What would happen if the Taliban's spiritual fathers denounced terrorism? That, in effect, is what has taken place in Deoband, the northern Indian hometown of the austere form of Sunni Islam followed by the Taliban.
The fight against militant extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of the major foreign policy and security challenges facing US President-elect Barack Obama, and campaign insiders say his administration plans to reassess US strategy on the region as one of its first priorities.
Even though Pakistan has restored a civilian government, the country's military establishment will retain considerable influence, experts agreed during a recent panel discussion in Washington. Complicating efforts to define their new relationship, Pakistan's civil and military leaders must also manage pressure from Washington to contain Islamic radicalism.
Even though Pakistan has restored a civilian government, the country's military establishment will retain considerable influence, experts agreed during a recent panel discussion in Washington. Complicating efforts to define their new relationship, Pakistan's civil and military leaders must also manage pressure from Washington to contain Islamic radicalism.
Pakistan has fired the head of its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Lieutenant General Nadeem Taj, in an apparent bid to clean up the military spy agency amid Western claims that it secretly backs the Taliban.
Key upgrades to Pakistan's US-supplied F-16 fighter jets could be in jeopardy because critics in Congress believe that the improvements are aimed more at making the jets capable of fighting India rather than the Taliban and al Qaeda.
The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Admiral Michael Mullen, has announced that he is commissioning a new military strategy that will cover both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border.
In a grand ceremony at Islamabad's sprawling presidential compound, Asif Ali Zardari was inaugurated as the country's new president.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai attended the inauguration ceremony on Zardari's special invitation. Analysts in Pakistan say Karzai's presence shows that Zardari wants a fresh start in Afghan-Pakistani relations.
Pakistan has angrily condemned a raid on a tribal region village that officials say killed at least 15 people, including women and children. Islamabad claims that U.S.-led troops used helicopters to fly in from Afghanistan and carry out the attack.
