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Putin says Russia needs stronger defence against Afghan threats
By Alexei Anishchuk
MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Russia must strengthen its defences in the south and work with Central Asian allies to protect itself against the threat of extremist violence emerging from Afghanistan.
Putin told a meeting of his Security Council that U.S. and NATO-led forces "have not yet achieved a breakthrough in the fight against terrorist and radical groups" in Afghanistan and that these groups have become more active recently.
"We need to strengthen the security system in the strategic southern area, including its military component," Putin said, adding Russia must work with fellow members of two regional security alliances, one of which includes China.
Russia, which supported the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, has expressed concern that threats to its security could increase following the planned withdrawal of most foreign combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
"There is every reason to believe that in the near future we may face a worsening of the situation. International terrorist and radical groups do not hide their plans to export instability," Putin said.
He also said "international forces have done practically nothing to root out drug production in Afghanistan" and have ignored Russian proposals, apparently referring to its calls for more efforts to eradicate crops of poppies used to make heroin.
Russia is one of the world's largest per capita consumers of heroin, with addiction and death from drugs contributing to a decline in the population since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Putin said Russia, which is separated geographically from Afghanistan by the ex-Soviet states of Central Asia, should step up migration controls on its southern border and "exponentially increase the effectiveness of work to stem drug trafficking."
He said the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), an alliance of six ex-Soviet republics including three in Central Asia, should speed up efforts to better arm and equip a rapid-reaction force that has done little so far.
Putin also said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which includes Russia and China as well as the Central Asian states of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, should be involved in efforts to improve security, but gave no details.
Russia has an air base in Kyrgyzstan and more than 6,000 soldiers stationed in Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan.
(Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Jon Hemming)
Afghan NDS foil suicide attack plot to kill main opposition leader
By GHANIZADA - 08 May 2013, 4:13 pm Khaama Press
Officials in Afghan intelligence department — National Directorate of Security (NDS) on Wednesday announced to foil a suicide bombing plot aiming to target Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the main political opposition leader of the Afghan government.
According to a statement released National Directorate of Security (NDS), the suspected suicide bomber recognized as Nazifullah was arrested by Afghan security forces before he manage to carry out attack.
The source furhter added Nazifullah was appointed by Taliban Council in Quetta city of Pakistan to assassinate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the national coalition party of Afghanistan.
The detained suicide bomber has confessed that he was trained at Kach Gali Madrasa, also known as Mawlavi Hamza Madrasa in Peshawar city of Pakistan and was motivated by Mawlavi Sajid to carry out suicide attack, NDS added in its statement.
NDS also added that Nazifullah was trained for two weeks on how to use suicide bombing vest by Mawlavi Hamza and was later sent to Quetta city where he spent two nights with Mawlavi Kandahari.
Nazifullah was later sent to Abdul Ghani Madrasa in Chaman city where he was trained on how to use guns and suicide bombing for five days by a Pakistani national, NDS officials said adding that Nazifullah was sent to Kabul city after completing his trainings.
He said, “You should carry out attack on Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Ahmad Zia Massoud during the gathering of National Coalition based on the instructions of the Quetta Council.”
Nazifullah also added that he was arrested by Afghan intelligence forces in National Coalition Party’s office after being recognized.
Pakistan Warns Afghanistan to Stop Attacks
TOLOnews.com By Anisa Shahid 08 May 2013
Pakistan on Tuesday in a statement warned Afghanistan’s government to stop boundary attacks.
The Afghan Charge d'Affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office today for conveying protest of the Government of Pakistan on repetition of an unprovoked firing incident that took place yesterday.
Afghan Charge d'Affaires was also conveyed that in case of any further escalation as a result of this situation, the responsibility would be on the Afghan Government.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Afghan Charge d Affairs after second firing between Afghanistan and Pakistan borders forces in Goshta district of Nangarhar province.
Pakistan Foreign ministry in the statement added that repetition of unprovoked firing undermines the existing coordination mechanisms between the security forces of the two countries.
“The attacks were launched by Pakistan, not by Afghanistan.
Afghanistan defended its soil by responding to their attacks. If Pakistan starts any more attack, the people of Afghanistan are ready for sacrifice,” Military Expert Gen. Zalmai Wardak told TOLOnews.
Afghan National Security Council has announced that Pakistan military installations were built across Durand Line on Afghan soil ten years ago but Pakistan’s government says that these installations are built in coordination with Afghanistan.
“All the previous and current responsibilities are on Pakistan.
Afghans have not attacked on the soil of any country. It is Pakistan that invaded to Afghanistan and Afghan soldiers only retaliated to them,” Afghan Expert Khial Mohammad Hussaini said.
It comes as Afghan border police and Pakistan military forces twice opened fire on each other in the last one week.
Meanwhile, Afghan National Coalition Party criticises the government’s position, especially President Karzai’s position towards Pakistan, calling it irresponsible.
The coalition said that the Afghan government should take feasible steps to clarify realities of Durand Line.
While President Karzai has said that he does not recognise the Durand Line, the National Coalition says that this historical problem should be changed to a national programme and views of all different groups including political, justice and civil circles should be received.
Parwan Residents Ready to Fight Against Pakistan
TOLOnews.com 08 May 2013 By Haseeb Maudoodi
The residents of Parwan province in the north of Kabul on Tuesday asked to be registered to fight against Pakistan.
Hundreds of Parwan residents in an anti-Pakistan gathering called Pakistan as the only foe of Afghanistan hence they asked President Karzai to let them fight side by side with security forces against Pakistan.
Anti-Pakistan protests and reactions are spreading every day in Afghanistan.
“If registration starts, I would be the first person standing beside security forces to fight against Pakistan,” a resident Qari Abdul Hafiz said.
Another resident of Parwan province, Malik Abdul Hadi said “I am 55 years old but I don’t fear to go for fighting against Pakistan.”
It seems that local security forces are as well waiting for a decree to permit them to go against Pakistan.
“Our forces are waiting for a decree to attack for a third time on Pakistan in order to vacate our soil from Pakistanis,” Parwan Police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang said.
Meanwhile, Parwan Governor Gen. Abdul Basir Salangi warned that the province residents would be in the lead if the registration starts for fighting against Pakistan.
“If the registration starts, our people are ready to fight against Pakistan as they fought against Red and Black forces,’ Salangi said.
Additionally, more than one thousand of disabled in Kabul province launched anti-Pakistan protests and announced their support to Afghan security forces.
“I am a disabled but I am ready to sacrifice my life for my country,” Head of Bagrami Disabled Union Haji Azizullah said.
“There is no need for army and police. We go at first. If we get killed, then our army and police can start fighting,” Head of Disabled Nomads Union Mirza Mohammad Sulaimankheil said.
The Afghan disabled who protested against Pakistan have gone to Goshta district of eastern Nangahar province to support Afghan security forces if the war starts between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Hundreds of Afghans Launch Anti-Pakistan Protest In Kandahar
TOLOnews.com 07 May 2013
Hundreds of Afghans have launched anti-Pakistan protest in southern Kandahar province early Tuesday, asking the governor to react over Pakistani military attack on Afghan security forces, local officials said.
The protest took place in Kandahar city at about 08:00am and continued for three hours in the area and the demonstrators chanted anti-Pakistani slogans “death to Pakistan,” “Pakistan is behind all problems in Afghanistan”, “long live Afghan forces.”
The protestors asked President Karzai to order the Afghan border forces to react to Pakistan's move over building of the military check-posts and recent clashes with Afghan border police forces.
The protestors said that they were with Afghan forces and “they are ready to fight against Pakistani forces in the border.”
“We are asking President Karzai to order the Afghan forces to react to Pakistan's move. If he can’t, we will be ready go to and help our forces and fight against Pakistan,” said the protestors.
Meanwhile, the provincial governor's spokesman Jawid Faisal said that the protest has ended peacefully in the area and “we will support it.”
“The Afghan security forces were in the area and the protest ended peacefully. We support such a protest and it is people’s right to do so,” Jawid Faisal said.
The protest comes a day after the Afghan and Pakistani forces resumed clashes in Ghosta district of eastern Nangarhar province early Monday, inflicting heavy casualties on Pakistani forces.
The clashes broke out yesterday, when the Pakistani military forces tried to rebuild the gate of the check-post in Goshta district of Nangarhar, the provincial governor spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.
The clashes ended at about 10:30am and there were no Afghan border police casualties, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.
More Afghan security forces have been deployed in the area and they are put on alert, he added.
Meanwhile, the Afghan border officials said that at least 30 Pakistani forces were killed or wounded in the clashes. There are no exact figures of how many Pakistani forces were killed and how many got wounded.
The Afghan forces have destroyed a Pakistani military tank and removed two of Pakistani check-posts during the clashes in which both sides used heavy weapons, the Afghan commanders said.
The Pakistan government has not yet commented about today’s clashes.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have had strained relations since Pakistan was formed in 1947, at the end of British colonial rule over India.
NATO investigates troops misconduct in southern Afghanistan
By MEENA HASEEB - 08 May 2013, 2:57 pm Khaama Press
NATO-led International coalition security forces have launched an investigation regarding the misconduct of coalition troops in southern Zabul province of Afghanistan.
According to a statement released by the alliance, the International Security Assistance Force has initiated an investigation following an internal report of alleged misconduct by ISAF personnel during an engagement that killed four confirmed insurgents April 28 in Zabul province.
Without collaborating further regarding the alleged misconduct, the alliance added that because this is an open investigation, ISAF will not provide further detail at this time.
“I have informed the Afghan Government of the situation. ISAF will do a very thorough investigation, and if appropriate, we will take action against the personnel involved,” said Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the ISAF commander.
He said, “We take all allegations of misconduct by our personnel very seriously. ISAF will fully investigate this incident and keep the Afghan Government informed.”
No timeline has been set for completion of the investigation, the statement added.
8 killed in clash between police, protesters in southern Afghan town
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Eight suspected Taliban militants were killed and 10 others sustained injuries as protesters and police clashed in Maiwand district of the southern Kandahar province 450 km south of Kabul on Wednesday, a local official said.
"A large number of people staged a demonstration in Maiwand district today to condemn Pakistani military incursion in Goshta district of Nangarhar, but the Taliban elements availing opportunity hiding themselves among the demonstrators and opened fire on police and police also responded, killing eight rebels and injured 10 others," the official told Xinhua but declined to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media after investigation.
He also added that police had rounded up 30 more suspected Taliban militants including a would-be suicide bomber from among the protesters.
Afghan and Pakistani border forces have exchanged fire twice since last Wednesday in Goshta district of the eastern Nangarhar province and the people of Afghanistan since then staged rallies in different cities including Kandahar to denounce the alleged Pakistani incursion into Afghan soil.
Afghan finance minister accuse lawmakers for illegal activities
Khaama Press By Sadaf Shinwari 07 May 2013
Afghan finance minister Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal on Monday accused a number of Afghan lawmakers for being involved in illegal activiites.
While speaking during a press conference, Mr. Zakhilwal also said that the lawmakers are boosting corruption in government institutions through illegal activities.
Mr. Zakilwal did not disclose furhter information regarding identities of the lawmakers however he said that the individuals are creating pressure on Afghan finance ministry officials.
He said, “A very small group of the lawmakers are involved in smuggling specifically smuggling of alcoholic drinks, and they are putting pressure on the finance ministry to place their individuals in customs department.”
Finance minister Hazrat Omer Zakilwal also added that he has evidence and documents regarding his remarks which can be presented to Afghan house of representatives and to Afghan people if need.
He also accused a number of Afghan lawmakers for concentrating on their personal business rather than working for the national interest of the country.
“During the past two a number of the lawmakers have been trying to sell their signatures on me however I have ignored their request” Mr. Zakhilwal said adding that, “We have appointed officials in Customs department who are keen on preventing corruption, and we will do our best to present the reality of the individuals in the parliament to Afghan people.”
According to Zakhilwal a number of the Afghan lawmakers have also threatened him to summon him in the parliament if their demands have not been met.
This comes as Afghan interior minister earlier also complained regarding the interference of Afghan lawmakers during a national security council meeting.
Afghans Confront Senstive Issue Of Ethnicity
NPR By Sean Carberry May 8, 2013
In Afghanistan, where most people are illiterate and live in areas without paved roads or regular electricity, a state-of-the-art smart-chip ID card may seem extravagant. But the government believes it can help with everything from census data to voter registration to health care.
The format of the proposed card, however, is fueling debate over ethnicity and identity at a time when anxiety is already high over the drawdown of NATO troops.
Each citizen's ethnicity will be embedded in the electronic data in the new ID, or "e-taskera," rather than printed on the face of the card. Mohammad Alam Ezedayar, an Afghan senator, was among politicians who debated the issue recently. He doesn't think the new card goes far enough.
"It's the right of all Afghans to have their ethnicity listed on the card," he says. "Ethnicity is mentioned in the constitution and in the national anthem, so it should be on the card too."
Ezedayar says that previous ID cards, or taskeras, had a person's identity printed on them. He says the new e-taskera should, too. He and other prominent politicians from minority groups say they will refuse to register for the new card if it doesn't list identity.
Powerful Source Of Division
There are as many as 14 recognized ethnic groups in the country, with Pashtuns making up between 40 percent and 50 percent of the population. Tajiks account for about 25 percent, while Hazaras and Uzbeks are about 9 percent each. Then there are a handful of other groups in smaller numbers.
The Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and many prominent government officials are Pashtun.
Ezedayar is a Tajik from the Panjshir Valley in the north of the country. That's the home of the legendary mujahedeen commander Ahmad Shah Massood, who was killed in 2001, and the heart of anti-Taliban resistance. Tajiks have battled Pashtuns militarily and politically for influence in Afghanistan over the years.
Bilqees Roshan, another Afghan senator, is a Pashtun from western Farah province. Sitting in her home amid crumbling and bullet-riddled houses that used to belong to Soviet diplomats in the 1980s, she says only a handful of senators from minority groups support putting ethnicity on the card.
"I think it's very harmful," she says. "In the past 30 years, ethnicity has been misused by people trying to gain more power in the government."
In the '90s, Afghanistan's civil war broke down largely along ethnic lines. To this day, each ethnic group has its chief power broker: Most are former warlords, who cut deals over the distribution of government posts.
Roshan says Afghanistan needs to move beyond ethnic divisions and quota-based thinking. She says keeping ethnicity off the e-taskera is an important step in that direction.
Opinions on the street are also divided.
Dashti Barchi is a gritty blue-collar section of Kabul. The population here is overwhelmingly Hazaras — who are a dual minority in Afghanistan. They are predominantly Shiite Muslims, rather than the majority Sunni, and they are believed to be ethnically of Mongolian or East Asian descent. They've long felt marginalized as the lower class in Afghanistan.
Many of the businesses in this area are set up in old shipping containers. In one is a small barbershop festooned with photos of European soccer players and a picture of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni. Many Hazaras feel a kinship with Iran because of their shared Shiite faith.
"There is no reason to list ethnicity on the card. Afghan is sufficient," says Mohammad Jafar, who is waiting for a haircut.
He admits that's not a common opinion among Hazaras, who he says generally have more passionate views on the subject.
"I am proud of being Afghan, but what is wrong with mentioning ethnicity?" asks Saifulzul Husseini, an engineer. He sells flowers and provides battery-charging services in the neighboring container.
"Nobody denies we are all Afghans, but after that we must have ethnicity listed because it is our identity," says Husseini.
Defense Against, Or Tool For, Discrimination
As we talk, a crowd of curious onlookers gathers and listens to the conversation. One person is Saeed Mohsen, a university student in Kabul.
"In Afghanistan, everything is divided according to population size of the ethnicities," he says. "The military, government jobs, spots in universities — if we are shown as less, then we get less."
He argues it's critical to list ethnicity so that the government and society know the exact percentage of each group. He and many others argue the percentage of Pashtuns is overstated, and as a result, they get a larger share of power and jobs.
"It's a competition," says Mohsen. "We want to have more power over other ethnicities."
He mentions the ethnic-based civil war in the '90s. He says it's important to grab as much power as possible right now in case another civil war breaks out as NATO troops leave.
Bashir Shirzad, 33, used to work as an interpreter for NATO forces. He also wants ethnicity listed. He believes that Hazara people suffer because they don't have as many representatives in government.
"We don't have asphalt roads. We don't have schools, we don't have hospitals, there is no construction [in Hazara areas]," he says.
Shirzad says that in Kandahar security is bad, but they are getting much more investment because they are Pashtun.
Saeed Mobeen, who also works as an interpreter, agrees that there is discrimination in Afghan society. But he says the solution isn't to reinforce ethnic identity.
"All the problems that we have is coming from the ethnicities that we have," he says. "We are all Afghan, and we should be equal at the same level, no matter if we are Hazara, Tajik, Uzbek or Pashtun."
The Ministry of Communications says it plans to start issuing the new smart-chip ID cards without ethnicity printed on them as soon as Parliament passes the law authorizing the program.
NPR's Aimal Yaqubi contributed to this report.
Tribal Elders Ask Government to Launch Military Operation in Nuristan
TOLOnews.com By TOLOnews.com 07 May 2013
The provincial tribal elders of eastern Nuristan province early Tuesday met with the governor asking him to launch a military operation in Barg-e-Matal district of the province, local officials said.
The meeting took place today morning and the tribal elders met with governor Tamim Nuristani asking for the military operation in the district, as the insurgents have become active targeting civilians, provincial spokesman Zahir Bahand said.
The tribal elders told the governor that nearly 100 civilians have been killed by the insurgents in the past nine months in the district, Bahand said.
He said that the provincial governor “promised to tribal elders to refer the issue to the Ministry of Interior, Defence and very soon a military operation will be launched to clear the area of insurgents.”
Barg-e-Matal district is bordered by Pakistan and the insurgents have frequently targeted the local security forces in the area.
Previously, the Afghan security forces have several times launched military operations in the district to clear insurgents, but insurgents still control most of the areas.
U.S. Marines successfully employ drone copters in Afghan war
The Washington Times By Shaun Waterman May 7, 2013
The K-MAX unmanned drone helicopter is proving invaluable to U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, according to a report from McClatchy News on Tuesday.
During the past 16 months, two K-MAX helicopters that were sent to Afghanistan as an experiment have delivered 3.2 millions of pounds of cargo and flown more than 1,000 missions, the agency reported from the volatile Afghan province of Helmand.
That capability has enabled Marine Corps commanders to reduce the number of supply convoys on the province’s bomb-infested roads; cut the workload, and the risk, for helicopter and Osprey crews; saved money; and provided real-world proof that remotely piloted drone aircraft are useful for much more than just surveillance and missile strikes.
Peter Singer, the director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution, told McClatchy that the K-MAX is the face of the future for unmanned flight.
“Everyone has framed discussion of drones as being about surveillance, and that’s one of the models, but they won’t be only that,” said Mr. Singer, author of “Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century.”
The aircraft is “incredibly reliable and cost-effective,” said Marine Maj. Daniel Lindblom, who oversees the various unmanned-aircraft programs the Corps runs in Afghanistan. They require only about 1.3 man-hours of maintenance for every hour of flight, and they cost just more than $1,300 an hour to operate, he said.
That compares with more than $11,000 and nearly 23 man-hours of maintenance for each hour of flight for the Marines’ manned workhorse heavy-lift helicopter, the Chinook CH-53E, according to statistics supplied by the Marine Corps.
The combat-zone test of the K-MAX was supposed to last just six months, but in March the Marine Corps extended it indefinitely, citing success in delivering cargo and keeping Marines in trucks off dangerous roads.
Security Threats Increase Against Education
TOLOnews.com By Shakeela Abrahimkhil 08 May 2013
Afghan Deputy Minister of Education at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday warned that threats from armed opposition against education of the country have increased.
He added that in the past five years education of the country has been faced with major challenges, and the threats have increased.
According to the Ministry of Education, at the moment 4600 schools are closed in Afghanistan, 13 schools have been burnt and the presence of girls has decreased in schools compared with last year.
In the last three year approximately 2700 students have been poisoned in different events throughout Afghanistan but ministry of education says that the reason for the poisoning incidents are not clear.
Deputy Minister of Education talked regarding challenges ahead of education system in the country and said that since 2008 armed opposition attacks have significantly increased against the education system of the country and added that more than 8000 schools don’t have buildings and still majority of the schools need reconstruction.
“In the last four year, schools have been attacked by the Taliban. Previously there was no attack on schools, I mean since 2006,” Deputy Minister of Education Asef Nang said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Education on Tuesday signed a work contract of
75 million dollar with Japan and on the other hand Ministry of Education calls land mafia as a great challenge ahead of implementing of this programme.
“With this contract, we will construct 75 schools with the financial support of Japan, with financial management of UNSEF and observation of the Afghan government,” Minister of Education Ghulam Farooq Wardak said.
Deputy minister of education says that this year it was expected to enroll 1.5 million students to the schools but due to lack of capacity and lack of buildings a low number of students have been enrolled.
He says that lack of school books has harmed educational system in the country.
Afghanistan Faces Growing Unemployment
TOLOnews.com By Shahla Murtazaie 08 May 2013
The Afghan Ministry of Economy on Tuesday said that half of a million of labour force enters Afghanistan’s markets annually without finding employment.
The ministry of economy said that short term projects have been invested during the last 11 years in Afghanistan, and the country now faces growing unemployment.
The comments come as the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs with cooperation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Bank in Constant Employment in Afghanistan studied the possible employment opportunities in the country.
According to the investigations, Afghan Economy Minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal said that Afghanistan’s 48% labour force is completely unemployed or they have seasonal jobs. The number is growing daily.
“We welcome international community’s aid in the last 11 years. We wish that the aid were invested based on our national needs. Most of the projects were short term to be soon finished or to satisfy donor countries about the projects. The projects were not implemented effectively which caused us to face unemployment.” Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal said.
Meanwhile, the World Bank officials stressed on creating lasting job opportunities in Afghanistan.
“These are vitally important if the private sector can be an active partner in creating the jobs that are needed over the next several decades to come. The World Bank through the international finance cooperation is working with government ministries to deal with both construction and trade licence so that it can help the private sector to be more active in the areas of construction and trading,” said Illango Patchamuthu, World Bank Acting Country Director for Afghanistan.
The ministry said that fears from 2010 made main problems in Afghanistan and caused volatility of investments in the country.
www.afganistannewscenter.com
By Alexei Anishchuk
MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Russia must strengthen its defences in the south and work with Central Asian allies to protect itself against the threat of extremist violence emerging from Afghanistan.
Putin told a meeting of his Security Council that U.S. and NATO-led forces "have not yet achieved a breakthrough in the fight against terrorist and radical groups" in Afghanistan and that these groups have become more active recently.
"We need to strengthen the security system in the strategic southern area, including its military component," Putin said, adding Russia must work with fellow members of two regional security alliances, one of which includes China.
Russia, which supported the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, has expressed concern that threats to its security could increase following the planned withdrawal of most foreign combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
"There is every reason to believe that in the near future we may face a worsening of the situation. International terrorist and radical groups do not hide their plans to export instability," Putin said.
He also said "international forces have done practically nothing to root out drug production in Afghanistan" and have ignored Russian proposals, apparently referring to its calls for more efforts to eradicate crops of poppies used to make heroin.
Russia is one of the world's largest per capita consumers of heroin, with addiction and death from drugs contributing to a decline in the population since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Putin said Russia, which is separated geographically from Afghanistan by the ex-Soviet states of Central Asia, should step up migration controls on its southern border and "exponentially increase the effectiveness of work to stem drug trafficking."
He said the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), an alliance of six ex-Soviet republics including three in Central Asia, should speed up efforts to better arm and equip a rapid-reaction force that has done little so far.
Putin also said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which includes Russia and China as well as the Central Asian states of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, should be involved in efforts to improve security, but gave no details.
Russia has an air base in Kyrgyzstan and more than 6,000 soldiers stationed in Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan.
(Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Jon Hemming)
Afghan NDS foil suicide attack plot to kill main opposition leader
By GHANIZADA - 08 May 2013, 4:13 pm Khaama Press
Officials in Afghan intelligence department — National Directorate of Security (NDS) on Wednesday announced to foil a suicide bombing plot aiming to target Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the main political opposition leader of the Afghan government.
According to a statement released National Directorate of Security (NDS), the suspected suicide bomber recognized as Nazifullah was arrested by Afghan security forces before he manage to carry out attack.
The source furhter added Nazifullah was appointed by Taliban Council in Quetta city of Pakistan to assassinate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the national coalition party of Afghanistan.
The detained suicide bomber has confessed that he was trained at Kach Gali Madrasa, also known as Mawlavi Hamza Madrasa in Peshawar city of Pakistan and was motivated by Mawlavi Sajid to carry out suicide attack, NDS added in its statement.
NDS also added that Nazifullah was trained for two weeks on how to use suicide bombing vest by Mawlavi Hamza and was later sent to Quetta city where he spent two nights with Mawlavi Kandahari.
Nazifullah was later sent to Abdul Ghani Madrasa in Chaman city where he was trained on how to use guns and suicide bombing for five days by a Pakistani national, NDS officials said adding that Nazifullah was sent to Kabul city after completing his trainings.
He said, “You should carry out attack on Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Ahmad Zia Massoud during the gathering of National Coalition based on the instructions of the Quetta Council.”
Nazifullah also added that he was arrested by Afghan intelligence forces in National Coalition Party’s office after being recognized.
Pakistan Warns Afghanistan to Stop Attacks
TOLOnews.com By Anisa Shahid 08 May 2013
Pakistan on Tuesday in a statement warned Afghanistan’s government to stop boundary attacks.
The Afghan Charge d'Affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office today for conveying protest of the Government of Pakistan on repetition of an unprovoked firing incident that took place yesterday.
Afghan Charge d'Affaires was also conveyed that in case of any further escalation as a result of this situation, the responsibility would be on the Afghan Government.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Afghan Charge d Affairs after second firing between Afghanistan and Pakistan borders forces in Goshta district of Nangarhar province.
Pakistan Foreign ministry in the statement added that repetition of unprovoked firing undermines the existing coordination mechanisms between the security forces of the two countries.
“The attacks were launched by Pakistan, not by Afghanistan.
Afghanistan defended its soil by responding to their attacks. If Pakistan starts any more attack, the people of Afghanistan are ready for sacrifice,” Military Expert Gen. Zalmai Wardak told TOLOnews.
Afghan National Security Council has announced that Pakistan military installations were built across Durand Line on Afghan soil ten years ago but Pakistan’s government says that these installations are built in coordination with Afghanistan.
“All the previous and current responsibilities are on Pakistan.
Afghans have not attacked on the soil of any country. It is Pakistan that invaded to Afghanistan and Afghan soldiers only retaliated to them,” Afghan Expert Khial Mohammad Hussaini said.
It comes as Afghan border police and Pakistan military forces twice opened fire on each other in the last one week.
Meanwhile, Afghan National Coalition Party criticises the government’s position, especially President Karzai’s position towards Pakistan, calling it irresponsible.
The coalition said that the Afghan government should take feasible steps to clarify realities of Durand Line.
While President Karzai has said that he does not recognise the Durand Line, the National Coalition says that this historical problem should be changed to a national programme and views of all different groups including political, justice and civil circles should be received.
Parwan Residents Ready to Fight Against Pakistan
TOLOnews.com 08 May 2013 By Haseeb Maudoodi
The residents of Parwan province in the north of Kabul on Tuesday asked to be registered to fight against Pakistan.
Hundreds of Parwan residents in an anti-Pakistan gathering called Pakistan as the only foe of Afghanistan hence they asked President Karzai to let them fight side by side with security forces against Pakistan.
Anti-Pakistan protests and reactions are spreading every day in Afghanistan.
“If registration starts, I would be the first person standing beside security forces to fight against Pakistan,” a resident Qari Abdul Hafiz said.
Another resident of Parwan province, Malik Abdul Hadi said “I am 55 years old but I don’t fear to go for fighting against Pakistan.”
It seems that local security forces are as well waiting for a decree to permit them to go against Pakistan.
“Our forces are waiting for a decree to attack for a third time on Pakistan in order to vacate our soil from Pakistanis,” Parwan Police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang said.
Meanwhile, Parwan Governor Gen. Abdul Basir Salangi warned that the province residents would be in the lead if the registration starts for fighting against Pakistan.
“If the registration starts, our people are ready to fight against Pakistan as they fought against Red and Black forces,’ Salangi said.
Additionally, more than one thousand of disabled in Kabul province launched anti-Pakistan protests and announced their support to Afghan security forces.
“I am a disabled but I am ready to sacrifice my life for my country,” Head of Bagrami Disabled Union Haji Azizullah said.
“There is no need for army and police. We go at first. If we get killed, then our army and police can start fighting,” Head of Disabled Nomads Union Mirza Mohammad Sulaimankheil said.
The Afghan disabled who protested against Pakistan have gone to Goshta district of eastern Nangahar province to support Afghan security forces if the war starts between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Hundreds of Afghans Launch Anti-Pakistan Protest In Kandahar
TOLOnews.com 07 May 2013
Hundreds of Afghans have launched anti-Pakistan protest in southern Kandahar province early Tuesday, asking the governor to react over Pakistani military attack on Afghan security forces, local officials said.
The protest took place in Kandahar city at about 08:00am and continued for three hours in the area and the demonstrators chanted anti-Pakistani slogans “death to Pakistan,” “Pakistan is behind all problems in Afghanistan”, “long live Afghan forces.”
The protestors asked President Karzai to order the Afghan border forces to react to Pakistan's move over building of the military check-posts and recent clashes with Afghan border police forces.
The protestors said that they were with Afghan forces and “they are ready to fight against Pakistani forces in the border.”
“We are asking President Karzai to order the Afghan forces to react to Pakistan's move. If he can’t, we will be ready go to and help our forces and fight against Pakistan,” said the protestors.
Meanwhile, the provincial governor's spokesman Jawid Faisal said that the protest has ended peacefully in the area and “we will support it.”
“The Afghan security forces were in the area and the protest ended peacefully. We support such a protest and it is people’s right to do so,” Jawid Faisal said.
The protest comes a day after the Afghan and Pakistani forces resumed clashes in Ghosta district of eastern Nangarhar province early Monday, inflicting heavy casualties on Pakistani forces.
The clashes broke out yesterday, when the Pakistani military forces tried to rebuild the gate of the check-post in Goshta district of Nangarhar, the provincial governor spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.
The clashes ended at about 10:30am and there were no Afghan border police casualties, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.
More Afghan security forces have been deployed in the area and they are put on alert, he added.
Meanwhile, the Afghan border officials said that at least 30 Pakistani forces were killed or wounded in the clashes. There are no exact figures of how many Pakistani forces were killed and how many got wounded.
The Afghan forces have destroyed a Pakistani military tank and removed two of Pakistani check-posts during the clashes in which both sides used heavy weapons, the Afghan commanders said.
The Pakistan government has not yet commented about today’s clashes.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have had strained relations since Pakistan was formed in 1947, at the end of British colonial rule over India.
NATO investigates troops misconduct in southern Afghanistan
By MEENA HASEEB - 08 May 2013, 2:57 pm Khaama Press
NATO-led International coalition security forces have launched an investigation regarding the misconduct of coalition troops in southern Zabul province of Afghanistan.
According to a statement released by the alliance, the International Security Assistance Force has initiated an investigation following an internal report of alleged misconduct by ISAF personnel during an engagement that killed four confirmed insurgents April 28 in Zabul province.
Without collaborating further regarding the alleged misconduct, the alliance added that because this is an open investigation, ISAF will not provide further detail at this time.
“I have informed the Afghan Government of the situation. ISAF will do a very thorough investigation, and if appropriate, we will take action against the personnel involved,” said Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the ISAF commander.
He said, “We take all allegations of misconduct by our personnel very seriously. ISAF will fully investigate this incident and keep the Afghan Government informed.”
No timeline has been set for completion of the investigation, the statement added.
8 killed in clash between police, protesters in southern Afghan town
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Eight suspected Taliban militants were killed and 10 others sustained injuries as protesters and police clashed in Maiwand district of the southern Kandahar province 450 km south of Kabul on Wednesday, a local official said.
"A large number of people staged a demonstration in Maiwand district today to condemn Pakistani military incursion in Goshta district of Nangarhar, but the Taliban elements availing opportunity hiding themselves among the demonstrators and opened fire on police and police also responded, killing eight rebels and injured 10 others," the official told Xinhua but declined to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media after investigation.
He also added that police had rounded up 30 more suspected Taliban militants including a would-be suicide bomber from among the protesters.
Afghan and Pakistani border forces have exchanged fire twice since last Wednesday in Goshta district of the eastern Nangarhar province and the people of Afghanistan since then staged rallies in different cities including Kandahar to denounce the alleged Pakistani incursion into Afghan soil.
Afghan finance minister accuse lawmakers for illegal activities
Khaama Press By Sadaf Shinwari 07 May 2013
Afghan finance minister Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal on Monday accused a number of Afghan lawmakers for being involved in illegal activiites.
While speaking during a press conference, Mr. Zakhilwal also said that the lawmakers are boosting corruption in government institutions through illegal activities.
Mr. Zakilwal did not disclose furhter information regarding identities of the lawmakers however he said that the individuals are creating pressure on Afghan finance ministry officials.
He said, “A very small group of the lawmakers are involved in smuggling specifically smuggling of alcoholic drinks, and they are putting pressure on the finance ministry to place their individuals in customs department.”
Finance minister Hazrat Omer Zakilwal also added that he has evidence and documents regarding his remarks which can be presented to Afghan house of representatives and to Afghan people if need.
He also accused a number of Afghan lawmakers for concentrating on their personal business rather than working for the national interest of the country.
“During the past two a number of the lawmakers have been trying to sell their signatures on me however I have ignored their request” Mr. Zakhilwal said adding that, “We have appointed officials in Customs department who are keen on preventing corruption, and we will do our best to present the reality of the individuals in the parliament to Afghan people.”
According to Zakhilwal a number of the Afghan lawmakers have also threatened him to summon him in the parliament if their demands have not been met.
This comes as Afghan interior minister earlier also complained regarding the interference of Afghan lawmakers during a national security council meeting.
Afghans Confront Senstive Issue Of Ethnicity
NPR By Sean Carberry May 8, 2013
In Afghanistan, where most people are illiterate and live in areas without paved roads or regular electricity, a state-of-the-art smart-chip ID card may seem extravagant. But the government believes it can help with everything from census data to voter registration to health care.
The format of the proposed card, however, is fueling debate over ethnicity and identity at a time when anxiety is already high over the drawdown of NATO troops.
Each citizen's ethnicity will be embedded in the electronic data in the new ID, or "e-taskera," rather than printed on the face of the card. Mohammad Alam Ezedayar, an Afghan senator, was among politicians who debated the issue recently. He doesn't think the new card goes far enough.
"It's the right of all Afghans to have their ethnicity listed on the card," he says. "Ethnicity is mentioned in the constitution and in the national anthem, so it should be on the card too."
Ezedayar says that previous ID cards, or taskeras, had a person's identity printed on them. He says the new e-taskera should, too. He and other prominent politicians from minority groups say they will refuse to register for the new card if it doesn't list identity.
Powerful Source Of Division
There are as many as 14 recognized ethnic groups in the country, with Pashtuns making up between 40 percent and 50 percent of the population. Tajiks account for about 25 percent, while Hazaras and Uzbeks are about 9 percent each. Then there are a handful of other groups in smaller numbers.
The Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and many prominent government officials are Pashtun.
Ezedayar is a Tajik from the Panjshir Valley in the north of the country. That's the home of the legendary mujahedeen commander Ahmad Shah Massood, who was killed in 2001, and the heart of anti-Taliban resistance. Tajiks have battled Pashtuns militarily and politically for influence in Afghanistan over the years.
Bilqees Roshan, another Afghan senator, is a Pashtun from western Farah province. Sitting in her home amid crumbling and bullet-riddled houses that used to belong to Soviet diplomats in the 1980s, she says only a handful of senators from minority groups support putting ethnicity on the card.
"I think it's very harmful," she says. "In the past 30 years, ethnicity has been misused by people trying to gain more power in the government."
In the '90s, Afghanistan's civil war broke down largely along ethnic lines. To this day, each ethnic group has its chief power broker: Most are former warlords, who cut deals over the distribution of government posts.
Roshan says Afghanistan needs to move beyond ethnic divisions and quota-based thinking. She says keeping ethnicity off the e-taskera is an important step in that direction.
Opinions on the street are also divided.
Dashti Barchi is a gritty blue-collar section of Kabul. The population here is overwhelmingly Hazaras — who are a dual minority in Afghanistan. They are predominantly Shiite Muslims, rather than the majority Sunni, and they are believed to be ethnically of Mongolian or East Asian descent. They've long felt marginalized as the lower class in Afghanistan.
Many of the businesses in this area are set up in old shipping containers. In one is a small barbershop festooned with photos of European soccer players and a picture of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni. Many Hazaras feel a kinship with Iran because of their shared Shiite faith.
"There is no reason to list ethnicity on the card. Afghan is sufficient," says Mohammad Jafar, who is waiting for a haircut.
He admits that's not a common opinion among Hazaras, who he says generally have more passionate views on the subject.
"I am proud of being Afghan, but what is wrong with mentioning ethnicity?" asks Saifulzul Husseini, an engineer. He sells flowers and provides battery-charging services in the neighboring container.
"Nobody denies we are all Afghans, but after that we must have ethnicity listed because it is our identity," says Husseini.
Defense Against, Or Tool For, Discrimination
As we talk, a crowd of curious onlookers gathers and listens to the conversation. One person is Saeed Mohsen, a university student in Kabul.
"In Afghanistan, everything is divided according to population size of the ethnicities," he says. "The military, government jobs, spots in universities — if we are shown as less, then we get less."
He argues it's critical to list ethnicity so that the government and society know the exact percentage of each group. He and many others argue the percentage of Pashtuns is overstated, and as a result, they get a larger share of power and jobs.
"It's a competition," says Mohsen. "We want to have more power over other ethnicities."
He mentions the ethnic-based civil war in the '90s. He says it's important to grab as much power as possible right now in case another civil war breaks out as NATO troops leave.
Bashir Shirzad, 33, used to work as an interpreter for NATO forces. He also wants ethnicity listed. He believes that Hazara people suffer because they don't have as many representatives in government.
"We don't have asphalt roads. We don't have schools, we don't have hospitals, there is no construction [in Hazara areas]," he says.
Shirzad says that in Kandahar security is bad, but they are getting much more investment because they are Pashtun.
Saeed Mobeen, who also works as an interpreter, agrees that there is discrimination in Afghan society. But he says the solution isn't to reinforce ethnic identity.
"All the problems that we have is coming from the ethnicities that we have," he says. "We are all Afghan, and we should be equal at the same level, no matter if we are Hazara, Tajik, Uzbek or Pashtun."
The Ministry of Communications says it plans to start issuing the new smart-chip ID cards without ethnicity printed on them as soon as Parliament passes the law authorizing the program.
NPR's Aimal Yaqubi contributed to this report.
Tribal Elders Ask Government to Launch Military Operation in Nuristan
TOLOnews.com By TOLOnews.com 07 May 2013
The provincial tribal elders of eastern Nuristan province early Tuesday met with the governor asking him to launch a military operation in Barg-e-Matal district of the province, local officials said.
The meeting took place today morning and the tribal elders met with governor Tamim Nuristani asking for the military operation in the district, as the insurgents have become active targeting civilians, provincial spokesman Zahir Bahand said.
The tribal elders told the governor that nearly 100 civilians have been killed by the insurgents in the past nine months in the district, Bahand said.
He said that the provincial governor “promised to tribal elders to refer the issue to the Ministry of Interior, Defence and very soon a military operation will be launched to clear the area of insurgents.”
Barg-e-Matal district is bordered by Pakistan and the insurgents have frequently targeted the local security forces in the area.
Previously, the Afghan security forces have several times launched military operations in the district to clear insurgents, but insurgents still control most of the areas.
U.S. Marines successfully employ drone copters in Afghan war
The Washington Times By Shaun Waterman May 7, 2013
The K-MAX unmanned drone helicopter is proving invaluable to U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, according to a report from McClatchy News on Tuesday.
During the past 16 months, two K-MAX helicopters that were sent to Afghanistan as an experiment have delivered 3.2 millions of pounds of cargo and flown more than 1,000 missions, the agency reported from the volatile Afghan province of Helmand.
That capability has enabled Marine Corps commanders to reduce the number of supply convoys on the province’s bomb-infested roads; cut the workload, and the risk, for helicopter and Osprey crews; saved money; and provided real-world proof that remotely piloted drone aircraft are useful for much more than just surveillance and missile strikes.
Peter Singer, the director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution, told McClatchy that the K-MAX is the face of the future for unmanned flight.
“Everyone has framed discussion of drones as being about surveillance, and that’s one of the models, but they won’t be only that,” said Mr. Singer, author of “Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century.”
The aircraft is “incredibly reliable and cost-effective,” said Marine Maj. Daniel Lindblom, who oversees the various unmanned-aircraft programs the Corps runs in Afghanistan. They require only about 1.3 man-hours of maintenance for every hour of flight, and they cost just more than $1,300 an hour to operate, he said.
That compares with more than $11,000 and nearly 23 man-hours of maintenance for each hour of flight for the Marines’ manned workhorse heavy-lift helicopter, the Chinook CH-53E, according to statistics supplied by the Marine Corps.
The combat-zone test of the K-MAX was supposed to last just six months, but in March the Marine Corps extended it indefinitely, citing success in delivering cargo and keeping Marines in trucks off dangerous roads.
Security Threats Increase Against Education
TOLOnews.com By Shakeela Abrahimkhil 08 May 2013
Afghan Deputy Minister of Education at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday warned that threats from armed opposition against education of the country have increased.
He added that in the past five years education of the country has been faced with major challenges, and the threats have increased.
According to the Ministry of Education, at the moment 4600 schools are closed in Afghanistan, 13 schools have been burnt and the presence of girls has decreased in schools compared with last year.
In the last three year approximately 2700 students have been poisoned in different events throughout Afghanistan but ministry of education says that the reason for the poisoning incidents are not clear.
Deputy Minister of Education talked regarding challenges ahead of education system in the country and said that since 2008 armed opposition attacks have significantly increased against the education system of the country and added that more than 8000 schools don’t have buildings and still majority of the schools need reconstruction.
“In the last four year, schools have been attacked by the Taliban. Previously there was no attack on schools, I mean since 2006,” Deputy Minister of Education Asef Nang said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Education on Tuesday signed a work contract of
75 million dollar with Japan and on the other hand Ministry of Education calls land mafia as a great challenge ahead of implementing of this programme.
“With this contract, we will construct 75 schools with the financial support of Japan, with financial management of UNSEF and observation of the Afghan government,” Minister of Education Ghulam Farooq Wardak said.
Deputy minister of education says that this year it was expected to enroll 1.5 million students to the schools but due to lack of capacity and lack of buildings a low number of students have been enrolled.
He says that lack of school books has harmed educational system in the country.
Afghanistan Faces Growing Unemployment
TOLOnews.com By Shahla Murtazaie 08 May 2013
The Afghan Ministry of Economy on Tuesday said that half of a million of labour force enters Afghanistan’s markets annually without finding employment.
The ministry of economy said that short term projects have been invested during the last 11 years in Afghanistan, and the country now faces growing unemployment.
The comments come as the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs with cooperation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Bank in Constant Employment in Afghanistan studied the possible employment opportunities in the country.
According to the investigations, Afghan Economy Minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal said that Afghanistan’s 48% labour force is completely unemployed or they have seasonal jobs. The number is growing daily.
“We welcome international community’s aid in the last 11 years. We wish that the aid were invested based on our national needs. Most of the projects were short term to be soon finished or to satisfy donor countries about the projects. The projects were not implemented effectively which caused us to face unemployment.” Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal said.
Meanwhile, the World Bank officials stressed on creating lasting job opportunities in Afghanistan.
“These are vitally important if the private sector can be an active partner in creating the jobs that are needed over the next several decades to come. The World Bank through the international finance cooperation is working with government ministries to deal with both construction and trade licence so that it can help the private sector to be more active in the areas of construction and trading,” said Illango Patchamuthu, World Bank Acting Country Director for Afghanistan.
The ministry said that fears from 2010 made main problems in Afghanistan and caused volatility of investments in the country.
www.afganistannewscenter.com
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