Taliban

The assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani is a blow to the Afghan peace process and India’s security.

Admiral Mike Mullen’s warning that Pakistan is using extremism as an instrument of policy marked a major change in US tone. Will Pakistan respond?

The assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani is another blow to the prospects of peace.

As a 20-hour siege ends in Kabul, worries are growing over whether Afghan forces can keep the country secure.

Until all parties involved in Afghanistan’s civil war see it as a waste of resources then there won’t be a lasting peace. Right now, it’s not looking good.

Critics argue that China’s failure to contribute troops to Iraq and Afghanistan mean it’s reaping the economic rewards without the security pain. It’s not so simple.

Hamid Karzai has welcomed the announcement of a US troop drawdown. But do Afghans feel the same?

Calls to coerce Pakistan into cooperating in Afghanistan by stopping aid miss the point. Pakistan holds the cards now.

Obama claimed that the light of peace could be seen in Afghanistan. But conflicting agendas among the main players leaves its future uncertain.

The attack this week on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul is a reminder of the daily dangers expat workers face. Aid groups aren’t taking any chances.

The attack on the Intercontinental hotel in Kabul renews concerns over the capacity of Afghan security forces.

The announcements of a drawdown of US troops and talks with the Taliban are welcome. But Obama’s Afghanistan policy is still muddled.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev is keen to contribute to the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. It’s all about his own standing, though.

The best way to ensure stability and make the Taliban irrelevant is to legitimize the Afghan state, argues Masood Aziz.

The attack by militants on the Mehran naval base in Karachi is a reminder of the threat Islamists pose to Pakistan.

The attack by militants on the Mehran naval base in Karachi is a reminder of the threat Islamists pose to Pakistan.

Beijing’s close ties with Islamabad don’t have to be a source for concern. It’s in China’s interests to press for reforms to stabilize Pakistan.

Sistan and Balochistan has been described as akin to Mars on Earth. For all the attention they get from Tehran, many Baloch feel they may as well be on another planet.

Cynthia Iris speaks with US Army Black Hawk pilot Col. Paul Bricker about his take on the special forces mission against Osama bin Laden and why it was successful.

With Western forces to withdraw from Afghanistan, India will need creative thinking to maintain influence.

Osama bin Laden wasn’t the first al-Qaeda-linked terrorist to be found in Abbottabad this year.

Pakistan’s security sector needs to shape up and drop its misguided fixation on ‘good’ terrorism. Admiral Mike Mullen was right to tackle the issue head on.

Sealing the porous border with Pakistan will be essential if Afghanistan is to have any hope of stability. ISAF has its work cut out.

In Afghanistan, NATO is trying to combat the group’s ‘night letter’ scare tactics with a counter strategy of its own.