Afghanistan – Worst Car Bombing Since 2001 Kills 89

Southeastern Afghanistan was shaken yesterday by a car bomb which struck a market in Paktika Province, obliterating more than twenty shops, killing at least 89 and wounding approximately 40 others. The attack, which took place in the Orgun district of Paktika, does not appear to have been targeted in the same way as recent car…

More than 100 Taliban Dead in Helmand Province

Afghanistan’s southwest province of Helmand was home earlier this week to a violent clash between the Taliban and the Afghan military. Taliban forces numbering more than 800 have laid siege to Afghan army checkpoints throughout the region, which is also known as the birthplace of the Taliban and one of the least secure regions in…

Ex-Congressman Sparks Controversy over Tajik Dam

Former U.S. Congressman Dan Burton, a Republican from Indiana’s 5th congressional district, has drawn controversy over his efforts to promote the Rogun Hydroelectric Dam project in Tajikistan that, if completed, would surpass China’s Three Gorges Dam as the largest dam in the world. The hydroelectric dam, which in spite of decades of planning has only…