Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: November 2013

Karzai’s Refusal to Sign Frustrates Afghans

AAN Team

The Diplomat, 26 November 2013 The India-based diplomatic online journal discusses President Karzai’s refusal to heed the decision of the Consultative Loya Jirga to sign the US-Afghan BSA. Among others, it quotes AAN’s Obaid Ali: “He points to the ‘contradiction between the Grand Assembly and Karzai.’ He told The Diplomat that ‘there is a clear contradiction between the President and […]

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Karsai pokert hoch

Thomas Ruttig

SRF4 (Swiss radio), 26 November 2013 Listen to a 5:17 min audio interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig (in German) about President Karzai’s rejection to sign the US-Afghan BSA soon. “Kabul seems to believe that the US zero option is a bluff, but it might be wrong.”

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Karzai hedges on Afghan security pact despite assembly backing

AAN Team

AFP/Global Post, 25 November 2013 Kate Clark’s AAN dispatch on the BSA jirga’s last day is quoted in this article: “Kate Clark, senior analyst with the Afghan [sic] Analysts Network, said that with the BSA unsigned, Karzai retains some bargaining power. … ‘As Karzai said on the first day of the jirga, there is no […]

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Hamid Karsai pokert mit den USA (print only)

Thomas Ruttig

Tageszeitung (Berlin), 25 November 2013 Read a summary article on the outcome of the BSA Loya Jirga in Kabul by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in which he concludes that Prsident “Karzai wants to decide about the agreement himself, the jirga was only window-dressing.”

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A Yes, a Maybe and a Threat of Migration: The BSA loya jirga’s last day

Kate Clark

Whoever expected clarity and a swift signing of the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) following the consultative loya jirga will be disappointed. The heads of the 50 committees duly reported back on this final day with a unanimity of views which strongly suggested prior coordination; all supported and almost all urged President Karzai to sign […]

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Der Präsident zögert

AAN Team

ARD Tagesschau, 24 November 2013 AAN’s Kate Clark has been quoted on the website of the First German TV’s evening news website: “Präsident Karsai will nicht der Eigentümer dieses Abkommens sein und schiebt die Verantwortung ab”, sagt die Expertin Kate Clark vom Afghan [sic] Analysts Network in Kabul. Der Poker um die Unterzeichnung geht also weiter.

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One Step Forward, One Step Back On U.S.-Afghan Security Deal

Thomas Ruttig

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 24 November 2013 “Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent research organization in Kabul, suggests that Karzai could be trying to gain leverage ahead of the election. ‘Karzai is afraid the Americans will [meddle] in the election against his interests,’ Ruttig says. ‘Partly, he has a point. The Americans […]

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White House pushes for US-Afghan security pact by end of year

AAN Team

Russia Today, 22 November 2013 The website of the relatively new Russian attempt to emulate al-Jazeera quotes AAN’s Kate Clark, via Reuters: “‘President Karzai just doesn’t want this agreement. He kept handling the responsibility for agreeing or not agreeing to the agreement to the people of the hall, to the delegates of the Loya Jirga,’ [grand […]

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La Loya Jirga afgana examina el acuerdo de seguridad con EE UU

Thomas Ruttig

El País, 21 November 2013 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted here on the BSA Loya Jirga in Kabul: “Karzai sólo busca protegerse de las críticas”, estimaba Thomas Ruttig, codirector del Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) en una reciente entrevista con esta corresponsal. En su opinión, el recurso a la Loya Jirga, definida en la Constitución como representante de […]

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United States gives Afghanistan year-end deadline for crucial security deal

AAN Team

Reuters, 21 November 2013 AAN’s Kate Clark explains why President Karzai put new obstacles in the way of the US-Afghan security agreement currently discusses in the Consultative Loya Jirga: “President Karzai just doesn’t want to own the agreement,” said Kate Clark of the Kabul-based Afghanistan Analysts Network think tank. “He kept handing the responsibility for […]

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Shocks in a Lacklustre Speech: President Karzai addresses the jirga

Christine Roehrs Kate Clark Obaid Ali

The consultative loya jirga, convened to scrutinise the Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States, has begun with a draft that was only agreed at the very last minute, confusion over the exact status and proceedings of the gathering and a lacklustre speech by President Karzai. The president made little attempt to really sell the […]

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Abstimmung über Amerika: Loya Dschirga berät über Sicherheitsabkommen

AAN Team

Frankfurter Allgemeine, 21 November 2013 While explaining the procedure of the BSA Consultative Loya Jirga in Kabul, Friederike Boege quotes information by the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

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