Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

‘Guardian angel’ need for advisers in Afghanistan drives call for more troops

Thomas Ruttig •

Reuters, 18 August 2017 Author Josh Smith, among other things, gives figures about composition of RS mission: Of the 12,447 troops from 39 countries that make up the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, about 2,865 are classified as advisers, according to numbers provided by the coalition.  Another 7,766 are considered “enablers”, which can range from logistics […]

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Interesi okoli Afganistana (in English)

Thomas Ruttig •

Radio Student (Ljubljana), 18 August 2017 Half-hour interview (in English) with AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the history and present of Afghanistan’s conflicts, with an additional question on plans in the US to ‘privatise’ the Afghan war. (Only intro and some text in between in Slovenian.)

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In Afghanistan, Reform Can’t Come Fast Enough

Thomas Ruttig •

Foreign Policy, 16 August 2017 A very readable pre-Trump speech insight, by former US ambassador Ron Neumann, into problems that have now fallen behind the military-first, anti-terrorism strategy – reform, institutions, anti-corruption – expressing the fear that upcoming elections and related alliance-building might stop whatever reform is ongoing.

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Freiwillige und erzwungene Rückkehr nach Afghanistan 2016/17: Trends, Zahlen, Erfahrungen

Thomas Ruttig •

Das Blättchen 17/2017 (14 Aug 2017) An updated German translation of Jelena Bjelica and Thomas Ruttig’s AAN dispatch an fact, figures and trends of – voluntary and involuntary – returns to Afghanistan in the German web-based political, cultural and economic biweekly. Not online. a PDF of the article here: 20170814Blättchen-Bjelica & Ruttig Rückkehr nach AFG […]

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Sicheres Herkunftsland Afghanistan: Krasse Fehleinschätzungen

Thomas Ruttig •

Tageszeitung, 14 August 2017 Op-ed by AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the German foreign office’s latest security assessment for Afghanistan in the Berlin-based daily (in German). He points out that the conclusion – “security situation for Afghan civilians has not changed substantially” since end of ISAF mission – contradicts latest UN Spacial Rep report to the […]

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Abschieben in einen Krisenstaat: Warum ist Berlin bei Afghanistan so rigoros?

Thomas Ruttig •

n-tv, 11 August 2017 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig with some disagreeing quotes about the recent new evaluation of the Afghan security situation of the German foreign office which surprisingly states that the threat for Afghan civilians was comparatively “low.” On the website of German private n-tv (in German).

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L’Amérique sans stratégie pour sortir du bourbier afghan

Thomas Ruttig •

Tribune de Genève, 11 August 2017 Version of the Le Figaro article of 18 August with quotes from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig, but here without paywall. «Le retrait du gros des troupes de l’OTAN en décembre 2014 a donné plus de marge de manœuvre aux talibans», note Thomas Ruttig, codirecteur de l’Afghanistan Analysts Network, un centre […]

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Gerade befreite Stadt in Ostafghanistan wieder in Händen der Taliban

Thomas Ruttig •

dpa/Amerika-Woche, 11 August 2017 The German news agency quotes from AAN’s Janikhel dispatch, mainly background on the vulnerability of the government’s grip on the area, in its report on the district centre falling to the Taleban again (in German).

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Afghanistan : les talibans gagnent du terrain

Thomas Ruttig •

Le Figaro, 11 August 2017 Quotes from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig in a leading French daily about Taleban territorial gains and the extension of their room to manoeuvre after the end of the ISADF mission in 2014 (in French, with paywall).

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Blauäugig in Kundus

Thomas Ruttig •

Süddeutsche Zeitung, 9 August 2017 Op-ed by Thomas Ruttig, with a balance of the German military engagement in Kunduz, in the Munich-based daily, one of the leading ones in Germany. It looks at the strong and, as it seems, irreversible Taleban province in the region and comes to the conclusion: “military mission not accomplished.” Presenting the […]

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At the End of a Long Curve: The fall of Janikhel

Fazl Rahman Muzhary • Thomas Ruttig •

The temporary capture of Janikhel district centre by Taleban forces in late July 2017 stands out in the relatively static, mountainous and geographically and tribally fractured region of eastern Paktia and Khost. There, most district centres continue to be in government hands, while many areas outside of them are more or less under Taleban control. […]

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