Afghanistan Official Title: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan General Information

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Afghanistan Official Title: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan General Information: Capital Kabul Population (million) 36n./0a20 Total Area 652,090 km² Currency 1 CAN$=57.107 Afghani (AFN) (2018 - Annual average) National Holiday Independence Day, 19 August Language(s) Pashtu, Dari, Turkic languages (incl. Uzbek & Turkmen), 30 other languages Political Information: Type of State Islamic Republic Type of Government Consisting of three branches: executive, legislature and judiciary. The president is both the chief of state and head of government. The cabinet consists of 25-30 ministers appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly. The National Assembly consists of the Bilateral Product trade Upper House (Meshrano Jirga) (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for 4-year Canada - Afghanistan terms, one-third elected from local district councils for 3-year terms, and one-third nominated 35 by the president for 5-year terms) and the Lower House (Wolesi Jirga) (250 seats), directly 30 elected for 5-year terms. The constitution establishes a Supreme Court and subordinate Courts. Balance 25 s Can. 20 Head of State Head of Government n Exports o i l l 15 Can. President President i Imports Ashraf Ghani Ashraf Ghani M 10 Total 5 Trade Ministers: Foreign Affairs: Haroon Chakhansuri (Acting) 0 Defence: Asadullah Khalid (Acting) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Statistics Canada Finance: Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi(Acting) Interior: Masoud Andarabi(Acting) Main Political Parties Canadian Imports Afghanistan has a nascent democracy; its multi-party system is still developing. from: Afghanistan V eg . Pro d . M ach. M ech. Elec. Prod . Text iles Pro d . B ase M et al Pro d . Precious M et als/ st o nes V ehicles and Eq uip . Elections: Pnre/asident and vice president: Last in Sept 2019 (first round). Parliament: Last in Oct. 2018. 2019 Statistics Canada Economic Information: (2018) IMF Afghanistan Canada Canadian Exports GDP: (billion) $25n.4/a4 $2,222.58 to: Afghanistan GDP per capita: $706n.1/a4 $60,078.85 M ach. M ech. Elec. GDP Growth rate: (%) 2n.3/a0 1.83 Prod. Inflation: (%) 0n.6/a3 2.24 V ehicles and Eq uip . Unemployment: (%) n/a 5.83 F ood Pro d . Product Trade and Investment: (2019) Statistics Canada Specialized Inst . Canadian Exports: $16,829,2n9/a0 B ase M et al Pro d . Canadian Imports: $5,035,3n8/a8 A nimal & Pro d . 2019 Foreign Direct Investment in Canada (2018) n/a (million) Statistics Canada Canadian Direct Investment to country (2018) n/a (million) Sources: Representation: Statistics/Industry Canada http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home Foreign Representation in Canada IMF Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Soroosh Yousufzai http://www.imf.org/external/ns/cs.aspx?id=28 Canadian Representation Abroad Ambassador Dave Metcalfe February 2020 www.international.gc.ca HTML version: httpns/a://www.international.gc.ca/afghanistan/fs-Afghanistan-fd.aspx?lang=eng.

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Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance
Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs June 5, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS21922 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance Summary The central government’s limited writ and widespread official corruption are helping sustain a Taliban insurgency, and have fed pessimism about the Afghanistan stabilization effort. However, ethnic disputes remain confined largely to political debate and competition, enabling President Hamid Karzai to focus on trying to build Afghan institutions, and on his bid for re-election in presidential elections slated for August 20, 2009. Karzai has faced substantial loss of public confidence, in large part due to widespread official corruption, but his opponents—divided by ethnicity and personal ambition—were unable to form a strong electoral coalition as the presidential election registration process closed on May 8, 2009. At the same time, U.S. officials have been shifting away from reliance on building the central government and toward promoting local governing bodies and security initiatives. That trend is to accelerate, according to the Obama Administration’s review of U.S. strategy, the results of which were announced on March 27, 2009. The core of the new strategy is a so-called “civilian surge” that will virtually double, to about 900, the number of U.S. civilian personnel to deploy to Afghanistan to help build its governing and security institution, and to increase economic development efforts. The Administration also says it will develop “metrics” by which to judge the performance and legitimacy of the Afghan government, including its efforts to curb official corruption, although the Administration and many in Congress appear reluctant to tie any U.S.
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The Network Politics of International Statebuilding: Intervention and Statehood in Post-2001 Afghanistan
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Politics and Governance in Afghanistan: the Case of Kandahar
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Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance
Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs November 8, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS21922 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance Summary The limited capacity and widespread corruption of all levels of Afghan governance are factors in debate over the effectiveness of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and in implementing a transition to Afghan security leadership by the end of 2014. The capacity of the formal Afghan governing structure has increased significantly since the Taliban regime fell in late 2001, but many positions, particularly at the local level, are unfilled. Widespread illiteracy limits expansion of a competent bureaucracy. A dispute over the results of the 2010 parliamentary elections paralyzed governance for nearly a year and was resolved in September 2011 with the unseating on the grounds of fraud of nine winners of the elected lower house of parliament. Karzai also has tried, through direct denials, to quell assertions by his critics that he wants to stay in office beyond the 2014 expiration of his second term, the limits under the constitution. While trying, with mixed success, to build the formal governing structure, Afghan President Hamid Karzai also works through an informal power structure centered around his close ethnic Pashtun allies as well as other ethnic and political faction leaders. Some faction leaders oppose Karzai on the grounds that he is too willing to make concessions to insurgent leaders in search of a settlement—a criticism that grew following the September 20 assassination of the most senior Tajik leader, former President Burhanuddin Rabbani.
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Julie Super, Spencer Butts, and Jeffrey Dressler BACKGROUNDER December 20, 2012 Unpacking the AttempteD AssassinatioN of Asadullah Khalid suicide bombing in Kabul on December 6 targeted the head of the Afghan National Directorate of Security A (NDS), Asadullah Khalid, in an event that has rattled Afghan elites and rekindled controversy between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Khalid is known to be a staunch Taliban opponent, and he ranks among Kabul’s most influential, yet controversial, powerbrokers with significant sway in the Karzai administration. Given Khalid’s role in Afghanistan’s political space and security apparatus and the nature of the attack, Thursday’s event could have significant implications as 2014 approaches. Afghan suspicions are pointed at Pakistan over the attack, and despite Taliban claims of responsibility, the attempt on Khalid’s life will likely complicate the peace process and tenuous reconciliation efforts by driving deeper a wedge of distrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Asadullah Khalid is a well-entrenched figure in the post- over security responsibility for the southern zone in 2011, 9/11 network of Afghan leadership. Accounts of his history Khalid is believed also to have assumed AWK’s role of head before 2001 vary: some accounts place him at Tajikistan of the Kandahar Strike Force, an anti-Taliban militia that University from 1996 to 2001, while others state that he works closely with U.S. Special Forces and the CIA and has was a follower of Muhajideen leader Abdul Rasul Sayyaf been entangled in accusations of serious abuses, according collecting Stinger missiles on his behalf in 2000 and 2001.1 to AAN.6 In 2002, he was appointed as head of the NDS chief’s “5th department.”2 He served as the Governor of Ghazni More recently, as Minister of Tribal and Border Affairs, province from 2003 to 2005 and Governor of Kandahar Khalid became involved in anti-Taliban uprisings in province from 2005 to 2008.3 He failed to gain enough Andar, Ghazni.
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Carl Forsberg STUDY of WAR CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY Military a Nalysis Andeducation for Civilian Leaders June 22, 2010
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Today We Shall All Die” Afghanistan’S Strongmen and the Legacy of Impunity WATCH
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Post-Taliban State-Building in Afghanistan
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September, 2012 September, Afghan News Latest News Facts on Afghan- Singaporean Rela- tions in honor of Ambassador Fatimie’s reception in the Republic of Singapore Diplomatic relations be- tween the Islamic Repub- lic of Afghanistan and the Republic of Singa- pore were formalized in 2006. The Republic of Singa- pore has been a major cooperative partner in a H.E. President Karzai swears into office Defense, Inte- number of activities re- lated to Afghanistan’s rior, and Head of NDS peace and development, particularly in capacity development of officials. In a ceremony was held in the Presidential The appointments had been approved by Palace on September 16, 2012 adminis- the Lower House one day earlier. tered by H.E. President Hamid Karzai, H.E. General Bismellah Mohammadi, (also pictured above, H.E. First Vice- H.E. General Gholam Mujtaba Patang, president Marshal Mohammad Qaseem and H.E. Mr. Asadullah Khalid were Fahim with Their Excellencies Minister Inside this issue: sworn in as the new Minister of Defense, Mohammadi and Minister Patang ) Minister of Interior, and Head of the Na- tional Directorate of Security, respec- Latest News Pg.1-4 tively. Each of the individuals, in pledg- H.E. Foreign Minister Rassoul visits ing their allegiance to God, people, Gov- Lithuania, inaugurates international ernment, and office, recited the oath of conference on regional cooperation office as read out by H.E. the President. H.E. President Karzai wished success for H.E. Foreign Minister Dr. Zalmai Ras- the gentlemen in serving their nation and soul visited Lithuania September 18-19 country.
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