By Robert Parry: President Barack Obama trapped himself in the morass of Afghanistan by his post-election decision to show bipartisan continuity and to keep in place George W. Bush’s military command structure, particularly Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. David Petraeus. After his solid victory in November 2008, Obama rebuffed recommendations from some national security [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By George Friedman: Bob Woodward has released another book, this one on the debate over Afghanistan strategy in the Obama administration. As all his books do, the book has riveted Washington. It reveals that intense debate occurred over what course to take, that the president sought alternative strategies and that compromises were reached. But while [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By Dr Maleeha Lodhi: The Obama administration is in an untenable position where it cannot fight open-endedly but lacks the political courage to negotiate.The reasons for the muddle at the heart of US strategy in Afghanistan can be adduced from two books about the Obama administration. The latest, just released in America, is Obama’s Wars [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By Imtiaz Alam: What was being feared is becoming imminent — the democratic system is crumbling under its own weight, this time not at the behest of the garrison but due to a power-struggle between the executive and the judiciary. The Supreme Court under Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, is hell bent [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By Huma Yusuf: It has been a good week for Sino-Pak relations. China reiterated its commitment to expanding the Chashma nuclear energy complex by building two additional reactors, and pooh-poohed any talk of seeking approval from the Nuclear Suppliers Group for the project. Moreover, while addressing a United Nations anti-poverty summit, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By Ismael Hossein-Zadeh and Karla Hansen: The unrelenting diplomatic and geopolitical standoff between Iran and the United States is often blamed on the Iranian government for its “confrontational” foreign policies, or its “unwillingness” to enter into a dialogue with the United States. Little known, however, is the fact that during the past decade or so, [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By Jamsheed K. Choksy: Despite some typically incendiary remarks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s attendance at the U.N. General Assembly’s 65th session in New York was marked by a low-key tone noted by many. The change in tone, including a reported willingness to resume talks with the U.S. and its allies, reflects the impact of Iran’s [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By A Siddique: There cannot be two opinions that the unprecedented scale and pitch of the current uprising of the Kashmiri population has struck India with the unexpectedness of a bolt from the blue. The IHK ambience showed a promise for serenity, particularly after holding the 2008 elections. The militancy had vanished and the establishment [...]
September 29, 2010 | Posted in
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By Patrick Smyth: It has been a bloody week in Kashmir. On Monday, 17 people died in clashes with the Indian army and a steady daily attrition has brought the death toll to 94 since the latest outburst of violence began in June after a teenager was killed by a police tear gas shell. The [...]
September 21, 2010 | Posted in
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By Syed Saleem Shahzad: The shooting of two Taiwanese photographers near the Jama Mosque in New Delhi on Sunday comes at a time al-Qaeda has pledged to expand its war theater in the Caucuses and India. The Taiwanese are in stable condition after being shot by unidentified men on a motorcycle while boarding a tourist [...]
September 21, 2010 | Posted in
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