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MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16 . 2015 -Dalw 27, 1393 HS www.afghanistantimes.af www.facebook.com/ afghanistantimeswww.twitter.com/ afghanistantimes

Struggle against Afghanistan succeeded in Would-be suicide UK lawmaker calls on Karzai bombers held in "occupation AT News Report fostering good relations with forces" to go Nangarhar neighbors: Ghani AT News Report on: Taliban AT News Report KABUL: Two would-be suicide bombers who planned to carry out KABUL: On the eve of victory KABUL: Terming Kabul s rela- president of Tajikistan to visit Af- attack on a police check post in Jala- labad city were arrested in eastern day falling on August 15, the Tali- tions with neighboring countries as ghanistan. the top priority of the Afghan gov- The president directed the for- Nangarhar province, said the Na- ban vowed on Sunday to keep on tional Directorate of Security (NDS) their struggle against the occupa- ernment, President Mohammad eign minister to prepare a mecha- the other day. The NDS said in a Ashraf Ghani said the other day nism to finalize agreements signed tion forces and invaders of the coun- statement that both of the would- that Kabul has maintained good with the neighboring countries. be suicide attackers were from east- try. relations with neighboring coun- Ghani said that Afghanistan ern parts of the country who had In the years between 1979 and tries including India and is going was not and would not pose any received assignment from a Taliban 1988, hundreds of thousands of towards positive direction in this threat to any neighboring country. commander, Harun, to target police people were killed, as Soviet forc- regard. He called on the ambassadors in Jalalabad city. The source added A statement emailed by the to bring reforms in Afghanistan s that one of the would-be suicide es used their military might to bombers recognized as Abadullah crush the voices of dissent. Mil- Presidential Palace (Arg) said that embassies. He also urged the offi- alias Omar is from Kamdesh dis- lions of people were displaced and president told this in a video call cials to pay all out efforts for pro- trict of eastern Nuristan province, forced to flee from the country. with Afghanistan s ambassadors in moting interests of Afghanistan. and the other, Shah Mahmud alias The ruins of war in the form Iran, China, India, Pakistan, Tajiki- Hamza is from Bati Kot district of stan, Uzbekistan and Turkmeni- the eastern Nangarhar province of destroyed residential and com- stan. where the attack was planned. Ac- mercial buildings in Kabul bear The source said that the for- cording to the statement, the attack painful testimony to the hegemo- KABUL: Head of Defense Com- eign minister, Salahuddin Rabbani, was planned to be carried out with ny and oppression unleashed by the assistance of a Mazda vehicle, mittee of UK parliament, Rory Ex-Jihadi commander dead in and the ministry s political advi- laden with explosives. The source Soviet forces on Afghans. Stewart, called on the ex-President sor Hikmat Karzai were present also said that the attackers had Zabihullah Mujahid, the Tali- Hamid Karzai here on Sunday. Kapisa landmine blast on the occasion. planned a coordinated attack at the British ambassador to Kabul The president directed the for- ban s spokesman, in a statement MAHMOOD RAQI: A leading former Jihadi commander Farooq and police of 1st district of Jalalabad said today is the day when the and members of Firozkoh institute eign minister and Afghan ambas- city also using weapons. Nangar- were also present on the occasion, his body guard were killed in a landmine blast in central Kapisa prov- sadors to struggle for promoting har is among comparatively safe former USSR broke into several who appreciated the support of ince on Sunday, the acting governor said. provinces in east but most recently states and Moscow had to retreat relations with Afghanistan s neigh- Hamid Karzai and the UK s Prince Mehrabuddin Sapi confirmed Farooq died in Kohband district in a bors. it has experienced an increase in ter- from Afghanistan after tasting a Charles to the institute. They urged roadside blast. Police had started investigations to know who was Ghani during his talks ac- rorist attacks. Last week a provin- humiliating defeat by the hands of the ex-president for his continued behind his killing, Sapi added. But a resident of the locality wishing to cial council member was attacked knowledged the ambassador about and then an Afghan National Army Afghans. support to the institute in the fu- go unnamed said Taliban were behind his killing. However, no group so his upcoming trip to India and Iran, far claimed credit for the attack. (Pajhwok) (ANA) troop was hanged in public Congratulating the nation on ture. It is worth mentioning that and said he would soon invite the in this province. the victory day, the statement said: Prince Charles recently sent a let- Afghanistan still has the power ter to Hamid Karzai, where he lauded the former president s sup- to respond to its enemy in a befit- port to Firozkoh institute. US withdrawal brings stability to Afghanistan: Officials ting way. And it was imminent to Karzai thanked the members throw the today s America into a of Firozkoh and pledged to con- The security situation across Af- ters of the Taliban militancy. attacks have decreased drastically foreign forces, mainly from the up permanent military bases in quagmire the way we threw former tinue his support to the organiza- ghanistan is gradually improving US-led forces have closed most in the past few months. United States, have remained in Afghanistan. Afghan political USSR into a ditch. tion. He termed Prince Charles as following the partial withdrawal of of their military facilities in the Attacks and insecurities in Afghanistan in what Washington figures have also heaped scorn on Apparently, foreign forces a good supporter of the institute. US-led forces from the war-rav- southern, eastern and central re- Maidan Wardak Province, espe- terms as a support mission. Former the US-led forces for committing have acknowledged their defeat but Members of the institute grant- aged country, officials say, Press gions of the violence-torn country. cially on Kabul-Kandahar high- Afghan President Hamid Karzai unforgivable crimes against Afghan TV reports. Thousands of Afghan troops way, have decreased by around 95 had often accused the United civilians, including women and chil- Afghans will fight against foreign ed a desk, made in Firozkoh, to Hamid Karzai as a gift from Prince Local residents and security have assumed full responsibility percent in the past 8 months, he States of colluding with the Tali- dren, since invading the country in occupation until the presence of a Charles. The institute also be- officials in Afghanistan say order for the security of several prov- told Press TV. ban to justify the American occu- 2001. Thousands of Afghan civil- single foreign soldier on Afghani- stowed a souvenir on the Afghan has significantly improved in the inces. The US-led combat mission in pation. Afghan political groups ians have been killed during night stan soil, the statement added. ex-president for his support in the volatile southern and eastern prov- Maidan Wardak Police Chief Afghanistan ended on December have repeatedly warned that things raids by foreign forces and CIA- (Pajhwok) past. inces, which were once the epicen- Khalil Andarab has recently said 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 will get worse should the US set run killer drone strikes. (Press TV) This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.

MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16, 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Residents of eastern PC members Afghan celebrities stand seek reforms provinces seek sackig in Zabul up for social causes of corrupt officials admin Celebrities are playing a significant role as responsible and conscientious citizens, using their music and charity work to inspire others. JALALABAD: A number of resi- a high-powered delegation to be QALAT: Members of the provin- dents and activists of social soci- headed by the interior minister to cial council of southern Zabul prov- KABUL: Afghan celebrities are country s first woman since Zo- like human beings. singing] shows the power of mu- ety networks of eastern provinces the eastern zone to probe into cor- ince on Saturday urged the Inde- trying to set an example for their hra Daoud in 1974 to participate The power of music and its sic that cuts across man-made bar- on Sunday demanded that the ruption allegations and deteriorat- pendent Directorate of Local Gov- fellow citizens by shedding light in an international beauty pageant, message Shafiq Murid, a young riers of caste, colour, tribe and re- promised delegation to be sent by ed law and order in the eastern ernance (IDLG) to introduce re- on social issues. As musicians, ac- runs a women s charity that seeks singer, also became involved in ligion, said Anita Haidary, anoth- the president should thoroughly provinces. forms to the provincial adminis- tors and athletes return from exile, to raise awareness about women s social causes. Like Darya, he tries er fan of Murid. In a place like investigate rampant administrative Zabihullah, Nangarhar council tration. they come with a stronger sense rights and education in Afghani- to spread the message of peace Afghanistan, where war and vio- corruption and spiraling insecuri- members, told Pajhwok Afghan They made the call at a meet- of patriotism and desire to give stan. I raise funds and send them and love in a country afflicted by lence dominate the discourse, ty in the eastern provinces. News that the president s video ing with IDLG policy and techni- President Mohammad Ashraf call was just a formality and the back to their country, and they to Afghan NGOs serving causes I violence. His music and its mes- music can facilitate peace, said cal affairs deputy director, Farid have the platform to make a big feel strongly about, such as wom- sage have won him many admir- Shahzad Adeel, another young Ghani on Saturday held a video officials did not share exact details impact. en s rights and children s educa- ers. I like Murid because of his singer. I believe music has the conference with governors of four with the president. Mamondzai, in Qalat, the provin- Using fame to raise awareness tion, Samadzai told Central Asia social activities, said Ihsanullah, power to heal wounds and con- eastern provinces and talked with He said that insecurity and cial capital, IDLG spokesman Singer Farhad Darya migrated to Online. Some people still hold a fan. He is a brilliant singer, but nect hearts, and my dream is to them in details on issues concern- corruption increased manifold as Tawab Ghorzang told Pajhwok Germany in 1990. While there, he the view that women should be his active involvement in social ac- see a peaceful and united Afghan- ing security, good governance and compared to past and people were Afghan News. produced a dozen albums that sold subordinate to men, but all I am tivities and his unflinching love for istan, he said. development. feeling themselves insecure. The meeting was attended by more than 2 million copies. Most asking is that we treat each other the country are touching. [His (Central Asia Online) Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the Khalid Sadaat, a civil society provincial council head Atta Jan of his music touched on the Af- spokesman for the Nangarhar gov- activist, said: Unfortunately, the and several members of the coun- ghan suffering caused by war. Since ernor, told Pajhwok Afghan News president asking about problems cil, who stressed reforms in the that governors, police chiefs, and from the officials and he should his return in 2003, Darya has education, judiciary, the attorney s worked to help his fellow citizens. army officers from Nangarhar, ask from people instead. He now serves as the United Laghman, Nuristan and Kunar took Law and order has been dete- office, detection and security sec- Nations Development Programme part in the conference held in Sha- riorated and administrative corrup- tors of Zabul. (UNDP) goodwill ambassador for hi Palace. tion is at its peak. Ghorzang said the PC mem- Afghanistan and is involved in The officials presented their He suggested that the presi- bers urged the IDLG official to many charities. Darya is the reports and grievances on several dent should hold meetings with share Zabul s problems with the founder of Kocha (meaning issues to the president. Maulvi people, tribal elders and religious Presidential Palace. street in Farsi), a charity that Attaullah Ludin, Nangarhar acting leaders of the eastern provinces to He said Mamonzai assured the supports orphans and under-priv- governor, acknowledged corrup- know about the ground realities. PC members that the problems tion was rampant in Torkham Zabihullah Ghazi, a journalist ileged children in Afghanistan. Last they mentioned would be shared October, he launched the Drops port s weight scale department and and social activist from Kunar, with Darya campaign, a drive requested President Ghani to shut Sahib Dad, another social society with the authorities concerned. asking Afghans nationwide to do- it down. activist from Nuristan, and Zahid- The IDLG official said giving nate blood to injured members of He alleged 143 million afs cor- ullah, the resident from Laghman attention to Zabul was the central the country s security forces. I ruption took place there on a province also expressed their con- government s priority and urged called on politicians and even the monthly basis. cerns over insecurity and corrup- the provincial council to cooper- president to join me in this cam- Earlier, it had been decided that tion in the eastern provinces. ate with local departments. paign, which President [Ashraf] the Presidential Palace would send (Pajhwok) (Pajhwok) Ghani did, Darya told Central Asia Online. The aim is to show that life is precious and that it is important to pay homage to our Afghans dare to dream soldiers. Soldiers also donated blood to help their comrades. High-ranking officers, including Ministry of Defence spokesman ahead of World Cup debut Gen. Zahir Azimi, participated in Sohail says he and his family pray sport in Peshawar and wants to told the players in a telephone the drive. It is a commendable ini- for the success of the Afghan become a famous cricketer. call yesterday they must play tiative, and since Darya is the face cricket team in the 2015 World Afghanistan fast with a high morale and bring great of this drive, it is clicking well, Cup. bowler Hamid Hassan is his favou- honours to Afghanistan as you did Azimi said. This blood The 17-year-old, along with rite player, while his friend Sohail in the past . can save many lives, and it shows his friends, takes the long trip to a says all-rounder Samiullah Shin- Former President Hamid we care for our security forces. Kabul park everyday before sun- wari is an inspiration for him. Karzai told the players two years This is not a political project, rise to play cricket for hours. The Afghan Cricket Board be- ago: You are the new national Darya said. As a responsible cit- I am the biggest fan of cricket lieves the team qualified for their army, and we salute you guys. izen I believe it is our duty to and sometimes I miss lunch first World Cup because of the However, cricket is not uni- show our genuine concern for sol- or dinner to watch the matches, passion of the fans. versally popular in Afghanistan, diers who defend us from ene- the high school student, who learnt We have the support of ev- with some critics saying it is played mies, he said. Vida Samadzai, cricket in exile in Pakistan, says. ery Afghan, which encourages the by only one ethnicity. Miss Afghanistan 2003 and the Afghan singer Aryana Sayeed performs during a peace concert in Kabul. We played with Pakistani boys players to shine on the field, said This is not a national team, in Peshawar and I am happy that Farid Hotak, spokesman for the all the players, trainers, coaches we now have our own national cricket board. Though it is a big and fans are Pashtuns, said Os- team. achievement for the young team man, who belongs to the Tajik, the Governance in Afghanistan: The Afghan team is making its of Afghanistan to qualify for the second most populous ethnic 50-over World Cup debut this World Cup, we expect more as we group. month in the tournament hosted are confident in our players, Ho- For me and many others, it is Afghanistan Times has started publishing a series of books on by Australia and New Zealand. tak added. a stupid game. You cannot under- Afghanistan. Governance in Afghanistan: An Introduction by Cricket s flagship four-yearly Many Afghans learnt about stand how it is played even if you An Introduction event started yesterday and Af- cricket when they took refuge in watch dozens of games, added Aarya Nijat in March 2014, is the book to start from. ghanistan s opening match is neighbouring Pakistan after the Osman, who was born in Parwan Long-term Approach to Anti- new resources.255 against Bangladesh on February 18 1979 Soviet invasion of their coun- province some 60 kilometres north Corruption - Promote Organized Building canals can create hun- in Canberra. They will also take try. of Kabul. Associations: Political patronage dreds of hectares of cultivatable on the might of Australia, New Cricket was sporadically Nasir Shah, from Kabul, does may persist for some time to come. land, thus creating a new resource. Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and played under the Taliban, who not like cricket because it is a co- Senior technical appointments One good example has been a ca- the lesser lights of Scotland in Pool banned many other sports during lonial sport . may remain highly and thus dan- nal-building project funded by Ja- A. their five-year reign (1996-2001), You can see this game in Pa- In their two warm-up match- with the fundamentalist group us- kistan, India, Bangladesh and oth- gerously influenced by political pan in Kunar Province. The 25- es, Afghanistan beat the United ing the only Kabul stadium for ex- er countries who were directly or decisions. Corruption, particular- kilometre canal waters 36,000 Arab Emirates but lost to holders ecution and stoning. indirectly under British colonial ly in the public sector, may con- hectares of land and 63,000 trees India. But it began to really flourish rule, said the 40-year-old carpen- tinue to increase or at least remain on either side of the canal. Orient- They have no chance of win- when Afghans returned home from ter. as rampant as today. ing financial resources to villages ning the competition but cricket is Pakistan after the Taliban were The cricket board denies the Considering this context and to create new resources in this way a new phenomenon in Afghanistan, ousted in the US-led invasion in game belongs to a particular eth- the need to build capacity among can help build the village econo- elected representatives and my, create local employment, pre- strengthen anti-corruption efforts, vent harmful urban inflation, help individual capacity-building initi- connect villages to the cities and atives may find a replacement ensure greater and more effective which, for instance, may take the participatory governance, and form of support extended to orga- with it a bottom-up as opposed to nized professional and value- top- down reform implementation. based associations within and People Resist Loss, Not Re- outside the government that work form: Change disturbs the status to end corrupt practices within the quo, thus reformers often speak ranks and by the members of the of the public s unwillingness to association. change. This is not correct. Win- Strong political and social or- ning a million- dollar lottery intro- ganizational discipline is the only duces huge changes to the lucky useful tool to help build winner s life and is usually wel- institutional capacity and comed. target corrupt practices and be- People do not resist reform for haviour patterns. No one is born its own sake; they resist it because corrupt. Corruption as a behaviour they fear they will lose something pattern is a social learning, and in the process. anything socially-learned or Identifying and acknowledg- adopted over time as a habit can ing the loss associated with reform be gradually unlearned too. Inde- and creating a strong environment pendent political parties - contrib- within which people can grapple uting to the cohort of elected offi- with that loss must be understood cials such as Members of Parlia- as pre-requisites for any reform ment and Provincial Councils - process.256 professional unions of civil ser- and practices. Political will within is equally important.251 Creating The off-budget, direct funding vants or private sector employees, the Afghan Government leadership a synergy between the formal to government institutions and lo- a country better known for war 2001 and the national team have nicity. Cricket is a national sport and social organizations can offer is going to be a critical prerequisite and informal governance mecha- cal warlords increased insecurity and violence. not looked back since. and we have branches and trainers internally-controlled and external- for effective law enforcement and nisms, understanding the role of and corruption, and widened the This is a big achievement and Afghan President Ashraf in 33 of 34 provinces, Hotak ly-monitored professional citi- rule of law, an outcome that can be traditional figureheads such as gap between urban and rural areas there is pride for us to participate Ghani, recalling the team s success said. The number of cricket fans zens, and thus enhance public ca- expected through a few decades of mullahs252 in inducing bottom-up on the one hand and within the civil in the World Cup, said Ajmal in reaching the shorter form World increases day by day across the pacity to monitor the Executive, generational change in leadership reform, mobilizing people to own, service system on the other. Habibi, who like Sohail learned the Twenty20 in 2010, 2012 and 2014, country, he added. (Gulf Times) to strengthen bottom-up account- and the positive evolution of pub- lead and orient the process of These are among some of the ability to beneficiaries and to aid lic expectations of their figures of change253 rather than depend on prominent faces of reform over anticorruption efforts in the long authority in exchange for the ser- intellectuals or the international most of the past decade that have DACAAR run.250 vices they offer. At this point, cor- community to drive the reform not just represented but have ac- Short-term Approach to Anti- ruption runs through the fibre of process, re-orienting financial re- tually caused real losses to basic TENDER NOTI CE Corruption - Strengthen Law En- the political system, connecting sources to villages to create em- rights and interests, and goes a long DACAAR ITB 06 PO-0004563-1402-01- DAR1.13 02-2015 forcement: Corruption may remain government institutions to each ployment opportunities at that way toward explaining why peo- Date: February 12, 2015 as deep-seated as it is today, part- other. Law enforcement must be- level, thereby increasing security ple remain doubtful as to what re- ly because weak or non-existent come the future form of an organic and effectively communicating the form and progress mean. In- Sealed offers are invited from qualified companies for supply of Day Old Chicks and Feeds for law enforcement provides the saf- linkage between institutions of good work carried out at the vil- creased access and capacity to DACAAR Regional Offices in Balkh and Nangarhar Provinces. 254 est environment for criminal abuse governance at national and subna- lage level are some of the ways analyse information through re- Please get the detailed tender documents from website at www.dacaar.org, www.kabul-tenders.org or of the system. The fact that a cor- sponsible media reporting, genu- tional levels. the rural-urban gap could be DACAAR Office in below mentioned address. The offers should reach to DACAAR before February rupt Afghan official would exhibit Bridge the Rural-Urban Di- bridged. Furthermore, to achieve ine civil society representation and added care in a society with seri- vide: Strengthening central state the goal of improved governance, accountable elected representa- 26, 2015 at 4:00 P.M. The tender opening meeting will be held at 10:00 A.M on March 01, 2015. ous law enforcement capacity con- institutions is important but not economic development pro- tives can contribute to accurate firms the power of the law and law at the cost of ignoring local societ- grammes should embark on two identification and acknowledge- DACAAR Address: enforcement as a means to control ies. Engaging with communities and exercises simultaneously: organiz- ment of the losses associated with and suppress corrupt behaviour non- state informal institutions ing existing resources and creating reform. DACAAR Procurement & Stock Unit DACAAR Main Office , Qalayee Fatullah, Road No. 12, Street No.3, House No. 403, Paykobe Naswar, Taimani Project, Kabul, Afghanistan. 250 KII Mansoor. Email: [email protected] 251 Boege, Brown and Clements, 2009 252 Mullahs played a key role in mobilizing village people to protect their water pumps and repair them in case of damage. KII Lewal. 253 A woman walked 14 kilometers to vaccinate her child in Logar. Young women are no longer given in return for a dispute settlement in many villages of eastern Afghanistan. KII Lewal. 254 KII Bhatija. 255 KII Lewal. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16, 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Afghan gov t should consider IS Fears mount for future INFILTRATION REPORTS SERIOUSLY of India s Afghan SILK ROUTE PLANS By Praveen Swami Fears are mounting for the future trade between India and Iran, of an ambitious plan to link India though transport costs remain high with Afghanistan through a new- compared to the road from Kabul age Silk Road network running to the Wagah border, through Pa- through the Iranian port of Chaba- kistan. har, government sources have told Following then-Iranian Presi- The Sunday Express. Iran pressed dent Mohammed Khatami s 2003 National Security Advisor Ajit visit to India, the two countries Doval for commitments on the signed an agreement that led to port, road and rail project during Ashok Leyland Projects being giv- his visit to Iran, which concluded en charge of developing the port on Thursday, but was told that and future rail line. New Delhi is unwilling to add to Progress on the project was EMERGENCY the $100 million promised in 2013. slow, in part disputes CALLS New Delhi s second thoughts over tariffs and transit regulations on the project are driven by con- proved difficult to resolve. The cerns that the looming pullout of upgraded road from Afghanistan to Police United States troops, which has Chabahar also fell behind sched- already led to a sharp escalation in ule. 100 - 119 fighting across Afghanistan, may But in 2010, when SAIL be- scuttle a $10.8 billion iron-ore and gan negotiations for its Hajigak steel project by a Steel Authority project, New Delhi made a re- Hospitals KABUL: A couple of months ago, police chief of the northern Jaw- Some Afghan political watch- from taking a foothold in the coun- of India Limited-led consortium at newed effort to speed up work. Abu Bakar Al- Baghdadi, the self- zjan province, as having said that ers have given credence to the re- try. Hajigak. The Ministries of Railways and FMIC Hospital proclaimed caliph of the so-called some 600 Taliban militants have ports since the basic philosophy IS, according to local securi- Indian diplomats have also Mines were also involved in dis- Behind Kabul Medical Islamic State (IS) whose fighters rebranded themselves into IS mili- of the Taliban and IS fundamen- ty officials, are present in Khak- pointed to new strains in Kabul s cussions to build a railway line to now control wide swathes of Iraq tants by using a black flag instead talist interpretation of the Koran e-Safid district of Farah province, relationship with Delhi. President carry out ore from Hajigak to Cha- University: and Syria, announced their pres- of the white Taliban flag. These are almost identical although in Zarghon Shahr district of Logar Ashraf Gani s government in Kabul bahar. 0202500200-+93793275595 ence in Khurasan, a territory cov- militants have also been covering that of the latter is more gruesome. province and Daesh fighters have dropped requests for Indian weap- In contrast, China has pushed ering Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts their faces with black mask and In my opinion, IS would pose killed Taliban commander in ons aidin a bid to soothe Pakistani forward aggressively on Chabahar, of Iran, India, and some central have increased terrorist attacks in serious security threats and would Charkh district, the well-respect- sensitivities a development first offering an $75 million credit line Rabia-i-Balkhi Hospital Asian states. some districts of the province. prove challenging in the spring and ed analyst Kohistani said. reported in The Indian Express in for ongoing work on the port. Like Pule Bagh-e- Umomi Although Afghan Interior Min- Earlier, the chairman of Logar summer when the weather gets He called on the government October. India, China has plans to invest in istry spokesman Sediq Sediqi has Provincial Council, Hasibullah warmer, a former diplomat and to verify the reports. I think the bottom line is that Afghanistan s mineral wealth in 070263672 ruled out the presence of IS fight- Stanikzai, also confirmed that the political analyst, Ahmad Sayedi, Meanwhile, government secu- no one is sure what the situation its case, a copper mine at Mes Ain- ers in the country, saying that re- insurgents of the Islamic State, told the local media here recently. rity forces had killed Mullah Ab- in Afghanistan is going to be like in ak. Its principal interest in Chaba- ports about IS militants infiltrat- known here as Daesh, are active in IS or Daesh sooner or later dul Rauf Khadim, the alleged com- a year, let alone two decades , says har, though, is to handle oil from Khairkhana Hospital ing Afghanistan are without factu- parts of the province, including would emerge in Afghanistan, a mander of the extremist group in Sushant Sareen, an analyst at the its estimated $14 billion invest- 0799-321007 al basis and could be mere specu- Kharkh and Khirwar districts. former Afghan deputy to Interior the southern Helmand province Vivekananda International Founda- ments in fields at Yadavaran, South lations, some local Afghan officials Mohammad Omar Safi, gov- Ministry, Mirza Mohammad last Monday. Khadim was report- tion in New Delhi. It would be Pars, Masjed-i-Suleiman and Aza- 2401352 have reported the presence in some ernor of the northern Kunduz Yarmand, said. edly responsible for recruiting foolish to gamble billions on a degan. parts of the country of militants province, just couple of days ago Another Afghan analyst, fighters for IS in Afghanistan. guess . For its part, Iran is working wearing black masks and carrying also reported the presence of an Jawed Kohistani, also expressed The IS armed militants had Indira Gandhi Children black flags similar to those carried estimated 70 Islamic State fighters concern over IS emergence in his also burned a Taliban commander Hospital, Wazir Akbar by IS fighters in Iraq and Syria af- in Dasht-e-Archi and Chardara country, calling on the central gov- in Shindand district of the western ter the announcement was carried districts. He said these IS fighters ernment to consider the problem Herat province a week ago like Khan, Kabul 2301372 by the media. are expected to complicate the al- seriously and take the necessary what they did to the captured Jor- Local media reports recently ready complicated security situa- security measures in order to pre- danian pilot in Syria. quoted Faqir Mohammad Jauzjani, tion in the country. vent the murderous Islamic State (Xinhua) Ibn-e- Seena Pul-e-Artan, Kabul Many ex-ministers, officials keeping state vehicles 2100359 KABUL: Some former ministers Farah, Mohammad Asif Nang, said ternarcotics, wishing anonymity, fairs, transport, aviation, mines and Wazir Akbar Khan and senior government officials his predecessor Mohammad Omar said that former minister Moham- petroleum, public works, telecom- Hospital have not returned their official ve- Sherzad had been given three offi- mad Mubariz Rashidi continued to munication and IT, rural develop- hicles to the departments con- cial vehicles and he had returned use a government bullet-proof ve- ment, urban development, finance 2301741, 2301743 cerned despite passage of many two of them and had sent the third hicle. He said the former minister and commerce and industry. Offi- years, it is learnt. for a repair work to western Herat had been unofficially pursued to cials in these ministries said their Pajhwok Afghan News collect- province. But two days ago, Nang return his vehicle, but he was yet former ministries had returned their Ali Abad ed information in four days about told a press conference that to do it. To a question why Rash- official vehicles, but a spokesman former officials who are still keep- Sherzad was yet to return three idi was refusing to surrender the for the Ministry of Defence, Daul- Shahrara, Kabul ing their vehicles. registration plates. Attempts at vehicle, the source said Rashidi at Waziri, said he had no informa- They are former governor of seeking comments from Sherzad lacked a convincing argument but tion if former defence minister Bis- 2100439 eastern Kunar province, Syed did not succeed. saying he as a former minister had millah Khan Mohammadi had re- Mohammad Yusuf Shajan, former Independent Directorate of the right to keep a government ve- turned his official vehicles or not. Independent Election Commission Local Governance (IDLG) hicle. The armoured vehicle Rash- Women s Affairs Ministry spokes- Malalai Maternity man Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi said For both Iran and India, the Hospital former minister Husn Banu Ghaz- project still makes strategic sense: on several separate projects to ar used private vehicles and she the countries helped finance and boost connectivity in Afghanistan. 2201377/ 2301743 did not keep government vehicles. Pajhwok telephoned a number of- train anti-Taliban forces from 1998 In addition to an under-construc- ficials at the Ministry of Econo- to 2001 a time when the US tion 176-kilometre train line from Banks my and Rural Development, but came close to recognising the Is- Messhad to Herat, the country is they did not provide clear replies, lamist regime. In addition, Iran and financing the construction of a 5- but calls made to the Ministry of India share concerns over Pakistan, kilometre tunnel in Tajikistan, Da Afghanistan Bank Water and Energy were not an- with whom both have clashed on which would link Iran, through 2100302, 2100303 swered. An official at the Minis- their borders in recent months. Herat, and Mazar-e-Sharif, to Chi- try of Parliamentary Affairs said In his meeting with Doval, the na. Kabul Bank former minister Humayun Azizi head of Iran s Supreme National Lost in transit had not returned an armoured ve- hicle to the ministry. Azizi was Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, Zaranj-Delaram 222666, 070285285 removed about two months ago. underlined those shared interests, highway: Indian-built road, com- Azizi Bank His successor Ghulam Nabi Farah, saying the countries are like neigh- pleted in 2009, connects Iran via who neither confirmed nor reject- bours without joint borders . the highway to the main Kanda- 0799 700900 ed the issue, said the ministry s However, the fluid situation in har-Herat highway. Businesses departments concerned should be Afghanistan means neither coun- complain it has become danger- Pashtany Bank asked. Official vehicles are regis- try is willing to spend resources ous because of Islamist gangs and tered with the offices concerned, on building the expensive train and criminals. 2102908, 2103868 but there is no exclusive depart- road transit routes. Chabahar-Iranshahr-Za- ment to purchase and register them. Finance Ministry spokes- The Chabahar project was hedan-Milak road: Iranian-built Air Services (IEC) chief Fazl Ahmad Manawi, spokesman Tawab Ghorzag said idi is keeping had been purchased man Abdul Qadir Jilani said vehi- born in 2002, following the defeat road connects Chabahar to Afghan former counternarcotics minister the directorate had transport sec- with an American aid money cles for ministries, governors and of the Taliban regime, as India border; now being upgraded. 700 Safi Airways Din Mohammad Mubariz, and tions in all the provinces to pro- amounting to $120,000, the offi- departments had been purchased searched for an access route to km shorter, when complete, to former parliamentary affairs min- vide vehicles to governors and other cial said. A second official of the in different times through various land-locked Afghanistan, that Kabul-Karachi road. 020 22 22 222 ister Humayun Azizi. provincial officials. The sections Counternarcotics Ministry also sources over the past 13 years. He would be free of Pakistan s con- Chabahar-Faraj-Bam Similarly, former social affairs distribute vehicles to officials and said Rashidi had not returned his said most of the vehicles had been trol. The project was to have giv- railway: Iranian project, will give Ariana minister Amna Afzali is still keep- retrieve them after jobs of the offi- official vehicle, but the former min- provided by aid giving agencies and en India access to markets and min- access from port to Iranian rail ing her government vehicle. Former cials are over, but we have not reg- ister said he had returned all the provincial reconstruction teams eral resources. In turn, Afghanistan network connecting to central, west 020-2100270 Farah governor Mohammad Omar istered any report that suggests a government vehicles as well as se- and a few number by the govern- Sherzad has been using three gov- former governor or official is not curity guards. Acting social affairs ment. Jilani said he had not infor- would have been freed from the Asia. ernment registration plates. returning his vehicle. IEC chief minister Wasil Noor Mohmand mation about official vehicles giv- leverage Pakistan now exercises Chabahar-Zaranj-Delaram- Kam Air Shajan was removed as the Ahmad Yousaf Nuristani said said their foreign minister, Afzali, en to former officials, saying the over it. Hajigak rly: Indian-Iranian governor of Kunar about a decade former chief Manawi had not re- did not have her own vehicle and question should be asked from the In 2003, Afghanistan, India and project, would link future Indian 0799974422 ago, but he is still keeping his offi- turned so far the commission s two thus keeping official car. She could Presidential Palace. Iran signed an agreement to devel- iron-ore mining operations at Haji- cial vehicle. Jan Aqa, the head of Land Cruiser and one Hilux vehi- not be reached for comment. Pajh- But presidential spokesman op the Chabahar-Zaranj-Delaram gak to Chabahar, 900 kilometres Hotels transport section at the Governor s cle and was still using them. wok talked to other ministries, in- Ajmal Abidi said an investigation route. Later that year, India began away. House in Kunar, confirmed the Manawi s secretary refused to cluding interior, foreign, education, into the issue had been opened and work on rebuilding the highway Chabahar-Zahedan-Mash- Safi Landmark matter and said Shajan was cur- comment on the matter. Several higher education, justice, refugee essential measures would follow, running from Zaranj to Delaram, had railway: Iranian project, rently living overseas and they did other ex-government officials have affairs, information and culture, ag- but stopped short of going into not know where his official vehi- been keeping their official vehicles. riculture, public health, borders and connecting southern Afghanistan to connecting port to north-eastern 020-2203131 details. Iran. The route has been used for Iran. (The Indian Express) cle was. The new governor of An official at the Ministry of Coun- tribal affair, hajj and religious af- (Pajhwok) SERENA Ex-Afghan diplomat, ambassador 0799654000 TO JAPAN DIES AT 46 New Rumi Restaurant 0776351347 Internet Services UA Telecom 0796701701 / 0796702702 Exchange Rate Purchase:

One US$ = 57.26Afs One Pound Sterling= Haron Amin, former Afghan Dip- ties, Massoud assigned Amin in 86.20Afs lomat and Ambassador, passed 1990 to represent the interests of One Euro = away on Sunday at a U.S. hospital Afghans before the U.S. 64.72Afs after losing his battle to cancer. For more than a decade Amin The former Afghan Ambassa- pursued the task assigned by Mas- 1000 Pak Rs = dor to Japan and non-resident en- soud. In 1997, he was named as 559Afs voy to Thailand, the Republic of the Chief of Staff for the newly- the Philippines and Singapore appointed Prime Minister Abdul Sale: from 2004 to 2009 was diagnosed Rahim Ghafoorzai, later turning to One US$ = with cancer in 2011. a diplomat to the United Nations 57.46Afs Amin's diplomatic career serving Afghanistan. One Pound Sterling= launched when he returned to Af- Accomplished in the arena of ghanistan in 1988 from the U.S. to politics, in 2002 Amin was named 87Afs fight alongside the military and among 77 others as "people of the One Euro= political leader of the Northern future" by America's weekly news 65.32 Afs Alliance, Ahmad Shah Massoud. magazine, Newsweek. 1000 Pak Rs= 567Afs At the tender age of his early twen- Tolonews This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16 , 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES US Congress throws crucial Mastermind of Shikarpur Pakistan caveat into Pakistan ties carnage killed in Quetta suffering heavy The US Congress is arguing against letter said. but voiced skepticism that this will losses from treating Pakistan as a strategic part- It said the government of Pa- result in any real change to Paki- ner until the country agrees to sev- kistan has taken some steps to dis- stan s policy. Indian mills er its alleged ties with terrorist mantle the infrastructure of al Qae- After all, groups like the LeT outfits . da and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the JuD are ostensibly banned emissions In a letter to US Secretary of (TTP), but has not done enough and still able to operate with vir- State John Kerry, House Commit- to combat other designated for- tual impunity, it said. KARACHI: Apart from damaging tee on Foreign Affairs Chairman eign terrorist groups such as Lash- If Pakistan s long-term pros- public health and crop cultivation, Ed Royce and Ranking Member kar-e-Taiba (LeT), Lashkar-e- pects are to improve for all its peo- heavy fog mainly created by haz- Eliot Engel said the US should Jhangvi, and Jaish-e-Muhammad. ple, its leaders must make a clear ardous emissions from the coal- pursue a different approach with This selective approach ap- break from the policies of the past, based Indian steel mills are caus- the Pakistani government, the pears to stem from a misguided ing a loss of $2 billion annually to BBC reported. belief that some terrorist groups it said. US Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki said she Pakistan s aviation industry. We urge you to consider im- serve Pakistan s foreign policy The Sindh coast doesn t face plementing travel restrictions, sus- goals in India and Afghanistan, it has not seen the letter and also could not confirm whether John the threat of complete drowning pending portions of assistance, said. from the intruding sea by 2060 as and sanctioning Pakistani officials The letter welcomed Paki- Kerry had read it or not. She said the Congress s letter would be re- was recently reported in the press, that maintain relationships with stan s recent announcement that it but there are all indications that plied. designated terrorist groups, the will soon ban the Haqqani network, Pakistan would be seriously im- pacted by changes in weather con- ditions, which would become more intense in the coming years. Build- ing dams could help Pakistan pre- vent flooding. These were some important points highlighted by deputy di- rector general of the meteorologi- cal department Dr Ghulam Rasool QUETTA: Security forces on exchange of fire. The security offi- Earlier, intelligence agencies at a press briefing held on Satur- Sunday claimed to have killed a cial described the condition of two and officials investigating the day. It was arranged by Green senior commander of banned mili- injured FC personnel as serious. Shikarpur imambargah attack had Media Initiative in collaboration tant outfit, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi He further said that one militant identified a militant group operat- with the Karachi Press Club. Usman Saifullah who they said was also taken into custody by ing in the Sindh and Balochistan Speaking to journalists, Dr was believed to be the mastermind security forces during the targeted border areas as those behind the Rasool said that though Pakistan s of the devastating Shikarpur imam- raid. deadly attack. case was briefly discussed in last bargah attack which killed 61 peo- Saifullah was a wanted terror- Based on the initial findings of year s report of the Inter-govern- ple this month. ist who had escaped from the Anti- the police investigation, the chief mental Panel on Climate Change A security official who de- Terrorist Force Jail in Quetta Can- of the counter-terror unit of the (IPCC), scientists in the country clined to be named owing to the tonment in 2008. He was impli- crime investigation department, had detailed information on climate sensitivity of the matter told cated in multiple cases involving Raja Umer Khattab, had also hint- change that would impact the coun- Dawn.com that the Frontier Corps, target killing, especially of Shia ed that the bombing in Shikarpur try in the coming years. accompanied by personnel of in- Hazaras. The Balochistan Home could be the handiwork of the Pakistan ranks 10th among telligence agencies, conducted a raid Department had announced Rs2.5 banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi rather countries that would suffer the at a hotel near Gahi Khan Chowk million head bounty for his cap- than Jundullah, whose spokesper- most from climate change. Every area of Sariab road in Quetta. ture. son had claimed responsibility for aspect of the phenomenon would The militants hiding inside the Intelligence sources also said the attack. impact us. Our coasts are now hotel retaliated and an exchange of the commander had close contacts Shikarpur is near the vast bor- more vulnerable to tropical cy- fire took place between the mili- to both al Qaeda and the Afghan der area of Balochistan that lacks clones as their intensity would in- tants and security officials which Taliban. any significant security checks, a crease in the Arabian Sea and re- left two militants dead includ- After the raid, security was CID officer had stated. ing [LJ commander] Usman Saiful- beefed up in different parts of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the banned duce in the Bay of Bengal, he said, lah. Quetta in anticipation of blowback outfit blamed for deadly attacks adding that sea level rise would The security official said the from the killing of the LJ com- on Shias and Hazaras, allegedly has contribute to sea intrusion. dead commander was involved in mander. forged ties with Al-Qaeda and the According to Dr Rasool, of the targeted killings of Hazara commu- The raid today is part of larger Taliban in a murderous campaign total 8,123 glaciers in Pakistan, nity members, and was believed security efforts being made in to wage sectarian warfare. only 8,000 are advancing while the to be the mastermind of recent Quetta and other parts of Since its inception in 1996, the rest are reducing. The Siachen Gla- bombing in Shikarpur. Balochistan following the Army faction has claimed to have killed cier is the fastest melting glacier in Five security personnel also Public School attack in Peshawar thousands of Shias in bombings the world. The deployment of sustained bullet wounds during the on December 16, 2014. and shootings across Pakistan. armed forces of both Pakistan and India in that region is also contrib- uting to decline in the ice mass. Sri Lanka s new Seminaries in The change in monsoon pat- tern would aggravate flooding in president makes BNP-Jamaat plotting to push Pak oppose govt rivers. Although intense monsoon India his 1st visit would be experienced in Punjab move to ban and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, flood- abroad Bangladesh backward: PM foreign students ing would occur in Sindh and Balochistan that might be experi- Sri Lanka's new leader is underlin- The prime minister says the BNP- President Coast Guard Awards to cure its sea and the coastal areas to vessels would be added to the fleet ISLAMABAD: The expected encing a dry spell at that time, he ing India's importance as a region- Jamaat coalition is plotting to 22 officers and 13 mariners. the highest degree, she added. of the force. move by the government to stream- said. al ally by making it his first offi- push the country backward by kill- I hope this acknowledgment She also spoke about her gov- Speaking on resolution of mar- line and restrict the admission of Late, early or prolonged onset cial foreign destination as president, ing and destruction using petrol will inspire you more. It will fur- ernment s steps to develop the itime disputes with Myanmar and foreign students to religious semi- of monsoon, he said, would badly following years of increasingly bombs . ther accelerate your operational force. India, she said, Plentiful resourc- naries has not gone well with the impact cultivation. uneasy relations with New Delhi The BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami co- and welfare activities, she added. She said the government was es lay under these waters. It is also board of religious seminaries be- Tarbela and Mangla are our and amid international pressure to alition is plotting to push the Hasina praised the activities of committed to implement the crucial for international trade. We longing to the Deobandi sect. only water reservoirs. Their water speed up post-civil war reconcili- country backward by damaging the force saying, The coast Coastguard Development Vision will have to explore, accumulate While Wafaqul Madaris al Ara- ation efforts at home. storage capacity has already re- lives and properties using petrol guards motto is Guardian at Sea . 2030. and preserve these resources our- bia has expressed concerns over the duced by 35pc due to silt depos- President Maithripala Sirise- bombs , Prime Minister Sheikh I strongly believe that you will do Following this, speed boats selves. proposal to ban the admissions of its, he said. na's four-day visit, which begins Hasina has said. your duty with deep emotion. have been purchased for this force. A strong security system is foreign students in seminaries, the He favoured smaller dams but with his arrival Sunday evening, She was speaking at a func- The soil of Bangladesh is wet New stations have been set up and needed to protect national interest madressah boards belonging to the has been welcomed by Indian offi- tion to mark the 20th founding an- with blood of hundreds of thou- outposts and manpower have been and aquatic resources of riverine said that they couldn t work in Barelvi and Shia sects demanded heavy rain scenarios. It is up to cials, who are planning a ceremo- niversary of Bangladesh Coast sands of martyrs. I strongly be- increased, she said. Bangladesh. The coast guard has the government carry out strict ny and banquet for him Monday Guard and conferring the National lieve that you will be ready to ac- The prime minister said four an important role to play here, us how we make use of that water. regulations in this regard. Either we let it flood and devas- and top-tier meetings befitting the Standard to the force at its head- cept any kind of sacrifice to se- offshore and four inshore patrol she added. In a statement, Wafaqul Ma- countries' "unique" historical and quarters in Dhaka. tate our land and people, or con- daris al Arabia, the religious board serve it. cultural ties, Indian foreign minis- The people of Bangladesh are for seminaries of the Deobandis, try spokesman Syed Akbaruddin dreaming now that the country stated that the government move He rejected press reports on said. progresses, becomes developed to shut the doors of religious edu- the submergence of Karachi, That- Relations between India and and rich cation on foreign students was a ta and Badin by 2060 and said there Sri Lanka had become tense in re- When our government is conspiracy to sabotage the upcom- was no scientific basis for that cent years, as China grew cozier working relentlessly to make that ing negotiations between the gov- statement. But, sea level rise with the island nation, long con- dream come true, the BNP-Jamaat ernment and the seminary boards. would contribute to sea intrusion sidered by India as being within alliance is conspiring to push the The ministry of religious af- and affect land agricultural produc- its traditional sphere of influence. country backward, the prime fairs is set to meet a delegation of tivity. Last year, President Xi Jinping minister said. five madressah boards on Febru- On Karachi, he said that the became the first Chinese leader to They are burning innocent ary 18. The four boards related to city had expanded out of propor- visit Sri Lanka in 28 years as he people and children alive, destroy- seminaries belong to the Barelvis, tion and there was a need that the courted Colombo's support for a ing properties of the country, she Deobandis, Shias, Ahle Hadis while government banned its further ex- maritime trade route. Sri Lanka also said. the fifth board represents the sem- pansion and established another irked New Delhi by allowing two Hasina urged every patriotic inaries managed by Jamaat i-Isla- city to house more people. Chinese submarines to dock along citizen to be united against such mi. The largest network of semi- Trans-boundary pollution, he its coastline, and by brokering barbarism and brutality. naries in the country belongs to told the audience, was spreading. deals for billions in Chinese loans Violence during a blockade by Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia which It s the wind blowing from the and infrastructure projects. the BNP-Jamaat coalition for over blamed the government for taking east to the west that brings pollut- Sirisena has said his govern- a month has left at least 60 people the step at the behest of foreign- ants to Pakistan and then these coal ment will review the loans and killed and hundreds injured. Most ers. A statement by the secretary emissions spread to Khyber Pa- projects approved under his pow- them are victims of fire bomb at- general Wafaqul Madaris, Qari khtunkhwa, Punjab and (now) Suk- erful predecessor and one-time ally, tacks on hundreds of vehicles. Hanif Jalandhri, said imposing re- kur, he said. Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom he de- Businesses say they have lost strictions on foreign students to The hazardous emissions, he feated in a stunning election upset around Tk 1 trillion in the block- study in madressahs would widen said, were affecting the aviation last month. While campaigning for ade. the trust deficit with the govern- industry, public health and crop the election, Sirisena had criticized The prime minister handed ment. If there is a complete ban cultivation. The fog gets intense the Chinese projects as debt traps, over the National Standard of the on foreign students in seminaries during January and December and but he has since announced plans force to its Director General Rear despite valid documents, it will is broken only with a rain spell. to visit China after his India trip. Admiral M Makbul Hossain. only add to the image problem of The cloud cover prevents plants "We will be making a new be- She also handed over Bang- Pakistan, said Qari Jalandhri. to carry out photosynthesis, he ginning with India," government ladesh Coast Guard Awards and Dawn said. Dawn minister and spokesman Laksh- man Kiriella told reporters in Sri Lanka on Sunday. Foreign minister s US visit Meanwhile, Sirisena will be INDIA BUILDING COLLAPSE KILLS 12 looking this week to boost bilater- al trade with India, now standing successful: Sri Lanka at around $1 billion. He is to visit a Buddhist temple complex in the PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO CHILDREN eastern state of Bihar before trav- Police say a building that was under eling to the southern Indian city of construction collapsed and killed 12 Tirupati later Tuesday and return- people, including two children, in ing to his country Wednesday. the north Indian state of Uttar He and Indian Prime Minister Pradesh. Narendra Modi are also likely to The victims were sleeping on focus talks on Sri Lanka's efforts the ground floor when the partially to establish reconciliation in the built first floor fell on them. wake of its long civil war, which Police Superintendent Chand- Sirisena has named a priority for The Sri Lankan government on The U.S. has led efforts to auli Muniraj says two people were his government. Sri Lanka's ethnic Sunday said its Foreign Minister s push Sri Lanka to agree to an in- being treated in a hospital and three Tamil minority complain that lit- just-concluded visit to the U.S. ternational probe on the war but people escaped unhurt. tle has been done to restore trust was successful. the previous government of Ma- The building s owner was and national unity since the 25- Minister Mangala Samarawe- hinda Rajapaksa rejected the move. among the 12 people killed, along year civil war ended with the rout- era briefed U.S. Secretary of State Colombo said the visit by Mr. with two children aged under eight ing of ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009, John Kerry and U.N. Secretary Samaraweera, his first to the U.S. years old. despite pledges to devolve power General Ban Ki-moon on the ef- capital since assuming office last It wasn't immediately clear to Tamil-populated provinces. In- forts taken by the new Sri Lankan month, followed the visit of U.S. what caused the structure to col- dia, with its own sizeable Tamil government to address human Assistant Secretary of State Nisha lapse in the city of Mughalsarai, population, has also voiced con- rights concerns, Xinhua reported. Biswal to Colombo this month. southeast of state capital Lucknow. cerns about the slow pace of rec- Sri Lanka has been accused of The Sri Lankan Minister Building collapses are common onciliation efforts, and has urged committing human rights abuses spoke on the steps being taken for in India, where high housing demand Sri Lanka to heed international de- during the final stages of the war reconciliation, to strengthen de- and lax regulations have encouraged mands for an independent investi- between Tamil Tigers and the mil- mocracy and to deliver good gov- some builders to cut corners or use gation into alleged war crimes. AP itary which ended in May 2009. ernance. substandard materials. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16 , 2015 AFGHANISTAN TIMES Scores dead in intensified fighting in southern Syria: Monitor Intense clashes in southern Syria drive to the north. The insurgents have killed scores of pro-govern- had made significant gains in the Japan will offer an extra $15m in ment and insurgent fighters in the south in recent months, taking sev- aid to fight armed groups in the past week, a group monitoring eral army bases. Middle East and Africa. Syria's war said on Sunday, fore- Syrian state media and Still reeling from the murder casting even fiercer violence as the Hezbollah's al-Manar channel re- of two nationals by members of weather clears. ported on the battles in the south the Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria's army and allied com- during the week, saying the army Levant (ISIL) group, Japan hopes batants from Lebanon's Hezbollah had been reclaiming territory from to demonstrate its resolve not to launched a large-scale offensive in "terrorists". State media said a cave in to attacks with the fresh the region last week against insur- number of enemy fighters had been assistance, a report said on Sun- gent groups including al Qaeda's killed. Syrian officials were not day. Syria wing Nusra Front and non- immediately available for comment The funding will be announced jihadist rebels. on Sunday. "The situation remains at a global conference starting on The battle is significant be- hit-and-run between us and regime Wednesday in Washington, the cause it is one of the last areas forces," said Abu Gaiath, spokes- Sankei Shimbun said, according to where mainstream rebels oppos- man for the rebel Alwiyat Seif al- the AFP news agency. ing President Bashar al-Assad Sham group. Its fighters are part The report said the money have a foothold. Such groups have of the "Southern Front" rebel alli- would be distributed through in- lost ground to hardline Islamist ance that has had support from ternational organisations to affect- militants in the four-year conflict. states opposed to Assad. ed regions, including countries bor- More than 50 rebels have been Speaking via the Internet from dering Syria and Iraq. Large parts killed in the fighting, the head of inside Syria, he said fighting had of those countries are controlled the Britain-based Syrian Observa- calmed in the past two days but by ISIL fighters. tory for Human Rights said. Rami the military was aiming to encircle Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Abdulrahman said 43 members of a village northeast of Quneitra and has been criticised over the timing the Syrian army and allied groups had captured towns and villages of an earlier $200m Japanese had also died, including 12 offic- south of Damascus. pledge to help refugees fleeing ers. The Observatory's Abdulrah- ISIL-controlled areas. "Now the weather is better man said 10 fighters on the gov- Abe announced the $200m aid there will be Syrian air strikes. With ernment side had been executed in Egypt on January 17, saying the air strikes they will move for- after being accused of passing in- Japan would "help curb the threat" ward," he said. formation to the enemy. He also of ISIL and give the money "for Abdulrahman, who tracks the said Nusra Front fighters had been those countries contending with" war using sources on the ground, killed in battles but exact numbers the group's fighters. ISIL demanding the same sum in exchange for a captured Japanese contractor and a journalist. said around 5,000 pro-government were not known. The announcement was fol- The group's fighters later changed their demand to the release of a death row inmate from a Jordanian prison. troops were taking part in the of- Winter weather had limited lowed by the hostage drama, with Tokyo pressed Jordan for its help, but ISIL eventually announced the killing of the pair as well as a Jordanian airman. fensive which aims to take a trian- fighting in the past few days and gle of rebel-held land from rural prevented air strikes, one of the areas southwest of Damascus to army's most potent weapons Deraa city to Quneitra. Sources on against insurgents. Abdulrahman both sides of the battlefront have said the army and allied groups Houthis refuse to cede power in Yemen said the offensive aims to shield planned to involve 10,000 fighters Damascus, the capital a short in the offensive. The Shiite militia that seized power Council is expected to adopt a res- their embassies and evacuate dip- the United States as the network's spired uprising forced former in Sanaa said Sunday it would not olution on Sunday urging the lomats. On Sunday the militia deadliest branch and which strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh to cave in to "threats" after Yemen's Houthis to step aside, release gov- spokesman denounced as "pro- claimed a Jan. 7 attack on French step down in February 2012. Gulf neighbours urged the U.N. to ernment officials and begin U.N.- vocative blackmail" demands for satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo U.N. Secretary General Ban act forcefully against its takeover. brokered negotiations, diplomats the Houthis to relinquish power. in which 12 people were killed. Ki-moon has warned that Yemen "The Yemeni people won't said. The withdrawal of ambassa- The country has seen a rise in is falling apart and called for Hadi cede power in the face of threats," Calling for the Houthis to act dors "reflects the panic that has unrest since an Arab Spring-in- to be reinstated. spokesman Mohammad Abdul- "immediately and unconditional- hit some political forces which salam said, quoted by the official ly," the draft resolution demands aren't betting on the people... and Saba news agency, which the Shi- they "withdraw their forces from their dignity, but on foreign" coun- ite Houthi militia now controls. government institutions ... and re- tries, said Abdulsalam. Abdulsalam insisted that Ye- linquish government and security "These embassies are here to menis were "engaged in a process institutions." oversee the interests of their own of self-determination free of any The Houthis seized Sanaa in countries and not those of the [Ye- [foreign] tutelage." September before tightening their meni] people," he added. Yemen's Gulf neighbours on grip and prompting Western- Among the countries that have Saturday urged the international backed President Abedrabbo Man- closed their embassies and pulled community to act forcefully over sour Hadi to tender his resignation. out their staff are Britain, France, the deteriorating security situation They dissolved parliament and Germany and the United States. Israel s Likud claims vote in the Arabian Peninsula country, installed a "presidential council" to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab including possible military inter- run Yemen on Feb. 6, sparking se- Emirates have taken similar action. vention. curity concerns that saw several Yemen is home to Al-Qaeda in for left will benefit ISIS The United Nations Security Arab and Western countries close the Arabian Peninsula, regarded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- and "the colossal failure of Ben- yahu's right-wing Likud party jamin Netanyahu in the field of claims in a contentious new cam- security". Myanmar paign ad that a vote for the left in "He freed terrorists with blood Danish police kill suspect behind Israel's March election would ben- on their hands and strengthened troops recover efit ISIS jihadists. Hamas, and during his tenure Iran The ad drew fire from the left- became a state that has reached the wing coalition opposing Likud, the nuclear threshold," it said in a state- Copenhagen shootings bodies of rebels Zionist Union, which accused Net- ment. anyahu of "colossal" security fail- Security will be a key issue in Danish police shot and killed a man while three police officers were adjacent to the synagogue. he believed he was the intended Myanmar government troops ures. Israel's March 17 general election, early Sunday who likely carried wounded, authorities said. Two Skov said the shooter was con- target of the first shooting, which fighting ethnic rebels near the Chi- The ad features actors por- which was called early after the out shooting attacks at a free belonged to the Danish security fronted by police as he returned to happened at a panel discussion ti- nese border have recovered the traying jihadists driving in a white collapse of Netanyahu's ruling co- speech event and a synagogue in service PET, which said the cir- an address that they were keeping tled Art, blasphemy and freedom bodies of 13 rebels and captured pick-up truck with two standing alition. Copenhagen that left two people cumstances surrounding the shoot- under surveillance. Investigators of expression. eight others, state media has re- in the rear carrying the black flag Recent polls have shown a dead. ing indicate that we are talking described him as 25 to 30 years What other motive could ported. of ISIS, the extremist Sunni Mus- tight race between Likud and the We assume that it's the same about a terror attack." old with an athletic build and car- there be? It's possible it was in- The clashes this week are lim group that has seized control Zionist Union but many voters culprit behind both incidents... that After midnight Sunday, a Jew- rying a black automatic weapon. spired by Charlie Hebdo, he said, some of the fiercest in the country of large parts of Syria and Iraq. remain undecided. was shot by the police, Chief ish man was killed and two police They released a blurred photo- referring to the Jan. 7 attack on the in two years and threaten to derail The truck pulls up next to a police inspector Torben Molgaard officers were wounded in the sec- graph of the suspect wearing dark French newspaper that had an- efforts of a nominally civilian gov- car driven by an Israeli and one of Jensen told reporters. ond shooting outside the syna- clothes and a scarf covering part gered Muslims by lampooning ernment to sign a nationwide cease- the "jihadists" asks: "Which way Investigator Joergen Skov said gogue. Dan Rosenberg Asmussen, of his face. Muhammad. fire agreement with rebel groups to Jerusalem brother?" nothing at this point suggests the head of Denmark's Jewish Vilks, a 68-year-old artist who Police said it was possible the that have been fighting for self-rule "Take the left," the driver an- there were other perpetrators in community, told Danish public has faced numerous death threats gunman had planned the same for decades. swers and the pick-up drives off, the shootings that also left five broadcaster DR that the victim was for depicting Muhammad as a dog scenario as in the Charlie Hebdo According to Myanmar Ahlin one of the actors firing an auto- police officers wounded. guarding the entrance of a building in 2007, told The Associated Press massacre. daily on Sunday, troops found 13 matic rifle into the air. Skov said the gunman was bodies, captured eight seriously Two slogans appear on the killed in a firefight with police in wounded rebels and seized 98 screen: "The left will give in to ter- the Noerrebro district of Copen- weapons. rorism" and "It's us or them, there hagen. No police were wounded in As many as 47 soldiers were is only Likud, only Netanyahu." that shooting. killed and more than 70 wounded The Zionist Union, formed in The dramatic events that un- earlier this week in fighting that December as an electoral alliance folded in Copenhagen stirred fears involved air strikes on rebel posi- of Israel's Labor Party and the cen- that another terror spree was un- tions. ter-left Hatnuah, denounced the ad derway in a European capital a Kokang rebels were part of the month after 17 people were killed defunct Burmese Communist Par- in Paris attacks. ty until a ceasefire was signed with Mexico bus-train collision The first shooting happened the then-military government in before 4 pm Saturday when police 1989. said a gunman used an automatic Officials blame the renewed kills 20, injures 31 weapon to shoot through the win- fighting on a renegade faction led MONTERREY: At least 20 peo- dia showed the bus split in half by dows of the Krudttoenden cultur- by Phone Kya Shin, which at- ple were killed and 31 injured when the force of the train. al center during a panel discussion tempted to seize Laukkai. a freight train slammed into a Many of the injured were tak- on freedom of expression featur- Myanmar army chief Senior packed passenger bus in north- en to hospitals in the nearby bor- ing a Swedish artist who had cari- General Min Aung Hlaing accused eastern Mexico, authorities said on der town of Nuevo Laredo, around catured the Prophet Muhammad. other ethnic armed groups of sup- Saturday after rescue crews 60 kilometers away, mayor Desid- The artist, Lars Vilks, was porting the Kokang rebels, though worked through the night to reach erio Urteaga told Milenio televi- whisked away unharmed by his he did not name them. victims. sion. bodyguards but a 55-year-old man The rebel group's general sec- The collision happened on Fri- The bus, which normally attending the event was killed, retary, Htun Myat Lin, also told AP news agency on Saturday that they were supported by other rebel groups, including Kachin, Saudi Arabia names seven Violations alleged as Ukraine Shan and Arakan groups, a claim denied by a Kachin spokesman. new Shoura members truce comes into force Myanmar only recently emerged from a half-century of Saudi King Salman on Saturday appointed seven new members to the The Ukrainian government and pro-Russia rebels have exchanged accu- military rule. Since assuming pow- current session of the Shoura Council, according to a Royal Decree sations of fresh attacks only hours into the ceasefire agreed by them, er in 2011, the government of Pres- carried by the Saudi Press Agency. officials from the warring sides have said. ident Thein Sein has been trying The new members are: Dr. Khalid Al-Sabti, Dr. Muhammad Al- The ceasefire is seen as a first step in a peace plan aimed at ending 10 to strike peace agreements with Hiaza, Walid Al-Khuraiji, Mohammed Al-Sager, Dr. Saad Al-Huraiqi, months of conflict in eastern Ukraine. rebels in the resource-rich border Dr. Nasser Al-Daoud and Abbas Muhammad Hadi. Within two hours into the ceasefire, which came into effect on regions. The King issued separate Royal Decrees relieving Abbas Muham- Saturday at midnight local time or 2200 GMT, Kiev reported attacks by Though preliminary pacts mad Hadi from his post as deputy housing minister and Dr. Saad Al- pro-Russian separatists in the Luhansk area. have been reached with most of Huraiqi from his post as director of Al-Baha University with immediate "Pro-Russian militants used artillery, mortars and grenade launchers the ethnic groups, clashes occa- effect. The King appointed Abdullah Al-Essa as undersecretary of the to attack the Ukrainian positions ... near Zolote, Sanzharivka, Popasna, sionally occur with Kachin, Shan Ministry of Interior for Security Affairs at excellent rank and Moham- Chornukhine by 2am," said tweets by Ukrainian army early on Sunday. and others. In addition to control med Bin Hamad Al-Madhy as chairman of the General Organization for A pro-Kiev official said that two civilians were killed by rockets over jade, timber and other natural Military Industries at excel- fired by rebels shortly after the start of the ceasefire, but most of the resources in areas under their con- lent rank with immediate ef- frontline had fallen silent. trol, they want assurances that fect. An elderly man and woman died after Grad missile fire hit the town they will have some say over fu- day when the bus was attempting transports around 40 people, was King Salman ascended the of Popasna in the Lugansk region about 20 minutes after the truce came ture troop movements. to cross rail tracks in the town of traveling with 51 passengers, as it throne on Jan. 23 upon the into force, local governor Gennadiy Moskal said. Anahuac, Nuevo Leon, state civil made its way from Nuevo Laredo death of King Abdullah. On The firing reportedly came from an area that Kiev says is under the protection chief Jorge Camacho to the northern city of Nueva Ros- Jan. 29, he issued several de- command of a renegade group of Cossack fighters who insist they will told AFP. ita. crees restructuring the govern- not obey the ceasefire. The accident occurred just af- Camacho said an investigation ment ministries, abolishing Meanwhile, rebels accused the Ukrainians of deploying artillery ter 5pm local time at Camarones was underway to determine numerous government bodies, shortly after midnight, the AP said. station, near the US border. whether the bus driver was trying establishing new government bodies and merging the Ministry of Higher Anxiety remains high that unrest could be sparked anew by rival At least two children were re- to beat the train when the vehicle Education and the Ministry of Education. King Salman also ordered claims to Debaltseve, a strategic railway hub now controlled by the ported among the dead, Camacho was struck. bonuses to all state employees. The Kingdom will pay two months of government. On Saturday, intense fighting persisted around Debaltseve, said. There was no fog or rain in the bonus salary to all state employees and pension to retired government in the eastern part of Ukraine, which has been besieged by separatist Images broadcast by local me- area at the time, he said. workers, King Salman said in a series of Royal Decrees last month. forces. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.

MONDAY . FEBRUARY 16 , 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Iran viewpoint: Nuclear negotiations approaching P5+1 group alive by offering them moment of truth concessions and also by threaten- ing them. If this nuclear concert By Hessameddin tion in order to be able to forge a falls apart, the last solution would deal with Iran. Part of this prob- be to go back to bilateral negotia- Vaez-Zadeh lem should be blamed on the P5+1 tions and this time, the United countries. From their viewpoint, States will not be Iran s negotiat- Negotiations over Iran s nuclear they should not only answer to ing side. This would mean the fail- program have been the most com- their own domestic public opin- ure of the current multilateral sys- plicated negotiations that Iran has ion, but should also satisfy pres- tem of negotiations and, conse- experienced throughout its histo- sure groups and powerful lobbies quently, would mean the total fail- ry because the Islamic Republic has because a bad agreement would ure of the United States interna- never been engaged in such face- deal a severe blow to tionalization approach to Iran s to-face and simultaneous talks with their credit and prestige. It seems nuclear program. The United five permanent members of the that the United States is now re- States has put so much focus on United Nations. As March 31, gretting the fact that it has interna- Iran s nuclear program that its fail- 2015, approaches, diplomatic ef- tionalized Iran s nuclear issues be- ure to achieve a deal with Iran forts related to this issue and the cause at this sensitive juncture, the would mean total loss of US Pres- nuclear negotiations take up a more American officials do not know ident Barack Obama administra- rapid pace. Therefore, formulation how to find a face-saving solution tion s domestic and international of a final framework for a compre- for this issue. One of the prob- credit. The Leader of the Islamic hensive deal over Iran s nuclear lems they are facing is that the Revolution, who is constantly program is very important and of policy of carrot and stick em- guiding and following the course high strategic value to Iranian ne- ployed by the United States has of the negotiations on Iran s side, gotiators. For this reason, in his already lost its efficiency. In the said in his recent speech, I have recent important speech, the Lead- meantime, there is no more an in- no opposition to the continuation er of the Islamic Revolution, de- ternational consensus on playing and progress of the negotiations termined the final framework of the good cop, bad cop game with Iran. and reaching a good agreement, and negotiations on the basis of This game can no more provide without a doubt, the Iranian na- achieving an agreement over the American and other P5+1 negotia- tion will not be opposed to any details while stressing that the tors with a respite from ongoing agreement that would guarantee its agreement should be achieved in a pressures. Recent remarks made by dignity and respect. By saying single stage. Perhaps, the Ameri- the former British foreign this, the Leader determined the cans have been trying to force a secretary, Jack Straw, which can be main task of the Iranian negotia- two-stage agreement on Iran that considered as a new act in the same tors in these fateful and sensitive is, first a political agreement fol- good cop, bad cop game, cannot days and they should take advan- lowed by a technical one in order help Europeans either because if tage of the current consensus in to take the highest amount of con- this game is to continue, it is time the country and 35 years of expe- cessions from Tehran through their for the P5+1 to play its role. How- rience in the areas of diplomatic old game of carrot and stick. The ever, there is no doubt that the confrontation with the West, es- approach taken by the Western, Americans will continue their ef- pecially the United States. On the especially American, diplomacy to forts to bewilder and confuse Ira- other hand, rationalism would be a achieve agreements nian negotiators. good choice for the P5+1 group. and consolidate their grip on inter- In these days that all sides are en- Rationalism dictates that they national issues, especially with gaged in hot diplomatic talks, it is should go for less costly and more regard to important issues, has very difficult to imagine that if ne- beneficial options that they have been to turn a bilateral issue into a gotiations failed, any other coun- for reaching an agreement with multilateral and international one. tries, but the United States, would Iran. The writer is Assistant Pro- In this way, they would be able to actually take any practical step to fessor at the Faculty of World Stud- not only mount pressure on their escalate sanctions against Iran. Up ies of University of Tehran. This A former Marine observation post from 2011 overlooking the Kajaki reservoir to the east opposite sides, but also take the to the present time, the United article was first published at Iran s highest amount of concessions States has been able to keep the Ettelaat Newspaper. and the Helmand River Valley. The reservoir is part of the Kajaki Dam power project, which from them. In doing so, they have in 2015 is 10 years behind schedule. ignored the fact that international- ization of issues has not been al- By Heath Druzin it was bitterly contested over mas- ways to their benefit. This is true The limitations of sive voter fraud. It was only set- because due to subsequent chang- KABUL, Afghanistan The larg- tled with U.S. intervention that es in the array of players and their Jordan s war on terror est U.S. aid group and the govern- helped broker a power-sharing ar- conflicting interests, such interna- ment s top watchdog in Afghani- rangement between President tionalization makes it more diffi- By Raed Omari stan two high-profile organiza- Ashraf Ghani and his election ri- cult to reach an agreement and that tions inextricably linked and often val, Abdullah Abdullah, who was agreement is usually reached over Following the barbaric burning alive of Moath al-Kasasbeh, Amman at odds are facing new challeng- named to the newly created post a more protracted period of time. has become the center of the world, especially after Jordanian Air es with fewer U.S. troops to pro- of chief executive officer. But the It should be noted that since the Force jets began bombing intensively hideouts belonging to the Islamic vide security in a still dangerous aid effort in Afghanistan has come beginning of the nuclear talks, Iran State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq just a few hours after the environment. One consequence of under heavy scrutiny in recent has been putting emphasis on bi- release of the video showing the execution of the now iconic pilot. the drawdown of U.S. forces is a years for wastefulness, poor plan- lateral nature of those talks. How- Jordanian decisiveness Jordan s decisiveness and eagerness to daringly reduction in their ability to pro- ning and lack of transparency, ever, the negotiations are current- punish ISIS was received with encouragement and praise by millions tect us, to get us into places where flaws laid out in stark detail large- ly being carried out in a multilater- of people around the world, especially in countries like the United we need to be, said Dave Schwen- ly by SIGAR reports. A prime ex- al fashion. This issue is a result of diman, director of forward opera- ample of a project that has not Iran s steadfastness and resistance States, Britain, Japan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Syria where, unlike Jordan, governments have done nothing to avenge the killing of their tions for the Special Inspector succeeded despite massive fund- during past years and its empha- General for Afghanistan Recon- ing is the Kajaki Dam in southern Sagging reinforcement rods at the unfinished Justice Center in sis on the country s inalienable citizens by ISIS. It is beyond a doubt that the terrorist group s brutal execution of al-Kasasbeh was primarily aimed at creating division in struction, which keeps a close Afghanistan. Tens of millions of Parwan complex in Parwan province, Afghanistan. This photo right to take peaceful advantage of watch on how U.S. taxpayer dol- dollars over budget and 10 years nuclear energy. In fact, the West- Jordan in order to push it to withdraw from the U.S.-led anti-ISIS was part of a May 15, 2013, report by the Special Inspector coalition. But this objective failed, as represented in the solidarity and lars in Afghanistan are spent. Amer- over schedule, few outside of US- General for Afghanistan Reconstruction ern countries have reached the ican troop levels have dropped to AID expect the power project ever agreement that they cannot cope unity Jordanians have showed and are still showing as well as their support for their government s anti-terror drive. Such a beautiful scene less than 11,000 this year from a to be completed. And in January, with Iran in bilateral talks, neither high of more than 100,000. In 2012, USAID suspended one of its larg- collectively, nor individually. was also praised around the world. Solidarity, unity and harmony by the people and government in a region plagued with division and polar- the international community est non-profit contractors, Inter- Therefore, they decided to change pledged $16 billion in continuing national Relief and Development, the organization of the negotia- ization is such a unique scene in the Arab world. For almost 10 days and on, Jordan s declared war on ISIS has been the focus in commentar- aid to Afghanistan through 2016, for serious misconduct after giv- tions from bilateral talks to multi- with roughly half of that coming ing the company $2.4 billion since lateral, thus, Iran would have to ies, editorials and op-eds published in major international newspapers. Comments posted on social networks as well as letters to the editors from the U.S. SIGAR and the tax- 2007, much of it for reconstruc- face six countries, instead of en- tion in Afghanistan. The key to SI- sent to Jordanian newspapers, those faxed or emailed, all praise the payer-funded United States Agen- gaging in one-on-one negotiations. cy for International Development, GAR s efforts to shine a spotlight Despite this situation, however, Jordanian fearlessness, saying, Go Jordan Go. Literally and with no the largest aid group in Afghani- on aid initiatves in the country is Iran has been able to make the most exaggeration, Amman, not Washington, King Abdullah, not President stan, are committed to continuing the ability of investigators to get of these multilateral negotiations. Obama, have been recently the focus of the world, at least in the press operations in Afghanistan, but of- out in the field to see projects up The arrangement of both sides and and social media networks. Many observers were expecting Jordan to ficials acknowledge they are in- close. That has become more and their agendas are of high impor- gradually ease its military campaign against ISIS and tone down its creasingly constrained in where more difficult as U.S. bases closed tance in diplomatic negotiations. discourse on terror, arguing that the kingdom s harsh response to the they can go and what they can do and American security assets In fact, the Americans have been radical organization was rash and taken out of shock and anger. But this because of continued fighting be- from both the State Department trying to contain Iran by taking never happened. Jordanian jet fighters have since last week been launch- tween Afghan security forces and and military have shrunk. advantage of a European concert ing non-stop strikes against ISIS posts in Syria and Iraq. Many ob- insurgents. Larry Sampler, who There s no substitute for being (as a means to induce balance of servers were expecting Jordan to gradually ease its military campaign leads USAID s Afghanistan and there. There s no substitute for powers). Although they have been against ISIS and tone down its discourse on terror, arguing that the Pakistan missions, said the fund- being exposed to this place out- relatively successful in this regard kingdom s harsh response to the radical organization was rash and ing levels will likely decline and side the walls, Schwendiman said during past years, now they are taken out of shock and anger. Raed Omari Not only that, Jordan is the agency s era of big infrastruc- in an interview at the organiza- facing fateful days in which they now taking the lead in the preparations for the ground operations from tion s Kabul offices in the heavi- The Kajaki Dam and power station is a project begun by the U.S. in ture projects is largely over, but 1953 to bring development to southern Afghanistan. Despite should harvest the fruit of their Iraq against ISIS, vowing to put the capabilities of the Jordanian army he wants the agency to continue ly-fortified U.S. Embassy com- efforts, though this fruit is not under the disposal of the brotherly Iraqis (But there will be no ground plex. That has become more diffi- millions of dollars invested, the project in 2015 is 10 years over pursuing relentless progress in schedule. It is shown here in a photo from 2011. apparently a sweet one. At operations from Jordan). Jordan has not even toned down its discourse Afghanistan, including an ambi- cult with the reduction of U.S. present, the United States and on ISIS, still vowing to completely wipe out the radical organiza- tious $200 million project to im- troops. In addition, the 2013 at- itsallies are facing a major problem are only 20,000 eyes and ears; ferent takes. Perhaps not since tion s militants. Despite the White House s indecisiveness on ISIS so prove conditions for women. It s tack on the U.S. consulate in Beng- we re naturally going to hear less the fall of the Taliban has Afghan- in negotiations. Without a doubt, far, Jordan is determined to eradicate the Al-Qaeda-sprung militants, not a withdrawal the United hazi, Libya, in which the U.S. am- the P5+1 group of countries is fac- and see less through their eyes than istan faced such a significant mo- displaying complete accordance in words and deeds in its war against States is not leaving Afghanistan, bassador and three others were we were seeing before. One thing ment in its history, USAID Di- ing a difficult problem for giving ISIS. Despite the White House s indecisiveness on ISIS so far, Jordan he said in a recent phone interview. killed, has made regional security an answer to Iran and has been unlikely to change is the tension rector Rajiv Shah said in the agen- is determined to eradicate the Al-Qaeda-sprung militants. Raed Omari A part of our mission will be to office advisers extra cautious, Sch- between the two organizations. cy s December newsletter. The engaged in continuous and tiresome Syria changes its tone The Syrian government was among the first to reassure nervous Afghans that wendiman said. Benghazi has contacts because as the deadline Over the past two-and-a-half Afghan people recently voted in notice Jordan s decisiveness against terror. Raed Omari is a Jordanian we re not walking away from Af- made the diplomatic security peo- years, SIGAR has often been record numbers in a historic elec- for an agreement with Iran ap- journalist, political analyst, parliamentary affairs expert, and commen- ghanistan. SIGAR officials say ple and embassy people rightly proaches, the differences in their locked in battle with American re- tion, the Afghan military leads se- tator on local and regional political affairs. His writing focuses on the despite constraints on their move- nervous about having anything like construction organizations, espe- curity operations throughout the interests become more evident. Arab Spring, press freedoms, Islamist groups, emerging economies, ments, they aren t planning to cut that happen here and they ll tell Under these circumstances which cially USAID, over their handling country and Afghanistan has made climate change, natural disasters, agriculture, the environment and so- staff any time soon. Their man- you openly this is one of the scar- of billions of U.S. tax dollars ear- more strides than any other coun- are marked by bullying and com- date is to operate in the country iest places they operate, Schwin- petition for getting a bigger share cial media. He is a writer for The Jordan Times, and contributes to Al marked for the controversial re- try in the past decade in measures Arabiya English. He can be reached via [email protected], until there is less than $250 mil- deman said. Both USAID and SI- building effort in Afghanistan. of health, education and economic of any possible agreement, they lion in U.S. tax dollars allocated to GAR are planning increased reli- have to also take a common posi- or on Twitter @RaedAlOmari2 USAID hates our guts and they growth. From SIGAR s perspec- Afghanistan. We have our man- ance on local staff and contractors think that we re a distraction and tive, some key aspects of the re- date and our mandate is to do the to get to areas that would be [they] oughtn t have to put up construction effort have improved work we do, said Matt Dove, SI- treacherous for Americans. In with us, Schwendiman said. Pri- since the watchdog started taking GAR s Kabul-based deputy in- some cases we do still have Amer- vately, USAID officials complain a more aggressive stance in 2012, LETTER TO THE EDITOR spector general for audits and in- icans come out and visit a pro- bitterly about SIGAR, saying the namely sustainability of projects spections. Until we re told oth- gram, Sampler said. In other cas- inspector general organization crit- and coordination among different erwise, we re going to continue to es, we may use technology, over- icizes with insufficient evidence organizations. But over-ambition Mining industry do it at a rate and size we deter- flights or crowd sourcing technol- and makes it even harder to carry and lack of planning still plague Afghanistan s mineral resources have been estimated at $3 trillion. However, more than 30 percent of mine best. USAID has spent ogy. We have to do that because out an already difficult reconstruc- reconstruction efforts, and the Afghans are living below the line of poverty, the economy of Afghanistan is dwindling, hundreds of roughly $17 billion on reconstruc- we can t get out to all parts of Af- tion effort. Are we on the record? mistakes of the past continue to thousands of youth are job seekers while facing with huge economic problem, high percentage of salaries tion projects across Afghanistan ghanistan. Schwendiman sees an- Sampler joked when asked his reverberate, Schwendiman said. In of government officials are paid by the help of international community, a number of families still sell their since the U.S. invaded in 2001 to other big loss in the drawdown of thoughts about SIGAR s criticisms 2008, 2009, 2010, the checkbook newborn babies to find some money for affording their daily expenditures, and tens of Afghans leave the oust the Taliban regime. USAID s troops. When there were 100,000 of USAID, before taking a diplo- was just a checkbook and the mon- country on daily basis to seek a better life abroad. success has been mixed. There people on the ground, there were matic line: They ask these hard ey would just pour, it would flow, In such an important phase, the government still remains involved in canceling the authority of a have been undeniable gains in ar- 200,000 eyes and 200,000 ears questions and force us to come up Schwendiman said. What we were number of government offices and adjoining them with their related organizations. The decision by the eas such as women s rights, edu- that were listening and watching with answers. Different per- doing was feeding a culture of cor- president to cancel and remove a number of government departments yields cutting the only income cation, and healthcare. Officials things that were going on, and they spectives Looking back on the past ruption, and we are paying for it source of hundreds of officials who have served the country for years. with USAID point to the 2014 would report waste and fraud and 13 years of reconstruction in Af- and ... Ghani is paying for it. It s a On one hand the president removes a number of government departments, while on the other, the Afghan presidential election as a abuse, he said. That 100,000 ghanistan, officials from the two legacy we ought not be too proud deputies for the president and the CEO of the national unity government are increasing the number of step in the right direction, though now is down to 10,000, so there organizations had significantly dif- of. advisors. Instead of taking such decisions, the president and the CEO should focus on improvement of economy and as well as improvement of the mining industry which can make Afghanistan self-reliant. Mohammad Ashraf Azizi, Khairkhana, Kabul Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author(s) Letter to editor will be edited for policy, content and clarity. All letters must have the writer s name and address. You may send your letters to: and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Afghanistan Times. [email protected] This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY . FEBRUARY 16, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Jordan vs I SI L: Time for US to restock ally s arsenal? Here in Baghdad, Jordan's actions dia reports citing a letter from but we could up our contribution." against ISIL have been watched members of the Senate Armed Ser- So far it is caution that seems to be with great curiosity and intrigue. vices Committee to Secretary of guiding US policy towards Jordan, Many thought that the killing of State John Kerry and outgoing but part of the equation must be the Jordanian pilot at the hands of Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel. Israeli reaction to any upping of ISIL in such a brutal manner would Former Jordanian airforce pilot military assistance. Asaf Ronel is paralyse the Jordanian establish- and retired Major-General Ma- the world news editor at Haaretz ment. Surprise then that it actual- moun Abu Nuwwar agrees that this newspaper in Israel. He says that ly spurred the Jordanian? govern- needs to be done. "The US should any assistance to Jordan would ment on to decisive action. For- immediately step up supplies to never match that given to Israel. eign Minister Nasser Judeh was Jordan. Jordan is now the lynch- "The establishment here is always blunt while speaking to local me- pin in the fight against ISIL. We considering the possibility that the dia in the capital, Amman: "This is need a billion dollars in immediate Hashemite regime will fall, and the a fight against people who are dis- assistance, weaponry and new air- upheavals in the area in recent torting our religion." In the last 10 craft. We also need smart bombs years only made that fear more days or so, the Jordanian air force and drones which the US have present. In that case, Israel fears has destroyed more than 56 ISIL consistently refused to give us, that the advanced weapons Jordan targets in Syria, and has put the which have two key attributes: one will receive might fall into more group under tremendous pressure. for intelligence gathering and [the hostile hands.?" Perhaps bigger But Jordan faces a problem. Its air other] for striking fear into the en- than that concern is possible reac- force is old, and its main fighter jet emy once they fly overhead," he tion from the Israel lobby within system, the F16, has been in ser- said. As he speaks, I sense a calm the US. Mark Perry, once again, vice for at least 25 years. The ferocity in his voice - the memory gives me his thoughts. "I think the bombs that are being used ?against of the Jordanian pilot murdered by response to increased assistance ISIL targets are older versions and ISIL clearly still fresh in his mind. from Israel will be muted. There is are being referred to by experts as I ask him what he would do with a strong relationship between [Is- 'dumb bombs'. Jordan's neighbour, increased military assistance. "So raeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Israel, doesn't have such problems. far the air strikes have been piece- Netanyahu and the King of Jordan Its weaponry has been maintained meal. What is needed is a tsunami, and the Israelis are adults. They and updated by the US, thanks to a thunderstorm of strikes and, like can read a map as well as anyone. something called the 'Qualitative I say, we need the latest weapon- The bigger concern will be Israeli Military Edge' policy. That's a de- ry and assistance to be able to do supporters in the US, who can be cades-old agreement to help secure it." US officials have publicly said more Israeli than the Israelis who Israel's future as a Jewish state. It they will try and speed up deliv- will cause a huge fuss and that's a was enshrined into the US law in ery of weaponry to Jordan, whose problem." The 'Qualitative Mili- 2007 and is perhaps the largest actions have been praised by mili- tary Edge' doctrine has served Is- contribution of any kind that the tary officials and politicians glo- rael well over the years. It has giv- US makes to Israel. Military tech- bally. ?But is there an appetite to en the tiny state one of the best nology Under this policy Israel re- give Jordan the sort of support equipped and capable armies in the ceives the latest technology and Israel gets from the US? To expand world. But if ISIL destabilises Jor- regularly engages in military exer- the 'Qualitative Military Edge' dan, the threat comes closer home. cises with the US. Other countries policy? Caution guiding policy This potential threat requires more that receive large amounts of US Mark Perry, a military intelligence than just loyalty to one country in US support to Iraq has been criticised by many - both here in Baghdad and abroad that it is inadequate and is one-sided. That Iraq buys weapons military assistance include Iraq, and foreign affairs analyst, says: the Middle East, and a much more from the US but gets very little political support in return. Now that President Barack Obama has asked Congress to authorise more war powers, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Egypt, "It's possible we could increase nuanced approach.US to blame there is concern that any engagement will be open ended and spiral out of control. There's already a feeling amongst Iraqis that the US is re-engaging but imports of military hardware assistance to Jordan but it won't The US must bear some responsi- in Iraq to benefit its own defence industries rather than benefiting the region. Or to stop ISIL. Getting over that will require careful diplomacy and fall far short of the standard Israel be largesse. If ISIL makes gains bility for the rise of ISIL. Before handling of the message the American administration sends out. Those concerns must be addressed in the future. Right now the question the US receives. However, some US poli- against Jordan, the US will have to its invasion and occupation of Iraq, must ask itself is: How big a price is Jordan's help in fighting ISIL worth? Right now the fight against ISIL means that Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, ticians are wondering whether act. We won't let Jordan destabi- the group did not exist. Jordan for Turkey, Iran, Iraq and the Syrian regime's interests have converged. Does this rare convergence of interests provide an opportunity? One estimate things have changed in the Middle lise. ?We might not give them as 11 years has felt the blowback of suggests that Jordan needs $5bn in the 12 months to be able to continue its fight against ISIL. To put that into context. It has cost the US more than East to widen and upgrade help to much money or assistance as Isra- the Iraq invasion. But let us put $100bn since 1962 to arm Israel. What is the price for the defeat of ISIL? Without a political solution in Syria, is the money simply a short-term other countries, according to me- el - Israel will always get more - Jordan to the side for a moment. stop gap or a long-term solution? (AL JAZEERA) Freed Palestinian schoolgirl Bin Laden wanted insists on her innocence Mubarak killed in plane

A 14-year-old girl who has become possession of a knife with the in- days, she said at her house in Beitin that of 200 Palestinian minors in crash, US man tells jurors a symbol for Palestinian minors tention of using it to stab security near Ramallah in the West Bank, Israeli prisons, only four are fe- arrested by Israel insisted on Sat- personnel if arrested. After two such as how cold it is inside pris- male and Khatib was the young- urday after serving a 45-day sen- hours of interrogation, a soldier on. She served her time in a cell est. Her family repeatedly said that tence that she had been unjustly forced me to sign a paper in He- with three older Palestinian girls. none of its members had ever been imprisoned. I do not admit to any brew, said Khatib, who does not The Palestinian Prisoners Club said arrested by the Israelis before, a crime: I was not throwing stones - understand the language. A white two weeks were deducted from the rarity in the occupied West Bank. - I had no knife on me, Malak al- and black Palestinian keffiyeh sentence because of her age. Israel Her father Ali al-Khatib said on Khatib told AFP. She was arrested scarf draped across her shoulders, arrests around 1,000 children every Saturday he was very pleased and on her way home from school on Khatib sat among friends as rela- year in the West Bank, often on touched by the many visitors who Dec. 31, and a military court sen- tives, Palestinian officials and jour- charges of stone-throwing, accord- came to congratulate Malak. But tenced her in late January to two nalists paraded through the family ing to rights group Defense for Chil- his daughter was beginning to months as part of a plea bargain in home, as they have since her re- dren International Palestine. Khat- show the strain, whispering to her which she admitted to picking up lease on Friday. I ll definitely ib s arrest attracted more attention mother: Do you think this will a stone to throw at Israeli cars. have plenty to tell my classmates than most cases because she is a go on for long? I m tired of all these Khatib was convicted of being in when I go back to school in three girl. The Prisoners Club estimates visits. China s Code War attacks on US internet titans

Beijing, China - As China creates leaders of both of these Chinese ing operation against iCloud, Apple "We are here to watch what you one of the globe's leading cyber government-run telecom giants issued a worldwide security warn- are doing and we are encourag- armies, it is stepping up hacking "were most likely either directly ing acknowledging it had discovered ing netizens and companies alike attacks on American internet lead- involved with assisting the attack "organized network attacks" on iP- to fight against the Great Firewall ers Google, Apple, Yahoo and or at least aware of the attack since hone users, but curiously did not and Chinese internet censorship in Microsoft, online security analysts critical changes would have to be identify China as the source of those general." Smith said in an interview say. These massive attacks are part made to their network routing in- attacks. "Tim Cook has said China with Al Jazeera: "We take issue of Beijing's campaign to fortify the frastructure", he said. "The fact will soon be the largest market for with being labeled anti-China. All "Great Firewall" that encircles the that identical attacks were carried Apple products," said Alpha. Pay- three co-founders [of GreatFire] country's 649 million netizens and out simultaneously on the China ing the price Apple, like other West- have very close relationships with strengthen the ability to spy on all Telecom and China Unicom net- ern internet titans that aim to ride China. "We just don't love these web-based communications. Goo- works indicates that this was a China's rise as an economic super- overbearing censorship restric- gle has headed Beijing's blacklist coordinated operation, carried out power, is likely under tremendous tions, we have a plan for getting of cyber enemies since it halted by an organisation or agency with pressure to tolerate these "organized rid of them, and we are putting our censorship of internet searches authority to interfere with net- network attacks" as part of the price plan into action," he added. Plau- conducted via its Google China site, work traffic." GreatFire's founders of remaining in the Chinese market, sible deniability Franz-Stefan and China's virtual army recently said the battle plan for the iCloud he added. Foreign IT players who Gady, a global cybersecurity ex- In the terrorism trial of a man ac- 1990. He described several encoun- Airport in 1995 when he was still cused of being one of Al-Qaeda s ters with bin Laden, including when training to use it. He said bin Lad- completed a total blockade on ac- intercept operation was most like- want to operate in China are forced pert at the EastWest Institute, said early leaders, an American de- he was among over two dozen Al- en asked him to try to fix it and he cess to Google's search engine and ly drafted by Lu Wei, China's new to sign agreements that require com- when confronted over mounting scribed being asked in 1995 by Qaeda members in a room when the checked with a U.S. company to Gmail across the People's Repub- internet czar. Lu was appointed to pliance with Beijing's internet cen- cyber assaults on Western IT out- Osama bin Laden to kill Egypt s Al-Qaeda leader explained they have it repaired, but the more than lic. Now, Chinese hackers are in- head the new Cyberspace Admin- sorship regime, said Hosuk Lee- fits, "China often hides behind a president by ramming his plane were moving operations from Paki- $1 million price tag was too high. tensifying assaults on e-mail sys- istration of China by Chinese Makiyama, a legal scholar who co- veil of plausible deniability by ac- with his own in midair. It took stan to Sudan. Bin Laden s request Ali said he left Sudan in late 1995 tems operated by Microsoft, Ya- Communist Party chief Xi Jinping, heads the Brussels-based European cusing domestic hackers of having me by surprise, Ihab Mohammad to attack Egypt s president came and received $2,400 in severance hoo and Apple, which have all and is likewise on the inner par- Centre for International Political gone rogue." Yet he noted that Ali testified recently in New York. after Al-Qaeda paid $9,000 to fund when he quit the organization and been allies of China's rise into the ty's new internet security commis- Economy. The only American inter- Beijing has never arrested a single I responded, Well, wouldn t I be his pilot training in 1993 and thou- returned to the United States in planet's biggest platform of inter- sion headed by Xi. Lu's third net giant to publicly renounce co- hacker accused of joining these es- killing myself? Ali, 52, said bin sands more in 1994 in the Oklaho- June 1996. After the embassy net users, according to online mon- crown comes from his leading po- operating with China's censors so calating assaults. Five members of Laden answered: Well, then you ma cities of Ardmore and Norman bombings, Ali was approached by itoring group GreatFire.org. The sition in the CCP's Central Propa- far has been Google, which also iden- a secret People's Liberation Army would be a martyr. " Bin Laden's and at another school in Los Ange- FBI agents in May 1999 in Orlan- founders of GreatFire, which has ganda Department, said GreatFire tified "the Chinese government or hacking base in Shanghai were private jet. (AP) The glimpse into les, Ali said. The funding came after do, Florida, where he was living in been at the forefront of investigat- co-founder Charlie Smith. Attack- its agents" as being the masterminds charged with attacking American the early days of Al-Qaeda when he tried to learn to fly at Nairobi an apartment complex. He said he ing Chinese government blocks on ing America's search engines While of a sophisticated attack on Goo- corporations in a US Department bin Laden had a private jet and was Airport in Kenya, but found the in- told the FBI that he had never been websites worldwide and its ever- secret cables sent from the US gle's central servers. Google has since of Justice criminal indictment is- barely known to law enforcement struction too slow, he recalled. He to the Sudan, and he denied know- expanding hacking operations, say Embassy in Beijing, published by issued a position paper calling on sued last May, but Beijing balked officials came amid the govern- said he discussed training in Amer- ing bin Laden when he testified in Apple's case, advanced encryp- WikiLeaks, revealed the initial American and European government at extraditing them. Senator ment s presentation of evidence ica with bin Laden, who agreed before a New York grand jury in tion technology introduced in the round of Chinese attacks on Goo- leaders to launch an action with the Charles Schumer has since called over the past three weeks against with it. Of the $9,000, he said, I May 1999. He was taken into cus- new iPhone 6 impelled Beijing to gle was orchestrated by the CCP's World Trade Organization to enforce on Washington to launch a parallel Khaled al-Fawwaz, a man por- don t recall if I received it directly tody that day. In March 2001, he preemptively hack into the devic- ruling Politburo, Smith said the lat- the group's rules on the free flow of WTO action against China. Ear- trayed by prosecutors as a key from bin Laden. But he said he pleaded guilty to perjury, criminal es of new users to tap their online est hacker invasions of Google, information globally. "We would lier this month, China was accused player in the terror group when it communicated with bin Laden sev- contempt and conspiring to kill communications. Teams of hack- Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo are strongly encourage US legislators to of hacking into US health insurer was in its infancy. Al-Fawwaz has eral times and even went on a camp- U.S. nationals and agreed to coop- ers staged "man-in-the-middle" at- being masterminded by Lu, with consider implementing censorship- Anthem Inc's network and steal- pleaded not guilty to conspiring ing trip with him when they were erate with the prosecution. At a tacks on Chinese iPhone users, the Politburo's approval. Alpha related legislation that would be sim- ing personal data on as many as 80 to kill Americans in the 1998 bomb- both in the Sudan. He said he head- May 2009 sentencing, he received deploying servers disguised as added that highly organised hack- ilar to the Foreign Corrupt Practices million of its clients. China denied ings of two U.S. embassies in Af- ed to Oklahoma in September 1993, time served after spending a de- Apple's iCloud system to inter- ing attacks originating from the Act but for censorship controls," any involvement. "The US side rica. The attacks killed 224 peo- six months after the Feb. 26, 1993, cade in prison. In his testimony, cept passwords and messages, said well-guarded backbone of the Chi- said Smith. Soft power? This pro- should not make groundless accu- ple, including a dozen Americans. World Trade Center bombing that he acknowledged that he stayed in GreatFire co-founder Percy Alpha. nese internet have been staged six hibition on cooperating in Beijing's sations against China," said Hong The government rested Thursday. killed six people and injured more touch with Al-Qaeda before his Apple leader Tim Cook was so times over the past two years censorship system could protect Lei, a spokesman from China's Ali testified he met bin Laden 25 than 1,000 others. He later returned arrest and that bin Laden even alarmed by the attack that he jet- against targets, including the lead- US-listed corporations operating in Foreign Ministry. "It is unreason- years ago at an Al-Qaeda guest to Sudan. Ali told jurors that bin asked him to train to fly helicop- house in Pakistan, around the time Laden, who let Ali fly his private ters in 1996 or 1997. He said he ted into Beijing to ask the Chinese ing American search engines. These China by mapping out clear bound- able to make an accusation with- he pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda. jet in Khartoum, told him that the used code words to communicate leadership to help halt the hacking digital strikes, GreatFire's co- aries on permissible practices, he out enough evidence." On Friday, He said he also met al-Fawwaz, king of Saudi Arabia was very ill with others in Al-Qaeda, including operation, said Alpha. High level founders said, are aimed at estab- added. Meanwhile, apparently irate President Barack Obama said pri- whom he identified in court as a and that then-Egyptian President using Sam or Osam for bin involvement? [Government tele- lishing Beijing's absolute authori- over GreatFire's ongoing exposure vate industry and the government member of Al-Qaeda. Born in Al- Hosni Mubarak was likely to fly to Laden and Food and Beverage com leaders] were most likely ei- ty, or "Cyber Sovereignty," over of Beijing's cyber surveillance and must cooperate to tackle the threat exandria, Egypt, Ali said he first the kingdom to attend the king s Industry for the FBI. In one let- ther directly involved with assist- all Internet operations within Chi- hacking activities, the Cyberspace of foreign government cyber at- came to America with his family funeral if he died. He said if I had ter, he said, he wrote: Lastly, ing the attack, or at least aware of nese borders. Cyber czar Lu, they Administration of China recently tacks. "The cyber world is the at age 11, living in New York be- the chance, to ram his plane with again give my regards to Sam and the attack since critical changes added, has the power to determine branded the group's founders as Wild Wild West - to some degree fore moving to Florida, where he mine midair, Ali said. Ali said he tell him to take extra precautions would have to be made to their everything from which websites to "overseas anti-China forces" en- we're asked to be the sheriff," underwent 13 hours of flight train- later provided instructions about because business competition is network routing infrastructure. block to which IT systems need gaged in "groundless slander". The Obama said. Last week, while un- ing while in high school. He said reading flight maps and listening to very fierce. He said he was trying Erik Hjelmvik, Netresec Erik to be stealthily invaded to leaders of the tiny but defiant Great- veiling the new Cyber Threat In- he attended American College for air traffic control radio communica- to convey the message to bin Lad- Hjelmvik, a researcher at the Swed- strengthen the surveillance state. Fire replied with an online "Open telligence Integration Center, one the Applied Arts in Los Angeles in tions to members of Al-Jihad, an en to take precautions because he ish internet security firm Netre- China's blacklist of websites, which Letter to Lu Wei and the Cyberspace White House aide said cyber 1987 and 1988, when he began at- extremist group that fought Mubar- might be arrested. Ali said his chil- sec, said an intricate analysis of includes The New York Times and Administration of China" that un- strikes against US targets are be- tending a mosque and developing ak s regime in the 1990s with a wave dren are U.S. residents and his wife the iCloud attack conducted by the BBC, Dropbox and Instagram, derscored the group has published ing launched worldwide. "At the an interest in fighting the Soviet of bombings and other attacks that is working to acquire permanent Netresec revealed,"The attacks are Facebook and YouTube, currently solid evidence on all of the Chinese state level, threats come from na- Union in Afghanistan. He said he also targeted foreign tourists. Ali residency. He has worked as a being performed on backbone net- bars at least 48,000 sites operated hacking manoeuvres it reported. "We tions with highly sophisticated went to Pakistan in 1988 by said bin Laden s personal jet had transportation dispatcher and as a works belonging to China Telecom around the world, Alpha said. Fol- are not anti-China but we are anti- cyber programmes, including Chi- then he was a U.S. citizen and bad brakes, and said he crashed it at waiter at a restaurant since his re- as well as China Unicom." The lowing the intricate Chinese hack- censorship in China," GreatFire said. na." (AL JAZEERA ) underwent Al-Qaeda training in the end of the runway at Khartoum lease from prison. (AP) This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY . FEBRUARY 16, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES HSBC publishes apology in British papers over tax NEW YORK: U.S. stocks are ly trading below 15. That, togeth- poised for more upward momen- er with a rising market, could be a evasion claims tum even as uncertainty over oil promising sign. "Market breadth, prices and Greek debt negotiations while it hasn't been wonderful, has keeps the market on tenterhooks, been positive," said Phoenix Finan- analysts say. Strong fourth-quar- cial's Kaufman. The S&P 500 ter U.S. company earnings and breaking above its 2,064 level ear- signs of an overall improving econ- lier this month was another bull- omy, alongside what appears to be ish technical sign, he said. With the the start of a bottoming in crude bulk of U.S. earnings season al- oil prices, have given equities sup- ready in the bag, and positive on port. After starting 2015 with its the whole, analysts are looking sharpest monthly drop in a year ahead to next week when consum- and a spike in volatility, the bench- er giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc mark S&P 500 (.SPX) hit an intra- (WMT.N) is scheduled to report day record on Friday while the fourth-quarter results. "So far Dow Jones Industrial Average we're pretty pleased with the re- (.DJI) reached its highest point so ports," said King Lip, chief invest- far this year. As "stocks have found ment officer at Baker Avenue As- HSBC published a full-page letter in British newspapers on Sunday to a footing, people aren't as afraid of set Management in San Francisco. offer its "sincerest apologies" for past practices at its Swiss private the potential negative" stemming Of the 391 S&P 500 companies bank, which has been accused of helping clients to evade tax. Europe's from recent instability in oil pric- that have reported earnings, about biggest bank admitted failings in compliance and controls in its Swiss es and Greece, said Wayne Kauf- 71.1 percent have topped profit operation after media reports that said it had helped wealthy customers man, chief market analyst at Phoe- expectations, above the historical to conceal millions of dollars of assets up to 2007. Britain's Treasury nix Financial Services in New average, Thomson Reuters data Committee has called the bank's chairman and chief executive to give York. "That's allowed stocks to show. Wal-Mart is likely to bene- evidence on the matter on Feb. 25, according to a memo seen by Reuters start breaking out of the channel fit from lower gas prices, which on Friday. The bank's letter published in a number of newspapers on that they've been stuck in since the could translate into more consum- Sunday was signed by Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver and said that the beginning of the year," he said. er spending. At the same time, its reports had been a "painful experience" for its customers, shareholders Volatility seems to abating. The global reach could leave it exposed and employees. "We must show we understand that the societies we CBOE Market Volatility Index to the negative impact of a stron- serve expect more from us," Gulliver wrote. "We therefore offer our (.VIX), Wall Street's fear gauge, ger U.S. dollar. As stocks hit new sincerest apologies." The bank said that the vast majority of the 140 oscillated between 15 and 24 for highs, market participants will be people named in reports as customers of its Swiss bank had left and that most of 2015, rising over its his- paying close attention to develop- it has since established much tighter who it accepts as customers. "We torical mean of 20 during 15 of the ments in Greece - which, along- have absolutely no appetite to do business with clients who are evading year's 30 trading days so far. Its side oil prices, have been at the week on the next step for the country's bailout, leaving negotiations on the table for next week as they inch their taxes or who fail to meet our financial crime compliance stan- 20-day moving average hit its high- root of the volatility seen in the closer to a Feb. 28 deadline. The Greek government promised to do "whatever we can" to secure a deal with dards," he said. The fallout from the claims caused the bank's former est since mid-2012 earlier this market this year. Greece's new left- international creditors. While U.S. exposure to Greek debt is "pretty minor," uncertainty over the situation boss Stephen Green to step down at financial services lobby group month. But on Friday, the VIX fell ist government and euro zone fi- and the impact on broader markets adds to volatility, according to Charles Lieberman, chief investment officer TheCityUK on Saturday. to its lowest level this year, brief- nance ministers failed to agree this of Advisors Capital Management LLC in New Jersey. PKR loses slowly against dollar Tourist arrivals to Tunisia

massive investment, particularly after oil price crash. Currency down by 21pc: Report watchers said that the dollar gained about 16 per cent against euro, 10pc against British pound and 8 to 10pc against Canadian and Aus- tralian currencies in last three to four months. It seems the ex- change rate would remain stable for another couple of months since there is no reason for appreciation or depreciation, said Atif Ahmed, a currency dealer in the inter-bank market. However, experts believe the oil price trend has changed some fundamentals of the exchange rates. If oil price crisis remains there for another one year, dollar would gain more against all cur- rencies since the weak oil prices have hit many developed econo- mies, particularly oil producing countries. Oil prices have bounced back to some extent this week as it is available at $58 per barrel which is more than $50 per barrel 20 days ago. Oil experts forecast status quo KARACHI: Dollar has been gain- cember, dollar started rising; though but gradual devaluation might con- in the near future which means the ing against the rupee for the last its appreciation against rupee was tinue for next four to six months. price could fall again. According a couple of months despite rising slow. In less than two months, the The reason could be domestic or State Bank report, foreign exchange foreign exchange reserves, reflect- local currency lost Rs1.05 against global, but it seems that the trend reserves of the country at the end ing weakness of the local curren- the dollar. On Dec 23, the dollar may persist till end of this fiscal of November were $12.986bn cy, mainly due to a weak econom- was traded at Rs100.55 which year, said Anwar Jamal, a curren- which shot up to $15.238bn on ic outlook. Currency experts found proved the lowest price since it cy dealer. The inter-bank market Feb 6. Experts said reserves have no reason for dollar s gain against started appreciating. According to faces no unexpected demand, some been rising due to borrowed mon- the local currency except the weak Forex Association of Pakistan, currency dealers said the reason for ey which has weakness in its struc- fundamentals of economy. How- dollar on Saturday was traded at the gradual devaluation could be ture. The number of tourist arrivals in Tunisia in January 2015 was down by 21 percent compared to the same ever, they said the US currency Rs101.60. Currency dealers said more foreign than the local. Dur- The country is facing current ac- period last year, Tunisia s state news agency (TAP) reported . Of the 269,065 tourists who visited Tunisia has been gaining against all major that there was no panic for dollar ing the last four months, the dollar count deficit with record high trade in January, TAP said, 75 percent of them were North African nationals. Tunisia s tourism industry, consid- currencies for the last three to four in the inter-bank or open markets. appeared as the strongest curren- deficit, reflecting the weakness on ered to be vital to prop up its weak economy, has still not recovered from 2010, when Tunisians started what months. Since the last week of De- The greenback is easily available, cy of the world which attracted the external front. it was later dubbed as the Arab Spring by ousting longtime President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Gold s sparkle lures Turkish savers looking for security From the outside, it looks like any nated in gold. "We were thinking weighing 1.0 or 1.5 grammes. The just a small proportion of the re- bright future is assured, with un- Turkish economy by at least $3.8 the banks," said Sarp Tarhanci of other automatic bank machine on about putting all that gold back into success of the ATMs started a serves." 'Huge opportunity' Tur- derground reserves estimated at billion," said Alistair Hewitt, au- the Istanbul Chamber of Jewellery. the streets of Istanbul. But rather the financial system somehow, so trend, with many other Turkish key, where the mythical Phrygian 6,500 tonnes. "The main reason for thor of a recent report published "Jewellers are customer-based, than notes, this one distributes we decided to create gold accounts banks latching on. The volume of King Midas turned everything to this boom is that we still don't have by the World Gold Council. "The they build trust and good relation- small pieces of gold. Gold is huge- for our clients," said Seda Yilmaz, gold in their reserves has gone from gold and Trojan King Priam was any tax on gross gold transactions, opportunity is huge. We are only ships with their clients." Turkey's ly prized in Turkey not just for marketing manager of the Kuveyt two tonnes in 2007 to 250 tonnes. said to amass his gold hoard, has we only pay VAT (value added tax) at the early stages here, there is a performance in 2014 remained ornamentation or investment by Turk Bank, the first to do so, in 2007. The government has also tried to historically been a centre for gold on finished products," said Ali huge potential. "It's looking very, strong, according to the latest fig- banks but as a secure way for pri- "So we bought one kilo of gold, and join the bandwagon with the cen- mining. The first gold was mined Bulut chief executive of Turkey's very exciting... all that infrastruc- ures published by the World Gold vate individuals to hold their sav- the demand on the first day was three tral bank allowing commercial busi- in Anatolia several millennia before number one gold retailer Altinbas. ture allows Turkey to become a Council, even if purchases were ings. Many people in Turkey -- kilos. It was a very good decision, nesses to hold some of their re- the birth of Christ but until recent "I'm very optimistic in the long run gold trading hub within the region." down on the extremely strong which has one of the lowest pri- so we decided to move ahead." Eight serves in gold and opening this up years there had been a long break about domestic demand, not only Made a little jealous by the suc- 2013. 2014 demand for gold jew- vate savings rates among major years on, Kuveyt Turk manages to private investors. "Thanks to in extraction. This changed in the for fashion and jewellery but also cesses of banks in a market that ellery of 68.2 tonnes in Turkey economies -- keep gold as security 200,000 gold accounts with differ- this measure, our sales jumped 85 1980s with new legislation facili- for savings." Even if exchange rate they once had to themselves, Turk- was down 7 percent, "slightly for a "rainy day" rather than prod- ent products allowing sales by percent last year," said Aysen Esen, tating foreign investments, result- variations have an effect on activ- ish gold jewellers staked their in- more resilient" than the overall glo- ucts offered by banks. According cheque, bank transfer or mobile head of a leading gold refinery in ing in the discovery of new gold ity and profits, Turks are the num- terest in joining the gold invest- bal trend of minus 10 percent. to estimates, Turks hold some phone. Now with the introduction the country. "Over the last two deposits at home. The extraction ber four global consumers of gold ment industry. "We are a little bit Meanwhile, investment de- 3,500 tonnes of gold. Banks have of the first ATMs that issue gold as years, banks have taken in some of gold has since risen exponen- and number two exporters. "In disappointed. We may need new mand of 54.8 tonnes was 46 per- sought to capitalise on the tradi- well as the usual banknotes, consum- 40 tonnes of gold that people had tially, from two tonnes mined in 2013, recycling, fabrication and legislation and have this gold end cent below the previous year's tion by offering accounts denomi- ers can withdraw pieces of gold stashed under their beds. And it's 2002 to 33.5 tonnes in 2013. A consumption (of gold) boosted the up with the jewellers instead of 102.1 tonnes record. Apple studies self-driving car, Dubai World gets creditor nod of an already rescheduled facility auto industry source says is a clear reminder to all of the scale for $14.6b debt deal of the challenge facing Dubai ponents, the auto industry source World," said Doug Bitcon, head of said. "They don't appear to want State-owned conglomerate Dubai the debt deal it signed in 2011 which vious restructuring in the absence fixed income funds at Rasmala In- a lot of help from carmakers," said World edged closer to a second followed the 2009 standstill request, of effective insolvency law in the vestment Bank. He added the re- the source, who declined to be major restructuring in four years given the size of the $10.3 billion United Arab Emirates. The pro- structuring reflected improved fis- named. Apple is gathering advice on Monday after announcing it 2018 repayment and the slow pace cess will begin with a procedural cal planning from Dubai World, on parts and production methods, had reached agreement with a "sub- of asset sales. An agreement would court hearing on Tuesday, which which would hopefully benefit all focusing on electric and connect- stantial majority" of creditors to alleviate worries over Dubai's larg- may set a date for a directional parties as assets were sold. For ed-car technologies, while study- back its $14.6 billion debt deal. est debt hangover and may also lift hearing at which Dubai World and creditors not yet signed up to the ing the potential for automated However, despite having enough the upcoming results of local banks. its creditors will put their cases restructuring deal, Decree 57 pre- driving, the source said. "Fully au- backing to effectively prevent chal- A number, including Emirates NBD before a three-member judicial pan- vents them from launching court tomated driving is an evolution. lenges to its new deal, a relatively ENBD.DU, have said they are el at the court in Dubai's financial action against Dubai World. De- Carmakers will slowly build the untested court process to impose studying whether to reverse provi- free zone. It will be the biggest test cree 57 also allows for Dubai market for autonomous cars by it will mean formal completion is sions held against their share of the of the legislation. While the tribu- World to impose the new deal on first releasing connected and par- still months away. Dubai's econo- debt. On Monday, Dubai World said nal played only a supporting role creditors even if they are against it tially automated cars," the auto my has rebounded strongly from a it had made a "voluntary arrangement in the 2011 debt deal, it handled -- a technical process known as a industry source said. "Apple is local property crash which trig- notification" under Decree 57 legis- the $2.2 billion restructuring of one cramdown. A clause requiring any interested in all the potential ways gered a wave of debt restructur- lation to amend its existing debt deal, of Dubai World's subsidiaries, ruling to be "fair" and "unprejudi- you can evolve the car; that in- ings at state-owned entities at the the first formal notification from the Drydocks World, a year later. That cial" to creditors in the eyes of the FRANKFURT: Technology giant iar with the discussions said on cludes autonomous driving." turn of the decade -- most notably conglomerate that support from cred- restructuring process took five judges would be the likely basis of Apple (AAPL.O) is looking be- Saturday. The Cupertino, Califor- Whether it will build and release Dubai World's request for a debt itors for a new deal had passed the months from first court date to fi- any challenge brought by dissent- yond mobile devices to learn how nia-based maker of phones, com- an electric car or a more evolved standstill on $25 billion of obliga- 67 percent mark -- the level needed nal agreement, and a legal source ers, the legal source added. The to make a self-driving electric car, puters and, soon, watches is ex- autonomous vehicle remains to be tions in 2009 that resulted in a glo- to authorize a change of restructur- estimated Dubai World's process new plan involves repaying early and is talking to experts at carmak- ploring how to make an entire ve- seen, the source said. But clearly bal markets sell-off. It has been in ing terms. Big test Decree 57 was would take around six months, an existing $2.92 billion maturity ers and automotive suppliers, a hicle, not just designing automo- Apple has sharply raised its am- talks with lenders for months to brought in by the Dubai government depending on the progress of talks due in September 2015, Dubai senior auto industry source famil- tive software or individual com- bitions in automotive technology. secure a renegotiation of terms of to administer the conglomerate's pre- with creditors. "The renegotiation World said. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY . FEBRUARY 16 , 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Red carpet round-up: 2015 NY amFAR gala The annual New York Gala that took place on Wednesday, February 11 at Cipriani Wall Street was no short of a fashion parade. Hollywood glitterati peacocked down the red carpet with style and finesse. From sheer ollywood actress and singer Priyanka Chopra sent out a global outfits to sheeny fabrics, we were compelled to stare. Here are the looks that had us dreamy-eyed. message of bringing women empowerment through education at a Bworld leaders' conference held in Boston. After the event, Priyanka took to micro-blogging site Twitter to talk about the "privileged" moment of sharing dais with leaders like Bill Clinton. "What an amazing day. So honoured to speak at @EFHelloWorld & being part of an amazing list of speakers @billclinton @stevewoz @OfficeGSBrown," she tweeted. The actress spoke on the importance of girl education and women empower- ment, which plays a significant role in development of a country, at EF (Education First) Hello World's Day with World Leaders Conference held Friday. Other attendees included former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak. The actress, who looked uber-chic in a sophisticated black dress, also said that she was delighted to talk about her favourite subject. "Gratified, talking about my favourite subject #GirlPower 2 all the ladies out there... Happy Valentine's Day. Always remember u are so VALUABLE," she further tweeted. The ac- tress has time and again proved that girls are no less then men and even her success graph evinces the same with movies like "Fashion" and "Mary Kom". To channel the same energy, Priyanka also supports Girl Rising campaign. She is currently in the US to shoot an American TV show. Lady Gaga Where s women power: Huma to perform Qureshi on Kejriwal s cabinet at Oscars Actress Huma Qureshi has high power to change @ArvindKejri- dra Singh Tomar. Celebrity pho- hopes from Delhi Chief Minister wal Looking at better governance tographer Atul Kasbekar also not- Arvind Kejriwal but has one issue and safety for women in Delhi. But ed: "No women in the Kejriwal with his cabinet -- the lack of wom- no female representation in the cabinet could well be its Achilles en. Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejri- cabinet," she tweeted. heel or its pin striped wal Saturday took oath as Delhi's Kejriwal's close aide Manish Siso- suit...Disappointing." Hairstylist chief minister at the Ramlila Maid- dia, who will be the deputy chief Sapna Bhavnani tweeted: How an here along with six ministers, minister, was also sworn in along many women in @ArvindKejriw- all of whom are men. Hence, the with ministers Satyendra Jain, al's cabinet? #AAPkaCM #AAP- actress questioned the absence of Gopal Rai, Asim Mohammed Storm #AAPKiDilli #Kejriwal- female representation. "More Khan, Sandeep Kumar and Jiten- ChecksIn #5SaalKejriwal."

Singer Lady Gaga will perform at the 87th Academy Awards here Feb 22. The show's producers - Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Gaga - took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share the news Thurs- day, reports ew.com. The 28-year- old singer confirmed the news by tweeting: "I'm performing live at the OSCARS this year!" Zadan wrote that Gaga will be involved in "a very special performance." Gaga has joined other previously announced performers including Jack Black, Anna Kendrick and Jennifer Hudson. "Lady Gaga is a once in a lifetime artist who's mu- sical evolution keeps growing. We are proud to have her perform on the Oscars for the very first time," the producers said in a joint state- ment. Gaga also performed with Tony Bennett at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this month. Behind Emmanuel Lubezki s one take in Birdman to do this because it was such a by Michael Keaton, and the col- big challenge and I didn t want it lapse of his life as the former su- to be gimmicky. Known popu- perhero actor attempting a come- Camila Alves Mrs Matthew McConaughey stunned in a black and white Romona Keveza gown with a full larly as Chivo ( goat in Span- back in his own Broadway play. mesh skirt. We did love the drama of the dress created by the transparent tulle overskirt, but it s the underskirt ish), Lubezki is a favourite to win He wanted this one shot not to that prevented us from loving this look as it feels stiff and too office-like. The 33-year-old model and lifestyle the Academy Award on February be completely objective, so that expert, wore her highlighted tresses in a sleek bun. 22 for best cinematography, a year made it very hard, Lubezki said. Michelle Rodriguez The Fast And after the Mexican earned his first The shot is sometimes very sub- Furious star traded her signature for space thriller Gravity. Birdman jective, so you are feeling what he tomboy style for a feminine ap- is also a front-runner for best pic- is feeling and you are watching peal at the gala. Turning fashion ture. A seven-time Oscar nominee, what he is watching, and then goes up a notch in a glamorous white, the 50-year-old Lubezki has what back to reveal the environment. draped Vivienne Westwood gown, Inarritu describes as beautiful tal- Emotional grind It was a formida- the star sizzled at the red carpet. ent and exquisite taste, and to- ble challenge for the actors to be The dress featured a low cut de- gether they have created a terrific filmed in long takes, accustomed sign and fine fabric, which she com- process. They are now making as they are to working in tiny plimented with a small Kara Ross their second film. When Inarritu bursts of scenes. clutch. The 36-year-old pinned her won the Directors Guild award Keaton felt the full burden. He dark mane back, revealing her fine last weekend, he joked with Grav- realised that this was no joke, that bone structure. ity director and fellow Mexican he had to learn all the dialogue and Alfonso Cuaron about their go through this whole emotional shared secret weapon. Still, grind in very, very, long takes, LOS ANGELES: Cinematogra- daunting proposal: To film Bird- Lubezki gives Inarritu full credit Lubezki said. Only recently did pher Emmanuel Lubezki was fin- man in a way that makes the mov- for the idea of the long, unbroken Lubezki realize that Michael ishing the complex filming of Grav- ie look one continuous shot. In an shot: From the beginning, the di- Keaton is playing, like, five char- ity when director Alejandro G. In- interview, Lubezki said his first rector wanted to immerse the au- acters in Riggan s different states arritu approached him with a thought was: I hope I don t get dience in Riggan Thomson, played of mind. Wella Academy: Adding oomph to hair KARACHI: Wella Professionals launched its first academy in Paki- stan on February 12. Located a lit- tle ahead of Movenpick ice-cream parlour, on 26th Street Tauheed Commercial. Located on the first floor of the Fayyaz Building, the academy is raring to evolve hair- care and is festooned in its patent red and crème colour theme. Brand representative Klinner Tilo, from the German Consulate, who was in attendance, says, Before com- ing to Karachi, I had the great op- portunity of opening an academy in Russia, and I m extremely glad we are now in Pakistan. Elabo- rating on the brand itself, he re- marks, It s a very old and tradi- tional brand, representing high-end hair styling in today s world. Three years from now, we are hopefully looking at setting up another out- let elsewhere in this country. While briefing The Express Tri- bune media personnel, Humaira Shahnawaz, educational manager at Wella Professionals Academy Pa- kistan, said she has been a stylist for the past six years and has ac- quired training in hair, make-up and skin care from Dubai and Turkey, with expertise in hair styling and ago, there was no strong competition present in the hair styling industry. But now with Wella present, it will colouring. Since L Oreal entered be tough, she adds. She personally believes salons must actively participate in allowing their young trainee the Pakistani industry three years professionals to be taught the art of hair colouring. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF. MONDAY . FEBRUARY 16, 2015 AFGHANISTANTIMES Kohli s century Andy Murray s emotional batteries could drives I ndia's need recharging, says Miles Maclagan Andy Murray's former coach Miles Maclagan told Sky Sports thrashing of that the British No 1 may need to take time to recharge his "emotional batteries" after a disappointing quarter-final exit in the Rotterdam Pakistan Open. Murray was the top seed in the tournament and despite rel- atively straightforward wins over Vasek Pospisil and Nicolas Mahut in the early rounds; he slumped to a disappointing straights sets de- feat to Simon, a player ranked 15 places lower than him in the world, in the last eight. Andy Murray lost in straight sets to Gilles Simon in the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open Rotterdam was Murray's first regular ATP Tour event in 2015 and his return to court after the Australian Open final defeat to Novak Djokovic in January. Maclagan, who was part of Mur- ray's coaching team between 2007- Virat Kohli scored an imperious century as India opened their World 10, told Sky Sports Tennis that Cup defence in convincing fashion with a 76-run victory over Pakistan the 2013 Wimbledon champion in a frenzied atmosphere at the Adelaide Oval. The much-anticipated could still need some time to re- Pool B grudge match, the latest chapter in one of the great rivalries in cover from the gruelling four-set sport, attracted a passionate crowd of 41,587 to the revamped ground loss to Djokovic in Melbourne. He with up to a billion more tuning in on the sub-continent and around the said: "I expected him to win [against world. It was the two thirds of the crowd dressed in the blue of India Simon] but as he said in the inter- who had most to cheer, though, as Kohli brushed aside concerns over his view, he got out-Murrayed . "He recent one-day form with a knock of 107 to drive his side to an imposing was confused and didn t quite tally of 300 for seven. Pakistan started their reply steadily before a know the balance to strike, which three-wicket blitz in two overs at the halfway mark of the innings saw is so often what Murray does to opener Ahmed Shehzad depart for 47 and reduced them to 103 for five. his opponents. "I just wonder Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (76) and Shahid Afridi flirted with a match- whether perhaps the emotional changing partnership but once the latter departed for 22 and Wahab Riaz batteries haven t been recharged "Let s not forget the effort he put in at the end of last year. That was six events in a row which would have also have taken a lot [out of him]. "That followed in the same over, Pakistan's hopes of a first win over India in yet. The Australian [Open] was was new ground for him and even at this age and stage of his career he s learning the balance of things, and maybe he thought that Australian doesn t six World Cup attempts was gone. Indian seamer Mohammed Shami an incredible effort from him and take quite as much out of him because he s been in it before." Gruelling: a physical and disappointing result in the Australian Open final may have took four for 35 but it was Mohit Sharma who drove the final nail into that big final was a tough match left Murray drained Errors Four-time Wimbledon doubles champion Peter Fleming was also left confused by Murray's lacklustre 6-4 6-2 defeat the coffin when Sohail Khan holed out for seven to end the Pakistan for a long time, and it takes a long on Friday and said that the 27-year-old may be finding it difficult to pick himself up for the smaller tournaments on tour. "Andy wasn t sharp," said innings at 224 all out. Kohli's century was the first by an Indian in those time for these guys [to recover]. Fleming. "Andy didn t play the way we know he can. Against a guy like Simon, who is coming into form again I would say, they have very similar six World Cup encounters and took his impressive tally to 22 in one-day "He needs to make sure he does games Simon never misses and moves extremely well and normally Andy can just out-hit him. "But yesterday, as he said, when he tried to out hit internationals, joint fourth on the all-time list with his former skipper take his time off to recharge be- him he made errors and that s not good enough for him. "As he matures and gets older the smaller tournaments perhaps aren t quite as important Sourav Ganguly. cause he needs to play a fired-up to him in the big scheme of things and so perhaps he didn t practice quite so intensely prior to this event or didn t start back as soon as he might brand of tennis to play his best. of when he was younger. "Or perhaps it was just a physically draining Australian Open for him and maybe he needs more rest." Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool: Daniel South Africa hold off spirited Zimbabwe David Miller and JP Duminy both 214 for three and well set to push Sturridge helps send scored centuries as South Africa on for the final 15 overs before overcame a real challenge from Zim- Taylor's dismissal effectively end- Reds through in FA Cup babwe to record a 62-run victory ed their resistance and they were in their opening World Cup Pool bowled out for 277 in 48.2 overs. Liverpool came from behind with two second-half goals to reach the FA B game in Hamilton. Miller (138*) "I'm happy with the result but cred- Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. and Duminy (115*) rescued the it must go to Elton and his boys, Alan Pardew believes that his side's 2-1 home defeat against Liverpool Proteas' innings after they had they really put us under pressure," was the worst performance he has seen since becoming Crystal Palace been in trouble at 83 for four, as South Africa captain AB de Villi- manager Fraizer Campbell gave the hosts the lead as the ball fell kindly they put on a world record fifth- ers said. to him 12 yards out after 15 minutes, but Liverpool were level shortly wicket stand of 256 to guide their "They also batted very well and after half-time through Daniel Sturridge s back-post volley. Adam Lalla- side to 339 for four. Elton Chigum- probably just lost their way mid- na tucked away Mario Balotelli s rebounded free-kick just before the bura's side, however, also showed way through their innings." Zim- hour mark to make it 2-1, and Liverpool held on to reach the last eight that they would be a dangerous babwe had earlier exploited the for the first time in three seasons. Liverpool dominated possession opponent for many sides with slow nature of the pitch to put the throughout the first half, but lacked a cutting edge without the injured opener Chamu Chibhabha (64), World Cup favourites under pres- Raheem Sterling. Adam Lallana: Put Liverpool 2-1 up from close range Hamilton Masakadza (80) and sure, but in reality they lost the They were behind after Martin Skrtel headed a clearance into the path of Brendan Taylor (40) showing they game in the final 10 overs of South Dwight Gayle to force a save out of Simon Mignolet, and Campbell was were all highly competent interna- Africa's innings when they conced- on hand to slot home with the goalkeeper grounded. tional batsmen. They had been on ed a staggering 146 runs. UCI Track Cycling World Championships: Brian Rose says the referee didn t give him a chance Jason Kenny tips France to flourish in before stopping his fight with Carson Jones sprints on wide Paris track Brian Rose insists the referee didn't turned the tables in the blink of an give him a chance to recover be- eye with a bludgeoning overhand Jason Kenny believes France will fore stopping his fight with Car- right. Jones followed up with a hold the advantage in the men s son Jones on Saturday night. The series of blows, culminating in a sprint events at next week s UCI Blackpool light-middleweight was left hook, before the referee's in- Track Cycling World Champion- beaten inside the opening round by terruption with Rose defending ships in Paris due to the massive Jones after referee Ian John-Lewis himself. Rose added: "He was go- track favouring their style. The prevented him taking any more ing to come with a barrage of Velodrome National de Saint- punishment. Rose, who staggered punches, I know that s what he Quentin-en-Yvelines has one of the but never fell, claims the stoppage was going to do, but I would have widest tracks in the world at 8m was too early particularly since soaked them up and it would have across and is perfect for powerful Jones had already benefited from been him in the long run losing all riders who start on a high line and the referee's leniency after getting his energy. That s how I fight, he s then swoop down the banking hurt. "He didn t give me a chance an experienced referee, he should when the dash for the finish be- but I feel he gave Jones a chance. I know that. "I hold my hands up, I gins. Kenny, who will be riding in buzzed him and I had him going was hurt, but so was he. I don t the individual sprint, team sprint worse than he had me," Rose told think it should have been stopped. and keirin in Paris, prefers to race Sky Sports. "I m so annoyed at He caught me and I felt a buzz but lower down but concedes he may bottom of the track, as opposed to the big guys who are great on big the referee s decision, he stood in Demetrious Andrade hit me 50 have to adapt if he is to be com- gears and come flying off the top banking. We like to bring it down to our here 15 minutes before saying he d times like that. "I demand a re- petitive. Kenny, centre, prefers to level, if you like. You have got to be really flexible, or as flexible as give us both a chance if we were match. I want something done. He race at the bottom of the track possible. Kenny won gold medals in both the individual and team hurt. He didn t give me a chance. I gave him a chance, why not give There are legal limits and I m pret- sprint at the 2012 Olympic Games in London but feels the discipline of might have been hurt, I felt a buzz me a chance? Rose's trainer Bob- ty sure it s right on the limit of track sprinting has changed dramatically in the two and a half years but I knew exactly where I was by Rimmer was equally shocked how wide a track can be, he said. since. One particular area in which he has struggled to keep pace with and I was about to start firing my to see the hometown fighter's night That makes it fast off the top. the sport s evolution is qualifying in the individual sprint, where riders shots back. "That s the way I fight, end so prematurely. Rimmer said: Big gears It suits the French. No are ranked for later rounds on the basis of a flying 200m lap. Kenny is I cover up and let my opponents "It s the most ridiculous stoppage. doubt about it. Definitely. They keen to improve his performances in sprint qualifying Qualifying woes let their shots go. The referee He was hurt but when Ian John- like big, long races on big gears, At last year s World Championships, for example, he qualified only should know that. I m the sort of Lewis grabbed him I thought high on the track, so obviously 14th quickest, which meant that he faced France s Francois Pervis, the fighter who gets hit, covers up, and what s he doing? I m still flab- fectly. All of a sudden Brian gets hurt, Ian runs over and stops the having a massive track gives you a fastest qualifier and the man who would go on to win gold, in the last takes it on the gloves." Experience bergasted. It s terrible what s hap- fight."He s got a good chin, he recovers from punches like that, he lot of flexibility to do that. We eight. Kenny was beaten 2-0 and consequently missed out on the chance Rose had initially stung Jones with pened, it s not right "Until Brian recovers fast. As soon as the referee grabbed him Brian looked at me and [British riders] like to be at the to challenge for bronze or silver. a right hook but the American got hurt, the fight was going per- asked what s going on and I didn t have a clue." PGA Tour: Jim Furyk leads after the third Katarina Johnson- Thompson set a new round at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am British high jump record Jim Furyk fired a superb nine-un- Brandt Snedeker joins Jones one- der 63 to move into a one-shot lead shot back after posting a third after the third round at the AT&T round 67, with a bogey from the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. bunker at the par-four third his On another glorious day on the only dropped shot. Starting on the west coast, tailor-made for low back nine, the American rolled in a scoring, the Ryder Cup veteran 30-foot par putt at the 12th hole took full advantage as he posted and another 30-footer for birdie nine birdies, including seven from from just off the 15th green, but the last ten holes. in a blemish-free missed several birdie chances on round at Pebble Beach. Despite the easier front nine before making making his first Tour appearance one from his final hole. "Didn't Katarina Johnson-Thompson set a new British high jump record at the since September, Furyk's short have my best stuff starting out Indoor British Championships at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport. game was showing no sign of rust, today," Snedeker said. "I was able The 22-year-old heptathlete soared over 1.97 metres to go one centime- making an 8-foot birdie on the to gut out a good round. "You kind tre higher than the mark she set at the same meeting 12 months ago. ninth before his remarkable birdie of have to do that. You're going to Morgan Lake, at 17 already the world junior champion in the heptathlon blitz on the back nine. Furyk was have a stretch of golf where you're and high jump, took second place with a British junior record jump of trailing Australia's Matt Jones for not playing your best, and hope- 1.94m.Johnson-Thompson endured a bitter-sweet 2014, finishing the much of his round but passed him fully, mine is behind me now." Nick year ranked number one in the world in the heptathlon, but seeing her at the par-five 18th, with a wedge Watney posted a seven-under 65 Commonwealth Games and European Championship hopes dashed by he spun back to tap-in range for a at Pebble to stay in contention two a foot injury. The Liverpool athlete, who is aiming for a tilt at pentath- birdie. Jones recovered from a slow shots behind, with Kevin Chap- lon gold in European Indoor Championships Prague next month, insist- start to make six birdies in a sev- pell a further two shots behind af- ed that, despite being the first British woman ever to attempt the height, en-hole stretch and build a three- ter his six-under. Marcel Siem she should have gone higher. "I am really happy with the personal best shot lead late in the afternoon, be- spoke to Tim Barter following his and that I'm back competing, but I never thought I'd be that disappoint- fore bogeying his last two holes in first competitive round at Pebble ed with a 1.97m," she said. "It's crazy because it's a British record and a six-under 67. Overnight leader Beach. a personal best, but I wanted that two metres. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.

MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16 . 2015 -Dalw 27, 1393 H.S Vol:IX Issue No:194 Price: Afs.15

US continues Kabul to host 21st TAPI Fair polls not possible sans electronic ID cards KABUL: For the sake of trans- secret war in parent future elections, the issu- ance of electronic identity cards AFGHANISTAN steering committee meeting should be started without further AT Monitoring Desk delay, the National Council of Jour- nalists (NCJ) said. Hafizullah The United States may have offi- KABUL: Afghanistan will host pipeline project. However, some forces to ensure its security, Esar st Barekzai, NCJ director, told jour- cially ended the war in Afghani- 21 steering committee meeting on experts believe that ensuring secu- added. nalists in Kabul there was still stan in late December, but our re- Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Paki- rity of the project was not an easy The pipeline will transport enough time to issue electronic maining troops are carrying out an stan-India (TAPI) pipeline project, task. Sirajudding Esar, an Afghan Caspian Sea natural gas from Turk- cards to people ahead of the par- increasing number of night raids said an official in the Ministry of security expert in London, said, menistan through Herat, Farah, liamentary polls to be held next against the Taliban and al Mines and Petroleum (MoMP). Afghan security forces have Helmand and Kandahar provinces Afghan year. There are evidence Qaeda, according to a New York Rafi Sediqi, a spokesman for made tangible achievements over of Afghanistan into Pakistan and irregularities had taken place in the Barekzai accused some observer cards is a joint project of the min- Times report. the ministry, said that officials of the past 13 years, but TAPI is not then to India. 1,800 kilometer TAPI previous elections like fraud, brib- the four member countries would a short term project. Thus, it would natural gas pipeline is expected to organizations of accepting huge istries of interior and communica- The New York Times ery, stuffing ballot boxes and sell- sums of money in bribes against tions and IT. The Interior Minis- reports that the increased raids are hold the steering committee meet- be difficult for Afghan security cost over $10 billion. ing votes, he said, adding without ing within two months in Kabul to neutrality, saying those purpose- try promised in 2011 to issue elec- partially the result of intelligence electronic identity cards, transpar- fully delaying the issuance of the tronic ID cards to six million peo- seized in October of last year, appoint the consortium s leader. ent elections were not possible. While talking to Radio Azadi cards were committing treason.. ple ahead of the 2014 elections, when US and Afghan commandos Without naming anyone, The issuance of electronic ID but failed to do it. (Pajhwok) came upon a laptop computer with about importance of the project, files detailing terror operations in Sediqi said that Afghanistan would Afghanistan and neighboring Pa- be receiving millions of dollars as Badakhshan kistan. Military officials tell the transit fee annually. The project Decisive blow: Huge military paper that the information in the is expected to create thousands of avalanches kill files could be as significant as what jobs, he added. He said, members operation kicked off in Helmand was found on a computer in Osa- of the consortium would sign a long six, destroy 20 ma bin Laden s Pakistan com- term contract to purchase three pound after the terror leader was billion cubic meters natural gas in AT Monitoring Desk houses killed by Navy SEALs in 2011. 30 years time. Insecurity is con- The officials also said that an- sidered as one of the main chal- KABUL: After taking full control ty check points in the areas for AT Monitoring Desk lenges before implementation of of security from international better maintenance of law-and-or- other factor playing a role in the the project. Seidiqi said that Af- KABUL: As many as six people increased raids was loosened re- troops, the security forces kicked der there. lost lives and around 20 houses ghan security forces were now ca- off a huge military operation in He said the operation in Hel- were destroyed in separate ava- strictions on nighttime operations pable of ensure security of the put in place by the new Afghan southern Helmand province to mand was a wide range crackdown lanches in northeastern Badakhs- president, Ashraf Ghani. Ghani has boost up security in its northern against militants and officials in han province, said official on Sun- Polio drive kicked districts, said official on Sunday. Kabul would decide when to call day. previously called for a slower with- Men held on charges of gang Spokesman for Badakhshan drawal of US troops from his coun- Around 4,000 Afghan Na- for the support of international off in eastern tional Army (ANA) troops have troops. governor, Ahmad Nawid Frotan, try. Current plans call for the US rape, murder: MoI said the avalanche took place the to go from about 10,800 troops provinces other night in Kalafzar area of AT Monitoring Desk Yamgan district, leaving six peo- there now to 5,500 by the end of AT News Report this year. ple dead. He said the bodies have KABUL: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said Sunday that a group of not been found yet but the related According to the terms of a JALALABAD: Polio vaccination men, allegedly involved in sexually assault of a teenager boy in northern officials were trying to find the security agreement with the Af- drive kicked off in eastern region on Sunday. Public Health director of Faryab province and gang rape and murder of two women in Takhar and bodies and hand them over to their ghan government, our remaining Nangarhar province said that Kunduz provinces, were arrested by police. families. He added that the wound- troops are there to serve in an ad- 936,000 children will be administrat- The MoI spokesman, Sediq Sediqi, said the dossiers of the arrested ed were shifted to hospital by po- visory role. But that s not what s ed drops against the crippling dis- group would be sent to the Attorney General Office (AGO) for further lice and they were in good health happening on the ground, U.S. and ease during the campaign. investigation. He warned that such acts and crimes would not go unno- condition. He did not provide more details in this regard. Earlier, at Afghan officials told the Times. In Speaking at the inaugural cere- ticed by the security forces, and they would leave no stone unturned to mony, Najibullah Kamawal, said arrest such individuals. The security forces will not remain silent in least seven people lost lives as a reality, U.S. troops are taking a 6,000 vaccinators will administrate result of avalanche in the province. lead role in the counterterror raids. this regard. They will arrest perpetrators, he vowed. At least two The spokesman said another the polio drops to around 936,000 weeks back, unknown men sexually assaulted a teenager in Faryab, and It s all in the shadows now, children in eastern provinces of Af- avalanche in Khash Dara village of later they reportedly killed the victim. In another incident, a woman was Yamgan destroyed 20 houses but a former Afghan security official ghanistan. He added that around raped and killed in Kunduz, and earlier on Saturday a group of men told the Times. The official war for 30,000 children Ghanikhel district of no one has been injured or killed in raped a girl and later killed her. The Human Rights Commission termed the incident. He added that ways the Americans the part of the Nangarhar, deprived of polio vacci- nation in the past, will be also vacci- the impunity culture, reluctance of judicial organizations and security to the district were closed there- war that you could go see that s nated against the viral disease. The forces in defending the rights of citizens as main reasons behind the joined the operation, said Omar According to him, the opera- fore they have called for help by over. It s only the secret war that s acting governor of Nangarhar prov- incidents in Faryab, Kunduz and Takhar. The CEO of the commission, Zwak, spokesman for Helmand tion would be extended from San- helicopters. According to him, still going. But it s going hard. ince, Ataullah Lodin, called on mili- Musa Mahmudi, said the main responsibility of the security forces is to governor, adding that the opera- gin to Kajaki, Musa Qala, Washir heavy snowfalls have closed ways News of the U.S. military s tant groups to cooperate with vacci- ensure the citizens safety, particularly safety of women and children; tion codenamed Zulfiqar has been and Nawzad districts. of 13 districts of the province in- secret war comes on the heels of nators to administrate the drops to therefore they should leave no stone unturned to prevent such incidents launched in Sangin district and Afghan security forces shoul- cluding Yamgan district. Badakhs- children. He also urged religious in the country. Rape incidents have surged in a number of northern han is one of the remote provinces Gen. John Campbell, the top U.S. scholars to raise public awareness would be extended to other dis- dered full responsibility of securi- located in the northeastern part of military commander in provinces in recent months and unfortunately women and children are tricts. ty in January this year. They re- about importance of the vaccination still the highest victim of these crimes, he added. Blaming security the country. The province wit- Afghanistan, telling the Sen- drive. According to an official source, He said the ANA troops would lieved huge support by the nation nesses heavy snowfalls every win- six cases of polio have been con- forces for inattention in preventing violence against women and chil- ateArmed Services Committee that dren, he said the security forces are requested to adopt concrete measure earn air support by the Afghan Air as different ceremonies were held ter season which claim dozens of he wants more flexibility in how firmed in eastern provinces of Af- Force (AAF), if needed. countrywide that supported and lives most of the years. ghanistan. Out of the six cases, three for ensuring safety of women and children in Afghanistan. The Human In 2012 more than 60 people quickly troops withdraw from the cases were registered in Nangarhar, Rights Commission has several times criticized the judiciaries for reluc- He added the operation was applauded the security forces for aimed at weeding out militants and their utmost efforts and sacrifices died due to heavy snowfall in Bada- country and where he can posi- two in Laghman and another was tance in punishing perpetrators of the violent cases against women and khshan with more than 40 died tion them. (Townhall) reported in Kunar province. children. establishing Afghan forces securi- in ensuring safety of citizens. only in Shikai district. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.

MONDAY . FEBRUARY 16 , 2015 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 By Ishrat Husain economy has become too depen- Pakistani investment. As Afghani- good reputation in banking and in- Editor: Abdul Saboor Sarir dent on external assistance and stan has an LDC status surance, telecommunications, IT Several significant developments Isaf-related economic activities. Pakistani private investors can set enabled services, engineering con- Phone No: +93-772364666 have taken place in Afghanistan in The withdrawal shock to the up export-oriented industries in sultancy, architecture and accoun- E-mail: [email protected] the past few months that require economy would be destabilising if these zones attracting preferential tancy. Afghanistan would need ex- fresh thinking and a review of the alternative measures are not put in lower tariffs in the advanced coun- pertise in these areas both for cur- Email: [email protected] relationship between Pakistan and place to absorb this shock gradu- tries. This act of liberalisation by rent operations and on the job Afghanistan. First, most of the ally. It may sound odd that we are Afghanistan is not so widely training of their own young pro- www.afghanistantimes.af Nato forces have withdrawn from proposing at this juncture to in- known to Pakistan s business fessionals. Well-reputed hospitals, Photojournalist: M. Sadiq Yusufi Afghanistan while the presence of crease our financial aid to Afghan- community. Pakistani chambers medical laboratories, clinics, nurs- US forces has been considerably istan when Pakistan itself is facing and business councils should col- ing training institutes, general and Advisory editorial board reduced and largely limited to sup- economic difficulties, but this is a lect and disseminate detailed infor- specialised universities and colleg- port and training of the Afghan critical confidence-building step mation widely among their mem- es, vocational and technical train- Saduddin Shpoon, Dr. Sharif Fayez, Dr. Sultana Parvanta, Dr. Sharifa Sharif, National Army. Second, the along with increased trade and in- bers. These zones would bring for- ing institutes from Pakistan can Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Setara Delawari, Ahmad Takal general elections in Afghanistan vestment. Pakistan is one of the eign exchange earnings badly need- enter into partnerships and agree- were successfully conducted with largest trading partners of Afghan- ed by Afghanistan substituting over ments with their Afghan counter- Graphic-Designers: a large turnout and the majority of istan as it exports goods and ser- time the volume of foreign aid that parts. After all, the youth bulge Mansoor Faizy and Edriss Akbari the population participated in this vices worth approximately $3 bil- will substantially decline. Pakistani has to be gainfully employed for Marketing & Advertising: peaceful democratic transition. lion annually and is also the main investors, to be successful, would which quality education is a pre- Third, the newly elected President conduit of imports from elsewhere require better infrastructure in the requisite. The affordability to this Mohammad Parwiz Arian, 0708954626, 0778894038 Ashraf Ghani enjoys excellent cre- through the Karachi port. Tariff form of highways, railways, inte- kind of education would be a ma- Mailing address: P.O. Box: 371, Kabul, Afghanistan dentials and is committed to the rates should be reduced on essen- grated border crossings etc. Sever- jor consideration for which the Our Bank Accounts: Azizi Bank: 000101100258091 / 000101200895656 economic development of his tial commodities, non-tariff barri- al other border posts should be Pakistani experience would come country. He has therefore formed ers lowered and trade facilitation opened and the missing infrastruc- in handy. In the coming years, Pa- Printed at Afghanistan Times Printing Press a national unity government with eased to remove the obstacles ture put in place. A tripartite agree- kistan should negotiate free trade his opponent Abdullah Abdullah faced by Afghan businesses and ment between China, Afghanis•tan and bilateral investment agree- as chief executive. Fourth, the new lower the cost of transactions. and Pakistan should assign the re- ments with Afghanistan. The trade The constitution says leadership has engaged in a highly Concessionary sponsibilities for execution of this agreement can have sensitive lists constructive, candid and mutually export refinancing facilities should plan. China can take the lead in that protect vulnerable items and Article 82: Members of the House of People shall be elected by the people through free, general, secret and direct rewarding dialogue with Pakistan be made available to Pakistani ex- building the necessary infrastruc- these lists can be gradually phased balloting. The work period of the House of People shall terminate, after the disclosure of the results of the setting at rest the confrontational porters for incremental flows of ture; Pakistani private investors out over a given period. In the elections, on the 1st of Saratan of the fifth year and the new parliament shall commence work. The role of the previous government. goods to Afghanistan beyond the can set up the industries and bring medium term, the two countries elections for members of the House of People shall be held 30-60 days prior to the expiration of the term Fifth, Pakistan s civil and military present threshold. Pakistan pro- skilled manpower and Afghanistan should form a common customs of the House of People. Continued leadership have demonstrated not vides Afghanistan with the short- can set up a one-stop shop to fa- union with the external tariffs at only through words but actions est access to the sea but rail and cilitate investment flows and res- ports of entry and thereafter the that they are fully committed to a road freight services have not been olution of problems. In addition goods can move freely between the peaceful and stable Afghanistan. fully developed to leverage this to industrial zones, Afghanistan of- two countries. This will mitigate Editorial Pakistan did not show any prefer- locational advantage. Liberalisation fers investment opportunities in the curse of illegal imports into ence for any political party, ethnic of the transportation sector by al- construction, food processing and Pakistan through the diversion of group or presidential candidates at lowing the entry of newcomers and retail. Pakistani investors should the present Afghan transit trade, Pentagon on ISIS spread to Afghanistan the time of the general elections. promoting competition among the take first-mover advantage as their generate tax revenues to be shared Sixth, Afghanistan and Pakistan carriers, expanding the existing transportation costs would be low by the two and reduce the transac- Amid the drawdown of coalition forces reports about embryonic pres- have agreed to work together to highways and rehauling the railway and they understand the consum- tion cost of doing business. Our ence of Daesh in Afghanistan have been doing rounds in media. American eliminate militant groups respon- subsector would go a long way in er tastes and preferences better Afghan brethren have suffered and officials say they acknowledge that Daesh has spread into Afghanistan. sible for terrorist activities and that facilitating both bilateral and tran- The government here has to expe- made huge sacrifices during the last Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Maj. Bradelee Avots says the spread have been using the other coun- sit trade. Exports of the mining sec- dite the formation of the Ex-Im 35 years or so. It is time that Paki- of Daesh into Afghanistan is of great concern. Too many people don t try as a safe haven for their activ- tor from Afghanistan would re- Bank which was announced in the stan and the international commu- itie These developments are both quire that the transport corridors 2014-15 budget. The bank will be nity work together to give them a think the presence of Daesh in Afghanistan, serious. But they should. It s significant and propitious for turn- be functioning by 2017 at the lat- the ideal vehicle for scrutinising chance to live a peaceful life and believed that there has been no substantial evidence of this new interna- ing a new leaf in the chapter of est. Afghanistan can also earn sub- investment proposals and furnish make economic progress just like tional terror outfit s involvement in terrorism inside Afghanistan there- Pak-Afghan relations. The focus stantial revenues from transit trade a range of funding and non-fund- other countries in the region. fore focus should remain confine only to the Taliban. It s also believed of these relations should move to and energy to and from the Cen- ing instruments (eg guarantees) to The writer is dean and direc- some of the Taliban leaders are rebranding themselves as Daesh mem- build strong foundations for the tral Asian Republics. President those whose proposals are found tor at the Institute of Business Ad- bers, whose primary aim is to get resources and attention. This notion revival of Afghanistan s economy. Ghani has announced the estab- to be feasible. In the area of trade ministration, Karachi. This article looks valid. But what if the next day, Daesh appears on the screen here in During the last decade, the Afghan lishment of industrial zones for in services, Pakistan has earned a was seen at Dawn.com. this already troubled country with a bang? US intelligence officials might know much more about Daesh presence in this country, but since Wash- ington has already announced drawdown therefore, they are trying to min- Obama needs Silicon Valley to fight hackers imize the Daesh threat in the region. By Katie Benner top executives to the summit. The ly working on the Anthem breach more limited in scope than legisla- Its fight against al-Qaeda in the region has left many weaknesses of the tech industry s wariness of gov- can attest: The health-care indus- tion, but it could more quickly put United States bare as it has neither taken this global threat to its logical US President Barack Obama signed ernment involvement predates rev- try has heavily relied on informa- protections into place. No one dis- end nor made Afghanistan fully capable to carve an independent peace a new executive order on Friday elations by former government tion from the Federal Bureau of agrees that tech companies could that compels companies and the contractor Edward Snowden, says Investigation to understand the be big allies in the fight to protect route on its own because most of the time it was the US that dominated government to share threat infor- J.J. Thompson, the founder of con- scope, severity and consequences America s online infrastructure; peace policy in the region. In such a situation it is essential to know about mation as part of an effort to de- sulting firm Rook Security. Some of the attack. Corporate cyberse- most agree that corporate America what the United States thinks about tackling Daesh. To better understand fend against the sorts of cyberat- of the revealed National Security curity officers are in favour of such needs intel from agencies such as what s the policy of the US to fight Daesh, President Obama s speech, tacks that crippled Sony Pictures Agency spy programmes, includ- real time collaborative defence, the Federal Bureau of Investiga- which he delivered back in Sept. 2014, is of utmost importance where he and exposed the Social Security ing Prism, collected data from big says Bessemer Venture Partner tion (FBI) and the Central Intelli- said that it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL? He said that he data of 80 million Anthem insur- internet companies. Tech compa- David Cowan, who invests heavi- gence Agency to respond effective- ance customers. He made the an- nies are loath to share information ly in security startups. He says he ly to threats. Thompson says that wanted the American people to understand how this effort will be differ- nouncement during the White that violates individual privacy agrees with executives and inves- many companies do not even know ent from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said it will not involve Amer- House summit on cybersecurity or that invades civil liberties , says tors who say that perceived lia- they have been breached until the ican combat troops fighting on a foreign soil. Obama adds this countert- and consumer protection at Stan- venture capital investor Alberto bility currently stands in the way FBI calls and alerts them to suspi- errorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to ford University. The decision to Yepez. The relationship between of true collaboration. The mechan- cious activity. But data-sharing take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for hold the summit in Silicon Valley tech companies and the govern- ics of an executive action could al- cannot happen until tech firms can partners forces on the ground. It means in the fight against Daesh, the US suggests that, in part, the adminis- ment has become more complicat- leviate those fears by putting into protect themselves from liability tration wants to be a better part- ed as companies such as Microsoft place basic protections that let and their customers from mass will only rely on the use of air power while leaving the responsibility of ner with the tech industry in the have waged high-profile legal bat- companies share information anon- surveillance that can violate their battle on the ground to partner s forces. As the US has close to 10,000 fight against cybercrime. But the tles to protect customer data. Most ymously and protect them from civil liberties. If the US president troops in Afghanistan following the end of combat mission at the begin- tech industry is ambivalent about smart tech professionals know legal liability if they do give the cannot lay down that groundwork, ning of the year, Washington has already announced plans to draw the a closer relationship with govern- such a partnership is vital. Public government information protec- it will be up to Congress to get the number down to 5,500 by the end of this year. The drawdown means too ment intelligence agencies, as evi- companies need information from tions similar to those that the pres- job done. That is the sort of thing denced by the fact that Yahoo, the government to adequately pro- ident proposed to Congress. An that really makes me fear for on- many things for Afghanistan. For Afghanistan, it means decline in inter- Facebook and Google did not send tect themselves, as people active- executive order would probably be line safety. national aid both civil and military. It also means the US out from here and get involved in Syria, Iraq and the entire Arab peninsula to protect Israel a state in which the US has huge stakes. The US at no cost would tolerate to see Israel being encircled by Daesh though Daesh has by this day not dared to wage verbal war on Israel let alone carrying out at- tacks. Sensing this change in international mood, Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, called on Obama to re-examine troop commitments. Ghani s plea needs attention by international key players as Afghanistan is an unac- complished mission yet, which cannot be left at this stage. Currently, it is not in a state of paralysis, but not fully healthy as well. Many policymak- Land mafia ers in the United States are cognizant about it but given that situation become worse in the Arab Peninsula, America may keep Afghanistan on backburner. Should this happen and it will be a disastrous day for the peo- ple of Afghanistan who have long been suffering from the war and grind- ing poverty. They have sustained unprecedented miseries in a dream that one day their homeland will be terror-free. If this longing of the people doesn t meet reality, it would be meant that the US not only betrayed Kabul but slaughtered millions of Afghans just for its own political de- signs under the façade of human rights, reconstruction, democracy, and education. Subscription Rates Categories Fee 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. This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com. The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only. This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.