The planned reductions in NATO troop numbers in Afghanistan through 2015 and a final withdrawal at the end of 2016 brings up numerous pressing questions about the security and national interests of not just Afghanistan, but of the broader region itself. The problem of a chaotic Afghanistan--or of an outright Taliban victory--is of great concern to not only immediate neighbors such as Iran, Pakistan, and the former Soviet Central Asian republics to the north, but also to those countries in the region with Afghanistan-related security or economic concerns, such as China and India. Further...

This collection examines the use of soft power in Central Asia. The contributors examine the use of non-coercive policy objectives by the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, Turkey, and Israel.