More than 500 hundred people Saturday launched a demonstration in Kabul against the presence of US forces in Maidan Wardak province, calling for the foreign troops to leave as decreed by President Hamid Karzai.

The protest began around 9:00am local time in the Debure area of Kabul and finished near Parliament amid chants of "Death to America" and "No more Americans troops in our province."

The protesters, who said they were from Wardak, said that President Karzai had ordered the US special forces to leave by Monday last week but the deadline had not been met.

Those who spoke to TOLOnews warned that if the government does not follow through in making the US troops leave the province, they will continue to protest and "it create problems for them [the government]."

"We will block the Kabul-Kandahar highway if the government does not accept our demand," protestors said.

Karzai ordered the US Special Forces to leave the province which borders Kabul to the west almost three weeks ago, giving them a two-week deadline.

The order came reportedly after complaints from Wardak tribal elders of "torture and murder of Afghan citizens" by local Afghan forces subordinate to the US military.

Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi told reporters at the time that the US Special Forces and Afghan forces who are "on their payroll" and follow their instructions have become a parallel structure to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

The order came despite Wardak being noted as one of the most dangerous provinces in the country and most crucial for its closeness to the nation's capital Kabul.

Security threats have significantly declined in Afghanistan's north, the commander of the 209 Shaheen Corps said Saturday.

Gen Zalmai Wisa, who commands the security corps covering northern regions, told TOLOnews that the local security forces have the ability to ensure the region's security and that insurgents were weakening.

He said that some 20 districts in the north which are faced with more security challenges will be subjected to Operation Oqab [Eagle] to take more control in those areas, according to the commander.

"Several armed opposition groups who are being equipped by neighboring countries are trying to make security worse in the north parts of the country but the Afghan security forces will never allow them to realise such a terrible wish," Wisa said.

He added that the security transition to Afghan security forces is expected to go well, despite the continued threats against security forces.

Northern Balkh province council chief Dr Afzal Hadid is also optimistic of the local forces ability, as long as they are sufficiently equipped.

"We ask the international community to equip our country's security forces in order for the insurgents to not succeed against our security forces," he said.

Wisa said that he believes the growth of the Afghan security forces with the commitments of the international community will mean the security situation will not deteriorate after 2014.

Afghanistan's Ulema Council Saturday said that if the US military does not hand over Bagram prison to Afghan control and withdraw from Maidan Wardak province, its continued presence will be regarded as an "occupation" of Afghanistan.

In a released statement from the Islamic clerics, they said that Muslims should not obey "infidels" under any conditions.

The Afghan Ulema stressed that President Hamid Karzai's decisions to insist on full control of Bagram prison and expel US special forces from Wardak were in the interests of Afghanistan and any assessment of these judgments should take that into consideration.

"My advice to analysts is to consider the interests of our country. If the infidels have prisons [here], is it in the interest of the country? If the infidels torture women, children and our elders, is it in the interests of the country? No, these are not in the country's interest," Afghan Ulema Council spokesman Enayatullsh Baligh said at a gathering in a Kabul mosque.

The statement says that the Great Allah does not allow Muslims to accept the sovereignty of infidels, and that the president's speech is the wish of the people.

However, not all religious scholars agree. Some believe that the Ulema Council statement has been influenced by political interests.

"The Ulema who are members of the National Council of the Ulema work for this government. It is not correct to say we are under the sovereignty of infidels. The [Bagram] agreement has been signed and the foreigners should hand over the prison, but that is no reason to say a country of 30 million people is under the sovereignty of infidels," Islamic scholar Abdul Hadi Hedayat told TOLOnews Saturday.

Meanwhile, Parliament said that they will decide on Karzai's recent speeches against the US on whether he speaks for the people.

"The administrative board should make a bill and give to the different heads of the [parliamentary] commissions and finally bring it to a general session to decide on what the decision of the people is," deputy speaker Mirwais Yasini said in Saturday's parliamentary session.

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Afghanistan's Ulema Council Saturday said that if the US military does not hand over Bagram prison to Afghan control and withdraw from Maidan Wardak province, its continued presence will be regarded as an "occupation" of Afghanistan.

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A Nato helicopter crashed in southern Kandahar province Saturday, killing an Isaf soldier, officials said.

"An International Security Assistance Force service member died following a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan yesterday," Isaf said in a statement on Sunday.

The cause of the incident is under investigation, but initial reports indicate there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash, Isaf added.

Kandahar Province Media Centre also said there was no enemy activity at the time.

Meanwhile, local officials in southern Kandahar province confirmed that a Nato helicopter crashed in the Daman district a few kilometers west of Kandahar City.

However, officials did not report the nationalities of the casualties.

While Isaf and provincial officials did not provide more details about the nationality of the soldier, it is mostly US and UK troops based in southern Afghanistan.

It comes less than a week after five US troops died when their Black Hawk crashed outside Kandahar on Monday.

Monday's crash make the deadliest day for US troops so far this year in Afghanistan as two more US troops were killed that day by an insider attack.

Saturday's death brings the number of US troops killed so far this year in the Afghan war to 16, according to iCasualties.org.

There are around 66,000 US troops in Afghanistan helping over 300,000 Afghan security forces fight insurgency.

President Hamid Karzai has agreed for the US to have one week more to complete the handover of Bagram prison after US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel telephoned to request the extra time, according to Karzai's office.

"President Karzai agrees with US Secretary of Defence request of one week time for the complete handover of Bagram prison," Karzai's office said in a statement late Saturday.

"In a telephone conversation with President Karzai, US Defence Secretary asked for a week time for a complete transfer of the Bagram Prison to Afghanistan sovereignty," it said.

Pentagon press secretary George Little tweeted late Saturday that Hagel spoke to President Karzai "and they agreed both sides should work intensively to conclude agreement on detentions".

Karzai reminded Hagel that the transfer has been delayed several times in the past and that this time the handover must take place, the statement added.

Karzai has announced three deadlines in less than a fortnight for the Bagram prison handover from the US.

His third such announcement was in a speech last week in southern Helmand province when he said that the handover will happen this Saturday or Sunday.

"I am sure you are all aware of the arguments about the Bagram prison handover. I urge you all to stand with me and say that Karzai is right, and we want to take responsibility of the prison and those who are innocent should be released. God willing, this demand will be implemented practically, by Saturday or Sunday next week," he said.

The handover was originally due to take place on Saturday March 9 with a signing ceremony when Hagel was visiting Afghanistan, but it was delayed after disagreements over a few points in the new memorandum.

More than 3,000 suspected Taliban insurgents are being detained at Bagram. Last September, the US handed control of most of the high-security prison over to the Afghans, but did not transfer 600 or so detainees captured after the initial memorandum was signed March 2012.

A five-year old boy has been killed by his captors in northern Parwan province after he was kidnapped a week ago from Kabul province, local officials said Sunday.

The boy, Arshad, was kidnapped from Pul-e-Khishti area of Kabul city by two kidnappers and was understood to have been taken to the Ofyan area of Parwan a week ago.

He was killed Saturday after his family did not pay the ransom money, provincial spokesperson Roshan Khalid told TOLOnews Sunday.

"The kidnappers have been arrested by the security forces, while they were mourning the boy in the area, and the police have started investigations," Khalid said.

"The kidnappers have confessed in the preliminary investigations about the kidnapping and the family of the boy has been informed," she added.

The murder happened the same day that a preliminary court in Herat sentenced to death two men for kidnapping and later killing the eight-year-old son of a Herat businessman more than two months ago.

The police had arrested 12 suspects, two of whom were found guilty of murder. The court also sentenced an accomplice to 20 years prison and five others received six to 16 years prison.

The defence attorney rejected the sentences and said that it is "unfair."

"Unfortunately, the preliminary court has completely ignored the justifications to my clients. We showed more documents that they were not involved in the murders and made the decision under pressure from popular demonstrations," said Ahmad Navid Ziaratjahi, the attorney.

The head of Herat's primary court Qazi Abdul Ghafar confirmed the sentences.

"We confirm the death sentences of those who were involved in the murder of the boy," he said.

Ali Sina, the eight-year-old boy who was kidnapped with assistance from his father's bodyguard late December last year, was killed by the kidnappers late January even though they received a ransom.

According to his father, the kidnappers had initially asked for $400,000 for his son's release, an amount which was negotiated down to $90,000. But the kidnappers killed and then buried Ali Sina to cover their tracks and conceal their identities.

US President Barack Obama looks forward to "working closely" with the new Israeli government formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the US leader's visit, officials said Saturday.

ادامه مطلب...

In this edition of Kankash, TOLOnews' Mujahid Kakar exclusively interviews President Hamid Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi on the Afghan-US relationship.

To watch the whole programme, click here:

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A Taliban leader called Janan has been killed in a joint Afghan and Nato troops operation in southern Helmand Saturday, Isaf said.

"Afghan and coalition forces conducted a security operation resulting in the death of a Taliban leader, Janan, in Nad 'Ali district, Helmand province, yesterday," Isaf said in a statement Sunday.

Janan was responsible for directing and executing multiple attacks and kidnappings targeting security forces in Helmand province. He used improvised explosive devices, rockets and small arms fire during his attacks, Isaf added.

Five other insurgents were killed Sunday in a separate joint operation in search of a Taliban leader in Panjwa'i district of southern Kandahar province, Isaf said.

The Taliban leader is believed to be in charge of a large cell of insurgent fighters known for conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, it added.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Interior in a statement Sunday said that in Afghan joint operations in the past day at least three Taliban insurgents had been killed and 20 others captured.

The operations were conducted in Bamyan, Badakhshan, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Paktika and Helmand provinces, it said.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated some amount of light and heavy rounds ammunitions and IEDs, the MOI statement said.

The Afghan national cricket team has returned home after beating Scotland in all T20 and limited over matches as well as the four-day test match in United Arab Emirates last week (UAE).

The players were warmly welcomed Saturday by officials from the government, cricket board and dozens of fans with traditional music in the Kabul International Airport.

The cricket players proudly displayed the cup they won for their victory in the competitions after they disembarked from the plane.

Afghan cricket captain Mohammad Nabi Issakhel said that Afghanistan had soundly defeated Scotland in all matches and praised the team's work.

Player Miriwas Ashraf was similarly pleased.

"We are very close to the 2015 World Cup and the team has done a great job in the recent matches," he said.

The chairman of the cricket board Shahzada Massoud has said that the team still has some work to do before the 2015 World Cup.

"If the team can beat Ireland and Namibia in its upcoming matches, then our cricket team will head to the 2015 World Cup," Shahzada Massoud said.

He also was proud of the team's success against Scotland.

The board is trying to provide the squad with all possible facilities at home and abroad, he said.

A number of Afghan political parties said Sunday that President Hamid Karzai's recent comments against Washington threaten Afghanistan's national interests and said if he continues on this path he will damage also the relationship with the international community.

"The recent words of the president will cause the international community to be reluctant about being in Afghanistan, and it will also impact the current political process while extremely threatening the national interests of the country," said National Coalition spokesman Sayed Aqa Fazel Sancharaki to TOLOnews.

Karzai released a statement last week that if the international forces are not withdrawn from the province bordering Kabul, Maidan Wardak, and full control of Bagram prison north of Kabul is not handed over the government, the US military will be equivalent to occupying Afghanistan.

A few days earlier, Karzai gave two public speeches in which he severely criticised the US intentions in Afghanistan and accused Washington of secret talks with the Taliban.

The Right and Justice party also warned Karzai over the comments.

"Today, we can't even provide for our basic needs and it will be the same for the next 10 years. Therefore we have a serious need of cooperation from the international community and our position against the community should not be emotional," party member Hamidullah Farouqi told TOLOnews Sunday.

The politicians fear that if the foreign assistance were to be withdrawn too soon, Afghanistan will struggle to maintain the progress it has made to date.

The process of handing over responsibility for Bagram prison – an issue which has already been running for more than a year – has caused some tension between the two governments.

Although the process of handover is constantly postponed, US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel told Karzai Saturday night that the process will be completed within the next week.

 Smugglers have stolen nearly 5000 birds out of Afghanistan in the past 12 months, taking them to various countries particularly the Gulf nations, Afghanistan Environment Protection Agency (AEPA) said Sunday.

AEPA head Mustafa Zahir said that geese and falcons are the most popular birds for smugglers, mostly taken from the northern provinces.

"Unfortunately bird smuggling is continuing in the country, especially in Balkh and Bamyan. Mostly they are smuggling geese and falcon. But more than 80 percent of them are dying in the highways [on the journey]," Zahir said in the Balkh capital Mazar-e-Sharif.

He called on government officials to take action over the smuggling of the birds and other wildlife beyond Afghanistan's borders.

His comments comes as non-government organisations from the United Arabic Emirates (UAE) invested $1 million for the protection of birds in Mazar-e-Sharif.

"We are investing to protect those birds and animals that are facing conditions of extinction. Our goal is to protect them to ensure they are not smuggled," said Sayed Abdul Samad Munib, the head of the UAE non-government institutions for the protection of wildlife and birds.

The group returned more than 30 falcons and hawks recovered from smugglers in the UAE and then freed them in Mazar-e-Sharif Sunday.

AEPA's Zahir welcomed the funding and the support of the UAE institutions.

Around 18 Taliban members who have shown a desire to negotiate with the Afghan government or join the peace process have recently been killed, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman has told TOLOnews to illustrate the reach of those opposed to a government-Taliban peace deal.

ادامه مطلب...

مهم خبرونه

د سولې خبري اترې په يوه پيچلې او نامالوم حالت کې.

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A five-year old boy has been killed by his captors in northern Parwan province after he was kidnapped a week ago from Kabul province, local officials said Sunday.

The boy, Arshad, was kidnapped from Pul-e-Khishti area of Kabul city by two kidnappers and was understood to have been taken to the Ofyan area of Parwan a week ago.

He was killed Saturday after his family did not pay the ransom money, provincial spokesperson Roshan Khalid told TOLOnews Sunday.

"The kidnappers have been arrested by the security forces, while they were mourning the boy in the area, and the police have started investigations," Khalid said.

"The kidnappers have confessed in the preliminary investigations about the kidnapping and the family of the boy has been informed," she added.

The murder happened the same day that a preliminary court in Herat sentenced to death two men for kidnapping and later killing the eight-year-old son of a Herat businessman more than two months ago.

The police had arrested 12 suspects, two of whom were found guilty of murder. The court also sentenced an accomplice to 20 years prison and five others received six to 16 years prison.

The defence attorney rejected the sentences and said that it is "unfair."

"Unfortunately, the preliminary court has completely ignored the justifications to my clients. We showed more documents that they were not involved in the murders and made the decision under pressure from popular demonstrations," said Ahmad Navid Ziaratjahi, the attorney.

The head of Herat's primary court Qazi Abdul Ghafar confirmed the sentences.

"We confirm the death sentences of those who were involved in the murder of the boy," he said.

Ali Sina, the eight-year-old boy who was kidnapped with assistance from his father's bodyguard late December last year, was killed by the kidnappers late January even though they received a ransom.

According to his father, the kidnappers had initially asked for $400,000 for his son's release, an amount which was negotiated down to $90,000. But the kidnappers killed and then buried Ali Sina to cover their tracks and conceal their identities.

US President Barack Obama looks forward to "working closely" with the new Israeli government formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the US leader's visit, officials said Saturday.

Read more...

In this edition of Kankash, TOLOnews' Mujahid Kakar exclusively interviews President Hamid Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi on the Afghan-US relationship.

To watch the whole programme, click here:

{youtube}6NUnnSPa-TA{/youtube}

Read more...

A Taliban leader called Janan has been killed in a joint Afghan and Nato troops operation in southern Helmand Saturday, Isaf said.

"Afghan and coalition forces conducted a security operation resulting in the death of a Taliban leader, Janan, in Nad 'Ali district, Helmand province, yesterday," Isaf said in a statement Sunday.

Janan was responsible for directing and executing multiple attacks and kidnappings targeting security forces in Helmand province. He used improvised explosive devices, rockets and small arms fire during his attacks, Isaf added.

Five other insurgents were killed Sunday in a separate joint operation in search of a Taliban leader in Panjwa'i district of southern Kandahar province, Isaf said.

The Taliban leader is believed to be in charge of a large cell of insurgent fighters known for conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, it added.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Interior in a statement Sunday said that in Afghan joint operations in the past day at least three Taliban insurgents had been killed and 20 others captured.

The operations were conducted in Bamyan, Badakhshan, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Paktika and Helmand provinces, it said.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated some amount of light and heavy rounds ammunitions and IEDs, the MOI statement said.

The Afghan national cricket team has returned home after beating Scotland in all T20 and limited over matches as well as the four-day test match in United Arab Emirates last week (UAE).

The players were warmly welcomed Saturday by officials from the government, cricket board and dozens of fans with traditional music in the Kabul International Airport.

The cricket players proudly displayed the cup they won for their victory in the competitions after they disembarked from the plane.

Afghan cricket captain Mohammad Nabi Issakhel said that Afghanistan had soundly defeated Scotland in all matches and praised the team's work.

Player Miriwas Ashraf was similarly pleased.

"We are very close to the 2015 World Cup and the team has done a great job in the recent matches," he said.

The chairman of the cricket board Shahzada Massoud has said that the team still has some work to do before the 2015 World Cup.

"If the team can beat Ireland and Namibia in its upcoming matches, then our cricket team will head to the 2015 World Cup," Shahzada Massoud said.

He also was proud of the team's success against Scotland.

The board is trying to provide the squad with all possible facilities at home and abroad, he said.