The rising violence against women in Afghanistan is linked to cultural values, the UN special envoy to Afghanistan said Monday, revealing the statistic of a 20 percent rise in female deaths and injuries last year.

Jan Kubis said that despite the good news of a fall in annual civilian casualties in Afghanistan - the first decline in several years - the casualties of women subjected to violence are on the increase.

The United Nations said last month that more than 300 women and girls were killed and more than 560 injured during 2012.

"The majority is linked to domestic violence, traditions, culture of the country," Kubis told reporters at the United Nations in New York ahead of a debate on Afghanistan by the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

"Of course there are very clear attacks on women activists by the insurgency," he said. "Then there are unfortunate situations when indeed women are killed while doing their daily chores."

The UN political mission in Afghanistan, led by Kubis, said in December that Afghanistan still had a long way to go in implementing the 2009 Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which made child marriage, forced marriage, rape and other violent acts criminal offenses.

"Our role as the UN will be very crucial in the post-2014 period," Kubis said. "We will be one of the promoters, advocates of what should be practices in a country that will be perhaps more traditional and will be coming back to its roots."

"The situation is a concern and will remain a concern," he added.

President Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi on Tuesday said that the Nato's mission in Afghanistan was "unwise and aimless".

Read more...

Top news in this Bulletin:

President Karzai's spokesmanAimalFaizi on Tuesday said that the Nato's mission in Afghanistan was "unwise and aimless".

{youtube}8jSUX3WB_ls{/youtube}

Read more...

Syria's opposition coalition meets in Istanbul on Monday to select their first rebel prime minister, tasked with running daily life in large swathes of territory freed from regime control but mired in chaos and poverty.

A former agriculture minister, an economist and a communications executive lead the race in a vote that could change the course of Syria's conflict.

The rebel premier's first task would be to appoint a new government, which would be based inside Syria.

While it would boost the opposition's credibility, a rebel government would have little chance of dialogue with the regime of President Bashar alAssad.

The umbrella Syrian National Coalition cautioned that there is no guarantee that the election will take place as scheduled, with the process having been postponed before.

In rebel-held parts of Syria, opinion is divided between residents desperate for basic services and the rule of law and those who feel the Coalition is ill-suited to choose a competent administration.

"The coalition is not close enough to the ground to have a real sense of the needs here," Aleppo-based activist Abu Hisham told AFP.

Matar Ismail, an activist in Damascus, disagreed, saying there was "a real need in the liberated areas for better administration of daily life".

"There are more than 10 million Syrians in liberated territories who need education and health services," Coalition spokesman Walid alBunni told AFP.

"But should there not be an election tomorrow (Monday), there will be a need for more discussion with (rebel) local councils and the Free Syrian Army groups fighting in Syria," he added.

Opposition sources said former agriculture minister Asaad Mustapha, economist Osama Kadi, and communications executive Ghassan Hitto were frontrunners for the vote.

Should they reach a consensus, those gathering in Istanbul are likely to pick a good administrator with long-standing ties to the uprising, although nations backing the rebels, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are likely to influence the choice.

"The prime minister must be a man who is completely with the revolution, and it is better that it be someone who was in Syria until recently, not someone who has lived abroad for a long time," opposition figure Haytham alMaleh said.

"There's a push to ensure the interim prime minister is a technocrat," another Coalition member told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Aleppo-born Kadi, founder of the Syrian Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Washington, is favoured for his technocratic background, as is Hitto, who has lived in the United States for decades.

Mustapha brings eight years of experience as a minister under Syria's former president Hafez al-Assad.

"If what's wanted is a technocrat then perhaps Osama Kadi will win. And if the choice is based on who has experience and is the most capable politically, it will be Asaad Mustapha," Coalition member Ahmed Ramadan told AFP.

"The latter has good experience... and he has been close to the revolution from its beginning and is respected."

Several prominent opposition figures are not in the running, including Christian dissident Michel Kilo, who has said he will not stand.

The Coalition is expected to hold an initial vote, followed by a run-off between the top two candidates. The winner will then choose a cabinet, which must be approved by the Coalition.

The United States is believed to oppose the creation of an interim government, fearing it could hamper efforts to start a dialogue with the regime, but the process has been backed by Turkey and much of the Arab League.

Three men have been beheaded in southern Kandahar province, apparently at the hands of insurgents, local officials said Tuesday.

The three men were traveling Monday evening from the Sangin district in neighbouring Helmand province to Ghorak district in Kandahar when their car was stopped by armed militia.

They were dragged from the car and beheaded while in the Mar Manda area of Ghorak, according to district governor Darow Khan

"Yesterday evening the Taliban beheaded three civilians who were in traveling from Sangin district of Helmand to Kandahar's Ghorak district," he told TOLOnews.

While Khan linked the incident to the Taliban, the militant group did not claim the beheading.

Meanwhile, residents in the area said that these three men were in the police force but were wearing casual clothes.

"They were police and they were on their way to go for duty to Ghorak district of Kandahar province but on the way they were recognised by Taliban and they beheaded them," one of the residents told TOLOnews.

Syria's opposition will not enter into dialogue with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the country's newly elected rebel prime minister said Tuesday in his inaugural speech.

"We confirm to the great Syrian people that there will be no dialogue with the Assad regime," Ghassan Hitto said.

Hitto was chosen early Tuesday by a majority of the main opposition National Coalition members, after hours of consultation among dissidents.

He will be tasked with setting up an interim government which would be based in rebel-held territory in Syria.

The election comes some two months after Coalition chief Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib proposed talks with regime officials with conditions, including that some "160,000 detainees" be released.

Some Coalition members told AFP the election of an interim rebel premier and the establishment of a government cancelled out the possibility of talks with the regime.

"Khatib had specific conditions for talks with regime officials, and they were not met. The idea of talks fell through before the election happened," Coalition deputy Soheir Atassi said.

Another Coalition member told AFP on condition of anonymity that main opposition player the Syrian National Council only acceded to the creation of an interim government on the condition that there would be no talks with the regime.

"Once that was agreed, the Syrian National Council gave its backing to Hitto," the member told AFP.

President Hamid Karzai Wednesday flew to Ishqabad, the capital of Turkmenistan, to attend the world festival for the Persian new year Nowruz, the presidential palace said.

Karzai went with a high-ranking Afghan delegation to participate in the yearly International Nowruz Festival called "Nowruz - celebration of peace and humanity", the palace said in a statement.

During the two-day visit to Turkmenistan, Karzai will also meet and discuss development of the region with the presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan "and many other countries", according to the palace.

Karzai is accompanied by National Security Advisor Dr. Rangin Spanta, Minister of Public Affairs Najibullah Ozhan, Presidential Adviser in International Relations Dr. Mohammad Yahya Marufi, Presidential Adviser in Religious Affairs Mawlavi Jorah Taheri, Presidential Deputy Chief of Staff Homaira Lodin Etmadi and Presidential spokesperson Aimal Faizi.

The International Nowruz Festival is held every year in a different city. Last year it was held in the capital of Iran, Tehran.

Iraq Wednesday marked 10 years since a US-led invasion that sought to establish a stable, democratic ally, grappling with continuing violence which left another 52 people dead in the bloodiest day in over six months, and a worsening political situation.

Read more...

President Hamid Karzai Wednesday reached an agreement with the US that their special forces will remain in most of Maidan Wardak province, signaling a shift from his previous demand for them to leave the province by March 11.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top US and Isaf Commander in Afghanistan, met with Karzai at the palace Wednesday morning to finalise the details, according to an Isaf statement.

Under the agreement, the Afghan National Security Forces will move into Wardak's Nerkh district, which is currently secured by Afghan Local Police aided by US forces. The timeline for this transition will be determined by the Afghan government, Isaf said.

"The remainder of the province will transition over time," Isaf added, without stating a time frame.

The decision is a clear change from Karzai's original order for the US to completely withdraw from the province by March 11.

The US Special Forces were ordered by Karzai on February 24 to leave the province in a fortnight after reports of abuse of Afghan civilians by the ALP which were subordinate to the US. However, the decision was criticised by other Afghan leaders as hasty and dangerous.

"I am pleased to announce that following a very constructive series of talks with the President and the leadership of the MOD and MOI, we have come to agreement on a plan for Wardak that continues the transition of this critical province and meets the security needs of the people and the requirements of our mission," Dunford was quoted saying in the Isaf statement Wednesday.

"I want to thank President Karzai for his leadership. This plan meets the President's intent and leverages the growing capacity and capability of the Afghan security forces to meet the security needs of this country. This solution is what success looks like as we continue the transition to overall Afghan security lead," he added.

The Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry has agreed with an Afghan-Turkish business group to host in Afghanistan more trade fairs of both countries products over the next ten years.

The Afghan-Turk General Commercial and Industrial Association signed an agreement with the ACCI for "constant fairs" of Afghan and Turn products in Afghanistan, beginning with three fairs in first month of the new Persian year 1392 (late March – late April 2013).

"There will be 35 Turk companies and 40 Afghan companies as well as 50 Turk traders and investors who seek investment opportunities participating in this exhibition," ACCI chief Mohammad Qorban Haqjoo said Tuesday.
The Turkish chief of the Afghan-Turk association said Afghanistan is a promising place for investment, especially for Turkish entities.

"We can say that Afghanistan is one of the best countries in the region, and a good environment for investment, especially for Turks that, compared to other nationalities, we can set up our companies here more easily," said Murad Aaqyuz, general secretary to the Afghan-Turk General Commercial and Industrial Association.

In return, ACCI officials said Turkey has a high industrial capability on the world scale, especially for that of mines, vehicles, agriculture, wood, and food products. They hope the country can be an example for Afghanistan.

Afghan lawmakers Wednesday criticised presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi for calling the Nato mission in Afghanistan "illogical and aimless", warning that such comments threaten the stability of the country.

The lawmakers said that the views coming from President Hamid Karzai's representative should be clarified as a personal idea of Karzai and not the views of the Afghan people.

"Such speeches will cause chaos in the country," MP Mohammad Naeem Lalai Ahmadzai said in Wednesday's parliamentary session. "The president is trying to remain in power by such statements. It is his personal idea, not the people's."

Fatima Aziz, an MP from northern Kunduz province, suggested the statement was too late considering Nato had been in Afghanistan more than a decade.

"Why didn't the government say ten years ago that the Nato mission is illogical and aimless? The Nato mission was not a secret," she said. "The comment will damage Afghanistan."

Lawmakers said they believed that Afghanistan needed the cooperation of the US and the presence of the foreign forces.

"Afghanistan's war is being planned by neighboring countries especially in Pakistan. And the country [Afghanistan] has serious need for international cooperation and the presence of foreign forces because the war has not ended in the country," member of the parliamentary international committee Noor Akbari said.

MPs said that main cause of war in Afghanistan is the intervention of the regional countries especially Pakistan where insurgents are being funded and equipped to be insurgents, creating more security challenges and thereby the need for foreign forces to assist until the Afghan forces can defend the country.

Faizi said Tuesday that the Nato-led military operation was "illogical and aimless", the latest public criticism of the foreign forces after Karzai's recent broadsides against the US.

His statement came after Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen rejected Karzai's recent allegations of US collusion with the Taliban.

"The people of Afghanistan ask Nato to define the purpose and aim of the so-called war on terror.... (They) consider this war as aimless and illogical to continue," Faizi said.

The Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said Wednesday that it is planning to build an airport in the eastern province of Nuristan with hopes that it will help boost development in the area.

The surveys for the airport – expected to have a runway of 1.2 kilometers – will be completed in a month with construction to soon follow, ministry officials said.

"The responsible board has approved – following their observations – that this area is safe for landing small airplanes such as Pactec, and the airplanes of Ofoq-e-Sharq [airline]," said Jarallah Mansoori, deputy minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.

"The engineers will do their survey and design, and God willing, the work will soon start if the permission – based on technical, safety, and engineering issues – to construct the airport is provided," he said.

The airport site is in the provincial centre Parun and is expected to be able to receive small 8-passenger airplanes.

The cost for constructing Nuristan's airport is estimated at $3.5 million. Of this, $2 million will be provided with aid from India and the rest will be funded by the ministry.

Nuristan provincial leaders welcomed the news saying that the lack of an airport has left Nuristan behind in terms of progress.

"Engineers of [the Ministry of Rehabilitation and] Rural Development don't come here saying that there are no routes. Engineers of the Ministry of Public Works don't come here saying that there are no routes. The specialist doctors don't come here saying that there are no routes. Our biggest problem is that we are not able of implement our projects and programmes that need to be surveyed and designed for the reason that there are no routes," said provincial governor Tamim Nuristani.

Afghanistan's media watchdog Nai on Wednesday said the past year has been one of the worst yet for journalists across the country with at least 71 registered incidents of violence against journalists, mostly linked to the government officials.

On the eve of Persian year 1392, Nai called for the treatment of journalists to improve after the statistics show a nine percent increase of reported incidents between 1390 (Mar 2011-Mar2012) and 1391 (Mar2012-Mar2013).

"These incidents of violence against journalists which we have registered at the organisation are very shocking. The distressing part is that most of these cases are not addressed," Nai chief Seddiqullah Tawhidi said Wednesday.

According to Nai, the 71 cases of violence against journalist include killing, beating, arrest, and threats. Of the 71 cases, 46 were perpetrated by the government, four by the Taliban, one by the international forces, 12 by unidentified men, and eight by non-government people.

Tawhidi described the incidents as horrible, saying that in most cases journalists of the country are not heard, a motivation for the increase of such violence.

Aside from the violence, the journalists' access to sufficient information is a serious challenge.

"Besides all these issues, the lack of access to information is another problem. It's what we are facing every day. Most of the government sources don't provide journalists with enough information. In some cases a journalist can wait hours to receive a response," said Abbasin Zaheer, journalist.

Another journalist Maria Seddiqi said: "Journalists of Afghanistan are facing – apart from the insecurity and threats – social issues which are challenging to us."

Nai said one of the pluses for the year was the Afghan media's coverage of violence against women which it views as an achievement for freedom of speech.

President Hamid Karzai Wednesday reached an agreement with top US Commander in Afghanistan Gen. Joseph Dunford that US Special Forces will remain in most of Maidan Wardak province.

{youtube}-z8CQybyRCE{/youtube}

Read more...

The Afghan government has made security its top priority on the eve of Nawruz to ensure the Persian new year celebrations go ahead without an incident.

Read more...

The UK's defence ministry has said that the British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan are part of a campaign that attempted to "impose an ideology foreign to the Afghan people" and was "unwinnable in military terms."

To watch the programme, click here:

{youtube}HqKHNlE24jg{/youtube}

Read more...

The rising violence against women in Afghanistan is linked to cultural values, the UN special envoy to Afghanistan said Monday, revealing the statistic of a 20 percent rise in female deaths and injuries last year.

Jan Kubis said that despite the good news of a fall in annual civilian casualties in Afghanistan - the first decline in several years - the casualties of women subjected to violence are on the increase.

The United Nations said last month that more than 300 women and girls were killed and more than 560 injured during 2012.

"The majority is linked to domestic violence, traditions, culture of the country," Kubis told reporters at the United Nations in New York ahead of a debate on Afghanistan by the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

"Of course there are very clear attacks on women activists by the insurgency," he said. "Then there are unfortunate situations when indeed women are killed while doing their daily chores."

The UN political mission in Afghanistan, led by Kubis, said in December that Afghanistan still had a long way to go in implementing the 2009 Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which made child marriage, forced marriage, rape and other violent acts criminal offenses.

"Our role as the UN will be very crucial in the post-2014 period," Kubis said. "We will be one of the promoters, advocates of what should be practices in a country that will be perhaps more traditional and will be coming back to its roots."

"The situation is a concern and will remain a concern," he added.

Three men have been beheaded in southern Kandahar province, apparently at the hands of insurgents, local officials said Tuesday.

The three men were traveling Monday evening from the Sangin district in neighbouring Helmand province to Ghorak district in Kandahar when their car was stopped by armed militia.

They were dragged from the car and beheaded while in the Mar Manda area of Ghorak, according to district governor Darow Khan

"Yesterday evening the Taliban beheaded three civilians who were in traveling from Sangin district of Helmand to Kandahar's Ghorak district," he told TOLOnews.

While Khan linked the incident to the Taliban, the militant group did not claim the beheading.

Meanwhile, residents in the area said that these three men were in the police force but were wearing casual clothes.

"They were police and they were on their way to go for duty to Ghorak district of Kandahar province but on the way they were recognised by Taliban and they beheaded them," one of the residents told TOLOnews.

President Hamid Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi on Tuesday said that Nato's mission in Afghanistan was "illogical and aimless".

The comment comes a day after Nato's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasumusen described Karzai's anti-western remarks as "absolutely ridiculous".

Karzai has recently said that the Taliban and foreign troops are colluding to extend the presence of Nato forces in Afghanistan, a statement which has provoked tensions between the Afghan government and Nato.

Speaking to the government media outlet, Bakhtar News Agency, Faizi said: "The Afghan people want Nato to explain the aim of the apparent "war on terror" mission since it has not achieved any result apart from killing innocent people and destroying their homes."

"Afghan people are asking Nato's Secretary General that since you know that the sanctuaries of the terrorists are not in Afghanistan, why is the war still in the Afghan villages," Faizi said in a released statement, quoting his interview with Bakhtar.

Top news in this Bulletin:

President Karzai's spokesmanAimalFaizi on Tuesday said that the Nato's mission in Afghanistan was "unwise and aimless".

{youtube}8jSUX3WB_ls{/youtube}

Read more...