Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: December 2015

Das Erstarken der Taliban

Thomas Ruttig •

ORF, 23 December 2015 Listen to AAN’s Thomas Ruttig on Austrian radio this morning, on the situation in Helmand (in German). Die Schlacht um Sangin erinnert an den Kampf um die nordafghanische Provinz Kundus im September. Wenig später folge der Taliban-Überfall auf den Flughafen von Kandahar. Und erst vor wenigen Tagen haben die Taliban nahe […]

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Taliban auf dem Vormarsch: In Helmand geht es um Afghanistans Zukunft

Thomas Ruttig •

dpa/NTV, 23 December 2015 The German press agency quoted AAN’s Thomas Ruttig from his German-language Afghanistan Zhaghdablai blog on Sangin and its strategic and otherwise importance: “Sangin ist an sich ein Nest und militärstrategisch nicht wirklich interessant”, sagt der deutsche Afghanistanexperte Thomas Ruttig. Aber es habe “eine besondere Position im lokalen und landesweiten Drogenhandel”, weil […]

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What’s behind the Taliban onslaught in Afghanistan?

Thomas Ruttig •

Los Angeles Times, 23 December 2015 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted here as saying, on the Taleban offensive in Helmand, “ghost soldiers” and the likelihood (or lack of) of peace talks, that: “The Taliban strategy seems to be trying to wear the Afghan government forces out, with the assessment that there’s only a limited number […]

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Former NDS Chief Rahmatullah Nabil at a press conference in October 2015 Source: PAJHWOK/Fayaz Omar

Political Cleavages over Pakistan: The NDS chief’s farewell

Thomas Ruttig •

Rahmatullah Nabil, the chief of the country’s intelligence service, submitted his resignation on 10 December 2015. This now leaves two of the Afghan government’s four major security positions filled by acting officials (the second vacancy, for more than a year, is the defence minister’s position). Nabil’s position had presumably become untenable, after he publicly criticised […]

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Afghanistan: l’armée afghane assiégée par les talibans à Sangin

Thomas Ruttig •

Radio France International, 22 December 2015 A short comment by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in this news programme about the Helmand fighting: Mais pour Thomas Ruttig, du réseau d’analyses afghan, joint par RFI à Kaboul, la situation n’est pas si encourageante. « Il faut s’attendre à ce que les combats durent un certain temps. Les talibans ont […]

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Sangin assault is sign of Taliban confidence and warning to Kabul

AAN •

The Guardian, 22 December 2015 AAN’s Borhan Osman is quoted twice here on the situation in Helmand: “I think they have been preparing for Sangin since the summer,” said Borhan Osman, a researcher with the Afghanistan Analysts Network who has written extensively about the Taliban. “It does look like taking control of as much of the province […]

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Kämpfe in Südafghanistan: Die Taliban feiern einen Sieg nach dem anderen

Thomas Ruttig •

Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 22 December 2015 A brief quote of AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the latest fighting in Helmand in the leading Swiss daily, interpreting the Sangin district governor’s call for help via Facebook as a call of desperation.

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Afghanische Sicherheitskräfte eroberten Distrikt zurück

Thomas Ruttig •

Salzburg24, 18 December 2015 The Austrian website (and some German newspapers) quotes AAN on the situation in Helmand, after Afghan government forces claimed they took back Khaneshin district centre: Im Distrikt Mardscha, der an Chanischin angrenzt, sollen die Taliban nach Angaben des Recherche-Instituts Afghanistan Analysts Network nur noch einen halben Kilometer vom Büro des Distriktgouverneurs […]

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Irans hellige Syrien-krigere

AAN •

Information, 17 December 2015 The “independent and always well-informed” AAN is quoted in this long article about foreign (including Afghan) fighters on the side of the Syrian regime in this Danish daily: Den uafhængige og altid velinformerede organisation Afghanistan Analyst Network anslår tallet til 10-20.000 shiakrigere…

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Navy SEALs, a Beating Death and Claims of a Cover-Up



AAN •

New York Times, 17 December 2015 Not only the SIGAR uncovers serial waste of US funds in Afghanistan, also new stories of abuse of Afghan civilians by the US military come to light. Here a long and not very pleasant read from the NYT, about a case in Uruzgan, from May 2012, this time with a […]

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Afghanistan: After Kunduz

AAN •

The Diplomat, 16 December 2015 Patty Gossman, in her guest article for the web journal looking at the current mood in Kunduz, refers to an AAN dispatch: Obaid Ali of the Afghanistan Analysts Network has meticulously documented, fighting among these militias, together with their violence, threats, and extortion of the local population, have stoked grievances and […]

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