Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Peace Council, No Good Performance

August 03, 2011

Pitfalls of the Peace Council, formed by President Hamid Karzai to facilitate peace talks with Taliban, are starting to emerge. Masum Stanikzai, secretary of Peace Council has said there is possibility of presence of many other types of council inside the Peace Council. While, Mauli Shahzad Shahid, who is a member of the Peace Council, has ...

Sufficient Investment to Remain a Dream

August 02, 2011

The Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) says there has been a 4 percent increase in the domestic investment in the first half of 2011 as compared to the same period of the last year. The security is at its worst. Despite that, if domestic investment has risen, it should be good news. But at the same time, there is bad news. The foreign direct...

Co-operating Neighbors

August 02, 2011

It is really great to hear the news that the neighboring countries of Afghanistan are in some way or the other interested in helping the country out of trouble. On Monday, August 1, 2011, the foreign minister of Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar and the foreign minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski, in a joint statement, declared their interest ...

A Bad Life

August 02, 2011

From the religious point of view, a bad life is one that is disconnected with virtue, piety, spirituality and other forms of relations and obedience to God. But there are other components as well that make a life bad. A bad life is also the one that is not in one's control; a life that is not accompanied with human's mastery of his/her ...

Taliban Challenges Government in Lashkargah

August 01, 2011

Lashkargah, the capital of southern Helmand province, falls among the seven areas that have been handed over to Afghan Security Forces. Its government seemed quite excited, when some days earlier security responsibilities of the set number of provinces and cities including Lashkargah were transferred to Afghan National Army and ...

Do not Let People Die Just for the Catchword of Transition

August 01, 2011

In the face of growing insurgent attacks, President Hamid Karzai and other security officials have stated that the enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan will not be able to stall the process of transition of security responsibility from international troops to Afghan national security forces. Of course, the...

Violence Against Women Increases

August 01, 2011

Violence, discrimination and alienation against women appear to get stronger in Afghanistan. The cases of rape in the country is widespread and go under-reported, often not concerned even by the society and institution or other humanitarian organizations. This leads us to the story of an only 6 years old innocent girl who has been recently...

Afghanistan Will be Blamed for Instability if It Fails to Secure Itself

July 31, 2011

Since Afghan government has been pushing for reconciliation with insurgent groups that continue to operate within its territory, the neighboring countries have put their weight behind this effort. In the meanwhile, these neighbors have laid stress that the process of negotiation with Taliban and other insurgent outfits should ...

Ramadan Approaches but Not Justice

July 31, 2011

>Ramadan, starting within a day or two, is a distinguished Islamic month in which it is obligatory for every Muslim to keep fast during the whole day, avoid committing sins as far as possible and help the poor people. Holy Quran, the sacred book of Muslims got completed in Ramadan which makes the month especially distinct for the Muslim...

Low Employment Rate Benefits the Taliban

July 31, 2011

Based on the data from Ministry of Labor, the number of unemployed Afghans is now over two millions. A big portion of that figure is formed by youth. The economy of Afghanistan is not creating adequate job opportunities to address the growing needs of masses. The condition is so despite the billion of dollars of aid poured in ...

Militants are Out to Show Security Frailty

July 30, 2011

Amidst high-flying displays during security handing over ceremonies across the country, President Karzai stresses the need for carrying on reconciliation process. He, once again, offered peace talks to those he has previously named as 'discontented brothers'. However, they are fiercely responding the offer with harsh terrorist attacks against ...

Time to Secure Citizens Against Violence and Terror

July 30, 2011

Our fellow citizens in Urozgan and Helmand provinces, once again, became victims of terror, violence and inhuman wicked acts carried out by insurgents and terrorists over the last two days. Officials on Friday, July 29, 2011 said that 16 civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed and many more...

Taliban’s Turban Tactic

July 30, 2011

Taliban has been successfully changing its fighting tactics. If the Nato and Afghan forces plan and take action to counter their face-to-face attacks, they switch to intensified suicide and roadside bombing or commando style raids as have been seen recently. The clothing used by insurgents is completely identical to that of local ...

Defective Institutions in the Post-Pullout Era

July 28 2011

Now it has been few days since the government has, with great pomposity, taken over security mission in seven regions in the country from NATO forces. It is trying to refurbish its feeble reputation in public through such symbolic maneuvers and prove into Afghan nationals that concerns on fragility of the current situation, failure ...

Kochis Challenge Remains Unsolved

July 28 2011

A lasting controversial issue that periodically sparked inconveniency, irritation and clashes in Afghan society has been nomads (kochis) rights and responsibilities. No doubt, they are part of Afghan citizen and enjoy similar rights as the rest of Afghan citizens. But these rights and responsibilities do...

A Stable Pakistan is in the Interest of Afghanistan

July 27 2011

Relations between US and Pakistan got tense when Osama bin Laden was killed in Abottabad of Pakistan back in May by US forces. Does the growing tension between these two important countries have negative impacts on the economic, political and security conditions of Afghanistan? There have always been controversial views both in the West and Afghanistan over the role of Pakistani government in ...

Not to be Optimistic about Taliban

July 27 2011

The first phase of the transition process – hand over of security responsibilities from international forces to Afghan police and army in seven areas identified by President Karzai in spring – has been completed. Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the head of transition committee says, "The process will continue and the whole country ...

Afghans Do not Want to Remain Stuck

July 27 2011

On Monday, July 25, the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, tried to dispel Afghans' fear of a plunge into another chaotic period as international forces have begun to withdraw from the country. Two main themes ran through his address after being sworn in at the U.S. embassy in Kabul: No rush for exits and no permanent bases in ...

Human Trafficking in Afghanistan

July 26 2011

Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for different purposes. The most dominating of these purposes are forced labor, begging, sexual exploitation and even terrorism. Women and children are the easiest victims to human trafficking. The societies marked with disorder, economic instability and deteriorated law and ...

The Risk of Administrative Failure in Post-Transition Period

July 26 2011

The international community has started handing over security responsibilities to the Afghan forces in some parts of the country in an environment of multiple concerns where the whole debate regarding the process is focused on the military aspects of the transition and there is neither a specific strategy nor a strategic ...

Negotiations with Taliban Soon

July 25 2011

The lingering conflict in Afghanistan, according to many, has not a military solution. It should be resolved through a political way. But seeing the growth in Taliban's insurgency and its unwillingness to solve issues through table talks, one can easily judge that the current initiative of Karzai administration – peace reconciliation program – is ...

Ghazni and 2013

July 25 2011

The now and then changing political and security environment in Afghanistan has deep negative impacts on the reconstruction process going on in the country. Many of the private security firms have been either closed down by Afghan government or have been given a deadline to stop their operations after certain period of...

Begging, Now a Culture

July 25 2011

Walk anywhere in any major cities and districts of Afghanistan, you will find every fourth or fifth person begging. In the capital of AfWalk anywhere in any major cities and districts of Afghanistan, you will find every fourth or fifth person begging. In the capital of Afghanistan where more than five million people currently live, the ...

The Good but Slow Cultural and Social Change

July 24 2011

Afghanistan and its people are increasingly being connected to the globalized world of outside. The result is some interesting cultural and social changes that although nascent and limited to the young generation, have the potential to move Afghanistan away from its bloodies past and towards a better future. Cable television ...

U.S. Recognizes Libyan Rebels

July 24 2011

In the fourth gathering of International Contact Group for Libya in Istanbul, the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council (TNC) has been able to gain recognition as the legitimate government of Libya from the United States and other world powers on Friday. It has been almost five month since the rebels have been fighting for unseating ...

Terror in Norway

July 23 2011

In twin terror attacks in Norway, about 11 people have been killed on Friday July 22, 2011. According to reports received with latest updates at the time of this writing, 11 people were killed in a connected terror attack in Oslo. First, it was a powerful bomb blast that rocked the area with government buildings. Glasses of the windows ...

Af-Pak Tension Rises Further

July 23 2011

The tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan is intensifying. Afghanistan has been claiming for the last one month or so that Pakistan security forces have been firing rockets in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan. These two provinces are located along the Af-Pak border and hundred of rockets are claimed to have ...

India Concerned Over US Drawdown

July 21 2011

Lack of transparency in the peace reconciliation program - initiated by Karzai adminis tration to resolve Afghan war through talks with Taliban – has been a matter of great concern for Afghans and countries in the region. Rejection of Afghan government's deal offers by Taliban, time and again, has made the process vaguer. Taliban sees ...

Heading to Chaos or Collapse

July 21 2011

The country is headed to an unknown destination. It may prove graver than anticipated. The widespread calls for forces withdrawal from ghanistan, the declining aid and the losing opportunities have put the nation at stake. Incompetent state institutions, insufficiently experienced elites, added to the ever growing insecurity and the ...

Respected MP’s, Notice Consequence of Your Comments

July 21 2011

Last week, a number of lower house of the parliament members claimed that they had credible information that another important private bank, Azizi Bank, was on the verge of collapse because of mismanagement. Abdul Zahir Qadir, a lawmaker from eastern Nangarhar province alleged that he had information showing the bank was in ...

A Shout of Victory at the Time of Defeat

July 20 2011

Afghan government and international community are trying to paint an upbeat picture of the direction Afghanistan is going in. They are talking of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) being able to begin to assume the responsibility for security of the country. Officials from countries with troops in Afghanistan are indicating that improved ...

It Is Not Merely Security That will Deteriorate

July 20 2011

When we talk about the international community's withdrawal from Afghanistan, we predict –keeping in view our past and current experience – that security will deteriorate. But we are forgetting one important point and that is the negative impact on our economy that will be left behind by reduction of international role in ...

Troops Drawdown and Outpour of Concerns Trigged Off Together

July 20 2011

As drawdown of foreign troops is triggered off and the transition of security responsibility from international forces to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is set in motion, concerns inside and outside Afghanistan begin to rise about the consequences of apparently premature steps. On Tuesday, July 19, 2011, security responsibility for ...

No Appeasements Can Stop Terrorism

July 19 2011

Amidst political instability and the increasingly divergent approaches in relations among state branches, Taliban's suicide attacks, high profile assassinations, hit-and-run operations and road side bombings have extremely increased across the country in comparison to months and years earlier. Following the last blowing accidents, the ...

A New Wave of Targeted Killing, Evident

July 19 2011

A new wave of targeted killing is evident in Afghanistan. Targeted killing has always existed in Afghanistan, at least in the last three decades. Over the last ten years, we have witnessed assassination of high profile government authorities. In the year 2011, which is specifically important for Afghanistan...