Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: December 2009

Afghanistan’s Most Under-Reported Stories in 2009

Joanna Nathan •

Read a compilation of stories that did not really make it into a lot of international headlines in the year 2009 that’s just ending – but surely would have deserved it – by our member JOANNA NATHAN*. AAN welcome contributions adding to this shortlist. Afghanistan was the forgotten war no more in 2009 with the […]

Political Landscape Read more

Time to Work with Warlords? What?

Thomas Ruttig •

I did not believe my eyes when I reviewed what the international media have printed about Afghanistan over Christmas: A fellow of a famous US university’s Human Rights Policy(!) institute proposes that it is ‘time to work with Afghan warlords’ (maybe not his own headline) and that ‘if President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Afghanistan´s Second Presidential Vote; How to Deal with a Flawed Election

Martine van Bijlert •

Martine van Bijlert, In: Afghanistan 1979-2009: In the Grip of Conflict (e-book), Middle East Institute, Washington, December 2009. The chapter Afghanistan´s Second Presidential Vote; How to Deal with a Flawed Election can be found on the MEI website. Full text of the chapter is also available here on the AAN website.

External publications Read more

Happy Christmas (But war isn’t over)

Thomas Ruttig •

‘Happy Xmas (War is over)’ – this was John Lennon’s wish in his beautiful 1971 holiday’s single already. The ex-Beatle (killed already 29 years ago) wasn’t referring to Afghanistan, obviously, then. In that year, Afghanistan was experiencing another of a series of drought years which would seriously undermine the country’s apparently so stable monarchy. Kabul […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

The Cabinet list

Martine van Bijlert •

For those of you – sitting under the Christmas tree – who have not been able to find the complete Cabinet list yet, please find it below. With some of the most basic facts added. Corrections and additions, as always, welcome. 1. Minister of Defence, Rahim Wardak – Pashtun from Wardak, military academy in Kabul and US, […]

Political Landscape Read more

Rearranging election outcomes while the IEC archive burns

Martine van Bijlert •

While people across the world are wrapping their last gifts and doing their last Christmas shopping, Afghanistan still has unfinished election business. And it is clear that we haven’t seen the last of all the bizarre twists and turns. (1)  The latest twist is a mysterious fire in the IT department of the Independent Electoral […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Obituary Dr. Bernt Glatzer (by AGA)

Thomas Ruttig •

The following obituary of our late Advisory Board member Dr Bernt Glatzer was published by (German) Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Afghanistan (AGA) [Scientific Working Group on Afghanistan] whose chairman Bernt was from 2001 to 2007. It cointains a comprehensive professional biography, including Bernt’s major publications. Obituary Dr. Bernt Glatzer *22 December 1942    †8 December 2009 Like almost […]

International Engagement Read more

Thoughts and worries

Martine van Bijlert •

There is a lot to worry about in Afghanistan. The politics of government, cabinet and parliament. The local power play of oppression and violence. The future, the family, where the country is headed. How bad the winter is going to be. Some conversation fragments: “How things are going? I am disappointed and optimistic at the […]

Political Landscape Read more

Until you get the wrong Ahmad…

Susanne Schmeidl •

Recently, I participated in a discussion in Washington where I drew a lot of anger when I said that ‘kinetic’ house searches still alienate many Afghans – if they don’t push them into Taleban ranks. That’s not correct, I was told, the US and NATO forces have changed their approach. Here a first-hand story that […]

War and Peace Read more

How Do Afghans Tick? (in memoriam Bernt Glatzer)

Thomas Ruttig •

The following is the translation of an interview given by late Dr Bernt Glatzer to a Berlin daily newspaper in 2008. He talks about how he himself became involved in Afghanistan, gives his opinion about current events and covers the ethics of ethnologists in war. More than six years ago, the Taleban regime in Afghanistan […]

Context and Culture Read more

The confused fight against corruption

Martine van Bijlert •

This morning saw the opening of a three-day national conference to identify “best practices and effective measures” in the fight against corruption. There will be workshops attended by government officials and civil society actors from all over the country, but today I only stayed for the opening statements in the grand hall of the Ministry […]

Political Landscape Read more

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