Comments for Afghanistan and Central Asia http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com American Foreign Policy Analysis in Central Asia Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:08:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 Comment on The State of Terrorism in Central Asia by Anu http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/05/the-state-of-terrorism-in-central-asia/#comment-4617 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:28:10 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/05/the-state-of-terrorism-in-central-asia/#comment-4617 i think this site www.himalmag.com wil be of great help.this issue's about terrorism in southasia.The articles are really good.It will be help. i think this site www.himalmag.com wil be of great help.this issue’s about terrorism in southasia.The articles are really good.It will be help.

]]> Comment on Kazakh Science Policy: Sincere Efforts, but Little Progress by econstudent01 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/03/kazakh-science-policy-sincere-efforts-but-little-progress/#comment-4615 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:33:53 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/03/kazakh-science-policy-sincere-efforts-but-little-progress/#comment-4615 I would like to see a comparison of these Muslim countries with the United States in terms of belief in evolution. The last survey I remember seeing said that a little over 50 percent of Americans believe that story of Genesis literally and that God made us in his image. It should always be in the head of every literate and thoughtful American, whether they be conservative or liberal, that the United States can be just religiously inspired as the Islamic world so many scorn. I would like to see a comparison of these Muslim countries with the United States in terms of belief in evolution. The last survey I remember seeing said that a little over 50 percent of Americans believe that story of Genesis literally and that God made us in his image. It should always be in the head of every literate and thoughtful American, whether they be conservative or liberal, that the United States can be just religiously inspired as the Islamic world so many scorn.

]]> Comment on Media Clamp Down in Kyrgyzstan by Global Voices Online » Kyrgyzstan: Media Clamp Down http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/02/media-clamp-down-in-kyrgyzstan/#comment-4612 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:59:20 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/02/media-clamp-down-in-kyrgyzstan/#comment-4612 [...] Radio Free Europe ‘Radio Azattyk’ and BBC programming. Posted by Adil Nurmakov  Print version ShareThis [...] […] Radio Free Europe ‘Radio Azattyk’ and BBC programming. Posted by Adil Nurmakov  Print version ShareThis […]

]]> Comment on Kazakh Science Policy: Sincere Efforts, but Little Progress by Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: Little Progress in Science Policy http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/03/kazakh-science-policy-sincere-efforts-but-little-progress/#comment-4611 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:54:21 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/01/03/kazakh-science-policy-sincere-efforts-but-little-progress/#comment-4611 [...] in six years, saying that little progress has been done so far. Posted by Adil Nurmakov  Print version ShareThis [...] […] in six years, saying that little progress has been done so far. Posted by Adil Nurmakov  Print version ShareThis […]

]]> Comment on Afghan-Russia War Compared to Today’s NATO-Taliban Conflict by Karl Eysenbach http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/16/afghan-russia-war-compared-to-todays-nato-taliban-conflict/#comment-4562 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:15:32 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/16/afghan-russia-war-compared-to-todays-nato-taliban-conflict/#comment-4562 First of all, I"ve never served in the military, and am pretty much an ignoramus about purely military matters. But I do have experience living in Third World countries. It seems to me that one of the changes that needs to take place in NATO strategy is to accept the power of the mullahs, mujadeen, Taliban, etc. They are an indigenous part of the culture, and as much as I admire the sentiments of the left wing regime that briefly ruled Afghanistan, history clearly shows that "progressive" values in Afghanistan may be pretty much non-starters, particularly in rural ares. So this means that if the United States and its allies are going to make an kind of reasonable exit from Afghanistan without ajbect defeat, it will be necessary to engage in serious face-to-face negotiations with the Taliban, and to include the Taliban in Afghani governmental structures in some fashion. Secondly, much of the fighting between warlords and factions in Afghanistan seems to be motivated not only by religious or other differences, but by a lack of basic economic ammenities. Just as we will have to negotiate with the Taliban, it seems to me that a program of infrastructure development with significant input from local populations will be necessary. If enough non-military aid can be given freely throughout the country without regard to political faction, such things as cement plants and water development could be of benefit to all factions. Hopefully, enough energy could be diverted from military purposes into non-military purposes. As the old Kleenex saying goes from the Great Depression, "Are your bathrooms breeding bolsheviks?" Third, there is no doubt that the Karzai government is riddled with corruption and drug dealing. This disease is a powerful transmitter of illegitmacy and a recruiting tool for the Taliban and other extremists. Until the NATO forces can work together with NGOs and locals to put a lid on corruption, the probems of Afghanistan will continue. This is a matter not only for law enforcement authorities and legislatures, but for sociologists and anthropologists as well. In the end, NATO will have to work very hard to maintain real contact with all aspects of Afghani society and not just relegate itself to a bubble as the Americans have done for much of their time in Iraq. First of all, I”ve never served in the military, and am pretty much an ignoramus about purely military matters. But I do have experience living in Third World countries.

It seems to me that one of the changes that needs to take place in NATO strategy is to accept the power of the mullahs, mujadeen, Taliban, etc. They are an indigenous part of the culture, and as much as I admire the sentiments of the left wing regime that briefly ruled Afghanistan, history clearly shows that “progressive” values in Afghanistan may be pretty much non-starters, particularly in rural ares. So this means that if the United States and its allies are going to make an kind of reasonable exit from Afghanistan without ajbect defeat, it will be necessary to engage in serious face-to-face negotiations with the Taliban, and to include the Taliban in Afghani governmental structures in some fashion.

Secondly, much of the fighting between warlords and factions in Afghanistan seems to be motivated not only by religious or other differences, but by a lack of basic economic ammenities. Just as we will have to negotiate with the Taliban, it seems to me that a program of infrastructure development with significant input from local populations will be necessary. If enough non-military aid can be given freely throughout the country without regard to political faction, such things as cement plants and water development could be of benefit to all factions. Hopefully, enough energy could be diverted from military purposes into non-military purposes. As the old Kleenex saying goes from the Great Depression, “Are your bathrooms breeding bolsheviks?”

Third, there is no doubt that the Karzai government is riddled with corruption and drug dealing. This disease is a powerful transmitter of illegitmacy and a recruiting tool for the Taliban and other extremists. Until the NATO forces can work together with NGOs and locals to put a lid on corruption, the probems of Afghanistan will continue. This is a matter not only for law enforcement authorities and legislatures, but for sociologists and anthropologists as well.

In the end, NATO will have to work very hard to maintain real contact with all aspects of Afghani society and not just relegate itself to a bubble as the Americans have done for much of their time in Iraq.

]]> Comment on Turkmenistan Parliamentary Election by Global Voices Online » Turkmenistan: Parliamentary Election Took Place http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/16/turkmenistan-parliamentary-election/#comment-4557 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:13:45 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/16/turkmenistan-parliamentary-election/#comment-4557 [...] them were from the only one registered, pro-governmental party. Posted by Adil Nurmakov  Print version ShareThis [...] […] them were from the only one registered, pro-governmental party. Posted by Adil Nurmakov  Print version ShareThis […]

]]> Comment on Afghan-Russia War Compared to Today’s NATO-Taliban Conflict by John Samford http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/16/afghan-russia-war-compared-to-todays-nato-taliban-conflict/#comment-4539 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:17:47 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/16/afghan-russia-war-compared-to-todays-nato-taliban-conflict/#comment-4539 Successful anti-Guerrilla campaigns (and 90% ARE successful) all are based on restricting the G's mobility and contact with exterior support. In a word, isolation. Many techniques are used to accomplish this. In Iraq last year it was a variation of the fortified hamlet strategy, with the 'hamlets' being buildings in a metro area. Afghanistan is ideal for an 'ink-blot' strategy. All these tactics have the same flaw. They stick small groups of soldiers where they can be overwhelmed and destroyed. This doesn't sit well back home, so the domestic front becomes even more important. The American solution to this problem is technological, of course. There are over 40,000 robots in Iraq. Warbots, although most of them don't do direct combat. That can and will change. What makes this critical and a war winner is that warbots have no family or friends back home to get upset when they die. No media outlets write long sob stories about a Pakbot getting over run by 200 terrs. Take away the home front and the political pressure and the guerrilla has no chance at all. Dead warbots equals jobs building more of them. Nobody is upset about that. Yes, warbots are easy to kill. So? It takes 12 to 14 years minimum to make a terrorist, a few days to build a warbot. The terrs know this and can count. What is the point in fighting a machine? Even if you win, there will just be another one along in a while. Successful anti-Guerrilla campaigns (and 90% ARE successful) all are based on restricting the G’s mobility and contact with exterior support. In a word, isolation. Many techniques are used to accomplish this. In Iraq last year it was a variation of the fortified hamlet strategy, with the ‘hamlets’ being buildings in a metro area. Afghanistan is ideal for an ‘ink-blot’ strategy.
All these tactics have the same flaw. They stick small groups of soldiers where they can be overwhelmed and destroyed. This doesn’t sit well back home, so the domestic front becomes even more important.
The American solution to this problem is technological, of course. There are over 40,000 robots in Iraq. Warbots, although most of them don’t do direct combat. That can and will change.
What makes this critical and a war winner is that warbots have no family or friends back home to get upset when they die. No media outlets write long sob stories about a Pakbot getting over run by 200 terrs.
Take away the home front and the political pressure and the guerrilla has no chance at all. Dead warbots equals jobs building more of them. Nobody is upset about that.
Yes, warbots are easy to kill. So? It takes 12 to 14 years minimum to make a terrorist, a few days to build a warbot. The terrs know this and can count. What is the point in fighting a machine? Even if you win, there will just be another one along in a while.

]]> Comment on Year in Review: Predictions for 2009 by Owen http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/14/year-in-review-predictions-for-2009/#comment-4527 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:25:38 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/14/year-in-review-predictions-for-2009/#comment-4527 Besides Afghanistan, where Obama has much the same rhetoric as Bush, where in Central Asia have you seen "democracy promotion rhetoric and policies?" I don't follow Central Asia that much, but Pakistan managed to shed Musharraf against the will of the US, not with our blessing. Besides Afghanistan, where Obama has much the same rhetoric as Bush, where in Central Asia have you seen “democracy promotion rhetoric and policies?” I don’t follow Central Asia that much, but Pakistan managed to shed Musharraf against the will of the US, not with our blessing.

]]> Comment on Financial Crisis in Central Asia: Year in Review by Afghanistan and Central Asia » Blog Archive » Year in Review: Predictions for 2009 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/11/financial-crisis-in-central-asia-year-in-review/#comment-4519 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:18:40 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/12/11/financial-crisis-in-central-asia-year-in-review/#comment-4519 [...] Financial Crisis - As I discussed a few days ago, the region is experiencing some major economic pains stemming from the world’s global downturn. However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Regional Outlook viewed the region rather positively compared to the rest of the world, stating: “Growth is underpinned by high commodity prices, strong domestic demand, and also credibility of the authorities’ economic policies. So far, the Middle East and Central Asia region has been largely resilient to the ongoing international credit crisis and the downturn in the US and other advanced economies.” Though oil and gas prices are dropping rapidly, the energy rich CA states, Kazakh, Turk, and Uzbek, should be all right, especially Kazakhstan with their huge National Fund, but this does not mean that their governments and even more so their citizens won’t suffer. The coming year looks much worse for the citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and their miniscule economies, as much needed loans and foreign direct investment will surely be harder to come by. [...] […] Financial Crisis - As I discussed a few days ago, the region is experiencing some major economic pains stemming from the world’s global downturn. However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Regional Outlook viewed the region rather positively compared to the rest of the world, stating: “Growth is underpinned by high commodity prices, strong domestic demand, and also credibility of the authorities’ economic policies. So far, the Middle East and Central Asia region has been largely resilient to the ongoing international credit crisis and the downturn in the US and other advanced economies.” Though oil and gas prices are dropping rapidly, the energy rich CA states, Kazakh, Turk, and Uzbek, should be all right, especially Kazakhstan with their huge National Fund, but this does not mean that their governments and even more so their citizens won’t suffer. The coming year looks much worse for the citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and their miniscule economies, as much needed loans and foreign direct investment will surely be harder to come by. […]

]]> Comment on Tajikistan: 64% poverty, and portents for more by Cbxvipvn http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2007/05/18/tajikistan-64-poverty-and-portents-for-more/#comment-4511 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:13:33 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2007/05/18/tajikistan-64-poverty-and-portents-for-more/#comment-4511 Thanks!, Thanks!,

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