When I saw Benazir Bhutto that day in 1989, she was simply impossible to miss. There she stood on the eve of a gathering of the world's most powerful countries: A woman making her way confidently in a sea of men. A woman from Pakistan - a Muslim country, no less - democratically elected as prime minister. ...more

December 28, 2007

Violence in Iraq is at its lowest levels since the first year of the American invasion, finally opening a window for reconciliation among rival sects, the second-ranking U.S. general said Sunday as Iraqi forces formally took control of security across half the country. ...more

December 17, 2007

Concerned about the prospect of failure in Afghanistan, the Bush administration and NATO have begun three top-to-bottom reviews of the entire mission, from security and counterterrorism to political consolidation and economic development, U.S. and alliance officials said. ...more

December 16, 2007

A former CIA officer who participated in the capture and questioning of the first al-Qaida terrorist suspect to be waterboarded said the harsh technique provided an intelligence breakthrough that "probably saved lives," but he now regards the tactic as torture. ...more

December 12, 2007

Over the past seven years, an imposing building on the outskirts of this city has served as a secret holding cell for the CIA. ...more

December 1, 2007

More and more Iraqis are standing up to terrorists and the results are worth celebrating. ...more

November 14, 2007

Former Sunni insurgents asked Americans to stay away, then ambushed members of al-Qaida in Iraq, killing 18 in a battle that raged for hours north of Baghdad, an ex-insurgent leader and Iraqi police said Saturday. ...more

November 11, 2007

Regarding "Pakistan: An Uncertain Ally" (Nation/World, Nov.): Sam Rashid needs to be glad that he has been able to go to his native Pakistan every year up until a couple of years ago. I have not been able to go home to my native Kashmir since 1989. My wish to visit home may be nostalgic, but the rest of my family who lived in Kashmir for centuries were forced from their own land and had to live like refugees in their own country. Such has been the situation for two decades in Kashmir, where Kashmiri Muslim militants trained by Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in Pakistan forced their Hindu neighbors to either leave or be killed. My father was shot by his Muslim friends on Aug. 24, 1990. ...more

November 8, 2007

Its tribal leaders are suspected of sheltering Osama bin Laden. Its border has become a hotbed for al-Qaida and Taliban training camps. Its government is teetering on instability. To help you better understand the plight of this Muslim nation and U.S. ally, we have compiled a synopsis of what you need to know, as well as accounts from local Pakistanis. ...more

November 4, 2007

Gunmen in Baghdad snatched 10 Sunni and Shiite tribal sheiks from their cars Sunday as they were heading home to Diyala province after talks with the government on fighting al-Qaida, and at least one was later found shot to death. ...more

October 29, 2007