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Command of military efforts in southern Afghanistan handed to Canadians
By The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian has assumed the top post for international military efforts in southern Afghanistan.
Canadian general promises more secure southern Afghanistan
February 2, 2008
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFP) - A Canadian general took command of NATO troops in war-ravaged southern Afghanistan Saturday promising "intense operations" against extremists and a more stable, secure region.
Coalition forces kill several rebels in S. Afghan operations
People's Daily - Feb 02 12:42 AM
The U.S.-led Coalition forces have killed several insurgents in southern Afghan province of Uruzgan while launching operations to degrade weapons facilitation network in the area, said a statement issued by the Coalition forces on Saturday.
Afghan picture confusing, U.S. Marines' chief says
Fri Feb 1, 6:47 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon does not have a clear picture about the state of the war in Afghanistan, with U.S. commanders on the ground offering positive assessments while intelligence reports are more negative
Afghanistan: Ex-Taliban Commander Lectures Mullah Omar About Koran
By Ron Synovitz (RFE/RL)
From his hilltop headquarters in the center of the southern Afghan town of Musa Qala, former Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Salaam has a sweeping view over dusty flatlands in northern Helmand Province. But Musa Qala
Rice to visit London to discuss Afghanistan and Iran
By Sue Pleming Fri Feb 1, 3:18 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit London next week to discuss strategy on Afghanistan, Iran and other issues with Britain's foreign minister, the State Department said on Friday.
US military chief hails Al-Qaeda figure's 'elimination'
Sat Feb 2, 3:14 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military chief has hailed "the elimination" of a top Al-Qaeda leader in an air strike in Pakistan and said the United States will work with Pakistan to go after others in border safe havens.
Canadian general promises more secure southern Afghanistan
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFP) - A Canadian general took command of NATO troops in war-ravaged southern Afghanistan Saturday promising "intense operations" against extremists and a more stable, secure region.
Germany Rebuffs U.S. On Troops in Afghanistan
Refusal to Shift Deployment A Setback for NATO Effort
By Craig Whitlock Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, February 2, 2008; A10
BERLIN, Feb. 1 -- Germany on Friday rejected a formal request from the United States to send forces to war zones in southern Afghanistan, the latest setback to the NATO alliance as it tries to scrape together enough troops
Two policemen, militant killed in Pakistan clash
Sat Feb 2, 4:15 AM ET
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Two policemen and a pro-Taliban militant were killed in a firefight in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, the latest in the spate of violence in the volatile region on the Afghan border, police said.
Japan to host conference on reconstructing Afghanistan
TOKYO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan will host a two-day international conference on Afghanistan's reconstruction started from next Tuesday in Tokyo, officials from the foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Harper refuses to take questions about alleged Afghan prisoner abuse by governor
Fri Feb 1, 2:20 PM By The Canadian Press
TORONTO - Prime Minister Stephen Harper wouldn't answer questions Friday despite mounting concerns that the government covered up important information about the alleged torture of Afghan detainees.
Governor of Kandahar denies involvement in prisoner abuse
The Canadian Press / February 2, 2008
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The governor of Kandahar says he's never interrogated, much less abused, a prisoner in his government's custody.
Top soldier praises Kandahar governor
The Globe and Mail (Canada) February 2, 2008 BRIAN LAGHI , CAMPBELL CLARK and PAUL KORING
OTTAWA, WASHINGTON -- Canada's top soldier says the governor of Kandahar province is doing "phenomenal work," and that allegations of torture against him are up to Afghans to investigate.
Emergency Services Collapse Under Bitter Cold
By Tahir Qadiry
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Feb 2 (IPS) - An unprecedented cold wave sweeping parts of Asia has been especially tragic in Afghanistan where emergency services have failed completely.
Senators challenge White House approach on Afghanistan
Foreign Relations Committee hearing comes a day after the release of two critical reports.
By Arthur Bright Christian Science Monitor February 01, 2008 at 10:30 am EST
As new reports offer dire predictions about Afghanistan's future, US senators aired their criticisms of the White House's approach to that conflict on Thursday.
Al-Qaeda 'killing' spawns doubts
By Rahimullah Yusufzai BBC News / Saturday, 2 February 2008
It was unusual for Islamist websites to break the news of the death of an important al-Qaeda operative as they did this week in the case of Abu Laith al-Libi.
Taliban take a hit, but the fight goes on
By Syed Saleem Shahzad Asia Times Online / February 2, 2008
KARACHI - With the killing of Abu Laith al-Libi this week, the Taliban have suffered their biggest loss since being ousted from power in 2001, and they are left without their finest military brain just two months before their spring offensive.
US Envoy: Iran Gained From US Invasions
By JOHN HEILPRIN Associated Press / February 1, 2008
NEW YORK - Iran is stronger today because of the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the American ambassador to the United Nations said Friday.
UN disturbed over Taliban using children as human shield
By Lalit K Jha - Jan 30, 2008 - 15:07
United Nations (PAN): A United Nations report released Tuesday expressed concern over the increasingly use of children as human shield by Taliban and the deliberate attacks by the terrorist outfit on girl students.
Three new names in circulation for new UNAMA chief
By Lalit K Jha - Jan 30, 2008 - 17:41
United Nations (PAN): With the office of the UN Secretary General looking afresh for candidates who could be appointed as UNAMA head, at least three names have cropped up for this challenging UN post.
US envoy rejects Khalilzad's candidacy rumor
By Zubair Babakerkhil - Jan 30, 2008 - 19:30
KABUL (PAN): US ambassador to Kabul William B. Wood on Wednesday brushed aside the rumor that Afghan President Hamid Karzai might face Zalmay Khalilzad in the next presidential polls in Afghanistan.
Young woman tries self immolation
By Abdul Mueed Hashmi - Jan 30, 2008 - 21:01
JALALABAD (PAN): A dejected young Afghan woman having a domestic dispute with her husband tried to take her life in Mehtarlam High Court on Wednesday, court officials said.
People provided medical help in Herat
By Najib Khelwatgar - Jan 30, 2008 - 20:58
KABUL, (PAN): A joint medic team from International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan National Army provided 1300 people with health treatments in the western Herat province, ISAF representative said.
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Command of military efforts in southern Afghanistan handed to Canadians
By The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian has assumed the top post for international military efforts in southern Afghanistan.
Major General Mark Lessard took over the helm of Regional Command South in a ceremony at Kandahar air field on Saturday morning.
He replaces British Brigadier General Jacko Page who has been overseeing military efforts in the six provinces of southern Afghanistan since May.
Lessard praised Page's efforts but also said the time had come to fight back harder against the insurgents in the southern parts of Afghanistan.
Canadian and British troops have been particularly hard hit by rising violence in the south and Lessard acknoweldged 2007 was a difficult year.
But he said there is progress on the ground and his job will be to build on those efforts in the months to come.
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Canadian general promises more secure southern Afghanistan
February 2, 2008
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFP) - A Canadian general took command of NATO troops in war-ravaged southern Afghanistan Saturday promising "intense operations" against extremists and a more stable, secure region.
Major General Marc Lessard assumed responsibility for 12,000 soldiers from 12 countries who serve in the south, the area which sees most Taliban unrest and where the Al-Qaeda-linked rebels are said to be tied into the opium trade.
"In 2008 Regional Command South will maintain the initiative through an intensive series of operations and activities," Lessard said at a ceremony at the Kandahar Airfield where he took over from a British general.
There was "much to accomplish in 2008," he said. "Let there be no doubt we will deliver, we will produce concrete results for a more secure and stable southern Afghanistan."
Lessard said one of his priorities would be increased collaboration between the international and Afghan forces in the fight against insurgents.
The Afghan chief of staff, General Bismullah Khan, also said Afghan security forces -- in tatters by the time the Taliban regime was toppled in late 2001 -- should take on more leadership roles in counter-insurgency operations.
"Afghan-ising" security efforts, in particular building the Afghan army, would also mean that international troops would be less at risk and was the "long-term solution," he said.
There are about 60,000 international soldiers in Afghanistan, helping the country fight the insurgency by going after rebels as well as training and equipping the Afghan security forces.
Nearly 220 international soldiers died in Afghanistan last year, most of them in hostile action. Many more Afghan police and soldiers were killed.
Lessard assumed command days after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned he would pull his country's 2,500 soldiers out of Afghanistan next year if the NATO-led force did not get reinforcements from other countries.
The International Security Assistance Force is below strength and there is a push for countries to stump up more soldiers and equipment ahead of spring, when there is usually a spike in fighting, and after a grim 2007.
Lessard took over from British Major General Jacko Page.
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Coalition forces kill several rebels in S. Afghan operations
People's Daily - Feb 02 12:42 AM
The U.S.-led Coalition forces have killed several insurgents in southern Afghan province of Uruzgan while launching operations to degrade weapons facilitation network in the area, said a statement issued by the Coalition forces on Saturday.
Coalition forces searched compounds in the Deh Rahwood district targeting a Taliban insurgent believed to be involved in supply in garms to other militants, the statement said.
While conducting a search of compounds, Coalition forces clashed with armed insurgents and eliminated them on-site in the area, it said.
After securing the area, Coalition forces recovered numerous small-arms weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and launchers as well as an improvised-explosive device. All the seized weapons were destroyed on the spot, the statement said.
The year of 2007 was the deadliest one since the collapse of Taliban regime in late 2001 as more than 6,000 people were killed.
Source: Xinhua
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Afghan picture confusing, U.S. Marines' chief says
Fri Feb 1, 6:47 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon does not have a clear picture about the state of the war in Afghanistan, with U.S. commanders on the ground offering positive assessments while intelligence reports are more negative, the U.S. Marine Corps chief said on Friday.
Gen. James Conway said U.S. commanders on the ground pointed to signs of progress, such as the failure of Taliban militants to launch an offensive last spring or summer and the killing of some Taliban leaders.
But intelligence reports going back to 2004 showed Taliban attacks and the casualties they caused both rising. They also indicated a possible increase in the amount of territory the militants controlled and the influence they wield over Afghan tribes, Conway said.
"It is a bit confusing at this point because we as a department need to see it the same way and quite frankly, at this point in time, we just don't," Conway told reporters.
Asked if that should be the case more than six years after the United States invaded Afghanistan, Conway replied: "Well, no... We as a department need to have a common view so that we can agree upon the actions that need to be taken -- no question about that."
The United States announced last month that it would send 3,200 Marines to Afghanistan to help stabilize the country.
The Bush administration has also urged NATO allies to send more troops and military trainers.
Two U.S. nongovernmental studies released this week said Afghanistan could once again become a failed state and terrorist haven unless there were new international efforts to win the war and develop the economy.
The United States has some 29,000 troops in Afghanistan. Around 16,000 serve in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force while the remainder perform missions ranging from training Afghan forces to counter-terrorism.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray, editing by Alan Elsner)
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Afghanistan: Ex-Taliban Commander Lectures Mullah Omar About Koran
By Ron Synovitz (RFE/RL)
From his hilltop headquarters in the center of the southern Afghan town of Musa Qala, former Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Salaam has a sweeping view over dusty flatlands in northern Helmand Province. But Musa Qala is like a ghost town now compared to the bustling center it had been under Taliban control last year.
Just before NATO led an offensive in December to wrest Musa Qala from the Taliban, Salaam defected to the side of the central government. Afghan President Hamid Karzai later appointed him as the district chief in Musa Qala.
As a former Taliban commander, he still has a penchant for quoting the Koran -- whether he is speaking to journalists, the U.S. ambassador to Kabul, or NATO military officers. But now, he is also lecturing the Taliban leadership on the meaning of the Koran and Islam. "We must ask what is the goal of those who are fighting our government and the people of this country? What do they want?" Salaam says.
In exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Salaam says he decided to support the Kabul government after he became convinced that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and his followers were violating the "orders of God" as revealed in the Koran.
"My brothers," Salaam says, "these were the first five verses of the Koran that were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad at Mount Hira: 'Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created all, has created man from a blood clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, who has taught by the pen, has taught man that which he knew not.'”
Salaam says those verses led him to question who the Taliban really are after seeing them "taking pens from our children and taking away schools and education."
'Take Up The Pen'
"If we take action based on the Koran and based on God's orders, God says to take up the pen," Salaam says. "But if the Taliban does not allow us to take up the pen, then I must demand to know what they are inspired by."
Salaam says he knows from his days as a Taliban commander that Mullah Omar still sends orders to militants in the form of audio recordings from a cave where he hides.
But he thinks legitimate Islamic scholars would reject Omar's claims of authority. He says that's because Mullah Omar relinquished his authority before he fled Kandahar in late 2001 -- passing his powers on to a commander named Naqibakhond who has since been killed by coalition forces in Afghanistan.
"So Mullah Omar has resigned his authority as emir," Salaam concludes. "Islamic scholars know that an emir who has given his authority away can no longer claim to be an emir. And now, [Omar] is so weak that he is hiding in a cave. He gives his orders on an audio recording. And he orders the killing of teachers and students and the destruction of schools. This is not the Islamic way. And it is not the Islamic way for an emir to resign and then claim that he still has authority as an emir."
The Taliban is not happy about Mullah Salaam's defection and already has tried to kill him. Salaam survived one attempted assassination in January when a suicide bomber managed only to injure several of Salaam's bodyguards.
The town of Musa Qala is still struggling in the aftermath of the December offensive. Thousands of residents were forced from their homes by the fighting.
Many of the displaced tell RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that they prefer living on the dusty, rural plain outside of the town for now. Fearing fresh fighting between NATO and the Taliban in the spring, they say it is too early to start rebuilding what is left of their community.
Pulling a threatening Taliban letter from his pocket -- which was posted anonymously at night on the walls and doors of buildings in Musa Qala -- Salaam says he doesn't think last month's attack will be the last against him.
"I have a short night letter in my pocket and you will see that even in this letter, they humiliate the Koran of God," Salaam says. "They posted this on people's homes and signed it at the end. The author doesn't know the Koran. At the beginning, he writes, 'The Great God says in the Koran....' But although they talk about what the Koran says, they don't follow the Koran. I say they should stop deceiving themselves. They should not pervert the Koran like this. They should not sell Islam."
Building Trust?
When locals talk about Salaam's defection from the Taliban, they are careful to avoid expressing personal opinions -- fearing possible retaliation from both the Taliban and government forces if they support one side or the other.
With Taliban fighters still positioned within 2 kilometers of Musa Qala, most residents say they hope their town eventually will be firmly behind only one side -- rather than being split by loyalties to both the Taliban and the Afghan government. Meanwhile, they also anxiously await the arrival of reconstruction aid promised by NATO forces in Afghanistan.
With so many residents and shop owners still away from Musa Qala, the town's central bazaar stands almost empty. It is a dramatic contrast to the bazaar's appearance under Taliban control last year when it was bustling with activity. And since December, the prices of basic foods already have doubled. Still, under the Taliban, most traders at the bazaar had sold weapons or large bags of heroin and opium.
The government in Kabul has responded to Salaam's earliest request -- to deploy hundreds of Afghan police and troops to Musa Qala. Those forces now comprise most of the security guards posted around Salaam's hilltop headquarters. Of some 300 fighters form Salaam's own militia force, only the most trusted are allowed to carry weapons through the checkpoints and into the headquarters.
His 19-year-old son, who still wears the black turban of the Taliban, is Salaam's most trusted companion. He accompanies Salaam to all of his official meetings and even carries his father's mobile telephone.
For his part, the 45-year-old Salaam continues to wear the long, black beard and the turban that he donned during his days as the Taliban regime's governor of nearby Oruzgun Province.
That could help him maintain his credentials as an Islamist and tribal leader. And with the government hoping more moderate Taliban will join him and support Kabul, it also gives Mullah Salaam the appearance of being what some Afghans now call "good Taliban" as opposed to "armed Taliban."
(RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Saleh Mohammad Saleh contributed to this report from Musa Qala in Afghanistan.)
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Rice to visit London to discuss Afghanistan and Iran
By Sue Pleming Fri Feb 1, 3:18 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit London next week to discuss strategy on Afghanistan, Iran and other issues with Britain's foreign minister, the State Department said on Friday.
Rice is expected to meet on Wednesday with Foreign Minister David Miliband and will likely also see Prime Minister Gordon Brown during her brief trip, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
"I expect they will talk a little bit about Iran, talk some about Iraq, talk some about Afghanistan," McCormack said.
In Afghanistan, Taliban attacks are increasing and Washington wants more NATO efforts to stabilize the country.
Two U.S. non-governmental studies released this week said that absent new international efforts to win the war and develop the economy, Afghanistan could once again become a failed state and terrorist haven.
The United States is seeking stronger commitments from its European allies and is also looking for a new candidate to coordinate international efforts after Afghan President Hamid Karzai rejected British politician Paddy Ashdown for the job.
The United States has 29,000 troops in Afghanistan and earlier this month said it would add 3,200 Marines. Washington wants NATO allies to offer more counterinsurgency forces while placing fewer restrictions on those that are there.
"I won't make a secret of the fact that we are encouraging all of our NATO allies to do everything that they can in terms of contributing resources," McCormack said. "We are in a fight in Afghanistan, against violent extremists, whether that's al Qaeda or the Taliban or any other associated group."
URGING ALLIES ON AFGHANISTAN
Rice has increased her Afghanistan diplomacy in recent weeks, urging allies to do more. On Friday, she made a personal appeal to Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, whose nation has already said it could expand its role there.
"NATO as an alliance has been looking at what it needs to do and what more needs to be done to fight the Taliban, to permit the Afghan people to have security so that reconstruction can take place," Rice said at a joint news conference with Sikorski.
"Poland has been active in Afghanistan, and we look forward to continued conversations with Poland and with all members of NATO," she added.
Rice raised the issue with Australia's foreign minister this week and she also asked France's defense minister on Thursday to do everything he could to help, said McCormack.
She also discussed Afghanistan with German officials during a trip to Berlin last week.
Germany's defense ministry said on Thursday the United States had written a strongly worded letter to Germany and other NATO members urging them to send combat troops to dangerous areas in southern Afghanistan.
But on Friday, Germany said there were no plans to change its deployment from the less violent north of the country.
Another key topic during Rice's London visit will be Iran. Last week, Rice and ministers from the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council as well as Germany agreed on elements of a new draft sanctions resolution against Iran.
The resolution, which is weaker than the United States would have wanted because of opposition from Russia and China, is being circulated at the United Nations in New York. It is unclear when there will be a vote.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, editing by Eric Beech)
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US military chief hails Al-Qaeda figure's 'elimination'
Sat Feb 2, 3:14 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military chief has hailed "the elimination" of a top Al-Qaeda leader in an air strike in Pakistan and said the United States will work with Pakistan to go after others in border safe havens.
"I think the strike was a very important one, a very lethal one," said Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Friday.
Mullen, who said he will travel soon to Islamabad to meet with Pakistani leaders, would not comment on the specifics of the operation that killed Abu Laith al-Libi early Tuesday in Pakistan's north Waziristan tribal area.
Pakistani officials said a US-operated Predator drone launched the attack, killing al-Libi and a dozen other militants in a compound.
Describing al-Libi as a key Al-Qaeda figure, Mullen said "the elimination of someone like that is a very important outcome in terms of this long war."
But he said the United States remains concerned about the safe havens that Al-Qaeda has managed to established in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
"Being able to have an impact in the safe haven I think is important. We're very committed to working with the Pakistanis on this.
"It's one of the reasons I'm going to see General Kiyani and the rest of the leadership," he told reporters, referring to Pakistan's new armed forces chief General Ashfaq Kiyani.
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Canadian general promises more secure southern Afghanistan
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFP) - A Canadian general took command of NATO troops in war-ravaged southern Afghanistan Saturday promising "intense operations" against extremists and a more stable, secure region.
Major General Marc Lessard assumed responsibility for 12,000 soldiers from 12 countries who serve in the south, the area which sees most Taliban unrest and where the Al-Qaeda-linked rebels are said to be tied into the opium trade.
"In 2008 Regional Command South will maintain the initiative through an intensive series of operations and activities," Lessard said at a ceremony at the Kandahar Airfield where he took over from a British general.
There was "much to accomplish in 2008," he said. "Let there be no doubt we will deliver, we will produce concrete results for a more secure and stable southern Afghanistan."
Lessard said one of his priorities would be increased collaboration between the international and Afghan forces in the fight against insurgents.
The Afghan chief of staff, General Bismullah Khan, also said Afghan security forces -- in tatters by the time the Taliban regime was toppled in late 2001 -- should take on more leadership roles in counter-insurgency operations.
"Afghan-ising" security efforts, in particular building the Afghan army, would also mean that international troops would be less at risk and was the "long-term solution," he said.
There are about 60,000 international soldiers in Afghanistan, helping the country fight the insurgency by going after rebels as well as training and equipping the Afghan security forces.
Nearly 220 international soldiers died in Afghanistan last year, most of them in hostile action. Many more Afghan police and soldiers were killed.
Lessard assumed command days after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned he would pull his country's 2,500 soldiers out of Afghanistan next year if the NATO-led force did not get reinforcements from other countries.
The International Security Assistance Force is below strength and there is a push for countries to stump up more soldiers and equipment ahead of spring, when there is usually a spike in fighting, and after a grim 2007.
Lessard took over from British Major General Jacko Page.
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Germany Rebuffs U.S. On Troops in Afghanistan
Refusal to Shift Deployment A Setback for NATO Effort
By Craig Whitlock Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, February 2, 2008; A10
BERLIN, Feb. 1 -- Germany on Friday rejected a formal request from the United States to send forces to war zones in southern Afghanistan, the latest setback to the NATO alliance as it tries to scrape together enough troops to battle resurgent Taliban forces and stabilize the country.
Defense Minister Franz-Josef Jung said his country's contingent of 3,200 soldiers would stay put in the northern provinces, where they patrol some of the most secure areas of Afghanistan. "That will have to continue to be our focus," Jung said to reporters.
NATO commanders have said they need to add 7,500 troops to the 40,000-member force that NATO oversees in Afghanistan. But there have been few countries willing to comply. Meanwhile, NATO has been struggling to persuade some members not to worsen matters by pulling out.
This week, for example, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper threatened to withdraw his country's 2,500 troops next year from around Kandahar -- a major hot spot -- unless they receive reinforcements. Following a rise in casualties, the Dutch and British governments are also facing domestic pressure to reduce their military presence in southern Afghanistan.
German officials said they had received a "stern" letter in recent days from U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, pressing for thousands more troops, including for southern Afghanistan. Although they did not release a copy of the letter, officials in Berlin said they resented what they described as pressure tactics.
Ulrich Wilhelm, a German government spokesman, said Gates's letter "came as a surprise." He told reporters, "During all the meetings and talks we have had with the U.S. side in recent months, the engagement of the German military . . . was expressly praised."
U.S. officials played down the spat, saying Gates sent the same letter to other NATO members. Pentagon officials have said they are increasingly frustrated, however, with what they see as a lack of commitment from some European members of NATO.
Last month, after failing to drum up forces elsewhere, Gates said Washington would send 3,200 more Marines to Afghanistan for a seven-month tour. But he called on NATO allies to be prepared to replace them. The United States already has 26,000 troops in Afghanistan, about half of them under NATO command.
On Thursday, Assistant Secretary of State Richard A. Boucher said that the troop shortfalls were a serious problem and that the success of the international mission in Afghanistan was "not assured." "We expect more from our NATO allies," he said at a Senate hearing. "The greatest threat to Afghanistan's future is abandonment by the international community."
With a 250,000-member military and Europe's biggest economy, Germany is facing considerable pressure to do more in Afghanistan. But it is confronted by powerful obstacles at home. Among them: a strong reluctance to send soldiers into battle given the country's Nazi legacy, and popular opposition to a war that is seen by many Germans as America's problem.
In addition, German lawmakers and military officials differ with Washington over the best strategy. While the Pentagon has focused on fighting the Taliban and securing territory before reconstruction projects begin, Germany prefers a softer approach, with an emphasis on economic development and training Afghan forces.
"It's a little bit too simple to put all this on a pacifist and reluctant German public," said Henning Riecke, a security analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. "There are two different concepts of how a stabilization plan should work. . . . There is no willingness in Germany to blindly follow an American combat-style approach."
While Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats are sympathetic to the Bush administration's requests, her party has been forced to govern in a politically awkward coalition with its historical rival, the Social Democrats, who are much less supportive.
German officials said they are restricted by a 2007 parliamentary vote that capped the number of German personnel in Afghanistan at 3,500. The rules largely limit the troops to peacekeeping duty in the north and allow them to operate elsewhere only under "emergency" circumstances.
Germany also has deployed six Tornado surveillance jets. And last month it agreed to provide 250 combat troops as part of a NATO "quick reaction force" that will replace 350 Norwegian soldiers.
"Our tasks and responsibilities are substantial and we are good at what we do," Karl Lamers, deputy chairman of the German Parliament's defense committee, said in a telephone interview. "I see no reason why that should be changed. A change would endanger the entire operation in Afghanistan."
Washington officials, however, have criticized the performance of German and other NATO forces. In December, without mentioning Germany by name, Gates called NATO's program to train Afghan police officers "disappointing," saying the force was plagued by corruption. Germany oversees the program.
Last month, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gates described some NATO troops in the south as ill-equipped to fight the Taliban. "I'm worried we have some military forces that don't know how to do counterinsurgency operations," he said.
His comments provoked resentment in European capitals. NATO defense ministers are to meet in Lithuania next week to discuss options. But lawmakers and experts said there's less willingness than ever to share the burdens of the Afghanistan mission.
"It's kind of like a poker game, and everybody is playing their part," said Riecke, the security analyst.
Special correspondent Shannon Smiley contributed to this report.
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Two policemen, militant killed in Pakistan clash
Sat Feb 2, 4:15 AM ET
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Two policemen and a pro-Taliban militant were killed in a firefight in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, the latest in the spate of violence in the volatile region on the Afghan border, police said.
The shootout near the town of Mardan in the North West Frontier Province erupted after police raided a house where militants were hiding.
"The militants refused to surrender and opened fire on police, forcing us to retaliate," Abdullah Khan, a senior police officer in Mardan said.
"Two policemen were killed and two were wounded. One militant was killed," he added.
Mardan, a town around 40 km (25 miles) northeast of the provincial capital, Peshawar, has relatively been free of the militant violence, though in 2005 security forces arrested a senior al Qaeda leader, Abu Faraj Farj al-Libi, from the town.
Violence has spread from the remote Pakistani tribal areas on the Afghan border, well known sanctuaries for al Qaeda and Taliban militants, to the cities and towns across the province in recent weeks, triggering U.S. concerns that militants were increasing their efforts to destabilize its staunch ally.
A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a security force checkpost in North Waziristan tribal region on the Afghan border on Friday, killing at least six men.
The attack came hours after U.S. officials and an al Qaeda-linked Web site said that a senior al Qaeda leader, Abu Laith al-Libi, was killed in the same region this week. Libi was killed in a missile attack apparently fired by a U.S. drone.
U.S. officials have said they were willing to send troops to Pakistan to join its fight against the militants but Pakistani leaders have rejected such suggestions, fearing that it could trigger a backlash from the fiercely-independent Pashtun tribes living on the border.
(Writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by David Fox)
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Japan to host conference on reconstructing Afghanistan
TOKYO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan will host a two-day international conference on Afghanistan's reconstruction started from next Tuesday in Tokyo, officials from the foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Delegates from 24 countries and international organizations will take part in and to hold discussions on the topics of security, economic development and further financial donations for the war-torn country.
Participants will reiterate the necessity of continued international assistance to the country, Japanese media said, adding that Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and Afghan Foreign Minister Dadfar Spanta are both scheduled to give speeches at the meeting.
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Harper refuses to take questions about alleged Afghan prisoner abuse by governor
Fri Feb 1, 2:20 PM By The Canadian Press
TORONTO - Prime Minister Stephen Harper wouldn't answer questions Friday despite mounting concerns that the government covered up important information about the alleged torture of Afghan detainees.
Harper was at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children to help celebrate the contribution of Canadian nurses, but wouldn't take questions from reporters following his speech.
It was the only opportunity for reporters to see the prime minister, whose planned afternoon event was cancelled due to bad weather.
Reports say that the government tried to keep secret the alleged involvement of the governor of Kandahar in the torture and abuse of Afghan prisoners.
The newspaper says allegations against Gov. Asadullah Khalid were reported to senior officials in Ottawa last spring and Canadian diplomats secretly reported them to the International Red Cross and Afghanistan's main human-rights group.
It also says documents released by the government concerning the investigation of the allegations of prisoner abuse were edited to remove all references to the governor.
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Governor of Kandahar denies involvement in prisoner abuse
The Canadian Press / February 2, 2008
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The governor of Kandahar says he's never interrogated, much less abused, a prisoner in his government's custody.
Asadullah Khalid told The Canadian Press that the treatment of Afghan prisoners should be a military issue, not a political one.
He says a report passed to the Canadian government accusing him of torture makes no sense.
He says he doesn't go around to prisons and interrogate people because it isn't his job.
And he says his accuser likely never met him but was just looking for a way out of jail.
Khalid says the government of Afghanistan is stronger now and in control of the conditions in prison.
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Top soldier praises Kandahar governor
The Globe and Mail (Canada) February 2, 2008 BRIAN LAGHI , CAMPBELL CLARK and PAUL KORING
OTTAWA, WASHINGTON -- Canada's top soldier says the governor of Kandahar province is doing "phenomenal work," and that allegations of torture against him are up to Afghans to investigate.
And while the opposition asked why Canadians weren't informed about the allegations 10 months ago, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the prisoner who made the charges against Governor Asadullah Khalid was not handed over by Canadians and that it's an issue for Kabul to deal with.
The two men made their remarks as opposition members demanded that the Harper government put pressure on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to investigate the allegations. They also wanted to know what the Department of Foreign Affairs did with the information and why it has taken this long for it to emerge.
General Rick Hillier confirmed he was aware of allegations against the governor, but said it is up to the Afghan government to deal with them. He also praised Mr. Khalid for the work he has done in Kandahar.
"Governor Asadullah has been doing some phenomenal work in Kandahar province. Obviously, we have worked with him because he is the governor there. And we have seen some incredible changes in the province, and if there's an issue of any kind of impropriety whatsoever, that's an issue for the Afghanistan government."
According to a censored report published in The Globe and Mail yesterday, a prisoner held in Kandahar told two Canadian officials last April of interrogations as well as a beating and electric shocks he received from an individual whose identification was blacked out. Sources have told The Globe that "the governor" were the censored words, in reference to Mr. Khalid.
Outside the House of Commons, Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said Canada should use its influence with Mr. Karzai to have the matter investigated. He was also angry that the federal government did not disclose the incident when it first occurred.
"We're not there to cover things up, we're not there to cover up for some guy who's corrupt. We're not there to cover up for some guy who's allowing beatings to go on in a private jail," Mr. Rae said.
In the House, Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale called the incident a cover-up.
"Has the government even bothered to investigate the allegations against Mr. Khalid as specifically required under Canada's detainee-transfer agreement?"
Mr. MacKay said that the prisoner who made the complaint had not been transferred by Canadian Forces into Afghan detention.
"The allegation with respect to the governor is not a Canadian-transferred prisoner," Mr. MacKay said.
"Second, with respect to the governor of Kandahar, let us not forget that this is an individual appointed by the sovereign elected government of Afghanistan."
He noted that when Canada did hear of a credible complaint from a Canadian-transferred prisoner, an investigation was launched. The government also stopped transferring detainees in early November after that incident.
In Kandahar, Mr. Khalid's staff said yesterday that the governor would respond to the allegations that a secret prison was located inside his compound and that he had personally engaged in torture and abuse of detainees. However, the governor didn't return calls yesterday.
The International Committee of the Red Cross was told last spring by Canadian diplomats of the allegations against Mr. Khalid, Graziella Piccolo, an ICRC spokeswoman in Kabul, confirmed.
But the ICRC won't tell Canada whether it investigated the allegations nor the outcome of any investigation.
"Should an authority, such as the Canadian government, decide to share information with the ICRC about detainees held by another authority, such as the Afghan government, the ICRC would address these concerns only with the detaining authorities."
Former foreign affairs minister John Manley, who headed a recent panel looking into the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, could not be reached for comment over the allegations against Mr. Khalid.
Meanwhile, Gen. Hillier said yesterday that Canadian soldiers won't be able to avoid combat if they remain in Kandahar and that switching places with a NATO country in a quieter region of Afghanistan is not an option, The Canadian Press reported.
While the Liberals have suggested remaining in Afghanistan only for training rather than combat, Gen. Hillier said the need for troops is in the south and that means combat.
"Certainly, if you're in Kandahar, you're going to be in combat operations," he said.
Gen. Hillier said that the report of the panel led by Mr. Manley that more troops are needed in the south only echoes the frustration of NATO military commanders from many countries.
Finally, Gen. Hillier told reporters that he was not angry last week when he heard that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's communications director, Sandra Buckler, had said the military did not inform the government that transfers of prisoners had been suspended, a statement she retracted the next day.
"I was on the beach in the Dominican Republic. I had a little break, and I heard about that, and, can I say this without everybody beating up on me across Canada? I was on my third rum and Coke, and I really didn't give a damn."
Gen. Hillier said the military did inform the government right away when the transfers were suspended in November.
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Emergency Services Collapse Under Bitter Cold
By Tahir Qadiry
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Feb 2 (IPS) - An unprecedented cold wave sweeping parts of Asia has been especially tragic in Afghanistan where emergency services have failed completely.
At least 3,000 people poured on to the streets on Jan. 27 in the northern border province of Jowzjan, asking the government for emergency aid in the wake of the severe weather, which has claimed at least 500 lives countrywide, mostly children.
Heavy snowfall over the past month in Afghanistan’s northern provinces has cut off most villages from the capital cities. People have run out of essential supplies because food and fuel supplies are not getting through, according to reports.
IPS visited Faizabad district in the southeast of Jowzjan. Families huddled together in dark, airless rooms, trying to survive the cold.
"I am a widow. I have four children. We do not have wood to light a fire. As you can see, my children are sick," said a helpless Shokriya, 32, whose husband killed himself because of poverty a year ago.
Her barefoot 14-year-old son Jawid, his face red from the cold, said he could not sleep at night because of the intense cold. "I shout, ask my mother to heat the room. She puts blankets on me, but I still feel the cold. I cry all night. My toes are cold," he said.
Anisa, 41, said her 2-year-old son died in the bitter cold a week ago. "He was sick and I could not take him to the hospital. The roads were cut off. I asked my neighbours for wood, but they did not have either. My son died," she cried, inconsolably.
According to Gawhar Khan Babori, Faizabad district chief, at least 22 people, mainly children, have died of the cold weather over the past one month.
When asked what the government was doing to prevent the death toll, he said: "The roads have been cut off. People come to me for help and I do not have anything to assist them. A German organisation gave some families some assistance, but that is not enough."
Meanwhile, provincial officials in northern Sar-e-Pol Province, south of Jowzjan, said at least 53 people have been killed over the past month. Speaking to IPS, Sayed Iqbal Monib, governor, said they were scared to see the death toll rising.
He said: "At least 53 people have died. Most of the roads are cut off. People do not have access to health clinics. They do not have bread or drinkable water in most villages".
Meanwhile, Akbar Wahdat, senator from Faryab Province told the Afghan Wolesi Jirga, lower house of parliament, Jan. 28, that at least 50 people had died in the province as a result of the cold weather.
He said: "We ask the government and other aid organisations for emergency aid. The casualties could rise if the aid is not assisted on time".
In Jawzjan, the German Agro Action and Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority have announced plans to distribute edibles and warm clothing worth 300,000 Afghanis (6,000 US dollars) to 3,000 families. In addition, 1,600 families in neighbouring Takhar province are to receive 5.5 million Afghanis (110,000 dollars) in cash, according to director, Ghulam Farooq.
According to officials and people, the winter this year has been unusually severe in Afghanistan.
Rohullah Amin Amani, secretary of the provincial council of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan’s northern-most, said all roads to the districts from the capital city, Faizabad, have been blocked.
Reports from adjoining Takhar Province also claim that at least 10 people have succumbed to the cold. Speaking to IPS, governor Abdul Latif Ibrahimi, said two children and two women were amongst the dead.
Meanwhile, Sayed Ariq, representative of nomads in Balkh (Mazar-e-Sharif is the capital), said 15 people have died in the province. Nearly 18,000 heads of cattle have perished here, and in other cattle-rearing communities in the northern provinces.
Everywhere there are complaints of soaring food prices. Mawlawi Lotfollah Azizi, chief of Takhar provincial council, told IPS there was an acute shortage of essential items.
Sayed Faroq, who lives with his four children and wife in Rostaq District of Faryab Province, northwest Afghanistan, said many people do not even have access to bread.
Speaking on the phone, he said: "We are badly affected by the snow. We ask the government to send us emergency aid before we starve. It is a catastrophe."
Mahjabin Gul Andam, resident of Jowzjan Province, has moved to Balkh Province to live with her relatives. "It is a disaster. We did not have bread or water. People are starving. Why isn’t the government taking steps to prevent this natural disaster?" she lamented.
Provincial government officials who IPS spoke to said they did not have the money to provide relief. Yet, Public Health Minister Dr. Syed Muhamad Amin Fatemi told a press conference in Kabul that health centres were stocked with emergency supplies six months ago, according to the independent Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN).
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Senators challenge White House approach on Afghanistan
Foreign Relations Committee hearing comes a day after the release of two critical reports.
By Arthur Bright Christian Science Monitor February 01, 2008 at 10:30 am EST
As new reports offer dire predictions about Afghanistan's future, US senators aired their criticisms of the White House's approach to that conflict on Thursday.
Reuters writes that members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, during a hearing with White House officials, expressed their fears that the US strategy in Afghanistan was failing. Democrats focused in particular on Afghanistan's relationship with the war in Iraq.
"The question here, in my view, is whether or not we've neglected Pakistan and Afghanistan because of our overemphasis on Iraq," said Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat.
That point was raised by the Atlantic Council in a report on Wednesday that called Afghanistan a "dangerously neglected conflict" that needed more U.S. and NATO troops.
"If we should be surging forces anywhere, it's in Afghanistan, not Iraq," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat.
Reuters adds that Republicans were no less critical of the Bush administration.
Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, said he saw an "astounding number of contradictions about how much progress we're making" in the administration's presentation.
"If we are making so much progress, then why are we putting in 3,200 more Marines? Why are we to a breaking point in NATO on this issue?" he asked.
The committee hearing comes just a day after the release of two independent reports on the Afghanistan conflict, one by the Atlantic Council of the United States and the other by the Afghanistan Study Group. CQPolitics writes that, "Taken together, the reports painted a grim portrait of Afghanistan as a failing state six years after the U.S. invasion that toppled the Taliban government and urgently called for a new NATO strategy before the expected Taliban offensive."
"Make no mistake, NATO is not winning in Afghanistan," the report by the Atlantic Council said. "Unless this reality is understood and action is taken promptly, the future of Afghanistan is bleak, with regional and global impact."
But Richard Boucher, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, disputed the reports' findings and offered the Senate hearing a more optimistic assessment, reports the Financial Times.
Mr Boucher said the strategy in Afghanistan was to improve government services at the local and provincial level, and that the increase in suicide bombings was the Taliban's response to its failure to win or hold territory in conventional military clashes.
"We have had many successes but we have not yet enjoyed success and that's what we have to focus on," he said, arguing against focusing too much on a "snapshot" view of Afghanistan's weak government, increasing drugs trade and insurgency. Nato officials and their civilian counterparts have worried for over a year about the supposed lack of an overarching strategy.
But to date many attempts to craft such a strategy have failed, including French president Jacques Chirac's 2006 proposal for a "contact group" on Afghanistan and this year's attempt to install Paddy Ashdown, the former United Nations high representative to Bosnia, as international envoy to the country. Nato's formal mandate of bolstering the authority of the government of President Hamid Karzai is often problematic, because he appears to lack authority in areas outside Kabul.
But Mr. Boucher's words were tempered by those of one of the former leaders of the NATO campaign in Afghanistan, retired Marine General James Jones, who also appeared before the committee. Time Magazine reports that General Jones, who participated in both of the critical reports, "offered the panel a grim assessment."
There is a "loss of momentum" in Afghanistan that could lead to "backsliding" if not soon regained, he said. Jones warned that the failure to curb opium production and stand up a government with functioning police and courts remain major problems. "The safe havens for the insurgents are more numerous now than they were one or two or three years ago," Jones added. "If we are correct and there's a spiraling situation in an unfavorable direction, the ultimate solution is not a military problem, but it could become one."
The hearing comes amid concerns that the NATO forces in Afghanistan need reinforcements to fulfill their mission. The Associated Press reports that US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates sent a letter to Germany requesting that another 3,200 German troops be sent to Afghanistan.
According to the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, the one-and-a-half-page-long, undated letter to Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung arrived last week. In it, Gates specifically asks Germany to drop caveats limiting its troops to the north of Afghanistan and to send helicopter units, infantry and paratroopers that could join the fight against Taliban militants in the south, the paper reported without citing the letter. ...
...such a direct request from Washington is sure to spark fierce debate in Germany, which already has some 3,000 troops serving in the relatively peaceful north, amid growing public skepticism about the mission.
Bloomberg reports that German officials said they "have no plans" to fulfill Gates' request.
Meanwhile, Canwest News Service writes that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Britain and the US that Canada would withdraw its 2,500 soldiers from the NATO mission in Kandahar unless another 1,000 soldiers were committed to the operation. "Without that, Canada's mission will end in a year's time," warned a Canadian official.
And in an editorial page essay for the Washington Post, Victoria Nuland, the US ambassador to NATO, writes that in Afghanistan, NATO "is facing the greatest challenge in its 59-year history."
The alliance that never fired a shot in the Cold War is learning on the job. Just as the Iraq war forced adaptation in American military and development tactics and strategy, the Afghanistan mission is forcing changes in NATO. With each passing month, Canadians, Germans, Poles, Spaniards, Latvians and our other allies learn more about what it takes to wage a 21st-century counterinsurgency -- a combined civil-military effort that puts warriors side by side with development workers, diplomats and police trainers. Whether flying helicopters across the desert, embedding trainers with the Afghans, conducting tribal shuras with village elders or running joint civilian-military Provincial Reconstruction Teams, most of our allies are reinventing the way they do business. As Defense Secretary Robert Gates made clear last month, this requires new training, new equipment, a new doctrine and new flexibility in combining civil and military efforts in a truly comprehensive approach to security.
The next three to five years will be crucial for the people of Afghanistan, for the NATO alliance and for the community of democracies. The Afghanistan mission is an investment in our collective security; it is also the catalyst for the 21st-century transformation of our democratic alliance. If we can get it right in the Hindu Kush, we will also be stronger the next time we are called to defend our security and values so far from home.
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Al-Qaeda 'killing' spawns doubts
By Rahimullah Yusufzai BBC News / Saturday, 2 February 2008
It was unusual for Islamist websites to break the news of the death of an important al-Qaeda operative as they did this week in the case of Abu Laith al-Libi.
Two such websites - Ekhlaas.org and as-Sahab - which usually carry statements from al-Qaeda leaders, reported the story.
These websites and al-Qaeda and its affiliates usually deny any report of their operatives' deaths because the loss of a leading member of the network could be demoralising for its rank and file.
This change could mean one of two things.
Perhaps it was no longer possible to keep secret al-Libi's killing in an apparent US missile strike on a hideout of militants in a village near Mir Ali town in North Waziristan.
Or perhaps the intent was to say that he was dead, even though he may be alive, and prompt all those closing in on him to give up the chase.
'Significant loss'
Conclusive evidence about his death is difficult to obtain as the village near Mir Ali is presently outside the writ of the government of Pakistan.
It is also far from the bases of the US and Nato forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Even four days after the missile strike on Khushali Torikhel Wazir village, 2km (1.2 miles) south of Mir Ali, the Pakistan government was still unable to officially confirm or deny anything about the airstrike or provide details about the death toll and the identity of those killed.
The government and the military have been finding it difficult and risky to send men to the targeted village to seek details about the missile attack.
The new governor of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Owais Ahmad Ghani, told reporters that the government had finally sent officials to the village.
However, it is doubtful if the government would share any information gained with the media and the public.
In the absence of more solid information, there is lots of hearsay and speculation.
Pakistani Taleban in North Waziristan are claiming that al-Libi was not among the 13 mostly Arab and Central Asian militants who intelligence sources say were killed in the missile strike by a pilotless, CIA-operated Predator aircraft.
However, they conceded that al-Libi had been seen in that area recently.
Some reports suggested that al-Libi was not present at the targeted house at the time of the attack, but that his deputy Abu Sahel was there and had been killed.
Disruption
If al-Libi was killed in the airstrike, this would be a significant loss for al-Qaeda.
It has been some time since someone considered as important has been killed.
Although the network is known to quickly replace its fallen or captured operatives, the loss of such an important member would be painful for the group and could degrade its effectiveness and disrupt its immediate plans for attacks against the US and its allies.
Apart from the operational impact, al-Libi's death could also have political and symbolic effects because he was seen a few times with al-Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in video-tapes and had given speeches to preach "jihad" and attract Muslims to his cause.
If al-Libi's death is confirmed in the airstrike in Pakistan, the belief that Dr Zawahiri or even Osama bin Laden were also hiding in the Pakistani tribal areas such as Waziristan will gain more strength.
This would put greater pressure on the Pakistan government to hunt down al-Qaeda and Taleban operatives hiding in Waziristan and elsewhere in the country.
The US too would find justification for its troops to be allowed to deploy in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to carry out operations against the hideouts of the wanted al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters.
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Taliban take a hit, but the fight goes on
By Syed Saleem Shahzad Asia Times Online / February 2, 2008
KARACHI - With the killing of Abu Laith al-Libi this week, the Taliban have suffered their biggest loss since being ousted from power in 2001, and they are left without their finest military brain just two months before their spring offensive.
All the same, while there will undoubtedly be a short-term negative effect over the loss of the talisman commander, the Taliban have a groundswell of support in place that is unlikely to be affected in the longer term.
According to reports, Libi, 41, a Libyan, was killed on Monday in an attack by a US Predator drone in Mir Ali, a town in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area near the border with Afghanistan.
The US military placed Libi on its most wanted list in 2006, behind al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al- Zawahiri and Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Libi had a reward of US$200,000 on his head following his involvement in the February 2007 bombing at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan during a visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney.
The Western press uniformly describe Libi as al-Qaeda's number three, but it was not his links to the group that made his name. He was the de facto commander in chief of the Afghan resistance against the occupation forces in Afghanistan and he was the main engine behind all of the Taliban's successful attacks, especially in the east of the country.
The strongly built Libi was a committed warrior for the cause of jihad in Afghanistan. Even Pakistani military officers acknowledged his guerrilla fighting skills and his ability to rally his men; they called him a "true mujahid".
On several occasions, Pakistan security forces had him cornered, but each time he managed to escape. He would then send messages to army officers, saying he could have caused havoc in their ranks but he would never fight against a Muslim and preferred to escape.
Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah, now killed, claimed the attack on Bagram last year, but Asia Times Online investigations at the time found it was Libi who had planned the attack. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) later confirmed this. Likewise, all major operations claimed by Afghan commanders, especially those led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, were in fact to the credit of Libi.
The common perception is that all Arabs fighting in Afghanistan belong to al-Qaeda. This is not the reality. Arabs are present in Afghanistan in several groups, and not necessarily part of al-Qaeda, as with Libi. He did cooperate with al-Qaeda but always took independent decisions. He was not known to be part of any international terror operations as he was fully committed to the fight against NATO in Afghanistan and to training fighters in modern techniques of guerrilla warfare.
Libi was the best instructor the Taliban ever had. He had established Shankiari training camp in Khost province which was destroyed by NATO in 2006. He trained Afghans in the use of anti-aircraft missiles, among many other skills.
He was not a scholar like Shiekh Essa, who incites people in the tribal areas to rebel against the Pakistani government. He was not a prophet of doom for the West, like Zawahiri, who often calls for the destruction of London and Washington.
Libi was a simple warrior who fought a defensive war (resistance) against NATO in Afghanistan and was fiercely against carrying out attacks on Pakistan.
He was a battlefield ideologue who lived with his men and fought in a foreign country, and the results of his efforts reverberated around the world.
The initial reaction is that Libi's death could result in a strengthening of the Takfiri ideologues in the Waziristan tribal areas. They believe in war against any non-practicing Muslims, which includes attacks on Pakistan. Libi had acted as a restraining influence on them. But for the Taliban, the focus remains fixed on Afghanistan.
The show goes on
NATO's commander in eastern Afghanistan, Major General David Rodriguez, recently said he did not expect the Taliban to mount a spring offensive this year as they wanted to focus their efforts on destabilizing the Pakistani government.
This is not the case. Mullah Omar made it clear by "sacking" Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud - who wanted to concentrate on Pakistan - that all efforts would be aimed at Afghanistan.
If anything, Libi's death could help ignite the spring offensive. Asia Times Online has learned that a Taliban delegation from the Afghan province of Helmand has arrived in South Waziristan. The purpose is to build bridges between various feuding factions and unite them for the spring offensive.
Pressure will even be brought to bear on Mehsud to shift to Afghanistan for a few months to end hostilities between the Pakistani security forces and his Mehsud tribe, which is under siege in South Waziristan.
Apart from Mehsud and a few other groups, all jihadi groups in the tribal areas have now struck peace deals with Pakistani security and are regrouping for the spring offensive.
By the end of last year, leading jihadi groups such as the Harkatul Mujahideen al-Aalmi, the Harkatul Ansaar, the Harkat-i-Jehad-i-Islami, the Ansarus Sunnah and the Ansarul Muslimoon had concentrated their human and material resources in the Waziristans in preparation for a renewed offensive in Afghanistan.
Each of these organization has independent weapons stockpiles, millions of dollars in funds and hundreds of fighters, in addition to secure supply lines for further funds.
The legend of the Faqir of Api (who defeated the British Indian Army in Waziristan and then the Pakistani army in the 1950s) is alive in one of his descendents, Hafiz Gul Bahadur of North Waziristan.
Gul was the deputy chief of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the chief was Mehsud. But since the removal of Mehsud by Mullah Omar, Gul has struck a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani security forces.
The former chief of the Taliban in South Waziristan, Haji Omar, a Wazir, has also separated from Baitullah and now lives in North Waziristan. He has also struck a deal with the security forces and his now focussed on raising money and men for Afghanistan.
The Uzbeks, the largest group of foreigners in the tribal areas and concentrated in Mir Ali, have joined hands with the Afghan Taliban after separating from Tahir Yuldashev, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. This leaves Mehsud and his followers isolated with members of the banned militant outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and the Takfiri group within al-Qaeda led by Shiekh Essa.
Meanwhile, Pakistani police in the southern port city of Karachi have clarified that Qasim Toori, who was reported to have been killed in five-hour shootout between militants and security forces on Tuesday, is in fact not dead.
Police say he is only injured and is in their custody. He was said to be dead in an effort to catch his whole network, which is believed to be the main financial artery for Mehsud's network.
Thus, Mehsud, with his financial sources curtailed and becoming increasingly isolated, could be the big loser from Libi's death.
The Taliban have taken a hard hit, there is no doubt about that, as Libi was a field commander of exceptional talent. But the momentum for the Taliban's spring offensive was already in place before his death, and now it is gaining pace.
Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief.
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US Envoy: Iran Gained From US Invasions
By JOHN HEILPRIN Associated Press / February 1, 2008
NEW YORK - Iran is stronger today because of the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the American ambassador to the United Nations said Friday.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq removed a key rival of Shiite Iran with the ouster of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated government. Iran has friendly ties with the Shiites now in power in Iraq.
"It's helped Iran's relative position in the region, because Iraq was a rival of Iran ... and the balance there has disintegrated or weakened," Zalmay Khalilzad said while answering questions from students at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. "And so one of the objectives of Iran, in my view, is to discourage a reemergence of Iraq as a balancer. And Afghanistan, too, the change was helpful to Iran."
Khalilzad's boss, President Bush, has called Iran a major sponsor of terrorism, and the U.S. is leading the push for a third set of U.N. sanctions against the country because of its nuclear program.
But to Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, there is no question that an unintended consequence of U.S. decisions in Afghanistan and Iraq has been to strengthen Iran's position in the Mideast.
Iran almost went to war with the Taliban in the late 1990s, because of its extremist theology and its killing of Afghan Shiite Muslims. With the United States' overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, Iran's relations with Afghanistan improved, their trade grew and Iran helped build roads and power lines in Afghanistan. But the Bush administration says Iran is now arming the Taliban to make life difficult for the U.S.
"I, as you know, have met with the Iranians many times over the years in my various positions, including in Afghanistan," he told the students after delivering a speech on the importance of solving the problems of Middle Eastern politics.
"And I used to tease the (Iranian) ambassador that we have done so much for you in Iraq and Afghanistan, the least you can do is to be helpful to this effort. Otherwise, one day you will get a big bill."
He and the crowd laughed.
Whether or not U.S. actions have increased Iran's power, the country also has been playing a greater role in Iraq's economy, supplying Iraqis with electricity, household goods and food. Iraqi leaders from the Shiite bloc that are now in power have said their ties with Iran's governing Shiite Persians will grow.
Despite that, Khalilzad said, he believes "ultimately that Iraq will not be dominated by Iran. Iran would want them to be dependent, but it doesn't mean Iran will succeed. So I have tried to encourage other Arab states who see the change as permanently favoring Iran, not to think that way."
Khalilzad said a third round of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran is justified because of the country's violations of previous resolutions intended to discourage it from pursuing nuclear weapons.
Iran insists its nuclear program is intended only to produce energy and has refused U.N. demands that it suspend its uranium enrichment program - technology that can produce both fuel for nuclear reactors and the fissile material for a bomb.
Khalilzad said that Iran has the "right to have access for nuclear energy," and the United States is willing to work with Iran and other nations to assure they have "reliable access to fuel for nuclear reactors."
But he said there must be controls.
"Having this Iran have access to fissile material that brings it so close to a nuclear weapons capability, is just too risky for this region and for this world," Khalilzad said.
Khalilzad, who was born in northern Afghanistan and immigrated to the United States in high school, denied rumors that he might take a shot at running for Afghanistan's presidency, now held by Hamid Karzai.
"I didn't come here to collect contributions to my campaign. I know how poor students are," Khalilzad joked.
"I have seen those reports and rumors. I can say categorically that I'm not a candidate for the presidency of Afghanistan," he said. "I'm proud of my heritage and honored that I've had the opportunity to represent the United States in helping the Afghans. I will always have a place in my heart for Afghans and Afghanistan, and will do what I can to be helpful to them, they will always be part of me."
After speaking to the students, Khalilzad also defended himself against criticism that he had violated Bush administration rules by participating in talks with Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. They appeared onstage together on Jan. 26, and the U.S. State Department later said Khalilzad did not seek permission to participate.
"I think there was a misunderstanding, because some people thought that we had discussions or negotiations with them. There wasn't anything like that," he told The Associated Press. "There was no discussion, no negotiation, no greeting of them. Just answering questions."
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UN disturbed over Taliban using children as human shield
By Lalit K Jha - Jan 30, 2008 - 15:07
United Nations (PAN): A United Nations report released Tuesday expressed concern over the increasingly use of children as human shield by Taliban and the deliberate attacks by the terrorist outfit on girl students.
In his 45-page report, submitted to Security Council and General Assembly; the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, said children continue to be a major victim of the conflict between anti-government elements including the Taliban and the international forces in Afghanistan.
The report Children and Armed Conflict alleged that Taliban has been responsible for killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools. In Afghanistan, insurgents continue to burn down schools, especially girls schools, in an effort to intimidate and prevent girls from accessing education, Ban said.
Besides Afghanistan, the annual report Children and Armed Conflict said child recruitment is taking place in Burundi, Chad, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Nepal, the Philippines, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
Ban recommended considering a range of measures, including bans on military aid and travel restrictions on leaders, to use against parties to armed conflict who continue to systematically commit grave violations against children.
He also urged the Security Council to refer violations against children in armed conflict to the International Criminal Court.
The report acknowledged that children have also become casualties in military operations against the insurgency, including air strikes by international military forces. Air strikes have in some cases missed their targets and fallen on civilian areas, killing children, it said.
Giving examples, it said on 9 March 2007, nine civilians in Kapisa Province, including four children, were killed in a Coalition military air strike. On 8 May 2007, 21 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in Helmand Province as a result of air strikes that supported ISAF operations. ISAF acknowledged, that mistakes had been made during operations and informed the UN that it continued to adjust operations to minimize civilian casualties, the report said.
Referring to the use of children by the Taliban as human shield, Ban said: The UN remains disturbed by reports of children being used to perpetrate attacks and, in some cases, as human shields by the Taliban and other insurgents. There have been reports that the Taliban have recruited and used children in their activities, such as suicide attacks.
Observing this is a relatively new phenomenon, the report said the UN has documented several high-profile cases of children involved in attacks.
In February 2007, a boy estimated to be between 12 and 15 years old killed himself and a guard and injured four civilians as he attempted to gain entry to a police station in Khost city, Khost Province. Additionally, a 14-year-old boy was caught wearing a suicide vest on his way to assassinate the Khost provincial governor. No commitments have yet been made by any of these groups to end this practice.
The report has also expressed concern over continued attacks against schools by the Taliban and other anti-Government elements, and security incidents affecting schools and threats against students and teachers.
Between August 2006 and July 2007, there were at least 133 documented incidents of school attacks. These caused at least 10 reported deaths among students, mainly in the southern provinces, it said. At least 100 attacks in the south were reported in the first six months of 2007.
There have been deliberate attacks on female students and women teachers, and girls schools are particularly targeted, said the report. On 12 June 2007, two gunmen killed two schoolgirls and injured six others as they left the Qalay Meadan Girls School, in Qala-e Saeed Habib area, Logar Province. According to the Ministry of Education, 384 of the total 721 schools in the southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul are currently closed.
From January to July 2007, there were at least 950 civilian deaths as a result of insurgency-related violence, out of which the UNAMA has documented at least 49 deaths and 19 injuries to children. On 15 June 2007, a suicide attack against an ISAF convoy in Uruzgan Province that was distributing sweets and water to local children resulted in the deaths of four girls and seven boys, aged between 8 and 15 years, it said.
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Three new names in circulation for new UNAMA chief
By Lalit K Jha - Jan 30, 2008 - 17:41
United Nations (PAN): With the office of the UN Secretary General looking afresh for candidates who could be appointed as UNAMA head, at least three names have cropped up for this challenging UN post.
They are Hikmet Cetin, Turkeys former Foreign Minister; Kai Eide, a Norwegian diplomat and the British NATO general John McColl.
Following the confusion many term it as a mess -- that has been created after President Karzai said no to the candidacy of British politician Paddy Ashdown, the UN officials are not willing to speak on this issue.
But a frantic search has been started by the UN establishment in consultation with the key international players in Afghanistan along with the office of President Karzai. It is in these consultations that these three names have been reported to have come for consideration by the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.
Name of the British NATO General, John McColl, has been suggested by Afghan Government as an alternative to Lord Ashdown. The argument was there are other and equally capable persons in Britain who can effectively handle the job.
Currently the deputy Chief of NATO high command, McColl is believed to have good equation with the ruling establishment in Kabul, which would make things easier for him to work as the new UNAMA chief. McColl was the first commander of the international peace troops in Afghanistan after the US-led forces defeated the Taliban in 2001.
Following the Ashdown debacle, consent from the government in Kabul is considered to be a must for the selection of the new UNAMA chief.
Kai Eide, a veteran diplomat in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, is another name that has now appeared in circulation for the post of new UN Envoy to Afghanistan. It is believed to Eide was already among the shortlisted candidates in the last selection process in which Lord Ashdown had apparently got the nod from Ban.
The Norwegian diplomat had a firsthand account of the ground realties in Afghanistan. He was in Kabul this month during the terrorist attack on Serina hotel in the city where the visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister was staying.
In an interview to Aftenpoften, news daily from Norway, Eide conceded that he was in the race and had given his consent for the post. If an offer comes, it would be natural to discuss it first with my family, the foreign minister (Jonas Gahr Stre) and others directly affected," he was quoted as saying by Aftenposten.
Finally the name of the former Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin is also in circulation for the post of new UNAMA chief, which has been lying vacant since the beginning of the year. Many say Cetin would have an additional advantage as he comes from Turkey, a nation which has tremendous good will in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Turkey is seen in the region as a player who is genuinely interested in bringing peace and stability to the country. With 1,500 troops in Afghanistan, Turkey is the only Muslim country which has sent its troops for the international mission in Afghanistan.
Cetin, also a former NATO senior representative in Afghanistan, has a reasonably better understanding of the situation in the country. Turkey has a lot of credit in both Pakistan and Afghanistan," Cetin had told The Washington Post during the visit of the Turkish President Abdullah Gul early this month. "It has more space for maneuver than the U.S. in both countries, and it should do more," he said.
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US envoy rejects Khalilzad's candidacy rumor
By Zubair Babakerkhil - Jan 30, 2008 - 19:30
KABUL (PAN): US ambassador to Kabul William B. Wood on Wednesday brushed aside the rumor that Afghan President Hamid Karzai might face Zalmay Khalilzad in the next presidential polls in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a conference arranged by foreign Affairs Ministry here Wood while rejecting the media guesswork about Khalilzad candidacy for presidential post in Afghanistan also answered journalists' queries about the US assistance and activities in Afghanistan.
The conference was also attended by a number of Afghan legislators, representatives of the civil society, political analysts and government officials.
In reply to a query about the likely nomination of Khalilzad for presidential post in Kabul Wood said the former US envoy to Afghanistan and all other US diplomats had taken oath for being loyal to America while taking charges as American representative anywhere.
"I can not imagine Khalilzad to come and nominate himself as presidential candidate in Afghanistan." He argued, such rumors were far from reality and United States did not have such a policy in which its ambassadors could propose themselves as president in a country.
Responding to a query about Pakistan's role in the international drive against terrorism he lauded the Pakistan's government efforts in tackling terrorism and Taliban, saying the recent progress in southern Afghanistan was an indicator that Pakistan was seriously combating extremists.
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Young woman tries self immolation
By Abdul Mueed Hashmi - Jan 30, 2008 - 21:01
JALALABAD (PAN): A dejected young Afghan woman having a domestic dispute with her husband tried to take her life in Mehtarlam High Court on Wednesday, court officials said.
Spokesman for Laghman governor Abdul Wakil Attak told Pajhwok Afghan News an Afghan woman named 'Pukhtana' sprayed petroleum on her body and set herself ablaze Wednesday morning.
"Pukhtana, aged 25 had a domestic dispute with her husband and was in the court for hearing," he added.
Abdul Kabir, an official of the court said before her turn of hearing in the court Pakhtana tried to take her life however he said they put off the fire and shifted the lady to a nearby hospital.
Doctors in the hospital stated the condition of Pukhtana as stable.
Despite advances in women's rights since the fall in 2001 of the Taliban regime that barred education and employment for females, reports suggest that at least one out of three Afghan women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused. The abuser is usually a family member or someone she knows. Rarely is anyone prosecuted or even reprimanded.
Reports from Herat, in western Afghanistan, show about 90 women set fire to themselves last year there and more than 70 percent died. Afghanistan's poor health system can do little for the badly burnt.
Translated &edited by Abid Jan Razarwal
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People provided medical help in Herat
By Najib Khelwatgar - Jan 30, 2008 - 20:58
KABUL, (PAN): A joint medic team from International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan National Army provided 1300 people with health treatments in the western Herat province, ISAF representative said.
Dr. Vincenzo Giacobbe, an ISAF physician said on Wednesday the medical aids were provided to 40% women and remaining male and children in the province. He said four Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) teams in the western zone were equally serving the locals.
Dr Amir Ahmad Ansari policy and planning advisor of the Public Health Ministry present on the occasion appreciated the assistance by ANA and ISAF. Since could wave begin to threaten Afghanistan, the public health Ministry ordered its personnel to be on alert, he added.
While turning down the exaggerated death toll from frigid weather in the country by media, he said thus far there was no exact figure of the people who died of the cold weather in the country.
Today's ceremony was opened by remarks from Cmdr. (Dr.) Wiebke Franck, ISAF Deputy Medical Advisor, who said he was pleased to speak about joint efforts of Public Health Ministry, ANA and ISAF for development of the Afghan Medical Service.
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