Earlier this week, the Asia Times Online reported that China is planning on building military bases in northern Pakistan. This might not be a good idea. The benefits are clear: support Pakistan to balance a rising India and reduce religious extremism that might spill over the border into China. China wants to set up bases [...]
The region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Hindu Kush mountains has been the main area for the U.S. invasions that followed the 9/11 attacks. As the US military leaves Iraq, US policy in the area is changing. Recent events show that all of the countries in the area are changing in some way and [...]
Russian National Security Adviser Nikolai Patrushev, a very high level government leader, said there was no military solution to the situation in Afghanistan. Patrushev explained that the problems of terrorism and drug trafficking in the southwest Asian nation would continue without socio-economic development. Afghan forces on their own could not accomplish such tasks, and Russia [...]
President Obama delivered an important speech about US policy in the Middle East. The target audience was both the people and the governments of the Middle East. The Arab people have been unhappy with the U.S. for supporting bad governments. The Arab governments are worried about how changes in the US government’s attitudes toward old [...]
Background These four countries have a strange relationship with each other. As the US prepares to leave Afghanistan, these relationships will change. All four countries are worried about what kind of change it will be. Pakistan and India have been enemies since the two countries were formed in 1947. Pakistan is Muslim and India is [...]
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