Latest Articles about Middle East
IS EUROPE TOO SMALL FOR BOTH BUSH AND PUTIN?
"Disappointing" may be the common post-mortem on the Bratislava summit, but it would still be unfair to call the meeting a non-event. Reviewing the unresolved issues, it is now possible to see that the preparations on the Russian side were rather unconventional: it appeared that... MORE
INDIA’S QUEST FOR CENTRAL ASIAN ENERGY
India, the world's second fastest growing economy, relies on oil and gas imports for its economic development. And, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh observed, it can no longer remain complacent in the face of China's global campaign to acquire reliable energy supplies. Thus India has... MORE
RUSSIAN COMMENTATORS: PUTIN WON ON POINTS
As expected, the issue of Russian democracy -- or, rather, its shrinkage -- figured in President George W. Bush's summit with President Vladimir Putin in Bratislava, Slovakia, at least in the joint press conference they held following their two-and-a-half hour private meeting. However, the American... MORE
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF DEMOCRACY MAY PUT BUSH AND PUTIN ON COLLISION COURSE
All smiles and backslapping notwithstanding, the Bush-Putin Bratislava summit laid bare the stark divergence of the two leaders' political philosophies. Describing their social ideals and values, "George" and "Vladimir" seem to be using the same words, but they mean different things. This ideological disconnect will... MORE
RUSSIA INSISTS ON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH IRAN
Despite differences between Russia and the United States over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Moscow nonetheless continues to move towards boosting economic ties with Iran. Moreover, the Kremlin remains keen to strengthen its partnership with Tehran. At a meeting in Moscow with the visiting Secretary of the... MORE
THE BUSH-PUTIN MEETING: SOFTLY, SOFTLY
As President George W. Bush heads to Bratislava for tomorrow's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the rhetoric among commentators in both Moscow and Washington has led to some speculation about a radical shift in U.S.-Russian relations. However, all the signs over the past week... 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
CAN RUSSIA TAKE ITS PLACE IN THE G8 FOR GRANTED?
International financier George Soros has once again shown his unique talent as a newsmaker. In an interview with the Austrian Die Presse, he suggested expelling Russia from the G8 due to its retreat from democracy. The Russian media instantly jumped on the story (Izvestiya, February... MORE
SECURITY IN CENTRAL ASIA MOVES CLOSER TO MOSCOW’S ORBIT
Recent events within Central Asia, ranging from maneuvers toward Western military deployment in Kyrgyzstan to political statements from Bishkek indicating the intention of closer security integration with Russia, coupled with accusations from Uzbek officials that Kazakhstan is harboring terrorists, highlight the complexity of post-9/11 security... MORE
WILL VENEZUELA SEND RUSSIAN WEAPONS TO SOUTH AMERICAN TERRORISTS?
Russian foreign policy seems to be increasingly affected by an unresolved schizophrenia that causes it to strike blindly at America, even if it gains little in the process. Last month Russia tried to sell Syria, a known sponsor of terrorism and opponent of the Middle... MORE