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Afghans struggle in face of drought By Mark Dummett BBC News, Kabul Deh Sabz is now arid and dusty Deh Sabz, in the local Dari language, means "green village". But this year Deh Sabz, near Kabul, like much of Afghanistan, is dusty and brown. The river beds are dry and crops are failing since the winter snows, and then the spring rains, were lighter than expected. "It's a drought. Yes we can get some water from our well, but it's not enough," explains Zahir. He uses a generator to pump water into irrigation channels that keep at least a handful...

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2006 – A bus bombing in Afghanistan killed several passengers this morning, and Operation Mountain Thrust continues in the southern portion of the country, military officials said. A bus exploded near the intersection of highways 1 and 4 in Kandahar City at about 8 a.m. today. The explosion, caused by a bomb on the bus, killed seven and injured 17. It was believed to be a deliberate attack against Afghan civilians. Afghan national security forces and coalition forces have responded by assisting with the evacuation of casualties to the Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar City. "This is a...

Afghans call for trial of US troops after crash By Peter Foster (Filed: 01/06/2006) American soldiers responsible for a fatal road accident that sparked a day of riots in Kabul, should be handed over for trial, Afghanistan's parliament voted yesterday. The motion puts further pressure on the US forces, international troops and aid agencies working in the country. Five people died in the accident on Monday, which prompted an outpouring of anti-foreign feelings. Another 20 people died and 160 were wounded in the riots that targeted the foreign presence, including an office of Oxfam. A European Union compound had to...

ANKARA, Turkey – A truck carrying illegal immigrants from Afghanistan and Bangladesh crashed into a parked transport truck Friday, killing at least 40 people, an official in southern Turkey said. The accident occurred near Osmaniye, Gov. Zubeyir Kemelek told private NTV television. At least seven people were injured. Kemelek said the driver of the truck carrying the illegal immigrants was believed to be dead. “The front of the truck is compressed. We have not been able to reach that part yet,” Kemelek said.

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2006 – Afghan civilians were injured by rockets today in Bermel, Afghanistan, and Afghan and coalition forces detained seven terrorists during a combined operation yesterday, military officials reported. The civilians were injured when two rockets were fired at a coalition forward operating base in the town of Bermel in Paktika province. An Afghan woman and child near the forward operating base suffered shrapnel wounds and are being treated by coalition forces. "The extremists, who targeted coalition forces and wounded these innocent civilians, committed an atrocious act. Rockets are indiscriminate killers used by the enemy who care nothing...

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2006 – Two civilians were wounded when terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device in Langhar Village, Afghanistan, May 11. And in other news, coalition forces found a weapons cache in the Paktya province May 9, military officials in Afghanistan reported. After the IED detonated, coalition forces rushed the two citizens to a local hospital for treatment, but their condition is unknown, officials said. The explosion also damaged a taxi. Officials said that coalition and Afghan forces continue to combat IED attacks using a three-pronged approach. It includes providing troops on the ground with the best training possible...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, April 25, 2006 – U.S. military officials from the Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team met with Ussama Osman, the eastern region head of office for the U.N. World Food Program, on April 20 to discuss cooperative efforts on projects between the two organizations. "It was a very successful meeting to develop opportunities for the PRT and WFP to work together," said PRT commander Army Lt. Col. Anthony Feagin. "Everyone committed to meeting again to share information on current and future planned projects." PRTs work in concert with the Afghan government and are responsible for assessing...

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2006 – Coalition forces sent medical personnel to provide emergency treatment to the victims of a plane crash in Afghanistan's Helmand province today, and Marines in Kunar province are giving villagers free medical treatment, military officials reported. Three people are confirmed dead and several people were injured in the plane crash, including six people taken to Kandahar Airfield for treatment. Initial reports indicate the plane attempted to avoid a truck and overran the airport runway, crashing into a nearby village. "When we were alerted that an airplane had crashed, the coalition immediately sent medical support to assist...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, April 14, 2006 – As coalition leaders continue their efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan and prevent the re-emergence of terrorism, they often turn to the Commander's Emergency Response Program, which lets them quickly improve Afghans' lives with low-cost, high-impact projects. Workers build a new aqueduct system in Afghanistan's Khost province with funds from the Commander's Emergency Response Program. The program lets coalition leaders rapidly allocate resources to address local needs. Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Such projects include rehabilitating roads and bridges, building and...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of Afghans clashed with police and soldiers Monday during a demonstration against the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in European newspapers. One person was killed and four wounded, officials said. Afghan police officers try to stop Muslim protesters during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006. Clashes in Afghanistan left one person dead and four others injured as protests against the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad roiled across Asia on Monday. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool Police fired on the demonstrators after a man in the crowd shot at them and others...

KABUL, Afghanistan - International donors have funneled billions of dollars of aid into Afghanistan in the four years since the ouster of the Taliban. But as donors prepare to meet in London next week to discuss the country's needs for the next five years, most Afghans remain mired in poverty and many are increasingly frustrated about the aid effort, amid complaints that money has been wasted. Even though hundreds of hospitals and medical clinics have been built or refurbished, Afghanistan still has some of the highest mortality rates in the world for women and children — a woman dies in...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Huge majorities of Afghans reject Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, approve the US military role in their country and are grateful to international bodies like the United Nations. The survey by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland also found strong support for President Hamid Karzai. "Clearly this (poll) is a positive portent for the struggle against extreme fundamentalism," said Steven Kull, director of PIPA. Eight-one percent Afghans polled think Al-Qaeda is a negative influence in the world, with only six percent saying Osama bin Laden's terror network has a positive impact. Osama...

The "Wolverines," joined by "Team Kodiak" and Afghan soldiers and contractors, worked to complete a 66-kilometer road project before the onset of winter. By Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan CAMP WOLVERINE, Afghanistan, Jan. 10, 2006 — Commerce, transportation and travel have always been difficult in the remote windswept mountains and valleys of Zabol Province in eastern Afghanistan. That fact, however, has recently changed. In the latter part of this past year, two U.S. Army engineer companies, the 173rd Combat Support Company and Charlie Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, took a significant step in establishing stability and economic growth outside of Qalat, the provincial...

Once one of the seediest parts of Paris, the 10th arrondisement (district) has acquired an Islamic flavour over the past few years. Here, Arab, Berber, Turkish, Bosnian, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and black African shops and cafes are bustling with customers while a daily market that extends the full length of a street reminds visitors of Casablanca or Algiers. There are numerous mosques, often consisting of nothing but small shops or converted ground floor flats. What is remarkable is the rich diversity of the various brands of Islam that exist side by side in freedom and security. These include sects...

Today, let's talk about quilts and covers of various types: redwork, patchwork, whole cloth, woven blankets, embroidered throws, bed rugs, blue work, bed hangings, crewel, or whatever.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2005 – Four years ago, America launched its counterattack against terrorism, hammering terrorist targets in Afghanistan and ushering in Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terror. That volley, launched Oct. 7, 2001, targeted far more than al Qaeda training camps and facilities and the repressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan, President Bush noted in announcing the attacks during a White House address. It sent an unmistakable message to terrorist organizations worldwide that the United States and its coalition partners refuse to live under a cloud of fear and intimidation, he said. Bush emphasized that the action...

On January 20, 2005, George W. Bush outlined the goal of his second term. "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world," he said. "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you." Less than a year later, the Bush doctrine is dead, the victim not of outside circumstances, but rather...

Extremist militias could be defeated within three years, Canadian says KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- Afghanistan's insurgency can be defeated within two or three years, a top Canadian commander said yesterday, offering a more hopeful view of the situation than other suggestions that Canadian troops would keep fighting for two decades. Colonel Steve Bowes, commander of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar, said the extremist militias that plague rural Afghanistan could be eliminated much faster than previously estimated if international donors help the country recover from years of war. "It could take two years, best-case scenario," Col. Bowes said. As he spoke,...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2005 – The people of Afghanistan successfully voted in new leaders Sept. 18. Limited violence was reported near only a handful of voting stations, military officials said. Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and international military forces ensured more than 12.5 million registered voters had an opportunity to participate in the National Assembly elections in a relatively safe and secure environment. "It's a historical day that we have today. ... It will be good for our future, and we will have a good future," Jahwedolah, an Afghan police patrolman, said. The election results will not be known...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2005 – For the third straight day, Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and coalition forces stymied enemy efforts to disrupt elections, as Afghan voters filled the more than 6,100 polling stations in every province today, military officials in the Afghan capital of Kabul reported. Afghan National Police, ANA and coalition forces detained three suspected enemy fighters in Wardak and Ghanzi provinces; discovered and destroyed at least six improvised explosive devices in Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces; fought off direct enemy attacks in Khost, Nangarhar and Paktika provinces; and discovered a weapons cache near the forward operating...