Democratization of a Dependent State: The Case of Afghanistan
30 November 2007
Astri Suhrke, 'Democratization of a Dependent State: The Case of Afghanistan', Chr. Michelsen Institute, November 2007
ABSTRACT: "The post-Taliban democratic reforms in Afghanistan were in part a recreation of the past. Afghanistan has had six constitutions between 1923 and 1990, and most provided for national assemblies and elections in one form or other. Yet the degree of foreign involvement in the last reform process was unprecedented....
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Afghanistan More Dangerous than Iraq for U.S. Troops
30 November 2007
Jonathan Karl and Luis Martinez, 'Afghanistan Now Most Dangerous for U.S. Troops', ABC News, 30 November 2007
"In a stunning turnaround, Afghanistan is now a more dangerous place for U.S. troops than Iraq. The death rate for U.S. troops in Afghanistan is now nearly twice the rate for those in Iraq, according to an analysis by ABC News. It's a good news/bad news story. On one hand, security in Iraq has dramatically improved and as a...
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Cost of Canada's Afghan Mission Exceeds $3 Billion
30 November 2007
Alan Freeman, 'Afghan Mission Costs Up Sharply', The Globe and Mail, 30 November 2007
EXCERPT: "The incremental cost to National Defence of the is rising steeply and has reached a total of $3.1-billion from its start in 2001, according to Defence Minister Peter MacKay. Mr. MacKay made the disclosure as he appeared before the House of Commons defence committee, which is studying supplementary spending estimates...
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Congress Should Separate Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan
30 November 2007
Lawrence J. Korb and Sean E. Duggan, 'Separate wars in Iraq, Afghanistan', Baltimore Sun, 30 November 2007
EXCERPT: "To ensure that our troops fighting in the real central front in the war on terror are properly funded and equipped, members of Congress should move to separate funding for the two wars and approve the full supplemental budget request for Afghanistan as soon as possible. This can be done relatively easily. According to...
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Dutch to Extend Afghan Mission to 2010: Report
29 November 2007
Hans de Vreij, 'Dutch troops: two more years in Uruzgan', Radio Netherlands, 29 November 2007
"Analysts expect that the Dutch cabinet will decide on Friday to extend participation in the NATO mission to Afghanistan until August 2010. Originally, Dutch troops were supposed to withdraw from the Afghan province of Uruzgan on 1 August 2008. NATO was supposed to find troops to replace the Dutch but that hasn't happened. The Hague has...
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'Social Network Warfare' and America's New Counterinsurgency Doctrine
28 November 2007
Noah Shachtman, 'How Technology Almost Lost the War: In Iraq, the Critical Networks Are Social ? Not Electronic', Wired, 27 November 2007
EXCERPT: "The [U.S.] Army has set aside $41 million to build what it calls Human Terrain Teams: 150 social scientists, software geeks, and experts on local culture, split up and embedded with 26 different military units in Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year. The first six HTTs are already on...
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Teaching Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
28 November 2007
Fawzia Sheikh, 'Afghanistan: Teaching Counterinsurgency - Too Little, Too Late', Inter Press Service, 27 November 2007
EXCERPT: "Following pressure from top American military officials, the Afghanistan Counterinsurgency [COIN] Academy opened in April nearly six years after the invasion of Afghanistan... The school aims to teach counterinsurgency practices to newly arrived Western trainers sent to embed with the Afghan security...
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War Crimes Case Weighs on Poland
28 November 2007
Nicholas Kulish, '', International Herald Tribune, 28 November 2007
"At a crucial juncture for both the newly elected government's commitment to overseas military engagements and the ongoing reform of the nation's armed forces, Poland faces its first war-crimes prosecution in memory. Seven Polish soldiers sit in a military jail in Poznan accused of , including women and children,...
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Developing a 'Conflict-Sensitive' Counter-Narcotics Policy
28 November 2007
Barnett R. Rubin and Alexandra Gu?queta, '', Dialogue on Globalization Occasional Paper No. 37, November 2007
ABSTRACT: "A frequently overlooked feature of the fight against drugs is the linkages between the production of illegal narcotics and the political dynamics in post-conflict countries. and Colombia are cases in...
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Facing Resistance from Kabul, Allies, US Shelves Eradication Policy
28 November 2007
Mark John, 'No Afghan Opium Spraying from Air for Now -US', Reuters AlertNet, 28 November 2007
"The United States has shelved a for next year's Afghan to be sprayed with herbicide from the air after opposition from President Hamid Karzai's government, a senior U.S official said on Wednesday. [...] Aerial spraying... has run into broad resistance from Afghan officials, the U.S. Congress and Defense Department,...
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