CSG Executive Director Mark Sedra Gives Series of Media Interviews on the Collapse of the US-Taliban Peace Talks
On September 11, 2019 CSG Executive Director Mark Sedra gave 11 radio interviews to CBC Radio...
Read More
Tag: Afghanistan
Theorizing corruption in the Afghan judicial sector
The purpose of this blog is to identify and analyze the dynamics of corruption at its systemic roots that has led to forms of state capture, low pay resulting in petty forms of corruption and issues with training within the Afghan judicial sector. The paper relies on 70 semi-structured interviews conducted predominantly in Kabul with judicial reform and human rights organizations, rights-based and gender empowerment non-governmental organizations and civil society watchdogs.
Read More
The Afghan National Police: A study on corruption and clientelism
This blog identifies the underlying conditions of the Afghan state from the outset of the late 2001 Bonn political arrangement that has resulted in deep-rooted corrupt clientelistic networks within the Afghan government. This has trickled to the majority of the ministries including the Interior Ministry. Corruption is systemic and hard to combat despite police reform. This is due to the nature of four interrelated explanations of corruption that are subsequently covered.
Read More
Did PRTs in Afghanistan Decrease Security for Aid Workers?
In an effort to curtail the insurgency in Afghanistan, the US military and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) blended military and humanitarian operations, much to the dismay of many within the nongovernmental organization (NGO) community. One of the major debates surrounding this effort concerns the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) initiative, which several NGOs have faulted for causing “blurred lines” between military and aid activity.
Read More
Insider Attacks – A Persisting Afghan Threat and Lessons for the Future
As Western forces pull-out of Afghanistan and hand over combat and security responsibility to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), a large proportion of the remaining personnel will be working closely with members of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Without the benefit of protection measures, such as armed guards and escorts, ISAF members are vulnerable to “insider attacks” from ANSF members.
Read More
The Danger of Unfinished Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan
Although it is not entirely clear how Afghanistan’s newly-formed unity government will function on a day-to-day basis, the arrangement is nonetheless considered a political victory. While a political catastrophe has been headed off for now, a stubborn security crisis is worsening by the day and the glow from this historic achievement is likely to wear off soon.
Read More
The Critical Role of the Security Sector in Situations of Displacement: Reflections from the 2013 WANA Forum
This past week, the West Asia-North Africa (WANA) Forum convened in Amman to consider the challenges posed by the “uprooted”, a term which the Forum adopted to refer to the situation of internally displaced persons, refugees and migrants. Interestingly, the security sector remained fundamentally absent from the WANA Forum’s discussions, highlighting the dearth of attention placed on the role played by military, police and border forces in managing displacement and migration.
Read More
A Day Late and Many Advisors Short: The Uncertain Future for Afghan Ministerial Development
This month the U.S. Department of Defense released its latest semi-annual report to Congress on the progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan. This report provides a detailed snapshot of indictors on the overall security, governance, reconstruction, and Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) development efforts by NATO-ISAF and the international community to date.
Read More
ISA Convention: “The Role of Domestic Police in Counterinsurgency Operations”
The role of domestic police in counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, the Philippines and Iraq show that a focus on building bottom up capacity by training large numbers of new police officers while neglecting the reform of the ministries and oversight processes needed to manage them is not only ineffective but can be counter-productive.
Read More
ISA Convention: “The Monopoly of Force: The Nexus Between Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR)”
There are numerous missed opportunities to leverage the complementarity of DDR and SSR, including: establishing a veterans administration to care for former combatants, using DDR practitioners’ knowledge to facilitate the effective procurement of weapons for the security forces and the vetting of candidates, as well as the management of weapons stockpiles.
Read More
Human Security Indicators Project Captures Security Situation from Afghan Perspective
PTRO has released second quarter data from their Human Security Indicators Project, which is an attempt to construct a more holistic picture of security in Afghanistan.
Read More
Camp Victory, Afghanistan-An Inside Look at the Training of the Afghan National Army
The film ‘Camp Victory, Afghanistan’ is a remarkable look at the process of training the Afghan National Army and centres around the unlikely friendship that develops between General Fazl Ahmad Sayar, a veteran of 30 years of Afghan conflict, and Colonel Shute, his US adviser.
Read More