South Asia

By Andrea Mazzarino | – ( Tomdispatch.com ) – As each of my husband’s Navy submarine deployments came to an end, local spouses would e-mail me about the ship’s uncertain date of return. They were attempting to sell tickets to a raffle in which the winner would be the first to kiss her returning sailor. […]

Afghanistan

Did the US Commit War Crimes in Afghanistan? International Prosecutors want to Find Out

The Conversation

By Hurst Hannum | – International prosecutors tasked with looking into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan have no shortage of potential targets. Afghan soldiers and warlords have been accused of rape, murder and kidnap almost since fighting began in late 2001. The deliberate targeting of civilians by the Taliban and other groups continues to this […]

Afghanistan

Trump may want out of Afghanistan, but this so-called “Peace Deal” with Taliban isn’t Likely to Succeed

The Conversation

By Madhav Joshi | – After 18 months of negotiations, the U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace deal on Feb. 29. It is expected that the deal will provide a plan for a comprehensive Afghan peace process. The deal addresses the security of foreign troops; the Taliban’s commitments to sever ties with terrorist organizations; […]

Afghanistan

Will Trump outreach to Taliban really bring Peace, or is this another Cheap Election-Year Stunt?

The Conversation

By Niamatullah Ibrahimi | – The US has signed an historic agreement with the Taliban that sets Washington and its NATO allies on a path to withdraw their military forces from Afghanistan after more than 18 years of unceasing conflict. It is now hoped the deal will lead to a more complicated process of negotiations […]

Displaced and Refugees

Targeting Muslims, India is Abolishing Birthright Citizenship

The Conversation

By Rahul Sambaraju and Suryapratim Roy | – The fallout from two controversial changes to citizenship laws continues to rock India. At least 35 people have died in sectarian violence in New Delhi which began on February 23. Muslims homes and businesses have been attacked and mosques vandalised by mobs. All schools in the capital […]

Afghanistan

Gone Shopping! America’s Forever Wars Lumber on Because Americans don’t Know About Them

William J. Astore

( Tomdispatch.com) – There is no significant anti-war movement in America because there’s no war to protest. Let me explain. In February 2003, millions of people took to the streets around the world to protest America’s march to war against Iraq. That mass movement failed. The administration of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney had […]

Donald Trump

The Trumps don’t have a Right to the Taj Mahal

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Trumps visited the Taj Mahal during their trip to India. They didn’t have a right to do so. The building is properly the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahall, literally “Queen Mumtaz” in Mughal Persian. It was constructed of white marble in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by the Mughal emperor […]

Afghanistan

Can the US-Taliban Truce Hold, Bringing Peace to Afghanistan after 40 Years of War?

The Conversation

By Elizabeth B. Hessami | – If a seven-day truce between the United States and the Taliban holds until Feb. 28, 2020, Afghanistan’s decades-long conflict may finally end. A peace deal could be signed as soon as Feb. 29, according to the State Department. The draft accord follows months of stop-and-go negotiations between the United […]

Bangladesh

Rich v. Poor: New York faces Climate Crisis, But Bangladesh Faces Climate Apocalypse

The Conversation

By Saleh Ahmed | – Unpredictable weather and climate patterns recently prompted New York Times columnist Paul Krugman to proclaim in January 2020 that “Apocalypse will become the new normal.” Extreme storms, tides and other awful surprises the world has experienced in recent years suggest that Krugman could be right. July 2019 registered the hottest […]