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.
The Islamic State-Khorasan offers a powerful case study of the militant group’s ability to create autonomous affiliates that flourish and endure. BY MICHAEL KUGELMAN | NOVEMBER 8, 2019 Acouple of years ago, a conspiracy theory emerged alleging that the United States was backing the Islamic State in Afghanistan. It had a curious mix of propagators: former Afghan President
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman October 17, 2019 Last week, the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan marked its 18-year anniversary. U.S. forces have now been fighting there for nearly two decades. Afghans, however, have experienced conflict for twice as long. Before U.S. troops arrived in October 2001, there was a period of Taliban rule, and that was preceded
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman September 17, 2019 On September 7, U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly called off his government’s talks with the Taliban—even though the two sides were on the cusp of a U.S. troop withdrawal deal. With talks off (for now), the Trump administration has vowed to intensify its fight against the Taliban, with the
READ MORENew Delhi’s crackdown could send the region spinning into instability. BY MICHAEL KUGELMAN | AUGUST 5, 2019 On Aug. 2, the state government of Jammu and Kashmir issued an extraordinary order. Citing terrorist threats, it ordered tourists and pilgrims to evacuate, and it shuttered schools. This came several days after New Delhi deployed thousands of new troops to
READ MOREImran Khan made a historic visit to the US and was successful in persuading White House of his commitment towards peace in the region. Washington didn’t ask Islamabad to do more this time but calling this a reversal of the US-Pak relations is far-fetched. There is still much more to do. Michael Kugelman July 29,
READ MOREMichael Kugelman Jul 25, 2019 What a three days it was for Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington. He participated in multiple White House meetings, culminating in a one-on-one exchange with President Donald Trump. He hobnobbed with senior congressional leaders on Capitol Hill. He networked with corporate bigwigs. He addressed an audience at a top
READ MOREMichael Kugelman Friday, July 26, 2019 Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan enjoyed a warm visit to Washington this week, with his hosts, from President Donald Trump to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Lindsey Graham, all affirming the importance in particular of cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan in Afghanistan. For a Pakistani government
READ MOREU.S. needs in Afghanistan have overridden promises to get tough on Islamabad. By Michael Kugelman | July 22, 2019 U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House today. According to a White House statement, the two leaders will “focus on strengthening cooperation between the United States and Pakistan
READ MOREEven a soft verdict could inflame India-Pakistan tensions by aggrieving hardliners on both sides. 17-07-2019 MICHAEL KUGELMAN@michaelkugelman Just when India-Pakistan tensions appeared to be easing a bit after a successful round of talks on the Kartarpur Corridor and Islamabad’s decision to reopen its airspace for Indian aircraft — the relationship is poised to suffer another blow. The
READ MORE8 July 2019 Author: Michael Kugelman, Wilson Center Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced a staff-level agreement for a new three-year, US$6 billion bailout package for Pakistan. If the deal is finalised as expected, this will be the 13th time in the last 30 years that Pakistan has received an IMF assistance package.
READ MOREIndia’s leader has to mix a muscular foreign policy with a softer touch. By Michael Kugelman | June 13, 2019 Mod’is ascension to the prime ministership the first time, back in 2014, also provoked anxiety around the world—but now, he faces less international opprobrium than he did then, when many globally considered him a pariah.
READ MOREMichael Kugelman June 06, 2019 Throughout his turbulent term in office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to make US foreign policy more muscular and nationalistic. In some cases, such as building a wall on the US-Mexico border, he has suffered repeated setbacks. In others, such as his decision to hold direct talks with North
READ MOREMay 28, 2019 By Michael Kugelman On May 23, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a resounding victory in national elections. While many analysts and observers had expected a repeat victory—given the struggles of the Congress Party to cobble together a formidable opposition coalition and given the sheer popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi—few
READ MOREMichael Kugelman 3 May 2019 The world is watching the Indian election. Sort of BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2014, when Narendra Modi was in Washington for his first visit as prime minister, I remember standing outside near the White House and doing a live interview with an Indian television reporter—one of many that had converged on
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