The Georgian political establishment has reacted angrily to a one-hour documentary entitled, "Who is Misha?" about Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. The film was broadcast on Russian television on September 29 by NTV's popular program "Soversheno Sekretno." The film was heavy on the details of Saakashvili's... MORE

Opinion surveys suggest that the newly created, leftist Labor Party will take first place in Lithuania's parliamentary elections on October 10, though it will fall short of gaining a majority. The party leader, Russian-born oligarch Viktor Uspaskikh, will claim the post of prime minister, but... MORE

An interview published on September 29 with a key adviser to President Vladimir Putin, deputy presidential administration chief Vladislav Surkov, has elicited comment from a number of Russian observers. Komsomolskaya pravda, which conducted the interview, noted that President Putin had declared in his speech following... MORE

President Vladimir Putin's September 13 package of reforms to centralize political power was met with consternation by outside observers, who see it as a rollback of democratization in Russia. Independent observers inside Russia were also baffled. They had long lost any illusions about democracy, but... MORE

As the great powers demonstrate their resolve to crush terrorism and declare their readiness to strike preventively at terrorist bases "anywhere in the world," some lesser international actors appear ready to take advantage of this strategy. Recently a senior cabinet member from Greek Cyprus accused... MORE

President Saparmurat Niyazov is favorably considering proposals to change Turkmenistan's gas-export strategy by reducing reliance on pipelines for delivering natural gas, shifting to other transport methods, and maximizing the processing of gas in Turkmenistan for export of value-added products. Niyazov discussed these plans on September... MORE

Lithuania is headed for parliamentary elections on October 10, with some runoffs continuing on October 24. For the third time in less than two years, populist forces are strongly challenging the country's parliamentary democracy, its recently completed market economic system and, indirectly, its full-fledged Western... MORE

On the third anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych remains convinced that his country should take an active role in combating terrorism (UNIAN, September 11). However, Yanukovych's call to combat "terrorism" has a different domestic meaning, as Ukrainian leaders equate... MORE

As part of their efforts to increase security in the aftermath of the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Russia, Kazakhstan's law enforcement and border authorities have cracked down on immigration from neighboring countries. The new measures may primarily affect day laborers who cross Kazakhstan's... MORE

The October 9 poll to elect a new president in Afghanistan holds no surprises. Most foreign observers and Afghans perceive the election campaign as a farce, and that if the Bush administration wants to continue interim President Hamid Karzai in his present post for another... MORE