Latest Articles about Middle East

SKINHEADS STRIKE AGAIN IN ST. PETERSBURG

The murder of a Vietnamese student in St. Petersburg has once again underscored the growing problem of racist violence in Russia. Eyewitnesses report that on the evening of October 13, a group of 15-18 young men with shaven heads and black clothes and boots attacked... MORE

ROGOZIN PREDICTS THERE WILL SOON BE ONLY 30 REGIONS

There are growing indications that the Kremlin's centralization measures may soon move well beyond what it has thus far made public, including the plan to make the country's governors presidential appointees. In addition, a leading newspaper has reported what it claims lies behind these measures:... MORE

MOSCOW REASSERTING SECURITY COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA

Russia's reputation as a reliable security partner is currently growing within Central Asia, despite numerous efforts by Western countries to engage the region. Triggered in part by events such as the Beslan tragedy and an impetus toward closer cooperation between the Central Asian states and... MORE

WILL RUSSIA AGAIN BE PERCEIVED AS EUROPE’S MIRROR IMAGE?

Some 150 years ago Russian Tsar Nicolas I, who was considered one of the Old Continent's most powerful rulers, contemptuously called the Ottoman Turkish Empire the "sick man of Europe." Had the arrogant autocrat been able to see contemporary developments, he would have been tremendously... MORE

RUSSIA’S VISION FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICEMEN FALTERS

Russia's perennial introspection within its security elites, pondering the troubles that have so beset its armed forces generally and in Chechnya specifically, has again broached the idea of creating professional servicemen within its units deployed in Chechnya, and Tajikistan. Hailed as a potential panacea for... MORE

RUSSIAN COMPANIES PROPOSE DEBT-EQUITY SWAPS IN CENTRAL ASIA

Recent Russian proposals for debt-equity swaps in Central Asia and the Caucasus represent a bold new strategy for extending Russia's influence in the southern tier. Debt-for-equity swaps involve trading debt for ownership shares in enterprises. For more than a decade Russian financial officials have been... MORE

RUSSIAN MILITARY FACES ANTI-TERRORIST CHALLENGES

The Russian military is being increasingly tasked with countering terrorism within the Russian Federation, in an attempt to increase security and strengthen the state's capacity to respond to and effectively combat terrorism. This shift is reflected in many of the security measures announced by Defense... MORE