 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 1/15/2010 5:34:03 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
 Accord On Transit Of Military Cargo Fails To Get Off The Ground In July, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama signed an agreement that would allow the United States to transit lethal military cargo via Russian airspace to Afghanistan. Six months later, it appears that much-touted agreement has produced very few tangible results. More  Kabul's Taliban Reconciliation Strategy Gains Momentum Weeks before world leaders gather for a major conference on Afghanistan in London, efforts to develop a comprehensive strategy for reconciling with Taliban militants are gaining steam. Reconciliation with the insurgents dominated a security summit in Abu Dhabi on January 12 and head the agenda of U.S. special regional envoy Richard Holbrooke during his ongoing trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan. More  Popularity Boost Opens Door For Karzai Cabinet Maneuvers A new survey has concluded that Hamid Karzai's popularity is soaring among Afghans, and it could happen at a better time for the newly reelected president. More  Video: Afghan Refugees In Iran Speak Out The group interviewed Afghan members of an Iran-based theater group, asking them what they remember about home country. The video also addresses the complications of living in Iran, a country that retains strong memories of the Iran-Iraq war in the late 1980s. More  Karzai Unveils Cabinet Picks The list excludes prominent warlords and keeps nominees from the Afghan president's inner circle to a minimum. But it's an uphill climb. More  U.S. Contractors Back In Spotlight In Iraq, Afghanistan The legal fortunes of private security personnel engaged in U.S. war efforts took decidedly different turns this week. But separate cases involving contractors working in Afghanistan and Iraq had at least one thing in common: They combined to heighten concerns over Washington's use of nonmilitary personnel to help fight its battles. More  Eide Warns Of 'Negative Trends' In Afghanistan Outgoing UN envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide has told the UN Security Council that many of the problems that country faced years ago remain, boosting resentment of the foreign presence in the country. More  Do Afghan Cabinet Rejections Mark Decline Of Warlord Power? Since the Afghan parliament rejected some cabinet nominees with ties to regional strongmen, President Hamid Karzai is reportedly under pressure to renominate their choices. Many Afghans, however, seem optimistic that the rejection is a sign that the influence such powerbrokers is in decline. More |
