Displacement Ongoing In A Number Of Regions
15 May 2008
'Displacement Ongoing In A Number Of Regions', Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Military operations against armed opposition groups in Pakistan have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in recent months, according to the limited information available. While many of the internally displaced people (IDPs) have apparently been able to return to their areas of origin after an end to the fighting, others...
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Many Women Are Unaware Of Their Rights
15 May 2008
'Many Women Are Unaware Of Their Rights', Development and Cooperation, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Three distinct judicial systems are in force in Afghanistan: the official courts, the traditional jirgas and Islamic scholarship. The country's constitution stresses the importance of international standards such as the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while jirgas and religious leaders largely ignore them. The people however are more...
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School Attendance Plummets In Helmand
15 May 2008
'School Attendance Plummets In Helmand', Institute for War & Peace Reporting, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Official figures suggest that Helmand province has suffered a massive drop in the number of children going to school in the last year, as a direct consequence of Taleban attacks targeting the education system. People living in this southern province say the lack of educational opportunities is itself creating potential recruits for...
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A Conversation with Retired British Army General, Michael Rose
15 May 2008
'A Conversation with Retired British Army General, Michael Rose', Charlie Rose, 14 May 2008
SUMMARY: In an interview with Charlie Rose, General Sir Michael Rose discusses the prospects for peace and security in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rose recommends a speedy withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq--a 'huge foreign policy disaster'--in order to focus on areas where a positive outcome is still possible, including the Arab-Israeli conflict and...
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Is NATO Repeating The USSR's Afghan Mistakes
15 May 2008
'Is NATO Repeating The USSR's Afghan Mistakes', BBC News, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Twenty years ago today the tanks and armoured cars started to rumble north out of Kabul as the Soviet Union began its withdrawal from Afghanistan after eight-and-a-half years of war. The mujahideen, backed by money and weapons from an alliance of the United States, Britain, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, had beaten a world superpower. Today the country is scattered...
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Marines Battle Taliban In Helmand Province
15 May 2008
Rosie Dimanno, '', The Toronto Star, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "American jarheads are either prudently pacifying a swath of Helmand province or kicking out the doors and ratcheting up the insurgency. Depends on whom you ask. From the distance of the capital, it's impossible to confirm anything firsthand. But the commander of the 24th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit came all the way to Kabul yesterday,...
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Afghan Police Training: "Don't Shoot", Then Eat
15 May 2008
'Afghan Police Training: "Don't shoot", Then Eat', Reuters AlertNet, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Sergeant Chris Padron, a thick-set former cop from Texas turned police trainer in Afghanistan, fixed the group of earnest Afghan policemen with a hard stare and delivered his next question. 'So, if a man beats up on another man, are you going to go and shoot him?' The interpreter translated into Dari as the group of policemen, sitting...
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Russia, China, India Seek Afghan Anti-Drug "Belt"
15 May 2008
'Russia, China, India Seek Afghan Anti-Drug "Belt" ', Reuters, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "China, India and Russia called on Thursday [15 May 2008] for the creation of a security belt around Afghanistan to halt the spread of heroin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a joint communique on boosting links between the three large developing countries would look at enhanced co-operation on humanitarian aid,...
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Enemies Securing US Night-Vision Gear
15 May 2008
'Enemies Securing US Night-Vision Gear', USA Today, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Thefts and illegal exports of advanced military night-vision gear are rising sharply and U.S. officials say some of the equipment has reached enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq, where it could erode the advantage U.S. troops have in after-dark combat. The government has prosecuted more than two dozen businesses and individuals over the past 18 months for stealing night-vision...
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In Afghanistan, A Road Doesn't Run Through It, Yet
15 May 2008
'In Afghanistan, A Road Doesn't Run Through It, Yet', Reuters, 15 May 2008
EXCERPT: "Spend 30 minutes talking to a U.S. military officer in Afghanistan and chances are he or she will mention one factor as crucial to the stability of the country: roads. Geographically challenging, with vast desert plains to the south and soaring mountains in the Hindu Kush to the north and east, Afghanistan is remarkably devoid of proper roads given its...
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