News Summary For January-2003 l

Aid and Economic Development

2"d January 13th January A German governmental aid agency on Donated by the Islamic Relief Agency. the trust Wednesday donated 150,000 US dollars worth of Voluntary Organization in collaboration with the criminal investigation equipment to the interior commissionerate for Afghan Refugees and Ministry of . (NNI) UNHCR distributed warm clothes, blankets and utensils among the Afghan refugees living in sth January horrible condition at kotki-1 and 2 camps in The World Food Program (WFP) under its Bajaur agency. Emergency Operation will provide food assistance worth $23.9 million through its 16th January implementing partner NGOs to target Non-governmental organizations and business in beneficiaries of288,000 Afghan Refugees in Kobe are helping Afghan gape growers restore . their vineyards. Most of witches were destroyed by year of civil war and an earthquake last Bearing Point, Inc., one of the worlds Largest March. (NNI) business consulting and system integration firms, today announced that it has assisted the Islamic The Afghan transitional government has invited Transitional State of Afghanistan to successfully international mining companies to submit their install and operate the Afghanistan Financial application papers for exploiting the country's Management Information System (AFMIS), as enormous copper mineral resources, a local radio of a US$ 3.95 million contract to help the reported. (NNI) government upgrade its accounting system. (NNI). Improving human rights and stability are to be the focus of ongoing aid to Afghanistan this 6th January year, European Union Relations Commissioner trap has pledges to donate some 560 million US Chris Patten said Wednesday in announcing dollars to Afghanistan, a part of which is to be more than 230 million euros (US $ 242 million) spent on infrastructure, development and sanitaro/ in new aid to the country (Agencies) projects in Afghanistan this year. (PPI) 17th January sth January Almost 6000 afghan export products will be Afghan Trade Minister Mostafa Kazemi has awarded Duty- free status in United States welcomed the tripartite memorandum of markets under a special trade privilege, said understanding signed by Iran, Afghanistan and Afghanistan's Commerce Minister Syed Mustafa India to expand cooperation in trade, economic Kazmi. (AFP) and transit fields. (PPI)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. 18th January 28th January With assistance from the UN food and The Bush administration will spend $ 5 million agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World this year to rebuild and expand the largest Food Program (WFP), Afghanistan will soon women's hospital in Kabul and to create four have an agriculture information and early satellite-teaching clinics for maternal and child warning system. (NNI) health in other parts of Afghanistan, official said. (Sana) 19th January The world Food Program (WFP) has taken over 29th January responsibility of on Friday from the UN high The United Nation Development Program commissioner for Refugees for the distribution (UNDP) said it would construct a building of of food aid to 288,000 afghan refugees in Afghan court and work for upgrading law and Pakistan as part of a test project that could Shariah University in Afghanistan. extended to all areas of the world. (Agencies) Approximately$ 30 million will be spent on this program in two years. (Sana) 23rd January World Bank, Asian Development Bank and 30th January Islamic Bank have reached final agreement to UNESCO and the Afghan government give long-term loans to Afghanistan and offer Wednesday launched a major project to boost non-refundable aid. literacy throughout Afghanistan where only About $160 million aid will be used in 51.9% of men over the age of 15 and a mere 21.9 reconstruction ofthe economy. (NNI) of women in the same age group can read and write. 24th January The United States has decided to divert $34 31't January million from the UN population fund to The US has announced a $300,000 contribution healthcare projects for women and children in to winterization assistance for vulnerable Afghanistan and Pakistan, the state department Afghans. In addition to US donation of shelter said on Wednesday, (Reuters) material fuel, stoves and blankets, the US national Ski Association in Denver has donated 25th January over 4,000 winter parkas for Afghans. (Sana) Germany has donated 400 computers to the ,. Ministry of Interior in order to help it establish R' :Y '" · ·· 1 c: communication with its central and provincial i Political Development branches. (NNI)

Representative of two South Korean non­ l't January governmental organizations have donated funds Warlord Abdul Rasheed Dustam freed seven ill for the construction of two schools for afghan Pakistani prisoners and promised to release the children in the refugees camp of Barkili in remaining 600 within two to three weeks, after a Pakistan's NWFP. (PR) meeting with Pakistan's ambassador in Afghanistan on Sunday. (Agencies) 2i" January The United Nations said on Sunday it has signed Afghanistan has sought Iran's cooperation for an agreement with Afghanistan on a $ 30 million expansion of anti-drug campaign in the country. project to reform the country's crumbling The Afghan Minister of State for National judicial system over the next two years. Security who is currently on official visit to , (Reuters) Tehran, held meeting with Iranian foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and discussed with him The Swedish committee for Afghanistan (SCA) matters on issues of mutual interests. (NNI) Rural Engineering unit has constructed over 1380 shallow wells in villages in 8 provinces in 2"d January the northern, eastern, and southeastern Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan. Rustam Afghanistan during 2002. Shah had said that country's consulate in Maazar-e-sharif. which remained closed since the fall ofTaliban will be reopened. (APP)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. system in Afghanistan, will be held in June 2004. Afghan governor ofKhost province, Hakim This was stated by Hamid Karzai, president of Tarianwal has stated that afghan President Afghanistan during a meeting with Jinomai, UN Hamid Karzai has formally approved the transit secretary General's special assistant to Kabul. status of -Miranshah and Torkhum­ (PPI) Spinboldak routes. (Agencies) Special arrangements are being made by the Pamphlets have been distributed in the Paktia UAE to repatriate illegal Afghans under the province of Afghanistan against Karzai's amnesty. According to the Afghan embassy in government and coalition forces, reports VOA. Abu Dhabi, all amnesty seekers will be provided (Sana) with free air tickets by the UAE. (NNI)

3rd January Former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbaddin Afghan transitional government has approved a Hekmatyar said he has not entered in to an demonstration law at a cabinet meeting, the alliance with al-Qaeda and the Taliban to fight state-run Kabul radio said. (Sana) foreign forces in Afghanistan .. (AlP)

Syed Makhdoom Raheem, Afghan minister for sth January Culture inaugurated Afghan Culture Center in The US is sending a high-powered delegation to the framework of the Afghan Consulate the second meeting of the US Afghan Women's Peshawar. (PPI) Council in Kabul later this week. Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky In order to rectifY the monetary structure of would lead the delegation, which also includes Afghan economy, Governor Afghan Central President Gorge W. Bush's former senior White Bank, Anwarul Haq Hadi has taken the issue of House aide Karen Hughes, the State Department fake currency with Pakistani officials to tighten said. (AFP) the noose around culprits. (Sana) loth January 4th J:umary The new laws aimed at recogmzmg political Uzbek builders have arrived in Afghanistan to parties in Afghanistan will not allow communist start construction of bridges in northern parties to joln politics. Afghanistan, according to Balkh Television. The Afghan law minister said that those people (NNI) were allowed to form political parties who believed in Islam and democracy. (PPI) sth January Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabani, lith January superseded by Hamid Karzai when a grand The governor of the western city of Heart Ismail assembly chose the president in June, has said khan, has placed further restrictions on women· s his Jamiat-e-lslami faction will contest education by banning women being taught by presidential polls next year (NNI). men in privately run courses. officials said on Friday. (Reuters) 6th January In Afghanistan, work has begun to restore and 13th January reconstruction the religious and historical shrine. Nearly two months after Kabul police opened The government is funding the work to sites fire on students demonstrating over poor food damaged in fighting. (PPI) and living condition, killing at least five, an official inquiry ordered by President Hamid Backed by the United States and the United Karzai has yet to come up with its findings. Nations, president Hamid Karzai is pushing (Agencies) plans to disarm and demobilize warlords' militias as part of a$ I billion reconstruction Afghan President Hamid Karzai has formed four effort. (NNI) commissions to accelerate the disarmament of warlord armies and rebuild the national army. his 7th Jannary spokesman said Sunday. (Agencies) The Polling for the election of Loya Jirga members and setting up of a stable political

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. A delegation of 400 representative of a Pashtun tribe from eastern Afghanistan has been in Kabul for the past week to protest against the arrest one 31st January of their chief, Naeem kochi, by the US troops. The International Watch Organization for (AFP) international crisis has demanded the removal of Chief Justice of the Afghan Supreme Court. 16111 January Fazel Hadi . (Sana) A US military hearing has begun for two US air force pilots who accidentally bombed and killed four Canadian soldiers and wounded eight others r~ -~ecurity Mat~ 1 in Afghanistan last year. (NNI)

1 1 18 " January 1' January The Majlis National Security and foreign Policy A cache of weapons, including 88 mortar rounds Commission has unanimously rejected a bill to and 30 rockets propelled grenades, has been grant Iranian citizenship to Afghan spouses of discovered in house in the capital Kabul. a Iranian woman, the press reported in Tehran. British military spokesman said on Tuesday. (NNI) (AFP)

Afghanistan and Turkey signed training and A US B-52 warplane bombed a Pakistan border technical corporation pact between their armed patrol after a gunfight in which one American forces that revives military ties that date back solder was injured, a US military statement said more than 80 years, a Turkish military Tuesday. (AFP) spokesman in Kabul said on Friday. (AP) 2" 11 January All Afghan employees of foreign non­ The US military authorities have announced that governmental organizations (NGOs) in a brief shootout erupted between the US solders Afghanistan must register with the government and Pakistani troops along the Afghan border as part of moves to improve security in the Monday, prompting the US forces to call in an country, the interior Ministry told on Friday. F 16 warplane that dropped a 500-pound homh (AP) on the Pakistanis to end the clash

20111 January One US solders suffered severe head injuries by Britain has expressed readiness to train Afghan a bullet during routine patrolling. It has been diplomats. According to report the first batch of second incident during last twenty-four hours in the Afghan diplomats would be sent to London which a US solders sustained bullet injuries. with in the next two months. (PPI)

21'1 January 3'd January The home Office was Monday coming under The US forces in Afghanistan Thursday detained increased pressure over a former Taliban fighter country's former minister ofTaliban granted asylum in Britain. (NNI) government, Naeem Kuchi when he was on his way to attend a political gathering at Khost 26111 January province. The British parliament warns that Afghanistan could fall back into anarchy, without more Two powerful expulsions went off in the money and security assistance from the building of newly bui It airport of Sarabad areas international community. (NNI) near . (SANA)

30'" January At least three people have been killed and two Afghan transitional President Hamid Karzai has women injured in fresh-armed clashes between appointed a new interior minister Ali Ahmd two commanders in Afghanistan's southeastern Jalali ofhis government, which was struggling to province ofkhost. (SANA) maintain security amid increasing cases of armed robbery and banditry in this post-war country. Robbers killed an Afghan official near a (NNI) government building in Kabul and made off with

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. 4,200 dollars in the latest in a series of violent Thailand will send troops to war-torn crimes in Kabul, state media said on Thursday. Afghanistan in a mission requested by the United (AFP) States. (NNI)

Russia has agreed to send forty military intruders American war planes Sunday night dropped including repair and maintenance team to impart volleys of tracer shell in the neighboring Kunar training to the newly raised Afghan National province of Afghanistan to hunt down the army to Kabul, sources said. (FP) Taliban and al-Qaeda elements, sources told NNI on Monday. 4th January The coalition forces have bombed surrounding 8th January villages following rocket attack on the basis of The UN has recently sent a disarmament American forces in Kunar province, VOA monitoring team to northern Afghanistan. where reported. (Sana) hundreds of guns have not been surrendered despite recent arms control success. (PPI) sth January Security problems and poor living conditions A group of Afghan officers being trained for the mean it is still unsafe for many of the more than newly established modem army of Afghanistan 4 million afghan refugees to return to their will be soon sent to the US to continue with their homes, the United Nations refugee agency has training under direct supervision of the US said. Even though more than 2 million people defense ministry, Pentagon. (NNI) went home during 2002, condition is "not yet sufficient" for many people to return, said the At least nine rockets were fired at the old Khost U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. airport on Monday night, while in the Kunar (Agencies) province of Afghanistan a key ai-Qaeda leader, Abu al-Khalis has reportedly died after suffering 6th January from typhoid. (NNI) A US solders got injured in Afghanistan when his foot hit a mine in the suburbs ofKhust in Afghan authorities have arrested four people northern Afghanistan. (PPI) linked to the ousted Taliban regime for a string of vehicle thefts from aid agencies. Hamidullah Two unidentified gunmen opened fire Sunday on , the governor of Zabul has said that three police guarding the residence of an Afghan vehicles stolen from aid agencies had been diplomat in Peshawar, wounding one guard, recovered. Armed men have stolen at least seven police said. vehicles belonging to aid agencies in Zabul in the past week. (Reuters) The German Defiance Ministry has decided to retrofit the Bundeswehr's approximately 100 Afghanistan's national army grew to almost Sikorsky CH-53 helicopters with special dust 2,000 soldiers on Tuesday, boosted by the filters after one of the machine crashed near additional of a new battalion to a force that Kabul, talking the lives of seven German solders. Afghan leaders hope will replace warlord's (NNI) militias who still control large parts of the country. (AP) Police in the afghan capital Kabul have seized about I 00 rockets from a house in the city, in the lOth January third such haul in as many days, state media One US soldier was injured in a rocket attack on reported. (NNI) a military convoy in eastern Afghanistan. The attack was made in Malaki area when about 40 7th January US troops were moving from Pech Darra area to The commander of multinational troops Asadabad, capital of Kunar province, reports protecting the afghan capital Kabul warned on Radio Tehran. (PPI) Monday of"destructive elements" present in the capital, could provoke attacks on foreigners if The fifth battalion has been inducted in the US attacks on Iraq. newly established Afghan national army after75- day military training. (PPI)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. Armed men have looted office of an international explosive, a machine gun and a mobile telephone aid agency in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif (Sana) and have taken away $180,000, said the security officials. The agency has been working for the Three US soldiers wounded in Afghanistan in construction of houses and schools for returning two incidents and one of the men was in critical refugees in Afghanistan, BBC reported. (Sana) but stable condition, the US military said on Thursday. (Reuters) Attackers fired a rocket at a US military base in eastern Afghanistan, but it missed its mark and The current Turkish commander of ISAF- the there were no injuries, a US military spokesman international Security Force in Afghanistan- has said Thursday (AP) warned that western troops may be targeted if the US wages war on Iraq. (NNI) Two Afghan children were seriously injured when a landmine, they were playing with, 18th January exploded, a spokesman for international security One person was killed and one injured when a force in Kabul said on Thursday. (AP) bomb exploded in Balkh province of unruly north, a local official said Friday. (AFP) At least four suspected members of the deposed Taliban were killed and two other captured after South Korea will send 150 military engineers to a gun battle in Southeastern Afghanistan with Afghanistan early next month to assist with the soldiers from the nation's new army, a US anti terror operation there. (Sana) government official said Thursday. (AP). A US soldier was shot in the leg during a night Following three separate incidents over the past time attack on petrol in western Afghanistan, a two weeks, aid ofticials are concerned over military spokesman said Friday. (AP) security in the remote southeastern Afghan province of Zabul. (Agencies) 19th January A parked bicycle loaded with explosive blew up Terrorist may step up attacks on foreigners in as a US army patrol passed by in Afghanistan, Afghanistan if the United States wages war on slightly injuring two US soldiers, a spokesman Iraq, a US military spokesman has said. (NNI) said Saturday. (Agencies)

13th JanuarY 20th January Afghan police have arrested 25 members of an Afghan police have discovered a number of armed gang accused of conducting a spate of hideouts in and around Kabul apparently robberies on highway in and out of the capital intended to hold President Karzai and other Kabul, state media has reported. official's captive following a kidnapping. German newsweekly Focus reported. (AFP) At least two people were killed and two severely wounded in a blast on Sunday near the northern 21't January Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, residents said. Four US soldier were killed and several other (Reuters) injured when a bomb planted in an abandoned vehicle on the route of US solders, went off with 16th JanuarY a bang near new Khost airport. (SANA) A US military spokesman has reported that Speci;ll Forces soldiers had discovered hundred 22"d January of pounds of explosive buried in feed sacks in One of Afghanistan's most famous Jihadi the eastern city Jalalabad. (NNI) commander, Abdullah, loyal to Hamid Karzai, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in 17th January Kunduz Province in northern Afghanistan, Japan In southern Afghanistan, one person has been Today Reported. (SANA) arrested on the charge of trying to kill General Dostam. 23•d JanuarY Security officials in Shibarghan said that the The nerve center of the coalition campaign man, who is an afghan national, was arrested against extremist in Afghanistan came under a close to the residence of Dostam, along with series of attacks early Wednesday from

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. assailants using rockets and gunfire, but caused killed two of its security guards and at least four no damage, the US military said. (AFP) other people, a UN official said. (AP)

24th January 29th January US Special Forces' soldier shot and killed an Conflicting claims of casualties were made by Afghan man who opened fire on their base, the rivals as heavy fighting rages between US and US military said on Thursday. (Reuters) Afghan troops on the one side and Taliban and Gulbaddin Hekmatyar men on the other in spin 26th January Karez Mountains near Spin Boldak Tuesday. UN security services have warned personnel at Taliban claimed, one US helicopter was shot the United Nations mission in Afghanistan down, while seven US soldiers and 15 Afghan (UNAMA) of the risk of attacks with "magnetic troops were killed in the fighting and only 5 bomb" which can be attached to their vehicles as Taliban were injured. Afghan government they drive around Kabul, sources here said claimed, 18 Taliban and three Afghan troops Saturday. (AFP) were killed. (AP, the News)

The office of an international aid agency has 30th January come under a hand grenade attack in Pul-e­ Two people were killed Tuesday in a fresh kuhmri city of Afghanistan's Baghlan province. outbreak of fighting between rival factions in The attack did not cause any human loss but Afghanistan's troubled northern region. (AFP) damage a portion of the building. (NNI) 31"1 January 27th January Three men were detained in the Afghan capital Two afghan security guards were killed on of Kabul on suspicion of plotting to bomb US Sunday when armed men opened fire on a targets in the city, the U.S. military said vehicle escorting a convoy of four UN refugee Thursday. (Agencies) agency vehicles in the eastern province Nangrahar, near Jalaabad, the local head of the A bomb exploded on the roof of a United UN agency said. (Reuters) Nations office in northern Afghanistan within hours of an armed attack on a UN convey in the 28th JanuarY east of the country, a spokesman for the US soldiers arrested three Afghan businessman organization said on Thursday.(AFP) suspected of links to militant Islamic groups, including al-Qaeda, a senior Afghan security official said Monday. (AP) Other News Suspected antique smugglers have kidnapped a district security chief of Logar province, about t•t January 50 Km south of Kabul, local Radio Liberty has Police academy in Afghanistan has started to reported. (Sana) give training to afghan women after laps of twelve years, VOA reported. Two Afghan soldiers and civilian were shot dead In first batch sixty women are being educated in by unidentified gunmen in a village near the the academy. (APP) Pakistan border, the US military said in statement on Monday. (Reuters) The officials of Afghan Central Bank have confirmed reports that fake Afghan currency in Unknown assailants targeted a camp used by the the market. However they said it was not made Afghan troops near Pak-Afghan border at Spin with such a skill that can't be distinguished from Khora in Khost province of Afghanistan with genuine currency, reported BBC (SANA) missiles and rocket launchers late Sunday night. (NP) 2"d January; Tajik border guards patrolling the country's The United Nations refugee agency temporarily tense border with Afghanistan have killed four halted operation in parts of eastern Afghanistan Afghan drug smugglers. (NNI) following an attack by bandits on a convoy that

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. 3rd January, lOth January Asian development Bank has recently International relief teams have sent enough established its Special office in Kabul, antibiotics and vaccines into northeastern Afghanistan, an official said. (ANN) Afghanistan to control an outbreak of whooping cough that has killed at least 17 children. the 11 5 ' January United Nations said Thursday. (Agencies) Over 30 Afghan traders will take part in the first ever Afghanistan pavilion at the Global Village Afghanistan is to invite foreign companies to during Shopping Festival (DSF) 2003. develop its cooper mines by the middle of this year, a report on Radio Afghanistan said. (NNI) 6th January The first group of25,000 Afghan nationals has lith January left Kabul for Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. The World Health Organization has reported 115 (NNI) cases and 17 deaths from pertussis in Khawan district, the provincial capital of Badakshan, Less than three month after launching a new north -eastern Afghanistan. (Agencies) currency, Afghanistan is facing a flood of forged banknotes, raising new concern over the war­ 12th January ravaged country's fragile economy. (Sana) Afghan authorities gave the final go ahead Friday for the struggling nation second wireless 7th January telephone network, signing an agreement that Saudi Arabia's king Fahd approved a donation of promises to provide nationwide coverage within 500,000 copies of the Holy Quran to five years, state TV and radio Afghanistan, the official SPA news agency has reported.(Agenc ies) repmted. (NNI) 13th January India and Iran have decided to develop a new A group of the Afghan army officers has gone to road to enhance their regional trade, a foreign Turkey for military training. Ministry spokesman of India said Monday. As per details the group will visit Turkish (AFP) military Academy to enhance their military skill and capabilities. (PPI) gth January The Afghan central bank said on Tuesday it had Student studying in the well-worn class rooms of to pay $100 million more than expected to buy Kabul university, with the courtesy of Turkish old banknotes in its re-domination scheme, contingent to Kabul's ISAF, got their first partly due to illegal printing of money as computer center, opened in a fresh painted recently in the last three months. (Reuters) yellow building. The computer and photocopying center established with the cast of As part of its continuing peace building efforts in $ 75,000(PPI) Tajikistan, the International Organization for Migration (10M) has launched a new program to 18th January reintegrate some 550 former combatants, The Transitional government of Afghanistan has amnestied detainees, displaced persons and successfully applied to the Internet Assigned unemployed young people back into their numbers Authority (lANA) to have the af communities. (NNI) country code redelegated to the Ministry of Communications. (NNI) Various UN agencies together with the governments of Afghanistan and neighboring 19th January Tjikstan, are working to contain an outbreak of The home office being urged to deport a former whooping cough in the remote northeastern Taliban fighter now seeking asylum in Britain. Afghan province of Badakhshan, which is (PPI) threatening the lives of an estimated 40,000 infants and children. (NNI) 20th January Afghan National Insurance Company has once again started its work after II years.

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. The officials of the company said that the reforms are being introduced in the company's policies. (PPI)

Some 30 Afghan women are to receive driving licenses, later this month, becoming the first to qualify to take the wheel since the collapse of the hard-line Taliba:n regime, official said Sunday.

21'1 January Construction work of laying the foundation f.or Afghanistan's Herat-Dougharoun Road by Iranian civil engineers is 80% complete, Iran's Ambassadors to Kabul Ebrahim Tehrian said. (NNI)

23rd January Following emergency efforts by aid agencies and the afghan Government, a whooping cough outbreak that threatened the lives of some 40,000 children in two remote 's northeastern province of Badakshan, is now in control. (NNI)

29111 January A campaign to immunize Afghan women against the killer disease tetanus will be launched on Saturday (I February) by President Hamid Karzai. (Sana)

31st January Fire Dancer, the firs Afghanistan candidate for best Foreign Language Film Oscar, also will be invited to the 2"d annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York City from May 6-11. (Sana)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post January 2003. News Summary For .February-2003

Aid and Economic Development the classroom. Only 28 % of girls attend schools l't February compared to 72% of boys. NNI The ministry of urban development and housing subscribed a memo with the United Nation's Children across Afghanistan received on Sunday Development Programme (UNDP) in Kabul, the first batch of donation of high-energy under which the UNDP will offer professional biscuits donated by India as part of a campaign suggestion to Afghanistan in city palaning. NNI to improve a school conditions in the war-hit country. APP A convoy of 29 buses donated to Afghanistan by India left the Pakistani border city of Peshawar gth February on Friday, an official said. AP A renewed drive for girls education in Afghanistan took off with the first airlifts of 3•d February schools material supplied by the United Nations Iran Has granted 1750 scholarships to Afghan Children's Fund (Unicef) as part of its "back to university students majoring in agriculture and school" campaign. NNI animal Husbandry fields, Afghanistan's official Bakhtar News Agency announced on Saturday. 1oth February NNI The UN World Food Organization (WFP) has provided $ 400000 for the welfare of Kochi 6th February community in Afghanistan. According to the UN Iran's Ministry of education will cooperate with report, the drought has badly affected millions of Afghanistan's ministry of education in building the afghan people particularly the Kochi five and reconstruction of I 0 schools throughout community. PPI Afghanistan. In this connection an agreement was signed in Kabul between members of Iran The Iranian deputy foreign minister handed over and Afghanistan's ministry of Education. NNI one million dollars cash aid to Afghan government during his visit to Afghanistan. PPI 7th February The United States gave the UN High The UNHCR will provide Rs 90 million for the Commissioner for refugees fifteen million establishment of hospital for Afghan women and Dollars to provide protection and reintegration children, official said. PPI assistance to Afghans. PPI tth February Canada is giving UNICEF $ I million to help Afghanistan has received cash of $47.3 million rebuild Afghan education system, focusing on from five countries. including Italy, Japan, getting female teachers and students back in to Norway, Britain and Sweden, to help pay off

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post February 2003. international debts, Finance minister Ashraf Ghani said. NNI Political Development 15th February The United States Congress has stepped in to find nearly $300m in humanitarian and 1•t February reconstruction funds for Afghanistan after the The Afghanistan minister of justice told a US Bush administration failed to request any money panel on religious liberty that the Islam in this latest budget, reported BBC. incorporated into a new Afghan constitution will allow for international standards of human rights Ten countries and international organizations and freedom of conscience. Sana will upgrade Afghanistan's road system, an aid organization source told. The donors include Vice president Nematullah Sharani, who chairs Japan, US, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, EU and the Constitutional Drafting Commission (CDC). the World Bank. They have already pledged for has said that the preliminary draft of the new 190m dollars for the road project. Afghan constitution will be ready by March I". Agencies 17th February Pakistan on Sunday turned over submachine 4th February guns and rocket -propelled grenades and mortars A third face has been added to those of Osama to the Afghan government for use in building its Bin Laden and the former Taliban leader Mullah fledgling national army. Omar on the wanted posters dropped by US aircraft over Afghanistan. It belongs to Engineer 19thFebruary Hekmatyar. Sana World Food Programme, WFP has started the distribution of biscuits, cooking oil and other 5th February food items among the students in Jalalabad. PPI Afghan president llamid Karzai has said he is " very, very strongly" committed to holding 20thFebruary national elections next year to select a new Japan donated US $35 million on Wednesday government, but he may not run in them for a towards a new UN-backed programme to disarm, full term as elected president. NNI demobilize and reintegrate fighters in war-ruined Afghanistan, the United Nations said. AP 7th February A larger number ofthe foreign NGOs working in 23rd February Afghanistan objected over the so-called US China has donated a batch of metrological humanitarian work in the country. A coalition of equipment to Afghanistan to help improve its NGOs active in Afghanistan reported that the US weather forecasting capability, especially in the forces have been securing its political ends by civil aviation area. NNI providing aid to the Afghan people. PPI

Afghan president Hamid Karzai secured another gth February $51 million in aid for his war-torn country on Afghanistan's US-backed government said it Saturday and dismissed the concerns that would support any decision the UN makes in Afghanistan would be forgotten if there is a war regard to possible war with Iraq, but a chief against Iraq. Reuters spokesman would not comment on his country's position if the US and Britain attack the country 24th February without the world body's approval. AP The Asian Development Bank said it will provide 200 hundred million dollars assistance to 12th February Afghanistan this year. PPI Afghanistan became the 89th nation to join the International Criminal Court, and human 28th February rights groups immediately put warlords on The US Agency for International Development notice that they face prosecution if they (USAID) has allocated $2.7 million as part of a commit future atrocities. AP quick impact project to fund irrigation and income generation in the Shomali Plains. Sana.

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post February 2003. 18th Februarv President Hamid Karzai travels to Japan this Security Matters week with a plan to rid his shattered country of powerful private armies and weapons that remain the biggest challenge to his authority and peace. 151 February Reuters At least 16 people were killed near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday when a bus Under the agreement signed by Hamid Karzai they were traveling in hit a mine, which police and Imam Ali Rahmanov, regular flights have said had been planted by the al Qaeda network of started between Kabul and Dushanbe. Osama bin Laden. Agencies Agreements were signed between the two countries last year for the reconstruction of A US Military spokesman confirmed four US Afghanistan. PPI soldiers were killed when the black hawk helicppter they were traveling in crashed late 20thFebruary Thursday near Bagram airbase. AFP Notifying Afghan warlord, Gulbadin Hekmtyar as a global terrorist, the US Treasury has 2"d Februarv declared that money used in association of any Three Chinese made rockets landed near base of finances, assets held by him would henceforth international peacekeepers in the Afghan capital face worldwide freeze. (Nation) on Friday night but caused no damage or casualties, peacekeeping sources said on 21•t Februarv Saturday. Reuters Afghanistan defense minister said Thursday 15 ethnic T~jik generals had been replaced and a 3'd Februarv new high -level post was created in a bid to More than 70 commandoes from US Special make the defense ministry more ethnically Forces have arrested an Afghan commander Mir balanced. AP Gul Khan after siege and search operations in the Paktia province of Afghanistan on Friday, 23rd February sources informed. (News reporter) Iran has quietly ordered the family of Gulbadin Hekmatyar, the Afghan warlord, to leave the A United Nations de-mining team was beaten country, a senior Pakistani official said. NNI and robbed in western Afghanistan and other UN employees had their vehicle stolen just south of 24th Februarv Kabul in the latest in a series of attack on the Radical Afghan warlord and former premier organization, a spokesman said on Sunday. AFP Gulbaddin Hekmatyar, declared a global terrorist by Washington, has denied links with al-Qaeda 4th FebruarY and ousted Taliban militia, a report said Sunday. In eastern Afghanistan the militants have shot AFP down a pilot less US plan and in Laghman eight US and five Afghan army troops have been 25th FebruarY kidnapped, a source informed NNI on Monday. A chartered Cessna plane carrying Afghan Mines and Industries Minister Juma Mohammad 5th Februarv Muahammadi and seven other crashed into The US military has arrested at least three people Arabian Sea off Pakistan's southern coast within the past week around Afghanistan's main Monday, killing all aboard. Afghan presedintial eastern city of Jalalabad, official sources said on palace confirmed that Mohammadi, 62, and at Tuesday. AFP least 3 other Afghan officials were killed. in the crash. AFP Robbers broke into in office of the UN children's agency in the afghan capital Kabul, stealing an undisclosed amount of cash; a UN spokes man said on Tuesday. AP

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post February 2003. 6'h Februarv eastern Afghanistan, the US central command Three government soldiers and five suspected said in a statement. AFP Taliban or allied rebel fighters have been killed in fighting near the southern afghan town of The United Nations issued on Thursday strongly Kandahar, a military commander said on worded warning to all UN staff in Afghanistan, Wednesday. Reuters cautioning of possible increased "terrorist activity" including kidnappings. Reuters 9'h Februarv A bomb ripped through a medical plaza in 2rd February eastern Jalalabad on Saturday injuring one The Interntional Organisation for Migration 10M person and destroying a shop, police said. AP said that its offices in northern Afghan city of Kunduz had come under bomb attack earlier in Pro- Taliban fighters have attacked a government the week. NNI army post in the province of Hilmand and killed at least five soldiers. A senior Afghan official 23'd Februarv Mohammad Muhoddin, said other two were A threat by Germany to withdraw troops had been kidnapped by the suspected commitment to a peace keeping force in rebels. PPI Afghanistan in the wake of conflict in Iraq would not adversely affect security in the ll'h Februarv country, official said Saturday. AFP Three people have been severely injured in bomb

attack believed to have been targeted at a 1 government official in the troubled southern 25 h February province of Kandahar, local leader said Monday. US forces battled unidentified assailants in AFP two separate firefights in Afghanistan that left two people dead and two wounded, the lS'h Februarv US military spokesman said Monday. AP Canada said on Wednesday it would send up to 2000 troops to Afghanistan later this year to 261h February bolster a UN peace keeping mission, a move that A British bodyguard killed two Afghan men in a could limit Canadian participation in a possible shootout here late Tuesday, police Chief Bashir US-led attack on Iraq. Reuters Salangi said. AP

Reports said at least 17 civilians, mainly women An official of the newly recruited Afghan army and children, have died in US bombing in remote was killed and another injured seriously when Helmand province since Sunday. Aircraft were unknown assailants fired two rockets at the army directed at targets that were firing at US forces, headquarters in Gardez in the wee hours of said Colonel Roger King of the US military. PPI Tuesday morning. (The News)

1 18 h Februarv A small group of suspected Taliban fighters The coalition force guarding Afghanistan's only attacked a patrol of government security forces international airport will speed up the clearing of in a rugged region of southern Afghanistan, thousands of mines near the runway, which prompting a gunbattle that left one of the continue to kill people, a German commander of attackers dead, the region's governor said on the force said on Monday. Reuters Tuesday. AP

1 19 hFebruary 27'h Februarv The office of the second French charity Suspected Taliban militants shot dead district organization was robbed in as many weeks in the chief in the southern Afghan province of capital and all its facilities looted, it was N imroz. Reuters. announced in Kabul in a communique issued by French Charity Fund. Two Afghan men were shot dead late in Kabul hotel room by the body guard of an US couple, 21 '' Februar_y local police chief said. The British bodyguard, A US soldier was wounded Wednesday after his who was not identified by police, himself was truck hit a landmine near the town of Gardez in

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post February 2003. injured in shooting incident and had been sent to 8th February a hospital, said Bashir Salangi. PPI An Afghan asylum seeker who had been told he must return home hanged himself Acting on an intelligence tip, Afghan this week, officials said Friday. Agencies government found a giant cache of weapons including mortars, missiles and anti-tank land 9th February mines in an abandoned compound in the eastern Heavy snow and icy winds closed a key Nangarhar region, a police official said mountains pass in northern Afghanistan for Wednesday. PPI five days this week, and the cold weather Police authorities said they have arrested 12 has left at least three people dead, officials members of the former Tali ban regime suspected and travelers said Saturday. AP of plotting attacks, in the southern towns of Spinboldak and Kandahar. APP llthFebruary The Afghanistan research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), an independent research Other News institutions, recently issued a report saying that the Afghan government and the aid community had been premature in 2"d February encouraging the return of nearly two million United Nation High commiSSIOn for Refugees will install iris recognition technology in three refugees in 2002. NNI Voluntary Repatriation Centers (VRC) in boarder areas of NWFP before resuming the 17th February repatriation process in March. Online Afghanistan and United Nations Children's fund will launch a program to retrain Afghanistan has begun training women police thousands of teachers, particularly women for the first time in more than a decade- though it forced out of work during the Taliban could be some time before they feel able to walk Regime, a UNICEF spokesman said on around in their uniforms in public. Some 60 Sunday. Reuters women recruits have begun training at the Kabul police academy, rebuilt with the help of the Heavy snow around Afghanistan's key German government. NNI Satang tunnel caused avalanches on Sunday 4th February but it was not immediately clear if there Teams of volunteers and health workers went were any casualties. the government and aid from house to house in the Afghan capital Kabul agencies said. on Sunday offering free tetanus shots to women as part of global UN campaign to cut deaths 19thFebruary among mothers and newborn children. PPI Sixty-seven Afghan children returned home Tuesday after receiving emergency medical 5th February treatment in Germany Afghan education ministry has opened its office in to help in the reorganization and resolving the Three children in the northern Afghan problem of the education institutions of the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The office will province of Takhar have contracted the fatal presently work in the building of Afghan meningitiS virus, the World Health consulate in Peshawar. PPI Organization said. NNI

6th February 21 February Two Bridges constructed by Uzbek Engineers Hundreds of Afghan refugees came to street have been commissioned on the Satang Highway to stage protest rally against the decision of in Balkh Province, Uzbek TV reported. Holland Government, which is aimed at the repatriation of thousands of Afghan refugees to their homeland. NNI

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post February 2003. 25th February Tuberculosis (TB), a contagious disease transmitted via atmosphere, continues to be of major concern to health experts in Afghanistan. According to WHO there are estimated 150,000 people suffering from TB today in Afghanistan. Sana

26t 11 February The Afghan interim government has constituted a commission to investigate the crash of Pakistani plane, which killed an afghan minister and several other Afghan officials, Afghan sources said on Tuesday. Sana

The Satang Tunnel, a vital humanitarian link between the north and south of Afghanistan, has reopened for traffic. Sana

27th Februarv Afghanistan reclaimed its posttton as the world's biggest producer of opium in 2002 after the fall ofTaliban, the UN international Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said in report released on Wednesday. AFP

28th February Big fire in an eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad starting three days ago, had destroyed a large commercial warhouse, causing a loss of at least$ 20 million.

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and FrontiJanuary Post February 2003. News Summary For March-2003

6111 March 2" 11 March A leading Indian commercial vehicle The US and Afghan governments have agreed on manufacturer on \Vednesday donated 25 buses to a Memorandum of Understanding pledging their Afghanistan and said it viewed the war-wrecked joint support for the construction of a new five nation as a potential money-spinner for it' star hotel in Kabul. which will be managed by products. APP US hotel group Hyatt International. SANA 1 7 h March The US Agency for International Development The Afghan transitional government h;" (USA I D) Administrator Andrew S. Natsios appealed to the international community f(Jr yesterday announced a new US government more assistance to support the reconstruction initiative to rebuild the educational infrastructure efforts instead of humanitarian mission to re!>torc in all regions of Afghanistan. the country's war-destroyed infrastructure. The estimated $60 million project concentrates The government hopes that donor nations and on several core issues essential to a functioning agencies could shift their emphasis in and effective educational system. The main Afghanistan from humanitarian and emergency aspect of the initiative will be the rehabilitation relief activities to more sustainable development and construction of I 000 schools across the programs in the coming fiscal year. which starts country over the next three years. NNI from March 21. Afghan Finance Minister. Ashraf Ghani told a press conference here. NNI 3" 11 March The Iranian consular in Herat city said that Iran Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a fervent had sought Afghan officials' willingness for the appeal to the international comnHmity on reconstruction of the country. Thursday to give more aid directly to hi<; Mr. Quami said that several road and electric administration rather than channeling it through supply projects started by Iran were under multinational agencies and NGOs. AFP completion in the province. He said that his 11 country had played a key role in the construction 8 ' March of 500-bed hospital, developing higher education Air India on Friday gifted a third Airbus plane to system and reconstruction of TV and Radio Afghanistan's Ariana Airlines as part of New stations in Herat. PPI Delhi's aid package to rebuild the war-torn country. NNI 5' 11 March 11 Iran's Ambassador to Kabul Mohammad­ 11 ' March Ebrahim Taherian said Iran would provide $560 The US Overseas Private Investment million to Afghanistan for its reconstruction and Corporation (OPIC) has pledged an additional development projects. SANA $50 million line of credit. bringing the total to a

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Frontier Post March, 2003. minimum of $100 million, in suppo1t of lIS private sector investment in Afghanistan, 311 111 March a1..Turding to a OI'IC press release. SANA India will help war-battered Af!!hsful intervention in a country whose collapse had $JXO,OX I to Afghanistan government to study a returned into a hell for its pcoplc and a haven frlr proposed national high-speed terrorists. (Agencies) telecommunications "backbone." Only one out

of 625 Afghan citizens has access to telephone 111 services, and the country has made improving 5 1\1 arch telecommunication a priority in its development Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and reconstruction agenda, the TDA said in a arrives here Thursday to uiscuss the latest development in Afghanistan with his German prepared statement. NNI counterpart Joschka Fischer. German fore1~n ministry spokesman. Walter Linder told IRN1\. 21'1 March The Afghan government has expressed the SANA

satisfaction over the Brussels conference during 11 which donor countries promised to provide one 7' Mnrch Captured ai-Qaeda paymaster l'vh1<;tafi1 Ahmad thousand eight hundred millions dollars to ai-H isawi. taken into custody in Pakistan with Afghanistan. AGENCIES Khalid Shaikh Mohammad. the network· s operations chief played a pivotal role in 27'" March Japan donated about US $20 million to financing the Sep. II attacks on the US. US Afghanistan to help rebuild the war-battered authorities said. PPI country's transportation inti-astructure, an Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman said. (AP) 12'" March Russian Foreign l'vlinister Igor lvanm' is due in 29111 March Afghanistan on a one-day v1s1t to push Russia is providing technical and financial Moscow's case against war on Iraq. NNI assistance to the border security forces of Afghan interior ministry. PPI President Hamid Karzai has said that fight against terrorism and the widespread narcotics

7 ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Front1er Post March, 2003. problem in the country is on the top agenda of Talihan have vowed to throw out foreign force:!> the government policy. fi·mn Afghanistan. • "Whether lixeign countries assist us or not A senior Taliban military comm;HH!cr Mullah depends on how we continue our resistance Dadullah has claimed that Talihan have entered against two evils, it is our top priority," Karzai into an alliance with former leader told a meeting of over I 00 Afghan diplomats in Engineer Gulbadin llikmatyar to thro\\ tllil KabuL NNI foreign forces from their homeland. PPI

13th March Russia's foreign mmtster Wednesday reiterated Security l\1attcr calls for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis, warning that any conflict could lead to a rise in global terrorism, particularly in Afghanistan. I" March AFP Two rockets exploded ncar government office<, in southern Kandahar early Friday. hut there 14th March were no casualties. officials said. AI' At a conference managed by International Resources Group and hosted by the US institute Afghan police detained a British man \\ho of peace, a delegation of Afghan legal officials allegedly killed two Afghans \\ith a pi,tol during and experts gathered in Washington to discuss a shootout at the Intercontinental llotcl KabuL the future of Afghanistan'sjustice system. NNI state television reported. PPI

18th March 2"'1 March NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan has A statement issued from Bagram air base:. north welcomed decisions of President of Afghanistan of Kabul the headquarters of IJS military llamid Karzai to release Pakistani prisoners in operations in Afghanistan. said soldier' Afghan jails and promotion of 11-iendly relations discovered an arsenal of improvi!>ed wcaporJ<, between the two countries, says a handout. near the main city ofJalalabad. AFI'

19th March 3nt March Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a UN sponsored Up to eight gunmen opened fire on a UN two-car tripartite agreement for the voluntary repatriation convoy as it traveled in southeastern of some 600,000 Afghan refugees to their Afghanistan. but there were no injuries. a homeland, UN officials said. APP spokesman for the organisation said Sunday. AFP India on Tuesday formally re-opened its consulate in the main southern Afghan city of The Afghan government is preparing a sale of all Kandahar after 23 years of closure caused by war of its state-owned businesses. mines and utilities and the Taliban regime. AFP in a bid to breathe life into an economy barely functioning afier 23 years of savage war. NN I 20' 11 March Leaders of humanitarian aid organizations are 4th March warning international funders not to abandon At least two Afghans were wounded on Monday Afghanistan as the US launches another war in when two rockets hit their house just outside thc Iraq. They worry that a humanitarian crisis in southern city of Kandahar. the latest in a serie<; Iraq will siphon off funds that other wise might of attacks in the former stronghold of the: be available to help Afghanistan, which is far Taliban, witnesses. fi·otn recovery from years if war misrule. AGENCIES Armed men fired on a US observation post at a base in eastern Afghanistan and American 30th March forcers returned fire. but there "~:re no First Session of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint casualties. the US military said in a qatemcnt . Ministerial Commission was held in Kabul on Monday. AI' Saturday. APP A woman was fighting for her life Monday afier a rocket attack on a village in the troubled

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Frontier Post March, 2003. southern Afghan province of Kandr the spate of 12 men. a military spokesman said Monday. bombings in Jalalabad. the capital of Nangarhar provinces 5th March The International Security Assistance Force The latest explosion occurred outside the office troops escaped an ambush attack on Tuesday of a government utility department. shattering when some unidentified armed men fired rockers the windo\\'panes and slightly damaging nearh~ at their vehicles when they were paroling the buildings, police chef Haji Ajab Shah said. The area between Khost and Gardaiz. bomb was hidden in a sewage drain: Shah

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Frontier Post March. 2003. Ill'" 1\1 arch 14'" March The lIS li.nces arrested one person on charges or A bomb exploded on a road thut was hcin!--! placing bomb and explosives in a motorcycle. repaired in the southern city of Kamhtlmr carl~ According to report from Khost the Gul Raes Thursday. but there were no reports of ca~ualtiL'\ Khan Gurbuz who runs motorcycle barging or serious damages. police said. AP center in the city has been arrested on the suspicion that he might have provided bike to the Four US marines and their Afghan interpreter detainee. PPI were killed in a bomb explosion on the outskirh of E3arikot in northeastern Afghanistan. reportcr:c, A vehicle belonging to the WFP here was robbed said. NNI at gunpoint in a central Afghan province, a UN spokesman said. A US Special Forces com·oy was anJhLJ<..Iicd in eastern Afghanistan. and li\e of the a<;sailants The robbery took place on Friday afternoon were killed in a subsequent gunfight and when three assailants armed with AK-47 rilles coalition air assault. an army spokesman <,aid stopped the WFP car in the Haft Asyab district Thursday. No coalition fi.JJ-ccs \\ere injured. AI' of province, about 50 kilometers west of 1 Kabul. the spokesman told a routine press 16 " 1\lnrch briefing here. NNI Security authorities in south Afghani<;tan·, Kandahar city have arrested 10 Taliban ~u,pr:ct<. Residents of a Hazara a-populated district of for planning attacks on coalition forces. NNI Kabul held demonstration against local police and demanded that officers from their own ethnic A bomb exploded at Gov.ernor·s lluuse in group be hired to patrol the area. The protests Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province broke out last weekend after a skirmish provoked Saturday, shattering windowp

11 12 ' March Attackers ambushed a US special forces convey The US led-coalition forces have destroyed some in eastern Afghanistan fired off their machine of the check-posts of Bacha Khan Zardan in guns too early and never hit their targets. a IJS Paktia province, and handed them over to the Army spokesman said. A I' Afghan government forces. PPI 1 17 " !\larch Three people were killed when a powerful bomb A warehouse tilled with fun powder exploded ripped through a vehicle near the southern near a US nm military base north of the Afghan Afghan city of Kandahar. witnesses told AFP. capital. killing an Afghan and injuring. three others. an Army spokesman said. AI' The US forces in eastern Afghanistan detained an Afghan man round with a cache of anti­ A land mine exploded on a stretch of road in personnel 111 ines and other weapons. the US eastern Afghanistan just lew minutes alier a military said Tuesday. AGENCIES convoy from the BI3C passed by. Afghan police said. There were no injuries. AP 1 13 " Mnrch A US soldier has been injured by a remote l!~'h l\1 arch controlled landmine. which also killed an Authorities found a cache of weapons including Afghan soldier and wounded a civilian in eastern shoulder fired anti-tank rackets and monition hn Afghanistan, the US military said. anti-aircraft guns. believed stored by Taliban and AFP ai-Qaeda remnants. near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. onicial said Monday. Security A remote controlled bomb hit a coalition forces officials made the find Sunday night in Barikaab. vehicle in northeastern Afghanistan, killing an 15km ( 10 miles) east of Jalalabad. the capital of Afghan militiaman and injuring two other eastern . Nangarhar province. said lmran Khan. people. an army spokeswoman said. APP an official at the Afghan arm~ base in the to\\11 AGENCIES

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Fronller Post March, 2003. 19'" March attack on a post at Spin Uoldak. Similarly. three A rocket attack has been carried out on the base troops were injured in Khost. NNI of Italian forces in Afghanistan. Reports said that two rockets were fired on new Khost airport US troops say they have seized an "e:-;tremely from northeastern side. The rockets landed at the large'' weapons cache and captured at least four courtyard of the airport but reports of casualties suspected rebels. on the third clay of a major are not available. Four jet fighters started patrol operationin Afghanistan. NNI over the area following the rocket attack. It may be recalled that five US intelligence officials are 25'" Mm"Ch also accompanying the Italian forces. PPI Helicopters thundered over mountain villages. disgorging soldiers to search mud-brick hotr'>e~ 21'' March as US-led ft1rces pressed their hunt f(H· a H)aeda Italian troops in eastern Afghanistan say they remnants in Afghanistan this week. h;tve come under attack from un ident i lied gunmen. US troops have arrested two men in Af'ghani'>tan Correspondents say it is the first serious incident after finding Taliban recruiting literature and since they took over the Salerno military base business cards during a major operation in the from US troops last Saturday. An Italian country's southeast. REUTERS spokesman said the attack began when troops came under rocket fire. A few hours later a Taliban supporters launched two more attack<; on nearby US airbase also came under the attack. a Afghan government troops overnight. continuing BBC report said. NNJ a new wave of violence against the American military presence in Afghanistan. NNI E:-;plosives e:-;perts in Afghanistan destroyed two weapons caches including a dozen rockets and A US Air Force rescue helicopter crashed while ti.nrr home made bombs found left behind by trying to reach two injured Afghan children suspected enemy fighters in uifferent parts of the needing emergency rm:dical treatment. the I JS country. a US military spokesman said on military said on Monday. The si:-; people on Thursday. AP board - all members of the Air Force - were killed. APP 22'"r M lli'Cit A land mine e:-;ploded in the capital Kabul on Thousand of American and Afghan soldiers Friday, injuring two Afghans. police said. The swept through the villages and mountains of mine appeared to be a leftover from the civil war southern Afghanistan amid an increasing number in the 1990s, said Ab. Basir Salangi, Kabul of attacks on US military positions. NNI police chief. AGENCIES 26'" March 2Y" March Four senior Taliban officials. including one of US-led forces in southeastern Afghanistan the regime's former deputy education minister. arrested two suspected rebels and seized a cache have been seized in southern Afghanistan. (AFP) of ammunition and light machine guns in a broad new operation in the hunt for terrorists, an Army 27'" March spokesman said Saturday. AGENCIES Seven people were killed in heavy fighting in northwestern Afghanistan following an assault 24'" March by supporters of the ousted hardline laliban Four people were arrested Sunday following a militia. (AFP) missile attack on an airport outside the key northern Afghan city Mazar-e-Sharif. an official At least seven persons were injured when nearly said. AFP 2000 students protesting against the US-led war on Iraq clashed with police in an eastern Afghan Rocket attacks were carried out on Kandahar, city. (NNI) Mazar-e-Sharif and Khost cities of Afghanistan last night. There have also been reports of 28' 11 March casualties in these attacks. Authorities in A bomb blew up a tanker carrying fuc I to a I JS Kandahar said that three people were ki lied in an military base in southern Afghanistan. but there

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post March, 2003. were no casualties, an Afghan security onicial 1 said Thursday. 4 h Mnrch The explosion late Wednesday occurred just 2km The snows have finally come to Afghani'>tan. form the Kandahar airport, where thousands of bringing partial relief from a crippling four-year US soldiers are statiot1ed. said the security drought that has reduced the national li' eqock official. who spoke on condition of anonymity. total by over half and turned pasture<; into AP deserts. NN I

29111 March 5'" Mnrch · Relief operations by the International Committee UNHCR's programme to assist Afghan refugees of the Red Cross in Afghanistan were on hold seeking to return home from l'ak istan has Friday after a Swiss water engineer was shot by resumed after a break of one month f(Jr <,lafT unidentified gunmen on a desolate road. training. Mobile teams from the UNIICR started Ricardo Munguin, 39, was the first foreign aid on March 2. to register refugees in camps who \vorker killed in Afghanistan since a US-led request help under the voluntary rep<~lri:tl ion military campaign brought down the Taliban programme. APP regime in late 200 I. AP 6 111 March 30 111 March The head of UN refugee agency Rum! Lubbers. Two US Special Forces soldiers were killed said the agency has planned for up to 000.000 Saturday and another wounded in an ambush in returnees ti·om Pakistan under its assister southern Afghanistan, the US military said. AP voluntary repatriation programme this year. SANA 31'1 March Suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters fired 9 111 March rockets at an air base housing US ti.Jrces and an A fgh<~n istan has I he highest m<~lern;d mnrb id it y Afghan military division near the eastern city of and mortality rates in the world. Jalalabad, causing some damage but no According to a recent UN study. an estitn;tted casualties, an official said Sunday. APP 1700 women die per I 00.000 live births. The country's infant mortality rate is also extreme. The UN said Sunday it has ordered staff not to with over 165 deaths per I 000 births (compared travel by road in part of southern Afghanistan to just seven deaths per thousand in the US. One where an International Red Cross worker was in four Afghan children dies before reachin!! the ·murdered several days ago by gunmen. AP age of live. SANA

The Afghan military in the southern province of I 0111 1\1 arch Kandahar was Sunday continuing to hunt a Afghanistan where the Internet was banned group of suspected Taliban in a major operation during the rule of the Taliban. will formally in which I 0 extremists were ki lied and 13 inaugurate its .af clomain_for Afghan Web Sites · captured, a security source said. AFP and email addresses on Monday. the UN said. Equivalent to a county code for telephone Afghan transitional president Hamid Karzai has lllllllbers. the .af suftix has now been re'ierved reportedly made a plan to purchase heavy arms for private and official email ami web u<.cr~ in and ammunitions form warlords in the eastern Afghanistan. The UNDP which gaYe legal ami part of Afghanistan. SANA technical suppo1t to the program. ~aid in a statement on Sunday. AGENCIES

Othc.- News J 11 111 March In a bid to boost euucation for women by women in Afghanistan. where perhaps 79 percent of the Jnl March female population is illiterate. the UNICEF is People living in south Afghanistan's Kandahar joining forces with Afghanistan to produce the city now could also gain their access to the country's first literacy textbook tiJr \\omc:n. Internet, a luxurious facility that so far has been SANA a privilege only available for the elite class in the country's capital city.

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Frontier Post March, 2003. 21'' March NGOs in the Afghan capital, Kabul, have expressed concern over the government's new regulations governing NGOs. after a two-day consultative group meeting of the Afghanistan Development Fund (ADF). SANA

1 24 h March More than 32.300 Afghan refugees voluntarily returned home from Iran during the current Iranian year (started March 21,200 I). Head of the Kerman Bureau lor Aliens and Foreign Immigrant Affi1irs (BAFIA) said here. NNI

27'h March The Afghan government's efforts to build a nationwide telecommunication system got a kick with the launch of a radio system connecting all the provinces of the country. A national voice and data center inaugurated in a central Kabul building will use a technology called Radio Codan system to link this capital city with the rest of the country through fax, data and voice services. oflicials of the Ministry of the Telecommunications said. (NNI)

2lJ'h Man·h The eiTe~.:ts of heavy rains have cause serious flooding in northern Afghanistan. effecting thousands of people and destroying hundreds of homes. NNI

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Frontrer Post March, 2003. News Summary For April-2003

number of blankets worth Rs. 800,000 among the needy. (NNI) t'' Amll Some 2 million Yuan (US $240,900) has been US President George W Bush will pledge an donated under the initiative of a Chinese extra $100 million this week for Afghanistan, US mag~zine for constructing two new schools in ambassador Robert Finn said. (NNI) Afghanistan. The new schools will be spccitically reserved for children orphaned due 20th April to the war in Afghanistan. (Xinhua) The Iranian power supply project for llen1t Province has been inaugurated at Dogharun. on 11 II ' April the Iranian border, according to Water and .Iapan donated $3milion to Afghanistan on Power Minister Mohammad Shaker Kargar . Thursday to buy new equipment for the capital's (SANA) police force and improve crucial de-mining equipment, officials said. Life for Relief and Development has donated About $2,4 million of the grant will go toward medical books. hospital beds and other relief providing, vehicles and other accessories for items to various medical colleges and hospitals police patrolling the Kabul, the Japanese in different cities of Afghanistan. (Agencies) Embassy said in a statement. (AP) The United States is investing big money about 11 14 ' April $230 million to train feed and house the first Afghan authorities and aid organizations have 9,000 soldiers in the new Afghan national army. launched an emergency relief effort to help more With two Kabul areas bases and a training than 200 families affected by an earthquake in center, that amounts to this country's largest the r~mote Hindu Kuch mountain range in public works project. (SANA) northeast Afghanistan, a UN spokesman said Sunday. AFP 22"d April Surrounded by tight security, a top US health 16th. April official opened a newly refurbished hospital in Saudi Arabia will ship I 00 tones of dates to be Afghanistan's capital on Monday. saying the distributed among the needy people in Kabul, US-sponsored upgrade was '~just the beginning .. Kandahar, Jalalabad, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, of American aid for this devastated nation· s according to Interior Minister Prince Naif, health care system. (AP) Supervisor of the Saudi Relief Committee for Afghans. The committee's oftices in Afghanistan Qatar's Relief Committee signed a contract with have already completed distribution of a large the American mic-lndustries for the purchase of

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post April2003. units for a mobile plant for building prefab­ 13th April homes, schools and hospitals in Afghanistan. The foreign mmrster of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, will discuss the latest situation in his _C. country with EU foreign ministers in a meeting Political Development in Luxembourg on Monday afternoon. The EU ministers are expected to voice concern over the slow pace of reform in human rights and also over the disarming of the militia groups in 3rd April Afghanistan said EU sources. (SANA) British's first convicted ai-Qaeda terrorists have been jailed for ll years each after they were 20th April found guilty of raising funds and recruiting President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai will visit people for Osama bin Laden's terror network. Pakistan on Tuesday (April 22) on a two clay NNI state visit and hold discussions with the leadership to further strengthen the relatiom Pakistan and Afghan government officials, as between the two countries. (APP) well as the business community, are upbeat abo;rt trade concessions offered to landlocked 22"d April Afghanistan by Pakistar1 in a joint ministerial Pakistan released 50 Afghans from prison on conference over the weekend in the Afghan Monday as a gesture of goodwill on the eve of a capital, Kabul. SANA visit by Afghan president Hamid Karzai. (APP/Reuters) 4th April Taliban and ai-Qaeda remnants are not capable 23rd April of destabilizing the Afghan government, Interior President General Pervez Musharraf and Afghan Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali said Thursday while President Hamid Karzai Tuesday expressed the admitting there had been an increase in attacks resolve to fight terrorism. (APP) on government and foreign targets. A FP Pakistan and Afghanistan Tuesday agreed to st" April expand their cooperation in various fields The 19 NATO allies have asked military including reconstruction and rebuilding of planners to study options to give the alliance a Afghanistan especially in the health, education. greater peacekeeping role in Afghanistan, trade, roads and railway links upgradation. including the possibility of putting it fully in charge. (NNI) 24th April The spokesman of Hamid Karzai Syed Fazl-e­ 6th April Akber said on Thursday that the two days visit of Afghanistan and Tajekistan have agreed to Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan was promote bilateral ties between the two countries. beneficial for both the neighboring countries. This was stated during telephone talks between (Agencies) the Presidents of both the countries. (PPI) 26th April gth A)Jril The State Department has announced that The deputy head of the Transitional Islamic State Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will of Afghanistan Hedayat Amin Arsala has said travel to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India fi·om that friendly ties between Pakistan and May 5-11. (NNI) Afghanistan are improving. (SANA) 27th April IOt"April US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani scheduled to visit Afghanistan on Sunday to president General Pervez Musharaf discussed reaffirm Washington's commitments to the improving relations between their two countries, lingering anti-terror war and nation-building the Afghan government said in a statement efforts in the country. (NNI) Wednesday. AFP

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post April2003. Three suspected rockets were fired Tuesday Security Matter night at the Asadabad base in Kunar province neighboring Pakistan's northwest tribal belt. US Colonel Roger King told reporters at Bagram Air l't A!lril Base 50km (31 miles) north of Kabul. AFP International peacekeepers in Afghanistan said on Monday a rocket attack on their headquarters Following the murder of an International was not linked to the war in Iraq and may have Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegate in been carried out by supporters of former Prime Kandahar province. some international aid minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.( AGENCIES) agencies have suspended work in Afghanistan. (NNI) Eighty-suspected Taliban have been arrested over the past three days in southeast Two government soldiers were killed and three Afghanistan's Gahzni province, provincial wounded in a clash with suspected Taliban governor Asadullah !(haled said Monday. AFP fighters in southeastern Afghanistan on Wednesday. (Reuters) Fighters fired more than a dozen rockets and mortars at US military positions in eastern 4th April Afghanistan, prompting a precision air bombing Three explosions apparently from rockets fired from a Marine Corps jet that left at least two by guerrillas took place near an American attackers dead, a US Army spokesman said on military base in eastern Afghanistan, a US Army Mon~ay. (Agencies) spokesman said Thursday. No soldiers were injured. (AP) Six civilians were killed Sunday when their taxi hit an old landmine in Kandahar, which Pro-government militia forces killed 20 apparently had been laid during the war against suspected Taliban in a new offensive in southern the Soviet occupation. (Agencies) Afghanistan Thursday while US warplane' pounded extremists holed up nearby. an official Amid stepped up attacks in Afghanistan, the and the US military claimed. (AFP) Taliban's elusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omer has issued a fresh call for a holly war Afghan security authorities in Kabul have against US troops and Afghans who work with arrested the murderer of the aid worker of them. His latest decree, released in carries the International Red Cross Committee In Uruzgan signatures of 600 Islamic clerics reminding the province. According to the sources, Abdul faithful of their duty to wage jihad, or holy war. Sattar, the detainee has links with the Taliban. (Agencies) The 29-year-old Swiss national Recardo was killed in an attack on his car by the Taliban in 2" 11 April Uruzgan province. (PPI) An Afghan official, Khalid Pashtun has said that a former Tali ban Minister, Mullah Abdul Razzaq 5th April has b_een arrested. US-backed Afghan troops killed eight suspected Taliban and captured 15 others in fighting 3'- 11 April against guerrillas holed up in the Torghar Three Afghan border guards, including a mountains of southern Afghanistan, the US commander, have been killed in am ambush by military said Friday, while pro government suspected Taliban in the southwest Afghan militia forces mounted a fresh offensive nearby. province Ne1t1roz, bordering Pakistan, a local (AFP) official said. PPI Suspected Taliban in southern Uruzgan province A US base came under rocket attack in eastern gunned down a close friend of President Hamid Afghanistan, a military spokesman said Karzai, Mullah Jailani and one of his nephe\\'s. Wednesday, as Washington expressed concern (AFP) about recent attacks on foreigners in the war­ ravaged country. (AFP) Afghan and US forces have seized a Taliban mountain base in southwestern Afghanistan. and

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post April2003. killed at least six fighters, an Afghan official said said Dad Mohammad Khan, head of the on Ft:iday. (Reuters) province's intelligence department. AP

6th April lOth April Two big explosions rocked Afghan border town The multi-nation peacekeeping troops in of Spin Boldak Friday night killing an Afghan Afghanistan's capital city have taken precautions official and injuring another two. PPI measures against possible attacks using fuel­ carrying trucks after a rocket hit their Afghan officials said .on Saturday they had killed headquarters over one week ago. chief more than 50 Taliban rebels in fighting in the peacekeeper said on Tuesday. NNI northwest of the country and captured a former provincial governor under the ousted lith April fundamental regime. There wi.ll be no compensation for the families Among those captured this week were Mullah of the II Afghan civilians killed Wednesday Badar, former governor of the northwestern when a US bomb went astray and hit their home. province of Badghis, as well as Taliban military a US military spokesman said Thursday. API' commander Juma Khan, officials said. (J3-ueters) Seventeen people, mostly soldiers, have been An Afghan deputy cotntllander and four soldiers killed and 13 injured in clashes between two were wounded Saturday in a bomb explosion at rival militia forces in northern Afghanistan. local an army base in eastern Afghanistan. (AP) commanders and the UN said Thursday. (APP/AFP) 7th April Border guards shot and killed three Afghan drug tth April traflickers who brought nearly 100 kilograms Afghan authorities said on Friday they had found (220 pound) of Afghan marijuana and opium the body of an unidentified Italian national. into Tajikistan, a Russian border guard believed killed by remnants of the ousted Talihan spokesman said. (AFP) regime in the south of the country. Two Taliban men stopped the vehicle in which The Alghan government is to launch a nation­ the Italian national was traveling and shot him wide program to disarm I 00,000 existing armed dead, Hamidullah Tokhi, governor of Zabul troops, as part of its efforts to secure the Province, quoted witnesses as saying "this tragic recovery and development of this war-torn incident happened on Wednesday,'' Tokhi told country .(NNI) reporters in Kandahar. Reuters

gth April In Afghanistan the soldiers of the new Afghan Five soldiers were killed and several others National army battled to Taliban fighters killing injured during rocket attacks against allied troops a former Taliban Minister Amanullah in a st~tioned in Atghanistari. According to reports, gunfight. (PPI) the rockets and missile attacks against US troops were carried in Afghanistan as unknown UN and international aid agencies were forced to attackers fired three missiles on their positions at close their offices when serve fighting between Orgon in Paktia province. Reporters say the two rival goups in Meymaneh, the capital of the allied troops have faced heavy loss of lives. northwestern province of Faryab. (SANA) However independent sources have not confirmed it. ONLINE 13th April Three US marines were killed while two others 9th April injured seriously, when Taliban militia stormed American troops began a search for suspended US headquarters in Barikot area of Afghanistan Taliban fighters in a remote corner of southern with rocket launchers and light weapons on Afghanistan on Tuesday while Afghan Saturday. NNI government soldiers arrested 20 Taliban suspects in separate raids, officials said. A landmine was found on top of a dumpster near The US soldiers were conducting house-to-house a dining area at Bagram Air Base just before top searches in Sangeen district, Helmand province, US commander General Tommy Franks paid a

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post April2003. visit to coalition troops, a US military A grenade blast rocked the UN Children's Fund spokesman said Saturday. AFP (UNICEF) office in the eastern Afghan citv of Jalalabad overnight but there were n~o casualties. 14 111 April UNICEF and local security official said A brother of the governor of Afghanistan's Thursday. (AFP) southern Kandahar province escaped unhurt from an assault by gunmen Sunday, but another 21'' April relative was killed and two Afghan guards were Afghan warlords and militia chiefs Sunda\ wounded, an Afghan official said. Agencies agreed to work with the central government i;1 rebuilding a multi-ethnic national army. tht: Fom suspected bomb makers, including three defence ministry said. (AFP) foreigners were killed in a massive blast as they unloaded explosive at a house in the eastern 23rd April Afghan city of Khost, a local official said US Special Forces killed one person and Sunday (AFP) detained seven others after they came under attack during a night raid in southern 15 111 April Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said on Three Afghan soldiers were slightly injured in a Tuesday. (AFP) late-night explosion, which rocked the Afghan capital, police said Monday as international Gunmen with rockets and automatic weapons peacekeepers investigated the cause of the blast. fired at a UN mine clearing vehicle Tuesday. (AFP) injuring two Afghan workers, Afghan officials said. (APP) Two Afghan soldiers were shot and killed in southern Afghanistan, while unidenti!ied 24' 11 April attackers threw hand-grenades al Italian troops The Taliban claimed on Wednesday that their on patrol in the cast, the US military said fighters had seized the headquarters of the Deh-1- Monday. (AP) Chopan district in Zabul province 1n southwestern Afghanistan and captured its pro­ 16'" April government head and his seven men. Four suspected members of Osama bin Laden's ai-Qaeda network have killed themselves in an US Special Forces believe they have killed the accident while plotting a car bomb attack in an man who fatally shot a Red Cross worker last eastern Afghan province. (NNI) month in southern Afghanistan, an army spokesman said Wednesday. (AP) 17'" April NATO agreed Wednesday to take command of 26'" April the International Security Assistance Force Two US soldiers were killed and several other (ISAi;) in Afghanistan s01ne time this summer, US and Afghan soldiers were wounded Frida) in in the first ever "out of area" mission for the a clash with ·unknown attackers in southeast West's former Cold War bloc diplomats said. Afghanistan, the US military said. (A F.P). 27'" April Situation was tense at the Pak-Afghan border in US and Afghan forces have arrested several North Agency on Wednesday as suspected members of the Taliban near the security guards from both the countries southern border town of Spin Boldak. an Afghan exchanged machinegun fire over the dispute on military commander said on Saturday. the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Agencies)

18 111 April The base of the foreign forces in Southeastern Afghan soldiers captured eight Tali ban fighters, Afghanistan has once again come under rocket including two commanders, after a fierce battle attack. According to report that two rockets lefi two soldiers dead in a mountainous southern landed at new Khost airport, which has now been region of the country, a senior government turned, into a military base of the foreign forces official said (NNI) but there have so far been no reports of any

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post April2003. casualties. Four rockets hit Khost airport IO'h April yesterday as welL The custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz received at AI-Yam amah 30th April palace, Riyadh Afghanistan's former King Canada will be sending between 1,500 and 2,000 Mohammed Zaher Shah and his accompany troops to Afghanistan to replace US forces delegation. (SANA) currently serving with the international stabilization force there, Defense Minister John 12th April McCallum said. (Agencies) An earthquake rocked a remote province of northern Afghanistan on Thursday night, causing Anti government rebels attacked an Afghan some casualties and destroying 200 houses. pol ice post in the southeast town of Spin Boldak state-run Kabul Radio reported on Friday. near the Pakistan border early Tuesday, killing Reuters one guard. (AFP) 1 14 h April A Taliban official has denied western media Other News report and claim by Governor Zabul that Taliban were involved in the murder of an Italian tourist. who was shot and killed on Wednesday in a taxi 4th April on a main road in southern Afghanistan. SANA Dr. Nangyalai Tarzi, Ambassador of Afghanistan in Pakistan, has thanked all those Afghans and Afghanistan has been accepted as a partner f(n· Pakistanis who condoled the death of Shafiqa cooperation by the Organization for Security and Siraj, daughter of Afghan monarch Amir Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) at a meeting in llabihullah Khan, sister of Amir Ghazi Vienna, according to Radio Free Europe. Amanullah Khan and a close relative of Dr. (SANA) Nangyalai Tarzi. She died in Peshawar the other day and was buried in her ancestral graveyard in 15th April Jalalabad, Afghanistan, said a press release on Afghanistan's first homegrown class of Thursday. information technology students has graduated from Kabul University. A United Nations gth April official said the impoverished nation, which is Millions of Afghan women and children only now emerging from isolation. had a real continue to face major health and nutnt1on chance to catch up with the rest of the modern problems, with maternal and infant mortality in world. (APP) the war-ravaged nation among the worst in the world. the United Nations Children's Fund Kabul's newest and biggest mosque, which i~ (UNICEF) said Sunday, (AFP) currently under construction, is breaking new ground in Afghan culture by including a special 9th April section where women can pray. Most women Al"g,han President has expressed deep concern have never prayed in a mosque, as there has been f(.>r millions of women and children being no provision made for them. However. in other threatened by increasing rates of maternal and Muslim countries, there are designated areas in inf~111t mortality in his war-ravaged country. most mosques where women can worship. "Afghanistan's need for health services deeper sometimes separated from the main section by a than any other country's." the president said curtain or waiL (NNI) while addre::;sing a ceremony at the health ministry in the capital, Kabul. SANA 16th April The death of an Afghan de-miner Tuesda;. The. UNHCR reported that around 4658 Afghan coincided with the launch of campaign to raise refugees had been repatriated to their homeland awareness of the millions of landmines that Afghanistan since it has started its repatriation in contaminate the country's landscape last month. F.P. Report

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post April 2003. 2t''April The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Plm1ting its tlag in cyberspace, Afghanistan has Relief (ACBAR) hosted a gathering of media activated its af Internet domain name for Afghan persons and aid workers in Peshawar on Tucsda~ e-mail addresses and Web sites. to explain the role of Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) working in Afghanistun. At .least 30 people h~tve been killed after The information discussion at the ACBAR oflicc powerful floods washed away their houses in was titled The Role of NGOs in Civil Society southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, a Current Concerns in Afghanistan. The speaker~ local otlicial said Sunday. (AFP) included ACBAR steering committee vice­ chairperson, Ms. Fiona Gall, ACBAR Resource 22mi April Information Center senior consultant Ms. Nancy Cable television networks in the Afghan capital Hatch Dupree, Human Rights Commission of said on Monday they had resumed broadcasting Pakistan chairman Mr. Afrasiab . and programmers banned by the Supreme Court Mr. Rahmatullah Musaghazi, minister counselor earlier this year for being obscene and un­ in Afghanistan's embassy in Islamabad. lslamic. (Reuters)

2-t'h April BRAC-Afghanistan has expanded its multihtceted programme to Jalalabad bringing fou1·· provi11ces, in addition to Kabul, under its network, says a press release. So far 150 village Organizations have formed with 4500 women members. Loan disbursement to them amounts to over $250,000. BRAC has also set up 24 Primary girls Schools and two health centers in rural areas.

26'h, April Afghanistan's constitution commtsston has finished drafting the country's new constitution. It will pave the way for presidential elections next year. (NNI)

29'h April The United Nations has condemned the killings of 38 civilians including twelve children and other human rights abuses that occurred during recent violent clashes in t1orthwest Afghanistan. Ac~ording to the UN Miss ion in Afghanistan, the clashes had broken out in northern Badghis province.

Jo'" April Two people were killed and 29 injured Tuesday when a tractor transporting guests to a wedding went over a Soviet-era landmine, a local security official said.

About two dozen Afghans expelled ti·om Britain arrived back in Afghanistan's capital on Tuesday, many of them left destitute after spending their life savings in a failed bid to seck asylum abroad. (AP)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary ...... Sources·. T~e News, The Nation and Frontier Post April2003. News Summary For May-:2003

Aid and Economic Development 25th May United States will provide $300.000 hll' the 6th May reconstruction of the irrigation system of Japan has extended 28-million US dollars in aid Kandahar. A representative of the USAID. for Afghan road and airport reconstruction. Powell announced the fund during a ceremon\. .Iapan 's ambassador Kinichi Komano and the which was held in the city. VoA rcporte;l. Afghan Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah, (SANA) signed documents for rebuilding the Kabul­ Kandahar road. Japanese aid will also provide 29th May equipment to improve security and facilities at Kuwait has provided fifteen million dollars to Kabul international airport. (Agencies) the Afghan Government for the reconstruction of Spin Boldak- Kandahar Highway. (Online) 7'" May Tlw Asian Development Bank has approved a technical assistance grant to help Afghanistan ~;1 Political Development draw up a master plan to exploit its underused gas resources, the Manila-based bank said 1 Tuesday. (AFP) 1' May United States Defense Secretary Donal Rumsfeld 10 111 May will visit Afghanistan on Thursday for meetin!! India has agreed to take a slew of steps, with President Hamid Karzai and other senio~· including waiving off expenses to assist officials. a US embassy spokeswoman said. Afghanistan in building up its aviation (AFP) inti·astructure. (SANA) Afghanistan inaugurated a Human Rights 11 15 ' May Department on Wednesday aimed at curbing Iran has signed an agreement to help rebuild abuses by the police. airports in the Balkh and Herat provinces as well 1 as train Afghan pilots, the state news agency 2'" May Bakhtar cited the country's tourism minister as The head of the interim Afghan government saying. (SANA) Hamid Karzai announced that the ne\\ Constitution of Afghanistan is being dralicd and 18'" May will be ratified b~' the represent;tives of the The' Asian Development Bank has allocated nation at Loya Jirga. (SANA) 500m dollors for Afghanistan's reconstruction. (SANA) The Afghan government has sent two teams to probe the killing of civilians and other human rights abuses during recent clashes between rival

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2002. factions in the northwest Badghis province Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis. Kh

1 A council of Islamic scholars has urged Afghan 15 h May women working outside of their homes to wear a The draft of Afghanistan's new constitution. no\\ traditional long dress and headscarf. (SANA) a closely guarded blueprint for the countr;'s future government will be made public on Sep I. 6'" May officials said Sunday. (AP) Afghanistan's national airline prepared on Monday to make its first flight to Russia since Afghanistan's interim government has im ited before the former ruling Taliban regime took key Taliban leaders to Kabul for talks. control of the capital in 1996, aviation officials said .. (AP) 16111 May A delegation of officials of the l'aktika

11 111 May t7'" May Teams of the Afghanistan's constituation review Afghan president Hamid Karzai has replaced commission has arrived in Peshawar to discuss governors in the provinces of Parwan and with the Pakistan based Afghan the preliminary Badakhshan. (NNI) draft constitution prepared by the constitutional drafting committee. (SANA) 19 111 Mav The Afghan Foreign Ministry has welcom.:d 12 111 May Pakistan Government's decision of releasin:; all The Afghan Minister for Overseas Afghans, the Afghan prisoners arrested on the charges of Hussain visited Ministry of Labor. law violation and illegal entry into Pakisl

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2002. Afghan President Hamid Karzai called a meeting by the National Security Council. Finance on Sunday in Kabul with more than a dozen Minister Ashraf Ghani announced Friday. (AFP) provincial governors and regional warlods. (Agehcies) 25th May The Chinese g"overnment attaches importance to 20th May its ties with Afghanistan and supports its pe<~ce Pakistan and Afghanistan will resume today process and reconstruction. (API>) (Tuesday) high-level talks in Kabul to iron out differences on contentious matters including Russia showing its willingness to take a kc.:en Afghan Transit Trade and prisoners issue with a interest and play a major role 1n the review of repatriation process of Afghan reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afgh<~nic;tan rerngees. stated that it wants to build an anti-drug h•:lt around all neighboring countries of Afghani~tan. 21'"1May (Online) President Hamid Karzai has threatened to step down if Afghanistan's border provinces failed to 2ih May hand over customs duties estimated to be worth Afghanistan released 66 Pakistani prisoners who millions of dollars to the cash-strapped central had fought alongside the Taliban and al-Qaed<~. a government. (Agencies) spokesman for Deputy Defense Minister Gener

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2002. Iranian Minister of Commerce Mohammad At least three fighters were killed and one Sharitmadari arrived in Kabul for a short visit wounded in clashes between rival factions in and to inaugurate Iran's first executive industrial northern Afghanistan, a regional official said on and commercial exhibition in the country. Wednesday. (Reuters) (Agencies) 9111 May Threats against journalists have increased in the Security Matters past two months, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Thursday. (AFI'l

I'' May The United Nations has suspended mission~ in The authorities have said two people were killed southern Afghanistan following "brutal" atwch and nearly 30 injured in a landmine explosion in on deminers. which left one dead and three north Afghanistan. (SANA) wounded in the past week. a UN spokesman said Thursday. (APP) 2"'1 May Nato's military authorities in Brussels have been 15 111 May ordered to command and effective security and Unidentified gunmen shot at a car carryin~ a peace operation in Afghanistan as soon as team of Afghan deminers in the east of the possi_ble. a Nato source told the News. country, killing the driver and wounding t\\o passengers, the. United Nations said on Sunda~. 4111 May Afghan government troops arrested I 0 Taliban 16111 May suspec.ts during recent raids in the country's An Afghan soldier has been aiTe,ted in tiH: souther11 Zabul province, the region's governor capital Kabul after international peacekcl·pcro, said Saturday. (AP) were fired upon. (SANA)

International human rights and press freedom 17'" May gronps have reported a growing number of . One person was killed and three others injllr<.:d attacks and death threats against journalists in when a bomb exploded in southern Spin Bold;IIz Afghanistan by security officials from the town, Afghan officials said. (Agencies) Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, and intelligence service. (Agencies) 18 111 May Rival militias traded automatic weapons-fire on 6' 11 May the streets of a northern Afghan city. leaving at At least five persons were killed and eight others least two combatants dead and seven wounded. wounded in a clash between members of two commanders .said Saturday. tribes in the southeastern Afghan province of Khost, the region's governor has said. (Reuters) Commander Abdullah a high-ranking militar: official has been killed in Nangarhar province of Afghan police said on Monday they had arrested Afghanistan (Online) eight militants for shooting at a car belonging to local clemining agency and killing the driver. 19 111 May (Agencies) A hand grenade was hurled on the camp of British forces working within Internal iu11

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2D02. The mine sweeping agencies have ordered their workers to leave Khost and Paktia provinces due to security lapses in the region following attacks on mine sweepers near Gardez city and Sato ~: Other News Kando area that resulted in injury to two workers a fe\v days ago. (Onlii1e) 1st Mav As Afghanistan faces growing instability, the The government of Pakistan has decidd to government has launched a vast training program cancel export of 25.000 tons of sugar tn to create a 50,000-stroing national police force. Afghanistan amid fears of this con1modit~ The new program is supported by the US and coming back into Pakistan, an official in the will train thousands of policemen and women Commerce Ministry said in Islamabad each year. 2" 11 Mav 22"'1 May Afghanistan government has expressed grave United States soldiers shot dead four Afghan concern over the expelling of twenty-one Afghan soldiers in front of the US embassy in Kabul on refugees from Britain (Online) Wednesday atier mistakenly thinking they were preparing to attack them, Afghan officials and 3"1 May witnesses said. (AFP) The United States has announced the resumption of the Fulbright educational scholarship program 23"1 May for Afghanistmi, 24 years after it \Vas suspended. A statement from the US headquarters at Bagran, (SANA) noqh of Kabul, said US Special Forces and a military reconstruction team came under fire In order to control the fatal Polio in Afghani'.tatt. th1111 about 30 opposing fighters near Gardez. World Health Organization and United N;ttttlth (Agem:ies) International Children Emergent:y Fund h"' decided to launch anti-polio drive in Afghan ist

29' 11 May 9th Mav Governor Kunar, Syed Fazal Akbar has said that There are fears that genuine aiel workers wuld be: the ·security situation in Kunar has improved put at risk if troops use civilian clothes and cl

111 30 ' May lOth Mav A German peacekeeper was killed in a mine Five people including four children have died in blast on Thursday near the Afghan capital Kabul, eastern Afghanistan from an aerial spnty a spokesman for the International Security apparently used to destroy opium poppies: the Assistance Force (ISAF) said. (Reuters)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2002. Afghan Islamic Press (A I P) quoted a farmer as on those used mainly for illiterate children in tilt: s

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and 20 111 May Nor:tliern Areas Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said A police-training center has been established at Pakistan would provide training facilities to Kabul with technical and economic assistance A tghans in the fields of paramedics, agriculture extended by US government. (SANA) and education beside vocational training in various other sectors. (APP) 23rd May The Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan 11 111 May Retltgees (DACAAR) is holding an exhibition of Afghan authorities were Saturday preparing to Afghan needlecraft in Islamabad on May 24-25. relei\se I 0 Afghans who had been detained on the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Government ministers from more than 50 who were repatriated to Afghanistan earlier this countries met in Paris in a two-day conference week. (APP) aimed at combating the trade in heroin and other poppy derivatives from Afghanistan (SANA) 12 111 May Iris Validation Center in Hyatabad is being 25'" May officially inaugurated today. The commissioner An American Institute of Afghanistan Studies for Afghan refugees Mushtaq Ahmed and (A lAS) would be established to help revital izc head of the UNHCR Peshawar Ms. Masti Notz connections between the academic communitit:' will. cut the ribbon to open the center. in the United States and Afghanistan. (OnlitJe)

u'" May: International peacekeeping troops were hmt h~ About 300 civil servants hit the streets on the stone-throwing protestors as a demonstraliotl outskirts of Kabul Monday to demand three against the killing of four Afghan soldiers by l 1S months of unpaid back wages. (AFP) Embassy guards turned violent Saturday. (A 1·1' 1

14 111 May 28 111 May Afghanistan's government began destroying Afghanistan has among the world's highe~t ratc:s stockpiled land mines for the first time in nearly of both infant mortality and maternal death a quarter century of war; with four enormous because of difficulties during pregnancy or explosions that sent back smoke billowing into during childbitth. (Online) the sky east of the capital. 29111 May 15111 May More than 50 percent of deaths among Afghan The Moscow and Kabul air.route is to be opened children under the age of five are caused h~ today on (Monday) diarrhea. the Afghan health ministry announced Ariana Afghan Airlines said that its planes on Monday. Adding that the disease is becomi11~ would start flights Kabul to Moscow and a serious problem for the country where child Mo~cow to Kabul. mortality is already unacceptably high. ( IR IN 1

16 111 May 30' 11 Mav The inaugural session of the Tripartite British bank Standard Chartered plans to become Commission, grouping the UN Refugee Agency the first international bank to open 111 and· the government of Pakistan, began on A tghanistan when it inaugurates a branch 111 Wednesday in Islamabad to discuss the ongoing August. an Afghan cabinet minister '-Ahmadzai has program at a newly established facility modeled said that the salaries of all government personnel will be issues via moneychangers. (SANA J

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2002. 31'1·May The first phase of the Afghan Census project has been completed in Parwan, Kapisa, and Logar provinces and the project owl continue soon in S

Three people have been killed and 30 houses destroyed as a result of heavy rainfall and floods in northeastern Afghanistan. (Agencies)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post May2002 · News Summary For July-2003 ~',':. :?(<.'-!"·'· l

Aid and Economic Development corridors to Afghanistan when it halted 3rd July logistics operations in Tajikistan eastern Norway will send a surgical team to border crossing lshkashim. (SANA): Afghanistan where it will be stationed at the field hospital for the ISAF at the airport sth July outside the capital Kabul. (SANA): The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies informed that 3rd July Rural clinics in Afghanistan that operated The impending Disarmament, throughout the rule of the Islamic militant Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Taliban and serve two million people may plan for Afghanistan is being launched have to close down because of lack of amidst reservations and serious objections funds. (NNI) raised by UN officials as well as Japan, the key donor of the project. 7th July The United Nations Educational and 4th July Scientific Organization, UNESCO, has The ministry of Rural Development of inscribed 24 new sites in World Heritage list, Afghanistan has established a water supply including Bamiyan. (NNI): system in the northern Fariab province. (Iranian News). th July Japanese special envoy to Afghanistan 4th July arrived in the capital on Sunday for a one­ Top Pakistan experts are optimistic that the week visit aimed at reviewing Japanese aid Trans:-Afghan Pipeline (TAP) is still feasible for the war-shattered country. (AP) despite the indifferent attitude of India. sth July 4th July Afghanistan has joined a World Bank Afghanistan has postponed the _launching of agency which provides political risk an ambitions drive to disarm 100,000 insurance for investors in a move which will fighters until key reforms are implemented in help the war_ravaged country attract the Defense Ministry to make it more investment, the World Bank said. ethnically representative and accountable. (SANA) ath July The prequalification process of sth July Turkmenistan Afghanistan-Pakistan Gas The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has Pipeline Project (TAP Project) has been put closed one of its major Central Asian aid

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post July 2003. on hold to asses viability of the southern 20th July route and reserve estimates. Turkey continues to extend support to Afghanistan in fields of health education, gth July social rehabilitation, agriculture and animal Afghanistan has collected $56 million in husbandry within the scope of commitments revenue from provincial governors and it gave in the international area. (SANA): warlords since the end of March, president Hamid Karzai's spokesman said. 22"d July The United States gave US$2 million to 10th July three separate charities to provide education A five million dollars project to build one of for Afghan orphans. working children and the largest ever universities in Afghanistan former child soldiers, the US Agency for got underway in the main western city of International Development said. (AP): Herat this week, officials said. (AFP): 25th July 10t11 July The Bureau of Population. Refugees and Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan Migration has committed or obligated a total need more studies carried out before they of $209.6 million since the beginning of the proceed with the 2.5 billion-dollar trans­ current Afghan emergency in September Afghan gas pipeline project, the Asian 2001 Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday. (APP): 28th July The Bush administration will soon propose 1ih July $1 billion aid package for Afghanistan aimed Calling for at least doubling international at bolstering the government of president assistance for Afghanistan, a senior United Hamid Karzai and countering criticism that Nations official Friday said that international US officials have lost interest in rebuilding financial commitments were neither large the country. (Online): nor coming in fast enough to guarantee the war-ravaged country's reconstruction. (SANA): Political Development 1i11 July British soldiers launched a project to help 2"d July rebuild infrastructure around the war-torn Pakistan had sent a proposal for peace in northern Afghan city of Mazar-i Sharif Afghanistan to the Afghan President Hamid Friday, officials said. (AFP) Karzai. This was disclosed by president of Pakistan General Perves Musharraf during 17th July his talk with reporters after the meeting with Reconstruction work on the Salang Tunnel, German president. about 122 kilometers north of the capital of Kabul, will be completed by mid-November 2"d July before the harsh winter season befalls in the Afghanistan has begun the process of Hindu Kush mountains. (NNI): choosing a new constitution, the first one since 1964. (Sana): 18t11 July Foreign Donors must speed up payment of 2nd July the money promised to Afghanistan if the Plans to draft a constitution and hold country is to fulfill its development budget for elections for a new government in this year, Ashraf Ghani, the finance minister Afghanistan in June 2004, are increasingly said. (SANA): doubtful, according to a number of recent reports and senior Afghan officials who 18th July complain that the United States and the rest A key highway linking the Afghan capital of International community are not providing Kabul with the southern city of Kandahar will adequate support to the transitional be ready for traffic by the end of this year. a government headed by President Hamid UN official said Thursday. (AFP): Karzai.

7 ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources The News. The Nation and Frontier Post July 2003. 11 4th July 8t July Prime Minister Mir Zafarulllah Khan Jamili's A recent deployment of Pakistani troops to visit to Afghanistan most likely by the end of the eastern Afghan border has angered the July being anxiously awaited in Kabul as areas powerful Mohammad Pashtun tribe, Karzai government is all set to take up the which has accused Pakistan of major Durand Line issue with Pakistan along with incursion into Afghanistan and called for other significant matters. immediate action by Kabul. (AFP)

4th July gth July Around 150 Afghans staged a Human rights group Amnesty International demonstration in the capital, Kabul, on said the criminal justice system in Thursday demanding that two journalists Afghanistan_is unable to protect people's accused of blasphemy be punished. human rights. (SANA): (Reuters): gth July 4th July Islamabad has closed its embassy in Mohammad Anwar Sultani a tribal leader Afghanistan in protest after a 500-strong from eastern city of Jalalabad claimed mob demonstrating against alleged border Thursday that Pakistani militias had intruded incursions by Pakistani troops attacked and 40 kilometers into Afghan territory. (AFP): ransacked the premises Tuesday, Ambassador Rustam Shah Mohammad sth July said. Loya Jerga has criticized president Hamid Karzai over a lack of progress on disarming 10th July militias and bringing peace and security to The Afghan government has decided to the war-ravaged country. (AFP) change Army Chief, Deputy Defense Minister and six other major posts in the st" July defense ministry prior to the campaign of A spokesman for the UNAMA, Manoel de disarmament. Almedia e Silva, said that no decision had so for been to postpone Afghanistan's 13th July presidential elections. He said that The UN's special envoy to Afghanistan. according to the Bonn accord, the Lakhdar Brahimi, on Saturday called on the presidential elections had been scheduled country's defense ministry to put in place May-2004. But since the preliminary stages reforms to restore ethnic and political of the elections were not prepared yet. The balance within the ministry, ahead of exact date of elections could not be undertaking a huge programme to disarm announced. (SANA): regional armies. (AFP):

6th July 15th July Afghanistan will send a high-level delegation Independent Human Rights Organization to its eastern border on Sunday to has asked officials in Kandahar to release investigate reported border violations by those detainees who were arrested for Pakistani soldiers, the government said in a political activities or minor crimes. (SANA): statement. (AFP): 16th July 8th July Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States Pakistan admitted on Monday that situation agreed Tuesday to set up subcommittee on the country's northwestern border with comprising representatives of all the three Afghanistan was" volatile" following participating countries to carry out ground operation by security forces in the tribal verifications and submit its findings at the areas to extend the writ of government earliest to address mutual concerns. which many say was actually planned to hunt osma bin Laden and his associates. 1th July Afghan president Hamid Karzai issued a decree Wednesday establishing the procedure for choosing delegates to a

3 ACBARM-on-thiYNewssummary______------sou-r-ce~rh8"NeW5TheNatJon-and-f:i""o-;:;i;e~-Post July 2003 new traditional assembly, which is to yct July adopt the county's next constitutional in NATO taking command of Afghan October. (AFP): peacekeepers could provide an opportunity for the force to expand beyond the capital into lawless areas effectively run by warlords, the UN envoy to Afghanistan said on Wednesday. (Reuters):

1st July 3rd July US troops were attacked by a group of A man carrying a bomb in Kabul Pui-Chakhri gunmen in Shkin, Paktika province. (AFP): was killed when it exploded prematurely, the Afghan capital's police chief d\said on 1st July Wednesday. (AFP): Several rockets were fired into the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad after dawn on 3rd July Monday causing some damage but no Attacks across Afghanistan doubled causalities, witnesses said. One of the between April and May and are still running rockets landed near an office of the UN high, the commander of the peacekeeping Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the city center, International Security Assistance Force said they said. (Reuters): Wednesday. (AFP):

1st July 4th July Three people were wounded in Rockets were fired at a road construction bomb explosion in a cinema in a crew in southern Afghanistan while southwestern Afghan city, the official separately police seized three Taliban who Bakhter Information Agency (BIA) said. said they wee under instructions from their (NNI): teachers to target non-government organizations, a minister said Thursday 2nd July (AFP) Following reports that factional fighting has broken out in Afghanistan's Samangan 5111 July province, the United Nations is supporting a A first advance unit of NATO forces leaves security commission headed to the area. Germany for Afghanistan on Saturday in (SANA) preparation for the alliance's first military operation in Asia, allied command said 2nd July Friday. Afghan Interior Minister Jalali has said evening that Iran is to help Afghanistan sth July construct a number of police stations on the The Afghan government said it had worked two countries joint border Jalali who has out a plan with warring factions to concluded a three-day visit to Herat (NNI) demilitarize the volatile city of Mazar-i­ Sharif where British forces are being sent to 11 2 d July help the government tackle lawlessness. Seventeen people were injured when bomb exploded at a mosque in the main southern gth July Afghan city of Kandahar during evening Three former Afghan Mujhideen prayer, local radio reported on Tuesday. commanders Abdul Sattar and Zaitoon have been arrested by the American troops in 3rd July Nangharar province. About 700 Afghan government reinforcements are being sent to southern th July mountains near Zabul the Pakistan border An explosion wounded two Dutch where about 60 Taliban fighters have been peacekeepers on patrol just north of battling government forces for four days. the Afghan capital, and their colleagues (Reuters): were investigating the cause of the blast . a spokesman for the multinational force said (AP):

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post July 2003. 7th July activity at two sites in Kandahar provinces Attackers fired rockets at an air -base (PPI): housing US and Afghan forces near the eastern city of Jalalabad, but caused no 15th July causalities or damage, an official said Anti-government forces in Afghanistan may Sunday. (AP): increase attacks on international peacekeepers after NATO takes charge of ath July the operation in Kabul next month, the Some 1 ,300 US-led coalition troops are general overseeing the mission said on engaged in a major operation against Monday. (AP): Taliban and ai-Qaeda fighters in southeast Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said 15th July on Monday. (AFP): Unidentified gunmen shot and injured an Afghan military commander and his driver at 11 July near the southern city of Kandahar.(AFP): The United Nations Assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today reported that 18th July ceasefire has bee negotiated In Quland Germany expressed concern that some village following deadly, clashes there European countries, apparently acting under between the Jamiat and Jumbesh factions. US pressure to help the coalition forces in (NNI) Iraq, have pulled their troops out of Afghanistan, leaving behind a still gth July dangerous environment. At least 11 persons were killed during 4-day fighting between forces of General Abdul 19th July Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad in Eight Afghan soldiers wee killed in Khost Mazar-e-Sharif. (SANA): province on Friday when their vehicle was blown apart by a remote controlled mine, an 1 ot" July Afghan security official said. (AP): US and Italian troops have concluded a four­ day operation against Taliban remnants and 20th July ai-Qaeda fighters in Paktia, Paktika and Three US soldiers were wounded when their Khost US military Spokesman said vehicle was hit by a bomb in Kuner Wednesday. (AFP) northeastern Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said Saturday. (AFP): 11th July A large number of allied forces personnel 21st July are feared dead in a missile attack in US war planes launched airstricks on a province of Paktika. Taliban position close to the Pakistani border on the weekend after a guerrilla 12th July attack on a government checkpoint, an The latest round of clashes pitting loyalists official said Sunday. · of General Abdul Rashid Dostum against those of his rival, General Muhammad Atta, 21st July have left more than a dozen people Around 60 suspected Taliban fighters dead (NNI): attacked a border post in southern Afghanistan with heavy 13th July machine guns and assault rifles, a A bomb exploded Saturday in a government official said on Sunday. government-owned warehouse in Jalalabad, damaging equipment and shattering 23rd July windows in nearby houses. (AP): Fugitive Taliban and AI-Qaeda fighters have stepped up attacks on US-led forces in 14th July Afghanistan this past month, the US military As many as fourteen Afghan and American said. soldiers were killed by Taliban in guerrilla

5 ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources The News, The Nation and Frontier Post July 2003 25th July 10th July Taliban have reportedly killed 14 pro­ Torrential rains lashed the provinces of government militiamen in an attack in Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Logar, killing as Afghanistan's Zabul province. many as 24 people and washing away flimsy, sunbaked mud homes, officials said 26t 11 July Wednesday. (AP): The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan 11th July Relief (ACBAR), warned on Friday that Foreign minister Khurshed Mehmud Kasuri deteriorating security conditions were has said that the embassy in Kabul would be hurting reconstruction efforts in the war­ reopened soon. shattered country and could seriously impede elections next year. (AP): 15th July Some 265,000 Afghan refugees have 29th July returned home this year from neighboring Karzai Government has called for more US Pakistan, Iran and other countries with help led coalition troops to fight against Taliban. from the UN refugee agency, a spokesman (PPI): said. (SANA): 15th July 30th July Following deadly flooding in southern and The US State Department has strongly northeastern provinces of Afghanistan last warned U.S citizens against travel to week that left more than 100 dead or Afghanistan as the ability of Afghan missing, the UN reported on Sunday that authorities to maintain order and ensure more people were feared killed after serious security is limited. (Online): mudslides in the 'Shibar district of the central Bamiyan province. (IRIN): 31st July An Afghan working man with a 16th July nongovernmental organization was killed Construction work on Phase three of a and a colleague wounded Tuesday in the highway between Iran and Afghanistan has latest attack by Taliban in Kandahar been started from zero point of the border province. (Online): post near Zabul. (NNI):

17th July Balkh province to close 180 schools and fire 4,000 teachers as government funds have run dry, a ministry of education official 1st July announced on Wednesday.(AFP): Pakistani and United Nations officials Monday began the mammoth task of shifting 23rd July 20,000 Afghan refugees from Chaman. A big fire in the city has destroyed more than (AFP): a hundred shops and other buildings.

11 (SANA): 2 d July An official of the UNHCR has predicted that 25th July 500,000 Afghan refugees will return home More than 12, 000 people in western by the end of 2003. This compares to Afghanistan have been badly affected by 400,000 Afghans who voluntarily returned what they said were" worst" sandstorms in home from Iran 2002, the head of UNHCR living memory" which have buried villages offices in Iranian said. (SANA): and filled canals, a United Nations spokesman said on Thursday. (AFP): 5th July The UN refugee agency has moved 3,651 26th July Afghans from a makeshift border camp at In the remote province of Badghis, western Chaman in southwest Pakistan to better Afghanistan, tens of thousands of displaced facilities in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a people are returning to their homes amid spokesman for the UN High Commissioner what seems to be the end of a long for Refugees said on Monday. (AP): devastating drought that had forced them to leave in the last years. (Agencies):

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News. The Nation and Frontier Post July 2003. ! ~ ; :md Economic I>evelopll}c h 7th August 2nd August The German Airline L TU International Airways The European Commission decided to finance a third become first western airline to start direct flights to construction programme for Afghanistan with total Kabul. (Reuters) budget of79.5 million euros. (Agencies) Government of Pakistan lifted the ban on land route Asian Development Bank (ADP) extended a loan of trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan and allowed all $159 million for emergency infrastructure rehabilitation kinds of trade via land route from NWFP. (News) in Afghanistan. The project is intended to help repair roads, and the electricity and gas sectors. (AFP) Afghan government has invited foreign companies to invest in mining sector and help Afghanistan in tapping Afghanistan is expected to harvest its richest wheat its precious natural resources. (Agencies) crop in two decades- 4 million MT, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced. (NNI) Afghan Government has asked Pakistan to eliminate the negative list under the Afghan Transit Trade, after 5th August admission by the Pakistani authorities that the items Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah welcomed dropped earlier from the list were not being smuggled a new $1 billion aid package from Washington aimed at into Pakistan. (Nation) speeding up reconstruction of Afghanistan. He hoped 1 the US move would encourage other foreign donors to 8 h August do the same. (AP) An Indian delegation visiting Herat province promised to establish a medical college with all facilities in the Britain has started supervision of reconstruction work province. (Online)

in the . northern provinces of Afghanistan. The \ Spokesman of Provincial Reconstruction Council said Pakistan Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has that they first want to improve the security situation in asked the Government to request Afghanistan not to these provinces and for that disarmament of various build large dams on Kabul River, as it would reduce the groups iS essential. (Online) water availability in Pakistan. (Nation)

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development The World Bank has signed three new agreements (KFAED) has extended Afghanistan a$ 15 million loan totaling $10 million for Afghan reconstruction and for improvement of road from Kandahar to Spin poverty alleviation projects. (APP/AFP) Boldak. (Online) 1 9 h August 6th August Alcatel has won a contract to supply a GSM network to The US company building the road from Kabul to Afghanistan's mobile provider Telecom Development Kandahar has resumed the work on the road after Company Afghanistan Ltd. The company is already improvement in security situation. The work was operational in Kabul and within the next year will stopped after suspected militants attacked a number of extend its network to five other major cities. (Online) Afghans working in the project. (NNI)

AeBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post A~ust , 2003. 13111 August 22"d August China has donated about $ 1.1 million worth of Two Chinese telecom companies have signed $2.3 stationary items to the Afghan government for billion contracts with Afghanistan for expanding digital facilitating its administrative work. (Agencies) telephone services in Kabul and other 8 provinces. (NNI) The Islamic Development 13ank (IDB) will provide $4.7 million to Afghanistan for setting up a girls hostel in 23n1 August Kabul University. (NNI) US government has given $ 9.5 million to eight NGOs to meet health and sanitation needs of Afghan refugees. 1 14 h August German Airline LTU has suspended its weekly flights 25 111 August between Germany-Kabul until August 26 due to A representative ofUSAID has announced that the first problems with the sales system. (AP) phase of reconstruction of Kabul - Kandahar - Herat Road will be completed by the end of 2003 and the 16111 August second phase in 2004. The project is financed by USA, The President of NWFP Chamber of Commerce and Japan and Saudi Arabia. (NNI) Industries said that Pakistani investors are interested in investing in pharmaceutics, cement, oil and gas sectors 27'" August in Afghanistan. He said that the first exhibition of The Bush administration will soon announce doubling Pakistani products would be held in Kabul in of reconstruction aid for Afghanistan to $1.8 billion September. (APP) annually, the New York Times reported. (NNI)

111 11 18 August 28 ' August A mobile radio station - a vehicle fitted with a Satang Tunnel, which was closed in July for renovation microphone, speakers and tape recorder - has started work, will reopen in November. (AP) broadcasting information to residents of Kunduz city, where no other means of getting information is Afghan Government has ended its policy of paying available. (AFP) farmers to stop growing opium, after it failed to achieve the desired results. (AP) 19111 August Two Iranian banks - CBI and BSI - have been issued The Ukrainian Foreign Minister has said that his licenses and will soon start their operations in country is ready to join the construction of a trans­ Afghanistan. (NNI) Afghan gas pipeline joining Turkmenistan to Pakistan. (AFP) Afghan Finance Minister, Ashraf Ghani visited Pakistan to help promote trade between the two 29 111 August countries. (APP) Ariana Afghan Airline has launched weekly service between Kabul and Dushanbe. (AFP) German NGOs - CARE Deutschland and World Hunger Help- have said that military and humanitarian 30111 August aid should be separated from one another. They oppose USA and Afghanistan signed two agreements in Kabul. the German plans for establishment of PRT at Kunduz. According to the agreement, US will help Afghan (Online) Ministry of Civil Aviation and Araina Afghan Airlines. (PPI) 20 111 August According to Afghan Finance Minister, Afghanistan is A vault beneath the Presidential Palace containing considering the issue of building its first railway to Afghanistan's gold reserves was opened for the first redirect Central Asian transit trade to Pakistan and Iran. time in fourteen years, to assure the Afghan people tlrat (Agencies) the rumors of the reserves being stolen are not true. (AP) Afghanistan's economy grew by 30% last year, mainly due to return of refuges and end of drought, an Afghan government spokesman has said. (NNI)

ACBAR IV)onthly News Summary 2 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2(>03. commission is registration of millions of Afghans for the elections. (APP)

Syed Ishaq Gialani, head of the National Solidarity t•t August Movement of Afghanistan has demanded that president The Governor of Zabul, Habibullah has rejected reports Karzai hold a referendum to determine what kind of that Taliban are continuing their activities in various government should be established in Afghanistan after parts of Zabul province and that they have even the 2004 elections. nominated their own governor and administration for the province. He said that Taliban had entered the 7th August province but were expelled by his forces. (SANA) The spokesmen for the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said that our position on Pakistan - Afghanistan border is Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered the clear and we fully respect the border between the two establishment of a joint election office, comprising I 0 countries. He was commenting on statement by the members 5 of them also members of Afghan Interim Afghan Interior Minister in which he stated that the Election Commission. The office will register voters for present interim government of Afghanistan has no 2004 elections. (NNI). authority to decide about the Durand line and such decisions can be taken only when a permanent 2"d August government is established. (Frontier Post) Afghan officials have finished consulting refugees in Iran and Pakistan on the new draft constitution of The Organization of Islamic Conference (OJC) has Afghanistan, which will pave way for presidential reopened its office in Kabul after lapse of seven years. elections by June 2004, a UN spokesman said. (Online) (Agencies) About I 015 Pakistani prisoners in jails in northern 3rd August Afghanistan have appealed to president Karzai either to Afghan government has apologized for firing incidents release them or to shift them to jails near Kabul. near Pakistani posts at Chaman border and hoped that (Online) such incidents will not happen in future. (NNI) gth August The Afghan Foreign Minister has asked for cooperation Canada has opened its embassy in Kabul and has from Pakistan in combating Taliban. He said most of named Christopher Alexander its first resident the Taliban leaders are based outside Afghanistan. This ambassador to Afghanistan. (Online) issue has been taken up with Pakistani authorities as we consider Pakistan's cooperation a very important part of lOth August our war against terrorism. (SANA) The US government plans a series of steps to bolster Afghan President Karzai in the elections next year, More than I 000 people from all over Afghanistan including removing some local leaders and expanding attended a forum in Kabul to offer opinions on the new peacekeeping and rebuilding efforts. (SANA) draft constitution that will pave the way for elections next year. The forum was organized by the Afghan 11 thAugust Civil Society Forum and sponsored by Swiss Peace, Supporters of former Afghan King Zahir Shah have and the Constitutional Commission. (Agencies) formed a new political movement - National Unity Movement - calling for a return to constitutional 5th August monarchy. (AP) A seven-member delegation of the Afghan ministers under the leadership of the President's Advisor visited A thousand women protested in Kabul to call for action the central provinces of Afghanistan. The main to improve security in the country. (Agencies) objective ofthe visit, according to the spokesman of the delegation was to know the people's problems and give 13th August proposals to the government for their solutions. The tripartite commiSSion compnsmg Pakistan, (SANA) Afghanistan and USA agreed to establish a three-way hotline to setup communications among senior officials Newly formed Afghan Election Commission met for of the three countries. (News) the first time in Kabul. The major task of the

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 3 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2003. 14th Au~ust Pakistan's Foreign Minister has said that some 643 Afghan government has replaced governors of Pakistani Prisoners in Afghan jails will be transferred to Kandahar and Zabul provinces. Yusuf Pashtun is the Pakistan as soon as the Afghan government receives new governor of Kandahar while the former governor permission from USA. (News). Gul Agha has been appointed Minister of Urban Development. Hafizullah has replaced Hamidullah AU2.USt 26th Tokhi as governor of Zabul, who has been appointed as Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani called governor of Wardak. Ismail Khan will no longer be the for adoption of parliamentary system in Afghanistan. military chief of Herat, although he will continue as (Agencies) governor of Herat. (Reuters) Afghan President Karzai has said that he will run for 16th August the president in the next year's elections. (Agencies) UN and Afghan government have approved a $7.6 million project to register voters for national elections AU2.USt 27th 2004. (Agencies) Afghanistan's Supreme Court has called for the prosecution and trail of members of the former 17th August communist regime who have recently formed a new Pakistan ambassador to UN has told Security Council political party. (Reuters) that a strong and stable Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest and Pakistan supports the efforts of President August 29th Karzai aimed at national reconciliation and Afghan Chief Justice has said that ifTaliban movement reconstruction. (Online) changes its name and forms a political party to contest elections next year, they will be allowed to do so. 18th August (SANA) Religious scholars in Kunar province have called for jihad against the elements fighting the government, AU2.USt 30th while announcing their support for the Karzai According to a member of the commission for drafting government. (NNI) Afghan Constitution, the new constitution cannot be finalized until December 2003- delayed by two months UN announced that the voter's registration programme - which could also delay the elections scheduled for for Afghan general election urgently requires $75 June 2004. A spokesman for Afghan President said that million from donors. (SANA) Karzai wants the constitution to be approved as per planed schedule without any delays. (AP) 22"d Aulrn£1 Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Mahmud Kasuri denied the claims that Pakistan has made incursions into Afghanistan. (News)

August 23rd 151 Aulrn£1 A six member US congressional delegation arrived in Four people were injured when US forces opened fire Kabul. Senator John McCain, one of the members of on a taxi in Kabul. Three of the injured are members of the delegation, asked Pakistan to do more to stop cross the Afghan National Army. According to the Police border in Afghanistan. (AP) Commander for the District the US forces shot at the taxi when it failed to stop at the checkpoint. (AP) Au2.ust 25th Former Afghan Communists have formed a new party­ Taliban and AL-Qaeda are using children carrying pen United National Party of Afghanistan - this was bombs to attack US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, announced in a meeting in Kabul attended by 800 a US military spokesman said after two children were delegates. (News) injured by an exploding pen in Uruzgan province. (NNI). A peace commission has been formed in Faryab with representatives from Governor's office, police and Authorities are stepping up the training of police armed factions. The commission will be facilitated by recruits and officers already on the job across UNAMA. (NNI) Afghanistan, the Afghan interior minister said. He hoped that about half of the estimated 62,000 active

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 4 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2003. security forces will receive training over the next year northern Afghanistan, adding that this is their own in centers to be established in key cities. (AP) initiative. (Online)

2"d August 8th August Afghan Interior Minister denied the formation of tribal Six Afghan soldiers and an employee of Mercy Corps military units in Afghanistan; saying providing died when they were attacked in Helmand by suspected weapons to tribesmen will create further problems for Taliban fighters (Reuters) the country. (Online) Iran demanded probe into the killing incident of 8 A member of Ulema Council, Maulvi Janab has been Iranian diplomats and a journalist in Mazar Sharif five murdered in Kandahar City by suspected Taliban years ago. (Online) fighters. Janab opposed the Taliban decree regarding jihad against the interim Afghan government. (Online) The Commander of ISAF has said that security must improve throughout Afghanistan if 2004 elections are The UN Secretary General Kofi Annnan has urged the to be held fairly and successfully and at least 10,000 UN Security Council to expand the mandate of the additional troops are required for this purpose. (Online) multinational force ISAF to other key cities in order to create security conditions for the elections next year. 9th August (SANA) 250 Canadian troops, first of about 3,600 to be deployed in Afghanistan, arrived at Kabul to take part 3rd August in operations to provide security at the capital. They Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that the renewed will also be using 4 spy drones bought from France in wave of Tali ban attacks and the reported regrouping of their operations. (NNI) militants were "not serious concern" and that "Taliban have no place in the Afghan people". He called on 11th August Pakistan to fight terrorism jointly with Afghanistan to Mine clearance workers came under rocket and gunfire "finish this menace". (The News) attacks in Balkh and Nangarhar but no one was hurt according to UN spokesman. (AFP) 4th August Police arrested 3 Taliban, who allegedly planned to kill UN suspended road missions in parts of southern the Governor of Uruzgan province and recovered four Afghanistan after attacks on aid workers. (Reuters) explosive devices from their possession. (AP) 12th August 5th August NATO has taken over the command of ISAF from Eight rockets landed near US bases in Kandahar, Paktia Germans and Dutch. (AFP) and Bagram causing no casualties. Italian troops in Gardez narrowly escaped a blast 50 meters in front of A UN spokesman in Afghanistan has said that their convey. (Reuters) disarmament drive will soon commence in Sholgara in Balkh - an area blighted by growing instability. 6th August (SANA) A senior Afghan commander Farouq Khan in Faryab province said that he would not hand in weapons to 13th August Dostum's militia. Dostum has started a disarmament Taliban have again threatened Afghan people to stop campaign in the North of the country separate from supporting US or face death. The warning was issued nationwide campaign, which has yet to take off. Farouq through leaflets in Kandahar near the border with said that he would hand over his weapons to the Pakistan. (NNI) Defense Ministry once they start their nationwide campaign. (Agencies) President Karzai vowed to execute Taliban guerillas involved in the murder of pro-government clerics. Two 7th August pro-government clerics were shot dead and a third was Afghan authorities arrested former Taliban minister injured in recent days. (Reuters) Zahidullah Zahid from Baghlan province. (Online) 14th August Afghan Deputy Defense Minister has said that the Chief Organizer of Afghan National Army, Col. Frank government has nothing to do with the disarmament visited Nangarhar to establish a recruitment center campaign, launched by Dostum and Ustad Sibha in there. (Online)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 5 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2003. 16th August UN envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Barhimi, has urged Gunmen attacked a convey of Afghan Red Crescent in the UN Security Council to expand peacekeeping forces Ghazni, killing two employees of Red Crescent and across Afghanistan. (NNI) injuring three. (Agencies) A US helicopter fired on a vehicle carrying civilians, UN has suspended its operations in Kunar after a rocket injuring three in Paktika. (AP). was fired near the compound ofUNHCR. (APP) In Balkh, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle According to Amnesty International, peace security and carrying fighters loyal to Dostum, killing one. (AP) rule of law are seriously undermined by the failure of international community to provide adequate aid. (AP) 23rdAugust 17th August Rival factions have handed over 120 light and heavy Pakistan has denied accusations that AI Qaeeda and weapons to UN under disarmament programme in Taliban fighters are regrouping in Pakistan. (Online) Sholgara district ofBalkh province. (Agencies)

18th August 24th August 22 people including 7 Afghan Police officials and 15 Four suspected Taliban fighters and two Afghan insurgents were killed during an attack by 400 guerillas soldiers were killed in fighting in Urazgan province. on a police post in Paktika. (News) (Agencies)

Afghanistan National Army's first recruitment center The new Kandahar Governor Yusuf Pushtoon has said started working in Jalalabad. (Agencies) that the recent increase in violence is the work of international guerilla groups linked to AI-Qaeeda. US has sent 2,000 more troops to Afghanistan to be (Online) based at Bagram. (Online) A convoy of US forces came under attack in Khost, but 19th August there are no reports of casualties. (PPI) Coalition military base at Zormat, Paktia came under rocket attack but there were no casualties. (AFP) Afghan Army has seized two arms depots in Paktia, which according to officials belonged to Taliban. The airport in Khost, where Italian troops are based, (SANA) came under rocket attack but there were no casualties. The Italian Ambassador was visiting the airport at the 26th August time of the attack. (SANA) Afghan troops backed by US forced killed 59 Taliban fighters and arrested another 75 in Zabul, according to 20th August the spokesman of Zabul government. (Agencies) A blast ripped through the house of Ahmed Wali Karzai - brother of the Afghan President Hamid Karzai - in 27th August Kandahar, causing no injuries. According to the A contingent of 215 South Korean troops will reach officials the blast was an accident caused during Afghanistan this week to take part in the peacekeeping transport of explosive materials. (AP) operation. (Online)

Two workers of Save the Children (UK) were wounded 28th August when their vehicle was attacked in Mazar-I-Sharif. Unknown attackers burned a girl's primary school and (Reuters) injured the watchman in Masai village near Kabul. (NNI) 21st August Pro Afghan Government Ulema are under increasing 29th August threat from Taliban, who have killed 4 of them last The Afghan authorities have removed the intelligence month and injured a few others. (NNI) ChiefofKhost province. (SANA)

22"dAugust Taliban rejected the Afghan government claims that 50 UN has suspended its operations in Balkh after attacks Taliban were killed in Zabul, claiming that they were on NGO workers. (Online) innocent civilians. (SANA)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 6 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2003. The UN envoy in Afghanistan has said that disarming 6th August warlords and restructuring the Defense Ministry are A team of Afghan officials visited Thailand to study crucial to restoring the rule of law in Afghanistan. (AP) how the kingdom managed to wipe out opium production, in the hope they can repeat the feat in 30th Aue:ust Afghanistan. (Agencies) Three Afghan Soldiers were killed in Kandahar and US soldier was injured in Zabul in continued fighting with gth August Taliban fighters, US aircraft heavily bombed Taliban Three people have died and dozens are being examined positions in Zabul. (Agencies) due to suspected cholera outbreak in northern Afghanistan. (Agencies) 31 51 August President Karzai in Kabul activated central Corps of According to WHO Diphtheria cases in Zari Dasht IDP Afghan National Army, with some 5,600 personnel. camp has risen to 45 after disease was first discovered The Central Corps will oversee the Army's first three last month. (Agencies) brigades. (NNI) loth August Afghanistan's ex-king Zahir Shah reached Kabul from Other News France where he has been recovering from a broken leg. (Agencies) t•t August At least 30 people died and I 0 mud houses were Drug trafficking from Afghanistan through Tajikistan is washed away when a dam collapsed due to floods and rising. In the first six months of the current year Tajik land sliding in Panjsher valley. (Reuters) officials seized nearly 5. 7 tons of narcotics. Experts estimate seizures are only I 0% of the actual amount of Forty-nine Afghans arrived at Kabul Airport, deported drugs, which goes through Tajikistan to Russia and by the British authorities when they failed to obtain Europe. (NNI) asylum in UK. (Online) A New York based Human Rights Group has said that 3rd Aue:ust western countries should not forcibly repatriate Afghan UN Special Representative to Afghanistan Lakhdar refugees to their country where they could face political Brahimi will appear in the latest episode- No. I462- attacks and harassment. (Agencies) of Afghanistan's most popular radio soap opera "New Home, New Life". The soap opera discusses 12th Aue:ust development and resettlement related issues and have A group of Afghan refugees protesting against the some 30 million listeners in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Belgian authorities refusal to grant them political Iran. asylum have gone on hunger strike and are even refusing to drink water. Two of them have been 4th Aue:ust hospitalized. (SANA) Britain has abandoned plans to wipe out Afghanistan's poppy fields despite fears this years opium harvest will The Fatwa department of Afghan supreme court has be the biggest ever, which is the source of 90% of class recommended the two journalists from newspaper A drugs on UK streets. (SANA) Aftab that published articles some people consider blasphemous be put to death (Online) For the first time since 1996, eight Afghan athletes will represent Afghanistan in 2004 Olympics at Athens. 25 Afghan girls have completed a 5 week clinical (AFP) pathology course in Frontier Homoeopathic Medical College Peshawar, which was organized in 5th August collaboration with UNHCR. (Frontier Post) A new immunization campaign against measles - launched by Afghan Ministry of Health with the 13th Aue:ust support of UNICEF and WHO - has reached over 5 The residents of Mazar-I-Sharif have accused the million Afghan children across the country, after some judiciary of demanding commissions and bribes. II million were immunized last year. (Agencies) (SANA)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 7 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2003. 16th August 27th August According to a report by international conservation The chief of United Nations Office on Drugs and organizations, illegal trade in snow leopards -world's Crimes (UNODC) has signed $38 million agreement most endangered big cats - is increasing in with Afghan government to create a Drug Interdiction Afghanistan. (SANA) Department in the Afghan Interior Ministry. (Agencies)

1ih Aue:ust 29th August More than 200 Afghans ended their hunger strike in Afghan government wants refugees returning from Brussels after the Belgian government promised that Afghanistan to settle in the countryside, not in Kabul, they would not be forcibly expelled until the security amid concerns over overcrowding and poor conditions situation in Afghanistan is reassessed next year. (AP) in Kabul. (AP)

Poppy cultivation is increasing in Afghanistan. Last Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR will close two year Afghanistan was No. 1 supplier of opium with an refugee camps near Chaman border and two in Salman output of 3200 tons, which is expected to rise to 4000 in Khyber agency, relocating or repatriating some tons this year. (NNI) 50,000 refugees residing there. (AFP).

Famous Afghan singer Farhad Darya has returned to Russian border guards have seized 260 kg of heroine Afghanistan after a 13 years exile in USA. (AP) after shoot out with smugglers on Afghan-Tajik border. (AFP) 18th August Despite insecurity in parts of Afghanistan, repatriation and rehabilitation continue unabated in many parts of the country. According to UNHCR more than 390,000 refugees have repatriated to Afghanistan so far this year. (SANA)

The Afghan government with the support of UNICEF, WHO and WFP is set to chlorinate ·a total of 17,500 shallow wells in Kabul in an effort to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases. (Online)

20th August Afghanistan celebrated its 84th Independence day on August 19th. (AP)

Iran's Interior Minister has shown his dissatisfaction over the slow pace of repatriation of Afghans from Iran and has asked the UNHCR to accelerate the process. (NNI)

23rd August Afghan Government will send a delegation to Malaysia to learn how Islamic teaching can be used to overcome the drug addiction. (SANA)

24th Aue:ust US and Afghan forces have destroyed three heroine factories.

Afghan diplomats will participate in a training course, specially organized for them at the Foreign Service Academy, Islamabad. (SANA)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 8 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post August, 2003. ...

~~ ~i'~ 1 , ~md Economic DcvelopnieHt"'ic 12th September 1"1 September International relief organizations have expressed UNHCR will repair 30 abandoned public buildings disappointment that only I% of $87 billion funding and help build I ,500 homes for refugees who are request by President Bush will go towards Afghan returning to KabuL (AP) reconstruction, (NNI)

2nd September 15th September A new department has been established in Afghan The Afghan Ministry of Education in collaboration Ministry of Commerce, which will encourage with UNICEF launched a workshop on teachers women to start small businesses by extending small training programme in KabuL (NNI) loans, imparting skills training and marketing of their products, (NNI) 16t 11 Septem ber Afghanistan launched a new tax system to give 4th September taxpayers a unique identification number, which The World Bank's Afghan Reconstruction Fund will simplify collection of revenue and make the provided $30 million grant to Afghanistan for process more efficient (AFP) rebuilding the country's telecommunications system, (AP) Iran and Afghanistan signed a MoU on customs cooperation, The move is intended to increase the 5th September trade between the two countries, (NNI) According to UNAMA spokesman it could take up to ten years to make Afghanistan free of landmines The Afghan Strategic Studies Center has reopened and unexploded ordinance, (NNJ) in Kabul with help of Iranian Government (Online) gth September Five laboratory technicians from Afghanistan's Afghanistan has approved a total of 5,000 Department of Agriculture were given a month­ investment projects worth $45 billion since last long training on "water and nutrient management year and 25% of these projects are in the process of in irrigated wheat in Afghanistan", by Pakistan implementation, (SANA) Agricultural Research Coun'cil (PARC), (APP) 18th September 1Ot 11 September President Karzai approved a law allowing foreign Pakistan donated 700,000 textbooks to banks to operate in Afghanistan. Issuing of licenses Afghanistan, which was the first installment of the to three foreign banks - Standard Chartered, total 5 miilion books to be donated, (Agencies) National Bank of Pakistan and Agha ' Khan Foundation Micro Credit Bank - was also I I th September approved. (Agencies) Afghan government has unveiled a $2,98 million dollar micro enterprise development project Ariana Medical College has started working in designed to address the problems of Afghan youth, KabuL The college is established by Thumbay (NNI) Group UAE. (SANA)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post September, 2003, 1 19 h September The Afghan Airlines Ariana has resumed regular Turkmenistan and Afghanistan signed an flights to Jeddah Saudi Arabia. (NNI) agreement, which would reduce the price of Turkmen electricity for Afghanistan by 33%. The visiting US Treasury Secretary Jolm Snow met (NNI) with President Karzai at Kabul and pledged $1.2 1 billion new US aid for Afghanistan. (NNI!Reuters) 29 h September Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran have agreed to 1 20 h September establish three committees to deal with cooperation Norwegian Minister for International in political, intelligence, and narcotics related Development, while addressing a press conference issues. (Online) in Kabul, said that Afghanistan will continue to receive significant Norwegian assistance. (NNI) .Political Development~ .· 21'1 September Chairman W APDA has said that Pakistan plans to supply electricity to the Afghan province of Khost 1'1 September from Miranshah and Parachinar. (NNI) A UN spokesman has said that lack of funds may delay voter's registration in Afghanistan. The 22"d September registration will cost $80 million, but the response Afghan Minister for Public works inaugurated from donors is slow. (AP) work on reconstruction of II 0 miles stretch of Satang Pass. (Agencies) 2"d September Mohammad Raza Brahami has been appointed as 23rd September Iran's new ambassador to Kabul. (Online) Pakistan has waived all duties and demurrage on Afghanistan bound goods, which were imported 3rd September and stored, in Karachi port for the last several A group of religious leaders in Afghanistan has years. (APP) demanded that Islamic Shariah should be declared the constitution ofthe country. (SANA) According to IMF the Afghan economy grew by 1 20% during the current year. (AFP) 5 h September A group of Afghan women gathered in Kandahar Russian Finance Minister has said that Russia is to demand enshrinement of their rights in the new prepared to write off some of the debt owed by ·Afghan constitution. (NNI) Afghanistan. (Reuters) 1 6 h September 1 25 ., September The visiting Canadian Prime Minister met with The students of Wake Forest University USA, have President Karzai at Kabul. (AFP) donated 12 IBM laptop computers and printers for use in CISCO Networking Academy at Kabul The Afghan Cabinet approved plans for reforms in University. (SANA) Defense Ministry and 22 new appointments are expected in next two weeks. (AFPINNI) A two-month workshop organized by Foreign Services Academy Islamabad for training Afghan Afghan Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has diplomats was inaugurated in Islamabad. (PPI) released a list of 5,000 people, which it says, were killed during the communist regime. (SANA) 1 . · 26 h September 1 European Commission donated 15.5 million Euros 8 h September to Afghanistan to pay for Police wages till March US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met with 2004 and for election security next year. Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. He also (Agencies) visited Paktia to meet US troops stationed there. (Agencies) 1 27 h September Germany has opened the first foreign cultural A Shoora in Zabul, attended by tribal leaders, institute- Goethe Institute- in Afghanistan. (AP) government . officials, clerics and former

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 2 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post September, 2003. ' Mujahideen discussed ways to improve the security l6111 Septem ber situation in the province. (AP) The Afghan Education Minister, Yonus Qanooni has rejected the claims by Afghan Independent 1 9 " September Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) that he is President Karzai has postponed till December the involved in human rights violations. (Agencies). holding of the Loya Jirga, which is to approve the new Afghan Constitution. (NNI) 17'"Septem ber Taliban have warned people in Paktia that if they Iran and Afghanistan have agreed to open their shave their beards or listen to music their nose and consulates in Kandahar and Zahidan respectively. ears will be cut off. (Online) (APP) President Karzai has ordered formation of 1o•h September independent commission to probe the issue of More than I 5,000 people gathered in Kabul forced evictions and destruction of homes by Kabul Stadium to mark the 2"'1 death anniversary of Police. (APP) Ahmad Shah Masud. Thousands of others made pilgrimage to his grave in Panjsher. (AP) 20'" September Leader of Jammait Ulema Pakistan, Mulana Fazlur President Karzai invited Pakistani politician Khan Rehman has denounced, what he terms, 'anti­ Abdul Wali Khan to visit Kabul, which he Pakistan' activities of Karzai government and its accepted. (Nation) interference in internal affairs of Pakistan. (PPI)

11 1hSeptem bcr Afghan Chief Justice has said that Afghan women A meeting of Pakistan, Afghan and US officials to can work but only if they observe proper Purdah discuss the Pak-Afghan border issues has been (veil). He also said that if women travel for more postponed indefinitely because the Afghan than three days or go out of the country, a male delegation was unable to attend. (AFP) relative must accompany them. (NNI)

121h September 21 ' 1 September Pakistani authorities have arrested Hameedullah, Afghan Chief Justice has said that communists will the brother of Balochistan minister Hamadullah for not be allowed carryout political activities in allegedly helping Taliban fighters. (AFP) Afghanistan. He said only those groups can operate in Afghanistan who are not against Islamic values. 13 111 Septem ber (Online) President Karzai has asked the Pakistani Muslim clerics to stop supporting Taliban. (News) 22"d September Taliban have claimed that they have captured and The District Chief of Spin Boldak has said that are in control of four districts in Zabul and Paktika Afghanistan will never allow India to carry out districts. (News) espionage activities in Pakistan from Afghanistan. (SANA) President Karzai replaced Afghan Army Chief Gen. Mohammad Asef Dilawar and appointed Gen. 15111 September Bismmillah Khan as the new Chief, as a part of the The Secretary of National Security Council of on-going Defence Ministry reforms. He also Afghanistan met with the Secretary of Russian appointed three new deputy defence ministers. Security Council in Moscow. They expressed the (Online) hope that relations between the two countries will 1 improve further. (NNI) 24 " September The tribal elders in southeastern Afghanistan have A delegation of Afghan religious scholars will visit decided to severely punish those involved in Pakistan to discuss the problem of religious attacks on aid agencies and Afghan government. extremism with the Pakistani Islamic scholars. (NNI) (The Nation) 25 111 September Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has alleged that the local commanders in

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 3 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post September, 2003. 4 15th September 22"dSeptem ber Two rockets were fired at ISAF base in Kabul, A security commander was killed and his two slightly injuring a Canadian civilian worker. bodyguards were injured in a Taliban ambush in (Agencies) Kandahar. (NNI)

16th September The Governor of Kandahar has banned formation Fifteen Taliban fighters were killed in a clash with of private armies and militias in his province, coalition forces in Kandahar. (News) saying that violators will be dealt with iron hand. (APP) 1 ih September Taliban fighters torched a police station in Paktika, 23rdSeptember but there were no casualties. (Online) According to a US Army spokesperson, the reports of civilian deaths in US bombing in Zabul are ACBAR has expressed concern over the attacks on under investigation. (NNI) aid workers in Afghanistan, saying that the security situation is forcing aid agencies to suspend aid and The New Zealand Defense Forces have taken over development activities resulting in growing public the command of Bamyan Provincial support for the radicals. (AFP) Reconstruction Team (PRT) from USA. (Agencies). 18th September President Karzai has removed Kabul Police Chief, 25thSeptem ber Basir Salangi, due to his role in evictions of President Karzai, in his speech to the UN General families from their homes, in Kabul last week. Assembly has called for wider international (Reuters) presence in Afghanistan and expansion of NATO's peacekeeping mandate outside Kabul. (Online) Three Taliban fighters were killed and two captured during a clash with Afghan soldiers near 26th September Kandahar city. (AFP) Suspected Tali ban fighters shot at a vehicle of local NGO, V ARA in Helm and, killing an employee of 19th September V ARA and injuring the driver, who later died in a Four people, including three policemen were killed hospital. (AFP) in a car bomb explosion in Ghazni. (AFP) Afghan authorities arrested eight persons on II Taliban fighters were killed in clashes with suspicions of smuggling Afghan children to coalition forces in Zabul and Kandahar. (Agencies) religious schools in Pakistan and Iran. (AP)

20th September 2ih September 13 people have been killed in fighting between two Police seized 47 rockets loaded with cluster bombs local commanders - Assadullah and Nazim - in near Kabul. (Agencies) Kapisa province. (NNI) 28th September Several dozen Taliban, besieged in a Madrassa by Three Bajur Scouts personnel who were arrested by Afghan Army in Paktika, escaped with the help of Afghan security forces after they entered Kunar the local population. (AFP) province, were released on the request of Pakistani authorities. (Nation). 21st September Seventeen people including Taliban fighters and 29thSeptem ber eight nomads were killed in US bombing in Zabul. Suspected Taliban burned down a girl's school' in The dead included Taliban commander Nangarhar. (Agencies) Mohammad Gul . (News) UNAMA condemned the killing of aid workers in An Afghan security official was killed in Khost, Afghanistan and termed such acts as war crimes. when a bomb he was trying to defuse, exploded. UN has stopped its activities in Southern (APP) Afghanistan after the recent attack on V ARA vehicle. (AFP)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 5 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post September, 2003. ~. Suspected Taliban killed seven bodyguards of the I O'h September Governor of Helmand. (AFP) Afghan refugees in Kohat have announced hunger strike against disconnection of water supply to 30th September three camps by the authorities. (News) Some one thousand volunteers have applied for joining Afghan National Army (ANA). The 12th September strength of ANA reached 6,000 with induction of a According to UN rapporteur on housing rights, top new battalion. (AFP). Afghan officials including Defense and Education Ministers are illegally occupying private land, Two suspects have been arrested in connection which could lead to serious conflicts. with the murder of V ARA workers in Helm and. (NNI) 14th September A delegation of Afghan officials visited Oman to Two girl's schools were burnt by suspected seek the release and repatriation to Afghanistan of militants in Balkh. (AFP) hundreds of Afghan nationals who are jailed in Oman for entering the country illegally. (NNI)

Other News All India Radio will station a permanent correspondent in Kabul. (APP)

2"d September 15th September Iran has denied reports in Afghan press that Iranian A spokesman for the Afghan president has said that government is forcing Iranian women to divorce steps will be taken soon to stop this practice of land their Afghan husbands. (NNI) grabbing by government officials. (AFPINNI)

Australia has refused to extend the three-year 16th September temporary protection visa (TPV) of 42 Afghan An NGO, Darul Shifa, has established a center in refugees and asked them to return to Afghanistan. Peshawar for providing free IT education to (NNI) Afghan refugee children. (Nation).

3rd September 17th September Ministry of Health has started ambulance service in A French archaeological expedition excavating in Kabul with five ambulances donated by Kuwait Bamyan has said that they are close to finding the Red Crescent Society. (NNI) 'third Bamyan Buddha'. (APP)

4th September 18th September A group of Afghan women strongly opposed the 300,000 Afghan refugees returned home from proposal from religious scholars that the Pakistan under UNHCR repatriation programme government should ban Afghan women from during the year 2003. working in the NGOs. (SANA) 23.,1 September 6th September A US charity - Wheelchair Foundation - donated Kabul Police demolished 30 houses and evicted 2200 wheelchairs to Afghanistan. (APP). families living in them. According to Kabul Police Chief these houses were built illegally. (Agencies) 25th September UNHCR and UNICEF have signed a letter of 7th September understanding for collaboration and coordination in A UNODC spokesman has said that coalition assistance to Afghan refugees. (SANA) forces must address Afghanistan's growing drug trade as it is being used to fund anti-government militants and has urged NATO forces to cut drug trafficking routes in Afghanistan (NNI)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 6 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post September, 2003. ~t> ·.' ~~~~;,'

12 'h O ctober 2nd October The As ian Developm ent Bank (ADB) is US Govc mmcnt has shi ft ed $290 million, prep<1 ri ng <1 power transmi ss ion and di stri bu ti on ori gin all y earmarked for the mil ita ry campaign project fo r Afghani stan through $750,000 in Afghan istan - to tire reconstru ct ion initiatives Technical Ass istance grant. (NN I) th ere. (O nlin e) 17'h0ctober 130 Thai tro ops have retumed home after lran has donated agri cultural mac hin ery, spending six mo nths in Afgha ni stan on a pesticides, an d trac tors worth nine milli on ·reconstruction mi ss io n. (NN I) do ll ars to the Afghan Governm ent. (Online)

Y 11 October 22'"1 October The Ce ntral B

4'h Octo ber 251h October According to UN ICEF mo re tha n one milli on Brita in and Afghani stan ha ve signed an Afghan girls h<1ve entered schools since the fall agree ment to strengthen bil ateral busin ess ties ofTalib<1n regime . (Agencies) and to explore ways to make Afghan products available on the inte rn ati ona l market. (On li ne) 7'h October Nat ional Bank of Pak ist

1 o•h October 29'h October Wo rld Bonk has app roved a $2:?. million cred it The Kuwa iti Fun d fo r Arab Eco nom ic progrom me to heip reconst ruc t and update Deve lopment has allocated $30 mill io n fo r teleco mmunication in fr

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Fronti er Post October, 2003. French government ha s donated military 8' 11 October teaching material for the A fghiln Army. (NNI) The National Front for Democracy in Afghanistan (NFDA) has called for a democratic As a pmt of its Euro 400 million package to constitution for Afghanistan. (The Nation). Afghanistan for 2003-04, Europea n Commission has approved a proposa l to finance a fourth I 0' 11 October reconstruction programme with a total budget of According to Afghan Chief Justice, talks are Euro 79.5 million. (SANA) underway between the Afghan Government and 'some l)liban groups'. (SANA) Iran has of!lcially exported so me 100 inillion dollars wo rth of good s to Afghan istan over the 11' 11 0ctobcr first six month s o f' current Iranian year. (NN I) Afghan Defense Minister ha s denied the reports of a rift between Presiden t Karzai and Northern 31 >~ Oc!ober Alliance over the candidnture of Karzai lo r th e The United Nations Environment Programme presid en tial elections ne xt year. (NNI) (UNEP) has launched a Euro 4.27 million scheme for rehabilitation of Afghanistan's 13' 11 0ctober en viroiim ent, rmd to integrate green concerns The UN project for registration of voters in int o th e country's development. (O nline) Afghanistan is $50 million sho1i of it s budget due to lack of donor support. (Reuters) •' ! J>oliti cal Developments 14'" October r Pres ident Karzai promulgated the new Afghan Political parties Law. Under the law, any Afghan I" October national with the support of at-least 700 Nearl y 300 e:-;-Military officers of Afghan Army followers can register a political party. However protested in Kab ul dema nding payment of groups wi th armed militias and government sa lari es. (SANA) se rva nt s wi ll not be allowed to form politic

4' 11 October 21 ' 1 October Pres id ent I<.arzai has all eged tl wt people carryin g The Ch ief of Staff of President Karza i has out sabotage nct ivities me foreigners as Afghnns admitted that th e Afghan Government is in woul d never carryo ut disrupti on in there own se rious talks with 'prominent moderate Taliban country. (SANA) leaders'. (On line)

5' 11 October Voter registration kits donated by USA and Pres ident Kmza i has lauded Pak istan's operation Canada are arriving in Afghanistan to be used in agn ins t AI -Qaeeda and ha s asked for more such first ever nat ion-wide voters registration process. oper

7'" October Deputy Defence Minister of Afghanistan ha s Ex-King Znhir Shil h has denied reports that he rejected statement by Pakistani Interi or Mini ster was consid erin g mov in g back pe rmanently to th at India is carrying out subversive act iviti es Italy. (On line)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 2 Sources: Th e News, The Nation and Frontier Post October. 2003. I I I

in sid e Paki stan through its consulates in Four Taliban fighters were killed when th ei r car Afghanistan. (SANA) was destroyed by US gunship helicopter in Kan dahar. (Agencies) 11 25 ' October· Taliban have dist ri buted a pamphlet in Laghman Two Canadian peacekeepers were killed and two pro vince. threa tening to kill Afghan women injured in a mine explosion in Kabul. (AFP) working for forei gn NGOs. (Reuters) 4th October The spok es man for Afgh an president has said Seven people were killed in a blast in sid e a that Afghan governm ent ma y hold talks with house nea r Bagram Airbase. (AFP) form er Ta liban Foreign Mini ster, Abdul Wakil Mutawak il , if. it is determined that he was not 5th October involved in terrori sm or crim es against the An Afghan working for Demining Agency for Af'gha n people. Mr.Muta wki l had earlier offered /\fghani stnn (D/\FA) was injured when att nckcrs to ass ist !\ f'ghan govern ment in qu elling tensions opened fire in Kandahar. Two vehicles of DAFA insid e th e country. (Agenc ies ) were al so destroyed. (Reuters)

11 27 ' October 7th October Th e governor and police chi ef of the Balkh A close aide of Mulla Omar and top Taliban province have been sacked by the Interior leader, Mulla Abu! Razzaq Nafess has been Mini stry as pa1·t of the sec urity reshuffle after the kill ed in a clash with coalition forces in Oruzgan. recent clashes betwee n .forces of Gen Dostum (Reuters) and Co mmander Alta in Ba lkh province. (News) NATO hns decided to expand peacekeeping 30th October forces in Afghanistan beyond the capital Knbul. The french /\rmecl forces Chief of Staff arrived (Reuters) in Kabul. He wi II meet French troops deployed in Af'ghani stan . (AFP) Unidentified attackers shot and injured the Chief Ju stice of Herat. (Online)

8th October Several aid workers, including an Italian were kidnapped by armed men in Nimroz. They were 151 October released several hours later unharmed. (AFP) Around I 50 French Special Forces have replaced US troops in Sp in l3oldak , Kandahar. (AFP) 9th October More than 60 people have been killed in A US so ldi er and fou r attackers were killed in factional fighting between forces of Abdul fighting >vith suspected Taliban in Paktika. Rashid Dostum and Commander Atta (NNI) Mohammad, in Mazar-i-Sharif. (Agencies)

2"tl October Afghan and US authorities have den ied reports Afghani stan ha s deployed additional troops on that form er Taliban Foreign Minister Abdul border with Pakistan in Paktika, nrter increase in Wakil Muttawakil has been released. (Reuters) Taliban activ it y in the area. (PPI) A seni or Hizb-i-Islami commander, Abu Bakar 3,..1October has been arrested in Kabul in connection with Twelve AI-Qaeecla terrori sts were killed and 18 attack on Canadian peacekeepers. (AFP) ar rested during Pakistan Army operation in South Wa ziri stan Agency, near Afghan border. Three rockets were fires at but Two so ldi ers of Pak ist

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post Octo ber, 2003. lighting mound Mnar-i-Shat·i f" whi ch left 80 23"10ctnbcr people dead. Th e UN sponsored di sa rmament programme sta rted in Kunduz. Und er the programm e 13'h October so ldiers from local militias are given jobs and Taliban have claimed that they killed 13 money in exchange for their weapons. (AP) governm ent troops in Zab ul and kidnapped the un cl e of governor, Ghazni pro vince. (The News) 2S'h0ctober The German parliament voted to widen th e 41 pri so ners ha ve escaped from Kandahar mand ate of German troops in Afghani stan, Pri so n, includin g several Taliban commanders. all ow in g th eir deployment outside Kabul for th e The jail superintendent and around 30 staff have first tim e. been arrested by the governm ent (Reuters/AP) The Dutch government has donated 2.5 m iII ion A US soldier w<1 s wo utHkd i11 cl<1s h wi th rebels euros toeards training of a new poli ce force in in Kabul. One attacker wa s ca ptured, while Afghanistan. (NN I) oth ers man<1 ge d to escape. (AP) 26'h October 14'h October UN ha s suspended its operations in four southern Th e police chief of Farah province was provinces of Afghani stan due to increase in assass in ated by un known attac ke rs. (NN I) viol ence and threats against aid-workers. (AFP)

IS'h October 27' 11 October UN Secu ri ty Counci I has ap proved a reso lution, Suspected Taliban fighters bombed a school in authorizi ng the expansion IS /\F forces outs id e Khost, the second such attack in less than a Kabul. (Agencies) week. (Reuters)

300 po li ce men from Kabu l have arrived in An advance pat1y of German troops has arrived Mazar-i-Sharif to help keep the ceasefire tn Kunduz to take over the prov incial bet wee n forces loya l to Ge n. Dostum and Gen. reconstru cti on team (PRT) from US forces. Atta. (O nlin e) (On lin e)

An American enginee r working for US 28' 11 October constru cti on company Louis Be rge r was sli ghtly Pakista n Army has established I 00 check-posts wounded when his vehicle was fired upon in along th e Afghan border to prevent the Zab ul. (A FP) movement of terrorists into Pakistan. (Frontier Po st) 16'h October US and Afghan forces attacked a Taliban camp According to Afghan government spokesmen in Kandahar. Seve n Taliban fi ghters and an Gen Dostum and comm and er Atta have agree d to Afghan so ldi er we re killed in the operation, merge the ir forces . (PPI) whil e 12 Taliban we re arrested. (Agencies) 45 suspected Taliban have bee n captured by 17'h October coal iti on forces and Afghan Army in an Afghan auth oriti es have re-captured three of th e operation in Ghazni and Zabul prov in ces. 41 T <1 liban pri soners who escaped from (Online) Kand aha r Pri son. (Reuters) Pres iden t Karzai has rejected th e statemen t by A tru ck ran over a lan d mine in Nangarhar, UN rep resentat ive that se curity situation is killing one and inju ri ng another two persons. wo rse ni ng in Afghanistan and Taliban ha ve (AP) taken control of parts ofthe country. (O nlin e)

22"'10ctober 30'h October A se ni or Ta li ban co mm ai1Cier, Mulla Janan wa s According to Pentago n sources two Americ an captured in Oru zga n prov in ce by the coalition civili ans - identified as US State Depat1ment forc es and Afghan Arm y so ldi ers. (A PP) contract workers - were ki ll ed in fight ing with Tali ba n and AI-Qaeeda in Paktika. (NN I)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 4 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Po st October, 2003. several yea rs have been repatriated to Kabul. (Agencies) ~'·"' ~~ICI News J 23'd October 1'1 October Two explosions rocked Jalalabad causing min or Tvvo Canadian sol diers we re fined by their damage but no causalities were reported. commanding officer for firing their weapons (Reuters) accidentall y whil e on pea cekeeping duty in Kabul. (NNI) 24 111 October The first women radio station in Herat will go on 2"d October air from Tuesday. It will be the second wom en According to UNHCR , more than 2.2 million radio station to go on air in Afghanistan. (AFP) Afghan refugees have retumed home from Pakistan and Ira n since March :2002. (SANA) 25 111 October Mi ss Vida Samadzai become first Afghan 3rd October women to take part in Miss Universe contest in UNODC has decided to launch a programm e for thirty years. Her participation in the contest wa s strengthening of the criminal justice system in condemned by the Afghan Minister for Wom en Afghani stan. (NNI) Affa irs and Afghan Supreme Court. (Reuters)

11 111 October 30 111 October Afghan Supreme Court h<1 s <~ !l owed women to According to UNHCR, more than 600,000 remarry if th ere hu sbands have bee n missing for Afghan refugees have returned from Iran since more than four years. (NNI) the repatriation programme stat1ed in April 2002. (NNI) Authorities in Nangarhar hav e b<~nned a Pushto lan guage pro-Tal iban newspaper, Khabroona, 31 ''October which wa s published from Pes ha wa r. According The United Nations Drugs and Crim es Office to offic ial s th e pape r was inciting people to wage has sa id that area under poppy cultivation in Jih ad aga in st Afgh

13' 11 October Afghan Govemment closed cl own a newspaper ­ Armon Milli. Th e editor. Mir Hi ader, al leged that the newspaper was cl ose clown due to its anti government stan ce, but th e Afghan government has denied hi s al legation s. (AP)

Lotfollah Za keri has bee n appo inted as the new Iranian counse l general to Mazar-i-Sharif. (NNI)

Afghanistan 's fir st National Am1y Voluntee r center has opened in Kabul. (SANA)

21" October Afghan movie 'Osama· by director Siddiq Barmak won the top pri ze at 1\llon treal' s New Movie and New Media Festival. (Age nci es)

Round 42 Afghan ch ildt·en all egedly kidnapped and smu ggled to Saudi Arabia over th e past

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 5 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post October, 2003. Aid and Economic Development threatened to suspend aid to Afghanistan if the t•t Decem bcr disarmament process is not improved. (SANA) US led coalition will distributed more than 200,000 radios among the Afghans in order to give them 17thDecember access to information and news. (PPI) President Karzai opened the newly renovated 482 kilometer Kabul - Kandahar highway. (AFP) 3rd December US has deployed a 50 member Provincial 18th December Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Herat. (Online) The European Union on Wednesday approved an extra 50 million euros to be used for strengthening 6th December of Afghan police force . (AP) $31.5 million contract for reconstruction of Kabul - Jalalabad road has been awarded to China 21't December Railway Shisiju Group Corporation. The project is The Pakistani Railways Minister has said that the funded by European Commission. (SANA) survey for laying of II 0 kilometer Cham an - Kandahar railway track has been completed and the 9' 11 December work on the project will start soon . (APP) Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed two agreements for increasing economic and trade 23•d December relations. (NNI) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $20 million grant funded by Japan to renovate lOth December roads in northern Afghanistan. (AFP) Turkmenistan has doubled electricity supply to Afghanistan after completion of Serkhetabad - 25th December Herat power transmission line. (NNI) The World Bank approved a $95 million grant for Afghanistan's National Solidarity Programme India has donated 61 ,000 metric tons of wheat to (NSP). (AFP) Afghanistan. (Online) Afghanistan, Iran and the UN have signed a $4 14th December million agreement for establishment of German government has agreed to provide $10.5 communication training centre at Kabul. (SANA) million for development projects in Afghanistan. (NNI) Another batch of 300 Afghan police graduated at Police Central Training Centre at Kabul. (AFP) 15th December The Asian Development Bank (ADP) has approved 30th December a $3.4 million technical assistance grant to help Iran will increase its electricity export to Afghanistan reform its · public administration Afghanistan from the current level of 5 megawatts system. (NNI) to 50 megawatts. (Online)

Japan has shown its dissatisfaction over the The Salang tunnel has been reopened after the disarmament process in Afghanistan and has completion of repair and renovation work. (AP)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post December, 2003. a to'" December I . .·Political Developn~~nts '·,·; The meeting of Constitutional Loya Jirga, . ,,. scheduled for December I O'", has been postponed till December 13'", because some of the delegates 1'1 December couldn't reach Kabul on time. (AP) Women in Kabul have elected their delegates for the Constitutional Loya Jirga, which will discuss tt'"December the rectification of the Draft Afghan Constitution. Amnesty International has sent a letter to president (Online) Karzai, urging him that special attention should be given to the human rights issues in Constitutional US envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad Loya Jirga meeting. (APP) presented his credentials to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai. (PPI) I 00 members of Revolutionary Association of Afghan Women (RAW A) protested in Islamabad 2" 11 December against the Afghan government. According to A Taliban spokesman has rejected President RAW A, the treatment of women under present Karzai's claim that Taliban leader Mulla Omar·was Afghan government is even worse than Taliban. recently seen in Pakistani city of Quetta, saying (AFP) that Mulla Omar never left Afghanistan. (The News) 13 1"December Thousands of people protested in Laghman, Afghan Ambassador to Russia, Ahmed Zia demanding the release of Gen. Asmattullah, Masood, who is also the brother of Ahmad Shah Brigade Commander of Laghman, who wa s Masood has said that they will not support arrested in Jalalabad. (PPI) President Karzai in the upcoming presidential elections. (PPI) Human Rights Watch has criticized the election process for Constitutional Loya Jirga, claiming that UN has started registration of voters in eight cities widespread intimidation, bribery and vote-buying of Afghanistan for the presidential elections. took place during the election. (Reuters) (Reuters) 14'" December 6'h December President Karzai met with the families of 9 The Afghan governmenfs plan to privatize state­ children killed in US air raid in Ghazni and offered owned transportation company, Kamaz, has his condolences. (SANA) triggered protests by Afghan Labour Union central Council. (NNI) IS'" December The Constitutional Loya Jirga, attended by 500 1 5 h December delegates from all over the country, started its US Secretary of Defense Donald Ruinsfeld met meeting in Kabul. It was opened by former king with Gen. Dostum and Commander Atta at Mazar­ Zahir Shah and the opening session was al so e-Sharif and urged them to support President addressed by President Karzai. The Constitutional Karzai and disarm their militias. (AFP) Loya Jirga has been convened for approval of the draft Afghan Constitution. (AFP) 1 7 h December Afghan President Karzai has said that he will 17 1"December contest election only if the presidential system is Prof. Sibghatullah Mujaddadi was elected the chosen by Loya Jirga. (AFP) president of Constitutional Loya Jirga by the delegates. He secured 254 votes against his rival 9'h December Abdul Hafiz Mansoor who got 154 votes. (The More than 200 delegates from all over the country News) arrived at Kabul to participate i'n the meeting of Constitutional Loya Jirga while another 500 19'" December delegates are due to arrive in Kabul in a couple of The Governor of Herat, Ismail Khan, criticized days. (AFP) Afghan Government for not inviting him to the meeting of the Constitutional Loya Jirga. (SANA)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 2 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post December, 2003. 111 11 20 December 8 ' December UN Secretary General Kofi Anail has warned that Nine children were killed in US air strike on 'We may loose Afghanistan' unless the member suspected terrorist in a village in Ghazni province. states do more to improve the security situation. (Reuters) (AP) 10 111 December 21'1 December A Pakistani Engineer was killed and another The Hindu and Sikh minorities in Afghanistan have injured in an attack in Ghazni. Taliban have voiced concern over the lack of rights for the claimed responsibility for the attack. (Agencies) minorities in the draft Afghan Constitution. (NNI) Hundreds of US forces launched an air assault in ; Khost as part of the new operation against Al­ .Security Matters Qaeeda and Taliban. US Military is calling it the biggest military operation since the fall of Taliban. (Agencies) 1'1 December The two main mililia leaders in northern 1 1111 December Afghanistan- Gen. Dostum and commander Atta ­ Two Taliban leaders, Mulla Abdul Samad and Gul have handed over more than 30 armored vehicles Mohammad were arrested by Afghan security including tanks to the central government officials forces after a gun fight in Spin Boldak. (News) as a part of the disarmament process. (NNI) According to US military spokesman, 6 children Taliban have released a Turkish engineer who was were killed in a US air raid in Paktia (AFP) abducted last month. (AFP) 12 111 December UN has suspended travel on two roads in Balkh In Panjsher, fighters loyal to Afghan Defence and Jawzjan provinces, :1fter attacks on Afghan Minister, Mohammad Qasim Fahim, handed over Army vehicles. (Agencies) heavy weapons including tanks, rocket launchers and Scud missiles to Afghan National Army as part 2"d December of disarmament process. (PPI) Taliban have executed a local man near Khost. According to a letter found with the body, Taliban US forces arrested Brigade Commander of accused the person of spying for USA. (PPI) Laghman, Gen . Asamttullah in Jalalabad after a firefight in which 4 body guards of Asmattullah 3n1 December were killed. The reason behind the arrest is not Afghan Defence Minister Muhammad Qasim known . (AFP) Fahim has agreed to dissolve militias operating in Kabul. (SANA) 16 111 December A bomb exploded outside Afghan Women's Peace UN has imposed a I 0:00 pm curfew on its staff at Committee in Jalalabad, causing no injuries and Kabul after armed robbery at Chinese restaurant at minor damage to the building. (AP) Kabul. (AP) A pro-government cleric Malvi Amir Mohammad 5111 December was attacked and seriously injured by un-identified Suspected Taliban fighters ambushed a convoy of gunmen in Helmand province. (SANA) census workers in Farah province, killing one and injuring another II workers (Agencies) 17 111 December US forces have killed two suspected Taliban 7111 December fighters and captured three others after a firefight A bomb exploded in Kandahar Bazar injuring I 0 near Shikin base in Khost. (AP) people. Taliban have claimed responsibility for the bombing. (AP) 18 111 December Pakistani security forces have foiled an attempt to 3 Indian road workers were kidnapped in Zabul smuggle 500 kilograms of explosives into while traveling on Kabul-Kandahar highwa:r. Afghanistan in a truck through Chaman border. (AFP)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 3 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post December, 2003. The truck driver ami his accomplices were arrested. Four Al-Qaeeda fighters were killed in gun battle (~fP) with US forces in Khost after the attack on Khost' Deputy Chief of Intelligence, in which he was 191h December killed. (Online) Suspected Taliban set fire to a school and killed the guard in Vadi Dasht district of Kandahar. (AP) 29thDecember Six people, including five Afghan security officials 20th December and a suicide bomber were killed when the suicide A ,time bomb destroyed a vehicle of OMAR bomber detonated explosives after being arrested detnining organization in Nangarhar but nor one near Kabul Airport. A Taliban spokesman claimed w:ds injured in the incident. (APP) responsibility for the attack and said that many more suicide attackers are ready to strike ISAF and 21st December government targets. (AFP) Taliban have demanded 1~ elease of 50 imprisoned Taliban militants in exchange for the release of two 3I't December ln<;lian engineers, kidnapped earlier this month. US led coalition forces have killed I 0 suspected (Reuters) Taliban fighters and arrested more than hundred during month long 'Operation Avalanche' in south 22"dDecember and southeastern Afghanistan. (AFP) A bomb explosion in Jalalabad killed one man and injured another. No one has claimed responsibility US forces have arrested Afghan commander, Mir for the blast. (Agencies) · Salib Khan in Khost on charges of spying for Taliban. (SANA) 5' Afghan soldiers were killed in a clash with Taliban fighters at Spin Boldak while two Afghan 5 Afghan soldiers were killed and 3 injured during soldiers died on Khost-Kabul road when their an attack by anti government forces in Spin · ~ehicle hit an explosive device. (The News) Boldak. (NNI)

! I I J\fghan authorities have arrested a Tali ban leader, ·. Other .. Mohammad Yon us, at Helmand. He is accused of . ~~" ··.·.·.·.·.·. Ne~·v-s--...• '~·1;:~ ·· seyeral attacks on aid workers and pro-government r~-~~_..;.--'----'--' forces. (Agencies) . t•t December 23rd Oecember Amnesty International criticized the US military US Military Commander in Afghanistan Lt. Gen. for failing to announce the results of a criminal David Barno has said that US Army will set up investigation into deaths of two Afghans at a prison hew bases in south and east of Afghanistan to inside Bagram Airbase. (AP) improve security for aid workers. (AFP) 4th December NATO will take over the German PRT at Kunduz Afghan under-17 soccer team arrived at Calcutta to from December 31. (SANA) play its first ever international match after the fall ofTaliban regime. (Online) 25th December Two Indian construction workers kidnapped earlier 6th December this month were · released by their captors. The first ever livestock census was conducted 111 Although the Taliban had claimed responsibility Afghanistan by the UN Food and Agriculture for the kidnapping, according to Afghan Interior Organization (FAO). (Online) Minister, the kidnappers had no relations with Taliban. (AFP) 7th December ,'1 The British Foreign Office Minister announced 28th December training programme and provision of equipment for The UN residential compound was damaged in a Afghans, to detect and disrupt drug trafficking. l:J,last in Kabul but no one was injured in tlie (Online) in,cident. (NNl)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 4 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post December, 2003. lith I>Cl'CIII her A three day polio immunization campaign has been lau nched in Afghanistan by UNICEF and WHO. (NNI)

UNHCR will close Shalman camp in Khyber Agency, giving a choice to refugees to either repatriate to Afghanistan or relocate to other refugee camps. (APP)

18th December At least four childr~n died of cold in the IDP camp at Spin Boldak. (AFP)

19th December President Karza i has issued a decree for establishment of a department to combat bribery and administrative corruption. (Agencies)

1 20 h December Italian engineers have completed work to prevent the collapse of the cliff niches at Bamyan which house the remaining fragments of ancient Bamyan Buddhas, destroyed by Taliban. (AFP)

The Canadian peacekeepers distributed Chri stmas gifts among more than a I 000 children living in Allahuddin Orphanage at Kabul. (NNI)

22"d December Taliban have released a video, showing their anti­ coalition operations in Afghanistan. (The News)

23rd December ' After the approval from Afghai1 government, as many as I 087 Afghan nationals living in Pakistan will be able to perform Hajj thi s year. (The News)

31 ' 1 December Thousands of Afghan refugees, who lived in the earthquake hit Iranian city of Bam are returning to Afghanistan. According to reports many hundreds Afghans have died in the Bam earthquake. An official relief team from Afghanistan is scheduled to leave for Bam to give assistance to thousands of Afghans living there. (SANA/ Agencies)

ACBAR Monthly News Summary 5 Sources: The News, The Nation and Frontier Post December, 2003.