This Week at ISN

04 - 08 Mar 2013 Like the Caucasus region, Central Asia remains a geopolitical collision point for outside powers. This week, we consider how these powers are attempting to manage their relations and historical ties with this volatile region.

Managing Central Asia

Managing Central Asia: Russia's Approach
04 Mar 2013

While not all roads in Central Asia lead to Moscow any more, Russia's geopolitical presence in this vast region remains strong. In this Questions and Answers presentation, the CSS' Stephen Aris discusses Russia's collective and individual policies towards the Central Asian Republics. More China in Central Asia
05 Mar 2013

Sbastien Peyrouse, Jos Boonstra and Marlne Laruelle believe that China's future interests in Central Asia rest upon four pillars. They involve keeping Uyghur separatists down, keeping northeastern neighbors stable, managing natural resources effectively and continuing to develop new markets. More New Delhi's Views on Central Asia
06 Mar 2013

India's future role in Central Asia is intimately tied to its dual relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan. In this podcast, Gareth Price argues that New Delhi is building up military-to-military links with Central Asian states in order to minimize Islamabad's interference with Afghan security. More The EU Needs a New Central Asia Strategy
07 Mar 2013

The EU has failed to leave a geopolitical mark on Central Asia, or so Neil Melvin argues. If Brussels hopes to become a significant player in the region, it needs to focus on what it does best promoting liberaldemocratic norms and comprehensive approaches to security. More The US in Central Asia: Beyond Afghanistan?
08 Mar 2013

The United States' anticipated withdrawal from Afghanistan is likely to be accompanied by a sea change in its Central Asia policies. We offer two perspectives on how Washington's presence in the region may evolve after 2014. More

Security Watch
Interview with Dr. Adekeye Adebajo on the EU and Africa
04 Mar 2013

In this interview, the Executive Director of the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) discusses the relationship between the European Union and Africa. He argues that while the EU is Africa's most important economic partner, the UN remains its leading security actor. More

Security Force Assistance: It's Not Just for Weak States

05 Mar 2013

In Derek Reveron's eyes, France's reliance on American airlift assets to operate in Mali confirms yet again that a transatlantic capabilities gap still exists. The gap, however, is not merely military in scope. It also exists between the strategic objectives of some states and their actual ability to carry them out. More Tunisia and the Clash Within Civilizations
06 Mar 2013

The political upheavals throughout the Arab world have intensified the debate about the role of religion in politics. According to Rajan Menon, Samuel Huntington got it wrong. What we are really seeing in the case of the Middle East is a clash within a civilization rather than with another one. More Climate Change's Growing Threat to Security
07 Mar 2013

Recent climate change talks in Doha were big on rhetoric but lacked substance. That's both sad and familiar, writes Daniel Marks. It's sad because it ignores a slew of recent reports that highlight climate change's growing threat to human security, especially in the case of small island states. More Strange Bedfellows: China's Middle Eastern Inroads
08 Mar 2013

China has become a major economic force in the Arab world and now is its largest buyer of gas and oil. Massoud Hayoun reveals, however, that all is not as it may seem when it comes to Beijing's relationship with the region's states. More

ISN Blog
Rhetoric Increases as Falkland Referendum Looms
04 Mar 2013

The Falkland Islands is set to hold a referendum on its future status as a British overseas territory. Argentina is expected to react to the event with more vituperative rhetoric than in the past, but according to Jen Alic it will not go much further than that. More How Social Networks Are Dealing With Terrorists
05 Mar 2013

Governments are now pressuring social media providers to cancel terrorist-related accounts. Such pressure will almost certainly put the providers at cross purposes with free speech activists who want more transparent policies on shutting down any and all accounts. More The Pyongyang Persian Pickle
06 Mar 2013

Harlan Ullman observes that Western policymakers remain more concerned about Iran's nascent nuclear capabilities than the overt threat posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea. This, he argues, is because an Iranian nuclear device will most likely trigger an arms race across the Middle East. More EU Cybersecurity Policy: A Model for Global Governance
07 Mar 2013

When it comes to governing the Internet, Jean-Baptiste Houdart believes the EU has got it about right. In fact, Brussels should encourage the international community to adopt its policies, which seek to balance the benefits the Internet provides with the risks it poses. More The Sabah Issue and its Impact on Philippine-Malaysian Relations
07 Mar 2013

The Malaysian state of Sabah has long been a major irritant in bilateral relations between the Philippines and Malaysia. Lucio Blanco Pitlo III argues that a lasting resolution of this issue would help cement bilateral ties between the two countries, enhance maritime security and help regulate seaborne trade. More

Endgame in Sight for the Conflict between Turkey and the PKK?
08 Mar 2013

Pinar Elmar and Kacper R kawek believe that conditions are ripe for a new round of peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). They also argue that the complexity and volatility of the Kurdish question requires third party involvement. The EU is their ideal candidate. More

Video
Alexander Cooley on the New Great Game in Central Asia In this Foreign Affairs video, Jonathan Tepperman and Alexander Cooley discuss the growing competition for geopolitical influence in Central Asia. More The Evolution of Mexico's Cartels In this video, STRATFOR's Vice President of Analysis, Scott Stewart, describes the origins of the Mexican drug cartels, how they accumulated power, and why they increasingly militarized their operations. More Uncharted Strait: The Future of China-Taiwan Relations In this Brookings Institute video, Richard Bush examines the current state of diplomatic relations between China and Taiwan. He further outlines how the two countries could deepen their social, economic and political engagement. More

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