Topic: Afghanistan

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

3 priorities for Pakistan's new government

After 14 years, Nawaz Sharif is back at the helm in Pakistan. The nuclear-armed country faces a welter of problems, from terrorism to tensions with Afghanistan, India, and the United States. To move Pakistan forward, Mr. Sharif must focus on three priorities.
5 memoirs to add to your 2013 reading list

A new crop of memoirs takes readers to the worlds authors once knew.
Pakistan elections: Who's running?

This election will mark the first transfer of power from one government to another without any military interference. Here is a look at the main candidates for prime minister.
Who handled Major League Baseball’s ceremonial first-pitch honors in 2013?

One of the most anticipated moments of any baseball season occurs when ceremonial first pitches are thrown at each of 30 major-league ballparks. Often the identity of the persons or persons doing the honors is kept a secret until the last minute. Here’s the lineup of the 2013 VIPs:
15 promising nonfiction books for spring 2013

April showers bring May flowers. Here's some fresh non-fiction to check out this spring while you enjoy the new greenery.

All Content

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.
US aid spending unlikely to change, despite $8 billion wasted in Iraq

A US government report found widespread waste in the $60 billion reconstruction effort in Iraq. But development experts think waste in US aid spending is here to stay.
Global News Blog In crisis, Bulgarians aware they are on the 'periphery' of world attention

While reporting on Bulgaria's political upheaval, Monitor correspondent Tom Peter found that, while concerned, Bulgarians understood how their internal crises are viewed outside their borders.
In Mali fight, Chad proves a powerful partner for France

Chad may be a poor country marred by frequent turmoil, but its forces have fought very effectively against Islamist rebels in northern Mali.
Opinion: Where Rand Paul and John Brennan can agree on US drone program (+video)

Sen. Rand Paul's epic filibuster raised valid concerns about the US drone program, delaying the vote to confirm John Brennan as CIA director. Turns out Mr. Brennan also values transparency and accountability and may support the transfer of CIA drone operations to the US military.
Report: Flimsy cybersecurity for US military is 'magnet to US opponents'

A Pentagon study of cybervulnerabilities found that during war-game exercises, some adversaries were able to hack into US military networks with 'relative ease.' The study urges refocused intelligence work and improved cyberdefense.
How more than $8 billion in US taxpayers' money went to waste in Iraq

A report on US spending in Iraq released today found that of the $60 billion spent there, at least $8 billion, or 13.3 percent of it, was wasted.
Change Agent Zardozi helps Afghan women stitch together their own businesses

The NGO Zardozi helps women in Afghanistan start their own businesses by using a skill that most of them already know: sewing.
Kenya elections: Top presidential candidate accuses UK of 'shadowy' meddling

After the electronic vote counting system broke down, meaning votes will have to be tallied by hand, the top presidential candidate blamed Britain's high commissioner.
Energy Voices Will the US block an Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline?

US officials have been fighting to stop a $7.5 billion gas pipeline that would transport natural gas between Iran and Pakistan, Alic writes.
Terrorism & Security Pressure mounts on Pakistan to secure Shiites after Karachi blast

The bombing of a Shiite mosque in Karachi killed 48 and injured more than 140. Already this year, nearly 250 Shiites have been killed in Pakistan in such attacks.
Anti-Israel remarks test John Kerry's diplomacy in Turkey

Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Turkey to stress points of agreement with the ally. Now, he's putting out fires after the prime minister made comments maligning Israel.
Abou Zeid killed? Local Malians say it happened, but French not so sure

Abou Zeid killed: Sources in Mali that Al Qaeda commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid was killed four days ago as French and Malian forces continued their pursuit of Islamist militants in the northern part of the country.
Moscow says US aid for Syria helps 'extremists'

The Kremlin has urged the US to move cautiously. Moscow claims it is doing all it can to promote a settlement in Syria that avoids an Afghanistan-style militant blowback.
Lebanon erects string of watchtowers on Syrian border

Lebanon is struggling to maintain control over its border region as Syrian rebels and the Syrian Army increasingly treat the area as just another battlefield in the civil war.
Schwarzkopf memorial: Stormin' Norman honored at West Point

General Norman Schwarzkopf's memorial was held today at West Point, the school where he attended, taught, and was married.
Backchannels Report: UK stripping terrorism suspects of citizenship, US killing some of them

So says an investigation by The Independent, a London-based paper.
Bradley Manning pleads guilty to some WikiLeaks charges (+video)

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to charges that he broke military rules in providing classified information to WikiLeaks. But he denies the more serious charges of aiding the enemy during wartime, for which he still faces a court martial.
Syrians are receiving US aid - they just don't know it

The widespread perception among Syrians that the US has abandoned them is untrue, but US aid is rarely branded as such and it is still far short of what is needed.
Pakistan textbooks raise debate about 'curriculum of hate'

Government-sanctioned textbooks across Pakistan contain numerous examples of anti-minority and anti-Western language, prompting activists to encourage teachers to stop using them.
4 ways Chuck Hagel can improve cyber security

Newly sworn-in Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel must guide the Department of Defense through a few key challenges to better secure the nation’s cyber networks. His focus at the Pentagon should be on these four key areas.
Decoder Wire Chuck Hagel sworn in as Defense secretary. Will he be sorry? (+video)

The office for Chuck Hagel is palatial, his responsibilities extraordinary, his staff vast. But his job is also probably the second most difficult in the executive branch after the presidency itself.
Backchannels Taliban attacks in Afghanistan not down after all

The NATO-led coalition said a data entry error led to a claim last week that Taliban attacks had fallen 7 percent last year. In fact, there's little change. So what did we get for the surge?
Just as Nixon went to China, should Obama go to Iran?

World powers, and the US in particular, need a game-changer to move Iran to a cooperative stance concerning its nuclear program, a few analysts argue. Such an Obama overture to Iran is a provocative idea, they say, but the alternative may be military confrontation.
Change Agent Heroes to Heroes helps wounded US vets recover

Heroes to Heroes takes groups of traumatized US veterans on a journey to Israel meant to restore their sense of humanity and civility.