On 7 September 2023, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium Sapar Palvanov presented his credentials to the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, as the head of Turkmenistan’s mission to NATO. A bilateral meeting was organized as part of the ceremony, where the two parties discussed the collaboration dynamics between Turkmenistan and the alliance, the […]
Taliban plan to turn former American-NATO military bases into special economic zones
The Taliban will convert the former American-NATO military bases into special economic zones. The announcement was made by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban deputy prime minister for economic affairs, as he chaired a meeting in Kabul on 19 February 2023. According to several media outlets including VoA, the office of Mulla Baradar has directed […]
Third Ministerial Meeting of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries – Outcomes
Elvira Kadyrova On 31 March 2022, the third ministerial conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries took place in the Chinese city of Tunxi, which was attended by Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Heads of participating delegations: Russia – minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov China – chairman of the meeting – state councilor, […]
Ukraine Quandary – Part 4 – A recklessly honest admiral and a cautiously shifting Europe
Tariq Saeedi Biden wants Putin to start the war and Putin responds by increasing the pressure without firing the opening shot. It is a game of nerves – at least for now. Biden has started deploying American soldiers in Europe. This is posturing into blind alley. In the larger scheme of things, will the American […]
Ukraine Quandary – Part 3 – A promise that looked like a Gentleman’s word in 1990
Tariq Saeedi Putin’s anger stems from his belief that a promise was broken that led to the eastward expansion of NATO. The map here shows how the alliance has acquired 14 new members since then: © Transnational.live Putin’s claim is contested on several grounds but the fact remains that there was certainly the verbal assurance […]
Unrest in Kazakhstan – The smell is familiar
Tariq Saeedi There is a familiar smell to the protests panning out in Kazakhstan. — There is the saying: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. What started on 2 January 2022 in Kazakhstan is a textbook case of Color Revolution. The […]
Afghanistan: You broke it; You bought it.
Tariq Saeedi It is amazing how fast the promises of some people crumble. There were gallant and loud promises by the USA and its partners in cri.., sorry, partners in campaign, that all the Afghans who collaborated with them during the 20 years of occupation will be settled into the USA and Europe. They will […]
Russian FM: Central Asian countries have NO interest in hosting US military bases
Elvira Kadyrova The hosting of new US military facilities in Central Asia does not meet the security interests of the regional countries as no one wants to turn into an American hostage, — this is how Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assessed the prospects for the emerging of US military bases in the Central Asian region. […]
Whom Russia is ready to take as companions for solving Afghan puzzle
Elvira Kadyrova Russia strongly supports the settlement of the Afghan situation with the involvement of regional international organizations such as SCO, the CSTO, and the countries bordering Afghanistan. The statement came from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during his remarks at the Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday, 23 June. “It is necessary to […]
The Meaning of Operation Olive Branch
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey The gloomy portrait of the Middle East today should not obscure that peace is achievable. The basic premise for any such peace must be to preserve the territorial integrity of states. This means countering all forces that exist only to pursue their dystopias at the expense of others […]
Syria: Trump folly, Turkish reminder, and how it connects with Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi Against all wisdom and commonsense, Trump has turned around and started partnering with terrorists in Syria. This is certainly bad for Syria but it would also be catastrophic for many parts of the world including Central Asia. And, USA under Trump would definitely be among the losers. * * * Trump is acting […]
…of Airplanes, Terrorists and Trade Deals
The Recalcitrant Hippy As the analysts begin to consider the attacks on Paris this weekend, many questions are being raised. Among them, what exactly did Daesh have to gain. The terrorist group is renowned for its surgical strikes in which it gains something big and to everyone’s great surprise. Revenge is emotional, not strategic and […]
NATO discusses Afghan Security Forces numbers: How realistic their vision could be?
Najib Manalai A few weeks ago the NATO defense ministers held discussions in Brussels to provide a “readable” picture of Afghanistan’s security situation after 2014. Accounts from this meeting did not bring much light on how the future of Afghanistan is seen by its international partners. Afghan national security forces could be kept, human resources […]
Unfair subcontracting in Afghanistan: who pays?
Najib Manalai Mohamed Said Fellag, an Algerian humorist, displays in one of his shows a young Algerian embraces the Catholic faith to marry his Swiss lover. During the christening ceremony the priest pours water on him and converts him from Muslim to Catholic. Later, his wife asks him to buy some fish for a Friday […]
Green-on-Blue incidents in Afghanistan: Answer from Inside
Najib Manalai During the first few months of 2012, more than 40 NATO soldiers have been killed by the Afghan National Security Forces personnel in around 32 incidents. From 2007 to 2011, 58 alliance military personnel have been killed in 26 such incidents. The rise in number of these incidents is a cause of concern […]
Mussolini wins in Istanbul conference; Right to colonize Libya reasserted
nCa Commentary Ashgabat, 16 July 2011 (nCa) — When the façade crumbled Friday, the face of Benito Mussolini was visible to the world. It eerily resembled Hillary Clinton. In the Fourth Contact Group Meeting in Istanbul on 15 Jul, the USA and 29 of its toadies recognized the Transition National Council (TNC) – an impressive […]
Libya today, Central Asia tomorrow?
nCa Analysis Ashgabat, 3 July 2011 (nCa) — According to the spirit of the international law, NATO is now engaged in war of aggression against Libya. Whatever flimsy excuses it had for attacking Libya under UN Security Council resolution 1970, have disappeared after the passage of resolution 1973 and arming of Libya rebels by France. […]
Central Asia must protect itself against NATO
nCa Commentary Ashgabat, 2 July 2011 (nCa) — NATO had a somewhat tolerable face at the start of this century but it has turned ugly and loathsome within a decade. Not a kind wrinkle in the face of this hag, even if you look hard. At the start of the US/NATO occupation of Afghanistan soon […]
UN attempts to whitewash US-NATO civilian killings in Afghanistan
‘nit2am’ A 11 June press statement from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan slates May 2011 as the deadliest month for Afghan civilians since at least 2007. However this big-hearted announcement conceals a grossly pernicious attempt to cover up US-NATO killings of civilians in occupied Afghanistan. In its report, UNAMA documents 368 conflict-related civilian […]