Analysis & Commentary
2 Uighur Gitmo Detainees Transferred to El Salvador
The Department of Defense announced the transfer of two Uighur detainees from Guantanamo to El Salvador yesterday. The two detainees were not named in the DoD's press release.
9/11: 10 Years After
Terrorism analyst Bill Roggio says, "Al-Qaida hasn't so much as become a diffused entity as it has embedded itself into local groups, for instance with the Pakistani Taliban and the Haqqani network in the Afghan-Pakistan border area, and has expanded its reach by establishing regional affiliates such as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and Shabaab (in Somalia).
A Desperate ‘Longshot’
Some in the Obama administration are desperate to jumpstart peace negotiations with the Taliban in advance of NATO’s summit in Chicago next month.
A Guide to Avoiding Disaster in Afghanistan
For those of us who can remember how lonely it was to be in favor of the Iraq war and the hoped-for surge in 2006, reflecting on America’s current travails in Afghanistan—a “fool’s errand” (George F. Will) administered by “well-meaning infidels” (Andrew J. Bacevich)—isn’t nearly so depressing. Although one can have serious doubts about how the Obama administration has so far handled the conflict (doubts made only a little less nagging with hearings, starting today and expected to confirm General David Petraeus’ appointment as the theater commander), the status quo in the country shouldn’t yet produce so much doom and gloom.
A Radical’s Radical
In early May, a little over a week after President Barack Obama ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Texas congressman Ron Paul staked out his position on the man who plotted the murder of nearly 3,000 people on American soil: The operation to kill bin Laden, Paul said, was “absolutely not necessary.”
A World Sliding Into Danger
Time was when the sun never set on the British Empire.
Afghan Forces, Families are Prime Target for Taliban, Says Commander
A Taliban commander in northeastern Afghanistan who has been hunted by US forces for years and has voiced his support for al Qaeda said recently that the Afghan security forces have now become the number target for his forces.
Afghan Peace Council Reportedly Seeks Talks with Taliban Commanders Held at Gitmo
In written testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Mar. 15, General David Petraeus briefly outlined Afghanistan's efforts to reconcile some Taliban forces.
Afghan Security Forces Kill 3 ISAF Troops in South, East
An Afghan soldier killed two British soldiers on a military base in southern Afghanistan today, while a policeman killed an ISAF soldier in the east. The Afghan soldier was killed by ISAF troops, who opened fire on the attacker.
Afghan Soldier and Teacher Kill 2 ISAF Soldiers in South
An Afghan soldier and a teacher opened fire on NATO troops in Kandahar province today, killing two soldiers before being killed in return fire. Afghan security personnel have killed seven International Security Assistance Force soldiers in the past 10 days, while the Taliban have killed six ISAF troops during the same time period.
Afghan Taliban Announces New ‘Political Office’ in Qatar
The Taliban announced today that it is opening a "political office" in Qatar. According to a translation of the Taliban's message by the SITE Intelligence Group, the office is intended to "spread understanding with the international community."
Afghan Troops Ramp Up Attacks on Western Trainers, Threatening Allied War Effort
“It’s sort of a catch-22,” said Bill Roggio, the editor of Long War Journal, a Web site that closely tracks the Afghan war. “Our plan is to turn the country over to the Afghans, which means training them to take over. But they’re killing the guys we have doing the training.”
Afghanistan Leader and Hero
Since September 11, 2001, it has become clear a stable, democratic future for Afghanistan is integrally linked to American national security. A country devastated by more than 20 years of war, Afghanistan has endured many tragedies such as brutal Soviet occupation, internecine violence between the resistance jihadi parties, and most recently al Qaeda terrorism.
Afghanistan Nation Building May Fail: Senate Report
On April 25, Taliban completed a nearly 400-meter tunnel into the city’s main prison and used it to free about 500 fellow guerrillas in what officials said was an inside job.
Afghans Say Taliban’s Top Pakistan-Based Leaders Sent Peace Envoy’s Killer
About 30 of the Taliban’s most prominent leaders have served on the shura in recent years, and many of the group’s members may have dispersed to Karachi or other cities to escape possible U.S. attack, according to the Long War Journal, a U.S.- based monitoring group on the Afghan war.
Al Qaeda ‘Operates in Afghanistan Under the Flag of the Islamic Emirate’: Taliban Spokesman
A Taliban spokesman who identified himself as an "Authorized Correspondent by the Media Committee of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" said that the Taliban will not renounce al Qaeda
Al Qaeda Brokers New Anti-US Taliban Alliance in Pakistan and Afghanistan
One of al Qaeda's top leaders has reached out to the most powerful Taliban commanders along the Afghan-Pakistani border to create a new alliance to battle the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda Disarms Select Taliban Commanders
Central Asia Online reports: Al-Qaeda is blocking Taliban fighters who favour peace talks from negotiating with Kabul.
Al Qaeda Fighter’s Detention Upheld By DC Circuit Court
On July 22, a DC Circuit Court panel affirmed a district court's denial of Guantanamo detainee Moath Hamza Ahmed al Alwi's petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Government prosecutors introduced evidence showing that al Alwi, who is a Yemeni, traveled to Afghanistan to join the Taliban in its fight against the Northern Alliance.
Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri Spotted at Taliban Meeting
A senior al Qaeda leader who is one of the terror group's most dangerous military commanders and strategists, and who was reportedly killed in a drone strike last June, has been spotted at a meeting with the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.
