Latest Articles about South Asia
Uzbekistan Alters Its Vision for Afghanistan
After the change of leadership in Uzbekistan, it has been widely acknowledged that the country’s new president, Shavkat Mirziyaev, is pursuing a more proactive and constructive regional diplomacy in Central Asia than his predecessor (see EDM, October 26, 2016; December 15, 2016). Along with Mirziyaev’s... MORE
Life After Death: The Dangerous Rhetoric of Pakistani Televangelist Tariq Jameel
Since the start of the Global War on Terror, Pakistan has experienced widespread suicide bombings perpetrated by Islamist terrorist organizations ranging from global groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) to local groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. [1] As the death toll... MORE
IS Khorasan’s Renewed Leadership Question: A Profile of Slain Leader Sheikh Abdul Haseeb Logari
The Islamic State’s Khorasan (IS-K) group in Afghanistan suffered a major setback in late April 2017 when a joint U.S. and Afghan military raid killed Sheikh Abdul Haseeb Logari, the Wali (governor), along with many IS-K militants in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. [1] The group,... MORE
Armenia and India Build Strategic Relationship
With Azerbaijan and Pakistan currently pursuing a strategic partnership (see EDM, September 28, 2016; December 15, 2016), Armenia and India have decided to step up their cooperation across several dimensions. Indeed, the past six months were marked by a visible reinvigoration of Armenian-Indian bilateral ties,... MORE
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 peace deal with the notorious Islamist warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and the renewed resolve of Washington... MORE
Jihad as a Family Tradition: The Continuing Legacy of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad
Few terrorists have been able to achieve the level of success in perpetrating acts of terrorism as achieved by Khalid Shaikh Mohammad (KSM), the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. KSM, however, was not the only one in his family to plan and execute acts of... MORE
Briefs
Somalia: Ramping up Action on al-Shabaab Somalia’s recently elected president has declared “war” on al-Shabaab and offered an amnesty to militants who lay down their weapons, backing his rhetoric with an overhaul of the country’s security establishment aimed at strengthening efforts to defeat the group.... MORE
China’s Power Projection in the Western Indian Ocean
The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) recently participated in an operation to free the Tuvalu-flagged OS 35 bulk carrier with help from the Indian Navy in the Gulf of Aden (The Hindu, April 9). The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) 24th task force in the... MORE
Briefs
Burkina Faso: Fears Grow Over Domestic Militant Threat A series of attacks in rural Burkina Faso have raised concerns over an increasingly active homegrown jihadist militant group operating in the West African country’s remote north. A fire at a primary school in Baraboule, in northern... MORE