Topic: Central Asia

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Letters to the Editor – Weekly Issue of July 5, 2010

Readers write in about Turkey and plastic pollution.
07/28/2010 01:56 pm
In Pakistan, Hillary Clinton announces new aid projects, lauds mango

The mood was upbeat during Hillary Clinton's two-day visit to Pakistan, in contrast to her visit in October. Today she announced plans for two hydroelectric dams and three hospital projects.
07/19/2010 01:27 pm
Decoder Wire Lunch with a Russian spy: kind of, well, ordinary

The alleged Russian spies lived unobtrusively among ordinary Americans, but US officials say their mission was to make influential contacts over time. Here's one account of a brush with a Russian spy, back in the cold-war days, that fits that pattern.
07/01/2010 01:12 pm
General Petraeus: US troops to remain in Afghanistan for years

General Petraeus told senators at his confirmation hearing that he supports President Obama's Afghanistan strategy, including its exit plan. But he also said US forces would remain in the country for the foreseeable future.
06/29/2010 04:26 pm
Kyrgyzstan failure could boost Afghan drug trade, Islamist radicals

The recent wave of ethnic violence is Kyrgyzstan's second violent upheaval in five years. A June 27 referendum could bolster the weak government, but lingering security problems may hamper the vote.
06/25/2010 11:41 am
Opinion Beyond the McChrystal, Petraeus drama: a counterinsurgency reality check

Given all the hurdles to a successful counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, it is not too early for Petraeus and Washington to begin thinking about Plan B.
06/25/2010 11:15 am
Opinion To make progress on Afghanistan and Russia, Obama must get Kyrgyzstan right

Politically unstable Kyrgyzstan, which experienced a coup this spring, is home to a US air base that's critical to the war in Afghanistan. Russia is paying close attention. So should Washington.
06/24/2010 05:00 pm
Gen. David Petraeus takes over in Afghanistan: Will it make a difference?

Gen. David Petraeus, who replaced ousted Gen. Stanley McChrystal, is a widely respected officer who wrote the Army's counterinsurgency manual and helped craft US policy in Afghanistan.
06/23/2010 08:06 pm
Kyrgyz violence could threaten China's influence

Kyrgyz violence has slowed trade between China and Kyrgyzstan to a trickle, allowing rival Russia to step up its already dominant influence.
06/18/2010 05:07 pm
Editorial Board Blog Should the US and Russia work together to resolve Kyrgyzstan crisis?

06/17/2010 04:24 pm
Kyrgyzstan riots led to ethnic cleansing; government blames Bakiyev

The Kyrgyzstan riots that ethnically cleansed the city of Osh of much of its Uzbek population could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. The interim government blames ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and says the situation is improving.
06/16/2010 11:20 am
New International Space Station crew blasts off on Soyuz rocket

New International Space Station crew departed from a Russian Soyuz rocket on Tuesday. Two Americans and one Russian cosmonaut are onboard.
06/16/2010 10:57 am
After Israel's Gaza flotilla raid, is Turkey rejecting Europe?

Israel's Gaza flotilla raid prompted a response in Turkey that rattled some Europeans. Turkey has been rebuffed in its efforts to join the European Union for years, and is now forging a more independent international course.
06/15/2010 03:20 pm
Russian rocket set to launch Tuesday with new crew

A Russian rocket is set to launch toward the International Space Station Tuesday carrying two American astronauts and one veteran Russian cosmonaut.
06/15/2010 11:58 am
Chapter & Verse 10 great books about cycling

Whether you ride a bike or not, the summer is the perfect time to pick up a book about cycling.
06/11/2010 02:31 pm
Global News Blog Top 10 military spending nations; oil countries post biggest jumps this decade

Despite a global recession, worldwide military spending increased in 2009 by its fastest pace since 2003, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Chad boosted spending by 663 percent. The US still has the biggest defense budget.
06/03/2010 02:55 pm
International Space Station crew returns to Earth

After nearly six months aboard the ISS, a cosmonaut and two astronauts have touched down in Kazakhstan safely in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
06/02/2010 01:29 pm
Space station astronauts on their way home

After six months in orbit in the International Space Station, three astronauts will board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft Tuesday night to return to Earth.
06/01/2010 03:26 pm
Moscow furious, says US not pushing drug war in Afghanistan

Moscow's new drug czar, Viktor Ivanov, claims Russia is being flooded with cheap heroin and charges that the US and its NATO allies in Afghanistan are reluctant to pursue a drug war that could drive poppy farmers into the arms of the Taliban.
05/19/2010 06:45 pm
Opinion Will Obama support democracy in Kyrgyzstan?

The ousted president of Kyrgyzstan was charged with murder. Now Roza Otunbayeva is the best hope to lead the country. She’s honest, pro-American, and committed to democracy.
05/03/2010 12:15 pm
The Monitor's View Nuclear treaty and an overthrow in Kyrgyzstan: two sides of Russia

Even as Obama and Medvedev signed the START nuclear weapons treaty, Vladimir Putin was supporting the new government in Kyrgyzstan, where he wants the US to give up its military base. The US should have its eyes wide open about the promise of a "reset" in relations.
04/09/2010 03:48 pm
Sri Lanka elections buoy ruling party; Tamils sidelined

Voters in Thursday's Sri Lanka elections favored President Mahinda Rajapakse's ruling party, which prioritizes economic growth over reconciliation with the rebel Tamils after decades of civil war.
04/09/2010 10:32 am
Can US supply Afghanistan war without Kyrgyzstan's Manas airfield?

The US military may retain access to Manas airfield – a key transit hub for the Afghanistan war – despite the turmoil in Kyrgyzstan. But given the weakness of other supply routes, the loss would deal a major blow.
04/08/2010 12:27 pm
Kyrgyzstan opposition takes over in Bishkek. What happens to Manas?

With opposition leaders claiming they've formed their own government in Bishkek and reports that Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has left the country, What will happen to the US use of the Manas air base?
04/07/2010 05:10 pm
Global News Blog Kyrgyzstan protests: What it means for US role in Afghanistan war?

The Kyrgyzstan protests, in which government forces killed at least 17 rioters who tried to storm President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's office and other locations, highlights US reliance on a key air base supplying troops in Afghanistan war.
04/07/2010 12:47 pm