DRAFT RESISTANCE INTENSIFIES IN TAJIKISTAN.

Local militia and military officers now conduct regular raids to apprehend draft dodgers in Tajikistan, sometimes “enlisting” young men right on the street, Pravda reported June 1. The authorities have adopted this strategy because only 40 percent of those called actually show up for induction, and because many earlier efforts to root out resisters had been met with violence. The unwillingness of young Tajiks to join up is understandable given the nature of the war there. Pravda’s report, however, will only add grist to the mill of those Russians who believe Moscow should withdraw its forces from the Central Asian republic.

A Shot of Stalin Vodka, Please.