Eurasia

Pakistan is undertaking a dangerous gamble – opinion

Pakistan’s support of jihadi groups stems partly from cynical realism, in order to expand its sphere of influence in Afghanistan and support the Islamist insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. Two decades after the decision was made to invade Afghanistan in a bid to combat extremism and install democracy, the United …

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Taliban has won the war in Afghanistan, says Lord Dannatt, former British army head

The Taliban has “prevailed” in its battle with the West in Afghanistan, said General Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army as it emerged all UK and U.S. troops will be withdrawn on Sunday. Writing in The Telegraph, General Lord Dannatt said: “Ultimately, Taliban force of arms has …

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Blinken Meets Top Tajik, Uzbek Diplomats, With Afghanistan In Sharp Focus

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the top diplomats of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on July 1, with Afghanistan high on the agenda as U.S. forces prepare to exit the war-torn country and Washington seeks Central Asian partners. The meetings in Washington come as the Taliban has taken control …

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Austin Approves Plan to Transfer Authority, Retrograde Should be Done by End of August

As part of the drawdown process from Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III approved a plan to transfer authority from Army Gen. Austin S. Miller to Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today. Miller is the commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and the …

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JEF defence ministers set direction for cooperation on northern European security

Defence Minister James Heappey and fellow Ministers from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) member nations have signed a new Policy Direction for the multinational force. 1 July 2021 JEF Ministers gathered in Helsinki, Finland today to set the roadmap from which the JEF’s 10 northern European nations will evolve to …

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Russia Working on Updated Concept for Security in the Persian Gulf, Lavrov Says

Russia first unveiled a ‘Security Concept for the Persian Gulf Region’ in mid-2019, in the aftermath of a series of dangerous and destabilising incidents including tanker seizures, sabotage attacks, and the shoot down of a $200 million US spy drone over Iranian airspace – which nearly prompted Washington to launch …

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France, Germany and the ‘Russia Engagement’ Game

Despite the failure of their initial proposals to engage in a summit with Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are still promoting the idea. Far from leading to a productive dialogue with Russia, the Franco-German proposal will only continue to divide the EU and NATO. They …

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Poland and the US: An Alliance of Democracies, Readjusted

Poland’s apprehensions that its interests may be sacrificed as a result of the recent US–Russia summit are misplaced. Still, both Washington and Warsaw need to work harder on their relationship. As US President Joe Biden’s recent tour of Europe concluded, it became clear that the analysis of some very senior …

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Cyber Insurance and the Cyber Security Challenge

Cyber risk poses a complicated and growing challenge for governments, businesses and consumers. This paper explores cyber insurance’s potential contribution to solving this problem. Governments and businesses are struggling to cope with the scale and complexity of managing cyber risk. Over the last year, remote working, rapid digitalisation and the …

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National Dialogues in Peacebuilding and Transitions: Creativity and Adaptive Thinking

At their best, national dialogues hold the promise of adding critical momentum in the drive to transform conflict inclusively. This report examines dialogues in six countries—the Central African Republic, Kenya, Lebanon, Senegal, Tunisia, and Yemen. These diverse processes show the possibilities for fostering dialogue, forging agreements, and driving toward peace; …

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