Abubakar Siddique
Abubakar Siddique is a journalist with RFE/RL and the author of The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan (London: Hurst and Company, 2014).
Contact Abubakar Siddique
Articles by Abubakar Siddique
Iran Ramps Up Support to Taliban in Western Afghanistan
During an official visit to Iran in May, Tariq Shah Bahrami, Afghanistan's defense minister, received assurances that Tehran was fully committed to helping Kabul fight terrorism. It was a welcome
The Taliban’s Spring Offensive: Afghanistan Faces a Crucial Year
With its spring offensive this year, the Afghan Taliban is seeking to add momentum to its insurgent campaign to topple the country’s Western-backed government. For its part, Kabul hopes a
Our Kind of Warlord: Afghanistan’s Deal With Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Hizb-e Islami Afghanistan (HIA), one of Afghanistan’s oldest jihadist factions and largest Islamic parties, concluded a comprehensive peace deal with the Afghan government on September 29. Speaker after speaker in
Taliban Victories in Helmand Province Prove Test for Afghan Government
Days after a U.S. drone strike killed the Taliban leader Mullah Akhar Mohammad Mansur in southwestern Pakistan on May 21, Afghan lawmakers warned of the impending collapse of Afghanistan's largest
Unrest in Northern Afghanistan Heralds Regional Threats
By carrying out the biggest offensive in 14 years in previously peaceful northern Afghanistan, the Taliban is once again threatening Afghan stability and the survival of the country’s current political
CNN Cites Jamestown
CNN cited Abubakar Siddique's February 2014 article The Quetta Shura: Understanding the Afghan Taliban's Leadership in their article on Mullah Omar's death and his successor Akhtar Muhammad Mansour.
Taliban Reach Out to Iran
In an effort to break free from Pakistan’s influence, two different groups of Afghan Taliban leaders have during the last year reportedly explored the possibility of establishing a Taliban safe
A Post-Mortem Profile of Abu Hafs al-Balochi, Leader of Ansar al-Furqan in Iranian Balochistan
In an Arabic-language statement issued over Twitter on April 23, the Iranian hardline Sunni Baloch militant organization Ansar al-Furqan announced the death of its leader, Abu Hafs al-Balochi (Twitter, April
BRIEFS
HOUTHI REBELS SEIZE YEMENI PORT Kathryn Basinsky On October 14, Houthi rebels captured the Yemeni city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea coast. Hodeidah is the second largest port in
From Physician to Separatist Icon: Baloch Guerilla Leader Allah Nazar
A trained physician has emerged as the leading guerilla commander in the separatist insurgency in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan. Dr. Allah Nazar leads a group of secular nationalist militants
Iran’s Sunni Baloch Extremists Operating from Bases in Pakistan
An Iranian Sunni extremist group operating out of hideouts in southwestern Pakistan, Jaysh al-Adl (JA - Army of Justice), has started to threaten Iran’s security and darken relations between Tehran
From Foot Soldier to Terrorist Mastermind: Pakistani Taliban Leader Omar Khalid Khorasani
Abdul Wali, commonly known by his jihadist nom de guerre Omar Khalid Khorasani, is one of the most senior leaders in the Pakistani Taliban. He exemplifies the transformation that Pakistani
The Quetta Shura: Understanding the Afghan Taliban’s Leadership
The Afghan Taliban, formally called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has proved to be resilient in its commitment to imposing its own version of Islam. The hardline movement is steered