Afghanistan News & Discussion

kish · Post by **kish** » 22 Nov 2014 20:46

Seems like a paki army & taliban joint terror operation to weaken ANA, would be interesting to see how ANA hold up.

Taliban launch complex attack on army base in Nuristan

Heavy clashes have been reported in eastern Nuristan province as Taliban launch coordinate attack on Afghan army base.

According to defense officials, the attack was launched around 8:45 am local time on an Afghan national army base in Kamdish district.

The officials further added that the attack is complex and heavy clashes continue between the two sides.

In the meantime, Gen. Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said at least eight Taliban militants have been killed during the clashes.

Gen. Azimi further added that the death toll of the Taliban militants could be more and further details will be released later.

The Taliban militants have not commented regarding the incident so far.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 23 Nov 2014 00:32

Here is Najam Sethi confirming Pakistani support for Ashraf Ghani during the 2nd round of elections. This explains Ghani making his pilgrimage to Pakistan after the swearing in and why it took Modi 2 weeks to call Ghani and congratualte him. Sethi thinks it is all hunky dory for Paki Afghan relationship from now on.....we will see. Watch from 41:47 onwards

Methinks Najam's so called Chidiya is the ISI feeding him info to relay to the media.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 23 Nov 2014 01:22

PaulJi,

Despite my lack-luster Hindi, I in fact did watch the interview above with Hajami Jihadi Sethi. Mainly because like other RAPEs, jihadi Lodhi, Sehzaad chutiya etc, they are the voice of the ISI. What also struck me was what a typical RAPE TSP nationalist he is, and how like all RAPEs, he can lie with a straight face, or lives in delusion. Also, he uses the words, the language, you name it, right from ISI playbook to soothe US ears. Look how he dismisses Karzai as a crack-pot, not even using words, just twirling his fingers around his right temple. What also struck me is the ease, the casualness with which he disses the Haqqani network after using them as a pliant tool. These slimy, filthy, RAPE b@stards will pay a price for their perfidy. Finally, he does rightly point out that the Ghani's refusal to accept any Indian role, while be to India's discomfort. Its all about India, and for sure, US stabbed India in the back.

habal · Post by **habal** » 23 Nov 2014 07:41

Considering how hard the americans via SD tried to destabilize BD, which shares a border with India. It is only obvious that they would over-play their hand in Afghanistan.

In my opinion the Indian state is also waiting for Ghani to overplay his hand. Whoever is closer to Pakistan will be automatically distant from the Afghans. this is not going to be working out for long.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 07 Dec 2014 10:53

Quid?

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 22 Dec 2014 14:49

On a lighter note, Afghan policy deliberations in full swing

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 22 Dec 2014 18:49

Surprising how Indians are not part of deliberations while NATO states are. Unlike Eastern Europe where no one outside of Russians and NATO countries have a say in the ongoing conflict. Pakis are amongst the most faithfool rabid dogs of fourfathers.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 23 Dec 2014 14:01

CRamS wrote:PaulJi,

Despite my lack-luster Hindi, I in fact did watch the interview above with Hajami Jihadi Sethi. Mainly because like other RAPEs, jihadi Lodhi, Sehzaad chutiya etc, they are the voice of the ISI. What also struck me was what a typical RAPE TSP nationalist he is, and how like all RAPEs, he can lie with a straight face, or lives in delusion. Also, he uses the words, the language, you name it, right from ISI playbook to soothe US ears. Look how he dismisses Karzai as a crack-pot, not even using words, just twirling his fingers around his right temple. What also struck me is the ease, the casualness with which he disses the Haqqani network after using them as a pliant tool. These slimy, filthy, RAPE b@stards will pay a price for their perfidy. Finally, he does rightly point out that the Ghani's refusal to accept any Indian role, while be to India's discomfort. Its all about India, and for sure, US stabbed India in the back.

Najam Sethi is definitely one of the more reasonable, but nationalist Pakistanis out there. He's certainly no ISI stooge.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 29 Dec 2014 22:01

Afghanistan conflict: Taliban declares 'defeat' of Nato

Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have declared the "defeat" of the US and its allies, a day after the coalition officially ended its combat mission.

A Taliban statement said the US-led force had "rolled up its flag" without having achieved "anything substantial".

Nato formally ended its 13-year mission on Sunday, but about 13,000 troops will stay to train the Afghan army.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 29 Dec 2014 22:13

"Najam Sethi is definitely one of the more reasonable, but nationalist Pakistanis out there. He's certainly no ISI stooge."

This Najam Sethi is the same "reasonable" paki oiseaule who opined that the pakistan should conduct terrorist attacks on IISc and other scientific organizations/institutions...so let us not rush to proclaim pakis as "reasonable"..no such thing. There is a reason why this turd Najam Sethi is referred to as "Jihad Sethi" in these parts of the interwebs.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 29 Dec 2014 23:56

KrishnaKJi, its not too late, as TuvaluanJi says, you need to update your TSP 101 by visiting these interwebs more often and learning.

TuvaluanJi, recall Jihadi Sethi also said not too long after 26/11, that India is p!ssed off because "10 bachae" humiliated India. And then recall, his round table with goras in DC, where he was whining that India started whining about 26/11, and oh so poor TSP had no chance but to also respond jingoistically. (And of course, on this, he was not challenged by his gora hosts to at least point out to the pervert that it was India that was attacked).

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 30 Dec 2014 00:26

We should be wary of following into the dead end of recriminations, the gorons nor Sethi care to recall, or in fact are able to recall, what was said 6 years ago. This is the Pakistani approach to interstate relations-because your ancestor refused to convert---, or you did not give me water in 1949...., or you did not talk about Kashmir in 2014.....

So what? These are not even real grievances when compared to what's coming up. In 2012-2015, India will have a $ 4-6 trillion economy with MIRV missiles under the sea, possibly $500 billion currency reserves, a military capable of defeating Pakistan in 5 days, they will be putting relentless pressure in Baluchistan and Balwaristan from a seat in the security council. Indian space craft will be ferrying astronauts to an Indian space station, scramjets will reconnoitre the US hinterland.

Do you really care if Sethi is a closet jihadi? Is it important?

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 30 Dec 2014 00:37

"Do you really care if Sethi is a closet jihadi? Is it important?"

This sounds rhetorical but nothing wrong in answering rhetorical questions, and if India had a lot less candle-waving fools, it would not be worth answering....What is important is ensuring that Sethi does not get away with convenient recasting of his views to fool Indians who don't know any better. The only reasonable pakjabi is a dead pakjabi, going by past history of their utterances and shifting view points.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 30 Dec 2014 01:26

sanjaykumarJi, with all due respect, while everything you state about India is worthy, the fact is we still do not have overwhelming dominance over TSP that can afford us to ignore Jihadi Sethi types as noise. He is considered a "moderate" Paki, and in many a Indian circles like secular Cong wallahs like MSA, and gora elites, he is considered enlightened. This needs to be disabused to the extent we can.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 30 Dec 2014 03:08

CRamS wrote:KrishnaKJi, its not too late, as TuvaluanJi says, you need to update your TSP 101 by visiting these interwebs more often and learning.

TuvaluanJi, recall Jihadi Sethi also said not too long after 26/11, that India is p!ssed off because "10 bachae" humiliated India. And then recall, his round table with goras in DC, where he was whining that India started whining about 26/11, and oh so poor TSP had no chance but to also respond jingoistically. (And of course, on this, he was not challenged by his gora hosts to at least point out to the pervert that it was India that was attacked).

Got actual proof about him saying that the IISc ought to be attacked ?

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 30 Dec 2014 03:10

CRamS wrote:sanjaykumarJi, with all due respect, while everything you state about India is worthy, the fact is we still do not have overwhelming dominance over TSP that can afford us to ignore Jihadi Sethi types as noise. He is considered a "moderate" Paki, and in many a Indian circles like secular Cong wallahs like MSA, and gora elites, he is considered enlightened. This needs to be disabused to the extent we can.

What does not having overwhelming dominance have to do with not ignoring Jihadi Sethi types ?

member_22733 · Post by **member_22733** » 30 Dec 2014 03:14

Lets assume we have a choice of two different kind of enemies (Jihadis/EJs):
Type A: Typical rage boy, easily angered, megalomaniac and an egotistical fool who does not know his limits and when he is getting played by the hands of those who he hates.
Type B: Cold and calculated, knows his limits well, knows the value of propaganda, works within his limits to undermine you in every way possible without incriminating himself.

Type A personality has a long history in Malsi, Musharraf, Bad Sharief etc belong to that category. All are loud mouths emotional megalomaniacs.

Najam Sethi belongs to Type B. Type B is the most dangerous enemy we may face, and that is why a "stable" Bakistan can never be in Indian interests, because it will strengthen the options of the Type B Jihadis.

Most Malsi terrorists are Type A. Most EJs are Type B. If anyone believes Najam Sethi has a potential to be a friend of India, then they are being fooled.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 30 Dec 2014 03:24

Krishnak:"Got actual proof about him saying that the IISc ought to be attacked ?"

The links for the TV program were posted here close to a decade ago -- unfortunately, I did not save them back then. Maybe a search on this web site will show it -- many pages of references to go through though. Will post the link here if the BR archives have them links. I suspect they were all trashed though. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. I will post it in the TSP thread as this is OT for this Afghanisthan thread.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 30 Dec 2014 07:35

The Tragedy of the American Military

Ours is the best-equipped fighting force in history, and it is incomparably the most expensive. By all measures, today’s professionalized military is also better trained, motivated, and disciplined than during the draft-army years. No decent person who is exposed to today’s troops can be anything but respectful of them and grateful for what they do.

Yet repeatedly this force has been defeated by less modern, worse-equipped, barely funded foes. Or it has won skirmishes and battles only to lose or get bogged down in a larger war. Although no one can agree on an exact figure, our dozen years of war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and neighboring countries have cost at least $1.5 trillion; Linda J. Bilmes, of the Harvard Kennedy School, recently estimated that the total cost could be three to four times that much. Recall that while Congress was considering whether to authorize the Iraq War, the head of the White House economic council, Lawrence B. Lindsey, was forced to resign for telling The Wall Street Journal that the all-in costs might be as high as $100 billion to $200 billion, or less than the U.S. has spent on Iraq and Afghanistan in many individual years.

Yet from a strategic perspective, to say nothing of the human cost, most of these dollars might as well have been burned. “At this point, it is incontrovertibly evident that the U.S. military failed to achieve any of its strategic goals in Iraq,” a former military intelligence officer named Jim Gourley wrote recently for Thomas E. Ricks’s blog, Best Defense. “Evaluated according to the goals set forth by our military leadership, the war ended in utter defeat for our forces.” In 13 years of continuous combat under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force, the longest stretch of warfare in American history, U.S. forces have achieved one clear strategic success: the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Their many other tactical victories, from overthrowing Saddam Hussein to allying with Sunni tribal leaders to mounting a “surge” in Iraq, demonstrated great bravery and skill. But they brought no lasting stability to, nor advance of U.S. interests in, that part of the world. When ISIS troops overran much of Iraq last year, the forces that laid down their weapons and fled before them were members of the same Iraqi national army that U.S. advisers had so expensively yet ineffectively trained for more than five years.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 30 Dec 2014 08:05

NATO stands defeated: Afghan Taliban
Didn't we say here in c. 2002 that such a statement would be made?

The Taliban responded scornfully on Monday to the formal end of NATO’s war in Afghanistan, describing the U.S.-led mission as a “fire of barbarism and cruelty” that had drowned the country “in a pool of blood”.

The insurgent group issued the statement in English a day after NATO marked the closure of its combat mission with a low-key ceremony in Kabul, arranged in secret due to the threat of Taliban attack.

“We consider this step a clear indication of their defeat and disappointment,” the Taliban said. It also said the group would fight on “for the establishment of a pure Islamic system by expelling the remaining invading forces unconditionally”. — AFP

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 01 Jan 2015 02:57

Kabul was eerie and dangerous under the Taliban. It feels that way again.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 05 Jan 2015 09:35

Afghan president says US might want to 're-examine' pullout deadline

http://www.dawn.com/news/1155046/afghan ... t-deadline

WASHINGTON: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the United States might want to “re-examine” the timetable for removing the remaining US-led coalition troops in the country by the end of 2016.“Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas,” Ghani told the CBS program “60 Minutes” when asked about the issue.
“If both parties, or, in this case, multiple partners, have done their best to achieve the objectives and progress is very real, then there should be willingness to re-examine a deadline,” added Ghani, who was elected last year.Asked if he had told that to US President Barack Obama, Ghani said: “President Obama knows me. We don't need to - to tell each other.”The White House National Security Council, the State Department and the Pentagon had no immediate comment.Afghanistan assumed full responsibility on Thursday for security from departing foreign combat troops, in a test of the readiness of 350,000 Afghan forces who will bear responsibility for fighting Taliban insurgents.The US-led coalition troops formally ended their combat mission more than 13 years after the Taliban government was toppled in late 2001 for sheltering the planners of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.About 13,000 foreign troops, mostly Americans, will remain in the country under a two-year mission named “Resolute Support” to train Afghan troops.
Ghani added that he was concerned about the Islamic State militant group and its potential threat to Afghanistan “because the past has shown us that threats, that networks change their form.” The group has taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.But US General John Campbell, who leads the remaining coalition forces in Afghanistan, said in an interview on the same program he did not see Islamic State “coming into Afghanistan like they did into Iraq. The Afghan Security Forces would not allow hat.”

RSoami · Post by **RSoami** » 10 Jan 2015 18:37

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 650_1.html

Interesting news. Interesting character this Ghani fellow.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 10 Jan 2015 22:51

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/char ... 12588.html

Afghanistan rally hails Charlie Hebdo attackers as 'heroes'

Hundreds in southern Afghanistan rallied to praise the killing of 12 people at the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo, calling the two gunmen "heroes" who meted out punishment for cartoons disrespectful to Islam's prophet, officials said on Saturday.

The demonstrators also protested President Ashraf Ghani's swift condemnation of the bloody attack on the satirical newspaper, according to the officials in Uruzgan province.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 19 Jan 2015 15:36

Afghanistan warns Pak over Wagah border access
hindustantimes.com | Jan 18th 2015 4:16 AM

Afghanistan has warned it will stop trucks carrying cargo from Pakistan from entering its territory from January 20 if Islamabad does not permit Afghan trucks to go up to the Wagah land border crossing with India.

Pakistani officials had agreed during a transit and trade cooperation conference held recently in Islamabad that Afghan trucks would be allowed to travel directly to the Wagah border and Karachi sea port after January 20.

However, 500 containers with Afghan goods were currently held up in Pakistan, said Musafer Qoqandi, spokesman of the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industries.

If Pakistan does not allow commercial vehicles from Afghanistan to pass directly to the Wagah crossing by January 20, the Afghan government will begin stopping Pakistani trucks from passing through its borders, the ministry said.

"Pakistan officials have promised to let Afghan trucks go to Wagah port after January 20. Otherwise, (the) Afghan government does not have any other way but to give a similar response," Qoqandi was quoted as saying by Tolo News, a leading Afghan channel.

Documentation issues, high fees and increased cost of Pakistani transit vehicles are among the problems that have stopped Afghan exporters from taking advantage of trade routes in Pakistan, officials said.

"We have said this several times that Pakistan is not committed to its promises and even after the president's talks with their officials, Pakistanis still do not stand on their promises," said Atiqullah Nasrat, Chairman of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries Board.

The Afghan officials pointed out that huge amounts of Pakistani goods are transported through Afghanistan to Central Asian countries every day.

Transit trade between the two countries is governed by the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement that came into force in June 2011. The pact, brokered by the US, allows Afghan trucks to carry goods up to the Wagah border crossing. However, Afghan trucks are barred from carrying Indian exports on their return journey from Wagah.

Pakistan recently refused to allow Afghanistan to transport its goods up to the Wagah border with India, claiming this was not permitted under the bilateral transit trade pact.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 Jan 2015 02:22

http://www.kforcegov.com/Services/IS/Ni ... 00011.aspx

Afghanistan: The commander of the US military mission in Afghanistan and two senior Afghan officials said this week that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has a presence in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. US General Campbell said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been distributing leaflets at night and has been trying to recruit followers in order to build an ISIL cell.

General Mahmood Khan, the deputy commander of the Afghan army's 215 Corps said , "A number of tribal leaders, jihadi commanders and some ulema (religious council members) and other people have contacted me to tell me that Mullah Abdul Rauf had contacted them and invited them to join him."

Amir Mohammad Akundzada, the governor of Nimroz Province adjacent to Helmand, said Rauf was a former Taliban commander - as well as a relative whom he had not seen for two decades.

Comment: Rauf was a Taliban commander in southern Afghanistan. He was captured in 2001 and spent six years in Guantanamo Bay. He was released in 2007. The reports are sketchy, but apparently Rauf has broken with Mullah Omar's leadership. The reports claim that he only recently declared his allegiance to ISIL.

[Leaders of ISIL are said to be former detainees of US forces. Shows a pattern.}

Open sources lack details on the extent of the actual threat posed by Rauf and his followers. Assuming the reports are accurate that Rauf is recruiting in Helmand Province, it is likely that he wants to cut the Taliban out of the drug trade. For that purpose, he would need fighters and local support.

ISIL in Iraq and Syria would profit more by making deals with the local drug operations than by trying to help sustain another anti-government movement in Afghanistan. Whether ISIL is just trying to expand for the same of its theology or just trying to gain a large source of income, Rauf's people must prove themselves in fighting and terror. Its targets would include other anti-government groups.

An ISIL group would represent a target for al Qaida fighters, Afghan Taliban groups and Afghan government forces. Recruits are likely to be disgruntled men and youths whom the other groups rejected or expelled.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 06 Feb 2015 19:17

Sami Yousafzai ‏@Samiyousafzai 2m2 minutes ago
Strange Pak policy regarding AFG refuge,on afpak border NO need4visa but in cities needs visa& sent 5kAfg to jail,just block them on border

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 06 Feb 2015 22:39

This would be comical if these guys were not such a bunch of evil devious turds in the USA

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/ ... _al_qa.php

The evil mofos in the US govt. fund the IS against Syria and the pakistani military against afghanisthan and then some ahole in the pentagon writes a paper that "Al Qaeda" is going to make gains in Syria and Afghanisthan. The mofos in the US State Dept. are a bunch of evil scumbags who are responsible for funding the most vicious and evil terrorist groups around the planet, even as they break wind about "fighting terrorism" around the world. Thoo.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 07 Feb 2015 22:19

@jananMosazai: First group of Afghan National Army cadets to join Pakistan Military Academy. #ANA #PMA

So packees get to train the Afghan Army? (assuming that these groups are not meant to penetrate into the Paki army rather than the other way around)

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 Feb 2015 20:32

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on Febuary 10, 2015
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_66 ... 6313.shtml

Q: During Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao's visit to Afghanistan, he said China would help Afghanistan build highways connecting Kabul and Pakistan, and build a hydro-electricity plant exporting electricity to Pakistan. Can you give more details?

A: We have released information about Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao's visit to Afghanistan. During his visit, he met with Afghan President Ghani, Foreign Minister Rabbani, and held talks with Deputy Foreign Minister Karzai. Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao said that China will work with Afghanistan to implement the important consenses reached between the two leaders, move forward bilateral strategic communication and practical cooperation, map out and follow through the assistance and training programs for Afghanistan, and expand friendly exchanges at all levels so as to elevate China-Afghanistan relations to a new high. The Afghan side made it clear that Afghanistan will continue to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields, firmly support China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and vision and contribute positively to relevant cooperation efforts.

As for the specifics you asked, you can check on the 1st round of strategic dialogue between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan co-hosted by Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Karzai and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Chaudhry on Febuary 9 in Kabul. The three parties talked about trilateral cooperation and agreed to conduct practical cooperation projects under the framework of strategic dialogue. This year, China will invite 5 delegations respectively from Afghanistan and Pakistan, including friendly personages and those from the parliaments, media, diplomatic front and think tanks. Afghanistan and Pakistan welcomed China's invitation, and said they would take an active part in the program. China agreed to lend its support to the initiatives aimed at enhancing highway and railway connection, interconnectivity and economic interaction between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the Kunar hydro-electric dam.

A major topic of the trilateral strategic dialogue is the situation in Afghanistan and the region. The three sides reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability of Afghanistan and the region. China and Pakistan reiterated their support to the peace and reconciliation process led and owned by the Afghans and the efforts made by the Afghan government in this regard. The Afghan side said it is committed to moving forward the peace and reconciliation process, and hopes that China and Pakistan can continue to play a constructive role in promoting bilateral interactions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and enhancing cooperation in the political, security, counter-terrorism and economic fields which is crucial to regional peace and stability. As a friend and neighbor to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, China sincerely welcomes the above-mentioned progress, and encourages Afghanistan and Pakistan to enhance strategic mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation. The three parties reaffirmed their willingness to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism and security as terrorism, extremism and separatism pose grave threat to peace and stability of the three countries and the region.

The trilateral strategic dialogue between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan was born as the three countries aim to enhance three-way communication and cooperation in response to the fast-changing regional situation. At a proper time, the three parties will hold a second round of strategic dialogue. When and where it will be held is yet to be decided through diplomatic channels.

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 11 Feb 2015 08:00

So the Americans are going to continue giving them weapons? India was just "Assessing" the request apparently -- I am sure having the weapons leak (If India provided it to afghanis) to the pakis is something India would need to be concerned about.

http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/ ... ndian-arms

Regarding Ghani's choice to rescind the ask, Mohammad Mohaqeq, the Second Deputy of Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, said that the government would likely get the weapons from another source. "If president the has rejected this, there is the possibility that he has thought of another place to confidently get these arms from," he said.

Mohaqeq went on to suggest that President Ghani would likely follow in Karzai's footsteps when it comes to expanding relations with India broadly speaking. "I believe that the president would have a trip to India and he will not contradict all the works of the former president, we need the equipment and should get it from anywhere."

The Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) has responded by reinforcing that they are in desperate need for the heavy weaponry. "So far we haven't received weapons from India for the national army," MoD deputy spokesman Dawlat Waziri told TOLOnews. "All the equipment available to us is American, only our officers and soldiers have travelled to India for training, but we need this equipment," he added.

Melwyn · Post by **Melwyn** » 13 Feb 2015 02:50

Afghanistan’s economy takes a major hit as investors cut and run and foreign funding dwindles

“Investors have stopped most of their activities or have cut their turnover, which has had a serious impact on the economy, contributing to the rise in unemployment,” he said. “Many companies that had been contracted to NATO have downsized and factories have cut production, so overall we think that investment is down 30 to 35 percent in 2014 compared to the year before.”

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 19 Feb 2015 17:39

Afghan Taleban to meet US officials for talks in Qatar: sources - AFP, Straits Times

Taleban representatives are to meet US officials in Qatar soon for possible peace talks on Afghanistan, sources from the militant group told AFP on Thursday.

There have been several fruitless attempts at dialogue in recent years between the Taliban and the United States, the Kabul government’s chief supporter, aimed at ending the 13-year conflict in Afghanistan.

The timeframe for the latest round of meetings was not immediately clear, with one source suggesting it could begin as early as Thursday and another that it would more likely be in the coming week.

The Taleban opened an office in Qatar in June 2013 as the first move towards a possible peace deal, but it shut a month later after enraging the then-Afghan president Hamid Karzai by styling it as the unofficial embassy for a government-in-exile.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 Feb 2015 01:24

US denies they are meeting Taliban.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Feb 2015 11:00

Hajigak project not stuck due to security concerns: Afghan envoy - Indrani Dutta, The Hindu

The multi-billion dollar Hajigak project is not stuck due to security concerns, and the new mining laws passed by the Afghanistan government will make it easier for Indian companies to operate there, said Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India.

Participating in an interactive session, organised by the MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (formerly Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce) here on Monday, he said that while there were a number of stages that a project of the order of Hajigak mine development had to go through, addressing security concern was not one of them. “There are evacuation issues, rail links are needed, logistics have to be planned and then there are also technical issues,’’ he said in response to a query.

A consortium of six Indian companies, led by the Steel Authority of India, had won the concession for three iron ore mines in the Hajigak region in 2011. They were slated to invest $10.8 billion for setting up steel and power plants, besides mining the deposit. However, in view of the security risks in wake of the withdrawal of U.S. troops, there was a go slow on the project along with a reported scale-down of investments by a recession hit industry.

Mr. Abdali was here [Kolkatta] to speak on trade and investment opportunities in Afghanistan.

Pointing out that his country was a virgin market, the envoy said his country was keen that India should not be late in availing itself of the emerging opportunities, which were up for grabs. “India has been good to us, my worry is that you will be late,” he said.

He reiterated that there was sensational reporting about his country and ground realities were different from the perceptions about Afghanistan. “Not only dry fruits, our fresh fruits are of good quality, and there is scope for value addition there, we import 90 per cent of our medicines valued at $$800 million,” he said highlighting some of the areas of opportunities. Investment opportunities were also there in healthcare, packaging, energy and aviation, he said.

Mr. Abdali said that alternative routes for transit trade were being planned, and one such was the ‘Lapis Lazuili’ route, which would enable to connect his country with Central Asia and Europe.

It would pass through Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, and is intended to reduce barriers facing transit trade and develop a Custom Procedure Integration in the region. According to the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the road-cum-rail route would provide an alternative and safe route, bypassing some of the Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, which were not conducive to trade.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Feb 2015 12:53

ramana wrote:US denies they are meeting Taliban.

ramana, they can deny it for all they want but I don't think that is true.

On Dec. 18, 2011, in an interview to Newsweek, the US Vice President Joe Biden said that the Taliban were not the enemies of the US and the US President had never spoken in those terms. The White House press secretary Jay Carney, supporting Biden's statement, said "We didn't invade Afghanistan. We did not send US military personnel into Afghanistan because the Taliban were in power. They had been in power. We went into Afghanistan because al-Qaida had launched an attack against the US from Afghanistan,"

The above still stands.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Feb 2015 13:00

From NightWatch for the night of Feb 23, 2015

Afghanistan: The chief of Shah Joy District in southern Zabol Province said that an armed group kidnapped 30 passengers from a tour bus. The district chief told the press that the gunmen were fighters and supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Witnesses also said the gunmen were dressed in black and spoke a foreign language.

The district chief said that most of those kidnapped belong to the Hazara tribe who were returning from Iran and were heading to Kabul and then to their respective home provinces.

Comment: Most members of the Hazara tribe are Shia. The tribe is dominant in Bamiyan Province in central Afghanistan, west of Kabul. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they systematically suppressed the Hazaras for being Shia. They would be likely targets for kidnapping by Sunni Islamic militants. Nevertheless, the identity of the attackers has not been confirmed. The attack could have been related to a local dispute.

Provincial officials from Zabol reported the presence of ISIL recruiters and organizers in the province a month ago, according to Afghan press. If confirmed, this would the first report of an ISIL presence in Shah Joy District. It also would make Shah Joy the 5th district of the eleven in Zabol Province that has reported an ISIL presence. Nationwide, authorities have reported ISIL organizers in 23 of more than 400 districts.

Heretofore, all reports of ISIL activity in Afghanistan indicated members were recruiting and building a support infrastructure. This report could indicate at least one group has transitioned to operational status.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 04 Mar 2015 12:56

From NightWatch for the night of Mar 03, 2015

Peace talks. Taliban spokesman Zabihollah Mojahed denied a press report that claimed that the Taliban have started talks with the Afghan government.

The Turkish Anadolu Agency said in a report on 1 March that a senior Taliban official in Qatar confided that Mullah Mohammad Omar personally is ready to hold talks with Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the talks will start in Kabul next week.

The Afghan government has not commented on the report or on the Taliban's refusal.

Comment: There have been many fabricated or premature reports about talks. This time the report appears to have some substance because reliable sources have reported that preliminary talks about the delegations and the agenda have been held in Qatar. This is the only report that talks might start next week.

The emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Afghanistan provides a powerful incentive for Omar to seal his leadership in some fashion before he faces a serious challenge.

News appeared in late-February, 2015 that the Doha-office of the Taliban has been revived and the Afghan government under President Ashraf Ghani has started secret talks with them there. Earlier, Ghani also visited China and urged Beijing to play its role for peace. This was followed by a Taliban group which went to Beijing too. Between November 2014 and February, 2015, the COAS of the Pakistani Army, Gen. Raheel Sharif went to Afghanistan thrice and in the February 17, 2015 meeting with the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the reconciliation efforts with the Taliban were pushed. Later, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad re-quoted a statement from the Presidential Palace which said that Afghanistan “respects Pakistan ‘s recent efforts for peace and reconciliation. The reported progress and the messages were positive, reflecting the commitment of Pakistan. The results of these efforts will become clearer in the coming weeks.”

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Mar 2015 16:42

X-post from STFUP thread

Afghan in danger of sliding ‘under thumb’ of Pakistan: Karzai - DT

Afghanistan’s historic struggles against British imperialism and Soviet invasion will have been in vain if the country succumbs to pressure from neighbouring Pakistan, Hamid Karzai has warned in an interview with the Guardian.

The former president of Afghanistan made his remarks at a time when his successor, Ashraf Ghani, has overturned the country’s traditionally hostile relationship with Pakistan in the hope of enlisting its help in brokering a peace deal with the Taliban. Several once-unthinkable concessions made to Pakistan in recent months have horrified Karzai and many of the men who helped him rule for more than a decade.

“We want a friendly relationship but not to be under Pakistan’s thumb,” he said. It is a view many think Ghani cannot afford to ignore, given how many people agree with Karzai, a familiar and charismatic figure who remains in the thick of Afghan politics. “We should not send troops for training in any neighbouring country when they are sending us suicide bombers in return,” he said.

The man who famously never took a holiday while in power rushed back early from a recent break in China to his new home and office complex in Kabul, a scaled-down version of the capital’s 19th-century presidential palace. As well as maintaining many of the trappings of the head of state, he continues to behave like one, receiving a daily stream of officials, foreign ambassadors and tribal delegations from across the country.

Karzai rejected any suggestion he is at the centre of what one of his former colleagues describes as an emerging “pocket of opposition” to Ghani. “Yes, I have differences, but I will not say anything,” Karzai said. “I will keep mum, giving advice to President Ghani in private. I absolutely support this government.” Despite professing loyalty, Karzai sharply criticised some of Ghani’s key innovations, such as the decision last month to send six army cadets to Pakistan for officer training.

Karzai’s willingness to send men to India while spurning Pakistan enraged Pakistan’s generals, who believed the future leaders of the Afghan army were being indoctrinated by their mortal enemies. “We should not send troops for training in any of the neighbouring countries, particularly when they are sending us suicide bombers in return,” Karzai said – a reference to the fact that the leadership of the Taliban, and much of the movement’s organisational and logistical muscle, is allowed to operate freely inside Pakistan.

But subservience to any foreign power is something Karzai says Afghans will never submit to, even if resistance involves huge hardships. “I am a pacifist, I abhor violence – we would have been much better off if we had never fought against the Soviet Union,” he said referring to the epic insurgency by the Mujahideen in the 1980s. “But if we give up control over our own foreign policy then all the wars fought by Afghanistan against the British 100 years ago, and the Soviet Union, will be in vain,” he said.

Karzai’s associates spoke even more frankly about their anger at Ghani’s Pakistan policy. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, a former foreign minister and national security adviser who sat in on the Guardian’s meeting with Karzai, said the policy amounts to the humiliating “appeasement” of a hostile power who would never change its ways. He is alarmed by Ghani’s effort to keep India, the region’s superpower, at a distance. In a sign of Delhi’s displeasure, work has already stalled on some key Indian-backed development projects in Afghanistan, Spanta claimed.

The mafia types are very unhappy with the way things are going and are moving towards Karzai and others. Spanta and many others are amazed at what they see as Ghani’s one-sided willingness to militarily support Pakistan while getting very little in return. One former senior member of the Karzai regime said he was shocked to learn Ghani held meetings with Rizwan Akhtar, Pakistan’s spy chief, without the presence of his opposite number, Afghanistan’s intelligence chief, Rahmatullah Nabil.

The extraordinary series of recent meetings between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s civilian and military leaderships in both Islamabad and Kabul has stung Karzai, said one diplomat. With public distrust, even hatred, of Pakistan running so deep, Ghani urgently needs to show his policy is bearing fruit. The president is banking on Pakistan using its influence over the Taliban to force insurgent representatives to hold official, face-to-face talks with the Afghan government that might ultimately lead to a political settlement and an end to the conflict over the next few years.

In the short term, government officials desperately hope the Taliban will agree ceasefires after violence that has seen civilians and members of the armed forces killed in record numbers. Hopes of a breakthrough have risen amid the unprecedented series of meetings between Ghani and Pakistan’s army chief, who has assured the Afghan leader of a growing appetite within the Taliban for talks. A secret, preliminary meeting between officials and the Taliban has already taken place to discuss where and when the first formal meeting might happen, according to a western diplomat in Islamabad.

But the public’s widespread yearning for peace is balanced with disquiet over Ghani’s tilt towards Pakistan. That is likely to grow if the Taliban continue their attacks. “There could be a bloody summer, there will be fighting and there will be disappointments on the dialogue table from time to time,” predicted Omar Daudzai, one of the most influential officials of the Karzai era who served as chief of staff and interior minister.

Daudzai, a former ambassador to Islamabad, said he thought Ghani’s attempts to woo Pakistan were “courageous” but would ultimately fail to change the country’s behaviour. “He has taken controversial steps that his predecessor didn’t take, and now we have to wait to see whether the Pakistani side is sincere or not,” he said. “But I am far more sceptical than I ever was before about Pakistan’s sincerity.”

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Mar 2015 06:48

Playing with fire in Afghanistan - G.Parthasarathy, Business Line

Describing Hinduism in India as “anti-human rights” and accusing former Afghan president Hamid Karzai of helping “India stab Pakistan in the back,” Gen Pervez Musharraf acknowledged on February 13 that “Pakistan had its own proxies” in Afghanistan and that his intelligence agencies had been “in contact with Taliban groups”.

A reputed Pakistani journalist noted that the very next day, Afghanistan’s former intelligence tsar, Amrullah Saleh, hit back by piously disavowing any links with terrorism in Afghanistan. Saleh asserted: “Pakistan is the source of all ills in Afghanistan. Your own President has made the confession of having cultivated and supported the Taliban”.

Saleh also lashed out at China for “pushing us to talk to Taliban terrorists”. He noted that while China was cracking down on the “Chinese Taliban”, associated with the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in Xinjiang, it had placed no sanctions on “a state that abets terrorism (Pakistan)”.

Responding to Saleh, a senior Chinese official observed that his government was only trying to “facilitate intra-Afghan reconciliation”, urging Saleh not to call the Chinese effort a “surrender to terrorists”.

Obviously irritated, the Chinese official asserted: “The Taliban are your people and your President Ashraf Ghani has been asking for help in reaching out to the insurgent group. We will do as much as we can, as long as the Afghans want us to.”

Different vocabulary

It is interesting that both the Chinese and the Americans now refer to the Taliban as “insurgents” and not “terrorists”. This, after the Talban have killed over 2,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan. President Obama has evidently converted what President Bush called the “War of Terror” into a mere 14-year-old “counterinsurgency” operation! It is no secret that the American and Chinese efforts for “reconciliation” with the Taliban are being run in a carefully crafted and coordinated manner.

The US and China are attempting to midwife an ISI-led effort to legitimise Pakistani aims to give the Taliban a major say in the governance of Afghanistan. There are reliable reports suggesting that in talks in Qatar, the US has offered the Taliban the governorships of the Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandahar provinces and ministerial slots in the ministries of frontier and rural development, and religious affairs.

Two hot American favourites from the Taliban leadership are reported to be Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, who unloaded the luggage of the hijackers of IC 814 in Kandahar into his car, and Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, who allegedly provided the hijackers with explosives and assault weapons.{Ans therein hangs the tale of Pres. Clinton's promise to the wife of Rupin Katyal that he would pursue those who did that}

An eye for business

China’s policies in Afghanistan are largely mercantilist. Beijing has offered very little economic aid to Afghanistan. It has, however, set its eyes on access to Afghanistan’s natural resources (estimated at $1 trillion) ranging from iron ore to coal, copper, lithium and natural gas. China is, however, yet to spend a cent on developing the Aynak copper mines in northeast Afghanistan, to which it has been granted access.

China has barred all Islamic religious practices and prayer meetings in government buildings, schools, and business premises in Xinjiang. A recent Australian Broadcasting television documentary described a Chinese crackdown on Muslims in Xinjiang. Muslim women wearing veils or head scarves cannot travel in public transport.

Muslim men sporting beards, attired in Muslim dress, or displaying an Islamic Crescent, receive similar treatment. Persecuted Muslims from the ETIM in Xinjiang sought refuge in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s and associated themselves with Osama bin Laden’s International Islamic Front formed in Kandahar in February 1998.

China’s links with the Taliban go back to 1998. While offering economic aid for development of communications networks in Kabul and elsewhere, China asked Mullah Omar to end support for the ETIM separatists. It is well known that over the past five years, the ISI has facilitated China’s links with the Mullah Omar-led Quetta Shura of the Taliban. This has ensured that while the Taliban and the ISI-backed Haqqani Network target Indian nationals in Afghanistan at the behest of the ISI, Chinese nationals roam around the country freely, having secured ISI insurance. At the same time, China has sought to remain in the good books of the Afghan government, having signed a strategic partnership agreement with Kabul and expressed its readiness to provide security assistance.

Congruence in Afghanistan

These developments have led to a congruence of Chinese and American interests and policies in Afghanistan. But, there are several complications which lie ahead in this Chinese-American game plan. Both Washington and Beijing are going ahead on the assumption that once they enter the portals of power, the Taliban will play by the rules they set.

They seem to forget that Mullah Omar regards himself as the Amir ul Momineen (leader of the faithful) and his cadres have no faith in any form of pluralism. Any attempt by Ghani to acquiesce in the sort of power-sharing with the Taliban that the ISI wants, will not only meet fierce resistance from Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmens and Hazara Shias, but also from substantial sections of the Pashtuns, who have no desire to return to an era of Taliban medievalism. Ever since Ashton Carter took over as the American defence secretary, the Obama administration has become more cautious about the speed of their troop withdrawal schedule.

India’s imaginatively crafted economic assistance over the past 14 years has won it vast political goodwill across the ethnic divide in Afghanistan. New Delhi is thus not without its own political leverage. This leverage, combined with imaginative diplomacy, are required to see that Afghanistan does not again become a hotbed for ISI-backed terrorist groups, or a destination for hijacked Indian Airlines’ aircraft.

The writer is a former High Commissioner to Pakistan