Afghanistan ReportsICOS Afghanistan reports are supported by extensive in-country field research, focusing on the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. ICOS field teams conduct interviews with Afghan citizens in key districts, assessing their attitudes towards the international presence, the insurgency, the Afghan government and other key subjects. These interviews provide a unique illustration of the perceptions of ordinary Afghans towards vital security and development issues. 
Afghanistan Transition: The Death of Bin Laden and Local Dynamics (May 2011) Research regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden, conducted immediately following the event, revealed mixed opinions among Afghan men interviewed. The majority of respondents thought his death was good news, with the most significant pockets of negative opinion present in Kabul University and Marjah district in Helmand. Opinions of those interviewed were split on whether or not his death will signify the end of Al … More
Afghanistan Transition and Kabul University: Winning Minds, Losing Hearts (May 2011) Young Afghans have a vital role to play as the international community begins reducing its military and civilian presence in Afghanistan and students at Kabul University are likely to be at the forefront of their generation and can be key players in a successful and durable transition. There is support for international military operations and for the transition from the students interviewed at Kabul University, … More
Afghanistan Transition: Dangers of a Summer Drawdown (February 2011) This report looks at the current dynamics in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, southern Afghanistan, in the context of the United States’ announced plan to begin drawing down military forces in Afghanistan in five months. The surge of 30,000 additional US forces has changed the security dynamics on the ground significantly, with the additional troops making major gains in clearing districts previously held by the Taliban. … More
Opium poppy licensing in Turkey: A model to solve Afghanistan’s illegal opium economy? (January 2011) The report analyses the Turkish opium licensing system as a way to illustrate the “normality” of such an industry. The latter function is important for the current debate on using similar systems in other countries. In Afghanistan, for example, the opium poppy is still solely associated with illegal drug consumption, drug trafficking, crime and insurgency. On the contrary, in Turkey, opium poppies are regarded as both traditional … More
Afghanistan Transition: Missing Variables (November 2010) In October 2010 the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) interviewed 1500 Afghan men in southern and northern Afghanistan. In Helmand and Kandahar, 1000 men were interviewed. In Panjshir and Parwan, 500 men were interviewed. The two clusters of provinces chosen by ICOS reflect very different ethnic and political situations. Panjshir and Parwan are dominated by ethnic Tajiks, and were the stronghold of the … More
Afghanistan: The Relationship Gap (July 2010) As the war in Afghanistan enters another summer of increasing violence, the international community is focusing its attention on Kandahar province, the spiritual and political heartland of the Taliban insurgency. At the same time, there is growing pressure for a withdrawal among the public in the member countries of the NATO-ISAF coalition is growing. To assess the attitude of the Afghan people towards key issues, … More
Operation Moshtarak: Lessons Learned (May 2010) NATO‟s Operation Moshtarak, launched in February 2010 in Helmand province, was the first deployment after the beginning of the much-debated surge of 30,000 additional US troops. It was billed as the largest military operation since the invasion of 2001. The planning for the operation emphasised the needs of the Afghan people, and the importance of winning hearts and minds as part of a classic counter-insurgency … More |
