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June 7, 2007 


Six held over Afghan radio murder
Thursday, 7 June 2007 BBC News
Six people have been arrested in Afghanistan in connection with the killing of a woman who owned a radio station, a top official has said.

The director of anti-terrorism operations said there was firm evidence linking them to the murder of Zakia Zaki at her home in Parvan province.

Abdul Manan Farahi said the suspects also came from Parvan province.

He said they were suspected of links to Hezb-e Islami, a guerrilla group headed by veteran warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Hezb-e Islami is fighting the Afghan government and foreign forces independently of the Taleban.

'Too sensitive'

Zakia Zaki's murder came just days after a woman newsreader was killed for reasons which were described as "family-related".

Mr Farahi declined to speculate on any motive for Ms Zaki's murder.

He said that he could not give further details because the matter was "too sensitive".

Zakia Zaki was shot seven times, including in the chest and head, as she slept with her two young sons in the early hours of Wednesday.

Although six people have been arrested, eyewitnesses say three gunmen broke into her house and killed her.

An older son, aged three, was with her at the time of the attack, but none of her six children was injured.

Zakia Zaki was 35 years old and worked as a reporter and a schoolteacher.

She was one of the few female journalists in the country to speak out during the Taleban's rule and also criticised the former mujahideen.

Zakia Zaki had headed the US-funded station, Radio Peace, since it opened after the fall of the Taleban in 2001.

She started her radio career eight years ago. At the time Parvan province was one of the few areas in the country to be controlled by anti-Taleban forces.

The Independent Association of Afghan Journalists condemned the murder, describing it as an example of how difficult the working environment had become for journalists and especially for women.

The killing came days after the shooting dead of another Afghan woman working in journalism, a 22-year-old newsreader from a private television station, Shakiba Sanga Amaj.
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Taliban Spokesman Says Hostages To Be Freed
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
June 7, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A purported Taliban spokesman says the body of a slain Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah was received by his family today, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported.

Shuhabuddin Athul, who claims to speak for the Taliban, said in telephone calls to Western news agencies that militants would release four kidnapped Afghan medical workers in exchange.

AFP quoted Athul earlier today as saying the hostages, three nurses and a driver, had already been released.

But neither the Afghan government nor NATO could confirm that claim.
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U.S. House Passes Afghan Aid Bill, With Conditions
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
June 7, 2007 -- The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill granting $6.4 billion in humanitarian, economic, and military assistance to Afghanistan.

But the bill would cut U.S. aid to local governments in Afghanistan with ties to drug dealers, criminals, or terrorists.

The White House says such conditions are unrealistic. The bill also requires reports to Congress on the alleged inflow of Iranian arms. The measure still needs to pass the Senate, where similar legislation is being discussed.
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Four Afghan detainees tortured, government believes
Ottawa Citizen Juliet O'Neill CanWest News Service Thursday, June 07, 2007
OTTAWA -- Four Afghan detainees who were captured by Canadian Forces and transferred to prisons in Afghanistan have claimed to Canadian authorities that they were tortured while in detention, senior cabinet ministers told MPs Wednesday.

While citing this as evidence of the effectiveness of Canada's prisoner-monitoring procedures, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day also cautioned that Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists are trained to claim they have been tortured.

No physical evidence of torture was visible in any of the cases but all are being investigated by Afghan authorities, who will inform Canadian officials of the results, Day said. The ministers' information was based on five visits by Canadian authorities to detention facilities in Afghanistan.

The comments were made at an unusual joint meeting of the Commons committees on foreign affairs and international trade and national defence. Testimony was provided by the two ministers, along with Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor and two junior ministers.

"While these allegations are serious, it is true that the enhanced arrangement is working, that we are following up on our commitment," MacKay told reporters. "And that includes following up on these specific allegations with the Afghan authorities. In due time, we have to give them the opportunity to look into them and find out what exactly (occurred) and whether there is a basis for these allegations."

MacKay added that Canadians are not involved in any alleged abuse.

The handling of detainees was a hot partisan issue that dominated Parliament in late April. At the time, an embattled O'Connor surprised MacKay by announcing at a committee hearing that Canada had struck a new deal to monitor Afghan detainees.

With several ministers testifying together Wednesday, Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre scoffed at their effort as "Operation Save Gordon."

The two-hour hearing was marked by bickering over the cabinet ministers' repeated accusations that opposition MPs are maligning Canadian troops by raising questions about the treatment of prisoners. Opposition MPs also expressed frustration that, even with five ministers testifying, they did not get clear answers to some key questions.

For example, Liberals were unsuccessful in pressing O'Connor to reveal the number of detainees who were captured by Canadians. To bolster their arguments, they cited a U.S. list of the names, birth dates and home countries of the hundreds of prisoners, mostly from Afghanistan, imprisoned at a U.S. military base in Cuba.

"There is no war going on there," O'Connor countered. By contrast, he said, revealing information about detainees in war-torn Afghanistan could threaten Canada's military operations overseas.

"This is a military decision, not a political one," he said.

New Democratic MP Dawn Black was dissatisfied with answers to her questions about whether Canadian authorities are aware of the whereabouts of everyone they have captured. "You cannot get a straight answer from these ministers," she said afterwards.

MacKay said Afghans are helping, to the best of their ability, to inform Canadians on the whereabouts of detainees. Day said it is not easy to track individuals, especially those who are expert at avoiding detection.

Opposition MPs were clearly exasperated that their questions about the treatment of military prisoners were interpreted as attacks on Canada's armed forces.

"It demeans everybody," said Liberal MP Joe McGuire.
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Afghanistan ill-prepared as Iran deports thousands
By Jason Motlagh THE WASHINGTON TIMES  June 7, 2007
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Nearly 100,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled from Iran over the past month and the total could reach 1 million by next spring, according to Tehran officials who say they are trying to protect the jobs of Iranians.

The mass repatriation is straining the resources of the Afghan government and international aid agencies operating in the region. There are reports that some of those deported have suffered inhumane treatment, including physical abuse, loss of belongings and separation from their families.

In the western Afghan provinces of Farah and Nimroz, aid agencies have set up tent communities and food-distribution points to accommodate the returnees.

Afghan and foreign aid officials have called on Tehran to carry out the deportations in a "humane and orderly" manner to allow them to better handle the more than 90,000 undocumented Afghans who have returned since April 21.

"UNHCR recognizes the Iranian government's right to tackle illegal migration on its soil, but we have strongly appealed to the authorities to do so in a humane manner, treating deportees with dignity and giving them time to pack and make arrangements for their families," said Salvatore Lombardo, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Afghanistan.

Since the 1979 Soviet invasion, more than 5 million Afghans have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

There are 920,000 registered Afghan refugees in Iran, according to UNHCR, which estimates there are up to 1 million more living there illegally. Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi said Tehran wants 1 million Afghans to be repatriated by March.

Iran's eastern border city of Zabul has been almost emptied of its once-large Afghan population, while a senior security official in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province was quoted by the IRNA news agency as saying the area is now off-limits to foreigners, including both legal and illegal Afghan refugees.

The director-general for the employment of foreign nationals also told IRNA that Iranians who employ undocumented Afghans will face court cases.

The government of Pakistan, meanwhile, approved a plan to repatriate an estimated 3 million Afghan refugees and close all refugee camps by 2009, unidentified officials told the Pakistani daily Dawn.

Pakistan, which contends that refugee camps are fertile recruiting grounds for Taliban insurgents, plans this year to close four camps that hold hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Iran, for its part, maintains that the illegal migrants on its territory were given ample warning and that the deportations have been gradual. The government says it is now targeting Afghans who work illegally for low wages on the grounds that they undercut Iranian workers.

But many analysts think the move is politically motivated and should be seen in the context of Tehran's confrontation with the West. Afghanistan is a close U.S. ally that relies heavily on U.S. and NATO troops for security.

The massive influx of deportees catches the Afghan government ill-prepared, prompting President Hamid Karzai and aid officials to call for a surge of international support.

"Local community and government authorities are responding, but their resources are very limited. Many of these people are returning with nothing. We need to mobilize international resources as soon as possible to avert a humanitarian crisis," said Fernando Arocena, chief of mission for the International Organization for Migration.

Mr. Arocena took part in a recent U.N. visit to the main border-crossing points and reported being alarmed at the number of families arriving without any belongings.

"We lost everything, and my husband has no job to come back to," said Marzia Mohammadi, a young mother of baby twins who crossed the border and traveled to Kabul with help from the IOM.

The Afghan government has not submitted a formal complaint to Iran about the maltreatment of Afghan deportees. However, 130 cases of physical violence by Iranian security forces against Afghan citizens were documented by deportees in Nimroz province, according to provincial officials.

The Karzai government has drawn public anger over its handling of the problem.

Earlier this month, the Afghan parliament passed a vote of no confidence in Foreign Minister Rangin Spanta for not doing enough to persuade Tehran to modify its forced-deportation policy.

Lawmakers here insist the vote must be respected, but Mr. Karzai said Mr. Spanta will remain in office pending a "clarification" from the Supreme Court on whether he can be dismissed by a vote on a matter not directly related to his post.
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Business Leaders Agree On Road Map To Help Afghan Private Sector
PUTRAJAYA, June 7 (Bernama) -- Afghan government officials, private sector figures, civil society leaders and donor community representatives have agreed on a series of measures designed to create a favourable climate for Afghanistan's struggling private sector.

In a series of discussions during a two-day meeting in Kabul earlier this week, dubbed the "Enabling Environment Conference", the participants praised Afghanistan's efforts in drafting business-friendly laws.

But many warned that the effort to turn the country's private sector into a sustainable engine of growth and development could fail unless the laws are speedily and fairly applied.

They also wanted a better coordination of international development assistance to Afghanistan.

In a statement adopted at the end of the conference, the participants recommended a series of measures which include creation and enforcement of a private sector-friendly legal climate and reduction of bureaucratic red tape.

The statement called for government decisions to be implemented predictably, consistently, competently and impartially. It also provided a timeframe for implementation of these measures.

More than 300 people attended the conference, jointly organised by the office of Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, and His Highness Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network which had promoted numerous development projects throughout Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also delivered his keynote address via live video conferencing from here to participants at the opening of the conference in Kabul on Monday.

Abdullah stressed Malaysia's willingness to share its experience to assist in the transformation of Afghanistan as the war-torn nation strove to create an enabling environment for effective private sector contribution to its development process.

He said Afghanistan could draw lessons from the Malaysian experience and decide what would be best for it.

The conference was sponsored by the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the Asian Development Bank.

The conference's closing statement said the pervasive and negative influence of the opium economy and weaknesses in government institutions contributed to the hardships of the people and inhibited progress towards the country's social, economic and cultural environment.

Several senior Afghan government officials told the conference that they were aware of the many problems and the need to remedy them without further delay, noting that Afghanistan was only just emerging from decades of conflict and years of mismanagement of the economy by previous governments.

In his closing remarks, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz called for wealthy western nations to open their markets to Afghan goods.

He also proposed the establishment of what he called "reconstruction opportunity zones" in extremely poor areas that straddled the volatile border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Putting Afghanistan on cricket's map
By Sam Lyon BBC News / Thursday, 7 June 2007
Hamid Hassan will become the first Afghanistani cricketer to turn out for the MCC at Lord's on Thursday - and the 20-year-old admits he cannot wait.

As a young but fast-improving cricket nation, Afghanistan are striving to put their massive domestic problems to one side and become a force among the elite.

And Hassan's selection against a Europe XI at the home of cricket is another step forward for a country that hopes to qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

"I am hugely proud and very excited," Hassan told BBC Sport. "It is absolutely a dream come true.

"To walk out at such a prestigious ground alongside such fantastic cricketers is an honour."

Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns and ex-England batsman John Stephenson are among those who will be playing alongside Hassan.

And, with the ringing endorsement of Mike Gatting - who says Hassan has "huge potential" - behind him, the youngster is keen to make an impression.

"I want to show that, regardless of your origins or obstacles that may face you, you can be a success if you put your mind to it.

"I know where I was 12 months ago and I know how lucky I have been to have had advice and guidance from so many brilliant people.

"Now I want to show what I can do. I hope to develop my game, maybe with a second XI county side in the future, and repay the faith shown in me by some brilliant people."

So could his journey end with an appearance at the 2011 World Cup?

"That would be amazing, and Afghan cricket is really on the up," says Hassan.

"There is a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes and the aim is to put ourselves up there alongside Associate teams like Ireland and Bermuda.

"That is the dream and that is what we're working towards."
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US House offers billions to Afghanistan
AFP June 7, 2007
WASHINGTON --  The US House of Representatives Wednesday overwhelming passed a bill granting $6.4 billion in development, economic, and security aid to Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act, passed by 406 votes to 10, also calls for the appointment of a US government coordinator to work to counter the country's burgeoning narcotics trade.

The bill provides $6.4 billion for fiscal years 2008 through 2010. Just over $2 billion of that will be available in 2008.

"The US will not let Afghanistan fail," said Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee.

"The world is watching us to see whether we have the resolve to fight the terrorist forces threatening Afghanistan, and help maintain that country's security and stability."

Under the legislation, President George W. Bush will be required to set out an expanded counter-narcotics and security strategy for Afghanistan, and report back to Congress on progress in a wide range of areas.

In a bid to crack down on Afghanistan's drugs trade, the bill also threatens to cut off US aid to local or provincial governments if officials are found to be involved in the narcotics trade or terrorism.

The bill also calls for the appointment of an anti-drugs coordinator for Afghanistan to work across all US government departments and agencies.

"It is the drug trade that allows our enemies in Afghanistan to purchase the weapons with which they kill our soldiers and corrupt the Afghan government, said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the Foreign Affairs committee.

"The danger we face in Afghanistan is inseparably linked to the security of the American people. It was in Afghanistan that the attacks on our country on 9/11 were planned and directed."

It was unclear exactly when the bill would make it to President George W. Bush's desk, as the Senate has yet to take up its version of the bill, and is currently working through a packed legislative schedule.
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House OKs limits on Afghanistan aid
Thursday, June 7, 2007 By ANNE FLAHERTY Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The House passed $6.4 billion legislation Wednesday that would cut off U.S. aid to local governments in Afghanistan with ties to drug dealers, criminals or terrorists, a standard the White House says is unrealistic.

The legislation was pushed heavily by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who said not enough was being done to curb Afghanistan's growing opium market. Its passage marked increasing tension between the Bush administration, which says it has sole province on foreign policy matters, and lawmakers who say Congress must have a role in overseeing assistance programs.

"The time has come for a clear and comprehensive and truly wide-reaching counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan," said Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The White House countered that the bill would tie the president's hands in responding to a complex situation.

"Besides setting an unrealistically high bar, which in fact could encourage the Taliban to promote corruption among local officials, the provision creates a serious barrier to assisting those areas with significant needs," according to an administration statement.

The bill, passed by a 406-10 vote, would authorize $2.1 billion in humanitarian, economic and military assistance programs for budget year 2008, which begins Oct. 1. The remaining $4 billion would be spent through 2010.

Before the final vote, the House adopted 419-1 an amendment that would allow the secretary of state to reward Afghan or Pakistani officials for information leading to the capture of high-profile terrorists operating inside Afghanistan.

A Senate companion bill is still under discussion.

The dispute over Afghanistan assistance comes as opium poppy cultivation is on the rise and as the Bush administration struggles to make strides in Iraq. According to a House report on the bill, poppy cultivation grew by 59 percent during the 2005-06 growing season, producing more than 6,000 metric tons of opium.

"The Taliban is back, posing not only an insidious threat to the people of Afghanistan, but to America as well," said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, nominated by President Bush to manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he agrees that a "long-term, comprehensive approach" against the drug-trade in Afghanistan is necessary.

The bill is H.R. 2446. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, voted for it.
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Pakistan investigates snooker player who represented Afghanistan
June 6, 2007
KARACHI (Reuters) - A Pakistani high court has ordered an inquiry into the nationality of snooker player Saleh Mohammad, who has played for Pakistan for the past 12 years but who represented Afghanistan at the last Asian Games.

Saleh, born to Afghan parents in Pakistan, said he had made a mistake by playing for Afghanistan in Doha in December.

"I didn't know it would affect my life so badly. But I just couldn't refuse a request from the Afghan Olympic Council while I was visiting that country," said Saleh, due to represent Pakistan at the Asian championship in Karachi from Monday.

Prosecuting lawyer Kazi Hameed said the court had asked authorities to submit a report on Saleh's nationality, adding that because he had played for Afghanistan he could no longer represent Pakistan.

"The laws of the Olympic Council of Asia are clear -- a sportsman can't have dual nationality and play for two countries," Hameed said.
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Kabul restaurant stays sealed amid tax row
Daud Khan
KABUL, June 7 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The government has sealed a leading Kabul restaurant, owned by a foreigner, following a tax notice from the Ministry of Finance.

Marc Victor, proprietor of the L'Atmosphere Restaurant in the Qala-i-Fathullah locality of this capital city, said his business was sealed by officials accompanied by policemen Saturday last.

The action was followed by a notice from the Revenue Department of the Finance Ministry on April 9, 2007.

To register his protest against the government's tax notice, which the owner considers uncalled for, Marc Victor had also gone on a token hunger strike, which he said was ended after assurances from officials.

In an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Victor claimed the ministry had sent him a notice to pay $500,000 in tax, failing which his business would be closed.

"To reach a level of activity that would trigger such an amount of tax, we would have to control more than 80 per cent of the total food service industry business in Kabul over the past three years," said the apparently gloomy manager of the French restaurant.

Contacted for comments, officials at the Finance Ministry confirmed they had closed the property 'for non-payment' of tax; however, they shied away from giving the exact figures claimed in tax supposedly payable by the restaurant owner.

Instead, revenue department officials handed this correspondent a letter mentioning the procedure for tax payment and penalties for non-payment as well as some instances of action taken against local and as foreign entrepreneurs in the past for similar reasons.

The official letter reads that conceding (sharing) any information with media was in disparity with Article 96 of the tax law. However, the department concerned may provide information if the matter is challenged in a court of law.

The letter further says the revenue department has no jurisdiction to close down an entity forever; however, it may seal it till the owner of that entity pays the due amount claimed by the ministry.

It also referred to the closure of two such offices for non-payment of taxes in the previous year and arrest of owners of six more offices on similar grounds.

But the L'Atmosphere owner said he would fight on and challenge the ministry's notice in court on the plea that he had paid all taxes to the ministry since the launch of his business in this investment-shy country.
On a visit to the restaurant, Pajhwok's team found two notices pasted on the wooden door. "This property has been closed by the Ministry of Finance pursuant to Article 100 of the Income Tax Law," reads one of the notices.

Another notice, warning customers against entering the property, tempering or removing anything located there, says: "No business shall be considered at this site until L'Atmosphere Restaurant satisfies its tax obligation and the business closure is lifted by order of the Ministry of Finance."

Standing in front of the restaurant were some 10 boys aged between 20 and 25, who said they were employees getting $130-$500 a month. Among them was a younger boy, named Anayatullah, resident of Kabul.

Speaking to Pajhwok, the boy said he was working as apprentice (trainee waiter) at the restaurant. Apparently satisfied with his job, he said he was getting 3,000 afghanis a month for eight-hour duty besides getting training as bearer.

Earlier, during a chat with Pajhwok, the journalist-turned-restaurateur Marc Victor said they were training 15 Afghan boys, aging between 15 and 18 years, as part of their unique training programme each year.

Victor said he had also written a letter to Finance Minister Anwarul Haq Ahady about the tax row on April 25, but there has been no response so far.

In his letter, copy of which was provided to this correspondent, the owner requested the minister to suspend the figures collected by officials of the revenue department as, according to him, those were 'totally inadequate'.

He also referred to the vast gap between the number of attendants during dinner and lunch hour at the restaurant noted by the ministry's assessment team and the exact figures.

The number hardly reaches 40 to 50 during dinner hour and 15-20 during lunch at the busiest days, but the ministry officials put the number between 100 and 150, says the owner.
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Canada shifts to guerrilla war with Taliban
National Post  Thursday, June 07, 2007
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian Forces have been jolted in recent months by a dramatic shift in the Afghanistan conflict that has seen the Taliban melt into the civilian population and spread over a much wider area, a top officer said yesterday.

It has required a rapid "sea change" in tactics that used to be unheard of in the Forces, said Colonel Mike Cessford, second in command of the Canadian mission here.

Last year, troops fought largely in a 20-square-kilometre area west of Kandahar city, although Canada has responsibility for all Kandahar province. The combat was a conventional clash with large numbers of insurgents.

Now, Taliban fighters have dispersed among civilians and into a "multiplicity" of different districts, he said in a frank assessment of the operation.

The "battle space," as the military calls it, has broadened strikingly.

"This mission is evolving dynamically and dramatically," Col. Cessford said.

"We trained hard for a mission that we did not execute ? Here, you change on a dime, and you have to change on a dime."

Nevertheless, he is convinced NATO forces in southern Afghanistan have taken the initiative from the Taliban, attacking them before they could launch an expected spring offensive.

The security situation is improving for ordinary Afghans and more reconstruction is being carried out, he said.

The transformation of the conflict into a guerrilla war where combatants are often one with the civilians, however, has meant a major curb on Canadian firepower, even after several tanks were flown to their aid.

Soldiers are employing a "fraction" of the artillery and air strikes, and erring on the side of caution if they are not absolutely sure a potential target is a Taliban fighter.

Meanwhile, they are relying more on intelligence.

A few months ago, snipers at a forward operating base asked the commanding officer for permission to shoot an Afghan man digging a hole in the road, arguing he was likely an insurgent planting an improvised explosive device, Col. Cessford said.

The CO "couldn't bring himself " to give the go-ahead, and the suspected bomber walked away unscathed. It turned out he was a farmer draining water off the road.

"I would probably say there have been 90 or 100 similar incidents."

Last year, Canadian forces were concentrated in Panjwai district, west of Kandahar, where they fought several pitched battles with large groups of Taliban and lost several soldiers.

Training in Canada for the next rotation of soldiers was based on that experience, said Col. Cessford.

But when they arrived in Afghanistan, the troops found the war had changed.

While much of the Canadian fighting lately has been in Zhari district, Canadian troops remain in Panjwai, Maiwand, Arghandab and Spin Boldak.

Canadians are making a push up into Shawali Kot, north of Kandahar city, for the first time in months to respond to an enemy "resurgence" there, said the colonel.

He also predicted Canadians will have an enduring presence in Afghanistan after the military force has left.

Asked if troops could be here for a decade, Col. Cessford, who has a PhD in history, pointed to the length of time Canada has had forces in former hot spots like Cyprus, where Canadian troops were deployed in significant numbers for almost three decades.
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Canadian Forces "caught by surprise" in Afghan war
Tom Blackwell CanWest News Service Thursday, June 07, 2007
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Canadian Forces have been jolted in recent months by a dramatic shift in the Afghanistan conflict that has seen the Taliban melt into the civilian population and spread over a much wider area, a top officer said Wednesday.

It has required a rapid "sea change" in tactics that used to be unheard of in the Forces, said Col. Mike Cessford, second in command of the Canadian mission here.

Last year, troops fought largely in a 20-square-kilometre area west of Kandahar city, although Canada has responsibility for all of Kandahar province. The bloody combat was a conventional clash with large numbers of insurgents.

Now, the Taliban have dispersed among the province's civilians and into a "multiplicity" of different districts, Cessford said in a frank assessment of the operation.

The "battle space," as the military calls it, has broadened strikingly, he said.

"This mission is evolving dynamically and dramatically," the commander told Canadian journalists. "We trained hard for a mission that we did not execute ... Here, you change on a dime, and you have to change on a dime."

Nevertheless, Cessford said he is convinced NATO forces in southern Afghanistan have taken the initiative from the Taliban, attacking them before they could launch an expected spring offensive.
The security situation is improving for ordinary Afghans and more reconstruction is being carried out, he said.

The transformation of the conflict into a guerrilla war where combatants are often one with the civilians, however, has meant a major curb on Canadian firepower, even after several tanks were flown to their aid.

Soldiers are employing a "fraction" of the artillery and air strikes, and erring on the side of caution if they are not absolutely sure a potential target is a Taliban militant, said Cessford. Meanwhile, they are relying more on intelligence.

A few months ago, snipers at a forward-operating base asked the commanding officer for permission to shoot an Afghan man digging a hole in the road, arguing he was likely an insurgent planting an improvised explosive device, Cessford said.

The CO "couldn't bring himself" to give the go-ahead, and the suspected bomber walked away unscathed. It turned out, though, he was a farmer draining water off the road.

"I would probably say there have been 90 or a 100 similar incidents."

Canadian forces last year were concentrated in Panjwai district to the west of Kandahar, where they fought several pitched battles with large groups of Taliban, and lost several soldiers.

Training in Canada for the next rotation of soldiers was based on that experience, said Cessford.

But when they hit the ground in Afghanistan, the troops found the war had changed.

While much of the Canadian fighting lately has been in Zhari district, there are also Canadian troops still in Panjwai, as well as Maiwand, Arghandab and Spin Boldak, he said.

Canadians are making a push up into Shawali Kot, north of Kandahar city, for the first time in months to respond to an enemy "resurgence" there, said the colonel.

He also predicted Canadians will have an enduring presence in Afghanistan after the military force has left. Asked if troops themselves could be here for a decade, Cessford, who has a PhD in history, pointed to the length of time Canada has had forces in former hot spots like Cyprus, where Canadian troops were on the ground in significant numbers for almost three decades.
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Copters won't be available before end of Afghan mission
DANIEL LEBLANC From Thursday's Globe and Mail June 7, 2007 at 4:03 AM EDT
OTTAWA — Canada's new transport helicopters will not be battle ready until well into 2011, more than two years after the country's military mission in Afghanistan is scheduled to end and five years after the purchase was announced.

Federal government and industry officials said the contract for the 16 Chinook helicopters has been delayed and the installation of anti-missile and other defensive equipment will further put back their delivery.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor announced plans to acquire the helicopters last June as part of a major series of military purchases. In a speech in Edmonton at the time, Mr. O'Connor gave the sense the Boeing-built helicopters would be used in Afghanistan, where dozens of soldiers have died after driving over explosive devices.

"Overseas, the helicopters will reduce our reliance on allies and protect our troops on dangerous missions. They will reduce cases in which our men and women in uniform must drive overland, exposing themselves to the risk of ambush, land mines and improvised bombs," Mr. O'Connor said of the helicopters capable of carrying a 30-troop platoon in full combat gear.

But federal officials said the contract for the new medium- and heavy-lift helicopters -- worth $4.7-billion over 20 years -- has been delayed because of the complicated negotiations for the add-ons and is not expected to be signed until early next year.

The deal calls for the first Chinook to be delivered in early 2011, but officials said the aircraft will not be combat ready and will need upgrades before going overseas.

Chinook helicopters are big, noisy and vulnerable. Last week, a U.S. Chinook carrying seven NATO soldiers, including Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede, a Canadian soldier based at CFB Gagetown, N.B., was shot down by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

Chinooks usually fly alongside attack helicopters, which provide protection, but the Canadian Forces do not have these escort aircraft. As a result, Ottawa is negotiating with Boeing to add further defensive aids such as radar and infrared sensors on their Chinooks and extra gas tanks to carry the extra weight, which will take up to 12 months to install, sources said.

A defence official said the helicopters are not specifically geared toward the current military mission in Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan did not motivate this purchase," the official said. "A medium- to heavy-lift helicopter capability will allow the Canadian Forces to reach remote locations in a wider range of geographic areas and challenging environments inaccessible by ground-based transport or fixed-wing aircraft, both at home and around the world."

The Chinooks were one of five major acquisitions announced one year ago by the Conservative government. Overall, federal officials said the planned procurement of $17-billion in military equipment is running smoothly, given the size and the complexity of the package.
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Afghanistan is the new Africa
Don Martin, National Post Thursday, June 07, 2007
Canada's shift in funding reflects our AIDS apathy
She lives the tragedy of being an African aid failure -- and perhaps reflects Canada's AIDS apathy as well.

Juliet Awuor lost her virginity and went HIV-positive the same night in a Kenyan slum.

Her infected boyfriend wooed Juliet using the lame line that he'd forever be her Romeo. The 17-year-old, who had only been exposed to abstinence-only promotions, didn't know how to use a condom -- and the boyfriend wasn't inclined to deliver a quickie bedroom education.
Six months later, her Romeo gone, naive Juliet was diagnosed HIV-positive.

Now she's 23 and on a mission to spread the educational emphasis beyond an international no-sex message to a more practical safe-sex emphasis.

"If I'd known how to protect myself, I would've made a much better choice," she told me. "Abstinence is good and should be encouraged, but if they want to have real success they should try to show us how to protect ourselves."

Weakened but stable and helped by drugs partially funded through Canadian aid programs, Juliet works the slums to promote condom use among teenagers who, kids being kids, look at abstinence as a lousy second choice to the joys of getting it on.

But Canada's apathy was on display when she visited Ottawa last week to preview a nine-minute Population Action International documentary on her story.

All 308 MPs and 100 senators were invited to see how Canada could help fight AIDS ignorance in plague-infected Africa. Only one MP, Alexa McDonough, showed up.

This is not to tsk-tsk at no-show MPs, but the long route to reflecting how far the Africa agenda has fallen from view on Parliament Hill as Prime Minister Stephen Harper hits the G8 summit in Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has been making noise for months that the chair's primary focus will be on boosting support for Africa's development and funding to combat AIDS, not climate change.

There's a lot of deja vu in this priority push. Five years ago on the eve of the G8 summit in Alberta's Kananaskis, aid for Africa was all the rage on the federal scene.

OTTAWA -Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien was heading for retirement and promoting the New Partnership for African Development (unfortunately acronymed NEPAD) as his legacy initiative.

That $500-million Chretien commitment would unspool to match progress on justice, health and human rights. But it has all but disappeared from view, except for glossy annual reports which talk in bureaucratic babble about permanently pending improvement.

Prime minister Paul Martin picked up the Chretien chant, promising to double African aid to $2-billion by 2008 while facing the wrath of U2 front man Bono for failing to deliver foreign aid spending equalling 0.7% of gross domestic product, an elusive target first devised in the 1960s.

Now it's Prime Minister Harper's turn to be vilified by the usual star suspects -- rocker Bob Geldof and perennial nag Bono -- as Canada's pledge to help Africa languishes despite huge budget surpluses.

There's a bit of fun with figures going on in Ottawa, which makes it hard to decipher if the attack on Canada's waffling commitment is valid.

Canadians doubt success of Afghanistan mission: poll

Jack Aubry, The Ottawa Citizen Published: Thursday, June 07, 2007

Whether they are for or against Canada's military mission in Afghan-istan, Canadians are highly skeptical about its chances for success, a new poll shows.

"Canadians believe the mission in Afghanistan enhances our reputation in the world, but also believe it is a difficult and complex mission, and (they) are highly doubtful about the chances for success," said Nik Nanos, president of SES Research.

In a national survey conducted for Policy Options magazine, the company found that only about one in four Canadians believe that either the military mission or the efforts to promote the rule of law and human rights in the troubled Asian country have a strong probability of success. The sentiments were shared across the board, regardless of whether respondents felt Canada should be in Afghanistan at all.

"What I found interesting is that even among committed Conservative supporters, or the group that supports the mission the most, only 26 per cent think there is a high chance of success," Mr. Nanos said.

The poll found that close to half of Canadians believe the mission is enhancing Canada's reputation on the world stage, while one-quarter either believe it has had no impact or is diminishing the country's reputation.

In general, however, the humanitarian aspects of the mission enjoyed more support than the security efforts, with 38 per cent of respondents saying efforts to promote the rule of law and human rights were the most important reason for Canadian engagement in Afghanistan. About one-third felt rebuilding security and stability were the most compelling justifications, while one in five favoured initiatives that support economic and social development.

"This may well have to do with Canadians' enduring self-perception of our country as a nation of peacekeepers, even though we are not really in that business anymore," Mr. Nanos said.

The poll was conducted April 26 to May 1, after six Canadian soldiers died when a roadside bomb blew up their vehicle in the dangerous Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan. The results carry a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Mr. Nanos said the poll should inform the government as it reflects on the criteria for gauging the mission's success.
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Tank: A town tormented by fear
By Syed Shoaib Hasan BBC News, Tank Wednesday, 6 June 2007
A bold sign painted on a wall establishes the heritage of the north-western Pakistani town of Tank.

"Welcome to Tank: Gateway to South Waziristan and home to Frontier Constabulary."

The Frontier Constabulary (FC) was started by the British Raj in this part of undivided India.

The FC's job was to keep marauding tribesmen from Waziristan and other adjoining tribal areas at bay.

Recently, that past has reappeared to haunt this border town of just under a quarter of a million people.

Sense of uneasiness

A new group of tribesmen, pro-Taleban militants, now descend on the town on a regular basis.

To start with, their visits were non-violent - but as many testify - they are now full of silent menace.

That has been apparent since 26 March when security forces tried to stop forays by the militants.

That led to several violent clashes in which dozens have been killed.

Following those clashes, the Taleban are increasingly open in their activities.

The security forces appear to have backed down and keep a low profile. They seem unable to stop the militants.

Locals say the military is unwilling to take action because of fears over further casualties and President Musharraf's reluctance to upset the militants.

There is palpable sense of uneasiness as we enter Tank. Police and FC personnel appear wide-eyed and uncertain.

The town seems to be bustling with activity, but the mood is anything but jovial.

Three days earlier, the Taleban stormed the home of the head of the local civilian administration, killing 13 of his family members.

The attack was carried out in spite of government assurances that the situation was under control.

Our first meeting illustrates an obvious home truth about the people of Tank - everybody knows what is happening and is afraid to talk about it.

'Collaboration'

"Even the walls have ears over here," says a school teacher from behind the safety of his front door.

Inside, he explains how the principal of a local school was kidnapped by the Taleban for allegedly providing information to the authorities.

"They let him go after being convinced he was not involved," he says.

"But there are quite a few others who have been beheaded for alleged collaboration."

Like many others, he is adamant that the government intentionally does not want to tackle the militants.

"It is the government's responsibility to protect us," says an angry local restaurant owner.

"They always disappear when we need them most."

But not all the locals are so resolutely against the Taleban.

"We are with them... all they are doing is for the sake of Islam," says one man.

But it has to be said that such views are not held by the majority of the population.

"We have always been Muslims... we don't need anyone to tell us how to practise our faith," said an irate resident.

Yet despite the anger, he and the general populace appear helpless to stop the militants' assault.

"The government knows what is happening... why don't they stop it?" asks one man.

Deathly afraid

Tank's residents are not the only ones affected by the upsurge in Taleban activity.

A Sufi shrine which hosts an annual fair and devotional prayers has also been hard-hit.

"Pir Shabbir Shah's urs [devotional prayers] used to attract thousands of people," says the shrine keeper.

"We would have a fair with music, and wrestling and other sports."

But that has all changed.

When we visited the shrine, close to the city centre, only a few dozen people were present.

"They are all afraid because the Taleban don't like to see people enjoying themselves," a devotee said, before being told to keep quiet by his friends.

This is the core of the problem and shows the level of intimidation that people face. Although most complain about the government, nearly all are deathly afraid of saying a bad word about the militants.

"It's representative of what's happening all over the tribal areas," says Mohammad Idrees Khan, deputy chief of police in Tank.

Mr Khan says that things have improved since the March incident and that the police are now better armed and equipped.

"We also have the support of the FC and can deal with any untoward incident," he said.

But his nervous demeanour as he escorts us to our vehicle betrays itself when we ask him how long it has been since he last had a holiday.

"A while... things are not so good, as you know," he brusquely replied.

A local political leader lends perspective on what is happening.

"The government knows what is going on... they are part of the problem themselves," he said.

He asked how militants can move around without the security forces knowing anything about it.

"If the government fails to enforce its writ, the inevitable outcome is that the state will begin to fall apart," he said.
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AFGHANISTAN: RETURNING REFUGEES RECEIVE MINE RISK EDUCATION
New York, 7 June (AKI) - Afghans who have returned from Iran over the past few weeks are receiving life-saving education to reduce the risk of injury from mines and unexploded ordnance, thanks to the efforts of the United Nations Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA). "Mine risk education is crucial for these newly returned Afghans," UN spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters in Kabul Wednesday, noting that all but two of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are still contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance, and that an average of two Afghans fall victim to these devices every day.

Mine risk education teams from the Afghan Red Crescent Society and other groups are being deployed to run sessions for returnees at the Zaranj and Islam Qala border points and also in Farah province. Mine risk education posters will also be placed in prominent sites in these areas.

UNMACA will broadcast frequent messages in Farah through local radio networks to target returnees and raise their awareness of mines and unexploded ordnance.

The mine risk education programme is also working with the BBC and Afghan Education Projects to incorporate mine risk education into the programme New Home New Life, which is broadcast several times a week on the BBC World Service in both Pashto and Dari.
The Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA), an umbrella organization comprised of partners that are coordinated by UNMACA, has cleared more than 1 billion square meters throughout Afghanistan since 1989 – destroying more than 323,000 anti-personnel mines, over 18,500 anti-tank mines and almost seven million pieces of unexploded ordnance.
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What others are saying
The Gazette (Montreal) Originally published June 7, 2007
What should be done with Omar Khadr? Twenty years old, Khadr has been held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba since 2002 for a crime he is alleged to have committed when he was 15, an age at which under international law he is considered to have been a child soldier.

On Monday, two U.S. military commissions in separate decisions dismissed charges against Mr. Khadr and a second prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay, on the ground that the process the Bush administration set up does not comply with the new U.S. Military Commissions Act, passed by Congress last fall to correct the failings of a previous law.

Even before Monday's trial, the U.S. said it was unlikely it would release Mr. Khadr, or any other detainee. Waiting while the U.S. sorts out its military tribunal rules could prove time-consuming. The appeal process, to which prosecutors vowed on Monday to apply, does not yet exist.

The United States has had five years to set up a judicial process that would meet minimal tests of common sense, not to say international standards. Its failure to find a solution is lamentable. The one positive sign is that U.S. courts, including the much-maligned military tribunals, have twice rejected processes as unconstitutional or illegal.

So, the question remains what should be done with Omar Khadr, one of four sons of a notorious al-Qaida fighter, Ahmed Said Khadr, who was killed in a battle with the Pakistan army in 2003.

The best option would be to send him home to Canada. As a Canadian citizen, he has human rights that his country has failed to defend adequately. He has yet to be tried in a recognized court of law, a gap Canada could fill. We could use a security certificate to keep tabs on the young man once he is transferred from Guantanamo Bay.

A second, less attractive option would be to request that the United States send him to the site of the alleged crime, Afghanistan. But Afghanistan's reputation for justice is not on a par with ours. On balance, the best place for him is here, whatever Canadians might feel about his family and their views.
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Some Pakistanis aiding Afghan suicide attacks: Kasuri
Nahid Bashar Dost 
ISLAMABAD, June 5 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri Tuesday made a clean confession that some Pakistani elements had links to suicide attacks in Afghanistan.

At a meeting with a delegation of Afghan women journalists in Islamabad, the outspoken foreign minister said: There are some people in our country aiding suicide attacks in Afghanistan.

Such elements should be prevented, the eloquent minister agreed without explaining how they could be stopped in their tracks, or who the miscreants were.

Kasuris remarks came a month after Afghan intelligence officials claim of arresting an ISI official with explosives in Afghanistan.

Pakistan had floated several proposals including mining and fencing the border to curb cross-border movement of militants, he recalled, but the Afghan government rejected the suggestions out of hand.

Had Kabul included women delegates in a grand peace jirga, slated to meet in the first week of August, Islamabad would have followed suit, Kasuri told the visiting journalists.

In Islamabad at the invitation of the Pakistan government, the delegation also visited the Islamabad Policy Research Institute and met Federal Minister for Information Muhammad Ali Durrani.
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Does the West need Musharraf?
By Ahmed Rashid BBC News / Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Ahmed Rashid, guest journalist and writer on Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia, reflects on the West's relationship with Gen Musharraf.

As the international community, particularly the US and Britain continue to make statements in favour of beleaguered Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the issue of how relevant he still is for the West's agenda in the region becomes critical.

Protests against Gen Musharraf multiply and he appears to be losing control in several areas of the country and facing dwindling public support.

Since 11 September, 2001, he has always appeared as the 'can-do' authoritarian general who can deliver on the demands placed by the Western alliance.

He has delivered hundreds of al-Qaeda prisoners to the US, positioned 80,000 troops on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to stop Taleban incursions and made peace with India.

However he has also failed to deliver on many counts, for example, by allowing the Taleban leadership to resettle in the city of Quetta and by carrying out controversial peace deals with tribal extremists on the border, while allowing Islamic extremists to go unchallenged at home as they spread ideas of jihad and Sharia law.

Open threats

Some Western diplomats now believe that this two track policy has been Gen Musharraf's way of showing to the West that he is indispensable but that he faces many threats.

Such is the case with the mullahs of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, who are openly threatening the government with jihad and suicide attacks, while being closely tied to the military's main intelligence service, the ISI.

Until now the West has not worried about this, as long as Gen Musharraf kept Pakistan under control and concentrated on the West's primary agenda of catching al-Qaeda leaders.

The US may like to see free and fair elections in Pakistan, but not at the cost of Gen Musharraf departing the scene or plunging Pakistan's support - no matter how lukewarm the role is - in the war on terrorism into uncertainty.

So far the West has also accepted Gen Musharraf's plea that democracy in Pakistan must be tailored to local conditions - in short what he accepts as democracy and keeps him in power rather than the global norm of democracy.

The US State Department fully backs Musharraf's views on democracy.

"The direction that Gen Musharraf set for Pakistan is a good one, and we are supporting that,"' said Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia last month.

Yet the West's dependency on Gen Musharraf may have little relevance now if he is losing control of Pakistan and refusing to take on the extremists any longer - be they inside Pakistan or on its borders.

Nato and US military officers have long argued that Gen Musharraf is double dealing with the Taleban, causing Western military forces in Afghanistan major headaches.

Running amok

Some of the biggest problems facing the current government appear to have been created by it, or by its allies.

In the past the judiciary in Pakistan has been a pliant group. But faced with the prospect of Gen Musharraf enjoying indefinite one-man rule, they have turned against him.

Meanwhile the army's allies, such as the Pakistani and Afghan Taleban, which have been fostered by the ISI since 9/11, have turned against their creator, creating havoc along the border. Other extremist groups have been growing in influence across the North West Frontier Province and Punjab.

Meanwhile in the country's commercial capital, Karachi, Gen Musharraf's most loyal political allies, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), have been at the centre of controversy after more than 40 people were killed in clashes in mid-May that many people believe were instigated by the MQM.

Finally Pakistani liberal and professional groups, long viewed by the US as potential allies of Gen Musharraf and the US led war on terror, are rapidly turning anti-American, as Washington is increasingly seen as Gen Musharraf's only visible prop.

'Close relationship'

"We have a very close relationship with President Musharraf," an unabashed Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said on 23 May in Washington.

In Washington his principle backer is the office of Vice President Dick Cheney which has enormous influence over Condoleezza Rice and the State Department.

Last winter, when Richard Boucher was set to hold a State Department seminar on Pakistan's future, he was forced to cancel the event by Mr Cheney's office, apparently because it may have been taken as a signal that US support for Gen Musharraf was declining.

Ironically it is the CIA and the Defense Department - the traditional supporters of the Pakistan army - which are now keen on changing policy towards Pakistan, and encouraging a greater role for civilian politicians.

A key concern in Washington and other capitals is that unless an acceptable alternative to Gen Musharraf appears, Western governments fear the unknown more than they do the known, no matter how discredited he may be.

Only long term Western support for a genuine democratic process can secure the growth and development of new politicians but so far that has been pointedly lacking.

The West must start considering how the army and the next civilian government can work together, rather than continuing to back a single individual against all odds.

Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist based in Lahore. He is the author of three books including Taliban and, most recently, Jihad. He has covered Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia for the past 25 years and also writes for the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal.
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