Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: December 2011

A Year-Ender: The Dummies’ Guide to the Geneva Conventions

Susanne Schmeidl •

While the Taleban have been stepping up their assassination campaign in the past year, another worrying development occurred: There were several cases of international forces, Special Forces in particular, entering NGO-run clinics on pursuit of alleged insurgents, bullying medical staff for treating insurgents or using clinics temporarily as bases. This clearly violates the Geneva Conventions. […]

International Engagement Read more

AAN wishes everyone a safe, happy and peaceful 2012.

AAN • admin •

With prayers and wishes for steps towards in peace in Afghanistan and happiness for all our readers and friends. May the coming year be better than the last.

Events Read more

Guest Blog: Afghanistan’s post-2014 relation crisis

Akmal Dawi •

As the year 2011 nears its end and analysts all over the world write their end-of-year reviews, Afghan journalist Akmal Dawi discusses Afghanistan’s regional relations. He finds Kabul at odds with many regional capitals, for reasons that are beyond its control, and wonders what kind of hostile post-2014 neighbourhood Afghanistan may find itself in. President […]

Regional Relations Read more

At U.S. Base, Afghan Endgame Begins

admin •

Wall Street Journal, 29 December 2011 Article not only describes how Obama’s decision to withdraw troops puts the brakes on $300 million in projects for FOB Shahrana (Paktika), but also illustrates the contradicitons in US policy; ‘hearts and minds counterinsurgency’, kill/capture, moving the surge to the east, and now ‘rationalising’ and handing over

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UN: Afghan Refugee Strategy a ‘Big Mistake’

admin •

AFP, 28 December 2011 Peter Nicolaus, head of the UN refugee programme in Afghanistan on Tuesday described its strategy in the war-wracked country since 2002 as the ‘biggest mistake UNHCR ever made’. He said the international community had failed to help returnees find a means of earning a living and therefore reintegrating into society and […]

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Afghanistan to Disband Irregular Police Force Set Up Under NATO

admin •

New York Times, 27 December 2011 ‘President Hamid Karzai has taken steps to disband a little-known, irregular police force financed by the American military with members in at least four northern provinces’, reports the NYT, ‘known as the Critical Infrastructure Police’ in Balkh, Kunduz, Jowzjan and Faryab as well as possibly in Sarepul provinces. And […]

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‘Former Taliban’ in the Afghan peace puzzle

admin •

al-Jazeera, 26 December 2011 A detailed analysis of which role, how differently, the former Taleban residing in Kabul play in the peace process, with some interesting quotes about their relationship with the Taleban movement and Karzai’s mistrust about Zaeef and Mutawakkel for perceived closeness with the US and Britain.

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U.S. deal with Taliban breaks down

admin •

Washington Post, 23 December 2011 Karen DeYoung reports that a ‘tentative accord’ with Taliban negotiators that would have included the transfer of five Afghans from U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay to house arrest in Qatar, where the Taliban planned to open an office, and the Taliban’s public renunciation of international terrorism has broken down. Reasons […]

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Another Blow to Justice: Three Commissioners Fired from the AIHRC

Thomas Ruttig •

Three of the nine members of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), one of the most successful, outspoken and internationally venerated institutions of post-Taleban Afghanistan, are losing their posts. What has been declared as a normal process, of bringing fresh blood into the commission, smells very political, though. It rather looks as if this is […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Outspoken Afghan Rights Official Ousted

admin •

New York Times, 23 December 2011 ‘Mr. Karzai and his closest aides have forced out AIHRC commissioner Nader Nadery of the Afghan indepedent human rights commission, according to Afghan rights activists and Western officials. The final straw for the Karzai administration appeared to be a report that he has championed, which exhaustively details atrocities committed […]

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Deutscher Afghanistan-Einsatz: Zehn vertane Jahre

Thomas Ruttig •

Der Spiegel, 22. December 2011 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted here in an analysis of ten years German participation in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan: Als einen der größten Erfolge zählt Afghanistan-Experte Thomas Ruttig die Friedenskonferenz auf dem Petersberg bei Bonn Ende November 2001 auf. Sie bot den Menschen in Afghanistan Hoffnung auf eine friedliche Zukunft, sagt […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Keeping control of bad choices

admin •

AfPak Channel, 20 December 2011 ‘The Pentagon has just quietly released the redacted results of an inquiry into allegations of human rights abuses by U.S.-sponsored armed groups in Afghanistan’, the so-called ALP and others, writes Rachel Reid, co-author of Human Rights Ratch’s report ‘Just Don’t Call it a Militia’, published this past September. And she […]

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