Topic: South Asia

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Expert Q&A: Who is Hafiz Saeed and why the $10 million bounty?

For a clearer picture of who Mr. Saeed is, the Monitor talked with a noted scholar and author on the region.
International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe

International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:
Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011

In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front.
Why Karachi is seething

Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, is once again paralyzed by ethnic and political violence that has killed at least 65 people. In the past year, an estimated 1,300 people have died in the fighting.
US aid in Pakistan: Where's the money going?

The discovery of Osama bin Laden hiding in a Pakistani military town has Congress threatening cuts to US aid, and populists in Pakistan saying good riddance. But beyond the angry rhetoric, experts see a mismatch between US hopes and where the dollars have gone.

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Global News Blog
Pakistan jails doctor who helped find bin Laden: why the US may not intervene

The doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 33 years in jail. But perhaps US-Pakistan relations have fallen so low that the US doesn't care anymore. 
Terrorism & Security
Both sides violating Syria cease-fire. Still worth supporting? (+video)

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon called on all parties in Syria to stand by the cease-fire, which has been repeatedly violated by both the government and the opposition.
A Rodney King moment, as US tries to restart talks with the Afghan Taliban

Marc Grossman, US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, met with senior Afghan and Pakistani officials this week. 'The shared goal is to open the door for Afghans to sit down with other Afghans to talk about the future of their country,' Mr. Grossman said.
How a glacier could thaw dangerous India and Pakistan freeze

Following a deadly avalanche in the disputed Siachen Glacier area, India and Pakistan have signaled openness to talks. A priority must be to demilitarize 'the world's highest battle ground' at Siachen, which incurs substantial economic and human costs for these two nuclear rivals.
Afghanistan attacks: Were signs of improved US-Pakistan ties just a mirage?

Despite optimism relations were rebounding, the attacks bore the signature of a Pakistan-based group, a reminder, as the US plans to exit Afghanistan, that Pakistan is at best a fickle partner.
Defending Afghanistan: are Afghan forces ready?

An extended occupation and ever-shifting objectives could leave Afghanistan shakier in 2014 than when US-led forces arrived.
Chapter & Verse
Greg Mortenson must pay $1 million to charity

A Montana Attorney General’s office investigation found significant mismanagement of funds by 'Three Cups of Tea' author Greg Mortenson.
Expert Q&A: Who is Hafiz Saeed and why the $10 million bounty?

For a clearer picture of who Mr. Saeed is, the Monitor talked with a noted scholar and author on the region.
Backchannels
A faulty argument for staying on in Afghanistan

Marc Thiessen of the Washington Post's op-ed page is promising doom when US troops pull out of Afghanistan. There is no reason to believe he's close to correct.
International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe

International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:
Keep Calm
The politics of meat and Muslims in election-year France

Conservative Marine Le Pen recently alleged that President Sarkozy had bowed to 'Islamic radicals.' It may be election-year gold, but restricting or demonizing Islamic practices could push disaffected youth toward those with radical agendas, says author Jonathan Laurence. 
Global News Blog
Can't get enough of books in India

The Jaipur Literary Festival in northern India attracts thousands of book-lovers, and provides greater access to literature for India's 1.2 billion population.
Obama must support India-Pakistan rapprochement

Amid all the bad news, there is a bit of hope in South Asia: India and Pakistan have restarted their peace dialogue, with greater economic engagement. The Obama administration should reinforce this effort, which would help US security interests in the region, especially in Afghanistan.
India's economy loses its luster

India's much-heralded economic boom is faltering, with stock index declining 25 percent. Speed bump or meltdown?
India's support for Iran threatens its US relationship and global leadership role

India's statement that it will continue to purchase oil from Iran is a major setback for the US attempt to isolate the Iranian government over the nuclear issue. It's also bitterly disappointing news for those of us who have championed a close relationship with India.
How the myth of Atlantis could help predict volcanic eruptions

Researchers examining crystals on the Greek island of Santorni – which 3,600 years ago saw a cataclysmic volcanic eruption that is thought to inspired the story of Atlantis – have found a possible way to predict the eruptions of the world's largest volcanoes.
Robert Reich
The biggest risk to the economy in 2012

Forget the European debt crisis. Widening economic inequality is worsening here at home, and little is being done to stop it.
Rand Paul's TSA moment: airport patdowns around the world

Sen. Rand Paul says US airport security officials are invasive without being effective. How are air passengers treated in other countries?
US drone strikes again. Is Pakistan's military angling for a favor?

Outwardly, US-Pakistan relations still look tense. But with Tuesday's US drone strike into Pakistan, ending a hiatus of nearly two months, some experts see some resumed cooperation – and say Pakistan's military may have good reason.
Why US support for sacked Pakistan ambassador is a double-edged sword

Americans have voiced support for Pakistan's former Washington ambassador, under virtual house arrest following the 'memo-gate' scandal. But the atmosphere is so poisonous, the words may do more harm than good.
What the execution of 15 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers means

In an apparent surprise to the Pakistan military, insurgents executed 15 soldiers who had been recently kidnapped – a blow to talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban.
Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011

In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front.
An accelerating covert war with Iran: Could it spiral into military action?

The Stuxnet worm and other covert measures appear designed to slow Iran's progress toward a nuclear bomb. But US 'miscalculations' could raise the likelihood of a costly showdown, some experts warn.
Burqa ban: Canada prohibits Muslim veil in citizenship ceremonies (VIDEO)

Canada's ban follows those of France, Tunisia, Turkey, and Syria, and is meant to ensure that those taking the oath of citizenship are actually reciting the oath.
Historic Myanmar trip for Hillary Clinton: Enough focus on human rights? (video)

Obama's 'constructive engagement' policy gets a test as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Burma (Myanmar). Some critics say US is offering too much for too little progress, especially on human rights.