Afghanistan News Center

Afghanistan News June 18, 2013: Today's headlines.....

United States to meet Taliban to seek Afghan peace
By Mark Felsenthal, Warren Strobel and Hamid Shalizi
WASHINGTON/KABUL (Reuters) - The United States and the Taliban raised hopes on Tuesday for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan with commitments to meet this week after 12 years of bloody and costly war between American-led forces and the insurgents.

Afghanistan blast kills 3 amid security transition
Associated Press – Tue, Jun 18, 2013.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A large bomb exploded in the Afghan capital on Tuesday, killing at least three people on the day the international military coalition hands over responsibility for fighting the Taliban insurgency to the nascent national army and police they have been training.

Afghan president's forces taking security lead
By PATRICK QUINN | Associated Press – Tue, Jun 18, 2013
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced at a ceremony on Tuesday that his country's armed forces are taking over the lead for security nationwide from the U.S.-led NATO coalition.

UN, HRW Concerned About Afghan Rights Commission Appointments
June 18, 2013 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Human Rights Watch and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights are expressing concerns about several new appointments to Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission by President Hamid Karzai.

Afghan women lose political power as fears grow for the future
Reuters By Miriam Arghandiwal and Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi Jun 17, 2013
Kabul - A legal requirement that women make up at least a quarter of all provincial elected officials was quietly removed by conservative male parliamentarians, officials said, the latest in a series of decisions undermining advances in women's rights in Afghanistan.

U.S. ambassador ‘proud’ he helped convince Canada to stay in Afghanistan
The Globe and Mail Jun. 17 2013
Ottawa - The behind-the-scenes role that U.S. ambassador David Jacobson played in convincing the Harper government not to quit Afghanistan remains a point of pride for the American envoy as he prepares to leave his post.

Afghan delegation visits Qatar for talks with Taliban: Karzai
By GHANIZADA - 18 Jun 2013, 2:45 pm Khaama Press
A delegation of the Afghan high peace council will visit Qatar in the near future to hold talks with the Taliban group members, president Hamid Karzai said.

Afghan Forces Struggle as U.S. Weans Them Off Support
The New York Times By Rod Nordland June 18, 2013
Kabul, Afghanistan - When the American-led NATO coalition officially transfers security responsibility for all of Afghanistan to government forces in a ceremony on Tuesday, it will in part be a formality. Already this year, Afghan forces have been in the lead in fighting the Taliban in more than three-quarters of the country

Pakistan Using Religious Extremism to Destabilise Afghanistan: Karzai
TOLOnews.com 17 June 2013
President Hamid Karzai said that the military and intelligence agency of Pakistan are adopting extremist methods based on religion to destabilise Afghanistan.

Coalition By Political Parties Favorable For Election: IEC
TOLOnews.com By Sharif Ameri 17 June 2013
The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Monday called for the creation of a 'coalition' by political parties and said that it will be favorable for the upcoming 2014 Presidential election.

Lower House Summons Afghan Minister of Finance
TOLOnews.com By TOLOnews.com 17 June 2013
The Lower House of the Afghan Parliament has summoned Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal for questioning over the allegations of raising illegal demands and corruption made by him against six MPs.