Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Contradictions and Differences a Major Obstacle to Peace

May 01, 2012

Afghan government led by President Hamid Karzai is suffering from contradictions and lack of agreements on policies and strategies to tackle the Taliban insurgency and other militancy waged by destructive forces networked with regional militant and terrorist outfits. President Karzai is becoming a voice for ...

Peace-Building Requires More than a Flawed Process

May 01, 2012

Any negotiated settlement of a conflict requires mechanisms and outcomes to be laid down clearly. The process must be inclusive and based on broad-based consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. Afghan government has been pursuing and implementing integration and reconciliation program to bring the Taliban ...

The Things Afghan Government Can Do on its Own

May 01, 2012

With the increasing problems, and diminishing hopes in Afghanistan, the prospects of peace and tranquility seem very much dim; yet, there are possibilities to start afresh from this point and reach to a somewhat reputable position. There is no doubt that for its journey to stability Afghanistan would require a great deal ...

Funding Must Continue, Corruption Must Not

April 30, 2012

Since 2001, when Taliban's government was toppled, the international community has generously poured funds in Afghanistan that have supported this country develop in many areas including democracy, women rights, education, economy and media. The world has consistently provided aids to the Afghan government and directly ...

Everything Seems to Be Regressing

April 30, 2012

Seventy billion dollars are said to be made out of drug trafficking. Afghanistan has been struggling to develop and built its economy. But it still remains a mafia and drug-based economy. This benefits ordinary Afghans very little. Now the Ministry of Counternarcotic has said that the profit made out of drug trafficking ...

Countdown Begins for Afghan Refugees’ Expulsion

April 30, 2012

The issue of Afghan refugees is still very much serious and determined efforts are needed to be diverted towards it. Million of Afghan refugees, during different wars and clashes have moved to different countries of the world, leaving behind their near and dear ones. Pakistan and Iran are two of the most dominant countries that ...

Democratization vs. Talibanization

April 29, 2012

In a growingly globalized world where development or poverty, peace or war, security or insecurity influence the entire human community, Afghanistan's strategic partnership with the world democracies, specially the US-Afghan strategic partnership, will prove vital to democratize Afghanistan, promote peace and ...

On Downsizing of ANSF

April 29, 2012

Four influential US Senators have asked President Obama to reject the considerations of downsizing Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) after NATO withdrawal in 2014. The senators include Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, Senators John McCain ...

Easy to Untangle the Mystery

April 29, 2012

Last week, Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, the first Vice-President, said that every one was tired of the current government. He further stated that even those who govern were tired of the way they govern. These remarks, which came in a ceremony to introduce Salahuddin Rabbani as the new chairman of High Peace Council, is an expression of accumulated frustration by the ...

On Finalized Draft of Strategic Agreement

April 28, 2012

On Monday last week, President Hamid Karzai's security advisor, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, appeared in the Wolesi Jirga session to brief the MP's on what is called a finalized version of a strategic cooperation agreement between Afghanistan and its most powerful ally, the United States of America. Many Afghans view ...

A Victory that Turned Pale

April 28, 2012

Yesterday, April 27, 2012 was marked as Mujahidin's victory day in Afghanistan. Mujahideen's Victory Day is a political holiday observed in Afghanistan, falling on the 27 or 28 April each year. It commemorates the day when the Afghan Mujahidin overthrew the socialist government in Afghanistan in 1992. The celebration ...

The Government’s Anti-Corruption Rhetoric before any International Conference

Thursday April 26

Chicago conference will be held next month. The future of international engagement will be discussed. Afghanistan has already signed strategic agreements with several western countries as well as India. These countries will continue to aid Afghanistan in one way or another. But it should ...

Lacking Political Will

Thursday April 26

Afghanistan'sneighbors are highly wary of the US-Afghan strategic pact. The document was finalized early this week following two separate agreements signed between the two countries on controversial 'night raids' and 'US-run prisons'. Afghan and US governments have expressed hope for long term ...

Afghans Have No Safe Travel

Thursday April 26

It is extremely risky to travel by road in Afghanistan. It is even riskier than the Taliban's time of government. In the last decade, armed insurgents, robbers or IED's have caused thousands of people to lose their life while travelling. In Afghanistan, where about 60 percent of population lives in extreme poverty, it ...

Negotiation Process: The Best Option for Taliban

April 25, 2012

It will take Afghanistan long to recoup its infrastructure, security and economy. A country ruined by decades of war cannot be reconstructed over nights. It is difficult for Afghanistan to turn peaceful in a short span of time, as conflict still continues. Taliban are daydreaming of regaining power by overthrowing the government ...

The Government’s Hysteric Reactions to Much-Needed Reforms

April 25, 2012

On Sunday, April 22, 2014, Afghanistan National Front (ANF) and a US congressional delegation in a joint statement called for fundamental changes before the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. This fundamental change is meant to be establishment of ...

Time to Look the Other Way Around

April 25, 2012

Salahuddin Rabbani has now assumed the position of head of the High Peace Council to lead it into success in making peace with the Taliban. This is the apparent objective of the appointment to and taking the charge of High Peace Council. But it is, unfortunately, not that easy to remove the clouds of violence from the sky of ...

Economic Ties to Serve Political Purposes

April 24, 2012

Outshined by insecurity and violence, the region is in dire need of boosting economic relations. Security and stability hit the top of regional agenda for inter governmental cooperation. Several MoUs are signed, treaties are developed and plans are designed to ensure long term stability in south Asian countries ...

Afghan-US Strategic Deal Finalized

April 24, 2012

The much awaited deal between Afghanistan and US has been finalized and there are expectations that the deal will be signed before or during the Chicago summit that has to be held next month. US, in the draft, has mentioned that it would continue to support Afghanistan both economically and ...

Challenges ahead of HPC’s New Chief

April 23, 2012

Last year in August, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Head of High Peace Council (HPC) was assassinated by Taliban's peace envoy, who turned out to be suicide bomber. His assassination was conceived an immense blow to President Karzia's strategy of engaging Taliban in peace talks. The incident shocked the activities of ...

An Imprudent Leadership at the Core of Failure

April 23, 2012

Over the last ten years, Afghanistan has been hosting international community and forces in the fight against terrorists. Elimination of terrorists from Afghanistan and region could benefit Afghanistan, region and international community. But unfortunately this has not happened as yet. Afghanistan has been bearing the ...

Another Irresponsible Act

April 23, 2012

After incidents of urination on dead bodies of insurgents, burning of copies of Qur'an and massacre of 16 civilians, another idiotic move by American soldiers in Afghanistan has been revealed. Pictures in which US soldiers have posed next to corpses and body parts of insurgents have been published by Los Angeles ...

Massive Plots Foiled in Kabul

April 22, 2012

Another plot of a massive bombing in Kabul has been foiled by the Afghan intelligence. More than 10,000kgs of explosives were loaded in sacks under potatoes on a truck. Five men have been arrested. Three of them are Pakistani nationals with their two Afghan facilitators. National Directorate ...

The Role of International Community in the Growing Political Divide

April 22, 2012

On Friday, April 20, 2012, Ahmad Zia Masoud, the head of National Front of Afghanistan (NFA)- representing more than fifty percent of Afghan population- apprised a gathering in Kabul of the possible political marriage between president Hamid Karzai and some figures on his team on one hand and the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami ...

Another Tragedy: Addicted soldiers

April 22, 2012

At times when other countries of the world compete in the international market by their technological, agricultural and industrial products by making best uses of their human and natural resources, Afghanistan has shaken the globe by producing more than 90 percent of world's opium. With more investment in anti-drug policies ...

President Karzai’s Continued Disregard of Afghans’ Suffering

Saturday April 21, 2012

Afghanistan is going through a growing political divide and disunity. The challenge it poses is even more treacherous than the one presented by the cruel insurgency. This increasing fragmentation comes from authoritarian decision-making process in the government, which is in turn down to an extremely centralized power structure in Afghanistan. ...

Military Operation against Haqqanis

Saturday April 21, 2012

Intelligence officials tell the arrested bomber of April 15 attacks has confessed that they were part of a 200-member squad of suicide bombers trained by Badruddin Haqqani in Waziristan. The bombers include Afghan and Pakistani nationals who are on a mission to carry similar operations across Afghanistan before the NATO summit in Chicago in May. The Taliban also released ...

When Future is at Stake

Thursday April 19, 2012

President Hamid Karzai has said that, despite all the criticisms of his policy towards the Taliban, he would continue to call the Taliban as his brothers. On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, the President addressed a ceremony that marked the 150th Birth Anniversary of Allama Mahmoud Tarzi. In that conference, Mr. Karzai stated he would not stop ...

Absolutism vs. Democracy

Thursday April 19, 2012

Talks on talks with Taliban have put in the shade other grave public concerns in Afghanistan. The eagerness to embrace President Karzai's upset brothers have caused ignoring serious questions on how extremist ideologists would become aligned with modern values, democratic governance and principles of an open society. The domestic ...

Funding Taliban Would Mean Burning One’s Own Finger

Thursday April 19, 2012

Taliban governed Afghanistan from 1996-2001. Their government is not officially recognized by any country other than Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. That was because they did not cooperate or communicate with the world deeming their government as a sole Islamic state where shariah is employed with its full essence. No doubt, their ...

A Tricky Situation Unfolding even before 2014

April 18, 2012

Afghanistan is getting into a trickier situation even before 2014 when international forces are slated to complete transitioning of security responsibility to Afghan national security forces and when the third cycle of presidential election is to be conducted, which has already stimulated discussion and debate ...

A Premature Withdrawal from Unsafe Urozgan

April 18, 2012

At a very stressing period in Afghanistan war, the world is vigilantly watching the trend of happenings here. The decade-long exhausting mission is getting increasingly heavy for the international troops contributors to Afghanistan. President Obama's 2009 strategic plan for Afghanistan gave a kick-start to announcing withdrawal ...

Australia to do the same as France

April 18, 2012

There are real concerns over the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan as there is no guarantee that the Afghan security forces can stand against the insurgents on their own after 2014. Amid that, NATO member countries are coming up with plans to withdraw their forces before the deadline they had actually agreed ...

Kabul Grows in Insecurity

April 17, 2012

The rise of insecurity has begun to worry the Afghan citizens. On Sunday, 15-04-2012 Kabul, once again, started bleeding as 36 militants launched attacks on different parts of the country; Kabul, Nangarhar, Logar and Paktia provinces in which 8 Afghan forces, including 3 civilians died. The 18-hours of continuous ...

Modern Move of Bamiyan Residents

April 17, 2012

Few days ago, civil and political activists from Bamiyan province launched a peaceful protest in front of lower house of the parliament over what they claimed as discriminative distribution and allocation of public budgets. They carried a lantern and passed it to MP's and asked them to send it as gift to the U.S. ...