From war of choice to war without end
By Christopher R. Hill In liberating Iraq, the US failed to ask how Saddam, the tyrant, gained power in the first place, and what, therefore, the challenges in replacing him would be When the Bourbon...
View ArticleShocking and Awing
By Harlan Ullman Ten years ago this month, the United States launched Operation Iraqi Freedom against Saddam Hussein. The real reason for this invasion was President George W. Bush’s freedom agenda...
View ArticleIraq, Afghanistan Wars Will Cost U.S. 4-6 Trillion Dollars: Report
By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON – Costs to U.S. taxpayers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will run between four and six trillion dollars, making them the most expensive conflicts in U.S. history, according...
View ArticleNorth Korea and the Fallacy of Accidental Wars
By Robert Farley Few wars happen by accident. Given the situation on the Korean Peninsula, a war seems unlikely, as none of the combatants stand to benefit. Accidental wars rarely happen. Historians...
View ArticleAfghanistan the day after
There are intense efforts to portray western policy in Afghanistan in a benign light. But evidence from the country itself, and the experiences of Iraq and Libya, suggest that hard questions should be...
View ArticleAfghanistan: Strategy and War Termination
By Christopher Tuck In theory, the decision to end a war should be relatively straightforward. One or more of the belligerents determine whether or not it is worth continuing the conflict and, as long...
View ArticleIn pursuit of an Afghan peace plan
By Nida Afaque Faced with multifarious challenges, the Afghanistan reconciliation process needs a push in the right direction. It was back in July 2011 when President Obama announced the withdrawal of...
View ArticleWanted: A national security strategy
By Dr. Maleeha Lodhi The violent run-up to the May 11 election is another urgent reminder of the need to evolve a comprehensive national security strategy. The country doesn’t have one at present. We...
View ArticleAround the Halls: Israel’s Airstrikes in Syria
By Daniel L. Byman, Kenneth M. Pollack, Michael Doran, Natan B. Sachs, Suzanne Maloney, Salman Shaikh and Tamara Cofman Following news of Israel’s weekend airstrikes in Syria, Brookings experts examine...
View ArticleDivided we…: Lawmakers unable to forge consensus on terrorism, other core issues
By Manzoor Ali When it comes to debating terrorism and the current security situation of the province, political parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly remain polarised in their views. Unlike the...
View ArticleAl Qaeda Is Back
By Bruce Riedel Jailbreaks in Iraq. A surge in Syria. A growing presence in Lebanon. The terrorist group’s influence is on the rise, says Bruce Riedel. Two spectacular al Qaeda prison breaks in Iraq,...
View ArticleNisar unveils plans for joint intelligence secretariat
By Sumaira Khan and Azam Khan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday, revealed snippets from the proposed national counter-terrorism and extremism policy which envisages the establishment...
View ArticlePakistani soldier shot, raising Pakistan-India border tensions
By Augustine Anthony and Andrew MacAskill Islamabad: The Pakistani army said Indian troops shot dead one of its soldiers just days after an officer was killed, as border tensions threaten to jeopardise...
View ArticleFive civilians injured by Indian shelling
By TARIQ NAQASH MUZAFFARABAD: The unprovoked shelling by Indian troops from across the restive Line of Control (LoC) showed no signs of abatement on Monday. Five more civilians were injured in the...
View ArticleAs a U.S. strike appears imminent, Syria warns of global “chaos”
DAMASCUS, SYRIA: A senior Syrian official said Monday that his country will defend itself against any international attack and will not be an easy target as the U.S. and other countries ramp up...
View ArticleNo US plans to cut off Egypt military aid yet: Hagel
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday that he opposes cutting off US military aid to Egypt but vowed Washington would keep pressing for “reconciliation” in the country. The United States...
View ArticleZardari warns against appeasing militants
Condemning the killing of army officers in a terrorist attack in Upper Dir on Sunday, former president Asif Ali Zardari urged people to guard against extremist mindset and appeasing militants. In a...
View ArticlePost-2014 Afghanistan: Pakistan pursuing no favourites, no interference...
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wishes to work with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in promoting regional harmony by acquiring its full membership. This was stated by Adviser to the Prime Minister on...
View ArticleNational Security and Law & Order in Pakistan
The definition of national security varies from country to country, and from regime to regime: in some cases, national security is defined as the perpetuation of the country’s system of governance, or...
View ArticleEyes in the sky: Pakistan inducts home-built fleet of drones
ISLAMABAD: In a technological leap towards unmanned aerial platforms, Pakistan’s military on Monday inducted its first fleet of indigenously developed surveillance drones. According to a statement by...
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