AAN In The Media – July 2009

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Amerikanen in Afghanistan nog zoekende
Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, 29 July 2009
Martine van Bijlert is quoted on the role of the US and the UN in Afghanistan.

Bundeswehr faces uphill battle against Taliban
Deutsche Welle radio (Voice of Germany, online version), 28 July 2009
In a report about the Afghan-German operation in Kunduz province, Thomas Ruttig says that pushing the Taleban out of a district is much easier than keeping them out permanently.

Taliban: Die Herzen der Afghanen gewinnen (To Win the Afghans’ Hearts)
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (online version), 28 July 2009
Thomas Ruttig is quoted with an assessment of the Taleban’s updated code of conduct (layha).

Sorgen um Präsidentenwahl in Afghanistan (Concerns about Afghanistan’s Presidential Elections)
SR DRS (Swiss Radio), 26 July 2009
As part of a broader feature about the upcoming elections, listen to an audio file (in German) of an interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig: «It won’t be elections according to Western standards».

Afghanen begrüßen Offensive (Afghans Welcome Offensive)
Financial Times Germany, 24 July 2009
In an article on the Afghan-German operation against insurgents in Kunduz, the daily quotes AAN’s Thomas Ruttig as saying that it only will be successful if the security forces retain a lasting presence in the area.

Die Strukturen der Taliban (The Taleban Structures)
Salzburger Nachrichten (Austria), 24 July 2009
The Salzburg daily also publishes Willi Germund’s interview with Thomas Ruttig on the AAN report dealing with the Afghan insurgency and reconciliation (see below, Tagblatt),

Reconciliation Emerges As Possible ‘Endgame’ In Afghanistan
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 23 July 2009
In a background article on chances for reconciliation in Afghanistan, Abybakar Siddique quotes Thomas Ruttig as saying that this requires ‘knowing the precise character of the insurgency’ and the factors driving it.

Auch die Taliban sind in der Offensive (The Taleban Are on the Offensive, Too)
die tageszeitung (Berlin), 23 July 2009
Thomas Ruttig’s article discusses recent insurgents attacks in Gardez and Jalalabad as examples of the Taleban’s improved ability for coordinated attacks (title of the online version: Ruhe vor dem Grossen Knall).

“Dolchstoss” gegen “Stahlnetz”
die tageszeitung (Berlin), 21 July 2009
The article authored by Thomas Ruttig discusses the US/British/Afghan military operations in Helmand and the Taleban reaction to it.

Wenig Chancen gegen Taliban
Tagblatt (Switzerland), 16 July 2009
Interview with Thomas Ruttig on the AAN report ‘The Other Side’. (Small Chances Against the Taliban).

Taliban’s influence rising in Afghanistan: study
Hindustan Times, 15 July 2009
The Indian daily reports on the major findings of AAN’s first report ‘The Othe Side’.

Explosion Kills Afghan Police Chief and 3 Officers
The New York Times, 14 July 2009
The article discusses insergency-related violence in South Afghanistan and quotes AAN’s report on the Afghan insurgency (incorrectly referring to AAN as ‘an independent group of diplomats’).

Taliban-Einfluss in Afghanistan wächst 
DPA, 14 July 2009
DPA (german press agency) quotes extensively from the latest AAN report on the Afghan insurgency (Taliban influence grows).

Wieder Angriff auf Bundeswehr in Kundus
BILD (Germany), 14 July 2009
In an article about insurgent attacks on Bundeswehr soldiers in Northern Afghanistan, German’s most influential tabloid refers to the AAN report “The Other Side”.

Erneut wurde eine deutsche Patrouille beschossen
Hamburger Abendblatt, 14 July 2009
(Again a German Patrol under Fire). The Hamburg daily quots major findings from Thomas Ruttig’s AAN study about the Afghan insurgency.

Studie sieht wachsenden Einfluss der Taliban
Die Zeit (Hamburg, online version), 14 July 2009
The German weekly picks up on the AAN report “The Other Side” and emphasises findings that Taleban influence moves beyond the Pashtuns.

‘Natürlich wollen die meisten Afghanen Stabilität’ (Of course, most Afghans want stability)
Deutschlandfunk (German radio), 3 July 2009
Transcript of a radio interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in which he emphasises that the majority of Afghans is intereted in stability, jobs and also a decent life and warns against ‘alarmism’ in regard to Taleban attacks in Germany.

US-Armee startet im Süden Offensive gegen die Taliban
Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (Halle/Germany), 2 July 2009
Thomas Ruttig is quoted on the need to respect and reassure the population that the Taliban will not be back (US Army starts southern offensive against the Taliban).