News Articles and Analysis

Added February 12

Koorosh Modarresi, "Anti-war Coalitions: Lost Causes and Self-defeated Movements"

Barry Bearak  "Uncertain Toll in the Fog of War: Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan"     New York Times February 10, 2002

Human Rights Watch, "U.S. Officials Misstate Geneva Convention Requirements" January 28, 2002

R. Grant Smith , "Dealing With Warlords,"  Central Asia Caucasus Analyst  January 30, 2002

Competition among strong warlords threatens the success of the interim government in Afghanistan and poses a major problem for delivery of relief and reconstruction assistance there. Neither the interim government nor the international peacekeeping force is likely to have the strength to deal with the most powerful warlords.  In offering individual warlords incentives to cooperate, the interim government and international community will have to consider what kind of profit, power and prestige are available to the warlord in if he does not cooperate.  While the warlords will have to be accommodated in the short term, in the longer term it will be important that they not be strengthened and, if possible, sidelined.

Chinara Jakypova and  Vladimir Davlatov "US Campaign Poses Threat to Central Asia" Institute for War & Peace Reporting  February 8, 2002

Washington's quest for allies in its war on terrorism risks democracy and human rights across Central Asia.

Yasin Bidar, "U.S. Set for Long Stay in Central Asia"   Institute for War & Peace Reporting  February 1, 2002

The US has said it won't contribute to the Afghan peacekeeping force, but it is stepping up military deployment elsewhere in the region.

Shiraz Paracha, "Peshawar Rings the Changes" 

Afghans in Peshawar revel in new-found freedoms following the fall of the Taleban.

Thomas Withington, "Afghanistan: Heroin Trade Dilemma"  Institute for War & Peace Reporting January 18, 2002

If the new Afghan government bows to international pressure to ban poppy cultivation the economic consequences could be catastrophic.

Paul Rogers, "The Logic of Complexity"  Open Democracy February 10, 2002

Inside Afghanistan a destructive but unreported war continues amidst large population movements and a breakdown of law. With a significant international (and non-Muslim) presence in Afghanistan, tension in Saudi-US relations, and an active French military policy in the region, the geopolitics are becoming more problematic – especially for an overstretched US.

Robert D. Hershey, "Who Stands to Benefit as Military Expands" New York Times February 10, 2002

Simon Tisdall, "Republican agenda rules the war on terrorism" Guardian February 7, 2002

George Bush's desire to neutralise the 'axis of evil' is based on conservative thinking that pre-dated September 11.

Saad al-Fagih, "The coming Saudi eruption" Guardian January 29, 2002

As al-Qaida prepares its next move, the House of Saud is desperate to get US troops to leave the Arabian peninsula.

Ziauddin Sardar "Could the war games come true?" New Statesman Jan 7, 2002

US think-tanks have been simulating a new India-Pakistan conflict for years. In almost nine out of ten cases, the outcome is nuclear. By Ziauddin Sardar

Carl Conetta, "Operation Enduring Freedom: Why a Higher Rate of Civilian Bombing Casualties" Project for Defense Alternatives Briefing Report #11

Despite the adulation of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) as a "finely-tuned" or "bulls-eye" war, the campaign failed to set a new standard for precision in one important respect: the rate of civilians killed per bomb dropped. In fact, this rate was far higher in the Afghanistan conflict -- perhaps four times higher -- than in the 1999 Balkans war. In absolute terms, too, the civilian death toll in Afghanistan surpassed that incurred by the 1999 NATO bombing campaign over Kosovo and Serbia; indeed, it may have been twice as high....In Afghanistan, it is very likely that the bombing campaign claimed 1000-1300 civilian lives.

Added January 12

Todd Gitlin, "Blaming America First"    Mother Jones January/February 2002

Why are some on the left, who rightly demand sympathy for victims around the world, so quick to dismiss American suffering?

Paul Kurtz, "Religious Correctness and the Qur'an" Free Inquiry

Paul Richter, "Afghan Famine Averted, Most Believe" Los Angeles Times January 4, 2002

Robin Wright "U.S. Suspends Funding to Iraqi Opposition Group" Los Angeles Times January 5, 2002

Amy Waldman "A Fertile Valley Left Barren by the Taliban" New York Times January 7, 2002

C. J. Chivers, "Afghan City, Free of Taliban, Returns to Rule of the Thieves" New York Times January 6, 2002

Carol J. Williams, "Watchful, but Still Shrouded"   Los Angeles Times January 8, 2002

Although the Taliban is gone, Afghan women remain wary of the future. A culture of subservience has them awaiting male direction.

David Maharaj, "U.S. Is Urged Not to Attack Somalia" Los Angeles Times January 10, 2002

Nation may be target in terror war. U.N. official says strike would disrupt a fragile security and worsen the poverty.