South Asia

Taliban: What’s in a Name?

By Steve Hynd

Two years into the Iraq war, moderately well read Westerners already knew that the insurgency there wasn’t monolithic. Honest reporting repeatedly made clear that Al Qaeda, Sunni militant groups of various varieties and Sadrists didn’t see eye to eye and often worked at cross purposes even while all were hostile to America and its allies.

Pakistan Opposition Leader Barred from Office

By James Joyner

Pakistan’s supreme court today banned the most popular opposition candidate from running for office, raising further concerns about the long-term viability of the country’s ostensibly democratic government as a partner.

A Hint of “Afghanistanization”?

By Don Snow

The policy of the Obama administration toward Afghanistan is clearly a work in progress. On one hand, the president campaigned on the notion that the United States had “dropped the ball” on Afghanistan by going into Iraq, suggesting at least indirectly that he would pick the ball back up and turn his attention toward Afghanistan. […]

Chuck Hagel on CNN’s American Morning: Transcript

Transcript from CNN, February 19, 2009. […] ROBERTS: Joining us now from Washington to talk about the new strategy, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, who is the new chairman of the Atlantic Council. Congratulations on your new position. It’s good to see you, sir. CHUCK HAGEL, FMR. NEBRASKA SENATOR: John, thank you very much. ROBERTS: […]

NATO Meeting Brings Afghanistan Pressure

By James Joyner

As widely foreshadowed, the United States used the occasion of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Warsaw to call on its European allies to contribute more troops and resources to the Afghanistan mission and, to the surprise of no one who’s been paying attention, they refused.

Canada: Time for ‘Frank Discussion’ About NATO Future

By James Joyner

Canadian defense minister Peter MacKay argues that NATO faces an existential crisis in Afghanistan and it’s time for “a frank discussion” about the future of the alliance. 

Pakistan Agrees to Sharia Law in Malakand

By James Joyner

Pakistan has agreed to limited Sharia law in its Malakand region as part of a wider truce with the Taliban.  The government agreed to implement Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency there.