Sunday, November 26, 2017

Afghan News Snippets




The UK Experience in the Afghan Counter Narcotics Mission. In a very informative article, David Mansfield - a Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics, provides a history of the United Kingdom's involvement in the counter narcotics campaign in Afghanistan. Read "The Rise of Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan: When will too much be enough?", Hurst Publishers, November 15, 2017.

ICC, War Crimes, U.S. Military, and CIA. The International Criminal Court is going ahead with plans to launch a full investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan that may involve U.S. military members and operatives of the Central Intelligence Agency. One aspect of the investigation will involve the 'secret detention centers in Afghanistan'. The US is not a member of the ICC but U.S. citizens can still be charged with crimes by the court. A big problem with the investigation is that the reporting on the very small number of war crimes that might have been done by U.S. personnel will likely overshadow the huge and significant war crimes conducted by the Taliban over the past several years.  (Deusche Welle, Nov 20, 2017).

Vacationing in Afghanistan Soon? Are you considering a holiday trip to South Asia? The folks at NATO Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (NSOCC-A) have a superb retreat in the countryside just outside of Kabul. Read "Vacation Rental: Private Room in Cozy Camp, Experience Authentic Afghanistan", Task and Purpose, November 21, 2017.

Bootlegging Alcohol. The European Union is investigating reports that wine and spirits were smuggled out of the EU compound and sold on Kabul's black market. Hmmmm. (Tolo News, Nov 20, 2017).

"The Lost Troop". The author of a short story about a U.S. unit in Afghanistan is interviewed by The New Yorker, November 20, 2017.

Peace Conference in Bamyan. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) organized an event that brought religious leaders together in support of efforts to build a culture of tolerance and non-violence in Afghanistan. (Eurasia Review, Nov 21, 2017).

Afghan Economy Growing. The World Bank says that Afghanistan's economy will likely see a 2.6 percent growth this year. (Reuters, Nov 21, 2017).


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