South Asia

Wikileaks is publishing internal memos of the Stratfor security analysis firm. A few tidbits have emerged in these very early days, to wit: 1. Up to 12 Pakistani active-duty and retired officers from the Inter-Services Intelligence agency knew that Usama Bin Laden was in Abbottabad and were in regular contact with him. The Pakistani chief […]

Afghanistan

Tomgram: Engelhardt and Turse, The End in Afghanistan?

Juan Cole

You would have to be blind not to notice that the American effort in Afghanistan is heading into the tank…

Barack Obama

Fresh evidence of CIA civilian deaths in Pakistan revealed: Jones

Juan Cole

Two new investigations confirm ongoing CIA civilian deaths in Pakistan.

Afghanistan

Qur’an-burning Protests Spread, Santorum calls Obama Weak for Apologizing

Juan Cole

The protests in Afghanistan over the burning of old copies of the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book, by the US military at Bagram Base in Afghanistan, continued this weekend, with new violence. This volatile situation, in which US troops are being wounded or killed, explains Presidnt Obama’s apology for the mishandling of the Qur’an. In […]

Afghanistan

Gingrich Endangers US troops by Slamming Obama for Apology over Qur’an Burning

Juan Cole

Newt Gingrich continued to put his entire lack of logic on display on Thursday, when he criticized President Obama for apologizing for the desecration of the Qur’an at Bagram Base. Gingrich said Obama had not similarly sought an apology from Afghan president Hamid Karzai for the killing of two US soldiers by a uniformed Afghanistan […]

Afghanistan

Afghan Parliamentarians call for Jihad Against US

Juan Cole

The USG Open Source Center paraphrases Arab satellite television reports on the protests in Afghanistan of the incineration of Qur’ans by the US military. FYI — Al-Jazirah, Al-Arabiyah Coverage of Koran Burning in Afghanistan (1) Middle East — OSC Summary Thursday, February 23, 2012 … Al-Jazirah Doha Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic coverage of […]

India

Indian Investigators do not Suspect Iran in Israel Embassy Blast

Juan Cole

India has suffered from both Hindu and Muslim terrorist groups. So the attack on an automobile outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi could easily have been carried out by an Indian group. Israel’s government, a master of spin and propaganda, immediately blamed the bombing on Iran and Hizbullah. But there is no evidence for […]

Africa

World’s 1.6 Billion Poor Going Green

Juan Cole

Renewable energy is often thought of as an initiative of advanced, sane countries such as Portugal and Germany. But there is another arena where green energy is making an impact– on the lives of the world’s poorest populations, in the global South. For them, it is not a luxury or prudent planning for the future […]

Afghanistan

Will Pakistan’s Crisis affect US in Afghanistan

Juan Cole

Pakistan is an important country and a key US partner, and so it is bad news that it is lurching from political crisis to political crisis. There is a crisis between the military and the civilian government. There is a crisis between the military and the US government. There is a crisis between the Supreme […]