Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

China: Afghanistan Backs Beijing Stance on South China Sea

AAN •

ABC News, 16 May 2016 “China on Monday said Afghanistan has expressed support for Beijing’s stance on the South China Sea dispute.” This is one outcome of CEO Abdullah’s visit to Beijing. In exchange, Afghanistan was admitted to China’s One Belt One Road project and was assured of  China’s willingness “to help with Afghanistan’s national reconciliation […]

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Power transmission line in Balkh province. Photo: Jelena Bjelica (2011).

Power to the People (2): The TUTAP protests

Thomas Ruttig •

When protesters interrupted President Ashraf Ghani’s speech in London three times on 13 May 2016, the heated controversy surrounding the route of TUTAP, a main electricity grid initiative, received even international attention. In Afghanistan, the tensions have been simmering since January 2016 when Hazara members of the government started trying to prevent a potential rerouting of […]

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Taliban deal the ‘best hope for peace’ in Afghanistan, says chief executive

Thomas Ruttig •

ABC News, 15 May 2016 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig quoted with comments on CEO Dr Abdullah#s statement that the Afghan government remains willing to negotiate a peace deal with the Taleban: Thomas Ruttig, the co-director of the Afghan Analysts network, said the ongoing deadlock had proven deadly for Afghanistan’s people. “At the moment there’s a stalemate, it’s […]

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Peace agreement to be signed in 2 months: HIA

AAN •

Pajhwok, 14 May 2016 The Afghan news agency has obtained an exclusive interview with Hezb-e Islami (Gulbuddin)’s chief negotiator Eng. Karim who deflated hopes that a peace deal with the Afghan government would be signed soon. He said the HIG leadership needs to agree first, and he reckons this would take “a few weeks or […]

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On 10 May 2016, the care takers for the positions of the head of NDS (Stanakzai, centre) and the Minister of Defense (Abdullah Khan, left) were introduced by CEO Dr Abdullah, they are still awaiting the vote of confidence by the parliament. (Source: Tolonews)

Old Names for the NDS and Defence Ministry: NUG proposes Stanakzai and Abdullah Khan, again.

Thomas Ruttig •

The National Unity Government (NUG) has finally moved to fill the last two vacant key posts in the national cabinet, those of defence minister and head of the intelligence agency. In the climate of mistrust between its two camps, it was not easy to identify mutually acceptable candidates – and, so, the names are neither […]

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Shadowy unit seeks to exploit Afghan Taliban divisions in south

AAN •

Reuters, 12 May 2016 The NDS has set up a new, 300-strong  under-cover unit in  Helmand province “with a mission to exploit divisions within the Taliban insurgency,” government officials and a militant spokesman said. “One provincial official said the unit was operating in Musa Qala and Nawzad, two central districts abandoned by government forces in […]

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The Ugly Consequences of the U.S. Military Having Immunity to Commit War Crimes in Afghanistan

Thomas Ruttig •

AlterNet, 12 May 2016 In this article looking at the US government’s reaction at the October 2015 bombing of a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Kunduz that killed 42 civilians, AAN is quoted twice with some background and linked to one of our reports: As the Afghanistan Analysts Network noted years ago, “The U.S. military seldom publicizes […]

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Pentagon report reveals confusion among U.S. troops over Afghan mission

AAN •

Reuters, 9 May 2016 Another useful dissection of the 2015re-capture of Kunduz, the lack of US rules of engagement, Afghan and US forces on the ground and the MSF hospital attack by Josh Smith: Amid fierce fighting after the Taliban captured the northern Afghan city of Kunduz last year, U.S. special forces advisers repeatedly asked […]

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Afghanistan executes six Taliban prisoners

Thomas Ruttig •

The Guardian, 8 May 2016 A short quote from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig about the executions of six alleged Taleban prisoners by the Afghan government: Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, said the executions helped perpetuate “a cycle of revenge”, making peace talks difficult. “This tit-for-tat is absolutely unhelpful,” he said. Comment: The ‘tit-for-tat’ […]

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Afghan civilian death toll ‘much higher than the official estimate’

AAN •

The Observer, 8 May 2016 Important article by Emma Graham-Harrison and Rob Evans, concluding from investigations into two cases that a probably significant number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan remains unreported. It reminds us that the UN monitoring system set up in 2007 (only) requires “three independent sources to verify each civilian killed. … But the strict standards that […]

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Fall of Afghan highway reveals virulent power struggle

AAN •

AFP/Daily Mail, 5 May 2016 In this story about Taleban advances along the Kandahar-Uruzgan highway and allegations that Uruzgan’s deputy police chief was involved, AAN’s Martine van Bijlert is quoted: “With Rahimullah there have been a lot of complaints that he intentionally gave up security posts… in an effort to undermine (his superiors) and to […]

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Iran’s great game antagonises natural Afghan allies

Thomas Ruttig •

Middle East Eye, 3 May 2016 In this article looking at Iran’s relationship with and influence in Afghanistan, AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is briefly, although not fully correctly quoted: According to Thomas Ruttig, a senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network, politically active Hazaras are growing increasingly concerned about Iran’s behaviour. [I have not said “increasingly” but […]

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