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Home , Chapa Dara District, Gul Agha Sherzai, Jamaluddin Badr, Jowzjan Province, Momand Dara District

CIVIL - MILITARY FUSION CEN TRE

Afghanistan Review Week 13 30 March 2011 Comprehensive Information on Complex Crises

INSIDE THIS ISSUE This document provides a weekly overview of developments in from 23 March—29 March 2011, with hyper-links to source material highlighted in blue and underlined in the text. For Economic Development more information on the topics below or other issues pertaining to events in Afghanistan, feel free to con- Governance & Participation tact the members of the Afghanistan Team, or visit our website at www.cimicweb.org. Humanitarian Affairs Infrastructure Rule of Law Economic Development Steven A. Zyck ► [email protected] Security Socio-Cultural Development he future of Bank, Afghani- (USAID). The leader of the task force, Deputy

stan‟s embattled financial institution, Undersecretary of Defense Paul A. Brinkley, ABOUT THE CFC remains unclear following a series of resigned in response to this institutional shift.

T contradictory statements by officials from the Several key members of his 100-person team The Civil-Military Fusion Centre country‟s Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Cen- then followed suit. Brinkley and others believe (CFC) is an Information and tral Bank. The Washington Post cited the Dep- that USAID does not have the institutional Knowledge Management uty Minister of Finance as saying that the Af- culture, flexibility or approach to develop the organisation focused on ghan government had agreed to place Kabul sort of business deals which the task force has improving civil-military interaction, Bank into receivership, which would involve focused upon. A group of US legislators re- facilitating information sharing and an outside firm taking control of the institution portedly moved Brinkley's task force from enhancing situational awareness and attempting to collect on outstanding loans DoD to USAID given the belief that major through the CimicWeb portal. before selling off the bank‟s assets. Both the civilian efforts related to reconstruction and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and US development in Afghanistan belonged within CFC products are developed with government have pressed for this decision, civilian agencies such as USAID and the State open-source information from a while the Afghan government previously ex- Department rather than the DoD. wide variety of organisations and pressed its desire to rehabilitate the bank and Pajhwok Afghan News cites officials from media sources. put it up for sale in approximately three years time. Afghanistan‟s Ministry of Finance (MoF) who The CFC is represented in Kabul by note that government revenues were up by Contradicting The Washington Post article, 25% between SY 1388 (2009/10) and SY a Forward Military Liaison Officer, Agence France-Presse cited officials from 1389 (2010/11). In the fiscal year ending on Maj. Gary Evans, who is embedded Afghanistan‟s Central Bank as saying that no 20 March 2011, the Afghan government col- within ISAF. decision regarding Kabul Bank had been lected AFN 80 billion (USD 1.86 billion), thus made. According to the Associated Press, a exceeding the IMF target of AFN 75 billion By design, CFC products or links to final decision regarding the bank will come (USD 1.74 billion). independently produced articles do from Afghanistan's Financial Disputes Resolu- not necessarily represent the tion Commission (FDRC). The law establish- Tolo News reports that American soldiers have opinions, views or official position ing the FDRC indicates that the Commission been formally charged with embezzling ap- of any other organisation. was primarily intended to adjudicate appeals proximately USD 1.3 million while stationed of decisions made by the Central Bank or dis- in Afghanistan in 2009. The two soldiers . CONTACT THE CFC putes between private banks. Currently, the worked in the finance department at Camp Afghan government‟s plans for Kabul Bank Eggers in Kabul, where they collaborated with For further information, contact: remain unclear. an Afghan colleague to steal the money, which was owed to a company helping to equip the Afghanistan Team Manager A US Department of Defense (DoD) task Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Valeria Davanzo force on promoting business and private- [email protected] The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is pro- sector development in Afghanistan appears to be at risk of collapsing, says The Washington viding Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines Afghanistan Editor (MoM) with support in developing the coun- Amber Ramsey Post. The task force, which has been lauded try's mineral and energy resources, says Tolo [email protected] for arranging business deals which benefit economic growth in Afghanistan (and earlier News. According to the article, the ADB has The Afghanistan Team in Iraq), is being transferred to the United allocated more than USD 220 million to im- [email protected] States Agency for International Development prove fuel and gas projects in in . Governance & Participation Anne-Catherine Claude ► [email protected]

n the latest developments regarding Afghanistan‟s parlia- Karzai‟s nominees in return for the SEC being dismantled. The mentary elections, Pajhwok Afghan News reports that Ab- article also suggests that defeated parliamentary candidates I dul Rauf Ibrahimi, the Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower might be offered a seat in the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House House of Parliament), declared that President of Parliament) or other government positions. had agreed to find a solution to ongoing controversy over the Special Election Court (SEC) this week. The discussions cor- A report by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit responded with renewed protests by defeated candidates to (AREU) entitled “Undermining Representative Governance” contest the election results, denouncing fraud in the elections states that the 2010 parliamentary elections have further dis- and requesting Karzai not to give in to pressure by parliamen- tanced the Afghan population from their government. Indeed, tarians to dissolve the SEC. According to the article, around 38 according to the findings of the study, which was carried out in current Members of Parliament (MPs) met with the president three provinces (Kabul, Paktiya and ), “the elections are twice in just five days to urge him to dismantle the SEC. Ibra- being used to legitimise the control of the powerful” and “the himi further noted that the Chief Justice, who reportedly took lack of reliability in how the 2010 election was conducted has part in the meetings, promised to address the issue without exacerbated a deep distrust in election and state institutions”. delay. In the conclusion of the report, AREU claims that many tech-

The disagreement over the legality of the SEC has also caused nical reforms must be undertaken ahead of Afghanistan‟s next divisions within parliament, as some MPs have rejected any scheduled elections in 2014/15 to regain the trust of the popu- lation in the political process. possible verdict by the SEC, calling on other MPs “to boycott” if any MP is unseated. Others have declared that they would Agence France-Presse reports that the Attorney General‟s Of- accept the verdict of the SEC, calling the court‟s establishment fice (AGO) announced the arrest of Noorullah Delawari, a “legal”. Tolo News further reports that according to some MPs, former governor of the Afghan Central Bank and senior eco- the SEC is expected to unseat 53 winning candidates. Earlier nomic adviser to President Karzai, on “charges of embezzle- this week, local Shamshad TV indicated that Second Deputy ment and corruption”. AFP further states that the case is linked Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga Ahmad Behzad warned that the to the arrest of the former transport Minister Inayattullah lower house would not accept any decision made by the SEC, Qasimi, who is likely to be charged with mismanagement of adding that he would use any legal instruments at his disposal public funds. According to the AGO spokesman, Amanullah to put pressure on the government to dissolve the SEC. Mean- Iman, quoted in an Associated Press article, Qasimi was while, The Killid Group suggests that Karzai has thus far been “placed in custody until the case goes before the anti- unwilling to dissolve the SEC as it provides him with leverage corruption court”. In November, about 20 senior government to gain parliament‟s approval for his future ministerial nomi- officials, including former ministers, were being investigated nees. According to the article, there are currently ongoing on corruption charges (see 17 November CFC Afghanistan closed-door discussions at the Presidential Palace that will Review, Justice and Reconciliation section), however, AFP likely lead to a political trade-off between President Karzai claims that no action has yet been taken. and MPs. Most likely, the Wolesi Jirga will have to endorse

Humanitarian Affairs Erin Foster ► [email protected]

early four hundred Afghan refugees who had been jority of claims made in Germany and . residing in the Khyber region of were alleg- edly forced out of their homes and across the border The United Nations observed both World Water Day (22 N March) and World Tuberculosis Day (24 March) this past into in , says Pajhwok Afghan News. The families claimed that their homes week. The theme of World Water Day was „Water and Urbani- were destroyed by Pakistani security forces as they were re- zation‟, calling attention to the stresses placed on water supply portedly without legal documents. The provincial governor‟s systems by increasing urban populations and the need for wa- spokesman, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, explained that the gover- ter and sanitation facilities to support this growth. As reported nor‟s office has requested assistance from both government last week (see 23 March CFC Afghanistan Review, Socio- departments and non-governmental agencies to support the Cultural Development section), pollution presents a challenge displaced families. According to the United Nations High to municipal officials in Kabul where waste management is Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) more than 5 million lacking. As part of the day‟s events, Save the Children hosted Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2001. In health and hygiene events in Kabul, Balkh, Jowzjan, Faryab related news, UNHCR reported a decreasing trend in the num- and Nangarhar provinces that included dissemination of World ber of asylum seekers worldwide, with Afghanistan now hav- Water Day messages as well as dramatised plays by school ing the second largest number of claims and comprising 7% of children. Additionally, the Danish Committee for Aid to Af- the total in 2010. The overall number of Afghan asylum seek- ghan Refugees (DACAAR) reported on their project to support ers was down 9% in 2010 from the year before, with the ma- more than 17,000 Afghan returnees with water and sanitation Page 2 30 March 2011 assistance. As part of ongoing efforts, DACAAR has provided ternational spokeswoman Louise Hancock, “we saw a drop in water wells, toilets and training on healthy hygiene practices as humanitarian assistance in Iraq and Kosovo after the interna- well as livelihood training initiatives tional military forces withdrew”. The arti- throughout Afghanistan. Meanwhile, on cle suggests that although Afghanistan has World Tuberculosis Day the United Na- reported some improvements in girls‟ ac- tions Assistance Mission in Afghanistan “We saw a drop in humanitarian cess to education, challenges still remain (UNAMA) reported that Afghanistan for Afghans in accessing basic health ser- ranked as one of the 22 high-burden TB assistance in Iraq and Kosovo after vices, water and sanitation as well as ongo- countries in the world, with nearly 50,000 ing poverty. Aid agencies warn there will cases reported in 2010, 70% of which were the international military forces be a need for long-term financial support women. The theme of the 2011 campaign withdrew”. from donors to ensure any gains made in is the second part of a two-year initiative, the past decade last beyond the security „On the move against tuberculosis‟, work- Louise Hancock, transition. ing to achieve objectives set by the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015. Oxfam International Four trucks reportedly carrying food assis- tance to Chakhcharan, the provincial capi- The Integrated Regional Information Net- tal of , were hijacked by work (IRIN) reports that aid agencies are militants in the of concerned that the withdrawal of military forces will corre- , says Pajhwok. Local police are still searching spond with a decrease in funds available for humanitarian as- for the drivers of the trucks while the organisation providing sistance activities in Afghanistan. As explained by Oxfam In- the food aid, which consisted of ghee and wheat, is yet un- known.

Infrastructure Steven A. Zyck ► [email protected]

ttacks on construction workers continued this week energy projects in Afghanistan as long as “Western powers” with the death of at least 24 construction workers in a are also involved. The envoy suggested that Russia is particu- A suicide bombing in in eastern Af- larly interested in assisting Afghanistan to exploit its domestic ghanistan, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The oil and gas resources but feels that undertaking such projects New York Times added that the site of the attack housed doz- without the cooperation of other nations would be “risky”. ens of labourers involved in building a road between the Bar- mal district and the provincial capital, Sharana, in the eastern Residents of Qalat, the capital of , have com- part of Paktika. Insurgents claimed that they had hit a “base of plained about the sustainability and durability of the city‟s joint forces”, leading some to conclude that the attackers had recently-constructed infrastructure, according to Pajhwok Af- mistaken the construction site for a military installation. ghan News. Local residents have suggested that the main prob- lem is the lack of government oversight of infrastructure con- The AFP article suggests that insurgents increasingly view struction and rehabilitation projects. With little government construction workers contributing to infrastructure projects oversight, contractors implementing the projects are perceived financed by the Afghan government or the international com- to use low-quality materials and do poor work. munity as acceptable targets. As noted in last week‟s CFC Afghanistan Review, six individuals involved in road construc- Over the course of the last year in Afghanistan, which ended tion projects in Afghanistan were recently abducted by insur- on 20 March 2011, a number of infrastructure projects, valued gents. A spokesperson for NATO‟s International Security As- at USD 300 million, were implemented in the eastern province sistance Force (ISAF) told the Associated Press that insurgent of Nangarhar, says Tolo News. In total, more than 4,000 small groups were increasingly targeting public infrastructure as well and large projects were completed. An additional 30 major as construction workers. projects, primarily involving transport and energy infrastruc- ture, are slated for completion in Nangarhar over the course of The Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan told the Inter- the coming five years, as suggested by provincial Governor fax news agency that Russia is willing to jointly finance major .

Rule of Law Anne-Catherine Claude ► [email protected]

new report by Century Foundation (CF) entitled that “the war in Afghanistan will have a political rather than “Afghanistan: Negotiating Peace” suggests that there military solution” and that the “best moment to start a political A is a growing sense of stalemate in Afghanistan that process toward reconciliation is now”. The report goes on to opens the way for a political settlement to the conflict. Accord- note that “for all sides, the longer the negotiations are delayed, ing to the report, the international community now recognises the higher the price is likely to be for restoring peace at the Page 3 30 March 2011 end”. The study was written by a task force led by the Former During a meeting in Moscow with Russian anti-drugs officers, United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakh- Gil Kerlikowske, the Director of the US Office of National dar Brahimi, and Thomas Pickering, a former US ambassador Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), promised improved communi- and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, who met cation and co-ordination with its partners on heroin raids in with senior policymakers and analysts in a dozen countries to Afghanistan, says Reuters. According to Afghan President come up with these conclusions, says the Associated Press. Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan‟s sovereignty was violated last October following a joint US-Russian raid that destroyed sev- In an editorial published by The New York Times, Brahimi and eral heroin labs. Karzai argues that he was not aware that Rus- Pickering noted that the current strategy, both by the Afghan sia would take part in the raid (see 03 November CFC Af- government and the international community, “to win over ghanistan Review, Justice and Reconciliation section). Viktor insurgents and co-opt leaders into joining the Kabul Ivanov, the head of Russia‟s anti-narcotics agency, announced regime are unlikely to end the conflict” as “it does not provide that Washington and Moscow are planning more joint opera- the political resolution that peace will require”. Therefore, they tions in the future. During a session of the UN Commission on are calling for a negotiated political settlement involving Presi- Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, Ivanov asserted that Afghan dent Karzai‟s government and its allies, the Taliban and its drug production poses a “threat to humanity”, further underlin- supporters in Pakistan and other regional and international ing that efforts to interfere with the Afghan drug trade have parties. In a teleconference, Brahimi said that “the Taliban are thus far been unsuccessful. part of the political scenery in Afghanistan”, adding that “all the Taliban, are potentially candidates for this reconciliation According to Pajhwok Afghan News, an airstrike by interna- process”, as reported by Voice of America. However, the arti- tional troops destroyed two vehicles carrying around 1,400 cle further states that many hard line Taliban have already ex- kilograms of drugs in Nimroz province. Similarly, Killid Radio pressed their opposition to a political settlement and are reports that poppy fields were destroyed on ten thousand acres unlikely to take part in any talks. Brahimi and Pickering have of land in as part of an ongoing eradication also called for the appointment of a neutral international facili- campaign. Pajhwok indicates that a similar campaign to eradi- tator “designated through the United Nations” to start explor- cate poppy cultivation was just launched in Nimroz province. ing the possibility of negotiations, says Agence France-Presse. In related news, The Canadian Press reports that the governor Meanwhile, Pajhwok Afghan News reports that seven former of province recently requested the support of local and current diplomats have written to UN Secretary-General elders to carry out his plan to crack down on poppy cultivation Ban Ki-Moon asking him to lay out a peace process for Af- this spring. Poppy cultivation has reportedly increased in Kan- ghanistan that involves the international community. They dahar over recent years and Governor Tooryalai Wesa has warn that “a transition from international troops to Afghan travelled to many parts of the province to promote his eradica- forces on the front-line will not be enough to make Afghani- tion programme, which includes using tractors to destroy stan stable”. poppy fields.

Security Kathleen Hughes ► [email protected]

he Taliban allegedly kidnapped as many as 50 police sult, tribal elders and influential local leaders began negotia- officers in of on tions to “secure their release”. On Monday, Pajhwok Afghan T Saturday. The kidnapped individuals were travelling News reported that 19 of the 50 persons were freed. A member from Kunar back to their home province of Nuristan when they of the Kunar provincial council, Nasrullah Sapi, told Pajhwok were abducted. Coverage of this particular incident was wide- that the men were released as a gesture of goodwill and that spread but inconsistent. The New York Times reported that the the Taliban demanded the release of 15 jailed comrades in Nuristan police chief, General Shams-ul-Rahman Zahid, im- exchange for the rest of the captives. However, the details of mediately refuted the Taliban claim and stated that they were a the negotiations between tribal leaders and the Taliban regard- group of „youths‟ who wanted to become police officers but ing this incident have not been confirmed by security officials. had not yet been accepted. Zahid continued to explain that the group was travelling in four vehicles dressed in civilian clothes In other news, the up-coming security transition from NATO and were unarmed. In contrast, the Associated Press inter- to Afghan security forces made headlines this week. President viewed the Kunar police chief, General Khalilullah Ziayi, who Karzai announced the highly anticipated transition plan before was unable to confirm the exact number of persons abducted a class of graduating military cadets. Karzai said that in mid- as well as if any or all of the persons were current police offi- July Afghans would begin taking over from NATO in all of cers or potential recruits. Furthermore, Reuters spoke with the Panjshir and Bamian provinces, all of , except governor of Nuristan, , who said the men Sarobi district, and the following cities: Mazar-e-Sharif were travelling to collect their salaries and referred to them as (Balkh); Herat (Herat); Lashkar Gah (Helmand); Mehtarlam “the policemen”, confirming he believed the men were current (Laghman). The plan only elicited modest surprise by includ- police officers. Whether the men were current police officers, ing the cities of Lashkar Gah and Mehtarlam, both of which potential recruits, or Afghan citizens, the incident is unique are in provinces with widespread insurgent activity, according because although kidnappings are common in Kunar province, to The New York Times. Parliament and provincial council the number of people kidnapped was unusually high. As a re- representatives in Laghman and Lashkar Gah are sceptical Page 4 30 March 2011 about the transition, suggesting it is too early and that the secu- Wednesday, Specialist Jeremy Morlock pleaded guilty to three rity forces are too few in number in their respective locations. counts of murder and one count each of conspiracy, obstruct- The only other contentious issue announced in the speech was ing justice and illegal drug use and was sentenced to 24 years the president‟s insistence that as a precondition to this transi- in prison. The Associated Press reports that military judge Lt. tion, the international community should funnel aid money Col Kwasi Hawks initially intended to sentence Morlock to directly to the Afghan government. life in prison with the possibility of parole, but was bound by the plea deal in which Morlock agreed to testify against his co- There were also developments this week regarding the „kill defendants. team‟ currently on trial for the murder of Afghan civilians. On

Socio-Cultural Development Erin Foster ► [email protected]

year-long agreement has been signed by the US close enough to access hospitals in Bamian city. In related Agency for International Development (USAID) and news, women‟s health is at serious risk in Dai Kundi province A the University of Massachusetts as indicated by a Pajhwok article. With a (UMass) to support the Afghan National lack of female health providers, including Higher Education Strategic Plan 2010- no female doctors in the province, women 2014. UMass will assist 18 Afghan univer- “With a lack of female health pro- are suffering and dying from illnesses such sities with two master‟s degree pro- as uterine inflammation, bleeding and grammes in English and Public Policy and viders, including no female doctors breached birth. The cost and duration of Administration, as well as provide teacher travel to other provinces for treatment of- trainings and access to resources. This ini- in [Dai Kundi] province, women ten precludes women from receiving the tiative follows a five-year partnership be- are suffering and dying from ill- necessary treatment. At the same time, tween UMass and the Afghanistan Ministry NATO reported a boost to maternal health of Higher Education and Afghan universi- nesses such as uterine inflamma- in Herat province with the donation of de- ties that advance new degree programmes, livery beds, cribs and autoclaves (a sterili- trainings and research methods. tion, bleeding and breached birth”. zation instrument) by the Italian associa- tion Circolo Alessandro Pibiri. The equip- The provincial department of education in ment was provided to three comprehensive Kandahar told Pajhwok Afghan News that health centres in Herat. Afghanistan has set all 378 schools will be open by the end of 2011. More than 63 a target to reduce maternal mortality rates from 2002 by 50% schools previously closed due to security concerns have been by 2015 as outlined in Millennium Development Goal 5. reopened and an additional 138 schools are scheduled to re- open by the end of the year. The provincial head of the educa- One of the world‟s largest natural arches has been discovered tion department, Najibullah Ahmadi, explained that “in the at an amazing 3,000 meters above sea level in Afghanistan, future, a quick education programme will be launched, that according to USAID. The discovery was made by a group of will compress a two-year curriculum into one year to help stu- researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) dents who missed several years of education”. In an effort to who were conducting a survey of wildlife in the Bamian pla- promote access to education across the country, President teau. The span of the Hazarchishma Natural Arch is 210.6 feet Hamid Karzai called on Taliban leaders to abstain from burn- wide, ranking it 12th among other such structures in the world. ing schools, describing it as an attack on the future of Afghani- Afghanistan‟s first national park was established in Band-e stan, Pajhwok reported. The Afghan Ministry of Education Amir in 2009, just 100 km south of the newly-discovered arch. estimates that 8.5 million students will enrol at 14,000 schools across the country in the 2011 academic year. The Bayeen and Pahlawan tribes in Ghor province recently resolved a three-decade feud that resulted in the deaths of 268 Afghans who reside in caves in Bamian province, close to the people, the displacement of families, restriction of movement ruins of the ancient Buddha statues, are reportedly exposed to and a lack of education opportunities for children, Pajhwok increased health risks including arthritis and respiratory dis- reports. A member of the Pahlawan tribe, Mohammad Qasam ease, says Pajhwok. The article indicates that there are a series Alam, told Pajhwok that the resolution was an effort to “stop of more than 3,000 caves surrounding the Buddha ruins, where the bloodshed, stop people fleeing the area and stop the de- more than 75% of current cave dwellers have resided for the struction and violence”. The peace process was mediated by past decade. The caves are damp and cold and many people provincial officials in the capital of and con- live without protection from the elements due to poverty. The cluded with a resolution that allows for the freedom of move- acting head of the Bamian public health department, Dr. Mehr ment in all areas of Theora district as well as the investigation Ali Hassani, said that although mobile health teams are as- of disputes. signed to remote areas of the province the cave dwellers live

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