"Ominous Signs" Suggest Rising Insecurity in Afghanistan's North
08 June 2011
The north was once the most peaceful part of Afghanistan. But as Nato prepares to transfer control of parts of the country to Afghan forces in July, riots, suicide bombings and high-profile killings point to an ominous decline in security. The BBC's Bilal Sarwary reports. Last week the memorial service for one of the Taliban's most determined opponents in northern Afghanistan took place in Farkhar, home to pistachio forests and a serene valley with...
Read the post »
Afghans Want Taliban Dropped from UN Sanctions List
08 June 2011
Afghan officials are asking the United Nations Security Council to lift sanctions against some 50 Taliban figures, a senior diplomat said on Tuesday, amid moves towards reconciliation. The Council's Al-Qaeda and Taliban sanctions committee is expected to decide whether to remove the names -- who include members of the High Council for Peace set up last year by President Hamid Karzai to seek talks with the Taliban -- by the middle of this month. Western...
Read the post »
US Aid to Afghanistan Must Focus on "Long-term, Sustainable Development": Report
08 June 2011
Afghanistan could be left in the midst of a deep financial crisis when foreign troops leave the country 2014, according to a US congressional study that recommends that the US government restructure its aid programmes in the country to focus on long-term, sustainable development. The two-year study, released on Wednesday, was carried out by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Democratic majority, and says that the US must make more effective...
Read the post »
The Targeted Killings Debate: Expert Roundup
08 June 2011
The Obama administration has escalated the campaign of targeted killings against suspected terrorists worldwide, increasing the use of unmanned drone strikes (ForeignPolicy) and so-called kill/capture missions (PBS) on al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership both on and off the traditional battlefield. While some analysts tout successes, like the U.S. Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, others say the strategy lacks proper legal boundaries,...
Read the post »