Inside the Istanbul Talks: How Taliban Factionalism Killed a Peace Deal
The collapse of the Turkiye-hosted talks to address the TTP threat was not a diplomatic failure but a calculated act of sabotage from within the Taliban regime. Deep factional divides—between Kandahar, Kabul, and Khost blocs—turned mediation into chaos, as Kabul’s power players sought to use the TTP issue as leverage for U.S. re-engagement and financial relief. The episode exposed a regime too fractured and self-interested to act against terrorism or uphold sovereignty.
Bihar Should Reject Modi’s War Politics
Bihar’s election is shaping up as a test of Modi’s war-driven politics. With rising discontent over unemployment and poor governance, voters may choose to look past jingoism and focus on the real issues that shape their daily lives.