 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 11/6/2009 6:03:37 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
 Confronting Corruption In the wake of his reelection, President Hamid Karzai is facing intense international pressure to move decisively against the corruption that affects all aspects of life in Afghanistan. But what is the scale of corruption in the country, how does it systematically undermine efforts to establish stability, and what would it take to stem the growing menace? More  Britain's Brown: Afghan Government Must Deliver British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned that Britain will not risk more lives in Afghanistan unless the new Afghan government cracks down decisively on corruption. More  Afghan Insecurity Prompts UN To Relocate International Staff The United Nations said it would relocate or evacuate more than half of its foreign staff in Afghanistan, following an attack by Taliban militants in which five foreign UN staff were killed in the capital in October. More  In Fear Of The Flu Public fears of a major outbreak of swine flu are growing in countries from Ukraine to Afghanistan. What is not clear is how many cases are actually the dreaded H1N1 strain, and whether fears of a pandemic are justified. More  In Second Term, Karzai Faces Immense Task President Hamid Karzai has vowed to form a government that will include all Afghans. But to form a workable government -- one that can deliver security and economic prosperity to Afghans, reconciliation with the Taliban insurgency, and a recalibration of the country's rocky relationship with the international community -- Karzai will have to overcome immense obstacles. More  Karzai's Victory And The Opportunities Lost What has transpired in Afghanistan begs a key question. In a situation where popular support for the war and reconstruction aid is already dwindling in most NATO member states, can support for the "necessary evil" of Hamid Karzai be maintained when the lives of NATO soldiers are at stake, and given the huge financial cost? More  Karzai Vows To Remove 'Stain' Of Afghan Corruption Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to form a government that would include all Afghans after securing a second five-year term in office. He also pledged to eradicate what he called "the stain" of corruption in Afghanistan. More  U.S. Weighs Working With Local Militias In Afghanistan Can local forces help turn the tide against the Taliban? Washington is looking at that possibility as it weighs a new strategy for Afghanistan. The model is the success of tribal forces in marginalizing Al-Qaeda in Iraq. But many Afghans say turning to local militias can be a risky business. We look at why in this second of a two-part series on local militias in Afghanistan. More  Analysis: With Uncertainty Comes Opportunity Karzai has been presented with an opportunity to pull off his political rebirth. His first task will be to reach out to Abdullah and other political opponents so that political friction won’t morph into violence. He can also potentially turn a page in his relationship with the international community. More  An Afghan District Raises Its Own Militia For eight years since the U.S.-aided toppling of the Taliban, the residents of the Qala-i-Zal district of Konduz Province have relied on Afghan government forces for security. Now, with a resurgent Taliban, worried local officials have taken matters into their own hands. More  Trade Could Be Key For Afghanistan And Entire Region Both U.S. General Stanley McChrystal and President Barack Obama have affirmed the need for "economic" and "governance" measures in Afghanistan. They're right, of course. Without them Washington's stated goals -- to destroy Al-Qaeda and cripple the Taliban -- remain purely negative and not compelling to most Afghans, to the countries neighboring Afghanistan, or even to its NATO allies. But what are these "economic" and "governance" measures? More |
