Topic: Afghan Northern Alliance
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The Blind Man's Garden
Two Pakistani brothers flee to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in this riveting story by Pakistani-British author Nadeem Aslam.
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Canada alleges Al Qaeda plot from Iran, but Tehran's involvement unlikely (+video)
Shiite Iran and Sunni Al Qaeda have long had a hostile relationship. While state involvement appears unlikely, Tehran has less control over the country's far east.
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Global News Blog Attack highlights how a corner of Afghanistan is falling apart
The ambush and killing of 16 Afghan soldiers last weekend is one of the worst setbacks for the country's military in years.
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Afghanistan: The challenge of 'good' vs 'bad' militias
Gunmen in northern Afghanistan want the Karzai government to make their local unit an official part of the security force that will take over after US withdraws.
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Karzai meets Obama: How will they shape a post-2014 Afghanistan?
Few appear to believe the Taliban can regain power after 2014, when the US withdraws most of its troops. What's key, some say, is developing a US-Afghan partnership that will survive.
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At least six killed by Kabul suicide bomber
A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up outside of NATO headquarters in Kabul Saturday. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is thought to have been an attempt to undermine the US-led effort to increase security in Kabul.
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5,000 Afghan 'militants' have surrendered - but are they real?
Officials say the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program has brought stability to several areas. But critics say the real anti-government fighters aren't participating.
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Wedding blast in Afghanistan kills 23, including local politician
The suicide bombing targeted the wedding of the government official's daughter.
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Keep Calm Good Reads: on Afghan wars, German spies, and the 'American Spring'
This week's best stories look at lessons we should have learned from a decade of war in Afghanistan, from intelligence failures, and from press accounts of the American Revolution.
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Keep Calm Islamists destroy Timbuktu heritage sites: Why are these targets?
Ansar Dine, the Islamist militia that shares control of Mali's north, is just the latest in long line of zealots of many faiths who destroyed the monuments of other faiths thought to be superstitious.
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Cover Story
Women in combat: US military on verge of making it officialWomen in combat: De facto warriors in Afghanistan and Iraq, women are now closer than ever to the "profession of combat arms." The US military is opening jobs to them closer to the battlefield, and they are pushing to abolish job limits through legal battles.
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Supreme Court deals blow to Guantánamo prisoners challenging their detention
Supreme Court refuses, without comment, to take up multiple appeals examining whether Guantánamo detainees have a 'meaningful opportunity' to challenge the legality of their detention.
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Why Afghanistan's intelligence agency has a major blind spot
Afghanistan's intelligence service is dominated by men from one small province of the country. Has this hampered the Afghan government's ability to infiltrate the insurgency?
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What is a loya jirga? Afghanistan's most pivotal jirgas since 2002.
A loya jirga, or grand assembly, is really just a traditional meeting that serves to bring local leaders from all over the country together to discuss a critical issue during a time of instability. While the meetings are seen as a critical part of Afghan political life, they are a relatively rare occurrence. In the past 300 years, Afghanistan has had fewer than 20 loya jirgas, about a quarter of which have taken place in the past decade. But as the Afghan political system grows stronger and develops democratic institutions such as the parliament, many now question their value altogether. Here are the four most pivotal jirgas of the past decade and what came out of the meetings:
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Good Reads: America's longest war, in Afghanistan, and Liberia's Nobel Laureate
On the 10th anniversary of the Afghanistan war, today's papers detail the lessons still to be learned. And in good news, Liberia's first female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, wins a Nobel Peace Prize.
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Rabbani killing sparks fresh concerns about civil war in Afghanistan
Yesterday's killing of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani has intensified ethnic divisions and is fueling fears that a civil war might break out once US-led forces leave Afghanistan.
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Good Reads: Why the assassination of former Afghan president Rabbani matters
The assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani scuppers any further chance of negotiation with the Taliban, which could mean a grinding war until the US withdrawal in 2014.
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Killing of former Afghan President Rabbani imperils Taliban peace talks
Former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, a prominent peace council official trying to negotiate a reconciliation deal with the Taliban, was assassinated Tuesday.
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Before 9/11: The tale of an Afghan 'lion'
Journalist Ed Giradet met the remarkable Ahmed Shah Massoud during the Afghan insurgency against the Red Army. Twenty years later, on the eve of 9/11, he tried to see him one last time.
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Afghanistan, the Taliban, and the US deficit
A series of Taliban assaults left at least 22 people dead in southern Afghanistan today, a reminder that as Congress looks for spending cuts, the US remains far from a 'mission accomplished' moment.
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Afghanistan and Libya point NATO to five lessons
Both the wars in Afghanistan and Libya reveal serious flaws in the alliance. If they can’t be fixed, perhaps it's time for a 'back to basics' NATO and a return to coalitions of the willing.
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After bin Laden: India sees opportunity in Afghanistan
India's prime minister is in Kabul to argue for an Indian role in the Afghan peace process. Pakistan could be worried that the mood in Kabul may have tipped in India's favor after bin Laden's death
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Can US and Taliban cut a deal in Afghanistan?
Even before Osama bin Laden's killing, the Taliban were softening their image while the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan set the stage for talks. Now the US must decide if it's worth years of further military and diplomatic effort to hammer out an agreement.
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Supreme Court rejects Guantánamo detainees' appeals for better protections
The appeals of three Guantánamo detainees are among the first dealing with this issue to emerge from the Washington federal appeals court. The Supreme Court refused the cases without comment.
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Obama's dilemma: Is Libya mission a success if Qaddafi stays?
President Obama wants Qaddafi out, but doesn't want to use military operations to do it. How that tension plays out could determine the success of the mission.
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