Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Thomas Ruttig

What Recent Taliban Advances in Afghanistan Do and Do Not Mean

SIGA, 8 July 2021 Franz J. Marty’s analysis of the recent Taleban advances in Afghanistan, an excellent addendum to AAN’s recent analyses – with plenty of complementary detail, for the Swiss Institute on Global Affairs.

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Afghan War Moves North

The Diplomat, 8 July 2021 AAN research by Kate Clark and Obaid Ali is quoted here, saying the Taleban “targeting the north now looks like a pre-emptive strike to prevent a northern opposition from organising.”

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In Afghan Peace Talks, the Taliban Gain Legitimacy While Pursuing War

Wall Street Journal, 6 July 2021 AAN’s Kate Clark is quoted with saying: “The Taliban have used the peace talks as a tool for the war,” said Kate Clark, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network think tank. … (the remainder behind a pay wall).

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Tajikistan Reinforces Border As Afghan Forces Collapse Under Taliban Offensive

RFE/RL, 5 July 2021 In an article looking at several episodes of Afghan soldiers evading Taleban assaults across the border into Tajikistan, AAN research is quoted about the general situation in northern Afghanistan: According to a recent analysis by the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a Kabul think tank, the Taliban strategy in the north “looks like a preemptive […]

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The US and allies have a duty to Afghan interpreters

Financial Times, 4 July 2021 The Financial Tims’ editorial underlining western countries’ duty to protect their Afghan local staff from Taleban threats quotes from AAN when arguing that the US-led ‘coalition’ failed to achive one ‘strategic aim’ of the intervention – removing the Taleban from power: As the Taliban has ratcheted up violence they have […]

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After the retreat: what now for Afghanistan?

The Observer, 4 July 2021 An interesting reportage from Herat, giving first insight into Taleban behaviour in newly conquered districts, here Obe in Herat: On 14 June, the last government forces in the district were helicoptered out of a besieged outpost. The militants are confident enough of their control that last week they called a […]

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After the retreat: what now for Afghanistan?

The Observer, 4 July 2021 Quotes from a recent AAN report by Kate Clark and Obaid Ali: “That the Taliban would launch widespread attacks while, or immediately after, US forces left was to be expected, but the scale and speed of the Afghan National Security Forces’ collapse was not,” said Kate Clark of the Afghanistan […]

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Afghans’ choice as US departs: Weak government, or hated Taliban

Christian Science Monitor, 2 July 2021 This article quotes from a recent AAN report by Kate Clark and Obaid Ali: Indeed, a report today by the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) pointed to government “neglect and incompetence” as much as “Taliban strength,” as a reason for the insurgents’ recent lightning advances. Widespread Taliban attacks as the […]

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Ending the Forever War, But Leaving a Legacy of Impunity in Afghanistan

Just Security, 30 June 2021 Guest article by AIHRC chairwoman Shaharzad Akbar: While for Western governments the departure of international troops from Afghanistan represents an end to war, civilians harmed by these incidents live with the often-permanent consequences of lives lost and rights violated to this day. Without committing to concrete actions to address these […]

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‘This is the first time I am holding a gun’: Afghans take up arms to fight the Taliban

The World, 30 June 2021 AAN’s Ali Adili is quoted in this report on the public radio’s website, being skeptical about new ‘popular’ and militia arming: Definitely, it’s not a good thing that people are getting mobilized and arming themselves against the Taliban,” said Ali Yawar Adili, researcher with the Afghan[istan] Analysts Network in Kabul. “People are […]

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Taliban vor den Städten

Tageszeitung (Berlin), 30 June 2021 With the last German (and Italian, Norwegian and many other) soldiers just having left Afghanistan, AAN’s Thomas Ruttig Deutschland looks at the security situation thy lave behind in the country they were supposed to help stabilise, with a large-scale Taleban offensive in the rural areas and the Afghan government and […]

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Toekomst van Afghanen onzeker, maar overname Taliban ‘niet waarschijnlijk’

NOS News (Netherlands), 24 June 2021 AAN’s Ali Yawar Adili quoted on the Dutch public broadcasting website: Niet iedereen is er van overtuigd dat de Afghaanse veiligheidstroepen in hun eentje klaar zijn voor deze gevechten. “Dit heeft bijgedragen aan de re-mobilisatie van lokale milities”, zegt Ali Adili, onderzoeker bij de denktank Afghanistan Analyst[s] Network in […]

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