Allegations Iran is arming Afghan rebels are aired publicly by US officials for the first time.
Source: US accuses Iran of supplying arms to Taliban
More about this in Freedom's Zone. According to the latter Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, in a meeting with EU officials in Brussels, said Iran was a "developing issue of concern."
His comments come only a day after Pentagon's top general Peter Pace said coalition forces in Afghanistan had intercepted Iranian-made mortars and explosives destined for the Taliban.
"We don't know exactly who is doing this and why, but we know that these have been Iranian origin weapons that have shown up in the hands of the Taliban," Boucher said. "We have been seeing a series of indicators that Iran is getting more involved in an unhealthy way in Afghanistan," the US official warned.
Boucher insisted that the "military defeat of the Taliban was not the "key task." The focus was on building Afghan democracy and strengthening the outreach of the government.
"This is where terrorism originally came from," said Boucher referring to Al-Qaeda's use of Afghan territory. He said a democratic Afghanistan would therefore play a vital role in stabilizing the region.
"There is an historic opportunity to change the dynamic in this region and create an area of stability between Asia and the Middle East," he said.
Varios oficiales EEUU han declarado que Irán está armando a los talibanes. No saben cómo lo hacen, pero sí que han interceptado armas de fabricación iraní (morteros y explosivos) con destino los talibanes. Boucher, asistente de la Secretario de Estado EEUU para el Asia central y del sur, ha añadido que "Irán cada vez está implicado de peor de manera en Afganistán", que "allí se ha ido a defender la democracia y no tanto a sólo derrotar a los talibanes" y que es una oportunidad histórica de crear un área de estabilidad en la zona.
Hmm, qué sorpresa, ¿no? Irán, la perfecta democracia islámica ayudando a los talibanes... que muy pacíficos no parecen:
Afghans face suicide attacks, beheadings and abductions by the Taleban, says an Amnesty International report.
A report by Amnesty International says that attacks on civilians are widespread and systematic, and are used by Taleban rebels to instil fear.
The report says that scores of civilians have been deliberately killed by the Taleban in the past two years.
It accuses the Taleban of "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity".
'War crimes'
Targets between January 2005 and March 2007 have included women's rights activists, election candidates, clerics, government and health workers and teachers.
The Taleban are accused of treating some civilians as the enemy
At least 183 schools were burned in arson attacks across the country between 2005-2006.
Amnesty say that most victims of Taleban violence are apparently branded as "spies" or "collaborators".
In one "brutal" incident cited by the organisation last week, an Afghan journalist was killed by the Taleban, reportedly by having his throat slit. -and they write "brutal
Ajmal Naqshbandi, 25, had been taken hostage in March along with an Italian reporter, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, and their Afghan driver, Sayed Agha.
While Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released in a prisoner exchange, Sayed Agha was beheaded.
Amnesty say that the Taleban's military rulebook, or Laheya, explicitly sanctions targeting and killing civilians.
Link to Taleban 'war crimes' on Afghans
Of course, the charitable Talibans have rejected the report h/t Clarity and Resolve.
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La ONG Amnistía Internacional ha denunciado a los talibanes por las numerosas atrocidades que están cometiendo frente a los civiles. Mujeres defensoras de sus derechos, políticos, periodistas o simplemente civiles que estaban en el lugar equivocado han sido asesinados deliberadamente por los talibanes. Previamente los consideran "espías" o "colaboradores". Así, la semana pasada un periodista fue asesinado por espía, como dirían los antiguos, por el método de "cortarle el pescuezo". También fueron asesinados de esta forma el intérprete y el chófer de Mastrogiacomo, el periodista italiano al que los talibanes liberaron porque lograron que el Gobierno afgano pusiera en la calle a 5 talibanes peligrosos.
Por supuesto, los pacíficos insurgentes-militantes-rebeldes lo han negado, diciendo que sólo mataban "a los y a los que los ayudaban". Claro, el chófer de Mastroiacomo era un peligroso agente internacional que quería infiltrarse entre los talibanes... Pero ¿quién le mandaba a él ser chófer? Debería haber comenzado una fabulosa carrera como espiritual y pacífico talibán.
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We also have to add that today there are two French from an NGO kidnapped by the Talibans:
The Canadian TV CBC has shown some images of the two French NGO workers, kidnapped 10 days ago in the south-East of Afghanistan, in which both of them tell the camera they are fearing for their lifes.
In the images we can also see three Afghans, the driver and two interpreters, also kidnapped, and their kidnappers, strongl armed, as the TV has stated, while at the same time adding they were not going to show the images.
The images are proof that both of them can be alive by now.
The French President, Mr. Chirac, asked on Friday (a week ago) to Afghan President, Karzai, to make "all possible efforts" to achieve the liberation of the 2 kidnapped French, apparently by the Taliban. Chirac asked for an effort to Karzai and underlined the importance of the mutual support between the authorities of both countries.
This Chirac... has he considered what the taliban have said about the Mastroiacomo's liberation?
Dadullah, the Taliban's top operations commander, made the claim to a Pakistani journalist shortly after the Afghan government traded the five militants for Daniele Mastrogiacomo of La Repubblica.
"He said he felt so happy that he would take a rest and let his brother take the reins for a while," said Rahimullah Yusufzai, a veteran reporter from Peshawar, who interviewed Dadullah by phone. "He said that any western journalist who does not seek permission is going to be arrested."
The deal has triggered a heated debate across Europe. Italian opposition politicians and some newspapers accused the prime minister, Romano Prodi, of caving in to terrorists. In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said the swap sent "the wrong signal to prospective hostage-takers".
Taliban plan more kidnappings after Italian deal | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
Hmm, what a profitable industry, hein?
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La cadena de televisión canadiense CBC ha obtenido imágenes que muestran a dos cooperantes franceses secuestrados hace diez días en el suroeste de Afganistán, en el que los dos rehenes expresan temor por su vida. En las imágenes también se ve a los tres rehenes afganos el conductor y dos traductores con los ojos vendados, y los secuestradores que les custodian fuertemente armados, según ha explicado la cadena, que ha decidido no emitir las imágenes.
La mujer secuestrada suplica por su vida mientras que su colega, que se identifica como Erik, también hace un llamamiento similar. Según informa la televisión canadiense en su página web, el canal ha decidido no emitir las imágenes, consideradas una prueba de que los dos trabajadores humanitarios de la organización no gubernamental Terre d'Enfance y los tres afganos que viajaban con ellos cuando fueron secuestrados pueden continuar con vida.
El presidente francés, Jacques Chirac, pidió el viernes a su homologo afgano, Hamid Karzai, que se hagan "todos los esfuerzos" posibles para conseguir la liberación de dos cooperantes franceses secuestrados el 3 de abril pasado, aparentemente por los talibanes. El presidente francés pidió un esfuerzo a Karzai y subrayó la importancia del apoyo mutuo entre las autoridades de ambos países con el objetivo de liberar a los activistas humanitarios, según un portavoz oficial.
Source: Tizas - Los taliban exhiben a los cooperantes secuestrados
Y es que hace unos días ya lo anunció Dadullah, el jefe Talibán, que iban a continuar con los secuestros y que después del de Mastroiacomo, estaba tan feliz que se iba a tomar unas vacaciones.
Como decíamos en el colegio: estaba más feliz que una lombriz, aunque en este caso, sea un insulto para la pobre lombriz...
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Another proof of the violence against civilians is the killing of girls' teachers:
Police in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Khost say Taliban militants shot dead the headmaster of a girls' school in eastern Afghanistan on April 17. Authorities say Ghulam Haider, of the Kundi girls' school, was killed while walking to a mosque for morning prayers.
Another headmaster was killed in a similar shooting on April 15 in the province's Gorboz district.
Afghan Education Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said more than 40 Afghan teachers have been killed in Taliban attacks against schools and colleges during the past year.
Source: Clarity & Resolve: Afghanistan - Jihad Against Girls' Education
La policía de la provincia de Khost (Sur de Afganistán) han dicho que los militantes talibanes han matado a disparos al director de un colegio femenino el 17 de abril. Las autoridades han añadido que a Ghulam Haider, del colegio femenino Khundi, le asesinaron mientras iba caminado hacia la mezquita para las oraciones de la mañana.
A otro director de escuela le mataron de forma semejante el 15 de abril en Gorboz.
El Ministro de Educación afgano dijo que los talibanes han asesinado a más de 40 profesores afganos en ataques a colegios y escuelas durante el pasado año.
Si es que es lo que tienen los insurgentes talibanes. ¿Para qué van ellos a respetar algo tan occidental como los Derechos Humanos?
Así que el Comandante USA del Gobierno Central de las Fuerzas en Afganistán está pidiendo a la OTAN que se implique más y envíe más tropas. No sólo es por cuestiones militares si no sobre todo para ayudar a los civiles.
NATO needs to provide more forces to assist in ongoing security and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Central Command said during his testimony at a Congressional hearing today. The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill, has asked NATO headquarters for more troops, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon told House Armed Services Committee members. McNeill took command of more than 30,000 NATO and U.S. troops in early February. McNeill "is on record as asking the alliance in Brussels for additional assets", Fallon said.
He needs them not only in terms of military forces and capabilities such as rotary-wing lift to move these forces in the field, but he also needs some help in the civilian world.
Today, there are about 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Around 14,000 U.S. forces are under McNeill as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. The other 12,000 American forces in Afghanistan fall under U.S. command and are conducting special operations and Afghan army training missions.
Source: More NATO Help Needed in Afghanistan, Fallon Says
Are the Euroweenies going to send more troops? Are we going really to defend the Human Rights of this poor Human Beings, trapped in the same place with such bastards? Or not?
Related news: 24 Taleban fighters killed in Afghan battle. (According to yahoo, the Taliban dead had been 27).
Afghan troops have torn down part of a new anti-Taleban fence being erected by Pakistan on the border between the two countries, officials in Kabul say.
They say the move led to fighting between Afghan and Pakistani troops. But Pakistan has denied the fence claim, saying the clashes started after one of its patrols came under fire. It was the first such fighting since Pakistan announced plans earlier this year to fence and mine sections of the border to restrict Taleban fighters. The Afghan government says the plan will endanger civilian lives and separate Pashtun tribes and families.
Source: BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Afghanistan 'border fence' clash
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Las tropas afganas han partido una valla anti-talibanes que había erigido Pakistán en el borde entre ambos países, según las autoridades de Kabul. Dijeron también que esta era la primera vez que esa valla había dado lugar a luchas entre ambos.
Paquistán ha negado la protesta diciendo que la lucha se produjo cuando una de sus patrullas fue atacada. El gobierno de Afganistán dice que el plan va a poner en peligro vidas civiles y a separar tribus y familias Pashtún.
del.icio.us tags: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Chirac, Karzai, Jihad, Jihadism, behead
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