When Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani laid out the red carpet in 2017 for controversial Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar – once known as “the Butcher of Kabul” for his role in the bloody conflict for the control of the capital in the 1990s – many thought he was trying to isolate the central Taliban leadership by luring factions to break away […]

The United States and the Taliban made progress in peace talks in late January after coming to a basic understanding about withdrawing American troops in return for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for transnational terrorists. An agreement between the United States and the Taliban has been long overdue — as part of a broader settlement […]

In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump tied the withdrawal of U.S. troops to a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan. For a famously mercurial president, that may be no guarantee. But if the United States goes ahead with this course, negotiations should focus on fashioning a peace deal that can last instead of seeking a fig leaf to […]

(The continuous blockade of the National Highway linking Kashmir with the rest of the world in spite of the best efforts of the Border Roads Organization calls for an alternate link)

It had the semblance of a play lacking key actors. They were deemed the difficult ones, and a decision was made to go through with the performance. The Taliban were willing to talk with their adversaries, but they were keen on doing so with opposition politicians rather than the stick-in-the-mud types in government led by the current President Ashraf Ghani. […]

The Indian government has failed to conclude a deal with foreign manufacturers to acquire mine countermeasure vessels since 2005. In the meantime, the last batch of minesweepers retired last year, rendering the Indian Navy devoid of the crucial asset.

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of two (2) 777 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Self-Protection Suites (SPS) for an estimated cost of $190 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The number of casualties in Afghanistan from landmines and other explosives has more than tripled since 2012, the UN said on Wednesday, in support of a call to provide more long-term support for survivors.

Taliban and influential Afghan opposition leaders concluded a rare two-day “peace meeting” in Moscow on Wednesday, where they jointly declared that a complete withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign forces was key to a lasting peace in Afghanistan.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro vows not to “betray” his own country by giving in to desires of US President Donald Trump’s administration for toppling the incumbent government in Caracas, calling on the international community to “stop the madness” of the American leader.