WB Oks $30m Grant for new Project to Boost Employment

KABUL - The World Bank has approved a $30 million IDA grant to support the Afghan government’s new initiative to boost employment and incomes for residents of rural areas, accounting for 70 percent of the country’s total population. Called Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Project (AREDP), the scheme aims to enhance participation of the rural poor in economic activities by providing business development services, improving their access to finance and strengthening market linkages and value chains. The World Bank office in Kabul said on Wednesday the project would support the establishment of 13,000 Savings Groups, 6,500 Enterprise Groups (EGs) and 1,300 Village and Savings Loan Associations. In a statement, it said the EGs would help maximize the economic potential of rural entrepreneurs to improve market access, deliver technical knowledge, raise basic business skills and leverage economies of scale to increase the value of their sales. In addition to working with 750 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), likely key drivers of rural employment, the project will support SMEs in building skills, promoting market development and encouraging business linkages into the rural economy. The World Bank senior rural development specialist and project team leader said: “The project will assist these institutions to build their own capacities, increase the value of trading, ensure production is oriented towards identified market opportunities, and create access to credit.” Qazi Azmat Isa added: “The pilot phase of this programme demonstrated that such an intervention can have an enormous impact in terms of improving employment opportunities and income of rural men and women. We have also seen in many other countries - in South Asia and beyond - that promoting synergies between private companies and rural enterprises provides a powerful force for boosting rural incomes. According to the WB statement, AREDP will be implemented under the overall leadership of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). With the initial $87.3 million budget envelope, it will roll out in seven provinces: Kapisa, Balkh, Nangarhar, Herat, Bamyan, Kandahar and Helmand. It will later be scaled up, with additional funds, to all 34 provinces of the country. In addition to IDA’s $30 million grant, the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) has pledged áÿ12 million through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) for the initial rollout. The Danish Government has also committed $2 million under a bilateral agreement. The remaining funding requirements will be met through the ARTF. (Pajhwok)

PUL-E-CHARKHI - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised the possibility Wednesday that some of the US forces involved in the Afghanistan surge could leave the country before President Barack Obama’s announced July 2011 date to begin withdrawal. Without giving specifics, Gates said, ‘It would have to be conditions-based.’ Gates made the remarks during a visit to a dust-blown training ground in Kabul province where Afghan soldiers come for weeks of training under US and British instruction. British Brigadier Simon Levy told Gates that if NATO countries contribute more trainers, the project to expand the Afghan army will keep pace. The goal is to reach 134,000 trained forces this fall. The Pentagon hopes the Afghans will soon ease the load on US forces. In a press conference with Gates, Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said his troops are eager to take on the responsibility for defending the country, but gave no indication of when that might be possible. Gates said, ‘We will begin that transition no later than July of 2011, but the pace will depend also on conditions on the ground.’ Still, the Pentagon chief said, ‘We should not be too impatient.’ Gates watched as Afghan troops dealt with a simulated roadside bomb explosion. He stood on an embankment above the road as Afghan soldiers leapt out of a convoy, tended to casualties and contained the explosive. He said he was very impressed by what he saw. ‘Although attention may be focused on operations in the south today, the training that is going on in this facility is even more important,’ he said. ‘At the end of the day, only Afghans will be able to provide long-term security for Afghanistan.’ US forces are engaged in a major offensive against Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan. Gates visited some of those troops Tuesday. (AP)

KUNDUZ - Twenty welfare projects that will enable thousands of families in various communities to develop a proper solution to their difficulties have lately been completed in Kunduz province. A statement issued by the National Solidarity Programme of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development indicated that these projects include the excavation of 35 wells equipped with hand pumps, gravelling a rural road 16, 493 meters in length, construction of 135 culverts and establishment of a number of literacy and carpet weaving courses for women. “The pilot phase of this programme demonstrated that such an intervention can have an enormous impact in terms of improving employment opportunities and income of rural men and women. We have also seen in many other countries - in South Asia and beyond - that promoting synergies between private companies and rural enterprises provides a powerful force for boosting rural incomes. The report adds that the projects completed in Archi and Imam Sahib districts of Kunduz province at a total cost of AFN 17,626,000 funded by the NSP/MRRD of which 10% is community contribution will soon help approximately 4,498 families get access to much-needed services in the territory. It is worth mentioning that hundreds of other NSP/MRRD development projects in different communities of Kunduz province are currently under construction. (PR/NSP)

SHIBERGHAN - A local Taliban commander allegedly involved in various terrorist attacks has been detained in northern Jawzjan province, police said on Wednesday. Identifying the detainee, deputy police chief Col Mohammad Ibrahim told Pajhwok Afghan News Mullah Habibullah was arrested in Aqcha district early Wednesday morning. Mullah Habibullah, who is native to Khanqa district of the province confessed to his role in carrying out scores of insurgent attacks in Faizabad, Khanqa, Mardian and Mangajak districts, said the police official, who held the commander responsible for attacking two former commanders of the Junbish-e-Milli Afghanistan party led by Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostam. One of the former commanders survived the attack took place last Monday in Aqcha district, but another sustained injuries. However, Taliban denied links with Mullah Habibullah. Zabihullah Mujahid told Pajhwok over the telephone from an undisclosed location that Habibullah was an ordinary man and had no relations with the Taliban. A resident of Aqcha, who declined to be identified, told this news agency Habibullah was arrested following a tip-off by local people. The source added people of Chakush Sarband village called police when they observed strange motorcyclists frequently visiting Mullah Habibullah's residence. (Pajhwok)

GHAZNI CITY - Taliban fighters shot dead an intelligence officer late Tuesday evening in provincial capital of southern Ghazni province, officials said on Wednesday. Deputy head of detectives at the provincial police headquarters, Col. Ghazni Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News the National Directorate of Security (NDS) officer Cap. Nasrullah was going home from his office when armed men opened fire at him at 6pm. A police official in the fourth police district, on condition of anonymity, said Nasrullah was on foot when two motorcyclists shot him dead with pistols. He said the attackers had managed to flee. Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the killing, saying their fighters killed the officer. (Pajhwok)

GHAZNI CITY - Officials in Ghazni announced on Wednesday the opening of girls’ schools as the new academic year began in the restive province. Education Director Husn-i-Mubarak Azizi said girls’ schools in the province had been closed for the past few years. He said the step would enable around 20,000 girls to return to school. Speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News, Azizi said the government would construct 25 schools for girls in the province, having a total of 456 schools. As many as 270,000 boys are studying in schools. Another 50,000 more boys will be enrolled during the current academic year. The official said that the schools would be kept opened throughout the year with the cooperation of religious scholars and local elders. Qarabagh, Aab Band, Giro, Maqur, Gilan, Nawa, Andar, Zanakhan, Rashidan, Khogiani, Waghaz, Ajristan and Deh Yak are considered unstable districts of Ghazni. Abdul Wali Khanzada, member of the provincial council, expressed happiness over the reopening of schools. He hoped obstacles in the way of education would be overcome with assistance from local elders. (Pajhwok)

KABUL - Eighteen insurgents were arrested and an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier was killed in separate operations over the last 24 hours, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. International troops including Special Forces based in Bagram arrested the militants involved in miscreant activities during operations in Helmand, Maidan Wardak and Paktia provinces. A dozen rebels were detained in two separate raids on compounds in Washer district of southern Helmand province. Four suspects were held with a pistol and a Kalashnikov in Chak district of Maidan Wardak. Two fighters were arrested in Ghulam Kot area of Paktia province while planting a roadside mine, the ministry said in a statement mailed to Pajhwok Afghan News. One ANA soldier was killed and four others were wounded when a roadside bomb hit their patrol in Musa Qala district of Helmand. A fifth soldier was injured in the Moshaki village of Qarabagh district in Ghazni during a clash with insurgents. In a separate statement, ISAF said more than 20 suspected insurgents were captured in the past 36 hours in Helmand, Kandahar and Khost provinces during joint operations between the Afghan National Army (ANA) and international forces. Almost a dozen suspected insurgents responsible for roadside bombing and distructive activities were arrested in Khost province. Three Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition were seized from them, it added. In the Zherai district of Kandahar, several suspected Taliban were captured as result of ANA operations. ANA and international forces suffered no casualties in these operations. (Pajhwok)

KHOST CITY - Four NATO soldiers and five policemen were injured in Monday's suicide attack and subsequent firefight in southeastern Khost province, officials said on Tuesday. Two suicide bombers entered a building between the Tribal Affairs Directorate and the Second Police District in the provincial capital. Later a police officer said only one suicide bomber had sneaked into the building. "We saw a burqa-clad man steal into the empty building; we thought a woman had entered the building to answer the call of nature," the policeman told Pajhwok Afghan News. As the attacker reached the second floor, he started firing and hurling grenades at the district police headquarters and NATO soldiers. Four foreign soldiers and five policemen were wounded, the source said. Deputy police chief, Col. Yaqub and commander of Afghan National Army (ANA) Gen. Israr confirmed the incident, saying some policemen were wounded in the clash. No civilians were among the casualties, they explained. Taliban commander, Salahuddin Ayubi, said five fighters conducted the attack, with one of them blowing himself up and the rest returning safely to their hideout. He claimed several Afghan and foreign soldiers were killed in the assault. (Pajhwok)

KANDAHAR CITY - A roadside blast killed three border police while 15 Taliban fighters perished in a NATO air strike in southern Kandahar province, a day after US defense secretary Robert Gates visited troops from his country, officials said on Wednesday. Commander of 4th brigade of border police, Gen. Abdul Razzaq told Pajhwok Afghan News a police vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Lway Karez area of Spin Boldak district at 12pm. The blast killed three cops and a civilian and wounded another policeman. Police have reached the site of the blast for investigation, but no arrest could be made so far, Razzaq said. Separately, 15 Taliban insurgents were killed when a NATO air strike targeted their hideouts in Myanshin district of the province. Provincial governor's office in a statement said the air strike was carried out Sunday night in light of intelligence reports. No civilians were hurt in the strike, the statement added. (Pajhwok)

OTTAWA - Canada should maintain a presence in Afghanistan even after its troops leave next year, a new report says. But the priority needs to become building up Afghanistan's civil society, investing in education and upgrading the country's shockingly low literacy rate, according to the survey by the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee. The report draws on extensive interviews with Afghan Canadians and Afghans, ranging from war lords to women's rights activists. Canada should not be shy about using its influence to pressure the Afghan government toward democracy, according to Terry Glavin, lead author of the report, being released Tuesday in Ottawa. "What people told us was not to be (afraid) of treading on Afghan sovereignty," Glavin said. "We must tell the president that rule of law is important." A blue-ribbon panel is to discuss the committee's findings Tuesday. Members include retired Maj.-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie; Nipa Banerjee, former head of the Canadian International Development Agency in Afghanistan; Afghan ambassador Jawed Ludin and Douglas Bland, chair of defense management studies at Queen's University. "When we debate the army leaving Afghanistan, we forget that the root cause of the conflict is lack of development, aid and education," said Banerjee, who led the CIDA mission in Kabul 2003 to 2006. "In the (UN) human development index, Afghanistan is going down. But security and development go together, which is why Afghans feel so helpless." After 2011, he said, Canada should loosen its ties with Kandahar, where the troops are based. MacKenzie said resettling development away from turbulent southern Afghanistan would be possible but moving Canadian Forces would be difficult and costly. After 2011, he said, Canada should focus on training, mentoring Afghan troops and maintaining reconstruction teams. (Agencies)

M Arif Shafi Our correspondentin Peshawar
PESHAWAR: At least four persons including a woman were killed and 16 other injured in a car bomb in Tehkal area, near KFC Restaurant at University Road here on Saturday.   Sources said that a powerful blast took place in a parked car at United plaza in Tehkal area. Soon after blast the shops caught fire and several persons were trapped in nearby shops and offices.The fire brigade and other relief agencies reached soon after the incident and started operation. The injured were rushed to the Lady Reading and Khyber Teaching Hospitals. Police cordon off the area and closed University road for all kind of traffic, which was opened after some time. . After two hours of relief operation the fire was extinguished and all the trapped persons were vacated safely. A shopkeeper and eye witnessed told this correspondent that the car used in the blast was parked there for a long time, which blew up, while he had also heard some minor blast afterwards. The area where the incident took place is a commercial place where most of the residents and traders are Afghan refugees.

Afghanistan's civilian death toll has risen alongside that of U.S. and international forces this summer. A U.N. report issued Saturday said August was the deadliest month of the year for civilians as the Taliban stepped up a campaign of violence to discourage voting in the Aug. 20 election. A total of 1,500 civilians died in Afghanistan from January through August, up from 1,145 for the same period of 2008, the U.N. report said. On Sunday, Taliban militants ambushed a group of truck drivers in eastern Kunar province, killing six of the drivers and burning their vehicles, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. A seventh truck driver was kidnapped. Also Sunday, a private van hit a roadside bomb in northern Faryab province, the ministry said in a separate statement. Six of those inside were killed and another seven injured, the statement said. The planted bombs have become a major cause of deaths and injuries for both international troops and Afghan civilians. Some are remotely detonated, but many are simply placed on roads and triggered by a vehicle riding over the explosive. The U.N. report said about three-quarters of the civilian deaths recorded this year were the work of militants. Coalition forces were responsible for the remaining deaths, most the result of airstrikes. (AP)

KUNDUZ CITY - The government on Monday extended cash assistance to family members of victims of a September 4 air strike that killed scores of civilians in northern Kunduz province last month. The much-condemned NATO raid took place in Chardara district, where people were emptying fuel into jerry canes from two oil tankers hijacked by Taliban insurgents. Residents and civil society organizations said all the victims were ordinary civilians. Around 30 families were given cash assistance at a ceremony held in Kunduz City, the provincial capital. Relatives of each victim received 100,000 Afghanis while every injured person was provided 80,000 Afghanis, a spokesman for the governor, Muhammadullah Saeedi, told Pajhwok Afghan News. Asadullah, whose brother perished in the bombing, thanked the government for the recompense. "I lost my brother who carried two jerry canes to fetch fuel from the tankers," the resident of Isakhel village recalled. A team of investigators from the Interior Ministry, led by crime branch chief Mirza Muhammad Yarmand, said around 120 people including civilians were killed and nine others wounded in the deadly strike. However, residents of the district claimed the bombing killed more than 150 people and wounded around 200 others. The Taliban, who released a list of 79 civilian fatalities, insisted no fighter was killed or injured. The raid triggered a hot political debate over German military presence in Afghanistan, with Chancellor Angela Merkel's government trying to keep the unpopular mission out of the campaign for the polls held on Sunday. Reaction to the airstrike was mixed; French, Italian, and Swedish foreign ministers criticized the incident. But German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung emphasized the danger posed by the stolen tankers. ISAF Commander General Stanley McChrystal made a statement on Afghan television and visited the site of the bombing the following day. A NATO team charged with investigating the strike also visited the scene. (Pajhwok)

KABUL - The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Monday claimed detaining several suspected militants during a search operation in the central Maidan Wardak province. The suspects were arrested from a compound used by a Taliban element responsible for supplying a large quantity of weapons to subordinate rebel commanders in the area, the force said. Afghan and ISAF personnel conducted the search in the Chaki Wardak district without incident. “No shots were fired and no civilians were harmed during the operation.” (Pajhwok)