UK troops could leave Afghanistan 'sooner than expected'
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Thousands of British military forces in Afghanistan could leave sooner than expected under proposals being considered by the government, it has emerged.
British ministers are said to be drawing up plans for up to 4000 troops, a much larger number than previously thought, to leave the war torn nation by the end of 2013.
Under the plans being put together by military chief, the number of British troops stationed in the Helmand province would be cut from 9,000 to 5,000 during 2013, The Telegraph reports.
According to a report by The Guardian, almost the same number would leave the following year, meaning just a few hundred would remain in Kabul, when NATO ends its combat mission.
The sharp acceleration in troop withdrawal is said to be one of three options being prepared by the Ministry of Defence, which are to be considered by the Prime Minister David Cameron.
According to the paper, the option has been favoured by at least two senior, unnamed members of the Cabinet, who have expressed a desire to cut the costs of the decade-long military campaign. Others include a less aggressive withdrawal operation.
A government official, however, said the MoD was unaware of these proposals and insisted British forces would remain where they are now. (ANI)
Afghan leaders back U.S. deal but want night raids to end
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan political and community leaders support the idea of a strategic partnership deal that will govern Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, they said on Saturday, but with caveats that could prove tough obstacles to surmount. Read more - Reuters . . . . .
Evidence Points to US Soldier's Hand in Afghan Atrocities - Nov.3.11
Prosecutors presented photographs Tuesday in the court martial of U.S. Army soldier Calvin Gibbs they say show he had a direct hand in alleged atrocities against Afghan civilians last year.
Tuesday was the second day of testimony in the court martial of Calvin Gibbs. The 26-year-old staff sergeant faces three counts of murder in addition to 13 other charges. He faces life in prison without parole, if convicted.
Gibbs, a former squad leader, is accused of masterminding and leading his platoon to carry out the killings of unarmed Afghan villagers in Kandahar province and staging them to appear like combat deaths. His attorney argues that Gibbs was betrayed by his comrades, who he alleges acted by their own will.
On the stand for a second day was chief prosecution witness Jeremy Morlock, once Gibbs' right hand man in the platoon the staff sergeant headed. He testified that Gibbs spotted a victim at random, tossed a grenade, ordered Morlock and another soldier to shoot the man, then himself shot the man to make sure he was dead. Morlock said Gibbs then planted a hand grenade next to the Afghan victim, to make it appear that the man had tried to attack the U.S. soldiers.
Gibbs' attorney denied his client shot the man, and called Morlock's testimony into question by casting doubt on his accounts of where the man had been shot. Prosecutors then presented a photo of the man's corpse shot in the back of the head, as Morlock had testified.
Tuesday's testimony included more gory accounts of the atrocities allegedly committed by Gibbs, with the five members of the military panel trying the case being shown photos of bloody and mutilated corpses and severed fingers.
Among the other witnesses who testified Tuesday was Alexander Christy, a medic with Gibbs' platoon who described seeing Gibbs hunch over the corpse of an Afghan teenager and, using a pair of shears, cut off the boy's finger as a keepsake.
The medic said Gibbs taunted him for refusing to do the amputation. He described yet another disturbing scene of Gibbs playing with the boy's body, moving its arms and mouth like a puppet.
At the end of the day, there was testimony from another platoon member who described how Gibbs led him and others to beat a soldier who they suspected was telling on them. The witness said Gibbs tried to intimidate the soldier by rolling out two severed fingers and threatening to kill him if he informed anyone of what the platoon was doing.
The case is alleged to be the worst atrocity committed by U.S. troops in the Afghan conflict. Nine platoon members have either pleaded guilty or been convicted and two others are awaiting courts martial.
No senior commanders above Gibbs have been tried or disciplined in the case.
Militants Attack US Base in Northern Afghanistan Killing two - 10-15-11
Armed militants launched a suicide attack on a U.S.-run base in northeastern Afghanistan, killing two people.
A provincial police spokesman says four suicide bombers targeted the base of the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in an attack early Saturday morning in Panjshir province.
Officials say two civilians were killed in the bombing, in addition to the militants. Two security guards were wounded.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility, saying the militants attacked on foot and with an explosive-filled vehicle.
A NATO spokesman confirmed the incident and said there were no foreign casualties.
Elsewhere Saturday, two militants were killed and three wounded when the bombs they were assembling prematurely exploded at a house in southern Kandahar province.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
Afghanistan, India Sign Strategic Partnership Pact - 10-05-11
India has signed a strategic partnership pact with Afghanistan to boost security and economic ties. It is being seen as a signal of a stepped-up role for India in the troubled country. Afghanistan is looking for greater Indian involvement at a time when its relations with Pakistan are under strain.
After holding talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the strategic pact signed between the two countries will cover security cooperation, trade and economic ties, as well as social and cultural exchanges.
It is the first such pact Afghanistan has signed as the war torn country looks for alliances that will help it after international troops leave by the end of 2014.
The deal comes at a time when Afghanistan's ties with Pakistan have frayed in the wake of the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani. President Karzai has accused Pakistan of playing a double game in his country and involvement in Rabbani's assassination.
Indian Prime Minister Singh said Rabbani's killing underscored the need to fight terrorism, which is threatening the stability of South Asia.
"The people of Afghanistan have suffered enough," said Singh. "They deserve to live in peace and decide their future themselves without outside interference, coercion and intimidation."
Observers say the Afghan leader wants India to play a greater role in stabilizing Afghanistan.
After talks with Indian leaders, President Karzai called New Delhi a steadfast friend and supporter of Afghanistan.
He did not refer to Pakistan directly, but appealed for the cooperation and understanding of all South Asian countries, including "our other neighbors."
"Afghanistan recognizes the dangers that this region is facing through terrorism and the radicalism that is being used as an instrument of policy against innocent citizens of our countries. Afghanistan as India seek[s] a life that is free of violence, free of extremism," said Karzai.
India and Afghanistan also signed pacts for the exploration of minerals and hydrocarbons.
Observers say there are compelling reasons for greater Indian involvement in Afghanistan. New Delhi wants to ensure that the security situation in the country does not deteriorate after Western troops withdraw.
But security analyst Bharat Karnad at New Delhi's Center for Policy Research says India is likely to tread carefully.
"The government of India is still trying to see what the implications are and how far India can go considering that Pakistan objects to any kind of an Indian presence there. Obviously Karzai is trying to develop India as a counter to Pakistan's slips, as he sees it."
India is one of the Afghanistan's biggest donors, and is playing a key role in its reconstruction. It is helping in building of roads, highways, in education and training.
India remains committed to help rebuild Afghanistan 09-30-11
With the onset of the drawdown of foreign security forces in Afghanistan, India has said it remains committed to partnering Kabul in building a peaceful, stable, democratic and pluralistic nation.
'India's assistance programme is spread across Afghanistan and spans almost the entire gamut of economic and social development activities,' India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Hardeep Puri said in the Security Council Thursday.
India, he said, was undertaking reconstruction and development activities in Afghanistan, with its total bilateral assistance commitment reaching about $ 2 billion.
'Indian companies have evinced interest in exploitation of Afghanistan's iron ore reserves and India is also participating in the TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) gas pipeline project.' Puri said.
Noting these projects would call for large investments, he expressed India's resolve to cooperate with Afghanistan on plans involving regional integration for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders.
SAARC, of which Afghanistan is a full member, is an important vehicle for regional economic cooperation within the South Asian region, Puri said.
'India's rapidly growing economy and its large market make it a natural destination for Afghan exports. Similarly, India can be a cost effective and efficient source of Afghan imports,' he said.
Expressing India's full support to 'an Afghan-led inclusive and transparent process of reconciliation,' Puri said as the security transition moves forward, Afghanistan needs long-term commitment and support of the international community.
Two injured in Kabul explosion - 0926-2011
Two Afghan soldiers were injured in an explosion in Afghanistan's capital Kabul Sunday night, Xinhua reported.
The rocket attack apparently targeted the Ariana hotel, where many Americans used to live, said an official.
The explosion occurred in area between US Embassy and ISAF headquarters around 8.00 p.m.
However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Former Afghan president Rabbani killed in blast - 9-18-11
Former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed Tuesday evening in a suicide blast at his house here, media reports said.
He was meeting with a group of Taliban insurgents when the explosion was triggered, Xinhua reported quoting an unnamed source from Rabbani's office.
'The suicide bomb went off at 18.10 outside the house. There are casualties, but details will be released later,' said Hashmat Stanikzai, the provincial police spokesperson.
The Taliban insurgents had come to the capital to meet the officials of the Afghan High Peace Council that is headed by Rabbani.
It was not immediately clear if the visitors were involved in the attack, which also left five others dead and several injured, the local Tolo TV channel said.
A witness told Xinhua that it was a suicide bombing.
Security was beefed up after the attack.
Rabbani was selected by President Hamid Karzai in October 2010 as chairman of the 70-member High Peace Council to broker peace with the Taliban.
Many members of the council are former warlords who spent years fighting the Taliban and their inclusion led to doubts as to whether it could succeed in its mission, the BBC said.
The Taliban rejected the council and called for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Taliban's 20-hour Kabul siege finally ends
Afghan and NATO forces have killed the last Taliban insurgents who attacked the US embassy, NATO headquarters and police buildings in Kabul, after a 20-hour stand-off.
The Afghan authorities also said that a building where the gunmen were holed up has now been cleared.
According to the Telegraph, the final attackers were killed after the security forces fought floor by floor to dislodge them through the night.
A spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry said that a total of 11 people died during the attack.
Meanwhile, an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman said that six foreign troops were injured.
Taliban fighters had fired rockets at the US embassy, battled police and detonated suicide vests in four tightly co-ordinated attacks across Kabul yesterday.
The attacks were among the most sophisticated insurgents have launched on the Afghan capital and exposed the inability of Afghan forces to guarantee security even in the most heavily-defended districts. (ANI)
CNPC Wins Bid for Afghan Blocks
Tethys announced that it understands that the Chinese State Oil Company, CNPC, has won the tender for the Kashkari, Bazarkhami and Zamarudsay blocks in Northern Afghanistan which Tethys was also bidding for.
As a commercial oil and gas company Tethys could not offer the same terms as CNPC which, in Tethys' view, would make the project non-commercial. Tethys still believes there is good oil and gas potential in Afghanistan and will evaluate any other future opportunities there.
Tethys is focused on oil and gas exploration and production activities in Central Asia with activities currently in the Republics of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This highly prolific oil and gas area is rapidly developing and Tethys believes that significant potential exists in both exploration and in discovered deposits.
Afghanistan: Sufi Mysticism Makes a Comeback in Kabul
In a garden in Kabul’s Karte-Seh district, a group of Sufi musicians and poets gather for an evening of mystical melodies. Platters of rice pilau and fruit cover carpets spread across the lawn. This twice-weekly meeting is held at the home of a member of the ancient Chishti Sufi order who gathers together an all-male crème de la crème of Kabul’s Sufi society. Television preachers, renowned qawwali singers and prominent politicians with clandestine Sufi proclivities all flock to the garden to sample the ecstatic music.
Sufism is an ascetic spiritual tradition pioneered by Islam’s early warriors, who pushed outwards from the Arabian Peninsula into Central Asia and lived in all-male bands on the frontiers of the young empire. As they traveled, they adopted local traditions, even some that seemed to go against the mainstream tenants of Islam, including music. The Chishti blended qawwali music, a devotional melody that developed in south Asia, with the Persian whirling dervish dances, and acquired a reputation for being the most musical Sufi order.
As a result, they suffered more than other Afghan Sufis during the rule of the Taliban, who banned music and discouraged the gatherings. Whereas Sufi orders and pilgrimages to the shrines of mystics were long an integral part of Afghan devotional traditions, the Taliban’s harshly orthodox interpretation of Islam banned creative outlets, locking Afghan society into a half decade of spiritual austerity. Recently, Sufism has been on the defense in neighboring Pakistan, where local fundamentalists have killed hundreds in attacks on Sufi shrines.
Lutfullah Haqqparast was one of the few Sufi sheikhs who refused to submit to the Taliban’s restrictions on Sufism. The preacher – a suit-and-tie-wearing sociologist at a Kabul University who dons a white turban and green robe when officiating Sufi gatherings – was arrested for not caving to Taliban demands to stop his followers’ chanting. But when the Taliban tried to transfer him from Kabul to Kandahar, according to legend, there was such an outcry from religious elders that Haqqparast was released.
Today Haqqparast says Afghanistan needs a balance between Sufism’s mystical passion and the western rationality he teaches. “This traditional society needs Sufis to show it a more open-minded path but also the West to teach it logic,” he told EurasiaNet.org.
Haqqparast attends zikrs – devotional Sufi gatherings that often turn ecstatic – at Kabul’s historic Shah-Do Shamshira mosque, a stately yellow building topped by twin navy-blue minarets.
Worship at the shrine is precarious, though. On June 17, for example, suicide bombers targeted a police station in the area and a gun battle raged for hours nearby – another reminder of how confident the Taliban are becoming.
The Afghan government, too, is feeling the pressure. To that end, President Hamid Karzai pays greater reverence to the Ulema Shura (Council of Clerics) whose orthodox Muslim views are often opposed to women’s rights, free speech or mystical Islam. On the other hand, Minister of Information and Culture Sayeed Makhdoom Raheem seeks to use Sufism as a moderating force against the Taliban even as he pressures Sufis to tone down their theatrical devotions ahead of reconciliation talks.
“Raheem is reviving Sufism and restoring khaneqahs [lodges] that encourage mysticism exactly because he believes that it can act as a tool to stop political Islam and the Taliban,” said Nasir Farahmand, a Kabul-based professor of philosophy who is an avowed secularist.
After taking in the qawwali music, Haqqparast gets up and, escorted by a group of disciples, heads to his modest car. A supporter drives him through old Kabul’s twisting lanes to Sufism’s less-effete face.
At the entrance to a charity home, disabled Sufis bedecked with necklaces and hennaed beards cluster around a gate opening onto what was once a basement jail. Amid clouds of hashish smoke, semiconscious men loll against the metal bars of former cells. Others file upstairs into a makeshift temple of interconnected rooms. It is nearly 3 a.m., but the floor is packed with ecstatic dervishes listening to musicians on a raised dais.
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