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The Taliban Tightrope

The Taliban tightrope

The killing of Mullah Akhtar Mansour signals a more aggressive US policy stance, as hopes of the Afghan Taliban coming to the negotiating table fade. The death of the recently…

Fallout Of Mansour’s Death

Fallout of Mansour’s death

The killing of the Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike is a major setback for the insurgent movement. His death comes barely a year after…

Who Is Duplicitous?

Who is duplicitous?

The New York Times, which is regarded as the voice of the US administration, in its editorial of May 12, blamed Pakistan for the current mess in Afghanistan and termed…

The Afghan Peace Process

The Afghan peace process

The tragic incident in Kabul on April 19, in which 64 persons lost their lives and 347 were wounded, not only derailed the process of reconciliation that the Quadrilateral Contact…

Diplomacy, Anyone?

Diplomacy, anyone?

Diplomacy is on pause in Afghanistan once more. At best, it is being wasted on talking about talks. Diplomacy only makes minor gains in the Pakistan-India context as well, and…

Talk In Spring

Talk in spring

The Taliban are on the move. Operation Omari – named after former leader Mullah Muhammad Omar – has dashed all hopes of bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table before…

Between Hope And Despair

Between hope and despair

While 2014 was a year of transition in Afghanistan, 2015 underscored the beginning of what was termed as the ‘transformation decade’ in the 2012 Tokyo Conference. The political transition was…

Deoband Variations

Deoband variations

Here’s a tale of two madressahs: one Deoband north of Delhi, the other in Akora Khattak, Pakistan. Today in Deoband, at the madressah where it all began in 1866, the…

The Fighting Season

The fighting season

On April 12, the Afghan Taliban announced the launch of their annual spring offensive in Afghanistan: Operation Omari. The spring offensive has been named after the movement’s late founder, Mullah…