One year ago, on Aug. 31, 2021, the last foreign soldier left Afghanistan. Since then, the situation in the country has only grown more fragile, marked by deteriorating living conditions, widespread human rights violations, and increasing political instability. One key contributing factor to the crisis is a dysfunctional centralized governance structure that has become more paralyzed and unresponsive under Taliban […]

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Movement of Pakistani Taliban, TTP) has congratulated the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the ruling Taliban jihadi organization) on the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan, saying it stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the Afghan Taliban in their fight against foreign forces. “By standing shoulder to shoulder with their Afghan brothers, […]

On August 31, 2022, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, i.e., the Afghan Taliban, celebrated the first anniversary of the withdrawal of American and NATO forces from Afghanistan with the main ceremony being held at Bagram Airbase. Some of the messages issued at the ceremonies reiterated the message of jihad and success against “American aggression” against Afghanistan. A military parade showcasing […]

In two recent editorials, Afghan daily Hasht-e-Subh criticized politicians and NGOs that are advocating in favor of recognizing the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (i.e., the Afghan Taliban). “What has been a serious matter of concern and danger is that a number of corrupt political figures and exploitative NGOs have been continuously lobbying for this terrorist group which […]

The National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan, an anti-Taliban resistance group led by Ahmad Massoud, is fighting against the Afghan Taliban in six provinces of Afghanistan, according to an Afghan website. The report published by Afghan newspaper Hasht-e-Subh quoted Ali Maisam Nazary, head of NRF’s foreign relations, as saying that NRF’s operations against the Taliban have expanded during the past […]

A local jihadist group and a violent protest movement are driving renewed sectarian strife in Pakistan. To prevent a slide back into violence, Islamabad should ensure those inciting or perpetrating violent acts are prosecuted while denying hardliners the civic space to propagate their hatred. What’s new? The rise of a local Islamic State franchise and the growing influence of a hard-line […]

More than a year after taking power, the Taliban are beginning to realize that fighting is far easier than governing. As winter approaches and Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis, the government has failed togain international recognition and foreign aid has been reduced to a trickle. The economic situation remains dire with no prospect of improvement. The Taliban’s problems continue to […]

There are two unique characters of ancient times in Mahabharata and Ramayana. Karna in Mahabharata and Vibhishana in Ramayana.Karna, ended up fighting alongside the bad guys Kauravas in the Mahabharata. Vibhishana betrayed his country to join Lord Ram in the Dharamyudh (righteous battle) in the Ramayana against his own king brother Ravana. Vibhisana was a traitor to his people and […]

Japan’s vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) is nearing an inflection point. The government is faced with a choice on whether to shift its traditional strategic posture to take a firmer stance against China. Japan must decide how far it will go to defend the existing international order that the United States and its partners have largely constructed […]

Japan plans to beef up defenses on its remote islands in the East China Sea in preparation for a Taiwan Strait crisis, a move reflecting official strategic thinking but one that is likely to annoy China. The Japanese defense ministry wants to expand fuel and ammunition storage facilities on the Nansei (Ryukyu) island chain, whose westernmost tip lies only 110 […]