Reportage
The Making of Pakistani Sci-Fi
In her novel “The Light Blue Jumper,” a light-blue, bald alien named Zaaro Nian finds himself caught up in an interplanetary conflict when his work ship collides with a rebel ship. The narrative, which at times can wax satirical, delivers an unflinching critique of Pakistan’s contemporary society.
Iraq’s Protest Movement Finds Unexpected Friends
Since Iraq’s protest movement exploded two years ago, it has been plagued by a tragic and unbroken string of hundreds of murders. Few have been solved. But activists have repeatedly pointed the finger at corrupt police and shadowy militia groups.
The Drone Unit that Helped the Taliban Win the War
The Taliban’s advances in the north near Tajikistan were a critical part of the story of how Afghanistan fell to the group. Fazelminallah Qazizai speaks to the drone unit that decapitated rival forces and enabled the insurgents rapid advance.
Afghan Women Confront the Taliban
The Taliban’s newly formed interim cabinet doesn’t include any women. They have banned unauthorized protests and attacked journalists for reporting on them. Yet the protests have continued. The women are fierce. They are not content with simply preserving their rights, they are demanding leadership positions in any new government.
How Iran’s Missile Strategy has Rewritten the Rules of Middle Eastern Wars
Stretching from Lebanon to Gaza and Yemen, Iran has built an extraordinary military alliance. The core of it is Tehran’s homegrown missile program, one that has given its allies surprising abilities — and poses a fundamental, long-term problem for the United States’ role in the Middle East.
The Special Units Leading the Taliban’s Fight against the Islamic State
The Taliban sensed an opportunity. Eager to win more public support for their insurgency and desperate to prevent the Islamic State from making further inroads into their territory, they decided to escalate the fight against the group.
Taliban, the Next Generation
Anas Haqqani, the youngest son of a jihadist commander who fought the Russians and the Americans, tells Newlines that the Taliban has learned from its mistakes. But can the Taliban leave their brutal past behind?