Hamid Karsai
All topics-
Negotiating with the Taliban for girls′ education
Treading carefully
More than 16 years after the fall of their government, the Taliban say they are willing to allow girls to study, but residents on the ground say the group has done little, if anything, to re-open girls′ schools in areas under their control. Ali M. Latifi reports from Afghanistan
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Ahmad Shah Massoud
Afghanistan's Cold War hero
9 September marked the 15th anniversary of the death of Ahmad Shah Massoud, revered as a war hero not only in his homeland, but also in the West. This is astonishing in view of the fact that he – just like all other Afghan warlords – can justifiably be described as a war criminal. By Emran Feroz
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Afghanistan: the Taliban′s Kunduz offensive
"There's nothing left to keep me here"
The security situation in Afghanistan continues to escalate. After bitter fighting in Kunduz, the mood is also tense in Kabul. Meanwhile thousands of Afghans are leaving the country every day. Impressions from Kabul by Emran Feroz
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The Baloch community in Pakistan and Iran
A forgotten conflict that is very much alive
Ever since colonial borders were drawn in Central Asia over 120 years ago, the Baloch people in both Iran and Pakistan have faced oppression and struggle – largely unnoticed by the international community. By Emran Feroz
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Drone war in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Living in the shadow of the "angels of death"
While the world is spellbound by the atrocities perpetrated by the organisation "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria, the killing in another region of the world goes on unremarked. The daily lives of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan are affected less by the murders committed by bearded extremists than by unmanned killing machines. By Emran Feroz
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Afghanistan's new president: Ashraf Ghani
The intellectual and the warlords
Ashraf Ghani is Afghanistan's new president. The months of acrimonious dispute over the country's presidential election came to an end about a week ago. However, not much has changed: like his predecessor, Ghani is surrounded by violent warlords and drug barons. Emran Feroz has the details
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Afghanistan after Hamid Karzai
Facing an uncertain future
In Afghanistan, people look with nostalgia upon outgoing President Hamid Karzai. But at the same time, they fear the uncertain future that his successor might very well bring. By Emran Feroz
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Afghan refugees in Iran
Treated like second-class citizens
Iran constantly draws attention to the plight of other peoples and minorities – whether it is the Palestinians in Gaza or the Shia in Saudi Arabia. Yet at the same time, the government in Tehran takes a hard line against minorities living in Iran. According to Emran Feroz, the largest group to suffer as a result of this policy is the Afghan refugees
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Presidential election in Afghanistan
Defying the Taliban
Last Saturday, around 12 million Afghans were called upon to vote for a successor to President Hamid Karzai. Although the Taliban warned that numerous attacks would take place on voting day, large numbers of Afghans refused to be deterred. Details from Emran Feroz in Kabul
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Interview with Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig
"The violence threshold is low"
Having already served two terms, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cannot run for president in the election in early April. The end of his twelve years in office marks the end of an era for the country. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to Thomas Ruttig of the "Afghanistan Analysts Network" about the political situation in Afghanistan after over a decade of Karzai
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Afghanistan as the Western Troop Withdrawal Nears
The Failure of Dialogue
The end of the NATO mission in the Hindu Kush, scheduled for 2014, is fast approaching. The results to date are sobering. Mistrust and even mutual dislike between locals and representatives of the West in Afghanistan are striking and widespread. By Stefan Buchen
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Interview with Fawzia Koofi
''It Is Not A Matter of Overnight Change''
Fawzia Koofi is an Afghan women's rights activist and MP. She has already declared that she will run for president in 2014. In this interview with Martin Gerner, she outlines the two policy areas closest to her heart and explains why some Afghans view the timeline for the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan with trepidation