The Diplomat
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - 06:42
Kazakhstan certainly didn’t help its case by enacting wide-scale arrests of protesters during Kiai’s visit, among them a Kazakh editor who was on a hunger strike to protest the country’s media repression.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 - 07:00
The numbers are still estimates, looser than ICSR’s attempts at some form of exactitude. And they don’t claim an apparently massive surge of fighters over the past 90 days. We may someday know just how many have uprooted to lend their services to ISIS. At the moment, though, claiming a number as specific as 360 from a nation as opaque as Turkmenistan seems something of a stretch.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 - 06:35
Central Asia is not the sole determining factor in the development of Russia’s current and future relations with China and India. Yet the immense geopolitical value Central Asia presents for these three powers means that a competitive relationship regarding Central Asia is likely to be a thorn in the side of truly healthy relations. As such, it appears that it will be unlikely that Russia will make a full-fledged “re-orientation” or “pivot” toward Asia in the form of a definitive strategic triangle with two of Asia’s great powers, China and India.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - 07:30
The Kazakhstani government claims that it’s managed to identify the country’s citizens – some 300, at the last official estimate – who have uprooted to fight with ISIS.
Monday, January 12, 2015 - 06:57
Russian language abroad is a point in Russia’s 2009 national security strategy, Moscow is apparently steadily if somewhat unobtrusively failing to achieve its goals. And this testifies to a continuing failure to actualize Russia’s soft power despite an enormous state investment.
Monday, January 12, 2015 - 06:10
The political and economic future of Afghanistan is fragile and uncertain. The recent budget deficit, over-reliance on U.S./NATO military assistance, a divided corrupt elite, high rates of corruption, and the growing insecurity and resurgence of Taliban are all credible threats to the future of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan.
Monday, November 10, 2014 - 09:43
As Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wraps up his state visit to China this week, Beijing is preparing to host a bevy of international leaders for the fourth ministerial meeting of the Istanbul Process.
Thursday, October 9, 2014 - 08:01
Stalled on scandals, a missile deal has given the defense relationship a shot in the arm.
Monday, October 6, 2014 - 07:40
Wildly overstating the threat Islamic State poses to the region justifies calls for more curbs on civil liberties.
Friday, October 3, 2014 - 07:27
40 years after the Vietnam War, the U.S. will sell defense equipment to Vietnam for maritime security.