Latest Articles about South Asia
Taliban Setup Office in South Waziristan
In South Waziristan, members of the local Taliban have been allowed to establish an office in Wana in an effort to restore law and order to the area (Daily Times, March 15). The decision was made in the Jamia-ul-Aloom madrassa in Wana (Daily Times, March... MORE
WESTERN-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS DOMINATE NEW AFGHAN CABINET
On March 23 Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered his newly reconstituted cabinet to the new Afghan parliament for a vote of confidence. After days of wrangling, the parliament unanimously approved the formation of the new cabinet on Saturday, April 1. However, the process to approve... MORE
Setmariam Nasar: Background on al-Qaeda’s Arrested Strategist
Since November, reports from Pakistan of the possible arrest of a leading al-Qaeda ideologue have been engaging the interest of media analysts on the war on terrorism. In mid-March, Pakistan security authorities again hinted that they were seeking confirmation that the man arrested last October... MORE
Al-Qaeda Employs Assassination Strategy in Karachi
Despite early questions, a suicide car bomb attack occurring just one block away from the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing a U.S. diplomat, his Pakistani driver, a Pakistani Ranger, and injuring scores more, has all the markings of a sophisticated al-Qaeda operation. The attack... MORE
MONEY CAN’T ENTICE BIN LADEN ALLIES TO REVEAL HIS WHEREABOUTS
Yesterday, March 1, U.S. President George W. Bush visited Afghanistan amid increasing uncertainty about the future of U.S. involvement in the region. This was the first time in more than 50 years that a U.S. president has visited Afghanistan. Although kept secret due to security... MORE
Baluchistan in the Shadow of al-Qaeda
The sudden surge in violence in southern Afghanistan, which Kabul blames on Pakistan-based al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters, has thrust Baluchistan into the international spotlight (Dawn, January 21). Afghanistan's southeastern province of Kandahar and southwestern province of Helmand, which border Baluchistan, have recently convulsed with violence.... MORE
History Overtakes Optimism in Afghanistan
Every rule has an exception and Afghanistan seems to be the rock-solid exception to the rule that history never repeats itself. The increasingly emboldened insurgency now confronted by the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan is eerily similar to the insurgencies previously initiated, fought, and lost by... MORE
Al-Zawahiri’s Pakistani Ally: Profile of Maulana Faqir Mohammed
Maulana Faqir Mohammed was catapulted into prominence last year when his house was raided by Pakistani security agencies hunting a "high value" al-Qaeda target. In the span of seven months, a combination of public sympathy, treacherous local terrain and the intensifying insurgency in Afghanistan has... MORE
DONORS PLEDGE MORE AID, BUT WORRY HOW KABUL WILL SPEND IT
A two-day conference on Afghanistan wrapped up on February 1 with commitments by major donor countries for rebuilding Afghanistan. About 70 countries took part in the conference, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. Secretary of... MORE
Internet Mujahideen Analyze the Latest Bin Laden Audio Tape
The rarity of an Osama bin Laden commentary (one year after the last broadcast in December 2004) is stirring a wealth of commentary in the world's media. The focus is on its veracity and on the implications for the West of the truce offer coupled... MORE