Month: November 2013

SRF4 (Swiss radio), 21 November 2013 Listen to AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in an interview (in German) on the BSA Consultative Loya Jirga that started in Kabul today.

21 Nov 2013

AAN in the Media Read more

Afghanistans Loya Dschirga: Feilschen um Verbleib von US-Truppen

Tageszeitung (Berlin), 21 November 2013 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig contributed an op-ed (in German) on the BSA Loya Jirga starting today in Kabul, summarising the last controversial pointsot be clarified between the Afghan and US sides, arguing that both sides are interested in geeting the agreement confimred by the delegates, the US because it wants to […]

21 Nov 2013

AAN in the Media Read more

Amnesty Urges Afghan Council to Demand Accountability for US War Crimes

AAN Team •

AntiWar (blog), 20 November 2013 In a report about amnesty international urging the firthcoming Loya Jirga to demand accountability for US war crimes in Afghanistan, also an AA dispatch about the anti-BSA “counter jirga” is quoted.

AAN in the Media Read more

No deal yet between U.S., Afghanistan on post-2014 pact

AAN Team •

Los Angeles Times, 20 November 2013 An AAN dispatch is quoted here: “The independent Afghanistan Analysts Network, an authoritative Kabul think tank, quoted Karzai’s national security advisor, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, as telling members of parliament over the weekend that the U.S. is requesting independent control of the massive Bagram air field north of Kabul and […]

AAN in the Media Read more

On eve of Afghan council, uncertainty over future of military mission

AAN Team •

Stars and Stripes, 20 November 2013 AAN’s Kate Clark is quotes here about the drama potential of the upcoming BSA Loya Jirga: Some analysts see the convening of the Loya Jirga as cover for Karzai to make an unpopular decision — though whether that decision will be to keep international troops or jettison them is […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Loya Jirga To Decide Whether U.S. Troops Stay Or Go

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 20 November 2013 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig gives some backgriund on the institution Loya Jirga in Afghanistan: According to Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent research organization in Kabul, Karzai needs consensus, or at least the appearance of consensus, to ratify the controversial agreement. “Loya Jirgas are seen […]

AAN in the Media Read more

The Nation’s Voice? Afghanistan’s loya jirgas in the historical context

Benjamin Buchholz •

On 21 November, another loya jirga (grand assembly) is forthcoming in Afghanistan, convened to represent ‘the nation’s voice’ about the still pending Afghan-US Bilateral Partnership Agreement (BSA), the basis for any post-2014 NATO mission in the country. This will be the fifth such assembly under the Karzai government. On this occasion, our guest author Benjamin Buchholz […]

Context and Culture Read more

U.S., Afghans work toward agreement on night raids

AAN Team •

AP/Military Times, 19 November 2013 AAN is quoted here on the draft BSA introduced to the Afghan parliament: “The independent Afghan Analysts Network, which gave details on Spanta’s briefing, said Karzai also won a key security agreement from the U.S. that promised joint action — political, economic or military — against anyone attacking Afghanistan or […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Afghan elders to discuss key security deal with the US

AAN Team •

AFP, 19 November 2013 “Kate Clark, a senior analyst with the Kabul-based Afghanistan Analyst Network, said too much was at stake for the jirga to reject the BSA. ‘On the BSA depends not just US bases and a possible counter-terrorism force, but also the continuing NATO training mission and money for the Afghan security forces,” […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Islamisten warnen Abgeordnete: Loya Jirga in Kabul tagt zu künftigem Truppenstatut

Neues Deutschland (Berlin), 19 November 2013 In a short op-ed article (in German), AAN’s Thomas Ruttig looks forward at the upcoming “BSA Loya Jirga” in Kabul, convened to decide about the future presence of US troops in Afghanistan. He reports about last-minute difficulties on US soldiers’ immunity from Afghan law and about ISAF commander Dunford’s proposal that US […]