Latest Articles about South Asia
Target and Attackers Still a Mystery in Islamabad’s Marriott Bombing
The September 20 terrorist attack on Islamabad’s American-owned Marriott hotel shook the whole country. Shocking scenes of flames engulfing the 290-room hotel were televised live. Mostly used by foreign dignitaries and local elites, the luxury hotel continued to blaze for around 12 hours, taking the... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Golden Opportunity to Deal a Devastating Blow to the United States
When Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States in al-Qaeda’s name in the late summer of 1996, he outlined ambitious worldwide Islamist goals, but noted that al-Qaeda could not accomplish them on its own. He said that al-Qaeda could, at best, serve as... MORE
A Who’s Who of the Insurgency in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province: Part One – North and South Waziristan
Militants operating in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) include both Taliban and non-Taliban forces. However, the Taliban militants are much larger in number and have a lot more influence in the region. The Pakistani Taliban have close links with the Afghan Taliban and operate on... MORE
Playing With Fire: Pakistan’s Unintended Strategic Challenge in India’s Homeland
Having examined India’s Afghan policy as a challenge meant to undermine Pakistani security (see Terrorism Focus, August 12), this article examines Pakistan’s low-intensity war against India which, while long ongoing, has been effectively broadened since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and India’s expanding presence there.... MORE
Pakistan’s Army and the War on Terrorism in the Post-Musharraf Era
The sudden departure of President Musharraf from the helm of affairs in troubled Pakistan has created numerous doubts and uncertainties; most prominent are the stability of the shaky coalition in Islamabad and its expected stance towards support for the U.S.-led War on Terrorism in Afghanistan.... MORE
Terrorism and Piracy: The Dual Threat to Maritime Shipping
In the global war on terror, international attention has largely been focused on terrestrial operations, but the sea remains a fertile ground for attack. As in many terror attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq, the favored tool of maritime terrorists is the suicide bomber, piloting a... MORE
India’s Strategic Challenge in Pakistan’s Afghan Hinterland
A defining characteristic of U.S. and Western foreign policy during the Cold War and its aftermath before 9/11 was its failure to integrate counter-terrorism into strategic perceptions, policies, and goals. Terrorism was hived into a compartment of its own where it was not seen as... MORE
Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and the War against Terrorism – Part Two
Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) was ushered onto the global stage by two tumultuous events: firstly, the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and secondly, the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001. The massive influx of over... MORE
India’s Security Agencies Struggle with Probe into Serial Bombings in Gujarat and Karnataka
Intelligence and crime investigation units from eight Indian states as well as three federal agencies - the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) - are busy sifting through evidence for clues to the group or groups involved... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Military Chief in Afghanistan Views the Ongoing Insurgency with Optimism
Pakistan’s GEO News TV correspondent Najeeb Ahmed interviewed al-Qaeda’s operations commander in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid (a.k.a. Shaykh Sa’id), at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan on July 21. Abu-Yazid’s performance was a strongly confident one, notable for its contrast with the grim presentation he made in... MORE