Afghanistan News March 15, 2006

March 15, 2006

Big Afghan Oil, Gas Reserves Identified
Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world
Radio Free Europe: Radio Library
March 15, 2006 -- U.S. and Afghan scientists say they have found significant reserves of oil and gas in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Geological Survey and Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Industry say two geological basins in northern Afghanistan are believed to hold 18 times more oil and three times more natural gas than previously thought.

They say nearly 1.6 billion barrels of oil, mostly in the Afghan-Tajik Basin, and about 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, mainly in the Amu Darya Basin, could be tapped, potentially providing revenues for the Afghan government.

Officials said the U.S. Trade and Development Agency paid the $2 million cost of the assessment, which was carried out over nearly four years.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is quoted as saying the estimates of the oil and gas reserves are "very positive findings."
(AP)

Afghanistan could hold 3.6 bln bbl oil - USGS study
March 15, 2006
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There could be up to 36.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 3.6 billion barrels of crude oil lying undiscovered under the sands of war-torn Afghanistan, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Tuesday.

A first-ever assessment of Afghanistan's energy potential, funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and undertaken by the USGS and Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines and Industry, gave mid-range estimates of about 1.6 billion barrels of crude oil and 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

That's nothing compared to OPEC heavyweight Saudi Arabia which has about 260 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, and Russia's 1.68 quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves - both the world's largest.

But it's enough that Afghanistan has asked the U.S. government for advice on how to run a potential bidding round to woo foreign investors to explore, a USGS spokeswoman said.

U.S.-led forces in 2001 overthrew Afghanistan's Taliban rulers who had harbored the al Qaeda network responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, and 23,000 U.S. troops currently are targeting Taliban and al Qaeda forces.

A wave of suicide bombings in recent months has killed dozens of people, part of an intensified insurgency that has killed more than 1,500 people since the start of last year.

Producing natural gas in Afghanistan is nothing new. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Russian engineers identified over 15 fields in northern Afghanistan, but only three natural gas fields near Sheberghan were developed.

According to the EIA, natural gas production in Afghanistan peaked at about 385 million cubic feet per day in 1978, which mostly went into Russia's natural gas grid via a pipeline link through Uzbekistan.

Afghan Foreign Minister Calls On Abdullah
PUTRAJAYA, March 15 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi received Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah at the Prime Minister's Office, here Wednesday.

The prime minister warmly greeted his guest upon his arrival at Bangunan Perdana Putra for their discussion.

Dr Abdullah is leading a 27-member delegation here to create awareness and update on the investment and trade opportunities in Afghanistan, a landlocked country of 30 million people.

He arrived on Monday night for a two-day visit.

Speaking at a seminar on business opportunities in his country in Kuala Lumpur, Tuesday, Dr Abdullah said there were opportunities in different sectors such as oil and gas, handicraft and hospitality industry.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia announces more financial aid for Afghanistan
KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Malaysia on Tuesday announced its decision to provide more financial assistance for Afghanistan in the latter's reconstruction efforts.

"The government of Malaysia remains committed to assist Afghanistan in its nation building efforts within our means and capacity," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said here.

The Malaysian government established an Afghanistan Trust Fund in October 2001 with an initial governmental contribution of 1 million U.S. dollars, and later public as well as private sectors in this country have also contributed, said Syed.

In addition to a sum of 550,000 U.S. dollars already spent on humanitarian goods, the Malaysian government has decided to "disburse all the money in the Fund to Afghanistan," said Syed at the opening ceremony of a seminar entitled "Business Opportunitiesfor Malaysia in Afghanistan's Reconstruction and Development Program."

"In this regard, about 376,000 U.S. dollars will be given to the Afghanistan Trust Fund for Reconstruction. Another 349,000 U.S.dollars will be handed over to Mercy Malaysia to fund social projects in Kandahar, namely, the Vocational Training Center for Women, Mother and Child Healthcare Center and Little Caliph Kindergartens," said Syed.

He added that trade between Malaysia and Afghanistan, though relatively small, had shown a big increase over the last few years.In 2005, bilateral trade expanded by about 40 percent compared with the previous year.

Later in a joint press conference with visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, Syed said his country would continue to assist Afghanistan, especially in capacity building and social engineering programs.

Abdullah on Tuesday started his three-day official visit to this southeast Asian nation. This is his first official visit to Malaysia since Afghanistan held its presidential and parliamentary elections in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Afghan leader says world unsafe without Pakistan's help
Wed Mar 15, 12:17 AM ET
KABUL, March 14, 2006 (AFP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded Pakistan's full cooperation in the fight against terrorism, saying that without the neighbouring country's help the world would never be safe.

Karzai's comments Tuesday were the latest in a tit-for-tat exchange between the allies in the US-led "war on terror", in which Islamabad has rubbished Kabul's intelligence about Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants on Pakistani soil.

The Afghan leader said at a media conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the world must unite against militancy because "terrorism can affect anyone, anytime and anywhere."

"Pakistan and Afghanistan are the central pieces in this war against terror and unless there is sincere, intense, systematic cooperation from all sides, the world would not be safe," Karzai said.

"Therefore it is extremely important that our brothers in Pakistan join us in the most intense manner -- that is the need of the hour in the fight against terrorism," he said.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have worsened since Afghan officials handed the intelligence to Pakistan during a visit by Karzai last month.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf slammed Karzai in an interview with CNN this month, saying he was "oblivious" to events in his own country and blasting the intelligence as "nonsense".

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz took a more conciliatory line on Tuesday, saying that his country was committed to a "strong, stable and vibrant Afghanistan".

"We have and will support the government in Afghanistan to rebuild its country and reconstruct itself," he told a news conference after Canada's Harper flew into Islamabad from Kabul.

But the tensions between the two countries surfaced again when Pakistan said Tuesday that it was stepping up security at its embassy in the Afghan capital to guard against possible protests.

Pakistan said it took the step following "baseless" allegations made at the weekend by former Afghan president Hazrat Sebghatullah Mujadidi that Musharraf had ordered an attempt on his life.

Mujadidi, who is now the head of the country's senate, escaped a suicide bombing on Sunday that killed two bystanders and two attackers.

Afghanistan says a deadly Taliban-led insurgency plaguing the country is being directed from across the border.

Pakistan supported the fundamentalists during their 1996-2001 hold on power in Afghanistan, when they sheltered the Al-Qaeda network blamed for deadly attacks including including the September 11 assault on the United States.

The Taliban were toppled in November 2001 in a US-led military operation launched when they refused to surrender Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Violence in Afghanistan, most of it linked to the revolt, killed about 1,700 people last year, many of them militants. More than 150 have been killed this year.

Taliban a steady threat to Afghanistan - UN envoy
Wednesday March 15, 9:26 AM
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A revitalized Taliban is the main threat to Afghanistan, the head of the United Nations mission there said on Tuesday, as a wave of violence sweeps the country struggling to become a viable democracy.

Lack of security and weakness of Afghanistan's new government institutions, especially in outlying areas, are the major problems facing the country, the top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, told the U.N. Security Council.

"The major challenge at this moment is to prevent the Taliban reconfigurate and create an environment of insecurity and threat all over the country," Koenigs later told reporters. "There is always the presence of suicide bombers who create an insecure environment."

A wave of suicide bombings and attacks on schools have rocked Afghanistan as insurgents step up their battle to oust foreign forces and overthrow the Western-backed government.

Four Afghan policemen and six Taliban insurgents were killed in the latest violence on Tuesday, as authorities searched for four Macedonians the Taliban said it kidnapped and killed.

The Taliban, which harbored al Qaeda and was ousted by U.S.-led forces in 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, is regrouping in some areas, Koenigs said, but details were scarce.

"We only know that not all the Taliban leaders have been captured and there are incidents where the Taliban claimed responsibility," said Koenigs. "So they are still there, and people fear -- particularly in the southern region -- that they hide either on this or the other side of the border."

"It will be vital for the Afghan government to extend its reach to underserved areas of Afghanistan," Koenigs said in his briefing to the council.

Koenigs asked the Security Council to expand the mission he heads, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), so it can support the government better in the field in outlying areas. The Security Council is discussing a 12-month renewal of UNAMA's mandate, which expires March 24.

Afghan army assuming more tasks
Herald Sun-Australia From correspondents in Brussels 14mar06
AFGHANISTAN'S national army will be fully operational within four to five years and ready to take over more responsibility for security from international troops, the country's defence minister said today.

The Afghan army will be in a position to assume increasing responsibility once it is fully functional, removing the need for a large foreign presence, Abdul Rahim Wardak told a news conference after meeting NATO chiefs.

"Once that is achieved, I doubt there will be a need for deployment of a large number of international troops," he said.

The national army was already taking on more domestic security tasks, he said, adding that the speed at which responsibility would be transferred to national forces would depend on Afghanistan's own security situation.

"We are hopeful and confident there will be a considerable improvement in security," Mr Wardak said.

Diplomats say international troops could stay in Afghanistan for the long term, given the stubbornness of insurgency operations being carried out by al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants.

A wave of suicide bombings in recent months has killed dozens of people, part of an intensified insurgency that has left more than 1500 dead since the start of last year.

It has been the bloodiest period since the Taliban's overthrow in 2001, and the US military warned of increased militant activity this spring.

NATO is preparing to expand its International Security Assistance Force mission - already in the north, west and the capital Kabul - to the more volatile south, going from 9000 to 16,000 troops, and ultimately the east.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Bus Service Starts Today
Wednesday March 15, 9:21 AM
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD, March 15 Asia Pulse - A Peshawar-Jalalabad bus service will start Wednesday following an agreement signed between the two countries last month, despite escalating tension at government level between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

NWFP Minister of Transport Akhtar Nawaz Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday the first ever bus from Jalalabad would arrive here on March 15 with 40 people on board, while a similar bus from Peshawar would leave for Jalalabad on March 17.

Akhtar said he himself, provincial as well as federal officials would attend the welcoming ceremony for the official arriving in Peshawar.

"We have taken all the necessary measures in the bus terminal at Hayatabad for travel documents," he added.

The government has allowed a private transport group to daily operate five buses; each having 36 seats, on the international route, while a bus of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) would operate on alternative routes.

According to the plan, a terminal for the bus-service would be set up near Hayatabad on the main Torkham-Jalalabad international highway. However, owing to a delay in acquiring land for the purpose, the first bus from Jalalabad is likely to be received at Peshawar Press Club.

An Afghan trader in Peshawar, Haji Wazir Khan, complained that only passengers with visas and passports would be able to use the facility. "The bus service would be used only by officials and traders who have visas and ordinary people can not use it," he said.

Regarding security of the service, assistant political agent Reyaz Mehsud Khan told this news agency they would protect the line from Karkhano till the Afghan border in Torkham.

Ties between the neighbouring countries have deteriorated after President Musharraf's diatribe on Afghan President Hamid Karzai, when he said the later was oblivious to his country's affairs.

(Pajhwok Afghan News)

Govt should revise Afghan policy: ANP
Daily Times - Mar 14 3:16 PM
PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) Central President Asfandyar Wali Khan has demanded the federal government reconsider its Afghan policy to stop lawlessness in tribal areas from spilling over into the rest of the country.

Speaking at a party meeting on Monday, he said the government should not use force to deal with tribal issues. The government is repeating the same mistake made by General Yahya Khan and the consequences would be no different this time, he said. He alleged that the government was using gunship helicopters against the tribal people instead of any external threat.

He alleged that foreign terrorists hiding in south and North Waziristan were “forced guests” for the tribesmen and had been brought there by the government. He said he had warned the government not to support Taliban during Benazir Bhutto’s rule, as it would also bring Taliban to the tribal areas. “Pukhtoons are being made to pay for the government’s policies,” he said.

He urged people to launch protests to pressurise the government to reassess its Afghan policy and give maximum autonomy to provinces. “Unless these steps are taken, the country’s future would remain at risk,” he said. He alleged a guerilla war had been launched in a 40-kilometre belt on both sides of the Durand Line against Pukhtoons. staff report

Canadian troops fire on Afghan car, one killed
Wed Mar 15, 5:51 AM ET
KABUL (Reuters) - Canadian forces on patrol in Afghanistan opened fire on a vehicle, apparently in the belief it was a suicide bomb attempt, killing a passenger, a Canadian forces spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

An investigation had been launched by an independent Canadian service into the shooting in Kandahar city in the Afghan south late on Tuesday, said the spokeswoman, Captain Julie Roberge.

"A man was shot yesterday while Canadian forces were doing a routine patrol .... he died this morning in hospital," Roberge said.

"This is being investigated, we take it very seriously," she said.

Canada has 2,300 soldiers in Kandahar, where it commands a multinational task force.

Taliban insurgents and their militants allies have stepped up attacks in recent months in a bid to drive out foreign forces and defeat the Western-backed government.

Suicide bomb attacks have soared with at least 12 this year, compared with 17 last year.

A Canadian diplomat was killed and three Canadian soldiers wounded in a suicide attack in Kandahar in January.

Roberge said because of the danger of suicide car bombs, drivers are told to keep clear from Canadian convoys and patrols.

The investigation would determine if the driver ignored warnings to stay away or if the firing was no warranted, she said.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a surprise visit to Kandahar on Monday to rally the troops and shore up support at home for the Afghan mission.

Ten Canadian soldiers and the diplomat have been killed and 33 soldiers wounded since Canada first deployed soldiers in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.

PM rules out parliamentary vote on Afghan mission
Tue, 14 Mar 2006 CBC News -Canada
Prime Minister Stephen Harper does not intend to have MPs vote on extending Canada's mission in Afghanistan, he said after ending his visit to the country on Tuesday.

"We're not going to have votes on commitments already made," he said at a news conference in Islamabad after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Harper had triggered some confusion on the issue earlier in the day in Kabul, Afghanistan, when he cited a Conservative election promise to hold a vote on all future military deployments.

"These things obviously will be put to votes in the future. That's a commitment we've made," Harper told a news conference after meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

He also suggested that if the opposition parties vote against an extension, they could undercut Canada's commitment to the military mission.

"As I said to the president, we have a parliamentary system. I don't control the majority," Harper said.

"I don't control the other parties."

Afghanistan grateful for Canadian sacrifice: Karzai

Before leaving Afghanistan where he'd been visiting since Sunday, Harper met with Karzai at his presidential palace.

Karzai was the first head of state the prime minister has met since his Conservative government won the January federal election.

With U.S. military helicopters buzzing overhead, Karzai asked Harper to deliver a message of thanks to Canadians for their financial and military aid since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 attacks.

"Please convey to your people, to the people of Canada, the immense gratitude of the Afghan people for what your country, your people have done for us," said Karzai.

"For giving the lives of your sons, for contributing in money, for contributing in soldiers and for being one of the biggest helpers in Afghanistan."

Harper responded by inviting Karzai to visit Canada.

"I've said to the president I hope to see him in Canada," said Harper.

In his unannounced visit to Afghanistan, Harper met with Canadian troops in the country. He repeated his government's commitment to the mission and assured the more than 2,200 soldiers stationed there that their work is important.

The morale-boosting visit comes amid growing questions in Canada over its role in Afghanistan. Ten soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since the mission started in 2002.

Karzai defended the Canadian presence, saying it would help Afghanistan achieve stability and independence, which will in turn, support the long-term security of Canada.

Tajik Border Guards Clash With Afghan Drug Smugglers
Radio Free Europe: Radio Library - Mar 15 2:25 AM
March 15, 2006 -- Tajik border guards have made a major drugs haul following an hour-long gun battle with Afghan drug smugglers.

The smugglers left behind over 80 kilograms of cannabis and heroin, bringing the total weight of drugs seized by Tajik board guards this year to over 215 kilograms. Heroin accounts for over half of that total.

Tajikistan's Drug Control Agency says no Tajik troops were injured during the clash, on March 14.
(AP, Asia Plus)

AFGHANISTAN: UN assistance mission to continue for a further year
15 Mar 2006 13:17:39 GMT
ISLAMABAD, 15 March (IRIN) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended a one-year extension of the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) - set to expire on 17 March - given the enormous challenges that remain in rebuilding the country.

"In accordance with the Afghanistan Compact, UNAMA looks forward to assisting the Afghan authorities in four main areas in the coming year: socio-economic development; governance; rule of law; and counter-narcotics activities," Aleem Siddique, a spokesperson for UNAMA said in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Tuesday.

The Afghanistan Compact is a multi-billion dollar UN-backed blueprint for continued international engagement in the development of the war-torn country over the next five years. It was agreed upon at an international conference in London on the future of Afghanistan in early February 2006.

"Afghanistan continues to face enormous challenges in the areas of security, governance, rule of law and human rights, sustainable economic and social development and combating the illegal narcotics industry," Annan said while advocating for a UNAMA extension before the UN General Assembly and the Security Council last Friday.

The Secretary-General said that there had been a "remarkable transformation" in Afghanistan's political landscape over the past four years, highlighting the inauguration in December of an elected national assembly. UNAMA was instrumental in the success of the poll, which gave Afghans the chance to vote for legislators for the first time in a generation.

UNAMA's new chief, Tom Koenigs – a German who took over UNAMA in February - has vowed to prioritise human rights and development during his time with the organisation.

"I will work to orient our action to these two directions [human rights and development] which does not mean I will neglect anything else," Koenigs said. "I think these two topics are the two major driving forces in all human development all over the world and the United Nations has been established for bringing forward these two elements," he added.

Official Rejects Rumour of Afghan Transport Minister's "Escape"
Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 14 March
[Presenter] A newspaper published in Kabul has reported that the minister of transport might have escaped from Afghanistan.

The newspaper quotes the acting head of the Anti-Corruption Department as saying that the minister of transport has left the country. The deputy transport minister for policy and planning rejects the report, saying that [Transport Minister] Enayatollah Qasemi is on a visit to America with official permission from the president.

[Correspondent] Cheragh Daily quotes the acting head of the Anti- Corruption Department as saying that the minister of transport has escaped from Afghanistan.

The newspaper quotes a number of government officials as saying that the minister has taken with him some of his books and some necessary stuff which raises the possibility that he might not return.

The acting head of the Anti-Corruption Department, in an interview with Tolo television, said Mr Qasemi's visit to America was personal. He said Cheragh journalists had misinterpreted his remarks.

[Zabihollah Esmati, acting director of the Anti-Corruption Department] I do not have any evidence to prove that he has escaped. It is not even right to use the word 'escape' in this case. It will be clear in a few days time. We will see whether he returns or not. Cheragh Daily should not have quoted me like this.

The deputy transport minister for policy and planning says the report has no foundation, claiming that the minister is on holiday in America with official permission.

[Deputy transport minister] The minister of transport left for America on holiday to visit his family 15 days ago. He has President Karzai's approval for his leave. He will be back in Kabul on Sunday [19 Mar 06].

[Correspondent] The editor-in-chief of Cheragh Daily says he cannot comment on the issue before listening to the tape recording of the interview with Zabihollah Esmati.

Source: BBC Monitoring South Asia

$85m to be allocated for roads construction
KABUL, March 13 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The ministries of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and Public Works have prepared a plan under which $85 million will be spent for construction of roads between districts and towns during the current year.

This was disclosed during a joint press conference addressed by programme coordinator of the MRRD engineer Wais Ahmad and Deputy Minister for Public Works Yaqoob Shaghasi.

Speaking to journalists, Wais Ahmad said the MRRD had allocated $50 million and the Ministry of Public Works $35 million for reconstruction of roads in districts and towns for the current year.

The announcement came at a time when development budget (103 billion afghanis) of the country for the current year has been approved by the cabinet. The MRRD is responsible for reconstruction of roads in districts while Public Works Ministry is responsible for reconstruction of all roads.

Wais Ahmad said it was a joint programme by the MRRD and Ministry of Public Works which has so far reconstructed 6,000 kilometers roads in different districts and villages across the country.

Addressing the news conference, Yaqoob Shaghasi said a two-day workshop was organised at a local hotel to discuss the road construction plan. The workshop was attended by representatives of Kabul districts. The participants deliberated on plans regarding which roads to be constructed on priority basis, he informed.

Shaghasi said they would hold such workshops in all provinces to get people's opinion about construction of roads in their respective districts and town. Afghanistan has 40,000 kilometres roads. Of these, 17,000 kilometres are main roads, 2,000 kilometres roads in cities and 21,000 kilometers roads are linking suburban areas with cities.
Mustafa Basharat

Pakistan's Kabul embassy secured
BBC News
Security has been stepped up at the Pakistani embassy in Afghanistan after Pakistani authorities said they had information about a possible attack. Around 100 Afghan policemen have been posted outside the embassy in the capital, Kabul, and security has been tightened inside, officials say.

A Pakistani diplomat told the BBC that there was information that some "people want to attack the embassy". Relations between the two countries have been strained recently.

On Sunday, former Afghan president, Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, blamed Pakistan after escaping unhurt in a suicide attack in the capital, Kabul. The two rivals have also traded blame over intelligence about militants carrying out attacks in both countries.

The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says security has been visibly increased around the embassy. "We have been told that there is a possibility of a demonstrationand we are here to make sure that the embassy does not get attacked," a local police officer said.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have long both accused each other of not doing enough in the US-led "war on terror", in which they play key roles. Security was high on the agenda when President Bush visited the region last week.

Relations have deteriorated since President Karzai handed his counterpart, Pervez Musharraf, a list of militants last month, who Kabul says are hiding in Pakistan. President Musharraf says the list is based on old information and an attempt to malign Pakistan.

Experts Say Immediate Action Needed to Contain Bird Flu in Burma, Afghanistan
By Heda Bayron Hong Kong 15 March 2006 VOA
The United Nations has dispatched supplies to Burma to help authorities there contain a possible outbreak of bird flu in chickens, as Afghanistan fears its own possible outbreak. Both countries are awaiting tests to confirm that the birds are infected with the deadly H5N1 virus.

As Burmese authorities cull thousands of chickens, officials in Afghanistan warn people to avoid touching chickens after initial tests indicated bird flu outbreaks in both countries.

Both countries have sent tissue samples for further tests.

Even before tests were done, international health officials were taking no chances that the virus found in these countries is the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. The virus has ravaged poultry farms in several countries and killed nearly 100 people, mostly in Asia, since 2003.

With poor veterinary and health facilities in both countries, experts worry that the governments may not be able to cope with full-blown outbreaks not only among poultry but also in humans.

Experts say urgent government response is crucial in containing the virus. Serge Verniau is with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, or F.A.O., in Afghanistan.

"There is urgent, practical action to be taken, to avoid movement in an area, especially of birds," said Verniau. "That is something that needs coordination with the authorities, the police, the army."

Experts say educating people about the virus also is key. U.N. agencies have started public awareness campaigns on bird flu in Afghanistan but in Burma, the tightly controlled media have so far not reported on the possible outbreak.

But Tang Zhengping, the F.A.O representative in Burma, says the military government's response otherwise has been satisfactory - with prompt testing and notification of international agencies.

"The central laboratory analyzed [the sample] on the eighth of March and after three days sent official report to the F.A.O. Then on Monday, they also issued the official statement for the public," he said. "The statement was distributed to the state and division and all townships."

However, Tang says the isolated nation faces challenges in fighting the disease.

"At this moment, it's the capacity of diagnostic laboratory, the lack of essential equipment and facilities. They need a lot of rapid test kits, more personal protection equipment and some materials for disinfection," he said.

The F.A.O dispatched those supplies to Burma Wednesday.

Experts say surveillance is also a major problem in these countries. Despite a ban on importing and breeding chickens in certain regions of Afghanistan, officials say it is difficult to monitor poultry farming in a rugged country with porous borders.

The F.A.O. also urges both governments to compensate affected poultry farmers to encourage them to report sick birds and help cull them.

Scientists have warned that the bird flu virus might mutate to a form easily transmitted between humans and cause a global pandemic that could kill millions.

Pakistani troops blow up madrassa near Afghan border
Wed Mar 15, 4:46 AM ET
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistani troops using explosives destroyed an Islamic school suspected of being a hideout for militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

The Khalifa Madrassa in the restive North Waziristan district was seized by troops and blown up, becoming the third religious seminary to be demolished in the area in the past fortnight.

The action followed fierce clashes between Pakistani paramilitary soldiers and Taliban-supporing tribesmen that have left around 170 militants and five troops dead.

"The Khalifa Madrassa was destroyed by security forces today as part of a campaign to deprive militants of any hideout," a local official told AFP in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, on Thursday.

The school was unoccupied at the time, officials said.

The madrassa was set up by Khalifa, an Islamic cleric from Afghanistan who died several years ago but who was an associate of former Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, local officials said.

Haqqani is now on a US list of most wanted militants.

Last week troops and helicopter gunships destroyed seminaries run by two local clerics, Sadiq Noor and Abdul Khaleq, who were wanted for leading the unrest against the army's operations in the tribal region.

On Monday Pakistani authorities ordered thousands of Afghans living in the tribal areas to go back to their native country.

Hundreds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters have sneaked across the mountainous border from Afghanistan in the past four years, finding support from conservative Pakistani tribesmen.

Pakistan, a key ally in the US-led "war on terror" launched military operations in the tribal areas in October 2003 and deployed more than 80,000 troops along the border.

Kabul and Afghanistan have recently traded barbs over who is responsible for cracking down on militants who operate on both sides of the frontier.

Coalition forces seize 400 pounds of explosives in Kunar
Pajhwok Report
KABUL, Mar 14 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The US Marines have seized 400 pounds of explosives during the ongoing search operations in the remote Kunar province on Monday, says a press release issued here on Tuesday.

The munitions cache, including time fuses, was recovered near the area where an improvised explosive device strike claimed the lives of four US service members on Sunday, said the release.

During the Monday's operations, the US Marines engaged 'enemy forces' attempting to mount an attack from nearby hills. Coalition forces counterattacked with artillery and close-air support, driving the enemy off the mountain.

"These extremists are no match for the combined-arms team of ground and air forces from the army, air force and Marines," said Col John Nicholson, commander of the coalitions Task Force Spartan. "The Marines did an excellent job seizing these dangerous munitions and removing the threat they pose to both coalition forces and the Afghan people," he said.

The Task Force Spartan is comprised of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Marine Regiment and other forces. It has taken charge for the military operations in Regional Command East from Task Force Devil on March 3.

ASIAN LIVES: Afghan freedom fighter grandmaster of calf polo
Wed Mar 15, 12:23 AM ET
KABUL (AFP) - Aziz Ahmad has spent almost every day of Afghanistan's chaotic years of conflict on horseback.

Much of the time he was a guerrilla, spending long hours in the saddle to fetch weapons from across the mountainous border with Pakistan. But more important to him is the time he spent on something almost as dangerous.

Ahmad plays buzkashi, Afghanistan's passionate national game -- a violent pastime that has brought him honour and wealth.

Buzkashi, a wild contest involving an unlimited number of men on horseback, is believed to have been invented by 13th century Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan to train his troops for war.

The sport still has a proud following, primarily among northern Afghanistan's ethnic Uzbeks, Turkmens and Tajiks.

And Ahmad is -- by reputation -- the best of them all, a distinction he is not shy about.

"I've no rival," the rugged 40-year-old says after a match in Kabul, in which he and his chestnut stallion scored eight of the 12 goals.

"He really is the best," agreed other players, dusty and sweaty after the game.

The winter game -- a likely precursor to modern-day polo -- is a relentless struggle between two teams over a calf that has been beheaded and drained of blood. Sometimes the carcass is soaked in cold water for 24 hours to toughen it up, although it is often shredded by the end of play.

Dozens of men -- wearing small caps, a short robe and baggy trousers -- and their charged animals jostle around a circle marked out in a corner of a large dusty field, and fight to bend down and yank out the calf with their hands.

The one able to grab it leads a gallop around the perimetre of the field while fighting off other competitors trying to snatch it away.

The player who eventually manages, after the mad dash around the field, to hurl the carcass back into the circle scores a goal, usually earning himself cash prizes besides points for his team.

The excitement is keenest when the horses are crowded around the circle, trying to block out each other so their tough riders can swoop down to pick up the calf and sprint off to score.

"(They struggle) like it is the end of the world," says a spectator on the edges of the field, long trampled under the hooves of countless horses.

Ahmad says he was only 16 when he first climbed into the saddle for a buzkashi game in his home village in green, valleyed northern Kunduz province. The occasion was a rite of passage into manhood in male-dominated Afghanistan.

"When I got onto the horse, I felt like I was flying," Ahmad smiles. "When I grabbed the calf, I felt like a man.

"Even though I played really badly," he laughs.

The teenager steadily rose through the ranks of the village-level competition, improving with each match but still unable to beat off his older rivals.

The next winter, the school student had emerged as a successful young horseman and his ambition to be village champion was realised.

"I'd narrowly got what I was dreaming of," says Ahmad, who these days is a father of nine. "At least I was the number one of my own village."

Meanwhile word of his skill was spreading.

-- 'I had to abandon buzkashi. Jihad was more important' --

At 18 he was conscripted into the army of the fragile Soviet-backed regime that was trying to crush the mujahedin or holy warriors who had risen up against the Soviet Union, which invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

At the same time, he was invited to join the various resistance fronts made up of millions of farmers, students, mullahs and illiterate villagers who had taken up arms against the "infidels."

Ahmad chose holy war.

"I had to join the jihad. My country, my religion and my dignity was at risk. I had to abandon buzkashi. Jihad was more important," he says.

His mission was to travel by horseback to neighbouring Pakistan to collect weapons that were supplied by the United States as part of its strategy to undermine Russia, its Cold War foe.

He spent days in the saddle, crossing the rugged mountain passes and deep valleys of northeastern Afghanistan that were frequently bombed by Soviet warplanes.

"When you're in a buzkashi field, you are chased by a rival team trying to prevent you from reaching the circle. But in a battlefield you are chased by Russian jets, trying to stop you from reaching your comrades waiting for weapons," he says.

One of his starkest memories was when his caravan was ambushed by Soviet soldiers at noon on a stormy day.

Several of his fellow mujahedin were killed. His life was saved when his white steed sprinted him away from the gunfight -- eventually galloping so far away that he became lost.

The parched Ahmad recalled some advice from his village elders and dropped the reins.

"If you're lost, just let the horse go -- he knows his way to populated areas. That worked for me," he says.

-- 'Even during jihad, the commander called for a game' --

In between bombardments and ambushes, Ahmad, then 25, still found time for the buzkashi field, such as when he and other passionate players, known as chapandaz, put on the first-ever display of the sport in Pakistan.

The match was broadcast on television across the country and sparked such interest that former military leader Zia ul-Haq summoned the players for a competition in the capital Islamabad, Ahmad says.

He proudly recalls the ex-president pinning a medal on his chest after his all-mujahedin team won the game.

As the war dragged on, eventually claiming hundreds of thousands of lives, Ahmad and his mates would periodically take a break from the front to ride for the carcass in refugee camps in Pakistan that were steadily filling up with millions of Afghans.

"Even during jihad, when the weather was cloudy that meant there would be no Russian planes. That was when the commander called for a game," says fellow player and mujahedin, Abdul Marouf, 37.

All the while the iron-fisted Ahmad was becoming tougher -- both on the battlefield and in the game.

Ahmad had started his collection of scars from whiplashes and striking hooves that now mark his face and body. Several of his fingers are gnarled after being snapped by the reins. He has seen four players trampled to death.

The mujahedin did not put down their arms after the Soviet Union withdrew in 1989, continuing their struggle against the Soviet-backed regime that remained. They eventually claimed victory in 1992 and battle-hardened warriors, Ahmad among them, entered Kabul to celebrate.

They were soon called to a buzkashi game to mark their success. The several-hour bout ended with a victory for Ahmad's team and him atop of the winners' podium.

-- 'Whatever I got is from buzkashi' --

But the post-war jubilation was shortlived. Another even more vicious power struggle erupted, this time between the various mujahedin leaders -- and this time fighting for power.

This four-year conflict, which struck at the heart of Afghanistan's deep ethnic rivalries, was to leave tens of thousands more dead and the capital in ruins.

Ahmad was not interested in the new hostilities: he quickly left Kabul and returned to his land in northern Kunduz and the game he loved.

As civil war raged in the capital, Ahmad's fame spread throughout buzkashi-loving circles. He came to the notice of one of Afghanistan's most powerful mujahedin warlords, Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, an ardent follower of the game and owner of dozens of buzkashi horses.

Under age-old northern Afghan traditions, the pride and honour accorded to victorious buzkashi players is shared in equal measure by the owner of the successful stable. Fahim was looking for a rider who could bring him glory.

He chose Ahmad and despatched a helicopter from Kabul to Kunduz with an offer of big money and other prizes to lure the player back to the capital.

Ahmad says he was reluctant but finally yielded.

He was in Kabul until just before it was captured in 1996 by the hardline Taliban Islamist movement.

Ahmad, Fahim and hundreds of others under the leadership of the late mujahedin leader Ahmad Shah Masoud fled north, joining the Northern Alliance's spirited challenge to the Taliban's brutal rule -- which was ended with the US-led attack in 2001.

Fahim served for two years as a defence minister in the new US-backed government and was deputy to new leader and current president, Hamid Karzai.

Ahmad returned to his beloved buzkashi, a sport often compared to the country's bloody past of power struggles involving foreign and domestic players.

The lull in the fighting, notwithstanding a Taliban-led insurgency, has allowed Ahmad to rise to the top of his sport and brought glory to Fahim, now a parliamentarian.

Fahim has in turn rewarded his star player with lucrative prizes.

For one game, Ahmad says, Fahim gave him a jeep worth 10,000 dollars. In another, he got a house in Kabul. And another time he took home enough cash to marry a second wife.

"Whatever I got is from buzkashi," he says with a smile, predicting he will be in the saddle for a while yet.

"At least another 10 years," he says, stabbing the air with his finger, "Mark my words."