Despite Gaza’s great distance from Central Asia, the Israel-Hamas war has had an impact on the religious and security landscape in the region. While al-Qaida-affiliated Central Asian Sunni extremist groups in Syria and Afghanistan limited their engagement to expressing support for Palestinian Muslims through ideologically strong statements, the Tajik militants of the Islamic State Khorasan … Read more
The votes on the December 12 United Nations General Assembly resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza produced little shock or surprise. Israel and the United States led the increasingly isolated 10 U.N. member states who voted against the resolution. The 153 votes in support of the resolution reflect growing global condemnation of Israel’s … Read more
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited New Delhi last week for their 2+2 inter-ministerial dialogue with India, capping off a year of intense summitry between India and the United States. This meeting was especially significant. After intractable differences over Ukraine and Russia, India and the U.S. hoped to build … Read more