On air: Is President Karzai the biggest barrier to peace in Afghanistan?

The US Ambassador to Kabul is advising President Barack Obama not to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan, until President Karzai’s government proves it will tackle corruption.

On air: Do you trust the Afghan election result ?

 

The Afghan Ambassador to the US Said Tayeb Jawad told the World Today programme that the recent elections were a success  … and that the real winners were the Afghan people. You can listen to the clip here:

This person — an Afghan election observer — is sharing some of that optimism – at least to a certain degree.  They say, “it is clear that Afghanistan is having significant issues with the way this election was conducted. But in one city, looking through one straw, it looked as if it went pretty well.”

But not everyone is feeling quite so sure.

Can the Pakistan Taliban survive the “death” of Baitullah Mehsud?

“We both are alive,” says Taliban commander Wali-ur-Rehman. He might find that the US, Pakistan and its neighbours  in the region beg to differ. They are pretty confident that the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud is very much dead.

That’s what so  many of you have been talking about around the world and on this blog.  We touched on this story on Friday during the first half of our programme, but unfortunately telephone lines didn’t work in our favour. It’s still been one of the biggest stories of the weekend. Is he dead? If he isn’t should Taliban prove it? And if he is, can the Taliban survive his death or is the leadership of this organisation more than just about one man?

Are you celebrating Baitullah Mehsud’s death?

There are strong indications that a top Pakistani Taliban leader was killed in a US air attack in the South Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan. The White House has just said although they can’t confirm the death, there seems to be a growing consensus that Baitullah Mehsud had been killed.

On air: Is Islamic extremism Africa’s newest fear?

150 people were killed in Northern Nigeria after two days of violence. Residents in the state of Borno said that Islamic militants burnt a police station, a church and a customs office early yesterday.

The group, which calls itself Taliban, emerged in Nigeria in 2004. It has never been clear if it has proper links to the Taliban in Afghanistan but its leaders profess allegiance to and admiration of Osama bin Laden.

Talking Points 31st October

Should the world talk to the Taliban? Governments in the region are certainly entertaining the thought, but as attacks continue like this one against the Afghan government – should this even be considered? Tom has been working hard over the last couple of days to set up a programme where you can speak directly to a spokesman from the Taliban.

Talking Points 30th October

Good morning/afternoon/evening – while the US and Pakistan authorities consider talking to the Taleban, they strike again. The Taliban’s spokesman says dialogue is “worthless…(as long as) foreign troops are in our country”. Fears for personal safety is now the highest concern for many Afghans so is it time to talk to the Taleban?  

On Air: Is the international approach in Afghanistan all wrong?

Two stories have got you talking today and they are inextricably linked. President Bush is set to announce he’s to send more troops to Afghanistan. He will say that the improving security situation in Iraq will allow a “quiet surge” of troops in Afghanistan in coming months.

Is anyone winning in Afghanistan?

There has been a raft of stories about Afghanistan which have thrown up military, political and humanitarian issues about what’s happening there. Put simply, it’s unclear who holds power and influence in Afghanistan, and what effect this tug of war is having on the people who live there. We’ll try and find out.

Who’s Winning in Afghanistan ?

Here are just a few of the stories about Afghanistan this week :

* Robert Gates asks the Germans to send more troops… 

* A top Al Qaeda leader is killed in Pakistan… 

* A think tank says NATO isn’t winning…

* The Bush administration says progress is being made- others disagree…

* President Karzai says local forces not foreign troops are the key to success..

* An Afghan journalist is sentenced to death for “blasphemy”…