The Opiate of the Masses – Literally.

The United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime came out with an interesting report this week, which found that Afghanistan-grown poppies fuel a $65 billion heroin and opium market that feeds 15 million addicts. The paper, entitled, Addiction, Crime & Insurgency – The Transnational Threat of Afghanistan’s Opium, reported that the country “produces 92 percent [...]

Read Full Post »

The Asassination of a Baitullah Mehsud Rival: Analysis

On Tuesday, media outlets reported that Taliban commander Qari Zainuddin was shot dead in Dera Ismail Khan. According to the NY Times, “The initial investigation indicated that the gunman was a guard named Gulbadin Mehsud who was thought to have been loyal to Mr. Zainuddin.” Dawn, in its coverage, noted the attacker entered the compound [...]

Read Full Post »

As the Tripartite Talks Come to an End, Pakistan’s PM Calls for “Elimination” of Militants

On Thursday, Pakistani PM Yousaf Raza Gilani announced to the nation that the army was being called into Swat, “to restore the honor and dignity of our homeland.” He asserted in his nationally televised address, “We will destroy those elements who have destroyed the peace of our people and our nation.” According to the Washington [...]

Read Full Post »

Obama Announces New Afghanistan/Pakistan Strategy

President Obama unveiled his new Afghanistan strategy to reporters today, after a “careful policy review” led by Brookings Institution’s Bruce Reidel. In his speech, Obama asserted the situation “is increasingly perilous,” and sought to answer the questions, “What is our purpose in Afghanistan?” and “Why do our men and women fight and still die there?” [...]

Read Full Post »

Pakistan: Another Cambodia?

I watched an interesting news segment on CNN today. Anchor Rick Sanchez spoke to the news agency’s Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr about the shift of U.S. troops from Iraq to Afghanistan due to the increasingly deteriorating security situation. According to Starr, the U.S. will add an additional 15,000 U.S. troops [to the current 30,000 already [...]

Read Full Post »

Danke, Germany, Et. Al!

So far, the week has been marked with significant announcements of alliances and collaborations between Pakistan and other states in the international community. On Tuesday, the AFP cited German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who announced, “Germany stands ready to help Pakistan overcome its security and economic problems to help promote peace in the wider region.” [...]

Read Full Post »

U.S. Targets Haqqani Network

On Monday, U.S. drones fired missiles near Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan region. Today, media outlets cited an official U.S. military statement, which said it had been targeting the network of veteran Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, otherwise known as the Haqqani Network, [although Dawn noted the statement did not directly refer to [...]

Read Full Post »

U.S. Officials: Pakistanis Aided Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul

According to the NY Times on Friday, “American intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan’s powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to United States government officials.” The news agency added,

The conclusion was based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who [...]

Read Full Post »

Pakistan Pushes Back as Outside Pressure Increases

On Monday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai “directly accused Pakistan’s intelligence agency of being behind a recent series of attacks by extremist Islamic militants that have killed scores of people,” reported the AFP. On Sunday, a militant assault on an outpost in Afghanistan killed nine U.S. soldiers, while a suicide attack on the Indian embassy in [...]

Read Full Post »

Pakistan’s “Long Weekend”

It has been quite an eventful few days for Pakistan. First, following the end of the lawyers’ “Long March” [see related post] this past week, the movement’s top leader, Aitzaz Ahsan promised more protests today. Although he did not provide a future date for these protests, “his comments indicated that the lawyers did not intend [...]

Read Full Post »