Latest Eurasia Daily Monitor Articles
MOSCOW’S CRACKDOWN ON “ISLAMIC” MILITANTS FUELS FEARS OF PROLONGED CHECHEN CONFLICT
The long-awaited Russian crackdown against Islamic militants in the North Caucasus has begun. For now the emerging law enforcement and military campaign seems more sporadic in its nature than first mooted. President Vladimir Putin, promising to get tough with "terrorists" following the Beslan hostage crisis... MORE
NEW SURVEY IN AZERBAIJAN SHOWS RISING INFLUENCE OF ISLAM
While local and international analysts continue to debate the pluses and minuses of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev's January trip to Iran, the non-governmental research organization Far Center, based in Baku has released the results of its recent survey on religious freedom in the country. The... MORE
BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY VISITS KABUL TO DISCUSS ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS
Afghanistan remains the world's number one supplier of drugs, mainly opium. In 2001 it produced 600 tons of opium, now, post-Taliban, it produces more than 5,000 tons. Drug money constitutes more than 60% of the country's GNP. A recently announced government amnesty for major growers... MORE
KAZAKHSTAN GAMBLES ON HOMELAND NATIONALISM TO FILL DEMOGRAPHIC GAP
In his annual message to the nation last April, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed concerns about the worsening demographic situation in the country. He challenged government agencies to boost population growth in order to reach a population of 20 million people by the year 2015.... MORE
LITTLE TO SHOW FROM FIRST YEAR OF GEORGIAN ARMY REFORM
Last week two events highlighted the unstable situation in the Georgian armed forces. The army's supreme command shuffled its top personnel yet again and "Justice and Freedom," a military watchdog group, released a report criticizing the government's performance in the field of defense from January... MORE
TIME SHORT, OPTIONS NARROWING, CALL NEEDED FOR A NEW GEORGIA BMO
Two months after Russia killed the OSCE's Georgia Border Monitoring Operation (BMO) -- and many months after Moscow had served advance notice of that move -- Georgia's Western partners are still bogged down in inconsequential talk about organizing a substitute operation. Only two months remain... MORE
YUKOS-MENATEP EXECS TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS
The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing yesterday (February 17) on "Democracy in Retreat in Russia." The star witnesses were Steven Theede, the embattled Yukos oil company's chief executive officer, and Tim Osborne, a member of the board of directors of Group... MORE
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT PRESSED TO REIN-IN LAWLESS OLIGARCHS
The Armenian authorities have been under domestic pressure in recent weeks to end what many see as the virtual impunity enjoyed by the country's tiny class of millionaire businessmen with close government ties. The Armenian version of post-Soviet "oligarchs" are widely hated -- and feared... MORE
YUSHCHENKO POISONING INVESTIGATION NEARING CLIMAX
During a February 15-16 visit to Lviv, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko optimistically predicted that the investigation into his near fatal poisoning in September 2004 would soon be finalized. "There is greater optimism now on this issue," he said. "I don't think it's a complicated case,"... MORE
KWASNIEWSKI, TARASYUK URGE A EUROPEAN SOLUTION IN TRANSNISTRIA
"Ukraine is the start, next up is Moldova," Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski told the Wall Street Journal on February 17, referring to Poland's active role in shaping European Union policy in the region. Citing the Russian military presence and transnational crime haven in Transnistria, the... MORE