India’s Troubled Northeast Region: The Resurgence of Ethno-Islamist Terrorism

The security situation in India’s troubled northeast region plumbed new depths in October when two major terror incidents struck Manipur and Assam states. On October 21, nearly 17 people were killed in Imphal and over 30 injured...

Going to “Plan B”: Negotiations with Taliban May Shape a New Afghanistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s September announcement that he had sought the support of Saudi Arabia and other key actors to engage Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar with the intent of establishing a formal dialogue to end the...

India and Pakistan Address Terrorism Issues as Relations Deteriorate

The fourth meeting of the Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism (JATM) between India and Pakistan on October 24 in New Delhi remained trapped between diplomatic niceties and hard-nosed positions, adding to the widely held skepticism...

Taming the ISI: Implications for Pakistan’s Stability and the War on Terrorism

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency. As such, it has found itself at the center of a dispute between Pakistan and the United States over the prosecution of the War on Terrorism, a dispute...

BRIEFS

PAKISTANI ISLAMIST FATWA REFUTES TALIBAN’S JIHAD

In a surprising move, a group of Pakistani clerics best known for their hardline views on Islam’s role in society have gathered to issue a fatwa condemning suicide-bombing and...

Is the U.S.-Pakistan Alliance Against Terrorism Coming to an End?

Recent events in Pakistan have raised critical issues concerning the continuation of Pakistan’s support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism in Afghanistan. Commencing with the enormous backlash in Pakistan in the aftermath of the...

Target and Attackers Still a Mystery in Islamabad’s Marriott Bombing

The September 20 terrorist attack on Islamabad’s American-owned Marriott hotel shook the whole country. Shocking scenes of flames engulfing the 290-room hotel were televised live. Mostly used by foreign dignitaries and local...

Al-Qaeda’s Golden Opportunity to Deal a Devastating Blow to the United States

When Osama bin Laden declared war on the United States in al-Qaeda’s name in the late summer of 1996, he outlined ambitious worldwide Islamist goals, but noted that al-Qaeda could not accomplish them on its own. He said that...