Topic: Insurgencies

Kandahar assaults underscore vulnerabilities in Afghan war effort

Taliban attacks continued for a second day in Kandahar, despite a yearlong effort by NATO and Afghan forces to drive the Taliban out of the southern province.

Kandahar Taliban escape bodes ill for Afghan fighting season

The audacious escape of nearly 500 militants from a prison in Kandahar city – under the noses of US and Afghan security forces – could help the Taliban in the summer fighting season.

Taliban tunnel: Five militant escapes under US watch

If Western audiences are inspired by the film "Shawshank Redemption" about a solo prison escape, then Taliban sympathizers must surely be heartened by today's spectacular escape of some 500 inmates from a Kandahar prison through a 1,180-foot-long tunnel. But while character Andy Dufresne had to dig out of Shawshank prison without any assistance, the Taliban prisoners are suspected of having help from guards. This is not the first jail break that has set back the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, nor is it even the first escape from this specific prison. Here's a short list of recent prison breaks (and one near-escape) in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Taliban attack signals focus on infiltrating security forces

An attack in Kabul on Monday suggests that the Taliban have shifted from direct engagements with NATO and Afghan forces in favor of being able to infiltrate secure compounds and carry out suicide attacks.

Kashmir 101: Decoding Kashmir's conflict

For six decades, a piece of land about the size of Britain between Pakistan and India has been the source of major tension and fighting between the two. But recently, the nature of the lengthy conflict has changed. In India-controlled Kashmir, young people inspired by protests across the Middle East have intensified their push for independence – and they want the world to take note. Here is a quick primer about the conflict.

Is US aid to Afghanistan helping win the war? Doubts are increasing.

As Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill this week, some analysts are saying that US aid, aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, is not helping the military win the war.

Pentagon's quiet shift on Afghanistan war: Maybe safe havens aren't crucial

For years, the Pentagon has stressed the importance to the Afghanistan war of eradicating safe havens for the Taliban and other insurgents in Pakistan. Now, it's easing off those claims.

Top Afghan insurgents tout girls' education, not bombs

Hizb-e-Islami, a key militant group, is increasingly supporting many Afghan government priorities, such as girls' education. Such cooperation could boost peace efforts.

Suicide attack in Afghanistan's north signals broader reach of Taliban

An Afghan Taliban suicide bomber killed at least 31 people today in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz Province. The north has long been devoid of the Taliban's influence.

Chechen terrorist issues stark video warning to Russians

Russia's most wanted terrorist, Chechen Doku Umarov, warned Muscovites of an upcoming wave of suicide assaults. His video comes just two weeks after a suicide attack at Domodedovo airport.

Opinion: Moscow airport bomb: a moment of truth for Russia and Medvedev

Even as Russia mourns the dozens killed and hundreds wounded in yesterday's apparent suicide attack at Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow must take stock of its failed policy in the north Caucasus region. Coming after a series of suicide attacks from Chechen terrorists, this latest bombing shows that Russia is in the throes of a low-intensity civil war.

Morning roundup: Iraq, Tunisia, and the Arab soul

Taliban bomb kills Afghan police chief, 16 civilians in Kandahar bathhouse

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, which came only a day after the US announced it was sending more troops to Afghanistan.

Pakistan's political crisis could complicate fight against Taliban

The Pakistan political crisis worries the US government, which considers a strong Pakistan government key to winning its war in neighboring Afghanistan.

How Petraeus has changed the Afghanistan war

Gen. David Petraeus replaced Gen. Stanley McChrystal as head of US forces in the Afghanistan war this year. One change he's made represents something of a gamble to some in the Pentagon.

Afghanistan war: how a model province tumbled into violence

Khost Province had been a US success story in the Afghanistan war. But poor local leadership, an influx of insurgents fleeing US pressure elsewhere, and the proximity to Pakistan are stubborn challenges.

Killing of Iraq police chief highlights security struggles as US draws down

The suicide attack that murdered an Iraq police chief today is a sign that political violence remains. But such attacks are unlikely to change US plans to leave by the end of 2011.

Suicide bombs in Iraq kill 14 in first big attack since government formed

Twin suicide bomb struck outside government offices in western Iraq on Monday morning, killing 14 people in the deadliest attacks since the new government was announced last week.

How one Afghan village fended off a Taliban advance

Locals who beat back a Taliban advance Saturday now say they fear Taliban retribution and potentially losing control of the area without Afghan government assistance.

Kenya and Uganda boost security after grenade blast linked to Al Shabab

Kenyan and Ugandan officials have linked the blast to Al Shabab, the Somali militia that took credit for a July suicide bombing that killed 79 at two restaurants in Kampala, Uganda.

Pentagon shifting Afghanistan war strategy to 'shoot more bad guys'?

A White House review of Afghanistan war strategy finds progress, but at the Pentagon support is growing for a shift toward more hard power.

Afghanistan war: why IEDs are taking a mounting toll

As US troop levels have surged in the Afghanistan war, so has the number of IEDs – and their effectiveness. Their simplicity is making them hard to detect.