nuristan

In 2007, according to ethnolinguist Richard Strand, al Qaeda began a “major strategic thrust toward Afghanistan’s capital” by increasing its presence in Nuristan. Prior to 2007, Nuristan was mostly the domain of Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin, and the two groups rarely worked together (HiG militants thought al Qaeda too extreme). Strand estimated the number of militants [...]

Greg Jaffe is doing a series on the Battle of Want, an impressive multimedia project with previously unreleased video and audio of the fight that left nine U.S. soldiers dead last year. I won’t summarize the entire story, as it should be read in its entirety, but there are a few things worth highlighting.
Strategic confusion [...]

From the Associated Press, a years-old story:
Taliban militants are sowing fear along Afghanistan’s highways with stepped-up checkpoints, hijackings and bombs — including one Tuesday that killed at least 30 bus passengers in the south. Afghan authorities say the attacks, often carried out by only a handful of militants, are part of a psychological campaign to [...]

It’s finally being put into motion: the withdrawal from vast tracts of indefensible bases in places like Nuristan. This news comes right as General McChrystal goes on the teevee to notice that the country is actually worse off since he took over—a brave thing to do, considering the hagiography being built around him. So, will [...]