17 Dead in Parwan, Logar Floods

LASHKARGAH - Residents brought the body of an elderly man, who was allegedly killed by foreign troops, to Helmand’s provincial capital on Thursday and laid the corpse in front of the governor's office as a mark of protest. The protestors allege the 65-year-old man, Marjan, was killed by NATO troops in the Bolan area of Lashkargah on Wednesday afternoon. However, NATO's media office in Kabul said coalition forces were attacked by insurgents with small arms just outside Lashkargah. ISAF forces gained positive identification of the enemy and returned small arms fire. "Upon assessment of the site after the attack, it was determined that a local man was killed in the crossfire," the alliance said in a statement. "Coalition forces deeply regret this unfortunate loss of life and express our sincerest apologies to the family," it added. Nearly 100 people gathered in front of the governor's office, demanding an investigation into the killing. One of the protestors, Haji Wazir Muhammad, a tribal elder, who was sitting with the body, said foreign troops opened fire on villagers, killing Marjan. Marjan, who worked as irrigation water distributor in the village, was killed while performing abolition before prayers, he said. "Despite the presence of police checkposts in our area, foreign troops frequently come here and search our houses," said another resident, Muhammad Omar, who accused foreigners of searching women in the presence of their male relatives. He said local forces should be the ones to search their houses. Another resident, Ghulam Sarwar, said Taliban militants freely move in the area on motorcycles, plant roadside bombs and carry out their attacks in broad daylight, but foreign troops do not act against them. "Foreigners only target civilians," he said. The angry protestors also chanted slogans against foreign troops. The spokesman for the governor, Muhammad Daud Ahmadi, confirmed the incident, saying an investigation had been opened. He said the deputy governor Abussatar Mirzakwal had talked to representatives of the residents and had condemned the killing. Ahmadi said the governor had asked foreign troops to investigate the incident. There was no word from foreign troops stationed in the province. On Friday, 52 civilians were killed by a mortar shell in Sangin district of Helmand. The Afghan Cabinet and residents of Sangin say foreign troops fired the shell, a claim NATO denies. (Pajhwok)

PARIS – President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that he wants to revoke the French citizenship of immigrants who put the lives of police officers in danger as part of a “national war” on delinquency. In a speech in Grenoble, the site of recent urban unrest, Sarkozy said that the current list of causes for revoking French nationality would be reevaluated and “rights and benefits” accorded to illegal immigrants would be reviewed. Meanwhile, a video posted on the Internet showing riot police roughly rousting African immigrant squatters, including one visibly preg- nant woman, from an encampment at a housing project prompted shocked reactions around the country. The video shot by a member of a housing-rights organization shows police wearing leg protection pulling women, some with babies on their backs, and in one case dragging a woman across the ground with her infant trailing behind in the dirt.

GHAZNI CITY - Only two out of 13 female candidates standing for the upcoming parliamentary polls in Ghazni province in have launched their election campaigns due to security concerns. The southern province of Ghazni has 11 seats in the Wolesi Jirga with three reserved for women. A total of 48 men and 13 women are running for the 11 seats in the September 18 elections. Khumari Niazi, a representative of nomadic Kuchi tribe, says she is afraid to leave the provincial capital of Ghazni city because of the increasingly poor security. She says she has discussed the issue with the government but they have done nothing to help her. She has also asked for bodyguards from police to allow her to campaign in the rural areas, where the Taliban hold sway, but they also have not met her request. Zahira Ahmadyar Maulayee, another female candidate, also expressed concern over the security in the province. She is still living in Kabul and has yet to start her campaign in Ghazni. The official campaign period for the election started on June 23 and lasts until September 16. Maulayee says she filed her nomination papers at the request of the people, but that security in the province would not allow her to campaign. She said the election could not be held in the provincial capital or 14 other districts because of security problems. Huma Sultani is one of only two women who have launched their campaigns in Ghazni, with posters and pictures plastered on walls across the city. She said all of the female candidates are fearful and not campaigning, even in the city. Hosay Andar, another candidate for the Wolesi Jirga, is also living in Kabul instead of campaigning in Ghazni. She said security was the main reason keeping her from campaigning. Obaidullah Osmani the head of the regional office of the Independent Election Commission, acknowledged that security was not great in the province. Security officials, on the other hand, rejected the criticism from the female candidates about insecurity in the province. Provincial police chief Khial Baz Sherzai said the majority of candidates were in Kabul and issuing statements about security in Ghazni. He said candidates could campaign on the radio and television if they were afraid to go into the districts. He said police would provide full support for candidates if they returned to the province. Male candidates have also complained about insecurity in the province and a few days ago one candidate was kidnapped while campaigning. (Pajhwok)

CANBERRA - Australia Defense Minister John Faulkner on Friday welcomed New Zealand's decision to commit a small group of soldiers to work with Australian troops in Uruzgan province. "Australia and New Zealand have a long history of working together in military missions, both in our region and further afield," Faulkner said in a statement. "We look forward to again working closely with New Zealand in pursuit of our common security interests." Australia now has about 1,550 people in Afghanistan, most in Uruzgan Province undertaking training of the Afghan National Army (ANA), performing development tasks and also undertaking combat operations. Senator Faulkner said the New Zealanders would work with Australia, the United States, Singapore and Slovakia as part of the multinational Combined Team Uruzgan. "This commitment is appreciated," Faulkner said. "Along with New Zealand's other deployments in support of coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including leading the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan province, this is a valuable contribution." New Zealand last month has rejected an Australian request for up to 50 troops to assist in the training and mentoring of the Afghan National Army's 4th Brigade. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key earlier said he had considered that option but rejected it because of the risk. But a small group of medical and support personnel might be deployed, in addition to some 150 New Zealand troops already in Afghanistan, most in Bamyan province. (Xinhua)

WELLINGTON -- Nine New Zealand Defence Force staff will be deployed for eight months in Uruzgan, Kiwi’s Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said on Thursday. They will start in September. The nine will comprise seven staff officers and two medical staff. The staff officers will fill coordination and planning roles. They will join the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) provincial headquarters at Tarin Khowt base. Mapp said similar deployments had been made in the past and this one would build on New Zealand's strong links with Australia. Mapp said New Zealand was working with NATO and ISAF partners to build the capacity and security of the Afghan government and people. (Xinhua)

STOCKHOLM - More Swedes are against Sweden's troop deployment in Afghanistan, according to a survey published Thursday. The poll, conducted by the Swedish survey company SIFO, showed 41 percent of respondents said it was wrong for Sweden to deploy troops in Afghanistan, 6 percent up from February. It said 42 percent of respondents are in favor of sending troops to Afghanistan, 4 percent less than those of five months ago. The survey was sponsored and published by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. The Swedish public opinion has obviously changed in the past five months as a result of some events. For instance, many countries decided to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan, SIFO Director Toivo Sjoren told the paper. The random poll was carried out among 1,000 people. Sweden currently has about 500 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan, as part of a U.N. mission of the International Security Assistance Force. (Xinhua)

KHOST - An Afghan parliamentary candidate and at least 25 other people have been injured in a mosque bombing in the eastern province of Khost. Mawlvi Saydullah, the candidate, was delivering a speech during Friday prayers when a bomb exploded inside the mosque. He and his bodyguard were both wounded by the explosion. "[Saydullah] was the target," said Mubariz Zadran, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but General Nawab Khan, an Afghan army official in Khost, blamed it on "enemies of Afghanistan". Afghanistan's parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 18, and security is a major concern. Last year's presidential elections were marred by dozens of attacks on voters and polling places. Khost is one of Afghanistan's least secure provinces. Anti-government groups staged 364 attacks there between April and June, up from 240 during the same period in 2009, according to a recent report from the Afghanistan NGO Security Office. The Haqqani network, one of Afghanistan's three main insurgent groups, is particularly active in Khost, which shares a border with Pakistan. (Al-Jazeera)

LASHKARGAH/KHOST CITY - A dozen people, including three guards of a private road construction company, were killed and seven others wounded in separate incidents in different parts of the country, officials said on Monday. Five civilians were killed and six wounded as their car struck a roadside bomb in Babaji area on the outskirts of Helmand's capital, Lashkargah, at about 12 noon, the governor spokesman, Daud Ahmadi, told Pajhwok Afghan News. The wounded people were taken to a medical facility of foreign forces in the area for treatment, Ahmadi added. But Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, who claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing, said a number of policemen were killed in the attack. On Sunday around 21 people were wounded in a similar bomb explosion in the Garmser district of the province. In the southeast, a similar blast killed three security guards of a private road construction company and a fourth wounded in the Spera district of Khost province, bordering Pakistan, said an official, who did not want to be named. In central Uruzgan province, a tractor driver was killed another man wounded as a roadside bomb went off in the Deh Rawood district, said the deputy police chief, Ghulab Khan. Five civilians were killed as their cars hit roadside bombs in Nawbahar and Atghar districts of southern Zabul province late Sunday evening, said governor's spokesman, Muhammad Jan Rasulyar. (Pajhwok)