CNN and others are reporting that militants in a Taliban-controlled area of Pakistan have captured over 400 students, coming on the heels of a violent attack in the Pakistani city of Lahore and continuing violence in Swat.
From the New York Times’ story on the event:

The convoy, of about 30 minivans, was ferrying students and teachers [...]

From today’s Washington Post: Strikes Have Disrupted Al-Qaeda:
Drone-launched U.S. missile attacks and Pakistan’s ongoing military offensive in and around the Swat Valley have unsettled al-Qaeda and undermined its relative invulnerability in Pakistani mountain sanctuaries, U.S. military and intelligence officials say.
This sounds promising.  But unfortunately, the article provides no evidence or details.  All we have are [...]

The firing of General McKiernan in Afghanistan and his replacement with General McChrystal has prompted some interested debate and discussion. Three of the arguments that emerged are of particular interest and deserve further comment.
First, posting at Foreign Policy, analyst Kori Schake argues provocatively that “McKiernan may become the General Shinseki of Afghanistan.” She [...]

Andrew Sullivan approvingly quotes an essay by Professor Manan Ahmed that attacks the claim that Pakistan is a failed state.
It is a peculiar argument, in large part because very few people actually do consider Pakistan a failed state. That said, it is unclear what most people really do fear is likely to happen in [...]

Today, the American Security Project released an interim update as part of its ongoing “Are We Winning?” study, which found several discouraging trends, including an increase in worldwide Islamic violence and a dampening of the so-called “Obama Effect” in the Muslim world, among other issues.
Click here to listen to audio of a conference call held [...]

It is now a deeply entrenched conventional wisdom that the decision to “abandon” Afghanistan after the Cold War was a tragic mistake. In the oft-told story, our “abandonment” led to civil war, state collapse, the rise of the Taliban, and inevitably terrorist attacks on American soil. This narrative is now reinforced by dire [...]

Coming on the heals of the imposition of Sharia rule in the Swat Valley in Pakistan comes news that the Pakistani Taliban has seized a foothold in the Buner district, a mere 70 miles from the capital Islamabad. Worse, the Pakistani military seems largely unwilling to confront this rising Islamist tide.
From the New York [...]

American Security Project Adjunct Fellow Dr. Evelyn Farkas appears on MSNBC on Friday, April 17th to discuss President Obama’s release of the CIA torture memos and U.S. policies towards Pakistan.  You can view Dr. Farkas’ interview on our website here.

An article today from McClatchy (Do U.S. drones kill Pakistani extremists or recruit them?) further bolsteres the claim that drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal regions may be doing more harm that good.  The article quotes government and military officials who say the strikes cause Islamic radicals to migrate to urban centers–where they are more difficult [...]

Check out these stories and blog posts on President Obama’s newly released Afghanistan/Pakistan strategy:
News Stories:

Washington Post - Obama Announces Plans for More Funding for Afghan War
New York Times – Obama Sounds Cautious Note as He Sets Out Afghan Plan
Associated Press - Obama: Taliban and al-Qaida must be stopped
International Herald Tribune - Obama vows to [...]