Afghanistan: Journalist in Danger

Nasim Fekratْ urges action on the death threats that are addressed to Basir Ahang, 27, an independent journalist who was directly involved in the release of Gabriele Torsello, the Italian journalist, who was kidnapped by Taliban in Helmand province.

Afghanistan: Reports Call for New Strategies

Barnett R. Rubin reports that several groups of the U.S. foreign policy establishment have released reports calling for major changes in strategy on Afghanistan.

Pakistan: No space for burials

Jahane Rumi reviews Feryal Ali Gauhar’s novel, No Space for Further Burials – that deals with Afghanistan and stereotypes.

Afghanistan: Border with Pakistan is changing westward

Afghanistanica says that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border seems to be moving westward, and reviews the reactions of blogosphere on the matter with many Afghans being quite unhappy about this.

Afghanistan: Ongoing Culture Wars

Safrang reports on the continuing disturbing developments in the case of Perwiz Kambakhsh, the young Afghan student of journalism who has been sentenced to death by a primary court for propagating “blasphemous” literature.

Afghanistan: Lord Ashdown Steps Down

Afghanistan Watch reports that Lord Paddy Ashdown has withdrawn his name from consideration as the UN envoy to Afghanistan, after President Hamid Karzai and other officials expressed opposition last week, concerned about the extent of his power.

Afghanistan: Elections could be problematic

Bipasha Ray says that while president Karzai attempts to project his authority to prepare for a possible re-election bid, a U.S. Army report finds cause for worry about security in the national elections in Afghanistan.

Afghanisatn:AfghanPress, a new digital media

Afghan Press is a new media about Afghanistan.Afghan Press is about digital media, documentaries, podcasts, online TV, journalism, women blogging, youth empowerment via the internet and beyond.

Afghanistan: Iranian Weapons in Farah?

Joshua Foust is skeptikal about another declaration made by a mid-level official that Iran is allegedly sending weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Balkhi Returns To Balkh

Mohammad Fahim reports on the ceremony of 800th Anniversary of Maulana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi, the Afghanistan's philosopher and mystical poet known as Rumi in west.

Afghanisan: Dangers of Poppy Eradication

Barnett R. Rubin continues to keep a close eye on the heated discussions concerning the prospects and possible results of opium poppy crop eradication in Afghanistan.

Afghanisan: Rifts within the Taliban

Bipasha Ray reports on some striking news in the development of the Taliban insurgency, which could point to increasing internal rifts.

Afghanistan: Returned Refugees, Police Fatigue and Freezing Children

There has been a series of articles on the plight of Afghanistan's police. Bipasha Ray notes one of the many problems facing the creation of a police force from scratch: [There are] overworked and grossly underpaid and under-equipped policemen on the verge of mutinying, in charge of enormous swaths of...

Afghanistan: Death Sentence for Distributing Blog Article

Afghanistan: New Report on the ‘Forgotten War’

Bipasha Ray reviews the new report by European Council on Foreign Relations calling for U.S. and European governments to “overhaul their strategies and strike a ‘grand bargain’ to stabilise the country”.

Afghanistan: Cold weather victims increase

Mohammad Fahimsays that extremely cold winter causes harsh humanitarian problems in Afghanistan, with the number of people killed by cold weather and heavy snow in several Afghanistan provinces over the past four weeks has risen to over 300.

Afghanistan: How to produce opium

Bipasha Ray says that Intrepid Independent reporter Patrick Cockburn finds that Afghans are helping Iraqi farmers grow poppy and produce opium, as traditional crops of oranges and pomegranates prove to be insufficient to provide a living wage.

Afghanistan: New U.N. Envoy Appointed

Afghanistan Watch reports that Paddy Ashdown, the former EU-UN High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, has accepted the post as the new UN envoy to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: U.S. Official Irks Allies

Bipasha Ray says that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has irked NATO allies after telling the LA Times that European allies do not know how to fight insurgencies, often using inappropriate tactics and overly forceful airstrikes, which could be helping the Taliban’s cause.

Afghanistan: Serena Hotel Bombing

Joshua Foust makes a roundup of discussions in the blogosphere and in traditional media concerning the bombing of the Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, highlighting a trend that the Taliban's terror attacks are now targeted more on foreigners and expatriates.

Afghanistan: Terrorism and Islam

Mohammad Fahim contemplates are there any grounds for terrorism in Islam and its traditions, following the suicide bombing at the hotel in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. “The Holy Quran makes it clear NOT to kill yourself”, he says.