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Grossman to Visit Turkey to Build on Afghan Initiative
January 14, 2012
ANKARA - US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (AFPAK) Marc Grossman is scheduled to travel to countries involved in the Afghan peace process, including Turkey, the US State Department announced on Thursday. Grossman is set to depart from the US on Sunday to visit Turkey ...
Despite Peace Parleys, Fighting to Go on: Taliban
January 14, 2012
KABUL - The Taliban said on Thursday they would continue with their armed struggle against the government and its western backers, despite reconciliation talks with the United States.
The militant movement had been trying over the past one and a half decade to enforce an Islamic order in Afghanistan and force a ...
U.S. to Withdraw Two Brigades from Europe: Panetta
January 14, 2012
EL PASO, Texas - The Pentagon will withdraw two brigade combat teams from Europe as part of an effort to slash $487 billion in spending over the next decade, but will maintain a strong presence by rotating units in and out of the region, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday.Panetta told the Defense Department press ...
Berlin Meeting, Such Actions Should not be Repeated: MoFA
January 12, 2012
WASHINGTON - Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and other US lawmakers who met Afghan political leaders in Germany did not represent the Obama administration, a State Department official said on Wednesday.
He said the Berlin session that conferred on a federal system of government in Afghanistan was a privately arranged meeting, which drew angry reaction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.
Ahmad Zia Masoud, Gen. Abdul ...
India to Co-Operate with Afghanistan on Steel, Cement
January 12, 2012
KABUL - The Afghan Ministry of Mines on Wednesday said that India will co-operate with Afghanistan in the production of cement and steel.
The Afghan ministers of mines and finance have flown to India to sign the agreement with the Indian Ministry of ...
ANSF Able to Conduct Night Raids: MoD
January 12, 2012
KABUL - Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) Spokesman General ZahirAzimi said at a press conference on Wednesday that if the Afghan president assigns the responsibility for conducting night raids to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), they will be capable of ...
Japan Foreign Minister Arrives Kabul
January 12, 2012
KABUL - Japan Foreign Minister as a high ranking delegation arrived Kabul today.
According to BNA reporter from Kabul International Airport, the aim of his trip is visit with Hamid Karzai President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and ZalmaiRasool Minister of Foreign affairs and also ...
Human Rights Watch Warns Against Transfer of Afghan Prisons
January 12, 2012
KABUL - The control of Afghan-run prisons should not be transferred from Afghanistan's Justice Ministry to the Interior Ministry, Human Rights Watch has warned.
The Human Rights Watch made the warning as it is concerned about the heightened risk of torture and mistreatment ...
Karzai Orders Crackdown on Drug Dealers
January 11, 2012
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday ordered the Ministry of Interior to crack down on the groups involved in drug dealing and bring them to justice.
Chairing a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace, Karzai ordered security forces to take stern action against drug dealers to contain the increasing number of addicts in the country.
A statement issued from his office said the president also called for ...
Afghan Northern Alliance Allies Betrayed by Obama Administration; Meet with U.S. Congressmen in Berlin
January 11, 2012
Today, Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) along with Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) and Steve King (IA-05) held a press conference in Berlin, Germany, on their private meeting with Northern Alliance Leaders on Afghan Strategy. These leaders who fought with embedded Special Forces to initially defeat the Taliban represent over ...
Govt. Not to Hand Over any Provinces to Taliban
January 11, 2012
KABUL - The Afghan government has not considered handing over some of the Afghan provinces, a spokesman for President Karzai said denying reports that the government had decided to transfer responsibility of some provinces to the Taliban. Afghan President Hamid Karzai's chief spokesperson, Emal Faizi, on ...
Control of Prisons Transferred to Interior Ministry
January 11, 2012
KABUL - The control of all jails and detention centers across the country was transferred from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Interior, officials said on Tuesday.
An agreement to the effect had been signed with Justice Minister Habibullah Ghalib, Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi told ...
Peace Talks will Not Have Positive Result: Gen. Dostum
January 11, 2012
KABUL - A key opposition leader, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, says peace talks will not have positive results as the 'Taliban are not honest'.
General Dostum, who is visiting Germany, said that the Taliban group was making efforts to regroup by the end of 2014 when all foreign troops are expected to leave ...
Federalism Called A Recipe for Afghanistan’s Breakup
January 11, 2012
KABUL - Amid reports about efforts at introducing a federal system in Afghanistan, Kabul-based political analysts warned on Tuesday such a regime could lead to the disintegration of the war-ravaged country.
Media reports say former vice president, Ahmad Zia Masoud, Junbish-i-Millie party chief Abdul Rashid Dostum and the Hezb-i-Wahdat leader ...
Afghan Asylum Seekers Arrested in Indonesia
January 11, 2012
KABUL - Indonesian police arrested 77 illegal Afghan immigrants on Sunday just outside the capital Jakarta.
The Afghans were trying to head for Australia to seek asylum, according to media reports quoting immigration spokesperson Tito Andriano.
Immigration official Hertjansyah Wirandinata said that 17 of the ...
Taliban Deny Prisoner Swap Deal with US
January 11, 2012
KABUL - The Taliban on Tuesday rejected reports that three of their high-ranking officials had been released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in exchange for a captive US soldier.
On Monday, some Arab and Pakistan media outlets reported the US had freed Mullah Khairullah Khair Khwa, a former interior ...
Present Political System is Dysfunctional: Afghan Leaders
January 10, 2012
BERLIN, Germany – A delegation of Afghan leaders consist of Ahmed Zia Massoud, Chairman Afghanistan National Front, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, Leader of National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq, Leader of People´s Unity Party of Afghanistan and Amrullah Saleh, Former Director of Afghan National Security Directorate met with US congressmen in Berlin on ...
Noor Opposes US-Taliban Deal
January 10, 2012
KABUL - The governor of northern Balkh province, Atta Mohammad Noor, has said no foreign country has the right to hold direct talks with the Taliban without consulting the people of Afghanistan.
On the sidelines of the second Bonn conference, the US, Germany and Qatar agreed to set up a Taliban office in Qatar, a move supported by ...
HPC to Send Mission to Qatar
January 10, 2012
KABUL - A senior member of Afghanistan's peace-making body will travel to Qatar soon to gather more details about plans for a Taliban political office in the Gulf nation, the High Peace Council's adviser on international affairs said on Monday. The Taliban said in a surprise announcement last week they had ...
Long-term Strategy of ANA Discussed
January 10, 2012
KABUL - The National Security Council Meeting was attended by vice-presidents, senior minister, ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, finance, acting minister of energy and water, general director of national security department, chief of staff, and some generals of national army and chairman of the commission for transition ...
Next 3 Years Vital to Afghan Future: Ghani
January 09, 2012
JALALABAD - The next three years would be crucial to the fate of five Afghan generations, the Security Transition Commission chairman said on Sunday. Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai told a meeting in eastern Nangarhar province the ongoing security transfer would decide the fate of the next five generations. Representatives of civil society and journalists attended the meeting in Jalalabad ahead of the security switch from International ...
Commission on Human Trafficking Starts Working
January 09, 2012
KABUL - A commission set up by the Ministry of Justice to curb human trafficking and kidnappings on Sunday started working by holding its maiden session. The commission had been set up in an effort to control human trafficking and kidnappings, Minister of Justice Habibullah ...
Political Brinkmanship Continues in Afghan-U.S. Talks
January 09, 2012
KABUL - Afghan investigators have accused the American military of abusing detainees at its main prison in the country, bolstering calls by President Hamid Karzai for the U.S. to turn over control of the facility and complicating talks about America's future role in Afghanistan. The investigators also called on Saturday for any detainee held ...
Need to Bring Troops back from Afghanistan: US Republicans
January 09, 2012
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopefuls yesterday agreed on the need to bring back the US troops from Afghanistan, but differed on the timing with some saying they will ensure it "as soon as possible" after coming to power. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who is currently leading poll ratings and won the Iowa ...
Afghanistan, Tajikistan Sign Economic, Technical Cooperation Protocol
January 09, 2012
KABUL - An economic protocol on technical cooperation between Afghanistan and Tajikistan is expected to be signed Sunday in Kabul. A Tajikistan delegation led by Hakeemov minister of transport of Tajikistan has arrived in Kabul yesterday. The Tajikistan delegation attended a preliminary meeting chaired by Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal Minister of Economy ...
New Pentagon Strategy Stresses Asia, Cyber, Drones
January 08, 2012
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama unveiled a defense strategy on Thursday that would expand the U.S. military presence in Asia but shrink the overall size of the force as the Pentagon seeks to slash spending by nearly half a trillion dollars after a decade of war.
The strategy, if carried out, would significantly reshape the world's most powerful military following the buildup that was a key part of President George W. Bush's "war on ...
US Night Raids Must End: Karzai
January 08, 2012
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai said US night raids must end now, not just prior to or after 2014. He made the comments in an interview with Newsweek magazine.
US military commanders say night raids are their most successful military tactic in fighting the Taliban.
"Night raids by US forces on Afghan homes must end now," Mr ...
Bagram Prison Be Fully Transferred to Afghan Govt.
January 08, 2012
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai has assigned a commission to transfer the Bagram Prison fully to Afghan government control within a month time effective Saturday.
A meeting chaired by the President this morning (05 January) heard a briefing by Gul Rahman Qazi, the chairman of the Constitutional Oversight Commission on a report on Bagram detention facility and the condition of its ...
Lawmakers may Seek to Block Taliban Transfer
January 08, 2012
WASHINGTON - Critics of a possible transfer of Taliban prisoners are discussing tactics to block it, even before the Obama administration appears to have made a final decision on the most politically contentious element of its bid to broker an Afghan peace deal.
Administration officials have, under strict conditions of secrecy ...
Govt. to Sell Bamyan’s Siya Dara Iron Mine
January 08, 2012
KABUL - The Afghan Ministry of Mines on Saturday announced that it is selling the rights to develop Bamiyan's Siya Dara iron mine.
Afghan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Sharani said that the bidding process for Siya Dara will start after the agreement to develop the ...
Karzai Orders Transfer of US Prison to Afghan Control
January 07, 2012
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai, citing reports of human rights violations, on Thursday ordered the transfer of the US forces-run detention facility at the Bagram airfield in central Parwan province to Afghan control within a month, his office said.
The order comes after Karzai was briefed on a report by the chairman of the Constitutional Oversight Commission, Gul Rahman Qazi, the President Office said in a statement.
The report detailed many cases of violations ...
Pakistan Backs Afghan-led Reconciliation Effort
January 07, 2012
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Thursday said it would support every measure making the Afghan-led reconciliation process a success to bring peace and stability to the neighboring country.Abdul Basset, the Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News over the telephone ...
No Comment on Mullah Omar’s Claim: US
January 07, 2012
WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration on Thursday neither denied nor confirmed the Taliban supreme leader's claim that the insurgents were negotiating a peace deal with the United States."It is for the Afghans to decide on their peace talks, and the United States will ...
New Strategy on Mineral Revenue Soon
January 07, 2012
KABUL - A "useful strategy" on the utilization of mineral revenue is being evolved and would be presented to the Cabinet for approval in the near future, officials said on Thursday.Mines minister Wahidullah Shahrani in an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News said the strategy had been recommended by President ...
Taliban Office Could Play Positive Role to End War: US
January 05, 2012
KABUL - State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Tuesday that Taliban political office in Qatar could play a positive role in ending the war in Afghanistan.
She said that Washington has received no formal notification of Taliban plans to open an office in Doha, but we are willing to support the move if it is part of Afghan-led ...