• Central Asia Crossroads

    Central Asia is once again emerging as an important crossroads in a geopolitical competition between great and rising powers, notably China, Russia and the United States. In the years following the US military invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, the states of Central Asia have moved from being tangential and ancillary pieces in US national security strategy as it prosecuted its so-called war on terror to being important partners for several great and rising powers. – Foreign Intrigue

  • ISIS in Afghanistan(Video)

    ISIS is on the rise in Afghanistan — and they say they’re getting young kids to join the jihad. In a special report, FRONTLINE correspondent Najibullah Quraishi reveals on film the degree to which ISIS is gaining a foothold in the country, and how they’re focusing their efforts on training a new generation of jihadists. – Frontline

  • Afghan Translators Wait for US Visas

    While President Obama seeks to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country, the FBI director laments an inadequate vetting process. While GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump calls for a ban on all Muslim immigrants, others label him Islamaphobic even as Americans worry about unabated movement of undocumented migrants and potential jihadists flooding the country through a porous border. Americans are concerned about admitting enemies into the country, but our government isn’t even honoring its prior promises to brave interpreters who risked death and torture while loyally serving the U.S. military during our long war in Afghanistan. – The Washington Times

  • Poland Criticized for Raid on NATO Center

    Slovakia’s Defense Minister Martin Glváč wrote a letter to his Polish counterpart, Antoni Macierewicz, in which he severely criticized his entrance to the NATO counterintelligence center in the dead of the night on December 18. “I request a stop to all non-standard actions,” the letter read. Glváč wrote that contrary to statements made by some Polish officials, the raid was not agreed with Slovakia. “With whom had the Polish side consulted the appointment of a new head of the center?” – WBJ

  • China Prepares for Space Warfare

    Following recent tests of anti-satellite missiles and near-space hypersonic vehicles, China’s military will soon create a new Space Force within the People’s Liberation Army, a sign Beijing is preparing for future space warfare. Military analysts say there has been no official announcement of the new space warfare unit; however, unofficial sources in China revealed the unit will be part of a new Strategic Support Forces service that will include nuclear missiles — currently under the Second Artillery Force — along with an electronic information forces, cyber warfare units and electronic and signals intelligence. – The Washington Times

[Featured image: U.S. Army and Afghan National Army soldiers walk as a NATO helicopter flies overhead on Aug. 13, 2015, at Forward Operating Base Connelly in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Wakil Kohsar|AFP|Getty Images]