Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Posts tagged: Taleban

Taleban

Afghanistan’s Most Under-Reported Stories in 2009

Joanna Nathan •

Read a compilation of stories that did not really make it into a lot of international headlines in the year 2009 that’s just ending – but surely would have deserved it – by our member JOANNA NATHAN*. AAN welcome contributions adding to this shortlist. Afghanistan was the forgotten war no more in 2009 with the […]

Political Landscape Read more

Happy Christmas (But war isn’t over)

Thomas Ruttig •

‘Happy Xmas (War is over)’ – this was John Lennon’s wish in his beautiful 1971 holiday’s single already. The ex-Beatle (killed already 29 years ago) wasn’t referring to Afghanistan, obviously, then. In that year, Afghanistan was experiencing another of a series of drought years which would seriously undermine the country’s apparently so stable monarchy. Kabul […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Until you get the wrong Ahmad…

Susanne Schmeidl •

Recently, I participated in a discussion in Washington where I drew a lot of anger when I said that ‘kinetic’ house searches still alienate many Afghans – if they don’t push them into Taleban ranks. That’s not correct, I was told, the US and NATO forces have changed their approach. Here a first-hand story that […]

War and Peace Read more

Small stories from the province (1): A very high-ranking dog

Martine van Bijlert •

“Did you hear about the Australian dog that was lost?” We had been discussing everything from the latest tribal gossip to the final announcement of the provincial council and the recent local appointments. And now, as we are packing up to go, there was apparently still a story of a dog. I had noticed the reports in […]

Context and Culture Read more

9 December, Washington: 2009 Jamestown Terrorism Conference

AAN • admin •

AAN’s Thomas Ruttig will be on a panel of the 2009 Jamestown Terrorism conference (‘The Changing Strategic Gravity of Al-Qaeda’). He will speak about ‘Major Actors and Leadership in the Taliban Insurgency’. Find all details on the conference on Jamestown’s website here.

Events Read more

Militia Sightings

Thomas Ruttig •

Some see ‘hopes of a large-scale tribal rebellion against the Taliban’ But how spontaneously did the new militias really emerge? Here are some reports on the new militias found in the international media (further contributions welcome). Miralam Khan is the new hero of Kunduz. […] Many are convinced that the former mujahedin commander has single-handedly […]

War and Peace 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

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

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

Flash from the Past: Elections under Fire (12 Sept 2008)

Thomas Ruttig •

All sides involved – the Kabul government, its Western allies, donors and the United Nations – pretend that almost everything’s in order at the Hindukush, apart from small hick-ups. The reality, however, looks different. In the coming year, Afghans are supposed to elect a president for the second times since the fall of the Taleban […]

Political Landscape Read more

UNODC Sees Afghan Drug Cartels Emerging – With One Eye Closed

Thomas Ruttig •

U.N. Sees Afghan Drug Cartels Emerging’, reads a headline in the 2 September issue of the New York Times. Now the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) got it. Or did it? The headline reminds of a 2008 World Bank paper (William A. Byrd, Responding to Afghanistan’s Opium Economy Challenge, The World Bank, South Asia […]

Economy, Development, Environment Read more

September 2009: New Book Out: Decoding the New Taliban

AAN • admin •

Edited by London School of Economics’ Antonio Giustozzi, the new book ‘Decoding the New Taliban’ combines a number of analyses of how the post-2001 Taliban made their way forward in various regions and provinces of Afghanistan. Additionally, cross-cutting issues – the Taliban’s link with the opium trade and their propaganda campaign – and the Pakistani […]

Events Read more

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