The battle for Kunduz and its repercussions
By Stephen Blank
October 22nd, 2015, The CACI Analyst
On October 13, 2015, the Taliban announced its withdrawal from the major Afghan city of Kunduz that it had captured earlier. A counterattack by the Afghan Army and the ISAF alliance’s air power reversed the Taliban’s earlier victory and forced them out of the city. Nevertheless, this battle cannot be considered a victory for the Afghan government or for ISAF, and its repercussions are wide-ranging. Almost immediately after the Taliban withdrawal, President Obama ended his long review of U.S. strategy and policy in Afghanistan by announcing that 5,500 U.S. forces would stay through 2017, i.e. into the next administration, to ensure the continuing stabilization of Afghanistan.
- Afghanistan
- Taliban
- Central Asia
- ISAF Afghanistan
- US strategy in Afghanistan
- US Army War College
- President Ashraf Ghani
- Afghanistan’s staying power
- Battle for Kunduz
- Conquest of Kunduz
- Kunduz retaken
- Obama decision US force in Afghanistan
- Governance in Afghanistan
- TAPI pipeline Afghanistan
- Investment in Afghanistan
- Russian troops Afghanistan
- VicePresident Abdul Rashim Dostum
- Tajikistan
- Taliban control of Afghanistan
- CSTO
- US strategy in Central Asia
Russia in Syria and Putin's geopolitical strategy
By Avinoam Idan
October 22nd, 2015, The CACI Analyst
The deepening of Russia’s military presence in Syria and its direct involvement in aiding the Assad regime during the Syrian crisis is a game changing step in the geostrategic context of the Middle East. This is Russia’s third move during the last eight years to change the strategic status quo in the greater Middle East by means of military force. Russia’s new step in Syria aims to influence the geopolitical makeup of the Middle East following the collapse of the Sykes-Picot order. Russia aims to establish itself as a key player from the Caspian Basin in the east, via the Black Sea, to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Iran's empowerment in Central Asia and the South Caucasus
By Richard Weitz
October 19th, 2015, The CACI Analyst
Although international attention regarding Iran naturally gravitates towards Tehran’s activities in the Persian Gulf and the nuclear realm, Iran is also an active player in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan. Thanks to its nuclear deal with the great powers, the subsequent relaxation of sanctions, and the growth of regional terrorism and Russian military activism, Iran’s influence in the region is set to grow considerably in coming years, though not necessarily to the benefit of the regional states or their Western partners.
- Iran
- Central Asia
- South Caucasus
- Iran nuclear deal
- Persian Gulf
- Iranian influence in South Caucasus
- Iraninan influence in Central Asia
- Iranian influence in Afghanistan
- President Rouhani
- Iran Armenia relations
- Iran Azerbaijan relations
- Iran Afghanistan relations
- Iran Russia relations
- Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Islamic extremism
- Afghan Taliban
- US military presence Afghanistan
- Saudi Arabia Afghanistan
- Islamic State ISIL
- Syrian civil war
The fall of Kunduz and Taliban resurgence
By Sudha Ramachandran
October 15th, 2015, The CACI Analyst
The fall of Kunduz to the Taliban has set alarm bells ringing not only in Afghanistan but also far beyond its borders. The capture of Kunduz, even if only temporary, has far reaching implications. It has dealt the Afghan government a heavy blow and is a huge setback for President Ashraf Ghani’s approach and strategy towards the Taliban. While it is expected to force the U.S. to revise its plans for troop withdrawal, Russia, China and Central Asian governments are watching the Taliban’s northward expansion nervously.
- Afghanistan
- Central Asia
- South Asia
- Capture of Kunduz
- Taliban Kunduz
- President Ashraf Ghani
- Afghan civil war
- Afghan National Security Council ANSF
- Afghan National Unity Government NUG
- US hospital bombing MSF Kunduz
- International Security Assistance Force ISAF
- US withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Mullah Akhtar Mohammed Mansour
- Mullah Omar
- Islamist militants in Central Asia
- Islamic extremism
- Islamic State Afghanistan
- Islamic militants Tajikistan
- Islamic militants Uzbekistan
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