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Good Governance, Misgovernment and the Growing Taliban Insurgency
December 27, 2011
The issue of good governance and growing insurgencies in various provinces of Afghanistan has widely been discussed in Afghan print and electronic media since last couple of years. The people of Afghanistan, non-governmental organizations and international community are in trouble due to the day-to-day increasing cycle of violence and ...
Mr. Karzai and NATO Night Raids
December 26, 2011
One of the most controversial issues in the country that frequently set Kabul against its foreign allies is NATO night-raids and house-search. Mr. President time and again has asked foreign forces to stop night assaults which, according to him, take more civilians' lives. In response, what foreign allies have uttered were regrets for the victims ...
US Drone Attacks Stopped, Insurgents to Benefit
December 26, 2011
More than a decade of counter insurgency war has passed. In this war, Pakistan has been majorly involved up to an extent that the US, for several times, called it a key ally. Both countries enjoyed a normal relation for a long term in a way that Pakistan used to pave the way for US to reach high-profile terrorists and in return receive ...
The Agreement Between Hammas and Fatah
December 26, 2011
Though the Arab Spring inflamed in Tunisia is increasingly casting blows to Arab protestors, there is promising news amidst of concerns at the prospective. The waft of the spring has not left Palestine out of the circle. There were protests held in Gaza as well as West Bank bearing similar characteristics as those of Tunisia, Egypt ...
Withdrawal Will Put Afghan Gains at Stake
December 25, 2011
On the Christmas Day (today), the tens of thousands of westerners having military and civil engagements in Afghanistan must be wishing to be with their friends and family in their own countries. 10,000 US soldiers who have already left Afghanistan must be feeling themselves quite lucky. Fighting in Afghanistan has never been an easy ...
Repatriation of Refugees from Iran
December 25, 2011
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs say news about the Iranian ultimatum to Afghan refugees to leave the country is misreported. Official from the Ministry says Iran has asked Afghan refugees living in Iran to visit Afghanistan and see if the conditions for repatriation allow them to return. It's beyond ...
No Arbitrary Shift or Handover
December 25, 2011
Afghanistan is relying on the U.S. and NATO military and political support to maintain its status quo and struggle to bring security and peace to the country. This is because there is a real need for international military and political support as the Taliban militants and other insurgent groups linked with broader network of terrorists in ...
Increasing Demands for Change in the System
December 24, 2011
The last few months of 2011 have witnessed birth of three major political coalitions in Afghanistan. Another alliance called the National Coalition was launched on Thursday, December 22, 2011, under the leadership of former rival of President Karzai, opposition leader Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. Birth of National Coalition, which mostly ...
A Fresh Warning to Iran
December 24, 2011
New regional developments, fresh decisions and policies and new emerging relations represent the transforming nature of Middle East Policy. Changing relation between Iran and the Arab world remains one of the top rising hostilities in the region. The year-long Middle East protests and regime alterations led to further power contests ...
Security Related Incidents: Up 21% This Year
December 22, 2011
With the billion of dollars spent and presence of about 140,000 international troops in Afghanistan, life of a common man is still at the mercy of the insurgents. Since the Taliban government was toppled in late 2001, security condition has worsened with each passing year questioning the role of Afghan government and its ...
Getting Trapped in Taliban’s Tactic
December 22, 2011
Afghanistan is in conflict, which needs to be brought to an end. This is of complicated nature, with so many elements and interests involved in it. On the part of Afghan government, whose citizens bear the brunt of the war, there is a need for strategic goal to be achieved by effective blueprints and objectives. But unfortunately Afghan ...
US Toiled much and Achieved Less
December 22, 2011
After years of engagement and expenditure of a trillion dollars, American combatant force left Iraq happily while around five thousand of their fellows lost lives and multiple of the number injured. Americans are happy seeing their sons and daughters returning from a foreign territory where people increasingly started turning ...
Night Raids to Continue with More Afghan Participation
December 21, 2011
Night raids have been a matter of conflict between President Karzai and the NATO. At times when Mr. Karzai's deems night search, kill and capture operations as stepping over the honor of Afghans, the NATO believe such operations as pivotal to capture important members of Taliban, al-Qaida and Haqqani network. The NATO will continue ...
Who are Taliban if not Enemies?
December 21, 2011
Taliban have been the main insurgent groups fighting Afghan government and international community over the last ten years since they were overthrown in late 2001 after refusing to hand over Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda Network that orchestrated and plotted 9/11 attacks. Osama Bin Laden is dead but Taliban remain ...
The Herald of Fragility in Iraq
December 21, 2011
Iraq could overcome the deadly insurgency only when the country's Sunnite awakening groups stood against Al-Qaeda and pro-Saddam fighters. The oil rich Middle Eastern country is divided by ethnicity, sect, political tendency and supports getting from foreign sources. The neighbouring and regional countries ...
The Reports of Taliban Office
December, 20 2011
The reports of Taliban unofficial embassy in Qatar disturbed the Afghan presidential office to a certain extent, but now the reports of Talibans' willingness to open an office in an Islamic country, if it happens to be true, will definitely bring it some calm. Afghan government, especially President Karzai himself, has been very much ...
Fostering a Culture of Privilege
December, 20 2011
Last week, President Hamid Karzai promoted two other negative points on corruption issue, which has plagued his administration and continues to cause public disenchantment. The president put the blame on international community by saying, "We have lost our mutual trust: foreigners think we go corrupt for political reasons, and we ...
Another Tragic Loss for Afghans
December 19, 2011
President Hamid Karzai, in an interview to CNN, has admitted to the fact that Afghans do not feel secure. More than three decades have passed but unfortunately, the people of Afghanistan face grave violence, war and conflict. News of terror activities that take lives of innocent Afghans run on national and international media on daily ...
On President Karzai’s View of Personal Security and Political Stability
December 19, 2011
President Hamid Karzai has stated that "The international coalition and the Afghan government have been able to provide, in the past 10 years, political stability to Afghanistan. But we have not been able — the United States, NATO and Afghan government together — to provide the Afghan people with their individual personal ...
The Reason behind Urban Population Blow-up
December 19, 2011
Along with other problematic issues causing irritation in Kabul city is population. However, there is no authentic statistics about the population, it is said that around 2.5 million to 5 million people live in the city. Kabul has become the most populated city in the country and the population is increasingly rising by ...
If Karzai Administration is to Take the Lead
December 18, 2011
How to reconcile and with whom to reconcile? The government of Afghanistan has been trapped by its own inconsistent policies of the past. President Karzai's changing view on the process peace reconciliation with Taliban has made it difficult for Afghans to know: What is going on? Until, Burhan ud Din Rabbani, the ...
Extremism in Universities!
December 18, 2011
Some university students in Afghanistan have expressed concern over the expansion of influence of extremist groups in the universities. In a report published on BBC Persian website, Farida, a Kabul university student has said that she did not receive a passing mark in a semester because her dressing style was not acceptable to one of the ...
Real Alternatives Must be Offered against Drug Trade
December 18, 2011
The growing rate of drug and narcotics trade in Afghanistan by countries from around the world with the Afghan warlords who are the main responsible behind pushing the life of new generations in inhuman condition today is continuingly getting deeper and serious. The use of drug being traded inside the country, not only ...
Help Them to Survive
December 17, 2011
Indications from previous years clearly suggest that government ministries and their provincial departments, either by mistake or deliberately, disregard seasonal changes and its consequent troubles across the country. Unfortunately, so far, there have been enough losses to alarm the entire national stakeholders to plan ...
On Taliban’s Office in Qatar
December 17, 2011
Afghanistan has summoned its ambassador, Khaled Ahmad Zakaria, to Qatar for consultation. It is said that this is because Qatar is in discussion with Taliban to establish its political office in that country. Afghan government has kept the door to Taliban's return to normal life open over the last few years.Afghan people, political parties ...
Beef up the Poppy Eradication Campaign
December 17, 2011
Poppy eradication campaign launched in Uruzgan has cleared 3000 acres of land. Contrary to what has always been the propagated fear that it will provoke farmers to violence, the campaign is working successfully under the leadership of local Police Chief Matiullah Khan. The eradication campaign is launched in Khanqi, Shah Mansur and ...
A Country to Govern and Secure Itself!
December 15, 2011
Leon Panetta, the US Defense Secretary, has said that the US is winning the war in Afghanistan. Panetta was in a surprise visit to Afghanistan to review the situation for withdrawing of the US troops. He told troops at Forward Operating Base Sharana, 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the Pakistan border, in the eastern province of ...
Common People are Vital to Reach Terrorists
December 15, 2011
The Afghan police have announced: Any one with solid information about terrorists will be awarded AFA one million. This scheme is laudable. The reporting by local Afghans about suspicious people would result in prevention of terror attacks and would save lives of innocent civilians. In an Afghan society, it is very difficult for security ...
Taliban Office in Qatar
December 15, 2011
The US and Qatar have made the formal decision of supporting a Taliban office in Doha. Afghan officials have confirmed the news, but President Karzai is not happy for being kept in dark about the formal arrangement. Afghan Ambassador to Doha has been called to Kabul in protest. Senior aides of President Karzai say the decision is a push by ...
US-Pakistan Relations Deteriorating
December 14, 2011
The US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has said the war in Afghanistan could not be won without Pakistan's cooperation. He made a surprise visit to Kabul yesterday. While talking to journalists, Panetta said the US-Pakistan relationship has been "complicated", but it was an important one, for success in Afghanistan. After last ...
No Regional Stability without Peace in Afghanistan & Pakistan
December 14, 2011
Since 2001, when the United States launched the counter-terrorism war in Afghanistan, it has been calling Pakistan as one of its closest allies. Pakistan has cooperated with the US and in return it has received a consistent financial support from US. But now, the Pak-US relation seems to be the verge of collapse. That's ...
Progress in Discussions, Hope for a Better Future
December 14, 2011
It is hoped that Afghanistan reaches to agreement with the United States of America on a long-term partnership between the two countries. It is also hoped that Afghanistan will strike deals with some other western powers as well. Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Afghanistan, said on Monday this week that there has been considerable ...
No Political will, No Transparency
December, 13 2011
In its 2011 Corruption Perception Index Report, the Transparency International, a renowned global civil society organization working to fight against corruption, placed Afghanistan at the very bottom of the list of the most corrupt countries, preceding only Myanmar, North Korea and Somalia. Afghanistan, of 183 countries that ...
Need for a Clear Framework
December, 13 2011
A recently concluded conference, Bonn-II re-affirmed international commitments to Afghanistan until 2024. Apparently, the world has pledged to support Afghanistan for a long-term. The same has been reflected in the Bonn conference resolution bearing 33 articles. But none of the countries including the United States and international ...
Accusations Can’t Solve Our Problems
December, 13 2011
2011 has not been good for Pak-US relations. The killing of Osama bin Laden on Pakistani land and death of 24 Pakistan soldiers at Af-Pak border region as result of NATO strike have had a great role in tuning the Pak-US relations so acrimoniously. Afghanistan has, unfortunately, had a sandwich-like state. The worsening of ties between ...