Month: February 2021

Am Abzug – Afghanistan und kein Ende

HR2, 19 February 2021 Listen to an almost hour-long podcast (in German) on German public radio composed of different pieces and interviews (one with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig), discussing the situation in Afghanistan, including the peace talks and Germany’s role.

19 Feb 2021

NATO berät Abzugspläne: Wie geht es weiter in Afghanistan?

Bayern2, 18 February 2021 Listen to an interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig at this Munich-based German pubic radio station about the forthcoming NATO decision whether to pull out troops from Afghanistan or not (in German).

18 Feb 2021

Die Nato in der Afghanistan-Falle/ Die Bundeswehr spielt bereits den Frontalangriff der Taliban auf ihr Hauptquartier durch

Die Welt, 18 February 2021 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted in this article of the conservative German daily looking at the to-be-forthcoming decision of NATO whether to keep troops in Afghanistan (in German, behind paywall). He is quoted as saying: Dabei stecke das Bündnis letztlich in einem politischen Dilemma, sagt der Forscher Thomas Ruttig, Co-Direktor […]

18 Feb 2021

Afghanistan: Gehen oder bleiben?

Schwäbische Zeitung and Südwestpresse, 18 February 2021 Various German dailies quote AAN’s Thomas Ruttig on the current US and NATO decision making on a troop withdrawal (or not) from Afghanistan (behind pay walls), saying there is “no real conditioning” for the Taleban to reduce violence included in their Doha deal with the US, therefore called […]

18 Feb 2021

Afghan Peace Will Require a Neighborly Concert

PRIO Policy Brief, 17 February 2021 PRIO’s Kristian Berg Harpviken looks at the players in this concert and comes to a pessimistic view: At a time when concerted neighborly action for Afghanistan’s future is desperately needed, achieving it seems less realistic than ever. (…) The US is withdrawing militarily – with or without an intra-Afghan […]

17 Feb 2021

AAN Q&A: Mediation or facilitation “would help” in the Doha talks

AAN Team •

The intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha are stalling since the first round ended in December 2020 with an agreement on the talks’ rules of procedure and both parties forwarding their lists of items for an agenda for the next rounds. In order to find out where there are possible ways out of the current political stalemate, […]

14 Feb 2021

Security forces fired directly at people without precaution or consideration [during] Behsud incident

Hasht-e Sobh, 9 February 2021 The Kabul daily summarised the report of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) about the violent incidents during a demonstration in Behsud district, saying that “security forces” killed 11 and injured 31 unarmed protestors “without [previously] using any riot control measures on the crowd” and using “direct fire” instead. […]

9 Feb 2021

کلمبیا و فارک، افغانستان و طالبان؛ تفاوت‌ها و شباهت‌ها (Colombia and the FARC, Afghanistan and the Taliban: Differences and similarities)

Hasht-e Sobh (8am), 21 Dalw 1399 (9 February 2021) The Kabul-based daily looks into a non-Afghan peace process, using (and quoting) research for AAN by Martine van Bijlert, co-founder and former co-director.

9 Feb 2021

Abzug oder nicht? Afghanistan schaut auf die USA

Augsburger Allgemeine, 8 February 2021 The German daily extensively quotes AAN’s Thomas Ruttig on the current situation in Afghanistan and possible scenarios related to the US-Taleban agreement about a withdrawal of US troops (in German – also as an audio file).

8 Feb 2021

Droughts on the Horizon: Can Afghanistan manage this risk? 

Mhd Assem Mayar •

In the last two decades, Afghanistan has experienced more droughts than ever before. New data suggest that after two relatively good years, the country is facing a moderate-to-high drought risk for the new year 1400 (2021). Half of Afghanistan’s agricultural land depends on spring rainfall, which has become less reliable because of climate change. Annual droughts in […]

7 Feb 2021

Inside the Shadowy Militias Luring Unsuspecting Afghans to Fight, or Die

New York Times, 4 February 2021 Depressing report about a new set of militias in Balkh province (and also southern Afghanistan) that, under the control of former governor Atta, partly recruits members under the pretext of construction work, aiming at people impoverished in the Corona crisis.

4 Feb 2021

Police and NDS Torture: One in three security detainees tortured, despite long-term downward trend

Kate Clark •

UNAMA and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have released their latest report on the treatment of conflict-related detainees in Afghanistan. They found only the slightest reduction in the reporting of torture and ill-treatment since 2017-18, with torture still being used against 30 per cent – or one in […]

3 Feb 2021