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Filling the Power Ministries (3): Three Security Bosses Voted In

Today, after an indecisive week, the Wolesi Jirga smoothly voted its confidence for three out of four candidates previously introduced for the ministry posts. The morning mood inside the house left few doubts as to an eventual positive outcome; the protesters were few and mostly went unheeded. Even the only exception, the failure of Haji […]

15 Sep 2012 Fabrizio Foschini • Political Landscape

Filling the Power Ministries (2): (No) News Flash

In an attempt to keep informing our readers about the key issue of the expected cabinet reshuffle, we had to invent a new category today: the No News Flash. The reason: the parliament’s lower house postponed the decision to Saturday, for the time being, and busied itself with statistics instead. AAN Researcher Obaid Ali, Senior […]

13 Sep 2012 Kate Clark • Political Landscape

September 2012: German anthology on Afghanistan with AAN contribution published

Under the title ‘Das Scheitern der Luftlande-Demokratie in Afghanistan: Die Bonner Vereinbarungen von 2001 und die versandete Demokratisierung am Hindukusch – ein Blick von innen’, Thomas Ruttig’s contribution to the recently published AAN E-Book ‘Snapshots of an Intervention. The Unlearned Lessons of Afghanistan’s Decade of Assistance (2001–11)’ now is available also in German. It is […]

12 Sep 2012 AAN • admin • Events

Filling the Power Ministries: Biographies of the four candidates

Parliament was about to start scrutinising President Karzai’s nominations for three of the most powerful positions in government, plus one less significant ministry yesterday (Tuesday). But the nominees did not make into the Wolesi Jirga because the MPs demanded that they must be accompanied by either the President or one of his deputies in person.(1) […]

12 Sep 2012 Kate Clark • Political Landscape

The ‘Other Guantanamo’ (3): Bagram and the Struggle for Sovereignty

Bagram Detention Centre has been officially transferred to Afghan control today, with the fundamental question of sovereignty – who has the right to arrest and detain Afghans on Afghan soil – still not resolved. The US insists it still has the right; the government says this is illegal. On Saturday (8 September 2012), President Karzai, […]

10 Sep 2012 Kate Clark • Political Landscape

AAN Reportage (2): The Andar Uprising – Has the Tide Already Turned?

In the spring of 2012, the Taleban lost control of substantial parts of one of their strongholds, Andar district in Ghazni. The government and national and international media called it a popular uprising. In Part 1 of AAN’s special reportage on the events of Andar, guest blogger and local journalist, Emal Habib(*) questioned this narrative. […]

3 Sep 2012 Emal Habib • War and Peace

AAN political parties paper series 2: Rise and Decline of Maoism

With two new reports – ‘Ideology without Leadership: The rise and decline of Maoism in Afghanistan’ by Niamatullah Ibrahimi and ‘Reforming Jombesh: An Afghan Party on Its Winding Road to Internal Democracy’ by Robert Peszkowski – AAN has launched a new series of papers that look at the development of political parties and movements in […]

31 Aug 2012 Niamatullah Ibrahimi • Robert Peszkowski • Special Reports

Start of AAN political parties paper series 1: Reforming Jombesh

With two new reports – ‘Reforming Jombesh: An Afghan Party on Its Winding Road to Internal Democracy’ by Robert Peszkowski and ‘Ideology without Leadership: The rise and decline of Maoism in Afghanistan’ by Niamatullah Ibrahimi – AAN has launched a new series of papers that look at the development of political parties and movements in […]

31 Aug 2012 Niamatullah Ibrahimi • Robert Peszkowski • Special Reports

A Pathan Moustache Hair’s Worth: Afghans in Bollywood, Bollywood in Afghanistan

Hardy, hungry Afghan highlanders have for centuries looked beyond the Khyber Pass in search of…movies. And, be it clever marketing, be it spontaneous fascination, Bollywood cinema has also been keen on portraying Afghans throughout its different eras. Fabrizio Foschini has been looking at the outcome of this colourful cultural encounter, helped by the fact that […]

28 Aug 2012 Fabrizio Foschini • Context and Culture

Back to Qatar? Talks about talks, again

This summer has brought news that indicated that talks between the US and the Taleban (or even the Afghan government and the Taleban) might possibly be rekindled. It all started rather sensationally with a member of the Taleban leadership publicly attending an (academic) conference, moving on to speculations about Pakistan allowing Kabul access to an […]

27 Aug 2012 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace