Latest Articles about South Asia
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
WAVE OF BOMBINGS IN AFGHANISTAN THREATENS WESTERN TROOP DEPLOYMENTS
As the deadliest bombings this year hit Afghanistan, there are doubts about the deployment of some NATO troops in southern parts of the country, raising concern in the government as well as the people about the security in the country. This week for Kandahar province... MORE
Islamists Pose a Growing Threat to Stability in Bangladesh
Between August and December 2005, a series of attacks hit Bangladesh, collectively killing 12, wounding hundreds of others and involving the country's first suicide strikes. In the most audacious assault on August 17, 434 homemade bombs were set off in 63 districts over the course... MORE
QUESTIONS SURROUND CONTINUED U.S. PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN
Since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, Afghans have been wary of the continued U.S. presence in Afghanistan. They remember bitterly the aftermath of the war against the Soviets in the 1980s, when the West -- led by the United States -- left... MORE
Inside Pakistan’s Madrasas
In the northern hills of Quetta, girls from the ages of eight to their early twenties study the holy Qur'an in Madrasa Tul Banat (literally, an all-girls seminary), the oldest religious school for girls with nearly 900 students. Established in 1989 by a graduate from... MORE
FORMER RESISTANCE LEADER TO LEAD AFGHANISTAN’S NEW PARLIAMENT
Afghanistan's new parliament convened on December 19 in the presence of U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney. Among the items on the opening agenda, the legislators had to select chairmen for each chamber of parliament, and they opted for two former resistance leaders. The upper house elected... MORE
UPPER HOUSE OF AFGHAN PARLIAMENT BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE
This week Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced his choices for 34 seats in the upper house of parliament (Mishrano Jirga), completing a process that began with the September 18 parliamentary elections. Afghanistan's new bicameral parliament is made up of a 249-seat lower house (Wolose Jirga)... MORE
ARE THE TALIBAN RECEIVING OUTSIDE HELP IN THEIR RESISTANCE EFFORTS?
As insurgent attacks increase in Afghanistan, observers have begun to wonder whether the anti-government forces are receiving foreign training and aid. Recent attacks by the Taliban, such as suicide and multiple bombings and kidnapping foreign workers, increasingly resemble the tactics currently employed in Iraq. While... MORE