Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Sakastan: the most interesting corner of the world

I think the most interesting corner of the world right now is the area once known as Sakastan — that is, the bleak endoheric part of Central Asian desert where the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan meet. Right now the Marines are carrying out an offensive there in Afghanistan’s Helmand River valley. (I believe, ...

584047_090706_sakastan12.jpg
584047_090706_sakastan12.jpg

I think the most interesting corner of the world right now is the area once known as Sakastan -- that is, the bleak endoheric part of Central Asian desert where the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan meet. Right now the Marines are carrying out an offensive there in Afghanistan's Helmand River valley. (I believe, by the way, that the Helmand is the largest river in the world that simply dries up, without an outlet to another river, a lake, or the sea).

I think the most interesting corner of the world right now is the area once known as Sakastan — that is, the bleak endoheric part of Central Asian desert where the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan meet. Right now the Marines are carrying out an offensive there in Afghanistan’s Helmand River valley. (I believe, by the way, that the Helmand is the largest river in the world that simply dries up, without an outlet to another river, a lake, or the sea).

Meanwhile, Baluchistan, just over the border in Pakistan, is also restive, and Pakistani officials have expressed concern that the Helmand fighting will further destabilize the situation if Talibanners flee south. They say the Americans have promised that won’t happen. Maybe so. And then of course there is Iran, where the situation remains unsettled — and where the southeast has been intermittently frisky for several years. The west part of this area, in Iran, also is known as Sistan. Hmm — sound familiar?

Also, four soldiers and two Afghan civilians were killed in a bombing in Kunduz, up in northern Afghanistan. This is bad news, because that part has been pretty quiet.  

Thomas Roche/Flickr

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.