South East Asia

Pacific Air Forces Chief Mum on Reports US Plane Disguised Itself to Spy on China

A top Air Force leader in the Pacific refused to confirm or deny recent reports that a U.S. aircraft disguised itself as a Malaysian plane, allegedly “spoofing” a transponder signal to spy on Chinese military activities. But he said the U.S. didn’t break any rules.

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Bangladesh’s Long Road Ahead in Countering Terrorist Fundraising

In early May, a Spanish court sentenced a British citizen of Bangladeshi origin to seven years in prison for financing and supporting terrorism. The convict, Ataul Haque, brother of the head of Islamic State’s technological wing (killed in a targeted U.S. drone strike in Syria in 2015), had reportedly sent …

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James Carafano: In Afghan-Taliban peace talks, here’s message Pompeo needs to give

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Qatar Saturday for the opening of peace talks there between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Hopefully, the Taliban have figured out by now that these talks are not simply a face-saving exercise for the U.S. to exit South Asia. If they haven’t, …

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The Road to Peace In Afghanistan no Longer Runs Through Pakistan

Toward the end of August, a delegation from the Afghan Taliban led by the group’s deputy, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, travelled to Islamabad. There, they met with Pakistan’s foreign minister and head of its Inter-Services Intelligence, the military’s intelligence wing. The first gathering, held at Pakistan’s Foreign Office, was meant …

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US Air Force flies B-1 Lancer bombers over East Siberian Sea

The U.S. Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russia’s far east, as part of a series of recent maneuvers that the military said Friday are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted …

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