Analysis
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Kohat: From Terrorist Attack to Escalating Kabul-Islamabad Tensions
DID Press: The deadly attack on a mosque in Kohat, coupled with Pakistan’s official accusations against armed groups based in Afghanistan, has once again brought the security dispute between Kabul and Islamabad to a critical point. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information…
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Pakistan’s Balancing Act: From Mecca Defense Pact to Yemen Crisis
DID Press: The signing of the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, including a collective-defense provision under which an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all, has placed Islamabad’s military…
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Mecca and Jeddah Sirens Test Saudi Arabia’s Deterrence Equation
DID Press: Explosions reported in Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, alongside the activation of warning sirens, could represent a significant development in the regional security equation, particularly if Saudi authorities formally link the incidents to attacks originating from Yemen. The reported…
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Intimidation and Appeasement: Taliban’s Power Game with Afghanistan’s Shiite Community
DID Press: Recent actions by the Taliban authorities in Kabul — ranging from the sealing and seizure of Shiite religious, educational and media institutions to the detention and subsequent rapid release of prominent religious and community figures — reveal a…
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From War on Terror to Tactical Engagement: The 25-Year Legacy of 9/11 in Afghanistan
DID Press: Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, a review of the U.S. and international coalition’s intervention in Afghanistan presents a picture marked by contradictions, strategic failure and what the author describes as moral irresponsibility. A quarter of…
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Al-Qaeda’s Return to Afghanistan
DID Press: A recent Washington Post report on the establishment of at least eight al-Qaeda training centers in Afghanistan points to a significant shift in the regional terrorism landscape and the gradual revival of infrastructure that, following the Sept. 11…
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A Blind World to Afghanistan’s Silent Crisis
DID Press: Remarks by Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that Afghanistan’s human rights situation is deteriorating further have once again painted a troubling picture of the country’s humanitarian and human rights conditions. But the significance…
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Delta Energy Deal Raises Questions Over Persian Gulf and Western Influence in Afghanistan
DID Press: The signing in Kabul of a major oil and gas exploration and production agreement between the Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and Saudi company Delta Energy has once again drawn political observers’ attention to the hidden layers…
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Taliban Pressure on Shiite Institutions Raises Questions Over Religious Tolerance
DID Press: Recent developments in Kabul, including the nighttime encirclement and entry by officials from the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice into the Khatam al-Nabieen seminary and university, the cutting of electricity in the area, reports of physical confrontation with students,…
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US Setbacks from Kabul to the Strait of Hormuz
DID Press: A review of U.S. foreign policy and military doctrine reveals what the author describes as a recurring pattern of costly and interventionist engagements that have drawn Washington into prolonged conflicts. The experience of Afghanistan, the article argues, offers…
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