A Strategic Conundrum: Pakistan’s Transit Corridor to Iran as Lifeline or Liability
The US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz — disruptive to global trade and energy flows, and devastating for debt-burdened economies — has handed Pakistan an unexpected geoeconomic opportunity, one that may persist even if the framework agreement announced on June 14 results in a lasting peace and permanent reopening of the strait. But seizing it will have interlocking consequences for Islamabad’s ties with Tehran, Washington, and the Gulf states.
Russia’s Taliban Embrace Signals a New Power Shift in Afghanistan
Sometimes the only thing more frightening than Afghanistan’s problems is the Taliban’s solutions and the recently signed Russia-Taliban military-technical agreement may be the most alarming one yet. The partnership signals that Afghanistan’s security architecture is being rebuilt without the United States, and increasingly by America’s rivals. Washington should pay close attention because the deal hands one of the world’s most repressive regimes a pathway to becoming more capable and deeply entrenched in a regional order where Russian influence is expanding at America’s expense.
The Pakistani General Running Washington’s Backchannel to Tehran
As Washington and Tehran edge closer to escalation, the most critical line of communication keeping the crisis from spiraling is being run not by polished diplomats, but by an unlikely figure: a Pakistani general. Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief, has quietly become the key intermediary in the U.S.-Iran standoff, managing what may be the most important backchannel between the two sides. The mediation has thrust Pakistan to the center of the crisis while exposing it to enormous risk.
This article was first published by The National Interest. on September 26, 2012
Assertions and opinions in this publication are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
Afghanistan's Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014
MEI Podcast, 20120925 Afghanistan’s Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014 Shaharzad Akbar; Joanie Meharry, Jahid Mohseni, Laura Tedesco, George Gavrilis , Wendy ChamberlinPresented by The Middle East Institute and the Hollings Center
Afghanistan's Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014
MEI Podcast, 20120925 Afghanistan’s Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014 Shaharzad Akbar; Joanie Meharry, Jahid Mohseni, Laura Tedesco, George Gavrilis , Wendy ChamberlinPresented by The Middle East Institute and the Hollings Center
Afghanistan's Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014
MEI Podcast, 20120925 Afghanistan’s Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014 Shaharzad Akbar; Joanie Meharry, Jahid Mohseni, Laura Tedesco, George Gavrilis , Wendy ChamberlinPresented by The Middle East Institute and the Hollings Center
Afghanistan's Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014
MEI Podcast, 20120925 Afghanistan’s Cultural Institutions & Private Sector in the Shadow of 2014 Shaharzad Akbar; Joanie Meharry, Jahid Mohseni, Laura Tedesco, George Gavrilis , Wendy ChamberlinPresented by The Middle East Institute and the Hollings Center
Afghanistan: Where Chaos Is King and Plunder Is Privilege
The “new and improved” tactics of “divide and conquer” are operational both at the vertical and horizontal layers of the government and society in Afghanistan.
Informal Governance and Role of State in Cities in Developing Countries: Comparing Karachi and Cairo
The 21st century has been called the “Century of the City,” as half of the world’s population lives in urban areas.[1] Virtually all of the projected global population growth will be in cities of the developing world, and most of it will be concentrated in informal settlements.
Afghanistan 2002-2012: A Decade of Progress and Hope.
Recent media coverage of the Afghan war questions whether we’ve made meaningful progress towards security and an effective Government in that country. Or were the past ten years a lost decade for the Afghans and Coalition partners? This ten-year milestone is a good point in time to pause, check Afghanistan’s progress, and assess where it appears to be headed. With the assistance of over 40 nations, Afghanistan developed its infrastructure and has taken major steps towards self sufficiency.
We are regularly bombarded by news reports and political analysis that reflect certain underlying assumptions about Afghanistan. These assumptions range from claims that Afghanistan was always a backward state ruled by warlords, to assertions that the country was never really a nation at all, and proclamations that Afghanistan is unfit for Western-style democracy and that it is dangerously naïve to think otherwise.
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