Central Asia

As US-led forces engage in a major offensive in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, commentators in Pakistan are still taking stock of the London conference and what it could mean for the role their country plays in their neighbour’s stability. Mustafa Qadri reports that many believe the road to such stability and security will inevitably run through Pakistan–and to the Taliban.

After taking a backseat to the United States and Russia in Central Asia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, China is finally making its mark in the region, says Joshua Kucera. But while the three powers vie for influence, it could be the 'stans' that are playing the wiliest game of all.

If the London Conference on Afghanistan held last week demonstrated anything, it is that it’s only a matter of time until India loses whatever strategic leverage it previously enjoyed compared with Pakistan in the country.

The Diplomat speaks with leading Afghanistan commentator Juan Cole, author of the Informed Comment blog, about the recent election, the abandoned run-off and the future of US forces in the country.

Award-winning photojournalist Stephen Dupont reminisces about his life on the frontline in Afghanistan.

Harriet Riley reports from St Petersburg on the link between badly dubbed Western movies and an award-winning human rights activist

Our writer argues that his young tech-savvy peers, celebrity fixations aside, are increasingly engaged in global issues like this summer’s riots in Tehran.

In June, Austin Mackell was in Iran for The Diplomat to get a sense of modern life inside the Islamic Republic.

Lack of leadership makes a fully fledged revolution unlikely in Iran

The Diplomat speaks with Ilan Berman, Vice President for Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council and author of ‘Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge to the United States’ about Iran’s disputed presidential election.

James Robertson recently caught up with Allawi for The Diplomat to discuss what he calls ‘The Crisis of Islamic Civilization’, as Barack Obama prepares to visit the Middle East to deliver a major address redefining US relations with Islam.

While Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and the best known internationally, Abu Dhabi, the national capital lying 150 km south-west of Dubai, is well on the way to matching the profile of its precocious sibling.

As the world surveys the wreckage that is now Gaza, the international community would be advised to shift its attention north to Lebanon, where the elections to be held in June have the potential  to immerse the country in yet another bloody civil conflict.