Six Afghan police and one civilian were killed in an attack on the governor's compound in western Farah province on Thursday morning, local officials said.

Read more...

Read more...

Dissent in the Taliban ranks over peace negotiations with the United States and the Afghan government is seen some of the militant group's senior leaders wage terror against its own members, UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday, quoting a senior insurgency leader.

{youtube}inUzRQkQ338{/youtube}

Read more...

Dissent in the Taliban ranks over peace negotiations with the United States and the Afghan government is seen some of the militant group's senior leaders wage terror against its own members, UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday, quoting a senior insurgency leader.

The battle inside Taliban network has claimed the life of former military chief Mullah Mohammad Ismail, executed this month after he was accused of holding unauthorised peace talks, one of his a leading supporter's told the paper.

Former Taliban cabinet member and current Afghan government peace envoy Arsala Rahmani was gunned downed on Sunday in Kabul while another senior Taliban member, Motasim Agha Jan was seriously injured in an assassination attempt last year.

The Taliban spokesman denied the group was behind Rahmani's assassination, despite having said the Afghan government's peace council members were targets only a few weeks ago. But a Taliban splinter group later claimed the killing, according to newswire Al Jazeera.

Mullah Ismail was replaced as the Taliban's military chief last August but retained support from insurgency commanders throughout south-eastern Afghanistan, the Telegraph reported. It was believed that he was seized last month and held in Pakistan over claims that he had been paid by the United Nations political mission in Afghanistan to talk with the Afghan government.

Former leader of Taliban party Jahish Muslimin, Sayed Akbar Agha, told TOLOnews that the Taliban have not been divided in two groups nor were they behind the killings, because they would do nothing to harm their unity.

"These ideas will not separate the Taliban," Akbar Agha said. "Taliban have refused to kill Arsalan Rahmani and Mohammad Ismail. They will not do things to harm themselves."

He said he believes that Mohammad Ismail is still alive and that there are groups outside of the country who want to defame the Taliban by connecting his supposed murder to the group.

The international community is supporting a $1.9 million plan to help rebuild the lives of more than 9 million Afghan refugees in their host countries.

Afghanistan's Minister of Refugees and Repatriations Jamaher Anwari said that Islamic countries are in favour of supporting Afghan refugees living in their countries.

"Islamic nations have shown an interest in strongly supporting the Afghan refugees in their countries," Anwari said at the international conference for Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees, held in Geneva on May 2.

Delegations from many countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan gathered in Geneva for a two-day conference to discuss about Afghan asylum seekers and look at ways of supporting voluntary repatriations, sustainable reintegration and assistance to refugee host countries.

The conference was co-hosted by UNCHR and the Swiss government, who both supported a $1.9 million plan to assist Afghan refugees.

The plan will include building training and employment opportunities for Afghan refugees in their host countries and also providing living facilities.

With the Nato-led mission on the cusp of withdrawing from Afghanistan, concerns over security deterioration in the country have led to fears that refugee numbers may grow.

The plan also includes about voluntarily resettlement strategy for refugees, as there more than 2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and around 1 million in Iran.

The issue of an identification card was also discussed at the conference. At least 1.7 million Afghan refugees have received Refugee Identification cards.

After the 2001 Nato military intervention toppled the Taliban, some 5.7 million Afghan refugees returned home to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran - roughly 25 percent of the country's total population.

Lack of discipline and a lax code of conduct among Afghan police forces has caused serious problems for the residents in Afghanistan's northern provinces, Minister of Interior Bismillah Mohammadi said Wednesday.

Misuse of police resources and drug addiction among police officers are key concerns for the government, Mohammadi said at a meeting in northern Balkh province.

"Driving of police vehicles, improper use of police uniforms, and drug addiction are the main concerns within police," Mohammadi said in his trip to the north of Afghanistan to review the security situation.

The transfer of the control of Afghan prisons from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) was another major challenge as Mohammadi said the MOI had not been ready to oversee this responsibility.

"We did not support the transfer of prisoners to the MOI," he said. "We needed to protect the country from the insurgents who are threatening people on a daily basis."

Head of Balkh provincial council Afzal Hadid raised his concerns at the same meeting over the existence of corruption within the police force.

"There is massive corruption within the police force," Hadid said. "Honest officials should be appointed in critical positions to put pressure on others to prevent corruption."

"We urged the police chief to put more pressure on them in order for the people to trust the police."

Mohammadi had voiced similar concerns in an address to Afghanistan's Parliament on April 29. He said he was aware of the corruption within the police and the MOI was dealing with it.

The third phase of the planned five-tranche security transition was announced on Monday by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, with the security of more than 120 administrative units to be transferred to the control of the Afghanistan National Security Force.

Some Afghan parliamentarians have up to 40 bodyguards, according to government documents revealed Wednesday, despite legally only being allowed to have four.

Members of Parliament (MPs) objected to some representatives, mainly those with close ties to the Ministry of Interior (MOI), receiving permits to have more bodyguards, saying that it goes against the internal rules and regulations of the House.

"Those who have connections within the Ministry of Interior have been given permission to have up to even 30 bodyguards," Kabul MP Allah Gul Mujahid told TOLOnews.

Kabul MP Shukria Barekzai named Wakil Sahebi as having as many as 50 bodyguards.

MOI spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said that the Ministry will implement a plan in which any illegally armed people will be disarmed, and bodyguards for the MPs will be assigned based on existing laws.

"In the law pertaining to bodyguards, we have [government-]assigned bodyguards for the Afghan parliament members," Sediq Sediqi told TOLOnews Wednesday.

"Our concern is having illegally armed people."

The document revealed to journalists Wednesday lists the MPs and the number of bodyguards assigned to them. The list includes the following:
1- Kabul MP Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf - 39 bodyguards
2- Kochis MP Mullah Tarakhil - 30 bodyguards
3- Kabul MP Mohammad Younus Qanoni - 29 bodyguards
4- Kabul MP Mullah Ezatullah Atef - 23 bodyguards
5- Parwan MP Haji Almas - 20 bodyguards

The Afghan government anticipates that the United States will pay more than its majority share of the $4.1 billion annual security budget decided upon at last month's Nato meeting in Brussles.

Afghanistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin said at a press conference in Kabul Wednesday that he is quite sure the US will add more money on top of that budget.

"We are pretty confident that we will get more than $4.1 billion," Ludin said.

He explained that the $4.1bn budget - $500 million of which will come from the Afghan government - was for a security force of around 228,000 Afghans.

But the total number of Afghan security personnel is expected to rise to 352,000 by the end of this year and will only be reduced to 228,000 by 2017.

Ludin said he expected the US to cover for the gap in the budget until 2017.

"The $4.1bn is not the cost of 352,000 soldiers but of the reduced size, which is 228,000," Ludin said. "The United States will be paying for the gap between 2014 to 2017."

Previously, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US officials have said that the speed of reduction will depend on conditions on the ground.

Afghanistan Minister of Interior Bismillah Mohammadi said last week that if security does not improve, any kind of troop drawdown could be dangerous.

"If insurgents continue their attacks and peace negotiations fail... any Afghan security troop drawdown could be disastrous," Mohammadi told a Parliament sitting.

The main funding deal is expected to be finalised at the upcoming Chicago summit on May 20-21 and all the Nato member countries and other major donors including Japan and other regional powers will announce the amount of their contributions.

Ludin also said that Afghanistan's contribution to the funding will increase if the country's finances and income allows.

He said pointed to the prospect of future income from the country's major copper and iron ore mines, and oil extraction fees in the years to come.

Talks between the UN atomic agency and Iran involved a "good exchange of views" and will resume on Monday, two days before world powers meet Tehran representatives in Baghdad, the watchdog's chief inspector said.

"During these two days we discussed a number of options to take the agency verification process forward in a structured way," Herman Nackaerts said Tuesday in a joint statement to journalists with Iran's ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh.

"We had a good exchange of views and we will meet again on Monday," he said.

Neither gave further details of the discussions, including whether International Atomic Energy Agency access to the Parchin military site came up at the talks at Iran's embassy.

A day earlier Nackaerts had said he wanted to press Iran for "access to people, documents, information and sites" in its nuclear program.

In particular Nackaerts wants Iran to address claims made in an extensive IAEA report in November that at least until 2003, and possibly since, there were "activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device."

He also wants access to the Parchin military base near Tehran where the IAEA report said Iran had conducted explosives tests in a metal container.

Australia pledged Wednesday to contribute US$300 million to Afghanistan from 2015 to assist local forces with security after the withdrawal of foreign troops.

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Canberra will provide US$100 million annually for three years from 2015 "as part of international efforts to help sustain and support Afghan troops beyond the transition".

Gillard said that the news that the third phase of the transition was underway was a real sign of progress.

In the third phase of the five-tranche military transition process to bring the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan to a close, 120more districts throughout Afghanistan will come under local command.

Gillard said it reflected the progress made by Afghan and Australian troops "in improving security and in the training and mentoring of the Afghan national security forces".

The Australian prime minister said Wednesday that Afghanistan "will have responsibility for its own security by the end of 2014" but the job would not be complete.

"To consolidate and build on the security gains of the transition strategy, the Afghan National Security Forces will need ongoing funding and training and mentoring support," Gillard said, making the US$300 million pledge.

Australia has around 1,550 troops in Afghanistan with a focus on the southern Uruzgan province. It is the largest contributor to the Isaf mission of the non-Nato member countries.

Gillard last month said that Australia would begin withdrawing troops in 2013, sooner than Nato's plan because of security gains made in the area where Australian troops are.

However, she said it will be "combat ready" throughout 2014.

Australia is expected to sign a long-term agreement with Afghanistan soon to formalise its cooperation beyond 2014 in a range of areas, including security, trade, investment, development and cultural links.

Oil from Amu River and Afghan Tajik oil zones will not only be sufficient for Afghanistan, but also could export oil to other countries, Afghan Mines Minister Wahidullah Shahrani said today.

{youtube}3DDTezAgH7A{/youtube}

Read more...

Oil from Amu River and Afghan Tajik oil zones will not only be sufficient for Afghanistan, but also could export oil to other countries, Afghan Mines Minister Wahidullah Shahrani said today.

The oil extraction bidding process will be started in five months with a quantity of 5,000 barrels a day and the winner company is obliged to increase the quantity to 45,000 barrels a day, he added.

"Extraction of Amu River and Afghan Tajik oil zone will not only fulfill internal needs but also Afghanistan could export oil for the first time," Mr Shahrani said at a press conference in Kabul today.

Meanwhile, a contract between Afghan Ministry of Mines and Terasize, a Canadian company, was signed today to determine the level of oil in Andkhoy and Aqina oil zones.

The $6.5 million project will be started immediately after signing this contract and will be completed within three months.

The Afghan, Tajik oil zone oil determination project was started earlier this year with total budget of the $12.5 million with the help of the US government and has now been completed.

The results will be announced publicly in the near future.

"Hopefully in the future we could progress to 3D where you get a three dimensional model as all structures under the surface and you can see something similar to mountains and valleys and everything under the surface, John Briant, Head of the Canadian Terasize company said at a press briefing today.

"The data will be available for the bidders in the block they can process and analyse it themselves, and then make their target before they even start the bidding," he added.

The contract was signed in Kabul today between Afghan Minister of Mines, Wahidullah Shahrani, and Head of the Terasize Company John Briant.

The Los Angeles Times published in a report that the US programme in creation of Afghan Local Police has failed in the villages of Afghanistan.

Afghan local police involves in most criminal actions including bribery and annoying of civilians, the Los Angeles Times said.

Afghan Local Police Chief, Ali Shah Ahmadzai told TOLOnews that the role of local police is effective in maintaining security in the country and such a report shows lack of recognition of the Afghan local police.

"Afghan Local police is an effective and legal process for bringing security and stability in all parts of the country," Ali Shah Ahmadzai said.

According to the report the American troops who are advising local police have said that local police commit some illegal actions and misuse civilians. American troops have also accuse local police of being involved in smuggling and sexual assaults, according to the report.

But the local police chief told that sometimes some illegal actions are attributed to local police due to lack of recognition, and people do not distinguish between local police and militia groups.

The local police official stressed that the police will be punished whenever they go against law.

"Afghan local police works under the Ministry of Interior and the local police differs from other armed groups like militias, as an example, the Los Angeles Times named Khan Abad district but we do not have local police in the mentioned district," Ali Shah Ahmadzai said.

Currently, nearly fifteen thousand of local police are active in sixty seven districts of all provinces and Washington plans to increase the number up to thirty thousand.

Meanwhile, the creation of local police is am achievement and the security situation is improved in all Afghanistan villages, the Pentagon has said.

The creation of local police was planned by General David Petraeus the former commander of US army in Afghanistan in 2010.

International community should consider health sector in its financial aid, otherwise the achievements gained in the last decade will be lost, a USAID official said in Kabul today.

Visiting Malalai Maternity Hospital in Kabul, Aimal Yaqoobi, Head of the USAID Health Care Department said that midwifery training courses supported by the USAID are underway in this hospital.

"International community should not decrease its aid to the health and social sectors, otherwise all the past decade's achievements will be lost," Mr Yaqoobi said.

"We ask the international community to pay special attention to improve health sector through its financial aid to Afghanistan," he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the Malalai maternity hospital call the financial aid vital for the improvement of the hospital.

"Currently we lack enough space for our hospital as you can see there are three patients in one bed, despite these problems we still accept patients," Nasrin Oryakhil, Head of Malalai Maternity Hospital said.

Mrs Oryakhil said most patients are poor people coming from remote areas. "We also face budgetary issues."

She also said that mother mortality has decreased significantly and only 14 mothers have died from more than 35,000 cases in the last one year.

Nato invited Pakistan to join the alliance's biggest summit ever in Chicago starting Sunday after Pakistan announced the reopening of a key supply route through its territory into Afghanistan.

Nato said in a statement Tuesday that Pakistan has an important role to play in the future of Afghanistan, which is the focus of the meeting.

"Allies decided to invite President (Asif Ali) Zardari of Pakistan to Chicago to the meeting on Afghanistan," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in the statement.

"This meeting will underline the strong commitment of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and to its future. Pakistan has an important role to play in that future."

Pakistan said Tuesday that Nato supply trucks will be allowed to travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan by Wednesday evening.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested on Friday that Pakistan could be excluded from the May 20-21 summit if it failed to reopen the supply routes to Afghanistan that it closed after 24 of its soldiers were killed by a NATO cross-border air attack November 26.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Nato is not a single nation and that while it was necessary to reopen the route he would be keeping a close eye on it.

"Nato is not limited to one nation, it's comprised of more than 40 nations - we will closely evaluate the reopening of the supply route and we also consider our parliaments advice. I think our efforts will fruitful," Gilani said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar cited the role of her country in peace and stability in the region as vital, but expressed concern over the deadly Nato airstrike which killed the two dozen soldiers.

"The strategic aims of Pakistan and Nato are to bring peace in the region, so we want to be a facilitator not an obstacle," Khar said.

"This is what Pakistan has been trying, we need to solve our problems. Pakistan now wants to pass the troubles and have good relations with Nato."

Pakistan was insisting on an unconditional apology over the strike but after the attacks in Afghanistan by the Haqqani network, understood to have a safe haven in Pakistan, the US government refused to accept these terms.

Any country that supports insurgent groups should realise its hurts themselves more than hurting the US and Afghanistan, US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker said Monday.

In his recent trip to Jalalabad, Crocker emphasised that Afghanistan's neighbors should change their strategic thinking because the US will stand by Afghanistan in any situation where it is threatened as it clearly states in the Afghan-US strategic agreement.

"I hope they change their strategic thinking and realise that supporting groups like the Taliban and Haqqanis hurts them as much as they hurt you or us. Whatever the case we will stand with Afghanistan," Crocker said at a press conference in Jalalabad on Monday.

The Ambassador met with the provincial governor of Nangarhar Gul Agha Shirzoy and other local officials to discuss matters of security, development of governance, and economic sectors.

"Electrical infrastructure, roads, and agricultural projects should be completed in the province," Shirzoy said at the press conference.

The officials have also talked about the transfer of security responsibilities from foreign forces to Afghan security forces.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and a high-ranking delegation flew to Germany Tuesday morning to sign a long-term agreement with the country before heading to the Nato summit.

Karzai will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on May 16 to sign the strategic agreement and will then fly to the US to attend Nato's Chicago summit which will be held on May 20 to 21.

The President and the delegation will also meet with German Foreign and Development Cooperation ministers and discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries, according to a statement from the Presidential office.

His trip to Germany comes as Karzai and his American counterpart Barack Obama signed a long-awaited strategic agreement to ensure the US' contribution beyond 2014 in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has signed similar agreements with Italy, Britain and India.

Leaders from around the globe are gathering in Chicago on May 20 to discuss the future role of Nato in Afghanistan. It is expected that all Nato member countries and other nations participating at the summit will renew their commitments towards the country.

It is the biggest meeting of the alliance ever and will be co-hosted by Karzai and Obama.

Isaf's top military commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, will leave Afghanistan early next year and will take over the US-European command, Washington Post reported.

Allen, who assumed command of international forces in Afghanistan on July 8, has spent much of his time in Afghanistan helping to negotiate a long-term agreement between the US and Afghanistan and overseeing the initial drawdown of US forces in the country.

The Pentagon's spokesman Captain John Kirby said that no final decision has been made about transfering Allen from commanding the Nato forces in Afghanistan to heading the US-European mission.

"No final decisions have been made regarding a follow-on assignment for General Allen or the future of European Command," he said.

Although there is no decision on who Allen's successor will be, he is expected to be replaced in the winter time as it tends to be a more quiet fighting season.

However, there is a possibility that General David Rodriguez who served as the Number 2 commander in 2009 and 2010 would replace Allen.

Some officials have cautioned that the decision could deteriorate the situation in the country and the Taliban could benefit from it.

Afghan experts believe that replacing General Allen with a person who is not much familiar with Afghan culture could be challenging.

"Continuation of those including Mr Allen who got familiar with the international could have been successful," university professor Taher Mohammad Hashimi told TOLOnews today.

"It would be difficult for a new comer to adjust with Afghan culture and tribes and be successful immediately."

Afghan military analyst Atiqullah Amarkhil believes that until the terrorist hideouts in Iran and Pakistan are destroyed, replacing commanders will not have any positive effects on the ground.

"Many commanders have been changed up to now, but if we don't destroy terrorist hideouts in Iran and Pakistan we will not be successful in the war against terror," Atiqullah Amarkhil told TOLOnews.

"To control the Afghan war, a stronger leadership is vital," he added.

Three Taliban leaders were captured in a joint Afghan and Nato troops operation on Tuesday morning, Isaf said.

Read more...