Afghanistan / Pakistan

Why Afghanistan’s Children Are Used as Spies and Suicide Bombers

In a country that has experienced nearly endless conflict for more than 30 years, Afghan children have regularly been recruited to join armed groups on both sides of the battle line.

The Taliban Hunters

Inside a counter-terrorism unit in Karachi, Pakistan that’s dedicated to tracking down Taliban suspects.

ISIS is in Afghanistan, But Who Are They Really?

It appears ISIS-allied fighters are gaining a foothold in Afghanistan, but just how similar are they to the group’s branches in Iraq and Syria?

“The Most Risky … Job Ever.” Reporting on “ISIS in Afghanistan”

Najibullah Quraishi has covered the war in Afghanistan for more than a decade, but embedding with ISIS fighters who’ve recently emerged there “was the most risky and dangerous job ever I’ve done in my life,” he says.

WATCH: A Conversation With Teens in Training as ISIS Suicide Bombers

As ISIS expands its reach into Afghanistan, it is training children and teenagers to become the next generation of jihadis.

ISIS in Afghanistan: School of Jihad

The emergence of ISIS in Afghanistan has introduced a new level of brutality to the conflict, beyond what has been practiced by the Taliban.

Coming in November on FRONTLINE

This November, explore an unsolved string of murders from the past, and the dangerous new rise of ISIS in Afghanistan.

Pentagon Opens Probe Into Sexual Abuse by U.S. Allies in Afghanistan

The Defense Department’s Inspector General has opened an investigation into whether U.S. troops were discouraged from reporting the rape and sexual abuse of children by their Afghan allies.

“Nobody’s Been Held Accountable” for Wasteful Spending in Afghanistan, says U.S. Watchdog

The U.S. has spent $110 billion on reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. How was the money used? How was it wasted?

Military Overlooked Sexual Abuse by Afghan Allies, Investigation Says

A new investigation by The New York Times finds that U.S. soldiers were told not to intervene in cases of sexual abuse of young boys by Afghan allies.

After Mullah Omar, What Comes Next For the Taliban?

News of Mullah Omar’s death comes at a time when the Taliban faces internal power struggles and increased factionalism, even as it continues its brutal and deadly fight against the Afghan government.

The Rise of ISIS

The War the U.S. Left Behind in Afghanistan

International forces formally ended their combat role in Afghanistan in December, but the Afghan government’s war with the Taliban isn’t over. In fact, it’s become more deadly.

Declassified: U.S. Backs Down From Secrecy on Afghanistan Spending

Watchdogs say the decision will help efforts to fight corruption in training of Afghan security forces.

How Is American Money Being Spent on Afghan Security Forces? It’s Classified

The military’s decision to classify information that had previously been publicly available was described as “unprecedented” by the government watchdog for Afghanistan reconstruction.

The American Who Plotted an Attack on a Newspaper

In 2009, David Coleman Headley planned to bring holy war to Denmark, after a newspaper published controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Web of Terror

The Mumbai terrorist attacks killed 166 people — including six Americans. Could they have been prevented?

In 2008 Mumbai Attacks, Piles of Spy Data, but an Uncompleted Puzzle

Indian and British intelligence agencies were both spying on the online activities of one of the alleged plotters, but couldn’t connect the dots.

Pakistani Court Grants Bail to Key Suspect in Mumbai Terror Attack

Pakistan’s decision to free Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi came despite heightened calls to crackdown on militants following a deadly attack this week on schoolchildren in Peshawar.

Taliban Attack On Pakistani School is Deadly and Symbolic

An attack that killed at least 132 children at an army-run school in Pakistan was not only one of the deadliest in recent history, it was also highly symbolic.

Could Night Raids Return to Afghanistan?

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s administration plans to lift a ban on the controversial raids targeting Taliban fighters, according to a new report.

Billions in U.S. Spending Can’t Slow Afghan Opium Poppy Production

This comes despite $7.6 billion in counternarcotics spending by the U.S. there over the last decade — and is projected to increase even more in 2014.

Pakistan’s “Forgotten Crisis”

More than 1 million — including 456,000 children– have been displaced this summer by the military’s campaign to root out militants in the tribal areas.

“Outlawed in Pakistan” Wins Overseas Press Club Award

The May 2013 film explores the complicated rape case of Pakistani teenager Kainat Soomro.

Meet the New Head of the Pakistani Taliban

Watch rare video of Maulana Fazlullah, the mastermind behind the shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai.

Did NSA Surveillance Help Thwart Plotter of Mumbai Attack?

Officials have credited the program with helping to capture David Coleman Headley, but a closer examination shows the U.S. only caught up with him after a tip from British intelligence.