Global Survey Finds World Divided on Afghanistan Mission
28 June 2007
A 47-nation survey by the Pew Research Center finds significant worldwide opposition to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. "In 32 of 47 countries, majorities want troops out as soon as possible," the report states. "Many of the publics of NATO countries with significant numbers of troops in Afghanistan are divided over whether U.S. and NATO forces should be brought home immediately, or should remain until the country is stabilized."...
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Senlis Council Report Critical of UK Policy
25 June 2007
A new policy brief by the Senlis Council calls on the new British government to break with failed 'Bush/Blair-led policies' in Afghanistan. Current strategy, which includes forced poppy cultivation eradication in the absence of viable alternatives, and the 'indiscriminate' use of force by NATO and coalition forces, has led to an increase in grievances among the civilian population. In place of the current approach, the Council recommends a strategy...
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NGO Statement on the Conduct of Military Operations
21 June 2007
A network of Afghan and international non-government organisations released a on Tuesday calling on international forces in Afghanistan to do more to protect civilians in their combat operations. The Agency Coordinating Body For Afghan Relief (ACBAR) criticized international and Afghan government forces for using 'disproportionate or indiscriminate use of force,' resulting in civilian casualties. The statement warned that the use...
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Canadian House of Commons Defence Committee Report
20 June 2007
A new report by the House of Commons Defence Committee, entitled "Canadian Forces in Afghanistan," examines the various aspects of the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan. In its report, the Committee made 19 recommendations to the House, including:
* Increase funding for development and reconstruction,
* Ensure the disbursement of reconstruction and development funding in a timely, transparent, and efficient...
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2.1 Million Afghan Refugees Live in 71 Countries - UNHCR
19 June 2007
According to a new report released today by the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, Afghanistan continues to be the leading source country of refugees. At the end of 2006, there were 2.1 million Afghan refugees in 71 asylum countries representing 21 percent of the world’s refugee population, the report states. Although the report, entitled "", estimates that over 387,000 Afghans returned to their home country, this figure...
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Increasing ISAF's Impact on Stability in Afghanistan
15 June 2007
In "Increasing ISAF’s Impact on Stability in Afghanistan", Emma Sky argues that the government of Afghanistan should be placed in a leadership role and the international community in a support role. The international community's support for Afghanistan to date has been insufficient and poorly coordinated. Rather than imposing their vision of the country from above, the international community should focus on empowering the central...
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The Future of the Mujahideen: Legitimacy, Legacy and Demobilization in Post-Bonn Afghanistan
12 June 2007
In "The Future of the Mujahideen: Legitimacy, Legacy and Demobilization in Post-Bonn Afghanistan", Michael Bhatia focuses on the role of mujahideen in contemporary Afghanistan. Broadly defined within the Afghanistan context, the mujahideen are the various Afghan opposition groups that fought against the Soviet occupation, and who later fought each other in the Afghan civil war (1992-96). The author examines the debate over the mujahideen’s...
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Local Perceptions of Assistance to Afghanistan
07 June 2007
In his article, "Local Perceptions of Assistance to Afghanistan," Antonio Donini examines the 'perceptions gap', or discrepancy between how outsiders and local communities view international assistance in Afghanistan. The study was based on extensive interviewing of local individuals, including 18 focus group meetings in various provinces throughout the country, which provided valuable qualitative data for the analysis. The fieldwork's...
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Auxiliary Force or National Army? Afghanistan's 'ANA' and the Counter-Insurgency Effort, 2002-2006
06 June 2007
In his article, "Auxiliary Force or National Army? Afghanistan's 'ANA' and the Counter-Insurgency Effort, 2002-2006," Antonio Giustozzi evaluates the successes and shortcomings of Afghanistan’s effort to establish a central army following the collapse of the Taleban. The article summarizes the attempts to create an Afghan central army prior to 2002, then provides a detailed analysis of the development of the current Afghan National Army...
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War and Peace Economies of Afghanistan's Strongmen
05 June 2007
Antonio Giustozzi’s article, “War and Peace Economies of Afghanistan’s Strongmen,” examines the role local 'strongmen' (warlords and "armed political actors who lack the military capabilities of the warlords") have played in shaping Afghanistan’s economy. The article begins with an overview of their role in the economy in different regions of Afghanistan during the period between the collapse of the communist regime in 1992 and the end...
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