A NATO-sponsored group of journalists visited Panjshir Oct. 18 in the run-up to the NATO ministerial in Riga. The dozen journalists represented media in Italy, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Hungary and Spain. Their program included a tour of Massouds tomb and CERP projects in Bazarak; a briefing at the PRT office; and an interview with Governor Bahlul, his first such encounter. The Governor evaded their questions dealing with President Karzai and national politics. He did offer the following thoughts, with the cameras and tape recorders running:
"Panjshir is different in that there are no terrorists or narcotics here. After decades of war, it is now at peace. Panjshiris are tried of fighting. The peace in the province could be a model for the entire country. The Panjshiris have embraced the change that development, led by the PRT and symbolized by the new road, has brought. Many shopkeepers and farmers sacrificed their property to make room for road construction. I personally did not insist on Panjshir gaining its own status as a province in 2004, but the people wanted it. They always saw themselves as Panjshiris, indeed took pride in their identity. There was popular demand for the PRT as well. PRTers have forged strong relations not just with provincial officials but also with the people. They spend a lot of time among the people, in the villages. Americans got a different reception here than the Soviets or Taliban for a simple reason: They are here to help, not occupy; to reconstruct, not destroy. Further, Panjshiris and Americans have a common enemy -- terrorism. Even though the Soviet Union dissolved, we still remember the Russian occupation; our current relations with Russia remain cold. I work closely with the PRT to set priorities. Education, a top priority, is making
progress. The PRT is helping with 13 new schools. The health sector is in fairly good shape because, in the face of war, we took care of our clinics and made sure they were stocked. In addition, the Emergency Hospital is an exemplary facility. We need to do more to train our young people so they will find jobs locally and stay in the valley. The new Teachers Training College is an excellent start. It will train teachers, who can then raise the level of education. Vocational training is especially important for those whose education suffered during the years of war. At the same time, one should realize that Panjshiris have two dimensions to their lives, an urban one, mostly in Kabul, and a rural one here in the valley. Thus there is a lot of commuting and travel back and forth, made all the easier by the new road. I knew Ahmed Shah Massoud for 27 years. He was my leader. I was one of his commanders. We were friends, although on a
professional basis we had our disagreements. "
Additional Comments:
1) The PRT conducted a GAC from Panjshir to BAF without incident today.
2) Mr. Burton has returned to the Valley after a week in Kabul attending meetings at the US Embassy.
Mtg17 10 2006
NEWS REPORT: Polish troops to be stationed in three Afghan provinces
2007-02-21 06:59:00
Expand acronyms: Take care; definitions may be wrong.
Unclassified
________________________________________
Polish troops to be stationed in three Afghan provinces
EUP20070221950010 Warsaw PAP in English 0907 GMT 21 Feb 07
[OSC Transcribed Text]
Polish troops to be stationed in three Afghan provinces
Text of report in English by Polish news agency PAP
Brussels, 21 February: Polish troops will be stationed in three provinces in Afghanistan, namely Ghanzi, Paktita and Kandahar, Defence Minister Aleksander Szczyglo told reporters in Brussels.
Szczyglo added that the Polish GROM elite unit will be stationed mainly in southern Afghanistan.
"No-one wants to hide that the southern region, namely Kandahar, is the most difficult. That is why we are sending GROM, the best unit in Poland," Szczyglo stressed.
The minister said that the majority of Polish troops will go to Afghanistan in late March and early April. He stressed that the Afghan mission had been very well protected by counterintelligence.
On 22 November 2006 President Lech Kaczynski decided that 1,200 Polish soldiers would go to Afghanistan and stay there until 13 October.
On Wednesday [21 February] Minister Aleksander Szczyglo will pay a visit to Joint Force Command [JFC] in Mons to meet its commander General Egon Ramms to discuss the current state and plans concerning the implementation of ISAF operation in Afghanistan carried out under the JFC command.
Minister Szczyglo will also meet Polish Representative at SHAPE General Andrzej Kaczynski and Polish officers at JFC.
[Description of Source: Warsaw PAP in English -- independent Polish press agency]