http://www.afghanistan-today.org Afghanistan Today eng In August 2011, the Afghan government issued an order to disband armed groups operating in a district in Kunduz province. But six months later, the directive has still not been fully enforced. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 From offering the wrong hand to shake to having different attitudes towards timekeeping, ten years of interaction between Afghans and foreigners from around the world still throw up a mass of cultural differences. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 With few pharmaceutical producing companies of its own, Afghanistan relies heavily on imports of medicines from Pakistan, Iran, China and India. While the government says it monitors quality, consumers and doctors say imports are increasingly expired or have no effect, are sold by unqualified and illiterate shop staff, and often cause further sickness or even death. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 One of the worst droughts in a decade pushes villagers in the north into the arms of shady businessmen. Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0200 Amendments to the electoral law are central to a free and fair presidential vote in 2014 that could decide the political future of Afghanistan. But the government seems willing to sit out demands for necessary changes. Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0200 Despite hopes that the stalled Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) needed only some final adjustments and concessions for its implementation, 2011 closes with huge amounts of goods bound for Afghanistan still being held up on the wrong side of the border. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 When legislators return from their winter break, a woman may be nominated for the first time to the High Council of the Supreme Court. Elsewhere, thousands of female law graduates are climbing an arduous ladder to senior positions in the male-dominated judiciary. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The wires are humming after Qatar this month opened its doors to a Taliban initiative to open a representative office in Doha.. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan children and youths migrate illegally to Iran in search of work. Not all of them arrive. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Afghanistan's staunchly patriarchal society, a new breed of woman is taking to the air. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In November, media reported that two women were stoned by the Taliban in Ghazni. While the reality seems to be different, the reports affected the community. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The once admired and only known female Mujahideen commander, Kaftar, has gambled away her reputation with tribal warfare. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Poor construction work and lack of proper monitoring is undermining people’s trust in donors, NGOs and the government. Examples from Kunduz. Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Time is running out for the Helmand capital's heavily overloaded bridge. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Shut off to NATO supply convoys in November by Islamabad in protest over an air strike that killed two dozen Pakistani troops, the Khyber Pass is a strategically vital link between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The route of Silk Road traders and invading armies centuries before NATO's involvement, this gaunt mountain passage powers the local economy and influences the region’s geopolitics as it has done through the ages. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Generally regarded as one of Afghanistan’s more stable provinces, Balkh has seen a surge in purchases of illegal firearms by citizens over the past two years amid increasing crime and fears about the future after the withdrawal of international forces. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan media have been dominated over the past week by reports about the Loya Jirga held in Kabul. Lasting from Wednesday to Saturday and involving more than 2,000 participants, the high-security gathering of political, religious, ethnic and other leaders was focussed on whether the country would enter into a declaration or treaty of a strategic partnership with the United States of America. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The absence of credible law enforcement in many areas, either because of Taliban control there or plain ineffectiveness of state law structures, is well documented. But some cases throw this situation into stark relief. The following story concerns one of thousands of similar glaring injustices that plague modern Afghan society and accelerate the erosion of public faith in state institutions. All names have been changed. Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan media are struggling to regain credibility as false reports and corrupt journalists have undermined their reputation Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In the eastern province of Nangarhar, the business of “curing” mental illness through a dubious mix of religion and superstition is thriving. Sick people brought to the famous Mia Ali shrine near Jalalabad are chained up in their own filth for 40 days at a time, while at a state-run specialized ward for mental illness, beds go empty. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 “You can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours.” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in comments referring to the Haqqani Network during her recent trip to Pakistan. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Despite a decade of life after Taliban rule, there are still only 27 registered female drivers in Herat. It's considered a relatively progressive example by Afghan standards, reflective of the western city's proximity to Iran. But for this tiny vanguard of women at the wheel, every journey can be a test of conviction. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 With its high levels of fighting and narcotics production, Helmand in recent became a byword for bad news. But between the negative headlines comes the inspiring story of bodybuilding champion Shukerullah Helmandi, the car mechanic who became Mr Afghanistan and South Asian gold medallist.. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As Afghan authorities probe possible avenues for brokering peace with insurgent forces, the death of a child in a Taliban rocket attack that was sanctioned by the governor of Ghazni Province raises a crucial question: When does harsh pragmatism become a crime? Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0200 It is relatively easy for an army to recruit in a country with high unemployment, even if military service can very easily mean being sent to fight. But building and preserving a sense of unity among these brothers in arms is a much harder task, when they come from very different ethnic backgrounds and may not even share a common language. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The value and necessity of education for all is enshrined in the teachings of Islam, with the Prophet Mohammad having said that “the ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.”Yet the issue continues to drive a wedge between different ideologies, into communities and the wider population of Afghanistan, where modern, broad-based curricula and the education of girls are often seen as un-Islamic, western impositions. Afghanistan Today looks at the situation in Wardak Province, where the Taliban’s growing influence further magnifies these clashes in interpretation. Some names have been changed to protect the people interviewed for this story. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Conflict and exploding bombs will harm the economy of any city, either by causing direct damage or through their wider impact on trade and services. But for security equipment companies working the market in Kabul, business is, for want of a better word, booming. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Ten years ago on this day, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom to oust the Taliban and pursue Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida following the attacks of September 11. Afghanistan Today contributor Naqib Ahmad Atal from Nangarhar recalls this fateful date, and the unlikely consequences it had for his family and village. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Fortresses, houses, walls, furniture, cooking ranges and even toys - you will find them all made of mud somewhere in Afghanistan. And far from being a desperate alternative to man-made building materials, traditional mud constructions often have the advantage over the modern equivalent. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In eastern areas of high insurgent activity and low levels of conflict, there are growing signs of secretive payment systems for keeping state officials and security forces safe from attack. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Some of the women committed murder, others fled their families and eloped with lovers. They are serving sentences of a few months to 16 years, and apart from the place of incarceration - Nangarhar’s main prison in Jalalabad - they have one thing in common: They, and often their children too, are not welcome back at home after their release. And until recently, there was nowhere else to go. Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 One week after insurgents attacked key sites In Kabul, the September 20 suicide bomb killing of ex-president Burhanuddin Rabbani deals another violent shock to the country. The death of the chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council stoked fresh debate over how to deal with advocates of violence. But with no one claiming responsibility for the bombing, fingers are pointing in all directions. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tempted by tales of work and plenty, families from Pakistan are migrating across Afghanistan to Herat to escape poverty at home but end up begging on the streets. Amid local concerns that their growing numbers may cause social problems or criminality, hopes of a better life are both dashed and, for some of them, oddly fulfilled. Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As the number of foreign troops starts to reduce, tapering towards the 2014 scheduled withdrawal of the remaining combat forces, Afghan manufacturing and logistic companies are growing anxious about this looming exit of their best customers. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Unsually for a high-security penal facility, there is a growing unanimity among inmates and staff alike at Ghazni Prison. Both sides agree conditions are deteriorating beyond the tolerable, that overcrowding has reached critical levels, and outbreaks of violent revolt and pestilence are to be expected if there are no improvements. In a rare glimpse behind the walls of an Afghan jail, Afghanistan Today meets the occupants. Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As the flow of imported supplies for the NATO war effort grows at the northern border with Uzbekistan, so does the scourge of roadside bribe taking from trucking companies working the routes south. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Taliban fighters in Wardak Province scored a major achievement this month in their fight against international forces by shooting down a military helicopter and killing 38 elite US and Afghan troops. But for the moment, they say their struggle is as much against rivals from the Hesb-e Islami faction who are supposedly hampering their local operations. And while Wardak Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai says he's working to neutralize both sides, his critics accuse him of stoking the flames. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Incidents of sexual assault on women and minors are sharply increasing in Afghanistan, especially in the northern provinces, say rights activists. Much of the blame is levelled at renegade militias and armed groups that are said to be protected by senior government officials. But critics say the lack of investigation and prosecution also reflects society’s failure to face up to the prevalence of rape. In this special report, Afghanistan Today examines the turbulent process of recognizing and tackling this crime. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 For centuries, tribal jirgas of elders have settled local disputes. Today, as more people feel that government courts have failed them and resort to traditional mechanisms, the number of grievances over hasty, ill-informed or corrupt jirga rulings also grows. In the second of two stories on alternative justice, Afghanistan Today looks at the pitfalls of the old ways. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Up to 13 per cent of the 365 districts in Afghanistan’s provinces have no state-run courts, human rights activists assess. The situation is most pronounced in Ghazni Province, where the majority of the population has no other recourse in local disputes than to the Taliban’s mobile "desert courts". Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 State prosecutors have nominally pursued hundreds of corruption cases in the past two years. But even when evidence piles up against top officials, they admit they can't touch them. Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 According to official figures, there are 64,000 families of internally displaced persons in Afghanistan, 2,250 of them in Kabul. There are many reasons why they left their homes, but no one has yet worked out how to get them to go back voluntarily. Now the government is working with NGOs to try to empty the tent and mud shelter camps that have sprung up. Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Polio, largely eradicated from northern Afghanistan over the past decade, has made a reappearance in Kunduz. Fortunately, doctors are additionally forewarned through a shrewd and apparently effective hook-up with religious beliefs. Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 International forces insisted on the transformation of arbakai community militia into local police to help stabilization. Now, amid hold-ups in their training and payment, units of this auxiliary force are accused of abusing the population in Kunduz and other provinces, and hampering the broader peace process. Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As Afghans ponder the meaning of security transition and the July start of the formal withdrawal of some foreign forces, a few turbulent parts of the country have effectively already made the change. Two of these examples are found in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Khost, both bordering on Pakistan and prone to high insurgent infiltration and fierce clashes in the mountain terrain. Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 July 2011 was when the formal transition of security from international to Afghan forces began in earnest. In recent days, governors, diplomats and military commanders hailed the move at ceremonies in seven areas, including the cities of Mazar-e Sharif, Lashkar Gah and Herat. But for all the fanfare, ordinary Afghans have little sense of what this will mean in practice, and whether it will bring greater or less safety in their daily lives. Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 An unprecedented march through Kabul this month by a handful of young women protesting against harassment by men casts light on an issue that broader Afghan society prefers not to acknowledge. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Lavish expectations are making weddings increasingly unaffordable for many ordinary Afghans. But government attempts to put limits on citizens’ nuptials are encountering stiff resistance from the big spenders and the hospitality industry Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 While raids by police and army units are the main threat to underground heroin factories, a growing number of producers say they are being driven out of the illegal business by - of all things - corruption. Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 n the eastern Nangarhar province, a women’s employment scheme overcame the worst strain of prejudice to become a local success story. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Vital restoration work is finally underway, but the selection of Ghazni, located in one of the most violent areas of Afghanistan, as the 2013 Capital of Islamic Culture has people wondering how this event can succeed. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 While the government promotes negotiating with the Taliban, some judges in Nangarhar have returned to meting out corporal punishment for drinking alcohol, because they no longer see human rights on the agenda. Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Under pressure to repay his loans to Kabul Bank, the president’s brother, Mahmoud Karzai, has sold his shares in the Afghan Investment Company. Could this herald a new future for the country’s biggest cement factory, that has so far been plagued by nepotism? Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Bamiyan is hemmed in by an escalating conflict, but with a vital air link now in reach, it is determined to capitalize on its stunning landscapes and reputation as one of Afghanistan’s safest provinces to rebuild its success as a tourist magnet. Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As public universities are overburdened with rising numbers of applicants, private institutes are filling the gap. But some fear that their promises of a brighter future do not match with reality. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The ability of the Afghan parliament to function comes into question after a presidentially-appointed tribunal ordered the expulsion of dozens of MPs for alleged fraud - and they refused to go. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Turkmen economics: Amongst carpet weavers in northern Afghanistan, girls are an asset. Their families wed them late or demand bride prices of up to 120,000 dollars. Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 For orphans and other children forced by poverty to work in Kabul’s streets, new hope has surfaced in the form of an innovative music school. Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Khost province, a woman in men’s clothing is the pride of her community. Hakmeena, an elected member of the provincial council, is well-respected for mediating in local disputes, a domain usually exclusive to men Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 As much as waging a hot fight with weapons, Taliban forces are counting on the power of song to swing the conflict in their favour. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The Governor of Balkh ramps up security to counter new Taliban tactics on killing officials Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 For the people of the eastern Nangarhar province and others across Afghanistan, a solution to high local unemployment may lie beneath their feet as rich and unique marble deposits start to win favour abroad Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Imagine working for the Afghan government and your brother is a Talib. This is what happened to the district governor of Imam Sahib in Northern Afghanistan Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 One man’s dream of a transport venture moves into the fast lane - and not to everybody’s liking Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Ten years after the Western intervention, the rift between foreign troops and the Afghan population is as big as ever Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan businesses cannot compete with cheap imports from neighbouring countries. In the once sprawling business town of Herat alone, 240 factories have already closed. Manufacturers here accuse Iranian competitors of price dumping and are calling for higher import tariffs Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The killing by US special forces of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan has driven a wedge through public opinion in Afghanistan. While many mourn the passing of a revered warrior of the jihad against the Soviets, or a perceived figurehead of the current insurgency, others hope his demise will usher in greater security and political stability. Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 How a radio journalist in Mazar produces his programmes just by listening to other radio stations Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Afghan barbers used to be undertakers, dentists, party caterers and musicians all at the same time. Few professions in Afghanistan have seen so many changes in recent years Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Tribal elders in Khost have banned the use of girls as reparation for crimes and limited the bride-price Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many of those who are now joining the reintegration process under the name of the Taliban have committed serious crimes in the past. Should they all be forgiven in the name of peace? Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 When it comes to their future husbands and sons-in-law, many Afghan women are unwilling to take a chance. They would rather invest in talismans. Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan imams are using their sermons to politicise people against the West and the Afghan government. The Governor of Balkh is trying to stop them. This debate highlights the difficult relationship between the Afghan state and the mullahs. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The Afghan government has opened hundreds of madrasas in the country in order to prevent the radicalisation of Afghan students in Pakistani Islamic schools. However, many students still prefer the better-equipped madrasas across the border Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Jalalabad, a vibrant film scene has emerged since the fall of the Taliban. But one element is missing: female actors Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Mazar-e Sharif’s residents lament last week’s attack on the UN office Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 With their recent attacks on civilian places, the Taliban have further eroded people’s trust in the government Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The Spokesman for the Afghan Army, General Zahir Azimi, talks about transition, drug abuse and attrition rates Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Once he was one of the most popular provincial heads of Afghanistan, but now the Governor of Nangarhar is facing demands to step down Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Building functioning coalitions in the Afghan national assembly is more difficult than ever, as neither the government nor the opposition commands a sufficient number of seats Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Why returned refugees could become an engine of change in Afghanistan Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 The building of new dams in Afghanistan is regularly disrupted by Taliban attacks. Government officials accuse Iran of funding the insurgents. A Taliban sponsor now confirms this Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 China and India are competing for influence in the region. Afghanistan and Pakistan could benefit, if they focus on common business interests Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 In Kandahar, more people get injured in traffic accidents than by arms. But indirectly they are also victims of the war Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many Afghan media are financed by foreign donors, including neighboring countries. Journalists warn that free and independent reporting are at stake Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 More and more women in Herat are plucking up the courage to ask for a divorce – like their sisters in Iran Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Special issue Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 A dairy factory in Kunduz symbolises how Afghan farming is being modernised Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan wants to position itself as a transit route between Central and South Asia, and thereby create jobs and income Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0200 Opium farmers in west Afghanistan switch to saffron Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0200 Many traders in East Afghanistan will not accept their own currency as payment. They would rather sell their goods for Pakistani rupees - to the anger of the Central Bank Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0200 Many families in Afghanistan turned one of their daughters into a son during the Taliban regime Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 From pop music to Islamic phone-ins, Shafiqullah Shaiq has built up a local media empire from nothing Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The new residents of the former Soviet Culture Center in Kabul Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In spring, US troops in South East Afghanistan introduced a local peace initiative. It should have been a model for the whole country. Instead, it has ground to a halt and highlights the huge challenge of the much vaunted reconciliation process Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0200 On Pakistan’s garbage dumps, Afghan refugee children are facing exploitation and fatal diseases, while their employers are running a lucrative business Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 A poetry clip Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The United States have relaxed the conditions of detention for political prisoners in Afghanistan as part of their counter-insurgency strategy. A former inmate of Bagram prison describes the changes Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:00:00 +0200 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The conservative province of Nangarhar boasts ten girls’ cricket teams. They are unperturbed by the hostility of the Mullahs Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Balkh, a young generation of poets is rebelling against their own teachers – and the war of words is turning nasty Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 A series of attacks against music shops have frightened and shocked shopkeepers in Jalalabad. Since then, cassettes and CDs are only being sold furtively under the counter. It is unclear who is behind these attacks Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Western Europe, Che Guevara’s star has long waned, but in Afghanistan, intellectuals have now re-discovered this revolutionary icon. For them, he represents a useful critique of the current political situation Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Paktika, eighty per cent of posts in the state apparatus are unoccupied. The reasons for this are complex Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 More than a quarter of MPs in the Afghan parliament are women - thanks to a quota laid down in the constitution. It was hailed a historic opportunity during the first parliamentary election in 2005, but have women made good use of it? Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 What Afghan newspapers and blogs are saying Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Canadian photographer Leslie Knott accompanied the Afghan cricket team on their way to triumph Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Afghanistan has been at war for more than 30 years. During this time, every peace effort has failed. What lessons can we learn from history? Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The old people of Kunar are proud of their historic site, where, according to legend, a certain King Nangar was said to have ruled two thousand years ago. But the buried treasures were plundered long ago. And in Kabul there is little interest in the place Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 From 2011, NATO wants to gradually pass on the responsibility for security to the Afghan police and army. One of the first places that are under consideration for the hand over are parts of Herat. People there are surprised by this discussion Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Omid-e Bahar operates one of the most modern factories in Afghanistan Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Afghan Government has established a Peace Council to lay the foundations for reconciliation with the insurgents. For the population, the peace process engenders hope, fear and doubt Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 Have the targeted killings against Taliban commanders in Kunduz weakened the insurgents? Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The blogging scene in Herat is thriving - thanks in part to Iran’s proximity Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The controversial US drone attacks in Pakistan are generally approved of by those who live in the Afghan border area. They are convinced that the attacks increase their own security Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Under pressure from the US-led military offensive in Kandahar province, the Taliban are reverting to a strategy of spreading fear and terror. This is the case of a man who found a death threat on his front door Thu, 21 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 A generation in their twenties is entering politics and pushing for change in society Wed, 20 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 A year ago, a district in the once relatively peaceful Nangarhar province fell to the Taliban. How did that happen? Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 How Kunduz deals with the assassination of its Gouverneur Omar Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In the province of Sar-e Pul, local cattle-breeders and refugees returning from Iran are fighting over a piece of grazing land. It is just one example of thousands of local conflicts all over the country, that are a legacy of the war Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Government could not enforce a ban on the sale of cedar timber. Now it is trying to do so through controlled trade Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0200 What Afghan newspapers and blogs are saying Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Officially, the lapis lazuli mine is managed by the government. But locals allege its profit goes straight into the pockets of an MP’s brother Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The silk industry in Herat cannot compete with cheap imports from Pakistan and China Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In just eight years the Afghan cricket team made it to the top from nowhere. With the success came disputes over salaries and staffing Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 In Jowzjan Province, in northern Afghanistan, there are large reserves of natural gas lying dormant in the soil. So far no investor has come forward to extract it. This has raised suspicion amongst local people Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200 If Afghans cast their votes, it is rarely about politics Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Opium and heroin addiction is rife along the drug-smuggling route between Afghanistan and Iran. But treatment is almost non-existent. Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 An insurgent returns from prison back to his home village and is warmly welcomed by his neighbors. His nephew explains why. Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Election posters of pretty female candidates are doing a roaring trade on the streets of Afghanistan. Some people are embarrassed about that. Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0200 The Taliban executed two lovers in Kunduz and claimed that their families endorsed their death. Are they lying? Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Why the Kabul Bank crisis threatens to destroy trust in the whole of Afghanistan’s financial system. And why many clients prefer a piggy bank to a lottery account Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0200