Experts Skeptical of New Silk Road

The United States rolled out the New Silk Road Strategy (NSRS) a few years back as one of the ways of filling the void of a diminished United States military presence in Afghanistan. The intent was to link the Central Asian states together (along with Afghanistan) in trade in an effort to increase economic activity and strengthen economies. The outcome would provide a stronger economy for Afghanistan which would cut into the support insurgents would enjoy from the population. However there are doubts that the NSRS will work. Read more in "Following the New Silk Road", The Diplomat, October 22, 2014.