29 May 2009

Philip Smucker, 'Al-Qaeda Spreads Its Tentacles', Asia Times Online, 29 May 2009

EXCERPT: "Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network is seizing a greater role behind the scenes in Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort that could block the Barack Obama administration's stated goal of denying the terror network sanctuary in South Asia. A three-month investigation of al-Qaeda's activities, from Nuristan in the north to Paktika...

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29 May 2009

'Getting It Right: Security, Peace and Development for Afghan Women', The Funder's Network for Afghan Women, 28 May 2009

EXCERPT: "With the fall of the Taliban, Afghan women came back from the brink. But the gains made since 2001 are fragile. Any prospects of better lives for Afghan women and girls are inherently linked to the success of the development, reconstruction and the poverty alleviation agenda of the international...

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29 May 2009

Obaid Younossi et al, 'The Long March: Building An Afghan National Army', RAND Corporation, 28 May 2009

EXCERPT: "The Afghan National Army (ANA) is critical to the success of the allied efforts in Afghanistan and the ultimate stability of the national government. This monograph assesses the ANA's progress in the areas of recruitment, training, facilities, and operational capability. It draws on a variety of sources: in-country...

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29 May 2009

'US Troop Surge In Afghanistan "Will Lead To Spike In Conflict"', Times Online, 29 May 2009

EXCERPT: "An injection of 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan this summer will provoke a jump in violence before the casualty rate falls, a top British commander has warned, as the deaths of two more British servicemen were announced. Lieutenant-General Jim Dutton, Nato's deputy commander in Afghanistan, said that he expects...

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