Despite some measures of progress following the Taliban’s fall from power in late 2001, Afghan women and girls continue to suffer brutal acts of violence and inequality, according to a United Nations (UN) report released today. The 18-page document, entitled “The Situation of Women and Girls in Afghanistan” stated, “In the absence of an effective […]
Karzai Urges US to Remember Afghanistan
At a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai testified on post-conflict Afghanistan. Karzai stated, “Whatever the United States does in Iraq it should not reduce its attention to Afghanistan.” Karzai also listed his priorities, which include more funding for reconstruction, the Afghan National Army, and for Afghanistan’s budget. In […]
Afghanistan: German Peacekeepers May Leave if US War with Iraq Erupts
German Defense Minister Peter Struck told reporters Friday that civilians and German peacekeeping troops serving in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) might evacuate Afghanistan should a US-led war with Iraq erupt. A German government report warned that Western security and aid groups will face increasing hostilities from Afghan forces harboring anti-Western sentiments that will […]
Afghanistan: Command of Peacekeeping Troops Switches to Germans and Dutch
Command of international peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan transferred from Turkey to Germany and the Netherlands today, reported Reuters. Under the leadership of German Lt. Gen. Norbert van Heyst, the 22-nation, 4,800-member International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will include 2,500 German and 700 Dutch troops. On Saturday, German Defense Minister Peter Struck called for NATO to […]
Afghanistan: Criticism Builds as Possible War with Iraq Looms
UN officials are growing increasingly concerned that a war with Iraq could have severe consequences on humanitarian efforts elsewhere, particularly in Afghanistan, Angola, and the Ivory Coast, reported the BBC. Reports last month indicated that Ruud Lubbers, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, received warnings to prepare for Iraqi refugees, but “There’s not one government […]
Afghanistan: Women Learn to Drive, US to Help Fund Maternal and Child Health Programs
Twelve women in Kabul took driving tests Saturday, marking the first time since 1992 women have been permitted to drive in Afghanistan. The tests followed four months of preparation and training–offered by the German aid agency Medica Mondiale. One of the students, Giti Negbin told the BBC, “It’s so that we can solve our problems […]
Afghanistan Joins ICC, Stability Remains Key Concern
Afghanistan today announced its decision to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), signaling the government’s increased efforts to weaken the power of feuding warlords, reported the Reuters English News Service. Alluding to repeated human rights violations committed by opposing warlord factions, Presidential spokesman Sayed Fazi Akbar told Reuters English, “Based on the evidence delivered to […]
War in Iraq Could Increase Violence in Afghanistan
The commander of the international peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan issued a warning today that a US-led war in Iraq could mean increased terrorism in Afghanistan, according to the Washington Post. Major General Hilmi Akin Zorlu of Turkey, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), told the Post that “if there is a war in […]
Security Remains Key Concern in Afghanistan
For the first time in seven months, a US soldier was killed Saturday by enemy fire in Afghanistan, once again demonstrating the urgent need for greater security in the region. This past weekend, a US Special Operations soldier was injured by an exploding grenade in Kunar province; on Saturday, gun fighting erupted in Kandahar and […]
Donors Pledge $1.24 Billion to Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda Still Active
The United Nations (UN) issued a report yesterday stating that al-Qaeda has set up new training camps in eastern Afghanistan. The UN group that monitors financing links with al-Qaeda stated that new camps have been activated along the Pakistani border, and they called on the international community for stronger and more coordinated efforts to battle […]
Bonn Summit Convenes Despite Unstable Conditions in Afghanistan
Amidst continued fighting between warring factions in western Afghanistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday underscored his nation’s struggle to achieve self-sufficiency and broader security, appealing for increased international assistance to strengthen security throughout the country. Karzai’s statements were made at a one-day conference in Bonn, just one year after the signing of the historic […]
Congress Approves $3 Billion for Afghanistan
In a landmark victory for women in Afghanistan, both chambers of the US Congress passed legislation late last night that provides $3 billion in funding for humanitarian aid and expansion of international peacekeeping forces. If President Bush signs this bill into law, the women of Afghanistan could begin to emerge from the violence that has […]
One Year After Taliban, Afghanistan Still Struggling
Despite some improvements in the quality of life in Afghanistan one year after the Taliban fell, especially for women, there are still many challenges facing the war-torn country. Dr. Sima Samar, head of the Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan, also emphasized that “security is the biggest problem,” according to the Associated Press. “Yes, things are […]
US Military May Focus on Reconstruction in Afghanistan
Top-ranking Pentagon officials are talking about shifting the war on terrorism in Afghanistan toward reconstruction efforts. General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s top military officer, said that the military may need to shift its focus from military operations to more nation-building type activities, according to the Washington Post. […]
Rights Group Urges Peace Troop Expansion in Afghanistan
A major human rights group released a report yesterday outlining the continued violence and instability in Afghanistan. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, entitled “All Our Hopes Are Crushed: Violence and Repression in Western Afghanistan,” urges the expansion of the international peacekeeping forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan beyond the capitol of Kabul and into regional centers […]
Security in Afghanistan Increasingly Threatened
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday echoed statements by Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and US Army General Tommy Franks, saying that the “most serious challenge facing Afghanistan and Afghans today remains the lack of security,” according to Inter Press Service News. Early this morning, six rockets were fired at US bases in southern Afghanistan, according […]
Four More Girls’ Schools Attacked in Afghanistan
Four girls’ schools in Afghanistan were attacked this weekendÑtwo were hit by rockets and two were set on fire, Reuters reports. Damage was sustained by the schools but there were no reported injuries. All of the schools were located near the Afghan capitol of Kabul in the Wardak province. These incidents mark an escalation of […]
Troubles Persist in Afghanistan
The United Nations’ (UN) World Food Program (WFP) stated Sunday that over the next year, roughly four million Afghans will suffer from the country’s ongoing food shortage, according to Reuters. With a harsh winter expected to begin by mid-November, food delivery will be thwarted to more than one-fourth of those individuals, who reside in rural […]
Eighth Attack on Girls’ School in Afghanistan
A school for girls in Kandahar, Afghanistan, was recently hit by an explosion that injured one teacher, the Associated Press reports. This most recent bombing marks the eighth in a series of known attacks against schools for girls in Afghanistan. Hand-written pamphlets were distributed in Kandahar, the former Taliban stronghold, in April warning of violence […]
Gunmen Close Girls’ School in Afghanistan
In the seventh incident in a series of attacks on girls’ schools in Afghanistan, gunmen recently forced a school in the Wardak province that served 1,300 girls to close. The government-run newspaper, the Arman-e-Millie Daily, reported that the gunmen threatened students at the school southwest of the Afghan capitol, Kabul, according to Reuters. This attack […]