Taliban attack on prov. court leaves 21 dead 57 wounded in Mazar Afghanistan
(Reuters) - Militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons stormed a court in Afghanistan #39;s northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday and killed eight people including the...
By: TheAbdaliBacha
See original here:
Taliban attack on prov. court leaves 21 dead 57 wounded in Mazar Afghanistan - Video
At least 16 killed in 2 explosions in Afghanistan
At least sixteen people have been killed in two separate bomb explosions in Afghanistan. One blast caused by a roadside bomb killed at least a dozen people in southeastern Ghazni province....
By: PressTV News Videos
Excerpt from:
At least 16 killed in 2 explosions in Afghanistan - Video
MAZAR-E SHARIF, Afghanistan A massive portrait of a middle-aged man towers over the Ferris wheel and giant mushrooms at an amusement park here. At night, the image is bathed in an ethereal light, visible from a quarter-mile away.
His admirers call him Ustad, or Teacher. His critics call him the King.
For more than a decade, Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of Balkh province, has controlled this northern region with an iron hand, imbued with the authority of the freedom fighter he was and the ultra-rich businessman he has become. Guns, militias and guile, as well as his ability to provide security, have made him one of the countrys most formidable strongmen.
To many war-weary Afghans, former warlords such as Noor who are accused of human rights abuses yet rule with impunity have to be marginalized for the nation to move into a new era. To their supporters, these former warlords remain a bulwark against the Taliban, al-Qaeda and, possibly, the Islamic State, more vital than ever as the U.S. military mission edges to a close.
If Ustad Atta is ever replaced as governor, there will be chaos here, and it will spread to other provinces, declared Haji Abdul Wahab, a close friend who manages the park, which Noor built. Hes got a special place in the hearts of Afghan people.
Noors rise and endurance is a legacy of Americas longest war and an emblem of a fresh contest for influence. It pits the aspirations of Western-educated technocrats keen to transform Afghanistan against conservative ethnic and tribal strongmen determined to preserve the status quo. That struggle is becoming the definitive battle for the future of every aspect of the countrys affairs from forming a new cabinet to tackling rampant corruption to engaging in peace talks with the Taliban.
Theres a tug of war between two different ways of running the country, said Peter Semneby, Swedens ambassador to Afghanistan. Its the traditional patronage way of running Afghanistan against the modern way of running a country, with respect for the constitution, laws and transparency.
By the time U.S. forces left Iraq, conflict and occupation had destroyed many of the patronage networks, creating new elites. In Afghanistan, the traditional political order remains entrenched after more than 13 years of war, bolstered by American support, a weak central government and fears of a resurgent Taliban.
The ascent last year of President Ashraf Ghani, a U.S-educated former World Bank official, was widely seen as a key step in altering old notions of power. But Noor and other strongmen are challenging his efforts to strengthen the governments authority. The U.S.-brokered power-sharing deal that ushered Ghani into his position was a narrow victory for the modern way of running Afghanistan, Semneby said. But the patronage system is striking back.
The mujahideen legacy
See the rest here:
Afghanistans defining fight: Technocrats vs. strongmen
Aaj Rana Mubashir Kay Sath Will Pakistan Be Able To release Tensions Between Iran And Saudi Arabia
Watch Aaj Rana Mubashir Kay Sath 10 April 2015 Will Pakistan Be Able To release Tensions Between Iran And Saudi Arabia.. Aaj Rana Mubashir Kay Sath 10th April 2015 Will Pakistan Be Able To...
By: PTCL Smart Tv
Read the rest here:
Aaj Rana Mubashir Kay Sath Will Pakistan Be Able To release Tensions Between Iran And Saudi Arabia - Video
Iran Eases Ban On Women Attending Sporting Events
NewsBeat Social #39;s Middle East analyst Ali Al-Mshakheel discusses why Iran partially lifted a ban on women attending male sporting events.
By: NewsBeat Social
See the original post:
Iran Eases Ban On Women Attending Sporting Events - Video