Susan Sypko

December 15, 2007

"US, Russia as Partners"

Op-Ed, The Boston Globe

By Melanie Getreuer, Former Research Assistant to Graham Allison, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 2006-2008 and Susan Sypko, Former Research Assistant to Graham Allison, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

AMERICANS and Russians have grown accustomed to hearing two distinct narratives about the post-Cold War world. As the sole superpower, the United States is the "indispensable nation." Little can be accomplished without our input. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia is the indispensable nation, too. Indeed, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev recently said that ridding the world of nuclear weapons could be accomplished only through US-Russian partnership.

December 2007

Book Review: The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Glory on the Caspian Sea

Journal Article, Far Eastern Economic Review

By Susan Sypko, Former Research Assistant to Graham Allison, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Book Review: The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steven LeVine

Book Review by Susan Sypko

Like stories about the Great Game, Mr. LeVine’s tales of oil fields, pipelines and back-room deals are permeated with treachery and treasure. But what makes his account a compelling read is that today’s competition for oil is actually quite different from the Great Game. Instead of two empires competing for hegemony, today’s story involves a multitude of individual players vying for resources in a contest where victory is often fleeting.

October 2007

Tajiks Wrestle with Identity and Islam

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Far Eastern Economic Review, issue October 2007

By Susan Sypko, Former Research Assistant to Graham Allison, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

When asked about the greatest difference between Muslims in Tajikistan and Muslims in other countries, Davlatmo Ismailova — or “Fatima,” as she prefers to be called—tells me that other Muslims have more freedom. Fatima would know. She is suing Tajikistan’s Ministry of Education for not allowing her to wear the hijab to her university classes.

September 2007

Book Review: Russian Colonial Society in Tashkent, 1865-1923

Journal Article, Far Eastern Economic Review

By Susan Sypko, Former Research Assistant to Graham Allison, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Book Review: Russian Colonial Society in Tashkent, 1865-1923 by Jeff Sahadeo

As American forces struggle to bring democracy to Iraq after a "quick military victory," historian Jeff Sahadeo's tale of Russian colonialism sounds eerily familiar. It took the Russian Imperial Army only two days to defeat Central Asian defenders of Tashkent in 1865. Mr. Sahadeo's page-turning account of what happened afterward, howerver, reveals that there was nothing straightforward or simple about imperial Russia's "civilizing mission" in Central Asia.

March 2007

Book Review: Islam After Communism: Religion and Politics in Central Asia

Journal Article, Far Eastern Economic Review

By Susan Sypko, Former Research Assistant to Graham Allison, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Islam After Communism: Religion and Politics in Central Asia by Adeeb Khalid

Isolated for decades behind the Iron Curtain, the Central Asian states are an enigma to many. As the role of Islam in world politics has grown, government officials and observers around the world continue to lump their understanding of Pakistan and Afghanistan with that of unknown "stans." This is a grave mistake, with far-reaching consequences. Adeeb Khalid's new book, Islam after Communism: Religion and Politics in Central Asia, is a welcome rebuttal to ongoing misunderstanding of the region. In this overview of the history and current role of Islam in Central Asia, Mr. Khalid's theme is that there is no necessary relationship between Islam and politics in Central Asia.