Michael Kugelman is Asia Program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. He can be reached on Twitter @michaelkugelman and at michael.kugelman@wilsoncenter.org. He is also a Board Member of South Asia Journal.
There is genuine anger and apprehension. Michael Kugelman In the days since President Trump came down hard on Pakistan in his speech outlining America’s new Afghanistan strategy, the reaction in Islamabad—and elsewhere across the country—has been predictably angry and defiant. Pakistan’s National Security Committee, a group of top government and military officials, rejected Trump’s
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman © Getty Images President Trump’s new Afghanistan strategy has attracted ample criticism, and a major complaint is its lack of new ideas. It’s true that in its focus on ramping up the fight against the Taliban, redoubling support for the Afghan government and getting Pakistan to eliminate Taliban sanctuaries on its soil,
READ MOREThe West reveres Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Pakistanis resent and envy her. By Michael Kugelman On July 7, Malala Yousafzai posted her first tweet. Within hours, she had earned several hundred thousand followers and a warm welcome from the Twittersphere. Over the next few days, as word emerged on social media that she
READ MOREThe Pakistani military now finds itself in a familiar position—firmly ensconced in the catbird seat. Michael Kugelman July 31, 2017 For Nawaz Sharif, the third time was definitely not the charm. On July 28, Pakistan’s Supreme Court disqualified the Pakistani prime minister, thereby preventing him from serving out his full term, which was scheduled to
READ MOREDhaka’s Secular Traditions Have Never Been More Vulnerable By Michael Kugelman and Atif Ahmad On July 1, 2016, five militants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery, a restaurant frequented by foreigners in an upscale neighborhood of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility, but local officials blamed members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB),
READ MORENo entry: A deserted acclimatisation centre for Kailash- Manasarovar pilgrims near Nathu La. China has suspended the yatra through this route | Arvind Jain Regional rivalry between India and China destined to deepen Michael Kugelman Several years ago, a retired Indian brigadier told me that India and China were bound to go to war. This
READ MOREIf America goes all-in on Afghanistan and fails, it’ll be easier to walk away. Michael Kugelman July 16, 2017 Afghanistan has suffered through a harrowing summer, even by the nightmarish standards of a country convulsed by conflict for decades. On May 31, a truck bomb exploded in Kabul’s heavily fortified diplomatic enclave, killing more than
READ MOREThe Indian prime minister’s visit telegraphed a familiar message: The U.S.-India relationship is going places, and fast. Michael Kugelman June 27, 2017 There was something both familiar and reassuring about Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Washington. It was familiar because it was reminiscent of his previous trips here as premier. And at
READ MOREBloombergQuintOpinion Michael Kugelman @MichaelKugelman June 21, 2017, 9:21 am June 21, 2017, 3:30 am Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon be travelling to Washington D.C. for a visit with President of the United States Donald Trump. Since the two men will be meeting for the first time, a major focus of their exchange will
READ MORENarendra Modi was a global pariah only a few years ago, a Hindu nationalist vilified for anti-Muslim riots that left hundreds dead in Gujarat state. Halfway into his term as India’s prime minister, his swashbuckling foreign policy is scoring military and economic deals from Washington to Beijing. In early March 2013, following pressure from students and
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman Michael Kugelman is deputy director and senior associate for South Asia with the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center. The views expressed here are his own. (CNN)In recent days, with Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency continuing to gain steam and America’s longest war staggering through its 16th year, analysts have started invoking the
READ MOREThe Trump administration is taking its eyes off the ball in Afghanistan. The real threat is still al Qaeda. By Michael Kugelman On April 13, the U.S. military dropped a huge bomb on caves and tunnels used by Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan. The resulting blast reverberated several miles away, reportedly killed dozens of
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In May 2002, police discovered the mutilated body of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan. When it was time for Pearl’s remains to be collected and prepared for the long trip back to the United States, the police who found the body didn’t undertake this delicate task. Neither did any other law
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Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inked a major transport corridor deal withIran and Afghanistan. According to the terms, India will provide $500 million to develop a port in the southern Iranian city of Chabahar. New Delhi also pledged to invest $16 billion in a free trade zone around the city. Additionally, there will
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