Today’s bombing in Lahore – the third major terrorist attack in Pakistan’s cultural capital this year – is likely retaliation for the Pakistan military’s recent operations in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). On April 24th, the military started operations to roll back the Taliban in the Buner, Dir and Swat Valley districts of the NWFP. The latest incident demonstrates the militants are capable of attacking anywhere in the country. The militants are seeking to intimidate the Pakistani people and weaken Pakistani resolve in the fight against terrorism. In the …
On today’s front page, the New York Times goes to every effort to recreate the narrative of Mai-Lai in Vietnam, only this time in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, they do so with only half the story. This much we think we know: One night last week, American forces in the middle of a drawn out battle with insurgent Taliban forces, launched an aerial attack on enemy targets. It appears many civilians were killed during the battle. Here is what we, and the New York Times, do not know: We do not know …
According to Rasmussen Reports, 60% of U.S. voters are now very concerned about the security of nuclear weapons in Pakistan. That number is up 15 points from last August. And they have every right to be concerned. Facing internal pressure from the Pakistan People’s Party, President Asif Ali Zardari approved a deal with the Taliban last month that allowed the establishment of Islamic Sharia law in the Swat region of the country. The results were predictably disastrous. The government’s capitulation to the Taliban followed the group’s campaign of violence and …
The Taliban’s agreement to pull out of Buner district in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) earlier today, following Pakistan’s deployment of paramilitary troops to the area, demonstrates that the Pakistan military has sent the right signal to the Taliban (at least for now). The Taliban’s occupation of Buner soon after the Pakistani Government conceded the Swat Valley to the militants seems to have raised sufficient alarm among the senior Pakistani Army leadership to coax them into action. The situation in Pakistan remains highly precarious, however. Unless the civilian and …
The war against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is the direct result of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Those attacks resulted in NATO invoking Article 5 of its Charter, and thus calling upon all NATO members to contribute to the defense of the United States. The war – for what this is worth – was also repeatedly endorsed by the UN Security Council. Simply put, the war, apart from being an expression of the inherent right of self-defense, has an excellent claim to be the most legally correct conflict …
Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban recently claimed responsibility for the deadly attack that took place at a police academy on Monday in Lahore, Pakistan. But that’s not all. According to Mehsud, the next attack is going to be much closer to home. In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Mehsud indicated that his terrorist organization was planning a devastating attack on Washington D.C. that would “amaze” the world. Heritage analyst James Phillips told Fox News: It should be taken seriously because [Mehsud] has ordered the deaths …
Last Monday, Jackson Diehl wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, which highlighted some necessary steps for success in Afghanistan. Writing from his position in the country, Mr. Diehl noted that troops continue to stream into Afghanistan and the counter-insurgency strategy by General David Petraeus, which was so successful in Iraq, is being implemented. Further, “Polls show a chance to win over the population: Less than 5 percent say they support the Taliban, while more than 60 percent still accept the presence of foreign troops.” Yet, “McKiernan believes the Afghan …
Islamabad’s decision to allow the implementation of a parallel Islamic courts system in the Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province demonstrates the weakness of the Pakistan government and military in the face of an onslaught by Taliban-backed extremists seeking to take over parts of the province. The government’s capitulation to the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) in Swat Valley following its campaign of violence and intimidation, which included the shuttering of dozens of girls’ schools, murder of women who declined to stop work, and public beheadings of those accused of …
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf announced today that he would resign Monday, ending his nearly nine years of rule. Musharraf’s exit from Pakistani politics is a an extremely positive development for the future of democracy in Pakistan and for U.S. security. Earlier this year, Heritage senior research fellow Lisa Curtis detailed the benefits of a Musharraf exit: Musharraf’s fate and the future direction of Pakistan is largely in the hands of the Chief of Army Staff General [Ashfaq] Kayan. Kiyani helped to ensure the February elections were successful and appears committed …
Earlier this week, the New York Daily News caught the Obama campaign purging their website of any evidence that Obama ever believed the surge in Iraq was not working. Obama’s new position on the surge is that there is an “improved security situation” in Iraq due to “our military’s hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics, and enormous sacrifice by our troops and military families.” Obama is right: the security situation in Iraq has improved. Unfortunately, the situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating. Just this past week nine American soldiers were killed …
