Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Sudhansu Verma

Reading Hamid Karzai [and Hezb-e Islami]

AAN •

Foreign Policy, 15 January 2014 Middle East Institute's veteran Afghanistan watcher Marvin Weinbaum gives us an interesting alternative read of the Afghan-US scuffles over the BSA and sees some Hezb-e Islami influence in it.

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Recalling Past Threats, Afghans in Tranquil [Panjshir] Valley Work to Keep It That Way

AAN •

New York Times, 13 January 2014 Panjshiris are preparing themselves against a Taleban comeback, reports the Times. "Western security experts and senior Afghan defense officials say Panjshiri boasts about squirreling away weapons throughout the valley are credible. … Panjshir is also the only province where uniformed agents from the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s main intelligence […]

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‘Gaming’ Obama on Afghan War

AAN •

Consortium News, 10 January 2014 A quick reaction by investigativ journalist Garteh Porter on former US defence secretary Robert Gates' upcoming book (print version to be out on 14 January), putting some of Gates' – probably not fully impartial – statements, and some telling omissions, in context.

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Iran: open for business again

AAN •

Le Monde diplomatique (English version), January 2014 Very interesting Article by the head of the Farsi version of the newspaper (which is available in print only as a supplement to Seda-ye Edalat journal, 60/6 rue Sarve, Ave Vali Asr, Tehran), but this version is accessible for subscribers only. A German version can be read in full […]

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I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on

AAN •

Guardian Weekly, 3-9 January 2014 A commentary with a self-explanatory headline by a former imegary analysts with the US air force. She writes: "The US and British militaries insist that this is an expert program, but it's curious that they feel the need to deliver faulty information, few or no statistics about civilian deaths and twisted technology reports on the […]

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In memory of Dr Victor G. Korgun

Ekaterina Stepanova •

When it comes to expertise on Afghanistan, not many look east. Those who did will have discovered Russian Viktor Korgun who, as we were sad to learn today, has passed away in Moscow. He was also respected in Afghanistan as shown by the invitation – as one of only few foreign experts – to a scientific conference […]

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Optimism at Security Transition in [Zabul]

AAN •

IWPR, 8 January 2014 A rare report from the southern province of Zabul, presenting some optimism, mainly expressed by government officials of provincial council members. The local population apparently was more concerned about US night raids then about the Taleban, and everyone seems to be happy to have national forces in the lead now. The […]

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Afghanistan’s Worsening, and Baffling, Hunger Crisis

AAN •

New York Times, 4 January 2014 "Afghan hospitals like Bost, in the capital of war-torn Helmand Province, have been registering significant increases in severe malnutrition among children" writes Rod Nordland, reporting on the often over-looked socio-economic side of things in Afghanistan. "Countrywide, such cases have increased by 50 percent or more compared with 2012, according to […]

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Unemployment, Crime Rising Ahead Of Troop Pullout

AAN •

Tolo News, 26 December 2013 The head of the Kabul Crime Investigation Department said on Thursday that over the past two months poverty, crime and unemloyment have increased in the capital Kabul, "pointing to the foreign troop withdraw in 2014 as the main cause". 

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MPs Approve Five New Ministers [and two Supreme Court judges]

AAN •

Tolo News, 25 December 2013 

TheLwer House of parliament has approved five new ministers nominated by President Karzai's cabinet: Din Mohammad Mobarez Rashidi (166 votes) will be the new Minister of Counter Narcotics; Zarar Ahmad Osmani (183 votes) will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Akbar Barekzai (164 votes) becomes the new Minister of Mines; […]

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Afghanistan-Experte fordert deutschen Neuanfang am Hindukusch

admin •

DTS/Berliner Umschau, 23 December 2013 The German news agency published a short summary of an interview with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig published by daily Frankfurtter Rundschau in which he criticised new German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen with visiting German soldiers in Afghanistan but not meeting any of her Afghan counterparts.

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Afghans set up Belgian protest camp in Mons

AAN •

BBC, 23 December 2013 Hundreds of Afghan asylum seekers have set up a protest camp in the Belgian town of Mons, demanding to meet Prime Minister Elio di Rupo to discuss their demands to be granted residency and a guarantee that none of them will be expelled.  

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