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US Should Listen to Pakistan on Afghan Issue: Kerry
June 26, 2011
NEW YORK - Stressing the need for a political solution to the Afghan conflict through a regional diplomatic effort, Senator John Kerry said the U.S. should listen to both Pakistanis and Afghans to protect American interests. Opening a hearing on U.S. goals and progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said...
Special Court Disqualifies 62 MPs
June 25, 2011
KABUL - Wolesi Jirga secretary, his deputy and the acting speaker are among 62 lawmakers facing disqualification in the wake a special election tribunal's verdict, it was learnt on Friday.
Secretary Abdul Qadir Qalatwal, his deputy Mohammad Farhad Azeemi and the acting speaker, Mohammad Sarwar Usmani, have been declared as losing candidates and are likely to be unseated in line with the five-judge court's decision.
A vote recount shows Qalatwal from southern Zabul province had obtained 519 votes during ...
New Opposition Alliance Underway
June 25, 2011
Kabul: Three Strong political parties decided to form a new opposition alliance. Jamiate-e Islami, People's Unity Party of Afghanisatn (Wahdat) led by Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq and National Islamic Party of Afghanistan (Junbish) founded by Gen. Abdur Rashid Dostum decided to get around a new political alliance. The meeting was hosted ...
Obama Announces Two-Year Plan to Withdraw 33,000 Troops
June 25, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – In a Wednesday evening speech, US President Barack Obama announced a plan to withdraw 33,000 US troops from Afghanistan over the next two years and completely hand over security to Afghan forces by 2014. He said that the US and its allies had largely achieved their objective of denying Al Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan. As a...
Afghan Drawdown Poses Risk: U.S. Military
June 25, 2011
WASHINGTON - U.S. military commanders distanced themselves on Thursday from President Barack Obama's timetable for withdrawing forces from Afghanistan, telling Congress they had sought a slower,...
Afghans Have to Defend Country: Karzai
June 25, 2011
KABUL - President Hamid Karzai, welcoming US President Barack Obama’s announcement that he would pull 33,000 US troops from Afghanistan over the next two years, on Thursday said it would be up to ...
Parliament Summons AG, CJ
June 23, 2011
KABUL - A majority of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of parliament, voted on Wednesday to summon the Attorney General (AG) over his involvement with a special election court.
The court – which some members of parliament contend is unconstitutional – is expected to a deliver a verdict within days on the conduct of September's disputed parliamentary election. The verdict could cast doubt on the legitimacy ...
800 Militants Killed in 3 Months: Azimi
June 23, 2011
KABUL - The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday announced more than 800 militants have been killed across the country over the past three months. During the period, 68 Afghan National Army (ANA) were killed, Maj. Gen. Zahir Azimi, the ministry spokesman, said told a press conference in Kabul. He said 800 militants were killed and another 1710 injured during...
80,000 People Face Landmine Danger in Western Zone
June 23, 2011
HERAT CITY - More than 80,000 people in the western provinces are vulnerable to landmines, a demining coordination centre announced on Wednesday.
The Mine Action Coordination Centre for Afghanistan (MACA) said Wednesday that the residents of 140 villages in the provinces of Farah, Herat, Ghor and Badghis were still at risk, despite...
Reintegration, not Impunity for Criminal Acts: Usackas
June 22, 2011
KABUL - The solution to the conflict in Afghanistan has to be political, said Head of the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan and EU Special Representative, Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas. The peace process must foster sustainable peace within the country. Therefore every Afghan needs to be involved in ending the conflict and building a better future for themselves, he told Afghan academics on Tuesday while addressing the "Perspectives on Reconciliation and ...
Insecurity Hurdles Investment in Afghanistan: EU Commissioner
June 22, 2011
security is the biggest challenge hurting the chances of foreign investments in Afghanistan, a EU commissioner said on Tuesday.
European Union Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on Sunday visited Afghanistan and expressed grave concern about security situation in the country.
Commissioner Piebalgs said the issue of security in Afghanistan should be taken
MoLSA Appreciates Etisalat for Investing in the Human Capital of Afghanistan
June 22, 2011
KABUL -Minister for Labor & Social Affairs (MLSA), Mrs. Amina Afzali, on Tuesday appreciated the efforts and resolve of Etisalat Afghanistan for investing and partnering in the development of human capital of the country. Mrs. Afzali along with her team from the Ministry comprising of Chief of Staff, Ahmad Sidiq Dilear, General...
Domestic Concerns will Affect Afghan Move: Gates
June 22, 2011
SHINGTON –Outgoing US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday President Barack Obama will have to incorporate domestic concerns about the war in Afghanistan into his decision on drawing down American troops there.
Peace in Afghanistan A Long Way Off: Australian DM
June 22, 2011
CANBERRA - Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith on Monday said peace in Afghanistan still remains a long way off.
Smith said he believes the war in Afghanistan would only end with political settlement rather than military victory.
Ties with IMF Severed: Zakhilwal
June 21, 2011
KABUL - Finance minister, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, on Monday said the government had severed its relations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for stopping a $70 million payment after the near collapse of nation's largest private bank.
The relations were cut off after the financial institution presented "politically motivated" conditions to resolve the bank problem, the minister told reporters in Kabul.
Trouble surfaced last year, as the public discovered that the bank made hundreds of millions of dollars in questionable...
Obama’s Decision Time on Afghanistan Nears
June 21, 2011
WASHINGTON - It's decision time for President Obama on Afghanistan. Most likely, the decision is already made, and here's what it will look like. The US president will order the withdrawal of up to 15,000 troops by next January, and then the rest of the December 2009 "surge" will be pulled out by late 2012, in advance of the election here. That will give Obama political space to argue to antiwar...
Parliament Further Delays Recess
June 21, 2011
KABUL - Parliament on Monday announced a further 15-day delay in its summer recess, hoping that in that time, President Hamid Karzai would submit his nominations for cabinet and heads of independent organisations. The announcement came as lawmakers maintained their tenth consecutive day of silence in the"" Wolesi Jirga chamber, in protest of Karzai's failure to send the list of nominees to...
MTN Mobile Clinic Treats 300 Patients
June 21, 2011
Kabul – MTN Mobile Clinic visited (Shewaki, Charkhab, Pul-e-Sangee, Qala-e-Jarnel and Hussain Khel) areas in Bagrami district of Kabul province and treated around 300 patients for free in this week.
MTN Mobile Clinic doctors provided free health consultation to the residents of the mentioned areas including info about personal hygiene...
MPs Mixed Over Election Court’s Upcoming Verdict
June 21, 2011
KABUL - >Wolesi Jirga members on Monday said they would not accept any decision by the special election tribunal, which in two days is due to hand down its verdict on election fraud allegations stemming from last year’s parliamentary election. Meanwhile, other MPs said they would back the panel. The special election court, a panel of five judges, is tasked with investigating thousands of complaints about massive irregularities in...
Alako Under Fire in Parliament
June 20, 2011
KABUL - Parliamentarians on Sunday strongly criticised the country's leading prosecutor for issuing a letter that says MPs who failed to appear in the house for more than 20 days should be "dismissed."
A lack of quorum in lower house of the parliament is seen persisting over the past many months.
A lawmaker from western Farah province, Mohammad Sarwar Usmani, claimed the letter was read out to him during a television program on Saturday night. "The letter says if a parliamentarian does not...
Gates Downplays U.S. Troop Cuts in Afghanistan
June 20, 2011
WASHINGTON - Outgoing US Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged on Sunday that the U.S. State Department is in direct talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, but cautioned that troop drawdowns in the decade-long war will be modest at most in 2011. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Gates said U.S....
MPs Propose Another Way of Protest
June 20, 2011
KABUL - As their protest entered its eighth day, some parliamentarians on Sunday predicted that their vow of silence would prove futile.
Lawmakers have maintained silence in the Wolesi Jirga chamber in protest of Karzai's failure to honor his promise to quickly submit a list of nominations for vacant cabinet seats and heads...
Vahidi Slams U.S. Military Presence in Afghanistan
June 20, 2011
TEHRAN - Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan has contributed to more instability in the country rather than leading to peace and security, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Sunday. "The presence of Americans in every part of the world has not...
EU Commissioner Calls for More Efforts to Improve Afghans Life
June 20, 2011
KABUL - European Union Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs arrived Sunday in Afghanistan, for a visit designed to discuss the next steps of EU cooperation with the country. Commissioner Piebalgs, accompanied by Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas, Head of the EU Delegation to Afghanistan and EU Special Representative, Ghani Ghuriani, Deputy...
Eikenberry Rebuts Afghan Criticisms
June 20, 2011
HERAT - President Hamid Karzai was given a strong rebuke about mounting anti-U.S. sentiment Sunday by U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry in Herat.
Speaking to 200 students and faculty at Herat University, Eikenberry never used Karzai's name, but referred to remarks the president has made in recent weeks, The New York Times...
9 Killed, 12 Hurt in Kabul Gun Battle
June 19, 2011
KABUL - Kabul gun battle that lasted for about two hours on Saturday afternoon took the lives of 9 people, including two policemen while 12 others were wounded in the attack, security officials say.
Afghan security officials confirmed civilian casualties in the incident. The incident took place after a police station in the heart of Kabul came under attack by Four suicide bombers wearing military uniforms.
"One bomber blew himself up at the gate to pave the way for the others to enter, and a second one was shot ...
Armed Kuchis Burn 26 Villages, Kill 5 in Ghazni
June 19, 2011
Hundreds of armed Kuchis (nomads) attacked Nahur district of Ghazni Province on Saturday, looting and burning down 26 villages and killing five people. According to victims and people of the area, they were ambushed suddenly at night by armed Kuchis, and residents of tens of villages in Nahur fled the area. Government officials have confirmed only one dead body in...
Vahidi for More Defense Ties with Afghanistan
June 19, 2011
KABUL - Iran's defense minister made a landmark visit to Afghanistan on Saturday to bolster ties as Kabul prepares to assume security control from NATO-led forces and Washington seeks to wind down its almost decade-old tenure. Iran and Afghanistan share a long border and history, and Western powers have alleged that Tehran's involvement included supporting the...
Karzai Wants to Include Taliban in Cabinet: MPs
June 19, 2011
KABUL – Wolesi Jirga on Saturday said the government along with High Peace Council is seeking to include the Taliban in the cabinet.
Some parliamentarians criticized the government saying President Karzai is waiting for the talks with the Taliban to take place and then to introduce the remaining ministers for vote of confidence to the...
Pentagon Wants to ‘Extend’ Afghanistan Surge
June 18, 2011
WASHINGTON - The US military is asking President Barack Obama to maintain its troop surge in Afghanistan until the fall of 2012, a month before a scheduled withdrawal, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The timeline would mean the president could promise large troop reductions to a war-weary public just ahead of the November 2012 presidential elections in which he seeks a second term, but military officials told the Journal that the electoral schedule had nothing to do with...
Russia Eyes Bigger Role in Afghanistan
June 18, 2011
>KABUL - Russia wants to enlarge its presence in Afghanistan and rebuild the country where Soviet troops fought a disastrous decade-long war, Russia's envoy to Kabul said, describing ties between the two former foes as the best in 20 years. Although Russia has refused to send troops to join the NATO-led war in Afghanistan, Moscow has been flexing its muscles in the region bordering much of ex-Soviet Central Asia, which Russia views as its
Obama Hears From Petraeuson Troop Options
June 18, 2011
WASHINGTON - The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has laid out several options for President Barack Obama to reduce the number of troops there, the White House said on Thursday, signaling a plan would be announced soon. General David Petraeus presented recommendations to Obama and the president's national security advisers in a meeting...
Fahim Begins Three-Day India Tour
June 18, 2011
NEW DELHI - Afghanistan’s first Vice President Marshal Mohammed QasimFahim on Thursday arrived in India on a three-day state visit at the invitation of Indian President Pratibha Singh Patil.
Besides meeting the Indian Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, Marshal Fahim was expected to call on President Patil and Prime Minister...
British, Danish, Estonian DMs Reaffirm Commitments to Afghanistan
June 18, 2011
KABUL - British, Danish and Estonian defense ministers on Thursday reaffirmed their long-term commitment to cooperate with Afghan security forces even beyond 2014.
UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox, Danish Defense Minister GitteLillelundBech and Estonian Defense Minister JaakAaviksoo on Wednesday touched down in Afghanistan to hold meetings with officials...
Afghanistan is the Most Dangerous Country for Women
June 16, 2011
LONDON - Violence, dismal healthcare and brutal poverty make Afghanistan the world's most dangerous country for women, with Congo a close second due to horrific levels of rape, a Thomson Reuters Foundation expert poll said on Wednesday. Pakistan, India and Somalia ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the global survey of perceptions of threats ranging from domestic abuse and economic discrimination to female feticide, genital mutilation and acid...