29 May 2009
Philip Smucker, '', Asia Times Online, 29 May 2009
EXCERPT: "Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is seizing a greater role behind the scenes in Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort that could block the Barack Obama administration's stated goal of denying the terror network sanctuary in South Asia. A three-month investigation of al-Qaeda's activities, from Nuristan in the north to Paktika...
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Security, Peace and Development for Afghan Women
29 May 2009
'', The Funder's Network for Afghan Women, 28 May 2009
EXCERPT: "With the fall of the Taliban, Afghan women came back from the brink. But the gains made since 2001 are fragile. Any prospects of better lives for Afghan women and girls are inherently linked to the success of the development, reconstruction and the poverty alleviation agenda of the international...
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The Long March: Building An Afghan National Army
29 May 2009
Obaid Younossi et al, '', RAND Corporation, 28 May 2009
EXCERPT: "The Afghan National Army (ANA) is critical to the success of the allied efforts in Afghanistan and the ultimate stability of the national government. This monograph assesses the ANA's progress in the areas of recruitment, training, facilities, and operational capability. It draws on a variety of sources: in-country...
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US Surge "Will Lead To Spike In Conflict"
29 May 2009
'US Troop Surge In Afghanistan "Will Lead To Spike In Conflict"', Times Online, 29 May 2009
EXCERPT: "An injection of 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan this summer will provoke a jump in violence before the casualty rate falls, a top British commander has warned, as the deaths of two more British servicemen were announced. Lieutenant-General Jim Dutton, Nato's deputy commander in Afghanistan, said that he expects...
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Amnesty International Report 2009: Afghanistan
28 May 2009
'Amnesty International Report 2009: Afghanistan', Amnesty International, 28 May 2009
EXCERPT: "Millions of people living in southern and eastern Afghanistan, terrorized by the Taleban, other insurgent groups and local militias ostensibly allied with the government, suffered insecurity that further restricted their already limited access to food, health care, and schooling. Indiscriminate attacks, abductions and the targeting of...
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Nourishing Afghanistan's Agricultural Sector
28 May 2009
Greg Bruno, 'Backgrounder: Nourishing Afghanistan's Agricultural Sector', Council on Foreign Relations, 26 May 2009
EXCERPT: "As the United States focuses new attention on the Afghan war front, U.S. policymakers are emphasizing rural development and agricultural reform as keys to long-term stability. Bruce Riedel, who coauthored the Obama administration's review of Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, says Washington is 'going...
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Crackdown Urged On Drug Lords, Corrupt Officials
28 May 2009
'US, UN Officials Urge Crackdown On Afghan Drug Lords, Corrupt Officials', Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 28 May 2009
EXCERPT: "From the Pentagon to the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime, there appears to be growing recognition that Afghanistan's counternarcotics strategy is failing. Military and civilian officials admit they have focused too much on destroying opium fields without offering enough support to Afghan...
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UN Expert: US Failing To Properly Probe War Crimes
28 May 2009
'', The Associated Press, 28 May 2009
EXCERPT: "An independent U.N. human rights investigator said Thursday that the United States is failing to properly investigate alleged war crimes committed by its soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Although some cases are investigated and lead to prosecutions, others aren't or result in lenient sentences, said Philip Alston, the U.N....
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Security Sector Reform In Afghanistan: The EU's Contribution
27 May 2009
Eva Gross, '', Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), 26 May 2009
EXCERPT: "The EU engages in aspects of Security Sector Reform (SSR) through EUPOL Afghanistan, the police mission launched in 2007, and through the European Commission's contributions to justice reform in the country. Based on an analysis of past efforts at police reform by the EU and other European...
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Former Minister: Afghan Police Only Way To Victory
27 May 2009
'Former Minister: Afghan Police Only Way To Victory In Afghanistan', Talk Radio News Service, 27 May 2009
EXCERPT: "As Iraqi security has improved, the situation security in Afghanistan has become increasingly unstable. The Obama Administration recently pledged to increase the amount of soldiers stationed in Afghanistan by 30,000, but critics claim that the only way to improve Afghan security is by cultivating the security forces...
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