Stories about Central Asia & Caucasus from September, 2009
Afghanistan: Riots in Ghazni, the Province Falls
Joshua Foust reports that the strategic province of Ghazni in Afghanistan is falling to the Taliban with increasing presence of its “Radio Shariat” in the area and violent anti-government riots in the city.
Afghanistan: New Blog in Kunar
Joshua Foust writes that the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan has a blog with news and some great pictures.
Kazakhstan: Informal summit of the Caspian Sea states
Elina Galperin informs her readers that leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan met in Aktau (Kazakhstan) to ‘informally’ discuss the resources in the Caspian Sea. Iran did not take part.
Afghanistan: Growing presence of Taliban
Nick Fielding reports that Taliban now has a permanent presence in 80 per cent of Afghanistan, up from 72 per cent in November 2008 and 54 per cent in 2007.
Afghanistan: Rethinking “Af-Pak”
Nick Fielding analyzes the shifts in understanding of the Afghanistan politics by the West, as more politicians are rejecting the idea of linking policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Azerbaijan: Good news… for a change
Following the detention and prosecution of youth activists in two of the three countries making up the South Caucasus, Thoughts on the Road reports that there is at least some good news for a change. Even if the trial of video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli is set to...
Azerbaijan: 9/11 and Islam
A day before posting, Scary Azeri tweeted that she needed to sleep on today's entry for the anniversary of 9/11. To mark the tragic event, the blogger takes a look at perceptions towards Islam in Azerbaijan and the U.K.
Afghanistan: Riots in Ghazni
Free Range International reports that there is a fresh round of rioting in Ghazni, Afghanistan. There are rumors the rioters were protesting the abduction and murder of Shams al-Din, a popular anti-American cleric.
Egypt: Prison Awaits Those who don't Fast in Ramadan
For the first time in Egypt, the Ministry of Interior arrests Muslims who eat and drink in public during the fasting month of Ramadan. Marwa Rakha has the story.
Afghanistan: Conversation with soldier
Captain's Cat, an aid worker in Gardez City, posts a conversation with a young American soldier, where he expresses exasperation at the way Afghan culture works, and admits he only joined the Army to pay for college.
Afghanistan: Animal House in Kabul
Tim Lynch, an American security contractor in Afghanistan, used to work with the now-fired security guards at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. He says: “The problem with the current guard force is that they are on a sh** contract. Ignore the money value published in the papers – that number...
Kazakhstan: Lenin. More Alive Than the Living
Two similar messages have entered the Kazakh blogosphere from opposite ends of the country. They both talk about the revival of one symbol of a bygone era: head-and-shoulders statues of Lenin.
Uzbekistan: Decay of the Uzbek hospitals
Neweurasia provides a photo-post about the disastrous decay of a once-famous hospital for tuberculosis patients in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
Tajikistan: Controversy over state company's audit
Salimjon says that IMF Office in Tajikistan preferred to keep the results of the audits on Barqi Tojik, the national state energy company, and Talco, the national aluminum company, confidential, despite numerous problems in accounting and bookkeeping.
Afghanistan: Mystery of the missing opium crop
Nick Fielding tries to understand why and how, according to the Afghan Opium Survey from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime report, the bottom is starting to fall out of the Afghan opium market with opium cultivation down 22%, production down by 10% and prices at a ten-year low.
Afghanistan: Contractors and warfare
Nick Fielding analyzes the Congressional Research Service report on contractors in Afghanistan and notes that there are some fascinating material on the economic shape of modern warfare.
Kazakhstan: OSCE Leadership and Increased Autocracy
Joshua Foust points out a recent series of human rights violations and arbitrary prosecution in Kazakhstan and says that the OSCE Chairmanship has become a cover for worse repression than before.
Afghanistan: Protecting People or Bombing Hospitals?
Joshua Foust reports that U.S. forces bombed a hospital in Paktika Province because the hospital was treating a Taliban commander. Moreover, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan claimed the Americans attacked one of their clinics as well.
Turkmenistan: Naval base on the Caspian Sea
Elina Galperin reports that Turkmenistan intends to open a naval base in the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi to fight smugglers, terrorists and any other forces.
Afganistan: Universities and master programs
Afghan PenLog explains why universities in Afghanistan are not academically prepared to offer master programs.
Afghanistan: U.S Army – To Stay or Not to Stay
Safrang reviews the recent opinions on Afghanistan, the new strategic assessment of the counter-insurgency measures and anticipations of the upcoming review of the strategy this fall.
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