Afghanistan: What's Next?

Interview with Ahmed Wali Karzai

June 8, 2011

Susan Ormiston presents her interview with Ahmed Wali Karzai, the controversial head of the provincial council of Kandahar and the half-brother of Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan.

Note: Ahmed Wali Karzai was shot to death in his home in Kandahar by a close associate on July 12, 2011.  The Taliban has claimed responsibility for his assassination.  He was seen by many as a political liability for Hamid Karzai's government because of allegations that Ahmed Wali Karzai was on the CIA payroll and was involved in drug trafficking. He denied the charges.

Women's Gains

May 19, 2011

Susan Ormiston meets women in Kabul and Kandahar who are working to improve the rights of women in Afghanistan and remain hopeful for change despite hostility and sometimes violent backlash.

Afghanistan's Modern Media

May 16, 2011

Among the many new private television stations and programs that have cropped up in Afghanistan in the past few years, two creative young people are making waves with their edgy ideas.  Sami is the 28-year-old producer behind a program called "Niqab", or "The Mask", where women talk about their fears, their oppression, and their hopes for the country - all behind the anonymity of a mask.  Then he turns to politics with "Live from Kabul" debates. 

We also meet Mozhdah, 26, who some are calling the Oprah of Afghanistan.  She's a Canadian Afghan who went back to her country for the first time in 2009 to launch "The Mozhdah Show".  Tackling family issues such as divorce and child abuse, we follow her on a recent tour of the mall, where she's mobbed by fans.  But Mozhdah worries about provoking hate, and pushing at the boundaries of intolerance.

Inside Pul Charki Prison

May 15, 2011

Susan Ormiston presents reports on Pul Charki prison and its reputation as a breeding ground for terrorists.

Good Intentions

May 10, 2011

From the Dahla Dam megaproject, to school and government buildings, Canada has made committments to a number of infrastructure projects to improve safety, security, and society in Afghanistan.  Susan Ormiston visits many of the Canadian projects to find out what progress has been made, and what will happen after the Canadians leave.

Pulling Out

In what will be the largest repatriation of Canadian military assets since the Korean War, Task Force Kandahar is being packed up, sold off, or scrapped; and transported home.  Susan Ormiston assesses the scope of this massive move.

The Finest Market

May 9, 2011

In the wake of a deady bombing at an upscale market in Kabul, Susan Ormison examines the impact of insurgent attacks on civilians and foreigners in Afghanistan's capital city. 

Afghanistan: The Final Push

March 23, 2011

As Task Force Kandahar looks to exact something positive from the Afghan war, Susan Ormiston goes on tour with Canadian forces to several areas in Kandahar province she visited in previous years, and finds that Canadian troops are still battling the same ground.   As a result of the American troop surge, the number of coalition forces has tripled in the area in the last year, giving hope for greater long-term security.  Still, it appears that the outcome of the battle against the Taliban is far from certain.

From Madrassa to Murder

March 16, 2011

Susan Ormiston presents a rare interview with a Taliban jihadi - a man responsible for one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country this year.

The Taliban has been targetting pro-government supporters throughout the country, and on February 19 of this year, at a branch of the Kabul Bank in eastern Afghanistan, a young man in a stolen Afghan police uniform waited for Afghan security forces to arrive to collect their monthly pay cheques.  The jihadi then executed a cold-blooded shooting rampage inside the bank.  In the end, 40 people lay dead - approximately half were civilians - and another 76 were injured.

In this exclusive interview, Susan Ormiston speaks with the jihadist, Sher Ajam, in an effort to understand the motivation, and the malice, behind the attack, and what led this young man from a madrassa, to mass murder.  On June 20, 2011, Sher Ajam was put to death by hanging, along with another man charged in the attack.