Marine Corps Female Engagement Teams

The Marine Corps has deployed Female Engagement Teams in their area of operations.  Read more on these unique Marines in "Female engagement team refreshes their training", DVIDS Net, January 14, 2011.

Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan Climbs Despite Efforts

The anti-drug campaign in Afghanistan is not making progress.  In fact, the situation has gotten worse.  Coalition forces are focusing on fighting the Taliban, farmers are making money growing the crop, and warlords, corrupt government bureaucrats and the extended Karzai family continue to get rich.  Afghanistan produces 85 % of the opium in the world.  Stopping the poppy growing has been somewhat successful in the northern and eastern provinces where security is better than in the south and west of Afghanistan where the Taliban rule the countryside.  Read more in "As opium prices soar and allies focus on Taliban, Afghan drug war stumbles", The Washington Post, January 14, 2010.

Afghanistan Amnesty Deals Not Successful in 2010

Amnesty deals (or reintegration) in Afghanistan have not been successful in the past year.  The military would like to pull middle- and low-ranking Taliban fighters from the insurgency and reintegrate them into Afghan society but it isn't working as planned.  Less than 800 fighters have signed up for the plan - just a fraction of the 30,000 Taliban fighting against the corrupt Afghan government and coalition military troops. Read more in "A Year in, Amnesty Deal Lures Only 3 Percent of Taliban", Wired.com Danger Room, January 3, 2011.

Paedophilia - or "Bache Bazi" A Common Practice in Afghanistan

People from across the world are different.  What is acceptable in one society is looked down upon in another.  The liberal attitudes about women accepted in western societies are condemned in Muslim societies.  Western films, pornographic materials such as Playboy magazines, and other instances where the nudity of women is freely displayed is widely disparaged in some Muslim nations.  There are aspects of some cultures in the Middle East and South Central Asia that bother westerners - such as the treatment of women.  One of the more upsetting instances of Afghan culture is that of the "Bache Bazi" sometimes called "boy play".  Read more in "Paedophilia culturally accepted in south Afghanistan", The Telegraph, January 14, 2011.

Difficulties of Working with the Afghan Police

There are difficulties in working with the Afghan National Police (ANP).  Many are illiterate and corrupt.  Some are untrained and ill-equipped.  Very few meet the standards of a western-style police force.  Yet our troops are expected to train them, patrol with them, and get them to do their job.  A difficult task at best.  The link below takes you to a new report that shows just how frustrating this job can be.  See "The Afghan Diaries: How to Get the Police to Respond", Time.com, January 13, 2011.

A Video Captures the Fog of War in Afghanistan

The Afghan populace gets caught in the middle.  The Taliban intimidates them for money and support.  Afghan government and coalition troops look upon the Afghans as either passive about the insurgency or supporters of the Taliban. Certainly there are instances where an innocent Afghan is killed by the coalition forces accidentally. This does not bode well for the support of that Afghan's family or village. See how the fog of war can lead to the killing of civilians.  Check out "The Fog of War in Kandahar", CBS News, January 13, 2011.

Offensive in Kandahar (Operation Omid) Was Costly in Terms of Property of Afghan Villagers

The offensive in Kandahar over the past several months was costly in terms of property damage.  The estimates of how much property damage is widely disputed.  Read more on this in "Afghan Panel and U.S. Dispute War's Toll on Property", The New York Times, January 13, 2011.

Should General Petraeus Get a Fifth Star?

General Petraeus is recognized as the best-known and probably the most-respected general officer of the war on terrorism that has taken place over the past nine years.   There are some that think he deserves a fifth star.  Read more in "Current wars deserve a general ranking with the best from WWII, vets say", CNN Politics, January 13, 2011.

The Longest War by Peter Bergen

A new book is out about the war between America and al-Qaeda by Peter Bergen.  It is entitled "The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda".  Peter Bergen is a national security analyst for CNN.  A description of the book is below in quotes.

"At nearly a decade and counting, and with tens of thousands of American troops still at war in Afghanistan and Iraq--and with Osama bin Laden still at large--we remain well within the post-9/11 era, almost to the point where we take its conditions for granted. Many of the aspects of the ongoing, often indirect battles between America and al-Qaeda have been well covered, but there hasn't until now been a full overview of the conflict, and few are more qualified to write it than Peter Bergen, the print and television journalist who, as a CNN producer, arranged bin Laden's first interview with the Western press in 1997. He has been on the story ever since, as the author of Holy War, Inc., and The Osama bin Laden I Know, but in The Longest War he synthesizes his knowledge for the first time into an insightful portrait of both sides in this asymmetrical struggle between superpower and shadowy scourge. Readers of reporters like Lawrence Wright, Thomas Ricks, and Bob Woodward will be familiar with much of the story, especially on the American side, but Bergen's rare understanding of bin Laden's world--often based on personal interviews with present and former jihadists--along with his sharp assessments of each side's successes and failures (he considers the 9/11 attacks to have been more of a failure than a success for their perpetrators), make it necessary reading for anyone wanting to understand our times." 

The book is available at Amazon.com.  The link below will take you to more information about the book and provide you the ability to purchase the book online.
The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda

Critics of Arbakai (or ALP) in the North of Afghanistan

Segments of the media continue to post stories of abuse by militia groups operating in the north of Afghanistan.  The target of their criticism are the militias or "arbakai" that are abusing the population and running amok with no accountability to government authorities.  Some critics state that the new Afghan Local Police (ALP) initiative is nothing more than a government-funded militia program.  While the coalition forces see the ALP as a method of gaining security in rural areas there is great concern that private militia armies will grow out of the program instead.  Read more in "How to Gauge Victory (in the North)", Registan.net, January 12, 2011.

Experienced Afghan Inspector General for SIGAR Desired by U.S. Lawmakers

Lawmakers are looking for a competent Inspector General to oversee the billions of dollars spent in Afghanistan. 

"The White House has not started floating candidates to lead the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction office, but lawmakers and aides already are devising a list of qualifications for the high-profile post vacated on Monday by Arnold Fields.

Fields, a former Marine Corps two-star general who had led the office since its creation in 2008, resigned amid a push by a bipartisan group of senators who have blasted him for nearly two years for incompetence and mismanagement.

As the SIGAR, Fields was the top government official charged with investigating waste, fraud, and abuse in Afghanistan. With pressure mounting for his resignation, Fields last week made major changes to his office, including firing two officials who oversaw investigations and audits."

Read the rest of the article in "Lawmakers seek more experienced Afghan inspector general", Government Executive, January 11, 2011.

Canadians Prepare for the Big Move out of Afghanistan

Canada is withdrawing from Afghanistan.  The huge task is the subject of a recent news article.  See "Afghan pullout like moving a very large village, Canadian official says", The Gazette, January 9, 2011.

Counterinsurgency Manual FM 3-24 (December 2006)

For those of you who are interested in the field of counterinsurgency (and if you are deployed or deploying to Afghanistan you certainly would be) the Army has its field manual online and accessible.  FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency (or MCWP 3-33.5) was published in December 2006.  See the link below:

http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/coin/repository/FM_3-24.pdf

Literacy Program on Radio Targeted for Afghan Women

A unique literacy program is being launched in Afghanistan that will offer reading lessons over the radio.  This, of course, is a novel approach; however, the people putting it together seem to have a good method of delivering the lessons.  Read more in "New radio program to help Afghans learn to read", Stars and Stripes, January 11, 2011.

Soldier Provides Insight to Operations in Charikar, Afghanistan - 194th Field Artillery

The commander of the 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (Iowa Army National Guard) has provided info via letter to a local newspaper on the type of work his unit is doing while deployed to Afghanistan.  Among other duties his unit assists the Parwan Operational Coordination Center Provincial (OCC-P) in the coordination of the Afghanistan Security Forces (ANSF) in that region.  Read more in "Iowa soldier offers Afghanistan update", Messenger News, January 9, 2011.

Some British Forces Now Working in Maiwand District of Kandahar Province

The Household Cavalry are now working in Maiwand District of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan.  Read more in "British troops move out of Helmand", The Guardian, January 7, 2011.

How to Leave Afghanistan? The Answer According to Ahmed Rashid - Negotiate with Taliban

A interesting article by Ahmed Rashid has been posted on The New York Review of Books website on how to end the war in Afghanistan.  Rashid is the author of a few books about the Afghan conflict to include Taliban and Descent into Chaos.

In his article Rashid addresses the impact of the recent parliamentary elections, the rise of influence of the non-Pashtun ethnic groups, and the growing wealth and independence of the north of Afghanistan from the central government.  He also presents the challenges to resolving the war citing problems associated with an un-trained Afghan army and police force, lack of government presence in some provinces (especially at the district level), the drug trade, a corrupt central government, the influence of Pakistan and Iran, and negotiations with the Taliban.  He concludes his article amplifying the last point - how to conduct negotiations for an end to the Afghan conflict with ten recommendations.  Read the article at "The Way Out of Afghanistan", The New York Review of Books, December 16, 2010.

Members of Afghan Local Police (ALP) Working With Special Forces Team Killed by NATO Airstrike

Three members of an Afghan Local Police (ALP) element were killed when targeted by a NATO airstrike this past Sunday.  The members of the ALP were on a patrol with the intent of linking up with a local Special Forces team when they were targeted by the airstrike.  Read more in "NATO Strike Kills 3 Afghan Policemen", The New York Times, January 11, 2011.

Netherlands to Provide 545 Personnel for Afghan Police Training Mission

The Netherlands will provide a contingent of 545 personnel for an Afghan National Police (ANP) training mission.  Read more in "Netherlands agrees Afghanistan training mission", Google Hosted News, January 7, 2011.

Afghanistan - Cultural and Political History - Book by Thomas Barfield

Many military members getting ready for deployment to Afghanistan have been reading a book by Thomas Barfield entitled Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton University Press, April 18, 2010).  Barfield is an anthropologist and is considered an "old hand" in regards to Afghanistan.  His book is said to provide a good frame of reference of what Afghan society is and to provide a primer for those who are going to be working in or making decisions about Afghanistan.




Here is a description of the book (as seen on the Amazon.com website): 

"Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today.

Thomas Barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, explaining what unites them as Afghans despite the regional, cultural, and political differences that divide them. He shows how governing these peoples was relatively easy when power was concentrated in a small dynastic elite, but how this delicate political order broke down in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when Afghanistan's rulers mobilized rural militias to expel first the British and later the Soviets. Armed insurgency proved remarkably successful against the foreign occupiers, but it also undermined the Afghan government's authority and rendered the country ever more difficult to govern as time passed. Barfield vividly describes how Afghanistan's armed factions plunged the country into a civil war, giving rise to clerical rule by the Taliban and Afghanistan's isolation from the world. He examines why the American invasion in the wake of September 11 toppled the Taliban so quickly, and how this easy victory lulled the United States into falsely believing that a viable state could be built just as easily.

Afghanistan is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how a land conquered and ruled by foreign dynasties for more than a thousand years became the "graveyard of empires" for the British and Soviets, and what the United States must do to avoid a similar fate."

Click on the link below for more information about the book:

Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics)

Counterinsurgency Training Center in Afghanistan to Change Focus

The Counterinsurgency Training Center in Afghanistan has a new focus - shifting training directed at coalition troops to Afghan security forces. 

"Established May 2007, the Counterinsurgency Training Center Afghanistan focused on training coalition forces in Afghanistan.  The CTC-A held a monthly Counterinsurgency Leaders Course to train coalition forces in COIN. The CTC-A would also send out Mobile Training Teams to train a two- to four-day COIN Priority of Instructions to groups out in the regions, when requested. Effectively the CTC-A was training 75 percent coalition forces and 25 percent Afghan National Security Force.

Curriculum was developed and adapted using an observe, learn and adapt method. The CTC-A observed International Security Assistance Force guidance, ANSF numbers, and in-theatre training requirements. The CTC-A learned what the Afghan National Army Training Center was doing and conducted after action reviews with former trainees to see what parts of the CTC-A’s training were useful. With this knowledge the CTC-A then adapted what they were training to who and where they were training them. The CTC-A functioned this way until September of 2010, when the commander of ISAF instructed the CTC-A to start focusing more on ANSF as opposed to training coalition forces".

Read more of the article in "New Focus for Counterinsurgency Training Center Afghanistan", NTM-A, January 8, 2011.

Work Schemes Help Keep Zahri District of Kandahar Safe

Along with military operations to clear the Taliban forces operating in rural areas - the coalition is using work schemes where the local population can work on development projects and earn money.  It is hoped that this will help turn the tide in the counterinsurgency fight.  Read more about this work scheme in Zahri District of Kandahar in "US troops wage war with cash in Afghanistan", Google Hosted News, January 10, 2011.

Taliban Joining ALP in Northern Afghanistan

Recent reports indicate that the Taliban are being allowed to join the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in northern Afghanistan.  Reports vary on the actual numbers - depends on which news article you read.  A recent military press conference indicates there is less than a handful - but other press reports are more critical of the situation.  Here is one online posting that is critical of the plan of reintegration of Taliban into local militias or ALP.  See "For a Handful of Dollars: Taleban allowed to join ALP", Afghanistan Analysts Network, January 9, 2011.

The Battle for Marjah - A Documentary by HBO to Air February 17, 2011

The Battle for Marjah is a documentary that will air on HBO on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. EST.  The feature will run 84 minutes and highlights the fierce battle for the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in southern Afghanistan.  Learn more about the battle of Marjah.

Heroes of the Age by David B. Edwards - a Look at Afghan Society and Culture

A book published in 1996 and wrote by David B. Edwards provides us with his view of the reason for much of the turmoil in Afghanistan.  He advances the notion that Afghanistan, a country with artificial borders imposed upon it by others, is comprised of people with conflicting values compounded by differences in religions.

Heroes of the Age: Moral Fault Lines on the Afghan Frontier (Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies)

U.S. Special Forces Team Provides Safety to Mixed-Marriage Couple in Oruzgan Province

A recently-married couple from different tribes (Pashtun and Hazara) of the Oruzgan Province area has sparked an ethnic conflict that has caused two deaths, families leaving their homes under threats, and the attention of the Karzai government and a Special Forces detachment in the local area.  The relatives of the Pashtun bride are displeased with the marriage and the bride feels her family wants to kill her to restore the families "honor".  Read more in "Please save us, say blood-feud lovers", Sunday Herald Sun, January 9, 2011.

Private Security Firms Still on Chopping Block in Afghanistan

The Afghan government is still trying to limit the number of private security companies operating in Afghanistan.  The official stance is that the Afghan security forces should be performing these duties and that the private security outfits are many times just local militias.  Unfortunately, the Afghan police are just not trained for the job, are corrupt, and will not do an adequate job of protecting the coalition bases and aid projects that require security.  Read more in "Afghan officials discuss private security firms", Forbes.com, January 6, 2011.

Alokozia Tribe of Sangin Area Responding to Tribal Engagement Efforts

Much is being made of the recent overtures of the Alokozia tribe of the Sangin area of southern Afghanistan to start working with the Afghan government and coalition forces.  On the surface this might seem like a great idea and a remedy for some of the conflict in the area; however, it gets complicated real quick when you look at the historical context and inter-tribal relations of the past.  Read an enlightening article on this topic in "Watershed tribal engagement in Sangin?", The Long War Journal Blog, January 6, 2011.

Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) Receive Training from Marines

Members of the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) recently received training from the Police Advisory Team of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines in Musa Qal'eh, Afghanistan.  Read more in "Afghan police learn advanced tactics", DVIDS, January 2011.

Afghan Border Patrol (ABP) Get K-9 Dog Training

The Afghan Border Patrol (ABP) is receiving training in utilizing K-9 dogs to search for explosives at airports and other critical locations.  Several dog handlers and dogs have just finished with an intensive six-month dog handler training program.  Read more in "The Human is Very Clever, but the Dog is Much More Clever", NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, January 9, 2011.

More Marines to be Sent to Afghanistan

There are plans to send an additional 1,400 Marines to Afghanistan to consolidate gains made on the ground in areas around Kandahar. Read more in "US sends in the marines to Afghanistan", The Australian, January 8, 2011.

Wounded Evacuations in Afghanistan Improves

Survival rates for wounded Soldiers have improved dramatically thanks to more medevac helicopter crews and improved medical procedures.  Read more in "In Afghan War, More Equipment Helps Raise Survival Rate of Wounded", The New York Times, January 8, 2011.

$20 Billon spent in 2010 and 2011 for Afghan Training

A recent news article provides some details on the amount of money spent or that will be spent in two years for the Afghan security forces.  See "$20 billon over 2 years for Afghan training", The Washington Post, January 5, 2011.

Ghulam Haider Hamidi of Afghanistan

A mayor of a major city in Afghanistan talks about the difficulties of pleasing everyone and staying safe.  Some say he is corrupt and a tool for the Karzai famly; others see him as an idealist who will not accomplish much.  See "Corrupt leaders trump Taliban", The Washington Post, January 6, 2011.

Taliban Numbers Not Diminished Despite Afghan Surge

The number of Taliban fighters has not diminished significantly despite the surge of 30,000 additional troops in Afghanistan over the past year.  Although the leadership of the Taliban has suffered some losses it has not affected the overall strength of the Taliban according to a recent news article.  See "Taliban strength unaffected by allied surge", The Washington Post, January 6, 2010.

IEDs and Afghan Villagers

IEDs are a constant source of death and injury for coalition troops fighting in Afghanistan.  What frustrates these troops are the Afghan villagers who know who plants the killing IEDs yet do not inform the coalition troops who suffer the losses. Learn more about this complex situation in "Fear of Taliban keeps villagers from reporting IEDs", The Gazette, January 6, 2010.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) Defend Villagers in Chamkani Area of Afghanistan

The Afghan Local Police (ALP) in Chamkani, Afghanistan successfully defended a village threatened by Taliban forces.  See "ALP Drive Off Insurgents in Chamkani", ISAF, January 3, 2010.

Sean Mulholland Briefs from Afghanistan

COL Sean Mulholland (with MG Hans-Werner Fritz) conducted a briefing on current operations from Regional Command North (RC-North) in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan on January 4, 2011.  Covered in the interview are topics related to the Afghan Local Police (ALP) and Afghan Peace and Reconciliation Program (APRP) among others.
http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4745

Defining Success in Afghanistan - American Enterprise Institute (Kagan)

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Institute for the Study of War has published a paper (almost 40 pages) on how to define success in Afghanistan. The paper, wrote by Frederick and Kimberly Kagan (with assistance from other contributors such as Carl Forsberg), provides a perspective on the conflict not always depicted in the mainstream media and helps to define what our goals and objectives in the Afghan War are (or should be).  It starts with a situation update, states the present strategy is working and that we should continue it.  There are several maps to aid the reader.  An excerpt from the paper introduction is below: 

"Success in Afghanistan is the establishment of a political order, security situation, and indigenous security force that is stable, viable, enduring, and able--with greatly reduced international support--to prevent Afghanistan from being a safe haven for international terrorists. The current American and Coalition strategy is making progress and should be continued. Since President Obama, NATO allies, and the Afghans have agreed that troops will be present in Afghanistan through 2014, the policy does not require substantial modifications at this point. This paper is thus primarily a report on the current situation in Afghanistan and a consideration of some of the prospects and challenges ahead. Our principal recommendation is that the U.S. and its allies should continue to resource and sustain the strategy now being executed, which is the only approach that can secure their vital national security interests in Afghanistan."

You can read more about the paper or navigate to a link to read or download the paper (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 40 pages, 13 MBs) at the AEI website by following the link below.  It is a big file - probably because of the maps.

http://www.aei.org/paper/100184

Upcoming Afghanistan Unit Rotations

The Department of Defense announced today major units to deploy as part of upcoming rotations of forces operating in Afghanistan.  The announcement involves two headquarters totaling 1,600 personnel and two infantry brigade combat teams totaling 6,800 personnel.  The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in early 2011 and continue through the fall of 2011.

            Headquarters units:
            1st Cavalry Division Headquarters, Fort Hood, Texas.
            82nd Airborne Division Headquarters, Fort Bragg, N.C.

            Infantry Brigade Combat Teams:
            170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Baumholder, Germany.
            172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Grafenwoehr and Schweinfurt, Germany.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14086

Interview of General David Richards - UK Chief of Defence Staff

The United Kingdom Chief of Defence Staff - General David Richards - was recently interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) about the Afghanistan War.  See "Richards: Time to Turn Afghan War Around is Now", NPR, January 6, 2011.

1-22 Infantry in Afghanistan

A writer for TIME is following the deployment of the 1-22 Infantry in Afghanistan.  The unit is in southern Afghanistan and is working with the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP).  Read his article in "The Afghan Diaries: The Long Blooding of the 1-22 Infantry", TIME, January 5, 2010.

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) active in Northern Afghanistan

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is an al-Qaeda linked terrorist organization active in both Uzbekistan and northern Afghanistan. ISAF has been successfully targeting this organizations leadership.  Read more in "ISAF continues to target IMU leaders in the Afghan north", The Long War Journal, December 30, 2010.

District Support Teams (DST) in Afghanistan Making a Difference

District Support Teams (DST) are operating throughout Afghanistan.  The goal of these DSTs is to help Afghan government officials at the district level to establish civic improvements and increase government services to the Afghan population.  Projects include clean water, medical facilities, and formation of the Afghan Local Police (ALP).  Read about one DST located in Paktya Province.  See "Civil Affairs Soldiers, district support teams partner with GIRoA for progress", CJTF 101.com, December 18, 2010.

Comments on Wanat Battle Report: Don't Rely on Technology

A lot of commentary has ensued with the release of the Army's version of the Wanat battle in Afghanistan.  Some comments pertain to the over-reliance on technology.  See "Lesson From Wanat: Don't Rely on Tech", DefenseTech, December 30, 2010.

Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan

With the entrance into a new year many critics of the war in Afghanistan will renew their calls for the withdrawal in Afghanistan.  One such critic, Doug Bandow -a Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute - has analyzed what we are trying to accomplish in Afghanistan and determined we do not need to be there.  He says our original objectives of destroying al Qaeda elements in Afghanistan and punishing the Taliban for hosting al Qaeda have been accomplished - early on in the war.  He sees no real need to stay and cites a body count of 1,369 Americans in 2010 as unnecessary.  Read his article in "Dying for What in Afghanistan?", The Huffington Post, January 1, 2010.  Read more news on the Afghanistan War.

Leaving the Pech River Valley to the Taliban

The military decision-makers in Afghanistan will be soon deciding on what to do with the Pech River Valley.  Some say the valley is not important while others say we need to secure it as it is a transit area for Taliban supplies and individuals.  Read more in "Abandon Pech to Save It (And Ourselves)", Registan.net, December 27, 2010.

An Insurmountable Battle in Afghanistan

The chief correspondent of The Sydney Morning Herald has wrote an opinion piece on the war in Afghanistan.  Although he recognizes that the military has obtained some tactical gains in the south he points out that two crucial factors will offset those tactical gains.  The first is Pakistan's refusal to go after the Taliban that use the sanctuaries along the border in Pakistan.  The second is the Afghan population's refusal to support a corrupt and inefficient central government in Kabul.  Read his article in "Obama faces insurmountable battle in Afghanistan" published on December 20, 2010.

Return of a Tribal Leader to Zalakhan Village, Kandahar Province

An influential village leader has returned from exile to a newly secured village in southern Afghanistan.  Read more in "Afghan leader's return shows power balance has shifted", The Vancouver Sun, December 30, 2010.

Analysis of the Afghan Election in Ghazni and Elsewhere in Afghanistan

A thoughtful analysis of the recent Afghan election and the troublesome situation in Ghazni where election results are being contested is provided by an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.  The author, Vikash Yadav, works on issues of sovereignty, security and identity in South Asia. Read his blog post on the topic of elections, religion, and ethnicity in Afghanistan in "The Election Crisis and Ethnocracy", Afghan Notebook, December 30, 2010.