Kandahar Through the Taliban’s Eyes As the U.S.-led coalition attempts to retake Afghanistan’s critical southern provinces, they should first attempt to look at the conflict from their enemies’ perspective. BY GREG MILLS For U.S. President Barack Obama, ruminating about the course of the war in Afghanistan from Washington, the distant provinces of Helmand and Kandahar cannot be far from his mind. Winning back Afghanistan’s critical southern heartland is the primary focus of the 46-country International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is surging its troop strength past the 100,000 mark. As if to highlight the allied forces’ anxiety, this month U.S. … Continue reading If I was a Taliban in Kandahar….

Strategy Session Are other countries’ national security documents more interesting than America’s? BY JOSHUA E. KEATING The big foreign-policy story this week is the release of the Obama administration’s new National Security Strategy, and FP’s got it covered. You can find analysis of the document on the site from Cable guy Josh Rogin, Shadow Government’s Peter Feaver and Will Inboden, as well as Daniel Drezner, and Marc Lynch. Rather than jump on top of that extremely qualified pile, I thought I’d take a look at some other countries’ official national-security strategies to see how they compare. With an assist from … Continue reading Whose national security documents are more interesting than America’s?

Posted By Marc Lynch Thursday, May 27, 2010 – 10:54 AM Share The Obama administration’s new National Security Strategy is about to be unveiled today. I got hold of an advance copy of it yesterday, and then joined about a dozen other people at the White House to talk about it with three senior administration officials (on background). It’s an impressive document, and goes a long way towards providing a coherent framework for American foreign policy and national security which makes sense of what the administration has been doing and offers a roadmap to where it wants to go. From … Continue reading Al-Qaeda in the New National Security Strategy

Pakistan unplugged by Amber Rahim Shamsi dawn.com The deadline for the end of the ban on Facebook is almost upon us; farms have been ruined, parties gone undocumented, conversations interrupted. But the question is not whether strawberry bushes can be replanted on Farmville, but whether the ban will be permanent. I’ll state at the outset that I don’t think it should be. Here’s why: a social networking site like Facebook combines the functions of mass media with the feel of interpersonal communication; it has redefined the meaning of mass communication. Banning Facebook, YouTube, and the 800 or so sites is … Continue reading Facebook – even Saudi Arabia did not ban it, but I guess Mullahocracy is being challenged there

By Iftikhar A. Khan dawn.com Pakistan had warned India in the early 80s that an attack on nuclear assets in Kahuta would evoke a retaliatory strike on its Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Trombay.—File photo ISLAMABAD: Pakistan had warned India in the early 80s that an attack on nuclear assets in Kahuta would evoke a retaliatory strike on its Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Trombay.This has been revealed by the then Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal M. Anwar Shamim, in his book “Cutting Edge PAF” launched here on Thursday. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, former Chairman of … Continue reading Threat to destroy Indian N-plant stopped attack on Kahuta

Pigeon held in India on suspicion of spying for Pak dawn.com The white-coloured bird was found by a local resident in India’s Punjab state and was taken to a police station in Amritsar. — File Photo Cricket Zimbabwe beats India by six wickets Zimbabwe beats India by six wickets NEW DELHI: Indian police are holding a pigeon under armed guard after it was caught on an alleged spying mission for arch rivals and neighbours Pakistan, media reported on Friday. The white-coloured bird was found by a local resident in India’s Punjab state, which borders Pakistan, and taken to a police … Continue reading Pigeon spy from Pakistan?

Southeast Asian Muslims for dummies The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace with Islam by Senator Christopher S Bond and Lewis M Simons Reviewed by Muhammad Cohen Republican Senator Kit Bond and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lewis Simons seem a foreign policy version of Neil Simon’s Odd Couple. Bond’s record indicates he never met a war he didn’t like or a Muslim – or Islamofascist, as many of Bond’s supporters prefer – he did, while Simons writes for squishy publications such as National Geographic. Their book, The Next Front, is a surprisingly literate portrait of Islam in Southeast … Continue reading How Americans are ‘losing’ the hearts and minds of Muslims

By Sami Moubayed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri seemed to be having a relaxed conversation this week at the White House with his US host, President Barack Obama. The two men, only nine years apart in age, both came to power in 2009, in very different circumstances yet nevertheless happened to find plenty in common. Sources from Hariri’s delegation said there was immediate chemistry between the two men, who had a candid one-on-one before going into expanded session with the full Lebanese delegation. One notable member of the Hariri team was Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami, an ally of the Hezbollah-led … Continue reading Obama happy with Al-Harriri tightrope act

The American century is so over By Dilip Hiro Irrespective of their politics, flawed leaders share a common trait. They generally remain remarkably oblivious to the harm they do to the nation they lead. George W Bush is a salient recent example, as is former British prime minister Tony Blair. When it comes to foreign policy, we are now witnessing a similar phenomenon at the Barack Obama White House. Here is the Obama pattern. Choose a foreign leader to pressure. Threaten him with dire consequences if he does not bend toWashington‘s will. When he refuses to submit and instead responds … Continue reading Super-power status of US ending?