Afghanistan
When Bastions Become Insecure, Orderly Retreat Becomes Unavoidable

The portents of the Taliban strike against Camp Bastion in Helmand earlier this month are rather depressing and disheartening. Despite the brave face being put on by the NATO commanders, the devastating attack raises serious questions about the viabi....

The State of Public Education in Afghanistan: Political Problems, and Future Prospects

The advent of the 21st century marked a unique era for Afghanistan. Presumably, an end was put to the wearisome conflict in late 2001, and a new chapter full of unprecedented and complicated pages was opened. Surviving every hardship in the last mome....

Afghanistan and America’s New Silk Road Strategy

The security situation in Afghanistan continues to follow a declining curve. Not only the NATO supply routes through Pakistan have been attacked by the Taliban the logistics coming through Uzbekistan via the Northern Distribution Network have also co....

SCO Summit and Afghanistan: Looking for a Regional Solution

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s twelfth Summit held at Beijing in first week of June this year deliberated upon Afghanistan at length. Even though Afghanistan has not been either a member or observer of this group President Karzai has been ....

An Insider’s Perspective

Riaz Mohammed Khan’s book “Afghanistan and Pakistan” adds to the already numerous books available on the shelves on the linked Afghanistan-Pakistan situation. The Taliban-takeover of Afghanistan, the 9/11 terror attack that provoked US military....

Trilateral Summit and The Afghan Endgame

Notwithstanding all the tall talk of closer cooperation between them, the third Trilateral Summit of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan which was held in Islamabad in the third week of February was for all intents and purposes more an exercise in diploma....

Interaction with a U.S. Delegation on ‘US and Indian Roles in Afghanistan’

Representatives from Monitor 360, a US-based consultancy firm executing a project for the US Department of Defence and engaged in research and study of global strategic and analytical challenges, visited VIF on Feb 14, 2012. Their visit ostensibly ai....

Peace Efforts Low on Credibility

The announcement that the Taliban will be opening an office in Qatar should be a cause for some reflection. The US and its allies are politically exhausted and economically drained by the war in Afghanistan. They no longer seek a clear victory; they ....

Pursue an Activist Policy, Reaching out to All Players

The US intent to draw down its forces from Afghanistan beginning July 2011 has been articulated on several occasions since President Barack Obama’s address at West Point on 1 December 2009. In this address he had justified the 30,000 US troop surge....

The Darkness in Afghanistan

The West is describing the current situation in Afghanistan as one of transition. This assumes that the situation is moving from one state of things to another in a planned and controlled manner. It is clear that US and NATO want to reduce their mili....

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