Latest Articles about Middle East

NEWLY RUSSIAN INVENTED HOLIDAY BECOMES A DAY OF NAZI UNITY

The good Soviet tradition of marching in early November acquired a new and disturbing twist this year. The Communist demonstrations on November 7 were quite unimpressive in Moscow and close to pathetic in most other cities, with the weak praise for the Great Revolution of... MORE

RUSSIA PLEDGES TO UP TRADE AND INVESTMENT TIES WITH CHINA

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov visited Beijing November 3-4 to discuss trade and investment ties with China. But despite repeated promises, Moscow made no legally binding commitment to build an oil pipeline to China. Instead, Fradkov only said that consultations "continue" and that Russian and... MORE

PUTIN PERFORMS A EUROPEAN PIROUETTE

A visit to the Netherlands on November 1-2 provided Russian President Vladimir Putin with a timely opportunity to re-establish his European credentials. The previous week had a distinct Asian flavor with the prime-ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow (Kommersant, October 27).... MORE

DEAD BODIES HIDING TRUTH ABOUT RUSSIAN FAILURE IN NALCHIK

During his visit to the Netherlands this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about the massive October 13 rebels attack on Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria. Dutch journalists wondered why the attack happened in what had been considered the most peaceful republic of the... MORE

RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES FEAR ISLAMIC INSURGENCY IN VOLGA REGION

During the 2000 presidential campaign, Acting President Vladimir Putin explained to journalists why he had launched a ruthless military campaign in Chechnya. Referring to the Chechen rebels who had invaded the neighboring republic of Dagestan in summer 1999, Putin said they had entered Dagestan not... MORE

THE RUNAWAY TRAWLER AND RUSSIA’S WOUNDED PRIDE

Throughout last week, the Russian public was transfixed by the flight of the trawler Elektron, which defied orders from the Norwegian Coast Guard and fled to Murmansk. This TV "reality show" appeared to have a happy ending, since the crew received a warm welcome and... MORE

RUSSIA PRESSING FOR EXCLUSIONARY NAVAL GROUPING IN CASPIAN SEA

On October 24, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov briefed President Vladimir Putin on Lavrov's just-completed visit to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In the briefing's televised part, Lavrov reported on his effort to advance Moscow's proposal for a joint naval force of the Caspian Sea... MORE