Global Voices Online » Afghanistan

Afghanistan: US opens new prison

Adil Nurmakov — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:32:10 +0000

Nick Fielding reports that the US military unveiled a new $60 million prison at Bagram airbase, north of the Afghanistan capital Kabul, saying it would provide detainees with better conditions and also promote transparency.

Afghanistan: Counting the cost of war

Adil Nurmakov — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:28:42 +0000

Nick Fielding reviews “The Cost of War: Afghan Experiences of Conflict 1978-2009″, a report by nine NGOs working in Afghanistan analyzing 30 years of war and a devastating impact they had.

Afghanistan: UK tends to quit

Adil Nurmakov — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:57:42 +0000

Dafydd talks about the slump of the Afghan campaign's popularity among the British public, media and officials - ahead of upcoming elections in the United Kingdom.

Afghanistan: Corruption, corruption

Adil Nurmakov — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:38:05 +0000

Peter Marton reacts to the news that the US could start holding Afghanistan’s government accountable for corruption by withholding money for projects, and says that corruption in this country often is a consequence of the US policies.

Pakistan: Conflict With Afghanistan

Rezwan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:38:37 +0000

Sikander Hayat discusses about the hurdles in the path of resolving the conflicts between Pakistan & Afghanistan and some possible solutions.

Egypt: Nidal Hassan - Psychiatrist or Psychotic?

Marwa Rakha — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:03:58 +0000

Major Nidal Hassan is the US military psychiatrist of Arab origins who recently went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 12 soldiers and one civilian. He is now facing charges of premeditated murder. “Psychiatrist or Psychotic?”, ask Egyptian bloggers.

Nawara Negm sympathizes with him:

اكيد سمع هلاوس كتير من الظباط اللي جايين من العراق بعد ما قتلوا اطفال وستات
كان عايز يسيب الخدمة وطلبه اترفض
وكل محامي عشان يرفع له قضية عشان يسيب الخدمة
فكان الرد انهم قالوا له: انت ح تروح العراق

He must have heard horror stories from the soldiers who returned from Iraq; those soldiers who killed unarmed women and children. He wanted to leave the army but his request was denied. He went as far as filing a lawsuit to be allowed to resign, and in response, he was told that he would be sent to Iraq.

Hassan El Helali thinks he is psychotic:

بفضل هذا المعتوه الحقير سيعيش العرب والمسلمين في الغرب لشهور وربما لسنوات وهم مطالبين مرة أخرى بإثبات برائتهم من تهمة ممارسة التقية والكذب… وادعاء الشرف والإنصهار في المجتمع حتى تتاح لهم الفرصة ليفجروا أنفسهم وسط الأبرياء. بفضل هذا المجرم ستزيد رزالة القائمين على منح تأشيرات الدخول للبلاد المتحضرة، ومعهم كل الحق، وستتعطل المصالح ويحرم المريض من العلاج في الخارج والطالب من بعثة التعليم والسائح من المتعة والثقافة وسيصبح كل عربي ومسلم في الغرب متهماً حتي ولو ثبتت برائته بالإرهاب والوحشية والخسة والخيانة للمجتمع الذي ضمه وعلمه ورباه حتى وصل لرتبه عسكرية راقية وتخصص علمي متميز ومنحه الأوسمة والنياشين وفرصة حياة لا يحلم بعشرها في بلاده عديمة العلم والثقافة والفن والجمال والحرية والكرامة… برافو… الله أكبر والعزة للعرب.

Because of this nutcase Arabs and Muslims living in the West will live for months and maybe years trying to prove once again that they are deceit-free and that they have integrated within their host societies until once again we learn of one of those idiots blowing himself up among a bunch of innocent civilians. Because of this criminal more entry visas to civilized countries will be denied; be it for business, pleasure, education, or health conditions. Because of him every Arab and Muslim in the West will be guilty of terrorism, brutality, treachery, and biting the hand that fed him - until proven otherwise.

Wael Nawara wants to remind everyone that:

In late June 2007, Mr. Hasan stood before his supervisors and about 25 other mental health staff members and lectured on Islam, suicide bombers and threats the military could encounter from Muslims conflicted about fighting in the Muslim countries of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a copy of the presentation obtained by The Washington Post.

“It's getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims,” he said in the presentation.

US-based Lebanese Dr Asa'ad Abu Khalil - The Angry Arab - quotes a newspaper report which says:

““When a white guy shoots up a post office, they call that going postal,” said Victor Benjamin II, 30, a former member of the Army. “But when a Muslim does it, they call it jihad.”

And Egyptian SandMonkey has tried to avoid writing about this because:

Anything I think of will sound contrived anyway. I mean, the [shooter] was Arab, Muslim and Palestinian to boot. What’s there to say? It’s an isolated incident? It might never happen again? This doesn’t mean that everybody in the military who is Arab or Muslim will act this way? For real? Do I need to say this? What is there to say?

I can only think of two things actually: 1) My deepest condolences to the families of the victims , and 2) in the name of every Arab or Muslim that will now get screwed over because of your actions: I hope you never enjoy a single day of peace in this life or any next one!

USA: Veterans ask Obama to reconsider Afghanistan

Solana Larsen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:46:25 +0000

Brave New Foundation posts a petition and YouTube video with young veterans asking Obama not to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: UN withdraws from Kabul?

Adil Nurmakov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:57:30 +0000

Sailani says that in response to continuing threats to the foreign staff in Afghanistan, it now appears that a decision has been made to withdraw about six hundred UN international officers from Kabul.

Afghanistan: Who are the leaders of Taliban?

Adil Nurmakov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:49:31 +0000

Nick Fielding reflects on the the question of who is running the so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and who are the members of the so-called the Quetta Shura, the Taliban's leadership.

Afghanistan: Security deteriorates, says report

Adil Nurmakov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:41:40 +0000

Nick Fielding reviews the most recent report on the security environment in Afghanistan, which says that the situation has deteriorated since 2005, affecting all aspects of the reconstruction operations.

Afghanistan: Who will benefit from re-vote?

Adil Nurmakov — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:03:36 +0000

Nick Fielding assumes that no-one except the insurgents would benefit from the re-run of presidential elections, because the whole election process is now mired by corruption allegations.

Iraq: What Peace from Obama?

Amira Al Hussaini — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:19:01 +0000

Iraqi Layla Anwar sums up reactions from Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Obama's Nobel Prize for Peace.

Egypt: No Accolades for Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

Tarek Amr — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:38:51 +0000

A big thank for the Nobel Committee - they have just made our day today. Perhaps most of the people here are not sure why US President Barack Obama was honored, and they are pretty sure that he doesn't deserve it. But they were all happy, because it gave them hope that everyone and anyone can win the prize. It wasn't only the people here who were shocked that he won, but even the Associate Press has the same point of view:

For one of America's youngest presidents, in office less than nine months — and only for 12 days before the Nobel nomination deadline last February — it was an enormous honor.
The prize seems to be more for Obama's promise than for his performance.

The Egyptians reactions started with announcements on Twitter

@amradelamin: Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

@fustat: President Obama awarded the Nobel peace prize 2009

Then some others were really astonished.

Ghafari: نعم! اوباما فاز بنوبل للسلام؟ سلام ايه؟ وفين وامته؟.

@Ghafari: Yes! Obama was given the Nobel Prize for Peace? What peace? When and how?

@embee: Obama? WTF?

@alaa: Oh f**k me. The president of a country waging two preemptive wars in two countries (I'll ignore Pakistan) wins the Nobel Peace Prize?

@waelabbas: Obama wins Nobel prize for aiding Dictators

@Ssirgany: Nobel Prize nomination deadline was Feb 1, just 10 days after Obama took office. What did he do in those 10 days?

While the majority started making fun of it

@nightS: Obama and Nobel Peace Prize?!?!?! I guess it's good news..I mean I can win it in 2010 if they really saw he deserves it!!

@Sarahcarr: The Nobel award ceremony should be held in Afghanistan and attended by relatives of civilians Obama's troops have butchered.

@minazekri: Noblepeaceprize winner Mr. Obama to study a request to increase his troops in his war in Afghanistan.

@minazekri: Afghanistan, Iraq and now Obama is about to PUNISH Iran, surely he is the best choice for Nobel Peace Prize

@moftasa: Funny how politicians can get the Nobel prize before they do anything, while scientists get it sometimes decades after their discoveries.
@moftasa: Barbara McClintock won her Nobel prize in Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of gene transposition in the 40s and 50s.

@alaa: @moftasa funnier how mandela had to wait until his victory and had to split it with a racist murderer or how ghandi failed to get it 4 times

@WilYaWil: Obama may deserve a Nobel prize for speech, but not peace!

@BooDy: قلت لابوي و انا صغير يابا انا عاوز آخد جايزة نوبل ضحك علي الندل و قالي ذاكر و ابقى عالم و انت تاخدها أتاريني الأسهل اني ابقى سفاح

@BooDy: I once told my father, wen I was young, I want to win the Nobel Prize. He laughed and told me I have to study to be a scientist in order to get it, however it seems that it's easier to be a murderer to get it.

@WilYaWil: Kanye West interrupts Obama Nobel speech “I'll let you finish, but this is the worst Nobel for peace decision of all-time”

@Amiralx: And I should win a Grammy for singing in the shower!

Arabawy also wrote a special post about it in his blog.

The butcher of Iraq and Afghanistan (and Pakistan) has won the Nobel Peace prize. Congratulations! [Mabrouk!] It’s a great day for world freedom. Obama, Manachem Begin, Henri Kissinger–all men who made this planet a great place to live in. Why can’t Mubarak and Habib el-Adly get it too? The message those a**holes in Norway are sending: Murder and butcher your way to Nobel.

And finally, some others had a different point of view:

@majdtweets: On the bright side: Now that Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize, he might actually want/have to stand up to the title & make peace!

@sarsour: I like Obama - he seems like a cool guy. He does however seem to get a lot of credit for things BEFORE having actually done them.

Afghanistan: Jordanian royals fighting in Afghanistan?

Adil Nurmakov — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:28:58 +0000

Nick Fielding tells about a curious news in the Pakistan newspapers, which say that six women, all members of the Jordanian royal family, are due to be handed over to the Jordanian Embassy in Islamabad tomorrow following the death of their husbands in a Coalition airstrike several months ago.

Afghanistan: Kamdesh Area

Adil Nurmakov — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:54:54 +0000

Joshua Fousts comments on the news that eight American and an unknown number of Afghan soldiers were killed after an attack on outposts in Afghanistan.