 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 15.07.2009 A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
| Six Suspected Of Planning Bombings Arrested In Kabul Afghan security officials have arrested six people in Kabul who they say were planning to launch terrorist attacks in key regions of the capital, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports. More  Probing A Possible War Crime As many as 2,000 Taliban prisoners were killed in late 2001, allegedly by fighters of a U.S.-backed warlord in Afghanistan. U.S. President Barack Obama has called for more facts on the case, and questions remain about why the killings have not been officially investigated. More  British Government On Defensive Over War Effort As British casualties in the Afghan conflict rise steeply, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government is being subjected to scathing criticism from the opposition for its alleged lack of strategy and its failure to properly equip the British troops. It's not clear whether British public opinion will sustain these casualty levels for long. More  UN Envoy On Afghanistan's Critical Election It is critical to ensure a level playing field that can provide the basis for a credible and inclusive election process and a result acceptable to the Afghan people. Nobody's interests can be served by an election result that is disputed and harms the legitimacy of a future government. More  Searching For A Young Afghan Survivor Nine-year-old Zahra was orphaned when coalition forces bombed her village in a remote area of western Afghanistan last year. After the sound of her voice touched listeners of Radio Free Afghanistan, correspondent Sharafuodin Stanakzai decided to go seek out the young girl once again to learn what had happened to her. More  Prospects For Environmental Protection In Afghanistan Improve Despite continued violence and political instability, Afghanistan is taking measures to protect its natural heritage. The country established its first national park this spring and, more recently, created its first-ever list of endangered and threatened species. More  Afghan Candidate Hires Carville As Campaign Adviser Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani has hired U.S. political consultant James Carville to join his campaign team. More  Afghan-Pakistani Transit Deal Said To Be Signed This Year Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan has told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that he expects a new transit agreement between the two countries to be signed before the end of this year. More  A New Tack On Drugs U.S. regional envoy Richard Holbrooke recently said that Washington will move away from emphasizing the eradication of opium poppy to stem drug production in Afghanistan, and will instead focus on stopping trafficking, enforcing drug laws, and substituting crops. But officials in Kabul are skeptical about this strategy. More  Election Environment Improving, But Major Obstacles Remain Experts on Afghanistan came together this week at the Asia Society to discuss possible outcomes for the country's presidential election, which is scheduled for August 20. The election is viewed as a critical test of Afghanistan's fledgling democracy. Will the vote represent another step toward a stable, democratic, and peaceful Afghanistan, or a return to armed conflict over political succession? The credibility of the election process will determine how this scenario unfolds. More |
