Outlook worsens in Afghanistan

[Al-khiyal]

KABUL, Afghanistan — Fighting between U.S. forces and suspected Taliban rebels on Tuesday killed one American service member and wounded two others in southern Afghanistan, as military officials in Washington and Afghanistan said insurgent attacks rose sharply last year and are likely to worsen in 2006....

...In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, appearing with Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, said attacks within Afghanistan were up 20 percent between 2004 and 2005, suicide bombings increased "almost fourfold" and makeshift bombs, similar to those used in Iraq, had "more than doubled...."

Outlook worsens in Afghanistan

[nesreen]

The aim was to build the Caspian Sea Pipelines that s all. Now apparently they are ready.

Ahmed Wali Karzai governor of Kandahar is apparently heavily implicated in the drug world and benefiting from it (Newsweek 9th of January) Many warlords dont even try to hide their new wealth , and their new mansions while the Police and border guards look the other side and take their bribes too . Some foreign forces must be benefiting too like they did in Latin America. t
there Human Rights violation, repressive militia , corrupti
on and no one pays attention to the average Afghan any more.

http://www.rawa.us/drugs2.htm

Rahmatullah Hashemi (a taliban spokesperson at the time) is studying Terrorism at Yale (no im not kidding )

http://www.nysun.com/article/28342

and Sami Al Haj A reporter with Al Jazeera in Kabul gets sent to Gantanamo !

[Al-khiyal]

4 intelligence agents killed in bomb blast in southern Afghanistan

French soldier killed in Afghan clash

[Al-khiyal]

Ex-Afghan president survives suicide attack

Bomb kills 4 US soldiers in Afghanistan

[Al-khiyal]

Afghanistan: The other war

[Al-khiyal]

The United States and three NATO allies with troops in Afghanistan urged the Kabul government on Tuesday to respect the religious freedom of an Afghan convert to Christianity who faces the death penalty there.

The United States, which counts Afghan President Hamid Karzai as a key ally in the region, raised the case with visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, calling on Kabul to uphold Afghan citizens' constitutional right to choose their faith.

"We hope that the Afghan constitution is going to be upheld and in our view, if it's upheld, then of course he'll be found to be innocent," said Nicholas Burns, the State Department's third-ranked diplomat.

An Afghan judge said on Sunday a man named Abdur Rahman had been jailed for converting from Islam to Christianity and could face the death penalty if he refused to become a Muslim again. Sharia, or Islamic law, stipulates death for apostasy....

US, allies press Afghanistan on Christian convert

U.S. makes low-key appeal in Afghan case

"...This is, I think, a watershed moment. The American people will bear a great deal of sacrifice, but only on behalf of principle. If, after our liberation of Afghanistan, a man may still be executed for being a Christian--or a Jew, although to my knowledge that case hasn't arisen--there is no logical basis on which our government can continue to request the ultimate sacrifice from its most devoted supporters."

[Al-khiyal]

"..Afghan forces attacked the Taliban near the southern border town of Spin Boldak late on Tuesday after getting intelligence reports the insurgents were preparing attacks, said an army commander, General Abdul Raziq..."

Afghan army says 20 Taliban killed in clashes

Authorities launched an investigation Wednesday into the killings by Afghan security forces of at least 15 people who an Afghan army commander alleged were Taliban rebels but locals said were tribesmen wanting to attend a religious festival.

The bodies were found near the border town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province, where some 2,000 members of the Noorzai tribe protested the slayings and demanded action be taken against Afghan forces responsible....

Authorities investigate killings by Afghan troops near Pakistan border

IN ONE of the most blunt assessments of post-Taliban life in Afghanistan, a high-ranking United Nations representative has warned refugees not to return home because security is so dire....

Please don't come home, UN begs Afghan refugees