Friday, May 24, 2013
Gunbattle Inside Kabul Building
Follows Large Blast
May 24, 2013
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
KABUL -- Reports say gunmen have taken positions inside a
building in the Afghan capital after an attack that apparently
began with at least two large blasts.
Eyewitnesses on May 24 said that they heard heavy shooting
after the explosions, which reportedly targeted a security
building.
The afternoon attack happened in an area where some security
buildings and offices of international organizations are located.
There was no immediate word on casualties.
In phone calls to media organizations, a purported Taliban
spokesman has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it
started with a suicide car bomb attack.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Multiple blasts rock Afghanistan
capital
Press TV
May 24, 2013
Several people are feared dead or injured after multiple
explosions rocked an administrative district in the Afghan
capital, Kabul, Press TV reports.
Afghan officials said on Friday the serial bomb blasts took
place near the Ministry of Interior in Kabul on Thursday.
Gunfire erupted after the bomb attacks on the district where a
number of militants are said to be holed up.
Frequent bomb attacks have disrupted normal life and business
activities in Afghanistan where civilian casualties are expected
to rise after Washington announced plans to set up permanent bases
in the country.
Taliban militants recently announced the start of their annual
"spring offensive" against US-led and Afghan forces, vowing a new
wave of attacks across Afghanistan.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as
part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive
removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across the
country despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops.
Mosadeq: Afghanistan facing
crucial year for human rights
By MIRWAIS ADEEL - 24 May 2013, 4:57 pm
Khaama Press
The human rights situation in Afghanistan remains deeply
worrying as the country faces a crucial year with the security
transition well under way, Amnesty International said in its
Annual Report released today.
The report looks at the state of human rights around the world
over the past year, and highlights the persistent problems in
Afghanistan of violence against women and girls, conflict abuses
against civilians, and the dire conditions faced by displaced
people.
“With the Afghan authorities’ increasing responsibility for
security, it is vital that human rights be prioritized by the
government and parliament, Afghanistan’s international partners,”
Horia Mosadiq, Amnesty International’s Afghanistan Researcher
said.
“2012 was in many ways a bleak year for human rights in
Afghanistan. But there is also cause for optimism. We have seen
for instance more civil society activism, especially from the
women’s movement.”
Women defenders of human rights have bravely spoken out against
intimidation, beatings and rape attacks against women and girls
across Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights
Commission documented more than 4,000 cases of violence against
women from 21 March to 21 October 2012 – a jump of 28 per cent
from the same period last year, possibly due to increased public
awareness.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of the Afghan women’s
movement, women and girls attacked by the Taleban or security
forces, or in their own homes, still have little access to
justice. The 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women law,
although a milestone achievement, remains poorly enforced.”
Amnesty International’s Annual Report this year spotlights the
plight millions of migrants, refugees and displaced people face
around the world.
In Afghanistan, around 500,000 people remained internally
displaced by the end of October 2012. Many are forced to live in
slum conditions with poor sanitation and inadequate access to
education and healthcare, while under threat of being forcibly
evicted.
“We’re glad that our campaign last year to ensure better
protection for internally displaced persons seems to have had an
impact. The Afghan government’s drafting now of a comprehensive
national policy on internal displacement could help enormously, if
properly resourced and implemented.”
Civilians continue to suffer disproportionately from the
ongoing armed conflict.
Despite the 2010 Taliban code of conduct ordering fighters to
avoid targeting civilians, the Taleban and other armed groups
continue to breach the laws of war in brutal attacks causing
untold suffering.
According to the UN, more than 2,700 civilians were killed in
2012 – although the vast majority (81 per cent) were caused by
armed groups, there are still concerns about violations by Afghan
and international forces who were responsible for eight per cent
of civilian casualties.
“Afghan and international security forces must allow for
independent oversight of their actions. Any alleged violations
must be promptly investigated, the suspects brought to justice,
and their victims provided full reparations including
compensation,” said Mosadiq.
“There may be a 2014 deadline for withdrawal of international
combat troops, but this should not also mean any withdrawal of
support to help protect and promote human rights in Afghanistan.”
