Talibanization has resulted in a strengthening of a strict, close to the Wahabi form of Islamic practice that today has been radicalized and does have connections to terrorism. Coping with the residual legacy of the Afghan war will take decades and demand considerable economic and intellectual effort.
Read More »Western Allegiance to Majoritarian Rule on Trial
Will the West sanction Afghanistan even if the Taliban and other stakeholders manage to cobble together a mutually inclusive and acceptable government comprising representatives of women and all ethnic groups from across Afghanistan?
Read More »Afghan Troops Sought Safety in Numbers – Igniting a Cascade of Surrender
Afghan soldiers chose safety in numbers by surrendering together.
Read More »Don’t Expect Face-Saver from Islamabad, Pakistan Tells The West
Pakistan being one of the two critical neighbors of Afghanistan is alarmed not only by the dramatic surge in violence but also about how the U.S. and its key allies are attempting to shift the blame of their failures onto Pakistan.
Read More »Can China Spearhead Peace in Afghanistan?
What can Beijing do to contain the spiral of violence and prevent the region from sliding into a protracted phase of instability? Pakistan's leading analyst Imtiaz Gul sheds light on the possibilities in an open letter to the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Read More »Mars InSight: Mission Unveils Surprising Secrets of Red Planet’s Interior
Mars’ core is larger and less dense than we thought.
Read More »What are Stablecoins? A Blockchain Expert Explains
Financial regulators are increasingly concerned about stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency tied to an asset like the US dollar.
Read More »Courage and Conviction
Gaining a new understanding and conviction is a long-term process and that is not easy. A process that demands perseverance and discipline. And standing by one’s conviction in the open needs courage and spine.
Read More »What Would the Ancient Greeks Think of an Olympics with No Fans?
No matter how many world records are broken and unprecedented feats accomplished at the 2020 games, the empty arenas will attract no gods or genuine heroes: The Tokyo games are even less enchanted than previous modern games.
Read More »‘Megadrought’ Along Border Strains US-Mexico Water Relations
Record heat and low rainfall are drying up water sources shared by the American Southwest and northern Mexico.
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