US diplomat John Ginkel keeps eye on Kabul from Dushanbe

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Dushanbe aims to ensure that its allies do not forget Taliban threat 

Encouraged by the exceptional mobilisation of troops by the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Kazakhstan, the Tajik president has made a point of calling attention to the threat posed by the Afghan Talibans to the south.

Afghan tensions affords Bishkek spymasters strategic regional role 

Taking advantage of the renewed prominence of Central Asia following the Afghan outbursts, the Kyrgyz spymasters are seeking to consolidate their position and to assert the interests of Bishkek in the regional dynamics between Beijing, Islamabad and New Delhi.

India's intelligence service RAW deployed in bid to influence Afghan affairs 

In a new strategy on Afghanistan that keeps India's opposition to Islamabad very much to the forefront, New Delhi has instructed its external intelligence service, the RAW, to corral anti-Taliban forces.

Taliban high command split between Baradar and Haqqani Network supporters 

Despite their victory, the Taliban remain internally divided between supporters of their former negotiator in Doha, Abdul Ghani Baradar, and members of the radical Haqqani Network.

DynCorp's string of legal woes continues 

Dyncorp's defeats in its legal disputes with the US Army and other clients in Afghanistan have dealt an additional blow to the group, which used to be one of the Pentagon's main contractors.

Doha keeps mediator role despite intelligence failures on Taliban 

Qatar, home to the political branch of the Taliban since 2011, is proud of its role as mediator and the international visibility that goes with it. Its intelligence errors on the evolution of the situation in Afghanistan seem not to have dented its determination to remain closely involved.

After fall of Kabul, Riyadh takes prudent approach to talks with Taliban 

Although keen to keep on the US administration's good side, Saudi Arabia wants to prevent Iran having free rein in Afghanistan and has instructed his spymasters to engage in a prudent dialogue with the Taliban, facilitated by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

Ankara and Moscow jockey for position in Kabul after US withdrawal 

The departure of US troops from Afghanistan and the ongoing clashes between Taliban and Afghan forces have put a strain on the Afghan authorities, which are seeking help anywhere they can find it.

Sergei Korolev to carry Shanghai Pact's anti-terrorism flag 

Russia has appointed rising intelligence star Sergei Korolev to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, as it renews its membership with the regional alliance and ramps up efforts to counter various groups it qualifies as terrorist or extremist.

Russian services regroup in Dushanbe as NATO withdraws from Kabul 

NATO's early withdrawal from Afghanistan, which should be complete on 25 June a few days before US troops pull out on 4 July, is enough to make Russia and its central Asian partners nervous about the road ahead.

FSB gets active in Tajikistan 

As it is already doing in Kyrgyzstan (IOL 627), the FSB Russian internal intelligence service has been closely co-operating with

Strategic Nurek Site Remains Russian 

The Russian Duma has just written off Tajikistan's debt amounting