Regional Resources

Afghanistan Web Links

Below are links by topical categories to resources primarily in English providing information on the conflict in Afghanistan. This page was previously titled Taliban and Afghanistan Web Links. For related links, see Terrorism/Counterterrorism Web Links.

• General Resources
• Government Agencies and International Organizations
• Islamic Area Studies
• Maps and Guides
• Media and News Sources
• Political Resources and Selected Documents

These links complement the following USIP reports:

1. The Taliban and Afghanistan: Implications for regional security and options for international action
2. Unfinished Business in Afghanistan: Warlordism, Reconstruction, and Ethnic Harmony.
3. Rebuilding Afghanistan: A Framework for Establishing Security and the Rule of Law and related material from the Institute's Rule of Law Program.
4. Establishing the Rule of Law in Afghanistan.
   These links also support the work of the Institute's Muslim World Initiative.

General Resources

• Afghanistan and the US: selected internet resources
  From the University of California at Berkeley Library, a detailed set of links to resources covering general information on the region, the Taliban and opposition groups, al-Qa'ida and Osama bin Laden, human rights, news sources, among other topics.
• Afghanistan Reconstruction
  Produced by the Development Gateway Foundation in collaboration with several organizations, this web site, part of a larger Development Gateway portal, features an extensive database of annotated web links, accessible by key issues or topics, type of resource (documents, organizations, etc.) and country or region. Also includes news, an events calendar, discussions, a bulletin board and project information in Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan Studies- Directory of Online Resources for the Study of Afghanistan
  Extensive set of links, many with annotations, covering general resources, news and media, organizations, women in Afghanistan, the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, and the war on terrorism from Academic Info.
• AsiaSource: AsiaPROFILES: Afghanistan
  Produced by the Asia Society, the web site has profiles of Asian countries, with fact sheet information, links to a government directory and a section on comparing statistics of Asian countries.
• INCORE guide to Internet sources on conflict in Afghanistan
  A selective collection of annotated links to information sources, email lists and newsgroups, news sources, articles and documents, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), maps, etc. from the Initiative on Conflict Resolution & Ethnicity.
• UT-MENIC: Countries and Regions: Afghanistan
  Selected links from the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, covering general information, arts and humanities, economy, government, news and media, and women.

Government Agencies, International Organizations and Regional Initiatives

Afghanistan

• Constitutional Commission of Afghanistan
  The web site of the Constitutional Commission has documents in Pashto, Dari and English concerning the process of drafting a constitution for Afghanistan.
• Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan (ITSA)
  "This central website of the Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan provides information on Afghanistan's National Budget, the Government's Donor Assistance Database, and on major international conferences on Afghan reconstruction." Also includes information on consultative and advisory groups, minutes of meetings, speeches and key documents such as Rebuilding Our Nation: 6 National Priority Sub-Programmes.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan
  The web site includes statements and press releases, legal information for investment and business, lists of government officials, and contact information for embassies and consulates.

International Conference on Afghanistan

• International Conference on Afghanistan
  Web site of the conference, held March 31-April 1, 2004 in Berlin and co-chaired by Germany, Japan, Afghanistan and the United Nations. Includes conference documents, statements, interviews and speeches related to the donor conference, as well as information on Germany's involvement in Afghanistan. Part of the German Foreign Ministry's web site.

United Nations

• IRIN News Asia: Afghanistan
  From the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network, IRIN News Asia includes news and reports on Afghanistan, as well as other countries in Central Asia, and on specific topics, such as peace and security, refugees/IDPs and environment.
• ReliefWeb: Afghanistan The Latest
  ReliefWeb, a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), has the latest news and "humanitarian response information on current emergencies and countries of concern" in its section on complex emergencies, including Afghanistan. Also includes documents and related links organized by country, a map center, and site map and search capability. Within country listing, related links include background information and topics such as "refugees and IDPs" with a link to IDPs in Afghanistan from the Global IDP Project on internally displaced persons.
• UNHCR: Country of Origin and Legal Information
  The web site for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has databases for country of origin and legal information documents and reports. Pull-down menus allow selection by country and/or subject and a specific search engine feature is also provided. Each country compilation includes links to country reports, legal documents, news and maps.
• UN News Centre: News Focus: Afghanistan
  A compilation of information sources, press releases, news conferences, multimedia files, documents, maps and links is part of the United Nations web site.
• United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
  Web site includes information on the mission's mandate and structure, historical background, related issues, documents and links to other web sites.

United States

• U.S. Department of Commerce: Afghanistan Investment and Reconstruction Task Force: Rebuilding Afghanistan
  Web site from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce has information on commercial and financing opportunities in Afghanistan. It includes news, photos, a publication on Doing Business in Afghanistan, with links to related web sites, such as the Afghan Investment Support Agency (AISA).
• U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): Afghanistan
  This section of the USAID web site highlights the agency's work in Afghanistan and includes reports (situation reports, weekly reports and a transition assistance field report), country information, fact sheets, timelines, press releases and videos.
• U.S. Department of Commerce: Afghanistan Investment and Reconstruction Task Force: Rebuilding Afghanistan
• U.S. Department of State, Bureau of South Asian Affairs: Background Notes: Afghanistan
  Web site is a detailed fact sheet on Afghanistan, including information on people, history, government, political conditions, economy, foreign relations, U.S. relations, travel and business.
• U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs: Rebuilding Afghanistan
  Web site is a detailed fact sheet on Afghanistan, including information on people, history, government, political conditions, economy, foreign relations, U.S. relations, travel and business.

Islamic Area Studies

• Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic, and Religion: Resources for Studying Islam
  Comprehensive information and links compiled by Professor Godlas at the University of Georgia, including history, culture, images, Muslim women, and a glossary of Islamic terms.
• Islamic Studies Pathways
  A listing of Islamic studies' resources on the Internet compiled by Dr. Gary R. Bunt, from the University of Wales in Lampeter including annotated links to Qur'an texts, multi-media sites, media sources, and political organizations.
• Middle East Studies: Islam
  Substantial links from Columbia University to all aspects of Islam, including prayer times and calendars, Islamic texts, dictionaries and encyclopedias, organizations, and Islamic law.

Maps and Guides

• Afghanistan Atlas Project
  From the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a detailed set of maps, country information and other data. Some sections are under construction.
• Afghanistan Maps
  Maps from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection of the University of Texas at Austin. These maps were produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency or other sources and include country, city, regional, thematic, historical maps and links to other sites for Afghanistan maps.
• CIA World Factbook: Afghanistan
  Country information, including a map, flag and discussion of geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues.
• Global IDP Project: Maps of Afghanistan
  Maps of Afghanistan detailing internally displaced people (IDPs), returnees and refugees from the Norwegian Refugee Council's Global IDP Project.
• Maps and Countries of the Muslim World
  Extensive annotated links to maps and country resources from Professor Alan Godlas at the University of Georgia.
• National Geographic: Afghanistan: Land in Crisis
  Web site has news, background information and an interactive map showing the changing political situation in Afghanistan, with troop and refugee movements, demographics and terrain.
• ReliefWeb Map Centre: Afghanistan
  General maps, maps of borders, drought situations, refugees and other relief situations in Afghanistan. Also links to maps for individual countries in the region.

Media and News Sources

• Afghan News Network Services
  Web site contains current news and wire stories from Afghan and foreign news sources, includes links to various news sources and audio files.
• Dawn: the Internet Edition
  Daily news in English from Pakistan, it features national, regional (covering Afghanistan as well as Pakistan and South Asia) and international news, articles from its weekly magazines and 30 days of back issues.
• EurasiaNet.org: Afghanistan Resource Page
  The web site has extensive links to daily news and feature articles (in several categories), related web sites, special reports, discussion forums, fact sheets covering the regions of Central Asia. Includes Afghanistan Daily Digest, "news from BBC, Interfax and REF/RL." EurasiaNet is operated by the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute."
• Institute for Afghan Studies
  Web site includes links to several media sources, articles, reports, analysis on a variety of topics, accords and treaties.
• OneWorld.Net: Full Coverage: Afghanistan
  An extensive database of news and analysis contributed by One World partners, searchable by keyword, topic, and region with additional criteria for narrowing the search. The web site also includes an archived special report on Afghanistan Rebuilds.
• Yahoo! News: Full Coverage: World: Afghanistan
  Numerous links to news sources, stories from various wire services, reports in audio and video, and related web sites.
• Yahoo! News: Full Coverage: World: Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda
  Numerous links to news sources, stories from various wire services, reports in audio and video, and related web sites.

Political Resources and Selected Documents

• Afghan Reconstruction Project: Conflict Prevention, Recovery, and Peacebuilding
  From the Center for international Cooperation at New York University, " The Afghanistan Reconstruction Project (ARP) carries out research and public education about selected issues related to the rebuilding of Afghanistan's institutions, society, and economy." The web site contains research and analysis papers (mostly in English, some in Pashto and Dari) in several topical areas. An Afghan Constitution Resource page, for example, has commentaries and documents regarding the constitution-making process and includes an unofficial English translation of the Constitution of Afghanistan adopted January 4, 2004.
• Afghanistan Intelligence Agencies
  Security analysis from the Federation of American Scientists giving background information on the conflict, and a discussion of the contending para-states: Taleban, Northern Alliance and Hizb-i Wahdat (Unity Party).
• Afghanistan Issue Papers
  Part of a library of material on international humanitarian relief efforts developed by the Center for Humanitarian Cooperation (CHC), including conference summaries, issue papers and other documents.
• Agreement on Provisional Arrangements in Afghanistan Pending the Re-establishment of Permanent Government Institutions
  Full text of the agreement reached December 5, 2001 in Bonn sponsored by the United Nations. Part of the United States Institute of Peace Library's Peace Agreements Digital Collection.
• ICL-Afghanistan Index
  Web site of International Constitutional Law project provides the English text for the Afghanistan Constitution adopted January 4 2004 (Unofficial translation), noting that the Pashto and Dari versions are considered official.
• Political Resources on the Net: Afghanistan
  Links to information on elections, various political parties and organizations, news sources and general resources.

Updated: April 8 2004