Hopes Dim for Legislative Curb on Afghan President
11 February 2011
Hopes Dim for Legislative Curb on Afghan President, The Wall Street Journal, 11 February 2011
EXCERPT: "The emergence of deep divisions among Afghan lawmakers is denting Western hopes that the country's newly inaugurated parliament could become a serious check on President Hamid Karzai's authority. Over the past two weeks, bickering Afghan lawmakers have failed to elect a speaker of the house, despite six rounds of voting involving...
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Canada's Bill for Afghan Hired Guns Tops $41 Million
11 February 2011
Afghan Hired Guns Bill Tops $41 Million, CBC, 6 February 2011
EXCERPT: "Canada spent more than $41 million on hired guns in Afghanistan over four years, much of it going to security companies slammed by the U.S. Senate for having warlords on the payroll. The Defence and Foreign Affairs departments have employed 11 security contractors in Kabul and Kandahar since 2006, but have kept quiet about the details. Now documents tabled in Parliament...
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Afghan School Enrolment Claims Do Not Reflect Reality on the Ground
11 February 2011
Afghan Enrolment Claims Fail to Make Grade, CTV, 10 February 2011
EXCERPT: "Schools in Kandahar that were built or renovated on the Canadian government's dime have far fewer students than official enrolment numbers suggest, a Canadian Press investigation has found. Unaccompanied visits to the schools where work has been completed lay bare the stark contrast between what appears on paper and the reality on the ground. The government...
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Debate on the Future of PRTs in Afghanistan Continues
11 February 2011
PRT a Crucial Need in Afghanistan: Abdullah, TOLO News, 8 February 2011
EXCERPT: "Abdullah, leader of the opposition party, Tuesday slammed President Karzai's comments about disbandment of Provincial Reconstruction Teams. He called PRTs as a 'serious need' in Afghan community. Abdullah, Leader of the Change and Hope Party, warned that Afghan security forces wouldn't be able to ensure security by 2014 if the security situation...
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Afghan Proposal Would Clamp Down on Women's Shelters
11 February 2011
, The New York Times, 10 February 2011
EXCERPT: "The new rules speak to the suspicions that women's shelters still generate in this deeply conservative society, where the shelters have come to symbolize the competition between modern values and traditional Afghan ways. Many believe their very existence at best encourages girls to run away from home and at worst are fronts for brothels....
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Suicide Bomber Kills District Governor in Kunduz, 6 Others
11 February 2011
Suicide Bomber Kills District Governor, 6 Others, Los Angeles Times, 11 February 2011
EXCERPT: "A suicide bomber killed a district governor and six other people Thursday in a northern province of Afghanistan that has become increasingly emblematic of the Taliban movement's ability to strike far from its traditional strongholds in the south and east. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in the district of Chardara in...
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Aid Increasingly Wasted on Security Aims: Oxfam Report
11 February 2011
Aid Increasingly Wasted on Security Aims: Oxfam, AlertNet, 10 February 2011
EXCERPT: "Billions of dollars in aid have been spent on projects that are expensive, unsustainable and sometimes even dangerous, because donor governments are increasingly using the money to support their short-term military and security goals, international aid agency Oxfam said on Thursday. The neutrality and safety of aid workers is compromised if local people...
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