Commentary Over the last several weeks, Kazakhstan has exploded into widespread civil unrest. The country is a critical Russian ally. This unrest has wide-ranging global implications and may impact the developing U.S.-Russia confrontation over Ukraine. The unrest is fostering Russian fears that the United States and its allies are intent on creating “color revolutions” along its periphery and ultimately in Russia itself. It also has broad implications for the political stability of Central Asia and the other “stans,” as well on Chinese policy in Xinjiang. The violence has resulted in at least 164 dead, including around two dozen police officers, hundreds injured, and the arrest of more than 5,800 protesters. More than 100 banks and businesses were looted, and around 400 vehicles were destroyed. Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and its cultural and economic hub, now resembles a war zone. The demonstrations in Kazakhstan were triggered on Jan. 2, when the …