Yemen: Renewed Attention Can Bring Change
Thu, 01/21/2010 - 19:36Pakistan: Women Face the Brunt of Displacement
Tue, 12/08/2009 - 19:37The recent displacement wave in Pakistan forced up to 2 million people out of their homes in less than 6 weeks. Most of the displaced stayed out of camps but with host families. Relatives, friends and even perfect strangers who lived in the lower lands of Mardan and beyond, opened their doors to help out their fellow Pakistanis from the mountainous valleys of Swat and Buner. It is a testament to the hospitable nature of the Pashtuns, without which this humanitarian crisis could have had far greater consequences.
Pakistan: Inconvenient Truths
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 15:48
“When they realize you’re a Mehsud, they treat you like a suicide bomber who’s wearing an explosive jacket.” -A displaced Pakistani from South Waziristan, quoted in Dawn
Pakistan: Hail to the Chief Refugee Officer?
Tue, 06/30/2009 - 01:00Last week, Ambassador Holbrooke testified in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on the U.S.’ integrated strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Over a two-hour session, committee members asked a broad range of questions that ranged from military deployment to poppy eradication.
Pakistan: A Bomb with Rippling Effects
Wed, 06/10/2009 - 01:00‘Déjà vu.’
The headline in Pakistan’s English daily The News this morning summed up the country’s reaction to the latest terrorist attack. Yesterday’s bombing of the Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar, which left at least 18 dead and 70 people injured, is the latest in a string of attacks by extremists in Pakistan. It is telling that such a tragic incident would be seen as almost routine – a reminder that the country is in a state of war.
Pakistan: Wake Up Call
Thu, 05/28/2009 - 01:00
There is a sense in Washington that the magnitude of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Pakistan hasn't been fully grasped yet. The latest offensive by the Pakistani military has forced one and a half million people to leave the Swat and Buner districts in less than three weeks. The UN Refugee Agency stated that the fighting is uprooting more people faster than any conflict since the Rwandan genocide. Even before the most recent military operations, half a million people had fled from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan.
Afghanistan and Pakistan: Bold Reforms Needed
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 01:00Pakistan: The Real Price of Eleven Billion Dollars
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 19:12Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has provided Pakistan with $11 billion in military aid, a staggering sum in both absolute terms and when compared with non-military assistance. Not surprisingly, Pakistan wants this financial and logistical support to its armed forces to continue. President Asif Ali Zardari, in a recent Washington Post op-ed, urged the U.S. to “give [Pakistan] the necessary resources – upgrading [their] equipment and providing the newest technology – to fight terrorists…”
Gain the Trust of the Afghan People
Wed, 02/04/2009 - 02:00
Vice President Joe Biden visited Afghanistan just one week before the inauguration, indicating the new administration’s foreign policy priorities. It is clear that America’s “to do” list in Afghanistan is a long one. But the first order of business should be regaining the trust of Afghans.
After seven years of international presence, the country is still facing tremendous challenges: a weak government, a fledging economy, a serious humanitarian situation and a growing insurgency. As the Vice President himself said on his return, "The truth is that things are going to get tougher in Afghanistan before they're going to get better.”





