What Development Looks Like
By Scott Bohlinger (in Afghanistan)
About two years ago I drove from Taluqan to Fayzabad in the remote northeast of Afghanistan. It took 6-8 hours to cover a distance of 170km. Across the river from the dirt track that served as the road, work crews were engaged in the seemingly ceaseless and impossible task of blasting and digging away at the mountains which hindered the desired course of the road.
Report highlights challenges, contradictions of negotiating with the Taliban
By Jesse Hembruff (in Waterloo)
As the war in Afghanistan continues, leaders are taking the view that a negotiated settlement with the Taliban will be necessary for long-term stability in Afghanistan. However, despite nearly ten years of fighting, the organizational structure of the Taliban remains opaque, with important implications for the negotiation process.
The Government Should Start to Govern
By Scott Bohlinger (in Afghanistan)
On a hot day in London I had look back at the building from which I had just emerged to make sure it hadn't been the Iranian embassy, which is right around the corner. Why? A number of applicants and myself had just been treated with an astounding degree of unprofessionalism in the rejection of our visas by the Afghan embassy. This episode reminded me of why I agree with one element of NATO's Afghanistan strategy, the withdrawal timetable.
With 95% of the Country Insecure, The Prospects for the Parliamentary Elections Look Grim
By Nasim Fekrat (in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
According to the BBC, the Afghan Interior Ministry released a report to the media on Thursday June 17th stating that out of the country’s 364 districts, only 11 are stable. This report has come out during preparations for parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18, 2010. It raises question marks over the ability of the Afghan government and its international supporters to hold a national election amidst widespread insecurity that is escalating with each passing day.
Fresh Allegations Against Karzai
By Nasim Fekrat (in Afghanistan)
Recently, a journalist based in Kabul reported from an unknown source that Mullah Baradar, the deputy of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the leader of the Taliban, has revealed information regarding his relationship with the Afghan authorities. Baradar was captured by US and Pakistani forces in February 2010 and is still in custody in Pakistan. President Karzai has persistently demanded that the Pakistani government transfer him to Afghanistan, but Pakistani officials have refused.
Afghanistan Descends even Deeper into Chaos as Two Top Officials Resign
By Asma Nemati (in Kabul)
Sunday’s baffling resignations of Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and Amrullah Saleh, head of the National Directorate of Security, shocked and worried Afghans, not to mention high-ranking foreign military officials and the international diplomatic community.
The official reason for the resignation of these two officials was President Karzai’s anger at their inability to thwart Taliban attacks on the first day of the National Consultative Peace Jirga. Analysts here are quite skeptical of that explanation and are scratching their heads trying to find a good reason for these sudden resignations. However, a clearer picture is emerging of the underlying conflict between Karzai and his ministers.
New Counter-Insurgency Strategy, Same Results
By Anand Gopal (in Afghanistan)
Wardak province, a rustic region of verdant dales and twisting streams that borders Kabul, is home to one of the untold stories of the Afghan war: over the last nine months, U.S. forces have quietly decapitated the Taliban’s leadership in the area. Through dozens of nighttime raids, U.S. Special Operations Forces have succeeded in killing or capturing a number of important Taliban commanders. Dozens of notorious insurgent leaders who have ruled Wardak for five or six years unmolested have suddenly been removed from the picture, marking one of the biggest setbacks the Taliban has faced on the ground in recent times.
Peace Jirga ends with heated speeches by Afghan leaders
By Asma Nemati (in Kabul)
The three-day Peace Jirga came to a conclusion today amid heated speeches from leading figures in Afghanistan. Calling for brotherhood among all Muslims, politician Abdul Rasool Sayyaf’s key speech won him applause from a particular group of tribal men donning traditional Afghan turbans.
Sayyaf, a controversial player during the Afghan civil war and the mujahedeen era who was also responsible for inviting Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan, said “my religious duty compels me to bring the Prophet’s message to all of you” while earlier noting that he did not want to make a speech in the first place.
Peace Jirga Begins amid fighting and an attempted suicide attack
By Asma Nemati (in Kabul)
Yesterday in Kabul I went to the Intercontinental hotel to pick up my ID for the Peace Jirga. The day was beautiful and crystal clear and one could see the Jirga tents (at the Polytechnic University, right next to the Intercontinental hotel.)
The Jirga, a traditional assembly of village elders that come together to converse about and settle disputes between two warring parties, was officially inaugurated this morning with Afghan President Hamid Karzai opening the session. Those participating are hopeful that the outcome of the Jirga will spell out the next steps to reconcile the rank-and-file Taliban.
News Fail: Reporting Afghan public opinion
By Scott Bohlinger (in London, UK)
A recent story on Aljazeera reminded me how difficult it is to gauge public opinion and its potential consequences in Afghanistan. While such stories may be accurate on the protest’s specific details or the immediate impetus, they fail to contextualize the story in such a way that non-expert readers can appreciate its implications. The greater issue with Afghan public opinion on any issue is how disjointed it is and how it is intertwined with events that may or may not have happened.