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Taliban groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan yesterday staged simultaneous attacks in both countries killing at least 100 people. A women’s clothing market was targeted in Peshawar, while across the border, UN officials were attacked in their hotels in Kabul. The Pakistan attacks came just hours after US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in the nation. While Taliban groups in both countries have their ethnicity and fundamentalist beliefs in common, the Pakistani version has apparently shown less concern for civilian casualties than the Afghan Taliban. Their reasons for the attacks were also distinct. The Peshawar attack is thought to have been in direct response to a recent deployment of 30,000 Pakistani troops to South Waziristan where the group is based. The Kabul attack on the other hand, was claimed by the Afghan Taliban to be in response to the UN’s recent role in setting up presidential run-off elections scheduled for November 7th. With the United States reviewing its strategy on the Afghanistan war, and expanding its war in Pakistan, a crucial question is whether US actions are curbing or creating the problems in both countries. This week’s New York Times revelation of the suspected drug-lord brother of Afghan President Karzai being on the CIA payroll to run paramilitaries, further complicates the situation.

GUEST: Vijay Prashad, George and Martha Kellner Chair in South Asian History and Professor of International Studies at Trinity College, author of nearly a dozen books, including The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World, and keynote speaker for this weekend’s South Asian Network Annual Dinner.

The South Asian Network’s 8th Annual Fundraising Dinner is happening at the USC Town and Gown Ballroom on Saturday November 7th at 7 pm. Artist and Poet D’Lo will host the event and Vijay Prashad is the keynote speaker.

To RSVP, call Dolly Hussein at 562-403-0488 or email her at dolly@southasiannetwork.org. Or visit www.southasiannetwork.org.