The Senate Foreign Relations Committee released this report on December 19, 2011. The press release states,
"As part of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ongoing oversight of U.S engagement in Afghanistan and the broader region, Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today released a report examining Central Asia's critical role in Afghanistan.
Central Asia and the Transition in Afghanistan is based on an October 2011 field visit by the Committee's majority staff to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan as well as extensive staff meetings with experts and policymakers. It provides several important statistics and offers three overarching recommendations for the Administration as it prepares for the 2014 transition in Afghanistan and continues to engage with countries in the region."
In this Center for Preventive Action study, CFR scholars provide policy options for preventing a major crisis and mitigating the consequences in the territories immediately adjacent to China: North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Central Asia.
Evan A. Feigenbaum says the ultimate test of cooperation between India and the United States in Central Asia will be to promote economic linkages and continental trade.
Author: Evan A. Feigenbaum The Washington Quarterly
Evan A. Feigenbaum states, "... unless U.S. policymakers adapt to the contours of a more integrated Asia, and soon, they will miss opportunities in every part of the region over time - and find the United States less relevant to Asia's future."
Evan A. Feigenbaum authors a report from the Central Asia Study Group and the Project 2049 Institute that calls on American and Central Asian leaders to rise to the challenges and opportunities in the region. The report proposes an action agenda on economics, energy, governance, security, social development, and regional cooperation, and places particular emphasis on the importance of reconnecting Central Asian countries to the global economy.
Blaine D. Holt argues that rebuilding Kyrgyzstan's crumbling infrastructure with U.S. aid and manpower will lead to the development of programs and institutions from which a democracy can evolve.
The displacement of Kyrgyzstan's Uzbeks raises problems of legitimacy for Sunday's constitutional referendum, as well as concerns about the U.S.-leased airbase at Manas, says Kyrgyzstan expert Michele Commercio.
Russia's inaction in response to Kyrgyzstan's ethnic violence reflects a deeper problem with international cooperation, writes CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.
Amid Kyrgyzstan's domestic upheaval, the status of an important U.S. military base could become shakier, says expert Alexander Cooley of Columbia University.
After a spasm of violent protests that caused Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee the capital, the international community must push the new transitional government to set the country back on a democratic path, says CFR Central Asia expert Evan Feigenbaum.
This academic module features teaching notes by Jeffrey Mankoff, author of the Council Special Report Eurasian Energy Security, along with additional resources to supplement the text. In this report, Dr. Mankoff examines Russia's rise as an energy power and suggests that Europe can increase its energy security by working with--not against--Russia going forward.
CFR Central Asia expert Evan Feigenbaum says the United States has a rare opportunity to explore whether the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can become a serious partner in stabilizing Afghanistan.
S. Frederick Starr, a longtime expert on the Caucasus and Central Asia, says Russia is using a "carrot and stick" approach to attempt to force the United States out of a crucial air base in Kyrgyzstan, showing its determination to reclaim its traditional influence in the so-called near abroad.
This report looks at Russia's rise as an energy power, analyzing its control of supplies and delivery systems and its investments in energy infrastructure across Europe, as well as questions about the potential of its production, recognizing that European dependence on Russian energy will be a reality well into the future and that Europe can increase its energy security only by working with--not against--Russia.
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
