Afghanistan - News & Discussions

[mehrotraprince]

India, Russia to revive arms maintenance factory in Afghan

India and Russia have decided to collaborate in reviving an arms maintenance factory in Afghanistan, as the war-torn country gets ready for the security transition in 2014 in the wake of US-led coalition's troop withdrawal.

Ahead of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's visit from December 12 to 15, Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali confirmed the development Monday. "India and Russia will jointly help revive the maintenance factory. Experts have already met and are discussing the details," he said.

This assumes importance since India's involvement in the security needs of Afghanistan is viewed with suspicion by Pakistan.

Abdali, who was deputy national security advisor in Hamid Karzai government, said Indians will also be needed for training officers in a new institute in Afghanistan.

"We will need about 120 officers for the training facility, and Indians can pitch in," he said.

The envoy said about 1,400 Afghan officers have been trained in India in the last 10 years since 2003. Right now, he said, there are about 350 officers undergoing training in Indian academies.

Karzai will be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on December 13.

"The two sides will examine necessary efforts to be undertaken by both sides to ensure the protection of our shared national security interests in the coming months and years, regardless of who leads our security and defence cooperation," he said.

Karzai, during his three-day visit, will deliver a lecture to Indian parliamentarians in Delhi and will travel to Pune, where he will follow up on his earlier meetings with the Indian business leaders in May 2013 and in November 2012, and meet members of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci).

He will also deliver a keynote address at an educational institute in Pune, where he will address more than 700 international students on the topic of 'Securing the future through Education'.

India, Russia to revive arms maintenance factory in Afghan - Indian Express

 

[mehrotraprince]

India to give two 'cheetah' choppers to Afghanistan

NEW DELHI, Anirban Bhaumik, Dec 9, 2013, DHNS:

India will next month provide two "cheetah" helicopters to Afghanistan and may even send its military trainers to the newly opened Afghan National Army Officers Academy apart from deploying technicians to run an old military hardware maintenance facility in the war-ravaged country.

Shaida M Abdali, Kabul's envoy to New Delhi, on Monday said the Afghan Government was keen on India joining Russia to revive and run an old Soviet-era military maintenance facility in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan also requested India to send its military trainers to a new facility being set up near Kabul with support from the UK, he added.

Though New Delhi has so far kept its defence cooperation with Kabul limited to training personnel of Afghan National Security Forces in institutions in India and supplying non-lethal military hardware, the Government is understood to be studying the fresh proposals form President Hamid Karzai's administration.

Karzai is expected to discuss the proposals with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to New Delhi on December 12 and 13 next.

"They (Karzai and Singh) will examine efforts to be undertaken by both sides to ensure the protection of our shared national security interests," said Abdali. About 1400 Afghan National Army officers were trained in institutions in India since 2003.

Besides, he said, altogether 350 more officers from Afghanistan are undergoing training courses in the military facilities in the country.

Kabul has over the past few months been prodding New Delhi to step up its investment in the security of Afghanistan and provide it with both lethal and non-lethal weapons to prevent spillover effects of terrorism in that country after the withdrawal of the US-led International Security Assistance Force from active combat-role by the end of 2014. Singh assured Karzai last May that New Delhi would try to meet some of the requirements of the Afghan National Security Forces, which would have to take greater responsibility after the withdrawal of the ISAF from combat role.

India and Afghanistan in October 2011 signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement and set up a Strategic Partnership Council, which has four separate joint working groups for political and security consultations, trade and economic cooperation, capacity development and education, and social cultural and civil society interactions. The issue of stepping up the military ties is likely to be discussed by the Joint Working Group for Political and Security Consultations.

Sources said India would provide Afghanistan two 'cheetah' helicopters manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore next month. The choppers would be used for reconnaissance purposes. Abdali on Monday said the new Afghan National Army Officer Academy, which was being set up near Kabul on the model of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK, would soon require at least 120 trainers and the Afghan Government was keen to have some of them from the Indian Army.

"In the coming months and years, regardless of who leads our two countries, we should work together to outline contours of our security and defence cooperation in tangible ways for implementation," said Kabul's envoy to New Delhi, in an obvious reference to the coming parliamentary elections in India and the presidential polls in Afghanistan.

India to give two 'cheetah' choppers to Afghanistan

 

[cobra commando]

Rocket attack by Pakistani
military kill 1, injure 2 in
Khost

At least three civilians were killed or injured following a cross- border shelling by Pakistani military in eastern Khost province of Afghanistan. The interior ministry of Afghanistan following a statement condemned the attack and said the incident took place in Gurbaz district on Tuesday. The statement furhter added that a missile fired by Pakistani military landed in Hada Bari Tahana village in Gurbaz district, leaving one civilian dead and two others injured. The interior ministry called the cross-border shelling by Pakistani military in Afghan soil, an obvious border violation and said that the shelling by Pakistani military should be immediately stopped. This comes as local authorities in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan said Tuesday that Pakistani military fired at least six artillery shells in Kunar province. Provincial security chief, Abdul Habib Syed Kheli confirming the report said Pakistani military shelled Dangam district on Monday night.


Rocket attack by Pakistani military kill 1, injure 2 in Khost - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency

 

[nrupatunga]

Afghanistan agrees on regional security pact with Iran

Concerned about the presence of foreign forces in the region, Iran and Afghanistan have decided to sign a joint cooperation agreement to boost "regional security" amid American efforts to force the Afghan president to seal a security pact with Washington.

"Afghanistan agreed on a long-term friendship and cooperation pact with Iran," President's Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said, as quoted by Reuters. "The pact will be for long-term political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, regional peace."

What exactly this security pact mean?? Any ideas?? @datguy79 @MLRS

 

[MLRS]

Afghanistan agrees on regional security pact with Iran


What exactly this security pact mean?? Any ideas?? @datguy79 @MLRS

I don't think it will be anything significant. Maybe it will ensure more cooperation on the border. But as long as Americans are in Afghanistan, Iran won't provide much help.

I also think it's a snub of Karzai towards Obama. He won't sign the BSA, but is getting cozy with Iran.

 

[datguy79]

Afghanistan agrees on regional security pact with Iran


What exactly this security pact mean?? Any ideas?? @datguy79 @MLRS

Let's first understand what Iran's primary goal is in relation to Afghanistan: WATER.

Iran wants more and more of the Helmand River and others to flow unimpeded into it and have caused problems for companies making dams (see: Salma Dam built by India). Obviously this is a zero-sum game for Afghanistan as we can't let more than 80% of our waters flow away. We need them to further irrigate the land. This will probably be the main point of contention well into the distant future.

From what I read on other news sources, this just seems like a normal pact signed whenever leaders visit. I doubt it will have much impact. It is certainly not binding unlike a strategic pact. Even Karzai's spokesman said that it hadn't been drafted yet. It is just a smokescreen by a lame duck president.

Rouhani is living in a delusional world. No foreign forces in the region? Let's talk about all those troops you put in Syria. Also, Afghanistan certainly doesn't need Iran's opinions on whether to sign the BSA or not. We don't ask other countries not to sign treaties which are in their interest.

 

[IBSA]

Afghan parliament reject reserved seat for Hindu/Sikh minority
By GHANIZADA - Sat Dec 14, 8:37 pm

The parliament of Afghanistan on Saturday rejected president Hamid Karzai's decree for the reservation of a seat for the Hindu and Sikh minority in the parliament of Afghanistan.

The presidential decree was placed for the endorsement in the parliament house by legislative commission on Saturday, which was rejected by majority.

The lawmakers called the reservation of a seat for the Hindu and Sikh minorities against the Articles 22 and 83 of the constitution, and suggested that Hindus and Sikhs should contest for the elections in a bid to secure a seat in the parliament house.

In the meantime, a number of the lawmakers speaking in the favor of president Hamid Karzai's decree, insisted that a seat for the Hindu and Sikh minorities should be reserved.

Ahmad Behzad, lawmaker representing Herat province in the Afghan parliament said that a seat should be reserved for the Hindu and Sikh minorities, considering the reservation of 10 seats for the Kochis (nomads).

MP Gulalai Noor Saif who reprents northern Balkh province in the Afghan parliament also urged that the political rights of the Hindu and Sikh minorities should not be taken from them.

However, the decree was rejected by 73 lawmakers out of 130 present lawmakers who had attended the Saturday's session.

President Hamid Karzai had signed the legislative decree earlier in September this year, which states that the government shall issue legislative decrees in case of immediate needs during the house representatives recess.

The legislative decree was issued in accordance with the Article 79 of the Afghan constitution and electoral law, however Afghan lawmakers argue that the decree is in conflict with the Article 83 of the constitution, which states that members of the parliament are elected through elections.

Afghan parliament reject reserved seat for Hindu/Sikh minority - Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency

 

[mehrotraprince]

Karzai Satisfied with India's Response to Military Aid Demand

Afghan President Hamid Karzai today expressed satisfaction over India's response to his demand for stepping up military aid, saying the "facts" on such supplies were much better than "what is known" amidst indication that the government was considering the request.

In an interaction with media here, Karzai said a host of crucial issues including supply of military equipment by India, Afghanistan's conditions in signing bilateral security pact (BSA) with the US ahead of withdrawal of NATO forces and the peace process were discussed extensively during his talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday.

The Afghan President, on a four-day visit here, said he was "satisfied" with the discussions on training as well as supply of military equipment from India to his country to strengthen the security forces of Afghanistan.

The discussions were "very productive and resulted in satisfaction for the Afghan side," he said refusing to elaborate further.

Asked specifically about whether New Delhi was reluctant about supply of military hardware to Afghanistan, he said India has been "conducting itself very wisely" and at the same time was not "shying away" from assisting his country.

"India is also not shying away from providing assistance to Afghanistan and I can tell you that in terms of India's support to Afghanistan in military equipment and training the the facts are lot better then what you hear in the press," he said.

"India wants to help us...India wants to have a region free of tension and that's exactly what Afghanistan wants. I have satisfaction over the outcome (of the meeting with Singh). said. Karzai had meetings with top leadership here including Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

When pressed further on the issue of supply of military equipment by India, he only said, "As far as military hardware is concerned, Afghanistan needs them and India and other countries are helping."

Talking about the Afghan-US Bilateral Security Agreement, Karzai said he had a detailed discussions with Singh about Afghanistan's position on the issue and the Indian Prime Minister understood it.

"I informed the the Prime Minister the view of Afghanistan in this (BSA) regard. I was happy to see that India understands Afghanistan's need for the BSA and also India understood why Afghanistan was taking some very cautious steps towards signing this agreement," Karzai said

The Afghan President has refused to ink the proposed pact demanding that the US must put an immediate end to military raids on Afghan homes and demonstrate its commitment to peace talks before he would sign the agreement.

"Afghanistan and India have deep strategic dialogue on all issues. My meeting yesterday with the Prime Minister was indeed an indepth dialogue on the BSA and on Afghanistan's conditions for signing it. Of course India believes that having continued NATO presence in Afghanistan in limited way and limited numbers beyond 2014 is good for Afghanistan," Karzai said.

He said people of Afghanistan have given approval to the BSA but at the same time they do not want bombing and attack on Afghan homes by the NATO forces and the US must ensure respect of the sentiments of people of his country.

"When certain US officials tells you that if you do not give us BSA, your country will go to civil war that's a threat," he said, criticising the US on the issue. Asked about Pakistan's role in the peace process, Karzai said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had promised his cooperation and he did not have any doubt about his sincerity. "I have confidence in sincerity of Sharif." Severely critical of functioning of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, Karzai said the policy of "giving billions of dollars" and thinking of having the "right" to attack Afghan homes will not be acceptable to him.

Karzai said he would like the US to "respect Afghan homes just like they respect their own homes. In pursuit of a bad person, the US does not bomb its homes." Giving an example of attacks by US forces in Afghanistan, he said recently they bombed a house in a remote part of the country to catch a suspected Taliban militant in which a two-year-old boy was killed and his mother was critically injured.

"When Mr Obama writes to me that the forces would respect the homes, it should be proved. Its not been proven yet," he said.

Asked about talks with various militant outfits in the peace process, Karzai said he was against involving those having links with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups having links with foreign terror groups.

On projects involving India, he said he wants "full speed" in implementation of those projects. He said his government was adopting a cautious approach so far as its mineral resources are concerned to ensure that they do not become "source of problems".

He also identified Chabahar as an important project among India, Iran and Afghanistan. The transit agreement involves India, Iran and Afghanistan. India had held discussions with Iran on the Chabahar port during External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's visit to Tehran in May.

Karzai Satisfied with India's Response to Military Aid Demand - The New Indian Express

 

[nrupatunga]

[tweet]415779956711383040[/tweet]

 

[nrupatunga]

How hard is it to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan? Very hard

Now, new research shows that just how hard winning hearts and minds can be. Afghans who experience violence at the hands of NATO forces become less supportive of these forces and more supportive of the Taliban. But Afghans who experience violence at the hands of the Taliban don't react nearly as strongly against the Taliban.

 

[nrupatunga]

Pentagon Advising 10,000 Troops Stay in Afghanistan—or None

Pentagon leaders have presented the White House with a plan that would keep 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after the end of this year, senior officials told The Wall Street Journal.

The plan proposes to withdraw almost all United States forces by the end of President Obama's second term.

The timeline is much shorter than what the military previously planned.

President Obama was told if he rejects this new proposal, he should withdraw almost all military personnel by the end of the year, the Journal reports.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, however, would have to agree to the new proposal. Until now, Karzai has refused to sign a bilateral security deal with the U.S. that which outlines how foreign troops could stay in Afghanistan after 2014.

Both the State Department and intelligence agencies support the 10,000-troop plan, according to the newspaper.

The White House says Obama has not yet made a decision about final troop numbers.

"If we cannot conclude a Bilateral Security Agreement promptly, then we will initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan," National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden told the Journal. "That is not a future we are seeking, and we do not believe that it is in Afghanistan's interests."

Right now, 37,500 troops are stationed in Afghanistan, the report notes. The U.S. is preparing to withdraw more than 5,000 of them next month. This is part of the plan Obama announced at the State of the Union a year ago, when he announced he'd draw down half of the 64,000 troops there.

The Pentagon's pitch to the White House comes as some lawmakers worry about the resurgence of al Qaeda members in Iraq. Some Republicans, including Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have argued this is evidence why American troops should have stayed beyond

 

[MLRS]

If Obama and Biden had their way, they would only leave about 2000 troops and cut funding drastic. With such a low number, they would be sitting ducks in their bases and not be able to carry out missions.

I think the Pentagon has had enough of the White House, who have no strategy for the war.

It makes me wonder, why does the US have more troops in peaceful Germany and South Korea, but they want to abandon Afghanistan to the Pakistanis, Taliban and Al Qaeda?

 

[IBSA]

U.S. Must Choose Between Afghanistan or Pakistan: Spanta
February, 01 2014

KABUL - The U.S. must choose between having Afghanistan or Pakistan as a strategic partner before Kabul is willing to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), Afghan National Security Advisor Dr. Rangeen Dadfar Spanta said on Thursday.

Dr. Spanta emphasized that the U.S. knows Pakistan is the main "obstacle" to the Afghan government's peace talks with the Taliban, yet refuses to acknowledge it.

"The United States is trying to tell the world and the people of Afghanistan that both the wolf and the sheep are their strategic friends," Dr. Spanta said. "Afghanistan's Southern and Eastern borders have been under attack for years, and those who are under attack are our women and children."

This week, reports were made in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of increased rocket attacks originating from across the border in Pakistan. There have been a number of heated confrontations over the years between Afghan and Pakistani border outfits, but no resolution to the skirmishes has been found.

Although relations between Kabul and Islamabad seemed to be improving in the fall of 2013, with Pakistan participating in a number of bilateral discussions with the Afghan government about getting Taliban peace talks on track, Dr. Spanta's comments on Thursday made it clear that tensions were still high.

"One of the preconditions for signing the BSA is for the U.S. to choose a strategic partnership with one of the two," Dr. Spanta said regarding Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"How can you call a country who has sacrificed so much your strategic partner, and on the other hand, call those who send suicide bombers a strategic partner as well," he added.

Recent statements from Pakistani officials have signaled to Afghan leaders that Islamabad wishes to wait until after the Afghan elections in April before it is willing to help get peace negotiations with the Taliban going.

Dr. Spanta responded to these statements, claiming they were signs that Pakistan intended to continue its subversive activities in Afghanistan.

"Postponing peace talks to after the elections shows once again that Pakistan wants to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, same as the past three decades and 12 years, as they have continued their policy of sending suicide bombers and disrupting peace and stability in Afghanistan," Spanta said.

If the U.S. does not address Pakistan as the threat to Afghanistan that it is, Spanta argued, any attempt to be "strategic partners" would be highly questionable.

Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Kabul has said that they do not have a simple solution for peace in Afghanistan, echoing comments made by U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice at the end of 2013 when she told TOLOnews the U.S. had no "magic wand" that could bring about a peace deal.

Rice was responding to President Hamid Karzai's new preconditions for signing the BSA, which would ensure U.S. troops stay in Afghanistan post-2014. Following the Loya Jirga that approved the security pact in November, Karzai rolled out new conditions for the U.S. to meet before he would sign the deal, including getting Taliban peace talks back on track and ending America's unilateral operations inside Afghanistan.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said this week that the BSA cannot be postponed any further, and Afghanistan risks having no foreign troops or financial aid to support it after December if the deal is not signed soon.

But as the elections near, Karzai's time left in office dwindles and pressure from Washington and the Afghan public mounts, there are signs that the administration in Kabul may be more flexible on its preconditions for signing than previously thought.

"If there other ways in which we can ensure that Afghanistan will have sovereignty, no part of Afghanistan will have its own regional government, and the Afghan constitution will be applicable to all parts of Afghanistan...if there are ways that could lead to these goals, then I think there are grounds for signing the BSA," Spanta said on Thursday.

He said he was optimistic the agreement would be signed before the elections.

But Washington has shown no eagerness to meet the conditions already set by Karzai. And Spanta's goals seem to go beyond what American officials have indicated they are capable of guaranteeing. (Tolonews)

U.S. Must Choose Between Afghanistan or Pakistan: Spanta - The Daily Outlook Afghanistan

 

[nrupatunga]

U-19 Cricket World Cup: Underdogs Afghanistan stun Australia

Afghanistan continued to make giant strides in the world of cricket as their Under-19 side caused a major upset to beat Australia by 36 runs in a Group B encounter in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Not very long ago in 2013, the senior team from the war-ravaged nation put all their personal strife in the politically volatile surroundings behind themselves and played their hearts out to qualify for the next edition of the World Cup in 2015.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Afghanistan opener Mohammad Mujtaba (75) and number three batsman Ihsanullah (63) laid the foundation for the Afghanistan innings with a 126-run stand for the second wicket. Further contribution from Hashmatullah Shaidi (57) helped Afghanistan post a total of 253.

Afghanistan's right-arm medium pacer Abdullah Adil broke the vital fourth-wicket stand, after which the Australians collapsed. Adil finished with figures of four for 45 in nine overs while Sharafudding Ashraf picked up three for 55 as Australia folded for 217, 36 runs short of the Afghanistan total.

 

[nrupatunga]

Pentagon Readies Plans For Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan

President Barack Obama has ordered the Pentagon to plan for an "orderly withdrawal" of American troops from Afghanistan by year's end as chances for a security agreement between the countries fade.

Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai by phone in the morning, and the White House signaled that Karzai was still unlikely to sign a bilateral security deal before he leaves office.

The deal would give the U.S. a legal basis for keeping troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014, although fewer than the 33,600 currently stationed there. As many as 100,000 troops were in the country as recently as 2010.

Meanwhile, pulling out of Afghanistan requires strategic preparation. Military officials said closing a base could take 10 months. A tighter window would mean a higher cost. Without a proper plan, the last troops remaining in the country could also be at risk, officials warned.

 

[nrupatunga]

Is Afghanistan really impossible to conquer? - By William Dalrymple

It's 25 years since the Soviet Union pulled its troops out of Afghanistan. The US is due to remove most of its forces at the end of the year. So what have these and other Afghan campaigns taught us?

Last Ramadan I drove through the badlands outside Kandahar to see the house where President Karzai grew up. I was the guest of the president's brother, Mahmoud Karzai.

"It has changed beyond all recognition," he said as we drove into the village of Karz. "This mosque I remember. I used to play with Hamid over there. But where is our house?"

The driver pulled up. "This is it?" asked Mahmoud. "It cannot be."

We got out in a flat field of dried mud, surrounded by mud-brick houses. Mahmoud's bodyguards fanned out while Mahmoud climbed on a small eminence. "The driver's right," he said. "This is our home." He gestured at the empty space.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The Russians," he replied.

"Why?"

"Any clan prominent in the mujahideen had their property demolished. These houses were where my cousins lived. The night the Soviet governor demolished our house, they were all lined up. Then they were shot. Every last one of them."

It is now the 25th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it is perhaps a good moment to compare the Soviet and American interventions.

On the surface, the two invasions are quite different - the Soviets came to extend the Soviet Empire while the West, we are told, intervened after 9/11 to root out the terrorism and bring democracy. Yet there are many uncomfortable similarities.

Both the Russians and the Americans thought they could walk in, set up a friendly government and be out within a year. Both nations got bogged down in a long and costly war of attrition that in the end both chose to walk away from.

The Soviet war was more bloody - it left 1.5 million dead compared to an estimated 100,000 casualties this time around, but this current war has been far more expensive. The Soviets spent only $2bn (£1.2bn) a year in Afghanistan while the US has already spent more than $700bn (£418bn).

Moreover this time arguably less has been gained. Twenty-five years ago the Soviets withdrew leaving a relatively stable pro-Soviet regime in place - Najibullah's government collapsed only when the Soviets cut off supplies of weapons a full four years later.

But 13 years after the West went in to Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaeda and oust the Taliban, America and its Allies find themselves about to withdraw with neither objective wholly achieved.

What remains of al-Qaeda has moved to the Pakistani borderlands, and elsewhere, while the Taliban have a major influence over maybe 70% of southern Afghanistan. That share can only increase later this year when the British and the Americans withdraw most of their troops.

There is another precedent to this war. For the last five years, I have been writing a history of the First Anglo-Afghan War which took place from 1839-1842.

The book tells the tale of arguably the greatest military humiliation ever suffered by the West in the East. The entire army of what was then the most powerful nation in the world was utterly destroyed by poorly-equipped tribesmen.

On the retreat from Kabul, of the 18,500 who left the British cantonment on 6 January 1842, only one British citizen, the assistant surgeon Dr Brydon, made it through to Jalalabad six days later.

The parallels between the current war and that of the 1840s are striking. The same cities are being garrisoned by foreign troops speaking the same languages, and they are being attacked from the same hills and passes.

Not only was our then puppet, Shah Shuja, from the same Popalzai sub-tribe as President Karzai, but his principal opponents were the Ghilzai tribe, who today make up the Taliban's foot soldiers.

It is clearly not true, as is sometimes said, that its impossible to conquer Afghanistan -many Empires have done so, from the ancient Persians, through Alexander the Great to the Mongols, the Mughals and the Qajars.

But the economics means that it is impossible to get Afghanistan to pay for its own occupation - it is, as the the then Emir said as he surrendered to the British in 1839, "a land of only stones and men".

Any occupying army here will haemorrage money and blood to little gain, and in the end most throw in the towel, as the British did in 1842, as the Russians did in 1988 and as Nato will do later this year.

In October 1963, when Harold Macmillan was handing over the prime ministership to Alec Douglas-Home, he is supposed to have passed on some advice.

"My dear boy, as long as you do not invade Afghanistan you will be absolutely fine," he said. Sadly, no one gave the same advice to Tony Blair.

It just seems to prove Hegel's old adage that the only thing you learn from history is that sadly no one ever learns anything from history.

It looks like west is "looking for excuse" as to why they want to pack-up with job half-done.

It seems the white man has been so burdened that he is running away from his self-appointed "civilizing" responsibilities in entire globe.

 

[nrupatunga]

Afghanistan's New Middle Class Could Be Key to Stability

The Tolo News compound of old villas protected by armed security guards has next-to-nothing in common with Silicon Valley, but it feels like a startup. Desks are crammed in where they fit. Screens line the walls. Computers are humming. Papers are strewn across meeting tables. Employees are busy discussing the latest ideas for the upcoming show. From here, Tolo News broadcasts 16 hours of live television per day.

A day after the country's elections, Tolo's young employees (the average age is 24) gather in a small courtyard to celebrate their successful coverage. The team was happy with their coverage, but also felt relieved that election day was less violent than expected and voter turnout was reported up. The bosses are here to sponsor a free lunch – a perk seen here to be as lavish as a free massage at Google's headquarters.

This team is Afghanistan's new middle class – a stratum that slowly grew in the decade after the fall of the Taliban. This is the first generation that widely received an education and had access to information. Under the Taliban had only about 20,000 working phone lines; today there are 18 million cell phones. While many mountainous regions are still remote, the internet has arrived to the cities.

It is still a small slice of the population, and concentrated in the country's major cities. But once foreign troops and foreign aid leave the country, this middle class could become the force of stability in the troubled country, the force to reject the extremists. Many challenges exist, from terrorism to corruption, but these young people are optimistic.

"I really don't see that the youth who have seen the benefits of education, of ethnic diversity, globalization, traveled around the world, are willing to put an AK47 or an RPG on their shoulder and fight for the warlords," said Lotfullah Najafizada, news director of Tolo.

He's seen a lot of change for a 27 year-old. Under the Taliban television was banned. A single radio station run by the state mostly broadcast religious poems and prayer times. Today, there are 150 private radio stations and 50 private television channels. Najafizada now heads one of Afghanistan's largest newsrooms with 100 editors, producers and talk show hosts.

'A Decade of Peace'
Dressed smart in a grey suit and a slim tie, Najafizada vividly remembered life under the Taliban in Mazari-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan. He grew up poor and studied English in secret.

"Against our will we had to put a turban on our head and go to school, simply no choice, no quality of education," he said. "I was walking a kilometer every single day to go to school and coming back without food. But that has been changed, not only for me, but for millions of Afghan youth."

He said the US-led invasion, which brought about the fall of the Taliban, allowed his generation to get a better education. According to UNESCO, the enrollment in primary education grew from 26 percent of all children under Taliban rule in 1999 to 97 percent in 2011.

"That's why we have such a vibrant team of journalists here," Najafizada said. "For the Americans it's a decade of war as you've had troops on the ground. For us, it's a decade of peace."

With the Taliban stripped of power, he started a new life working as a journalist for a family-run newspaper. Now he's working in a 24/7 newsroom with access to five bureaus in Afghanistan's major cities and an additional 10 reporters in more rural areas.

"You never get tired of, you never get bored of the environment here, because every minute you get new information," he said. "You get sometimes bad news, sometimes good news, but there is always things to digest, to analyze."

Election day was another milestone for Najafizada's team. Working late into the night, they covered the election not only on cable, but also through a live blog on the web and Twitter. Najafizada said it was a great day to witness democracy in action.

"You've had millions of first-time voters, who went to the polling stations and voted, because for us it's a matter of survival," he said.

But this is still Afghanistan. And even on an election day that was described as successful by the country's media and the government, a tenth of polling stations were closed for security reasons, and 19 security forces, seven civilians and 89 militants were killed.

Saad Mohseni, Afghan media entrepreneur and president of Moby group, which owns Tolo News said, "we have a lot of challenges ahead." Mohseni, who spent most of his previous life as an investment banker in Australia and Great Britain, returned to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban and started his media group with seed money from USAID. Always bullish about Afghanistan's future, he said that the country would have to fix the economy, strengthen the security forces, eradicate corruption, and build up educational institutions.

"Much will depend on the next government," he said.

The past years under president Harmid Karzai were ones of stagnation. Foreign soldiers kept the militants at bay and foreign aid propped up the economy. With the international community pulling out of Afghanistan, it will be on the country's emerging middle class to keep the country on track. Afghanistan turns into one big startup project.

Mohseni believes in the next generation. "They're aspirational. They're willing to adapt and adopt new things," he said. "They have ambitions for themselves and for their country. Of course, we have to provide them with jobs, we have to provide them with education, there are a lot of 'ifs' along the way, but I think we're on the right track."

On the news desk and in the control room of Tolo News Afghanistan's new middle class is trying to set an example for the rest of the country, but it's an uphill battle. In a country as volatile as Afghanistan running a newsroom is not an easy task, Mohseni said.

"It's not just about production, it's about keeping our politicians happy, it's about keeping the warlords happy, working with the police, avoiding the Taliban and the terrorists," he said.

==========================
@MLRS @datguy79 Is there any afghani english news channel available on net??

 

[nrupatunga]

As US withdraws, it may back a role for China in Afghanistan

Since the US invaded Afghanistan there has been a common thread to the policies of America and China towards Afghanistan. The US has consistently opposed a role for China in Afghanistan's future and, equally consistently, China has refused to accept any meaningful role in Afghanistan's future security or security-related

Not unsurprisingly, China has taken every opportunity to benefit from the vacuum in Afghanistan for economic opportunities. It has secured rights for copper mining and has been seeking opportunities to undertake other mining ventures. It has also invested in rail and road networks in those portions of Afghanistan in which China has an interest.

The US, on the other hand, might have lost virtually all opportunity to exploit the economic opportunities offered by Afghanistan and, through it, by Central Asia. However, it has sought every opportunity to safeguard its "strategic interests" to encircle China and Russia and deny both a role in the future of Afghanistan.

But China has never sought a role in Afghanistan's future nor was it expected that US would ever acquiesce to giving China such a role.

It is against this backdrop that a most unexpected event occurred in mid-March when US experts on Pakistan and Afghanistan met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing. It was kept very quiet but some Chinese dailies made a small mention of it, which led to a mention in English-language -media as well.

Commenting on the meeting for The Guardian, in an article titled "Afghanistan: as China forges new alliances, a new Great Game has begun", the historian William Dalrymple attributed this development to Chinese concerns about its large Uighur population in the province of Xinjiang; and to the Uighurs' possible "Pakistan connection".

Even as he drew this conclusion, Dalrymple pointed out that the US State Department finds little evidence of a Pakistan connection with Uighurs, though it acknowledges the contribution of Uzbeks to Pakistan's internal insecurity.

China's long-term concern about its Uighurs is indisputable. Chinese historians attribute their ancestors' defeat by Genghis Khan to the support ancient Uighurs gave the Mongol emperor.

The Chinese decided many decades ago that they were going to change the demographic contours of Xinjiang – and one way of doing that was through the decision to terminate the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline at Urumchi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. As a consequence, Uighurs might soon become a minority in the region.

While I agree that the consequence of these developments do indicate the beginning of a "new Great Game" – a reference to historical jockeying for influence in Central Asia – I fear that Dalrymple might have merely scratched the surface of the reasons for this development. He obviously has no explanation for the US's change in policy, and nor do I have an explanation that I can support with evidence. Therefore, I am forced to draw conclusions.

Not having been able to obtain its desired bilateral security agreement with the Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, the US will no longer be in a position to influence the future of Afghanistan after he leaves office. It would, therefore, be fair to conclude that America's ambitious strategic plans for containing China and Russia have to be curtailed.

If the US has reached this conclusion, it must also have realised that it is compelled to seek assistance from either Russia or China so as to retain some measure of control over Afghanistan's future. If this is a fair conclusion, which one of these two would be more acceptable to the US? China, a distant foe based in Asia, or Russia, the traditional foe that opposes the US on the European continent as well as in Asia?

I would choose China any time.

Dalrymple quotes the Sino-US confrontation in the South China Sea over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands as an event that has "disguised" the growing detente between these two great powers. I consider this confrontation as a turning point.

Apart from its concerns with its Uighurs, China, being a direct neighbour, has genuine interests regarding Afghanistan's future. However, China has followed a policy of avoiding reasons for military confrontation with the US while it is growing economically.

So long as America considered Chinese interference in Afghanistan as a threat to US interests, China was more than willing to stay out of Afghanistan and bide its time. If, however, the US is willing to offer China some sort of role, it would be astonishing if China turned it down.

What is more, even as China is also seeking common ground with Russia, it is aware that the US is a distant foe. Even if Sino-Russian relations improve, China will inevitably have to face the Russian challenge in Asia just as the US and Nato must face Russia in Europe.

What would be more logical than a Sino-US detente on Afghanistan to jointly tame the Russian bear in Europe and Asia in this beginning of a new Great Game?

Brig Shaukat Qadir is a retired -Pakistani infantry officer

So pakis want their "closest friends" to help them rule a'stan.

 

[amoy]

China-built hospital helps Afghan war victims | Wadsam

King Zahir Shah met Mao

 

[MLRS]

Abdullah is currently leading with 43%. Either they are cutting deals or will hold a runoff with Ashraf Ghani.

UPDATE: Abdullah Leading Third Round of Partial Results