The Road to Bamiyan: A Public Works Debacle that Defines Afghanistan --- Three times a week, weather permitting, an old Antonov operated by the East Horizon Airlines struggles into the air above Kabul. With a little luck, the aircraft lands 30 minutes later on the dirt runway in the provincial capital Bamiyan. The Russian-made plane is slightly rusty on the outside, well-worn inside and, at 50 years old, is not allowed to fly fully loaded. Otherwise, it is unable to clear the Hindu Kush range, which almost surrounds Kabul like a gigantic wall. -- Those who chose not to fly to Bamiyan can drive there. North of Kabul begins a road leading through the Ghorband district, a region that became infamous in 2012 after a video showing a mob stoning a young woman went viral. In many places, the road is in terrible shape, full of deep potholes and unpaved. Recent years have seen several Taliban assaults along the arterial, in addition to attacks by thieves and kidnappers. -- The third route to Bamiyan is a road that begins in Maidan Shahr, a town located 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Kabul. The new project, paid for with money from the West, is still under construction. But one day, the plan foresees cars zooming across a smooth asphalt surface at 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) or more, past traders and daytrip destinations. Once the road is completed, the entire trip from Kabul to Bamiyan by car would take a mere three hours. -- The street doesn't have an opulent name and, if it is ever finished, will be a mere 136 kilometers long -- just a small strip of asphalt in the enormous country of Afghanistan. It leads through Wardak Province, a sparsely settled, dusty region, before crossing the Koh-i-Baba Mountains over 3,700 meter (12,140 foot) Hajigak Pass. From there, the two-lane road descends into Bamiyan Valley, one of the poorest regions in poverty-stricken Afghanistan. For all its modesty, however, the project tells the tale of Afghanistan's recent history: its hopes, its hardships, its madness and its failures. From its shoulders, one has a view of the last few years and the immense attempt to rebuild the country. -- In December, after 13 years, the international intervention in Afghanistan -- once comprised of 40 countries and as many as 140,000 troops -- is coming to an end. For a time, fully 26 United Nations organizations were operating in the country with foreign governments and private agencies pumping in billions of dollars. And millions were earmarked for the road to Bamiyan. - Read More, Der Spiegel, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/afghanistan-road-project-tells-story-of-taliban-violence-and-failure-a-994569.html

بی بی سی - موافقتنامه‌ امنیتی میان افغانستان و آمریکا و ناتو امضا شد --- دولت افغانستان دو موافقتنامه مهم امنیتی را با سفیر آمریکا در کابل و نماینده ویژه ناتو در افغانستان امضا کرد. این سند روند حضور نظامی ناتو و آمریکا را پس از سال ۲۰۱۴ در افغانستان مشخص می‌کند. -- این موافقتنامه امنیتی میان افغانستان و آمریکا با حضور اشرف غنی احمدزی، رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان، عبدالله عبدالله رئیس اجرائی، شماری از رهبران جهادی و مقامات دولتی افغانستان؛ میان محمد حنیف اتمر، مشاور امنیت ملی رئیس جمهوری افغانستان که دیشب به این پست گماشته شد و جیمز کانینگهام سفیر آمریکا در کابل امضاء شد. -- موافقت نامه امنیتی میان کابل و ناتو نیز توسط آقای اتمر و موریس یوخمس نماینده ویژه غیر نظامی ناتو در افغانستان امضا شد. -- حامد کرزی رئیس جمهوری سابق افغانستان در این مراسم حضور نداشت. -- در این مراسم اشرف غنی احمدزی گفت که امروز روزی است که افغانستان حاکمیت ملی خود را به صورت اساسی به دست می‌آورد. -- به گفته او قبل از این استفاده از نیروی نظامی در خاک افغانستان براساس فیصله سازمان ملل در سال ۲۰۰۱صورت می‌گرفت و امروز افغانستان شاهد مساوات دولت این کشور با دولتهای همکارخود در دنیا است که به صورت یک دولت مستقل براساس برداشت منافع ملی خود قراردادی را برای ثبات، خیر و رفاه مردم خود و برای ثبات و خیر دنیا امضا می‌کند. -- آقای احمدزی گفت که براساس این قرار داد کمک‌های بین‌المللی برای تقویت نهادهای امنیتی افغان مصرف شده و حق استعمال نیروی نظامی بر اساس فیصله حکومت افغانستان خواهد بود. -- او گفت که کمک‌های بین‌المللی بعد از این تا حد ممکن از طریق بودجه افغانستان صورت می‌گیرد؛ البته در صورتیکه که افغانستان اصلاحات بینادی را در مصرف عملی بودجه و شفافیت را که مردم از روند مصرف بودجه می‌خواهد، عملی کند. -- ه گفته رئیس جمهور جدید افغانستان فضای این کشور بعد از این تحت کنترل حکومت افغانستان خواهد بود و هر کس به افغانستان واردمی‌شود براساس نظام قبول شده بین المللی ویزا خواهد بود و قراردادهای بین‌المللی تحت قوانین مشخص انجام خواهد شد. -- او گفت که نیروهای بین‌المللی به هیچ یک از مکان‌های مقدس افغانستان مثل مساجد، داخل شده نمی‌تواند. حریم زندگی افغانها طبق ارزشهای قانون اساسی محفوظ و قراردادی‌های افغان که از طرف قراردادی های بین المللی قرار داد می‌گیرند حقوق مشخص و واضح خواهند داشت. -- آقای احمدزی گفت که افغانستان نقطه اساسی و محور توجه دنیا است و خطرهای مشترک هنوز منافع ملی افغانستان و جهان را تهدید می‌کند و منافع مشترک ایجاب مبارزه مشترک در مقابل خطرها را می‌نماید. -- او تاکیدکرد که در اجلاس شیکاگو برای تقویت نیروهای امنیتی افغانستان ۱۶ میلیارد دلار برای چهار سال در نظر گرفته شده که افغانستان از این کمک برای تجهیز، آموزش و تمرین ارتش ملی افغانستان مصرف خواهد کرد. -- رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان گفت که افغانستان به سمت نهاد سازی می رود و ساختن نهادهای درجه اول امنیتی خواست مردم این کشوراست. -- او در پایان تاکید کرد که هیج خطری از این قرار داد برای همسایه‌های افغانستان متصور نیست و هیج همسایه افغانستان باید خود را با امضا این قرارداد در خطر نبیند، زیرا این قرار داد صرفا برای دفاع و رفاه افغانستان است. -- آقای احمدزی تاکید کرد که هیچ گونه سلاح هسته‌ای براساس این قرارداد در افغانستان مستقر یا مورد استفاده قرار نخواهد گرفت. ولی در صورتیکه این خاک با خطر مواجه شود که همپیمانان افغانستان که ناتو و آمریکا باشد با هم اقدام خواهد‌کرد. --- عبدالله عبدالله رئیس اجرائی حکومت جدید افغانستان نیز در این مراسم گفت که خوشحال است که افغانستان یک قدم فراتر در قسمت قانونمند شدن، حضور نیروهای آمریکا و نیروهای ناتو با امضا این موافقت نامه برداشته است. --- جیمز کانینگهام سفیر آمریکا در کابل نیز امضا این موافقتنامه را تقویت دوامدار روابط میان افغانستان و آمریکا دانست و گفت که برای تدوین آن کار زیادی صورت گرفته است. -- او گفت که آمریکا به روابط خود با افغانها و افغانستان ارزش قایل است و علاقه مند کار با رئیس جمهور جدید و رئیس اجرائی این کشور است. -- سفیر آمریکا افزود که این موافقت نامه زمینه کمک آمریکا به نیروهای امنیتی افغانستان را نشان می‌دهد و بینادی را فراهم خواهد کرد که افغانستان به پیشرفت چشم گیر خود ادامه بدهد. -- او گفت که پیشرفتهای زیادی انجام شده و آمریکا برای ادامه همکاری با مردم افغانستان متعهداست. --- آقای کرزی گفته بود، در صورتیکه موافقتنامه امنیتی با آمریکا منجر به آمدن صلح به کشورش نشود و در صورتیکه "حمله بر خانه‌های" افغانها را متوقف نکند، موافقتنامه امنیتی با آمریکا را امضا نخواهد کرد. وی خواستار مذاکرات صلح با طالبان بود. - Read More, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/09/140930_k05_bsa_singed_between_nato_usa

New Government Signs BSA and SOFA, --- More, TOLOnews 6 pm News 30 September 2014/ طلوع‌‌نیوز ۰۸ میزان ۱۳۹۳ -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_e5BXNflwk

Afghanistan and U.S. Sign Bilateral Security Agreement --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Nearly a year after a long-term deal to keep American troops in Afghanistan was suddenly derailed amid worsening relations, Afghanistan and the United States signed the security pact on Tuesday. -- The agreement allows 9,800 American and about 2,000 NATO troops to remain in Afghanistan after the international combat mission formally ends on Dec. 31. Their role will be to train and support Afghan security forces, but the pact also allows for American Special Operations forces to conduct counterterrorism missions in the country. -- The signing, in a televised ceremony at the presidential palace, fulfilled a campaign promise by the new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, who was inaugurated just a day before. As Mr. Ghani watched, Ambassador James B. Cunningham signed for the United States, and the new Afghan national security adviser, Hanif Atmar, signed for Afghanistan. --- In his inauguration speech on Monday, Mr. Ghani called for the healing of that relationship, and for a new era of cooperation. On Tuesday, however, he was more focused on the Afghan interest, emphasizing that the agreement had been signed “in accordance with our national interests,” and that it would open the doors for a continuation of civilian and military aid to his hist government. -- Pointedly noting that Western donors had promised Afghanistan $16 billion in economic aid, he said that Afghanistan and the West had “shared dangers and shared interests.” -- But he also addressed lingering Afghan sovereignty concerns, stressing that international forces would not be allowed to raid mosques or other sacred sites; foreign contractors would be subject to strict government regulation; and that both countries have the right to withdraw from the pact in two years. --- American officials, for their part, appeared simply relieved that an episode that had stirred much rancor — and multiple diplomatic interventions by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry — had finally come to an end. -- After signing the pact in Kabul, Mr. Cunningham smiled and firmly embraced Mr. Atmar. Speaking later, he called it a historic agreement, and said that the endorsement of Afghan tribal leaders, who met to approve the pact last December, showed that “the people of Afghanistan placed a great stake in our enduring partnership.” -- In Washington, Mr. Obama hailed the agreement and said the United States was committed to supporting Afghanistan. -- “The B.S.A. reflects our continued commitment to support the new Afghan Unity Government, and we look forward to working with this new government to cement an enduring partnership that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability, unity, and prosperity, and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating Al Qaeda and its extremist affiliates,” he said in a statement released by the White House. - Read More, DECLAN WALSH, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/world/asia/afghanistan-and-us-sign-bilateral-security-agreement.html?ref=world&_r=0

U.S. signs pact to keep troops in Afghanistan past 2014 --- (Reuters) - Officials from Afghanistan and the United States on Tuesday signed a long-delayed security agreement to allow American troops to stay in the country after the end of the year, filling a campaign promise by new President Ashraf Ghani. -- National security adviser Hanif Atmar and U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham signed the bilateral security agreement in a televised ceremony at the presidential palace, one day after Ghani was inaugurated. -- "As an independent country ... we signed this agreement for stability, goodwill, and prosperity of the our people, stability of the region and the world," Ghani said in a speech after the signing. -- Ghani's predecessor, Hamid Karzai, had long refused to agree to the deal, souring his ties with the United States. Karzai cited his anger over civilian deaths and his belief that the war was not fought in the interests of his country. -- Cunningham said the pact showed the United States remained committed to Afghanistan, where foreign forces have helped provide security since the 2001 toppling of the radical Islamist Taliban government over its sheltering of planners of the Sept. 11 attacks. -- "It is a choice by the United States to continue cooperating with our Afghan partners on two important security missions: training and equipping Afghan forces and supporting cooperation against terrorism," Cunningham said. -- Minutes after the security pact was signed, a similar agreement with NATO was ratified to allow the alliance's European members to contribute to a residual foreign force. -- Ghani said in his speech that the agreement did not compromise Afghanistan's sovereignty and that either side has the right to withdraw from the pact within two years. -- "The right to use force will be based on decisions by the Afghan government," Ghani said. "Our air space will be under our own control. International forces will not be able to enter mosques or other holy sites." ---- 'SINISTER GOALS' -- Under the agreement, 12,000 foreign military personnel are expected to stay after 2014, when the combat mission of Afghanistan's U.S.-led NATO force ends. -- The force is expected to be made up of 9,800 U.S. troops with the rest from other NATO members. They will train and assist Afghan security forces in the war against the Taliban and its radical Islamist allies. -- The U.S. has the right to keep bases in Afghanistan as long as the security pact is in force, and in return it promises to raise funds to train and equip the Afghan security forces, which now number 350,000. -- Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/30/us-afghanistan-usa-idUSKCN0HP0J620140930

President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan Is Sworn In, Even as He Shares the Stage --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Ashraf Ghani was inaugurated as president of Afghanistan on Monday, punctuating a season of grave political crisis with a peaceful transition of power that stood as a rarity in a country marked by four decades of war. -- To the relief of the international community, Mr. Ghani’s first appearance as president was full of reassuring touchstones. -- He quickly appointed his rival in the bitterly contested runoff election, Abdullah Abdullah, as the government’s chief executive officer, and shared the inaugural stage with him. It was a signal that Mr. Abdullah was to have a real role in their power-sharing government, which American officials had midwifed through months of acrimonious negotiations. --- Mr. Ghani also declared a halt to the degeneration of relations with the United States under the departing president, Hamid Karzai, who refused to sign a long-term deal to keep American troops in Afghanistan and in his last days in office publicly blamed his allies for the country’s predicament. -- “Now it’s time that we enter a new era of our relationship with the United States, Europe and other countries of the world,” Mr. Ghani said. His aides said his government would sign the troop agreement with the United States on Tuesday, and then a similar agreement with NATO on the same day. -- Seeking to strike a note of social change, Mr. Ghani announced that his wife, Rula, whom he met while both were students at the American University of Beirut, would have a public role as well — another rarity in a country where women are frequently sequestered. -- “My wife worked a lot on behalf of refugees and will continue working for them,” Mr. Ghani said. “Women and youth will have a wide participation in my government.” -- Many watching his first presidential speech were struck by another departure: his willingness to adopt a tone of humility and accessibility at odds with a long-held reputation for arrogance and aloofness. -- “I am your leader, but I am not better than you,” he said, echoing remarks attributed to Islam’s first caliph, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. “So if I make any mistake you should hold me accountable for it.” -- His professorial and sometimes preachy style at the time left Afghan voters cold, and he worked hard at changing his image during the 2014 campaign, adopting a more populist approach in his speeches. -- Known for a short temper, Mr. Ghani stayed so notably calm throughout the campaign that a joke circulated that he had been taking anger-management counseling. Mr. Abdullah, usually billed as the smoother politician, ended up seeming more mercurial than Mr. Ghani did. --- Known for a short temper, Mr. Ghani stayed so notably calm throughout the campaign that a joke circulated that he had been taking anger-management counseling. Mr. Abdullah, usually billed as the smoother politician, ended up seeming more mercurial than Mr. Ghani did. -- “Isn’t that ironic?” Mr. Ghani said after the first round of the election, on April 6. “If the campaign has shown anything, it’s that my alleged reputation is manufactured. All the campaign events, all the TV interviews, all the debates — can anyone count a single instance of anger or display of emotion, negative emotion, or false pride?” --- Despite the concerns around the six-month election wrangle, the transfer of power by Mr. Karzai, who was Afghanistan’s president for nearly 13 years, was in the end orderly, and Mr. Karzai said he was fulfilling his often-stated ambition of handing over power democratically and peacefully. -- “I’m very grateful to God to give me the power to hand over the power to the new president today,” he said at the inauguration. Officials said that immediately after the ceremony, he moved into a private house near the palace, but outside its walls. -- “I’m very grateful to God to give me the power to hand over the power to the new president today,” he said at the inauguration. Officials said that immediately after the ceremony, he moved into a private house near the palace, but outside its walls. -- Although two contested and turbulent presidential elections in a row have prompted questions about the outlook for Afghan democracy, the departing American ambassador, James B. Cunningham, defended the result after months of turmoil. -- “It is a democratic transfer,” Mr. Cunningham said. “Absolutely it’s a democratic transfer — in that millions of Afghans voted, millions of those votes were validated through the audit process, a significant proportion of fraud was discovered in the audit, and those votes were invalidated. And there is a result, which is a lawful, constitutional result.” - Read More, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/international-home/ashraf-ghani-sworn-in-as-afghan-president.html?_r=0

گزارش تصویری؛ - حضور رئیس جمهور اشرف غنی احمدزی در محل کار --- اشرف غنی احمدزی رئیس جمهور جدید کشورمان بعدازظهر روز دوشنبه 8 میزان پس از مراسم تحلیف با دعوت حامد کرزی رئیس جمهور سابق کشورمان در محل کار حضور یافت. - More, AfghanIrca News Agency - http://afghanirca.com/newsIn.php?id=22467

Afghanistan to sign U.S. security agreement on Tuesday --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan will on Tuesday sign a crucial security agreement allowing the United States to leave a small contingent of troops in the country beyond this year, U.S. officials said. -- U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said on Monday that Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani would send a representative to sign the agreement the next morning at the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul. -- Cunningham said he would sign on behalf of the United States and protocol allows Ghani to sign the document only with another head of state. -- The story corrects to show Ghani representative, not Ghani, will sign agreement.) - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/29/us-afghanistan-bsa-idUSKCN0HO14H20140929

نخستین تعیینات در نخستین روز کاری احمدزی --- اشرف غنی احمدزی، رئیس جمهور جدید افغانستان پس از ادای تحلیف و در نخستین روز کاری اش، تغییراتی را در پست های کلیدی حکومت وارد کرد. به همین سلسله حنیف اتمر، وزیر پیشین داخلۀ افغانستان به عنوان مشاور امنیت ملی حکومت جدید افغانستان گماشته شد. -- صادق مدبر، رئیس پیشین ادارۀ امور ضمن تائید این خبر به رادیو آشنا گفت که ریاست دفتر ریاست جمهوری و ادارۀ امور شورای وزیران نیز با هم مدغم شد -- آقای مدبر همچنان افزود که ریاست دفتر رئیس جمهور که قبلاً به عنوان یک ادارۀ بودجوی مستقل بود، به ادارۀ امور مدغم شد. او افزود که آقای عبدالاسلام رحیمی، به حیث رئیس عمومی ادارۀ امور دارالانشای شورای وزیران تعین شد. -- آقای اتمر در حالی به صفت مشاور امنیت ملی حکومت جدید افغانستان گماشته می شود که یک مشاور ارشد باراک اوباما رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده گفت که توافقنامۀ امنیتی میان کابل و واشنگتن، روز سه شنبه امضا خواهد شد. -- جان پودستا، روز دو شنبه در یک کنفرانس خبری در سفارت ایالات متحده در کابل گفت شخص وی به نمایندگی از حکومت ایالات متحده این سند را امضا خواهد کرد. -- آقای پودستا گفت: "بسیار زیاد دیده به راه امضای توافقنامۀ امنیتی دو جانبه با افغانستان استیم، این یک گام مهم در راستای تقویت مشارکت استراتیژیک میان دو کشور است. ایالات متحده به موجودیت افغانستانی متعهد است که با ثبات، دارای حاکمیت ملی و متحد بوده و خود مسوولیت امنیت خود را داشته باشد." -- آقای پودستا گفت که توافقنامۀ امنیتی دو جانبه چارچوب حقوقی را برای ایالات متحده فراهم می کند تا به آموزش، مشاورت و معاونت نیرو های امنیتی افغان ادامه بدهد، تا باشد که به گفتۀ وی دهشت افگنان هرگز از افغانستان برای انجام حملات بر ضد ایالات متحده و متحدین آن استفاده نکنند. -- تا اکنون مشخص نشده است که آیا آقای احمدزی خود این سند را امضا خواهد کرد یا اینکه کدام مقام دیگر حکومت خود را برای امضای آن توظیف خواهد کرد. با اینحال مقامات امریکایی گفته اند که در توافقنامۀ امنیتی کدام تغییری وارد نشده و روی همان متن پیشین کار شده است -- رئیس پیشین ادارۀ امور می گوید که تا زمان اعلام کابینۀ جدید آقای احمدزی، وزرای کابینۀ پیشین به عنوان سرپرست امور وزارت خانه ها را به پیش خواهند برد. --- رئیس جمهور جدید افغانستان گفته است که با شفافیت و دقت کامل از وزرای کابینۀ حکومت پیشین افغانستان حساب خواهد گرفت. آقای مدبر می گوید که رئیس جمهور کرزی ماه ها پیش به کابینۀ خود دستور تهیۀ گزارش کارکرد ۱۲ سالۀ حکومت و اینگونه حسابدهی را داده بود. -- صدای امریکا - http://www.darivoa.com/content/ashraf-ghani-ahmadzai-new-assignment/2466670.html

د هیواد پخواني ولسمشر جلالتمآب حامد کرزي، ولسمشر ډاکټر اشرف غني ته د یو لړ ځانګړو مراسمو په ترڅ کې خپل کاري دفتر وسپاره More, facebook, https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152491317333292

Ashraf Ghani inaugurated: Is Afghanistan ready for a high-profile first lady? --- Rula Ghani was lauded by her husband as he took the stage to be sworn in as Afghanistan's president. Does this mean that the era of "invisible first ladies" is over? --- Rula Ghani, the wife of Dr Ashraf Ghani, was praised from the podium during Monday's inauguration ceremony, in comments which were seized upon on social media. -- "Dr Ghani thanks his wife Bibi Gul (Rula) for her support. For me one of the best part of his speech," said Shafic Gawhari, the Afghan CEO of media empire Moby. -- Mujib Mashal, an Afghan journalist, tweeted: "Another big step in president @ashrafghani's speech was taking the time to thank his wife Rula, by her adopted afghan name Bibi Gul." --- While Harun Najafizada, the bureau chief for BBC's Persian service in Afghanistan, said: "Rare moment! Love for wife: Ghani gets emotional when recalls his wife Bibi Gul's support! Afghan men have to learn from it." -- The mention of Mrs Ghani gave rise to hopes that Afghanistan could finally have a woman playing a leading part in the country's social and political fabric. -- She is thought to be planning to work with women and young people, although how that will be carried out is unclear. - Read More, Harriet Alexander, Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/11127936/Ashraf-Ghani-inaugurated-Is-Afghanistan-ready-for-a-high-profile-first-lady.html

Afghan Voters Choose a Better Future --- If there is one person in the world most suited to govern the turbulent land of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani would be, by knowledge, temperament and sense of democratic justice, that person. Lo and behold, he was just elected president of Afghanistan! -- Ashraf Ghani is a former professor of anthropology at Johns Hopkins University, as well as a former official at the World Bank and the UN, where he advised government and civic leaders on the creation of the Bonn Agreement, which was the basis of the re-establishment of the Government of Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion. He participated in innumerable ground-based assignments regarding economic development in China, India and Russia. He understands global diplomacy and the nuances of Afghanistan. According to the 2013 World Thinkers poll by Prospect magazine, he was rated the number two public intellectual in the world for his writings, studies, and convening skills. -- Ghani was born in Afghanistan in 1949, a son of its largest ethnic group, the Pashtun. After living and teaching in the United States, he ran the Loya Jirga -- the grand council of elders -- that established the Afghan Interim Authority in 2001. In 2002 became a chief advisor to President Hamid Karzai, then became his Finance Minister, and then later Chancellor of Kabul University. In each position he made his mark, including becoming the first public official to disclose his assets. -- As Chancellor of Kabul University, Ashraf Ghani initiated participatory democratic procedures for faculty, students and employees. Proving to be a meticulous scholar and observer, Ghani then started the Institute for State Effectiveness which developed ten yardstick functions that a state should fulfill in service to the people. Ever the innovator and connector, Ghani, and his colleagues, developed an annual sovereignty index to measure the effectiveness of government for the people and their mutual relationship with international agencies. -- Along the way, Ghani received numerous awards including being named the best Finance Minister in Asia for 2003 by Emerging Markets magazine. When power so often succumbs to enrichments and inflated egos, Ghani is a man who resists temptation. He has a cheerful disposition, a problem-solving personality, a belief in effective communication, and practical solutions and possibilities for Afghans based on where they live, work and raise their families. -- Asked recently why he was seeking the presidency amidst the violent turmoil and poverty of his historically invaded country, Ghani replied "Because it is such a difficult task." -- I've known Ashraf Ghani and his family since his teaching days at Johns Hopkins. I knew of his wide-ranging interests and ability to see through propaganda and verbal pomposity. As a comprehensive, functional progressive, he is not strapped to any prejudging ideology. During our visit to California in 2012, he spoke of traveling to scores of Afghan villages to sense their expectations, their rhythms and their responsiveness to practical engagements to develop community economies, health care and education. His experience in the creation of the National Solidarity Program, which provided block grants to villages for plans devised and implemented by village councils, helped him in his visits to various Afghan villages. Today, that little-noticed program covers over half of Afghanistan's 21,000 villages. -- When he becomes president on September 29, President-elect Ghani will inherit a state besieged by an expanding Taliban insurgency, a contentious prime minister (Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the candidate who came in second), conflicting tribal interests, an uncertain army and police force, U.S. and allied soldiers everywhere, a narco-economy where growing poppies is 20 times more lucrative than growing wheat, criminal gangs stealing and corrupting, and a widespread popular belief that conflict will strike down any rise of unity and solidarity. -- I believe Ashraf Ghani understands that if he refuses to bend under these circumstances, he will break. He is going to have to adapt to politically challenging situations and harsh choices while weaving the unity and solidarity that he is so capable of creating, given time and the opportunity. -- He has stated on numerous occasions that the answer to terrorism is justice. How he moves that redirection of the Afghan nation while the ground erupts all around him will take more than the combined skills of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. -- The Afghan population is an asset because the people are ready for government officials with honesty, smarts and the ability to get results. They want exactly what Ashraf Ghani can deliver for them: basic necessities, public works and stability for their families and communities in as self-reliant a manner as possible. -- The editorial in the August 15, 2014 issue of Science magazine noted a potentially positive national asset for Ghani: "the hyperspectral survey of Afghanistan by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2007... quantified 24 world-class mineral deposits (including iron, cobalt, gold, copper, and rare earth elements), positioning Afghanistan to become a major supplier of minerals..." -- No one knows better about the worker or the distributional, environmental, and contractual protections needed before such minerals are subjected to extraction than this practical, inclusive renaissance man with an inherent personal touch, who is about to lead this war-ravaged country. -- No one knows better about the worker or the distributional, environmental, and contractual protections needed before such minerals are subjected to extraction than this practical, inclusive renaissance man with an inherent personal touch, who is about to lead this war-ravaged country. - More, Ralph Nader, Consumer advocate, lawyer and author, Huffingtonpost

Afghanistan's New Government Set to Sign BSA on Tuesday | Military.com

Afghanistan's New Government Set to Sign BSA on Tuesday | Military.com

Afghanistan swears in new president, first democratic transfer of power since 2001 invasion --- KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was sworn in Monday as Afghanistan's new president, replacing Hamid Karzai in the country's first democratic transfer of power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban. -- Moments after Ghani Ahmadzai took the oath, he swore in his election challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, as chief executive, fulfilling a political pledge he had taken to share power and defuse election tensions that had threatened to spark violence between the country's north and south. -- In his first speech, Ghani Ahmadzai called on the Taliban and other militants to join the country's political process and lay down their weapons. However, extremist violence Monday killed at least 12 civilians and police officers as foreign forces prepare to withdraw from the country at the end of the year. -- "We are tired of war," Ghani Ahmadzai said in a televised address. "Our message is peace, (but) this doesn't mean we are weak." --- Abdullah, a former foreign minister, spoke first and thanked Karzai for his service and the people of the country for casting votes in the millions despite the threat of attack from Taliban militants who tried to thwart the election process. -- "We are committed as one in the national unity government," Abdullah said. "Our commitment will be fulfilled together as unified team to create national unity." --- Ghani Ahmadzai then congratulated Karzai for a peaceful and democratic transition of power, and he thanked Abdullah for making the national unity government possible. The new president also promised to confront the country's endemic corruption. -- "We want to be held accountable. I am your leader but I am no better than you. If I make mistakes, you should hold me accountable," Ghani Ahmadzai said. --- Karzai - the only president Afghanistan and the West have known since the invasion - wore a wide smile as he greeted his presidential guards upon entering the palace. Karzai has said he is glad to be stepping down after more than a decade of what the U.S. ambassador recently said was one of the most difficult jobs in the world. -- Read More, Associated Press

Ashraf Ghani sworn in as new Afghan president --- Ashraf Ghani has been sworn in as Afghanistan's president in a ceremony at the presidential palace in Kabul. --- In his long first speech after being sworn in as the new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani promised reform, development, an end to poverty, measures against corruption, and a clean-up of the judiciary. --- In his first speech as president, Mr Ghani said he would work for long-term peace, promised to tackle corruption and said constitutional changes were needed. - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29375438

حامد کرزي نوي ولسمشر اشرف غني ته وسپاره --- ډاکتر اشرف غني احمدزي دافغانستان دنوي ولشمر په توګه لوړه وکړه، وروسته نوي ولسمشر خپلو دوو مرستیالانو جنرال عبدالرشید دوستم او سرور دانش ته لوړې ورکړې. دلوړې تر مراسمو مخکې کرزي خبرې وکړې او ژمنه یې وکړه چې له نوي مشرتابه سره به تروسه وسه مرسته او همکاري کوي. -- په مراسمو کې دپاکستان ولسمشر او دهند مرستیال ولسمشران، دپښتونخوا ملي مشران او دیو شمېر هیوادونو وزیران برخه لري. دسترې محکمې رئيس عبدالسلام عظیمي ولسمشر غني ته په دري او ولسمشر غني خپلو مرستیالانو ته په پښتو لوړه ورکړه. -- وروسته ولسمشر اشرف غني احمدزي د جلا – جلا فرمانونو په لاسلیکولو عبدالله عبدالله د ملي یووالي دحکومت د اجرايي چارو د رئيس، انجنیر محمد خان او محمد محقق د هغه د مرستیالانو او احمد ضیا مسعود د افغانستان د ولسمشر د اداري اصلاحاتو د ځانګړي استازي په توګه وټاکل. -- دفرمان له لاسلیکولو وروسته ولسمشر غني عبدالله عبدالله او دهغه مرستیالانو ته لوړه ورکړه. -- عبدالله عبدالله وینا هم وکړه، ویې ویل چې له نن ورځې د پرون ورځې دواړه انتخاباتي ټیمونه یو ټیم دي. - تاند

President Obama: What makes us America --- In wide-ranging interview, president discusses battle against Islamic extremists, U.S.-Russia relations and the upcoming midterm elections --- Last week was a long and momentous one in the presidency of Barack Obama. On Monday, he began a bombing campaign with members of an international coalition against ISIS and other terrorist targets in Syria, while continuing airstrikes in northern Iraq. On Wednesday, he addressed the United Nations and laid out his case in the strongest terms for international action against Muslim extremists. By Thursday, his anti-ISIS coalition had grown to more than 60 members, ranging from the Saudis, Jordanians, Emiratis and Europeans who flew missions, to the Irish and Swedes who wrote checks, to the Bulgarians and Egyptians who wished us well. - Read More, CBS, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-obama-60-minutes/

اختیارات قانونی رئیس جمهوری در افغانستان --- رئیس جمهوری عالی‌ترین مقام دولتی و عامل حاکمیت ملی و اقتدار دولتی در ساختار نظام سیاسی متمرکز ریاستی افغانستان است که صلاحیت‌های خود را در عرصه‌های اجرایی، قانونگذاری و قضایی اعمال می‌کند. -- رئیس جمهوری با دو معاونش در انتخابات سراسری با آرای اکثریت مطلق برای حد اکثر دو دوره پنج ساله انتخاب می‌شوند. نامزد این مقام باید صرفاً هموطنان افغانستان، مسلمان، متولد از پدر و مادر افغان و حد اقل چهل ساله باشد و از سوی محکمه به ارتکاب جرایم ضدبشری، جنایت و محرومیت از حقوق مدنی محکوم نشده باشد. -- رئیس جمهوری رئیس کشور و نماد وحدت ملی است. او همچنین ریاست مستقیم قوه مجریه و ریاست اعلای قوه‌های مقننه و قضائیه را به عهده دارد. با این حال، رئیس جمهوری در نظام سیاسی افغانستان چه جایگاهی دارد؟ پاسخ این است که او در محور کل نظام قرار دارد. نقش و اهمیت مقام رئیس جمهوری در ساختار نظام با تفکیک صلاحیت‌های او در سه عرصه اجرایی، قانونگذاری و قضایی مشخص می‌شود. --- در عرصه اجرایی -- رئیس جمهوری رئیس نظام سیاسی و نگهبان قانون اساسی است. تعیین خطوط اساسی سیاست کشور در امور داخلی و خارجی به عهده او است. رئیس جمهوری علاوه بر ریاست «دولت»، ریاست «حکومت» یا قوه مجریه را هم به عهده دارد. همه مقامهای اجرایی در سراسر کشور و نمایندگان دیپلماتیک در بیرون کشور، نمایندگان او در محدوده کاری خود شمرده می‌شوند. -- ماده ۶۴ قانون اساسی خلاصه‌ای از صلاحیت‌های رئیس جمهوری را فهرست کرده که شامل ۲۱ مورد می‌شود؛ از جمله قومندانی تمام نیروهای مسلح، اعلام جنگ و صلح، اعلام حالت اضطرار، تشکیل و انحلال نهادهای دولتی، عزل و نصب مقامهای اجرایی. کلیه مدیران سطوح میانی و بالایی مرکز و ولایات با امضای رئیس جمهوری استخدام می‌شوند. اعمال برخی از این صلاحیت‌ها نیاز به تائید پارلمان دارد. -- منحصر شدن صلاحیت «تعیین خطوط اساسی سیاست کشور» به رئیس جمهوری، ماموران دولت را در سطح کارگزارانی تبدیل می‌کند که برنامه‌های او را اجرا می‌کنند. ادارات محلی حتی در محدوده کاری خود صلاحیت سیاست‌گذاری ندارند. در پایتخت هم هر نوع سیاست‌گذاری باید به تائید رئیس جمهوری برسد. -- براساس ماده ۶۹ قانون اساسی، رئیس جمهوری در برابر «ملت» و «شورای ملی» مسئوول است، اما مکانیسم خاصی وجود ندارد که او را در برابر کارکردهایش وادار به پاسخگویی کند. رئیس جمهوری در صورت ارتکاب "جرایم ضدبشری"، "خیانت ملی" یا "جنایت" به محکمهٔ خاص کشانده می‌شود، ولی مکانیسم اجرای این حکم به حدی پیچیده و سنگین است که تقریباً ناممکن به نظر می‌رسد. -- قانون اساسی هفت مورد وظیفه اساسی برای حکومت در نظر گرفته (ماده ۷۵) که اجرای آن منوط به قدرت رئیس جمهوری به عنوان رئیس حکومت است. از جمله اجرای قانون اساسی، حفظ استقلال، تمامیت ارضی و منافع ملی، برقراری امن و نظم در جامعه، تنظیم بودجه و طرح و اجرای برنامه‌های توسعه‌ای، اقتصادی، اجتماعی، فرهنگی و تکنولوژیک. -- به علاوه این صلاحیت‎ها، اجرای کلیه نقش‌های تشریفاتی هم منحصر به رئیس جمهوری است، از جمله ملاقات با رهبران و نمایندگان دیپلماتیک خارجی، حضور در مراسم آیین‌های ملی و افتتاح پارلمان و لویه جرگه. البته مراجعه به آرا مردم و فرخوانی لویه جرگه که می‌تواند قانون اساسی را تغییر دهد، هم از صلاحیت‌های او است. به عبارت دیگر، تغییر قانون اساسی منحصر به صلاحیت او است. --- در عرصه قانون‌گذاری -- براساس اصل تفکیک قوا، قوه مقننه یک رکن مستقل دولت است، ولی از آن‌جایی که رئیس جمهوری رئیس دولت است، رئیس قوه مقننه هم شمرده می‌شود. علاوه براین، بخشی از روند قانون‌گذاری عملا در حوزه صلاحیت‌های او قرار دارد. براساس تعریف قانون اساسی، قانون عبارت است از مصوبه هر دو مجلس که به امضای رئیس جمهوری رسیده باشد (ماده ۹۴). -- پیشنهاد طرح قانون از صلاحیت هر سه قوه است، ولی معمولاً حکومت اقدام به تهیه طرح قانون می‎کند که رئیس جمهوری رئیس آن است. هرچند قوه مقننه حق تغییر و تعدیل آن را دارد، اما رئیس جمهوری می‌تواند آن را وتو کند، مگر این که ولسی جرگه آن را با دو ثلث آرا تایید کند که دیگر نیاز به امضای رئیس جمهوری ندارد. در این صورت هم رئیس جمهوری ابزارهایی برای دور زدن آن به دست دارد. -- حامد کرزی در ده سال گذشته بارها قوانینی را که مجلس با دو ثلث آرا تصویب کرده، با ارجاع آنها به ستره محکمه ، آنها را دور زده از جمله در مورد دو قانون جنجالی رسانه‌های همگانی و کمیسیون نظارت بر تطبیق قانون اساسی. ستره محکمه برخی از مواد اصلی این قانونها را مغایر قانون اساسی تشخیص داد و حذف کرد. -- آخرین ابزار رئیس جمهوری در مورد قانونگذاری، دفع وقت در انتشار آن است. هیچ قانونی پیش از انتشار نافذ شمرده نمی‌شود. نشر قانون از اختیارات وزارت عدلیه است که به دستور رئیس جمهوری اقدام به انتشار آن می‌کند. آقای کرزی دستور انتشار قانون‌های رسانه‌های همگانی و منع خشونت علیه زنان را با تاخیر صادر کرد و انتشار قانون تشکیلات اساسی دولت را اصلا مسکوت گذاشت. -- یکی از صلاحیت‌های عمده رئیس جمهوری در عرصه قانون‌گذاری، صدور فرمان‌های تقنینی است (بند ۱۶ ماده ۶۴ قانون اساسی). او در زمان تعطیلی پارلمان در همه موارد به استثنای امور مالی و بودجه می‌تواند چنین فرمانی صادر کند که حکم «قانون» را دارد (ماده ۷۹ قانون اساسی). در حال حاضر قوانین بسیاری هستند که در اصل فرمان تقنینی هستند. -- هرچند قانون اساسی تاکید کرده که این فرمان‌ها در ظرف ۳۰ روز پس از برگزاری نخستین اجلاس شورای ملی باید به شورا فرستاده شود، اما در عمل یا ارسال نمی‌شود، یا پارلمان فرصت نمی‌کند که آنها را بازبینی‌ کند. همان‌گونه که بسیاری قوانین دیگر، که از در دهه‌های پیشین از سوی نظام‌های غیردموکراتیک وضع شده، برای بازنگری به پارلمان ارسال نشده‌اند. -- به‌طور کلی، صلاحیت تهیه طرح قانون و ارسال قوانین گذشته به پارلمان، به رئیس جمهوری فرصت می‌دهد که در مورد بعضی از قوانین پیشین و حتی مواردی که نیاز به تصویب قانون جدید است، سکوت کند. مگر این که فشارهای سیاسی و رسانه‌ای او را مجبور کند که تهیه طرح جدید یا بازنگری قانون‌های گذشته را در دستور کار قرار دهد. --- در عرصه قضایی -- افغانستان در داشتن قوه قضائیه مستقل تجربه درخشانی نداشته، به همین دلیل، همواره با این انتقاد مواجه بوده که زمام‌دارانش این قوه را با سیاسی‌کاری‌های خود ضعیف و ناکارآمد کرده‌اند. هرچند قانون اساسی جدید بر استقلال قوه قضائیه تاکید کرده، ولی هنوز هم تحت تاثیر وضعیت‌های گذشته خود قرار دارد. در مواردی انتقادهایی هم برانگیخته است. -- رئیس جمهوری به صورت قانونی ریاست اعلای قوه قضائیه را هم به عهده دارد. تعیین اعضای ستره محکمه به تائید ولسی جرگه و عزل و نصب قاضیان هم به دست او است. -- براساس قانون تشکیلات و صلاحیت محاکم (ماده ۲)، ستره محکمه صلاحیت دارد که در صورت نیاز محاکم سیار تشکیل کند، اما اجرایی شدن آن منوط به منظوری رئیس جمهوری است. همچنین طرح قوانینی که از سوی ستره محکمه تهیه می‌شود، باید از طریق حکومت به پارلمان ارسال شود (بند ۲ ماده ۲۴ همین قانون). این امر به معنای آن است که چنین طرحی پیش از ارسال به پارلمان از زیر نظر رئیس جمهوری می‌گذرد. -- علاوه براین، عفو و تخفیف مجازات هم در حوزه صلاحیت‌های رئیس جمهوری است. در مورد صدور اعدام مجرمان، هیچ حکمی بدون امضای او نهایی و قابل اجرا نیست. -- از آن‌جا که رئیس جمهوری هم رئیس دولت و هم رئیس حکومت است، اعمال صلاحیت از جانب او در حوزه قضا، از نظر برخی، احتمال نقض استقلال این رکن دولت را فراهم کرده است. --- در ده سال گذشته، با ورود شماری از مخالفان سیاسی حامد کرزی به مجلس، این نهاد به محلی برای به چلنج کشیدن قدرت او تبدیل شد، اما چنین چیزی در مورد قوه قضائیه متصور نبود. البته باید افزود که مخالفت مجلس در برابر قدرت رئیس جمهوری، هیچ وقتی در حدود نیروی متعادل مطرح نشد. -- به این ترتیب، نقش رئیس جمهوری در درون ساختار نظام سیاسی افغانستان با هیچ نیروی چلنج قدرتمندی مواجه نیست. در بیرون از ساختار هم به دلیل نبود احزاب بزرگ و سراسری، با اپوزیسیون تعریف شده و پرقدرتی رو به رو نیست. به همین دلیل، مخالفان «تمرکز قدرت» در کشور بارها خواستار تمرکززدایی و ایجاد پست نخست‌وزیری شدند. --- هرچند با توافقنامه سیاسی بین اشرف غنی احمدزی و عبدالله عبدالله سمت جدیدی به عنوان رئیس اجرایی در حد نخست‌وزیر ایجاد می‌شود، اما هنوز صلاحیت‌های آن مشخص نیست. قرار است این سمت تا دو سال دیگر از طریق تغییر قانون اساسی به نخست ‌وزیری تبدیل شود. اگر این موضوع تحقق یابد، قدرت رئیس جمهوری محدود خواهد شد. -- Read More, ایوب آروین - BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/09/140928_k02-afg-president-political-system

European leaders addressing UN say current crises threaten global governance system --- 27 September 2014 – European leaders addressing the United Nations General Assembly today raised the spectre of what some saw as Russia’s largely unchallenged actions in Ukraine and the march of armed militants through large swaths of northern Iraq as emblematic of an international system in dire need of repair. -- “Some people in this chamber may regard [the Ukraine crisis] as nothing more than a regional conflict. But I am convinced…this conflict affects each and every one of us. Not just any State, but a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia, has annexed Crimea, unilaterally changing the borders of Europe and thus broken international law,” said Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany. --He urged efforts to counter “this dangerous signal” because the United Nations must not allow international law to be eroded from the inside. “We must not allow the old division between East and West to re-emerge in the United Nations,” he added, emphasizing that much is at stake, note only for the future of Ukraine, but for the future of international law. -- An answer must be found which ushers in a lasting ceasefire and political solution based on the principles of the UN, Mr. Steinmeier continued, for as long as the conflict simmers, the dispute between Russia and the West threatens to paralyze the United Nations. “We need a Security Council that is able and willing to act in order to tackle new and, in the long term, tasks we are facing. For the world in 2014 is plagued not only be the old ghost of division, but also by new demons.” -- He, next drew attention to the “unspeakable brutality” of those terrorists “misusing the name of God in carrying out their evil deeds…and drawing in young people who have grown up in the midst of our own societies.” That is why this too is not a regional conflict, or a challenge only for Iraq, Syria and Africa. “Our response must go much further than the immediate necessity of humanitarian and military responses. Germany was making substantial contributions to both, but also seeking political alliances against groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). -- Read More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48926

In address, Russia calls for Security Council probe of all aspects of terrorism --- 27 September 2014 – Calling for a comprehensive approach to terrorism, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took the General Assembly’s podium today to propose a United Nations Security Council enquiry into all aspects of the scourge in the Middle East and North Africa. -- “The terrorist threat requires a comprehensive approach if we want to eradicate its root causes rather than be condemned to react to the symptoms,” he said on the fourth day of the 69th annual high-level meeting. “ISIL (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) is just a part of the problem. -- “We propose to launch under the auspices of the UN Security Council an in-depth study on the extremist and terrorist threats in all their aspects across the MENA area. The integrated approach implies also that the long-standing conflicts should be examined, primarily between Arab nations and Israel. -- “The absence of settlement of the Palestinian issue over several decades remains as it is widely recognized one of the main factors of instability in the region that helps the extremists to recruit more and more new Jihadists.” -- But Mr. Lavrov devoted the lion’s share of his address to rebutting Western charges of Russian aggression in Ukraine, and condemning Western actions in Iraq, Syria and Libya. -- “The US-led Western alliance that portrays itself as a champion of democracy, rule of law and human rights within individual countries, acts from directly opposite positions in the international arena, rejecting the democratic principle of sovereign equality of states enshrined the UN Charter and trying to decide for everyone what is good or evil,” he declared. - Read More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48915

Airlines' Access to Afghan Airspace in Jeopardy --- KABUL—Major airlines may be forced to avoid flying to or over Afghanistan—a key transit route from Europe to Asia—if the country fails to conclude a vital air-traffic-control contract by mid-October, Afghan and international officials say. - Read More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/airlines-access-to-afghan-airspace-in-jeopardy-1411913878

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Travels to Afghanistan -- Three-Day Overseas Trip Sponsored by U.S. Military --- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo took a covert flight to Afghanistan Saturday as part of a three-day overseas trip sponsored by the U.S. military, according to his office and a person familiar with the matter. -- Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, was to receive counterterrorism briefings in Afghanistan and visit with New York National Guard members deployed in the region, according to an itinerary disclosed publicly after he landed in Afghanistan on Saturday evening, local time. -- Mr. Cuomo first embarked Friday afternoon from New York to Washington, D.C., where that evening he received security briefings from top-level Department of Defense officials, the person familiar with the matter said. He then flew out of Andrews Air Force Base to Ramstein Air Base in southwest Germany, where he visited injured troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, according to his public schedule. -- He and Department of Defense officials then flew to an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. He is expected back in the U.S. by Monday evening, the person familiar with the matter said. -- Mr. Cuomo's office said he was joined on the trip by Army Under Secretary Brad Carson, other Defense Department officials and three other governors. Bill Haslam, Republican of Tennessee; Jay Nixon, Democrat of Missouri and Brian Sandoval, Republican of Nevada. -- In an interview with The Wall Street Journal upon his departure on Friday, Mr. Cuomo said he decided two weeks ago, in the days following President Barack Obama's declaration that the U.S. would pursue the destruction of the Islamic State, to participate in the trip because "it is now abundantly clear that this terrorist threat, even though it has been quiet for 13 years—that this is the new normal." - More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-york-gov-andrew-cuomo-travels-to-afghanistan-1411837361

Obama Says U.S. Intelligence Underestimated Islamic State threat -- Civil War Created Environment for Islamic State to Thrive --- President Barack Obama said U.S. intelligence underestimated that the political chaos in Syria over the past several years would create an environment for extremist group Islamic State to thrive. -- "This became ground zero for jihadists around the world," he said in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, according to an excerpt aired by the network on Sunday. -- The president said Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, was able to attract former members of Saddam Hussein's military in Iraq who brought a more sophisticated military strategy to the movement. -- This "gave them some traditional military capacity and not just terrorist capacity," Mr. Obama said, adding that it was "absolutely true" that the U.S. overestimated the ability and willingness of the new Iraqi government to push back against Islamic State. -- The U.S. and international partners, particularly in the Middle East, would have to come up with political solutions in Iraq and Syria, Mr. Obama said. -- But the near-term plan was to destabilize Islamic State. -- "We just have to push them back and shrink their space and go after their command and control…and work to eliminate the flow of foreign fighters," he said. -- The full 60 Minutes interview is slated to air Sunday evening. --- Also on CBS, Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken reiterated that the U.S. military planned to continue airstrikes but would not send troops into the conflicts. -- "We've been clear that there will not be a U.S. ground invasion of Iraq or Syria," he said. He left the door open, however, to the idea that a no-fly zone could be established over Syria at some point. --- On ABC News "This Week," House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) indicated that sending in American combat troops could become necessary to eliminate the Islamic State threat. - More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-says-u-s-intelligence-underestimated-developments-in-syria-1411918072

President Karzai’s Farewell Meeting with Foreign Diplomatic Corps . -- More, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gjd3k8jOEc

Runner-Up in Afghan Elections Threatens to Boycott Inauguration --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Abdullah Abdullah, the runner-up in Afghanistan’s presidential election, is threatening to pull out of the inauguration on Monday of the country’s new leadership, which could imperil the national unity government he has agreed to join with the winning candidate, Ashraf Ghani. -- Talks between the two leaders’ representatives were going on late Sunday in an effort to save the inauguration to install Mr. Ghani as the country’s new president and appoint Mr. Abdullah as the power-sharing government’s chief executive officer, as well as to celebrate a peaceful end to an election process that dragged on for six months. -- The breakdown in cooperation between the two sides appeared to have been set off by what the Abdullah camp felt was Mr. Ghani’s violation of an agreement between them not to publicly reveal the vote totals in the election, saving embarrassment to Mr. Abdullah’s side, which says he was the real winner but was cheated of victory by vote fraud. -- On Friday, the country’s Independent Election Commission presented Mr. Ghani with a certificate confirming that he was the winner of the election, but once again did not publicly announce the vote totals. -- On Saturday, however, that certificate was posted on Mr. Ghani’s Facebook page. It read: “Respected Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Amadzai, son of Shah Jahan Ghani Ahmadzai, born in 1949, has received 3,935,567 votes (55.27%) out of the total 7,120,858 votes in the second round of the presidential election held on June 14, 2014. Henceforth he is elected the new president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.” -- While the inauguration would most likely go ahead without Mr. Abdullah’s participation, Western diplomats said, it would be a bad omen for the American-brokered unity government and prospects for its success. --- “There are three disputed issues,” he said. “First, handing over the first vice president’s office to the C.E.O. Second, allowing the C.E.O. to speak in the inauguration. And, last, swearing in the C.E.O. as well as the deputy CEOs. No luck yet but the negotiations are ongoing.” -- A member of Mr. Abdullah’s leadership committee, Fawzia Koofi, also said that top officials were seriously considering pulling out of the ceremony, but no final decision had yet been made. --- Taher Zuhair, a spokesman for Mr. Ghani, sought to downplay the inauguration imbroglio, saying it would go ahead as planned with both leaders present. -- “There are no disagreements between the two teams, so we disregard their claims that there are concerns and disagreements, because there is no disagreement,” he said. -- Read More, ROD NORDLAND, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/world/asia/runner-up-in-afghan-elections-threatens-to-boycott-inauguration.html

Sandoval: US must maintain presence in Afghanistan --- RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval says the U.S. must continue to maintain a presence in Afghanistan to ensure security and prevent the Taliban from regaining a foothold. -- Sandoval, one of four U.S. governors who made a weekend visit to Afghanistan, said Sunday it's important for the U.S. to play an advisory role after the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of the year. -- The Republican governor, in a conference call with reporters from Kabul, says he's impressed by progress made since his last visit to Afghanistan in 2011 and he thinks Afghan government forces are "well positioned" to face insurgent attacks. -- Afghanistan's new president, Ghani Ahmadzai, is expected to sign a security agreement that allows some 10,000 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan after all combat troops are withdrawn - Associated Press

Afghanistan President-elect to be sworn in Monday --- The new Afghanistan President-elect Ashraf Ghani would be sworn in on Monday in the first peaceful transition of power from one elected leader to another in Afghanistan. -- Abed Adel, Spokesman, Office of Administrative Affairs, said on Sunday in Kabul that all preparations have been concluded and the three-hour inauguration would take place on Monday morning. -- He said Ashraf Ghani, a Former Finance Minister, would officially take over power from Hamid Karzai, who took office 13 years ago following the US invasion and collapse of Taliban rule. -- Adel said more than 1,500 guests, including 200 foreign dignitaries, have been invited to the ceremony. -- He mentioned that Indian Vice President Mohammad Ansari and a Chinese minister are also been expected. -- Adel said Ghani would be sworn in by the chief justice, laying his hands on the Koran and swearing to be an honest servant of the country and people. -- He said further that, after taking office from Karzai, Ghani would introduce former rival Abdullah Abdullah as the Chief Executive Officer, a newly-formed post similar to the prime minister. -- A senior security officer, who preferred anonymity, said the security at the venue of the event would be “Water tight”. -- He said to ensure adequate security and protection of lives and property thousands of police and army troops have been deployed to the venue of the event. - More, punchng, http://www.punchng.com/news/afghanistan-president-elect-to-be-sworn-in-monday/

الکساندر: شواهد کافی وجود دارد که ادارات دولتی پاکستان از طالبان حمایت میکند --- مقامات کانادایی پاکستان را متهم به مداخله در افغانستان کرد و میگویند که اسلام آباد با حمایت از طالبان مسلح اهداف خاصی را در این کشورتعقیب میکند. -- کریس الکساندر وزیرامورمهاجرین وتابعیت کانادا که چندین سال به حیث سفیر آن کشور در افغانستان نیز ایفای وظیفه کرده اهداف مشخص پاکستان در این کشور را واضح نساخت اما افزود که مداخلات اسلام آباد درافغانستان وحمایت اش ازطالبان مسلح غیرقابل قبول است. -- آقای الکساندرکه به هدف اشتراک درمراسم تحلیف رئیس جمهور احمدزی به کابل آمده است، روز شنبه به رادیو آزادی گفت که مراکزطالبان مسلح در پاکستان است: --- "ما به صفت یک دولت امارت اسلامی طالبان را شامل سازمانهای تروریستی ساخته ایم، ما به وضاحت گفته ایم که مراکز و شوراهای طالبان درپاکستان است. این مراکز در کویته، میرانشاه، بلوچستان و در شماری از مناطق خیبر پشتونخوا موقعیت دارند. شواهد کافی وجود دارد که ادارات دولتی پاکستان از طالبان حمایت میکند. این کار قابل قبول نبوده و برای افغانان ضرر میرساند." -- قبل از این مقامات افغان بار ها گفته اند که پاکستان در امور افغانستان مداخله کرده و از گروه های تروریستی حمایت میکند. بگفته آنان جنگ فعلی طالبان دراین کشور توسط نظامیان پاکستان رهبری شده و طالبان تجهیزات و امکانات جنگ را نیز از آن کشوربدست میآورند -- دراین حال کریس الکساندر وزیر امورمهاجرین وتابعیت کانادا اطمینان میدهد که کشورش دربخش تامین امنیت و تقویت اقتصاد افغانستان با حکومت جدید این کشور همکاری خواهد کرد. اما آقای الکساندر میگوید که صلح و امنیت در افغانستان زمانی تامین خواهد شد که از حمایت طالبان مسلح بگونه جدی جلوگیری صورت گیرد: --- "امنیت تا زمانی در افغانستان تامین نخواهد شد که از حمایت طالبان دست کشیده نشود، ما می خواهیم که با ریس جمهور جدید این کشور کار کنیم تا راه حل منطقوی بدست آید. کشور های همسایه باید از حمایت طالبان دست بکشند، ما کمک میکنیم تا با افغانستان، پاکستان و کشور های دیگری منطقه فضای همکاری ها بوجود آید. این گونه کار های در کشور های دیگر قابل قبول نمی باشد، من نمی دانم که چرا در این منطقه تخطی های سرحدی و مداخلات صورت میگیرد." -- "امنیت تا زمانی در افغانستان تامین نخواهد شد که از حمایت طالبان دست کشیده نشود، ما می خواهیم که با ریس جمهور جدید این کشور کار کنیم تا راه حل منطقوی بدست آید. کشور های همسایه باید از حمایت طالبان دست بکشند، ما کمک میکنیم تا با افغانستان، پاکستان و کشور های دیگری منطقه فضای همکاری ها بوجود آید. این گونه کار های در کشور های دیگر قابل قبول نمی باشد، من نمی دانم که چرا در این منطقه تخطی های سرحدی و مداخلات صورت میگیرد." - رادیو آزادی

President Karzai’s Farewell Meeting with Foreign Diplomatic Corps

Russia at U.N. accuses U.S., allies of bossing world around --- (Reuters) - Russia used its annual appearance at the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday to accuse the United States and its Western allies of bossing the world around, complaining they were attempting to dictate to everyone "what is good and evil." -- The speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the 193-nation assembly was the latest example of the deteriorating relations between Moscow and Western powers, which have imposed sanctions on Russia over the conflict in neighboring Ukraine. -- "The U.S.-led Western alliance that portrays itself as a champion of democracy, rule of law and human rights within individual countries ... (is) rejecting the democratic principle of sovereign equality of states enshrined in the U.N. Charter and trying to decide for everyone what is good or evil," he said. -- "Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force anywhere to uphold its own interests," Lavrov added. "Military interference has become a norm - even despite the dismal outcome of all power operations that the U.S. has carried out over the recent years." -- Lavrov cited the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo war, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya that led to the toppling and death of longtime Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi as examples of U.S. failures. -- Moscow has also criticized the United States over airstrikes against Islamic State, an Islamist militant group often referred that has taken over large areas of Syria and Iraq and is blamed for brutal slayings of civilians. -- Russia on Friday questioned the legality of U.S. and Arab airstrikes in Syria to target Islamic State because the action was taken without the formal approval and cooperation of Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. -- He reiterated Moscow's view that the United States and European Union "supported the coup d'etat in Ukraine" and that they were therefore responsible for the current conflict there. - Read More, Louis Charbonneau, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-un-assembly-russia-idUSKCN0HM0N020140927

Egypt postpones verdict in case against ex-president Mubarak --- (Reuters) - An Egyptian court postponed to Nov. 29 its verdict on whether former president Hosni Mubarak ordered the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his three-decade rule. -- Before adjourning the hearing on Saturday, the judge said he and members of the prosecution team had not finished reviewing all the evidence in the case, which amounted to 160,000 pages. -- A TV screen in the courtroom showed thousands of documents related to the case piled up in folders and bound with string. -- Mubarak, his interior minister Habib al-Adly and six other senior security officers are accused of ordering the killings of more than 800 protesters, sowing chaos and creating a security vacuum during the 18-day revolt. They deny the charges. -- The former strongman and Adly were both sentenced to life in prison in 2012 after being convicted in the case but an appeals court subsequently ordered a retrial. --- Mubarak, 86, arrived at the court in a medical helicopter and was wheeled off the back on a stretcher surrounded by police clutching rifles. He appeared with fellow defendants in a courtroom cage, looking pale and glum and wearing sunglasses. -- Outside the court at the Cairo police academy, his supporters gathered, carrying pictures of the former airforce commander and chanting slogans demanding his release. -- Mubarak told the court last month that he had not ordered the killing of protesters and said history would vindicate him. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-egypt-mubarak-verdict-idUSKCN0HM07F20140927

Cash-poor Afghanistan will delay paying civil servants: finance ministry official --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan will delay paying salaries to hundreds of thousands of civil servants next month because it does not have enough money, a finance ministry official said on Saturday. -- The acknowledgment that it is now impossible to pay October salaries on time highlights the huge challenges facing new leader Asraf Ghani, who is to be sworn in as president of the violence-torn country on Monday after months of turmoil following a disputed election result. -- Alongside the fight with the Taliban insurgency, Afghanistan's fiscal crisis is the most immediate problem facing Ghani and coalition partner Abdullah Abdullah. The two agreed to a unity government last week, breaking the election deadlock. -- Afghanistan's treasury now holds less than the 6.5 billion Afghanis ($116 million) needed to begin processing monthly salaries, said Alhaj Mohammad Aqa, director-general of treasury in the ministry. --- The October shortfall will affect only civilian government workers - Afghan military and police salaries should come on time because they are paid from a separate fund, he added. -- More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/27/us-afghan-salary-idUSKCN0HM0E820140927

Nicholas Haysom of South Africa appointed as new UN envoy for Afghanistan --- 25 September 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as the top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, it was announced today. -- Mr. Haysom will succeed Ján Kubiš of Slovakia as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). -- The Secretary-General is grateful to Mr. Kubiš for his “dedication and leadership” of the Mission, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told a news conference in New York. -- Mr. Haysom – a lawyer with a long international career focused on democratic governance, constitutional and electoral reforms, reconciliation and peace processes – currently serves as one of the Deputy Special Representatives for Afghanistan, a post he took up in 2012. -- He previously held several positions with the UN as well as with the Government of South Africa, including as Chief Legal and Constitutional Adviser in the Office of the President during Nelson Mandela’s 1994-1999 term. -- UNAMA, a political mission established by the Security Council in 2002, is tasked with assisting the Government and people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development in the country. - More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48858

Afghan minister at UN Assembly lauds country’s achievements, vows international cooperation --- 27 September 2014 – Ahead of Monday’s presidential swearing-in, the Afghan Foreign Minister today outlined his country’s achievements in the past year as Afghanistan is on the eve of a “transformative decade” with the transfer of security responsibilities from an international coalition force to the Afghan community by the end of this year. -- Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani, delivering his country’s annual address to the Assembly, praised Afghanistan for its “credible political institutions, and elected parliament, a constitution and elected provincial council, supported by the brave Afghan National Security Forces.” -- Mr. Osmani said that Afghanistan had achieved a “significant milestone” with the conclusion of the presidential election which put Ashraf Ghani at the country’s helm and Abdullah Abdullah in the role of Chief Executive Officer. -- The country now looks forward to continued mutual cooperation with the international community to protect its achievements and ensure the sustainability of a strong partnership. -- Afghanistan was one of the first countries to join the United Nations, and UN agencies have been involved in the region for decades. -- Since 2002, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at the request of the Government, has been assisting the Government and people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development in the country. - More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48925

افغانستان؛ از کنفرانس بن تا امروز --- به دنبال حملات هوایی نیروهای ائتلاف بین المللی به رهبری آمریکا به افغانستان در سال ۲۰۰۱ و سقوط حکومت طالبان، این کشور وارد دوره جدیدی از تاریخ خود شد. -- حامد کرزی براساس توافقنامه جلسه بن آلمان در بیست دوم دسامبر ۲۰۰۱ به عنوان رئیس دولت موقت به کار آغاز کرد و شش ماه بعد رئیس دولت انتقالی شد. او در دو دور پنج ساله هم رئیس جمهوری بود. او از این چهارده سیزده سال حکومت چه میراثی بجا می گذارد؟ --- حکومت سیزده ساله حامد کرزی، با وجود چالشهای بزرگ، یک امتیاز داشت: این حکومت پس از حدود چهار دهه بحران، بی‌ثباتی و جنگ داخلی ایجاد شده بود و کارکردهای آن، همواره در افکار عمومی با دوره‌های قبلی مقایسه می‌شد. -- Read More, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/05/140508_fm_karzai_legacy_afghanistan_profile_2001_2014

China urges UN Assembly to break new ground when setting future development goals --- China urges UN Assembly to break new ground when setting future development goals -- One of the top priorities for China and the 192 other Member States will be to define a new roadmap that will guide development work staring in January 2016, after the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). -- “The international community should, building on past progress and breaking new ground, adopt more effective plans and take more robust actions to advance the common development of mankind,” Mr. Wang said. -- He noted also that the agenda should aim to enhance global partnerships on development and improve implementation tools and mechanisms. -- One of the priority areas of the current MDGs is environment, which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted with his Climate Summit earlier in the week at which China was represented by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. -- In his address today, Mr. Wang voiced optimism that the political momentum generated by the Summit will translate into “effective actions to step up international cooperation” on climate change leading to talks next year on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. -- Among other issues raised in his remarks, Mr. Wang called for renewed efforts to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula in an “objective and impartial way.” -- Among other issues raised in his remarks, Mr. Wang called for renewed efforts to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula in an “objective and impartial way.” -- “The pressing task now is to restart the talks as soon as possible,” Mr. Wang said. -- He is one of 196 world representatives addressing the UN body this week under the theme of “Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda” as well as urgent crises ranging from the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and South Sudan. - More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48921

Rich must help poorer States in post-2015 development, Bangladesh tells UN Assembly --- 27 September 2014 – From the podium of the General Assembly today, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for global aid for poorer countries as the United Nations draws up the post-2015 agenda, an ambitious multi-year development blueprint that aims to eliminate poverty and protect the environment. -- “The future development agenda must meaningfully address long-standing resource and capacity constraints of low-income countries,” she said on the fourth day of the Assembly’s annual 69th high-level meeting. “The post-2015 development framework must fulfil our aspirations of building an equitable, prosperous and sustainable world where no person or nation is left behind. -- “It must also contribute to a strengthened multilateralism, go beyond national policy space and forge international collaboration. Greater resources would be key to the success of the post-2015 agenda. There is a need for a robust, broad-based global partnership, based on the principles of mutual trust and respect, and common but differentiated responsibility.” -- Turning to global warming and the possible rise in sea levels, the Prime Minister stressed that a one degree Celsius increase in temperature is estimated to cause a metre rise in sea-levels, submerging a fifth of Bangladesh. “That might force 30 million of our people to move elsewhere as ‘climate migrants’,” she said. -- “For Bangladesh, climate change is a matter of bare existence. In addressing [it], adaptation remains particularly key for us. We have a crucial need for adequate, predictable and additional climate finance; access to locally-adaptable technologies; and support to capacity and institution-building.” -- More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48910

شيرزاد : د پاکستان څارګره اداره او سلګونه ملېشه د دوربابا ولسوالۍ په بريدکې د وسله والو ملتيا کوي --- د ننګرهار سيمه يزه چارواکي وايي د دوربابا په ولسوالۍ په بريد کې د پاکستان څارګره اداره اى ايس اى لاس لري او د وسله والو سره سلګونه پاکستانې ملېشه ملتيا کوي. -- د ننګرهار امنيه قوماندان مل پاسوال فضل احمد شيرزاد وايې افغان ګډوځواکونو د تېرو پنځو ورځو په دوام کې د يولړ چاڼيزو عملياتو په ترڅ کې د ځاى مېشتو په مرسته د وسله والو هغه بريدو شنډ کړي کوم چې يې د دور بابا ولسوالۍ په يو شمير سرحدي نقطو ترسره کړي دي. -- د ننګرهار امنيه قوماندان مل پاسوال فضل احمد شيرزاد وايې افغان ګډوځواکونو د تېرو پنځو ورځو په دوام کې د يولړ چاڼيزو عملياتو په ترڅ کې د ځاى مېشتو په مرسته د وسله والو هغه بريدو شنډ کړي کوم چې يې د دور بابا ولسوالۍ په يو شمير سرحدي نقطو ترسره کړي دي. -- د ننګرهار امنيه قوماندان مل پاسوال فضل احمد شيرزاد وايې افغان ګډوځواکونو د تېرو پنځو ورځو په دوام کې د يولړ چاڼيزو عملياتو په ترڅ کې د ځاى مېشتو په مرسته د وسله والو هغه بريدو شنډ کړي کوم چې يې د دور بابا ولسوالۍ په يو شمير سرحدي نقطو ترسره کړي دي. -- (( د پاکستان اى ايس اى چې د دوربابا د ولسوالۍ په بريد کې لاس لري او سلګونه ملېشه د وسله والو سره يو ځاى د ډيورنډ د کرښې سره نږدي حملي ترسره کړي دي دوي ته د ميړنيو ځواکونو ملي اردو ، ملي پوليسو ،سرحدي پوليسو او عامه نظم پوليسو له لوري د خلکو په مرسته زيانونه اوښتي دي )) -- د ننګرهار د امنيه قوماندان په خبره د افغان ځواکونو پر ضد د وسله والو له لوري په ياده نښته کې د ٨٢ اتيا ملي ميتري توپونو ، هوانونو ، داشکو ، زيکويکونو او نورو سپکو وسلو استعمالولو او د پاکستانې ملېشه وو ملتيا څخه په ډاګه کيږي چې د وسله والو تر شاه د پاکستان څارګره اداره اى ايس اى لاس لري. -- شيرزاد وايې په تېره ورځو کې يې د دوې ټولو بريدونه شنډ کړي او افغان ځواکونه د دي وړتيا لري چې د دغه ډول بريدونو مخه ونيسي. -- (( دوې خپل جسدونه اوس هم په کچرو انتقالوي ، امنيتي ځواکونه ډير مخکي تللي او افغان ځواکونه کولاي شي داسي ګوزارونه نور هم پر دوي وکړي ، زه ټولو ولس او کورنيو چارو وزارت ته دا ډاډ ورکوم چې د افغان ځواکونو روحيه پياوړي ده او کولاي شي وسله والو ته سخته ماته ورکړي او د خپلي لويشتي لويشتي خاوري څخه دفاع وکړي )) -- د يادونې وړ ده چې د تېرو څو ورځو راهېسې افغان سيمه يزه چاروکي په دغه ځاى کې د وسله والو سره د نښتو او هغوې ته د مرګ ژوبلې د اوښتو خبره کوې خو تر دې دمه د افغان دولت کومي وسله والي ډلي لا تر دي دمه په دي اړه رسنيو ته څه نه دي ويلي. - خبریال دات کام

Mohammad Najibullah --- Dr. Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai (Pashto: نجيب الله‎; August 6, 1947 – September 27, 1996), commonly known as Najibullah or Najib, was President of Afghanistan from 1987 until 1992, when the mujahideen took over Kabul. He had previously held different careers under the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) and was a graduate of Kabul University. Following the Saur Revolution and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Najibullah was a low profile bureaucrat : he was sent into exile as Ambassador to Iran during Hafizullah Amin's rise to power. He returned to Afghanistan following the Soviet invasion which toppled Amin's rule and placed Babrak Karmal as head of state, party and government. During Karmal's rule, Najibullah became head of the KHAD, the Afghan equivalent to the Soviet KGB. He was a member of the Parcham faction led by Karmal. -- During Najibullah's tenure as KHAD head, it became one of the most efficient governmental organs. Because of this he gained the attention of several leading Soviet officials, such as Yuri Andropov, Dmitriy Ustinov and Boris Ponomarev. In 1981, Najibullah was appointed to the PDPA Politburo. In 1985 Najibullah stepped down as state security minister to focus on PDPA politics; he had been appointed to the PDPA Secretariat. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, was able to get Karmal to step down as PDPA General Secretary in 1986, and replace him with Najibullah. For a number of months Najibullah was locked in a power struggle against Karmal, who still retained his post of Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. Najibullah accused Karmal of trying to wreck his policy of National Reconciliation. -- During his tenure as leader of Afghanistan, the Soviets began their withdrawal, and from 1989 until 1992, his government tried to solve the ongoing civil war without Soviet troops on the ground. While direct Soviet assistance ended with the withdrawal, the Soviet Union still supported Najibullah with economic and military aid, while the United States continued its support for the mujahideen. Throughout his tenure, he tried to build support for his government. Najibullah even tried to portray his government as Islamic, and in the 1990 constitution the country officially became an Islamic state and all references of communism were removed. This change, coupled with others, did not win Najibullah any significant support. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Najibullah was left without foreign aid. This, coupled with the internal collapse of his government, led to his ousting from power in April 1992. Najibullah lived in the United Nations headquarters in Kabul until 1996, when the Taliban took Kabul. Najibullah is said to have been castrated by the Taliban, and he was dragged behind a truck in the streets of Kabul before being publicly hanged. - Read More, From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Najibullah

Dr. Mohammad Najibullah (1947–September 27, 1996) --- Mohammad Najibullah (means Honored of God)(1947[1]-28 September 1996[2]) was the president of the Republic of Afghanistan from May 4, 1986 to April 15, 1992. -- Once driven out of political office, Najibullah took refugee in the United Nations compound in Kabul. Soon, a special Taliban unit of five men designated for the task by Pakistani intelligence ISI, breaking international immunity laws, dragged Dr. Najibullah outside of the UN compound. The Taliban tortured him and wanted him to sign papers related to the Durand line,[3] then bundled his brother and him into a pick-up truck and drove them to the presidential palace, where they killed him together with his brother. The Taliban cut off Najibullah's testicles then dragged his body behind a jeep. Then they shot him and his brother, hanging their mutilated bodies from a street lamp outside the presidential palace for two days. In a symbolic gesture of his "debauchery and corruption, the ex-president's pockets were stuffed with money, and cigarettes were pressed between his broken fingers."[4] Some believe he was killed on the orders of ISI and Pakistani Interior Minister Nasrallah Babar. - More, From WikiIslam, http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Mohammad_Najibullah

U.S. expects Afghan president-elect to sign agreement soon: White House --- (Reuters) - The United States expects Afghan President-elect Ashraf Ghani to sign a bilateral security agreement promptly after his inauguration, White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday. -- Earnest did not specify exactly when Ghani would sign the agreement, which lays out the terms under which U.S. troops may stay in the country after this year. -- Ghani will be sworn in on Monday. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/26/us-usa-afghanistan-agreement-idUSKCN0HL26I20140926

UN rights office urges stay for defendants in Afghan gang-rape case sentenced to death --- 26 September 2014 – The United Nations human rights office today urged the Government of Afghanistan to halt the death sentences in a case against a group of men charged with armed robbery, kidnapping and gang-rape in a province of Kabul. -- The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed disappointment that the Afghan Supreme Court affirmed the death sentences given to five of the men, and also sentenced a sixth who had originally been given a 20-year sentence. -- “While this is a horrible crime, we have been concerned about the lack of due process and the failure to comply with national and international fair trial standards in the proceedings,” spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. -- This decision denies proper justice to both the victims and the accused, she said, and also undermines efforts to strengthen the rule of law and administration of justice in the country. -- “We urge both Afghanistan’s outgoing and incoming Presidents not to implement the death sentence in this case and refer the case back to courts given the due process concerns,” said Ms. Shamdasani. -- The UN rights office also called on the Governments to resume a moratorium on executions pending full abolition of the death penalty. -- In a high-level event yesterday in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior officials called the continuing application of capital punishment a “primitive” practice which has no place in the 21st century. They pressed global leaders to set course towards abolishing the death penalty and advancing a more progressive judicial agenda in their respective States. - More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48878

کابل – باختر دتلې دمياشتې ٤ - اشرف غني احمدزى: دملي وحدت ددولت دجوړولو په باب بايد شک وجود و نه لري --- ډاکتر اشرف غني احمدزي دانتخاباتو دخپلواک کميسيون له خوا دباورليک دترلاسه کولو په وخت کې له خلکو څخه مننه وکړه او ټينګاريې وکړ چې په هيوادکې به دډاډ او اعتماد فضا واکمنه شي. -- دباختر آژانس دخبريال دخبرله مخې: دانتخاباتو خپلواک کميسيون پرون منتخب جمهور رئيس ډاکتر اشرف غني احمدزي ته باورليک ورکړ. په هغو ځانګړو مراسموکې چې له همدې امله ددغه کميسيون په مقرکې پرځاى شوي و. په ډاکتر اشرف غني احمدزي سربېره دهغه دوو تنو مرستيالانو او دانتخاباتي مرکز همکارانو ګډون کړى و. -- ډاکتر اشرف غني احمدزي دمنتخب جمهور رئيس په توګه دانتخاباتو دخپلواک کميسيون دباورليک له ترلاسه کولو وروسته دافغانستان له خلکو څخه دانتخاباتو په بهيرکې ددوى دونډې اخستنې او زغم په خاطر مننه وکړه. ده ټينګار وکړ: په انتخاباتوکې دخلکو دپراخ ګډون له په پام کې نيولو سره دملي وحدت په تامينولو کې دشک هيڅ ځاى نه شته، شپه په يوه رڼا ورځ بدليږي او په هيوادکې به دډاډ او اطمينان فضا واکمنه شي. ده ټينګار وکړ چې دخلکو دټپونو درملنه کوي او ددواړو انتخاباتي مرکزونو په استازيتوب يې خلکوته وويل چې ستاسو دهرې رايې ساتنه کوو او تاسو ته حساب ورکوو. -- اشرف غني احمدزي دخپلو خبرو په دوام وويل چې په نويو پرمختياوو او دانتخاباتو دبهير په پاى ته رسيدو سره داقتدار بدل شوى دى نه قدرت. ډاکتر احمدزي يادونه وکړه چې پروني سيالان ننني همکاران دي، څرنګه چې ډاکتر عبدالله عبدالله ويلي دي: دملي وحدت دولت دواک ويش نه بلکې ددندو ويش دى چې په هغه کې کار ښه کيږي او دواړه ټيمونه پراخو اصلاحاتو ته ژمن يو. دغه راز ډاکتر اشرف غني احمدزي په دغو مراسموکې له حامد کرزي څخه مننه وکړه چې واک ليږدول يې داساسي قانون دحکمونو له مخې عملي کړ او دخلکو له ارادې څخه يې دفاع وکړه. ده حامد کرزي دزړور مشر او ښه سلاکار په توګه ياد کړ. -- بايد وويل شي چې دانتخاباتو دخپلواک کميسيون رئيس ډاکتر يوسف نورستاني منتخب جمهور رئيس ته دباورليک له ورکولو مخکې په لنډه وينا کې دانتخاباتو دبهير دوږديدو له امله دافغانستان له خلکو څخه بخښنه وغوښتله او ټينګار يې وکړ چې دکميسيون کار په وخت سره ترسره شوى دى.

Chelsea Clinton gives birth to baby girl --- WASHINGTON (AP) — Bill and Hillary Clinton are grandparents. The couple's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, has given birth to her first child, a daughter named Charlotte. -- Chelsea Clinton announced the baby's birth on Twitter early Saturday, saying she and husband Marc Mezvinsky are "full of love, awe and gratitude as we celebrate the birth of our daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky." -- Clinton spokesman Kamyl Bazbaz said the child was born on Friday but did not immediately provide additional details. The couple lives in New York City. --- The baby arrives as Hillary Clinton deliberates on whether to seek the White House in 2016, a decision that could put her on a path to becoming the nation's first female president. Clinton is the leading Democratic contender to succeed President Barack Obama, her former 2008 campaign rival, and has said she expects to make a decision around the beginning of next year. -- The baby has been eagerly anticipated as Hillary Clinton considers her political future — she has called the prospect of becoming a grandmother her "most exciting title yet." She even has picked out the first book she intends to read to her grandchild, the classic "Goodnight Moon." -- The former secretary of state has said she didn't want to make any decisions about another campaign until the baby's arrival, pointing to her interest in enjoying becoming a grandmother for the first time. If Clinton decides to run for president, her campaign would coincide with the baby's first two years. -- The former president has been eager to become a grandfather. During an event with former President George W. Bush in September, Mr. Clinton's cell phone rang on stage and he joked that only two people had the number "and they are related to me," musing that he hoped he wasn't becoming "a premature grandfather." -- "Every day I get up and I say, 'You have to remember whose child this is. Do not interfere. Be there when you are welcome. Be loving but not judgmental," Clinton said to laughs in an interview with CNN at his annual Clinton Global Initiative, only days before the baby's arrival. - Read More, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20140927/us--chelsea-clinton/

John Kerry -- Afghanistan’s triumph of statesmanship and compromise --- On Monday in Kabul, the Afghan people will inaugurate their next president, one who will work in tandem with the country’s first-ever chief executive officer — marking the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan’s history and the first peaceful leadership transition in more than 40 years. -- This moment was not easily arrived at, and it belongs primarily to the millions who courageously went to the polls to vote in April and June in defiance of Taliban threats. The voters’ message was unequivocal: No improvised explosive device and no suicide bomber would stand in the way of their country’s democratic future. The moment belongs also to Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, two statesmen who put their country’s interests first and came together to form a government of national unity following a very contentious election. -- The United States supported a credible, transparent and inclusive electoral process without favoring any particular candidate. It was precisely because of our clear neutrality and commitment to the Afghan democratic process that both sides invited our support when serious allegations of electoral fraud emerged after the runoff election. Of course we helped the candidates address both the electoral fraud and the potentially dangerous political divide that the candidates were facing, but Afghans and Afghans alone made the tough decisions. -- And for those at home who are quick to question Afghanistan’s democracy, they might ask themselves whether they believe that — in less than 90 days — two U.S. presidential candidates could transform a bitter and hotly contested campaign into a unity government with an exceptionally strong mandate to govern. (Flipping the pages of our own history back to the 2000 election, the answer might provoke some humility or at least some perspective on how difficult it can be.) No, the process wasn’t simple. Yes, there were many high-wire moments when it seemed just as likely that Afghanistan’s political future could lurch in dangerous directions. But in the end, statesmanship and compromise triumphed. Perhaps Washington could take a lesson from Kabul. -- Where do we go from here? Afghanistan’s new government is built on a common vision for economic reform, honest government, security and peace. Both Ghani and Abdullah ran their campaigns on platforms of inclusive, broad-based government. The government of national unity is their way of honoring those promises. -- Those promises must now be met in actions, not words. The tough decisions among Afghans did not end with the unity government or with this inauguration — in fact, they’re only beginning. The Afghan people and their new government face serious economic and security challenges. Continued U.S. and international assistance, along with the economic reforms that Afghanistan’s new political leaders promised, will help the country ameliorate its budget shortfall. President Ghani and CEO Abdullah promised their voters that they would sign the U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Security Agreement as one of their first acts in office. It will provide the legal framework for the United States to continue to train, advise and assist Afghan national security forces, so Afghanistan will never again be a haven for terrorists. -- But even as the path ahead is challenging, we already have proof of concept that Afghanistan can beat the odds: Just look at the important strides in the past decade. Afghans are living longer and healthier lives, girls are in school and a remarkable free media keeps citizens informed. Afghan troops are fighting and dying for their country, but they are holding ground. Together with the international community, the security and economic assistance we pledged in Chicago and Tokyo will be crucial to that progress in the next decade. -- The gains of the past decade — for the security of our country and our allies and in the lives of the Afghan people — have been won with blood and treasure. They must not be lost. I reminded the men who now lead Afghanistan that we were committed to their country for the long haul but that we measured that commitment in our ability to credibly look a combat-disabled American veteran or a Gold Star mother in the eye and tell them that, going forward, Afghans themselves would compromise and govern as selflessly and effectively as Americans fought and sacrificed for them and with them the past 10 years. Our job now is to support Afghanistan for the Afghans — and to stay committed to a country of people who believe in a better future with an inclusive government that serves them all. Even as this political transition concludes and as Afghanistan takes responsibility for its own security, we must continue to support that aspiration. - John Kerry is secretary of state. Washingtonpost

Ashraf Ghani: the intellectual president who can now put theory into practice --- Afghanistan’s new leader has transformed himself to win power and now promises to tackle corruption ‘root, stock and branch’ --- To become president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai changed his wardrobe and modified his name, gave up coffee, embraced a man he once denounced as a “known killer” and even toyed with anger management classes to tame a notorious temper. -- An impressive intellectual who is as comfortable in a village meeting as an international boardroom, he has been a professor and World Bank technocrat, finance minister and top security official, and was once in the running to head the UN. -- He wrote the primer for his new job several years ago, a slim volume called Fixing Failed States, but a reputation as a clean, modernising technocrat won him few votes in 2009, the year he first ran for office. --- Spurred by that defeat into a dramatic transformation, he emerged this year as a ruthless and highly effective politician. Top vote-getter in a fraud-riddled election, he steered through months of fraught negotiations to emerge as president of a unity government formed with his main rival. --- Critics say that that voters who risked their lives to cast ballots have been betrayed by an elite who simply stitched up a deal behind closed doors. Supporters argue that all the sacrifices and concessions will pave the way for vital changes. -- Both claims will be tested from Monday, when Ghani takes power – a rare academic now able to put his theories of government to the test on the grandest of scales. -- “It’s a ticket that is going to win in order to bring out an agenda of transformation,” he told the Guardian during the campaign, when asked about some of his controversial alliances. “Without putting together an electoral ticket that can win, all these ideas remain just that.” - At stake is his country’s future. He will have to beat off a resurgent Taliban and build up a small, frail economy at a time when foreign funding and interest are ebbing fast. -- A fierce critic of the international community, with a sharp tongue, the new president has nevertheless been tentatively welcomed by many of the diplomats who will have to fund his budgets for several years to come as he struggles to right the economy. -- That’s because they see in him a rare hope of shaking up a corrupt, sclerotic government bureaucracy and bringing real change to an entrenched elite. -- He has promised to push through a painful programme of major reforms and commission regular “citizen’s report cards” on government progress, create one million jobs and sign a long-term security deal with the US that will release funds and other support for the police and military. --- Activists are also hopeful that the prominent role his Lebanese-American wife, Rula Ghani, played on the campaign trail is a sign of wider commitment to women’s rights. The outgoing first lady, wife of Hamid Karzai, was an experienced doctor but spent more than a decade in virtual purdah, invisible and unmentioned at home or abroad. -- “During his campaign and even after he was elected, he has said and done all the right things. He has taken the women’s vote seriously,” said Manizha Naderi, activist and director of Women for Afghan Women. -- “As for Rula, she needs to show the nation that women can and should have a public role … I am very optimistic that she will be active.” --- The defeat in 2009 did nothing to damage Ghani’s confidence that he had something unique to offer his country, after years pouring over economic and political theory, studying corruption and governance, reforms and failure, in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Newly reminded that in a country where two thirds of the population still live in rural areas, and more than half can’t read, an impressive background in academia and policy-making is not enough to win votes, he began a slow transformation. -- Rivals and analysts underestimated his single-minded determination and prodigious work ethic, and overlooked an unofficial campaign that began years before his name went on the ballot papers for the second time. -- As coordinator of the gradual security handover from Nato to Afghan forces, he travelled around the country, building networks of contacts and support. He began using his tribal name, Ahmadzai, for the first time, and swapped Washington suits for traditional Afghan clothes. -- No detail was too small to fret over. When election strategists brought in to pour over Ghani’s speeches told him to swear off coffee on rally days to strengthen his voice, he gave up one of his very few indulgences immediately. He even told friends he was taking anger management classes to bring his fiery temper under control. - Read More, Emma Graham-Harrison, Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/26/ashraf-ghani-new-president-tackle-corruption

Pakistan gets the blame as Taliban fighters kill more Afghan soldiers --- KABUL — As Taliban fighters kill a growing number of Afghan soldiers, the country’s leaders are blaming Pakistan, an accusation that has sent the neighbors’ relations to one of the lowest points in more than a decade. -- Afghan officials say their allegations stem from an influx of foreigners fighting for a resurgent Afghan Taliban, as well as a Pakistani Islamist militant group’s recent announcement that it was abandoning domestic attacks and turning its sights across the border. --- Afghans have long blamed Pakistan for the violence in their country, reserving special ire for the Pakistani spy organization that they and U.S. intelligence officials say has nurtured and supported Islamist militants. But those accusations are intensifying, and they now include ­charges that Pakistan’s military and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) are recruiting, training and equipping Afghan Taliban fighters as most U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan this year. -- Pakistani officials strongly deny the charges, accusing outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai of paranoia and of scapegoating them for his own government’s failures. But as Afghans at all levels of the country’s government and military assert that they are being systematically undermined by Pakistan, also a key U.S. ally, the tensions are serving as a sign of how hard it will be for U.S. forces to withdraw from the region without risking a future conflict. -- “We know they have not given up their dream of controlling Afghanistan,” Mohammad Umer Daudzai, the Afghan interior minister, said of Pakistan. “They want Afghanistan to be their satellite.” --- Since spring, more than 2,000 Afghan police officers and soldiers have been killed, twice as many fatalities as during the same period last year, officials said. The death toll can be partially linked to the drawdown of coalition forces, which has left Afghan troops more vulnerable. But Afghan officials have also issued public statements accusing Pakistan of sending army commandos, doctors and military advisers to support the Afghan Taliban. -- Some of their evidence is vague — officials will say only that they believe “thousands” of foreign fighters are in Afghanistan and that they include a smattering of Uzbeks, Chechens and others. But they also cite the recent announcement by the Punjabi Taliban — a Pakistani group that has carried out scores of attacks against Pakistani security forces — that it would ally with a major Afghan militant group and redirect its fighters to Afghanistan. -- Karzai’s National Security Council called that a “declaration of war” and blamed the ISI. Pakistan countered with a statement deeming the Afghan allegation “unfounded and counter-productive.” - Read More, Tim Craig, Washingtonpost

This new era for Afghanistan has come at a cost --- The power-sharing deal hailed as a democratic breakthrough has left Afghans wondering what an election is for --- Many Afghans are scratching their heads trying to make sense of what has just happened in their country. What, some ask, was the point of the all-absorbing, expensive and divisive electoral exercise that has dominated the past six months? -- On Sunday the Afghan independent election commission declared Ashraf Ghani, former finance minister, the winner of the presidential elections. On the same day an agreement was signed between him and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, former foreign minister, to establish a government of national unity. -- The agreement promises to reduce the political uncertainty that has recently plagued Afghanistan. And the country can claim to have undergone its first peaceful democratic transition of power – a major achievement. -- The deal has been hailed by the US, the Europeans and neighbouring countries as a breakthrough, an essential step towards stability. Unsurprisingly, it has been denounced by the Taliban who view the elections as a sham and describe Ghani as “the new handpicked US employee in Kabul”. -- The focus will now be on whether the deal will hold, how senior posts will be allocated, and how the new government will work to deliver on promises made during the campaign. --- The audit was described by the UN as “unprecedented in international electoral practice” and unique in terms of its scale and depth. Its results have not been officially released. This was at the insistence of the Abdullah camp on the grounds that it would trigger violence, presumably as it shows that he lost by a substantial margin – as much as 45% to 55%. The agreement pre-empts the audit. The text reflects Ghani’s insistence upon constitutional rectitude while accommodating conflicting interests. -- It includes the creation by presidential decree of a post of chief executive officer, which Abdullah can fill, answerable to the president but with specific executive responsibilities; a loya jirga or assembly to consider the creation of a prime ministerial post; a constitutional review; electoral reform including issuance of electronic national ID cards to Afghan citizens; future elections including at the district level; and an understanding as to how senior officials will be chosen. --- For the US and its allies, the deal provides a basis for continued support to Afghanistan, not least to preserve the economic and security gains made at enormous expense, both human and financial, over the past decade. From Obama downwards, the US has invested significant political capital in making it happen. - Read More, Michael Keating , Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/25/afghanistan-new-era-come-cost-power-sharing-deal

Foreign Press Center Briefing on Afghanistan Elections --- Daniel Feldman, the State Department's pecial representative for Afghanistan -- Read More, iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/.../20140926308939.html

کابل باختر/ 4/ میزان - داکتراشرف غنی احمدزی: نباید نسبت به ایجاد دولت وحدت ملی شک وجود داشته باشد --- داکتراشرف غنی احمدزی رئیس جمهور منتخب کشور هنگام دریافت اعتبارنامه ریاست جمهوری از سوی کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات از مردم سپاسگزاری کرده تاکید نمود که فضای اطمینان و اعتماد در کشور حاکم خواهد شد. به گزارش آژانس باختر، کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات، دیروز اعتبارنامه انتخابات ریاست جمهوری منتخب را به داکتر اشرف غنی احمدزی اهدا نمود. در مراسم مخصوص که به همین مناسبت در مقر آن کمیسیون برگزار شده بود، برعلاوه داکتراشرف غنی احمدزی، دو معاون وی و همکاران ستاد انتخاباتی او شرکت داشتند. -- داکتراشرف غنی احمدزی بعد از گرفتن اعتبارنامه کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات به عنوان رئیس جمهور منتخب از مردم افغانستان بخاطر سهمگیری و حوصله مندی شان در پروسه انتخابات ابراز سپاس کرد. او تاکید نمود با در نظرداشت حضور گستردۀ مردم در انتخابات، هیچ جای شک در تامین وحدت ملی وجود ندارد، شب به یک روز روشن مبدل میگردد و فضای اطمینان و اعتماد در کشور حاکم خواهد شد. او تاکید نمود که زخم های مردم را مداوا میکند و به نمایندگی از هر دو ستاد انتخاباتی به آدرس مردم گفت که از هر رای شما حراست می نمایم و برای شماحساب میدهم. داکتر احمدزی یادآور شد که رقبای دیروز همکاران امروزاند و همانگونه که داکتر عبدالله عبدالله گفته دولت وحدت ملی تقسیم قدرت نه بل تقسیم وظایف است که در آن کار بهبود میابد ما هر دو تیم متعهد به اصلاحات گسترده هستیم. -- هم چنان داکتر اشرف غنی احمدزی در این مراسم از حامد کرزی تشکری کرد که در انتقال قدرت مطابق به احکام قانون اساسی عمل کرد و از اراده مردم دفاع نمود. او از حامد کرزی به عنوان رهبر شجاع و مشاور خوب یاد کرد. باید گفت که داکتر احمد یوسف نورستانی رئیس کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات قبل از اهدای اعتبارنامه برای رئیس جمهوری منتخب در یک سخنرانی کوتاه از مردم افغانستان از بابت طویل شدن پروسه انتخابات معذرت خواست او تاکید کرد که کار کمیسیون با دقت انجام شده است.

Dispatches: Afghanistan’s Election Resolution Sidelines Rights - Patricia Gossman, --- Who won the Afghan elections? Not the voters who responded to the first round with genuine enthusiasm, defying the risk of Taliban violence. Certainly not the 11 men whose fingers were severed by the Taliban for daring to vote. Not Afghan women, who were virtually invisible at the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday when rival presidential candidates Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah signed a power-sharing deal to end the standoff over the disputed election. In fact, there were no women at all at the table when President Hamid Karzai summoned notable “elders” to give their stamp of approval to the power-sharing arrangement. -- The table where Karzai, Ghani, and Abdullah met with the Afghan political elite on September 19 to cut that deal speaks volumes for the priority the country’s leadership holds for human rights: many were the warlords, mujahidin commanders, and other strongmen responsible for 25 years of atrocities, beginning with the fighting in the 1990s. In an act of sinister déjà vu, those individuals with blood-stained hands were empowered to help to divvy up the power pie much like their representatives did at the international conference in Bonn in 2001 that created Afghanistan’s post-Taliban transitional government. The message from the table was clear: failure to appease these powerful, violent figures could spark a new civil war. -- The politics of appeasement, backroom deals, and impunity is still with us. Afghanistan’s foreign donors have increasingly grown tired of a country where the internal conflicts appear too numerous and the achievements too few. The presidential election and its allegations of massive fraud have only compounded that donor fatigue. - Read More, Human Rights Watch, http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/24/dispatches-afghanistan-s-election-resolution-sidelines-rights

دیلی میل: حاکمیت دوسره به افغانستان آمده است --- روزنامه ای دیلی میل مقالهء دارد تحت عنوان حاکمیت دوسره به افغانستان آمده است. درین مقاله آمده است که توافق میان دو نامزد پیشتاز ریاست جمهوری در افغانستان یک اقدام نیک اما شکننده است. نویسنده این مقاله می گوید که هر دو جان نشینان رئیس جمهور کرزی اشخاص با اعتباری هستند. -- در ادامه این مقاله می خوانیم که اشرف غنی احمدزی که رئیس جمهور آینده افغانستان می شود و عبدالله که ریاست اجرایی را به عهده می گیرد، در تیوری باید در توافق مشارکت قدرت به خوبی با همدیگر همکاری کنند. درین مقالهء دیلی میل آمده که پالیسی های آنان زیاد تفاوت ندارند اما هر دو شخص از سوی احزاب، گروه های قومی و جنگ سالاران محلی متفاوت حمایت می شوند. -- در ادامه این مقاله می خوانیم که آقایان غنی و عبدالله هر دو علاقه دارند تا قرارداد امنیتی دوجانبه با امریکا را امضاء کنند تا شماری از نیرو های امریکایی و ناتو پس از ماه دیسمبر نیز بتوانند در افغانستان به حضور شان ادامه دهند. -- روزنامهء نیویارک تایمز نوشته است که قرارداد امنیتی دوجانبه پس از ادای مراسم تحلیف رئیس جمهور افغانستان امضاء خواهد شد. روزنامه این را به نقل از یک دیپلومات ارشد وزارت خارجهء امریکا نوشته است. در ادامه این مقاله آمده است که قرارداد امنیتی دوجانبه به نیرو های امریکایی اجازه می دهد تا پس از سال 2014 میلادی نیز در افغانستان حضور داشته باشند. قرار است مراسم تحلیف اشرف غنی احمدزی به حیث جانشین رئیس جمهور کرزی روز دوشنبه برگزار شود. -- نیویارک تایمز امضاء شدن این قرارداد را یک گام مهم می خواند و می گوید که این سند چوکات قانونی را برای نیروهای امریکایی فراهم می کند تا پس از سال 2014 نیز در افغانستان باقی بمانند به مشوره با نیرو های افغان بپردازند. -- در نشریهء سازمان نظارت بر حقوق بشر آمده است که راه حل انتخابات افغانستان حقوق بشر را منزوی ساخته است. پتریشه گاسمن نوشته است که در میز که توافقنامه میان دو نامزد ریاست جمهوری افغانستان در حضور رئیس جمهور کرزی و دیگر بزرگان امضا شد، یک زن هم حضور نداشت. خانم گاسمن نوشته است میزی که کرزی، غنی و عبدالله با نخبگان سیاسی افغانستان در نوزدهم ماه سپتمبر برای رسیدن به توافق حکومت وحدت ملی گردهم آمدند، حرف های زیادی برای گفتن در مورد اولویت رهبری افغانستان در خصوص حقوق بشر دارد. -- در ادامه این مقاله آمده است که سیاست راضی نگهداشتن، معامله های پُشت پرده و معافیت هنوز موجود است و کشور های تمویل کننده افغانستان نیز از کشوری که منازعات داخلی در آن بسیار زیاد معلوم می شوند و دستآورد ها خیلی اندک، روز به روز خسته شده می روند. به نوشته گاسمن انتخابات ریاست جمهوری و اتهامات تقلب گسترده دیگر هم به خستگی تمویل کننده گان افغانستان افزوده است. - رادیو آزادی

Opening General Assembly debate, Ban urges leadership to move from ‘turbulence’ to peace --- 24 September 2014 – Warning that the world’s “fasten seat belt” light is illuminated, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today opened the 69th annual debate of the United Nations General Assembly with a call for decisive leadership at a time when the ghosts of the Cold War have returned and much of the Arab Spring has gone violently wrong. -- “This year, the horizon of hope is darkened. Our hearts are made heavy by unspeakable acts and the deaths of innocents,” he told the assembled leaders from 193 nations. “Not since the end of the Second World War have there been so many refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers. Never before has the United Nations been asked to reach so many people with emergency food assistance and other life-saving supplies,” he said. -- “It may seem as if the world is falling apart, as crises pile up and disease spreads. But leadership is precisely about finding the seeds of hope and nurturing them into something bigger. That is our duty. That is my call to you today.” -- Mr. Ban’s annual opening message, which draws from his yearly report on the work of the Organization, was not entirely bleak. “Hope may be hard to discern, but it is there,” he said. “In clinics, classrooms and other places far from the spotlight, the development agenda is making remarkable progress. -- "Global poverty, child mortality and maternal deaths have been cut in half. More remains to be done, but these and other gains show the power of the Millennium Development Goals and what we can do when we work together. Today an inspiring global conversation is taking place on an agenda for the next 15 years.” -- Read More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48808

UN must lead world in united response to unprecedented crises, says Japan’s Abe --- 25 September 2014 – Warning that humankind faces “unprecedented crises,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today called on the world to become a truly “United Nations” in a multidimensional battle, from combating the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, to fighting Islamist extremism, and enhancing women’s rights globally. -- “Now is the time for us to stand united beneath the flag of the United Nations and confront these crises together,” he told the General Assembly’s 69th annual General Debate. “Japan is resolved to continue to take on great responsibility, working hand-in-hand with the international community.” -- Noting that Japan last year set aside $500 million for health issues in Africa and launched programmes to train 120,000 health service providers, he pledged further steps to help fight the Ebola epidemic, including sending more experts and sharing a potentially promising new drug, beyond the $5 million and 500,000 protective suits for health workers already promised. -- Turning to the Middle East, Mr. Abe called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) a serious threat to international order. “What is important now is preventing extremism from taking root while also responding swiftly to the region's humanitarian crises,” he said, while also underscoring the need for stability in Ukraine. -- “Seventy years ago, the United Nations proclaimed its determination ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ and ‘practice tolerance’. The UN must not depart from these ideals” he declared. -- “We have made a wholehearted commitment to shoulder U.N. responsibilities at home and abroad… Japan has been, is now, and will continue to be, a force providing momentum for proactive contributions to peace.” -- Stressing the urgency of enhancing women’s rights, Mr. Abe noted that Japan has already implemented $1.8 billion of the more than $3 billion he pledged last year to advancing the status of women, adding: “In the future, we will further increase the number of projects we support.” -- He also said his country sought a permanent seat on an enlarged and reformed UN Security Council, now restricted to 15 members with only five of them – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – holding permanent status. - More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48853

Rouhani: Western Powers Have Helped Globalize Terrorism --- Iran's president brought an unsettling message to the United Nations on Thursday: Middle Eastern terrorism has been globalized, in part thanks to mistakes made by Western powers, and the threat cannot be eliminated by outside force alone. -- President Hassan Rouhani, feted at last year's U.N. General Assembly as a welcome change from his combative predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told the world body that his part of the world is "burning in the fire of extremism and radicalism." -- He said the world now faces terrorism from "New York to Mosul, from Baghdad to Damascus ... from al-Qaida to Daesh," using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which calls itself the Islamic State. -- Rouhani openly challenged the U.S.-led response to the ISIS threat, which excludes Iran's ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. -- "The extremists of the world have found each other and have put out the call: 'Extremists of the world unite,' " he said. "But are we united against the extremists?" -- Far from it, suggested Rouhani. In an apparent reference to efforts by the West and Persian Gulf Arab states to arm Syrian rebels, Rouhani said clinging to what he called old, colonial responses to modern terrorism would surely backfire. -- "Today's anti-Westernism is a reaction to yesterday's racism," he said, adding that "certain intelligence agencies have put blades in the hands of madmen, who now spare no one." - Read More, NPR, http://www.npr.org/2014/09/25/351529423/rouhani-western-powers-have-helped-globalize-terrorism

Op-Ed -- Afghanistan’s Failed Transformation --- On Sunday, after months of bitter wrangling, the two leading candidates in Afghanistan’s presidential election agreed to form a national unity government. Ashraf Ghani, a Pashtun technocrat, is to be president, and Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister of mixed Tajik and Pashtun descent, is to be chief executive, a newly created post akin to prime minister. The power-sharing agreement came after an audit of the ballots cast in April, in an election widely believed to have been partially rigged. It has no basis in Afghanistan’s election law. And given the rancor that has come before, it may not hold very long. -- This deal, which was brokered with help from Washington, is yet another makeshift compromise that only reveals the shortcomings of the United States’ 13-year presence in Afghanistan. But rather than admit these failures, American and NATO officials would have us think that democracy is gaining traction in Afghanistan, the Taliban insurgency has stalled and Al Qaeda is being defeated. All these arguments, of course, serve as an excuse for U.S. troops to start withdrawing at the end of the year, a plan that seemed wrong when it was made in December 2009 and is proving catastrophically wrong now. --- John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, apparently is the only official in Washington who dares speak truth to power. In a Sept. 12 speech at Georgetown University, he said that Afghanistan “remains under assault by insurgents and is short of domestic revenue, plagued by corruption, afflicted by criminal elements involved in opium and smuggling, and struggling to execute basic functions of government.” His comments were largely ignored by the American media, and there was no immediate reaction from the Obama administration. -- And yet anything less than a heavy dose of honesty and fresh thinking by Afghans and their Western supporters will almost certainly mean the relapse of Afghanistan into civil war and the emergence of groups even more extreme than the Taliban, as has happened in Iraq and Syria. -- Moving from the lengthy U.S. military presence to full Afghan sovereignty was premised on the completion of four distinct transitions. But none has been successfully carried out, despite more than $640 billion in U.S. direct spending in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013. -- The most critical transition, the one on which everything else rested, was political. Rather than build state institutions or carry out much-needed electoral reforms, President Hamid Karzai spent his long tenure encouraging a form of crony politics that failed to sap the power of the warlords. He won a second term in 2009, after a vastly fraudulent election. The following year, according to U.N. officials, he asked that the United Nations stop supervising elections in the country, and Washington and NATO went along. -- The second promised transition was military. U.S. forces were to hand over security matters to Afghan forces, proving that the new, U.S.-trained Afghan Army would then be able to hold back the Taliban on its own. Yet Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Daudzai told Parliament in Kabul on Sept. 16 that the previous six months had been the deadliest ever for the Afghan police. Today there is fighting in 18 of 34 provinces, Afghan and NATO officials have told me. In many areas, Afghan soldiers are barely able to secure their own bases, much less retake lost territory. Helmand, the critical drugs-producing province in southern Afghanistan, is at risk of being taken over by the Taliban. If it falls, all of southern Afghanistan might too. -- The third failed transition has to do with economics. According to a senior Afghan official at the Finance Ministry, The Washington Post reported recently, the Afghan government is broke and needs an emergency $537 million bailout; it was barely able to pay more than half a million government employees this month. Money spent on schools and hospitals has dramatically improved education and health for Afghans, but these services remain dependent on foreign funding. There has been little large-scale investment in agriculture or basic industry; instead, the bulk of the economy has focused on servicing foreign troops and on their spending. And now the troops are about to withdraw. -- When I first visited Afghanistan in the 1970s, the country was desperately poor, but it was almost self-sufficient in food and had a small yet thriving export trade in fruit, handicrafts, furs and gems. Today, Afghanistan imports much of its food and it produces very few commercial goods. The service economy, which is run by the middle class, has been collapsing, as both educated people and billions of dollars in capital have left the country. The resulting vacuum opens the way for the opium-fed underground economy to expand enormously, breeding crime and corruption. -- The fourth contribution expected of the U.S. presence was insulating Afghanistan from foreign interference, which many Afghans fear as much as the Taliban. Iran, Pakistan and Russia, but also India, Saudi Arabia and other states helped fuel the civil war in the 1990s. The Obama administration pledged in its first term to negotiate a noninterference agreement among Afghanistan’s neighbors. But that, too, has not happened, and the country remains vulnerable to meddling from outside. -- Read More, AHMED RASHID, NYTimes

McCain to Obama: Leave residual forces in Afghanistan --- McCain and Graham urged Obama not to repeat mistakes made in Iraq. ... The senators said Obama should push for a condition-based ... mistakes from Iraq and withdraws all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, based on a certain ... - Read More, The Hill (blog), http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/218758-mccain-to-obama-leave-residual-forces-in-afghanistan

Modi: We want Afghanistan to be happy --- Fareed speaks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Afghanistan, and asks for his take on the role Pakistan might play there. -- When you look at what is going on in Afghanistan – the United States is going to draw down its forces. Historically, Pakistan has always played a role in Afghanistan, usually by supporting the Taliban, historically at least. Do you worry that that may happen again, that as the United States draws down, Pakistan will try to increase its involvement, and that will have negative consequences for India? -- America will have learned from its experience in Iraq. I don’t believe that it will do the same thing with Afghanistan and that it will be on its own. My guess is that the United States will have a different policy in Afghanistan from what it had in Iraq. -- The other issue is that we want Afghanistan to become happy, prosperous and peaceful. It should live in harmony with its neighborhood and progress. We have a special attachment with Afghanistan. From childhood, every person in India has an impression in their hearts that a person from Afghanistan is very honest, good at heart…Our connection with Afghanistan is not with reference to Pakistan. We have our own cultural heritage, with deep relations. We want to see them happy, and in this process we want everyone to be together. We invite Pakistan to come and join us all together, for the happiness of Afghanistan. - More, http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/09/24/modi-we-want-afghanistan-to-be-happy/comment-page-1/

اوباما: امریکا با اسلام در جنگ نیست --- رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده در مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل در مورد مسایل حاد بین المللی از ویروس ایبولا در افریقا گرفته تا تجاوز روسیه در اروپا و تهدید و وحشت دهشت افگنی در سوریه و عراق سخن گفت. آقای اوباما القاعده و گروه دولت اسلامی را به سرطانی تشبیه کرد که جلو رشد آن باید فوراً گرفته شود. او تلاش ورزید تا مفکوره یی را رد کند که گویا کشورش با مسلمانان در جنگ است. رئیس جمهور اوباما گفت که هیچ استدلال و یا مذاکره با "گروه شیطانی دولت اسلامی" وجود نخواهد داشت. او گفت فقط با نیرو باید با آنان درگیر شد. او در ادامه گفت کسانیکه برای این داعیۀ نفرت بار می جنگند خود را تنها خواهند یافت، زیرا به گفتۀ وی جهان به آنان تسلیم نخواهد شد. -- آقای اوباما گفت که اسلام درس صلح می دهد. او افزود که مسلمان در سراسر جهان می خواهند و تلاش می کنند که با وقار و عزت زندگی کنند. به گفتۀ وی زمانیکه سخن از مسلمانان امریکایی به زبان می آید بحث آنان و ما مطرح نیست چون امریکا میلیون ها مسلمان جمعیت دارد. رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده خطاب به جوانان مسلمان گفت، آنان وابسته به یک تمدن غنی هستند، تمدنی که آموزش را بر نافهمی برتری می دهد، عزت حیات را بر کشتن برتر می شمارد و ساختن را بر ویرانی ترجیح می دهد. او گفت هر کسی که جوانان مسلمان را از این تمدن به راه دیگری می کشاند، در حقیقت آنها را فریب می دهد. - صدای امریکا

Remarks by President Obama in Address to the United Nations General Assembly --- PRESIDENT OBAMA: Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen: We come together at a crossroads between war and peace; between disorder and integration; between fear and hope. -- Around the globe, there are signposts of progress. The shadow of World War that existed at the founding of this institution has been lifted, and the prospect of war between major powers reduced. The ranks of member states has more than tripled, and more people live under governments they elected. Hundreds of millions of human beings have been freed from the prison of poverty, with the proportion of those living in extreme poverty cut in half. And the world economy continues to strengthen after the worst financial crisis of our lives. -- Today, whether you live in downtown Manhattan or in my grandmother’s village more than 200 miles from Nairobi, you can hold in your hand more information than the world’s greatest libraries. Together, we’ve learned how to cure disease and harness the power of the wind and the sun. The very existence of this institution is a unique achievement -- the people of the world committing to resolve their differences peacefully, and to solve their problems together. I often tell young people in the United States that despite the headlines, this is the best time in human history to be born, for you are more likely than ever before to be literate, to be healthy, to be free to pursue your dreams. -- And yet there is a pervasive unease in our world -- a sense that the very forces that have brought us together have created new dangers and made it difficult for any single nation to insulate itself from global forces. As we gather here, an outbreak of Ebola overwhelms public health systems in West Africa and threatens to move rapidly across borders. Russian aggression in Europe recalls the days when large nations trampled small ones in pursuit of territorial ambition. The brutality of terrorists in Syria and Iraq forces us to look into the heart of darkness. -- Each of these problems demands urgent attention. But they are also symptoms of a broader problem -- the failure of our international system to keep pace with an interconnected world. We, collectively, have not invested adequately in the public health capacity of developing countries. Too often, we have failed to enforce international norms when it’s inconvenient to do so. And we have not confronted forcefully enough the intolerance, sectarianism, and hopelessness that feeds violent extremism in too many parts of the globe. --- America is and will continue to be a Pacific power, promoting peace, stability, and the free flow of commerce among nations. But we will insist that all nations abide by the rules of the road, and resolve their territorial disputes peacefully, consistent with international law. That’s how the Asia-Pacific has grown. And that’s the only way to protect this progress going forward. -- America is committed to a development agenda that eradicates extreme poverty by 2030. We will do our part to help people feed themselves, power their economies, and care for their sick. If the world acts together, we can make sure that all of our children enjoy lives of opportunity and dignity. --- Of course, terrorism is not new. Speaking before this Assembly, President Kennedy put it well: “Terror is not a new weapon,” he said. “Throughout history it has been used by those who could not prevail, either by persuasion or example.” In the 20th century, terror was used by all manner of groups who failed to come to power through public support. But in this century, we have faced a more lethal and ideological brand of terrorists who have perverted one of the world’s great religions. With access to technology that allows small groups to do great harm, they have embraced a nightmarish vision that would divide the world into adherents and infidels -- killing as many innocent civilians as possible, employing the most brutal methods to intimidate people within their communities. -- I have made it clear that America will not base our entire foreign policy on reacting to terrorism. Instead, we’ve waged a focused campaign against al Qaeda and its associated forces -- taking out their leaders, denying them the safe havens they rely on. At the same time, we have reaffirmed again and again that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them, there is only us -- because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country. -- So we reject any suggestion of a clash of civilizations. Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate. And it is no exaggeration to say that humanity’s future depends on us uniting against those who would divide us along the fault lines of tribe or sect, race or religion. -- But this is not simply a matter of words. Collectively, we must take concrete steps to address the danger posed by religiously motivated fanatics, and the trends that fuel their recruitment. Moreover, this campaign against extremism goes beyond a narrow security challenge. For while we’ve degraded methodically core al Qaeda and supported a transition to a sovereign Afghan government, extremist ideology has shifted to other places -- particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where a quarter of young people have no job, where food and water could grow scarce, where corruption is rampant and sectarian conflicts have become increasingly hard to contain. -- As an international community, we must meet this challenge with a focus on four areas. First, the terrorist group known as ISIL must be degraded and ultimately destroyed. --- Around the world, young people are moving forward hungry for a better world. Around the world, in small places, they're overcoming hatred and bigotry and sectarianism. And they're learning to respect each other, despite differences. -- The people of the world now look to us, here, to be as decent, and as dignified, and as courageous as they are trying to be in their daily lives. And at this crossroads, I can promise you that the United States of America will not be distracted or deterred from what must be done. We are heirs to a proud legacy of freedom, and we’re prepared to do what is necessary to secure that legacy for generations to come. I ask that you join us in this common mission, for today’s children and tomorrow’s. -- Read More, The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/24/remarks-president-obama-address-united-nations-general-assembly

شورای امنیت طرح اوباما برای محدود کردن 'پیکارجویان' را تایید کرد --- شورای امنیت سازمان ملل در جلسه ویژه‌ای با حضور رهبران چند کشور، از جمله باراک اوباما، رئیس جمهور آمریکا، قطعنامه‌ای صادر کرده که پیوستن افراد به گروه‌های پیکارجو را جرم تلقی می‌کند. -- به موجب این قطعنامه، که برای ۱۹۳ کشور عضو سازمان ملل الزام‌آور است، سفر اتباع این کشورها برای پیوستن به گروه‌های 'پیکارجو' و یا کمک به عضوگیری و تامین مالی آنها جرمی جدی تلقی خواهد شد. -- پیش‌نویس این قطعنامه توسط آمریکا به شورای امنیت ارائه شد. آمریکا تلاش می‌کند تا ائتلافی بین‌المللی برای حمله به گروه موسوم به دولت اسلامی، داعش سابق، در عراق و سوریه شکل دهد. -- این قطعنامه به طور مشخص به شبه‌نظامیان دولت اسلامی اشاره نمی‌کند و به طور کلی درباره گروه‌های پیکارجو تصویب شده است. در این قطعنامه همچنین اقدام نظامی علیه پیکارجویان تصویب نشده است. -- در این جلسه رهبران کشورهای مختلف، از جمله نیجریه، عراق، فرانسه و چاد حضور داشته‌اند. -- این درحالی است که جنگنده های آمریکایی حملات علیه پیکارجویان گروه دولت اسلامی در عراق و سوریه را تشدید کرده اند. -- آقای اوباما در جلسه شورای امنیت سازمان ملل گفت "کلماتی که امروز در اینجا بر زبان رانده شد باید با عمل همراه شود و اجرا شود؛ اقداماتی عملی و ملموس در داخل هر کشور و میان کشورها نه فقط در روزهای آینده بلکه در طول سالیان آینده." -- او گفت کشورها باید متحد شوند تا جلوی "عبور و مرور تروریست ها از مرزها و تهدیدهای آنها برای دست زدن به خشونت های غیرقابل وصف را بگیرند." -- آقای اوباما در نطقش که پیش از این در مجمع عمومی ایراد شد رهبران جهان را ترغیب کرد به جمع آوری "شبکه مرگ" داعش کمک کنند. -- او در آن نطق گفت گروه دولت اسلامی "نوعی از شرارت است که نمی توان با برهان آوردن یا مذاکره آن را قانع کرد." -- او گفت که بیش از ۴۰ کشور پیشنهاد داده اند به نبرد با داعش ملحق شوند. -- گروه دولت اسلامی که قبلا به داعش موسوم بود قصد ایجاد خلافت اسلامی در منطقه را دارد. -- این گروه افراط گرای سنی بخش های وسیعی از عراق و سوریه را کنترل می کند و جمعیت های بزرگی را مرعوب و متواری کرده است. -- این گروه اقدام به سربریدن گروگان های غربی و سرکوب مسیحیان، ایزدی ها و مسلمان شیعه کرده است. -More, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/world/2014/09/140924_l45_obama_un_security_council.shtml

Factbox: Arab states line up behind U.S. in fight against Islamic State --- (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes pounded Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq for a second day on Wednesday as President Barack Obama tried to rally support for the coalition fighting the extremist group during an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York. -- U.S. Central Command said Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had participated in or supported strikes against Islamic State targets during the opening day of the campaign on Tuesday. --- Below is a summary of where key countries stand on joining the United States in a military coalition to fight Islamic State: - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/24/us-syria-crisis-coalition-factbox-idUSKCN0HJ27320140924

World leaders address UN General Assembly as annual debate opens --- Security Council: Threat to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts (Foreign terrorist fighters) - More, http://webtv.un.org/live-now/watch/2490774077001

In U.N. speech, Obama appeals for broad coalition against Islamic State --- (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama made his case to the United Nations on Wednesday for a more forceful, coordinated global response against Islamic militants in the Middle East that would seek to dismantle their "network of death." -- In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Obama used graphic language to condemn the methods of the Islamic State group that has taken over swaths of Iraq and Syria, saying it had used rape as a weapon of war, gunned down children, dumped bodies in mass graves, and beheaded their victims. -- Obama, who this week expanded the U.S.-led military campaign into Syria with support from five Arab nations, warned Islamic State fighters to "leave the battlefield while they can." Before the president spoke, U.S.-led airstrikes for the third time this week pounded targets. -- "Today, I ask the world to join in this effort," Obama said. He said more than 40 nations have offered to join the coalition against the militants in Iraq and Syria. - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/24/us-un-assembly-obama-idUSKCN0HJ1VU20140924

In Farewell Speech, Karzai Calls American Mission in Afghanistan a Betrayal --- KABUL, Afghanistan — In his nearly 13 years as the leader of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai’s most memorable public stances always seemed driven by some deep emotion, and an almost compulsive need to express it. There was heartbreak for families killed by errant airstrikes, outrage at the scheming of hostile neighbors, palpable longing to preside over a peaceful end to the Taliban insurgency. -- On Tuesday, though he delivered a farewell speech in a loose and sometimes jocular way, there was, again, no doubt of the emotion that inspired his words: bitterness at what he saw as an American betrayal of Afghanistan. -- “America did not want peace for Afghanistan, because it had its own agendas and goals here,” he told an audience of hundreds of cabinet and staff members at the presidential palace in Kabul, warning them not to trust the Americans. “I have always said this: that if America and Pakistan want peace, it is possible to bring peace to Afghanistan.” -- Mr. Karzai’s denunciation of the United States came in terms that had become wearily familiar to the diplomats watching the televised speech from the heavily fortified American Embassy just a few blocks and many blast walls from the palace. But what the president did not say, omitting any recognition of the more than 2,000 American lives and hundreds of billions of dollars the United States expended in fighting the Taliban, may have grated more. -- Instead, Mr. Karzai pointedly praised the assistance of countries that had given notably less, like India. He did not mention the sacrifices of other Western allies, nor of his own security forces, who have lost an estimated 15,000 men killed in a war that seems unlikely to end soon. -- “I want to thank those countries who genuinely supported us,” Mr. Karzai said. “Western countries had their personal interest — the Western countries and the United States had their own personal goal.” --- The departing American ambassador, James B. Cunningham, dispensed with diplomatic niceties afterward, telling Western journalists that Mr. Karzai’s remarks were ungrateful and ungracious. -- “It makes me kind of sad. I think his remarks, which were uncalled-for, do a disservice to the American people, and dishonor the sacrifices that Americans have made here,” Mr. Cunningham said. “By not recognizing the many contributions that Americans have made, and our partners, that’s the part that’s ungracious and ungrateful.” -- Still, the ambassador did praise Mr. Karzai. -- “For all the difficulties in our relationship at various times, I think his legacy in terms of his country will be a strong one,” Mr. Cunningham said. “He undoubtedly had one of the more difficult jobs in the world for a long period of time, and I’m convinced he really is an Afghan patriot who wants the best thing for his country.” --- At first it was thought that Mr. Karzai would live in a lavish house adjoining the presidential palace compound, which was refurbished for him at a cost Afghan officials estimated at more than $5 million. -- Mr. Karzai is now said to have rejected it as too opulent, and has decided to move into a private home in the Shar-e Naw neighborhood nearby, according to Western diplomats. -- “I believe the stability of Afghanistan is directly related to the United States and Pakistan,” Mr. Karzai said. “This war is for the personal interest of the foreign policies of others, and this is a fight of outsiders in which Afghans are sacrificed.” --- Ryan C. Crocker, dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M, was the first American ambassador to the post-Taliban government, and he was among those American officials who supported Mr. Karzai’s initial appointment as Afghanistan’s leader. Mr. Crocker also returned as ambassador in 2011, as Afghan relations were souring under the Obama administration, which Mr. Karzai saw as less attentive than the Bush administration had been. -- “I saw over the years an increasing bitterness on his part particularly vis-à-vis Pakistan and the U.S.-Pakistan relationship,” Mr. Crocker said. -- Mr. Karzai’s view was that the United States should have been able to force Pakistan to stop giving sanctuary to the Taliban’s leaders. The American view has been that the expectation was unrealistic, given the deeply troubled relationship between Washington and Islamabad. -- During Mr. Crocker’s second tour here as ambassador, and throughout Mr. Cunningham’s time since then, Mr. Karzai adopted an increasingly strident tone toward the Americans, particularly on the issue of civilian casualties in American airstrikes, and on two occasions actually threatened to join the Taliban, whom he often referred to as “my brothers.” -- He blamed the Americans, too, for his inability to start any sort of meaningful peace talks with the Taliban. The insurgents have consistently refused to talk to him, denouncing him as an American puppet. --- For all of that, Mr. Crocker still believes Hamid Karzai was the right man for the job Americans effectively chose him for at a conference in Bonn in December 2001. “I don’t think there was a better choice than Karzai,” he said. “I didn’t think so then; I don’t think so now.” --- Mr. Cunningham said, “He will also get tremendous credit for bringing his country to the first peaceful transition of power from one Afghan president to another.” - Read More, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/world/asia/hamid-karzai-afghanistan.html?_r=0

President Karzai's Farewell Speech - Sept 23,2014 -- سخنرانی رئیس جمهور حامد کرزی -- More, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCC_7yqofEg

Jimmy Carter: US bomb attack on Islamic State 'likely to kill more civilians' than fighters

Jimmy Carter: US bomb attack on Islamic State 'likely to kill more civilians' than fighters

Afghan President Karzai warns successors to beware of US --- President Hamid Karzai has used his last speech in office to warn the new Afghan government to beware of the US. -- In his farewell speech, Mr Karzai said the war was not among Afghans but "for the objectives of foreigners". -- He said a friendly relationship with the United States was possible, but only if their words matched their actions. He strongly criticised Afghanistan's neighbour Pakistan, too, saying it wanted to control Afghan foreign policy. -- "If America and Pakistan really want it, peace will come to Afghanistan," Mr Karzai said. -- "War in Afghanistan is based on the aims of foreigners. The war in Afghanistan is to the benefit of foreigners. But Afghans on both sides are the sacrificial lambs and victims of this war." --- US ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham said he was saddened by what Mr Karzai had said. -- "His remarks, which were uncalled for, do a disservice to the American people and dishonour the huge sacrifices Americans have made here... that's the part that is ungracious and ungrateful. -- "However I am absolutely confident in reassuring Americans that Afghan themselves absolutely value and are grateful for the sacrifices and commitment of the United States to the future of this country." -- The outgoing president was presented with a traditional turban and robe that he immediately passed on to his two vice-presidents, then he left the room. - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29325906

Turkey considers military role against ISIL --- NEW YORK (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday he is considering expanding support for Western and Arab operations against the Islamic State group to include military involvement. -- His comments Tuesday to Turkish reporters in New York mark a potential shift in Turkey's position on international efforts to fight the group, hours after the U.S. and Arab allies launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria. -- Erdogan spoke on the sidelines of an annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he expects a more robust role for Turkey in the fight against the Islamic State group after Ankara secured the release of 49 Turkish hostages that were being held by the extremist group. --Turkey, a U.S. ally and NATO member, has so far not committed to a U.S.-led coalition to take on the militants, who have swallowed large chunks of Syria and Iraq. It made commitments at various regional conferences to help in the effort against the Islamic State group, but help has been limited so far, Kerry said. -- On Tuesday, Erdogan seemed to signal that might change. -- "Of course, we will do our part. God willing, we will also discuss it together with our government," Erdogan told reporters according to Turkey's DHA news agency. -- Asked what role Turkey was considering, he said: "It includes everything. Both military and political." -- President Barack Obama was not scheduled to have a formal bilateral meeting with Erdogan in New York, though the leaders are likely to have some interaction on the sidelines of the session. -- Turkey is a main backer of Syrian rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, and has allowed thousands of foreign fighters cross into Syria along their common border. - More, MSN

Afghan President Hamid Karzai slams U.S. government policy in Afghanistan --- KABUL – Just days before he leaves office, Afghan President Hamid Karzai slammed the United States during his farewell address, saying the U.S. war effort had failed to make Afghanistan a peaceful nation. -- Karzai, who will be replaced by President-elect Ashraf Ghani on Monday, accused the United States government of spending the past 13 years focused on “its own interests” instead of what was best for the people of Afghanistan. -- “We don’t have peace because Americans didn’t want peace,” Karzai told a gathering of several hundred Afghan government employees. -- “If the U.S. wants Afghanistan to be a good friend, it needs to match its words with actions,” Karzai later added. --- Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, when the NATO coalition installed Karzai in office, more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and about $100 billion in U.S. tax dollars spent rebuilding the country. Karzai never referenced that commitment in his nationally televised speech, prompting a rare rebuke from U.S. Ambassador James B. Cunningham. -- In a meeting with Western reporters Tuesday evening, Cunningham called Karzai’s remarks “ungracious and ungrateful.” -- “It makes me kind of sad,” Cunningham said. “His remarks, which were uncalled for, do a disservice to the American people and dishonor the sacrifices that Americans have made here … and continue to make.” --- In an interview, Karzai spokesman Aimal Faizi said Karzai has repeatedly stressed that he appreciates what U.S. troops and taxpayers have done to try to help Afghanistan. -- But Faizi said Karzai strongly believes that the U.S. government hasn’t been aggressive enough in confronting Pakistan over “insurgent sanctuaries” on that side of the border. Karzai also believes that the United States, working in conjunction with Pakistan, “sabotaged” the Afghan government’s efforts to reach a negotiated peace with the Taliban, Faizi said. -- “The president believes, and the Afghan public believes, ‘this is not our war, and this war has been forced upon us,’ ” Faizi said. “The president’s focus over the last 13 years has been to stop this war, which is not ours, and to do that we had a successful war strategy … but those points were never taken seriously by the U.S. government.” --- The public split between Karzai and the U.S. government is a fitting end to Karzai’s 13 years in office. Though U.S. leaders credit him with keeping Afghanistan intact despite a continued Taliban insurgency, relations between the two governments have soured dramatically since President Obama took office in 2009. -- In 2009, when he competed for a second full term in office, Karzai accused the United States of meddling in the election and secretly working to oust him. -- In subsequent years, Karzai has lobbed terse statements at the U.S. military over allegations of civilian casualties, eventually barring American troops from entering the homes of Afghans during counter-terrorism missions. -- And Karzai has refused to sign a long-term security agreement allowing U.S. troops to remain in the country after this year, despite the fact that Secretary of State John F. Kerry had spent months negotiating the deal with the Afghan government. --- Both Ghani and Abdullah have pledged to immediately sign the security agreement, which will allow the U.S. to keep nearly 10,000 troops in Afghanistan next year. -- Though he criticized Karzai’s remarks, Cunningham stressed that the outgoing president’s comments do not reflect the views of other Afghans. -- “I am absolutely confident in reassuring Americans that Afghans themselves absolutely value and are grateful for the sacrifice and commitment of the United States for the future of this country,” Cunningham said. -- The U.S. government is expected to spend as much as $8 billion annually over the next decade in support of the Afghan military and reconstruction effort. --- Last week, The Washington Post reported that the Afghan government needs an additional $537 million from the United States and other international donors so it can pay its bills through the end of the year. -- Cunningham acknowledged that need, saying the country’s financial problems will be an “urgent issue” for the incoming Afghan government. Once the U.S. government can more closely evaluate the problem, Cunningham said, it will likely try help by expediting funds that have been appropriated by Congress but not yet spent. -- “This isn’t going to be new money,” Cunningham said. - More, Tim Craig, Washingtonpost

U.S. expands war against Islamic State with airstrikes in Syria --- U.S. military leaders said Tuesday their aerial bombardment of Syria was only the beginning of a prolonged campaign that will continue intermittently for months and will become more difficult as targeted militants seek refuge in populated areas. -- The United States is now attacking two sets of enemies in the region: the Islamic State, a growing movement of jihadists seeking to create its own country in the Middle East, and the Khorasan Group, a smaller network affiliated with al-Qaeda that officials say is plotting against Europe and the United States. -- At the same time, as the U.S. military and its Arab partners prepare more airstrikes in Syria in the coming days, they will have to contend with another adversary: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. -- Although U.S. officials said they weren’t targeting Assad or his forces, many of the Sunni Muslim allies in President Obama’s coalition would like to see his government finally collapse after a devastating three-year civil war. Whether the coalition’s intervention in Syria will eventually help or hurt Assad represents one of the greatest unknowns in a military campaign filled with uncertainty. -- Army Lt. Gen. William C. Mayville Jr., director of operations for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, said the objectives set for the U.S.-led war in Iraq and now Syria could take years to complete. The attacks in Syria marked the start of a new phase, coming six weeks after the U.S. military began a similar campaign of airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in neighboring Iraq. - More, Craig Whitlock, Washingtonpost

Obama: ‘I still have a lot of debt to pay’ to Hillary Clinton --- President Obama said Tuesday "one of the best decisions" he made in office "was to ask Hillary Clinton to serve as our nation’s secretary of state." -- "I’ll always be grateful for her extraordinary leadership representing our nation around the world," he said at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. “And I still have a lot of debt to pay" to his former secretary of state because her frenetic schedule -- the State Department said she traveled 956,733 miles in the position -- kept the Clintons apart. -- "Hillary put in a lot of miles during her tenure as secretary of state. She has the post-administration glow right now," Obama said. "She looks much more rested." -- Of course, with the 2016 race just around the corner, that may be a temporary condition. -- Obama thanked Bill Clinton for his "friendship and leadership" -- and offered something in return. -- There may be no presidential perk more envied -- at least by gridlock-plagued New Yorkers -- than the official motorcade. When you're commander-in-chief, forget traffic -- you don't have to worry about traffic lights, either. -- And so Obama offered a very pregnant Chelsea Clinton a lift to the hospital should she go into labor during his remarks. "I was just discussing with President Clinton that if Chelsea begins delivery while I'm speaking, she has my motorcade and will be able to navigate traffic," Obama said. "Because actually, it's pretty smooth for me during the week. I don't know what the problem is. Everybody hypes the traffic, but I haven't noticed." -- A motorcade does tend to smooth that out. - More, Katie Zezima, Washingtonpost

Missing Afghan soldiers taken into US custody at Canadian border --- US officials says three Afghan army soldiers, who went missing from Cape Cod base, are charged with immigration violations -- Three Afghanistan national army officers who vanished during training in Massachusetts were placed in the custody of US immigration and customs enforcement on Tuesday after being detained on the Canadian border, authorities said. -- The agency, in a brief statement, said the officers faced removal proceedings after being charged with administrative immigration violations. A spokesman for ICE said the agency could not provide more details on the charges or say where the men were being held. --- US authorities have stressed that they do not believe the men posed any danger to the public. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who had been briefed over the weekend, said on Monday the soldiers had been fully vetted before entering the US, adding there was speculation within the military that they might be seeking to defect. - More, Associated Press in Boston, Guardian

Ghani 'seen moving quickly to sign pact on foreign forces' in Afghanistan --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan's next president, Ashraf Ghani, is expected to sign legal documents within 24 hours of taking office next week allowing foreign troops to stay in his country beyond 2014, a senior NATO diplomat said on Tuesday. -- NATO plans to end combat operations in Afghanistan at the end of this year and to leave a smaller training and advisory force in the country from next year to assist Afghan security forces in their fight against a resurgent Taliban insurgency. -- But those plans were called into question first by outgoing President Hamid Karzai's refusal to sign documents establishing a legal basis for U.S. and other NATO troops to stay on and then by a long deadlock over the election of a new president amid allegations of fraud. -- Ghani, a former finance minister, was named president-elect on Sunday after he signed a deal to share power with his opponent, ending months of turmoil and removing an obstacle to the signing of a bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the United States and a "status of forces agreement" (SOFA) with NATO. -- "Ghani ... will be inaugurated next Monday, the 29th, and we anticipate that within about 24 hours of inauguration he will sign the BSA and we hope the SOFA as well," the senior NATO diplomat said. -- "So that we would potentially next Tuesday be in a position where all the pieces have fallen in place for NATO to do its post-2014 mission," he said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity. -- The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has around 41,000 troops in Afghanistan, nearly three-quarters of them American. -- From next year, about 12,000 foreign troops, including about 8,000 Americans, are likely to stay on as part of a NATO-led training and advisory mission while some 1,800 Americans will conduct counter-terrorism missions. - More, http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/23/afghanistan-nato-idINKCN0HI24820140923?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Monitors of Afghan Vote Are Said to Back Secrecy --- KABUL, Afghanistan — The decision by Afghan election officials to announce a new president on Sunday without releasing the final vote count came as a result of pressure from senior Western officials, including the head of the United Nations mission that sponsored a total audit of the vote, according to three Western diplomats and three senior election officials. -- The omission of the results was a requirement by the losing candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, before he joined a national unity government with the declared winner, Ashraf Ghani, officials said. Mr. Abdullah had argued that releasing the numbers would legitimize an election result that was inherently invalid because of rampant ballot-box stuffing. -- Despite widespread relief on Sunday that five months of political crisis had been settled without violence, which seemed imminent at several points, many Afghans were angry that the final tally remained secret. Despite the threat of Taliban violence, millions of voters had turned out for an election runoff that ended up looking more like a deal among elites than a democratic exercise. --- During weeks of contentious negotiations between the presidential campaigns, American, European and United Nations officials were at various points on both sides of the debate over whether to release the results, according to interviews. -- However, intense concern over the potential for violence and a long delay of important political decisions, including an agreement to allow Western troops to stay in Afghanistan past 2014, moved most American and United Nations officials toward a consensus on withholding or delaying the final results. -- Jan Kubis, the head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, known as Unama, became the face of that consensus in talks with the Independent Election Commission, according to interviews with senior Afghan and Western officials, some of whom would speak only on condition of anonymity because of political tensions. -- The Afghan election commission was initially opposed to withholding the vote totals, insisting that the law required the release of a final vote count and details like the number of fraudulent ballots. -- Mr. Kubis visited the election commission twice to persuade members to change their stance, according to Sharifa Zurmati, one of the election commissioners. -- “Jan Kubis brought this message to the I.E.C. and requested that the I.E.C. should announce the winner and not the vote percentage or figures,” Ms. Zurmati said. “We as commissioners met and agreed to do that for the sake of the national interest of the country, to avoid the country from moving toward chaos.” -- She added that Mr. Kubis had said he was asking for a delay in announcing the results at the request of both candidates. --- An official in charge of election monitoring for Mr. Ghani’s campaign, Halim Fadai, confirmed that Mr. Kubis had pushed the decision, though he was more critical. -- “He argued that the opposing team are armed and they will create a crisis,” Mr. Fadai said. “This is very unfortunate. I think the United Nations instead of supporting democracy has bowed down to the pressure of the warlords.” --- Officials at the election commission said they would release the results later, but did not specify whether that would happen before or after the inauguration for Mr. Ghani, which has been scheduled for next Monday. -- In a statement, the United Nations mission stood by the integrity of the audit, an examination of every ballot box that involved hundreds of professional election observers and experts with the United Nations Development Program, Western embassies and the European Union. -- “The I.E.C. provided a full breakdown of the results to both candidates from the presidential runoff and is committed to publishing the full results in due course,” said a Unama statement issued on Monday. -- But internal election commission documents portraying the final audit results had already begun circulating. --- Commission documents obtained from separate sources by The New York Times matched and were described as authentic by several officials with knowledge of the audit. According to the documents, Mr. Ghani was determined to have won with 3.94 million validated votes, or 55 percent, and Mr. Abdullah was determined to have received 3.19 million valid votes, 45 percent. --- Regardless of their problems with the audit, some of the European observers were distressed with the decision not to release the audit results. “I don’t see, by which almost neocolonial attitude, transparency should be denied to Afghan citizens, whereas our citizens from California to Sweden demand to know the details of political decision-making,” said Thijs Berman, the chief of the European Union observer mission to Afghanistan. -- “If the results are too uncertain, one can defend that, but that should be said to Afghan citizens,” Mr. Berman added. “I agree that there’s no other way out than this political agreement, but I do think the public is entitled to know the results.” --- A former senior Afghan official close to the process said that American diplomats had initially balked at Mr. Abdullah’s suggestion that the vote total be kept secret. -- Regardless of the reasoning, though, some Afghan officials said the Western-brokered deal was clearly a hypocritical exercise. -- “This tells the Afghan people that the international community, with their slogans of democracy, have just put another nail in the coffin of democracy in Afghanistan,” said Mr. Fadai, the election monitoring official for Mr. Ghani’s campaign. - Read More, ROD NORDLAND, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/23/world/asia/23afghanistan.html?ref=world

U.S. and Allies Strike ISIS Targets in Syria --- BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United States and five Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign against the Islamic State and at least one other extremist group in Syria for the first time early Tuesday, targeting the groups’ bases, training camps and checkpoints in at least four provinces, according to the United States military and Syrian activists. -- The intensity of the attacks struck a fierce opening blow against the jihadists of the Islamic State, scattering its forces and damaging the network of facilities it has built in Syria that helped fuel its seizure of a large part of Iraq this year. -- Separate from the attacks on the Islamic State, the United States Central Command, or Centcom, said that American forces acting alone “took action” against “a network of seasoned Al Qaeda veterans” from the Khorasan group in Syria to disrupt “imminent attack planning against the United States and Western interests.” -- Officials did not reveal where or when such attacks might take place. --- The extent of the damage caused by the strikes remained unclear. Centcom said the wave of fighter planes, bombers, drones and cruise missiles struck 14 targets linked to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. -- “All aircraft safely exited the strike areas,” the statement said. -- Almost 50 cruise missiles were launched from two American vessels in the Red Sea and the north of the Persian Gulf, it said, adding that four other attacks were launched on militant targets in Iraq in the same period, bringing the total there to 194. --- The intensity and scale of the strikes were greater than those launched by the United States in Iraq, where it has been bombing select Islamic State targets for months. The air campaign also marks the widest scale direct military intervention into the Syria crisis since it began more than three years ago. -- Centcom identified the Arab states participating in the campaign as Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Their participation is seen as important to limit criticisms that the United States is waging war alone against Muslims. But their role varied between support for the strikes and participation, the military said. - Read More, NYTimes

نخستین رئیس جمهوری انتخابی افغانستان خداحافظی کرد --- حامد کرزی نخستین رئیس جمهوری منتخب افغانستان پس از چهار دور زمامداری و سیزده سال حکومت سرانجام با کارمندان دولت، در مراسمی در کاخ ریاست جمهوری خداحافظی کرد. -- آقای کرزی هنگام سخنرانی به ده‌ها نفر از کارمندان دولتی گفت که این مراسم به هدف خداحافظی با "شما که در سیزده سال گذشته در ساختن این خاک و در تهداب گذاری نهاد‌ها با من و معاون صاحب‌ها، قدم به قدم همراهی کردید" برگزار شده است. -- آقای کرزی از "دست‌آوردها" و فراز و فرودهای حکومت سیزده ساله‌اش یاد کرد و گفت که سیزده سال پیش اداره دولتی در افغانستان اصلا وجود نداشت و حالا "صدها مرتبه" بهتر شده است. -- او گفت: "افغانستان امروز صاحب نظام دولتی است، حکومت دارد، نظام دارد و دستگاه دولتی و حکومتی در هر ساحه کاری. پس برای کشور ما اساس دولت قوی و مسبوط و بالاخره به زودی خودکفا و به پای خود ایستاده... تنها از طریق اداره قوی ممکن است که امروز به بخشی از آن رسیدیم." --- آقای کرزی تشکیل اداره مستقل اصلاحات اداری را از دیگر محصولات حکومت خود خواند و گفت که هیچگاهی در مقرری ها دست نداشته و در کار خدمات ملکی مداخله نکرده است بلکه "کاغذهای مقرری ها را نادیده امضا کرده" تا به گفته او حکومت قوی شود و اساس یک دستگاه و سیستم گذاشته شود. --- "صلح در دست ما نیست" -- آقای کرزی در این سخنرانی بی پرده از پاکستان و آمریکا انتقاد کرد و گفت که اگر این دو کشور "صداقت می‌داشتند" در افغانستان صلح و امنیت برقرار شده بود. -- او گفت که برای تامین صلح در افغانستان تلاشی که برای متقاعد کردن پاکستان کرده "در تاریخ افغانستان هیچ رهبری نکرده است." -- آقای کرزی تاکید کرد که جنگ افغانستان "جنگ بیگانه‌ها است که در پرتو منافع "بیگانه‌ها صورت می‌گیرد" و افغان‌ها قربانی این جنگ اند و تا زمانی که پاکستان و آمریکا نخواهند در افغانستان صلح نمی‌آید. -- رئیس جمهوری افغانستان افزود: "ما با آمریکا و پاکستان دوستی می‌خواهیم و با آمریکا روابط عمیق و بهتر و استراتژیک می‌خواهیم ولی آمریکا با افغانستان راه صداقت و دوستی را در پیش گیرد، افغانستان دوست خوب شان می شود به شرطی که حرف و عمل شان یکی شود." -- او به حکومت بعدی توصیه کرد که با غرب راه احتیاط را در پیش گیرد و متوجه منافع افغانستان در تامین روابط با آمریکا و سایر کشورها باشد. --- آقای کرزی گفت که از دلایل ناکامی روند صلح این بود که "آمریکا اهداف خود را داشت و خواهان این صلح نبود و دوم این که پاکستان از افغانستان دو چیز می خواست؛ یکی به رسمیت شناختن خط دیورند و دیگر در دست داشتن کنترل سیاسی خارجی افغانستان که ابدا حاضر نبوده‌ایم." --- دوشنبه هفته آینده در کابل مراسم بزرگی برای اولین انتقال قدرت مسالمت آمیز در تاریخ افغانستان از یک رئیس جمهوری منتخب به رئیس جمهوری منتخب دیگر برگزار می‌شود. -- آقای کرزی می‌گوید که تدارک برگزاری بهترین مراسم تحلیف را دیده اند و قرار است محفلی بزرگ با حضور هزاران نفر از شهروندان افغان و مهمانان خارجی در کابل برگزار شود. --- در پایان سخنرانی خود گفت که در کابل می‌ماند و با خانواده‌اش به "زندگی در همین خاک" ادامه خواهد داد. - More, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/09/140923_k03_karzai_goodbye_ceremony.shtml

Afghanistan's Karzai slams U.S., Pakistan in farewell speech --- (Reuters) - Outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday blamed the United States for his country's long war, a final swipe at the country that helped bring him to power 13 years ago but towards which he has become increasingly bitter. -- His farewell speech came days ahead of the planned swearing in of a new president, Ashraf Ghani, after months of potentially violent crisis over a disputed election that ended in a power-sharing deal, yet to be tested, with rival Abdullah Abdullah. -- Karzai blamed both the United States and neighboring Pakistan for the continuing war with the Taliban-led insurgency and warned the new government to be "be extra cautious in relations with the U.S. and the West". --- The conflict kills thousands of Afghans each year and has claimed the lives of more than 2,200 American and other international forces in Afghanistan. -- "One of the reasons was that the Americans did not want peace because they had their own agenda and objectives," Karzai said. He did not elaborate, but in the past has suggested continued violence has been an excuse for the United States to keep bases in the country. -- He also accused Pakistani power players of trying to control Afghanistan's foreign policy. -- "Today, I tell you again that the war in Afghanistan is not our war, but imposed on us and we are the victims," Karzai said. "No peace will arrive unless the U.S. or Pakistan want it." -- In recent years, Karzai has sharply denounced the United States for the deaths of Afghan civilians in air strikes and for holding suspected Afghan militants prisoner without trial. The relationship deteriorated to near breaking point this year, when Karzai refused to sign a key security pact with the United States. -- He said he had traveled to Pakistan, where much of the Taliban's leadership is believed to be based, at least 20 times seeking a negotiated end to the war, but his efforts were thwarted. --- Neither the U.S. nor the Pakistani embassies in Kabul had immediate comment on Karzai's speech. --- Karzai has been in power since 2001 after being plucked from virtual obscurity by the United States following the overthrow of the Taliban's radical Islamist government for sheltering al Qaeda's terrorist leadership after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. -- The deterioration of his relationship with the West was seen by some as an effort to shape his legacy as an independent leader rather than a U.S. puppet as maintained by the Taliban - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/23/us-afghanistan-karzai-idUSKCN0HI0LY20140923

Afghans ask if it was worth risk after election results suppressed --- (Reuters) - Afghans risked their lives to vote in an election supposed to mark the country's first democratic transfer of power. More than 50 people were killed during the run-off ballot alone. -- Yet the outcome of the second round more than three months ago has been kept a secret, and power between the two candidates was carved up behind closed doors and announced at the weekend. -- Many of the millions who braved the threat of attack by Taliban insurgents during two rounds of voting are wondering why they bothered. -- "I didn't vote in the run-off but I'm very disappointed for those who did," said Aimal Azim, a Kabul bookseller. -- "Their votes went into a black hole. I'll never participate in elections in the future and won't let my family either." -- When preliminary results put Ghani ahead, Abdullah claimed widespread vote rigging, throwing Afghanistan's exercise in democracy into turmoil. -- The United States intervened to thrash out a compromise, and the United Nations oversaw a $10 million audit that painstakingly recounted every ballot cast, with hundreds of observers flown in to help. --- If that was designed to bring transparency to the process, it failed. Ghani has been declared the winner, but only after signing a power-sharing deal and agreeing that the outcome of the vote should remain a secret --- DOCUMENTS SHOW GHANI WON -- Despite efforts to keep secret the outcome of an election that cost some $130 million to stage, Reuters has obtained two documents that show the audit results. -- One was an eight-page summary provided by an ex-government official, while the second was a spreadsheet provided by a member of the election commission. -- Both documents showed that about 7.1 million votes were included in the final tally, indicating that nearly a million votes were either thrown out or failed to reach Kabul for inspection. -- The figure was verified by both camps, while the election commission has declined to comment on the results, saying that the audit failed to identify all the fraud committed. --- As for the breakdown, both documents showed that declared president Ghani won with 55.27 percent of the vote, ahead of Abdullah with 44.73 percent. -- Ghani's team confirmed the authenticity of both documents, while Abdullah's camp verified the figures but declined to elaborate further, sharply criticizing their circulation on the grounds it violated an agreement made with the commission. --- "We strongly condemn the release of the percentages on election results. It is against everything the election commission has promised us," Fazel Rahman Orya, a senior member of Abdullah's team, told Reuters. --- Western officials shared the mixture of hope and cynicism voiced by Afghans. -- At one gathering, a senior Western official proposed a toast not to the first "democratically" elected leader, but "the first Afghan leader to ... emerge from a democratic process". - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/22/us-afghanistan-election-dismay-idUSKCN0HH25520140922

باختر - موافقتنامه میان دو تیم انتخاباتی در مورد ساختارحکومت وحدت ملی - کابل 29 سنبله سال 1393 --- همکاری واقعی سیاسی میان رئیس جمهور و رئیس اجرایی، تحت قیادت رئیس جمهور، باعث تحکیم و ثبات در کشور می ‌گردد. حکومت وحدت ملی با پابندی به اجماع سیاسی و تعهد به اصلاحات و تصمیمگیری مشترک، آرمان‌های مردم افغانستان را برای تامین صلح، ثبات، امنیت، حاکمیت قانون، عدالت، رشد اقتصادی و عرضۀ خدمات، با توجه خاص به زنان، جوانان، علمای کرام و اشخاص آسیب پذیر، برآورده می ‌سازد. --- این موافقتنامه به تنهایی نمی‌تواند رابطه میان رئیس جمهور و رئیس اجرایی را به صورت کامل تعریف کند، بلکه این رابطه باید در نتیجۀ تعهد هر دو جانب به مشارکت، تعاون، همکاری و مهم تر از همه، مسوولیت پذیری در برابر مردم افغانستان تعریف گردد. رئیس جمهور و رئیس اجرایی متعهد و مکلف به کار مشترک با روحیه همکاری با همدیگر میباشند. -- تا زمان تعدیل قانون اساسی و ایجاد ُپست صدراعظم اجرایی، پُست رییس اجرایی بر اساس ماده پنجاهم قانون اساسی، ماده دوم اعلامیه مشترک و ضمیمۀ آن با فرمان رییس جمهور ایجاد می‌گردد. رییس اجرایی و معاونین در مراسم تحلیف رییس جمهور معرفی می‌گردند. --- رئیس اجرایی حکومت، با وظایف صدراعظم اجرایی بر اساس پیشنهاد کاندیدای دوم و موافقۀ رئیس جمهور تعیین می‌ گردد. رئیس اجرایی به رئیس جمهور پاسخگو میباشد. -- تشریفات خاص برای رئیس اجرایی در فرمان رئیس جمهور در نظر گرفته می‌شود. --- با در نظرداشت ماده‌های 60 ،۶4 ،71 و 77 قانون اساسی، رئیس جمهور طی فرمانی، صلاحیت‌های اجرایی مشخصی را به رئیس اجرایی تفویض می ‌کند که موارد عمدۀ این صلاحیت‌ ها از قرار ذیل است. -- More, http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/dari/political-news.html

Editorial : The Guardian view on Afghanistan’s new government: better late than never --- It won’t be Surrey, a British general said earlier this year, discussing the approaching Afghan elections. After two votes, much wrangling over cheating, an elaborate investigation of irregularities, and anguished mediation by the US and the UN, it’s even less like Surrey. Afghanistan finally has a new government, but it is one uneasily based on power-sharing between the declared winner, Ashraf Ghani, and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah. Neither would concede victory to the other after the second-round elections in June, and the only way to prevent a complete collapse of the political process was to offer a deal that would give both men and their followers roles in a “government of national unity”. US secretary of state John Kerry backed that up with threats that Afghanistan could lose the aid it desperately needs if they did not settle and, grudgingly and cantankerously, they eventually have. With the Taliban returning to areas from which they had long been cleared and the economy in disarray, this delay, and the divisions that caused it, are exactly what Afghanistan did not need. -- There are two ways of looking at what has happened. One is to see the new government as almost bound to fail, as the rival blocks manoeuvre for advantage, exploit their ministerial posts for every bit of patronage they can extract, maintain competing, and corrupt, networks of allies in the provinces, and use the veto power inherent in such an arrangement to sabotage policies they do not like. The record for power-sharing of this kind is not good. In Cambodia and Zimbabwe, one partner swallowed the other. In Cyprus, government was paralysed, and war followed. In Iraq, one community was gradually excluded, with the unhappy results we see today. In Northern Ireland, where the phrase “power-sharing” first came into use, the picture is better, but there you have joint pressure from London and Dublin to keep people up to the mark. -- The more hopeful view is that in the Afghan polity central government is weak and needs as many connections to local power centres as it can get. President Ghani is an impressive technocrat with a worked-out sheaf of projects for social and economic renewal. The sooner they can be started the better for Afghanistan, divided as it is between relatively prosperous cities and an impoverished countryside. There is also a war to be fought. The Taliban have been making gains, Pakistan continues to meddle, and Afghan security forces are not in good heart. But the Taliban are far from popular, as revolts against their control have demonstrated. If President Ghani and Mr Abdullah, both egotistical men, can really join forces, they could give Afghanistan a real chance of emerging from the chaos and violence that have characterised its life for too many years. - More, Guardian

Afghan Soldiers Found at Canadian Border --- The three officers from Afghanistan’s army who went missing inside the United States have been found trying to cross into Canada. They were located trying to cross at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, New York. The soldiers were on a joint military training exercise in Cape Cod before they disappeared this weekend. Officials were never particularly concerned about their disappearance, though, saying they were fully vetted before they arrived in the U.S. The officers arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 11 and were reported missing by base security personnel late Saturday. Two Afghan policemen recently went missing while in Washington, D.C. for a DEA training program; they were found safe somewhere outside D.C. - More, The Daily Beast

Three missing Afghan Army officers stopped at US-Canadian border, authorities say --- Boston — Three Afghanistan National Army officers who went missing during a training exercise at a Cape Cod military base were detained Monday at the U.S.-Canadian border, Massachusetts law enforcement officials said. -- Massachusetts state police were notified that the three were being questioned by federal authorities at Rainbow Bridge, which connects Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, said spokesman David Procopio, who did not have further details. -- There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon. -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Niagara Falls said they didn't have the men in custody. Messages left for Canada Border Services Agency weren't immediately returned. --- Military officials said the Afghan soldiers had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod. They arrived at Camp Edwards on Sept. 11 and were last seen Saturday at the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis during an off day. -- The soldiers were reported missing by base security personnel Saturday night. They were identified as Maj. Jan Mohammad Arash, Capt. Mohammad Nasir Askarzada and Capt. Noorullah Aminyar. --- Gov. Deval Patrick, who had been briefed over the weekend on the situation, said earlier Monday that the military did not believe the three soldiers posed a danger to the public. -- "They were vetted by the military. They were cleared by the military," Patrick told reporters while he visited a preschool program in Quincy. -- "There is a lot of speculation within the military that they may be trying to defect," he said. -- Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said earlier that 14 Afghans taking part in the Cape Cod military exercise were "thoroughly vetted" prior to coming to the U.S., so officials do not believe they are a threat. -- The Regional Cooperation training exercises have been held annually since 2004 to promote cooperation and interoperability among forces, build functional capacity, practice peacekeeping operations and enhance readiness. -- This year's exercise, which involves more than 200 participants from six nations including the U.S., is scheduled to wrap up Wednesday. Military officials from Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia are also participants. -- Procopio said state police considered it to be a missing persons case, because there was no information that any crimes had been committed. -- More, Bob Salsberg, Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor

KABUL, Afghanistan — Sep 22, 2014 - New Afghan Leader Promises Equal Rights for Women --- Afghanistan's new president-elect pledged in his victory speech on Monday to give women prominent roles in his government and told his nation that women are important to the country's future. -- The remarks by President-elect Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai came a day after the landmark power-sharing deal signed by Afghanistan's two presidential candidates. The agreement resolved a drawn-out dispute that threatened to plunge Afghanistan into political turmoil while complicating the withdrawal of U.S. and foreign troops. -- Ghani Ahmadzai also said his former opponent — Abdullah Abdullah, who will fill the newly created role of government chief executive — has turned from competitor to colleague and that the two are committed to improving Afghanistan. --- The country's election commission on Sunday announced Ghani Ahmadzai as the winner of a two-man runoff, ending an election process that began with a first round of voting in April. The announcement came only hours after Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah signed a political deal to form a national unity government. -- The deal allowed the international community — including the U.S. and NATO — to breathe a sigh of relief, as the settlement greatly decreases the chances of ethnic vote violence. Ghani Ahmadzai has also pledged to sign a security agreement that would allow about 10,000 U.S. military trainers and advisers to remain in the country next year after all U.S. and NATO combat troops withdraw. -- The speech Monday took on the air of a campaign celebration, with a large crowd of supporters in attendance. Ghani Ahmadzai clasped the hands of female supporters and he and others raised their hands over their heads, a notable moment in a country where women are often socially segregated. --- The 65-year-old Ghani Ahmadzai said he wants Afghan women represented at the highest levels of government, including on the Supreme Court, where no female justices have ever served. He continued the theme during the nationally televised speech. -- "In the face of these girls I can see future Afghan leaders," he said as he told his "sisters" in attendance that they have equal rights in society and government. -- Mary Akrami, the head of the Afghan Women's Skills Development Centre, said she welcomed such sentiments but hoped they would be followed by action. She noted that Afghan women suffer heavily from family violence. --- The incoming president is viewed as worldly and well-educated. A former finance minister, he has worked at the World Bank and earned a PhD from New York's Colombia University. -- Perhaps to increase his religious bona fides in a devoutly Muslim country, Ghani Ahmadzai peppered his speech with references to Islam and said God is first and Afghanistan second. -- In a message that appeared to be aimed at power brokers outside of Kabul, Ghani Ahmadzai said the national unity government's aim is to "end all parallel structures." He also promised a public report card every six months on the implementation of the constitution. --- To the annoyance of many Afghans, the election commission did not officially release vote totals of the June runoff — ballots that underwent a long audit for fraud — when it announced Ghani Ahmadzai as the winner. Leaked results showed Ghani Ahmadzai had about 55 percent and Abdullah roughly 45 percent of the vote. - Read More, Associated Press, http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-leader-woman-supreme-court-25667909

نخستین سخنرانی اشرف غنی احمدزی، رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان --- اشرف غنی احمدزی، رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان در نخستین سخنرانی‌اش پس از اعلام نتیجه انتخابات افغانستان گفت که حکومت وحدت ملی، "حکومت قانون، عدالت، شفافیت و مسئولیت خواهد بود." -- کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات افغانستان دیروز اشرف غنی احمدزی را به عنوان رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان اعلام کرد. -- این کمیسیون نتایج دور دوم انتخابات را پس از سه ماه تنش و بحران بدون ذکر جزئیات از جمله تعداد آرا و درصدی آن اعلام کرد. -- پیش از آن اشرف غنی احمدزی و عبدالله عبدالله پس از هفته‌ها گفت‌وگو، موافقتنامه دولت وحدت ملی را امضا کردند که براساس آن نامزدی که بیشترین رای را به دست آورد رئیس جمهوری خواهد شد و پست ریاست اجرایی در اختیار تیم نامزد دیگر قرار خواهد گرفت. --- آقای احمدزی بدون اشاره به جنجال‌های انتخاباتی گفت: "از مردم افغانستان بخاطر حوصله‌مندی‌شان برای طولانی شدن روند انتخابات تشکری می‌کنم." -- او گفت: "بارها اعلام کردم که رقیبان دیروز ما همکاران امروز ما خواهند بود و سیاست حذف را ما حذف خواهیم کرد." -- او گفت که ثبات افغانستان بالاتر از همه چیز است و "ما در عمل ثابت کردیم که ثبات افغانستان را قربانی نمی‌کنیم." -- رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان گفت دولت وحدت ملی نماینده تمام مردم افغانستان است و "هدف واحد اصلاحات گسترده برای تحول متداوم را دنبال می‌کند." -- اشرف غنی احمدزی تاکید کرد که "اصلاحات گسترده" شعار آقای عبدالله و "تحول متداوم" شعار او بوده که اکنون به شعار مشترک دولت وحدت ملی تبدیل شده است. -- اشرف غنی احمدزی تاکید کرد که "اصلاحات گسترده" شعار آقای عبدالله و "تحول متداوم" شعار او بوده که اکنون به شعار مشترک دولت وحدت ملی تبدیل شده است. -- آقای احمدزی وعده داد "هر شش ماه از تطبیق قانون اساسی به ملت بزرگ افغانستان گزارش خواهیم داد." -- در مراسم امروز بیشتر اعضای ارشد تیم انتخاباتی آقای احمدزی حضور داشتند و آقای احمدزی سپاسگذاری ویژه‌ای از صبغت‌الله مجددی رئیس جمهوری پیشین افغانستان و از رهبران جهادی افغانستان به عمل آورد. - BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/09/140922_zs_ashraf_ghani_ahmadzai.shtml

Afghanistan's President-Elect Ghani Promises to Preserve National Unity --- KABUL—Afghanistan's President-elect Ashraf Ghani on Monday promised to work with his former rival Abdullah Abdullah, pledging to preserve national unity after a three-month dispute over the election's results that threatened to push the country toward civil war. -- In a triumphant address to supporters at the Amani lyceum in central Kabul, Mr. Ghani described Mr. Abdullah, who will become the government's chief executive under a deal signed Sunday and brokered by the U.S., as a part of his team. "As I said before, during my campaign, today's rival will be our future colleague," he said. -- Mr. Abdullah, a former foreign minister who has claimed that the election was stolen from him, didn't make public comments on Monday. -- Mr. Ghani is slated to be inaugurated as president on Sept. 29, marking the first democratic transition in Afghan history and ending the 13-year rule of incumbent President Hamid Karzai. Mr. Ghani didn't mention Mr. Karzai by name in his long speech. -- While Mr. Ghani was surrounded by jubilant allies at the ceremony, there was one notable absence: his running mate, Uzbek former warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum. There was no immediate explanation for the vice president-elect's absence. -- In the speech, Mr. Ghani indicated he intends to assert his presidential authority, and won't allow himself to be held hostage to former warlords and other power-brokers on his own or Mr. Abdullah's teams. "The national unity government is not a shareholding company. It is the sharing of responsibilities, not the sharing of power," he said. -- The agreement signed on Sunday calls for "parity" between Mr. Ghani's and Mr. Abdullah's teams in key security and economic posts, and for an "equitable" split of other government jobs. It was reached after Mr. Abdullah complained of massive fraud in the June 14 election, threatening to form a parallel government that could have split the country. -- The U.S. played a major role in bringing the two sides together, and the U.S. ambassador to Kabul, James Cunningham, on Sunday signed as a witness to the deal, along Mr. Karzai and the United Nations envoy. -- The Taliban Monday condemned the agreement and said they wouldn't recognize Mr. Ghani as president. - More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/afghanistans-president-elect-ghani-promises-to-preserve-national-unity-1411402842

1TV Afghanistan Farsi News 21.09.2014 خبرهای فارسی

پژواک - متن موافقتنامۀ حکومت وحدت ملی -- براساس اين توافق، هر نامزدى که بيشترين آرا را کسب نمايد، رييس جمهور ميشود و نامزد دومى براساس فرمان رييس جمهور جديد، به حيث رييس اجرائيوى تعيين ميگردد. -- موافقتنامه میان دو تیم انتخاباتی در مورد ساختار حکومت وحدت ملی کابل، ٢٩ سنبله سال ١٣٩٣ --- افغانستان در این مقطع خاص تاریخی، به یک حکومت مشروع و کارا نیاز دارد که به تطبیق نمودن یک برنامه همه جانبه اصلاحات در راستای توانمندسازی مردم افغانستان متعهد باشد؛ تا در نتیجۀ آن ارزشهای قانون اساسی در زندگی روزمره مردم افغانستان محقق گردد. -- همکاری واقعی سیاسی میان رییس جمهور و رییس اجرایی، تحت قیادت رییس جمهور، باعث تحکیم ثبات در کشور میگردد. --- حکومت وحدت ملی با پابندی به اجماع سیاسی و تعهد به اصلاحات و تصمیم گیری مشترک، آرمانهای مردم افغانستان را برای تامین صلح، ثبات، امنیت، حاکمیت قانون، عدالت، رشد اقتصادی و عرضه خدمات، با توجه خاص به زنان، جوانان، علمای کرام و اشخاص آسیب پذیر، برآورده میسازد. به علاوه، این توافقنامه بر نیاز به مشارکت واقعی و هدفمند و همکاری موثر در امور حکومت؛ به شمول طرح و تطبیق اصلاحات مبتنی میباشد. -- این موافقتنامه به تنهایی خود نمیتواند رابطه میان رییس جمهور و رییس اجرایی را به صورت کامل تعریف کند، بلکه این رابطه باید در نتیجۀ تعهد هر دو جانب به مشارکت، تعاون، همکاری و مهم تر از همه، مسوولیت پذیری در برابر مردم افغانستان تعریف گردد. رییس جمهور و رییس اجرایی متعهد و مکلف به کار مشترک با روحیه همکاری با همدیگر میباشند. - Read More, http://www.elections.pajhwok.com/dr/2014/09/21-11

Afghanistan: UN welcomes conclusion of presidential elections, deal to form unity government --- 21 September 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General and his most senior envoy in Afghanistan welcomed the agreement signed today by presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, to establish a government of national unity, ending months of political uncertainty in the country. -- In separate statements, the UN Chief and Ján Kubiš, his Special Representative for Afghanistan also welcomed the conclusion of the county's months-long presidential polling process and congratulated Mr. Ghani as the President-elect of Afghanistan. -- Applauding the agreement between the two candidates form a unity government, and the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) announcement of the president-elect, the Secretary-General said the new government will face serious challenges. -- “I urge the President-elect, the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, and all political actors in Afghanistan to quickly form the government of national unity,” said Mr. Ban. -- Recalling that the UN-supervised audit has demonstrated that millions of Afghan men and women cast valid votes in the 14 June run-off, the Secretary-General emphasized that international support for the audit was provided to enhance the credibility of the electoral process at the request of the candidates. The audit was unprecedented in its scale, depth and scrutiny, as well as conforming to international best practice and Afghan law. -- “I reiterate the support for Afghanistan expressed by the international community during the Security Council debate on 18 September,” he said, adding that the UN remains committed to working closely with the country's new government. -- Separately, Mr. Kubiš, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said “today's announcement of the presidential election outcome takes the country an essential step nearer to its first ever democratic transition of authority.” -- “We look forward to the inauguration of the new President and appointment of the Chief Executive Officer to help lead the country to more stable and prosperous times.” - Read More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48765&Cr=Afghanistan&Cr1=

قصر سفید از توافق سیاسی نامزدان انتخابات ریاست استقبال کرد --- قصر سفید از توافق سیاسی نامزدان دور دوم انتخابات ریاست جمهوری مبنی بر ایجاد حکومت وحدت ملی استقبال نموده است. -- در اعلامیهٔ که از دفتر مطبوعاتی وزارت خارجه امریکا منتشر شده، آمده که این لحظۀ از دولتمردی فوق العاده بود، هر دو نامزد مردم افغانستان را مقدم شمرده و اطمینان داده اند که اولین انتقال صلح آمیز دموکراتیک در تأریخ کشور شان با حکومت وحدت ملی آغاز میگردد. -- اعلامیه به نقل جان کری وزیر خارجه امریکا نگاشته که امریکایی ها بسیار خوب میدانند که راه دیموکراسی دشوار و چلنج بر انگیز است، اما راهی است که بهترین پیامد را به بار می آورد. این امر در جریان یک شب انجام نمی گیرد. ما نیز انتخابات جنجالی خود را داشتیم و شاهد پیامد های آنها نیز بودیم. من شخصاً شاهد بعضی از آن انتخابات بوده ام. اما چیزی را که سفر هایم به کابل و ساعت ها بحث تیلیفونی با این دو کاندید به من آموخت، این است که افغانستان تا چی اندازه برای موفقیت در این مقطع تأریخی تلاش نموده است. -- آقای کری میگوید که در روز های آینده، افغانستان با گذار از این آزمون بزرگ فرصت های برزگی برای رشد بیشتر دارد. -- به گفتهٔ وی انتخابات ختم کار نیست. این باید آغاز کار باشد تا افغانستان و مردم آن به سوی یک برنامه اصلاحات به پیش رفته و در روند انتخابات بهبودی های را ایجاد نمایند. -- مراسم تحلیف رئیس جمهور جدید، تعیین رئیس اجرایی، و امضای توافقنامه دو جانبه امنیتی و موافقتنامه وضعیت نیرو ها با ناتو فصل جدیدی را در همکاری پایدار ما با افغانستان باز خواهد نمود. -- وخت

Statement by Ambassador Cunningham on the IEC Announcement of Dr. Ashraf Ghani as President-Elect of Afghanistan --- I congratulate Dr. Ashraf Ghani on being named as the new the President-Elect by the Independent Election Commission today, and wish him every success as he takes up the task of leading his country. The United States is eager to work with Dr. Ghani and Dr. Abdullah as they form a strong and legitimate government of national unity, which is representative of all Afghans, and embark on the new government’s program. In that spirit, I urge the supporters of both candidates to come together and to work for the future of their country as Afghans, with shared interests and goals. -- I would like to commend the many Afghans who contributed to the elections process, and especially the Afghan Independent Election Commission, the Independent Election Complaints Commission, and the United Nations for their enormous efforts. The problems with the elections, and the audit, should not overshadow the achievement of a peaceful transfer of political authority and the democratic legitimacy embodied in the many millions of valid votes cast for the two candidates. We look forward to the inauguration of the new president, and the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officer, and to deepening our enduring partnership with the Afghan people. - More, http://kabul.usembassy.gov/pr-092114c.html

Statement by Secretary Kerry on Signing of a Political Agreement Regarding the Electoral Crisis in Afghanistan --- This was a moment of extraordinary statesmanship. These two men have put the people of Afghanistan first, and they've ensured that the first peaceful democratic transition in the history of their country begins with national unity. -- Americans know very well that the road to democracy is contentious and challenging, but it's a road that leads to the best place. It doesn't happen overnight. We've had our own contentious elections and witnessed their aftermath. I've lived some of them. But if my recent visits to Kabul and the hours upon hours on the phone with these two men have taught me anything, it's how invested Afghanistan is in this historic effort. -- In the days to come, Afghanistan has an enormous opportunity to grow stronger from this recent moment of testing. -- Elections are not the end. They must be the beginning, where Afghanistan and its people move forward on a reform agenda and make improvements to the electoral process. -- The inauguration of the new President, appointment of his Chief Executive, and the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement and NATO SOFA will open a new chapter in our enduring partnership with Afghanistan. -- The United States remains determined to honor the Afghan people’s historic achievement by helping their transition succeed. - More, http://kabul.usembassy.gov/uso-092114a.html

Dr. Ashraf Ghani --- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (Pashto: اشرف غني احمدزی‎, Persian: اشرف غنی احمدزی‎) is an Afghan politician, economist and anthropologist. He was elected the President-elect of Afghanistan on September 21, 2014. Usually referred to as Ashraf Ghani, he served as Finance Minister and as the chancellor of Kabul University. -- Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002, Ghani, worked with the World Bank. As the Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery after the collapse of the Taliban government. --- Ghani was born in 1949 in the Logar Province of Afghanistan. He is an ethnic Pashtun of Ahmadzai tribe, he completed his primary and secondary education in Habibia High School in Kabul. He attended the American University in Beirut, where earned his bachelors degree in 1973. Ghani met his future wife, Rula Ghani while studying at the American University of Beirut. He returned to Afghanistan in 1977 to teach anthropology at Kabul University before receiving a government scholarship in 1977 to pursue hisMaster's degree in anthropology at Columbia University in the United States. --- Academic career -- When the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) communist party came to power in 1978, most of the male members of his family were imprisoned and Ghani was stranded in the United States. He stayed at Columbia University and earned his PhD in Cultural Anthropology. He was invited to teach at University of California, Berkeley in 1983, and then at Johns Hopkins University from 1983 to 1991. During this period he became a frequent commentator on the BBC Farsi/Persian and Pashto services, broadcast in Afghanistan. He has also attended the Harvard-INSEAD and World Bank-Stanford Graduate School of Business's leadership training program. He served on the faculty of Kabul University (1973–77), Aarhus University in Denmark (1977), University of California, Berkeley (1983), and Johns Hopkins University (1983–1991). His academic research was on state-building and social transformation. In 1985 he completed a year of fieldwork researching Pakistani Madrasas as a Fulbright Scholar. He also studied comparative religion. --- Ghani was tipped as a candidate to succeed Kofi Annan as Secretary General of the United Nations at the end of 2006[4] in a front page report in The Financial Times (September 18, 2006) that quoted him as saying, “I hope to win, through ideas.” Two distinguished experts on international relations told the paper that "the UN would be very lucky indeed to have him" and praised his "tremendous intellect, talent and capacity." --- In 2005 Ghani gave keynote speeches for meetings including the American Bar Association’s International Rule of Law Symposium, the Trans-Atlantic Policy Network, the annual meeting of the Norwegian Government’s development staff, CSIS’ meeting on UN reform, the UN-OECD-World Bank’s meeting on Fragile States and TEDGlobal.[5] He contributed to the Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. -- Read More, From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashraf_Ghani

Ghani is new president of Afghanistan, official says --- Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai is the new president of Afghanistan, and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, is CEO, Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nooristani announced in a news conference in Kabul Sunday. -- Nooristani didn't disclose the percentage of their votes from the June runoff election. He also didn't take any questions from journalists. -- Ghani and Abdullah signed a power-sharing agreement earlier Sunday after months of infighting over allegations of voting fraud and manipulation. -- The U.S. State Department congratulated both candidates, as well as the people of Afghanistan "who courageously went to the polls to vote on April 5 and again on June 14, defying Taliban threats to exercise their right to vote and to take their part in advancing democracy in Afghanistan," according to a statement. -- The statement also recognized incumbent President Hamid Karzai for 13 years of "strong leadership." -- The lengthy dispute between Ghani and Abdullah had put off the selection of a successor to Karzai and raised fears of increased instability in the fragile, war-torn country. -- But the two rivals embraced after signing a deal for a national unity government in a televised ceremony in the capital, Kabul, on Sunday. -- Under the agreement, Ghani will create by decree the position of chief executive officer for the runner-up. The CEO role will have prime ministerial functions until the constitution can be amended to create a permanent position of prime minister. -- The deal also calls for the two candidates' teams to share senior government positions equally between them. - Read More, http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/21/world/asia/afghanistan-politics/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Afghanistan Presidential Rivals Sign Power-Sharing Deal --- KABUL-Afghanistan's two rival presidential candidates Sunday agreed to share power in a unity government, ending a three-month crisis over the disputed election's results and opening the way for President Hamid Karzai to stand down after 13 years at the helm. -- The fragile deal, brokered by Mr. Karzai, the U.S. and the United Nations, was followed by a declaration from the election commission's chairman that named former finance minister Ashraf Ghani as the country's next president, and that wished his rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, success in the new position of Afghanistan's chief executive. -- Sunday's deal aims make sure that discord over the June 14 election—which was meant to mark the country's first democratic transition but was discredited by widespread fraud—doesn't push Afghanistan into civil war just as U.S. forces withdraw. --- .The White House Sunday welcomed the agreement, saying that it "helps bring closure to Afghanistan's political crisis, and restores confidence in the way forward." --- "I haven't voted for Ashraf Ghani to share power but to rule the country," said Muqim Khan, a 32-year-old roadside vendor in Kabul. "This is not an election. They should have asked people not to vote at the beginning, and should have split the government among themselves." -- "I have voted with all my family for Ashraf Ghani, but now it has been proven to us that our votes do not mean anything," agreed another supporter of Mr. Ghani, 40-year-old shopkeeper Mohammad Gul. "I have lost faith in elections." - Read More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/afghanistan-presidential-rivals-sign-power-sharing-deal-1411287148?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB11393057870935543402104580167400328539306.html

Ashraf Ghani Is Named President of Afghanistan by Elections Panel --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s election commission on Sunday pronounced Ashraf Ghani the winner of the country’s presidential election, but it withheld an announcement of the total votes won, despite an exhaustive and costly audit process overseen by the United Nations and financed by the American government. -- The suppression of the vote totals was apparently the final step necessary for the two presidential candidates to sign an American-brokered agreement to form a power-sharing government, giving the runner-up, Abdullah Abdullah, substantial powers in what is, in effect, the post of prime minister. The two men signed that deal even before Mr. Ghani was formally declared the winner by the Independent Election Commission later in the day. -- On Saturday, Mr. Abdullah’s aides said he would refuse to agree to the deal unless the vote totals were kept secret, since he regards the election as heavily tainted by fraud. -- Critics of the election commission claimed that it had been pressured by the international community not to announce the results to get Mr. Abdullah back on board with the agreement. --- Democracy advocates were aghast at the whole process, although American diplomats hailed it as Afghanistan’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power. -- “Many people risked their lives to vote, some lost their lives, and this is a very bad precedent; to persuade people to come back and vote again will be very hard,” said Nader Nadery, chairman of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan. -- But an American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the result “absolutely” could be called democratic and that “the process was in accordance to the electoral law.” -- Halim Fadai, who was in charge of the observer team for the winning candidate, Mr. Ghani, denounced the commission’s suppression of the vote totals. “The international community gives out democracy slogans while putting nails in the coffin of democracy of Afghanistan,” Mr. Fadai said. --- Mr. Fadai said officials from the Independent Election Commission had told him that Jan Kubis, who heads of the United Nations mission here, pressured them not to announce the actual results until a week had gone by. -- “He argued that the opposing team are armed and they will create a crisis,” he said. “This is very unfortunate. I think the United Nations, instead of supporting democracy, has bowed down to the pressure of the warlords.” -- A spokesman for Mr. Kubis could not be reached for a response to Mr. Fadai’s claims. --- In a Twitter post, Mr. Fadai published what he said was the commission’s final tally sheet, showing that the vote total was 3.9 million (55.3 percent) for Mr. Ghani and 3.1 million (44.7 percent) for Mr. Abdullah, with 7.1 million votes cast. That suggested that a million votes had been ruled invalid by the election commission, since originally it announced that 8.1 million people voted in the June 14 runoff election between Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah. -- The commission did not say how many votes it had ruled invalid after what had been billed as a 100 percent audit of the vote. -- Mr. Nadery, whose organization also monitored the vote, said it had estimated that the final total would be about 54 percent to 45 percent in favor of Mr. Ghani, even after fraudulent votes were discounted. -- The agreement provides for Mr. Ghani to appoint Mr. Abdullah, or someone he nominates, to take a new post called the chief executive officer. The post has substantial powers over the cabinet and a new body, called a council of ministers, while not removing the presidential powers outlined in the country’s Constitution. - Read More, ROD NORDLAND, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/world/asia/afghan-presidential-election.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSum&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Afghan presidential contenders sign election deal --- A deal to form a government of national unity in Afghanistan has been signed at a ceremony in Kabul. -- The signing - broadcast live on national TV - comes after months of wrangling following presidential elections in April and June. -- Under the deal, Ashraf Ghani becomes president while runner-up Abdullah Abdullah nominates a CEO with powers similar to those of prime minister. -- The power-sharing deal was finally reached after a comprehensive audit of all eight million votes which began in July. -- BBC Afghanistan correspondent David Loyn, who has seen a copy of the final document, says the deal averts potential violence by supporters of Mr Abdullah. -- The agreement says the new CEO will be answerable to Mr Ghani, although he has lost a battle to be sworn in after the announcement of the election result, our correspondent says. --- The creation of the government of national unity will now diminish the importance of the election result. I understand that after the audit the final gap between the two candidates was less than three points - a significant cut from Ashraf Ghani's lead after the first count of 13 points. -- A president who has built an international reputation as an incorruptible technocrat is tarnished by the fact that most of the fraud in the election was discovered to be in his votes. -- The new Afghan government will have a cabinet of ministers, including the CEO and two deputies, chaired by the president who will take strategic decisions. Day-to-day administration will be carried out by a new Council of Ministers, chaired by the CEO, and including all ministers. -- One major issue that divided both camps was over appointments. Dr Abdullah won the fight to be able to appoint senior positions on terms of "parity" with Dr Ghani, and "the two teams will be equally represented at the leadership level". -- But appointments further down will be "equitably" shared - so there will not be a one-for-one handout of jobs across the country. Dr Ghani is impatient to make major reforms, and has secured the wording he wants on the formation of a "merit-based" mechanism to appoint senior officials. - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29299088

Secret Service reviews White House security after fence-jumper enters mansion --- The Secret Service on Saturday launched a security review to learn how a man carrying a knife was able to get inside the front door of the White House on Friday night after jumping a fence and sprinting more than 70 yards across the North Lawn — the first time that has ever happened. -- Within seconds, the man who his public defender said served three tours in Iraq — and relatives said served as a sniper — got to the front double doors of the North Portico, turned the brass knob and stepped inside the vestibule. There he was grabbed and subdued by an officer standing post inside the door. He had a folding knife with a 2 1 / 2-inch serrated blade. -- The success Omar J. Gonzalez, 42, had in breaching White House security Friday night — roughly 10 minutes after the president and his daughters lifted off the south grounds in his helicopter for Camp David — exposed new, worrisome gaps in the Secret Service’s extensive efforts to keep the first family safe and make the White House a “hard target.” -- The front door on the North Portico of the mansion was unlocked at the time. It is a frequently used door, just one flight of stairs away from the Obama’s living quarters, and until now, the Secret Service didn’t imagine an intruder could reach it. -- A trained attack dog — the Secret Service’s fail-safe measure for stopping intruders when officers cannot — was not released in this case. The reasons are under investigation. -- The Secret Service trains its personnel not to shoot intruders on the grounds unless they appear armed, or are wearing bulky clothes or backpacks that could indicate they are carrying a bomb. Many questioned how officers can assess the real risk in the 20 seconds it takes someone to run from the fence to the mansion. - Read More, Washingtonpost

Afghan rivals set to sign unity government deal after messy election --- Reuters) - Rival candidates in the bitterly disputed Afghan presidential election will sign an agreement on a unity government on Sunday, aides said, potentially easing months of tension that destabilized Afghanistan while foreign troops withdraw. -- The signing ceremony to be held at the Kabul presidential palace - still occupied by outgoing leader Hamid Karzai despite an election process that began in April - will coincide with the planned announcement of final results. -- The announcement follows a U.N.-monitored audit of all 8 million ballots cast in a June run-off vote that had been disputed by both major candidates - former World Bank official Ashraf Ghani and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. -- Ghani and Abdullah struck a power-sharing deal on Saturday, their aides said. As part of that deal, former finance minister Ghani will most likely become the new president and Abdullah chief executive with newly expanded powers, although when those moves will come into effect remains far from clear. -- The election was showcased by Afghanistan's foreign backers as the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan's troubled history but the drawn-out dispute ruined hopes for a smooth transition from Karzai, who has ruled since soon after the Taliban were ousted in late 2001. - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/21/us-afghanistan-election-idUSKBN0HG03420140921

Afghan Presidential Candidates to Sign Power Deal --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan's two presidential candidates were set to a sign a power-sharing deal on national TV on Sunday, three months after a disputed runoff that threatened to plunge the country into turmoil and complicate the withdrawal of U.S. and foreign troops. -- Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah were to sign the national unity government deal at the presidential palace at noon local time (0730 GMT), said the spokesman for President Hamid Karzai. The deal, agreed to in talks that began late Saturday, follows weeks of negotiations on a power-sharing arrangement following accusations of fraud in the June runoff vote. -- The deal would be a victory for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who first got the candidates to agree in principle to share power during a July visit to Afghanistan. Kerry returned to Kabul in August and has spent hours with the candidates in repeated phone calls in an effort to seal the deal. -- The deal will see Ghani Ahmadzai replace Hamid Karzai as president. Abdullah will hold the newly created post of chief executive, akin to a prime minister. --- He also believes he won a June runoff with Ghani Ahmadzai. But official totals — which the election commission said it would release on Sunday — show Ghani Ahmadzai with about 55 percent of the vote. -- A power-sharing deal was almost sealed about a week ago, but Abdullah then demanded that no vote totals from the runoff be released - More, REUTERS, NYTimes

Secret Service boosts security outside White House --- WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service chief has stepped-up security outside the White House after a man who jumped the fence made it into the presidential residence before being apprehended, the Secret Service said Saturday, as President Barack Obama insisted he still has confidence in the beleaguered agency. -- Director Julia Pierson ordered enhanced officer patrols and surveillance along the North Fence of the compound just after the incident on Friday evening, which triggered a rare evacuation of the White House as well as renewed scrutiny about the agency's ability to protect the president and his family. The Secret Service said Pierson had also ordered a comprehensive review of what happened. -- "The president has full confidence in the Secret Service and is grateful to the men and women who day in and day out protect himself, his family and the White House," said White House spokesman Frank Benenati. He said the White House expected Pierson's review to be conducted "with the same professionalism and commitment to duty that we and the American people expect from the U.S. Secret Service." -- The presidential vote of confidence came as the storied agency sought to dispel growing concerns about security at the White House, one of the most heavily protected buildings in the world. -- President Barack Obama and his daughters had just left the White House by helicopter on Friday evening when the Secret Service says 42-year-old Omar J. Gonzalez scaled the fence, darting across the lawn and through the North Portico doors before officers finally tackled him. -- "Every day the Secret Service is challenged to ensure security at the White House complex while still allowing public accessibility to a national historical site," the agency said in a statement. "Although last night the officers showed tremendous restraint and discipline in dealing with this subject, the location of Gonzalez's arrest is not acceptable." -- The Secret Service's Office of Professional Responsibility was carrying out the review, which started Friday with interviews and a physical site assessment and will include a review of all of the security and operational policies, officials said. -- Less than 24 hours after Gonzalez' arrest, a second man was apprehended after he drove up to a White House gate and refused to leave, the Secret Service said, prompting bomb technicians in full gear to search the vehicle as agents shut down nearby streets. -- There were no indications the two events were related. Yet the pair of incidents in short succession only intensified the scrutiny of the Secret Service, which is still struggling to rehabilitate its image following a series of allegations of misconduct by agents in recent years, including agents on Obama's detail. --Gonzalez, of Copperas Cove, Texas, was charged Friday with unlawful entry into the White House complex and transported to a nearby hospital complaining of chest pain. - Read More, Associated Press, http://news.msn.com/us/secret-service-boosts-security-outside-white-house

Afghan Presidential Rivals Finally Agree on Power-Sharing Deal --- KABUL, Afghanistan — The two candidates for president of Afghanistan have agreed on a power-sharing deal that will give the losing candidate substantial influence in the next government, initialing the American-brokered deal Saturday night and promising to sign it at a formal ceremony on Sunday. -- The deal promised an end at last to the tumultuous, five-month-long aftermath of the Afghan presidential elections, although previous settlements have repeatedly collapsed at the last minute despite the candidates’ promises. Under the deal, the top vote-getter, Ashraf Ghani, would become president but would grant significant powers to the loser, Abdullah Abdullah, making Mr. Abdullah effectively a prime minister, according to a draft of the four-page agreement obtained by The New York Times and authenticated by diplomats and officials from both campaigns. -- The agreement on forming a national unity government was completed last Sunday, with the two candidates planning to sign it last Tuesday. At the last minute, however, Mr. Abdullah said he would sign only if the results of an audit of the election, determining the final tally for each candidate, were not publicly released. -- He has insisted that the results were so tainted by fraud that they should never be made public. -- .An Abdullah campaign official, Western diplomats and President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman, Aimal Faizi, all confirmed the deal had been initialed and would be formally signed Sunday. -- A senior Obama administration official said an important breakthrough came on Wednesday when Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Mr. Abdullah during a meeting with 30 of his aides, and addressed them all over a speaker phone. -- “If you don’t come to agreement now, today, the possibilities for Afghanistan will become very difficult, if not dangerous,” Mr. Kerry said, according to the account by the American official. “I really need to emphasize to you that if you do not have an agreement, if you do not move to a unity government, the United States will not be able to support Afghanistan.” -- The official said that “the purpose of the call was to drive home to Abdullah’s more militant supporters that the deal in front of them was the best deal they were going to get and that there would be consequences in rejecting it.” -- Still, as recently as Saturday, aides to Mr. Abdullah said he would never agree to the deal if the election commission released the results of its audit of the vote, and the totals for each candidate. It was not immediately clear whether the two sides reached a compromise on that issue, but the candidates were expected to formally sign the deal at noon on Sunday, at the presidential palace, the American official said. -- Noor Ahmad Noor, a spokesman for the country’s Independent Election Commission, which conducted the audit under United Nations supervision, had said the results would be announced Sunday morning whether the candidates agreed to their release or not. -- Mr. Abdullah’s campaign spokesman Muslim Saadat confirmed on Saturday that the details of a deal on a government had been agreed to by both campaigns. “The main sticking point is the announcement of the results,” Mr. Saadat said. “The results of the I.E.C. will not have legitimacy since the audit failed to separate fraudulent votes from legitimate ones.” Later he confirmed both candidates had reached agreement, but did not explain how the issue of releasing the vote totals had been resolved. --- The draft agreement obtained by The Times has changed slightly since it was written, according to diplomats and campaign officials, but the key points are unaltered in the latest version initialed Saturday night. The agreement gives substantial powers to the newly created position of chief executive officer, defining it as having “the functions of an executive prime minister.” -- The agreement also creates a council of ministers, headed by the chief executive and including two deputies and all cabinet ministers. “The Council of Ministers will implement the executive affairs of the Government,” the agreement states. In addition, while the president would head his cabinet, which also includes the ministers, “The CEO will be responsible for managing the Cabinet’s implementation of government policies, and will report on progress to the President directly and in the Cabinet.” -- Another clause calls for “parity in the selection of personnel between the President and the CEO at the level of head of key security and economic institutions, and independent directorates.” -- In negotiations between the two campaigns, Mr. Abdullah’s side pushed for the chief executive to be given real powers, and the draft agreement appears to have granted that. -- But it remains to be seen how workable such a hybrid government would be. Its difficulties were noted in a catchall clause in the agreement: “The relationship between the President and the CEO cannot be described solely and entirely by this agreement, but must be defined by the commitment of both sides to partnership, collegiality, collaboration, and most importantly responsibility to the people of Afghanistan.” --- More votes were recorded in the June 14 runoff than in the first election on April 6, which Mr. Abdullah won handily but without the 50 percent majority needed to avoid a runoff. Preliminary results from the runoff named Mr. Ghani the winner by a large margin. -- The Abdullah campaign responded by accusing Mr. Ghani of industrial-scale fraud supported by the incumbent president, Mr. Karzai. At one point there were fears that the dispute could end in violence, with Mr. Abdullah’s supporters threatening to create a parallel government. - Read More, ROD NORDLAND, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/world/asia/afghan-presidential-election.html?_r=0

Vanity Fair - Jacqueline Kennedy's Struggle After J.F.K.'s Assassination: The Winter of Her Despair --- A symbol of strength for a traumatized nation in the winter of 1963–64, Jacqueline Kennedy was in fact falling apart—grieving and endlessly reliving her husband’s assassination, afflicted with what we’d now call post-traumatic stress disorder. Barbara Leaming, adapting her new biography, uncovers what was known to few outside the former First Lady’s inner circle: the nightmares, the drinking, the suicidal thoughts, but also the unexpected gesture that helped save her sanity. -- During the long winter of 1963, during the lonely nights that seemed to never end, the wakeful nights that no quantity of vodka could assuage, Jackie Kennedy would relive the sliver of time between the first gunshot, which had missed the car, and the second, which hit both the president and Texas governor John Connally. Those three and a half seconds became of cardinal importance to her. In the course of her marriage, she had constructed herself as Jack Kennedy’s one-woman Praetorian Guard—against the doctors, against the political antagonists, against the journalists, even against anyone in his own circle who, to her perception, would do him harm. So, again and again that winter of 1963-64, she rehearsed the same brief sequence. If only she had been looking to the right, she told herself, she might have saved her husband. If only she had recognized the sound of the first shot, she could have pulled him down in time. -- It was Monday, December 2, and she and the children had returned from Cape Cod the night before in anticipation of moving out of the White House family quarters at the end of the week so that Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson could move in. Jackie had initially hoped to be ready to go on Tuesday, but the move had had to be put off until Friday. She was to move temporarily to a borrowed house on N Street in Georgetown, three blocks from the house where the John F. Kennedys had lived at the time he was elected president. Packing had begun in her absence, but in the course of the next few days she planned to pick through her husband’s wardrobe herself in order to determine which items to keep and which to disperse. Helpers laid out the president’s clothes on sofas and racks for her to inspect. Seeming to connect the irrational death of her young husband and the loss of the two babies, Arabella (who was stillborn in 1956) and Patrick (who died at two days old in August 1963), Jackie also planned to immediately transfer the remains of both of them from Holyhood Cemetery, in Brookline, Massachusetts, to beside their father’s grave, in Arlington. As far as she was concerned, there was not a moment to be lost. The secret burial was set to take place that week under the auspices of Bishop Philip Hannan, who, at Jackie’s request, had given the eulogy for President Kennedy at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. It remained only for Teddy Kennedy, youngest of the Kennedy brothers, to fly in the remains of both children on the family jet. - More, Vanity Fair, http://www.vanityfair.com/society/2014/10/jacqueline-kennedy-jfk-assassination-depression

Afghanistan election results announced Sunday. Will they matter? --- Kabul, Afghanistan — Afghanistan's drawn-out presidential election may finally be coming to an end. -- Nearly six months after Afghans cast ballots in a first-round vote, the country's election commission on Saturday said it would announce final, audited results on Sunday from a two-man runoff held in June. -- U.N. and Afghan election officials spent weeks auditing the runoff results after allegations of vote fraud, a common occurrence over Afghanistan's last two presidential elections. -- The announcement that vote results are coming would appear to override one of the negotiating stances of candidate Abdullah Abdullah: that vote results are not released because, he contends, undetectable fraud invalidates the results. -- Despite the recount and audit, the drawn-out race does not appear to be coming down to a precise vote tally. Rather, high-stakes negotiations will settle the country's power structure. -- Boiled down to their simplest formula, the talks pit the northern power brokers backing former Foreign Minister Abdullah against the southern and eastern Pashtun supporters of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former finance minister and World Bank official. -- President Hamid Karzai excused himself from a memorial ceremony in honor of a deceased former president on Saturday to prepare for what is hoped to be the final agreement on a national unity government. -- "If you give me permission I want to leave and prepare for another meeting in which our jihadi leaders, elders and candidates will attend and we will have good news for the Afghan nation, God willing," Karzai told the gathering. -- As of mid-Saturday evening, though, a campaign aide to Ghani Ahmadzai said a meeting between the candidates had not yet begun and it wasn't clear if one would be held. -- The two candidates have been negotiating a deal that would divide responsibilities between the president and the newly created office of chief executive. Those talks have been dragging on for weeks despite two in-person visits by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and many follow-up phone calls. -- "Everything right now is a green light. Hopefully it will be announced" in the coming hours, said an Abdullah campaign official who insisted on anonymity because he wasn't an authorized campaign spokesman. -- Dawood Sultanzoi, a Ghani Ahmadzai supporter and campaign member, was more measured, saying there was not yet a definitive deal early Saturday evening. "It's been so volatile it's hard to predict anything anymore," he said. -- Ghani Ahmadzai is believed to be leading in the official vote count with roughly 55 percent, though both candidates have said they are committed to a power-sharing government regardless of the election outcome. -- Abdullah wants the chief executive to chair Cabinet meetings and for both candidates to sign off on the appointment of high-level government positions. Ghani Ahmadzai has said he believes the constitution mandates that the president lead Cabinet meetings. -- The U.S. has been pushing for a resolution so the next president can sign a security agreement that would allow about 10,000 U.S. forces to remain in the country after combat operations wrap up at the end of the year. - More, Jason Straziuso, Associated Press, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0920/Afghanistan-election-results-announced-Sunday.-Will-they-matter

Afghan election commission to reveal long-awaited results Sunday: official --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan's election commission will announce long-delayed final results in the bitterly disputed presidential vote on Sunday, whether or not the rival candidates claiming victory reach a power-sharing deal, a spokesman said on Saturday. -- Two months of crisis over the election to replace President Hamid Karzai have further destabilized violence-plagued Afghanistan as foreign troops prepare to withdraw at year's end, leaving Afghan forces to fight the Taliban insurgency. -- The rival candidates - former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah - were meeting on Saturday. Aides said they were close to finalizing a deal but an Abdullah spokesman threatened to pull out of the talks if the poll results were released before an agreement. -- The rival candidates - former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah - were meeting on Saturday. Aides said they were close to finalizing a deal but an Abdullah spokesman threatened to pull out of the talks if the poll results were released before an agreement. -- The early results prompted street protests from supporters of Abdullah, who charged massive fraud and said he was the rightful winner. -- Final results have been delayed for weeks by a U.N.-monitored audit of all 8 million ballots cast in the June 14 run-off vote between Ghani and Abdullah, the top finishers of the first round in April. -- The audit was part of a deal in July brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to avoid unrest that could descend into violence. -- Both Abdullah and Ghani pledged to accept the audit results and to form a unity government with the winner as president and the runner-up holding or nominating a chief executive with expanded powers. Prolonged negotiations over details of the power-sharing arrangement have so far yielded no deal. -- Election officials had expressed hope the two candidates would reach a unity government agreement before results were announced. However Independent Election Commission spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said the body is legally bound to release results now that all technical details have been completed. -- "It is clear that tomorrow the IEC will announce the final results based on the 100 percent audit," Noor said. -- Abdullah spokesman Mujib Rahimi said, however, that if results are made public without a deal, Abdullah would walk away from a unity government "and we will be back to square one". -- The election dispute ruined hopes for a smooth democratic transition to replace Karzai, who has held power since the Taliban's hard-line Islamist government was ousted in 2001 in a U.S.-led invasion. -- It threatened to stoke ethnic tensions that had plunged Afghanistan into civil war in the 1990s. Abdullah derives much of his support from the ethnic Tajik and Hazara communities, while Ghani is widely supported by Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group. -- The crisis has also delayed ratification of a key bilateral security agreement with Washington to allow a small U.S. force to stay past the end of 2014 to continue training the Afghan military and police. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/20/us-afghanistan-election-idUSKBN0HF0B020140920

متن نهایی مؤافقت نامۀ حکومت وحدت ملی -- جمال خان بارکزی More, http://www.afghan-german.net/upload/Tahlilha_PDF/jamalkhan_barekzai_matne_moafaqat_nama_ahmadzai_abdullah.pdf

Book review: ‘The Underground Girls of Kabul,’ by Jenny Nordberg --- Since the U.S. entry into Afghanistan in 2001, the idea of “saving” Afghan women has been used by politicians and the media as a justification for war. Invoking images of women brutalized by the Taliban, commentators and pundits have argued that one byproduct of international involvement would be a safer world for the women of this war-torn country. -- Thirteen years into the conflict, Swedish journalist Jenny Nordberg has produced a striking and nuanced work that explores the current status of Afghan women through one of their subcultures. “The Underground Girls of Kabul” does not seek out the stereotypically oppressed, burka-clad woman in need of a savior, but rather shows Afghan women as active agents navigating a culture that often disadvantages them and making the most of their limited options for freedom and autonomy. ---- Nordberg is critical of international aid organizations’ hubris in purporting to be able to solve Afghanistan’s problems. If Afghanistan has been known as “the Graveyard of Empires,” she suggests, “in our time, it may also be called ‘the Playground of Foreign Aid Experimentation.’­ ” From 2006 to 2011, development aid from countries and multilateral organizations amounted to more than $30 billion, with limited results, much of the funds fueling “mismanagement and corruption.” In a single year, there were more than 700 projects dedicated to girls and women, yet these focused predominantly on women in urban areas, with barely measurable results that are likely to be reversed in the event of a Taliban return to power. Supposedly successful initiatives in education boast impressive numbers of students registered, but “half of Afghanistan’s newly created schools have no actual buildings, many lack teachers, most students never graduate, and one-fifth of the registered students are permanently absent.” - Read More, Rachel Newcomb is an associate professor of anthropology, Washingtonpost

سرک میرزا عبدالقادر بیدل به بهره برداری رسید --- سرک میرزا عبدالقادر بیدل شاعر زبان دری به طول بیش از پانزده کیلومتردر کابل افتتاح شد. این سرک یکی از بزرگترین سرک های شهر کابل به شمار می رود که شاهراه ننگرهار را به شاهراه چاریکار وصل می کند. سرک میرزا عبدالقادر بیدل به هزینه سی و یک اعشاریه چهار میلیون دالر امریکایی از سوی کشور جاپان ایجاد شده است. از سویی هم در مراسم افتتاح این سرک سفیر جاپان می گوید که این کشور تا کنون حدود پنج و نیم میلیارد دالر به افغانستان کمک کرده و پس از این نیز به کمک هایش ادامه خواهد داد . -- ابوالمعانی میرزا عبدالقادر بیدل، شاعر دری‌ سرا در دهلی پای به عرصه هستی نهاد. او شاعردری گوی است که از ترکان جغتائی ارلاس بدخشان بود؛ وی در دهلی متولد شد و تربیت یافت و بیشتر عمر خود را در شاه جهان ‌آباد دهلی به عزت و آزادی زندگی کرد و با اندیشه‌ های ژرف آثار منظوم و منثور خود را ایجاد کرد. او در سال ۱۰۷۹ه‍. ق. بخدمت محمد اعظم بن اورنگ زیب پیوست. سپس به سیاحت پرداخت و سرانجام بیدل به‌ روز پنج‌ شنبه چهارم صفر سال ۱۱۳۳ه‍ ق. در دهلی زندگی را بدرود گفت و در صحن خانه‌اش، در جایی ‌که خودش تعیین کرده بود، دفن گردید. -- امروز پس از سالیان سال از مرگ بیدل او و داشته هایش را در مقالات علمی، سمینار ها و جزوات درسی پوهنتون های مختلف جهان تحت عنوان و مضامین بیدل شناسی به مطالعه می گیرند و برای مردم افغانستان و جهان بیدل از جایگاه خوبی برخوردار است و این جا در کابل علاقمندان حضرت بیدل بزرگترین جاده شهر کابل را که به طول 15.758 کیلومتر و عرض 14 متر که شرق کابل شاهراه ننگرهار را به غرب آن شاهراه چاریکار وصل می سازد به نام این شاعر دری گوی مسمی و افتتاح کردند. سیستم تنویر جاده ای، 21 هزارمتر جویچه در کنار سرک، 4 زیرگذر برای عابران پیاده در طول این سرک ساخته شده است. -- کار ساخت این جاده حدود یک سال به طول انجامید و این جاده به هزینه 31.4 میلیون دالر امریکایی از سوی کشور جاپان ایجاد شده است. هیروشی تاکاهیشی سفیر جاپان گفت: "جاده بیدل را به هزینه 31.4 میلیون دالر افتتاح میکنیم و ما از سال 2001 میلادی تا کنون 5.4 میلیارد دالر امریکایی به افغانستان کمک کردیم و پس از این نیز به کمک های خود در زمینه تامین امنیت ، ثبات و رفاه برای شهروندان افغان ادامه خواهیم داد " -- بیدل در افغانستان و در میان فرهنگیان و دانشگاهیان کابل و دیگر شهر های این مرز و بوم از جایگاه خوبی برخوردار است تا جاییکه اشعارش زبان به زبان و نسل به نسل انتشار یافته و سالانه بخاطر ارجگذاری وی ده ها سمینار تحت نام بیدل شناسی در کشور برگزار میگردد. - ویب سایت شبکه تلویزونی نگاه

France launches first air strikes on IS in Iraq --- French jets have carried out their first strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, the office of President Francois Hollande says. -- A statement said planes had attacked an IS depot in north-east Iraq, and there would be more raids in the coming days. -- The US has carried out more than 170 air strikes against the jihadist group in Iraq since mid-August. --IS remains in control of dozens of cities and towns in Iraq and Syria, where it has declared a caliphate. - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29277630

Scottish referendum: Queen urges referendum 'respect' --- The Queen has said she believes Scotland will unite in a "spirit of mutual respect and support" following the independence referendum. -- But she had "no doubt" this would be tempered by "an understanding of the feelings of others". -- Voters in Scotland rejected independence by 2,001,926 votes to 1,617,989 in Thursday's referendum. -- The Queen's statement came after Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond announced he would be stepping down after his pro-independence campaign suffered defeat in the referendum. -- The Monarch is currently staying at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire. - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29287662

Political Impasse in Afghanistan Erodes Hope for Peace Talks With Taliban --- KABUL—The continuing crisis over Afghanistan's disputed presidential election is undermining chances that the country's next government, should one be formed, would be able to open peace talks with the Taliban. -- The Taliban have refused to negotiate with President Hamid Karzai, dismissing him as an American stooge. Yet they largely abstained from attacking the campaigns of the two candidates vying to replace him, fueling hopes that a new government would be able to negotiate an end to the 13-year war. -- nstead, the monthslong bickering over who won the June 14 election and how to form a unity government has pushed the country to the brink of all-out civil war. And many Afghans fear that, even if a power-sharing compromise is eventually found, the new administration is likely to be too ridden with infighting to engage in serious discussions with the Taliban. --- "The new government will be a very weak government. If one part of it will want to talk to the Taliban, the other part will make problems and call it a conspiracy against the Afghan nation, against democracy and against the Afghan constitution," says Waheed Muzhda, who served in the Taliban regime's foreign ministry before the 2001 U.S. invasion, and was involved in recent informal contacts between the Taliban and Afghan political leaders. -- Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani have both claimed victory in the presidential election, which was meant to usher in the first democratic transition in the country's history. -- While preliminary results gave a majority to Mr. Ghani, Mr. Abdullah has refused to recognize that tally, alleging massive fraud on his rival's behalf. Under U.S. pressure, the two then agreed to share power in a unity government. Talks on how to do that are dragging on. --- The United Nations Security Council, during a meeting Thursday also attended by representatives of neighboring and other interested countries, warned that the political "impasse would have long-lasting effects, affecting faith in the electoral process and exacerbating security issues," according to a U.N. statement. -- "People chose to go to the polls, and this created hopes for a new government, and a fresh start for the future," says Daoud Sultanzoy, a presidential candidate who was eliminated in the first round in April and is now a senior member of Mr. Ghani's team. "That freshness is gone. Unfortunately, this election lost its opportunity." --- Unlike in the past, Taliban commanders didn't try to disrupt the vote in that part of the country, contributing to an extremely high turnout of his supporters in provinces such as Khost, Paktia and Paktika. --- Both men say they want to sign a security agreement with the U.S. that Mr. Karzai opposes. It would allow U.S. troops to stay in the country once the coalition's current mandate expires in December. --- In the months since the election, as the political crisis deepened and the popularity of both politicians plummeted, the Taliban's mood appears to have shifted. -- "The way they treat each other and cannot agree on power sharing, how can they be expected to involve the Taliban in power sharing?" said Mohammed Akbar Agha, a former senior Taliban commander who maintains close ties with the insurgency's leadership, including his cousin, the Taliban's political committee chief Tayeb Agha. -- "The Taliban won't talk peace with either one," he said. "The next government will be 10 times worse than Karzai's." --- "People thought that these elections would change Afghanistan and bring development and peace to the country," says Israr Ahmad Khan, a youth democracy activist in Kabul. "Unfortunately, it really hurt the country. People have lost faith in the democratic process." - Read More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/political-impasse-in-afghanistan-erodes-hope-for-peace-talks-with-taliban-1411138948

U.S. wasted $6.5 million on Afghan broadcast towers: inquiry --- LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Six communications towers built in Afghanistan were never used and were a waste of more than $6.5 million in U.S. taxpayer funds, an inquiry into U.S. State Department spending on Afghan reconstruction said on Thursday. -- The inquiry by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) tried to find out whether officials responsible for the project ignored a number of apparent warning signals before building the towers. -- “We have seen this problem time and time again, the red flags are ignored and the money is pushed out the door without proper planning and oversight,” John F. Sopko of SIGAR told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. -- State Department records provided to SIGAR showed that both senior State Department officials and flag officers from the Defense Department had expressed concern about the viability of the project. -- The aim of the scheme, when it was proposed in 2010, was to give Afghan civilians expanded telecommunications services and media coverage at a time when these were limited by insurgent activity, the State Department said. -- Taliban forces were making local phone companies and mobile tower operators close down in the evening, and two of the four Afghan telecoms companies said they would be willing to interconnect with U.S.-built towers, it said in its response to SIGAR's inquiry. -- But by the time the towers were completed in 2012, Afghan firms had built their own network of towers and said they did not need the U.S.-built ones and would not pay to use them. -- “After it became clear that the towers could not be used for their originally intended purpose, the Department considered alternatives but determined that there was no available foreign assistance or other State Department use for the towers,” the State Department said. -- “The fact that this $6.5 million was wasted on what the State Department said was one of their highest strategic communications priorities is even more dumbfounding. U.S. agencies must do better protecting taxpayer dollars and we will continue to hold them accountable,” SIGAR's Sopko said. -- State Department officials were not immediately available to comment on the SIGAR inquiry, which is still in progress. -- Figures released by SIGAR in June 2013 showed the United States had provided about $104 billion for strengthening security forces and promoting economic development in Afghanistan since 2002. -- SIGAR is responsible for preventing and detecting waste, fraud, and abuse in programs and operations relating to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. -- (Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, covers underreported humanitarian, human rights, corruption and climate change issues. Visit www.trust.org) - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/18/us-foundation-governance-afghanistan-usa-idUSKBN0HD19320140918

Afghan front-runner Ghani says power-sharing agreement is near --- Afghanistan’s rival presidential candidates will share power under a deal that is within two days of completion, front-runner Ashraf Ghani said Wednesday in an interview with The Washington Post. -- Ghani acknowledged that the long delay in declaring a winner of the June election has weakened Afghanistan and set back its political progress as U.S. and NATO forces prepare to depart by Dec. 31. But he said he and rival Abdullah Abdullah have worked to build a solid new foundation. -- “Of course there is a risk” that the same political differences that forced the election into a United Nations-monitored audit could tear apart any unity government the candidates now form, Ghani said. “But the key is to have a risk-management strategy,” Ghani said. “One reason we’re doing things so carefully is precisely to avoid an unstable government.” -- He predicted an announcement of the audit results and a presidential winner by Saturday. That would give the country only its second elected president, the successor to longtime leader Hamid Karzai. --- The emerging deal would give Abdullah genuine executive power and chief responsibility for “implementing the policies of the government,” Ghani said, as well as the title of chief executive officer. The two men have agreed to call a loya jirga, or tribal council, two years from now to consider changing the country’s constitution to create a post of executive prime minister, Ghani said. -- The new prime minister would not lead parliament, Ghani said. -- “The system will remain presidential” in Afghanistan, Ghani said. -- The president will chair the cabinet, but a new body, called the Council of Ministers, would be headed by the chief executive officer, Ghani said. He did not lay out the exact duties of that body. -- “A winner-take-all formula does not work,” Ghani said. “I consciously have a commitment to making a government of national unity, but of course it is going to face challenges.” - Read More, Anne Gearan, Washingtonpost

اسکاتلند مستقل نمی‌شود --- مردم اسکاتلند با استقلال این سرزمین مخالفت کرده‌اند و اسکاتلند همچنان بخشی از بریتانیا باقی خواهد ماند. -- با اعلام نتیجه همه پرسی استقلال اسکاتلند در بامداد روز جمعه، ۲۸ شهریور (۱۹ سپتامبر)، مشخص شده است که اکثر شرکت کنندگان در همه پرسی با استقلال این بخش از بریتانیا و تشکیل کشور مستقل اسکاتلند مخالفت کرده‌اند. -- نتیجه شمارش آرا نشان می‌دهد که حدود ۵۵ درصد از رای دهندگان با استقلال اسکاتلند مخالف بودند. شمار شرکت کنندگان در این همه پرسی حدود ۸۵ در صد بوده است که رقمی بی سابقه در انتخابات اسکاتلند محسوب می‌شود. --- با پاسخ منفی ساکنان اسکاتلند در این همه‌پرسی، کشور واحدی که حدود سیصد سال پیش با وحدت انگلستان و اسکاتلند شکل گرفت همچنان دوام خواهد داشت ---- در سال ١٦٠٣ میلادی، الیزابت اول، فرمانروای انگلستان، بدون برجای گذاشتن وارث درگذشت و تاج و تخت این کشور به جیمز ششم، پادشاه وقت اسکاتلند و از خویشاوندان او رسید که با عنوان جیمز اول سلطنت انگلستان را نیز در دست گرفت. -- از آن زمان تا سال ١٧٠٦ و تصویب "قانون وحدت انگلستان و اسکاتلند" در پارلمان‌های دو کشور و امضای "پیمان وحدت" در سال ١٧٠٧، انگلستان و اسکاتلند دارای یک پادشاه اما دو دولت مجزا بودند. در آن سال، با تشکیل کشور "بریتانیا"، پارلمان و دولت اسکاتلند منحل و اختیارات آنها، به پارلمان و دولت مرکزی در لندن واگذار شد. -- در سال ١٨٠۰، پارلمان های بریتانیا و جزیره ایرلند قانون وحدت دو سرزمین را تصویب کردند و در سال ۱۸۰۱، جزیره ایرلند که برای چندین قرن، با عنوان یک مملکت جداگانه، عملا توسط دولت انگلستان اداره می‌شد، رسما به مملکت بریتانیا ملحق شد و نام کشور جدید شامل جزیره بریتانیای کبیر (انگلستان به علاوه منطقه ویلز همراه با اسکاتلند) و جزیره ایرلند به "پادشاهی متحده" تغییر یافت. -- با استقلال بخش جنوبی ایرلند در سال ١٩٢١، پادشاهی متحده شامل جزیره بریتانیای کبیر و ایرلند شمالی (بخش شمالی جزیره ایرلند) است. پادشاهی متحده در داخل و خارج کشور غالبا به اسم غیر رسمی آن "بریتانیا" خوانده می‌شود. - More, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/world/2014/09/140919_l03_scotland_independence_vote.shtml

Scottish referendum: Scotland votes 'No' to independence --- Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom after voters decisively rejected independence. -- With 31 out of the country's 32 council areas having declared after Thursday's vote, the 'No' side has an unassailable lead of 1,914,187 votes to 1,539,920. -- Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond called for unity and the unionist parties to deliver on more powers. -- UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he was delighted the UK would remain together and called for national unity. - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29270441

Scottish independence referendum: Scotland votes no - live --- •Scotland has decisively rejected independence. Despite final polls showing the no side ahead by around four points, in the end the result was much more decisive. With results in from 31 of the 32 Scottish local authority areas, the no side are on 55.4% and the yes side is on 44.6%. - Read More, Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/politics/scottish-independence-blog/live/2014/sep/18/scottish-referendum-results-live-coverage-of-the-independence-vote

‘No losers, only partners’ with Afghan unity government, Security Council told --- 18 September 2014 – There is “quite simply no better way forward” other than a unity government in Afghanistan, United Nations envoy Ján Kubiš, told the Security Council from Kabul in his final briefing in that capacity. -- Mr. Kubiš, who is the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told Security Council members via videoconference that the current political deadlock is deepening a crisis which has already taken a heavy political, security and economic toll in the country with “real risks for the future.” -- “There is quite simply no better way forward other than a government of national unity led by an elected President, as certified by the Independent Election Commission,” he said. Mr. Kubiš stressed that “I continue to emphasize that in a government of national unity there will be no losers – only partners.” -- The main phase of the UN-supervised audit of the 14 June presidential run-off election was completed on 4 September and the announcement of updated results is expected shortly. -- Top UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, have in meetings and telephone conversations with Afghanistan’s two presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, underscored the world body’s call for a successful conclusion to the country’s election process. -- Mr. Kubiš told the Security Council today that “if there is not agreement by the time of the certification of results, new dynamics will be set in play with the potential to trigger further uncertainty, even the risk of conflict.” -- “The time remaining is now short – and by this I mean one or two days,” he said. - Read More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48743&Cr=afghan&Cr1=

آناهیتا راتب‌زاد از بنیانگذاران جنبش چپ در افغانستان درگذشت --- آناهیتا راتب‌زاد، از زنان پیشگام در سیاست و فعالیت‌های اجتماعی زنان در افغانستان در دهه‌های شصت تا هشتاد میلادی در سن ۸۳ سالگی در آلمان درگذشت -- خانم راتب‌زاد که از اعضای ارشد شورای رهبری حزب دموکراتیک خلق افغانستان بود، از سال ۱۹۹۶ تا کنون در آلمان زندگی می‌کرد --- آناهیتا راتب زاد در اکتبر سال ۱۹۳۱ در گل‌دره کابل متولد شد. آموزش متوسطه را تا ختم صنف هشتم در سال ۱۹۴۵در دبیرستان ملالی به پایان برد و سپس در سال ۱۹۴٧،در یک دوره یکساله پرسـتاری در آموزشـگاه قابله‌گی در کابل آموزش دید و پس از آن دو سال در همین رشته در شیکاگو تحصیل کرد -- در سال ١٩۵٧ میلادی وارد دانشکده پزشکی در دانشگاه کابل شد و در سال ۱۹۶۳ میلادی، تحصیلات عالی را در این دانشکده به‌ پایان رساند -- رومان بریالی، نوه خانم راتب‌زاد به بی‌بی‌سی گفت او دیروز به دلیل کهولت سن و بیماری شش در بیمارستانی در شهر دورتموند آلمان درگذشت -- خانم راتب‌زاد اولین زن سیاستمدار افغان بود که در سال ۱۹۶۵ به عنوان نامزد حزب دموکراتیک خلق افغانستان در دوره دوازدهم به شورای ملی افغانستان راه یافت و دو دور نماینده کابل در مجلس نمایندگان بود -- او در همین سال سازمان دموکراتیک زنان افغانستان را بنیاد گذاشت. این سازمان یکی از اولین نهادهای فعال حقوق زنان در افغانستان به شمار می‌رود . --- پیکر زنده یاد داکتر اناهیتا راتب زاد با ارج و قدر بی پایان طی مراسم باشکوهی در کابل به خاک سپرده شد - Read More, http://homayun.org/?p=45692

Degrade and destroy? Unclear military goals are an American tradition --- A military lesson the United States seems doomed to constantly forget and painfully re-learn: unclear goals invite escalation. -- The third Iraq war is now the latest example. At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Martin Dempsey, opened the door to US military personnel joining in the ground fight against the Islamic State (Isis). Just don’t call them ground troops. So far, US forces in Iraq have been described as embassy security or “advisers” – Dempsey extended the circumlocution to suggest they might be asked to do some “close combat advising”. -- Dempsey’s euphemism bursts the seams of Barack Obama’s insistence that US troops will not return to combat in Iraq. That was itself a rhetorical escalation from the White House’s earlier assurance against troops on the ground, full stop, which has proved difficult to square with the current 1,700 US troops now in Iraq, 1,600 more than were there in June. Perhaps more candidly, Dempsey said Obama has asked the general to come back for “case-by-case” authorization on involving US troops in combat, even as the president again forswore ground combat in a speech at MacDill air force base on Wednesday. -- Nor will the ground force plus-up be the US’s only escalation. Air strikes, 167 of them thus far, occur daily; have expanded from Iraq’s north to south-west of Baghdad; and will soon target Isis in Syria. Chuck Hagel, the US defense secretary, acknowledged that the first cohort of US-trained Syrian rebels “is not going to be able to turn the tide” against an Isis force that officials estimate can muster 31,000 fighters. Nor has the US firmed up a Middle East coalition that can sustain that proxy army in the Syrian field. -- Steadily increasing men and money ($7.5m every day, per a late-August Pentagon total) into Iraq follows from the goal Obama laid out last week: to degrade and ultimately destroy Isis. It signals toughness and finality, yet its meaning is elusive. -- Anything that reduces Isis’s capabilities – say, by blowing up its artillery, trucks and checkpoints – counts as “degrading” the jihadist army. Destruction sounds comparatively unequivocal, until the “ultimately” qualifier punts the destruction to the realm of aspiration. Dempsey testified that destruction will be a “generational” event, occurring when Sunni Arabs reject Isis’s ideology, prompting the question of when the US military will know it can stop bombing, particularly as most Sunni Arabs already reject Isis as barbaric fanatics. -- It is a question that the US for decades has proven far better at deferring than at answering, all at the cost of countless lives, dollars and victories. --- In Afghanistan, Obama’s goal for his 2010-11 troop surge was to “break the Taliban’s momentum”, whatever that meant. Its result has been to live with a diminished form of the Afghan insurgent force while a diminished US presence stretches the war through 2016 and, pending a garrisoning agreement, to 2024. -- Obama’s goal against al-Qaida was to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” the organization in Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the moment, that looks successful, as al-Qaida’s core has neared irrelevance since Obama ordered Osama bin Laden’s 2011 killing. Except that US drone strikes in Pakistan continue, most recently on Sunday, suggesting a lack of confidence in the durability of US achievements. --- US wars are more likely to end through an exogenous event – such as Russia’s diplomatic restraint of Serbia to end the 1999 Kosovo air war or Libyan rebels’ killing of Muammar Gaddafi to end the 2011 Libya air war – than through the deliberate application of military force. - Read More, Spencer Ackerman in New York, Guardian

DynCorp sued for breach of contract by Afghanistan subcontractor --- DynCorp International, the country’s biggest logistics contractor in Afghanistan, is being sued by one of its subcontractors. -- The McLean-based defense contractor did not honor the agreement it had with CH2M Hill, a Colorado construction company that partnered with DynCorp on an Army contract in Afghanistan, according to the suit filed in the Fairfax County Circuit Court. -- “Contrary to CH2M Hill’s claims, DynCorp International has acted properly in response to CH2M Hill’s failure to meet its contractual obligations to [DynCorp], and we intend to hold CH2M Hill accountable in court and vigorously defend against this lawsuit,” the company said in an e-mailed statement. -- The suit claims that DynCorp did not pay CH2M Hill its fair share of profits on the contract over the last two years, a total of $26 million, according to the company. The two companies have been partners on the Army contract since 2007. DynCorp says it owes the company only $12 million, and made one payment of $6.3 million toward that end earlier this year. But in June, DynCorp sent CH2M a letter saying it did not owe the company any money, according to the suit. -- The lawsuit is the latest blow to a company that is already having a bad year. DynCorp has been cited for labor violations by the Defense Department inspector general, experienced falling revenues and replaced its chief executive twice in one month. The company was not re-selected for a $71 million contract with the Defense Intelligence Agency last month. - More, Amrita Jayakumar, Washingtonpost

مسوولان امنیتی بلخ در پیوند به انگیزه قتل پلوشه توخی سکوت اختیار کرده اند --- سه روز از قتل پلوشه توخی خبرنگار 26 ساله افغان در بلخ می گذرد، اما تا هنوز مسئولان امنیتی قومندانی امنیه بلخ در زمینه جز سکوت هیچ چیزی برای گفتن ندارند. نهاد های مدنی بلخ، مسئولان انجمن مدافع از حقوق خبرنگار شمال و خانواده پلوشه ارگان های امنیتی بلخ را در قسمت رسیدگی به این دوسیه به بی توجه یی متهم میکنند. پلوشه توخی میران زی یک تن از خبرنگاران افغان در بلخ بود که به تازه گی پس از ختم دوره تحصیلی اش به سطح ماستری در رشته حقوق و علوم سیاسی از کشور تایلند به وطن بر گشته بود که سه روز قبل در منزلش توسط یک فرد ناشناس به وسیله چاقو به قتل رسید. -- پدر این خبرنگار جوان می گویید که دخترش به طور مرموز به قتل رسیده و پیش از این با هیچ کسی دشمنی نداشته است. وی در قسمت رسیدگی به دوسیه قتل دخترش نهاد های امنیتی را متهم به بی توجه یی نموده و در زمینه خواهان تحقیقات سریع گردید: "تا به حال هیچ اقدامی صورت نگرفته است، می گویند ما در مورد تحقیق میکنیم. سه روز از این مسله گذشت از نیروهای امنیتی می خواهیم تحقیقات جدی را آغاز کنند و انگیزه قتل را پیدا کنند." -- قتل پلوشه دوستان خبرنگار وی را نیز متاثر و حیرت زده ساخته است. مبینه ساعی مسئول رادیو رابعه بلخی (رادیو ویژه بانوان) می گوید، قتل مرموز پلوشه رویه همهء خبرنگاران زن را ضعیف ساخته و این مسله درقسمت فعالیت های خبرنگار زن در بلخ تاثیرات منفی گذاشته است: "قتل پلوشه روحیه خبرنگاران زن را ضعیف ساخته اکثرآ آنان به ادامه کار شان در این بخش دل خوش نمی کنند، نیروهای امنیتی عاملین این رویداد را باید دستگیر کنند تا باشد خانواده او هم راحت شوند و هم خبرنگاران بدانند که مورد حمایت قرار خواهند گرفت." -- از سو دیگر خبرنگاران افغان در بلخ و مسئولان نهاد های مدافع در این ولایت می گویند، میتواند انگیزه قتل پلوشه مرتبط به فعالیت های اجتماعی و خبرنگاری وی باشد. آنان در قسمت قتل پلوشه دست داشتن زورمندان محلی را که در طی 13 سال گذشته دارای قدرت مستحکم در جغرافیای بلخ بوده اند به دور از تصور نمی دانند. عارف مسوی خبرنگار و عضو هیات رهبری نهاد مدافع از حقوق خبرنگاران در بلخ می گوید طی شش ماه با نهاد مدافع از حقوق خبرنگاران 8 مورد خشونت به ثبت رسیده است که 2 مورد آنرا قتل های مرموز ژورنلیستان تشکیل میدهد. وی گفت در مقابل به هیچ یکی از خشونت های انجام یافته قومندانی امنیه بلخ تحرک از خود نشان نداده و در زمینه آنان را به سکوت اختیار کردن متهم نمودند: "در طی سال روان 8 مورد خشونت بوده، دو مورد قتل در گذشته هم هیچ توجه صورت نگرفته و هیچ در مورد به قضایی کشته شدن خبرنگاران و خشونت انجام یافته علیه شان مسئولین امنیتی از خود تحرک هم نشان نداده اند." -- با سعی و تلاش های مکرر رادیو آزادی با آنهم مسئولان قومندانی امنیه ولایت بلخ در زمینه انگیزه قتل پلوشه توخی خبرنگار افغان حاضر به ارایه معلومات نگردیدند. در حالی مقامات امنیتی بلخ در پیوند به قتل خانم توخی سکوت اختیار کرده اند که انجمن اجتماعی خبرنگاران افغان درشمال کشور نیز تایید میکنند که مسئولان قومندانی امنیه بلخ دو ماه قبل نیز در قسمت ارایه معلومات در پیوند به قتل خالد آگاه خبرنگار افغان نیز خاموش بودند و تاهنوز نتوانستند که عاملین هیچ یکی از خشونت های انجام یافته علیه خبرنگاران را به پنجه قانون بسپارند. - رادیو آزادی

France is ditching the ‘Islamic State’ name — and replacing it with a label the group hates -- From the start, exactly what to call the extremist Islamist group that has taken over much of Syria and Iraq has been problematic. At first, many called it the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). However, due to differences over how the name should be translated from the Arabic, some (including the U.S. government) referred to them as ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). -- Now the French have added another complication. On Monday, the French government released a statement that included a reference to the group under a different name: "Daesh." -- France had hinted that it would begin using this term – how the group is referred to in much of the Arab world – before, but this week appears to be the first time that the country has used it in official communications. -- “This is a terrorist group and not a state," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters last week, according to France 24. "I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims and Islamists. The Arabs call it ‘Daesh’ and I will be calling them the ‘Daesh cutthroats.’ ” - Read More, Adam Taylor, washingtonpost

Gov. Jerry Brown signs $330 million California film tax incentive bill --- Elected officials gathered in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theater in downtown Hollywood Thursday for a signing ceremony for the state’s new film and television tax incentive bill, which more than triples the amount of money California will offer in subsidies annually. -- “Today, we remind the world that the Golden State is the home of the silver screen,” Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said. “This bill helps thousands of Californians, from stage hands and set designers to electricians and delivery drivers.” -- AB 1839 sets aside $330 million a year for the next five years, an increase over the $100 million a year that has been previously offered. It’s an effort by the state to woo back production that has fled to other states and countries that offer their own subsidies. California was late to the film incentive game, approving them in 2009, about a decade after other states began experimenting with them. -- “They call the problem ‘runaway production,’ but let’s be clear, production and production jobs aren’t running away from California,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “They’re being lured away by big financial incentives from other states. Today, we fight back.” -- The increase comes as other states stand down in the film tax incentive race. Nevada’s $80 million in incentives was slashed to $10 million to help pay for a subsidy deal for carmaker Tesla, and North Carolina’s program, which didn’t have a cap but paid out $61 million last year, will be down to $10 million next year after lawmakers failed to pass an extension. - More, Washingtonpost

Kerry, Afghan candidate discuss vote impasse --- KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ratcheted up the pressure on Afghanistan’s rival presidential contenders to reach a compromise on a national unity government, reminding them that Washington and the international community will withdraw financial support if they fail to strike a deal, a campaign official said Thursday. -- The U.S. is eager for an agreement so the new president can sign a security deal with the U.S., which hopes to withdraw all but 10,000 of its troops by year’s end, when international combat operations officially end. --- Kerry dialed into a meeting of Abdullah’s leadership council late Wednesday and early Thursday that was attended by President Barack Obama’s top representative to the region, Dan Feldman, as well as the U.S. and British ambassadors and the top U.N. representative to Afghanistan, said Nasrullah Arsalai, an Abdullah campaign manager. -- U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Monica Cummings said Kerry “continues to engage directly with both candidates in order to facilitate a political agreement to bring about a government of national unity and resolve the electoral impasse in Afghanistan.” -- One of Abdullah’s demands is that the vote results from the runoff not be released because he contends that undetectable fraud invalidates the results, Arsalai said. Instead, his team argues that the nation voted in large numbers for Abdullah and Ghani Ahmadzai and they should lead together in an agreed-upon national unity government. -- Abdullah also wants the newly created position of chief executive to chair Cabinet meetings and for both candidates to sign off on the appointment of high-level government positions, Arsalai said. Ghani Ahmadzai believes the constitution mandates that the president lead Cabinet meetings. --- Dawood Sultanzoi, a Ghani Ahmadzai supporter, said his side does not find it acceptable to not announce the vote results. After a total examination of ballots cast for potential fraud, the election commission is giving Ghani Ahmadzai about 55 percent of the vote, his supporters say. -- “We know who is the winner, but if it’s not officially announced, they are admitting their defeat but crying foul also,” Sultanzoi said. “It’s the people of this country who voted. They’re entitled to know the results of this election after months of campaigns.” --- The ballot recount and fraud investigations have all been completed, but the country’s election commission has not yet said when it will announce results. -- “My prediction is that whether they accept this formula or not, the election results will be announced, they will scream and shout here and there, a government will be created, some of their people will be accommodated in the government, and things will go back to normal within a few weeks,” Sultanzoi said. - Read More, Associated Press, Washingtonpost

Afghan election crisis talks stall over release of vote results --- (Reuters) - Talks between Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates have stalled again, in part over when and how to release the final results of an election that both say was rigged by the other side, officials said on Wednesday. -- Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani were close to a power-sharing deal on Tuesday after they met face-to-face, aides said, but they failed to reach agreement. --- One sticking point was that Abdullah did not want the results as they now stand - widely assumed to show him losing - made public. He also wants more ballots invalidated to narrow Ghani's presumed margin of victory, officials said. -- Both sides had earlier pledged to accept the results of a U.N.-monitored investigation into vote-rigging. -- The proposed unity government would see the eventual winner of the June runoff election named president. It would also create an expanded chief executive position for the runner-up. -- The idea was proposed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in July after preliminary results of the runoff, which showed Ghani 1.2 million votes ahead, prompted protests by Abdullah supporters. -- Details of how much power the chief executive would wield have been a major obstacle in finalizing the deal. --- Abdullah is also insisting that the final election results, due within days, be delayed until a deal on a unity government is agreed, his spokesman, Mujib Rahimi, said on Wednesday. -- The Abdullah camp would walk out of negotiations if the results are released without its agreement, he said. --- Afghanistan's President Karzai said on Wednesday that the United States needed to work with other countries that also had an interest in the vote's outcome to help push through deal. -- "Afghanistan must not be a ground for competition between countries ... It is therefore important that the U.S. should seek an environment of common understanding with other countries," he said in a statement. -- His spokesman Aimal Faizi said the president wanted the U.S. to engage regional powers including neighboring Iran. --- One of the proposals Abdullah made in his meeting with Ghani was for the Election Complaints Commission to invalidate more votes in order to narrow the margin between the candidates while still allowing Ghani to win, according to three people with knowledge of the meeting. -- "We were asked to agree on an outcome of the result by a close margin," Ghani spokesman Tahir Zahir said on Wednesday. "But we did not accept it. We want the election bodies to announce the genuine result of the election." -- A government official with direct knowledge of Tuesday's meeting confirmed that Abdullah had asked for adjusted results that showed him losing narrowly so that he could sell the deal to his backers. An Abdullah aide, who asked not to be named, also confirmed the account. - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/17/us-afghanistan-election-idUSKBN0HC1TO20140917

U.S. Security Leaders Detail Terrorist Threats for House Panel --- Terrorists Trained in Iraq, Syria Who Return Home and Americans Radicalized Online Are Top Concerns -- Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said Wednesday he is worried about "a terrorist diaspora" out of Iraq and Syria as fighters leave extremist groups there and return to their homes -- "I am very concerned about the going. I'm even more concerned about the coming," Mr. Comey said. -- Mr. Comey, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and National Counterterrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen detailed a series of threats before a House of Representatives panel on Wednesday. They said they are concerned about the threat from Islamic State, but warned that the country must grapple with a range of vulnerabilities, including Americans radicalized online who commit terrorist attacks on their own. -- "It's no longer necessary to actually meet somebody in al Qaeda to get training and inspiration to conduct a terrorist attack here in the U.S.," Mr. Comey said. "Somebody can do it in their pajamas in their basement." -- Homegrown terrorists, the officials said, are perhaps the hardest to detect and stop since they don't reach out to others before acting. -- "In a country this big and this free, with the material that's available, it's a big challenge for us," Mr. Comey said. -- Still, Mr. Comey and Mr. Johnson said they are making progress on two fronts: combing online postings to identify potential threats from within the U.S. and working with communities that might breed radicalization. -- Throughout the two-hour hearing, the officials found themselves repeatedly responding to Republican lawmakers' contentions that terrorists could be infiltrating a porous southern border. -- Messrs. Johnson and Olsen said repeatedly that they have no intelligence or evidence to suggest such a plot. -- Mr. Johnson did confirm the thrust of a Wall Street Journal report that the Department of Homeland Security plans to install a Pentagon-like regional command structure over its agencies operating along the southern border. He said he plans to announce in October details of "an effort to more strategically bring to bear all the resources of my department on border security." - More, Andrew Grossman, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-security-leaders-detail-terrorist-threats-for-house-panel-1410984249

په بلخ ولايت کې افغان ښځينه خبرياله وژل سوي ده --- د بلخ ولايت په مرکز مزار شريف ښار کې د بيان راډيو يوه خبرياله پلوشه توخي د ناپيژاندو کسانو له لوري وژل سوي او بريد کوونکي يې په تېښته بريالي سوي دي. -- د بلخ ولايت د امنيت آمر عبدالرزاق قادري ويلي دي چې پلوشه په مزار شريف ښار کې په مرموز ډول وژل سوي ده او دا پېښۀ تېره ورځ غرمه مهال سوي ده چې دا مهال يې د پوليسو له لوري پلټني هم پيل سوي دي. -- هغه وايې چې بريدګرو د واده د کارت د ورکولو په نوم ورغلي او وروسته يې پرې د چړو په وسيله حمله کړي او وژلي يې ده. -- د وايې چې د پوليسو له لوري د بريدګرو لټون روان دى. -- ها خوا د بيان راډيو مسؤول منلي چې د مزار شريف همکاره يې په مرموز ډول وژل سوي ده -- ددي راډيو مشر ويلي دي چې پلوشي توخي د تېرو شپږو کلونو را په دي خوا د بيان راډيو سره کار کوى. -- د بيان راډيو په افغانستان کې ډېرى ولايتونه تر پوښښ لاندي نيولي او مخامخ د ايساف له لوري مرکز څخه خپروني کوي. -- داسې معلومات ورکول سوي چې د شمال بيان راډيو خبرياله پر سينه او سر باندي په چړو وهل سوي ده. --- په افغانستان کې د خبريالانو په وړاندي تاوتريخوالى تر مخکي څو چنده ډېر سوى دى او په تېر کال کې د خبريالانو په وړاندي د تاوتريخوالى زياتي ثبت سوي وي. -- هغه شمېري د تېرو شپږو مياشتو په اوږدو کې راټولي سوي او خپري سوي دي راغلي چې د روان کال په لومړيو شپږو مياشتو کې د ژورناليستانو پر ضد د تاوتريخوالي ۶۸پېښې ثبت سوي چې ۶۳٪سلنه پکښې د دولتي چارواکو او امنيتي منسوبينو له خوا تر سره سوي دي. -- په افغانستان کې لا تر اوسه هم د خبريالانو په وړاندي حالت سم سوى نه دى او دلته لا هم زياتي ستونزي پرتي دي. - خبریال دات کام

In Brutal Year for News Media in Afghanistan, a 7th Journalist Is Killed --- KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan woman has become the seventh journalist killed in Afghanistan so far this year, an Afghan media group said Wednesday, adding to a toll that has already made 2014 by far the deadliest year for the news media here since the fall of the Taliban. -- Palwasha Tokhi, who worked for Bayan Radio in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, was called out of her home purportedly to receive a wedding invitation from a visitor on Tuesday night. (Wedding invitations are typically delivered by hand in Afghanistan.) -- She was then stabbed to death by the visitor, who fled, according to Hafizullah Majidid, the head of Bayan Radio. Ms. Tokhi had just returned to Afghanistan after earning her master’s degree in Thailand. -- A spokesman for the police in Mazar-i-Sharif confirmed the killing and said an investigation was underway. -- Ms. Tokhi became the fifth Afghan journalist killed this year, in addition to two foreign ones, according to data compiled by Nai, which trains and supports Afghan journalists. -- The year before, three journalists were killed in Afghanistan, and two in 2012. Violence tends to increase during election years in Afghanistan, and in the previous presidential election year, in 2009, three journalists were killed. -- Ms. Tokhi was the second radio journalist killed in Mazar-i-Sharif this year. Most of the killings of Afghan journalists have taken place in the provinces and most of the killings are unsolved. --- “Since 2001, more than 40 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan, and none of the cases have been followed by the judicial system of Afghanistan,” said Abdul Mujeeb Khelwatgar, executive director of Nai. “This has made all the people behind the killings and violence against journalists brave enough to think they could do anything against journalists.” - Read More, ROD NORDLAND, NYTimes

دفتر خلیلی: جعلی بودن صدای منسوب به معاون رئیس جمهور ثابت شد --- دفتر کریم خلیلی معاون دوم رئیس جمهوری افغانستان می ‌گوید که صداهای منسوب به آقای خلیلی از سوی سه نهاد بین‌المللی آوازشناسی جعلی و ساختگی تثبیت شده است. -- اسدالله سعادتی، عضو ولسی جرگهٔ افغانستان که به نمایندگی از دفتر آقای خلیلی صحبت می ‌کرد گفت که انتشار صدای منسوب به معاون دوم رئیس جمهوری، "اهداف مشخصی" را دنبال می‌ کرد که برای روشن شدن این اهداف و روشن کردن اذهان عمومی، نوار صوتی را برای بررسی در اختیار سه موسسه بین‌المللی قرار دادند. -- آقای سعادتی گفت که هرچند بررسی و به اثبات رساندن صحت این فایل صوتی وظیفه مدعی (ستاد انتخاباتی عبدالله عبدالله) بود اما به دلیلی که این اقدام ابعاد حقوقی، سیاسی و اخلاقی داشت و حاکمیت ملی و دموکراسی را زیر سوال می ‌برد و به وحدت ملی ضرر می‌ رساند، خود آقای خلیلی دست به کار شد. --- او به خبرنگاران گفت که موسسه بین‌المللی JP French Associates در پوهنتون یورک بریتانیا که بررسی‌های زیادی روی این نوار صوتی انجام داده گفته است که این صدا "توسط کسی از روی متن خوانده شده و بار بار ایدیت (ویرایش) شده و در یک استدیوی آرام خوانده (ضبط) شده و کیفیت صدا پایین آورده شده است." -- نماینده آقای خلیلی گفت که موسساتی که این تحقیقات را انجام داده اند معتبر اند و حاضر اند که در هر محکمی در مورد بررسی های خود توضیحات ارائه کنند. --- تیم عبدالله عبدالله که ادعا می‌کند این نوار صوتی بیانگر مداخله آقای خلیلی و حکومت در روند انتخابات است، تا هنوز در مورد عکس العمل دفتر آقای خلیلی چیزی نگفته است اما آقای سعادتی گفت هرچند ممکن افراد دیگری زمینه "صداسازی" را فراهم کرده باشند، ولی آنها شخص عبدالله عبدالله را در پیوند به انتشار این نوار صوتی مسؤول می‌دانند. -- او افزود که به این نتیجه رسیدند که در افغانستان یک "ماشین صداسازی است و نهادهای امنیتی باید دست به کار شوند: "یکی از خوبی‌های دنیای امروز این است که اگر تکنولوژی این امکان را داده که صدا را جعل می‌ کنند و ماشین تولید صدا به راه بیاندازند، ضد آن را هم خود تکنولوژی فراهم کرده است." -- آقای سعادتی گفت که در کنار این که از موسسات بین‌المللی خواستند که این بررسی را انجام دهد، همچنین در کمیسیون رسیدگی به شکایت‌های انتخاباتی شکایت درج کرده و از نیروهای امنیتی و سازمان ملل متحد هم خواسته اند که در پیوند به این مسأله ساکت نباشند -- عکس العمل دفتر کریم خلیلی معاون دوم حامد کرزی رئیس جمهوری افغانستان چند هفته پس از انتشار فایل صوتی در شرایطی اعلام شده که دو نامزد مشغول گفت ‌وگوهای سیاسی برای رسیدن به توافقی برای تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی و پایان دادن به بن ‌بست سیاسی افغانستان است. -- دفتر آقای خلیلی می‌گوید که نتیجه بررسی‌ها را به خاطر "تخریب روند گفت ‌وگو" اعلام نکرده بلکه قصد شان این است که "ذهن مردم افغانستان را روشن کنند -- صوتی جنجالی یک و نیم ماه پیش در ۱۲ اسد از سوی ستاد انتخاباتی عبدالله عبدالله نامزد معترض انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان پخش شد و تیم آقای عبدالله از آن به عنوان "سندی مبنی بر دست داشتن آقای خلیلی در سازمان‌دهی" تقلب در دور دوم انتخابات یاد کرد. -- این فایل صوتی جز چند فایل دیگری بود که به ترتیب از سوی تیم اصلاحات و همگرایی بر علیه افراد مختلف حکومت و مسئولان کمیسیون انتخابات منتشر شده است. - More, بی بی سی

Afghan official says government is nearly broke --- KABUL — Afghanistan’s central government is nearly broke and needs a $537 million bailout from the United States and other international donors within “five or six days” to continue paying its bills, a senior Afghan finance official said Tuesday. -- Crippled by a growing budget shortfall, the Afghan government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of easily accessible reserve funds this year, said Alhaj M. Aqa, the director general of the treasury at the Ministry of Finance. -- The government was barely able to cover its September payroll for more than 500,000 national and provincial employees, he added. And with its October payroll deadlines approaching, Aqa said the country’s financial challenges are now “critical.” -- Officials blame the financial woes on the ongoing stalemate over who won the election to replace outgoing President Hamid Karzai. -- “We hope they will pay for us, and we are asking at once,” Aqa said of ongoing discussions with the U.S. government and other international donors. “They are asking me when I need it, and I told them this week or we will have a problem.” -- If additional money is not allocated, Aqa said, the government will have to begin deferring payment of bills for items ranging from fuel for government vehicles to official stationery. -- The fiscal crisis could also hamper the government’s ability to feed more than 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police, Aqa said. Salaries for police and army personnel are not at risk because they are paid with funds that come directly from the U.S.-led coalition. --- A senior U.S. Embassy official in Kabul acknowledged ongoing discussions between Afghan and American officials over how to resolve the impending crisis. In a statement, the embassy said it is “working to find ways to help the new government meet some of its challenges and priorities using resources already allocated.” -- Though U.S. officials stressed they do not envision the budget problems will require a new appropriation from Congress, any additional assistance could prompt fresh scrutiny over future American spending in the country. -- An official with the World Bank said the organization was also “part of the discussion” but declined further comment. The Afghan government’s request for additional funds would help it pay its bills until the end of the budget year in December, Aqa said. -- Afghanistan has an annual operating budget of about $7.6 billion, about 65 percent of which comes from international assistance. The current fiscal crunch is a result of a 25 percent shortfall in Afghanistan’s domestic revenue collection from taxes and customs tariffs this year, Aqa said. -- He said the gap was created by the country’s nearly yearlong presidential contest, which has reduced foreign investment and made Afghans skittish about spending money. --- According to the World Bank, Afghanistan will need more than $7 billion annually for the next decade to sustain a functional government, maintain infrastructure and fund the Afghan army and police. -- Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the U.S. government has appropriated $104 billion rebuilding and supporting the Afghan government, military and public services, according to the Office of the Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction. - Read More, Tim Craig, Washingtonpost

NATO troops killed in Afghanistan --- KABUL — A suicide bomber killed three coalition troops near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Tuesday morning, and a fourth died late Monday when an Afghan soldier opened fire on NATO forces. -- The violence, the deadliest aimed at NATO troops in more than two months, underscores the continued vulnerability of international forces serving in Afghanistan. -- At about 8:15 a.m., a car packed with explosives detonated near a convoy of armored vehicles in Kabul. The blast occurred as the convoy left a heavily fortified area near the U.S. Embassy and other government buildings, witnesses and Afghan officials said. -- “It was a very powerful blast and happened just as the vehicles sped out of the embassy,” said Taj Mohammad, one of the witnesses. --Television footage of the aftermath showed mangled vehicles and coalition troops providing first aid to two soldiers lying next to the road. At least 13 Afghan civilians also were wounded, said Hashmat Stanekzai, a Kabul police spokesman. -- The Afghan Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack. The assault was the deadliest for coalition forces since July 8, when five soldiers from the Czech Republic were killed during a Taliban attack on Bagram air base, north of Kabul, according to iCasualties.org, which tracks coalition casualities. -- Although there has been a rapid drawdown of coalition forces this year, about 41,000 troops from 44 nations remain in Afghanistan. About three-fourths of them are Americans, and President Obama announced this summer that he plans to keep up to 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan into 2015. - Read More, Washingtonpost

Sweden's Left Victorious in Elections --- Social Democrat Leader Stefan Lofven Defeats Incumbent Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt --- STOCKHOLM—Sweden's Social Democrat Leader Stefan Lofven defeated incumbent Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in parliamentary elections on Sunday, signaling the return of a left-leaning government after eight years in opposition. -- The shift reflected concerns among the Swedish electorate that Mr. Reinfeldt's pro-market policies have chipped away at the country's cherished welfare state. Mr. Reinfeldt said he would resign as prime minister on Monday and as leader of his party by spring. -- Mr. Lofven, though, still faces tough negotiations with left-leaning allies over forming a coalition government after failing to secure an absolute majority. --- With nearly all votes counted, results from Sweden's election authority showed the Social Democrats won 31.1% of the vote, largely unchanged from the last election in 2010, while Mr. Reinfeldt's Moderate Party slumped to 23.2%, from 30.1% at the last election. Though the two parties won nearly the same amount of votes four years ago, Mr. Reinfeldt's Moderates were then able to cobble together a larger center-right alliance of parties. -- Mr. Reinfeldt's defeat now is a blow for two of his fellow conservative leaders within the European Union, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Reinfeldt was often a reliable ally on the EU stage in advocating for more market-friendly policies and efforts to improve the bloc's competitiveness. -- The change of government in Sweden also will end the mandate of two well-known lawmakers in the European political arena: Finance Minister Anders Borg and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. Mr. Borg has been a high-profile advocate of fiscal prudence in Europe during the financial crisis, while Mr. Bildt has been a vocal critic of Russia over its actions in Ukraine. --- The strong showing of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats—whose share of votes climbed to 13% from 5.7% in the 2010 election—surprised pollsters. Their opposition strength in parliament also could force Mr. Lofven to recruit a center-right party to his coalition to ensure he can drive through policies. -- Although the Social Democrats and their allies are bigger jointly than the center-right parties, they will in practice have a majority against them in Parliament, said Jonas Hinnfors, a political scientist at Gothenburg University. -- Read More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/swedes-go-to-the-polls-1410695627

Sweden elects new prime minister after centre-left victory --- This signals the end of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's conservative government which has been in power for eight years. -- A far-right, anti-immigration party took around 13% of the vote. - BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29201672

World leaders vow to do 'whatever necessary' to defeat Isis jihadis --- US-led efforts to construct an international coalition to destroy Islamic State (Isis) are to intensify after leaders from 24 countries pledged at a crisis meeting in Paris on Monday to use "whatever means necessary" to defeat what they called a "global threat". -- The talks were held as France began reconnaissance flights over Iraq after announcing it was ready to join US air strikes there. Philip Hammond, Britain's foreign secretary, said the UK would play a leading role in the coalition, suggesting military efforts beyond its current involvement in arming the Kurds and flying reconnaissance missions. The US says nearly 40 countries have already offered to help fight the transnational jihadi movement. -- Iraq's new government won broad support. However, on a day of strong statements there was no public mention of attacking Isis on Syrian soil, where armed action is far more problematic legally and politically than in Iraq because it would not have the consent of President Bashar al-Assad – or the legitimacy of a UN resolution that Russia would insist on. However, Hammond said the UK was not ruling out the option of strikes against Isis in Syria. -- Speaking after the conference, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, ruled out coordination with Iran in any US-led campaign. Earlier, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed that Tehran had privately refused US requests for cooperation. "I saw no point in cooperating with a country whose hands are dirty and intentions murky," Khamenei said. -- Kerry's spokesperson said there might be a future opportunity to talk to Iran – likely to be in the margin of talks at the UN later this month. French officials said Arab countries, probably led by Saudi Arabia, had blocked Tehran's presence. --- Amid continuing uncertainty about who will do what in the US-led coalition, urgent appeals were the order of the day. The French president, François Hollande asked western and Arab countries to engage "clearly, loyally and strongly on the side of the Iraqi authorities". There was "no time to lose" in dealing with the Isis threat. "Iraq's fight against ter-rorism is also ours," he said. The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said Isis was neither "a state or representative of Islam", neither were its "throat-cutters". --- Last week, at talks in Jeddah, the US won the backing for a "coordinated military campaign" from 10 Arab countries – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and six Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. On Sunday, amid outrage over the ritualised killing of Haines, western diplomats reported that several Arab states – likely to include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – had privately offered to join the US in carrying out air strikes. -- Read More, Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/15/world-leaders-pledge-defeat-isis-paris-summit

Poverty: It’s More than a Job Market Story --- Between 2010 and 2013, the unemployment rate fell by 23% in the United States. The poverty rate, we predict, will have fallen by only one percent over the same time period. That is, for a second year in a row, we expect no significant change in either the poverty rate for all persons or for children. Whether or not this prediction is accurate will be revealed on Tuesday, September 16, when the Census Bureau publishes its 2013 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey. --- Disentangling poverty and unemployment -- Historically, the poverty rate has moved with the unemployment rate. Since 1970, in fact, the official poverty rate has spiked during each recession. Intuitively, this makes sense—if you lose your job, then you lose access to a steady stream of income. When you find a new job—as people are wont to do in the recovery after a recession, your prospects improve. Nevertheless, as shown in Figure 1, despite the sharp decline in unemployment following the Great Recession, the headline poverty rate has remained at or near 15%. --- Poverty in the United States as of 2013 -- Since 2009, the Center on Children and Families at Brookings has predicted the U.S. poverty rate in advance of the release of the official figure. For 2013, our estimates of the poverty rate for all persons and for children are 14.9% and 21.8%, respectively. Neither of these estimates represents a statistically significant change from 2012; the change itself falls within the Census Bureau’s margin of error. -- As evidenced by these rates, poverty remains a harsh reality for many Americans. In real terms, a headline poverty rate of 14.9% translates to 47.0 million people—as many as are living in both New York and Texas combined. The children’s rate translates to 15.7 million children. In other words, as of 2013, about one in three people living in poverty in the United States was a child. - Read More, Brookings Institution, http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2014/09/12-poverty-rate-stuck

Court Confirms 5 Death Sentences in Afghan Rape Case --- KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan appeals court confirmed death sentences on Monday against five of the seven defendants in a notorious robbery and rape case, despite their claims that their confessions were extracted through torture. -- For the other two defendants, the court found insufficient evidence to justify the death penalty, so it reduced their sentences to 20 years’ imprisonment. -- The seven men were accused of dressing in police uniforms and stopping a caravan of cars returning from a wedding in the Paghman district, less than half an hour’s drive from Kabul; robbing the occupants and raping four of the women by the roadside. -- The Kabul police department was under enormous public pressure to solve the case, which prompted national outrage and revulsion. But women’s rights activists have noted that the outrage was less an expression of concern about the women’s welfare than about the perceived dishonor to the victims’ husbands. -- That pervasive sense of male privilege — to the degree that Afghan women and girls are still commonly seen as marital property, and are frequently subject to so-called honor killings even when they are the victims of sexual attacks — has remained despite efforts to reform Afghanistan’s legal code to enshrine more protections for women. -- Almost from the beginning, questions have been raised about whether the suspects were being railroaded by the government. President Hamid Karzai promised to approve the death penalty against the men even before their hurried, two-hour-long trial on Sept. 7. -- The entire case against them rested on their confessions and on their identification by victims at a police lineup. But all seven men said that they were severely beaten by police officers until they confessed to the rapes, and that the victims were told by the police whom to identify in a lineup that included no one other than them. -- “When the lady who picked me out first came in, she put her hand on the chief of the criminal investigation division, and then on the cook,” Qaisullah, one of the five condemned men, said at the appeals court hearing Monday, referring to two police employees who would have been in plain clothes. “Then they showed me to her, and she picked me.” Like many Afghans and several of the other defendants, Mr. Qaisullah uses only one name. --- Human Rights Watch said the police identification procedure was not a lineup but a “showup,” in which the police indicated to the victims who the suspects were. -- The five men whose death sentences were confirmed on Monday did not deny being part of the gang that carried out a robbery at the scene, but they said they had nothing to do with the rapes. -- “After that beating, I would have confessed to adultery with my mother,” said Azizullah, one of the five men, describing his interrogation by police at the hearing. Another, Mohammad Nazar, said he had only acted as a lookout and that the police beat him for five days until he confessed. “I never even saw the women taken from the cars,” he said through sobs at the hearing. - Read More, ROD NORDLAND, NYTimes

Swiss say would shield Snowden from 'political' extradition to U.S --- (Reuters) - Former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden could be granted safe passage in Switzerland if he helped a potential criminal inquiry into U.S. spying there, the Swiss public prosecutor's office said on Monday. -- He would probably not be extradited to the United States if Washington asked, but it was also unlikely that he would be granted political asylum, according to a document laying out Switzerland's legal options if Snowden were to visit. -- The prosecutor's office, which provided the document to Reuters, stressed the issue was "purely hypothetical" because Snowden had not been invited to come from his current refuge in Russia. It had no further comment. -- The document was leaked last week and prompted a lively debate in the Swiss media. -- Some German politicians have suggested inviting Snowden to Germany to testify about National Security Agency spying there, but Berlin has ruled that out to avoid a clash with Washington over extraditing him to the United States. --- Michael McCaul, Republican head of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, reacted to the Swiss debate by telling the U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine that Snowden should not be allowed to "trade our intelligence community's sources and methods for safe haven in other countries". - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/15/us-usa-security-snowden-switzerland-idUSKBN0HA1VX20140915

Washington wins diplomatic support for campaign in Iraq; Syria trickier --- (Reuters) - World powers backed military measures on Monday to help defeat Islamic State fighters in Iraq, boosting Washington's efforts to set up a coalition, but made no mention of the tougher diplomatic challenge next door in Syria. -- France sent fighter jets on a reconnaissance mission over Iraq, a step closer to becoming the first ally to join the United States in new bombing there since President Barack Obama declared his plans to establish a broad coalition last week. -- Paris also hosted an international conference, attended by the five U.N. Security Council permanent members, European and Arab states, and representatives of the EU, Arab League and United Nations. All pledged to help the government in Baghdad fight against Islamic State militants. -- But a statement after Monday's conference made no mention at all of Syria - the other country where Islamic State fighters hold a wide swathe of territory. Iraq attended Monday's meeting but Syria did not, nor did its main regional ally, Iran. -- Obama pledged last week to establish a coalition to defeat Islamic State fighters in both Iraq and Syria, plunging the United States into two separate civil wars in which nearly every country in the Middle East has a stake. -- "All participants underscored the urgent need to remove Daesh from the regions in which it has established itself in Iraq," said a statement after Monday's talks, using an Arabic acronym for the group which now calls itself Islamic State. -- "To that end, they committed to supporting the new Iraqi Government in its fight against Daesh, by any means necessary, including appropriate military assistance...." it said. -- Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said French aircraft would begin reconnaissance flights over Iraq. A French official said two Rafale fighter jets and a refueling aircraft had taken off on Monday for Iraq. -- "The throat-slitters of Daesh - that's what I'm calling them - tell the whole world 'Either you're with us or we kill you'. And when one is faced with such a group there is no other attitude than to defend yourself," Fabius told a news conference at the end of the talks. -- Iraqi President Fouad Massoum told Monday's conference he hoped the Paris meeting would bring a "quick response". -- "Islamic State's doctrine is either you support us or kill us‎. It has committed massacres and genocidal crimes and ethnic purification," he told delegates. - Read More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/15/us-iraq-crisis-france-idUSKBN0HA0F920140915

له حضرت صبغت الله مجددي څخه د شمالټلوالې بښنې غوښتلو راپورتاژ اوله برخه . --- More, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAYeMl31-tM

Afghans See Option of Karzai Staying On --- President Could Ensure Stability as Election Dispute Resists Settlement -- KABUL—Supporters of Afghanistan's deadlocked presidential contenders now are suggesting that President Hamid Karzai could remain in office to ensure stability while the rivals try to resolve their dispute over who won a June 14 runoff vote. -- "If the negotiations break down, if there is a threat of civil war, then there are alternatives—there could be an interim government, or the president could stay on," said Mahmood Karzai, a brother of the president and a key ally of Abdullah Abdullah, one of the two contenders for the presidency. -- The team of Ashraf Ghani, Mr. Abdullah's rival, has also considered the possibility of Mr. Karzai remaining in office if the crisis isn't resolved. -- In a telephone call with President Barack Obama, Mr. Ghani said agreeing to further concessions in negotiations with Mr. Abdullah would jeopardize his political capital and force him to go to Mr. Karzai to declare a state of emergency and nullify the election, according to a senior Ghani aide. However, a spokesman for Mr. Ghani denied the candidate said this. -- Mr. Karzai, who has been running the country since the U.S. toppled the Taliban in 2001, is supposed to step down this year, following elections that were meant to mark the first democratic transfer of power in Afghan history. But the June 14 presidential runoff to pick his successor has proved inconclusive, with both candidates claiming victory. -- Mr. Abdullah said widespread ballot stuffing took place on behalf of his rival, and rejected preliminary results that showed Mr. Ghani winning. -- This raised fears that the country could face a violent split along ethnic lines. The support base of Mr. Abdullah, who is half-Tajik and half-Pashtun, is in the country's north, west and center while Mr. Ghani's is in the Pashtun-majority southeast. -- Since the vote, months of U.S.-led efforts to broker a power-sharing agreement between the two camps have failed to break the deadlock, stoking political uncertainty just as foreign troops are leaving and the Taliban insurgency is pressing a countrywide offensive. -- Mr. Karzai has already stayed in office longer than planned. The inauguration date for a new president was originally set for Aug. 2. Both camps and Mr. Karzai say they want a successor to take over as soon as possible. -- "The continuation of the president's term—that's certainly not in the interest of Afghanistan, not in the interest of democracy and not in the interest of President Karzai himself," said Mr. Karzai's spokesman, Aimal Faizi. "He is doing his best to make the candidates reach an agreement. That's the only aim." -- The results of a United Nations-supervised audit of all votes cast in the runoff are expected to be released within days, but Mr. Abdullah, who criticized its invalidation rules as too lenient, has said he won't accept the tally. -- Members of Mr. Abdullah's camp have repeatedly warned that announcing the audit's results, which are widely expected to show Mr. Ghani winning, would compromise chances to reach a political deal. -- Talks between the two camps on the structure of a shared government are ongoing. Members of the rival campaigns said they held productive discussions over the weekend but sticking points remained. -- Above all, the two teams don't agree on the role of the chief executive officer, a new post that would dilute the powers of the president and would likely go to Mr. Abdullah or to a member of his camp. -- Above all, the two teams don't agree on the role of the chief executive officer, a new post that would dilute the powers of the president and would likely go to Mr. Abdullah or to a member of his camp. -- "Karzai is still the man who has the final word in the country." says Mohammad Mohaqeq, a powerful ally and a vice-presidential candidate of Mr. Abdullah. -- "He wants to negotiate a deal," said the aide to Mr. Ghani. "He is trying to insert himself into the situation and see if he can be the game-changer." -- "He wants to negotiate a deal," said the aide to Mr. Ghani. "He is trying to insert himself into the situation and see if he can be the game-changer." -- "He is still a tremendously powerful political figure," said a Western official. The official believes Mr. Karzai will continue to remain influential even after he formally exits the political state. -- The protracted uncertainty has worn on the morale of Afghans, many of whom say they would rather see Mr. Karzai stay in office than see the crisis continue. -- "It will be better if Karzai stays in power because Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani aren't going to solve their problems," says Safihullah, 25, who sells secondhand mobile phones in Kabul. "They've taken Afghanistan hostage." - More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/afghans-see-option-of-karzai-staying-on-1410739482

د پاکستاني طالبانو تحریک وايي، د پنجابي طالبانو مشر د آی ایس آی ایجنټ دی --- د پاکستاني طالبانو تحریک وايي چې د پنجابي طالبانو مشر عصمت الله معاویه د آی ایس آی ایجنټ دی. -- پاکستاني طالبانو دا اعلان وروسته له دې وکړ چې معاویه وویل، په پاکستان کې یوازې تبلیغ پکار دی او باید جګړه د افغانستان په خاوره کې وشي. -- ویل کېږي چې عصمت الله معاویه یو سخت دریځی فرقه پال دی چې تل یې د نورو اسلامي فرقو او مذهبونو پر پیروانو حملې کړي او د مسلمانانو ترمنځ یې کرکې ته لمن وهلې ده. -- د پنجابي طالبانو له لوري په پاکستان کې د جګړې نه کولو پر اعلان د پاکستاني طالبانو د تحریک مشهور قومندان ابوبصیر وویل، عصمت الله معاویه د خفیه ایجنسۍ آی ایس آی ایجنټ و او اوس هم دی. -- ده وویل چې معاویه ځان د مجاهد په جامه کې پټ کړی و. -- د افغانستان حکومت هم نن د پنجابي طالبانو له لوري د دوهم ځل لپاره پر دې اعلان غبرګون وښود چې نور په پاکستان کې نه چجنګېږي او پر ځای یې په افغانستان کې جنګ روا بولي. -- د افغانستان د ملي امنیت شورا په یوه اعلامیه کې د پنجابي طالبانو اعلان د افغانستان په چارو کې د پاکستان د استخباراتو د پټو او ښکاره لاسوهنو په لړ کې بللی او ویلي یې دي چې دا د افغانستان پر ضد د آی ایس آی د جنګ یو بل اعلان دی. -- پنجابي طالبانو، چې اوس هم په زرګونو تنه یې په افغانستان کې جنګېږي، په وروستیو ورځو کې دوه واري ویلي چې نور غواړي چې په افغانستان کې جګړې ته دوام ورکړي. دوی ویلي چې په پاکستان کې به یوازې تبلیغ کوي. - تاند

Afghanistan: Where $1 Trillion in Riches Are Held Captive by War --- War has a devastating effect on wealth creation as it decimates a country's capacity for productivity. It creates instability and insecurity, both of which prevent wealth-creating investments from being made. This is why one of the poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan, is still sitting on $1 trillion in natural resource riches. --- Three decades of war yield nothing but poverty -- Based on gross domestic product and adjusted for purchasing power parity, Afghanistan is the 10th-poorest nation in the world. In 2013, the average citizen of Afghanistan added just $1,072.19 to the economy. For perspective, that figure in the United States was $51,248.21. This is why Afghanistan's gross domestic product is only about $20 billion annually, which is less money than some U.S. companies make in a year. -- This is despite the fact that Afghanistan has twice the natural mineral wealth of the U.S. and rivals Canada as a top-five holder of such assets. The problem has always been that the war-torn country has never been stable enough for safe investments to unearth these minerals. That could be about to change, as Afghanistan is finally starting to stabilize to the point that mining investments can be made. --- This is despite the fact that Afghanistan has twice the natural mineral wealth of the U.S. and rivals Canada as a top-five holder of such assets. The problem has always been that the war-torn country has never been stable enough for safe investments to unearth these minerals. That could be about to change, as Afghanistan is finally starting to stabilize to the point that mining investments can be made. -- According to studies from the U.S. Geological Survey, Afghanistan may hold as much as 60 million tons of copper, 2.2 billon tons of iron ore, and 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements, as well as aluminum, gold, silver, zinc, and lithium. Overall, at least two dozen potential world-class mineral deposits have been identified. -- Of particular interest are rare earth elements, which are valuable for the defense industry and clean energy. Afghanistan is thought to be rich in lanthanum and neodymium, elements that are now largely supplied by China. -- In fact, U.S. government has been looking for ways to reduce the nation's dependence on China for rare-earth elements, which are are critical components used in Tomahawk cruise missiles, smart bombs, missile guidance systems, and night-vision technology. In addition, rare earth minerals are vital to clean energy technology. For example, Toyota (NYSE: TM ) each year uses 7,500 tons of lanthanum, which is important for hybrid-vehicle automotive batteries, and 1,000 tons of neodymium to build its Prius. --- With security comes investment -- While questions about security in Afghanistan remain, the country is slowly beginning to entice investors to help it unlock its mineral riches. The country signed a 30-year, $3 billion contract with a Chinese mining company to help it develop a large copper deposit. It has also awarded mining rights to what is believed to be the nation's biggest iron ore deposit to a group of Indian companies. The deal could be worth up to $10.8 billion, but it is on shaky ground due to increased fighting in the province in which the ore deposit is located. The consortium has been looking to renegotiate its deal. --- Investor takeaway -- Security concerns mean there is no guarantee that Afghanistan will ever realize the riches buried underneath the ground. However, the nation has the opportunity to become a major player in the global mining market, especially for rare earth elements critical to clean energy and other sectors, giving the world a supplier other than China. Development of this massive potential is worth investors' attention. -- Read More, Matt DiLallo, http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/09/14/afghanistan-where-1-trillion-in-riches-are-held-ca.aspx

Afghanistan Boldly Raises Its Colors, as Never Before --- KABUL, Afghanistan — To find a flag as big as the one hoisted over Kabul’s historic Wazir Akbar Khan hill on Wednesday, you would have to go pretty far — possibly as far as a Walmart parking lot somewhere in the Great Plains. -- Flying from a specially erected flagpole more than 200 feet high — taller than the Statue of Liberty replica in Las Vegas — the black, red and green flag, at 97 by 65 feet, is big enough to drape over a Dreadnoughtus dinosaur (tail included). It is hundreds of square yards bigger than any other known Afghan banner. -- Oddly, despite 13 years and more than half a trillion dollars of American investment in Afghanistan, when this country finally got its first supersized flag to fly over the capital last week, the donor was not from among the descendants of Betsy Ross. --- Instead, the Afghan megaflag was personally presented by Sushma Swaraj, the new foreign minister of India. The half-million-dollar gift was partly underwritten by an Indian billionaire, Naveen Jindal, whose Flag Foundation of India was founded to encourage Indian homes to fly their own flags at a practically American rate. -- Political pundits quickly noted the symbolism of India’s helping Afghanistan erect a flag big enough to be seen from the American surveillance blimp on the other side of the capital. The point would surely not be lost on Pakistan, which has always looked unfavorably at overtures between India and Afghanistan. -- The Indian flag project is also seen as a subtle message to the Americans, who are bringing their combat mission in Afghanistan to a close this year without any guarantee yet of a future military role here. The bilateral security agreement that would allow that remains unsigned by President Hamid Karzai, and the inauguration of his successor is months overdue, hung up by a protracted election dispute. -- “This will show Pakistan, and further weaken its role in Afghanistan,” said the political analyst Bashir Bezhan. “And for President Karzai, it would have a message to the West that his neighboring powers are behind him.” -- Ms. Swaraj said at the flag-raising ceremony, “India will always be the first strategic partner of Afghanistan, and we are committed to assist Afghanistan in whatever way possible within our means.” -- Flags have had a tattered history in Afghanistan, with a succession of different ones during the past 35 years of civil war and insurgency. -- The 15-ton flagpole is high enough to make the flag visible from nearly all quarters of the city. The pole was flown in from India in segments, then erected to be earthquake-proof by Indian engineers. --- India’s support for Afghanistan is more than symbolic. While more often a recipient than a donor country, India has budgeted about $2 billion in aid to Afghanistan through the war years — making Afghanistan one of its biggest foreign aid beneficiaries. None of that is direct military aid, and it is a pittance compared to the $89 billion in aid from the United States just through 2012. But some of that money has been spent on particularly high-profile projects, such as a huge, $238 million Parliament building, expected to open next year. - Read More, ROD NORDLAND, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/world/asia/afghanistan-boldly-raises-its-colors-like-never-before.html?_r=0

U.N. threatens to cut Afghanistan aid if election staff harassed --- (Reuters) - The United Nations threatened on Saturday to cut aid to Afghanistan if its staff are harassed, responding to tensions surrounding its participation in a drawn-out and bitter investigation into fraud in the still-unresolved presidential election. -- The warning came a day after dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Kabul headquarters of the world body and accused it of aiding vote-rigging. -- It was another sign of heightened anxiety in the run-up to the release of final election results over the next week. A two-month-long crisis over results of the vote to succeed President Hamid Karzai has been destabilizing Afghanistan just months before most international troops withdraw. -- The U.N. has been monitoring a vote-rigging investigation since both candidates - former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani - each claimed victory and accused the other of fraud in early July. -- U.N. workers have frequently been caught up in heated disputes by the rival candidates' audit observers. After Friday's small demonstration, which was peaceful but also featured chants of "Death to the U.N.," the world body apparently decided to draw a line. -- "Intimidation and verbal attacks directed at #UN are unacceptable," said a tweet by the official U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on Saturday. -- A second post continued: "If such abuse continues, #UN will be forced to severely limit its activities, reducing its assistance to #Afghanistan and its people." -- Ari Gaitanis, a U.N. spokesman in Kabul, declined to elaborate on specific abuse or threats against U.N. staff. -- The threat to cut aid underscored the high stakes in Afghanistan's election crisis, which marred hopes for a smooth transition of power ahead of the foreign troops' withdrawal. -- Talks between both sides on forming a unity government have broken down in recent weeks. -- Final results are expected in the next week, though a specific date has not been set. It is widely believed that Ghani, who was ahead by 1.2 million votes in preliminary results, will be declared the winner even after suspect votes are thrown out. -- Abdullah, who has charged that more than 2 million ballots were fraudulent, has vowed he will reject results that give the election to Ghani. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/13/us-afghanistan-un-idUSKBN0H80CK20140913

يك ويدويو بسيار جالب و ديدني از سال ١٩٤٩ ميلادي --- Nasir Amany | Facebook - More , https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=752492364815362

Proposal to split California into six states fails to make it onto ballot --- The proposal to divide California into six states failed to make it onto the 2016 ballot, California’s secretary of state office said Friday. -- The measure required about 807,000 signatures to quality, and despite proponents turning in more than 1 million signatures earlier this summer, a random sample conducted by counties found that not enough signatures were valid to meet the threshold to qualify. -- Venture capitalist Tim Draper, the billionaire behind the proposal, spent $5.2 million to try to get the proposal on the ballot while opponents spent $10,000. --- Draper’s proposal called for carving out Silicon Valley as its own state, which would have had the highest per capita income in the U.S., while the proposed state of Central California, which would have included Fresno and the Central Valley, would have had the lowest. -- Draper said in a statement he believed enough signatures had been collected and said the group Six Californias would conduct its own review. -- “The internal verification process conducted by our signature-gathering firm predicted a much higher validity rate than the random sample result,” he said. “It is yet another example of the dysfunction of the current system and reinforces the need for six fresh, modern governments.” - More, Hunter Schwarz, Washingtonpost

In Afghanistan, U.N. fears for the safety of its staff amid growing threats of violence --- KABUL — The United Nations is debating whether to withdraw its staff from one of Afghanistan’s largest and safest cities as concerns grow that a deadlock between the country’s two presidential candidates could lead to unrest. -- In a series of stern statements Saturday, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan said it’s facing increasing threats as it oversees a recount of Afghanistan’s contested presidential runoff. The process has been marred by disputes between Ashraf Ghani, who is expected to prevail, and Abdullah Abdullah, the likely second-place finisher, over plans for a U.S.-backed coalition government. -- The tension has persisted for weeks, heightening international concerns about the country’s ability to complete its first transition from one democratically elected government to another. --- Earlier this month, Abdullah withdrew his support for the recount, alleging it had failed to uncover hundreds of thousands of fraudulent ballots. And on Friday afternoon, dozens of Abdullah supporters protested in Kabul with derogatory signs directed at Jan Kubis, the chief of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. -- “Intimidation and verbal attacks directed at #UN are not acceptable,” the mission posted on Twitter on Saturday. “Threats against #UN = threats against entire international community. If such abuse continues, #UN will be forced to severely limit its activities, reducing its assistance to #Afghanistan and its people.” -- One immediate ramification could be the withdrawal of U.N. personnel from Mazar-e-Sharif, the largest city northern Afghanistan, officials said. -- In recent year years, Mazar-e-Sharif had been a rare success story in a country that continues to struggle against a Taliban insurgency and chronic poverty. -- The city has been relatively free of violence, and the border town is one of the country’s chief economic engines. But Mazar-e-Sharif could become a major flashpoint between Abdullah and Ghani supporters should election-related disturbances erupt. --- It’s home to tens of thousands of ethnic Tajiks, an ethnic group that heavily favored Abdullah in the election. Attah Mohammed Noor, the powerful governor of Balkh Province, which includes Mazar-e-Sharif, has repeatedly vowed he would lead “a big civil uprising” should Abdullah be denied the presidency because of perceived fraud. -- The U.N. stressed “consultations are ongoing” so no final decisions have been made about its future presence in northern Afghanistan. Yet the fact that a U.N. pullout is even up for discussion reflects the unease within the organization after Friday’s protest. - Read More, Tim Craig, Washingtonpost

Afghanistan, in words and sketches --- Washington Post senior graphics editor Richard Johnson traveled to Afghanistan recently to tell the story of soldiers in words and field sketches. --- FORWARD OPERATING BASE LIGHTNING, Afghanistan — My first morning in Forward Operating Base Lightning, Maj. Vance Trenkel, the Third Cavalry's public affairs officer, asked me to create a little good feeling and sketch someone wearing the Third Cav's Stetson. Of course I agreed, and ma de one plaintive request: it had to be some Clint Eastwood-looking crusty veteran of multiple conflicts. "I need to see the grit in the corners of his eyes," I said. -- Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Heinze, a proud Texan and 25-year Army man, had that deep blue-eyed calculating gaze that made me feel like he could snap my neck like a twig using no other weapon than foul language. His personality, however, was warm and friendly. I did a quick recon of his features, k-bar like nose, bulldozer chin, those prairie-windswept eye creases and decided that a profile was the way to go. -- We sat together in the still-blinding shade outside of the regimental command post. We chatted about this and that while I drew; growing up in the countryside, who was mowing our lawns while we were away, and our vastly different association for public firearm ownership (me growing up in a country where even the police didn't carry, and him growing up in a state where almost 40 percent of the citizens do). -- "We lost a man today," he said at one point. -- Suddenly the drawing seemed to be a bit of a daft thing to be doing. Heinze said there was going to be a ramp ceremony back at Bagram Airfield that night. I asked if I could accompany the delegation heading there. Forty minutes later we were aboard a pair of Blackhawks heading first for FOB Ghazni, before jumping off for BAF. - Read More, Richard Johnson, Stars and Stripes, http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/afghanistan-in-words-and-sketches-1.302903

يوسف نورستاني: د ټاکنو پايلې به راتلونکې اونۍ اعلان شي --- د ټاکنو خپلواک کميسيون مشر يوسف نورستاني ويلي، چې راتلونکې اونۍ به د ټاکنو پايلې اعلان شي او تر هغه وروسته که کوم کړکيچ رامنځته کيږي مسؤوليت يې د ټاکنو کميسيون نلري. -- نوموړي زياته کړه، د دغه کړکيچ مسؤولين به هغه څوک وي، چې مشري کوي او قانون يې په خپل لاس کې نيولی او سرکونو ته راووځي. -- نورستاني همداراز وويل، چې د ټاکنو د بيا تفتیش پروسه د نړيوالو څارونو په حضور کې تر سره شوه او شفافه ده او نور د کړکيچ رامنځته کولو او نه منلو لپاره کوم دليل نشته. -- روهی ویب

IMF's Lagarde urges Germany to spend more, aid recovery --- (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund (IMF) head Christine Lagarde urged Germany to increase investments to help spur the euro zone's flagging economic recovery, adding that the bloc as a whole needed to make more structural reforms. -- With the euro zone economy in the doldrums, the European Central Bank announced on Thursday a series of measures to stimulate growth, with its president Mario Draghi expanding on a call for governments to support this process with extra spending. -- Echoing that sentiment, Lagarde told daily Les Echos in an interview the process could be aided by Germany, which is borrowing at record-low rates and on track to record a public sector surplus for the third year running. -- "We think that public or private investment (in Germany) to finance infrastructure would be welcome," she said, stressing this did not mean making the German economy less competitive. -- Asked in a second interview on Radio Classique whether Germany could do more to spur a European economic recovery, Lagarde told the radio: "It seems to us at the International Monetary Fund that it (Germany) can go a bit further, that it can do a bit more, in Germany's interest." --- Under pressure from major euro zone peers like Italy and France to boost public investment and cut taxes, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has left the door open to channelling the budget surplus into spending programmes. -- She said investments would take priority if Germany had money available but the government first had to see how the economy developed. -- Germany's 2015 budget projects no net new borrowing for the first time since 1969. -- Lagarde told Radio Classique all the bloc's member states needed to go further than existing economic reforms by creating more flexible labour markets and freeing up competition. -- "I think structural reform is necessary in terms of labor market regulations, excessive regulations in some areas, of areas of economic activity that are too protected and which need to be opened up to competition. -- "This goes for everyone... it's true for France, it's true for Germany, it's true for Italy." --- Lagarde, who was France's minister of finance from 2007 to 2011, told Les Echos that France needed to stick to its deficit-reduction plan. -- President Francois Hollande's government was forced to abandon fiscal targets for 2014 and 2015 last month after the economy delivered no growth for the second straight quarter. -- Lagarde said that for the IMF, the European Central Bank should maintain an expansionary monetary policy, while calling on regulators to keep a watchful eye on rising asset prices. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/08/us-imf-france-idUSKBN0H20U320140908

Former U.S. Afghanistan commander to lead effort against Islamic State --- (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has chosen retired Marine Corps General John Allen, who served as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, to coordinate international efforts to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, a U.S. official said on Friday. -- Allen has long experience working with leaders in the region, both as a commander in Iraq and as deputy head of U.S. Central Command, which controls U.S. forces in the region. -- The official said he would be named as the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition against ISIL, the acronym the administration used for the Sunni Islamist movement. -- Allen was deployed in Iraq between 2006 and 2008, where he served as commanding general of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. He served in Anbar Province and helped nourish the Sunni Awakening, which reduced violence in that part of the country and defeat al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents. -- After leaving Iraq he was deputy commander of Central Command and went on to serve as head of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan from July 2011 until February 2013. -- He was commander in Afghanistan during the height of the U.S. military surge against the Taliban, which helped reduce the level of militant violence as the United States prepared to hand over the lead combat role to Afghan forces. -- Since leaving the military in 2013, Allen has worked as an adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. He has also been a special U.S. envoy on security issues in talks between Israel and the Palestinians. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/12/us-iraq-crisis-usa-coordinator-idUSKBN0H722420140912?feedType=RSS

دانشمندان از وقوع دو توفان ناشی از انفجارت در آفتاب خبر می دهند --- دانشمندان احتمال وقوع یک طوفان شدید را در زمین خبر می دهند که از دو انفجار در سطح آفتاب ناشی می شود. گفته شده است که این طوفان شاید امشب و فردا صبح شعاع رنگین را در فضا ایجاد کند. هر دو انفجاری که منجد به این طوفان شده است، در نزدیک مرکز آفتاب رخ داد و باعث سرازیر شدن پلازما به سمت زمین شده است که طوفان ناشی از آن به زودی به زمین خواهد رسید. -- پیش بینی شده است که دو انفجار بزرگ در سطح آفتاب یک طوفان تقریباً قوی را در روز های آینده در زمین منتج خواهد شد که امکان دارد این طوفان ارتباطات رادیویی و ستلایت را متاثر بسازد. گفته شده است این طوفان وسایل الکترونیک شخصی را متاثر نخواهد ساخت، ولی شاید امشب و فردا صبح وقت شعاع های رنگین را در فضا ایجاد کند. -- توماس برگر رئیس مرکز پیش بینی آب و هوای اقیانوس و فضا میگوید، ما انتظار تاثیرات غیرقابل کنترول ازین طوفان را در سطح زیربنا های ملی را نداریم، ولی انتظار داریم بعضی شعاع های رنگین و خوش آیند را شب جمعه در شمال امریکا ببینیم. این طوفان با یک انفجار کوچک در سطح آفتاب به روز دوشنبه آغاز شد و حوالی ساعت شش شام روز چهارشنبه منتج به یک انفجار بزرگتر به درجه اکس شد که انفجار نسبتآ قویتری محسوب می شود. -- هر دو انفجار در عین نقطه آفتاب در نزدیکی مرکز آن رخ دادند و هر دو باعث سرازیزیء پلازما های مقناطیسی شدند که به سوی زمین روان شد. قوت جیومگنتیک این طوفان که راهی زمین است بین معتدل تا قوی تخمین شده است. ادارهء ملی خدمات آب و هوای امریکا به ادارهء خدمات برق و ادارات اضطرار فدرال هشدار داده است، آماده گی های را اتخاذ کنند. -- گفته می شود قوت این طوفان، کمتر از طوفانی مسمی به حادثهء کرینگتون است که در سال 1859 بخش های از کانادا را بی برق ساخته بود. این طوفان هم چنان ضعیف تر از طوفان ماه جولای سال 2012 است که ناسا گفته بود شاید بتواند، تکنولوژی جهان را 150 سال به عقب ببرد. طوفان سال 2012 به این خاطر منتج به ویرانی ها نشد که مسیر طوفان به سوی زمین نبود. - رادیو آزادی

‘Extreme’ solar storm is heading straight for Earth following ‘giant magnetic explosion’ on the Sun --- A massive explosion on the Sun has sent a solar storm heading straight for Earth, experts have said, which may disrupt communications equipment and power grids when it strikes. -- The solar flare registered in the “extreme” band on the scale used by forecasters – a magnitude not seen by observers for a number of years. -- Originating from a collection of sunspots right in the centre of our nearest star, it poses a direct threat because “it’s pointed right at us”, according to experts at the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. -- Observed late on Wednesday, the storm is moving towards Earth at a medium-to-fast rate of about 2.5 million mph (4.02 million kph), said forecaster Tom Berger, meaning the soonest it can arrive is early on Friday (US time). -- News > Science ‘Extreme’ solar storm is heading straight for Earth following ‘giant magnetic explosion’ on the Sun -- Berger nonetheless added that the worst effects of the storm are likely to narrowly miss Earth, passing over the North Pole. -- It could still cause disturbances in satellite and radio transmissions, though, and will have a significant impact on Earth’s magnetic field. --While a warning has been issued, Berger said “we’re not scared of this one”, and issued a reminder that solar storms don’t directly harm people. -- There is a positive aspect to the storm’s arrival, despite the communications concerns. -- From Friday morning and over the weekend, we can expect the displays of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) to be particularly bright and colourful, and visible unusually far south. - More, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/extreme-solar-storm-heading-straight-for-earth-following-giant-magnetic-explosion-on-the-sun-9727023.html

A house fit for a king becomes too grand for Afghan President Karzai --- The sprawling white estate on the grounds of Afghanistan’s presidential palace was designed as President Hamid Karzai’s retirement home, where he could settle down like royalty but still keep a watchful eye over his successor. -- While it was being built over the past 15 months, the house was a symbol of the concern among Western diplomats and analysts that Karzai’s tenure as president may be ending this year, but his influence over the country’s affairs would continue. -- “Hamid Karzai is giving up his power, but not his influence,” the Guardian declared in April, referring to his post-presidency compound. -- But in a surprise move, Karzai announced Thursday that he won’t be living in the recently completed mansion when he finally leaves office. It’s too large, Karzai told reporters, so he’s opted for a more modest residence among the masses in Kabul. --- So what will happen with the new heavily fortified compound (described by the New York Times last year as a 13,000-square-foot “European-style mansion")? It will instead be used as presidential guest house. -- “This exquisite edifice has been built compliant with a constitutional mandate for the retired president,” Karzai said at the ribbon-cutting for the property, according to the Afghanistan Times. “But, living in this guesthouse is a luxury that exceeds the life of a common Afghan, and I want it to be used for the reception of presidential palace guests.” -- In an interview with the Agence France-Presse news service, Karzai spokesman Aimal Faizi said the outgoing president decided “weeks ago” that the house was too lavish for him to reside in with his wife and three children. -- “He will have a normal, Afghan-type home in Kabul,” Faizi said. “It is not a newly built house, and people will soon know exactly where it is.” -- Karzai’s decision to scale down his retirement home is likely to throw another wrinkle into the debate about just how easily the 56-year-old plans to give up power. And once he does, will he be a former president who fades away? Or one who continually seeks to keep his hands in the country’s affairs? - Read More, Tim Craig, Washingtonpost

Beleaguered Pakistani Capital Inches Back to Normal --- ISLAMABAD — If there were just one image to evoke the chaos of the protests that have paralyzed this city and brought Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government to the brink of collapse over the last month, it would surely be that of a shipping container. -- The authorities initially stacked the huge metal containers at crucial travel points around Islamabad, the country’s capital, to serve as roadblocks and barricades to control the protesters. But the rectangular metal boxes were soon commandeered by the demonstrators, who began using them as speaking platforms and temporary housing. Many of the containers became billboards, too, spray-painted with antigovernment slogans like “Go Nawaz Go” and “Revolution.” -- Before long, the hulking steel boxes of red, blue or burgundy seemed to be everywhere, cluttering roadsides and sidewalks and snarling traffic — a lingering nuisance that residents here wish would go away. -- On Tuesday, Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court ordered the city administration to remove the “unnecessary containers” within a week. Justice Minallah also ordered the police to vacate public school buildings, where at least 20,000 officers had been billeted since they were marshaled in mid-August to maintain order. -- Islamabad is not used to having life disrupted by vast traffic jams, barricaded streets and teeming political rallies. It tends to be a relatively quiet and disciplined city compared with others in the country, and the government usually keeps it tidy. But the protests have derailed ordinary life here for weeks, residents say, and things are only just beginning to inch back to normal. -- “People are getting tired of the protests because things are at a standstill,” said Mariam Chaudhry, a talk-show host on state-run television. “Movement across town is restricted. One has to think before going anywhere. Other parts of the city also seem empty-ish. There are fewer people in the markets.” -- Public schools were supposed to reopen Aug. 25, but officials postponed the start to Sept. 3 because of the protests. Some schools have yet to reopen because the police still occupy their buildings, annoying parents and teachers. “It’s been 20 days of continuous holidays,” said one parent, Shams Abbasi. -- Businesses have also been disrupted and merchants in the capital say they have suffered huge financial losses. Some placed the blame on the organizers of the protests, the opposition leaders Imran Khan, a former cricketer, and the Muslim preacher Muhammad Tahir-ul Qadri. -- “After 26 days of protest with no fruitful results, it shows that the two leaders have failed in achieving any of their objectives and instead they disturbed the lives of the people,” Muhammad Ashraf, a restaurant owner, said. At Depilex, a well-known salon in the capital, the first week of protests kept many customers away. “Business is only picking up now,” said Shahbaz Masih, 32, a hairstylist. -- A representative of the city’s business community, Ajmal Baloch, who filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court against Mr. Khan and Mr. Qadri over the disruptions, estimates that merchants in Islamabad have suffered losses of at least 10 billion rupees, around $100 million, a figure that could not be verified independently. --- “There are 56 checkpoints across the capital which remained unmanned for 16 days,” said a senior police official at the Aabpara Police Station, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he had not been authorized to speak to reporters. He said there was concern that crowds of protesters would overwhelm officers at checkpoints and torture them in retaliation for previous clashes. - Read More, NYTimes

دو نامزد سرنوشت مردم را به گروگان گرفته اند --- داکتر عبدالله به تازگی گفته است که روند توافق سیاسی با بن بست مواجه شده و علت آن را صادق نبودن اشرف غنی احمدزی دانست. وی بار دیگر تاکید کرد که بر بنیاد رای پاک مردم برنده ی واقعی انتخابات است وهشدار داد که حکومت برآمده از آرای تقلبی را حتی برای یک روز نیز نمی پذیرد. از سوی دیگر کمیسیون انتخابات به نتیجه نرسیدن دو نامزد را مانعی برای اعلام صددرصدی آرا نمی داند و بزودی آن را اعلام خواهد کرد. --- داکتر امین فرهنگ آگاه امور سیاسی در برنامه ای رسانه ای گفت: روند انتخابات افغانستان در کل جهان بی سابقه است حتی در کشورهای عقب مانده نیز در طول یک هفته نتایج آن مشخص می گردد. در این وضعیت چه کسی می تواند مداخله کند در حالی که بارها رییس جمهور آمریکا با دو نامزد گفتگوی تلفونی داشت و وزیر خارجه ی این کشور دو بار به کابل آمد، وزیر خارجه ی آلمان، نماینده ی سازمان ملل متحد، نمایندگان خاص و سفرای کشورها بین دو نامزد میانجی گری کردند و دیگر کسی حاضر نیست بین این دو تن تفاهم ایجاد کنند چرا که می دانند تاثیرگذار نیست. -- به باور وی، وضعیت انتخابات به گونه ای رقم خورده است که مردم از این روند سلب اعتماد کرده اند به طوری که اگر دو نامزد بار دیگر در انتخابات شرکت کنند بالاتر از یکهزار رای نخواهند داشت. تمام مقدرات کشور به دست دو تن و تیم های عجیب و غریب شان افتاده است و هیچ کس از سرنوشت خود و کشور اطلاعی ندارد. -- فرهنگ راه حل های موجود را چنین برشمرد: اگر رییس جمهور فعلی اعلام وضعیت اضطراری کند یک ماه دیگر باید انتخابات برگزار شود و باز هم نتیجه همین می شود. اگر وی اعلام وضعیت غیرطبیعی کند و حکومت دیکتاتوری بوجود آید که نه مردم آن را می پذیرند و نه جامعه جهانی. در این شرایط یگانه راه عبور از خودخواهی نامزدان و تشکیل حکومت وحدت ملی بدون مراجعه به مراجع بین المللی است. تنها خواست مردم و امیدواری مردم همین است. -- امین فرهنگ تصریح کرد: این دو نامزد با رای مردم افغانستان بازی می کنند. به یقین روزی مردم افغانستان نیز با همین نامزدان بازی خواهند کرد. من نمی گویم که کدام نامزد مقصر است بلکه آن ها باید به ناکامی خود در پروسه ی توافق سیاسی، اعتراف کنند. اخلاق، سیاست و شرایط ایجاب می کند که شرافتمندانه پای خود را از انتخابات بیرون بکشند. ملت را فریب ندهند و قدرت را رها کنند. متاسفانه اطراف آن ها را کسانی گرفته اند که منافع شخصی دارند و این ها همه به ضرر مردم بیچاره ی افغانستان است که با بریدن کلک و جان خود رای خود را در صندوق انداخت. -- آگاه امور سیاسی در پایان خاطرنشان ساخت: تمام جامعه ی جهانی بر دو نامزد فشار وارد کردند تا به توافق سیاسی برسند و هر چه زودتر پیمان امنیتی را امضا کنند، در شرایط فعلی ممکن است تلاش های کوچکی نیز انجام دهند ولی با شرایط عراق، حضور داعش در منطقه که منافع غرب و آمریکا را تهدید می کند با اطمینان که آن ها راه های دیگری را برای حفظ منافع خود در منطقه جستجو خواهند کرد و در نتیجه این دو نامزد به کلی ناکام می شوند. - More, http://afghanpaper.com/nbody.php?id=79343

President Karzai turns his lavish retirement home to ARG guesthouse --- Afghan President Hamdi Karzai has instructed to turn his lavish retirement home to official guesthouse for foreign dignitaries and other visitors travelling to Kabul to meet the next president. -- The new property is built is very close to the presidential palace and was inaugurated by President Hamid Karzai on Thursday. -- President Karzai said, this new and beautiful property was built in accordance with the constitution of Afghanistan where he was supposed to reside in it after retirement. -- However, he said the standards of the property is relatively higher as compared to the living conditions of the Afghan people, therefore the property is suitable to be used as official guesthouse for the visitors of presidential palace. -- Settlement of President Hamid Karzai in the vast new property close to the presidential palace fuelled speculation that he intends to play an active role in the country`s politics when he leaves office. -- In the meantime, President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman Aimal Faizi has said the president will have a normal, Afghan-type home in Kabul. -- Faizi said people will soon know the exact residence of President Karzai. “It is not a newly built house, and people will soon know exactly where it is,” Faizi quoted by AFP said. - More, http://www.khaama.com/president-karzai-turns-his-lavish-retirement-home-to-arg-guesthouse-6670

SCO summit begins, Karzai among participants --- KABUL (Pajhwok): President Hamid Karzai, who arrived in Tajikistan last night, is attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, his office said on Friday. -- Presidents of three Persian-speaking countries -- Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan -- are to also meet day on the periphery of the summit. Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon will also hold talks with Karzai. -- Karzai, whose country Afghanistan is an observer, will attend the 14th summit of the organisation that groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The meeting will end on Saturday. -- A statement from the Presidential Palace in Kabul said Karzai was accompanied by his Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani, National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta and Advisor on Foreign Affairs Yahya Maroofi. -- Participants are likely to endorse a series of legal documents to pave the ground for SCO expansion and boost the group's influence internationally, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. -- The expansion move is reflective of the fact that SCO is an open platform for safeguarding regional peace, not a China-led military alliance, as portrayed by some Western powers, it said. -- In an article published in a Tajikistan newspaper, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote: “SCO members have created a new model of international relations -- partnership instead of alliance." -- Members have been working within the SCO framework to ward off mounting security threats and challenges through the creation of transnational anti-terror agencies and staging joint drills. -- Building a Silk Road economic belt, which will engage and benefit SCO members and observers, is among the forum’s initiatives. - More, http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2014/09/12/sco-summit-begins-karzai-among-participants

As A U.S. War Winds Down, Afghans Look For A Way Out --- The clock is ticking for Afghans who have worked with the U.S. and other foreign governments in Afghanistan. Like the war itself, special visa programs for Afghan employees are winding down. To qualify for these visas, applicants must demonstrate that they are in the Taliban's cross hairs. -- Ali (who asked that his full name not be used), a cook with various U.S. contractors, is hoping to qualify. He is from Ghazni province, one of the more violent places in Afghanistan. His career choice has been good for his bank account but bad for his safety. -- "If I'm saying that I'm working for Americans, they are going to kill me," he says -- The "they" are the Taliban, who have long said they will kill any Afghans who work for foreign militaries or governments. To protect his family, Ali kept people in the dark about his work. He was successful until about a year ago. Since then, his brother has been beaten and his family threatened. -- "I'm trying to leave ... to any country that can give opportunity for us to be safe," he says. -- So he asked his American supervisor, Hoppy Mazier, for a recommendation letter to apply for a special immigrant visa to the U.S. The program began in 2009 and is modeled on a similar program started in Iraq in 2007. Though initially designed to help military interpreters, it applies to Afghan employees of any U.S. government agency or contractor. -- "Some of our staff have almost been killed because of where they work and what they do," says Mazier, who has since left his job at a U.S.-funded contractor. -- He says that his organization gave Ali sanctuary because it determined his life was in danger. He wrote a letter of recommendation for Ali so he can apply for a U.S. visa. --- Mazier opens a folder on his computer. In it are some 70 recommendation letters he's written for former staffers seeking U.S. visas. He spent seven years working in Afghanistan. He says that in his waning days, he received a crush of requests for visa letters from employees panicking that when he goes, no one will be able to help them. - Read More, Sean Carberry, NPR, http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/09/11/347370724/as-a-u-s-war-winds-down-afghans-look-for-a-way-out

UN senior official meets presidential candidates, urges cooperation --- 11 September 2014 - To underscore the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for a successful conclusion to Afghanistan’s presidential election process, the world body’s Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, today paid a brief visit to Kabul, where he met with the country’s two presidential candidates, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. -- “I was here to reinforce the message to the two candidates, on behalf of the Secretary-General, to please move forward,” Mr. Feltman said after his separate meetings with the two candidates. “And if there are things we can do to help them, we’re willing to do it; but this, obviously, is an Afghanistan decision about Afghanistan’s future.” -- The Under-Secretary-General stated that it is important, from the UN perspective, that the two candidates proceed with the political agreement for the government of national unity as it is “the best way to move forward,” in addition to following through on their public commitments to accept the audit results, which are expected to be announced in the next few days. -- “I will report back to the Secretary-General that, in both cases, Dr. Ghani and Dr. Abdullah, reaffirmed their commitment to try to get to a political agreement on a national unity government,” the UN official added. -- The Secretary-General spoke with the candidates by telephone on Wednesday. The previous day, in a statement, the UN chief emphasised that this is a pivotal moment for Afghanistan, and that genuine partnership will be required in tackling Afghanistan's many challenges. -- “Both parties share a real responsibility to guide Afghanistan to a peaceful and more prosperous future,” the Secretary-General noted in a statement, indicating that, given the scale of the challenges, this process can only be done jointly and with the candidates abiding by their commitments to enable Afghanistan's first ever peaceful transfer of power. -- In his interview, Mr. Feltman stressed that the United Nations will remain an active and supportive partner of Afghanistan through its political and security transitions and well beyond. “We want to find new opportunities to help support the vision of a unified, secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan,” he said. -- “You see greater financial deficits; you see growing insecurity in some parts of the country,” he said. “The best way to reverse this is to have the national unity government in place as quickly as possible, to start dealing with some of the major issues facing the country.” -- The Under-Secretary-General noted that he had recently attended a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the United Kingdom, at which various stakeholders convened to discuss issues and reaffirm Afghanistan commitments, particularly financial ones. He described how both presidential candidates sent a joint letter to the NATO summit to describe how they share an inclusive political vision. - More, http://unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=12254&ctl=Details&mid=15756&ItemID=38315&language=en-US

Austrian court unfreezes ex-U.S. diplomat's family assets --- (Reuters) - An Austrian court has unblocked assets owned by the wife of former U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad, ruling that Vienna prosecutors overstepped their authority by having her bank accounts frozen, the couple and their lawyers said. -- Khalilzad - U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations under President George W. Bush - and his wife, author Cheryl Benard, had fought the seizure, which came to light after Profil magazine reported U.S. authorities were investigating him for suspected money laundering. -- Their lawyers have stressed that no charges have been filed against either of the pair. --- "We are pleased to have been informed that the regional high court in Vienna has ordered all of our assets to be unfrozen and returned to us immediately," the couple said in a statement from Vienna law firm Wolf Theiss and U.S. law firm Hogan Lovells. -- "The court further ruled that there was no authority for Viennese prosecutors to seek the bank information regarding our accounts in the first place, much less be given the ability to unlawfully restrain us from accessing our accounts." -- A court spokesman confirmed the Sept. 3 ruling. --- Citing legal documents a blogger found in a dumpster outside a Vienna justice facility, Profil said Vienna prosecutors had acted on a U.S. request for legal assistance in 2013 to get a court in February to freeze seven accounts owned by Benard, who is a citizen of both the United States and Austria. --- Profil said Khalilzad, 63, was suspected of collecting large sums from construction and oil companies in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates and sending $1.4 million dollars of this to Benard's bank accounts in Vienna. -- The U.S. Department of Justice has declined comment. --- Khalilzad is now head of Khalilzad Associates, a Washington-based business consultancy. Benard, a novelist, is a researcher with the RAND Corporation and heads an advocacy group that supports cultural activism in areas marred by war. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/11/us-austria-khalilzad-idUSKBN0H60VL20140911

Austrian Court Unblocks Assets of Former U.S. Ambassador’s Wife --- BERLIN — A Vienna court has unfrozen assets belonging to the wife of Zalmay Khalilzad, a former United States ambassador reportedly under investigation by the Justice Department on suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering, according to a statement from the couple and their lawyer on Thursday. -- Holger Bielesz, a lawyer for the couple, said in a telephone interview that a higher Vienna court ordered the accounts unfrozen on Sept. 3, but that the decision was conveyed to him only on Wednesday. --- The case surfaced on Monday after Profil, an Austrian newsmagazine, reported that the American authorities were investigating transfers into seven accounts held by Mr. Khalilzad’s wife, Cheryl Benard, totaling 1.15 million euros, or nearly $1.5 million. Profil said that documents from the Vienna legal authorities, including a Justice Department order from May 2013 concerning an investigation into Mr. Khalilzad’s financial dealings, had been found in a garbage dump by a blogger between March and August. The newsmagazine said the inquiry concerned possible tax evasion and money laundering. -- Although the American authorities had sought only information about Ms. Benard’s accounts in Vienna, Mr. Bielesz has said, Austrian prosecutors obtained a court order in February freezing them. Ms. Benard, a social scientist and author, holds American and Austrian citizenship. Mr. Khalilzad is a former ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations. -- Mr. Bielesz refused to confirm details in the Profil report, but the statement said: “The appellate decision by the regional high court is a complete vindication of the position of Ms. Benard and Ambassador Khalilzad. The seizure of the accounts is lifted, and the funds in the accounts are no longer frozen.” --- Quoting the couple, the statement said the Vienna court “further ruled that there was no authority for Viennese prosecutors to seek the bank information regarding our accounts in the first place, much less be given the ability to unlawfully restrain us from accessing our accounts.” -- It made no mention of any continuing investigation into Mr. Khalilzad’s financial dealings. -- On Monday, a law enforcement official in Washington, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Justice Department had asked the Austrian government for help in the case but did not elaborate on its nature and scope. --- Asked about the investigation, Mr. Khalilzad said in an email, “I am not aware of what the D.O.J. is doing and so cannot comment on that.” -- Mr. Bielesz called it “a scurrilous twist of fate” that the appellate court had already ruled in favor of Mr. Khalilzad and Ms. Benard when the matter became public on Monday. -- In a statement issued by his lawyers on Monday, Mr. Khalilzad, 63, emphasized that neither he nor his wife faced any formal accusation or charges. -- The former ambassador, who was born in Afghanistan, is now a business consultant in Washington. He first served in the State Department in the mid-1980s, and worked for the Reagan administration and both Bush presidents. He was a special adviser to President George W. Bush on Afghanistan at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2003, he was appointed ambassador to Kabul, the Afghan capital. He became ambassador to Iraq in 2005, and to the United Nations in 2007. -- Ms. Benard earned her doctorate at the University of Vienna. The two met at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1972. -- More, ALISON SMALE, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/world/europe/austria-court-unblocks-assets-of-former-us-ambassador.html

Marines Hold 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony in Afghanistan --- Today, Americans all over the country pay tribute and remember those whose lives were lost on September 11th, 2001. Earlier this morning Marines, sailors and other coalition forces still deployed to Afghanistan did the same. According to a release submitted by Regional Command Southwest, Several hundred service members gathered for a small ceremony during the morning hours, Sept. 11 aboard Camp Leatherneck Afghanistan. -- After a reading during the ceremony the National Anthem was sung, an American flag was raised and lowered to half-staff, and a moment of silence was held for the service members to reflect and remember why they are in Afghanistan today . Brigadier Gen. Daniel D. Yoo, commander, RC(SW) and Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Afghanistan brought the ceremony to a close by reminding the service members in attendance of the significance of the day. -- "For Americans, 9/11 evokes a very special meaning," Brig. Gen. Yoo said. "It's a memory of the world as we knew it on that day changing forever. -- "Today's simple but solemn ceremony is a tribute to those innocent young men, women and children who were killed by a cowardly and heartless act of terror. That moment of silence gave us an opportunity to reflect and reminds us of why we are here today in Afghanistan in Helmand province. All of you could have chosen an easier path, but you chose not to. You chose a life of service, of sacrifice, of hardship and challenges. -- "It is my honor and privilege to stand here with you today, on this most sacred day for Americans. And I know together we will not forget the sacrifices of all our predecessors, and we will finish off this mission to the expectations of our fellow service members, our nations and the free world. God bless America and Semper Fidelis." -- Below is a slide show of images from this morning's ceremony. As we remember those who lost their lives in 2001, let us also remember those who still fight for our freedom. - More, Huffingtonpost.com

On a Day Devoted to Past Events, Focus on New Terror Link --- WASHINGTON — The morning after committing the nation to an expanded military campaign against Islamist terrorism, President Obama honored the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as the White House argued that he had the right to wage his new fight under the same legal authority he used to hunt down Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. -- On a day suffused with memories of four hijacked planes and the war they ignited, the president’s new mission seemed less a break from the past than the continuation of a long national struggle. -- The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the administration said, was formerly the Iraqi affiliate of Al Qaeda, and has maintained ties with Al Qaeda even after its very public falling-out with Qaeda leaders. It uses brutal tactics that are out of the Qaeda playbook, and is viewed, even by some members of Al Qaeda, as the legitimate heir to Bin Laden’s legacy. -- The argument, laid out Thursday by Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, could spare the president’s lawyers from having to negotiate a new legal authorization from Congress, should Mr. Obama decide to ask lawmakers to approve a prolonged military campaign. -- But it ties his efforts against ISIS more firmly to the war on terrorism waged by him and his predecessor George W. Bush in the decade after the 2001 attacks, even though Mr. Obama insists they are different. In his prime-time speech to the nation on Wednesday, Mr. Obama drew a distinction between the ISIS campaign and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying it was a new kind of counterterrorism operation that would rely on bolstering local troops rather than deploying American ones. --- On Thursday, Mr. Obama paid tribute to the service members and civilians killed at the Pentagon. Speaking before a giant American flag draped over the part of the Pentagon wall where one of the hijacked planes crashed, Mr. Obama said, “Thirteen years after small and hateful minds conspired to break us, America stands tall and America stands proud.” -- The president hailed the “9/11 generation” of soldiers who have served in the years since the 2001 attacks, noting that “three months from now, our combat mission in Afghanistan will come to an end.” -- Mr. Obama made no mention of ISIS, speaking only of challenges facing the country. But his description of a nation coping with the threat of terrorism seemed entirely relevant today. “We carry on because as Americans, we don’t give in to fear — ever,” he said. - More, MARK LANDLER, NYTimes

Kerry, in Saudi visit, wins expanded Arab support for fight against Islamic State --- JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. and Arab diplomats agreed Thursday to boost military and financial efforts against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, as President Obama’s call to arms against the extremists received mixed reviews in the Middle East and elsewhere. -- Secretary of State John F. Kerry and diplomats from across the Middle East coordinated strategies to blunt the militants’ swift march in Iraq and Syria. The Islamic State has proclaimed a caliphate on a third of Syrian and Iraqi territory, functionally erasing the border between the countries in some places. -- Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab states agreed to expand military help, including opening more bases for airstrike launches and holding training programs for Syrian rebels fighting the Islamists, diplomats said Thursday. The specifics of the effort, however, were not announced. -- “This is a moment which is one of those rare opportunities in history, where leaders making the right choices can actually bend the arc of history in the right direction,” Kerry said after a day of talks with officials from Persian Gulf nations including Iraq, along with Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese diplomats. -- “We believe that we’re all up to this task, and we believe that this is what our citizens are asking of us,” Kerry said. “We believe that we will beat back the evil of ISIL,” he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State, which grew out of an al-Qaeda affiliate and has pursued an even more radical agenda. -- A statement issued by the participating nations said they agreed to “do their share in the comprehensive fight against ISIL.” The effort would include, “as appropriate, joining in the many aspects of a coordinated military campaign against ISIL.” - More, Washingtonpost

کرزی به اقامتگاه تقاعدی اش در کنار ارگ نمی رود --- حامد کرزی تصمیم گرفته است به اقامتگاه پرهزینه ای که به طور خاص برای دوران تقاعدی قریب الوقوع اش ساخته شده است، نقل مکان نکند. او گفته است که این خانه بسیار بزرگ است و به جای آن به یک خانه نسبتاً معمولی کوچ کشی می کند. -- قرار بود که کرزی در این ساختمان کاملاً جدید که در کنار ارگ است سکونت کند. این امر موجب بروز شایعاتی شد که گویا او به این ترتیب تصمیم دارد، پس از پایان دوران کارش، نقش فعالی در سیاست های کشور بازی کند. اما او نظرش را تغیر داد و دستور داد تا این جایداد که برای مهمانخانه رسمی مناسب است، برای شخصیت های مهم خارجی و یا بازدید کنندگانی اختصاص داده شود که برای ملاقات با رئیس جمهور آینده به کابل سفر می کنند. چنین اظهاری از جانب کرزی هنگامی صورت می گیرد که دو جانشین بالقوه وی که بیشترین آرا را در انتخابات 14 جون به دست آورده اند، درگیر اتهاماتی دایر بر تقلب گسترده در انتخابات می باشند. -- ایمل فیضی سخنگوی رئیس جمهور افغانستان به فرانس پرس گفته است: «این خانه که قرار بود برای رئیس جمهور بازنشسته ساخته شود، می بایست امروز افتتاح می شد. اما رئیس جمهور کرزی تصمیم گرفته است که در این اقامتگاه زندگی نکند. این اقامتگاه بسیار بزرگ است و رئیس جمهور گفته است که بهتر است برای مهمانخانه حکومتی باشد.» -- فیضی گفته است که «نظر رئیس جمهور در این اواخر تغیر نخورده است. چندین هفته پیش او از این پروژه دیدار کرد و گفت که بالاتر از سطح زندگی مردم عادی افغانستان است و بنا براین نباید اقامتگاه آینده اش باشد. او یک خانه معمولی نوع افغانی در کابل خواهد داشت. این خانه نوساخت نیست و مردم به زودی خواهند دانست که دقیقاً این خانه درکجا هست.» -- کرزی که 56 سال دارد، بار و بنه اش را بسته است و از هفته ها به این سو آماده رفتن از ارگ ریاست جمهوری است که از سرنگونی رژیم طالبان به این سو در آنجا زندگی می کند. او مکرراً از اشرف غنی و عبدالله عبدالله رقبای انتخاباتی تقاضا کرده است که تا به بن بستی پایان بدهند که طالبان را تقویت، اقتصاد شکنند را تضعیف و کمک نظامی و اقتصادی مهم را به خطر می اندازد. -- فیضی در حالی که گفت خانه جدید کرزی صرف «چند اتاق معدود خواب» دارد، درعین زمان افزود که «رئیس جمهور همین که نتیجه انتخابات اعلام شود و رئیس جمهور جدید معرفی شود، ارگ ریاست جمهوری را ترک می کند.» -- با وجود این شکسته نفسی، همینکه کرزی همراه با همسرش خانم زینت و سه فرزندش که یکی از آن ها امسال تازه به دنیا آمده است، بخواهد به خانه نوی بروند، تدابیر امنیتی اکیدی برای حفاظت آن ها انتظار برده می شود. - دویچه ویلی

Obama announces ‘broad coalition’ to fight Islamic State extremist group --- President Obama on Wednesday night outlined an open-ended campaign to combat the threat posed by the Islamic State, significantly expanding the counter­terrorism strategy that has been a hallmark of his presidency. -- Obama said in a prime-time speech televised from the White House that the United States will join “with our friends and allies to degrade, and ultimately destroy, the terrorist group known as ISIL,” using an alternative acronym for the group that has emerged in Iraq and Syria. -- Saying the United States is meeting the threat with “strength and resolve,” the president also sought to assuage the concerns of Americans who are wary of another foreign entanglement, insisting that the offensive against the militant group will not involve combat troops but will rather be a “steady, relentless effort” conducted through airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq, and by supporting military partners on the ground. -- “I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil,” he said. Obama compared the new initiative to smaller-scale fights the United States has engaged in. “This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years,” he said. -- But the scope of the new operation — which will immediately involve expanded airstrikes, additional U.S. personnel in Iraq and new support for moderate Syrian rebels — is likely to overshadow those two efforts. In the 13-minute address, Obama did not give a fixed date for when the operation might end, and his top aides have suggested it might last beyond his time in office. -- The president says he has the legal authority to conduct the expanded military operations without new congressional approval. “This is a core principle of my presidency: If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven,” he said. -- Still, he has asked Congress to explicitly authorize U.S. military personnel to train Syrians, Iraqis and others to combat the Islamist militants in both countries, saying, “I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.” -- Saudi Arabia has agreed to host and help fund the training program, according to White House officials. Obama called Saudi King Abdullah on Wednesday to discuss the operation. - Read More, Washingtonpost, http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lawmakers-weigh-giving-obama-authority-to-wage-war-against-islamic-state/2014/09/10/59f057b0-38fd-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html?hpid=z1#

Transcript of Obama’s Remarks on the Fight Against ISIS --- My fellow Americans, tonight I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL. -- As commander in chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of Al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We’ve targeted Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We’ve done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counterterrorism professionals, America is safer. -- Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We can’t erase every trace of evil from the world and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. And that’s why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And one of those groups is ISIL — which calls itself the Islamic State. -- Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not Islamic. No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria’s civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government nor by the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way. -- In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. And in acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists — Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff. -- So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria and the broader Middle East, including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners, including Europeans and some Americans, have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks. -- I know many Americans are concerned about these threats. Tonight I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve. Last month I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances. Since then we’ve conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. These strikes have also helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children. -- But this is not our fight alone. American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves. Nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region. That’s why I’ve insisted that additional U.S. action depended upon Iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. - Read More, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/world/middleeast/obamas-remarks-on-the-fight-against-isis.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=a-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

The Perils of Development: Afghanistan’s Threatened Treasures --- Armed conflict devastates a country, straining its institutions to their limits and beyond, shattering the foundations of its economy, and causing immeasurable human suffering and loss. It also calls into question the country’s very ability to exist, posing fundamental questions about its worth and capabilities. Why is this happening to us? Will we survive this? How will we ever go forward after such a blow? These are questions that inevitably accompany a losing war or even one with an ambiguous outcome. -- If the conflict does not last too long, if the damage does not exceed the capacity of the country to repair itself, and if the population can maintain its cohesion and some sense of hope, then a country can reemerge even from significant devastation. Once the dust has settled, it might even learn a productive lesson from what has happened and emerge stronger than it was before the conflict. Such an outcome will depend on many factors, but key among them is one that we often ignore, take for granted, or underestimate: culture. -- All would-be nation-builders know that a country emerging from conflict needs an army, a police force, schools, a constitution and laws, elections and a new government. But to get traction and become part of a new and healthy national fabric, these elements can’t just float in space as good ideas imported from the outside and funded by the benign victor or a generous international community. They have to be grafted onto something with durability and longevity, and that something is the country’s culture. Culture says: “Our ancestors have survived this and more, and so can we.” It says: “However demolished and lowly we may appear at this moment, we have something of value to contribute to the world.” And it says: “We belong together, and jointly we must overcome what happened and move forward in a better way.” -- The problem is that culture itself does not emerge unscathed from a conflict. Quite the opposite: war inflicts heavy damage both to tangible symbols of heritage such as historic buildings or monuments and to the intangible expressions such as traditions, ethical norms, literature, and art. -- During extreme moments, when basic physical survival is at risk and people are dying in the streets, culture can seem a luxury item. But it is more than opera tickets and reading groups; it is the totality of qualities, beliefs, values, symbols, and practices, large and small, that together add up to a unique way of life, to the collective being and personality of a group, country, or population. For social entities, culture represents survival in linear time, a link to the past, a vision for the future, and a compelling reason to continue to walk that path together. -- As the physical manifestations of culture, heritage sites particularly are often targeted during war precisely because of their psychological, religious, and economic saliency, and because of the demoralization caused by their destruction. Bomb a mosque, cathedral, medieval fortress, or Renaissance theater that holds pride of place in someone’s history, and you strike a killing blow. --- It follows that the importance of culture and its related artifacts should be better recognized, and should become more intrinsic to the nation-building enterprises of the modern era. Post-conflict reconstruction efforts would in all likelihood be more effective if they took into account the significant ways in which a country’s culture—including its heritage sites—impacts its ability to get back on its feet. There are at least three strong reasons for this connection. --- The struggle between the traditional and the new continues in the country today, on many levels. In Kabul, renowned anthropologist Nancy Dupree has fought a losing battle against the replacement of the city’s traditional, classic architecture with the opulent, Pakistani-style luxe mansions of drug lords, warlords, and other nouveaux riches. If England’s Turquoise Mountain Foundation had not rescued one small neighborhood in Kabul for preservation and restoration, nothing would be left of the Old City. -- A violent insurgency, along with decades of warfare, has made Afghanistan a minefield that visitors now wisely avoid. But along with trade and agriculture, tourism—and its earlier manifestation, pilgrimage—has historically been one of the pillars of this nation’s economy. In the seventh century, the traveling monk Xuanzang composed one of the earliest “tour guides” to the country. It included colorful descriptions of the clothing, food, and manners of the people of Bamiyan and Kapisa provinces, as well as a depiction of their outstanding monuments and religious sites. When the Arab scholar Ibn al-Nadim visited during the tenth century, he found this stream of religious tourism to be continuing uninterrupted, and reported that “the people of India [he meant the Buddhists] go on pilgrimages to these two idols, bearing offerings of incense and fragrant woods.” -- The steady stream of visitors who traveled across Afghanistan during the early 1970s along the “hippie trail” are evidence that subsets of tourists will come even if the infrastructure is rudimentary and travel is hazardous. Today, despite the absence of safe roads and a functioning airport, and with the constant possibility of sudden violence, and without the earlier religious or flower-power mystique, well over one hundred thousand Afghan tourists visit Bamiyan Province every year. Other hardy groups are braving the suicide bombs and roadside firefights to view the spectacular landscape of Afghanistan’s first national park, Band-e-Amir, to ski in the Bamiyan Valley, or to purchase the distinctive pottery of the hillside town of Istalif, outside Kabul. Catering to this dauntless crew, Lonely Planet has published an up-to-date travel guide that includes security advice. -- But if this cultural heritage holds out some fragile promise for Afghanistan if and when conflict ceases, some of the nation-building efforts already taking place, such as the one at Mes Aynak, remain insensitive to cultural heritage and threaten the Afghan future. --- Nowhere is the importance of culture and cultural heritage to nation building more clear than in Afghanistan—a country with a rich and diverse past that is currently beset by corruption, weak institutions, insecurity, and deadly violence. To date, little has been done to give Afghans hope for the future through a positive narrative that lauds their rich history and wealth of cultural sites. -- This is not an academic issue. With the US military drawdown accelerating and presidential elections looming, Afghanistan risks relapse to civil war if Afghan society does not come together and unite behind a hope for a better future. Culture is far from a panacea to Afghanistan’s myriad challenges, but as events at Mes Aynak suggest, it is a critical piece of the nation-building puzzle that demands immediate attention. -- Afghanistan would be wise to learn from the examples of the Balkans. In 1996, when the brutal genocidal war there finally came to an end, the city of Sarajevo had suffered immense losses. The cease-fire was announced in the middle of the winter; fuel had run out long ago, and people were freezing and starving. Life would not get better for some time, and nothing would bring back the many dead. In that hour, the city decided to hold a concert. A third of the orchestra’s musicians had been killed, and their seats remained empty. The audience wore coats and blankets against the chill of the unheated building. A Serb conductor stood before the Bosnian, Croat, and Serb players, to mark the moment when the city once again could hear music instead of gunfire. -- Read More, Cheryl Benard and Eli Sugarman, http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/perils-development-afghanistan%E2%80%99s-threatened-treasures

Afghan election front-runner rejects equal share of power with rival --- (Reuters) - The front-runner in Afghanistan's bitterly disputed presidential election on Wednesday called for the release of results of a fraud investigation and said that any political deal to end the crisis should not result in a "two-headed government." -- Two months of tension over the election have already marred the smooth transition that the U.S.-led military force had hoped would mark its exit, 13 years after the war to oust the Taliban's radical Islamist regime. -- Former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani's comments indicated he was confident that when the final results - expected some time next week - were released, he would be declared the winner in an internationally recognized vote. -- "The best solution for the current situation is the announcement of final results. The international community has shown readiness to support the results," Ghani said. -- Ghani was declared the winner in preliminary results from the June 14 run-off ballot with 56 percent of the vote, giving him a lead of some 1.2 million votes. -- But his rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, charged that massive fraud of more than two million votes had denied him victory, and on Monday he said he would reject the outcome if the audit did not throw out enough ballots to make him president. -- The United States brokered a deal between the feuding parties to form a unity government that would include the new position of chief executive, who would enjoy significant powers despite losing the election. -- The aim of the deal was to prevent the dispute from descending into street demonstrations and possible ethnic conflict. -- Further instability in a country already wracked by a bloody insurgency would provide new openings for Taliban militants, with thousands of foreign troops scheduled to withdraw at the end of the year leaving security in the hands of newly trained Afghan forces. -- Talks over exactly how the unity government would work have broken down, with Ghani's camp saying that Abdullah had insisted that the chief executive had powers almost equal to those of the president. -- The new position was part of a compromise brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as Abdullah's supporters began taking to the streets, raising fears of widespread violence. -- In that agreement, both sides agreed to accept the results of the U.N.-monitored fraud audit. -- Ghani said he is willing to work with Abdullah, but there must be a clear winner with authority in the new government. -- "We stood, stand and will stand firm on the formation of the national unity government from the beginning," Ghani said. "But it shouldn't be a two-headed government." -- A member of the country's Independent Election Commission, Sareer Ahmad Barmak, said the final results would likely be released next week, although he could not give a specific date. -- Abdullah on Monday declared he would never accept a result tainted by vote-rigging, but he has so far stopped short of threatening a new round of street protests that could deteriorate into violence or be targeted by Taliban attacks. -- Some of Abdullah's powerful backers have threatened to create a parallel government, which could reignite ethnic tensions that in the past have fueled civil war in Afghanistan. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/10/us-afghanistan-election-idUSKBN0H51DB20140910

اشرف‌غنی احمدزی: قانون اساسی را معامله نمی‌کنم --- اشرف غنی احمدزی، نامزد انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان می‌گوید که به تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی متعهد است، اما "حاضر به معامله بر سر قانون اساسی افغانستان نیست." -- آقای احمدزی که در یک نشست خبری در کابل صحبت می‌کرد، گفت: "ما از روز اول گفتیم که دولت وحدت ملی تشکیل می‌دهیم. دولت وحدت ملی به یک اقلیت سیاسی ارتباط ندارد و باید مشکلات افغانستان را حل کند." -- او تاکید کرد که حاکمیت قانون باید بزرگترین رکن تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی باشد و افزود: "تاکید ما بر قانون اساسی، برای حاکمیت قانون است." -- ستادهای اشرف غنی احمدزی و عبدالله عبدالله هفته‌ها است که بر سر ایجاد دولت وحدت ملی مذاکره می کنند، اما تا کنون نتواسته‌اند بر سر صلاحیت/اختیارات رئیس شورای اجرایی به توافق برسند. --- ستاد آقای عبدالله خواهان آن است که رئیس شورای اجرایی ریاست کابینه را نیز به عهده داشته باشد، اما ستاد آقای احمدزی این صلاحیت را خلاف قانون اساسی می‌داند و تاکید دارد که بر اساس قانون اساسی افغانستان رئیس جمهوری، رئیس هر سه قوه به شمول قوه مجریه است. -- آقای احمدزی گفت که دولت وحدت ملی باید به خواسته‌های مردم پاسخ مثبت بدهد و این دولت باید کارآمد و پاسخگو باشد. او گفت که مذاکرات با تیم آقای عبدالله هم براساس همین معیارها صورت می‌گیرد و "بحث‌های ما بحث‌های اصولی بوده و دوام خواهد داشت." --- اشرف غنی احمدزی گفت: "مردم از از بحران تشویش دارند، ما به مردم اطمینان می‌دهیم که به کسی اجازه نمی‌دهیم در کشور بحران بیاورد." -- او گفت "هرکسی بخواهد بحران ایجاد کند به انزوا می‌رود." -- آقای احمدزی افزود: "اگر ما جیغ نزدیم، معنی این را ندارد که زور نداریم. مردم جیغ نمی‌خواهند، تدبیر می‌خواهند." --- آقای احمدزی گفت که ما آمادگی کامل برای "انتقال و دولتداری داریم." -- او از کمیسیون انتخابات خواست که نتایج انتخابات را اعلام کند تا "انتقال قدرت براساس قانون" صورت بگیرد. -- او گفت: "مردم ما با مشکلات جدی اقتصادی مواجه هستند، بودجه افغانستان کمبود منابع دارد، وضعیت کنونی قابل دوام و تحمل نیست. این ابهام باید به پایان برسد." -- آقای احمدزی هم گفت که بررسی همه جانبه آرا به تقاضای ستاد آقای عبدالله صورت گرفته و اکنون تمام شده و نتیجه آن هم به زودی اعلام می‌شود. -- او گفت که هر رای سه بار تفتیش شد و اکنون مشخص شده که مردم افغانستان در یک انتخابات "شفاف" مشارکت گسترده داشتند. -- او گفت که "در مورد مشروعیت این انتخابات نزد جهانیان دیگر شکی وجود ندارد." - Read More, BBC

Henry Kissinger on the Assembly of a New World Order --- The concept that has underpinned the modern geopolitical era is in crisis -- Libya is in civil war, fundamentalist armies are building a self-declared caliphate across Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan's young democracy is on the verge of paralysis. To these troubles are added a resurgence of tensions with Russia and a relationship with China divided between pledges of cooperation and public recrimination. The concept of order that has underpinned the modern era is in crisis. -- The search for world order has long been defined almost exclusively by the concepts of Western societies. In the decades following World War II, the U.S.—strengthened in its economy and national confidence—began to take up the torch of international leadership and added a new dimension. A nation founded explicitly on an idea of free and representative governance, the U.S. identified its own rise with the spread of liberty and democracy and credited these forces with an ability to achieve just and lasting peace. The traditional European approach to order had viewed peoples and states as inherently competitive; to constrain the effects of their clashing ambitions, it relied on a balance of power and a concert of enlightened statesmen. The prevalent American view considered people inherently reasonable and inclined toward peaceful compromise and common sense; the spread of democracy was therefore the overarching goal for international order. Free markets would uplift individuals, enrich societies and substitute economic interdependence for traditional international rivalries. -- This effort to establish world order has in many ways come to fruition. A plethora of independent sovereign states govern most of the world's territory. The spread of democracy and participatory governance has become a shared aspiration if not a universal reality; global communications and financial networks operate in real time. -- The years from perhaps 1948 to the turn of the century marked a brief moment in human history when one could speak of an incipient global world order composed of an amalgam of American idealism and traditional European concepts of statehood and balance of power. But vast regions of the world have never shared and only acquiesced in the Western concept of order. These reservations are now becoming explicit, for example, in the Ukraine crisis and the South China Sea. The order established and proclaimed by the West stands at a turning point. -- First, the nature of the state itself—the basic formal unit of international life—has been subjected to a multitude of pressures. Europe has set out to transcend the state and craft a foreign policy based primarily on the principles of soft power. But it is doubtful that claims to legitimacy separated from a concept of strategy can sustain a world order. And Europe has not yet given itself attributes of statehood, tempting a vacuum of authority internally and an imbalance of power along its borders. At the same time, parts of the Middle East have dissolved into sectarian and ethnic components in conflict with each other; religious militias and the powers backing them violate borders and sovereignty at will, producing the phenomenon of failed states not controlling their own territory. -- The challenge in Asia is the opposite of Europe's: Balance-of-power principles prevail unrelated to an agreed concept of legitimacy, driving some disagreements to the edge of confrontation. -- The clash between the international economy and the political institutions that ostensibly govern it also weakens the sense of common purpose necessary for world order. The economic system has become global, while the political structure of the world remains based on the nation-state. Economic globalization, in its essence, ignores national frontiers. Foreign policy affirms them, even as it seeks to reconcile conflicting national aims or ideals of world order. -- Read More, Henry Kissinger, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/henry-kissinger-on-the-assembly-of-a-new-world-order-1409328075

خلیلزاد اتهام پولشویی را رد می کند --- به گزارش اسوشیتید پرس، زلمی خلیلزاد، سفیر پیشین امریکا در افغانستان به ظن پولشویی در اطریش در معرض تحقیق قرار دارد. خلیلزاد اتهام پولشویی را رد کرده و گفته است که علیه تصمیم محکمه در اطریش اقدام می کند. این مسأله موجب شده است که حساب های امانت بانکی خلیلزاد و همسرش در اطریش به حالت منجمد در آورده شدند. مقام های اطریشی گفته اند، زلمی خلیلزاد که موسس یک گروه مشورتی جهانی است به ظن پولشویی در فعالیت های تجارتی در عراق و امارات متحده عربی مورد بازجویی قرار دارد. رابرت بولر وکیل خلیلزاد گفته است که وزارت عدلیه ایالات متحده امریکا در ماه می سال 2013 میلادی از مقامات اطریشی طالب سوابق در ارتباط با حساب های بانکی چیریل بنراد همسر خلیلزاد شده بود و به این اساس مقام های اطریشی حساب های بانکی او را منجمد ساختند. -- به گزارش فرانس پرس این دیپلومات پیشین ایالات متحده امریکا روز دوشنبه گفت که علیه تصمیم مقامات اطریش دایر بر منجمد ساختن حساب های بانکی متعلق به همسرش مبارزه می کند. وکیل مدافع زلمی خلیلزاد در یک اعلامیه گفته است که این دیپلومات و چیریل بنراد همسرش علیه این اقدام سارنوالی اطریش «شدیداً اعتراض می کنند.» -- رابرت بویلر و هولگر بیلسز، وکلای مدافع گفته اند که «در هیچ نقطه جهان به شمول ایالات متحده امریکا و اطریش نمی توان اتهامی علیه سفیر خلیلزاد و خانم بنراد وارد نمود.» وکیل محکمه گفته است، «به دلایلی که نامعلوم مانده است» یک سارنوال حساب های بنراد را بعد از دریافت تقاضایی جهت معلومات از وزارت عدلیه ایالات متحده امریکا، منجمد ساخته است. این وکیل محکمه افزوده است که تقاضای وزارت عدلیه ایالات متحده امریکا شامل ضبط دارایی ها و یا حساب های متعلق به خلیلزاد و همسرش نیست. -- در اعلامیه افزوده شده است که، «تقاضا برای کسب اطلاع متضمن شواهدی در مورد پولشویی یا سایر خلاف کاری ها از جانب سفیر خلیلزاد و یا خانم بنراد نبوده است.» در اعلامیه آمده است: «یک اعتراض علیه ضبط در محکمه اطریش از جانب خانم بنراد به حیث مالک این حسابات در دست مطرح شدن است. از آنجایی که کدام اتهامی علیه آن ها در ایالات متحده امریکا و سایر جاها مطرح نیست، سفیر خلیلزاد و خانم بنراد تلاش های شان را متمرکز به غیرمنجمد ساختن وجوه شان در اطریش نموده اند.» -- در اعلامیه افزوده شده است که، «تقاضا برای کسب اطلاع متضمن شواهدی در مورد پولشویی یا سایر خلاف کاری ها از جانب سفیر خلیلزاد و یا خانم بنراد نبوده است.» در اعلامیه آمده است: «یک اعتراض علیه ضبط در محکمه اطریش از جانب خانم بنراد به حیث مالک این حسابات در دست مطرح شدن است. از آنجایی که کدام اتهامی علیه آن ها در ایالات متحده امریکا و سایر جاها مطرح نیست، سفیر خلیلزاد و خانم بنراد تلاش های شان را متمرکز به غیرمنجمد ساختن وجوه شان در اطریش نموده اند.» -- خلیلزاد که در افغانستان تولد شده است، مشاور مرکز تحقیقات ستراتژیک و بین المللی در واشنگتن است و از 2003 تا 2005 به حیث سفیر ایالات متحده امریکا در افغانستان بوده است. او از 2005 تا 2007 سفیر امریکا در عراق بوده و بعداً در زمان ریاست جمهوری بوش بین سالهای 2007 تا 2009 به حیث سفیر ایالات متحده امریکا در ملل متحد کار کرده است. - Deutsche Welle - http://www.dw.de/خلیل-زاد-اتهام-پولشویی-را-رد-می-کند/a-17910569

Ban urges Afghan presidential candidates to agree on unity government --- 9 September 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the two candidates for Afghanistan’s presidency to agree on a unity Government, telling both Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani they share a real responsibility to guide the country to a peaceful and more prosperous future. -- In a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York, Mr. Ban urged Afghanistan’s two Presidential candidates to conclude an agreement on a government of national unity in accordance with the commitments they reached on 12 July. -- The UN chief noted that commitment, reached with the support of United States Secretary of State John Kerry, and their signed communique of 8 August, the two candidates agreed to accept the result of a comprehensive nationwide audit of the presidential election run-off results and form a government of national unity. -- “The Secretary-General emphasises that this is a pivotal moment for Afghanistan, and that genuine partnership will be required in tackling Afghanistan's many challenges,” said the statement, adding that “given the scale of the challenges, this can only be done jointly.” -- With the main audit completed on 4 September and the announcement of updated results anticipated shortly, the statement stressed that the Secretary-General expects that the candidates will abide by their commitments to enable Afghanistan's first ever peaceful transfer of power. -- The United Nations-supervised audit, run by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), is unprecedented in scale and scope with more than 22,000 ballot boxes being individually opened and examined by electoral authorities and representatives of the candidates. -- Along with UN advisors, 216 international observers are present from the European Union, the Asian Network for Free Elections, and organizations based in the United States, such as the National Democratic Institute, Democracy International, and Creative Associates. -- In addition, more than 100 personnel seconded from 17 diplomatic missions have also been engaged in the observation effort. There is also a sizeable number of experienced national observers from different respected Afghan organizations. - More, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48666#.VA9jGuLz6ZM

.تاکید کرزی بر تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی و تحویل قدرت در یک هفته --- رئیس جمهوری افغانستان از اشرف غنی احمدزی و عبدالله عبدالله نامزدهای انتخابات افغانستان خواسته که همین امروز با هم به توافق برسند. -- آقای کرزی در مراسم سیزدهمین سالگرد ترور احمدشاه مسعود فرمانده پیشین مجاهدین گفت که افغانستان نیاز "فوری و ضروری" به حکومت جدید دارد که هر دو نامزد می‌توانند آن را تشکیل دهند. -- احمدشاه مسعود از فرماندهان ارشد جبهه متحد افغانستان که علیه طالبان می‌جنگید و وزیر سابق دفاع افغانستان در اثر انفجار دوربین فیلمبرداری دو تن عربی که خود را خبرنگار معرفی کرده بودند، در روز هجدهم سنبله/شهریور سال ۱۳۸۰ در شمال افغانستان ترور شد -- آقای کرزی در این مراسم تاکید کرد: "افغانستان ضرورت بسیار مبرم و عاجل به ایجاد حکومت نو دارد. حکومت ما وقتش تمام شده. حکومت جدید می‌خواهیم. حکومت جدید را دکتر عبدالله عبدالله و دکتر اشرف غنی آورده می‌توانند. اتحاد و اتفاق آنها و رسیدن آنها به نتیجه همین امروز اگر شود، بسیار به خیر ما است." -- هر دو نامزد و شمار زیادی از رهبران سیاسی کشور در این مراسم حضور داشتند، آقای کرزی ابراز امیدواری کرد که هر دو رقیب انتخابات ۲۴ جوزا/خرداد فردا یا پس فردا به نتیجه برسند و در جریان همین هفته حکومت جدید تشکیل شود تا او قدرت را به آن تحویل دهد. -- آقای کرزی به طور مکرر از صدها تن حضار مراسم خواست که با صدای بلند از هر دو نامزد بخواهند که هر چه زودتر به نتیجه برسند و کشور را از وضعیت کنونی نجات دهند. حاضران هم به درخواست او پاسخ مثبت دادند. -- اما شرکت کنندگان مراسم به دنبال سخنرانی عبدرب الرسول سیاف رهبر جهادی که هواداران او از آقای عبدالله حمایت می‌کنند، به صبغت‌الله مجددی دیگر رهبر جهادی، که از آقای احمدزی حمایت می‌کند، اجازه سخنرانی ندادند. -- ایجاد اختلال با سر و صدا در آغاز سخنرانی آقای مجددی، با درخواست مکرر او فروکش نکرد و در نهایت آقای عبدالله به جایگاه رفت و از حاضران خواست که مسایل سیاسی را به "روز شهید" پیوند ندهند. - More, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/09/140909_k02-karzai-nug-election.shtml

Afghanistan’s Karzai calls for candidates Abdullah, Ghani to put aside differences --- KABUL — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that his successor must be chosen soon to “salvage the country,” which appeared to grow more volatile as the day progressed. -- In a rare public statement since he has been forced to postpone his departure from office, Karzai addressed hundreds of Afghan leaders gathered in the capital to honor a slain guerrilla commander. -- Karzai pleaded with the audience to join him in pressuring Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah to put aside their differences so they can form a national unity government. -- “Afghanistan is in dire and urgent need of a new government,” Karzai said, as Abdullah and Ghani looked on from the front row of the auditorium. “Our tenure has expired. We want a new government, and Mr. Abdullah and Mr. Ghani can bring us that new government through their unity.” -- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also urged Ghani and Abdullah on Tuesday to quickly reach an agreement that assures Afghanistan’s first peaceful transfer of power through the ballot box. -- “Both parties share a real responsibility to guide Afghanistan to a peaceful and more prosperous future,” Ban said in a statement. “Given the scale of the challenges, this can only be done jointly.” -- The challenge facing the United Nations, as well as the United States and its NATO allies, in encouraging a smooth transition appeared to grow even more complicated this week. --- After Karzai spoke Tuesday, former president Sibghatullah Mojadidi, a Ghani supporter, walked onto the stage to speak. But the heavily pro-Abdullah crowd began jeering and taunting him. Abdullah urged his supporters to remain calm, but the ruckus continued, and Karzai abruptly left the auditorium. Mojadidi also left the stage -- The scene, which Afghanistan’s Tolo News described as “chaos,” is likely to raise questions about how much control Abdullah would have over his followers if election-related disturbances erupt in the coming days. -- Concerns about potential violence grew as some Abdullah supporters put on a show of force on the streets of the capital on Tuesday -- Hundreds of men — many carrying assault rifles or knives — arrived in Kabul to honor anti-Taliban commander Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was assassinated by suspected al-Qaeda operatives two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. They paraded around the city in trucks and cars plastered with posters of Massoud and Abdullah, at times firing bullets in the air. - Read More, Washingtonpost

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ‘immensely thrilled’ with pregnancy --- LONDON — The wait for the “spare to the heir” will soon be over. -- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced Monday that they are expecting their second child, sending the world’s news media into a tailspin again. The news comes less than 14 months after the birth of their son, George Alexander Louis, on July 22, 2013. -- This time around as well, the duchess is being treated for acute morning sickness, a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, which can cause severe nausea, vomiting and dehydration. -- Catherine is being treated by doctors at Kensington Palace, the royal couple’s official London residence. During her last pregnancy, she was hospitalized for a few days. -- Prince William said that they were thrilled about the pregnancy and that he hoped his wife “feels a bit better” soon. -- “It’s been a tricky few days — a week or so — but obviously we’re immensely thrilled,” he told reporters during a visit to Oxford University to open a center dedicated to the study of China. -- A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said the couple was announcing the pregnancy now because the duchess’s illness has cast doubt on her coming public engagements. - More, Karla Adam, Washingtonpost

جمال خان باركزي- كابل -- منظرۀ امروز شهر كابل --- امروز يك فضاي وحشتناك در شهر كابل حاكم است، تمام سرك ها خالی و دهن تمام كوچه ها توسط موتر های پوليس مسدود است. آمبولانس هاي اردوی ملي هم در بعضي جا ها ايستاده اند، هيچ واسطه نقليه ای عامه داخل سرك شده نميتواند. در كنار سرك ها در فاصله هاي ٥٠ تا ١٠٠ متری عساكر پوليس و اردوی ملی دست بالای ماشه ايستاده اند. صدا هاي فير هاي انفرادی بعضأ از دور و نزديك بگوش ميرسد، چون از طريق مطبوعات از كدام حادثه ای خاصي تا حال كه ساعت ١١:٢٢ قبل از ظهر خبر راپور داده نشده است. احتمالأ اين فير های يكه پران از سبب مشاجرات لفظی و انداخت های هوائی اين اوباشان بوده باشد. -- قطار های بزرگ از موتر هاي كه پوشيده از بيرق های حكومت وحشت تنظيمي ربانی و جوانان كه لباس های زمان بربريت را مانند دستمال، پكول هاي كج، و وآسكت هاي جهادی بر تن داشتند در حاليكه عكس های از احمدشاه مسعود و يك تعداد مردگان ديگر شورای نظار و جمعيت در موتر هاي شان نصب كرده اند، در حاليكه سر های شان نيم تن از موتر ها بيرون كرده اند شعار های سر مي دهند و بقيه در جواب با صدای بلند "الله أكبر" صدا ميزنند. اين كاروان های وحشت در تمام كابل سايه افگنده است. هيچ هموطن با عزت بدون ضرورت حياتی حتی بخاطر حفظ جان و عزت خود تا نزديكترين دوكان براي خريد ضروريات خانه نميرود، و با چيز هاي موجود در خانه گذاره مي كند. --- آيا ما تا چی وقت اين ظالمان و وحشيان را زير نام مقدس جهاد و مقاومت تحمل كنيم. آيا روزی خواهد رسيد كه ديگر اين سايه سياه از سر افغانستان دور شده و دوباره روشنی تابيدن گيرد... اين منافقين زير نام اسلام و الله ج بر مردم خود را حاكم ساخته مظالم و جنايات تاريخ بشريت را بر مردم روا ميدارند و حقائق را كتمان ميكنند. -- آرزو دارم روزی در زندگی خود اين منافقين و تاجران اسم و ﺩﻳﻦ خداوند ج را ذليل و زار ببينم، ديگر اگر بمريم بخدا قسم آرمانی ندارم.

Afghanistan's Abdullah urges calm on Massoud anniversary amid election deadlock --- (Reuters) - Afghan presidential contender Abdullah Abdullah urged his supporters to avoid violence on Tuesday's anniversary of the assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud, as a bitter feud with his rival over a disputed election showed no sign of resolution. -- The former foreign minister, who was close to anti-Taliban fighter Massoud before he was killed in 2001, restated his intention to reject the results of the run-off against former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and said that talks for a national unity government had made no progress. --- Abdullah told his supporters to remain calm on the anniversary of al Qaeda's killing of Tajik militia leader Massoud two days before the Sept. 11 attacks. --- On Saturday U.S. President Barack Obama urged Abdullah and Ghani in separate telephone calls to quickly agree the terms of a U.S. brokered power-sharing deal in which the runner-up in the election would appointed to a specially created role of chief executive or name a representative to the new post. -- The deal was meant to keep a lid on ethnic tensions and prevent a return to the animosity seen between Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group, and minority Tajiks, Hazaras and other groups during the civil was of the 1990s. --- Abdullah criticized the audit as improper and said he would not accept the outcome. His team has already withdrawn observers from the audit. "We are the winners of the election based on the real vote of the people. We will never accept the results of this fraudulent process," Abdullah said. - More, https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=11200490#editor/target=post;postID=1502003112145459663

Former Envoy Reported Facing a Federal Inquiry --- The Austrian weekly newsmagazine Profil reported that the cache of papers included a document from the Justice Department, citing its investigation of Mr. Khalilzad, 63, concerning accounts belonging to Mr. Khalilzad’s wife, the social scientist and author Cheryl Benard. -- Ms. Benard has dual American and Austrian citizenship and earned her doctorate at the University of Vienna. It was unclear whether Ms. Benard herself was being accused of wrongdoing by the Justice Department. -- Nina Bussek, a spokeswoman for the Vienna state prosecutors’ office, confirmed only that there was a case underway involving Ms. Benard, but declined to comment further. The find is an embarrassment for the Austrian authorities, who Profil said had been asked by American officials to preserve the utmost secrecy. -- A lawyer for Ms. Benard, Holger Bielesz, said an unspecified number of his client’s accounts were frozen in February under the Justice Department order dated May 2013. He declined to confirm the amount frozen. -- Mr. Bielesz, who appealed the block on the accounts in March, said in a telephone interview that “we are confident” that a higher court in Vienna will rescind the order soon. “The position of the state prosecutors’ office is not easy to follow,” Mr. Bielesz said, asserting that the United States did not request that the accounts be closed. Any suspicion seems to be founded only on the basis of Ms. Benard’s marriage to Mr. Khalilzad, the lawyer told Profil. -- Telephone calls to Mr. Khalilzad’s Washington office and his cellphone went unanswered, as did an email sent to him. -- Hours later, Mr. Bielesz released a statement stressing that no charges had been brought against the couple, in the United States, Austria or anywhere else. --- In May 2013, the Justice Department “sent a routine request to the Austrian authorities for records for certain bank accounts in Vienna in the name of Ms. Benard,” the statement said. The request “did not seek the seizure of assets belonging to Ms. Benard or Ambassador Khalilzad,” the statement said, nor did it “contain evidence of money laundering or other offenses.” It remained unclear why the state prosecutor nonetheless “ignored the plain language of the D.O.J. and froze Ms. Benard’s accounts,” the statement said. -- The couple are now focused on unfreezing the assets and are upset by the “gross invasion of privacy” caused by the careless release of information, the statement said. It was signed by Mr. Bielesz and Robert B. Buehler, a New York lawyer with the firm Hogan Lovells. - More, ALISON SMALE, NYTimes

Afghanistan’s Abdullah rejects election outcome --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah said Monday that he will not accept the expected official results of the election, breaking a pledge he made to the U.S. secretary of state and injecting new tension into an already drawn-out political process. -- Appearing tired and nervous, Abdullah told a nationally televised news conference that he believes he won both times Afghans voted this year — in April and again in a June runoff. He accused election authorities of violating the desires of voters by ignoring widespread fraud and preparing to declare his opponent, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the winner. -- “We were the winners of the election,” said Abdullah. “We are the winners of the election based on the real vote of the people.” -- Abdullah’s announcement effectively pre-empts the country’s election commission, which is expected to announce the second-round results later this week following a weekslong audit process to weed out the many fraudulent ballots cast. The winner would succeed the outgoing president, Hamid Karzai. -- Abdullah and Ghani Ahmadzai had both pledged to Secretary of State John Kerry during a July visit to the country to abide by the audit’s results. The two also agreed to plans to form a government of national unity with participation of the losing side. --- Kerry made a second visit to Afghanistan in August in a bid to keep the peace. The two candidates then pledged to set an inauguration before the end of that month, a date which sailed by without a hint of finality to the now five-month-long election process. -- In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that Kerry had spoken with both candidates on Monday. -- “In our view, the audit process is still ongoing,” Psaki said. “Under the supervision of the United Nations, I think it was confirmed that part of the process had been completed. There’s more that needs to be done. Dr. Abdullah has indicated consistently that he will abide by the constitution, and so we’re continuing to work with the candidates to determine how we can resolve this moving forward.” - Read More, Associated Press, Washingtonpost

امریکا: نامزدان افغان باید به نتایج پروسه تفتیش آراء متعهد باشند --- ایالات متحده امریکا از کاندیدان ریاست جمهوری افغانستان می خواهد نتایج تفتیش آرای دور دوم انتخابات ریاست جمهوری را احترام نمایند. جین ساکی سخنگوی وزارت خارجه امریکا می گوید، داکتر عبدالله بار ها تاکید نموده است که وی از قانون اساسی اطاعت می کند. ساکی گفت ما از کاندیدان و حامیان شان انتظار داریم به پروسه انتخابات و نتایج این پروسه پابند بمانند. -- خانم ساکی ابراز داشت که عبدالله عبدالله با وجودی که تاکید دارد برنده انتخابات شده است، از حامیان اش خواسته است از خشونت بپرهیزند. ساکی گفت: "به نظر ما پروسه تفتیش هنوز هم تحت نظارت ملل متحد جریان دارد. فکر می کنم تایید شده که بخشی از این پروسه تکمیل شده است. کار های بیشتر نیاز به انجام شدن دارند. داکتر عبدالله مکرراً ابراز داشته است که از قانون اساسی اطاعت خواهد کرد و ما برای اقدام بعدی به همکاری با کاندیدان ادامه میدهیم." -- این بیانات سخنگوی وزارت خارجه امریکا بعد از آن ایراد شد که داکتر عبدالله عبدالله یکی از کاندیدان دور دوم انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان گفت، پروسه سیاسی با بن بست مواجه شده است و هرگز حکومتی را نمی پذیرند که بر اساس تقلب ایجاد شده باشد. آقای عبدالله در سخنرانی در کابل ضمن ابراز این مطلب، تیم خودش را برنده انتخابات اعلان نموده گفت: "ما برنده انتخابات بر اساس رای واقعی و پاک مردم افغانستان هستیم، برنده انتخابات بودیم و هستیم." -- رادیو آزادی

The Foreign Policy Essay: Why Iran Won’t Leave Afghanistan --- As the United States begins to disengage from Afghanistan, there is renewed interest in Washington to understand the extent of Iran’s involvement in the region. -- It’s not exactly breaking news that the Iranians are unhappy with an American military presence in Afghanistan—whether small or large, short or long term. At the same time, Iran does not want to see instability and chaos in Afghanistan. Although Pakistan has traditionally been the United States’ ally in the region, Iran has perhaps more in common with the United States in Afghanistan than Pakistan does. Like the United States, Iran wants a stable Afghanistan that will deny the Taliban sanctuary and will not threaten the region. -- Since the 2001 U.S. intervention to overthrow the Taliban, there has been “reluctant recognition” in Tehran that Afghanistan can’t hold its own against insurgents without external assistance. But Tehran has no inclination to fill this security void itself. As General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (USMC), the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, shared earlier this year, “the answer the Iranians gave to the Afghans is, ‘we recognize your sovereign right to do what you think you must do in order to provide security for your country.’” In other words, do what you need to do, but don’t ask us for help. --- When it comes to Afghanistan, Iran’s influence is here to stay. Nevertheless, there are no indications that Iran looks to involve itself militarily in the country after 2016. -- Iran has lasting political, economic, religious, ethnic, and cultural assets in Afghanistan, given that the latter area was historically part of the Persian Empire. The two countries share a 582-mile border along a plain in western Afghanistan. About one-fifth of Afghanistan’s population is Shi’ite, and this remains the focal point of Iran’s interaction. Twenty percent of Afghans speak Dari, a dialect of Persian. The two countries have never fought a war with each other. Yet, despite these deep ties, the bilateral relationship remains fettered by issue-based rivalries over conflicting economic interests, shared river waters, and treatment of ethnic and sectarian minorities in Afghanistan. -- Given these circumstances, Iran has four long-standing strategic objectives in Afghanistan. - Read More, Sumitha Narayanan Kutty, http://www.lawfareblog.com/2014/08/the-foreign-policy-essay-why-iran-wont-leave-afghanistan/

نورستانی: اگر نامزدان به توافق سیاسی هم نرسند نتیجه را اعلام می کنیم --- کابل (پژواک، ١٧ سنبله ٩٣) - کیسیون مستقل انتخابات می گوید، زمانی که کار تفتیش و مشکلاتى که در محلات خاص وجود دارد به اتمام برسد، نتایج نهایی را اعلام می کنند. احمد يوسف نورستانى رئيس اين کميسيون عصر روز دوشنبه (١٧ سنبله) در جمعى از خبرنگاران گفت که بنیاد و اساس یک حکومت ديموکراتیک، انتخابات است و نتیجۀ انتخابات باید اعلام شود و مردم از نتیجه اش خبر شوند. وى ابراز امیدواری کرد که هر دو نامزد، به توافق سیاسی برسند و اگر احیاناً به توافق سیاسی هم نرسند، نتیجه را اعلام مي نمايند. -- اين در حالى است که به تازگى پروسۀ بازرسى صد درصدى آرا بعد از پنجاه روز پايان يافته، اما بنا بر اختلاف بين ستاد هاى انتخاباتى، تا حال نتيجۀ نهايى آن اعلام نشده است. مذاکرات سیاسی بین دو نامزد ریاست جمهوری، بخاطر ایجاد حکومت وحدت ملی جريان داشته، اما مشکل عمده، چگونگى پُست رئيس اجراييه است که هر دو ستاد انتخاباتى روى آن اختلاف دارند و ستاد انتخاباتى اصلاحات و همگرايى به رهبرى داکتر عبدالله گفته است که مذاکرات به بُن بست رسيده است. -- رئيس جمهور حامد کرزى که مدت کارش بر اساس پيشنهاد ملل متحد يک ماه تمديد شده، گفته است که برای مراسم تحلیف رئیس جمهور آینده آمادگی کامل گرفته شده و اميد است که رئیس جمهور جدید به زودترین فرصت اعلام شود. وى در گذشته گفته بود که مراسم تحليف رئيس جمهور جديد در ١١ سنبله بر پا خواهد شد، اما ملل متحد که از پروسۀ انتخابات نظارت ميکند، مراسم تحليف درين تاريخ را غيرممکن خوانده بود. -- از جانب ديگر، کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات در هفتمین نشست علنی خود که برای بررسی نتایج بازرسی ٢٣٠٠ صندوق رایدهی اختصاص یافته بود، آرای ٩٤ محل را باطل اعلام نمود که ٣٣٩٦٧ راى مى شود. از جمله محلات باطل شده، ٤١ محل آن شامل تفتيش عادی و ٥٣ محل آن شامل تفتش خاص می شود. رئيس کميسيون انتخابات گفت که از جمله ٢٣٠٠ محل راى دهى، ٧٠٠ محل آن شامل تفتيش عادی و ١٦٠٠ محل آن شامل تفتش خاص می گردد. نورستانی افزود که آرای ٢٧٩ محل تفتيش شده که دارای ٧١٦٤٨ رای می باشد، معتبر شناخته شده است. -- طبق فيصلۀ کميسيون انتخابات، ٢٢٤ محل آن به دليل عدم وضاحت چک لست ها، بررسى مجدد و ١٧٠٣ محل ديگر بازشمارى مجدد مى شود که ٢٥٢ محل آن مربوط تفتيش عادی و ١٤٤٤ محل آن مربوط تفتيش خاص می گردد. رئیس کمیسیون انتخابات علاوه نمود که از مجموع ٢٢٤ محل که در آن وضاحت چک لست ها وجود نداشت، ١٢١ محل آن مربوط محلات عادی و ١٠٣ محل آن مربوط محلات خاص می گردد. -- کمیسیون شکایات انتخاباتی در چندين جلسه علنى خود که شکايات نامزدان در مورد اين تصاميم کميسيون انتخابات را بررسى کرده، تاکنون به ١٤ صندوق راىدهى اعتبار دوباره بخشيده است. - Pajhwok

Islamic State claims Pakistan and Afghanistan for its 'caliphate' --- The Islamic State is challenging the Taliban and al-Qaeda in its Afghanistan and Pakistan heartlands and claiming both countries as part of its ‘caliphate’. -- Islamic Slate leaflets proclaiming the group’s intention to bring its barbaric form of Islam to Pakistan and Afghanistan were posted throughout Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa frontier province, in the last few days, and have also been distributed to nearby Afghan refugee camps. -- The leaflets, published in the local Pashto and Darri languages and bearing the Isil 'Fateh' (victory) flag, said the 'caliphate' it had established in Syria and Iraq extended to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and some Muslim central Asian republics. -- They called for unity among Muslims and committed themselves to victory or martyrdom in their fight to recreate the 'caliphate'. -- Islamic Slate leaflets proclaiming the group’s intention to bring its barbaric form of Islam to Pakistan and Afghanistan were posted throughout Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa frontier province, in the last few days, and have also been distributed to nearby Afghan refugee camps. -- The leaflets, published in the local Pashto and Darri languages and bearing the Isil 'Fateh' (victory) flag, said the 'caliphate' it had established in Syria and Iraq extended to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and some Muslim central Asian republics. -- They called for unity among Muslims and committed themselves to victory or martyrdom in their fight to recreate the 'caliphate'. -- The group appears to have some powerful allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including one former Guantánamo Bay inmate and some commanders loyal to the Afghan insurgency leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. -- One of the commanders told the BBC earlier this week that he was willing to join Isil if he was convinced they are sincere in reviving the caliphate – the series of Islamic states and empires which flourished in the Middle East and West Asia from the 7th century until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. - Read More, Dean Nelson, Telegraph

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Afghanistan Back to the Brink --- Only the U.S. and its allies can keep Kabul's showdown from getting violent. -- Afghanistan faces its most serious crisis in a decade. This time, however, it is not caused by an emboldened Taliban but by growing friction between the two contenders for president. Only a determined effort by the United States and other NATO allies can prevent an escalation into violence. -- Many Westerners and Afghans embraced this year's presidential election as an opportunity to move on from President Hamid Karzai, whose relationship with Western leaders dramatically deteriorated in recent years. But the election results have been contentious. --- The stakes are high. So is the tension in Kabul, where there are rumors that some of Mr. Abdullah's supporters are considering violence if Mr. Ghani is declared the winner in coming days. -- Leaders from the Jamiat-e Islami, a political party associated with the Tajik community and Mr. Abdullah, threatened in August to oppose Mr. Ghani with help from allies in the Afghan National Security Forces. Provincial and district governors with close ties to Mr. Abdullah may be arming militias to shore up their power bases in case of a Ghani victory. -- Both candidates appear to be reneging on the two-part deal that Secretary Kerry brokered. Mr. Abdullah tried to block completion of the audit process, which both camps agreed to support. Meanwhile Mr. Ghani doesn't appear to be delivering fully on his promise to establish the national unity government specified in that agreement. -- An outbreak of violence could have serious consequences. It could trigger a coup attempt or in-fighting among government security forces allied with the respective camps. There are growing concerns that key military, police and intelligence officials in Kabul and out in the field would support different sides in an insurrection. -- Such a split would weaken the government and the fragile Afghan National Security Forces, which could rupture along ethnic lines. That could allow pro-Abdullah forces to consolidate control of the capital and other primarily Tajik and Hazara provinces in central and northern Afghanistan, while pro-Ghani forces could control Pashtun areas in the east and south of the country. -- There are already indications that segments of the Afghan National Army, such as the 205th Corps headquartered in Kandahar, could face significant divisions if the losing candidate broke with Kabul. Its subordinate units—which consist of four brigades, a commando battalion and three garrisons—might fracture because of the divided political loyalties of its commanders. -- This division would almost certainly facilitate Taliban advances, particularly in the critical eastern and southern fronts, where the Taliban is gaining some ground. In Nangarhar in July, for example, Taliban forces constructed a series of trenches, tunnels and berms before they overran nearly a dozen security posts and threatened Hisarak District Center. -- Balkanization of the Afghan National Security Forces would be doubly dangerous. Leaders would have to divert part of their time, money and resources to fighting each other rather than the Taliban. Morale would be severely weakened, undermining the effectiveness and determination of army, police and intelligence units. -- A bloody internal struggle isn't inevitable but increasingly possible. So it's essential for the U.S. and its allies, who have already invested enormous blood and treasure in Afghanistan, to prevent the political cracks from widening. -- Perhaps the most significant step is to continue encouraging the creation of a national unity government in which the winning candidate integrates key supporters of the loser's side. This would include appointing supporters to key cabinet posts or provincial governor positions. It might also involve the losing candidate selecting a chief executive officer in a new administration. -- Most important, the U.S. and other NATO countries need to emphasize that their continued economic and military assistance to Afghanistan is contingent on a resolution of the political crisis. It makes little sense for the U.S. to sign a bilateral security agreement with a country that can't even agree on its leader. -- It would be a tragedy if one or both sides allowed the disputed election to fracture the country and increase the odds of a Taliban military victory—an outcome that neither side wants, and that would harm the Afghan population most of all. - More, Seth G. Jones, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/afghanistan-back-to-the-brink-1410196355#top

اقتصادي ستونزو دننګرهار ماشومان درنو کارونو ته اړ کړي --- دټولنیزو چارو یو شمېر کارپوهان په ننګرهار ولایت کې دماشومانو ترمنځ ددرنو کارونو په اړه اندېښنې څرګندوي او وايي چې دغه کار دماشومانو پر راتلونکي بدې اغېزې لرلی شي. دننګرهار ولایت چارواکي هم مني چې په دغه ولایت کې یو شمېر ماشومان پر درنو کارونو بوخت دي خو هڅه کوي چې بې وزله کورنیو ته دکار زمینه برابره کړي. -- دننګرهار ولایت سلګونه ماشومان دبې وزلۍ له امله پر درنو کارونو بوخت دي، هغه درانه کارونه چې له وسې یې پورته دي. ناوړه اقتصادي شرایطو دغه ماشومان له ښوونې او روزنې محروم کړي دي. دیاسر په نوم یو تن چې لاسي کراچۍ چلوي، طلوع نیوز ته وویل: «له سهاره تر شپې کار کوم او له سلو تر یو نیم افغانیو ګټم.» ګل زمان بل هغه ماشوم دی چې دجلال آباد - تورخم په لویه لاره کې کار کوي، ښوونځي ته دنه تلو لامل بې وزلي بولي او وايي: «دوه میاشتې کېږي چې ښوونځی مې پرې ایښی او دیوې مړۍ ډوډۍ دپیدا کولو لپاره دلته کراچۍ چلوم.» -- دجلال آباد پر ښار سربېره، ددغه ولایت په سره رود ولسوالۍ کې هم لسګونه ماشومان دخښتو په بټیو کې پر درنو کارانو بوخت دي. په ننګرهار کې دټولنیزو چارو کارپوه اکبر شېر وايي: « هغه ماشومان چې په دې عمر شاقه کارونه ترسره کوي، داسې فکر کوي چې په دې وطن کې هېڅ ملاتړی نه لري او دا کار بالاخره ماشوم ته درواني ناروغیو دپیدا کېدو سبب کېږي.» -- دننګرهار دوالي ویاند احمد ضیا عبدالزی دا خبره مني او وايي چې ددې ستونزې دحل لپاره منظمو پروګرامونو ته اړتیا ده. دی وايي هغه امکانات چې دوی لري، دولایت په کچه ترې استفاده کوي، خو دستونزې دبنسټیز حل په موخه له مرکز سره په اړیکه کې دي. ننګرهار دهېواد له ختیځو ولایتونو څخه هغه ولایت دی چې دنورو ولایتونو په پرتله دغلته ډېر ماشومان پر شاقه کارونو بوخت دي. دماشومانو دحقونو دکنوانسیون له مخې چې افغانستان یې هم غړی دی، پر ماشومانو ددرنو او شاقو کارونو کول منع شوي دي. - بینوا

NATO's Leaders Need a Reality Check on Afghanistan --- It was no surprise that the many crises facing NATO would distract them from a real conversation about Afghanistan at their summit in Wales, though it should have focused their minds. -- Instead, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen congratulated troop contributing nations on completing their combat mission, saying "We have done what we pledged to do." -- Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the two presidential candidates remain locked in a bitter dispute over who won and what the loser will get, with Taliban fighters exploiting political divisions and NATO's reduced presence by launching ever-larger offensive attacks. -- At the end of this year, NATO ends its combat presence, leaving behind only a small training and assistance mission. It will then reduce financial support for the Afghan National Security Forces, which will kick in around the same time as a massive drop in foreign assistance -- a 50 percent cut by the U.S. is already approved. -- By continuing with a timetable that is externally driven, regardless of internal conditions, and with an economic squeeze from aid cuts looming, NATO is sending the wrong signals to the Afghan people and to the Taliban, and imperiling security. -- Amid the muted self-congratulation at the NATO summit, privately many know their work is not done. The drawdown of training and financial support is necessary, but it needs to happen at a responsible speed, so that the security and rights gains can be consolidated. This would require a candid assessment of current security conditions: the last thing NATO leaders wanted to do in Wales. -- The fact is the conflict in Afghanistan has regained intensity: overall attacks have increased. In recent months we've seen a stark impact of NATO's diminished air presence: in many areas the Taliban are now able to move in their hundreds to stage attacks, where previously they mostly relied on improvised explosive devices. -- Today civilian casualties are at near-record levels, according to the UN. There are also reports the Afghan Taliban are being bolstered by Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups who prefer to fight in Afghanistan while the Pakistani army wages a military operation in their safe havens in Waziristan. -- The Afghan security forces (ANSF) have not crumbled as some predicted, nor is Kabul about to fall, but the ANSF are being killed in large numbers, and a number of districts in several provinces are vulnerable to Taliban takeovers. -- Meanwhile, in the United States, the debate remains centered on troop numbers, which are set to fall to around 15,000, including around 9,800 non-combat U.S. troops. -- Less attention is given to the fact that funding for the ANSF will soon be cut sharply: the US and other NATO members have offered $4.1 billion a year to cover the costs of 228,000 army and police. This entails shrinking the Afghan security forces by more than a third. There are no clear plans for how such demobilization would take place. The Afghan government says it needs $6 billion to maintain its security forces; a recent report commissioned by the U.S. Congress agreed, recommending that the current Afghan force levels should be supported until 2018. -- As NATO considers these funding cuts and exit plans, one of their greatest challenges remains unmet: the Afghan security forces don't just need to be capable of withstanding an insurgency, they need to be accountable to the Afghan people. Just as the early mistakes and abuses by the international military inflamed the insurgency, Afghan security forces continue to drive some communities away from their government. Despite widespread reporting of these abuses, including executions, electrocutions, and holes being drilled in people's heads, the government has mostly failed to respond. Two Afghan security officials recently stated publicly that they have a 'kill not capture' policy for Taliban. -- Senior U.S. officials have consistently made their support for such notorious officials very public, so it was welcome news this week that the White House has asked the Afghan government to investigate 15 incidents where illegal executions took place, seven of them this year. The U.S. has warned that if such abuse continues, assistance for the Afghan units responsible could be cut, under the requirements of the Leahy law, which bars U.S. funding from going to abusive security forces. The new Afghan government will need to act quickly to prevent this, and rebuild trust by prioritizing accountability. The smaller the NATO presence, the lower the chance of reform. - More, Rachel Reid, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-reid/natos-leaders-need-a-real_b_5773432.html?utm_hp_ref=afghanistan

The price of an education for Afghan refugees in Iran -- Decades of subsistence farming have curved 65-year-old Isa’s spine and turned his cheeks a rich, leathery brown. The white-haired father of seven obtained legal refugee status in Iran over three decades ago, fleeing war and crushing poverty as the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Two political regimes later, Isa must still stay off the main road when he rides his motorbike to work. -- Under the intricate Iranian laws governing the lives of Afghan immigrants, refugees lack permission to own motor vehicles. -- On the two-kilometer stretch of road that separates his rented brick cottage from the two-acre field where he plants kale, an old Afghan driver may pique police interest, with potentially devastating consequences for Isa and his family. -- In late June, Isa’s nephew-in-law, Ali, 26, was detained while traveling to Ghazvin, a city northwest of Tehran, to see his wife’s family. He was sent back to Kabul. Although the address where Ali was registered is only 40 kilometers away, he did not have written permission from a local official to leave the district. Ali spent a hellish summer in Kabul, living in a dirt-floor hut with his relatives. He telephoned his wife and infant son every day, wondering who would provide for them if he was unable to find a way back to Iran. -- Isa, whose four grown daughters and son still live with him in Ghazvin, has learned to avoid such mistakes. He is old enough to recall a time when Afghan refugees enjoyed the same welfare and benefits as needy Iranian citizens, and has struggled to adjust to the constantly evolving laws that restricted those privileges as his compatriots began flooding into the country by the hundred thousands, becoming the largest urban refugee population in the world. -- As the cash-strapped Iranian government struggles to accommodate the estimated 3 million Afghan refugees living in the country, the smallest infraction is enough to get even documented immigrants deported. One year ago, Iran began implementing a plan to repatriate some 2.5 million Afghans by 2015. The strategy contradicts the current trend of Afghan migration, which has been rising steadily as renewed violence near the Durand Line displace civilians and Nato’s imminent withdrawal from Afghanistan heighten political and economic uncertainty. -- Despite growing xenophobia and Iran’s own economic problems, many Afghans favor the difficult conditions in Iran to an unstable future back home. Faced with restrictions on property ownership, freedom of movement and access to government services, seasoned first-generation migrants like Isa constantly search for ways to circumvent the rules and allow their families to have stable lives. - Read More, Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/world/iran-blog/2014/sep/05/iranthe-afghanistan-refugees

ساینس ژورنال: افغانستان د نادرو طبیعی عناصرو له نظره د نړۍ بې ساری هیواد دی --- ساینس ژورنال دافغانستان دطبیعي زېرمو په اړه په یوه راپور کې ویلي چې افغانان په یوه داسي ځای کې اوسي چې ورلاندې دمځکې دنادرو عناصرو په شمول راز راز طبیعي سرچینې پرتې دي. مجله وايي، په یوه لسیزه کې دافغانستان دجیالوجیکي سروې له مخې دا هیواد له جیالوجیکي پلوه دنړۍ طلايي هیواد دی، دا هیواد ۶۰ ملیون ټنه مس، دوه ملیارده او دوه سوه ملیون ټنه وسپنه، څوارلس سوه ملیون ټنه دمځکې نادر عناصر او په ټنونو المونیم، سره زر، سپین زر، لیتیم، ټوټالینګ او نور لري چې ارزښت یې یو تریلیون ډالرو ته رسېږي. -- امریکا له هوا څخه دافغانستان دمعدني سرچینو سروې کړې ده. په دې مقناطیسي سروې کې دمځکې له سطحې څخه لاندې تر لس کیلومترو پوري ټول فلزي عناصر پلټل شوي او ورسره دافغانستان دګازو او تېلو اندازه لګول شوې ده. په سروې کې ویل شوي چې دا هیواد داسي عناصر لري چې په نړۍ کې نه موندل کېږي یا ډېر لږ موندل کېږي. ددغه هیواد دڅه باندې ۷۰ فیصده نقشه په دوو میاشتو کې اخیستل شوې ده. -- دامریکا دجیالوجیکي سروې دافغانستان دپروژې جیالوجیست او دپروګرام منېجر جک میدلین لایف ساینس خپرونې ته په مرکه کې وویل: «افغانستان داسي هیواد دی چې دطبیعي زېرمو له نظره ډېر، ډېر شتمن دی. موږ په دغه هیواد کې دنړۍ په کچه لږترلږه ۲۴ مهم معدني زېرمې وموندلې.» ددوی کار تفصیل دساینس مجلې داګست دپنخلسمې نېټې په ګڼه کې خپور شوی خو پرون /یکشنبه/ سپټمبر۷ / ګڼو رسنیو دهغه پر اساس راپورونه خپاره کړي دی. -- دامریکا دجیالوجیکي سروې دافغانستان دپروګرام ږغملوونکي (کواردینېتر) سید میرزاد وايي چې افغانستان ډېرې طبیعي سرچینې لري مګر بنیادي تاسیسات لکه سړکونه، داورګاډي پټلۍ، اوبه او انرژي نه لري چې ددغو سرچینو داستخراج لپاره ضروري دي. په راپور کې ویل شوي چې یوازې نژدې یو نیم ملیون ټنه نادر عناصر، چې افغانستان یې لري، ددې هیواد په اقتصاد کې لوی بدلون راوستلی شي. -- حاضردمه دنړۍ په سلو کې۹۰ نادر یا ډېر لږ موندل کېدونکي عناصر په چین کې دي. چین په ۲۰۱۰ میلادي کال ددغه موادو پر صادراتو په دې پلمه بندیز ولګاوه چې نه غواړي چاپېریال ته زیان ورسېږي. - تاند

Obama phones Afghanistan presidential candidates to urge power-sharing deal --- President Obama called the two rival presidential candidates in Afghanistan over the weekend, urging both men to swiftly reach a power-sharing deal to bring stability to the country. -- A White House statement Sunday said Obama told Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani that a national unity government would encourage international support for Afghanistan. -- The two candidates, who are disputing the results of the April election, have been unable to reach an agreement on a proposed plan to form a unified government in which one would be president and the other would be chief executive. -- “The president reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to support Afghanistan, its people, and the president and chief executive, should the agreement be formalized, in their efforts to form a new unity government,” the White House said. -- The calls were placed Saturday after Obama returned to Washington from the NATO summit in Wales, where leaders had originally thought they would be welcoming the new Afghanistan president. -- There is international concern that if an agreement is not reached, Abdullah and Ghani could create two separate governments that would divide the country and ignite further tension in the region. - More, Colby Itkowitz, NYTimes

Afghan Court Wastes No Time Sentencing 7 to Death in Rape Case --- KABUL, Afghanistan — The seven suspects in the rape of four women had not even gone to trial when President Hamid Karzai assured a visiting delegation of female politicians that he wanted them to be executed — after their convictions, of course. -- While he generally opposes the death penalty, Mr. Karzai said, in this case he was ready to make an exception. “I told them to arrest these people, and I expect the chief justice will give them capital punishment,” he said. “And by God’s willingness, we will implement it immediately.” -- On Sunday, all seven defendants were convicted and sentenced to death. -- The gang rape has transfixed a country that has grown weary of political paralysis in what has turned into a five-month effort to decide who the new president will be. The arrests and prosecution of the suspects in this case has been every bit as fast as the election recount has been slow — and in the view of many foreign observers, just as embarrassing an example of a deeply flawed governing system. -- The four women — one of them pregnant, another just 18 and one elderly — were returning, all with their husbands, from a wedding in the Paghman district of Kabul Province, which is a 15-minute drive from the capital, when their cars were stopped by 10 men, some of them dressed in police uniforms and carrying assault weapons. The women were robbed, beaten and raped, then returned to their humiliated husbands. -- The crime took place on Aug. 23. Last Tuesday, seven of the 10 suspects were arrested; the other three have been identified but not yet caught. The police said they had stolen the uniforms and were not real officers. Over the next four days, the attorney general investigated and announced his findings, the confessions of the seven men were broadcast on television, and the rape victims, dressed in burqas and chadors, were allowed to confront the accused attackers on camera and in person, grabbing them by the lapels. -- By Saturday, President Karzai had promised them the death penalty, and on Sunday, their trial opened. It was televised live, a possibly unprecedented occurrence here, where most trials are effectively closed to the public. Prosecutors read the defendants’ confessions as the seven men sat in the dock and made no effort to speak on their behalf. One had his arm in a cast, and most of them appeared to have facial bruises. Before the day’s end, they were all convicted and sentenced. -- Oddly, the court did not try them on rape charges, apparently to spare their victims the ordeal of forensic examinations and embarrassing testimony; instead, their convictions were for adultery and armed robbery, both of which are capital offenses in Afghanistan. The seven all received death sentences, two or three times in each case on different charges. Hanging is the usual means of execution here, though firing squads are also used. -- During the two weeks between the assaults and the trial, thousands of Kabul residents poured into the streets to demand a speedy conviction and the execution of the perpetrators, and to warn government officials not to take the customary bribes to make the case go away. -- “They should be executed at the spot where they committed the crimes,” said Nasima, a teacher who was among those chanting the slogan “Only hanging is acceptable” on Sunday outside the Supreme Court. “People should see the faces of the convicts during hanging, because if their faces are covered, it would mean for us that the government hanged someone else.” --- The last time a hanging took place in public here was during Taliban rule, in the National Stadium. -- Most people also seemed impatient with the convicts’ constitutional right to appeal, a procedure that could take up to 50 days, after which the president has to ratify any execution order. -- Even many civil rights advocates here supported the calls for swift executions. One women’s rights activist, Jamila Mujahid, approvingly quoted prisoners at the Pul-e-Charki jail as saying, “If the perpetrators of the Paghman gang rape are not hanged, we will kill them here when they are imprisoned.” -- “In this case, the government has reacted but has done so at the expense of justice,” Ms. Barr said, calling the conviction a “show trial” that did not comply with Afghan law. She cited “the speed of the trial, the lack of evidence and argument” on the defendants’ behalf, “the alleged mistreatment of the defendants and Mr. Karzai’s speaking out in favor of their execution before their case was even heard.” - Read More, NYTimes, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/world/asia/afghan-court-sentences-7-men-to-death-in-rape-case.html?_r=0

کرزی: با حکومت وحدت ملی در افغانستان، 'نیازی به اپوزیسیون نیست' --- همزمان با ورود وزیر خارجه آلمان برای میانجی‌گری بین نامزدهای انتخابات افغانستان، حامد کرزی گفته که دو نامزد دولت مشترک تشکیل دهند و نیازی به اپوزیسیون نیست. آقای کرزی در دیدار با شماری از زنان در کاخ ریاست جمهوری گفت که وضعیت کشور غیرقابل تحمل شده و هر دو نامزد به هر توافقی که م ی‌رسند، برسند، چرا که به گفته او، وضعیت کنونی بدتر از توافق آنها است. -- رئیس جمهوری تاکید کرد: "ما می ‎خواهیم که آنها حکومت مشترک تشکیل دهند، یکی رئیس جمهوری شود و دیگر مجری امور (رئیس اجرائی) شود، اما زودتر این کار را کنند. ما همه با آنها هستیم و با ایشان همکاری می ‌کنیم. افغانستان به حزب مخالف و به اپوزیسیون ضرورت ندارد، قطعاً." -- آقای کرزی هفته گذشته با عبدالله عبدالله و اشرف غنی احمدزی نامزدهای انتخابات ریاست جمهوری دیدار و گفت‌وگو کرد. او به حاضران در جلسه امروز گفت به هر توافقی که هر دو نامزد برسند، احترام می ‌گذارد و از آنها خواسته که با تشکیل حکومت مشترک کشور را از "سردرگمی" نجات دهند. -- حامد کرزی این سخنان خود را در دیدار با فرانک والتر اشتاین ‌مایر وزیر خارجه آلمان هم به نحوی تکرار کرد. آقای اشتاین مایر به هدف حمایت تلاش‌ها برای تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی در افغانستان سفر کرده و در برنامه سفرش علاوه بر گفت ‌و گو با آقای کرزی، دیدار با هر دو نامزد انتخابات ریاست جمهوری و یان کوبیش فرستاده خاص سرمنشی سازمان ملل هم در نظر گرفته شده است. -- وزیر خارجه آلمان از هر دو نامزد خواسته که بر سر تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی به توافق برسند و از "فرصت تاریخی" برای انتقال مسالمت ‌آمیز قدرت سیاسی استفاده کنند. در همین حال، عبدرب‌الرسول سیاف، از رهبران جهادی و نامزد دور اول انتخابات ریاست جمهوری هم با انتشار پیامی عنوانی مردم، گفته که "حکومت یک‎ جانبه به درد ملت نمی ‎خورد و مانند پرنده‌ای که یک بال داشته باشد، قطعاً توان تحرک و پرواز را نخواهد داشت، چه رسد به این ‌که به خدمت مردم بپردازد." -- او هشدار داده کسانی که بر اعلام نتایج انتخابات تاکید می کنند، "فتنۀ خوابیده را بیدار خواهند کرد و باعث بردن کشور به سوی ناامنی و بی ‌ثباتی خواهند شد که در این صورت مهار کردن مشکلات نو پیدا کار بس دشوار و از توان همگی بیرون خواهد بود." -- در مقابل حمیدالله فاروقی سخنگوی حزب حق و عدالت و از حامیان اشرف غنی احمدزی در کنفرانس خبری از نهادهای انتخاباتی خواست که نتایج انتخابات را هرچه زودتر اعلام کنند و ستاد های انتخاباتی نامزد ها هم به آن تمکین کنند. -- دیروز کمیسیون مستقل انتخابات اعلام کرد که روند کنترول دوبارۀ آرا به پایان رسیده، در حالی‌ که بخشی از این روند بدون حضور ناظران هر دو نامزد به پیش برده شد. آقای فاروقی گفت که ستاد های انتخاباتی به مسئولیت تاریخی خود توجه کنند و با آرای مردم، قانون اساسی و روند دموکراسی "بازی" نکنند. -- سه ماه پس از برگزاری دور دوم انتخابات نام جانشین آقای کرزی هنوز مشخص نشده است. هر دو نامزد یک دیگر را به تقلب در نتایج انتخابات متهم می کنند. آقای عبدالله، وزیر پیشین خارجه، نسبت به روند گفت ‌و گو های سیاسی برای تشکیل دولت وحدت ملی اعتراض دارد و رقیبش، وزیر پیشین مالیه، را متهم می‎ کند که "صداقت" لازم ندارد. -- در مقابل، آقای احمدزی خواسته‌ای آقای عبدالله در مورد تشکیل وحدت ملی را "فراقانونی" می ‎داند و می‎ گوید که او باید از "کارشکنی" در به سرانجام رساندن گفت ‌و گو ها دست بردارد. - بی بی سی

Steinmeier demands end to Afghan power struggle --- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged Afghanistan's presidential hopefuls, Ashram Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, to set in motion the country's first ever democratic power transition. -- When the Transall plane carrying Germany's foreign minister left Kabul bound for India on Saturday afternoon, Afghanistan still lacked a new president. According to members of Steinmeier's delegation, both hopefuls had Berlin's position explained to them in 45-minute meetings. -- Germany's top diplomat was of course less explicit when briefing the press. Steinmeier said that he had tried to make it clear "that this was not about a bit of wrangling within Afghanistan's domestic politics." Such bickering was common in Germany too, he said, but in this case the stability of an entire country was at stake. "Afghanistan cannot be allowed to slide back into total conflict between political camps or ethnic groups." - More, Deutsche Welle, http://www.dw.de/steinmeier-demands-end-to-afghan-power-struggle/a-17906183

German foreign minister in Afghanistan to support formation of government --- German Foreign Minister Steinmeier is in Afghanistan to offer support for the formation of a new government. Five months after the presidential election, Karzai's successor is still unnamed. -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has arrived at the German military base Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan. During his trip, he will meet with President Hamid Karzai as well as the two candidates who ran to replace him, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. -- Steinmeier will also meet with the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Jan Kubis along with German election observers. -- Nearly three months after the run-off election, results remain inconclusive. Both candidates have accused the other of election fraud, Steinmeier has called upon both sides to build a national unity government. -- The foreign minister said the Afghan politicians should use "the historic opportunity to create a democratic transition of power." -- He pledged German support for the formation of a new government, so long as "both sides felt obliged to participate." - More, http://www.dw.de/german-foreign-minister-in-afghanistan-to-support-formation-of-government/a-17905261

باختر - متن بیانیۀ وزیر دفاع ملی افغانستان در اجلاس سران ناتو ویلز کشور انگلستان --- متن بیانیۀ وزیر دفاع ملی افغانستان در اجلاس سران ناتو ویلز کشور انگلستان -- خانم ها وآقایان: -- می خواهم در نخست از دعوت شما و نقش قوت های ناتو در سیزده سال گذشته در برگشتاندن امنیت و ثبات در افغانستان و مجموع دست آورد های که کشور ما در عرصه های سیاسی، امنیتی، اقتصادی و اجتماعی داشته است سپاسگذاری نمایم. هم چنان با استفاده از این فرصت به نماینده گی از دولت افغانستان می خواهم از تلاش و حمایت بی دریغ جلالتماب راسموسن به افغانستان در طول ماموریت شان تشکر و قدردانی می نمایم. به همین ترتیب می خواهم مراتب تسلیت و همدردی خود و دولت متبوع ام را نسبت به قربانیان نظامی و ملکی کشور های ناتو و ایساف ابراز بدارم و ما یاد آنها را به طور همیشه گی گرامی خواهیم داشت. -- روابط افغانستان با جامعه جهانی بعد از سیزده سال مبارزه مشترک برای تامین امنیت در افغانستان و دفع تهدید تروریزم در عرصه بین المللی وارد یک مرحله نوین شده است. پروسه انتقال مسئولیت های امنیتی به نیرو های افغانستان در پایان امسال تکمیل میشود. عملاً تامین امنیت تمام قلمرو افغانستان برعهده نیرو های امنیتی کشور ما میباشد، بر بنیاد توافقات متقابل، بیش از یک صد هزار نیروی نظامی کشور های عضو ناتو/ ایساف تا کنون افغانستان را ترک گفته اند. -- تعهدات متقابل ایجاب میکند تا نیرو های دفاعی و امنیتی افغانستان متناسب با وظایفی که دارند و تهدید های که متوجه کشور ما میباشد تجهیز شوند. نیرو های دفاعی کشور ما از کمبود سلاح های سنگین رنج میبرند و ما دارای نیروی هوائی متناسب به نیاز های امنیتی خود نمی باشیم. گسترش عملیات تروریستی در این روزها در نقاط مختلف کشور ما بیان یک استراتیژی است که تروریستان گمان می کنند با خروج نیرو های بین المللی از افغانستان میتوانند در بخش هایی از کشور ما حاکمیت دولتی را سقوط بدهند. اما نیرو های دفاعی و امنیتی ما در سراسر افغانستان به این حملات پاسخ لازم را داده اند و تا کنون در هیچ جای افغانستان طالبان و متحدان خارجی آنها نتوانسته اند به پیروزی دست بیابند. -- قوتهای دفاعی و امنیتی افغانستان پس از تحویل گیری مسئولیت فزیکی امور امنیتی و اداره عملیاتها بطور مستقل ثابت کرده اند که با وصف مشکلات متعدد قابلیت ها از اجرای این مسئولیت توانستند مؤفقانه بدر آیند که عملیات های اخیر در برخی ولایات گواه بدون تردید این مدعا است. ما از تعهدات ناتو و ایساف در کنفرانس شیکاگو یکبار دیگر اظهار سپاس و قدردانی نموده و این تعهدات را ضمانتی برای حفظ و بقای قوت های دفاعی و امنیتی افغانستان میدانیم. دولت افغانستان بر تعهدات خود در شفافیت و حساب دهی مصرف این کمک ها متعهد و پابند است و عین انتظار را از جامعه جهانی نیز داریم. -- ما یقین کامل داریم که بدون قربانی و همکاری جامعه جهانی، به دست آورد های که در عرصه های دفاعی و امنیتی، تعلیم و تربیه، صحت، پیشرفت رسانه ها، توسعه زیرساخت های اقتصادی، حقوق سیاسی و اجتماعی زنان و مردان افغانستان دست یافته ایم، نمی رسیدیم اما مردم افغانستان هنوز هم به صلح و امنیت پایدار دست نیافته اند. ما بر این باوریم که رسیدن به صلح ممکن خواهد بود اگر با یک اقدام همآهنگ استراتیژی صلح افغانستان مورد حمایت قرار بگیرد. زیرا تهدید افراطیت و وضعیت پیش آمده در کشور های شرق میانه و سایر نقاط جهان حمایت جامعه جهانی، ناتو و ایساف را در ماموریت افغانستان حتمی میسازد. تا اخیر سال 2014 ماموریت رزمی ناتو و ایساف در افغانستان به پایان میرسد، اما ادامه کمک شما در چوکات ماموریت حمایت قاطع به نیرو های امنیتی دفاعی برای ثبات در افغانستان مهم است. -- به زودی در کشور ما حکومت جدید روی کار خواهد آمد، آرزوی ما این است که به زودی تمام تلاش ها با حکومت جدید افغانستان برای رسیدن به صلح دایمی هماهنگ ساخته شود. سیزده سال جنگ با تروریزم با برخی از ابهامات استراتیژیک همراه بوده است. از منظر افغانستان این یک توهم خواهد بود اگر گمان شود می توانیم بر تروریزم پیروز شویم و به صلح در منطقه ما دست یابیم، بدون آنکه با برخاستگاه، محل های آموزش و منابع تمویل و حامیان نظامی و سیاسی آن مبارزه صورت گیرد. ما باید مشترکاً به آنانی که گمان می کنند می توانند با توسل به تروریزم به اهداف توسعه طالبانه منطقه ای شان دست یابند بفهمانیم که ازین طریق به پیروزی دست نخواهند یافت. -- همان طوریکه می دانیم قرارداد همکاری های ستراتیژیک دوامدار میان افغانستان و ایالات متحده امریکا امضا و نافذ گردیده است. در همین رابطه، متن توافق شده قرارداد همکاری های دوجانبه امنیتی میان دو کشور به لویه جرگه مشورتی افغانستان ارائه گردید و لویه جرگه با اکثریت قاطع امضای این قرارداد را به حکومت افغانستان توصیه نموده در عین زمان بر اهداف تحقق صلح و آشتی در کشور ما تاکید کرد. - More, Bakhtar News www.bakhtarnews.com.af/dari/political-news/item/37614

$1 Trillion Trove of Rare Minerals Revealed Under Afghanistan --- Despite being one of the poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan may be sitting on one of the richest troves of minerals in the world, valued at nearly $1 trillion, according to U.S. scientists. -- Afghanistan, a country nearly the size of Texas, is loaded with minerals deposited by the violent collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began inspecting what mineral resources Afghanistan had after U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power in the country in 2004. As it turns out, the Afghanistan Geological Survey staff had kept Soviet geological maps and reports up to 50 years old or more that hinted at a geological gold mine. -- In 2006, U.S. researchers flew airborne missions to conduct magnetic, gravity and hyperspectral surveys over Afghanistan. The magnetic surveys probed for iron-bearing minerals up to 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the surface, while the gravity surveys tried to identify sediment-filled basins potentially rich in oil and gas. The hyperspectral survey looked at the spectrum of light reflected off rocks to identify the light signatures unique to each mineral. More than 70 percent of the country was mapped in just two months. [Facts About Rare Earth Minerals (Infographic)] --- The surveys verified all the major Soviet finds. Afghanistan may hold 60 million tons of copper, 2.2 billion tons of iron ore, 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, and lodes of aluminum, gold, silver, zinc, mercury and lithium. For instance, the Khanneshin carbonatite deposit in Afghanistan's Helmand province is valued at $89 billion, full as it is with rare earth elements. -- "Afghanistan is a country that is very, very rich in mineral resources," Jack Medlin, a geologist and program manager of the U.S. Geological Survey's Afghanistan project, told Live Science. "We've identified the potential for at least 24 world-class mineral deposits." The scientists' work was detailed in the Aug. 15 issue of the journal Science. - Read More, Charles Q. Choi, Live Science, http://www.livescience.com/47682-rare-earth-minerals-found-under-afghanistan.html

بکتاش سياوش دپاکستان دراکټي بريدونو له امله ملګرو ملتونو ته شکايت وکړ --- دولسي جرګې غړي بکتاش سياوس دسلګونو ځوانانو لاسلیکونه يي را ټول کړي دي او ملګرو ملتونو ته دلیک په استولو يي له ياد سازمان څخه غوښتي دي څو دپاکستان دراکټي بريدونو مخه ونيسي. بلخوا ملګرو ملتونو هم دا کړنه ستايلې او وايي دافغانانو دا غوښتنه به دملګرو ملتونو له امنيت شورا سره شريکه کړي. دا وارې دقلم پر مټ مدني خوځښت، پر دې ليک سلګونو هیوادوالو لاسلیک کړی دی او په دې ليک کې ښونکو، زده کونکو او ورزش کارانو پر هیواد دپاکستان دراکټي بريدونو دمخنيوي غوښتنه کړې. -- دولسي جرګې غړي بکتاش سياوش دوه اونۍ په دې لاسلیک راټولونه تيره کړي دي او نن يي دملګرو ملتونو دامنيت شورا ته استولی دی. ملګرو ملتونو هم د خلکو دا کړنه ستايلې او ژمنه يي کړې چې دملګروملتونو دامنيت شورا ته به يي رسوي. په کابل کې دملګرو ملتونو داستازي مرستيال نیکولاس هایسم وويل: «موږ دافغان وګړو دا کار ستایو او ددوی غوښتنه به دملګرو ملتونو له امنيت شورا سره ياده کړو.» -- سیاوش وايي، دا چې په ارګ کې بهرنیو کړيو ته کارکونکو نفوذ کړی دی نو تر اوسه يي پر کونړ او کندهار دروانو راکټي بريدونو له امله شکايت نه دی کړی. دوه کاله کیږي چې پاکستان دافغانستان پر خاوره راکټي بريدونه کوي، دملګرو ملتونو داستازي دفتر وايي چې دوی به دافغانانو لیک امنیت شورا ته ورسوي، په داسې حال کې چې تر يوې مياشتې پورې به په نيويارک کې دملګرو ملتونو عمومي ناسته جوړه شي. - افغان ځواک

YouTube - NATO Wales Summit - Press Conference by NATO Secretary General, 04 SEP 2014 - Part 1/2 . --- Press Conference by the NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen following the meeting on Afghanistan at the level of Heads of State and Government - Opening remarks, 4 September 2014 - More, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrmth1wpMdA

NATO Summit Wales 2014 - GOV.UK --- Wales is hosting the largest gathering of international leaders ever to take place in Britain at the NATO summit on 4 to 5 September 2014. --- Wales Summit Declaration on Afghanistan - Read More, https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/nato-summit-wales-cymru-2014

NATO leaders tackle packed agenda including ISIS, Ukraine, Afghanistan --- Newport, Wales (CNN) -- NATO has grappled with many perilous issues in its more than six decades of existence. But it's had few times quite like this. -- That was obvious Thursday, as leaders of the trans-Atlantic alliance's member countries met in Wales. They discussed everything from Afghanistan to the Middle East to Ukraine, each of which has its own special significance and presents its own unique military and diplomatic challenges. -- "We meet at a crucial time in the history of our alliance," British Prime Minister David Cameron said at the outset of the two-day summit. "The world faces many dangerous and evolving threats, and it is absolutely clear that NATO is as vital to our future as it has been in our past." -- There was no indication given that NATO, as a group, will be deploying more ground troops anytime soon to any new conflict -- as it has done before most recently following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. -- Still, the alliance is looking at a range of options to combat a range of diverse threats. -- Here's a look at a few developments on those front, broken down by region: - More, http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/04/world/europe/uk-nato-summit/index.html

Ukraine and Isis threat set to dominate talks as Nato summit starts -- Organisers hoped summit would mark new era in Afghanistan but talks are set to focus on eastern Europe, Iraq and Syria --- Nato leaders have descended on the Welsh resort of Celtic Manor for a two-day summit, which formally starts with a meeting about Afghanistan but will be dominated by discussion on Ukraine and the threat of Islamic State (Isis) extremists in Iraq and Syria. -- Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, will brief leaders on Thursday on his agreement with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on the outlines of a peace agreement in Ukraine. --- The organisers had hoped that summit would help mark a new era in Afghanistan at the end of the alliance's combat mission, by welcoming Hamid Karzai's successor as the country's new president. But the result of April's election is still a matter of dispute between the rival candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, amid growing insecurity in the country. -- The failings of Nato's mission in Afghanistan were underlined by more violence on Thursday as Taliban insurgents detonated two truck bombs in the central town of Ghazni, killing 18 people. -- The first item on the formal agenda at the summit is a heads of government meeting on Afghanistan, where leaders will discuss how Nato can support the country after the last troops leave at the end of this year. -- Speaking before the meeting the Nato general secretary, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said it was "vital to see a conclusion to the electoral process in Afghanistan". -- He also tried to put a positive gloss on Nato's campaign. "We will prepare a new chapter in our relationship with Afghanistan, as our combat mission draws to a close," he said. -- Rasmussen added: "We have done what we set out to do. We have denied safe haven to international terrorists. We have built up capable Afghan forces of 350,000 troops and police. So our nations are safer, and Afghanistan is stronger. -- "We have planned a new mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces from next year and it will be launched once we have the legal arrangements in place. - More, Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/04/ukraine-isis-threat-dominate-talks-nato-summit-starts

دبیرکل ناتو: در حمایت از افغانستان همچنان متعهد هستیم --- آنرس فو راسموسن، دبیرکل ناتو می‌گوید که این سازمان به حمایت از افغانستان متعهد است و ثبات در افغانستان برای این سازمان از اهمیت برخوردار است. -- آقای راسموسن پس از پایان یافتن بخش مربوط به افغانستان اجلاس سران ناتو در ولز گفت که ماموریت نیروهای بین‌المللی کمک به امنیت (آیساف) تا پایان ماه دسامبر امسال به پایان خواهد رسید و پس از آن ۳۵۰ هزار نیروی امنیتی افغانستان وظیفه کامل تامین امنیت افغانستان را به عهده خواهند داشت. -- دبیرکل ناتو که در میان خبرنگاران صحبت می‌کرد، گفت که ناتو پس از ۲۰۱۴ در سه عرصه به حمایت خود از افغانستان ادامه خواهد داد. -- اول، ناتو آماده است تا یک ماموریت غیر رزمی را برای آموزش، مشوره‌دهی و حمایت از نیروهای امنیتی افغانستان در ژانویه سال ۲۰۱۵ آغاز کند. این ماموریت به 'حمایت قاطع' موسوم است. آقای راسموسن گفت که این ماموریت مشروط به امضای موافقت‌نامه امنیتی میان افغانستان و آمریکا و امضای موافقت‌نامه وضعیت نیروها با ناتو است. -- دوم، ناتو همچنان نیروهای امنیتی افغانستان را تا سال ۲۰۱۷ مورد حمایت مالی قرار می‌دهد. آقای راسموسن گفت که این حمایت مالی شامل همان تعهداتی است که در نشست سران ناتو در شیکاگو صورت گرفته بود. سران ناتو در شیکاگو تعهد کرده بودند که سالانه حدود ۴ میلیارد دلار به نیروهای امنیتی افغانستان کمک خواهند کرد. -- سوم، تعهد دوباره ناتو به 'همکاری پایدار ناتو و افغانستان' که در نشست سران این سازمان در لیسبون تصویب شد و براساس آن ناتو در دراز مدت از افغانستان حمایت خواهد کرد. این همکاری شامل تماس درازمدت میان ناتو و افغانستان پس از اتمام ماموریت آیساف و خروج کامل نیروهای ناتو از افغانستان است. براساس این همکاری ناتو متعهد است تا هیچ وقت دیگر اجازه ندهد که افغانستان به پایگاه 'تروریست‌ها' یا 'تروریسم' تبدیل شود. - BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2014/09/140904_zs_rasmussen_press_conference.shtml

Ukraine crisis: EU and US prepare tighter Russia sanctions --- Western countries are preparing to tighten sanctions on Russia over its action in Ukraine, US and British officials say. -- Targets would include Russia's defence industry, state-owned banks and associates of President Vladimir Putin. -- Peace talks including Ukraine, Russia and pro-Russia rebels are due to start in Belarus on Friday. -- The West accuses Russia of sending arms and troops to back the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies this. -- A UK government official said the European Union would announce - jointly with the US - sanctions on Friday, including more restrictions on Russian banking, energy and defence. -- More of what the official dubbed "Putin cronies" would have travel bans imposed on them. -- "We will keep the pressure on Putin to force him to the negotiating table and off the battlefield," the official said. -- Deputy White House National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, speaking at the Nato summit in Wales, said the US was finalising new penalties. -- French President Francois Hollande said European leaders would announce sanctions on Friday "and put them into action if there is no progress [on Ukraine], but everything will depend on the coming hours". - Read More, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29072129

As summit kicks off, NATO leaders talk tough on Russia, Islamic State --- NEWPORT, Wales — A summit of NATO leaders kicked off Thursday with tough talk about the threats from Russia and the Islamic State, but also questions about what action the alliance can take to counter growing challenges to Western security. -- The evolving stakes were clear. The military bloc and its allies must hammer out new strategies on multiple fronts — spanning from revived East-West political tensions to emerging dangers from well-armed and highly organized Islamist factions with strategic territory under their control. -- President Obama arrived at the summit after vowing to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State militants and promising to protect the small Baltic states from any possible Russian aggression. -- Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and European leaders then huddled privately with Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, even as Moscow reiterated its warnings that any moves by Ukraine to strengthen its ties with NATO could shatter fragile truce overtures in the country. -- Poroshenko said a cease-fire call could take effect Friday if agreements are reached during negotiations in Belarus that include representatives from Ukraine’s pro-Russian separatists. Yet clashes flared in parts of volatile eastern Ukraine as the summit began. -- The summit marks the largest gathering of foreign leaders on British soil: Leaders from 60 countries, including the 28 NATO members, the bloc’s partners and others. Russia was notable for its absence — the first time in years that Moscow has not been represented at a NATO summit and a sign of the deepening rifts between Moscow and its former Cold War foes. -- “The last NATO summit in the U.K., in 1990, took place at a pivotal moment” as the Soviet Union stumbled toward collapse, said Robin Niblett, director of the London-based think tank Chatham House. - Read More, Washingtonpost

NATO commits to fund Afghan forces through 2017 as challenges remain --- NEWPORT, Wales — NATO’s optimistic proclamations on Afghanistan went head-to-head with a bleak reality on Thursday as leaders of the alliance met to discuss the final chapter in their aid to that country after nearly 13 years of war. -- President Barack Obama and other NATO heads of state are meeting at a posh resort not far from the Welsh capital of Cardiff. Such events are typically well-scripted and offer few surprises, but this summit finds the alliance facing a myriad of security issues that challenge its capabilities and purpose. -- Officials were careful to avoid any loaded talk of a “mission accomplished” in Afghanistan, and they readily acknowledged that there is a long road ahead, but NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and British Prime Minister David Cameron insisted that the alliance is proud of its achievements. -- “For over a decade, NATO allies and partner nations have stood should to shoulder in our most challenging combat mission,” Rasmussen said during remarks before a closed-door session to discuss the future of NATO involvement in Afghanistan. “We have done what we pledged to do.” -- But the news out of Afghanistan continued to cast a cloud of uncertainty over the discussions. As NATO heads of state gathered in Wales on Thursday, at least 12 Afghans died and more than 200 were injured by a suicide attack; NATO’s International Security Assistance Force announced that another coalition soldier had died during an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan, underscoring the fact that more than 40,000 NATO and partner troops remain in the war-torn country. -- And in an embarrassing incident, British media reported that a senior Afghan Army officer sought asylum upon arriving in the United Kingdom, although Afghan officials denied that he was part of the official delegation. -- In addition, an unresolved presidential election meant there was no Afghan head of state to fete at the summit, complicating any messages of closure and undermining talk of future plans. -- More immediately, the election dispute has left a critical agreement over future international troop commitments unsigned. Financial donors have said a peaceful political transition is a prerequisite for the future aid upon which Afghanistan relies. -- Rising levels of violence have led Afghan officials to ask for more money to maintain the current number of some 350,000 security forces, rather than reducing them as envisioned by plans made several years ago. -- While Rasmussen did not announce specific numbers, NATO officials privately admitted that contributor nations have resigned themselves to funding a larger number of Afghan troops than originally planned, at least for the near future. -- “Today, nations renewed their financial commitments to support the sustainment of the ANSF, including to the end of 2017,” a declaration released on Thursday by NATO read. “We also urge the wider international community to remain engaged in the financial sustainment of the ANSF.” -- Afghan Defense Minister Bismullah Khan Muhammadi, who was sent to represent Afghanistan appeared satisfied with the response he received at the summit. -- “The international community has strong support for Afghanistan,” he told Stars and Stripes after the meeting with NATO leaders. “We came away with a reaffirmation of NATO’s continued support for Afghanistan.” -- NATO donors pledged to help Afghanistan fund its security forces to the tune of $5.1 billion per year, an increase over what was expected during the last NATO summit in 2012, Muhammadi said. - Read More, Stars and Stripes, http://www.stripes.com/news/nato-commits-to-fund-afghan-forces-through-2017-as-challenges-remain-1.301414

Nato summit Wales: Isil and Ukraine top agenda - latest --- World leaders including Barack Obama, David Cameron and Petro Poroshenko convene in Wales for the 2014 Nato summit to discuss Iraq, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and Afghanistan - More, Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11074281/Nato-summit-Wales-Isil-and-Ukraine-top-agenda-live.html

NATO summit kicks off in Wales on hotspot issues --- NEWPORT, Britain, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday kicked off its 26th summit at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, southeast Wales of Britain, with nearly 60 world leaders invited to attend the two-day gathering. -- The summit, the first in Britain since former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher welcomed NATO leaders to London in 1990, also witnessed the arrival of the heads of state and government of its 28 member countries. -- On his arrival at the summit, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO is facing a "dramatically changed security environment" and the gathering will take important steps to counter threats and strengthen the defense of its allies. -- "Ultimately by working together we are stronger, whether in standing up to Russia or confronting ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). So in Newport today we must summon up the shared resolve that inspired NATO's founding fathers," British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama wrote in a joint article published Thursday in British newspaper The Times. -- "The truth is that today NATO is as vital to our future as it has ever been in our past," they said. -- The summit took place in the context of worsening global security environment and growing instability in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. -- The Ukraine crisis, NATO's tasks in Afghanistan, and the rise of extremism and sectarian strife in the Middle East and North Africa are expected to top the agenda of the summit -- The alliance will also discuss newer threats such as cyber security, missile defense and hybrid warfare. -- Formal sessions of the summit will start with a meeting on Afghanistan, as NATO is completing its combat mission at the end of 2014 and readjusting its partnership with Kabul. -- High-level representatives from the United Nations and the European Union (EU) will also attend the meeting, together with leaders from International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) nations, Afghanistan and Japan. - More, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-09/04/c_133621381.htm

Rival Afghan candidates pledge to work for political agreement --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, sent a message to NATO leaders saying that they will do their utmost to reach a political agreement that would end a crisis over disputed elections. -- "I can confirm that we received a message from the two presidential candidates indicating that they will do all they can to reach a political agreement and if that materializes we would warmly welcome it," Rasmussen told a news conference at a NATO summit in Wales on Thursday. -- "Afghanistan deserves a rapid completion of the electoral process with an outcome that can be accepted by the Afghan people," he said. -- NATO needs a new Afghan president in place to sign an agreement on continued cooperation. Otherwise is likely to have to withdraw all its forces from the country this year and abandon plans for a training mission for the Afghan armed forces as they battle Taliban insurgents. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/04/us-afghanistan-nato-idUSKBN0GZ22R20140904?feedType=RSS

ناتو: فرصت در افغانستان از دست می‌رود --- آقای راسموسن پیش از آغاز کنفرانس سران ناتو در شهر نیوپورت ولز بریتانیا گفت که "زمان بسیار اهمیت دارد و ما باید زود بدانیم که آیا این موافقت‌نامه امضا می‌شود یا خیر. ما سریعأ به تاریخ تصمیم گیری نهایی نزدیک می‌شویم." -- ناتو از هر دو نامزد انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان خواست تا هر چه زودتر به روند انتخابات به شکلی‌که قابل قبول هر دو طرف باشد، پایان بدهند. آقای راسموسن گفت که هر دو نامزد گفته اند که در صورت پیروزی این موافقتنامه را امضا می‌کنند. -- موافقت‌نامۀ امنیتی با امریکا و موافقت‌نامۀ وضعیت نیروها با ناتو، چارچوب ‌های حقوقی هستند که به نیرو های ناتو اجازه می‌دهد تا پس از سال ۲۰۱۴ در افغانستان بمانند اما هیچ یک از این موافقت‌نامه بدلیل مشخص نشدن رئیس جمهوری افغانستان امضا نشده اند. -- ناتو امیدوار بود که نتیجه انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان تا نشست سران این سازمان مشخص شود و رئیس جمهوری جدید افغانستان موافقت‌نامۀ‌ ادامه حضور نیروهای این سازمان را به امضاء برساند. -- اما بدلیل مشخص نشدن نتیجه انتخابات، بسم‌الله محمدی وزیر دفاع افغانستان ریاست هیات افغانستان در این نشست را به عهده دارد. -- نشست سران ناتو در ولز بریتانیا امروز تا ساعاتی دیگر با موضوع افغانستان و آیندۀ ناتو در این کشور آغاز می‌شود. ناتو در حال حاضر حدود ۴۴۰۰۰ سرباز در افغانستان دارد و قرار است ماموریت رزمی خود را در پایان سال جاری میلادی در افغانستان خاتمه دهد. - بی بی سی

Nato shouldn’t abandon Afghanistan’s women --- As Nato representatives gather in Wales for a summit on 4 and 5 September, Afghanistan’s latest crisis looms large, and the people with the most to lose are Afghan women. -- A presidential election marred by allegations of massive fraud and a painfully contested vote audit process has prompted saber-rattling by the electoral rivals, with the potential for a new eruption of violence when a winner is declared. -- Nato states are acutely aware that foreign combat troops are to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of the year, and that the long-debated issue of any follow-on Nato and US military mission remains unresolved. --- Thirteen years of Nato involvement in Afghanistan has Nato states exhausted and eying the exit. Revelations that the US government’s expenditure on rebuilding Afghanistan has exceeded what it spent on the Marshall Plan after WWII has added to disillusionment about continued involvement by Nato countries. -- Meanwhile, Afghanistan is just one of numerous crises Nato is wrestling with, from Ukraine to Syria, Iraq to South Sudan. -- But in this bleak situation, Afghan women have the most to lose if Nato countries turn their backs on Afghanistan. -- For all the failings of international intervention in Afghanistan since 2001, it is unquestionably true that the situation for women has improved. -- In 2001, Afghan women had virtually no ability to study or work or control their own lives. Today millions of Afghan girls go to school, millions of women work, a new law makes violence against women a crime, and there are female members of parliament, judges, police officers, soldiers and civil servants. --- International involvement in Afghanistan has created space for these women to demand their rights. Foreign-donor political pressure encouraged the Afghan government to pay more than just lip-service to women’s rights. -- That same donor pressure helped pave the way for meaningful steps including the passage of the 2009 Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the inclusion of women in the police force, and the creation of shelters for women fleeing violence. -- The conclusion of Nato's combat mission in Afghanistan this year should not signal the end of international efforts to bolster women’s rights in the country. Giving up on Afghanistan now will condemn Afghan women to a steady erosion of the rights that they have laid their lives on the line to achieve. - Read More, http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/03/nato-shouldn-t-abandon-afghanistan-s-women

Obama to Baltic states: NATO, U.S. forces bulwark against Russia --- TALLINN, Estonia — Even as an apparent truce process took halting steps in Ukraine, President Obama said Wednesday the U.S. military would expand its profile in the Western-looking Baltic states and promised NATO backing against any possible moves by Moscow in the former republics. -- Obama, who was in the Estonian capital Tallinn during a day of talks with Baltic leaders, said the Pentagon planned to seek congressional approval to station additional U.S. warplanes in Estonia as part of wider Cold War-style signals to Russia of Western resolve and unity. NATO members meeting in Wales this week are expected to fine-tune plans for a rapid-reaction force aimed in particular at confronting Russia. -- The U.S. plan for Estonia is an expansion of the initative Obama announced in Warsaw this spring to increase the American military presence in Europe. “Today, I can announce that this initiative will include additional air force units and aircraft for training exercises here in the Nordic-Baltic region,” he said. -- Obama’s further messages of support from NATO reinforce years of increasing outreach between the Western bloc and the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. But the comments have added urgency following Russia’s annexation of Crimea this spring and an uprising by pro-Russian rebels in others parts of Ukraine. -- “You lost your independence before. With NATO you will never lose it again,” Obama told a group of mostly students during a speech at a concert hall. -- Obama also reached out to nations bordering Russia, such as Finland and others in Eastern Europe, noting that NATO membership “will remain open” to others not in the 28-nation bloc - More, Washingtonpost

NATO Summit Wales 2014: operational information for media --- Media organisations from Wales, the rest of the UK, and across the world are invited to cover the NATO Summit Wales 2014 which is taking place on 4 and 5 September at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales. -- More, https://www.gov.uk/nato-summit-wales-2014-operational-information-for-media

NATO summit in Wales: What should we expect? --- (CNN) -- From wars in Ukraine and Afghanistan to the fast-spreading spectre of ISIS in the Middle East, it's no wonder that this week's NATO summit in Wales is being called "the most important gathering of NATO leaders in more than a decade." -- NATO leaders arriving in Cardiff will have a host of issues to deal with, so what should we expect? -- In short, we should see a return to NATO's core mission of facing a re-emerging security threat from the east. -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's push in to Ukraine has the 28-nation alliance focused on action -- and that goes double for NATO's new members in the east, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. -- But the 65-year-old alliance's worries aren't limited to Eastern Europe. ISIS, the terror group that has declared an independent state in Iraq and Syria in recent months, is threatening to spew violent ultra-jihadists on to NATO members' streets. -- And Afghanistan, NATO's biggest overseas commitment of troops, is in flux, so adjustments are required there as combat troops prepare to depart at the end of the year. -- Last -- but by no means least -- as NATO looks to its future, it wants to build on its past. The alliance will seek to use lessons it has learned in nation-building to create advisory and training teams in a drive to carve out a role as a global security hub. - Read More, http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/03/world/europe/nato-summit-wales/index.html

Assistant Secretary Frantz' Travel to Afghanistan --- Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Doug Frantz is in Kabul, Afghanistan, to meet with senior United Nations and Independent Election Commission officials, as well as representatives of the two presidential candidates and other stakeholders and partners. -- He will support efforts to publicize and explain the technical and political frameworks agreed upon during Secretary Kerry's recent visit, emphasizing the priority Secretary Kerry places on the ongoing audit process and conveying the Administration’s full support for a peaceful and democratic political transition. - More, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/07/229783.htm

معاون وزارت خارجه امریکا بحران انتخابات افغانستان را بررسی می کند --- معاون وزارت امور خارجه امریکا دوگ فرانتس دیروز در حالی به کابل رسید که یک روز قبل از آن تیم انتخاباتی اصلاحات و همگرایی تحت رهبری عبدالله عبدالله هشدار داد که اگر خواسته های آنان تا پایان روز سه شنبه قبول نشود آنها از روند تفتیش آرای دور دوم انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان بطور کامل خارج می شوند و نماینده گان خود را از مذاکرات در مورد تشکیل حکومت وحدت ملی هم خارج می کنند. -- بعد از رسیدن آقای فرانتش به کابل موضوع بایکات روند تفتیش و مذاکرات در مورد تشکیل حکومت وحدت ملی از سوی تیم اصلاحات همگرایی هم به تعویق افتاد. -- مسلم سادات یک سخنگوی تیم عبدالله عبدالله به خبرگزاری فرانس پرس اظهار داشت قرار بود در مورد ضرب الاجل تعین شده رئیس این گروه عبدالله عبدالله در کنفرانس خبری حضور یابد، اما چون صحبت با یک تعداد از سفرای خارجی و سازمان ملل متحد دوام داشت این کنفرانس به تاخیر افتاد -- اما فیض الله ذکی سخنگوی تیم تحول و تداوم تحت رهبری اشرف غنی احمدزی دیروز در کابل به خبرنگاران گفت که انتخابات یک پروسه ملی می باشد و تصمیم یک تیم نمی تواند این پروسه را بی اعتبار بسازد. -- در یک پیغامی که در صفحه تویتر سفارت امریکا در کابل به نشر رسیده آمده است که هر دو کاندید ریاست جمهوری افغانستان باید در مورد حکومت وحدت ملی تعهدات خود را بجا آورند، زیرا چنین یک حکومت ضامن امنیت و ثبات در این کشور می باشد -- به گفته وزارت خارجه ایالات متحده امریکا معاون این وزارت فرانتس در جریان سفر خود به افغانستان بر انتقال صلح آمیز و دموکراتیک قدرت سیاسی در این کشور تاکید خواهد کرد -- به اساس اعلامیه وزارت خارجه امریکا معاون وزیر خارجه این کشور بر پیشنهاد وزیر خارجه جان کری در مورد تفتیش تمام آرای دور دوم انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان پافشاری خواهد کرد تا به اساس قانون نتاییج درست بدست آید و در مورد تشکیل حکومت وحدت ملی موافقت ایجاد شود - رادیو آزادی

The Atlantic -- Afghanistan: The Long Withdrawal --- Five years ago, the war in Afghanistan began to escalate drastically. Troop surges soon pushed the number of NATO troops up to more than 140,000, and the levels of violence grew to match the surge. At the time, I felt the conflict was being under-reported relative to other international stories, especially considering the level of commitment involved, so I began a monthly series dedicated to covering the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Now, more than 60 monthly photo essays later, I'm ending the series as a regular feature. I will continue to post photos from Afghanistan through the withdrawal, as well as after the handover—but as an occasional entry, not monthly. In this time, I've been fortunate enough to feature more than 2,000 amazing images of Afghanistan taken by incredibly brave and skillful photographers—telling many aspects of a very difficult story. As of today, there are reportedly fewer than 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, with a withdrawal deadline looming at the end of the year. How many soldiers will stay after the deadline remains in question, as the outcome of the recent Afghan presidential election remains in dispute, and the signing of any long-term agreements is on hold. For the past year, many coalition forces have been involved with what they term retrograde operations, defined by the U.S. Army as "defensive tasks that involve organized movement away from the enemy." Gathered here are images of recent retrograde operations in Afghanistan, from demolition and remediation to demilitarization and evacuation. Today's entry is the last of the monthly series here on Afghanistan. [38 photos] -- Read More, http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/09/afghanistan-the-long-withdrawal/100803/

Afghan election contenders in last-ditch bid to rescue power-sharing deal --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan's rival presidential campaigns were holding last-ditch talks on Wednesday to rescue a deal on a national government after a disputed election raised fears of exacerbating ethnic divisions. -- Presidential contender Abdullah Abdullah extended a Tuesday deadline to disengage from the political process to allow international efforts to salvage the U.S-brokered deal under which the two sides also agreed to accept the results of a U.N.-supervised vote audit, his camp said. -- But on Wednesday, the Abdullah camp said the United States had launched a new effort to rescue the accord brokered by Secretary of State John Kerry to give the losing side a share of power and stop Afghanistan from a return to the sort of ethnic animosity seen during a civil war in the 1990s. -- "Talks are underway, we are optimistic," said Mahmoud Saiqal, a top aide to Abdullah. A new four-member committee from the two camps has been set up to find common ground on the role of a chief executive to share powers with the president. -- Abdullah and Ghani, a former finance minister, also met President Hamid Karzai who has been pushing for an early transition to a successor in what will be Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power, Mujib Rahimi, a spokesman for Abdullah said. -- The moves came after the Abdullah campaign said it would pull out of the process if its demands were not met by Tuesday and a powerful northern ally, Atta Mohammad Noor, threatened to launch mass protests which he called a "green and orange" movement. -- His spokesman Munir Farhad said green denoted peaceful street protests that would culminate in taking over government buildings in a parallel to the orange revolution in Ukraine. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/03/us-afghanistan-election-idUSKBN0GY18O20140903

Afghan turmoil threatens NATO's 'mission accomplished' plans --- (Reuters) - NATO will declare "mission accomplished" this week as it winds down more than a decade of operations in Afghanistan but departing combat troops look likely to leave behind political turmoil and an emboldened insurgency. -- The embattled country is also suffering a sharp economic slowdown. -- NATO had hoped its summit in Wales on Thursday and Friday would herald a smooth handover of security at the end of this year from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Afghan forces. It then plans to cut back its role to a smaller mission to train and advise Afghan troops. -- The 28-nation alliance had also hoped to celebrate Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power by inviting a new president to share the spotlight with U.S. President Barack Obama and the other 27 allied leaders. -- Instead, NATO diplomats privately admit that the backdrop to the summit is the "worst case scenario". -- A dispute over a presidential election marred by alleged fraud has created a political vacuum which has sown doubts over whether NATO will have a legal basis for leaving any troops in Afghanistan at all after this year. -- NATO diplomats were left guessing for weeks about who would represent Afghanistan at the summit. In the absence of a new president, outgoing President Hamid Karzai is staying away, leaving Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi to represent Afghanistan. -- Sending a lower-level representative rather than a new president will undermine Afghanistan’s ability to argue for future Western financial assistance, a U.S. official said. --- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen put a brave face on the situation at a Brussels news conference on Monday, declaring NATO had achieved its goals in Afghanistan. -- "We have done what we set out to do. We have denied safe haven to international terrorists. We have built up capable Afghan forces of 350,000 troops and police. So our nations are safer, and Afghanistan is stronger," he said. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/02/us-nato-summit-afghanistan-idUSKBN0GX0PP20140902

احمد ضیا مسعود وايي نارنجي او زرغونه حرکتونه به غاښ ماتونکی ځواب وویني --- د بدلون او دوام د انتخاباتي ټیم یوه مشر احمد ضیا مسعود وویل چې د نارنجي او زرغونو حرکتونو وخت تېر شوی او څوک چې په هیواد کې د بحران راوستلو هڅه وکړي «غاښ ماتونکی» ځواب به وویني. -- ښاغلي مسعود وویل چې د اجرايي چوکۍ له خیره په دې خاطر تېر شو چې د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې ټیم دا چوکۍ غوښته خو هغوی اوس په دې هم قانع نه دي، وايي چې کابینه دې د اجرايي چارو د رئیس تر لاس لاندې وي او نیمايي کابینه دې هم د دوی په خوښه وټاکل شي. -- احمدضیا مسعود، چې نن په یوه خبري غونډه کې خبرې کولې، همداراز وویل:«سره له دې چې زموږ رایې زیاتې دي او ډېر لوړ موقعیت لرو، د اجرايي چارو ریاست د ورکولو لپاره مو د دوی (همپالنې) وړاندیز د یوه لوی ملي مصلحت په خاطر ومانه. د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې د ټیم یوازینۍ غوښتنه همدا وه چې د اجرايي چارو مشري ورکړو. حال دا چې اشرف غني احمدزي دا چوکۍ ما ته راکړې وه. سره له دې چې زه د دوی د وروڼو په جمله کې یم خو دوی زما چوکۍ په نښه کړه او ویې ویل چې دا چوکۍ دې د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې ټیم ته ورکړای شي.» -- ده دا هم وویل چې د هیواد د ملي ګټو او او د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې د ټیم د رضایت لپاره د دې چوکۍ له خیره تېر شو او د هیواد ثبات غواړي. -- احمد ضیا مسعود وویل، سره له دې چې د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې له ټیم سره د اجرايي چوکۍ موافقه شوې خو هغوی لا هم د تشویشونو له پیدا کولو او جنجالونو له زېږولو لاس نه اخلي -- احمد ضیا مسعود د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې ټیم ته د کابینې د مشرۍ له ورکولو سره مخالفت وکړ او دغه ټیم ته یې خبرداری ورکړ چې په ګواښونو هدف ته نه شي رسېدای. -- ده وویل د اصلاحاتو او همپالنې ټیم سیاسی نازدانګي کوي، کله یوه غوښتنه کوي، کله بله او کله خبرداري ورکوي. --- ده د بلخ د والي عطا نور د زرغون او نارنجي حرکت په اړه د خبرداري په ځواب کې وویل چې دا وختونه تېر شوي او که څوک داسي هڅه وکړي «غاښ ماتونکی» ځواب به ترلاسه کړي -- احمد ضیا مسعود وویل، واک ته د رسېدو یوازینۍ معقوله او منطقي لار انتخابات او د ټاکنو د پایلو منل دي - تاند

Obama to Nominate Career Diplomat as Next Afghanistan Ambassador -- P. Michael McKinley, Currently Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan, to Replace James Cunningham --- WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he will nominate P. Michael McKinley to be the next U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. -- Mr. McKinley, a career U.S. diplomat, is currently the deputy ambassador to Afghanistan. He will replace the current ambassador, James Cunningham, according to the White House. Mr. McKinley was formerly the ambassador to Colombia and Peru. -- Afghanistan has been plagued by political crisis this summer, as rival presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani remain locked in a standoff over the results of a June 14 runoff election to choose a successor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Kabul earlier this month to meet with Afghan leaders, including the presidential candidates and Mr. Karzai. -- Afghanistan's new president was originally supposed to take office on Aug. 2. The inauguration was postponed after Mr. Kerry brokered a deal in July between Messrs. Abdullah and Ghani to form a broad-based government that would include representatives of the losing side. Mr. Karzai has set an inauguration date for his unpicked successor for Sept. 2 --- Mr. Obama also announced his intent to nominate Nancy Bikoff Petit as U.S. ambassador to Latvia and Sheila Gwaltney as ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. Ms. Petit is currently the director of the State Department's office of Western European affairs. Ms. Gwaltney was most recently posted at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. - More, WSJ, http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-to-nominate-career-diplomat-as-next-afghanistan-ambassador-1409265777

راسموسن: روشن شدن نتایج انتخابات برای افغانستان موضوع حیاتیست --- سرمنشی ناتو اندرس فاگ راسموسن می گوید: ما پلان ماموریت جدید خود در بخش همکاری های آموزشی و مشورتی برای اردوی افغان را تهیه نموده ایم و زمانیکه یک چوکات قانونی برای ادامه حضور ما در افغانستان ایجاد شود، این پلان سر از سال آینده عملی خواهد شد. آقای راسموسن گفت، این یک موضوع مهم و حیاتی است که نتایج انتخابات در افغانستان معلوم شود، نتیجهء که برای هر دو کاندید و مردم افغانستان قابل قبول باشد. -- راسموسن گفت، اوضاع عراق برای ما درس عبرت شده است و به همین دلیل آموزش نیرو های افغان و حمایت از آنها ضروری است. سرمنشی ناتو هم چنان گفت، اجلاس روز پنجشنبه این پیمان در ویلز بریتانیا، یکی از مهمترین جلسات در تاریخ ناتو خواهد بود: "این جلسه ما در ویلز در یک جهان متفاوت دایر می شود پس روی این جهان تغییر یافته صحبت خواهد شد. به همین سبب انتظار دارم که این یک جلسه مهم در تاریخ ناتو خواهد بود." -- در اجلاس ناتو در شهر ویلز بریتانیا روی مسایل عمده بین المللی به شمول اوضاع افغانستان بحث خواهد شد. قرار است عساکر ناتو تا پایان سال جاری میلادی افغانستان را ترک کنند. انتخابات افغانستان، انتخاب رئیس جمهور جدید در این کشور و آینده ماموریت ناتو در افغانستان مسایلی اند که در جلسه ناتو مورد بحث قرار خواهند گرفت. حامد کرزی رئیس جمهور افغانستان گفته است دوره ریاست جمهوری وی به پایان رسیده و در این جلسه شرکت نخواهد کرد. -- ایمل فیضی سخنگوی ریاست جمهوری افغانستان در رابطه با اجلاس ویلز به رادیو آزادی گفته است، اجلاس شورای امنیت ملی افغانستان فیصله نموده است در صورت که تا اجلاس ناتو رئیس جمهور جدید تعیین نشود، وزیر دفاع افغانستان در اجلاس ویلز از کشور نماینده گی خواهد کرد. به سبب بی ثباتی سیاسی جاری در افغانستان و ادامه جنجال های انتخاباتی در این کشور، این معلوم نیست که وزیر دفاع افغانستان در اجلاس ناتو روی چی موضوع صحبت خواهد کرد. - رادیو آزادی

Reassessing the International Role in Afghanistan During the NATO Summit --- On September 4, world leaders and ministers from 60 nations will gather in Wales for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, summit One item on their agenda will be particularly important: After 13 difficult years, the international community is preparing to mark the conclusion of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, mission in Afghanistan. --- British Prime Minister David Cameron will host President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President François Hollande, among others. The NATO member state leaders will discuss the shape of future long-term international support for Afghanistan’s people and for its shaky security and governance institutions, as NATO and the United States make plans to reduce their military footprint in the region. However, with the ongoing political uncertainty in Kabul, neither presidential candidates nor President Karzai will attend this important summit meeting. Afghanistan will be represented by Defense Minister Bimullah Khan Mohammadi. -- Afghanistan has seen real progress. Two decades ago, it was a desperate nation, stuck under Taliban rule while Al Qaeda flourished. Today, the country has achieved significant development—from broadened access to health care and education to expanded economic opportunity. Since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, 8 million boys and girls have enrolled in school, a huge increase from the 900,000 boys enrolled under Taliban rule. Child mortality rates have declined by 50 percent, and maternal mortality rates by 80 percent. With the withdrawal of foreign forces, Afghanistan’s stability will depend on how its leaders approach the upcoming economic, security, and political challenges. In May, President Obama rightly noted that the United States can and should play a supporting role to help Afghans sustain the gains made over the past 13 years. -- Nearly two months after a runoff election between leading candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, allegations of election fraud persist—undermining Afghanistan’s progress toward a viable democracy and stability after decades of bloodshed and violence. Amid nonviolent street protests and demonstrations that call for a transparent democracy—as well as two visits by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry—to negotiate a political agreement and form a government of national unity, Afghanistan has become embroiled in a self-inflicted political crisis. The fragile and politically tenuous government continues to battle a nationwide Taliban insurgency, which only stands to gain from this political impasse. -- As the United States plans to withdraw its last troops by the end of 2016, the NATO summit kicks off a two-year period in which the international community will assess how to assist the key political, security, and economic transitions. Afghanistan’s short- and long-term stability depends on the success or failure of these transitions and the roles Afghan leaders and the international community play in securing the gains of the past decade. This issue brief provides recommendations for effectively responding to these challenges. - Read More, Aarthi Gunasekaran, Center for American Progress

Afghan turmoil threatens NATO's 'mission accomplished' plans --- (Reuters) - NATO will declare "mission accomplished" this week as it winds down more than a decade of operations in Afghanistan but departing combat troops look likely to leave behind political turmoil and an emboldened insurgency. -- The embattled country is also suffering a sharp economic slowdown. -- NATO had hoped its summit in Wales on Thursday and Friday would herald a smooth handover of security at the end of this year from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Afghan forces. It then plans to cut back its role to a smaller mission to train and advise Afghan troops. -- The 28-nation alliance had also hoped to celebrate Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power by inviting a new president to share the spotlight with U.S. President Barack Obama and the other 27 allied leaders. -- Instead, NATO diplomats privately admit that the backdrop to the summit is the "worst case scenario". -- A dispute over a presidential election marred by alleged fraud has created a political vacuum which has sown doubts over whether NATO will have a legal basis for leaving any troops in Afghanistan at all after this year. -- NATO diplomats were left guessing for weeks about who would represent Afghanistan at the summit. In the absence of a new president, outgoing President Hamid Karzai is staying away, leaving Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi to represent Afghanistan. -- Sending a lower-level representative rather than a new president will undermine Afghanistan’s ability to argue for future Western financial assistance, a U.S. official said. --- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen put a brave face on the situation at a Brussels news conference on Monday, declaring NATO had achieved its goals in Afghanistan. -- "We have done what we set out to do. We have denied safe haven to international terrorists. We have built up capable Afghan forces of 350,000 troops and police. So our nations are safer, and Afghanistan is stronger," he said. -- But despite suffering heavy casualties and spending vast sums in Afghanistan, NATO has failed in its key goal of bringing security to the country, some analysts say. -- On NATO's watch, there has been a "marked and measurable deterioration of security", said Graeme Smith, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank in Kabul. -- NATO has also faced criticism over civilians killed in air strikes or night raids. -- Kabul residents nonetheless worry that the departure of foreign forces could lead to worse violence or the return of the Taliban, ousted from power by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/02/us-nato-summit-afghanistan-idUSKBN0GX0PP20140902

Afghanistan expected to send defense minister to NATO summit --- (Reuters) - Afghanistan is expected to send its defense minister to a NATO summit in Wales this week, NATO officials said on Monday, after a political crisis dashed hopes that a newly-elected president could make his debut on the international stage there. -- Who, if anyone, would represent Afghanistan at a summit that will discuss the country's future had become a guessing game following the country's disputed presidential election. -- The summit on Thursday and Friday will mark the end of 13 years of combat in Afghanistan by U.S. and other foreign troops. -- The summit will open with a session on Afghanistan at which U.S. President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders will be joined by officials from 27 other countries as well as representatives from the United Nations and European Union. -- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said last month that a new Afghan president would attend the summit if he took office in time. -- But that now appears impossible after it emerged on Monday that talks on a power-sharing deal between Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates had collapsed. -- "It has become clear that the electoral process in Afghanistan is very unlikely to reach its conclusion in time for a new Afghan president or president-elect to join us in Wales," said a senior NATO official briefing reporters on condition of anonymity. -- "We understand President (Hamid) Karzai has nominated Defense Minister Bismullah Khan Muhammadi to represent the Afghan government in Wales," the official said. - More, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/01/us-nato-summit-afghanistan-idUSKBN0GW33J20140901

محور ورځپاڼه: پر عبدالله د همپالنې کودتا --- له تحول او تداوم ټیم ترلاسه شوي معلومات ښیي، د همپالنې ډلې ډېری غوښتنې ځکه منل کېدې چې د ناټو په سرمشریزه کې د بریالي کاندید ګډون قطعي شي، خو که دا چانس له لاسه ووځي، د ګڼو غوښتنو د ردېدو امکان شته. -- معلومات په ډاګه کوي، عبدالله عبدالله له غني سره موافق دی، خو له بیرونه د دې ډلې یو شمېر کسان دیکتې کېږي، چې د اجرائیوي پوسټ په صلاحیتونو ټاکنیز جنجال وغځوي. -- یونس قانوني، عطاء محمد نور او محمد محقق، عبدالله ته ویلي؛ ستا تر ناکامۍ د پروسې ناکامي د همپالنې په خیر ده، عبدالله ته له غني سره مقابله دومره سخته نده، لکه په واک کې د شراکت پرمهال د خپلو پلویانو راضي کول. -- ملګري ملتونه او امریکايي ډيپلوماتان هڅه کوي، د کاندیدانو ترمنځ وساطت وکړي او ټاکنیز جنجالونه همدلته ختم کړي، هغه مهال که د ټاکنو د تفتیش بهیر په هره نقطه کې وي، و به درول شي. -- عبدالله عبدالله پخپله ونډه قانع دی، مشکل دادی، چې د اوسني ولسمشر لومړی مرستیال، امرالله صالح، عطاء محمد نور او محمد محقق چې په نوي حکومت کې به له عبدالله عبدالله ډېر شاته پاتې کېږي، ترجوړجاړي موقت حکومت په خپل خیر ګڼي، دا نو په همپالنه کې د سیاسي دريځونو تناقض دی. -- یونس قانوني عبدالله عبدالله ته ويلي، ستا ترناکامۍ د پروسې ناکامي د همپالنې په خیر ده، له پروسې سره ستا بایکاټ کولی شي د نظار شورا یا په ټوله کې د جمیعت پرده وکړي. ته په یوه زماني مقطع کې د ډېر مشخص هدف لپاره مهم یې خو نظار شورا زموږ د عمري حیات بستر دی. -- یوه سرچينه وايي، عبدالله غواړي د غني په مرسته ځان د همپالنې د سیاسي ناړامیو څخه وژغوري.بله کودتا به د همپالنې له خوا پرعبدالله وي. -- د عبدالله ناراضي پلویان هڅه کوي، د انتخاباتو نتیجه له منځه ولاړه شي او د موقت حکومت تر چتر لاندې د خپل باخت شرم پټ وساتي. -- له تحول او تداوم ټیم ترلاسه شوي تازه معلومات په ډاګه کوي، چې دې ډلې د همپالڼې ډېری غوښتنې ځکه منلې، چې د ناټو تر سرمشریزې ګټونکی کاندید معلوم شي او د ناټو سرمشریزه د یو ښه فرصت په توګه ضایع نشي. -- اوس که نوی ولسمشر پدې ناسته کې ګډون ونشي کړای، د اصلاحات او همپالنې ډلې ګڼې غوښتنې ردېدای شي. -- محور داسې معلومات ترلاسه کړي، چې له بیرونه یو شمېر دیکتې کېدونکي کسان هڅه کوي د اجرائیوي پوسټ د صلاحیتونو په پلمه ټاکنیز جنجال نور هم وغځوي. دې پوسټ لپاره له قانونه پورته صلاحیتونه غوښتل شوي دي. -- د ولسي جرګې د نړیوالو اړیکو جرګګۍ غړی نادر خان کټوازی وایي، اجرائیوي پوسټ لکه یوه کمېټه ده، چې د رئیس جمهور تر لاس لاندې به کار کوي، خو ددې پوسټ د صلاحیتونو په اړه د اصلاحات او همپالنې وروستي اظهارات د قانون خلاف دي: ((اشرف غني دوی ته ویلي چې په قانون کې هېڅوک هم تغیر نشي راوړی، او د وزیرانو شورا مشري، چې دوی یې غواړي، د صدراعظم معنی لري، تر اوسه په قانون کې دې پوسټ ته دا صلاحیتونه نشته. د ملي وحدت په حکومت کې د کار کولو لپاره ټولو افغانانو ته معیارونه ټاکل شوي، هر څوک چې په پخپله برخه کې په معیار برابر وي، هېڅوک یې هم مخالفت نشي کولای.)) -- سرچینې وایي، ولسمشر کرزي د ملکرو ملتونو استازي ته ویلي، چې تر راتلونکي چهارشنبې دې د نوي ولسمشر د لوړې مراسمو نیټه وټاکي او یا دې د رایو د تفتیش په اساس ګټوونکی کاندید معلوم کړي، چې د ناټو په سرمشریزه کې ګډون وکړي. -- روهی ویب

Newly declassified documents reveal how U.S. agreed to Israel's nuclear program --- Documents reveal contacts between Washington and Jerusalem in late 1960s, when some Americans believed the nuclear option would not deter Arab leaders but would trigger an atom bomb race. --- The Obama administration this week declassified papers, after 45 years of top-secret status, documenting contacts between Jerusalem and Washington over American agreement to the existence of an Israeli nuclear option. The Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), which is in charge of approving declassification, had for decades consistently refused to declassify these secrets of the Israeli nuclear program. -- The documents outline how the American administration worked ahead of the meeting between President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Golda Meir at the White House in September 1969, as officials came to terms with a three-part Israeli refusal – to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty; to agree to American inspection of the Dimona nuclear facility; and to condition delivery of fighter jets on Israel’s agreement to give up nuclear weaponry in exchange for strategic ground-to-ground Jericho missiles “capable of reaching the Arab capitals” although “not all the Arab capitals.” -- The officials – cabinet secretaries and senior advisers who wrote the documents – withdrew step after step from an ambitious plan to block Israeli nuclearization, until they finally acceded, in internal correspondence – the content of the conversation between Nixon and Meir is still classified – to recognition of Israel as a threshold nuclear state. -- In fact, according to the American documents, the Nixon administration defined a double threshold for Israel’s move from a “technical option” to a “possessor” of nuclear weapons. -- The first threshold was the possession of “the components of nuclear weapons that will explode,” and making them a part of the Israel Defense Forces operational inventory. -- The second threshold was public confirmation of suspicions internationally, and in Arab countries in particular, of the existence of nuclear weapons in Israel, by means of testing and “making public the fact of the possession of nuclear weapons.” -- Officials under Nixon proposed to him, on the eve of his conversation with Meir, to show restraint with regard to the Israeli nuclear program, and to abandon efforts to get Israel to cease acquiring 500-kilometer-range missiles with one-ton warheads developed in the Marcel Dassault factory in France, if it could reach an agreement with Israel on these points. - Read More, Amir Oren, HAARETZ, http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/.premium-1.613221

U.S. foreign policy will need to react flexibly and creatively to possible outcomes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. --- As the United States’ planned deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan fast approaches, the situation on both sides of the Durand line is far from optimal. In Kabul, presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah just boycotted the hard-brokered power-sharing deal and audit that temporarily defused a broader crisis over the future of Afghanistan’s democracy. In Islamabad, Nawaz Sharif’s democratically elected government is under siege from Imran Khan and his supporters. For the United States, everything is not going to plan in the perpetually troublesome “Af-Pak” region. -- In Washington’s ideal scenario, Afghanistan’s presidential palace would have had a new occupant by this time, who’d have been settled in and acclimated to the demands of running Afghanistan. This person would have presumably signed the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), thereby eliminating a great deal of ambiguity about the United States’ future role in Afghanistan (both candidates in the run-off, Ghani and Abdullah, have said that they would sign the BSA if elected). With Pakistan, Washington has gotten somewhat used to never having an ideal state of affairs, but it at least expected Nawaz Sharif’s government to maintain order and rein in the military. Neither has proven true. -- As Washington has learned over time, events in Kabul and events in Islamabad tend to interact over time. With today’s scenario, planners in the Pentagon are anxious about the logistics of withdrawing U.S. military hardware from Afghanistan through a Pakistan in political flux. Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, is notoriously hostile to the United States. His supporters have blocked and attacked NATO supply convoys in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in protest of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan. The outcome of Pakistan’s current crisis remains uncertain, but should Khan gain ground within Pakistani politics, it is likely to make matters significantly more complicated for the United States. Additionally, Pakistan’s military — a seemingly perennial opponent of stability in Afghanistan — could make important gains from the crisis as well (Michael Kugelman takes a much more in-depth look at this over at Foreign Policy). -- Washington needs to act quickly and with a high degree of diplomatic creativity to prevent the emergence of a “nightmare scenario” in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Afghanistan, the possibility exists of a deeply polarizing schism emerging along ethnic lines owing to the outcome of this election — particularly if the outcome is seen as tainted or unjust. Kerry’s success in bringing both Ghani and Abdullah back to the negotiating table in the first place and getting them to agree to a comprehensive audit should be extended. Abdullah’s boycott could have catastrophic longer term results. In Pakistan, the civilian crisis could make way for a military coup. Although the infamous position of Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) is currently occupied by a non-politically inclined general, Raheel Sharif, events on the ground could force the army’s hand. -- The primary problem for U.S. diplomacy in these countries is now a lack of credible leverage. In Afghanistan, it must carefully encourage reconciliation between the two candidates without creating a perception that the electoral process is anything but “Made in Afghanistan.” In Pakistan, as Shuja Nawaz of the Atlantic Council notes, “the best solution would be a compromise that allowed the judiciary to play a neutral role in assessing the allegations of election fraud.” The United States can do little to make this outcome more likely. Meanwhile, the U.S. needs the Pakistani military to continue its campaign against militants in the country’s tribal areas. Given the stakes and the difficulty of intervening directly, Washington should be prepared for any outcome in these countries, positive or negative. - Read More, Ankit Panda, The Diplomat

محمدی توافقنامۀ امنیتی را با ناتو و امریکا امضا نمی‌ کند --- سخنگوی ریاست جمهوری افغانستان می گوید که اگر تا زمان برگزاری نشست ناتو، نتیجۀ انتخابات و رئیس جمهور آیندۀ افغانستان معلوم نشود، بسم الله محمدی، وزیر دفاع افغانستان به نمایندگی از حکومت فعلی آن کشور در این نشست شرکت خواهد کرد. -- شایعاتی وجود دارد که شاید نمایندۀ افغانستان در نشست سران ناتو در ویلز بریتانیا، توافقنامه های امنیتی را با ناتو و ایالات متحده امضا کند، اما ایمل فیضی، سخنگوی ریاست جمهوری افغانستان با تاکید بر موضعگیری قبلی رئیس جمهور کرزی گفت که این اسناد باید از سوی رئیس جمهور آیندۀ افغانستان امضا شود. -- آقای فیضی در مصاحبۀ خاصی با رادیو آشنا صدای امریکا ادعا هایی را رد کرد که گویا بازندۀ انتخابات افغانستان در صدد ایجاد حکومت موازی بر خواهد آمد. او افزود که زمان کودتا، تشکیل حکومت موقت و حکومت موازی در افغانستان گذشته است. - صدای امریکا

Karzai warns he will quit despite Afghanistan deadlock --- Power vacuum looms for Afghanistan as UN delays date for result of presidential elections to mid-September despite Karzai's plans to leave office next week -- Afghanistan faced the prospect of a constitutional power vacuum after Hamid Karzai, its president since 2002, warned that he would step down imminently despite a deadlock over his successor. -- Mr Karzai said his bags were packed and he was determined to quit office as he presses for his successor to be sworn in on Tuesday. However the UN delegation in Kabul has said it will not declare the results of an audit of voting until September 10. -- The announcement came hours after David Cameron demanded a power-sharing government to preserve the gains made in Afghanistan since the deployment of Nato troops during phone calls with Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the rival candidates. -- Mr Karzai has already taken over another house in the city and is already overseeing the transfer of his personal possessions. -- Mr Karzai has already taken over another house in the city and is already overseeing the transfer of his personal possessions. -- Jan Kubis, the UN representative in Afghanistan said "not possible" to finish an audit of a disputed election by September 2, Mr Karzai's office said. - Read More, Damien McElroy, Telegraph