A publication of Afghanistan watch Number 16, July 31, 2010 launching a commission for investigating Sixteenth Note from the UN Blacklist and release of the Taliban‐linked prisoners are considerable the foreign contracts are other Dear readers Salaam, The analysis of this measures by the government of developments on fighting corruption. volume of TRUTH, Haqiqat biweekly Afghanistan to push ahead the peace Election Transparency: Excluding names magazine is an article entitled 'what initiative. These efforts have not been of some candidates from the final list of framework for the Peace talks?' written by preceded by satisfaction of the Taliban, parliamentary election, due to violation of but instead the insurgents have Mr. Ali Amiri. As a political scholar and election regulations or having links with intensified their deadly attacks. Many of university lecturer, Amiri has put under the illegal armed groups is a significant the critics of this policy have severely consideration the availability/absence of a measure by the Independent Election peace framework for talks with the objected the unilateral moves by the government of Afghanistan. Commission (IEC). The IEC says it is well insurgent groups, discussing on how engage prepared for leading the election as the in the talks with an effective peace plan. Corruption: In Kabul Conference, the security agencies are confident of In this issue, there are 66 news articles international community agreed to providing security of the ballot stations. and analysis selected from different print channel 50 of the international aids Removal of names of the candidates by through the government of Afghanistan, media in Afghanistan, of which 32 are the IEC met criticisms from the excluded conditioning that the government should about reconciliation with the armed candidates. Providing security, as the take effective measures on capacity‐ opposition groups, 16 news articles about main challenge to the forthcoming building and fighting corruption. But the the corruption, 15 on elections election, has been attentively debated by critics blame the government of transparency and 3 articles on transitional the print media of Afghanistan. Afghanistan that over its failures towards justice. The recondition program is still at its commitments. They believe that Transitional Justice: As before, the print the top of the news published by the print Afghan government would not be able to media of Afghanistan has paid the least media. effectively fight the widespread attention to the transitional justice. There Reconciliation with the insurgent groups: corruption. Establishing a special court for are only three news articles on Excluding names of some Taliban leaders indicting high‐ranking officials and administering Transitional Justice. What Framework for the اﻃﻼﻋﻴﻪ Subscription In order to ensure durability of the publication of Peace Talks? TRUTH Magazine, Afghanistan Watch has decided Since the peace efforts implemented so far, such as activities of to distribute the magazine to its subscribers. Your the Peace Commission, has not been pursued through a peace subscription to the Haqiqat biweekly guarantees framework, it has not produced any results. So far, the efforts for the continuance of the publication of the magazine. peace have been carried out through traditional frameworks such as nationalism, patriotism and ethnic honor. Page 18 Subscription Fee of the TRUTH Newsletter (Per Year): For individuals and national organizations: 15000 AFs or $ 300 For foreign organizations: 30000 AFs or $ 600 For subscription, please contact this Email Address: [email protected] The Truth is a bi‐weekly publication of the Afghanistan Watch supported by the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ). It is intended to provide a snapshot of how the Afghan media debate and approach these key issues facing the country: transitional justice, corruption, elections transparency and negotiations with the armed insurgents. PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/93b581/ If you wish to subscribe please send an email to [email protected] or visit our website: www.watchafghanistan.org Inside This Issue Transitional Justice Elections Transparency Reintegration Program not Feasible 3 Badakhshan Residents Protest on Exclusion of Candidates 11 The Justice should be Thoroughly Administered 3 IEC Announces the Final List of Candidates 11 Kabul Conference and Mistakes of the West in Afghanistan 3 Independent Election Commission: Government Facilities Negotiation with armed opposition Groups used in Election 11 UN Blacklist and the Contradictory Policies of US and Afghanistan 4 10,000 NATO Troops to Contribute in Securing the Election 11 Karzai Demands Removing Names of 50 Top Militants from A Glimpse on Hidden Election Irregularities in Kabul City 11 the UN Blacklist 4 Sar‐e Pul Candidates Concerned on Election 12 Finally Two‐way Road for Terrorism 4 Candidates Violate Election Rules 12 Government, Taliban and the Dangerous Game of Betrayal to ECC Receives Over 260 Complaints in 1 Month of the Pashtoons 4 Campaigns 12 28 Taliban Prisoners Released Ghazni Candidates Worried over Transparency of the Election 12 Kabul Denies Proposing Exclusion of 50 Top Militants from 115,000 Election Personnel Receive Professional Trainings 12 UN Blacklist 5 The Challenges Ahead of the Parliamentary Election 13 List of Taliban Leaders Presented to UNSC 5 The Final List of Election Candidates Announced: 2150 males Women’s Place in Talks with Taliban 5 and 406 females 13 Compiling another Blacklist by Taliban 5 Security for the Candidates, the Main Requisite of a Fair Election 13 UN Blacklist and the Grounds for Peace 5 Qualified Voters: 13 million Issued Voter Cards: 17.6 million 13 The Reconciliation Program Won’t Bring Peace and Security 6 Media Commission of the IEC: The Candidates not Allowed to Afghans themselves should Lead the Peace Talks 6 Run Televised Programs 13 Kabul Conference Supports Democracy, Defies Taliban 6 Corruption Kabul Conference and Shift of Strategy on Fighting Terrorism 6 Afghan Government to Demand Control of $13bn Foreign Aids 14 Afghan Women Rights not to be Victimized in Peace Talks 7 Finance ministry spokesman: Concrete Plans for Fighting Haqqani Network: Deserve Sanctions or Penalty? 7 Corruption 14 BBC Adjusts its Reports with Statements of the Insurgents 7 Special Court Law Approved 14 Reconciliation with Taliban, an Ambitious Goal of the Gov’t 7 All are Involved in the Devil Circle of Corruption 14 Collapse of Barg‐e‐Matal, a Response to the Reconciliation Program 7 Heading to Kabul Conference, the Intl Community Has no A Taliban Commander and His Men Join Peace Process 8 Trust on Afghan Govt 15 Dozens of Prisoners Released due to Insufficient Evidences 8 Another Falsification at the Eve of Kabul Conference 15 The Govt. Obliged to Compensate the Blameless Prisoners 8 The Law for Access to Information should be Enacted Soon 15 Releasing the Prisoners: by Law or Order of the Commission 8 The Ambitious Goals of Afghan Govt. in Kabul Conference 15 Who will be Removed from the Blacklist, the Repentant Abuse of US Aid by Americans 15 Militants or Karzai’s Allies? 8 What were the Expectations from Kabul Conference? 16 Germany: Exclusion of Taliban Names from the UN Blacklist Kabul Conference Proved World Backing Afghanistan 16 helpful 9 A Commission Set up for Monitoring Foreign Aids Getting Out 16 Karzai’s Advisor: Peace Efforts are Ineffectual 9 Washington‐Kabul Relation Still Tense 16 Five Militants Including a Commander Join Peace Program 9 British Ambassador: There are Conditions for Delivering Aids 17 Taliban Killing for More Concessions 9 Helplessness of Int’l Community in Kabul Conference 17 The Questions urrounding Kabul Conference 10 Kabul Conference and Unabated Concerns on Corruption 17 Contradictory Policies of the Coalition towards Peace Talks 10 Articles & Interviews 18 Circumstances of the Peace Talks with Taliban 10 What Framework for the Peace Talks? Peace Supreme Council to be Established 10 New Publications 20 PURL: https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/93b581/ No 16, July 31, 2010 Transitional Justice Reintegration Program not Feasible community is heading to a wrong direction. The most important mistake of the international community in Afghanistan is their Mandegar Daily, Volume No 376, July 22, 2010, Page 6 negligence towards supporting justice and indicting the war A member of Wolesi Jirga, Lower House of the Parliament, criminals. The foreign countries in Afghanistan cannot turn the Ahamd Behzad said, “As everyone knows the Taliban as a situation until the warlords and the offenders are enjoying terrorist armed group is murdering the people of Afghanistan. impunity, holding positions in the government by their military Therefore, I don’t think it would be logical to give the group the power and social influence. opportunity to join the government.” Today, the top government posts of Afghanistan are distributed Mr. Behzad called the “Reintegration Program” as contradictory, among the warlords, drug cartels and private firms. As they adding that, “How it is possible to include the militants in the control all the development projects of the country, the fate of government an to make reconciliation with those terrorists who are the reconstruction process of the country is definitely doomed being prosecuted by international organizations, as they are killing to failure. dozens of innocent people in each of their terror acts.” In this circumstance, it is impossible