NATO chief pledges to uphold Afghan women’s rights

COPENHAGEN: NATO will support a political deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban only if it respects the constitutional rights of women, the alliance’s secretary-general said on Friday.

“The Afghan government is trying hard to engage with those Taliban who are willing to stop fighting,” NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a speech to a conference on women and security.

“My position, and the position of all the allies, is very clear: we will never support any political deal that sacrifices the rights that Afghan women now have enshrined in the constitution,” Rasmussen said.

He said it was a good sign that women are serving on the council formed to manage the reconciliation process.

“In a country as deeply conservative as Afghanistan, that is real progress,” Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen, a former prime minister of

Nadal edges closer to first U.S. Open final

NEW YORK: For the third year in a row, Rafa Nadal is through to the semi-finals of the U.S. Open. The one title he needs to complete his grand slam collection is now tantalisingly close.

Nadal booked his place in the last four by thrashing his fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-5 6-3 6-4 on Thursday. The pair are supposedly great friends, so pity Nadal’s enemies.

The world number one has never made it to the final at Flushing Meadows before, more often a victim of the hardcourts than his rivals, but it only seems a matter of time.

The prospect of the ultimate grand slam final is looming larger than ever. Nadal and Roger Federer have already played each other in the finals at Wimbledon, Australia and Paris but never in New York.

The pair still need to win their semi-finals on Saturday but it will take a monumental performance to stop either of

Karzai calls on Mullah Umar to join peace talks

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai Friday called on Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar to stop fighting and join peace talks aimed at ending the long war in Afghanistan.

“We hope Mullah Mohammad Omar Akhund joins the peace process, gives up fratricide, gives up bombings and blasts, stops causing casualties to Afghanistan’s children, women and men,” he said, using Omar’s religious title.

Karzai was speaking at the presidential palace at a traditional post-prayers gathering of government ministers and officials to mark the first day of the Eid holiday that follows the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Karzai last week announced that he had set up a council to pursue peace talks with the Taliban, who have been waging an insurgency in Afghanistan for almost nine years.

The formation of the High Peace Council was “a significant step towards peace

Pakistan and Afghan Ties Improving: FM Zalmay Rasul

MUNICH: Foreign Minister Zalmay Rasul said ties were improving with Pakistan and curbing terrorism and militancy is a difficult task.

In an interview with foreign news agency, improving ties with neighboring countries is top priority of Afghan government. Terrorism issue could not be resolved without mutual efforts among the countries of the region.

“We are in the phase of trust-building, confidence-building between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.

He said a secure, peaceful and democratic Afghanistan was no threat to Pakistan. “The Pakistan too was suffering militant violence.

“So we have started a deep strategic discussion and we will continue to do it.It is a beginning,” Rasul said.

Afghanistan will not pay bribes to persuade Taliban footsoldiers to stop fighting, but will help them to reintegrate into Afghan society and find jobs, Zalmay added.

---

Pakistan and Afghan Ties Improving: FM Zalmay Rasul was first posted on February 6, 2010 at 5:28 pm.