Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of international issues says the United States irresponsible withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan has disrupted the relative stability in that country as the US is trying in addition to creating instability in the region, manage the Afghan crisis to create a threat for its rivals in the region.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An analyst of Russian affairs says the heavy shadow of Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea to Russia still prevails Russian relations with Europe, adding that the most important message of the recent positions of the European Union leaders for Russia was that if Moscow adopts a new aggressive policy in this region, this relationship which is being reconstructed after several years of costs would be totally destroyed.
Strategic Council Online – Assistant to Minister and Director General of West Asia at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that the meeting of intra-Afghan groups in Tehran had a special success, added: The Taliban, with its past experience, realizes that it cannot necessarily achieve international legitimacy by military force; rather, international legitimacy is achieved through political negotiations.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Afghanistan issues says no change has been taken place in the goals, motivations and ideology of Taliban compared to the past two decades and the Taliban, during various periods, has made efforts given the present circumstances in Afghanistan to realize a portion of its goals and programs with special tools.
Strategic Council Online – A university professor said that Afghanistan’s issues today are affected by the US negotiations with the Taliban and said that the scenarios considered by the regional countries for peace in Afghanistan should be comprehensive and they should accept that benefit of all is in peace and security with the participation of all ethnic groups.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on West Asia affairs said that the Zionist regime has been pursuing military and security goals in the Persian Gulf since the day it normalized relations with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, adding: The regime wants to be part of the region but public opinion in the region opposes it and does not accept it.
Strategic Council Online – Former Chief of Afghanistan Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that if the Tajiks enter the field of resistance against the Taliban, they will most likely have the support of the Uzbeks, Hazaras, Turkmen, other ethnic groups and even some Pashtuns, adding: Ethnic groups in Afghanistan have so far waited to see where the situation of the Taliban and resistance of the military against them will lead. The Taliban have not taken a stand against other ethnic groups and are trying not to turn the issue into an ethnic conflict.
Strategic Council Online – An expert on Afghan affairs said that the Taliban are facing very different Afghans in the current situation than in the 1990s, adding that Afghans view of power trends and the future of their country and society has changed a lot and this difference for Taliban forces has brought about trouble and may cause difficulty in future.
Strategic Council Online – A university professor described the signals exchanged between Washington and Pyongyang as indicating a desire to reduce tensions between the two countries, saying: It seems that the United States will take these messages seriously and take steps in this direction; because getting countries out of “China’s strategic embrace” is one of America’s current strategies.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A senior researcher of international issues says many governments are re-defining their foreign policy based on the new realities especially the rise of China as a big political and economic global power.