New Afghan policy must not hurt Pakistan: FO

PAKISTAN:  US President Barack Obama's plans to boost troop numbers in Afghanistan need to ensure there is ‘no adverse fallout’ on Pakistan, foreign office said on Wednesday. ‘Pakistan looks forward to engaging closely with (the) US in understanding the full import of the new strategy and to ensure that there would be no adverse fallout on Pakistan,’ the ministry said in a statement. Pakistani officials fear a dramatic increase in US troops in Afghanistan will push militants and refugees across its borders and complicate its own battle against the Taliban. "Pakistan and the US need to closely coordinate their efforts to achieve shared objectives,’ said the foreign ministry. ‘There is certainly the need for clarity and coordination on all aspects of the implementation of the strategy.’

Poland to send 600 more troops to Afghanistan

Poland:  A Polish official says the country will likely send 600 more troops to take part in the NATO-led force in Afghanistan next year. Government spokesman Pawel Gras said on Radio Tok FM on Wednesday that the decision still needs approval from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's cabinet and from President Lech Kaczynski, who is the supreme commander of the army. Kaczynski has spoken in favor of increasing Poland's current force of 2,000 troops, who serve in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. This is the first time an official has mentioned a specific number.

Taliban claim French bribery ploy

French troops deployed in Afghanistan are attempting to bribe Taliban fighters not to attack them, a senior Taliban leader has told Al Jazeera.

In an exclusive interview, Saif-Allah Jalili, the Taliban commander of the Kabul district, said on Monday that his men have been offered gifts and money by the French soldiers in order to persuade the fighters not to engage their forces.

"The French in Sorubi [in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan] tried to send gifts to Taliban fighters and offered them a lot of money in return for not launching attacks targeting the French troops," Jalili said.

"But Taliban fighters replied by rejecting everything and by strongly demanding the departure of the French troops and all other troops from our country, which they invaded by force," he said.

The French military has strongly denied the reports of bribery.

India ready to withdraw significant number of troops from Kashmir

NEW DELHI: India's home minister said Wednesday India was prepared to withdraw a "significant" number of troops from the occupied Kashmir.

Briefing lawmakers in parliament, P. Chidambaram noted that violence in the region had dropped in the past few years.

"I would take what appears to be a risky step of withdrawing a significant number of battalions of security forces in Kashmir," the minister told members of parliament, according to Indian news agency.

"We are now transferring more and more law and order duties to the Kashmir police," the news agency quoted Chidambaram as saying.

Chidambaram, however, did not state how many troops would be withdrawn or give a timetable for their pullout.

Iran releases five detained British sailors

TEHRAN:  Five British yachtsmen detained in the Gulf last week by Revolutionary Guards were freed Wednesday after it was determined they had inadvertently strayed into Iran's territorial waters, Iranian media said.

"The five Britons who had illegally entered with their vessel into the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran and who were arrested near the Siri Island have been freed hours ago, state radio quoted a statement by the Guards as saying.

The elite force whose navy patrols the Gulf waters said the five sailors were interrogated and "after investigation it became evident that their illegal entry was a mistake."

"So they were freed after taking the needed written commitments."

The five had been held since Nov. 25 and on Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie warned they would be dealt with "firmly" if found guilty of illegal entry into Iranian waters.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki late on Tuesday and called for formal consular access to the men and their speedy release. They were detained on Nov. 25.

Relations between Britain and Iran have been dogged by tension in recent years over a range of issues, from Tehran's nuclear program to Iranian allegations of British involvement in post-election violence in June this year.

Britain stressed the five men were civilians and played down parallels with an incident in March 2007 when Iran seized eight British Royal Navy sailors and seven marines off its coast.

Miliband had also demanded consular access to them, saying they appeared to have "inadvertently" strayed into Iranian waters.

He also said the incident has "nothing to do" with politics or the standoff over the Islamic republic's nuclear program, which the West suspects has military aims despite Tehran's denial.