PIPELINE TO ARMENIA BLOWN UP FOR 9TH TIME.

The pipeline carrying gas fromTurkmenistan to Armenia was blown up for the ninth time in the last twoyears, Interfax reported May 22. Although the Russian news service said thatrepairs had been made, these attacks on the pipeline in Azerbaijani-dominatedregions of Georgia have meant that Armenians seldom have more than a fewhours of electricity every day. The actual number of attacks on this pipelinehas been far higher than Interfax said; Armenian sources have reported sixsuch attacks since January 1. The ease with which terrorists can attackpipelines highlights how difficult it will be to ensure that any pipelineroute out of Central Asia and the Caucasus can long survive.

Russian Border Guards Demand Massive Bribes For Trains.