1. Current News
The daily News reports that the planned formation of a 70,000-strong Afghan army, recently announced by President Karzai, will take several years and will not be possible without substantial foreign aid. According to President Karzai, Iran, Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to meet with Afghan leaders in Kabul on December 22 to sign an accord aimed at fostering regional cooperation and security. Pakistan and Afghanistan have reportedly finalized an agreement to repatriate at least 1.2 million Afghan refugees over the next three years from camps along their common border.
"Afghan army sans foreign aid impossible"
"Afghanistan, neighbours to ink security pact on 22nd"
"Pak-Afghan accord on repatriation of refugees"
According to the Turkish commander of the multinational force, Major General Hilmi Akin Zorlu, "after almost each incident [of missile attacks] we've been receiving some proposals to buy some [Stinger] rockets or missiles.'' The Agency Coordination Body for Afghan Relief believes that US military's involvement in reconstruction work could undermine existing aid efforts.
"Peacekeepers offered sale of Stinger missiles"
"Aid body condemns US Afghan plans"
According to Zalmay Khalilzad, special US envoy for Afghanistan, Mulla Omar's son-in-law has been captured in Afghanistan. Veteran reporter Rahimullah Yusufzai finds Khalilzad's claim strange since Mullah Omar "didn't have a daughter of marriageable age."
"Mulla Omar's son-in-law nabbed, al-Qaeda hunt ongoing"
"Mystery of Mulla Omar's son-in-law"