Editor's Note: The following report is excerpted from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium online newsletter published by the founder of WND. Subscriptions are $99 a year or, for monthly trials, just $9.95 per month for credit card users, and provide instant access for the complete reports.
U.S. Army in Afghanistan |
The U.S. fight against terrorism in Afghanistan is creating a conflict for Moscow, which dislikes the United States presence there but sees an ultimate U.S. departure from the region resulting in an instability in Central Asia that could affect even Russia itself, according to a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
The result is a tentative endorsement of U.S. efforts there, such as an offer to let the U.S. supply NATO forces with non-lethal supplies, following Taliban attacks that have disrupted supply lines in Pakistan recently.
Moscow appears to be considering what it would take to create a buffer between Afghanistan and Russia to prevent the spread of radical Islam.
Such thinking coincides with recently announced Russian intentions to proceed with the development of a coalition force of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in addition to Russia.
CSTO not only would provide the security buffer Moscow seeks against the spread of Islamic radicalism, but it would counter NATO expansion to the east.
Keep in touch with the most important breaking news stories about critical developments around the globe with Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence news source edited and published by the founder of WND.
Such a concern also indicates that the Kremlin foresees a “dead-end scenario” for NATO forces in Afghanistan, according to Dmitry Shlapentokh, an associate professor of History at Indiana University in South Bend.
"Since in the last war Russia was unable to subdue the insurgency, Russian analysts see no reason to believe that NATO would be more successful," he said. "The Russian elite entertains a lingering fear that a U.S. debacle (in Afghanistan) could also lead to a new realignment in the Middle East from Iran to Afghanistan where any solutions would come at Russia’s expense."
Russia remains leery of Iran, despite cooperation between Russia and Iran at other levels. In effect, Moscow sees Tehran as the root of Islamic radicalism. It also sees an expansion of Iran's role in Afghanistan.
In addition, the Kremlin views with concern the Obama administration's recent overtures to Iran which gives significant concessions to the Muslim world while causing Russia's influence to diminish in Central Asia.
Indeed, the Obama administration's interaction with Shiite Iran is prompting alarms not only in the Kremlin but also in Sunni Saudi Arabia, which opposes any U.S. initiatives with Iran.
Russian officials believe that the Obama administration has decided to make overtures toward Iran since it believes the U.S. cannot subdue the country in its intentions to develop a nuclear capability or expand its influence in Afghanistan.
According to Shlapentokh, the idea that the U.S. could decrease its "imperial" presence in Asia and at the same time turn its "historical" enemies into friends is a viewpoint resonating with greater frequency among Russian officials.
For the complete report and full immediate access to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, subscribe now.