Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: February 2013

General Allen Leaves with an Improved Report Card on Civilian Casualties and Torture

Kate Clark •

Today, 10 February 2012, the commander of ISAF and US forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, leaves after a year and a half in the job. ‘When I got here,’ he told The New York Times, ‘I measured success in how well and how often we were fighting. Today, it’s a very different environment. The […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Giles Duley: ‘I lost three limbs in Afghanistan, but had to go back … ‘

admin •

The Observer, 10 February 2013 The story of a British war photographer, his way back to life and his engagement for Afghans maimed like himself.

Recommended Reads Read more

Afghanistan, Pakistan Seek A Fatwa Against Suicide Attacks

Other AAN •

NPR, 9 February 2013 Looking at Afghan-Pakistani governmental attempts to mobilise Islamic scholars against insurgent suicide attacks, AAN’s Borhan Osman is quoted as saying here: ‘The Afghan government has been trying since long to mobilize the ulema against some tactics that the Taliban use’. He adds that while the Afghan and Pakistani governments agreed to […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Analysis – Afghan government promises rethink on IDPs

admin •

IRIN, 8 February 2013 Another often overlooked – and growing – problem: internal displacement, with now more than 460,000 IDPs.

Recommended Reads Read more

Karzai presses for fatwa on suicide attacks

Other AAN •

The Long War Journal, 7 February 2013 In a summarising report on efforts to convene an Afghan-Pakistani ulama conference, the author extensively refers to an ‘in-depth report by the Afghan Analysts’ Network [sic], the delays and setbacks in getting the conference off the drawing board are due to conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the […]

AAN in the Media Read more

UN: Afghanistan Bribes Totaled Nearly $4 Billion

Other AAN •

Voice of America, 7 February 2013 Looking into the latest UNODC report on patterns of corruption in Afghanistan, the article quotes AAN’s Thomas Ruttig on the two sides of the phenomenon: the incentives coming from the West and the takers who are mainly Afghan: ‘There is so much money pouring in with insufficient oversight that […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Stabilising Afghanistan: Taliban lampoon London summit’s peace goal

Other AAN •

Express Tribune, 7 February 2013 Commenting on the optimistic UK-Af-Pak communique announcing an Afghan peace deal within 6 months, AAN’s Borhan Osman comments: ‘there is no guarantee that a peace deal would be achieved during the given time frame as there is no indication of change in the Taliban’s attitude towards the talks’.

AAN in the Media Read more

Another Bombing in Faryab, and What That Says About Transition

Other AAN •

El Snarkistani’s blog, 6 February 2013 The outstanding blogger explains why a bomb in far-out Faryab is significant, and quotes from Obaid Ali’s Faryab blog of last November where he already has raised concern about insurgents’ gains in that province.

AAN in the Media Read more

Ustad Atta for President? The ‘Northern Front’ Summit and other Pre-Election Manoeuvres

Thomas Ruttig •

Seven months before candidate registration starts this year for the 2014 presidential election(1) and 15 months before the incumbent has to leave his position for good, positioning for the post-Hamed Karzai period has picked up. Five leaders of non-Pashtun factions or movements, mainly former mujahedin, have decided to look for a joint candidate who might […]

Political Landscape Read more

Welcome to Kabul: Here are some brass knuckles

admin •

Global Post, 6 February 2013 A bit over-dramatised headline, but good report about a part of Kabul that is ‘slipping into lawlessness’, highlighting not a new, bit largely overlooked problem and concentrates on a multi-layered neighbourhood, the Company area..

Recommended Reads Read more

So, this is the office that will investigate Afghanistan’s Kam Air?

admin •

Christian Science Monitor
, 6 February 2013 Following his article a day earlier, CSM’s Dan Murphy asks ‘key questions about the credibility of the Afghan attorney general’s office as it prepares to investigate accusations that Kam Air is involved in drug-smuggling’.

Recommended Reads Read more

Subscribe to receive updates from the Afghanistan Analysts Network

Sign up