A suicide bomber killed a deputy provincial governor and five others Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, police said. Later, a tearful President Hamid Karzai decried the violence, fretting that young people will choose to flee their country.
Top Taliban leaders have made overtures to reconcile with the Afghan government, the top commander in Afghanistan said Monday.
Afghanistan's election commission has ordered a recount of votes in some areas for recent parliamentary elections, a senior official said Sunday, raising further concerns of misconduct and fraud during the polls.
President Hamid Karzai called Thursday for the quick release of three Afghan journalists — two held by the NATO-led coalition and the other by Afghan intelligence officials.
The main Afghan election observer group said Sunday it had serious concerns about the legitimacy of this weekend's parliamentary vote because of reported fraud, even as President Hamid Karzai commended the balloting as a solid success.
The NATO command has issued new guidelines for awarding billions of dollars worth of international contracts in Afghanistan, saying that without proper oversight the money could end up in the hands of insurgents and criminals, deepen corruption and undermine efforts to win the loyalty of the Afghan people at a critical juncture in the war.
This summer, the Afghan government hosted the first International Conference on Afghanistan in Kabul. Our allies from around the world recommitted to a firm partnership with the Afghan government as we begin taking over and gradually leading the stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. We welcomed Pakistan as an important regional partner in the fight against terrorism and extremism, which destabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan alike.
Traditionalism [is] one of the things that makes Afghanistan so hard for Americans to understand. We Americans have so many traditions. For instance, our political traditions date back to the 12th-century English Parliament, if not to the Roman Senate.
