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The Making of Another ‘Uprising’: The ALP in Panjwayi

The US government and US media are upbeat about a new ‘uprising’ against the Taleban in its heartland in Kandahar. Such a revolt in Panjwayi district would be of particular importance given the area’s status as the birthplace of the Taleban leadership. AAN’s Borhan Osman who has travelled to the area finds, however, that what […]

22 Apr 2013 Borhan Osman • War and Peace

Operation Resolute Restraint: The German Troop Offer for Post-2014

The German government has surged ahead by offering concrete troop numbers for the ISAF successor mission to begin in January 2015. What is sold as taking the lead is mainly dictated by domestic considerations (general elections in September) and the urge to stay in the comparatively calm north of Afghanistan to avoid casualties. AAN’s Senior […]

20 Apr 2013 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

Now ‘Informal’, Soon Illegal? Political parties’ existence threatened again (amended)

The Afghan government has started another attempt to make life difficult for the country’s political parties. One year after a disputed re-registration of all parties ended, it threatens them now with suspension because, it says, none of them have a sufficient presence in the required minimum number of provinces as stipulated in a by-law to […]

16 Apr 2013 Thomas Ruttig • Political Landscape

Pre-Electoral Consultations: the palace is looking for a new IEC head

On 9 April 2013 the President called a broad consultative meeting to discuss the selection of a new IEC chairman. The tumultuous term of the current head, Fazl Ahmad Manawi, ends this coming week. The main opposition representatives publicly declined the invitation, terming the meeting illegal, while others – including the generally pro-Karzai jihadi leaders […]

13 Apr 2013 Martine van Bijlert • Political Landscape

Summoning the Ministers: parliament damages its own image

At a time when President Karzai’s last turn in office is getting closer to its end, the Afghan parliament has been turning up the pressure on the cabinet. It was not the first time MPs had summoned ministers to answer inquiries about their performance, with the threat of voting them out of office. This time, […]

11 Apr 2013 Thomas Ruttig • Gran Hewad • Political Landscape

Is the Taleban Insurgency a Holy or an Unholy War? An Afghan-Pakistani ulema debate

The Pakistani ulema were never particularly vocal supporters of the current Taleban’s insurgency in Afghanistan until the Afghan government approached them to talk about peace. Or at least their support had not been expressed publicly before. Then one Pakistani mulla, Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, made such controversial remarks about suicide […]

9 Apr 2013 Borhan Osman • War and Peace

11 April 2013, Copenhagen: Conference ‘Afghanistan Towards 2014′ with AAN participation

The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) in partnership with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organising a one-day conference with the title ‘Afghanistan Towards 2014 ─ Prospects for Development, Security and a National Political Settlement’ on 11 April 2013 in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen. Apart from other prominent participants – among them […]

8 Apr 2013 AAN Team • Events

Security at the Fringes: the case of Shujai in Khas Uruzgan

The build-up of the formal Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is one of the main pillars of the transition strategy. However, in practice many security responsibilities are, and will continue to be, held by a myriad of hybrid and auxiliary forces that often operate under unclear lines of authority. Observers and media have been describing […]

6 Apr 2013 Martine van Bijlert • War and Peace

The Qatar Office Conundrum: Karzai’s quest for control over Taleban talks

During President Karzai’s recent visit to Qatar, discussions about a possible Taleban office were high on the agenda, and the visit had been charged with expectations in advance. Surprisingly, not much has been officially publicised about its outcome after the president returned home. AAN’s Senior Analyst Thomas Ruttig tries to make sense of the trip […]

5 Apr 2013 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

Elections or National Consensus: Which one wins?

The complexity of Afghanistan’s political spectrum and the traditionally overwhelming desire of Afghan leaders to keep power are major elements that have an effect on whether the political transition process – which continues simultaneous with the transition of security responsibilities – will be democratic. The ballot stuffing in the 2009 presidential and 2010 parliamentarian elections […]

4 Apr 2013 Gran Hewad • Political Landscape