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The regime’s greatest protector and greatest threat: military policy in Tajikistan

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Every state needs an army, and Tajikistan is no different. In Tajikistan, the army is made up of multiple military and paramilitary branches, which all serve to protect the dictatorial regime of Emomali Rahmon from internal and external threat. This army js Rahmon's most important tool to keep power, but also the seems to be the greatest current threat to that same power.  History and origin of the armed forces In most post-soviet states, the current structure of the armed forces is based on, at least originally, Soviet armed formations. In the Tajik SSR, the main armed formation had been the 201 st motor rifle division, which it follows should have been the backbone of the new military of the independent Tajikistan. Tajikistan was, however, not granted control of the division, which remained under Moscow’s command as a Russian foreign military installation. [1] The 201 st had participated in the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, where Central Asians notably were kept away ...
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Iran's international influence

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In the background of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas there have been increasingly escalating tensions between the United States on one hand and a series of “Iranian proxies” on the other, chiefly the Ansar Allah party in Yemen (commonly known by the name of the group from which many of their members originate, the Houthi tribe). Without any context, it may seem confusing why Iranian backed groups strike Israel from Lebanon or American troops in Jordan, and it may seem illogical that striking back at Iran means bombing in Syria and Iraq. To understand why so many groups in so many countries can be described as “Iran-backed”, a pattern in Iranian foreign policy must be understood, one that brings both militant groups and entire regimes into an Iranian sphere of influence. As both the United States and Iran’s supporters are continuing to bomb each other, it is very important to understand this pattern, both for policymakers and for the populations in the western world who keep ...
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Tajikistan, the model dictatorship

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 Tajikistan is not a country often discussed by international media. It is a poor post-soviet state without much to make it stick out. It does not have the economic miracles and close relations with the west of the Baltics, nor the natural gas wealth of western Central Asia, nor has it been assaulted by Russia like Georgia and Ukraine. This lack of unique traits means Tajikistan is almost anonymous when seen with an international lens, but it also means Tajikistan can be used as an excellent case study. Tajikistan is a very normal dictatorship, with all the abuses and refusal of freedoms as that entails. Map of Tajikistan in Asia by Mapsland The Republic of Tajikistan has been ruled by president Emomali Rahmon since 1992, making him the longest reigning leader of any post-soviet state. His reign began with him as a “nondescript” compromise candidate selected to halt the escalating civil war, but he has slowly become the singular personalistic “strongman” who completely dominates ...
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