Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

Militias – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’s Genies (2): A Look Forward

Thomas Ruttig •

The case of Abdul Razeq’s police-unit-cum-militia (see our recent blog ‘Militias 1’) should send a stark warning to those planning envisaging a new version of ‘community-based’ defence forces. It is not clear yet how this exactly will look like but it seems to be sure that it will come. A few titles, names and concepts […]

War and Peace Read more

Surveyed: The Cost of War

Thomas Ruttig •

The war-destroyed Dar-ul-Aman palace in the South of Kabul was the perfect venue for the presentation of the report ‘The Cost of War’ to the Afghan and international public. The palace, designed to house the first Afghan parliament established under King Amanullah (ruled 1919-29), never served its aim. Amanullah was toppled by a mulla-led and […]

War and Peace Read more

Militias – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’s Genies (1): A Look Back

Thomas Ruttig •

When I read Matthieu Aikins’ brilliant reportage in Harpers (‘The Master of Spin Boldak’) about the mutation of a 1980s tribal militia into a drug trafficking network that survives to the day, I was reminded of an episode in 1988. I was living in Wazir Akbar Khan then. Around the corner was the house of […]

Context and Culture Read more

New Book: ‘Empires of Mud’

Thomas Ruttig •

Antonio Giustozzi is arguably the most studious and productive researcher and author on Afghan affairs. His output is based on insight won during intensive travels to the country far beyond the capital. After editing the recently published ‘Decoding the New Taliban” – with AAN members and friends contributing some chapters – he has now put […]

Context and Culture Read more

Prof. Rasul Amin passed away

Thomas Ruttig •

AAN has just learned of the passing away of leading Afghan scholar and politician Professor Rasul Amin during a stay in Australia on 31 October at the age of 72 Born on 10 May 1939 at Watapur in Kunar province, Rasul Amin was son of a prominent khan of the Safi tribe. His mother was […]

Political Landscape Read more

AAN Election Blog No 39: Deeper into the One-Way Street

Thomas Ruttig •

Not the pull-out of Karzai challenger Dr Abdullah brought the Afghan election process into a crisis. It was the irresponsible decision to hold a run-off within two weeks in a country like Afghanistan after the credibility of the first round had drowned in a flood over one million votes rigged in favour of Karzai. The […]

Political Landscape Read more

The Guesthouse Attack and the Run-Off

Thomas Ruttig •

This time it looks as if the Taleban really have managed to give the Afghan election – more precisely: its second round set for 7 November – its own turn. They already considerably influenced the first round of 20 August when they threatened attacks like cutting of inked fingers of voters but largely left polling […]

International Engagement Read more

Afghanistans Wahlkrise (Afghanistan’s Election Crisis)

Thomas Ruttig •

Thomas Ruttig. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP-Aktuell 2009/A 56 In this 8-page SWP comment, the author analyses the ‘legitimacy crisis’ that erupted after the manipulated 20 August elections, assesses that it contributes to minimise the chance that Gen. McChrystal’s population-oriented counter-insurgency approach can be implemented and lays out steps to broaden the Afghan political process […]

External publications Read more

What possibly still could be done…

Thomas Ruttig •

…. after the ‘Friends of Afghanistan’ anti-democratic ‘consensus’ The leaked ‘consensus’ of the ‘Friends of Afghanistan’, i.e. the foreign ministers of the most influential Western governments, that President Karzai has won the 20 August elections, is the final knock-out for the remaining democratic aspirations of Afghans. Although it has not been stated officially yet, there […]

Context and Culture Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Ban Fires Galbraith

Thomas Ruttig •

Watch the UN website tonight: The UN Security Council has decided to fire Peter W. Galbraith, the American deputy head of its Afghanistan mission UNAMA. An announcement by Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on this step is expected to be published tonight (GMT). The reason to be given: serious differences of opinion with UNAMA boss Kai […]

International Engagement Read more

AAN Election Blog No 32: What Next in Afghanistan? (1)

Thomas Ruttig •

What remained of a democratic process in Afghanistan had been brought to a halt with screeching brakes by the massive and systematic fraud on 20 August. Finally, this fact has been recognised on the record by impartial bodies like the EU observers and the ECC. Realities simply could not be ignored any more. The range […]

Political Landscape Read more

Kabul Diary (1): Glimpses of Kabul, Summer 2009

Thomas Ruttig •

Blue sky over the Spinghar mountains through the airplane window. Small green fields along grey Kabul river. The tin roofs of Pul-e Charkhi reflecting the sun. The first traffic jam at Indira Gandhi hospital. A push-cart with eggfruit stuck amongst taxis and UN cars. Bicycle riders head on in the traffic. Landcruisers with tinted window […]

Context and Culture Read more

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