Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Month: December 2015

Fresh Taliban assaults test boundaries of US ‘noncombat’ mission

Thomas Ruttig •

Stars and Stripes, 15 December 2015 This article by Heath Druzin looking at the situation that “U.S. troops are increasingly being pulled back into battle to aid overstretched Afghan forces” , has longer quotes from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig: That lack of resources has been compounded by the phenomenon of ghost troops — fictitious soldiers and […]

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Harakat meeting commemorating Mullah Omar, Kabul, July 2015. The speaker is party leader Mawlawi Qalamuddin. Photo: Pajhwok.

A Bridge for the Taleban? Harakat, a former mujahedin party, leaps back into action

Thomas Ruttig •

Harakat-e Inqilab-e Islami, one of the formerly most important mujahedin parties (tanzim) that had kept a low profile after 2001, is more visibly returning to the Afghan political scene. With a publicity campaign, it is presenting itself as the party of the religious scholars, with a history distinct from other Muslim Brotherhood-inspired tanzim, and offers itself […]

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Afghanistan: Kein Ort ist mehr sicher

AAN •

Süddeutsche Zeitung, 13 December 2015 In this article after the latest spectacular Taleban attacks in Kabul and Kandahar, one of the leading German dailies quotes AAN’s Borhan Osman with his analysis of the post-Omar Taleban’s strength: Seit ihrer Gründung vor mehr als 20 Jahren hätten sie sich immer durch ihre extreme Loyalität untereinander ausgezeichnet, schreibt Borhan Osman […]

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Zehn Tote bei Taliban-Angriff auf spanische Botschaft in Kabul

Thomas Ruttig •

dpa/Märkische Allgemeine und Frankfurter Allgemeine, 12 December 2015 In the article (in German) about the Taleban attack on a Kabul guest house it is discussed whether it means a rejection of talks by the Taleban. AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted here as saying: Der deutsche Talibanexperte Thomas Ruttig vom Afghanistan Analysts Network sagt: “Krieg führen […]

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The Bowe Bergdahl case, explained for Serial fans

AAN •

Vox, 11 December 2015 The explainer for the popular podcast series “Serial” contains a link to  the biographies of the five Taleban leaders exchanged for the release of Bowe Bergdah: “…you can find a very detailed history from Kate Clark at the Afghanistan Analysts Network here.”

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Afghanistan: le dialogue dans l’impasse

Thomas Ruttig •

Le Figaro, 10 December 2015 In this article looking at the chances of Kabul-Taleban peace talks while Ghani and Pakistan are pushing for new talks at the Islamabad Heart of Asia meeting and the Taleban attack Kandahar airport, AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted as saying (print, also online since 9 December but behind a pay […]

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Afghanistan-Einsatz: Was läuft schief in Afghanistan?

Thomas Ruttig •

Deutsche Welle, 9 December 2015 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted on lessons learned from the ISAF mission in this analysis by the German international radio of the aims behind the German government’s decision to extend the stay of German soldiers in Afghanistan and the German defence minister’s cautious statement that there had been “mistakes” in […]

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Samples of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs, like ecstasy and MDMA, exhibited in the display cabinet of state-of-the-art CNPA forensics lab in Kabul, Afghanistan (Photo by Jelena Bjelica 2015)

Afghanistan Breaking Bad: Crystal meth, a new drug on the market

Jelena Bjelica •

The first methamphetamine seizure in Afghanistan was recorded in 2008, a minor capture of four grams in Helmand province. Now, seven years later, some 17 kilograms of methamphetamine, popularly known as ‘crystal meth’, were seized in the first ten months of 2015, in 14 out of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The Ministry of Counter Narcotics warned […]

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Angebliche Audiobotschaft von Taliban-Chef sorgt für Verwirrung

AAN •

dpa/Sächsische Zeitung, 6 December 2015 The German daily quotes AAN’s Borhan Osman about the latest Taleban audio meant to dispute reports about its leader’s, Mullah Mansur, killing: Der Talibanexperte des Recherche-Instituts Afghanistan Analysts Network, Borhan Osman, sagte der dpa allerdings: „Ich bin recht sicher, dass die Nachricht authentisch ist. Es war schon verdächtig, dass die […]

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Präsident Ghani in Berlin: Hausaufgaben für Afghanistan

AAN •

Tagesspiegel, 4 December 2015 The Berlin-based daily quotes AAN’s Borhan Osman on the cohesion of the Taleban: Das Afghan[istan] Analysts Network (AAN) sieht die Taliban vor einer Bewährungsprobe. Geschwächt seien sie aber nicht, schreibt AAN-Autor Borhan Osman in einer Analyse. „Auch wenn die Risse das Bild von der Einheit der Taliban zerstört haben, sind sie […]

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Conflicting Reports on Taliban Leader’s Status Highlight Fraying Unity

AAN •

New York Times, 3 December 2015 Among the speculations about new Taleban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur’s reported death, AAN’s Borhan Osman is quoted with some cautioning remarks: “Anywhere Mansour, the highest leader of the Taliban, goes to a meeting, one would think not everyone would remain armed — just Mansour’s bodyguards,” said Borhan Osman, a […]

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Bruderkriege bei den Taliban

AAN •

Frankfurter Rundschau, 3 December 2015 Willi Germund quots AAN’s Borhan Osman in the German daily on the current state of cohesion in the Taleban movement: „Die Taliban haben während der vergangenen 21 Jahre schwere Zeiten durchgemacht“, schreibt Borhan Osman von „Afghanistan Analysts Network“ (AAN), „aber sie haben immer zusammengehalten. Das änderte sich im Juli 2015, […]

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