The language and propaganda of the Taliban

The language and propaganda of the Taliban

Propaganda has existed in countless forms throughout history, as those in positions of power have tended to try to sway the public opinion one way or another in order to achieve certain goals. This facet of human nature has not changed much in the last few thousand years, only their methods. People tend to argue […]

Pakistani party leader killed in Taliban suicide bombing, along with 19 others

Pakistani party leader killed in Taliban suicide bombing, along with 19 others

Peshawar — A suicide bomb ripped through a political rally in Pakistan on Tuesday night. 20 people were killed, and approximately 63 were wounded. Among the dead was the politician Haroon Bilour, 47, of the Awami National Party. The Taliban in Pakistan (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) have claimed responsibility for the attack. The Pakistan general […]

Opinion: Afghanistan and the ignored headlines

Opinion: Afghanistan and the ignored headlines

We have been at war for a long time. It’s likely that this article is preaching to the choir, as many of SOFREP’s readers were intimately involved in the war themselves, or at least know many people who were. However, even in many veteran circles, interest in news regarding Afghanistan has begun to wane. An […]

Mullah Fazlullah, Leader of Pakistan Taliban Killed in Airstrike

Mullah Fazlullah, Leader of Pakistan Taliban Killed in Airstrike

  A U.S.-Afghan airstrike has killed the Taliban leader in Pakistan. A senior Afghan Defense Ministry official said on Friday, that Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed in the air attack.   The U.S. military said in Washington on Thursday it had carried out a strike aimed at a senior militant figure in the eastern […]

A quiet power: The time I saw a wild snow leopard in Pakistan

A quiet power: The time I saw a wild snow leopard in Pakistan

I was in 7th grade when I attended Murree Christian School (MCS) in hills outside of Islamabad, Pakistan. It was a British boarding school, and the boy’s boarding facility was located a short drive away from the school itself. Every morning we would load up on a bus and head over to the school compound, […]

The wars that we have forgotten

The wars that we have forgotten

There are too many wars and conflicts around the world to keep up with. It’s difficult to stay updated on some of the conflicts that do occasionally make their way to the headlines, even just for a little bit. Firefights in Afghanistan will sometimes make the headlines, but to many consumers they look like the […]

Pakistan’s border fence: Keeping out the Taliban

Pakistan’s border fence: Keeping out the Taliban

Since the announcement in 2005, Pakistan has developed plans and made efforts toward building an approximate 1,500 mile fence running along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. This is an effort to hinder the Taliban’s freedom of maneuver between the countries, as well as drug runners. Pakistan aims to spend approximately $483 million in constructing the fence line, […]

Pakistan Building Fence Along Border with Afghanistan

Pakistan Building Fence Along Border with Afghanistan

In order to slow the flow of terrorists from Afghanistan, Pakistan has begun a project to construct border fences along their porous 1500-mile border with Afghanistan. The project is slated to cost $483 million and the military is hoping it will help in dismantling militant networks in the largely lawless North and South Waziristan regions. […]

Humanity Divided: Seeing the Sunni and Shiite conflict firsthand

Humanity Divided: Seeing the Sunni and Shiite conflict firsthand

The first time I ever heard gunshots take a person’s life, I was in the fourth grade. They would often blow up chunks of the surrounding mountain range with bundles of dynamite, but this sounded different. My Dad would later explain to me that a Sunni had shot a Shiite dead in the bazaar. It […]

Opinion: K-pop, North Korea, and passively building cultural bridges

Opinion: K-pop, North Korea, and passively building cultural bridges

Recently, the Supreme Leader of North Korea attended a K-pop (Korean Pop) concert in Pyongyang, one of several moves made by the dictator that has shocked the world as he appears to be making uncharacteristic moves toward openness and diplomacy. Another such move, and one that could possibly have far greater, positive (or negative) implications, […]

Pakistan and India: The Kashmir dispute

Pakistan and India: The Kashmir dispute

The conflict between Pakistan and India is often overlooked — like many conflicts that have been going on for decades, it’s easy to slip out of the limelight when it sounds like the same news is getting reported over and over. However, the Pakistan-India tensions have had some serious fallout: they have had massive tank […]

Suicide bomber targets Pakistani Police in Lahore

Suicide bomber targets Pakistani Police in Lahore

A suicide bomber detonated his vest on Wednesday in the town of Raiwind, Pakistan, just south of Lahore. The attack was meant to target Pakistani law enforcement, as it happened at a police checkpoint as they were changing shifts. So far, 25 people have been injured, 13 of which were police officers. The death toll […]