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WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2017 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he will soon have an assessment to give President Donald J. Trump about the way ahead in Afghanistan.

Mattis spoke to reporters in Abu Dhabi yesterday, as part of his first Middle Eastern tour as secretary of defense.

He said he talked at length with both Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and NATO's Resolute Support mission, to "gain their political and military appreciation to the situation."

Mattis said his plans to travel to Afghanistan during the current overseas trip were scrapped due to weather, but he was able to speak with Ghani while the two were in Munich last week for the Munich Security Conference.

"I had a very in-depth discussion about the way ahead in Afghanistan," he said.

In addition, he said he talked via video conference for several hours with Nicholson.

"This is all part of my getting my feet on the deck in terms of getting current on the situations that the coalition faces in Afghanistan, both political and strategically, and identifying the way ahead," he said.

Trump is waiting for the assessment from the Pentagon and from the intelligence community on Afghanistan, Mattis said.

Integrating Several Issues

The talks are part of the process in gathering information to formulate the assessment and find out what the other countries in the region are doing in Afghanistan "to help or hinder us in our efforts there," Mattis said.

"Shortly I'll have my thoughts collected," he said. "It shouldn't take too long, but I've got to integrate a fair number of issues in order to give a good recommendation for the way ahead."

He pointed out that last year was "pretty disastrous" for the Taliban, saying they lost their leader, took no provincial capitals and were unsuccessful in gaining their tactical objectives.

"The Afghan Security Forces paid a very heavy price to keep the Taliban on their back foot, but they paid it, they've held, and the Taliban is in a worse position today, even though I do not equate that to success on our side," he said.

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Mattis: Assessment on Afghanistan Coming Soon - Department of Defense

KABUL As many as 50 people have died in storms over the past three days in Afghanistan, including 25 shepherds lost in a blizzard, a government disaster management official said on Monday.

Also among the dead were 11 people killed in separate incidents in roof collapses in heavy rain in Kabul province, said Omar Mohammadi, a spokesman for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Agency.

Another 44 people were hurt in weather-related accidents.

On Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the bad weather had forced him to scrap a visit to Afghanistan.

Amid a war that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, the United Nations estimates that more than 9 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid, including basic food and housing.

The deprivation has been exacerbated by bad weather that has taken a heavy toll, especially in remote areas.

"At least 239 people have been killed and 214 wounded during the past two months of heavy snow and rain in 22 provinces of Afghanistan," Mohammadi said.

More than 520 houses were destroyed and about 420 damaged over the same period, he added.

(Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

BAGHDAD The U.S. military is "not in Iraq to seize anybody's oil", Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said, distancing himself from remarks by President Donald Trump,as he held talks with Iraqi leaders on Monday.

LONDON The British government on Monday defended its decision to offer U.S. President Donald Trump a lavish state visit and an audience with the queen this year, defying protests outside parliament and dissent from lawmakers.

ROME The Vatican and Rome's Jewish museum will jointly host an unprecedented exhibition on the menorah, the ancient symbol of Judaism, and try to put to rest legends on the fate of one candelabra missing for 15 centuries.

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Harsh weather in Afghanistan kills dozens in blizzard, rainstorms - Reuters

Afghanistans teenaged spinner Rashid Khan and former national skipper Mohammad Nabi feel their being bought finding takers in the IPL auction will massively boost the game in Afghanistan, an Associate cricket nation.

Excitement was sky high among the cricket-mad public of Afghanistan as two of their players - Rashid Khan and former national skipper Mohammad Nabi - were snapped up at the Indian Premier League auction in Bengaluru on Monday. (IPL auction, live updates)

Their 18-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan is now dubbed the million dollar baby by his teammates after being picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping Rs 4 crore in the IPL auction. The defending champions also bought his senior teammate Mohammad Nabi, for Rs 30 lakh.

I am feeling great, its a massive thing to be part of the IPL, Rashid told Hindustan Times. I was following the live streaming on my mobile, when such big names as (South Africas world No 1 limited-overs bowler) Imran Tahir went unsold, I thought I will also not be picked. But to be bought for Rs 4 crore bahut acha lag raha hai (feels great). Its too much (money), said Rashid, who hails from a business family of Jalalabad, about three hours drive from Kabul.

Read more | IPL auction: Ben Stokes goes for record Rs14.5 cr to Rising Pune Supergiants

ANXIOUS WAIT

I have been keenly following the IPL for the last five to six years and it was a dream to play in the best league in the world, said the spinner, who got up at 5 am with Nabi for morning prayers and then sat down in their rooms to follow the auction.

We are seven brothers and I grew up playing cricket with them from a very young age. I always liked watching leg-break bowlers and Shahid Afridi was my favourite. In batting, I am an AB de Villiers fan, the baby of the Afghanistan team added.

Read more | IPL quick fix: Pace bowlers the flavour at Indian Premier League auction

Talking about his career, Rashid said in his first proper game in a domestic Twenty20 competition, in 2013, I scored a half-century and claimed four wickets. From there on, I was picked for the Afghanistans U-19 squad and then made my senior team debut against Zimbabwe in 2015.

Nabi said about Rashid: His googly is difficult to pick and he fires it on target.

HYDERABAD FLAVOUR

Nabi added: For two of our players to be picked in the IPL, it is a massive moment for Afghanistan cricket. Nabi admitted he was nervous. Asghar Stanikzais was the first name to come up in the auction and when he went unsold, I didnt have a good feeling, but my favourite team picked me. I loved the way Sunrisers Hyderabad played as a team last season, and how David Warner carried the team.

I am looking forward to having some Hyderabad biryani, he chuckled.

Read more | IPL auction: Rising Pune Supergiants show intent with record Ben Stokes buy

HAPPINESS ALL AROUND

What about celebrations? Of course, it is something to be celebrated. I am at the breakfast table and my teammates are walking in and congratulating. Everyone in the team is happy, said Nabi, who bowls off-spin.

Rashid has been following in the footsteps of Nabi. If Nabi was the top wicket-taker at the 2016 World Twenty20 in India with 12 scalps, Rashid claimed 11. The highlight of Rashids performance was his spell of 3/11 in the win over Zimbabwe at Nagpur.

He repeated the performance on Sunday, claiming 3/25 to rout Zimbabwe in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club. Nabi also snared three wickets in the game and scored a run-a-ball 33.

The two were also brilliant in the Bangladesh Premier League with Nabi claiming 19 wickets in 13 games and Rashid 13 in eight games.

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Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi overjoyed after IPL 2017 auction - Hindustan Times

The Defence Secretary has hinted that more British troops will be needed to prevent the collapse of Afghanistan, more than two years after the end of combat operations.

Sir Michael Fallon painted a bleak picture of the war-torn country where 456 British soldiers have died since 2001, amid heavy fighting between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

He told the Munich Security Conference: If it was right to go in, it has to be right not to leave before the job is done as well as we can do it.

If this country collapses, we here will feel the consequences, very directly. There could be three to four million young Afghan men sent out by their villages to migrate westwards, and they are heading here.

They are heading to Germany or Britain and that could be the consequence if this entire country collapses.

Sir Michael did not announce the deployment of extra troops to Afghanistan, where 500 British soldiers remain training local forces and operating a quick-reaction force to defend Kabul from attack.

But he echoed recent comments of US GeneralJohn WNicholson Jnr, who said he needed thousands more soldiers to break a stalemate against the Taliban-led insurgency.

The Defence Secretary said: We are asking the government of Afghanistan and their military to deal with the same situation that we had ten times as many troops to deal with.

Terrorist groups that British and US troops first went to root out from Afghanistan more than 15 years ago remain active in the country, Sir Michael said.

Districts of northern and central Helmand province that Britain spent years trying to secure have since largely slipped out of Kabuls control.

At the height of the Afghan campaign, Britain had more than 10,000 troops in the country, out of an international total of nearly 150,000.

David Cameron declared an end to British combat operations in October 2014, at a time when the conflict had already raged for longer than the Second World War.

Last week, in little-noticed comments, the Armed Forces minister, Mike Penning, also suggested that Britain expected to be asked to send more reinforcements to Afghanistan.

He told the Commons Defence Committee: We have no plans to draw down. Actually, there is a possibility that we might uplift because of what we are being asked to do.

I have not been formally asked, but I might as well be honest with the committee, thats a possibility. It was an assumption I made on the conversations with the coalition.

Sir Michaels focus on the likelihood of more Afghans seeking refuge in the West could be seen as an attempt to win the support of the British public to stay the course in the country.

Afghans seeking a better life in the West already make up one of the largest contributions to the refugee and migrant crisis which has struck Europe in the past two years.

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Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon hints more British troops are needed to avoid 'collapse' of Afghanistan - The Independent

Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhiwal meets foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz in Islamabad

In this file photo, Prime Ministers Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz meeting with Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad Dr Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal. PHOTO: ONLINE

ISLAMABAD:Afghanistan has agreed to address Pakistans concerns over the presence of terrorist sanctuaries across the border, a development that may pave the way for de-escalation of tensions between the two neighbours, officials said on Monday.

The assurance was given by Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhiwal during a meeting with Prime Ministers Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and senior military officials in Islamabad.

Zakhilwal flew to Kabul on the weekend for consultations following the recent terrorist attacks across Pakistan, including the suicide attack in Sehwan, which had links with Afghanistan.

Within hours of the attack at Lal Shahbaz Qalandars shrine in the Sindh town, senior Afghan diplomats were summoned to the General Headquarters (GHQ), and given a list of 76 terrorists hiding in Afghanistan.

A Foreign Office official familiar with the meetings told The Express Tribune that discussions were held in constructive and positive manner and Afghanistan assured it would address Pakistans concerns on cross-border terrorism.

The flurry of overt and covert meetings prompted a high-level security huddle at the GHQ as well, where the overall security situation along the border was reviewed.

Reports suggested Pakistan Army reinforced security along the Afghan border fearing that the continuing tension might lead to a serious situation between the two neighbours.

However, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who presided over the security meeting in Rawalpindi, clarified that enhanced security arrangements at Pak-Afghan border were meant to fight all terrorists, regardless of their affiliation.

Heavy artillery moved towards Pak-Afghan border

Pakistan and Afghanistan have fought against terrorism and shall continue this effort together, Gen Qamar was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The army chief directed for effective border coordination and cooperation with Afghan security forces to prevent cross-border movement of terrorists, including all types of illegal movement.

He also welcomed recent proposals from Afghan authorities to take forward the mutual coordination for result-oriented efforts against terrorism.

The army chiefs conciliatory tone was in contrast to the hard-hitting statement issued after the Thursdays Sehwan attack, which said Pakistan would show no more restraint to anyone and blood of Pakistani nation would be avenged immediately.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also ordered security forces to eliminate terrorists wherever they were.

Although there was no official confirmation, Pakistan has since pounded the hideouts of Jumaatul Ahrar (JuA) across the border and killed scores of terrorists.

Army decimates four Jamaatul Ahrar camps

The unannounced action by Pakistan drew strong reaction from across the border with Kabul calling it as an act of aggression, vowing to use all available means to stop shelling from Pakistan.

Security officials, however, clarified Pakistan had no intention to violate the sovereignty of Afghanistan. We have never targetted the Afghan army or the Afghan people. We carried out attacks in an area where Afghan authorities have no control, the official explained.

Kabul reacts angrily to targeting of TTP, JuA camps on Afghan soil

Since the sudden surge in terrorist attacks including the one in Sehwan, Pakistan has been exerting renewed pressure on Afghanistan to take decisive action against the hideout of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and its breakaway faction, JuA, which was behind the recent terrorist attacks.

In a statement, ambassador Zakhilwal confirmed he had a positive meeting with Sartaj Aziz and constructive talks with officials at the GHQ after his return from Kabul on Monday.

As a result I expect de-escalation of the current tension and the creation of a more positive environment for responding to each others concerns and grievances in a cooperative manner. We have agreed tentatively on a path forward, the ambassador added.

List of 32 terrorist training centres

Dr Zakhilwal also claimed to have passed on to the Foreign Office and GHQ a list of 32 terrorist training centres, which according to him were operating from Pakistani soil against Afghanistan. Pakistan has been asked for immediate action against such centres, he added.

In a separate statement, Afghan foreign ministry said the letter given to Pakistan includes names of 85 senior members, and leaders of the Taliban, and other terrorist groups including the Haqqani network.

The initial response from Pakistan authorities was positive and we hope Pakistan takes practical steps in this regard, the statement added.

Kabul is willing to discuss and take responsible actions jointly with Pakistan on the lists and concerns of both sides within the framework of Quadrilateral Coordination Group involving the US and China besides the two neighbours, the Afghan foreign ministry concluded.

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Afghanistan assures action against "terrorist sanctuaries" on its soil - The Express Tribune