Afghanistan News February 9, 2003

February 9, 2003

Formerly bitter Afghanistan foes unite in their hatred of America
By Victoria Burnett in Kabul , Financial Times, February 8, 2003
The expelled Taliban rulers of Afghanistan and the former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, once bitter foes, do not make the most obvious bedfellows. But with support from some of the channels that funded the Afghan struggle against the Soviet Union - including Pakistani intelligence agents - remnants of the former hardline regime and Mr Hekmatyar have come together over their hatred of the US and distrust of the pro-western government of President Hamid Karzai.

"Hekmatyar and remnants of the Taliban are members of the same play and that play is not being directed by Afghanistan," said Yunis Qanooni, the education minister and former interior minister, who is a powerful member of the Northern Alliance.

Afghan officials and western diplomats think Mr Hekmatyar and the Taliban are working in a loose alliance, sharing information and perhaps exchanging logistical and financial support. The Taliban is regrouping under a new command structure, says a senior western diplomatic source - a structure in which Mullah Mohammad Omar, its former leader, plays a lesser role.

Mullah Omar's whereabouts are uncertain. A senior Afghan official said he had recently been "spending time in and out of the border area", supporting the theory he is using it as a refuge.

Mr Hekmatyar, meanwhile, has been sighted in some half-dozen provinces along the border and in Kunar, the eastern province from which have emerged reports of terrorist training camps.

How great a threat the regrouped Taliban and Mr Hekmatyar present is debatable, officials say. While Mr Hekmatyar has the capability and will to carry out terrorist attacks on western or western-allied targets, officials say he lacks the broad popular support needed to foment an uprising.

Taleban call for holy war
Saturday, 8 February, 2003, 16:19 GMT
Pockets of Taleban fighters remain in Afghanistan
By Rahimullah Yusufzai BBC, Peshawar

The former Taleban regime of Afghanistan has issued a rare statement urging Afghans to take part in a jihad (holy war) against US-led coalition forces based in the country.

It said the Taleban considered the possible US attack on Iraq as a continuation of the crusades against Muslims and an onslaught on Islam.

The communique was ordered by Mullah Omar
The message was faxed from an unknown location in Pakistan and signed by Mohammad Mukhtar Mujahid, styling himself as a spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name used by the Taleban while they were in power.

A senior Taleban leader, requesting anonymity, later confirmed that the communique was drafted on the directive of their supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.

Karzai 'puppet'

Addressed to the "Muslim and Mujahid nation of Afghanistan," the communique accused the US of committing aggression against their homeland and turning it into a colony.

Afghans were urged to eject US forces

It maintained that Afghanistan was insecure and unstable even after 13 months of foreign occupation.

Arguing that Afghan religious scholars had endorsed jihad against the US and the "puppet" government of Hamid Karzai, the Taleban communique said all the Afghans should wage the holy war under Mullah Omar's leadership.

It said Omar had appointed two Taleban leaders - Mullah Biradar and Mullah Obaidullah (a former defence minister) - as commanders of the new jihad.

Warning
Mullah Omar, who is wanted by the US, went into hiding after the Taleban were ousted in December, 2001.

According to the communique, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan warned all Afghans loyal to the US and the Karzai Government to dissociate themselves from their work or face consequences.

It gave a similar warning to political and media organisations and non-governmental organisations.

The countries that had sent their troops to Afghanistan in support of the US were also threatened with reprisals and reminded of the fate of the British and Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

The statement appealed to the Islamic countries to forge unity in their ranks to rid Muslims from the "yoke of the Western imperialism" and to win the rights of the peoples of Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya and Afghanistan..

Germany Wants Greater NATO Role in Kabul
Sat Feb 8, 1:33 PM ET By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer
MUNICH, Germany - Germany proposed Saturday that NATO take over command — currently shared by individual countries — of the international peacekeeping force around the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Defense Minister Peter Struck said he would make the suggestion to Afghan President Hamid Karzai when he visits Kabul on Monday. Germany and the Netherlands are due to take over command from Turkey on Monday until October.

"I will ask President Karzai on Monday if he has any objections to the NATO flag flying in Kabul, and I cannot imagine that he has," Struck said at an international conference on security policy.

Struck said the continued social and ethnic tensions in the country and the threat posed by the remnants of the ousted Taliban regime showed the need for a strong international force to remain in Kabul.

"Only a limited number of countries are capable of taking over ... it makes sense to determine formally that the responsibility be shouldered jointly," Struck said.

NATO is providing planning and logistics support to the Germans and Dutch as they prepare to take control of the mission. The 19 nation allies also have been informally discussing the possibility of it taking a bigger role.

Such a mission would be first major operation outside its traditional European and North American theater.

Struck's proposal comes as the alliance is divided over Iraq with Germany, France and Belgium holding up plans for NATO to prepare to protect Turkey from the threat of Iraqi counterattack.

His comments seemed to find support from NATO's Secretary General Lord Robertson who told the same conference the six-monthly rotation of leading nations in the Kabul force was hindering efforts to stabilize the country.

"The unseemly scramble to find a country to command (the force) in Kabul gives neither the Afghans, their neighbors nor the remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida the sense we are there for the long haul," Robertson said. "NATO can play a bigger part."

However French officials urged caution, saying that the issue would have to be studied deeply before any decision was made. Ahead of Struck's proposal, Spain and Canada had both suggested they might be willing to take over the mission.

The current commander of the International Security Assistance Force, Turkish Maj. Gen. Hilmi Akin Zorlu, said Thursday the peacekeepers must remain for another two or three years while the Afghan army and police are fully established.

About 4,000 international troops are participating in the force, which was established to protect the fragile new Afghan government after U.S.-backed forces toppled the Taliban regime in 2001.

Gunmen Kill 5 Afghan Soldiers, Kidnap Two
Sat Feb 8, 9:58 AM ET
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen have attacked a security post in southwest Afghanistan (news - web sites), killing five Afghan soldiers and kidnapping two others, the local security chief said on Saturday.

The attackers opened fire on the post in Chotu village, Helmand province, late on Friday, security chief Daad Mohammad told Reuters.

"Our people were praying when they were attacked," he said.

Officials have warned of strengthening resistance from former Taliban fighters in recent weeks, particularly across the south of the country.

Police and security officials said they suspected the Taliban may be behind both the attack and recent distributions of anti-U.S. pamphlets and posters, although there was no immediate proof.

Kabul residents reported a man on a bicycle dispersed on Friday leaflets from a previously unknown Islamic group demanding the immediate departure of U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan and a return to a strict Islamic dress code for women.

"Death to America" said the leaflet, issued by a group calling itself Pious Mujahideen (holy warriors) of Islam.

"Our country is once again occupied by foreigners and enemies of Islam and criminal America is the leader," the group said in the leaflet, which was written in the local Dari language.

"One day we will make them cry like the Russians," it added, referring to the expulsion of the Soviet Red Army in 1989 after 10 years of rebellion.

Up to 8,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan leading the hunt for remnants of the Taliban regime and the al Qaeda network blamed for the September 11 attacks. There are fears a U.S.-led war on Iraq could aggravate opposition to the foreign forces.

A statement, claimed to be from the ousted Taliban, was faxed to a Pakistan newspaper on Friday calling on Afghans to join a jihad (holy struggle) against the West and its allies.

The statement said Afghanistan was insecure and unstable after what it called 13 months of "foreign occupation."

The Pakistani newspaper, The News, quoted a senior Taliban commander as saying the communique was genuine.

A spokesman at the U.S. military headquarters at Bagram, just north of Kabul, said unidentified Afghan fighters fired four mortar rounds just north of the base early on Saturday, although they appeared to be aimed away from the site.

No casualties or damage were reported.

Bomb Explodes Near Afghan Gov.'s Mansion
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS February 8, 2003
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) A bomb exploded Saturday in a medical plaza a half-mile from a provincial governor's mansion in eastern Afghanistan, police and eyewitnesses said. One person was hurt.

Several small explosions have occurred in Jalalabad in recent months, and are usually blamed on fugitive Taliban and al-Qaida, who can easily flee to neighboring Pakistan or to nearby Kunar province.

``We don't know for sure whether the bomb was against the government or the result of a personal grudge,'' said Shahzada Musloomyar, acting governor of eastern Nangarhar province, of which Jalalabad is the capital.

Afghan government officials say that renegade rebel leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has a large following in neighboring Kunar province. U.S. soldiers operating there have come under regular assaults, and the attacks are often blamed on Hekmatyar.

British companies to explore investment opportunities in Afghanistan
Saturday, February 08, 2003 8:00 AM EST
KABUL, Feb 8, 2003 (Xinhua via COMTEX) Representatives from over a dozen of British companies will soon come to Afghanistan to explore investment opportunities in this war-ravaged country, Afghan Minister of Commerce Sayed Mustafa Kazemi said on Saturday.

Kazemi, who just came back from a trip to London, told a press conference here that a business delegation of the British construction consortium BCCB, consisting of 14 well-known companies, was scheduled to visit Afghanistan within next two months.

The main purpose of the delegation's visit to Afghanistan was to assess the security situation and investment atmosphere in a post-conflict country, which had began a reconstruction process with extensive international assistance.

The Minister said that the British government had agreed with Afghanistan's suggestion to form a joint Afghan-British Chamber of Commerce with a view to expanding trade and commercial relations between the two countries.

The chamber would be also responsible for encouraging British companies to invest in Afghanistan and promoting Afghanistan's exports to Britain.

According to Kazemi, Standard and Charter, a famous British bank, will send a team here later this month to start its operation in Kabul.

The opening of the Standard and Charter office in Kabul would constitute an important step towards improving the country's investment atmosphere for international companies, he said.

In addition, a Swiss company named CGS will also start its operation in Afghanistan in the near future, according to the Minister.

He said it was in urgent need for Afghanistan to have extensive cooperation with international companies as the country just began to rehabilitate its economy after 23 years of war and destruction.

The Afghan transitional government had adopted a policy to encourage private investment in the country, and was trying to attract foreign companies to participate in the country's reconstruction.

Pakistani agents accused of aiding Taliban groups
By Victoria Burnett in Kabul, and Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad, Financial Times, Feb. 8, 2003
Members of Pakistani intelligence are helping remnants of the Taliban to regroup more than a year after they were ousted from power, according to senior Afghan officials and diplomats in Kabul.

Taliban operatives are hiding among sympathisers in the mountainous region that straddles the 1,500-mile border between Afghanistan and Pakistan and planning attacks. US forces last week flushed out a group of rebels from caves near the border town of Spinboldak.

The Taliban have allied with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former prime minister who once fought them but has now sworn to rid Afghanistan of foreign troops and bring down the government of President Hamid Karzai.

Senior Afghan officials and western diplomats say their intelligence indicates the regrouping Taliban and Hekmatyar forces are receiving logistical and financial support from members - former or current - of the Pakistani InterServices Intelligence (ISI) agency. The claims will exacerbate strains between the neighbouring countries, and between Pakistan and the US.

"They are supporting them now and they will continue to support them," says General Din Mohammed Juraat, Afghan chief of police, speaking of the ISI. He says he has intelligence to support his claim.

Concern that the border region would become a haven for elements opposed to Mr Karzai and to the West grew after an alliance of hardline Islamic parties, the Mutahida-Majlis-Amal (MMA), won control of Baluchistan and the North-West Frontier Province in elections in November.

"They've been making hay in Pakistan with a view to coming back in Afghanistan," said a senior western diplomat in Kabul. "At the moment, the Tribal Areas - because of the MMA - are a kind of sanctuary for them."

Senior government officials in Islamabad say the Pakistani government remains dedicated to the hunt for Taliban and al-Qaeda, with 60,000 troops stationed along the border and every one of an estimated 178 mountain passes manned.

"The key question is, are we as Pakistanis sincere in our commitment? There's certainly no doubt that we are serious," one Pakistani official said.

Senior Afghan and western officials say support for the insurgents goes beyond local sympathisers. One western diplomat said intelligence received by their embassy indicated the regrouping was being aided by former ISI members. But Afghan officials believe the operation is too big to be carried out by anyone other than current ISI operatives. "This is not a hobby," said one senior government official.

Former Pakistani officials involved closely in the past with the country's policy towards Afghanistan acknowledge that there are influential groups who would provide support. "There are many Pakistanis who take the view that the US campaign in Afghanistan was a mistake, as the war on Iraq would be a mistake," said one.

Musharraf's Russia visit fruitful, says envoy
via Dawn. February 8, 2003
MOSCOW, Feb 7: The country's ambassador to Russia, Syed Iftikhar Murshid has described President Gen Pervez Musharraf's visit to Russia as 'successful' and said it would yield positive results.

Speaking to Pakistani newsmen who covered the visit, the ambassador said President Musharraf and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, struck a personal rapport and were together for five-and-a-half hours.

"Putin has never been that long with any visiting dignitary and the fact that the one-to-one meeting with Gen Musharraf was extended to two hours and 15 minutes from the original one hour clearly shows the interest of the Russian President in embarking upon new friendship with Pakistan," he said.

He said the four memoranda of understanding signed during the visit would help further the ties between the countries and ensure greater understanding. He specially mentioned the MoU signed for the expansion and modernization of Pakistan Steel Mills.

The ambassador noted that the visit, the first in 33 years, has laid the groundwork for better ties between the countries. "Of course, in three days we cannot expect spectacular results but at least the mindset has been dismantled and the two countries can now move ahead with renewed determination to consolidate their ties," he said.

He reiterated that President Putin was in a position to push for dialogue between Pakistan and India on the solution of all outstanding problems between them.
Mr Murshid said Russia and Pakistan had come to some understanding on defence issues. He said the visit would lead to the opening of a new chapter in relations between the countries.-APP

Ties with Russia: a new beginning
Dawn, February 8, 2003, EDITORIAL
President Pervez Musharraf's three-day visit to Russia has ended on a positive note, with both sides affirming their resolve to effect an all-round improvement in their bilateral relations. The joint statement issued on Thursday is comprehensive. It covers, besides geopolitical issues, many economic, cultural and scientific areas where the two countries seem keen to cooperate.

The two sides have also signed several agreements on cultural cooperation and oil and gas exploration. But the most important one is a memorandum of understanding for the expansion, balancing and modernization of the Pakistan Steel at a cost of $ 100 million. This is in the fitness of things, because it was Russia which helped Pakistan establish its first steel mills.

The agreements show, in the words of President Musharraf, the desire of the two countries to bury the "bad things" and revive and reinforce the "good things." The joint communique also notes the help Russia has given to Pakistan in its space programme, especially Moscow's technical assistance in launching Badr-2 communications satellite.

Other areas where the two sides are keen to collaborate include narcotics control, debt restructuring, banking, giving each other the most-favoured nation treatment in trade and investment, and a review of the existing joint commissions.

However, it is the political aspect of the mutual relationship that received special attention during talks in Moscow because of the implications of certain recent developments and flashpoints of conflict for regional peace and stability. As reflected in the joint statement, the outcome has been a large measure of identity of views and shared concerns on a number of these issues.

Given Russia's long-standing friendship with India, it would be unrealistic for Pakistan to expect Moscow to shift its position on Kashmir and other Indo-Pakistan disputes. To resolve these issues Islamabad has always called for a dialogue between the two countries, but New Delhi has insisted that Pakistan must first stop "cross-border terrorism" before a dialogue could begin.

The joint communique adopts a middle course, stressing the importance of resumption of talks while expecting all relevant parties to create a favourable climate for that purpose. President Musharraf seems to have shown an understanding of the Russian position when he told newsmen that he did not expect an improvement in relations between the two countries at the expense of Moscow's relations with another country. This is a realistic view. What Pakistan needs is an improvement in relations with Russia so as to remove the misunderstandings of the past and start a new phase of friendly relations between the two countries.

As expected, the communique dwells at considerable length on the issue of terrorism and stresses the need for combating "ethnic and religious terrorism", besides trafficking in nuclear materials. Pakistan obviously has to do a lot to remove Russia's anxiety on this score, because Islamabad's close relationship with the Taliban in the nineties had created problems for Russia in Central Asia.

The Taliban chapter in Russo-Pakistan history is behind us, but Islamabad needs to continue to play its vital role in combating the remnants of terrorists in Pakistan. President Musharraf, thus, did well to allay Russian apprehensions with regard to Al Qaeda and the situation in Chechnya, and said Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used as a staging post for terrorism elsewhere in the world.

On Afghanistan, there is need for Pakistan to be sensitive to Russian apprehensions. Afghanistan borders Central Asia, which Moscow regards as its "near abroad." Terrorism or any kind of political instability affects Central Asia and causes concerns in Moscow. Pakistan would do well to keep this in mind.

The joint statement notes that Russia supports the Kabul Declaration of last December which Pakistan and some of Afghanistan's other neighbours signed, pledging non-interference in its internal affairs. This means that both Islamabad and Moscow are interested in lending support to the Karzai regime to see Afghanistan through the transition to a constitutional set-up.

The communique also touches on the Iraq crisis and the Arab-Israeli question and emphasizes the need for upholding the principles of the United Nations and finding a peaceful solution to the two problems. On the Palestinian issue, there is an identity of views, with both sides condemning "all acts of violence." This naturally includes suicide bombings directed against Israeli civilians as well as state terrorism practised by Israel as part of its policy of brutal suppression.

On Iraq, the statement upholds the position adopted by France, Germany and China and most regional states, and opposes the "unilateral use or threat of use of force in violation of the UN Charter" and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

The joint communique is basically a statement of intent. The agreement on specific issues is as important as the desire it reflects on the part of the two countries to forge a new relationship. A key sentence affirms the two countries' "intention to cooperate closely in bilateral and international forums on strategic stability." This by any standard is a good beginning. One hopes the two sides will continue to pursue their shared aims and concerns in a spirit of harmony, friendship and understanding.

Rumblings in Riyadh By Ian Urbina
Asia Times (Hong Kong), February 8, 2003
In March, the 22 Arab League states will head to Cairo for the Arab summit. There will surely be much heated discussion over how to respond to the impending - or by that time possibly already begun - war with Iraq. But another item on the agenda will be the recently released, and rather surprising "Charter for Reform of the Arab Condition" drafted by the Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.

Though thoroughly vague, the charter calls for Arab leaders to "end the regional silence that has gone on for too long" about the "explosive situation in this area" evidently a reference to the social, economic and political stagnation which has fueled discontent and contributed to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. But most shocking is the call for "internal reform and enhanced political participation" which it describes as "essential steps for building Arab capabilities".

Had such a document been released by any other regional power it would hardly have made press. But for the royalty of a country which is so thoroughly conservative, religious, hierarchical and static, any mention of "internal reform and enhanced political participation" is noteworthy. Many are wondering whether these could be the early signs of glasnost in Riyadh?

The charter was by no means the first unusual move. A little over a week ago, the Saudi government shocked many by opening its doors, or some of them at least, to an American human rights organization, the first time ever in the Islamic kingdom. A five-person delegation from the New York-based Human Rights Watch was invited on a six-day visit to the country. On the trip, they toured the capital city's major men's prison, met with top officials such as Interior Minister Prince Nayef and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, and even had a consultation with the much-feared mutawa religious police. And lately there have been other oddities of note.

In mid January, many Saudi-watchers were left stunned when the Shura Council in Riyadh - an advisory body that gives advice to the government - rejected a draft of legislation which would have imposed an income tax on foreigners working in the kingdom. The specifics of the legislation are not half as important as the fact that the council acted outside its typically rubber-stamping capacity. The legislation is currently being revised by a somewhat befuddled Ministry of Finance.

Several weeks ago Crown Prince Abdullah took a highly public tour through one of the poorest districts of the capital. The visit was hailed as an unprecedented admission that the country suffers from poverty. Some interpreted the visit as a small step toward the state actually confronting a situation it has long chosen to ignore.

The reason for the seemingly reformist moves is not easy to explain, and in the end amounts to pure speculation since so much about Saudi politics is opaque. But one clear factor is a Saudi desire to stay out in front of its neighbors when it comes to determining the political direction of the region. From Riyadh, it may seem like parliament fever is in the air. Kuwait’s was long alone, but now Bahrain has ushered in a parliament and Qatar is writing a constitution that will lead to a parliament. Gone are the days when Saudis used to criticize the Kuwaiti royal family for being the only Gulf nation with such an odd institution.

Nor is the Saudi reformist platform the only recent attempt to ensure that Riyadh keeps its status as the predominant diplomatic heavyweight in the Gulf. Last year’s major Saudi initiative to negotiate a solution between Israel and the Palestinians, and more recently the Saudi shuttle-butting over an exile plan for Saddam all can be read in this same light.

Internally, economics and demographics have conspired to put added pressure on Riyadh in the direction of reform. The Islamic kingdom is facing a barrage of unprecedented problems, as its population has doubled in 20 years to 23 million, even though income from oil has remained flat, with no prospects for sustained growth. In terms of material infrastructure, per capita investment has been halved in the past decade, leading to a bottoming out of basic social services.

Unemployment among the young has risen sharply. The royal family may recognize that as these popular frustrations grow, they will need to be channeled through more accommodating political mechanisms.

Education has also been a lightning rod of controversy lately. Many Saudis worry that the nation’s religious-based schooling inadequately prepares the young for careers in a globalized and technologically advanced world. America has also attacked the Saudi school system, accusing it of indoctrinating pupils with Islamic fundamentalism. The fire in a girl’s school last year which led to numerous deaths was a partial impetus for the critical look at the conservative nature of the education system. According to Saudi press accounts religious police would not allow the girls out of their burning building because the girls were in their night clothes.

Of course, there are also the factors of the World Trade Center attacks and more recently the US plans to invade Iraq. The fact that the bulk of the September 11 highjackers were Saudis deeply shocked and dismayed the royal family. Subsequently, the spate of press skewering left many in the Saudi government reeling. Reformism may be a consequence of this negative attention. A major war on its borders could also open up unpredictable forces for the Saudis. A destabilized Iraq, a splintered and civil war Iraq, a US-occupied post Saddam Iraq, a democratizing Iraq, all represent worrisome possibilities for the Saudi leadership. Appropriating the rhetoric now, if not also actually carrying through on it with real actions, may be a preemptive tactic by the Saudi royalty so that this rhetoric is not eventually turned against Riyadh at a vulnerable moment down the road.

But the push for reform is far from monolithic. There are those rather brave voices within the country who have been pushing, largely from the bottom up, for political change. Many of them find Prince Abdullah’s recent charter far from convincing as it puts too much emphasis on suggesting reforms for other area governments rather than making any real commitments at home. In late January, a group of these reformists - most of them professors and prominent intellectuals - drafted a petition calling for gradual democracy and eventual elections in the absolute monarchy. The reformers' document also asks for the reform of the judiciary, more freedom for the press and more rights for women.

Ultimately, though, onlookers are left reading tea leaves to figure out what, if anything, recent Saudi moves mean in terms of real change. There is the distinct possibility that the recent talk is little more than hollow rhetoric. In crunch times before, the Saudi rulers have been shrewd in their ability to deflect certain pressures. For example, leading up to the 1991 Gulf War some Saudi leaders, including the King, spoke freely of installing a military draft. Their tough talk came at a moment when the royal family was under significant pressure for being overly dependent on the US military. But when the war ended, all such promises were immediately dropped, and hardly a word of it has been mentioned since.

Will Prince Abdullah’s charter amount to anything? Only time will tell. But in the meanwhile one wry critic recently quoted in the Economist probably got it right, "So long as the government gets its money from god, it remains impossible to demand accountability."

Ian Urbina is an editor at the Middle East Report and is based at the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), a foreign policy think tank.

Australia defends strict policy on refugees
via New Straits Times
AFP (February 7, 2003) The Australian Government defended its hardline stance on asylum seekers yesterday after a refugee committed suicide when he was officially advised to return to Afghanistan. Welfare group Centacare said the 46-year man hanged himself from a set of power lines on Monday at Murray Bridge, east of the South Australian city of Adelaide.

The man, who has not been named, was working in the town on a temporary protection visa, which grants asylum seekers refugee status for three years, rather than permanent residency in Australia.

Centacare executive director Dale West said the man's visa was due to expire on April 11 and he had recently received a letter from the immigration department advising him to voluntarily return to Afghanistan.

West said the temporary protection visa system was a "mental jail" that had proved too much for the asylum seeker. "The final straw was the letter," he said.
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said while he was saddened by the death there was no proof it was prompted by government policies. "It could well be that there are a whole host of other reasons," he told ABC radio.

He said the practice of offering voluntary repatriation to refugees whose temporary visas had expired would continue. Ruddock said three Afghans had so far taken up the offer of repatriation to their homeland.

"I don't send people back without the acquiescence of their government and that is a matter in which we will continue to have discussion," he said. "We have an agreement with Afghanistan that voluntary returns are accepted now." He said counselling services for asylum seekers were adequate.

Australia's conservative government has been criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups over its policy of mandatorily detaining illegal immigrants seeking asylum. However, the Government argues the policies are necessary to maintain the integrity of the country's borders and to prevent an influx of masses of refugees. — AFP

Saudi minister says eight detained over shootout had been led astray like those who went to Afghanistan
Sat Feb 8, 9:12 AM ET AP
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The eight men detained in connection with a shootout in the Saudi capital last month had been led astray like those Saudis who fought in Afghanistan, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef said in remarks published Saturday.

The detainees, whose arrest the Interior Ministry announced Friday, had been influenced by "deviant behavior similar to that of those who came from Afghanistan," Prince Nayef told the Al-Riyadh daily.

The minister did not say if the detainees had belonged to the al-Qaida terror group, led by Osama bin Laden, which is blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

When asked if the detainees were linked to terrorism or attacks during the annual Islamic pilgrimage, Prince Nayef said "investigations are still at the beginning."

Saudi officials expect nearly 2 million pilgrims to take part in the current pilgrimage or hajj, which climaxes on Monday.

The United States heightened its terror alert status on Friday, saying intelligence pointed to a possible attack timed to coincide with the hajj.

Authorities in the Gulf have expressed concern about violent protests against a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq

Police did not say when or where the eight were detained, but that several either surrendered or were handed over by their families, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Jan. 24 shootout in Riyadh left one Kuwaiti bystander dead and two Saudi intelligence agents wounded. Another Saudi civilian was also injured.

The Press Agency report said the men would be referred to an Islamic court for trial.

The international image of Saudi Arabia, a secretive Gulf state and the birthplace of Osama bin Laden, was dented following the Sept. 11 attacks. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks were Saudis.

Pakistan says relations with India worsening
Islamabad, Feb 8, IRNA Pakistan has said its relations with neighbouring India have worsened as the diplomatic row between the two countries have deepened in the wake of expulsion of each other's diplomats.

Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told newsmen in Islamabad on Saturday, regretted that "instead of taking measures to reduce tension and resume dialogue, New Delhi is bent on heightening tension between the two countries".

Pakistan on Saturday ordered India's acting high commissioner and four others to leave in a tit-for-tat move following similar action taken by Delhi earlier in the day.

Pakistan's move came after India ordered Pakistan's top envoy to leave the country within 48 hours after accusing him of channelling money to Islamic groups in Indian-administered Kashmir. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pakistan's acting High Commissioner, was told to leave along with four other officials.

"The current state of relations between the two countries are extremely bad because of the actions being taken by India to vitiate the atmosphere", the Pakistani spokesman said.

"Perhaps India was resorting to escalation of tension with Pakistan as it pays dividends in domestic politics of that country," Khan said.

He claimed that the ruling Indian Baharatiya Janata party victory in the Gujerat state was achieved at the cost of creating tension with Pakistan and said New Delhi was trying to experiment it again as elections are due in several Indian states this year.

He said there was no reason to increase tension when the international community is insisting on the two countries to start a dialogue. He said Pakistan always exercised restraint and only acted in reciprocity.

Asked about the possibility of a meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister during forthcoming Non Aligned Movement summit, the spokesman said Pakistan is always ready for talks and it is India that is averse to the negotiations.

To another question he said on the one hand India pleads for people-to-people contact between the two countries but on the other hand it is forcing Pakistan to reduce the strength of its High Commission in India. He said the reduced strength will cause difficulties in issuance of visas to people who want to visit
Pakistan.

He said Pakistan has always been urging for a comprehensive dialogue process to discuss and resolve all issues.