Nov 5th, 2008 · In Afghanistan, the U.S. Embassy invited scores of Afghans to watch the U.S. election results at a party in Kabul. The party was held at the Serena Hotel, where a well-planned Taliban bombing and gun attack in January grabbed world headlines.
Oct 30th, 2008 · Taliban militants have stormed the Information Ministry in the heart of Kabul, killing at least five people. It was the most brazen attack in the Afghan capital since last summer's suicide bombing at the Indian Embassy.
Oct 20th, 2008 · Reports last month of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban raised eyebrows in several world capitals, but it turns out there were no formal negotiations. There are signs, however, that both sides are more interested in peace talks than ever before.
Oct 10th, 2008 · Thousands of Pakistanis are fleeing to Afghanistan to avoid a military launch against the Taliban. Pakistani soldiers are going door-to-door in the area demanding that Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, go back to Afghanistan as well. Afghan officials question how many more refugees they can house and feed in the midst of a food shortage.
Oct 9th, 2008 · A draft report from U.S. intelligence agencies says Afghanistan faces a "downward spiral" as Taliban fighters threaten stability in the region. They're conducting more sophisticated attacks, increasingly encroaching on government and working more closely with al-Qaida, it says.
Oct 9th, 2008 · A new report says Afghanistan is in danger of falling prey to Taliban influence yet again. The report, to be released by major U.S. intelligence agencies after the elecion, cites a breakdown in Afghani leadership and a steady increase in violence from militants as well as corruption.
Sep 21st, 2008 · A huge truck bomb destroyed the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistan capital, Islamabad, killing more than 50 people in a terrorist attack that has shaken the country's new administration. Among the dead are at least one American, a German and the Czech ambassador to Pakistan, reports NPR's Phillip Reeves, who says investigators suspect al-Qaida and the Pakistani Taliban in the blast.
Sep 13th, 2008 · The U.S. military raid in Pakistan last week was part of an intensified campaign to attack Al Qaeda and the Taliban inside Pakistan. NPR's Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman talks with host Scott Simon about how CIA officers are being pulled from around the world for this campaign.