Central Asia was once the centre of global geo-politics during the 19th and early 20th century, as the British and Russian empires jostled for supremacy in the Great Game. Now, after the shambolic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, Central Asia is again emerging as a focus of the international community. Its importance emerges amidst a growing concern that Afghanistan could become a hub of global terror, endangering both the volatile region and, in a few years, even the US and Europe.