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Latest Articles about Middle East
RUSSIAN INTERIOR TROOPS EXPAND SECURITY ROLE
The Russian Interior Ministry (MVD) has successfully completed the first stage of its expanded security role in the aftermath of the Beslan tragedy. It has added to its current responsibilities an additional 440 sites throughout the Russian Federation, many of which include potential soft targets... MORE
PUTIN IN TURKEY: THE UNENDING QUEST FOR MULTIPOLARITY
Russian President Vladimir Putin made last week's unprecedented trip to Turkey for several reasons. First, trade, energy, and a shared interest in ensuring the security of the Black Sea and the Caucasus against terrorism are important (RIA-Novosti, December 6). Similarly, Putin has long maintained that... MORE
RUSSIA EXPLOITS THE OSCE TO PRESSURE GEORGIA
The OSCE's failed year-end meeting in Sofia on December 6-7 also marked its conclusive failure as a would-be security organization. Russia demonstrated that it could kill the OSCE's one and only security operation of proven value, the Border Monitoring Operation in Georgia. At the same... MORE
RUSSIAN ANALYSTS PONDER ORANGE REVOLUTION’S IMPLICATIONS FOR KREMLIN DOMINANCE IN CIS
With democratic challenger Viktor Yushchenko all but set to win a repeat presidential runoff in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing his greatest foreign policy crisis. At stake is the Kremlin leader's dream of Russia's greatness, which he perceives primarily as Moscow's ability to... MORE
MOSCOW SCUTTLES OSCE YEAR-END CONFERENCE
Russian hegemonic claims regarding Georgia, Moldova, and now also Ukraine, torpedoed the OSCE's year-end meeting at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Sofia on December 6-7. The annual event ended without the usual political declaration and regional statements, the adoption of which is... MORE
KALMYK LEADERS AND BELIEVERS BUOYED BY VISIT FROM DALAI LAMA
On November 29, the Dalai Lama, the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, visited Kalmykia, a region in southern Russia, that is mainly inhabited by ethnic Kalmyks practicing Buddhism. This visit was difficult to organize, since the Chinese government regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist.... MORE
GREED, GAZPROM, AND GREF: THE MAKING OF A SUPER-MONOPOLY
In the first days of December, the Russian government planned to review Gazprom's performance and approve its investment program for 2005. The agenda for the meeting, however, was changed at the last moment when Gazprom announced a drastic revision of its plans in connection with... MORE
IN SEARCH OF TRILATERAL POWER, PUTIN GOES EAST
Having all but lost his Ukraine gambit, Russian President Vladimir Putin headed to India and Turkey on state visits in early December. The Kremlin leader's talks with Indian and Turkish rulers appear to be an attempt to give an "asymmetrical answer" to the global hegemony... MORE
RUSSIA AND INDIA EXPLORE COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA
Russia and India have reached a tentative agreement on military cooperation in Central Asia, aimed at resolving any potential conflict of interests between the two powers in the strategically important region. Russian President Vladimir Putin reached no definitive accord during his December 3-4 visit to... MORE
IN SEARCH OF TRILATERAL POWER, PUTIN GOES EAST
Having all but lost his Ukraine gambit, Russian President Vladimir Putin headed to India and Turkey on state visits in early December. The Kremlin leader's talks with Indian and Turkish rulers appear to be an attempt to give an "asymmetrical answer" to the global hegemony... MORE