Month: February 2019

Re-read: From Uyghurs to Kashgaris (and back?) Migration and cross-border interactions between Xinjiang and Pakistan [and Afghanistan]

AAN •

Crossroads Asia project, 2014 Alessandro Rippa’ study of the Uyghur community of Pakistan, the Kashgaris, a group of migrants who left Xinjiang over the course of the last century, aiming principally at offering an overview of the history and current situation of the Uyghur community of Pakistan – a part of which migrated there via […]

9 Feb 2019

CIA-backed Afghan unit accused of atrocities is able to call in air strikes

AAN •

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 8 February 2019 Moe on the modus operandi of CIA-backed NDS 02 unit based on Jalalabad airport, and another alleged case of killing of civilians in Nangrahar’s Rodat district in September 2018: A civil society activist in the province told the Bureau: “The 02 unit conducts operations with impunity and […]

8 Feb 2019

Explainer: Why There Are Two Competing Tracks For Afghan Peace

Thomas Ruttig •

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 7 February 2019 Some quotes from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the Moscow-sponsored talks between the Taleban and various Afghan factions, excluding the Afghan government: Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent think tank in Kabul, says the Russian peace talks are fueled by “Russian political sniping against the […]

7 Feb 2019

Gespräche zwischen Taliban und Russland: Auch Moskau spielt die Taliban-Karte

Thomas Ruttig •

Tageszeitung, 6 February 2019 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig summarises and analysis the Russian-sponsored “intra-Afghan dialogue” in Moscow that excluded the Afghan government for the Berlin-based daily (in German).

6 Feb 2019

Peace, Politics, & Afghanistan’s Next President

AAN •

The Diplomat, 5 February 2019 Ali Adili, a researcher with the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an independent think tank, says that developments in the peace talks would not result in holding elections, but rather the establishment of a caretaker government. “There is uncertainty,” Adili adds. “The peace talks and calls for reform of the electoral bodies […]

5 Feb 2019

Переговоры по урегулированию в Афганистане должны вестись с участием властей страны – эксперт

Thomas Ruttig •

Interfax/Swissinfo, 5 February 2019 Quotes by Thomas Ruttig for the private Russian news agency printed by the Russian service of Swiss radio/TV about the Russian-sponsored “intra-Afghan dialogue”, saying that the positive aspect of this was that Afghan factions, including the Taleban, are talking to each other while its negative aspect was that the Afghan government […]

5 Feb 2019

The Afghan Women’s Network’s statement published before the intra-Afghan dialogue meeting held in Moscow in February 2019

The Afghan Women’s Network’s six point statement published before the intra-Afghan dialogue meeting held in Moscow in February 2019, provides further guidance about the concrete demands of Afghan women, asking to: bring Afghan women to the table not choose peace without human rights be direct about women’s rights not change the political order not compromise law and […]

4 Feb 2019

“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”: First steps in Afghan peace negotiations

Thomas Ruttig •

With the US-Taleban negotiations in Doha actually addressing how to end the Afghan war, and with first progress being made in the form of an agreed draft framework, Afghanistan seems to be slowly inching beyond the impasse of only ‘talks about talks.’ With this, a peace process has possibly left the starting blocks, but only […]

4 Feb 2019

Afghanistan-Experte Thomas Ruttig über die Taliban, USA & Frieden

Thomas Ruttig •

Jung&Naiv, 3 February 2019 Over 100 minutes about Afghanistan with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in this edition of the award-winning video blog, covering much from the current US-Taleban talks and elections (past and future) to how the conflict evolved in the beginning (in German).

3 Feb 2019

Speculation Abounding: Trying to make sense of the attacks against Shias in Herat city

S Reza Kazemi •

Herat – the generally safe and prosperous city in western Afghanistan – has seen a series of attacks against Shia religious figures and sites, especially since 2016. Fieldwork shows there is little empirical evidence as to who the perpetrators are or why they carried out these attacks. Based on conversations with Shia and Sunni activists, […]

3 Feb 2019

Ironiskt löfte i USA:s avtal med talibanerna

AAN •

Svenska Dagbladet, 2 February 2019 AAN research is quoted in this analysis of Trump’s Afghanistan policy in the leading Swedish daily (behind a paywall).

2 Feb 2019

Близо ли е краят на Афганистанската война [Is the end of the Afghan war near?]

Thomas Ruttig •

Bulgarian National Radio, 2 February 2019 Interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the US-Taleban talks and perspectives for Afghanistan, with audio and summary.  Full transcript of the interview here (in Bulgarian)

2 Feb 2019