 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 7/31/2009 6:07:27 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
 New Book Aims To Win Afghan Hearts And Minds Mullah Mohammad Omar, the reclusive leader of Afghanistan's Taliban, has issued an updated book outlining the rules of conduct for his fighters. The guide is seen as an effort to consolidate his grip over the Taliban ranks and to offset the West's new counterinsurgency strategy. More  New Strategy To Bring Fighters Into Kabul Fold The U.S. and Britain are calling for a new framework on negotiations with the Taliban to encourage moderate elements to support the Afghan government. It could signal a shift toward a more wholesale approach to militias that includes letting them stay armed and mobilized. More  Presidents Meet For Central Asia Security Talks Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan agreed on July 30 to coordinate efforts in their fight against Islamist violence which has threatened to spill over into the broader Central Asia region. More  British Foreign Secretary Outlines Afghan Strategy British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has delivered a major speech on Afghanistan at NATO headquarters in Brussels, with an emphasis on reconciliation with elements of the insurgency. He also called for finding ways to improve governance at the local level and for the development of a regional stability strategy whereby Afghanistan's neighbors contribute to and benefit from its stability and development. More  Presidential Debate Takes Place Without Karzai Afghans tuned in to the first televised debate of the presidential campaign on the evening of July 23, but while they had the opportunity to watch two top contenders face off, President Hamid Karzai was noticeably absent. More  Did Karzai Really Pull Out Of Afghan Presidential Debate? Media reports suggest that the incumbent Afghan President Hamid Karzai pulled out of the first televised debate among the top three contenders in the August 20 election. More  Reconciliation As 'Endgame' In Afghanistan? Insecurity is peaking and international debate about Afghanistan's future is intensifying as the country's August 20 presidential election approaches. Amid the deadliest month for international forces since they entered Afghanistan in 2001, Western capitals are critically examining their role in an eight-year-old conflict that has no clear end in sight. More  Bill Would Criminalize Discrimination An Afghan bill on eliminating violence against women is expected to be among the first pieces of legislation to be discussed when Afghan parliamentarians return from summer holidays this week. Under the bill, which has been in the works for years, anyone who bars a woman from attending school, going to work, or visiting a doctor would face prison time. More  Dostum: 'It Is Impossible Prisoners Were Abused' I am deeply disappointed about "The New York Times" article by James Risen published on July 10 under the title "U.S. Inaction Seen After Taliban P.O.W.'s Died." The source of this report is a fabricated story that was published first in 2001 and since then has been published four more times by "The New York Times" or other publications. More  A Response To General Dostum From Rights Researcher General Abdul Rashid Dostum’s statement on allegations surrounding the deaths of Taliban prisoners who surrendered to Northern Alliance forces in November 2001 underscores the need for an urgent inquiry into those events. More |
