Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Posts tagged: NATO

NATO

The year it became ‘Afghan versus Afghan’

AAN Team •

Stars and Stripes, 30 December 2014 AAN’s country director in Afghanistan, Kate Clark, is extensively quoted in this year-ender: Kate Clark, a senior analyst with the Afghanistan Analyst Network, said the war for Afghans looks completely different than it did a year ago. “I think the nature of the war is changing,” she said. “It’s […]

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Unemployment, Crime Rising Ahead Of Troop Pullout

AAN •

Tolo News, 26 December 2013 The head of the Kabul Crime Investigation Department said on Thursday that over the past two months poverty, crime and unemloyment have increased in the capital Kabul, "pointing to the foreign troop withdraw in 2014 as the main cause". 

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“Ein Frieden mit den Taliban reicht nicht”

Thomas Ruttig •

Frankfurter Rundschau, 23 December 2013 On the occasion of Germany’s new defence minister’s first visit to Afghanistan, the Frankfurt-based daily interviewed AAN’s Thomas Ruttig. He started with criticising Ms van der Leyen for continuing her predecessor’s and chancellor Merkel’s approach of flying to Afghanistan without meeting President Karzai or their ministerial counterparts. He demands that […]

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NATO Reduces Scope of Its Afghanistan Plans

AAN •

The New York Times, 27 October 2013 An excellent summary of the dilemmas facing the post-ISAF NATO mission in Afghanistan, including the differing views in oart of the military (more troops on the ground, better oversight, also financially) and the politicians (keep numbers and risks small). It also delineates how the new mission would look […]

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Not Signed and Sealed Just Yet: Kerry and Karzai’s deal on the Bilateral Security Agreement

Kate Clark •

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, has flown home with the basis of a Bilateral Security Agreement in his pocket, finally thrashed out with President Hamed Karzai. On this depends continuing US and NATO missions after 2014. Negotiations on the deal have been long and painful, AAN senior analyst Kate Clark reports, because […]

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Another Post-2014 Capability Gap: Spin and reality of the Afghan air force’s readiness

Gary Owen •

The Afghan air force (AAF) is of critical importance to the success of the Afghan National Security Forces, given the terrain and the continuing threat of roadside bombs. ISAF has been praising the ‘professional Afghan airmanship’ of late. But how accurate is this assessment? What is the Afghan air force’s real ability to provide for […]

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What exactly is the CIA doing in Afghanistan? Proxy militias and two airstrikes in Kunar

Kate Clark •

AAN has discovered that the NATO airstrike on Kunar on 13 April 2013 which killed as many as 17 civilians was the second strike on almost the same location to have been requested by the same mixed Afghan/CIA force. President Karzai’s spokesman has reported the president’s assertion – and anger – that the Afghan unit […]

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Rancour between the Allies: Karzai speaks to the Americans

Kate Clark •

If the Americans ‘surrender’ to Afghan demands, President Karzai has said, he will sign a bilateral security agreement with them. He told an Afghan audience on national TV that the US wanted bases in Afghanistan – a globally significant country – and, as the audience laughed and applauded, he said: ‘The USA has come and […]

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Beans and Bullets: Pentagon report puts ANSF logistical and combat capabilities in doubt

Gary Owen •

Since the 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of all NATO combat troops has been set, the strengthening of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) so that they can defend Afghanistan from the insurgency has become a central pillar of NATO’s strategy. The most complete, publicly available records of the progress of the ANSF come as part […]

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Sicherheitslage in Afghanistan: Von Politik in Propaganda abrutschen

Other AAN •

Tageszeitung (Berlin), 29 January 2013 Article by AAN’s Thoms Ruttig in the context of German parliament’s current debate over another extension of the ISAF mandate. He notes a growing gap between realities and reporting of governments, that the reporting about numbers of security incident does not sufficiently describe a security situation which continuously deteriorates in […]

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As Karzai Visits U.S., What Are The Prospects For Afghan Peace?

Other AAN •

PBS/WLRN Miami, 7 January 2013 In a report about the forthcoming US visit of President Karzai, prospects for peace talks are discussed and AAN’s Kate Clark is quoted as saying: ‘I think peace is possible here.’ She says that one of the main challenges is that there are so many players — the U.S., the […]

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Qatar, Islamabad, Chantilly, Ashgabad: Taleban Talks Season Again? (amended)

Thomas Ruttig •

There has again been movement in the positions marking the landscape of ‘reconciliation’ or, more precisely, of contacts and possible negotiations with the Taleban seem to be moving again. A track II meeting, labelled as ‘intra-Afghan’ talks, was held in France and, before that, the so-called ‘HPC roadmap’ leaked, indicating a more active role of […]

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