Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Glenn Halpern of HipperCritical. Glenn has a date with a hospital in his near future, so please everyone drop by his blog and wish him well!

TOP TOPICS

* New warnings have surfaced that Al Qaeda is looking to go for the big score against a US target, and WMD's may be in the plans. The lively dilaogue between Belmont Club and USS Clueless on America's likely response to a deadly WMD strike is eye-opening.

* Guest Bloggers (Hungarian Ambassador to the USA) Andras Simonyi, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of The Doobie Brothers & Steely Dan, talk about the role of Rock n' Roll in spreading freedom: ['Skunk' Baxter | Ambassador Simonyi | Q&A Session]

* This War on Terror is quite the rollercoaster ride, and it stretches around the globe. In the past week, high-profile arrests of suspected Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists were made in Italy, Germany, London, Turkey, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. That the Coalition is tracking down terrorists all over the world is both heartening and worrying, no?

Other Topics Today Include: Iranian Mullahs rejoice over IAEA resolution; Iran-Israel geopolitical games; Iran elections discussion; Vote for Blogger Hoder!; US missile defense system to be deployed in 2004; More controversy over Guantanamo Bay; The 'Israelization' of Turkey; 5 regimes must go; Afghanistan reports; Terrorism futures; Support the Troops (Updated!)

Read the Rest...

Worth reading: The New Brunswick Home News Tribune writes about what Raritan Valley Community College is doing to raise funds for a secular school in Afghanistan.

Turkish police say they have arrested a man who has admitted a role in the deadly suicide bombing of a synagogue in Istanbul.

Deputy Chief of Police Halil Yilmaz said the suspect admitted giving the direct order to the suicide bombers to attack Beth Israel synagogue on November 15.

Full story [CNN]...

Channel 4 [ Full story »» ] reports:

Two further properties in Gloucester have been raided by anti-terrorist officers. The searches follow the arrest of one man yesterday and an overnight raid on a nearby flat. Twenty-four-year-old Sajit Badat is still being detained tonight in London's Paddington Police Station under the Terrorism Act.

BBC [ Full story »» ] reports:

The Argentine Government says it has received intelligence about possible terrorist attacks in the country. Defence Minister Jose Pampuro said there could be attacks against US, British or Spanish targets.

Deutsche Welle [ Full story »» ] reports:

A Düsseldorf court sentenced Shadi Abdallah, a member of the terrorist al Tawhid organization and self-confessed former bodyguard to Osama bin Laden, to four years in prison for his role in helping plan attacks in Germany.

Fox:

One of the top Al Qaeda members in Yemen was captured by security forces Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said, calling him a suspected mastermind of the homicide bombings of the USS Cole and a French oil tanker off the country's coast.

Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal was arrested after Yemeni forces surrounded his hide-out west of the capital, San'a, the Interior Ministry said in a statement carried on the official SABA news agency.

Al-Ahdal, also known as Abu Assem al-Makky, is one of the two main leaders of Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network in Yemen, according to security reports published in the Yemeni press.

Al-Ahdal was found after several months of extensive efforts by security forces, the Interior Ministry statement said. Witnesses said security forces fired in the air to force al-Ahdal to surrender. The official statement did not mention any shooting.

[*Debka Alerts come with a grain of salt.]

DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources reports that a message published over al Qaeda’s electronic channels and websites declared that the countdown has begun for the biggest operation ever carried out in the United States:

“The big blow will fall very shortly. It will consist of a series of surprise attacks that will cut America off from communication with its armies in Muslim countries.” The reference is clearly to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Muslims living in the United States are urged to “take advantage of the short time left” to escape the country and harm’s way.

Debka is generally 100% right or 100% wrong, there's no gray area here. I'm opting - and hoping - for wrong on this one.

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted.com.

TOP TOPICS

* Eduard Shevardnadze formally resigned as the President of Georgia Sunday in the face of a popular uprising, eschewing the option of trying to suppress the uprising through violent means. New elections will be held in 45 days. How this will affect the war on terror is open to question, although it's possible the West can use Georgia as an example of democracy triumphing, assuming the new elections occur on schedule.

* JK: Orson Scott Card has a great summary of the war thus far. And yes, we can lose.

* JK: Oskar at Logos has an interesting post about terrorists looking to target the Netherlands. Speaking of which, Oskar also links to a provocative report that looks at the role of the Bosnian conflict in helping al-Qaeda grow. Guess some of them still hold a grudge over Srebrenica...

Other Topics Today Include: Iraq attacks; Iraqi debt relief; al-Qaeda-Iraq links; al-Qaeda evolving; New Iranian blog; Afghanistan reports; Georgia on our mind; Israel dismantling some settlements; Turkish bombing aftermath; al Qaeda's primary war; al-Qaeda adapts; Ceasefire in Kashmir?

Read The Rest...

USAToday is reporting that five U.S. soldiers were killed and seven injured when their helicopter crashed Sunday near the American military headquarters north of Kabul.

WorldNetDaily [ Full Story »» ] reports:

Citing an "unimpeachable source," Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri are in Iran, according to a Fox News analyst.

Al-Zawahiri was seen within the last two weeks, and bin Laden was spotted in July, says the network's foreign affairs analyst Mansoor Ijaz.

.............

Both al-Qaida leaders are disguised.

.............

In short, according to Ijaz, Iranian technology is now being used to help the Afghan warlords to take over the country from Hamid Karzai," the Afghan president.

Useful Fools describes a subsequent report by Ijaz, with additional information and the original report, paraphrased from a PVR recording.

Expatica [ Full story »» ] reports:

British security officials have warned that the Netherlands is increasingly prominent in Al Qaeda attack target "wish lists". The anonymous officials also reminded the Netherlands about a recent audio tape allegedly of Osama bin Laden, the leader of terrorist network Al Qaeda. The tape warned the US and its allies of possible terrorist attacks. The Netherlands, by implication, was also warned.

BBC [ Full story »» ] reports:

"We expect al-Qaeda will strive for new attacks designed to be more devastating than the September 11 attack, possibly involving non-conventional weapons such as chemical or biological agents," says the statement. "We also cannot rule out that al-Qaeda will attempt a second catastrophic attack within the US."

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• Two suicide bombers attacked two synagogues in Istanbul on the Jewish Sabbath this last weekend. The Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish and Israeliofficials are pointing the finger at al-Qaeda. Both suicide bombers are believed to have undergone training in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran before carrying out the attack. The mastermind of the attack has fled to Syria, where he may being trying to link up with members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
  


• The conservative Weekly Standard has leaked a memo dealing with evidence supporting the US assertion that Iraq and al-Qaeda have a long-standing relationship with Osama bin Laden. For more on this memo and whether or not the information contained therein is accurate, check out my special analysis on the topic.
  


• Al-Qaeda leader Abu Salma al-Hijazi has claimed that the terror network plans to kill 100,000 Americans in upcoming attacks. Al-Hijazi (the surname likely denotes a Saudi nationality) also reinterated the order previously issued by Suleiman al-Dosari that the organization's primary target is currently the US, not Arab governments.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Taliban forming committees; new tape by Mullah Omar; letter from Afghanistan; possible al-Qaeda threat in the UK; Saudi conspiracy theories; Zarqawi's Italian associates' assets frozen; new Algerian attack on the GSPC; grim UN report on al-Qaeda; JI training in Mindanao; Filippino communists deny recruiting for JI; new JI supremo in Southeast Asia; Yemen releases 92 al-Qaeda members; Saudi cleric renounces violence; Arafat's slush fund; and computers can't recognize a Southern drawl.

Read the Rest...

CNN:

The British consul general was among at least 26 people killed when explosions rocked Istanbul, Turkey's largest city.

As many as 450 people were injured in the explosions, Turkish officials said.

Diplomatic sources told CNN that Consul General Roger Short was killed after a car bomb exploded on a narrow street outside Britain's Istanbul consulate, one of at least two explosions in the city Thursday.

Father Ian Sherwood of the Anglican Church in Istanbul told CNN: "I've been with the family of consul general since it happened and, sadly, the consul general is dead."

The death toll has been raised to 25, from at least five different explosions.

Also:

Shortly after the attack, a government office in Istanbul received a phone call from Al Qaeda and a Turkish Islamic militant group -- the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front (IBDA-C) -- claiming joint responsibility for the attack, CNN Turk reported.

IBDA also claimed responsibility for the bombings in Turkey on November 15th.

CNN:

At least 15 people dead and 320 injured in explosions at London-based bank and British Consulate in Istanbul, CNN Turk reports.

AP:

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) Al-Qaida and Turkish militant group claim responsibility for attacks in telephone call to semi-official Anatolia news agency.

Sky News:

At least seven people are reported dead and 100 wounded as bomb blasts rip through the British consulate and up to four other targets in Istanbul.

The large 23-storey HSBC HQ in the city was shattered in one blast - at least five people have died in that attack.

British Secretary Jack Straw said "three or four" people had failed to attend a roll call at the consulate. The death toll in the blasts is unconfirmed but is expected to rise. The front of the British consulate is also reported to have been ripped off.

The third explosion is reported to have been in an Asian residential area. It is not known where the two other blasts were.

Mr Straw said the "appalling terrorist attack" bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.

TV pictures coming into Sky News show a scene of devastation outside the HSBC bank, a plush modern building in uptown Istanbul.

Windows have been blown out, cars destroyed and rubble scattered across streets.

Many walking wounded are staggering around the blast scene in a stunned state.

A British embassy official said "things looked bad" with considerable damage to the consulate.

The blasts come after 23 people died in a double bomb attack on two synagogues in the Turkish capital at the weekend.

Al Qaeda and affiliated groups were blamed for the blasts over the weekend.

Osama bin Laden's organisation said it had carried out the attacks.

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Central Asia's "-stans" courtesy of Nathan Hamm, whose creds include a stint in Uzbekistan as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Nathan's regular blog is The Argus.

TOP TOPICS

• Georgia held parliamentary elections on November 2nd. Hold on to your hats, the fallout has been a wild ride that is mercifully summarized here (PDF file). [More inside...]

• Arash of Afghan Voice comments on Afghanistan's opium boom and the important role that poppy cultivation played under the Taliban.

• Crisisweb reports that in Central Asia, where half the population is under 30, youth are being lost and that there is a long list of needs that must be addressed. Why? Young people are turning to violence, extremist politics and/or religion, and migration as a way out of societies that offer them little opportunity. If you want to see an example of this frustration, read this email from an Uzbek acquaintance of mine.

Other Topics Today Include: Russia's Quest for a Liberal Empire; India Marches North; Special focus: Afghanistan; A Landmark Agreement on the Caspian; World Bank Backs BTC Pipeline & Rebukes Uzbekistan; Karimov is not Hussein; and much more.

READ THE REST...

A jury found sniper shootings suspect John Allen Muhammad guilty of capital murder and three other charges related to last year's sniper shooting spree.

The seven-woman, five-man jury also found Muhammad guilty of committing a murder in an act of terrorism, conspiracy and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The jury announced its verdict at 11:55 a.m. EST, after six hours of deliberations.

More at CNN

Al-Qaeda is taking proud responsibility for the Turkey bombings in two seperate papers. The Age has a report here.

Hi. I'm Alan. Used to post here a lot ... in fact, with Michele, I created this place. Life sort of took over, but I hope you still read (and I hope to still post). That said, WaPo is saying that two pickup trucks are the focus of the Istanbul explosion investigation ... trucks with 800 pounds of explosives hidden under packages of detergent. Read more here.

The death toll has been revised down to 17, with at least 200 injured.

The simultaneous blasts came from two car bombs, one at the Neve Shalom synagogue in Istanbul, and the other at Beth Israel Synagogue in Sisli, three miles away.

A radical group - Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front - has taken responsibility for the bombings, though Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul believes there are international links to the attacks. Turkish police, however, are saying that the bombs can be linked to al Qaeda.

In 1992, Hezbollah carried out an attack at Neve Shalom and in 1986 22 people were killed at teh synagogue by Palestinian gunmen.

[Various sources]

UPDATE

Ankara Blogger Kris Lofgren has pictures, stories, on the spot coverage and a lot of insight.

[via Glenn Reynolds]

Developing story....

At least 23 people have been killed and dozens more injured after car bombs were detonated near two Jewish synagogues in Istanbul, police and the Interior Ministry told CNN Turk.

Turkish officials believe the explosions on Saturday morning were coordinated, simultaneous attacks on the Jewish Sabbath.

BBC

Britain's security services have been put on their second highest state of alert amid intelligence of a possible al-Qaeda attack, the BBC has learned.
The internal "severe general" alert is said to be unconnected to US President Bush's forthcoming UK visit.

It follows warnings about plans by al-Qaeda supporters from North Africa.

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

* BBC News reports that Saudi Arabia is in talks with al-Qaeda to cease attacks inside of the Kingdom in return for numerous concessions, pointing to yet another possible motive for the Riyadh bombings - al-Qaeda's desire to demonstrate to the Saudi royals that they were a force that House Saud had best cater to - or else. The "militants" referenced in the article are likely under the command of Abu Hazim, who was appointed al-Qaeda's new leader in the Gulf to replace Abd Rahim al-Nashiri.

* The Taliban are once again on the move in Afghanistan, recapturing 4 districts (counties) in Zabul province using a force of 2,500 fighters on motorcycles that we heard last about in Baluchistan on October 9 to secure the area. Zabul deputy governor Maulavi Mohammed Omar has told the Afghan Islamic Press that the Taliban may well be planning to launch an offensive to take the provincial capital of Zabul itself.

* The Indonesian island of Sulawesi, long a focus of cultural and sectarian tension, has had yet more violence to rock the fragile peace between the island's Christian and Muslim inhabitants that was established after the wave of sectarian violence from 1999-2000. Indonesian authorities believe that Dulmatin, a high-ranking Jemaah Islamiyyah leader, is masterminding the killings as part of concerted effort to stir up more problems on the island.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; al-Qaeda wannabes say Jews are to blame for Riyadh bombings; US launches Operation Mountain Resolve; Taliban PR offensive; Karzai warns of more attacks; Saudi Arabia's Keystone cops; Jemaah Islamiyyah leaders on the run; al-Qaeda wants to poison your water; Brigitte planned to irradiate Sydney; the Mombasa bombing in retrospect; Pakistan arrests 150 Taliban and HeI members; Janjalani escapes; and spam is bad for the economy.

READ THE REST...

Saudi security forces have detained militants suspected of involvement in the bombing that killed at least 17 people in a housing compound in the capital Riyadh at the weekend, a diplomat said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, an Arab magazine said that it had received an e-mail from a purported al-Qaida operative claiming that the terror network was behind the deadly attack.

"A GROUP OF suspects in the bombing was detained. The campaign to chase the culprits started immediately after the bombing. Some were also detained and released after interrogation," the diplomat close to the investigation told Reuters. The arrests took place in Riyadh and the outskirts.

"The campaign to hunt down those responsible is continuing," the source said.

More at MSNBC

Meanwhile, Fox reports that al Qaeda has sent an email to an Arab magazine claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.

TOP TOPICS

* Despite millions of Saudi dollars flowing into al Qaeda coffers, the Kingdom is not immune from al Qaeda's terrorism, as a suicide bomber killed at least 17 and wounded more than 120 in Riyadh. Is it possible al Qaeda can accomplish what the U.S. State Department cannot, and bring the Saudis over to the West's side of the war? Fellow Winds of War writer Dan Darling offers his analysis.

* In case you missed it, Armed Liberal's post on Veteran's Day and American liberalism is a must-read. I'll also plug my own The Reasons Why (which I certainly didn't write, only compiled), a collection of quotes, historical vignettes, and stories that try to answer the question, what are we fighting for?

Other Topics Today Include: Iran's official acceptance of nuclear inspections; al Qaeda looks at cargo planes; Saudi Arabia goes after terrorists in Mecca; North Korea updates; Israel rewards terrorism; and future warfare ain't like the movies.

Read the rest...

(JK: By Dan Darling. Need I say more? You won't find better in-depth news archives & analysis)

For the last 6 months since the Riyadh bombings, Saudi Arabia has been in something of a state of flux. The latest bombings in Riyadh simply underscore that shift.

For the last 14 years, there's been something of a gentleman's agreement between House Saud and al-Qaeda: the latter will not target the former, in exchange for the Saudi government turning a blind eye towards al-Qaeda's activities in the Kingdom.

That appears to be changing somewhat. On both sides.

Read the rest...
 

The car bombers, who used a police car or jeep to gain entry to the compound, had a gunfight with with security guards before the explosions.

Most news sources are listing the casualty totals as under ten, but witnesses at the scene are saying that many more have died and many of the 100 or so wounded are children. Saudi residents in the area are also saying that the bombings have destroyed whatever little support was left for Islamic militants.

Meanwhile, the Saudi government is blaming al Qaeda for the bombings.

As many as 28 have been killed and at least 100 injured in the bombings reported here. Many of the dead and wounded are children.

The explosions happened at a time when many of the adult residents were away from their homes because of the Ramadan observances, leaving a large number of children in the compound.

The Al-Muhaya compound, where the explosions took place, is an affluent residential neighborhood housing mostly Arabs. Only four people who live in the compound are not Arabs.

[More at CNN]

Update: Witnesses are reporting about 20-30 people have been killed. There has been no confirmation of that yet. One witness said, "I heard screams of the children and women. I don't know what happened to my friends if anybody was injured. All the glass in my house were shattered." [From Fox TV]

One day after there warnings about possible terrorist attacks in Riyadh, three explosions were heard in the Saudi capital (around midnight mid east time).

Fox (TV) is reporting that it happened in a community that houses foreigners - the B2 Compound which is a residential area that is home to mostly Arabs - and is also reporting that it is expected that al Qaida will take responsibility for the bombings.

al Jazeera TV reports that there was a shootout in the compound - believed to be a "soft target" - before the explosions were heard.

There have been no reports of casualties or injuries.

Fox has more here.

MSNBC story

The U.S. has closed its embassy in Saudi Arabia, citing serious threats of a terrorist attack in the area.

In Afghanistan, warnings were sent out that Taliban forces" are actively searching for American journalists to take hostage for use as leverage for the release of Taliban currently under United States control."

[Full story here]

IHT Full story »»

In a revealing biography, "Inside the Opaque Kingdom," Carmen Binladin chronicles her nine years of married life in a puritanical, male-dominated community, "where women are no more than house pets." The book is a diary-style account of her struggle to cope with rules and strictures as suffocating as the desert climate.

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report.

Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

Top Topics

* Al-Qaeda is reportedly regrouping and recruiting in Kashmir (both Pakistani Azad Kashmir and Indian Jammu and Kashmir) before moving sending jihadis to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.

* As AfricaPundit already noted, al-Qaeda elements in East Africa led by Faisal Abdullah Mohammed are using Somalia as base from which to launch attacks throughout East Africa with the assistance of its Somali affiliate al-Ittihad al-Islamiyyah.

* Rohan Gunaratna, widely considered one of the foremost experts on al-Qaeda in the world, is warning that Europe may be attacked by terrorists in retaliation for the war in Iraq.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; al-Qaeda regrouping in Yemen; US posting bounties in Somalia; 3 Pakistani soldiers busted fighting with al-Qaeda; Maulavi Akhter Mohammed says down with Musharraf; jihadi minimum wage; Sri Lankan parliament suspended and military on call; an al-Qaeda plot in Kyrgyzstan thwarted; Bhutan's prince off to war; and an Eminem knife fight in Istanbul.

Read the rest...

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Africa, courtesy of AfricaPundit.

TOP TOPICS

• In Liberia, a new transitional government has finally assumed power. The new president is Gyude Bryant, a Monrovia businessman. Liberia's road to peace will be long and difficult, but putting Charles Taylor on trial might be a good start.

• Instapundit talks about Africa and the War on Terror, and Dan Darling also notes that Africa has taken on new importance to a reorganized al Qaeda.

• "DD" comments on this briefing, and talks about a recent trip to Kenya. Want to know why the continent is an economic basket case? Listen to his story.

Other Topics Today Include: War on Terror Africa update; Reports on Mugabe's madness in Zimbabwe; Homosexuality in Uganda; Sudan update; Namibia's Nujoma; Ivory Coast debacle; Somaliland news; Kenya deportations; Nigerian vaccinations.

Read the rest...

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Glenn Halpern of HipperCritical.

TOP TOPICS

• Just 2 weeks ago, Russia announced that it would delay the launch of the Bushehr plant and EU ministers stated that they were 'deeply concerned' over the human rights situation in Iran. But all those sticks are history. Already, Russia sees no obstacle to the delivery of nuclear fuel to Bushehr and continues to train Iranian nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, the EU is looking forward to the expansion of economic relations with Iran.

• JK: It's a Liberal blog-panel on the U.S. Democratic Party & National Security - Roger L. Simon, Calpundit, Armed Liberal, & Matthew Yglesias. Plus a hundred or so commenters in A.L.'s blog posts alone, many with intelligent things to say.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran reconciles with all its friends; the Iranian people want a referendum; the latest Iranian interrogation methods; Homeland Security spends; Immigration reform; The counsel of allies; Afghanistan remains dangerous; S. Korea faces up to N. Korean reality; Self-criticism for everyone; Israel's Chief of Staff criticizes current policies.

read the rest...
 

[Fox News]

Afghanistan (search) unveiled a post-Taliban draft constitution Monday, a historic milestone on what has been a bloody, bumpy and often tragic path to recovery after decades of war.

The constitution, which aims to unite the diverse Afghan people under democratic principles with an Islamic core -- must still be debated at a constitutional grand council, or loya jirga (search), next month. Ratification of the document will set the stage for nationwide elections scheduled for next June.

A red-bound copy of the long-awaited draft was handed to former King Mohammad Zaher Shah, President Hamid Karzai (search) and Lakhdar Brahimi, special envoy of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, during a ceremony at Kabul's Presidential Palace.

"I hope this will be acceptable for the people and will direct people toward peace, security and democracy," said the king.

The draft constitution gives the country the official name, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a sign of the government's desire to bring the country together under Islam. However, the hardline Islamic law practiced by the Taliban (search) is not expected to be a part of the new constitution.

Full story...