Factbox: Taliban detainees turned over by U.S. in Bergdahl deal

(Reuters) - The five Taliban prisoners being turned over by the United States to Qatar in a deal with the Taliban for the release of a U.S. soldier on Saturday were listed by the Pentagon as "high-risk" detainees, including two implicated in the deaths of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims in Afghanistan.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the five men as: Mohammed Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul Haq Wasiq. They were being placed in the custody of Qatar after the Taliban released U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held for nearly five years after being captured in Afghanistan.

Pentagon documents released by the WikiLeaks organization said all five were sent to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2002, the year the detention facility opened. They were classified as "high-risk" detainees who were "likely to pose a threat" to the United States, its interests and allies.

Here is a look at the five men. * MOHAMMED FAZL: A February 2008 Pentagon document said Fazlserved as Taliban deputy minister of defense and as a seniorcommander who was chief of staff of the Taliban army. The U.S.military said he was wanted by the United Nations for possiblewar crimes including the murder of thousands of Afghanistan'sminority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001. It said he wasborn in 1967 in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province. According toU.S. military documents, Fazl was also on the scene of aNovember 2001 prison riot that killed CIA operative JohnnyMicheal Spann, the first American who died in combat in theAfghan war. There is no evidence, however, that Fazl played anydirect role in Spann's death. * MULLAH NORULLAH NOORI: A February 2008 Pentagon documentsaid Noori was a senior Taliban military commander in the Afghancity of Mazar-e-Sharif during fighting in late 2001 after theU.S. invasion. It said he also was the Taliban governor for twoprovinces and was wanted by the United Nations for possible warcrimes including the murder of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims. Itsaid he was born in 1967 in Afghanistan's Zabul province. * KHAIRULLAH KHAIRKHWA: A March 2008 Pentagon document said Khairkhwa was a senior Taliban official serving as the ministerof interior, governor of Herat and a military commander. It saidthat after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, herepresented the Taliban during meetings with Iranian officialsseeking to support hostilities against U.S. forces inAfghanistan. It said he was born in 1967 in Afghanistan'sKandahar province. * ABDUL HAQ WASIQ: A January 2008 Pentagon document saidWasiq served as the Taliban deputy minister of intelligence. "Hewas central to the Taliban's efforts to form alliances withother Islamic fundamentalist groups to fight alongside theTaliban against U.S. and Coalition forces after the 11 September2001 attacks," the document said. It said he was born in 1971 inAfghanistan's Ghazni province. * MOHAMMED NABI: A January 2008 Pentagon document said Nabiwas a senior Taliban official who "served in multiple leadershiproles." It said he "maintained weapons caches and facilitatedthe smuggling of fighters and weapons." It said he was born in1968 in Afghanistan's Khost province.

(Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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U.S. soldier freed in Afghanistan, five Taliban prisoners leave Guantanamo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last U.S. prisoner of war held in Afghanistan was handed over to U.S. Special Operations forces on Saturday, in a dramatic swap for five Taliban detainees who were released from Guantanamo Bay prison and flown to Qatar.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been held for nearly five years by Afghan militants and his release, following years of on-and-off negotiations, suddenly became possible after harder-line factions of the Afghan Taliban apparently shifted course and agreed to back it, according to U.S. officials.

Bergdahl, 28, was handed over about 6 p.m. local time on Saturday, a senior official said. The U.S. forces, who had flown in by helicopter, were on the ground very briefly, said the officials, who would not specify the precise location of the handover.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl was able to walk and became emotional on his way to freedom. "Once he was on the helicopter, he wrote on a paper plate, 'SF?'" the official said, referring to the abbreviation for special forces. "The operators replied loudly: 'Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.' And at this point, Sergeant Bergdahl broke down."

President Barack Obama hailed the release in a brief appearance with Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, in the White House Rose Garden, saying that "while Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten".

Bergdahl was on his way to an American military hospital in Germany, a U.S. defense official said. Another defense official said it was expected that after treatment in Germany he would be transferred to a military medical facility in San Antonio, Texas.

U.S. special forces took custody of Bergdahl in a non-violent exchange with 18 Taliban members in eastern Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials said, adding that he was believed to be in good condition. Before leaving for Germany, he received medical care at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan.

Within hours of his release, a second U.S. defense official said the five Taliban detainees, now formally in Qatari custody, had departed the Guantanamo prison. They were aboard a U.S. military C-17 aircraft and en route to the Gulf emirate.

The prisoner swap comes as America is winding down its long war in Afghanistan, and raises the question of whether this could lead to broader peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government for a negotiated end to the conflict.

"We do hope that having succeeded in this narrow but important step, it will create the possibility of expanding the dialogue to other issues. But we don't have any promises to that effect," said one senior U.S. official deeply involved in the diplomacy.

TOUGH RECOVERY PROCESS

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, was the only known missing U.S. soldier in the Afghan war that was launched soon after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to force the Taliban - accused of sheltering al Qaeda militants - from power.

He was captured under unknown circumstances in eastern Afghanistan by militants on June 30, 2009, about two months after arriving in the country.

His recovery after long years in captivity could be difficult. At the White House, Bergdahl's father began his words speaking a Muslim prayer and said his son was having difficulty speaking English. He asked for patience from the media as the family helped him re-adjust.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl would continue treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, including the start of his "reintegration process".

"That includes time for him to tell his story, decompress, and to reconnect with his family through telephone calls and video conferences," the official said.

Bergdahl's release could be a national security boost for Obama, whose foreign policy has been widely criticized in recent months.

But some members of Congress have worried in the past over the potential release of the five Taliban detainees, particularly Mohammed Fazl, a "high-risk" detainee held at Guantanamo since early 2002. Fazl is alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the five men as Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul Haq Wasiq. Pentagon documents released by the WikiLeaks organization said all five were sent to Guantanamo in 2002, the year the detention facility opened. They were classified as "high-risk" detainees "likely to pose a threat" to the United States, its interests and allies.

U.S. officials referred to the release of the Taliban detainees as a transfer and noted they would be subject to certain restrictions in Qatar. One of the officials said that would include a minimum one-year ban on them traveling outside of Qatar as well as monitoring of their activities.

Bergdahl's freedom followed a renewed round of indirect U.S.-Taliban talks in recent months, with Qatar acting as intermediary, the officials said.

The U.S. had been trying diplomacy to free Bergdahl since late 2010, but talks had been complicated, U.S. officials said, by an internal split between Taliban factions willing to talk to Americans and those staunchly opposed.

That changed in recent weeks - the exact time-frame is unclear - when Taliban hardliners reversed position, officials said.

The swap also comes days after Obama said he would keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, mostly to train Afghan forces, after NATO combat operations end at the end of 2014. The last soldiers, aside from a small presence at U.S. diplomatic posts, will leave at the end of 2016.

A U.S. official said he did not think there was a link with the announcement on Tuesday of the troop withdrawal timetable.

"This discussion predates the decision on troops," he said. "This is just a matter of things coming together with the help of the Qataris and the Taliban realizing that we were serious."

FAMILY, HOMETOWN CELEBRATE

The Bergdahl family was in Washington, D.C., when informed by Obama of the release. The parents said in a statement they were "joyful and relieved," adding: "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son." Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, also began celebrating.

"Once we heard about it. We were pretty excited," said 17-year-old Real Weatherly, who was making signs on Saturday and blowing up balloons to hang outside the shop where she works.

The Afghan Taliban confirmed on Saturday it had freed Bergdahl. "This is true. After several rounds of talks for prisoners' swap, we freed U.S. soldier and our dear guest in exchange of five commanders held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002," a senior Taliban commander said.

The Taliban commander said Bergdahl had mostly been held in the tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan after what he termed his "dramatic" kidnapping from Afghanistan's Paktika province in June 2009.

Reuters first reported the potential deal involving the five Taliban detainees in December 2011.

While U.S. and Taliban envoys have met directly in the past, there were no direct U.S.-Taliban contacts during the most recent negotiations, U.S. officials said. Messages were passed via Qatari officials.

The final stage of negotiations, which took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, began one week ago, the U.S. officials said. Obama and Qatar's emir spoke on Tuesday and reaffirmed the security conditions under which the Taliban members would be placed, they said.

(Additional reporting by Missy Ryan, Roberta Rampton, Mark Hosenball, Will Dunham, David Brunnstrom, Elvina Nawaguna and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Frances Kerry, Peter Cooney and Alex Richardson)

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U.S. soldier freed in Afghanistan, five Taliban prisoners leave Guantanamo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last U.S. prisoner of war held in Afghanistan was handed over to U.S. Special Operations forces on Saturday, in a dramatic swap for five Taliban detainees who were released from Guantanamo Bay prison and flown to Qatar.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been held for nearly five years by Afghan militants and his release, following years of on-and-off negotiations, suddenly became possible after harder-line factions of the Afghan Taliban apparently shifted course and agreed to back it, according to U.S. officials.

Bergdahl, 28, was handed over about 6 p.m. local time on Saturday, a senior official said. The U.S. forces, who had flown in by helicopter, were on the ground very briefly, said the officials, who would not specify the precise location of the handover.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl was able to walk and became emotional on his way to freedom. "Once he was on the helicopter, he wrote on a paper plate, 'SF?'" the official said, referring to the abbreviation for special forces. "The operators replied loudly: 'Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.' And at this point, Sergeant Bergdahl broke down."

President Barack Obama hailed the release in a brief appearance with Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, in the White House Rose Garden, saying that "while Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten".

Bergdahl was on his way to an American military hospital in Germany, a U.S. defense official said. Another defense official said it was expected that after treatment in Germany he would be transferred to a military medical facility in San Antonio, Texas.

U.S. special forces took custody of Bergdahl in a non-violent exchange with 18 Taliban members in eastern Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials said, adding that he was believed to be in good condition. Before leaving for Germany, he received medical care at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan.

Within hours of his release, a second U.S. defense official said the five Taliban detainees, now formally in Qatari custody, had departed the Guantanamo prison. They were aboard a U.S. military C-17 aircraft and en route to the Gulf emirate.

The prisoner swap comes as America is winding down its long war in Afghanistan, and raises the question of whether this could lead to broader peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government for a negotiated end to the conflict.

"We do hope that having succeeded in this narrow but important step, it will create the possibility of expanding the dialogue to other issues. But we don't have any promises to that effect," said one senior U.S. official deeply involved in the diplomacy.

TOUGH RECOVERY PROCESS

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, was the only known missing U.S. soldier in the Afghan war that was launched soon after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to force the Taliban - accused of sheltering al Qaeda militants - from power.

He was captured under unknown circumstances in eastern Afghanistan by militants on June 30, 2009, about two months after arriving in the country.

His recovery after long years in captivity could be difficult. At the White House, Bergdahl's father began his words speaking a Muslim prayer and said his son was having difficulty speaking English. He asked for patience from the media as the family helped him re-adjust.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl would continue treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, including the start of his "reintegration process".

"That includes time for him to tell his story, decompress, and to reconnect with his family through telephone calls and video conferences," the official said.

Bergdahl's release could be a national security boost for Obama, whose foreign policy has been widely criticized in recent months.

But some members of Congress have worried in the past over the potential release of the five Taliban detainees, particularly Mohammed Fazl, a "high-risk" detainee held at Guantanamo since early 2002. Fazl is alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the five men as Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul Haq Wasiq. Pentagon documents released by the WikiLeaks organization said all five were sent to Guantanamo in 2002, the year the detention facility opened. They were classified as "high-risk" detainees "likely to pose a threat" to the United States, its interests and allies.

U.S. officials referred to the release of the Taliban detainees as a transfer and noted they would be subject to certain restrictions in Qatar. One of the officials said that would include a minimum one-year ban on them traveling outside of Qatar as well as monitoring of their activities.

Bergdahl's freedom followed a renewed round of indirect U.S.-Taliban talks in recent months, with Qatar acting as intermediary, the officials said.

The U.S. had been trying diplomacy to free Bergdahl since late 2010, but talks had been complicated, U.S. officials said, by an internal split between Taliban factions willing to talk to Americans and those staunchly opposed.

That changed in recent weeks - the exact time-frame is unclear - when Taliban hardliners reversed position, officials said.

The swap also comes days after Obama said he would keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, mostly to train Afghan forces, after NATO combat operations end at the end of 2014. The last soldiers, aside from a small presence at U.S. diplomatic posts, will leave at the end of 2016.

A U.S. official said he did not think there was a link with the announcement on Tuesday of the troop withdrawal timetable.

"This discussion predates the decision on troops," he said. "This is just a matter of things coming together with the help of the Qataris and the Taliban realizing that we were serious."

FAMILY, HOMETOWN CELEBRATE

The Bergdahl family was in Washington, D.C., when informed by Obama of the release. The parents said in a statement they were "joyful and relieved," adding: "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son." Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, also began celebrating.

"Once we heard about it. We were pretty excited," said 17-year-old Real Weatherly, who was making signs on Saturday and blowing up balloons to hang outside the shop where she works.

The Afghan Taliban confirmed on Saturday it had freed Bergdahl. "This is true. After several rounds of talks for prisoners' swap, we freed U.S. soldier and our dear guest in exchange of five commanders held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002," a senior Taliban commander said.

The Taliban commander said Bergdahl had mostly been held in the tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan after what he termed his "dramatic" kidnapping from Afghanistan's Paktika province in June 2009.

Reuters first reported the potential deal involving the five Taliban detainees in December 2011.

While U.S. and Taliban envoys have met directly in the past, there were no direct U.S.-Taliban contacts during the most recent negotiations, U.S. officials said. Messages were passed via Qatari officials.

The final stage of negotiations, which took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, began one week ago, the U.S. officials said. Obama and Qatar's emir spoke on Tuesday and reaffirmed the security conditions under which the Taliban members would be placed, they said.

(Additional reporting by Missy Ryan, Roberta Rampton, Mark Hosenball, Will Dunham, David Brunnstrom, Elvina Nawaguna and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Frances Kerry, Peter Cooney and Alex Richardson)
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Timeline: Making a deal with the Taliban to win U.S. soldier's freedom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sporadic negotiations and video releases from the Taliban marked the four years and 11 months that U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl was held captive.

Here is a timeline leading up to Bergdahl's release on Saturday in Afghanistan:

2009

* June 30 - After only two months in the country, Bergdahl, then a 23-year-old private, disappears under unclear circumstances in eastern Afghanistan.

* July 3 - The Defense Department classifies Bergdahl as "missing-captured."

* July 18 - The Taliban releases a video showing Bergdahl and his ID tags.

* December - Two more videos of Bergdahl are released and in one of them, he says he is being treated humanely.

2010

* April - Another video features Bergdahl calling for the release of Afghans held at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo, Cuba. More videos will be released in late 2010 and May 2011.

2011

* December - Reuters reports the United States is considering transferring five Taliban members out of Guantanamo to push along peace talks. Among them is Mohammed Fazl, a senior Taliban commander, alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims from 1998 to 2001. Fazl was among those handed over to Qatar when Bergdahl was released.

2012

* May - Bergdahl's parents express their frustrations by breaking a yearlong silence to say he is at the center of a proposed prisoner exchange with the Taliban.

* August - Reports say the Obama administration sweetens its deal for Bergdahl's freedom by offering to send five Taliban militants to Qatar before Bergdahl's release. In the end, however, the releases were nearly simultaneous.

2013

* June - Talks on Bergdahl and negotiating an end to the 12-year war in Afghanistan stall. The Afghanistan government is concerned that the protocol surrounding the Taliban's newly opened office in Qatar, called the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, gives the appearance of a Taliban government-in-exile.

* November - The Taliban shows interest in renewing talks regarding Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo.

2014

* January - U.S. officials meet with the Qatari government to ensure they are still willing to take in the Taliban detainees. Qatar officials also provide the United States a recent video of Bergdahl to indicate he is still alive.

* Feb. 18 - The White House says it is trying to obtain Bergdahl's release but is not in "active negotiations" with the Taliban.

* May 31 - President Barack Obama announces Bergdahl is free as part of an agreement that U.S. officials said was finalized in the previous week. After being handed over by the Taliban to U.S. special forces, Bergdahl is taken for medical evaluation.

(Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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Timeline: Making a deal with the Taliban to win U.S. soldier's freedom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sporadic negotiations and video releases from the Taliban marked the four years and 11 months that U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl was held captive.

Here is a timeline leading up to Bergdahl's release on Saturday in Afghanistan:

2009

* June 30 - After only two months in the country, Bergdahl, then a 23-year-old private, disappears under unclear circumstances in eastern Afghanistan.

* July 3 - The Defense Department classifies Bergdahl as "missing-captured."

* July 18 - The Taliban releases a video showing Bergdahl and his ID tags.

* December - Two more videos of Bergdahl are released and in one of them, he says he is being treated humanely.

2010

* April - Another video features Bergdahl calling for the release of Afghans held at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo, Cuba. More videos will be released in late 2010 and May 2011.

2011

* December - Reuters reports the United States is considering transferring five Taliban members out of Guantanamo to push along peace talks. Among them is Mohammed Fazl, a senior Taliban commander, alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims from 1998 to 2001. Fazl was among those handed over to Qatar when Bergdahl was released.

2012

* May - Bergdahl's parents express their frustrations by breaking a yearlong silence to say he is at the center of a proposed prisoner exchange with the Taliban.

* August - Reports say the Obama administration sweetens its deal for Bergdahl's freedom by offering to send five Taliban militants to Qatar before Bergdahl's release. In the end, however, the releases were nearly simultaneous.

2013

* June - Talks on Bergdahl and negotiating an end to the 12-year war in Afghanistan stall. The Afghanistan government is concerned that the protocol surrounding the Taliban's newly opened office in Qatar, called the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, gives the appearance of a Taliban government-in-exile.

* November - The Taliban shows interest in renewing talks regarding Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo.

2014

* January - U.S. officials meet with the Qatari government to ensure they are still willing to take in the Taliban detainees. Qatar officials also provide the United States a recent video of Bergdahl to indicate he is still alive.

* Feb. 18 - The White House says it is trying to obtain Bergdahl's release but is not in "active negotiations" with the Taliban.

* May 31 - President Barack Obama announces Bergdahl is free as part of an agreement that U.S. officials said was finalized in the previous week. After being handed over by the Taliban to U.S. special forces, Bergdahl is taken for medical evaluation.

(Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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U.S. soldier freed in Afghanistan, five Taliban prisoners leave Guantanamo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last U.S. prisoner of war held in Afghanistan was handed over to U.S. Special Operations forces on Saturday, in a dramatic swap for five Taliban detainees who were released from Guantanamo Bay prison and flown to Qatar.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been held for nearly five years by Afghan militants and his release, following years of on-and-off negotiations, suddenly became possible after harder-line factions of the Afghan Taliban apparently shifted course and agreed to back it, according to U.S. officials.

Bergdahl, 28, was handed over about 6 p.m. local time on Saturday, a senior official said. The U.S. forces, who had flown in by helicopter, were on the ground very briefly, said the officials, who would not specify the precise location of the handover.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl was able to walk and became emotional on his way to freedom. "Once he was on the helicopter, he wrote on a paper plate, 'SF?'" the official said, referring to the abbreviation for special forces. "The operators replied loudly: 'Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.' And at this point, Sergeant Bergdahl broke down."

President Barack Obama hailed the release in a brief appearance with Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, in the White House Rose Garden, saying that "while Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten".

Bergdahl was on his way to an American military hospital in Germany, a U.S. defense official said. Another defense official said it was expected that after treatment in Germany he would be transferred to a military medical facility in San Antonio, Texas.

U.S. special forces took custody of Bergdahl in a non-violent exchange with 18 Taliban members in eastern Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials said, adding that he was believed to be in good condition. Before leaving for Germany, he received medical care at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan.

Within hours of his release, a second U.S. defense official said the five Taliban detainees, now formally in Qatari custody, had departed the Guantanamo prison. They were aboard a U.S. military C-17 aircraft and en route to the Gulf emirate.

The prisoner swap comes as America is winding down its long war in Afghanistan, and raises the question of whether this could lead to broader peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government for a negotiated end to the conflict.

"We do hope that having succeeded in this narrow but important step, it will create the possibility of expanding the dialogue to other issues. But we don't have any promises to that effect," said one senior U.S. official deeply involved in the diplomacy.

TOUGH RECOVERY PROCESS

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, was the only known missing U.S. soldier in the Afghan war that was launched soon after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to force the Taliban - accused of sheltering al Qaeda militants - from power.

He was captured under unknown circumstances in eastern Afghanistan by militants on June 30, 2009, about two months after arriving in the country.

His recovery after long years in captivity could be difficult. At the White House, Bergdahl's father began his words speaking a Muslim prayer and said his son was having difficulty speaking English. He asked for patience from the media as the family helped him re-adjust.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl would continue treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, including the start of his "reintegration process".

"That includes time for him to tell his story, decompress, and to reconnect with his family through telephone calls and video conferences," the official said.

Bergdahl's release could be a national security boost for Obama, whose foreign policy has been widely criticized in recent months.

But some members of Congress have worried in the past over the potential release of the five Taliban detainees, particularly Mohammed Fazl, a "high-risk" detainee held at Guantanamo since early 2002. Fazl is alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the five men as Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul Haq Wasiq. Pentagon documents released by the WikiLeaks organization said all five were sent to Guantanamo in 2002, the year the detention facility opened. They were classified as "high-risk" detainees "likely to pose a threat" to the United States, its interests and allies.

U.S. officials referred to the release of the Taliban detainees as a transfer and noted they would be subject to certain restrictions in Qatar. One of the officials said that would include a minimum one-year ban on them traveling outside of Qatar as well as monitoring of their activities.

Bergdahl's freedom followed a renewed round of indirect U.S.-Taliban talks in recent months, with Qatar acting as intermediary, the officials said.

The U.S. had been trying diplomacy to free Bergdahl since late 2010, but talks had been complicated, U.S. officials said, by an internal split between Taliban factions willing to talk to Americans and those staunchly opposed.

That changed in recent weeks - the exact time-frame is unclear - when Taliban hardliners reversed position, officials said.

The swap also comes days after Obama said he would keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, mostly to train Afghan forces, after NATO combat operations end at the end of 2014. The last soldiers, aside from a small presence at U.S. diplomatic posts, will leave at the end of 2016.

A U.S. official said he did not think there was a link with the announcement on Tuesday of the troop withdrawal timetable.

"This discussion predates the decision on troops," he said. "This is just a matter of things coming together with the help of the Qataris and the Taliban realizing that we were serious."

FAMILY, HOMETOWN CELEBRATE

The Bergdahl family was in Washington, D.C., when informed by Obama of the release. The parents said in a statement they were "joyful and relieved," adding: "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son." Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, also began celebrating.

"Once we heard about it. We were pretty excited," said 17-year-old Real Weatherly, who was making signs on Saturday and blowing up balloons to hang outside the shop where she works.

The Afghan Taliban confirmed on Saturday it had freed Bergdahl. "This is true. After several rounds of talks for prisoners' swap, we freed U.S. soldier and our dear guest in exchange of five commanders held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002," a senior Taliban commander said.

The Taliban commander said Bergdahl had mostly been held in the tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan after what he termed his "dramatic" kidnapping from Afghanistan's Paktika province in June 2009.

Reuters first reported the potential deal involving the five Taliban detainees in December 2011.

While U.S. and Taliban envoys have met directly in the past, there were no direct U.S.-Taliban contacts during the most recent negotiations, U.S. officials said. Messages were passed via Qatari officials.

The final stage of negotiations, which took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, began one week ago, the U.S. officials said. Obama and Qatar's emir spoke on Tuesday and reaffirmed the security conditions under which the Taliban members would be placed, they said.

(Additional reporting by Missy Ryan, Roberta Rampton, Mark Hosenball, Will Dunham, David Brunnstrom, Elvina Nawaguna and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Frances Kerry, Peter Cooney and Alex Richardson)

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Family, hometown celebrate U.S. soldier's release from Taliban

HAILEY Idaho (Reuters) - Balloons, symbolic yellow ribbons and celebratory signs sprouted up in the small mountain community of Hailey, Idaho, on Saturday after news that native son U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been freed after almost five years as a prisoner of the Taliban.

Bergdahl's parents said they were ecstatic to hear the news from President Barack Obama, whom they later joined at a news conference in the White House Rose Garden.

"We were so joyful and relieved when President Obama called us today to give us the news that Bowe is finally coming home!" Bob and Jani Bergdahl said in a statement released through the Idaho National Guard. "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son."

A senior U.S. defense official said the Bergdahls, who live in Hailey, happened to be in Washington when they got the news their son had been freed in a deal that resulted in five Taliban members held at the U.S. facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, being turned over to Qatar.

"We want to thank Bowe's many supporters in Idaho, around the nation and around the world," the Bergdahls said.

Bergdahl, 28, the only known missing U.S. soldier in the Afghan war, was captured under unknown circumstances in eastern Afghanistan by militants on June 30, 2009, about two months after arriving in the country.

'PRETTY EXCITED'

Bergdahl was on his way to an American military hospital in Germany on Saturday, and it was not yet known when he would be coming back to the United States.

But news of his release prompted celebration in his hometown of Hailey, where residents were gathering at Zaney's River Street Coffee House. Cars honked their horns in support as they drove by the place, which had been decked with fresh yellow ribbons and banners reading "Bowe is Free at Last!"

"I'm beyond thrilled," said Stefanie O'Neill, a friend of the Bergdahls. "It's probably the happiest day of my life, besides when my two kids were born."

The town had been planning a vigil for June 28 as part of a long-running "Bring Bowe Back" campaign. That celebration will go ahead but will now be called "Bowe is Back," said O'Neill, one of the organizers.

Signs that read: "Standing with Bowe" decorate many storefronts in the community of about 8,000 people, which makes up part of an affluent resort region in central Idaho considered an international ski destination.

"The people of this community have been living with yellow ribbons around trees and yellow 'Bring Bowe Home' stickers plastered everywhere for so long that it won't seem real at first," said Mike McKenna, a town resident who publishes the Sun Valley Magazine. "But then, when Bowe finally comes back to Hailey ... the celebration will really begin."

Chip Deffe, operator of a local bike shop in Hailey and friend of the Bergdahls, said: "With them, it was never 'if Bowe comes home' but 'when Bowe comes home,'"

"Bowe has been in our prayers for years," Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter said in a statement. "Today Idaho gives thanks."

(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, Laura Zuckerman and Carey Gillam; Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Jonathan Allen, Frances Kerry, Peter Cooney and Sandra Maler)

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Family, hometown celebrate U.S. soldier's release from Taliban

HAILEY Idaho (Reuters) - Balloons, symbolic yellow ribbons and celebratory signs sprouted up in the small mountain community of Hailey, Idaho, on Saturday after news that native son U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been freed after almost five years as a prisoner of the Taliban.

Bergdahl's parents said they were ecstatic to hear the news from President Barack Obama, whom they later joined at a news conference in the White House Rose Garden.

"We were so joyful and relieved when President Obama called us today to give us the news that Bowe is finally coming home!" Bob and Jani Bergdahl said in a statement released through the Idaho National Guard. "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son."

A senior U.S. defense official said the Bergdahls, who live in Hailey, happened to be in Washington when they got the news their son had been freed in a deal that resulted in five Taliban members held at the U.S. facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, being turned over to Qatar.

"We want to thank Bowe's many supporters in Idaho, around the nation and around the world," the Bergdahls said.

Bergdahl, 28, the only known missing U.S. soldier in the Afghan war, was captured under unknown circumstances in eastern Afghanistan by militants on June 30, 2009, about two months after arriving in the country.

'PRETTY EXCITED'

Bergdahl was on his way to an American military hospital in Germany on Saturday, and it was not yet known when he would be coming back to the United States.

But news of his release prompted celebration in his hometown of Hailey, where residents were gathering at Zaney's River Street Coffee House. Cars honked their horns in support as they drove by the place, which had been decked with fresh yellow ribbons and banners reading "Bowe is Free at Last!"

"I'm beyond thrilled," said Stefanie O'Neill, a friend of the Bergdahls. "It's probably the happiest day of my life, besides when my two kids were born."

The town had been planning a vigil for June 28 as part of a long-running "Bring Bowe Back" campaign. That celebration will go ahead but will now be called "Bowe is Back," said O'Neill, one of the organizers.

Signs that read: "Standing with Bowe" decorate many storefronts in the community of about 8,000 people, which makes up part of an affluent resort region in central Idaho considered an international ski destination.

"The people of this community have been living with yellow ribbons around trees and yellow 'Bring Bowe Home' stickers plastered everywhere for so long that it won't seem real at first," said Mike McKenna, a town resident who publishes the Sun Valley Magazine. "But then, when Bowe finally comes back to Hailey ... the celebration will really begin."

Chip Deffe, operator of a local bike shop in Hailey and friend of the Bergdahls, said: "With them, it was never 'if Bowe comes home' but 'when Bowe comes home,'"

"Bowe has been in our prayers for years," Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter said in a statement. "Today Idaho gives thanks."

(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, Laura Zuckerman and Carey Gillam; Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Jonathan Allen, Frances Kerry, Peter Cooney and Sandra Maler)
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U.S. soldier freed in Afghanistan, five Taliban prisoners leave Guantanamo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The last U.S. prisoner of war held in Afghanistan was handed over to U.S. Special Operations forces on Saturday, in a dramatic swap for five Taliban detainees who were released from Guantanamo Bay prison and flown to Qatar.

Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been held for nearly five years by Afghan militants and his release, following years of on-and-off negotiations, suddenly became possible after harder-line factions of the Afghan Taliban apparently shifted course and agreed to back it, according to U.S. officials.

Bergdahl, 28, was handed over about 6 p.m. local time on Saturday, a senior official said. The U.S. forces, who had flown in by helicopter, were on the ground very briefly, said the officials, who would not specify the precise location of the handover.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl was able to walk and became emotional on his way to freedom. "Once he was on the helicopter, he wrote on a paper plate, 'SF?'" the official said, referring to the abbreviation for special forces. "The operators replied loudly: 'Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.' And at this point, Sergeant Bergdahl broke down."

President Barack Obama hailed the release in a brief appearance with Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, in the White House Rose Garden, saying that "while Bowe was gone, he was never forgotten".

Bergdahl was on his way to an American military hospital in Germany, a U.S. defense official said. Another defense official said it was expected that after treatment in Germany he would be transferred to a military medical facility in San Antonio, Texas.

U.S. special forces took custody of Bergdahl in a non-violent exchange with 18 Taliban members in eastern Afghanistan, senior U.S. officials said, adding that he was believed to be in good condition. Before leaving for Germany, he received medical care at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan.

Within hours of his release, a second U.S. defense official said the five Taliban detainees, now formally in Qatari custody, had departed the Guantanamo prison. They were aboard a U.S. military C-17 aircraft and en route to the Gulf emirate.

The prisoner swap comes as America is winding down its long war in Afghanistan, and raises the question of whether this could lead to broader peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government for a negotiated end to the conflict.

"We do hope that having succeeded in this narrow but important step, it will create the possibility of expanding the dialogue to other issues. But we don't have any promises to that effect," said one senior U.S. official deeply involved in the diplomacy.

TOUGH RECOVERY PROCESS

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, was the only known missing U.S. soldier in the Afghan war that was launched soon after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to force the Taliban - accused of sheltering al Qaeda militants - from power.

He was captured under unknown circumstances in eastern Afghanistan by militants on June 30, 2009, about two months after arriving in the country.

His recovery after long years in captivity could be difficult. At the White House, Bergdahl's father began his words speaking a Muslim prayer and said his son was having difficulty speaking English. He asked for patience from the media as the family helped him re-adjust.

A U.S. defense official said Bergdahl would continue treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, including the start of his "reintegration process".

"That includes time for him to tell his story, decompress, and to reconnect with his family through telephone calls and video conferences," the official said.

Bergdahl's release could be a national security boost for Obama, whose foreign policy has been widely criticized in recent months.

But some members of Congress have worried in the past over the potential release of the five Taliban detainees, particularly Mohammed Fazl, a "high-risk" detainee held at Guantanamo since early 2002. Fazl is alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghanistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the five men as Fazl, Mullah Norullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Abdul Haq Wasiq. Pentagon documents released by the WikiLeaks organization said all five were sent to Guantanamo in 2002, the year the detention facility opened. They were classified as "high-risk" detainees "likely to pose a threat" to the United States, its interests and allies.

U.S. officials referred to the release of the Taliban detainees as a transfer and noted they would be subject to certain restrictions in Qatar. One of the officials said that would include a minimum one-year ban on them traveling outside of Qatar as well as monitoring of their activities.

Bergdahl's freedom followed a renewed round of indirect U.S.-Taliban talks in recent months, with Qatar acting as intermediary, the officials said.

The U.S. had been trying diplomacy to free Bergdahl since late 2010, but talks had been complicated, U.S. officials said, by an internal split between Taliban factions willing to talk to Americans and those staunchly opposed.

That changed in recent weeks - the exact time-frame is unclear - when Taliban hardliners reversed position, officials said.

The swap also comes days after Obama said he would keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, mostly to train Afghan forces, after NATO combat operations end at the end of 2014. The last soldiers, aside from a small presence at U.S. diplomatic posts, will leave at the end of 2016.

A U.S. official said he did not think there was a link with the announcement on Tuesday of the troop withdrawal timetable.

"This discussion predates the decision on troops," he said. "This is just a matter of things coming together with the help of the Qataris and the Taliban realizing that we were serious."

FAMILY, HOMETOWN CELEBRATE

The Bergdahl family was in Washington, D.C., when informed by Obama of the release. The parents said in a statement they were "joyful and relieved," adding: "We cannot wait to wrap our arms around our only son." Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, also began celebrating.

"Once we heard about it. We were pretty excited," said 17-year-old Real Weatherly, who was making signs on Saturday and blowing up balloons to hang outside the shop where she works.

The Afghan Taliban confirmed on Saturday it had freed Bergdahl. "This is true. After several rounds of talks for prisoners' swap, we freed U.S. soldier and our dear guest in exchange of five commanders held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002," a senior Taliban commander said.

The Taliban commander said Bergdahl had mostly been held in the tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan after what he termed his "dramatic" kidnapping from Afghanistan's Paktika province in June 2009.

Reuters first reported the potential deal involving the five Taliban detainees in December 2011.

While U.S. and Taliban envoys have met directly in the past, there were no direct U.S.-Taliban contacts during the most recent negotiations, U.S. officials said. Messages were passed via Qatari officials.

The final stage of negotiations, which took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, began one week ago, the U.S. officials said. Obama and Qatar's emir spoke on Tuesday and reaffirmed the security conditions under which the Taliban members would be placed, they said.

(Additional reporting by Missy Ryan, Roberta Rampton, Mark Hosenball, Will Dunham, David Brunnstrom, Elvina Nawaguna and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Frances Kerry, Peter Cooney and Alex Richardson)
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Latest Jobs in Nigeria

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• Continuous Improvement Leader Job at Kapabel Company Limited
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• Body Shop Supervisor Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited
• Auto Technician Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited
• Auto Service Advisor Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited
• Auto Sales Manager Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited

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Service Manager Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 04:09 AM PDT Job Title: Service Manager Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. To organise service activities to ensure the department’s efficient and profitable operation by satisfying customers and enhancing customer relations. 2. To organise the service department and in particular, control resources and utilise assets at a level commensurate with profit targets. 3. To maximise departmental profitability through the effective marketing and sale of labour, parts, accessories, lubricants, other charges, subcontracted services and other value added products and services. 4. To create an environment where the department and its staff develop and excel. 5. To enhance the reputation of Your Dealership Ltd. at every opportunity when interacting with others. INTERACTION AND REPORTING: Directly Responsible To: General Manager. Responsible For: Service Receptionists, Workshop Foreman, Workshop Controller, Mechanical Repair Technicians (skilled and semi-skilled), Apprentices, administrative staff including Admin/Cost Clerk, Warranty Clerk, cleaners as delegated. Relationships With: Dealership Accountant, Personnel Manager, Sales Manager, Parts Manager, Bodyshop Manager, manufacturer’s representatives, suppliers and other company representatives, specialist repairers and sub-let suppliers, insurance company assessors, representatives of statutory or legislative bodies, Health & Safety Officer. OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: • Developing new revenue streams/markets for products and services, while optimizing income from existing lines through innovative marketing and rapid exploitation of changing customer needs and tastes. • Client targeting, meeting, proposal & business slides development, presentation generating leads for possible sales and exploration of business opportunity and meeting client’s needs. Plan persuasive approaches and pitches that will convince these organisations to do business • Providing a feasibility report and a risk analysis, planning and implementing growth through sales and advertising, information gathering and customer service. • Research new business opportunities, identifies likely sales points, develops strategic plans, sales strategies, and undertakes presentations to and negotiations with prospective customers • Assessment of new product opportunities viz-a-viz defined target markets, intelligence gathering on customers and competitors towards action of plans • Evaluation of business operations and developing strategies for realizing full potential and utilization of business resources. • Training, motivating, counseling and monitoring the performance of BDM team. Conducting necessary job and product training activities for subordinates • Tracking all customers and making sure all leads and BDM activities are logged to CRM. Conducting market analysis, collecting customer feedbacks and drafting necessary evaluation reports. • Support the development and execution of marketing and traffic/lead generation programs/activities. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/ Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: a. Technical skills, knowledge and experience of the retail motor industry. b. Skills in applying and using knowledge in a management position. c. Ability to organise clerical work, administration, control systems and financial resources. d. Leadership and coaching attributes. e. Relevant and up-to-date knowledge of vehicle design, manufacture, consumer and vehicle legislation, industry and trade practices. f. Technical, Professional and Engineering qualifications. g. Experience and knowledge of modern business methods and financial control. Skills in using this knowledge in a practical way. h. Knowledge of the changing face of the Industry in the light of E.U. Legislation and the effects on the business. i. (Preferred) Membership of The Institute Of The Motor Industry. Apply to this job This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Business Development Manager Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 04:05 AM PDT Job Title: Business Development Manager Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. Develop new and expand existing business opportunities while generating sales revenue through the initiation and development of client relationships 2. Develop and plan business strategies to attain company’s sales goals and enhance business opportunities. 3. Train and motivate BDM team towards surpassing business goals per time INTERACTION AND REPORTING: Directly Responsible To: Head of Sales Responsible For: BDM Executives Relationships With: Sales Operations Manager, Sales Administrator, Service Manager, Body Shop Manager, Showroom team, Accountant, Logistics Manager, Spare Parts Manager OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: • Developing new revenue streams/markets for products and services, while optimizing income from existing lines through innovative marketing and rapid exploitation of changing customer needs and tastes. • Client targeting, meeting, proposal & business slides development, presentation generating leads for possible sales and exploration of business opportunity and meeting client’s needs. Plan persuasive approaches and pitches that will convince these organisations to do business • Providing a feasibility report and a risk analysis, planning and implementing growth through sales and advertising, information gathering and customer service. • Research new business opportunities, identifies likely sales points, develops strategic plans, sales strategies, and undertakes presentations to and negotiations with prospective customers • Assessment of new product opportunities viz-a-viz defined target markets, intelligence gathering on customers and competitors towards action of plans • Evaluation of business operations and developing strategies for realizing full potential and utilization of business resources. • Training, motivating, counseling and monitoring the performance of BDM team. Conducting necessary job and product training activities for subordinates • Tracking all customers and making sure all leads and BDM activities are logged to CRM. Conducting market analysis, collecting customer feedbacks and drafting necessary evaluation reports. • Support the development and execution of marketing and traffic/lead generation programs/activities. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/ Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE • Strong BDM and sales management of 7+ years’ experience, strong closing skills, excellent leadership, communication, negotiation and people skills • An ambition to succeed and grow within a fast paced environment. • A strong understanding of the “automotive sales process and approach” • Ability to motivate & inspire individuals achieve common goals • Professional, courteous, organized and an expert in customer service. • Degree level education as minimum requirement Apply to this job This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Body Shop Manager Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 04:02 AM PDT Job Title: Body Shop Manager Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. To maximise profit through the effective operation of the Paint & Bodyshop Departments by satisfying customers’ expectations. 2. To monitor and control resources and assets in a way congruent with profit requirements while maintaining and improving customer relations. 3. To maximise departmental profitability through the sale of labour, paint and materials, sub-contracted services and other value-added products and services. 4. To create an environment where the departments/staff develop and excel. 5. To enhance the reputation of the business at every opportunity when interacting with others. 6. To operate the workshop in a safe environment for members of staff and public INTERACTION AND REPORTING: Directly Responsible To: General Manager Responsible For: Body shop Receptionists, Body and Paint Repair Technicians (skilled and semi-skilled), Apprentices, Body shop Cleaners and Drivers. Relationships With: Dealership Accountant, Sales Manager, Service Manager, Parts Manager, Health & Safety Officer, manufacturer’s representatives, suppliers and other company representatives, specialist repairers and sub-let suppliers, insurance company and hired independent assessors and representatives of statutory bodies OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: SALES, MARKETING & PROFITABILITY: • Ensure that the Bodyshop Department achieves its financial objectives by ongoing (period by period) examination of management accounts, system information, daily operating controls and manufacturer’s composite figures (monthly). • Ensure the necessary improvements and corrective actions are taken where variations from target achievement occur or inadequate performance is suspected. • Ensure accurate estimating, costing and invoicing in the department. • Ensure premises and equipment and other assets are controlled and used effectively. • Ensure that all non-account customer excess payments and VAT/ other charges are received prior to delivery of vehicles • Ensure all parts received and paint and materials purchased are controlled and sold at the required profit. • Ensure a fair distribution of work between all technicians, commensurate with their skills and experience. • Review all open jobcards (daily) and report any ongoing and occurring work in progress problems to General Manager. • Assist in the correct evaluation and justification of bodywork warranty claims and provide comprehensive explanations thereof. CUSTOMER RELATIONS: • Ensure a customer satisfying experience through an outstanding level of finish and repair quality. • Ensure vehicle cleanliness is maintained to the highest order during repair. • Communicate with customers effectively and courteously as and when necessary. • Minimise unnecessary customer expense while ensuring that all necessary work and preventative maintenance is undertaken. • Ensure that all staff are committed to the principles and ethics of Your Dealership Ltd and that these principles form the cornerstone of customer relations management. CONTROL OF COSTS: • Ensure that all vehicles worked on have proper and authorised approval for the repairs to proceed. • Maintain effective control of expenses in line with objectives by viewing daily sales and profit reports, periodical examination of management accounts and reviewing other business information. • Maintain daily workshop timekeeping and labour productivity records to monitor the effective use of technician and productive labour. Monitor hours attended and worked in order to achieve labour efficiency targets. • Minimise VOR, Emergency Order and other charges by careful and planned use of parts ordering facilities while avoiding any adverse impact on customer satisfaction. • Examine (weekly) sales ledger information to ensure all outstanding debts have been collected within due time periods set, and customer queries and concerns responded to and resolved within 24 hours of being raised. • Establish and maintain a training needs analysis (T.N.A.) to provide satisfactory levels of knowledge, skill, job satisfaction and cost-effective development of all Bodyshop personnel. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Maintain close scrutiny of developments, legislation and events in the motor industry which will impact on future business opportunities or trading practices. AUTHORITY LEVEL: EXPENDITURE: • Purchase paint and materials within agreed target figures. • Agree discounts within dealership policy. • Purchase other products and services necessary to the effective functioning of the department within agreed spending limits. PERSONNEL: Recruitment and dismissal of all Bodyshop staff in accordance with current employment legislation and subject to General Manager’s and Personnel Manager’s approval. OPERATIONAL: Authority to grant credit and amend or change terms of trading within limits set by the General Manager and Dealership Accountant. MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES: CUSTOMER SERVICE: • Provide all Your Dealership Ltd customers with a level of service that will achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty. • Seek to improve all aspects of quality and minimise customer complaints, dissatisfaction and defection. • Develop all members of staff to achieve the highest levels of performance in order to guarantee • & • above. STAFF: • To determine and set up the levels and suitability of staff required to achieve the established departmental targets and objectives. • Recruit, and train Bodyshop staff subject to authority delegated to line managers. • Recruit the agreed number of apprentices and trainees. Ensure that training and development processes are fully maintained so that future productive personnel requirements are satisfied. • In consultation with the Personnel and Training Manager, establish training and development needs for all staff, plan programmes, arrange courses and maintain records of training. Ensure that up-to-date and accurate documentation is maintained to allow for grant and fee redemption if available from time to time. • Ensure that ‘in-dealership training’ takes place using skilled staff members to provide the highest standards of training in a cost-effective manner. • Work closely with and motivate all staff in the department in order that they work with the highest degree of commitment and attention to customer needs. • Build relationships with all staff in order to provide them with all necessary support, coaching and encouragement so as to improve all aspects of their job performance. • Operate the Your Dealership Ltd Staff Performance Appraisal System and ensure actions are taken on results. • Operate and maintain record keeping and medical screening as required by C.O.S.H.H. and E.P.A. • Establish and review salary scales, incentive schemes and other employee benefit systems within Your Dealership Ltd’s Payplan structure in conjunction with and with authority from the General Manager. ADMINISTRATION: • Ensure that all administrative and clerical functions within the Bodyshop Department are carried out in accordance with dealership policies. Such functions will include (but are limited to) Parts special order systems, Warranty claims, parts ordering and returns, customer follow-up, workshop loading, estimating, invoicing, daily operating controls and compliance with consumer laws and franchise standards. • To ensure that all estimating systems and Time Operations are interpreted correctly in order to maximise the hours recoverable on each job. • Review with General Manager all departmental activities and reporting systems. • Define, set up and maintain safety and security procedures of the highest order to protect customers, all property and personnel. • Review the operation of Bodyshop equipment for condition and accuracy of calibration. Ensure routine and unscheduled maintenance is carried out in accordance with manufacturers’ guidelines and operational requirements. • Maintain the systems that control the safe use and serviceable condition of courtesy vehicles. Ensure that systems allow for compliance with legislation and driver identification • Administer warranty policy in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the best interests of dealership, manufacturer and customers. • Review daily and formally at least weekly jobs in work in progress and/or uncosted jobs and report thereon to the General Manager and Dealership Accountant. • Review and report at least weekly special order parts outstanding on customers’ vehicles and counter sales. • Discuss with the General Manager all departmental activities, results, concerns and report on systems failures and resource inadequacies. COMMUNICATIONS: • Advise the General Manager on all Bodyshop related matters. • Maintain a professional and courteous relationship with all other departmental managers. • Develop and maintain an effective line of communication with manufacturers, suppliers, statutory representatives and all other contacts. • Advise, support and give confidence and backup to staff as required on structural repair, cosmetic and refinishing problems and their consequences. • Maintain open communication and dialogue with all Bodyshop staff. MARKETING: • Design, evaluate and initiate Aftersales marketing plans within agreed budgets. • Establish a system of easy contact in the event of loss or damage to the vehicle and ensure that all customers are aware of their right to choose their repairer. • Working with sales and other departments, initiate a system to ensure all vehicle buyers/owners and other customers are introduced to and where appropriate referred to, all other departments and key personnel. • Investigate and resolve customer complaints and keep records of these together with customer congratulations for present and future us• Use results of this information to determine actions to be taken by the dealership. • Ensure that the customer database is updated and cleansed as necessary. • Ensure that any electronic information such as email links and website data is accurate, up to date and in compliance with legislation. Ensure that data is held in a manner as required by the Data Protection Acts. • To seek additional sources of profit opportunity by expanding and diversifying into other areas such as SMART repairs. FINANCE: • Regularly review pricing and pricing policies, labour rates, insurance company discounts, parts pricing, additional charges and other Bodyshop charging policies. • Monitor and review Bodyshop department financial performance daily in line with Daily Operating Control information produced. • Monitor bodyshop productive and utilisation performance daily, in total and by individual technicians. • Monitor the size, condition and age of courtesy vehicle fleet and replace at intervals congruent with dealership standards, Insurance Company requirements and franchise conditions. • Monitor all outstanding overage debtors and any unauthorised cash customers on a regular (weekly) basis and take requisite action. Meet with Dealership Accountant to agree actions to collect sums as deemed appropriate. • Monitor warranty claim submissions, rejections and resubmissions together with manufacturer’s credit notes and S.B.I.s receive• Review short payments, report on losses and take action as appropriate. • Maintain day to day control of departmental and other costs in order to minimise the company expenses without adversely affecting service levels or company standards. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the General Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: • Technical knowledge, experience of the accident repair and Bodyshop industry. • Skills in applying and using knowledge in a management position. • Ability to organise clerical work, administration, control systems and financial resources. • Leadership and coaching attributes. • Relevant and up-to-date knowledge of vehicle design and manufacture, consumer and vehicle legislation, industry and trade practices. • Technical, professional and engineering qualifications. • Experience and knowledge of modern business methods and financial control. Skills in using this knowledge in a practical way. • Knowledge of the changing face of the Industry in the light of E.U. Legislation and its effects on the business. • Knowledge and understanding of the provisions of E.P.• and C.O.S.H.H. • (Preferred) Membership of The Institute of the Motor Industry. • Strong numeracy, literacy and communication skills. 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Body Shop Supervisor Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 03:57 AM PDT Job Title: Body Shop Supervisor Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. To maximise profit through the effective operation of the Paint & Bodyshop Departments by satisfying customers’ expectations. 2. To monitor and control resources and assets in a way congruent with profit requirements while maintaining and improving customer relations. 3. To maximise departmental profitability through the sale of labour, paint and materials, sub-contracted services and other value-added products and services. 4. To create an environment where the departments/staff develop and excel. 5. To enhance the reputation of the business at every opportunity when interacting with others. 6. To operate the workshop in a safe environment for members of staff and public INTERACTION AND REPORTING Directly Responsible To: Body Shop Manager Responsible For: Body shop Receptionists, Body and Paint Repair Technicians (skilled and semi-skilled), Apprentices, Body shop Cleaners and Drivers. Relationships With: Dealership Accountant, Sales Manager, Service Manager, Parts Manager, Health & Safety Officer, manufacturer’s representatives, suppliers and other company representatives, specialist repairers and sub-let suppliers, insurance company and hired independent assessors and representatives of statutory bodies OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: OPERATIONS: • Plan, prioritize, assign, supervise, review, inspect and participate in the work of personnel responsible for carrying out vehicular body repairs- straightens bent frames, dents, scrapes, depressions; operates acetylene, oxygen, and arc welding equipment; operates power and hand tools; mixing and application of paints, finishing, replacement of windshields, windows, doors, mirrors etc. • Participate in the development and reviewing of policies and procedures of the body shop; monitor work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; give recommendations for changes and improvements to existing standards and procedures from time to time. • Perform detailed quality inspection of vehicles to determine extent of body damage; recommend appropriate repair and replacement jobs; determine method of repair and order of activities and perform the more technical and complex body repair tasks of the work unit. • Ensures routine and documented detailed maintenance of all equipment and tools in the body shop to ensure that they are safe and at the best operational state at all times. • Complete and process a variety of internal and external documentation including work orders, billing statements including taking appropriate price after negotiating, hazardous materials records and personnel-related forms and submits same to the Workshop Manager. • Maintain current knowledge on mandated health and safety regulations; ensures and enforces all safety rules, regulations and compliance obligations relating to operations of the body shop. • Provide a weekly or on a required basis, comprehensive report on the operations of the body shop with best service/product initiatives, global practices, profitability, customer satisfaction, employee relations and other operational improvement trends. • Where necessary, engage in hands on work to ensure expected work completion promise. CUSTOMER RELATIONS: • Ensure a customer satisfying experience through an outstanding level of finish and repair quality. • Ensure vehicle cleanliness is maintained to the highest order during repair. • Communicate with customers effectively and courteously as and when necessary. • Minimise unnecessary customer expense while ensuring that all necessary work and preventative maintenance is undertaken. • Minimise unnecessary customer expense while ensuring that all necessary work and preventative maintenance is undertaken. • Ensure that all staff are committed to the principles and ethics of the business and that these principles form the cornerstone of customer relations management. CONTROL OF COSTS: • Ensure that all vehicles worked on have proper and authorised approval for the repairs to proceed. • Maintain effective control of expenses in line with objectives by viewing daily sales and profit reports, periodical examination of management accounts and reviewing other business information. • Maintain daily workshop timekeeping and labour productivity records to monitor the effective use of technician and productive labour. Monitor hours attended and worked in order to achieve labour efficien cy targets. • Minimise VOR, Emergency Order and other charges by careful and planned use of parts ordering facilities while avoiding any adverse impact on customer satisfaction. STAFF: • Recommend the levels and suitability of staff required to achieve the established departmental targets and objectives. • Participate in recruit, and train Body shop staff subject to authority delegated to line managers. • Participate in recruiting the agreed number of apprentices and trainees. Ensure that training and development processes are fully maintained so that future productive personnel requirements are satisfied. • Work closely with and motivate all staff in the department in order that they work with the highest degree of commitment and attention to customer needs. • Build relationships with all staff in order to provide them with all necessary support, coaching and encouragement so as to improve all aspects of their job performance. • Participate in the Staff Performance Appraisal System and ensure actions are taken on results. ADMINISTRATION: • Ensure that all administrative and clerical functions within the Bodyshop Department are carried out in accordance with policies. Such functions will include (but are limited to) Parts special order systems, Warranty claims, parts ordering and returns, workshop loading, estimating, invoicing, daily operating controls and compliance with consumer laws and franchise standards. • To ensure that all estimating systems and Time Operations are interpreted correctly in order to maximise the hours recoverable on each job. • Review with Body Shop Manager, all departmental activities and reporting systems. • Recommend, set up and maintain safety and security procedures of the highest order to protect customers, all property and personnel. • Review the operation of Bodyshop equipment for condition and accuracy of calibration. Ensure routine and unscheduled maintenance is carried out in accordance with manufacturers’ guidelines and operational requirements. • Maintain the systems that control the safe use and serviceable condition of courtesy vehicles. Ensure that systems allow for compliance with legislation and driver identification • Review daily and formally at least weekly jobs in work in progress and/or uncosted jobs and report thereon to the Body Shop Manager. • Review and report at least weekly special order parts outstanding on customers’ vehicles and counter sales. • Discuss with the Body Shop Manager all departmental activities, results, concerns and report on systems failures and resource inadequacies. COMMUNICATIONS: • Advise the Body Shop Manager on all Body shop related matters. • Maintain a professional and courteous relationship with all other departmental managers. • Develop and maintain an effective line of communication with manufacturers, suppliers, statutory representatives and all other contacts. • Advise, support and give confidence and backup to staff as required on structural repair, cosmetic and refinishing problems and their consequences. • Maintain open communication and dialogue with all Body shop staff. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/Aftersales Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: • Technical knowledge, 7 years experience of the accident repair and Body shop industry. • Capabilities in opening (RO) and making perfect vehicle damage estimate when required for cars and trucks/buses. Complete knowledge of Insurance procedures. • Demonstrated experience in denting and painting procedures; the use and maintenance of modern body shop equipment. • Skills in applying and using knowledge in a supervisory, coaching and leadership. • Ability to organise clerical work, administration, control systems and financial resources. • Relevant and up-to-date knowledge of vehicle design and manufacture, consumer and vehicle legislation, industry and trade practices. • Technical, professional and engineering qualifications. • Experience and knowledge of modern business methods and financial control. Skills in using this knowledge in a practical way. • Strong numeral, literacy and communication skills. Apply to this job This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Auto Technician Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 03:55 AM PDT Job Title: Auto Technician Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. To ensure that vehicles brought into the dealership operates at maximum efficiency as per manufactures standard and customer satisfaction. 2. Create value for the business by supporting productive utilization of workshop resources and operations INTERACTION AND REPORTING: Directly Responsible To: Workshop Supervisor Responsible For: Service Technicians and Mechanics (skilled and semi-skilled), Apprentices, workshop Cleaners, Car Washmen and Drivers. Relationships With: Service Manager, Workshop Supervisor, Job Controller, Parts Advisors, Apprentices, Workshop Cleaners. OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: • Maintains vehicle functional condition by listening to complaints; conducting inspections; repairing engine failures; repairing mechanical and electrical systems malfunctions; replacing parts and components. • Perform routine maintenance procedures, such as rotating tires, changing the oil, lubricating engine parts and tuning up the electrical system, including inspecting belts, hoses and mechanical systems to be sure that all are operating properly. • Repair, remove and replace old or broken parts such as pistons and rods in the engine, rebuilding faulty assemblies such as steering systems, repairing or replacing brakes and repairing heating, cooling and electrical systems. • Repair or replace transmissions, shock absorbers, carburetors, distributors, radiators, ignition systems and a host of other circuits, parts or systems. Fix or adjust a car’s accessories such as windshield wipers, radios and mirrors. • With aid of computers, diagnose troubleshot, spot problems with engine oil pressure and ignitions suing pressure indicators and voltage meters. Use power wrenches, welding torches and hand, special tools including pliers, scanners, screwdrivers etc. • Keep equipment available for use by inspecting and testing vehicles; completing preventive maintenance such as, engine tune-ups, oil changes, tire rotation and changes, wheel balancing, replacing filters. • Verifies vehicle serviceability by conducting test drives; adjusting controls and systems. Efficient use of work shop consumables. Stores and retrieves vehicles by driving and parking vehicles. • Keeps workshop equipment operating by following operating instructions; troubleshooting breakdowns; maintaining supplies; performing preventive maintenance; calling for repairs. • Record and make available on request, the results of vehicle inspection on a checklist or any other database required by the Workshop Supervisor and/or Management. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/After-sales Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: • 7 years technical experience/knowledge of mechanics, computerized automotive systems, mechanical profiles, specifications of multi-brandautomobile makes, models and years. • Demonstrated knowledge and use of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance, using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to resolving automobile problems • Capabilities in use of scanning machine and diagnostic tools in making perfect vehicle repair when required for cars and trucks/buses. • Understanding of computerized repair and testing systems, and must have exceptional eye-hand coordination, physical stamina and skill with tools. • Demonstrated experience in preventive maintenance, diagnostic and repair of modern vehicles using updated tools, machines and procedures. • Good knowledge in equipment maintenance, lifting, decision making, problem solving, reporting diagnostics results, self-motivated, judgment, results driven, quality focus, productivity, safety management • Technical, professional and engineering qualifications. Apply to this job This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Auto Service Advisor Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 03:53 AM PDT Job Title: Auto Service Advisor Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. Interpret customer concerns for the service department, so that vehicular problems can diagnose and repair work carried out correctly 2. Translates the actual repair problem, repair process, status of vehicles, which may be very complicated, into language the customer can understand 3. Generates profit by selling service, repairs and parts and other offerings of the business INTERACTION AND REPORTING: Directly Responsible To: Reception Supervisor Relationships With: Customers, Workshop Supervisor, Job Controller, Service Manager, Parts Advisors, Parts Manger, Customer Service Officer, Café Attendant, Reception Cleaners. OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: • Greets customers, schedules service appointments, receives vehicle information and handle administrative aspects of customer service • Listens to requests of the service desired and explains the repair or service order to customers. Translating customers’ repair problems into standard repair terminology, explaining repairs to customers • Ascertains automotive problems and services by listening to customer’s description of symptoms; clarifying description of problems; conducting inspections; checking vehicle maintenance records; examining service schedules. • Handles customer complaints, precise recording of customers concerns and comments and ensures high customer satisfaction standards • Prepares repair orders (RO) by describing symptoms, problems, and causes discovered, as well as repairs and services required; obtaining approval signatures; entering RO into service database system • Maintains customer rapport by explaining estimates and expected return of vehicle; obtaining customer’s approval of estimates; obtaining and providing contact telephone numbers; answering questions and concerns. • Periodically checks on the progress of the vehicle during servicing and contacts the customer when technicians discover additional problems; gets customer approval to do additional work and explains the work performed and the charges being billed • Verifies warranty and service contract coverage by examining records and papers; explaining provisions and exclusions. Promotes service facilities to encourage repeat business • Enhances organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/ Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: • 5 years demonstrated experience in a multi-brand auto service centre as service advisor or related position. • Active listening and ability to convey information clearly in words and writing. • Problem solving, reporting research results, quality focus, productivity, estimating, product knowledge, customer service, problem solving, safety management • Degree level education or equivalent Apply to this job This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Auto Sales Manager Job at Janchine Nigeria Limited Posted: 31 May 2014 03:51 AM PDT Job Title: Auto Sales Manager Location: Lagos, Nigeria Employer: Janchine Nigeria Limited MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB: 1. Achieve increased and profitable sales volume for new and used cars to surpass dealership quotas and business goals. 2. Retain existing clients and win new accounts to consistently increase market share and pipeline expansion 3. Train and motivate sales team towards surpassing business goals per time INTERACTION AND REPORTING: Directly Responsible To: Head of Sales Responsible For: Sales Executives Relationships With: Sales Operations Manager, Sales Administrator, Service Manager, Body Shop Manager, Showroom team, Warehouse Supervisor, Accountant, Logistics Manager, Spare Parts Manager OBJECTIVES AND KEY TASKS: • Responsible for winning potential customers and generate leads for the organization; generating new opportunities for the organization while retaining existing current customers. • Closes sales by overcoming objections; asking for sales; negotiating price; completing sales or purchase contracts; explaining provisions; explaining and offering warranties, services, and financing; ensure delivery of automobile. • Managing large customer accounts and giving clients necessary demonstrations and presentations relating to products. • Training, motivating, counseling and monitoring the performance of all new/used-vehicle sales team. Conducting necessary job and product training activities for subordinates • Tracking all customers and making sure all leads and sales activities are logged to CRM. Conducting market analysis, collecting customer feedbacks and drafting necessary evaluation reports. • Providing effective communication throughout the new/used vehicle department as well as inter-departmentally. • Monitoring customer satisfaction ratings for the department and ensuring proper follow-up for all potential buyers by developing, implementing and monitoring a prospecting and sales control system. • Recommending specific new/used-car inventory needs by color, model and equipment based on customer and market analyses. • Developing, recommending and Organizing and sale strategies for the company.. • Support the development and execution of marketing and traffic/lead generation programs/activities. OTHER DUTIES: Any other duties as and when required by the Dealer Principal/ Manager that are reasonably within the capabilities of the person and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals. QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: • Strong auto sales and sales management of 7+ years’ experience, strong closing skills, excellent leadership, communication, negotiation and people skills • An ambition to succeed and grow within a fast paced environment. • A strong understanding of the “automotive sales process and approach” • Ability to motivate & inspire individuals achieve common goals • Professional, courteous, organized and an expert in customer service. • Degree level education as minimum requirement Apply to this job This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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