Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: October 2010

Tracking a Meme. Reality vs. spin in the war in Afghanistan

admin •

Columbia Journalism Review, 21 October 2010 Joshua Foust on military operations and media spin: “the military is, literally, the only group inside or outside of Afghanistan that sees hope and progress in the war”, and “This disconnect between military spin and ground reality is not only dangerous, it is insulting: Americans can handle the truth […]

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21 October 2010, Washington DC: Thomas Ruttig on Reconciliation

AAN • admin •

By invitation only at The New America Foundation: on-the-record breakfast discussion with Thomas Ruttig on the prospects for reconciliation with the Taliban and how this process might fit within the Afghan political, social, and cultural context.   Prospects for Reconciliation in Afghanistan Thursday, October 21, 2010 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. The New America Foundation […]

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21 October 2010: New AAN paper on the Ex-Taleban on the High Peace Council

AAN • admin •

AAN’s latest discussion paper by Thomas Ruttig provides a first analysis of the former Taleban members on the newly-established Afghan High Peace Council (HPC), of what their possible role may be in this body, their political and historical background as well as the development of their positions vis-à-vis a possible process of negotiations. More information […]

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2010 Elections 27: And finally… the preliminary results

Martine van Bijlert •

The 2010 preliminary results were announced on 20 October 2010, but as usual information, as well as an understanding of what that information means, is trickling in rather slowly. So far we have a series of figures provided by the IEC, but no answers on why they don’t match or add up; and an internet […]

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Afghanistan War: The talk about ‘The Talks’ is just talk

admin •

Global Post, 21 October 2010 There is more smoke than fire surrounding reports of talks with the Taliban, writes Jean MacKenzie, quoting AAN’s Martine van Bijlert. And parliamentary candidate Janan Mosazai adds the following analysis: Karzai has come to the conclusion that unless there is a settlement to this war, things will get substantially worse […]

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Brahimi’s Back?!

admin •

Foreign Policy (blog), 20 October 2010 As the US, Afghanistan and Taleban discuss commencing talks that might eventually strike a peace deal, former UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is ‘back on the scene’, writes Colum Lynch. He quotes ‘one UN-based official’ that Brahimi had been approached by the Americans and asked whether he might consider a […]

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Are Talks with the Taleban Snow-Balling?

Martine van Bijlert •

There has been a lot of excitement lately in the press about the supposedly snow-balling talks with the Taleban leadership and what this could mean for the prospects to end the war. The major news outlets have been trying to outdo each other in terms of talking up details provided by spokespeople and unnamed officials. […]

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AAN Guest blog: Making Elections Count

William Maley •

Afghanistan’s elections have been spectacularly problematic. Only hours before the announcement of this year’s preliminary results, Professor William Maley explores the different ways in which electoral processes can be viewed – as theatre, a way to change power without bloodshed, or a means of renegotiating power relations. He discusses the corrosive impact of widspread fraud […]

Political Landscape Read more

The Ex-Taleban on the High Peace Council: A renewed role for the Khuddam ul-Furqan?

Thomas Ruttig •

AAN’s latest discussion paper by Thomas Ruttig provides a first analysis of the former Taleban members on the newly-established Afghan High Peace Council (HPC), of what their possible role may be in this body, their political and historical background as well as the development of their positions vis-à-vis a possible process of negotiations. An analysis […]

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Enclaves of Optimism

Martine van Bijlert •

In the midst of years of downhill trends and mounting complexities and a growing realisation of how intertwined we have all become in Afghanistan’s main problems, you can still find enclaves of optimism – at military headquarters, diplomatic gatherings, UN leadership levels. They are inhabited by people with a stubborn, but seemingly authentic belief that […]

International Engagement Read more

18 October 2010: New report ‘Dangerous Liaisons’

AAN • admin •

This USIP Special Report report by independent Afghanistan analyst Matt Waldman is based on six months of field research between January and June 2010, funded by the U.S. Institute of Peace and Canadian Global Peace and Security Fund and facilitated and supported by the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN). The aim was to better understand insurgent […]

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Another Militia Creation Gone Wrong

Thomas Ruttig •

In March 2010, heavy fighting broke out in the northern Baghlan province between Hezb-e Islami fighters and the Taleban. On 7 October 2010, a German soldier was killed by a suicide bomber in the same area. The connection between both events is another example how the establishment of ‘militias’ (even though they are not called […]

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