Afghanistan

Kabul

Afghanistan Braces For New War

There is media buzz lately about an anti-Taliban insurgency struggling to be born in Afghanistan. A former Afghan army general, Sami Sadat, is returning home as the West’s favourite to don the mantle of leadership of a pan-Afghan “resistance” movement against repressive Taliban rule. There is a lot of infighting […]

Pawn

Ukraine Is A Pawn On The Grand Chessboard

Zbigniew Brzezinski’s book “The Grand Chessboard” was published 25 years ago. His assumptions and strategies for maintaining U.S. global dominance have been hugely influential in US foreign policy. As the conflict in Ukraine evolves, with the potential of escalating into world war, we can see where this policy leads and […]

Kuril

Asian Fault Lines Of Biden’s War On Russia

The tremors of the United States’ tensions with Russia playing out in Europe are being felt in different ways already in Asia. The hypothesis of Ukraine being in Europe and the conflict being all about European security is delusional. From Kazakhstan to Myanmar, from Solomon Islands to the Kuril Islands, […]

Imran Khan

Imran Khan’s “Political Martyrdom” Has Unleashed Unprecedented Socio-Political Forces

Never before has a genuinely grassroots political movement successfully proven that its own interpretation of patriotism, sovereignty, and national security can appeal to such a broad range of Pakistanis despite being different from The Establishment’s. Imran Khan’s “political martyrdom” has therefore unleashed truly unprecedented socio-political forces within Pakistan that seemingly […]

Taliban met with Western diplomats

Reflections On Events In Afghanistan

40. The West co-opts the Taliban The three-day conclave in Oslo on January 23-25 for interaction for a core group of Western diplomats with Taliban officials marks a new phase in the political situation in Afghanistan. The West was represented by the US, UK, Germany, France and Italy as well […]

Afghan girls

Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXIX)

39. Souring of Taliban’s relations with Pakistan    External interference in Afghanistan has reappeared much sooner than one would have expected after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August. In a familiar pattern, the rumour mill has become active. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova hit out today at […]

Durand Line

Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXVIII)

38. Blowback from Afghanistan Reports of the recent period are indicative of tensions between the Taliban forces and the Pakistani military deployed on their border. On December 22, the Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi disclosed that the Taliban forces had stopped the Pakistani military from erecting an “illegal” border […]

Amir Khan Muttaqi

Reflections On Events In Afghanistan (XXXVII)

37. When are the Indians returning? A big international spectacle was slated to be staged in Islamabad on December 19 regarding Afghanistan with the attendance of foreign ministers from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). The participants also include special invitees from the United Nations system, international financial institutions […]

Russo-Uzbek Ties A Factor Of Regional Stability

The visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Moscow on November 19 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin resulted in a joint statement on information technology and a slew of documents on trade and economic cooperation but its strategic significance cannot be lost on the regional capitals. Putin’s talks […]