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Elections and Foreigners: An analysis of recent Taleban violence

The Taleban have again warned Afghans not to take part in Saturday’s elections, saying they would be attacking election centres and targeting “all parts of the country”. Earlier they warned they would be using “all force” at their disposal to disrupt the “upcoming sham elections”. Kabul has seen two ‘spectacular’ attacks against election-related targets in the […]

3 Apr 2014 Kate Clark • War and Peace

Afghan Youth for Democracy? Not all of them

Many observers are looking with hope at the progress in terms of education of Afghan youth and often describe it as a safeguard of democracy during the political transitions ahead. This, however, means painting Afghan youth with an all–too-broad brush and closing eyes to undercurrents that try to undermine further democratisation, says AAN’s Borhan Osman. […]

2 Apr 2014 Borhan Osman • Political Landscape

What to Watch in the Elections (1): Voter registration

Elections in Afghanistan can be overwhelming, surreal and utterly confusing, even for those who have followed the politics of the country for a long time. To bring those who were not here during previous elections up to speed, and to remind those who may have forgotten the details of what it was like, AAN’s Martine […]

1 Apr 2014 Martine van Bijlert • Political Landscape

What to Watch in the Elections (2): Polling station lists

Elections in Afghanistan can be overwhelming, surreal and utterly confusing, even for those who have followed the politics of the country for a long time. To bring those who were not here during previous elections up to speed, and to remind those who may have forgotten the details of what it was like, AAN’s Martine […]

1 Apr 2014 Martine van Bijlert • Political Landscape

What to Watch in the Elections (3): Polling day, fraud and irregularities

Elections in Afghanistan can be overwhelming, surreal and utterly confusing, even for those who have followed the politics of the country for a long time. To bring those who were not here during previous elections up to speed, and to remind those who may have forgotten the details of what it was like, AAN’s Martine […]

1 Apr 2014 Martine van Bijlert • Political Landscape

What to Watch in the Elections (4): The count, the complaints and the result

Elections in Afghanistan can be overwhelming, surreal and utterly confusing, even for those who have followed the politics of the country for a long time. To bring those who were not here during previous elections up to speed, and to remind those who may have forgotten the details of what it was like, AAN’s Martine […]

1 Apr 2014 Martine van Bijlert • Political Landscape

External publication (in German): Militarisierung der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (The Militarisation of Aid)

Afghanistan Info (Neuchâtel), March 2014 (not online) Thomas Ruttig, “Militarisierung der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit: Der jüngste Afghanistan-Krieg als Auslöser eines Besorgnis erregenden Trend” (Militarisation of Development Cooperation: The recent Afghanistan war as trigger of a concerning trend), Afghanistan Info, Neuchâtel, no. 74 (March 2014), pp 8-9. Issue no 74 of the publication of the Swiss Committee for the Support of […]

31 Mar 2014 Thomas Ruttig • External publications

What the Polls Tell Us About the Afghan Presidential Election

Is it possible to predict the upcoming Afghan elections on the basis of polling data? There are severe methodological challenges in collecting accurate survey data in a country like Afghanistan, and, given how young the country’s democracy is, not much past data on how well those predictions turned out. But surveys during the 2009 presidential […]

31 Mar 2014 Matthieu Aikins • Political Landscape

Enough with the Killing of Civilians! The Serena attack and the civil society response

The war is getting dirtier, writes Susanne Schmeidl, member of and guest contributor to AAN, looking at the Serena attack and its victims, particularly the women and children. We have to assume that everything and everybody is fair game in the Taleban’s fight against – “well, against what?” she asks, and “for whom?” Schmeidl gives […]

28 Mar 2014 Susanne Schmeidl • Rights and Freedoms

Can the Taleban outwrestle the government? An assessment of the insurgency’s military capability

The Taleban are poised to bounce back and threaten the Afghan state once foreign troops withdraw – this is the kind of doomsday scenario one hears these days as foreign troops prepare to depart. Recent statistics have shown that 2013 was at least as violent as 2011, the previous record year for attacks and casualties. However, […]

25 Mar 2014 Borhan Osman • War and Peace

2 April 2014, Berlin: AAN at Taz Discussion

"Afghanistan nach Karsai und ISAF" is the title of a discussion round organised by Berlin-based daily Tageszeitung (taz), in cooperation with the Afghanistan Analysts Network. On 5 April, Afghanistan elects a new president. With that, the era of Hamed Karzai who is in power since the overthrow of the Taleban ends. What did he achieve, what he did not? […]

23 Mar 2014 Thomas Ruttig • Events

The Butter on the Bread: The Provincial Councils’ fight for extended authority

For more than two weeks, now, the campaign for the provincial council (PC) election has been running. It commenced on 4 March, and the presidential election that ends the era of President Hamed Karzai in Afghanistan’s highest office overshadows it. PC candidates and voters face one difficulty: the councils lack clearly defined authorities, which somewhat […]

23 Mar 2014 Thomas Ruttig • Political Landscape

Taste the Samanak! Wishing you a Happy New Year with ancient culinary treats

The celebration of Nawruz, the New Year, on the 21st of March by the peoples of the region between Anatolia and Central Asia dates back some thousands of years. This year it is Afghanistan’s turn to host the Nawruz International Festival, which sees the presidents of several countries of the region gather for a joint […]

22 Mar 2014 AAN Team • Context and Culture

2 April 2014, London: AAN’s Francesc Vendrell at the Frontline Club

“Who will lead Afghanistan?” is the question to be discussed at this session of the London-based Frontline Club’s “Fist Wedensday” panel series. gears up for a pivotal presidential election we will be bringing together a panel of experts to take an in-depth look at the candidates and what they are offering. “Who will lead Afghanistan?” is the […]

22 Mar 2014 Thomas Ruttig • Events

2 April 2014, Berlin: AAN’s Thomas Ruttig at German Bundestag’s Public Hearing

AAN’s Thomas Ruttig will be one of four experts invited to give statements at a public session of the German Bundestag’s (parliament’s) foreign affairs committee under the title “The ISAF mission – lessons learned” on 2 April this year in Berlin. Time: 2 April 2014, 12.30 pm Venue: Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus, room 3 101, Adele-Schreiber-Krieger-Straße 1, 10117 Berlin Prior registration […]

22 Mar 2014 Thomas Ruttig • Events

A Sad Nawruz: Violence risks tainting an important Afghan holiday

AAN had wanted to wake up on a Friday, post its piece about Nawruz special food traditions, and enjoy the quiet of one of the last weekends before elections and more hectic days of work. That this was a delusion became clear as details about yesterday’s attack at Kabul’s Serena hotel started to emerge. On […]

21 Mar 2014 AAN Team • War and Peace

The Murder of Swedish Journalist Nils Horner: an assessment of the Fedai Mahaz claim

The Swedish newspaper Expressen has published CCTV footage of the two men who allegedly killed the Swedish-British journalist, Nils Horner, in Kabul on 11 March. The pair can clearly be seen: they are young, clean-shaven and with short hair. Yet who they might be and why they killed the award-winning journalist still remains a mystery. The […]

19 Mar 2014 Kate Clark • Borhan Osman • War and Peace

Dividing the Field: Who shapes the electoral landscape in a Herat township – and how?

In Herat, elders have divided a township into areas supporting different presidential contenders. They are motivated by financial and other benefits and a desire to end up on the winning side in any case. But they are also divided, mainly along political party lines. This heralds the coming of potentially highly contested presidential and provincial […]

17 Mar 2014 S Reza Kazemi • Political Landscape

Cure or Curse? Implications of the Kilij mine closure for Bamyan’s security situation

As Afghanistan prepares to take full responsibility for security and state functions by the end of 2014, the country’s natural resources are often touted as a major source of future state revenue to substitute for dwindling international aid. There are, however, concerns regarding the ability and willingness of the Afghan government to ensure that extraction is […]

15 Mar 2014 Jalil Benish • Economy, Development, Environment

External Publication: Einiges besser, nichts wirklich gut (Some things better, nothing really good)

WeltTrends, January/February 2014 In this German-language article, AAN’s Thomas Ruttig attempts to draw a balance of the twelve years of the US/NATO-led intervention in Afghanistan. Looking at the security situation, the state of the insurgency, achievements and shortcomings in reconstruction, the economy and institution building and at the often-overlooked social situation of the population. He concludes that […]

14 Mar 2014 Thomas Ruttig • Special Reports