AfPak Channel

The Al Qaeda Diaries

As the Pakistani soldiers moved into South Waziristan, they found something almost as valuable as al Qaeda itself: the diaries and books that explain how militant ideology binds the diffuse world of terrorism together.

BY IMTIAZ GUL | NOVEMBER 20, 2009

Zardari in the Crosshairs

Pakistan's leader is losing grip on his presidency and the opposition parties are waiting in the wings. As his popularity plummets, his political fate -- as well as that of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the nation -- hang in the balance. 

BY ARIF RAFIQ | NOVEMBER 19, 2009

The Terrorists Among Us

Why an al Qaeda attack on U.S. soil is still a real threat.

BY PETER BERGEN | NOVEMBER 19, 2009

Could Demography Save Afghanistan?

Afghanistan's sky-high birthrate seems to be declining -- and that's a very good thing.

BY RICHARD CINCOTTA | NOVEMBER 16, 2009

A Web of Lone Wolves

Fort Hood shows us that Internet jihad is not a myth.

BY EVAN KOHLMANN | NOVEMBER 13, 2009

When Generals and Ambassadors Feud

Take it from this former ambassador: Disagreements over the war in Afghanistan may do more long-term harm than short-term good.

BY JAMES DOBBINS | NOVEMBER 13, 2009

No Insurgency Here

Let's be honest: What Afghanistan has on its hands isn't an insurgency, it's a civil war.

BY NADER MOUSAVIZADEH | NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Hollow Victory

According to the Republicans, the United States is once again at the crossroads of losing another critical war because of feckless Democrats. Only this time it's Afghanistan.

BY JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER | NOVEMBER 2, 2009

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OCTOBER 30, 2009

Gratitude and Grief

Imtiaz Gul relays the harrowing account of his brother-in-law's brush with death during the suicide blasts that rocked Kabul and Peshawar on Oct. 28 and explains why Pakistan has yet to curb the growing alarm of its people.

BY IMTIAZ GUL | OCTOBER 29, 2009

How to Help Pakistan Win This Fight

The Pakistani Army is determined to defeat al Qaeda-linked militants in South Waziristan. So why is the United States still withholding the military equipment Pakistan urgently needs?

BY SHUJA NAWAZ | OCTOBER 20, 2009

"See You Soon, If We’re Still Alive"

The only two Westerners living on their own in Kandahar have been bombed, ambushed, and nearly sold to kidnappers. Here's what they've learned about the country where war just won't end. 

BY ALEX STRICK VAN LINSCHOTEN, FELIX KUEHN | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

The Case for Humility in Afghanistan

A Taliban victory would have devastating consequences for U.S. interests. But to avoid disaster, America must beware the Soviet Union’s mistakes -- and learn from its own three decades of failure in South Asia.

BY STEVE COLL | OCTOBER 16, 2009

Turf Wars

Why Pakistan's military hates America's new aid package.

BY AYESHA SIDDIQA | OCTOBER 14, 2009

Defining Victory to Win a War

After nearly a decade of war in Afghanistan, the United States has still not defined what it considers success. It needs to do so -- and here's how.

BY DAVID AXE, MALOU INNOCENT, JASON REICH | OCTOBER 6, 2009

How War Will End in Afghanistan -- Even if Conflict Does Not

If war has not addressed threats in Afghanistan, then the United States needs to address threats without war.

BY DAN REITER | OCTOBER 6, 2009

Interview: Zalmay Khalilzad

The former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan speaks about Hamid Karzai, General McChrystal's report, and the Obama administration's mistakes.

BY BLAKE HOUNSHELL | SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

Losing the War of Exhaustion

It's not low troop levels that stand to defeat the United States in Afghanistan. It's plain old public fatigue.

BY MARK T. KIMMITT | SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

Is Afghanistan the New Africa?

U.S. dollars and a shiny new airport are not signs of success.

BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER | SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

Four Reasons for Optimism in Pakistan

Pakistan's military and government is finally turning the tide against the Taliban. Isn't it time we give them a little credit?

BY IMTIAZ GUL | SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

Evaluating Progress in Afghanistan-Pakistan

The Obama administration's draft metrics for Afghanistan and Pakistan, as obtained by Foreign Policy.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

Don't Waste the Afghan Election Crisis

Last month's presidential vote in Afghanistan has become a royal mess -- but it's also a great opportunity to do much-needed political clean-up.

BY DANIEL MARKEY | SEPTEMBER 15, 2009

The Next Osama

On the eighth anniversary of 9/11, it's time to finally confront al Qaeda's scary move toward modernization -- and the charismatic sheikh who is leading the way.

BY JARRET BRACHMAN | SEPTEMBER 10, 2009

Punishing A.Q. Khan

How the world can make Pakistan's notorious nuclear smuggler pay for his crimes -- since Islamabad isn't going to.

BY LEONARD S. SPECTOR | SEPTEMBER 10, 2009

The Musharraf I Know

Amjad Shuaib knew Pervez Musharraf as a hotheaded Army officer and a reactionary Pakistani leader. Could he now know him as one executed for treason, given the country's new judiciary renaissance?

BY AMJAD SHUAIB | SEPTEMBER 9, 2009

The Only Way Out

There's just one way to get out of the ballot-stuffing mess of the Afghan election -- a runoff between Karzai and Abdullah.

BY J ALEXANDER THIER | SEPTEMBER 9, 2009

Human Terrain Teams

It sounded like a good idea: Swarms of social scientists would help U.S. troops better understand local customs and avoid cultural mishaps. But is the program creating more problems than it solves?

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

This Week at War: McChrystal Plays Defense

What the four-stars are reading -- a weekly column from Small Wars Journal.

BY ROBERT HADDICK | SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

Afghanistan Is the New Afghanistan

Twenty years ago, the Soviets cut their losses and withdrew from Afghanistan. If it wants to avoid that outcome, the United States should learn its history.

BY ARTEMY KALINOVSKY | SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

The Expectations Game

To win in Afghanistan, Obama is going to have start defining the terms of the debate in Washington.

BY AMB. RONALD E. NEUMANN (RET.) | SEPTEMBER 1, 2009