Local forces back in control in one of Afghanistan provinces

Bamiyan (map, from bbcimg.co.uk) is the first of seven areas has been handed over by Nato to Afghan security forces. The handover is part of a plan announced in March by Afghan president Hamid Karzai.

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Karzai : US apology for civilian deaths is ‘not enough’

After nine children were killed on Tuesday in a Nato air strike in Afghanistan, the country’s president Hamid Karzai has told the US commander of foreign troops in Afghanistan that his apology is “not enough”.

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Possible fraud in Afghan elections

As election officials in Afghanistan continue to tally votes after a crucial parliamentary poll, fears of fraud are growing. (photo, from aljazeera.net)

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Nato-led offensive against Taliban

The biggest offensive in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 has been launched, and Nato-led forces say they are making good progress. (photo, from aljazeera.net)

More than 15,000 US, UK and Afghan troops swept into the Helmand districts of Marjah and Nad Ali among clashes, in a bid to secure government control.

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MPs reject many of Karzai’s new nominees

More than half of Hamid Karzai’s new nominees for cabinet posts have been rejected by the Afghan parliament. In this new vote, 10 of 17 new nominees were rejected (photo, from bbc.co.uk). This vote came two weeks after MPs turned down most of Karzai’s first choices.

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Karzai submits new list of ministers to parliament

Afghan president Hamid Karzai, has presented a new list of cabinet ministers to parliament (photo, from aljazeera.net). A week ago, legislators rejected two-thirds of the president’s nominees.

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Afghan army in need of US funds for 15 years

15 years is what it will take to Afghanistan before being able to pay for the cost of its own security forces, warned president Hamid Karzai.

After talking with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates (photo, from aljazeera.net), the Afghan president said he hoped the US and the international community would continue funding them.

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Karzai declared elected president

Poll officials scrapped the planned second round of the Afghan presidential election, and declared Hamid Karzai (right on the photo, from aljazeera.net) the elected president.

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Karzai rival withdraws from run-off

“I will not participate in the election,” Dr Abdullah told supporters. (photo, from aljazeera.net)

Hamid Karzai’s rival announced his withdrawal from the second round of the Afghan presidential election, arguing that his demands for ensuring a fraud-free election had not been met.

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No ‘outright win’ for Karzai

Hamid Karzai did not gain enough valid votes for an outright win, according to a panel probing fraud claims in the Afghan election.

Although preliminary results from August’s first round had placed Karzai comfortably over the 50% plus one vote threshold needed to avoid a run-off, the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) recommended that ballots from 210 polling stations be discounted.

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