In an agreement described variously as “historic”, “remarkable” and “miraculous”, four Afghan delegations agreed in Bonn to set up the interim administration under the auspices of the United Nations to end more than 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

The Pashtun commander Hamid Karzai will head the 30-member administration and faces the difficult task of holdingtogether the factions when he takes office in Kabul on December 22.

Unfortunately, Karzai was injured only hours before the agreement was announced, by a 2,000lb satellite-guided U.S.B-52 bomb that was intended to hit Taliban and al-Qa’ida positions close to the city of Kandahar. The precision bombalso killed 3 U.S. troops.

Karzai was later heard on Britain’s Channel 4 News denying he had been hit, but the Pentagon had already confirmedit.

Only a handful of women were invited to participate in the talks in Bonn, and almost all were observers withoutvoting power. But this week, 50 Afghan women leaders traveled to Brussels to draw up their own demands Yesterday, onthe final day of the two-day AFGHAN WOMEN’S SUMMIT FOR DEMOCRACY, delegates held an informal press conference.

Free Speech Radio News correspondent Charles Michael Ray recorded the conference, which took place in severaldifferent languages.

Guests:

• Sima Tababae, Afghan activist delegate at the Women’s Summit.
• Sihar Sabba, RAWA.
• Habibi Sarabi, spokesperson for HAWCA (Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan).

Related link:

• RAWA