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External paper: “Taliban Views on a Future State”

Few if any Taleban leaders say they want to re-establish the Islamic Emirate or revive the policies that drew the world’s opprobrium upon them when they controlled the Afghan state in the 1990s. That is the conclusion drawn in this report jointly written by Borhan Osman of the Afghanistan Analysts Network and Anand Gopal, author […]

13 Jul 2016 AAN • External publications

Chechens in Afghanistan 3 (Flash from the Past): Diplomats, yes, but fighters?

Following the authoritative account of Chechens – or rather lack of Chechens – in Afghanistan by Christian Bleuer, and how they have frequently been reported on, but rarely encountered, AAN’s Kate Clark here describes her own experiences with Chechens in 2000. In January of that year, she reported on the opening of a Chechen embassy […]

12 Jul 2016 Kate Clark • Regional Relations

Afghanistan at the Warsaw Summit: Looking for sustained support (with an 11 July 2016 update)

On 8 July 2016, in Warsaw, NATO begins a two-day heads of state summit for its member countries. Afghanistan is the first item on the agenda on day two. From an Afghan point of view this is an important event, the means by which Kabul secures funding for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and […]

6 Jul 2016 Jelena Bjelica • Kate Clark • Martine van Bijlert • Sudhansu Verma • International Engagement

Eid Mubarak from AAN to All Our Readers

After each dark night, a bright morning comes, and after each Ramadan, comes Eid al Fitr. As this year’s long, hot month of dawn-till-dusk fasting ends, the AAN team would like to wish a joyful Eid to friends and readers, to all Muslims around the world and particularly to the people of Afghanistan. په هره تياره […]

5 Jul 2016 AAN Team • Context and Culture

Chechens in Afghanistan 2: How to identify a Chechen

Researchers focusing on Chechen issues point to clear evidence that many Chechens are fighting in Syria, but roundly reject the notion of a Chechen presence in Afghanistan. In the first part of his special two-parter, Christian Bleuer looked at how Chechens became a battlefield myth for western soldiers and a tool for Afghan and US […]

3 Jul 2016 Christian Bleuer • Regional Relations

Incontro Nazionale Emergency – Genoa: July 2, 2016

The Italian medical NGO Emergency is having its 4-day national meeting in Genoa, and tomorrow, 2 July 2016, AAN’s Fabrizio Foschini will be on the panel focusing on the Afghan conflict, which has seen Emergency’s engagement with war victims since the late 1990s. The panel will start at 15.00 in the Magazzini del Cotone Auditorium […]

1 Jul 2016 admin • Events

The ICC’s Planned Visit to Afghanistan: Crimes, capacities and the willingness to prosecute

A delegation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is planning to visit Afghanistan in 2016, but the government has hesitated about receiving it. It has established an inter-ministerial committee to ensure the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, is finally translated into local languages and published in the official gazette so that the public […]

30 Jun 2016 Ehsan Qaane • Rights and Freedoms

Chechens in Afghanistan 1: A Battlefield Myth That Will Not Die

 In 2001, as the United States and other allied military forces attacked Taleban and al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan, numerous soldiers, journalists and Afghans allied to the Americans relayed stories of a fearless and deadly opponent, incomparably worse than any other enemy: the Chechen. Such reports have never gone away, despite no Chechen having ever been […]

27 Jun 2016 Christian Bleuer • Regional Relations

Taleban in Transition 2: Who is in charge now?

The new Taleban leader, Mullah Haibatullah, is being closely scrutinised to see if he will try to shape the goals and methods of the insurgency. The question is not just whether he wants to, but if he can. Gone are the days when the amir of the Taleban, by mere virtue of his position, had […]

22 Jun 2016 Borhan Osman • War and Peace

Podium discussion: “Afghanistan – safe country of origin?”

AAN’s Thomas Ruttig and  Bernd Mesovic, CEO of Germany’s largest pro-refugee organisation Pro Asyl, are on a podium tonight in the German city of Göttingen, discussing whether Afghanistan – as suggested by parts of the German government – is a “safe country of origin.” The event is part of a series on causes of the latest […]

20 Jun 2016 Thomas Ruttig • Events