How far will the U.S. go to fuel the war in Afghanistan?

WASHINGTON – Some of the characters are new, but the scene in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan is one of déjà vu. This past April’s riots were the second time in five years that the United States was left in the uncomfortable position of watching as a president of the small Central Asian country was ousted amidst allegations that U.S. fuel contracts supplying a major logistical hub for the war in Afghanistan... [Read more]

WASHINGTON – Some of the characters are new, but the scene in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan is one of déjà vu. This past April’s riots were the second time in five years that the United States was left in the uncomfortable position of watching as a president of the small Central Asian country was ousted amidst allegations that U.S. fuel contracts supplying a major logistical hub for the war in Afghanistan were funneling millions of dollars to Kyrgyzstan’s presidential family. Even before the most recent overthrow, the House National Security Subcommittee was looking into contracts in the region, which is renowned for its corruption. Now, the subcommittee has undertaken a full-fledged investigation, focused on the contracts at Manas Transit Center in Kyrgyzstan, [...]

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Has the U.S. got its eye on the right ball in Kyrgyzstan?

WASHINGTON – When opposition forces toppled Kyrgyzstan’s government in April, many Americans would have been hard-pressed to find the country on a map, despite the fact it’s home to an American air base that provides a key supply line to troops in Afghanistan. Simply looking at a map would tell you how disjointed U.S. policy in the region is, says Paul Goble, an expert on Eurasian issues who... [Read more]

WASHINGTON – When opposition forces toppled Kyrgyzstan’s government in April, many Americans would have been hard-pressed to find the country on a map, despite the fact it’s home to an American air base that provides a key supply line to troops in Afghanistan. Simply looking at a map would tell you how disjointed U.S. policy in the region is, says Paul Goble, an expert on Eurasian issues who has served in various capacities in the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. State Department. Although U.S. efforts have remained fixated on Russian influence in the former-Soviet region, the country does not in fact share a border with Russia – but it does with China. “There is a very large geopolitical switch [...]

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Top Secret America unveiled by the Washington Post

The Washington Post unveiled the first installment of its much-awaited investigative series on the vast post-Sept. 11 counter-terrorism-industrial complex this morning, and it appears to be all that national security watchers were hoping for – or fearing. The “Top Secret America” series is the result of two years of reporting by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest and William Arkin,... [Read more]

The Washington Post unveiled the first installment of its much-awaited investigative series on the vast post-Sept. 11 counter-terrorism-industrial complex this morning, and it appears to be all that national security watchers were hoping for – or fearing. The “Top Secret America” series is the result of two years of reporting by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest and William Arkin, a veteran national security  journalist. By all accounts, it appears to be – by an order of magnitude – one of the most ambitious media projects on the U.S. response to the 2001 terrorist attacks. It is a must-read for anyone interested in seeing how the U.S. government is trying to protect its citizens from another attack, and how many [...]

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Questions to ponder over the CIA drone strikes

WASHINGTON – Drone attacks carried out by the CIA against “high-value targets” (aka terrorists and their financial backers), primarily in South Asia, have caused many to question the legal, moral and strategic ramifications of targeting hostile individuals. A United Nations report last week that criticized the CIA’s targeted killings warned that officials involved in coordinating these... [Read more]

Drone attacks carried out by the CIA against “high-value targets” (aka terrorists and their financial backers), primarily in South Asia, have caused many to question the legal, moral and strategic ramifications of targeting hostile individuals.

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