Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: February 2015

Weekend reading: Uprising in Kabul

Thomas Ruttig •

War on the Rocks (blog), 27 February 2015 The blog recommends Thomas Ruttig’s history-focussed AAN Dispatch about the first urban uprising against the Soviet invasion in Kabul in February 1980, ie 35 years ago, as weekend reading. Thank you!

AAN in the Media Read more
"Torture tarnishes the image of the state." Photo: ToloNews.

Because of Impunity: UN reports Afghan forces still torturing Afghans

Kate Clark •

It is two years since UNAMA last reported on torture by Afghan security forces of detainees suspected of conflict-related crimes. In the wake of its 2013 report, former President Karzai was stung into investigating the matter and instituted steps to try to root torture out. ISAF also strengthened its monitoring of detainees it transferred to […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

مصاحبه در مورد اختطاف 30 تن در شاهراه کابل – قندهار

AAN •

Radio Azadi, 25 February 2015 AAN’s Qayoum Suroush in an interview with Radio Azadi about the abduction of 30 Hazara bus passengers in Zabul province: Q: It is said that the Taliban are for the peace talks, but what such events means? A: It could have two meaning; but first, it should be clear that who […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Ash Carter Says U.S. Is Considering A Slower Exit From Afghanistan

AAN •

NPR, 22 February 2015 Full interview with AAN country director Kate Clark, commenting on visiting defense secretary Carter’s statement that the US may slow its withdrawal from Afghanistan to make sure “progress sticks”, the ongoing two military missions and “IS light” in Afghanistan.

AAN in the Media Read more

Six Days That Shook Kabul: The ‘3 Hut uprising’, first urban protest against the Soviet occupation

Thomas Ruttig •

Today 35 years ago, the first large, urban uprising against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan took place in Kabul. It was eight weeks after Soviet tanks had rolled into the country to save the regime of the PDPA, which had taken over power in a coup d’etat 20 months earlier and quickly run up against […]

Context and Culture Read more

How Islamic State is expanding its empire of terror

AAN •

The Observer, 21 February 2015 Looking at the expansion of IS beyond Iraq and Syria, on Afghanistan, AAN’s Borhan Osman is quoted here: “In practice, the IS groups in Helmand and Farah have not been involved (so far) in actions that resemble the brutality or sectarianism of the mainstream Isis,” said Borhan Osman, who has […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Ash Carter a Kabul: «Rivediamo i piani per il ritiro»

AAN •

il manifesto, 21 February 2015 The Italian left-wing newspaper quotes AAN’s Kate Clark: Atti­vità dif­fi­cile da trac­ciare, fuori da ogni con­trollo e dai cal­coli sta­ti­stici, come ha ricor­dato Kate Clark, dell’Afghanistan Ana­lysts Net­work. Rispetto ai rap­porti pre­ce­denti, quest’anno Unama ha aggiunto anche una sezione dedi­cata alle vedove di guerra. 60 inter­vi­ste, per un qua­dro deso­lante: tutte […]

AAN in the Media Read more

How ISIS Has Expanded Beyond Its Syrian Stronghold

AAN •

NPR, 18 February 2015 The NPR’s Phil Reeves quotes from Borhan Osman’s latest AAN dispatch about IS in Afghanistan, particularly about ideological differences betwee IS and the Taleban: “It’s actually not easy for outside militant organizations to operate in Afghanistan, says Borhan Osman, of the Afghanistan Analysts Network. For example, there are religious differences, Osman says. […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Experts dispute upbeat views on Afghan fight

Thomas Ruttig •

Stars and Stripes, 19 February 2015 “Despite these signs of potential instability, military leaders and politicians continue to portray Afghanistan as a country making steady progress. That can have damaging consequences, experts say,” the newspaper writes. ‘The overly positive assessments are repeated so often that the leaders in the military and civilian world start to […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Islamisten in Afghanistan: Splittergruppen zieht es zum IS

Thomas Ruttig •

Tageszeitung (Berlin), 18 February 2015 In a guest article, AAN’s Thomas Ruttig and Borhan Osman discuss the extent of IS influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan as so far “embryonic” and through splinter groups only. The Taleban still dominate the battlefield, and the killing of its newly appointed vice governor for “Khorasan” province, former Taleban deputy […]

AAN in the Media Read more

“Islamischer Staat” versus “Taliban-Emirat”: Ein Kalif zu viel

Thomas Ruttig •

Qantara, 18 January 2015 The Middle East website of German Deutsche Welle radio quotes AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the IS in Afghanistan: “Der Tod von Khadim könnte schon der Anfang vom Ende des ‘Islamischen Staates’ in seiner neuen ‘Provinz’ Khorasan sein”, meint etwa Thomas Ruttig vom “Afghanistan Analysts Network”. Auch Ruttig betrachtet die Berichterstattung zum […]

AAN in the Media Read more

The Human Cost of the Afghan War: UN reports sharp rise in the killed and injured

Kate Clark •

Evidence – if more was needed – of the intensification of the Afghan war has come in the United Nations’ annual report on civilian casualties. 25 per cent more civilians were killed in the conflict in 2014 than in 2013, almost all Afghans by Afghans. Most civilians are now being killed in ground engagements, an […]

War and Peace Read more

Subscribe to receive updates from the Afghanistan Analysts Network

Sign up