Afghanistan News February 16, 2006

February 16, 2006

Afghan soil not to be used against Pakistan: Karzai assures Musharraf
Business Recorder - Feb 15 4:04 PM
ISLAMABAD (February 16 2006): Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday held out a firm assurance that his country would not allow its soil to be used against Pakistan.

Responding to a question on reports of Indian involvement in troubles in Balochistan through its consulate offices in Afghanistan, President Karzai assured Kabul would never allow anything against Pakistan from its territory.

"I assure that our relations with India in no way will impact our ties with Pakistan.

We are joined together like twins, inseparable and nothing can come between us," he told reporters jointly with President Pervez Musharraf after formal talks.

The two leaders met for an exclusive meeting that lasted for over two hours before they were joined by their respective delegations for formal talks that discussed a host of issues ranging from bilateral regional to international matter of mutual concern. Describing their talks as "fruitful," the two sides vowed to enhance their political and economic ties and maintain close co-operation in anti-terror efforts.

President Musharraf congratulated his Afghan counterpart for successfully completing the Bonn process that resulted in a political transition in that country.

The President expressed satisfaction over the volume of trade that has risen to 1.2 billion dollar and still rising.

On terrorism, the President said both Pakistan and Afghanistan were part of the international coalition and jointly fighting the menace. "It is a joint fight by Pakistan and Afghanistan, as the evil is afflicting both the countries," he added.

President Musharraf underlined the need of intensifying co-operation between the military and intelligence agencies of the two countries to jointly fight and uproot the menace of terrorism.

Pakistan looked forward to all co-operation to fight terrorism in their respective areas, he said while adding that both Pakistan and Afghanistan must progress together, he added.

President Musharraf said that Pakistan has deployed 82,000 troops on its border with Afghanistan. About 600 Pakistani soldiers have laid down their lives, he said and added it was the biggest contribution made by any nation in the fight against terrorism. President Karzai said that Pakistan and Afghanistan both have to progress and move forward together. He conveyed deepest sympathies of the Afghan people over the devastating earthquake in Pakistan, saying the pain felt here was also felt in his country.

The Afghan President said it was for both Pakistan and Afghanistan to fight terrorism jointly to remove the evil from the region and from the world.

He expressed his satisfaction over the growing economic ties and said in-depth co-operation would benefit both Pakistan and Afghanistan and the region.

Karzai further stated that a stable and peaceful Afghanistan was in the interest of its people and for Pakistan.

Musharraf and Karzai condemned the publication of blasphemous sketches of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the strongest terms and asked the world leaders to stand with Muslims in condemning the outrageous act.

Afghanistan relations with India not to affect its relations with Pakistan: Karzai
Thursday February 16, 2006 (0121 PST) PakTribune.com, Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf, right, shaking hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai prior to a meeting at the Presidency.

ISLAMABAD, February 16 (Online): Pakistan and Afghanistan have strongly denounced publication of blasphemous sketches and called upon the western and European world to initiate stern action against those responsible for this blasphemous act.
This was said in a joint press conference addressed by the President General Pervez Musharraf and his Afghan counter part president Hamid Karzai here Wednesday after their talks in Aiwan-e-Sadr.

President Musharraf said that he welcomes Afghan president Hamid Karzai on his arrival in Pakistan. The bilateral trade and economic relations between the both countries were improving and the trade volume has swelled to 1.2 billion dollars and it will gain further momentum in the future.

" Our war against the terrorism, Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants is common and joint war as both the countries are being affected in terrorism, he said adding that it is incumbent on the intelligence agencies and army of both the countries to fight a joint war against the terrorism and stamp out this menace.

Responding to a question he said that we have to wage fight against the terrorism jointly and have to repose trust on each other. Pakistan has deployed its 80000 troops on Pak-Afghan borders and our 600 soldiers have embraced shahadat. We have taken part in this war more than any country. However we will have to move forward under a joint military, administrative and political strategy.

Regarding blasphemous drawings the president said that all the Muslims may be extremist, moderate, terrorist or modern condemn it and all the Muslims are united against this act. I however condemn the loss of life and property being caused during the violent demonstrations in Lahore, Peshawar and other parts of the country. What media has done in Europe and west does not mean that we defeat objectives in violent processions.

The elements who are indulging in such activities are not protesters but are the persons who want to take political mileage out of the situation. I warn them strongly not to misuse this opportunity otherwise they would be crushed. We are suffering in these violent demonstrations. We are not condemning the West by annihilating our selves. I hope that the European countries and those countries which are involved in this blasphemous act will perceive the situation and slam the blasphemous act . Any country or nation which is describing these sketches correct are devoid of facts and realities. No one has any right to speak against any other religion and indulge in any blasphemous act against holy Prophet. No one can be given right to hurt the feelings of one billion Muslims.

Replying to a question he said that we have talked about Pak-Afghan border situation and Indian consulate activities in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karazi said that the terrorism is common issue of both the countries and we will have to fight against it jointly. Pakistani exports stood at 25 million dollars in Taliban regime and now these are far greater than earlier.

He went on to say that we appreciate Pakistan role in war against the terrorism but we need more cooperation from Pakistan so that security and peace come here.

Hamid Karzai condemned the publication of blasphemous cartoons and urged the western leaders to condemn this act. The freedom of expression does not meant to disparage others beliefs. We have faith on all prophets , therefore, other religions should also respect our religion and our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He underscored that violent processions should not be taken out in Pakistan and Afghanistan as we are the sufferers in these demonstrations.

We are grateful to Pakistan for the generous assistance extended by it to the Afghan refuges, he said stressing that both the countries however will have to fight against the terrorism jointly,.

About Indian consulate anti Pakistan activities he said that " our relations with India will never affect our relations with Pakistan as we are maintaining special relations with Pakistan.

He said that no arms were being smuggled to Afghanistan from Pakistan nor Afghanistan would allow it as any loss caused to Paskistan will be ours loss., We will have to fight against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in more effective manner as Afghanistan has been more affected by terrorism.

President General Pervez Musharraf hosted a dinner in honour of Afghan President in Aiwan-e-Sadr.

President Hamid Karzai extended invitation to President General Pervez Musharraf to visit Afghanistan. President Musharraf accepted it saying both the countries are brethren countries. You come her e again and I go there, this will continue, he added.

Musharraf asks Karzai each other’s ideological, geographical boundaries be respected in war on terror

Meanwhile, President General Pervez Musharraf and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on Wednesday discussed wide ranging issues that covered bilateral political affairs, regional situation, war on terrorism and other global matters.

Musharraf in his 45 minutes long one-on-one meeting with Karzai has expressed reservations over porous Pak-Afghan border issue and stressed on the latter that each other’s ideological and geographical boundaries should be respected in the backdrop of ongoing war on terror, the meeting between the two leaders held at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Later, both the Presidents included their foreign ministers in the meeting. President General Pervez Musharraf soon with the commencement of the meeting raised the border issue and told his Afghan counterpart about his reservations in this connection.

"Islamabad wants close ties with Kabul," Musharraf reiterated.

Both the leaders expressed satisfaction by observing that bilateral Pak-Afghan trade volume had reached upto $1300 million, which should be increased further.

Earlier, on arrival President Hamid Karzai at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, a special reception was arranged in his honour. Both the leaders introduced each others officials.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri and his Afghan counterpart Abdullah Abdullah were also present on the occasion.

Afghanistan, Pakistan And US Put Defence Meeting on Hold
Thursday February 16, 9:26 AM
KABUL, Feb 16 Asia Pulse - The 15th meeting of the tripartite commission between military officials of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States has been postponed, officials said on Tuesday.

The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday in the southeastern Khost province; however, it was postponed due to President Hamid Karzai's trip to Pakistan, Defence Ministry spokesman General Zahir Azimi told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Azimi said new date for the meeting would be fixed after the president's return. Approached for comments, coalition spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mike Cody said unfavourable climate caused the delay.

Khost police chief brigadier General Mohammad Ayub also stated the same reason for the postponement of the meeting.
(Pajhwok Afghan News)

Karzai Presses Musharraf on Militants
By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press Writer Wed Feb 15, 9:59 PM ET
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai pressed his Pakistani counterpart on Wednesday to root out militants Afghanistan claims have launched a spate of recent cross-border suicide bombings.

Karzai asked for a "more intensive pursuit of terrorists wherever they may be, in Afghanistan or Pakistan."

Gen. Pervez Musharraf, after meeting with Karzai in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, called on "all the progressive political elements" in Pakistan to cooperate to suppress elements who may be abetting the Taliban.

Both leaders agreed more cooperation was needed between the military and intelligence agencies to stop terrorism along their shared border.

"The question of terrorism, the question of the Taliban, the question of the bomb blasts in Afghanistan — we are in this fight together against terrorism," Karzai told reporters after what he described as a "brotherly" two-hour meeting with Musharraf.

Before arriving, Karzai's spokesman Khaleeq Ahmed said the president would urge Pakistan to show the same commitment to defeating Taliban rebels based on its side of the rugged frontier as it does in fighting al-Qaida.

Bilateral relations have long been touchy because of Afghan assertions that Taliban rebels find sanctuary in Pakistan, but they've soured in recent months, with Afghan officials becoming increasingly outspoken in blaming Islamabad for an upsurge in violence.

In Kabul, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanezai said Wednesday that security forces have arrested "a large number" of Pakistanis and others linked to the spate of over 20 suicide attacks in the last four months.

Many of the detainees have admitted during questioning that they received training at militant bases in Pakistan and were given money, explosives and other equipment there to launch attacks in Afghanistan, he said.

"The terrorists who come here for suicide attacks are attending training bases in Pakistan and are getting all their equipment there," Stanezai said. "We've arrested a large number who are either Pakistani or came from Pakistan."

He said some of the leaders of the Taliban regime before it was ousted in 2001 are now living in Pakistan and are orchestrating the attacks. He declined to name them.

Pakistan, a former supporter of the Taliban but now a key U.S. ally in the war on terror, has deployed 70,000 troops along the Afghan border, and says it does its best to stop cross-border attacks.

Pakistan has complaints of its own about the situation along the frontier. The issue of Pakistani civilian casualties from rockets and artillery fire originating from Afghanistan would be raised with Karzai, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said Monday.
____
Associated Press writer Daniel Cooney in Kabul contributed to this report.

Afghan attacks linked to Taliban from Pakistan
The presidents of the 2 countries plan to discuss the issue today
New York Times By CARLOTTA GALL Feb. 15, 2006
KANDAHAR, AFGHANI-STAN - Arrests and interrogations of suspects in a recent series of suicide bombings in Afghanistan show that the attacks have been orchestrated from Pakistan by members of the ousted Taliban government with little interference by Pakistani authorities, Afghan officials say.

In taped interviews by an Afghan interrogator, two Afghans and three Pakistanis who were among 21 people arrested in recent weeks described their roles in the attacks, which have killed at least 70 people in the last three months, most of them Afghan civilians but also international peacekeepers, a Canadian diplomat and a dozen Afghan police officers and soldiers.

In the tape, the men described a fairly low-budget network that begins with the recruitment of young bombers in the sprawling Pakistani port city of Karachi. The bombers are moved to safe houses in the border towns of Quetta and Chaman, and then transferred into Afghanistan, where they are given cars and explosives and sent out to find a target.

Apparent confirmation

The tape appears to confirm Afghan officials' suspicions that the suicide bombings, which are largely a recent phenomenon in Afghanistan, were generated outside Afghanistan, and in particular from neighboring Pakistan. It was shown to the New York Times by an Afghan official who asked not to be identified.

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, dismissed the claims of the Afghan government. "This is a propaganda campaign of the government," he said by satellite telephone from an unknown location.

He added that there was no need to recruit Pakistanis. "They are all Afghans," he said of the suicide bombers.

But Afghan officials said the confessions provided the proof they needed to demand action from Pakistan. "I think there is a factory for these bombers," said Asadullah Khaled, the governor of Kandahar province, where 15 attacks have occurred in the last three months.

Anti-Pakistan sentiment

President Hamid Karzai is traveling to Pakistan today specifically to raise the issue with President Pervez Musharraf and in speeches to Parliament and officers at a military academy as well.

Karzai has spoken increasingly of the need to tackle the problem at the source. Anti-Pakistan sentiment has been rising in Afghanistan, and a popular refrain is that if the hand of Pakistan were cut, the Taliban, many of whom fled over the border when they were ousted, would be no more.

"Most of the attackers are non-Afghans," the governor of Kandahar, Khaled, said Saturday at a memorial service for 14 victims of the latest bombing. "We have proof, we have prisoners," he added. "We have addresses, we have cassettes."

Pakistani officials did not respond to requests for comment but in the past have said the Pakistanis arrested in Afghanistan are usually illiterate laborers looking for work.

Judging by the tape, Pakistan appeared to be the base for the terror network, however. In the interviews, all of the men appeared to speak freely, some expressing regret for what they had done. Three of the men, speaking in Urdu, said they were Pakistanis and had been recruited as bombers.

Recruitment described

Two of the men, Akhtar Ali and Sajjad, who only gave one name, said they had been recruited by a man named Jamal, who was working for the Taliban and who owns a bookstore in Karachi.

The interrogations indicated that the network behind the men was made up of Afghan Taliban, many of them living in Pakistan. Nur ul-Baqi, an Afghan, said on the tape that he had brought four would-be bombers into the country, taking them from Abdul Hadi, an Afghan member of the Taliban, in Chaman and delivering them to various people in Afghani-stan who set them up with cars and explosives.

"Most of the attackers are Pakistanis; I can tell you 99 percent are Pakistani," Baqi said.

Hadi provided the money to purchase cars, Baqi said. He said he had asked Hadi several times where the money had come from. "It is coming from the sky," was the reply.

Two Nepalis abducted in Afghanistan safe: Embassy
(Xinhua) 2006-02-15 11:17
The two Nepali nationals who were abducted from Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday are safe and sound, the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Pakistan stated.

Radio Nepal Wednesday quoted Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Pakistan Pushkaman Singh Rajbhandari as saying that the abductors themselves brought the two abducted Nepalis in contact over the phone to the "Amour Group", a security company that employed them in security service at the Kabul-based Department for International Development, Britain.

He quoted the officials at the Amour Group as saying that the two abducted Nepalis told them over the phone that they were safe and sound.

Rajbhandari said that the demand of the abductors is not clear and the Afghan government and the employer company are making efforts for securing the release of the two Nepalis.

Some Nepalis work for security companies in Afghanistan and are also employed for guarding foreign embassies in Kabul.

1989: Soviet troops pull out of Afghanistan
BBC News
Soviet troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan, nine years after they swept into the country.

A convoy of Soviet armoured vehicles travelled the 260-mile (418km) journey to the USSR border while other soldiers left aboard an Ilyushin 76 transport aircraft.

Earlier, the Soviet government had announced the departure of the last troops although snow had delayed a five-day airlift from the Afghan capital Kabul.

The journey is especially dangerous on the Salang Pass through the Hindu Kush Mountains, where more than 10,000 mujahideen operate.

The mujahideen - Afghan Islamic fighters - have been involved in heavy battles to try to force a Soviet retreat.

Huge snow drifts are blocking the southern approaches to the pass, while the descent on the northern side is a wall of ice.

Russian forces are not alone in leaving Afghanistan. Families of Afghan refugees have been crossing the border into Pakistan.

Border guards have reported that a dozen families have crossed through the Khyber Pass in the last few hours.

Over the past two months, up to 20,000 have fled heavy fighting between the mujahideen and Soviet troops.

A handful of foreign correspondents have been allowed to join the Soviet convoy leaving Kabul, but only for the relatively safe last stretch of the journey, which has been secured by soldiers.

President Sayid Mohammed Najibullah's Soviet-backed Afghan government has acknowledged the complete withdrawal of soldiers with a brief statement.

"I express my appreciation to the people and government of the Soviet Union for all-round assistance and continued solidarity in defending Afghanistan," the president said.

Ahead of the departure, the mujahideen fired four rockets at the capital, with three landing in the airport area and the fourth on shops.

At Kabul's airport, most international and domestic flights are arriving and departing as usual.

According to latest BBC reports, Kabul is surrounded by a mujahideen force of around 30,000, with the city under artillery and rocket "bombardment".

Machine-gun and artillery fire could be heard during the night and this morning while a sign at the British Embassy reads "closing down temporarily". The American embassy has put up a sign which says "extended holidays for all staff - date of return not fixed".

A diplomat has reported that President Najibullah, although tired, is still defiant and is determined to play a role in the future of Afghanistan.

The Soviet daily newspaper Trud has revealed that some garrisons have been looted.

The return of the Red Army coincides with the decision by Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev to cut the Soviet armed forces by up to 500,000, with the Kremlin emphasising the heroism of those who fought in the war.

On the streets of Kabul there is a heavier presence of armed police and queues for bread are as long as ever.

PAKISTAN: New arrangements for Afghan refugees under discussion
16 Feb 2006 09:57:19 GMT
ISLAMABAD, 15 February (IRIN) - Speakers at a conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday called for realistic policies to regulate Afghan population movements in Pakistan, citing migration as not only a reaction to war and insecurity but also a key livelihood strategy.

The day-long meeting was arranged by an independent Kabul-based think-tank, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), to explore and discuss the potential responses to Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan.

In recent years, the reluctance of many of the more than 4 million Afghans currently living in Iran and Pakistan to return has called the existing policies into question, according to social scientists.

"The protracted nature of Afghans' displacement and the multiple reasons for their flight, including periods of conflict and drought and economic pressures, have made it increasingly difficult for host countries and humanitarian assistance programmes to find solutions to this ongoing situation within the refugee framework," Haris Gardaz, a researcher at the Karachi-based Collective for Social Science Research (CSSR), said.

Better social support structures in Pakistan and Iran are key factors in keeping Afghans from going home. "Despite some variation in quality and affordability, Afghans are able to access health and education services here that are unavailable in their home country, which is one of the main concerns, particularly for women," Gardaz noted.

With lack of legal status, Afghans do not have access to formal employment, which is a major barrier to their economic security and upward mobility, the CSSR said in its study.

Another factor in the debate is that younger Afghans living in Iran and Pakistan are more likely to want to stay. Presenting the findings of an Afghan study from Iran, Professor Jalal Abbasi from the University of Tehran noted: "The concerns of young people about repatriation differ substantially from those of their parents since a fairly large majority of Afghans in Iran are young."

Likewise, many young urbanised Afghans may not have the skills to return to the traditional economic activities of their parents' generation. "Many of those born and brought up in the cities in Pakistan are much more likely to aspire to formal-sector employment," Gardaz noted.

According to estimates from the 2005 Afghan census, over 55 percent of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan are under the age of 18.

"By virtue of their numbers alone, this section [of Afghans] must be heard by those involved in finding effective ways of managing Afghans," said an AREU briefing paper entitled, 'Afghans in Pakistan: Broadening the focus', released at the meeting.

Wrapping up the discussion, Paul Fishstein, director of AREU, stressed: "We need to recognise the diverse needs of displaced Afghans - migrant labourers, second generation youth and vulnerable refugees."

AFGHANISTAN: TB major health problem in the south - WHO
KANDAHAR, 15 February (IRIN) - Zakera, a 40-year-old widow and mother of three, sits in a long queue of mostly female patients awaiting medicine at a tuberculosis (TB) control centre located in the Shar-e-Now district of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

"I have been suffering from a cough and pain for seven months, the same disease I had 10 years ago," the emaciated Zakera spluttered. "The deadly disease killed my first husband and then I was married to his brother who also died of TB 10 years ago," Zakera noted."

"Life has become so miserable for me, Sharina, my only daughter, has also been suffering from the same illness for six months." Zakera, who had to travel for two days to get to the clinic, added.

Zakera is one of thousands of people suffering from TB in post-conflict Afghanistan. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, approximately 70,000 new TB cases occur annually in Afghanistan, and an estimated 20,000 people in the country die from the disease every year. Two-thirds of Afghanistan's reported TB cases are women.

According to health officials, the disease is rampant in the southern provinces of Kandahar, Zabul, Urozgan, Helmand and Daikundi.

"Due to lack of government attention and weak health infrasturces, TB still remains one of the biggest health problems in the southern region," Dr Mamoon Tahiry, regional coordinator of the national TB control programme for the southern provinces, said in Kandahar.

Lack of education about the condition is another key issue, with late diagnosis and failure to complete subscribed medicines also playing their part in keeping TB prevalence rates high.

"TB is one of the major health problems in the south, if controlled measures are not strengthened right away it could cripple thousands of people with its ultimate impact on the economy," said Dr Arshad Quddus, medical officer at WHO southern regional office in Kandahar.

TB is a disease which usually attacks the lungs, but it can affect almost any part of the body. A person with TB does not necessarily feel ill but the symptoms can include a cough that will not go away, tiredness, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, night sweats and coughing up blood.

Like the common cold, TB is spread through the air after infected people cough or sneeze on others.

Commenting on the problem of TB in southern Afghanistan, Dr Hayat Mohammad Ahmadzai, director of the national TB control programme at the health ministry, said that the government was trying its best to improve the TB control system in the region.

"We have trained personnel in the region and they are working hard to expand the TB control programme," Ahmadzai noted, adding the ministry had already established 45 health facilities providing TB services in the area and was planning to raise the number to 92 during 2006 in all five southern provinces.

According to health experts, of every 100 patients infected with TB and left without treatment for two years, 50 would die, 25 would recover and 25 percent would survive as chronic cases with the potential to infect others.

According to the WHO, TB kills more young people and adults than any other infectious disease and is the world's biggest killer of women. TB kills approximately 2 million people worldwide each year and the global epidemic is growing. The breakdown in health services, the spread of HIV/AIDS and the emergence of strains of multi-drug resistant TB are contributing to its spread worldwide.

Between 2002 and 2020 at least 36 million people globally will die of TB - if further control is not strengthened, the WHO has warned.

Freedom For Afghan Women: How Much?
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 15, 2006
(Christian Science Monitor) This story was written by Scott Baldauf.
When Afghan parliamentarians went to London earlier this month to participate in a major donor's conference, it was a milestone of sorts, with a presidency and Parliament working side by side to solve the nation's problems.

But for Al-Hajj Abdul Jabbar Shalgarai, a conservative legislator, the trip was distinctly un-Islamic. He saw the participation of two Afghan women parliamentarians - who traveled without their husbands - as a breach of the law.

So while President Hamid Karzai and his delegation were securing promises of
aid, Mr. Shalgarai told his fellow parliamentarians that they were all obliged to follow the Islamic sharia law, which forbids women - including women parliamentarians - from taking long journeys without being accompanied by a male member of the family.

"This country is the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the Constitution says that nothing can be done in Afghanistan that is against sharia law," says Shalgarai, recalling his statements in Parliament. "I don't want to pass a new law into the Constitution; we already have a law, and it is in sharia."

It was a debate that was bound to happen in Afghanistan sooner or later, a clash of two different visions of Islamic society, one traditional, the other modern. But for female parliamentarians hoping to improve the lot of women in this conservative Islamic country, the return of sharia rules - even if they are not specifically stated in the Constitution - is a troubling sign indeed. After all, it was this very same sharia principle that the conservative Taliban regime used to prevent women from going to school, to market, and to work.

"This is not just for women in Parliament, this will create a big problem for all women of Afghanistan," says Safiya Sadiqi, a female parliamentarian from the Pashtun-dominated Nangrahar Province.

"We have international donors who emphasize funding on women's development. They won't be happy to see this backward trend," says Sadiqi, who attended the London conference after being nominated by Parliament to go. "It means probably that soon women can't go to school alone, can't go to market alone, can't work alone."

After three days, chaperones needed

Under sharia, the notion of mahram-e sharaii, or male chaperones, allows for women to travel for more than three days if they are accompanied with a male relative. Because mahram-e sharaii has not been introduced as a bill, it is impossible to know just how much parliamentarian support it has. But with an estimated 50 percent of the lower house claiming past experience as fighters in the anti-Soviet jihad, and current affiliation with Islamist parties, it's clear that conservative interpretations of Islamic life have a strong political hold.

"As Muslims, we have a strong book, the Holy Koran, and we believe in the Koran, we don't believe in the Constitution," says Haji Ahmed Fareid, a parliamentarian and religious scholar. "We have given women the right to educate themselves, to take part in government, to participate in political life. But there are special rules."

Haji Fareid says that Westerners pay so much attention to women's rights in Islamic nations, but rarely give Islam credit for the rights it gives to women, such as the guarantee from husbands that they will provide clothes, food, and shelter for their wives, as well as the right of inheritance.

"In some countries, the women work outside the house, and then come home and they have to cook, and wash clothes, and look after the children too," he says. "In Western cultures, women are equal to a pack of chewing gum. You can see their images on a box of soap or a bottle of shampoo. That makes women just a part of business."

Similarly, Shalgarai says the rule of mahram-e sharaii is actually intended as a protection of women.

"If a woman is on a three-day journey, far from home, and she falls sick, who will look after her?" asks Shalgarai. "If someone else's woman is sitting in the same row of seats as you, well, human beings have different drives, including sexual drives. Sometimes these cannot be controlled. This is to save the dignity of women."

Selective application of the rules?

Yet women parliamentarians say that such stringent interpretations of the Koran are not appropriate for a modern Afghanistan.

"Islam is a social religion, it is good, and broad, and it covers everything in our lives," says Sahera Sharif, a female Parliamentarian from Khost. "But unfortunately, when there are rules that affect men and women equally, the men in our society only address these rules toward women."

Zeefunun Safi, another parliamentarian, agrees. "If my husband accepts me, and lets me travel and be a member of parliament, then who are you not to accept me?"

Yet she acknowledges that some women parliamentarians may end up supporting mahram-e sharaii, if it ever is introduced as a bill. "There are lots of women in Parliament against this, but they have to support it, because people will say, 'You are not our representative, get out of Parliament.'"

Taliban commander arrested, school torched in Afghanistan
Wed Feb 15, 2:16 AM ET
KABUL (AFP) - Afghan security forces have captured a mid-level Taliban commander after his men torched a school in southern Afghanistan, a government official said.

Mullah Shah Nazar, a district governor in southern Kandahar province during the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule, was arrested late Tuesday after his men set ablaze a school in Ghazni province, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

"Mullah Shah Nazar, a mid-level Taliban commander who has been involved in several violent attacks on government targets, was captured last night," ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai said.

He said villagers had been able to douse the flames at the high school but some classrooms were destroyed.

Suspected Taliban rebels have attacked several educational institutions as part of their anti-government insurgency. More than a dozen schools have been torched and several teachers have been killed in recent violence.

The Taliban, toppled in a US-led military campaign four years ago, carry out regular attacks, mainly against government and US-led foreign security targets who are based here to hunt them down.

A top Taliban commander, Mullah Dadullah, has admitted the movement has burned down some schools but said it only targeted those teaching Christianity.

Daily Afghan Report
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty [ 14 February 2006 ]
Four U.S. Soldiers Killed In Southern Afghanistan
Four U.S. soldiers were killed when a suspected improvised explosive device struck their vehicle in Deh Rahwod, Oruzgan Province, on 13 February, the American Forces Information Service reported. The four were on patrol with Afghan National Army (ANA) forces at the time of the attack. Shortly after the explosion, the patrol was attacked by unknown assailants, prompting a U.S. air assault. Oruzgan security commander Rozi Khan said that six members of the neo-Taliban were killed in the clash, Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported on 13 February. Mohammad Hanif, speaking for the neo-Taliban, told AIP that nine U.S. solders were killed in the incident and two of their vehicles were destroyed. The neo-Taliban often exaggerate their claims. Since the ousting the Taliban regime from Afghanistan in late 2001, a total of 214 U.S. service members have died in that country, "The Washington Post" reported on 13 February. AT

Afghan Solider Killed In Explosion In Northeastern Afghanistan

One ANA soldier was killed and five others were injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded as their patrol vehicle passed in Chawki District of Konar Province on 13 February, international news agencies reported. Mullah Abdul Rahman, identifying himself as the commander of the Bara bin Malik Front, told AIP on 13 February that his forces destroyed an ANA vehicle with a remote-controlled bomb in Konar, killing "five soldiers" and injuring one. The background and affiliation of the Bara bin Malik Front remains vague. AT

Female Deputy Attacked North Of Kabul

Same'a Sadat, a member of the Afghan National Assembly from Parwan Province, was attacked by unknown assailants in her home province on 13 February, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported. Sadat who also serves as the honorary president of Parwan's education department, told RFE/RL that a gunman jumped from the back of a store and shot at her vehicle. Sadat's bodyguard was injured in the attack, but she escaped unharmed. Sadat blamed groups who do not want peace and stability to prevail in Afghanistan for the attack. Parwan Governor Abdul Jabar Taqwa told RFE/RL that people who were in the vicinity of the attack have been detained for questioning and an investigation has been ordered. AT

Two Journalists Reportedly Beaten In Western Afghanistan

In a press release issued in Kabul on 13 February, NAI, an Afghan NGO working in support of open media, condemned attacks on two journalists in the city of Herat. According to NAI, Reza Shayr Mohammadi, a journalist working for the privately owned Tolu Television, was physically abused by the police on 10 February while covering the sectarian riots in Herat (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 and 13 February 2006). Ehsan Sarwaryar, a freelance journalist from Herat, was also reportedly beaten by authorities in Herat. AT

Television Transmitter Destroyed In Eastern Afghanistan

Unidentified people blew up a television transmitter and a generator in Nangarhar Province on 11 February, AIP reported. The transmitters were used by the Nangarhar Television Department, which broadcasts to five districts in the province and is supported by financial assistance from India. An unidentified engineer working for the television station told AIP that the generator alone cost around $20,000. AT

Helmand Province Governor Comments
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty 15.02.2006
RULING A RESTIVE LAND: On 12 February, RFE/RL Afghan Service correspondent Jawaid Wafa spoke briefly with Helmand Province Governor MOHAMMAD DAOUD about the ongoing violence in his restive region on the border with Pakistan.

RFE/RL: Recently, there have been many clashes and attacks by insurgents in Helmand Province. What in your view facilitates these attacks, especially in Helmand?

Mohammad Daoud: This province has a 160-kilometer border with Pakistan's Baluchistan Province. In reality, armed people, armed terrorists, from the other side of the border cross the border into Helmand. They carry out attacks and return back. It is a serious problem in Helmand that within our borders there is neither tribal good will, nor are there are special military or security measures to prevent enemies from crossing back and forth.

RFE/RL: The attacks and clashes have not only been between government forces and insurgents. There have been various clashes in different parts of Helmand between police and purported drug smugglers. How do you explain this?

Daoud: Drug smugglers also use the border for their own purposes. They have opened markets on the border and process opium there. This is a serious problem along our border. We are in touch with our authorities on this problem.

RFE/RL: There are government border police patrol your border. What is their role in preventing illegal crossings?

Daoud: Along this 160-kilometer border, there are car routes, walking routes. We have border police, but unfortunately, either because of their own problems or because of weak administration, they have not been able to stop the crossing.

Goodbye Iraq, hello Afghanistan
Asia Times Online By Pepe Escobar 2/15/06
Saddam Hussein shouts "Down with Bush" in the heart of the Green Zone, British soldiers beat up barefoot Iraqi teenagers and US Vice President Dick Cheney is out shooting people (not Iraqis; a fellow American, and a campaign contributor to boot). Cutting right across this theater of the absurd, Iraqi politicians have manufactured their own, choosing a new prime minister who happens not to be that new.

In a secret ballot among the 128 parliamentarians who compose it, the Shi'ite coalition, the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), chose

Ibrahim Jaafari to be the Iraqi prime minister until 2009. Jaafari, from the Da'wa Party, got 64 votes. Incumbent Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi, a free-marketer from the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) with good ties in Washington, got 63.

This, then, was a fierce battle between the two main Shi'ite religious parties, more precisely between the SCIRI and the two branches of Da'wa. Jaafari only won because the two Da'was were supported by the kingmaker himself - former US bete noire Muqtada al-Sadr. Da'wa, after all, was founded in the late 1950s by Mohammed Baqr al-Sadr, a cousin of Muqtada's father.

The whole thing is far from over. According to the new US-designed Iraqi constitution, parliament must convene in less than two weeks to choose the new presidential council - the head of state plus two vice presidents. This council will formally appoint the new prime minister, who will have one month to form his government, to be approved by parliament. It's practically certain that Jaafari will win.

There is now talk that Jaafari may prefer to form a government with the fundamentalist Sunni Iraqi Accord Front, headed by Adnan Dulaimi, instead of the Kurdistan Alliance and its 53 seats. Relations between Jaafari and the Kurds have been dreadful. But the UIA doesn't have enough votes to pull it off - at least not yet. The UIA has 128 of the 275 seats in parliament. So it needs an ally to take it over two-thirds so it can form a government of its choice.

The Kurds want much more say in key policy decisions, and by all means want a potentially explosive referendum in Kirkuk on whether it wants to be part of the Kurdistan confederacy; for Shi'ites, this is not a priority. Former prime minister Iyad Allawi, derisively know as "Saddam without a mustache", the favorite Washington-London asset, most certainly will not be part of the new Iraqi government, even though the Kurds have demanded that he be included.

Ties with Iran will be close, as expected; Jaafari lived in Iran for nine years during the 1980s, at the height of the Iran-Iraq War. He is an ultraconservative. He does not drink, smoke, play cards or go the movies, and he's totally in favor of sharia (Islamic) law regarding marriage, divorce and heritage rights.

The vote may be interpreted as a defeat for Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the SCIRI's leader, but not that much. The SCIRI and its military wing, the Badr Organization, almost inevitably will retain control of the crucial Ministry of Interior, which for Shi'ites is non-negotiable with either Sunnis or Kurds. This means in practice the proliferation of hardcore Badr commandos - many trained by Iranian Revolutionary Guards - running death squads against Sunni Arabs.

Alarm bells are ringing that the internal Shi'ite battle raging since the December 2005 elections indicates that the UIA may inevitably implode well before 2009. This is the meat of the matter; a fractious and extremely weak central government will be in power in Baghdad in the foreseeable future.

Chaos as a non-exit strategy

What does all this political bickering mean compared with the unbearable suffering endured by the bulk of Iraq's population? It spells nothing but doom. Disgruntled Sunni Arabs will keep refining their double-track strategy of playing politics and military defiance. The Sunni Arab guerrilla - not to mention al-Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers - will keep raising hell (attacks against Americans and "collaborators" now average 77 per day; they were 55 one year ago).

"Hell" in this case involves no fewer than 10 million of Iraq's 26 million people; 6 million in Baghdad plus the heavily populated province of Nineveh (home of Mosul, the country's second-largest city), and also Salahuddin and Anbar provinces. Attacks also proliferate in Diyala province and Babil province just south of Baghdad, not to mention powder keg Kirkuk in the north, where Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs are at one another's throats to control the oilfields.

Baghdad - which accounts for 25% of the country's population - has virtually no water or electricity. The Americans for their part may have become more "invisible", retreating from main urban centers, but their air war is even more devastating. The White House/Pentagon policy is now a "back to the future" of turning Iraq into Afghanistan, where warlords, religious or secular, and tribal sheikhs defend their mini-states armed to their teeth, and criminal gangs run parallel to death squads. There isn't a remote possibility of forging a government of national unity under these circumstances.

Which suits Washington fine. The only way for the United States to prolong its Iraqi adventure is to perpetuate chaos; Iraq as the new Afghanistan. Few dispute that the US invaded Iraq for its oil resources, mostly untapped, and that it's located in the heart of the world's energy system. Thus, if the US controls Iraq, it extends its strategic power.

Washington neo-conservatives, from Cheney to former deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, may have dreamed of unlimited strategic power by controlling Iraq. What they got instead is a loose Iran/Iraq alliance. And they still could get something even more nightmarish, as American academic Noam Chomsky put it, "A loose Shi'ite alliance controlling most of the world's oil, independent of Washington and probably turning toward the East, where China and others are eager to make relationships with them, and are already doing it."

The new Jaafari government can count on less than US$19 billion a year in oil income - a pitiful sum, due to relentless guerrilla war and non-stop sabotage operations. Most of the income will go to the Ministry of the Interior, some will go to snail's-pace reconstruction projects, and some will go into paying debts. Just as during Allawi's government in 2004, billions can be expected to disappear in corrupt schemes.

According to a number of polls, as many as 80% of Iraqis want the US out as soon as possible. In 2005, during the previous Jaafari government, more than 120 parliamentarians (out of 275) were demanding a fixed timetable for the US to go. The new parliament will inevitably have to align itself with the majority of the Iraqi population's wishes.

Incapable of controlling anything, not even the road from Baghdad's airport to the Green Zone, and incapable of reconstructing what it has destroyed, Washington for its part will keep betting on chaos, retreating behind the huge concrete barriers that dot the wasteland of its prized Muslim possessions, Afghanistan and Iraq.

2 Italians found dead in Afghanistan
Thursday February 16, 7:10 PM
(Kyodo) _ Two Italian nationals working in Afghanistan were found dead Thursday in the capital Kabul, the Italian ambassador said.

The bodies were found in their residence in a heavily guarded area in the center of Kabul, said Ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi.

The bodies bore no signs of violence, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of their death, he said.

The Italian Foreign Ministry identified the bodies as Iendi Iannelli, who worked for a judiciary reform program in Afghanistan, and Stefano Siringo, who was employed by the Italian Foreign Ministry.

The bodies will be flown to Italy for further investigation, said the ambassador.

Afghans Reluctant to Lose US Troops
Whether they love the American forces or hate them, few people want to see them go.
Institute For War and Peace Reporting By Hafiz Gardesh and Wahidullah Amani in Kabul (ARR No. 202, 10-Feb-06)

Plans to reduce the United States troop presence in Afghanistan have sparked deeply contradictory reactions in the country.

On the one hand, Afghans, historically uncomfortable with the presence of foreign troops on their soil, are anxious to see the back of even a small proportion of the nearly 20,000 American soldiers. This is especially true following the furore set off last year by a media report that US interrogators had desecrated the Koran while questioning detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

Reports of prisoner abuse at Bagram Air Base and a widely distributed video of American troops burning the bodies of dead Taleban fighters have also sparked outrage.

Many complain about what they see as the arrogant, sometimes aggressive conduct of US soldiers in Kabul and elsewhere. Such behaviour has done little to win the hearts and minds of average Afghans.

But most people are also keenly aware that peace in Afghanistan remains fragile. They wonder whether Washington is beginning to lose interest in their country, and whether the expanded NATO force that is expected to assume responsibility for security in southern parts of the country is up to the task.

In December, the US Department of Defence confirmed that it would be reducing the number of troops deployed in Afghanistan by about 2,500, from 19,000 to 16,500. At the same time, the Pentagon said NATO would be sending an additional 6,000 soldiers to the country this year, including some 3,000 British forces and a 1,200-strong contingent from the Netherlands.

Some see the planned US-force reduction as a first step by Washington towards leaving Afghanistan altogether.

“If America once again forgets Afghanistan and abandons it to the internal and foreign wolves who are lying in wait, it will be a very great betrayal of the Afghan nation,” warned Habibullah Rafi, a political analyst and member of the Afghan Academy of Sciences.

“If America pulls out its troops, the Taleban will soon come back and Afghanistan will again become the nest of terrorism that it was in the past,” said Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, the former head of Afghan National Radio and TV and currently the editor of the Payam-e-Mujahed newspaper. “So it will be dangerous not only for Afghanistan, but for the entire region.”

There are no alternatives to the American forces, argues Mansoor. The Afghan National Army does not yet have the necessary capacity, and NATO forces have a different mandate altogether. “NATO is supposed to maintain peace and security,” he said. “They are not ready for combat.”

Mansoor voiced the concerns of many, who say they fear that the NATO force, with a primarily peacekeeping role, will be unable to battle the mounting insurgency in the south.

Afghanistan’s military dismisses such fears as groundless.

“The troops which are replacing the US-led Coalition forces in southern Afghanistan are stronger than the Coalition forces. I believe they will be much more effective. [The handover] is not a matter of concern for us,” said General Abdul Rahim Wardak, the Afghan defence minister.

A spokesman for Coalition forces, Lieutenant Colonel Laurent Fox, also downplayed the significance of the handover to NATO.

“I believe that the British soldiers, the Dutch soldiers and the Canadian soldiers are more than capable of continuing what we were doing [in the south],” he said. “They are very accomplished and have a long history of success.”

The new NATO force will certainly face a challenge, a point not lost on the Netherlands parliament which hotly debated the issue before finally agreeing to the deployment.The Dutch troops are expected to maintain security in the volatile province of Uruzgan.

US Ambassador Ronald Neumann, speaking to reporters in Washington in late December, acknowledged the difficulties that the new troops would face, especially in places like Uruzgan.

“It is certainly not a peacekeeping mission,” he said. “When you have a force that’s carrying out an active insurgency, that’s not peacekeeping.”

But Fox argues that the increasingly frequent attacks are a sign that the Coalition forces are winning.

“There has been an increase in suicide bombers and explosive devices,” he said. “This is either a sign that [the Taleban] are getting stronger, or a sign of desperation. I think it is a sign of desperation.”

But others disagree, maintaining that the troop withdrawal will be seen as a sign that the Taleban and al-Qaeda are gaining ground.

“If America leaves, it is a victory for their opponents. It is a signal that they should step up their war,” said political analyst Mohammad Qasim Akhgar.

“A US withdrawal would precipitate a severe political, military, and economic crisis,” said Fazel Rahman Oria, political analyst and editor of the Payam monthly.

The escalating violence is also seen by some as a failure of US policy in the country.

“If America had done its work honestly in the south and the east, if they had improved people’s lives, I am sure there would not have been this fighting. There would not have been any problems,” said Rafi, the political analyst.

Many ordinary Afghans appear to agree.

“I ask the Americans, you came to fight terrorism and ensure peace - have you done this? If so, then why do we still have fighting in the country? And if you haven’t done it, why are you leaving?” said Nafisa, 40, a schoolteacher in Kabul.

“If Americans forget Afghanistan, they will have to fight terrorism at home, in Washington,” she added.

Others argue that the partial withdrawal is a tacit admission that US forces have already outstayed their welcome.

“The US government is just trying to calm anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan,” said Akhgar. “They want to counteract the Taleban propaganda that their troops are here to occupy the country.”

Gharibullah, a former colonel in the Afghan army, said that the sooner the Americans leave, the better.

“Americans have brought us more loss than benefit,” he said. “The destroyed our professional army. They have encouraged their slave Pakistan to occupy our soil under the slogan of the war on terror. Instead of bombing Pakistan, which is the nest of terrorism, they have bombarded our villages and homes and killed a lot of innocent people.

“Instead of putting war criminals on trial, they have made them the rulers of our oppressed nation. We are tired of having friends like these.”

Hafiz Gardesh is the IWPR local editor in Kabul; Wahidullah Amani is an IWPR staff reporter in Kabul.

Afghans Steer Clear of Water
Convinced that water is harmful to their health, many people prefer to be dehydrated than drink a glass of cold water.
Institute For War and Peace Reporting By Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi in Mazar-e-Sharif (ARR No. 202, 10-Feb-06)
Hafiz, 43, hadn’t been feeling well for months. He complained of headaches, dizziness and chronic fatigue.

Finally, he accepted his doctor’s advice and drank 12 glasses of water. The effect was immediate and dramatic.

“I feel so refreshed,” he said.

Afghans in general drink very little water, believing that other beverages such as tea are better for them. In winter, they shun it altogether, convinced that it is harmful to their health.

Abdul Ghafar, 58, a shoemaker, told IWPR that he had not had a sip of water in 30 years.

“When I was young, I had pains in my feet. My father told me it was from drinking cold water. So now I only drink tea,” he said.

When pressed, Ghafar conceded that his feet still hurt.

“But I know they would be worse if I drank water,” he argued. “I will not drink water as long as I live.”

Although they appear to be swimming against the tide, some members of the medical community are trying to get Afghans to change course.

“If you don’t drink water, your cells become weak,” said Dr Noor Alam Shirzai, a Kabul internist. “That causes premature death.”

Some who have become ill after drinking contaminated water come to the mistaken conclusion that it was the liquid itself that made them sick.

But Shirzai says pure water, rather than causing disease, actually prevents many ailments, saying, “If a person normally meets the demands of his body by drinking clean water in both winter and summer, he will always be healthy. It’s the cheapest way to protect your health.”

Gulalai, a resident of Kabul, came to the city’s Jamhuriat hospital to be treated for bronchitis. Like others, she avoids drinking plain water and said she’s unable to afford the more expensive bottled water.

“I know drinking mineral water is good, but one bottle of it costs 50 afghani [one US dollar], so it’s better to drink tea,” she said.

But Shirzai dismisses this argument.

“People can drink boiled water, which is the easiest and cheapest way of getting clean water in winter and summer,” he said.

In fact, tea and coffee act as a diuretic that in extreme cases can lead to dehydration.

Shirzai thinks the problem is so serious that the ministry of health should launch an awareness programme to teach people the value of drinking water.

“Since people don’t know any better, they don’t want to drink water. Some families even forbid their children from drinking water in the winter. Children must have water – without it they cannot grow normally,” he said.

Qiamuddin, a resident of the Kargha area of Kabul, is a case in point. “I make my family stop drinking cold water once summer is over, so that they do not develop bronchitis,” he said.

According to Dr Abdullah Fahim, an adviser to the health ministry, the reluctance to drink cold water in winter has no basis in scientific fact.

“It is not harmful to drink cold water in the winter,” he said. “Even people at the North Pole drink cold water.”

In the long run, say medical experts, Afghans are harming themselves by not drinking enough water.

“An adult human body needs five litres of water a day in the summer and three in the winter,” said Dr Ghawsuddin Anwari, an internist in Mazar-e-Sharif. “If a person does not provide his cells with enough water, it will cause weakness throughout the body.”

In effect, much of the country is in a perpetual state of dehydration. “This is why most Afghans seem weak and lethargic,” said Anwari.

Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi is an IWPR staff reporter in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Editor Resumes Fight for a Free Press
Ali Mohaqeq Nasab, who was imprisoned and faced a life sentence for blasphemy, returns to the helm of his magazine.
Institute For War and Peace Reporting By Abdul Baseer Saeed in Kabul (ARR No. 202, 10-Feb-06)
Ali Mohaqeq Nasab seems to thrive on controversy. Just one month after being released from prison, he is back at the very activity that landed him in trouble in the first place: editing his Women’s Rights magazine.

Wearing traditional Afghan clothing - a white turban, a white “pirhan-tunbon” (long shirt and loose trousers) and a black quilted robe or “chapan” - Nasab, 47, sat at his cluttered desk in his old office, sifting through books and papers.

He seemed eager to get back to business.

“I am very busy preparing materials,” he said. “Soon I want to publish the new edition of Huquq-e-zan [Women’s Rights].”

Nasab was arrested on October 1, 2005, for publishing materials deemed critical of Islam. He was charged with blasphemy for questioning religious precepts such as harsh punishments for adultery, fornication, apostasy and theft.

His case attracted the attention of media groups both at home and abroad, with organisations as diverse as the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association and the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists appealing for his release.

Nasab was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison, but was freed on December 24, 2005, by the Kabul Court of Appeal, after expressing regret for any trouble his magazine may have caused.

But despite what many see as a forced apology, Nasab is unrepentant, and determined to carry on his activities.

“I stand by my words,” he said. “I will write similar articles in the future.”

He is bitter about his ordeal and hints that there may have been political motives behind his detention. “This article was just a pretext to arrest me. There were people behind this action,” he said, declining to name those he thought were responsible.

Nasab, who a law graduate with a master’s degree in religious jurisprudence, defended himself at his widely publicised trial.

He said that based on his own experience, he does not have high hopes for media freedom in Afghanistan.

“Unfortunately, we do not have a brilliant record in the area of press freedom,” he said. “People should have as much freedom of expression as possible under the law, so that everyone can express his opinion without being threatened.”

Some thought Nasab would move abroad after his release. “Many countries have offered me asylum,” he said. “But I never intended to go.”

Instead, he just wants to get back to his magazine. The media commission that removed him in October has since reinstated him as editor.

Huquq-e-zan was not published while Nasab was in prison. Some staff left for other jobs, but they are now coming back, he said.

His sojourn in jail was unpleasant, but Nasab says he was not mistreated.

“The worst thing they did was to shave my head like a common criminal right after my arrest,” he said.

Television broadcasts immediately after his arrest showed Nasab, bowed and silent, sitting shackled in the courtroom. But within a few days he had regained his spirit, and was engaging in heated arguments with the prosecutor.

Nasab claimed that there had been a plan to assassinate him inside the prison, but that security officials foiled the attempt.

“Some of the prisoners were instructed by people outside to kill me,” he said. “Fortunately, they did not succeed.”

Now free, Nasab is not worried about his safety.

“I have not faced any security problems since I was released,” he smiled. “Instead, the number of my friends has increased.”

Abdul Baseer Saeed is an IWPR staff reporter in Kabul.

"Temporary marriage" stirs Afghan controversy
Thursday February 16, 05:56 AM
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Some Afghan refugees returning home after years abroad are bringing back foreign ways -- the most controversial being the practice of temporary marriage.

Temporary marriage, or sigha, is an agreement between a man and a women to get married for a specified time. It has long been practised by Shi'ite Muslims, especially in mostly Shi'ite Iran.

Now, the practice is being imported into Afghanistan by some members of the minority Shi'ite community returning home from Iran, to the disapproval of many in conservative, mostly Sunni Afghanistan.

"I don't want a permanent husband," said Fatima, a 34-year-old woman divorcee in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where there is a large Shi'ite community.

Fatima said as a divorcee, she would have little chance of finding a permanent husband, even if she wanted one. She said she had had 10 temporary marriages since her husband abandoned her, and expected more.

Virtually all of the women in Mazar-i-Sharif who enter temporary marriages are divorcees or widows.

Many of the men are also divorced or too poor to marry a permanent wife.

Millions of Afghans have fled from their country over its decades of turmoil. But over the past four years, more than 3.5 million have returned, with 2.7 million coming back from Pakistan and 800,000 from Iran.

Many are impoverished.

A temporary marriage is easy to arrange and cheap. A couple will agree on how long they will get married -- it's usually anywhere from a day to months -- and on a dowry.

Couples often go to a Shi'ite cleric for approval of the contract. People in Mazar-i-Sharif said witnesses were not necessary.

The practice, also known as Mut'ah, is believed to have pre-dated Islam among the tribes of the Arabian peninsula.

Both Sunni and Shi'ite scholars agree that the Prophet Mohammad did at certain times allow it.

But Sunni scholars say the Prophet later banned it. Most Shi'ites say he didn't.

Sunnis say the practice is illegal and akin to prostitution, but some Shi'ites scholars say it reflects the reality of human nature and provides for the rights and responsibilities of both the man and the woman.

SEX, SECRECY
In Mazar-i-Sharif, on the edge of the great steppe to the north of the Hindu Kush mountains, clerics are divided.

"It's a kind of prostitution," said Qari Azizullah, a preacher at a Sunni mosque.

But a Shi'ite cleric said sigha forbids men from having relations with prostitutes, and so it can help eliminate the practice.

"Everyone needs sex and sigha can tackle this problem," said the Shi'ite cleric, Mohammad Tahir Mofid.

Despite such approval, many of those who enter temporary marriages keep it secret from their families and from the community at large.

Ahmad Aziz, 25, said he had had two temporary marriages. The first was in Iran, where he was married for 15 days, and recently he married again.

"After I came to Mazar I married another woman and we have been together for two months," said Aziz, a trader.

He said only a handful of his closest friends knew about his wife and he told his parents he was busy at work when he returned home from visiting her in a small house he had rented.

Mohammad Fahim, another resident of Mazar-i-Sharif, said he had married a woman for $80 (46 pounds), including the dowry, and the marriage had lasted three months.

"I didn't have enough money for a dowry and all the invitations so sigha was cheap and easy for me. That's why I went for it," Fahim said.

Conventional marriages are usually arranged in Afghanistan and they are virtually always expensive. Some grooms' families pay out thousands of dollars on jewellery, gifts and feasts.

If a woman gets pregnant during a temporary marriage the husband is required to support the child and the mother, even after the end of the marriage.

But the practice looks unlikely to catch on to any great extent in Afghanistan, where even some Shi'ite preachers abhor sigha and agree with the Sunnis who say it is inappropriate.

"It's not proper. Our Prophet banned it, also our culture doesn't allow it," said Shi'ite cleric Ali Ahmad.

Helping Hand for the Disabled
Tired of waiting for government to fulfil its promises, one man is trying to help those injured during the years of conflict on his own.
Institute For War and Peace Reporting By Mohammad Jawad Sharifzadah in Kabul (ARR No. 202, 10-Feb-06)
On an icy street in Shah Shashahid in eastern Kabul, two women are making their way to work. One, who has lost both legs, is in a wheelchair; the other, who has lost one leg, walks with the aid of a crutch. Their destination is a yellow door with a sign reading “Afghanistan Disabled Federation: Carpet Weaving, Tailoring, Embroidery, Beadwork”.

Inside this privately-financed workshop, ten trainers and 50 women are busy at different crafts. All of them have some physical disability, and most are victims of injuries suffered during Afghanistan’s three decades of war.

The ministry of the martyred and disabled, which is tasked with helping the country’s war victims, estimates that there are two million people in Afghanistan with permanent injuries or deformities.

But so far, the ministry has failed to develop programmes to assist the disabled.

This omission has sparked the ire from those in need of help. In early December, a group of handicapped people disrupted a conference in Kabul when they demanded the removal of the minister, Seddiqa Balkhi, and drove her from the podium.

President Hamed Karzai subsequently removed Balkhi from the post and appointed her to the upper house of the parliament, the Meshrano Jirga. An acting minister, Abdul Hadi Hadi, is filling in until a new appointment is made.

Ghulam Abbas Ayen, an official at the ministry said it has no budget to pay for programmes for the handicapped, and that it is totally dependent on funding from foreign governments and private donors. "We cannot force countries and aid agencies to assist us when they have not shown any interest," he said.

Haji Abdul Rahman was unwilling to wait for others to provide help. As head of the Disabled Federation of the National Olympic Committee, he invested 10,000 US dollars of his own money to establish the work centre, which opened in December.

Rahman has good reason to be concerned about the fate of the disabled. He himself lost one leg and the use of the other to a mine blast during Afghanistan’s civil wars.

“I used to be a businessman,” he said. “I now have a construction company, and I have government contracts to supply gas and fuel. All the money for this project comes from those sources.”

Rahman says he wants to give the disabled some hope and dignity. His project is aimed primarily at helping women, he said, because they have fewer opportunities to reclaim their lives.

“Women in Afghanistan are more deprived than the men,” he said. “A man can always run a shop or become a peddler, but a woman can’t.”

The workshop is located in a four-room house full of equipment. In one room, eight women are working at sewing machines producing traditional women’s clothing. In another, several women are weaving carpets.

Nafisa, 25, is an apprentice at the centre. She was injured in a rocket attack in 1993, losing both legs and her right thumb, and leaving the fingers of her right hand permanently curled. She sews quickly and skilfully, attaching silver ribbons to the sleeve of a traditional Afghan dress.

“I only earn ten dollars a month, which isn’t very much. But I am learning something and I am safe, so I am content,” she said. "I have hope for my life now.”

Mahtab, 22, who was partially paralysed by a 1993 rocket attack which also killed her father, now earns 100 US dollars a month as a trainer, enough to cover her own expenses and contribute to supporting her family.

“I am very happy that I have a job,” she said, as she sewed a military uniform. “Before, my family used to look upon me as a burden. But now that I can work, everyone treats me with respect.”

Rahman hopes the centre will eventually become self-sustaining. He is negotiating with the ministries of defence and the interior to provide them with uniforms.

“I would like to have 1,000 people employed by next year,” said Rahman, adding that he also hopes that others will rally to his cause. “I would be very happy if someone would help us.”

Mohammad Jawad Sharifzadah is an IWPR staff reporter in Kabul.

UNDP Afghanistan Newsletter
Source: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 15 Feb 2006
Capacity Building at the New Afghan Legislature Goes Ahead in Full Steam
Now that the newly elected Afghan National Assembly is in business, there is much legislation to be produced and a lot to catch up with, and not only for legislators but also for the machinery that will allow them to work, that is the Secretariat of the Parliament.

Taking the opportunity of the current recess in the Assembly proceedings, the SEAL project has organized two more training courses for the staff of the Secretariat to prepare them for the upcoming busy schedule of the Assembly sessions.

The first training course, on Feb. 1 and 2, involved 50 staff members of the secretariat and focused mainly on the work of the Standing Commissions of the Parliament, which have a vital importance in the process of vetting the legislation to be submitted to the plenary sessions of both houses of the Assembly, Wolesi Jirga (the lower house) and the Meshrano Jirga (the house of the elders). 32 standing commissions, 18 in the former, and 14 in the latter will be functioning, and they will also perform the duty of oversight of the executive branch of the state, that is the government, including budget and public accounts.

A panel of resource persons including SEAL Project Team Manager Thusitha Pilapatiya and team members Srinvasan Gopalan, Consultant, Monjurul Kabir, Advisor on Legislative Environment, Dennis Sammut, Advisor on Capacity Building, Tarek Sedik, National Programme Officer, Legislative Environment and Abdel-ellah Sediqi, Consultant, as well as Ville Varjola, Head of Sector, Delegation of the European Commission, Kabul and Enie Wes-seldijk, Senior Parliamentary Expert, French Embassy, Kabul made presentations and answered questions from an eager and attentive audience.

On 5th February, SEAL Project also organized a training workshop for the staff of the International Department of the Meshrano Jirga. The seminar was facilitated by Mr. Sammut, Advisor on Capacity Building, and covered topics such as Parliament’s international relations and support for the international activity of members of parliament. More than 200 members of parliament from both houses will, in the coming months, participate in seminars being prepared by the SEAL project both in Afghanistan and abroad as part of efforts to empower them to fulfil their duties of representation and oversight. Seminar topics will include, among other things, globalization.

Gun Law Steadily Advancing over the Law of the Gun

Four more Jihadi commanders committed themselves to the peaceful order in Afghanistan by surrendering their weapons between February 6 and 8, 2006, marking another step in the steady advance of the rule of law, in this particular case of the Gun Law, against the supremacy of the guns.

On February 6th, in Kapisa province, Commander Ab-durahim, Commander Janaqa and Commander Shah Aqa, turned in 5 trucks of ammunition and 75 weapons - including 9 Russian missiles, 13 AK-47 and 14 heavy weapons – to the DIAG* weapons collection team, saying time had come to give up weapons and support the government.

One day later, on Feb 8, in Pol-e Kumri district of the Baghlan province, General Mustafa Mosseni, the Chief of Police of Logar and former Commander of the 20th Division, handed over 51 weapons and ammunition, including 19 missiles, to be verified by the DIAG* weapons collection team. Both ceremonies were attended by high level officials with the latter being observed by a delegation from Kabul, led by General Manan, the head of the AntiTerrorist Department of the Ministry of Interior.

General Mustafa Mosseni insisted that “peace has now come back to Afghanistan and therefore weapons should be handed over to the Government for the use of the Afghan security forces”. He also called on other Commanders to follow his example and comply with the DIAG process.

The weapons are now stored in the provincial weapons collection point under the surveillance of the Afghan National Police (ANP). They will be either used by the security forces of Afghanistan or – if not serviceable - destroyed.

While weapons keep being transferred to government control, the hearts and minds campaign to win the former jihad fighters over to the side of the government is also steaming ahead with many seminars and meetings being organized throughout the country to explain the process of DIAG and how it will benefit the population in Afghanistan

*DIAG: Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups. The DIAG process was launched on 11 June, 2005 when officially announced by Vice President Khalili. As of 9th February, 17,568 weapons as well as 25,667 pieces of boxed and 70,993 pieces of unboxed ammunition have been handed over to and verified by ANBP collection teams in Afghanistan. 4,857 of the collected weapons have been handed over by 124 candidates to the parliamentary and provincial council elections.