For years, Afghan officials including President Hamid Karzai have extended an olive branch to moderate Taliban to lay down their arms and back the government. But their overtures have been largely rejected -- until now.
U.S. Senator John Thune at RFE/RL on January 9 (RFE/RL) PRAGUE -- Senator John Thune (Republican, South Dakota) serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, the Armed Services Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Small Business Committee.
Iran's government has warned some 1.5 million illegal Afghan refugees to leave the country or face up to five years in prison. Already reeling from hundreds of thousands of Iranian expulsions, Kabul is pleading with Tehran to wait until the worst of the winter is over.
Most girls dream about about falling in love, getting married in a beautiful dress, and having a family. But for thousands of young Afghan girls, and millions more across Asia and Africa, marriage often comes before they are old enough for such dreams.
An old friend who has long been a powerful force in her own right in neighboring Afghanistan discusses her relationship with the slain Pakistani politician and their shared view that debate and democracy were essential to help heal both their turbulent countries.
The assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto prompted quick international condemnation, as well as intense examination of its effect on South Asia and the rest of the world. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad gave an exclusive interview to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan within hours of Bhutto's death. Khalilzad told correspondent Zarif Nazar that her killing is a "huge loss" for moderate forces in Pakistan that underlines the importance of fighting against Islamic extremists and insurgents.
A UN and an EU diplomat have left Afghanistan after they were expelled by the government in Kabul, which accused them of meeting with insurgents in the southern Helmand Province.
The death of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in an apparent gun and suicide-bomb attack outside the capital, Islamabad, has shaken the country's political landscape and underscored the threat that politically motivated violence poses in Pakistan and the broader region.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy says France could boost its presence in Afghanistan to help train the Afghan army and police. Sarkozy made the comment today during a surprise one-day visit to Afghanistan.
Central Asia is rich in history, oil, and gas -- and troubled by security risks, organized crime, narcotics trafficking, and extremism. In response to those threats, the United Nations this week launched a center for diplomacy in Ashgabat intended to help the region tackle its challenges before they spiral out of control.
Afghan government troops and NATO forces are patrolling the southern town of Musa Qala today after driving out Taliban fighters who had been entrenched there for 10 months. But even as the troops searched for booby traps and stranded militants, the Afghan Defense Ministry said hundreds of Taliban had launched a counterattack in the nearby district of Sangin -- an area that includes a road project linked to the reconstruction of the strategic Kajaki hydroelectric dam.
December 7, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- NATO-led forces and Afghan government troops in southern Afghanistan have launched a joint offensive aimed at seizing a town that has been controlled by Taliban militants for the past 10 months.
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