As the geopolitical competition in the former Soviet lands becomes more acute, the Kremlin is seeking to revamp its strategy towards the Commonwealth of Independent States. First Moscow sends a signal to the West, saying it is ready to reach some sort of accommodation in... MORE

Last week Russia marked the first anniversary of the Beslan tragedy. On September 1, a terrorist group from Chechnya seized a school in the North Ossetian town of Beslan, taking more than 1,0000 people, mostly children, hostage. More than 300 hostage died during the chaotic... MORE

On September 4 Russian President Vladimir Putin fired Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. While the stated reason was the admiral's age, other factors clearly influenced the decision. Indeed, Putin fired Kuroyedov one day before his 61st birthday, when he would have retired... MORE

Hurricane Katrina forced the United States and the European Union to open their strategic oil reserves, but Moscow is confident that the dip in prices is only a minor deviation from the unstoppable upward trend. This conclusion was incorporated in a draft state budget for... MORE

Al-Qaeda in Iraq has been active in a campaign to warn off Iraqis from voting on the constitution. The jihadi forums have carried the latest visual offerings from the Media Division of [Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's] Organization of al-Qaeda in the Land of the Two Rivers.... MORE

The arrest of an alleged top figure in the Turkish division of al-Qaeda following the failed plan to attack Israeli tourist cruiser ships, promises analysts a windfall of information on the present structure of the international Islamist terror organization. According to the Turkish daily al-Zaman,... MORE

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be having second thoughts about his decision to cancel regional elections and appoint governors with only pro forma confirmation by respective parliaments. Just a year ago, the plan appeared to offer a perfect solution to the multiple problems of federalism,... MORE

As Russian troops started their first joint military exercise with China, the war game is seen as a manifestation of the Moscow-Beijing bilateral "strategic partnership." But at the same time, Russia's simultaneous northern war game appears intended as a demonstration of Moscow's strategic military might.... MORE

The most recent session of the six-power talks over North Korean nuclearization finally got down to serious negotiations. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev, head of Russia's delegation, confirmed afterward that the draft statement of principles is 95% complete. What remains, he said are several... MORE