30 September 2008

'Kidnappers Target The Rich, Influential In Afghanistan', AFP, 30 September 2008

EXCERPT: "Mohammed Hashim Wahaaj, a large Afghan doctor with a bushy beard, thought he was going to die. During more than 20 days of torture they came down from their original ransom of five million dollars and Wahaaj -- the wealthy owner of one of Afghanistan's best diagnostic centres -- was finally freed, for a sum he will not disclose. He says his abductors...

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30 September 2008

'Karzai Seeks Saudi Help In Taliban Peace Talks', The Associated Press, 30 September 2008

EXCERPT: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday he has asked the king of Saudi Arabia to help facilitate peace talks with the Taliban in order to bring an end to the Afghan conflict. Karzai said there has not yet been any negotiations, only requests for help. But he said that Afghan officials have traveled to both Saudi Arabia and to Pakistan...

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30 September 2008

'2011 Pullout Not Cutting And Running: MacKay', CTV News, 30 September 2008

EXCERPT: "Defence Minister Peter MacKay dismissed the suggestion that the decision to pull out of Afghanistan by 2011 is akin to cutting and running. His comments followed a statement by military mom Connie Perchaluk who said Canada must not abandon its work in Afghanistan until the job is complete. MacKay said the decision respects the will of the Canadian Parliament...

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30 September 2008

'Pakistan Cleans Up "Pro-Taliban" Spy Agency', The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 September 2008

EXCERPT: "Pakistan has replaced the head of its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in an apparent effort to clean up the military spy agency amid western claims that it secretly backs the Taliban. The move came as the United Nations said fighting between the Pakistani military and pro-Taliban insurgents forced 20,000 people to...

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