Latest Articles about Russia

Viktor Bout: From International Outlaw to Valued Partner

Viktor Vasilevich Bout, one of the world's most notorious arms merchants with proven links to the Taliban, has become a valued partner of the U.S. as it grapples with the insurgency in Iraq. Bout's airline, British Gulf, flies material into Baghdad International airport for the... MORE

Ricin Fever: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the Pankisi Gorge

With Russia once again threatening pre-emptive strikes on "terrorist" installations in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, it seems timely to re-examine the alleged activities of Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the region several years ago. The Pankisi Gorge is a river valley about 34 km long... MORE

Secular Nationalism Versus Political Islam in Azerbaijan

Being one of only four countries in the world with a majority of Shiites, Azerbaijan represents an interesting case of secular Shiism surrounded by countries and regions where theocracy and religious movements (both Shiite and Sunni) seem to thrive. After the fall of the Soviet... MORE

A Russian Agent At The Right Hand Of Bin Laden?

The Arabic television channel Al Jazeera broadcast an audiotape on December 19, 2003, that was said to be from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the right hand man of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. In it, Zawahiri claimed that his group was chasing Americans everywhere, including... MORE

Chechnya’s Abu Walid And The Saudi Dilemma

By M.B. Nokhcho and Glen E. Howard Russia’s brutal five year war in Chechnya has largely been examined in the West as an effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to become an ally of the United States in the war on terrorism. However, the repercussions... MORE

Russia And The War On Terror: Not A Trusted U.s. Ally

It is widely believed that cooperation in fighting international terrorism and the development of global energy resources are the two main pillars of U.S.-Russian relations post September 11. The firmness of this foundation, however, has been eroded by the continuing disagreements between Moscow and Washington... MORE