Carnegie Moscow Center
As international pressure grows for the imposition of a no-fly zone in Libya, it is crucial to consider how foreign military intervention might affect the narrative of Arab independence and what long-term consequences such an intervention might have, both regionally and globally.
The upcoming White House review of President Obama’s war strategy in Afghanstan is expected to cite progress in the fight against the Taliban, but also to highlight key remaining challenges to U.S. efforts in the country.
President Obama had no choice but to dismiss McChrystal. With Petraeus, though, he managed to make a personnel change without a hint of policy change.
The Middle East is in a state of heightened tension following Israel’s armed attack on a flotilla of humanitarian aid. If nations in the region are determined to provoke a war, little can be done to prevent conflict from escalating.
Public hostility toward the Kyrgyz government escalated over the past weeks, leading to the recent street protests and demonstrations that seem to have topped the government of President Bakiyev.
The United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia have called for a freeze on all Israeli settlement activity, increasing the international pressure on Israel in the hopes of reinvigorating indirect peace talks.
The five post-Soviet Central Asian republics—Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan—share common political, cultural, and historical roots, but they are far from homogeneous, and continuing domestic and regional tensions could lead to violent conflict.
In the wake of Kyrgyzstan’s decision to close its American airbase the U.S. must find a Central Asian location for its logistical operations outside of Afghanistan to ensure they remain uninterrupted in case the war deteriorates further.