Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Opinion: Bold move to save Afghanistan: Bring back a king - Shireen K. Burki

If the United States values stability more than democracy, it will recognize that restoring Afghanistan’s constitutional monarchy is the only thing that will prevent Taliban rule and victory in the war.

It’s time that Western leaders answer a politically incorrect but vital question: Do they care more about establishing democracy than stability? Because if the mission is still about ensuring that Afghanistan – as a relatively cohesive state – remains free from Taliban and Al Qaeda, then the West should be willing to consider a dramatic step: reinstatement of a constitutional monarchy.

After the fall of the Taliban, the overwhelming majority of Afghans – across ethnic lines – wanted to reinstate the constitutional monarchy that had served Afghanistan so well in the past.

During the long reign of King Zahir Shah (1933-1973), Afghanistan blossomed into a modern state. It became the largest exporter of raisins in the world, and was renowned in the region for its carpets, fruits, melons, and semi-precious stones. Kabul rivaled Islamabad as a city of modernity and culture, and was considered by Westerners in the 1960s as the Geneva of Asia.

There was relative stability in this historically strife-ridden state, which enabled completion of large-scale development projects like dams and roads. Most important, the only “Taliban” were religious students who studied the Koran.

Afghans saw their king as fair and inclusive. Under Zahir Shah, the central government established Afghanistan’s first professional standing Army, yet generally left the provinces alone in their handling of day-to-day affairs. Kabul did not try to force its “modernization” program upon the conservative elements, especially in the Pashtun belt inhabited by proud tribes who were deeply skeptical of anything “foreign” being imposed on them. .... More - Bold move to save Afghanistan: Bring back a king - CSMonitor.com
«آیا نزد غرب دموکراسی بیشتر مهم است یا ثبات در افغانستان؟»

Quagmire? Nine years on, Americans grow weary of war in Afghanistan.
Once Upon a Time in Afghanistan... Foreign Policy

General Arnold Fields testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee

General Arnold Fields testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee

Report faults U.S. for being too optimistic about Afghan security capabilities
(See a PDF of the full report.) - washingtonpost

Report Criticizes U.S. System for Evaluating Afghan Forces - nytimes
Report: Rating System of Afghan Forces 'Not Reliable' - pbs
Watchdog: Afghan forces won't be ready for U.S. withdrawal - McClatchy

Report: US Overestimated Ability Of Afghans - AP

(AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. has often overestimated the ability of Afghan military and police units to fight on their own, according to an independent report released Monday that calls into question the strategy to win the war and bring troops home. - Report: U.S. Overestimated Afghan Police, Army - CBS News

Report faults U.S. for being too optimistic about Afghan security capabilities
(See a PDF of the full report.)

'آمریکا از توانمندی نظامی و امنیتی نیروهای افغان آگاهی ندارد'
Afghan troops 'overrated' by US - CENTRAL/S. ASIA - Al Jazeera English

US Attorney General Eric Holder visits Afghanistan for anti-corruption meetings - Telegraph

"Fighting corruption and supporting the rule of law in Afghanistan are top priorities for this administration, and we will continue to assist the Afghan government in creating and sustaining the effective criminal justice system to which the Afghan people are entitled," Mr Holder said in the statement from Kabul. .... - US Attorney General Eric Holder visits Afghanistan for anti ...
Aid cash feared lost as £2bn is flown out of Afghanistan - Telegraph
Billions flown out of Kabul in suitcases‎ - National Post

Report: U.S. Overestimated Afghan Police, Army - CBS News
د امریکا د عدليې وزير کابل کې د فساد پر ضد مسالو غږېږي
'له افغانستان سره د شوو مرستو ډېره برخه بهرنیانو ایستلې'

Pakistan's dual policy on Taliban - latimes

Pakistan sees the possibility of American success diminishing in Afghanistan and has a Plan B for a post-American relationship.

Pakistani authorities have reacted angrily to a study released this month by the London School of Economics, which concludes that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence has been systematically funding and maintaining top-level ties with the Taliban, and on a larger scale than generally believed.

Pakistan is determined that there be a friendly, indeed dependent, government in Afghanistan once the Americans and their allies call it quits — President Obama has pledged to start withdrawing U.S. troops in July 2011 — and they are well aware of the India-friendly governments that prevailed for decades in Afghanistan until the collapse in 1992 of the Soviet-backed government in Kabul. Pakistan is determined to not be outflanked again.

The ISI, together with the armed forces, has long amounted to a state-within-a state in Pakistan. Certainly, no policy concerning national security can be designed without it being involved and in charge of implementation. That this applies to the Taliban is beyond doubt. The Taliban's rise and subsequent triumph, in 1996, over the various Islamist forces battling for control of a chaotic, war-ravaged post-Soviet Afghanistan was the result of ISI sponsorship, training and funding.

Washington may not like what Pakistan is doing, but given Islamabad's circumstances it should hardly be surprised by it. Pakistan has not one, but two policies on Afghanistan, one crafted for what it sees as the diminishing possibility of an American success, the other for a post-American Afghanistan. ..... More - Pakistan's dual policy on Taliban

gulfnews : Who's driving the policy in Afghanistan?
Commentary: Obama's mixed Afghanistan messages McClatchy
Bret Stephens: Afghanistan: Eyes Wide Shut - WSJ.com

Taliban attack on Nato base in Afghanistan is 'repelled' - BBC

Insurgents have attacked Nato forces in eastern Afghanistan. The attack began at 0730 local time (0300 GMT), with insurgents attacking the airport from different directions. - Nato 'repels' Taliban base attack

حمله 'بمبگذاران انتحاری' به پایگاه ناتو در شرق افغانستان
د جلال اباد پر هوايي ډګر برید کې ۶ برید کوونکي وژل شوي

Taliban attacks airfield, while U.S. attorney general is in Kabul - CNN
Taliban Militants Fail in Attack on NATO Air Base New York Times

Taliban attack major NATO base in Afghanistan

KABUL — "Jalalabad airfield is under attack," said Lieutenant-Commander Iain Baxter. "It is still going on. .... Taliban attack major NATO base in Afghanistan

Taliban attacks airport in eastern Afghanistan CNN
The Press Association - Washington Post - The Associated Press

FOXNews.com - Report: U.S. Overestimated Ability of Afghans

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Amnesty calls on Petraeus to protect civilians - AP

LONDON -- Human rights group Amnesty International has called on Gen. David Petraeus to redouble the military's effort to minimize civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

Amnesty calls on Petraeus to protect civilians
White House: McChrystal to retire with 4 stars

Official cites U.S. threat over corruption case - washingtonpost

Senate panel approves Gen. Petraeus as new Afghan war commander - washingtonpost

As he drove to his confirmation hearing Tuesday morning, Gen. David H. Petraeus had his third phone conversation in less than a week with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. - Petraeus: 'We are all firmly united' : Senate panel approves general to be new Afghan war...

Afghan prosecutor: Corrupt officials in his sights
Obama, Saudi king discuss Guantanamo, Mideast peace process

Report Criticizes U.S. System for Evaluating Afghan Forces - nytimes
Report faults U.S. for being too optimistic about Afghan security capabilities - washingtonpost

Federal Eye: Obama to McChrystal: you can keep the stars

Gen. Stanley McChrystal will retain his four-star rank when he retires from the military, the White House said Tuesday. The decision means the general will earn about $149,700 per year before taxes in military retirement pay. - Federal Eye: Obama to McChrystal: you can keep the stars
White House to let McChrystal retire with 4 stars CNN
The Associated Press

Petraeus Pledges Look at Firepower in Afghanistan New York Times
Wall Street Journal - Christian Science Monitor
U.S. Attorney General Arrives in Kabul

د امریکا مشرانو جرګې د جنرال پیترایوس قومنداني تایید کړه

تاند(سې شنبه/جون۲۹) د امریکا مشرانو جرګې تېره شپه جنرال ډیویډ پیترایوس په افغانستان کې د نړیوالو ځواکونو د نوي قومندان په توګه تایید کړ

جنرال پیترایوس تېره اوونۍ وروسته له دې د ولسمشراوباما له لوري په افغانستان کې د ناټو او امریکايي ځواکونود عمومي قومندان په توګه ونومول شو چې د مخکیني قومندان جنرال مک کرسټل له قوله رولینګ سټون مجلې انتقادي لیکنه خپره کړه.پرون جنرال مک کرسټل د امریکا پوځ ته خبر ورکړ چې دی غواړي تقاعد واخلي

جنرال پیترایوس به نن کانګریس ته لاړ شي چې د دې جرګې غړیو ته قناعت ورکړي چې دی په افغانستان کې حالات سمولی او په دې هیواد کې د ملکي او پوځي چارواکو ترمنځ اړیکې ښه کولی شي..... - پیترایوس : له افغانستان سره زموږژمنې اوږدمهالې دي

Afghan Says U.S. Ambassador Pushed for Prosecutions - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — A spokeswoman for the American Embassy, Caitlin Hayden, said that the American government did not interfere with the Afghan government’s decisions on such personnel matters as prosecution.

“The U.S. Embassy has a regular dialogue and a strong partnership with the Attorney General and his office, including robust mentoring and training programs,” she said.

“The Ambassador’s discussions with his counterparts are private and we’re not going to comment on them,” she added. “The United States continues to respect that personnel decisions are for the Afghan Government to make.” --- - Afghan Says U.S. Ambassador Pushed for Prosecutions

U.S. officials say Karzai aides are derailing corruption cases involving elite - washingtonpost
واشنگتن پُست در مورد تحقیقات فساد اداری در افغانستان
انتقال غیرقانونی میلیاردها دالر از افغانستان به خارج
Corruption Eyed in Airlift of Billions in Cash - WSJ

Putin Criticizes U.S. for Arrests of Espionage Suspects

MOSCOW — Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin criticized American law enforcement agencies on Tuesday for breaking up an what they described as a Russian espionage ring in the United States, as other Russian officials questioned whether the arrests were intended to damage relations between the countries. - Putin Criticizes U.S. for Arrests

Suspected Spy Was Ready to Leave U.S., F.B.I. Believed
White House Downplays Russian Spy Plot, Says Obama Knew Before Medvedev Visit

Petraeus Asserts Commitment to Afghan Effort - nytimes

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, declared in his opening statement that Afghanistan was “not a lost cause,” and that “the Afghans do not want the Taliban back.” - Petraeus Asserts Commitment to Afghan Effort
General Petraeus's Opening Statement (PDF)

With Shift in Afghanistan, Talk Turns to Exit
Letters: Afghan Lessons, Beyond McChrystal

Afghan Says U.S. Ambassador Pushed for Prosecutions
Report Criticizes U.S. System for Evaluating Afghan Forces - nytimes

Russia calls spy allegations baseless, suggests a U.S. government conspiracy - washingtonpost

MOSCOW -- Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the arrests of 10 alleged Russian spies in the United States, calling them baseless Tuesday, and senior lawmakers suggested they had stemmed from a conspiracy in the U.S. government to undermine President Obama's efforts to improve relations with Moscow. .... - Russia calls spy allegations baseless, suggests U.S. conspiracy

FBI arrests 10 accused of working as Russian spies
Russia Wants Access to Alleged Spy Ring Suspects Arrested in U.S.

Russia says US spy arrests are Cold War throwback

Moscow reacted angrily after ten people were detained in America and one person in Cyprus on suspicion of posing as ordinary citizens for up to a decade while carrying out espionage missions.

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, described the accusations as "baseless" and Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister accused US police of being "out of control". Telegraph.

Russia condemns 'baseless' US secret agent claims
Alleged Russian spy ring paymaster freed on bail The Guardian
The Hindu - The Guardian

Both houses of Congress to debate war - washingtonpost

Congress will debate its divisions over U.S. policy on Afghanistan a week after a Rolling Stone magazine article showed tensions in the Obama administration's war team that led to the dismissal of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal as chief commander of American and NATO troops there. ....... - Both houses of Congress to debate war

Petraeus faces questions from war-weary lawmakers - AP
With Command Shift in Afghanistan, Talk Turns to Withdrawal - nytimes
Wall Street Journal - USA Today - BBC News

Monday, June 28, 2010

Rice study emphasizes importance of whole grains

Harvard researchers examined rice intake and the development of type 2 diabetes. The data source was three large studies of U.S. health professionals. The results, published this month in Archives of Internal Medicine, make a strong case for a switch from white to brown rice and whole grains. .... - Rice study emphasizes importance of whole grains

Lay volunteers can play a key role in diabetes care Reuters
Houston Chronicle - USA Today

FBI arrests 10 accused of working as Russian spies - latimes

An FBI investigation turns up a vast spy operation on the East Coast with 'deep cover' assignments, including transmitting U.S. nuclear weapons research to Moscow, authorities say. - FBI arrests 10 accused of working as Russian spies

Washington prepares for Russian president's visit
FBI allegations against 'Russian spies' in US BBC News
Wall Street Journal - Aljazeera.net - Washington Post - BusinessWeek

توافق با پاکستان، آغاز بحرانی دیگر و تکرار تجربه های تلخ

به گزارش الجزیره، حامد کرزی، رییس جمهور افغانستان در جریان هفته گذشته با سراج الدین حقانی، فرمانده شبکه تروریستی حقانی و پسر جلال الدین حقانی در قصر ریاست جمهوری در کابل به صورت خصوصی دیدار و گفتگو کرده است. الجزیره گفته است که این دیدار با همراهی جنرال اشفاق کیانی، فرمانده ارتش پاکستان و رییس استخبارات آن کشور یا آی اس آی صورت گرفته است

هرچند هنوز زود است که نتایج این گفتگوها مشخص شود و یا کرزی بتواند به سادگی به یک معامله بزرگ با پاکستان دست پیدا کند. زیرا دست یافتن به یک معامله بزرگ با پاکستان نمی تواند بدون توافق عمومی میان طیف های مختلفی از مردم، سیاستمداران و نهادهای افغانستان صورت بگیرد. اما در این شکی نیست که کرزی، به عنوان رییس جمهور افغانستان از صلاحیت ها و توانایی‌های زیادی برخوردار است، ولی در نهایت او یک فرد است و به هیچ صورت نمی تواند از تمامی خواست ها، ایده ها و توقعات مردم افغانستان نمایندگی کند

حتا اگر دولت افغانستان به توافقی با پاکستان دست پیدا کند، امکانات عملی شدن این توافق بسیار بعید و دور از ذهن است. زیرا بخش کثیری از مردم افغانستان ستمی را که پاکستان طی سال‌های متمادی بر آنان روا داشته اند، هنوز به خاطر دارند و اجازه نخواهند داد تا کسی بر سرشان معامله ای هرچند «سود آورد» را با پاکستان به امضا برساند. .... - توافق با پاکستان، آغاز بحرانی دیگر و تکرار تجربه های تلخ

نگراني ها درباره فعاليت كمپني هاي خصوصي؛ كمپني هايي براي امنيت يا ناامني
حامد کرزی: کشت کوکنار در افغانستان از بیرون تشویق شد
نشست گروه هشت: غرب تا پنج سال دیگر از افغانستان بیرون می رود

Gen. McChrystal to Retire - WSJ

Less than a week after President Barack Obama fired him as commander in Afghanistan over intemperate remarks to Rolling Stone magazine, Gen. Stanley McChrystal has told the Army his 34-year career in the military is over. ... - Wall Street Journal (blog)

Cashiered general tells Army he'll retire The Associated Press
McChrystal to retire from military: US Army AFP
The Guardian (blog) - Financial Times

Kabul, Afghanistan - America’s General, Afghanistan’s Friend, KHOSHAL SADAT

10 alleged Russian secret agents arrested in US

WASHINGTON -- The FBI has arrested 10 people for allegedly serving for years as secret agents of Russia's intelligence organ, the SVR, with the goal of penetrating U.S. government policymaking circles.

After a secret multiyear investigation, the Justice Department announced the arrests Monday in a blockbuster spy case that could rival the capture of Soviet Col. Rudolf Abel in 1957 in New York. .... - Suspected Russian agents arrested in U.S.

FBI breaks up alleged Russian spy ring in deep cover
Russian 'secret agents' arrested in US Telegraph.co.uk
The Associated Press - Xinhua

Army: McChrystal plans to retire

U.S. officials say Karzai aides are derailing corruption cases involving elite

Top officials in President Hamid Karzai's government have repeatedly derailed corruption investigations of politically connected Afghans, according to U.S. officials who have provided Afghanistan's authorities with wiretapping technology and other assistance in efforts to crack down on endemic graft.

In recent months, the U.S. officials said, Afghan prosecutors and investigators have been ordered to cross names off case files, prevent senior officials from being placed under arrest and disregard evidence against executives of a major financial firm suspected of helping the nation's elite move millions of dollars overseas.

"Above a certain level, people are being very well protected," said a senior U.S. official involved in the investigations.

Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar denied investigations had been derailed. "There is no case, no instance, in which the palace or anyone from the palace has interfered with a case," he said.

A travel ban was issued to block the former minister, Mohammad Siddiq Chakari, from leaving. But U.S. officials said Chakari escaped after showing airport security officials a letter he obtained from Aloko's office saying he had cooperated in the case and was not to be detained. ...... - Karzai officials seen impeding bribery probes : KABUL DENIES ALLEGATIONS Political connections said...

Corruption Eyed in Airlift of Billions in Cash - WSJ
عثماني: ځينې چارواکي په فساد کې ښکېل دي

Afghan Aid on Hold as Corruption Is Probed - WSJ

The chairwoman of the House subcommittee responsible for foreign aid said she was stripping from pending legislation $3.9 billion in funding for Afghanistan following revelations that billions of dollars, including large amounts of U.S. aid funds, were flowing out of the country through Kabul's main airport.

"I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan until I have confidence that U.S. taxpayer money is not being abused to line the pockets of corrupt Afghan government officials, drug lords, and terrorists," Ms. Lowey said.

Afghan and U.S. officials say the sums legally leaving through Kabul's airport could amount to about $3.65 billion a year, more than a quarter of Afghanistan's $13.5 billion gross domestic product. ..... - Afghan Aid on Hold as Corruption Is Probed - WSJ

Corruption Eyed in Airlift of Billions in Cash - MATTHEW ROSENBERG

Angry House lawmaker cuts aid to Afghanistan‎

(Reuters) - A key U.S. House of Representatives Democrat said on Monday she is cutting billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan from spending legislation because she is outraged over reports of corruption and donor aid being flown out the country.

Representative Nita Lowey, who heads the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign aid, vowed not to spend "one more dime" on aid to Afghanistan until she can be sure it is not being abused. ..... Angry House lawmaker cuts aid to Afghanistan

U.S. arrests 10 for spying for Russia

(Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Monday they have broken up a spy ring that carried out deep-cover work in the United States to recruit political sources and gather information for the Russian government.

Authorities charged 11 individuals with the plot, 10 of whom were arrested on Sunday in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Virginia on charges including conspiracy to act as unlawful agents of the Russian Federation and money laundering.

Their goal was to "become sufficiently 'Americanized' such that they can gather information about the United States for Russia and can successfully recruit sources who are in, or are able to infiltrate, United States policy-making circles," according to criminal complaints filed in U.S. federal court. .... - U.S. says Russian spy ring caught, 10 arrested

Feds arrest 10 accused of being Russian agents CNN

U.S. Arrests 11 on Charges of Being Agents for Russia - nytimes

WASHINGTON — In what law enforcement officials portrayed as an extraordinary takedown of a Russian espionage network, the Justice Department on Monday announced charges against 11 people accused of living for years in the United States as part of a deep-cover program run by S.V.R. — the successor agency to the Soviet-era K.G.B.

Criminal complaints filed in federal court on Monday read like a thriller: secret Russian agents assigned to live as married couples in the United States, even having children to further their cover. Spies swapping identical bags as they pass each other in a stairwell. Invisible writing and codes. Money caches buried for years in a rural field. ..... - US Arrests 10 on Charges of Being Agents for Russia

The Associated Press - AFP - CBS News - BusinessWeek

Sunday, June 27, 2010

President Obama urges G-20 nations to spend; they pledge to halve deficits - washingtonpost

TORONTO -- President Obama warned Sunday that the world economic recovery remains "fragile" and urged continued spending to support growth, an expansionist call at the end of a summit marked by an agreement among developed nations to halve their annual deficits within three years. - President Obama urges G-20 nations to spend; they pledge to halve deficits

G-20 Toronto Summit Declaration
Reuters - Voice of America - BBC News - Aljazeera.net
G20 summit: leaders agree to halve deficits by 2013 - telegraph

McCain on the fight ahead in Afghanistan - Meet the Press

McCain on the fight ahead in Afghanistan Meet the Press
Exclusive! Sen. John McCain

Panel assesses Afghan war, command change - Meet the Press
John McCain, Barbara Lee, Sebastian Junger, Wes Moore, Tom Ricks, Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret).

Overture to Taliban Jolts Afghan Minorities - nytimes
War plan relations soured early on - Washington Times

CIA Director Leon Panetta: Serious Problems With Afghanistan War but Progress Being Made

CIA Director Leon Panetta: Serious Problems With Afghanistan War ...‎ -
WATCH: Interview With Leon Panetta

Afghanistan Progress 'Slower' Than Anticipated
What's a Win in Afghanistan Look Like? CIA Explains

CIA: Iran Could Be 2 Years From Nuclear Bomb
Panetta Stands Behind Legality of U.S. Actions in Pakistan
CIA Defends Blackwater Contract

Panetta says Afghan insurgents show no real interest in reconciliation talks - washingtonpost

CIA Director Leon Panetta said Sunday that U.S. officials had not seen "any firm intelligence" that insurgent groups in Afghanistan are interested in reconciliation, and he dismissed reports that a top militant leader was open to a Pakistan-brokered agreement. - CIA: No true interest in reconciliation shown
CIA Retains Security Firm Xe Sevices, Formerly Known as Blackwater ... WSJ

Medvedev: CIA warning on Iranian nukes 'troubling' AFP
Wall Street Journal - BBC News - ABC Online - New York Times
Panetta says Afghan progress slower than expected - latimes

داکتر علی احمد جلالی مصاحبۀ اختصاصی - تحلیل مسایل سیاسی و نظامی افغانستان

مصاحبۀ اختصاصی تحلیل مسایل سیاسی و نظامی افغانستانداکتر علی احمد جلالیبا محمد عارف عباسیدر لابلای واقعیت های افغانستان
Dr. Jalali Interview:
اهمیت کشف معادن جدید افغانستانمحمد نعیم بارز با رادیوی بین المللی فرانسه

Ali Ahmad Jalali, former interior minister of Afghanistan - nytimes

Germany 4, England 1, Germany, and Referee, Leave England Speechless

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — The Germans power on, but the English become the third of Europe’s big five soccer nations to depart the World Cup woefully short of living up to their billing.

Germany thrashed England, 4-1, here on Sunday. The score leaves little room for equivocation or excuse. Yet there was one: Before halftime, with Germany ahead, 2-1, and England seemingly in the ascendancy, the referee ruled out a clear tying goal. .... Germany, and Referee, Leave England Speechless

Interactive Feature: 2010 World Cup Rankings

Kabul, Afghanistan - America’s General, Afghanistan’s Friend, KHOSHAL SADAT

I SERVE my country, Afghanistan, in uniform, as did my father and his father before him. I have known many military officers, but not one who better represents what soldiers stand for — honor, sacrifice and courage — than Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who until last week was the commander of American and NATO forces here.

We were frequently visited by some of the most important American and international leaders, and whenever they questioned the general about Afghanistan, he would always turn to me and say, “Let’s ask an Afghan.”

After nine long years of war, General McChrystal once again revived that feeling of hope in Afghans. He made the war about protecting the people and gave us the strength to fight. The general has always been a man of his word and quickly earned our absolute respect. He became a hero to us. In a country with a long history of great men, he became one of them. He became one of us.

General McChrystal represents, to me, what is best about Americans.

Those of us who had the highest privilege to work on his staff were given great responsibility, and great trust. He was especially generous with his trust.

I never had the opportunity to say goodbye to General McChrystal. I hope he will return when there is peace in Afghanistan, because he will be the father of that peace. - More.....
America’s General, Afghanistan’s Friend

In Afghanistan, doubts grow and weariness deepens - latimes
Overture to Taliban Jolts Afghan Minorities
C.I.A. Chief Sees Taliban Power-Sharing as Unlikely - nytimes

C.I.A. Chief Sees Taliban Power-Sharing as Unlikely - nytimes

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon E. Panetta, expressed strong skepticism on Sunday about the prospects for an Afghanistan deal being pushed by Pakistan between the Afghan government and elements of the Taliban, saying militants do not yet have a reason to negotiate seriously.

Mr. Panetta’s comments were the strongest pushback from a top Obama administration official following a report of Pakistan’s deal-brokering efforts last week in The New York Times. It came days after a major shake-up in the American military leadership, as President Obama fired his top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, replacing him with Gen. David H. Petraeus but stating that the American war strategy would not change. - C.I.A. Chief Sees Taliban Power-Sharing as Unlikely

Pakistan Is Said to Pursue an Afghan Foothold - nytimes

«کسانی که مسوول بدبختی افغانستان هستند، نام شان از لست سیاه حذف نشود»

در حالی که شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد سرگرم بررسی ها در مورد حذف نام های مخالفین دولت افغانستان از فهرست سیاه است، برخی از اعضای هیات اداری ولسی جرگه افغانستان می گوید، صرف نام های آن عده از افراد از لست سیاه باید بیرون شود که به اساس دلایل غیر موجه شامل این لست شده اند

به دنبال موافقت مشروط شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد با حذف نامهای تعدادی از طالبان از فهرست سیاه شورای امنیت، برخی از اعضای هیات اداری ولسی جرگه افغانستان می گوید، نام های آن عده از طالبانی که مسوول بدبختی های موجود در افغانستان هستند نباید از فهرست سیاه شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد حذف شود

حذف نام های مخالفین از فهرست سیاه شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد یکی از پیش شرط های است که از سوی این گروه بخاطر مذاکره با دولت افغانستان مطرح شده است. در جرگه ملی مشورتی صلح نیز همین موضوع مطرح گردید.اکثریت اعضای این جرگه روی حذف نامهای مخالفین از لست سیاه شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد توافق کردند و از این شورا تقاضا نمودند تا در زمینه اقدام کند.... - «کسانی که مسوول بدبختی افغانستان هستند، نام شان از لست سیاه حذف ...
C.I.A. Chief Sees Taliban Power-Sharing as Unlikely - nytimes

How did McChrystal lose his careful touch? Lyse Doucet

As the tough commander of the US war effort in Afghanistan is removed from his post, the BBC's Lyse Doucet remembers a previous meeting with the popular general, Stanley McChrystal, when considering how he slipped up. - Fall of a 'legend'
Profile: Gen Stanley McChrystal

Afghanistan hails mineral wealth
مايک مولن: د ولسي خلکو د زيان مخنيوی مهم دی
مصاحبۀ اختصاصی تحلیل مسایل سیاسی و نظامی افغانستانداکتر علی احمد جلالی
اهمیت کشف معادن جدید افغانستانمحمد نعیم بارز

حامد کرزی: مبارزه با مواد مخدر نیازمند تلاش کشورهای همسایه است

رئیس جمهوری افغانستان که به مناسبت روز جهانی مبارزه با مواد مخدر در کابل سخن می گفت، تاکید کرد که مواد مخدر تولید شده در افغانستان به کشور های همسایه و از آن طریق به سایر نقاط جهان قاچاق می شود و سود اصلی را نیز قاچاقبران نصیب می شوند

لحن آقای کرزی خطاب به کشور های همسایه انتقادی و تند و سوالی بود:" کشورهای همسایه ما که بدون اجازه آنها پشه هم نمی تواند از مرزهایشان بگذرد، چرا جلو قاچاق مواد مخدر را نمی گیرند"
حامد کرزی همچنین در مورد مبارزه با فساد صحبت کرد و از مقام های دولتی و وابستگان نزدیک آنها خواست تا برای شفافیت بیشتر دارایی های خود را ثبت کنند

رئیس جمهوری افغانستان همچنین از جامعه جهانی خواست پولی را که برای تامین امنیت نهادی بین المللی در اختیار شرکت های خصوصی امنتی قرار می دهند، برای تقویت نهاد های امنیتی افغانستان و پلیس و ارتش این کشور مصرف کنند. .... - حامد کرزی: کشورهای همسایه افغانستان مقصر است
کرزی: بهرنيان په افغانستان کې د کوکنارو کر هڅوي
سازمان ملل متحد: روانگردان ها جایگزین مواد مخدر شده اند
نشریات کابل: شنبه ۵ سرطان

هشدار آمریکا درباره خطرات رکود اقتصادی
اجلاس گروه ۸ با وعده کمک به کشورهای فقیر آغاز شد

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Will there be an Afghanistan Syndrome? - Eliot A. Cohen, washingtonpost

The rise and fall of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal -- whom President Obama dismissed Wednesday as commander of the faltering U.S.-led war in Afghanistan after an explosive magazine article featured the general and his top aides deriding the president, vice president and other civilian leaders as well as foreign allies -- will no doubt play a major role in the stories we ultimately tell ourselves about the Afghan conflict.

The United States' second Iraq war, then, will probably not lend itself to the simple revisionism of the first one -- and that is a good thing. But Afghanistan may be different. Three disturbing narratives have begun to appear to explain what may be a difficult conclusion to a conflict that Democrats and Republicans alike once described as a war of necessity.

The first is that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan was doomed to fail, because that country is "the graveyard of empires." This reflects a geopolitical essentialism; such a view yields little more than thundering clich?s. This is the same doctrine that in the 1990s contended that the people of the Balkans have always harbored unquenchable genocidal urges, and the same kind of pseudo-wisdom that, in an earlier age, suggested that Germans could be found only at one's feet or at one's throat.

The "graveyard" story line neglects some salient facts: that the Afghan population has remained supportive of the United States and its allies; that far from being the warlord-ridden anarchy of popular conception, Afghanistan has had periods of stability, relative prosperity and weak but not negligible government; and that its people's attitudes may have changed as a result of 30 years of chronic warfare.

The first of these is that the civilian leadership is always -- always -- the responsible party. It is responsible for choosing the war, responsible for the strategy, responsible for the military leaders it hires or fires, responsible for ultimate success or failure. It should never be off the hook. More........
Will there be an Afghanistan Syndrome?

Afghan and Iraq wars stress U.S. commanders
A negotiated peace? : Why Afghanistan could end up looking like Lebanon

نیویارک تایمز: پاکستان جای پایی را در افغانستان تعقیب میکند

روزنامه نیویارک تایمز مقالۀ را تحت عنوان گفته میشود پاکستان جای پایی را در افغانستان تعقیب میکند، بچاپ رسانیده و میگوید: قرار اظهارات مامورین پاکستانی و امریکایی، پاکستان از مساعی دشوار نظامی ایالات متحده در افغانستان برای تسویه حساب سیاسی با افغانستان بهره برداری میکند و این عمل به پاکستان نفوذ پر اهمیتی را در آنکشور خواهد داد ولی منجر به صدمه زدن به علایق امریکا در افغانستان نخواهد شد

روزنامه نیویارک تایمز ادامه میدهد که مدتها است جنرال اشفاق کیهانی، قوماندان قول اردو و برید جنرال احمد شجاع پاشا، رئیس آی اس آی، بین کابل و اسلام آباد در رفت و آمد بوده و به کرزی میگویند که با نظر وی در مورد اینکه ایالات متحده در افغانستان موفق نخواهد شد، موافق هستند. و کیهانی ادعا میکند که گروه سراج الدین حقانی را که با القاعده ارتباط دارد با کابل ارتباط خواهد داد. و واشنگتن با نگرانی مواظب این اوضاع میباشد

روزنامه نیویارک تایمز میگوید این نمایانگر آنست که پاکستان باوجودیکه ظاهراً وانمود میکند متحد امریکا است در بسا جهات در جهت مخالف جنگ رفتار نموده است تا منفعت نهایی خود را که داشتن یک افغانستان قابل انعطاف و خالی از نفوذ هند باشد، بدست آورد. و بین افغانها و امریکایی ها و مامورین غربی این ظن وجود دارد که پاکستان، گروه حقانی را برای همچو مواقعی برای حفظ توازن و وسیله اعمال فشار بر افغانستان حفظ نموده است. ...... - نیویارک تایمز: پاکستان جای پایی را در افغانستان تعقیب میکند

Pakistan Is Said to Pursue an Afghan Foothold - nytimes
Obama stresses no discord with Petraeus on board - washingtonpost

Germans question involvement in Afghanistan

"We can't pull out," Nouripour, a German of Iranian descent, said in an interview this week amid a controversy that eventually saw the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan replaced. "The Afghan people need us."..... - Germans question involvement in Afghanistan

Test of counterinsurgency strategy in - latimes
Rainey: What McChrystal failed to understand

US to Karzai: New general won't alter Afghan plan The Associated Press
ABC News - The Atlantic (blog)

کرزی: عامل اصلی ادامهء کشت کوکنار، حلقات مافیایی خارجی است

حکومت افغانستان می گوید، تا زمانی که جامعه جهانی به طور صادقانه در راستای جلوگیری از کشت، قاچاق و اعتیاد مواد مخدر کار نه کند، مبارزهء جهانی علیه این پدیده به کامیابی نمی رسد
در حالی که جامعهء جهانی افغانستان را به خاطر ناکامی در راستای از بین بردن کشت مواد مخدر همواره مورد انتقاد قرار می دهد، حکومت این کشور خواهان همکاری صادقانهء جامعهء بین المللی در این زمینه است. .... - کرزی: عامل اصلی ادامهء کشت کوکنار، حلقات مافیایی خارجی است
Fighting drug abuse and trafficking must be part of the battle against poverty,

Security Council wraps up visit with pledge of sustained support for Afghanistan

England vs. Germany: Everyone Mentions War

When England and Germany meet in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in the knockout phase of the World Cup, it will be for a place in the quarterfinals. But for millions in the two countries, the game will be much more than a way station on the road to potential glory. - England vs. Germany: Everyone Mentions War

Sports of The Times: A Great Goal for the United States, but Not the First or Only Great One
Live: United States vs. Ghana

Mullen Visits Afghan Leaders and Allied Troops - nytimes

“The leadership has changed, but the policy hasn’t changed,” said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “The strategy hasn’t changed. And we are very much committed to it.” ..... - Mullen Visits Afghan Leaders and Allied Troops

Afghan Overture to Taliban Aggravates Ethnic Tensions
Torture remains prevalent in too many countries, UN warns

Military disturbed by rapid turnover at top in Afghan, Iraq wars
Daily brief: dust settles on McChrystal firing - FP

Afghan gov't: Blast rocks Kabul's diplomatic area

KABUL, Afghanistan -- An explosion hit the Afghan capital Saturday morning in an area that is home to foreign embassies and government offices..... - Afghan gov't: Blast rocks Kabul's diplomatic area

'Restrepo' brings new elements to the war documentary

سفر مدودف به آمریکا و چشم انداز همکاری های مسکو و واشنگتن

ديميترى مدودف، رييس جمهور۴۴ ساله روسيه، طى ديدار و مذاكرات سه روزه خود از آمريكا، انتظار دارد تا موافقت مقام هاي سياسى و اقتصادى آن كشور را براى تجهيز و ادامه توليد هواپيماهاى غول پيكر «انتونوف۱۲۴» و همچنين تاسيس مركز تحقيقات تكنالوژى پيشرفته در اسكولكووو، شمال مسكو، مشابه با مركز معروف به «سيليكون ولى» كاليفرنيا، جلب كند.

اقلام ياد شده تنها بخشى از ليست بلند بالاى پيشنهادات سرمايه گذارى و همكارى هاى اقتصادى است كه مدودف با خود به آمريكا مي برد. مدودف اميدوار است از راه تغيير ساختار اقتصادى، تكيه روسيه به صادرات نفت و گاز و مواد خام را كاهش داده و به نسبت، زمينه دست يافتن به توليدات تازه صنعتى با برخوردارى از مهارت هاى فنى پيشرفته را در كشور خود فراهم سازد..... - سفر مدودف به آمریکا و چشم انداز همکاری های مسکو و واشنگتن

تاریک-روشن‌هايی که همیشه تاریک بوده اند؛ نگاهی به سفر وزیر خارجه به پاکستان
حامد کرزی: کشت کوکنار در افغانستان از بیرون تشویق شد

McChrystal's Exit Puts Military-Civilian Ties In Focus - NPR

The nation's top military officer, Adm. Mike Mullen, arrives in Afghanistan on Friday. His mission: to reassure U.S. troops about the change in command there.

Two days after President Obama replaced Gen. Stanley McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus, the focus now is on how to move forward with the war strategy that depends on military officers and their civilian partners working together.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, defended Obama's decision to replace McChrystal. Sitting next to Gates, his civilian boss, during a news conference Thursday, Mullen's message could not have been clearer...... - Listen to the Story

McChrystal's Exit Puts Military-Civilian Ties In Focus
U.S. Military Carefully Keeping Score In Afghanistan

پتریوس باید از شکست های مک کریستال بیاموزد

UK's Cameron wants Afghan pullout within five years

(Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday he would like to see UK troops pull out of Afghanistan within five years. .... UK's Cameron wants Afghan pullout within five years

Cameron and Obama to hold talks BBC News
'Destruction' of BP benefits no one: British PM CBC.ca
CNN International - AFP - CNN - The Guardian

مذاکرات سران بریتانیا و آمریکا در باره نیروهای دو کشور در افغانستان

G20: Merkel insists there are no divisions with Obama

Germany's chancellor has insisted that Europe's leaders are making good progress in talks with the US about how to bolster fragile economic growth. - Merkel says Europe and US united

Cameron, Obama to hold talks
G8 summit pledges new aid to mothers and young children

Dick Cheney Admitted to Hospital, Will Undergo Testing
The Associated Press

فراز و فرو دهای یک ماموریت خطیر

ژنرال مک کریستال کارش را نه از میدان که از مطالعه ذهنیت جامعه افغان در روستاهای پیچیده بافت جنوب افغانستان آغاز کرد. ارزیابی سه صد صفحه ای او اساس استراتیژی جدیدی را تشکل داد که رئیس جمهور اوباما سال گذشته آنرا ملاک عمل دولتش در برخورد با افغانستان قرار داد.

حمایت از مردم در برابر شورشیان، متوازن کردن عملیات های نظامی با برنامه های بازسازی و رونق اقتصادی، تضعیف طالبانی که ترجیح می دهند به جنگ ادامه بدهند و تعقیب شورشیان در لانه های اصلی شان در آنسوی مرزها، خطوط برجسته این استراتیژی است

ژنرال مک کریستال، برای تحقق این طرح، روش های متفاوتی را در پیش گرفت. ابتدا سیاست رویا رویی و صراحت لهجه با رهبران افغان و سپس روش اقناع و تبعیت . او با دو سرفرمانده اعلی سر و کار داشت. بارک اوباما و حامد کرزی. دو مرد با روش های عمل متفاوت برای یک مبارزه مشترک. چیزی که شرایط را برای ژنرال مک کریستال دشوارتر می کرد....... - فراز و فرو دهای یک ماموریت خطیر
ژنرال دیوید پترویوس جانشین ژنرال مک کریستال شد

McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure'
McChrystal's Assessment (Unclassified) PDF - washingtonpost

Friday, June 25, 2010

Afghanistan could be self-sufficient within a decade if its mineral resources are properly exploited, its mines minister has told the BBC.

Afghanistan could be self-sufficient within a decade if its mineral resources are properly exploited, its mines minister has told the BBC. ..... - Afghanistan hails mineral wealth
Wealth stifled by security fears

لندن میزبان کنفرانس تشویق سرمایه گذاری در افغانستان
افغانستان در جستجوی سرمایه گذار

The Hindu : International : Afghanistan looking for Indian ...
Afghanistan looking for Indian, Chinese help to tap mineral bonanza

Rolling Stone fact checker sent McChrystal aide 30 questions - washingtonpost

Rolling Stone magazine sent an aide to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal a list of 30 questions to check facts in a profile of the commander. The questions contained no hint of what became the controversial portions of the story. .... - Rolling Stone fact checker sent McChrystal aide 30 questions

Rolling Stone broke interview rules with McChrystal, officials say
CNN - USA Today - Newsweek - BBC News - Christian Science Monitor

TEXT: Obama’s Remarks on the Financial Deal

Text: Obama’s Remarks on the Financial Deal

House and Senate in Deal on Financial Overhaul - nytimes
Banks Likely to Offset Impact of New Law, Analysts Say
Your Money: From Card Fees to Mortgages, a New Day for Consumers

A negotiated peace? : Why Afghanistan could end up looking like Lebanon - Daniel Serwer

While President Obama is surging troops into Afghanistan and money into Pakistan, plans are being laid for a negotiated settlement to be reached before the beginning of the American drawdown in July 2011.

So the administration is looking for a decent, negotiated exit. The Pakistani intelligence service would act as a surrogate (and guarantor) for the Taliban, as Slobodan Milosevic did for the Bosnian Serbs 15 years ago. The Americans would deliver Kabul. The deal might leave the Taliban in control of large parts of Afghanistan but keep al-Qaeda in Pakistan, where Islamabad would agree to deal harshly with its fighters

Assuming negotiations start in earnest by fall, it is doubtful that Clinton's red lines can be made to hold in any part of Afghanistan under Taliban control. The only one that seems really to matter to Obama is blocking al-Qaeda's return to Afghanistan. The women of southern Afghanistan already wear burqas. What will be their fate if the United States accepts Taliban control? ...... A negotiated peace? : Why Afghanistan could end up looking like Lebanon

This week's confrontation between a senior... Thomas E. Ricks
The Afghanistan Syndrome - Eliot A. Cohen
Obama stresses no discord with Petraeus on board - washingtonpost

Dust, blood and war: The question of Afghanistan...

House, Senate leaders finalize details of sweeping financial overhaul - washingtonpost

The dawn compromise set up a potential vote in both houses of Congress next week that could send the landmark legislation to President Obama by July 4.

Obama, speaking to reporters before leaving for a meeting of global finance ministers and central bankers in Toronto, said the compromise legislation includes "90 percent of what I proposed when I took up this fight." - Financial overhaul adds Wall Street oversight

G-8 leaders near $10B aid deal
At G-20, Obama to urge public stimulus in Europe

Viewpoint: Obama's Afghan Problem: Not a General, but a War Plan - Time

President Obama insisted Wednesday that he was replacing the commander rather than the strategy in Afghanistan, but the mounting difficulties facing that strategy were certainly a primary driver of the internecine backstabbing that was laid bare by the Rolling Stone article that got McChrystal fired. Obama's Afghanistan War Plan: Doubts Rise About Strategy

AFP - Los Angeles Times - Wall Street Journal - NPR

Ali Ahmad Jalali, former interior minister of Afghanistan - nytimes
What to Expect From General Petraeus - Room for Debate Blog ...

Op-Ed Contributor, Lose a General, Win a War - THOMAS E. RICKS

FOR most of our nation’s history, the armed services have had a strong and worthy tradition of firing generals who get out of line. So for most of our presidents there would have been no question about whether to oust Gen. Stanley McChrystal for making public his differences with the White House on policy in Afghanistan. If President Obama had not fired General McChrystal, it would have been like President Truman keeping on Douglas MacArthur after his insubordination during the Korean War.

But the general’s dysfunctional relationship with the other senior American officials in Kabul, painfully laid out this week in Rolling Stone, is more significant. If President Obama is to be faulted, it is for leaving that group in position after it became apparent last fall that the men could not work well together...... - Op-Ed Contributor - Lose a General, Win a War - NYTimes.

The Best Defense FOREIGN POLICY
The Afghanistan Clock

A look at Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama's sacking of his top commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, has been making headlines around the world.

The general was dismissed after criticising leading administration officials in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Here BBC Monitoring rounds up comment on the affair from a number of key areas outside the United States: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and China. - BBC News

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Will Holbrooke be next to exit? - latimes

Obama has hinted that other members of his Afghanistan war team may go the way of McChrystal. That may imperil his special envoy to the region, but Richard Holbrooke has shown a knack for perseverance. - Will Holbrooke be next to exit?

Test of counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan latimes
McCain, Graham and Lieberman back Obama over McChrystal

CBS News - MiamiHerald.com - Wall Street Journal - USA Today
Clinton confident in diplomatic team in Afghanistan: State Department

Pakistan Is Said to Pursue an Afghan Foothold - nytimes

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan is exploiting the troubled United States military effort in Afghanistan to drive home a political settlement with Afghanistan that would give Pakistan important influence there but is likely to undermine United States interests, Pakistani and American officials said.

The Pakistani Army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, preferred General McChrystal to his successor, Gen. David H. Petraeus, whom he considers more of a politician than a military strategist, said people who had spoken recently with General Kayani.

Pakistan is presenting itself as the new viable partner for Afghanistan to President Hamid Karzai, who has soured on the Americans. Pakistani officials say they can deliver the network of Sirajuddin Haqqani, an ally of Al Qaeda who runs a major part of the insurgency in Afghanistan, into a power-sharing arrangement.

In addition, Afghan officials say, the Pakistanis are pushing various other proxies, with General Kayani personally offering to broker a deal with the Taliban leadership. ..... - Pakistan Is Said to Pursue an Afghan Foothold

As Generals Change, Afghan Debate Narrows to 2 Powerful Voices
Brooks: Gen. McChrystal

Commanding presence of Gen McChrystal in Afghanistan

Departing US General Stanley McChrystal was seen as a commanding presence in Afghanistan, where his straight talking and determination to reduce the level of civilian casualties won him much respect, says BBC Kabul producer Bilal Sarwary.

It was a cloudy summer evening in Kabul when I first met General Stanley McChrystal. The venue was an upscale neighbourhood in west Kabul. Gen McChrystal arrived on time and began interacting with the Afghans present. He shook hands, waved, smiled and even hugged some of those present.

I had spoken to some of those sitting in the audience and asked if they had met the American commander before. Almost all had responded in the negative. But, it did not appear so when I saw Gen McChrystal mingling with them. In fact, it looked as if the general had known these people for years....... - Commanding aura

Commanding presence of Gen McChrystal in Afghanistan

Renewed strains between Islamabad and Washington

Guest columnist Ahmed Rashid on rising tensions between the US and Pakistan over funding of the war against Taliban insurgents.

Pakistani officials are threatening to pull troops out from the sensitive north-western tribal areas unless the US and Europe comes up with more money for military campaigns.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was equally blunt when he told visiting Richard Holbrooke, US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, that ''time is running out fast, public support can only be kept intact if the international community start delivering on their pledges.''..... - Renewed strains

BBC News - Renewed strains between Islamabad and Washington

BBC News - Five US men convicted of Pakistan 'terror plot'

The five men denied having any links to al-Qaeda and insisted they wanted to go to Afghanistan solely for charity work. They also accused US FBI and Pakistani investigators of torturing them and trying to frame them. Officials have denied the accusations. The judge found them guilty of two charges but acquitted them of three others.
A lawyer for the men, Hassan Katchela, said they would appeal. - BBC News - Five US men convicted of Pakistan 'terror plot'

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BBC - افغانستان - پرستو، بی مهریار شد

یکی از خبرهای ناخوش چهارشنبه این هفته که باور کردنش را خیلی ها دشوار می یافتند، خبر درگذشت رحیم مهریار بود
او پنجاه و چهار ساله بود و شمار آهنگ هایی که به یادگار گذاشت تقریبا سه برابر سالهای زندگی اش بود
رحیم مهریار به دنبال گسترش جنگ و نا آرامی در کشورش، افغانستان را ترک کرد و بیست سال آخر عمر خود را در آلمان زیست
رحیم مهریار از ۱۲ سالگی به آواز خوانی روی آورده بود و نزدیک به سی سال آواز خوانی کرد که حاصل آن نزدیک به ۱۵۰ آهنگ بود.
او در یک سال اخیر به بیماری سرطان مبتلا شده بود اما امید به بهبود را تا آخرین روزهای حیات از دست نمی داد....... - BBC فارسی - افغانستان - پرستو، بی مهریار شد