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Sunday, May 19, 2013

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Why Putin wants U.S. bases in Afghanistan
Drone pilot burnout triggers call for recruiting overhaul
Washington gets explicit: its 'war on terror' is permanent
Khaled Hosseini on How the Iraq War Hurt Afghanistan
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Afghanistan's kochis: Nomads no more
Afghan Commandos Step Up Their Combat Role
Bamiyan was a safe haven in Afghanistan – but what now?
Afghanistan demands arrest of ‘American’ death squad leader
American Accused of Torturing, Disappearing Afghan Civilians
Drone Operator Tells of Killing Civilians, Children

Afghan President Seeks
Indian Military Aid Amid Pakistan Row

May 19, 2013
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

An aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will seek military aid from India during a three-day visit this week to that country.

Karzai's trip, which begins on May 20, comes amid escalating border tensions with India's archrival, Pakistan.

Spokesman Aimal Faizi says Karzai will discuss recent Afghan-Pakistani border skirmishes when he visits New Delhi and will seek Indian help in the "strengthening of [Afghan] security forces."

Earlier this month, border guards from the two countries clashed at their disputed frontier on the Durand Line -- the colonial-era boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan said a policeman was killed.

Pakistan said the clashes were the result of unprovoked Afghan action.

The fresh strains in Pakistan's ties with Afghanistan come as a new government is set to take office in Islamabad, promising improved ties with India.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters


Afghanistan to purchase
An-74 cargo planes for Afghan forces

By SAYED JAWAD - 19 May 2013, 10:31 pm

Khaama Press

The national security council (NSC) of Afghanistan on Sunday instructed Afghan finance ministry provide $100 million to Afghan defense ministry for the purchase of 5 Russian made transport air-crafts.

According to a statement released by Afghan presidential palace media office, the decision was taken during the national security council (NSC) meeting chaired by Afghan president Hamid Karzai.

Afghan defense minister Gen. Bismillah Mohammadi during NSC meeting insisted that five An-74 air crafts were needed by Afghan defense ministry, and urged for immediate financial arrangement to purchase the required air-crafts.

Afghan presidential palace media office in its statement added that national security council of Afghanistan instructed finance ministry to provide the amount from the budget of the Afghan government.

National security adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta, defense and interior ministers along with the head of the national directorate of security also briefed the national security council regarding the transition of armed militia covered by US troops to Afghan control.

According to reports around 290 armed militia were transitioned to national directorate of security formation in Urgon district of eastern Paktika province, and further steps have been taken to transfer the remaining armed militia men to Afghan control in Kandahar, Kabul, Nangarhar, Kunar and Khost provinces of Afghanistan.


Karzai says US can
establish military bases in Afghanistan

Press TV
May 19, 2013

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the United States can establish military bases in Afghanistan after the two sides sign US-Afghan bilateral security agreement.

Karzai made the demand during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday.

The Afghan president said the agreement could be reached on condition that the US ensures lasting peace in the country.

"They discussed the joint progress on the bilateral security agreement, border issues and the status of the ongoing peace process," US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"Kerry also affirmed that he and President Karzai remain committed to the same strategy and the same goal of a stable, sovereign Afghanistan, responsible for its own security and able to ensure that it can never again be a safe haven for terrorists," she added.

Meanwhile, Karzai’s spokesman Aimal Faizi said Washington has confirmed its demands for establishing nine permanent bases in Afghanistan.

Faizi added that US officials have sent an email confirming the plan.

American officials previously denied that they had demanded that Kabul creates the bases, but have now admitted that their initial denial was mistaken.

Afghan officials say Washington has even picked some cities for its bases during its latest talks with Kabul.

The United States and its allies entered the war in Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but after more than 11 years, the foreign troops have still not been able to establish security in the country.

The foreign troops are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. However, there are still more than 100,000 US-led troops (67,000 US troops and 37,000 coalition forces) in the country.


Powerful blast hits governor's
compound in northern Afghanistan

Press TV
May 19, 2013

Several people are feared dead or injured after a huge explosion rocked a governor's compound in northern Afghanistan, Press TV reports.

Afghan security sources said the explosion took place in the vicinity of the governor's compound in the capital city of Sar-e Pol Province in the country's north on Sunday evening.

The blast happened in a parking lot located very close to the compound.

Eyewitnesses say thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the governor's complex.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from the bomb attack and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.

Security forces cordoned off the area after the blast, and launched an investigation.

The Taliban militants have recently announced the start of their annual "spring offensive" against US-led and Afghan forces, vowing a new wave of attacks across Afghanistan.

Taliban said it would use "every possible tactic" to inflict casualties on Afghan and US-led forces.

The announcement prompted the Afghan authorities to beef up security in major cities across the country, including the capital city of Kabul.

The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of combating terrorism. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across the country despite the presence of thousands of US-led soldiers.


ISAF plane makes hard landing, leaving no casualty

KABUL, May 19 (Xinhua) -- A plane with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) made hard landing in Logar province 60 km south of Kabul on Sunday, a statement of the alliance released here said.

"An International Security Assistance Force C-130 had a hard landing in Logar province, Afghanistan today," the statement added.

The statement without providing more details stressed that, " There are no casualties, and there was no indication of insurgent activity in the area at the time."

Previously, in a similar incident, a helicopter crashed in Logar province on April 22, during which Taliban militants captured nine people including eight Turkish nationals aboard the chopper and set them free after nearly two weeks keeping in captivity.


Report: Obama Trims Afghan War Budget Request

VOA News
May 18, 2013

U.S. President Barack Obama is trimming his funding request for the Afghan war.

The Reuters news agency quotes an unidentified White House aide as saying the president has decreased his request for funding the war in Afghanistan by 10 percent for the 2014 fiscal year budget. The report says the president reduced his original request from $88.5 billion to $79.4 billion.

The White House issued a statement Friday saying the change was made to account for the drawdown of troops set to begin next year.

The president has set 2014 as the target for withdrawing most of the troops while maintaining sufficient personnel there to support Afghan forces and carry out some operations.

A reporter for VOA's Deewa service says the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is seeing increased traffic as more trucks loaded with military hardware are leaving Afghanistan ahead of the U.S. troop withdrawal.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department is seeking congressional approval to shift nearly $10 billion of its budget to cover the increased costs of the war in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon request, made late Friday, is larger than the $7.5 billion limit that Congress set for annual transfers between accounts.

It is not clear how Congress will respond to the request.


Today's Afghan News headlines

UNAMA

19 May 2013 - President Karzai sets ensuring peace as main precondition for signing security pact with US; Lower House decides to set up a commission to probe allegations made by the Finance Minister against six lawmakers; Afghanistan and UNHCR in dispute over delivery of cash for solving Afghan refugee issues in Pakistan; President Karzai meets UNESCO director. A number of MPs call parts of EVAW law un-Islamic; Kandahar blasts were planned in Quetta - officials; Anti Pak-Iran protest staged in Jalalabad; UNESCO director vows to increase aid in education sector.

AFGHAN PRINT NEWS

Tolo News.com

Corruption has scaled new heights with the Afghan attaches in Pakistan denying they received any financial aid from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Tolo News reports that the organization pays 14 million Pakistani Rupees each year to the attaches of the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation (MoRR) who operate in three states of Pakistan. An official of UNHCR in Pakistan told Tolo News that the organization has paid thousands of dollars in cash to Afghan attaches to solve the problems of Afghan refugees’ residing in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Quetta. "In all these places, solving the problems of refugees and their supervision, all is done by UNHCR. To some extent, we financially help them and I think that in the current year we may give them US$28,000," an official of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Pakistan Fawad told Tolo News. But the attaches of MoRR in Pakistan rejected all the claims and said that they had not received any kind of funding in cash from the UNHCR. "They have not given any financial aid for the refugees so far," said one MoRR’s attaché, Khan Momand.

Pajhwok Afghan News

Fourteen Afghan prisoners who had been languishing in Tajikistan‘s prisons were handed over to Afghan authorities, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

Foreigners will not leave Afghanistan until the country stands on its own feet, said Khost governor Jabar Naeimi in a press conference held after visiting foreign troops in Khost.

A statement from the President’s Office said that Karzai briefed his cabinet on the nature of his phone conversation with Secretary of State Kerry. Karzai told Kerry that Afghanistan would not sign the security agreement until peace was guaranteed by the US. Karzai said their phone conversation focused on several points--- peace and Pakistan's role in peace efforts and the bilateral security pact. On Pakistan's role in peace process, Karzai said the country should translate its pledges into a concrete action and the US has to make further efforts in this regard. Karzai made it clear to Kerry that the Afghanistan would never sign a security agreement with the US if the conflict and violence continues. The US should accept all conditions that the Afghan Government has proposed for the agreement, including bringing to a close the current war, the statement added.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Saturday sent essential materials to nine northern provinces for the distribution of new voter cards ahead of the April 2014 presidential and provincial elections, an official said.

The Lower House on Saturday decided to set up a commission to investigate Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal’s allegations against six lawmakers.

During his visit with President Karzai, UNESCO’s director said that instead of spending money rebuilding Buddha statues in Bamyan, it would be better to set up a museum.

The Afghanistan National Journalists’ Union welcomed the sacking of the Takhar police chief over his violent and illegal treatment of local journalists.

Representatives of civil society organizations in Bamyan expressed concern over the influence exerted by some elites in the local judicial and legal offices to release people convicted of murder and theft.

Hasht-e-Subh Daily

Some 40 students of Laisa-e-Markazi school Ashkamish district in Takhar were poisoned, said the head of provincial health directorate.

Private Media Editorials

Hasht-e-Subh Daily

Lawmakers should not politicize the approval process of the Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW). Apparently some individuals [lawmakers] want to appear themselves as heroes of in the approval or disapproval process of the EVAW law. Similar reactions were visible when the Shiite Personal Status Law was faced with a similar situation. It’s necessary that the experiences of other countries, which possess cultures similar to Afghanistan, should be used. Parliament should speed up the approval process of the election law because the presidential election should be held next year. The forthcoming elections will play a vital role in the political and economic destiny of the country. The EVAW law is currently enforced in the country based on a presidential legislative decree, even attorneys who practice EVAW law are active. It’s necessary that the EVAW law should reach maturity then be approved by the lawmakers.

Mandeagr Daily

The foreign cultural invasion through soap operas which aim at advocating for women’s rights and the extreme performances of some women’s rights activists have caused obstacles on the way of women to achieve their rights. These programs are against our Islamic values and they cause backlashes which threaten the legitimate rights and freedoms of women. Women constitute half of the population and they play important roles in politics and society. If these roles are passed through a logical approach free from any gender-based discrimination, it will greatly support the women who have been deprived of most of their rights. It is hoped that no political deal will take place in approving or rejecting the Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Arman-e-Milli Daily

We should not expect peace to be restored in the country unless criminal groups whose crimes have been proven [by the court of law] are punished. Recklessness in relation to the cases of murderers and terrorists has harmed the prestige of the government and has threatened the legitimacy of the Karzai administration. If Kabul wants to restore a minimum of legitimacy, then efforts should be made to enact capital punishment of criminals.

Outlook Afghanistan

As the year of presidential election approaches, the concerns of political parties, the international community, civil society organizations and media bodies regarding the arrangements made to conduct free and fair election are escalating. Formerly, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Head of Transition Process, said that the government, political parties and civil bodies should adopt measures to hold transparent and fair elections. A transparent poll requires pre-conditions of universal issuance of computerized identity cards, timely up-grades of old voter lists and the appointment of impartial polling staff of high integrity. All this should be held under the oversight of the UN and international observers. Many international donors, including the US, have laid down conditions to aid Afghanistan, linked to a legitimate election. Afghanistan’s weakening economy is highly dependent on foreign aid and a threatening budget deficit and economical reversals could occur if foreign aid is disbanded. A smooth transfer of power through free, fair and transparent elections must be ensured to avoid any crisis in 2014. Similar issues of fraud caused a deadlock in 2009. A repeat of that experience will not pass smoothly next time. It will take the system down. Such a crisis could derail the entire process and we could plunge into political instability that is much more serious and threatening than in 2009.

AFGHAN TV NEWS

Tolo TV Headlines

Two kidnappers involved in the murder of an eight-year-old boy, Ali Sina, the son of a Herat businessman, were executed on Saturday in Herat province. President Karzai recently approved the court verdict on the execution of the two convicts. The family Sina believe that the hanging of these kidnappers will send a strong message to all the criminals and may put an end to kidnapping crimes in Herat.

On Saturday, the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) was dropped from the Lower House's agenda as a result of harsh reactions by a number of lawmakers. A number of MPs criticized some articles of the law, calling them against Islamic teachings and values and demanded the suspension of those articles. A number of MPs strongly criticized President Karzai and asked why the President had enforced such a law which was against Islam. One lawmaker, Mawlavi Abdul Rahmani said: “Allah says that you [the Muslim men] can marry up to four women if you could ensure justice among them and if not then you should marry only one. Shall we amend the law of Allah?” MP Fawzia Kofi, the head of Women’s Affairs Commission of the Lower House of Parliament, said: “Today I want the MPs to vote for this law as a national need, in a time that is already enforced, for sake of their sisters who have been alongside them at every point." The opposing MPs said six articles of the law contradict Islamic values including the establishment of women shelters, the marriage age of girl which is cited as above 16-year-old, multiple marriages [at the same time], the selection of husbands by girls and forced marriages. "I am surprised the President has sent the legislative decrees [for the enforcement of the EVAW law] which is against sharia and religion," said MP Abdul Satar Khawasi. The opposing MPs said that women’s shelters are a place for moral corruption. “If women’s shelters (are) approved by the law, you should expect the outcomes [similar] to Sawr 7th [27 April 1979] and millions of martyrs,” said Qhazi Nazeer Ahmad Hanafi. The Lower House president, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the law should be shared with all 18 commission of the house in order to be amended by a special commission and then should be included in the house agenda. The director of Human Rights Watch in Afghanistan, Heather Barr, said that if President Karzai amends the EVAW law it will be a tragedy for Afghan women. It’s said that some opposing MPs are attempting to collect signatures of other lawmakers to pressure the president to nullify the women’s law.

Friday night’s blasts that rocked Kandahar city was planned in Quetta with the support of Pakistan, said the Kandahar provincial police chief. A number of civil society activists strongly condemned recent terrorist incidents in Kabul and Kandahar that have taken the life of over 20 civilians and inured over 100 others. “Suicide attacks are not acceptable in Islam and has no legal justification in Islami,” said a religious scholar.

The commander of the Pakistani Taliban, Mullah Abdul Nazir, leads over 1,000 Pakistani Taliban in the eastern parts of Afghanistan and easily infiltrates across the Pak-Afghan border, the commander of Pakistani ground troops in the Swat Valley told the Wall Street Journal. However, US officials said that they have not found any indication that Mullah Nazir is leading so many Pakistani Taliban in eastern Afghanistan. The Interior Ministry spokesperson said that the assertions of the Pakistani military commander was illogical and said that no terrorist sanctuaries exist inside Afghan soil.

Over 1,600 acres of state-owned lands are about to be grabbed in Jabalusaraj district of Parwan and over 300 acres of them have already been grabbed, said some locals. The provincial governor said he is informed about the issue and will take appropriate measures.

Shamshad TV Headlines

During his next week trip to India, President Karzai will seek India’s military cooperation with Afghanistan. The Afghan delegation and Indian officials will discuss military cooperation, recent border disputes with Pakistan, regional cooperation and further strengthening of ties between Kabul and New Delhi, said President Karzai’s spokesman. No details were provided about the quantity or type of military gear that Afghanistan would seek from India, but the spokesman said that Afghanistan’s demands from India would be on the basis of the strategic agreement between the two countries.

A number of MPs called the Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women anti-Islamic and anti-constitutional principles. The approval of the law was dropped from the Lower House’s Saturday agenda after a number of angry MPs called for amendments of some of its content. “If the law is not discussed today, it will mean that all the women’s achievements made so far have been symbolic and that they these achievements lacked any value or basis in the society and in the Lower House,” said the head of the Lower House’s Women’s Affairs Committee Fawzia Kofi after the law was dropped from the House’s agenda. The opposing MPs said that nine points of the law were against the Quran and that the rest were not consistent with the Constitution and other values, asking for a review of the law.

The head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC)’s office in Kunduz, Hayatullah Amir, said that if cases of violence against women continue as they have for the past two months in the province, this year would be even worse than the past year for women. Since the beginning of the Afghan calendar year eight women have been killed in Kunduz and two women were mysteriously killed in Takhar last week.

Kandahar’s security officials said that Friday evening’s car bombs in Aino Mina of Kandahar city were planned in Quetta and supported by Pakistan.

Summoned by MPs, the director of the Central Bank, Norullah Delawari, said that not only Afghani’s but also the value of other foreign currencies had fallen against $US.

Education Minister Farooq Wardak said that if enemies of education deprive children from education, they would move the classrooms into the students’ houses. The director of UNESCO who is visiting Afghanistan said that UNESCO would increase its assistance in the education sector. Minster Wardak, who was meeting with UNESCO’s director in a girls’ school in Kabul said that nearly 3000,000 children were still deprived of education. Denying reports that recently over 4,000 school students had been poisoned, Wardak said that studies showed that no student was affected by any poisonous chemical.

A number of residents of Nangarhar staged a demonstration against Pakistan and Iran in Jalalabad city, condemning Pakistan’s border establishments in Goshta and killing of Afghans by Iran’s border police. They also called for the trial of a local commander Hakim Shojayee, who is accused of killing and violating human rights in Uruzgan.

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