Category: Geopolitics

Geopolitics is the discipline of understanding how geography, power, and strategic interest shape the decisions of states and the conflicts that result. In an era of accelerating multipolarity — where US primacy is contested by China and Russia while middle powers assert independent strategic agency — rigorous geopolitical intelligence has never been more valuable to governments, corporations, and institutions navigating an uncertain world.

CommandEleven’s geopolitical analysis applies the tools of intelligence tradecraft to the biggest structural questions of the current order: How is the US-China competition reshaping the Indo-Pacific and global supply chains? What does Russian strategic doctrine mean for European security and NATO’s eastern flank? How are middle powers — India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan — positioning themselves in a world where alignment is increasingly transactional? And where do the flashpoints lie that could tip regional tension into direct great power conflict?

This category collects CommandEleven’s broader geopolitical and strategic analyses — pieces that operate above the tactical and operational level to examine the systemic forces and long-range trajectories that define the security environment our clients must navigate.

Understanding the Positions on Afghanistan

While many will disagree with us, we have spent months discussing the situation in Afghanistan, and these statements don’t track with the on-ground reality. We’ve also clearly said that the force that would replace the Taliban in Afghanistan will be more brutal than any terror group the world has seen thus far.

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Buffer Zones

There are some Pakistani X handles advocating in favor of creating a buffer zone between Pakistan and Afghanistan. We fully believe those that are advocating for the creation of such an area are either misinformed, lack the proper knowledge or are conspiring to ceded Pakistani territory to terrorists.

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The Current Situation on the Pak-Afghan Border

The Insiders host, Syed Khalid Muhammad, takes a few moments to discuss what is happening on the Pak-Afghan border and the situation in Afghanistan. Khalid speaks in relative detail about the reasons for the Taliban is unable to remove or restrain the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) cross-border attacks against Pakistan, sharing insight on what would happen if the TTP were expelled and what the potential next moves are for the Islamic State – Khorasan Province.

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Washington’s Diplomatic Duplicity

Targeting Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, the U.S. State Department has designated four (04) foreign entities under Executive Order 13382 for proliferating missile-applicable equipment and technology.

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Pakistan’s Thin Line of Defence

The identified deficiencies within Pakistan’s intelligence services span a spectrum of crucial domains. Firstly, the lack of effective preventive measures highlights a fundamental weakness in proactive intelligence gathering and preemptive action. Despite purported warnings issued to targeted individuals, the inability to forestall these operations reveals a critical gap in Pakistan’s security architecture.

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Is Deporting Afghan Refugees Enough for Pakistan’s Security?

Salman Lali, a Contributing Fellow at CommandEleven, joined Yasmeen Ali to discuss the implications and complications that will arise from deporting Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. Salman spoke in detail about the security and humanitarian concerns that will develop as a result of the Government of Pakistan’s decision to re-start the deportment of Afghans from Pakistan, even if they have a valid Afghan Refugee card.

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The Strategic Quagmire in the Red Sea

Against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza war, global attention has pivoted from the Ukraine conflict to the Middle East crisis, unveiling unexpected developments in the Red Sea. The Iranian-supported Houthi group in Yemen has thrust the historically and strategically significant Red Sea and Bab el Mandeb Strait into the forefront of international affairs.

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Security Challenges for the New Government

Syed Khalid Muhammad, CommandEleven Executive Director, discussed in detail the security challenges that Pakistan’s new government faces in both Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from insurgency and terrorism from Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

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