Topic: Central Asia

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Backchannels A faulty argument for staying on in Afghanistan

Marc Thiessen of the Washington Post's op-ed page is promising doom when US troops pull out of Afghanistan. There is no reason to believe he's close to correct.
US-Russia 'reset' gets a boost with Russian offer of airbase

Russia has made an unprecedented offer that indicates a desire to improve ties ahead of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Report: US asked Russia to deliver ultimatum to Iran

A leading Russian newspaper reported today that US Secretary of State Clinton requested that Russia tell Iran upcoming talks are the 'last chance' before it pursues a military option.
International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe

International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:
Violence in Western China underscores uptick in minority unrest

At least 12 people were reported killed Tuesday night in clashes in a Muslim majority Uighur region in western China.
Putin vows to halt Russia's population plunge with babies, immigrants

If current trends continue, Russia's population will drop from 143 million to 107 million by 2050. Putin vowed in a newspaper article yesterday to reverse that trend if elected.
Taliban infiltrators in Afghanistan? Pentagon warns of 'insider threat.'

Attacks by Afghan police and soldiers against US troops have caused friction and raised the threat that Taliban sympathizers could be joining the Afghan Army to attack or undermine NATO.
Putin harnesses Russian nationalism to boost presidential bid

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says that multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot' but must find its own way.
Opinion Obama must keep US military in Afghanistan to counter China, Russia

The Obama administration must recognize that a total military withdrawal would have effects beyond Afghanistan's borders. It would devastate US interests – both political and economic – throughout Central Asia, a critical region where China and Russia now dominate.
Killing the Cranes

After decades in Afghanistan, a Monitor journalist offers a memoir and field report.
12/19/2011 03:08 pm
NATO drivers to US, Pakistan: Keep us truckin'

As Pakistan's blockade on NATO's Afghanistan supply lines enters day 20, truckers in Karachi are struggling to make ends meet.
12/14/2011 01:23 pm
Why engage with Pakistan?

The US still needs Islamabad’s help on Afghanistan. Pakistan needs US aid money and global connections to avert international isolation.
12/06/2011 09:15 am
How do key countries rank on corruption?

Every year, the group Transparency International releases its Corruption Perception Index, which measures the perception of corruption – misuse of public resources, bribery, and backdoor deals, to name a few – in countries worldwide. On a scale of 0 (most corrupt) to 10 (least corrupt), no country scores a 10 and more than two-thirds of the 183 countries on the index score below a 5. The US comes in at 7.1. The index is built using data from surveys examining enforcement of anticorruption laws, tracking of public funds, kickbacks in government contracts, etc.
12/01/2011 02:23 pm
Global News Blog Good Reads: Why British diplomats consider Tehran a 'hardship post'

Yesterday's rampage by Iranian 'students' are just the latest example of how Iranian domestic anger gets focused on diplomats.
11/30/2011 09:49 am
Peace Corps withdraw abruptly from Kazakhstan

More than 100 Peace Corps volunteers are leaving Kazakhstan, after the US organization announced an abrupt end to its program.
11/29/2011 10:57 am
In Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, residents see experiment with autonomy as 'illusion'

One area of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir was given limited autonomy in 2009 and hailed as a successful model for the disputed region – but many residents say there hasn't been enough change.
11/28/2011 03:17 pm
Iceland blocks Chinese businessman from buying land

Chinese businessman Huang Nubo planned to invest $200 million in Iceland, but it has sparked national security concerns, despite popular support in a country still reeling from its 2008 financial collapse.
11/28/2011 10:38 am
Saudi crown prince dies, leaving succession uncertain

The younger brother of King Abdullah was in his 80s, and there is no formal method to name a replacement from the sprawling royal family.
10/22/2011 10:20 am
Global Viewpoint China can meet US, Europe where their interests converge

The promoter of China's 'peaceful rise' argues that China needs a new approach in its relations with the United States and Europe. Beijing should build on common interests, such as investment in each other's countries, stability in global hot spots, and climate change.
10/07/2011 05:46 pm
Pressuring Pakistan, Afghanistan's Karzai signs deal with India

Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership with India today that allows arms transfers and military training in India. The move puts pressure on Pakistan to rein in militants.
10/04/2011 04:26 pm
Chapter & Verse A "third wave" of Somali pirates?

A new group of younger, more violent Somali pirates may be on the rise, says Jay Bahadur, author of "The Pirates of Somalia."
09/07/2011 03:59 pm
In Afghanistan war, US civilian surge peaks as Pentagon begins pullback

While President Obama has laid out a path for reducing US military involvement in the Afghanistan war, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the civilian surge of 1,100 engineers, aid workers, and diplomats is only now hitting top gear.
06/23/2011 06:53 pm
Afghanistan looms large at SCO security group meeting

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) meeting in Kazakhstan focused on how Central Asia could be affected by the possible spread of the Arab Spring – as well as failure to stabilize Afghanistan.
06/15/2011 02:01 pm
What Pakistan Prime Minister Gilani wants from China

The Pakistan premier may be trying to forge a loose alliance between China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to undermine US influence in the region.
05/17/2011 03:33 pm
After bin Laden: Why the US wants military access to Afghanistan beyond 2014

Without a deal to allow US military access to Afghanistan beyond the 2014 date for withdrawal, the US ability to smoke out terrorists in Pakistan could diminish in the years to come.
05/04/2011 04:17 pm