Also Try Military Conflicts and Wars Lesson Plans Afghanistan Lessons (National Geographic Society) Provides a lesson for each general grade level "To foster a greater understanding of the land and people of Afghanistan...." 11-01 Afghanistan and International Terrorism Lesson Plans (PBS) Provides lessons related to Afghanistan, international terrorism, and creating world peace. 11-01 Relief - Cost of Relief for One Person (New York Times - Zimbalist and Driggs) Provides the cost of relief for one person or one family in Kosovo. The methods could be used for estimating costs for relief in Afghanistan. 12-01 Lists Afghanistan (Political Resources) Provides links to political resources regarding Afghanistan and the Taliban. 9-00 Materials Afghanistan Battle Grounds Map (BBC News) Provides a map of Afghanistan with updated results on which group controls major cities. 11-01. Also spelled battlegrounds. History of Afghanistan (Afghan-Web.com) Provides information from pre-history (50,000 BCE) to 2001. 6-02 History of Afghanistan (Afghanan.net - Dupree) Provides information from pre-history to 1977. 6-02 Locations of Afghan Refugees (Guardian Unlimited) Provides a map of refugee movements and locations. (Uses Macromedia Flash format.) 10-01 Maps of Afghanistan (ReliefWeb) Provides maps, in terms of human needs in the area. 11-01 News -02-26-06 Afghan Prison Worse Than Gitmo? (New York Times) " 'Bagram was never meant to be a long-term facility, and now it's a long-term facility without the money or resources,' said one Defense Department official who has toured the detention center. Comparing the prison with Guantánamo, the official added, 'Anyone who has been to Bagram would tell you it's worse.' " "After an Army investigation, the practices found to have caused those two deaths [of prisoners] — the chaining of detainees by the arms to the ceilings of their cells and the use of knee strikes to the legs of disobedient prisoners by guards — were halted by early 2003. Other abusive methods, like the use of barking attack dogs to frighten new prisoners and the handcuffing of detainees to cell doors to punish them for talking, were phased out more gradually, military officials and former detainees said." 02-06 -02-27-08 70% of Afghanistan Not Under State Control (Time.com) "National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the resurgent Taliban controls 10 percent to 11 percent of the country and Karzai's government controls 30 percent to 31 percent. But more than six years after the U.S. invasion to oust the Taliban and establish a stable central government, the majority of Afghanistan's population remains under local tribal control, he said." 02-08 -03-27-06 Christian Convert Released in Afghanistan (CNN News) "An Afghan man who had faced the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity has been released from prison after the case was dropped, the justice minister said Tuesday." 03-06 -03-30-06 Afghan Christian Saved by the Pope (TimesOnline.co.uk) "The Afghan apostate threatened with execution finally found sanctuary yesterday when the Italian Government granted him fast-track asylum on the ground of 'religious persecution'." 03-06 -04-09-06 Afghan Christian's Trial for Conversion (ABC News) "Whether diplomats and politicians find a solution that will spare the life of Abdel Rahman, an Afghan man who could possibly face the death penalty for his Christian faith, the perception of Islam in the West may have already taken a hard hit." "Conservative Muslims in Afghanistan see Rahman's conversion as an act of treason against Islam and its communal identity. For Americans and others in countries that have spent money and precious lives to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, Rahman's trial is itself a betrayal not of religious values but of the values of human rights." 04-06 -05-13-07 Taliban Military Leader in Afghanistan Killed (MSNBC News) "The Taliban’s most prominent military commander, a one-legged fighter who orchestrated an ethnic massacre and a rash of beheadings, was killed in a U.S.-led military operation in southern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday." 05-07 -05-13-09 New U.S. Military Commander in Afghanistan (MSNBC News) "Military experts and officers point out that one of McChrystal's most important contributions in Iraq was to reach well beyond military circles to build personal relationships with a wide range of civilian officials -- bringing together expertise in intelligence, forensics, finances and other fields in an interagency task force that strengthened his campaign against the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq." 05-09 -05-23-05 Karzai Demands Justice from the U.S. (CNN News) "The president of Afghanistan has demanded justice from the United States over the alleged abuse of two Afghan detainees who reportedly died in American custody." 5-05 -05-26-06 Human Rights Group: 34 Civilians Killed in U.S. Air Strike (CNN News) "A human rights group said Friday that about 34 civilians were killed in a U.S. air attack Monday on the village of Azizi in southern Afghanistan, more than double the number previously cited by President Hamid Karzai." 05-06 -06-29-08 Civilian Deaths Soar in Afghanistan (MSNBC News) "The number of civilians killed in fighting between insurgents and security forces in Afghanistan has soared by two-thirds in the first half of this year, to almost 700 people, a senior U.N. official said Sunday." "The figures are a grim reminder of how the nearly seven-year war has failed to stabilize the country and suggest that ordinary civilians are bearing a heavy toll, particularly from stepped-up militant attacks." 06-08 -07-15-05 Navy SEAL Protected by Villagers (ABC News) "Despite the most advanced training in the military, it is unlikely the Navy SEAL who was rescued in Afghanistan earlier this month would have survived had it not been for the kindness of Afghan villagers." "The Afghan man who had found the SEAL then got word to the U.S. military base at Asadabad that he was safe, and rescuers were then on the way retrieve him." "And the Afghan man and his family have fled the village for fear of reprisal from the Taliban, according to an interview with the man in Time magazine." 5-05 -07-20-06 U.S. Agrees to Pay Damages in Afghan Traffic Accident (USA Today) "The U.S. military said Thursday it was paying $112,000 in compensation to victims of a traffic accident involving an American cargo truck that sparked the deadliest riot in Kabul in years." "The Afghan parliament later [after the riot] passed a non-binding resolution calling for the U.S. troops involved in the crash to be prosecuted in Afghanistan, but U.S. officials say the United States and Afghanistan have an agreement that excludes U.S. soldiers from being prosecuted locally." 07-06 -10-11-06 Afghanistan on Dangerous Backslide (U.S. News) "But five years after U.S. troops swept away the Taliban and brought promises of a better life, Afghanistan's future is, at best, touch and go: Suicide bombers are striking in the capital, while once routed Taliban fighters have regrouped to take on NATO troops-mostly British and Canadian soldiers-in the Pashtun 'tribal belt' villages. Throughout the country, corruption is rampant, courts are nonexistent, and infrastructure remains abysmal in a nation where the average life expectancy is just 43 years." 10-06 -11-01-09 Abdullah Pulls Out of Afghan Runoff (Time.com) "Afghan opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah prepares to leave following a press conference on November 1, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Abdullah announced that he would pull out of this week's run-off presidential election in Afghanistan due to concerns over widespread fraud and abuse of power by the governmment." 10-09 -12-16-05 Afghan Killed for Teaching Girls (CNN News) "Suspected Taliban guerrillas dragged a teacher from a classroom of teenagers in southern Afghanistan and killed him at the school gate after he ignored their orders to stop teaching girls, police said on Friday." 12-05 01-04-04 Afghanistan Approves New Constitution (Bloomberg.com) "Afghanistan's national council approved a constitution paving the way for democratic elections, in a move hailed by U.S. President George W. Bush, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan." 1-04 01-26-04 Afghan President Signs New Constitution (VOANews.com) "Afghan President Hamid Karzai has signed the country's new constitution into law, paving the way for the first free elections in more than two decades." 1-04 07-29-04 Afghanistan "Likely to Implode" (CNN News) "A British parliamentary committee has warned that Afghanistan is likely to 'implode, with terrible consequences' unless more troops and resources are sent to calm the country." 7-04 07-29-04 Aid Doctors Give Up on Afghanistan (CNN News) "The international relief group Médecins Sans Frontières has announced it is pulling out of Afghanistan after 24 years because of security concerns and frustrations with the U.S. military." "MSF -- or Doctors Without Borders -- blamed the Afghan government for failing to catch and prosecute attackers who killed five MSF workers earlier this year." "It also blamed the Taliban, who have specifically threatened its aid workers, and the U.S.-backed coalition, which MSF said had 'blurred' the image of aid workers as the coalition attempted to 'win hearts and minds.' " 7-04 10-06-03 Plight of Most Women Not Improved in Afghanistan (CBS News) " 'The ultraconservative Taliban regime, which was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001, had banned women from working and girls from school. The Afghan government has since lifted those restrictions, but in rural areas where it has little authority many women still cannot work or girls be educated.' " "President Hamid Karzai has little authority outside the capital, Kabul, where most areas are ruled by warlords with private militias."  " 'Nearly two years on, discrimination, violence, and insecurity remain rife, despite promises by world leaders, including (U.S.) President Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, that the war in Afghanistan would bring liberation for women,' the [Amnesty International] report said." "It added: 'The situation is unacceptable and calls for urgent action.' " 10-03 11-14-06 Afghanistan's "Liberation" a Disaster (TimesOnline.co.uk) "Five years after the Taliban were ousted from Kabul, the number of Afghan women setting fire to themselves because they cannot bear their lives has risen dramatically." "More than half of all girls are married off before the age of 16, some as young as six. Many of these marriages are to settle debts or feuds between tribes. The women are regarded as commodities rather than wives and are often treated like slave workers by their new families." "Those who try to escape often end up in prison like 13-year-old Shabano, jailed in Kandahar for running away from the 50-year-old man to whom her father had sold her." "The only area in which the country could really be said to have made remarkable progress is in growing the poppy. Under British supervision, Afghanistan has become the world’s biggest opium producer. Last year it produced 6,100 tons — 92% of world supply." 11-06  Rebuilding Afghanistan News (PBS.org) Provides news on the rebuilding of Afghanistan. 05-06 Papers -Karzai: U.S. Is 7 Years Too Late in Afghanistan (PBS.org) "In an interview with Margaret Warner, Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed additional U.S. troops, but said they were "seven years too late." He also endorsed reaching out to members of the Taliban who embraced the Afghan constitution." 03-09 Afghanistan (CIA.gov) Provides a history of the country, including history (Introduction), military, transportation, geography, people, economy, communications, transnational issues, and a map. 2-06 Afghanistan (CountryReports.org) Provides a profile by topic, including Economy, Defense, Geography, Government, People, National Anthem, Lyrics and Related Links. Provides a map and a flag. 6-02 Afghanistan (Library of Congress) Provides a profile by topic. 11-05 Afghanistan (Library of Congress) Provides a history of the country, including culture, government, economy, and more. Also includes geographic information. 1-02 Afghanistan (U.S. State Department) Provides a history of the country, including culture, government, economy, and more. 1-02 Afghanistan One Year Later (CBS News) "The war in Afghanistan has claimed 39 American lives, including 16 during combat or other hostile situations. About 10,000 U.S. soldiers remain in Afghanistan, hunting for terrorists and helping the interim government of President Hamid Karzai." 10-02 America's Fund for Afghan Children (Red Cross) President Bush is asking children to contribute to prevent a disaster to the children of Afghanistan. The funds will be used, in coordination with the United Nations and other relief efforts in Afghanistan, through a special program set up for this by the American Red Cross. 10-01 10-01 Bombs and Food (Economist) Provides a British view of the American bombing in Afghanistan and discusses the need for food. Includes a map showing how many people are at risk of starvation in each part of the country. 10-01 10-01 Brave Children of Afghanistan (BBC News - Miron) "There was no furniture, no cupboards, no spare clothes left hanging, not even any glass in the windows - just cardboard. And no fire to keep them warm at night." "Nasim earns about 30,000 Afghanis a day - about $1 - cleaning shoes. With that he buys the basics for his family, mostly just bread and sugar." Like many other children in Afghanistan, Nasim is literally the family breadwinner. "I asked him how he felt about his situation. 'I am happy and not happy,' he told me. 'Happy because I work, but not happy because I cannot earn enough to bring my family everything they need.' " 7-02 Building a Nation in Afghanistan (Chicago Tribune) Provides a brief summary of the rather complex problems facing the future of Afghanistan. 10-01 Building a Nation in Afghanistan (San Francisco Chronicle - Achikzad) Suggests a role for the United Nations and the former king of Afghanistan in creating a transitional government after the Taliban are removed from power. 10-01 Delicate Balance of Power in Afghanistan (Gulf News - Gopal) Describes the various factions of power in Afghanistan and how the balance between them will be difficult to maintain. 3-02 Editorial - Forming New Afghanistan Government Will Be Complex (Far Eastern Economic Review - Rashid) Describes the different groups involved with trying to form a government after the Taliban have fallen from power. 10-01 Editorial - Taliban Not Valid Interpreters of Islam (Muslim Women's League - Al-Marayati) Provides a Muslim scholar's views on Taliban interpretations of Islam. "Indeed, the extreme position taken by the Taliban hardly deserves to be considered an 'interpretation' of Islam. That implies the position has some degree of validity, when it is really an aberration in violation of the most basic tenets of the faith." 11-01 Editorial: Why Elections in Afghanistan Were Never the Answer (Time.com) "...Afghanistan is in the grip of a civil war that pits a U.S.-backed political establishment, which includes both Karzai and Abdullah, against the Taliban." "No one actually voted for the Taliban, of course, and its call for a boycott of the poll was enforced by threat of death. But whether out of fear, political choice or sheer indifference, 12 million voters — representing 70% of the electorate, compared with just 30% in 2004 — stayed away from the ballot stations. A runoff election was expected to see an even smaller turnout." The author concluded that "any political solution in Afghanistan will have be negotiated on the basis of the real distribution of power, rather than votes cast in an election staged in the heat of a civil war." 11-09 Fundraising for the Poor Instead of the Rich (Alertnet.org) Discusses where funds are going from the massive efforts by Americans to help those affected by the September 11th disaster. Suggests that raising funds for the starving in Afghanistan should be considered. Also called 911, 9-11, or 9/11.10-01 Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners of War (University of Minnesota) Provides the rules, accepted by most countries, for treatment of prisoners of war. Killing, torturing, starving, injuring, mistreating, or failing to provide medical assistance to a prisoner of war is a war crime. 10-09 Getting Food to the Children (Alertnet.org) Discusses the great efforts relief agencies are taking to ensure that food and other essential supplies reach those who need it most, especially children. "Mansour [of the World Food Program] said: 'United States is the largest supporter of the WFP Afghan operations. For our last operation they provided nearly 90 percent of the food and support we needed.'" 10-01 Grand Tribal Council (Institute-for-Afghan-Studies.org) Describes the Grand Tribal Council or Loya Jirga of Afghanistan, a coalition that may select the new government for Afghanistan after the Taliban have withdrawn. 10-01 History of Afghanistan (New York Review of Books - Mishra) Describes the different political and military movements in Afghanistan in the 20th century that led to the current war. 10-01 How the Afghan Election Was Rigged (Time.com) "No one will ever know how Afghans voted in their country's presidential elections on Aug. 20, 2009. Seven weeks after the polling, the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) is still trying to separate fraudulent tallies from ballots. In some provinces, many more votes were counted than were cast. E.U. election monitors characterize 1.5 million votes as suspect, which would include up to one-third of the votes cast for incumbent President Hamid Karzai. Once fraud occurs on the scale of what took place in Afghanistan, it is impossible to untangle." 10-09 Hundreds of Civilians Killed in Afghanistan Due to Poor Intelligence (Independent - Gumbel) "What differentiates the Afghan campaign from previous US military engagements is that the civilians, increasingly, have not been caught up in strikes on legitimate targets or killed as a result of bombs going astray – what in military parlance is known as 'collateral damage'. Rather they have been deliberately targeted by precision bombers acting on flawed instructions from their superiors." 7-02 Karzai - An Interview with Hamid Karzai (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Provides an interview with Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun tribal leader allied with the former King Mohammad Zahir Shah. Karzai said that, after the Taliban are removed from power, Afghanistan will need help from the international community to rebuild. However, speaking of the factions before the Taliban were in power, he said 'If the foreign intervention does not stop in Afghanistan from all around, terrorism will not end in Afghanistan. This message should be heard clearly by the international community.' 10-01 Landmines in Afghanistan (BBC News - George) Describes the landmine situation in Afghanistan and provides a chart comparing it with other countries with landmines. 12-01 Leaders of Afghanistan (Christian Science Monitor) Describes interim leaders of Afghanistan until a new government can be formed. Includes Hamid Karzai, Yunu Qanooni, Abdullah Abdullah, and Muhammad Quassim Fahim.12-01 Loya Jirga - A History (BBC News) A loya jirga is "a forum unique to Afghanistan in which, traditionally, tribal elders - Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks - have come together to settle affairs of the nation or rally behind a cause." 7-02 Massoud, Ahmad Shah (Parsa-Afghanistan.org) Provides a tribute to the former leader of the Northern Alliance. 12-02 Mullah Mohammed Omar (BBC News) Provides a short profile and picture of the leader of the Taliban of Afghanistan. (Sometimes spelled Taleban.) 11-99 Northern Alliance (CBC) Provides a profile of the Northern Alliance, the military group opposing the Taliban in Afghanistan. 10-01 Northern Alliance - Burhanuddin Rabbani (CBC) Provides a profile of the Northern Alliance leader, recognized by most countries as the legitimate head of the Afghanistan government. (The profile is below the one of bin Laden.) 10-01 Northern Alliance Leaders (Independent - Fahim) Provides short profiles of five of the key leaders of the Nortehrn Alliance. 11-01 Oppression of Women in Afghanistan (Afghan-web.com - Shorish-Shamley) "The current oppression of women in Afghanistan is due to politics and ignorance, not Islam!" 10-01 Osama Bin Laden's Plan (Time) Provides a summary of what Osama bin Laden is trying to achieve. 11-99 Osama bin Laden Political History (PBS Frontline) Provides a rather detailed history of Osama bin Laden's life and involvement in politics. The story is expressed in "broken" English, with many grammatical errors. The source of information is a close associate of bin Laden's and reveals a great deal about the political climate and stuggles within Afghanistan and the region. The story contradicts a number of accounts of bin Laden, such as that he worked with or was trained by Americans. It also explains his relationship with his family and the Saudi regime differently from other public accounts. It states that the American retaliation for bombings of American embassies in 1998 unified Muslims in the region against the USA. The American retaliation was considered so incompetent that it must have been a deliberate attack against the Muslim religion instead of against bin Laden. 9-01 Qatar (Arab.net) Provides information on Qatar, such as history, government, and culture. 10-01 Qur'an in Arabic (IslamicCity.com) Provides the text of the Holy Qur'an in Arabic. Requires setting the browser to accept Arabic fonts in order to use. In Internet Explorer 5.0 right click on the IE icon and select Properties. Then Select Languages and pick Arabic. 6-02 Quran Searches (STG - Pickthall) Provides searches in the text of the Holy Qur'an by sura number and verse or by word. 6-02 Rumi, Jalaluddin (Christian Science Monitor - Marks) Reviews the works of poetry of the famous Muslim mystic. Remarks on the current popularity of the 13th-century poet in the United States. 10-01 Shah, Mohammad Zahir (Afghan-Network.net) Provides a short biography of the former king of Afghanistan. 10-01 Shah, Mohammad Zahir (Afghanpedia) Provides a short biography of the former king of Afghanistan. 10-01 Should Christians Convert Muslims? (Time - Biema) "Muslim critics accuse missionaries of lying about their identities and their faith to achieve their goals. And as the tensions between Islam and the West continue to boil, some familiar with the Middle East have begun asking whether the missionaries, who love Muslims but despise Islam, are the sort of nonappointed goodwill ambassadors the U.S. really needs in a region dense with the rhetoric of holy war. Says Charles Kimball, a Baptist minister who was director of the National Council of Churches' Middle East office in the 1980s: 'Sincerity isn't the issue, or commitment to one's faith. It is just that the region is at a pivotal and volatile juncture, and it is arguably not the time for groups coming in, like someone with a lighted match into a room full of explosives, wearing Jesus on their sleeves.' " 6-03 Shukria Barakzai Named Worldpress.org's 2004 International Editor of the Year (WorldPress.org) "In addition to her work in education and at Women's Mirror, Mrs. Barakzai was a member of Afghanistan's Constitutional Reviewing Commission. Nominated by President Hamid Karzai to this job, she worked for more than nine months reviewing each article of Afghanistan's Constitutional principles draft." Although her work on the Commission has ended, the 500-member grand council, or Loya Jirga, adopted the new post-conflict Afghan constitution in early January 2004. Under article 22, it states that every Afghan citizen, whether male or female, has equal rights and responsibilities before the law." Many women have called the constitution no less than a miracle in a country once dominated by conservative leaders and traditions. For Mrs. Barakzai, it is the first and most crucial step in gaining women's rights in the long term." 1-05 Taliban - How Taliban Criminals Gained Control of Afghanistan (MSNBC Newsweek - Bahari) Describes how Taliban criminals overthrew the legitimate government of Afghanistan. 10-01 Taliban - How Taliban Criminals Gained Control of Afghanistan (MSNBC Newsweek - Bahari) Describes how Taliban criminals overthrew the legitimate government of Afghanistan. 10-01 Taliban and Women (Muslim Women's League) Provides the perspective of the Muslim Women's League regarding treatement of women in Afghanistan by Taliban followers. 11-99 Taliban of Afghanistan (CNN) Provides a short summary and links related to the Taliban. (Sometimes spelled Taleban.) 11-99 UN Fears After Fall of Taliban (Guardian Unlimited) Discusses the future role of the United Nations in Afghanistan. 10-01 UN Representatives to Afghanistan (BBC News) Provides a short profile and picture of Francesc Vendrell, responsible for gaining collaboration from different factions within Afghanistan to form a new, broad-based government. Also includes a picture of Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN's representative to gain cooperation among nations regarding Afghanistan's new government. 11-01 UN Representatives to Afghanistan (BBC News) Provides a short profile and picture of Francesc Vendrell, responsible for gaining collaboration from different factions within Afghanistan to form a new, broad-based government. Also includes a picture of Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN's representative to gain cooperation among nations regarding Afghanistan's new government. 11-01 Violence Against Women in Afghanistan (New Jersey Online - Lederer) Summarizes recommendations from a UN report related to Afghanistan and the culture of violence against women Annan found. 2-02 Weather in Afghanistan (USA Today) Provides drawings and animation to show weather patterns in Afghanistan. 11-01 Women's Rights in Islam (Islamic.org) Provides a summary of women's right as presented in the Qur'an and Hadith. Examples of rights include "the right and duty to obtain education, the right to have their own independent property, the right to work to earn money if they need it or want it, equality of reward for equal deeds, the right to participate fully in public life and have their voices heard by those in power," and much more. Editor's Note - The rights of women in Islam are in stark contrast to the limitations of women's rights made--in the name of Islam--by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. 10-01 Women's Rights in Islam Compared to Political Oppression (Afghan-web.com - Shorish-Shamley) Uses texts of Qur'an and Hadiths to declare that women are equal to men in Islam. 10-01

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