Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

In Shift, Pakistanis Fleeing War Flow Into Beleaguered Afghanistan

AAN •

New York Times, 15 November 2014 A report about Pakistani refugees in Afghanistan who have fled the anti-Taleban offensive, from Gulan Camp, “a stretch of rough stones and reed bushes in the Gorbuz district of Khost, just a few miles from the border” where about 3000 families live, according to UNHCR, 65 percent of them children. “Most families […]

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Ashraf Ghani visit may mark new chapter in Afghan-Pakistan relations

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The Guardian, 14 November 2014 AAN’s Martine van Bijlert is quoted in this article on Afghan president Ghani’s visit to Pakistan: Pakistan’s past attempts to get Afghanistan to heed its concerns triggered some of Karzai’s most bitter outbursts against a country that is deeply unpopular with ordinary Afghans. Martine van Bijlert, an expert at the […]

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Sartaj Optimistic of Better Relations with Afghanistan

Thomas Ruttig •

Pakistan Observer, 13 November 2014 AAN’s Thomas Ruttig quoted here: Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network hopes Pakistan’s counter-militancy actions and President Ghani’s visit will lead to reduced tensions in bilateral ties. “I think the change of head of state [in Afghanistan] is a new chance to improve relations and both countries will not […]

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The BBC whitewashing our failures in Afghanistan

Thomas Ruttig •

OpenDemocracy, 12 November 2014 In an article taking issue with recent reporting of the BBC’s John Simpson, the author quotes – among a many other sources – an AAN dispatch by Thomas Ruttig: ‘Armed strongmen – warlords and commanders… sit in most key positions and dominate the parliament, the judiciary and the still-partly factionalised security […]

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At Afghan Border, Graft Is Part of the Bargain

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New York Times, 11 November 2014 Excellent piece by Declan Walsh about what he calls a “vast ecosystem of bribery” in Afghans customs, taking the Torkham border crossing as an example where every day up to 500 trucks pass and pay bribes of around USD 1400, “slash(inG) the customs bill, often by up to 70 […]

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Optimism Ahead of Afghan Leader’s Visit to Islamabad

Thomas Ruttig •

Voice of America, 12 November 2014 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will visits Islamabad later this week and is hoping for a “new beginning” in bilateral relations. AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted in this article: Thomas Ruttig of the Afghanistan Analysts Network hopes Pakistan’s counter-militancy actions and President Ghani’s visit will lead to reduced tensions in […]

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China seeks greater role in Afghanistan with peace talk push

Thomas Ruttig •

Reuters, 11 November 2014 “Documents seen by Reuters show that China put forward a proposal for a ‘peace and reconciliation forum’ that Afghan officials said would gather representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the Taliban command” Reuters’ Jessica Donati writes. “China’s proposal has not yet been formally announced because Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wants more […]

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Afghan malnutrition – the search for solutions

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IRIN, 11 November 2014 “Malnutrition is the main reason for deaths of children under five in this province,” Homayoun Zaheer, head of the Jalalabad hospital, said, pointing to the children. A government-backed report highlighted the extent of malnutrition in the country, yet experts say efforts to tackle the problem are hampered by cultural norms, shrinking health […]

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Frauenrechte in Afghanistan: Anlass zur Hoffnung

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Qantara.de, 10 November 2014 The German website specialised on the Middle East draws a balance on women’s rights in Afghanistan after the 2001 international intervention and quotes extensively from papers written by AAN co-director Sari Kouvo: “Die Strafverfolgungsbehörden griffen häufig zum Instrument der Schlichtung, anstatt die vorhandenen gesetzlichen Möglichkeiten zum Schutz der Frauen auszuschöpfen, sagen […]

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Handing Over Alive: Whither Afghanistan’s political transition?

Thomas Ruttig •

When President Hamed Karzai left office after the completion of his two constitutional terms and handed over to President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani, as he now officially prefers to be called, this was widely called the ‘first peaceful political transition’ – read: without violence or the head of state being immediately killed – in a very […]

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Ирек Хамидуллин, или как не стать марионеткой в руках США

AAN •

Kazanfirst.ru, 7 November 2014 The report about the Russian Guantanamo inmate Hamidullin on this Russian website from the city of Kazan (possibly the origin of H.) refers to AAN reporting on the case: Как сообщает портал Afghanistan Analysts Network, решение о рассмотрении дела Ирека Хамидуллина непосредственно в самих Соединенных Штатах было принято администрацией Барака Обамы. […]

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Visiting an Afghan Hospital Overwhelmed by War

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Vice, 4 November 2014 “The hospital is run by Emergency, one of the best NGOs I have ever encountered. It was a normal facility before foreign troops were deployed here, but it has since become a trauma unit, treating nothing but severe war injuries. The hospital and its staff are operating at full capacity. Every […]

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