 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 1/4/2010 4:56:01 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
 Afghan Parliamentary Vote Plan Raises Concerns Afghanistan's election commission has announced that the country's parliamentary elections will be held in May this year. But with the country still stinging from a presidential contest in August that revealed significant shortfalls in its electoral processes, the government will face many of the same obstacles: violence, low turnout, voter fraud, and lack of security in rural areas. More  On The Afghan-Tajik Border, Villagers Are The Drug Lords' Pawns Drug smuggling is big business in northern Afghanistan, where one-fifth of the country's illegal exports goes across the Afghan-Tajik border. The business enriches the drug lords. But it terrifies ordinary villagers, who often become pawns in the game. More  Karzai To Submit New Cabinet Choices Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to "submit new nominees for his new cabinet within the next few days" and ordered parliamentarians to suspend their winter break soon after their rejection of most of Karzai's candidates. More  What Are The Biggest U.S. Foreign Policy Challenges? The year 2009 was a crucial one for U.S. foreign policy on Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Bosnia. RFE/RL takes a closer look at developments and challenges involving those countries in the year ahead. More  Editor Of 'Foreign Policy' On The Stories You Missed News organizations around the world have been looking at 2009's most important trends and events. RFE/RL correspondent Gregory Feifer recently sat down with Susan Glasser, executive editor of "Foreign Policy" magazine, for her perspective. More  Eight Americans, Five Canadians Killed In Afghan Attacks The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on December 30 that killed eight Americans reportedly working for the CIA at a military base in Khost Province. The attack highlights the danger that Taliban infiltration of Afghan security forces poses to the security of international troops. More  Envoy Says Russia Seeks Greater Role In Afghanistan Russia's ambassador to Kabul has told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that his country will seek to boost its role in Afghanistan and praised the recently unveiled U.S. approach to ease security and other problems there. More  Soviet Veterans Remember Afghanistan 30 Years On Thirty years ago this week, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan, launching an ill-fated, 10-year war that ended in humiliating withdrawal. The conflict helped expose the ailing state of a collapsing empire, but at least one expert believes the Soviets almost succeeded in Afghanistan. More |
