Topic: Tehrik-i-Taliban

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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.
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.
The Malala moment: 6 Pakistani views on the girl shot by the Taliban

The shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai by a Taliban gunman has shocked Pakistan and led to some extraordinary writing in the press on how Islamic radicalism is enabled. On the back foot for years, liberals are getting a new hearing against extremist religious parties, the powerful military, and a populist anti-US politician.
Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points

While Pakistani and Afghan insurgents often get labeled as the 'Taliban,' in reality there are several groups that often act independently and have distinct command structures, ideologies, and strategies.
Afghanistan: 5 areas of concern after the US leaves

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan will have profound, direct effects on the country's security, economy, and society. Here are five areas that are likely to see an impact.

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Why Obama's bid to prevent loose nuclear weapons is going slowly

President Obama wants to secure loose material for nuclear weapons by 2013. He has made progress, but success depends on countries disclosing sensitive information.
Food aid stalled in northwest Pakistan after female Taliban suicide bomber kills 45

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said the Christmas Day attack targeted the Salarzai tribe, which has allied itself with the government and formed an anti-Taliban militia.
Pakistani Taliban go for 'the jugular' with attack on Karachi police compound

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for ramming a truck laden with some 1,000 kilograms of explosives into Karachi's Crime Investigation Department compound today, killing 18 people.
Deadly bombings in Pakistan target mosques, killing more than 70 worshippers

Two mosque attacks on Friday come amid an increasing number of Taliban attacks targeting the mosques belonging to tribes that resist the militants' influence.
In Pakistan, militant attacks on Sufi shrines on the rise

Al-Qaeda-linked militants are stepping up their attacks on Sufi shrines, possibly as part of an effort to impose a more fundamentalist Islamic practice on the country.
New US approach to Afghanistan insurgency: Vindication for Pakistan?

Afghanistan and the US are showing signs of a new approach to insurgents in Afghanistan. The approach may ultimately allow Pakistan more influence in Afghanistan as the US prepares to leave next year.
The Monitor's View: More US military aid to Pakistan: It can only do so much

President Obama offered $2 billion in military aid to Pakistan this week. It's an incentive for it to more aggressively fight Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda. But bigger factors -- such as India -- make Pakistan hesitate.
Pakistan keeps Khyber Pass closed as US strikes drone on

Pakistan said it will keep the Khyber Pass - a crucial supply line for the US war effort in Afghanistan - closed because of security concerns, as a US drone strike pounded alleged militants inside Pakistan.
The Monitor's View: NATO helicopter strike on Pakistan adds to tensions with US

The NATO helicopter strike on Pakistan on Thursday is worse than the controversy over drone attacks. One hopes that Washington and Islamabad can move past this by talking specifics as well as common interests.
5 key players in Pakistan's tribal belt

Pakistani military operations in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan have steered clear of North Waziristan, allowing the area to become a haven for militants. Tribal and local intelligence sources say some 15,000 militants shelter in this semiautonomous tribal belt. “It’s a cobweb,” says former Pakistani diplomat Ayaz Wazir. New alliances between militant commanders in Waziristan have turned this area into a dangerous labyrinth, from which fighters can launch suicide attacks in Pakistan or missions against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. “It's an international war which has engulfed us,” says Malik Khan Marjan Wazir, an influential tribal elder in North Waziristan. “The volcano is in Afghanistan but it erupts in our tribal areas.” For Marjan Wazir, peace won't be found through military operations or drone attacks, but in negotiations at what he calls “real” jirgas (tribal assemblies). “My elders would always tell me a story that if a woolen blanket gets leeches, you don’t put to fire the whole blanket. You pluck them out with care.” Based on interviews with local tribesmen and intelligence sources, here’s a list of the five biggest players in the region:
US drones are pounding Pakistan's North Waziristan. Here's why.

US drones have stepped up bombing raids to combat new alliances cropping up between disparate militants coming to Pakistan's North Waziristan region.
Pakistani Taliban designated a terrorist group by US

Listing the Pakistani Taliban as a terrorist group lets the US expand its campaign against the organization, which said it trained the attempted Times Square bomber and has vowed more attacks in the US.
Lahore blasts deepen threat to foreign aid workers in Pakistan

The Lahore blasts – though sectarian in nature – may raise the level of threat felt by the hundreds of international aid workers who have come to help Pakistan after its worst flooding in 80 years.
Pakistan floods: Pakistani Taliban threats don't deter foreign aid workers

Pakistan flood foreign aid groups appear to be unfazed by Taliban threats that their presence is 'unacceptable.' Foreign aid workers note that they are always working in a 'high security context.'
Why Pakistan's disaster should concern you

The desperate situation for Pakistanis creates a frightening opening for the Taliban. If the 100 million Pakistanis under age 25 find no opportunity for gainful employment, they may choose Islamic extremism.
Pakistan floods: As international aid lags, US announces increase

Pakistan floods have left much of the country scrambling for food, health care, and shelter. The US is set to increase aid to Pakistan to $150 million Sen. John Kerry announced on Thursday.
Will slow response to Pakistan flood threaten democracy?

The absence of politicians from the scene of the Pakistan flood -- the country's worst in 80 years -- is raising concerns about the future of democracy in Pakistan.
US races to trump militants in getting aid to Pakistan flood victims

US effort to help victims of the Pakistan flood is likely to expand beyond the $10 million already pledged, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday.
Pakistan violence: Sparked by Karachi's 300th assassination this year

The murder of Karachi politician Raza Haider on Monday sparked Pakistan ethnic violence that left at least 35 dead. Haider's murder was one of about 300 assassinations in Pakistan's financial capital so far this year.
Pakistan likes Al Qaeda more than America

The US is in the middle of a $7.5 billion aid program to Pakistan. But America's image is slipping in the country, where its unfavorable rating is almost as bad as the Taliban's and even Al Qaeda is more popular.
WikiLeaks Q&A with Daniel Ellsberg, the man behind the Pentagon Papers

Daniel Ellsberg, the man behind the most significant leak in Pentagon history – the 1971 Pentagon Papers – spoke to the Monitor about how important the WikiLeaks documents are and whether WikiLeaks is the Afghanistan war's Pentagon Papers.
Wikileaks reinforces the claim that Pakistan supports the Taliban

The Wikileaks documents add credence to the widely-made charge that Pakistan underhandedly supports the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. Why would Pakistan do that?
Taliban IEDs kill five NATO troops in Afghanistan

Taliban IEDs – or homemade bombs – have become the Afghanistan war's biggest killer of international troops, a fact highlighted by the deaths of five NATO troops killed by IEDs this weekend.
Pakistani Taliban release Faisal Shahzad's martyrdom tape [video]

Airing Faisal Shahzad's martyrdom video may be an attempt to boost the standing of the Pakistani Taliban by showing off its ability to attack inside the US.
Pakistan bombing kills 62, wounds 111

Pakistan bombing outside a government office on Friday killed 62 people and wounded 111 in one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan this year.