Analysis: Afghan-Turkmen ties deepen

by John C.K. Daly Washington (UPI) Jul 17, 2008 After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the wretched country plunged into 29 years of armed strife with no end in sight. Now, however, a neighboring country is set to make a significant contribution to the standard of living of Afghans in the northwest of the country in a project that likely will prove so popular that even the resurgent Taliban will likely not attack it. In a week in which nine American soldiers were killed and 15 wounded, any news is good news. Turkmenistan, moving ever further away from the neutrality policy articulated by the late "president for life," Saparmurat Niyazov, self-styled "Turkmenbashi" ("father of the Turkmen"), has agreed to assist Kabul in developing its oil and gas deposits. On July 11 Ashgabat convened the first meeting of the... [read full story]