Turkey and Pakistan’s promise of rapid military support for Saudi Arabia faces a more urgent test after weekend attacks on Riyadh’s international airport killed 12 people and forced its closure. Turning that commitment into effective protection will depend on what its partners can spare, how their forces operate alongside Saudi units and how far Ankara and Islamabad are willing to […]

Key Takeaways: A growing number of Central Asians are learning Chinese rather than Russian or English. Many see Chinese as the language of the future, and knowing it will help them find work with the growing number of Chinese institutions in Central Asia and build ties with Beijing (Xinhua, October 6). Most Central Asians studying Chinese do so in Chinese-funded […]

The fact that Russia arming the Taliban is now a plausible scenario speaks to each side’s pragmatism in moving beyond their difficult Soviet-era past in pursuit of mutual interests. The visit of Russia’s foreign spy chief to Kabul could presage Russia arming the Taliban against ISIS-K, the scenario of which has sparked panic among the Pakistani commentariat, especially anonymous Pakistani […]