Central Asia

Did the Hu Summit Mean Anything?

A tour through the WikiLeaks cables suggests that the China-U.S. relationship is far too strained for a single state dinner to resolve.

BY JAMES MANN | JANUARY 31, 2011

Next Year's Wars

The 16 brewing conflicts to watch for in 2011.

CAPTIONS BY INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP | DECEMBER 28, 2010

5 Ways to Win the War in Afghanistan

Here's how Obama can reverse the dangerous deterioration of conditions in America's longest war.

BY ANDREW EXUM | DECEMBER 15, 2010

The Sunshine Policy

The United States has quietly asked allies like Yemen and Pakistan for some extraordinary favors in its war on terrorism. Is it really so terrible if WikiLeaks forces them to explain those demands?

BY JAMES TRAUB | DECEMBER 10, 2010

Planet Gulag

The world has many Liu Xiaobos. Here are 15 who matter.

TEXT BY FREEDOM HOUSE | DECEMBER 9, 2010

The Nazarbayev Conundrum

The West needs Kazakhstan for energy, security, and help in Central Asia. But how can it promote democracy when the autocratic president is holding all the cards?

BY JEFFREY GEDMIN | DECEMBER 8, 2010

Al Qaeda's M&A Strategy

Is franchising a successful way to build a global terror network?

BY DANIEL BYMAN | DECEMBER 7, 2010

The Land of No Good Options

The WikiLeaks cables show a U.S. diplomatic corps adept at diagnosing the big problems of American foreign policy -- and a country hopeless at solving them.

BY JAMES TRAUB | DECEMBER 3, 2010

Rethinking Objectives in Afghanistan

The United States invaded Afghanistan to defeat al Qaeda. It should stay that way.

BY PHILIP MUDD | NOVEMBER 17, 2010

The Road to Kabul Runs Through Kashmir

Why the key to winning in Afghanistan is peace between Islamabad and New Delhi.

BY AHMED RASHID | NOVEMBER 10, 2010

The Russians Return

Russia's back in Afghanistan, this time in cooperation with the West -- but do objectives really align?

BY JAMES KIRCHICK | NOVEMBER 10, 2010

We Need an Indian Civilian Surge

The United States is still struggling to bring stability to Afghanistan. Why not ask India to help?

BY RICHARD FONTAINE | NOVEMBER 4, 2010

An Unnecessary War

Afghanistan used to be the central front in the war against terrorism. Now it's a distraction from it.

BY JAMES TRAUB | OCTOBER 29, 2010

Robert Kaplan's New Global Geography

In Monsoon, our latter-day Kipling makes the case that America can't rule the whole world alone.

BY BLAKE HOUNSHELL | OCTOBER 27, 2010

Kill Screen

Is the new crop of hyperrealistic military video games driving home the reality of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, or simply exploiting them?

BY MATTHEW SHAER | OCTOBER 27, 2010

From Russia With Blood

C.J. Chivers talks with Foreign Policy about the Kalashnikov, the world's real weapon of mass destruction.

INTERVIEW BY CHARLES HOMANS | OCTOBER 15, 2010

The Son Also Rises

On Sept. 27, Kim Jong Un was named to a lofty post in North Korea's army, presumably in preparation to succeed his father as the country's ruler. FP looks at the world's autocrats-in-training who are waiting to take over their fathers' regimes.

BY JOSHUA KEATING AND CHARLES HOMANS | SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

War by Other Means

President Obama is taking some heat for incorporating U.S. domestic politics into his Afghan war strategy. He would be negligent not to.

BY STEPHEN BIDDLE | SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

Why Russia Matters

Ten reasons why Washington must engage Moscow.

BY JAMES F. COLLINS, MATTHEW ROJANSKY | AUGUST 18, 2010

This Week at War: Is Mexico's Drug War Doomed?

Learning to live with drug cartels -- and killer robots.

BY ROBERT HADDICK | AUGUST 13, 2010

The "Hearts and Minds" Guys

The United States never did understand the Vietnamese 40 years ago -- and should do everything possible to avoid making the same mistake in Afghanistan today.

BY ROGER CRANSE | AUGUST 13, 2010

Between Uzbekistan and a Hard Place

After deadly violence against Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan, President Islam Karimov seemed to embrace the flood of refugees back home. When, then, did he boot them out immediately?

BY ILAN GREENBERG | AUGUST 10, 2010

Fear and Loathing in Central Asia

How Russia plans to use a previously obscure international organization to reassert its control over its "near abroad."

BY LELAND R. MILLER | AUGUST 5, 2010

Straight Outta Kandahar

What soldiers fighting the Taliban can learn from cops policing American inner cities.

BY GRETCHEN PETERS | AUGUST 4, 2010

How to Safeguard Afghanistan's Mineral Riches

A six-step guide.

BY ASHBY H.B. MONK | AUGUST 3, 2010

Imprisoned Beliefs

Forget re-education camps for terrorists. Jailed extremists in Pakistan are kept in isolation -- from anyone who might change their mind about waging jihad.

BY RANIA ABOUZEID | JULY 29, 2010

Good Times in Really Bad Places

Looking for a thrill on your next vacation? Here are seven resort destinations that are anything but tame.

BY BENJAMIN PAUKER | JULY 27, 2010

Can Kyrgyzstan Become a Democracy in Russia's Backyard?

While no one was looking, this Central Asian country just adopted the most liberal constitution in the region. Will Moscow let it live?

BY CHARLES RECKNAGEL | JULY 23, 2010

The Consumption Gap

They thought Asia would save the world economy. They were wrong.

BY STEPHEN S. ROACH | JULY 21, 2010

The Long Emergency

Barack Obama's administration is taking an expansive, ambitious approach to global health. Does that mean giving up on combating HIV/AIDS?

BY ELIZABETH DICKINSON | JUNE 25, 2010