Daily Incidents

Recent Publications

  • Pakistan Votes: The View from Karachi
    Reza Jan
    Pakistan voted on May 11, 2013 in general elections that saw former two-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif emerge victorious. The polls are a significant departure from Pakistan's military coup-riddled history, though parts of the country did experience significant problems with voting.

  • The Peril of Sequestration
    Frederick W. Kagan
    Sequestration has done material harm to America’s national security at a dangerous moment. It is past time to start paying attention again to the consequences of this policy on our security.

  • A New Wave of Military Restructuring Decrees in Yemen
    Sasha Gordon
    Yemen issued eight decrees that are aimed at restructuring and unifying its military. It will be important to watch whether powerbrokers within the security forces accept the new decisions and whether the security forces become a truly reliable partner in the fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

  • Al Qaeda and its Affiliates in 2013
    Katherine Zimmerman
    Al Qaeda's threat to the U.S. did not end with Osama bin Laden.

Featured Topics

Karachi Violence Emblematic of Pakistan's Instability

All is not well in Karachi, Pakistan. The murder of a senior political party worker on May 18 underscores the unrest wracking the city in the wake of recent elections, and showcases the tendency of political disputes in the nation's financial center to be played out in a violent manner.

Taliban Violence Mars Pakistan's Elections

The Taliban's impact on elections in Pakistan has already been clearly visible. Its attacks have, intentionally or otherwise, helped amplify the voice of conservative parties that claim to seek to part Pakistan from its alliance with the U.S. and to open peace talks with the Taliban.

Maps and Graphics

Daily News Brief

Iran News Round Up

  • February 13, 2013
    Senior IRGC commander killed "outside of Iran"; Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization reports on Iran's nuclear program

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Pakistan Security Brief

  • May 22, 2013
    Chinese Premier arrives in Pakistan for two-day visit, praises Pakistan in interview; NATO equipment withdrawal through Pakistan begins; Imran Khan released from hospital; PTI protests rigging, ECP, MQM; MQM leader disbands Karachi Organizing Committee; Supreme Court orders revision of case against MQM; Roadside bomb in Karachi detonated; Balochistan advocate general freed by kidnappers; Five people arrested for stealing parts from NATO vehicles; Two paramilitary soldiers killed by IED in South Waziristan; Prayer leader shot inside mosque; India and Afghanistan discuss deepening India's help in Afghanistan's reconstruction; Musharraf released for Bhutto murder case, no bail for judges' detention case; PTI came in second in popular vote; Incoming government will continue BISP, renamed as PISP; ANP claims defeat is due to foreign elements; Drone strikes fallen since 2010, costs becoming clear; British survey shows 63 percent believe drone strikes never justified; Drones report says strikes have minimal impact on recruitment A quarter of proposed development spending to come from foreign loans; Ahmadis persecuted by extremists and government.

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Gulf of Aden Security Review

  • May 23, 2013
    Yemen: U.S. government admits to killing three Americans in Yemen; gunmen attack power lines in Nihm, Sana’a governorate; kidnapped Southern Movement leader and National Dialogue Conference member released; hundreds protest in front of President Hadi’s residence in Sana’a; drug smuggler kills border guard in Haradh district, Hajjah governorate; security forces, gunmen clash in Ma’rib city, Ma’rib governorate; senior Turkish official announces efforts to curb weapons smuggling into Yemen; Hadi delivers address on National Unity Day; Qatari emir congratulates Hadi on National Unity Day. Horn of Africa: Unknown gunmen kill civilian in Jowhar, Middle Shabelle region; Ethiopia denies involvement in Jubbaland political process; International Committee of the Red Cross sends envoys to Kismayo, Lower Jubba region; African Union leaders deny accuracy of UN casualty reports; Puntland military court sentences seven suspected militants to death in Garowe, Nugaal region; Somali parliament removes motion against Somali prime minister; African Union prepares to celebrate 50th anniversary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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