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By Mansoor Faizy KABUL: The First Vice President Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum blamed President Ashraf Ghani and Chief this year it has been “the same or police, and we should not forget Executive Abdullah Abdullah for slightly higher.” for one minute the sacrifice that fueling discrimination among Af- “One of the principle factors they are making even as we live ghan people. In a briefing in north- for the high casualties has been the today.” “Casualties are a problem,” ern Jawzjan province, Dostum leadership, the failures of leader- spokesperson for Operation Res- said that President Ghani is hap- ship at certain levels. Primarily this olute Support Brigadier General py when someone who speaks has been in the police and to a less- Charlie Cleveland echoed. Cleve- Pashto language, especially with er extent in the (Afghan) army,” land explained that many of the Logari accent. Located in the east- Nicholson said. casualties have occurred at the thou- ern part of the country, Logar prov- Masoud, President’s special rep- “We have seen general fail- sands of checkpoints around the ince is President Ashraf Ghani’s resentative for reforms and good ures” in some units, he said, high- country, which are usually under- birthplace. Furthermore, Dostum governance, indirectly blamed lead- lighting the police as a particular manned. Checkpoints are “a huge called Abdullah “a weak person” ers of the government for discrim- problem area. source of casualties,” Cleveland saying, he (Abdullah) lacks good inations. “It benefits nothing that Nicholson added that some said, but he could not say whether fame among Afghan people. After today I am in the government and Afghan units are not only lacking that is the main source. the formation of National Unity hire all Tajik tribes in the govern- leadership, but they have little The US military believes there Government, Afghanistan, despite ment posts. This trend creates con- ammunition or even food and wa- are too many checkpoints and they insecurity has witness discrimina- sequences,” he told the gathering. ter. “The failure is not the young should be streamlined, he ex- tion. Recently, Afghan lawmakers He furthered, “It also brings soldier on the ground, the failure is plained, saying that the US has said that the country is under sen- no good if our Pashtoon brothers, the ability to properly supply conveyed that feeling to the Af- sitive condition as some elements who are on top government posts them and lead them. So these young ghans. are flaming discrimination. They fill all government positions of police officers who are dying out The Afghan Army is not cur- also said that those creating dis- Pashtun tribes.” there on the checkpoints don’t al- rently at full strength, Cleveland crimination among the Afghan Other speakers in the gather- ways have enough food or water said, explaining that they are fund- tribes are working for the enemies ing also blamed the government for or ammunition, and their leader ed for 190,000 troops and general- of peace and stability of Afghani- sparking discrimination and they may not be with them,” he said. ly hover around 170,000 total serv- stan. Moreover, in a gathering held said that National Unity Govern- He added that both corruption and ing. in Panjshir province, Ahmad Zia ment is not working for unity. leaders failing to lead their troops The Afghan police are closer on the ground in a dangerous situ- to their allotted end strength of ation are resulting in security force 150,000 he said, but added that casualties. More than 900 Afghan their numbers fluctuate. Cleveland Key Taliban commander security personnel died in July explained that despite the fact the while battling Taliban insurgents, recruitment remains relatively high, AT Monitoring Desk John Nicholson, terming poor lead- the casualty rate,” said Nicholson Nicholson said earlier this year. casualties are too high to make up killed in Kapisa ership in certain levels as a sole in an interview with NBC news, “There were over 900 martyrs in the deficits and the forces are con- KABUL: The US, NATO troops’ reason behind casualtiessurge. explaining that last year the Af- the Afghan army and police. This sistently below their allowed end AT News Report militants are actively operating commander in Afghanistan Gen. “We are very concerned about ghans suffered high casualties and is almost a brigade of soldiers and strength. there. Separately, at least nine mil- KABUL: A key commander of itant loyal to the Islamic State (IS), the Taliban insurgents was killed or known as Daesh terrorists were USAID pledges $791m in clash with Afghan security forc- killed in operations in eastern Nan- es in north-eastern Kapisa prov- garhar province. The provincial aid to Afghanistan Wolesi Jirga concerned over ince, local official said on Mon- government media office in a state- day. The provincial governor ment, said at least four terrorists AT News Report KABUL: The spokesman,QaisQaderi said that were killed during an operation by United State Taliban insurgents attacked po- the security forces in PacherAgam Agency for International Development govt’s failure to fight narcotics lice checkpoints in the Tagab and district. In the meantime, the min- (USAID) on Monday announced dona- Alasay districts, in which Tali- istry of defense in a statement said, tion of $791.16 million in assistance to By Farhad Naibkhel fice on Drug and Crime (UNoDC) of addicted people,” he added. respond to the MPs question, said ban commander along with his ac- at least 5 militants were killed dur- the government of Afghanistan to sup- on Sunday released its 2016 sur- Another lawmaker, Sayed Ali Ka- that ministry has established an companies were killed. Without ing an airstrike in the same district. port programs that achieve Afghan- KABUL: Lawmakers in vey, in which showed 43 percent zemi, said that the government anti-narcotics strategic plan which elaborating the number of insur- It added the airstrikes targeted led,sustainable development. US Agen- “Wolesi Jirga” or Lower rose in opium production across must recognize the main roots and is going to be implemented up to gents killed in the attack, he said a compound belonged to the cy for International Development (US- House of the Parliament on the country this year. Survey dem- take measure for elimination of 2020. She added that the strategy that three militants were also Daeshmilitants in the province. AID) Director Herbert Smith and Minis- Monday expressed deep onstrated 10 percent increase in narcotics throughout the country. is included of eradication, fighting wounded in the attack. “The Tal- This comes as the local offi- ter of Finance Eklil Hakimi signed agree- concern over government narcotic cultivation across the Criticizing growing of poppy in narcotics and reinforcement of iban commander was identified as cials said Saturday at least 54 loy- ments to assist development projects. failures in fight against nar- country in 2016. According to sur- the country each year, he said that anti-narcotics law across the coun- QariEmal” he said, adding that alists of the terror group were “These agreements are a testament to the cotics andalso treatment to vey, 93 percent of the total opium the government should share in- try. BazMohammad Ahmadi, killed commander was involved killed during a large scale opera- enduring partnership between the Amer- the addicted people across poppy cultivation in Afghanistan formation in the aspect with Deputy Minister of Interior for in different terrorist activities in tion launched in this province. ican and the Afghan people. Over the next the country. To find way took place in the Southern, West- public in a bid to fight this deadly Counter Narcotics, termed lack of the province. “There were no ci- Nangarhar is among the rela- 12-months, this funding will enable us to out, lawmakers summoned ern and Eastern regions of the coun- phenomenon in a better manner. capacity and modern equipment as vilian or security forces casual- tively volatile provinces in east- implement projects and deliver valued ser- Interior, CounterNarcotics, try. The southern region account- Another MP,Shaheedai, said the a main challengeover government ties in the clashes,” he said. vices to our citizens across Afghanistan,” ern of the country where both the andPublic Health Ministers ed for 59 percent of the total culti- drug traffickers distributing drugs- failure to gain further achievements Tagab and Alsay are among Taliban insurgents and militants Finance Minister Eklil Hakimi said. as well as CounterNarcotics vation; the Western for 25 percent to the addict people without any in fight against narcotics. “Three insecure provinces in north-east- “These are some of the first practical steps loyal to Daesh terrorists are ac- Deputy to answer ques- and the Eastern for 9 percent. The fear in Kabul city. However, these million people are involve in nar- ern of the country, where armed tively operating. we are taking to deliver on our commit- tions of the legislatorsover remaining regions (Northern, trafficker still at large, as security cotics deals, but the ministry has ments and the pledges that were made at mounting of narcotics pro- Northeastern and Central) togeth- agencies did not detain them. “Sim- only 2,500 counter narcotics the Brussels Conference to help Afghan- duction and also increasing er accounted for 7 percent only. A ple access to drug is another rea- police(CNP) to deal with,” he add- istan achieve self-reliance,” he added. number of addicted people representative of Farah in Wolesi son behind surgeinaddictionon dai- ed. He added that CNP arrested Hundreds of Punjabi fighters USAID Director Herbert Smith, said the throughout the country. Jirga, Osman Farahi slammed gov- ly basis.” Moreover, majority of 780 suspected drug traffickers in documents just signed begin to implement Members of Parliament ernment over its failure in anti-nar- legislators pointed some shortag- the past seven months only in build strongholds in Nimroz the multi-year pledge that the United (MPs)criticized government cotics operations, saying”poppy es in anti-narcotics law and asked Kabul, the capital city. “Some 115 States made at the recent Afghanistan for its failure in anti-narcot- Hundreds of Punjabi fighters have military facilities in Afghan sol- donor’s conference in Brussels, where the cultivation and production expand- for revamp of it.They (MPs) will- smugglers arrested in Hamid built strongholds in Khashrod dis- diers' counter-narcotics mission. ics drive. The criticism ed enough across the country this ing overhaul in the law in order to Karzai International Airport, who US underscored its enduring commitment comes as the Ministry of trict in Nimroz province and it is The findings show that every to the people of Afghanistan and its Na- year.” “Government failed to pre- gain further success in anti-narcot- were wanted to carry drugs abroad, said they are helping drug smug- counter-narcotics soldier has one Counter Narcotics (MoCN) vent expanding of poppy cultiva- ics campaign. Minister of placing it in their abdomen,” he tional Unity Government. “This docu- and the United Nation Of- glers and land grabbers in the weapon and a magazine. ment reaffirms US determination to sup- tion as well as increasing number CounterNarcotics,SalamatAzimiin underlined. southwestern parts of the coun- Nimroz has sandy hills which port the government of Afghanistan in ef- try, a special report prepared by can be used for tourists, but ac- forts to strengthen Afghanistan’s institu- TOLOnews reveals. cording to locals, the areas are serv- tions, maintain gains in education and WAR’S FURY TOBE SUBSIDED IN WINTER AS TALIBAN Reports indicate that Paki- ing as good routes for drug and health services achieved in recent years, Spokesman of Interior Ministry. stani military is helping the fight- human smugglers. Nimroz police and improve the welfare of the Afghan PREPARES FOR SPRING OFFENSIVE Afghan security forces have as- ers in Nimroz, but Pakistan's said they are chasing smugglers in people,” Herbert said. The funds obligat- in the country due to the approach- sured to eradicate Taliban’s havens embassy in Kabul rejects the in- the hills, but their success depends ed under the agreements will support pro- With winter approaching in Afghanistan, the armed Taliban group has started the returning process to their safe havens in Pakistan ing of the cold season and Taliban and suppress them in the upcom- volvement of its military in this on the signs the suspects leave af- grams that achieve strategic development gets ready for the upcoming year’s ing days. “Taliban militants return aspect and says that the Punjabi ter they enter or pass through the objectives, including a thriving economy and to take preparations for the next spring season. Afghani- stan’s mountainous terrain and heavy snowfall have traditionally offensive. “With winter approach- to Pakistan to get preparation for fighters are members of Tehreek areas. "You see the hills and plains. led by the private sectors, a democratic ing, the Taliban militants begin to the next year, but we assure that Taliban Pakistan (TTP). We are stopping them [smugglers] government with broad citizen participa- prompted a winter lull in fighting, with the militants using the colder months to rest and regroup ahead of an annual spring return to their safe havens in Paki- the Taliban will be beaten in the Meanwhile, TOLOnews's and their cars if they pass through tion, and a better educated and healthier stan and to be equipped and gain nearest time,” said Dawlat Waziri, findings reveal that there is a lack this route," Nimroz police chief Afghan population. offensive. The Ministry of Defense and Interior say the war has been fallen more supports,” said Sidiq Sidiqi, MoD spokesman. (ariananews) of forces, equipment and other Jailani Abubakr said. (ToloNews) TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES

the ministries concerned were re- peatedly requested to airlift fruit exports, he said, urging the author- ities to help traders obtain visas so they could travel to different countries and find market for their products. All Afghan embassies abroad KANDAHAR CITY : Despite a had commercial sections, but none higher grape yield this year, farm- of them had marketed local prod- ers in southern Kandahar province ucts, he complained.“I don’t know could not export much of the fresh what is the government doing? fruit due to the closure of the Cha- People are waiting for it to take man border with Pakistan. action for resolving our problems.” Kandahar exported 11 tons of Recent political tensions be- grapes this year, most of it going tween India and Pakistan also af- to the neighbouring country.The fected Afghan traders. The market border closure for two weeks for Afghan products in Pakistan caused heavy financial losses to was seriously damaged and mer- Kandahar fruit-growers. chants sold their products cheap- Provincial chamber of com- ly, Zahir explained. merce head, Haji Nasrullah Zahir, About the opening of the Cha- in an exclusive interview with Pa- bahar port in Iran, he said exports jhwok Afghan News, said Kanda- from Afghanistan through that fa- har’s grape yield was quite impres- cility were yet to begin. Opening sive this year, but only a limited the port was just a symbolic act, quantity of the fruit could be ex- he commented. ported. He said 11 tons worth of Currently Afghanistan’s fruits $2.3 million of the fruit had been were exported from Pakistan and exported, mostly to Pakistan, India to China, he maintained. Trad- some of it to India and a small quan- ers asked the Chinese ambassador tity to the United Arab Emirates during a recent visitto Kandahar (UAE). The grape season is end- to provide a direct export route for ing but only two truckloads of it Afghan products. are transported to Pakistan daily. In response, the ambassador However, he said the export lev- told traders it was the responsibil- elswere lower this year,.compared ity of the Afghan government to to the past. Pakistan blocked the sign an agreement with China in Spind Boldak-Chaman highway at this regard. However, the govern- a time while farmers in Kandahar ment was yet to take action, he were collecting grapes. deplored, recalling 80 cargo wag- Pakistan blocked the transit ons recently arrived from China in route on August 18 after Afghan- the northern region of the country. protestors torched its flag near the But they returned empty due to border crossing.However, the route the absence of an export agreement was reopened as result of govern- with China. Fresh Fruit Traders’ ment efforts after 14 days of clo- Association headHaji Nanai Agha sure. Zahir said most of gardeners blamed the losses suffered by farm- had dried grapes for raisin due to ers and traders on what he called limited exports. Growers and trad- government negligence.He demand- ers would suffer heavy financial ed alternative routes for Afghani- losses if the government did not stan’s exports, calling for reducing provide them alternative export reliance on Pakistan. sources, he warned. Agha claimed Afghan mer- Pakistan had always created chants and gardeners had suffered problems for Afghan exports and losses worth 12 million afghanis it did not want Afghans to stand every day when the transit trade on their own feet, the trade leader route was recently blocked by alleged. The governor’s house and Pakistan.(PAJHWOK)

A week ago Sunday, the largest military engagement in Iraq since the American invasion in 2003 commenced in the vicinity of the Iraqi city of Mosul as more than 100,000 fighters from the grand coalition of the Iraqi Army, the Kurdish Peshmerga, various Iraqi militia paramilitaries and an assort- ed crew of advisers and observers from Turkey, the United States, Great Britain, France and Canada started the final push against the forces of the Islamic State and its of the foremost proponents of the be defeated with massive amounts Perched on top of lumbering trucks tween India and Pakistan soured. coordinator in Afghanistan. migrant camp in Calais, children in holdings in northern Iraq. so- called Revolution in Military of firepower and few numbers of overflowing with all their posses- Lines of colorfully decorated "Out of the $150 million that limbo Both countries accuse the Mosul is of crucial importance Affairs, the idea that advanced tech- troops but instead requires re- sions, Afghan families are stream- trucks pass through the border gate we requested, we've only got $48 other of harboring hostile militant in the struggle against ISIS/ISIL nology and precision firepower straint and the provision of secu- both symbolically and materially. used in conjunction with relative- rity to local populations. ing back to their home country at at Torkham, navigating the moun- million so far, and our costs are groups, and Pakistan has been Symbolically Mosul is the birth- ly small units of highly-trained elite This point is illustrated in the unprecedented rates, leaving inter- tainous passes with returning ref- certainly going to be running quite wary of Afghanistan's deepening place of the caliphate which the soldiers from the future of war- way which President Obama lost national organizations scrambling ugees clinging to piles of house- high over the winter period," he ties with India. But Pakistani offi- Islamic State claims to encompass, fare. Iraq and helped set the stage for to provide aid as winter approach- hold goods, sometimes with a fam- told Reuters. cials deny there has been system- as it was in the Great Mosque of This hypothesis was blister- the rise of ISIS in the first place. es. The flow of returnees from ily cow nearly buried in the back. While the winter is usually atic harassment of Afghans living al-Nuri in Mosul that the leader of ingly successful in Afghanistan af- He attempted to use this type of neighboring Iran and Pakistan this A cluster of white tents only a mild in the area of Nangarhar prov- in Pakistan and say their country ISIS, self- styled Caliph Abu Bakr ter the 9/11 attacks and in the ear- strategy against an insurgency, uti- year, estimated by the United Na- few hundred meters from the bor- ince where many returning refu- has demonstrated great generosity al-Baghdadi, proclaimed the dawn ly days of the invasion of Iraq in lizing a limited troop footprint and tions to number more than half a der marks the first facility operat- gees have at least temporarily set- to the refugee population, despite of the new Caliphate in 2014. 2003, but proved disastrous in the major amounts of firepower. How- million, is straining the capacity ed by the U.N., the Afghan gov- tled, many others have headed fur- severe economic problems of its Materially Mosul – a city of consolidation phase afterwards, ever, as an insurgency requires of the government and aid agen- ernment, and other aid agencies to ther west to Kabul, where freez- own. While the challenges of help- between 1 million and 2 million when large-scale insurgencies in major numbers of troops and lim- cies, even as violence uproots more provide aid for returnees before ing temperatures may take a toll ing the returning Afghan refugees people (it was over 2 million prior both Iraq and Afghanistan conclu- ited firepower this failed. Now that Afghans around the country. they look for a home in a country on anyone unable to find accom- requires immediate attention, the to the fighting but thousands have sively demonstrated the need for ISIS has tried to transition into a At Torkham, the busiest bor- many have not seen in years. modation, Bowden said. international community should left due to the Islamic State’s inva- large troops numbers on the semi-conventional military force der crossing between Afghanistan Here, and at other sites near- Escalating friction between work with Afghanistan, Pakistan, sion and the coalition counter-at- ground still exists in the 21st cen- this type of strategy is working to and Pakistan, nearly 170,000 Af- by, families are offered medical Afghanistan and Pakistan flared and Iran to try to solve the broad- tack) – is the second largest city in tury. defeat them, but once ISIS has no ghans have returned this year, ac- checkups, bundles of basic sup- into brief clashes at the Torkham er problems driving the crisis, said Iraq and the largest in the regions In short Rumsfeld was right territory left there is a risk that it cording to the U.N., many of them plies and food. border crossing in June, the vio- Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the controlled by ISIS. It is also a fair- and wrong. He was wrong because will be able to reform, regroup, and citing harassment by Pakistani au- In September, the U.N. issued lence symptomatic of a wider de- U.N. assistance mission in Afghan- ly wealthy city and is surrounded states generally still cannot get retake territory if the American- by oil fields, and so losing it will away without using massive num- led coalition is unable to consoli- thorities as relations between the an appeal for millions of dollars of cline in relations between Pakistan istan. "This could be a long-term deal a painful blow to the econo- bers of troops in large-scale com- date the gains made after they win two countries have deteriorated. emergency funding to help return- and Afghanistan that has prompt- issue, but I think the immediate my of the Islamic State. bat operations. Even the coalition the battle of Mosul. Islamabad has stepped up ing refugees and other internally ed political and sometimes military attention now will define the mag- Over the last few days, the al- battling ISIS in and around Mosul The apparent success in Mo- pressure to send people back and displaced people in Afghanistan, confrontations. nitude of the problem that we have lied offensive has met major suc- today is more than 100,000 men sul offers both a template and a numbers have risen sharply in re- but so far the fundraising has yet Islamic State steps up counter- down the road," he said. "So we cess, completely encircling the city strong. However, he was right in a warning. As a template it shows cent months as Afghan-Indian re- to reach its goal, said Mark attacks as Mosul offensive enters need to do it right at the start." and clearing a number of strategi- limited sense. that well-trained local forces can lations strengthened and those be- Bowden, the U.N.'s humanitarian second week France clears 'Jungle' (REUTERS) cally vital villages and suburbs in The major powers can get be quite successful if supported preparation for what the Pentagon away with a smaller troop foot- by overwhelming allied airpower has grimly predicted will be weeks print in a limited capacity. If fight- and advised by elite cadres. While to months of urban warfare and ing a conventional war with open as a strategy this is quite expen- Rural development convention holds... house-to-house fighting (allow the formations and having a large sive in terms of material goods and ...P12 Saemaul Undong this year, sustainable development model, conditions for Saemaul Undong ral areas began in 1970 in South Pentagon has also admitted that amount of allied forces present dollars, the number of American have proposed in which direction and on localization strategy con- implementation. Korea. People played basic role in currently the offensive is moving than a small number of U.S. or troops required—reportedly Saemaul Undong should step for- sidering each country’s own char- It also aims to develop stan- development of Korea’s rural ar- ahead of schedule). French or Russian or Chinese ad- around 5,000 in Iraq today—and ward. acteristics, and establishing public dardized Saemaul Undong educa- eas and quickly shortened distance One of the keys to this suc- visors paired with a heavy air pow- the reduced number of lives lost Kiboha village voluntarily es- and private cooperative gover- tion that can provide a consistent between cities and villages. Then, cess has been Western airpower, er presence does appear to pro- render this an excellent strategy, if tablished its own Saemaul commu- nance. and informative curriculum to be a number of Asian and African as American jets and helicopters vide a cost-effective way for the the situation allows for it. How- nity without any financial support In addition, 9 bilateral meet- utilized in any institutions to dis- countries used the movement as and a French aircraft carrier among most powerful countries on Earth ever, for any war against a major from the government. Funded by ings took place for the dissemina- seminate SaemaulUndong’s prin- an inspiration with the help of the others have provided close air sup- to wage war against less powerful or major-esque power (such as Iran donations and profitable business- tion and cooperation of Saemaul ciples of “diligence, self-help, and Saemaul Undong. The new move- port to the advancing coalition nations or non-state actors with- or North Korea) large numbers of es, Kiboha village proposed a new Undong, among two of which cooperation”. ment for the rural areas stands on troops in a way reminiscent of the out putting many of their own cit- American troops will be required. direction for Saemaul Undong. signed a MoU on Saemaul Undong Durrani met South Korea’s in- three bases: strong intention and stunning success of that small izens at risk. Likewise, if American is commit- In TamNgan village, private, cooperation. terior minister at the sideline of the national perception, the perception groups American Special Forces This strategy will not work ted to fighting an insurgency that business participated in Saemaul The Korean government will convention session, discussing the of cooperation with other people, operating and advising the Afghani across the board and will prove – would require more men and less ODA projects to help build a val- continue to put its utmost efforts implementation of the Saemaul responsibility and ownership per- Northern Alliance had in the jaw- and has proven – ineffective in firepower. ue chain of production-manufac- to ensure that Saemaul Undong can Undong program, technical assis- ception in the implementation of breakingly rapid blitzkrieg inva- counterinsurgencies and conven- That is in the future though. turing-sales, which can be seen as become a comprehensive and sus- tance, the Saemaul Undong experts’ projects. sion of Afghanistan which deposed tional wars. Conventionally two Today the Islamic State is being a great success story of Saemaul tainable global movement that is visit to Afghanistan and research The session discussed rural the Taliban in a matter of weeks powers of equal or close to equal ground to dust in Mosul. A decade Undong. tailored to each countries’ circum- on empowerment of the Afghan development and the new rural back in 2001. strength cannot defeat each other ago Americans were detested as At the high-level roundtable stances and times. It also plans to rural development institute. movement. The ministry of rural Somewhere, former Defense with limited force as if they were conquerors and invaders in Iraq. participated by 15 Ministers and introduce SMU Index that analy- South Korean interior minis- rehabilitation and development is Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is beating down ISIS or Syria or Now they are hailed as liberators Vice Ministers, discussions took ses the recipient countries’ de- ter vowed to help Afghanistan in to gradually introduce the new smiling. Rumsfeld, who was both whomever. These techniques will and saviors. What a difference a place on the role of the govern- mand, environment, and potential the mentioned affairs. movement model in Afghan rural the youngest and oldest Secretary not work against an insurgency, few years and a truly evil enemy ment to make Saemaul Undong a to make synthetic estimation of the The new movement on the ru- areas. of Defense in U.S. history, was one which by its very nature cannot make. (STUDENTPRINTZ) TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Police tackle car theft by deflating tyres KABUL: Police patrol the Af- ghan capital on a warm Sunday, but not to hunt extremists. Instead, they are deflating the tyres of parked cars — a theft prevention tactic that is raising ares — a fall of some 91 per cent," eyebrows as the country strug- gles to contain the growing men- Mr Fedotov said. The report said MERGENCY cultivation was also spreading to ace of petty crime. E new areas, as the number of pop- Kabul and its estimated five CALLS py-free provinces fell to 13 from million inhabitants are at war, a 14 out of a total of 34. prime target for Taliban-led in- Afghanistan's Deputy Minis- surgent attacks as well as as- Police As the United Nations reveals Afghanistan is estimated to boost opium production by more than ter for Counter-Narcotics, Baz saults by a nascent Islamic State. Mohammad Ahmadi, lamented The capital’s fledgling police 100 - 119 40 per cent this year, an expert warns it will only bolster the Taliban further. that Afghanistan's Government, force are under pressure to pre- locked in an increasingly desper- vent atrocities, so — short on opium, poppy, cultivation, unodc, ate battle against the resurgent Tal- time and resources — they have Hospitals heroinABCBy South Asia corre- iban, can no longer devote resourc- taken a scorched earth approach spondent James Bennett.As the es to destroying crops. when it comes to tackling more FMIC Hospital United Nations reveals Afghani- "The challenges of the deteri- routine petty crime. Behind Kabul Medical stan is estimated to boost opium orating security in different parts The logic is indisputable: if University: production by more than 40 per of the country took away the op- the car cannot be moved, it can- cent this year, an expert warns it portunities to destroy the poppy not be stolen. 0202500200-+93793275595 will only bolster the Taliban fur- farms," Mr Ahmadi said. “Police politely ask the res- ther. 'Demoralising' reflection on idents to not park their cars in Rabia-i-Balkhi Hospital In what the United Nations failure of western intervention the open... but when they prefer (UN) calls a "disturbing" backslide, Mr Kugelman says the spike to pay no heed, then police may Pule Bagh-e- Umomi Afghanistan, the world's largest in opium production is also yet move in to remove the air noz- 070263672 supplier of opium for heroin, is another unwelcome marker of Af- zles as a last measure,” says Fe- estimated to boost production by ghanistan's slide since the depar- raidoonObaidi, chief of Kabul more than 40 per cent this year. ture of most coalition troops two police’s criminal investigation Khairkhana Hospital Key points: years ago. "I imagine it must be department. Opium production expected very demoralising, for the West- “We can protect people 0799-321007 to rise more than 40 per cent this ern powers, simply because there's from both the thieves and the 2401352 year South Asia expert says in- been so much money and so much terrorists,” he says. crease in cultivation and yields is a effort poured into this attempt to “But they should know how security threat which the Taliban deal with this problem over the much energy we have to put in Indira Gandhi Children profits from The UN describes years," he said. to stop terrorists in the city. By growth in Afghan opium cultiva- "I think it's another example leaving their cars in the open, Hospital, Wazir Akbar tion as a disturbing backslide The of how efforts to try and improve they are inviting thieves.” Khan, Kabul 2301372 UN has attributed the increase to various things in Afghanistan sim- A series of attacks have Afghanistan's worsening security ply have not gone according to ripped across Kabul in recent situation, and one policy expert has plan." While the Taliban has re- months, jihadists armed with Ibn-e- Seena said increased drug production will cently claimed a series of battle- bombs and guns killing dozens field successes, Afghanistan's be- only bolster the Taliban further. of people, including the assault Pul-e-Artan, Kabul South Asia expert at Washing- leaguered army has suffered casu- alties and desertions. targeting Shiites during the Ashu- 2100359 ton think tank The Wilson Centre, "So long as you have this opi- under cultivation — the third big- abandoned in struggle against Tal- ra festival earlier in October that Michael Kugelman, said the in- um in Afghanistan, you're going to gest in 20 years of monitoring. iban The Government's loosening Most analysts say the 350,000 NATO trained troops are still no- left 14 people dead. crease in cultivation and yields was have a very strong insurgency." "The survey shows a worry- grip on security in many areas con- Most have been carried out Wazir Akbar Khan a clear security threat because it Yesterday the UN's Drugs and ing reversal in efforts to combat tributed to a collapse in poppy where near capable of defending the country without American air by the resurgent Taliban, includ- Hospital would further enrich the Islamic Crime Office (UNODC) released the persistent problem of illicit eradication efforts, a method cham- ing attacks on a global charity its annual survey of poppy pro- drugs and their impact on devel- pioned by the United States after support. internationalOpium pop- insurgent group. and a university as well as twin 2301741, 2301743 "It is a security threat because duction in Afghanistan, the world's opment, health and security," it led an invasion of Afghanistan in py cultivation in Afghanistan has biggest supplier of opium for her- UNODC executive director Yury 2001 when the country was under grown to its highest rate in 30 years blasts in September that killed the Taliban does derive a huge per- 41 people. centage of its profits from poppy oin. The 2016 results are grim — Fedotov said in a statement. Taliban rule. "Eradication has of monitoring. Ali Abad cultivation," Mr Kugelman said. in excess of 200,000 hectares are Eradication programs all but dropped precipitously to 355 hect- (RADIOAUSTRALIA) The Ashura attack was claimed by Islamic State. In July, Shahrara, Kabul the Middle East jihadist group, 2100439 which is struggling to gain a foot- Other view: hold in Afghanistan, claimed bombings that tore through mi- Malalai Maternity nority Shiite Hazara protesters Afghanistan in Kabul, killing 84 people in the Hospital deadliest attack in the capital 2201377/ 2301743 since 2001. adrift: The IT WORKS Official data shows up to Banks Taliban is 300 cars were stolen in Kabul’s streets from March to July — Da Afghanistan Bank slightly down from last year, but 2100302, 2100303 testing the still frustrating for police. “In some cases they work in Bakhtar Bank nation’s gangs, while others work individ- ually snatching cars, especially 0776777000 (the ones) that can easily be un- military locked,” says Kabir Ahmad Bar- Azizi Bank mak, chief of Kabul’s eleventh 0799 700900 Afghanistan government military district police. and police forces trained and “They snatch cars parked in Pashtany Bank equipped by the United States are vacant streets especially at night, 2102908, 2103868 finding themselves increasingly and sometimes turn them into challenged by the Taliban outside spare parts,” Barmak says, add- the capital, Kabul. ing police have been forced to use Air Services The Obama administration’s theory in Afghanistan and Iraq is valuable resources on special Safi Airways that their militaries’ forces can be mobile patrols to tackle the prob- strengthened to the point that U.S. lem. 020 22 22 222 forces can be withdrawn without Officers used to simply their governments being overrun slash the tyres, but now take the Ariana by their enemies. In the case of slightly more considerate route Afghanistan, it’s the Taliban; in of removing the air nozzles in- 020-2100270 Iraq, the Islamic State. stead. In Iraq the theory is being test- “When you see these thieves ed by the campaign to retake Mo- lurking in dark and people reck- Kam Air sul, the country’s second-largest lessly leaving their cars in the 0799974422 city, by a force that includes Iraqi open, it makes you think, best government forces, Kurdish fight- way to protect is to damage the Hotels ers and Shiite militias supported tyres,” says another officer in the by Iranians. The assault, support- district, who requested anonym- Safi Landmark ed by U.S. air and ground forces, ity. began on Monday. “It is working,” he adds with 020-2203131 In Afghanistan, the Taliban, the a triumphant smile. “Fewer peo- persistent enemy of the Kabul ple today leave their cars on SERENA government of President Ashraf streets than before.” Ghani, is carrying out a wide cam- But the tactic is angering a 0799654000 paign of attacks on government- public frustrated with the incon- held centers outside the capital, in venience and financial burden of 14 of 34 provinces in the north, repeated repairs. “Should one ex- New Rumi Restaurant west and south of the country. pect the police to serve or to 0776351347 Kunduz in the north is under siege, hurt?” says Akbar, a customer at and severe attacks have occurred a tyre repairing unit on the road- Internet Services in Farah province in the west and side outside central Kabul’s in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Hel- “Bush Bazaar”, a black market UA Telecom mand province in the south. A named after US President George 0796701701 / 0796702702 massacre of more than a hundred W. Bush. “It is not fair to punc- Afghan soldiers who thought they KUNDUZ, AFGHANISTAN : A In the city square, a traffic one is here to stop them. There is mornings and after dark, to stop ture a car to avert theft... You were being allowed by the Taliban bulldozer was busy clearing up the policeman blew his whistle to di- no police, nobody to stop them traffic going into or coming out of park your car here for few min- Exchange Rate to escape Lashkar Gah occurred burnt remains of a shop destroyed rect the unruly traffic as bicycles entering the city.” the city. It seemed easy for them utes, it is either stolen by a thief, Oct. 11. during more than a week of fight- weaved their way in and out of His concerns seemed legiti- to do so. The districts surround- or damaged by police,” he says. Purchase: Some 4,500 Afghan soldiers ing. Nearby, a man sold vegetables rows of cars and rickshaws; three- mate. It looked like most of the ing Kunduz city still have heavy “That is vandalism, not service.” were killed between March and on a cart amidst heaps of charred wheeled taxis popular in the re- security - the Humvees, the tanks, Taliban presence with areas con- Others pointed out they had lit- One US$ = August with some 900 having died bricks. Almost two weeks after the gion. The main bazaar was full of the trucks, the personnel - were sidered sympathetic to it. An ille- tle option but to leave their cars 66.89Afs in August alone. The casualties and Afghan government, with NATO pedestrians. Carts selling roasted concentrated in the city center, gal checkpoint could mean some- in the open. “When you go to a high level of corruption in the support, managed to fend off a corn or other snacks blocked the with little presence towards the thing as simple as a couple of Tal- the city, there are not many plac- One Pound Sterling= Afghan military and police have Taliban attempt in early October footpaths. Smoke, along with the outskirts. iban members walking or driving es to park your car except the 86.77Afs lessened recruitment to replace to take over Kunduz city, residents appetizing whiff of roast meat, The road that the VOA team up to the road on their motorbikes streets, and then it is gone with- One Euro = those lost and prompted deser- out much hope for its recovery,” tions. Discord within the leader- were trying to get their lives back rose from a shop selling kebabs, a took from nearby Baghlan prov- from a nearby village and waving 74.18Afs together. staple Afghan dish. A casual glance ince to Kunduz last Friday after- their AK-47s to stop traffic. says Ahmad Shoaib, whose car ship of the Afghan government, was stolen last month. But there 1000 Pak Rs = between Ghani and his supposed Even though the Taliban failed on the streets gave an impression noon also seemed to have little se- Afghan government and its partner, Abdullah Abdullah, to take over the city the way it did that things were usual, but locals curity presence. Convoys of de- NATO allies seem confident the is one merry, busy segment of 621Afs doesn’t help. for a few days in 2015, the fight- said they continued to live under a stroyed trucks and trailers every Taliban would not be able to run the capital that appears to ap- preciate the situation. “Police are Sale: The United States is still car- ing, and the subsequent looting, cloud of fear and uncertainty. Few few kilometers provided evidence over Kunduz, but that has done One US$ = rying out air and drone strikes destroyed many businesses. Resi- seemed to have confidence in the of Taliban attacks, but most of the little to reassure the population. doing a service,” says handyman against the Taliban, but it would dents complained of the high costs government’s ability to protect police checkposts, several of them “People’s shops are de- Abdul Shukoor at the roadside 67.09 Afs not be realistic to believe that they that war had imposed on them. them against the Taliban. half destroyed from past fighting, stroyed, businesses have shut mobile tire repairing unit, sipping One Pound Sterling= can compensate entirely for the “A loaf of bread has shot up “They can come anytime they were vacant. down, people are living in fear,” from his steaming tea with a 87.57Afs difficulties Afghanistan’s own mil- from five to 30 Afghanis. One liter want,” said Mohammad Idrees, Taliban militants are known to said Musa Jan describing life in smile. “They prevent the cars from being stolen and help me One Euro= itary and police are experiencing of gas has gone up 50 to 80, so gas speaking in local Dari language. randomly set up illegal check- Kunduz. “People think there will 74.78 Afs as they try to hold ground against is now 300 Afghanis,” Shafiqullah, “All entrances to the city are open. points on that and other roads lead- be more attacks and the city will make more money. The world is fair.” the Taliban. a resident of Kunduz, protested. My house is in danger at night. No ing to Kunduz, especially early collapse again.” (VOANEWS) 1000 Pak Rs= 629 TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES SRI LANKAN PLANTATION WORKERS PROTEST UNION WAGE DEAL China admonished the United would "damage the hard-earned No comment was available Sri Lankan plantation workers held States on Monday for sending its peace and tranquillity of the Chi- from the U.S. Embassy in New widespread protests voicing their ambassador in India to a contested na-India border region". Delhi. Disagreement between nu- anger against a new collective agree- stretch of land on the India-China "Any responsible third party clear-armed China and India over ment signed by unions and com- border, warning that a third par- should respect efforts by China parts of their 3,500-km (2,175- panies last Tuesday. The deal, ty's meddling would only compli- and India to seek peaceful and sta- mile) border led to a brief war in which is endorsed by the Sri Lan- cate the dispute between Beijing ble reconciliation, and not the op- 1962. The countries have moved kan government, locks workers and New Delhi. posite," Lu told a regular press to control the dispute, but repeat- into increased workloads for the China claims more than 90,000 briefing. "We urge the United ed rounds of talks have failed to next two years in exchange for a sq km (35,000 sq miles) of territo- States to stop getting involved in make much progress. negligible wage rise. Full details of ry disputed by India in the eastern the China-India territorial dispute Islamic State steps up counter- the agreement have not been re- sector of the Himalayas. Much of and do more to benefit this region's attacks as Mosul offensive enters vealed to workers. that forms the Indian state of peace and tranquillity," he said, second week Since September 26, tens of Arunachal Pradesh, which China adding that China and India were Battle for Mosul can shape or thousands of plantation workers calls South Tibet. handling the matter appropriately break Iraq further across the country have held dem- U.S. Ambassador to India Ri- through talks. India says China occupies onstrations, pickets and strikes chard Verma posted photos on his India's Ministry of External 38,000 square km (14,600 sq demanding a 1,000-rupee Twitter account on Oct. 21 of his Affairs described Verma's visit as miles) of its territory on the Aksai ($US6.79) daily wage, an increase recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh, "nothing unusual". Chin plateau in the west, and is of 380 rupees. thanking Indian officials for their "The U.S. Ambassador visit- also suspicious of China's support Workers protested in many "warm hospitality" and calling the ed Arunachal Pradesh, a state for its arch-rival, Pakistan. plantations on Tuesday demand- region a "magical place". which is an integral part of the Tensions occasionally flare ing that the unions reject employ- Chinese Foreign Ministry country to which he is accredit- over the disputed border. In Au- er and government proposals. spokesman Lu Kang said China ed," MEA spokesman Vikas gust, China was angered by India's Demonstrations continued the next was "firmly opposed" to the U.S. Swarup said in response to the plans to place advanced cruise mis- day at Stockholm, Strathspey and diplomat's actions, which he said Chinese statement. siles there. Ladbroke in Upcot near Hatton. Estate workers blocked roads and chanted slogans: “Reject the new collective agreement! Tear up the agreement! We need 1,000 ru- Bangladesh PMSheikh Hasina pees wage per day! Don’t pay membership subscriptions to unions!” At some estates workers hoisted black flags to express their reelected Awami League chief opposition. Under the new deal, the daily DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Min- and returned to power in the Janu- wage will be increased by only 110 ister Sheikh Hasina, who was to- ary 2014 polls for a second suc- rupees to 730 rupees. This day reelected unopposed as the cessive term. amount, however, is not stable, ruling Awami League's president, Hasina, 69, began addressing because the basic daily wage for asked cadres to reach out to the the councillors' session by stress- the first three days of work has people to ensure that the party is ing on the next national elections. increased by just 50, from 450 to returned to power for a third suc- "The polls are coming... For a 500 rupees. The price supplement cessive term. third win, we need to reach out to share of 30 rupees per day remains Addressing the party's Nation- the people and tell them about the unchanged and is dependent on tea al Council, she said, "Awami development done during our ten- prices. The attendance allowance League must come back to power ure," she said. "We need to make has also been reduced from 140 to take the nation forward towards the people realise that Awami rupees per day to 60 rupees and its goal of becoming a poverty-free League in power would ensure so- only paid to workers who main- nation." The Awami League came cio-economic development," she tain 75 percent attendance out of to power in December 2008 polls said. 25 monthly working days. A new 140-rupee productivi- ty incentive has also been intro- duced. This will only be paid if the worker reaches targets set by Multilateral committee to monitor each estate. Current tea-plucking productivity rates range from 13 to 18 kilograms of green leaves, post-quake reconstruction work in Nepal depending on the estate. The agreement was signed by Nepal has formed a foreign aid co- the Ceylon Workers Congress ordination and facilitation commit- (CWC), the Lanka Jathika Estate Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar an delegation is to hold sector-wise tee with the participation of the Workers Union (LJEWU), which called on Sri Lankan President meetings with their Sri Lankan Nepali government, China, India, is affiliated to ruling United Na- Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday counterparts. On the agenda, offi- the World Bank and the Asian De- tional Party government, and the morning and discussed potential cial sources said, are discussions velopment Bank. Headed by Ne- Joint Plantation Trade Union Cen- India-Sri Lanka partnerships in on likely partnerships in the pow- palese Prime Minister Puspa Ka- tre (JPTUC), a coalition of the areas such as transport, energy and er sector — using Liquefied Natu- mal Dahal, the National Recon- Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the infrastructure. ral Gas (LNG) — developing the struction Authority Advisory Stalinist Communist Party. The Mr. Jaishankar, here on an Trincomalee Oil Farm and expan- Council, would bring uniformity National Union of Workers economic diplomacy initiative, is sion of the airports in Palally in and avoid duplicity in the imple- (NUW), Democratic Workers Con- accompanied by an official delega- Jaffna Peninsula and Colombo, mentation of aid in the post-quake gress (DWC) and the Up Country tion of top officials from public among other projects. reconstruction work here, Xinhua People’s Front (UPF) have agreed sector companies such as GAIL, Following Sri Lanka’s decision news reported. to support the deal. NTPC, IOC and RITES. this September to scrap an NTPC- The neighbouring countries The NUW, DWC and UPF are A team from the Confedera- aided power project in the strate- along with multilateral institutions partners in the ruling coalition of tion of Indian Industry (CII) has gically-important Trincomalee, had committed the largest amount President Maithripala Sirisena and also accompanied him, official India has offered to partner the of aid for the post-earthquake re- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremes- sources in Colombo said. country in LNG and solar power construction of Nepal. The com- inghe and their leaders have minis- Mr. Jaishankar, who arrived in initiatives. mittee would involve the govern- terial positions in the government. Colombo on Saturday on a three The Foreign Secretary’s visit ment, other Nepalese stakehold- The CWC has for decades been day-visit, is holding a series of comes a week after Mr. Sirisena ers and donors under the coordi- partners with successive Sri Lan- meetings with key government of- met Prime Minister Narendra nation of the NRA’s Chief Execu- kan governments and has sought ficials and business heads in Co- Modi in Goa, on the sidelines of tive Officer Sushil Gyawali, a state- to enter the present administration. lombo. “His meeting with the Pres- the BRICS Summit, where India ment issued on Sunday said. Asked about the unions’ sup- ident lasted a little over 20 min- offered to build a solar power plant There would also be one rep- port for increased productivity, utes and was largely focussed on in Trincomalee. resentative each from four donors CWC president Muthu Sivalingam the economic diplomacy initia- India and Sri Lanka are also who would be part of the mecha- told the W orld Socialist Web Site tive,” a senior official with the Sri negotiating a trade deal, the Eco- nism put in place. The coordina- that the rates could only be lifted Lankan government told The Hin- nomic and Technological Cooper- tion committee would encourage with the consent of union branch du . On Monday, the visiting Indi- ation Agreement (ETCA). domestic and foreign donors, civil society and the private sector to contribute to the reconstruction. leaders in each estate.

SAJAWAL: When seven hours of be put into action next year, aims cation of required funding are the thousands more were injured when their family members to act. They connect families with the community,” Khan said. Samejo, the teacher who non-stop rain led to a flash flood to reduce the risk schools, teach- key to making the plan deliver,” over 58,000 schools were de- lost his school in Ghorabari, said he finds the new push hugely encouraging. “Previously it was my impres- that swept through his village ers and students face by improv- he said. stroyed. sion that making the education sector disaster resilient was the government’s lowest priority,” he said. “But school, leaving it heavily damaged, ing construction standards for Shaheena Khan, manager of the “Preparing schoolchildren and now, as they’ve come up with the national school safety blueprint, we teachers don’t cast doubt anymore.” science teacher Ali Zamin Samejo schools, creating disaster manage- Agha Khan Rural Support Pro- teachers through mock exercises at had to be hospitalised for shock. ment plans, holding evacuation gramme, which provided advice in school about saving their lives in “I passed out in a matter of drills, and raising awareness of the building the plan, agreed that both case of disasters is of unprecedent- seconds in the morning, seeing my risks through things like speaking could potentially be in short sup- ed value,” he said. school knocked down by the dev- competitions and painting exhibi- ply. “Given the previous track NDMA develops new guide- astating flood,” remembers the 35- tions. record of the government agencies lines for schools year-old, fighting back tears. Disaster risk reduction will regarding their failure to fund such Some of the risk children face 861 school buildings damaged also become a focus in school cur- worthwhile plans, I feel afraid the in disasters is the result of deci- in earthquake, reveals department riculums, according to the plan. plan may end up on a shelf,” she sions made by parents, teachers report What worried him most “We have already received ap- said. “Because it would require and government officials, said Za- about the 2010 flood in Ghorabari, plause from the federal education large-scale funding, the federal and heer Gohrao, education programme about 200 kilometres from Kara- ministry and provincial education provincial governments may feel manager for the National Commis- chi, was whether his 22 students departments for framing the plan, shy about financing it.” Seeking sion for Human Development. would be able to continue their and we feel really proud of it,” said funds from climate change bodies That means that helping those education, he said. Six years later, Major-General Asghar Nawaz, such as the international Green groups understand disaster risks he’s still teaching in the village – chairman of the National Disaster Climate Fund or the Adaptation and what might be done about only now classes take place under Management Authority (NDMA). Fund could be one solution, she them, through things like commu- a tree, as the school has not yet Enough funding? said. Moving at-risk schools or en- nity meetings, news broadcasts and been rebuilt. The programme, created with suring construction efforts meet talks by community and religious Schools in flood-prone Paki- backing from UNICEF, the Unit- building codes, in particular, could leaders, “can play a vital role in stan are proving particularly vul- ed Nations children’s agency, is prove a major challenge, said Tariq addressing the impacts of disas- nerable to worsening extreme expected to be put in place across Hussain, director general of the ters”, he said. Getting children in- weather and shifting rainfall pat- the country with the help of the country’s Earthquake Reconstruc- volved in learning to protect them- terns linked to climate change, of- education ministry, the National tion and Rehabilitation Authority. selves – rather than treating them ficials say. Commission for Human Develop- But he said fairly simple measures as passive victims in disasters – According to the country’s ment and community-based organ- like putting flood-prone schools will help them “develop skills to National Disaster Management isations, Nawaz said in an inter- atop raised earth platforms and respond to any disaster risk on Authority, about 10,000 educa- view with the Thomson Reuters using wood plank and tin-roof con- their own”, Gohrao said in an in- tional institutions were damaged Foundation. struction in earthquake zones terview. What children learn also or destroyed in mega-floods that Pakistan worst hit by extreme could help. can be passed on to parents and affected a fourth of Pakistan in weather events Getting kids involved other family and community mem- 2010. Since then another 10,000 But making it work will require Until such changes happen, bers, said Amanullah Khan, head schools have been damaged in sub- not just getting teachers and stu- schools are a risky place for chil- of the UN Development Pro- sequent floods through 2015, the dents on board, but winning fund- dren during disasters, he said. Dur- gramme’s environment unit in Pa- authority said. ing and political support, Nawaz ing the country’s 2005 earthquake, kistan. “Children are the motiva- But a new national plan, set to cautioned. “Political will and allo- more than 18,000 children died and tional reservoir, who encourage TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES News-in-Brief Iran sides with ISIS Kirkuk push ends, Iraq in dispute Yazidis block attack with Turkey A provincial governor said Iraqi security forces on Monday end- ed an ISIS attack in Kirkuk city, killing at least 74 militants in three days of clashes while Yazi- dis said they blocked an offen- sive by the militants in their ter- The Arab coalition fighting in Ye- ritory in Sinjar west of Mosul. men has intercepted and destroyed “The attack is over and life a Houthi militia ballistic missiles has returned to normal,” Najmed- into Marib, sources confirmed to din Karim, the governor of AlArabiya.net. Kirkuk province, told AFP. Air strikes on Houthi posi- He added: “The security tions in Yemen resumed on Sun- forces have killed more than 74 day after midnight following a Daesh (IS) terrorists and detained failed United Nations attempt to several others, including their secure an extension to a 72-hour leader.” ceasefire that was repeatedly bro- Karim said the initial confes- ken by the Iran-backed militias. sions of the ringleader confirmed A high government source told reports that around 100 fighters Al Arabiya he was grateful for the attacked Kirkuk early Friday, efforts made by UN special en- some of them sleeper cells that voy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh joined up with militants infiltrat- Ahmed but confirmed the truce ing the city. was never in effect given the num- ber of violations committed by Houthi militias and forces loyal to Three days of ouster former President Ali Abdul- lah Saleh. The army chief of staff mourning declared Mohammed Ali Al Miqdashi said after Qatar’s the Houthis “deliberately thwart- ed the truce and that further con- former Emir dies vinced our military and political leadership of their unwillingness Iran said on Monday Turkey plained recently that the US-led to accept a peace”. Ould Cheikh should get permission from Iraq’s coalition’s air support as insuffi- Ahmed is currently in Sanaa to dis- government to participate in the cient. cuss political solutions to the con- operation to take back Mosul from Turkey had repeatedly stated flict with militia leaders. ISIS - a statement with which Te- it wanted a part in the massive hran waded into a dispute over the operation to retake Mosul, ISIS’s presence of Turkish troops in last major stronghold in Iraq. Three days of mourning has northern Iraq. Turkey strikes ISIS, Kurdish been announced in Qatar follow- “It is not acceptable at all if a militias ing the death of the former Emir country, under the pretext of com- In Syria, meanwhile, Turkey’s Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al- bating terrorism or any other military struck dozens of ISIS and Thani at the age of 83. The late crimes, tries to violate the sover- Kurdish YPG militia targets over emir ruled Qatar from 1972 un- eignty” of another country, Irani- the last 24 hours, depriving both til 1995 when his son Sheikh an Foreign Ministry spokesman groups of the ability to move Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Bahram Ghasemi said on Monday. around, the army said on Monday, Some 500 Turkish troops sta- as its operation there entered father of Qatar’s current emir President Nicolas Maduro's gov- Maduro on trial, as they had earli- Sheikh Tamim, took over. Sheikh tioned at a base near Mosul are a third month. ernment committed a coup d'etat er threatened. training Iraqi Sunni and Kurdish Backed by Turkish tanks, spe- Hamad handed power in 2013 by blocking a referendum on re- The session briefly descended to his son, the current Emir forces that are taking part in the cial forces and air strikes, rebels moving him from power, Venezu- into chaos when Maduro support- offensive, which began a week ago. fighting under the banner of the Sheikh Tamim. Qatar is small, ela's opposition-majority parlia- ers forced their way past security with 2.5 million people, but is The Shiite-led government in Free Syrian Army crossed into ment accused. guards and burst into the National Baghdad says the Turks are there northern Syria on Aug. 24 and took the world’s largest exporter of Furious over the electoral au- Assembly, a moment which put liquefied natural gas, a global in- without permission and has or- control of the border town of Jarab- thorities' decision to suspend the proceedings on hold for 45 min- dered them out. Turkey has re- lus from ISIS largely unopposed. vestment powerhouse and process of organising a recall vote, utes. Largely symbolic heavy hitter in Middle East di- fused, insisting it play a role in the In the latest moves in the op- opposition MPs on Sunday passed Despite harsh rhetoric, the leg- offensive to retake Mosul, a Sun- eration, dubbed “Euphrates plomacy and international me- a resolution declaring "the break- islature's resolution is largely sym- dia. ni-majority city. Shiite-majority Shield”, strikes by “fire support down of constitutional order" and bolic. The Supreme Court has de- Iran is a close ally of the Baghdad vehicles” hit 27 ISIS targets and "a coup d'etat committed by the clared the legislative majority in government. 19 belonging to the YPG, leaving Tom Hayden, Nicolas Maduro regime". contempt of court for defying it Iraq denies Turkish participa- both groups “without maneuver- In an emergency session on the by swearing in three lawmakers at tion Meanwhile, Iraq’s joint oper- ing capacity”, the written state- American economic and political crisis grip- the centre of an electoral fraud in- ations command on Monday de- ment said. ping the South American oil giant, vestigation. nied Turkey was participating in Erdogan said on Saturday the New Left MPs called on Venezuelans to "ac- The opposition, which says military operations to retake the Turkish-backed forces would tively defend" the constitution by the accusations are trumped up, northern city of Mosul from ISIS. press on to the ISIS-held town of stalwart, dies protesting. They also promised to condemns the high court as a Ma- “The spokesman of the Joint al-Bab, emphasizing Ankara’s request the international commu- duro lapdog. The court has slapped Operations Command denies Turk- drive to sweep its militants and at 76 nity to "activate mechanisms" to down every bill passed by the leg- ish participation of any kind in Syrian Kurdish fighters from ter- restore democracy. islature since the opposition took operations for the liberation of ritory near its border. Tom Hayden, a social activist "A continual coup d'etat has control in January. New low Nineveh,” a statement said, refer- The Syrian military said the and politician a stalwart of been perpetrated in Venezuela, Venezuela's crisis hit a new low ring to the Iraqi province of which presence of Turkish troops on America's New Left, has died culminating in the decision to rob on Thursday when the National Mosul is the capital. Syrian soil was unacceptable and aged 76 in Santa Monica, Cali- us of a recall referendum. We're here Electoral Council indefinitely sus- Turkish Prime Minister Bina- a “dangerous escalation and fla- fornia. Hayden, who served 18 to officially declare the regrettable pended the recall referendum pro- li Yildirim told reporters on Sun- grant breach of Syria’s sovereign- years in California's state leg- and painful rupture of the consti- cess after criminal courts in five day that Turkish troops stationed ty.” Erdogan also said Turkey islature and married actress tution," said majority leader Julio states ruled the opposition had outside Mosul had provided sup- would do what was necessary with Jane Fonda, died after a long Borges of the centre-right opposi- committed fraud in an initial peti- port “with artillery, tanks and how- its coalition partners in Syria’s illness, the Los Angeles Times tion coalition, the Democratic Uni- tion drive. itzers” following a request by Kur- Raqqa, but would not work with reported on its website. ty Roundtable (MUD). Holding a recall referendum - a dish peshmerga forces. the Syrian Kurdish fighters. "A political giant and dear Pro-Maduro politicians ac- right guaranteed under Venezuela's Thousands of peshmerga forc- The Kurdistan Workers Party friend has passed," Los Ange- cused the opposition itself of seek- constitution - was the opposition's es are currently involved in a mas- (PKK), designated a terrorist or- les Mayor Eric Garcetti wrote ing to stage a coup. main strategy to get rid of the man sive push in the Bashiqa area ganization by Turkey and its West- on Twitter. "Don't try to take advantage they accuse of driving the once- complex process: a three-day drive starting on Wednesday to collect northeast of Mosul, where Tur- ern allies, has fought a three-de- "Tom Hayden fought hard- of these hard times to finish off booming country to the brink of signatures from four million voters demanding a recall vote. key has a military base. cade insurgency that has killed er for what he believed than just our nation," deputy Earle Herrera collapse. Now that the authorities have stymied that bid, furious opposition The forces of the autonomous more than 40,000 people, mostly about anyone I have known." said. Opposition politicians The opposition had been gear- leaders have promised the start of a new wave of nationwide protests on Kurdish region, whose leader has Kurds, in Turkey’s largely Kurdi- Hayden, who forged his stopped short of voting to put ing up for the last hurdle in the Wednesday. close ties with Turkey, have com- sh southeast. political activism as a founding member of Students for a Dem- ocratic Society (SDS), which stood at the core of the 1960s anti-war and civil rights move- New truce in Syria's Aleppo ruled out by Russia ments, was principal author of the group's revolutionary man- Russia says it is not currently con- hailed the humanitarian ceasefire the city between Turkish-backed The US has backed both the The Turkish military inter- siders both to be terrorist groups. ifesto, the Port Huron State- sidering a new truce in the Syrian as a "manifestation of goodwill" opposition forces and Syrian Kur- Turkish-backed forces and the vened in the Syrian war in August Between 250,000 and 300,000 ment. The University of Mich- city of Aleppo after a brief cease- as it faced mounting criticism over dish forces, over territory former- Syrian Kurdish forces in the area, this year to clear the border area of civilians are thought to be trapped igan student ventured into the fire ended over the weekend. its bombing of reastern Aleppo in ly held by ISIL. though it has clarified that it does ISIL fighters and US-backed Syri- in eastern Aleppo, with dwindling Deep South, where he joined On Thursday Russia had an- support of a government offensive The activist-run Aleppo Me- not support the Syrian Kurdish an Kurdish forces linked to Tur- food supplies and extremely lim- voter-registration campaigns nounced an 11-hour ceasefire to on the city. dia Centre said Turkish forces forces that have come under Turk- key's own outlawed Kurdish in- ited medical care in underground and was arrested and beaten allow civilians, anti-government But Sergey Lavrov, Russia's struck over 50 Kurdish positions ish attack in the Aleppo country- surgency. hospitals that have been hit repeat- while taking part in the "free- fighters and injured people to leave foreign minister, also expressed on Sunday alone. side. The Turkish government con- edly by air strikes. dom rider" protests against ra- opposition-controlled eastern concern at the small numbers of cial segregation. Aleppo, promising them safe pas- civilians and fighters leaving Alep- Hayden, however, became sage. It later extended the ceasefire po, with only a handful reported perhaps best known as one of for another two days. The fight- to have crossed through a single the "Chicago Eight" activists ers, however, rejected the offer. passage. tried on conspiracy and incite- "The question of renewing the Lavrov on Friday accused ment charges following pro- humanitarian pause is not relevant fighters from the Jabhat Fateh al- tests at the turbulent 1968 now," Sergey Ryabkov, deputy Sham and influential Ahrar al-Sham Democratic National Conven- foreign minister, told Interfax news group of obstructing the departure tion. He was ultimately acquit- agency on Monday, in the first of civilians and combatants pre- ted of all charges. official comment from Moscow on pared to leave, saying they used A New York Times book why it did not extend the ceasefire "threats, blackmail and brute review of his 1988 memoir, further. Fighting intensifies in Syr- force". Reunion, one of more than 20 ia's Aleppo The Syrian opposition, on the books published under his In order to renew the cease- other hand, said civilians did not name, called Hayden "the sin- fire, "our opponents must ensure leave the city because there were gle greatest figure of the 1960s appropriate behaviour by the anti- no guarantees that wounded evac- student movement." government groups that in partic- uees would not be arrested by gov- Outliving contemporaries ular sabotaged the medical evacua- ernment forces and no provision Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, tion that was intended during the for supplying humanitarian aid to Eldridge Cleaver and Huey humanitarian pause." those remaining in the enclave. Newton, Hayden remained ac- Ryabkov chided the US-led 'Running out of supplies' tive in left-wing politics well coalition, saying that it was criti- Activists in Syria said on Sun- into the 21st century, posting cising Syria and Russia instead of day that people living in Aleppo on Twitter just a week ago. "really exerting influence on the were running out of supplies as Winning election himself to opposition, the rebels". government and Russian forces the California state Assembly "Over the last three days, what intensified their attacks. in 1982, and then the state Sen- was needed did not happen," he They told Al Jazeera that ate a decade later, Hayden went said. Ryabkov also said that he did strikes on Aleppo intensified a day on to serve a total of 18 years. not see the "conditions" for minis- after a Russian truce ended. Later he became director of terial-level negotiations on Syria There were also reports of the Peace and Justice Resource before the US elections on Novem- clashes between fighters and gov- Center, a nonprofit left-wing ber 8, after a Lausanne meeting on ernment forces on the city's out- think tank devoted mainly to October 15 that ended with no skirts. analysis of continued U.S. mil- breakthrough. Aleppo is still under attack itary involvement in Iraq, Af- "It's almost no time until the Fighters said they were pre- ghanistan and Pakistan, drug US elections. To be honest, I don't paring to launch a major offensive policy and global poverty. He see the conditions for a ministerial to break the siege. served on the editorial board meeting," he said, insisting that The tussle between Syrian and was a columnist for The Syria and Russia were fulfilling government forces and opposition Nation magazine, and was the international agreements. fighters ran in parallel with re- author of more than 20 books. The Kremlin had previously newed clashes further away from TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

We a r e a n a t ion a l in st it u t ion a n d n ot t h e voice of a gov t or a p r iva t e or ga n iza t ion

AFGHANISTAN TIMES Editor: Abdul Saboor Sarir Phone No: +93-772364666 E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.afghanistantimes.af Photojournalist: M. Sadiq Yusufi Advisory editorial board Saduddin Shpoon, Dr. Sharif Fayez, Dr. Sultana Parvanta, Dr. Sharifa Sharif, Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Setara Delawari, Ahmad Takal Graphic-Designer: Edriss Akbari, Bilal Yusufi Marketing & Advertising: Mohammad Parwiz Arian, 0708954626, 0778894038 Mailing address: P.O. Box: 371, Kabul, Afghanistan Our Bank Accounts: Azizi Bank: 000101100258091 / 000101200895656 Printed at Afghanistan Times Printing Press The constitution says

Article 158: Article One Hundred Fifty-Eight: The title of the Father of the Nation and privileges bestowed upon His Majesty Mohammad Zahir Shah, the former King of Afghanistan, by the Emergency Loya Jirga of one thousand three hundred and eighty one (HS), (2002), with due respect to provisions of this Constitution, shall be preserved during his lifetime.

By Daoud Kuttab national plan is usually in fighter planes, or even rock- al military actions. place to warn the public and ets, a national plan is usually The US can't simply As US President Barack to allow them to take refuge. in place to warn the public shirk their responsibility for Obama and his national se- A man rides a bicycle and to allow them to take what is happening to civil- curity team huddle about near damaged ground in the refugees. Sirens ians in Syria. Words and deciding what to do in Syria, rebel-held besieged al-Suk- Naturally such a manual threats are not enough to Worsening narcotics a simple but necessary act kari neighbourhood of Alep- effort has limited results be- stop the bombings. can be done to save the lives po, Syria [Reuters] cause it can't reach the en- If the US is not willing to of Syrian refugees without Sophisticated satellite and tire population. use its military power to stop situation the use of military power. other hi-tech equipment in A more successful effort these attacks and to get a A report recently released, says of a 43 percent increase in the opium prod- The battle of Aleppo and the possession of the US can be done if physical si- no-fly zone, then the very other parts of Syria is being military can easily detect rens are placed in populated least they can do is to en- uct so far this year. In 2016, the estimated of opium product is amounted fought by proxy powers, es- fighters planning to bomb areas to be connected some- sure that civilians living in 4,800 tons, said counter-narcotics minister SalamatAzimi, who was talking pecially the Russian air force Aleppo or other Syrian cit- how with those with the in- Syrian cities that are daily about the report prepared with the cooperation of the United Nations office and to a lesser degree Syri- ies enough time before the formation of the coming being bombed, get the infor- an fighter planes. These bombs hit the ground. flights and can sound out the mation already available to for drugs and crime. She said that the ceiling of the product for last year, planes are causing the big- Such sophisticated tech- siren in time for people to try NATO. was some 3,300 tons. gest damage among civilians nology provides sensitive to take refuge. Providing sirens and The report also indicates a 10 percent jump in the poppy cultivation na- because they are able to act time-based information that It is true that in most Syr- feeding local communities with impunity in Syria, leav- can mean the difference ian homes no safe room or with this information is a tionwide with 201,000 hectares of farmlands. ing a daily carnage of civil- between life and death. All underground shelter exists, small step to help ease the The deteriorating security situation has helped the drug lords and inter- ians. that is needed is to make this but real-time knowledge of damage. It will not stop the national mafia to use the farmers and their lands in poppy cultivation. Fighting intensifies in Syr- time-sensitive information a coming bomber can pro- war or end the suffering but ia's Aleppo Pushing for a no- available to the people who vide civilians with a chance in a small way, it can save Poppy cultivation is an element that has defamed Afghanistan besides fly zone might be the best are on the ground. to make do with whatever lives. the four-decade war. About 90 percent of the world’s narcotics are report- way to stop this carnage but Creative Syrian activists make shift safety location Even if one civilian life is edly provided from the country. The plant cultivation vastly began in the short of bombing the Syrian popularly called "rasideen" they can find. saved by the sirens, this runways and controlling the (monitors) have been trying The violence in Syria has would be better than giving 1990s and during the Taliban rule, it became an international concern and skies, the attacks from the to do this using unsophisti- become one of the deadliest powerful speeches or mak- the extremist militants used it as a good financial resource to fight the North- air are unlikely to stop. cated methods. conflicts in the world to- ing an intervention in the ern Alliance and spend in administration affairs. But there is something Young people in different wards civilians. All parties to United Nations Security that the US and NATO can locations physically eye the the conflict, including the Council. The West-backed government formed in 2001, promised to be serious do to save lives from air planes and try to make out Russian and Syrians, regu- Daoud Kuttab, an award- in fighting poppy cultivation, drug product and trade besides struggling bombardment without re- their general direction and larly claim that they are not winning Palestinian journal- against terrorism. A large amount of the international community’s dona- sorting to any military mea- then call a network of their targeting civilians. Flight pat- ist, is a former Ferris profes- sures. friends with the hope of terns sor of journalism at Prince- tion for the reconstruction was said to had been allocated in the counter- Saving lives avoiding the brunt of the The idea of the UN or ton University. narcotics program. Many lives could be bombings. Mobile phones NATO sharing information Hazm Almazouni is a Former president Hamid Karzai had called the narcotics smuggling a saved if NATO would be don't operate in areas not about Russian and Syrian Syrian journalist and re- willing to share information under the control of the Syr- flight patterns might be con- searcher specialised in Syr- thing “defaming Afghanistan”. He asked the people in an addressing in 2010 they have from the sky re- ian regime, which means that sidered an act of war be- ian refugees. to struggle against narcotics, saying if Afghans would not remove drugs, garding the timing and only people with satellite cause it weakens the sur- The views expressed in “drugs would remove Afghans”. movements of Russian and phones can know about the prise factor. But this non-vi- this article are the author's Syrian warplanes. In any coming bombers from the olent form of protecting ci- own and do not necessarily Despite the efforts, we have been witnessing the increase of this notori- war that includes fighter sky. vilians cannot be compared reflect Al Jazeera's editorial ous phenomenon. The poppy which was mostly cultivated in the south and planes, or even rockets, a In any war that includes to the more direct operation- policy. southwestern areas just until a couple of years ago, now expands to the northern province as the government has lost areas in Baghlan, Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Faryab provinces. Some 1,000 hectares of lands are under poppy cultivation this year only in Baghlan province, according to lawmakers from the province and provin- Sir: Ready t o commit suicide cial council members. Different people and groups are reported to be involved in drug deal from Taliban insurgents to the drug traders and even some government au- thorities including police officials. A provincial police chief was arrested for being part of the narcotics export. The increasing number of addicts is another problem related to drug prod- uct. More than two million people are addicted to narcotics mostly opium, according to reports. The national unity government has to seriously fight drug trafficking if it really wants struggle for security and to keep international community’s assistance because it directly links to the ongoing war. If it does not take it serious, the worse condition will be worst. Subscription Rates Afghanistan Fee Categories Afghanistan Times Annual Afg: 3600 at your door step For fast delivery service Afghanistan Six Months Afg: 1800 Afghanistan Times seeks the names, addresses of your International Organization $200 per year organizations and the number of copies you want. TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

By Khaled Diab and nationalities, but is blind by America's continued global to their supposed differences. As the United Kingdom heads dominance. Tomorrow, he will, I hope, grow for the EU exit, a recent survey This cavalier culture of priv- into an adult who may be aware bestowed upon Britons the un- ilege and neglect permeates the of the constructed differences enviable distinction of being education system. dividing us but who will bridge the worst at foreign languages When I was at school, most them with the commonalities in Europe. of my English schoolmates uniting us. Although this survey is found foreign language class- Knowing one or more for- based on perceptions and is, es to be too much hassle and eign languages enables you to hence, subjective, it does con- considered learning another savour the world with different firm an enormous and damning language to be about as useful tongues. It can help broaden body of previous research. as speaking in tongues. your horizons, make you appre- Despite the UK being one of Part of the problem was ciate the dizzying diversity of the most multicultural societies when and how languages were the world, while driving home in Europe, three-fifths of peo- taught. We only started in sec- that, despite our differences, we ple in Britain cannot speak a ondary school and teachers share many remarkable similar- foreign language, according to generally made little effort to ities. a Europe-wide survey. In the show us the relevance and Naturally, multilingualism rest of Europe, more than half beauty of learning a language, does not inoculate against xe- the citizens speak at least one with the exception of one brief nophobia and bigotry, but it foreign language. immersion day out we had in makes it harder. As fear of the Foreign Languages - Zeina French. “other” rises around the world, Khodr May2014 promo Economic ramifications the importance of this cultural This dire picture is backed Over the ensuing years, the agility is only set to grow. In up by anecdotal evidence. situation does not seem to these increasingly troubled, di- When growing up in the UK, I have altered much, despite the visive times, we need to tap into was often regarded as a curi- regular doom-laden warnings every ounce of sympathy and osity, and sometimes even a of the dire consequences of empathy we can muster. marvel, for being able to be failure. Khaled Diab is an award- speak Arabic fluently. In later Fewer than one in 10 En- winning Egyptian-Belgian jour- life, I have noticed how Britons glish pupils aged 14-15 can use nalist, writer and blogger. He is and Americans, with the excep- their first foreign language in- the author of Intimate Enemies: tion of an impressively poly- dependently, research uncov- Living with Israelis and Pales- glottic minority, usually have ered a few years ago. tinians in the Holy Land. He the greatest difficulty of any Of course, in the globalised blogs at www.chronikler.com. nationality I know in acquiring economy, this has serious eco- The views expressed in this another language, no matter nomic ramifications. For in- article are the author's own and how desperately they want to. stance, in multilingual Belgium, do not necessarily reflect Al Practicality and pragmatism which also houses the head- Jazeera's editorial policy. The reasons for this are quarters of the European myriad. Part of it is simple prac- Union, job postings routinely ticality and pragmatism. ask for competence in at least In the contemporary world, three languages: Dutch, it is a rare corner of the globe French and English. where nobody speaks English But there is an equally im- and in many places foreigners portant social and cultural com- By Abdulrahman al-Rashed Iraqi regime. As a result of re- In Syria, Sunnis represent big country and, geographical- what will happen later. have a command of English that ponent. Our son, who has had As attention shifts toward the suming marginalization and 80 percent of the population, ly speaking, it’s central. Its The battles of Mosul and is at least as good as that of the great fortune of being ex- battle in the Iraqi city of Mo- elimination, the cities of Mosul which is more than 20 million events influence its neighbors, Aleppo are just two other wars native speakers. posed to multiple languages sul, where the results of the war and Aleppo may be “cleansed” people. Even if five or 10 mil- like Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon, in a long struggle that will not One of the most extraordi- since before he was born, is a against the Islamic State of Iraq of armed men either through lion are displaced, the rest are on the racial, sectarian and par- stabilize without a fair political nary examples of this was Jo- walking advertisement for the and Syria (ISIS) are almost pre- expulsion or murder, and we will still a sweeping majority. Iraq’s tisan levels. project. seph Conrad, who only learned benefits of multilingualism. Not determined, the Syrian city of later hear that these men are parliamentarian system is more Let them prepare for cele- This article was first pub- to speak English fluently in his yet seven, and Iskander is al- Aleppo prepares for its fate af- now present in other cities and oriented toward sectarian gov- brations in Iraq and Syria to lished Asharq al-Awsat on Oct. 20s, yet still managed to write ready fluent in four languages, ter the Russians and the Irani- provinces. The emergence of ernance and in the phase after rejoice over “liberating” Mosul 24, 2016. some of the most striking and which he has acquired with rel- ans rejected international calls armed groups is not difficult the liberation of Mosul, it will and Aleppo. We are aware they Abdulrahman al-Rashed is memorable fiction in modern ative ease - he's made it child's for a cease fire and the call to considering the presence of end up diminishing Iraq’s terri- will be short celebrations as the the former General Manager of English literature. play - owing to early and con- evacuate besieged people, two governing regimes which tory and make it less stable. battles, alliances and the pros- Al Arabiya News Channel. A Although the days of a Brit- stant exposure. whether civilians or armed men. are incapable of changing and Meanwhile, after purging ecutions of angry nationalists veteran and internationally ac- ish imperial officer berating the Despite Iskander's tenden- A few hundred members of reforming. Aleppo of most of its residents, and global terrorists who ben- claimed journalist, he is a former natives for not being able to cy sometimes to mix tongues the Free Syrian Army are sta- The battles of Mosul and and not just of armed men, the efit from fertile soil will resume editor-in-chief of the London- speak English 'properly' are confusingly, this has given him tioned in Aleppo’s neighbor- Aleppo are just two other wars fighting will move to another and the tensions in the region based leading Arab daily long gone, the fact that Britain a remarkable feel for and inter- hoods, along with fighters from in a long struggle that will not city and the battles will contin- will continue to exist. Asharq al-Awsat, where he still had the largest empire in the est in languages and other cul- other armed factions in addi- stabilize without a fair political ue because there is no political Around Mosul, there is regularly writes a political col- world for centuries has created tures. When he is exposed to a tion to fighters from the al-Nus- project solution. currently a huge siege that umn. He has also served as the an intrinsic culture of what you language he doesn't know, he ra Front, the terrorist organiza- This is a civil war which re- Political solution consists of multinational forc- editor of Asharq al-Awsat’s might call linguistic privilege. often expresses an interest in tion which is fighting everyone. flects the general situation and The lack of a political solu- es, generals who are excited to sister publication, al-Majalla. Beyond the practical, there is learning it in the future. These are confronted by forc- it’s not a war with foreign tion is due to the Iranians’ in- make television appearances, Throughout his career, Rashed also the cultural. Although the Tasting the difference es which for months now have groups that can be easily got- sistence on holding on to the politicians who are competing has interviewed several world days of a British imperial offic- Iskander also compares and resorted to the mass destruc- ten rid of. Arab Sunnis repre- man responsible for all this to claim that the almost certain leaders, with his articles garner- er berating the natives for not contrasts the languages he tion of neighborhoods in an sent 20 percent of Iraq’s citi- bloodshed. They also hold on victory is thanks to them and ing worldwide recognition, and being able to speak English knows, and can quite literally attempt to empty them out of zens while Sunnis altogether to Hezbollah as an indirect rul- international media outlets he has successfully led Al Ara- "properly" are long gone, the taste the difference. Recently, their residents by either killing represent 40 percent of Iraq’s er in Syria’s neighbor Lebanon which know the results of the biya to the highly regarded, fact that Britain had the largest he told us that he preferred them or expelling them in order population. How can one get where the party has caused in- battle in advance and which, thriving and influential position empire in the world for centu- petits pois to besela (French to prepare for the final battle rid of 10 million citizens, or mar- stability for the past 20 years. like the rest of the politicians, it is in today. He tweets @aal- ries has created an intrinsic and Arabic for "peas"). When and seize the most important ginalize them? The difference is that Syria is a do not care about knowing rashed culture of what you might call we pointed out that they were city in Syria’s war. linguistic privilege. the same thing, he informed us Do these two battles of While the French have in no uncertain terms that "the Mosul and Aleppo mark the learned in recent decades to French word tastes nicer". end of the Iraqi war against ISIS swallow their traditional lin- But above all, multilingual- and the Syrian civil war? I rule guistic chauvinism and a grow- ism has made words of differ- that out. ing minority is embracing for- ence to his worldview. Today, The two countries’ problem By Eyad Abu Shakra cial and economic difficulties in a ger threatening Mosul, the ‘moth- est consensus possible. eign languages, the British he plays with children of dif- lies in the nature of the Syrian young nation that is not blessed er of two springs’, the birth place Clearly, the Islamist Party of have been cushioned from this ferent cultures, religions, races An advice given to me by a dear with rich resources. of Ibrahim and Ishaq Al-Mosuli Justice and Development, led by regime and the practices of the late friend keeps coming to mind The first is political legitima- (the great musicians of the 8th and the current Prime Minister Abdul- when I discuss politics. He said: cy. There is no question in Mo- 9th centuries), the jewel of Iraq’s Ilah Ibn Kiran, was the major win- “Beware, Eyad, of a politician who rocco about the legitimacy of Amir cities and the capital and cultural ner, gaining 125 seats out of a total knows only politics and likes noth- Al-Mu’mineen (The Commander cradle of Assyria? of 395, against the 102 seats gained ing but politics!” of the Believers), neither from the 3. Can I possibly forget Leba- by the liberal “Party of Authen- LETTER TO THE EDITOR He was absolutely right; and Left nor from the Right. Both the non; ‘God’s paradise on Earth’, the ticity and Modernity”. after getting to chance to meet with ideological and trade unionist Left ‘homeland’ of my father and fore- With the rest of the parliamen- politicians all over the world, I re- have adapted to and interacted with fathers, and the playground of my tary seats shared by several other alized that the worst were those this legitimacy because they pre- youth that is burdened by tyran- parties including the “historical who do not enjoy reading, are not ferred national unity and social sta- nical occupation and threatened by trio” of the Istiqlal (Independence) attracted to culture, never devel- bility over venturing into the un- a bleak future? Party, the Popular Movement and oped an artistic taste or hobby, known. As for the Right, both its 4. Is it possible to turn the page the Socialist Union of Popular Saffron cultivation whether for music, drawing, paint- liberal and religious wings have had of Yemen, once felicitous but cur- Forces, the overall result shows ing, sculpture, or literature. no reason to challenge either the rently grief-stricken, which is en- two facts. The first is that moder- Saffron has been growing in Afghanistan, especially in Herat province for the past 2,000 This is not the case with Mo- country’s market economy or its countering the Persians as conquer- ate Islamists continue to enjoy years. Over the past 80 years, saffron was grown in Afghanistan mainly for agricultural rocco, where I found, over the ruler’s religious legitimacy. ors rather than saviours in the ab- sizeable support; and the second trials. years, the highest percentage of The second is the “exhaust sence of Saif bin Dhi Yazan (the is that intellectual and cultural di- intellectually, culturally and artis- valve”, i.e. the mechanism that is great pre-Islamic Yemeni hero)? versity continue to enrich Moroc- During civil war there was no saffron cultivation, but after the collapse of the Taliban tically gifted but totally unpreten- provided by the cultures of co-ex- All of these afflictions are, cans’ politics inside and outside regime and establishment of demarcate government, local farmers resumed saffron cul- tious politicians and diplomats in istence and diversity in a country unfortunately, true. But because their home country. tivations. Today saffron is grown in over 30 provinces throughout Afghanistan and em- the Arab world. This quality is for that has rejected exclusion, mar- they are, the contrasting picture Islam and nationalism ploys over 1,300 farmers with extended families. The National Unity Government (NUG) all to see in Morocco’s political ginalization, denial, factional priv- becomes more deserving of discus- It is worth noting here that life which the other day crossed ileges, which directly contrast with sion and analysis. The Moroccan ‘political Islam’ has neither been is looking to increase saffron production to 14 tons in the next five years. In the past, another important milestone when the anathema that has been de- experiment, specifically in accom- new nor alien to the Moroccan officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock have said that the minis- the second general elections in the stroying the entities of the modating diversity and the oppo- political scene before and after the try will spare no efforts to increase saffron production in the country. Afghanistan has country since “The Arab Spring” Mashreq before our eyes. site view, provides a lesson in “The country’s independence. It was the capacity of producing 70 tons of saffron annually, to generate $200 million. Saffron were held. The “Spring” that has Morocco’s political successes Culture of Life”, while the always one of the salient identi- can be a major source of income for Afghan farmers. Currently, the price of a kilogram shaken, changed and uncovered a have not been limited to the na- Mashreq entities look as if they ties of the national struggle led by lot of our political ills. tional or domestic scene, but could are in a race for death, whether gra- great patriots like Allal Al-Fassi of Afghan saffron in the global markets is around $2,000. Here, too, Morocco has been be witnessed wherever expatriate tuitous, in the shape of martyr- and Dr Abdul-Karim Al-Khatib. Parwiz Ahmad, Kabul Afghanistan an exception. The massive upheav- Moroccan communities live dom, or in attempts to obliterate The “marriage” of Islam and na- als witnessed in some Middle Questioning oneself others. tionalism has been the solid base Eastern and North African coun- I thought long and deep before In Morocco, as reflected by the for Morocco’s unity that has tran- Letter to editor will be edited for policy, content and clarity. All letters must tries, showing the ugly face of dic- choosing to write about the Mo- polls, there is no monopoly of scended regional, ethnic and linguis- have the writer’s name and address. You may send your letters to: tatorship, the malignancy of terri- roccan general elections and its patriotism and no outbidding from tic divides. [email protected] ble sectarianism and the disinge- meanings today. I hesitated. Then any side. Furthermore, although it By the same token, the other nuity of glittering slogans, led to I asked myself the following ques- is almost impossible to have a political trends of all colors and civil and tribal wars nurtured by tions: 1. Would it be right to ignore spotless election – as proven by creeds thrived in Morocco’s rich regional greed and international the affliction of Aleppo, the the flawed Florida poll in the US and glorious diversity. The histo- conspiracies that are destroying world’s second oldest metropolis, presidential elections of 2000 – it ry and geography of the country Disclaimer: Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. the city long praised by Al-Mu- has been obvious that the top pri- has confirmed the principle of ‘uni- Morocco, however, thanks to tanabbi (the great 7th century Arab ority for all Moroccan parties is ty in diversity’ throughout the The views and opinions expressed in the articles are its politicians’ awareness and real- poet), now being slaughtered by the firm belief that the choices and ages. Indeed, Morocco has been the those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views or ism, has continued to enjoy two the bloodiest mass murderers of programs put forward to the vot- “bridge” of Islam, Arabism, and advantages that have allowed it an the 21st century? ers are there to be negotiated by “Amazighism” linking Africa – in- opinions of the Afghanistan Times. easy and safe passage through 2. Would it be appropriate to their parliamentary representa- cluding its Middle Eastern depth “The Arab Spring” despite the so- disregard the imminent grave dan- tives, and implemented in the wid- – with Europe. TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

RAMALLAH: occupied West peak. In early June, Israeli water Bank - Enas Taha, a resident of the company Mekorot informed the Palestinian village of Kafr al-Deek Palestinian Water Authority in the occupied West Bank, has (PWA) of summertime supply become desperate. cuts totalling more than 50 per- "Since the [water] crisis start- cent - and the cuts, while not as ed in June, the municipality has dramatic, remain in effect today, been able to supply water for only more than a month after the offi- one hour twice a week," Taha told cial end of summer. Al Jazeera. "I am checking the "We are in regular contact with weather forecast every day; they [Mekorot] to find a solution, but announced rain three weeks ago, they constantly give us different but it has not come yet. The only excuses, such as the increase in thing I can do is to pray to God." demand, rising temperature, etc," Many West Bank communi- Deeb Abdelghasoul, the PWA's ties are facing similar problems, director of the water resources de- amid an acute water shortage that partment, told Al Jazeera. has lasted for months. In the Salfit, The notion that the region is Jenin and Hebron governorates, suffering from water scarcity is a some villages have gone as long as myth, he added: "We have been 40 days in a row without running facing shortages for decades, and water. In mid-July, residents in the the reason is not natural, but man- Bethlehem area staged a sit-in for made - meaning the Israeli occupa- days to protest against the short- tion and Israeli control over water ages, sparking clashes between resources in the Palestinian terri- Palestinian youths and Israeli forc- tories." es. "It is a very stressful situation. Israeli officials have stated that I have to consider and prioritise water resources are shared equally every single drop of water I use," in Israel and the occupied Pales- Taha said. "We have barely enough tinian territories. Israel's Coordi- to drink, cook, shower and use the nator of Government Activities in bathroom. Sometimes I don't do the Territories, a unit in the Israeli the laundry or clean the house for army, noted that Israel provides weeks. It is hot and dusty. This is 64 million cubic metres of water exhausting." to the Palestinians annually, even Enas Taha shows her garden, though it is only obliged to pro- which has turned brown due to the vide 30 million under the Oslo ac- severe water shortages since June cords. However, disparity is evi- [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera] dent in the lush gardens, parks and We have been facing shortages swimming pools in illegal Israeli for decades, and the reason is not settlements. The key difference is natural, but man-made - meaning that Palestinian villages in the West hives: 'Last year, we had bees so that this was not where water was thority asserting that 5,000 cubic its life cycle. "Even to upgrade in- ter, so they can allocate ground- the Israeli occupation and Israeli Bank are not connected to the na- we could produce our own honey, needed the most. metres of water is stolen every day frastructure in Area A and B is a water for the settlements and their control over water resources in the tional water grid, relying instead but all the bees died due to lack of "The wells should be drilled by Palestinians. headache," Abdelghasoul said. future expansion," Tamimi said. Palestinian territories. on local underground supplies. water; there are not enough flow- where there is important demand, "We are aware there is water "They [Israel] impose long and Since 2005, five desalination Deeb Abdelghasoul, PWA's Palestinians living in remote ers' [Eloise Bollack/Al Jazeera] such as north and south of Jenin, theft … However, we should ask complicated procedures in order to plants have been built in Israel, director of the water resources de- areas have been hit the hardest by Over the summer, Israeli me- south of Hebron, or northwest of ourselves why are the people steal- issue permits to import the small- now producing approximately 50 partment the ongoing water crisis, as access dia reported that illegal Jewish set- the Jordan valley. Why in Ariel, I ing water? Simply because they are est pieces or equipment." percent of the country's water sup- Some Palestinians have joked roads are often poor and the addi- tlements in the West Bank were wonder, as a hydrologist? There is thirsty," Abdelghasoul said. Data released by the Israeli ply. "We don't want to substitute that the water bill collector comes tional costs of delivery result in also suffering from daily disrup- already a well there; they can sim- At the same time, increased Water Authority shows that a large water from desalination plants for to their homes more often than higher prices. tions to water supplies, prompt- ply improve its capacity … [This water demands owing to growing expansion in agriculture in the set- our historical rights to all shared water. As demand rises, the cost "We need special 4x4 trucks ing the Israeli government to es- measure] was definitely not de- Israeli and Palestinian populations tlements has led to an estimated water resources," Adbelghasoul of drinking water has skyrocket- to drive on the unpaved roads, and tablish a new drilling site, Ariel 1, signed to supply Palestinian com- is stretching the limits of existing rise of 20 to 40 percent in water said. "Once we have our basic ed, with some families spending it can take up to two hours to reach which would provide 250 cubic munities," Tamimi told Al Jazeera. water infrastructure. Most of the consumption this year. rights, based on equitable alloca- up to 30 percent of their meagre the communities," said Hafez metres of water per hour. Settler violence against Pales- water network was installed in "The [Palestinian Authority] tion of resources and international incomes to purchase it. Hureini, a resident of at-Tuwani Abdelrahman Tamimi, director tinians 'not an isolated case' 1967, when Israel occupied the has no solution for the water cri- law, then we can think of other Israel implements a policy of village and leader of the South He- of the Palestinian Hydrology In the meantime, Israel has ac- West Bank. Today, the diameters sis. In my opinion, Israel has used development options, such as de- water cuts each summer, but this bron Hills Popular Committee. Group for Water and Environmen- cused Palestinians of tapping into of the pipes are inadequate, and this summer to put more pressure salination or treatment of waste year, it reached an unprecedented Taha shows her empty bee- tal Resources Development, said pipes, with the Israeli Water Au- the system is reaching the end of on us to purchase desalinated wa- water." Dutch diplomat falls for Saudi Bedouin lifestyle

The battle for Mosul is intensify- people. It is not clear how many later. He ultimately led the group these groups operating in the coun- ing as Iraqi government forces and have left since ISIL captured the to fight in Syria's war in 2012 and try. Many of them are very pow- Kurdish troops edge closer to- city back in June 2014. formed what is the present-day erful in terms of weapons, intelli- wards the country's second-larg- Ranj Alaaldin analyses the ISIL. Many Iraqis argue that the gence and unshaken loyalty to est city. According to the Kurdish Mosul offensive main reason that such groups exist Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khame- Regional Government (KRG) in- Some residents have fled, but is the injustice inflicted on Iraq's nei. Abadi has said that he, as com- terior ministry, the Iraqi army is the vast majority remain trapped Sunni Arabs since 2003. mander in chief, maintains control only five kilometres from Mosul - at the mercy of ISIL, the coalition The Iraqi government has a over these militias. In reality, he and they could be even closer. air strikes, Iraqi army forces, Pesh- huge responsibility. It needs to end does not: According to human Several towns and villages have merga fighters and Shia militias. the perceived marginalisation of rights groups, Sunni politicians and recently been cleared, including the The stakes for Mosul are high. Sunnis and end arbitrary arrests, witnesses, these militias have been predominantly Christian towns of What happens there could deter- torture and humiliation. Some an- involved in war crimes, revenge Bartellah and Qaraqoush, south- mine the future of Iraq, and the alysts cite the need for a real and attacks, ethnic cleansing, torture, east of Mosul. Fierce battles are direction in which the country will effective reconciliation process to abuse and executions against mem- raging on multiple fronts. head. create jobs and implement real bers of the Sunni population. But fighters of the Islamic Another key question is what power-sharing. They are accused of changing State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, is next after the government pre- The implications for not do- the demographics in areas that also known as ISIS) are hitting back sumably declares "victory" over ing so are dire, not only for Mosul used to be under ISIL's control in hard. ISIL fighters have slowed ISIL? Many people in Iraq fear that but for the rest of Iraq. There are the provinces of Diyala, Salahel- down the advancing forces by wag- the seeds for other extremist genuine fears that the post-ISIL din, Anbar and areas known as the ing waves of coordinated suicide groups have already been planted. generation will be more brutal. Belt of Baghdad that surround the car-bomb attacks, deploying tens A quick flashback to 2003 re- Such assumptions are based on the Iraqi capital. The US military is of snipers and relying on a net- minds us that ISIL had its origins fact that Osama Bin Laden's al- providing support and air power work of trenches and tunnels. in al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordani- Qaeda was seen as extreme when not only to Iraqi forces, but also ISIL is also manoeuvring and an Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Zar- it surfaced, but when Zarqawi to Shia militias involved in alleged relying on old tactics seen in pre- qawi galvanised many fighters, showed up in Iraq, al-Qaeda's at- war crimes. The Americans deny vious battlefields in Iraq. transformed the group and intro- tacks and tactics seemed less bru- it, but this is what happened dur- Another key question is what duced new insurgency tactics. tal in comparison. ing the battles of Tikrit, Baji, Ra- is next after the government pre- After his death in a US mili- With ISIL, the brutality turned madi and Fallujah. In a nutshell, all sumably declares 'victory' over tary raid in 2006, the group be- into blatant savagery. Another im- of these factors will only fuel the ISIL? Many people in Iraq fear that came known as the Islamic State portant factor to watch out for this anger towards the US and the Shia- To many, the desert may seem to mat said. name [Marcel] sounding like the the seeds for other extremist of Iraq, led by Abu Omar al-Bagh- time is the rising power and the led government in Baghdad - and be a vast and barren land where Kurpershoek’s first encounter Arabic word for messenger, has a groups are already planted. dadi. Baghdadi was killed by Iraqi spread of extreme Shia militias that is the best breeding ground for nothing more than cacti and sand with a desert-filled country was documentary on Al Arabiya News On Saturday, a group of sui- and US forces in 2010, and the fighting ISIL. The Popular Mobil- new groups to garner support and dunes dot the landscape. Howev- not as he had hoped and studied. channel called “The Last Travel- cide attackers and fighters launched group got yet another leader, Abu isation Units - Shia paramilitaries find endless recruits in Iraq and er, to Dutch diplomat and Orien- When he arrived in Egypt, he was er” in which he recalls his expedi- an early-morning raid on a govern- Bakr al-Baghdadi, a former inmate funded and armed by Iran - are a beyond. Omar Al Saleh is a former talist Paul Marcel Kurpershoek, taken aback by the traffic and over- tions of various Saudi deserts. ment building and a power plant held in a US prison in southern growing force in Iraq. Al Jazeera correspondent and an the desert is a land filled with po- ly-crowded streets. “It’s my homeland... I some- in the ethnically mixed, Kurdish- Iraq in 2004 and set free four years There are more than 40 of analyst on Middle East affairs. etry and literature, one that har- “When I came [to Cairo] it was times regard myself a Bedouin,” dominated city of Kirkuk, which bors the “most good-natured” and very different from what I thought he says in the documentary. is southeast of Mosul. “poetic” people in the world – the because I had gone through a 19th "When I'm in the Netherlands The attack killed more than a Bedouins. century book expecting as such – during winter season and it gets dozen people. ISIL's aim was to “I think it is very beautiful, so it was a disappointment; a lot dark and people are in a hurry to distract and confuse Iraqi govern- very bright and there are no obsta- of people, very crowded and go to their work, my thoughts take ment forces and Kurdish Peshmer- cles [blocking] the stars. You can traffic…not so poetic,” he said. me back to the Al-Nefud desert and ga fighters, to open new fronts and go long distances and meet Bedouin “Then I came to Riyadh and the Arabian Peninsula.” to grab international media head- people with their camels and at the time it was a small popula- Many Westerners would nev- lines. tents,” Kurpershoek told Al Ara- tion, there was a lot of desert and a er consider living in the harsh at- Similar tactics were employed biya English. lot of tribes and different scenery mosphere, under the heat of the during the battles to retake the cit- “They are very hospitable and and you just have to drive a little sun, but Kurpershoek views the ies of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah. have beautiful language and poet- distance from Riyadh and you are Bedouin lifestyle as a poetic and The Iraqi government and ry. They are good natured people in the desert.” beautiful one. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi – it’s just like a dream.” Kurpershoek, who joined “I think what I like about the appear determined to recapture Kurpershoek was born in The New York University in Abu Dha- Bedouin is that they – as I see it ISIL's stronghold of Mosul. Abadi Hague in the Netherlands, gradu- bi in 2015 as a Senior Research and I don’t think they are aware of had previously said that ISIL in ating from Leiden University where Fellow in the Humanities Research it – live in harmony with nature Iraq would be defeated by the end he studied Arabic Philosophy. He Fellowship Program, found the and they live in a sustainable envi- of 2016. It could be a matter of then went on to work in diplomat- Saudi capital to be more aligned ronment because everything in the time before this plan succeeds, ic missions in Damascus and Cairo with his expectations. desert is scarce. There is very lit- however. ISIL is outnumbered and before becoming the ambassador “All the people don’t feel iso- tle water and very little pasture, outgunned, but there are growing for the Netherlands in Saudi Ara- lated in the offices or in their so you have very little trees or fears over the human costs of this bia between 1986 and 1990. homes, they sit outside in a group palm trees and so on,” he said. campaign. US-led coalition war- “I like the adventure and going and discuss all kinds of things and “They like this environment planes have been pounding targets out and discovering and I was the speak poetry! At every meeting, in spite of its hostile [nature], they in Mosul for months. They have only one, no one was studying it. I poetry is normal, and they have manage this very well and it was stated that the targets were ISIL thought this was something unique very interesting poetry about his- hard but also beautiful. Because of positions, but reports from inside I discovered and I can really do a tory and nature.” this combination of beauty and the city suggest that civilians are discovery and translate it and write Bedouins harshness, this makes you feel also being killed. Mosul has a pop- books about it and then I will be Kurpershoek, also known as more alive, makes you appreciate ulation of more than two million the first,” the former Dutch diplo- “the messenger” due to his first life more.” TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES Lunch with Felix Neugart: The Arab-German Verbindung

tup made the decision to be billed “as much as possible through the US company” after the referendum vote. “Usually we pay for soft- ware in dollars now. Not sure how that’s ‘taking back control’ but there we are…” she adds. Back in August several star- tups also told TechCrunch they were having to be generally more “currency aware” in the wake of Brexit. “We have been forced to be Felix Neugart is not just another holistic view. “Germany is a very more currency movement aware,” German who can speak Arabic. He strong and self-sufficient country, said Hubbub founder and CEO can also adorn himself in Bavarian which also explains why it was able Jonathan May at the time. attire – called “Lederhose” – to to accommodate one million Syri- “Almost our entire cost base welcome guests at the famous Ger- ans. But this is also a challenge for is in GBP but increasingly our rev- man Oktoberfest event in Dubai. the German government.” enues are in USD or EUR, so we For these reasons, he can be called No business of government have needed to spend a bit more a true Arab-German Verbindung However, Felix says, German time making sure we’re not wast- (connection). businesses are not so close to the ing money invoicing in the wrong As CEO of the semi-govern- government as is the case in some currencies, and given the long sales ment AHK – the German Emirati other countries. “Also, it’s the cycles in our space, we’ve been Joint Council for Industry and SMEs that are very strong in Ger- careful to make sure quotes or price Commerce – Felix has been facili- many and they are very interna- estimates are in the right curren- tating businesses on either side. He tionally-oriented. Such companies cies and have expiry dates on takes even greater pride in his un- are flexible and adapt very quick- them.” Microsoft notes that UK derstanding of the Arab world’s ly. Sometimes if you are not per- customers with annuity volume li- history, art and culture and of ceived as a political entity, it censing agreements for products course businesses. helps”. With Chinese companies that are subject to price protec- We opt for a three-course busi- trying to fill these areas in the re- tion will not face the price hikes ness lunch at Alta Badia, an Italian gion, Felix agrees, that Asia is one during the term of their agreement. cuisine joint perched atop Emir- major challenge. But that’s not the While for products sold ates Towers, overlooking a stun- only challenge. “Many projects in through resellers, it confirms final ning view of Dubai’s waterfront. the Middle East are very large. prices and currency of sale will The place claims to be home for They are huge turn-key projects “continue to be determined by “honest Italian cuisine” and we that run into [the] billions. These them”. agreed to go for a set menu. Around are something that medium-sized It’s not the only company re- an hour of sumptuous food later, German firms cannot take because UK businesses that buy enterprise ment across the region”. of the European Union — with the Norwegian krone and Swiss franc. thinking UK pricing in the wake we agreed to skip desserts. of the risks and liability,” he says. software or cloud services from On-premise enterprise soft- shock no vote sending the value of “Even after this adjustment, of the pound’s dramatic fall. In Prior to joining AHK, Felix German companies can fill the Microsoft are facing a price hike ware prices will be rising by 13 the pound nosediving. Some ana- customers across the region buy- August HTC bumped up the price was member of the Advisory gap in energy efficiency, which is from January 1. per cent, while “most” enterprise lysts are now predicting Sterling ing in British pound will still find of the HTC Vive VR headset by Group for the Transatlantic Trade getting big in this part of the world. On Friday Microsoft quietly cloud prices in British pounds will will hit parity with the euro and our cloud offerings highly compet- £70, for instance. Although, in the and Investment Partnership “Germany is the largest tourism released the news of changes to increase by 22 per cent to — in drop to just $1.10 by the end of itive,” it claims. Microsoft case, the Brexit-induced (TTIP) of the EU Commission in destination for the Gulf tourists in pricing for volume licensing prod- Microsoft’s words — “realign 2017. Microsoft doesn’t mention What can UK companies do price hike only affects its enter- Brussels and had also served as Europe, which is important,” he ucts via its UK TechNet blog for close to euro levels”. the ‘B’ word specifically but de- to protect themselves against b2b prise products. “This pricing managing director of International says. However, he also admits that IT professionals — saying it was The reason for rising prices is scribes the price rise as a “harmon- pricing fluctuations in the post- change will not apply to consum- Economic Policy at the Associa- the competition is growing. revising pricing in pound sterling of course the June referendum in isation adjustment” — similar to Brexit reality? Ellen Leith, founder, er software or consumer cloud ser- tion of German Chambers of In- The Alta Badia restaurant at to “ensure there is reasonable align- the UK on continued membership ones it made in April for pricing in of the P2PNetwork, says the star- vices,” Microsoft added. dustry and Commerce (DIHK) in Emirates Towers, Dubai. (Al Ara- Berlin. He has also been a research biya) The language Verbindung fellow at the Munich-based Cen- But what are the synergies ter for Applied Policy Research. between Arab and German busi- Besides the AHK outfits in nesses? Felix highlights the fact that ASIAN SHARES END LARGELYHIGHER Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the 40- Germany had no colonial empire something Felix also oversees its like the British and the French, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman opera- which makes them apolitical. On Asia’s equity markets reversed manufacturing PMI in October in- sion, after China’s central bank likely rate rise by the U.S. Federal Looking ahead, market partic- tions. AHK is also represented in the other hand, there have been their early weakness to notch dicates that firms are dealing well fixed the yuan 0.2% weaker against Reserve in December. Others in the ipants will be watching for PMI Iraq and has a business office in some very well-known Arabic lin- broad gains on Monday, as traders with the headwind from a stronger the U.S. dollar. The yuan has been market view a rally in China shares data out of Europe and the U.S., Riyadh, which are all part of its guists from Germany on the Ara- in Japan came to appreciate that exchange rate,” said analysts at trading at six-year lows against the as a sign that the market can with- and following speeches by mem- network. All those responsibilities bic language. Felix mentions what the latest import-export data, Capital Economics in a note. dollar in recent sessions, and some stand some capital exodus. bers of the U.S. Federal Reserve seem to have made Felix into an perhaps is the most enduring lan- though weak, did beat expecta- “What’s more, the survey suggests investors have been concerned In South Korea, Hanjin Ship- that could indicate the likelihood intense character and one has to guage connection, referring to Hans tions. The Nikkei Stock Average that consumer prices are no longer about the possibility of capital ping ended off 12%, following of an interest rate rise in Decem- probe beyond his businessman- Wehr, a German Arabist and pro- closed up 0.3%, after an early de- falling.” flight. Still, Capital Economics said news Friday that the heavily in- ber. According to CME Group’s like mannerisms to find other fessor at the University of Mun- cline of 0.1%. The Shanghai Com- Among Tokyo-traded stocks, recent movement has been driven debted company is in talks to sell FedWatch tool, the probability of shades of his personality. ster, who published the Arabisches posite Index added 1.2% to its high- videogame-maker Nintendo’s mainly by dollar strength, which its stake in a Long Beach Terminal a rise in December has fallen to Music and sports, Felix ad- Wörterbuch in 1952. est point in more than two months, shares ended down 4.8%, after it expects to continue ahead of a to a Swiss company. 69.5% from the prior 73.9%. mits, are among a number of his The book was later published while in Hong Kong, where the Nikkei reported that its sales like- other interests. Felix chooses In- in English as A Dictionary of Mod- market had been closed Friday due ly dropped 30% from a year earli- salata Di Gamberi for starters. It ern Written Arabic. Arabisches to Typhoon Haima, the Hang Seng er. That added to the selling mo- came with roasted shrimp, farmer Wörterbuch is regarded as the stan- Index rose 1%. Korea’s Kospi mentum that began after Thurs- salad and avocado and mango dard scholarly dictionary of Ara- closed up 0.7%. day’s unveiling of a new gaming dressing. I chose Bruschetta, bic for English-speaking students Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 platform that underwhelmed in- which had tomato-diced basil, bur- and scholars of the language. “As fought the tide, ending down 0.4%. vestors. rata cheese and rocket salad. far as I know, this was one of the Japan’s Ministry of Finance By contrast, electronics-mak- The panoramic view from Alta main dictionaries between English reported that September exports er Sharp finished up 4.8%, follow- Badia. (Al Arabiya) ‘Only bilater- and Arabic.” Small is beautiful were off 6.9% from a year earli- ing a report that the company is al business organization’ The presence of a large num- er—the 12th straight month of set to streamline operations by AHK was established in 2009 ber of German small and medium declines—as a stronger yen con- closing a factory in Hiroshima as and has 500 member companies on enterprises (SMEs) in Dubai and tinued to hurt manufacturers. Im- early as 2017 and shifting work to its list. It is part of the global net- elsewhere in the region is a testi- ports were off 16.3%, the 21st another factory in the same pre- work comprising of 120 offices in mony to their success. However, straight month of contraction. fecture. 80 countries. “We are proud to be Felix chooses to look at those firms, The export drop, though, was Commodities-reliant Australia the only bilateral business organi- on either side, who still choose to less than the 10.6% expected by was hurt by weaker oil prices. zation in the Gulf region,” says work with partners. “There has economists surveyed by The Wall Brent, the global crude oil bench- Felix. This is also reflected in the been some successes but much Street Journal. mark, was recently down 0.1% at AHK board, which consists of more could be done.” “The Japanese trade balance $51.73 a barrel in Asian trade. German as well as Emirati busi- According to him, it is impor- in September sent positive surpris- Among key energy shares in Aus- ness representatives. tant to develop relations between es to the markets this morning,” tralia, Santos slid 2.9%, Oil Search AHK offers services to com- Germany and the Arab Gulf coun- said Margaret Yang, a market ana- 2% and Woodside Petroleum 1.1%. panies that want to enter the UAE/ tries and business has a big role to lyst at CMC Markets, in a note. The Shanghai Composite In- Gulf or German markets. They play in it. “It is an area that we Moreover, Japan’s manufac- dex’s rise reflected increased ap- range from automobile and energy want to contribute by working turing purchasing managers index petite for equities as the govern- companies to healthcare, infra- with our partners and to help com- rose to 51.7 in October from Sep- ment cracks down on real-estate structure and food products. Even panies present here to increase tember’s 50.4. The indicator tracks speculation. in troubled Iraq, a German pavil- their business relations further.” the order expectations of factory “There is simply too much li- ion will find place at the Baghdad Felix learnt Arabic in Syria and managers. A reading above the 50 quidity that has nowhere to go af- Trade Fair next month, courtesy is sad about the state of affairs in indicates expansion, and Japan’s ter the government restricts prop- AHK. The conversation briefly that country. He can only keep October PMI showed the rate im- erty buying,” said Deng Wenyuan, veers toward the troubled country abreast of the developments in the proving at the fastest rate in nine an analyst at Soochow Securities. and the refugee crisis facing Eu- country on Al Arabiya News Chan- months. The Chinese market’s gains rope as a result of conflicts in the nel which also helps him “brush “The fifth straight rise in the had been capped earlier in the ses- Middle East. Felix takes a more up Arabic-speaking skills.” In new China Inc M&A push, Oceanwide strikes $3.8b deal for ex-GE insurer Genworth Little-known China Oceanwide Both firms' boards backed the ket. Some recent Chinese bids have worked in local government, grad- level at which they closed on Friday," broker BTIG wrote in a note to clients, citing charges at the firm's long- Holdings Group Co pledged $3.8 deal, reached after two years' "ex- attracted intense regulatory scru- uated from the prestigious Fudan term care unit. While China Oceanwide is paying only a modest per-share premium, some Chinese buyers billion in a deal to take control of tensive review" by Genworth's tiny overseas. But rarely has an University and became vice-pres- have been paying top-dollar to secure insurance assets. Earlier this year, comparatively unknown mainland U.S. insurer Genworth Financial board. But the transaction remains insurance deal by a Chinese acquir- ident of the China Non-govern- firm Thaihot Group paid nearly three times Dah Sing Financial Holdings Ltd's 2015 embedded value in a $1.4 Inc, the latest marker of Chinese subject to regulatory approvals, er been blocked outright by inter- mental Chamber of Commerce billion deal - more than double the valuation at which a previous Hong Kong insurance deal was done. firms accelerating a drive overseas and likely won't close before mid- national watchdogs, according to while building up his business. Goldman Sachs and Lazard are acting as financial advisors to Genworth. Citigroup and Willis Capital Markets while their domestic economy 2017, they said, without disclos- people familiar with these trans- Forbes magazine estimates his net & Advisory are acting as financial advisors to China Oceanwide, according to the statement. slows and the yuan weakens. ing the exact source of the deal's actions. worth stands at $5.3 billion. Founded by low-profile but funding. Founded by Lu in 1985, Genworth's McInerney said well-connected billionaire Lu Zhi- The striking of a near-$4 bil- Oceanwide - described by Gen- the capital commitment from Chi- qiang, the Beijing-based investment lion deal by an unlisted Chinese worth President & Chief Execu- na Oceanwide would strengthen firm agreed to pay $2.7 billion in firm that few outside the country tive Officer Tom McInerney as "an Genworth's business - increasing cash to buy all Genworth shares, know highlights how determined ideal owner" going forward - is also the likelihood of obtaining regula- the firms said in a statement on mainland buyers have become in a the controlling shareholder of Hong tory approval. Genworth intends Sunday. The price offers a modest hectic year for chasing overseas Kong-listed China Oceanwide to maintain its existing portfolio 4.2 percent premium to Gen- assets. So far, 2016 has seen Chi- Holdings Ltd, worth about $1.6 of businesses, including its mort- worth's Friday closing price. nese firms launch a record $181 billion by market value. gage insurance businesses in Aus- Oceanwide also committed billion of overseas mergers and ac- Lu, born in 1951, has risen tralia and Canada. another $1.12 billion to cover Gen- quisitions - about 70 percent more through the ranks of Chinese busi- Analysts reckoned the com- worth debt maturing in 2018, as than the whole of last year. ness and officialdom quietly but paratively low per-share premium well as life insurance claims charg- Chinese investment holding efficiently. China Oceanwide's China Oceanwide is paying reflects es faced by the firm spun out of firms have joined insurers like Fo- operations now span financial ser- Genworth's upcoming gloomy General Electric in 2004. Gen- sun International Ltd and unlisted vices, energy, culture and media, business outlook. Tata Sons board worth has seen its share price fall Anbang Insurance Group in lever- and real estate assets globally, em- removes Cyrus Mistry from chair- nearly two-thirds in the last 24 aging accumulated capital to buy ploying more than 10,000 employ- man's post India's proposed algo months while battling low interest global assets. Some recent purchas- ees worldwide. trading rules cast pall over bourse rates and trying to stabilise its es have also come from Chinese After a job in a diesel engine IPOs "We believe the company's troubled long-term health insur- property companies, keen to re- factory as a teenager, according to (Genworth) shares would have ance arm. duce reliance on their home mar- official news agency Xinhua, Lu traded significantly lower than the TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

The Accountant review: Ben Affleck’s film is an awkward assassin drama

For more than an hour of its two-hour run time, Train to Busan his is a moment from the lives up to its title, hurtling along at break-neck speed, with life of genius, yet lonely, the barest premise anchoring to the tracks. finance analyst Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), who works for international drug car- tels and weapon dealers. Thanks Train to Busan review: to his excellent book-keeping skills, Wolff is a favourite with All aboard for the most mafia bosses looking for money laundering fronts. But, this isn’t the only purpose he solves. Our thrilling surprise of 2016 man can double up as a deadly as- sassin if need be. So, we are deal- o one transforms B-mov consumed by chaos, the safest ing with a mathematics wonder, ies into high art quite like place to hide is in one coach. who calculates 247,891 times 92 the Koreans. It’s a care The claustrophobia gives the faster than we could type it, and less generalisation to film an almost Hitchcockian edge, someone trained in all sorts of make, but nonetheless, quite an despite the frequent scenes of car- martial arts. Especially the kind accurate one. nage, and brings to mind the bril- Hollywood assassins use to look And if they keep producing films liant Canadian zombie film Pon- good in fast cuts and shaky cam- like Train to Busan, which has been typool (set in the confines of a ra- eras. He lives undercover, doesn’t generating consistent buzz since its dio booth) and the British series talk much and keeps murdering midnight premiere at this year’s Dead Set (the Big Brother house). targets throughout the world. His Cannes Film Festival, it is a gener- Its complete disregard for zombie cockiness stays somewhere in be- alisation I will proudly keep mak- rules aside (it’s more World War Z tween that of Jason Statham (The ing. than Shaun of the Dead), what el- Transporter) and Matt Damon For more than an hour of its evates Train to Busan is the sheer (Jason Bourne Series). He isn’t on two-hour run time, Train to Busan skill with which it is made. the police radar yet but treasury lives up to its title, hurtling along Like Park Chan-wook’s Old- department will soon get a lead. at break-neck speed, with the bar- boy, Kim Seong-hun’s A Hard Day Gavin O’Connor (director of War- est premise anchoring to the tracks. and most notably, Bong Joon-ho’s rior, 2011) has a pretty interesting For more than an hour, it is one of Snowpiercer - all classic films of idea at his hands: A number cham- the most purely entertaining, yet this Golden Age of Korean Cine- pion trapped in the body of a quietly poignant thrillers you’re ma, Train to Busan explores the hitman. He uses autism to pad it likely to see this, or any other year. (fine) line between civilisation and up and adds the always handy But while it certainly never fully barbarism, and has the unmistak- theory of a broken home. There is goes off the rails in its third act, it able undercurrent of class struggle still something missing. What is it? definitely loses some steam - and running through it. There has to be someone the guy that’s what stops it from being There is an upstairs/down- great. Train to Busan makes the stairs dynamic between the first- must protect. There comes Dana Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been scenes in ADHM leave Big B up- There’s a continuum even in the said.The actor also questioned the Cummings (Anna Kendrick), a wise decision to have its plot be class passengers and those in the making headlines regarding her racy set? Speaking to Filmfare, the diva separation.” “You’ll come away link of age with reference to male- driven by its characters and not back that plays an important, but sweet-talking assistant accountant, appearance in the film Ae Dil Hai revealed that she was comfortable seeing only ‘wow chemistry’ or female dynamics. “Like a journal- who keeps asking innocent ques- the other way around. As straight- subtle part in the proceedings. Mushkil for quite some time now. playing the role. “Karan would’ve you’ll come away seeing the ist said when age is not discussed forward as the premise is (a dis- The action is tense, violent and tions amid the flurry of bullets.So However, Aish has now final- liked a lot more intimacy. But I’ve depth,” she added.Aish further said in the male dynamic, why is it be- much dilution happens that The tant father takes his daughter to thrilling, especially one particularly ly opened up on her bold avatar not gone beyond in terms of my she’s glad the film is raising ques- ing discussed so much in the fe- visit her mother, his estranged wife, wrenching scene featuring actor Accountant starts looking like a saying it was the demand of the comfort space.” The actor also tions. “I’ve no insecurities doing a male dynamic?” Ae Dil Hai Mush- sequel to The Mechanic. Flash- while a zombie outbreak threatens Ma Dong-seok - who resembles a script and the scenes were shot delved into details about her char- film where I age, where visually I kil teaser promises an emotional to overrun their train), it’s the in- young Choi Min-sik, his Name- backs keep telling us about Wolff’s aesthetically, IB Times reported. acter Saba which she plays in the look nothing from what you’d ex- roller coaster Ae Dil Hai Mushkil past where his father wanted him teractions between the characters less Gangster co-star and the Am- to be unbelievably self-sufficient. “Today I have worked, I know film. “It’s the Saba-Ayan dynam- pect – considering there’s a con- stars Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya and the relationships they forge, itabh Bachchan of Korean movies. It was probably the only narrative the overview. It is about how you ics. She’s a progressive lady, im- stant visual dissection for some- Rai and Anushka Sharma in pivot- and not, as one would expect, the Train to Busan is one of the technique left with the director to approach a character and doing that pactful enough to become his voice one like me! I choose to do the al roles. The film features cameo rampage raging outside (and two best surprises of the year; a re- show the backstory of an emotion- is relevant to times from 20 years for the rest of his life, the reason least expected. I’m glad it has appearances by Fawad Khan, Im- coaches over), that makes this film demption tale that reminds us how ally challenged nerd-turned-gang- ago. It is done in a classy way. It is he writes. He sings her poetry, he turned out being different, in a ran Abbas, Lisa Haydon and Shah so special. close we are to losing our humani- ster. Whatever O’Connor uses to not frivolous sensuality onscreen.” finds expression in that. She con- Karan Johar narrative. The female Rukh Khan. It is slated to release As the outside world and a ty, but also the compassion we are shift gears, it brings the audience Did Aishwarya’s steamy tinues to be part of his life forever. response has been amazing,” she on October 28, 2016. substantial portion of the train is capable of. back to Wolff and his charismatic trigger happy fingers. Affleck’s glum presence is of some help here. Upping the At least, the guy behaves like a stereotypical book-keeper. Then ante: HSY styles Director Tim Miller drops out of Deadpool 2 suddenly the story of a deadly as- sassin changes into an irrepress- ible urge to leave behind a legacy Brooke Shields while you keep crying for more of over differences with Ryan Reynolds cartels and their modus operandi. for Hollywood In fact, Wolff actually goes obvi- ous and says, “I want to leave event something behind.” Yes, we get it. That’s why you killed hundreds Tokyo film of characters in the film. That’s not the only unintentional dark humour in The Accountant. Here, fest to focus assassins love to lecture their vic- tims on job cuts and fiscal deficit. on Indonesia So much in the name of mainstream American cinema! JK Simmons’ underachieving treasury officer and Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s determined cop are of no help. They look like they were shot in patches and clogged together. Pakistan has definite glamour that often gets relegated to the back- ground by international media. Guess who HSY, however, showcases that side with a flare that comes naturally loves Vaani’s to him whether it’s at fashion weeks, on TV or at red carpets. Indonesia will be the country of mean moves Recently, he made international focus at the Tokyo International and local headlines for dressing Film Festival, which begins on Hollywood bombshell Brooke October 25. Part of Crosscut Asia, in Befikre? Sheilds in a custom made dress. an important segment of the festi- A touch of flair: Taking a walk val, Indonesian movies will high- through the history of fashion light some leading directors from Brooke Shields wore a navy the country. blue stone encrusted gown to the Three films by Teddy Soeri- star-studded American Ballet aatmadja will be a study in intima- Theatre’s 2016 iFall Gala at the cy -- daring and provocative. Lincoln Center in New York City. Along with these will be the works The self-proclaimed King of of emerging female talents like Nia Couture, Sheru as he is fondly Director Tim Miller will report- screenwriters Rhett Reese and split is reportedly an amicable one. been adapted by Mark Bomback, Dinata (a pioneer in LGBT mov- known, became the first Pakistani edly not return for the upcoming Paul Wernick for the Deadpool Upon his departure from the su- and is expected to launch a film tril- ies) and Kamila Andini with her designer to dress a leading Holly- sequel to Deadpool because of cre- sequel. Although he was expected perhero film, Miller was offered ogy. Miller made his directorial de- evocative work, Following Diana. wood celebrity for a red-carpet ative differences with lead actor to return, the filmmaker hasn’t of- another big project by Fox. He is but with Deadpool, which released Soeriaatmadja started his career event in recent times. At the gala, Ryan Reynolds. Miller helped de- ficially signed a deal to helm the booked for Influx, an adaptation earlier this year. Reynolds will serve with an independent movie titled Sheilds rubbed shoulders with fash- velop the script with returning project, reported Deadline. The of David Suarez’s novel that has as a co-producer on the sequel. Culik. His latest films to be ion bigwigs including the likes of screened at Tokyo are a trilogy: Calvin Klein, actor Julianna Lovely Man, Something in the Way Margulies, Elizabeth Olson and Bigg Boss 10: Reality shows are risky and strip you naked, says Gaurav Chopra and About a Woman. His atten- Misty Copeland and gave HSY’s tion to detail, stunning cinematog- creation a vantage point like no raphy and compelling style of sto- other. Actor Gaurav Chopra has had a down in some way. comers though, as new actors can very busy year, as he’s had to They want to have celebrities, make a name for themselves rytelling have made Teddy one of According to a press release, the most acclaimed directors in HSY shared that it was Shields who shoot for multiple reality shows, on board as they want to bring out through a reality show. For actors one of which was the dance reality their secrets and make them awk- who have been around, reality Indonesia. While Lovely Man trac- hand-picked the gown herself es the relationship between a Mus- online as she came across images show Dancing With The Stars, in ward. shows can be risky. Georgia, Europe. If they could, they would per- Personally, whenever I am lim father and his daughter after from PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal she discovers him to be a trans- Week (PLBW) released from However, the actor, who is haps strip you naked, but as they pushed to a corner, I have per- currently part of the ongoing real- can’t, they strip you in other ways. formed well. In my comfort zone, vestite working on the streets of HSY’s Divine Decadence collec- Djakarta, Something in the Way tion. ity show, Bigg Boss 10, feels that Perhaps, that’s the whole point.” I am lazy.” The actor says he was reality shows don’t really help an Gaurav, who has been acting on anxious and petrified about being talks about a man addicted to paid The song Nashe Di Chadh “I am honored that Brooke sex and how his life takes an about Gayi...has worked it's intoxicating Shields chose to wear HSY, that actor’s career. television for over 10 years, says part of Bigg Boss 10 and wanted He says, “Reality shows were he’s a risk taker and has never fol- to experience a show that will test turn after he falls in love with a magic , with millions of views pil- too, at such a prestigious gala. pretty neighbourhood prostitute. ing up online. And the song's slick, When her team first reached out, I big 10 years ago, and any actor who lowed the conventional path as an his limits. “I will find out how de- was part of those shows became a actor. pendent I am on others, on tech- The third in the trilogy, About a street dancing moves that are dif- was floored, having always ad- Woman, grapples with the life of ficult to master, have also gotten mired her for the multi-faceted star overnight. Your market price He adds, “Reality shows are a nology, and how well I do on my went up. But now, most of reality gamble now and things can go ei- own. It should be fun to discover an elderly Muslim lady as she is the youth thumping on its feet. force that she is and knowing the forced out of her comfort zone. They've loved the dance moves potential impact it has when shows drag you or your image ther way. They are great for new- this side of me.” and the high octane performance someone of her incredible stature by the film's leads Ranveer and chooses to wear a designer from Vaani. Pakistan,” said HSY. Go lm aal Return s w as a crap film , says Ro hit Shetty One such admirer of Vaani's The screenshot: New York super smooth dancing is none oth- Fashion Week Filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s 2008 My films are hardcore commercial film,” said Shetty, who has given er than Hrithik Roshan. Being a “In a time where the politics directorial Golmaal Returns was a films catering to a particular audi- hits like Chennai Express, starring bench mark by himself with his of division is gaining traction, fash- blockbuster, but he has said he ence. So, you start getting that feel- Shah Rukh Khan. He also shared dancing skills on-screen, he was ion truly recognises no boundaries. knew that it was a crap film. ing that it won’t work at that level. why some of his films, including quite impressed by her abilities to That Brooke Shields hand-picked The comedy drama, starring I have been right about it twice or the 2015 release Dilwale, which train in a complex dance form and the gown from images she saw of Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, thrice,” he said. brought back SRK and Kajol to- to perform it with ease in this song. my collection at PLBW is mani- Tusshar Kapoor and Arshad Warsi, After his film fails to create gether on the silver screen after a Hrithik has complimented her on fest of the impact and resonance is a part of the highly successful fireworks at the box office, how gap of five years, didn’t hit the this performance. Ecstatic to hear our fashion weeks have worldwide. comedy franchise Golmaal.While does he get back to making films? jackpot. “In Singham Returns, the praise from this superstar, Vaani We are very proud,” he added. speaking at a panel discussion at “We rectify ourselves...what all character went wrong. Dilwale... said, `I am ecstatic that someone HSY’s collection at this year’s the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film went wrong. Even if it is a hit, the the whole Kajol-Shah Rukh story who is like a God of Dance, Hrithik PLBW was one of his best ones in Festival with Star here, Shetty said whole team sits together and we went wrong. You come to know Roshan found me good! I hope the past few years. We are certain that he can sense it when his film introspect. ‘Golmaal Returns was where you are going wrong. And someday I can be half as good as that the designer will continue to goes wrong. “I start getting that the biggest hit of those days...in then you rectify and move for- him.` set new precedents for himself. feeling when you are going wrong. 2008. But we knew, it’s a crap ward,” said Shetty. TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES In dia do w n Pakistan in thriller; Malaysia reach sem is

KUANTAN: Defending champi- as they booked their place in the ons Pakistan were undone by a semi-finals with a 7-2 victory over superb comeback by India as they winless Japan in Sunday’s other fell 3-2 to their arch-rivals in a high- match while India have seven voltage preliminary round match points. Pakistan forced the first of the Asian Champions Trophy penalty corner in the opening here on Sunday. Strikes by minute but Indian goalkeeper P.R. Mohmmad Rizwan Senior and Sreejesh pulled off two back-to- Mohammad Irfan Junior in the back saves. The first quarter came space of eight minutes in the sec- to end with Pakistan dominating. ond quarter had put Pakistan well They made at least three good in control after Pradeep Mor had moves and the Indian defence did opened the scoring for India in the well not to concede a goal. 22nd minute. India took the lead against the Gary Neville gave his verdict on inho still does not know his best is obvious to see his lack of quali- look at United I still don't know of the season. Maybe that was a But Rupinder Pal Singh con- run of play in the when Mor on Manchester United following the team but has backed the manager ty in certain areas, but I thought what their best XI is. Mourinho is thought of Mourinho having a verted a penalty corner in the 43rd the right flank latched on to the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, and while to get it right. Here's what he had today he was really poor. still early in his reign, he is identi- massive impact, but when you look minute and Ramandeep Singh ball that had deflected off a Paki- he says there are still big questions to say… NEVILLE SAYS: "I think "In the first half he had a real- fying his best players, his best XI, at it today, that's not a Jose Mour- scored in the following minute by stani defender. Mor darted into the over the midfield, he does not think one of the things that was differ- ly terrible game and it was no sur- his best partnerships. inho team at all. deflecting in a diagonal cross from circle and sent in a firm shot from there is any need to panic. ent for United compared to Mon- prise he came off and I think Her- "To be fair, United have to "He has got to work with them, Talwinder Singh to seal victory for a very narrow angle that beat goal- Goals from Pedro, Gary Ca- day night (against Liverpool) was rera dropped a level after being trust him and will trust him to get he's got to get more out of them. India. “The result was not in our keeper Imran Butt to land on tar- hill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo they had control in the midfield, brilliant at Anfield. "Pogba is no it right over the next couple of He can't do anything over the next favour but we played well and en- get. After falling behind, Pakistan Kante condemned Jose Mourin- with Fellaini and Herrera alongside doubt confused. He has been transfer windows, because if you three months and it will be diffi- joyed the game,” said Pakistan started counter-attacking with their ho's side to a thumping defeat and each other. "Fellaini played so high signed for such a huge fee and I look at their midfield, they have cult in January." There's a lack of coach Khawaja Junaid, praising his captain Fareed Ahmed acting as the left them seventh in the Premier in the game today. I am not sure if look at him and it was a difficult Pogba, (Morgan) Schneiderlin and preparation time NEVILLE SAYS: young side for giving India a stiff pivot. And they were rewarded in League, six points off the top after that was something he was told to day for him. Fellaini; that is £170m spent on "Chelsea can have great confidence competition. “It was a brilliant the first minute after half-time as nine matches. Speaking on the do, but it just didn't work. It meant It was difficult for him at times central midfielders in the last three going forward. Antonio Conte has game with a very high level of skills the Indian defence left Rizwan un- Gary Neville Podcast following the he was detached from Herrera who at Anfield as a No 10, so at the years and I still don't know which got time, Jose Mourinho hasn't. between two top teams. This was marked on top of the circle as he full-time whistle at Stamford seemed to be exposed and for Unit- moment, I think Jose Mourinho is is the best pairing. Mourinho has "This is not comparing apples and the best match we have played in collected a long diagonal ball and Bridge, Neville highlighted poor ed it was not a good 45 minutes."I trying to find a way to incorpo- got to try and build a pair or re- apples, but Mourinho is rebound- a long time. “The boys performed sent a snap shot into the left cor- performances from Marouane Fell- know Fellaini has had a lot of stick rate him and when you sign a player place them. "There is a lot of work ing off one game, three days later much better than the Sultan Azlan ner of the boards. Pakistan showed aini and Ander Herrera in midfield over the last couple of seasons for that level of money, you some- to do for United, but as a United into another. That is completely Shah Cup five months ago, which more intent in the game as they and believes Paul Pogba is still con- with people saying he is not a how have to make it fit." NEV- fan I am not alarmed. I thought that different to having three weeks to was the only tournament we have scored another goal in the 39th fused over his role. He says Mour- Manchester United player and it ILLE SAYS: "I have to say when I they would be better at the start prepare. played since last year’s World minute as Irfan capitalised on an League Semifinals in Antwerp.” attack from the left to shoot home Pakistan’s inability to secure in a crowded circle. But out of no- an Olympic berth for this year’s where, India scored two goals Rio Games had left them short of within a span of one minute in the international fixtures and coach dying minutes of the third quarter. FIGH T NIGH T TALKING POINTS feels that some more experience Rupinder converted the pen- Sam Eggington shone with a ca- expected to possess an advantage lies on his own chin enabling him to against leading international teams alty corner with a rasping drag-flick reer-best win in Birmingham on in sheer skills but his loss can't be continue. By staying in Gavin's face would put Pakistan hockey back that went high into the net before Saturday - but Frankie Gavin and attributed to simply being bullied. relentlessly he effectively forced his among the top nations. Talwinder’s deft pass was de- Anthony Ogogo face difficult ques- Cunningham, who only had three opponent to slowly wilt - it is a “Pakistan will come out of this flected into Pakistan’s goal by tions after humbling defeats... An- stoppages in 16 previous wins, method that has holes in it, but and we will hopefully progress Ramandeep. Later, Malaysia be- thony Ogogo, London 2012's consistently forced Ogogo to Eggington will test the willpower of into the semi-finals but we must came the first team to check into bronze medal winner, will have a swing at thin air before punishing anybody he opposes. win Japan and China [in our re- the semi-finals when they out- sobering Sunday morning after his him from the southpaw stance. Having challenged for Kell maining matches],” added Junaid classed Japan. Aiman Nik Rozemi promising career partially What is Ogogo made of? Only now Brook's IBF title 18 months ago, after his side opened their cam- cracked open the Japan goalmouth unravelled at the hands of the little- can we find out. There isn't much Gavin is very likely to be finished at paign with a 4-2 defeat to Malay- in the 23rd minute, while the other known Craig Cunningham. For pretty about the 23-year-old's the highest level of boxing. A talented sia before beating South Korea 1- goals were scored by Rashid Ogogo plenty of soul-searching style - he is an avalanche of sharp and slick operator, the legacy he 0.The defeat left Pakistan with Baharom (27th), Nabil Fiqri must lay ahead - he was finally edges and tattoos whose forward- leaves will probably be one of un- three points from three outings, (33rd), Faizal Shaari (37th, 59th), stopped in the eighth round when coming style would make many derachievement. "He needs to have third in the six-team standings with Firhan Ashaari (44th) and Fitri his corner-man Tony Sims with- Mexican champions proud. We al- an honest conversation with him- the top four teams from the round- Shaari (58th). drew him but only those two men ready knew his vulnerabilities, but self," advised Matthew Macklin. robin competition will advance to The Japan goals were was truly know who made the decision Eggington dished out a reminder "How much does he want it? Does the semi-finals. scored by Kenji Kitazato (59th) to stop boxing. There was no ob- that he can't be exploited easily. he want to continue in this sport or Malaysia lead on nine points and Kentaro Fukuda (60th). vious injury to Ogogo, aside from Bradley Skeete, who has never does he retire? I don't see him being the repeated absorption of boxed beyond European level, was successful as a welterweight - he can Cunningham's left hand, so future thought to have shown up mix it, but he's coming off second opponents of the Olympian will Eggington by out-boxing him over best. "He doesn't live the life out- call his toughness into question. 12 rounds earlier this year. But side the ring - when he goes home Majestic Ko hli But perhaps the biggest con- Eggington's toughness is a weapon he'll have a burger or a curry. He's cern for the previously 11-0 Ogogo of its own, and he claimed by far got to learn to diet. If he carries on is the manner in which he was out- the biggest scalp of his career by boxing, he has to go down to light- He quickly grew into the 147lbs Eggington, but Gavin has never boxed, out-manoeuvred and out- grinding down former world title welterweight." Gavin boxed at weight division but, before boxing relied on sheer physicality because to n steers thought by Cunningham. With his challenger Gavin. Eggington was 140lbs for his first nine pro bouts, Eggington, failed to make the wel- his southpaw stance often allows extensive amateur and Olympic caught flush frequently but his having already withdrawn from the terweight limit. His physique was him to use his brain instead of background, Ogogo was naturally pressurising style is one that re- 2008 Olympics over weight issues. in stark contrast to the ripped brawn. In dia ho m e MOHALI: Virat Kohli hit an un- side had been reduced to 199 for beaten 154 to make short work of eight following a middle-order col- a seemingly steep target as India lapse. Third ro cks Ro an rivals Del Po tro beat New Zealand by seven wick- Opener Tom Latham was the ets in the third One-day Interna- top-scorer for New Zealand with tional in Mohali to take a 2-1 lead a 61 and the side were comfort- in the five-match series on Sun- ably placed at 153 for two in the en ds title w ait day. New Zealand, who won the 29th over with a promising stand last match in Delhi to tie the series of 73 between Latham and Taylor at 1-1, were all out for 285 in the (44). But they lost their next six 50th over after India captain Ma- wickets for 46 runs needing some hendra Singh Dhoni won the toss rearguard action from Neesham and opted to field at the PCA Sta- and Henry. Paceman Umesh Ya- dium. India chased down the tar- dav and off-spinner Kedar Jadhav get with 10 balls to spare, riding each picked up three wickets for on Kohli’s 26th century in the 50- the hosts though the former over format that included 16 proved expensive, giving away 75 boundaries and one six. The hosts runs in his 10 overs. lost both their openers Rohit Shar- The fourth ODI will be played ma and Ajinkya Rahane inside nine in Ranchi on Wednesday. overs and, with the required run rate climbing, needed a solid part- nership to get back on track. Kohli, who was dropped on six by Ross Taylor off Matt Hen- The Hennessy Gold Cup is a po- since April, the 5-1 shot looked a "We've not been sure about ry, and Dhoni (80), who promot- tential target for Third Intention little ring-rusty early on, but grad- what trip he wants and he's been Juan Martin del Potro has claimed 11th game of the opening set. Hav- ed himself up the batting order to after Colin Tizzard's seasoned ually warmed to his task. cross-country racing and also run his first ATP title for almost three ing served that out, Del Potro took number four, provided just that chaser claimed a long overdue big- He was still towards the rear over the Grand National fences. years after defeating Jack Sock 7- complete control, breaking three with a brisk third-wicket stand of race success in the 188Bet Mon- of the seven-strong field turning "He has had his wind done 5 6-1 in Stockholm. times on the second set as he 151 runs. et's Garden Old Roan Chase. for home, but mowed down Vibra- over the summer and that might Del Potro, who triumphed in showed off the type of play which India’s Test captain Kohli, While undoubtedly a fine ser- to Valtat on the run to the final just have helped him. People have the US Open back in 2009, has once took him to fourth in the who will turn 28 next month, fin- vant for connections over the fence and a bold leap sealed his been a bit cruel about him in the enjoyed a very welcome renais- world. Del Potro played just six ished things off with an unbroken years, the nine-year-old has found victory. past, but he hit the front today sance this year, after a series of tournaments across 2014 and 2015 fourth-wicket stand of 97 with success hard to come by, with the Dual Grade One winner God's and never looked like stopping. wrist injuries that pushed him to combined due to his injury prob- Manish Pandey (28 not out). last of his three previous chase tri- Own was doing his best work at "He'll definitely get an entry in the the brink of retirement. lems but has played a fuller sched- With India needing 23 from 18 umphs coming in February of last the finish and came through to beat Hennessy on Tuesday. Flat, left- Having claimed a silver medal ule this year and remains in top balls, the stylish right-handed bats- year. Vibrato Valtat to the runner-up handed tracks suit him and that at the Rio Olympics and helped form ahead of the Davis Cup final man, who scored an unbeaten 85 A total of 16 placed efforts spot, beaten a length and three- might be his next race." Tizzard Argentina to the Davis Cup final, against Croatia next month. "I've in the first ODI, tore into pace- from 28 starts over fences prior to quarters.Tizzard said: "I think he's also confirmed he hopes to take Del Potro now found himself in a been trying to fix my problems for man Trent Boult, hitting three his latest assignment on Aintree is the only juvenile hurdle winner I've the wraps off Thistlecrack for his first Tour final since he won in the past two years," said Del fours and a six in his over to plun- both admirable and frustrating, but ever had. eagerly-awaited debut over fences Sydney in January 2014. Potro. "And I didn't expect to win der 22 runs. he enjoyed his day in the sun on "He's been a lovely horse for at Chepstow on Tuesday. He add- And the World No 63 needed a title at this moment in my career. Earlier, James Neesham (57) Merseyside under a terrific ride us and I'm delighted for him he's ed: "He's ready to run, hopefully just under an hour and 20 minutes "I am so happy to get the tro- and Matt Henry (39 not out) add- from Aidan Coleman. gone and won a lovely race like the the ground will be fine and we'll to defeat his American opponent, phy here, it's motivation for the ed 84 for the ninth wicket to prop Making his first appearance Old Roan. see what happens." securing the crucial break in the future." up New Zealand after the touring TUESDAY . OCTOBER 25. 2016-Aqrab 04, 1395 H.S Vol:XI Issue No:85 Price: Afs.15

The Envoy:From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World Our bombs he told his follow- ers were directed at terrorists-not By Abdul Saboor Sarir the afghan people. He was willing PYEONGCHANG, GANGWON to cooperate with the U.N. and PROVINCE: The Global Saemaul step down once there was an agree- Leadership Forum, an organization ment on a political transition. active on the rural development Rabbani closed by asking if he was held from October 18 to 20 in could use me as a conduit to com- South Korea under the theme municate with the Bush Adminis- “SMU-Waves of Hope, Unity of tration. There were additional sen- Global Society”. Around 750 par- sitive issues that he would like to ticipants from 44 countries includ- discuss in person. I agreed that we ed ministers and Vice-Ministers, should remain in touch. Ambassadors, Saemaul leaders, ON NOVEMBER 24, I arrived and representatives of internation- in Bonn, Germany for the United al organizations, and journalists. Nations conference to form the On behalf of Afghanistan, min- transitional government. The Ger- ister of rural rehabilitation and de- mans had arranged or the gathering velopment, Nasir Ahmad Durrani to be held at the Petersburg, an el- participated in the session, in egant guesthouse on mountaintop which Afghanistan officially gained overlooking the Rhine Valley. The the membership of the conven- site had been home to a number of tions. historic diplomatic summits. Af- The successful story of Sae- ter World War II, American, Brit- maul Undong was introduced as ish and French diplomats had con- “A New Rural Development Par- vinced at the Petersburg, where adigm for the 21st Century” at the they created the German Federal UN Sustainable Development Republic. More recently, negotia- Summit. The forum was held to tors had convened in Bonn to set- eliminate poverty and promote tle the Kosovo crisis. sustainable development around Dobbins was leading the Amer- the world while helping the self- ican delegation and Rice asked me sustainable expansion of Saemaul to join him as the NSC representa- Undong. tive. In this capacity, I talked to In particular, the number of Undong was shared to help volun- come of the Forum was the estab- will help discover successful sto- Hadley every day to provide a re- participants increased by 27 per- tary promotion of Saemaul Un- lishment of Saemaul Undong Glo- ries to share and raise villagers’ port for Rice and the president. cent from 550 to 700 compared to dong, which was recognized as the bal League, a network between competencies, and help carry out The night before the confer- last year, and it was participated “New rural development paradigm Saemaul Undong organizations all localized Saemaul Undong with or ence, Dobbins received a phone call Javad Zarif, Iran’s deputy foreign been a reluctant supporter of the by 10 Ministers and Four Deputy of the 21th Century” at the UN over the globe. By encouraging without the donors help. from the Iranian delegation. They minister, who was leading the del- Northern Alliance, Iran was its Ministers which shows the global- Development Summit last year. It voluntary dissemination of Sae- Particularly, the Kiboha village asked whether Dobbins would egation to Bonn.Despite Iran’s long primary backer. I thought it would ization trend to Saemaul Undong. also aimed to help eradicate pov- maul Undong, a new paradigm of in Uganda and Tam Ngan village in meet them at their hotel to discuss record of sponsoring terrorism the be worthwhile to engage Iranians At this year’s Forum in par- erty and suitable development. Saemaul Undong was suggested. Vietnam, which were selected as the upcoming negotiations. The cal atmosphere between Washington diplomats, who tended to be among ticular, best practices of Saemaul The most distinguished out- The Saemaul Global League great exemplars of...P2 was not entirely a surprise. Dob- and Tehran had actually improved the more moderate elements of the bins had secured Powells permis- since 9/11. When it came to Af- regime. I also thought the United sion in advice to talk to the Irani- ghanistan, Washington and Tehran States could benefit from their ex- ‘FAMILY ans. Brahimi, in turn, communicat- had some shared interests. Before perience, knowledge and insights US will ‘act alone’against all terror ed Dobbins desire to meet with 9/11 when the United States had related to Afghanistan. MEMBERS’ AMONG 26 networks based in Pakistan IDPs get aid, want better Pakistan REBELS KILLED AT Monitoring Desk mains — a critical counter-terror- Network to prevent them from likely to ism partner in many respects. “Of plotting deadly cross-border at- security in Kunduz IN KUNAR KABUL: The United States has course, Pakistanis are themselves tacks in Afghanistan, a stand attend called on Pakistan to go after all ter- often the victim of brutal terrorist backed by the Kabul government. rorist networks operating on its soil, attacks on schools, markets, and Pakistan has been rejecting claims regional reiterating that it will not hesitate mosques, and the list unfortunate- by US officials that it still toler- “to act alone” to “disrupt and de- ly goes on. And in the face of such ates the Haqqani Network in North stroy” them, US official said. “The violence, Pakistan has in some Waziristan Agency. It maintains meeting on problem is that there are forces with- ways pushed back,” he said. The that its counterterrorism opera- in the Pakistani government — spe- hard-hitting comments of the US tions, especially Zarb-i-Azb, have Afghanistan cifically in Pakistan’s Inter-Servic- official came as India is already targeted and uprooted all militant es Intelligence(ISI) — that refuse running a campaign to isolate Pa- infrastructures on its side of the in India to take similar steps against all the kistan in the world community, Pak-Afghan border. Haqqanis, it says, are now entirely based in Pakistan may attend a key re- terrorist groups active in Pakistan, accusing it of harboring certain gional conference on Afghanistan tolerating some groups – or even militant groups and using them as neighboring Afghanistan. Afghan authorities allege leaders of the in India in a calculated move to worse,” Adam Szubin, Acting Un- proxies in neighboring countries. offset efforts by the Indian gov- Pakistan has been conducting coun- Haqqani group, which is fighting ASADABAD : Twenty-six insur- der Secretary on Countering the Fi- SHIBERGHAN : Displaced resi- province so they could return to ernment to isolate the country nancing of Terrorism, said in a try-wide intelligence-based oper- alongside the Taliban, are directing dents of northern Kunduz and Jaw- their homes. gents, including two Arab nation- high-profile attacks, particularly in following the Uri teror attack, speech to a Washington-based ations against terrorists of all hue zjan provinces,who received cash Qudratullah, a displaced man, media reported on Monday. The als, have been killed in drone and color and has successfully the capital, Kabul, from their sanc- strikes in eastern Kunar province, think-tank. “This is a distinction and essential items,have urged the said: “We have left our houses and Heart of Asia-Istanbul ministe- we cannot stand for,” he added. “We cleared its north-western hilly ter- tuaries on Pakistani soil, with the government to maintain security fled to other provinces four times an official said on Monday. covert support of the country’s rial meeting is scheduled to take continue to urge our partners in Pa- rain along Afghanistan of Taliban in their regionsso they could go this year. I was afraid of being killed place in the first week of De- Kunar police chief Maj. Juma and other militants. The country intelligence operatives. There is not Gul Himmat told Pajhwok Afghan kistan to go after all terrorist net- back to their homes. working for the education depart- cember in Amritsar in Punjab. works operating in their country. strongly rejects these allegations. adequate pressure being put on the Cash, health and kitchen pack- ment in Kunduz.” News the unmanned aircraft tar- Haqqanis” by the Pakistan govern- Pakistan’s participation was We stand ready to help them. But Islamabad has repeatedly said that ages were donated to at least 44 He asked the authorities to doubtful due to ongoing tensions geted an insurgent hideout in India was trying to paint Kash- ment, the commander of US in Aligul valley of Ghaziabad dis- there should be no doubt that while displaced families, Allah Murad boost security in Kunduz to let and Indian boycott of the sum- we remain committed to working miris freedom fight as terrorism Afghanistan, General John Nichol- Daahi, head of refugees’ depart- them go back to their homes. “We trict on Sunday night, killing 26 son had said last month. “The mit of the South Asian Associa- with Pakistan to confront ongoing and maligning Pakistan to divert ment, told to Pajhwok News Agen- don’t want to be deceived with tion for Regional Cooperation insurgents, including two Arabs, the world attention from worst- Haqqanis operationally have been and some notorious commanders. terrorist financing and operations, cy. The families fled Kunduz prov- false promises. Kunduz must be (SAARC) scheduled to be held the US will not hesitate to act alone, kind of human rights violations and able to continue to conduct opera- ince to Shiberghan due to war and purged of Taliban to enable our A resident of the area, wish- tions inside Afghanistan. They in Pakistan in November. Citing when necessary, to disrupt and de- state oppression in the occupied insecurity. Besides medicine and children to resume their studies.” continuous cross-border terror- ing anonymity, said the drone hit valley. Szubin said, “Pakistan has constitute the primary threat to both Al Qaeda and Taliban sta- stroy these networks,” Szubin kitchen utensils, each household Makay, a displaced woman, ism from Pakistan, India had an- warned. Diplomatic observers achieved success in its ongoing Americans, to coalition members was given cash assistance of 7,000 told Pajhwok News Agency, they tions in the area. and to Afghans, especially in and nounced that “in the present cir- Szubin’s remarks as a blunt remind- operations against traditional ter- afghanis. He said the families had currently lived with their relatives cumstances” it was unable to He said family members of rorist safe havens in northwest around Kabul,” he said. Pakistani fighters linked to Al Qaeda and er, without a direct mention or ref- been identified by representatives in Shiberghan. She also stressed the participate in the SAARC sum- erence, to Pakistan of the May 2, Pakistan. It has officially designat- Ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas of NGOs and other offices in the need for maintaining security in Taliban were also among the dead. Jilani last month strongly rejected mit in Islamabad. The Express 2011 US commando raid in Abbot- ed Daesh as a terrorist organiza- city. “Every displaced family will Kunduz. Unhappy with the items Tribune reported that officials They included women and chil- tion. And it has gone after the fund- the allegations that Islamabad was dren, he said, claiming the dead tabad in which al-Qaeda leader Osa- be identified while entering Shi- given to the displaced, she said: familiar with the development ma bin Laden was killed. At the ing and operational capabilities of patronizing militants, saying his berghan city and registered under “They have given us tooth brush- militants also included Pakistani country was taking indiscriminate said that Pakistan has no inten- same time, Szubin, who was speak- Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or the assistance program,” he add- es, pins and plastic dishes. We tion of following the footsteps nationals. There has been no word TTP.” The US has been insisting action against all militant outfits from insurgents about the drone ing at the Paul H Nitze School of ed. The displaced families, mean- need food. It would have been much of India by staying away from Advanced International Studies, that Pakistan has not yet placed including the Haqqani Network in while, urged the government to better if we had been given warm attack. (Pajhwok) operation Zarb-e-Azb. the Heart of Asia-Istanbul con- said Pakistan has been — and re- adequate pressure on the Haqqani enforce peace and security in their clothes.” (Pajhwok) ference. “There is a growing sense among the stakeholders AID AGENCIES that Pakistan should attend the Heart of Asia-Istanbul confer- STRUGGLE TO ASSIST ence,” said a senior government WAVE OF RETURNING official on condition of anonym- ity. The official pointed out that AFGHAN REFUGEES there was no point of boycott- ing the conference since it was The Afghan government and aid about Afghanistan. agencies are struggling to cope with “As we have stated repeat- a wave of refugees returning from edly that Pakistan will support Pakistan and Iran to Afghanistan. every endeavour that contributes The flow of returnees from towards peace and stability in neighboring Iran and Pakistan this Afghanistan,” he added. year, estimated by the United Na- However, it is unclear tions to number more than half a whether Pakistan will send million, is straining the capacity Prime Minister’s Adviser on of the government and aid agen- Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz or cies, even as violence uproots more downgrade its participation at Afghans around the country, Reu- the conference. The official said ters reported. Pakistan’s participation in the At Torkham, the busiest bor- meeting “would convey a ‘loud der crossing between Afghanistan and clear’ message to the world and Pakistan, nearly 170,000 Af- that unlike India, it was in favour ghans have returned this year, ac- of reaching out to its neighbours cording to the UN, many of them for bringing peace and stability citing harassment by Pakistani au- in Afghanistan”. Foreign minis- ters from 14-member countries, thorities as relations between the including Russia, China and Tur- two countries have deteriorated. key, are expected to attend the A cluster of white tents only a day-long conference meant to few hundred meters from the bor- discuss the current Afghan situ- der marks the first facility operat- ation and possible initiatives the ed by the UN, the Afghan govern- immediate and extended neigh- ment, and other aid agencies to bours of Afghanistan could un- provide aid for returnees before dertake to restore long-term they look for a home in a country peace and stability in the war- many have not seen in years. torn country. Smoke rises at Islamic State militants’ positions in the town of Naweran, near Mosul, Iraq. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (ToloNews) (INDIANEXPRESS)