The Intercept, 20 November 2022 Former BBC journalist Fahim Abed tackles a hot subject (regularly reported on by AAN, too), the role of CIA-led Afghan militias and commando forces, the so-called zero units, now evacuated to the US, regardless of (very plausible) allegations of severe human violations, if not war crimes – “celebrated as heroes […]
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Washington Post, 22 December 2022 An article plus interview looking at former President Karzai holding out in Taleban-controlled Kabul, as some believe “biding his time” for another political role in h future, with his “strong relationships with the West, as well as with China, India, Russia and Iran.” Karzai, however, insists he has ‘no aspirations […]
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The Guardian, 5 December 2022 Jonathan Steele’s obituary for head (in his last years) of AAN’s advisory board, an outstanding diplomat with outstanding achievements who, in his youth, was an activist against Franco’s dictatorship in his homeland Catalonia: disbanding of the CIA-backed “contras”; brokering a deal in El Salvador leading to a ceasefire and free […]
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Forever Wars, 22 November 2022 National-security reporter Spencer Ackerman looks at what he assumes could be the last SIGAR (“pronounced like the thing you smoke”) report, titled “Why Afghanistan’s Government Collapsed” , looks back at SIGAR’s entire reporting history and concludes: SIGAR told true stories about the trees while avoiding the forest – and the people trying […]
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UNAMA, 6 November 2022 Despite emitting only 0.03 per cent (0.28 tons per person) of worldwide greenhouse gases, the Afghanistan “is one of the least prepared against climate shocks [and] is ranked the sixth most affected in the world to climate-related threats. … The Afghan people stand on the precipice of devastating climate projections”, the […]
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Washington Post, 5 November 2022 This reportage gives detail on how the Taleban, based on “‘clear instructions from the top level’ to bring policies in line with the Taliban’s strict interpretation of sharia” (e.g. that female health workers should treat women, while male health workers should treat men), try to train female doctors, at several […]
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Alcis, 31 October 2022 A look at the Taleban leadership’s “hasty decision” to ban of all drugs in the middle of the opium harvest, how it had to be mitigated, and the more seriously implemented crack-down of the often underrated ephedra plant harvest and processing. On poppy, author David Mansfield says, there are signs that […]
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BBC, 15 October 2022 The Taleban have imposed “sweeping restrictions” on which courses women can enrol in at public universities, but university professors “who supervised the entrance examination there confirmed to the BBC that boys would be allowed to choose any subject they want.” The choice for female students can vary from university to university. […]
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AP, 23 September 2022 Heartbreaking photos about child labour in Afghan brick kilns by Ebrahim Noroozi. There is only the suspicion that, despite deepened humanitarian crisis, the same kind of photos could have been shot under the previous government. Nevertheless, a must-see.
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HRW, 4 August 2022 A useful overview over the current humanitarian situation in Afghanistan plus questions and answers on th US sanctions and banking restrictions on the Taleban which in reality hit the Afghan people indiscriminately. HRW sums up: “Economic Crisis Underlies Mass Hunger”. The following questions are answered: How serious is the humanitarian situation […]
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Etilaat-e Ruz, 9 July 2022 During a speech in Kandahar’s in the Eidgah Mosque, Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzadeh, the leader of the Taleban, said a completely Islamic system will be established in the country and all “non-Sharia” laws passed and enforced during the administration of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani will be abolished.
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The Diplomat, 26 July 2022 A new attempt is made to construct a railway line connecting Uzbekistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan, this time with the Taleban on board. The project is facing a set of problems, however: funding, security issues and the problem of the tracks’ gauge. Uzbekistan is using the Russian gauge (which is […]
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