At least 6 Americans killed in 'gunfight,' Afghan official says, Posted by Meosha Eaton

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- At least six American service members died in a "gunfight" Wednesday at an airport in the Afghan capital, an Afghan military official told CNN.

"A 50-year-old man opened fire at armed U.S. military soldiers inside the airport after an argument between them turned serious," said Col. Baha Dur, chief of the public relations for the Afghan National Army at Kabul military airport.

The Afghan Defense Ministry said the incident, which occurred inside the Afghan national army base, stems from an argument between an Afghan pilot and an international colleague.

Two killed, dozens hurt in third day of Afghan protests, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Ismail Sameem

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 3 (Reuters) - Two policemen were killed and more than 30 people wounded in the southern city of Kandahar on Sunday during the third day of violent protests across Afghanistan against the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist U.S. pastor, officials said.

Violence at earlier demonstrations claimed more than 20 lives. Ten people were killed and more than 80 wounded in Kandahar on Saturday. Seven foreign U.N. staff and five Afghan protesters were killed on Friday after demonstrators overran an office in normally peaceful Mazar-i-Sharif city in the north.

On Sunday, hundreds of people had marched through Kandahar, towards another U.N. office, on the second day of protests in the city after U.S. preacher Terry Jones had supervised the burning of a copy of the Koran in front of about 50 people at a church in Florida on March 20.

"The information I have is that two policemen have been killed and 20 others, including police, protesters and citizens, have been wounded," Ahmad Wali Karzai, head of the Kandahar provincial council, told Reuters. [ID:nL3E7F304J]

Another 14 people, including two children, were wounded when protesters seized a gas cannister taken from a shop and set it on fire, causing an explosion, Zalmay Ayoubi, the spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor said.

There were also peaceful demonstrations in Kabul, western Herat city, Jalalabad city in the east and northern Tahar province, and it initially appeared that Sunday's march in Kandahar would also finish without incident.

The governor had promised a strong police presence and many of the morning's demonstrators had drifted away before violence broke out in the early afternoon.

ANGER

Afghan and foreign officials said insurgent infiltrators had sparked the killings, although a Taliban spokesman said they were driven by spontaneous emotion.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Congress to condemn the burning of the Koran and prevent it from happening again.

Karzai made the request at a meeting with U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry and General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the presidential palace said in a statement.

"The American Congress and Senate must condemn this in clear words, show their stance, and prevent such incidents from happening again," the statement said.

Eikenberry read to Karzai from U.S. President Barack Obama's earlier condemnation of the Koran burning, the statement said.

Obama denounced the act of burning a Koran but did not mention Jones by name. [ID:nN02176347]

On Sunday, Petraeus joined the condemnation being voiced by many other political and religious leaders, urging Afghans to understand only a small number of people had been disrespectful to the Koran and Islam.

"We condemn, in particular, the action of an individual in the United States who recently burned the Holy Koran," Petraeus said in a statement, which was also signed by NATO's senior civilian representative, ambassador Mark Sedwill.

"We also offer condolences to the families of all those injured and killed in violence which occurred in the wake of the burning of the Holy Koran," he said.

Around 1,000 people blocked the main highway from Kabul to Jalalabad earlier on Sunday and burned U.S. flags.

"We want the preacher who burnt the holy Koran to get a severe punishment," said 20-year-old protester Jalil Ahmad. "He is not a human being, he is a brain-dead animal."

In an interview with Reuters on Saturday, Jones was unrepentant and defiantly vowed to lead an anti-Islam protest outside the biggest mosque in the United States later this month. [ID:nN02151107]

The Taliban said in a statement on Sunday that Afghans were still ready to give their lives to protest against an offence that it said the West was not taking seriously.

"The U.S. government should have punished the perpetrators, but the American authorities and those in other countries not only did not have a serious reaction, but defended (the burning) to some extent in the name of freedom of religion and speech," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. (Reporting by Ismail Sameem; Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Paul Tait)

Afghan leader calls on US Congress to condemn Koran burning, Posted by Meosha Eaton

KABUL, April 3 (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Sunday for the U.S. Congress to condemn the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist U.S. pastor and prevent it from happening again, his office said in a statement.

Karzai made the request at a meeting with U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry and General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the statement said.

Eikenberry read to Karzai from U.S. President Barack Obama's earlier condemnation of the Koran burning, the statement said, but did not include any response from the Afghan leader. (Reporting by Hamid Shalizi, writing by Emma Graham-Harrison)

Update: Obama calls killings in Afghanistan outrageous, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday described as "outrageous" the killings in Afghanistan triggered after the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist Christian preacher in the United States.

"The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

"However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity," he said.

At least 10 people have been killed and 83 wounded in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, officials said on Saturday, on a second day of violent protests over the actions of extremist Christian preacher Terry Jones, who supervised the burning of the Koran in front of about 50 people at a church in Florida on March 20, according to his website.

A suicide attack also hit a NATO military base in the capital Kabul, the day after protesters overran a U.N. mission in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and killed seven foreign staff, in the deadliest attack on the U.N. in Afghanistan.

"No religion tolerates the slaughter and beheading of innocent people, and there is no justification for such a dishonorable and deplorable act," Obama said.

"Now is a time to draw upon the common humanity that we share, and that was so exemplified by the U.N. workers who lost their lives trying to help the people of Afghanistan."

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Will Dunham)

Obama calls killings in Afghanistan outrageous, Posted by Meosha Eaton

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday described as "outrageous" the killings in Afghanistan triggered after the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist Christian preacher in the United States.

"The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

"However, to attack and kill innocent people in response is outrageous, and an affront to human decency and dignity," he said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Will Dunham)

UN News: UN urges protection for Afghan civilians as deaths hit record high , Posted by Menelik Zeleke

9 March 2011 – Ordinary Afghans continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing conflict in the country, says a United Nations report released today that points to a 15 per cent rise in the death toll last year and urges greater efforts by all parties to protect civilians. There were 2,777 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2010, according to the 2010 Annual Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, prepared by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. Over the past four years, 8,832 civilians have been killed in the conflict with civilian deaths increasing each year. “We urge all parties to the armed conflict – the anti-government elements, the Government of Afghanistan and international military forces – to do far more in 2011 to comply with their legal responsibilities to protect civilians,” Georgette Gagnon, head of UNAMA’s Human Rights Unit, told a news conference in Kabul. “2011 should be a year of escalating civilian protection, not another year of increasing civilian casualties,” she added. Anti-government elements were linked to 2,080 civilian deaths (75 per cent of all civilian deaths), up 28 per cent from 2009, while pro-government forces were linked to 440 civilian deaths (16 per cent), down 26 per cent from 2009. Nine per cent of civilian deaths in 2010 could not be attributed to any party to the conflict. Suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices killed the most Afghan civilians in the conflict in 2010, taking 1,141 lives, or 55 per cent of civilian deaths attributed to anti-government elements. In the most alarming trend, the report finds that 462 civilians were assassinated by anti-government elements, up 105 per cent from 2009. Half of civilian assassinations took place in southern Afghanistan, with a 588 per cent increase in 2010 in Helmand province and a 248 per cent increase in Kandahar province. “In a year of intensified armed conflict, with a surge of activity by pro-government forces and increased use of improvised explosive devices and assassinations by anti-government elements, Afghan civilians paid the price with their lives in even greater numbers in 2010,” said Ivan Šimonovic, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. Among tactics used by pro-government forces, aerial attacks continued to have the highest human cost in 2010, killing 171 civilians or 39 per cent of total civilian deaths linked to pro-government forces. However, in spite of a significant increase in the use of air assets by pro-government forces in 2010, the proportion of civilian deaths attributed to aerial attacks by pro-government forces fell sharply by 52 per cent compared to 2009. Among some 25 recommendations put forth by UNAMA and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, they urge anti-government elements to immediately cease targeting civilians and withdraw orders that permit attacks and killings of civilians. They also recommend that the Government establish a standing, professional body with powers to respond to major incidents of civilian casualties and authority to interact with all interested parties on information sharing, investigations and findings. In addition, they call on the international military forces to undertake thorough, impartial and transparent investigations into all incidents involving civilian casualties, report promptly on their results and take action against anyone found responsible for human rights violations.

Action on Libya needs international backing, Posted by Meosha Eaton

KABUL, March 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates cautioned on Monday that any foreign military intervention in the crisis in Libya should have international backing.

Gates, speaking during a trip to Afghanistan, said developments in the Middle East had demonstrated the ruthlessness of Iranian security forces towards protesters in Iran.

(Reporting by Missy Ryan; Editing by Paul Tait)

Obama says deeply regrets Afghan civilian deaths, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Civilian casualties a big issue for Afghans
* A terrible mistake - top U.S. general says
* "Undermine shared efforts," Obama says
(Updates with White House statement, paragraphs 3-5)
By Jonathon Burch

KABUL, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama expressed "deep regret" over an air strike in Afghanistan that killed nine children, the Afghan presidency said on Thursday.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's palace said in a statement that Obama had offered his condolences during a video conference the previous evening.

The White House in Washington said the two leaders spoke for an hour and that Obama stressed to Karzai that he and top U.S. General David Petraeus take such incidents seriously.

"President Obama and President Karzai agreed that such incidents undermine our shared efforts in fighting terrorism," the White House.

Their conversation also covered efforts toward preparing for Afghanistan to take the lead on security in the country and the beginning of U.S. troop reductions in July.
Civilian casualties caused by NATO-led and Afghan forces hunting insurgents are one of the biggest complaints of ordinary Afghans and have driven a wedge between President Hamid Karzai and his main ally, Washington.

There have been at least four incidents of civilian casualties in eastern Afghanistan in the past two weeks in which Afghan officials say more than 80 people have died. Karzai and Afghan lawmakers have strongly criticised the attacks.

Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces, delivered a rare and candid apology late on Wednesday for the raid in eastern Kunar province the previous day in which nine children gathering firewood were gunned down by attack helicopters.

On Thursday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) distributed CDs with a recorded television statement in English and Afghanistan's two main languages from Petraeus's deputy, U.S. Lieutenant General David Rodriguez.

"On behalf of the coalition ... I want to offer my sincere apology for the killing of nine children in Dara-ya-Pech district in Kunar province," said Rodriguez, who commands day-to-day operations in Afghanistan.

"The helicopters identified what they thought were insurgents, killing nine ... immediately we sent an assessment team, the assessment team confirmed the worst, we had made a terrible mistake."

AFGHANS SAY APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED
While U.S. and NATO-led forces have acknowledged killing civilians in the past, the apologies from such senior U.S. officials indicate how much civilian deaths are hampering efforts to end a war now in its 10th year.

ISAF acknowledgments of civilian casualties over the past year have normally consisted of set statements that also highlight that insurgents are responsible for the majority of civilian deaths.

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan rose 20 percent to 6,215 in the first 10 months of 2010 compared with 2009, according to the United Nations, with insurgents responsible for more than three-quarters of those killed or wounded.

But it is those deaths caused by international troops which anger ordinary Afghans the most. While they do not condone them, many Afghans say militants attacks would not happen if international troops were not in Afghanistan.

Some felt the apologies were not enough. "It is not the first time they have killed our poor and innocent people, we don't accept their apologies," said one angry Kabul resident, Enyatullah Khan.

"They have apologised in the past but continue killing our people again and again."
Habibullah, another Kabul resident said: "NATO cannot control this country with bombardments. We have experience of 30 years of war ... bombardments are not the solution."

(Additional reporting by Abdul Saboor, and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; editing by Paul Tait, Jon Hemming and Mohammad Zargham)

Bahrain army withdrawn, police attack protesters, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Army ordered to stand down, police to keep order
* Police disperse protesters trying to regain Pearl Square
* Shi'ite bloc wanted troop withdrawal before any dialogue
(Recasts, adds Shi'ite MPs, union strike call, hospital)
By Cynthia Johnston and Frederik Richter

MANAMA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Bahraini troops and armoured vehicles on Saturday rolled out of a Manama square that had been a base for anti-government protesters, meeting one opposition condition for a dialogue proposed by the king. But when a few protesters tried to regain their former stronghold in Pearl Square, police beat them back. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. One man raced to the centre of the traffic circle, fell to his knees to kiss the yellowed grass and began praying as other protesters celebrated. Moments later, 10 police cars pulled up and policemen beat up one protester and fired teargas. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. Troops in tanks and armoured vehicles took over the traffic circle on Thursday after riot police attacked protesters who had camped out there, killing four people and wounding 231. Bahrain's crown prince announced that all troops had been ordered off the streets and that police would maintain order. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Factbox on protesters' demands [ID:nLDE71E1RA] Interactive factbox http://link.reuters.com/puk87r For related stories on Mideast unrest click [ID:nLDE71F0BK] Analysis on regional financial impact [ID:nLDE71E0YN] Background analysis on Bahrain politics [ID:nLDE7170WL] Factbox on political risks in Bahrain [ID:nRISKBH] Factbox on political actors in Bahrain [ID:nLDE6780D9] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> "That's a very positive step," Jasim Hussain, a member of the main Shi'ite Wefaq bloc that quit parliament on Thursday, told Reuters. "They're trying to ease the tensions. I don't know whether it will be sufficient." Wefaq had earlier rejected a call by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa for a national dialogue to end the unrest that has rocked Bahrain since Monday, saying troops must be withdrawn first, among other conditions. Another Wefaq lawmaker said the troop pullout was not enough by itself. "There's no difference if people are killed by the military or by the security forces," said Ibrahim Mattar. "STOP KILLING PEOPLE" "We hope to hear a clear message from the government that it will stop killing people who are protesting peacefully." Mattar said the king must accept the "concept" of constitutional monarchy, as well as withdrawing the military. "Then we can go for a temporary government of new faces that would not include the current interior or defence ministers." He reiterated an opposition demand for the king to fire his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, prime minister since Bahrain gained its independence in 1971.

"We are not going to enter a dialogue as Shi'ites," Mattar said. "They try to put the issue in this frame. The dialogue should be with all people who were protesting. Some are liberal, non-Islamic. Some are Sunni and some Shi'ite." Shi'ites, who make up about 70 percent of Bahraini nationals feel cut out of decision-making in the Sunni-ruled state and complain of discrimination in access to state jobs and housing. On Friday, the king offered a national dialogue with all parties to try to end the turmoil fuelled by Shi'ite grievances in which six people have been killed and hundreds wounded. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to King Hamad on Friday, condemning the violence and urging the government to show restraint and respect the rights of its people. MILITARY ORDERED TO WITHDRAW "Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has ordered the withdrawal of all military from the streets of Bahrain with immediate effect," a statement said on Saturday. "The Bahrain police force will continue to oversee law and order."

More than 60 people were in hospital with wounds sustained on Friday when security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square, then still in military hands. Also on Friday, Shi'ite mourners buried the four people killed in the raid on Pearl Square, which protesters had hoped to turn into a base like Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of a revolt that ousted Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced concern about reports on violence by the security forces. "I urge the Bahraini authorities to respect fundamental human rights including freedom of expression and the right to assemble freely," she said, appealing to all parties to use restraint.

Young activists had also called for an open-ended strike from Sunday and the closure of all public and private schools on a Facebook page called the "February 14 revolution in Bahrain". They demanded that protesters be allowed back into Pearl Square, the release of all political prisoners and word on the fate of missing people, as well as the resignations of the defence and interior ministers and the security chief. A naval base near Manama that hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet helps the United States to project power across the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Fleet spokesman said there was no significant impact on operations and Jennifer Stride, spokeswoman for the U.S. naval base, said no evacuation of families was planned. The United States is caught between the desire for stability in an ally seen as a bulwark against Iran and the need to uphold the people's right to express their grievances. The unrest in Bahrain, a minor non-OPEC oil producer and regional banking hub, has shaken confidence in the economy. In 1999, King Hamad introduced a constitution allowing elections for a parliament with some powers, but royals still dominate a cabinet led by the king's uncle for 40 years.

(Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Manama, Ross Colvin in Washington and Charlie Dunmore in Brussels; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Mubarak promise comes after private Obama message, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Special envoy for Obama urged transition in power
* Analysts question if Mubarak vow will satisfy clamor
* Influential U.S. lawmakers added to pressure on Mubarak (New throughout with more details)

By Caren Bohan and Andrew Quinn
WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - President Hosni Mubarak's speech announcing he will not seek reelection in September came after Washington delivered its clearest message yet that he should bow to popular pressure and prepare to transfer power.
After days of pressing Mubarak to address the grievances of his people, Obama sent an envoy to privately urge the Egyptian president on Tuesday to prepare for a transition of power.

Hours later, Obama and his advisers watched a recorded speech by Mubarak in which the Egyptian leader said he would not run for the presidency in September and would work in the last months of his term to allow the transfer of power.

Obama, who is to deliver remarks on Egypt later on Tuesday, has sought to balance his desire to see reform with concern that change take place in an orderly fashion in Egypt, a longtime U.S. ally in the region and the most populous Arab nation.

It was far from clear that the path to transfer power that Mubarak laid out would satisfy the hundreds of thousands of protesters who had gathered across Egypt earlier in the day to call on him step down immediately.

"It won't work. This just really won't work," Elliot Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser, told CNN.

ORDERLY TRANSITION
"I can't see anybody in Tahrir Square accepting that he will be president for eight more months and that he would, after 30 years, be trusted to be the man in charge of the democratic transition. Why would anyone believe that?"

Former U.S. ambassador Frank Wisner met with Mubarak earlier and delivered a message about the need to prepare for an orderly transition, according to U.S. officials.
Critics have accused the U.S. administration of being slow to grasp the scale of upheaval in Egypt after similar protests toppled nearby Tunisia's longtime president on Jan. 14.

The Obama administration reached out on Tuesday, not only to Mubarak, but to other key players on both sides of the crisis.

The U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Margaret Scobey, spoke to Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition figure who has seen rising support from a broad swath of Egyptian groups.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates spoke with Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's defense minister. The Pentagon declined to give details about the call.
Oil prices jumped above $102 per barrel on Tuesday amid concern about port disruptions in Egypt.

ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, returned to Egypt last week and has since seen growing support from opposition groups, including the banned Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood, Christians, intellectuals and others.
Edward Walker, a former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel, said there may be little patience among Egyptians for a graceful exit for Mubarak.

"I think we are going to see continuing demands for his immediate ouster," Walker said.
"UNREALISTIC"

Some U.S. lawmakers also reacted with skepticism to Mubarak's announcement. The U.S. senator who oversees foreign aid said Mubarak had no credibility to oversee Egypt's transition, and he renewed a threat to withhold aid from Egypt if it necessary to push for democracy there.

"President Mubarak's decision to stand down from future leadership of the government is welcome, but his continued role in Egypt's transition is unrealistic," said Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that approves U.S. foreign aid.

"We (the United States) should do what we can to support a transition to democracy including, if it becomes necessary, withholding aid to the government," Leahy, a Democrat, said.

Senator John Kerry, a Democrat who is close to Obama, said Mubarak had made an important announcement about bringing his presidency to an end, but "...it remains to be seen whether this is enough to satisfy the demands of the Egyptian people for change."

Mubarak should now work with the military and civil society to establish a caretaker government, Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

Kerry, in an opinion piece in the New York Times published earlier on Tuesday, had called on Mubarak to quit power.

But Obama and his aides have been reticent about publicly urging Mubarak, 82, to step down, in part of concern that it would unsettle other authoritarian U.S. allies in the region.

Brian Katulis, security analyst at the Center for American Progress, said Mubarak's move was the start of a "very complicated political transition and negotiated process."
"It is unclear what comes next," Katulis said. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Phil Stewart and David Alexander; writing by Caren Bohan; editing by Mohammad Zargham, Frances Kerry and Eric Walsh)

Bomb explosion in popular supermarket frequented by Westerners in Afghanistan - 8 people killed

An explosion set off in a  popular Afghanistan Supermarket was also within a significant distance of several Embassies.  The Taliban is claiming responsibility for this bombing and claims the attack was against a US based securities contractor.

Posted by Meosha Eaton, courtesy of Early Show, CBS News