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Wolesi Jirga, Next Movement: Andantino con Blackout (amended)

Another two inconclusive sessions – when it comes to the election of the speaker – of the Wolesi Jirga, the Lower House in Kabul, have been held over the Western weekend. But they were worth following, nevertheless, since they brought interesting, ‘anti-authoritarian’ decisions: new candidates will run and not the two main contenders, Sayyaf and […]

6 Feb 2011 Fabrizio Foschini • Political Landscape

The Terrible F-Word

Remind me who had said this 😉 that failure is no option. Or is it? At least the European Parliament thinks so and has said it in a recent resolution – that the international strategy in Afghanistan has failed? Our frequent reader and today’s guest blogger Mario Ragazzi(*) has asked himself what we mean when […]

6 Feb 2011 Mario Ragazzi • Political Landscape

Lower House speaker election: Intermezzo of the Surprise Candidates

As widely predicted, also the second attempt to elect a speaker of the newly inaugurated Wolesi Jirga that took place on Wednesday did not give any decisive result. Afghanistan’s lower house now has held already its first four sessions without being able to do so. AAN’s Gran Hewad and Fabrizio Foschini have attended the meeting […]

4 Feb 2011 Fabrizio Foschini • Gran Hewad • Political Landscape

Afghanistan’s new parliament and yet another election (updated)

130 days after the parliamentary vote and 64 days after the final results, not to mention a fair deal of wrangling, the new Wolesi Jirga was inaugurated on Wednesday 26 January. The process had been long and full of hurdles and it is still not completely certain that it is over. As late as Saturday […]

30 Jan 2011 Fabrizio Foschini • Political Landscape

28 January 2011: New AAN paper looks for Afghan insights in theories of conflict resolution

AAN’s new discussion paper by Matt Waldman and Thomas Ruttig takes a more theoretical approach to the current debate about reconciliation, often too narrowly described just as ‘talking to the Taleban’. It looks into various theories of conflict resolution and which insights they may offer for a peaceful solution of the Afghan conflict. Despite the […]

28 Jan 2011 AAN • admin • Events

Handing over Responsibilities in Afghanistan

International actors in Afghanistan have long been torn between negative trends, bleak assessments, ambitious strategies and ritualistic reports of hopeful developments. Their publics at home are uneasy about the lack of clarity on why their forces are in Afghanistan and what exactly they are achieving. Well-informed diplomats and policymakers are often very pessimistic in private, […]

28 Jan 2011 Martine van Bijlert • International Engagement

Peace offerings: Theories of conflict resolution and their applicability to Afghanistan

AAN’s new discussion paper by Matt Waldman and Thomas Ruttig takes a more theoretical approach to the current debate about reconciliation, often too narrowly described just as ‘talking to the Taleban’. It looks into various theories of conflict resolution and which insights they may offer for a peaceful solution of the Afghan conflict. Despite the […]

28 Jan 2011 Matt Waldman • Thomas Ruttig • Special Reports

9 February 2011: AAN in Berlin

Thomas Ruttig, a Senior Analyst of AAN, will give two public presentations on Afghanistan’s current political situation in Germany soon, on 18 January in Osnabrück and on 9 February in Berlin. Presentation on 9 February in Berlin, under the title ‘Afghanistan after NATO’s transition decision’ will take place as follows: Time: 10.00 – 12.00 am […]

27 Jan 2011 AAN • admin • Events

What comes after the Transition?

This evening I will be debating whether the West has failed in Afghanistan. Earlier this week I was asked to comment on Dutch plans to send a police mission to Kunduz. A week ago I spent two days brainstorming on what a sustainable transition in Afghanistan could look like (transition being code for phased exit). […]

27 Jan 2011 Martine van Bijlert • International Engagement

27 January 2011: AAN at the Open Forum, Davos 2011

Join AAN’s Martine van Bijlert during the Open Forum Davos 2011, in the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, where she will be participating in a public panel discussion on whether the West has failed in Afghanistan. The Open Forum Davos 2011 is organized by the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (SEK) and the World […]

25 Jan 2011 AAN • admin • Events