ISLAMABAD December — Rumors of a Pakistan coup sparked by a government minister being barred from leaving the country have been dismissed after briefly causing flutters in financial markets.

Political tension has risen in Pakistan since the Supreme Court on December 16 struck down an amnesty that protected President Asif Ali Zardari, several of his ministers and thousands of others from corruption charges.

Zardari can still not be prosecuted because he is protected by presidential immunity, but some opposition politicians have nevertheless called on him to step down. His spokesman said he wouldn’t.  Read more... (619 words, 1 image, estimated 2:29 mins reading time)

First published on 4th November 2009

Between pilfering, mountain passes closed by snow, overturned trucks and attacks by hostile tribes, getting equipment and supplies to troops in Afghanistan is a challenge.

For a year, Army Lt. Col. Greg Younger, command transportation integration officer for the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command at Scott Air Force Base, lived in Pakistan and helped orchestrate and simplify the movement of military goods from Port Karachi in southern Pakistan through that country into Afghanistan through a mountain pass in the northwestern part of the country.  Read more... (1000 words, 1 image, estimated 4:00 mins reading time)