South East Asia

Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad Travels to Afghanistan, Qatar, and the Region

U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and an U.S. inter-agency delegation, including the National Security Council, Department of Defense, and USAID departed on June 4 for travel to Kabul, Doha, and the region. In Kabul, the delegation will meet with the Afghanistan government, other political leaders, and …

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Former US President Donald Trump denounces Fauci, China; hints at 2024 run

“I am not the one trying to undermine American democracy. I’m the one that’s trying to save it. Please remember that.” Former President Donald Trump on Saturday sharply attacked US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, demanded reparations from China and derided Facebook CEO …

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The U.K.’s Incoherent China Strategy

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, delivered a speech in Parliament setting out measures to ensure that British businesses do not profit from what he called the “industrial scale” forced labor of minority Uighur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region. However, Raab’s remarks made no mention of …

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“I Can’t Quit You Baby”: Relationship between Afghan Taliban & Al-Qaeda Remains Strong

A new UN report indicates that ties between the Taliban and al-Qaeda remain strong and could grow stronger following the U.S. troop withdrawal. Many remain skeptical that the Taliban possesses either the will or the capability to prevent al-Qaeda from rebuilding an external operations unit. If Afghanistan descends into chaos, …

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Lavrov: India Confirms Commitment to Buying S-400 Systems From Russia

India is firm in its commitment to buy S-400 air defence systems from Russia, and the contracts are being implemented, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. “I would like to point out the implementation of the contracts for the supply of S-400 systems to India. Here we see …

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US Military Says Afghan Pullout Nears Halfway Mark

The U.S. pullout from Afghanistan is speeding up, with military planners saying almost half of U.S. forces and equipment has been sent home or destroyed. U.S. Central Command Tuesday said the withdrawal is “between 30-44%” complete and that six facilities have now been turned over to Afghan security forces, with …

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Pakistan’s Balancing Act Between US And Taliban To Affect India – Analysis

The United States (US) has now expedited its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the US Central Command officials saying that 4-6% of the process has already been accomplished with the full withdrawal deadline set for September 11, 2021 by US President Joe Biden. However, as the US leaves after two …

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China’s stealth chopper could be adaptation of Z-20; experts slam ‘US copycat’ claims

China appears to be developing a stealth helicopter that analysts said on Monday is difficult to detect on radar, infrared sensors and human sight and hearing, judging from a model of the chopper recently revealed in a television report, with some speculating that it could be a stealthy variant of …

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Reimagining the Future of China-US Competition

How governments imagine the future – including the future of war – shapes their responses and planning in the present. There are relatively few points of substantive agreement between the Trump administration, the Biden administration, and the D.C.-based foreign policy commentariat. But the idea that the United States and China …

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Will Afghanistan Collapse When the US Withdraws?

The fate of the Afghan government following the Soviet withdrawal is more complex than sometimes assumed. That has lessons for Kabul today. On February 8, 1988, then-President Mikhail Gorbachev announced that the Soviet Union would withdraw its military forces from Afghanistan. That withdrawal began on May 15 and was completed …

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