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Situation of Afghan women improving, official says
By Farid Behbud
KABUL, March 8 (Xinhua)-- Although the situation of women in the post-Taliban Afghanistan has been improving, it still has a long way to go in gender equality and empowering women in society, according to Public Health Minister Suraya Dalil. "The Afghan women situation is improving over the last decade. The reduction in maternal mortality rate in a society is a sign of the advancement of a society and Afghanistan has already made significant improvement in reducing birth-related deaths among mothers," Dalil told Xinhua in an interview.
Dalil made the remarks as Afghanistan and other countries in the world marked the International Women's Day on Friday.
Dalil, a doctor, said despite progress in checking maternal and child mortality over the past 10 years, the number of women dying of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications still remains high. "Regrettably, one woman still dies from pregnancy related causes every two hours in Afghanistan," Dalil said.
She said that maternal mortality ratio is 327 deaths per 100, 000 live births while the ratio was 1,600 maternal deaths per 100, 000 live births 10 years ago.
According to Dalil, the government is committed to helping Afghan women enjoy their rights as mandated in the constitution so that they can become responsible members of society. "More steps will be taken to protect women's health and well- being," she said.
The International Women's Day in Afghanistan is marked by holding conferences, seminars and forums by government and non- government bodies in capital Kabul and other cities.
In post-Taliban Afghanistan, there are three women ministers in cabinet and 69 women in Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of Parliament.
However, majority of Afghan women who live in rural areas where the rate of literacy is lower, do not appreciate the significance of the International Women's Day.
Afghans are marking the International Women's Day amid widespread human rights violations, including forced marriage, under-aged marriage and honor killing.
Nazifa Zaki echoed Dalil's observation, saying that Afghan women are now active in social, cultural and political activities in the country. "Afghan women now work in government and non-government institutions, something unheard of during the reign of the Taliban, " Zaki said.
Zaki admitted, however, that domestic violence against women are still prevalent, particularly in the rural areas due to tribal customs and male-dominance in the communities where they live. "Domestic violence is alarming. Majority of the people in rural areas still have no awareness of women's empowerment or gender equality," Zaki, a former army general, noted.
In efforts to protect the rights of women, the Afghan government enacted in 2009 the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law which criminalizes, among others, child marriage, forced marriage, selling and buying women on the pretext of marriage, giving the hand of a woman or girl to settle a dispute between two sides, forced self- immolation in addition to rape and beating.
Meanwhile, the UN mission in Afghanistan has reported that Afghan women continue to suffer from the effects of the Taliban- led violence and armed conflicts.
A total of 2,754 civilians were killed and 4,805 injured in conflict-related violence in 2012, a 12 percent drop in overall civilian casualties compared with 2011, according to a report released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Feb. 19 this year.
Out of total victims of Taliban-led attacks last year, 864 were women, with 301 deaths and 563 injured.
According to Georgette Gagnon, director of Human Rights for UNAMA, it is a tragic reality that most Afghan women and girls were killed or injured while engaging in their everyday activities.
Zinat Karzai, Afghanistan's 'invisible' first lady
8 March 2013 BBC News
She has been called Afghanistan's invisible first lady. Zinat Karzai, the 43-year-old wife of Hamid Karzai, is rarely seen in public, prompting criticism that she is not doing enough to further the cause of women's rights in her country. This week she gave a rare interview to the BBC's Maryam Ghamgusar and Freba Zaher.
"Thank you and welcome," says a smiling Zinat Karzai greeting the BBC team in her modest, light-filled sitting room. "I'm very pleased to have you here."
Afghanistan's first lady lives behind a formidable barrage of security in the presidential palace in central Kabul.
It took five security checks, each more rigorous than the one before, to reach the ground-floor apartments which are currently home to her, her husband and their two young children.
Security constraints
It is clearly a situation which poses big challenges to everyday family life.
"It's very, very difficult to be constantly under guard all the time," she says. "I would prefer it if I could live outside the palace."
The security constraints are one reason why this intelligent and articulate woman rarely appears in public .
"I have not travelled to anywhere inside Afghanistan," she says. Instead, people come to her.
"I have lots of contact with ordinary Afghan women involved in areas like politics, social affairs, education and healthcare. They often come to see me and share their thoughts."
Zinat Karzai's lack of visibility has prompted criticism from some Afghans, especially the younger generation, that she is not doing enough to stand up for women's rights and to set a positive example.
All the more so, her critics say, because she is a qualified doctor who before her marriage worked for some years in Pakistan.
"I know [my contribution] is not open and visible in the media," she says firmly. "But I've done what I can and what I know it's possible to do given the current circumstances in Afghanistan."
When she talks about current circumstances, Mrs Karzai is not just talking about security issues.
Her role is clearly also constrained by cultural sensitivities. She says the country is simply not ready for a high-profile first lady appearing at her husband's side.
"I think more time is needed," she says. "This country has suffered from more than 30 years of war. We need to fix everything gradually, and work in line with our culture and traditions."
Those traditions include the belief still held by many conservative Afghan Pashtun men that it is shameful for their wives to be seen by other men.
In fact, her own husband has been accused of having just such concerns. But she says it is her decision, not his, to keep out of sight.
"He and I both know our country's culture, traditions and the current state of affairs," she says tactfully. "We need to take this into account and to work in accordance with this."
Despite being out of the public eye, Zinat Karzai has met a number of other visiting first ladies.
She numbers Cherie Blair, Laura Bush and Gursharan Kaur, the wife of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among the first ladies she admires. She is also close to Iranian President Ahmadinejad's wife, Azam al-Sadat Farahi, whom she speaks to on the telephone.
Zinat and Hamid Karzai have been married for 14 years, and since she became first lady she has had two children.
Her son Mirwais is now six, and she has a baby daughter called Malala.
She says President Karzai dotes on the children, although he struggles to make time in his packed schedule to spend time with them.
"Sometimes, perhaps on Fridays, he might be free for an hour or so," she says, "so he will go for a walk with me and the children. We all go out together - once in a while."
President Karzai has in the past spoken emotionally about the kind of Afghanistan he hopes his son will grow up in.
For many Afghan families, a daughter is seen as less valuable, but Zinat says President Karzai is equally ambitious and hopeful for his daughter.
Fashion conscious
"For us there is no difference between a boy and a girl," she says. "A daughter is the best gift from God."
Like her husband, Zinat Karzai has a keen eye for clothes and has cultivated what she calls an Afghan style of dress.
For the BBC interview she was wearing a light green long dress and matching head scarf.
She numbers Cherie Blair, Laura Bush and Gursharan Kaur, the wife of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among the first ladies she admires. She is also close to Iranian President Ahmadinejad's wife, Azam al-Sadat Farahi, whom she speaks to on the telephone.
Zinat and Hamid Karzai have been married for 14 years, and since she became first lady she has had two children.
Her son Mirwais is now six, and she has a baby daughter called Malala.
She says President Karzai dotes on the children, although he struggles to make time in his packed schedule to spend time with them.
"Sometimes, perhaps on Fridays, he might be free for an hour or so," she says, "so he will go for a walk with me and the children. We all go out together - once in a while."
President Karzai has in the past spoken emotionally about the kind of Afghanistan he hopes his son will grow up in.
For many Afghan families, a daughter is seen as less valuable, but Zinat says President Karzai is equally ambitious and hopeful for his daughter. Fashion conscious
"For us there is no difference between a boy and a girl," she says. "A daughter is the best gift from God."
Like her husband, Zinat Karzai has a keen eye for clothes and has cultivated what she calls an Afghan style of dress.
For the BBC interview she was wearing a light green long dress and matching head scarf.
Long Way Ahead in Fight for Afghan Women
TOLOnews.com By Shakeela Ahbrimkhil Thursday, 07 March 2013
Afghan women continue to face serious threats and injustice despite massive efforts at both a countrywide and international level to improve their situation.
There has been substantial progress in women's rights, but there is still a long way to go, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in Afghanistan said.
"We are concerned with the very high levels of violence against women and the fact that many women are in prison for moral crimes," UNHCR director Georgette Gagnon told TOLOnews on the eve International Women's Day, March 8.
"Now the government has attempted to address this by passing the Elimination of Violence Against Women law. And while we have seen some improvement... we haven't seen strong enough action taken by the government to actually prosecute people for violating this law. So we would like to see stronger implementation of this."
"We're also concerned about women's participation in political sphere, in the public sphere... They still often face discrimination and violence," Gagnon added.
Women have gradually moved into working in jobs across most sectors of society, including the military and law enforcement, which is hoped will help respect and equal justice in the years to come.
Around 25 women are even working in Afghanistan's Special Police.
"If the men, our brothers, come here to serve to secure the country then the girls and our sisters can also serve the country," Afghan special forces officer Lida Ebdali told TOLOnews.
Special Forces commander Jalaludin Yaftaly said the women who fight have to be even more tough than the men.
"If a heroes medal is given to anyone, I think it should be given to the female special forces officers because they face a lots of problems and they really are champions who are carrying out difficult things," he told TOLOnews.
Afghanistan's first female district governor Sahira Shakib said she feels happy to serve despite the challenges.
"When the people come to my office [for help] it makes me to feel good. I have had from before until now the desire to serve my family, my tribe, and my nation," she said.
The government law seeking to eliminate violence against women focused on eradicting things such as child marriage, forced marriage, and rape. But these issues, and more continue.
Many criticise the government inaction on such cases saying that the laws are merely symbolic because they are rarely enforced.
US military base attacked Kapisa city of Afghanistan
By Ghanizada - 08 Mar 2013, 3:59 pm Khaama Press
According to reports several armed militants attacked a US military base in eastern Kapisa province of Afghanistan on Friday.
The incident took place in Kapisa city and unconfirmed reports suggest that the armed men are Afghan national army and police officers.
The assailant armed men are also equipped with Humvee armoured vehicles and modern military equipment and at least one US soldier has reportedly been killed following the clashes.
Further details of the incident to follow shortly.
US arrest Osama’s son-in-law, appears in court on Friday
By Sayed Jawad - 08 Mar 2013, 8:54 am Khaama Press
The FBI and CIA helped capture an alleged Al Qaeda spokesman who was Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law and have flown him to New York City to face numerous terrorism-related charges, according to U.S. officials.
Prosecutors unsealed an indictment against a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden on Thursday that charged him with conspiracy to kill Americans.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, has been “cooperating” and has already revealed “key intelligence” about the current status, personnel and finances of al Qaeda even before he was secretly spirited to New York City, U.S. officials told ABC News.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said, “It is huge. This is a man who is in the inner circle of bin Laden’s al Qaeda operations and now we have him alive and he’s talking.”
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, 47, a former spokesman for the al Qaeda terrorist network, was seized by U.S. authorities in Jordan within the past week.
Abu Ghaith gained worldwide notoriety in widely circulated videos after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the terrorist network spokesman was involved in plotting the 9/11 attacks.
He is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in New York City on Friday and faces charges including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.
Gravity makes light work of Afghan oil search
Financial Times By Michael Kavanagh March 7, 2013
The jury remains out about whether exhortation this week by the UK’s prime minister can deliver investment from London-based financiers to exploit Afghanistan's mineral wealth, which he estimated to be worth up to $3tn.
However, as mining and oil and gas investors ponder the risks and rewards of committing cash to the war-torn country, they have the benefit of a 21st century treasure map provided by the US military.
In 2006, a US navy research aircraft took off from Kabul airport, carrying a navigational device similar to those designed to help guide US nuclear submarines. Its purpose was not to identify heroin-yielding poppy crops or columns of Taliban fighters, but Afghanistan’s oil and gasfields.
To form this this map involved collating a range of geophysical data from airborne instrumentation. These devices detect small variations in gravitational and magnetic forces beneath the earth, as well as hyperspectral imaging that identifies the composition of material on the earth’s surface.
These aerial surveys, which have covered about two-thirds of the mountainous country, have now been used by US and Afghanistan authorities to help draw up a list of copper, iron, gold, lithium and oil and gas prospects that they say are ripe for exploitation.
But it is not only those keen to build a base of extractive industries in Afghanistan that have the benefit of such military-sensitive devices.
A range of oil and mineral explorers, such as Africa-focused Tullow Oil and Ophir Energy, increasingly make use of gravity surveying intended to complement ground-based seismic testing in order to improve the odds of eventual success with the drill bit.
According to Angus McCoss, head of exploration at Tullow Oil, his company has commonly employed so-called full tensor gravity gradiometry, which involves the use of a detector first developed by Lockheed Martin to allow US submarines to navigate for long periods without the need to resurface.
Such surveying techniques employed by Tullow in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia typically allow rapid identification of good drilling prospects compared with the more costly and time-consuming acquisition of 3D seismic data, says Mr McCoss.
And gravity surveying, when complemented by more basic variants of seismic data, also allows companies to react quickly within the tight deadlines set by governments in exploration licences.
“It’s like the evolution of the digital camera – seismic definitions have much more pixels in it that they used to,” says Mr McCoss.
He estimates that Tullow spends 25 to 30 per cent of its exploration budget on geological surveying and analysis – or about £250m annually, part of which is designed to improve its hit-rate on exploration wells.
Mr McCoss insists it is money well-spent. “There are smaller companies that go straight to the drilling with insufficient data.”
Arkex, based in Cambridge in the UK, is among the leading suppliers of gravity surveys for oil, gas and mining companies keen to put its sensors licensed from military developers to civilian use.
John Siegfried, chief executive, says his company’s gravimeter provides a route to capturing high quality data by aeroplane in hard to access territories – whether because of environmental or security concerns.
And such surveys – that can cost up to a mere 100th of the budget needed to conduct the highest grade ground-based 3D seismic survey – can give exploration companies an important advantage in dealing with revenue-hungry countries keen to see oil and gas deposits exploited as quickly as possible.
“It can speed up by years the time from getting a licence to spudding a well,” Mr Siegfried says.
Aaron D’Este, chief executive of east African explorer Vanoil, agrees some companies remain tempted to grab licences and to drill speculatively. But many also face intensifying pressure by potential investors to invest in more early-stage surveying that can reduce the chances of drilling dry holes.
“So many institutions now expect people to do 3D seismic and field testing generally,” he says.
But Mr D’Este, formerly in charge of screening new technologies at seismic surveyor PGS and also at leading oil-services supplier Schlumberger, says the drill bit remains the vital arbiter of corporate success or failure.
“None of the techniques directly identify hydrocarbons,” he says. “We [the industry] are still drilling a lot of dry holes.”
New Kabul Bank CEO Sentenced to 3 Years Prison
TOLOnews.com By Saleha Soadat Thursday, 07 March 2013
Chief executive of New Kabul Bank Massoud Mossa Ghazi was sentenced on Thursday to three year's prison for helping an illegal money transfer to the former chairman of Kabul Bank Sherkhan Farnood.
The Kabul Bank special tribunal found Ghazi guilty of aiding the transfer of $5.8 million to a bank account of Farnood in Dubai on the night he was appointed CEO of New Kabul Bank in 2010.
The special court said that prosecution of court's decision will be the responsibility of the attorney general.
"Mossa Ghazi is sentenced to three-years prison and fined $5 million. The court has sent out the warrant but the attorney general should prosecute and imprison him," special court chief Shamsurrahman Shams said Thursday.
Mossa Ghazi has rejected the decision saying that the money transferred before he was named CEO of the government rescued Kabul Bank and said the money went to Farnood's account in Commerzbank of Dubai.
"The money were transferred the day before I was selected as chief between 6am and 10am into Sherkhan Farnood's account, so I don't have responsibility. There are documents at hand. The court decision is unfair," Ghazi said.
The special court decision comes two days after Farnood and former Kabul Bank chief executive Khalil Ferozi were sentenced to five-year prison terms for their part in the bank's near-collapse in 2010.
Another 19 former bank employees were all handed sentences of six month to five-year prison terms.
Noor, Mohaqiq Call on Afghans to Unite
TOLOnews.com Thursday, 07 March 2013
Political and former Jihadi leaders in Afghanistan's north called on the people to unite in order to rebuild the country, saying the divisions between groups seeking the good of Afghanistan needs to end.
At a gathering in northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif to commemorate the eighteenth year anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, former leader of the Hezbe Wahdat, or Islamic Unity Party.
"A number of groups are trying to show that there is no one else to lead the country, but we should recognise them, and all together should defend our country," Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Islamic Unity Party, said Wednesday.
Governor of northern Balkh province Atta Mohammad Noor addressed those present with a warning against disunity.
"We should not repeat the mistakes of past decades. This means, we should not make more mistakes," he said.
"If Afghans become united then there is no need for foreigners. Commitment, solidarity and unity is important in the Afghan nation especially between Afghanistan's leaders. These leaders can lead Afghanistan back to the past decades or can bring Afghanistan to complete peace," Noor added.
Both leaders emphasised the importance of the Afghan security forces warned that if the security forces do not grow stronger then Afghanistan will face a crisis after the foreign forces withdraw.
Mohaqiq suggested the money of the West had made Afghans weak.
"We have defeated the world's big powers and this is our pride. But today we are broken and that is because the foreigners are giving us money and the foreigners are doing the administration for us," he said.
They also spoke of the crisis that will follow a fraudulent election, saying that if the 2014 presidential poll is not transparent the country will also face a disaster.
Mohaqiq said the government should not underestimate the people because this will prove costly to the government – serious efforts must be made to ensure a transparent and fair election.
Both agreed that if the election is transparent and just and Afghan security forces are stronger, then Afghanistan has a good chance at permanent stability.
Herat Blasts Injure 3 in Apparent Attempt on Political Leader
TOLOnews.com Thursday, 07 March 2013
An apparent attempt to attack Islamic Unity Party leader and National Front member Mohammad Mohaqiq has left three civilians with injuries after a makeshift bomb exploded near Mohaqiq's planned destination in western Herat province, officials said.
Mohaqiq was due to fly into Herat airport Thursday morning and meet National Front members at the stadium in Herat city.
At around 10:30, an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden in a motorcycle exploded near the stadium, injuring three civilians, according to provincial police chief Rahmatullah Safi.
Moments later, a second blast happened on the road to Herat airport in the area of Sar Jangal. The distance between the two blasts was about 10 kilometres.
According to Safi, the second explosion – which took place when a group of security forces were passing by – caused no harm.
Both bombs happened around the time Mohaqiq was due to be in the area, however, his plane landed only after the explosions occurred.
In a separate blast on Thursday, four children have been injured by an IED explosion in Herat's north district Rubat Sangi, officials said.
No other details were available.
Meanwhile, a policeman has been shot dead by a number of men in Rubat Zoori village of Herat's Shindand district.
Safi said that two suspicious men have been arrested for their link to the killing, but did not elaborate on the details.
Afghanistan's Female Rapper Challenges Norms at Personal Cost
TOLOnews.com By Karim Amini Thursday, 07 March 2013
Afghanistan is known for its constraints on women, both in the past and present, but for Susan Firoz, a 23-year-old Afghan rap artist, it provides material for her craft.
Firoz is pushing against the social norms and barriers built around women in Afghanistan with her talent for music and words, but it comes at a high price with threats against her and her family.
While she has not let it stop her, Firoz said that now her father accompanies her everywhere.
"Those who are threatening me, they are telling me 'We will kidnap you and we will rape you' or 'We will kidnap your brothers or a member of your family.' There is a lot of problems for me that I am facing," she told TOLOnews Thursday.
Firoz is not only challenging the social structures holding back women and girls in her country, she is financially supporting her five-member family with her success.
Firoz said she hopes that one day she will be remembered as one of Afghanistan's greatest pop stars.
"What has happened to my people, what has happened to me and what has happened in our country is the reason that I became a rapper. I want to express the problems through rap music," she said.
Rap music is a common in many other countries but is a new form of music expression in Afghanistan.
Firoz said she first heard rap music when her family were living in Iran and that despite the challenges she is happy with life, especially when she compares it with the lives of so many other girls in Afghanistan who are not allowed to even listen to music.
www.afghanistannewscenter.com
By Farid Behbud
KABUL, March 8 (Xinhua)-- Although the situation of women in the post-Taliban Afghanistan has been improving, it still has a long way to go in gender equality and empowering women in society, according to Public Health Minister Suraya Dalil. "The Afghan women situation is improving over the last decade. The reduction in maternal mortality rate in a society is a sign of the advancement of a society and Afghanistan has already made significant improvement in reducing birth-related deaths among mothers," Dalil told Xinhua in an interview.
Dalil made the remarks as Afghanistan and other countries in the world marked the International Women's Day on Friday.
Dalil, a doctor, said despite progress in checking maternal and child mortality over the past 10 years, the number of women dying of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications still remains high. "Regrettably, one woman still dies from pregnancy related causes every two hours in Afghanistan," Dalil said.
She said that maternal mortality ratio is 327 deaths per 100, 000 live births while the ratio was 1,600 maternal deaths per 100, 000 live births 10 years ago.
According to Dalil, the government is committed to helping Afghan women enjoy their rights as mandated in the constitution so that they can become responsible members of society. "More steps will be taken to protect women's health and well- being," she said.
The International Women's Day in Afghanistan is marked by holding conferences, seminars and forums by government and non- government bodies in capital Kabul and other cities.
In post-Taliban Afghanistan, there are three women ministers in cabinet and 69 women in Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of Parliament.
However, majority of Afghan women who live in rural areas where the rate of literacy is lower, do not appreciate the significance of the International Women's Day.
Afghans are marking the International Women's Day amid widespread human rights violations, including forced marriage, under-aged marriage and honor killing.
Nazifa Zaki echoed Dalil's observation, saying that Afghan women are now active in social, cultural and political activities in the country. "Afghan women now work in government and non-government institutions, something unheard of during the reign of the Taliban, " Zaki said.
Zaki admitted, however, that domestic violence against women are still prevalent, particularly in the rural areas due to tribal customs and male-dominance in the communities where they live. "Domestic violence is alarming. Majority of the people in rural areas still have no awareness of women's empowerment or gender equality," Zaki, a former army general, noted.
In efforts to protect the rights of women, the Afghan government enacted in 2009 the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law which criminalizes, among others, child marriage, forced marriage, selling and buying women on the pretext of marriage, giving the hand of a woman or girl to settle a dispute between two sides, forced self- immolation in addition to rape and beating.
Meanwhile, the UN mission in Afghanistan has reported that Afghan women continue to suffer from the effects of the Taliban- led violence and armed conflicts.
A total of 2,754 civilians were killed and 4,805 injured in conflict-related violence in 2012, a 12 percent drop in overall civilian casualties compared with 2011, according to a report released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Feb. 19 this year.
Out of total victims of Taliban-led attacks last year, 864 were women, with 301 deaths and 563 injured.
According to Georgette Gagnon, director of Human Rights for UNAMA, it is a tragic reality that most Afghan women and girls were killed or injured while engaging in their everyday activities.
Zinat Karzai, Afghanistan's 'invisible' first lady
8 March 2013 BBC News
She has been called Afghanistan's invisible first lady. Zinat Karzai, the 43-year-old wife of Hamid Karzai, is rarely seen in public, prompting criticism that she is not doing enough to further the cause of women's rights in her country. This week she gave a rare interview to the BBC's Maryam Ghamgusar and Freba Zaher.
"Thank you and welcome," says a smiling Zinat Karzai greeting the BBC team in her modest, light-filled sitting room. "I'm very pleased to have you here."
Afghanistan's first lady lives behind a formidable barrage of security in the presidential palace in central Kabul.
It took five security checks, each more rigorous than the one before, to reach the ground-floor apartments which are currently home to her, her husband and their two young children.
Security constraints
It is clearly a situation which poses big challenges to everyday family life.
"It's very, very difficult to be constantly under guard all the time," she says. "I would prefer it if I could live outside the palace."
The security constraints are one reason why this intelligent and articulate woman rarely appears in public .
"I have not travelled to anywhere inside Afghanistan," she says. Instead, people come to her.
"I have lots of contact with ordinary Afghan women involved in areas like politics, social affairs, education and healthcare. They often come to see me and share their thoughts."
Zinat Karzai's lack of visibility has prompted criticism from some Afghans, especially the younger generation, that she is not doing enough to stand up for women's rights and to set a positive example.
All the more so, her critics say, because she is a qualified doctor who before her marriage worked for some years in Pakistan.
"I know [my contribution] is not open and visible in the media," she says firmly. "But I've done what I can and what I know it's possible to do given the current circumstances in Afghanistan."
When she talks about current circumstances, Mrs Karzai is not just talking about security issues.
Her role is clearly also constrained by cultural sensitivities. She says the country is simply not ready for a high-profile first lady appearing at her husband's side.
"I think more time is needed," she says. "This country has suffered from more than 30 years of war. We need to fix everything gradually, and work in line with our culture and traditions."
Those traditions include the belief still held by many conservative Afghan Pashtun men that it is shameful for their wives to be seen by other men.
In fact, her own husband has been accused of having just such concerns. But she says it is her decision, not his, to keep out of sight.
"He and I both know our country's culture, traditions and the current state of affairs," she says tactfully. "We need to take this into account and to work in accordance with this."
Despite being out of the public eye, Zinat Karzai has met a number of other visiting first ladies.
She numbers Cherie Blair, Laura Bush and Gursharan Kaur, the wife of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among the first ladies she admires. She is also close to Iranian President Ahmadinejad's wife, Azam al-Sadat Farahi, whom she speaks to on the telephone.
Zinat and Hamid Karzai have been married for 14 years, and since she became first lady she has had two children.
Her son Mirwais is now six, and she has a baby daughter called Malala.
She says President Karzai dotes on the children, although he struggles to make time in his packed schedule to spend time with them.
"Sometimes, perhaps on Fridays, he might be free for an hour or so," she says, "so he will go for a walk with me and the children. We all go out together - once in a while."
President Karzai has in the past spoken emotionally about the kind of Afghanistan he hopes his son will grow up in.
For many Afghan families, a daughter is seen as less valuable, but Zinat says President Karzai is equally ambitious and hopeful for his daughter.
Fashion conscious
"For us there is no difference between a boy and a girl," she says. "A daughter is the best gift from God."
Like her husband, Zinat Karzai has a keen eye for clothes and has cultivated what she calls an Afghan style of dress.
For the BBC interview she was wearing a light green long dress and matching head scarf.
She numbers Cherie Blair, Laura Bush and Gursharan Kaur, the wife of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, among the first ladies she admires. She is also close to Iranian President Ahmadinejad's wife, Azam al-Sadat Farahi, whom she speaks to on the telephone.
Zinat and Hamid Karzai have been married for 14 years, and since she became first lady she has had two children.
Her son Mirwais is now six, and she has a baby daughter called Malala.
She says President Karzai dotes on the children, although he struggles to make time in his packed schedule to spend time with them.
"Sometimes, perhaps on Fridays, he might be free for an hour or so," she says, "so he will go for a walk with me and the children. We all go out together - once in a while."
President Karzai has in the past spoken emotionally about the kind of Afghanistan he hopes his son will grow up in.
For many Afghan families, a daughter is seen as less valuable, but Zinat says President Karzai is equally ambitious and hopeful for his daughter. Fashion conscious
"For us there is no difference between a boy and a girl," she says. "A daughter is the best gift from God."
Like her husband, Zinat Karzai has a keen eye for clothes and has cultivated what she calls an Afghan style of dress.
For the BBC interview she was wearing a light green long dress and matching head scarf.
Long Way Ahead in Fight for Afghan Women
TOLOnews.com By Shakeela Ahbrimkhil Thursday, 07 March 2013
Afghan women continue to face serious threats and injustice despite massive efforts at both a countrywide and international level to improve their situation.
There has been substantial progress in women's rights, but there is still a long way to go, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in Afghanistan said.
"We are concerned with the very high levels of violence against women and the fact that many women are in prison for moral crimes," UNHCR director Georgette Gagnon told TOLOnews on the eve International Women's Day, March 8.
"Now the government has attempted to address this by passing the Elimination of Violence Against Women law. And while we have seen some improvement... we haven't seen strong enough action taken by the government to actually prosecute people for violating this law. So we would like to see stronger implementation of this."
"We're also concerned about women's participation in political sphere, in the public sphere... They still often face discrimination and violence," Gagnon added.
Women have gradually moved into working in jobs across most sectors of society, including the military and law enforcement, which is hoped will help respect and equal justice in the years to come.
Around 25 women are even working in Afghanistan's Special Police.
"If the men, our brothers, come here to serve to secure the country then the girls and our sisters can also serve the country," Afghan special forces officer Lida Ebdali told TOLOnews.
Special Forces commander Jalaludin Yaftaly said the women who fight have to be even more tough than the men.
"If a heroes medal is given to anyone, I think it should be given to the female special forces officers because they face a lots of problems and they really are champions who are carrying out difficult things," he told TOLOnews.
Afghanistan's first female district governor Sahira Shakib said she feels happy to serve despite the challenges.
"When the people come to my office [for help] it makes me to feel good. I have had from before until now the desire to serve my family, my tribe, and my nation," she said.
The government law seeking to eliminate violence against women focused on eradicting things such as child marriage, forced marriage, and rape. But these issues, and more continue.
Many criticise the government inaction on such cases saying that the laws are merely symbolic because they are rarely enforced.
US military base attacked Kapisa city of Afghanistan
By Ghanizada - 08 Mar 2013, 3:59 pm Khaama Press
According to reports several armed militants attacked a US military base in eastern Kapisa province of Afghanistan on Friday.
The incident took place in Kapisa city and unconfirmed reports suggest that the armed men are Afghan national army and police officers.
The assailant armed men are also equipped with Humvee armoured vehicles and modern military equipment and at least one US soldier has reportedly been killed following the clashes.
Further details of the incident to follow shortly.
US arrest Osama’s son-in-law, appears in court on Friday
By Sayed Jawad - 08 Mar 2013, 8:54 am Khaama Press
The FBI and CIA helped capture an alleged Al Qaeda spokesman who was Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law and have flown him to New York City to face numerous terrorism-related charges, according to U.S. officials.
Prosecutors unsealed an indictment against a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden on Thursday that charged him with conspiracy to kill Americans.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, has been “cooperating” and has already revealed “key intelligence” about the current status, personnel and finances of al Qaeda even before he was secretly spirited to New York City, U.S. officials told ABC News.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said, “It is huge. This is a man who is in the inner circle of bin Laden’s al Qaeda operations and now we have him alive and he’s talking.”
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, 47, a former spokesman for the al Qaeda terrorist network, was seized by U.S. authorities in Jordan within the past week.
Abu Ghaith gained worldwide notoriety in widely circulated videos after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the terrorist network spokesman was involved in plotting the 9/11 attacks.
He is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in New York City on Friday and faces charges including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.
Gravity makes light work of Afghan oil search
Financial Times By Michael Kavanagh March 7, 2013
The jury remains out about whether exhortation this week by the UK’s prime minister can deliver investment from London-based financiers to exploit Afghanistan's mineral wealth, which he estimated to be worth up to $3tn.
However, as mining and oil and gas investors ponder the risks and rewards of committing cash to the war-torn country, they have the benefit of a 21st century treasure map provided by the US military.
In 2006, a US navy research aircraft took off from Kabul airport, carrying a navigational device similar to those designed to help guide US nuclear submarines. Its purpose was not to identify heroin-yielding poppy crops or columns of Taliban fighters, but Afghanistan’s oil and gasfields.
To form this this map involved collating a range of geophysical data from airborne instrumentation. These devices detect small variations in gravitational and magnetic forces beneath the earth, as well as hyperspectral imaging that identifies the composition of material on the earth’s surface.
These aerial surveys, which have covered about two-thirds of the mountainous country, have now been used by US and Afghanistan authorities to help draw up a list of copper, iron, gold, lithium and oil and gas prospects that they say are ripe for exploitation.
But it is not only those keen to build a base of extractive industries in Afghanistan that have the benefit of such military-sensitive devices.
A range of oil and mineral explorers, such as Africa-focused Tullow Oil and Ophir Energy, increasingly make use of gravity surveying intended to complement ground-based seismic testing in order to improve the odds of eventual success with the drill bit.
According to Angus McCoss, head of exploration at Tullow Oil, his company has commonly employed so-called full tensor gravity gradiometry, which involves the use of a detector first developed by Lockheed Martin to allow US submarines to navigate for long periods without the need to resurface.
Such surveying techniques employed by Tullow in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia typically allow rapid identification of good drilling prospects compared with the more costly and time-consuming acquisition of 3D seismic data, says Mr McCoss.
And gravity surveying, when complemented by more basic variants of seismic data, also allows companies to react quickly within the tight deadlines set by governments in exploration licences.
“It’s like the evolution of the digital camera – seismic definitions have much more pixels in it that they used to,” says Mr McCoss.
He estimates that Tullow spends 25 to 30 per cent of its exploration budget on geological surveying and analysis – or about £250m annually, part of which is designed to improve its hit-rate on exploration wells.
Mr McCoss insists it is money well-spent. “There are smaller companies that go straight to the drilling with insufficient data.”
Arkex, based in Cambridge in the UK, is among the leading suppliers of gravity surveys for oil, gas and mining companies keen to put its sensors licensed from military developers to civilian use.
John Siegfried, chief executive, says his company’s gravimeter provides a route to capturing high quality data by aeroplane in hard to access territories – whether because of environmental or security concerns.
And such surveys – that can cost up to a mere 100th of the budget needed to conduct the highest grade ground-based 3D seismic survey – can give exploration companies an important advantage in dealing with revenue-hungry countries keen to see oil and gas deposits exploited as quickly as possible.
“It can speed up by years the time from getting a licence to spudding a well,” Mr Siegfried says.
Aaron D’Este, chief executive of east African explorer Vanoil, agrees some companies remain tempted to grab licences and to drill speculatively. But many also face intensifying pressure by potential investors to invest in more early-stage surveying that can reduce the chances of drilling dry holes.
“So many institutions now expect people to do 3D seismic and field testing generally,” he says.
But Mr D’Este, formerly in charge of screening new technologies at seismic surveyor PGS and also at leading oil-services supplier Schlumberger, says the drill bit remains the vital arbiter of corporate success or failure.
“None of the techniques directly identify hydrocarbons,” he says. “We [the industry] are still drilling a lot of dry holes.”
New Kabul Bank CEO Sentenced to 3 Years Prison
TOLOnews.com By Saleha Soadat Thursday, 07 March 2013
Chief executive of New Kabul Bank Massoud Mossa Ghazi was sentenced on Thursday to three year's prison for helping an illegal money transfer to the former chairman of Kabul Bank Sherkhan Farnood.
The Kabul Bank special tribunal found Ghazi guilty of aiding the transfer of $5.8 million to a bank account of Farnood in Dubai on the night he was appointed CEO of New Kabul Bank in 2010.
The special court said that prosecution of court's decision will be the responsibility of the attorney general.
"Mossa Ghazi is sentenced to three-years prison and fined $5 million. The court has sent out the warrant but the attorney general should prosecute and imprison him," special court chief Shamsurrahman Shams said Thursday.
Mossa Ghazi has rejected the decision saying that the money transferred before he was named CEO of the government rescued Kabul Bank and said the money went to Farnood's account in Commerzbank of Dubai.
"The money were transferred the day before I was selected as chief between 6am and 10am into Sherkhan Farnood's account, so I don't have responsibility. There are documents at hand. The court decision is unfair," Ghazi said.
The special court decision comes two days after Farnood and former Kabul Bank chief executive Khalil Ferozi were sentenced to five-year prison terms for their part in the bank's near-collapse in 2010.
Another 19 former bank employees were all handed sentences of six month to five-year prison terms.
Noor, Mohaqiq Call on Afghans to Unite
TOLOnews.com Thursday, 07 March 2013
Political and former Jihadi leaders in Afghanistan's north called on the people to unite in order to rebuild the country, saying the divisions between groups seeking the good of Afghanistan needs to end.
At a gathering in northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif to commemorate the eighteenth year anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, former leader of the Hezbe Wahdat, or Islamic Unity Party.
"A number of groups are trying to show that there is no one else to lead the country, but we should recognise them, and all together should defend our country," Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Islamic Unity Party, said Wednesday.
Governor of northern Balkh province Atta Mohammad Noor addressed those present with a warning against disunity.
"We should not repeat the mistakes of past decades. This means, we should not make more mistakes," he said.
"If Afghans become united then there is no need for foreigners. Commitment, solidarity and unity is important in the Afghan nation especially between Afghanistan's leaders. These leaders can lead Afghanistan back to the past decades or can bring Afghanistan to complete peace," Noor added.
Both leaders emphasised the importance of the Afghan security forces warned that if the security forces do not grow stronger then Afghanistan will face a crisis after the foreign forces withdraw.
Mohaqiq suggested the money of the West had made Afghans weak.
"We have defeated the world's big powers and this is our pride. But today we are broken and that is because the foreigners are giving us money and the foreigners are doing the administration for us," he said.
They also spoke of the crisis that will follow a fraudulent election, saying that if the 2014 presidential poll is not transparent the country will also face a disaster.
Mohaqiq said the government should not underestimate the people because this will prove costly to the government – serious efforts must be made to ensure a transparent and fair election.
Both agreed that if the election is transparent and just and Afghan security forces are stronger, then Afghanistan has a good chance at permanent stability.
Herat Blasts Injure 3 in Apparent Attempt on Political Leader
TOLOnews.com Thursday, 07 March 2013
An apparent attempt to attack Islamic Unity Party leader and National Front member Mohammad Mohaqiq has left three civilians with injuries after a makeshift bomb exploded near Mohaqiq's planned destination in western Herat province, officials said.
Mohaqiq was due to fly into Herat airport Thursday morning and meet National Front members at the stadium in Herat city.
At around 10:30, an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden in a motorcycle exploded near the stadium, injuring three civilians, according to provincial police chief Rahmatullah Safi.
Moments later, a second blast happened on the road to Herat airport in the area of Sar Jangal. The distance between the two blasts was about 10 kilometres.
According to Safi, the second explosion – which took place when a group of security forces were passing by – caused no harm.
Both bombs happened around the time Mohaqiq was due to be in the area, however, his plane landed only after the explosions occurred.
In a separate blast on Thursday, four children have been injured by an IED explosion in Herat's north district Rubat Sangi, officials said.
No other details were available.
Meanwhile, a policeman has been shot dead by a number of men in Rubat Zoori village of Herat's Shindand district.
Safi said that two suspicious men have been arrested for their link to the killing, but did not elaborate on the details.
Afghanistan's Female Rapper Challenges Norms at Personal Cost
TOLOnews.com By Karim Amini Thursday, 07 March 2013
Afghanistan is known for its constraints on women, both in the past and present, but for Susan Firoz, a 23-year-old Afghan rap artist, it provides material for her craft.
Firoz is pushing against the social norms and barriers built around women in Afghanistan with her talent for music and words, but it comes at a high price with threats against her and her family.
While she has not let it stop her, Firoz said that now her father accompanies her everywhere.
"Those who are threatening me, they are telling me 'We will kidnap you and we will rape you' or 'We will kidnap your brothers or a member of your family.' There is a lot of problems for me that I am facing," she told TOLOnews Thursday.
Firoz is not only challenging the social structures holding back women and girls in her country, she is financially supporting her five-member family with her success.
Firoz said she hopes that one day she will be remembered as one of Afghanistan's greatest pop stars.
"What has happened to my people, what has happened to me and what has happened in our country is the reason that I became a rapper. I want to express the problems through rap music," she said.
Rap music is a common in many other countries but is a new form of music expression in Afghanistan.
Firoz said she first heard rap music when her family were living in Iran and that despite the challenges she is happy with life, especially when she compares it with the lives of so many other girls in Afghanistan who are not allowed to even listen to music.
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