afghanistan is a severe seismic area. >> kabul? >> kabul included. kabul had a devastating earthquake in its history. >> one was that? >> in the last century. destroyed the famous walls of kabul. >> okay. question for several of the gentlemen. you said security was the biggest concern you have. mr. mckelvy, they you have any contracts right now? why did you bid on them? >> over time we have gotten better at doing work in afghanistan and we will bid on a fixed-price contract when the scope as well defined and we determined to schedule this achievable and it is within the fence, in the purview of the military. >> outside the fence? >> outside the fence. >> mr. mouzannar? >> we have one fixed-price project within the fence. the reason, because of the fence. >> but nothing outside. >> not in afghanistan. >> and you as well? >> correct. question on -- >> we couldn't hear your answer, mr. mccarron. >> no. >> the electrical equipment that you actually installed. was that to the u.s. or british standard? >> depends on circumstances. >> explain why the afghan

but afghanistan is a severe seismic area. >> kabul? >> and kabul included. kabul has had a devastating earthquake in its history. >> when was that? >> it was in the last century where it destroyed the famous walls of kabul. >> that's a while ago. okay. question for several of you gentlemen. you all said that security was the biggest concern you have. mr. mckelvey, do you have any firm-fixed price contracts right now? >> yes, we do. >> why'd you bid on them? >> we've gotten better at doing work in afghanistan, and we will bid on a contract when we determine that the schedule is achievable and it's within the fence, so to speak, it's within the purview of the military. >> outside the fence -- >> outside the fence we would not. >> okay. >> we have one firm-fixed price project that is within the fence, inside the fence, and the reason because -- >> right. it's in the fence. but you have nothing else? >> not in afghanistan. >> and you as well? >> correct. >> and you, mr. mccarron? all right. question on -- >> mr. mccarron, we couldn't hear your answer. >> he said

but afghanistan is a severe seismic area. >> kabul? >> and kabul included.as had a devastating earthquake in its history. >> when was that? >> it was in the last century where it destroyed the famous walls of kabul. >> that's a while ago. okay. question for several of you gentlemen. you all said that security was the biggest concern you have. mr. mckelvey, do you have any firm-fixed price contracts right now? >> yes, we do. >> why'd you bid on them? >> we've gotten better at doing work in afghanistan, and we will bid on a contract when we determine that the schedule is achievable and it's within the fence, so to speak, it's within the purview of the military. >> outside the fence -- >> outside the fence we would not. >> okay. >> we have one firm-fixed price project that is within the fence, inside the fence, and the reason because -- >> right. it's in the fence. but you have nothing else? >> not in afghanistan. >> and you as well? >> correct. >> and you, mr. mccarron? all right. question on -- >> mr. mccarron, we couldn't hear your answer. >> he said no. >>

but afghanistan is a severe seismic area. >> kabul? >> and kabul included. kabul has had a devastating earthquake in its history. >> when was that? >> it was in the last century where it destroyed the famous walls of kabul. >> that's a while ago. okay. question for several of you gentlemen. you all said that security was the biggest concern you have. mr. mckelvey, do you have any firm-fixed price contracts right now? >> yes, we do. >> why'd you bid on them? >> we've gotten better at doing work in afghanistan, and we will bid on a contract when we determine that the schedule is achievable and it's within the fence, so to speak, it's within the purview of the military. >> outside the fence -- >> outside the fence we would not. >> okay. >> we have one firm-fixed price project that is within the fence, inside the fence, and the reason because -- >> right. it's in the fence. but you have nothing else? >> not in afghanistan. >> and you as well? >> correct. >> and you, mr. mccarron? all right. question on -- >> mr. mccarron, we couldn't hear your answer. >> he said

but afghanistan is a severe seismic area. >> kabul? >> and kabul included. kabul has had a devastating earthquake in its history. >> when was that? >> it was in the last century where it destroyed the famous walls of kabul. >> that's a while ago. okay. question for several of you gentlemen. you all said that security was the biggest concern you have. mr. mckelvey, do you have any firm-fixed price contracts right now? >> yes, we do. >> why'd you bid on them? >> we've gotten better at doing work in afghanistan, and we will bid on a contract when we determine that the schedule is achievable and it's within the fence, so to speak, it's within the purview of the military. >> outside the fence -- >> outside the fence we would not. >> okay. >> we have one firm-fixed price project that is within the fence, inside the fence, and the reason because -- >> right. it's in the fence. but you have nothing else? >> not in afghanistan. >> and you as well? >> correct. >> and you, mr. mccarron? all right. question on -- >> mr. mccarron, we couldn't hear your answer. >> he said

security has improve inside kabul and in key provinces like helmand and kandahar. the momentum of the taliban insurgents has been blunted, and in some places, even reversed. now, from the beginning we have recognized the fundamental connection between our war effort in afghanistan and the extremists' safe havens and enablers in pakistan. it is no secret that we have not always seen eye to eye with pakistan on how to deal with these threats or on the future of afghanistan. but as a result of growing cooperation between our governments, militaries and law enforcement agencies and determined action by the pakistani army, we have been able to dramatically expand our counterterrorism and intelligence efforts. pressure is increasing on both sides of the border. as a result, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are under threat like never before. al-qaeda's leadership is weakened, its safe havens in the border regions are smaller and less secure, and its ability to prepare and conduct terrorist operations has been significantly degraded. but make no mistake, al-qaeda re

two security guards are being killed in what police say was a suicide attack in the afghan capital kabul the blast occurred in a well known building a hotel and shopping mall in the center of the city gunfire was heard after the explosion and is said to be continuing last year the same building was heavily

security has improved in kabul and in key provinces like helmand and kandahar. the momentum of the taliban insurgents has been blunted, and in some places even reversed. from the beginning we have recognized the fundamental connection between our war effort in afghanistan and the safe havens and enablers in pakistan. it is no secret that we have not always seen eye to eye with pakistan on how to deal with these threats or on the future of afghanistan. but as a result of growing cooperation between our government, militaries, and law enforcement agencies, and determined action by the pakistan the army, we have been able to dramatically expand our counterterrorism and intelligence efforts. pressure is increasing on both sides of the border. as a result, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are under threat like never before. al qaeda's leadership is weakened, its safe havens in the border regions are smaller and less secure, and its ability to prepare and conduct terrorist operations has been significantly degraded. but make no mistake, hawkeye there remains a s

the threat this time, in other regions of the country, in kabul city, kabul province, as well as the east, the north, and the west, we made smaller but steady gains. in kabul city, number three on your map, there were very few spectacular attacks in 2010. in fact we met -- we went almost seven months without one, the longest on record in the last several years. also several important high- visibility events, like the kabul conference and the peace jirga, that were conducted without incident with an afghan national security forces in the league. we started to expand the kabul security zone both east and south. in the east, we saw gains in discrete areas, in jalalabad, out and then the heart, which is at number four on your map, as well as pockets as lobar and wardak, just south of kabul city. the east as difficult, complex, and physical terrain, and there's much work to be done there. up in the north, we focused on baghlan. what is important in that area is the intersection of two of the main commerce routes. the expanded security read that intersection and increased the freedom of mo

this is the second attack in kabul in two weeks. one theory is that the caliban- linked group the who, network -- taliban-linked group, the hakkani network, is no longer obeying a cease-fire. another theory says a new splinter group is trying to make its mark. attacks in kabul are becoming a frequent event as the afghan government tries to reach out to some elements in the taliban who might want to talk. others do not want that to happen. >> at least 14 people have died in an air crash in honduras. the deputy minister is among the victims. according to honduran airline officials, the jet crashed monday morning on a routine daily flight. it is reported the plane lost contact with air traffic control. you are watching "bbc world news." in iran, at least one person is reported killed. thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police in tehran. china is officially the world's second-largest economy. it has overtaken its regional rival, japan. an assistant to the russian job who handled the tile -- trial of khorokovsky said th

. >> once the war as over when we liberated kabul in 1992, i became the chief of staff. after the liberation, and he was defense minister. so we had really good relation and he has been friendly and i think we really appreciated it. even when the civil war started and i didn't want to be a part of it even in my absence he has been always very complementary and when the taliban came to kabul i was never replaced. my position was left. >> charlie: would it have been different circumstances if he survived. >> it would have helped, definitely. >> charlie: what's your -- the president of afghanistan, president karzai, what's your relationship with him, what do you think of him and what do you make of all of stories of corruption on his part and his brother. >> actually he has been a friend. i know him from a very long time. we worked together in the 9 the 0's to come up with some sort of resistance against the taliban that was happening that were there. he is really a real patriot and no one will say that he's been corrupt. >> charlie: no one will say that. >> that he himself

the conference in kabul last year he said from submitted to morsi of the government of afghanistan the international community including continue international military presence this may have to help them but just first of all the responsibility for the third it is a serious secondly yes i recently visited afghanistan. at that time as they held a meeting of all the government so fall provinces in afghanistan and conscious of the problem of what had to creation or preventing farmers to grow the paupers but those who say we're concerned about. so it didn't have can be it can be done and such cultures return to suffer on that one possible it's a very popular and quite good. cost effective for a culture but also we need to go in and so they come pain underscored. one point that. we could not expect a miracle just in one year it takes time to jeanette eight there will be only after that but the pharmacy move feel a real incentive for to produce less drug where being encouraged you know just use that last year it was a sharp decline in. production now for drugs and again this time. unfortuna

security has improved in kabul and in key provinces like tallman and kandahar.e places even reversed. now, from the beginning, we have recognized the fundamental connection between our war effort in afghanistan and the extremists safe havens and enablers and pakistan. it is no secret that we have not always seen eye to eye with pakistan on how to deal with these threats or on the future of afghanistan. but as a result of growing cooperation between our governments, not to raise, and law enforcement agencies, and determined action by the pakistani army, we have been able to dramatically expand our counterterrorism and intelligence efforts. pressure is increasing, on both sides of the border. as a result, the terrorists who attacked us on the 9/11 are under threat like never before. al qaeda's leadership this weekend, it's safe havens in the border regions are smaller and less secure, and its ability to prepare and conduct terrorist operations has been significantly degraded. but make no mistake, al qaeda remains a serious threat, it is finding it tougher to raise

he joins us live from kabul now officials are saying there were also a lot of civilians who were injured in these raids you're in afghanistan tell us anything you know about what has happened. actually. to some of the. shows and canary and also some people before i came to this program days ago the operation started a joint operation of nato and afghan army and of course the area was a very very narrow canyon and according to my information no government official can go there so that the death tolls are unconfirmed they're here by saying by villagers who have sent people to the center of the capital a total of sixty eight people according to them but according to nato forty seven people have been killed and nato says all forty seven are insurgency and the villagers say there are some civilians among these they say thirteen or insurgency there are civilians so there is a confirmed report by one side and the unconfirmed report by the other side but naturally some investigation is required into the matter that i'm sure in these insurgency operations there's always a civilian casualty we can

dollars a year compare that to almost seven billion dollars a month to prop up a puppet regime in kabul and now you give the flare that situation in afghanistan is much worse then in egypt and that's why it's high time to concentrate and focus how do night it states is going to breach the gap between its democratically service for egypt and legitimizing corruption and drug and warlordism in afghanistan as well as popular on rest areas of northern africa there are fears of a fresh wave of immigrants flocking to the e.u. but the old world is not waiting for them with open arms western leaders have one by one admitted the policy of multiculturalism in europe is not working parties if you tickle the show has more. the concept of multiculturalism seems to be failing all around europe we fail to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to below zero this approach has failed utterly ah. my answer is clearly yes it's a failure. the heads of state are now admitting what many observers and radicals have been saying for some time mordecai tourism will only function if the people co

shortly afterwards, i talked with sennott from kabul. >> brown: charlie sennott, you spoke with general petraeus about the situation in egypt, tell us about that? >> the situation in egypt obviously has a much wider impact and general petraeus have been following the situation closely, particularly the ramifications it could have for the global struggle on terrorism and he told us that this set of street riots that have been going on in cairo have an impact much beyond egypt. >> i was exchanging emails with someone whose views i respect greatly and when it comes to the largest mid-east region he was i think this shows the importance once again that leaders need to listen to their people and show that they are listening and are willing to respond. i think that is a universal lesson that has been reaffirmed in these particular circumstances. >> brown: in afghanistan, the big question of course is how much progress there has been especially along the pakistan border. >> that's right, that is one of the most critical issues of the offensive in afghanistan against the taliban. the border are

. >> working to rebuild their lives, these afghan women sought refuge in one of kabul's women shelters. they feel that their abusers, fathers, husbands, brothers, know where they are. the safe house offers them protection. >> a woman tells a story. my husband was beating me all of the time. he is a former taliban commander. he is very violent. he tried to force me into prostitution. the pain and suffering was long ignored. women are just finding a place in afghanistan. the violence against them as widespread. in a deeply conservative society, the safe houses are viewed conservatively. some are accused of being places of prostitution or drug abuse. the government is insisting on control, accusing the international community of spending millions to help only a handful. >> i think they are more concerned about money than the people who live in the shelters. if they are really concerned about women, why are they not helping those outside of the shelter that experience violence every day? >> the police force is deeply mistrusted by many, will begin the withdrawal of shelter security. many o

kabul stones ripped from the pavement and used as weapons. anderson cooper was among the targets of the violence. >> punches us in the head. stay first started going for the cameras. they didn't want pictures taken. i was using a flip camera, which they didn't notice. they kept trying to grab us. there was no control. >> reporter: as the number of injured mounted, the army separated the two groups, that did not stop the violence. these pictures show cocktails being dropped from the rooftops. the military used water canons to control the claims. president obama condemned the violence and warmed peter maggiore about resisting the will of the people. >> that time is now. >> reporter: christine connelly, kron 4 news. >> the protests are being watched closely by experts who study the politics of the middle east. >> reporter: cocktails lit up the night sky in cairo. steven says he is not surprised the government appears to have sent in paid thugs to break up the rallies. >> they charged in with knives, sticks, quite ugly. hundreds injured. >> repor

they went to his house and arrested him and they're a waiting trial in kabul and will probably get 6 - 8 years. two days later think did open up the school and even had another inauguration for the school because they said we want our kids to go to school. there are about 18 schools - she's got the facts. there's 18 girls that are not going to school and we set up what's called displaced girls school but the rest of the kid have come back here and i think if if quest we can give those k the support they need for education i think things could really make a difference. this is another school. this is in a remote area of north afghanistan. the first day of school there was registration day and the kids came to register for school and noticed as i walked i looked down at their chinese rubber boots and flip flops and i kept looking at the ground seeing those little impressions of their prints and i thought back to 1969 when neil armstrong stepped on the moon and said one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. one tiefu tiny little print for girl walking in the dirt but years

the threat this time, in other regions of the country, in kabul city, kabul province, as well as the east, the north, and the west, we made smaller but steady gains. in kabul city, number three on your map, there were very few spectacular attacks in 2010. in fact we met -- we went almost seven months without one, the longest on record in the last several years. also several important high- visibility events, like the kabul conference and the peace jirga, that were conducted without incident with an afghan national security forces in the league. league. -- in the

downtown kabul looks at that ten to thirteen as the cold goes out yesterday for a million protesters to come to the streets. also as investigators examined the remains of a twenty year old believed to be the. suicide bomber video emerges of russia's most wanted terrorist threatening a fresh wave of attacks. moscow and washington overcome the odds and years of debate as the new nuclear arms reduction treaty comes into force with both sides vowing to shut the past and start over. the search for missing a step as ukrainian government officials demand to know his whereabouts after months of mystery. as we are highlighting the week's top stories on those that made headlines welcome to the program let's start in egypt now where the government is holding a landmark talks with the country's most influential opposition group the muslim brotherhood all of this in an attempt to put an end to almost two weeks of revolt western countries have been calling on president mubarak to listen to his people but egyptians have accused the u.s. and the e.u. of hypocrisy for not criticizing a regime they've

says sanctions against the new money exchanged in kabul which they say has laundered money for afghan drug traffickers. americans are banned from doing business with the company and assets are to be frozen. the chairman of the u.s. federal reserve told the g-20 meeting that countries with large surpluses should let their currencies appreciate. it will take at least a decade to shift his country's economy away from the export-based model. this is "bbc world news." another blood shed on mexico streets as violence claims another 20 lives. ugandans went to the polls on friday to choose their next president. they expected the former president will continue to lead the country but the opposition accused the leader of reading his way to reelection. -- rigging the election. >> voters made their choice. 30 years of the president or time for a change? international and local observers are following the process closely. the vote went fairly smoothly. during weeks of campaigning, the president drew large crowds. his popularity cannot be stemmed from the fact he led the country to stability after

boiler trucks goes from kabul. afghanistan in exchange of huge amount of money and the money that he's taken from the military nato military logistics is more i calculated the takes from drug trafficking. now you as an executive director at the office for drug control and crime prevention i know that your policies almost brought about a collapse in afghan poppy trade did you directly negotiate with the taliban to kill the poppy crop or are you spoke with the taliban leaders in one thousand nine hundred seventy when they just conquered. the country about the nation opium poppy cultivation in exchange for international aid for the africa base. they did not to buy the agreement we've got. and i change the strategy. i ask the security council to get the sanctions they got. also i will be to them politically from the countries that surround the focused on the fifty percent of. before arriving to russia or before arriving to europe. after going to heaven stays in the region goes to pakistan. to the six countries borders

the kabul-based afghanistan rights monitor says 739 children under the age of 18 were killed in conflict-related incidents in 2010. the human rights group attributes 64% of the children's deaths to insurgents and 17% to international forces. the group says many of the child fatalities occurred not only in the southern provinces of kandahar and helmand, which are taliban strongholds, but also in the eastern and northern provinces. the group is urging insurgents and international forces to ensure the safety of children and other civilians during combat. >>> russia's president says he'd like to develop several russian-held islands that are also claimed by japan. dmitry medvedev describes the islands as an inseparable part of russia. medvedev made the comments on wednesday at a meeting with regional development minister victor barsagian and the defense minister anatoly serdyukov. the two ministers briefed the president on their visits to the islands last week. medvedev ordered the swift modernization of the island's military and promised further development of their economies with the help of neighb

atomico bogota airport a family looks out of place these are no ordinary people it's the family of kabul as the colombian cocaine godfather and the most wanted criminals on a. they had hoped to seek refuge in frankfurt but the german authorities immediately turn the back. of the escobar family comprises the some one top bloke in his arms his young system on a way out. and bringing up the rear maria victoria. was. tired and bewildered and most of all they're scared escobar has been on the run for sixteen months and is no longer the all powerful drug lord who for years had terrorized colombia. the public enemy number one lives like a hunted on a mole from his hiding place somewhere in colombia the drug dealer is powerless to help his family but ask about always have an achilles heel his family his daughter his son meant everything to him. his achilles' heel is something the colombian authorities are planning to take full advantage of from the moment they check into a hotel the family is under constant surveillance they've become the bait. it's just a matter of time before the godfather mak

for every dick ational drugs especially if it has become clear after the peace and the conference in kabul last year he started from submitted to more some of the government of afghanistan the international community including continue international military presence this may have to help them but it's not just first of all the responsibility for the third it is how they say to me and secondly yes i do seem to be set up again it's. called a meeting of all the government so fall provinces and afghanistan and conscious of the problem of put it to creation or preventing farmers to grow the porpoise but also say we're concerned about. alternative so it didn't have can be can be done and. such cultures are sweet and sour from one possible thought until it's very popular and quite good. cost effective for a culture but also we need to go in and so they come pain underscoring one point that. we could not expect a miracle just in one year it takes time to jeanette eight there will be only after that but. the farmers will feel a real incentive for to produce less drag where being encouraged and you

has announced sanctions against the new money exchange house in kabull, which it says laundered money from drug traffickers. the chairman of the u.s. central bank, the federal reserve, told the g-20 meeting in paris the countries with large trade surfaces should let their currencies appreciate. his chinese counterpart said it would take at least a decade to shift the country's economy away from its export-based model. uganda's have been going to the polls. counting is under way. overall, voting was largely untroubled. a former doctor standing against him for the third time, and he has one of protests if he does not win. >> across the country, voters made their choice. 30 years of the president, or time for a change. international and local observers are following the process closely. the boat itself went fairly smoothly. during weeks of campaigning, the president drew large crowds. his popularity partly stems from the fact that he led the country to stability after years of turmoil. he often tells ugandan as if they want the peace to stay, stick with him. the greatest challenge comes