Tue. Feb 11th, 2025

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Turkiye and Qatar are in the driver’s seat in Syria

As usually happens, the overthrow of the Bashar Al Assad regime in Syria is seeing a jostling between regional powers for influence in that country. The Assads had always prided themselves on their pan-Arabism. Ironically, the powers jostling for influence there are all non-Arab ones: Israel, Turkiye, and Iran. Of these Turkiye is in a more dominant position given its proximity and support to the Syrian rebels

India has no alternative but to engage with the Taliban

Undoubtedly, the fissures between Pakistan and Afghanistan make the case for greater Indian engagement with the Taliban but it would be shortsighted to attribute such engagement as being solely contongent on Pak-Afghan relations. Regional security, trade and real politik demand that India engages with the Taliban. And India has quietly been doing that for awhile now.