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Afghan troops taking on perilous fight against insurgency
CNN By Anna Coren September 27, 2012
Delaram, Afghanistan - U.S. Marines stand under the blazing sun at Camp Bastion airfield waiting for their ride to take them far beyond the perimeter fence.
Wearing body armor and weapons, they dump their helmets and bags in the dirt and look out onto one of Afghanistan's busiest runways.
A $25 million Harrier jet flies past, leaving the roar of its engine in its wake, while a monstrous AC-130 Hercules touches down to pick up troops and cargo. An Osprey helicopter -- half helicopter, half plane and one of the prized possessions of the U.S. Air Force -- hovers in the distance before landing to join the dozen other Ospreys sitting on the tarmac.
Read more: U.S. surge over as last of extra troops exit
A Sikorsky then comes into view. The helicopter invented by a Russian-American is older than the other military hardware on the runway but it's reliable and gets the job done. As it approaches the apron of the runway, the draft blows the dirt straight into the faces of the Marines.
They don't turn their backs to the assault of sand, dirt and gravel but hold their ground and stare right into it -- a display of Marine toughness that could come in handy in the mission ahead. They're headed to Nimroz Province, where the insurgency is growing stronger by the day.
As I stand there wondering if all these Marines will return from their tour in the badlands of southwest Afghanistan, a lanky 19-year-old lieutenant with a buzz cut strolls by and strikes up a conversation. He tells me he was in the 3rd grade in Minnesota when the September 11 attacks occurred.
"I grew up watching the war in Afghanistan on CNN, and I knew I wanted to come here and fight for my country," he says.
We've come to the front line of this war to see the transfer of power that is under way between U.S. and Afghan forces.
But a spate of so-called "green on blue" attacks -- Afghan soldiers or police attacking U.S. and other international forces -- has caused serious alarm for U.S. and ISAF troops, and the transition process has been fast tracked.
The Marines have sent us to Delaram, at the crossroads of Helmand, Nirmroz and Farah provinces, to show how joint patrols are still happening, despite NATO's orders to suspend many of the operations.
As we touch down in this dusty, desolate landscape, it quickly becomes apparent the Marines are no longer training the Afghans.
They've handed over the reins of this outpost to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the 28 Marines who remain here are working in an "advisory" role, marking off the days on the calendar until they are scheduled to go home for Christmas.
While everyone lives inside the massive compound, the two camps are divided by high barbed-wire fences, with several hundred meters of land between them.
The Marines and Afghans live, eat and sleep separately. They only come together and mix on common ground where the central command headquarters is located.
A Marine introduces me to the man in charge -- Gen. Abdul Wasea Milad from the ANA. The former Mujahadeen fighter is leading 5,000 Afghan soldiers from the Iranian border east to Kajaki -- some of the most dangerous territory in the country.
He's just returned from a 10-day trip visiting many of his outposts, driving hundreds of kilometers along Highway One. It's a journey the Americans wouldn't even consider doing by road because of all the improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, planted daily by insurgents.
When I ask the general about the dangers he faces, he just laughs and tells me: "This is Afghanistan. My men sweep the roads for landmines every morning, so they're fine to travel on during the day. It's when we sleep that the Taliban puts them out again."
While standing in General Wasea's office, a soldier informs him of a report of a suspected IED outside the local police headquarters.
He takes us in his Humvee to the site about three kilometers (two miles) beyond the wire from Camp Delaram. The Americans are not accompanying us. They have no desire to leave the fortified compound, as they explain this is now an Afghan operation.
Lt. Jan Mohammad, who has been with the ANA for the past two years, is leading the mission. He and another solider are carrying a metal detector, a block of C4 explosive, detonators and a drag rope.
The site is located off the main highway on a dirt road leading to a village. We walk in single file, aware of every single step, in case there are other mines that have been laid under the surface.
The soldier sweeping the road suddenly stops when his equipment starts beeping -- a sign it's picked up something possibly very dangerous. We all crouch down and he gently picks at the earth. After a painstaking search he declares there's nothing there and we move on.
Soldiers armed with M4 machine guns stand above us on the dusty hill watching in case there's an ambush.
A local villager on a motorcycle attempts to drive in our direction. The soldiers point their weapons and yell out a warning, telling the driver to head off in another direction.
Suicide bombings are also a common tactic for the Taliban, and these soldiers are only too aware of the dangers that now face them.
We reach the site and Lt. Mohammad takes over. The 30-year-old officer earns less than $300 a month, risking his life every day to disable these deadly devices.
I ask how much experience he has, and he tells me: "It's not my first time. I have defused 70 IEDs in Kajaki in seven days when I was there with the Marines."
When I ask him why he does this dangerous line of work he replies: "If I lose my life it wouldn't be a problem. But if others die while I am doing this then I would feel bad because I don't want others to die. This is my job -- to save my people from the risk of these IEDs."
As he lies on his stomach assessing the area, he digs with his hands to remove the earth. He slowly stands up and sweeps the metal detector over and over again, making sure he identifies the exact spot before lying back in the dirt to continue digging.
After 20 minutes, he stands up and declares the site is clear explaining the Taliban must have removed the IED after it had been reported to the police, or a local came and took it to claim the $100 reward.
As we walk back to the Humvee I ask Lt. Mohammad how he feels about the U.S.-led coalition pulling out of Afghanistan by 2014.
He says: "It wouldn't make a difference to me if they leave because it is my country and I will keep doing my job."
Afghan minister calls for preservation of historical, cultural heritage
KABUL, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government and the international community should take more urgent measures to save the rich historical sites and structures as well as cultural facilities in Afghanistan, the Afghan Minister of Culture and Information said.
"I have frequently warned the government and the international community in the past and now I repeat it again that if more urgent measures would not be in place to preserve the historical monuments and cultural heritages of Afghanistan we would witness a dangerous situation by losing major parts of Afghan heritage in coming years," local newspaper -- the Daily Afghanistan quoted Syed Makhdoom Raheen as saying on Thursday.
"The danger to Afghanistan heritage, which is part of world's heritage as well, has grown steady over the past years as more than 1,200 historic and archaeological site have been threaten by natural hard times and protracted conflicts," Raheen told audience in a ceremony to mark the World Tourism Day, which falls on Sept. 27 every year.
Like other institutions, Tourism Industry has also been badly damaged in insurgency-hit Afghanistan due to protracted wars and civil conflicts.
The minister said that the government has in the past made great efforts for awareness of vulnerability of the cultural heritage and historical site but specific preservation is needed in an efficient manner to safeguard and monitor the situation of the sites.
"The government should take the proper administrative measures to ensure that all sites with historical and archeological importance not just in Kabul and other big cities but throughout the country should be preserved and maintained for the next generation."
According to Afghan archaeologists and cultural officials, armed conflicts, uncontrolled urbanizations as well as digging the sites by the looters and gangs have been the main objects to put the site in danger.
However, the government has set up several hundreds of special police forces to preserve the sites across the country, according to officials.
Although in the pre-war times Afghanistan had been one of the few international tourist destinations in South and Central Asia, the decades of militancy and civil war has virtually pushed the country back into a conservative social order.
While tourism industry is yet at its toddling stage, the loving and hardworking people of Afghanistan are doing overtime to promote the industry.
"If we promote the tourism once again in the country, Afghanistan could earns an estimated of 4 billion to 7 billion U.S. dollars from the industry by year as we know," the minister said in his remarks.
"Efforts are underway to preserve the sites but many important sites are still out of the list. The list is not in a proper way. So many heritage sites in the country remain unprotected," he said.
To develop the tourism, the government has declared Band-e-Amir, a natural lake in the central Bamyan province, some 200 km west of Kabul, as a national park in 2009.
Although Afghanistan is the cradle of old civilizations ranging from Bactrian, Zoroastrian, Buddhism and Islam, and even the legacy of cold war era are available there in bulk but little has been invested in tourism industry.
There are castles, historical forts and archeological sites dated back to 5,000 years. However, these national assets are not properly preserved.
Archeological sites, like the huge castle in Balkh province, Takht-e-Rustam (Rustam's Throne) in Samangan province, Shahr-e- Ghulghula (Scream city) in Bamyan province, Munar-e-Jam (Jam Minarets), and many other relics are living monuments of all these civilizations.
Also in Bamyan province, once the center of Buddhism, the giant Buddhas dated back to 3,500 years were destroyed by Taliban regime in March 2000 and the monks' caves around have been housing homeless people in the contemporary world.
"Great efforts and hard works must be in place and measures have been put in place to improve the tourism industry in Afghanistan," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in his message readout in the ceremony.
The president also ordered the related government agencies to set up an institute of tourism to further help the industry in the country.
In the eve of the tourism day, the National Archie of Briton has announced to transfer copies of some 5,000 Afghanistan-related documents to the Afghan National Archive, according to Director of Afghan National Archive, Sakhi Munir.
Former Nuristan Governor Sentenced for Embezzlement
TOLOnews.com By Jawed Stanikzai Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Kabul Primary Court on Wednesday sentenced former Nuristan provincial governor Jamaluddin Badr to up to two years in jail for embezzlement in a case involving at least five other provincial officials.
The court heard that Badr with the police chief Shas-ul-Rahan Zahed and other provincial officials embezzled 9 million Afs ($180,000) from the monthly salaries of the provincial police forces, leading to the resignation of many policemen and opening up the province to insecurity.
"As a result of the money embezzlement, the policemen quit their jobs and the Taliban captured three districts of the province," head of anti-corruption department of the Attorney General Gen. Ghulam Dastagir Ranjbar said.
Former police chief Zahed was sentenced to six years jail and the former provincial finance manager was sentenced to 10 years. Meanwhile other former provincial officials, including the head of the crime department, the salaries distribution team and an accountant have been sentenced to 1.5 years in jail, according to the Attorney General.
Quadrilateral summit in Pakistan postponed
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan said Thursday that the quadrilateral summit (Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Afghanistan) which is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on October 2-3 has been postponed.
New summit dates will be worked out after seeking convenience of the respective leaders through diplomatic channels, the Foreign Ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry did not give any reason for the postponement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to attend the summit along with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Tajik President Emomalii Rahmon.
"In a letter to the President of Pakistan, President Vladimir Putin expressed his eagerness to jointly enhance our efforts to further develop Russian-Pakistani ties and advance mutually beneficial trade and economic projects," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
"I am confident that in future we shall be able to find opportunities for arranging our personal meeting. We shall always be happy to receive you in Russia," Putin wrote.
Afghan Among Winners Of 'Alternative Nobels'
September 27, 2012 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Promoters of peace, human rights, and the environment were named as winners of this year's Right Livelihood Awards, dubbed by some "the alternative Nobels."
American political theorist Gene Sharp will share the 150,000 euro ($195,000) prize with Afghan rights activist Sima Samar and Britain's Campaign Against Arms Trade.
Sharp, 83, is the author of a manual for nonviolent struggle "From Dictatorship to Democracy." The writings of Sharp, a former Harvard researcher, have been widely translated and used to promote nonviolent resistance in countries as varied as Serbia and Egypt.
Afghan rights activist Samar, 54, shares the award in recognition of years of promoting human rights, as the founder of an NGO and while holding official appointments in the Afghan government.
The jury cited "her longstanding and courageous dedication to human rights, especially the rights of women, in one of the most complex and dangerous regions of the world."
In 1989, Samar established the Shuhada Organization in Quetta, Pakistan, to provide health care to refugee Afghan women and girls and train medical staff. After the fall of the Taliban, she returned to Afghanistan and served as a deputy president in the Afghan Transitional Administration and then as Minister for Women's Affairs.
She currently heads the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).
The third recipient sharing the cash award, Britain's Campaign Against Arms Trade, works for the abolition of the international arms business. The group was founded in 1974 by a broad coalition of peace organizations.
Turkish environmentalist Hayrettin Karaca, 90, received an honorary prize. Karaca, considered the grandfather of the Turkish environmental movement, is the co-founder of TEMA, a successful nationwide movement to protect soil and natural habitats.
Swedish-German philanthropist Jakon von Uexkull founded the donor-funded awards in 1980 to recognize work he thought was ignored by the Nobel Foundation.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa
U.S. Army to stand down for a day for suicide prevention
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Army said Wednesday its soldiers have been ordered to put aside duties on Thursday, and spend the day on suicide prevention training.
Sergeant Major Raymond Chandler said at a news conference the day will focus on making sure troops and their families know what programs are available to them and helping them get over the embarrassment and seek help.
Troops with duties such as combat operations in Afghanistan or medical duties in army hospitals will schedule their training when possible.
The U.S. military is facing a growing problem of suicide, as the cumulative effects of 10 years of war take a heavy toll on servicemembers. Being the largest of the services with the highest number of suicides, the Army had 167 suicides in 2011. The figure could approach 200 this year. The Army is also the only one planning the special training Thursday.
In an interview this week with a North Carolina newspaper, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the Defense Department is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs to allot 100 million dollars toward advancing diagnosis and treatment, in order to prevent suicides.
"We've really been pushing on trying to open up access to quality mental and behavioral health care, trying to expand access, so we've got some 9,000 new psychiatrists and psychologists, social workers and nurses," Panetta said.
12-Year-Old Escapes Taliban Suicide Plan
TOLOnews.com By Sonil Haidari, Barialay Rahimi Wednesday, 26 September 2012
A 12-year-old Afghan boy whose family was killed in a Nato airstrike escaped from Taliban insurgents attempting to use him as a suicide bomber in southern Helmand province, local officials said.
The boy, Neyaz Mohammad, was a resident in the Kajaki district of southern Helmand province who lost his family in a Nato airstrike, provincial police spokesman Farid Ahmad Farhang told TOLOnews.
Farhang said that Neyaz was taken around three months ago by insurgents in the Nawa district of the province and given money to convince him to wear a suicide vest to attack security forces.
"The first time [he was kidnapped], a resident of Nawa freed the boy from Taliban, but again they captured him," Farhang added.
The boy escaped on Tuesday and went to the police. He is currently under their care, officials said.
Isaf also confirmed the report in their operational update Wednesday and said that the boy being supported by Afghan police.
But Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf rejected the claim in an interview with TOLOnews, saying it was "government propaganda".
"I have spoken with Taliban [leaders], it's not true. The government wants to defame the Taliban. We condemn this," Qari Yousuf said.
He added that the Taliban are not hiring "under-age" bombers.
Despite deadly risks, Afghan girls take brave first step
CNN By Allie Torgan September 26, 2012
For many girls in Afghanistan, the simple act of walking to school can be a life-threatening journey.
"You close the door behind you, and you enter a war zone," said Nushin Arbabzadah, an American-based author and scholar who was raised in Afghanistan.
There were at least 185 documented attacks on schools and hospitals in Afghanistan last year, according to the United Nations, and the majority of those attacks were attributed to armed groups opposed to educating females.
But "the walk from home to school is -- and has always been -- the most dangerous part," Arbabzadah said. "You are told to stay covered, keep your head down and walk quickly ... and stare at your toes."
The life of a schoolgirl in Afghanistan is a far cry from reading, writing and arithmetic. Some girls have been maimed by acid attacks. Others have had their drinking water poisoned or been targeted by bombers who think females should be forbidden from school -- as they were during the Taliban's rule.
"It is unfathomable that anyone would want to hurt them. But that is the reality," said Beth Murphy, a documentary filmmaker who recently traveled to Afghanistan to work on a feature film about girls' education.
Amid the violence, however, there is promise: In a country where just 6% of women 25 and older have received any formal education, millions of girls are at long last enrolling in school.
Ten years ago, fewer than a million Afghan children attended school, according to UNICEF. Today, more than 8.2 million children are going to schools like the one founded by Razia Jan, one of the Top 10 Heroes of 2012.
Jan and her team at the Zabuli Education Center are providing a free education to about 350 girls in rural Afghanistan.
"Most of the (local) men and women are illiterate," Jan said. "Most of our students are the first generation of girls to get educated."
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The obstacles facing Afghan girls are both "Herculean and heartbreaking," Murphy said.
While she was filming at one school, there was an attack at another school nearby that killed 100 children.
That very same day, Murphy watched as young students embraced their opportunities to learn.
"To see these girls walking to school, delighted to be learning and spending time together in the classroom, writing their own names for the first time, reading their first words -- I felt hope for the future," Murphy said. "Not in a naive way but with the realization that if it's working here, it can work other places, too."
Although the violence against Afghan schoolgirls has dominated news headlines recently, reports from humanitarian groups like UNICEF, Oxfam and Save the Children say that a great deal of progress has been made.
"The overall education of girls in Afghanistan is a great success story," said Christine Roehrs, spokeswoman for Save the Children in Afghanistan. "Basically, you didn't have girls educated in 2001. And now we have 3 million girls in school."
Roehrs says there's still much work to be done, however, because there are approximately 4 million children in Afghanistan -- most of them girls -- who are not enrolled in school.
One major area of focus is the number of female teachers.
"In Afghan culture, parents don't consider it appropriate for girls to be educated by a man," Roehrs said. "There is a high dropout rate of young girls after the early grades because there are not enough female teachers. So the secret of getting and keeping girls in school is to get more female teachers."
Only 31% of all teachers in Afghanistan are female, Roehrs said, and a disproportionate amount of those women are in urban areas. The lack of infrastructure in rural areas also makes it even more difficult for girls to get an education there.
"There are 400 rural districts. In 200 of them, there are no female teachers or girls' schools," Roehrs said. "When I am talking to parents, they are favorable to girls' education. But the schools and teachers need to be close and safe."
To improve those rural numbers, Save the Children has implemented high school training programs so girls can become teachers right after graduation.
Another obstacle to girls' education is early marriage. The legal age for marriage is 16 in Afghanistan, but there have been many reports about girls being forced to marry well before that.
Murphy and her production crew met a 12-year-old student named Khudija whose marriage had been arranged by her brother, the oldest man in her family.
"The way kids in America might trade baseball cards on the playground, these boys traded their sisters: 'My sister will marry you; your sister will marry me,' " Murphy said. "Now it is Khudija's fiance and her fiance's father who dictate her life.
"Among the first decrees: No more school."
Knowing this is often the case, Jan goes to the homes of some of her young students and asks for permission to delay marriage. In some cases, she's had success. In others, she has seen students forced to withdraw from school.
"My heart breaks for them," Jan said. "Hopefully, things will change. Many fathers and grandfathers are proud to see their girls learning, so there are positive signs."
Still, across an already greatly divided country, old gender biases are hard to undo.
"You can have these huge kinds of variations and attitudes about education within the same family," Arbabzadah said. "I met a young female math teacher whose own family was split greatly on the topics of education. She told me her own cousin was very proud that he never sent his daughters to school. He thought it was the worst thing you could do."
In some cases, physical and emotional abuse keep girls out of the classroom. Many young women are accustomed to being hit and working as virtual slaves at home.
Jan recalls asking a young student a question and seeing the child put her hand in front of her face, afraid she would be struck.
"She and her sister had burn marks and scars on their bodies," said Jan, who stepped in to provide clothes and food for the children and threaten the girl's aunt with arrest.
According to the U.N., violence against women has been persistent in Afghanistan due to women's low status and the country's long exposure to hostilities and conflict. Gender discrimination can also be traced to a combination of factors, including poverty, local tradition and the effects of war.
But female students still have high aspirations. In a recent Oxfam survey (PDF), more than 70% of the girls interviewed said they want to continue their education.
"Once they enter the classroom, they are so involved being a student and trying to learn as much as they can," Jan said. "They want to learn. They want to get educated."
Advocates like Jan and Save the Children agree that if true change is to come in Afghanistan, it's crucial to educate this next generation.
Afghanistan has one the highest proportions of school-age children in the world: About one-fifth Afghans are between the ages of 7 and 12. Roehrs said that 57% of all Afghans are children.
"They form the future Afghanistan that some in the international community are afraid of and others might want to ignore," she said. "But it is paramount to look at these children and get the best education for them.
"These children are the Afghanistan we are looking at in 10 or 15 years."
Do not ask Pakistan to do more on terror: Zardari
AFP 26/09/2012
UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari declared Tuesday before the United Nations that his country had suffered enough in its fight against extremist terror and should not be asked to do more.
"No country and no people have suffered more in the epic struggle against terrorism than Pakistan," he insisted.
"To those who say we have not done enough, I say in all humility: Please do not insult the memory of our dead, and the pain of our living. Do not ask of my people what no one has ever asked of any other peoples," he said.
"Do not demonize the innocent women and children of Pakistan. And please, stop this refrain to 'do more'."
Beginning his address to the UN General Assembly with a denunciation of the recent American-made movie trailer and French cartoons that insulted the Muslim prophet Mohammed, he demanded that such material be banned worldwide.
Then, speaking next to a photograph of his late wife -- Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto, who was murdered by Islamic militants -- he set about defending the Pakistani people's record in the war on violent extremism.
Zardari said regular US drone strikes against targets in his country made his task of selling the fight against terror to his people harder, as did the massive increase in Afghan drug exports since the US-led invasion.
"There are a lot of questions that are asked of Pakistan these days," he said, his voice rising as he warmed to his theme.
"I am not here to answer questions about Pakistan. The people of Pakistan have already answered them. The politicians of Pakistan have answered them. The soldiers of Pakistan have answered them," he declared.
"We have lost over 7,000 Pakistani soldiers and policemen, and over 37,000 civilians," he added. "And I need not remind my friends here today, that I bear a personal scar."
Pakistan has long been seen as a safe haven for myriad Islamist armed groups, whether Taliban fighting along the Afghan border, domestic extremists or Kashmiri Muslims bent on capturing Indian-held territory.
Suspicions that the government and military were turning a blind eye to some groups came to a head in May last year when US commandos launched a raid deep into Pakistani territory and killed Al-Qaeda kingpin Osama bin Laden.
But Zardari stoutly defended his government's record, insisting Pakistan's problems stemmed from decades of military rule, when Pakistan was left to cope with an influx of Afghan refugees and the West courted its dictators.
"I remember the red carpet that was rolled out for all the dictators," he said. "These dictators and their regimes are responsible for suffocating and throttling Pakistan, Pakistan's institutions and Pakistani democracy.
"I remember the jailing of Pakistan's elected leaders. I remember the 12 years I myself spent in prison. And I remember the billions provided by the international community to support those dictatorships," he said.
"My country's social fabric, its very character has been altered. Our condition today is a product of dictatorships."
Zardari's government has often been accused in the West of not doing enough to fight armed extremism, and since bin Laden was found -- in a garrison town near the capital -- some in Washington have called for aid to be cut.
Public Health Minister Defends High Salaries as Lawful
TOLOnews.com By Shahla Murtazaie Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Accused Minister of Public Health Suraya Dalil defended her ministry's high salaries Wednesday after the Senate summoned her to respond to allegations of corruption.
Senators called for further monitoring of the Ministry of Public Health's (MoPH) activities after complaints were heard of several MoPH employees including Dalil's husband receiving huge salaries.
Head of the Senate complaints commission Zalmai Zabuli said that some of the MoPH salaries ranged from $2500 to up to $6000, which is not in accordance with the law.
"As many as 30 doctors which were hired by you have high salaries. I give you some examples: Qadir $5000, Shahir $6000, your husband $4000, Najib $2500 and Ghulam Mohammad Salem $5000," Zabuli told the MoPH Minister in her visit to the Senate.
Dalil reponded that all her actions were within the law.
"All my activities are in accordance with Afghanistan's enforced laws, nothing went against them, because I know that I am accountable to you, the people, and history," Dalil said.
Meanwhile, some of the government-employed doctors have sent complaint letters to the Senate saying they have not received their salary for nine months.
Dalil said she will further investigate this claim.
Poor Materials in Roads Wastes Rebuilding Efforts
TOLOnews.com By Haseeb Maudoodi Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Kabul's massive road reconstruction efforts will be short-lived with some roads rebuilt a few years ago already deteriorating because of the use of poor materials, Polytechnic University engineers said.
The engineers blame corruption among other things on the fact that despite large budgets for such reconstruction projects, the materials used are not of a good quality.
Bagh Bala road which is two kilometers long and runs past the Kabul Intercontinental Hotal was rebuilt less than three years ago has been undergoing repair for some months already.
With multiple roads being rebuilt throughout Kabul, engineers are concerned that the benefits will not last.
Head of Engineering and Construction Faculty at the Polytechnic Sulaiman Osman Khill said another problem is that the new roads are only being rebuilt "superficially".
"The reconstruction of the roads will benefit us to solve the problems, but the roads are being reconstructed superficially not fundamentally," he told TOLOnews Tuesday.
Engineer and former Polytechnic lecturer in engineering Abdul Qudus Khair said the roads were not being properly maintained.
"Lack of proper monitoring of the roads and the travelling of trucks with high tonnage are reasons that the roads are being destroyed so soon," he said.
Nato, ADB to Fund Northern Roads Redevelopment
TOLOnews.com By Haseeb Maudoodi, Zabihullah Jhanmal Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Nato will provide the budget for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Salang Highway, Afghan Public Works Minister Najibullah Aoudjan said Wednesday.
Salang Highway is one of the major routes connecting the north and east of the country with thousands of people travelling through on a daily basis. However, it has major risk of avalanches during the winter, sometimes causing civilians casualties and traffic accidents.
Aoudjan said Nato will invest $20 million in rebuilding the highway, installing security cameras, signaling systems and several other important standards which will ease travel on the highway.
After Pakistan blocked supply routes to Afghanistan last November, the Nato-led foreign armies were forced to use supply routes through the north of Afghanistan via Uzbekistan and Tajikistan more.
"They have sent their technical teams to monitor the highway and plan to invest $20 million. I am not in agreement on some points with them, however they want to invest in the sanitation system of the Salang Tunnel, power system, installation of security cameras. It is in the bidding process now," Aoudjan said in Kabul.
The road connecting the Salang highway to the far north of the country will also be redeveloped, Aoudjan said.
The Asian Development Bank will fund the completion of a road through the Dushi-Pul-e-Khumri districts of north-eastern Baghlan province, said the Minister, adding that no further negligence in continuing the work would be accepted by him.
The construction of the 52-kilometer long Dushi-Pul-e-Khumri road started three years ago under an Afghan construction company, but work stopped before the road was finished, leaving it without asphalt.
The Nabizada Wardak and Bangladesh's Islamic Trading Consortium will complete the road estimated to cost around $17 million.
"I again warn the company to quit if they are not able to complete the project," Aoudjan said, adding that his ministry had lost enough time pursuing the project and had failed to monitor the work properly in the past.
www.afghanistannewscenter.com
CNN By Anna Coren September 27, 2012
Delaram, Afghanistan - U.S. Marines stand under the blazing sun at Camp Bastion airfield waiting for their ride to take them far beyond the perimeter fence.
Wearing body armor and weapons, they dump their helmets and bags in the dirt and look out onto one of Afghanistan's busiest runways.
A $25 million Harrier jet flies past, leaving the roar of its engine in its wake, while a monstrous AC-130 Hercules touches down to pick up troops and cargo. An Osprey helicopter -- half helicopter, half plane and one of the prized possessions of the U.S. Air Force -- hovers in the distance before landing to join the dozen other Ospreys sitting on the tarmac.
Read more: U.S. surge over as last of extra troops exit
A Sikorsky then comes into view. The helicopter invented by a Russian-American is older than the other military hardware on the runway but it's reliable and gets the job done. As it approaches the apron of the runway, the draft blows the dirt straight into the faces of the Marines.
They don't turn their backs to the assault of sand, dirt and gravel but hold their ground and stare right into it -- a display of Marine toughness that could come in handy in the mission ahead. They're headed to Nimroz Province, where the insurgency is growing stronger by the day.
As I stand there wondering if all these Marines will return from their tour in the badlands of southwest Afghanistan, a lanky 19-year-old lieutenant with a buzz cut strolls by and strikes up a conversation. He tells me he was in the 3rd grade in Minnesota when the September 11 attacks occurred.
"I grew up watching the war in Afghanistan on CNN, and I knew I wanted to come here and fight for my country," he says.
We've come to the front line of this war to see the transfer of power that is under way between U.S. and Afghan forces.
But a spate of so-called "green on blue" attacks -- Afghan soldiers or police attacking U.S. and other international forces -- has caused serious alarm for U.S. and ISAF troops, and the transition process has been fast tracked.
The Marines have sent us to Delaram, at the crossroads of Helmand, Nirmroz and Farah provinces, to show how joint patrols are still happening, despite NATO's orders to suspend many of the operations.
As we touch down in this dusty, desolate landscape, it quickly becomes apparent the Marines are no longer training the Afghans.
They've handed over the reins of this outpost to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the 28 Marines who remain here are working in an "advisory" role, marking off the days on the calendar until they are scheduled to go home for Christmas.
While everyone lives inside the massive compound, the two camps are divided by high barbed-wire fences, with several hundred meters of land between them.
The Marines and Afghans live, eat and sleep separately. They only come together and mix on common ground where the central command headquarters is located.
A Marine introduces me to the man in charge -- Gen. Abdul Wasea Milad from the ANA. The former Mujahadeen fighter is leading 5,000 Afghan soldiers from the Iranian border east to Kajaki -- some of the most dangerous territory in the country.
He's just returned from a 10-day trip visiting many of his outposts, driving hundreds of kilometers along Highway One. It's a journey the Americans wouldn't even consider doing by road because of all the improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, planted daily by insurgents.
When I ask the general about the dangers he faces, he just laughs and tells me: "This is Afghanistan. My men sweep the roads for landmines every morning, so they're fine to travel on during the day. It's when we sleep that the Taliban puts them out again."
While standing in General Wasea's office, a soldier informs him of a report of a suspected IED outside the local police headquarters.
He takes us in his Humvee to the site about three kilometers (two miles) beyond the wire from Camp Delaram. The Americans are not accompanying us. They have no desire to leave the fortified compound, as they explain this is now an Afghan operation.
Lt. Jan Mohammad, who has been with the ANA for the past two years, is leading the mission. He and another solider are carrying a metal detector, a block of C4 explosive, detonators and a drag rope.
The site is located off the main highway on a dirt road leading to a village. We walk in single file, aware of every single step, in case there are other mines that have been laid under the surface.
The soldier sweeping the road suddenly stops when his equipment starts beeping -- a sign it's picked up something possibly very dangerous. We all crouch down and he gently picks at the earth. After a painstaking search he declares there's nothing there and we move on.
Soldiers armed with M4 machine guns stand above us on the dusty hill watching in case there's an ambush.
A local villager on a motorcycle attempts to drive in our direction. The soldiers point their weapons and yell out a warning, telling the driver to head off in another direction.
Suicide bombings are also a common tactic for the Taliban, and these soldiers are only too aware of the dangers that now face them.
We reach the site and Lt. Mohammad takes over. The 30-year-old officer earns less than $300 a month, risking his life every day to disable these deadly devices.
I ask how much experience he has, and he tells me: "It's not my first time. I have defused 70 IEDs in Kajaki in seven days when I was there with the Marines."
When I ask him why he does this dangerous line of work he replies: "If I lose my life it wouldn't be a problem. But if others die while I am doing this then I would feel bad because I don't want others to die. This is my job -- to save my people from the risk of these IEDs."
As he lies on his stomach assessing the area, he digs with his hands to remove the earth. He slowly stands up and sweeps the metal detector over and over again, making sure he identifies the exact spot before lying back in the dirt to continue digging.
After 20 minutes, he stands up and declares the site is clear explaining the Taliban must have removed the IED after it had been reported to the police, or a local came and took it to claim the $100 reward.
As we walk back to the Humvee I ask Lt. Mohammad how he feels about the U.S.-led coalition pulling out of Afghanistan by 2014.
He says: "It wouldn't make a difference to me if they leave because it is my country and I will keep doing my job."
Afghan minister calls for preservation of historical, cultural heritage
KABUL, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government and the international community should take more urgent measures to save the rich historical sites and structures as well as cultural facilities in Afghanistan, the Afghan Minister of Culture and Information said.
"I have frequently warned the government and the international community in the past and now I repeat it again that if more urgent measures would not be in place to preserve the historical monuments and cultural heritages of Afghanistan we would witness a dangerous situation by losing major parts of Afghan heritage in coming years," local newspaper -- the Daily Afghanistan quoted Syed Makhdoom Raheen as saying on Thursday.
"The danger to Afghanistan heritage, which is part of world's heritage as well, has grown steady over the past years as more than 1,200 historic and archaeological site have been threaten by natural hard times and protracted conflicts," Raheen told audience in a ceremony to mark the World Tourism Day, which falls on Sept. 27 every year.
Like other institutions, Tourism Industry has also been badly damaged in insurgency-hit Afghanistan due to protracted wars and civil conflicts.
The minister said that the government has in the past made great efforts for awareness of vulnerability of the cultural heritage and historical site but specific preservation is needed in an efficient manner to safeguard and monitor the situation of the sites.
"The government should take the proper administrative measures to ensure that all sites with historical and archeological importance not just in Kabul and other big cities but throughout the country should be preserved and maintained for the next generation."
According to Afghan archaeologists and cultural officials, armed conflicts, uncontrolled urbanizations as well as digging the sites by the looters and gangs have been the main objects to put the site in danger.
However, the government has set up several hundreds of special police forces to preserve the sites across the country, according to officials.
Although in the pre-war times Afghanistan had been one of the few international tourist destinations in South and Central Asia, the decades of militancy and civil war has virtually pushed the country back into a conservative social order.
While tourism industry is yet at its toddling stage, the loving and hardworking people of Afghanistan are doing overtime to promote the industry.
"If we promote the tourism once again in the country, Afghanistan could earns an estimated of 4 billion to 7 billion U.S. dollars from the industry by year as we know," the minister said in his remarks.
"Efforts are underway to preserve the sites but many important sites are still out of the list. The list is not in a proper way. So many heritage sites in the country remain unprotected," he said.
To develop the tourism, the government has declared Band-e-Amir, a natural lake in the central Bamyan province, some 200 km west of Kabul, as a national park in 2009.
Although Afghanistan is the cradle of old civilizations ranging from Bactrian, Zoroastrian, Buddhism and Islam, and even the legacy of cold war era are available there in bulk but little has been invested in tourism industry.
There are castles, historical forts and archeological sites dated back to 5,000 years. However, these national assets are not properly preserved.
Archeological sites, like the huge castle in Balkh province, Takht-e-Rustam (Rustam's Throne) in Samangan province, Shahr-e- Ghulghula (Scream city) in Bamyan province, Munar-e-Jam (Jam Minarets), and many other relics are living monuments of all these civilizations.
Also in Bamyan province, once the center of Buddhism, the giant Buddhas dated back to 3,500 years were destroyed by Taliban regime in March 2000 and the monks' caves around have been housing homeless people in the contemporary world.
"Great efforts and hard works must be in place and measures have been put in place to improve the tourism industry in Afghanistan," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in his message readout in the ceremony.
The president also ordered the related government agencies to set up an institute of tourism to further help the industry in the country.
In the eve of the tourism day, the National Archie of Briton has announced to transfer copies of some 5,000 Afghanistan-related documents to the Afghan National Archive, according to Director of Afghan National Archive, Sakhi Munir.
Former Nuristan Governor Sentenced for Embezzlement
TOLOnews.com By Jawed Stanikzai Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Kabul Primary Court on Wednesday sentenced former Nuristan provincial governor Jamaluddin Badr to up to two years in jail for embezzlement in a case involving at least five other provincial officials.
The court heard that Badr with the police chief Shas-ul-Rahan Zahed and other provincial officials embezzled 9 million Afs ($180,000) from the monthly salaries of the provincial police forces, leading to the resignation of many policemen and opening up the province to insecurity.
"As a result of the money embezzlement, the policemen quit their jobs and the Taliban captured three districts of the province," head of anti-corruption department of the Attorney General Gen. Ghulam Dastagir Ranjbar said.
Former police chief Zahed was sentenced to six years jail and the former provincial finance manager was sentenced to 10 years. Meanwhile other former provincial officials, including the head of the crime department, the salaries distribution team and an accountant have been sentenced to 1.5 years in jail, according to the Attorney General.
Quadrilateral summit in Pakistan postponed
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan said Thursday that the quadrilateral summit (Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Afghanistan) which is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on October 2-3 has been postponed.
New summit dates will be worked out after seeking convenience of the respective leaders through diplomatic channels, the Foreign Ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry did not give any reason for the postponement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to attend the summit along with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Tajik President Emomalii Rahmon.
"In a letter to the President of Pakistan, President Vladimir Putin expressed his eagerness to jointly enhance our efforts to further develop Russian-Pakistani ties and advance mutually beneficial trade and economic projects," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
"I am confident that in future we shall be able to find opportunities for arranging our personal meeting. We shall always be happy to receive you in Russia," Putin wrote.
Afghan Among Winners Of 'Alternative Nobels'
September 27, 2012 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Promoters of peace, human rights, and the environment were named as winners of this year's Right Livelihood Awards, dubbed by some "the alternative Nobels."
American political theorist Gene Sharp will share the 150,000 euro ($195,000) prize with Afghan rights activist Sima Samar and Britain's Campaign Against Arms Trade.
Sharp, 83, is the author of a manual for nonviolent struggle "From Dictatorship to Democracy." The writings of Sharp, a former Harvard researcher, have been widely translated and used to promote nonviolent resistance in countries as varied as Serbia and Egypt.
Afghan rights activist Samar, 54, shares the award in recognition of years of promoting human rights, as the founder of an NGO and while holding official appointments in the Afghan government.
The jury cited "her longstanding and courageous dedication to human rights, especially the rights of women, in one of the most complex and dangerous regions of the world."
In 1989, Samar established the Shuhada Organization in Quetta, Pakistan, to provide health care to refugee Afghan women and girls and train medical staff. After the fall of the Taliban, she returned to Afghanistan and served as a deputy president in the Afghan Transitional Administration and then as Minister for Women's Affairs.
She currently heads the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).
The third recipient sharing the cash award, Britain's Campaign Against Arms Trade, works for the abolition of the international arms business. The group was founded in 1974 by a broad coalition of peace organizations.
Turkish environmentalist Hayrettin Karaca, 90, received an honorary prize. Karaca, considered the grandfather of the Turkish environmental movement, is the co-founder of TEMA, a successful nationwide movement to protect soil and natural habitats.
Swedish-German philanthropist Jakon von Uexkull founded the donor-funded awards in 1980 to recognize work he thought was ignored by the Nobel Foundation.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and dpa
U.S. Army to stand down for a day for suicide prevention
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Army said Wednesday its soldiers have been ordered to put aside duties on Thursday, and spend the day on suicide prevention training.
Sergeant Major Raymond Chandler said at a news conference the day will focus on making sure troops and their families know what programs are available to them and helping them get over the embarrassment and seek help.
Troops with duties such as combat operations in Afghanistan or medical duties in army hospitals will schedule their training when possible.
The U.S. military is facing a growing problem of suicide, as the cumulative effects of 10 years of war take a heavy toll on servicemembers. Being the largest of the services with the highest number of suicides, the Army had 167 suicides in 2011. The figure could approach 200 this year. The Army is also the only one planning the special training Thursday.
In an interview this week with a North Carolina newspaper, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the Defense Department is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs to allot 100 million dollars toward advancing diagnosis and treatment, in order to prevent suicides.
"We've really been pushing on trying to open up access to quality mental and behavioral health care, trying to expand access, so we've got some 9,000 new psychiatrists and psychologists, social workers and nurses," Panetta said.
12-Year-Old Escapes Taliban Suicide Plan
TOLOnews.com By Sonil Haidari, Barialay Rahimi Wednesday, 26 September 2012
A 12-year-old Afghan boy whose family was killed in a Nato airstrike escaped from Taliban insurgents attempting to use him as a suicide bomber in southern Helmand province, local officials said.
The boy, Neyaz Mohammad, was a resident in the Kajaki district of southern Helmand province who lost his family in a Nato airstrike, provincial police spokesman Farid Ahmad Farhang told TOLOnews.
Farhang said that Neyaz was taken around three months ago by insurgents in the Nawa district of the province and given money to convince him to wear a suicide vest to attack security forces.
"The first time [he was kidnapped], a resident of Nawa freed the boy from Taliban, but again they captured him," Farhang added.
The boy escaped on Tuesday and went to the police. He is currently under their care, officials said.
Isaf also confirmed the report in their operational update Wednesday and said that the boy being supported by Afghan police.
But Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf rejected the claim in an interview with TOLOnews, saying it was "government propaganda".
"I have spoken with Taliban [leaders], it's not true. The government wants to defame the Taliban. We condemn this," Qari Yousuf said.
He added that the Taliban are not hiring "under-age" bombers.
Despite deadly risks, Afghan girls take brave first step
CNN By Allie Torgan September 26, 2012
For many girls in Afghanistan, the simple act of walking to school can be a life-threatening journey.
"You close the door behind you, and you enter a war zone," said Nushin Arbabzadah, an American-based author and scholar who was raised in Afghanistan.
There were at least 185 documented attacks on schools and hospitals in Afghanistan last year, according to the United Nations, and the majority of those attacks were attributed to armed groups opposed to educating females.
But "the walk from home to school is -- and has always been -- the most dangerous part," Arbabzadah said. "You are told to stay covered, keep your head down and walk quickly ... and stare at your toes."
The life of a schoolgirl in Afghanistan is a far cry from reading, writing and arithmetic. Some girls have been maimed by acid attacks. Others have had their drinking water poisoned or been targeted by bombers who think females should be forbidden from school -- as they were during the Taliban's rule.
"It is unfathomable that anyone would want to hurt them. But that is the reality," said Beth Murphy, a documentary filmmaker who recently traveled to Afghanistan to work on a feature film about girls' education.
Amid the violence, however, there is promise: In a country where just 6% of women 25 and older have received any formal education, millions of girls are at long last enrolling in school.
Ten years ago, fewer than a million Afghan children attended school, according to UNICEF. Today, more than 8.2 million children are going to schools like the one founded by Razia Jan, one of the Top 10 Heroes of 2012.
Jan and her team at the Zabuli Education Center are providing a free education to about 350 girls in rural Afghanistan.
"Most of the (local) men and women are illiterate," Jan said. "Most of our students are the first generation of girls to get educated."
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The obstacles facing Afghan girls are both "Herculean and heartbreaking," Murphy said.
While she was filming at one school, there was an attack at another school nearby that killed 100 children.
That very same day, Murphy watched as young students embraced their opportunities to learn.
"To see these girls walking to school, delighted to be learning and spending time together in the classroom, writing their own names for the first time, reading their first words -- I felt hope for the future," Murphy said. "Not in a naive way but with the realization that if it's working here, it can work other places, too."
Although the violence against Afghan schoolgirls has dominated news headlines recently, reports from humanitarian groups like UNICEF, Oxfam and Save the Children say that a great deal of progress has been made.
"The overall education of girls in Afghanistan is a great success story," said Christine Roehrs, spokeswoman for Save the Children in Afghanistan. "Basically, you didn't have girls educated in 2001. And now we have 3 million girls in school."
Roehrs says there's still much work to be done, however, because there are approximately 4 million children in Afghanistan -- most of them girls -- who are not enrolled in school.
One major area of focus is the number of female teachers.
"In Afghan culture, parents don't consider it appropriate for girls to be educated by a man," Roehrs said. "There is a high dropout rate of young girls after the early grades because there are not enough female teachers. So the secret of getting and keeping girls in school is to get more female teachers."
Only 31% of all teachers in Afghanistan are female, Roehrs said, and a disproportionate amount of those women are in urban areas. The lack of infrastructure in rural areas also makes it even more difficult for girls to get an education there.
"There are 400 rural districts. In 200 of them, there are no female teachers or girls' schools," Roehrs said. "When I am talking to parents, they are favorable to girls' education. But the schools and teachers need to be close and safe."
To improve those rural numbers, Save the Children has implemented high school training programs so girls can become teachers right after graduation.
Another obstacle to girls' education is early marriage. The legal age for marriage is 16 in Afghanistan, but there have been many reports about girls being forced to marry well before that.
Murphy and her production crew met a 12-year-old student named Khudija whose marriage had been arranged by her brother, the oldest man in her family.
"The way kids in America might trade baseball cards on the playground, these boys traded their sisters: 'My sister will marry you; your sister will marry me,' " Murphy said. "Now it is Khudija's fiance and her fiance's father who dictate her life.
"Among the first decrees: No more school."
Knowing this is often the case, Jan goes to the homes of some of her young students and asks for permission to delay marriage. In some cases, she's had success. In others, she has seen students forced to withdraw from school.
"My heart breaks for them," Jan said. "Hopefully, things will change. Many fathers and grandfathers are proud to see their girls learning, so there are positive signs."
Still, across an already greatly divided country, old gender biases are hard to undo.
"You can have these huge kinds of variations and attitudes about education within the same family," Arbabzadah said. "I met a young female math teacher whose own family was split greatly on the topics of education. She told me her own cousin was very proud that he never sent his daughters to school. He thought it was the worst thing you could do."
In some cases, physical and emotional abuse keep girls out of the classroom. Many young women are accustomed to being hit and working as virtual slaves at home.
Jan recalls asking a young student a question and seeing the child put her hand in front of her face, afraid she would be struck.
"She and her sister had burn marks and scars on their bodies," said Jan, who stepped in to provide clothes and food for the children and threaten the girl's aunt with arrest.
According to the U.N., violence against women has been persistent in Afghanistan due to women's low status and the country's long exposure to hostilities and conflict. Gender discrimination can also be traced to a combination of factors, including poverty, local tradition and the effects of war.
But female students still have high aspirations. In a recent Oxfam survey (PDF), more than 70% of the girls interviewed said they want to continue their education.
"Once they enter the classroom, they are so involved being a student and trying to learn as much as they can," Jan said. "They want to learn. They want to get educated."
Advocates like Jan and Save the Children agree that if true change is to come in Afghanistan, it's crucial to educate this next generation.
Afghanistan has one the highest proportions of school-age children in the world: About one-fifth Afghans are between the ages of 7 and 12. Roehrs said that 57% of all Afghans are children.
"They form the future Afghanistan that some in the international community are afraid of and others might want to ignore," she said. "But it is paramount to look at these children and get the best education for them.
"These children are the Afghanistan we are looking at in 10 or 15 years."
Do not ask Pakistan to do more on terror: Zardari
AFP 26/09/2012
UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari declared Tuesday before the United Nations that his country had suffered enough in its fight against extremist terror and should not be asked to do more.
"No country and no people have suffered more in the epic struggle against terrorism than Pakistan," he insisted.
"To those who say we have not done enough, I say in all humility: Please do not insult the memory of our dead, and the pain of our living. Do not ask of my people what no one has ever asked of any other peoples," he said.
"Do not demonize the innocent women and children of Pakistan. And please, stop this refrain to 'do more'."
Beginning his address to the UN General Assembly with a denunciation of the recent American-made movie trailer and French cartoons that insulted the Muslim prophet Mohammed, he demanded that such material be banned worldwide.
Then, speaking next to a photograph of his late wife -- Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto, who was murdered by Islamic militants -- he set about defending the Pakistani people's record in the war on violent extremism.
Zardari said regular US drone strikes against targets in his country made his task of selling the fight against terror to his people harder, as did the massive increase in Afghan drug exports since the US-led invasion.
"There are a lot of questions that are asked of Pakistan these days," he said, his voice rising as he warmed to his theme.
"I am not here to answer questions about Pakistan. The people of Pakistan have already answered them. The politicians of Pakistan have answered them. The soldiers of Pakistan have answered them," he declared.
"We have lost over 7,000 Pakistani soldiers and policemen, and over 37,000 civilians," he added. "And I need not remind my friends here today, that I bear a personal scar."
Pakistan has long been seen as a safe haven for myriad Islamist armed groups, whether Taliban fighting along the Afghan border, domestic extremists or Kashmiri Muslims bent on capturing Indian-held territory.
Suspicions that the government and military were turning a blind eye to some groups came to a head in May last year when US commandos launched a raid deep into Pakistani territory and killed Al-Qaeda kingpin Osama bin Laden.
But Zardari stoutly defended his government's record, insisting Pakistan's problems stemmed from decades of military rule, when Pakistan was left to cope with an influx of Afghan refugees and the West courted its dictators.
"I remember the red carpet that was rolled out for all the dictators," he said. "These dictators and their regimes are responsible for suffocating and throttling Pakistan, Pakistan's institutions and Pakistani democracy.
"I remember the jailing of Pakistan's elected leaders. I remember the 12 years I myself spent in prison. And I remember the billions provided by the international community to support those dictatorships," he said.
"My country's social fabric, its very character has been altered. Our condition today is a product of dictatorships."
Zardari's government has often been accused in the West of not doing enough to fight armed extremism, and since bin Laden was found -- in a garrison town near the capital -- some in Washington have called for aid to be cut.
Public Health Minister Defends High Salaries as Lawful
TOLOnews.com By Shahla Murtazaie Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Accused Minister of Public Health Suraya Dalil defended her ministry's high salaries Wednesday after the Senate summoned her to respond to allegations of corruption.
Senators called for further monitoring of the Ministry of Public Health's (MoPH) activities after complaints were heard of several MoPH employees including Dalil's husband receiving huge salaries.
Head of the Senate complaints commission Zalmai Zabuli said that some of the MoPH salaries ranged from $2500 to up to $6000, which is not in accordance with the law.
"As many as 30 doctors which were hired by you have high salaries. I give you some examples: Qadir $5000, Shahir $6000, your husband $4000, Najib $2500 and Ghulam Mohammad Salem $5000," Zabuli told the MoPH Minister in her visit to the Senate.
Dalil reponded that all her actions were within the law.
"All my activities are in accordance with Afghanistan's enforced laws, nothing went against them, because I know that I am accountable to you, the people, and history," Dalil said.
Meanwhile, some of the government-employed doctors have sent complaint letters to the Senate saying they have not received their salary for nine months.
Dalil said she will further investigate this claim.
Poor Materials in Roads Wastes Rebuilding Efforts
TOLOnews.com By Haseeb Maudoodi Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Kabul's massive road reconstruction efforts will be short-lived with some roads rebuilt a few years ago already deteriorating because of the use of poor materials, Polytechnic University engineers said.
The engineers blame corruption among other things on the fact that despite large budgets for such reconstruction projects, the materials used are not of a good quality.
Bagh Bala road which is two kilometers long and runs past the Kabul Intercontinental Hotal was rebuilt less than three years ago has been undergoing repair for some months already.
With multiple roads being rebuilt throughout Kabul, engineers are concerned that the benefits will not last.
Head of Engineering and Construction Faculty at the Polytechnic Sulaiman Osman Khill said another problem is that the new roads are only being rebuilt "superficially".
"The reconstruction of the roads will benefit us to solve the problems, but the roads are being reconstructed superficially not fundamentally," he told TOLOnews Tuesday.
Engineer and former Polytechnic lecturer in engineering Abdul Qudus Khair said the roads were not being properly maintained.
"Lack of proper monitoring of the roads and the travelling of trucks with high tonnage are reasons that the roads are being destroyed so soon," he said.
Nato, ADB to Fund Northern Roads Redevelopment
TOLOnews.com By Haseeb Maudoodi, Zabihullah Jhanmal Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Nato will provide the budget for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Salang Highway, Afghan Public Works Minister Najibullah Aoudjan said Wednesday.
Salang Highway is one of the major routes connecting the north and east of the country with thousands of people travelling through on a daily basis. However, it has major risk of avalanches during the winter, sometimes causing civilians casualties and traffic accidents.
Aoudjan said Nato will invest $20 million in rebuilding the highway, installing security cameras, signaling systems and several other important standards which will ease travel on the highway.
After Pakistan blocked supply routes to Afghanistan last November, the Nato-led foreign armies were forced to use supply routes through the north of Afghanistan via Uzbekistan and Tajikistan more.
"They have sent their technical teams to monitor the highway and plan to invest $20 million. I am not in agreement on some points with them, however they want to invest in the sanitation system of the Salang Tunnel, power system, installation of security cameras. It is in the bidding process now," Aoudjan said in Kabul.
The road connecting the Salang highway to the far north of the country will also be redeveloped, Aoudjan said.
The Asian Development Bank will fund the completion of a road through the Dushi-Pul-e-Khumri districts of north-eastern Baghlan province, said the Minister, adding that no further negligence in continuing the work would be accepted by him.
The construction of the 52-kilometer long Dushi-Pul-e-Khumri road started three years ago under an Afghan construction company, but work stopped before the road was finished, leaving it without asphalt.
The Nabizada Wardak and Bangladesh's Islamic Trading Consortium will complete the road estimated to cost around $17 million.
"I again warn the company to quit if they are not able to complete the project," Aoudjan said, adding that his ministry had lost enough time pursuing the project and had failed to monitor the work properly in the past.
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