Afghanistan News November 4, 2004

November 4, 2004

Karzai proclaimed Afghanistan's first elected president
Thursday November 4, 7:35 AM AFP
US-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai was proclaimed winner of Afghanistan's first presidential election, almost a month after eight million Afghans defied threats of violence to have their first say in their country's leadership.

"With 4,442,247 legal counted votes out of a total of 8,240,538, Hamid Karzai has won... 55.4 percent," joint UN-Afghan election commission chairman, Zakim Shah, declared at a ceremony in Kabul.

"Therefore the joint electoral commission... declares His Excellency Hamid Karzai the winner of the election as the first elected president of Afghanistan."

The result was welcomed by the United Nations as well as the United States which led the invasion which toppled the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime in late 2001 after they refused to hand over Osama bin Laden.

In congratulating Karzai, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the election "is the latest milestone on the Afghan people's road to democratic government and a vibrant civil society."

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan congratulated Karzai and said he wished him well in addressing "the challenges that still remain in Afghanistan's path to lasting peace, stability and economic recovery," spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement.

The historic election, contested by 17 other candidates, was certified shortly after the release of the findings of a UN-appointed fraud inquiry, which concluded that "shortcomings" did not affect the outcome.

But Karzai, who has led Afghanistan's interim administration since the Taliban militia were ousted three years ago, was not present at the ceremony, having flown to Dubai to attend the funeral of United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan.

Karzai had a decisive 39.1 percentage point lead over his nearest rival, former education minister Yunus Qanooni, the favourite of the powerful anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.

Karzai is poised to rule Afghanistan for the next five years.

The conclusion of the ballot, hailed worldwide for its peaceful conduct after fears of violence, and Karzai's massive victory have been overshadowed by the abduction of three UN election workers last week.

Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Serbia's mainly Muslim province Kosovo and Angelito Nayan from the Philippines were kidnapped at gunpoint from their UN-marked vehicle on a busy Kabul road, just as the end of the count was announced.

A Taliban splinter group has threatened to execute them unless foreign forces and the United Nations quit Afghanistan and the United States releases all Taliban prisoners.

The abduction has sparked fears among expatriate workers of Iraq-style kidnappings in Kabul and could undermine parliamentary elections set for April.

The election commission had to assess the report of a three-person panel of experts, plus the findings of its own investigation into irregularities, before certifying the election as "free and fair."

The panel found the poll's "shortcomings" did not affect the result.

"This was a commendable election, particularly given the very challenging circumstances," the panel's 38-page report concluded.

"There were shortcomings, many of which were raised by the candidates themselves," it said, adding that the problems should be considered to improve future elections.

"But they could not have materially affected the overall result."

The panel was set up by the United Nations after 14 of the 18 candidates threatened to boycott the election in the middle of voting over alleged irregularities, arising partly from the failure and mix-up of indelible ink, which was meant to stain voters' fingers to prevent repeat voting but was easily washed off.

Panel member Craig Jenness, a Canadian former diplomat, said Afghans deserved to be proud of their first election, saying it was "conducted in a relatively calm and secure environment, with high turnout and much enthusiasm and substantial participation of women."

World leaders congratulated Karzai on his win, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair telling parliament the poll "was the first ever election for the Afghan people and a remarkable tribute to them and to the power of democracy."

In a letter to Karzai, EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said Afghans had "bestowed on you a strong and clear mandate to carry forward the democratic transformation of the country."

Deadline for kidnapped UN workers in Afghanistan passes without word
Thursday November 4, 11:20 AM AFP
The deadline set by a Taliban splinter group to execute three foreign UN election workers it claims to be holding captive passed overnight with no word on their fate.

The newly-emerged Taliban splinter group Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) extended by 12 hours its deadline on Wednesday to midnight (1930 GMT), saying the extension was final.

"If they (the authorities) don't contact us tonight we will kill them. If we cannot reach an agreement, we will kill them," Sayed Khaleed, who claims to speak on behalf of the Jaishul Muslimeen told AFP by phone late Wednesday.

"We want a result tonight."

The group has demanded the United States release all Taliban prisoners it is holding and that foreign forces and the United Nations quit Afghanistan.

The group's commander Akbar Agha said the government was trying to buy time by appearing to negotiate. The deadline had originally been set at midday (0730 GMT), but he suggested that a further extension may be possible.

"I am not satisfied with the negotiations. I believe the government is trying to gain time to rescue the hostages," Agha told the private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press.

"If no contact is made with us by 12 o'clock tonight we will take a final decision about the three hostages," he said.

The three hostages -- Annetta Flanigan from northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Serbia's mainly Muslim province of Kosovo, and Angelito Nayan from the Philippines -- were abducted at gunpoint last Thursday from their vehicle in busy lunchtime traffic in Kabul.

They had been helping to oversee Afghanistan's first presidential election.

The Afghan government, denying kidnappers' claims that they were already in touch with them, appealed to the public to phone in with any information they might have on the captors or their hostages.

"We have put in place a hotline and we want cooperation from the people," interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal told AFP.

Mashal had earlier expressed optimism at winning the release of the three election workers, whose abduction has cast a pall over the otherwise successful October 9 elections and US-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai's victory, which was officially declared on Wednesday.

The kidnappers told the Afghan Islamic Press on Tuesday that they had given the UN a list of Taliban prisoners held in Afghanistan.

"The UN has asked for a list of prisoners and we have prepared a list of at least 25 prisoners who are in different jails in Afghanistan," Agha was quoted as saying.

Afghan prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba must also be freed, he added.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, a 9,000-strong peacekeeping force, offered to help rescue the hostages or secure their release.

The 18,000-strong US-led coalition, which has been in Afghanistan since late 2001 hunting, capturing and killing suspected Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters, said it has been monitoring the abduction crisis.

Afghan rebels say they may spare Pinoy hostage
Sun Star - Nov 03 10:11 AM
MANILA -- Afghan militants holding a Filipino diplomat and two other United Nations (UN) workers hostage said Wednesday they may spare him from execution because the Philippines has no troops in Afghanistan.

The militants who had earlier threatened to execute the three hostages if their demands were not met pushed back their deadline to Wednesday midnight.

The militants are also urging the Afghan government to acknowledge it is in talks with the group--a new demand alongside the withdrawal of British troops and the United Nations from the country.

Catholic bishops in the Philippines on Wednesday called on the Filipinos to pray for the safe release of UN worker Angelito Nayan, who is being held captive by a Taliban splinter group together with Annetta Flanigan of Northern Ireland and Shqipe Hebibi of Kosovo.

They were abducted in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Thursday last week.

A statement from Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Fernando Capalla asked Wednesday for continued prayers for the safety of the three hostages.

The statement also asked for prayers "for enlightenment for the negotiators and for the spirit of love to prevail in the hearts and minds of the abductors."

Capalla said prayer is the only thing that will sustain the nation when all human efforts have been exhausted for Nayan's release.

"We continue to believe that in these troubled times we are living, prayer sustains us even when all other human efforts seem to fail, prayer makes us remember that we are all children of the same God," said Capalla.

Nayan's relatives earlier appealed to his abductors to release him in the spirit of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month being observed by Muslims all over the world.

Jaish-al Muslimeen, or Army of Muslims, released a videotape on Sunday showing the frightened captives pleading for their freedom.

Akbar Agha, the group's purported leader, said Wednesday it had received a call from "the authorities."

"We will not contact them as it will look as if we are the ones who need talks. They will have to approach us," Agha said by satellite telephone from an undisclosed location.

"We want the Afghan government and the U.N. to officially declare that they are in contact with us," he said. "We have set 12 midnight as the deadline."

Officials at the UN and in the Afghan government, none of whom have confirmed any contact so far, could not be reached immediately.

The Philippine government has sent diplomats to Kabul, but has imposed a news blackout.

Agha suggested Nayan might be spared.

"There will be a death penalty for those who are aggressors," he said.

"Britain and Kosovo have troops in Afghanistan, and they are aggressors. But Philippines does not have forces so it is not an aggressor country."

Afghan officials suspect that warlords or criminal groups were also involved in the bold daylight snatch and have launched a search operation in the capital and surrounding countryside.

An Afghan security official said the search for the trio had expanded from Kabul and the neighboring Paghman valley to Wardak province, immediately to the west.

Police units deployed Tuesday evening "are searching there in two or three places," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The Afghan Interior Ministry has also said its initiatives to secure the hostages' freedom are progressing, but has denied it is in contact with the kidnappers.

All three hostages were in Afghanistan to help manage its Oct. 9 presidential election.

US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai, who has condemned the latest kidnapping, secured a majority of the votes, and was to be confirmed as the country's first popularly chosen leader at a ceremony later Wednesday. (AP/With Marie Neri)

Karzai urged to tackle warlords after poll win
New Afghan president under pressure to halt opium boom
Declan Walsh in Islamabad Thursday November 4, 2004 The Guardian
Hamid Karzai was confirmed as Afghanistan's first elected president yesterday after an international inquiry concluded that a string of irregularities failed to swing the result of the last month's poll.

Mr Karzai's win, with 55% of the vote, will intensify pressure for a crackdown on Afghanistan's warlord-driven drugs boom. Britain plays a central role in the war on Afghanistan's drugs.

The Pashtun leader came to power after the 2001 US-led invasion ordered by George Bush. But celebrations were soured by an ongoing hostage crisis, involving three UN workers, that underscored the immense challenges facing his still-fragile administration.

Militants holding Annetta Flanigan, from Northern Ireland, and two fellow election officials - a Filipino and a Kosovan - extended their deadline until 2pm on Friday.

Jaish-e-Muslimeen (Army of Muslims), a Taliban splinter group, is demanding the withdrawal of Britain and the US from Afghanistan, and the release of all Muslim prisoners from Guantánamo Bay, in Cuba.

The delay was granted to allow negotiations with the Afghan government, a militant spokesman said.

After a marathon count of votes, the head of the joint UN-Afghan electoral body announced Mr Karzai's historic victory "in the year 1383", referring to the traditional Afghan calendar.

His rival, Yunus Qanooni, who trailed 39 points behind, refused to concede defeat, despite having earlier agreed to abide by the decision of the international monitors, who yesterday concluded that the scale of irregularities could not affect the final result.

Despite threats of Taliban violence, the election passed off largely peacefully. Sending his congratulations, Tony Blair said it "demonstrates the scale of the transformation that has taken place in Afghanistan".

US state department spokes- man Richard Boucher added: "Everyone involved has much to be proud of in bringing Afghanistan to this point, just three years after the end of a quarter-century of war and repression."

Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, also congratulated the leader on his mandate. Now Mr Karzai, armed with a five-year term, must defuse the potentially explosive issues of warlords, weapons and drugs. "There is a problem with the rule of law, and so far people have been disappointed," said an analyst, Andrew Wilder. "Karzai has an opportunity for a reform agenda. The question is whether he will take it."

Known drug smugglers and war criminals were tolerated under the last government - some even won cabinet posts - in the name of national stability. Moves to curtail the narco-economy were also hindered by the US-led hunt for the Taliban and al-Qaida. The US military has allied itself with friendly local warlords and turned a blind eye to their drug smuggling and extortion.

A UN report due to be released soon predicts a bumper opium harvest this year, close to the 1999 peak of 4,500 tonnes. Afghan opium accounts for 95% of the heroin sold in Europe, and 75% of world supply. Illegal drugs have earned Afghanistan $2.8bn this year, about half the gross domestic product and more than international aid. Britain is leading the international anti-drugs drive, with special forces training armed squads to destroy heroin labs while aid programmes entice farmers to switch crops.

But the real challenge for Mr Karzai will be to tackle the politically-connected overlords - widely rumoured to include one of his own relatives.

Before the vote, Mr Karzai moved against some warlords, but others have attempted to legitimise themselves through the ballot box. The Uzbek strongman General Rashid Dostum and his Hazara counterpart Mohammed Mohaqeq had a combined vote of 22%.

Afghan Political Parties Want Cabinet Free Of 'Criminals'
DAILY AFGHAN REPORT / NOVEMBER 2, 2004
Source: Radio Free Afghanistan (part of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)
Representatives of 15 political parties held a meeting in Kabul on 1 November in which they called on the future Afghan government not to give an opportunity to those "involved in the destruction of cities, violation of human rights, war crimes, and in the violation of people's integrity," the official Radio Afghanistan reported. The unidentified representatives asked for people with professional qualifications to be appointed to cabinet posts. A current cabinet minister, on condition of anonymity, said choosing a new cabinet will be a huge challenge for Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai, "The Boston Globe" reported on 30 October. "Expectations will be much, much higher on all fronts," the minister added. Kabul's "Da Kpulwaki Wazhma" in its 1 November issue published a list of what it claims is Karzai's future cabinet. The 25-member cabinet differs drastically from the current cabinet and with the exception of former Herat Province Governor Mohammad Ismail Khan, who is listed as the minister of civil aviation, no other warlords are included. Also excluded are the current defense and foreign ministers, Marshall Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Abdullah Abdullah. The list, which reportedly was obtained from a close aide to Karzai's first vice-presidential running mate Ahmad Zia Mas'ud, does not include Mohammad Yunos Qanuni, Mohammad Mohaqeq, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, Abdul Latif Pedram, or Mas'uda Jalal, the top vote getters after Karzai. Prior to the 9 October election, Karzai had promised not to form a coalition government and the list, if authentic, confirms his pledge (for more on the Afghan presidential election and political parties, see RFE/RL's special website on the elections at http://www.azadiradio.org/en/specials/elections/). AT

Blair congratulates president... Karzai on election victory
Wed Nov 3, 9:54 AM ET Top Stories - AFP
LONDON (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated Hamid Karzai on winning Afghanistan 's first presidential election, and with careful timing poked fun at the wait for an official result of a similar poll in the United States.

"I'm sure the whole house will join with me in sending my warmest congratulations to president... Karzai of Afghanistan," Blair said, prompting a round of laughter in the House of Commons.

After a few moments pause, Blair continued more seriously.

"It was the first ever election for the Afghan people and a remarkable tribute to them and to the power of democracy," he said.

"Like everyone else, I await the outcome of the other (US) presidential election with interest," he added.

He was speaking after White House chief of staff Andrew Card announced that President George W. Bush had won a decisive reelection and was set to declare victory personally over Democratic rival John Kerry.

Kerry has refused to concede defeat, pinning his hopes on what his campaign estimates at more than 200,000 uncounted provisional ballots in the key swing state of Ohio, where Bush leads by about 136,000 votes.

Canada congratulates Hamid Karzai on election in Afghanistan
Wed Nov 3, 4:46 PM ET Canada - AFP
OTTAWA (AFP) - The Canadian government congratulated Afghan President Hamid Karzai on his election and assured him of Canada's support in building "a democratic, stable and peaceful country."

"On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to President Karzai, the Afghanistan Transitional Authority and all of the Afghan people on the result of this historic vote," Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew said in a statement.

"With participation by an impressive 70 percent of over 10 million registered voters, Afghans have demonstrated their determination to turn away from over 20 years of civil war and participate directly in the building of a democratic Afghanistan.

"Canadians have contributed to this process from the outset and will continue to work with the government and the people of Afghanistan to build a democratic, stable and peaceful country," said Petitgrew.

Karzai was elected in the October 9 presidential vote. The official results were announced on Wednesday.

Some 700 Canadian troops are now in Kabul as part of the United Nations International Assistance Force.

NATO chief welcomes successful presidential elections in Afghanistan
www.chinaview.cn 2004-11-04 00:48:21
BRUSSELS, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Wednesday expressed welcome for the success of the presidential elections inAfghanistan.

The Joint UN-Afghan Election Commission announced in Kabul on Wednesday that the incumbent Afghan leader Hamid Karzai has emerged as the winner of Afghanistan's first-ever presidential election.

"This was, first and foremost, a victory for the Afghan people," de Hoop Scheffer said in a statement.

After suffering for so many years under oppressive and brutal government, the Afghan people came out in record numbers to make their voices heard, he said.

The 26-nation alliance chief congratulated Karzai on his victory in the elections.

He also thanked the servicemen and women of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

"They played a key role, not only in helping to ensure security,but also by directly supporting the electoral process," he added.

De Hoop Scheffer reaffirmed that the ISAF will continue its important mission, as "we look forward to next year's parliamentary and municipal elections, and beyond."

Islamabad welcomes Karzai’s win
The News International, Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has welcomed Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s victory in the landmark election, saying already-friendly ties between the neighbours will be further strengthened under his rule. "We are happy President Karzai has won the first democratic elections in Afghanistan and we wish him all success," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said. Afghanistan’s Joint Electoral Management Body declared on Wednesday that Karzai is the winner, after three-and-a-half weeks of the contest the ballot against 17 rivals. "Pakistan hopes that under his leadership the relationship between the two friendly countries will prosper and strengthened," Rashid said.

He said Pakistan played a crucial role in the smooth conduct of the election ‘which shows that we want stable and prosperous Afghanistan’.

Pakistan facilitated out-of-country voting by Afghan refugees here. Of the over eight million votes, 577,776 ballots were cast in Pakistan. Rashid said stability in Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan and Islamabad would continue to ‘offer maximum support’ to help the Karzai government rebuild the country.

Panel blames poor communication for ink failure in Afghan poll
KABUL, Nov 3 (AFP) - An expert panel examining Afghanistan's presidential balloting Wednesday criticised the election commission as 'cumbersome' and blamed poor communication for the failure of indelible ink, but found the poll's 'shortcomings' did not affect the overall result. 'This was a commendable election, particularly given the very challenging circumstances,' the three-person panel's report said in the conclusion.

'There were shortcomings, many of which were raised by the candidates themselves. These problems deserve to be considered, to ensure the will of the voters was properly reflected, and to help shape improvements for future elections. 'But they could not have materially affected the overall result.'

The panel was set up by the United Nations after 14 of the 18 candidates threatened to boycott the election in the middle of voting on October 9 over alleged irregularities, mainly arising from the failure and mixup of indelible ink, which was meant to stain voters' fingers to prevent repeat voting.

The candidates later alleged fraud occurred in the campaign period and in the post-election counting process, but the panel restricted its inquiries to voting day. The panel's 38-page report was submitted to the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), which released it to the media on Wednesday.

'The current electoral management structure is cumbersome,' the report stated. The several large organisations engaged in coordinating the landmark October 9 ballot created confusion, it found.

'Some operational problems on election day including the ink problem were due to a lack of communciation between electoral management bodies,' it said. In some cases the ink washed off, and in other cases electoral workers mixed up the indelible ink with normal marker pens.

The panel also criticised the lack of proper complaints facilities. 'The JEMB must drastically improve complaints and adjudication procedures,' it recommended.
'The expert panel was created for reasons unique to this election, including insufficencies in the complaints and appeals procedure. But the panel must not be a precedent for future elections.'

Blair congratulates president Karzai on election victory

LONDON, Nov 3 (AFP) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated Hamid Karzai Wednesday on winning Afghanistan's first presidential election, and with careful timing poked fun at the wait for an official result of a similar poll in the United States.

'I'm sure the whole house will join with me in sending my warmest congratulations to president... Karzai of Afghanistan,' Blair said, prompting a round of laughter in the House of Commons.

After a few moments pause, Blair continued more seriously. 'It was the first ever election for the Afghan people and a remarkable tribute to them and to the power of democracy,' he said. 'Like everyone else, I await the outcome of the other (US) presidential election with interest,' he added.

He was speaking after White House chief of staff Andrew Card announced that President George W. Bush had won a decisive reelection and was set to declare victory personally over Democratic rival John Kerry.

Kerry has refused to concede defeat, pinning his hopes on what his campaign estimates at more than 200,000 uncounted provisional ballots in the key swing state of Ohio, where Bush leads by about 136,000 votes.

Sweden to offer more aid for Afghanistan reconstruction
STOCKHOLM, 3 Nov., 2004 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Sweden is to provide about 35 million US dollars to help Afghanistan in its reconstruction efforts, the official aid agency SIDA said on Wednesday.
"The situation in the country is very difficult and it is absolutely necessary for the world to help it," SIDA said in a statement.

"After the fall of the Taliban regime, there is now a fragile peace," it added.

The aid will be earmarked for security, law and order, and social sectors, as well as for the development of the private and public sectors.

Since 2002, Sweden has given about 86 million dollars in aid to the war-torn country.

How Bush was offered Bin Laden and blew it (part-II)
By Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair The News International, Pakistan
In the wake of the 2000 election Mohabbat travelled to Islamabad and met with William Milam, US ambassador to Pakistan and the person designated by the Clinton administration to deal with the Taliban on the fate of bin Laden. Milam told Mohabbat that it was a done deal but that the actual bombing of bin Laden would have to be handled by the incoming Bush administration.

On November 23, 2000, Mohabbat got a call from the NSC saying they wanted to put him officially on the payroll as the US government’s contact man for the Taliban. He agreed. A few weeks later an official from the newly installed Bush NSC asked him to continue in the same role and shortly thereafter he was given a letter from the administration (Mohabbat tells us he has a copy), apologizing to the Taliban for not having dealt with bin Laden, explaining that the new government was still setting in, and asking for a meeting in February 2001.

The Bush administration sent Mohabbat back, carrying kindred tidings of delay and regret to the Taliban three more times in 2001, the last in September after the 9/11 attack. Each time he was asked to communicate similar regrets about the failure to act on the plan agreed to in Frankfurt. This procrastination became a standing joke with the Taliban, Mohabbat tells CounterPunch "They made an offer to me that if the US didn’t have fuel for the Cruise missiles to attack Osama in Daronta, where he was under house arrest, they would pay for it."

Kabir Mohabbat’s final trip to Afghanistan on the US government payroll took place on September 3, 2001. On September 11 Mohabbat acted as translator for some of the Taliban leadership in Kabul as they watched TV coverage of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Four days later the US State Department asked Mohabbat to set up a meeting with the Taliban. Mohabbat says the Taliban were flown to Quetta in two C-130s. There they agreed to the three demands sought by the US team: 1. Immediate handover of bin Laden; 2. Extradition of foreigners in Al Qaeda who were wanted in their home countries; 3. shut-down of bin Laden’s bases and training camps. Mohabbat says the Taliban agreed to all three demands.

This meeting in Quetta was reported in carefully vague terms by Pizzey on September 25, where Mohabbat was mentioned by name. He tells us that the Bush administration was far more exercised by this story than by any other event in the whole delayed and ultimately abandoned schedule of killing Osama.

On October 18, Mohabbat tells us, he was invited to the US embassy in Islamabad and told that "there was light at the en d of the tunnel for him", which translated into an invitation to occupy the role later assigned to Karzai. Mohabbat declined, saying he had desire for the role of puppet and probable fall guy.

A few days later the Pizzey story was aired and Mohabbat drew the ire of the Bush administration where he already had an enemy in the form of Zalmay Khalilzad, appointed on September 22 as the US special envoy to Afghanistan. After giving him a dressing down, US officials told Mohabbat the game had changed, and he should tell the Taliban the new terms: surrender or be killed. Mohabbat declined to be the bearer of this news and went off the US government payroll.

Towards the end of that same month of October, 2001 Mohabbat was successfully negotiating with the Taliban for the release of Heather Mercer (acting in a private capacity at the request of her father) when the Taliban once again said they would hand over Osama Bin Laden unconditionally. Mohabbat tells us he relayed the offer to David Donahue, the US consulate general in Islamabad. He was told, in his words, "the train had moved". Shortly thereafter the US bombing of Afghanistan began.

In December Mohabbat was in Pakistan following with wry amusement the assault on Osama bin Laden’s supposed mountain redoubt in Tora Bora, in the mountains bordering Pakistan. At the time he said, he informed US embassy officials the attack was a waste of time. Taliban leaders had told him that Bin Laden was nowhere near Tora Bora but in Waziristan. Knowing that the US was monitoring his cell phone traffic, Osama had sent a decoy to Tora Bora.

From the documents he’s supplied us and from his detailed account we regard Kabir Mohabbat’s story as credible and are glad to make public his story of the truly incredible failure of the Bush administration to accept the Taliban’s offer to eliminate Bin Laden. As a consequence of this failure more than 3,000 Americans and thousands of Afghans died. Mohabbat himself narrowly escaped death on two occasions when Al Qaeda, apprised of his role, tried to kill him. In Kabul in February 2001, a bomb was detonated in his hotel in Kabul. Later that year, in July, a hand grenade thrown in his room in a hotel in Kandahar failed to explode.

He told his story to the 9/11 Commission (whose main concern, he tells us, was that he not divulge his testimony to anyone else), also to the 9/11 Families who were pursuing a lawsuit based on the assumption of US intelligence blunders by the FBI and CIA. He says his statements were not much use to the families since his judgment was, and still remains, that it was not intelligence failures that allowed the 9/11 attacks, but criminal negligence by the Bush administration.

Bush's victory stirs outrage, relief in Pakistan, Afghanistan
Thursday November 4, 12:23 AM AP
U.S. President George W. Bush's election victory stirred reactions ranging from relief to outrage in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and fears over what four more years of the war on terror could mean for the Muslim world.

Both governments have been close supporters of the U.S.-led drive to oust the Taliban and hunt down remnants al-Qaida, and were expected to welcome the result.

Yet many ordinary citizens had hoped for a more moderate president in Sen. John Kerry, and greeted the prospect of Bush's re-election with dismay.

"A win for Bush will be bad for Muslims," said laundry shop manager Mohammed Ali Akhtar, 48, who was watching the results come in on Fox TV in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. "He invaded Afghanistan, then Iraq and now he is planning to hit Syria and Iran."

"I just hate him. I just hate his face," said market trader Mehtab Butt, 50, in the eastern city of Lahore.

But Arif Mahmood Khan, 36, a Lahore carpet dealer, believed Bush was better than Kerry. "The world, after all, needs him, people need him to fight terrorism."

Both Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Afghanistan's newly elected President Hamid Karzai have emerged as among Washington's most resilient allies in the war on terrorism _ admired abroad, yet still distrusted by many at home.

In Kandahar, seat of the Taliban regime that was driven out on Bush's orders three years ago, citizens welcomed the prospect of a Bush win, viewing it as insurance that the United States would stay the course in Afghanistan, where it has 18,000 troops.

"Bush promised to rebuild our country with a new army and police," said Homayoun Jan, a 40-year-old carpet store owner.

"Kerry might have pulled out half the American troops, and said: 'Those weren't my promises,'" Jan said. "Then we would be back under the heel of the warlords."

Analyst Talat Masood, a former army general, said Pakistan's government would be pleased at a Bush victory although it could presage more anti-U.S. feeling among its 150 million people.

"President Musharraf should be happy because he knows the president of the United States and they have some sort of chemistry," said Masood. "But the people would not be happy. The anti-American feelings will be there and I think they probably will be aggravated."

In the volatile southern Pakistan city of Karachi, 19-year old student Najeeb Ahsan was ambivalent about the result. "No president goes against American interests, therefore all (candidates) are equal for Pakistan," he said.

Afghan Ambassador Called On Aftab Sherpao
Pak News Press Release 2004-11-04 08:14:45
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Nov 04 (PID) - His Excellency Dr. Nanguyalai Tarzi Ambassador of Afghanistan called on Mr. Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Minister for Interior and discussed with him matters of mutual interests.

The Afghan Ambassador thanked the Minister for Interior for the way the Government of Pakistan is looking after the Afghan refugees and requested that in case any Afghan national is involved in any undesirable activities, the Ministry may let the Afghan Embassy know and they would be more than willing to help and cooperate. The Minister for Interior informed the Ambassador that some people living in refugee camps are a time involved in undesirable activities and the Afghan embassy will be informed as and when the need arises.

The Minister also informed the Afghan Ambassador that recently around 258 Afghan were released, out of which 160 have already gone back to Afghanistan. The Afghan Ambassador thanked the Minister for Interior for this gesture. The Ambassador requested that a focal point in the Ministry of Interior be indicated to liaise with. The Minister told the Ambassador that if the Afghan Embassy had any issue to discuss with the Ministry, they may do so through the office of Additional Secretary Interior. The Minister for Interior also thanked the visiting envoy for the release of Pakistanis from Afghan jails.

The Afghan Ambassador thanked the Minister for Interior for the excellent security arrangements made by the Government of Pakistan to facilitate the Afghan refugees to cast their vote in the Presidential election of Afghanistan.

India sanctions Rs 351 cr for dam construction in Afghanistan
Press Trust of India New Delhi, November 3
Government on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 351.87 crore for the reconstruction and completion of a dam in the Herat province of Afghanistan.

The proposal for the dam, to be constructed within two years, was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

After the feasibility test and project assessment, the Indian Government has assigned the task of execution of the Salma Dam Project to state-owned Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Ltd (WAPCOS), an official release said.

The plant would generate 42 MW of power, besides generating employment and meeting the basic needs of electricity and water.

This will enable overall development of the region and enhance credibility of the multi-ethnic Government led by President Karzai, the release said.

The request to consider funding and executing the project was made by the Afghan Government earlier.

The Ministry of External Affairs had assigned the task of pre-feasibility and detailed assessment of the dam also to the WAPCOS.

Putin: Russian-Italian cooperation in Afghanistan saved many lives
03 November 2004 17:43 Putinru.com, Russia
Russian-Italian cooperation in settling the situation in Afghanistan saved many lives of servicemen and civilians, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Answering journalists' request to cite an example of fruitful interaction of Moscow and Rome in the sphere of security and fight against terrorism, Mr. Putin said he could cite such an example. "It's our cooperation in settling the situation in Afghanistan," said the Russian president.
"It is well known that there are no our servicemen there [in Afghanistan], but we are actively cooperating with the international coalition present there," noted Mr. Putin.

"I have all grounds to state that as a result of cooperation, the lives of many servicemen and civilians of the coalition forces who are in Afghanistan today were saved," said the Russian president.

"We support the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and hope that democratic processes in that country would develop further with account for the interests of all ethnic groups that reside there," said Mr. Putin.

The Russian president specifically stressed active cooperation between the two countries' special services.

"I would like this cooperation to move still further, both bilaterally and in the framework of international institutions," said Vladimir Putin.

In his turn, Silvio Berlusconi agreed with Mr. Putin and emphasized the wish to develop cooperation between police and armed forces, and use Navy capabilities in the fight against WMD proliferation.

Afghan Table Tennis Team Due in Peshawar On Thursday
Updated on 2004-11-04 07:56:01
PESHAWAR, Pakistan : Nov 04 (SADA) - The Afghanistan table tennis team will arrive today (Thursday) at Peshawar for three test match series.

The team comprises of five players and two officials. The team will play three test match series. The first match will be played between the host team of Sarhad table tennis team and the guest Afghan table tennis team on November 5, Friday.

The Afghan team will play the second match against Pakistan table tennis team on national level on November 6. While the third match on November 7, will be played between Peshawar district table tennis team and the Afghan table tennis team.

Sheikh Khalifa elected to succeed his father as UAE president
Thursday November 4, 4:49 AM AFP
The emir of Abu Dhabi was elected as president of the United Arab Emirates, succeeding his father, who died a day earlier and was laid to rest amid an outpouring of grief and the praise world leaders.

"The Supreme Federal Council Wednesday unanimously elected His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, governor of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, as president of the United Arab Emirates," the official WAM news agency said.

Sheikh Khalifa is the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, who was founding father and head of state of the seven-member UAE federation since its formation in 1971.

He became emir of Abu Dhabi following his father's death on Tuesday, and it had been expected that he would be elected to succeed him as president of the UAE.

Arab and Muslim leaders joined thousands of grieving Emiratis Wednesday to pay their last respects to Sheikh Zayed.

A dozen heads of state took part alongside the ruling families of Abu Dhabi and other members of the seven-strong Gulf federation in the "prayer of the dead" ritual, as thousands of Emiratis crashed through barriers put up by police to enter the mosque courtyard in a ceremony broadcast live on television.

Crowds ran behind the convoy which later carried the body of Sheikh Zayed, who died after 33 years at the helm of the federation, to a mosque bearing his name at the entrance of the UAE capital. He was buried there.

Zayed was in his late eighties.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai were among Muslim leaders on hand at the funeral. Jordan's King Abdullah II, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Bahrain's King Hamad and Oman's Sultan Qaboos were also present.

Indian President Abdul Kalam and the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, also offered their condolences, while Britain's Prince Charles landed at Abu Dhabi airport in the evening.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that he would arrive in the emirate to express his condolences on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia was represented by its crown prince and de facto ruler, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. Both Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi also came.

The dignitaries, including Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, were to offer condolences to Sheikh Khalifa starting Wednesday evening.

A number of envoys were expected to arrive later in the day, including German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

Iran, which has a territorial dispute with the UAE, sent First Vice President Mohammad Reza Arif.

The day had started with almost deserted streets in the UAE capital as verses from the Koran, the Muslim holy book, were read through mosque loudspeakers.

Official media said several churches were also to hold special services later this week.

Although Sheikh Zayed had been ill for some time, his death has cast a somber mood on the federation.

Government departments and private establishments were closed as the country, a member of OPEC, began an official 40-day period of mourning during which flags will fly at half-mast. The public sector will close down for eight days and the private sector for three.

Deputy President Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who is also ruler of Dubai, had briefly taken the reins for the transition.

The Supreme Federal Council, grouping the rulers of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah and Um al-Qaiwain, had a month to elect a successor for a five-year mandate. As ruler of the UAE's largest and wealthiest member, Sheikh Khalifa had been expected to get the top post.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sheikh Zayed "stood both at home and abroad as a symbol of benevolent and wise leadership characterized by generosity, tolerance and avid pursuit of development and modernization."

French President Jacques Chirac paid homage to "a man of peace and vision" who promoted "the virtues of compromise, reason and dialogue in a region stirred by crises and conflicts".

Unlike many Arab rulers, Sheikh Zayed was genuinely loved by his people for using oil money to turn the desert federation green after playing a key part in its creation on December 2, 1971 following Britain's pullout from the Gulf.

That was five years after he had been proclaimed ruler of Abu Dhabi, which became the wealthiest emirate of the federation and accounts for some 90 percent of the UAE's oil production, currently about 2.5 million barrels a day.