Muhammad Tahir, a former director of RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service, is RFE/RL's media-relations manager for South and Central Asia in Washington.
Security forces were deployed across Islamabad on November 26 as supporters of the jailed formed Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in the Pakistani capital. There were overnight reports that forces had been ordered to "shoot on sight." At least three soldiers and two protesters have died.
Over a decade ago Turkmen authorities arrested an influential foreign minister and dozens of others for allegedly plotting to kill President Saparmurat Niyazov. The men have since disappeared within the country's prison system. Now, human rights groups have banded together in effort to get Turkmen authorities to "Prove They Are Alive."
Turkmenistan shows little tolerance for Islamists as it tries to guard against the extremism that bedevils other Central Asian states. But will its tough approach sow the seeds for future problems?
In the 20 years since the Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union became independent, the influence of the Russian language has been declining in these countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's vision of trade caravans moving from the Bosporus to China, from New Delhi to Almaty, is seductive. But so far, Muhammad Tahir argues, there's little evidence that any of the countries involved really understands the benefits that permeable borders and smoothly flowing trade could bring them.
Talk about Central Asia often focuses on energy. But there is one equally important subject that is often overlooked: the consequences of the region's shrinking water resources.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has defended Pakistan's national intelligence agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) against allegations that it funneled millions of dollars to a U.S. based group to lobby Congress and the White House.
At a time when the situation in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly volatile, Western troop withdrawals have many wondering what the U.S.-led drawdown might mean for Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbors.
When 10,000 U.S. troops and thousands of British and French forces start leaving Afghanistan this month, what will they be leaving behind?
The feud between Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev and his estranged former son-in-law Rakhat Aliev is making waves in Washington. Now, one government watchdog organization is calling for an official investigation.
With the confirmation of Ayman al-Zawahri as the new leader of Al-Qaeda, there has been much speculation as to whether the terrorist organization will change its tactics with him at the helm.
More than three weeks after the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by United States commandos, U.S. policymakers, military leaders, and legislators remain deeply divided when it comes to defining relations with Pakistan.
It is not surprising to see people in Washington arguing the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate could have been hiding the head of Al-Qaeda. Yes,the ISI has a controversial history, but the case of Osama bin Laden is different.
In the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, Washington decision makers are mulling over options for dealing with his most prominent ally, Taliban leader Mullah Omar. While the civilian leadership in Washington sees an opportunity to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, security officials are considering stepped-up military operations against the group's leaders.
Now that the United States' top terrorist target Osama bin Laden has been eliminated, the debate in Washington is focusing on how he was able to remain at large for so long.
Like the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia also suffers from poverty, corruption, heavy-handed governments, widespread unemployment, and scant opportunities for the young. All too aware of the similarities, governments there are already taking measures to prevent public upheaval of the kind that has shaken the Arab world.
Everywhere you turn, it seems, someone is talking about talking with the Taliban. But the complexity of Afghanistan's bloody history makes it unlikely that genuine peace can be achieved without genuine reconciliation. And genuine reconciliation cannot be achieved by fiat, or by pretending that all is well.
Insurgent attacks on NATO convoys in Pakistan are a major concern for the U.S. and its NATO allies trying to move supplies into Afghanistan. As a result, NATO is shifting supply routes northward through the former USSR, with consequences for the entire region.
Efforts to bring Taliban fighters to the negotiating table are shifting to a new front: Turkey. Within the past few weeks, both Afghan and Turkish officials have expressed support for the idea of setting up a Taliban representative office in Turkey.
The international community is set to begin the process of transferring full responsibility for Afghanistan’s security to the Afghan government. While discussion in the West is focusing on the military and security aspects of the transition, experts warn there is a risk of neglecting the political and civilian side of the equation.
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