Pakistan’s leading English-language newspaper, Dawn, began publishing a selection of more than 4,000 American diplomatic cables obtained from WikiLeaks.
May 21, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, WIKILEAKS, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, KAYANI, ASHFAQ PARVEZ
Recent Developments
The antiterrorism alliance between the United States and Pakistan, always complicated and often shaky, was plunged into a crisis by the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 by American special forces operating deep inside Pakistan.
The fact that Bin Laden had been hiding for years almost in plain sight in a medium-sized city that hosts numerous Pakistani forces an hour's drive from the capital underscored questions about whether elements of the Pakistani spy agency knew the whereabouts of the leader of Al Qaeda.
That the United States did not give warning of the raid and Pakistani forces were not able to detect or stop it deeply angered and humiliated the military's leadership, its rank and file and much of the population. The infiltration three weeks later of the nation’s largest naval base by Qaeda commandos was another blow to the standing of the military, traditionally the nation's most revered institution.
American officials have sought to use the Bin Laden killing to push the Pakistani army to greater efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. But its leadership has rebuffed those requests, and in June, according to American officials, its spy agency arrested five Pakistani informants who helped the Central Intelligence Agency before the raid
Some officials and outside experts said the military is mired in its worst crisis of confidence in decades. Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the army's chief and the most powerful man in the country, is fighting to keep his position in the face of intense discontent in the ranks over what is seen as his cozy relationship with the United States.
Overview
Pakistan was born as an explicitly Muslim state, and the wrestling between its secular and Islamic natures has never been so pronounced as in recent years. Its other sources of unrest, including the military's role as the arbiter of power — there have been four coups in its 60 years of independence — its rampant corruption and political instability, have been joined by the rise of Islamic militant groups that control of parts of the country's western half and have launched attacks in the heart of its largest cities.
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Official Name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad (Current local time)
Government Type: Federal republic
Population: 164.74 million
Area: 310,527 square miles; almost twice the size of California
GDP Per Capita: $2,600
Year of Independence: 1947
Web site: Pakistan.gov.pk
Newspaper in Pakistan Publishes WikiLeaks Cables
Pakistan’s leading English-language newspaper, Dawn, began publishing a selection of more than 4,000 American diplomatic cables obtained from WikiLeaks.
May 21, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, WIKILEAKS, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, KAYANI, ASHFAQ PARVEZ
Pakistani Dies From Attack on U.S. Vehicles
A suicide bomber on a motorcycle targeted two armored passenger vehicles of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar on Friday, but no Americans were killed or seriously injured.
May 21, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, UNITED STATES FOREIGN SERVICE, DIPLOMATIC SERVICE, EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES, TERRORISM, PESHAWAR (PAKISTAN)
Pakistan
Recent Developments
The antiterrorism alliance between the United States and Pakistan, always complicated and often shaky, was plunged into a crisis by the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 by American special forces operating deep inside Pakistan.
The fact that Bin Laden had been hiding for years almost in plain sight in a medium-sized city that hosts numerous Pakistani forces an hour's drive from the capital underscored questions about whether elements of the Pakistani spy agency knew the whereabouts of the leader of Al Qaeda.
That the United States did not give warning of the raid and Pakistani forces were not able to detect or stop it deeply angered and humiliated the military's leadership, its rank and file and much of the population. The infiltration three weeks later of the nation’s largest naval base by Qaeda commandos was another blow to the standing of the military, traditionally the nation's most revered institution.
American officials have sought to use the Bin Laden killing to push the Pakistani army to greater efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. But its leadership has rebuffed those requests, and in June, according to American officials, its spy agency arrested five Pakistani informants who helped the Central Intelligence Agency before the raid
Some officials and outside experts said the military is mired in its worst crisis of confidence in decades. Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the army's chief and the most powerful man in the country, is fighting to keep his position in the face of intense discontent in the ranks over what is seen as his cozy relationship with the United States.
Overview
Pakistan was born as an explicitly Muslim state, and the wrestling between its secular and Islamic natures has never been so pronounced as in recent years. Its other sources of unrest, including the military's role as the arbiter of power — there have been four coups in its 60 years of independence — its rampant corruption and political instability, have been joined by the rise of Islamic militant groups that control of parts of the country's western half and have launched attacks in the heart of its largest cities.
ARTICLES ABOUT PAKISTA
Pakistan’s Spies Tied to Slaying of a Journalist
Intelligence showed that senior officials of the spy agency directed the attack on a journalist in an effort to silence criticism, two senior administration officials said.
July 4, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS, NEWS AND NEWS MEDIA, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, ASIA TIMES
Pakistani Military Still Cultivates Militant Groups, a Former Fighter Says
Officials in Pakistan back militant groups as tools in the dispute with India over Kashmir and in Afghanistan to drive out foreign forces, a former militant leader says.
July 3, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: TERRORISM, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, KASHMIR AND JAMMU (INDIA), HIZBUL MUJAHEDEEN, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, HARAKAT-UL-MUJAHEDEEN, TALIBAN, LASHKAR-E-TAIBA, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Deadly Shelling by Pakistan into Afghanistan Stirs Tensions
Politicians and Western diplomats here have said privately that they hope recent attacks, which have killed 42 Afghans, will stop before villagers in the attacked areas take up arms themselves.
July 3, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, AFGHANISTAN, TALIBAN
Cellphone Offers Clues of Bin Laden’s Pakistan Ties
Osama bin Laden used the militant group Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, which has links to Pakistani intelligence, as part of his support network.
June 24, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: TERRORISM, AL QAEDA, HARAKAT-UL-MUJAHEDEEN, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Drawing Down, With a Vigilant Eye on Pakistan
The United States must rely on Afghanistan’s help to deal with emerging Pakistani threats.
June 23, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, UNITED STATES DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), UNITED STATES, AFGHANISTAN, TALIBAN, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, KARZAI, HAMID, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Pew Survey Affirms Grim Views of U.S. in Pakistan
Most Pakistanis disapprove of the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden and think it will have harmful effects on relations with the United States, according to a recent survey.
June 22, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: POLLS AND PUBLIC OPINION, PEW RESEARCH CENTER, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Pakistan Detains Army Officer on Suspicion of Militant Ties
The detention of the brigadier raises serious concerns about the infiltration of elements sympathetic to Islamic extremists in the higher ranks of the army.
June 22, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES
Pakistan Bomb Labs Empty Before Raids, Fueling Suspicions
For the second time this month, explosives factories were evacuated shortly after American intelligence officials told Pakistani security forces about them.
June 20, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, TERRORISM, TALIBAN, AL QAEDA, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE
Pakistani Army Denies Sharing U.S. Report With Bomb Makers
The statement from the military was likely to further strain relations between the countries over the issue of insurgents.
June 18, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), TERRORISM, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Robert Gates Stresses the Importance of Ties With Pakistan
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, along with Adm. Mike Mullen, said the relationship between the United States and Pakistan contributed to stability in the region.
June 17, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, GATES, ROBERT M
General Kayani Is Said to Cling to Job in Pakistan
Pakistan’s army chief, the most powerful man in the country, is facing seething anger from top generals and junior officers since the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
June 16, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ESPIONAGE, UNITED STATES DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, BIN LADEN, OSAMA, KAYANI, ASHFAQ PARVEZ
Pakistan Arrests C.I.A. Informants in Bin Laden Raid
Pakistan’s detention of five C.I.A. informants, including a Pakistani Army major, is the latest evidence of the fractured relationship between the United States and Pakistan.
June 15, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, ESPIONAGE, UNITED STATES DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, OBAMA, BARACK, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Panetta Warns Pakistani Intelligence Officials on Collusion With Militants
Leon E. Panetta, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, traveled to Pakistan with what the C.I.A. believed to be proof that Pakistani officials had tipped off militants about a raid.
June 12, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), TERRORISM, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Bombings Kill Dozens in Pakistan
At least 34 people died and nearly 100 were wounded after two explosions went off in Peshawar on Sunday.
June 12, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, TERRORISM, PESHAWAR (PAKISTAN)
Pakistani Journalists, Dying to Tell the Story
I was tortured. My colleague was killed. Pakistan’s government must act to punish intelligence officials who target journalists.
June 12, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: TORTURE, NEWS AND NEWS MEDIA, SHAHZAD, SYED SALEEM
Afghan Leader, Hamid Karzai, Visits Pakistan
President Hamid Karzai arrived in Islamabad for a two-day visit that is being viewed as an effort to ensure Pakistani help in peace negotiations with the Taliban.
June 11, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, KARZAI, HAMID, ZARDARI, ASIF ALI, KAYANI, ASHFAQ PARVEZ
Pakistan Investigates Teenager Shot to Death by Paramilitary Troops
The shooting, which was captured on video and broadcast on national television, has led to protests and has been condemned by political parties and human rights groups.
June 10, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: RECORDINGS AND DOWNLOADS (VIDEO), DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS, HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Drone Strikes Kill 20 in Pakistan, Reports Say
At least twenty suspected militants were killed in Pakistan’s tribal region in what were described as a pair of American drone strikes, local media reported.
June 9, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: DRONES (PILOTLESS PLANES), FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS (PAKISTAN)
China's Troubled Neighbors
Balancing diplomatic necessities with growing nationalistic impulses is proving difficult for Beijing.
June 8, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: INDIA, BEIJING (CHINA)
U.S. Drones Kill 18 in Pakistan Tribal Region
American drone aircraft struck the tribal region of South Waziristan in at least three attacks on Monday, killing 18 people, according to Pakistani officials.
June 7, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, DRONES (PILOTLESS PLANES)
Our Fantasy Nation?
If Republicans seek a country with low taxes, little regulation and traditional family values, I have the perfect place for them. Body armor suggested.
June 5, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: FEDERAL BUDGET (US), UNITED STATES
Pakistani Militant Chief Is Reported Dead
Ilyas Kashmiri has been implicated in several attacks, including a battle last month at a Pakistani naval base and the 2008 rampage in Mumbai, India.
June 5, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, DRONES (PILOTLESS PLANES), KASHMIRI, ILYAS
Pakistani Border Clash Enters Second Day
At least 27 Pakistani troops have been killed as a battle with militants who crossed the border from Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan entered its second day on Thursday.
June 3, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, TERRORISM, AFGHANISTAN, AL QAEDA
India and Pakistan Fail to Resolve Glacier Dispute at Talks
Defense secretaries from both countries failed to deliver a breakthrough on demilitarizing a Himalayan glacier considered the world’s highest battlefield.
June 1, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, INDIA
Pakistani Reporter Is Found Dead After Article on Navy
Syed Saleem Shehzad had been abducted and received threats from Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
June 1, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS, KIDNAPPING, NEWS AND NEWS MEDIA, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, GILANI, YOUSAF RAZA
Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 8 at Pakistan Eatery
The Taliban claimed responsibility and officials said the target of the attack was a prominent member of a local militia that is supportive of the government.
May 29, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), TERRORISM, TALIBAN
In Evidence: a Terrorist’s To-Do List
Hours of testimony last week by a confessed terrorist provided a rare look at the clandestine world of Islamic extremists.
May 29, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: MUSLIMS AND ISLAM, TERRORISM, MUMBAI (INDIA), HEADLEY, DAVID COLEMAN
Clinton Makes Tense Visit to Pakistan
The diplomatic encounter was intended both to cajole the Pakistanis and to reassure them of political support at a time when Congress has threatened to cut aid.
May 28, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, TERRORISM, CLINTON, HILLARY RODHAM, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
U.S. Has Met With Aide to Taliban Leader, Officials Say
U.S. officials have met with an aide to Mullah Mohammad Omar at least three times in recent months in the first direct exploratory peace talks, officials in the region said.
May 27, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), AFGHANISTAN, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION, TALIBAN, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, OMAR, MUHAMMAD
Bin Laden Discussed Seeking Pakistan’s Protection, Officials Say
Documents from the Abbottabad compound reveal discussions of promises of no Qaeda attacks in Pakistan in exchange for sheltering Bin Laden, but no evidence that an offer was made.
May 27, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: TERRORISM, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, AL QAEDA, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
Pakistan and China: Two Friends Hit a Bump
Pakistan says it asked China to build a naval base at Gwadar, a Persian Gulf port. China says the subject never came up.
May 27, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, MILITARY BASES AND INSTALLATIONS, CHINA
Plotter of Mumbai Attacks Says He Worked for the D.E.A.
David C. Headley, who has confessed to helping plot the 2008 Mumbai attack, said he used his role as a drug informant as cover for activities with a militant group.
May 26, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: MURDERS AND ATTEMPTED MURDERS, TERRORISM, MUMBAI (INDIA), HEADLEY, DAVID COLEMAN
China Is Key to America's Afghan Endgame
Pakistan's instability is as troubling a problem for Beijing as it is for Washington.
May 26, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), CHINA, BIN LADEN, OSAMA
China Admits Its Technicians Were Held in Pakistan Base Attack
In Beijing, the Foreign Ministry said that “technical staff of a certain enterprise” were taken hostage in a bloody 16-hour siege at a naval base in Karachi, Pakistan.
May 25, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: MILITARY BASES AND INSTALLATIONS, HOSTAGES, CHINA
At Chicago Trial, Headley Says Pakistan’s ISI Had Role in 2008 Mumbai Attacks
David C. Headley, who claims he scouted Mumbai for a terror group, said he had help from Pakistan’s spy agency.
May 24, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: ESPIONAGE, TERRORISM, MUMBAI (INDIA), INTER-SERVICES INTELLIGENCE, HEADLEY, DAVID COLEMAN
Standoff on Pakistan Naval Base Ends
Insurgents stormed a naval base and destroyed two American-made aircraft before surrendering.
May 24, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: TERRORISM
Militants Attack Pakistani Naval Base in Karachi
At least four Naval personnel, including one officer and one sailor, were killed in the attack by at least 10 to 15 unidentified gunmen.
May 23, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: MILITARY BASES AND INSTALLATIONS, DEFENSE AND MILITARY FORCES, TERRORISM
Oil Truck Explosion Kills at Least 15 in Pakistan
At least 15 people were killed when an oil tanker carrying fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan exploded on Saturday in the northwestern tribal region.
May 22, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: AFGHANISTAN WAR (2001- ), OIL (PETROLEUM) AND GASOLINE, EXPLOSIONS, TERRORISM, FIRES AND FIREFIGHTERS, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION
Pakistani Dies From Attack on U.S. Vehicles
A suicide bomber on a motorcycle targeted two armored passenger vehicles of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar on Friday, but no Americans were killed or seriously injured.
May 21, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, UNITED STATES FOREIGN SERVICE, DIPLOMATIC SERVICE, EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES, TERRORISM, PESHAWAR (PAKISTAN)
Newspaper in Pakistan Publishes WikiLeaks Cables
Pakistan’s leading English-language newspaper, Dawn, began publishing a selection of more than 4,000 American diplomatic cables obtained from WikiLeaks.
May 21, 2011 MORE ON PAKISTAN AND: POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT, WIKILEAKS, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, KAYANI, ASHFAQ PARVEZ
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Multimedia
Slide Show A Cricket Match in Italy
South Asian immigrants have brought their love of cricket to the city of Rome, where an amateur tournament is now in its third year.
Slide Show After the Raid: The Compound in Abbottabad
Shortly after Osama bin Laden was killed, the Pakistani military blocked access to the compound where he had been staying. This did not, however, stop journalists and curious residents from stopping by for a look.
Interactive Feature How Osama bin Laden Was Located and Killed
How Osama bin Laden Was Located and Killed
Interactive Feature Reports on the Death of Osama bin Laden
New York Times correspondents report on the military raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden. <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/osama_bin_laden/index.html">Full Coverage »</a>
States of Conflict: An Update
News from the battlefields in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Op-Chart Inside the Muslim (Journalist’s) Mind
Pakistan’s journalists have found themselves the center of America’s struggle against terrorism.
Sufism Under Attack in Pakistan
Sufism, Pakistan's most popular branch of Islam, has seen a rise of attacks against its worshipers at shrines. The bombings are part of an ongoing battle to enforce a more conservative brand of Islam.
More Multimedia »
Pakistan at a Glance
Official Name: Islamic Republic of PakistanCapital: Islamabad (Current local time)
Government Type: Federal republic
Population: 164.74 million
Area: 310,527 square miles; almost twice the size of California
GDP Per Capita: $2,600
Year of Independence: 1947
Web site: Pakistan.gov.pk
Related Pakistan Topics
Asif Ali Zardari
Nawaz Sharif
Pervez Musharraf
Kashmir
Benazir Bhutto
Baitullah Mehsud
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