Afghanistan News November 8, 2004

November 8, 2004

Afghan officials meet kidnappers to seek release of UN workers: militants
Sun Nov 7, 8:06 AM ET
KABUL (AFP) - Militants claiming to hold three foreign UN workers met Afghan officials and gave them a list of 26 prisoners whom they want to swap for their hostages, a spokesman for the group said.

"Today at noon a two-hour meeting started between our representatives and the government representatives regarding the fate of the three UN hostages," said Sayed Khaled, who claims to speak for Taliban splinter group Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims).

"After the two-hour meeting the government delegation were given a 26-person list of our prisoners that we demand be released and in return we would release the UN hostages," he said.

Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Kosovo, and Angelito Nayan, a diplomat from the Philippines, were snatched from their vehicle in busy lunchtime traffic in Kabul on October 28.

Khaled said further talks would be held in two days' time.

"The delegation asked for two days' time to verify where our named prisoners are held, in Afghanistan or out of the country. The next round of negotiations will begin in two days," he said, adding that Sunday's meeting took place inside Afghanistan.

Khaled said the hostages are not in danger while negotiations continue.

"Of course, when the second round of the negotiations is going to begin in two days, then there is no set deadline (for killing them) and they are safe as long as the negotiations are going on," he said in a satellite telephone call.

An interior ministry spokesman refused to confirm negotiations had taken place.

"The ministry of the interior has not been directly contacted by the group and we do do not confirm the direct negotiations," said Lutfullah Mashal, who had earlier expressed optimism about securing the release of the hostages.

The shadowy group, which has links to the hardline Taliban regime ousted in late 2001 after a US-led invasion, has set and broken a series of deadlines for the killing of its UN captives. The latest deadline expired late Saturday.

Its earlier demands included the withdrawal of foreign troops and UN agencies from Afghanistan and the release of all Taliban prisoners from US custody.

But the group appeared to have softened its demands after the first face-to-face meeting with the government delegation Sunday.

"This was the first time the two sides met for face-to-face negotiation," Khaled told AFP. "For now the given list is our priority and about our other demands ... I am not going to speak now," he said.

"We are quietly optimistic that we can come to an agreement to be able to release our innocent prisoners and the three UN workers."

The three abductees had been part of the UN team overseeing Afghanistan's landmark presidential elections last month. Remnants of the Taliban bitterly opposed the poll.

UN spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva expressed concern about the health of the three captives.

"Today marks the 10th day since our colleagues Annetta Flanigan, Shqipe Habibi and Angelito Nayan were abducted (and) the concern of their families, friends and colleagues increases every day, every hour and every minute," he told a media briefing Sunday.

"People who claim to have control of our three colleagues have been telling the press that they are not in good health. If that is the case, the best response for their need of medical attention is their immediate release.

"Those who are holding Annetta Flanigan, Shqipe Habibi and Angelito Nayan are responsible for their welfare and we call on them not to harm them."

Afghan Kidnappers Demand Release of 26 Comrades
Sun Nov 7,11:08 AM ET By David Brunnstrom
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan militants who have threatened to kill three kidnapped U.N. workers have agreed to give the government until Tuesday to find and release 26 Taliban prisoners, a spokesman for the militants said on Sunday.

The militants from a Taliban splinter faction held negotiations through intermediaries with U.N. and government officials and afterwards said they were willing to "soften" other demands if their 26 comrades were freed.

"We gave them a list of 26 people we want them to release," said Sayed Khalid Agha, one of several men claiming to speak for the Jaish-e Muslimeen (Army of Muslims) group.

"They sought two days to find where these 26 prisoners are and we agreed. We gave them Monday and Tuesday to find out about these prisoners and let us know whether they will be released.

"Then the second round of negotiations will start."

Another spokesman, Mullah Sabir Momin, said the militants had "backed away from" some demands but did not elaborate.

Filipino Angelito Nayan, Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland and Kosovan Shqipe Hebibi were abducted in Kabul on Oct. 28. They had been helping organize the elections held on Oct. 9.

The kidnappers threatened to kill them unless their demands, which included the release of Taliban prisoners, the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the suspension of U.N. operations in Afghanistan, were met, but several deadlines have since passed.

The United Nations and government have declined to comment on the talks, but Defense Ministry spokesman Zaher Azimi suggested that some progress had been made. "We are hopeful they will be released," he said late on Sunday but did not elaborate.

HOSTAGES UNWELL
Agha said Hebibi was seriously unwell because of the cold and the others were also suffering from the cold and poor food.

There is speculation the little-known Jaish-e Muslimeen may be seeking a ransom and publicity. It says it wants to fan the Taliban insurgency against 28,000 U.S. and NATO-led troops, though mainstream Taliban spokesmen have distanced themselves from the kidnapping.

The government has negotiated the release of several foreigners kidnapped by Taliban guerrillas, some by paying ransoms.

A Swiss-based Kosovan businessman who said he was a cousin of Hebibi made a televised appeal for her release on Saturday, saying she was a Muslim who came to help Afghanistan.

"Shqipe Hebibi went to Afghanistan to help our brother people here," Behgjet Pacolli said on a private Afghan televison channel. "Please release her. We are waiting every day."

Pacolli told Reuters he understood Hebibi, who is 36, was being held apart from the other hostages, not far from Kabul, and he had a sign she was still alive. "As far as I know she is alive," he said, adding that he hoped for her release soon.

A videotape broadcast by Arab television station al Jazeera on Oct. 31 showed the distressed hostages answering questions from a captor whose face was hidden by a scarf.

On the tape, Hebibi said she had thought she could help a country similar to her own. "I know the culture, I know the religion, and that's why I thought I can help," she said. "We are not related to America."

The U.N. workers had been helping run Afghanistan's presidential election, which the Taliban vowed, but failed, to disrupt. U.S.-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai won. (Additional reporting by Yousuf Azimy and Sayed Salahuddin)

UN hostage relative appeals to Afghan kidnappers
KABUL, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A relative of one of three U.N. workers held hostage in Afghanistan has made a televised appeal for her release, saying she is a Muslim who came to help Afghanistan.

Behgjet Pacolli made the appeal on behalf of Kosovar hostage Shqipe Hebibi on the private Afghan television channel, Toloo, which provided Reuters with a copy of the recording on Sunday.

"Shqipe Hebibi went to Afghanistan to help our brother people here," he said. "Please release her, we are waiting every day."

"Please take care of Shqipe Hebibi, you know that she is a Muslim, she comes from a poor family, she comes from a poor country," he said.

Pacolli was described only as a relative of Hebibi.

Hebibi was kidnapped on Oct. 28 along with Filipino diplomat Angelito Nayan and Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland as they were returning to a U.N. guest house in Kabul from a centre where votes from Afghanistan's presidential polls were being tallied.

The Jaish-e Muslimeen (Army of Muslims), a Taliban splinter group, had threatened to kill the three unless demands, including the release of Taliban prisoners, the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the suspension of U.N. operations, were met by Saturday night. But they later extended the deadline to allow for talks.

A videotape broadcast by Arab television station al Jazeera on Oct. 31 showed the distressed hostages answering questions from a captor whose face was hidden by a scarf.

Hebibi said on the tape she had come to Afghanistan as she thought she could help a country similar to her own and had nothing to do with the U.S. presence.

"It's similar to my country and I thought I can help because I know the culture, I know the religion, and that's why I thought I can help," she said. "We are not related to America, not related to other things."

Mullah Sabir Momin, one of several spokesman for Jaish, said on Friday Hebibi would be killed first if their demands were not met. "She is important," he said, without elaborating.

He said the health of the hostages had deteriorated and they were suffering from the cold.

President Chirac Congratulates President Karzai on his Victory in the Elections
KABUL– H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan and President Elect, received today a message from H.E. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, congratulating him on his victory in the Afghan Elections.

“You have worked incessantly since two years to lead your country on the path of peace, reconstruction and reconciliation”, President Chirac said in the message.
“Your massive victory demonstrates how much your fellow citizens have trust in you”, President Chirac added.

The President thanks H.E. Jacques Chirac for his kind message and, on behalf of the Afghan people, expresses his gratitude to France for the support provided to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the presidential elections.

Released by Office of the Spokesperson to the President - Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan

US forces release names of eight wanted militants, offer rewards
KABUL, Nov 7 (AFP) - US-led coalition forces have released the names of eight people wanted in southeast Afghanistan and offered a 2,500 dollar reward for information on each of them, officials said Sunday.

The list was distributed in villages and districts and was read over local radio in Khost province 150 kilometers (94 miles) southeast of Kabul. The eight were described as criminals and terrorists.

Among them is Sultan Niazai, who was the Kabul intelligence director under the now-ousted Taliban regime, said provincial governor Mirajudin Pattan. A coalition spokesman confirmed the release of the list but gave no details.

US-led attacks toppled the Taliban in late 2001 after they refused to hand over Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. A US-led 18,000-strong coalition force is still hunting down Al Qaeda and Taliban militants, mainly along the 2,400-kilometre border with Pakistan.

Around half of Afghan police force formed: UN
2004-11-07 18:46:35
KABUL, Nov. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The Afghan government has achieved its target in formation of police force in this year as over 27,000 policemen have been trained throughout the country, a UN spokesman said Sunday.

"The number of policemen trained around the country so far is 27,200," Manoel Almeida e Silva of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told reporters here at a news briefing.

Under a UN-backed plan launched in 2002, post-war Afghanistan wants to have a 60,000-strong police force by the end of 2005.

"They all go through four to eight week training programs including learning how to march, the proper use of equipment, how to conduct search and basic need of human rights for those who are not literate," noted Manoel. Some 67 percent of these recruits are not literate, he further said.

The establishment of Afghan police is supported by the United States while Germany is the lead nation in that effort. With the support of the United Sates and its allies, post-war Afghanistan has planned to establish a 70,000-strong brand-new regular army to replace the existing 100,000 militia-style troops of which over 16,000 have been trained so far.

Tasks in Afghanistan
Khaleej Times, Editorial 11/07/2004
REAL work begins in Afghanistan now that President Hamid Karzai has got what he was looking for: his people's mandate. Although his victory margin in the last month's presidential polls has not been as impressive as Karzai could have hoped for, it has brought the much-needed boost for the Afghan leader.

President Karzai required to win this election not only for the sake of it but also to break free from the humbling tag of being Washington's man. Now that Karzai has got his people's backing, he will have to turn his attention to the tasks ahead, not easy by any means. In the days and months to come, the Afghan leader will have to make some really hard decisions and hard choices.

The unprecedented enthusiasm and turnout noticed in the last month's poll should have driven home the message to Afghan leaders including President Karzai that voters are seeking a real change. It may have been their first election, but Afghan voter did know what he expected of the new government in Kabul. The Afghans not only wants peace and stability — as has been demonstrated in the vote for Karzai — but he is also looking for changes in crucial areas like development, economy, health, education and employment.

Trouble is, the Afghans expect these changes to happen real fast.

This is what makes President Karzai's task far from an easy one. Now that he is an elected president, he cannot go on blaming the country's present and past problems on the Taleban. The international community's help, the US support in particular, may help the new government in building the country's infrastructure and institutions but new Afghanistan has to think in terms of achieving self-reliance in areas like economy and trade as soon as possible.
The country's economy has to be freed from the clutches of massive drug industry. Whatever the Taleban's foibles, the regime had been remarkably successful in freeing Afghanistan — the single major source of global drug trafficking industry — from drug menace, particularly poppy production. With the fall of Taleban, Afghanistan is back in drugs business and feeds the global trafficking industry. Karzai will have to be real strong and firm to take on the powerful drug mafia and, of course, warlords.

The famous Karzai approach — known for its persuasive power — will have to be shelved for the time being, if the new leader means business. The president has got the popular support and he does not have to put up with drug lords and warlords like Abdul Rashid Dostum any more. Such elements must be treated as what they really are.

As Afghanistan's first elected president, Hamid Karzai, is uniquely placed to steer his country from chaos and strife towards peace and stability. If he succeeds, he has ensured himself a coveted place in the annals of history. But if he fails...Karzai simply cannot afford to fail.

Brave new Afghanistan?
The Journal, Editorial 11/07/2004
President George W. Bush wasn't the only head of state making promises for the future last week. Afghan President Hamid Karzai made some strong pledges of his own Thursday.

"The Afghan people have voted for a government based on laws, based on institutions, and that is what we are going to provide for them," Karzai said in what amounted to a victory statement. The day before, Karzai was officially declared the winner of an Oct. 9 vote, the country's first-ever democratic election.

"There will not be any private militia forces in Afghanistan. There will definitely, definitely not be any drug thing in Afghanistan." Brave words from a president wary of leaving the capital for fear of another assassination attempt, having survived at least two so far. Rather than the "freedom on the march" President Bush so proudly touts, freedom in Afghanistan is taking baby steps. Karzai promised to crack down on warlords who run parts of the country as their private fiefdoms, as well as the resurgent opium industry that has made Afghanistan the world's No. 1 heroin producer.

Karzai offered amnesty to former Taliban members who would help rebuild the
country: "thousands of them . . . they are welcome to participate in the making of this country, with all other Afghans." Karzai excluded any "that have an association with al-Qaida or terrorism or have committed crimes against the people."

Still, Karzai spoke surrounded by American security guards at a fortified palace. The 5,000-member NATO peacekeeping force remains holed up in the capital. Karzai has been pleading for additional peacekeepers for months.
Taliban and al-Qaida attacks have disrupted reconstruction and frightened off relief workers. Ethnic tensions remain over who will be chosen for a new Cabinet. U.S. troops continue to hunt Osama bin Laden along the border with Pakistan.

In the first kidnapping of foreigners since the Taliban defeat, three election workers were taken in the capital a week ago. Then came a video and demands that foreign troops withdraw, raising fears that the Taliban and al-Qaida may emulate terror tactics being used in Iraq. If so, Karzai will need more U.S. and NATO help than he is now getting.

Military watchdog heads to Afghanistan to investigate troop concerns
Sun Nov 7, ET
OTTAWA (CP) - When it comes to looking out for the welfare of Canada's soldiers, what better place to go than the city where they risk life and limb every day?

Andre Marin, Canada's military ombudsman, will travel to Afghanistan next week to spend two sleepless days and nights meeting with individuals and groups of soldiers, investigating troop complaints.

He'll also look at the general health of the 600 members of the Canadian task force in Kabul, Marin told The Canadian Press.

"We'll be trying to determine whether there are any lingering issues concerning the health concerns of troops," he said.

Rumours have consistently swirled within the ranks that many soldiers are coming home from Afghanistan with respiratory problems and strange sores or lesions that won't heal, although Marin said he has not received a single formal complaint about such problems.

Air quality became an issue last year, when a story circulated at Camp Julien that one-third of pollutants in the air consisted of fecal matter. The report turned out to be more fiction than fact.

After Marin visited in Nov., 2003, at least 400 air samples were taken in Kabul and around the Canadian Forces camp on the city's outskirts. Military doctors and the top Canadian soldier in Kabul at the time, Maj.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, later assured the troops that nothing significant was found.

"The urban myth that the air is composed of 30 per cent fecal matter is bullshit," Leslie told soldiers in January.

"That created quite a bit of controversy at the time," said Marin.

"In any event, we were able to get air engineers out there very quickly to do further tests and reassure troops."

The civilian watchdog will also conduct interviews in Kabul to fill holes in continuing investigations of individual complaints.

"We always have, at any point in time, ongoing investigations in a number of areas," he said.

"To the extent that there are some people that can provide us with information, we'll be following up on that."

Most of the soldiers currently on duty in Afghanistan are from Edmonton. They provide reconnaissance and surveillance for the multinational brigade in Kabul.
The last time Marin visited the city he returned to Canada with three new, major investigations on his plate.

One involved complaints from soldiers about a lack of time off on returning home. Marin has already issued a report on that issue, suggesting troops be given more "decompression time."

The ombudsman's office is also continuing to look into a perceived shortage of personnel in key positions, as well as recruiting practices within the military.

Visits with soldiers in theatre are very important "to take the pulse of the troops and our members on the front line," said Marin.

He'll do that by going out on patrols, holding briefing sessions, and just talking to soldiers in the mess halls and even during workouts in the gym.
"It's going to be a long 48 hours," said Marin. "I don't expect to sleep at all."