Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: June 2012

Some at Gitmo could go to Afghanistan

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AP, 29 June 2012 In order to get stalled talks with the Taleban going again, ‘the Obama administration is considering a new gambit to restart peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan that would send several Taliban detainees from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay’ to prisons in Afghanistan.

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The IEC proposal to move to a mixed electoral system

Thomas Ruttig •

Afghanistan’s IEC has proposed sweeping changes for a new electoral law. The draft has already been publicly debated with stakeholders, including parties and civil society, and is publicly accessible. We see two major points of proposed changes: first, the partial move away from the SNTV system and a bigger role for political parties in parliamentary […]

Political Landscape Read more

The Biggest And Most Expensive Embassy In The World Is About To Get A Massive Upgrade

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Washington Post, 28 June 2012 US State Department continues to spend money on the Baghdad Embassy, that currently still houses 1,350 government employees.

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U.S. Awards Afghan Contract to Dubai Firm

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Wall Street Journal, 24 June 2012 The Pentagon signed a contract with Dubai-based company Anham FZCO for food-supplies to their military bases. The contract value is estimated at $8.1 billion but could reach up to $24 billion over 5.5 years. A separate interim contract was awarded to current, controversial supplier Supreme at an estimated worth […]

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The attack in Kargha: Return of the Taleban Puritans?

Thomas Ruttig •

In a rare night-time attack, Taleban gunmen stormed a popular lakeside resort. Kargha, in the outskirts of Kabul, with its ice cream parlours and pedalo boats is frequented by Afghans of all walks of life. Overnight on Thursday/Friday, the gunmen took a number of civilians hostage in the night to Friday. The action dragged on […]

War and Peace Read more

Scores of Afghans Missing, Feared Dead After Boat Capsizes Near Australia

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The Australian, 23 June 2012 Another boat with mainly Afghan asylum seekers has capsised off Australia’s northern coast. There are 109 survivors and 90 others still missing. ‘The boat is believed to have originated in Sri Lanka and to have been carrying as many as 200’.

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Guest Blog: Heart of Asia Hardly Beating at the Second ‘Heart of Asia Meeting’

Niamatullah Ibrahimi •

After a promising start in Bonn 2001 but almost a decade with this idea falling dormant again, a regional approach has been identified as an essential element for a peaceful and sustainable solution for Afghanistan’s problems. Turkey had given this idea a new start in November last year with a summit meeting in Istanbul. Now, […]

International Engagement Read more

Afghan University Poll Angers Officials

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IWPR, 22 June 2012 An opinion poll conducted by the Civil Society and Human Rights Network, a coalition of rights groups, and the Future for Afghanistan Children Organisation, at Balkh University in Mazar-e Sharif has sparked controversy by revealing criticism of lecturers for ‘irresponsible’ and ‘discriminatory’ behaviour and corruption. Provincial governor Atta called for those […]

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Ancient Buddha attacked by Taliban in Pakistan gets facelift thanks to Italian archaeologist

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AP, 21 June 2012 ‘When the Taliban blew the face off a towering, 1,500-year-old rock carving of Buddha in northwest Pakistan almost five years ago, it fell to an intrepid Italian archaeologist to come to the rescue. Thanks to the efforts of Luca Olivieri and his partners, the 6-meter (nearly 20-foot)-tall image near the town […]

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Army ‘waterboarding victim’ who spent 17 years in jail is cleared of murder

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The Guardian, 21 June 2012 Article describes very familiar interrogation methods, but here they were used by the UK in their fight against the IRA in the 1970s. After 4 decades an appeals court has now thrown out a confession obtained through ‘water boarding’ and unlawful detention; luckily for the accused his death sentence was […]

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Worry Replaces Hope In Race To Restore Ancient Afghan City

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RFE/RL, 21 June 2012 Another well-researched article by Frud Bezhan (with Zarif Nazar), on Ghazni that has been selected as one of the three ‘Islamic capitals of culture’ of the world for 2013. But, as the Afghans journalists write, ‘with less than a year before the cultural festivals begin, however, these hopes have given way […]

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Arts in a War Zone: Afghanistan at the Documenta

Martin Gerner •

The Documenta in the German city of Kassel is said to be the world biggest exhibition on contemporary art. Taking place every five years, it is curated each time by a single foreign curator and his team of international agents and aides. This year, for its 13th edition, for the first time Afghanistan is a […]

Context and Culture Read more

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