More Destabilization in Central Asia
[Image: taken from the article which the post references; a protest in the Mongolian capital.]
Published 2022-12-12
Update 2022-12-13: Added The Gaggle interview with Prof. Marandi.
MKB (Indian former diplomat Bhadrakumar) outlines 3 sets of conflicts occurring central Asia with the most alarming being those recently in Mongolia. He casts these as further efforts by the USA + EU/NATO to destabilize the region and counter efforts like BRI/SCO/EAEU.
The article is short, descriptive and well sourced.
Unrest in Mongolia: Who Stands to Gain?, M. K. Bhadrakuma, his website, 2022-12-12
Note: MKB's site blocks Tor.
To the above destabilization can be added the recent coordinated rioting which saw the death of 60+ police officers in Iran.
TG 953: What's Going On In Iran? The Gaggle Talks To Mohammad Marandi, Peter Lavelle and George Szamuely interview Professor Marandi, The Gaggle, 2022-12-13
Following a discussion of the death in custody in Iran of a young woman and the riots which followed, the three move to a geopolitical analysis. I always find Prof Marandi a very interesting commentator.
Technical note: while many other commentators have claimed that Iran is a member of the SCO, I have always said that this will happen at the 2023 SCO Heads of Government meeting. Marandi confirms this in the interview. Iran’s parliament have just passed the relevant documents which will then head to the executive (Guardian Council) for ratification.
George raises a very simple and true point. “The west” fosters division. Take Burrell’s “the garden versus the jungle” rhetoric, or Biden’s “Democracy versus Autocracy”. Its the same old playbook. To return to Macgregor, China wants to do business, trade. The whole BRI trillion dollar project is focused on this. This is the fundamental difference. “The west” wants to divide. Asia wants to unite. It requires little forethought to see which way this will go.
Here is a better thumbnail for the video from around 00:41:25.
Peter is launching into an argument of the irrationality of “the west”. Marandi’s smile shows that he anticipates it. George is looking sideways, probably at the chat.
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