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Frud Bezhan

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As seen in: Radio Free Europe, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Flipboard, Foreign Policy Magazine, ReliefWeb, The National, Gandhara RFE/RL., The Diplomat Magazine, Task & Purpose, GlobalSecurity.org and
Covers:  central asia, iran, pakistan, security and terrorism, afghanistan, development & business in afghanistan, south asia, afghan war, geopolitics
Senior regional editor in the Central Newsroom at @RFERL | Leading coverage of Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia | Email: bezhanf@rferl.org
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Explainer: What Lies Behind Latest Afghan-Pakistani Tensions?

Explainer: What Lies Behind Latest Afghan-Pakistani Tensions?

www.rferl.org — Afghanistan's ties with its neighbor Pakistan have become severely strained lately, with both sides engaging in a war of words and cross-border violence. At the forefront of those tensions is a long-standing dispute over the demarcation of their contested border. The latest controversy involves a border outpost, a checkpoint, and other installations recently built by Pakistan. The facilities were constructed along the edge of Goshta district, which is located in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province. Kabul has demanded that Islamabad remove the installations, saying they encroach on Afghan territory. Pakistan counters that its new fortifications are on its side of the border.
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Rafsanjani Gets More Vocal On Iran's Policies, Presidential Run

Rafsanjani Gets More Vocal On Iran's Policies, Presidential Run

www.rferl.org — Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has become increasingly vocal about the country's domestic and foreign policies just as its presidential campaign is about to officially kick off. Potential candidates will be able to register their nominations from May 7 to May 11, and Rafsanjani's name is being floated as a possible entrant. The 78-year-old Rafsanjani, who was considered a moderate conservative when he served as president from 1989-97, has been noncommittal about whether he will throw his name into the ring for the June 14 contest.
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Despite Gains Against Taliban, Helmand Residents Feel Insecure

Despite Gains Against Taliban, Helmand Residents Feel Insecure

www.rferl.org — After years of bloodshed, a tenuous calm has emerged in Helmand. Large swaths of the southern Afghan province, once a bastion of the Taliban insurgency, have been wrested from militant control. The daily firefights and roadside bombs that plagued Helmand have abated. Development is evident. Schools have been built, roads have been paved, and markets reopened. Local elections have been held, giving the government the opportunity to expand its presence to remote areas. But despite the inroads, security in the province has been piecemeal and few residents appear optimistic about the future. Some express fears that the Taliban will return in force once foreign troops leave.
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Soviet-Afghan Battlefield Enemies Play Soccer Friendly

Soviet-Afghan Battlefield Enemies Play Soccer Friendly

www.rferl.org — The last time Afghans and Soviet soldiers faced off, it was on the battlefield. Today, more than 20 years since the end of the bloody Afghan-Soviet war, they met again on much friendlier ground -- a soccer pitch. A team of Afghan and Soviet veterans played a friendly soccer match on April 18 in Kabul. The match, played between ex-Soviet soldiers and former Afghan mujahedin, was meant help erase enmities stemming from the 1979-89 Soviet occupation. But not everyone was thrilled about the game, which the Soviet team won 1-0. Many Afghans harbor great resentment toward Moscow.
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Iraq Failing Security Test Ahead Of Vote

Iraq Failing Security Test Ahead Of Vote

www.rferl.org — If postwar Iraq's first major elections are the barometer of its ability to maintain security on its own, the government appears to be failing the test. In the days leading up to the April 20 vote, which will decide the make-up of provincial councils in much of Iraq, a wave of deadly bombings and political assassinations are threatening to destabilize the entire country. The surge in violence comes amid a long-running political crisis and the failure of security forces to stem a rejuvenated Al-Qaeda and contain the spillover of violence from neighboring Syria.
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Afghans Failing Security Test In Badakhshan

Afghans Failing Security Test In Badakhshan

www.rferl.org — For years, Badakhshan Province enjoyed life away from the action, an island of stability as war engulfed the rest of Afghanistan. But as the broader conflict winds down, the northeastern province is offering a bleak view of the future. That's because NATO last year handed over security duties in Badakhshan exclusively to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and National Police (ANP), but the transition has coincided with a spike in violence and increased militant activity. The region is an ideal testing ground of Afghanistan's ability to secure remote areas on its own.
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Insecurity Springs From Afghan Dam Projects

Insecurity Springs From Afghan Dam Projects

www.rferl.org — As international forces leave Afghanistan, a flood of disputes over water resources threatens to be the main source of regional conflict. Afghanistan is looking for ways to harness the potential offered by its water resources, and has major infrastructure projects in the works. But neighboring downstream countries depend on that same supply and fear that any reduction in the flow of water from Afghanistan could have detrimental economic and geopolitical effects. As Kabul has made clear that it intends to go ahead with its plans for hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems, hostilities have flared up.
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Musharraf's Return To Pakistan: Why Now?

Musharraf's Return To Pakistan: Why Now?

www.rferl.org — Pervez Musharraf is expected to make his return to Pakistan this week, but the former military ruler turned president is unlikely to get the red-carpet treatment after four years of self-imposed exile abroad, mostly in Dubai and London. Musharraf intends to revive his political career and run for parliament in the country's upcoming elections. His party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, has confirmed that Musharraf will be at the helm as campaigning for the May 11 polls begins. But Musharraf's return is fraught with risk. The retired four-star general, who stepped down as president in 2008 amid controversy and looming impeachment proceedings, faces a number of criminal charges.
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Ex-Spy Chief: Pakistan Sees Afghanistan As 'Sub-Nation'

Ex-Spy Chief: Pakistan Sees Afghanistan As 'Sub-Nation'

www.rferl.org — Afghanistan's ex-spy chief has risked sparking another war of words by making a series of allegations against Pakistan. Amrullah Saleh, former director of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), on March 12 accused Pakistan of treating Afghanistan as a "sub-nation." "Pakistan has monopolized the right to have all sorts of foreign relations itself and when it comes to Afghanistan, they want to create limitations for us; treating us not as a nation, but as a sub-nation, as to whom we should talk to or who should be our allies," Saleh said.
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Ahmadinejad Under Fire For Making Chavez A Messiah

Ahmadinejad Under Fire For Making Chavez A Messiah

www.rferl.org — Mahmud Ahmadinejad's eulogy to Hugo Chavez might have come from the heart, but it has drawn the Iranian president criticism at home. Some Iranian religious figures and media did not take kindly to condolences that Ahmadinejad posted on his personal website following the death of his Venezuelan counterpart. Specifically, they were piqued at his prediction that Chavez would one day return alongside Jesus Christ and the Hidden Imam "to establish peace and justice in the world." The Hidden (or 12th) Imam is a revered figure among Shi'ite Muslims, many of whom believe he will return to save humanity.
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Ahmadinejad Predicts Chavez Will Return Alongside Jesus, Hidden Imam

Ahmadinejad Predicts Chavez Will Return Alongside Jesus, Hidden Imam

www.rferl.org — The death of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez has prompted eulogies from around the world, but few of the messages have been as eccentric as the second-coming predicted by Iran's president. And as if returning to Earth alone was not enough, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says Chavez will do so alongside some esteemed company. "I have no doubt that he [Chavez] will return alongside Jesus Christ and the Mahdi [the Hidden Imam] to establish peace and justice in the world," Ahmadinejad wrote in an emotional condolence message posted on his personal website. The Mahdi is a revered figure among Shi'ite Muslims, many of whom believe he will return to save humanity.
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Kabul's Frustrations With Pakistan Boil Over

Kabul's Frustrations With Pakistan Boil Over

www.rferl.org — Pakistan's checkered role in Afghanistan has long attracted the anger and mistrust of Afghan officials. But while some might go so far as to privately accuse Islamabad of orchestrating violence in their country, such sentiments were routinely suppressed. That all changed this week, when high-level Afghan officials publicly accused Islamabad and its notorious intelligence service, the Inter-Service Intelligence agency (ISI), of covertly supporting the Taliban and other extremist groups working against the government in Afghanistan. First came Afghanistan's ex-spy chief, Rahmatullah Nabil, who on March 3 took the unprecedented step of calling for the United Nations to place the ISI on its global list of terrorist groups.
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Afghan Region Makes Name For Drug Mules, Tragedy

Afghan Region Makes Name For Drug Mules, Tragedy

www.rferl.org — TAKHAR -- Residents of this remote district of northeast Afghanistan are finding that desperate times call for desperate measures. With few options to make an honest living, many locals in the Kalafgan district of Takhar Province are taking jobs as drug mules for local drug cartels. As couriers, locals smuggle packages of illicit narcotics to neighboring Tajikistan and Iran. The work is high-risk and often rewarded with prison or even death. Those dangers hit home recently as locals buried the bodies of 10 men from Kalafgan who were hanged in Iran, reportedly for drug smuggling.
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At Afghan Brickworks, Family Trapped In Cycle Of Debt

At Afghan Brickworks, Family Trapped In Cycle Of Debt

www.rferl.org — Zabit Khan and his nine children are bonded laborers working to pay off family debts at a brick factory in Afghanistan. The Khans are among thousands of Afghans stuck in an unending cycle of debt and poverty with little hope of escape. (Produced by Sabawoon of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan; written by Frud Bezhan)
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Afghan Torture Allegations Shine Spotlight On Prisoner Transfers

Afghan Torture Allegations Shine Spotlight On Prisoner Transfers

www.rferl.org — International pressure is mounting on the Afghan government to take action against widespread torture, mistreatment, and sexual abuse in detention facilities. The calls for reform have grown louder since the release on January 20 of a damning UN report that says a growing number of prisoners are being tortured in government custody. The report lists electric shock, genital twisting, beatings with pipes, and threats of execution and rape among the methods used. The findings of the report, issued by UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), have raised serious concerns for Afghanistan's Western allies as NATO transfers hundreds of its detainees to Afghan control.
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Taliban Prisoner Releases Are High-Risk, Low-Reward

Taliban Prisoner Releases Are High-Risk, Low-Reward

www.rferl.org — After having little success playing it safe, the Afghan government is gambling on a risky new strategy to convince the Taliban that the road to peace runs through Kabul. In recent months, scores of Taliban officials and rank-and-file have been freed from prisons in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. Now, Afghanistan is upping the ante with the expected release of thousands more within its borders while pushing Islamabad to free some of the Islamist militant group's most dangerous characters. The prisoner releases are seen as a signal of good faith from the administration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is wary of peace efforts not led by Kabul but whose overtures for direct talks with the Taliban have been refused.
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Afghan Prisoner Accused Of Killing Wife During Conjugal Visit

Afghan Prisoner Accused Of Killing Wife During Conjugal Visit

www.rferl.org — SAMANGAN, Afghanistan -- An Afghan prisoner serving 20 years for murdering his in-laws is now suspected of strangling his young bride during a conjugal visit. Din Mohammad, who is serving his sentence at a prison in the northern Samangan Province, is accused by police of killing his wife when she visited him on January 1. Mohammad was convicted in 2009 of killing his mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law during a bloody rampage. Mohammad has yet to be charged for the latest crime. Samangan police chief Akram Bikzad said Mohammad's 18-year-old wife, whose name has not been revealed, visited him in jail in the provincial capital, Aybak.
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Energy Drinks Take Afghanistan By Storm

Energy Drinks Take Afghanistan By Storm

www.rferl.org — What do a young woman roaring across the desert on a flashy motorbike, a sweaty construction worker, and a muscle man pulling a semi-truck have in common? High energy -- the kind that, if the blaring advertisements bombarding Afghans can be believed, can only come from drinking caffeine-rich, glucose-heavy drinks with names like Effect, Gangster, and Boom Boom. As the commercial (see below) featuring our three high-octane heroes suggests, "There is no effect without Effect." But this television advertisement is just one of dozens making the hard sell on television, billboards, and posters across Afghanistan.
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No Love Lost: Afghan Woman Exposes Corrupt Judge's Unusual Offer

No Love Lost: Afghan Woman Exposes Corrupt Judge's Unusual Offer

www.rferl.org — A senior judge has been convicted of bribery and fired from his position after a perversion of justice exposed the invasiveness of corruption within Afghan society. Zahoruddin, a 65-year-old judge in the country's eastern Nangarhar Province, who like many Afghans goes only by one name, was convicted on December 19 of bribery and corruption charges stemming from a young woman's divorce case. Zahoruddin and another judge apparently became aware that Dewa, a 22-year-old freelance journalist, had filed for divorce and conspired to extort bribes from her in exchange for ensuring her request was granted. Zahoruddin contacted Dewa, offering to help.
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Explainer: Why Polio Remains Endemic In Afghanistan, Pakistan, And Nigeria

Explainer: Why Polio Remains Endemic In Afghanistan, Pakistan, And Nigeria

www.rferl.org — A global multibillion dollar immunization campaign over the past few decades has made most of the world polio-free. But in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria the crippling disease remains endemic. Despite a coordinated United Nations polio-prevention drive in all three countries, dozens of children become paralyzed and ultimately die from the highly infectious disease every year. Political unrest, poor health infrastructure, and government negligence are among the reasons for the failure. But the cause analysts cite most often is opposition from religious militant groups. In all three countries, the most afflicted regions are those where the government's reach is weakest and the presence of Islamic militants is strongest.
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Afghan Nomads Fend Off Authorities In Kabul Land Dispute

Afghan Nomads Fend Off Authorities In Kabul Land Dispute

www.rferl.org — Hundreds of Afghan nomads, armed with pitchforks and sticks, were holding off attempts this week by authorities to evict them from their makeshift settlement in Kabul's outskirts. The Kuchis have been staging protests daily since December 10, when members of the traditionally nomadic tribal grouping claimed three Kuchis were killed and several others injured as bulldozers accompanied by policemen tried to raze their dwellings in the capital's Qasaba district. Kabul police have acknowledged only that several people were injured on December 10. The Qasaba clashes are just the latest incidents involving Kuchis, a predominantly Pashtun people who have increasingly been forced to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and relocate to settled areas.
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Iran's 'YouTube' Stumbles Out Of The Gate

Iran's 'YouTube' Stumbles Out Of The Gate

www.rferl.org — Those looking for another avenue to watch Persian cat videos or cute antics by Iranian toddlers have been left disappointed after the launch of Iran's new and much-hyped video-sharing website went awry. On its homepage , Mehr says its purpose is to bring together Persian-speaking users and to promote Iranian culture. But just days after its launch, the website that officials hope will become a rival to Google's popular YouTube has been marred by poor download speeds and technical glitches. Iran already has a popular video-sharing website, Aparat , which is run by the same company behind Iran's social-networking site Cloob.
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Fatal Afghan Shooting Highlights Risks For Female Health Workers

Fatal Afghan Shooting Highlights Risks For Female Health Workers

www.rferl.org — Anisa, a volunteer Afghan health worker, had just left her home and was on her way to work when two armed men on motorcycles zipped past her. The gunmen shot the 20-year-old student, who worked as a village polio-vaccination worker, at least six times in the abdomen. Anisa was whisked to a local hospital in her hometown of Kohistan, in the eastern Kapisa Province, but died shortly after being admitted. The Taliban has denied involvement, but suspicion has nevertheless fallen on the militant group.
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Beating Sparks Outcry Against Militia Commanders In Afghan Government

Beating Sparks Outcry Against Militia Commanders In Afghan Government

www.rferl.org — KABUL -- When news broke of a suicide bombing at an international military complex in Kabul last month, local police officer Mohammad Ismail was promptly dispatched to the scene. Ismail's orders were to prevent traffic from entering the area and to redirect locals to safety. But not long after arriving with several other officers, a black SUV with tinted windows approached the checkpoint. Ismail refused the driver's request to be allowed to pass through and repeatedly told him to turn around. In a matter of seconds, Ismail says, a number of men brandishing AK-47s stepped out of the vehicle.
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