Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

By -Bruce Riedel Tampa, Florida, is a long way from South Asia, but in mid-2011 I was there to attend a conference on Pakistan at the headquarters of the US Central Command as a guest of Gen David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan. I was to review Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. Only twenty-five years ago the United States had fought a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s help. President Ronald Reagan enjoyed Pakistan’s support and won the war. Now, in the twenty-first…

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Of innocent prisoners, lynching incidents, and Kashmir

Of innocent prisoners, lynching incidents, and Kashmir

Though Kashmiris opined that their elected leaders should attend the talks with the Centre, they were also rather certain that nothing really would emerge from those talks Humra Quraishi For the last few hours, I have been reading this latest book on the situation of the prisoners. In fact, the very title of this book – ‘Innocent Prisoners. Begunah Qaidi. Stories of Muslim Youth Falsely Implicated In The 7/11 Train Blasts and Other Terror Cases’ – relays the stark reality of those sitting implicated and imprisoned. This book has been…

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Maqbool, Afzal, and Kashmir

Kashmir observed two shutdowns in a week to remember late Muhammad Afzal Guru, and late Muhammad Maqbool Bhat. Afzal was hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013 while Maqbool Bhat was hanged in the same jail on Feb 11, 1984. Both of them were laid to rest at Tihar jail and their mortal remains were not returned. Death anniversaries of Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru every year remind Kashmiris of their struggle, and Delhi not returning even the bodies of two Kashmiris who were sent to gallows.…

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