Fighting Someone Else’s War

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2007 Valuable sources of news and analysis about key nations and players on the current world stage (including our own) can often be found by looking beyond the western "MSM." Here, prominent Pakistani columnist Ayaz Amir offers his forceful take on the U.S.'s divisive impact on his country's politics and future. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

The Return of Nawaz Sharif

Staff / Truthdig Aug 24, 2007 Here's a bit of news that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf no doubt finds unwelcome: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (pictured), whom Musharraf overthrew in a 1999 coup, is coming out of exile and plans to return to Pakistan to challenge Musharraf's position. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pakistan May Crack Down on Freedoms

Staff / Truthdig Aug 9, 2007 The Pakistani government may declare a state of emergency, which would grant it extraordinary powers, limit civil liberties and extend the political lifespan of embattled President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Musharraf Fires Back

Staff / Truthdig Aug 8, 2007 Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has criticized the tough talk coming out of Washington and the presidential campaign as counterproductive. President Bush and Barack Obama, among others, have recently raised the possibility of attacking targets in Pakistan without necessarily consulting that nation's government. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama Talks Tough About Pakistan

Staff / Truthdig Aug 1, 2007 Perhaps hoping to counteract any perceived weakness (or naivete) regarding his stance on foreign policy, presidential hopeful Barack Obama let fly with some words of warning for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf in a Washington speech Wednesday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

More Trouble for Musharraf

Staff / Truthdig Jul 21, 2007 Pakistan's Supreme Court delivered a ruling Friday that smacks of a smackdown between the country's other top legal players and President Pervez Musharraf, and in this round, Musharraf didn't win: The court flouted Musharraf's decision, made earlier this year, to suspend Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry (pictured) and voted that he be reinstated to his post. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Report: Al-Qaida Looming Large

Staff / Truthdig Jul 18, 2007 A new report about terrorism issued by U.S. intelligence agencies brought the sobering news that, while groups like al-Qaida may be somewhat constrained in terms of their ability to attack American targets at home, the threat they pose will continue to be significant in coming years. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Civil War in Pakistan?

Staff / Truthdig Jul 15, 2007 The Taliban, which sponsored al-Qaida, is alive and well on both sides of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and, following last week's Red Mosque showdown in Pakistan, pro-Taliban militants are retaliating by breaking a 10-month truce and unleashing violence in the country's northern region. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Red Mosque Siege Triggers Turbulence

Staff / Truthdig Jul 15, 2007 Last week's deadly battles at Islamabad's Red Mosque have sparked outbreaks of violence in Pakistan this weekend, which could spell trouble for President Pervez Musharraf's political future. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush’s Pakistan Paradox

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Jul 11, 2007 The marker of what will go down in history as "Bush's folly" is that this idiot of a president invaded a country that had absolutely nothing to do with terrorist attacks on the United States or WMD threats to America while coddling the military junta in Pakistan, which was guilty on both counts. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Showdown at Pakistan’s Red Mosque

Staff / Truthdig Jul 6, 2007 Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has intervened to defuse the explosive standoff at Islamabad's Red Mosque, which has resulted in at least 19 deaths over the last three days. The BBC reports that the mosque's religious leader, Maulana Abdul Aziz, was captured Wednesday after he tried to leave the scene shrouded in a burka. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Karachi Shootout Kills 34

Staff / Truthdig May 13, 2007 Two politically opposed groups in Karachi, Pakistan, opened fire on each other Saturday as a suspended member of President Pervez Musharraf's administration, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was arriving in Karachi for a rally. The BBC reported that 34 were killed in the gunfire and 120 injured, and that Chaudhry was forced to return to Islamabad. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )