PAKISTAN may or may not be the world's most dangerous country, but it is certainly the most difficult one to govern. Considering its many problems, it is a source of constant wonder that so many people aspire to the top job. Soon after the coalition government was formed in Islamabad following the February elections, I […]
Pakistan's government eased its rhetoric Saturday against unilateral U.S. attacks on militant havens near the Afghan border, saying it hopes quiet diplomacy will persuade Washington that the raids only inflame sentiment against leaders of both countries. Defense Minister Ahmad Mukhtar claimed Washington already has agreed to curtail its military activities against militants in Pakistan, although […]
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani military on Friday warned that it could strike back at U.S. soldiers if they conducted cross-border raids from Afghanistan, escalating the tension between the allies as U.S. missiles again pounded suspected militant hideouts. Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, seen here meeting with commandos in July, has said American […]
WASHINGTON, Sept 12: The United States continues to refuse to talk about US military actions inside Fata with the White House saying that it does not want to comment on rules of engagement with the enemy. But unnamed Pentagon officials, in interviews to CNN, BBC, Fox News and other channels, confirmed that President Bush had […]
I went tonight to the movies. I felt I need some time on my own. Get Smart is a 007 kind of film but more fun. I don't remember seeing so many kids, not to offend them, pre-teens and teens, at ABC mall during the day. Quite a picture to look at. I am not […]
Most news articles and blog posts deal with Egypt on political terms. Mubaraks’ succession and the role of Islam in politics is no doubt important, but the great attention paid to these issues can sometimes make us forget that Egypt is more than a topic in political science. This is all to say that yesterday […]
… in FY08 (fiscal years in the US government are from October to October). This is a big increase from the 1600 that were resettled here in FY 07.
It appears Mexicans have a propensity for sandwich making: just a few weeks ago, bakers in Mexico City created the largest sandwich in Latin America, weighing a staggering 600 kg (1,320 lbs) and reaching 44 meters long. This sandwich beat a similar sandwich made for last year's torta fair, that was one meter shorter. However, […]
Daughters of Iraq is a program run in the model of the Sons of Iraq, insurgents-cum-policemen that have been instrumental in minimizing violence throughout the country. The DoI program is a response to the rise in female suicide bombers in the country. The Monitor has an interesting piece on the women who have taken on […]
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan ‚ As the American campaign against suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal areas seemed to intensify on Friday, two missiles fired from remotely piloted American aircraft killed 12 people on Friday in an attack on a village compound in North Waziristan, according to a local journalist and television reports. At […]
Bobby Ghosh has a piece in Time magazine celebrating the eradication of jihad from Saudi Arabia. I am inclined to think it's a little short-sighted. His evidence of the decline of Islamic extremism is, primarily, the relative absence of police checkpoints in the city of Riyadh. His treatment of the human rights violations that go […]
Moustafa Bayoumi, professor at Brooklyn College, published a book this year called How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America. It follows the stories of seven young Arab-Americans living in Brooklyn in the wake of 9/11 to illustrate their conflicted relationships with their country of residence. It was excerpted […]
First off the post below was one done a few weeks ago, but we had to put it back up for so it could be linked to the Brookings Institute newsletter, my apologies for any confusion. Today, will be a glorified link-dump, focusing on Iran in Central Asia, among other topics. A. Iran In light […]
The so-called polygamy bill, which would make it easier for a man to take a second (or third, or fourth) wife, was abandoned by the Iranian parliament. This comes after extended protesting by Iranian women, including the infamous Shirin Ebadi. Some of her colleagues were arrested and imprisoned earlier this month for voicing their opposition […]
The New York Times reported that President Bush secretly signed an executive order authorizing the American military forces operating in Afghanistan to carry out cross border raids, attack or both if necessary to fight the Taliban. The question is whether this will help or hurt the fight against terrorism. Every leading foreign policy expert has […]