Saturday, October 31, 2009

As US looks for exit in Afghanistan, China digs in - AP

WASHINGTON -- At a former al-Qaida stronghold southeast of the Afghan capital, a state-owned Chinese company is at work on a $3 billion mine project to tap one of the world's largest unexploited copper reserves, a potential financial boon for an impoverished country mired in war. - As US looks for exit in Afghanistan, China digs in
The real Afghan strategy : Will Obama give it a chance?

Jacques Chirac ordered to stand trial - latimes
ژاک شیراک به اتهام اختلاس محاکمه خواهد شد

As Kabul awaits runoff, 'everything has stopped' - washingtonpost

KABUL -- But beyond family and religious obligations, this is a capital on hold. Economic activities, from office-building projects to sidewalk shoeshines, are being held hostage to a messy and uncertain presidential election process that has dragged on since early August. - Uncertainty brings life in Kabul to a halt AfPak War

As US looks for exit in Afghanistan, China digs in
Karzai challenger poised to withdraw from race

U.S. official resigns over Afghan war - washingtonpost

"I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," he wrote Sept. 10 in a four-page letter to the department's head of personnel. "I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end."- U.S. official resigns over Afghan war - washingtonpost.com

Clinton: Pakistan 'Making Progress' Against Extremists - pbs
As Afghan Strategy Develops, Clinton Focuses On Pakistan
Obama Meets With Top Pentagon Brass on Way Forward in Afghanistan

Karzai Challenger Likely To Boycott Afghan Runoff - NPR

"I don't think it has anything to do with the legitimacy of the election," Clinton told reporters in Abu Dhabi. "It's a personal choice which may or may not be made." - Karzai Challenger Likely To Boycott Afghan Runoff

President Hamid Karzai's rival pulls out of poll - Times
Clinton: Afghan runoff not affected by Abdullah - AP
Election chief opposes Afghan coalition - CNN
روزنامه های کابل: شنبه ۹ عقرب
Former UN Envoy Suggests 'Emergency Government' In Kabul
Home video of Afghanistan 1976
Photo gallery from Afghan Golden Age

Bush: ‘Tyranny’ if militants retake Afghanistan - AP

NEW DELHI - Former President George W. Bush warned Saturday that "the world would face serious threats" if the resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida are allowed to retake control of Afghanistan.

"The mission in Afghanistan has been long and difficult and costly, but I believe it is necessary for stability and peace," he told a leadership conference in New Delhi. - Bush: ‘Tyranny’ if militants retake Afghanistan
بوش: ماموریت افغانستان گران بها، ولی ضروریست

Obama seeks options on Afghan force levels
Source: Abdullah may pull out of Afghan runoff

Friday, October 30, 2009

Stocks Tumble on Consumer Weakness; Dow Down 2.5% New York Times

No sooner did trading start on Friday morning than a rush of erroneous orders overwhelmed the computers at the New York Stock Exchange. - Stocks Tumble on Consumer Weakness; Dow Down 2.5%

A Fearful Friday for Stocks - BusinessWeek
CNNMoney.com - The Associated Press - MarketWatch

Source: Afghan election talks break down - CNN

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his election opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, have broken down, a Western source close to the Afghan leadership told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Friday. - Source: Afghan election talks break down

Election talks break down

Afghan Runoff Hits Rocks; Challenger May Boycott - NPR
Source: Abdullah may pull out of Afghan runoff - AP

Christiane Amanpour, Analysis: What's at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Is the world prepared to see the Taliban and their opportunistic allies al Qaeda return to power in Afghanistan? Are people prepared for the terrorists' dream- photo-op of Mullah Omar and Osama Bin Laden sitting smiling together in Kabul?

If the threat of new terrorist attacks is not enough, what about the threat of a nuclear catastrophe?

I have been reporting from Afghanistan since 1996 and the one thing I've noticed over the years is that every Afghan asks foremost for security. Then next on the list is development to help them earn a decent living and raise their families. They also want a decent government. They know this will take years of patience and effort. They know it will be a hard slog. After all, they have been at war for 30 years now, during which the traditional, honor-bound society they had for decades has all but vanished.

Though it is true that fierce tribal traditions mean some Afghans distrust even the tribe next door, not to mention foreign troops, over and again, Afghan men, women and children have told me they do not see the U.S. and NATO forces as occupiers, rather as armies from countries who came to help them ... but who have fallen short of their promises. - Analysis: What's at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

Officials: Obama considers scaled-down Afghan plan - usatoday

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama is considering a scaled-down version of the war plan advanced by his top Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. officials say.
Officials: Obama considers scaled-down Afghan plan

Obama considers pared-back Afghan plan - Washington Times
US should follow Britain on Afghanistan: US senator‎ - AFP

Slideshow: Here's My Resignation - Matthew Hoh, a senior State Department official

Clinton Challenges Pakistanis on Al Qaeda- nytimes

“I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are, and couldn’t get to them if they really wanted to,” she said to a group of Pakistani journalists on her second day here. “Maybe that’s the case; maybe they’re not gettable. I don’t know.” - Clinton Challenges Pakistanis on Al Qaeda

U.S. Speeds Aid to Pakistan to Fight Taliban
In Military Campaign, Pakistan Finds Hint of 9/11

A Resignation in Afghanistan Reverberates - At War Blog

Clinton ends tough Pakistan trip - BBC

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been meeting tribal leaders in north-west Pakistan on the last day of a testing visit to the country. - BBC News
دیدار کلینتون با رهبران قبایل شمال غرب پاکستان
CNN International - Clinton defends blunt words on Pakistan‎ - reuters

سازمان ملل کارمندانش را در افغانستان کاهش می‌دهد
UN chief condemns Kabul killings
Video

Obama Must Provide Better Leadership on Afghanistan - Spiegel

Afghanistan and Pakistan are being shaken by attacks, and the Taliban is dictating the course of the war. US President Obama has been silent about the situation for far too long and European countries like Germany and France are correct to demand better American leadership on the issue of Afghanistan. - Obama Must Provide Better Leadership on Afghanistan

Afghan president's brother denies getting CIA pay‎ - AP
Ground shifting under nuclear arsenal - Washington Times
U.S. official resigns over Afghan war - washingtonpost.com

UN to boost Afghanistan security - BBC

The UN Security Council has backed a call by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for more protection for UN staff and facilities in Afghanistan. - UN to boost Afghanistan security
UN rattled by Kabul attack

کمیسیون انتخابات افغانستان: انصراف هیچ نامزدی قبول نمی شود
آمریکا به طالبان پول می دهد از خشونت دست بکشند

EU seeks to resolve climate rift

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Report: Obama Asks For Study On Afghan Provincial Leaders

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has asked senior aides for an analysis of each of Afghanistan's 34 provinces to determine which regions are managed effectively by local leaders, "The Washington Post" has reported. - Report: Obama Asks For Study On Afghan Provincial Leaders

Obama seeks study for Afghan troop decision - washingtonpost
Afghanistan Needs More Than Just A Second Round

Afghan president's brother denies getting CIA pay - washingtonpost.com
مصاحبه با کارل آیکن بیری سفیر امریکا در کابل بشنوید

Transmission: Working For The CIA In Afghanistan - rferl

But in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan and in a press conference in his southern Afghan home town, the younger Karzai flatly rejected these allegations. "Absolutely, this is ridiculous. I haven't received anything from any foreign country. This is absolutely [false]," he says.

Books written by CIA operatives Gary Schroen and Gary Berntsen in detail chronicle how anti-Taliban Afghan militia leaders were paid bags of dollars to mobilize them against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Working For The CIA In Afghanistan

نیویارک تایمز: CIA به طور منظم برای ولی کرزی پول می دهد
احمد ولي کرزي : له سي ای اې څخه مې پیسې نه دي اخیستي
No proof linking Wali Karzai to drug trafficking: Kerry - pajhwok
Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll - NYtimes

Afghanistan: A Whole New Approach - Huffingtonpost

We've all been watching carefully as the Obama administration tries to decide how to move forward on U.S. policy in Afghanistan. And we've been listening to the arguments and counter-arguments being offered. Religious leaders in particular have been paying close attention to both the political and moral arguments that fill the air.

So here is the new approach. Lead with what works -- development. Yes, effective development needs security, and when you massively intervene in a country as much as the U.S. has in Afghanistan, you can't responsibly just walk away -- as has tragically happened to this country too many times before. Read more at:
Afghanistan: A Whole New Approach

White House Garden goes through 2nd major harvest‎ - AP

WASHINGTON — Cupboards at a soup kitchen near the White House will be spilling over for several days after a donation of fresh produce harvested Thursday from first lady Michelle Obama's vegetable garden.
White House Garden goes through 2nd major harvest

Afghan election plan criticized amid security concerns

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan laid out plans for the November 7 run-off presidential vote on Thursday in an announcement criticized as insufficient to prevent fraud, a day after a Taliban attack on U.N. staff reinforced concerns about security. Afghan election plan criticized amid security concerns

Afghanistan to open more voting centers for runoff - washingtonpost

In fragile times, Karzai is best bet for U.S.

KABUL (Reuters) - With violence escalating ahead of Afghanistan's presidential election run-off, incumbent Hamid Karzai is probably the best hope both Afghans and the United States have of keeping the country stable in fragile times. - In fragile times, Karzai is best bet for U.S. Reuters

Obama honors slain soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Daily Beast exclusive: The Karzai brothers fight back

The brothers of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Ahmed -- reported Wednesday to be on the CIA payroll -- and Mahmoud, talk exclusively with The Daily Beast's Gerald Posner. They fiercely deny the CIA claim and blame it on enemies of the Afghan regime and The New York Times.

"So now, if people want to think I am a spy, fine. I'll continue to help the Americans because I must do that in order to help the Afghan people and to keep my country from falling back into the hands of the Taliban. There are five million people in this country. How come I am the only one who is mentioned as a spy and drug dealer? I’m sick of these political attacks, but they can’t be avoided." - Daily Beast exclusive: The Karzai brothers fight back

Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll - NYtimes
Afghan leader's brother denies CIA paychecks - Afghanistan- msnbc.com

Obama seeks study on local Afghan leaders for troop decision
Kerry Calls for Patient Strategy in Afghanistan - nytimes

Obama Honors 18 Americans Killed In Afghanistan - NPR

President Barack Obama made a midnight trip to Dover Air Force Base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. - Obama Honors 18 Americans Killed In Afghanistan AP
Taliban Targets U.N. Workers In Deadly Attack

Ahmed Wali Karzai Denies CIA Pay - huffingtonpost
Wali Karzai, and Why CIA Needs Unsavory Afghan Sources - TIME

Taliban Target U.N., Luxury Hotel in Kabul - ABCnews

U.N. Guest House Hit With Bombs, Gunfire; Rocket Blasts at Hotel Where ABC Crew Is Based

Today in Kabul, residents woke up to a city buzzing with sound -- explosions, gunfire and then, rocket blasts at two hotels. In two hours, two hotels considered safe were proved to be very dangerous. - Taliban Target U.N., Luxury Hotel in Kabul

WATCH: The Real Target of Afghanistan Attacks

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Obama seeks study on local leaders for troop decision - washingtonpost

President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle. - Obama seeks study for Afghan troop decision

Recent major attacks in Afghanistan's capital
Israel drones to be used by Germany in Afghanistan

White House says attackers in Kabul will not win

Reuters - White House spokesman Robert Gibbs condemned the attack in which one American was among five U.N. staff killed, saying it was an attempt to disrupt Afghanistan's Nov. 7 presidential run-off election and "will not succeed." - White House says attackers in Kabul will not win

Afghan attack puts aid programs at risk - latimes
BBC News - CNN - The Associated Press

Ground shifting under nuclear arsenal - Washington Times

Afghan clerics for Loya Jirga after elections - pajhwok

KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan ulema (religious scholars) council said Tuesday if one of the two presidential candidates quits the race in the second round of polls set for November 7, another should be declared the winner.

The council considered formation of a coalition government an insult to the vote of Afghan nation and strongly rejected such ideas. - Afghan clerics for Loya Jirga after elections

Removal of election officials an illogical demand
Karzai wants to move forward, says Kerry
روزنامه های کابل، شرایط عبدالله برای انتخابات
U.S. Quietly Aids Pakistani Drives Against the Taliban

US defense bill approves money for Sons of Afghanistan

The defense appropriations bill signed into law by President Obama Wednesday provides money to pay Afghans to stop fighting. It's modeled after a similar successful effort in Iraq.
US defense bill approves money for Sons of Afghanistan - csmonitor

US set to pay Taliban members to switch sides CNN
Reported Ties From C.I.A. to a Karzai Spur Rebukes
Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll

Deadly Blast in Pakistan Casts Shadow Over Clinton's Visit - nytimes

The bomb tore through a congested area of narrow alleys and crowded stalls in Peshawar’s old city, killing as many as 101 people, most of them women, and wounding about 160. - Deadly Blast in Pakistan Casts Shadow Over Clinton's Visit

Clinton: Fighting Extremism Can't Be Avoided - Video
Clinton has tough sell in repairing scarred relationship with Pakistan CNN
Telegraph.co.uk - Washington Post

UN reviews security after Kabul attack‎ - CNN

However, the agency's leader said it would not blink in carrying out its "noble mission" in war-ravaged Afghanistan. - UN reviews security after Kabul attack

Bloody Attack on UN House in Kabul - Video AP
Chaos in Afghanistan as UN staff killed in Kabul attack - Video

The Associated Press - CNN International - Wall Street Journal - Washington Post
US contractor says he fights off attack in Kabul‎ - AP

Six U.N. foreign staff killed in attack in Kabul

KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban militants killed six U.N. foreign staff in an attack on an international guest-house in Kabul on Wednesday, deepening concerns about security for a presidential election run-off due in 10 days. Six U.N. foreign staff killed in attack in Kabul Video

U.N. staff killed in Kabul attackPlay Video
Six UN staff die in attack on Kabul guesthouse - Times

Scores Are Killed as Clinton Visits Country

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The explosion came about three hours after Mrs. Clinton arrived in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a two-hour drive away, underscoring the challenges facing American officials in a nation where many blame United States policy for roiling the region since 9/11.
Scores Are Killed as Clinton Visits Country

Afghan police: 12 dead in attack on UN in Kabul : NPR

Later, a rocket struck the "outer limit" of the presidential palace but caused no casualties, presidential spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said. Another slammed into the grounds of the luxury Serena Hotel, which is favored by many foreigners. - Afghan police: 12 dead in attack on UN in Kabul : NPR

AFP - Bloomberg - Xinhua - Reuters
6 U.N. employees killed in assault on Kabul guesthouse - latimes
Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Afghan police: 10 dead in attack on UN in Kabul - washingtonpost

KABUL -- Gunmen with automatic weapons and suicide vests stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in the heart of the Afghan capital early Wednesday, killing 10 people - including six U.N. staff - officials said. - 6 U.N. staffers killed in Kabul

حمله طالبان به مهمانسرای سازمان ملل در کابل
کابل کې د م م کارکوونکي وژل شوي

Clinton lands in Pakistan

Peter Galbraith: Afghanistan Votes, the U.N. Dithers - nytimes

In the next week and a half, the United States and the United Nations, which has a mandate to support Afghanistan’s electoral bodies, must do everything possible to ensure that the election is, in the words of that mandate, “free, fair and transparent.” - Peter Galbraith: Afghan Election Reform

5 Killed in Attack on U.N. House in Kabul
Clinton, in Pakistan, Confronts Rising Hostility

U.S. to Protect Populous Afghan Areas, Officials Say
U.S. Defence Bill Would Pay Taliban to Switch Sides - NYTimes.com

5 Killed in Attack on U.N. House in Kabul - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — Attackers stormed a guest house in central Kabul on Wednesday morning, killing five people, including three United Nations staff members, a United Nations spokesman and an Afghan rescue official said. - 5 Killed in Attack on U.N. House in Kabul

U.S. to Protect Populous Afghan Areas, Officials Say
Kerry: Afghanistan Troop Push May Go 'Too Far, Too Fast'

U.S. to Protect Populous Afghan Areas, Officials Say - nytimes

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s advisers are focusing on a strategy for Afghanistan aimed at protecting about 10 top population centers, administration officials said Tuesday, describing an approach that would stop short of an all-out assault on the Taliban while still seeking to nurture long-term stability. - U.S. to Protect Populous Afghan Areas, Officials Say

Militants Attack U.N. Guest House in Kabul, Killing Five
US to pay Taliban to switch sides‎ - BBC

A Reporter's Tale Of Ambush And Captivity - NPR

New York Times reporter David Rohde was covering Pakistan and Afghanistan in November 2008 when he, driver Asad Mangal and local Afghan reporter Tahir Luddin were ambushed and kidnapped by the Taliban. "7 Months, 10 Days in Captivity":

Listen to the Story
A Reporter's Tale Of Ambush And Captivity
Reuters AlertNet - U.S. defense bill would pay Taliban to switch sides

Malalai Joya: 'A Woman Among Warlords' - NPR

I come from a land of tragedy called Afghanistan. My life has taken some unusual turns, but in many ways my story is the story of a generation. For the thirty years I have been alive, my country has suffered from the constant scourge of war. Most Afghans my age and younger have only known bloodshed, displacement, and occupation. - Listen to the Story
Malalai Joya: 'A Woman Among Warlords'

Afghan capital rocked by gunfire - AP
On The Hunt For Roadside Bombs In Afghanistan

Afghan bombs kill eight US troops - BBC

An Afghan civilian was also killed in what were called "multiple complex IED attacks" - or improvised bombs. - Afghan bombs kill eight US troops

کرزی: په هېڅ شرط ايتلاف نه کوم
کرزی: شرایط عبدالله غیر عملی است

نظرپوښتنه : افغانستان پر سم لوري روان دی

A lesson for Afghanistan?‎ WALTER PINCUS

The 37-page analysis of the Waziristan operation provides important background for those following Pakistan's long-awaited move against the Taliban, also known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). - A lesson for Afghanistan?

Obama says he will not rush Afghanistan decision - washingtonpost
Kerry: Afghanistan Troop Push May Go 'Too Far, Too Fast'

مرور روزنامه های کابل
در باره کتاب (جنگ های کابل)

Runoff splits Afghanistan in three - Guardian

Those who care about the election are divided on Pashtun-Tajik lines. Those who don't, see only corruption and profiteering - Runoff splits Afghanistan in three

US official resigns over Afghan war
We won't find al-Qaida in Afghanistan

The Asia Foundation Releases 2009 Afghan Public Opinion Poll‎

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Asia Foundation today released findings from its most recent public opinion poll in Afghanistan, covering all 34 provinces in the country. Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People

The Asia Foundation Releases 2009 Afghan Public Opinion Poll
The Asia Foundation : Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan ...

7 Months, 10 Days in Captivity - NYtimes

It was last Nov. 10, and I had been headed to a meeting with a Taliban commander along with an Afghan journalist, Tahir Luddin, and our driver, Asad Mangal. The commander had invited us to interview him outside Kabul for reporting I was pursuing about Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Held by the Taliban - A Times Reporter's Account. A Five-Part ...
Next article: Inside the Islamic Emirate

Kerry: Afghanistan Troop Push May Go 'Too Far, Too Fast'

Margaret Warner speaks with Sen. John Kerry about his recent trip to Afghanistan to persuade President Hamid Karzai to accept a runoff election. - Kerry: Afghanistan Troop Push May Go 'Too Far, Too Fast'

7 Months, 10 Days in Captivity [New York Times]
Tensions soar as Karzai rejects opponent's call to fire election ...

شرایط پیشنهادی عبدالله عبدالله برای شرکت در دور دوم انتخابات ریاست جمهوری در محور بحث های روزنامه های چاپ امروز کابل قرار دارد.

روزنامه افغانستان در سرمقاله خود با اشاره به شرایط آقای عبدالله نوشته است که "فهم و شعور مردم را به بازی نگیرید". به نظر نویسنده، آقای عبدالله "راهی را برای عدم شرکتش در انتخابات جستجو می کند"
روزنامه های کابل: سه شنبه ۵ عقرب

کرزی: په هېڅ شرط ايتلاف نه کوم
مخالفت کرزی با برکناری رئیس کمیسیون انتخابات

EU report warns of 'lack of progress' in Afghanistan‎

LONDON — Political reform and corruption-free government are almost non-existent in some areas of Afghanistan despite years of US and European assistance, according to an EU report cited by the Financial Times.

"We are not only faced with a critical security situation. Progress on political reform, governance and state-building is too slow, and in some parts of the country almost non-existent." EU report warns of 'lack of progress' in Afghanistan

بازداشت پناهندگان افغان در پاکستان

German Limits on War Facing Reality in Afghanistan - nytimes

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Forced to confront the rising insurgency in once peaceful northern Afghanistan, the German Army is engaged in sustained and bloody ground combat for the first time since World War II. German Limits on War Facing Reality in Afghanistan

14 Americans Die in Afghan Helicopter Crashes
Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

U.S. official resigns over Afghan war - washingtonpost

Foreign Service officer and former Marine captain says he no longer knows why his nation is fighting - U.S. official resigns over Afghan war - washingtonpost.com
استعفای دیپلمات آمریکایی در اعتراض به جنگ در افغانستان

Obama defends approach to Afghan war planning
YouTube - Obama resists pressure on Afghan war strategy - 27 Oct 09

Push for Afghanistan troop increase continues on deadly day latimes
Wall Street Journal - TIME

Monday, October 26, 2009

هر نوع مظاهره واجتماعات غير قانوني درکشور ممنوع است

اعلاميه مطبوعاتي هيات مشترك وزارت هاي معارف،تحصيلات عالي، حج واوقاف ومعينيت جوانان وزارت اطلاعات وفرهنگ

حامد کرزی : اگر ماهفت روز قبل از برگزاری دور دوم انتخابات حرف از تغییر گسترده در دولت بزنیم هم انتخابات صدمه می بیند و هم به خیر کشور نخواهد بود

Castro's sister 'spied for CIA' - BBC

A sister of Cuba's former long-time leader, Fidel Castro, has admitted spying for the CIA in the 1960s. - Castro's sister 'spied for CIA'

Obama vows no rush on Afghanistan

YouTube - Obama Says He Will Not Rush Afghanistan Decision

Karzai says top election official will keep job - washingtonpost

KABUL -- The challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday called for the removal of the head of Afghanistan's election commission, the suspension of cabinet ministers, the removal of an unspecified number of provincial police chiefs, and the closure of some 500 polling stations as his conditions for participation in the runoff election scheduled for Nov. 7. - Karzai says top election official will keep job

Kerry rejects troop increase
U.S. tested 2 Afghan scenarios in war game

Who is Abdullah Abdullah? Christian Science Monitor
خبرگزاری جمهوری اسلامی :: عبدالله خواهان تعليق وظايف چهار مقام ... - [ Translate this page ]

Karzai dismisses election rival's ultimatum

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan president Hamid Karzai rejected on Monday a demand from his rival in a presidential run-off to sack the country's top election official, setting the stage for a new confrontation. - Karzai dismisses election rival's ultimatum South Asia Reuters

Karzai Dismisses Election Rival's Ultimatum - NYTimes.com

Afghan rivals row over poll chief - BBC
مخالفت کرزی با برکناری رئیس کمیسیون انتخابات
Karzai rival issues conditions for Afghan runoff‎ - CNN

Sen. Kerry calls Afghanistan's Karzai a "patriot"

WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry on Monday challenged the image of Afghan President Hamid Karzai as a corrupt, weak leader, saying he was a patriot who understood there must be changes among his ministers. - Sen. Kerry calls Afghanistan's Karzai a patriot Politics Reuters

Sen. Kerry calls Afghanistan's Karzai a "patriot" - Yahoo! News
Obama says he will not rush Afghanistan decision‎ - AP

New Obama Family Portrait, By Annie Leibovitz

The first family's new family portrait:
New Obama Family Portrait, By Annie Leibovitz

Rethinking Flight Safety With Air Bags In Planes

But more recently, safety experts have discovered that even in major mishaps — like planes running off runways or landing on the Hudson River — passengers can walk away unharmed if they're properly protected. And that's where air bags can help.
Rethinking Flight Safety With Air Bags In Planes

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Afghan challenger considers runoff boycott - washingtonpost

KABUL -- Abdullah told Fox News on Sunday, "I'm not talking about boycott at this stage, though my supporters are pressing on that point." - challenger considers runoff boycott

New York Times - AFP - Voice of America - FOXNews
Karzai holds head high as nation turns to runoff - washingtonpost
روزنامه های کابل: یکشنبه ۳ عقرب
پیشنهاد تشکیل یک شورای 5 نفره ریاست جمهوری در افغانستان

Karzai on why he changed his mind about a runoff - CNN

President Karzai gives his first interview since agreeing to allow Afghanistan to hold runoff elections. Karzai on why he changed his mind about a runoff

WATCH SHOW
Fareed Zakaria GPS - CNN.com

Taliban Aim to Disrupt Afghan Runoff Wall Street Journal

اعتراف جناب عمر صمد نمایندۀ حکومت کابل در پاریس

Deadly bombings worst Iraq attack in two years - CNN

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Twin car bombs exploded near three Iraqi government buildings Sunday in central Baghdad, killing at least 132 people. It was the deadliest attack in the country in more than two years. More than 500 people were wounded.

Deadly bombings worst Iraq attack in two years - CNN.com

Republicans: Clock Is Ticking on Afghanistan Troop Decision

Republicans who want to support President Obama's war strategy in Afghanistan expressed concern Sunday that the president could miss a key opportunity to gain the upper hand on the growing insurgency by waiting too long to grant a request for thousands for more U.S. troops. Republicans: Clock Is Ticking on Afghanistan Troop Decision

Who is Abdullah Abdullah? Christian Science Monitor
The Associated Press - Washington Post - Bloomberg - AFP

Officials say Karzai rival may choose to boycott runoff - washingtonpost
Afghan Rivals Rule Out Power-Sharing Deal New York Times

Swine Flu Is Widespread in 46 States as Vaccines Lag - nytimes

WASHINGTON — President Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, allowing hospitals and local governments to speedily set up alternate sites for treatment and triage procedures if needed to handle any surge of patients, the White House said on Saturday.
Swine Flu Is Widespread in 46 States as Vaccines Lag

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Many Sources Feed Taliban’s War Chest - nytimes

WASHINGTON — The Taliban in Afghanistan are running a sophisticated financial network to pay for their insurgent operations, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from the illicit drug trade, kidnappings, extortion and foreign donations that American officials say they are struggling to cut off. - Many Sources Feed Taliban's War Chest - NYTimes.com
VOA News - نیویارک تایمز: شبکه های مغلق مالی در خدمت طالبان

NATO Defense Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort
Taliban Claim to Raise a Flag Over Nuristan - At War Blog ...

Biden Dismisses Cheney’s Criticisms Over Afghanistan - nytimes

PRAGUE — and new administrations, Mr. Biden rebuffed his predecessor’s criticism about President Obama’s handling of Afghanistan as “absolutely wrong.” - Biden Dismisses Cheney’s Criticisms Over Afghanistan

Afghan War Is New Topic of Dispute With Cheney

د دويم پړاو ټاکنو کمپاين پيل شو
آغاز آرام مبارزات انتخاباتی در افغانستان

برنامه ای برای مبارزه با تغییرات آب و هوا در افغانستان - BBC

شماری از جوانان افغان در روز جهانی مبارزه با تغییرات آب و هوایی برنامه ای را برای بالا بردن آگاهی عمومی در کابل به راه انداخته اند
برنامه ای برای مبارزه با تغییرات آب و هوا در افغانستان

ناټو: د افغان ځواکونو شمېر ډېروو
موافقت وزیران دفاع ناتو با نیروی اضافی برای افغانستان

بایدن:کرزی باید اعتماد مردم را جلب کند

جو بایدن معاون رییس جمهور ایالات متحده امریکا در یک مصاحبه اختصاصی با رادیو آزادی این گزارش های رسانه ها را رد کرد که گویا از ریچارد هولبروک نماینده خاص امریکا در کابل استقبال نمی شود
بایدن:کرزی باید اعتماد مردم را جلب کند
هولبروک: دور دوم انتخابات، بهتر از دور اول خواهد بود
در اجلاس وزراء دفاع ناتو از طرح مک کرستال حمایت شد

RFE/RL Interview: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden

Karzai rules out sharing power - washingtonpost

KABUL -- President Hamid Karzai's team shifted aggressively into campaign mode Saturday and ruled out any possibility of a power-sharing deal with challenger Abdullah Abdullah ahead of a runoff election in two weeks.
Karzai rules out sharing power

Glittering Emissaries’ Dazzle Wears Off in the Trenches - nytimes

On Friday, Mr. Holbrooke turned up at the State Department podium to deliver a briefing on Pakistan that seemed intended mainly to show that he had not been sidelined, after his absence from efforts last week to persuade President Hamid Karzai to accept the need for a runoff election in Afghanistan.
Diplomatic Memo Glittering Emissaries' Dazzle Wears Off in the Trenches

Fareed Zakaria's exclusive interview with Afghan President - CNN

Zakaria: The president mentioned that after the first election, he had a good meeting with one of his challengers, Ashraf Ghani. Ghani was very critical of the president on the campaign trail, and I asked Presient Karzai if he would invite Ghani to serve in his government following their cordial meeting. He responded, "Any Afghan who wants to come and work in Afghanistan and do it patriotically is welcome." - Zakaria: Karzai likely to win again

The Associated Press - CNN - New York Times
Afghanistan Pakistan elections worked and US impressed - Video

Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

As Afghan runoff campaign opens, Taliban again threatens voters - latimes

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - "If anyone finds themselves injured taking part in this dirty process, they have only themselves to blame," the insurgent movement said in a statement posted on its Pashtu-language website. It also denounced the election two weeks from now as a foreign-orchestrated sham. - Afghanistan: As Afghan runoff campaign opens, Taliban again ...

The Great American Arm-Twist in Afghanistan - nytimes
News Analysis - Insurgents Share a Name, but Pursue Different ... - nytimes

Karzai rival says won't join Afghan government‎

Asked in a CNN interview about comments by Karzai that he would welcome his rival in his government, Abdullah said he had "absolutely no interest in such a scenario."

If Karzai wins the Nov. 7 vote "as a result of a transparent and credible process," Abdullah said, "I will be in the opposition pursuing the agenda for change."

He said he would push for "changing the highly centralized presidential system into a parliamentary system ... having a truly independent election commission, independent judiciary," among other goals. - Karzai rival says won't join Afghan government

North Afghanistan 'a bridgehead for drug-trafficking to Russia ...
Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

North Afghanistan 'a bridgehead for drug-trafficking to Russia'

MOSCOW, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - Afghan regions controlled by the Northern Alliance serve as a bridgehead for drug-trafficking to Russia, a top Russian drug control official said on Friday.

"In the fight against the Taliban, the U.S. has used the Northern Alliance forces, which we are supporting even now," Viktor Ivanov, director of the Federal Drugs Control Service, said at a meeting at the General Staff Academy. - North Afghanistan 'a bridgehead for drug-trafficking to Russia ...

Diplomatic Memo Glittering Emissaries' Dazzle Wears Off in the Trenches New York Times

Afghan Envoy Open to UN-Run Vote, Demurs on Holbrooke's Role ...

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government would accept the United Nations taking charge of a runoff election next month if that would alleviate concerns about fraud, the Afghan ambassador to Washington said. - Afghan Envoy Open to UN-Run Vote, Demurs on Holbrooke's Role ...

Holbrooke optimistic on avoiding Afghan vote fraud - Yahoo! News
Afghanistan Pakistan elections worked and US impressed - Video

Friday, October 23, 2009

Zakaria: Karzai likely to win again - CNN

NEW YORK (CNN) -- "We must have a second round," said Afghan President Hamid Karzai, speaking in a taped and exclusive interview for the Fareed Zakaria GPS show that airs Sunday on CNN. "If we don't do that, we would be insulting democracy. And I pledge to respect the vote of the people." Fareed Zakaria spoke to CNN about his exclusive interview. - Zakaria: Karzai likely to win again

North Afghanistan 'a bridgehead for drug-trafficking to Russia ...

With Spotlight On Afghanistan, Where's Holbrooke?

Where is Richard Holbrooke? He is the Obama administration's special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, so shouldn't he be dealing with these issues? - With Spotlight On Afghanistan, Where's Holbrooke?

Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan and Pakistan AP
Iran to respond to UN nuclear proposal next week

Iran Offers Short-Term Solutions To Long-Term Problems Of Baluch Minority - rferl

The conflict in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan Province between the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Jundallah (Soldiers of God), an ethnic Baluch insurgent group also known as the People's Resistance Movement of Iran, has continued on and off for the last six years. - Iran Offers Short-Term Solutions To Long-Term Problems Of Baluch Minority

Jundallah: Profile Of A Sunni Extremist Group
What Are The Prospects For Iran-Pakistan 'Pipeline Of Peace'?

UN Report Tracks Crossborder Impact Of Afghan Heroin

The United Nations' Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has released a sweeping investigation into large-scale opiate trafficking through Central Asia, Russia, and the Middle East en route to the world's 15 million addicts. - UN Report Tracks Crossborder Impact Of Afghan Heroin - Radio Free ...

Biden's Response to Cheney Criticism: 'Who Cares?'
Cheney Criticizes Obama - CBS News Video
Cheney Criticizes Obama

Wall Street Journal - Huffington Post (blog) - U.S. News & World Report

A New Vote Poses Similar Troubles for Afghans - nytimes

“None of us want to see a repeat of what happened in the first election,” said Kai Eide, the United Nations special representative here. “Can we stop fraud? No, we cannot, but we can reduce it.”
A New Vote Poses Similar Troubles for Afghans

Obama consults Kabul ambassador‎ - AFP
Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age

China’s Growth Picks Up Speed but Raises Concerns

BEIJING — The Chinese economy, already one of the fastest-growing in the world, picked up more speed during the third quarter, adding fuel to a debate over whether, and when, the Chinese authorities might start reining in stimulus measures. - China's Growth Picks Up Speed but Raises Concerns

China hopes for smooth presidential election in Afghanistan

US displeased at delay in Iran response on uranium - AP

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration expressed mild disappointment Friday that Iran withheld a decision on whether to accept a U.N.-coordinated plan that could ease fears about Iran's potential for making a nuclear weapon. - US displeased at delay in Iran response on uranium - AP

Iran plans response to IAEA deal
Xinhua - PRESS TV - Reuters India - Newsweek - Voice of America
Iran delays reply on nuclear plan - BBC

Michelle Obama highlights breast cancer awareness - AP

WASHINGTON -- First lady Michelle Obama is tying breast cancer awareness to the push to change the health insurance system. - Obama highlights cancer awareness

What to Do About 'Stage Zero' Breast Cancer? U.S. News & World Report

California gets $284 million housing stimulus funds - reuters

NATO Defense Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort - nytimes

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — NATO defense ministers gave their broad endorsement Friday to the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan laid out by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, increasing pressure on the Obama administration and on their own governments to commit more military and civilian resources to the mission. - NATO Defense Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort
پشتیبانی ناتو از پلان ضد شورش در افغانستان

Czechs Accept Modified Missile Shield Role
U.K. Stuck in Recession as Euro Area Shows Growth

Aid agency seeks Pakistan access - BBC

A senior official said there was evidence that the level of civilian casualties there was rising sharply.
Aid agency seeks Pakistan access

Nato 'backs new Afghan strategy'

Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says defence ministers broadly support the strategy for Afghanistan outlined by the international commander there. - Nato 'backs new Afghan strategy' - BBC
NATO considers beefing up Afghan war support
NATO Ministers Endorse McChrystal Approach in Afghanistan VOA
موافقت وزیران دفاع ناتو با نیروی اضافی برای افغانستان

US envoy sees fairer Afghan poll - bbc

Thursday, October 22, 2009

White House and Cheney in a war of words over Afghanistan - washingtonpost

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs lashed out at former vice president Richard B. Cheney on Thursday, dismissing the Republican's criticism of delays in President Obama's decision-making on Afghanistan strategy. - White House and Cheney in a war of words over Afghanistan

White House rejects Cheney's Afghanistan criticism
For Kerry, a growing role on foreign policy stage

McChrystal to Brief NATO Defense Ministers - AP

Europe's future, tangled by past - wshingtonpost

PARIS -- Europe's latest step toward a more united future, which seemed at hand after long delays, has become bogged down over a forgotten chapter from the continent's bloody past: the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II.

Europe's future, tangled by past

UCLA Study: The Internet Is Altering Our Brains

Adults with little Internet experience show changes in their brain activity after just one week online, a new study finds. The results suggest Internet training can stimulate neural activation patterns and could potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults.

UCLA Study: The Internet Is Altering Our Brains

Karzai: Refusing runoff would 'insult democracy - CNN

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- "There were some mistakes. There were some instances of fraud, but the nation as a whole was clean, and the result was clear. I decided for peace, for stability and for the future of democracy in Afghanistan and for the future of institutional order in Afghanistan to call for a runoff, and I find that in the interest of the Afghan people."

At the same time, Karzai said, the "last election was not as bad as it was claimed; it was a lot better." Karzai said in the interview that "Afghanistan always had a national unity government" and that "I will have an inclusive government as always."

"Dr. Abdullah did not vote for me in 2004, but I continued to keep him as the minister of foreign affairs for another year and a half," he said, saying he's "known for consensus."

He was asked to respond to widespread concerns in the United States about his government and a comment from Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel that "the key question we face is, is the government in Afghanistan, is Hamid Karzai's government a reliable partner for the United States?"

"Well, we have the same question, too," Karzai said, noting that the partnership "is not a one-way street."

"Is the United States a reliable partner with Afghanistan? Is the West a reliable partner with Afghanistan? Have we received the commitments that we were given? Have we been treated like a partner? How do we define a partnership?"

"The trouble between my government and myself and our allies has been these blind bombardments of our villages, the attacks on our people at night, raiding their homes, arresting them and putting them in prison," he said.

He added he supports Gen. Stanley McChrystal's recent report on Afghanistan that calls for protecting the civilian population. McChrystal is the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. ... Karzai: Refusing runoff would 'insult democracy

Karzai accepts Afghanistan election runoff
Afghanistan drug trail spanning the world

White House Nixes Cheney's Charges on Afghanistan - AP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House on Thursday forcefully rejected criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans that President Barack Obama's Afghanistan decision is taking too long. - White House Nixes Cheney's Charges on Afghanistan

Cheney Slams Obama on Afghanistan Policy - The Caucus Blog ...
Cheney Strikes Back Against Afghan Criticism By Obama Administration

Strong Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan and Pakistan

ELISABETH BUMILLER: Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

But as President Obama debates whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan, and whether, more pointedly, he might be sending them down a black hole of civic hopelessness, American and Afghan scholars and diplomats say it is worth recalling four decades in the country’s recent history, from the 1930s to the 1970s, when there was a semblance of a national government and Kabul was known as “the Paris of Central Asia.”

Afghans and Americans alike describe the country in those days as a poor nation, but one that built national roads, stood up an army and defended its borders. As a monarchy and then a constitutional monarchy, there was relative stability and by the 1960s a brief era of modernity and democratic reform. Afghan women not only attended Kabul University, they did so in miniskirts. Visitors — tourists, hippies, Indians, Pakistanis, adventurers — were stunned by the beauty of the city’s gardens and the snow-capped mountains that surround the capital.

“I lived in Afghanistan when it was very governable, from 1964 to 1974,” said Thomas E. Gouttierre, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, who met recently in Kabul with Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan. Mr. Gouttierre, who spent his decade in the country as a Peace Corps volunteer, a Fulbright scholar and the national basketball team’s coach, said, “I’ve always thought it was one of the most beautiful places in the world.”

Afghans today say that the view of their country as an ungovernable “graveyard of empires” is condescending and uninformed. “Unfortunately, we have a lot of overnight experts on Afghanistan right now,” said Said Tayeb Jawad, the Afghan ambassador to Washington. “You turn to any TV channel and they are experts on Afghan ethnicities, tribal issues and history without having been to Afghanistan or read one or two books.”

“Afghanistan,” Mr. Jawad asserted, “is less tribal than New York.” ...... Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age

Lens Blog: Photographs of Afghanistan From The Times’s Archives

With New Afghan Vote, Path to Stability Is Unclear - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai’s concession of the need for a runoff election in Afghanistan appears to have prevented his country from slipping into paralysis, but has created a new landscape of risks and uncertainty. - With New Afghan Vote, Path to Stability Is Unclear
«گام مثبت بسوی حکومت بااعتبار، میدان کشمکش و بزکشی قدرت»

Cheney Slams Obama on Afghanistan Policy - The Caucus Blog ...
Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age

Will an Afghan run-off make a difference? BBC

Are you in Afghanistan? Will you be voting? Do you think that fraud can be prevented this time? Will a second round bring stability to the country? Will an Afghan run-off make a difference?

Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

France deports illegal Afghan migrants on joint Franco-British flight

Human rights groups and France's opposition Socialists said France shouldn't have returned the three in a country where the Taliban are fighting NATO forces, including French troops. - France deports illegal Afghan migrants on joint Franco-British flight

France, UK to fly Afghan migrants to Kabul‎ - reuters
Pakistan arrests 41 Afghan refugees in northwest crackdown

Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - nytimes

Op-Ed Contributor: There’s No Substitute for Troops on the Ground

“I HOPE people who say this war is unwinnable see stories like this. This is what winning in a counterinsurgency looks like.” - Max Boot: Afghan Surge

Op-Ed Columnist More Troops Are a Bad Bet‎ - NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Remembering Afghanistan's Golden Age - NYtimes

IEC voices reservations about findings of UN-backed panel - pajhwok

KABUL (PAN): "After receiving calculating the results, the IEC has determined that President Hamed Karzai has received 49.67 percent of the total valid votes and is recognized as the leading candidate," the poll panel said. - IEC voices reservations about findings of UN-backed panel

Runoff set for Nov. 7; coalition ruled out

Ground shifting under nuclear arsenal - washingtontimes

Anti-American wave and perilous Taliban counteroffensives

The original spark plug for Pakistan's 12,500 madrassas originated during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. The idea, warmly endorsed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, was the erection of an ideological barrier against communist ideology. - Ground shifting under nuclear arsenal - Washington Times

Washington Post-ABC News poll.

UN confident over Afghan run-off - BBC

The UN envoy to Afghanistan says the presidential election run-off will take place in two weeks, despite rumours of talks between the two candidates. UN confident over Afghan run-off

What chance of an Afghan coalition deal?‎ - Lyse Doucet
سازمان ملل درباره تجارت مواد مخدر در افغانستان هشدار داد
John Kerry on Afghan run-off
Karzai accepts run-off decision

Good Taliban' aid Pakistan's army - Guardian

Strange bedfellows: Islamists and army join forces against insurgents - guardian

'Good Taliban' aid Pakistan's army