Thomas Ruttig

Undermining The Taliban? Kabul Tries To Bolster Its Religious Credentials

Gandhara, 21 January 2021 The RFE/RL blog on Afghanistan and Pakistan quotes AAN’s Ali Adili in an article about what the Gandhara calls “conservative policies, including changes to the education system and family law” the Afghan government envisions to boost its ‘Islamic credentials’ vis-à-vis the Taleban: “Introducing these random conservative policies will only reinforce the […]

21 Jan 2021

AAN Obituary: Muhammad Azam Rahnaward Zaryab, pioneering Afghan writer and guardian of the Persian language

Thomas Ruttig •

One of Afghanistan’s most influential and prolific writers died in a Kabul hospital 40 days ago on 11 December 2020. Born in Kabul in 1944, Zaryab wrote some of the first modern Afghan novels, and his contributions to Afghanistan’s literature inspired a new generation of Afghan writers. In Afghanistan’s post-Taleban media scene, the celebrated author […]

20 Jan 2021

Post-COVID constraints for Afghan food systems

Noragric blog, 19 January 2021 This blog entry by agriculture and development specialists Gry Synnevåg and Karim Merchant warns against severe long-term food supply-related consequences as a result of the ongoing Covid19 crisis for an already impoverished population in Afghanistan where 80-90% of the population rely on self-employment and derive their livelihood and income from […]

19 Jan 2021

Britain should lobby US to keep troops in Afghanistan; Lords’ say

The Telegraph, 13 January 2021 This article in the British daily refers to “Kate Clark, Co-Director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a non-profit research organisation,… giving evidence to the Lords’ [ie British upper house’s] committee” on Afghanistan. The rest is behind a paywall.

13 Jan 2021

Talk to negotiators [here: Prof. Mohammad Amin Ahmadi]

Kabul Now, 11 January 2021 Very interesting views on what the Taleban want, the government’s red lines and the need for an Afghan peace movement.

11 Jan 2021

En Afghanistan, la difficile reprise des négociations

La Croix, 11 January 2021 This article about the (slow) start of th second round of intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha has extensive quotes from AAN’s Thomas Ruttig

11 Jan 2021

The Machh Massacre: Massive protests end in Balochistan over murder of Hazara coal miners…

Opindia, 10 January 2021 This article about the IS-claimed massacre of Hazar coal mine workers in Pakistan’s Balochistan province briefly quotes AAN’s Thomas Ruttig via an older al-Jazeera article, on pre-war discrimination of Hazaras in Afghanistan.

10 Jan 2021

Biometric data led President Trump to pardon an American soldier convicted of killing Afghan civilians. What if the data was wrong?

New York Times, 9 January 2021 Self-explaning sub-headline. (The titel is: “Were These the Fingerprints of a Terrorist?“).

9 Jan 2021

Climate Change Threatens Glaciers in Afghanistan: Experts / چهار هزار یخچال طبیعی افغانستان در خطر ذوب شدن قرار دارند

Tolonews, 8 January 2021 AAN’s research on Afghanistan’s diminishing glaciers (یخچال طبیعی) by Jelena Bjelica is summarised in this news item – also in Dari.

8 Jan 2021

Afghanistan: Kurswechsel nach einer Biden-Übernahme nicht in Sichtweite

Telepolis, 8 January 2021 In an article about what can be expected on Afghanistan by the new US president Joe Biden for this news website, author Emran Feroz quotes AAN’s Thomas Ruttig: Die Anzahl der Truppen soll bis Januar auf 2.500 “boots on the ground” verringert werden. Afghanistan-Kenner Thomas Ruttig stellt in diesem Kontext fest: […]

8 Jan 2021

Qatar’s Humanitarian Diplomacy in Afghanistan: A Bridge With the West

Inside Arabia, 7 January 2021 A rare article on the foreign policy of one of the emerging Arab players – here Qatar – on Afghanistan.

7 Jan 2021

‘I Cry At Night’: Afghan Mothers Struggle To Feed Their Children In The Pandemic

NPR, 6 January 2021 AAN research on aid for Afghanistan is quoted in this articl.

6 Jan 2021