C M Y K A7
DAILY 03-02-10 MD SU A7 CMYK
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2010 KLMNO S A7
THE WORLD
Offensive in Marja
entering new phase
bombers,” he said.
FIGHTING
The more difficult test will
probably be how the people of
LARGELY OVER
Marja take to their new govern-
ment, embodied by Haji Zahir,
the newly installed town leader.
Chance to ‘establish
He stood alongside Khalili on
Monday, the most senior Afghan
legitimate governance’
official to visit Marja since the
offensive began.
Speaking to a crowd of resi-
by Joshua Partlow dents who sat on the ground in a
dozen even rows, Khalili said
marja, afghanistan — The the Afghan government would
initial phase of the military of- “exhaust all avenues to bring
fensive in southern Afghanistan peace and security.”
to wrest Marja from insurgent “We will stay, we will fight
control has largely ended, but with all our forces, we will de-
the more daunting task of build- fend you,” Khalili said. “We will
ing a credible government in the be next to you, shoulder to
place of Taliban rule has just be- shoulder.”
gun, according to senior U.S. But skepticism toward the
and Afghan officials. government runs deep among
Helicopters bearing Gen. many Afghans, and many see the
Stanley A. McChrystal, the top police in particular as a corrupt
U.S. and NATO commander in and predatory organization.
Afghanistan; Karim Khalili, Af- Some in Marja are angry about
ghanistan’s second vice presi- damage to homes and fields dur-
dent; and a host of other senior ing the fighting. One elderly Af-
officials touched down Monday ghan man with a long white
afternoon next to a sandbagged, beard approached Khalili after
bullet-pocked school that now his talk and began shouting that
serves as Marine headquarters his home had been destroyed in
here. The officials entered a the operation. Khalili stood si-
town now controlled by U.S. Ma- lent as the man went on, then
rines and Afghan soldiers, told him that his home was too
where the fierce gun battles that close to the road, according to a
NATACHA PISARENKO/ASSOCIATED PRESS
punctuated the early days of the translation of his remarks.
People reach for goods thrown from a supermarket window during looting in Concepcion, where dozens were arrested for violating a curfew. offensive have ceased. Earlier in the day, McChrystal
“We’re not at the end of the toured a combat hospital to
Chile struggles to contain chaos
military phase, but we’re clearly
approaching that,” McChrystal
said. “The government of Af-
ghanistan is in the position now
“There has not
of having the opportunity, and
been a shot fired
More than 10,000 troops deployed in and near 2nd-largest city to halt looting, violence
the requirement, to prove they
can establish legitimate govern-
in Marja for
ance.”
bridges, satellite phone equip- Food shortages were reported in The farmlands of Marja, once
seven days. Not
by Jonathan Franklin ment, water-purification systems, many parts of the country, and a Taliban stronghold and drug-
in santiago, chile dialysis machines and electric electricity outages remained trafficking hub, remain a treach-
one shot. Marja’s
generators. widespread. erous place. During the two-
The Chilean foreign minister, In the heavily damaged city of week-long offensive, 5,000 Ma-
quiet. We’re very
S
ecurity forces struggled to
contain looting and clashes Mariano Fernández, met with am- Concepcion, rescue workers con- rines and Afghan soldiers have
happy with the
in this country’s second-larg- bassadors to Chile on Monday to tinued to dig through the rubble encountered hundreds of mines
est city on Monday, as tens of coordinate the aid. Secretary of in an effort to reach survivors in- and homemade bombs, and the
progress.”
thousands of Chileans who lost State Hillary Rodham Clinton will side a 14-story building that top- troops still plan another de-
— Brig. Gen. Lawrence D.
their homes in Saturday’s earth- discuss aid efforts with Bachelet pled over during the earthquake. tailed, house-by-house clearing
Nicholson, Marine commander in
quake camped out in the streets when she arrives in Santiago on “I crawled through a hole, up a of the ground they’ve passed
Afghanistan’s Helmand province
and waited for relief. Tuesday. few meters. There was screaming. through. More than 100 insur-
More than 10,000 troops have Clinton, who began a week- It was so dark, all I could see was a gents have been killed in the
been deployed to patrol the city of long South American tour on Sun- distant light,” said Alex Tapia, an fighting, along with at least six
Concepcion and outlying areas day, told reporters traveling with Ecuadoran citizen who crawled NATO troops; six more NATO speak with the wounded and
devastated by the 8.8-magnitude her that she was bringing 20 satel- from the remains of his sixth- troops were killed Monday in met with about 75 U.S and Brit-
earthquake. But even as the first lite phones and a technician on story apartment with his wife and violence across the nation. ish troops at Camp Bastion in
contingents fanned out on foot her plane in response to the Chil- child when the building col- But the Afghan flag now flies Helmand province. He told
and in army tanks, they seemed eans’ request for communications lapsed. “We crawled out through over Marja, a place where no them about his counterinsur-
largely unable to contain the equipment. She said she was con- that tunnel. People were trapped government presence existed gency philosophy and the need
chaos. In Concepcion, looters set tinuing with a previously planned and yelling for help.” before the offensive, and the to operate with utmost care to
fire to a department store and su- stop in Chile — to be held just at In a grim effort to identify vic- shooting has stopped, at least avoid civilian casualties. Last
permarket, and a massive cloud of the airport — in order “to assess tims, firefighters at the scene for now. month McChrystal apologized
black smoke billowed over the whatever else they might need
ROBERTO CANDIA/ASSOCIATED PRESS
placed a guitar, saxophone and “Ten days ago there would to President Hamid Karzai twice
city. and immediately to begin the Residents cry after looters set two laptops on the sidewalk and have been firefights right on this for U.S. attacks on suspected in-
Francisco Vidal, the Chilean de- process of providing it.” fire to a supermarket next to asked family members to help street,” Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. surgents that killed nearly 40 ci-
fense minister, announced that In Washington, State Depart- their house in Constitucion. identify the now-deceased own- Nicholson, the Marine com- vilians in Helmand and neigh-
the government would impose ment spokesman P.J. Crowley said ers. More than half the apart- mander in Helmand province, boring Uruzgan province.
curfews through Tuesday in a des- Chile has also requested a field Chile at the peak of the summer ments in the building, which was told McChrystal outside the gov- While Marja, part of the Nad
perate attempt to control looting, hospital and water-purification tourist season. The coastal com- just one year old, were empty, ernment center. Ali district, was an important
and the mayor of Concepcion, Jac- systems. munity of Constitucion, home to which dramatically lessened the “There has not been a shot target as an insurgent sanctuary,
queline van Rysselberghe, made a More than 700 people have 50,000 residents, was packed death toll. fired in Marja for seven days. the piece of ground is “not par-
desperate plea for more troops been confirmed killed so far in the with tourists for “Noche Venecia- With autumn rains just weeks Not one shot. Marja’s quiet,” ticularly valuable,” McChrystal
and aid from the national govern- quake. The State Department esti- na,” a summer festival, when the away, Chilean officials scrambled Nicholson said. “We’re very hap- said. “The operation is about
ment. mated that about 18,000 U.S. citi- ground started to shake. Waves to organize housing for the esti- py with the progress.” changing everyone’s mind-set.”
“Fear is everywhere. Armed zens are in Chile, with about 1,000 estimated at 30 feet drowned the mated 1 million to 2 million Chil- Whether the Taliban has fled McChrystal said he wanted
men with pistols are attacking in the hardest-hit area, but only town. eans who are now homeless. or just chosen to stop fighting the operation to convince Af-
residential homes,” van Ryssel- “two minor injuries” have been Residents scoured the wreck- Limited air service began at remains an open question. ghans far beyond Marja that U.S.
berghe told reporters, adding that reported, according to Crowley. age Monday in search of family Santiago’s international airport, McChrystal said some Taliban troops and the Afghan govern-
even firefighters trying to distrib- Alicia Bárcena, executive secre- members. Offshore, houses with a flight from Miami and Bra- fighters may have started to ment had the momentum, that
ute water had been attacked. tary of the U.N. Economic Com- bobbed in the surf. zil landing Monday morning. But function as “sleeper cells,” wait- they would stay and hold areas
“Send the largest number of mission for Latin America and the The scene was more chaotic bus service in the country re- ing for orders, while “some of they had moved into, and that
troops possible.” Caribbean, told reporters that the elsewhere. In San Pedro de la Paz, mained limited, even as thou- them probably just put the gun Afghan security forces and local
After initially declining to re- United Nations is sending satel- a city next to Concepcion, looters sands of people attempted to head away and are waiting to see government could lead the way.
quest foreign aid, President Mi- lite phones to Chile and is pre- stripped a clinic clean of medicine south in search of missing rela- what’s going to happen.” He said “We’re trying to convince every-
chelle Bachelet on Monday offi- pared to send 30 tons of food and and supplies. Chilean National tives. he didn’t expect the quiet to last body, okay, we’ve now figured
cially sought assistance from the other aid if the government needs Television said there had been — Special to The Washington Post unchallenged, because the Tali- this out,” he said. To convince
United Nations. Chilean officials it. “neighbor versus neighbor” fight- ban would try to create the per- them that “now we’re winning,
called on the international com- The earthquake, one of the larg- ing in the coastal areas of Coronel Staff writer Glenn Kessler in ception of insecurity. “I think and we’re going to win.”
munity to donate temporary est ever recorded, hit southern and Lota, in Concepcion province. Washington contributed to this report. they may test it with suicide partlowj@washpost.com
DIGEST
FRANCE Iran insists its nuclear pro- strike in Pakistan, Pakistani intel- fend that nation of ours and their
Possible arms deal
gram is peaceful and designed to ligence and Taliban officials said cause, which is just and holy.”
generate electricity. Countries in- Monday. — Financial Times
draws Medvedev
cluding France and the United Abdul Haq al-Turkistani, lead-
States have called for new sanc- er of a group called the Turkistani Journalist’s detention extended:
Russia and France took a big tions on Iran at the U.N. Security Islamic Party, was killed in an at- A Palestinian court extended by
step toward closer relations Mon- Council, where Russia is also a tack by a U.S. drone aircraft in the 15 days the detention of a British
day, entering talks about the pos- permanent and veto-wielding North Waziristan region on the journalist arrested by Hamas po-
sible sale of four French warships member. Afghan border on Feb. 15, they lice in the Gaza Strip last month
to Moscow as Russia toughened French President Nicolas Sar- said. on suspicion of collaborating
its stance against nuclear-mind- kozy and Medvedev also said China, a close ally of Pakistan, with Israel’s security services.
ed Iran. their countries have started ex- is worried about the spread of Is- Paul Martin, a freelance journal-
The burgeoning courtship be- clusive talks toward a possible lamist violence from militant ist, was taken into custody
tween Paris and Moscow came as sale of four French warships — strongholds in northwest Paki- Feb. 14. His lawyer, Sharabeen al-
Russian President Dmitry Med- the Mistral-class tank and heli- stan to its troubled far western Zaeem, said prosecutors told the
vedev paid a pomp-filled state copter carrier. Xinjiang region. court more time was needed to
visit to France, clearly mindful of Such an arms sale would be the — Reuters investigate the charges.
the economic and political pay- biggest ever by a NATO country
offs at stake. to Russia and has alarmed Geor- THE HAGUE
PHILIPPE WOJAZER/REUTERS
Indian leader makes an offer: In-
Paris is angling to sell Moscow gia as well as the three Baltic French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, and his Russian dia will go the extra mile to im-
a massive warship and secure countries in NATO — Latvia,
Karadzic defends
counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, are discussing warships and gas. prove relations with Pakistan if
stakes in pipelines pumping Rus- Lithuania and Estonia.
‘just and holy’ cause
Islamabad acts decisively on ter-
sian gas to Western Europe. It — Associated Press genocide and war crimes relating trial of Slobodan Milosevic ended rorism, Indian Prime Minister
also wants to make Russia a stra- Radovan Karadzic, the former to the 1992-95 Bosnian war. Pros- prematurely when the former Yu- Manmohan Singh said during a
tegic partner in geopolitical chal- PAKISTAN Bosnian Serb leader, launched his ecutors say he is responsible for goslav president died of a heart visit to Saudi Arabia, which has
lenges such as Iran’s nuclear pro- close ties with Pakistan. Saudi
gram.
Missile strike killed
defense during a genocide trial in the massacre of 8,000 Bosnian attack in 2006.
The Hague on Monday, saying he Muslim men and boys at Srebren- “I don’t want to defend myself Arabia has also been cited as a
With Western impatience
militant, officials say
represented a “just and holy ica in 1995 and the 44-month by saying I wasn’t important or possible mediator in any eventual
growing over Tehran’s nuclear cause” that fell prey to a propa- siege of Sarajevo, when troops didn’t occupy an important post political settlement with the Tali-
ambitions, Medvedev said his An al-Qaeda-linked militant ganda campaign orchestrated by under his command killed more while I was serving my people, ban in Afghanistan, where India
country is ready to consider new who has called for attacks on Chi- NATO, foreign media and hu- than 10,000 people. nor will I shift the blame to some- and Pakistan have battled for in-
sanctions against the Islamic re- na over its treatment of Muslims manitarian organizations. The case is the biggest at the one else,” said Karadzic, who is fluence.
public. has been killed in a U.S. missile He is accused of 11 counts of U.N.-backed tribunal since the representing himself. “I will de- — From news services
C M Y K A7
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48