Afghans protest civilian casualties; Kurds host reconciliation conference

Afghans protest civilian casualties

Protesters stormed government buildings in the western Afghan province of Farah in opposition to civilian casualties allegedly caused by U.S. airstrikes.

A skirmish between protesters and local police broke out in sporadic gunfire Thursday, and health officials said at least four people were hurt in the demonstrations, Voice of America reports.

Farah residents were protesting U.S. airstrikes in the region, which local officials said killed more than 100 people, most of them civilians.

U.S. Army Gen. David McKiernan, the NATO commander in Afghanistan, said evidence suggested Taliban insurgents may be responsible for the civilian casualties, pointing to the recent beheading of three local officials.

McKiernan added he ordered a joint U.S.-Afghan team to investigate the claims while U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in the country Wednesday to examine efforts to avoid collateral damage.

The increase in civilian casualties allegedly from U.S. military strikes is a point of contention between Kabul and Washington.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, offered her deep concern for the casualties during a trilateral summit with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Washington.

"I wish to express my personal regret and certainly the sympathy of our administration on the loss of civilian life in Afghanistan," Clinton said.

The United Nations said civilian casualties in Afghanistan have increased in recent years, and several human rights agencies have questioned the U.S. commitment to avoid such calamities.

Lawmakers: Pakistan needs to step up

Success in Afghanistan requires a long-term U.S. military commitment and a sea change in the strategic climate in neighboring Pakistan, U.S. lawmakers said.

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled the latest strategy for Afghanistan earlier this year, ordering thousands of troops to supplement a civilian surge targeting reconstruction efforts.

Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Saxby Chambliss write for the McClatchy news service that while the short-term strategy is "commendable," the key to success in Afghanistan lies in a long-term commitment and a revitalized strategic assessment from the Pakistani military.

The lawmakers noted the primary objective in Afghanistan remains the same in 2009 as it was in 2001 -- defeating al-Qaida. But instead of defeat, U.S. and international forces have pushed militants across the border into the Pakistani tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.

"This lawless haven allows them to regroup, launch attacks in Afghanistan and retreat back across an undefended border that the area's indigenous people have never recognized," they wrote.

McConnell and Chambliss called on Pakistan to turn its military attention away from India, its longtime foe, and toward al-Qaida and Taliban militants in the tribal regions or face a collapse of the fledgling democratic government.

"No matter what, the U.S. must succeed in obtaining a stronger commitment from Pakistan to battle these militants," they wrote.

Their comments came as Pakistani military forces launched a major military offensive to tackle insurgents in the Swat Valley.

No miracles in Afghanistan

The effort to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan requires a united effort in military and non-military strategies, the U.S. national security adviser said.

In what has become termed the AFPAK strategy, Washington has linked the reconstruction and stabilization in Afghanistan to tackling the growing Taliban insurgency threatening the government in Pakistan.

U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled his regional strategy earlier in the year, calling for a modest troop surge to complement non-military efforts in both countries.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Washington earlier this week for a series of trilateral meetings aimed at tackling regional instability with a united front.

"I have long said that we cannot meet these challenges in isolation, nor delay the action, nor deny the resources necessary to get the job done," Obama said during the meeting. "And that's why we have a comprehensive strategy for the region with civilian and military components."

Gen. James Jones, U.S. national security adviser, stressed the unified effort to reporters on Capitol Hill, saying the strategy involved a trilateral effort in all levels of government, not just the military.

"It's important to occasionally remind ourselves that this is a common struggle, and we're approaching it that way," he said.

Critics of the Obama strategy say the effort requires a long-term commitment to avoid repeating past mistakes in Afghanistan that allowed insurgents to move into the security vacuum created by complacency.

Jones noted Washington had no expectations regional security would come with minimal effort, however.

"Miracles will not happen, so this won't happen quickly," he said. "But with a common focus, we can make strides hopefully in the near future."

Kurds host reconciliation conference

Officials from the Baghdad central government joined their Kurdish and foreign counterparts in Erbil for a three-day summit on national reconciliation.

The Iraqi and Kurdish parliaments, central and regional government officials and a delegation from Italy and Greece met in Erbil for a conference the Kurdistan Regional Government titled "From Totalitarianism to Democracy."

Speaker of the KRG Parliament Adnan al-Mufti addressed attendees, saying reconciliation required comprehensive measures not only from Iraq but from the international community, the Voices of Iraq news agency reports.

"The reconciliation process requires that people participate," he said. "Democracy in Iraq requires strong relations with neighboring countries."

Tensions remain high between the KRG and the central government in Baghdad. Both are at odds over the administrative authority in the so-called disputed territories in Iraq, which include parts of Ninawa and Diyala provinces.

Those tensions nearly erupted into violence last summer as Iraqi forces met with the Kurdish Peshmerga in the city of Khanaqin in the north of Diyala province.

The United Nations has intervened in an attempt to settle constitutional measures enacted to mediate those disputes, but recent U.N. reports were met with opposition over some of their recommendations.

The lingering dispute is complicating Iraq's regional ties -- notably in the oil sector, where exports are inhibited by a failure to agree on a national hydrocarbon law.

The reconciliation conference is expected to last into the weekend.

Maliki exudes confidence

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki described the spate of attacks in his country as a political manifestation of a frustrated opposition.

In recent weeks, Iraq has witnessed some of the worst outbreaks of violence in years. A car bomb killed at least 15 people in Baghdad as merchants gathered for business Wednesday morning.

In an interview with the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, Maliki describes the latest attacks as political, saying various groups are trying to send the message that Iraq is not on the path to recovery.

"Such acts are in fact political acts whether they were supported by local political currents or an international political power," he said.

He noted the nature of the attacks suggested heavy-handed military efforts were no longer necessary, adding the decrease in territory claimed by insurgents suggests intelligence is needed more than military hardware.

Baghdad has said it remains committed to bilateral agreements with the United States, calling on American forces to pull out of Iraqi cities by June 30. Maliki added that commitment extended to all of Iraq, despite continued threats from al-Qaida, notably in the northern city of Mosul.

On the ongoing disputes between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government, Maliki stressed national reconciliation is not a bilateral issue but one that includes all Iraqis working toward a common goal.

"It is a call upon all Iraqis to sit together and come to an agreement on all matters because that is the only solution for any crisis the country might face," he said.

His comments come as his power base in Iraq increases with substantial gains in the provincial governments following the January elections. Maliki said his decision on whether to seek another term in office would depend on that continued success.

Amnesty blasts Iraqi executions

Amnesty International lent its voice to a growing chorus of criticism against a decision by Iraqi authorities to execute 12 people on Sunday.

"Amnesty International is urging the authorities to commute all death sentences and to establish an immediate moratorium on executions," said Malcolm Smart, director of the group's Middle East and North Africa Program. "Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases."

Iraqi authorities upheld the death sentences for 128 people handed down by Baghdad and other courts under Iraqi anti-terrorism laws concerning murder and kidnapping.

Amnesty said the courts confirmed in March that Iraq had ratified the executions.

Amnesty joins the United Nations in condemning the reinstatement of the death penalty following an 18-month de facto moratorium on executions.

Coalition Provisional Authority Administrator L. Paul Bremer suspended capital punishment in 2003 following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Baghdad resumed executions in 2004, however, hanging Saddam in 2006. Several other members of the former regime face execution, including Ali Hassan al-Majid, a Sunni known as "Chemical Ali" who was sentenced to death for his role in the 1992 deaths of 42 merchants accused of exploiting market conditions under a U.N. sanctions regime and for atrocities committed against the Kurdish population.

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(dgraeber@upi.com)