Dispatches from the Field: Perspectives on the Afghanistan Conflict

The Green Valley of Panjshir — Afghanistan's Secure Province

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:27:12 +0000

This article was submitted by a consultant in working Afghanistan.

Remnants of war — mines, unexploded ordinance, discarded machinery — blight Afghanistan. Soviet, American and NATO/ISAF hardware, not to mention the motley military flotsam of the Afghan civil war, dot the landscape. But in at least one part of the country Afghans have put the detritus of war to good work.

How do the Taliban deal with their combat casualties?

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:06:45 +0000

By Robert Karniol

A couple of months back I rang the Pentagon press office with a few questions centred on a basic theme: How do the Taliban deal with their combat casualties?

Many years ago I spent some time in the field with Cambodian guerrillas fighting to end the Vietnamese occupation, in the process learning something of their medical services. Our group of about a hundred fighters had two field medics, peasant boys with some three months of training supplemented by a bit of time at the civilian hospital in a border refugee camp.

Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration - Re-visited

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:05:57 +0000

By Richard Scarth (in Duabi)

What Development Looks Like

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:59:04 +0000

Name:

Scott Bohlinger

By Scott Bohlinger (in Afghanistan)

About two years ago I drove from Taluqan to Fayzabad in the remote northeast of Afghanistan. It took 6-8 hours to cover a distance of 170km. Across the river from the dirt track that served as the road, work crews were engaged in the seemingly ceaseless and impossible task of blasting and digging away at the mountains which hindered the desired course of the road.

Report highlights challenges, contradictions of negotiating with the Taliban

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:59:52 +0000

Name:

Jesse Hembruff

By Jesse Hembruff (in Waterloo)

As the war in Afghanistan continues, leaders are taking the view that a negotiated settlement with the Taliban will be necessary for long-term stability in Afghanistan. However, despite nearly ten years of fighting, the organizational structure of the Taliban remains opaque, with important implications for the negotiation process.

The Government Should Start to Govern

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:40:59 +0000

Name:

Scott Bohlinger

By Scott Bohlinger (in Afghanistan)

On a hot day in London I had look back at the building from which I had just emerged to make sure it hadn't been the Iranian embassy, which is right around the corner. Why? A number of applicants and myself had just been treated with an astounding degree of unprofessionalism in the rejection of our visas by the Afghan embassy. This episode reminded me of why I agree with one element of NATO's Afghanistan strategy, the withdrawal timetable.

With 95% of the Country Insecure, The Prospects for the Parliamentary Elections Look Grim

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:17:33 +0000

Name:

Nasim Fekrat

By Nasim Fekrat (in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)

Fresh Allegations Against Karzai

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:58:30 +0000

Name:

Nasim Fekrat

By Nasim Fekrat (in Afghanistan)

Afghanistan Descends even Deeper into Chaos as Two Top Officials Resign

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:00:25 +0000

Name:

Asma Nemati

By Asma Nemati (in Kabul)

Sunday’s baffling resignations of Interior Minister Hanif Atmar and Amrullah Saleh, head of the National Directorate of Security, shocked and worried Afghans, not to mention high-ranking foreign military officials and the international diplomatic community.

New Counter-Insurgency Strategy, Same Results

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:53:12 +0000

Name:

Anand Gopal

By Anand Gopal (in Afghanistan)