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Russia Calls on Afghanistan to Come Closer to SCO
June 16, 2011
KABUL - Russian President called on Afghanistan to get closer to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Wednesday at the 10th jubilee summit of the organization in Kazakh capital, Astana.
Calling for more active role of Afghanistan in the organization, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said the initiative is supported by...
UN to Decide Removal of Taliban Names From Blacklist
June 16, 2011
KABUL - UN Security Council on Thursday will make a decision about the removal of names of a number of Taliban leaders from blacklist, Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Deputy Foreign Minister said the Afghan government has submitted a list of twenty names of Taliban leaders, who are considered effective in peace talks, to the UN...
Khalili Survives Rocket Attack
June 16, 2011
MAIDAN SHAR - The second vice president and interior minister of Afghanistan survived a rocket attack on Wednesday in the central province of MaidanWardak, officials said. Second Vice President KarimKhalili and Interior Minister BismillahMuhammadi were among officials participating in the inauguration ceremony of a police trainingcenter in the Tope...
Kabul Asks Islamabad to Extradite Taliban Leaders
June 15, 2011
KABUL - Afghanistan has formally requested Pakistan for the extradition of three Taliban leaders hiding in the neighboring country, official sources said on Tuesday.
The High Peace Council formally conveyed the demand to Pakistani authorities during President Hamid Karzai's two-day trip to Islamabad, a member of the visiting delegation said.
During the visit on Friday and Saturday, the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Commission for Reconciliation and Peace held its maiden...
Taliban Key Commander Killed
June 15, 2011
HERAT - Afghan police in an operation against insurgents killed a Taliban key commander in Herat province 640 km west of capital city of Kabul, deputy to provincial police chief said on Tuesday.
"Based on intelligence information Afghan National Police (ANP) launched a special operation to capture an insurgent commander in...
NATO Has Become Two-Tiered Alliance: Gates
June 15, 2011
BRUSSELS - NATO has turned into a two-tiered alliance of members who consume security and those who produce it, US Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday.
Gates spoke to NATO’s Security and Defense Agenda assembly the day after a meeting of the alliance’s defense ministers concluded.
“In the past, I’ve worried openly about...
MPs Protest to Pressure Karzai to Submit Final Cabinet Nominees
June 15, 2011
KABUL - Afghan legislators say they are staging a fourth day of silent protests against President Hamid Karzai for his failure to fill the remaining seven posts in his 25-member Cabinet.
Lawmaker ShirWaliWardak says he and a majority of legislators in the Afghan parliament are upset that Karzai has not sought parliamentary approval to...
ISAF Plans on Course and Unchanged: Gen. Pope
June 14, 2011
KABUL - Major General Nick Pope, who has recently taken over as the Chief of the Defence Staff's Strategic Communications Officer, has briefed members of the media on the situation in Afghanistan.
He introduced Lieutenant General David Rodriguez of the US Army, Commander of ISAF Joint Command, and Major General Tim Evans, Chief of Staff ISAF Joint Command, who both spoke to the audience via a video conferencing link from Kabul.
General Rodriguez said that ISAF objectives ...
Pakistan Seeks Joint Strategy with US in Afghanistan
June 14, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Monday told an American delegation the importance of having a joint strategy to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. The point was made by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani while meeting an American delegation led by Thomas R. Nides, the deputy secretary of state for management and...
MPs Continue to Observe Silence
June 14, 2011
President Hamid Karzai's failure to submit a list of his Cabinet nominees and heads of independent organisations, including the apex court.
On Sunday, a presidential spokesman told a press conference in Kabul that the much-awaited list of ministers-designate would reach Parliament before the house rises for its month-long summer...
War in Afghanistan ‘Not Sustainable’: Bob Corker
June 14, 2011
WASHINGTON - In another sign of growing bipartisan concern about American involvement in Afghanistan, one Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee says the war is "unsustainable."
"I think all of us who have been in Afghanistan on the ground multiple times know that what we're doing there on the ground...
Afghan-Iran Handicrafts on Display in Kabul
June 14, 2011
KABUL - A joint exhibition showcasing Afghan and Iranian handicrafts was on Monday conducted by women from both the countries to mark the ongoing Iranian-Afghan Women's Friendship Week, an official said. A wide range of handicrafts, including jewelry, carpets, clothing, paintings and others were displayed at the...
Indian Presence Not Against Pakistan: Karzai
June 13, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said the Indian presence in his country cannot be in any way used against Pakistan, which should be happy that Afghanistan is being “tremendously” helped by another neighbor. “The Indian presence in Afghanistan... cannot be in any manner used against Pakistan,” President Karzai said in an interview to state-run PTV.
India, being an old friend of Afghanistan, was helping it “tremendously and providing financial assistance,” he...
Malik Calls Taliban ‘Tyrants’
June 13, 2011
KABUL - A top Pakistani official has told Tolo news that he calls the Taliban ‘tyrants' and identifies them as hired murderers.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rahman Malik stressed the need for joint combat against terrorism at the sideline of talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and...
Second Day of Silence in Wolesi Jirga
June 13, 2011
KABUL - Parliamentarians on Sunday continued to observe a silence for a second consecutive day as a mark of protest against President Hamid Karzai's failure to send his Cabinet choices to the house for a vote of confidence. Thirty percent of the Wolesi Jirga members, who were present during the session, spent their time thumbing desks,...
List of Cabinet Before Summer Recess: Omar
June 13, 2011
KABUL - Predicting a drastic reshuffle in President Hamid Karzai's cabinet, his spokesman Waheed Omar said on Sunday the much-awaited list of ministers-designate would reach Parliament before the house rises for its summer break. Parliamentarians on Sunday continued to observe a silence for a second consecutive day as a mark of protest over Karzai's failure tخ...
Jaghori and Qara Bagh Cleaned Up from Insurgents
June 13, 2011
KABUL - An operation was launched by Afghan National Security forces (ANP-ANA) in Kotal – Zardalo area of Ghazni province, which contributed in ensuring the security and stability of Ghazni highways and its surrounding areas, as a result of this operation the threats from the insurgents in the above-mentioned areas were...
Pakistan Lends Weight to Afghan Peace Bid
June 12, 2011
ISLAMABAD - President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani conferred on Saturday on the Afghan-led reconciliation process, peace in the region and the planned drawdown of NATO-led troops.
During a meeting at the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad, the two leaders agreed on enhanced bilateral ties, with special focus on stepping up joint efforts for peace -- a requisite for their prosperity and development.
The scenario after the withdrawal of foreign...
368 Civilians Die in May: UN
June 12, 2011
KABUL - The number of civilians killed in attacks and other war-related violence hit 368 in May, making it the deadliest month for Afghans since 2007, the United Nations said Saturday. The news came as Afghan authorities said three attacks in separate parts of the country killed at least 24 people, including 10 children,...
Pak-Afghanistan Agree to Implement Transit Trade Accord
June 12, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to enforce a long-awaited transit trade deal that would help war-ravaged Afghanistan boost its economy, Pakistani government officials said on Saturday. The announcement came during a visit by President Hamid Karzai to Islamabad, where he met civilian and military leaders in a...
MPs Observe Silence to Protest Delay in Cabinet Nominations
June 12, 2011
KABUL - Parliamentarians observed a day of silence on Thursday to protest President Hamid Karzai's failure to nominate his Cabinet picks and three judges of the apex court. A week back, lawmakers announced a 15-day delay in their summer recess to help Karzai finalize the list of Cabinet choices and heads of independent organizations, as well as...
President Hamid Karzai : Taliban Deal Must to End War
June 11, 2011
>ISLAMABAD - President Hamid Karzai arrived in Pakistan's capital on a trip widely believed to be aimed at seeking Islamabad's help in ending a decade-old Taliban insurgency.
According to a senior Pakistani security official, Karzai has told the U.S. that "seeking a military victory in Afghanistan will remain a futile venture without a stepped-up political dialogue with the Taliban."
The Pakistani security official (who spoke Friday to CBS News on condition of anonymity) repeated a widely-held belief among the...
NATO Risks “Collective Military Irrelevance”: Gates
June 11, 2011
BRUSSELS - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a sharp parting shot at European allies on Friday, saying NATO risks "collective military irrelevance" unless they bear more of the burden and boost military spending. In a final policy address before retiring at the end of the month, Gates said NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Libya had exposed significant ...
Indo-Pak Talks Important for Success in Afghanistan: Crocker
June 11, 2011
WASHINGTON - Resumption of talks between India and Pakistan is important for the success of the international community in Afghanistan, a senior US diplomat has said.
“With respect to India, I’m pleased to see, from my possible future perspective in Afghanistan, that dialogue between the foreign secretaries of the two nations has resumed,” Ryan...
Kabul’s Air Pollution Dangerous than the Terrorism
June 11, 2011
NEW YORK - It doesn't bleed so it doesn't lead... Kabul's air pollution right now is so bad that it kills some 3000 people each year from respiratory problems. How many civilians were killed in all of Afghanistan last year due to ongoing warfare there? 2,777 according to United Nations figures.
As for why the air pollution is so bad, PhysOrg cites a number of...
Insurgents Shoot Dead Nine Wedding Guestsin Afghan
June 11, 2011
JALALABAD - Insurgents shot dead nine wedding guests and wounded five more in Afghanistan's turbulent east, local officials said on Thursday, the latest attack on revellers who engage in what militants say is un-Islamic activity. Ahmadzia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, said the guests were shot dead in their...
Afghanistan Not Hopeless: Crocker
June 09, 2011
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's choice for U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said Wednesday the United States must continue its investment in the country to prevent it from backsliding into a safe haven for terrorists.
Ryan Crocker was repeatedly challenged by skeptical lawmakers who questioned a costly war now in its 10th year and nation building that...
ANSF Ready for Security Transition: Azimi
June 09, 2011
KABUL - Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are ready for the security transition due to begin next month, a Ministry of Defence official said on Wednesday.
As part of the NATO-approved process, foreign troops will gradually transfer control of the country's security to their Afghan...
US Democrats Warn Financial Crisis in Afghanistan
Thursday June 09
KABUL - US Democrats have warned that Afghanistan would sink into financial crisis after international troops abandon the country.
Democrats in the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee published the two-year report on Tuesday night. It said stabilization programs in Afghanistan have so far had very little success. Misspent foreign aid...
MPs Seek Details of Strategic Accord with US
June 09, 2011
KABUL- A number of Wolesi Jirga, lower house of Parliament, members on Wednesday sought details of a draft strategic cooperation agreement between Afghanistan and the United States.
President Hamid Karzai has already said the agreement would be sent to Parliament for approval after being discussed by the traditional Loya Jirga, expected...
Jawad Zahaak Killed
June 08, 2011
KABUL - Police on Tuesday found the body of a provincial legislator stoned to death after his kidnapping by unknown armed men in northern Afghanistan over the weekend, a provincial governor said.
Jawad Zahaak, chief of the provincial council in the central Bamyan Province, was on his way to neighboring Parwan Province on Saturday when a group of armed men abducted him, Parwan's governor, Basir Salangi, said.
'Today our police forces found his body,' Salangi told the German...
Houston Rejects Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan
June 08, 2011
CANBERRA - Australian Defense Force chief on Tuesday hit back at growing calls for the withdrawal of Australian troops from Afghanistan, after announcing the fourth death of an Australian in the past two weeks. On Tuesday morning, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston announced that combat engineer Sapper Rowan Robinson was killed during a mission to...
NATO Close to ‘Decisive Blow’ in Afghanistan: Gates
June 08, 2011
KABUL - Defense Secretary Robert Gates, wrapping up a final visit to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief, said Tuesday that US-led forces were on the verge of securing a "decisive blow" against the Taliban.
"I leave Afghanistan today [Tuesday] with the belief that if we keep this momentum up, we will deliver a decisive blow to the enemy...
No Solution to Afghan Problem without Pakistan: Ackermann
June 08, 2011
BERLIN - Political solution is of paramount importance to Afghanistan problem but this cannot be achieved without the support of Pakistan. This was stated by the head of the Task Force for Afghanistan and Pakistan at Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Philipp Ackermann while talking to Pakistani delegation comprising officials...
MPs, LJ Differ Over Deal with US
June 08, 2011
KABUL- Some Wolesi Jirga members suggested on Tuesday that the proposed Loya Jirga, aimed at sharing its opinion with the government on a strategic cooperation deal with the US, should have a consultative role.
But others rejected the suggestion, saying the move was against the constitution and any decision by the Jirga would not be acceptable to...