Afghanistan Conflict Monitor

South Korea Plans Afghan Deployment

'South Korea Plans Afghan Deployment', BBC News, 30 October 2009

EXCERPT: "South Korea has announced it will send troops and police to Afghanistan to protect an expanded civilian reconstruction team. The troops would not take part in combat operations, officials said. The plan must be approved by parliament, where the ruling Grand National Party has a majority. The announcement comes two years after South Korea pulled out 200 military engineers and medics in 2007 after two South Korean missionaries were killed. The two missionaries were part of a group of 23 that were kidnapped by Taliban forces. South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said the South Korean provincial reconstruction team (PRT) was being expanded at the request of the Afghan government. Local media reports said the government was considering expanding the PRT from the current 25 aid workers to 130."

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See also:
'Afghan plan under wraps until after fact-finding trip', Joong Ang Daily, 30 October 2009
'South Korea to send troops to Afghanistan to protect aid workers', Yonhap News, 30 October 2009
'South Korean FM calls on parliament to support for Afghan aid package', China View, 29 October 2009

Related posts:
'Seoul to step up support in Afghanistan', 6 May 2009
'Seoul to increase aid, training', 17 April 2009
'Afghanistan expects bigger Korean role', 5 May 2008
'"No redeployment of Korean troops to Afghanistan"', 10 April 2008

Taliban Leader Rejects US Attempts To Lure Away Fighters

'Taliban Leader Rejects US Attempts To Lure Away Fighters With Money', CNN, 30 October 2009

EXCERPT: "A top Taliban political leader delivered a message Friday to President Obama, calling his attempt to lure away Taliban fighters with money 'an old weapon that has failed already.' 'The Mujahedeen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are not mercenaries and employed gunmen like the armed men of the invaders and their surrogates,' Mullah Brader Akhund said in the statement. 'This war will come to an end when all invaders leave our country and an Islamic government based on the aspirations of our people is formed in the country.' Akhund is the deputy emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is the political arm of the Taliban. He was referring to the Taliban reintegration provision, part of the $680 billion defense appropriation bill that Obama signed Wednesday to pay for military operations in the 2010 fiscal year."

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See also:
'Support grows for pursuit of peace deals with the Taliban', The Wall Street Journal, 30 October 2009
'Afghans caught between Taliban and US promises', DAWN, 30 October 2009
'Al-Qaida and the Taliban: Knowing your enemy', The Associated Press, 25 October 2009

Related posts:
'Reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan flounder', 14 October 2009
'Emerging goal: Weaken, not vanquish, Taliban', 9 October 2009
'Dimensions of the Afghan insurgency', 15 July 2009
'Al-Qaida active on both sides of AfPak border', 9 June 2009
'US reconciliation offer "lunatic": Taliban', 1 April 2009

Electing To Fight In Afghanistan

Astri Suhrke, 'Electing To Fight In Afghanistan', Norwegian Peacebuilding Centre, 29 October 2009

EXCERPT: "The move to hold a second round of elections in Afghanistan on 7 November underscores the limitations of Western democratic election processes in a deeply divided society that, moreover, is at war with itself and with external forces. Apart from the inherent potential of the elections for generating violence, the political system introduced after 2001 – based on a centralized state and a strong presidency – increases the stakes at issue in the elections and works at cross-purposes with the traditional informal political institutions of the country. The consolidation of legitimate power at the centre requires a revisiting of the 2004 Constitution to create a measure of decentralization and parliamentarism."

To continue reading the report, click here [pdf].

See also:
'Fraud fears grow as Afghan election body defies UN', The Guardian, 29 October 2009
'Lessons from Kabul on electoral reform', NEXT, 29 October 2009
'Conflict risk alert: After Afghanistan's fraudulent elections', International Crisis Group, 27 October 2009

Related posts:
'Toward an Afghan democracy?', 17 September 2009
'Why Afghans voted in 2009', 25 August 2009
'EU assistance and support to democratic process', 14 August 2009
'Afghanistan's election challenges', 25 June 2009

Narco‐Belligerents Across The Globe: Lessons From Colombia For Afghanistan?

Vanda Felbab-Brown, 'Narco‐Belligerents Across The Globe: Lessons From Colombia For Afghanistan?', Real Instituto Elcano, 28 October 2009

EXCERPT: "With the great increases in insecurity in Afghanistan and the overwhelming sense that the counter‐insurgency in Afghanistan is not being won, analysts and policymakers are looking for analogies to understand the conflict’s dynamics and devise counter‐measures. One of the analogies that analysts are turning to is the counter‐narcotics and counter‐insurgency campaign in Colombia. Indeed, there are some striking similarities between the FARC and its relationship to the drug economy in Colombia and the Taliban and its relationship to the drug economy in Afghanistan. However, these similarities do not lie in what many consider the defining characteristic of the FARC, namely the loss of ideology and its transformation into a pure profit‐driven organisation. Rather, from the point of view of counter‐insurgency and the drug‐conflict‐nexus, the ideology‐versus‐greed debate is of far less importance than is frequently believed. Whatever their ideologies and the intensity of their beliefs, both the FARC and the Taliban are deriving not only substantial financial resources from the drug trade, but also substantial political capital. And this political capital is nonetheless greatly enhanced by government policies of eradicating the drug crops, which therefore is counterproductive for counter‐insurgency objectives."

To continue reading the report, click here [pdf].

Related posts:
'"Poppy free" provinces: A measure or a target?', 1 June 2009
'War on drugs and war on terror', 25 May 2009
'US sees lessons for Afghan war in Colombia', 26 March 2009
'Afghanistan's opium poppies: No quick fixes', 19 June 2008

German Troops OK In Calling For Airstrike: General

'German Troops OK In Calling For Airstrike: General', The Associated Press, 29 October 2009

EXCERPT: "A top German general said Thursday that a NATO investigation of an airstrike against a pair of hijacked Afghan tanker trucks showed the attack was appropriate even though it led to civilian casualties. Gen. Wolfgang Schneiderhan, who is the general inspector of the German army, also said that the exact death toll could no longer be confirmed. James Appathurai, a NATO spokesman in Brussels, said he could not comment on the report. Schneiderhan told reporters he had read the classified report prepared by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force on the airstrike, which was called by a German colonel against the trucks on Sept. 4 because he feared that insurgents would use them to mount a suicide attack on his troops. Germany has 4,200 troops serving in northern Afghanistan and 35 have been killed. Polls over recent months have shown that more than half of Germans now oppose the mission."

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See also:
'Berlin defends colonel after NATO report on Afghan airstrike', M&C, 29 October 2009
'Israel drones to be used by Germany in Afghanistan', The Associated Press, 29 October 2009
'The German view of Afghanistan', The New Yorker, 28 October 2009
'German limits on war face Afghan reality', The New York Times, 27 October 2009
'International expectations are high for Germany's new defense minister', Deutsche Welle, 27 October 2009

Related posts:
'Germans thrust into "war" in perilous Afghan north', 20 October 2009
'30 civilians killed in NATO strike: Commission', 14 September 2009
'Bundeswehr faces uphill battle against Taliban', 29 July 2009
'Afghanistan: Understanding German objectives and strategies', 10 July 2009
'What does Berlin want in Afghanistan?', 10 March 2009

Northern Returnees Need Aid

'Northern Returnees Need Aid', IRIN News, 29 October 2009

EXCERPT: "Several thousand people returning to their homes in the northern Afghan provinces of Sar-i-Pul and Jowzjan need help before winter, according to aid agencies and local officials. Aid agencies say most are returnees from Iran and from a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in southern Afghanistan. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it had set up a tented camp in an arid area in Sozma Qala District, Sar-i-Pul Province, to accommodate hundreds of returnees from Iran. Some aid had been distributed to them, it said. About 300 families had returned to Jowzjan Province from Zhari IDP camp in Kandahar Province, provincial governor Mohammad Hashim Zaray told IRIN. Intensifying insurgency-related violence, the lack of aid and difficult living conditions forced over 2,000 IDP households in Zhari camp to sign up for a UNHCR-assisted voluntary return programme in 2009, according to relevant officials in Kandahar. As winter approaches, the need for decent shelter is becoming more important."

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See also:
'Press conference by Nila Mobarez, Press Officer and Aleem Siddique, Spokesperson, UNAMA Strategic Communication and Spokespersons Unit', ReliefWeb / UNAMA, 26 October 2009
'More than 50,000 returning Afghan refugees benefit from UN shelter programme', UN News Centre, 26 October 2009
'Afghanistan: Italy donates EUR 3.1 million for reintegration of returnees and IDPs', ReliefWeb / IOM, 16 October 2009

Related posts:
'The refugee problem: Looking toward Afghanistan's long-term stability', 12 December 2008
'276,000 Afghan refugees returned this year: UN', 3 November 2008
'Returnees bemoan government's "empty promises"', 14 August 2008
'Return with dignity, return to what?', 18 June 2008
'Afghanistan and Iraq drive up global refugee toll', 17 June 2008

Karzai's Brother "On CIA Payroll"

'Karzai's Brother "On CIA Payroll"', The Independent, 29 October 2009

EXCERPT: "US involvement in Afghanistan has come into new question with the claim that President Hamid Karzai's brother has for years been on the payroll of the CIA – even though he is suspected of being a major figure in the illicit opium trade that Washington and its allies are pledged to do everything to stamp out. The allegations against Ahmed Wali Karzai, set out yesterday in The New York Times and attributed to current and former US officials, paint a picture of a shadowy potentate and powerbroker with a finger in every pie, whose fief is the south of the country, heartland of the Taliban insurgency. They could not have emerged at a more awkward time for the Obama administration, as it approaches a critical decision on American troop strength in the country. That decision in turn will be heavily influenced by the outcome of the run-off between Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the former foreign minister, scheduled for 7 November."

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See also:
'Leak on CIA, Karzai's brother changes everything', CBS News, 29 October 2009
'Friend or foe?', Slate, 29 October 2009
'Reported ties from CIA to a Karzai spur rebukes', The New York Times, 28 October 2009
'Kerry calls for briefing on Karzai brother', AFP, 28 October 2009
'Brother of Afghan leader said to be paid by CIA', The New York Times, 27 October 2009

Related posts:
'The winning warlords', 2 July 2009
'Afghans to Karzai: You failed us', 22 October 2008
'Karzai's brother denies links to drug trade', 6 October 2008
'Beyond warlordism: The local security architecture in Afghanistan', 19 October 2007
'War and peace economies of Afghanistan's strongmen', 5 June 2007

More Voting Centers Will Open For Runoff

'More Voting Centers Will Open For Runoff', The Associated Press, 29 October 2009

EXCERPT: "Afghanistan will open more voting centers in next week's presidential runoff than in the fraud-tainted first-round vote, officials said Thursday, rejecting U.N. recommendations that they cut sites to prevent cheating. The decision highlights the deepening rift between the Afghan election commission and international advisers pushing for a credible vote on Nov. 7. Increasing the number of voting centers for the second round also would mean more security forces would be needed to protect them. The Taliban have already started to make good on threats of violence, killing five U.N. election workers and three Afghans in a brazen attack in the capital Wednesday. The Aug. 20 presidential poll was so soiled by ballot-box stuffing and distorted tallies that U.N.-backed fraud investigators threw out more than a million votes, enough to force President Hamid Karzai into a second round against his top challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'Afghan election plan criticised as insufficient', Reuters, 29 October 2009
'Afghan commission targets "fraud-free" election', AFP, 29 October 2009
'Afghan runoff stirs concern of repeat fraud', VOA News, 28 October 2009

Related posts:
'Hamid Karzai "already fixing" second election', 27 October 2009
'Taliban threaten polls, demand run-off boycott', 26 October 2009
'Election officials deliver Afghan runoff ballots', 22 October 2009
'Presidential runoff would face challenges', 14 October 2009

Taliban Kill Nine In UN Staff Assault

'Taliban Kill Nine In UN Staff Assault', The Australian, 28 October 2009

EXCERPT: "Taliban gunmen stormed a UN hostel in Kabul yesterday, killing nine people in an assault the militants said marked the start of a bloody countdown to new Afghan elections. Embattled President Hamid Karzai - who faces off against his rival Abdullah Abdullah on November 7 - condemned the attack at the Bekhtar Guesthouse as 'an inhuman act' and ordered an urgent upgrade of security for international organisations after the militant rampage. Later, a rocket struck the 'outer limit' of the presidential palace but caused no casualties. Another slammed into the grounds of the luxury Serena Hotel, favoured by foreigners. The device failed to explode but filled the lobby with smoke, forcing guests and employees to flee to the basement. A security guard working nearby said the attackers were wearing police uniforms. Police and UN officials said 12 people were killed in total, including six UN staff, a police officer, an intelligence officer, an Afghan civilian, and the three attackers. A further nine UN staff were wounded as gunfire and explosions rang out across the city in a smart residential district near popular shopping streets favoured by Westerners."

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See also:
'Taliban warn of more deadly attacks', The Age, 28 October 2009
'US contractor says he fights off attack in Kabul', The Associated Press, 28 October 2009
'Afghanistan counts cost of deadliest assault on UN in fifty year', The Telegraph, 28 October 2009
'UN's Ban says undeterred by deadly Kabul UN attack', Reuters India, 28 October 2009
'Taliban attack UN Kabul guesthouse in attempt to upend Afghan runoff', The Christian Science Monitor, 28 October 2009

Related posts:
'Kabul bomb targets Indian embassy', 8 October 2009
'Insecurity continues to plague Afghanistan: UN', 29 September 2009
'The Taliban's winning strategy in Afghanistan', 7 July 2009
'Taliban poised at the gates of Kabul', 12 March 2009
'Struggle for Kabul: The Taliban advance', 8 December 2008

MoD Cost Cuts Led To Plane Crash That Killed 14

'MoD Cost-Cutting Led To Nimron Spy Plane Crash That Killed 14', The Telegraph, 28 October 2009

EXCERPT: "The damning verdict, from leading aviation lawyer Charles Haddon-Cave QC, attributed the tragedy to a 'systematic breach of the military covenant'. He said: 'There was a shift in culture and priorities in the MoD towards 'business' and financial targets, at the expense of functional values such as safety and airworthiness.' Aircraft XV230 exploded in mid-air over Kandahar in September 2006, causing the biggest single loss of life for UK forces since the Falklands War. The Nimrod crash report noted: 'Its production is a story of incompetence, complacency and cynicism. The best chance to prevent the accident to XV230 was, tragically, lost.' Mr Haddon-Cave said: 'In my view, XV230 was lost because of a systemic breach of the military covenant brought about by significant failures on the part of those involved. This must not be allowed to happen again.' He said financial cuts had led to 'a dilution of the airworthiness regime and culture with the MoD' and that the procurement system to was one of "years of major delays and cost overruns."

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See also:
'Expert's criticism of "ageing Nimrod"', BBC News, 28 October 2009
'Safety fears linked to Nimrod fleet', The Independent, 28 October 2009
'MoD and BAE Systems condemned over "preventable" Nimrod crash', Times Online, 28 October 2009
'UK Defence Secretary Ainsworth apologises for loss of Nimrod XV230', defpro, 28 October 2009

Related posts:
'Support for Afghan mission drops in UK, Canada', 16 October 2009
'Britain cannot increase forces amid equipment fears', 1 October 2009
'MoD's £35 billion defence black hole is "lethal"', 24 August 2009
'UK House of Commons report on Afghanistan and Pakistan', 5 August 2009
'Equipment shortages to blame for up to 60 British service deaths', 17 June 2008