Sunday, February 28, 2010

Stealing America's Secrets - 60 Minutes, CBS

60 Minutes has obtained an FBI videotape showing a Defense Department employee selling secrets to a Chinese spy that offers a rare glimpse into the secretive world of espionage. Scott Pelley reports. - Stealing America's Secrets

Andy Rooney Examines The Census
China Forced To Find Balance Between U.S., Iran - NPR

With Marja Largely Won, Marines Try to Win Trust - nytimes

“We have a fleeting opportunity to earn limited trust,” said Col. Randall P. Newman, who commands the Marine ground forces in Helmand Province, in an interview. He summed up the state of relations now: “They don’t trust us.” With Marja Largely Won, Marines Try to Win Trust

Afghan: When Shooting Stops, Some Soldiers Read

Doctor calls Obama 'fit for duty' into 2012 USA Today

WASHINGTON — President Obama, 48, passed his physical exam Sunday, though the results show he should watch his diet and keep up his efforts to quit smoking. - Doctor calls Obama 'fit for duty' into 2012

New York Daily News - Christian Science Monitor

European Union Moves Toward a Bailout of Greece

LONDON — Greece, in the midst of a financial crisis, is planning a bond deal this week that depends on a lot of things going right. - New York Times
BusinessWeek - MarketWatch - The Guardian

Two Dubai Suspects Traveled to U.S. - WSJ
Report: 2 Mabhouh assassins traveled to US
Slain Hamas Operative Was Drugged, Dubai Police Say - nytimes

فیلتر اینترنت در افغانستان آغاز شد - BBC

سید مخدوم رهین، وزیر اطلاعات و فرهنگ افغانستان، در یک نشست خبری گفت: "صحنه‌های بسیار وقیح اعمال جنسی و سکس، در
اینترنت دیده می شود و قماربازان از آن برای قماربازی خود استفاده می کنند." آقای رهین همچنین افزود: "و آدم‌کشان حرفه‌ای برای ساختن بمب و وسائل کشتار از آن استفاده می کنند."- فیلتر اینترنت در افغانستان آغاز شد
مردم از کیفیت پایین خدمات انترنتی شکایت کردند

د کابل بانک څښتن شیرخان فرنود په افغانستان کې په بډو ولاړه او فساد پراخوونکې پانگوالنه روزي
شیرخان فرنود مالک کابل بانک سرمایه داری رشوه گستر و فساد پرور را در افغانستانمی پروراند

France declares storms 'national disaster' - BBC

At least 50 people have been killed in the storms that have swept parts of Spain, Portugal and France. France declares storms 'disaster'

In pictures: Storm batters western Europe
Deadly storms hit Europe

Greece Bailout Plan Takes Shape

Rashad Hussain, a Muslim and new U.S. envoy, is bridge between two worlds

Rashad Hussain, President Obama's new special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, was an avid high school debater in Plano, Tex., where he grew up. - A bridge between two worlds

In Afghanistan, US seeks to fix a tattered system of justice‎ - washingtonpost
«امریکا میخواهد سیستم قضایی افغانستان را اصلاح کند»

Pakistan accused of playing complex game

WASHINGTON (PAN): The Pakistanis are deeply skeptical of US support in the long-run, and they already ‎are thinking about managing Afghanistan when the United States begins to draw ‎down there in coming years, it said in its latest news analysis with reports coming ‎out of Pakistan that several top Taliban leaders have been arrested.‎ Pakistan accused of playing complex game

No much progress on reconciliation front: US‎
Pakistan receives $349.3 million from U.S.

Top general says Afghanistan army in morale crisis - The Sunday Times

THE head of the army has warned that British troops are facing a crisis of deteriorating morale on the home front that risks undermining the war in Afghanistan. - Afghanistan army in morale crisis
Memorandum from General Richards

Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan

Calculating Life for a Dying Empire - by Francis Shor

$2000 per dead child! That's the amount of compensation offered by the Pentagon for the "collateral damage" which it has caused in Afghanistan. As the war escalates and more innocent victims of Washington's aggressive actions accumulate in number, the US military calculates what it will take to placate grieving Afghan parents. - Calculating Life for a Dying Empire CommonDreams.org

$2000 Per Dead Afghan Child
Nato draws up payout tariffs for Afghan civilian deaths

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Brzezinski on Afghanistan and the American strategy for Eurasia and the world - The Real News

BRZEZINSKI: I took part in some of the sessions in the Defense Department, the Secretary of Defense, regarding Afghanistan right after 9/11, when a number of us were consulted. I remember conveying my view that, one, we have to go in to eliminate al-Qaeda, but do not stay in, because I know what happened to the Soviets in Afghanistan. And I said, "Do not stay in. No nation-building, democracy promotion in addition to eliminating al-Qaeda. Go in, knock 'em off, and get out."

BRZEZINSKI: They believed in building democracy by force of arms. That's a rather long-term undertaking if you're dealing with a society which in part is medieval. But, anyway, coming to the present, that Obama inherited. We did not go in there because of oil. Afghanistan doesn't have that much oil. We went in there because we were attacked. But that does not negate the proposition that the region is important. What is important in addition to that, however, is how we handle the region. And I think establishing a presence, engaging in trade, creating more options, building more pipelines, east-west routes, new Silk Route, is a way of stabilizing the region and of exercising influence in it.

BRZEZINSKI: Well, I don't know whether—they claim they believed it. They claimed it was information. But let's leave that aside. That's an old battle. No need to re-fight it. Look, we are in Afghanistan because we've been there for eight years. Now, getting out is easy to say, but by now, if we get out – quickly – , the question arises: what follows? Is there going to be again a very sort of militant regime in Afghanistan which might tolerate al-Qaeda's presence? - The Afghan war and the 'Grand Chessboard'

The Afghan war and the 'Grand Chessboard' Pt.1
The Afghan war and the 'Grand Chessboard' Pt2
Zbigniew Brzezinski on Iran Pt3

Afghans hate US backed war lords

UK troops to remain in Afghanistan 'for five years'

Britain will be "militarily engaged" in Afghanistan for a further five years, the head of the Army has said. - UK sees Afghan presence 'for years'

Russia blames Nato for drug surge
روزنامه های کابل: شنبه ۸ حوت

Chile quake affects two million, says Bachelet - BBC

Two million people have been affected by the massive earthquake that struck central Chile on Saturday, President Michelle Bachelet has said. - Chile quake 'affects two million'

Tsunami spreads through Pacific
سونامی در اقیانوس آرام در پی زلزله مرگبار شیلی

Troops Clear Last Pockets Of Resistance In Marjah

Marines and Afghan troops cleared the last major pocket of resistance in the former Taliban-ruled town of Marjah on Saturday — part of an offensive that is the run-up to a larger showdown this year in the most strategic part of Afghanistan's dangerous south. - Troops Clear Last Pockets Of Resistance In Marjah

Taliban Attack Kills At Least 17 In Kabul

Should U.S. foreign policy get religion? washingtonpost

That's the conclusion of an independent two-year study by the well-connected Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The study, released Tuesday, recommends that President Obama and his National Security Council make religion "an integral part of our foreign policy." Should US foreign policy get religion?

Chile Quake Prompts Tsunami Warnings - nytimes

RIO DE JANEIRO — A deadly 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile early Saturday, collapsing buildings, shattering major bridges and highways across a long strip of the country, and sending tsunami warnings along the Pacific basin. - Widespread Damage Throughout Nation

Massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Chile - washintonpost
Tsunami waves reach Hawaii

Karzai calls Indian PM, regrets Kabul attacks - washingtonpost

NEW DELHI -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai called India's prime minister on Saturday to express regret over the deaths of at least six Indians in a Taliban suicide attack in Kabul, as New Delhi sent an air force jet to repatriate the bodies. - Karzai calls Indian PM, regrets Kabul attacks
French Filmmaker Severin Blanchet Killed in Kabul‎ - AP
Suicide Bombers Strike in Heart of Kabul
U.S. Forces Eye Next Target in Afghanistan - Kandahar - nytime

Massive earthquake strikes Chile - BBC

A massive earthquake with an initial magnitude of 8.8 has struck central Chile. - Massive earthquake strikes Chile
msnbc.com - Huge earthquake hits Chile -Telegraph
Powerful earthquake rattles Chile CNN
Massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake hits Chile - USA Today

AFGHANISTAN - Taliban sending message with attack in Kabul

Friday, February 26, 2010

High-ranking military arrests stir fresh Turkey concern

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Two retired generals were charged on Friday over a plot to unseat the government, raising the stakes in a potential stand-off between the ruling party and armed forces that has hit Turkish markets.

The military has overthrown four governments in Turkey in the past 50 years and with many of its officers still in detention, and more than 30 charged with crimes, tensions remain high and markets nervous. High-ranking military arrests stir fresh Turkey concern

More charged over 'plot' in Turkey
BBC News - New York Times - CNN - Reuters

Heroes' welcome for Afghan team - BBC

The Afghan cricket team have returned home to a heroes' welcome after winning the qualifying competition in Dubai for the ICC World Twenty20. - Heroes' welcome for Afghan team

Afghanistan reach World Twenty20

In Afghanistan, US plans major push into Kandahar

Even as Marines in Afghanistan continued to fight for control of the Taliban stronghold of Marja, senior Obama administration officials said Friday that the United States has begun initial planning for a bigger, more complex offensive in Kandahar later this year. In Afghanistan, US plans major push into Kandahar

Forces reach 'turning point' in Afghanistan Telegraph.co.uk
US Eyes New Target: Heartland of Taliban New York
Reuters - AFP - Times of India - BBC News

German lawmakers approve troop increase for Afghanistan

The lower house of the German parliament, the Bundestag, voted on Friday to approve a plan to raise the number of Bundeswehr soldiers in Afghanistan. Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet had approved the plan two weeks ago, in which an additional 850 troops would be sent to Afghanistan, boosting the number of soldiers on the ground to around 5,350. - German lawmakers approve troop increase for Afghanistan

German company accused of drug smuggling in Afghanistan Germany ...
پارلمان آلمان افزايش ومجوزماموريت سربازانش درافغانستان را تصويب کرد
17 تن براثر حمله انفجاری درشهرکابل کشته شدند

Suicide squad kill foreigners in onslaught on city hotels -Times Online

At least six Indians and an Italian diplomat were among 16 people killed yesterday when a Taleban suicide squad stormed central Kabul.

A French film-maker who had arrived less than 24 hours earlier and three Afghan policemen were also killed when a series of blasts, followed by more than three hours of gunfire, rocked an upmarket shopping district. Suicide squad kill foreigners in onslaught on city hotels Times

Suicide bombings strike Kabul - youtube
The Hindu - BBC News - Telegraph.co.uk - New York Times

BBC editor witnesses Taliban Kabul attack - BBC

BBC Pashto Kabul bureau editor Dawood Azami found himself caught up amid explosions and gunfire which rocked the centre of the city leaving at least 17 people dead. Here he describes his experiences. - In the crossfire
ځانمرگو د کابل ښار پر زړۀ بريد وکړ
حمله انتحاری در کابل '۱۶ کشته' برجا گذاشته است
آلبوم عکس: حمله انتحاری در کابل

US 'to rid Taliban from Kandahar'
Court 'bans Taliban extradition'

Fareed Zakaria: Afghan leader Karzai is playing games

He said Afghan President Hamid Karzai's assertion of control this week over a watchdog group that seeks to ensure fair elections is "just one more reminder that we have a very difficult alliance with Karzai." Afghan leader Karzai is playing games - CNN.com, Fareed Zakaria

Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan
واشنگتن پست: میلیون ها دالریکه از افغانستان په دبی انتقال میشود

Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan - HRW
با هستی گل عابد در بارهء آماده گی های تیم کرکت افغانستان برای جام جهانی

Suicide bombers attack central Kabul, killing at least 17 - washingtonpost

KABUL -- A crew of suicide bombers attacked a central commercial area dotted with guesthouses frequented by foreigners, setting off an hours-long gun battle with Afghan police early Friday and killing at least 17 people.

The intelligence officer blamed today's attack on Pakistan's intelligence agency, which U.S. officials have accused of collaborating with Afghan militants in a 2008 bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul. India is Pakistan's archenemy, and Pakistan strongly opposes its rising influence in Afghanistan. - Suicide bombers attack central Kabul, killing at least 17 ...

Pakistan receives $349.3 million from U.S.
Suicide bombers target Kabul hotels killing seventeen‎ - Telegraph

Biden announces retirement savings safeguards - washingtonpost

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Friday proposed new regulations aimed at protecting workers' retirement savings from unethical financial advisers. - Biden announces retirement savings safeguards

Obama rounds out bipartisan debt commission
Suicide bombers attack Kabul, killing at least 17
Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan

Guesthouses Used by Foreigners in Kabul Hit in Deadly Attacks - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 18 people, including French, Italian, Afghan and many Indian nationals, were killed on Friday in suicide and car bomb attacks on two guesthouses popular with foreigners in the center of Kabul, police officials said. - Guesthouses Used by Foreigners in Kabul Hit in Deadly Attacks
The Lede Blog: Video of Firefight in Afghan Capital

Death toll of terror attack rises to 22 in Afghan capital Kabul

Thursday, February 25, 2010

واشنگتن پست: میلیون ها دالریکه از افغانستان په دبی انتقال میشود

روزنامه واشنگتن پوست در شماره ۲۵ فبروری خود گزارش مبسوطی را تحت عنوان گیجی مامورین در مورد ملیون ها دالریکه توسط طیاره از افغانستان به دوبی انتقال داده میشود را بچاپ رسانیده است که در این بخش برنامه فشردۀ از این مقاله را خدمت تان تقدیم میداریم

روزنامه واشنگتن پوست میگوید مقدار زیادی از بانک نوت ها از افغانستان پرواز میکنند که این پرواز در جلو چشم مامورین گمرگ میدان هوایی کابل صورت میگیرد و این فرار پولها باعث گیج شدن مامورین امریکایی گردیده و سوالاتی را در مورد منبع این پولها خلق نموده است

روزنامه واشنگتن پوست از قول مامورین افغان و امریکایی میگوید این پولها که تخمینی ۱ ملیارد دالر در سال میشود، بیشتر به امارت عربی یا دوبی میرود، جائیکه بسیاری از افغانهای متمول، سرمایه و خانواده های خود را مستقر نموده اند

روزنامه واشنگتن پوست میگوید اداره مبارزه با مواد مخدر ایالات متحده به سهم خود سعی دارد معلوم کند که آیا این پولها از مدرک قاچاق مواد مخدر حاصل میشود و مامورین در کشور همسایه پاکستان میگویند بخشی از این پولها از طریق زمینی از پاکستان بداخل افغانستان انتقال داده شده است. و یک مامور امریکایی که ناظر انتقال پول از افغانستان به دوبی میباشد میگوید تمام این پولها مثل اینست که از یک محل نا معلوم پدیدار شده است

نگرانی های وجود دارد که افغانستان بمرکز انتقال پول به دوبی مبدل گردیده است و همه روزه شش پرواز از کابل به دوبی صورت میگیرد. - واشنگتن پست: میلیون ها دالریکه از افغانستان په دبی انتقال میشود
Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan
Banker feeds Afghan crony capitalism :

At health-care summit, Obama tells Republicans he's eager to move ahead

President Obama declared Thursday that the time for debate over health-care reform has come to an end, closing an unusual seven-hour summit with congressional leaders by sending a clear message that Democrats will move forward to pass major legislation with or without Republican support.

Republicans said that they share Democrats' assessment that the health-care system is broken, but that they view the pending legislation assembled by Democrats as deeply flawed. At summit, Obama says he's ready to move ahead

Suicide attacks kill at least 10 in Kabul

Taliban claims responsibility for Kabul attacks - AP

KABUL -- The Taliban are claiming responsibility for deadly suicide attacks that killed at least 10 people in the heart of Kabul.

Police officer Gulam Mustafa at the scene said authorities think two residential hotels, or guest houses, used by foreign workers in Afghanistan were the targets of the attacks. -Suicide attacks kill at least 10 in Kabul

Switching sides in Afghanistan

Deadly blasts rattle Kabul - CNN

(CNN) -- Two huge explosions shook Afghanistan's capital early Friday, wounding at least five people, a hospital coordinator said.

The blast erupted near the Safi Landmark Hotel in the neighborhood of Shahr-E-Naw, where there are a number of government buildings and U.N. offices as well as supermarkets, banks, diplomatic facilities and villas for well-to-do Afghans. - Explosions shake Afghan capital Kabul

Taliban Claims Responsibility for Kabul Attacks - AP
Blast Rocks a Large Hotel in Afghan Capital - nytimes

Suicide bombings strike Afghan capital Kabul - BBC

At least nine people have died in a series of explosions and gunfire in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials say. - Suicide bombs hit Afghan capital
Explosions shake Afghan capital

روزنامه های کابل: پنجشنبه ۶ حوت
«گرفتاری طالبان تلاش های صلح را به مشکل مواجه میسازد»
«باید رهبری هرگونه مذاکرات را افغانستان به عهده داشته باشد»

Marjah: Success for the military, hell for the residents‎

“It is a small picture of Doomsday,” said Alishah Mazlumyar, the head of Helmand’s Department of Information and Culture, and a member of the Marjah shura, or council. “Dozens of civilians have been killed. Their families cannot bury the bodies, and for days they have been lying in their houses, beginning to decompose. There is a smell of death here.” Afghanistan Marjah
Marjah: Success for the military, hell for the residents

Afghanistan: Pakistan to hand over Taliban No. 2
Bush, Cheney Meet for First Time in More Than Year

Q&A: Afghan journalist in Helmand - BBC

Local people complain that they can't move freely because the clothes they wear are similar to the clothes worn by the Taliban. The army seems to be suspicious of everyone. - Suspicious times
What lies behind Pakistan's Taliban arrests?

پاکستان با تحویل رهبران طالبان به افغانستان موافقت کرده است
Heroes' welcome for Afghan team

Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan by plane for Dubai - washingtonpost

KABUL -- A blizzard of bank notes is flying out of Afghanistan -- often in full view of customs officers at the Kabul airport -- as part of a cash exodus that is confounding U.S. officials and raising concerns about the money's origin.

The cash, estimated to total well over $1 billion a year, flows mostly to the Persian Gulf emirate of Dubai, where many wealthy Afghans now park their families and funds, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. So long as departing cash is declared at the airport here, its transfer is legal.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, for its part, is trying to figure out whether some of the money comes from Afghanistan's thriving opium trade. And officials in neighboring Pakistan think that at least some of the cash leaving Kabul has been smuggled overland from Pakistan.

"All this money magically appears from nowhere," said a U.S. official who monitors Afghanistan's growing role as a hub for cash transfers to Dubai, which has six flights a day to and from Kabul. ..... Puzzle over Afghan cash exodus
واشنگتن پست: میلیون ها دالریکه از افغانستان په دبی انتقال میشود

Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan
Banker feeds Afghan crony capitalism : - Andrew Higgins
Dubai real estate deals for Afghans connected to Karzai

Obama Defends His Policies to CEO's - nytimes

WASHINGTON — President Obama rejected assertions on Wednesday that his domestic program amounted to big-government socialism. - Obama Defends His Policies to CEO's

Obama offers himself as business-friendly centrist BusinessWeek
Wall Street Journal - Washington Post - USA Today - Reuters

Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan - HRW

Former VP Cheney released from hospital

WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Dick Cheney left a Washington hospital on Wednesday following a heart attack he suffered earlier in the week. Former VP Cheney released from hospital

Cheney released from the hospital after fifth heart attack - latimes
Cheney released from hospital - CNN

Poll shows concern about American influence waning as China's grows

Facing high unemployment and a difficult economy, most Americans think the United States will have a smaller role in the world economy in the coming years, and many believe that while the 20th century may have been the "American Century," the 21st century will belong to China.
Many Americans see U.S. influence waning as that of China grows

Afghans displaced by Marja offensive fret in a cold limbo - latimes

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - In wind-whipped tents, makeshift shelters and overcrowded family compounds, Afghans who fled the battleground town of Marja are asking themselves and one another: When will it be safe to go home? Afghans displaced by Marja offensive fret in a cold limbo

Guilty plea in New York terrorism case
C.I.A. and Pakistan Work Together, but Do So Warily - nytimes

Exclusive: Nato admits deaths of 8 boys were a mistake - Times

A night-time raid in eastern Afghanistan in which eight schoolboys from one family were killed was carried out on the basis of faulty intelligence and should never have been authorised, a Times investigation has found. - Exclusive: Nato admits deaths of 8 boys were a mistake
Assault force ‘killed my family by mistake’

Afghanistan: UN official urges steps to prevent child deaths in conflict
12 fake UK passports now linked to Dubai hit

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Afghanistan: UN official urges steps to prevent child deaths in conflict

24 February 2010 – A senior United Nations human rights official today called on international troops fighting militants in Afghanistan to follow directives designed to guard against civilian deaths, drawing particular attention to the plight of children caught up in the conflict.

Last year, some 346 children were killed by warring factions in Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy told reporters in Kabul. Afghanistan: UN official urges steps to prevent child deaths in conflict
«در مورد وضیعت کودکان درافغانستان ابراز نگرانی شد»
کمیسیون حقوق بشر افغانستان از تلفات افراد ملکی نگرانی کرد

Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan - HRW

Rights Groups Renew Condemnation Of Afghan Amnesty Bill

Rights groups have condemned an Afghan amnesty bill that would allow suspected war criminals who pledge to work with the government to avoid prosecution.

The legislation, called the "National Stability and Reconciliation Law," was approved by the Afghan Parliament in 2007 but has yet to be signed into law by President Hamid Karzai.

An Amnesty International spokesperson, Maya Pastakia, called the proposed legislation an "impunity bill." - Rights Groups Condemn Afghan Amnesty

Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan - HRW
"We Have the Promises of the World: Women's Rights in Afghanistan,"
Testimony of Rachel Reid - SFRC - February 23 20101.pdf

Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan - Human Rights Watch

Testimony of Rachel Reid to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

I have been working on Afghanistan since 2006, and living there for most of the last three years. For the past year much of my focus has been on women's rights - including authoring a report, "We Have the Promises of the World: Women's Rights in Afghanistan," published in December 2009.

Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan
Testimony of Rachel Reid - SFRC - February 23 20101.pdf

“We Have the Promises of the World”
Afghanistan: Keep Promises to Afghan Women

"Voices From Afghanistan" Exhibit Opens At The Library Of Congress

On February 24, the Library of Congress will open a multimedia exhibit displaying some of the thousands of hand-painted scrolls and letters received by Afghanistan's most popular radio station, RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. The exhibit - "Voices From Afghanistan" - offers a window into the daily lives of ordinary Afghans from various ethnic communities across all parts of the country. - "Voices From Afghanistan" Exhibit Opens At The Library Of Congress

با اکبر ایازی معاون رادیوی اروپای آزاد / رادیو آزادی در مورد نمایشگاهء نامه های شنونده گان

Pakistan receives $349.3 million from U.S. - washingtonpost

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan received on Wednesday $349.3 million from the United States as part of a fund to help the U.S. ally sustain efforts to fight Islamist militancy, a central bank official said on Wednesday.

According to official figures, the United States has given Pakistan $15.4 billion since 2002, about two-thirds security-related and the rest economic aid.

The U.S. fund is used to reimburse states such as Pakistan that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. - Pakistan receives $349.3 million from U.S.

Don't Let Pakistan Repeat Past Mistakes In Afghanistan

Karzai criticized over Afghan poll watchdog move

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's main opposition on Wednesday criticized President Hamid Karzai's removal of foreign observers from a U.N.-backed electoral watchdog as "autocratic" and urged international pressure to ensure impartial elections.

On Tuesday, Karzai's spokesman, Siamak Herawi, said the Afghan government had long wanted to "Afghanize" the electoral process. He said parliament could not overturn the law, since Karzai signed it into effect when the legislature was in recess. Karzai criticized over Afghan poll watchdog move
Karzai takes over election watchdog :

warlord warns against talks with Taliban
On Faith Panelists Blog : Foreign policy must respect, not exploit religion

Afghan Official: Pakistan to Give Up Taliban No. 2

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- A top Taliban leader picked up in Pakistan as part of a recent crackdown on insurgents will be handed over to Afghanistan, an Afghan government official said Wednesday. Islamabad said, however, that it had received no formal request to turn him over and that he could be tried first in Pakistan. Afghan Official: Pakistan to Give Up Taliban No. 2

Afghan Wounded Tell of More Left Behind in Marjah

Turkey Unsettled by Military Officer Arrests - nytimes

ISTANBUL — Tensions between Turkey’s powerful military and the government escalated sharply on Wednesday as a court ordered the formal arrests of 12 officers on charges they had plotted a coup.

Turkey’s army regards itself as a protector of the country’s secular traditions and has had tense relations with the AK Party, which has its roots in political Islam. Turkey Unsettled by Military Officer Arrests

Twelve officers charged over Turkey coup plot - Reuters
CNN International - Christian Science Monitor - Telegraph.co.uk - BusinessWeek
Christian Science Monitor - 12 fake UK passports now linked to Dubai hit

The godfather of warlord warns against talks with Taliban - National Post

The godfather of Afghanistan's warlords is throwing his weight behind growing opposition to President Hamid Karzai's negotiations with the Taliban.

"There is a limit to the patience of the people," said Bernahuddin Rabbani, 70, a former Afghan president. "Beyond that limit, no one can be patient any more."

"As I read history, when a nation's problems become this complex and they are not solved, that could result in violence and revolutions and other unwanted things," he said.

"Water is very soft, but if you put it under pressure, it will explode."

Mr. Rabbani, a Tajik, says a cabal of Pashtun nationalists has become part of Mr. Karzai's inner circle. "Though now the people are thinking in a very logical way, the grassroots people don't think like politicians," Mr. Rabbani said

"If they see they are being deprived of their rights, they may think differently. If they see injustice growing, the people who were calm may not be calm." warlord warns against talks with Taliban

Rights Groups Condemn Afghan Amnesty
Afghan rights body: 28 civilians killed in Marjah - USATODAY
Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan - HRW

Half of Afghanistan Taliban leadership arrested in Pakistan - CSM

MONITOR EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan officials told the Monitor they have arrested nearly half – 7 of 15 – members of the Afghan Taliban's senior leadership council in recent days, including the Taliban head of military operations in Afghanistan. - Half of Afghanistan Taliban leadership arrested in Pakistan

Pakistan Offers Taliban Official to Afghans
فرمانده ارشد طالبان 'بازداشت شده است
Any Afghan talks would start secretly - expert

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

FRONTLINE: behind taliban lines | PBS

An Afghan journalist's extraordinary 10 days living and filming with an insurgent cell allied with Al Qaeda to sabotage a key U.S./NATO supply route. - FRONTLINE: behind taliban lines PBS

Afghan journalist gets close-up look at Taliban

Afghanistan war: As civilian deaths rise, NATO says, 'Sorry.' - CSM

In the Afghanistan war, NATO forces chief Gen. Stanley McChrystal publicly apologized Tuesday for 27 Afghan civilian deaths in a US airstrike. The coalition has begun saying 'sorry' more quickly to civilian deaths, as part of a new hearts and minds strategy. Christian Science Monitor

NATO Commander Apologizes For Afghanistan Strike : NPR
Gen. McChrystal apologizes for new Afghan civilian deaths McClatchy
Washington Post - Xinhua - BBC News - Aljazeera.net

Analysis: Brown revives GOP moderates' pivot role

"I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," said Brown, whose election last month gave Republicans the 41st vote that could sustain filibusters. "This Senate jobs bill is not perfect ... but I voted for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work." Analysis: Brown revives GOP moderates' pivot role

NATO commander takes apology direct to Afghans
Government Administrator Arrives in Marjah - WSJ
US Senators, officials remain suspicious about ISI-LeT links

Afghan leader takes control of vote fraud panel - Associated Press

KABUL -- Afghanistan's president has taken control of a formerly independent body that monitors election fraud, raising concern Tuesday that he's reneging on promises to clean up corruption and cronyism - a pillar of the Obama administration's plan to erode support for the Taliban.

"The international members had large salaries and didn't care about Afghanistan's national interest," Syamak Herawi said. "Now there won't be any interference. The foreigners can be observers." - NATO commander takes apology direct to Afghans

Afghan leader takes control of vote fraud panel‎ - MiamiHerald

Gates: Europe's demilitarization has gone too far

WASHINGTON -- Europeans' aversion to military force is limiting NATO's ability to fight wars effectively, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday. - Gates: Europe's demilitarization has gone too far
NATO seeks more trainers for Afghan army, police
US general hails Pakistan's arrests of Taliban

Afghans hate US backed war lords Video

U.S. foreign policy needs to get religion, Thomas Wrigh - Washingtonpost

The national security apparatus of the U.S. government pays more attention to religion than it used to, largely through the harsh learning process of trial and error. The revival of Islamist political movements in Iran and elsewhere led the CIA to set up an office of political Islam in the mid-1980s; this office grew as the threat of violent religious extremism gathered during the 1990s.

The Defense Department rewrote the Army's counterinsurgency manual to take special account of cultural factors, including religion, as the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan wandered toward the precipice in the mid- 2000s. .... Guest Voices : U.S. foreign policy needs to get religion

Report warns of God gap in American foreign policy
Obama faith council readies recommendations

Kabul Bank's Sherkhan Farnood feeds crony capitalism in Afghanistan - Washingtonpost

KABUL -- Afghanistan's biggest private bank -- founded by the Islamic nation's only world-class poker player -- celebrated its fifth year in business last summer with a lottery for depositors at Paris Palace, a Kabul wedding hall.

"What I'm doing is not proper, not exactly what I should do. But this is Afghanistan," Kabul Bank's founder and chairman, Sherkhan Farnood, said in an interview when asked about the Dubai purchases and why, according to data from the Persian Gulf emirate's Land Department, many of the villas have been registered in his name. "These people don't want to reveal their names." Banker feeds Afghan crony capitalism :

NATO commander takes apology direct to Afghans

Afghan Offensive Critical To Obama Strategy, Allies

"We don't lose a battle to the Taliban — the problem is that we can't hold it," she says. "And it's when we withdraw from the area that the Taliban come back."- Listen to the Story
Afghan Offensive Critical To Obama Strategy, Allies

NATO Commander Apologizes For Afghanistan Strike

Monday, February 22, 2010

US lawmakers push to phase out wartime contractors - AFP

WASHINGTON — Two lawmakers announced legislation Monday that would force the United States to phase out its controversial use of private security contractors in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. - US lawmakers push to phase out wartime contractors

Finally, a glimmer of hope for US in Afghan war‎ - washingtonpost
Banker feeds Afghan crony capitalism :
Taliban commander captured :

Top UN official calls for talks with Mullah Omar - Telegraph

Writing exclusively in the Daily Telegraph , Kai Eide said plans to use financial incentives to persuade militants to abandon their war would not succeed without negotiations with their leaders.

His comments challenge President Barack Obama's "carrot and stick" strategy of military surge while offering jobs, retraining, resettlement and protection to Taliban figures who break away from Mullah Omar's insurgency.

Last month US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there was no place in the reintegration scheme for Mullah Omar or his Taliban leadership. - Top UN official calls for talks with Mullah Omar
Commentary: Kai Eide

Guilty Plea Made in Plot to Bomb New York Subway - nytimes

Mr. Zazi told the court that he decided to go with friends to Pakistan in August 2008 to join the Taliban in fighting the United States invasion of Afghanistan.

While in Pakistan, he received training in making bombs, and was persuaded by Qaeda operatives to return to America to be a suicide bomber. They discussed possible targets, including the New York subway system.

“I would sacrifice myself to bring attention to what the United States military was doing to civilians in Afghanistan by sacrificing my soul for the sake of saving other souls,” he said. NY Terror Suspect Admits Guilt and Cooperates - nytimes

Guilty plea in New York bomb plot - BBC
جوان افغان اتهام توطئه برای بمبگذاری در نیویورک را پذیرفت

High blood pressure in US a 'neglected disease'

CHICAGO (Reuters) - High blood pressure is a "neglected disease" and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must do more to fight it by helping Americans eat better and encouraging doctors to treat it more aggressively, an expert panel said on Monday.

Simple steps like consuming less salt and increasing the intake of vegetables, fruit and lean protein could cut rates of high blood pressure by as much as 22 percent, according to the report by the Institute, which advises policymakers. High blood pressure in US a 'neglected disease'

Federal panel sounds alarm on national hypertension 'emergency'
IOM Report Calls Hypertension a "Neglected Disease" Medscape
BusinessWeek - Science Daily (press release)

Jay Leno sets high-profile "Tonight Show" guests

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Jay Leno's first two weeks back as host of NBC's "Tonight Show" features a celebrity-packed lineup as NBC tries to revive the late-night franchise. Jay Leno sets high-profile "Tonight Show" guests
New York Times

NATO Airstrike Kills Afghan Civilians - nytimes
US compensates Afghans for death, damage from war

US Special Operations Ordered Deadly Afghan Strike - Wall Street Journal

KABUL—U.S. Special Operations Forces ordered an airstrike that killed at least 27 civilians in southern Afghanistan and the soldiers may not have satisfied rules of engagement designed to avoid the killing of innocents, Afghan and coalition officials said Monday. US Special Operations Ordered Deadly Afghan Strike
US compensates Afghans for death, damage from war

US airstrike kills at least 27 Afghan civilians Washington Post
Times Online - Christian Science Monitor - MiamiHerald.com - CNN International

NY Terror Suspect Admits Guilt and Cooperates - nytimes
Guilty plea in New York terrorism case - latimes

Chest pains send ex-VP Cheney to hospital

WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Dick Cheney was at George Washington University Hospital Monday in Washington, DC after experiencing chest pains. - Chest pains send ex-VP Cheney to hospital

Former Vice President Dick Cheney Hospitalized With Chest Pains
CNN International - Washington Post

Afghan Warlord With Many Enemies, and Possibly One Notorious Ally, Killed by Suicide Bomber

What was a surprise was the manner of Hajji Zaman’s death: by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest, who killed him and 14 others as they gathered at a ceremony to distribute land to returning refugees at a village in his tribal stomping grounds near the eastern city of Jalalabad.
ننګرهار کې ځانمرګی بريدتر 10 ډېر ووژل
حاجی زمان از رهبران محلی افغانستان کشته شد

NATO Airstrike Kills Afghan Civilians
Afghans Voice Their Fears Amid Marja Campaign
At War: Just Who Are We Fighting in Marja?

Lufthansa strike suspended, BA cabin crew join fray

FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) - Lufthansa pilots in Germany agreed to suspend for two weeks a strike that grounded about 900 flights on Monday, just as rival British Airways' cabin crew voted to join the fray to protest harsh cost cuts. - Lufthansa strike suspended, BA cabin crew join fray

Lufthansa pilots start strike over job security Xinhua
Wall Street Journal - The Guardian

U.S. airstrike kills at least 25 civilians in Afghanistan - washingtonpost

QALAT, AFGHANISTAN -- A U.S. airstrike targeting a convoy of buses traveling in southern Afghanistan killed at least 25 civilians and wounded a dozen more in a bombing that could fuel a political backlash against the ongoing military offensive in Afghanistan. - NATO airstrike kills 25 civilians

Afghan city now is more than a battle
US sees 'steady progress' in fight for Afghan town

US compensates Afghans for death, damage from war

The Taliban and Reconciliation - ZALMAY KHALILZAD

Reconciliation and reintegration have lately become catch-phrases in regard to Afghanistan.

Those are potentially good outcomes. But they can only be achieved if certain necessary conditions are in place, and at present this is not the case.

Recently, efforts devoted to this goal have increased. Mr. Karzai is even planning to convene a Peace Loya Jirga to facilitate reconciliation.

To achieve reconciliation, the coalition and the Karzai government have to change conditions on the ground: ..... Read More I.H.T. Op-Ed Contributor - The Taliban and Reconciliation ...

«طالبان و آشتی ملی»
خلیلزاد:د سولې خبرو ته کیناستل د طالبانو په ګټه دي
Don't Let Pakistan Repeat Past Mistakes In Afghanistan

Gen. McChrystal apologizes for new Afghan civilian deaths

KABUL — American-led efforts to avert civilian deaths in the war against the Taliban suffered a new blow over the weekend when a NATO airstrike in southern Afghanistan killed about two dozen civilians. - US concedes air strike killed civilians in Afghanistan

Taliban reject renewed Karzai call for peace
Dutch government falls over Afghan troop mission

'Public and Politicians Are Losing Patience with Afghanistan Mission'

The Dutch government is the first to collapse in a dispute over NATO's involvement in Afghanistan. German media commentators say other NATO member states could share the same fate if they continue to ignore growing public opposition to the mission. The home front, it seems, is starting to crumble. - 'Public and Politicians Are Losing Patience with Afghanistan Mission'

Another Hit against the Taliban: Pakistan Arrests Germany's Enemy Number One
Afghan ministers voice anger as civilians killed in Nato air ...

Editorial: Pakistan’s complicated motives

Pakistani leaders know that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been seeking reconciliation talks with the Taliban and that Baradar approved contacts between Taliban leaders and Karzai’s brother. An agreement between the Taliban and the Karzai government could deprive Pakistan of influence in next-door Afghanistan. - Pakistan's complicated motives

A moderate voice is silenced - The National Newspaper
قوماندان با نفوذ سابق مجاهدین حاجی زمان کشته شد

US compensates Afghans for death, damage from war - Washingtonpost

U.S. Army units fighting the Taliban in Helmand province have a compensation system for any death, injury or damage to crops and buildings caused by American forces to Afghan civilians and their property.

Financial compensation in desperately poor Afghanistan is at least one way to alleviate distress and show good intentions, military commanders say.

The American units carry a list that gives guidance on payouts:

The death of a child or adult is worth $1,500-$2,500, loss of limb and other injuries $600-$1,500, a damaged or destroyed vehicle $500-$2,500, and damage to a farmer's fields $50-$250.

The system is also useful for gathering intelligence on insurgents, says 1st Sgt. Gene Hicks of Tacoma, Washington.

The military pays villagers in local currency for information about the location of roadside bombs as well as "where they've seen people at, where they've seen people moving, where they've seen people shooting from," Hicks said. - US compensates Afghans for death, damage from war
واشنگتن پوست: امریکا خسارات ناشی از تلفات جنگ را برای افغانان میپردازد

I.H.T. Op-Ed Contributor - The Taliban and Reconciliation ... .ZALMAY KHALILZAD

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Afghan officials: Airstrike kills 21 civilians - AP

KABUL - A NATO airstrike in southern Afghanistan killed at least 21 civilians, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Monday, in an incident that could inflame already heightened sensitivities over noncombatant casualties. - Afghan officials: Airstrike kills 21 civilians

NATO Airstrike Kills at Least 20 Civilians

I.H.T. Op-Ed Contributor - The Taliban and Reconciliation ... .ZALMAY KHALILZAD

Full transcript of the interview with General Stanley McChrystal

Roundtable with General Stanley McChrsytal, US commander of International Security Assistance Force, and Mark Sedwill, Nato’s new senior civilian representative. They were speaking on February 20 to The Times and five other journalists from France, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey and Slovenia. - Times Online

NATO Airstrike Is Said to Have Killed 21 Afghan Civilians New York Times
Nato strike kills a number of Afghan civilians - BBC

زندگی زبانها (2 ) زبان نورستانی - در این برنامه به زبانهای افغانستان می پردازیم و به شکل مشخص زبان نورستانی را معرفی می کنیم.

نورستانی یکی از زبان‌های هند و آریایی است که در افغانستان و پاکستان به آن تکلم می‌شود
این ولایت تا سال هزار و هشت صد ونود پنج میلادی به کافرستان معروف بود ولی پس از آن با یورش عبدالرحمان خان به این منطقه، مردم آن به اسلام رو آوردند، نام کافرستان به نورستان تغییر یافت و زبان آن هم نورستانی خوانده شد

برخی محققان مردم نورستان را به یونانی ها و اروپایی ها نسبت می دهند که می گویند در اثر مهاجرت ها به این منطقه کوچ کرده اند
ولی دکتر مجاور احمدزیار، که در زمینه زبانشناسی کارهای تحقیقی انجام داده به استناد یافته های مارگین سترن، یک زبان شناس اروپایی، نظریه منشا یونانی زبان نورستانی ها را رد می کند

وی می گوید: "مارگین استرن در زمان امیر امان الله خان به نورستان رفت و روی زبان نورستانی کار کرد و متوجه شد که زبان نورستانی بیشتر نزدیک به دیگر زبان های افغانستان است تا زبان یونانی و در مقاله ای که نوشت و در اروپا منتشر شد این غلطی خاور شناسان را اصلاح کرد و گفت که نورستانی ها شاخه ای از تبار اریایی ها است و در همان زمانی که شاخه هندی ها از آریایی ها جدا شدند نورستانی ها نیز همزمان از این شاخه جدا شدند. ولی آنان به هندوستان نرفتند و در همین کوهپایه ها جابجا شدند و به مرور زمان این زبان به لهجه های مختلف صحبت می شده است"

گفته می شود نورستان در گذشته ها سرزمینی نسبتا پهناور بوده ولی در اثر جنگها به دره های کوچک تقسیم شده است
زبان نورستانی تا نیم قرن پیش حاوی الفبا و متون نوشتاری نبود. عزیز الله شلماچ می گوید نخستین بار در زمان محمد ظاهر شاه خط نورستانی ساخته شد - زندگی زبانها (2 ) زبان نورستانی
Peoples and Languages of Nuristân
Indo-Aryan-Speaking Peoples
An Overview of the Nuristâni Languages

سال زبانها؛ نگاهی به برخی زبانهای رایج افغانستان
هشدار درباره امکان 'نابودی' زبان های محلی افغانستان

Commentary: Islam Does Not Imprison Women

Many of those who have not read the Koran (or who have read but misconstrued it) regard the word of God as conveyed to the Prophet Muhammad between 610-632 A.D. as sanctioning such practices as the mandatory wearing of the chador by women, as well as covering the face entirely, in the fashion dictated by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

But this is emphatically not the case. The Koran expounds a gentle, moderate philosophy entirely in keeping with the Almighty's self-depiction as being the essence of graciousness, benevolence, and mercy. - Islam Does Not Imprison Women

Don't Let Pakistan Repeat Past Mistakes In Afghanistan

At least 38 die in mudslide on Portuguese island of Madeira -CNN

(CNN) -- At least 38 people have died in mudslides on the Portuguese island of Madeira, which was hit by heavy downpours overnight, an official told CNN on Saturday. - CNN

42 Dead as Teams Search Flooded Madeira - nytimes
Briton killed as flash floods devastate Madeira BBC News
Times Online - BBC News - The Guardian - Xinhua - Aljazeera.net

British woman 'missing' in Madeira floods - Yahoo! News UK

AAAS: A nap after lunch boosts the brain's learning capacity - Telegraph

Researchers have found that sleeping for an hour in the afternoon boosts brain power and dramatically increases its ability to learn new facts and tasks

On the other hand, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become and the less able to absorb new information.

"Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap," said Professor Matthew Walker, who led the study at the University of California. - AAAS: A nap after lunch boosts the brain's learning capacity
Nap 'boosts' brain learning power - BBC News
Afternoon Nap Might Make You Smarter - BusinessWeek
New Zealand Herald - The Press Association - Health.com

Petraeus Warns to Expect More U.S. Casualties in Afghanistan

"It's hard, but we're there for a very, very important reason," Petraeus told NBC's "Meet the Press." "We're in Afghanistan to ensure that it cannot once again be a sanctuary for the kind of attacks that were carried out on 9/11." - FOXNews

Los Angeles Times - AFP - The Guardian - MiamiHerald.com
Petraeus: Marjah start of long campaign - BBC

خلیلزاد:د سولې خبرو ته کیناستل د طالبانو په ګټه دي

Dutch Pull-Out From War Expected After Government Collapse - New York Times

BERLIN — A day after his government collapsed, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Sunday that he expected Dutch troops to come home from Afghanistan before the end of the year. - Dutch Pull-Out From War Expected After Government Collapse

NATO's Future in Afghanistan
Dutch troops 'to leave Afghanistan as planned' - PM BBC News
Reuters - Voice of America - The Guardian - AFP

Dubai hit squad may have used diplomatic passports - Times

“There is still information that Dubai police will not make public for the moment, especially regarding diplomatic passports” used by some of the 11-strong hit team, who used British, Irish, German and French documents to enter the emirate last month, said Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai’s police chief. - Dubai hit squad may have used diplomatic passports

Dubai assassination squad carried diplomatic passports Telegraph.co.uk
Investigations continue to reveal links to Israel GulfNews
Los Angeles Times - The Hindu - Jerusalem Post - Wall Street Journal

Saturday, February 20, 2010

به رغم بازداشت سران طالبان: به پاکستان نباید اعتماد کرد

برخی از تحلیل گران دستگیری های اخیر را تلاش پاکستان در راستای جلب رضایت و خوشحالی امریکا می خوانند. این تحلیل گران می گویند که با توجه به اظهارات اخیر و بی سابقه جنرال اشفق کیانی، فرمانده عمومی ارتش پاکستان، ممکن است دستگیری های اخیر با فشارهای پیوند داشته باشد که امریکا در ماههای اخیر بر پاکستان وارد کرده است. از جمله در جریان تصویب بودجه سالیانه امریکا، کانگرس از دولت اوباما خواست تا کمک های که به پاکستان داده می شود در مناطق قبایلی آن کشور در پروژه های ملکی به مصرف برسد و باید از این مساله نظارت نیز صورت گیرد. این در حالی است که پاکستان در طول سال های گذشته بخش عمده ای از کمک های نقدی و نظامی امریکا را در مرزهای شرقی خود به مصرف رسانیده است، جایی که ده ها هزار سرباز پاکستانی به خاطر جلوگیری از احتمال حمله هندوستان به حالت آماده باش قرار دارند. - به رغم بازداشت سران طالبان: به پاکستان نباید اعتماد کرد

از کلوخ آتش پرید؛ حتا مجددی نیز رجز می خواند
کرزی خطاب به طالبان و حزب اسلامی: از تیر و تفنگ شما این مردم بدبخت شدند

Fighting Rages As Karzai Urges Restraint From NATO - AP

Addressing the opening session of the Afghan parliament in Kabul, Karzai held up a picture of an 8-year-old girl who lost 12 relatives in a NATO rocket attack during the second day of the Marjah assault, which began Feb. 13.

Karzai said NATO had made progress in reducing civilian casualties and thanked the top commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, for "standing with us honestly in this effort." But Karzai said more needed to be done to protect civilians caught up in the fighting. - Fighting Rages As Karzai Urges Restraint From NATO

Karzai: NATO Still Causes Too Many Civilian Deaths : NPR
Nobody said protecting civilians would be easy - Foreign Policy

صبغت‌الله مجددی در اعتراض به "حمایت دولت از فساد" استعفا کرد