Afghanistan

To really understand an international political issue or situation, knowledge of the local geography is necessary. A presentation I saw a few years back by an American marine who served in Afghanistan showcased that no modern technology, weapon, tactic, etc. could completely supplant the axiom that ‘Geography is destiny’. It is for this reason I […]

David Miliband: Do you think President Hamid Karzi will be able to provide a stable situation in Afghanistan with his new cabinet? Mr President Hamid Karzi has possessed presidential election through corruption. Do you think he will be able to eliminate corruption from the country itself ?  Do you think Mr Karzi has education, health, […]

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, watch this Irishman named Patrick speak his mind on the current American strategy and presence in Afghanistan and the lack of media coverage of the war: Kennedy does a more than fair job offering a critique of the American presence in Afghanistan and President Obama’s counterinsurgency/Drone attack strategy. But […]

We at the Foreign Policy Association welcome new blogger for Afghanistan, Tahera Nassrat. I, in particular, am very excited to have her expertise and unique perspective brought to this blog. Here is more about Tahera, our new blogger: Tahera was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She finished her primary education in Kabul and higher education in […]

Government, After collapse of Taliban regime, Afghanistan first democratic presidential election took place in October 2004. Hamid Karzai has been elected as president of Afghanistan. Ten million Afghans, more than a third of the country, registered to vote, including more than 40% of eligible women. Karzai was declared the winner in November, taking 55% of […]

Or should I say, ‘Continue!’ When it comes to the geopolitical game, Afghanistan President Karzai, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, and US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates are more than willing to let the dice roll. Gates got to go first, when he made an unannounced visit to Kabul earlier in the week, and was followed by […]

Foreign Policy Association’s Water’s Edge series currently features an article by Daniel Widome analyzing President Obama’s surge strategy by taking a closer look into the Marja offensive and recent arrests of high ranking Taliban members inside of Pakistan. Here’s an excerpt: Taken together, the operation in Marja and the arrests in Pakistan could signal an […]

When it comes to prognosticating, the most dangerous game political scientists play (game theory can be quite scary though), about Afghanistan’s future, you could do a lot worse than Central Asian analysts Joshua Foust and Ahmed Rashid. In two recent pieces, Foust in the New York Times and Rashid in a lecture in Philadelphia, each […]

Following the current events in Afghanistan is not for the faint of heart, but one specific recurring story is by far the most distressing for me: The continuous attacks on education facilities, teachers, and most appalling, students by extremists. While modern Afghanistan has never been home to a strong educational system, ever since the Taliban […]

It is now the 10th day of what Gen. Petraeus called the ‘initial salvo’ of the mission in the former (can we call it that?) Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province. The fighting has been been fierce, yet sporadic, as reports of American soldier, Afghan army, and civilian deaths slowly roll in (Here’s a video of […]

The Dutch Christian-Democrat, Christian Union, and Labor Party coalition-led government has collapsed and it seems likely that a national election is in the offing. What does this has to with Afghanistan? Well, one of the major reasons for the collapse of the Parliamentary partnership was the Netherlands troop presence in Afghanistan’s volatile southern Uruzgan province. […]

Foreign Policy Magazine has produced some memorable photos documenting the Marja offensive: Check out more here.