query: Who was President of Afghanistan in 1994?

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: 1994 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1994 in Afghanistan. Destructive and inconclusive fighting between forces loyal to Prime Minister Hekmatyar and troops loyal to President Rabbani results in the disintegration of central state authority and weaken the cohesion of the multinational state. Kabul remains divided into zones controlled by rival groups. A blockade of Kabul leads to fighting in northern Afghanistan over a tenuous road link to neighboring Tajikistan. The prolonged bombardment reduces most of the Afghan capital to ruins and causes 75% of Kabul's population of two million to flee the area. Outside Kabul the

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: invasion of Afghanistan. From the time of the first Taliban successes, Pakistan denies any official support, but most observers discount such denials, noting the modern logistic support and sophisticated communications equipment at the disposal of the "students." Arsala Rahmani is appointed acting prime minister. 1994 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1994 in Afghanistan. Destructive and inconclusive fighting between forces loyal to Prime Minister Hekmatyar and troops loyal to President Rabbani results in the disintegration of central state authority and weaken the cohesion of the multinational state. Kabul remains divided into zones controlled by rival groups. A

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: of social progress, there is movement nonetheless toward some form of assembly that could offer legitimate leadership. Hamid al-Ghabid, secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, leads a peace effort, but individual OIC member states are unable to agree on an appropriate solution. Representatives from throughout Afghanistan and prominent Afghans living abroad meet in Herat. Although the delegates endorse Rabbani's continuance as president, they initiate measures aimed at organizing a Loya Jirga to choose a new government. A senior mullah from the southern city of Kandahar, Mohammad Omar, sets up the Taliban (Persian for "students") movement, which quickly becomes

title: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

text: the regime of aid, and the defection of Uzbek general Abdul Rashid Dostum cleared the approach to Kabul. With the political stage cleared of socialists, the warlords, some of them Islamist, vied for power. By then, Bin Laden had left the country and the United States' interest in Afghanistan also diminished. In 1992, Rabbani officially became president of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, but had to battle other warlords for control of Kabul. In late 1994, Rabbani's defense minister, Ahmad Shah Massoud, defeated Hekmatyar in Kabul and ended ongoing bombardment of the capital. Massoud tried to initiate a nationwide political

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: Boutros Boutros-Ghali appoints former Tunisian foreign minister Mahmoud Mestiri head of a special peace commission. He meets leaders inside and outside Afghanistan, but no formal UN peace plan is announced. Rabbani refuses to relinquish the presidency when his term expires, and the Supreme Court in Kabul extends his term for an additional six months. A similar extension to Hekmatyar's premiership is not granted. General dissatisfaction over the unending power struggle leads to renewed calls to convene a Loya Jirga, or grand assembly. While many Afghans fear that a Loya Jirga would serve to reinforce traditional social structures at the expense

title: Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan

text: to run: former president of Afghanistan and Northern Alliance leader Burhanuddin Rabbani and the American-backed chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration Hamid Karzai. Karzai was also supported by Abdullah Abdullah and Mohammad Fahim, two important leaders of the Northern Alliance. A third possible candidate was Zahir Shah, former king of Afghanistan until 1973. He had spent years living in Rome but had returned to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime. Already at the Bonn Conference which installed the interim administration there was a group of supporters of Zahir Shah, called the Rome-group, who wanted to take the former

title: President of Afghanistan

text: President of Afghanistan The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the head of state and head of government of Afghanistan. The incumbent office holder is Ashraf Ghani. Before the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was created in 2004, Afghanistan has been an Islamic republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onward. Before 1973, it was a monarchy. Between 1992 and 2001, during the civil war, the country was recognized as the Islamic State of Afghanistan, and later the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Article 62 of the Constitution of Afghanistan of 2004 states

title: President of Afghanistan

text: that a candidate for the office of President: The Constitution of Afghanistan grants the president wide powers over military and legislative affairs, with a relatively weak national bicameral national assembly, the Wolesi Jirga (House of the People) and Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders). A president can only serve up to two five-year terms. Hamid Karzai started his first five-year term in 2004. After his second term ended in 2014, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was chosen as the next president. President of Afghanistan The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the head of state and head of government of Afghanistan.

title: Vice President of Afghanistan

text: Vice President of Afghanistan The Vice President of Afghanistan is the second highest political position obtainable in Afghanistan. Vice Presidents are currently elected on the same ticket as the President. A Presidential candidate nominates two candidates for Vice President before the election. The current Vice Presidents are Abdul Rashid Dostum (First Vice President) and Sarwar Danish (Second Vice President). The deputy head of state was the Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Council between April 1978 and April 1988. Vice presidents were appointed after the new constitution and elections took place. Four vice presidents were appointed by president and approved by

title: Vice President of Afghanistan

text: the National Assembly. Vice presidents were appointed by the president. During the Afghan Interim Administration and the Afghan Transitional Administration, when the Loya Jirga hadn't appointed a new Constitution yet, there were more than two vice chairmen of the interim administration. After 2004, Vice Presidents are elected on the same ticket as the President. Vice President of Afghanistan The Vice President of Afghanistan is the second highest political position obtainable in Afghanistan. Vice Presidents are currently elected on the same ticket as the President. A Presidential candidate nominates two candidates for Vice President before the election. The current Vice Presidents

title: Christianity in Afghanistan

text: to Italy. After 1994, Little Sisters of Jesus were the only Catholic religious workers allowed to remain in Afghanistan, as they had been there since 1955 and their work was renowned. In 1959, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited Afghanistan. The Islamic Center of Washington had recently been built in Washington, DC for the Muslim diplomats there and President Eisenhower requested permission from King Zahir Shah to construct a Protestant church in Kabul on a reciprocal basis for the use of the diplomatic corp and expatriate community in Afghanistan. Christians from all around the world contributed to its construction. At

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: a powerful guerrilla force. The group's first accomplishment is the defeat of local commanders who have hijacked a truck convoy traveling from Pakistan to Central Asia. These mainly Pashtun students secure the release of the convoy and within days take control of Kandahar (October); later they extend their control to neighbouring provinces. While maintaining a low profile in a council in Kandahar, the Taliban declare that their goal is to disarm all factions and create a united, Islamic government in Afghanistan. The Taliban were recruited from schools set up among Afghan refugees in Pakistan during the years following the Soviet

title: Environmental issues in Afghanistan

text: 100 villages by 2003. Some of the major water reservoirs and dams include the following: Urban populations have swelled in the past several years. Since 2002, over 5 million former refugees living in Pakistan and Iran have returned home to Afghanistan. Many of these settled in the capital Kabul, which also include migrants that have come from drought-ravaged rural areas. In 2008, the Afghan government alleged that Pakistan had dumped nuclear waste in southern Afghanistan during the Taliban rule (1994-2001). Farooq Wardak, Afghan Parliamentary affairs minister, said the government was setting up a commission to investigate the matter. Afghan President

title: War in Afghanistan (1978–present)

text: intense period of bombardment by Hekmatyar's Hezb-i Islami and the Junbish-i Milli forces of Abdul Rashid Dostum, who had created an alliance with Hekmatyar in 1994. Half a million people fled Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch writes: Southern Afghanistan was under the control of neither foreign-backed militias nor the government in Kabul, but was ruled by local leaders such as Gul Agha Sherzai and their militias. In 1994, the Taliban (a movement originating from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-run religious schools for Afghan refugees in Pakistan) also developed in Afghanistan as a politico-religious force, reportedly in opposition to the tyranny of the local governor.

title: Politics of Afghanistan

text: Politics of Afghanistan The politics of Afghanistan consists of the council of ministers, provincial governors and the national assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. The nation is currently led by President Ashraf Ghani who is backed by two vice presidents, Abdul Rashid Dostum and Sarwar Danish. In the last decade the politics of Afghanistan have been influenced by NATO countries, particularly the United States, in an effort to stabilise and democratise the country. In 2004, the nation's new constitution was adopted and an executive president was elected. The following

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: Wardak who replaced General Bismullah Khan. Five Tajiks, four Hazaras, two Uzbeks, one Baluchi and one Nuristani were also named to new positions. September 23: President George W. Bush addressed the United Nations General Assembly regarding Afghanistan. September 24: In New York, President Karzai addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He called for a wider international military presence in Afghanistan and an extension of ISAF beyond Kabul. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder told the General Assembly that, in order for Afghanistan's political reform effort to succeed, it needed sustained international support. Karzai later met privately with President George W. Bush. September

title: Ethnic violence in Afghanistan

text: and kidnapping when they were disarming Pashtuns accused of being former Taliban supporters in northern Afghanistan during the early stages of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present) which removed the dominantly Pashtun Taliban from power. In 2010 the Afghan President Hamid Karzai set up a panel to investigate continuing ethnic violence as he believes it is hampering the military efforts to contain the Taliban insurgency. Ethnic violence in Afghanistan Ethnic violence in Afghanistan has played a role in the wars in Afghanistan. There are about a dozen ethnic groups in Afghanistan, they include: Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, and others who make

title: Catholic Church in Afghanistan

text: Paul II called for a "just solution" to the Soviet–Afghan war in the 1980s. Fr. Giuseppe Moretti was first came to Afghanistan in 1977, and stayed until he was shot when the Italian embassy was attacked in 1994 and was forced to leave the country. From 1990 to 1994 he was the only Catholic priest in the country. After 1994, only the Little Sisters of Jesus were allowed to remain in Afghanistan, as they had been there since 1955 and their work was well known. An official from the last pro-Communist government of Mohammad Najibullah went to see Fr. Moretti

title: 1991 in Afghanistan

text: 1991 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1991 in Afghanistan. President Mohammad Najibullah, whom the U.S. government predicted would not last the summer when Soviet troops pulled out of Afghanistan in February 1989, continues to rule his war-wracked nation from a precarious position. A Moscow-brokered plan calls for Najibullah to step aside in favor of Prime Minister Khaliqyar, who would serve as a transitional administrative leader until a new government could be elected. However, on October 13 moderate guerrilla officials in Pakistan highlight the remaining obstacles to peace by withdrawing their support for Khaliqyar. The "mujaheddin" say

title: Provinces of Afghanistan

text: Provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is made up of 34 provinces ( "wilåyat"). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primary administrative divisions. Each province encompasses a number of districts or usually over 1,000 villages. Provincial governments are led by a governor who is appointed by the President of Afghanistan. Each province is represented in the government of Afghanistan by two members in the House of Elders. One is elected by the provincial council to a four-year term while the second is elected by the district councils to a three-year term. Representation in the House of the People is directly from the

title: Blasphemy law in Afghanistan

text: Blasphemy law in Afghanistan Afghanistan uses Sharia as its justification for punishing blasphemy. The punishments are among the harshest in the world. Afghanistan uses its law against blasphemy to persecute religious minorities, dissenters, academics, and journalists. The Constitution of Afghanistan, ratified in January 2004, makes Islam the state religion. The President and the Vice-Presidents must be Muslim. The great majority of Afghanistan's citizens are Sunni who follow the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Afghanistan's Penal Code of 1976 addresses "Crimes Against Religions" but leaves the issue of blasphemy to Sharia. Sharia permits the authorities to treat blasphemy as a capital crime.

title: 2004 in Afghanistan

text: Isah, a director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, was murdered by men who stopped his car. Sunday, March 7 – Afghan government officials announced that Afghan Planning Minister Haji Muhammad Mohaqiq resigned from the cabinet. Mohaqiq said he was fired after announcing his intention to run against interim president Hamid Karzai in the June 2004 elections. Mohaqiq was replaced by Ramazan Bashardoost. Monday, March 8 – Human Rights Watch published "Enduring Freedom - Abuses by US Forces in Afghanistan", which criticizes the United States' actions in Afghanistan. The report cites excessive force, arbitrary detentions and the mistreating people in

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: 11: On a one-day visit from Doha, Qatar, Head of the U.S. Central Command General Tommy Franks visited the U.S. military headquarters at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Franks then traveled to Kabul to meet President Karzai and the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. April 12: A taxi packed with explosives exploded in Karwan Sarui, four miles east of Khost, killing four people who apparently were planning a terrorist attack. Two of the killed were unidentified Pakistani nationals a third was from Yemen. The fourth, the driver, was identified as Bacha Malkhui in one report and Zarat Khan in another report,

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: Saudi Arabia becomes involved by supporting factions it sees as a counterweight to Iranian influence. Pakistan's role is even more crucial. Not only does Pakistan give refuge to 1.5 million Afghan refugees, but it is permanent home to a section of the Pashtun ethnic group, which traditionally plays a leading role in Afghan politics. India and China view the strengthening of Islamic fundamentalism in Afghanistan as a danger to their own authority in Kashmir and Sinkiang, respectively, while other countries throughout the world are concerned about terrorists trained by Afghanistan's warring factions and the country's expanding drug trafficking. Serious international

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: central government's authority all but disappears. Under the protection of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, an Afghan Uzbek, Mazar-i-Sharif, the largest industrial complex in Afghanistan, enjoys relative stability. In Jalalabad local political groups and commanders cooperate to provide basic public services. In Kandahar local rivalries slow reconstruction. Herat is generally peaceful and secure and begins to reclaim its traditional role as commercial centre along trade routes with neighbouring Iran and Turkmenistan. International rivalries continue to agitate Afghanistan's divided society. The country's large Shi`ite minority and the 1.8 million Afghan refugees in neighbouring Iran automatically give Tehran a role in Afghan affairs.

title: 1993 in Afghanistan

text: Afghanistan says that it will not return Stinger missile launchers supplied by the U.S. to anti-Soviet rebels during the 1978–92 war. Washington wanted to buy back the antiaircraft weapons to keep them from falling into the hands of terrorists. The state-controlled Kabul radio reports that the Afghan leadership, after five days of negotiations, has approved an interim constitution and that elections would be held in 1994. 1993 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1993 in Afghanistan. Afghanistan remains a battleground, with rival factions fighting for power and pounding the capital with rockets. An estimated 10,000 people are

title: Corruption in Afghanistan

text: guilt. Corruption in Afghanistan Corruption in Afghanistan is a widespread and growing problem in Afghan society. Transparency International's 2017 Corruption Perception Index ranks the country 177th place out of 180 countries. "In opinion surveys of Afghans," noted the Asia Foundation in a 2012 report, "corruption is consistently singled out as a problem." One of the recent major corruption cases was the 2010–13 Kabul Bank financial scandal involving Mahmood Karzai and others close to President Hamid Karzai. The Kabul Bank scandal, crisis, investigation and trial involved Sherkhan Farnood, Khalilullah Fruzi, Mohammed Fahim, and other insiders who were allegedly spending the bank's

title: Corruption in Afghanistan

text: Corruption in Afghanistan Corruption in Afghanistan is a widespread and growing problem in Afghan society. Transparency International's 2017 Corruption Perception Index ranks the country 177th place out of 180 countries. "In opinion surveys of Afghans," noted the Asia Foundation in a 2012 report, "corruption is consistently singled out as a problem." One of the recent major corruption cases was the 2010–13 Kabul Bank financial scandal involving Mahmood Karzai and others close to President Hamid Karzai. The Kabul Bank scandal, crisis, investigation and trial involved Sherkhan Farnood, Khalilullah Fruzi, Mohammed Fahim, and other insiders who were allegedly spending the bank's US$1

title: Sport in Afghanistan

text: age 25, who thus became the first Afghan woman to run in a marathon within her own country. There are small sized football stadiums in most major cities of Afghanistan, which were built before the 1970s and they lack modern seatings. They will only improve once more if people turn to sport and the nation's economy picks up, including the security situation and proper investors are found. The President of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Omar Zakhilwal, announced in October 2010 that the government was planning to construct standard cricket grounds in all 34 provinces in the next two years. There

title: National Revolutionary Party of Afghanistan

text: National Revolutionary Party of Afghanistan National Revolutionary Party (Pashto: حزب انقلاب ملی "Hezb Enqilab Mile") was a political party in Afghanistan. The party was founded in 1974 by President Mohammed Daoud Khan, who had seized control of Afghanistan from his cousin, King Zahir, in a bloodless coup on July 17, 1973. The party was formed in an attempt by Daoud to garner support and grassroots backing for his republican regime. Daoud also intended the party to undermine support in Afghanistan for the communists, who had actually helped him come to power in 1973. To this end, the party sought to

title: 1994 in Afghanistan

text: attention to Afghanistan remains distracted, however, both by the apparent unwillingness of Afghan leaders to cooperate and by attention to international crises elsewhere. Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami forces and those of Dostum coordinate an artillery and rocket assault on Kabul. The offensive represents a major realignment of forces vying for control of the government. Dostum precipitated the surrender of Kabul to resistance forces in April 1992 by withdrawing his support from the Soviet-installed regime of Najibullah. He placed the greater part of the communist army and air force under his command and assisted the new resistance government fighting Hekmatyar's forces. UN Secretary-General

title: Provinces of Afghanistan

text: districts, although in each province, two or more of the representatives must be women. They are appointed by the President of Afghanistan. Provincial governors have played a critical role in the reconstruction of the Afghan state following the creation of the new government under Hamid Karzai. According to international security scholar, Dipali Mukhopadhyay, many of the provincial governors are former warlords who have been incorporated into the political system. Provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is made up of 34 provinces ( "wilåyat"). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primary administrative divisions. Each province encompasses a number of districts or usually over

title: National Coalition of Afghanistan

text: National Coalition of Afghanistan The National Coalition of Afghanistan (, Etelaf-e Milli; previously known as the Coalition for Change and Hope), is a political coalition in Afghanistan led by Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's former foreign minister (2001-2005) and main challenger of President Hamid Karzai in the 2009 Afghan presidential elections. Abdullah Abdullah was a close friend of the Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud who was assassinated two days before the September 11 attacks. Besides the National Front of Afghanistan, the National Coalition presents the leading democratic opposition movement against the government of Hamid Karzai. Abdullah Abdullah is supported among others

title: French forces in Afghanistan

text: an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, French president Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to suspend French operations in Afghanistan. The newly elected president Francois Hollande, announced in June 2012 that he would be withdrawing 2,000 of France's 3,400 troops in Afghanistan, leaving 1,400 for training and logistics. In November 2012, France's combat troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan, leaving just the logistical contingent in the country. The official mission statement for French military in Afghanistan in French forces support anti-drug operations, though destruction of opium fields and capture of dealers is not part of their mission. When

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: closed since 1979) and signed an agreement lowering duties on textiles, such as Afghan rugs. September 7: In Washington, D.C., U.S., President George W. Bush announced he would ask the United States Congress for an additional $87 billion for U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just $800 million was earmarked for Afghan reconstruction. September 8: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited Afghanistan and met with President Karzai. September 9: Over 10,000 Afghan citizens filled Kabul sports stadiums to honor the anniversary of the 2001 assassination of Ahmed Shah Massoud. President Karzai spoke to crowds. September 10: A joint meeting between

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: In Shkin a series of clashes between U.S. forces and rebels killed at least three militants and injured three U.S. soldiers. An unconfirmed number of militants also died there when U.S. helicopters bombed a position. 2003 in Afghanistan 2003 in Afghanistan. A list of notable incidents in Afghanistan during 2003 March 1: March 2: Germany pulled out its elite KSK anti-terror forces from Afghanistan. The German defense ministry refused to comment on the report. March 4: March 5: March 6: A preferential trade agreement was signed in a ceremony in New Delhi, India attended by President Karzai and Indian Prime

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: 2003 in Afghanistan 2003 in Afghanistan. A list of notable incidents in Afghanistan during 2003 March 1: March 2: Germany pulled out its elite KSK anti-terror forces from Afghanistan. The German defense ministry refused to comment on the report. March 4: March 5: March 6: A preferential trade agreement was signed in a ceremony in New Delhi, India attended by President Karzai and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The trade pact will enable free movement of goods specified by the two countries at lower tariffs. The volume of trade between the two countries in 2001-02 totaled $41.89 million. Vajpayee

title: 2004 in Afghanistan

text: In Afghanistan's first-ever direct presidential election, Hamid Karzai was elected President of Afghanistan. Monday, October 11 – The Czech Republic voted to donate surplus weaponry (including submachine gun ammunition, hand grenades and signal rockets) to the Afghan National Army. Tuesday, October 12 – In Vienna, Austria, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime hosted a meeting of United Nations officials and international policy-makers to address the heroin problem arising from Afghanistan. 2004 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 2004 in Afghanistan. Thursday, January 1 – Close to half of the loya jirga boycotted a vote on

title: Supreme Court of Afghanistan

text: Supreme Court of Afghanistan The Supreme Court of Afghanistan or Stera Mahkama () is the court of last resort in Afghanistan. It was created by the Constitution of Afghanistan, which was approved on January 4, 2004. Its creation was called for by the Bonn Agreement, which read in part: Currently, the nine-member court is made up of the following justices: The nine justices on the tribunal are appointed for 10-year terms by the President of Afghanistan, with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the nation's legislature. The President selects one of the nine members to serve

title: Politics of Afghanistan

text: of in the country. Government operation in Afghanistan historically has consisted of power struggles, coups and unstable transfers of power. The country has been governed by various systems of government, including a monarchy, republic, theocracy, dictatorship, and a pro-communist state. Afghanistan is an Islamic republic consisting of three branches of power (executive, legislative, and judiciary) overseen by checks and balances. The country is led by President Ashraf Ghani, who replaced Hamid Karzai in 2014. Before the election of 2004, Karzai led the country after being appointed as President of the Afghan Transitional Administration. While supporters have praised Karzai's efforts to

title: 1964 in Afghanistan

text: vocational schools are created with the funds. 1964 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1964 in Afghanistan. Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, president of Pakistan, visits Kabul briefly where he meets with King Mohammad Zahir. For the first time in several years relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are relatively amicable following the decision of the government of Afghanistan to deal with the Pakhtunistan dispute only through diplomatic negotiations and to carry on normal relations with Pakistan in other respects. Afghanistan does not, however, join the Istanbul Pact drawn up in July between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey to

title: 1964 in Afghanistan

text: 1964 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1964 in Afghanistan. Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, president of Pakistan, visits Kabul briefly where he meets with King Mohammad Zahir. For the first time in several years relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are relatively amicable following the decision of the government of Afghanistan to deal with the Pakhtunistan dispute only through diplomatic negotiations and to carry on normal relations with Pakistan in other respects. Afghanistan does not, however, join the Istanbul Pact drawn up in July between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey to foster economic cooperation. Observers voice the belief

title: 1978 in Afghanistan

text: 1978 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1978 in Afghanistan. In a bloody coup devised by Hafizullah Amin, a U.S.-educated Khalq leader who, before his impending arrest, contacted party members in the armed forces - the PDPA overthrows Daud Khan's government. Daud Khan and most of his family are killed. Daud dies in Kabul together with the country's Vice-President, leading ministers, and the commander of the armed forces, all of whom reportedly tried to resist the takeover. The fighting continues into the following day. On April 30 a Revolutionary Council headed by Taraki assumes control of the

title: 2002 in Afghanistan

text: February 7: U.S. President George W. Bush decided that the 1949 Geneva Conventions would apply to captured Taliban fighters taken from Afghanistan to a US military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but not to al-Qaeda members there. Friday, February 8: Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai agreed to cooperate on a proposed Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline project to transport natural gas from Central Asia to Pakistan via Afghanistan. Saturday, February 9: Hamid Karzai, head of the Afghan interim government, appointed Maulvi Zia-ul-haq Haqyar and Sayed Ikramuddin Masoomi as the new governors of Baghlan and Takhar provinces in

title: Sport in Afghanistan

text: player, who previously represented Pakistan in international competitions but is now representing Afghanistan. Buzkashi is a traditional sport and it is mostly played by people in northern Afghanistan and in Central Asia, as well as in northwestern parts of neighboring Pakistan. The Afghanistan Rugby Federation (ARF) was formed in 2011, and is registered with the National Olympic Committee and approved by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Afghanistan also became a member of the Federation of International Bandy in 2012. In 2015 Afghanistan held its first marathon; among those who ran the entire marathon was one woman, Zainab,

title: LGBT rights in Afghanistan

text: 1994, the Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Omar, saved a boy from being sodomized by two feuding generals in Kandahar and when he was subsequently given control of the city he decreed that both violent and mutually consensual sodomy would be capital crimes. In 2017, the United States Department of State reported the following, concerning the status of LGBT rights in Afghanistan: LGBT rights in Afghanistan Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) persons in Afghanistan face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Afghanistan's population is over 99% Muslim, and the country's Constitution stipulates that Islam shall be the official religion. Homosexuality

title: Indians in Afghanistan

text: masterminded the attacks while the Lashkar-e-Taiba in collaboration with the Haqqani network carried out the attacks. Afghan President Hamid Karzai terming the attacks an "abominable act" by "the enemies of Afghanistan's friendship with India" said the Indian Embassy bombing in Kabul was the work of "Pakistani agents". He also stated, "India has made a significant contribution to development and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Resorting to these types of hellish acts will not damage the friendly relationship between Afghanistan and India." United States President George W. Bush confronted Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with evidence and warned him that in

title: Mining in Afghanistan

text: the United States and coalition troops in 2001 began a new phase in the history of Afghanistan, as many old resource projects were assessed again, and new ones were initiated. In 2001, the September 11 attacks in New York led to the United States invasion of Afghanistan. According to Mark Lander and James Risen, in 2007 U.S government sent geologist to explore the mining potential in Afghanistan. Using old Soviet maps of mining location, America created a more precise map of mineral locations. President Trump has agreed to remain in Afghanistan to help mine for minerals because he believes it

title: Mining in Afghanistan

text: and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world". Ghazni Province may hold the world's largest lithium reserves. The deposits were described in the USGS report on Afghanistan in 2007. Afghan President Hamid Karzai remarked ""Whereas Saudi Arabia is the oil capital of the world, Afghanistan will be the lithium capital of the world."" Afghanistan invited 200 global companies for the development of its mines. No copper mines were active in the country in 2006. In the past, copper had been

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: Tony Blair to discuss reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, then with British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon. Hoon promised that Britain would not abandon Afghanistan. June 6: President Karzai met with Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, where he was awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen. Karzai later gave a lecture on reconstruction in Afghanistan at St Antony's College, Oxford. June 7: In Kabul, a taxi packed with explosives rammed a bus carrying German ISAF personnel, killing four soldiers and wounding 29 others; one Afghan bystander was killed and 10 Afghan bystanders were wounded. The 33 peacekeepers, after months on duty in

title: Afghanistan

text: found in the major cities. There was a small Jewish community in Afghanistan who had emigrated to Israel and the United States by the end of the twentieth century; at least one Jew, Zablon Simintov, remained. There is also at least one known Christian, current First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani, apart from Christian foreigners. The only Christian Church with a noteworthy number of members in Afghanistan is the Christian Church International. Afghanistan is an Islamic republic consisting of three branches, the executive, legislative, and judicial. The nation is led by President Ashraf Ghani with Abdul Rashid Dostum and Sarwar

title: War in Afghanistan (1978–present)

text: Mullah Omar started his movement with fewer than 50 armed madrassah students in his hometown of Kandahar. When the Taliban took control of the city in 1994, they forced the surrender of dozens of local Pashtun leaders who had presided over a situation of complete lawlessness and atrocities. In 1994, the Taliban took power in several provinces in southern and central Afghanistan. In late 1994, most of the militia factions (Hezb-i Islami, Junbish-i Milli and Hezb-i Wahdat) which had been fighting in the battle for control of Kabul were defeated militarily by forces of the Islamic State's Secretary of Defense

title: Cricket in Afghanistan

text: city known in Afghanistan for being the 'capital of cricket', is in progress. Construction has also begun on the Kabul National Cricket Stadium and the Kandahar International Cricket Stadium in the south of the country. The President of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Omar Zakhilwal, announced in October 2010 that the government was planning to construct standard cricket grounds in all 34 provinces in the next two years. In 2016, Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida became the home ground for the Afghanistan national cricket team after they decided to shift their home ground from Sharjah. The following

title: Television in Afghanistan

text: high. On January 2013 Afghanistan's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology held a meeting with TV broadcasters on plans to switch from analogue to digital transmission systems. Afghanistan has adopted the DVB-T2 standard and the swit-chover would begin in Kabul. On Sunday, August 31, 2014 Afghanistan’s digital TV system officially inaugurated by the second vice president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan H. E. Mohammad Karim Khalili and Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) H. E. Amirzai Sangin in a ceremony officially held in Kabul Serena Hotel. Television in Afghanistan Television was first introduced in 1964, when a new

title: American University of Afghanistan

text: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, likely inspired from his own experience at The American University of Beirut, encouraged the establishment of The American University of Afghanistan. The Afghanistan High Commission for Private Investment offered leases on two parcels of land totaling in the Darulaman area of Kabul until 2103. In addition, the non-profit American University of Afghanistan corporation was chartered in the State of Delaware, under the leadership of Dr. Jacob van Lutsenburg Maas, who later became the non-profit corporation's President, to receive these leases. (In 2007, the non-profit corporation became a tax-exempt 501(c) 3 organization). A charter for the establishment of

title: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

text: troops who posed with body parts of dead insurgents and a video apparently showing a U.S. helicopter crew singing "Bye-bye Miss American Pie" before blasting a group of Afghan men with a Hellfire missile these "high-profile U.S. military incidents in Afghanistan" also included the 2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests and the Panjwai shooting spree. On 2 May 2012, Presidents Karzai and Obama signed a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries, after the U.S. president had arrived unannounced in Kabul on the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death. The U.S.–Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, officially entitled the "Enduring Strategic Partnership

title: 2003 in Afghanistan

text: were on a mission to eradicate opium poppy cultivation. June 16: Women's Edge co-founder and executive director Ritu Sharma arrived in Afghanistan for a week's visit. She planned to observe and monitor the conditions of women. Sima Wali, the CEO of Refugee Women in Development, accompanied Sharma. June 17: The UN warned all UN personnel in Afghanistan of further suicide bombings in Kabul over the next few days. June 18: President Karzai left Kabul for a state visit to Iran, where he was expected to sign two trilateral agreements on transit road projects between Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Afghan

title: Opposition to the war in Afghanistan (2001–2014)

text: additional troops in Afghanistan and the continuation of this conflict is both not in the interest of our Nation, and, in fact, is on par with a potential error the size of our initial invasion in Iraq." In November 2009, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Lt.-Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the retired army general who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2005–2007, warned President Obama against committing tens of thousands of extra troops to Afghanistan. His dramatic intervention into the debate on a troop surge reportedly infruriated U.S. General McChrystal, the commander of all foreign military forces in Afghanistan who had been

title: Opium production in Afghanistan

text: of prominent Afghans met in Bonn, Germany, under UN auspices to develop a plan to reestablish the State of Afghanistan, including provisions for a new constitution and national elections. As part of that agreement, the United Kingdom (UK) was designated the lead country in addressing counter-narcotics issues in Afghanistan. Afghanistan subsequently implemented its new constitution and held national elections. On December 7, 2004, Hamid Karzai was formally sworn in as president of a democratic Afghanistan." Two of the following three growing seasons saw record levels of opium poppy cultivation. Corrupt officials may have undermined the government's enforcement efforts. Afghan farmers

title: 2004 in Afghanistan

text: – In Kandahar, militia corps commander Khan Mohammed oversaw hundreds of his fighters giving up their assault rifles, machine guns, and rockets to the Afghan National Army. Tuesday, March 30 – In a raid in southern Afghanistan, U.S. troops detained six suspected Taliban members. Wednesday, March 31 – In Berlin, Germany, a two-day international conference on reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan began. The conference was attended by 65 countries. Alastair McKechnie, the World Bank country director for Afghanistan, hoped to accumulate during the conference donations of US$27.5 billion (to be granted over seven years). Afghan interim president Hamid Karzai and United

title: Afghanistan

text: in Pakistan, pledged to rid Afghanistan of 'warlords and criminals', and soon had military support from Pakistan. In November 1994 the Taliban took control of Kandahar city after forcing local Pashtun leaders who had tolerated complete lawlessness. The Taliban in early 1995 attempted to capture Kabul but were repelled by forces under Massoud. Taliban, having grown stronger, in September 1996 attacked and occupied Kabul after Massoud and Hekmatyar had withdrawn their troops from Kabul. In late September 1996, the Taliban, in control of Kabul and most of Afghanistan, proclaimed their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They imposed a strict form of

title: Blasphemy law in Afghanistan

text: were jailed for a week on blasphemy charges for publishing a controversial series of articles condemning crimes committed by senior Afghan leaders in the name of Islam. The two editors were later cleared of the charges, but they were forced to leave Afghanistan because of threats against their lives. Blasphemy law in Afghanistan Afghanistan uses Sharia as its justification for punishing blasphemy. The punishments are among the harshest in the world. Afghanistan uses its law against blasphemy to persecute religious minorities, dissenters, academics, and journalists. The Constitution of Afghanistan, ratified in January 2004, makes Islam the state religion. The President

title: Cannabis in Afghanistan

text: Cannabis in Afghanistan Cannabis in Afghanistan has been cultivated for centuries, and experienced relatively little interference until the 1970s, whereafter it became an issue both in international politics and in the finance of the series of wars which occurred in Afghanistan for forty years. Baba Ku is a legendary folkloric character from Balkh in Afghanistan, a Sufi adherent who legendarily introduced hashish to Afghanistan. While traditional cultivation and largely local consumption of cannabis was common in Afghanistan, the development of the Hippie Trail in the 1970s brought an influx of young tourists with an appetite for cannabis to Afghanistan. Hashish

title: CIA activities in Afghanistan

text: fighters" in Afghanistan. Similarly, Michael Johns, the former Heritage Foundation foreign policy analyst and White House speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush, stated that "the Reagan-led effort to support freedom fighters resisting Soviet oppression led successfully to the first major military defeat of the Soviet Union ... Sending the Red Army packing from Afghanistan proved one of the single most important contributing factors in one of history's most profoundly positive and important developments." Conspiracy theorists have alleged that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were beneficiaries of CIA assistance. This is refuted by experts such as Steve Coll—who notes

title: 1986 in Afghanistan

text: resigns from the largely ceremonial post of president of the Revolutionary Council. He is succeeded on November 24 by Haji Mohammad Chamkani, formerly first vice-president and a non-PDPA member. An extraordinary plenum of the PDPA Central Committee approves a policy of national reconciliation, involving negotiations with opposition groups, and the proposed formation of a coalition government of national unity. A cabinet reshuffle sees the elevation of Najibullah supporters Abdul Wakil and Mohammad Rafi to the posts of foreign minister and defense minister, respectively. Najibullah visits the U.S.S.R. to discuss prospects for ending the conflict in Afghanistan. 1986 in Afghanistan The

title: War in Afghanistan (1978–present)

text: Hamid Gul, was interested in an Islamic revolution which would transcend national borders, not just in Afghanistan and Pakistan but also in Central Asia. To set up the proposed Mujahideen government, Hamid Gul ordered an assault on Jalalabad-with the intent on using it as the capital for the new government Pakistan was interested in establishing in Afghanistan. The Taliban were largely funded by Pakistan's ISI in 1994. The ISI used the Taliban to establish a regime in Afghanistan which would be favorable to Pakistan, as they were trying to gain strategic depth. Since the creation of the Taliban, the ISI

title: Corruption in Afghanistan

text: were buying U.S.-supplied weapons from Afghan forces. The Pentagon "lost track of many of the 465,000 light weapons the U.S. supplied to Afghan security forces." Haroun Mir of Afghanistan's Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) and Business Integrity Network Afghanistan (BINA) noted in June 2015 that Hamid Karzai, Acting President of Afghanistan from 2001 to 2004 and President from 2004 to 2014, had been widely accused of perpetuating and initiating the corrupt economic system of the country through a patronage system that resembled a mafia. As a result, corruption is now considered an ingrained and accepted facet of Afghan

title: 2004 in Afghanistan

text: Muhammad. Sunday, February 8 – Over 200 Afghan delegates gathered in Kabul for the International Conference on Counter-Narcotics in Afghanistan to discuss law enforcement and alternative livelihoods for poppy farmers and demand reduction. Keynote speakers included executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Antonio Maria Costa, interim president Hamid Karzai and the United Kingdom's foreign office minister Bill Rammell. Monday, February 9 – Under tight security, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visited Kabul and met with Afghan interim president Hamid Karzai. Tuesday, February 10 – In Afghanistan, the Kabul Primary Court sentenced to death

title: Afghanistan Campaign Medal

text: Both medals may not be received for the same period of service in Afghanistan and any current Afghanistan service will only be recognized with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Afghanistan Campaign Medal The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004, and became available for general distribution in June 2005. The medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry. The Afghanistan Campaign Medal is awarded to any member of the United States military who has performed duty within the

title: Christianity in Afghanistan

text: international technicians then living in the Afghan capital. A clause giving Italy the right to build a chapel within its embassy was included in the Italian-Afghan treaty of 1921, and that same year the Barnabites arrived to start giving pastoral care. The actual pastoral work began in 1933 when the chapel international technicians had asked for was built. In the 1950s, the simple cement chapel was finished. From 1990 to 1994, Father Giuseppe Moretti served as the only Roman Catholic priest in Afghanistan, but he was forced to leave in 1994 after being hit with shrapnel and had to return

title: 1958 in Afghanistan

text: the Senate. In August 1958, Pashtun intellectuals held a congress in Kabul, with the goal of standardizing the Pashto alphabet. During the congress, a number of standardizations were proposed in the use of the modern Pashto alphabet. Viliám Siroký, the prime minister of Czechoslovakia, arrives in Kabul. Celal Bayar, president of Turkey, is the guest of King Mohammad Zahir. Kliment Voroshilov, chairman of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R., makes a return visit of friendship to Afghanistan. 1958 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1958 in Afghanistan. The five-year development plan, begun in 1957,

title: 1987 in Afghanistan

text: withdrawal of Soviet troops, reduced from 16 months to one year, at UN-sponsored talks scheduled for February 1988. The assembly ratifies a new constitution under which the post of president is created; Najibullah, the sole candidate, is elected to the post on November 30. The constitution also changes the name of the country back to the Republic of Afghanistan and embodies a call for other parties to partake in government alongside the ruling PDPA in an effort to promote national reconciliation. 1987 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1987 in Afghanistan. The war continues, with no agreement

title: 1991 in Afghanistan

text: would probably join the government. In mid-September the U.S. and the Soviet Union take the first step toward a negotiated settlement by agreeing to end arms shipments to their respective clients, the rebels and the government in Kabul, as of January 1, 1992. On March 2, 1991, in San Diego, California, Waheed Karim set an Afghan national record in the 5,000 meters (16:04.7). 1991 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1991 in Afghanistan. President Mohammad Najibullah, whom the U.S. government predicted would not last the summer when Soviet troops pulled out of Afghanistan in February 1989, continues

title: 2002 in Afghanistan

text: to school" project, providing thousands of basic packs for the schools, students and teachers in Afghanistan. Wednesday, March 27: A U.S. soldier is killed by a mine outside of Kandahar. Thursday, March 28: The U.N. Security Council voted to create a U.N. assistance mission in Afghanistan for one year. Tuesday, April 2: In Kabul, Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf met with Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai, in the first visit by a Pakistani leader in more than 30 years. The two planned to mend relations and work together to promote stability in Afghanistan. Wednesday, April 3: A tripartite accord regarding

title: 1992 in Afghanistan

text: 1992 in Afghanistan The following lists events that happened during 1992 in Afghanistan. The forces of both Masood and Hekmatyar enter Kabul, and the Communist regime collapses, but 14 years of war, which have claimed two million lives and forced at least five million people out of the country, leave the nation divided and almost in ruins. Sibghatullah Mojadedi, a 70-year-old former Islamic philosophy teacher, becomes caretaker president on April 28. The country is renamed Islamic State of Afghanistan. When peace seems imminent, fighting among the various guerrilla groups, divided along ethnic and sectarian lines, brings on a new struggle.

title: War in Afghanistan (1978–present)

text: and the Pakistani military have given financial, logistical and military support. According to Pakistani Afghanistan expert Ahmed Rashid, "between 1994 and 1999, an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Pakistanis trained and fought in Afghanistan" on the side of the Taliban. Peter Tomsen stated that up until 9/11 Pakistani military and ISI officers along with thousands of regular Pakistani Armed Forces personnel had been involved in the fighting in Afghanistan. In 2001 alone, according to several international sources, 28,000–30,000 Pakistani nationals, 14,000–15,000 Afghan Taliban and 2,000–3,000 Al Qaeda militants were fighting against anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan as a roughly 45,000-strong military force.

title: 16 Days in Afghanistan

text: one of the earliest and most prominent documentaries to date that has been made in and about Afghanistan and shows in many top lists, including IMDb's Most Popular Titles by country and on Amazon's bestselling movies and TV on Afghanistan right after the Oscar nominee, "Restrepo". as well as 16,000 likes on Facebook. It was selected as part of the first Afghan art exhibit show in the British Museum opened by president Hamid Karzai. In 2011, the film was selected by the National Museum of Afghanistan in partnership with the National Geographic as an object of cultural heritage and will

title: Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

text: in the south and east; Iran in the west; the Soviet Union (via the Turkmen, Uzbek, and Tajik SSRs) in the north; and China in the far northeast covering of its territory. Mohammad Daoud Khan, the President of the Republic of Afghanistan from 1973 to 1978, was ousted during the Saur Revolution (April Revolution) following the death of Mir Akbar Khyber, a Parchamite politician from the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) who died under mysterious circumstances. Hafizullah Amin, a Khalq, was the coup's chief architect. Nur Muhammad Taraki, the leader of the Khalqists, was elected Chairman of the Presidium

title: Supreme Court of Afghanistan

text: 2017, a suicide bomber killed 20 people outside the building. Supreme Court of Afghanistan The Supreme Court of Afghanistan or Stera Mahkama () is the court of last resort in Afghanistan. It was created by the Constitution of Afghanistan, which was approved on January 4, 2004. Its creation was called for by the Bonn Agreement, which read in part: Currently, the nine-member court is made up of the following justices: The nine justices on the tribunal are appointed for 10-year terms by the President of Afghanistan, with the approval of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the nation's legislature.

title: Politics of Afghanistan

text: Religious, Administrative, Labor, and Family divisions. Also in the first instance include military courts, which try military personals. Magistrate Courts are at the lowest level, which try minor civil and criminal cases. Political parties in Afghanistan are in flux and many prominent players have plans to create new ones. Some of the political parties in Afghanistan are as follow: Afghanistan is a member of the following organizations: Politics of Afghanistan The politics of Afghanistan consists of the council of ministers, provincial governors and the national assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Afghan

title: Islamic State of Afghanistan

text: Islamic State of Afghanistan The Islamic State of Afghanistan (, "Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan") was the name given to the country of Afghanistan by the interim government, established in the Peshawar Accords on 26 April 1992 by many but not all mujahideen Afghan parties, after the fall of the socialist Afghan Republic. In 1996, it existed alongside the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ruled by the Taliban, until the Islamic Emirate was overthrown by the United States as part of the war in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks in the U.S. five years later. In March 1992, President Mohammad Najibullah, having

title: Night raids in Afghanistan

text: lead agency in the Afghan Threat Finance Cell—an organization that tracked suspicious financial transactions. Afghan president Karzai largely banned night raids from 2013. His successor Ashraf Ghani lifted this ban from November 2014. The operations will be conducted by Afghan forces with occasional assistance from American advisers. Night raids in Afghanistan Night raids in Afghanistan are a military tactic employed by United States and Afghan special forces during the War in Afghanistan. The coalition forces in Afghanistan maintain the Joint Prioritized Effects List (JPEL) of targets their special forces try to capture or kill. Using night vision equipment US special

title: History of Afghanistan (1992–present)

text: law on the country. In 1994 it developed enough strength to capture the city of Kandahar from a local warlord and proceeded to expand its control throughout Afghanistan, controlling Herat in September 1995, then Kabul in September 1996, and declaring the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (although there was no Emir). By this time Afghanistan was in its 17th year of war. It had the highest infant, child and maternal mortality rates in Asia. An estimated 10 million landmines covered its terrain. Two-million refugees were in camps. Pakistan recognized the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan in 1997. By the

title: Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan

text: E. Donilon. Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan The Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan, also known by the informal expression War Czar, is a position the George W. Bush administration created to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department, and other agencies. Previous to the creation of the 'war czar' position, Deputy National Security Advisor Meghan O'Sullivan was primarily responsible for White House programs related to the war, under the direction of the National

text: Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan The Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan, also known by the informal expression War Czar, is a position the George W. Bush administration created to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department, and other agencies. Previous to the creation of the 'war czar' position, Deputy National Security Advisor Meghan O'Sullivan was primarily responsible for White House programs related to the war, under the direction of the National Security Advisor,

title: Politics of Afghanistan

text: 249-seat lower house of parliament. The Constitution of Afghanistan creates a strong presidency, serving as the head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. A president is elected with two vice-presidents. The president appoints cabinet ministers and provincial governors, which are to be approved by the National Assembly. Hamid Karzai served as the Chairman of the Interim Administration from December 2001 to June 2002. He then served as the Interim President between June 2002 to October 2004. He officially became the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan after winning the 2004 presidential election. The United States is

title: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

text: the strikes marked the first time commanders used their newly granted authorities to target Taliban revenue sources. Vice President Mike Pence announced on 21 December 2017 that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told him that more senior Taliban leaders have been killed in 2017 than in all prior years of the war combined. Pence also stated that the USA was making great progress with the war in Afghanistan. On 21 August 2017, US President Donald Trump stated that he would expand the American presence in Afghanistan, without giving details on how or when. Trump did not formulate any timelines, troop numbers

title: American University of Afghanistan

text: leading members of the academic, business, and political communities in Afghanistan and the United States. The president is responsible for implementing the policies of the board and for the overall administration of the university. The first president of the university was president pro tempore Sharif Fayez, Afghanistan's Minister of Higher Education from 2002 to 2004. In January 2015, Dr. Mark A. English assumed leadership of the university as President. Dr. C. Michael Smith stepped down after nearly six years of exceptional service. The university's provost is Dr. Timor Saffary. The campus of the American University of Afghanistan is located on

title: Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan

text: Afghan security forces. On 2 May 2012, Afghan president Hamid Karzai and U.S. president Barack Obama signed a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries, after the U.S. president had arrived in Kabul as part of unannounced trip to Afghanistan on the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death. The U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, officially titled the "Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America", provides the long-term framework for the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States of America after the drawdown of U.S. forces in the Afghanistan war. The agreement

title: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

text: in Afghanistan is "precarious and urgent", the 10,000 additional troops needed there would be unavailable "in any significant manner" unless withdrawals from Iraq are made. The priority was Iraq first, Afghanistan second. In the first five months of 2008, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan increased by over 80% with a surge of 21,643 more troops, bringing the total from 26,607 in January to 48,250 in June. In September 2008, President Bush announced the withdrawal of over 8,000 from Iraq and a further increase of up to 4,500 in Afghanistan. In June 2008, British prime minister Gordon Brown announced

title: Opium production in Afghanistan

text: In the seven years (1994–2000) prior to a Taliban opium ban, the Afghan farmers' share of gross income from opium was divided among 200,000 families. As of 2017, opium production provides about 400,000 jobs in Afghanistan, more than the Afghan National Security Forces. In addition to opium, Afghanistan is also the world's leading producer of hashish.. Almost 85% of the villages in the country's south cultivate opium poppies. The drug economy provides regular and somewhat reliable income to rural people in this extremely unstable country.The drug sector has been estimated to be worth between $4.1 billion and $6.6 billion, which

title: American University of Afghanistan

text: graduates. It held its fourth, and largest, graduation on December 5, 2014, where 180 undergraduate and graduate students graduated. On May 22, 2015, the university held its sixth commencement ceremony, honoring the class of 2015, at the university’s International campus. The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Doctorate of Humane Letters Honorary Degree to distinguished guest H.E. Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, who also delivered the commencement address. Currently, more than 2,000 full and part-time students from all 34 provinces of Afghanistan are now enrolled in the university, including 1,190 students in undergraduate and graduate

title: Corruption in Afghanistan

text: as providing explosives to the Afghan insurgency was permitted access to a Coalition-controlled facility." The Kabul Bank, established in 2004 by Khalilullah Ferozi and Sherkhan Farnood, was Afghanistan's first private bank. From the beginning, it was criticized as resembling a Ponzi scheme. It lent money to the nation's elite, who did not repay the loans. In an editorial "The Guardian" accused Ferozi of causing the most damage to Afghanistan besides the Taliban. Ferozi and Farnood curried favor with President Karzai's family, whereupon the Afghan government put Kabul Bank in charge of the payroll accounts for all of the nation's civil

title: Islamic State of Afghanistan

text: factions northward, and by the end of the year occupying two-thirds of Afghanistan. Former president Najibullah was arrested and executed in public by hanging on 27 September 1996. The Taliban renamed the country to Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and imposed an even more strict version of Sharia on the population they controlled. This especially negatively impacted women, who were forced to wear a burqa, stay indoors and banned from working outside the house with rare exceptions, girl schools were closed and almost all girls lost access to education, increasing illiteracy rates (which had fallen during the communist era). Movie theaters,

title: History of the Jews in Afghanistan

text: Soviet territory to Afghanistan. In 1932, Muhammed Nadir Shah created a border treaty with the Soviet Union preventing asylum seekers from fleeing the border and into Afghanistan. Later that same year, Afghanistan began deporting refugees back to Soviet Union or specified Chinese territories. Soviet Jews already in Afghanistan, who were attempting to flee further south, were detained in the capital city of Kabul, while any Soviet Jews apprehend at the border were immediately deported. Soviet Jews were accused of espionage and the intent to disseminate radical Bolshevist propaganda. However, by 1933, non-refugee Afghani Jews, those who had lived there for

title: Rape in Afghanistan

text: to a child in jail, and was then subsequently pardoned by then president Hamid Karzai, as international interest and outrage grew. And in the end of her whole ordeal, societal pressure and her families pressure she was forced to marry the man who raped her. In 2012, Afghanistan recorded 240 cases of honor killings and 160 cases of rape, but the number for both honor killings and rapes is estimated to be much higher and unreported, especially in the more rural areas. In 2013, in eastern Ghazni, a man attacked a woman and attempted to rape her, and as a

title: Cabinet of Afghanistan

text: Cabinet of Afghanistan The Cabinet of Afghanistan is made of the heads of all the government ministries. The president selects the members of cabinet with the approval of the National Assembly. Candidates for a ministerial position must be an Afghan citizen, be at least 35 years of age and have higher education. Ministers, unlike the president and vice presidents, can have citizenship of another country, but the Wolesi Jirga has in the past rejected ministers for the reason of having dual citizenship. After winning a second term, President Hamid Karzai nominated 23 ministers in December 2009 to be part of

title: Christianity in Afghanistan

text: its dedication, the cornerstone which was carved in Afghan alabaster marble read: "To the glory of God 'Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood' this building is dedicated as 'a house of prayer for all nations' in the reign of H.M. Zahir Shah, May 17, 1970 A.D., 'Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone'." The Church building however was destroyed 17 June 1973. On that same day Mohammed Daoud Khan seized power from his cousin (and brother-in-law) Zahir Shah and declared himself president of the newly created Republic of Afghanistan. Since the destruction of

title: Hinduism in Afghanistan

text: Hindu minority in Afghanistan. Indian analyst Rahul Banerjee said that this was not the first time that Hindus were singled out for state-sponsored oppression in Afghanistan. Violence against Hindus has caused a rapid depletion in the Hindu population over the years. Since the 1990s, many Afghan Hindus have fled the country, seeking asylum in countries such as India, Germany and United States. In July 2013, the Afghan parliament refused to reserve seats for the minority group as a bill reserving seats for the mentioned was voted against. The bill by the then president Hamid Karzai, had tribal people and "women"

title: 2004 in Afghanistan

text: Marines were part of a contingent of 2,000 Marines who arrived in Afghanistan in recent weeks. Sunday, April 25 – Interim Afghan president Hamid Karzai visited Kandahar for the first time since there was an attempt on his life there on September 5, 2002. A man with a grenade near the travel route was apprehended by local police. Monday, April 26 – Top diplomats of NATO's North Atlantic Council visited Kabul for the first time since it took over command of ISAF. Wednesday, April 28 – North of Kabul, local police arrested 16 men suspected of plotting to smuggle weapons