Preliminary Note On The Mission To Afghanistan: Philip Alston
05 June 2008
'Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston - Preliminary Note on the Mission to Afghanistan', United Nations General Assembly / Human Rights Council, 29 May 2008
EXCERPT: "The Government of Afghanistan was very welcoming and fully cooperative during my 12- day visit to Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunar, Nangarhar, Jowzjan and Parwan. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan...
Read the post »
Instability Delaying Return, Say Afghan Weavers In Balochistan
05 June 2008
'Instability Delaying Return, Say Afghan Weavers In Balochistan', Relief Web / United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 4 June 2008
EXCERPT: "They weave effortlessly, fingers dancing across the loom as they huddle in the shabby shade, their only refuge from the brutal summer heat. It takes them an hour to fix the white woollen threads vertically in their handmade frames on the ground. Then, with great skill, they weave the...
Read the post »
Afghanistan National Development Strategy
05 June 2008
'', Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, April 2008
EXCERPT: "The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) serves as Afghanistan's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and uses the pillars, principles and benchmarks of the Afghanistan Compact as a foundation. The pillars and goals of the ANDS are: a) Security: Achieve nationwide stabilization, strengthen law enforcement, and improve personal...
Read the post »
New Road Brings Prosperity To Afghan Province
05 June 2008
'New Road Brings Prosperity To Afghan Province', ReliefWeb / Government of the United States of America, 4 June 2008
EXCERPT: "ore than 1,000 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony May 28 for a new $6 million road in Barak, a village in the Bazarak district of Afghanistan's Panjshir province. During the ceremony, Afghan officials from the highest levels of government discussed the critical importance of the road, which will extend...
Read the post »
IMF: Donor Support Key To Afghan Economic Plan
05 June 2008
'IMF Says Donor Support Key To Afghan Economic Plan', Reuters, 4 June 2008
EXCERPT: "Donor support will be crucial to the success of Afghanistan's economic development strategy, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday [4 June 2008]. In a statement following its review of Afghanistan's plans, the IMF cautioned that better financial management and transparency were also needed to ensure that public spending plans were used efficiently....
Read the post »
Fund Shortage May Shut UN Humanitarian Air Service
05 June 2008
'Fund Shortage May Shut UN Humanitarian Air Service', Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), 5 June 2008
EXCERPT: "The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) may have to abandon its operations in Afghanistan due to a shortfall of US$2.5 million. 'We have an annual budget of $19.5 million of which $15.5 million mainly comes from passenger fares. There is a projected shortfall of $4 million,' said Loic Lataste, the UN World Food...
Read the post »
Afghanistan's Natural Environment A Victim Of War
05 June 2008
'', Agence France Presse, 5 June 2008
EXCERPT: "Years of war saw Afghanistan's forests levelled and its land polluted with fuel and mines, while more recent unchecked building and urbanisation is heaping new pressure on the environment, officials say. As countries mark World Environment Day on June 5, conservationists and officials say Afghanistan faces many and unique challenges. The post-Taliban...
Read the post »
Norwegian Base Weakest In Afghanistan
05 June 2008
'Norwegian Base Weakest In Afghanistan', Aftenposten, 5 June 2008
EXCERPT: "The Norwegian base at Meymaneh is less secure than similar bases belonging to other ISAF forces. "The officers are angry, and I can see why," says Vice Admiral Jan Reksten, in charge of the Norwegian contingent in Afghanistan. Faryab province in northwestern Afghanistan has become increasingly restless in recent years. Taliban strength has been growing...
Read the post »
UK Army Chief Calls for Higher Wages for Troops
05 June 2008
'UK Army Chief Dannatt Calls for Higher Wages for Troops', Bloomberg, 5 June 2008
EXCERPT: "The head of the British army called for higher wages for troops and more investment in the armed forces to support military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. General Richard Dannatt told The Sun newspaper that troops should get above-inflation pay increases and called for a debate on what proportion of national wealth should be spent on the...
Read the post »
Pakistan Suspends Talks With Tribes on Afghanistan Border
05 June 2008
'Pakistan Suspends Talks With Tribes on Afghanistan Border', The Wall Street Journal, 5 June 2008
EXCERPT: "Pakistan's new civilian government has told the Bush administration it is suspending peace negotiations with tribal groups based along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The move by Pakistan's new prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, could bolster ties between Islamabad and Washington...
Read the post »