Michael Hughes: The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) attack on Indian troops in Kashmir could waste some of the goodwill Pakistan had built up with the Trump administration vis-à-vis the Taliban peace talks. Islamabad was on the verge of a major diplomatic coup in Kabul but now may have “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory,” as they say.
PTI: Every couple of months Surveer Singh, who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, is torn between identity and livelihood. Surveer Singh’s family had been living in Afghanistan’s restive Nangarhar province before his parents decided to move to India in 1992, when a wave of Hindus and Sikhs left Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the USSR
The Wire: While Indians had taken umbrage at US President Donald Trump’s dig at New Delhi not doing enough in Afghanistan, former president Hamid Karzai has defended him by saying that Trump was simply referring to what Afghans want: a larger role for India in the region. Click here to read more (external link).
Press TV January 4, 2019 India’s ruling and opposition parties have condemned US President Donald Trump’s comments mocking their country’s role in Afghanistan, saying New Delhi “plays a significant role as a development partner” to Kabul. Trump said on Wednesday he got along very well with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi but that Modi was “constantly telling me he
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 3, 2019 WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump urged other countries, specifically Russia, Pakistan, and India, to become more involved in the fighting in Afghanistan as he argued against continued long-term presence of U.S. troops in the war-torn country. In televised comments to reporters during a cabinet meeting on January 2,
AFP: U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for funding a library in Afghanistan, suggesting it was of no use. Trump brought up India’s aid during a rambling press appearance at a Cabinet meeting as he defended his push for the United States to invest less overseas. Click here to read
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty December 25, 2018 India has formally taken over operations at Iran’s strategic Chabahar Port, a move that could have significant geopolitical ramifications in the region. The port on the Indian Ocean, inaugurated last year, is being built largely by India and is expected to provide a key supply route for Afghanistan
Neelapu Shanti via Economic Times: The Lapis Lazuli transit corridor aims to lower trade barriers, reduce transaction costs, improved cross-border governance through harmonization, increased trade and transit and enhanced regional cooperation. The corridor will function under the framework of Transport International Routier (TIR) carnet. India provides best market for Afghanistan. If India shows interest in joining
Asia Times: For the US, it makes more sense to allow India to continue developing Chabahar port than for China to ‘hijack’ yet another strategically important port — A port in Chabahar, Iran’s southernmost city, was exempted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from sanctions, which he called “the toughest ever put in place”, in
Press TV November 6, 2018 The United States has approved a sanctions exemption for Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar, citing Afghanistan’s economy. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed off on the exception Tuesday, a day after the Trump administration imposed sanctions against Tehran. “After extensive consideration, the secretary has provided for an exception from