Asia Archives

Obama’s Afghan Problem

President Barack Obama decided February 16 to send an additional 17,000 U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan, as part of his campaign promise to increase...

Thomas R. Eddlem February 18, 2009

Pakistan Agrees to Taliban Haven in Swat Valley

February 17, 2009

The government of Pakistan announced on February 16 that it had agreed to accept a system of strict Islamic law, or sharia, in...

Talking With Iran’s Terror Regime

William F. Jasper February 15, 2009

As Iran celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Khomeini Revolution and the American hostage crisis, U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Mahmoud...

Baghdad-Tehran Axis Grows

William F. Jasper February 14, 2009

Less than two weeks after Iraq’s provincial elections, the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki welcomed a large high-level delegation from Iran....

Iraq Elections No Victory for U.S.

William F. Jasper February 13, 2009

Provincial council elections in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces on January 31 strengthened Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s Dawa Party, a militant Shia Islamic...

Foreign Policy Insider Holbrooke Visits Pakistan

February 10, 2009

President Barack Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, who arrived in Pakistan on February 9, met the next day with...

Russia’s Puzzling Role in Afghan Theater

February 6, 2009

On February 5, we reported about the fate of the U.S. air base at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, which has played a key role in...

Fate of U.S. Base in Kyrgyzstan Uncertain

February 5, 2009

Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said on February 3 that his government had decided to shut down the U.S. air base at Manas. Manas...

First Iranian-produced Satellite Launched

February 4, 2009

Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, announced on February 3 that on the previous day the Islamic nation had launched its first domestically produced...

Gaza Cease-fire Continues to Break

February 2, 2009

For the second time in two days, the cease-fire between the Hamas Palestinian terrorist faction that controls Gaza and neighboring Israel was broken...

Mitchell Discusses Gaza in Israel, West bank

January 29, 2009

George J. Mitchell, the Obama administration's special Middle East envoy, traveled to Israel from Cairo on January 28 for a meeting with Israel's...

The Expanding War in Afghanistan

January 28, 2009

In an announcement made to reporters in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on January 20, General David Petraeus, the U.S. Central Command chief,...

Another Busy Week in the Middle East

January 27, 2009

The world's attention remained focused on the Middle East during the week of January 25, as President Barack Obama met with his special...

Petraeus Prepares for Afghan Military Buildup

January 21, 2009

General David Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in the Middle East, met Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the presidential palace...