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.
Michael Kugelman July 12, 2018 Back on June 27, the White House abruptly postponed a summit, scheduled to take place in Washington on July 6, between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis and their Indian counterparts Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman. Pompeo, in a phone call with Swaraj, cited “unavoidable reasons” for
READ MOREMichael Kugelman June 19, 2018 PAKISTAN could be water scarce by 2025. In recent days, this prediction has generated headlines and galvanised social media users across the country. It’s not the first time we’ve heard this estimate. The UN, Pakistan’s Met department and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources have all delivered it in
READ MOREA temporary Taliban truce, despite the opportunity it presents, doesn’t mean peace is about to break out anytime soon. By Michael Kugelman | June 26, 2018, 12:03 PM Kandahar Air Field on Sep. 9, 2017. (Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images) In recent days, unprecedented developments in Afghanistan have brought new hope to one of the most war-stricken
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman| June 26, 2018, 12:03 PM In recent days, unprecedented developments in Afghanistan have brought new hope to one of the most war-stricken countries in the world. The Afghan government and the Taliban declared separate brief cease-fires to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Over a remarkable three-day period, smiling soldiers, civilians, and Taliban
READ MOREMICHAEL KUGELMAN, May 20, 201814:12 This past week, the Taliban entered the city of Farah, the capital of a province by the same name located in western Afghanistan. For a brief period, it took over several government buildings before being pushed out by Afghan ground forces and US airstrikes. The offensive marked one of the
READ MOREMichael KugelmanUpdated May 22, 2018 Dear Sabika, It’s been several days since the school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, where you, a 17-year-old Pakistani exchange student, were among the 10 victims. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about you from media reports and the moving testimonials from your family and friends. You were blessed
READ MOREBy Michael Kugelman May 18, 2018 Pakistani protesters carry placards during a demonstration against the killing of a local resident in a car accident involving a US diplomat in Islamabad on April 25, 2018. Michael Kugelman is the senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. You can
READ MOREIranian President Hassan Rouhani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on February 17, 2018. Photo: Iranian Presidency – Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran doesn’t only deliver a blow to the global nonproliferation regime and stability in the Middle East. It also poses major
READ MOREThe site of this weekend’s suicide bombing in Kabul. Photo: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images by Michael Kugelman 24/4/2018 The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack on a voter registration site in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed more than 60 people. The tragedy followed four other election-related attacks, including the abduction
READ MOREby MICHAEL KUGELMAN April 22, 2018 For nearly four years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done something extraordinary: Despite confronting many problems and crises at home, he has managed to remain consistently popular. Recent developments, however, suggest that he is starting to lose his magic — and fast. Consider Modi’s many struggles. He has
READ MOREMichael Kugelman April 03, 2018 This past week, 20-year-old Malala Yousafzai made an emotional return to Pakistan. Her four-day visit included meetings with friends, family, and senior officials, including Pakistan’s prime minister. Many Pakistanis applauded Yousafzai’s return. Some, however, did not. While she may have received a hero’s welcome, Malala is no national hero in Pakistan. A small but
READ MOREMichael Kugelman 24/3/2018 The White House’s revolving door never stops spinning. Rex Tillerson’s ouster marks the latest, but certainly not the last, case of a top US official being sent packing. Tillerson’s likely replacement is Mike Pompeo, who had been CIA director. With a spymaster — particularly one who strongly believes in
READ MOREMarch 6, 2018 By Michael Kugelman and Nishtha Sharma Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars On February 28, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made an extraordinary peace overture to the Taliban. The offer is striking in its generosity. If the Taliban accepts the Afghan government and comes to the negotiating table, Ghani held out the
READ MOREMichael Kugelman 26 February, 2018 The FATF decision is bad and good news for Pakistan. Getting grey-listed is much less serious, particularly on reputational levels, than getting blacklisted. Pakistan may have dodged a bigger bullet, but it’s far from being out of the woods. After much anticipation, speculation, and confusion, we now know that the
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