Britons call for troop withdrawal (13.11.2008)

(Quelle: BBC) More than two-thirds of Britons think UK troops should leave Afghanistan within a year, a BBC poll has found.

Citing civilian death toll, UN urges end to ‘senseless’ violence in Afghanistan (13.11.2008)

(Quelle: UN News) The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has unequivocally condemned three recent attacks that have resulted in numerous civilian deaths and injuries, and called for an end to the “senseless” violence that is plaguing the country. “Over the past 24 hours Afghanistan has seen three attacks in which civilians have been the principal victims,” the Secretary-General’s Deputy Spe-cial Representative Chris Alexander said in a statement issued today in Kabul.

3,300 more U.S. troops sought to train Afghans (13.11.2008)

(Quelle: Washington Post) U.S. commanders in Afghanistan are requesting 3,300 more troops to accelerate the training of new Afghan army and police forces, a job seen as critical to defeating Afghanistan's growing insurgency.

Le président Karzaï tente de répondre aux accusations d'incompétence et de corruption visant son gouvernement (11.11.2008)

(Quelle: Le Monde) En un mois, le président afghan Hamid Karzaï a changé sept membres de son gouvernement. Ce qui pouvait apparaître dans un premier temps comme un ajustement technique revêt désormais une tout autre dimension. Les nominations paraissent promouvoir la compétence au détriment des allégeances tribales. De plus, elles semblent prendre en compte la lutte contre la corruption au plus haut niveau de l'Etat, et donc répondre aux attentes formulées par la communauté internationale, qui en avait fait une condition à son aide financière.

Militants in Pakistan attack convoy bound for Afghanistan (11.11.2008)

(Quelle: New York Times) Some 60 masked militants hijacked about 13 trucks carrying Humvees and other supplies for Ameri-can-led troops in Afghanistan on Monday in a brazen attack near the Khyber Pass, authorities said Tuesday. The assault highlighted the vulnerability of a vital supply route for the 65,000 American and NATO forces battling a resurgent Taliban in landlocked Afghanistan. A significant amount of supplies for the Western forces go through Pakistan.

Britain to NATO members: help more in Afghanistan (11.11.2008)

(Quelle: Washington Post) British and U.S. officials urged other NATO members Tuesday to send more troops to Afghanistan, saying the alliance's success there required a more equal sharing of the war burden. For months NATO has called for boosting its 50,000-troop mission to quell rising violence in Afghanistan, and has grown frustrated with the reluctance of some European members to either increase their contribu-tion or deploy to more dangerous regions.

UN extends presence with opening of new office in Baghlan (10.11.2008)

(Quelle: UN News) The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has opened its newest office in Pul-i-Khumri, the capital of the country’s northern Baghlan province, bringing the total number of its field offices to 18.

Afghan rebel positioned for key role (05.11.2008)

(Quelle: Washington Post)

As U.S. and NATO officials revamp their strategy in Afghanistan, a renegade Afghan commander could prove central to U.S. plans to rein in the insurgency through negotiations. Gulbuddin Hekmat-yar is a 61-year-old veteran of Afghanistan's three decades of war who gained infamy for rocketing his own capital during a brief stint as prime minister in the 1990s. … But with casualties among for-eign forces at record highs, and domestic and international confidence in Karzai's government at an all-time low, U.S. and Afghan officials may have little choice but to grant Hekmatyar a choice seat at the bargaining table.

Nato denies Afghan election claim (04.11.2008)

(Quelle: BBC) Nato has denied that it wants next year's presidential election in Afghanistan postponed or can-celled. There are growing concerns that there may be a delay in the vote because of security con-cerns. But a Nato spokesman, James Apathurai, told the BBC it wants the poll to proceed as planned. A recent report in the Financial Times newspaper said that Nato officials along with some diplomats and Afghan politicians were pushing for a delay.

US Central Command chief in Afghanistan amid continuing violence (04.11.2008)

(Quelle: Asia-Pacific Daily Report) Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the US Central Command, which oversees the wars in Afghani-stan and Iraq, arrived in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Tuesday (November 4) to conduct an "initial assessment" of the deteriorating security situation in the country. During his visit, Petraeus is sched-uled to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other Afghan leaders.

Afghan returnee numbers this year top 276,000 – UN refugee agency (03.11.2008)

(Quelle: UN News) The United Nations refugee agency said today that some 276,700 Afghans returned to their home-land this year through its voluntary repatriation programme, 99 per cent of them coming from neighbouring Pakistan.

United Kingdom commander in Afghanistan resigns (01.11.2008)

(Quelle: Al Jazeera) The commander of British special forces in Afghanistan has resigned after expressing concerns about military equipment failures. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Saturday that Major Sebas-tian Morley, commander of SAS (Special Air Service) troops in Afghanistan, had "resigned in disgust".

U.S. Defense Secretary says 'it's an Afghan war, not our war' (01.11.2008)

(Quell: RFE / RL) U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he does not expect NATO allies to commit significant forces to fight the rising Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, and that the Afghan forces need to ex-pand as quickly as possible so that the conflict is not seen as "America's war." Gates said the United States would try to send over 10,000 additional troops to Afghanistan next year.

Call for Afghan “Berlin airlift” (31.10.2008)

(Quelle: BBC) An emergency relief operation is needed to prevent progress in Afghanistan being undermined by a devastating famine, a UK think tank has warned. The Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) says food shortages represent a greater threat than the Taleban. It is calling for the international community to mount a smaller repeat of the Berlin Airlift during the Soviet blockade of west Berlin in 1948.

Afghans, Pakistanis opt to talk to Taliban (29.10.2008)

(Washington Post) Pakistani and Afghan leaders on Tuesday agreed to make contact with insurgent groups, including the Taliban, in a bid to end bloodshed and violence in their troubled border regions. Leaders from the neighboring countries reached the decision here at the end of a two-day jirgagai, or mini-tribal council, which was attended by 50 officials and tribal elders from both sides.

Nato's Afghan forces “hit limit” (28.10.2008)

(BBC) Coalition forces in Afghanistan have "now reached their limit", according to General Sir Michael Rose, former commander of UN forces in Bosnia. He said Nato forces should consider forming local tribal militias to help stabilise the country.

Local aid workers in the firing line (27.10.2008)

(Irinnews) … The worsening security situation and frequent attacks on aid workers have prompted aid agencies to be extra cautious. Some UN and international aid agencies have resorted to heavily guarded offices protected by huge blast-resistant walls and armoured vehicles. Others have restricted their movements and/or scaled down their activities.

Right messaging and support for farmers led to drop in Afghan poppy cultivation – UN (27.10.2008)

(UN News) The 20 per cent decrease in Afghan poppy cultivation recorded for this year shows that with the right kinds of messages and support from the Government, farmers and communities will respond and change their behaviours, a senior official with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today.

More than 1,000 protest Taliban killings in eastern Afghanistan (24.10.2008)

(Asia-Pacific Daily Report) In one of the largest anti-Taliban gatherings Afghanistan has seen since the overthrow of the hard-line regime in 2001, more than 1,000 civilians protested Friday (October 24) against the slaying of at least 26 men by Taliban earlier this week, AP reported.

Pakistan will give arms to tribal militias (23.10.2008)

(Quelle: Washington Post) Pakistan plans to arm tens of thousands of anti-Taliban tribal fighters in its western border region in hopes -- shared by the U.S. military -- that the nascent militias can replicate the tribal 'Awakening' movement that proved decisive in the battle against al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Afghan Parliament approves government reshuffle (21.10.2008)

(Quelle: RFE / RL) Afghan President Hamid Karzai's cabinet reshuffle, including a new head for the Interior Ministry, which controls the police and has been criticized for corruption, has been approved by parliament, an official said.

Afghan government urges security review following aid worker's shooting (21.10.2008)

(Quelle: Asia-Pacific Daily Report) The Afghan government is urging foreign nationals and aid workers to limit their movements following the fatal shooting of a foreign female aid worker in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday (October 20).  Siamak Hirawi, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, told Agence France-Presse that in view of Monday's attack, the government has undertaken a review of its security measures for aid groups.

Japan backs Afghan naval mission (21.10.2008)

(Quelle: BBC) Japan's lower house of parliament has voted to extend a controversial mission backing US operations in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Taro Aso had campaigned to keep the mission going, saying Japan should contribute to global security. But many opposition members are against the proposal, saying it breaches the country's pacifist constitution.

NATO's political will "wavering" in Afghanistan (20.10.2008)

(Quelle: New York Times) NATO members are wavering in their political commitment to Afghanistan, one of the alliance's top commanders said on Monday, describing the nearly seven-year-old campaign against the Taliban as disjointed. Pointing to more than 70 'caveats' that give individual countries a veto over certain operations, and the fact that troop commitments remain unfulfilled, General John Craddock said he was fearful the operation was being short-changed.

NATO modifies airstrike policy in Afghanistan (16.10.2008)

(Quelle: Washington Post) In a bow to public outrage over a recent spate of U.S.-led airstrikes in Afghanistan that resulted in more than 100 civilian deaths, NATO officials have ordered commanders to try to lessen their reliance on air power in battles with insurgents, NATO and Afghan officials said Wednesday.

1000 deutsche Soldaten mehr nach Afghanistan (16.10.2008)

(Quelle: Die Welt) Ein Ende ist nicht absehbar. Der Einsatz der Bundeswehr in Afghanistan geht nun bereits ins achte Jahr, und keiner weiß, wann das Land am Hindukusch in der Lage sein wird, alleine für seine Sicherheit zu sorgen. Vor dem Hintergrund zunehmender Anschläge macht sich inzwischen Ungeduld breit, zuletzt sogar vom Koalitionspartner CSU offen artikuliert. Der Bundestag verlängerte das Mandat für die deutschen Truppen am Donnerstag zunächst einmal um 14 Monate und stockte die Obergrenze um 1000 Soldaten auf 4500 auf.

Gates seeks more military and civilian support in Afghanistan (15.10.2008)

(Quelle: New York Times) Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Wednesday that the mission to stabilize Afghanistan had shown significant gaps in the ability of the United States and NATO to integrate their civilian and military efforts, and he warned that it “remains to be seen” whether the allies could better coordinate their work. To be successful in Afghanistan, Mr. Gates said, the entire NATO alliance, the European Union and nongovernmental development organizations “must better integrate and coordinate with one another and also with the Afghan government.”

As U.S. gains in Iraq, rebels go to Afghanistan (14.10.2008)

(Quelle: New York Times) American military successes in Iraq have prompted growing numbers of well-trained “foreign fighters” to join the insurgency in Afghanistan instead, the Afghan defense minister said on Tuesday. The minister, Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak, said at a news conference that the increased flow of insurgents from outside Afghanistan had contributed to the heightened intensity of the fighting here this year, which he described as the “worst” since the American-led forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001.

General says he’s hopeful about Taliban war (12.10.2008)

(Quelle: New York Times) Less than 12 hours after NATO troops in Afghanistan defeated an ambitious attempt by the Taliban to storm a provincial capital in the far southwest, killing dozens of the fighters, the top American commander in the country urged doubters Sunday to believe that the war against the Taliban would be won. The commander, Gen. David D. McKiernan, who leads more than 65,000 troops from about 40 foreign countries, including 33,000 Americans, said at a news conference in Kabul that there had been “too many” reports in the media recently asserting that the foreign forces and their Afghan allies were losing the war.

Afghan president, pressured, reshuffles cabinet (11.10.2008)

(Quelle: New York Times) Under pressure from the United States and its coalition partners to shake up his government and curb high-level corruption, President Hamid Karzai named as his interior minister on Saturday a former official of Afghanistan’s Communist-era secret police. … By moving Mr. Atmar to the Interior Ministry from his previous post as education minister, Mr. Karzai responded to insistent demands for a crackdown on corruption that have come from the Western nations that sustain his government with troops and billions of dollars in aid.