Eye on the News [email protected] Truthful, Factual and Unbiased Vol:XI Issue No:30 Price: Afs.15

www.afghanistantimes.af www.facebook.com/ afghanistantimes www.twitter.com/ afghanistantimes TUESDAY . AUGUST 23. 2016 -Sunbula 02, 1395 HS

Kunduz, Helmand won’t fall to Taliban: NATO AT News Report protecting populated areas, he said, inaugurated the Afghanistan-India claiming that the unity government KABUL: NATO’s Resolute Sup- controls all population centers. He Friendship Dam,” he said. The In- port Mission in Afghanistan on dian premier further said that the warned of growing violence in Hel- Monday said that neither the cap- mand and Kunduz provinces as the Salma dam would revive and re- ital city of Kunduz nor Helmand new not just the economy and ag- Taliban are trying to capture Lash- province would fall to the Tali- kargah and strategic areas in Kun- riculture of the Herat region of ban insurgents as the United Afghanistan. “But will also build duz. “Afghan security forces are States and its allies was backing on the right track and they will be a strong and lasting pillar of sup- Afghan security forces in these port for Afghanistan’s overall able to defend both Lashkargah and two volatile provinces. Recent- Kunduz,” Brig. Gen. Charles ex- growth and development.” “First ly, the militants have launched a of all let me express my most sin- pressed confidence. The NATO’s series of attacks to capture stra- statement came at such a time cere appreciations to the govern- tegic districts and provinces. In- ment and people of India who have when Chief of al-Qaeda Ayman al- tense fighting is under between the Zawahiri asked his loyalists in a stood with us in happiness and sor- insurgents and Afghan security By Farhad Naibkhel rows,” Ghani said. He called the video message to support the Tal- forces in Helmand and Kunduz iban while rejecting Daesh, known KABUL: President Ashraf inauguration of the palace a sym- provinces. The Taliban seemed to Ghani and Indian Prime Minis- bol of “Afghanistan diplomacy as the Islamic State in the west. In be in dominant position in these the video released on Sunday, the ter Narendra Modi inaugurated reconstructed by India”. He stat- provinces as the militant group the Storay Palace of foreign min- ed that changes in the history had al-Qaeda chief said that Daesh is still controls over 80 percent of harming their cause by “splitting istry through video conference proved that those who build their the two provinces. Deputy Chief on Monday, after reconstruction relation based on friendship and the ranks of mujahideen [mili- of Staff for Communications of tants]”. He asked the al-Qaeda with the financial support of In- mutual interest will notice another the Resolute Support Mission, dia. Narendra Modi reiterated blooming tree in their friendly re- members and sympathizers to Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, support the Afghan Taliban. that India would always be with lations. “We organize our relations claimed that neither Lashkargah Afghanistan. “Let me assure the with today’s world with freedom nor Kunduz City will fall to the people of Afghanistan that in like other independent countries. insurgent group as the militant your quest to build a prosper- We want to be a country commit- group has failed to achieve strate- Govt retakes ous Afghanistan and to bring ted in peace and security.” Afghan- gic goals till date. According to peace, security and stability to istan and India both were standing reports the Taliban are 10 kilo- grabbed land your society, the 1.25 billion together in different eras of histo- meters far from Lashkargah, the people of India will always be ry and cooperated for each free- capital city of Helmand. The mil- in Laghman on your side. The pledge of our dom, prosperity and honor, he as- itants have seized control of Nad partnership and strength of our serted. “Our relations won’t be Ali and Garmsir districts in the AT News Report friendship with Afghanistan is ing that Indians and Afghans have showed our joint commitment to our partnership. It manifested our confined here, we will spare no ef- recent past. However, the securi- always been closest of friends. “In strengthening the foundations of clear and common determination forts and protecting these from KABUL: Over 100 acres govern- unwavering,” Modi said. Indian ty forces have retaken control of ment lands usurped by the pow- prime minister speaking at the December last year, you and the modern Afghanistan. The India- to build new pathways for Afghan- terrors and work for prosperity of the districts. In Kunduz province, our nations”, Ghani claimed. Pres- erful individuals were reclaimed ceremony through a video con- Afghan people stood with me to Afghanistan-Iran transit corridor istan’s economic progress and the Taliban captured Khanabad in eastern Laghman province. versation, called Afghanistan as inaugurate the Afghan Parliament. Agreement that we signed in May prosperity and, a month later, in ident Ghani said that “finally the district for a brief period. Brig. Land grabbing is a big challenge a India’s immediate neighbor, say- The inauguration signalled and this year was another land mark in June this year, we joined hands and logic of diplomacy...P2 Gen. Charles Cleveland told news serious challenge in different reporters that the Afghan securi- provinces, thousands acres have ty forces are making steady been usurped by powerful peo- ERC SKEPTICAL progress in the two provinces. He ple in the past decades. The gov- Abdullah won’t work as he did previously:Amrullah Saleh acknowledged that the insurgent ernment is trying to regain the OVER GOVT'S AT News Report group had tactical gains that usurped lands, but the land ma- choose how to continue working fia still holds thousands of lands. in the government. Though it is not would likely to continue. The NEW ELECTION KABUL: Former head of the intel- 150 illegal Pakistani workers Resolute Support Mission de- The local government recaptured ligence agency has said that the clear how would he work, but Ab- 150 acres land from mafia in Sul- PLAN dullah is seeking the position of fines the tactical achievements of chief executive Abdullah Abdullah deported from Kandahar the Taliban as overrunning check- tan Ghazi Baba in Laghman prov- The Electoral Reform Commission will not work for the so-called ‘Na- prime minister as mentioned in the ince, said a statement issued by political deal the two individuals KANDAHAR CITY : As many legal documents. He said only posts and centers of some dis- Provincial Government Press (ERC) on Monday raised doubts tional Unity Government’ as he tricts. “Afghan security forces over a government plan to conduct used to in the past two years. “Ab- agreed on in 2014. Meanwhile, as 150 Pakistani workers illegally those Pakistanis who lacked legal office. The constructed house deputy chief executive Moham- staying in southern Kandahar prov- stay documents were being arrest- are doing better this year than the and buildings destroyed by mu- Afghanistan's parliamentary elec- dullah will talk to the president in last year because the insurgents tions under a new procedure. Al- three rounds,” Amrullah Saleh, who mad Mohaqqeq believes the dif- ince have been arrested and hand- ed and the process would contin- nicipality on the lands grabbed ferences between the president and ed over to Pakistani border offi- ue until all illegal Pakistanis were have not achieved their strategic illegally and three usurper arrest- though the new plan is still under is supporting Abdullah, said, add- goals—to seize a population cen- ed, added the statement. State- consideration, the Afghan govern- ing that the chief executive would chief executive still continue. cials, an official said on Monday. sent back home country. The 150 “This would impact negatively on The police a few days ago started detained Pakistanis were official- ter or strategic areas in Afghani- ment said that municipality ment reportedly hopes to hold share his demands with President stan,” he said. Accusing the mil- warned the land mafia that they parliamentary elections on a sin- Ashraf Ghani in the first round, in the situation of the country,” Mo- arresting Pakistani nationals lack- ly handed over to Pakistani border ing legal stay documents. Local officials through the Spin Boldak itant organization of plundering will face legal reaction, if strug- gle-seat basis, replacing the current the second, the president would haqqeq has told the UN represen- gling again for usurping land in tative for the refugees. officials say most of the deported border crossing. The Kandahar the captured areas and stealing system. The ERC argues that the answer him, while Abdullah would equipment of the Afghan securi- the area. Reclaim of usurp land single-seat election plan will un- Pakistanis were from the Punjab governor’s spokesman, Samim will be continued in the provinc- province. Zia Durrani, Kandahar Khpalwak, confirmed the opera- ty forces, Brig. Gen. Charles said dermine election transparency and the Taliban are pushed back when es and efforts will be on table to fairness and that this will help lo- police spokesman, told Pajhwok tion against illegal Pakistani nation- recover all lands grabbed by ma- cal lawbreakers exploit the poll for Afghan News police had launched als, saying those lacking legal stay reinforcement arrives in the areas 26 Taliban fighters captured by the insurgents. Af- fia in Laghman, noted the state- their own benefit. crackdown on Pakistani nationals documents and work permit were ment. In addition, a number of elec- coming to the province without being arrested. (Pajhwok) ghan government is focused on tion observer groups have also said that the new plan does not fit in killed in Kunduz with the abilities of the election AT News Report commission. "I think that single- manders killed. Separately, Taliban seat elections would face some KABUL: Twenty-six Taliban in- shadow judge was arrested during problems," ERC chief Shah Sultan surgents including two command- an operation conducted by national Akefi said. Based on the govern- ers were killed in joint clearance police in northern Parwan prov- ment's draft plan, all provinces will operations launched by security ince, the ministry of interior said be divided into several constituen- forces in Ali Abad distract of north- in a statement. He was identified cies, however only one candidate ern Kunduz province, ministry of by the statement as Mohammad will make his way to parliament interior said Monday in a state- Nader who was arrested in the from amongst these constituencies. ment. The statement identified the Shinwari district. Nader was in- "It is a good plan and it can help commanders as Nasir and Qari volved in different terrorist and overcome issues we witnessed dur- Omar killed in Qazaq localities, subversive activities in the prov- ing the previous parliamentary today [Monday] morning. Recent- ince, the statement said. Mean- elections in Ghazni, but holding ly, security forces have targeted the while, ministry of defense said 15 elections in a single-seat method core leadership of insurgents, kill- Afghan soldiers lost their lives in will create tumult; the election ing dozens of them; including pro- the past 24 hours as they clashed commission is not prepared and it vincial governors, distract gover- with the insurgents in different is not implementable with the cur- nors, judges and military com- parts of the country. rent capacity of the election com- mission," said Jan Dad Spinghar, head of Afghanistan Civil Society Election Network (ACSEN). "Sin- CEO MEETS BUSINESSMEN gle-seat elections will isolate elec- tions in the country, monopoliz- OVER RISINGCRIME RATE ing the elections will not benefit anyone," MP Fatima Aziz said. t a meeting with businessmen on Monday, CEO Abdullah Ab Currently there are 249 seats in dullah discussed the issue of crime in the country, particularly parliament. Undertaking system- that targeting the business community. He said that in recent atic reforms in Afghanistan's elec- A days, several incidents had been reported in major cities across the tion law remains an important part country where businessmen and investors were affected. At the meet- of the political agreement between ing, a delegation of businessmen told Abdullah that the problem is hav- President Ashraf Ghani and his Chief Executive Officer Abdullah ing a severe impact on investment in the country. In his address Abdul- Abdullah. However the demands lah said: "Over the last several weeks, our nation, our businessmen and of the Afghan people and interna- their family members have faced threats or incidents." This comes just municipality worker and teenage scavengers are collecting recyclable items from garbage tional community regarding the days after money exchangers at Kabul International Market (Saray election reforms are yet to be met Shahzada) protested against the high crime rate in the country – which heap in Gul-e-Surkh area of the capital city, Kabul.—Photo by M. Saddiq Yousufi by government. (ToloNews) has forced some people to close their businesses. (ToloNews)

68: 03 66: 63

76: 74 73: 94 TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES

SAN FRANCISCO: In a tiny east- at risk. Amin’s visa application has ing visas: ‘’I don’t see them as ref- popped into the street with an AK- for the U.S. or worked alongside process to which insufficient re- delays in making more visas avail- ern Afghanistan town in Novem- been in limbo for nearly three years ugees. I see them as fellow veter- 47 and RPG,’’ he said. ‘’Everyone American forces in other capaci- sources are being devoted.’’ able would put interpreters at risk. ber, rifle-toting Islamic State fight- as the U.S. State Department car- ans. They fought right alongside started yelling: RPG! RPG! RPG! ties in 2013. But the approval pro- Stuck in Afghanistan, Amin ‘’They’re going to die. They’re ers pounded on the door of rela- ries out eligibility and security us, so if we’ve ever owed a group And we all went down.’’ The rock- cess is tedious and often plagued lives in fear. He often stays home going to be killed,’’ he said on the tives of Qismat Amin, a 25-year- checks. The State Department de- of people anything — it would be et-propelled grenade missed the car by delays, advocates say. and almost never leaves his house Senate floor this year. old former interpreter for the U.S. clined to provide information on to help these people come to safe- and the attackers were killed. The Almost everything for Amin’s after 5 p.m. Whenever he saw peo- The State Department also Army, demanding he come out. Amin’s case, citing the confidenti- ty because of what they did for next day, he was back on the same application has been checked off ple staring at him at the university supports adding visas to the pro- Those inside insisted he’d left ality of visa records. As Amin and us.’’ In Afghanistan, Crocker ex- street, asking locals if they knew — the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has where he studied, he thought the gram. ‘’We recognize how impor- years ago and hadn’t been back. others wait, the number of visas plained, the U.S. ground forces re- the men. Ball and Amin spent near- confirmed the ‘’serious threat’’ he worst. tant it is to support these people But months later, the militants re- available through the special pro- lied on collaborating with local lead- ly every day together from 2010 faces and his ‘’faithful and valu- ‘’I think they’re probably fol- who have taken such enormous turned and confiscated the fami- gram has dwindled, and inaction in ers to help push out the Taliban to 2011. Amin asked Ball about able service’’ to the U.S. He has lowing me and are going to kill me,’’ risks for us on our behalf,’’ a ly’s crops, saying they could be Congress — fueled by what some and other militants. Interpreters life in America and practiced his received a recommendation from he said. Images of brutal Islamic spokesman said. reclaimed only in exchange for see as rising anti-Muslim senti- were a vital part of the operation. English with him. He talked about an Army major as well. But his State killings shown on news Military leaders have weighed Amin. ment — has left the program’s fu- ‘’It’s not a conventional war,’’ he being a Justin Bieber fan and won- application has been stuck for near- broadcasts across the globe replay in, claiming that abandoning the ‘’There is no way in hell I can ture in doubt. At this point, about said. ‘’You don’t just wipe out a dered why American families were ly three years in ‘’administrative in his head. ‘’My life is at risk. visa program would not only put go there,’’ Amin, now hiding out in 2,500 visas remain available to village — you go into a village, you so small. As they grew closer, Amin processing,’’ or a security and eli- They can kill me at anytime they interpreters at risk, but also un- another city in Afghanistan, said around 12,000 applicants like sit down with leaders and you see asked Ball if he’d help him to get gibility check, a process that usu- want to.’’ dermine U.S. credibility and bol- in a recent Skype interview. ‘’They Amin, according to the State De- what the situation is. You can’t do to the U.S. some day. ally takes six months. With the help of fellow stu- ster enemy propaganda. Though want to assassinate me. Those partment. Unless Congress acts by that without interpreters.’’ After Ball, a 30-year-old Colorado While the State Department dents at Stanford Law, Ball has it has become an ever fainter no- people are probably still trying to the end of the year, the program being hired in 2010, Amin, then just native, graduated from Wesleyan did not comment on Amin’s case, contacted senators and congress- tion, Ball and Amin have talked find me ... and they can.’’ will be discontinued and the avail- 19, became a personal translator University. He turned down a lu- a spokesman acknowledged that man across the country. Some pol- about Amin attending Ball’s wed- Nine months after the visit able visas capped at the number for Ball’s boss — a lieutenant colo- crative job offer in the financial the visa processing time ‘’can be iticians have responded and ding in September. ‘’It’ll be your from Islamic State fighters, Amin remaining. Ball is dedicated in his nel with the 101st Airborne. Ball sector to join the Army. And in the slow and remains an area of focus helped, while others never called first American wedding,’’ he has must continue to evade those an- quest to help Amin get to Ameri- said Amin was not only ‘’exem- process of his first tour, he con- both here in Washington and at our back. In the Senate, some, such as told Amin hopefully. If his friend gry about his nearly three-year ca. ‘’I feel like I’m responsible,’’ plary and courageous’’ but also nected with the young Afghan. embassy in Kabul,’’ adding that the Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., nation- does make it to the U.S., Ball said, stint working with U.S. soldiers. said Ball, who has persuaded many helped defuse potentially danger- ‘’There’s a really strong bond agency is looking for ways to im- al security adviser to presidential he has a place to stay with Ball’s He hopes to flee to the United of his fellow Stanford Law stu- ous situations and regularly acted that a lot of soldiers have with in- prove the process. candidate Donald Trump, have parents in Colorado. States — and he has a powerful dents to help him. The bond be- as a cultural ambassador. ‘’Qismat terpreters — they’re crucial mem- The spokesman said the gov- opposed adding more visas to the ‘’It’s like a recipe for a sitcom,’’ advocate in a wartime colleague, tween the soldier and the interpret- was everything you want in an in- bers of the team. ... There were ernment was committed to ‘’facil- program because of the expense he laughed. Capt. Matt Ball, a former Army er formed over a year together with terpreter — he was loyal, brave times when my life was in Qis- itating legitimate travel’’ and pro- and the fear of a brain drain in Af- ‘’I’ll have two middle-class Ranger now studying law at Stan- the 4th Brigade of the 101st Air- and tireless,’’ Ball said. When Amin mat’s hands and Qismat’s life was viding quick service, but added: ghanistan. parents in Denver with an Afghan ford University. Ball is determined borne Division in the country’s oft- told his mother he’d taken the job, in my hands,’’ he said. ‘’We must ensure that applicants ‘’We just need to be careful Muslim in their basement.’’ For to live up to the pledge he learned violent Tora Bora region of Nan- she cried. That spring, the Taliban When Ball departed Afghani- do not pose a security risk to the about this,’’ he said earlier this now, the veteran will keep doing in his first week of duty: Leave no garhar province, the area of east- announced it had killed four inter- stan after his deployment ended United States and otherwise are year. ‘’Just because you’ve got all he can to make that happen. man behind. ern Afghanistan to which Osama preters — boasting that they’d in August 2011, Amin walked him eligible for a visa.’’ applicants doesn’t mean every one It’s his duty, he said, a mission he It won’t be easy. Amin is one bin Laden fled in 2001. Soldiers in killed one on his wedding day. Just to his helicopter. Ball said good- ‘’The security checks are im- of them is deserving of accep- has yet to complete. ‘’When I left, of thousands of Afghan interpret- that deployment died, Ball said. being alongside U.S. soldiers was bye to his fellow soldiers, then told portant,’’ said Crocker, the former tance.’’ Sessions previously cited I could rationalize it — we’re not ers stuck in their home country He wants to make sure Amin does dangerous enough: Amin was there, Amin: ‘’Hey, I hope to see you ambassador. But, he said, ‘’I think ‘’a high likelihood of exploitation going to leave him behind, he’s go- after working with the U.S., held not. Ball is not alone in his efforts he said, when a four-vehicle con- one day.’’ any reasonable person would agree by al Qaeda terrorists’’ when he ing to come with us eventually,’’ up by political and bureaucratic to help Afghans who aided the U.S. voy was attacked on a narrow Five years later, that possibil- that you don’t spend three years opposed adding visas in 2013. he said. ‘’I have to apologize for obstacles to obtaining a special Ryan Crocker, who served as the street in eastern Afghanistan in ity seems less likely. Amin applied doing a security check. I think Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is the fact that we’re not upholding immigrant visa that was implicitly U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan in 2010. ‘’I saw these three guys — for the special immigrant visa des- what we have here is a highly cum- among those trying to unlock the our side of the bargain.’’ promised them if their lives were 2011 and 2012, said of those await- they were like ghosts — they ignated for those who interpreted bersome, inefficient bureaucratic visa logjam. He has warned that (WATERTOWNDAILYTIMES)

KABUL : National Swimming to absence of swimming pools for resign and let the Afghan athletes eration pays no attention,” he Federation (NSF) officials say the them.” The NSF has been trying be improved,” he said, blaming the warned. NSF future programs federation has no achievements to provide a proper place for fe- two departments of failing help the Taheri said building the capac- over the past more than a decade male swimmers so they could ob- athletes improve. ity of female swimmers, coordina- due to absence of facilities for ath- serve Islamic rules like in other Is- Lack of cooperation from in- tion in swimming training at letes. The NSF was created in 2004 lamic countries during swimming stitutes concerned schools, arranging training cours- as an independent federation and and participate in regional and NSF head said differences es, appointing professional train- it has been able to establish rela- world competitions, he said. among sports officials have also ers and issuing licenses to swim- tions with Asia’s and world’s swim- Currently 30 swimming pools prevented the sports sector from ming pools would be future pro- ming federationss and Olympic including 20 in capital Kabul are developing. Athletes are currently grams of the NSF. councils. NSF head Sayed Ihsa- open, but there is no exclusive pool chosen for competitions based on However, he said implement- nuddin Taheri in an exclusive in- for female swimmers. favoritism, he added. ing the programs needed financial terview with Pajhwok Afghan Incompetency of previous “NSF is an independent de- and technical cooperation. News said 11 swimmers including NSF officials Taheri complained partment, it should have support He said his federation had the three girls, were registered with the about the weak performance of of the government, the National plan to launch swimming compe- federation based on favoritism. pervious NSF officials and unpro- Olympic Committee and Physical titions in Kabul, Kandahar, Nan- Despite their participation in fessional training to swimming ath- Training Department, but unfor- garhar, Herat and Balkh provinces international competitions, none of letes. “In addition to doing noth- tunately the NSF is forgotten,” to improve the athletes, but failed them had so far achieved any med- ing for the development of swim- Taheri said. He added the NSF to execute the plan due to absence al for Afghanistan, he said. ming, the previous officials did not missed five regional competitions of facilities and support from oth- Calling the absence of swim- even build a swimming pool.” and training courses due to lack of er organs. Differences over lead- ming pools a serious problem, “If officials of the Physical cooperation from relevant organs. ership of the Afghanistan Olym- Taheri said: “We have three female Training Department and the Na- “We would not be able to partici- pic Committee in recent years swimmers, but they are deprived tional Olympic Committee cannot pate in world matches that would have worsened the situation of the of improvement and training due work together, then they should take place in near future if the fed- sports sector. (Pajhwok)

PUL-I-ALAM : The family of a band had a carpentry shop in Pul- able to serve the country. slain Taliban commander in cen- i-Alam’s Porak bazaar. “I have two cows that give tral Logar province has been strug- She said her husband had milk which I convert into yogurt gling with economic hardships enough income from the shop and for sale in the bazaar by my chil- since the commander’s death sev- they lived a comfortable life. “I did dren. The income from yogurt en- en years ago, but still the family is not know my husband was a Tali- ables us to have a hand-to-mouth committed to educating their chil- ban commander as well beside a living.” Sakina said her husband dren. carpenter.” was Talib, but her family was in- Mullah Sadat, who led a 10- “It was 10th of Ramadan. Af- nocent and the government should member Taliban group, was killed ter breaking the fast, my husband provide them with needed assis- along with all his associates seven would go to the mosque for Taraw- tance. She sighed deeply and said: years ago during a direct engage- ih prayers. On that night at about “I pray to God not to make or- ment with American forces. 10pm, an armed clash erupted. We phan anyone’s children.” Sadat was a resident of Haroon could hear heavy and light weap- Taliban’s spokesman Zabihul- Khel village on the outskirts of Pul- ons fire, I thought my spouse is lah Mujahid said the family had i-Alam, the provincial capital. He stranded inside the mosque, I did never contracted the rebels. He left behind his wife, five sons and not know he was engaged in the said they aided such families and three daughters. battle.” enrolled their children in religious His eldest son, Nisar Ahmad, Her husband did not arrive schools. “We either ourselves help told Pajhwok Afghan News dur- home until morning when it ap- such families or introduce them to ing an interview that they had been peared he had been killed along a trader to continuously assist in dire straits since the killing of with 10 others in last night clash, them each month.” The Logar gov- his father. Sakina said. ernor’s spokesman, Salim Saleh, “We still face many problems “God may save everyone from said the government did not assist but I, my sisters and brothers all hardships, poverty and problems those killed in fighting with secu- are getting education in order to do I went through after my husband’s rity forces. He said how the gov- service to the country in future.” death.” Sakina said all her children ernment could help people who He said his father was a local went to school and she was hope- destroyed their own country on Taliban commander who spear- ful one day her children would be the behest of outsiders. (Pajhwok) headed a 10-member group. After the killing of his father, no one ex- tended them support, he said, add- Rebels behead varsity student; ing he and his brothers used to study half day and work the re- maining half. 4 wounded by mortar shells In a bid to mitigate their eco- nomic problems, Ahmad tried to MAIMANA : Militants have de- Hospital sources in Faryab Friendship with Afghanistan... get a martyrdom car in his father capitated a university student confirmed receiving the student’s name, but failed. while four people, including a mi- body, which was later sent to Sa- ...P1 and negotiation must over- istence of our children, those lead- Those who ignore the needs Afghanistan and India unlike “Someone informed the gov- nor girl, were wounded in a sepa- mangan. There was no immediate come the logic of terror and vio- ers and politician, who think like of time, don’t think of prosperity some others have decided to make ernment that I am the son of a Tal- rate incident in northwestern Fary- claim of responsibility for the de- lence.” He said that this is our his- this will always extend their hands and use war instead of peace will history with friendship and coop- ib so the government did not issue ab province, an official said on capitation incident. toric job and responsibility to for cooperation and open their defiantly face with historical re- eration and manage the time with me a card,” he said. Monday. A security official, who wished smooth the way for peaceful ex- arms for peace and reconciliation grets, he mentioned. wisdom and knowledge, he said. To a question, he said his fa- Syed Loqman Gharik, admin- to go unnamed, named the behead- ther supported education for both istrative chief of Sherin Tagab dis- ed student as Khair Mohammad boys and girls and had never creat- trict, identified the victim as Taj, a and working for the Afghan Na- ed hurdles to reconstruction student of the Agriculture Facul- tional Army projects. Nisar Ahmad said they ty, hailing from Samangan prov- (ANA) were still in dire straits and the gov- ince. Separately, four people, in- ernment should provide them as- He said Taj was travelling cluding a minor girl, were wound- home when militants got him off a ed when mortar shells landed in sistance. He said their father was ...P12 Takhar governor Moham- rity personnel took part in the operation. “We entered into Khanabad district around 07:00 PM on Saturday, with the Taliban, but they wanted passenger bus in Dasht-i-Faizabad Sherin Tagabdistrict centre. Gharik mad Yasin Zia was leading the fight where the governor raised the Afghan flag at the Khanabad square.” Moreover, a large numbers of people in to get education and serve the coun- locality. The student’s headless confirmed the incident. The shells against them [Taliban],” he said. Kunduz province were displaced as a result fierce fighting. The residents were forced to leave their houses. An try. His mother, Sakina, told Pajh- body was discovered early Mon- were fired at around 10:00am, a He added that security guards of official in the provincial Internal Displaced People (IDP) office, Abdul Saboor, told Afghanistan Times that wok Afghan News that her hus- day morning. security official said. (Pajhwok) the governor and provincial secu- several people were displaced from Khanabad district, but he did not provide exact details. TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES

AFGHANS EXPELLED BYPAKISTAN IN DIRE NEED OF AID EMERGENCY ALLS Aid workers have warned of dead- tle-to-no drinking water, families 100 children. "The government has ghanistan of their own accord. risked becoming a "forgotten" cri- have returned to Afghanistan from C ly consequences for tens of thou- told Al Jazeera. started taking necessary steps to Others were refused exten- sis, Filippo Grandi, the UN high Pakistan since mid-July. sands of Afghan refugees who have Mohammed Hakim Yousafi push Afghans out of the the coun- sions for their Proof of Registra- commissioner for refugees, called Since January, more than Police been forced to leave Pakistan for returned to Afghanistan last week try and because of that we have tion cards in Pakistan, according on the international community to 101,000 have been forcibly re- their war-torn country. after living in Pakistan for almost come across concrete cases of im- to Human Rights Watch. invest more funds to help them. turned by Pakistan, according to 100 - 119 Very few of the returnees have a decade. In the refugee camp to punity regarding torture and ill- The card recognises their sta- "My appeal is that, not only the International Organisation for received any form of support from which he's been relocated, Yousafi treatment of Afghan refugees," Ijaz tus as Afghan citizen temporarily to the authorities but also to the Migration, which tracks only local, state or international organi- said he lacks many of the most said. "Afghan refugees in Pakistan residing in Pakistan. Most of the local population: refugees as you those Afghan refugees who have Hospitals sations, Kate O'Rourke, of the basic needs. "I don't have food, with legitimate refugee documents returning Afghan refugees do so know are not terrorists," Grandi not officially registered with the Norwegian Refugee Council, water or shelter at the moment. cannot be sent back especially if through the Torkham border cross- said during a visit to a repatriation UN in Pakistan. Unregistered ref- FMIC Hospital (NRC) said in a statement on Sun- And I am back to a conflict zone. Afghanistan is in the middle of a ing, arriving in overloaded pick-up centre outside the northwestern ugees are not entitled to support day. "These people are falling be- My life is back to zero after years conflict. It is a clear human right trucks and buses. For decades, Pa- Pakistan city of Peshawar in June in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Behind Kabul Medical tween the cracks. There's an ur- of making a living in Pakistan and violation if they are being exposed kistan has been home to 1.5 mil- this year. "We are providing Afghan re- University: gent need for assistance, or the working hard," he told Al Jazeera. to harm." lion UN-registered Afghan refugees Experts say that the ministry turnees with basic healthcare, ed- 0202500200-+93793275595 consequences may be fatal," she Saroop Ijaz, a lawyer and Pa- The Pakistani government an- and about one million unregistered responsible for refugees on the ucation, food and shelter," Nasir said. Afghan refugees face repatri- kistan researcher for Human Rights nounced an anti-terrorism plan last Afghans. Many arrived after flee- Afghan side, the Ministry of Ref- Haidarzai, communications offic- ation from Pakistan O'Rourke Watch, told Al Jazeera that the sit- year based on a 20-point agenda ing the Soviet-Afghan war in the ugees and Repatriation, is poorly er at IOM Afghanistan, told Al Rabia-i-Balkhi Hospital called on the international commu- uation is getting "worse" as the that included the "Registration and 1980s. In June, the UN refugee equipped and under-financed. Jazeera. "However, with that be- Pule Bagh-e- Umomi nity to urgently provide funds. "Pakistan government has vowed Repatriation of Afghan Refugees" agency chief urged Pakistanis not "The failure is from both the ing said, we are in the middle of a Many of the hundreds of re- to force Afghans out of Pakistan" in Pakistan. Rising abuse cases to blame Afghan refugees for ter- sides [Pakistan and Afghanistan]," conflict zone, and they are indeed 070263672 turnee families now have no roof after the 2014 attack on an army- Since then, incidents of flagrant rorism in their country. 'Forgotten' Ijaz, the Pakistani lawyer, told Al exposed to any kind of harm be- over their heads, children are visi- run school in Peshawar that killed police abuses against Afghans have crisis Warning that the roughly 2.5 Jazeera. According to figures pub- cause of it, even we are." bly malnourished, and there is lit- 140 people, including more than prompted many to return to Af- million Afghan refugees in Pakistan lished on Sunday, 67,224 Afghans (All Jazeera) Khairkhana Hospital 0799-321007 Envoy calls for broadening Pillaged 2401352 cultural assets Indira Gandhi Children of Tehran-Kabul trade ties returned to Hospital, Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul 2301372 TEHRAN Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan Kabul Mohammad Reza Bahrami in a meeting with Afghan Chief Ibn-e- Seena Executive Abdullah Abdullah in with help of Kabul on Monday called for boost- Pul-e-Artan, Kabul ing the volume of trade exchanges Japan between the two countries. 2100359 "Iran is ready to strengthen its KABUL: Some 102 cultural as- all-out ties with Afghanistan," sets taken illegally from conflict- Wazir Akbar Khan Bahrami said. He pointed to the torn Afghanistan have been re- age-old Iran-Afghanistan cooper- turned to the South Asian country Hospital ation, and said, "The two coun- with the help of a Japanese non- 2301741, 2301743 tries have the capacities to expand profit organization. their mutual cooperation in the The items include a piece of a cultural and sport fields." mural removed from the Bamiyan Ali Abad Earlier in August, Iranian For- Caves where giant Buddha statues eign Minister Mohammad Javad were destroyed by Taliban mili- Shahrara, Kabul Zarif renewed Tehran's support for tants in 2001, and the “Left Foot 2100439 the restoration of peace in Afghan- of Zeus,” a statue fragment un- istan. "Afghanistan is Iran's friend- earthed from Ai Khanum in north- ly neighbor and its development ern Afghanistan. Malalai Maternity and security are tantamount to the Those items were protected tion in different areas more than before." and stored by an organization es- Hospital development and security in Iran," Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan, which has Zarif said in a meeting with visit- tablished in 2001 by the late Japa- 2201377/ 2301743 kept its promises to help to the reconstruction of the war-ravaged coun- nese painter Ikuo Hirayama after ing Afghan National Security Ad- try. Iran has built several roads, power transmission lines, border sta- visor Mohammad Hanif Atmarin being pillaged from archaeological tions and many other infrastructure projects to better link the two sites and museums in Afghanistan Banks in Tehran. nations. Iran has also contributed more than $50mln annually to Afghan He reiterated that Iran's prin- during times of conflict. anti-narcotics efforts during the last five years. Hirayama, a UNESCO good- Da Afghanistan Bank Officials at the Afghanistan Cham- According to ACCI officials cipled policy is promotion of de- Tehran has repeatedly called for a withdrawal of the US-led foreign velopment and security in Afghan- will ambassador, set up the Japan ber of Commerce and Industry hundreds of trucks have been stuck troops from Afghanistan, stressing that establishment of peace and se- Committee for the Protection of 2100302, 2100303 (ACCI) said this week that trade at the border crossing for the past istan, and said, "Iran and Afghani- curity in the war-ravaged country is possible only through cooperation stan need to boost their coopera- Displaced Cultural Properties, to between Afghanistan and Pakistan four days. (ToloNews) among the regional states. (FNA) collect and protect cultural assets Bakhtar Bank is down by more than 50 percent in cooperation with art dealers. in the past two months. “We greatly appreciate the ef- 0776777000 They said that the lack of in- forts made by Mr. Hirayama and Azizi Bank terest among Afghan businessmen others,” Mohammad Fahim Rahi- to do business with Pakistan has mi, chief of the National Museum 0799 700900 caused this dip – which will also of Afghanistan, said Wednesday. Pashtany Bank result in the projected trade in- “This is the happiest occasion for come target between the two coun- me and for the museum.” 2102908, 2103868 tries – of $1 billion USD – not be- The return of the items was ing reached. once feared in jeopardy, given the Air Services On the basis of ACCI figures difficulty Afghanistan faced in two months ago, around 9,000 tons paying the $70,000 needed to make of flour, cooking oil, rice, beans, A transcendental beauty of nature Safi Airways it happen. But Afghanistan’s cul- sugar and cement was imported tural ministry managed to raise the 020 22 22 222 from Pakistan to Afghanistan on a funds. daily basis. Now only about 4,000 Some of the 102 items were tons of these items are imported displayed at exhibitions in Tokyo Ariana to Afghanistan daily. and Fukuoka this year. The Na- 020-2100270 Officials at the ACCI said that tional Museum of Afghanistan an upswing in problems in dealing plans to exhibit the returned cul- with Pakistan for Afghan business- tural properties in December. Kam Air men were one of the reasons for 0799974422 the drop in trade. A reduction in buying power on Pakistan markets 124 and low quality products were also Hotels cited as reasons. Safi Landmark "There are problems and one DEVELOPMENT of the reasons that our trade has decreased is that there is no inter- PROJECTS 020-2203131 est from the private sector to do ERENA business with Pakistan and there- EXECUTED S fore we think that this year the level of our business with Paki- IN 0799654000 stan will not reach (the projected) $1 billion USD," said ACCI depu- New Rumi Restaurant ty Khan Jan Alokozai. SAMANGAN Meanwhile Mosafer Qoqandi, 0776351347 spokesperson for the ministry for PROVINCE commerce and industry, acknowl- AIBAK CITY: At a cost of Internet Services edged there had been a decrease in AFN 179,905,000 funded by the National Solidarity Program UA Telecom trade between Afghanistan and 0796701701 / 0796702702 Pakistan and added that by utiliz- of the Ministry of Rural Reha- bilitation and Development ing the Lajaward (Lapis) routes, the regime, Qargha regained its his- Qaragha Lake has facility of and shops I could imagine it being which connects Afghanistan with By Farhad Naibkhel (MRRD/NSP) 124 public utili- torical place among people. I has paddle ride boat, electronic cradle a great place for families to come ty projects have been complet- Exchange Rate Europe, Afghanistan's dependence Qargha Lake is located nine kilo- become as a favorite sightseeing and other instruments for children on weekend,” he beamed. He con- ed in Dara Souf Bala district of on Pakistan will end. meters from Kabul City. The area destination, not only for residents and families. tinued that he is visiting Qargha northern Samangan province. Purchase: "Without a doubt our imports is surrounded by green hills. This of Kabul City, but for all Afghans. Those who like to swim, Lake regularly as there are bunch According to information of re- from Pakistan have decreased be- is one of the best place for sightse- Those Afghans who come from Qargha Lake is a great option in a of things to do and enjoy such as lation and publication depart- One US$ = cause we are looking for alternate eing and entertainment especially provinces or foreign countries im- fairly large, clean-enough area. riding horse, boating, and local ment of MRRD to BNA, these import and export routes," said for families. patiently wait to be invited by Among the visitors were some foods, besides other recreational projects comprise the construc- 66.34Afs Qoqandi. From March till end of Octo- friends and relatives to Qargha for people who told this scribe that things. Its peaceful place with rea- tion of school buildings, com- One Pound Sterling= On the other hand a number of munity center, digging of water ber, Qargha attracts hundreds of hospitality. Many shops, cafes, they wanted to escape the mun- sonable security, which gives you 85.90Afs owners of Afghan industries said local and foreign tourists. Every- cottages and small restaurant were dane life and spend some time amid sense of peace. wells with hand pump, supplies that if government provides the day scores of people go for picnic built in the area in the past ten nature and serenity. Another visitor, Mahmood, of water drinking, agricultural One Euro = necessary support, a large quanti- water canals, water dams, exten- to Qargha Lake, but it becomes a years. “After hard working in a war- said they were amazed by the very sion of water networks, hydro- 72.98Afs ty of imported goods can be pro- very busy place Thursday and Despite rehabilitation, still hit country we have the sense to first scene of the gorgeous lake. He duced in the country. electric dams, protection walls, 1000 Pak Rs = Friday. This place holds transcen- many shortages and lack of facili- take shelter from the busy life, and said that this is really a beautiful culverts, bridges and graveling of "There are lots of problems and dental beauty for nature lovers, ties can be seen. go to some place which gives us and stunning lake giving an exhila- 607Afs if our problems are solved we are rural roads. Approximately, the families and those who want to It is required of the government the inner satisfaction,” said Aha- rating view. The lake is calm and families of more than 90 villages Sale: able to increase our products and enjoy picnic. It lies in near to the to provide further facilities of toi- mad Najeeb, a government em- serene but mysterious and strik- if we got enough support we in different communities had an One US$ = Paghman valley in the lap of green lets, drinking water and also make ployee. ing. “I feel like I am in paradise.” opportunity to gain access to would be able to meet the coun- hills. It is very calm and serene. It proper trail for the tourists and He said that he find solace and However, there are some basic human needs upon com- 66.39 Afs try's requirements," said head of gives visitors a luxury relaxation families which will not only boost spirituality which he need the most spots which are filled with garbage. pletion of these projects. Since One Pound Sterling= Industries Association Sakhi Paim- particularly during evening. tourism but will also help local in Qargha area, adding that “the A team of municipality shall be its inception in Samangan prov- an. 86.15Afs Qargha Lake had less facilities shopkeepers for more incomes. natural beauty of Qargha is incred- directed to keep the area clean and ince, the NSP covered 418 vil- One Euro= These comments come after during the Taliban regime, because Security is good in the area. ible.” “I came along with my green. Most of visitors were com- lages, which so far has been able Pakistan once again closed the bor- families were afraid of going out- Families can go for picnic during friends to Qargha Lake. The view plaining about trashes and lack of to execute 1662 infrastructure 73.15 Afs der at Chaman in Spin Boldak in side for picnic. After collapse of day and night without fearing. here is excellent and with its rides enough trees. projects in different sectors. 1000 Pak Rs= 610 Kandahar Province of Afghanistan. (BNA) TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES China warns India PML-N shying against deploying BrahMos missile away from in Arunachal Pradesh accountability, Weeks after the Indian government cleared the deployment of a spe- cial version of the BrahMos cruise missile in the northeast, China has says PTI warned that such a move would have “a negative influence” on sta- bility along the border. Earlier this month, the cabinet committee on security, which is chaired by Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi, cleared the raising of a The United States is still “figuring more or less on the same agenda”. new regiment to be equipped with out” what to provide Bangladesh But new things have come out an advanced version of the Brah- with in countering terrorism in the like blue economy, she said, refer- Mos developed for mountain war- wake of the July 1 terrorist attack. ring to the Friday’s seminar at the fare at a cost of more than Rs 4,300 Ambassador Marcia Bernicat Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and crore. met Foreign Minister AH Mah- Industry where she spoke on con- The new regiment will be de- mood Ali and Foreign Secretary Md serving oceans. After the July 1 ployed in Arunachal Pradesh, Shahidul Haque on Sunday and attack, in which 20 hostages, most- which is claimed by China. There discussed countering terrorism and ly foreigners, were killed, US Sec- have been several standoffs be- violent extremism. retary of State John Kerry phoned tween Indian and Chinese troops This is her fourth visit to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and along the Line of Actual Control in foreign ministry in the last two sent the Assistant Secretary of recent years. weeks. The annual US-Bangladesh State for South Asia Nisha Desai A commentary over the week- security dialogue is scheduled to Biswal to express Washington’s end in the PLA Daily, the official take place in October in Dhaka. solidarity with Bangladesh. publication of People’s Liberation “We’ve been refining our pack- Biswal, during her visit, of- age and figuring out what we are fered the US expertise to build KARACHI: The Pakistan Te- that the PML-N has become a re- Army, said the deployment of the supersonic cruise missiles could going to provide. First of all what Bangladesh’s capabilities in coun- hreek-e-Insaf’s Karachi chapter gional party. government agencies need,” she tering terrorism. organised a public meeting in the Only the PTI, according to lead to counter-measures by Chi- na. said when waiting journalists asked The government said it would provincial capital as part of its Umar, has the potential to resolve her about the meetings. take cooperation from all “friend- countrywide drive against corrup- the city’s problems. In his anti- “India deploying supersonic missiles on the border has exceed- The foreign ministry did not ly” countries to root out terrorism tion. Led by senior party leader graft rhetoric, Umar did not even issue any statement. and extremism. The foreign minis- Asad Umar, the party’s support- spare the Pakistan Peoples Party, ed its own needs for self-defense and poses a serious threat to Chi- Asked whether she was pur- ter, however, said they would con- ers gathered at Hafta Bazaar saying that far from being the sym- suing any “new agenda” with sider ‘national interest’ and assess ground in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, rais- bol of federalism it is now con- na’s Tibet and Yunnan provinces,” the commentary said. Bangladesh, the ambassador said ‘the need’ before taking any for- ing anti-Nawaz slogans. fined to the interior of Sindh. there was “‘constant evolution of eign help in fighting terrorism Imran calls for Karachi-like PTI will soon come into pow- “Deploying BrahMos missiles operation in Lahore er: Imran Khan PTI Sindh presi- is bound to increase competitive- Umar, while addressing the dent Dr Arif Alvi said people from ness and confrontation in Sino-In- gathering, said: “It seems the rul- Karachi to Ubauro have been wait- dian relations and bring a negative ing party is running away from ing for a call by Imran Khan to join influence to stability of the re- accountability and making excus- his movement against the govern- gion,” it added. es to avoid it.” Umar said Karachi ment. He said the so-called lead- The piece noted other steps has had enough of dirty politics, ers, who consider politics as their taken by India to beef up its capa- adding that a party that has been business, are ‘looters’ and ‘should bilities along the border with Chi- voted into the assemblies has failed not be considered politicians’. na, such as the deployment of RAWALPINDI: Pakistan forces to deliver on its promises made to Party leaders including Imran UAVs and Su-30 combat jets, and have killed 40 terrorists and de- the dwellers of the city “but they Ismail, Najeeb Haroon, Faisal claimed such moves were part of a stroyed 43 hideouts through aerial become rich”. In his view, Karachi Vawda, Dawa Khan Sabir, Khur- policy of “counterbalance and strikes and ground offensives since can only be saved if a federalist ram Sher Zaman and Zunaira Ma- confrontation”. The BrahMos the start of Operation Khyber 3, party sweeps the polls, adding lik also addressed the people. missile “could increase suddenness which began last week in the Raj- and effectivity of attacks”, includ- gal valley of Tirah, a statement by ing “crushing blows on time-sen- the Inter-Services Public Relations sitive targets like missile launch- said on Monday. ers and solid targets like command The statement adds that 21 India floods: centres”. terrorists were also injured in the Referring to descriptions of said time frame. the new version of the BrahMos “Security forces have occu- Several dead and in Indian media reports, including pied passes and are now consoli- the missile’s “excellent dive attack dating their positions up in high capabilities”, the commentary said mountains in Rajgal. During search it “fits in the Sino-Indian border in Damo Drub huge cache of arms thousands rescued where it’s mostly mountain topog- and ammo including IEDs were raphy”. recovered today.” The missile’s “penetration ca- Security forces upped the ante pabilities” poses a threat to Chi- of their offensives in the war na’s border regions, said the com- against militancy in the aftermath mentary by an expert from the of the brutal suicide bombing at PLA Navy’s engineering universi- the Quetta Civil Hospital that tar- ty. However, it added that the geted protesting lawyers. BrahMos missile’s range of 290 km Combing operations against “cannot threaten China’s deep banned organisations suspected of zones”. The Indian Army has so involvement in terrorism were im- far raised three regiments equipped mediately launched in different ar- with two earlier versions of the eas of Quetta and other ares ad- BrahMos, which was jointly de- joining the Pakistan- Afghanistan veloped by India and Russia and border. is named after the Brahmaputra and Pakistan has been fighting a Moskva rivers. The missile has deadly war against terrorism for also been fitted on Indian war- over a decade now, with its forces ships. The new regiment for the engaged in an armed offensive – northeast will have some 100 mis- Operation Zarb-i-Azb – against siles, five mobile autonomous militants in the country's restive Floods across India have killed Diara in Patna in eastern Bihar launchers on heavy-duty trucks northwest border region since more than 30 people and displaced state.Image copyrightAFP and a mobile command post. June 2014. thousands. Central Madhya roofs of their submerged huts, Pradesh state has suffered the high- and houses along the banks of the est death toll with at least 17 peo- river are inundated. ple killed in flood-related incidents, "We are facing a lot of prob- officials said. And in eastern Bihar lems, everything has been sub- state, at least 15,000 people have merged in river. There is no ar- been evacuated from their homes rangement of food, drinking water after a "flood-like situation" in a or boats. We don't know what to dozen districts. Floods are com- do," a resident in Patna city told mon in India during the monsoon Reuters news agency. season between June and Septem- Indian officials look at the ber. But excessive rains this year swollen river Ganges in Allahabad, have caused the Ganges river and India, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016Image TIRUMALA: Senior officials of vehicle and much to the embarrass- chairman Ch Krishnamur- its tributaries to rise above the copyrightAP the Tirumala Tirupati Devastha- ment of senior officials including thy, TTD executive offic- danger level in about 20 districts In the neighbouring state of nams (TTD) on Sunday faced em- the police, the car driver was not er D Sambasiva Rao and in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, the Ganges river has barrassment as the visiting Sri Lan- around. Temple officials searched Tirupati joint executive of- Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. been flowing above the danger ka President Maithripala Sirisena for the driver and after a few min- ficer Pola Bhaskar. At least 13 people have died mark, and people living in low ly- was forced to wait in his car as the utes they found him inside the tem- According to an offi- in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states ing areas have been moving to high- driver did not turn up in time. The ple. The driver reportedly went for cial statement, after the because of drowning, electrocution er ground. incident exposed the lack of coor- the darshan and failed to return in darshan of Lord, the Pres- or injuries sustained after house "Water has been gushing in the dination between the TTD officials time, forcing the VVIP to wait in ident was given holy wa- collapses. area for the last three days. All the and the Tirupati urban district the car. The President's convoy ter - Teertham. He was In Bihar, where at least six riv- land has been inundated with flood police. The local police have or- came from Karnataka. The driver extended `Satari' honours. ers are flowing above the danger water. All the crops have been dam- dered an inquiry into the incident. also hailed from the neighbouring He was also presented mark, thousands of people have aged. Water has started entering Soon after the darshan of the state. The President visited the with `prasadams' and a taken shelter in more than 80 relief our houses," said a villager, Shy- presiding deity, Lord Sri Ven- temple early on Sunday. He was laminated photo of the camps, reports say. am. Rescuers shift residents to saf- kateswara, and temple rituals in accompanied by his wife Jayanthi Lord. The President and Flood affected people sit on er places following floods in the Tirumala, Sirisena was escorted by Pushpa Kumari and son Daham his family members par- the roof of their submerged house River Ganges in Allahabad, India, the TTD officials to his car. The Sirisena. Earlier, on his arrival, ticipated in the Suprab- at Kasimpurchak, near Danapur Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. Sri Lanka President got into the Sirisena was welcomed by TTD hatham Seva.

India is ready to give “all help” sage of Prime Minister Narendra are reserved for un- was the message given to the My- Modi and President Pranab elected soldiers. Inci- anmarese leadership by External Mukherjee. The one-day trip by dentally, Swaraj’s vis- Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Swaraj, accompanied by Foreign it comes just days af- who is in Nay Pyi Daw on the Secretary S Jaishankar and other ter Suu Kyi made a first high-level visit from India af- senior Ministry of External Affairs high-profile trip to ter the new government came to officials, is the first high-level vis- China. power in March following decades it from India since the civilian gov- India and Myan- of military rule. Swaraj, who called ernment took over earlier this year. mar share close rela- on President U Htin Kyaw, also Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of tions with a robust de- held talks with State Counsellor Myanmar and a Nobel laureate velopment coopera- and Foreign Minister Aung San besides being a democracy icon, tion programme in ar- Suu Kyi. thanked Swaraj for the support. eas such as agriculture, Congratulating Suu Kyi for the Banned from becoming president IT, human resource victory in the “first genuine elec- by a junta-era Constitution, Suu development, infra- tion”, Swaraj assured her of “all Kyi has a strong control over the structure develop- help”. “India is committed to country’s first civilian-led govern- ment, culture among strengthening your democratic in- ment. The Constitution effective- others. The visit reaf- stitutions and socio-economic de- ly bans her from the top post as it firms India’s commit- velopment of your people,” Swaraj rules out anyone with foreign-born ment to heighten part- said during her meeting with Suu children or spouses from becom- nership with Myan- Kyi, whose National League for ing president. Suu Kyi married and mar in the areas of pri- Democracy party won a historic had two sons with a British na- ority by the new gov- landslide election last year that fi- tional. The military also retains ernment of Myanmar, nally brought an end to five de- control of the key home, defence External Affairs Min- cades of military rule. and border affairs ministries, while istry spokesperson Swaraj said this was the mes- 25 per cent of parliamentary seats Vikas Swarup said. TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTAN TIMES News-in-Brief Kerry in Kenya to discuss regional security and terrorism

The Kurdish YPG militia launched known as the Asayish of violating a major assault on Monday to seize a ceasefire and said its members the last government-controlled had torched government buildings parts of the northeastern Syrian in Hasaka. It accused the Asayish city of Hasaka after calling on pro- of igniting the violence through es- government militias to surrender, calating “provocations”, including Kurdish forces and residents said. the bombing of army positions in They said Kurdish forces be- Hasaka, and said the Asayish gan the offensive after midnight to aimed to take control of the city. take the southeastern district of “We will not retreat” Nashwa, close to where a security The YPG denied it had entered compound is located near the gov- into a truce. It distributed leaflets ernor’s office close to the heart of and made loudspeaker calls across the city. The powerful YPG mili- the city asking for army personnel tia had earlier captured Ghwairan, and pro-government militias to the only major Arab neighborhood hand over their weapons or face still in government hands. death. “To all the elements of the The fighting this week in Hasa- regime and its militias who are be- ka, which is divided into zones of sieged in the city you are targeted US Secretary of State John Ker- Kurdish and Syrian government by our units,” leaflets distributed ry has arrived in Kenya where control, marks the most violent by the YPG said. he is expected to hold talks with confrontation between the Kurdi- “This battle is decided and we leaders of the East African na- sh YPG militia and Damascus in will not retreat ... We call on you tion focusing on regional securi- more than five years of civil war. to give up your weapons or count ty and extremism. The Syrian army deployed yourselves dead.” Kerry's plane touched down warplanes against the main armed The YPG, known as the Peo- at Jomo Kenyatta International Kurdish group for the first time ple’s Protection Units and which Airport Sunday night, where he during the war last week, prompt- has ties to the Kurdistan Workers was welcomed by Foreign Af- ing a US-led coalition to scramble Party, appeared intent on leaving fairs Minister Amina Moham- aircraft to protect American spe- a nominal Syrian government pres- ed. Presidential spokesman cial operations ground forces. ence confined to within a security Manoah Esipisu had earlier said The YPG is at the heart of a zone in the heart of the city, where Kerry will hold discussions with US-led campaign against ISIS in several key government buildings year to help Damascus regain lost territory and prevent new rebel gains. Kurdish forces have expanded their control of the city despite the bombing President Uhuru Kenyatta on Syria and controls swaths of the are located, Kurdish sources said. of several locations by Syrian jets. Thousands of civilians in the ethnically mixed city, including members of the Christian community, have fled to regional security and stability. north, where Kurdish groups as- The complete loss of Hasaka villages in the countryside as the fighting intensified, residents said. The confrontation appears to have undone tacit understandings between the Esipisu says specific issues sociated with the militia have set would be a big blow to President YPG and the Syrian army that had kept the city relatively calm. Many critics and residents say the YPG was handed weapons and territory by the likely to be discussed include up their own government since the Bashar al-Assad’s government and Syrian army at the start of the conflict as Assad sought to focus on crushing the mainly Sunni Arab rebels who sought to topple him. Hasaka’s stabilizing northern neighbor Syrian war began in 2011. would also dent efforts by Mos- governor told state media after the flare-up of violence the military had armed the YPG with weapons and tanks to fight extremist elements but had South Sudan, which is dealing Syrian state media accused the cow, which had sought through a not expected them to turn against them. Hasaka’s population, swelled by displaced Syrians fleeing areas that fell under ISIS control, is broadly with a recent upheaval, and de- YPG-affiliated security force major military intervention last divided along ethnic lines, with Kurds mainly in the city’s eastern neighborhoods and Arabs in the southern parts. velopments in Somalia and Bu- rundi. Somalia faces key parlia- mentary elections next month and a presidential election in October. Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza won a third term that many consider unconstitu- tional.

The Israeli military carried out a eration was meant “to bring quiet But militants in Gaza occasional- Trump pitches series of airstrikes in the Gaza to the people of southern Israel.” ly launch rockets toward Israel. Strip late Sunday, targeting Hamas He accused Hamas of trying to “in- Israel holds Hamas responsible for softer line on positions in response to a Pales- flict pain, cause fear and to terror- all attacks emanating from the ter- immigration: ‘fair tinian rocket attack that hit an Is- ize” Israelis in the middle of the ritory. Despite Sunday’s flare up, raeli border town earlier in the day. summer vacation period. neither side appears to be inter- and humane’ Palestinian Health Ministry Sunday’s rocket attack struck ested in an escalation. In the south- official Ashraf al-Qidra said two the Israeli border town of Sderot ern Gaza city of Rafah, hundreds Donald Trump’s vow to de- Palestinians, including a 17-year- in the middle of the day and dis- of masked Hamas fighters held a port 11 million undocumented old boy, were lightly wounded. rupted what has been a quiet sum- parade to mark the anniversary of immigrants if elected president Palestinian officials said near- mer in the volatile area. The rocket the deaths of three senior mem- appeared to be undergoing a ly all of the airstrikes took place in landed in a residential area, explod- bers killed during the 2014 war. The shift Sunday as the struggling northern Gaza, near the Israeli bor- ing next to a house. There were no camouflaged fighters displayed Republican candidate reaches der. While most of the attacks tar- injuries. Israel responded quickly rockets, guns and other weapons out to minorities alienated by geted Hamas, the Islamist move- with airstrikes and tank fire, and as they marched. Abu Obeida, a his harsh rhetoric. ment that controls Gaza, one then carried out a second round of spokesman for the group’s mili- The New York real estate struck a military camp used by the airstrikes shortly before midnight. tary wing, said Hamas, which is magnate intends to lay out spe- smaller Islamic Jihad group. Israel and Hamas fought a 50-day sworn to Israel’s destruction, cifics of his immigration plan Lt. Col Peter Lerner, an Israeli war in the summer of 2014. Since would continue its struggle against over the next few weeks, military spokesman, said the op- then, a cease-fire has largely held. Israel until “victory is achieved.” Trump’s new campaign man- ager Kellyanne Conway said. Asked on CNN’s State of the Union whether they will UK plans to tackle Islamist include a “deportation force” that Trump has previously called for, Conway said, “To be determined.” extremism in prisons Trump met with Hispanic supporters at his Trump Tow- The UK government on Monday that run counter to fundamental “I am committed to confront- Iran’s defense minister criticized has carried out three days’ worth Analysts have suggested Rus- er headquarters in New York unveiled plans to tackle Islamist British values. “We do not, how- ing and countering the spread of Russia on Monday for having of strikes from the base. sia potentially leveraged Iran into on Saturday, when several par- extremism in prisons, including ever, believe it is the right course this poisonous ideology behind “kind of show-off and ungentle- Responding to a question about allowing it to use the airfield over ticipants told Spanish-lan- banning offensive literature and of action at present to alter the bars,” she said in a statement. manly” attitude for publicizing why Iran didn’t initially announce either economic or military inter- guage network Univision that removing inmates from worship if provision of worship more gener- In their review, researchers that it used an Iranian air base to Russia’s presence at the airfield, ests, such as Tehran wanting to he said his plan will include they promote beliefs deemed ally or, for example, to pursue in- said some prison imams faced in- launch airstrikes on Syria, the first Dehghan appeared prickly on the purchase Sukhoi-30 fighter jets or finding a way to legalize mil- against “fundamental British val- cell alternatives,” the ministry of timidation, while inmates were sign of government dissent over the state TV broadcast. “Russians are its deployment of Russian S-300 lions of undocumented immi- ues.” justice said. confronted with “aggressive en- unprecedented stationing of foreign interested to show they are a su- air defense missile systems. Rus- grants. Trump acknowledged The justice ministry said ex- A total of eight measures will couragement” to convert to Islam. troops in the Islamic Republic. perpower to guarantee their share sia initially held off on supplying “that there is a big problem tremism in prisons was a growing be introduced, including a review They also identified “charis- The comments by Gen. in political future of Syria and, of the missile system to Tehran amid with the 11 million people who threat which needed to be treated of staff training and the removal of matic IE (Islamist extremist) pris- Hossein Dehghan come after he course, there has been a kind of negotiations over Iran’s contested are here, and that deporting as an “urgent priority”. literature considered extremist and oners acting as self-styled 'emirs' chastised parliament this weekend show-off and ungentlemanly (at- nuclear program. them is neither possible nor “For the highest risk terrorists offensive. and exerting a controlling and rad- for asking questions about Russia titude) in this field,” he said. Over the weekend, photo- humane,” Univision quoted and radicalizers, the government The government said it had icalizing influence on the wider using the Shahid Nojeh Air Base His remarks also suggest Rus- graphs of President Hassan Jacob Monty, a Texas immi- will use all the measures at its dis- additionally created a new depart- Muslim prison population”. to refuel its bombers striking Syr- sia and Iran initially agreed to keep Rowhani were published in Irani- gration lawyer who attended posal, including separation from ment – the Security, Order and The review found both Mus- ia. His remarks Monday, reported Moscow’s use of the air base qui- an state media near a Bavar-373 the meeting, as saying. the mainstream prison population, Counter Terrorism Directorate – lim and non-Muslim inmates were by state television, signal officials et. Its announcement likely will missile defense system. That sys- to contain their risk and prevent which will be in charge of devel- vulnerable to radicalization and beginning to recognize how un- force a response from Iran’s Sun- tem is designed to be the local the spread of poisonous ideologies. oping the plan to counter Islamist called for leadership to ensure popular the decision could be with ni-ruled Mideast neighbors, which equivalent of the S-300 - perhaps USdecries ‘ “Extremists cannot be allowed extremism in prisons. Muslim prisoners could safely the public. There was no immedi- host American military personnel. an Iranian signal back to Moscow to prey on the vulnerable,” the The new plans follow a review practice their faith: ate response from Moscow. For Iran, allowing Russia to that it’s capable of defending itself cowardly’ twin ministry said in a response accom- commissioned by the former jus- “Throughout the review the Last week, Russia announced launch strikes from inside the coun- without the Russian missile sys- panying the review on extremism tice minister, Michael Gove, which team emphasized the importance it used the airfield some 50 kilo- try is likely to prove unpopular. tem. bombings in in prisons. New measures to be saw a team visit more than 60 pris- of faith to prisoners, and its po- meters (31 miles) north of the Ira- Many still remember how Russia, In his comments Monday, Somalia brought in include greater vetting ons in the UK, France, the Neth- tential to transform lives for the nian city of Hamedan. Iranian of- alongside Britain, invaded and oc- Dehghan said the Bavar-373 can of prison chaplains and tighter erlands and Spain. better. ficials only confirmed Russia’s cupied Iran during World War II to hit targets at the height of 27 kilo- controls on worship. Gove’s successor, Elizabeth “Its premise was that Islam- presence a day later. secure oil fields and Allied supply meters (16.7 miles) - the same The White House expressed On Monday, state TV quoted lines. But while Britain withdrew, height the S-300 can reach. “When outrage Sunday over twin explo- “We will ensure that governors Truss, threw her support behind ism -- a politicized, expansionist use their existing powers to re- the overhaul. “Islamist extremism version of Islam -- is more ideolo- Dehghan as saying that Russia Russia refused to leave, sparking we make Bavar-373 operational, sions which claimed the lives of “will use the base for a very short the first international rebuke by we will not need to purchase an- at least 10 people in central So- move prisoners from corporate is a danger to society and a threat gy than faith, and is driven by in- worship where they are behaving to public safety -- it must be de- tolerance and anti-Western senti- and fixed span, corresponding (to) the nascent United Nations Secu- other high-altitude and long-range malia, condemning the attacks as operation in Syria.” So far, Russia rity Council in 1946. air defense system,” he said. “cowardly.” subversively or promoting beliefs feated wherever it is found. ment.” “The United States strong- ly condemns the terrorist attacks in Puntland, Somalia,” read a statement from the National Se- curity Council, which advises President Barack Obama. A new poll of Israelis and Pales- on either side willing or capable of In contrast, just 45 percent of Pal- Shikaki’s Palestinian Center for don’t see on the horizon a leader said she was surprised by the high- “Today’s cowardly attacks tinians released on Monday found using this as a springboard for in- estinians fear Israelis. Hermann Policy and Survey Research. A new on either side willing or capable of er fear level on the Israeli side, and targeting Puntland security forc- that a slim majority on both sides tensifying the negotiations. But it’s said she was surprised by the high- poll of Israelis and Palestinians using this as a springboard for in- cited a number of factors. She said es, government officials, and ci- still favor a peace settlement es- not impossible.” The poll found er fear level on the Israeli side, and released on Monday found that a tensifying the negotiations. But it’s many Israelis have no contact with vilians are another attempt by tablishing a Palestinian state along- that 51 percent of Palestinians and cited a number of factors. She said slim majority on both sides still not impossible.” The poll found Palestinians, making it easier to terrorists to weaken Somalia side Israel, despite years of con- 59 percent of Israelis still support many Israelis have no contact with favor a peace settlement establish- that 51 percent of Palestinians and “dehumanize the other side.” She ahead of its historic scheduled flict and deadlock in negotiations. a two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinians, making it easier to ing a Palestinian state alongside 59 percent of Israelis still support also said a recent wave of violence political transition this autumn The results of the joint poll may Palestinian conflict. On the Israeli “dehumanize the other side.” She Israel, despite years of conflict and a two-state solution to the Israeli- had jolted Israeli society, which had toward greater representation,” provide some small signs of en- side, 53 percent of Jews support also said a recent wave of violence deadlock in negotiations. The re- Palestinian conflict. On the Israeli been more insulated from the con- the statement said. couragement when peace pros- the establishment of an indepen- had jolted Israeli society, which had sults of the joint poll may provide side, 53 percent of Jews support flict than Palestinians living under “We join international ex- pects appear bleak. dent Palestinian state. Among Is- been more insulated from the con- some small signs of encouragement the establishment of an indepen- Israeli occupation. In addition, she pressions of outrage against The last round of negotiations rael’s Arab minority, the number flict than Palestinians living under when peace prospects appear dent Palestinian state. Among Is- said Israeli leaders - by painting these brutal terrorist acts,” the broke down two years ago, and a is much higher, at 87 percent. Con- Israeli occupation. In addition, she bleak. The last round of negotia- rael’s Arab minority, the number the Palestinians as “utterly hos- White House continued, offer- resumption of talks, much less versely, just 34 percent of Pales- said Israeli leaders - by painting tions broke down two years ago, is much higher, at 87 percent. Con- tile” - and Israeli media reports had ing condolences to the loved progress between the sides, at this tinians and 20 percent of Israelis the Palestinians as “utterly hos- and a resumption of talks, much versely, just 34 percent of Pales- contributed to the atmosphere. ones of the victims. point seems unlikely. support the idea of a single shared tile” - and Israeli media reports had less progress between the sides, at tinians and 20 percent of Israelis “The only images the average Is- “We will continue to stand Tamar Hermann, an Israeli state where they are both citizens contributed to the atmosphere. this point seems unlikely. Tamar support the idea of a single shared raeli, and I suppose the average by Somalia in its fight against political scientist who conducted with equal rights. After two de- “The only images the average Is- Hermann, an Israeli political sci- state where they are both citizens Palestinian, gets are the negative terrorism and extremism and the survey with Palestinian poll- cades of failed peace efforts, and raeli, and I suppose the average entist who conducted the survey with equal rights. The poll found ones,” she said. The survey inter- support Somalis in their quest ster Khalil Shikaki, said that under nearly a year of low-level violence, Palestinian, gets are the negative with Palestinian pollster Khalil that 89 percent of Palestinians feel viewed 1,270 Palestinians and for a peaceful, inclusive, and the current circumstances, the re- distrust is strong. The poll found ones,” she said. The survey inter- Shikaki, said that under the cur- Israeli Jews are untrustworthy, 1,184 Israelis in June, and had a prosperous future.” Al-Shabaab sults were “not amazingly encour- that 89 percent of Palestinians feel viewed 1,270 Palestinians and rent circumstances, the results while 68 percent of Israeli Jews margin of error of 3 percentage militant group has claimed re- aging,” but also “not discouraging.” Israeli Jews are untrustworthy, 1,184 Israelis in June, and had a were “not amazingly encouraging,” held similar opinions toward the points. It was conducted by the sponsibility for the blasts in the “It showed there is still some ba- while 68 percent of Israeli Jews margin of error of 3 percentage but also “not discouraging.” “It Palestinians. It also found that 65 Israel Democracy Institute, where town of Galkayo, some 700 ki- sis for optimism with the right held similar opinions toward the points. It was conducted by the showed there is still some basis percent of Israelis fear Palestinians. Hermann is a senior fellow, and lometers (440 miles) northeast leadership,” she said. “Right now Palestinians. It also found that 65 Israel Democracy Institute, where for optimism with the right lead- In contrast, just 45 percent of Pal- Shikaki’s Palestinian Center for of Mogadishu. I don’t see on the horizon a leader percent of Israelis fear Palestinians. Hermann is a senior fellow, and ership,” she said. “Right now I estinians fear Israelis. Hermann Policy and Survey Research. TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

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

AFGHANISTAN TIMES Editor: Abdul Saboor Sarir Phone No: +93-772364666 E-mail: [email protected] By Immanuel Ness workers primarily through parlia- In the late 1980s the pivotal As in previous eras, poverty Email: [email protected] ment in a system that confers factor motivating the South Afri- and inequality are related to gen- The examples of China, India and standing and provides legitimacy. can government to end the apart- der, race, ethnicity, caste, religion South Africa reveal that industrial In the post-independence era, heid system was the need to join and other social divisions. www.afghanistantimes.af workers are engaged in direct ac- trade unions in India have been the global capitalist economy. Wage inequality and job inse- Photojournalist: M. Sadiq Yusufi tion against institutionalized ex- unable to end the system of con- Trade sanctions were restraining curity have increased in the North ploitation in various arenas, and tract labor, which allowed indus- economic growth in its major in- since the 1970s, but poverty and are making demands that are re- trialists to employ contract labor- dustries, minerals and auto manu- inequality are far higher among Advisory editorial board shaping traditional unions. ers alongside permanent workers, facturing. workers in the modern manufac- China and to use the caste system to By 1990, however, the South turing industries of Asia, Africa Saduddin Shpoon, Dr. Sharif Fayez, Dr. Sultana Parvanta, Dr. Sharifa Sharif, The Chinese model of indus- maintain employment segregation African economy was shifting to- and Latin America. Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Setara Delawari, Ahmad Takal trialization, which took root in the and thereby divide the workforce. ward export promotion and be- In the South, newly proletar- late 1980s and has matured in the Following the introduction of coming increasingly interdepen- ianized workers labor in factories, 2010s, is founded on the ability free-market reforms in the 1990s, dent with the world economy. The mines and plantations, typically Graphic-Designer: to produce quality products for Indian employers and the state post-apartheid government con- with little or no job security, and Edriss Akbari, Bilal Yusufi export at the lowest possible cost. have sought to diminish the influ- ferred political rights on South in many cases are represented by A large reserve army of labor was ence of trade unions in the indus- Africa’s black majority without unions that are unable to negoti- Marketing & Advertising: generated by establishing indus- trial sector as a means to attract granting them equivalent economic ate for contract or temporary la- Mohammad Parwiz Arian, 0708954626, 0778894038 tries in strategic geographic logis- foreign capital. rights. bor. tical hubs and by forcing the rural With foreign investment flow- Moreover, the government Meanwhile traditional trade Mailing address: P.O. Box: 371, Kabul, Afghanistan peasantry off the land, creating ing into the non-union private sec- put off significant wage increases unions, an inheritance of twenti- inequality in urban areas. Exten- tor, the government withdrew eco- to the industrial working class in eth-century European and North Our Bank Accounts: Azizi Bank: 000101100258091 / 000101200895656 sive industrialization and modern- nomic support for the unionized the very mining and manufactur- American models, contribute to Printed at Afghanistan Times Printing Press ization has significant ramifica- state-owned sector, decreasing ing industries that were crucial to the marginalization of workers in tions for class relations and the membership and the influence of the South African economy. Pov- the Global South, by supporting evolving class conflict. To pro- trade unions in electoral politics. erty, unemployment and inequal- their incorporation into dominant mote FDI the public sector was Independent unions established on ity have increased. bureaucratic state structures reorganized and free markets es- a plant-by-plant basis are unable In South Africa the corporat- where at best union leaders are The constitution says tablished, causing major protests to negotiate national agreements ist system has failed to represent relegated to a subordinate and con- in older urban industries of the and rely primarily on strikes and the interests of the working class, sultative position, and more typ- Chinese northeast. direct action to improve wages and especially workers in the mining ically they are ignored. Further- Article 110: The Communist Party of Chi- workplace conditions. and manufacturing sectors. CO- more, traditional unions are com- Article One Hundred Ten: The Loya Jirga is the highest manifestation of the will of na (CPC) and the labor confeder- The wave of sit-down strikes SATU, South Africa’s leading mitted to preserving and improv- the people of Afghanistan. The Loya Jirga consists of: 1. Members of the National ation ACFTU dominate the land- in India from 2012 to 2014 has trade union federation, is con- ing the wages and conditions cov- scape and prohibit the formation been met with harsh violence by trolled by the Tripartite Alliance, ered by past agreements for a priv- Assembly; 2. Presidents of the provincial as well as district assemblies. Ministers, of all independent organizations; corporate security and state po- which has dominated the political ileged few members, while ignor- Chief Justice and members of the Supreme Court as well as the attorney general workers were typically seen as lice, but the strikes are neverthe- sphere in the post-apartheid era. ing the majority of workers who shall participate in the Loya Jirga sessions without voting rights. subservient and incapable of or- less becoming ubiquitous in the The Alliance has not opposed the are not core members. ganizing independently. EPZs. government’s neoliberal policies, Workers can no longer rely on However, the expansion of By rejecting the contract sys- which permitted labor-contracting bureaucratic union leaders to de- legal protection covering migrant tem and demanding equal status arrangements to create multi-tier fend them. Authentic worker workers in new export promotion for all employees, the Maruti-Su- wage systems. struggles proceed from industrial industries has ignited a militant zuki Workers Union in Gurgaon South Africa has witnessed workers themselves, who are both workers’ movement that has wit- has challenged the Indian model the emergence of the AMCU, a building independent unions and, nessed a wave of strikes in the of production that rests on accen- wholly new union in the mining where the workers’ organizations foreign-dominated export sector tuating worker divisions. Solidar- sector that has arisen in response they build are not officially rec- between 2010 and 2015. Without ity served the interests of all the to the unwillingness of the NUM ognized, challenging existing labor official unions and intermediaries, workers: full-timers would not be to represent mine workers against unions to represent their interests. and without laws defining the threatened by a subservient work- multinational mining companies, It is the development of worker precise terms of work stoppages, force and informal workers would and that opposes government co- radicalism that will shape the form Political environment workers are free to strike over a gain equal rights and wages through operation with management. and survival of decaying tradition- range of grievances on a local level a union that did not distinguish Worker self-organizing expanded al unions. In the absence of recog- Disagreement among political groups and leaders on the policies is and increasingly these have been between workers on the basis of across South Africa’s mining sec- nized unions, the results of these articulated in public protests and their status. The state responded tor from 2009 to 2014, culminat- rank-and-file struggles are not a rare thing. Differences among the parties and policymakers on mass strikes that extend beyond with mass repression, violence and ing in a five-month nationwide mixed—but the empirical evi- the mechanism regarding resolving the outstanding challenges add to local factories. imprisonment. strike of platinum miners against dence drawn from research in Chi- In new export industries, On the whole, the nature of mining conglomerates. na, India and South Africa dem- the beauty of democracy. Differences of opinion on issues of na- women workers who have recent- established unions remains un- The worker insurgency onstrates that these movements ly migrated are emerging as im- changed. As a consequence unions spread to the auto and electronics are gaining traction and are achiev- tional importance shall not been seen as a divider but multiplier. It portant participants in resistance are losing membership and over industries, where the main union, ing real wage gains and improve- against contractors. 90 percent of all Indian workers NUMSA, recognized the need to ment in conditions. helps the governments to look at a complete picture. Therefore, dem- While ruling out the formation are employed in the informal sec- represent the interests of exclud- The evidence drawn from the ocratic states give due importance to every opinion. Democratic forces of organizations that may be con- tor and do not have union repre- ed workers or risk the same fate Global South is that a profound trolled by foreign non-governmen- sentation. as the NUM. In November 2014, movement is emerging among encourage healthy criticism. Elected leaders always respect the man- tal organizations (NGOs), the The independent Bigul Maz- NUMSA distanced itself from the workers demanding action on CPC and ACFTU have expanded door Dasta (BMD) has been at position of the ruling African Na- grievances outside the system of date. They are not afraid of losing power because they know public labor law to protect migrant work- the cutting edge of worker mobili- tional Congress in support of established unions. ers and their families, and have zation and strikes. BMD was cru- multinational capital and mobi- Workers’ movements are op- will put weight behind them if they were on the right path as we have urged local governments to re- cial in mass strikes in India, in- lized workers in key industries. erating within the interstices of seen recently in Turkey when people flooded the streets to support spond to worker demands for cluding the Wazipur iron and steel The union was expelled from the existing trade union structures, higher wages, benefits and living factory in North Delhi. It mobi- COSATU labor federation. In with or without the sanction of democracy. conditions. lizes the informal majority of foot- May of this year, NUMSA has the unions. Rank-and-file work- Chinese rank-and-file activ- loose workers within urban slums, joined forces with 17 other unions ers in industries are forming inde- Afghanistan is no exception when it comes to practicing democ- ists operate outside of the tradi- where the vast majority live. to form an independent federation pendent associations and compel- tional ACFTU structures and rec- Thus far, government-recognized of workers to fight against con- ling existing unions to represent racy. The country is already democratic because the culture of jirga ognize that militancy can be suc- national unions have not chal- cessions and multinational corpo- their interests. or public council is as old as the hills. No one has the ultimate power cessful without establishing a lenged the contracting system in rations, which dominate the South To build on these struggles, competing party or union, but India. African state. workers will need a disciplined and in the jirga system. Interests of the community are always preferred through direct struggle on the job Worker organizing continues The Future of Trade Unions strong class-based organization. It and within communities. to involve only the full-timers, Today trade unions in the Glo- is in the interest of capital to un- in the council meetings. Individuals or chieftains do not possess the Despite compulsory member- which exposes it to challenges bal South are at a historic cross- dermine trade unions of any form. ship in the ACFTU, striking work- from independent labor organiza- road that will determine their fu- Eventually the worker mobiliza- ultimate power. The power is vested in the local communities. In ers in wildcat strikes have gained tions. These will become the cen- ture viability. tion that is taking place both in- Afghanistan, even the Constitution has been approved and amended the capacity to push the federa- ter of struggle in the years to come. We are deafened by the man- side and outside established struc- tion and the state to represent and Unlike the BMD, which has tra that all unions need to do is tures will cohere into disciplined by the Loya Jirga. Therefore, the country is relatively more demo- enforce their interests. Industrial gained growing prominence in grow larger so they can advance organizations. workers in export industries are 2015 and 2016 by organizing mass worker interests. In fact, capital- But each of the struggles dem- cratic than other countries. expanding the scope of strikes and walkouts, the dominant unions ist globalization constrains the onstrates that the time when are benefiting from the initiation are unable to solve crucial issues capacity of unions to adapt to workers can be taken for granted However, the recent statements of the Chief Executive Officer of labor laws that place the mi- facing workers for a number of changing conditions in the con- or ignored is over. Workers’ move- Abdullah Abdullah and President Ashraf Ghani have been seen as a grant workers who have dominat- reasons: unfamiliarity with the temporary era. Trade unions are ments are emerging, and will ex- ed the industrial working class in conditions of workers in India’s becoming outmoded under neolib- pand to contest the legitimacy of great threat to the unstable national unity government. If the two the same position as other mem- burgeoning urban slums; the ex- eral capitalist industrialization capital, the state, and existing bers of the union. pansion and the perpetuation of a across the South. unions.—(Truthout) leaders have the element of patience then it is a minor issue. There In a growing number of cases, contract system for the vast ma- While unions are under attack Immanuel Ness is the author rank-and-file committees have jority of workers, often on the by the state and capital, they are of Southern Insurgency: The should always be debate on how to develop the country and solve been effective in advancing work- basis of caste, gender and age; and also losing their credibility with Coming of the Global Working the major challenges. Such debates will strengthen foundation of the er interests when local unions fail fierce opposition to unionization workers. Given the origin of Class (Pluto 2016). He is on the to represent their members. by capital and the state. In re- unions within the political and le- faculty of political science at democracy. Deviation from policy path on which the two leaders India sponse to the obstacles to joining gal frameworks of independence Brooklyn College, City Universi- Since independence in 1947, existing unions, workers are form- and anti-capitalist struggles, it re- ty of New York and at the Centre agreed could result in collapse of the unity government. A great deal trade union federations affiliated ing independent unions to repre- mains an open question whether for Social Change, University of with political parties have repre- sent their interests. specific unions will survive and Johannesburg. hangs on consensus in the halls of power on key issues such as sented public and private sector South Africa even perhaps thrive in the future. (Continued) electoral reforms and amendment in the Constitution to carve out the prime minister position. The government will come under crippling pressure from several directions if the leaders failed to build consensus and respect opin- ions of each other. They shall not act like skeptics but let the healthy criticism to flow in. It is a key to survival of the current government which is seemed to live on the edge of violence. Failures of the leaders to deliver on their promises have kept back the political sys- tem from becoming a mature and functioning democratic entity. At this critical juncture, only patience and dialogues can rescue the government and the country from crisis. Therefore, both the president and the chief executive should engage in dialogues to fulfill their promises which they had made in presidential campaigns. We shall promote a tolerant political environment. Subscription Rates Fee Categories Afghanistan Times Annual Afg: 3600 at your door step For fast delivery service Six Months Afg: 1800 Afghanistan Times seeks the names, addresses of your International Organization $200 per year organizations and the number of copies you want. TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES From sporadic to systematic Russia’s Eurasian iden tity ISIL attacks in Turkey Weddin g bo m bin g highlights n eed to fin d a po litical settle- as part o f its strategy ment to the Syrian crisis and Turkey's Kurdish problems. By Lu ke Co ffe y countries around the Caspian - a Moscow-Tehran-Damascus agen- the country where many ethnic sea whose legal status and owner- da in the Middle East. Central Asia Russians live. Strategic thinking As Moscow continues its aggres- ship of resources is disputed - that on NATO's doorstep Finally, last What do these three recent events sive behaviour towards Eastern Russia is the dominant military week Russia held the first ever tell us about Russian foreign poli- Europe and expands its air cam- power. Also it allowed Russia to Collective Security Treaty Organ- cy? Putin is able to think strategi- paign in support of President test both the cruise missiles and isation (CSTO) training exercises cally, using all hard and soft pow- Bashar al-Assad in Syria, its abil- the corvette from which they were along the border of NATO. The er tools to promote Russian for- ity to use its status as a Eurasian fired in a real-life combat setting. CSTO is a Moscow-led collective eign policy interests. To the aver- power to advance its foreign pol- Russia knows that it is easier security organisation that includes age Western observer, Russia's re- icy goals in these regions has gone to export "combat-tested" equip- Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, cent actions in the Caspian, Iran virtually unnoticed by Western ment and Moscow is eager to ex- Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The or its CSTO military exercise are policymakers. Russian President port both to boost its defence in- fact that the CSTO held a major viewed as three different and un- Vladimir Putin has leveraged Rus- dustry. Iranian airbase Second military exercise is nothing new. related things. For Putin, Russia's sian influence in one region to ad- demonstrator was the recent an- What is noteworthy, however, is actions in these three regions are vance its interests in another. nouncement that Russia is using that the exercise took place in Rus- parts of an interconnected and de- Three recent actions best demon- bases in Iran to carry out air strikes sia's Pskov oblast, which borders liberate grand strategy. Notwith- strate this. The first demonstra- in Syria. From strictly a military NATO members Estonia and standing the possible violation of tor of such leverage is Russia's use point of view this makes perfect Latvia. OPINION: Russia's emerg- UN Security Council 2231 over of the Caspian Sea for its opera- sense. In the past, Russian bomb- ing naval presence in the Mediter- Russia's use of bases in Iran, there tions in Syria. The Caspian Sea ers made the journey to Syria all ranean This is the first time that a is nothing to suggest that any of sits on a crucial crossroads locat- the way from bases in the North CSTO training exercise has taken these three actions were wrong. ed at the heart of the Eurasian con- Caucasus. The extra fuel needed place so close to a NATO border. Indeed, the United States and tinent and throughout history has to make the long return trip meant Unsurprisingly this training exer- NATO do similar things. The US had an important geopolitical sig- that the planes carried fewer cise has raised eyebrows across and its allies use air bases in the nificance for Russia. Over the past bombs. Using the Iranian airbase European capitals when consider- region to strike targets in Syria. several months Russian ships at Hamadan allows Russian bomb- ing some of the bellicose rhetoric And NATO holds exercises not far forming part of the Caspian Flo- ers to be significantly closer to tar- coming from the Kremlin towards from Russia's borders. As they say, tilla have fired dozens of cruise gets in Syria. This means more the Baltic states. This CSTO train- imitation is the sincerest form of missiles hitting targets 1,500km sorties and more bombs that can ing exercise indicates a number of flattery. It is when you place Rus- away in Syria. Moscow chose the be dropped. But more than that, things about Moscow's influence sia's recent activities into a larger Caspian for these launches even Moscow and Tehran are sending a in the former Soviet Union. context of regional aggression - such though alternative sites much clos- strong signal to Washington and It is telling that Russia was as in Ukraine - that there is cause er to Syria are available. So why the Arab Sunni world about their able to get troops from Kazakh- for concern. Luke Coffey is a re- would Russia go through the ex- place in the ongoing competition stan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyr- search fellow specialising in trans- tra trouble of launching from the for power and influence in the gyzstan, and Tajikistan to partici- atlantic and Eurasian security at a These attacks are directly related to ISIL's fight with Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq, writes Dalay [EPA] Caspian? In reality, Russia's use Middle East. pate in war games so close to Washington DC-based think-tank. of the Caspian had very little to While the Russian use of the NATO's border. Especially for a He previously served as a special By Galip D alay quake by hitting Turkey's ethnic opposition to the PKK and its po- do with Syria itself and a lot to do airbase may be temporary, it country like Kazakhstan which it- adviser to the British defence sec- and sectarian faultlines. Foment- litical affiliates. with Russia's role in the region. should be recognised as part of a self has concerns about Moscow retary and was a commissioned of- On August 20, a suicide bomber, ing ethnic tension seems to be one Since Huda-Par also champi- These strikes proved to the other long-term effort to promote a meddling in the northern part of ficer in the United States Army. reportedly aged between 12 and of ISIL's main goals in Turkey. Ex- ons Kurdish national rights, the 14, carried out a deadly attack at a amples of this type of attacks in- nature of its disagreement with the wedding party in the southeast clude the Suruc, Diyarbakir and PKK has acquired more of an ideo- city of Gaziantep in Turkey. Ankara train station bombings.The logical colour than a national one. Is Brazil’s governm ent rolling back w om en’s rights? The Islamic State of Iraq and recent Gaziantep attacks also fit The PKK's dominance of the the Levant (ISIL, also known as into the framework of this second Kurdish political scene, its heavy- After Dilma Rousseff's impeachment, Brazil has seen a regression in its policies towards women. ISIS) remains the prime suspect, category of ISIL attacks. handed and authoritarian style cou- though it hasn't formally claimed In this type of attacks, ISIL pled with its top-down project of By Kimberley Brown ing for women's rights groups. Sev- former minister of the secretariat of boost was also revealed just weeks responsibility. Nor, however, has has often targeted Kurds within secularisation has created further eral of the ministries that were policies for women, in a recent in- after his government proposed a it yet claimed responsibility for the sphere of the Kurdish nation- grievances among Kurdish politi- Sao Paulo, Brazil - In an abandoned slashed were those that promoted terview with local media Brasil 247. plan to overhaul the Bolsa Familia any of the attacks it has carried alist movement. cal Islamists. building in the centre of Brazil's equal rights for women and black "Women, especially the poor, were programme and decrease the num- out in Turkey. The incident left These attacks are directly re- These grievances are ripe for financial centre of Sao Paulo, Marli communities, including the Minis- the main beneficiaries of economic ber of recipients - what local media carnage in its wake, with 54 dead lated to ISIL's fight with Kurdish radicalisation, and ISIL is aware of Aguiar and a group of black wom- tries of Racial Equality, Human and social policies inaugurated by said could eliminate up to 10.5 mil- and 94 injured. groups in Syria and Iraq. The Syr- this potential and is actively try- en have come together to talk about Rights, and Women - which were all Lula and continue … under the lion families, or 39 million people, Two types of attacks ian Civil War and the fight between ing to exploit it. one thing: what to do about Bra- folded into the Ministry of Justice. [Rousseff] government," she added. from the programme. The Minis- In recent years, Turkey has ISIL and the Kurdistan Workers' In a sense, ISIL is attempting zil's new interim government. Af- This alone is a cause of concern for Its biggest success stories include the try of Social and Agrarian Develop- been one of the primary targets of Party (PKK), and it Syrian off- to position itself within existing ter only weeks in power, it has women's rights groups since it elim- Bolsa Familia programme, created in ment (which now oversees the Bol- ISIL attacks. But these attacks can shoot YPG, have been major radi- intra-Kurdish feuds. Hence, its become clear that this new admin- inated the key post in charge of pro- 2003, which distributes monthly sa Familia), told Al Jazeera in an be divided into two categories: The calising factors in Turkey. activities in Turkey are now be- istration will be a "disaster" for moting and protecting their rights. payments to poor families, under the email that Temer's government "is first category consists of attacks The derailment of the Kurdish coming more systematic and fo- women's rights, they say - partic- It also closed down any policy ne- condition that the children attend not making cuts to social pro- that target mostly non-Turkish peace process in July 2015 and cused on certain groups. ularly for black, working-class gotiations and proposals that the school and get regular health check- grammes". However, the press of- groups, or at least aren't exclusive- ensuing low-intensity warfare has No quick fix women. "This is a patriarchal and previous Ministry of Women was ups. The payment is given to the fice added, the ministry has "pro- ly aimed at Turkish targets. further added dynamism to this There is no quick fix for deal- machista society," says Aguiar, engaged in. According to Aguiar, the woman of the family because they posed a review of the social bene- The Sultanahmet, Istiklal process of radicalisation. ing with the ISIL threat in Turkey. while the women nod in agreement. MMM had long been negotiating are more reliable, according to the fits with the objective of ensuring it Street, and Ataturk Airport inci- This is an alarming trend that The country will remain vulnera- "We've fought against this for years more progressive policies with the policy. As a result, 93 percent of the reaches those people who really dents all fall under this first cate- needs to be reversed. Compared ble and exposed to ISIL attacks, and achieved successes, but now Ministry of Women, particularly on beneficiaries are women [PDF], with have a right to it". The ministry also gory of attacks. German tourists, with the first category, the attacks given its proximity to the birth- they're taking all that away." Agu- issues of legalising abortion and 68 percent of those being black wom- stated that "women continue to be a largely Israeli group and other in the second show more signs of place of the armed group and its iar is referring to the interim gov- prostitution. Aguiar admits that en. The programme has also been the focus of social policies for this international targets, and by exten- durability, leading to long-term main bases in Iraq and Syria. ernment of Michel Temer, which those conversations were advanc- found to empower women by giving government". But Temer has al- sion the Turkish citizens around consequences. This threat is generational and took power in May after the sen- ing slowly under the PT govern- them authority over their own bank ready dismantled a more recent law them as well, were the victims of With these attacks and related requires a multifaceted approach. ate voted to suspend, and ulti- ment, but at least they were begin- accounts and a greater role in family created in 2013 that allowed domes- these attacks. political calculations, ISIL appears In this respect, the priority should mately impeach, President Dilma ning to see a "tiny opening" for more leadership. Some studies also show tic workers - who are predominant- The rationale for these attacks to be aiming to change from being now be to contain and reduce the Rousseff. In his short time in of- progressive policies, she says. that it has given them greater inde- ly black women - to have labour vary and may include Turkey's a foreign terrorist threat to becom- level of threat that the group is able fice, Temer has already made sev- "With this new government, we will pendence from their husbands, in a rights on par with the rest of soci- overall Syria policy, its support ing a domestic one, with far-reach- to pose, in the hope that this will eral changes to public spending as never get in to negotiate or even country where the domestic violence ety for the first time in Brazilian for the Syrian opposition, its co- ing and frightening implications. pave the way to reducing its ca- part of his plans to overhaul the present proposals," she adds. The rate is one of the highest in the world. history. When it was released, UN operation with the United States Intra-Kurdish dynamics Inside pacity to cause harm in the medi- economy and balance the budget. new Minister of Justice, Alexandre Another programme called Minha Women praised the new bill, saying within the framework of the anti- Turkey, ISIL has moved from its um to long term. These include harsh spending caps de Moraes - whose ministry will Casa, Minha Vida (My House, My it "corrects a historical debt to mil- ISILcoalition, and potential coop- previous pattern of random and In the meantime, besides law- on social programmes, reducing la- now be in charge of women's rights Life), created in 2009, was developed lions of Brazilian women and will eration with Russia against the sporadic attacks to a more system- enforcement operations and de- bour rights, and closing government issues - was accused of having con- to help people on low incomes to generate economic growth for the group after the recent mending of atic one. While attempting to set- radicalisation initiatives, the polit- ministries - all of which have con- nections with organised crime in his buy their own house. Almost 80 per- country". However, Temer has re- ties between the two countries. tle its accounts with the PKK in ical class and society at large should tributed to major gains in women's previous position as Sao Paulo's cent of these beneficiaries are wom- pealed the clauses of the law that Horeover, as ISIL is squeezed Turkey - arising from the conflict demonstrate resilience and unity. rights over the years. "The situa- Minister for Public Security and en. Since 2004, universities have also guaranteed domestic workers access in Syria and Iraq, it seeks more des- in Syria and Iraq - it also tries to In the knowledge that these tion right now is critical," says having a history of ordering the mil- been using affirmative action poli- to social security, payment for perately to establish a presence capitalise on anti-PKK resentment attacks are aimed at creating op- Aguiar, who has been regularly at- itary police to use excessive force cies, mainly through scholarship wrongful dismissal and the guaran- elsewhere. Paradoxically, the more in certain Kurdish quarters. A sig- posing political and societal blocs, tending the anti-Temer protests against protesters and social move- programmes and quota systems for teed payment for time served, ISIL is squeezed at home, the great- nificant number of the ISIL sui- the government and opposition and sit-ins that have been taking ments. But even more concerning accepting low-income and non-white known as FGTS funds, stating that er the level of security threat that cide bombers who attacked Kurd- should maintain their unity and place almost every day in Sao Pau- for women is the new head of the students. These include programmes employers found them too costly. it poses for Turkey, as some dis- ish gatherings are also ethnic cohesion that they have displayed lo. Women have been leading the Secretariat of Policies for Women, such as ProUni, which provides "We will see a lot of losses, and very placed militants will seek a pres- Kurds. This intra-Kurdish rivalry in the face of the failed July 15 fight to see Temer removed from now operating within this ministry. scholarships for low-income stu- fast," said Aguiar, "and that's why ence elsewhere, while the group as isn't new. In the 1990s, a group coup attempt - but the government office, calling his policies a dan- This role was assumed by Fatima dents, Fies, which offers low-inter- we're asking people to mobilise, in- a whole will aim to assert that they called Kurdish Hezbollah, which should also bring in the pro-Kurd- gerous step backwards. One of the Pelaes, a former congresswoman for est college loans, and Pronatec, an- cluding taking to the street, to get are still a force to be reckoned with is widely believed to have been en- ish Peoples' Democratic Party as more popular slogans seen at dem- the state of Amapa, who is opposed other low-interest loan system for rid of this government, which is not through engaging in deadly terror- couraged by elements within the well. onstrations has been "Ser Mujer to the decriminalisation or legalisa- technical and mechanical courses. our government." 'The process is a ist activities. These types of at- "deep Turkish state", engaged in a Instead of being a mere tragic Sin Temer", or "Being a Woman tion of abortion - a major issue for These were all created to increase horror' Most protesters have been tacks dovetail with the present bloody conflict with the PKK. sideshow, this attack should act as Without Temer", which is a play women's rights groups in the coun- access to university education and demanding that Rousseff return to ISIL strategy of going after ene- After the capture of the PKK a further reminder of how impor- on words as "temer" also means try. Currently, abortion is illegal in diversify Brazil's student popula- office to finish her term, while oth- mies worldwide instead of confin- leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999 and tant it is to seek a political settle- "fear" in Portuguese. Many wom- Brazil unless the pregnancy puts the tion, which has traditionally been ers are demanding new elections, but ing itself to certain territories in the PKK's subsequent declaration ment of the Syrian crisis and the en, including Aguiar, have also re- life of the woman in danger, is a re- dominated by wealthy white men. they remain united in the idea that Iraq and Syria, which are shrink- of an indefinite ceasefire, Turkey Kurdish issue in Turkey. fused to acknowledge Temer's lead- sult of rape or the foetus suffers They have also specifically benefit- Temer has to go. Demonstrators ing at present. Targeting Turkey's heavily cracked down on Kurdish Galip Dalay is a senior associ- ership, referring to his administra- from a brain defect called anenceph- ed women. According to the Minis- have been quick to point out the iro- faultlines Hezbollah and killed its leader in ate fellow on Turkey and Kurdish tion as a "coup government", as it aly. Outside these circumstances, if try of Education, by 2013, ProUni ny behind Rousseff's impeachment, The second category is com- 2000. Remnants of this group lat- Affairs at the Al Jazeera Centre forcibly removed the democratical- a woman has an abortion, she can had given 1.2 million young people since she is one of the few people in posed of attacks focused more on er entered civilian politics through for Studies, and research director ly elected Rousseff and the left- be imprisoned for up to three years. access to higher education who oth- Brazil's Congress who is not actual- Turkey, aiming at causing an earth- the creation of Huda-Par, in fierce at Al Sharq Forum. wing Workers' Party (PT) from "It is really dangerous for us that erwise would not have had it, while ly being charged with corruption. office. "One thing we've decided there is someone who is in charge of 51 percent of these scholarships were Instead, she's being charged with ma- is that we're not going to recognise the secretary of women who is given to women. Women now repre- nipulating the budget in the run-up this government or ask anything against the autonomy of women," sent a majority in most college-level to the last national elections to cov- from it, him [Temer] or his minis- says Carla Vitoria, who is a member classes. According to Menicucci, er up Brazil's failing economy, which tries. He has to leave," says Agu- of the Brazilian Sempreviva Femi- programmes such as Pronatec have many say is not an impeachable of- iar, who is also a member of the nist Organization. "So this govern- also contributed in part to rethink- fence. For some women, this pro- LETTER TO THE EDITOR ment is implementing serious ing gender roles, since it has allowed cess has been another example of feminist organisation Marcha Mundial de las Mujeres (World projects that are taking away our more women to take on technical and the deeply embedded sexism in Bra- March of Women), also known as rights that we have already won." mechanics training, which are nor- zilian society and politics. They say MMM. One of Temer's first con- Apart from the cabinet reshuffle, mally seen as male jobs. Despite the way the media portrayed and troversial changes occurred within Temer has wasted no time in trying these major social gains, these pro- attacked Rousseff both during the his first week in office, when he to cut funding to social programmes, grammes are at risk under Temer's latest elections and the impeachment Displaced fam ilies announced plans to close minis- which will also "directly affect the austerity plans. He has already pro- process would have never happened tries and created a cabinet com- lives and autonomy of women", posed specific cuts to the healthcare, to a male leader. According to Agu- posed entirely of white men. Pro- said Vitoria. Social programmes education and housing budgets, iar, these attacks actually allowed After Taliban captured Khanabad district, a large number of people were displaces as a result testers, led by feminist and LGBT have been a hallmark of the PT gov- which will limit or freeze any of the women to identify more strongly of fierce battle between security forces and the Taliban insurgents. groups, took to the streets the next ernment since it came to power in above-mentioned programmes and with Rousseff. Many women also Fortunately, the Afghan security forces recaptured the control of a strategic Khanabad day to denounce the move, saying 2003. It is one reason why the par- more. He has also proposed a cap say Rousseff's political past - she district from Taliban in northern Kunduz province on Sunday. that the new government does not ty has won the past four elections - on spending for social programmes was held prisoner and tortured dur- represent their diverse population, first with former president and par- so that each year the total fund can- ing the 1970s dictatorship - has con- The residents forced to leave their house and properties in order to safe their skin. We ty founder Luiz Inacio Lula da Sil- not grow beyond the rate of infla- tributed to this idea of a shared strug- escaped to the neighboring Takhar province after Taliban insurgents captured the district. which is 51 percent female and 53 percent non-white. Fifteen of Te- va, who goes by the name of Lula, tion. This blocks the development gle. This has allowed women to feel When Taliban took control of the district, the militants turned our houses into strong- mer's 24 newly named ministers and then Rousseff. Even though of any new programmes to attack more represented in Congress, at holds and start firing from there. We are in dire condition, because we escape the district with are facing criminal investigations, Rousseff herself has seen her pop- poverty and inequality and stops the least for middle and working-class two piece of cloths. mainly on charges of corruption. ularity plummet since 2013, main- government from increasing invest- women, says Aguiar. Not all wom- I appeal to the related officials and central government to provide us with foodstuffs and Three of those ministers have since ly because of her connection to the ments in social programmes in times en feel this way, however. Vitoria shelters as we left everything behind. We don’t have money to buy a bread to kill our hungry. been forced to resign because of floundering economy, this lack of when the economy is doing well. If supports Rousseff because she is their connection to the infamous confidence has not been extended congress passes this proposal, the the democratically elected president, Our children are sick too, and we are helpless. If we go to the doctor they asked for money Lava Jato corruption scandal, a to the PT's socially progressive pol- law would be in place for the next 20 not because of her gender, adding that we don’t have. The government should pay a serious attention toward displaced families, large-scale scheme involving the icy agenda. Lula himself still sees years. To understand what this that former President Lula actually and also assure security of Khanabad district in order not to fall again to the Taliban. state-owned oil company Petro- some of the country's highest ap- means, Joao Sicsu, a professor from passed more policies that helped A displace, Aminullah Amiri, Takhar province of Afghanistan bras and a large portion of Brazil's proval ratings and is believed to be the Federal University of Rio de Ja- women's rights than Rousseff did. congress. Temer himself has been the most likely to win the next na- neiro, did a simulation study look- She added that the impeachment accused of corruption and banned tional elections, if he chooses to run. ing at what would have been the in- process has not been about sexism from running for office for the next As a result of these social pro- vestments in education and health- so much as a tactical manoeuvre by Letter to editor will be edited for policy, content and clarity. All letters must eight years, though he continues grammes, Brazil has seen its pover- care over the past 10 years if Tem- the right-wing opposition to take have the writer’s name and address. You may send your letters to: to deny these accusations. But ty rate drop from 17.3 percent in er's spending limit was implement- power - a common perspective [email protected] there were other changes within the 2006 to 7.4 percent in 2014. Its in- ed in 2006. According to his calcula- among anti-Temer protesters. cabinet that were much more alarm- fant mortality rate has also dropped tions, healthcare programmes would Whether Rousseff's impeachment is by 40 percent in the past decade, have received 178 billion Brazilian an act of misogyny or not, she is and the national literacy rate has ris- reals ($56bn) less than they actually not the main victim in this process. en for both men and women. They have, and education would have re- Millions of other Brazilian women have also contributed to women's ceived 321 billion reals ($101bn) less. are at risk of losing their rights and Disclaimer: empowerment by increasing access Temer did recently announce plans access to essential services. The to education, improving labour to increase funding to the Bolsa Fa- process is "a horror", says Aguiar, rights in certain sectors, and increas- milia programme by 12.5 percent, "but if enough people come out to The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author(s) ing women's autonomy in the home. just above the 9 percent increase that the streets … we can change it, be- "Women are protesting now because Rousseff had announced in May. But cause we have changed many things and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Afghanistan Times. they know the risks they are fac- this will not exempt it from the fu- up until now". ing," said Eleonora Menicucci, the ture inflation spending cap. This Source: Al Jazeera TUESDAY .AUGUST 23 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

Mo re than 575,0 0 0 Iraqi children are estim ated to be at w o rk in stead o f scho o l, do uble the n um ber fro m 19 9 0 . "I have friends," eight-year-old cal factories or in garbage collec- Abdul Karim says from his soft- tion sites without any kind of pro- drink stand inside Iraq's Ameriat tection. They work for long hours, al-Fallujah camp, "but I can't play and you can see them exhausted ... with them because I have to work [This] is destroying their future, to support my family." and - as all they want is to play, go He is just one of more than to school, and be loved and pro- half a million Iraqi children being tected by their families - we still forced to leave school and work as can't imagine what will happen to their country remains embroiled in them." Um Chehab, an Iraqi moth- crisis, according to UNICEF, the er of three, says she has been in United Nations children's agency. despair ever since her husband Abdul Karim had to flee his went missing in Fallujah a year ago. hometown of Fallujah after Iraqi "I do not know if he was killed ... I forces launched military operations do not have any explanation," she to retake the strategic city from told Al Jazeera. "All I know is that the Islamic State of Iraq and the he left me with three children." Her Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) eldest son, Chehab, is 11 and sells group last May. The bombing cam- vegetables on the street. His daily paign killed his father, forcing Ab- income varies from 2,000 to 3,000 dul Karim to begin his job hunt. Iraqi dinars ($1.70 to $2.50) and is He now sells soft drinks and wa- their only source of living, accord- ter in the Ameriat al-Fallujah camp ing to his mother. "We, as a family, for displaced Iraqis. "I wish I could lost everything in Fallujah. We lost go back to school, but now we have our house, our land, we lost ev- nothing. We have lost everything, erything … My child has to work and I have to be here to provide now to support us." Child labour for my family," he told Al Jazeera. in Iraq is extremely difficult to In a report published in June, manage in the absence of collabo- UNICEF noted that "violence and ration between communities, gov- loss of income are forcing more ernmental authorities and humani- families to send their children to tarian organisations, observers say. work". The report estimated that "We are trying to raise aware- more than 575,000 Iraqi children ness among the families about the have been put to work, double the importance of getting the children number from 1990. "Today, Iraq back to school, but at the same time is one of the most dangerous plac- we have to work with the author- es for children to live - not exactly ities in order to support them," the country where you wish to be Warfa said. "It is extremely chal- a child," Maulid Warfa, a regional lenging, because the resources are officer for UNICEF, told Al few, but the priorities are many." Jazeera. The effects of the conflict Raad Aldahlaki, a member of in Iraq on children are clear: Near- the parliamentary committee on ly one in five schools have closed, human rights in Iraq, noted that while more than three million chil- the central government bears great Iraq is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for children, according to UNICEF [Al Jazeera] dren are at risk of death, sexual vi- responsibility. olence, abduction and recruitment "Politicians and state institu- into armed groups - an increase of tions are doing nothing when it The significant deficits in edu- knowledged the dramatic increase government also passed a law re- eration [of Iraqis] has been aban- she said. "We cannot blame them. more than one million over the past comes to dealing with social prob- cation and other assistance could in child labour amid the country's stricting the age at which children doned. Many of them have already This is the result of leaving them 18 months, according to the UN lems caused by the conflict, and contribute to the "growth of ex- ongoing conflict, noting that the can legally work, he told Al Jazeera. been recruited as killers and thieves on the streets without any aid, forc- agency. "Iraqi children are exposed the people are left with no clear tremism, which could lead to a government has been "working But Bushra Amine, an aid by armed groups." ing them to [choose between] col- to danger from a very early age - as strategy from the government on point of no return", he added. closely" with international organi- worker with the Erbil-based NGO Amine, however, was firm in lecting garbage or involving them- early as seven or eight years old," how it will help them," Aldahlaki Iraq's labour minister, Mo- sations in an effort to reintegrate Bo-Peshawa ("Go Forward"), said defending their innocence. selves in the endless cycle of vio- Warfa said. "They work in chemi- told Al Jazeera. hammed Shayaa al-Sudani, ac- working children into school. The more must be done: "A whole gen- "We created these criminals," lence." Al Jazeera On trial: The destructio n H un dreds pro test o f histo ry durin g co n flict o ver m urder o f tran s Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi to plead guilty to destroying sacred sites in Mali. Will other sledgehammer-wielders take note? w o m an in Istan bul When the Roman Emperor Jovian 100km west of Timbuktu, the so- and toppled towers, she added. chapel to dust. The so-called "mil- ordered the burning of the Library called "City of 333 Saints", was The ICC's Bensouda has spoken itary necessity" waiver is among De m o n s trato rs gath e r in Tu rkis h city o f Is tan bu l of Antioch in the 4th century AD, later detained by officials in neigh- of prosecuting atrocities in Iraq and the toughest legal aspects of war- to pro te s t o ve r th e brutal m urde r o f ico n ic LGBTI activis t H an de Kade r. there was nobody around to make bouring Niger and handed over to Syria but is hamstrung by the time conservation. Some examples him answer for what ancient Syr- the court in the Netherlands, court's limited jurisdiction. Acker- of destruction are clear-cut - nei- ian culture buffs deemed a "bar- where he is in custody. He is ex- man and Davis both said that glo- ther al-Mahdi's mosque-trashing baric act", according to records. pected to plead guilty at the start bal rules on preserving heritage nor Nazi Germany's Kristallnacht Modern history is littered with of a week-long trial, which can be lack teeth. served a military purpose. But oth- cases of wartime razing, from the seen online. It will hear from law- The ICC builds on national and er examples are trickier. Did US levelling of Dresden to the Tali- yers, expert and character witness- international laws that mention troops err by toppling Saddam ban's Buddha demolition at Bam- es and a representative of nine vic- protecting valued sites in wartime, Hussein's statue at the end of the iyan. Politicians have been slow tims before its three judges retire such as the Lieber Code, signed by Iraq War? Was Al-Qaeda's Penta- to crack down on ruinous acts, but to consider the outcome. If con- then US President Abraham Lin- gon hit on 9/11 a reasonable target, experts hope that this month the victed, al-Mahdi faces jail, a fine coln after the Civil War, and The given the group's military goals? curve will bend in the right direc- and reparation payments to vic- Hague Conventions. Laws accom- And, hypothetically, if ISIL chief tion. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi is tims. Lawyers contacted by Al pany practical steps. In World War Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi were holed expected to plead guilty to war Jazeera estimated sentences of be- II, conservators removed statues up in a historic citadel, would US crimes at the International Crimi- tween four to 10 years, but said it from plazas and stained-glass win- warplanes be correct to bomb the nal Court (ICC) in The Hague af- was hard to predict how the ICC dows from churches across Europe building - killing the leader but de- ter allegedly destroying holy and would balance the needs of justice to save them from aerial bombing stroying a prized landmark in the historic sites in Timbuktu as his in its first plea bargain. According raids, said Ackerman. Similarly, process? Experts are divided on al-Qaeda-linked group swept to heritage buffs, the case is need- many relics were shipped from such tough questions. Tim Slade, across Mali in 2012. The first ICC ed now more than ever. The Mid- Mosul's museum to Baghdad be- the director of The Destruction of prosecution (PDF) solely for tear- dle East hosts many ancient and fore ISIL rolled into town. Not Memory, a movie on the topic, ing down monuments will deter valued sites. "In a matter of days, every effort has worked. In the said he wanted generals to think other wreckers, such as the Islam- weeks and months we've lost en- Balkan wars of the early 1990s, twice before pulling the trigger, but ic State of Iraq and the Levant tire chapters of history and sites "blue shield" markers on historic acknowledged that they are (ISIL) group, they say. "The case and objects that had survived for sites, used to discourage attacks, "weighing up various factors" in sets an important precedent by millennia. We're losing so much were instead used by commanders split-second decisions. Others take demonstrating, once again, that from the cradle of civilisation on to target buildings that were val- a tougher line. For Nada Hosking, these attacks on heritage are really our watch," said Davis. ued by an enemy ethnic group. a director at the Global Heritage attacks on people," said Tess ISIL famously destroyed The "They were used for the exact Fund, a conservation group, there Davis, a director of The Antiqui- Temple of Bel and other sites opposite purpose for which they are no exceptions and buildings ties Coalition, which seeks to end among the 2,000-year-old ruins of were intended," said Ackerman. deserve similar protections to peo- ISIL-style racketeering. "We've Palmyra, in Syria, and smashed up The ICC treaty outlaws hits on ple. "It has to be a law across the seen it before, from the Nazis to many statues from the ancient "buildings dedicated to religion, board," Hosking told Al Jazeera. the Khmer Rouge and the Taliban, Assyrian era after seizing the Iraqi education, art, science or charita- For Ackerman, the key is keeping and we must end impunity for city of Mosul in 2015. But less ble purposes, historic monu- better inventories of valued sites Mo re th an 2 0 0 de m o n s trato rs carrie d ban n e rs s ayin g ‘Ju s tice these crimes." well-known strikes on buildings ments" and hospitals. But, in a cru- and objects, especially in poorer fo r H an de Kader' an d 'Let's fight fo r o ur survival' [Ozan Ko se/ AFP] The ICC has probed the belonging to Shia Muslims and cial caveat, it permits acts that ad- countries, and protecting them events in Mali since 2012, when Yazidis - groups that ISIL views vance "military objectives". when fighting starts. For Davis, the Hundreds of people have protest- mous Istiklal Avenue near Taksim gender Europe said Turkey had the Tuareg rebels seized chunks of the as heretics - are more worrying to This is problematic. In World ICC needs to be able to flex its ed peacefully in Istanbul, calling Square on Sunday. highest rate of trans murders in country's northern deserts and Davis, who sees heritage-trashing War II, Allied officials said bomb- muscles more easily. for justice after the brutal murder "We will not stop until we find Europe. desecrated mosques, shrines and as a "red flag of an impending geno- ing Dresden and other cities helped According to Harvard Law of a transgender woman earlier this those responsible for Hande Kad- Between January 2008 and monuments in Timbuktu, a cide". According to Lisa Ackerman, shatter German morale, slow the School scholar Alex Whiting, month. er's murder," Ebru Kiranci, spokes- December 2015, 41 trans and gen- UNESCO World Heritage Site. an official of the World Monu- Nazi war machine and end the con- progress is slow, but gains are pal- The body of Hande Kader, an woman for Istanbul's LGBTI Sol- der-diverse individuals were killed According to prosecutors, al- ments Fund charity, heritage de- flict. The same justifications are pable. "When the US invaded Iraq, LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual and idarity Association, said. in Turkey, compared with the sec- Mahdi, a former teacher in his 40s, struction in the modern-day Mid- available to modern-day generals. there was chaos, looting and the transgender, intersex) rights activ- Demonstrators also asked the ond highest in Italy of 33, the led an anti-vice squad called al- dle East compares to Europe's in- Meanwhile, historic sites are tar- destruction of art and culture. No ist and a sex worker, was found in Turkish public to condemn Kad- group said. Kader was the second Hesbah, which acted for the Is- tra-Christian violence of the 16th gets for other aims. The thick walls one had prepared for it at all," a forest in Istanbul's high-end Zek- er's brutal murder just as they had murder to shock the LGBTI com- lamic court of Timbuktu, while he and 17th centuries. and high ground of Crac des Chev- Whiting told Al Jazeera. eriyakoy neighbourhood on August condemned the murder of another munity in recent weeks after Mu- was a member of Ansar Dine, a Back then, an "incalculable aliers, a fortress in western Syria, "This process is about draw- 8. young woman, Ozgecan Aslan, last hammed Wisam Sankari, a Syrian Tuareg rebel group allied with Al- number of sculptures was de- were s useful to rebel fighters in ing attention to the importance of The murdered sex worker be- year. refugee, was found mutilated and Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb stroyed for being the wrong expres- 2012 as they were to the Crusader those things. Hopefully, more care came an iconic figure in the LGB- "Life of a trans woman should decapitated on July 25 in Istan- (AQIM). He is accused of direct- sion of Christianity," Ackerman force that built them 800 years will be paid in the future." TI community after she sat in front be as valuable as the life of a cis- bul, his friends said. ing attacks on nine mausoleums told Al Jazeera. In both periods, earlier. Syrian army generals knew Follow James Reinl on Twit- of water cannons and anti-riot po- gender woman," protesters carry- Homosexuality has been legal and the Sidi Yahia mosque in Tim- religious puritanism led to blood this too, and bombed the castle's ter: @jamesreinl lice officers in June last year as ing Kader's photographs chanted. in Turkey throughout the period buktu, a trade hub that became Is- authorities tried to ban a gay pride Cisgender refers to a gender of the modern republic and was lam's "intellectual and spiritual parade in Istanbul. identity that matches a person's also legalised in the Ottoman Em- capital" in Africa in the 15th and Kader was last seen getting assigned sex. pire from the mid-19th century. 16th centuries, according to into a car with a client in the city's Aslan, a cisgender student, was But LGBTI individuals in UNESCO. In broad daylight, pick- Harbiye district in late July, accord- mutilated and burned in southern Turkey regularly complain of ha- axe-wielding men tore down mud- ing to Turkish daily Sabah. Turkey after a rape attempt. rassment and abuse in a largely brick walls in front of television The 22-year-old's body was After Aslan's death, tens of conservative Muslim society cameras. Mahdi himself spoke on believed to have been heavily mu- thousands of protesters, mostly where open displays of same-sex screen, using the alias Abu Tour- tilated before her corpse was set women, poured into the streets of love are strongly frowned upon. ab, to declare the structures "for- on fire, possibly to avoid identifi- cities across the country to pro- Authorities in Istanbul banned bidden" under Islam. Some 4,000 cation of the perpetrator or perpe- test against rising violence against Gay Pride in June this year over ancient manuscripts were lost, sto- trators. women and the government's fail- security concerns, sparking anger len or torched during the group's No arrests have yet been made ure to respond. from gay rights activists. reign. Fatou Bensouda, ICC pros- in Kader's case. Kader's murder did not cause In previous years, Istanbul ecutor, decried an "irreplaceable" More than 200 demonstrators similar large-scale protests. Pride was the biggest LGBTI gath- loss of history "felt by the whole carried banners saying "Justice for Highest rate of trans murders ering in a Muslim country in the of humanity, and at the expense of Hande Kader" and "Let's fight for in Europe region. future generations". Tourists walk in the historical city of Palmyra, April 14, 2007. ISIL destroyed this arch after taking our survival" under the supervision In a report published in March Source: Al Jazeera And Agen- Al-Mahdi, from Agoune, control of the city [Nour Fourat/Reuters] of anti-riot police close to the fa- this year, the rights group Trans- cies TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES Fin is h e d Japan’s econom y travels a narrow road Desperate times call for desperate ‘lost decades’) is about the same real terms, which might encourage Paul Krugman has long argued that tionally and would be totally unac- measures. The International Mon- as America’s. And current unem- more borrowing for investment. the Japanese authorities should un- ceptable to Japan’s trading partners, $ 16 b reco very etary Fund seems to have lost hope ployment is quite low: 3%. So Then again, it might not: if demand dertake ‘irresponsible fiscal and who would suffer a counterpart ap- that monetary and fiscal policy can maybe Japan is doing just about in the economy is stagnant, even monetary policy’, threatening to preciation. Adair Turner’s ‘helicop- shift the Japanese economy out of as well as should be expected for a the most attractive borrowing op- embark on such expansionary pol- ter money’ proposal doesn’t offer its deflationary torpor. The IMF, super-mature economy with de- portunities won’t induce invest- icies that inflation will rise. Lars any advantages (in terms of debt/ fro m crisis, usually the embodiment of conser- clining population. There are two ment. Many argue that the near- Svennson (influential academic and GDP ratio or interest cost of fund- vative mainstream economics, has abnormalities. The first is the zero rates prevailing in recent de- former Swedish central bank board ing) over issuing more bonds to fund published this working paper that chronic low inflation (the GDP cades just discouraged necessary member) offers the Japanese a the fiscal expenditure. Meanwhile, suggests Japan should embark on deflator has fallen by 0.3% annu- restructuring, keeping ‘zombie’ ‘foolproof’ method of getting in- the Japanese authorities seem ready says Dubai’s a comprehensive incomes policy ally over the past 25 years). The firms going rather than encourag- flation up: depreciate the yen to maintain current policies: strong so that wages will rise strongly. result is that, even when the poli- ing new investment. The IMF pa- enough to get inflation up via high- quantitative easing; a mildly nega- Incomes policies are normally cy interest rate is set at zero (or a per suggests income policy might er import prices. Adair Turner tive policy interest rate in the (so imposed in order to restrain wag- small negative, as at present), it help in other ways. A lift real wag- (former head of the UK Financial far unfulfilled) hope that this will Nakhe e l es, not to boost them. What’s go- does not provide a strong incen- es might boost consumption Services Authority) wants the Jap- cause a depreciation of the yen; ing on? Prime Minister Abe’s 2012 tive to borrow. The second is that spending. If it does succeed in rais- anese to embark on substantial fis- postponing a fix of the budget defi- ‘three arrows’ program projected persistent budget deficits have built ing inflation, this would make the cal expansion, financed by central cit, as even modest attempts to raise a speedy return to growth, 2% in- up a staggering level of government debt burden seem smaller: higher bank money creation. All this is the value-added tax cause consum- flation and a balanced budget by debt: the ratio of gross debt to nominal GDP lowers the debt/ borderline-nuttiness. Rather than ers to go into a spending funk; and 2020. The initial reaction to ‘Abe- GDP is 250%, well over twice that GDP ratio. But all this is surround- provoking inflation, the Krugman raise the minimum wage by a regu- nomics’ was favourable: the stock- of other G7 countries. Japan is still ed by pitfalls. Higher inflation proposal is more likely to set off lar 3% annually. One tiny structur- market rose 60% and the exchange adding to the debt by running a might force up the interest rate on bond-yield rise, which would blow al shift: more women are entering rate fell by more than 20%. This sizeable budget deficit (5% of government debt, which would out the budget deficit. Svennson’s the workforce. The truly radical eased financial conditions, boost- GDP) so there isn’t room for much greatly increase the deficit. Other devaluation idea would require a policy would be to ease immigra- ed corporate profits, and lifted ac- fiscal stimulus. In fact, Japan needs suggestions (examined in detail by huge forced devaluation, which tion restrictions, but change here is tual and expected inflation into to get the deficit down just as the IMF) seem equally fraught. would be hard to achieve opera- likely to remain glacial. positive territory. But this im- quickly as possible. Thus the two provement was not sustained. The standard macro-instruments – exchange rate has appreciated. The monetary and fiscal policy – are IMF expects the Japanese econo- both constrained. In response, the my to grow by 0.5% this year, IMF paper proposes what might 0.3% next year and slower still seem an outlandish approach: pres- thereafter. Core inflation is expect- sure businesses to give larger wage State-owned property developer turing file,” he said. “We are a debt- ed to decline and headline inflation, increases so that they will have to Nakheel, which was at the centre free company as of yesterday.” running at 0.2% this year, will rise raise their prices, thus boosting of Dubai’s debt crisis in 2009, has Nakheel was one of the devel- to 0.6% next year – well short of inflation. The IMF says that ‘slow finished recovering from a $16 bil- opers worst hit by Dubai’s real the 2% target. The economic con- wage-price dynamics amount to a lion debt restructuring by repay- estate crash at the turn of the de- juncture in Japan is special, per- missing link in the transmission of ing an Islamic bond this month, its cade, forcing the firm into a mas- haps unique. In the past 25 years rising corporate earnings to infla- chairman said on Monday. sive debt restructuring. A strong (1990-2015) real GDP has grown tion (actual and expected)’. If Ja- Ali Rashid Lootah told a small rebound in the property sector at an annual average of 1%, which pan did succeed in getting infla- group of reporters that Nakheel then allowed the company to pay might sound slow, but demograph- tion up to Bank of Japan’s target had transferred funds for repay- off its debt and although the real ics mean that Japan’s working of 2%, this would mean that the ment of a 4.4 billion dirham ($1.2 estate market has now turned down population has been declining. Ja- policy interest rate, already slight- billion) sukuk issue maturing this again, the slump is not nearly as pan’s GDP growth per worker ly negative in nominal terms, month. “We are closing the restruc- deep as the 2009 crash. over these 25 years (the so-called would be substantially negative in Fo rm er Chin a bo o m to w n learn s hard lesso n s abo ut service econ om y t the section of the Great the press. Wall of China that runs A retired official from a state through Yulin, tour guide owned enterprise (SOE) was also Gao Jing says she tried sceptical about GDP data. Speaking on the appointment of nor' and Patel is a far sighted per- we have to take the country for- left by the then finance minister once he steps down on September to learn English in expectation of "I look at tax revenue instead, the new Reserve Bank of India son and an economist. The kind of ward. I hope Patel will come up to Yashwant Singh. He had left the 3 after his term comes to an end. the increased number of overseas it's been dropping rapidly these (RBI) Governor, Congress leader reform measures that he has con- the expectation," he added. On Fi- economy in complete bankruptcy; Dr Rajan had surprised every- visitors the city planned to attract past few years," he said. "The Veerapa Moily today said Urjit templated and has given report is nance Minister Arun Jaitley's the credit will go to the Congress one with a letter to RBI staff an- as part of its economic transfor- problem is there aren't enough peo- Patel has institutional experience excellent. We are looking forward statement on former prime minis- government of that time, particu- nouncing his decision to return to mation. ple here for us to rely on the ser- and is highly professional and far- for better days for the country's ter Jawaharlal Nehru, he said, "I larly Dr. Manmohan Singh, who academics and not be available for But the international tourists vices industry to spur economic sighted, and this will definitely take economy and also for the RBI," he don't know as to laugh or feel pity was the then finance minister, for a second term. haven't come to Yulin, once a coal, growth." the Indian economy on the new told ANI. He further said Ra- on Jaitley and the BJP government lifting the economy of India to the The committee undertook an oil and natural gas boom town in In the first half of 2016, Yulin's progressive path. ghuram Rajan's exit will be a great for lacking institutional memory. I international level." The Govern- extensive exercise to suggest a pan- the northwestern province of total fiscal revenue dropped 21.2 "The choice is excellent and loss as he is an economist of inter- don't think if Advani or Vajpayee ment on Saturday appointed Urjit el of names to the ACC. One of Shaanxi, and in their absence she percent from the previous year, superb. This is what we want for national fame; perhaps Patel will talked of that. Many BJP leaders R Patel as the new Reserve Bank the RBI's four deputy governors, has forgotten her English. according to official statistics, and that post. This is an acknowledge- make it up. "He has to work freely make a very low the belt remark of India (RBI) Governor. Patel, Patel, 52, was reappointed in Jan- "Sure, there's lots of talk about investment in services plummeted ment of the fact that the govern- because the RBI Governor has to on Nehru legacy. The Narsihma who is currently serving as the uary for another three years. He developing our tourism industry 36.6 percent in 2015. ment has recognised the impor- work as autonomous body and has Rao government has uplifted the deputy RBI chief, will succeed has run the central bank's mone- but walking the talk is a different Exacerbating Yulin's difficul- tance of 'institutional RBI Gover- to work independently, that is how economy in the past, which was Raghuram Rajan as the RBI chair tary policy department since 2013. matter," said Gao, who's been a ties, nearby cities that were simi- tour guide there for 10 years. larly reliant on traditional indus- "There's an immediate return tries, such as Ordos and Baotou in on investment if you invest in en- Inner Mongolia, are trying to at- Risin g in e quality in ergy. But you may need to wait tract comparable kinds of invest- Britain ’s eco n o m y after the 10, or even 100 years, if you want ment projects and develop indus- to see a return on investment in tries such as tourism. Australia co uld co st 3pc tourism." "It's hard for us to develop a Brexit vo te is an en igm a The experience of Yulin carries tourism industry. We don't have o f GDP, study fin ds a lesson for other Chinese cities the same history as Xi'an," the re- Po licy m a k er s s ho uld b e in a w a it -a n d -see m o d e fo r t he m o m en t trying to re-tool their economies – tired SOE official said, referring to Analysis from Labor thinktank the Chifley Research establishing a vibrant services sec- the ancient home of China's terra- tor takes time, and in the mean- cotta warriors. 1.4 per cent, far higher than most Centre suggests if no action is taken to reduce inequality, it could cost Australians $50 0 each by end of decade time you cannot afford to abandon You come to Yulin maybe once economists in the financial markets your industrial strengths. in your life and you're finished see- had predicted. Those figures were Inequality in Australia has grown “Our ‘order of magnitude’ estimate As its economy matures, Chi- ing the whole city in half a day." followed by labour market data na is trying to steer away from the The government is also trying showing the number of people between 2011 and 2014 and its shows that rising inequality, left impact on the economy could cost unchecked, poses a serious econom- export and investment-led model to boost consumption, both claiming unemployment benefit had that fuelled its dizzy rise towards through e-commerce and bricks fallen in July rather than rising as up to $500 per person by 2019- ic risk for Australia,” the paper con- 2020. This is the finding of a new cluded. “Rising inequality will re- a more sustainable base built on and mortar stores, but locals have most forecasters had expected. By domestic consumption. been hesitant to spend in the down- and of themselves, those two piec- paper from the Inclusive Prosper- duce the pace at which the econo- ity Commission within Labor’s my can grow, damaging long-term Yulin has been a poster child turn, with Walmart Stores Inc es of data do not add up to a refuta- for that attempt to move up the (WMT.N) pulling out of Yulin ear- tion of the gloomy expectations for thinktank, the Chifley Research growth prospects and even worse, Centre. It suggested that if no ac- negating hard-won gains of success- value chain, singled out by the na- ly last year, Zhang from the in- the UK. Strong retail sales have fol- tional media as an example of eco- vestment bureau told Reuters. lowed a positive shock to real tion is taken to reduce inequality, ful economic policy in the past.” it would eventually cost Australia The paper found over the long term, nomic transformation worthy of Meanwhile real estate household incomes from low oil study by other regions. projects, a favourite growth stim- prices and a price war on the high 3% of GDP over the next 25 years. a one Gini point increase in inequal- he commission is led by Chifley ity is estimated to reduce the level Aside from gushing news arti- ulant for local governments in Chi- street, both of which are likely to cles about Yulin's success in diver- na, have dried up, meaning fewer fade. As for the labour market data, Research Centre’s executive direc- of GDP by 3%. “As a comparison, the wider measure of unemploy- tor and former speechwriter to this is equivalent to wiping out the sifying its economy away from jobs for migrant worker and less Nearly two months after the UK economy appeared to be encoun- ment including all those looking for Julia Gillard, Michael Cooney, and gains of the national competition natural resources, the provincial demand for raw materials. voted to leave the EU, the ques- tering a major shock. Surveys of work rose rather than falling in July, the former Labor treasurer Wayne policy reforms, which were estimat- government is notable for releas- Sprinkled around the city are tion of how the economy would consumer and business confidence though those monthly figures are Swan. Amanda Robbins of Equity ed to have boosted GDP by 2.5%,” ing a 27-step plan in 2013 about empty or half-completed apart- respond in the short-to-medium plunged. Sterling dropped against notoriously volatile. Still, it remains Economics was the principal au- the paper said. “Another compari- how this economic transformation ment buildings, a far cry from the term remains unresolved. The one a range of currencies, notably the striking that the survey evidence thor. The analysis found that be- son is with the stated impact of the should occur. days locals planted their excess thing that seems clear is the im- dollar. Wisely choosing to get stands in such contrast to the hard tween 2012 and 2014 Australia’s three North-Asia FTAs (Japan, But since then things have not cash made from the resources pact on the rest of the world, which ahead of the situation, the Bank of data. The pollster GfK, which runs income Gini index – the most com- Korea, China), which are expected gone precisely to plan. boom in property. looks negligible. As for the UK, England cut interest rates this a respected and long-established mon measure of income inequality to raise GDP by only 0.1% over A slowing economy has "Most of these projects are early indications that consumer and month as part of a package of mon- barometer of consumer confidence, – grew by 1 percentage point from the long-term.” The paper’s policy dragged down industries such as from years ago and many of them business confidence were falling etary stimulus including an exten- reported that the mood among shop- 32% to 33%. The paper found: prescriptions include access to qual- tourism and renewable energy, stopped mid-way, when the de- sharply have been somewhat con- sion of quantitative easing, and in- pers in July recorded the biggest “Over the next five years, this is ity education from early childhood, handpicked by the provincial gov- velopers and construction compa- tradicted by data showing retail dicated that it stood ready to do monthly fall since 1990, admitted- projected to reduce the level of ensuring womens’ return to work ernment as new drivers of Yulin's nies ran out of money," said the sales and the labour market per- more. As recently as last week the ly to levels that remained well above GDP by $13.1bn or 0.7% lower was financially viable through child- economy. official at the commerce bureau. formed strongly in July. The wis- National Institute of Economic and those seen during the global finan- than it would otherwise have been care and paid parental leave as well "At the peak of the coal boom Blessed with abundant sun- est course for monetary and fiscal Social Research estimated that the cial crisis. The contrast between in 2019-20. This approximately as affordable healthcare. Unsurpris- we were already thinking about shine and wind, the government is policymakers at the moment is to economy had shrunk in July. Yet that and the official retail sales num- translates to a reduction of around ingly, the paper also suggests chang- how to transform our economy, hoping to develop the region's re- watch for new data and be pre- whether the BoE would feel com- bers suggests surveys are particu- $500 per person.” The paper ing the tax mix in line with Labor move it up the value chain, but it newables industry, but demand for pared to react rapidly if necessary, pelled to make good on its prom- larly hard to read following an un- warned inequality will have an im- policies to crack down on generous hasn't been the success we'd hoped energy and electricity has shrunk with a bias towards loosening rath- ise was questioned by data re- precedented type of shock with an pact on Australia’s capacity to tran- tax concessions in the areas of neg- it would be," said Zhang Chang- as the property sector has tanked. er than tightening. In the days and leased this week showing that re- unknowable impact on households sition from a mining economy to a ative gearing, capital gains and su- qing, Yulin investment bureau's To be sure, Yulin hasn't aban- weeks following the vote, the UK tail sales volumes rose in July by and businesses. more innovative, modern economy. perannuation. party secretary. doned the industries that fuelled The goal was for Yulin to shift its economic boom - indeed, some into services, move away from an of its efforts to make its oil and economy dominated by state- coal companies more competitive owned enterprises (SOE) towards are starting to pay off. one with private businesses at its The Yulin Coal Trade Center core, and produce higher value coal, has shifted from logistics and qual- Gloomysentiment over Singapore’seconomy oil and natural gas. ity control to providing clients Services made up just over 30 with a full supply chain, from pro- t has become almost impossi pointing to the risk of an econom- ter, but MTI warned that this may sector has been one of the worst offs. But the labour market has percent of Yulin's economy in curement to financing options, ac- ble to find a business owner, ic contraction ahead". Earlier this not be sustained. performers in recent months, as the been showing signs of strain. The 2015, and the government has set cording to Luo Wenjie, from the market watcher or economist month, the Ministry of Trade and The oil and gas industry has lacklustre outlook weighs on bank jobless rate for Singaporeans and an ambitious target of raising that company's operations depart- who feels upbeat about the Industry (MTI) said the economy been especially hard hit by the long loan growth. permanent residents was 3 per to nearly 40 percent by 2020. ment. economic outlook. is expected to expand by 1 per cent decline in global crude prices, lead- Even construction, which has cent in June, the highest since end- With a population of 3.4 mil- Their clients are scattered Gloomy sentiment has become to 2 per cent this year, in what ing to fewer projects, reduced prof- so far stayed resilient thanks large- 2010. lion, Yulin is a smaller city by Chi- around the country, and mostly par for the course - a mood borne could be the slowest year since it margins and collection difficul- ly to public projects, is showing Layoffs hit a seven-year high. nese standards, and its fluctuating find the company on popular on- out in a deluge of depressing data. 2009. This is narrower than an ear- ties. signs of faltering. Perhaps most troubling is the fortunes highlight the challenges line platforms such as WeChat. Lacklustre global growth con- lier forecast of 1 per cent to 3 per Swiber Holdings' recent col- Growth in the sector eased to uncertainty over when the econo- facing similar lower-tier centres. "Unlike smaller companies tinues to weigh on Singapore's cent. MTI cited risks weighing on lapse - the first major casualty of 3.3 per cent year-on-year from my - and sentiment - will turn Yulin's published GDP growth that may swap out Yulin's high- small, open economy, and disap- global expansion, such as Britain's the oil price slump here - has April to June, from 4 per cent in around. rate plummeted to 4.3 percent in quality coal for lower-quality coal, pointing July trade figures out yes- vote in June to leave the European sparked concerns of potential sp- the first quarter, weighed down by Major economies like China, 2015, from a high of 23 percent in we're big enough to provide clients terday indicated that the second Union, and a potential sharper illover effects. a fall in private-sector building. Europe and the United States are 2008, although, as at the national with peace of mind that we won't half of the year will offer little re- slowdown in China. About a fifth of manufactur- MTI said firms in the sector each grappling with their own is- level, there are some who doubt do that," said Luo, adding that the prieve. Non-oil domestic exports As growth grinds ever slower, ing jobs are linked to the offshore are becoming more pessimistic sues, so there is no clear global that official figures reflect the true company has 100,000 employees. slid 10.6 per cent in July from a few industries have been spared. and marine industry. about the outlook and expect growth driver. Central banks state of the real economy. "Our competitive advantage is year earlier, far sharper than the Export-dependent sectors Financial institutions' expo- growth to weaken in the coming worldwide have cut interest rates "It's meaningless to look at the that we aren't going to run off with 2.5 per cent decline expected by such as manufacturing have borne sure to the sector is also a worry. quarters. to rock-bottom levels in a bid to official statistics as an indicator of our client's money." economists. "When it rains, it the brunt of challenging global con- DBS Bank, for instance, said it has Unlike the global financial cri- stimulate economies. growth," a government official at (Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong; pours," said DBS economist Irvin ditions. The sector - one-fifth of about $700 million of exposure to sis, this slowdown has not been For Singapore, this means the local bureau of commerce told Additional reporting by the Beijing Seah, noting that the numbers "add the local economy - eked out a Swiber. sharp or severe enough to spark more quarters of sluggish growth Reuters, requesting anonymity as Newsroom; Editing by Alex Rich- on to the long list of poor data slight uptick in the second quar- As it is, the financial services widespread firm closures and lay- ahead. he was not authorised to speak to ardson) TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

ilm-maker James Gunn has out racist” people with his post. weighed in on the contro “If we’re going to continue to make versy ignited by reports movies based on almost all white that the upcoming movie heroes and support characters Spider-Man: Homecoming has de- from the comics of the last centu- Dream co m e liberately changed the race of a ry, we’re going to have to get used known Marvel character, report- to them being more reflective of ed The Wrap. our diverse present world.” true: Madhuri It was being said last week that Unfortunately, Spider-Man: Hollywood actor Zendaya, who is Homecoming isn’t the first high- half white and half American-Af- profile movie that has come under rican, will be essaying the role of scrutiny for changing the race of a Dixit turn s the superhero’s love interest, character. The casting of Michael Mary Jane Watson. B Jordan as The Human Torch in The character has traditional- Fantastic Four provoked an out- ly been played by white actors in cry from some, while the casting cho re o graphe r previous movies and television of Tilda Swinton as The Ancient shows, most popularly by Kirsten One in Doctor Strange led to accu- Dunst. The drastic change in cast- sations of ‘whitewashing’. ing sparked a number of discus- Spider-Man: Homecoming, sions on different social media and which is slated to hit screen on July blogging platforms. On the other 7, 2017, stars Tom Holland as Pe- hand, Marvel Studios and Sony ter Parker and is expected to catch Pictures are yet to speak on the up from where Captain America: matter. In a post published on his Civil War left off. The story re- Facebook page on Friday, Gunn volves around Parker and how he endorsed the idea of casting actors attempts to balance his life as a of colour to play traditionally high-school student while fighting white characters, as long as they crime using his alter-ego. Zendaya aptly capture the essence of the will be playing one of his class- role. “People get upset when some- mates and is obviously the lead thing they consider intrinsic to a character is the colour of his or her their skin or their hair colour, frank- actor captures that, then she’ll female of the movie. The film will comic book character changes when skin. For me, if a character’s pri- ly, that character is shallow. For work.” also feature Robert Downey Jr re- adapted for a film,” Gunn wrote. mary attribute – the thing that me, what makes MJ MJ is her al- He added that he does not ex- prising his role of Iron Man in the “I get this. But I do not believe a makes them iconic – is the color of pha female playfulness, and if the pect to change perceptions of “flat world of Marvel.

ancing diva Madhuri Dixit and I always wanted to choreo- once shared that she always graph myself. wanted to be a choreogra- I am going to fulfil my wish on pher.D Having recently got a chance the show by choreographing Ter- to fulfil her dream via TV show So ence, Bosco, Randeep and Kajal You Think You Can Dance – Ab on a special dance form that I had India ki Baari, she wasted no time in my mind,” Madhuri said in an in taking the decision. interview. Madhuri, often called the Madhuri choreographed them ‘Dhak Dhak Girl’ of Bollywood, on a special dance form created by is a judge on the TV show, and her, called ‘Chavanni, Atthanni and will also choreograph Terence Rupaiyya’. Chavanni stands for Lewis, Bosco Martis and the star right movement of the hip, At- It’s unlikely that you’ll watch come and go – but the memories of the strongest – and certainly the introspective tone. Maybe it’s his have to keep living, forever and cast of Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, thanni for left movement of the hip Pete’s Dragon. There’s no point they leave behind never will. At best-looking – debuts of the last 5 way with actors (Robert Redford ever, as everyone they’ve ever Randeep Hooda and Kajal Aggar- and Rupaiyya for back movement denying it. There are always oth- the centre of it all is Pete. He isn’t years. It was a meditative take on is amazing, as are the rest). May- loved dies? Without revealing wal, for the song Tooh. of the hips. The entire set was in er, flashier, louder, more attractive the first Disney character whose the Bonnie & Clyde tale – outlaw be it’s his music choices (The Lu- much, watching this film from El- “I have always been choreo- splits after the fun and entertain- films out there. But if you’re read- parents perish, and he won’t be lovers taking on the world. You can mineers, Lindsey Stirling), or may- liot’s perspective is heartbreaking. graphed in my entire career till date ing act. ing this, I want you to take a leap the last. But when their car crash- consider this an aggressive recom- be it’s his beautiful visuals. I can’t But now, let me tell you a story. A of faith. I want you to trust a es in the opening scene, and he mendation. But what I’m really wait to find out. Pete’s Dragon may bittersweet one. There was only stranger. But above all else, I want survives, it is Elliot who comes to trying to say is that however bril- have cost $65 million as compared one person watching Pete’s Drag- you to do yourself a favour, make his rescue. Elliot is the dragon. liant Ain’t Them Bodies Saints to Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’ $4 on at my screening. It was me. In Jackie Chan o n ce m o re: time, and seek out Pete’s Dragon. Pete’s dragon. The film could very may have been, Lowery gave no million, but it is just as fiercely all these years of watching every It’s like a live-action Pixar movie, well be about him. They live to- indication that his true calling would independent at heart.Disney films movie to ever arrive in our coun- Skiptrace to release in heartbreaking in beautiful and mov- gether in the forest for the next 6 be a big Disney summer fantasy. are often deeply melancholic if try, small or big, this has never ing ways. The way it ends is the years, until the curious outside But there you go. Happily, not a you scratch beneath the surface, happened. A few weeks ago, I rant- closest any film has ever come to world interrupts their never end- frame of this film seems to have and since Pete’s Dragon is one of ed angrily against the world for re- In dia o n Septem ber 2 the devastation of Toy Story 3. ing summer. But as both Pete and been compromised. This is very the best Disney movies of the last jecting Steven Spielberg’s The It’s a story about friendship, grow- Elliot w ll find out, not all change much a David Lowery movie – al- decade, you must prepare your- BFG. Pete’s Dragon is a better film. ing up and moving on. On the sur- is bad. What’s more astonishing is though it is too early in his career self for some waterworks.Do you It deserves every recommendation face, Pete’s Dragon is a children’s that this is only director David to gauge exactly what a David know what they say about vam- it can get. This film needs to be movie, but it has the wisdom of an Lowery’s second feature. His first, Lowery movie is. Maybe it has pires? How they’re the most trag- seen. But I was the only one there. old grandmother’s tale. Friends Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, was one something to do with the quiet, ic creatures of them all? How they So should I be angrier? Why Big Voyage of Time trailer unveiled, features Cate Blanchett as narrator he trailer for American film director Terrence Malick’s B is so debut documentary, Voy age of Time: Life’s Jour- ney, has been revealed. It features Australian actress Cate Blanchett elated? as its narrator. The upcoming feature -- 30 years in the making -- explores “our planetary past and a search for humanity’s place in the future” and merges innovative special ef- fects with awe-inspiring footage from around the globe “in search of what lasts, what endures, through time’s changing scenes”, Hollywood action veteran Renny still considered as the king of ac- as described in the film’s official Harlin’s new action-packed come- tion comedy. synopsis. In making the 90-minute dy film, Skiptrace, that stars Jack- In the film belonging to the film, Malick has been assisted by ie Chan, has been scheduled to re- same genre, Skiptrace sees Chan VFX supervisor Dan Glass, who lease India on September 2. playing a Hong Kong detective worked with the filmmaker on The The release date was an- along with his partner in crime Tree of Life. An alternate cut, called nounced via a statement from PVR Johnnie Knoxville. The duo is Voyage of Time: The IMAX Ex- Pictures, which is distributing the forced to team up after Chan’s perience, will run 45 minutes in movie in the country. niece, played by Fan Bingbing, length, with narration from Brad The film stars Chan, who is runs into trouble with a notorious Actres s Cate Blan ch ett is th e n arrato r o f directo r Te rre n ce Malick’s n e w set to prove, yet again, why he is criminal mastermind. Pitt (via EW). do cu m e n tary, Vo yage o f Tim e . ( REUTERS)

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, the most followed Indian actor on Twitter, has now scored a fan fol- lowing of 22 million on the micro- Un In dian review by An upam a Leonardo DiCaprio, girlfriend Nina blogging platform. The 73-year-old thespian, Chopra: This o n e’s a m essy stew who has given hits like `Sholay`, Agdal doing fine after car accident `Deewar`, `Black` and `Piku`, is rain-that-leads-to-lovemaking ahead of actors Shah Rukh Khan scene and even the last ditch-air- with 20.8 million, Salman Khan port chase. It’s an absolute slog. with 19 million, Aamir Khan with Director Anupam Sharma and 18.3 million, Priyanka Chopra writer Tushy Sathi are trying to with 14.8 million and Deepika capture the Indian experience in Padukone 15.6 million. Australia. These folks are, as Big B is neck-and-neck with Meera puts it, not Australian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, enough for Australia and not Indi- who too has 22 million Twitter an enough for India anymore. But followers. On Saturday night, UnIndian doesn’t delve deeper Amitabh expressed his excitement than this line of dialogue; the plot over getting 22 million followers. is pure formula peppered with the `BADUMBA! Twitter fol- usual exotica — a Holi party, a lowers reaches 22 million spiritual guru with dreadlocks who AB22Million...thank you all... dispenses advice like ‘Listen to your love made it,` Big B tweeted. your heart’ and even a Bollywood The `Wazir` actor is very ac- film. tive on social media platforms and There is a supremely bizarre uses the medium to share updates moment in which Will is watching about his personal and profession- the 2014 Hindi movie Kick and al lives with his fans and well-wish- imagines himself and Meera in ers. place of Salman and Jacqueline He is currently gearing up for Fernandez in the song, ‘Jumme ki the release of his forthcoming film raat hai’. It’s very awkward. `Pink`, directed by Aniruddha Roy Tannishtha is a lovely actress. Chowdhury, the film has been pro- She gives Meera more depth than duced by `Piku`, `Madras Cafe` the script offers. and `Vicky Donor` fame director went into UnIndian with scep — about an Indian single mom and The young debutant Maya Shoojit Sircar. ticism. The dodgy history of an Aussie English teacher, Will, Sathi, who plays Meera’s daugh- `Pink` revolves around three cricketers-turned-actors didn’t who fall in love in Sydney — is a ter, is also very good. But the ac- girls who were trapped in a crimi- bode well for Brett Lee — tedious collection of clichés. We’ve tors can’t rise above the sloppy The Revenant actor Leonardo Di- ton Village, New York, according friend’s car,” a source said. DiCap- nal case. They are tried in court think of Vinod Kambli, Sandeep got the overbearing Indian mother, writing. And I was sad to see the Caprio and his model girlfriend to New York Post. rio was supposed to host Hillary for an attempt to murder case and Patil or Ajay Jadeja. the inquisitive Indian aunt, the sin- talented Supriya Pathak reduced Nina Agdal were reportedly in- A Mini Cooper hit the back of Clinton fundraiser scheduled for defaming some men. The good news is that Lee isn’t gle mom Meera (Tannishtha Chat- to a stereotype. volved in a car crash. their car. An ambulance was called Tuesday in Los Angeles, but now The crime thriller also stars half bad. He is affable and natural terjee) who is juggling career, UnIndian has stray moments The 41-year-old Oscar-win- to the scene “as a precaution,” but he won’t due to a scheduling con- Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and in front of the camera — you just parenting and matchmaking at- of warmth and humour, but it’s just ning actor was in the car with Agdal it was just a minor fender bender. flict. Justin Timberlake and wife Andrea Tariang and is scheduled have to ignore the clunky dancing. tempts by friends and family, the not enough. I am interested to see when the accident happened on “Leo and Nina got rear-ended, but Jessica Biel eventually step in to to release on September 16. The problem is that the film arrogant Indian doctor suitor, the what Mr. Lee does next, though. Saturday afternoon in East Hamp- everyone is doing fine. It was Leo’s host the event at their own house. TUESDAY .AUGUST 23, 2016 AFGHANISTANTIMES

he Rio Olympics wrapped ly on Rio. up with a stunning closing The ceremony opened with ceremony as Tokyo was original footage of Alberto Santos handed hosting duties for Dumont, the man Brazilians rec- 2020. ognise as the inventor of the Thousands of fans braved aeroplane. Dressed in colourful strong winds and rain to watch the feathers, dancers formed in the carnival-inspired event in the Ma- shape of the arches of Lapa, a pop- racana Stadium on Sunday to con- ular area of Rio akin to Roman ru- clude the 16-day sporting show- ins, then morphed into the iconic piece that featured 11,303 athletes Sugarloaf before changing again to from 206 nations and a refugee the official 2016 symbol. team. Samba legend Martinho da Vila International Olympic Com- also performed, followed by the mittee chief Thomas Bach said: athletes who entered the stadium "These were a marvellous Olym- under light rain, waving their flags pics, in a marvellous city. to take a full part in the carnival "Over the last 16 days a unit- parade. ed Brazil inspired the world, in It was a spectacular show from difficult times for all of us, with a country clouded in controversy its irresistible joy for life." in the Games build-up regarding The governor of Tokyo, Yuri- its stuttering preparation, econom- ko Koike, accepted the flag from ic angst, security concerns and Bach and Rio mayor Eduardo Paes, worries over the Zika virus. signaling the end of the 2016 games Bach added: "These Games and the transition. demonstrated that diversity is an Team GB's flagbearer was enrichment for everyone. These women's hockey captain Kate Ri- Games were a celebration of di- chardson-Walsh as Britain finished versity. above China in the medal table be- They are leaving a unique leg- hind the United States after a haul acy for many generations to come. of 67 - their highest total on for- History will talk about a Rio be- eign soil. fore and a much better Rio after Boxer Joe Joyce won Team these Games." GB's final medal - a silver - after Rio 2016 organising commit- losing to French rival Tony Yoka tee president Carlos Arthur Nuz- in the super-heavyweight final. man said: "The Games in Rio is a Sunday's party belonged to great challenge, but a challenge with Brazil though, a final send-off de- success. I am proud of my coun- signed to be more low-key than try, my city and my people. Rio the opening, which focused heavi- has delivered history." Go vern o r o f To kyo Yuriko Ko ike takes part in the han do ver cerem o n y. Murray’s Arsen e Wen ger ho pes Arsen al’s streak ended We co uld sign in g o f Shko dran Mustafi ‘w ill in final with negotiations ongoing over the have w o n be do n e’ befo re deadlin e transfer fee. Mustafi is valued at around £30m but it is understood Arsenal are trying to negotiate less. Wenger was once again forced into a staunch defence of his trans- m o re: Yafai fer policy on Saturday after calls from supporters to spend money following the 0-0 draw at Leices- ter And he told French TV sta- Andy Murray has been beaten in tion SFR Sport: "Mustafi? We the Cincinnati Masters final by hope it will be done He is one of a Marin Cilic 6-4 7-5 - ending his number of players we are looking 22-game winning streak. at. Negotiations are ongoing." Just a week after retaining his Arsenal have had issues at Olympic crown in Rio de Janeiro, centre-back since a long-term inju- Murray suffered his first defeat ry to Per Mertersacker ruled him since the French Open final to out until the New Year and Gabri- Novak Djokovic in June. el Paulista is also ruled out for six "The last four or five months weeks. have been not even close to any- They signed 20-year-old En- thing I've done before, they've been glishman Rob Holding from Bolt- way, way better," said Murray. on and Wenger praised his perfor- "I've been in seven finals in a mance at the King Power Stadium, row and I won Wimbledon and the Team GB's boxers can be satisfied lost in a close one. Anthony Fowl- while Poland youngster Krystian Olympics again but I still feel like with the three medals at the Rio er lost to the Kazakh, a former Bielik is also being developed as a there are some things I can im- Olympics - but bad luck and bad world champion early on. So we've centre-back. But they want to add prove on." decisions denied them more, says been a bit unlucky to be honest." another experienced defender and Murray, whose 50th win of Kal Yafai. Yafai lost in the last 16 Joyce was certainly the wrong former Everton defender Mustafi the year had come in the semi-fi- at the Beijing Olympics to a Cu- side of a tight decision in the su- Arsene Wenger has admitted he Sky Germany reported in July sive signing. has been with Valencia since 2014, nal against Milos Raonic, lost his ban fighter - and his younger broth- per-heavyweight final, but other hopes Arsenal's signing of Shko- that the Gunners had opened talks Sky sources reported earlier when he transferred from Samp- serve twice in the first set and, er, light-flyweight Gamal - suffered fights were even more controver- dran Mustafi "will be done" be- with Valencia to make the Germa- this month that Mustafi had sub- doria, and has made over 60 La Liga despite breaking back, fell behind. exactly the same fate in Rio. Nico- sial - with Ireland's Michael Con- fore the transfer deadline. ny international their new defen- sequently agreed to the move, appearances. The second set was a much la Adams (gold), Joe Joyce (silver) lon the worst victim of controver- tighter affair but the Wimbledon and Joshua Buatsi (bronze) meant sial judging decisions. champion was broken again by the boxing team achieved their tar- "We've seen some very bad Cilic at 5-5 after saving four break get of three medals. decisions out there," Yafai said. points. "They've reached the target but "The one that stands out is Mick Success Days Angola: Banishing Cilic managed to hold his nerve I honestly believe we've had a few Conlon who represented Ireland. and serve out the match for only dodgy decisions and the draw was That was absolutely terrible. his third win in 14 attempts unfair to us so considering that "There was a heavyweight fight upstages big gun s in m em ories of civil w ar against Murray, who will now turn they should be happy with what that I thought was bad as well. And his attention to looking to repeat they've achieved," he told Sky Joe Joyce just yesterday was very his 2012 US Open success when Sports News HQ. "You've had the unlucky not to come home with a Ro yal Whip Stakes through row ing this year's competition gets under likes of Josh Kelly who lost to the gold. It's very disappointing to be way on August 29. gold medallist first time out and honest." M a t ia s a n d R a sa m o elin a w er e u n a b le t o m a k e a sp la sh in Rio w a t er s b ut t heir p r es- e n ce m a r k ed a n a ch ie v em e n t fo r An g o la . To many observers, Angola may conflict in the 1990s. FROOME UP TO have figured only peripherally at “We didn't have electricity for an Olympic rowing regatta domi- a while and there was shortage of nated by the traditional power- water,” Rasamoelina told Al houses. While Great Britain, Ger- Jazeera. FOURTH AT VUELTA many and New Zealand swept up “Although the capital was rel- the lion's share of the medals, An- atively safe, I remember hearing gola was represented by a single gunfire from our apartment.” boat, with Andre Matias and Jean- When the Portuguese left Angolan Luc Rasamoelina finishing 20th shores in the mid-1970s, they took overall in the men's lightweight much of their culture with them. Success Days caused an upset last two runs were his best and it double sculls. In the context of the “Rowing was mostly practised and when making virtually all of the looks like he's after stepping for- country's history, their mere par- funded by the Portuguese in An- running to land the Kilfrush Stud ward again." Looking to future ticipation was significant. As a gola,” Rasamoelina added. “When Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh. plans, Condon said: "He'll go to former Portuguese colony, rowing Angola gained independence, most The race looked set to be a Leopardstown for the Champion once had a rich history in Angola. of them quickly left the country clash between Ascot Champion Stakes if the ground is suitable and In the 1880s, colonialists es- so they didn't have time to leave a Stakes hero Fascinating Rock and if for some reason it's not we'll look tablished what is still Angola's sol- legacy.” Derby runner-up US Army at the Champion Stakes at Ascot. itary boat club in the capital, Luan- Amid the sociopolitical chaos, Ranger, but Ken Condon's charge You'd be hoping in late October da. Matias' grandfather took part rowing and many other sports sim- did not read the script, setting the the ground would be in his favour. in the sport, which thrived until ply vanished, Matias told Al gallop under Shane Foley and pull- "He's had a break and hasn't run Angola gained its independence in Jazeera. “It was just abandoned,” ing into a clear lead entering the since May. He's five kilos over his 1975, sparking a brutal civil war. he said. “There was just no cul- home straight. The Dermot Weld- optimum weight so I'd expect im- The 27-year-long struggle between ture of rowing after independence. trained Fascinating Rock was the provement. "This was his best per- pro and anti-communist forces that The whole idea was that you have 10/1 winner's closest pursuer in the formance visually and he kept ended in 2002 claimed around collective sports - handball, foot- final furlong, but he just could not straight. Shane was brilliant on him 500,000 lives. ball and basketball. More focus bridge the gap, which remained and was confident enough to let Matias and Rasamoelina re- was put into those rather than three-quarters of a length at the him roll along. "He set good member growing up through the largely individual sports. line. Aidan O'Brien's US Army enough fractions and when they Ranger was held up in the rear of got to the two-pole it was going to the field before making smooth take a good one to get by him. "He headway on the home turn, but his works like an 80 horse at home so run flattened out after that in you have no clue how he is going Gianni Meersman took a comfortable win in Baiona fourth. Condon said: "I was talk- and can never be very confident. ing to Paul Hensey (Curragh man- He does it on the track and that's ager) beforehand and he was say- the main thing." O'Brien declared Michal Kwiatkowski took the Baiona. Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) happy. The Vuelta was my big goal ing that it rated like a Group One himself satisfied with the effort of overall lead of the Vuelta a Espana finished fourth and now replaces for the last part of the season. race. "On ratings we looked up US Army Ranger, having warned and Chris Froome climbed one team-mate Peter Kennaugh, who "I was really motivated. I told against it as we were fourth best beforehand he would come forward place to fourth on a rolling second was 33rd, at the top of the general my wife, 'Watch the TV today be- and it just shows how strong a re- for his first start since Epsom in stage won by Belgium’s Gianni classification due to superior cu- cause I really feel good'. I was re- newal it was." Condon's charge has June. The Ballydoyle trainer said: Meersman. mulative stage placings. ally planning for this stage. Every- been known to hang occasionally "He'll be grand, he just got a little Meersman (Etixx - Quick-Step) Movistar pair Jose Joaquin thing came together." but the trainer said: "He's very bit tired. "He was galloping away claimed the first Grand Tour stage Rojas and Alejandro Valverde are The Vuelta continues on Mon- straightforward and a solid gal- to the line. The race got a little bit victory of his career by out-sprint- up to second and third respec- day with a 170km third stage start- loper. The plan was to see if he rough off the bend. ing runner-up Michael tively, with Froome (Team Sky) ing in Marin and ending with a cat- would stay on the far rail and he "He was always going to be Schwarzmann (Bora-Argon 18) just behind after finishing safely egory-three summit finish at did it comfortably. He stayed just starting. He'll be fine. He ran a and third-placed Magnus Cort in the peloton in 29th. Mirador de Ezaro. Find out more straight, which is great to see. "His nice race. Nielsen (Orica-BikeExchange) in Meersman said: "I'm really about the route in our race guide. TUESDAY . AUGUST 23. 2016-Sunbula 02, 1395 H.S Vol:XI Issue No:30 Price: Afs.15

The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey

Council of Ministers (CM) on Through a Turbulent World Monday, the CEO also voiced his When it became clear that Saddam’s hopes that there would be a posi- security forces would stay loyal and tive outcome to the meeting with intact, President Bush called on “the the president. This new develop- Iraqi people to take matters into ment takes place ten days after their own hands and force Saddam relations soured between the two Hussein, the dictator, to step aside.” leaders of the national unity gov- Insurgents in Basra began to rebel ernment. against Saddam. Within weeks, In rare change of tone, Abdul- armed revolts broke out across Iraq. lah lashed out at Ghani over what Saddam believed that his regime had he called a reluctance by the pres- lost control of seventeen provinces ident to discuss issues of national with only Anbar Province remain- importance and Afghanistan's for- ing loyal. In negotiating an armistice eign policy track. with Saddam’s generals, however, "Political issues are happen- Schwarzkopf permitted the Iraqi ing in the country. There are dis- regime to fly helicopters over the cussions about the National Uni- south of the country because Iraqis ty Government and the implemen- argued that we had destroyed their tation of the NUG agreement... bridges, making ground transporta- There were a number of problems tion impossible. Saddam deployed over the past two years. We hope the helicopter gunships to mow that talks on the NUG agreement down his opponents, slaughtering end with results," Abdullah said. tens of thousands of civilians. Wol- The Abdullah-Ghani issue fowitz emerged as the leading voice emerged at a critical juncture for in the administration arguing that the Afghanistan – while battle-weary United States should aid the Iraqis Afghan security forces continue to who were trying to topple Saddam. fight a resurgent Taliban on multi- I agreed and suggested that the Unit- ple fronts across the nation. ed States could overthrow the He added: "Our soldiers will Baathist regime without sending never lose our support. They have large numbers of American troops the full support of the nation." to Baghdad. The United States al- Military experts last week ready had F-15 pilots patrolling warned that the rift could under- southern Iraq within one hundred mine the fight against the insur- kilometers of where the massacres gents. Political commentators have were happening. constantly said that there would They could prevent the gunship at- be repercussions for the country tacks and provide protection while unless the two officials step up we transferred arms to insurgents efforts to resolve their disputes who were fighting Saddam’s mili- swiftly amid the ongoing battles. tary with only small arms, machine "They don't [NUG leaders] guns and grenades. I was disturbed have the right to have rift between by the U.S. passivity in the face of ate U.S. protected enclaves in north- risk of irking the principals. Pow- each other, because this system has Saddam’s massacres. ern and southern Iraq. Secretary of ell, however, called Wolfowitz to President Ashraf Ghani and his earlier this month after Abdullah a statement on Monday that the been established by the sacrifice Building in part on my idea, Wol- Defense Dick Cheney rejected these complain about “civilians in the CEO Abdullah Abdullah are set to criticized Ghani over certain poli- two leaders are scheduled to hold of thousands of people," said po- fowitz advocated for three moves: proposals. I thought this issue was Pentagon. meet on Tuesday in an attempt to cy issues. a one-on-one discussion on Tues- litical commentator Mohammad shoot down Saddam’s gunships, arm important enough to keep raising it ” At the point, Wolfowitz stood settle their disputes which emerged The Presidential Palace said in day. Presiding over a meeting of Omar Ayar. (ToloNews) the Shia and Kurdish rebels, and cre- within the government even at the down. To be continued Spares crunch hits transfer of Khwaja Ghar attack helicopter to Afghanistan In a major policy shift last year, licopters were delivered to Afghan- district retaken New Delhi had agreed to transfer istan ahead of Prime Minister four Mi-24/25 attack helicopters Narendra Modi’s visit to Kabul last to Afghanistan, the first supply of December. “The fourth helicopter lethal equipment to Kabul, which is yet to be transferred. It needs has been seeking Indian assistance spares before it can be made fully to strengthen its fledgling Afghan operational and the spares have to National Army (ANA). come from Russia,” diplomatic However, it has been learnt sources told The Hindu. Defence that the last of the four helicop- sources said efforts were on to fix ters is yet to be handed over due the issue. “There was an issue with to lack of spares. The four heli- the spares. It is being sorted out. copters were taken from the in- It should be delivered very soon,” ventory of the Indian Air Force a senior defence official said with- (IAF) at the Air Force station in out specifying a timeframe. Early AT News Report KABUL: After hours of Pathankot. The IAF operates Rus- last year, India supplied three Hin- fierce battle against Taliban sian-built Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack dustan Aeronautics Limited insurgents, the Afghan security forces retook the helicopters which are to be phased (HAL)-built Cheetal utility heli- control of Khwaja Ghar district of northern Takhar out very soon. Of these, three he- copters as well. (THEHINDU) province, provincial official said on Monday. “Af- ter the fall of the district, the Afghan security forces carried operation and entered district center around 10:00am,” provincial governor spokesman Sunatul- Transporters protest lah Timur said. He said that Taliban was pushed back from the police headquarters, main bazaar and the other areas of the district. “Taliban torched sev- harassment by eral shops in the main district bazaar,” he added He further went on to say: “Two policemen and two guards of the governor were killed and five other Afghan security men police officers received injuries in the clearing oper- ations.” He said the Taliban also suffered heavy ca- ANDIKOTAL: Several transporters and traders in Khyber Agen sualties, but he did not provide exact number of the cy on Sunday staged a protest against ‘extortion’ being demanded losses. The attack comes after the Taliban insur- Lby Afghan security personnel at various checkpoints in Afghani- gents took control of a strategic Khanabad district in stan. Khyber Transporters Union leaders led the protest in Takia area northern Kunduz province on Saturday. Though, the on main Pak-Afghan Highway in Landikotal where hundreds of trans- Afghan security forces recaptured the district, but porters and locals had gathered. The protesters, holding placards and the fall despite displacement left huge property loss- banners, chanted slogans against the Afghan officials. es to the residents of Khanabad district. Not only Speaking on the occasion, transporters union leaders including Sha- security forces in Kunduz but in Takhar province kir Afridi, Attaullah Afridi and Mustaqil Afridi criticised the Afghan also played key role in retaking the district. Takhar officials for their misbehaviour with Pakistani truckers. They said when governor spokesman Sunatullah Timur told Afghan- Pakistani transporters enter Afghanistan via Torkham, Afghan police istan Times that security forces on Saturday con- start looting them. Shakir said Afghan officials illegally collected around ducted an operation to retake Khanabad district of Rs40,000 from each Pakistani vehicle at various checkposts. The pro- Kunduz province because the district has border with testers said they were tortured by the Afghan police when they refused two districts of Takhar province—Ishkamish and to pay the money. They said Afghan authorities tore their national Bangi. The fall of the district was a great threat for identity cards in Afghanistan several times. Attaullah said several Paki- these two districts. “We carried operation against stani truck drivers had been brutally tortured by Afghan police on return Taliban insurgents in Taluqan district....P2 from Afghanistan recently. (THENEWS)

The Taliban militants have total- the Central Asian states. The Tal- province during the past several months. Taliban mil- ly destroyed one of the main iban militants captured the control itants also attempted for several times to take control bridges connecting the northern of the key Khanabad district earli- of the strategic Kunduz city which was briefly cap- provinces with the main Sher er this week but the Afghan forces tured by the group last year. (KP) Khan port in north of Afghani- pushed the militants out of the dis- stan. According to the local secu- trict shortly after it was captured. rity officials, the main Alchin The Afghan National Defense and bridge was totally destroyed by Security Forces (ANDSF) recap- the Taliban militants in Kunduz tured the control of the key Kha- late on Sunday night. A command- nabad district in northern Kunduz er of the Afghan armed forces in province late on Saturday evening, north Gen. Sher Aziz Kamalwal hours after fierce clashes that said the bridge has been totally erupted following the fall of the destroyed and no vehicle can pass district. Kunduz has been witness- through the bridge at the moment. ing deteriorating security situation The main Alchin bridge had 300 in the past one year amid rampt meters of lenght and was connect- Taliban-led insurgency across the ing the northern provinces with country. The Taliban insurgents the Sher Khan port that was one have intensified attacks on Kun- of the main connecting points be- duz province and launched numer- tween the northern provinces and ous attacks on key districts of the