Guantánamo horrors
The United States faces severe problems in attempting to avoid federal trials for Guantánamo Bay detainees. The very first case is that of Omar Khadr, a Canadian now aged 23. He was inducted by his father into al-Qaeda at the age of 15; was seriously injured in a battle with U.S. forces in Afghanistan; and has spent eight years in prison. His [...]
Doctors heed call for medical books for Afghanistan
Irene M. Wielawski Imagine cutting out a diseased appendix without ever having seen a Gray's Anatomy diagram, or calculating drug doses without a Physicians' Desk Reference, and you'll have an idea what it's like to practice medicine in Afghanistan. Nearly three decades of war and religious extremism have devastated medical libraries and [...]
Mind the geography
As it affirms the commitment to stay the course in Afghanistan following the attack on unarmed Indian citizens in Kabul at the end of February, Delhi must adapt to the rapidly evolving circumstances in the north-western subcontinent. Neither bravado on standing up to terror nor the pique towards Pakistan, which is trying to hustle India out of [...]
Ajai Shukla: Managing India’s image in Af-Pak
The February 26 gunning down of Indian workers in Kabul, followed by the stoppage of work by Indian doctors at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, is a tragic step towards what this column has long predicted: that, as the Taliban inexorably extend its influence, India will thin out in Afghanistan; and pull out entirely when a Taliban [...]
Operation Moshtarak
Since February 13, when they launched Operation Moshtarak (“Operation Together”), NATO and Afghan National Army forces have encountered fierce Taliban resistance in Marjah, a town of 80,000 people in the southwestern province of Helmand. The province has the world's largest opium output and Marjah alone yields the Taliban an estimated $2 [...]
A surge from New Delhi
An overly simple dichotomy dominates the present debate over India’s policy towards Pakistan, and by extension, Afghanistan. One school argues that dialogue is essential, that it makes no sense not to talk to Pakistan. India should focus on the long-term gains of such a policy to the neglect of short-term setbacks like terrorism. The other [...]
‘If You Bring in the Cops’
United States and NATO troops have chased most of the Taliban out of the Afghan city of Marja. The fighting was hard. But what comes next will surely be harder — leaving behind an honest and competent Afghan administration that can win back the loyalty of local people. Without that, Marja will be another empty victory in an eight-year war [...]
In On The Great Game
Throughout the 19th century, Russia and Britain sparred for control of Afghanistan and what is now Pakistan. The "Great Game" ended in stalemate. The Afghans remained fiercely independent. As the saying goes, you can rent a Pathan but you can't buy one. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and new national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon the same [...]
Kai Eide: Time to talk of a political process
The largest military offensive since 2002 is now underway in the Helmand province in Afghanistan. At the same time, a consensus is emerging that ultimately, the conflict in this country cannot be solved by military means. I have consistently advocated preparing the ground for a political process, which could lead to a political settlement. [...]
Deepak Lal: Afghan, Taliban and drugs
After some dithering, US President Barack Obama has accepted the advice of his generals to add to the number of US troops in Afghanistan to drive the Taliban out of Helmand province. Once secured, the troops would maintain a presence whilst the police and development agencies moved in to restore the authority of the Afghan government, and provide [...]