The legendary Khyber Pass - the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
INTRODUCTION
Over the last twenty years foreign and security policies have been subject to rapid change. This development is due to the end of the cold war and has been further accelerated after September 11. Traditional security policies such as deterrence and containment have been replaced by risk prevention, crisis intervention, and pre-emptive policy measures. This holds true especially in this part of the world where Pakistan and Afghanistan are meanwhile in the focus of international foreign relations and external security initiatives. Increasingly questions of foreign, security, and developmental policy have thus become intertwined. more
The vagaries of the global political situation have a more pronounced effect on foreign and security policy than other policy areas. HBS must therefore continuously address new challenges, trouble spots and constellations in its work. more»
- The Greens' peace and security policy is geared towards protecting human rights, towards international justice and solidarity, sustainability, non-violence and strengthening international law. Our top priority is civilian crisis prevention. Green peace policy is geared towards eliminating the multifarious causes of violence, crises and conflicts. more»
- Violent conflicts and wars have many and complex causes. Yet cause analyses generally overlook a significant factor: the gender dynamic. A look at the power relations between women and men, however, can be the key to early detection and analysis of the emergence and trajectory of crises and wars as well as to effective strategies for their resolution. By the Feminist Institute of the Heinrich Böll Stiftungmore»
One of the highly debated and controversial issue discussed at the London Conference on Afghanistan is on the integration of Taliban fighters into mainstream Afghan society. President Karzai already began the reconciliation process through a peace jirga held with the Taliban. more»
- In the evening of 1st December, US President Obama held a long time awaited speech on the government’s future strategy for Afghanistan. Sending more troops on the one side, but also setting the time frame for an exit strategy gave an ambivalent impression of the message. Obamas speech has been also perceived with some reservation in Pakistan which is affected, too. more»
Terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons are growing threats for the EU. 30 international experts unanimously call for a much stronger EU commitments to the stabilization of Pakistan than promised at EU-Pakistan summit. By Atlantic Communitymore»
- The first EU-Pakistan Summit was held in Brussels on 17 June 2009. It was agreed on substantial measures to strengthen mutual engagement by initiating strategic dialogue on common commitment to development, education, science and technology, security, counter-terrorism, strengthening democracy, human rights and enhancing trade. more»
September 15, 2010 - This study by Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa is based on survey and interviewes with various students, who are studying in elite colleges, but their minds are being captured by conservative attitude. Although it is difficult to generalize, one is beginning to see a far greater number of people representing latent radicalism than in the past. By Ayesha Siddiqa more»
- Terror attacks and suicide bombings by Al Qaeda and militants Taliban are an ever increasing phenomena in this part of the world. The planning centre for these operations is the tribal region FATA between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mr. Imtiaz Gul, the Chairperson of HBS partner CRSS in this book follows the way militancy has evolved under Al Qaeda’s influence in tribal areas of Pakistan. By Imtaiz Gulmore»
- Pakistan will not break up; there will not be another military coup; the Taliban will not seize the presidency; Pakistan's nuclear weapons will not go astray; and the Islamic sharia will not become the law of the land. By Pervez Hoodbhoy (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists)more»
- The author reviews the book Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid. By William Dalrymplemore»