In what is to part of a series of conversations, some of which began back in February, the Obama administration will host the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan in a trilateral summit this coming May 6 and 7. During the official summit, President Karzai and President Zardari will each meet individually with Obama and then […]
Al Qaeda’s second in command Ayman al-Zawahri spoke out yesterday on an Internet recording about President Obama and his Afghan-Pakistan strategy. I guess we should pay attention whenever a top AQ leader talks as the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan would not be in the position they are now in without their existence. It almost […]
It is being reported that the United States is planning on starting a major “psychological operation” that would seek to disrupt and curtail Taliban use of radio and Internet communication in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The aim would be to hurt the insurgents’ ability to coordinate attacks and strategy, as well as their propaganda efforts […]
These are two phrases chanted by opposing groups during the protest demonstration by a group of about 300 Afghan women yesterday in Kabul. The group of women were voicing their opposition to the recent law passed by the Parliament and signed by President Karzai, which among other items, states that Shiite women in the country […]
I woke up this morning, opened my laptop, and took a look at my Afghan feeder and found one theme in yesterday’s news, death. If anyone needed to be shown how troubled the conflict still was all they need to hear are these three troubling and sad stories: Afghan officials are reporting that NATO airstrikes […]
A colleague here at FPA brought to my attention last week proposed legislation in the US congress regarding Afghanistan-Pakistan duty-free areas that looks like it may have promise. The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, would open up segments of Afghan-Pakistan territory to be free trade or duty-free zones. In other words, certain products […]
An integral factor in the growth of a stable and prosperous Afghanistan is a functional and legitimate police force. One that the population could depend on to bring order and justice. The attainment of this has been a goal for the nascent Afghan government and international community and President Obama’s announced Afghan strategy put great […]
Here are some Afghan-related issues to Check Out! Check out this intriguing story of the Last Jew in Afghanistan, which features a five minute video interview of you got it, the last Jew in Afghanistan. The short documentary by Oliver Englehart, profiles Zablon Simantov, a Jewish resident of Kabul, explains why he remains despite his […]
Afghanistan is once again in the news for many reasons. First off, Elina at FPA’s Central Asia blog has reported that not only has the US officially secured a transit route through Uzbekistan, but also that Kyrgyzstan is actually still considering allowing the US to stay at the Manas Air Base. Hmmm. Secondly, Sec of […]
While the Euros were skimping on troops, I found these two worthwhile videos about Afghanistan. The first features Fariba Nawa, an award-winning Afghan-American journalist, attempting to provide her audience with an Afghani view of the US/NATO presence in their country. In her short talk, Nawa argues that what most Afghans fear is that the US […]
It took a matter of days for the Obama administration to get baptized into the irregular and hard to define modern way of warfare we live in today and one of their first decisions appears to be under fire, at least mildly. In late February, Obama administration Justice officials, in a two sentence court filing, […]
With a ‘hello‘ between US Envoy Richard Holbrooke and an Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister garnering the most media attention, the International Conference on Afghanistan was underway at The Hague in Netherlands. This major conference features a geopolitical who’s who of actors influenced by the conflict, including representatives from Pakistan, Iran (wow, I didn’t know they […]
On Sunday, the Afghan Supreme Court ruled in favor of extending the legality of Hamid Karzi’s term as president all the way until new elections, which are set to occur in late August. This is obviously a delicate matter as the country’s young constitution states that Karzai’s legitimate rule should end in May and opposition […]
So of course I take a vacation right as Afghanistan hits the front pages around the world. President Obama held a press conference on Friday to announce a new US strategy in Afghanistan, which included a new outlook on the reasons and goals for our presence there. I will get into the pros and cons […]
Every day I get emailed all the press briefings from the US State Department and yesterday, I found this in my inbox: The State Department has put up bounties of several million dollars, under the Rewards for Justice program, for three men with connections to Al Qaeda, Abu Yahya al-Libi, Baitullah Mehsud, and Sirajuddin Haqqani. […]