Joshua Kucera

The U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Security Agreement and Central Asia
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 00:00

United States Secretary of State John Kerry visited Kabul over the weekend in an attempt to work out a deal on keeping American and allied forces in the country after next year. Kerry worked out a preliminary deal – known as the Bilateral Security Agreement – with Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai that would allow a training force (likely of 5,000 to 10,000 foreign troops) in the country after the current combat mission (totaling about 87,000 troops) ends next year.

Azerbaijan's Elections and the U.S. Security Relationship
Friday, October 11, 2013 - 12:58

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev won reelection on October 9, giving another five-year term to the man who has ruled the country since 2003, when he took over from his father, Heydar. Azerbaijan has been a key regional security partner for the United States, in spite of Congressional restrictions on aid, receiving about $241 million in security assistance from the U.S. since 2000, according to data from Security Assistance Monitor.

If U.S. Pulls Out of Afghanistan, Will It Stay In Central Asia?
Friday, October 11, 2013 - 09:46
One could imagine some kind of CIA/special operations presence close to the Afghanistan border, comparable to what the U.S. has been operating in Yemen and Somalia, for example.
Eurasia News Week in Review - October 11, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013 - 00:00

A roundup of some of the top articles and news highlights from around Central Eurasia over the last week:

Central Asia:

CSTO Peacekeepers Drill In Russia, Preparing For What?
Wednesday, October 9, 2013 - 07:41
The larger context of the drill, though, included fights over resources in the region and interethnic tension, giving some sense of the circumstances in which the CSTO imagines that these peacekeeping forces might someday be used.
Russia Starts Talks On Tajikistan's Ayni Air Base
Monday, October 7, 2013 - 08:19
A Russian parliamentary delegation in Tajikistan is starting negotiations on use of the Ayni air base, whose future occupancy has been the source of much speculation.
As Russian Base Deal Approaches Ratification In Tajikistan, Murmurs Of Dissent
Monday, October 7, 2013 - 08:14
But as a whole, as Bobonazarova said, debate in Tajikistan has been pretty muted for a deal that's going to mean 29 more years of Russian military presence there.
Eurasia News Week in Review - October 4, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013 - 12:00

A roundup of some of the top articles and news highlights from around Central Eurasia over the last week:

Central Asia:

Chinese Missile Deal Leads to Rift With Turkey's Western Partners
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 - 00:00

Turkey's choice to buy a Chinese air defense system has alarmed its American and NATO allies, who say the move threatens cooperation between Ankara and its Western partners.

U.S., NATO Take Dim View Of Turkey-China Missile Deal
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - 08:55
Turkey's American and NATO allies have not responded well to the announcement that Turkey plans to buy an air defense system from China, bypassing American and European systems.

Pages