEC for having dual-citizenship with the U.S. Originally, the IEC had cut 17 candidates for the preliminary list.
At the meeting on Monday, IEC officials said the names of the Presidential hopefuls would appear on the ballot as follows:
1. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah
2. Dawoud Sultanzoi
3. Abdul Rahim Wardak
4. Qayoum karzai
5. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
6. Sardar Mohammad Nadir Naeem
7. Zalmai Rasoul
8. Qutbuddin Hilal
9. Gul Agha Sherzoi
10. Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf
11. Hidayat Amin Arsala
Reportedly the ballots for the Provincial Council elections, which is expected to see 2,713 candidates, is still in the process of being made.
Ahmad Yousuf Nooristani, the head of the IEC, took the opportunity on Monday to warn candidates that the Election Commission would take legal action against anyone who violates the Election Laws and begins campaigning ahead of the official campaigning period, which doesn't begin until February 2.
The campaign period this year is markedly shorter than in past years.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a number of candidates spoke about the election process, their hopes and expectations.
"It's the beginning, we hope that the next steps go forward with transparency to protect the interests of the Afghan people so that Afghans are able to contribute to the democratic process," Presidential Candidate Sultanzoi said. "The election could play a vital role, and the people of Afghanistan expect that they [the election officials] will continue their jobs until the end of the process, otherwise, the election would lose its credibility."
The IEC came under fire after the release of the preliminary list back in October for supposedly not conducting itself transparently and evaluating candidates with flawed methodology. Civil society groups demanded the IEC do more to open up its election process to media and election monitoring groups.
The ECC, in a way, responded for the IEC by announcing its complaints review process would be done entirely in front of observers from media, monitoring groups, human rights advocates and so on.
"its was a good process, if the Election Commission continues to work with transparency and conduct the job in front of media and representatives of the people we can expect a transparent and fair elections," said Mohammad Asim, the representative of Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah.
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Has the Sino-Indian Dialogue on Afghanistan Been Put on the Backburner?
RUSI Analysis, 12 Nov 2013
Even though the latest meeting between India and China failed to discuss Afghanistan, both countries will be increasingly involved, and China will need to look beyond the prism of Pakistan to ensure stability in the region.
http://www.rusi.org/analysis/commentary/ref:C52824529B9618/#.UpUWMYaA21t
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RUSSIA
Afghanistan after 2014: What Roles for China and India?
RUSI Analysis, 12 Nov 2013
Following the recent bilateral summit between the Manmohan Singh and Xi Jingping, we ask Indian and Chinese researchers to offer their different perspectives on future policy in Afghanistan.
As Afghanistan approaches the 2014 inflection point, the question of what role regional neighbours will play is of growing interest and importance. Just this past weekend, Russia, China and India held their 12th formal trilateral foreign minister’s meeting at which a number of common foreign and security policy issues were highlighted, including Afghanistan.
Directly asked a question about China’s role in Afghanistan post-2014, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted how all three were concerned about Afghanistan’s future and that China was particularly eager for ‘a smooth general election,’ for an ‘Afghan-led and Afghan-owned’ reconciliation process and for the United Nations to play a role in coordinating international efforts.
This meeting came in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Beijing last month during which Afghanistan did not feature very high on the agenda. Afghanistan is clearly one of many concerns on the table between the two great powers, but understanding what China and India plan to do post-2014 is key to knowing to what degree Afghanistan will be able to call upon regional support in the absence of western focus. In order to understand this dynamic better, RUSI has undertaken a research project focused on China and India in Afghanistan, seeking to develop policy ideas and understand thinking in Beijing and New Delhi about Afghanistan’s future.
As part of this, we ask why Afghanistan did not feature as a prominent topic of conversation during Prime Minister Singh’s recent visit to Beijing. We ask Indian and Chinese researchers to offer their different perspectives, reflecting the divergent priorities and interests in Beijing and New Delhi.
As this project goes forward, RUSI hopes to publish more research on this topic, highlighting the many different aspects of actual and potential cooperation between China, India and the United Kingdom
http://www.rusi.org/analysis/commentary/ref:C528246195F8AE/#.UpUVo4aA21s
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What the Russia-India-China meet on terror means for India- ELEPHANT IN ROOM-AFGHANISTAN
by Rajeev Sharma Nov 12, 2013
The three foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov (Russia), Salman Khurshid (India) and Wang Yi (China) had convergent positions on virtually all issues, though the same cannot be said about the Afghanistan issue.
On Afghanistan, India and Russia are on the same page and are worried, whereas China does not have much of a problem thanks to its all-weather friend Pakistan. India and Russia are concerned about the post-2014 Afghanistan situation and are apprehensive of the inevitable resurgence of the Taliban once the American and NATO troops’ draw-down is complete. But China would not have a problem in dealing with the Taliban in Afghanistan because of strong Beijing-Islamabad relations.
Here are three major issues discussed at length by the RIC foreign ministers with a brief India-centric analysis in parenthesis.
Twin issues of Afghanistan and terrorism
The RIC foreign ministers dwelt at length on the issue of terrorism that affects all three countries and the feared spike in terrorist activities in the post-2014 Afghanistan when American and NATO troops are scheduled to withdraw troops from the landlocked nation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asked for “additional measures” by the international community to prevent escalating security threats in Afghanistan. Lavrov made some pertinent remarks during the joint media briefing by the three foreign ministers after their meeting and said they shared concerns on the post-2014 Afghanistan. He stressed that the RIC will “make every effort to make Afghanistan a peaceful, prosperous and stable country”.
Lavrov also underlined the need for concerted efforts by the international community to prevent the escalation of drug trafficking in Afghanistan.
Khurshid echoed Lavrov’s remarks and said the talks had been “very productive” and RIC is a “platform for closer cooperation and convergence on important regional and global issues”.
For his part, Chinese foreign minister Wang underpinned the need for greater RIC synergies saying that Russia, India and China are bordered by three oceans, and represent 40 percent of the world population, have 22 percent of the world’s land mass and also comprise of the major markets of the world.
The RIC foreign ministers condemned in strongest terms the terrorist attack in Beijing on 28 October 2013 and reiterated that terrorism is a threat to international peace and security and a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity. They condemned terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations”, committed by whomever, wherever, and for whatever purposes.
They agreed that there cannot be ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic, or any other justification for acts of terrorism and underlined the need to bring to justice perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts.
(RIC has been discussing terrorism for years but such discussions have by and large been mere talking shops. The three countries will do well to announce whatever concrete deliverables, if any, have flowed out of these discussions. China can contribute solidly in this regard if only it could exercise its immense leverage with Pakistan, a major source of jihadi brand of terrorism in the region and the world. It will be a good idea if the Chinese could be more open and transparent in reading the rule book of civilized nations to Pakistan. But alas! If wishes were horses!)
Syrian crisis
Syria was another high point of RIC foreign ministers’ discussions. They agreed that peaceful political inclusion is the only solution to the growing crisis in Syria and Khurshid pointed out that the three countries are on the same page on the subject. Khurshid said all three of them were of the same view that a sustainable political solution can only be found through a peaceful and inclusive political process and not through military solution.
In a significant forward-looking diplomatic move, which Lavrov talked about, the RIC foreign ministers have supported holding the Geneva-2 conference at the earliest. “We share common attitude towards the situation in Syria, and our friends actively supports efforts that have been made to solve the Syrian crisis peacefully without the use of force and on the basis of international law,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov pointed out that the three countries share common approaches towards the organization of the forum (it should be highest possible representative) and support the ongoing work of UN experts who are engaged in destroying chemical weapons in Syria.
In this context, Wang Yi stressed on the need for enhanced strategic co-operation among the RIC countries while Lavrov spoke about a ‘new architecture of international relations’.
(While the exact dates of Geneva-2 conference on Syria are yet to be announced, the proposed forum holds lot of promise considering the substantial progress made by another Geneva process on the issue of Iran. India should do its bit at the upcoming conference and make a strong pitch for resolving international political disputes diplomatically instead of military force.)
Iran
Lavrov briefed his Indian and Chinese counterparts about the deliberations at the just-concluded Geneva conference between six world powers and Iran which he had attended. He informed his colleagues that though the Geneva conference has ended without any deal, it has led to the narrowing of differences between the West and Iran and an attempt to reach a consensus with Iran was underway.
“The meeting has proved that the negotiations on this issue were concentrated on search of understanding mutually acceptable decision. We are trying to reach consensus. The new Iran government has been very decisive in taking the necessary steps in this area. And the negotiations we had in 3+3 meeting with Iran very substantial. Based on the assessment of all the participants of (the November 7-9) meeting, we have reached a very big progress. I am ready to confirm that assessment and I have shared the details with the foreign ministers of India and China,” the Russian foreign minister said.
Lavrov lauded the efforts of the new government in Iran and the US delegation led by US Secretary of State John Kerry for making valiant efforts in resolving the Iran issue. Lavrov talked of similar synergies of the RIC on the Iran issue and the need for returning to the negotiating process on the Korean Peninsula to completely demilitarize it.
(The international community on the one hand and Iran and the sextet of P5 + Germany on the other should seize this opportunity and clinch a settlement acceptable to all. If this were to happen, India will stand to gain handsomely – politically, strategically and economically.)
Overall, the RIC foreign ministers’ meeting has proven one thing: the three countries are increasingly collaborating on all major global issues and this synergy is set to intensify further.
The writer is a Firstpost columnist and a strategic analyst who tweets @Kishkindha
http://www.firstpost.com/india/what-the-russia-india-china-meet-on-terror-means-for-india-1225845.html
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Taloqan residents gain access to power
By Hidayatullah Hamdard Nov 16, 2013 - 15:00
TALOQAN (PAN): Residents of this capital city of northeastern Takhar province have gained access to electricity imported from Tajikistan via neighbouring Kunduz province, an official said on Saturday.
... (read more)
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Schoolgirls lash out at awareness programme
By Saifullah Maftoon Nov 3, 2013 - 14:49
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Students of a girls’ high school in the capital of southern Ghazni province complain they are taught “inappropriate lessons” in the garb of a public awareness programme by judicial officials.
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Iran sanctions relief to spur Afghan exports
By Abasin Zaheer Nov 25, 2013 - 18:23
KABUL (PAN): Economists on Monday hoped the recent agreement between Iran and six world powers would leave a positive impact on Afghanistan’s economy and trade relations with different countries.
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Coal-processing plant to be functional soon
By Pajhwok reporter Nov 24, 2013 - 17:55
KABUL (PAN): A coal processing factory, with initial investment amounting to $5 million, is being inaugurated as the first of its kind facility in Kabul two months later, investors said on Sunday.
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90pc work on Ghazni airport completed
By Saifullah Maftoon Nov 25, 2013 - 16:32
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Ninety percent of construction work on the Ghazni airport has been completed and the project would be fully executed within a month, officials said on Monday.
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6 welfare projects implemented in Ghor
By Pajhwok reporter Nov 20, 2013 - 17:29
CHAGHCHARAN (PAN): Six welfare projects, including road, bridge and canal amounting to $500,000 have been implemented in the western Ghor province, an official said.
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Recreational park opens in Kabul
By Pajhwok reporter Nov 18, 2013 - 16:43
KABUL (PAN): Eng. Abdul Ahad, the construction department deputy chief at the Kabul Municipality, on Monday inaugurated a recreational park in the central capital.
... (read more)
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300 Khost seminaries to be built, repaired
By Mohammad Haroon Nov 17, 2013 - 17:25
KHOST CITY (PAN): The governor on Sunday said more than 300 mosques and religious education institutes would be built and reconstructed in southeastern Khost province.
... (read more)
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8 modern cold storages being built
By Siddique Nov 9, 2013 - 20:25
KABUL (PAN): Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi said on Saturday eight international standard cold storages would be constructed in six provinces over the next two years.
... (read more)
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Kandahar school reopens after 8 years
By Bashir Ahmad Naadim Nov 26, 2013 - 20:31
KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): A middle school for boys reopened in the Zheri district of southern Kandahar province on Tuesday, eight years after it was closed due to insecurity, an official said.
... (read more)
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UK gives £18.5 million to lift Afghan women’s poll presence
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Tue, 26 Nov 2013 05:44 PM
http://www.trust.org/item/20131126174430-p0gvh/?source=search
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Karzai Taking BSA 'Hostage': Senators
Tuesday, 26 November 2013 20:13 Written by Saleha Sadat
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A number of Afghan Senators on Tuesday came out in condemnation of President Hamid Karzai's recent assertions that he would not sign the Kabul-Washington security pact until after the April elections, and only if the U.S. met three new preconditions he set.
On Sunday, an Advisory Loya Jirga concluded a four-day discussion of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which would ensure an ongoing military partnership with the U.S. and Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends in 2014. The Jirga voted in favor of the BSA, and called on Karzai to sign it before the end of the year.
However, President Karzai rejected the Loya Jirga's advice, saying he will not sign the pact until after the April elections and laid out three preconditions to the US for signing: transparent elections in April, no raids on Afghan homes and a breakthrough in talks with the Taliban.
The U.S. has called Karzai's proposition "unviable" and U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice mocked his demands, maintaining the U.S. has no "magic wand" to solve all Afghanistan's problems with a flick of the wrist simply because Karzai asks.
Afghan Senators joined that chorus on Tuesday, and criticized both the nature of Karzai's preconditions and his overall strategy.
"President Karzai, by taking the BSA hostage, wants to make some personal gains, and if the security deal is not signed, it would be a major betrayal," Senator Hidayatollah Rahayee said.
The U.S. has said it needs the agreement to be signed by the end of the year in order to make necessary preparations for a post-2014 troop presence, which it has suggested would be around 10-15,000 troops. Without a signed BSA before 2014, Washington has indicated it would go forward with a full troop withdraw.
"In a real sense, the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement has no link whatsoever to the elections - why would President Karzai set such a precondition for the U.S.?" Senator Dawoud Asas said.
The Senators participated in the Jirga, which brought together some 2,500 leaders from around the country. They have derided Karzai for neglecting the ruling of the Jirga, and called it an insult to those who took part in it.
"We demand government officials respect the decision of the Advisory Loya Jirga," Senator Nisar Haris said.
Karzai was the one who convened the Jirga to discuss the BSA in the first place, in the face of much criticisms, even though it was not required by law.
"Disregard for the Jirga's decision is an insult to members of the Jirga who attended the grand meeting, tolerating discomforts and coming from far away places of the country," Senator Najiba Hussaini said.
Before Karzai can sign the BSA, the National Assembly must vote on it. Though the Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar indicated such vote was a long way off.
Rice met with Karzai in Kabul earlier this week to discuss the BSA, and his new preconditions. Reportedly the Afghan President stood his ground and refused to concede on the new expectations he has set.
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Afghan senators slam Karzai for delaying Afghan-US security deal
By Ghanizada - Tue Nov 26, 9:42 pm
Afghan senators slammed president Hamid Karzai for delaying the controversial bilateral security agreement between Afghanistan and United States.
The senators also condemned president Hamid Karzai’s new pre-conditions for singing the bialteral security agreement, despite the pact was approved by majority in Afghan consultative Loya Jirga.
Calling the failure of bilateral security agreement between the two nations a major betrayal, the senators accused president Hamid Karzai of trying to achieve personal gains by delaying the pact to be signed.
New differences were revealed between Kabul and Washington following president Hamid Karzai’s meeting with Obama’s top national security aide, Susan Rice in Kabul.
President Hamid Karzai set conditions for the singing of the bilateral security agreement, which includes a transparent election earlier next year, immediate halt to US raids in Afghan homes and breakthrough in Afghan peace talks with Taliban.
However, an Afghan senator Dawood Hasas said that the issue of upcoming elections has nothing to do with the bilateral security agreement between Kabul and Washington.
Another Afghan senator Nisar Haris called on president Hamid Karzai to respect the resolution of the consultative Loya Jirga and sign the security pact without any delay.
http://www.khaama.com/afghan-senators-slam-karzai-for-delaying-afghan-us-security-deal-2572
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THE AFGHAN PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN- Afghans rising up with election Apr5 2014- Dr. Abdullah Abdullah - the Nelson Mandela of Afghan youth and seniors- a whole new way of life 4 Afghans - finally.... Afghans want there Nato comrades alongside their Afghan troops and cops
Loya Jirga approves Afghan-US bilateral security agreement
By Ghanizada - Sun Nov 24, 1:42 pm
The Afghanistan National Grand Council (Loya Jirga) called on Afghan president Hamid Karzai to sign the bilateral security agreement with United States by the end of the year.
The bilateral security agreement between Kabul and Washington was endorsed by 2,500 members of the national grand council (Loya Jirga).
The resolution passed by the national grand council (Loya Jirga) will allow thousands of US troops to remain in Afghanistan once combat operations have ended.
This comes as Afghan president Hamid Karzai said earlier that the bilateral security agreement with United States of America will be signed after presidential elections in 2014.
However, US officials said that it was “neither practical nor possible” to delay the signing of the bilateral security agreement between the two nations.
The bilateral security agreement also has to be approved by the Afghan parliament.
At least 15,000 foreign troops may remain in Afghanistan once the deal has been finalized, which will primarily provide training and mentor to Afghan national security forces.
http://www.khaama.com/loya-jirga-approves-afghan-us-bilateral-security-agreement-2566?fb_ref=recommendations-bar
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Afghan senators slam Karzai for delaying Afghan-US security deal
Afghan-national-assemblyAfghan senators slammed president Hamid Karzai for delaying the controversial bilateral security agreement between Afghanistan and United States.
The senators also condemned president Hamid Karzai’s new pre-conditions for singing the bialteral security agreement, despite the pact was approved by majority in Afghan consultative Loya Jirga.
Calling the failure of bilateral security agreement between the two nations a major betrayal, the senators accused president Hamid Karzai of trying to achieve personal gains by delaying the pact to be signed.
New differences were revealed between Kabul and Washington following president Hamid Karzai’s meeting with Obama’s top national security aide, Susan Rice in Kabul.
President Hamid Karzai set conditions for the singing of the bilateral security agreement, which includes a transparent election earlier next year, immediate halt to US raids in Afghan homes and breakthrough in Afghan peace talks with Taliban.
However, an Afghan senator Dawood Hasas said that the issue of upcoming elections has nothing to do with the bilateral security agreement between Kabul and Washington.
Another Afghan senator Nisar Haris called on president Hamid Karzai to respect the resolution of the consultative Loya Jirga and sign the security pact without any delay.
http://www.khaama.com/afghan-senators-slam-karzai-for-delaying-afghan-us-security-deal-2572
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Haqqani Network suicide bombers arrested in capital Kabul
By Ghanizada on 26 Nov 2013 1:30pm - No Comments
Afghan security forces thwarted coordinated terrorist attacks in capital Kabul by arresting a group of terrorist attack organizers, Afghan intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced Tuesday. The three-member group of terrorist attack organizers were looking to carry out coordinated attacks on Afghan consultative Loya Jirga, NDS said in its statement. The statement furtherRead full story »
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Afghan security forces foil missile attack in Kabul city
By Ghanizada on 25 Nov 2013 4:28pm - No Comments
The Afghan national security forces thwarted missile attack plot in capital Kabul, which was aimed to disturb the national grand council (Loya Jirga). The national directorate of security (NDS) following a statement announced on Monday that the Afghan security forces seized at least 10 missiles during a joint operation in Khak-e-Jabar district of Kabul city. Read the full article...
Read full story »
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HEROES/HEROES
Afghanistan cricket team qualify to 2014 T20 World cup
By Ghanizada on 24 Nov 2013 7:46pm - 1 Comment
The Afghanistan national cricket qualified to ICC World Twenty20 World cup 2014, after securing six consecutive wins in ICC World T20 qualifier. Afghanistan defeated Kenya by 34 runs during its sixth match in ICC World T20 qualifier in Sharjah on Sunday. Afghan batsmen scored 148 runs by losing nine wickets in 20 overs. Noor Ali Read the full article...
Read full story »
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US-Afghanistan withdrawal: Can Pakistan survive without NATO money?
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/19757/us-afghanistan-withdrawal-can-pakistan-survive-without-nato-money/
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So is Iran and Hezbollah
Pakistani Taliban Join the Fight in Syria
http://thediplomat.com/2013/07/pakistani-taliban-join-the-fight-in-syria/
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Norway will stay on in Afghanistan
Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide says Norway will not pull out of Afghanistan. She opens for the possibility that Norwegian troops may remain the country for several years after 2014.
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