UPDATE:  Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has backtracked on his earlier comments. 
——————————————————————————————-
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani says the military operation targeting Taliban militants in the South Wazirstan tribal region is over.

Pahari Sahib, Wikimedia Commons

Mr. Gilani told reporters that Pakistan’s military is now focusing on the Orakzai tribal region in an effort to chase the Pakistani Taliban leadership that is believed to have fled there from South Waziristan.  Once fully launched, the operation in Orakzai will be the third major offensive against the Pakistani Taliban this year.
Here is …

Watch VOA’s Special Report below on U.S. President Barack Obama’s announcement of his new strategy for Afghanistan.
VOA’s Special Report — New U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
During his speech, President Obama explained the purpose of more troops is to break the Taliban’s momentum in the country and help lay the foundation for transitioning command from the coalition to Afghan security forces.
Mr. Obama also sought to reassure Afghans that the United States has no interest in taking over their country.  He said America seeks to isolate those who destroy and strengthen those who …

The last five days in Kabul were extremely busy.  The main story: Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s inauguration.  Or more importantly: the promises he made in his inaugural address.  Afghanistan’s allies were paying close attention. Watch my television report below for a summary of the speech:

It appears Mr. Karzai is working fast to make good on at least some his promises.  Late Sunday, his office issued a decree asking Afghanistan’s High Office of Oversight and Anti-corruption to prepare for a national conference within one month.  The conference will bring together Afghan …

I had the opportunity today to sit down in Kabul with Mohammad Yasin Osmani, the head of Afghanistan’s High Office of Oversight and Anti-corruption.

In American parlance, Osmani is Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s “Corruption Czar.”  He is responsible for overseeing the fight against corruption in the Afghan government.
It is a daunting task.  Osmani’s office is less than a year old, and he says it is only 30 percent staffed.  It also is at the center of a storm of international criticism.
I asked him about a recent article in The Times of …

One year ago, young supporters of Barack Obama at colleges across the country poured into the streets to celebrate his presidential election victory.  Hundreds of supporters in the college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, gathered in jubilation, shouting “Obama is my president!” and “Yes, we did!”  Just down the road at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, college students sat glued to their televisions and screamed with excitement when Mr. Obama’s victory was announced.Today, I walked down the same street at the University of North Carolina at Chapel …