DOCSLIB.ORG

AFGHANISTAN COUNTRY REPORT April 2004 Country Information & Policy Unit IMMIGRATION and NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE HOME OFFIC

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
AFGHANISTAN COUNTRY REPORT April 2004 Country Information & Policy Unit IMMIGRATION and NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE HOME OFFIC AFGHANISTAN COUNTRY REPORT April 2004 Country Information & Policy Unit IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE HOME OFFICE, UNITED KINGDOM Afghanistan April 2004 CONTENTS 1 Scope Of Document 1.1 - 1.7 2 Geography 2.1 - 2.6 General 2.1 Languages 2.2 - 2.6 3.Economy 3.1 - 3.4 4 History 1992-1994: Mujahidin Government 4.1 - 4.4 Emergence of the Taliban 4.5 - 4.6 February 1995-June 1996 4.7 - 4.8 September 1996- December 1999 4.9 - 4.30 January 2000 - December 2000 4.31 - 4.34 January 2001 - December 2001 4.35 - 4.50 January 2002 – December 2002 4.51 - 4.70 January 2003 – December 2003 4.71 - 4.92 January 2004 onwards 4.93 - 4.111 5.State Structures The Constitution 5.1 - 5.12 - Citizenship and Nationality 5.13 – 5.15 Political System 5.16 - 5.47 -Before 22 December 2001 5.16 - 5.19 -Interim Administration 5.20 - 5.22 -The Emergency Loya Jirga and Transitional Administration 5.23 - 5.28 - The Constitutional Loya Jirga 5.29 - 5.32 -Elections 5.33 - 5.44 -Situation in Herat 5.45 - 5.47 Judiciary 5.48 - 5.67 Legal Rights/Detention 5.68 - 5.78 - Death Penalty 5.79 - 5.85 Internal Security 5.86 - 5.169 - Before 22 December 2001 5.86 - 5.88 - After 22 December 2001 (The Bonn Agreement) 5.89 - 5.147 -National Security Directorate 5.148 – 5.152 -Accountability Department 5.153 -Army 5.154 - 5.160 -Police 5.161 - 5.169 Prisons and Prison Conditions 5.170 - 5.193 Military Service 5.194 - 5.202 Medical Services 5.203 - 5.238 Educational System 5.239 - 5.249 6.Human Rights 6.A Human Rights issues -General 6.1 - 6.26 -Independent Afghan Human Rights Commission 6.27 - 6.37 -Domestic and International Non Governmental Organisations 6.38 - 6.41 Freedom of Speech and Media 6.42 - 6.47 - Journalists 6.48 - 6.54 Afghanistan April 2004 Freedom of Religion 6.55 - 6.96 -Background and Demography 6.55 - 6.68 Religious Groups 6.69 - 6.96 -Shia Muslims 6.69 - 6.73 -Ismailis 6.74 - 6.76 -Sikhs and Hindus 6.77 - 6.92 -Converts 6.93 - 6.96 Freedom of Assembly and Association 6.97 - 6.99 Employment Rights 6.100 - 6.102 People Trafficking 6.103 - 6.107 Freedom of Movement 6.108 - 6.113 6 B Human Rights - Specific Groups Ethnic Groups 6.114 - 6.159 -Introduction 6.114 - 6.120 -Pashtuns 6.121 - 6.132 -Tajiks 6.133 - 6.135 -Hazaras 6.136 - 6.151 -Uzbeks and Turkomans 6.152 - 6.154 -Baluchis 6.155 -Nuristanis 6.156 -Panjsheris 6.157 -Kuchis 6.158 - 6.159 Women 6.160 - 6.219 -Overview 6.160 - 6.190 -Legal Provisions 6.191 - 6.199 -Women’s Participation in Public Institutions 6.200 - 6.206 -Marriage/Divorce/Child Custody 6.207 - 6.214 -Situation of women and girls in Herat 6.215 - 6.219 Children 6.220 - 6.230 -Child Care Arrangements 6.231 – 6.233 -Homosexuals 6.234 – 6.236 KhAD (former Security Services) -Background 6.237 - 6.239 -Treatment of former KhAD members 6.240 - 6.245 Former Members of the PDPA 6.246 - 6.250 Intellectuals 6.251 - 6.254 6 C Human Rights - Other Issues Mines and Unexploded Ordinance 6.255 - 6.262 Humanitarian Situation 6.263 - 6.287 -Humanitarian Situation Kabul 6.288 - 6.301 Taliban 6.302 - 6.313 Former Taliban Members 6.314 - 6.321 Hisb-e-Islami 6.322 – 6.328 Refugees Outside Afghanistan 6.329 - 6.344 Al Qa’ida 6.345 - 6.349 Documents 6.350 Annexes Chronology of Major events Annex A Political Organisations and other groups Annex B Prominent People Annex C Afghanistan April 2004 Cabinet Members/Vice Presidents/Advisors of the Annex D Transitional Administration Deputy Ministers in Transitional Administration Annex E List of former Taliban Ministers Annex F List of Source Material Annex G 1 Scope Of Document 1.1 This Country Report has been produced by the Country Information and Policy Unit, Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Home Office, for use by Home Office officials involved in the asylum/human rights determination process. The Report provides general background information about the issues most commonly raised in asylum/human rights claims made in the United Kingdom. It is not a detailed or comprehensive survey. 1.2 The Report is compiled from a wide range of recognised sources and does not contain any Home Office opinion or policy. All information in the Report is attributed, throughout the text, to original source material, which has been made available to those working in the asylum/human rights determination process. The Report aims to provide only a brief summary of the source material quoted. For a more detailed account, the relevant source documents should be examined directly. 1.3 The information contained in this Country Report is, by its nature, limited to information that we have been able to identify from various well-recognised sources. The contents of this Report are not exhaustive and the absence of information under any particular heading does not imply that any analysis or judgement has been exercised to exclude that information, but simply that relevant information on the subject has not been identified from the sources that have been consulted. Equally, the information included in the Reports should not be taken to imply anything beyond what is actually stated. 1.4 The great majority of the source material is readily available in the public domain. Copies of other source documents, such as those provided by government offices, may be provided upon request. 1.5 All sources have been checked for currency and, as far as can be ascertained, contain information, which remained relevant at the time, this Report was issued. Some source documents have been included because they contain relevant information not available in more recent documents. 1.6 This Country Report and the accompanying source material are publicly disclosable. Where sources identified in this Report are available in electronic form the relevant link has been included. The date that the relevant link was accessed in preparing the report is also included. Paper copies of the source documents have been distributed to nominated officers within IND. 1.7 It is intended to revise this Report on a six-monthly basis while the country remains within the top 35 asylum producing countries in the United Kingdom. Information contained in Country Reports is inevitably overtaken by events that occur between the Afghanistan April 2004 6 monthly publications. Caseworkers are informed of such changes in country conditions by means of Country Information Bulletins. Return to Contents 2 Geography General 2.1 The Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan is a land-locked country in Southwest Asia. It is bordered by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, Iran to the west, China to the northeast, and Pakistan to the east and south. Covering an area of some 251,773 square miles, there are 32 provinces. The five largest towns are Kabul (the capital), Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Jalalabad. [1] Population movements across the border and internal displacements make it difficult to obtain reliable population figures [11b] although a July 2002 estimate of the population was 27,755,775. [23] For further information on geography, refer to Europa Yearbook, source [1] Languages 2.2 There are a variety of languages spoken in Afghanistan, the principal two being Pashtu and Dari. [1] These have been the official languages of the country since 1936, using an augmented Arabic script. Pashtu (spoken by the Pashtun ethnic group) is an Indo-European language, and Dari is a dialect of Farsi/Persian (spoken mainly by the Tajiks, Farsis, Hazaras and Aimaq). [11a] 2.3 Since 1978 a multitude of languages used by ethnic minorities such as the Uzbeks, Turkomans, Baluchis, Nuristanis and Pashai have been officially recognised. [11a] Article 16 of the new Constitution, approved and signed in January 2004, recognised six additional languages, besides Dari and Pashtu, as official languages in the regions where they are spoken by the majority of the population – Uzbek, Turkmen, Baluchi, Pashai, Nuristani and Pamiri . [15c] 2.4 Some 50% of the population are able to speak Pashtu, which is one of the two official languages taught in schools. [16] Pashtu is spoken by the Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pashtu speaking area is defined as the south-eastern third of Afghanistan and the area of Pakistan between the Afghan border and the Indus. The language is equally understandable on both sides of the border. It is noted that within Pashtu there are dialectical variations in pronunciation, spelling, grammar and vocabulary. Using the test of pronunciation, the two principal dialects identified are western/Kandahari and eastern/Peshwarin; this division approximates to a division along the border. [15b] 2.5 Dari, which itself contains dialectical variations, is the Afghan variant of Farsi and differs from the national standard dialect of Iran. There are however Farsi dialects within Iran that have much in common with Dari. Dari speakers may not therefore be able to communicate easily in standard Farsi. Because of its literary and commercial importance, Dari generally serves as the means of communication between speakers Afghanistan April 2004 of different languages rather than Pashtu. [15b] The formal style of Dari is closer to Tehrani Persian (Farsi), and the informal style in some parts of Afghanistan is closer to Tajiki of Tajikistan. Phonological and lexical differences between Iran and Afghanistan cause little difficulty in comprehension. [16] 2.6 Afghan Sikhs retain the use of Punjabi amongst themselves, given their involvement in trade.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Strange Victory: a Critical Appraisal of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Afghanistan War
    30 JANUARY 2002 RESEARCH MONOGRAPH #6 Strange Victory: A critical appraisal of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Afghanistan war Carl Conetta PROJECT ON DEFENSE ALTERNATIVES COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS Contents Introduction 3 1. What has Operation Enduring Freedom accomplished? 4 1.1 The fruits of victory 4 1.1.1 Secondary goals 5 1.2 The costs of the war 6 1.2.1 The humanitarian cost of the war 7 1.2.2 Stability costs 7 2. Avoidable costs: the road not taken 9 3. War in search of a strategy 10 3.1 The Taliban become the target 10 3.2 Initial war strategy: split the Taliban 12 3.2.1 Romancing the Taliban 13 3.2.2 Pakistan: between the devil and the red, white, and blue 14 3.3 The first phase of the air campaign: a lever without a fulcrum 15 3.3.1 Strategic bombardment: alienating hearts and minds 15 3.4 A shift in strategy -- unleashing the dogs of war 17 4. A theater redefined 18 4.1 Reshuffling Afghanistan 19 4.2 Regional winners and losers 20 4.3 The structure of post-war Afghan instability 21 4.3.1 The Bonn agreement: nation-building or “cut and paste”? 22 4.3.2 Peacekeepers for Afghanistan: too little, too late 24 4.4 A new game: US and Afghan interests diverge 25 4.4.1 A failure to adjust 26 5. The tunnel at the end of the light 28 5.1 The path charted by Enduring Freedom 28 5.2 The triumph of expediency 29 5.3 The ascendancy of Defense 29 5.4 Realism redux 31 5.5 Bread and bombs 32 5.6 The fog of peace 34 Appendix 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Individuals and Organisations
    Designated individuals and organisations Listed below are all individuals and organisations currently designated in New Zealand as terrorist entities under the provisions of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. It includes those listed with the United Nations (UN), pursuant to relevant Security Council Resolutions, at the time of the enactment of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 and which were automatically designated as terrorist entities within New Zealand by virtue of the Acts transitional provisions, and those subsequently added by virtue of Section 22 of the Act. The list currently comprises 7 parts: 1. A list of individuals belonging to or associated with the Taliban By family name: • A • B,C,D,E • F, G, H, I, J • K, L • M • N, O, P, Q • R, S • T, U, V • W, X, Y, Z 2. A list of organisations belonging to or associated with the Taliban 3. A list of individuals belonging to or associated with ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida By family name: • A • B • C, D, E • F, G, H • I, J, K, L • M, N, O, P • Q, R, S, T • U, V, W, X, Y, Z 4. A list of organisations belonging to or associated with ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida 5. A list of entities where the designations have been deleted or consolidated • Individuals • Entities 6. A list of entities where the designation is pursuant to UNSCR 1373 1 7. A list of entities where the designation was pursuant to UNSCR 1373 but has since expired or been revoked Several identifiers are used throughout to categorise the information provided.
    [Show full text]
  • Algemeen Ambtsbericht Afghanistan Juli 2010
    Algemeen ambtsbericht Afghanistan Juli 2010 Directie Consulaire Zaken en Migratiebeleid Afdeling Asiel, Hervestiging en Terugkeer Inhoudsopgave Pagina 1 Inleiding 4 2 Landeninformatie 5 2.1 Basisgegevens 5 2.1.1 Land en volk 5 2.1.2 Geschiedenis 9 2.1.3 Staatsinrichting 13 2.2 Politieke ontwikkelingen 18 2.3 Afghaanse veiligheidsorganisaties 22 2.3.1 Afghan National Army 22 2.3.2 Afghan National Police 23 2.3.3 Veiligheidsdienst NDS 26 2.3.4 Burgermilities 27 2.4 Internationale militaire presentie 28 2.5 Machtsfactoren 30 2.5.1 Taliban 32 2.5.2 Jalaluddin Haqqani 34 2.5.3 Hezb-i-Islami 35 2.5.4 Ontwapening, demobilisatie en re-integratie 36 2.6 Veiligheidssituatie 37 2.6.1 Bescherming tegen geweld 38 2.6.2 Doelwitten 38 2.6.3 Burgerslachtoffers 39 2.6.4 Gedwongen rekrutering en ronseling 41 2.6.5 Regionale verdeling veiligheidsincidenten 41 3 Mensenrechten 46 3.1 Juridische context 46 3.1.1 Verdragen en protocollen 46 3.1.2 Nationale wetgeving 46 3.2 Toezicht 48 3.2.1 Mensenrechtencommissie AIHCR 49 3.2.2 Transitional Justice 50 3.3 Naleving en schendingen 53 3.3.1 Vrijheid van meningsuiting 53 3.3.2 Vrijheid van vereniging en vergadering 56 3.3.3 Vrijheid van godsdienst en overtuiging 56 3.3.4 Bewegingsvrijheid en documenten 59 3.3.5 Rechtsgang 62 3.3.6 Arrestaties en detentie 64 3.3.7 Foltering, mishandeling en bedreiging 66 3.3.8 Ontvoeringen 67 3.3.9 Buitengerechtelijke executies en moorden 67 3.3.10 Doodstraf 68 3.4 Positie van specifieke groepen 69 3.4.1 Politieke opposanten en mensenrechtenactivisten 69 3.4.2 Etnische groepen 70
    [Show full text]
  • Ce General Conference GC (54)/INF/7 Date: 23 September 2010
    Atoms for Peace General Conference GC (54)/INF/7 Date: 23 September 2010 General Distribution Original: English 54th regular session Vienna, 20-24 September 2010 List of Participants Information received by 22 September 2010 Page 1. Member States 1-101 2. Representation of States not Members of the Agency 102 3. Entities Having Received a Standing Invitation to Participate as 103 Observers 4. United Nations and Specialized Agencies 104 5. Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) other than United Nations 105-108 and its Specialized Agencies 6. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) 109-113 7. Individual Observers 114-115 The list of Participants contains information as provided by Delegations. Member States Mr Nikolla CIVICI Director of Applied Nuclear Physics Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Mr Rustem PACI Head of Delegation: Secretary of Radiation Protection Commission Mr Eklil Ahmad HAKIMI Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Jovan THERESCA Technical Advisor Alternates: Mr Lorenc XHAFERRAJ Mr Abdul M SHOOGUFAN Expert on International Organisations Ambassador Ministry of Foreign Affairs Governor on the Agency's Board of Governors & Resident Representative to the Agency Permanent Mission to the IAEA Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of Mr Abdul Hai NAZIFI Chairman Head of Delegation: High Commission on Atomic Energy Ms Taous FEROUKHI Ambassador* Mr Mohammad Yama AINI Resident Representative to the Agency Second Secretary Permanent Mission to the IAEA Alternate to the Resident Representative Permanent Mission to the IAEA Alternates:
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of the Taliban
    Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2008-06 The evolution of the Taliban Samples, Christopher A. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/4101 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS THE EVOLUTION OF THE TALIBAN by Shahid A. Afsar Christopher A. Samples June 2008 Thesis Advisor: Thomas H. Johnson Second Reader: Heather S. Gregg Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED June 2008 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Evolution of the Taliban 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHORS Shahid A. Afsar and Christopher A. Samples 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Asamblea General Consejo De Seguridad Sexagésimo Primer Período De Sesiones Sexagésimo Segundo Año Tema 16 Del Programa La Situación En El Afganistán
    Naciones Unidas A/61/892–S/2007/255 Asamblea General Distr. general 4 de mayo de 2007 Consejo de Seguridad Español Original: inglés Asamblea General Consejo de Seguridad Sexagésimo primer período de sesiones Sexagésimo segundo año Tema 16 del programa La situación en el Afganistán Carta de fecha 1° de febrero de 2007 dirigida al Secretario General por el Representante Permanente de Liechtenstein ante las Naciones Unidas Tengo el honor de transmitirle el resumen de un coloquio internacional de representantes y expertos de alto nivel sobre el tema “Creación de estabilidad y prosperidad en el Afganistán y su región”, celebrado en Viena, del 26 al 29 de octubre de 2006 (véase el anexo). La reunión fue organizada por el Instituto Liechtenstein sobre la Libre Determinación, de la Facultad Woodrow Wilson de Asuntos Públicos Internacionales de la Universidad de Princeton. Le agradecería que la presente carta y su anexo fueran publicados como documento de la Asamblea General, en relación con el tema 16 del programa, y del Consejo de Seguridad. (Firmado) Christian Wenaweser Embajador Representante Permanente 07-33123 (S) 170507 170507 *0733123* A/61/892 S/2007/255 Anexo de la carta de fecha 1° de febrero de 2007 dirigida al Secretario General por el Representante Permanente de Liechtenstein ante las Naciones Unidas Creación de seguridad y estabilidad en el Afganistán y su región Informe resumido: Instituto Liechtenstein sobre la Libre Determinación El Instituto Liechtenstein sobre la Libre Determinación, de la Facultad Woodrow Wilson de Asuntos Públicos Internacionales de la Universidad de Princeton convocó el coloquio “Creación de estabilidad y prosperidad en el Afganistán y su región” del 26 al 29 de octubre de 2006 en Viena (Austria).
    [Show full text]
  • Afghan Opiate Trade 2009.Indb
    ADDICTION, CRIME AND INSURGENCY The transnational threat of Afghan opium UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna ADDICTION, CRIME AND INSURGENCY The transnational threat of Afghan opium Copyright © United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), October 2009 Acknowledgements This report was prepared by the UNODC Studies and Threat Analysis Section (STAS), in the framework of the UNODC Trends Monitoring and Analysis Programme/Afghan Opiate Trade sub-Programme, and with the collaboration of the UNODC Country Office in Afghanistan and the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia. UNODC field offices for East Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Southern Africa, South Asia and South Eastern Europe also provided feedback and support. A number of UNODC colleagues gave valuable inputs and comments, including, in particular, Thomas Pietschmann (Statistics and Surveys Section) who reviewed all the opiate statistics and flow estimates presented in this report. UNODC is grateful to the national and international institutions which shared their knowledge and data with the report team, including, in particular, the Anti Narcotics Force of Pakistan, the Afghan Border Police, the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan and the World Customs Organization. Thanks also go to the staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, Afghanistan. Report Team Research and report preparation: Hakan Demirbüken (Lead researcher, Afghan
    [Show full text]
  • Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters and Translators
    Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses CAHSS Theses and Dissertations and Dissertations 1-1-2015 Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters and Translators: An Examination of Their deI ntity Changes and Lived Experiences During Pre and Post- Immigration to the United States During the Afghanistan War (2003-2012) Michael Tyrone Solomon Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, please click here. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd Part of the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Michael Tyrone Solomon. 2015. Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters and Translators: An Examination of Their Identity Changes and Lived Experiences During Pre and Post-Immigration to the United States During the Afghanistan War (2003-2012). Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies. (31) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd/31. This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses and Dissertations at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AFGHAN MUSLIM MALE INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS: AN EXAMINATION OF THEIR IDENTITY CHANGES AND LIVED EXPERIENCES DURING PRE- AND POST- IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES DURING THE AFGHANISTAN WAR (2003– 2012) by Michael T.
    [Show full text]
  • Four Years After the Fall of the Taliban, Afghans Express Both Vast Support for the Changes That Have Shaken Their Country
    ABC NEWS POLL: LIFE IN AFGHANISTAN EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE AFTER 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 Despite Deep Challenges in Daily Life, Afghans Express a Positive Outlook Four years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghans express both vast support for the changes that have shaken their country and remarkable optimism for the future, despite the deep challenges they face in economic opportunity, security and basic services alike. An ABC News poll in Afghanistan – the first national survey there sponsored by a news organization – underscores those challenges in a unique portrait of the lives of ordinary Afghans. Poverty is deep, medical care and other basic services lacking and infrastructure minimal. Nearly six in 10 have no electricity in their homes, and just three percent have it around the clock. Seven in 10 Afghan adults have no more than an elementary education; half have no schooling whatsoever. Half have household incomes under $500 a year. 100% Public Attitudes in Afghanistan ABC News poll 90% 87% 80% 77% 70% 60% 50% Afghanistan's current direction U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban 40% 30% 20% 9% 10% 6% 0% Right direction Wrong direction Good thing Bad thing Yet despite these and other deprivations, 77 percent of Afghans say their country is headed in the right direction – compared with 30 percent in the vastly better-off United States. Ninety-one percent prefer the current Afghan government to the Taliban regime, and 87 percent call the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban good for their country. Osama bin Laden, for his part, is as unpopular as the Taliban; nine in 10 view him unfavorably.
    [Show full text]
  • Paktika Province
    UNHCR BACKGROUND REPORT PAKTIKA PROVINCE Prepared by the Data Collection for Afghan Repatriation Project 1 September 1989 PREFACE '!he follc,,.,ing report is one in a series of 14 provincial profiles prepared for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees by the Data collec­ tion for Afghan Repatriation Project. '!he object of these reports is to provide detailed information on the conditions affecting the repatriation of Afghan refugees in each province so that UNHCRand its inplementing partners may be better able to plan and target progranunes of relief and rehabilitation assistance. Each of the provinces featured in this series is estimated to have at least 35 percent of its pre-1978 population living as refugees. Together, these 14 provinces -- Baghlan, Farah, Ghazni, Helmand, Herat, Kandahar, Kunar, I.aghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Paktia, Paktika and Zarul -- account for ninety percent of the Afghan refugee population settled in Iran and Pakistan. The Data collection for Afghan Repatriation Project (OCAR)was funded by UNHCRto develop a databr3se of information on Afghanistan that would serve as a resource for repatriation planning. Project staff based iJl Peshawar and Quetta have corrlucted interviews and surveys in refugee calTlpS through­ out NWFP,Baluchistan and Punjab provinces in Pakistan to compile data on refugee origins, ethnic and tribal affiliation and likely routes of refugee return to Afghanistan. In addition, the project field staff undertake frequent missions into Afghanistan to gather specific inform­ ation on road conditions, the availability of storage facilities, trans­ portation and fuel, the level of destruction of housing, irrigation systems and farmland, the location of landmines and the political and military situation at the district (woleswali)arrl sub-district (alagadari) levels in those provinces of priority concern to UNHCR.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S
    Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs December 21, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL30588 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy Summary Stated U.S. policy is to ensure that Afghanistan will not again become a base for terrorist attacks against the United States. Following policy reviews in 2009, the Obama Administration asserted that it was pursuing a well-resourced and integrated military-civilian strategy intended to pave the way for a gradual transition to Afghan leadership from July 2011 until the end of 2014. To carry out U.S. policy, a total of 51,000 additional U.S. forces were authorized by the two 2009 reviews, which brought U.S. troop numbers to a high of about 99,000, with partner forces adding about 42,000. On June 22, 2011, President Obama announced that the policy had accomplished most major U.S. goals and that a drawdown of 33,000 U.S. troops would take place by September 2012. The first 10,000 of these are to be withdrawn by the end of 2011 and the remainder of that number by September 2012. The transition to Afghan leadership began, as planned, in July 2011 in the first set of areas, four cities and three full provinces; a second and larger tranche of areas to be transitioned was announced on November 27, 2011. The U.S. official view is that security gains achieved by the surge could be at risk from weak Afghan governance and insurgent safe haven in Pakistan, and that Afghanistan will still need direct security assistance after 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Länderinformationen Afghanistan Country
    Staatendokumentation Country of Origin Information Afghanistan Country Report Security Situation (EN) from the COI-CMS Country of Origin Information – Content Management System Compiled on: 17.12.2020, version 3 This project was co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund Disclaimer This product of the Country of Origin Information Department of the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum was prepared in conformity with the standards adopted by the Advisory Council of the COI Department and the methodology developed by the COI Department. A Country of Origin Information - Content Management System (COI-CMS) entry is a COI product drawn up in conformity with COI standards to satisfy the requirements of immigration and asylum procedures (regional directorates, initial reception centres, Federal Administrative Court) based on research of existing, credible and primarily publicly accessible information. The content of the COI-CMS provides a general view of the situation with respect to relevant facts in countries of origin or in EU Member States, independent of any given individual case. The content of the COI-CMS includes working translations of foreign-language sources. The content of the COI-CMS is intended for use by the target audience in the institutions tasked with asylum and immigration matters. Section 5, para 5, last sentence of the Act on the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA-G) applies to them, i.e. it is as such not part of the country of origin information accessible to the general public. However, it becomes accessible to the party in question by being used in proceedings (party’s right to be heard, use in the decision letter) and to the general public by being used in the decision.
    [Show full text]