The wait is finally over, Porkins Great Game is back! We begin by taking a look at the recent Parliamentary elections in Georgia. We break down how the elections turned out and analyze the results and what that may mean for the political future of Georgia. Christoph and I also touch on the most recent scandal in Georgia dealing with yet another leaked audio tape of Saakashvili. In our second segment we discuss the ongoing violence in Afghanistan as well as a ongoing peace negotiations. We begin with the recent peace deal between the government and famed heroin warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. We also break down the latest Taliban attack on the city of Kunduz and the wave of attacks in the south in Helmand provience. Christoph and I also analyze the latest Taliban/Kabul peace talks which has conspicuously left out Pakistan. For our final segment we talk all things Syria. We touch on the recent push for more direct US action from armchair generals such as Charles Lister. Christoph and I discuss the reality of what is going on in Aleppo as well as the threat of armed conflict between Russia and the United States.
In our Weird Terrorism section we talk about the strange case of Jabar al Bakr: the White Helmet humanitarian who tried to blow up the Berlin airport. We also talk about the recent death of Uzbek leader Islam Karimov.
We begin this episode by discussing the recent “rebellion” in Tajikistan. Christoph and I break down who Deputy Defense Minister Abduhalim Nazardoza was and why he carried out a series of deadly attacks in the capital. Christoph explains how this is being exploited by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in his unending battle to destroy Central Asia’s only Islamist party, the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT). We discuss the role that the IRPT played during Tajikistan’s brutal civil war during the 1990’s and ultimately what this means politically.
In our second story we return yet again to the ongoing violence and instability in Afghanistan. We begin with a quick update on the infighting between Mullah Mansoor and rival Taliban factions. Having gained the support of Mullah Omar’s family Mullah Mansoor continues to assert his power and dominance in the region. Christoph and I go in to detail about the recent capture of the northern city of Kunduz by the Taliban. Christoph explains the strategic value of this city and how this represents a massive blow to President Ghani’s regime. We also break down the deliberate bombing of a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders by US bombers.
For our third story we take a look at Russia and their campaign to battle terrorism both home and abroad. First we touch on Kadyrov’s efforts to dissuade young men from joining ISIS by humiliating them on national TV, and his offer to bring the fight directly to Syria. We also discuss Russia’s intervention in Syria. Christoph and I analyze what is going on in Syria, the reasons for Russia getting involved, and what could be in store for them in the future. We finish up the conversation by taking a look at the recent defection of US trained Syrian rebels, Division 30, to Al Nusra.
In our first episode of 2015, Christoph and I look at the most recent attack in the Chechen capital of Grozny. We focus on who may have been behind the hours-long gun battle that left nearly 30 people dead. First we consider the support that neo-nazis in the Ukrainian parliament have been lending to the Chechen militants, both in rhetoric and possibly in material support as well. We also speak about the recent capture of a high-ranking Chechen terrorist trying to enter into Crimea from Ukraine. We then move on to the role that Turkey is playing in protecting and using Chechen’s in Gladio B operations. Christoph breaks down his recent article in Boiling Frogs Post which details several interesting Gladio operatives discovered in Turkey in recent months and years. We talk about the recent capture of Ayman Al Zawahiri’s man in Libya, Abd al-Baset Azzouz, while he was staying in a resort town in Turkey. Christoph explains Azzouz’s connections with the recently deceased Abu Anas Al-Liby, and how Azzouz worked for NATO during the overthrow of Gaddafi. Christoph also examines the assassination of prominent Chechen Medet Onlu, and how this may have been the work of the Turkish government in an attempt to silence a critic of the “Jihadist highway to Syria” . We end this segment by discussing a recent article by Brookings president Strobe Talbott, in which he predicts that 2015 will be the start of the Third Chechen War, and how a “prediction” by a deep-state actor like Tablott is really an announcement.
Our second story focuses on the demise of the much-lauded Russian-led natural gas pipeline known as South Stream. We discuss how US and EU pressure on Eastern European nations led Russia to cancel construction of the pipeline into Europe, and to declare instead that it will rote this gas to Turkey. Christoph and I discuss how Turkey is gradually positioning itself to be a major energy broker in the world, and what this may mean, geo-politically speaking.
For our last story we move to Tajikistan and its security problem along the porous border they share with Afghanistan. We discuss the recent kidnappings of Tajik border guards by the Taliban, and how they underscore the massive security problem in Afghanistan. Christoph explains why Tajikistan represents a more serious problem than neighboring Turkmenistan, and examines the Russian and Chinese responses to it. Christoph also talks about plans to create a “Greater Badakhstan” out of Tajik and Afghan territory right on China’s border.
We finish of the episode by taking a look at the start of the Boston Bombing trial. We discuss the Tsarnaev family’s connections to the CIA, and how this trial may be part of a much larger narrative that has yet to play out. Christoph and I also share our predictions for possible developments in Central Asia and the Caucasus region in 2015.
Porkins Policy Review 