Latest Articles about Middle East
Russia’s Latest Census Report Populations Gains — Or Losses
According to the Russian Statistical Yearbook for 2000, Russia's permanent population (i.e. citizens plus legal residents from other CIS republics) decreased from 147 million people at the end of 1988 to 145.6 million at the end of 1999. During the same period, the number of... MORE
“russkaya Respublika”: We Sentenced Nikolai Girenko To Death
An extreme nationalist group has claimed responsibility for the murder of St. Petersburg ethnologist Nikolai Girenko. On June 19, the 64-year-old expert on ethnic and racial issues, who has provided expert testimony for prosecutors in cases involving racially motivated attacks, was shot through the door... MORE
Ivanov’s Victory Over Kvashinin May Open Pandora’s Box
Major-General Anatoly Kvashnin, Chief of the General Staff, has issued a stinging critique of next year's preliminary defense budget, going so far as to state that the Russian army is underpaid. His attack on the budget is less connected with an honorable defense of the... MORE
Russia’s Eastern Offensive: Eurasianism Versus Atlanticism
Last week saw an intensification of Russia's diplomacy in strategic Central Asia. On June 17, the leaders of Russia, China, and four Central Asian nations met in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to raise the profile of their security grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This gathering was... MORE
Eyewitnesses Say Ingushetia Attackers Were Mostly Locals
While the numbers are still preliminary, Russian news agencies early on June 23 quoted a source in Ingushetia's Interior Ministry as saying that 57 people were killed in attacks launched simultaneously by armed guerrillas across Ingushetia. The attacks, which began on the evening of June... MORE
Russia Launches Large-scale Military Exercises
A historic large-scale Russian military exercise is currently in progress, testing the ability of the armed forces to deploy high-readiness and reserve units rapidly across Russian territory. The operational strategic military exercise, codenamed Mobility 2004, began at 0800 (Moscow time) on June 9, with three... MORE
Putin Backs Bush On Saddam And Terrorism
Russian observers, like their US counterparts, have been reacting to President Vladimir Putin's assertion that Russian intelligence agencies had received information that Saddam Hussein's regime was planning terrorist attacks against American targets and had warned US intelligence. Putin made the comment on June 18 while... MORE
Putin: We Are Not Trying To Bankrupt Yukos
In a move that sent Russia's stock market into frenzied trading, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 17 that authorities are not seeking to bankrupt embattled oil company Yukos. Putin, who is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to attend a summit of leaders of the six... MORE
Andropov’s Legacy In Putin’s Foreign Policy
On June 15, Russia celebrated the 90th birthday of the late Yuri Andropov, secretary general of the Communist Party (CPSU) for 15 months and the head of the KGB for 15 years. Marking historical dates on the calendar has traditionally been a key part of... MORE
Putin’s Eurasian Opec For Gas Beginning To Emerge
Statements released on June 16-17 on behalf of Gazprom Chairman Aleksey Miller and Deputy Chairman Aleksandr Ryazanov suggest that Russia's program to monopolize the transit of Turkmen gas to Europe is proceeding on track, with apparently unreserved cooperation from Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niazov. Turkmenistan's gas... MORE