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BISHKEK (TCA) — As Pakistan on May 18 hosted a new round of four-nation peace talks aimed at reviving long-stalled negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government, we are republishing this article originally published by Stratfor: Continue reading
LONDON (TCA) — Recent reports from various sides concerning the increasing lack of cash flow for Daesh (IS) in the Near East due to difficulties in its Turkish oil smuggling chain add a new dimension to the already existing threat of extremist forces’ concentration in Afghanistan bordering the southern republics of Central Asia. Ever increasing assessments of the area’s world-class gold mining reserves must have drawn the attention of gang leaders of Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Daesh looking for alternative baits and a motive behind their “spring offensive” in Afghanistan and beyond. Continue reading
OSH, Kyrgyzstan (TCA) — Precious metals and stones, along with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, worth according to some estimates up to 3 trillion dollars are waiting under Afghanistan’s soil to be exploited. But to do so appears to be a remote dream at best for mining entrepreneurs given what happens on the ground rather than beneath it, leaving mining activity to thugs and terrorists whose variety in Afghanistan is hardly less rich. Continue reading
TASHKENT (TCA) — Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov believes that instability in Afghanistan may gradually spread to other countries of the Central Asia region and that Russia should be involved in peace talks in Afghanistan. Continue reading
OSH, Kyrgyzstan (TCA) — In Afghanistan, the Taliban has regained a foothold and launched the spring offensive codenamed “operation Omari,” after the name of its late leader Mullah Muhammad Omar. This will certainly nullify the peace efforts of the quadrilateral coordination group of China, the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan for reaching a direct dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban. The spring offensive will certainly escalate violence and further destabilize the country. Such development on the ground, with the Afghan government’s role in state management reduced by ever intensive fighting, may turn foreign intervention from a last option into the only option. With Afghanistan falling again into chaos, terrorism may spread to neighboring countries of Central Asia and probably China’s western Xinjiang region. Continue reading
OSH, Kyrgyzstan (TCA) — Right across the Tajik border and under the very noses of Russian and Indian military based near the frontier, it is all-out war again in the northeast of Afghanistan and there is a pretty good chance that Afghan government troops will bite the dust in the absence of American, or eventually Russian, Indian and/or Chinese air support. Only days after the Taliban announced its “spring offensive” throughout Afghanistan, the much-feared extremists already keep the initiative both in the southwest and the northeast. Only resumed infighting between extremist forces could bring some relief for a disenchanted population in the region. Continue reading
