Afghanistan Hits Back At Western Critics Over Aid
02 February 2009
'Afghanistan Hits Back At Western Critics Over Aid', Reuters, 1 February 2009
EXCERPT: "Afghanistan hit back at Western criticism of official corruption on Sunday, saying some 80 percent of international aid was outside government control so donors should be held to account. As U.S. President Barack Obama makes Afghanistan his foreign policy priority, President Hamid Karzai's government has come under increased Western criticism...
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NATO Says Members May Use Iran For Afghan Supplies
02 February 2009
'', The Associated Press, 2 February 2009
EXCERPT: "NATO would not oppose individual member nations making deals with Iran to supply their forces in Afghanistan as an alternative to using increasingly risky routes from Pakistan, the alliance's top military commander said Monday. Gen. John Craddock's comments came just days after NATO's secretary general, Jaap de...
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Afghan Opium Poppy Production Expected To Fall: UN
02 February 2009
'Afghan Opium Poppy Production Expected To Fall', VOA News, 1 February 2009
EXCERPT: "The United Nations says that production of opium poppies in Afghanistan is likely to decrease this year. The country remains the world's largest producer of opium. The drug trade is a major source of revenue for Taliban insurgents and is also increasing official corruption in Afghanistan. U.N and Afghan officials say that low...
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NATO Figures Show Surge In Violence
02 February 2009
'NATO Figures Show Surge In Violence', The Guardian, 31 January 2009
EXCERPT: "Violence in Afghanistan soared by nearly a third last year, the highest rise since coalition operations in the troubled country began more than seven years ago. According to new Nato statistics obtained by the Observer, violence rose by 31%, taking levels of fighting to a new peak of intensity. In 2007 there were around 5,000 'violent incidents'...
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