Eight local policemen were killed by their colleagues after they were poisoned in their base in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, in a latest so-called &quot;insider attack&quot;.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, which happened in the Nawshar district of southern Zabul province late on Friday, as the militants escalate a deadly winter campaign of violence.

&quot;The infiltrators first poisoned their colleagues and then shot them dead,&quot; provincial spokesman Gul Islam Seyal told AFP, adding that the attackers fled the area taking all the weapons and munitions from the base.

The governor of Zabul Bismillah Afghanmal said they had launched an investigation into the incident. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message to the media that the group&#39;s &quot;infiltrators&quot; carried out the attack.

So-called insider attacks -- when Afghan soldiers and police turn their guns on their colleagues or on international troops -- have been a major problem during the more than 15-year-long war.

Such attacks have sapped morale and caused deep mistrust within security ranks.

In a similar incident last month, an Afghan policeman linked to the Taliban shot dead 11 of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the neighboring Helmand province.

And last September, two Afghan soldiers with suspected Taliban links killed at least 12 of their comrades as they slept in the volatile northern province of Kunduz.

(AFP)

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, which occurred in southern Afghanistan

Eight local policemen were killed by their colleagues after they were poisoned in their base in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, in a latest so-called "insider attack". The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, which happened in the Nawshar district of southern Zabul province late on Friday, as the militants escalate a deadly winter campaign of violence. "The infiltrators first poisoned their colleagues and then shot them dead," provincial spokesman Gul Islam Seyal told AFP, adding that the attackers fled the area taking all the weapons and munitions from the base. The governor of Zabul Bismillah Afghanmal said they had launched an investigation into the incident. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message to the media that the group's "infiltrators" carried out the attack. So-called insider attacks -- when Afghan soldiers and police turn their guns on their colleagues or on international troops -- have been a major problem during the more than 15-year-long war. Such attacks have sapped morale and caused deep mistrust within security ranks. In a similar incident last month, an Afghan policeman linked to the Taliban shot dead 11 of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the neighboring Helmand province. And last September, two Afghan soldiers with suspected Taliban links killed at least 12 of their comrades as they slept in the volatile northern province of Kunduz. (AFP)

Eight Afghan policemen poisoned by colleague

Explosions and gunfire echoed through Kabul after near simultaneous Taliban suicide assaults on two security compounds Wednesday, as the insurgents ramp up attacks even before the start of their annual spring offensive.

The death toll in the attack has quickly spiked to 16, Afghanistan&#39;s health ministry spokesman said.&nbsp;

A suicide car bomber struck an Afghan police precinct in western Kabul and a gun battle ensued after another attacker snuck in, officials said, in a brazen five-hour assault which sent clouds of acrid smoke billowing into the sky.

In the second attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of an Afghan intelligence agency branch in eastern Kabul while another assailant was gunned down while trying to enter the compound, officials added.

The Taliban claimed both assaults, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid calling them &quot;martyrdom attacks&quot; in a Twitter message.

The health ministry said the wounded, some of them in critical condition, had been rushed to hospitals.

&quot;More casualties are expected as the ambulances are on their way,&quot; ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told AFP.

Afghan police and troops are battling a resurgent Taliban as the insurgents escalate nationwide attacks, even in winter months when the fighting usually wanes.

&quot;After the killing of Mullah Salam and the Taliban&#39;s defeat on many other fronts, the terrorists are launching such attacks to raise the moral of their fighters,&quot; President Ashraf Ghani said, condemning the bombings.

Salam, a Taliban commander who twice oversaw the capture of the strategic northern city of Kunduz, was killed on Sunday in a US air strike in a major blow to the insurgent group.

But the Taliban are preparing for an intense new fighting season in the spring as the government&#39;s repeated bids to launch peace negotiations have failed.

&#39;Extraordinary cowardice&#39;

&quot;We share the sorrow of all Afghans over these heinous acts,&quot; said the US embassy in Kabul, condemning the attack.

&quot;To callously target Afghan men and women who devote their lives to serving and defending their fellow citizens, as the Taliban did today, is an act of extraordinary cowardice.&quot;

The latest violence comes two days after an Afghan policeman linked to the Taliban shot dead 11 of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the southern province of Helmand, in the latest so-called insider attack.

Such attacks -- when Afghan soldiers and police turn their guns on their colleagues or on international troops -- have sapped morale and caused deep mistrust within security ranks.

Afghan forces, already beset by record casualties, desertions and non-existent &quot;ghost soldiers&quot; on the payrolls, have been struggling to rein in the Taliban since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.

Kabul last month endorsed US general John Nicholson&#39;s call for thousands of additional coalition troops in Afghanistan to fend off the militants before the spring offensive.

Extra troops were needed to end the stalemate in the war, Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, told the US Congress in what could be President Donald Trump&#39;s first major test of military strategy.

Separately, the Pentagon this year said it would deploy some 300 US Marines this spring to Helmand province alone.

The Marines will assist a NATO-led mission to train Afghan forces, in the latest sign that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the worsening conflict.

(AFP)

The Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks

Explosions and gunfire echoed through Kabul after near simultaneous Taliban suicide assaults on two security compounds Wednesday, as the insurgents ramp up attacks even before the start of their annual spring offensive. The death toll in the attack has quickly spiked to 16, Afghanistan's health ministry spokesman said. A suicide car bomber struck an Afghan police precinct in western Kabul and a gun battle ensued after another attacker snuck in, officials said, in a brazen five-hour assault which sent clouds of acrid smoke billowing into the sky. In the second attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of an Afghan intelligence agency branch in eastern Kabul while another assailant was gunned down while trying to enter the compound, officials added. The Taliban claimed both assaults, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid calling them "martyrdom attacks" in a Twitter message. The health ministry said the wounded, some of them in critical condition, had been rushed to hospitals. "More casualties are expected as the ambulances are on their way," ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh told AFP. Afghan police and troops are battling a resurgent Taliban as the insurgents escalate nationwide attacks, even in winter months when the fighting usually wanes. "After the killing of Mullah Salam and the Taliban's defeat on many other fronts, the terrorists are launching such attacks to raise the moral of their fighters," President Ashraf Ghani said, condemning the bombings. Salam, a Taliban commander who twice oversaw the capture of the strategic northern city of Kunduz, was killed on Sunday in a US air strike in a major blow to the insurgent group. But the Taliban are preparing for an intense new fighting season in the spring as the government's repeated bids to launch peace negotiations have failed. 'Extraordinary cowardice' "We share the sorrow of all Afghans over these heinous acts," said the US embassy in Kabul, condemning the attack. "To callously target Afghan men and women who devote their lives to serving and defending their fellow citizens, as the Taliban did today, is an act of extraordinary cowardice." The latest violence comes two days after an Afghan policeman linked to the Taliban shot dead 11 of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the southern province of Helmand, in the latest so-called insider attack. Such attacks -- when Afghan soldiers and police turn their guns on their colleagues or on international troops -- have sapped morale and caused deep mistrust within security ranks. Afghan forces, already beset by record casualties, desertions and non-existent "ghost soldiers" on the payrolls, have been struggling to rein in the Taliban since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. Kabul last month endorsed US general John Nicholson's call for thousands of additional coalition troops in Afghanistan to fend off the militants before the spring offensive. Extra troops were needed to end the stalemate in the war, Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, told the US Congress in what could be President Donald Trump's first major test of military strategy. Separately, the Pentagon this year said it would deploy some 300 US Marines this spring to Helmand province alone. The Marines will assist a NATO-led mission to train Afghan forces, in the latest sign that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the worsening conflict. (AFP)

Afghanistan: 16 dead, several wounded after twin suicide attacks in Kabul

Afghanistan is set to lay out stringent penalties for &quot;bachcha baazi&quot; -&ndash; sexual slavery and abuse of boys &ndash;- for the first time, officials say, in a landmark move against the deeply entrenched practice.

AFP revealed last year how the Taliban were exploiting rampant bachcha baazi in police ranks to mount deadly insider attacks, exposing a hidden epidemic of kidnapping of young boys for institutionalised sexual slavery.

The revelations intensified longstanding demands by campaigners for Kabul to enact an incisive legal provision to curb bachcha baazi -- literally &quot;boy play&quot; -- which has seen a striking resurgence in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

A raft of punishments will now be listed in Afghanistan&#39;s revised penal code -- from up to seven years in jail for sexual assault to capital punishment for &quot;aggravated cases&quot; such as violating more than one boy.

&quot;There is an entire chapter on criminalising the practice (bachcha baazi) in the new penal code,&quot; Nader Nadery, a senior advisor to President Ashraf Ghani, told AFP. &quot;The code is expected to be adopted any time this month. This is going to be a significant step towards stopping this ugly practice.&quot;

A draft of the chapter seen by AFP, titled &quot;Driving children towards moral corruption&quot;, also states that bachcha baazi victims cannot be prosecuted, a significant caveat in a nation where sex assault victims often face punishment.&nbsp;

Afghanistan&#39;s criminal law previously only prohibited pederasty and sex outside of marriage, which rights campaigners said did not sufficiently address the problem of bachcha baazi.

&quot;This chapter clearly defines bachcha baazi as a crime, leaving no room for ambiguity,&quot; Ghani&#39;s legal advisor Nasrullah Stanekzai told AFP, waving printed copies of the revised penal code in his hand.

Aside from police commanders, warlords, politicians and other members of the Afghan elite often keep &quot;bachchas&quot; as a symbol of authority and affluence.

The young boys, sometimes dressed effeminately with makeup and bells on their feet, can be used as dancers at private parties and are often sexually exploited.

AFP&#39;s investigation found that the Taliban were using the boys -- keen on revenge and easy prey for recruitment -- to infiltrate security ranks and mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan. The insurgents deny the claim.

&nbsp;

&#39;21st century slaves&#39;&nbsp;

Before the penal code, activists pushed for years for special legislation on bachcha baazi, with scant hope of getting it through parliament as they suspect the practice is prevalent among lawmakers themselves.

&quot;I have received calls from MPs that say they will never let a bachcha baazi law pass in parliament,&quot; said Soraya Sobhrang from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. &quot;This is a battle to save 21st century slaves.&quot;&nbsp;

The penal code is likely to be passed by presidential decree during the ongoing parliamentary recess. But Sobhrang worries that some lawmakers may try to water it down when it is later subjected to a parliamentary review.

Afghanistan has a poor record of enforcing similar provisions, including a law to eliminate violence against women and another to ban the recruitment of child soldiers, especially when the perpetrators are powerful.

&quot;Explicit criminalisation in law of the heinous practice of bachcha baazi is commendable, but implementation of laws in Afghanistan has been questionable,&quot; the All Survivors Project, a global fact-finding effort into sexual violence against males in conflict zones, told AFP.

&quot;How is the government planning to monitor, investigate and hold accountable those responsible for abusing boys under this new legal provision?&quot;

As Afghanistan&#39;s conflict escalates, critics have said there appears to be no will to act against abusive security officials who are seen as the lesser of two evils in the fight against insurgent groups.

Western officials have privately conceded to AFP that some Afghan commanders accused of bachcha baazi are &quot;too strategic to be removed&quot; from their posts.

But growing public scrutiny of the practice, once shrouded in shame and silence, is forcing authorities to act in some areas.

Earlier this month, the government sacked Shah Mirza Panjsheri, police chief of the volatile Dasht-e-Archi district in northern Kunduz province, after a video of his &quot;bachcha baazi party&quot; surfaced on social media.

&quot;He was kidnapping young, beautiful boys and forcing them to dance in bachcha baazi gatherings,&quot; a Kunduz government spokesman told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;When we heard about this we dismissed him immediately,&quot; he said, adding that he was the first high-ranking police official in Kunduz to be sacked for this practice.

(AFP)

Afghanistan's criminal law previously only prohibited pederasty and sex outside of marriage, which rights campaigners said wasn't enough

Afghanistan is set to lay out stringent penalties for "bachcha baazi" -– sexual slavery and abuse of boys –- for the first time, officials say, in a landmark move against the deeply entrenched practice. AFP revealed last year how the Taliban were exploiting rampant bachcha baazi in police ranks to mount deadly insider attacks, exposing a hidden epidemic of kidnapping of young boys for institutionalised sexual slavery. The revelations intensified longstanding demands by campaigners for Kabul to enact an incisive legal provision to curb bachcha baazi -- literally "boy play" -- which has seen a striking resurgence in post-Taliban Afghanistan. A raft of punishments will now be listed in Afghanistan's revised penal code -- from up to seven years in jail for sexual assault to capital punishment for "aggravated cases" such as violating more than one boy. "There is an entire chapter on criminalising the practice (bachcha baazi) in the new penal code," Nader Nadery, a senior advisor to President Ashraf Ghani, told AFP. "The code is expected to be adopted any time this month. This is going to be a significant step towards stopping this ugly practice." A draft of the chapter seen by AFP, titled "Driving children towards moral corruption", also states that bachcha baazi victims cannot be prosecuted, a significant caveat in a nation where sex assault victims often face punishment. Afghanistan's criminal law previously only prohibited pederasty and sex outside of marriage, which rights campaigners said did not sufficiently address the problem of bachcha baazi. "This chapter clearly defines bachcha baazi as a crime, leaving no room for ambiguity," Ghani's legal advisor Nasrullah Stanekzai told AFP, waving printed copies of the revised penal code in his hand. Aside from police commanders, warlords, politicians and other members of the Afghan elite often keep "bachchas" as a symbol of authority and affluence. The young boys, sometimes dressed effeminately with makeup and bells on their feet, can be used as dancers at private parties and are often sexually exploited. AFP's investigation found that the Taliban were using the boys -- keen on revenge and easy prey for recruitment -- to infiltrate security ranks and mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan. The insurgents deny the claim. '21st century slaves' Before the penal code, activists pushed for years for special legislation on bachcha baazi, with scant hope of getting it through parliament as they suspect the practice is prevalent among lawmakers themselves. "I have received calls from MPs that say they will never let a bachcha baazi law pass in parliament," said Soraya Sobhrang from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. "This is a battle to save 21st century slaves." The penal code is likely to be passed by presidential decree during the ongoing parliamentary recess. But Sobhrang worries that some lawmakers may try to water it down when it is later subjected to a parliamentary review. Afghanistan has a poor record of enforcing similar provisions, including a law to eliminate violence against women and another to ban the recruitment of child soldiers, especially when the perpetrators are powerful. "Explicit criminalisation in law of the heinous practice of bachcha baazi is commendable, but implementation of laws in Afghanistan has been questionable," the All Survivors Project, a global fact-finding effort into sexual violence against males in conflict zones, told AFP. "How is the government planning to monitor, investigate and hold accountable those responsible for abusing boys under this new legal provision?" As Afghanistan's conflict escalates, critics have said there appears to be no will to act against abusive security officials who are seen as the lesser of two evils in the fight against insurgent groups. Western officials have privately conceded to AFP that some Afghan commanders accused of bachcha baazi are "too strategic to be removed" from their posts. But growing public scrutiny of the practice, once shrouded in shame and silence, is forcing authorities to act in some areas. Earlier this month, the government sacked Shah Mirza Panjsheri, police chief of the volatile Dasht-e-Archi district in northern Kunduz province, after a video of his "bachcha baazi party" surfaced on social media. "He was kidnapping young, beautiful boys and forcing them to dance in bachcha baazi gatherings," a Kunduz government spokesman told AFP. "When we heard about this we dismissed him immediately," he said, adding that he was the first high-ranking police official in Kunduz to be sacked for this practice. (AFP)

Kabul to set penalties for 'bachcha baazi' subculture of boy sex slaves

Afghan security forces blocked roads and took up positions around the house of vice president Rashid Dostum on Tuesday as a standoff flared up over accusations his men tortured one of his political opponents.

In an address to supporters at his Kabul residence, broadcast live on television, Dostum warned President Ashraf Ghani that any action against him would weaken the government but said he would not order his own militia fighters to take action against government forces.

&quot;My message to the president is to maintain our national unity,&quot; he said.

Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek warlord who has manoeuvred his way through decades of Afghan conflict, faces accusations that he ordered members of his militia forces to detain Ahmad Ishchi, a former ally, who says he was severely beaten and threatened with sexual violence over several days.

Foreign governments, including the United States, have expressed serious concerns over the case and last month, the attorney general&#39;s office issued arrest warrants against nine of Dostum&#39;s bodyguards.

The men have not so far been taken into custody, however, and the standoff has increased widespread perceptions of the fragility of Ghani&#39;s national unity government, formed after the disputed election of 2014.

Dostum&#39;s chief of staff Babur Farhamand said it was not clear why security forces had been stationed around the vice president&#39;s heavily fortified residence but their presence was causing concern.

&quot;The security forces who are taken position near the compound of first vice president are not giving us a clear answer about their presence,&quot; he told Afghanistan&#39;s One TV.

&quot;They tell us that they are here to ensure the security of the first vice president but this heavy military presence has raised the anger and concern of the vice president&#39;s supporters,&quot; he said.

As night fell, police appeared to have withdrawn from the area but the sight of armed forces in the streets heightened the sense of growing tensions within the government.

The Ishchi case has caused severe embarrassment to Ghani, who brought Dostum into the government despite accusations of serious human rights violations by his forces.

Since then, he has been a difficult and unpredictable ally and has repeatedly clashed with Ghani but his standing among the Uzbek minority, estimated to make up around 9 per cent of the population, has&nbsp;made it hard to replace him in the government.

Western officials have said they want to see the case tried in court to show that high officials cannot break the law with impunity but the tangled realities of Afghan politics and the fragility of Ghani&#39;s government have so far delayed any action.

(Reuters)

In a live broadcast from his residence, Rashid Dostum warned President Ghani that any action against him would weaken the government

Afghan security forces blocked roads and took up positions around the house of vice president Rashid Dostum on Tuesday as a standoff flared up over accusations his men tortured one of his political opponents. In an address to supporters at his Kabul residence, broadcast live on television, Dostum warned President Ashraf Ghani that any action against him would weaken the government but said he would not order his own militia fighters to take action against government forces. "My message to the president is to maintain our national unity," he said. Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek warlord who has manoeuvred his way through decades of Afghan conflict, faces accusations that he ordered members of his militia forces to detain Ahmad Ishchi, a former ally, who says he was severely beaten and threatened with sexual violence over several days. Foreign governments, including the United States, have expressed serious concerns over the case and last month, the attorney general's office issued arrest warrants against nine of Dostum's bodyguards. The men have not so far been taken into custody, however, and the standoff has increased widespread perceptions of the fragility of Ghani's national unity government, formed after the disputed election of 2014. Dostum's chief of staff Babur Farhamand said it was not clear why security forces had been stationed around the vice president's heavily fortified residence but their presence was causing concern. "The security forces who are taken position near the compound of first vice president are not giving us a clear answer about their presence," he told Afghanistan's One TV. "They tell us that they are here to ensure the security of the first vice president but this heavy military presence has raised the anger and concern of the vice president's supporters," he said. As night fell, police appeared to have withdrawn from the area but the sight of armed forces in the streets heightened the sense of growing tensions within the government. The Ishchi case has caused severe embarrassment to Ghani, who brought Dostum into the government despite accusations of serious human rights violations by his forces. Since then, he has been a difficult and unpredictable ally and has repeatedly clashed with Ghani but his standing among the Uzbek minority, estimated to make up around 9 per cent of the population, has made it hard to replace him in the government. Western officials have said they want to see the case tried in court to show that high officials cannot break the law with impunity but the tangled realities of Afghan politics and the fragility of Ghani's government have so far delayed any action. (Reuters)

Afghanistan: Security forces surround vice president's house over abuse case

Pakistan?also handed over a list of 76 'most wanted' terrorists, reportedly hiding in Afghanistan,?to officials at the Afghan embassy

By Taha Siddiqui ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sealed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after an attack on a sufi shrine in Sindh Thursday that left at least 72 people dead. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif on Thursday evening. As fresh wave of terror attacks grips Pakistan, the military in a late night decision on Thursday decided to seal the borders Pakistan shares with Afghanistan. Currently there are two such border crossings being used mostly by civilian population on both sides, one at Chaman and the other at Torkham. Experts see this move as a cosmetic measure which will only further deteriorate relations between the Afghan and Pakistani government. "Closing borders that is used for trade and travel of common people on both sides will result in creating further divisions. The need of the hour is to work closely with Afghan government to address concerns of both countries with regards to terrorist groups that reside on both sides of the border," says Ijaz Khan, a professor of International Relations at Peshawar University. Mr. Khan feels that there is already a negative sentiment in Afghanistan about Pakistan, given its support for the Afghan Taliban and with the closure of borders - such feelings will strengthen. "Scores of people from Afghanistan come to Pakistan to get medical treatment on a daily basis. Students from Afghanistan are also enrolled in schools and universities in Pakistan. This will affect them and not the militants as its being portrayed in Pakistan," Khan says, pointing out to the assertions by the Pakistani authorities that the terrorists are coming from across the border. Experts believe that given the fact that the 2400 kilometre-border that Pakistan and Afghanistan share is quite porous - closing formal borders will not stop infiltration, if there is any to begin with. "These attacks are not happening in border areas. They are happening in mainland Pakistan which means that there are networks within the country that are facilitating them. Blaming it all on Afghanistan is a deflection tactic, which is just going to create tensions between the two countries," the professor explains. Reports on Friday also suggest that the Pakistan Army has summoned Afghan diplomats to the military headquarters to further discuss the presence of terrorists on Afghan soil, and to seek assurances for action against them. "The only way forward is if Pakistan and Afghanistan both act mutually against these groups, otherwise the menace of terrorism will continue," Khan concludes. Pakistan-Afghanistan Border closed with immediate effects till further orders due to security reasons. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 16, 2017 × The Pakistan gate on the Torkham border was opened to traffic and pedestrians in August last year. The border crossing is reportedly used by 15,000 to 20,000 people and hundreds of vehicles daily. Pakistan on Friday also handed over a list of 76 "most wanted" terrorists, reportedly hiding in Afghanistan, to officials at the Afghan embassy and demanded immediate action, director general Inter-Services Public Relations said in a tweet. Afg Embassy officials called in GHQ. Given list of 76 Ts hiding in Afg. Asked to take immediate action / be handed over to Pakistan. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 17, 2017 × (WION)

Pakistan seals Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after attack on Sufi shrine

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deadly blast in Afghanistan that killed eight people and wounded 20 others on Saturday, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/11/asia/afghanistan-car-bomb/index.html">CNN reported</a>.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi sent a text message to journalists, stating&nbsp;the group was behind the early-morning attack in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, CNN further added. 
 
A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle&nbsp;in the capital city of on Saturday.

The bomberas soldiers had arrived at a bank in Lashkar Gah to collect their pay, the Helmand governor&#39;s spokesman, Omar Zwak, told Reuters.

The Taliban have seized large areas of Helmand and have often threatened Lashkar Gah.

Hundreds of international troops are stationed in Helmand as part of the NATO-led effort to train and support Afghan security forces, which have struggled to contain a growing insurgency.

At least one American special forces soldier was wounded in fighting there this week.

To the north of Lashkar Gah, a local official said that an American military airstrike killed a number of civilians in a recent bombing in Sangin district.

The allegation has not been independently verified.

US military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin said that US jets had conducted strikes in Sangin in the past few weeks.

While US forces had &quot;no evidence that civilians were killed in these strikes&quot;, Salvin said the command would investigate the claims. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast in a text message to journalists, CNN reported

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deadly blast in Afghanistan that killed eight people and wounded 20 others on Saturday, CNN reported. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi sent a text message to journalists, stating the group was behind the early-morning attack in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, CNN further added. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed car next to an Afghan army vehicle in the capital city of on Saturday. The bomberas soldiers had arrived at a bank in Lashkar Gah to collect their pay, the Helmand governor's spokesman, Omar Zwak, told Reuters. The Taliban have seized large areas of Helmand and have often threatened Lashkar Gah. Hundreds of international troops are stationed in Helmand as part of the NATO-led effort to train and support Afghan security forces, which have struggled to contain a growing insurgency. At least one American special forces soldier was wounded in fighting there this week. To the north of Lashkar Gah, a local official said that an American military airstrike killed a number of civilians in a recent bombing in Sangin district. The allegation has not been independently verified. US military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin said that US jets had conducted strikes in Sangin in the past few weeks. While US forces had "no evidence that civilians were killed in these strikes", Salvin said the command would investigate the claims. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Blast kills 7 in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Taliban claim responsibility

An explosion occurred near the Supreme Court in the centre of Afghanistan&#39;s capital, Kabul, killing at least 20 people, government officials said.

The Ministry of Public Health said at least 20 people were killed and 38 injured people were taken to city hospitals,&nbsp;in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on the judiciary.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, in which police said an apparent suicide bomber targeted Supreme Court employees leaving their offices at the end of the working day.

Last month, Taliban bombers killed more than 30 people and wounded about 70 in twin blasts in a crowded area of the city during the afternoon rush hour.

The&nbsp;Taliban is&nbsp;fighting to oust foreign forces and bring down the US-backed government, claimed responsibility for the January 10 attack.

Afghan government forces control no more than two-thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014.

Several thousand foreign troops, most of them Americans, remain in training and counter-terrorism roles.
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/StMppSLd2IM" width="560"></iframe><centre>
(Reuters)
</centre></centre>

Police said a suspected suicide bomber targeted the Supreme Court employees in Kabul

An explosion occurred near the Supreme Court in the centre of Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, killing at least 20 people, government officials said. The Ministry of Public Health said at least 20 people were killed and 38 injured people were taken to city hospitals, in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on the judiciary. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, in which police said an apparent suicide bomber targeted Supreme Court employees leaving their offices at the end of the working day. Last month, Taliban bombers killed more than 30 people and wounded about 70 in twin blasts in a crowded area of the city during the afternoon rush hour. The Taliban is fighting to oust foreign forces and bring down the US-backed government, claimed responsibility for the January 10 attack. Afghan government forces control no more than two-thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014. Several thousand foreign troops, most of them Americans, remain in training and counter-terrorism roles. (Reuters)

Blast near Supreme Court in Afghanistan, 20 dead

The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on the notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, previously branded &quot;a global terrorist&quot; and accused of war crimes.&nbsp;

The move follows a peace deal between Hekmatyar&#39;s insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government in September that granted him legal immunity from past offences, sparking outrage from rights groups.&nbsp;

Although Hekmatyar is accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1992-1996 civil war, many foreign governments, including the United States, praised the landmark accord as a step towards peace in Afghanistan.

A statement on the UNSC&#39;s website Friday said an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo targeting Hekmatyar -- a former prime minister and one of the most controversial figures in Afghanistan&#39;s modern history -- no longer applied.

Diplomatic sources said only Russia had opposed the move, which theoretically opens the way for Hekmatyar&#39;s return to Kabul after two decades of exile in Iran and then in Pakistan.

France was initially reluctant because of Hezb-i-Islami&#39;s involvement in an ambush northeast of Kabul that cost the lives of 10 French soldiers in August 2008, but later changed its mind.

&quot;It is an important point of the peace agreement between Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government,&quot; chief negotiator for Hekmatyar, Mohammad Karim Amin, told AFP.

&quot;And it shows the commitment from the government and from the Hezb-i-Islami to pursue on this peace track,&quot; Karim said.

It would also &quot;open the door&quot; and stimulate the peace process and would send a &quot;strong signal to other fighters&quot; in the country, he said in reference to the Taliban.&nbsp;

He further said that it showed &quot;the only key to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict is through an inter-Afghan negotiation without any foreign interference&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;We always said his return (Hekmatyar) won&#39;t be linked to the lift of the sanction but obviously it will widely ease it,&quot; Karim said.

The whereabouts of Hekmatyar, who was not present in Kabul for the signing of the agreement that was completed via video conference -- remains unknown.

Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s and a major figure during the bloody civil war of the 1990s when he was accused of indiscriminately firing rockets into Kabul, as well as other human rights abuses.&nbsp;

In recent years the insurgent conflict has been led by the Taliban.

Hekmatyar is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, but his group claims he remains in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

With the UN sanctions now scrapped, government officials expect Hekmatyar to return to the Afghan capital.&nbsp;

Hezb-i-Islami has been trying to repair Hekmatyar&#39;s public image as a murderous warlord as it attempts to rebrand from a radical, misogynistic movement to a mainstream political force.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

The move follows a peace deal between Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government

The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on the notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, previously branded "a global terrorist" and accused of war crimes. The move follows a peace deal between Hekmatyar's insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government in September that granted him legal immunity from past offences, sparking outrage from rights groups. Although Hekmatyar is accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1992-1996 civil war, many foreign governments, including the United States, praised the landmark accord as a step towards peace in Afghanistan. A statement on the UNSC's website Friday said an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo targeting Hekmatyar -- a former prime minister and one of the most controversial figures in Afghanistan's modern history -- no longer applied. Diplomatic sources said only Russia had opposed the move, which theoretically opens the way for Hekmatyar's return to Kabul after two decades of exile in Iran and then in Pakistan. France was initially reluctant because of Hezb-i-Islami's involvement in an ambush northeast of Kabul that cost the lives of 10 French soldiers in August 2008, but later changed its mind. "It is an important point of the peace agreement between Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government," chief negotiator for Hekmatyar, Mohammad Karim Amin, told AFP. "And it shows the commitment from the government and from the Hezb-i-Islami to pursue on this peace track," Karim said. It would also "open the door" and stimulate the peace process and would send a "strong signal to other fighters" in the country, he said in reference to the Taliban. He further said that it showed "the only key to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict is through an inter-Afghan negotiation without any foreign interference". "We always said his return (Hekmatyar) won't be linked to the lift of the sanction but obviously it will widely ease it," Karim said. The whereabouts of Hekmatyar, who was not present in Kabul for the signing of the agreement that was completed via video conference -- remains unknown. Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s and a major figure during the bloody civil war of the 1990s when he was accused of indiscriminately firing rockets into Kabul, as well as other human rights abuses. In recent years the insurgent conflict has been led by the Taliban. Hekmatyar is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, but his group claims he remains in Afghanistan. With the UN sanctions now scrapped, government officials expect Hekmatyar to return to the Afghan capital. Hezb-i-Islami has been trying to repair Hekmatyar's public image as a murderous warlord as it attempts to rebrand from a radical, misogynistic movement to a mainstream political force. (AFP)

UN lifts sanctions on Afghan warlord who was previously branded as 'global terrorist'

Al-Qaeda is gaining ground in Yemen and could benefit from military actions like the deadly raid by elite US forces ordered by President Donald Trump, the International Crisis Group warned Thursday.

&quot;The Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda is stronger than it has ever been,&quot; ICG said in a report documenting the spread of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

&quot;The first military actions by the Trump administration in Yemen bode poorly for the prospect of smartly and effectively countering AQAP,&quot; read the report, released after Sunday&#39;s US air raid in central Yemen.

While Washington has said at least 14 suspected jihadists and one US Navy SEAL were killed in the strike, ICG said the death toll included &quot;many civilians, including at least 10 women and children&quot;.

The think-tank warned that strikes like the January 29 raid on Baida province could increase fear of or even hostility towards the United States among civilians, providing fertile ground for recruitment by AQAP.&nbsp;

&quot;The use of US soldiers, high civilian casualties and disregard for local tribal and political dynamics... plays into AQAP&#39;s narrative of defending Muslims against the West and could increase anti-US sentiment and with it AQAP&#39;s pool of recruits,&quot; said the Brussels-based ICG.&nbsp;

With its key role in regional politics, Trump&#39;s White House also stands to impact efforts to find a political solution to Yemen&#39;s conflict which has killed more than 7,400 people since March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation.&nbsp;

&quot;These efforts will be imperilled if states interested in fighting AQAP and Yemen&#39;s nascent Islamic State (IS) branch, such as the US, take military actions that ignore the local context... or fail to restrain partners who tolerate or even encourage AQAP/IS activities,&quot; added the 35-page report.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia, which intervened militarily two years ago in Yemen to support the government, is a key regional ally of the United States, which regards AQAP as Al-Qaeda&#39;s most dangerous branch.&nbsp;

The oil-rich Gulf monarchy has been spared Trump&#39;s travel ban imposed last Friday targeting nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen.&nbsp;

Women, children &#39;among dead&#39;

Washington is also facing questions on whether an eight-year-old American girl was killed in the raid.

Local sources say the girl was the daughter of senior Al-Qaeda cleric and US citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi, killed in a 2011 US drone strike.

Under Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama, the US dramatically increased its use of drone strikes against suspected jihadists in Yemen.

The Pentagon said Monday that &quot;a lot of female combatants&quot; were caught up in Sunday&#39;s battle. Women were among the fatalities, it said, declining to specify whether children were also killed.

The death toll was still being evaluated, it said.

On the ground, a Yemeni provincial official gave a toll of 41 suspected militants and 16 civilians killed, eight of them women and eight children.

The US raid was said to have targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda.

The provincial official said Apache helicopters also hit a school, a mosque and a medical facility which were all used by Al-Qaeda militants.

AQAP said in a statement that 30 people died in the raid -- &quot;only women and children... with some tribal leaders who have no connections&quot; to the group.

The conflict in Yemen escalated two years ago when a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched air raids against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels, who had taken over the capital and seized swathes of the country&#39;s centre and north.

The war has allowed both AQAP and IS jihadists to gain ground in the impoverished nation.

The United Nations estimates over three million people have been displaced since fighting between the Huthis and pro-government forces broke out in 2014. &nbsp;

The Arab world&#39;s poorest country now faces a major humanitarian crisis, with one and a half million children suffering severe malnutrition.&nbsp;

 
(AFP)

The think-tank warned that strikes like the January 29 raid could increase fear of or even hostility towards the US?among civilians

Al-Qaeda is gaining ground in Yemen and could benefit from military actions like the deadly raid by elite US forces ordered by President Donald Trump, the International Crisis Group warned Thursday. "The Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda is stronger than it has ever been," ICG said in a report documenting the spread of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). "The first military actions by the Trump administration in Yemen bode poorly for the prospect of smartly and effectively countering AQAP," read the report, released after Sunday's US air raid in central Yemen. While Washington has said at least 14 suspected jihadists and one US Navy SEAL were killed in the strike, ICG said the death toll included "many civilians, including at least 10 women and children". The think-tank warned that strikes like the January 29 raid on Baida province could increase fear of or even hostility towards the United States among civilians, providing fertile ground for recruitment by AQAP. "The use of US soldiers, high civilian casualties and disregard for local tribal and political dynamics... plays into AQAP's narrative of defending Muslims against the West and could increase anti-US sentiment and with it AQAP's pool of recruits," said the Brussels-based ICG. With its key role in regional politics, Trump's White House also stands to impact efforts to find a political solution to Yemen's conflict which has killed more than 7,400 people since March 2015, according to the World Health Organisation. "These efforts will be imperilled if states interested in fighting AQAP and Yemen's nascent Islamic State (IS) branch, such as the US, take military actions that ignore the local context... or fail to restrain partners who tolerate or even encourage AQAP/IS activities," added the 35-page report. Saudi Arabia, which intervened militarily two years ago in Yemen to support the government, is a key regional ally of the United States, which regards AQAP as Al-Qaeda's most dangerous branch. The oil-rich Gulf monarchy has been spared Trump's travel ban imposed last Friday targeting nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. Women, children 'among dead' Washington is also facing questions on whether an eight-year-old American girl was killed in the raid. Local sources say the girl was the daughter of senior Al-Qaeda cleric and US citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi, killed in a 2011 US drone strike. Under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, the US dramatically increased its use of drone strikes against suspected jihadists in Yemen. The Pentagon said Monday that "a lot of female combatants" were caught up in Sunday's battle. Women were among the fatalities, it said, declining to specify whether children were also killed. The death toll was still being evaluated, it said. On the ground, a Yemeni provincial official gave a toll of 41 suspected militants and 16 civilians killed, eight of them women and eight children. The US raid was said to have targeted the houses of three tribal chiefs linked to Al-Qaeda. The provincial official said Apache helicopters also hit a school, a mosque and a medical facility which were all used by Al-Qaeda militants. AQAP said in a statement that 30 people died in the raid -- "only women and children... with some tribal leaders who have no connections" to the group. The conflict in Yemen escalated two years ago when a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched air raids against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels, who had taken over the capital and seized swathes of the country's centre and north. The war has allowed both AQAP and IS jihadists to gain ground in the impoverished nation. The United Nations estimates over three million people have been displaced since fighting between the Huthis and pro-government forces broke out in 2014. The Arab world's poorest country now faces a major humanitarian crisis, with one and a half million children suffering severe malnutrition. (AFP)

Al-Qaeda can gain from Trump strikes on Yemen: ICG

The death rate among Afghan security forces soared last year, as the Kabul government&#39;s overall control of the country dropped significantly, an official US watchdog said in a report Wednesday.

The grim new statistics paint a picture of a beleaguered nation still in the grips of a widespread security crisis, despite many years and billions of dollars spent building up Afghanistan&#39;s army and police forces.&nbsp;

According to the US government&#39;s Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), 6,785 Afghan soldiers and police officers were killed between January 1 and November 12, with another 11,777 wounded.

That&#39;s an increase of about 35 per cent from all of 2015, when some 5,000 security forces were killed.

Afghan police and army units took over from NATO the task of providing security for the country in 2015.

Their first year was something of a disaster, the nadir coming when the regional capital Kunduz in northern Afghanistan was briefly captured by the Taliban.

US and NATO officials had been hoping the Afghans would fare better in 2016, but clearly the security situation remains perilous.

The Pentagon, however, insists the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are improving and points to successful efforts to repel Taliban attacks on regional capitals.

Most of the fatalities among the ANDSF came from &quot;direct-fire&quot; assaults, meaning local troops were directly attacked by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, instead of dying in roadside bomb and mine blasts.

In addition to the high death rate in the ANDSF, the report also found that the number of Afghan districts under insurgent control or influence is increasing.

US Forces Afghanistan reported that about 57.2 per cent of the country&#39;s 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of November 15, the report states.

That marks a drop of 6.2 per centage points from the 63.4 per cent reported in late August, and a nearly 15-point drop since November 2015.

A Western observer who has lived in Afghanistan for years told AFP that the provinces under Taliban control could ultimately split from those held by the Kabul government.&nbsp;

&quot;Everybody here thinks this country will collapse in a matter of two or three years,&quot; he said.

The report also found civilian casualties remain high.

According to a UN body, there were 8,397 conflict-related civilian casualties between January 1 and September 30, a slight drop compared to the same period in 2015.

The report also cites an Asia Foundation survey last year that found only 29.3 per cent of respondents nationwide felt their country was moving in the right direction, down from 36.7 per cent in 2015.

&quot;This represents the lowest level of optimism recorded since the survey began in 2004,&quot; the SIGAR report notes.

The Taliban have been especially active in Helmand province, a global centre for opium production, which is on the rise.

And Afghanistan has long grappled with government corruption and embezzlement.&nbsp;

 
(AFP)

6,785 Afghan soldiers and police officers were killed between January 1 and November 12, a 35 per cent from all of 2015

The death rate among Afghan security forces soared last year, as the Kabul government's overall control of the country dropped significantly, an official US watchdog said in a report Wednesday. The grim new statistics paint a picture of a beleaguered nation still in the grips of a widespread security crisis, despite many years and billions of dollars spent building up Afghanistan's army and police forces. According to the US government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), 6,785 Afghan soldiers and police officers were killed between January 1 and November 12, with another 11,777 wounded. That's an increase of about 35 per cent from all of 2015, when some 5,000 security forces were killed. Afghan police and army units took over from NATO the task of providing security for the country in 2015. Their first year was something of a disaster, the nadir coming when the regional capital Kunduz in northern Afghanistan was briefly captured by the Taliban. US and NATO officials had been hoping the Afghans would fare better in 2016, but clearly the security situation remains perilous. The Pentagon, however, insists the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) are improving and points to successful efforts to repel Taliban attacks on regional capitals. Most of the fatalities among the ANDSF came from "direct-fire" assaults, meaning local troops were directly attacked by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, instead of dying in roadside bomb and mine blasts. In addition to the high death rate in the ANDSF, the report also found that the number of Afghan districts under insurgent control or influence is increasing. US Forces Afghanistan reported that about 57.2 per cent of the country's 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of November 15, the report states. That marks a drop of 6.2 per centage points from the 63.4 per cent reported in late August, and a nearly 15-point drop since November 2015. A Western observer who has lived in Afghanistan for years told AFP that the provinces under Taliban control could ultimately split from those held by the Kabul government. "Everybody here thinks this country will collapse in a matter of two or three years," he said. The report also found civilian casualties remain high. According to a UN body, there were 8,397 conflict-related civilian casualties between January 1 and September 30, a slight drop compared to the same period in 2015. The report also cites an Asia Foundation survey last year that found only 29.3 per cent of respondents nationwide felt their country was moving in the right direction, down from 36.7 per cent in 2015. "This represents the lowest level of optimism recorded since the survey began in 2004," the SIGAR report notes. The Taliban have been especially active in Helmand province, a global centre for opium production, which is on the rise. And Afghanistan has long grappled with government corruption and embezzlement. (AFP)

Fatalities soar among Afghan forces as government loses ground to Taliban: US watchdog

At least 13 journalists were killed in Afghanistan in 2016 &mdash; the deadliest year on record for journalists in the country and making it the second-most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria.

A report by the Afghan Journalists&#39; Safety Committee (AJSC), released on Thursday, also said the Taliban was behind at least 10 of the deaths.

&quot;This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria,&quot; Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday.&nbsp;

The report noted that a shift in the Taliban&#39;s policy towards the media was the &quot;main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists&quot;.

In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for &quot;spreading propaganda&quot; against them.

It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks.

In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province.

&#39;101 cases of violence against media, government forces responsible for most&#39;

The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 per cent increase from 2015. It said the figures highlighted the threat faced by a media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country.

The report also said that a majority of the violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the &quot;alarming&quot; trend.

&quot;The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice,&quot; the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement.

Twenty-eight journalists and media workers have been killed in the past five years in Afghanistan, the report stated. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

A report by the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee said 2016 was the deadliest year for journalists in Afghanistan

At least 13 journalists were killed in Afghanistan in 2016 — the deadliest year on record for journalists in the country and making it the second-most dangerous for reporters in the world after Syria. A report by the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC), released on Thursday, also said the Taliban was behind at least 10 of the deaths. "This increase in violence against journalists has turned Afghanistan into the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world, after Syria," Najib Sharifi, chairman of the committee, told reporters on Thursday. The report noted that a shift in the Taliban's policy towards the media was the "main driver of the increase in the level of threats and deadly violence against journalists". In January last year, seven employees of popular TV channel Tolo, often critical of the insurgents, were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in what the militant group said was revenge for "spreading propaganda" against them. It was the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 and spotlighted the dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks. In June, American journalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator were killed in a rocket attack by the Taliban in southern Helmand province. '101 cases of violence against media, government forces responsible for most' The committee also found 101 cases of violence against the media in 2016, a 38 per cent increase from 2015. It said the figures highlighted the threat faced by a media workers who put their lives on the line to report events in their war-torn country. The report also said that a majority of the violent incidents against journalists were carried out by government forces, with the European Union criticising the "alarming" trend. "The government should do its utmost to bring perpetrators of threats, attacks and killing of journalists to justice," the EU delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement. Twenty-eight journalists and media workers have been killed in the past five years in Afghanistan, the report stated. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Afghanistan world's most dangerous place for journalists after Syria

An American and an Australian have appeared in a Taliban hostage video, five months after they were kidnapped from Kabul.

Gunmen wearing police uniforms abducted the two professors at the American University of Afghanistan in the heart of the Afghan capital on August 7, seizing them from their vehicle after smashing the passenger window.

The 13-minute, 35-second video circulated by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid yesterday offers the first apparent proof that they were still alive.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4iGdi6NMLag" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Australia said today it &quot;has been working closely with other governments to secure the release&quot; of the hostage, but would not elaborate citing his family&#39;s wishes and safety concerns.

The video comes after US Special Operations forces conducted a failed secret raid in August to rescue them. 
President Barack Obama authorised the raid in an unspecified area of Afghanistan but the hostages were not there, the Pentagon said in September.

The elite American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, could not be reached for comment. It has attracted a number of visiting faculty members from Western countries.

The abductions highlighted the growing dangers faced by foreigners in Afghanistan.

The Afghan capital is infested with organised criminal gangs who stage kidnappings for ransom, often targeting foreigners and wealthy Afghans, and sometimes handing them over to insurgent groups.

(AFP)

Gunmen wearing police uniforms abducted the two professors at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul on August 7

An American and an Australian have appeared in a Taliban hostage video, five months after they were kidnapped from Kabul. Gunmen wearing police uniforms abducted the two professors at the American University of Afghanistan in the heart of the Afghan capital on August 7, seizing them from their vehicle after smashing the passenger window. The 13-minute, 35-second video circulated by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid yesterday offers the first apparent proof that they were still alive. × Australia said today it "has been working closely with other governments to secure the release" of the hostage, but would not elaborate citing his family's wishes and safety concerns. The video comes after US Special Operations forces conducted a failed secret raid in August to rescue them. President Barack Obama authorised the raid in an unspecified area of Afghanistan but the hostages were not there, the Pentagon said in September. The elite American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, could not be reached for comment. It has attracted a number of visiting faculty members from Western countries. The abductions highlighted the growing dangers faced by foreigners in Afghanistan. The Afghan capital is infested with organised criminal gangs who stage kidnappings for ransom, often targeting foreigners and wealthy Afghans, and sometimes handing them over to insurgent groups. (AFP)

US, Australian hostages appear in Afghan Taliban video

Afghanistan&#39;s government is boosting its revenues by imposing a new tax regime. The aim is to stop the country&#39;s dependence on international aid, but several private business did not welcome the move complaining that it hits them hard, making it difficult to hope in a possible economic recovery.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
After decades of conflict, Afghanistan&#39;s economy is struggling to get back on track. The country is ranked 183 out of 190 countries in the World Bank&#39;s Doing Business index and the tax drive does not make it easier.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Local firms complained that they are constantly targeted by tax officials who do not give them any possibility to delay payments nor any other flexible approach and this chocks their businesses preventing them to plan new investments or hire new resources.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;I personally planned to start two or three small manufacturing businesses but I decided not to,&quot; says Sadiq, a local businessman. &quot;I haven&#39;t been as disappointed at any time in the past 30 years.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Afghanistan&#39;s finance ministry says it expects to raise almost 2.5 billion USD in revenues in the first three months of 2017. It is 500 million USD above target and it could be a vital achievement since cash for aid and foreign armed forces begins to slow.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
International donors pledged to invest 15.2 billion USD to 2020, but after that, the future is unclear and the country is willing to move on and find its own way to develop.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Taxes are nobody&#39;s favourite, especially those who have to pay and that&#39;s why you see resentment,&quot; said Khalid Payenda, director-general for macro fiscal policy at the finance ministry.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Their (the government) only concern is raising a certain amount of revenue. How it&#39;s done is of no concern to them,&quot; said Mustafa Sadiq, whose firm Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing usually employs around 200 staff and double that number at peak times. &quot;They&#39;re not increasing the volume of business, they&#39;re just increasing taxes on whatever there is left.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The government needs to increase its revenues since much of the country&#39;s 20 billion USD, mainly carpets and fruit, has always operated informally, paying no taxes at all. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
This new reform comes in a difficult moment for the Afghan private sector: 2016 saw a loss in new companies registration which dropped by 30 per cent and many local firms are suffering due to cheap imports from Pakistan and Iran.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The Afghan Taxation system had already been reshaped at the end of 2015, when the government decided that the main tax rate was doubled from two to four percent. Afghan companies must now pay four times a year.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;If the government is under pressure, then so is the private sector,&quot; said Fawad Saafi, whose Millifactories group makes products ranging from PVC tubes to foam mattresses. His workforce has dropped from 700 to under 200 as economic growth stalls and business dries up.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Several companies reported about bribery and arbitrary tax collection saying that too often the system is inefficient and open to abuse.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;The feeling amongst many business people is that if some bureaucrats drive past a successful business they&#39;ll find a way to extract money from it,&quot; said Franz-Michael Mellbin, EU Special Representative to Afghanistan. &quot;That makes for a really hostile business environment and it doesn&#39;t need to be.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The real challenge in a country where corruption and tax evasion are rampant lies in the implementation of a functional collection rather than on imposing new tolls. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In Afghanistan economy is also strictly connected to security. Large parts of the country are under control of Islamist insurgents and creating jobs could be a very effective way to prevent young citizens to join their ranks, the only way the country has to secure peace and therefore prosperity.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The government aims at curbing the country's dependence on foreign aid, but corruption and collection issues risk to chocke the economy

Afghanistan's government is boosting its revenues by imposing a new tax regime. The aim is to stop the country's dependence on international aid, but several private business did not welcome the move complaining that it hits them hard, making it difficult to hope in a possible economic recovery. After decades of conflict, Afghanistan's economy is struggling to get back on track. The country is ranked 183 out of 190 countries in the World Bank's Doing Business index and the tax drive does not make it easier. Local firms complained that they are constantly targeted by tax officials who do not give them any possibility to delay payments nor any other flexible approach and this chocks their businesses preventing them to plan new investments or hire new resources. "I personally planned to start two or three small manufacturing businesses but I decided not to," says Sadiq, a local businessman. "I haven't been as disappointed at any time in the past 30 years." Afghanistan's finance ministry says it expects to raise almost 2.5 billion USD in revenues in the first three months of 2017. It is 500 million USD above target and it could be a vital achievement since cash for aid and foreign armed forces begins to slow. International donors pledged to invest 15.2 billion USD to 2020, but after that, the future is unclear and the country is willing to move on and find its own way to develop. "Taxes are nobody's favourite, especially those who have to pay and that's why you see resentment," said Khalid Payenda, director-general for macro fiscal policy at the finance ministry. "Their (the government) only concern is raising a certain amount of revenue. How it's done is of no concern to them," said Mustafa Sadiq, whose firm Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing usually employs around 200 staff and double that number at peak times. "They're not increasing the volume of business, they're just increasing taxes on whatever there is left." The government needs to increase its revenues since much of the country's 20 billion USD, mainly carpets and fruit, has always operated informally, paying no taxes at all. This new reform comes in a difficult moment for the Afghan private sector: 2016 saw a loss in new companies registration which dropped by 30 per cent and many local firms are suffering due to cheap imports from Pakistan and Iran. The Afghan Taxation system had already been reshaped at the end of 2015, when the government decided that the main tax rate was doubled from two to four percent. Afghan companies must now pay four times a year. "If the government is under pressure, then so is the private sector," said Fawad Saafi, whose Millifactories group makes products ranging from PVC tubes to foam mattresses. His workforce has dropped from 700 to under 200 as economic growth stalls and business dries up. Several companies reported about bribery and arbitrary tax collection saying that too often the system is inefficient and open to abuse. "The feeling amongst many business people is that if some bureaucrats drive past a successful business they'll find a way to extract money from it," said Franz-Michael Mellbin, EU Special Representative to Afghanistan. "That makes for a really hostile business environment and it doesn't need to be." The real challenge in a country where corruption and tax evasion are rampant lies in the implementation of a functional collection rather than on imposing new tolls. In Afghanistan economy is also strictly connected to security. Large parts of the country are under control of Islamist insurgents and creating jobs could be a very effective way to prevent young citizens to join their ranks, the only way the country has to secure peace and therefore prosperity. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

New tax hits hard on Afghanistan local firms

What was President Barack Obama&#39;s hardest decision during his two terms in office? A massive troop surge in Afghanistan, he said in an interview aired on Sunday.

&quot;Toughest decision was early in my presidency when I ordered 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan,&quot; Obama, who leaves office in less than two weeks, told ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week.&quot;

After a protracted debate inside the administration that pitted US military commanders against White House advisers, Obama announced the 30,000-trooop &quot;surge&quot; in December 2009.

The decision would bring the US contingent in Afghanistan to nearly 100,000 troops along with almost 50,000 allied troops.

&quot;I think it was the right decision because the Taliban at that point had gotten a lot of momentum before I&#39;d gotten into office, partly because we hadn&#39;t been paying attention as much as we needed to Afghanistan,&quot; Obama said in the interview taped Friday.

The president had hoped to withdraw most US military forces from Afghanistan by now, leaving behind just a small force.

But the United States still has some 8,400 military personnel in the country, and announced Friday it is sending some 300 Marines to Helmand province in the coming months.

Meanwhile in Iraq, more than 5,000 US soldiers are still on the ground providing critical support to the country&#39;s army, which is unable to man a war alone against the Islamic State group&#39;s extremist fighters.

Asked whether he found it disappointing that so many troops remain in both countries, Obama said the United States is &quot;not going to get the kind of decisive, permanent victories in this fight against terrorism that we would get from fighting another country.&quot;

&quot;But we don&#39;t have this huge footprint, we are less likely to be targeted as, you know, occupiers,&quot; he added about the reduced number of troops.

Even after decimating Al-Qaeda in Pakistan&#39;s tribal areas and killing the jihadist group&#39;s leader Osama bin Laden, groups in the region still &quot;have both the interest and the capacity if we don&#39;t maintain vigilance to strike against the United States,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

'Toughest decision was early in my presidency when I ordered 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan,' he told ABC's 'This Week'

What was President Barack Obama's hardest decision during his two terms in office? A massive troop surge in Afghanistan, he said in an interview aired on Sunday. "Toughest decision was early in my presidency when I ordered 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan," Obama, who leaves office in less than two weeks, told ABC's "This Week." After a protracted debate inside the administration that pitted US military commanders against White House advisers, Obama announced the 30,000-trooop "surge" in December 2009. The decision would bring the US contingent in Afghanistan to nearly 100,000 troops along with almost 50,000 allied troops. "I think it was the right decision because the Taliban at that point had gotten a lot of momentum before I'd gotten into office, partly because we hadn't been paying attention as much as we needed to Afghanistan," Obama said in the interview taped Friday. The president had hoped to withdraw most US military forces from Afghanistan by now, leaving behind just a small force. But the United States still has some 8,400 military personnel in the country, and announced Friday it is sending some 300 Marines to Helmand province in the coming months. Meanwhile in Iraq, more than 5,000 US soldiers are still on the ground providing critical support to the country's army, which is unable to man a war alone against the Islamic State group's extremist fighters. Asked whether he found it disappointing that so many troops remain in both countries, Obama said the United States is "not going to get the kind of decisive, permanent victories in this fight against terrorism that we would get from fighting another country." "But we don't have this huge footprint, we are less likely to be targeted as, you know, occupiers," he added about the reduced number of troops. Even after decimating Al-Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas and killing the jihadist group's leader Osama bin Laden, groups in the region still "have both the interest and the capacity if we don't maintain vigilance to strike against the United States," he said. (AFP)

Obama's toughest decision was massive troop surge in Afghanistan

The head of the Sikh community, Lala Del Souz, was shot dead on&nbsp;Thursday morning by an unidentified person in Afghanistan&#39;s conflict-ridden Kunduz city.

This is the second such incident within three months, triggering fear&nbsp;among the minority group members in the country.

Souz was reportedly on his way to his shop when the shooting occurred.

He died from his injuries while being taken to the&nbsp;hospital.

According to relatives of the deceased, he had been shot five years ago but survived the attack, reports PTI.

Masoum Stanikzai, Kunduz security chief, confirmed the incident and said that the police has arrested three suspects.

&ldquo;Investigations will however continue,&rdquo; he said, according to a report on PTI.

Meanwhile, the social media saw an outcry with hundreds of people condemning the incident and sending condolences to his family.

Prem, Souz&#39;s uncle, called on to the government to thoroughly investigate the incident until&nbsp;those responsible are brought to justice.

He said if this does not happen, the few remaining Sikhs will also leave the province, reports PTI.

Many Sikhs left the province after the Kunduz province fell to Taliban.&nbsp;

Close to 99 per cent of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan have left the country over the past three decades.&nbsp;Tolo News said the Sikh and Hindu population numbered 220,000 in the 1980s but was now estimated to be only 1,350.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

This is the second such incident within three months, triggering fear among the minority group members in the country

The head of the Sikh community, Lala Del Souz, was shot dead on Thursday morning by an unidentified person in Afghanistan's conflict-ridden Kunduz city. This is the second such incident within three months, triggering fear among the minority group members in the country. Souz was reportedly on his way to his shop when the shooting occurred. He died from his injuries while being taken to the hospital. According to relatives of the deceased, he had been shot five years ago but survived the attack, reports PTI. Masoum Stanikzai, Kunduz security chief, confirmed the incident and said that the police has arrested three suspects. “Investigations will however continue,” he said, according to a report on PTI. Meanwhile, the social media saw an outcry with hundreds of people condemning the incident and sending condolences to his family. Prem, Souz's uncle, called on to the government to thoroughly investigate the incident until those responsible are brought to justice. He said if this does not happen, the few remaining Sikhs will also leave the province, reports PTI. Many Sikhs left the province after the Kunduz province fell to Taliban. Close to 99 per cent of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan have left the country over the past three decades. Tolo News said the Sikh and Hindu population numbered 220,000 in the 1980s but was now estimated to be only 1,350. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Sikh community head gunned down in Afghanistan

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament.

&quot;The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP&#39;s vehicle was passing through,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

&quot;Three people including the MP were wounded.&quot;

But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed.

&quot;I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle,&quot; said Abdul Manan, a&nbsp;bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack.&nbsp;

The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter&nbsp;when fighting usually ebbs.

The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers.

Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours.

Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed.

(AFP)

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting MP Fakuri Behishti,

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament. "The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP's vehicle was passing through," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. "Three people including the MP were wounded." But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed. "I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle," said Abdul Manan, a bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack. The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter when fighting usually ebbs. The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers. Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours. Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed. (AFP)

Blast in Kabul hits Afghan MP's vehicle, three wounded

They are speaking about the same deadly drone war that the United States has been waging this year, but talk to the US&nbsp;military and Afghan civilians and their conclusions about who is targeted are often starkly different.

To the Americans, only enemy combatants were killed by missiles fired from unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan in 2016.

Eyewitness accounts, however, along with United Nations reports, suggest dozens of civilians were among the casualties.

&quot;People seem to think we just shoot missiles at random,&quot; Lieutenant Shaw, a drone operator in his 20s told Reuters at the US&nbsp;Air Force&#39;s base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. &quot;But if anything, we are better equipped than many manned aircraft to make sure we have the right guy.&quot;

The certainty expressed by drone operators often contrasts with the chaos described by witnesses on the ground.

&quot;There were dead bodies and body parts everywhere,&quot; said resident Hameed Shinwari, describing the scene soon after an attack in his village in eastern Nangarhar province, where as many as 15 civilians were killed in a drone strike in September, according to a UN&nbsp;report and local people who say they witnessed it.

Civilian casualties in coalition air strikes have been highly sensitive throughout the 15-year-long US-led war in Afghanistan, and avoiding them is crucial to winning local support for the government in its fight against the Taliban.

The issue has gained new urgency as the United States has relied more on unmanned aircraft since most international troops were withdrawn at the end of 2014.

In the Nangarhar strike, a 12-year-old boy was among those who told Reuters they had been wounded. US&nbsp;officials said the only confirmed casualties were Islamic State fighters.

The incident starkly highlights the divide between the US&nbsp;military, which says not a single civilian was killed in such operations in 2016, and critics, including human rights groups and some former drone pilots, who say overly broad targeting policies are putting too many civilians in the crossfire.

Lawful targets?

Speaking in rare interviews at their bases in Kandahar and nearly 8,000 miles away in the deserts of Nevada, US&nbsp;drone crews defended their methods for hunting down Islamic State, Taliban, al Qaeda and other militants.

Among the types of missions described by drone pilots in Afghanistan are &quot;signature strikes&quot;, when the identity of the targets is not known but they are tagged as combatants based on their behaviour and other intelligence.

The range of video and electronic sensors on unmanned aircraft can help make sense of the messy modern battlefields where insurgents often blend into local populations, they say.

&quot;We know who they are,&quot; said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Navicky, head of the US&nbsp;Air Force&#39;s drone programme in Afghanistan, in an interview at his headquarters at Kandahar.

If pilots notice civilians nearby after a missile has been fired they can still call off the strike by guiding it into an unpopulated area, he said, a manoeuvre called a &quot;shift cold&quot;.&nbsp;

While acknowledging that drones can be better than manned aircraft at picking targets, many human rights activists argue that US&nbsp;policies can leave too much room for interpretation.

&quot;The question is not whether they (the US&nbsp;military) know names, but are they lawful targets?&quot; said Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch.

With fewer US&nbsp;troops on the ground, there was a &quot;grave risk&quot; that strikes could be misdirected or manipulated by sources on the ground to settle local scores, she said.

&quot;As the fight in Afghanistan morphs into something new, there are many questions that the US&nbsp;needs to answer.&quot;

The UN reported in October that at least 32 civilians had been killed through September in drone strikes in Afghanistan, contributing to an overall increase in civilian casualties from US&nbsp;and Afghan air strikes compared with last year.

&nbsp;When asked about the sharply different accounts of the outcome of strikes, US&nbsp;military spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said in a statement that US&nbsp;troops &quot;employ detailed systems of technical, tactical and procedural checks and balances before employing all weapons in Afghanistan&quot;.

&quot;Strict rules apply to the use of air-delivered munitions, particularly when civilians may be present or whenever there is a possibility of striking a civilian structure,&quot; Cleveland said.

&quot;We&#39;re human&#39;

Another UN&nbsp;report, released in July, said a pair of strikes in Paktika province on April 6 killed at least 17 civilians.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;When we arrived there, a pick-up truck had been attacked and was in flames,&quot; Ainullah, a resident who said he went to the scene after the strike, told Reuters. He described the casualties as &quot;shopkeepers who were bringing food to their children&quot;.&nbsp;

As in other strikes this year, the US&nbsp;military contested the status of those killed. A spokesman told Reuters that they found &quot;no evidence&quot; that any non-combatants were killed.

&nbsp;Drone operators, who spoke to Reuters on the condition they were only identified by their rank and first name, insisted strikes were only conducted after extensive surveillance.

&nbsp;The approval process for strikes was &quot;significant&quot;, and went &quot;very, very high in the chain of command&quot;, said Captain Eric, a drone pilot.

&nbsp;As many as 85 per cent to 90 per cent of requested strikes were rejected, he added, because of concerns over civilian casualties or a lack of information about the target.

&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re human, and we feel what is happening when we have to launch a strike,&quot; drone pilot Major Adam said. &quot;That motivates us to make sure we get it right, because the last thing we want is for the worst to happen.&quot;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

To US enemy combatants were killed by missiles fired from unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan in 2016,UN reports say dozens of civilians killed

They are speaking about the same deadly drone war that the United States has been waging this year, but talk to the US military and Afghan civilians and their conclusions about who is targeted are often starkly different. To the Americans, only enemy combatants were killed by missiles fired from unmanned aircraft in Afghanistan in 2016. Eyewitness accounts, however, along with United Nations reports, suggest dozens of civilians were among the casualties. "People seem to think we just shoot missiles at random," Lieutenant Shaw, a drone operator in his 20s told Reuters at the US Air Force's base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. "But if anything, we are better equipped than many manned aircraft to make sure we have the right guy." The certainty expressed by drone operators often contrasts with the chaos described by witnesses on the ground. "There were dead bodies and body parts everywhere," said resident Hameed Shinwari, describing the scene soon after an attack in his village in eastern Nangarhar province, where as many as 15 civilians were killed in a drone strike in September, according to a UN report and local people who say they witnessed it. Civilian casualties in coalition air strikes have been highly sensitive throughout the 15-year-long US-led war in Afghanistan, and avoiding them is crucial to winning local support for the government in its fight against the Taliban. The issue has gained new urgency as the United States has relied more on unmanned aircraft since most international troops were withdrawn at the end of 2014. In the Nangarhar strike, a 12-year-old boy was among those who told Reuters they had been wounded. US officials said the only confirmed casualties were Islamic State fighters. The incident starkly highlights the divide between the US military, which says not a single civilian was killed in such operations in 2016, and critics, including human rights groups and some former drone pilots, who say overly broad targeting policies are putting too many civilians in the crossfire. Lawful targets? Speaking in rare interviews at their bases in Kandahar and nearly 8,000 miles away in the deserts of Nevada, US drone crews defended their methods for hunting down Islamic State, Taliban, al Qaeda and other militants. Among the types of missions described by drone pilots in Afghanistan are "signature strikes", when the identity of the targets is not known but they are tagged as combatants based on their behaviour and other intelligence. The range of video and electronic sensors on unmanned aircraft can help make sense of the messy modern battlefields where insurgents often blend into local populations, they say. "We know who they are," said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Navicky, head of the US Air Force's drone programme in Afghanistan, in an interview at his headquarters at Kandahar. If pilots notice civilians nearby after a missile has been fired they can still call off the strike by guiding it into an unpopulated area, he said, a manoeuvre called a "shift cold". While acknowledging that drones can be better than manned aircraft at picking targets, many human rights activists argue that US policies can leave too much room for interpretation. "The question is not whether they (the US military) know names, but are they lawful targets?" said Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch. With fewer US troops on the ground, there was a "grave risk" that strikes could be misdirected or manipulated by sources on the ground to settle local scores, she said. "As the fight in Afghanistan morphs into something new, there are many questions that the US needs to answer." The UN reported in October that at least 32 civilians had been killed through September in drone strikes in Afghanistan, contributing to an overall increase in civilian casualties from US and Afghan air strikes compared with last year. When asked about the sharply different accounts of the outcome of strikes, US military spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said in a statement that US troops "employ detailed systems of technical, tactical and procedural checks and balances before employing all weapons in Afghanistan". "Strict rules apply to the use of air-delivered munitions, particularly when civilians may be present or whenever there is a possibility of striking a civilian structure," Cleveland said. "We're human' Another UN report, released in July, said a pair of strikes in Paktika province on April 6 killed at least 17 civilians. "When we arrived there, a pick-up truck had been attacked and was in flames," Ainullah, a resident who said he went to the scene after the strike, told Reuters. He described the casualties as "shopkeepers who were bringing food to their children". As in other strikes this year, the US military contested the status of those killed. A spokesman told Reuters that they found "no evidence" that any non-combatants were killed. Drone operators, who spoke to Reuters on the condition they were only identified by their rank and first name, insisted strikes were only conducted after extensive surveillance. The approval process for strikes was "significant", and went "very, very high in the chain of command", said Captain Eric, a drone pilot. As many as 85 per cent to 90 per cent of requested strikes were rejected, he added, because of concerns over civilian casualties or a lack of information about the target. "We're human, and we feel what is happening when we have to launch a strike," drone pilot Major Adam said. "That motivates us to make sure we get it right, because the last thing we want is for the worst to happen." (Reuters)

American drone pilots defend tactics as Afghans question civilian deaths

Senior Taliban leaders confirmed on Tuesday they had released a new video showing a kidnapped American-Canadian family, including two young boys born in captivity while held by the feared Haqqani network.

The video showed for the first time the two sons of Canadian Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman, a US&nbsp;citizen. Coleman, 31, was pregnant when the couple were abducted in 2012 inside Afghanistan while on a backpacking trip.

A Canadian spokesman said the government was reviewing the video, while US&nbsp;officials would not immediately comment.

In the video, Coleman begs for an end to their &quot;Kafkaesque nightmare&quot; and is critical of both the American and Canadian governments and the family&#39;s Haqqani captors.

&quot;We understand both sides hate us and are content to leave us and our two surviving children in these problems,&quot; she said.

&quot;But we can only ask and pray that somebody will recognise the atrocities these men carry out against us as so-called retaliation in their ingratitude and hypocrisy.&quot;

The two young boys - who, along with their parents, appeared healthy - fidgeted on their father&#39;s lap as Coleman added: &quot;My children have seen their mother defiled.&quot;

Two senior Taliban members based in Afghanistan told Reuters by telephone that the video had been uploaded by the radical Islamist insurgents, who are fighting to topple the US-backed government in Kabul.

One said the video came from the Haqqani network - a close affiliate of the Afghan Taliban - and it had been delivered to both US&nbsp;and Canadian officials before being posted on YouTube late on Monday night.

He said the Haqqani network is demanding the release of three of its senior members - including the brother and maternal uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is deputy leader of the Afghan Taliban.

Coleman&#39;s reference to her two &quot;surviving children&quot; was unexplained. She appealed to both President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump to make a deal with their captors.

&quot;They want money, power, friends. You must give them these things before progress can be made.&quot;

Michael O&#39;Shaughnessy, spokesman for the Canadian Department of Global Affairs, said officials were studying the video.

&quot;We are deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of Joshua Boyle, Caitlan Coleman and their young children and call for their unconditional release,&quot; he said.

US&nbsp;officials declined to comment on the new video but referred reporters to statements made by State Department spokesman John Kirby after the last video of the couple released in late August.

In those statements, Kirby called for the family&#39;s &quot;immediate release on humanitarian grounds&quot; and said the US&nbsp;would &quot;continue to work aggressively&quot; to bring all American hostages home.

 
(Reuters)

Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman were abducted in 2012 in Afghanistan while on a backpacking trip. Coleman was pregnant at the time

Senior Taliban leaders confirmed on Tuesday they had released a new video showing a kidnapped American-Canadian family, including two young boys born in captivity while held by the feared Haqqani network. The video showed for the first time the two sons of Canadian Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman, a US citizen. Coleman, 31, was pregnant when the couple were abducted in 2012 inside Afghanistan while on a backpacking trip. A Canadian spokesman said the government was reviewing the video, while US officials would not immediately comment. In the video, Coleman begs for an end to their "Kafkaesque nightmare" and is critical of both the American and Canadian governments and the family's Haqqani captors. "We understand both sides hate us and are content to leave us and our two surviving children in these problems," she said. "But we can only ask and pray that somebody will recognise the atrocities these men carry out against us as so-called retaliation in their ingratitude and hypocrisy." The two young boys - who, along with their parents, appeared healthy - fidgeted on their father's lap as Coleman added: "My children have seen their mother defiled." Two senior Taliban members based in Afghanistan told Reuters by telephone that the video had been uploaded by the radical Islamist insurgents, who are fighting to topple the US-backed government in Kabul. One said the video came from the Haqqani network - a close affiliate of the Afghan Taliban - and it had been delivered to both US and Canadian officials before being posted on YouTube late on Monday night. He said the Haqqani network is demanding the release of three of its senior members - including the brother and maternal uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is deputy leader of the Afghan Taliban. Coleman's reference to her two "surviving children" was unexplained. She appealed to both President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump to make a deal with their captors. "They want money, power, friends. You must give them these things before progress can be made." Michael O'Shaughnessy, spokesman for the Canadian Department of Global Affairs, said officials were studying the video. "We are deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of Joshua Boyle, Caitlan Coleman and their young children and call for their unconditional release," he said. US officials declined to comment on the new video but referred reporters to statements made by State Department spokesman John Kirby after the last video of the couple released in late August. In those statements, Kirby called for the family's "immediate release on humanitarian grounds" and said the US would "continue to work aggressively" to bring all American hostages home. (Reuters)

Alleged Taliban video shows sons born in captivity to kidnapped American-Canadian couple

A glassy-eyed Afghan teenager sits mutely beside his father, hunched over a tray of tea and candy, unable to tell the painful story of how he was kidnapped by a policeman to be used as his sex slave.

After weeks of searching, AFP met the boy in a remote, undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan where he lives in virtual hiding two years after his ordeal.

He is among 13 families traced by our reporters who have suffered from &quot;bacha bazi&quot; -- the institutionalised sexual enslavement of children by Western-backed Afghan forces.

But let&#39;s back up a bit to explain how we got there.&nbsp;

When AFP&#39;s exclusive report in June revealed how the Taliban are using child sex slaves as Trojan Horses to kill their abusers in Afghan police ranks, it triggered a flurry of reaction.&nbsp;

It prompted President Ashraf Ghani to launch a &quot;thorough investigation&quot;, stressing that bacha bazi in security ranks is a crime. It sparked reinvigorated calls from US lawmakers to end child abuse by Afghan allies. It also, not unexpectedly, prompted angry Afghan officials to privately accuse AFP reporters of &quot;trying to bring Afghanistan a bad name&quot;. But that is another story.&nbsp;

Spectacularly absent in the conversations was the plight of the enslaved children, their families, and the official efforts,or the lack thereof, to rescue them from their abusers. Thus began the months-long hunt for testimonies from various provinces, many of them disturbingly similar and revealing a hidden epidemic of child abuse.

Significantly, they shed light on where these child sex slaves come from. A common theory has been that poor families sell them to powerful commanders or that some willingly choose a life of servitude, lured by the prospect of gifts or easy cash.

But all 13 testimonies highlighted cases of abduction, sometimes with the help of pimps. They offered a searing portrayal of a practice campaigners say is nothing short of culturally-sanctioned rape.

They spotlighted the helplessness among families, who are unable to rescue children in a system with no specific law against bacha bazi, no mechanism for redress and apparently no official will to act against abusive policemen who are seen as the lesser of two evils in the fight against the Taliban.

In the fog of the conflict, sexual violence against children has become a new normal. But tracing these families and interviewing them was fraught with challenges as a culture of shame and silence shrouds the practice.&nbsp;

With the help of activists, tribal elders and community leaders, AFP managed to find multiple families of victims. Some families led to other families. But a few in far flung volatile districts were unreachable because of security constraints or poor mobile communication.

Some others refused to talk, fearing reprisals. &quot;Your report won&#39;t bring my son back; it won&#39;t change anything,&quot; one father in Uruzgan told AFP, his voice laden with grief.

Some activists initially offered to help but later declined to part with their contacts, fearing they might rankle authorities. The testimonies gathered in the end are perhaps therefore only a small illustration of a deeply pervasive problem.

This search for victims eventually brought an AFP team to the same room as the boy who would not speak about his ordeal. His story was different -- he is one of the fortunate few who managed to escape his abuser.&nbsp;

AFP interviewed various members of his family in Helmand and the powerful official who helped rescue him. He advised the family to flee the province over fears that the boy could be retaken. But the boy, still struggling to overcome his psychological injuries, was unable to talk. &quot;Those scars will take a long time to heal,&quot; his father said. &quot;He is like the living dead.&quot;

&nbsp;

Resurgence&nbsp;

Powerful warlords, commanders, politicians and other members of the elite often keep &quot;bachas&quot; as a symbol of authority and affluence. Bachas, sometimes dressed as women, are often sexually exploited. They can also be used as dancers at private parties.

Bacha bazi is not widely seen as homosexual behaviour, popularly demonised as a deviant sexual act, prohibited in Islam ,and is largely accepted as a cultural practice.

&quot;Women are for child-rearing, boys are for pleasure&quot; is a common saying across many parts of Afghanistan.

The ancient custom, banned under the Taliban&#39;s 1996-2001 rule, has seen a resurgence in recent years. It is said to be widespread across southern and eastern Afghanistan&#39;s rural Pashtun heartland, and with ethnic Tajiks across the northern countryside.&nbsp;

Tight gender segregation in Afghan society and lack of contact with women have contributed to the spread of bacha bazi, rights groups say.

Several other factors such as an absence of the rule of law, corruption, limited access to justice, illiteracy, poverty, insecurity, and the existence of armed groups have also resulted in the spread of bacha bazi, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said in a report in 2014.

AIHRC points out that Afghanistan&#39;s criminal law prohibits rape and pederasty, but there are no clear provisions on bacha bazi.

&quot;There is a gap and ambiguity in the laws of Afghanistan regarding bacha bazi and the existing laws do not address the problem sufficiently,&quot; the report said.

&quot;Many of the perpetrators have connections with the security organs and by using power and giving bribes they get exempted from punishment.&quot;

Bachas are typically aged between 10 and 18. Many of them are kidnapped and sometimes desperate poverty drives their families to sell them to abusers.

&quot;The victims of bacha bazi suffer from serious psychological trauma as they often get raped,&quot; AIHRC&#39;s report said.&nbsp; 
&quot;Such victims suffer from stress and a sort of distrust, hopelessness and pessimistic feeling. Bacha bazi results in fear among the children and a feeling of revenge and hostility develop in their mind.&quot;

In turn, many adolescent victims are said to grow up to have boy lovers of their own, repeating the cycle of abuse.

&quot;In the absence of any services to recover or rehabilitate boys who are caught in this horrendous abuse, it&#39;s hard to know what happens to these children,&quot; said Charu Lata Hogg, a London-based fellow at Chatham House, a think tank.

&quot;We have heard anecdotal reports that many grow up to keep their own bachas, perpetuating the revolving door of abuse.&quot;

Bacha bazi is having a detrimental bearing on the perpetual state of conflict in Afghanistan, helping the Taliban to infiltrate security ranks in provinces such as Uruzgan, officials say.&nbsp;

The abusive practice in security ranks also undermines support for NATO-trained Afghan forces.

&quot;To date, the US has provided over $60 billion in assistance to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), including nearly $500 million to the Afghan Local Police,&quot; the US Congress said last year.

&quot;Predatory sexual behaviour by Afghan soldiers and police could undermine US and Afghan public support for the ANDSF, and put our enormous investment at risk.&quot;

The practice also continues to embolden the Taliban&#39;s desire to reassert sharia law in Afghanistan and is fuelling their insurgency.

&quot;Such wild abuses of the predatory mujahideen forces in the early 1990s drove the popularity of the austere Taliban,helping them sweep to power across most of the country.

Similar behaviour of the government forces after 2001 is also helping to inspire the insurgency,&quot; a Western official in Kabul told AFP.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

Powerful warlords, politicians and commanders may keep boys as symbols of status and affluence. Critics say it's culturally-sanctioned rape

A glassy-eyed Afghan teenager sits mutely beside his father, hunched over a tray of tea and candy, unable to tell the painful story of how he was kidnapped by a policeman to be used as his sex slave. After weeks of searching, AFP met the boy in a remote, undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan where he lives in virtual hiding two years after his ordeal. He is among 13 families traced by our reporters who have suffered from "bacha bazi" -- the institutionalised sexual enslavement of children by Western-backed Afghan forces. But let's back up a bit to explain how we got there. When AFP's exclusive report in June revealed how the Taliban are using child sex slaves as Trojan Horses to kill their abusers in Afghan police ranks, it triggered a flurry of reaction. It prompted President Ashraf Ghani to launch a "thorough investigation", stressing that bacha bazi in security ranks is a crime. It sparked reinvigorated calls from US lawmakers to end child abuse by Afghan allies. It also, not unexpectedly, prompted angry Afghan officials to privately accuse AFP reporters of "trying to bring Afghanistan a bad name". But that is another story. Spectacularly absent in the conversations was the plight of the enslaved children, their families, and the official efforts,or the lack thereof, to rescue them from their abusers. Thus began the months-long hunt for testimonies from various provinces, many of them disturbingly similar and revealing a hidden epidemic of child abuse. Significantly, they shed light on where these child sex slaves come from. A common theory has been that poor families sell them to powerful commanders or that some willingly choose a life of servitude, lured by the prospect of gifts or easy cash. But all 13 testimonies highlighted cases of abduction, sometimes with the help of pimps. They offered a searing portrayal of a practice campaigners say is nothing short of culturally-sanctioned rape. They spotlighted the helplessness among families, who are unable to rescue children in a system with no specific law against bacha bazi, no mechanism for redress and apparently no official will to act against abusive policemen who are seen as the lesser of two evils in the fight against the Taliban. In the fog of the conflict, sexual violence against children has become a new normal. But tracing these families and interviewing them was fraught with challenges as a culture of shame and silence shrouds the practice. With the help of activists, tribal elders and community leaders, AFP managed to find multiple families of victims. Some families led to other families. But a few in far flung volatile districts were unreachable because of security constraints or poor mobile communication. Some others refused to talk, fearing reprisals. "Your report won't bring my son back; it won't change anything," one father in Uruzgan told AFP, his voice laden with grief. Some activists initially offered to help but later declined to part with their contacts, fearing they might rankle authorities. The testimonies gathered in the end are perhaps therefore only a small illustration of a deeply pervasive problem. This search for victims eventually brought an AFP team to the same room as the boy who would not speak about his ordeal. His story was different -- he is one of the fortunate few who managed to escape his abuser. AFP interviewed various members of his family in Helmand and the powerful official who helped rescue him. He advised the family to flee the province over fears that the boy could be retaken. But the boy, still struggling to overcome his psychological injuries, was unable to talk. "Those scars will take a long time to heal," his father said. "He is like the living dead." Resurgence Powerful warlords, commanders, politicians and other members of the elite often keep "bachas" as a symbol of authority and affluence. Bachas, sometimes dressed as women, are often sexually exploited. They can also be used as dancers at private parties. Bacha bazi is not widely seen as homosexual behaviour, popularly demonised as a deviant sexual act, prohibited in Islam ,and is largely accepted as a cultural practice. "Women are for child-rearing, boys are for pleasure" is a common saying across many parts of Afghanistan. The ancient custom, banned under the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule, has seen a resurgence in recent years. It is said to be widespread across southern and eastern Afghanistan's rural Pashtun heartland, and with ethnic Tajiks across the northern countryside. Tight gender segregation in Afghan society and lack of contact with women have contributed to the spread of bacha bazi, rights groups say. Several other factors such as an absence of the rule of law, corruption, limited access to justice, illiteracy, poverty, insecurity, and the existence of armed groups have also resulted in the spread of bacha bazi, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said in a report in 2014. AIHRC points out that Afghanistan's criminal law prohibits rape and pederasty, but there are no clear provisions on bacha bazi. "There is a gap and ambiguity in the laws of Afghanistan regarding bacha bazi and the existing laws do not address the problem sufficiently," the report said. "Many of the perpetrators have connections with the security organs and by using power and giving bribes they get exempted from punishment." Bachas are typically aged between 10 and 18. Many of them are kidnapped and sometimes desperate poverty drives their families to sell them to abusers. "The victims of bacha bazi suffer from serious psychological trauma as they often get raped," AIHRC's report said. "Such victims suffer from stress and a sort of distrust, hopelessness and pessimistic feeling. Bacha bazi results in fear among the children and a feeling of revenge and hostility develop in their mind." In turn, many adolescent victims are said to grow up to have boy lovers of their own, repeating the cycle of abuse. "In the absence of any services to recover or rehabilitate boys who are caught in this horrendous abuse, it's hard to know what happens to these children," said Charu Lata Hogg, a London-based fellow at Chatham House, a think tank. "We have heard anecdotal reports that many grow up to keep their own bachas, perpetuating the revolving door of abuse." Bacha bazi is having a detrimental bearing on the perpetual state of conflict in Afghanistan, helping the Taliban to infiltrate security ranks in provinces such as Uruzgan, officials say. The abusive practice in security ranks also undermines support for NATO-trained Afghan forces. "To date, the US has provided over $60 billion in assistance to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), including nearly $500 million to the Afghan Local Police," the US Congress said last year. "Predatory sexual behaviour by Afghan soldiers and police could undermine US and Afghan public support for the ANDSF, and put our enormous investment at risk." The practice also continues to embolden the Taliban's desire to reassert sharia law in Afghanistan and is fuelling their insurgency. "Such wild abuses of the predatory mujahideen forces in the early 1990s drove the popularity of the austere Taliban,helping them sweep to power across most of the country. Similar behaviour of the government forces after 2001 is also helping to inspire the insurgency," a Western official in Kabul told AFP. (AFP)

Exposing Afghanistan's subculture of child sex slaves

Almost 40 years after seeking sanctuary in Pakistan, Nusheen Bibi lives in fear of being expelled from the only country she has ever known.

Bibi was only three when her family fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - some of more than 6 million Afghan refugees who crossed into neighbouring Pakistan and Iran.&nbsp;

They soon made a new life in northern Pakistan where Bibi grew up, got married and eventually gave birth.

But growing animosity towards Afghan refugees combined with a push from the Pakistani government to repatriate thousands of Afghans has left the 40-year-old feeling vulnerable.

Under Pakistan&#39;s laws, a foreign woman can acquire Pakistani citizenship by marrying a local man, but Bibi has never done the paperwork to change her nationality.

&quot;I can&#39;t even think about leaving Pakistan,&quot; the mother of five told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in her home, a small mud house.

&quot;How can I leave my children, husband and entire family of in-laws?&quot; said Bibi, who asked that her real name not be used.

Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the UN&nbsp;refugee agency (UNHCR). More than a million others are estimated to live there unregistered.

Although repatriation is not compulsory, Islamabad has stepped up pressure to send people back and numbers have risen sharply in recent months as Afghan-Indian relations strengthened and those between India and Pakistan soured.

UNHCR said 67,057 refugees were permanently repatriated in August, up from 12,962 the month before.

In all, more than 380,000 registered Afghan refugees have returned home in 2016 so far, with more than 1.4 million still remaining in Pakistan, UNHCR said.

&quot;Still foreigners&quot;

In September, Pakistan extended Afghan refugees&#39;&nbsp;right to stay until March 2017, but restrictions and harassment have increased, refugees and the UNHCR say.&nbsp;

Many Afghans complain of discrimination when considered for jobs and university places.&nbsp;

Pakistani officials deny there has been systematic harassment of Afghans living in Pakistan and say their country has demonstrated great generosity to the refugee population, despite severe economic problems of its own.

Like Bibi, Dilshad Begum is also facing the threat of separation from her spouse.&nbsp;

Begum was born in Mardan, a district of Pakistan&#39;s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2003, she married an Afghan man whose family migrated across the border.

But unlike foreign women, foreign men cannot acquire Pakistani citizenship through marriage.

The couple grew increasingly concerned about their future following brief clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the Torkham border crossing in June.

&quot;My husband sold his property in Afghanistan to establish his business in Pakistan,&quot; Begum said.

&quot;However, the government is now asking him to close down his business, withdraw all the money from his bank and move back to Afghanistan.&quot;

Sana, whose Afghan father moved to Pakistan at the age of eight, has tried but failed to gain a place at the University of Peshawar.

&quot;I finished college in Peshawar, where I was born. But the management tells me the quota for Afghan students is full already, so I can&#39;t get in,&quot; she said.

&quot;It is extremely disturbing for me to learn that after all these years, we are still being treated as foreigners.&quot;

Many who have returned to Afghanistan are struggling to reintegrate in a country they barely know.

Malala&#39;s family recently left for Afghanistan but the student, who declined to give her full name, decided to stay in Pakistan to complete her studies.

&quot;I&#39;m finding it difficult to continue because my dad is having a hard time establishing his business in Afghanistan,&quot; she said.

But the young woman says she bears no ill will towards Pakistan.

&quot;I was born here and love this soil. No matter where I go, Pakistan will always have a special place in my heart,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the UN refugee agency

Almost 40 years after seeking sanctuary in Pakistan, Nusheen Bibi lives in fear of being expelled from the only country she has ever known. Bibi was only three when her family fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - some of more than 6 million Afghan refugees who crossed into neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. They soon made a new life in northern Pakistan where Bibi grew up, got married and eventually gave birth. But growing animosity towards Afghan refugees combined with a push from the Pakistani government to repatriate thousands of Afghans has left the 40-year-old feeling vulnerable. Under Pakistan's laws, a foreign woman can acquire Pakistani citizenship by marrying a local man, but Bibi has never done the paperwork to change her nationality. "I can't even think about leaving Pakistan," the mother of five told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in her home, a small mud house. "How can I leave my children, husband and entire family of in-laws?" said Bibi, who asked that her real name not be used. Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). More than a million others are estimated to live there unregistered. Although repatriation is not compulsory, Islamabad has stepped up pressure to send people back and numbers have risen sharply in recent months as Afghan-Indian relations strengthened and those between India and Pakistan soured. UNHCR said 67,057 refugees were permanently repatriated in August, up from 12,962 the month before. In all, more than 380,000 registered Afghan refugees have returned home in 2016 so far, with more than 1.4 million still remaining in Pakistan, UNHCR said. "Still foreigners" In September, Pakistan extended Afghan refugees' right to stay until March 2017, but restrictions and harassment have increased, refugees and the UNHCR say. Many Afghans complain of discrimination when considered for jobs and university places. Pakistani officials deny there has been systematic harassment of Afghans living in Pakistan and say their country has demonstrated great generosity to the refugee population, despite severe economic problems of its own. Like Bibi, Dilshad Begum is also facing the threat of separation from her spouse. Begum was born in Mardan, a district of Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2003, she married an Afghan man whose family migrated across the border. But unlike foreign women, foreign men cannot acquire Pakistani citizenship through marriage. The couple grew increasingly concerned about their future following brief clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the Torkham border crossing in June. "My husband sold his property in Afghanistan to establish his business in Pakistan," Begum said. "However, the government is now asking him to close down his business, withdraw all the money from his bank and move back to Afghanistan." Sana, whose Afghan father moved to Pakistan at the age of eight, has tried but failed to gain a place at the University of Peshawar. "I finished college in Peshawar, where I was born. But the management tells me the quota for Afghan students is full already, so I can't get in," she said. "It is extremely disturbing for me to learn that after all these years, we are still being treated as foreigners." Many who have returned to Afghanistan are struggling to reintegrate in a country they barely know. Malala's family recently left for Afghanistan but the student, who declined to give her full name, decided to stay in Pakistan to complete her studies. "I'm finding it difficult to continue because my dad is having a hard time establishing his business in Afghanistan," she said. But the young woman says she bears no ill will towards Pakistan. "I was born here and love this soil. No matter where I go, Pakistan will always have a special place in my heart," she said. (Reuters)

Repatriation push, rising hostility alarms Afghan refugees in Pakistan

An Afghan official says that at least 14 Afghans have been killed after a civilian bus hit a fuel tanker on the main highway in western Afghanistan.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor in Farah province, said Sunday that more than 40 others were wounded in the accident.

The bus was on its way from western Herat toward the capital, Kabul, when the accident took place, Mehri said, adding around a dozen of the wounded are in critical condition.

Traffic accidents are not unusual in Afghanistan; annually hundreds of people die in traffic accidents on highways across the country mostly as the result of unpaved roads, high speeds and carelessness while driving.

(PTI)

A government spokesperson said at least a dozen of the injured are in critical condition

An Afghan official says that at least 14 Afghans have been killed after a civilian bus hit a fuel tanker on the main highway in western Afghanistan. Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor in Farah province, said Sunday that more than 40 others were wounded in the accident. The bus was on its way from western Herat toward the capital, Kabul, when the accident took place, Mehri said, adding around a dozen of the wounded are in critical condition. Traffic accidents are not unusual in Afghanistan; annually hundreds of people die in traffic accidents on highways across the country mostly as the result of unpaved roads, high speeds and carelessness while driving. (PTI)

Afghan bus crash: At least 14 dead, 40 injured

Afghanistan has launched an investigation into allegations that the country&#39;s vice president sexually assaulted a rival, in the face of mounting criticism from Western allies and activists over a pervasive culture of impunity.

Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former warlord who has a catalogue of war crimes attached to his name, is accused of abducting Ahmad Ishchi last month during a traditional game of Buzkashi, or polo with an animal carcass, in northern Jowzjan province.

Dostum allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to be tortured and sodomised.

&quot;The attorney general&#39;s office has begun its impartial and transparent investigation regarding the incident,&quot; Afghanistan&#39;s top prosecutor said in a statement late Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;The investigation will be carried out neutrally and independently.&quot;

Officials are scrambling to gather evidence after the United States, European Union, Australia and Canada on Tuesday joined the chorus of calls for a thorough probe.

Ishchi has undergone a medical examination since his release earlier this month at the American air base in Bagram, north of Kabul, local media reported.

Dostum has denied the allegations, but his office said he would cooperate with any investigation. It added, however, that it prefers to &quot;resolve&quot; the matter by the traditional mediation of tribal elders rather than through conventional courts.

Observers are sceptical the government will sack or bring charges against Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.&nbsp;

&quot;He is too powerful to be sacked or tried in court,&quot; said Kabul-based analyst Ahmad Saeedi told AFP.

&quot;The president is under pressure to take action, but he (Dostum) has a lot of support and influence, which the government cannot take lightly.&quot;

Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by President Ashraf Ghani to attract the support of his mostly ethnic Uzbek constituency.

The latest controversy has once again drawn attention to how Afghan warlords and strongmen operate with impunity, hobbling Western-backed efforts to restore peace and rebuild the nation after decades of conflict.

(AFP)

Abdul Rashid Dostum's office said it prefers to 'resolve' the matter by traditional mediation of tribal elders rather than the court system

Afghanistan has launched an investigation into allegations that the country's vice president sexually assaulted a rival, in the face of mounting criticism from Western allies and activists over a pervasive culture of impunity. Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former warlord who has a catalogue of war crimes attached to his name, is accused of abducting Ahmad Ishchi last month during a traditional game of Buzkashi, or polo with an animal carcass, in northern Jowzjan province. Dostum allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to be tortured and sodomised. "The attorney general's office has begun its impartial and transparent investigation regarding the incident," Afghanistan's top prosecutor said in a statement late Saturday. "The investigation will be carried out neutrally and independently." Officials are scrambling to gather evidence after the United States, European Union, Australia and Canada on Tuesday joined the chorus of calls for a thorough probe. Ishchi has undergone a medical examination since his release earlier this month at the American air base in Bagram, north of Kabul, local media reported. Dostum has denied the allegations, but his office said he would cooperate with any investigation. It added, however, that it prefers to "resolve" the matter by the traditional mediation of tribal elders rather than through conventional courts. Observers are sceptical the government will sack or bring charges against Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse. "He is too powerful to be sacked or tried in court," said Kabul-based analyst Ahmad Saeedi told AFP. "The president is under pressure to take action, but he (Dostum) has a lot of support and influence, which the government cannot take lightly." Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by President Ashraf Ghani to attract the support of his mostly ethnic Uzbek constituency. The latest controversy has once again drawn attention to how Afghan warlords and strongmen operate with impunity, hobbling Western-backed efforts to restore peace and rebuild the nation after decades of conflict. (AFP)

Afghanistan VP accused of kidnapping, torturing and sodomising political rival

Gunmen shot dead five female airport workers and their driver in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, underlining the threat to employed women in the country.&nbsp;

The women were in a van driving to the airport in the southern Kandahar province when at least three gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at them, provincial spokesman Samim Kheplwak told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;All the women and their driver aboard the van were killed. The attackers fled the area and we have launched an investigation,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Kandahar International Airport director Ahmadullah Faizi said the women were employees of a private company who would provide luggage and body search services for female passengers.&nbsp;

He said the women were concerned about their security after receiving death threats from people who disapproved of their career.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Kandahar females who work outside their homes have long been at high risk of attack from Taliban militants and other insurgent groups.&nbsp;

Afghan women have made giant strides since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001, but they are still absent from public life and continue to suffer high levels of violence, oppression and abuse.

The Afghan attorney general&#39;s office recorded more than 3,700 cases of violence against women in the first eight months of 2016, with 5,000 cases recorded in the whole of the previous year.

(AFP)

The women were in a van driving to the airport in the southern Kandahar province when at least 3 gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at them

Gunmen shot dead five female airport workers and their driver in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, underlining the threat to employed women in the country. The women were in a van driving to the airport in the southern Kandahar province when at least three gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at them, provincial spokesman Samim Kheplwak told AFP. "All the women and their driver aboard the van were killed. The attackers fled the area and we have launched an investigation," he said. Kandahar International Airport director Ahmadullah Faizi said the women were employees of a private company who would provide luggage and body search services for female passengers. He said the women were concerned about their security after receiving death threats from people who disapproved of their career. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Kandahar females who work outside their homes have long been at high risk of attack from Taliban militants and other insurgent groups. Afghan women have made giant strides since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001, but they are still absent from public life and continue to suffer high levels of violence, oppression and abuse. The Afghan attorney general's office recorded more than 3,700 cases of violence against women in the first eight months of 2016, with 5,000 cases recorded in the whole of the previous year. (AFP)

Gunmen kill five women airport workers in Afghanistan

In a dramatic reshuffle, Pakistan replaced the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar with Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.

The implications of the new appointment remain to be seen, but one can get a glimpse of Mukhtar&#39;s strategy and his views on the relationship between India and Afghanistan and the troubled neighbourhood, in general, from his thesis &#39;Afghanistan: Alternative Futures and their Implications&#39;, written at the US Army War College.

In his thesis, he speaks of taking &#39;aggressive measures&#39; to undermine India and prevent Afghanistan from becoming its proxy, and allowing the US to employ diplomatic measures between India and Pakistan to ease tensions, especially on Kashmir.

Intelligence sources here say that his role in the ISI had been drafted as early as in September by the then army chief General Raheel Sharif for his expertise in counter-terrorism and also for the role he played in Karachi, where he succeeded in manoeuvering the Mohajer political outfit Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).

A fierce critic of the Pakistan army so far, the MQM was controlled from London by its exiled leader Altaf Hussain. During his former stint at the ISI and as then head of the Karachi Corps, Lt Gen Mukhtar is believed to have led secret missions against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

In sync with the trajectory upheld by the Pakistan military on handling the conflict-ridden Afghanistan, Mukhtar, in the thesis for his Masters in Strategic Studies, envisages the accommodation of the &#39;moderate Taliban&#39; in the governance of the country.

Mukhtar, who was elevated from his position as a corps commander in Karachi, had earlier served as the DG of the ISI&#39;s counter-terrorism wing. His strategic mindset vis-a-vis Pakistan&#39;s foreign policy on Afghanistan is reflected in his analyses on the future of the neighbouring country.

Analysing Afghanistan&#39;s transition when the US started withdrawing coalition forces in 2011, Mukhtar said that Pakistan needed to prevent the opening of another hostile front, should Afghanistan emerge as a proxy for India, and, to this effect, it &quot;will closely follow India&#39;s efforts to influence Afghanistan and may take aggressive measures to undermine India&#39;s efforts in this regard.&#39;&#39;

India has huge stakes in the development of Afghanistan and has made major strides in the reconstruction of public infrastructure in the war-ravaged country through visible symbols like the new parliament building, Salma friendship dam, Afghan National Agriculture Science &amp; Technology University, Kandahar, and many other projects in the health, power and education sectors.

Its close alliance with Afghanistan in the civil-military sphere has made India a target of Taliban. Pakistan, too, views India as working against its interest in Afghanistan. Mukhtar presents four plausible future scenarios for Afghanistan, all of which include a positive outcome: accommodation of moderate Taliban factions as part of the governance structure.

&quot;Although India&#39;s uncompromising anti-Taliban position has recently softened, India could still move to be a major destabilising force if it perceives that a return of a radicalised Taliban government is likely,&#39;&#39; he writes.

While acknowledging the indisputable power and role of the US in bringing long-term stability in Afghanistan, along with regional stakeholders, Mukhtar emphasises: &quot;The US must employ major diplomatic measures to ease regional tensions, especially between India and Pakistan, with a focus on Kashmir.&#39;&#39;

(This article was appeared in DNA)

Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar's thesis 'Afghanistan: Alternative Futures and their Implications' provides insight into the strategies he might adopt

In a dramatic reshuffle, Pakistan replaced the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar with Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar. The implications of the new appointment remain to be seen, but one can get a glimpse of Mukhtar's strategy and his views on the relationship between India and Afghanistan and the troubled neighbourhood, in general, from his thesis 'Afghanistan: Alternative Futures and their Implications', written at the US Army War College. In his thesis, he speaks of taking 'aggressive measures' to undermine India and prevent Afghanistan from becoming its proxy, and allowing the US to employ diplomatic measures between India and Pakistan to ease tensions, especially on Kashmir. Intelligence sources here say that his role in the ISI had been drafted as early as in September by the then army chief General Raheel Sharif for his expertise in counter-terrorism and also for the role he played in Karachi, where he succeeded in manoeuvering the Mohajer political outfit Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM). A fierce critic of the Pakistan army so far, the MQM was controlled from London by its exiled leader Altaf Hussain. During his former stint at the ISI and as then head of the Karachi Corps, Lt Gen Mukhtar is believed to have led secret missions against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). In sync with the trajectory upheld by the Pakistan military on handling the conflict-ridden Afghanistan, Mukhtar, in the thesis for his Masters in Strategic Studies, envisages the accommodation of the 'moderate Taliban' in the governance of the country. Mukhtar, who was elevated from his position as a corps commander in Karachi, had earlier served as the DG of the ISI's counter-terrorism wing. His strategic mindset vis-a-vis Pakistan's foreign policy on Afghanistan is reflected in his analyses on the future of the neighbouring country. Analysing Afghanistan's transition when the US started withdrawing coalition forces in 2011, Mukhtar said that Pakistan needed to prevent the opening of another hostile front, should Afghanistan emerge as a proxy for India, and, to this effect, it "will closely follow India's efforts to influence Afghanistan and may take aggressive measures to undermine India's efforts in this regard.'' India has huge stakes in the development of Afghanistan and has made major strides in the reconstruction of public infrastructure in the war-ravaged country through visible symbols like the new parliament building, Salma friendship dam, Afghan National Agriculture Science & Technology University, Kandahar, and many other projects in the health, power and education sectors. Its close alliance with Afghanistan in the civil-military sphere has made India a target of Taliban. Pakistan, too, views India as working against its interest in Afghanistan. Mukhtar presents four plausible future scenarios for Afghanistan, all of which include a positive outcome: accommodation of moderate Taliban factions as part of the governance structure. "Although India's uncompromising anti-Taliban position has recently softened, India could still move to be a major destabilising force if it perceives that a return of a radicalised Taliban government is likely,'' he writes. While acknowledging the indisputable power and role of the US in bringing long-term stability in Afghanistan, along with regional stakeholders, Mukhtar emphasises: "The US must employ major diplomatic measures to ease regional tensions, especially between India and Pakistan, with a focus on Kashmir.'' (This article was appeared in DNA)

New ISI chief's agenda? Scuttle India-Afghan ties

Will India-Pakistan tensions hijack the agenda of an international conference on Afghanistan? That is the question agitating the minds of delegates who began arriving at the Indian holy city of Amritsar for the two-day Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process which began on Saturday.&nbsp;

The Indian government was scrambling to insulate the talks about rebuilding Afghanistan - economically via trade and connectivity; development assistance; and security cooperation - after Pakistan foreign affairs and security adviser Sartaj Aziz landed in the evening, ahead of his scheduled arrival on Sunday morning.&nbsp;

Whether Aziz&#39;s engagements before he returns home on Sunday will go beyond the customary handshakes and photo-ops to informal, unstructured contacts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India or his aides, is the subject of animated discussions on the margins of the Afghan conference.&nbsp;

The symbolism of Aziz&#39;s visit is not lost on key world capitals coming as it does soon after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army installation at Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, which was only the latest in a series of attacks which have rocked Jammu and Kashmir starting with the attack on the Pathankot air base in January this year, followed by the 18 September attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri, which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers, among others.

For the third time in as many years, India is hosting world leaders or multilateral summits outside national capital Delhi. The choice of Amritsar as the venue of the Afghan conference is in keeping with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s desire to take summitry outside the cloistered confines of New Delhi. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received President Xi Jinping of China in the western Indian state of Gujarat. In October this year India hosted the BRICS Summit in the western Indian beach resort and popular tourist destination of Goa.

India&#39;s decision to host the Afghanistan conference is being interpreted by some around the world as a deliberate move by India to underscore how Pakistan has consistently blocked connectivity in this region. It is also about terrorism, and New Delhi and Kabul seem to have a plan to further embarrass Islamabad. Of late, India has not lost any opportunity to diplomatically isolate Pakistan, be it at the G-20 Summit in China, the East Asia Summit in Vietnam, the United Nations General Assembly or the now-cancelled SAARC Summit. Amritsar also has a historical significance to it; it is a key location on the Grand Trunk Road, one of the longest and oldest roads in Asia connecting Central Asia with South Asia. The GT Road was rebuilt and upgraded by a ruler of Delhi named Sher Shah Suri nearly 500 years ago. Suri was of Afghan origin. The road links Kabul via Lahore, Amritsar, Delhi to Kolkata in eastern India and all the way upto Chittagong on Bangladesh.&nbsp;

India and Afghanistan have given enough notice that they will try and corner their common neighbour for giving sanctuary and support to terrorist groups. The Amritsar conference can be expected to delve into specifics and identify ways to deal with terrorism and terror threats and also detail what steps should be taken against those who support and glorify terrorists.

Afghanistan may demand binding clauses to contain terror infrastructure. It is pushing for the early adoption of a Regional Counter-Terrorism Framework. New Delhi and Kabul are also toying with plans to firm up an air cargo agreement to boost their bilateral trade even as Pakistan continues to stall all possibility of signing up for promoting regional trade and connectivity. &nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Many have discussed whether Pakistan's foreign affairs adviser will hold unstructured contact with the Indian PM on the sidelines

Will India-Pakistan tensions hijack the agenda of an international conference on Afghanistan? That is the question agitating the minds of delegates who began arriving at the Indian holy city of Amritsar for the two-day Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process which began on Saturday. The Indian government was scrambling to insulate the talks about rebuilding Afghanistan - economically via trade and connectivity; development assistance; and security cooperation - after Pakistan foreign affairs and security adviser Sartaj Aziz landed in the evening, ahead of his scheduled arrival on Sunday morning. Whether Aziz's engagements before he returns home on Sunday will go beyond the customary handshakes and photo-ops to informal, unstructured contacts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India or his aides, is the subject of animated discussions on the margins of the Afghan conference. The symbolism of Aziz's visit is not lost on key world capitals coming as it does soon after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army installation at Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, which was only the latest in a series of attacks which have rocked Jammu and Kashmir starting with the attack on the Pathankot air base in January this year, followed by the 18 September attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri, which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers, among others. For the third time in as many years, India is hosting world leaders or multilateral summits outside national capital Delhi. The choice of Amritsar as the venue of the Afghan conference is in keeping with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's desire to take summitry outside the cloistered confines of New Delhi. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received President Xi Jinping of China in the western Indian state of Gujarat. In October this year India hosted the BRICS Summit in the western Indian beach resort and popular tourist destination of Goa. India's decision to host the Afghanistan conference is being interpreted by some around the world as a deliberate move by India to underscore how Pakistan has consistently blocked connectivity in this region. It is also about terrorism, and New Delhi and Kabul seem to have a plan to further embarrass Islamabad. Of late, India has not lost any opportunity to diplomatically isolate Pakistan, be it at the G-20 Summit in China, the East Asia Summit in Vietnam, the United Nations General Assembly or the now-cancelled SAARC Summit. Amritsar also has a historical significance to it; it is a key location on the Grand Trunk Road, one of the longest and oldest roads in Asia connecting Central Asia with South Asia. The GT Road was rebuilt and upgraded by a ruler of Delhi named Sher Shah Suri nearly 500 years ago. Suri was of Afghan origin. The road links Kabul via Lahore, Amritsar, Delhi to Kolkata in eastern India and all the way upto Chittagong on Bangladesh. India and Afghanistan have given enough notice that they will try and corner their common neighbour for giving sanctuary and support to terrorist groups. The Amritsar conference can be expected to delve into specifics and identify ways to deal with terrorism and terror threats and also detail what steps should be taken against those who support and glorify terrorists. Afghanistan may demand binding clauses to contain terror infrastructure. It is pushing for the early adoption of a Regional Counter-Terrorism Framework. New Delhi and Kabul are also toying with plans to firm up an air cargo agreement to boost their bilateral trade even as Pakistan continues to stall all possibility of signing up for promoting regional trade and connectivity. (WION)

Heart of Asia conference: Will India-Pakistan tensions divert from Afghan issues?

Representatives from nearly 40 countries and leading groupings like the European Union are in the Indian holy city of Amritsar in Punjab to attend the Heart of Asia - Istanbul process, aimed at exploring ways to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism in the region.&nbsp;

The annual conference is deliberating on various challenges facing Afghanistan, including the&nbsp;revival of a peace process in the country, which is facing the resurgence of Taliban.&nbsp;

The conference will be jointly inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday.&nbsp;

The ministerial conference begins amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz will travel to India tomorrow.&nbsp;

India had earlier ruled out any bilateral talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the conference, saying the &quot;atmosphere of continued terror&quot; proved to be a major hindrance.&nbsp;

Ahead of the conference, both India and Afghanistan had called terror emanating from Pakistan as the &quot;greatest threat&quot; to regional peace and stability. Both the countries are pressing hard for adopting the counter-terror framework at the conference.&nbsp;

Today, senior officials of all 14 countries, including India, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan were deliberating on a vast range of issues facing the region, including its complex security scenario, and dealing with the&nbsp;threat of terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism.

Issues like enhancing Afghanistan&#39;s connectivity with South and Central Asian countries to boost trade were being discussed at the senior officials&#39; meeting which was co-chaired by India&#39;s foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hikmat Khaleel Karzai.

They will also finalise the text for tomorrow&#39;s ministerial conference and deliberate on its declaration which will have a&nbsp;substantial portion on terrorism.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

Pushing for a counter-terror framework, India & Afghanistan called terror emanating from Pakistan the 'greatest threat' to the region

Representatives from nearly 40 countries and leading groupings like the European Union are in the Indian holy city of Amritsar in Punjab to attend the Heart of Asia - Istanbul process, aimed at exploring ways to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism in the region. The annual conference is deliberating on various challenges facing Afghanistan, including the revival of a peace process in the country, which is facing the resurgence of Taliban. The conference will be jointly inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday. The ministerial conference begins amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz will travel to India tomorrow. India had earlier ruled out any bilateral talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the conference, saying the "atmosphere of continued terror" proved to be a major hindrance. Ahead of the conference, both India and Afghanistan had called terror emanating from Pakistan as the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability. Both the countries are pressing hard for adopting the counter-terror framework at the conference. Today, senior officials of all 14 countries, including India, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan were deliberating on a vast range of issues facing the region, including its complex security scenario, and dealing with the threat of terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism. Issues like enhancing Afghanistan's connectivity with South and Central Asian countries to boost trade were being discussed at the senior officials' meeting which was co-chaired by India's foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hikmat Khaleel Karzai. They will also finalise the text for tomorrow's ministerial conference and deliberate on its declaration which will have a substantial portion on terrorism. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Heart of Asia conference begins with focus on tackling terror

India and Afghanistan are likely to announce an air cargo service on Saturday to help increase trade that both say is stymied because of their tense political relations with Pakistan that lies between them.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meeting in Amritsar, a short distance from the Pakistan border, for the Heart of Asia conference aimed at stabilising Afghanistan.

Officials say the focus of the air cargo service is to improve landlocked Afghanistan&#39;s connectivity to key markets abroad and boost the growth prospects of its fruit and carpet industries while it battles a deadly Taliban insurgency.

Afghanistan depends on the Pakistani port of Karachi for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India, but imports from India are not allowed along this route.

Afghan director general for macro fiscal policies Khalid Payenda said the potential for trade with India, the largest market in the region, was far greater than allowed by land and so the two countries had decided to use the air route.

&quot;That would be air cargo between Afghanistan and India. We have a lot of potential for trade on both sides. On our side, it&#39;s mostly fruit and dried fruit and potentially through India to other places for products like carpets and others.&quot;

He said that a joint venture involving an Afghan and an Indian cargo firm would be set up and that the two governments were working to set up infrastructure at Kabul and Delhi airports.

An Indian government source attending the meeting in Amritsar said air cargo route details were still being worked out and could include Kandahar as a point of origin for shipping fruit directly to India.&nbsp;

Indian foreign ministry official Gopal Baglay, who oversees Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, said several proposals were being discussed to improve Afghanistan&#39;s trade and transport links.

&quot;There have been very many ideas on how to enhance connectivity, overcome current challenges and also expand the trade basket,&quot; he said.

Pakistan&#39;s top foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz, will be attending the conference on Sunday.

Ties with India have deteriorated further in recent months after a series of attacks on Indian military bases in the disputed region of Kashmir, which New Delhi says have either been carried out by militants sneaking in from Pakistan or orchestrated by groups based there.

Pakistan denies stoking violence in Kashmir and says India must open talks on the future of the revolt-torn Muslim majority region.&nbsp;

Indian officials said no talks with Pakistan were scheduled on the sidelines of the Amritsar conference.&nbsp;

Afghanistan&#39;s ties with Pakistan have also become strained after a series of violent attacks, several of them in the capital Kabul, that it said showed Pakistan had failed to rein in the militant groups operating from its soil.

&quot;Unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground for terrorism, the safe sanctuary, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region, including India,&quot; said Afghan ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali.

Pakistan says it is itself a victim of terrorism and says India is using its close ties with Afghanistan to stir trouble in its restive Baluchistan province.

(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The air cargo service will likely improve Afghanistan's connectivity to key markets abroad and boost growth prospects

India and Afghanistan are likely to announce an air cargo service on Saturday to help increase trade that both say is stymied because of their tense political relations with Pakistan that lies between them. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meeting in Amritsar, a short distance from the Pakistan border, for the Heart of Asia conference aimed at stabilising Afghanistan. Officials say the focus of the air cargo service is to improve landlocked Afghanistan's connectivity to key markets abroad and boost the growth prospects of its fruit and carpet industries while it battles a deadly Taliban insurgency. Afghanistan depends on the Pakistani port of Karachi for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India, but imports from India are not allowed along this route. Afghan director general for macro fiscal policies Khalid Payenda said the potential for trade with India, the largest market in the region, was far greater than allowed by land and so the two countries had decided to use the air route. "That would be air cargo between Afghanistan and India. We have a lot of potential for trade on both sides. On our side, it's mostly fruit and dried fruit and potentially through India to other places for products like carpets and others." He said that a joint venture involving an Afghan and an Indian cargo firm would be set up and that the two governments were working to set up infrastructure at Kabul and Delhi airports. An Indian government source attending the meeting in Amritsar said air cargo route details were still being worked out and could include Kandahar as a point of origin for shipping fruit directly to India. Indian foreign ministry official Gopal Baglay, who oversees Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, said several proposals were being discussed to improve Afghanistan's trade and transport links. "There have been very many ideas on how to enhance connectivity, overcome current challenges and also expand the trade basket," he said. Pakistan's top foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz, will be attending the conference on Sunday. Ties with India have deteriorated further in recent months after a series of attacks on Indian military bases in the disputed region of Kashmir, which New Delhi says have either been carried out by militants sneaking in from Pakistan or orchestrated by groups based there. Pakistan denies stoking violence in Kashmir and says India must open talks on the future of the revolt-torn Muslim majority region. Indian officials said no talks with Pakistan were scheduled on the sidelines of the Amritsar conference. Afghanistan's ties with Pakistan have also become strained after a series of violent attacks, several of them in the capital Kabul, that it said showed Pakistan had failed to rein in the militant groups operating from its soil. "Unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground for terrorism, the safe sanctuary, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region, including India," said Afghan ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali. Pakistan says it is itself a victim of terrorism and says India is using its close ties with Afghanistan to stir trouble in its restive Baluchistan province. (Reuters)

India, Afghanistan plan air cargo link over Pakistan

Taliban has killed 23 civilians after they lost 29 of their fighters in an abortive attack on police checkpoints in southern Afghanistan, police said on Friday.

&quot;The Taliban insurgents have launched coordinated attacks on police checkpoints in Nesh district of Kandahar yesterday (Thursday), and they faced resistance from Afghan forces,&quot; Kandahar police said in a press statement, news agency AFP reported.

&quot;Following the Taliban attack, 29 Taliban fighters were killed and a number of others sustained injuries, and large numbers of weapons and ammunition were confiscated from them,&quot; the statement said.

&quot;The brutal enemy after suffering defeat against Afghan forces, took their revenge by killing 23 civilians including five children and two women,&quot; it added.

According to AFP, the police statement said that the Taliban had sought refuge in the homes of civilians and killed them after they opposed the insurgents.

Nesh district police commander Niaz Mohammed &nbsp;told AFP that the attacks occurred on Wednesday and Thursday.

&quot;After their defeat, the Taliban wanted to hide in the houses and when the civilians showed their opposition, the Taliban killed them,&quot; he said.

&quot;Six members of a policeman&#39;s family were among the victims. In total 23 people (civilians) were killed.&quot;

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi rejected the claims as false while talking to AFP.

Nesh district borders the Uruzgan province, a major opium producer and has a high Taliban presence. But its population is known to be pro-government and insurgents rarely intervene there.

With the onset of winter, the security situation has eased on most fronts in recent weeks after a particularly brutal fighting season which left nearly &nbsp;2,600 civilians dead and another 5,800 wounded in the first nine months of the year, according to the UN.

The Afghan military has also suffered at least 2,000 casualties since January, AFP reported. A record half million people have been displaced by fighting.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Taliban lost 29 of their fighters in Nesh. Police say to avenge the defeat Taliban insurgents killed 23 civilians, including five children

Taliban has killed 23 civilians after they lost 29 of their fighters in an abortive attack on police checkpoints in southern Afghanistan, police said on Friday. "The Taliban insurgents have launched coordinated attacks on police checkpoints in Nesh district of Kandahar yesterday (Thursday), and they faced resistance from Afghan forces," Kandahar police said in a press statement, news agency AFP reported. "Following the Taliban attack, 29 Taliban fighters were killed and a number of others sustained injuries, and large numbers of weapons and ammunition were confiscated from them," the statement said. "The brutal enemy after suffering defeat against Afghan forces, took their revenge by killing 23 civilians including five children and two women," it added. According to AFP, the police statement said that the Taliban had sought refuge in the homes of civilians and killed them after they opposed the insurgents. Nesh district police commander Niaz Mohammed told AFP that the attacks occurred on Wednesday and Thursday. "After their defeat, the Taliban wanted to hide in the houses and when the civilians showed their opposition, the Taliban killed them," he said. "Six members of a policeman's family were among the victims. In total 23 people (civilians) were killed." Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi rejected the claims as false while talking to AFP. Nesh district borders the Uruzgan province, a major opium producer and has a high Taliban presence. But its population is known to be pro-government and insurgents rarely intervene there. With the onset of winter, the security situation has eased on most fronts in recent weeks after a particularly brutal fighting season which left nearly 2,600 civilians dead and another 5,800 wounded in the first nine months of the year, according to the UN. The Afghan military has also suffered at least 2,000 casualties since January, AFP reported. A record half million people have been displaced by fighting. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Taliban kill 23 civilians in Afghanistan after losing fighters: Police

China&#39;s defence ministry on Wednesday dismissed reports that Chinese military vehicles were patrolling inside Afghanistan, after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-chinese-security-forces-caught-patrolling-deep-inside-eastern-afghanistan-8008">WION published exclusive images</a> showing security forces making regular patrols.&nbsp;

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said, &quot;Reports in foreign media of Chinese military vehicles patrolling inside Afghanistan do not accord with the facts.&quot;

The images showed Chinese security forces, ignoring international borders, made patrols in Afghanistan&#39;s far northeastern Little Pamir region, where the country shares a border with China.

Yujun explained that the two countries did work together in certain areas to fight terrorist activity and cross-border crime but dismissed the report outrightly. &nbsp;

&quot;In recent years, law enforcement bodies from China and Afghanistan, in accordance with a bilateral cooperation decision on strengthening border law enforcement, arranged to have joint law enforcement operations in border regions,&quot; Yang added.

In Afghanistan, a Kabul official also denied the report filed by WION, who asked not to be identified.&nbsp;

Independent military analysts had confirmed the images showed Chinese-manufactured military vehicles. &#39;&#39;The pictures show Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) and Humvee-type vehicles. Both appear to be Chinese versions of common Western armoured vehicles,&#39;&#39; said Justin Bronk, a senior analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, in the earlier report.&nbsp;

China has long been concerned that instability in Afghanistan will spill over into the violence-prone Xinjiang region.&nbsp;

Hundreds have died in the region, which is home to the Muslim Uighur people, in recent years in unrest blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants.

Beijing is also working with Pakistan and the United States to broker peace talks to end Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban insurgency that has raged on for 15 years.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Independent military analysts had confirmed the images showed Chinese military vehicles in Afghanistan, ignoring international borders

China's defence ministry on Wednesday dismissed reports that Chinese military vehicles were patrolling inside Afghanistan, after WION published exclusive images showing security forces making regular patrols. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said, "Reports in foreign media of Chinese military vehicles patrolling inside Afghanistan do not accord with the facts." The images showed Chinese security forces, ignoring international borders, made patrols in Afghanistan's far northeastern Little Pamir region, where the country shares a border with China. Yujun explained that the two countries did work together in certain areas to fight terrorist activity and cross-border crime but dismissed the report outrightly. "In recent years, law enforcement bodies from China and Afghanistan, in accordance with a bilateral cooperation decision on strengthening border law enforcement, arranged to have joint law enforcement operations in border regions," Yang added. In Afghanistan, a Kabul official also denied the report filed by WION, who asked not to be identified. Independent military analysts had confirmed the images showed Chinese-manufactured military vehicles. ''The pictures show Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) and Humvee-type vehicles. Both appear to be Chinese versions of common Western armoured vehicles,'' said Justin Bronk, a senior analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, in the earlier report. China has long been concerned that instability in Afghanistan will spill over into the violence-prone Xinjiang region. Hundreds have died in the region, which is home to the Muslim Uighur people, in recent years in unrest blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants. Beijing is also working with Pakistan and the United States to broker peace talks to end Afghanistan's Taliban insurgency that has raged on for 15 years. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

WION Impact: China dismisses report of military patrols in Afghanistan

The number of people displaced by conflict in Afghanistan this year has surpassed half a million people, the United Nations reported on Wednesday, the highest number since it began tracking such statistics in 2008.

More than 515,800 people have been internally displaced by fighting in 2016, surpassing the previous record of about 471,000 set last year, according to the UN&nbsp;Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Violence has spread around the country as the Western-backed government battles Taliban and other insurgent groups.

The Taliban are estimated to control or contest nearly a third of the country, and casualties among civilians and the security forces are near record highs.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum in Europe and other areas, but many have been forced to return home.

This year, more than 600,000 Afghan refugees who had been living in Pakistan were pressured to return, adding to a potentially long-term burden carried by aid agencies and the Afghan government.

&quot;I am concerned these record figures show not just an alarming number of new IDPs, but a longer term crisis where increasing numbers of families in Afghanistan are facing prolonged displacement,&quot; U.N. humanitarian coordinator Mark Bowden said in a statement, referring to internally displaced people.

&quot;We must collectively rethink the manner in which we provide assistance and ensure that vulnerable displaced families not just receive lifesaving, emergency humanitarian assistance, but support that delivers a real opportunity for IDPs to rebuild their lives for the long-term.&quot;

The United Nations says it has received a little over half of the $152 million in emergency funding it needs to address the immediate needs of internally displaced people in Afghanistan.

(Reuters)

Thousands have sought asylum in Europe and other areas as the West-backed government battles Taliban and other insurgent groups

The number of people displaced by conflict in Afghanistan this year has surpassed half a million people, the United Nations reported on Wednesday, the highest number since it began tracking such statistics in 2008. More than 515,800 people have been internally displaced by fighting in 2016, surpassing the previous record of about 471,000 set last year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Violence has spread around the country as the Western-backed government battles Taliban and other insurgent groups. The Taliban are estimated to control or contest nearly a third of the country, and casualties among civilians and the security forces are near record highs. Tens of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum in Europe and other areas, but many have been forced to return home. This year, more than 600,000 Afghan refugees who had been living in Pakistan were pressured to return, adding to a potentially long-term burden carried by aid agencies and the Afghan government. "I am concerned these record figures show not just an alarming number of new IDPs, but a longer term crisis where increasing numbers of families in Afghanistan are facing prolonged displacement," U.N. humanitarian coordinator Mark Bowden said in a statement, referring to internally displaced people. "We must collectively rethink the manner in which we provide assistance and ensure that vulnerable displaced families not just receive lifesaving, emergency humanitarian assistance, but support that delivers a real opportunity for IDPs to rebuild their lives for the long-term." The United Nations says it has received a little over half of the $152 million in emergency funding it needs to address the immediate needs of internally displaced people in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

UN: Conflict displaced record number of Afghans in 2016

Afghanistan&#39;s anti-corruption court has held its inaugural public hearings in Kabul, the first steps on the long road to transparency in one of the most corrupt countries in the world -- and expectations are immense.

Afghans hope the Criminal Justice Centre against Corruption, created by presidential decree, is destined to prosecute the rich and powerful behind major cases of graft.

These, according to anti-corruption NGO Transparency International, are numerous. Afghanistan is at the very bottom of their authoritative global ranking, alongside North Korea and Somalia.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The court is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The court is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

&quot;It is a very important moment that will put an end to impunity. One hopes to reach the highest levels of the state, to the former ministers and important people who were never held to account until now,&quot; says Yama Torabi, chairman of the Independent Committee for the Observation of Corruption.&nbsp;

The anti-corruption centre, the fulfilment of a promise made by President Ashraf Ghani to the international community last May, is armed with prosecutors, judges and police criminal investigators, and had a war chest of half a million dollars for its first four months.

It is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units.&nbsp;

Threats and pressures 
&quot;I see two types of threats: within the government, some do not want the centre to work; and the Taliban, they do not want the government to be strong,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;

A father of two young children, Urfani is guarded by two soldiers and one member of the Afghan intelligence service.&nbsp;

&quot;I have not received any direct threats, but this is just the beginning. The pressure will inevitably increase when the biggest cases are reached,&quot; he says, citing threatening phone calls received by police officers who arrested a three-star general at the Ministry of Defence.

Thirty-five people, including 14 judges, have been assigned to the centre, which comprises a court of first instance and a court of appeal.

&quot;Whoever they are, they have been checked and cleared,&quot; the spokesman for Attorney General Jamsheed Rasooli told AFP.&nbsp;

To date, they have taken 55 cases and 31 suspects behind bars, with &quot;five ministries&quot; in their sights, as well as &quot;the Central Bank of Afghanistan and the issuing authority of identity cards&quot;, he says, but gives no further details.

Earlier this month the court handed down its first sentence: two and a half years in prison for military prosecutor General Abdul Haye Jurat.

He was caught red-handed as he pocketed 50,000 Afghanis ($760) from a prisoner&#39;s family, demanded to secure the man&#39;s release at the end of his sentence.

The offence appears minor in view of the billion dollars diverted from Kabul Bank in 2010, a massive scandal that highlighted how deep the roots of corruption go in Afghanistan -- but it is a start.

&quot;The sum is small but the accused is a two-star general,&quot; said Urfani. &quot;We proved that we can bring high-ranking officers to justice.&quot;&nbsp;

- Impatience - 
&quot;We know that the population and the international community are scrutinising us,&quot; says the young judge, the only person in his village to learn to read and write. Today his childhood friends watch when he appears on television.

He regrets the &quot;impatience&quot; of Afghans: &quot;Some cases take years: when you want to bring a minister to justice, you need proof and to arrest the people involved. If you go too fast, you will lose.&quot;&nbsp;

At a very high level, witnesses fear for their relatives. &quot;People are scared to help us, they fear kidnappings, the mafia is inside the government,&quot; he says.&nbsp;

The first hearings were attended by a large number of foreign observers, including those of the embassies which financially support the centre - the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in particular.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a considerable challenge when it&#39;s about the rich and powerful... Corruption is the basic problem,&quot; the European Union ambassador, Franz-Michael Mellbin, told AFP, referring to the many &quot;ghost employees&quot; of the ministries and even of the army or the police.

But both the international community and the Afghan people must be realistic, he added.&nbsp;

&quot;Previously a lot of cases were poorly prepared and it was very easy for defence lawyers to dismiss them,&quot; he adds, justifying the need to &quot;isolate the institution from the power to let them work and gather the evidence and build the cases properly&quot;.

(AFP)

The country's anti-corruption court -- the Criminal Justice Centre against Corruption -- has held its inaugural public hearings in Kabul

Afghanistan's anti-corruption court has held its inaugural public hearings in Kabul, the first steps on the long road to transparency in one of the most corrupt countries in the world -- and expectations are immense. Afghans hope the Criminal Justice Centre against Corruption, created by presidential decree, is destined to prosecute the rich and powerful behind major cases of graft. These, according to anti-corruption NGO Transparency International, are numerous. Afghanistan is at the very bottom of their authoritative global ranking, alongside North Korea and Somalia. The court is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units × "It is a very important moment that will put an end to impunity. One hopes to reach the highest levels of the state, to the former ministers and important people who were never held to account until now," says Yama Torabi, chairman of the Independent Committee for the Observation of Corruption. The anti-corruption centre, the fulfilment of a promise made by President Ashraf Ghani to the international community last May, is armed with prosecutors, judges and police criminal investigators, and had a war chest of half a million dollars for its first four months. It is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units. Threats and pressures "I see two types of threats: within the government, some do not want the centre to work; and the Taliban, they do not want the government to be strong," he told AFP. A father of two young children, Urfani is guarded by two soldiers and one member of the Afghan intelligence service. "I have not received any direct threats, but this is just the beginning. The pressure will inevitably increase when the biggest cases are reached," he says, citing threatening phone calls received by police officers who arrested a three-star general at the Ministry of Defence. Thirty-five people, including 14 judges, have been assigned to the centre, which comprises a court of first instance and a court of appeal. "Whoever they are, they have been checked and cleared," the spokesman for Attorney General Jamsheed Rasooli told AFP. To date, they have taken 55 cases and 31 suspects behind bars, with "five ministries" in their sights, as well as "the Central Bank of Afghanistan and the issuing authority of identity cards", he says, but gives no further details. Earlier this month the court handed down its first sentence: two and a half years in prison for military prosecutor General Abdul Haye Jurat. He was caught red-handed as he pocketed 50,000 Afghanis ($760) from a prisoner's family, demanded to secure the man's release at the end of his sentence. The offence appears minor in view of the billion dollars diverted from Kabul Bank in 2010, a massive scandal that highlighted how deep the roots of corruption go in Afghanistan -- but it is a start. "The sum is small but the accused is a two-star general," said Urfani. "We proved that we can bring high-ranking officers to justice." - Impatience - "We know that the population and the international community are scrutinising us," says the young judge, the only person in his village to learn to read and write. Today his childhood friends watch when he appears on television. He regrets the "impatience" of Afghans: "Some cases take years: when you want to bring a minister to justice, you need proof and to arrest the people involved. If you go too fast, you will lose." At a very high level, witnesses fear for their relatives. "People are scared to help us, they fear kidnappings, the mafia is inside the government," he says. The first hearings were attended by a large number of foreign observers, including those of the embassies which financially support the centre - the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in particular. "This is a considerable challenge when it's about the rich and powerful... Corruption is the basic problem," the European Union ambassador, Franz-Michael Mellbin, told AFP, referring to the many "ghost employees" of the ministries and even of the army or the police. But both the international community and the Afghan people must be realistic, he added. "Previously a lot of cases were poorly prepared and it was very easy for defence lawyers to dismiss them," he adds, justifying the need to "isolate the institution from the power to let them work and gather the evidence and build the cases properly". (AFP)

Afghanistan takes on rich and powerful in war on graft

afghanistan-0

Afghanistan, News on Afghanistan, stories on Afghanistan, articles on Afghanistan, Afghanistan stories at Wion, Afghanistan news, Afghanistan latest news

afghanistan 0