tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56083692012-01-11T13:44:28.572-05:00Afghan VoiceThe thoughts of a young AfghanArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.comBlogger3831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1086394840072609672004-06-04T19:55:00.000-04:002004-06-04T20:23:16.843-04:00On Wednesday, five Doctors Without Borders workers were killed in the province of Badghis. The killers rode on motorcycles and Taliban claimed responsibility later in the day. All five employees were part of the Dutch branch of Doctor Without Borders (Artsen Zonder Grenzen).
Hélène de Beir was 28 years old and was assigned to be projectcoordinator. She was from Belgium and she was to turn 30 Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com198tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1086136997022062772004-06-01T20:38:00.000-04:002004-06-01T20:45:46.366-04:00There's been some buzz about Karzai visiting California next week. He'll be at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on June 11th. The after that he'll be at the University of California in Davis.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085978550526549212004-05-30T23:44:00.000-04:002004-05-31T00:42:30.526-04:00Pamela Constable, an Afghan Voice favorite, has a new article in the Washington Post today that contends that Karzai is busy trying to broker a backroom deal with the Northern Alliance to preserve his own position and to make sure they--the Northern Alliance warlords--don't create any mayhem. That's old news however; these talks have happened sporadically over the past two years. The most Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com251tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085974730083584702004-05-30T23:30:00.000-04:002004-05-30T23:38:50.083-04:00This is kind of off-topic, but I thought it'd be interesting to note. According to new evidence uncovered by the German military, German soldiers fathered more than 50,000 children during the occupation of Holland during the Second World War. Oh, the Germans stopped counting in 1944 so the number is likely to be a bit higher. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com95tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085973746001548072004-05-30T23:11:00.000-04:002004-05-30T23:22:26.000-04:00When it comes to counterterrorism, there is often talk about removing "the walls" between the intelligence agencies to that they can coordinate better and share intelligence with each other. Well, perhaps we ought to remove another so-called wall, this one between the CIA and Special Forces. The Christian Science Monitor's Ann Scott Tyson explains.It was "High Noon" in Afghanistan. On the dusty Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085889081993822882004-05-29T23:40:00.000-04:002004-05-29T23:51:21.993-04:00I don't think anybody noticed or cared but during the second part of last night's Nightline, Ted Koppel read the names of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Even though there were only names and no pictures, it was touching. For the record, 122 American servicemen and women have died in Afghanistan.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085797526471330862004-05-28T22:23:00.000-04:002004-05-28T22:28:23.526-04:00Read this quote from a militiaman who just turned over his weapons."We have our freedom, so I won't miss this gun," he said, patting the steel barrel. "They said the army will protect us now. They said the government will find us jobs, but we'll see. I have some land, but there's no water, and now they're cutting down all the poppy. What will happen to men like me, I really don't know."Neither doArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085712262014352032004-05-27T22:05:00.000-04:002004-05-27T22:44:22.013-04:00On March 16th, the much-praised Washington Bureau of Knight Ridder reported on the "Information Collection Program," or ICP, a "U.S.-funded effort to collect intelligence in Iraq" run by the Iraqi National Congress, which is headed by the infamous Ahmed Chalabi. The story was basically that the INC fed the world-press with ICP-information that was known to be false and dubious. All this Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-108562046556102152004-05-26T21:11:00.000-04:002004-05-26T21:14:25.560-04:00Hamid Karzai has been named the recipient of the 2004 Philadelphia Liberty Medal. Karzai will be following in the footsteps of people like Jimmy Carter, Thurgood Marshall, Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel in 1994, Shimon Peres and Colin Powell. I wonder what he'll do with the $100,000 that he will accompanies the medal. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085451308660932092004-05-24T21:47:00.001-04:002004-05-24T22:17:36.023-04:00Both the New York Times and the Financial Times (subscription required) are bashing NATO over its fiasco in Afghanistan. As frequent readers of Afghan Voice know, I have criticized NATO over its unwillingless to ensure success in Afghanistan. It's not that NATO has been unable to provide security Afghanistan; it's just that NATO's members are not willing to sacrifice. Allow me to quote the New Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com182tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085448763014626012004-05-24T21:26:00.000-04:002004-05-24T21:32:43.013-04:00We want to wish Dan Darling much success over at the American Enterprise Insitute here in Washington D.C. We have one question for Dan, however. Where will he live and how is he going to pay for it?
In a semi-related note, go read Dan's Winds of War and Nathan's Central Asia Briefing, which contains some news from Afghanistan.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085144072301629662004-05-21T08:50:00.000-04:002004-05-21T16:46:31.846-04:00A front-page article in the New York Times says that Abu Graib was run by people who had served in Afghanistan and who had brought the interrogation rules that applied there with them to Iraq. The difference is that al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters are not protected by the Geneva Conventions, which does apply—or is supposed to be applied—to prisoners in Iraq. (See the Gonzalez memo [PDF].) But does Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1085104391926683382004-05-20T21:39:00.000-04:002004-05-20T21:56:00.436-04:00Gang violence in Northern Virginia is getting more attention. Finally! Last Sunday night, a high school freshman was shot and killed about a mile from where I live. The week before that, in Alexandria, both hands of a 16-year old were chopped of with a machete. And you thought East L.A. was bad.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084938289741524872004-05-18T23:19:00.000-04:002004-05-18T23:44:49.743-04:00What kind of effect is the prisoner-abuse scandal having in Afghanistan? Well, according to Der Spiegel magazine, German military lawyers have advised Special "KSK" Forces not to take any prisoners as to avoid handing them over to the Americans. The magazine quoted military lawyers as there being "too many open questions" about the status of prisoners in the wake of the scandal at Abu Graib. So Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084936575955647002004-05-18T22:31:00.000-04:002004-05-18T23:18:18.523-04:00The Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) program was started back in October of 2003 with the aim of disarming of Afghanistan's militias. The DDR-program started in Kunduz, a province in the north that borders Uzbekistan, where some Afghans really intended to start a new life. Some others merely wanted to cash in on the incentives provided (usually a good amount of cash and some Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084933757646503882004-05-18T22:21:00.000-04:002004-05-18T22:29:17.646-04:00Aziz Poonawalla is attending the 12th annual International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine conference in Kyoto, Japan and he's blogging from there. Now usually I don't link to these kinds of things, but that all changed when I found out that he managed to take a picture of an airplane with the images my heroes on it...*
* Just some comic relief...Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084580158298431202004-05-14T17:47:00.000-04:002004-05-14T20:15:58.296-04:00In the past few days, the Human Rights Watch and a former Afghan police colonel have claimed that there is systemic abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan. It doesn't have me worried, though. It is estimated that only about 300 prisoners are held by the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
And then there was that article in the New York Times detailing U.S. torture of senior al-Qaeda members. Yes, torture.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084397022847344592004-05-12T17:16:00.000-04:002004-05-12T17:23:42.846-04:00Afghan children seem to in need of pens, of all things. I have already mobilized some immediate family to pitch in. You should too.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084309661219464022004-05-11T17:00:00.000-04:002004-05-11T17:09:44.246-04:00NPR's Renee Montagne has a nice report on Afghanistan's mullahs. It should be recognized that Islam in general and mullahs specifically have a very permanent role in Afghan society. They can ultimately help establish democracy or they can work to topple it when it doesn't satisfy their demands.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084231744975991072004-05-10T19:22:00.000-04:002004-05-10T19:32:39.186-04:00If everything goes according to plan, Afghan Voice will have its very own correspondent* from Afghanistan by September to cover the elections. The correspondent's name will remain anonymous given that he is the father of this blog's author. (Interesting factoid: the correspondent's stay in Afghanistan will be his first since January 1980!)
* Full disclosure: the correspondent will be on Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1084215946339035342004-05-10T15:03:00.000-04:002004-05-10T15:05:46.340-04:00NEW BLOGGER: Expect some changes, while I try out some things.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083978060242868312004-05-07T21:01:00.000-04:002004-05-07T21:04:14.950-04:00KARZAI ON NPR: For those interested, you can now listen to NPR's interview with Hamid Karzai.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083783482156864882004-05-05T14:58:00.000-04:002004-05-05T15:07:38.200-04:00THE LOGIC NEXT STEP: Noted the contempt towards the United Nations and Kofi Annan lately? I have. Some criticism is well-reasoned; other criticism is livid ranting. But if the United Nations is such a horrible and ineffective institution (and in some instances it is, I'm sad to say), wouldn't it make sense to criticize President Bush's decision to leave America's exit strategy/plan to implement Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083624814518363632004-05-03T18:53:00.000-04:002004-05-03T21:37:08.983-04:00THEY'RE COMING... Big Bird and his friends that is! Apparently, Sesame Street is coming to Afghanistan as part of an education video that will be distributed throughout schools in Afghanistan. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083624084962672872004-05-03T18:41:00.000-04:002004-05-03T18:44:19.856-04:00TOP-SECRET PENTAGON SLIDES YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT: General John Abizaid held a briefing on Friday from Central Command in Doha, Qatar. And he showed some interesting slides. The first slide breaks down the number of forces currently in Afghanistan.US FORCES: 20,300
OEF COALITION: 2,024
NATO/ISAF: 6,221The reason for the unusually large amount of American soldiers in Afghanistan is Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083623050677626852004-05-03T18:24:00.000-04:002004-05-03T18:27:05.860-04:00FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN AFGHANISTAN: Be sure to take a quick look at the Reporter Without Borders' report on press freedom in Afghanistan. There's a long way to go, for sure. It does implicate the central government in some cases, but none of them are infuriating enough for my bloodpressure to rise. Not this time, at least.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083103043203301382004-04-27T17:57:00.000-04:002004-04-27T18:02:31.483-04:00WHEN IT HITS HOME: Nathan Bruckenthal, 24 years old, attended the same high school I did. He died after a boat blew up at Khawr al Amaya terminal in Iraq. Bruckenthal is the first member of the U.S. Coast Guard to be killed since Vietnam.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083068104975545302004-04-27T08:15:00.000-04:002004-04-27T08:19:04.466-04:00POINT-BLANK: Afghanistan has executed its first war criminal, Abdullah Shah. Exciting no? He was executed on April 20th when a bullet was put in his head, after Karzai signed off on his death warrant. Shah did not have legal representation during the appeal. Am I the only one who finds this thing, well, troubling?Abdul Mahmood Daqiq, the director of the Attorney General's office, said Shah was Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1083037597204661492004-04-26T23:46:00.000-04:002004-04-27T08:20:00.200-04:00EARTH TO NATO: Nicholas Burns, the United States' ambassador to NATO, and Gen. James Jones are joining the fray! Speaking to the other 26 NATO ambassadors sitting at the same table in Kabul, Burns told them that "[NATO] needs to go faster and accelerate its build-up of troops in Afghanistan." Damn right. NATO can and should commit more troops and resources. This especially holds true to countriesArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1082933651638702902004-04-25T18:54:00.000-04:002004-04-25T19:12:23.826-04:00FROM THE FRONTLINE: The latest news from Afghanistan in bullet-form...The new Spanish government may send its troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, according to retiring Spanish Ambassador Javier Ruperez. "Nothing has been decided upon yet," says Ruperez, but "a number of possibilities were mentioned. And certainly one of them was the one of Afghanistan." [Deseret News]
A German-Dutch RPT-team is Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1082873088037906622004-04-25T02:04:00.000-04:002004-04-25T02:07:49.920-04:00GHOST WARS: Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Osama bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll is an astonishing and impeccably reported book. Kevin Drum called it "too detailed" but I felt the exact opposite. For example, it doesn't not tell us whether Ahmed Shah Massoud's assassination was linked to the 9/11 plot. (Perhaps, we'll know with Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1082861892425810952004-04-24T22:58:00.000-04:002004-04-24T23:01:13.450-04:00REFUSING TO FIGHT YOUR COUNTRYMEN: It's been a problem in Iraq. American-trained Iraqi soldiers refused to fight their fellow countrymen and in some cases even joined the opposing side. This is one problem that American soldiers in Afghanistan have not experienced. It would be funny, if it wasn't so sad. Most Afghans would have no problem fighting their countrymen, especially if they're not the Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1082172587822118922004-04-16T23:29:00.000-04:002004-04-16T23:32:41.216-04:00THE SATURDAY PROFILE! The New York Times' Amy Waldman exposes the man behind the curtain--American ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad--in a sympathetic profile, which particularly highlights Khalilzad's close friendship with Karzai. From what I know, they've known each other for a long time. They both attended (and apparently, acquainted at) the American University in Beirut. It was onlyArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081984199812435752004-04-14T19:09:00.000-04:002004-04-14T19:54:53.950-04:00IT TAKES A LOBBYIST OR TWO: This item is from Monday's Roll Call..."It's been more than a year since Anna Mohamadi heard that the airplane carrying her father, a top official in Afghanistan's government, crashed into the Indian Ocean off the coast of ... Mohamadi refuses to give up hope of finding out exactly why the small, twin-engine jet carrying her father plunged into the ocean on Feb. 24, Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081898122358864192004-04-13T19:15:00.000-04:002004-04-13T19:21:39.860-04:00DUTCH DEMOGRAPHICS: Via Crooked Timber, I found an excellent analysis by Randy McDonald of the Muslim population in France. Consider the following, for example.If [the French Muslim] population grew for the next 50 years at a rate of 2% per annum (a high rate, and one that doesn’t seem to be supported by signs of an ongoing demographic transition), while the remainder of the population shrunk at Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081891654375601062004-04-13T17:27:00.000-04:002004-04-13T17:30:47.623-04:00EXCLUSIVE: Kerry to be on Meet the Press on Sunday. Just so you know.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081825098943395292004-04-12T22:58:00.000-04:002004-04-12T23:01:07.903-04:00HOW TO FIX THE SECURITY PROBLEM: I nag and whine a lot. But that doesn't mean I don't have any suggestions on how to fix the things that are, well, broken. So here goes.
Whatever threat they pose, I don't think the Taliban--Islamic militants who operate in the south and cross the border from Pakistan into Afghanistan--are a problem. Coalition troops are doing a pretty good job at disrupting and Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-108171653102704232004-04-11T16:48:00.000-04:002004-04-11T16:54:50.936-04:00HERSH'S NON-REVELATIONS: Seymour Hersh is an excellent investigative journalist and a brilliant writer. But I have to admit, his piece on Afghanistan in this week's New Yorker is a bore. It's relatively short and it reveals little. Clark's criticism of how Bush handled Afghanistan? Read it in his book. Karzai can't handle security outside of Kabul? Yawn. Opium cultivation? The focus on Iraq and Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081713759607114292004-04-11T16:02:00.000-04:002004-04-11T16:06:19.466-04:00THE FAILURE OF THE DRONES: Unmanned Spy Planes Crash in Afghanistan; Associated Press; April 11, 2004.GARDEZ, Afghanistan -- Two unmanned drones crashed a block away from a ceremony where American and Afghan officials were inaugurating a courthouse Sunday -- and the event went ahead as planned.
One of the drones, which was circling above the closely guarded ceremony, plunged behind the nearby Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081653844386131182004-04-10T23:24:00.000-04:002004-04-10T23:26:51.826-04:00CHALLENGING KARZAI--THE NEW SPRING OFFENSIVE: Three days ago, forces loyal of the Uzbeki warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum took over the city of Maymaneh, the capital of the province Faryab, in addition to several surrounding districts. A batallion of the small and overstretched Afghan National Army was flown in and Dostum's forces have withdrawn from the city leaving it in the hands of the Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081323665099263472004-04-07T03:41:00.000-04:002004-04-07T03:43:48.483-04:00BIG FIGHT TO COME... in the coming days, in Paktika province, which borders Pakistan.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-108132340983308892004-04-07T03:36:00.000-04:002004-04-07T03:42:42.826-04:00FUMING PAKISTAN WATCH... What did I tell you? Here's a roundup of reactions to Khalilzad's comments regarding Pakistan. The Voice of America:Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday called the comments "unwarranted and uncalled for." He says the US diplomat is not aware of the realities on the ground because Pakistani forces have been effectively moving against terroristsArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081319087855524922004-04-07T02:24:00.000-04:002004-04-07T02:28:59.076-04:00REQUIRED READING: First of, there is another interesting article by Seymour Hersh which discusses Afghanistan. Finally, there's a magnificient article in the current issue of Current History (PDF / HTML) by Barnett Rubin.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-108129906497104172004-04-06T20:51:00.000-04:002004-04-06T20:53:47.936-04:00DEAR PAMELA: In another dastardly yet understandable move by the editors of the Washington Post, the much-adored Pamela Constable has moved from Afghanistan and is now embedded with the Marines in Fallujah.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081242467979327732004-04-06T05:07:00.000-04:002004-04-06T05:11:00.280-04:00GOT ANOTHER ONE: An interesting bit from an article about the capture of Amanullah, a long-time commander of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.The U.S. spokesman says Commander Amanullah was heading the Hezb-I-Islami militant faction in the area. He says the man is suspected of helping organize two suicide bomb attacks that killed one Canadian and one British soldier last January in Kabul.Definitely a big fishArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081240651368291652004-04-06T04:37:00.000-04:002004-04-06T04:41:04.466-04:00ABU DAJANA AL-AFGHANI? Who is Abu Dujana al-Afghani, the person who is signing letters demanding the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq and Afghanistan? I don't know. But the nom de guerre is quite interesting. Abu Dujana was a warrior who fought alongside Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the name was not that uncommon among mujahedin fighters in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. Al-Afghani Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081239061260631402004-04-06T04:11:00.000-04:002004-04-06T04:18:38.826-04:00CALM DOWN ZALMAY! YOU'RE IN DC NOW! I went to see the American Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on K Street. Khalilzad has always been hostile to Pakistan, because he knows that the Pakistani city of Quetta has become the Taliban's provincial capital. Here's what he said according to the Associated Press:"We cannot allow this problemArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081213697489378982004-04-05T21:08:00.000-04:002004-04-05T21:11:00.060-04:00EYE-RAQ, EYE-RAN, GUTTER: You know what's really annoying about some Americans? Their pronounciation of the country Qatar! For some very odd reason, some highly educated Americans have decided to call it "gutter" despite the country's pro-American attitude. I know it's often accidental, but it's like spelling America with three Ks. Simply put, it's offensive! Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081131556522631382004-04-04T22:19:00.000-04:002004-04-04T22:21:57.950-04:00THE HOWLING GULBUDDIN: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar may be cruel and vicious, but that doesn't mean he's stupid. (Only the bright minds attend the Faculty of Engineering at Kabul University.) Latest rumor has it that Gulbuddin wants to stop fighting altogether--until recently he only called upon his followers only to kill foreigners on--and participate in the Afghanistan's presidential elections in Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081118049637159972004-04-04T18:34:00.000-04:002004-04-04T18:36:50.840-04:00THE MILITIA THING: It's likely I will be wrong in retrospect, but isn't this the start of a civil war in Iraq? Many speculated a sectarian war; Shia vs. Sunni. This may end up being nationalistic. But than again, we don't know how widespread this uprising--if we can call it that--really is. There are undoubtedly many obstacles. The biggest one may not be Grand Ayatollah Sistani or al-Zarqawi or Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1081038468893537092004-04-03T19:27:00.000-05:002004-04-03T19:30:29.140-05:00FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE CLOSED: Uzbekistan has closed the so-called "Friendship Bridge" linking Afghanistan with Uzbekistan, after bombings in Tashkent nd Bukhara last week. That's bad news since the Friendship Bridge is an opening used for humanitarian operations into Afghanistan and therefore a vital lifeline into Afghanistan.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080979609349067582004-04-03T03:06:00.000-05:002004-04-03T03:09:29.170-05:00THANKS TO THE DUTCH: Six new Apache choppers, courtesy of the Netherlands. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080978404987327122004-04-03T02:46:00.000-05:002004-04-03T03:10:27.543-05:00THE BERLIN DECLARATION: What follows is the so-called Berlin Declaration adopted by the participants of this week's conference in Berlin.We, the participants in the 2004 Berlin Conference on Afghanistan,
Committed to the vision of a secure, stable, free, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan as laid out in the Afghan Constitution and as reaffirmed in the speech of President Hamid Karzai held at Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080977529905111952004-04-03T02:32:00.000-05:002004-04-03T19:46:17.686-05:00BERLIN 04 DONOR PLEDGES: United States: $2.2 bil ... Japan: $400 mil ... Germany: $390 mil ... Australia: $19 mil ... China: $49 mil ... Great Britain: $569 mil ... The Netherlands: $120 mil ... European Commision: $774 mil ... Italy: $170 milArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080958325029721162004-04-02T21:12:00.000-05:002004-04-02T21:14:44.530-05:00KARZAI'S FASHION SENSE: Apparently, a German fashion designer by the name of Wolfgang Joop praised Karzai's fashion sense. (Via Nathan Hamm.)President Karzai is a shining example of how a man can maintain the role of a gentleman even while wearing the dress of his ancestors" Joop wrote in an article for Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel newspaper on Thursday.
"Karzai has something that few men and even Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080957990425901262004-04-02T21:06:00.000-05:002004-04-03T02:08:56.200-05:00RE: THE MEANING OF USTAD... Dan Darling has some interesting anecdotes on the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, which is a reply to an e-mail I sent him. Anyhow, as I noted in that e-mail, Wahabi warlord Abdurrab Rasul Sayyaf has changed his name to Ustad Abdul Rasul Sayyaf. (His real name is simply Abdul Rasur Sayyaf.) The meaning of the word Ustad is not a title denoting a Muslim teacher, but it Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080956677079529002004-04-02T20:44:00.000-05:002004-04-03T02:17:47.123-05:00HOPELESS: International donors pledged around 8.2 billion for the next three years. For those confused, that's 4.5 billion for this year (2004) with 4.4 billion in the years of 2005 and 2006. The big donors, as expected, were the United States, Germany and Japan. Many thanks to the governments of these countries.
If I'm correct, about $2.3 billion was pledged by the United States (on top of theArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080779910477133962004-03-31T19:38:00.000-05:002004-03-31T19:41:07.686-05:00WHY IS NATO SITTING ON ITS ASS? CONTINUED... I posed the question on Saturday and forcefully tried to remind NATO of its promises. This article on NATO's foot-dragging doesn't answer the question, but it reminds us that we should be thankful of the United States' actions in Afghanistan, despite its shortcoming.Since December, promises made by Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey to provide Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080778938053649342004-03-31T19:22:00.000-05:002004-03-31T19:25:18.810-05:00DOD CONFUSION: When I was discussing the amount of aid the United States gives to the Afghan government, I noted that most "requests refer to 'Iraq and Afghanistan' or 'the global war on terrorism,' so it’s not clear how much money is going to what country." Linda Bilmes, in the Financial Times, elaborates a bit.Just how much is being spent in Afghanistan is unclear. The mountainous terrain and Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080696548367789722004-03-30T20:29:00.000-05:002004-03-30T20:31:44.700-05:00SPAIN AND THE WAR ON TERROR: The Associated Press is reporting on a smart move on the part of Spain's new government:The incoming Socialist government, under pressure over its plans to withdraw Spain's troops from Iraq, has agreed to double the country's contingent in Afghanistan to 250 soldiers this summer, an aide to the future defense minister said Monday.This should make Tacitus happy, Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080696202958591312004-03-30T20:23:00.000-05:002004-03-30T20:25:59.340-05:00MULLAH OMAR WOUNDED? The German press is citing a Pakistani newspaper saying it happened earlier this month.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080695669835552922004-03-30T20:14:00.000-05:002004-03-30T20:19:25.093-05:00ZAHIR SHAH INTERVIEW: Afghanistan's former king Mohammad Zahir Shah still remains a father-figure to many Afghans, especially the ethnic Pashtuns. During the jihad against the Soviets, many of the mujahedin neglected by the Pakistani intelligence service ISI were royalist Pashtun from the Durrani tribe who swore allegiance to Zahir Shah. Since the ISI was selectively chosing Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080604303664992172004-03-29T18:51:00.000-05:002004-03-29T19:01:38.606-05:00ISMAIL KHAN'S CALL FOR REVENGE: The local TV-station in Herat broadcasted the funeral of Ismail Khan's son, Mirwais Sadiq. I was provided with a transcript of the March 24 broadcast ...The mourning ceremony of martyred Alhaj Mirwais Sadeq, the Afghan aviation and tourism minister, and those who accompanied him, was held at the grand mosque of Herat this morning.
The ceremony was attended by Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080443577589165112004-03-27T22:12:00.000-05:002004-03-27T22:29:19.483-05:00WHY IS NATO SITTING ON ITS ASS? NATO SEC-GEN MUST ANSWER! Last August, NATO took control of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Two months later, in October, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution authorizing the expansion of ISAF's operations. The ISAF expanded its operations in January of this year. Working together with American soldiers, the Germans are Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080439975809928822004-03-27T21:12:00.000-05:002004-03-27T21:18:49.590-05:00MARK YOUR CALENDAR: With the help of Germany and the United Nations, the Afghan government is holding a two-day international conference next Wednesday and Thursday in Berlin's Intercontinentel Hotel where officials of the Afghan government will urge the international community to donate 4.5 billion dollars a year for the next seven years. The Afghan embassy in D.C. writes:1 billion per year willArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080425969150238002004-03-27T17:19:00.000-05:002004-03-27T17:34:02.686-05:00”THERE IS MUCH WORK TO DO” Colin Powell testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee last Thursday. Here’s what he had to say on Afghanistan:Mr. Chairman, Afghanistan is another high priority, and I was there last week. We are committed to helping build a stable and democratic Afghanistan. They had a very fine constitutional process at the end of last year where they adopted a Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080280105637918942004-03-26T00:48:00.000-05:002004-03-26T00:50:56.840-05:00KARZAI THE REALIST: Hamid Karzai is postponing the elections until September of this year.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080178944124213202004-03-24T20:42:00.000-05:002004-03-24T20:46:07.796-05:00LOCAL REPORT: From the Herati newspaper Etefaq-e Eslam, published today:Two horrific incidents took place Sunday afternoon (21 March). The first was an attempt on the life of the leader of jihad, Emir Mohammad Ismail (which was foiled). The second was the killing of Alhaj Mohammad Mirwais Sadeq, the minister of tourism and civil aviation, who was martyred. The attempts were designed by Zaher Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080177776270074402004-03-24T20:22:00.000-05:002004-03-24T20:41:13.810-05:00FROM THE AFGHAN RUMOR MILL... Top-officials of the Northern Alliance have been meeting to decide on a candidate to challenge Hamid Karzai in the elections planned for later this year. They don't seem to agree. The Tajik leadership is bitterly divided which increases the chances of a Karzai win. In addition to that, if his current vice-presidents (Mohammad Qasim Fahim , a Tajik, and Karim Khalili,Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080093899824798562004-03-23T21:04:00.000-05:002004-03-23T21:07:29.436-05:00INSEPERABLE PARTS OF THE SAME CAMPAIGN? "An equivalent increase in the Spanish force in Afghanistan would still keep them in the terror fight as something more than victims -- good for Spain, good for Afghans, good for the West." That's Tacitus catching up to reality.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080093156327727142004-03-23T20:52:00.000-05:002004-03-23T20:58:51.810-05:00AMIR OF HERAT: I don't think Brian is far off the mark with his analysis of recent events in Herat, though the view that Naibzadah is a commander loyal to Karzai is incorrect. Naibzadah is a Tajik (as is Ismail Khan; Karzai is Pashtun) and member of the same factional party (Jamaat-e-Islami) as Khan. He supposedly helped return Ismail Khan from exile in 2001. Karzai chose Naibzadah, thought to beArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1080004134407891452004-03-22T20:08:00.000-05:002004-03-22T20:13:36.090-05:00ASSASSINATION? MORE LIKE KIA!: Another interesting bit from today's Times article on Sadiq's assassination.Attempts had been under way in recent days to dislodge him from his seat of power, Afghan officials said in interviews. Mr. Khan was in Kabul this week and met several times with Mr. Karzai to discuss Mr. Khan's future, and to resolve a lingering dispute over whether Herat was fully sharing Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079998975504370072004-03-22T18:42:00.000-05:002004-03-22T18:53:55.153-05:00SHEDDING SOME MUCH NEEDED LIGHT ON THE SITUATION: Since our friend David Rhode is in Pakistan, it’s Amy Waldman who clarifies things a bit. Surprisingly enough, Waldman outshines the Washington Post’s Pamela Constable. From today’s New York Times:While accounts were conflicting over what set off the fighting, officials in Herat in western Afghanistan said it began after a failed assassination Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079896467340094372004-03-21T14:14:00.000-05:002004-03-21T18:16:44.903-05:00PRICELESS: Take a look at Foreign Minister Abdullah's shades. He certainly doesn't fail to entertain. (Photo via State Department.)
Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079896155539474202004-03-21T14:09:00.000-05:002004-03-21T14:11:42.810-05:00AFGHAN AVIATION MINISTER ASSASSINATED: The Associated Press is reporting that Mirwais Sadiq, the Afghan Aviation Minister, was assassinated on Sunday night. Sadiq is the son of Ismail Khan, a fundamentalist warlord who firmly controls the provinces of Herat (where he is based), Farah, Baghdis and parts of Numruz and Ghowr; all in the eastern part of Afghanistan. Khan also has a powerful militia Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079572411570804442004-03-17T20:13:00.000-05:002004-03-17T20:17:53.653-05:00TURMOIL IN SPAIN: Does a Socialist victory in Spain—and therefore a withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq—translate into a triumph for bin Laden and Islamism worldwide? Only for those who don’t distinguish between the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. (See Tacitus: "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, initially connected only on an arguable conceptual level, are now inseparable parts of the Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079492675071619802004-03-16T22:04:00.000-05:002004-03-17T20:06:40.390-05:00QUICK NOTE: Two quick things. My Iranian friends at the Voice of America inform me of unrest in the north of the country. Number 2: there seems to be some rumors floating around concerning a new emergency loya jirga. I'm not sure if these rumors are true, but at the moment I'm trying to find that out. More on both of these items later.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079400013066418662004-03-15T20:20:00.000-05:002004-03-15T20:24:21.936-05:00AFGHANISTAN: Drugs, warlords and mullahs.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1079199743915995562004-03-13T12:42:00.000-05:002004-03-16T07:18:49.856-05:00AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY: The Voice of America reports on the successful rescue of two kidnapped Turks:Afghanistan's security forces have rescued two Turkish engineers and their interpreter, who were kidnapped in December. Afghan officials say two kidnappers were killed in the operation and two policemen slightly injured.
Afghan Interior Minister Ali Jalali told reporters the rescue took place Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078925485027906032004-03-10T08:31:00.000-05:002004-03-10T08:34:55.623-05:00WHAT'S GOING ON IN KABUL? CONTINUED... A friend of mine e-mails an interview with Mohaqiq that was published in the Hizb-e-Wahdat's official newspaper on January 20th. The translation is as follows...A: A huge circle of intellectuals and mujahideen are encouraging to contest the election. I think there is no other obstacle in this regards. The constitution allows me to do so and now with the Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078895618433964342004-03-10T00:13:00.000-05:002004-03-10T07:15:44.483-05:00WHAT'S GOING ON IN KABUL? CONTINUED... We know that New York Times correspondent David Rhode used to report from Kabul. But then he left. Is he back? Anyway, Rhode's story is relatively short but still very important."There were a lot of other problems in the cabinet," said the former cabinet minister, Hajji Mohammad Mohaqiq. "But because of the national interest we had to keep quiet."
Mr. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078883509514304152004-03-09T20:51:00.000-05:002004-03-09T20:56:59.843-05:00WHAT'S GOING ON IN KABUL? Yesterday, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq resigned from his post as planning minister in the transitional government of Afghanistan. Today, he gave a press-conference denying he had resigned and instead claimed that he had been removed in an "illegal move" because of plans to run against Hamid Karzai in this year's presidential elections. He also claimed that someone has been Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078794656406666592004-03-08T20:10:00.000-05:002004-03-08T20:13:10.920-05:00MEMORABLE QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It's sounds like curry, but it's really ketchup." -- longtime friend in the Netherlands speaking of John KerryArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078628639834304952004-03-06T22:03:00.000-05:002004-03-07T15:37:10.233-05:00ONE MORE THING: To my fellow Muslims in the Northern Virginia area. Sorry... no more paintball!Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078627787674835352004-03-06T21:49:00.000-05:002004-03-06T21:54:40.936-05:00STRINGER'S REPORT: An Afghan Voice-reporter (okay, fine--an AV-uncle, then) claims to have seen the very first Starbucks... in Kabul! There also seem to be dozens of internet cafes populated with the local youth.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078627585941825472004-03-06T21:46:00.000-05:002004-03-06T21:49:28.996-05:00BALD PROSPECT: After seeing the picture--courtesy of Robert Nickelsberg of Time--below, a friend remarked: "Is it me or are all Afghan men bald?" Hey, it's not far off the mark. AV too has a long family history of baldness!
Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078622888944952492004-03-06T20:28:00.000-05:002004-03-06T21:40:55.543-05:00HERETIC'S BURIAL: In 1980, the Organization of Islamic Conference held a major summit in Saudi Arabia, in the resort town of Taif. Prince Turki's intelligence service had recentely started to aid the Afghan mujahedin and wanted the conference to condemn Soviet interference in Afghanistan. Ahmed Badeeb, Turki's chief of staff, chose Abdur Rasur Sayyaf to give a speech attacking the Soviet invasionArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078534293382368522004-03-05T19:51:00.000-05:002004-03-06T21:37:18.873-05:00BAD DEAL:If Sy Hersh is right about the deal we just struck with Musharraf, we got duped. The Los Angeles explains...Across the southern third of Afghanistan, the Taliban is regrouping and waiting for the spring to launch attacks against the central government and its U.S.-led allies. About 70% of Zabol province is completely lawless or is controlled by the Taliban or its supporters.
On the mainArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078532990177041822004-03-05T19:29:00.000-05:002004-03-05T20:06:51.356-05:00ZARQAWI REVISITED: Amid great fanfare, the CPA in Iraq released a letter ostensibly found on a CD-ROM allegedly sent by Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi to his betters in Al Qaeda. Assuming it is legitimate, the document provides a unique window on the thinking of an adversary that has otherwise been opaque. But how do we know the text is genuine? My level of trust in the authorities is just above the Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078286165586140842004-03-02T22:56:00.000-05:002004-03-05T18:57:18.140-05:00DRAW YOUR WEAPONS: How depressing is it to have your party’s leader in the Senate be one of the eight Senators who voted in favor of liability protections for gun manufacturers? The Senate also renewed the Assault Weapons Ban for another 10 years and passed an amendment requiring more background checks on buyers at gun shows. Several Republicans, including John McCain and Craig--the author of theArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078099127349497252004-02-29T18:58:00.000-05:002004-02-29T19:00:53.950-05:00KERRY PLEASES AV! For the record: I'm more than satisfied with Kerry's rhetoric on Afghanistan. Kudos to whoever wrote it.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078003343610624682004-02-28T16:22:00.000-05:002004-02-28T16:24:28.793-05:00A BIG THANKS: A big thank you to the nice folks of the International Medical Corps who are trying to improve childbirth odds in Afghanistan, slowly and steady. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1078002218394139212004-02-28T16:03:00.000-05:002004-02-28T16:05:43.826-05:00TALIBAN OUTREACH PROGRAM: Take a look at what Hamid Karzai said this past Thursday on the prospect of him meeting with former Taliban foreign minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil (whose name is incorrectly transcribed as "Makital").Q: Quick question for Mr. Karzai: Any plans being made in meeting with Makital?
Karzai: On meeting with Makital, we have daily approaches by the Taliban leaders both Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077832566211792372004-02-26T16:56:00.000-05:002004-02-26T17:02:12.030-05:00QUREI FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY: An unnamed senior Bush administration official (Condi Rice, is that you?) talks to the Times’ Steven Weisman. Take a look at the important part of the story:"The withdrawal is a good idea," said the official, in an interview, adding that it presented an opportunity for "an enormous and historic change" in Israel's relations with its neighbors comparable to the 1967 warArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077753524734098262004-02-25T18:58:00.000-05:002004-02-25T19:00:46.560-05:00THE WRATH OF THE EAGLE: Glenn Reynolds debunks a rather comical but bogus verse from the Qu'ran. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077716435493245402004-02-25T08:40:00.000-05:002004-02-28T15:56:59.420-05:00TALIBAN OUTREACH PROGRAM: In an interview with a Pakistani television station, Hamid Karzai hinted at an formal meeting with former Taliban foreign minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil. Karzai said:"Mullah Wakil Ahmed has written me a very nice letter. He has explained what he is thinking of the future of Afghanistan, which is quite reasonable. He has asked to meet with me. I have sent some of my Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077715949907826442004-02-25T08:32:00.000-05:002004-02-25T08:42:25.186-05:00THE BLAME GAME: A troubling report on one of Afghanistan’s most troubled provinces. Brian Ulrich has some additional news.Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077687211853386132004-02-25T00:33:00.000-05:002004-02-25T00:35:53.390-05:00AV GETS WONK'D: Check out Wonkette:Andrew Card and wife getting into a Georgetown restaurant on 36th and O [Feb 20] evening. Just happened to pass by after a screening of the movie "Osama" by the Afghan Embassy at Georgetown U.Hmm... who might that have been? Heh. Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077686900743225912004-02-25T00:28:00.000-05:002004-02-25T00:30:52.310-05:00AHMED’S HONESTY: As opposed to others, I actually appreciate Ahmed Chalabi’s frankness and straightforwardness. Chalabi and the INC were witty enough to dupe the folks over the Pentagon, especially those obsessed about Iraq over at the Pentagon. Amongst those duped, the most prominent is Paul Wolfowitz, who’s unusual fascination with Saddam Hussein has left me somehow clueless.
Now, my questionArashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608369.post-1077540554656723832004-02-23T07:49:00.000-05:002004-02-23T07:51:14.123-05:00IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY? Aren’t you wondering who the authors are of the new interim constitution being considered by the Iraqi Governing Council? Faisal Istrabadi and Salem Chalabi. In case you were wondering…Arashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476760764462400111noreply@blogger.com0