Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

Still Temporary and Exclusive: A new leadership for Jamiat

Thomas Ruttig •

Jamiat-e Islami, one of Afghanistan’s oldest and largest political parties (and formerly one of its most powerful military factions) has made a half-hearted choice in picking its new leadership. The choice was made by a small group and without holding its long-overdue full party congress, so the new appointments are all temporary. It seems the […]

Political Landscape Read more

Das Türschild ist schon wieder abmontiert (not online)

Thomas Ruttig •

Wochenzeitung (Zurich), 4 July 2013 In this article for the Swiss weekly (in German), AAN’s Thomas Ruttig looks at the controversy about the signboard for the Taleban political office in Qatar that has ended the resumption of direct US-Taleban talks before it started.

AAN in the Media Read more

Afghanistan: “Reden und schießen”

Thomas Ruttig •

ORF (Austrian Radio), 26 June 2013 Listen to a short audio (in German) of an interview of AAN’s Thomas Ruttig with Austrian radio about the controversy around the Taleban’s Doha office’s signboard, including his pointing out that both sides – the US as well as the Taleban – have made it clear that talks would […]

AAN in the Media Read more

Flash from the Past: When the Taleban wanted UN-monitored elections

Thomas Ruttig •

AAN presents to its readers a 1996 interview with one of the current negotiators in the Taleban Qatar office, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanakzai. The interview was conducted by Thomas Ruttig when Stanakzai was part of a Taleban’s diplomatic mission to Germany. The Taleban were then searching to try to establish diplomatic relations and gaining legitimacy […]

War and Peace Read more

Mit den Taliban reden genügt nicht

Thomas Ruttig •

Zeit Online, 24 June 2013 Die USA wollen mit den Taliban nur über kurzfristige Ziele verhandeln – ohne die Regierung in Kabul. Für den Frieden in Afghanistan ist das kontraproduktiv.

AAN in the Media Read more

After the ‘operational pause’: How big is the insurgents’ 2013 spring offensive?

Thomas Ruttig •

With two high-profile attacks in Kabul and one in Jalalabad in the two last weeks, Afghanistan’s insurgents seem to have made true on their promise of a ‘monumental’ spring offensive. In terms of propaganda, the three attacks were successful: the media in Afghanistan and abroad gave the incidents wide coverage. AAN Co-Director Thomas Ruttig has […]

War and Peace Read more

Trouble at the Goshta Gate: New tensions and old wounds along the Durand Line

Thomas Ruttig •

For almost two weeks now, tensions have been running high again at the Durand Line, the Afghan-Pakistani border not recognised by Kabul officials. Afghan troops have removed Pakistani border installations they perceived to be on their territory, security forces from both sides have exchanged fire and both governments have filed protests. Among Afghans, the issue […]

Regional Relations Read more

Return of the Muslim League: Pakistan after the Election

Thomas Ruttig •

Pakistan elected its new parliament on 11 May 2013. The tiger – as many in the media have titled – has roared again: according to preliminary results, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that used the tiger as its election symbol is way ahead of all its rivals but still short of an absolute majority. As […]

Regional Relations Read more

Before Pakistan’s Election: “The democratic process needs more time”

Thomas Ruttig •

Simultaneous with the publication of our new briefing paper about the Pakistani parliamentary election next week, we publish a blog based on an email interview with its author, Ann Wilkens, a former Swedish Ambassador to Pakistan and Afghanistan. She says that the election may result in a shift from centre-left to centre-right although its outcome […]

Regional Relations Read more

Operation Resolute Restraint: The German Troop Offer for Post-2014

Thomas Ruttig •

The German government has surged ahead by offering concrete troop numbers for the ISAF successor mission to begin in January 2015. What is sold as taking the lead is mainly dictated by domestic considerations (general elections in September) and the urge to stay in the comparatively calm north of Afghanistan to avoid casualties. AAN’s Senior […]

War and Peace Read more

Now ‘Informal’, Soon Illegal? Political parties’ existence threatened again (amended)

Thomas Ruttig •

The Afghan government has started another attempt to make life difficult for the country’s political parties. One year after a disputed re-registration of all parties ended, it threatens them now with suspension because, it says, none of them have a sufficient presence in the required minimum number of provinces as stipulated in a by-law to […]

Political Landscape Read more

Subscribe to receive updates from the Afghanistan Analysts Network

Sign up