Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said his country’s dialogue with Saudi Arabia is “on the right track” While on a ‘farewell’ visit to Israel, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday in Jerusalem at a joint press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that negotiations in Vienna over the return to the …
Reflections on Events in Afghanistan-14
14. The fall of Panjshir Panjshir has fallen to the Taliban with a bang — and a whimper. The bang is because a 40-year old legend lies shattered, the legend of the invincibility of Panjshir Valley. And the whimper is because the short-lived ‘resistance’ had a tame ending. A BBC report said the revolt’s two …
US, Turkey, ISIS, al-Qaeda, Taliban make one happy family
Exactly a decade after the United States sought a pioneering role by Turkey for launching the regime change project in Syria, it has solicited help from Ankara in regard of another political transition in the Greater Middle East — in Afghanistan. Analogies never hold one hundred percent in politics or diplomacy, but the similarities are …
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Indian Muslims show up on US’ ISIS map
(Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on May 31, 2019 at New Delhi) Political developments in India inevitably receive big attention in the neighbouring South Asian countries. Sri Lanka is a special case where Indian developments have impacted the country’s political landscape. Unsurprisingly, the Sri Lankan ruling elite is always keenly …
US lacerates China’s Uighur wound
(US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo receiving Uighur activists, Washington, March 27, 2019) The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s meeting with Uighur Muslim activists in Washington DC, on March 27 is by no means a routine diplomatic event. Clearly, there is nothing personal about this meeting. Although Pompeo is a passionate Bible-reading Christian from …
Trump has mixed signals for Astana partners
(Turkey deploys battle tanks on border with Syria.) Trump’s tweets earlier today regarding Syrian withdrawal plan came out of the blue – “Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey …
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Iran challenges Saudi role in the Afghan endgame
(King Salman of Saudi Arabia & Afghan President Ghani) As surely as night follows day, in the wake of Saudi Arabia assuming the lead role in the Afghan peace talks, Tehran has unveiled an analogous peace process involving the Taliban. (See my article in Asia Times Saudi Arabia takes charge of Afghan peace talks.) The …
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