The New Silk Road: Can a U.S.-Backed Initiative Bring Peace and Prosperity to Afghanistan?
July 3rd, 2012
Via Time Magazine, a look at a U.S. backed initiative to bring peace & prosperity to Afghanistan through trade: Trucker Saleem Khan likes to think of himself as a modern version of the camel drivers who once traversed the central Asian plateau in trade caravans destined for the suqs of Arabia, the bazaars of China […]
Read more »Pax-Sinica: Why The U.S. Should Hand Over Afghanistan And Central Asia To China
June 29th, 2012
Via Foreign Policy’s Oil & Glory, a provocative piece on Afghanistan and China’s role therein: In northern Afghanistan, a potentially rich, U.S.-backed oil and gas tender is under way this week. Central to hopes for a face-saving force withdrawal in two years, the competition is part of a U.S. strategy of initiating a vibrant, self-sustaining […]
Read more »TAPI pipeline: Bigger May Not Be Better
June 13th, 2012
Courtesy of Foreign Policy, an article on the TAPI pipeline initiative: Last month saw a major step forward for the proposed TAPI natural gas pipeline. Regarded as a perennial pipe dream by many energy analysts, many critics of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India project were silenced by the signing of a gas sales and purchase agreement between Turkmengaz, […]
Read more »Dialing Down Corruption In Afghanistan
April 15th, 2012
Via Foreign Policy, a look at Afghan efforts to tackle corruption via cellular technology: Last week, Afghan president Hamid Karzai surprised U.S. and coalition officials by announcing the creation of a special tribunal and prosecutor to seek redress for the almost two year old Kabul Bank scandal. And earlier this month, the Afghan House of […]
Read more »Tajikistan Eyes Rail, Energy Links With Iran And Afghanistan
March 29th, 2012
Courtesy of Reuters, a report on Iran and Tajikistan plans to construct a railway line through Afghanistan and to improve energy and water supply links between the three countries. As the article notes: “…[Tajik President Imomali] Rakhmon signed a joint declaration with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on improving after talks […]
Read more »To The Chinese And Indians: The Spoils Of Afghanistan’s War?
March 25th, 2012
Via The Independent, an article on how countries that did not partake in the Afghan conflict are now well positioned to capitalize on various market opportunities: The money and blood pit that is Afghanistan – where the US and Britain have expended more than 2,100 lives and £302bn – is about to start paying a […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.