May/June 1996, pgs. 30-34

Issues in the News

Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

ARABIAN PENINSULA

Bahrain

Bahrain, Jordan to Link Exchanges:

Bahraini trade officials met their Jordanian counterparts March 5 in Amman to sign an agreement linking the stock exchanges of the two countries, part of a joint effort to develop the financial markets of the two countries. The accord is the first of its kind to be signed by a Gulf country with another country outside the Gulf. An unidentified Bahraini trade official told Arab News that “the agreement will encourage cross-listing of public companies and facilitate the investments of Bahrainis and Jordanians in the two markets.”

Bahrain Hosts U.S.-GCC Trade Conference:

Five hundred Gulf Arab and American business leaders met in Manama beginning on March 10 for a conference aimed at increasing U.S. trade with the six Gulf Cooperation Council members, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. According to U.S. Department of Commerce trade statistics, total trade between the United States and the GCC countries in 1995 was approximately $21.5 billion. A U.S. embassy official in Bahrain said that U.S.-GCC trade is increasing, “although not as fast as we’d like.” Of particular interest to American business representatives gathered for the conference was the estimated $50 billion worth of projects slated for privatization in the region.

Kuwait

Bush Marks Gulf War Anniversary:

Former U.S. President George Bush arrived in Kuwait on March 22 for his second visit since the end of the Gulf war in 1991. In Kuwait Bush visited the site of the new U.S. embassy still under construction and met with high-ranking Kuwaiti officials who thanked him for organizing the multi-national coalition that ended Iraq’s seven-month occupation of their country.

A Kuwaiti appeals court last year upheld death sentences on two Iraqis—Raad Abdul Amir Al Assadi and Wali Abdul Hadi Al Ghazali—who admitted in 1993 that they planned to assassinate Bush during his previous visit to Kuwait in April 1993. After Bush left Kuwait, he travelled to nine other Mideast countries where he was honored for the U.S. role in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Oman

Oman and Pakistan Conclude Maritime Boundary Talks:

Oman and Pakistan concluded on March 26 two days of talks in Karachi on delineating their maritime boundaries and their exclusive economic zones in the Arabian Sea. Pakistan’s news agency quoted defense officials as saying that both sides agreed on “most of the articles except some minor technical aspects.” No date has been set for the next meeting on the subject to be held in Oman.

Qatar

Qatar Accepts Al Hujeilan as GCC Secretary-General:

Qatari officials announced in Riyadh on March 17 Qatar’s acceptance of the new GCC Secretary-General Jameel Al Hujeilan, ending a four-month row that began when Qatar left the GCC’s summit conference held in Oman last December in protest over the appointment of Hujeilan, a Saudi national, over a Qatari nominee. Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamid bin Jasim Al Thani said after a meeting of GCC foreign ministers in Riyadh that “the issue was solved rationally among the GCC states and according to the Omani proposal which calls for appointing the council’s secretary-general according to alphabetical order.” Sheikh Jasim thanked Oman and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal “for the efforts they exerted to overcome the difficulties.” He added that Qatar “believes in the GCC.”

Earthquake Shakes Qatar:

Qatar was shaken on March 11 by a “mild” earthquake that measured 3.6 on the Richter scale. The tremor lasted nearly a minute but caused little damage and no casualties. The quake epicenter was in the Arabian Gulf approximately 30 kilometers from Doha.

U.S. and Qatar Hold Exercises:

American warships and Marines held joint military exercises with Qatar beginning on March 16. The exercises, codenamed “East Maverick 96,” involved some 4,000 personnel and focused on amphibious landing and helicopter maneuvers, according to a U.S. Fifth Fleet spokesman. Other GCC countries had just completed ground exercises in Kuwait and were beginning naval maneuvers off the coast of Oman when the joint U.S.-Qatar exercises began.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Britain Discuss Military Cooperation:

Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy prime minister and commander of the Saudi National Guard, met with British defense secretary Michael Portillo on March 10 to discuss British-Saudi defense arrangements and ways to improve the security relationship between the two countries. The visit, Portillo’s first to the Kingdom since he became defense minister last July, followed trips to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait earlier this year to promote British military equipment that is competing with U.S. and European armaments for lucrative contracts.

Janadriya Festival Begins:

On behalf of King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah inaugurated the 11th annual National Culture and Heritage Festival at Janadriya on March 6. The festival, which celebrates Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural and national heritage, began with the camel races that have come to symbolize the event. Assistant commander of the National Guard Abdul Aziz Al Tuwaijeri spoke about Saudi Arabia’s achievements, saying that “our glorious past and present are based on noble principles of Islam, Arab culture and traditions.”

Saudis Computerizing Hajj:

Minister of Hajj Dr. Mahmoud Safar announced on March 14 that his ministry would facilitate arrangements for the estimated 2 million pilgrims converging on Mecca for the hajj this year by introducing an advanced computer system designed to increase quality and efficiency of travel arrangements. After the announcement several training sessions were held with Saudi academics and researchers and heads of hajj delegations to help integrate the computer system into hajj planning.

Pilgrims Warned Against Propaganda:

The Saudi Ministry of the Interior warned on March 28 that pilgrims attending this year’s hajj should not carry or attempt to distribute political materials. In a statement published by the ministry, pilgrims were told that “the Ministry of Interior has noticed that some of the Muslims who come to perform the pilgrimage carry, with good intention as we believe, booklets, photographs and pamphlets that are of political, propaganda or ideological purposes in a way that contradicts the noble goals of the Pilgrimage. The Ministry of Interior would like to draw attention to the fact that carrying such things is absolutely prohibited and to make it clear that violators of the regulations will be severely punished and deported.” Members of Iran’s hajj delegation have caused problems in the past and have threatened to violate the rules against political propaganda again this year.

United Arab Emirates

UAE to Purchase Satellite:

The UAE economic weekly Emirates Today announced on March 16 that the state-run Etisalat corporation will purchase its own $1 billion communications satellite. Etisalat director general Ali Al Owais told the weekly that Etisalat is “conducting contacts with world manufacturers on its technical specifications and executive measures for the project are expected to be ready in the near future.”

UAE Prepares $6 Billion Purchase:

UAE officials announced on March 18 that they had started the final assessment stage for Western firms competing for an estimated $6 billion contract to supply the Emirates with up to 80 long-range warplanes. Remaining in competition for the contract, deemed the last of its size this century, are British Aerospace, France’s Dassault Aviation, and two American companies, Lockheed Martin and McDonnell Douglas.

The shortlisting of the four companies preceded an expected May announcement of the contract winner. Russia initially was part of the competition to help offset its debt with the UAE, but Russian companies did not make the deadline for a final proposal. A key part of the competition is the inclusion of price offsets that allow parts of the aircraft to be made in the UAE, reducing the overall cost of the project and providing an infusion of technology. Industry officials suggest that the competition really is between the French Rafale fighter and the American F-16 and F-15 aircraft. Britain’s Tornado does not meet all of the UAE’s technical requirements and is not expected to win the contract.

Yemen

Yemen Willing to Meet Eritrea:

Yemen announced on March 17 that it was willing to negotiate a resolution to its recent conflict with Eritrea over ownership of the Hanish island chain. During a press conference in San’a, a Yemeni spokesman said that “the Yemeni Republic considers that the signing of an accord in principle envisaged by the French government, and the start of talks on the method of international mediation, constitute a step toward a resolution.” France has played the leading role in trying to resolve the dispute.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Jordan

Jordan Seizes Iraq-Bound Goods:

Jordanian officials seized a shipment of spare parts for Iraqi warplanes in Queen Alia airport on March 7 that were destined for Iraq in contravention of international sanctions. The shipment was imported from Poland by the Al Iman company and labeled “agricultural equipment” on its shipping manifest. Al Iman is one of several Iraqi front companies created in Jordan since the U.N. embargo began in 1990.

A Jordanian spokesman expressed “regrets over [Iraq’s] attempt to fool Jordan,” and said that Jordan is “strictly implementing U.N. resolutions” regarding sanctions against Iraq.

Jordan Expels Iraqi Diplomat:

Jordan expelled an Iraqi diplomat in March after accusing him of “conducting activities not in line with his diplomatic status.” Hussein Faraj Khalaf, Iraq’s assistant press attachþ in Jordan, was given 48 hours to leave the country by Jordanian officials. The Iraqi embassy reacted by saying that “we were notified about Khalaf’s expulsion…without being given a reason.” The expulsion is thought to be related to the interception in Jordan 18 days earlier of military aircraft parts destined for Iraq.

Iraqi War Hero Defects to Jordan:

A former Iraqi military chief of staff defected to Jordan in March and later joined a group opposed to Iraqi President Saddam Hussain’s regime. General Nazar Khazraji traveled to Jordan through the Kurdish region of Iraq, according to a spokesman for the London-based Iraqi National Congress opposition group. Khazraji is one of the highest-ranking officials to defect from Saddam’s regime. He served as Iraqi chief of staff during the 1980 through 1988 Iran-Iraq war before leaving the position in November 1990, after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

Lebanon

Lebanese Protest Occupation:

Lebanon effectively shut down on March 14 in a nation-wide strike called by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to mark the 18th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon. During the strike, which closed down shops, schools, businesses and government offices, many Lebanese wore yellow ribbons expressing their solidarity with the citizens of southern Lebanon, occupied by Israel since 1978.

Lebanon boycotted the Sharm el-Sheikh summit the previous day, saying that it was designed solely to protect Israel from terrorist attacks, and did not address “Israeli terrorism and violent acts.” Currently, more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers and 3,000 Lebanese proxies (the South Lebanon Army) occupy a 15-kilometer-deep portion of southern Lebanon.

Syria

Syria Reassures Palestinian Groups:

Syrian officials announced on March 11 that Syria would not expel Palestinian groups opposed to the current Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In a statement published in the government daily Tishrin, officials said that if Syria expelled these groups, “all that would be left would be for Syria to liquidate the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who found refuge on its soil, while waiting for the international community to apply the resolutions confirming their right to return to their homeland.” The expulsion of Palestinian opposition groups based in Syria is a key sticking point in Israeli-Syrian negotiations. The Syrian statement came in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Ehud Barak’s demand that Syria “liquidate” Palestinian groups within its territory.

Turkey

Pro-Chechen Turk Hijacks Airliner:

An unarmed 20-year-old Turkish citizen hijacked a Turkish Cypriot airliner on March 8 over central-western Turkey to draw attention to current events in Chechnya. The unidentified man used a fake gun to hijack the plane, but surrendered 11 hours later after explaining to police that he was not a terrorist, but that he wanted the world to see what was happening in the breakaway republic of Chechnya. None of the 101 passengers on board were injured in the attack. Police said that after his arrest the man refused to cooperate with investigators and that he apparently acted alone.

Turkey, Iraq Sign Oil Accord:

Officials from Turkey and Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding in Ankara on March 8 that paves the way for reactivation of a pipeline to transport Iraqi oil to the Mediterranean. Turkish Energy Minister Husnu Dogan said that “if Iraq endorses U.N. Security Council Resolution 986, the pipeline between Kirkuk [in Iraq] and Ceyhan [in Turkey] can go into operation in a few days.” Iraq currently is negotiating conditions with the United Nations to sell oil to fund purchases of humanitarian goods including food and medicine. If Iraq and the U.N. reach agreement, the Iraq-Turkey pipeline will be the conduit for some of that oil.

Turkish President Visits Israel:

Turkish President Suleyman Demirel arrived in Israel on March 11 for a scheduled four-day visit, the first of its kind by a Turkish president. Demirel also traveled to the autonomous areas in the West Bank and Gaza for talks with Palestinian National Authority President Yasser Arafat. While in Israel, Demirel met with top Israeli officials including President Ezer Weizmann and Prime Minister Shimon Peres. The Turkish president interrupted his trip to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh anti-terrorism summit. Turkey’s former prime minister, Tansu Ciller, previously had visited Israel and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in Gaza.

IRAN/IRAQ

Iran

Iran Opens Disputed Airport:

Iran opened a new airport on March 10 on the island of Abu Musa after 14 months of construction and an estimated cost of $5.72 million. The airport is capable of handling mid-sized aircraft and can accommodate a maximum 700 passengers per day. The ownership of Abu Musa is disputed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates, but Iran barred UAE authorities from the strategically important island in 1994. On March 18, Iran rejected a proposal from the Gulf Cooperation Council to take the dispute to the International Court of Justice for arbitration.

Germany Indicts Iranian Minister:

Germany issued an arrest warrant for the director of Iran’s foreign intelligence service on March 15 for his suspected role in the Sept. 17, 1992, assassination of three Iranian Kurdish leaders and their interpreter in a Berlin cafe. Ali Fallahian, the head of Iran’s Ministry for Intelligence Services and Security Affairs since 1989, faces terrorism and murder charges for the deaths of the four men, three of whom belonged to the Democratic Party of Kurdistan—a group that seeks an independent Kurdistan which would include parts of Iran. The investigation of Fallahian is being conducted by Germany’s federal criminal office.

Iran Conducts More War Games:

Iran launched a series of war games on April 11 involving naval, air and land forces based at Bandar Abbas, close to the northern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The exercises, code-named Fateh, marked the eighth anniversary of the sinking of Iranian ships by the United States during the so-called “tanker war.”

Iraq

UNHCR to Relocate Iraqi Refugees:

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) plans to resettle some 3,000 Iraqi refugees this year from their temporary homes in the Rafha camp along Iraq’s border with Saudi Arabia. Since the end of the Gulf war, approximately 19,000 Iraqi refugees have been resettled throughout the world by UNHCR, including 3,000 last year alone. Some 35,000 refugees and prisoners of war have been housed in the Rafha camp, of whom 3,000 returned to Iraq after the war. Joining UNHCR in Riyadh shortly after the announcement were delegations from the United States, Finland and the Netherlands, all of whom are involved in resettling the remaining refugees.

Ekeus Says Iraq Still Hiding Long-Range Missiles:

The head of the United Nations Special Commission in charge of dismantling Iraq’s unconventional weapons and long-range missile programs, Rolf Ekeus, told members of the U.N. Security Council on March 18 that Iraq may be hiding “6 to 20” long-range missiles from U.N. inspectors. Iraq, which is prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions from having missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometers, recently has denied Western inspectors timely access to chemical and biological research facilities and is suspected of covering up or destroying evidence crucial to the U.N. mission. Ekeus warned that Iraq still could have “a strategic capability which could influence the whole region.”

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

Israel

Yigal Amir Receives Life Sentence:

On March 27, a Tel Aviv district court sentenced Yigal Amir to life in prison for the November 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The court added six years to Amir’s sentence for the shooting of Yoram Rubin, a security officer who was protecting Rabin at the time of the assassination. In his statement to the court, Amir expressed no regret for his actions and said that he killed Prime Minister Rabin to protect the state, people and land of Israel.

Labor, Likud Elect Party Lists:

Israel’s Labor and Likud parties announced in March the results of their primary elections to determine who will represent them in the upcoming May elections. For the Labor party, Prime Minister Shimon Peres topped the list that included the following officials (listed in order of the percentage of the vote they received): Uzi Baram, Ehud Barak, Binyamin Bel-Eliezer, Haim Ramon, Avraham Shochat, Nissim Zvili, Ephraim Sneh, Dalia Itzik, Ori Orr, Yossi Beilin and Shevach Weiss. For the Likud party (also in order of percentage of vote received): Yitzhak Mordecai, Benyamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon, Moshe Katzav, Binyamin Begin, Dan Meridor, Ehud Olmert, Silvan Shalom, Gideon Ezra and Meir Sheetrit.

Israel, EU Sign Agreement for Scientific Cooperation:

Israeli officials signed an agreement with the European Union in Brussels on March 25 which will allow Israel to participate in cooperative technological and scientific research with the 18-country organization. Israel is the first non-European country to reach such an agreement with the EU. It allows Israeli scientists to attend the Union’s scientific meetings as non-voting members. Also, in exchange for Israel’s $40 million contribution to the EU’s scientific research budget, Israeli scientists will be eligible for research funding from the European Union.

Israel and Qatar To Open Economic Interest Offices:

Following Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres' 92' historic visit to Qatar April 1-2, which was the first visit by an Israeli prime minister, Israeli and Qatari officials announced an agreement to exchange economic interests offices between their two countries. Peres arrived in Qatar from Oman where he met with Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Omani and Israeli newspapers reported that Peres and Qaboos agreed in principle to economic relations between the two countries, but no official announcements were made. During both visits senior Israeli officials met with their Omani and Qatari counterparts and discussed proposals for improving relations between their countries.

Israel Trains Female Pilots:

Israel Radio announced in March that 10 female soldiers are scheduled to begin air force pilot training. The female soldiers, some of whom are officers and others who are instructors in combat flight simulators, were accepted into the program after Israel’s High Court of Justice overturned the Israeli air force’s policy of not accepting female candidates.

Palestine

Arafat Renames Areas “Palestine”:

In a statement released on March 18, Palestinian National Authority President Yasser Arafat announced that areas under PNA control now should be referred to in official documents as “Palestine.” Henceforth the Gaza Strip and the West Bank will be designated as the southern and northern districts of Palestine, respectively. PNA officials said the changes were made for “political and geographical reasons,” and that the new names will be used in all PNA documentation.

PNA Arrests Security Chief:

Palestinian security forces arrested and detained Major General Misbah Saqr, the official head of the Palestinian secret police in the West Bank and Gaza, for allegedly violating rules of military conduct. Saqr’s position as head of the PNA’s preventive security service since 1993 was largely ceremonial, as local commanders Col. Mohammad Dahlan in Gaza and Col. Jibril Rajoub in the West Bank have exercised real control over PSS forces. It remains unclear what caused Saqr’s arrest.

Palestinians to Receive $17 Million:

France agreed in March to provide 85 million French francs ($17 million) to the Palestinian National Authority in developmental aid for 1996. French Minister of Finance and Economics Jean Arthuis signed the accord with his Palestinian counterpart, Mohammad Nashashibi. The money is slated for projects including public infrastructure, equipment and support for the private sector and a study for the construction of a port in Gaza.

Palestinian TV to Have Hebrew News Bulletins:

Palestinian Television began broadcasting a 15-minute daily bulletin in Hebrew in March in an attempt to get its views across to Israelis living in settlements and in Israel proper. Palestinian general coordinator for broadcasting Hisham Mekki said that the program is “aimed at presenting the Palestinian point of view in Hebrew so that the Israeli population can understand” the Palestinian perspective on the peace process and other important issues.

THE NILE VALLEY

Egypt

Egypt, IMF Begin Talks:

Egyptian officials met with representatives from the International Monetary Fund in Cairo beginning on March 23 to discuss measures for further liberalizing Egypt’s state-dominated economy as well as ways to increase foreign and private investment. The IMF Middle East director Abdel Shakous Shalaan met with Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri and central bank Governmor Ismail Hassan for talks that Egypt hopes will lead to approval of a $4 billion debt write-off from Egypt’s Paris Club creditors. Paris Club lenders already have waived $6 billion in Egyptian debt, but the additional $4 billion is contingent on Cairo making progress in its economic liberalization policies. The $4 billion debt write-off will save the Egyptian government an estimated $200 million per year in debt payments.

New Al Azhar Sheikh Named:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appointed Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Al Tantawi as the new grand sheikh of Cairo’s Al Azhar University on March 28. Tantawi’s predecessor died March 15 after serving 14 years as head of the 1,000-year-old university. Sheikh Tantawi is the former Grand Mufti of Egypt.

Curfew Ends in Egyptian Towns:

Egyptian Interior Minister Hassan Al Alfi announced in March that the the 17-month-old curfew in Mallawi, a southern Egyptian town that has been a center of anti-government Islamist activity, had ended permanently. Al Alfi toured Mallawi with an entourage of journalists after making the announcement, and said that curfews will be lifted in stages in 12 other towns in Al Minya province. Mallawi, 300 kilometers south of Cairo, had been the commercial center of southern Egypt prior to the curfew imposed in October 1994.

Sudan

Bashir Re-elected:

Sudanese President Omar Bashir was reelected in March for a five-year term as president in a landslide victory against 41 opponents. The official vote count gave Bashir 75.7 percent of the vote, and his closest competitor, swimming champion Muhammad Abdul Azim Kijab, only 2.7 percent. Fifty-two-year-old Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989. During a rally in Khartoum following the official announcement of Bashir’s victory, he said that there would be no return to party politics and that Sudan will be ruled by “Islamic shariah and dignity.”

Sudanese Hijackers Surrender:

A Sudanese airliner was hijacked on March 24 en route from Khartoum to Port Sudan and was forced to land in Asmara, Eritrea. The two Sudanese hijackers surrendered to Eritrian authorities, and the reasons for the hijacking remain unclear. The London-based Middle East Broadcasting Center announced that “All passengers and crew are safe.”

NORTH AFRICA

Algeria

Secretary Pelletreau Visits Algeria:

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Robert Pelletreau arrived in Algiers on March 18 for an official visit with Algerian head of state Liamine Zeroual. Upon arrival Pelletreau told reporters he was bringing a message from President Clinton and that he hoped to discuss bilateral relations and the current political environment in Algeria. Since a previous Algerian government cancelled national elections, which Islamist candidates were winning, Algeria has been in the grip of a low-level civil war for years with thousands killed.

SUBCONTINENT

Pakistan

Plans Approved for Deep-Sea Port:

Pakistani government officials approved in March a $685 million deep-sea port to be built in Gwadar, 450 kilometers west of Karachi. The project, said to be the largest of its kind in Pakistan’s history, will be designed as a commercial center and port providing the “shortest route to the sea” for the Central Asian republics. The Pakistani navy also has plans to use the facility, since plans to build alternative ports in Qasim and Karachi were shelved. Official sources said that funding for the project will include $370 million from the government and $315 million from other sources, especially private investment. Pakistan’s Ministry of Communications called for bids on the project shortly after the announcement.

U.S. Clears Delivery of Weapons:

Pakistani officials reacted enthusiastically to reports that the United States was preparing to release military equipment paid for by Pakistan but held up in the U.S. because of concerns about Pakistani nuclear weapons research. A spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said, “We welcome it as a positive step toward implementation of the Brown amendment and the doing away in part of the inequity of the Pressler Law.” The problem developed in 1990 when the United States enforced a law introduced by Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD), which forbids the sale of U.S. military equipment to countries suspected of developing nuclear weapons. In November 1995 Congress approved the delivery of equipment worth $368 million under a one-time exemption orchestrated by Sen. Hank Brown (R-CO). Delivery of the weapons again has been delayed by reports that China has provided Pakistan equipment to produce its own weapons-grade fissile materials. Washington is seeking to release the weapons but is simultaneously trying to obtain a commitment from Pakistan that it will not continue nuclear weapons development.

Progress Made in Pipeline Talks:

Pakistani officials announced on March 28 that substantial progress had been made concerning a proposed $3 billion natural gas pipeline that will link Turkmenistan’s Dauletabad field with Pakistan’s Sui field. The 1,271-kilometer pipeline will help Pakistan meet its current energy needs as its own supplies of natural gas dwindle. Currently Pakistan produces approximately 1.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day, but its reserves are disappearing quickly and it plans to import 1.6 to 2 billion cubic feet per day in the future.

The proposal for the project was submitted by the American company Unocal and officials from Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan were expected to discuss the details of the proposal prior to a May meeting of the 10-nation Asian Economic Cooperation Organization. One area of concern, especially for foreign investors, is the political climate in war-torn Afghanistan through which a large section of the pipeline will pass. Unocal has proposed to construct the pipeline in the Taleban militia-controlled portion of western Afghanistan because at present it seems relatively more stable than other areas.