Ashish Kumar Sen

Musharraf backs gradual shutdown of militants

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has advocated a gradual approach in trying to shut down anti-India militant groups fighting in Kashmir, noting the popularity of such groups among Pakistanis.

November 11, 2010

U.S. offers to delist Sudan as terrorism sponsor

The Obama administration has offered to take Sudan off a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism if the Sudanese government holds a credible and on-time referendum on southern independence.

November 8, 2010

McCain: India fears U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

Fears about a premature U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan have created tension in the United States' relationship with India and reinforced the Pakistani military's strategy of supporting terrorist groups in the region, Sen. John McCain said on Friday.

November 5, 2010

U.S., U.N. deem Burma vote illegitimate

Burma's military junta is expected to cement its grip on power Sunday in an election widely considered to be illegitimate.

November 3, 2010

Intel sharing reviewed on Mumbai terrorist

The Obama administration has ordered a review of U.S. intelligence about David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American involved in plotting the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, to find out whether intelligence agencies failed to share reports that may have helped prevent the attack.

October 28, 2010

Saddam aide Tariq Aziz sentenced to death in Iraq

Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's former right-hand man and once the international face of the Iraqi regime, was sentenced to death by the Iraqi supreme criminal court on Tuesday.

October 26, 2010

It’s ‘transparent,’ Karzai says of receiving cash from Iran

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday confirmed that he receives cash in bags from Iran, but he defended the process as "transparent."

October 25, 2010

U.S. officials urge Sudanese to compromise

Leaders of north and south Sudan must be willing to compromise when they meet in Ethiopia next week to discuss a way past obstacles to holding a referendum in January that is likely to result in the secession of southern Sudan, U.S. officials said on Friday.

October 22, 2010

U.S. plans $2 billion aid package for Pakistan

The Obama administration will ask Congress for a $2 billion military assistance package for Pakistan even as U.S. officials express frustration over that country's reluctance to go after militant groups that provide safe havens for al Qaeda and the Taliban.

October 22, 2010

Taliban leaders in talks lack ‘influence’

The Afghan government's reconciliation effort with the Taliban is being hamstrung by a lack of participants who wield clout within the militant group and a "peace council" viewed by many Afghans as more eager to maintain the status quo.

October 21, 2010

Obama to visit Pakistan

President Obama will visit Pakistan next year as his administration attempts to shore up its relationship with a key ally in which recent polls found both he and the U.S. share abysmal approval ratings.

October 20, 2010

Pakistan’s haven for terror unit irks U.S.

With U.S.-Pakistani strategic talks set to start in Washington on Wednesday, the Obama administration is growing increasingly frustrated with Islamabad's reluctance to shut down a terrorist group that provides safe haven for al Qaeda and Taliban leaders in Pakistan.

October 19, 2010

Bin Laden, henchman reported in Pakistan

The mystery surrounding Osama bin Laden's whereabouts may finally be solved.

October 18, 2010

U.S. drone attack kills a top Pakistan Taliban leader

A top Pakistan Taliban leader who recently warned that terrorists would launch attacks in the U.S. and Europe "very soon" has reportedly been killed in a U.S. drone attack.

October 15, 2010

Plot to assassinate Pakistani P.M. foiled

Pakistani police say they have disrupted a plot to assassinate the prime minister and other top officials after engaging in a shootout with Islamist militants on Wednesday.

October 14, 2010

U.S. digs in to rescue Chilean miners

Having survived 69 days underground, the 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine began emerging from the bowels of the earth late Tuesday and reuniting with loved ones in a grueling, dramatic rescue made possible by a generous supply of U.S. equipment, manpower and ingenuity.

October 13, 2010

U.S. aids police in Sudan for security

The U.S. has poured millions of dollars into a multinational effort to build a police force in south Sudan that it hopes will ensure a peaceful referendum in January in which southerners are expected to vote for seceding from the north.

October 10, 2010

Pakistan roadblock cuts off Taliban funds

The Pakistani government's decision to shut a key supply route for coalition convoys in Afghanistan also has cut off a source of income for Taliban militants and a trucking racket that reap big profits from a cross-border "protection."

October 6, 2010

Musharraf: Pakistan backed militants in attacks on India

Pakistan provided support and training for militants to fight in India in an attempt to focus world attention on Kashmir, the country's former president said in a recent magazine interview.

October 5, 2010

Congress getting frustrated with Pakistan as a war ally

The closure of a key supply route for coalition forces in Afghanistan, a spate of attacks on NATO fuel tankers and criticism of U.S. drone strikes are fueling frustration in Congress over Pakistan's performance as an ally in the war against militants.

October 4, 2010