Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent remark that his country regards the Taliban as “reasonable people” prompted a discussion about why exactly Moscow holds this position towards a group that it still officially designates as terrorists. The Taliban’s cautious welcoming into the international community is proceeding apace after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently remarked…
Given the lack of any deep thinking going on in the White House, Americans could easily find themselves in yet another Afghanistan. The inability of the United States to comprehend what it was becoming involved in when, in the wake of 9/11, it declared a Global War on Terror, has to be reckoned one of…
Russia’s “chess” game in Afghanistan entails the promotion of a political solution as soon as possible, relying on the Taliban to protect the country’s regional anti-terrorist interests, and accommodating legitimate US and Indian interests (especially those of an economic and financial nature) in order for those two extra-regional players to transition to becoming responsible stakeholders…
China may have no short-term interest in contributing to guaranteeing security in parts of a swath of land stretching from Central Asia to the East coast of Africa, but that does not prevent the People’s Republic from preparing for a time when it may wish to build on long-standing political and military relationships in various…
Ties between Turkey and the Taliban are strained after the NATO member publicly contemplated keeping its military forces in Afghanistan in order to guard Kabul airport, with tensions only worsening after President Erdogan then criticized the group for allegedly not behaving as proper Muslims as well as “occupying” parts of their homeland. Few could have…
The situation in Afghanistan is like the ending of Charlie’s Wilson war. In the endgame there is no saving face and no victory is won. In fact a great vacuum remains, despite 20 years of US and NATO partner attempts to nation-building. It is not as if they did not know how it would end,…
